Pakatan slams Umno for racism, Un-Islamic policies and oil
By Wong Choon Mei, Suara Keadilan
PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat led his Pakatan Rakyat colleagues in condemning Umno for racist policies that ran counter to Islam and again asked why Prime Minister Najib Razak continued to refuse open debate with him, seeking instead to cause trouble deviously and behind the scenes.
“If Al-Arqam and Ayah Pin were deviant teachings, then Umno is also deviant as it has rejected Islamic governance,” the Kelantan Menteri Besar told a huge crowd at a late night ceramah at Chuchuh Puteri.
The senior-most PAS leader was playing host at Manek Urai, where a by-election for the state seat is due to be polled on July 14.
The seat fell vacant following the death of PAS assemblyman Ismail Yaacob in May.
Nik Aziz also slammed recent efforts by Umno to get at him by describing him as an icon and then claiming that their own president Najib and Kelantan chief Mustapa Mohamed were even bigger heroes.
“The only icon to follow as a role model is the Prophet Muhammad himself,” the religious teacher chided.
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was also present, hit out at Umno for trying to split the Pakatan through unethical and foul means.
He warned that the party could no longer hope to reclaim its grip on the Malay community for as long as Najib was its president.
“Malaysians have already rejected Umno on March 8 (general election). Why are they being busybodies in Manek Urai? They should follow what they said about Penanti and focus on economic problems,” Anwar said.
“They are clearly trying to prove that the Malays still support them. But Malays have chosen not to follow Umno because of its policies.”
Lifting quotas will not revive confidence, especially in the judiciary
Manek Urai, a PAS and Malay stronghold, is the seventh by-election to occur since the March 8, 2008 general election. The Pakatan has swept to victory in five of the previous six contests and looks set to win its sixth.
The Penanti by-election in Penang in May was the fifth and Najib had then boycotted the contest, despite protest from within his own party, on the grounds that it was unproductive and he wanted to focus on putting the economy right.
Nevertheless, the pressure has not stopped and the heat is now even greater for him to staunch the Pakatan’s advance. The 55-year old PM will also be completing his first 100 days in office soon with little concrete success to show.
His supporters point to his recent and controversial removal of a 30 percent bumiputra quota on new share listings, a move they claim will rekindle foreign investments into the country, although PAS president Hadi Awang and even ex-PM Mahathir Mohamad have both refuted this.
Others also say his attempts to cling to power in Perak has destroyed the integrity of the country’s judiciary – a far more important criteria to long term investors and economic health.
“I am certain the constituents in Manek Urai will not be fooled by these policies from the Umno and the federal government,” said senior PAS leader Husam Musa.
‘Instant noodles’ and corrupt ways but conveniently overlooking oil royalties
Husam criticized Umno for again resorting to corrupt ways to lure voters.
In the past weeks, the party – which controls the federal government – has announced a host of election goodies for the constituency, including scholarships and government contracts.
“Umno did not contest in Penanti because they were afraid to lose a fifth by-election. If this happens, then Malaysian would know that BN is finished. But they think that they can convince Manek Urai with ‘instant noodles’,” Husam said.
Husam reiterated that the federal government owes Kelantan oil royalties to the tune of RM1.7 billion, although the state has so far asked to be reimbursed RM1.0 billion.
The state government last month issued a claim for the RM1.0 billion, which has been ignored by national oil firm Petronas. Both Petronas and the federal government deny there was ever such an agreement with Kelantan.
“Nik Aziz informed me that when he was an elected representative since the 1970’s, that he was aware of the existence of an agreement between the BN Kelantan government then and Petronas, the national oil company,” Husam said.
“We searched the old files and did indeed find the agreement that was signed on May 9, 1975, between the then Kelantan menteri besar Mohammad Nasir with the then Petronas chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
“Our claim is legitimate based on the agreement as the oil is extracted closer to our shores that is 150 kilometres off shore.”
