Get rid of Perkasa,’ says Nazri
KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 — The Barisan Nasional issued a clear signal today of its disassociation from Perkasa when Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz declared that the Umno did not support or recognise the Malay rights group.
The minister in the prime minister’s department said Umno was against any form of racism and that Perkasa’s ideals did not fit the Najib administration’s focus on plurality and unity.
“We should get rid of Perkasa. Why do I say that? Because Perkasa is not in line with Datuk Seri Najib (Razak’s) 1 Malaysia concept,” Nazri told The Malaysian Insider.
“We (are) against any form of racism and Perkasa certainly doesn’t belong or [is] supported by Umno,” said Nazri.
But the law minister also said that no action could be taken against Perkasa unless they made inflammatory remarks or if complaints were made against them.
“So we can’t really stop them unless statements that come out from their leaders which are considered to be seditious, only then we can take action. And I [have] no problem (with taking action) if they come out with statements which can be considered as seditious,” said Nazri.
The Padang Rengas MP said that the best way to stop Perkasa was for Umno to “disassociate” themselves completely from the Malay NGO.
“(We must) distance ourselves. There’s a freedom of disassociation in this country,” he said.
Perkasa has grown from a one-man cause to include thousands of Malays who feel disaffected by proposed economic reforms that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak wants to introduce to turn Malaysia into a high-income nation for a plural society.
Yet Perkasa has managed to influence Najib into continuing with an affirmative action policy for Bumiputeras, despite having signalled that his New Economic Model (NEM) was for all Malaysians, under his 1 Malaysia concept.
The NGO’s president, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, has used Perkasa to form an umbrella body called the Malay Consultative Council (MPM) and has received the support of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Nazri also took the opportunity to slam Dr Mahathir over the former PM’s recent remarks urging the Najib administration to engage more grassroots leaders.
“Who are the citizens of this country? All Malays [only]? There are non-Malays here. Are you saying that non-Malays have got no say at all, [that they] are second class?
“No, we cannot tolerate this regardless whether the statements are coming from former PM. This country is a multi-racial country. I think for a leader to say that we need to engage more Malays... [is] unacceptable,” added Nazri.
Perkasa’s rising popularity has also resulted in MCA vice-president Datuk Donald Lim suggesting that a Chinese Perkasa be formed to counter former’s views.
Nazri, however, dismissed Lim’s remarks as counter-productive and “ridiculous.”
“Donald is someone from BN and he should not be suggesting things like that. Two wrongs will not make one right.
“Unless Donald wants to see something more come out of this, what’s the point having (a Chinese Perkasa)?
“(Do) you want to see the Chinese and Malays fight? I think that’s ridiculous. We want to get rid of Perkasa and he (Donald) wants to form extremism.
“What about the extremism in other groups? Let’s also form Kadazan extremist groups, Iban and let’s all fight, if that’s what he wants. But I think it’s ridiculous,” added the Umno man in jest.
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