Pua tells Sivarasa to forget BN-style ‘thuggish’ politics
Pakatan cannot replace Barisan Nasional (BN) in Putrajaya by emulating the latter’s “cronyism” and “thuggish” politics.
(Free Malaysia Today) – Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua, in a storm-in-a-teacup situation with fellow MP Sivarasa Rasiah (Subang Jaya), stressed in a statement that the local council, Majlis Perbandaran Petaling Jaya (MBPJ), should not negotiate with and bow to thugs who use force and intimidation to get their way. “This lot –including a PKR division deputy chief, a PKR division secretary and various PKR councilors from other districts — should not receive any preferential treatment just because of their party status.”
If any DAP grassroots leader demands preferential treatment for licenses in his constituency, he assured, stern action will be taken against him or her. “I will certainly not defend their actions, whatever their justification.”
“We can forget about ever replacing Barisan Nasional (BN) in Putrajaya if we practise cronyism and thuggish politics just like them.”
After doing his fact checks, added Pua who is also DAP National Publicity Secretary, he can now correct Sivarasa on a figment of his imagination, or of whoever who sold him a story. “As far as the local council is concerned, the new site for traders was approved unanimously during the full board meeting on 27 March 2015.”
“There has been no meeting since then by any councilor or official to reverse this decision.”
The Mayor himself has stated that he believed that there would be a better response for the Deepavali Bazaar at the new site, he continued. “If it’s any consolation to the Subang MP, I was never involved in any of these decision-making processes.”
Hence, he said, the State Exco, the MP, the State Assemblyman concerned and the councilor were not in any way challenging the decision of the MPPJ but were in fact abiding by it. “It was the group of thugs, most of whom do not even trade in the area who were challenging the decision of the Council.”
Pua was expressing surprise that Sivarasa issued a media statement on Sunday entitled “Some friendly advice for my friend YB Tony Pua”. He invited the Subang MP for a friendly visit to the Deepavali Bazaar located in Sungai Way, Petaling Jaya Utara “to understand the issues arising before he sticks his neck blindly into the matter”.
He lamented that Sivarasa did not have the courtesy to give his colleagues — Lau Weng San and Sean Oon, who have been working tirelessly to resolve this issue over the past two to three years — a call to clarify the situation. “He didn’t even have the courtesy to give me a call to ask about what took place last Thursday before issuing his statement to lecture me on how I should do my job as MP with his ‘friendly advice’.”
Essentially, he complained, the Subang MP was telling him to stick to 1MDB and butt out of his own local constituency affairs.
Together with Selangor State Executive Councillor (Exco), V. Ganabathirao and State Assemblyman for Kg Tunku Lau, Pua said that he visited the Sungai Way village Deepavali Bazaar at the proposed new site along Jalan SS9A/12 on Thursday evening. Unfortunately, when he arrived, he discovered that the traders who had obtained licenses from the local city council, MBPJ, had been threatened and not allowed to set up their stalls for business by a rowdy mob led by one Saminathan and a Murali.
He said that he proceeded to speak to the reporters to explain the City Council’s unanimous decision to shift the market from the adjacent SS9A/13 to the new location. “The key reasons for the shift will be clear to anyone who visits the two sites,” said Pua. “The old site was along a narrow lane which serves as the main access road to dense low-medium cost flats.”
“The new site is spacious, has plenty of carparks and is near the very popular Sri Sakthi Easwari Temple. Better still, it can accommodate even more traders, allowing more to make a living during these tough times.”
However, complained Pua, he was not even able to finish speaking to the reporters as Murali and his lot heckled, shouted and shoved him and his people, as was recorded on video.
Why then, was there a protest?
