There is no place in Umno or elsewhere in Malaysia for the likes of Perkasa, a Malay rights group, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.

Similarly, he said, BN component parties like Gerakan, MIC and the People’s Progressive Party do not support the NGO.

Without mentioning names, he said “some people (in Umno) give patronage to Perkasa”.

“But I want to say there are enough people like me in Umno. We do not need Perkasa because, if you are talking about helping the Malay community, Umno is enough without the need to be racist or racial.

“We don’t need (something which) antagonises us and upsets other people. You have my word that Umno Youth under me will continue to oppose Perkasa,” he told the crowd at a dialogue at Wawasan Open University in Penang recently. The event was organized by the Penang BN Youth Wing.

Khairy said many Umno members – like some in PAS and PKR – support Perkasa and its activities, but that he rejects the ultra-Malay group even if this means getting “into a lot of trouble with Umno”.

“I get ‘whacked’ in Umno and (am) asked why I am not supporting Perkasa,” and his reply was “Why should I support something that I don’t believe in and would cause us (to lose) votes? You must be kidding. (When) you support Perkasa, how many votes will you lose and how many Malay votes (will) you get? How many non-Malay votes (will) you lose?’…”

He said he was told that Perkasa should be supported because Malays should be united, but had said: ‘There is only so (far that) we can push the other communities against the wall with this rubbish.’ State Gerakan chief Dato Dr Teng Hock Nan chaired the two-hour session, accompanied by Teluk Bahang assemblyman Dato Dr Hilmi Yahya, Senator and Penang MIC chief Datuk PK Subbaiyah and Penang Gerakan Youth chief Oh Tong Keong.

Khairy fielded more than 10 questions on topics ranging from electoral reform, the brain drain, discriminatory policies and racism that was pointed squarely at Perkasa’s aggression towards non-Malays.

In particular, he was asked how he, as Umno Youth chief, would deal with the question of Perkasa and its president Ibrahim Ali.

He maintained that he had been consistent in his stance against Perkasa even in front of Umno leaders, saying this was not the kind of politics that members should promote.

He lamented that he has sometimes stood alone when confronted with the nagging issue of Ibrahim’s critical remarks, but does not care that no one has come to his assistance.

Khairy said he had written a long letter about Perkasa to Prime Minister and Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak, after which other party leaders began to speak up as well.

“I’ve done enough (when it comes to) Perkasa. It’s a work in progress. It may not be enough. We have to support the PM, he cannot be flying alone. Like the lion, he must have other small lions around him, too.”

by Editorial Desk
gerakan4u.com