Typo error in 3rd para from bottom – “-its however NOT actuated by malice or bad faith directed at FELDA -“

Only recently Home Ministry gave publishing licence to Suara Perkasa. Even before its 2nd issue, it has already sparked controversy by calling for MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong to be detained under ISA! For what? Just because Wee asked whether if the govt scrapped PSD scholarships (in line with cutting costs) it would likewise, consistent with 1 Malaysia, also do so for MARA scholarship programme??? Immediately, and perhaps in part due to Kit’s questioning why Suara keAdlian was suspended and Suara Perkasa was let off, Home Ministry has asked editor of Suara Perkasa to call in at its office to explain. What Suara KeAdilan is alleged to have violated in terms of conditions of its publication permit is the article in its last issue is its misinforming or publication of false facts about FELDA’s state of finances. Accurate or otherwise the state of FELDA’s finances is a public issue and fit and proper subject for raising within parameters of political contestation between Opposition and ruling coalition, and if Suara KeAdilan is short of facts in these respects, FELDA is already contemplating recourse of suing RM200 million for libel against the publishers and some of PKR’s leaders. In contrast Suara Perkasa’s allegations against Wee carry serious racial undertones that could have a tendency to incite racial sentiments that broadly could be argued to skate at the edge of what the Sedition Act is intended to proscribe, let alone potentially drive a wedge between MCA and UMNO, so Kit’s questioning of the apparent uneven and disproportionate punishment meted out by the authorities to Suara KeAdilan as compared to Suara Perkasa seems fair comment.

The argument that “Perkasa = UMNO” for purposes of the former playing bad cop to canvass for continued Malay political support for UMNO whilst UMNO plays good cop to canvass for support of non Malays lost – as if Perkasa were UMNO’s creation for this dual conflicting political agenda – is unconvincing to me.

Just because there are many UMNO members and stalwarts having vested interest in the conventional “Ketuanan” political order support Perkasa for upholding that order does not validate or prove that argument above. For there are some UMNO members and stalwarts who are also critical and wary of Perkasa who are “silent” unlike (say) Nazri/KJ.

Of course one may speculate that these critics are putting on an act. I don’t really think so. For Perkasa’s rhetoric poses a serious challenge to UMNO’s president’s political agenda/motto/mantra of 1 Malaysia forcing him to backtrack on his NEM. Potentially it causes friction between BN’s component parties UMNO and MCA, the latter having made clear that its antics are not helping MCA at all to recover its traditional support, which is clearly not in line with UMNO’s basic objective of having MCA or for that matter other non malay based component parties there for the facade of BN’s multiracial representation or a semblance of racial harmony under UMNO’s hegemony.

I am inclined to believe and take Perkasa’s word for it about being an NGO representing groups wishing to uphold the Malay agenda to pressure UMNO and in particular the PM to not forsake that in its efforts to reform. In fact I think if UMNO cuts so much slack, it would soon be led and dictated by Perkasa in its policies that may not exactly correspond on all fours with what it perceives is its political interest. The political will to rein in the NGO is undermined by the fact that rival contenders within the ruling party are soliciting the NGO’s support in their vying for political ascendancy within UMNO.

As to who and which group is really behind Perkasa then if it were not UMNO (officially and unitedly) is really the million dollar question not proper to speculate here.

Meanwhile its a serious counterweight to UMNO posing a challenge to supersede it, if the latter were not vigilant about Perkasa’s activities and perceived expanding influence.