Be aware of negative perception, Ku Li tells Perkasa
(The Star) – Perkasa should take a different approach in defending Malay rights or risk being overtaken by negative perception of its struggle, warned Umno veteran Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
Although Perkasa’s struggle was in line and embodied within the Federal Constitution, he said certain actions by some members of the group could draw negative perception towards their intention.
“Was this negative perception caused by the propaganda of certain groups? Or could it be due to the actions of some of its own members?” he said in his address at the opening of Perkasa’s 4th annual general assembly here yesterday.
The Gua Musang MP said the public had a negative perception of Perkasa especially among those who viewed it as a radical, racist and irresponsible group.
Such a perception was held by certain segments of the non-Malay community, he said, adding that Perkasa was also not respected by the Malays who they claimed to protect.
“Even worse, Perkasa is often seen as a divider of unity between races that had been the reason behind a stable Malaysia,” he added.
On a separate matter, Tengku Razaleigh, who is a former finance minister, said the subsidy mentality among the Malays and bumiputra community should be eased off gradually to ensure that they could compete in the globalised world.
He said the Government’s move to rationalise subsidies was good but it must not be the big businesses which would benefit from the move.
“It is high time that the Government rationalises subsidies but they must be selective. The subsidies benefitting the industries must first be removed and not burden the consumers,” he said.
The Government, he added, had taken many initiatives to help the rakyat cope with the high cost of living but it must also consider controlling trade practices that were too monopolistic.
“It is the monopolistic position that some people hold that are strangling the rakyat. At times, the subsidies could not reach the targeted group,” said Tengku Razaleigh.
However, he also expressed concerns that the number of key personnel among Malays and bumiputras in the corporate sector had been reduced significantly.
“Even companies and industries established by the Federal Land Development Authority are not administered by Malays and bumiputras,” he said.
