Perkasa blames DAP, political parties for racial tension
(MM) – Political parties such as the DAP are the cause of racial tension in Malaysia, claimed Malay rights group Perkasa in its bid to shift blame away from communal non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said that race-based and religious-based organisations would instead act as catalysts for national unity, Utusan Malaysia’s weekend edition reported today.
“The racial tension was not started by non-governmental organisations (NGO) but by hardcore political parties that capitalised on racial issues especially after the 2008 general elections. This is clear with the sentiment played by the DAP on the Chinese community.
“We NGOs of various races work together in promoting national unity like today. We Perkasa, Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Amal India Baru (Perinbam) and Persatuan Cina 1 Malaysia (Percisama) make today’s Deepavali event successful together,” Ibrahim was quoted saying in a news conference yesterday.
Ibrahim explained that close co-operation between organisations that are based on race and religion could help create social balance.
The transparency of these organisations in upholding the spirit of unity and the Federal Constitution would be able to prevent any racial or religious tensions as well as misunderstandings within the multicultural community here, the Malay-language daily reported Ibrahim as saying.
Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Ahmad Maslan, Perinbam president U. Thamotharan and Percisama president Choy Chee Wai were reportedly spotted at the 2013 Deepavali celebration organised by Perinbam.
The Indian-based Perinbam, Chinese-based Percisama and Malay-based Perkasa had this July inked a pledge to work together.
Recently, DAP chairman Karpal Singh suggested that racial and religious-based political parties and professional bodies be deregistered, saying that they are “dangerous for a multi-racial society and a threat to unity”.
Karpal had made that suggestion when attacking the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) after it warned the Bar Council against backing Catholic weekly Herald’s appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling that banned it from using the word “Allah”.
MLA president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar had cautioned the Bar Council against taking a partisan stand in the spat that is deepening a gulf in multi-religious Malaysia.
