DAP supports the call by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for proof of the allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion.
This allegation by the Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria is a very serious and inflammable one and should not be made without proof.
This allegation has already been the basis of a very alarmist front-page Utusan Malaysia headline “Elak perang besar” on Tuesday and an incendiary article entitled “Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia” yesterday.
DAP leaders had never heard or known of such an alternate constitution.
Any such an alleged alternative constitution could not have emanated from Pakatan Rakyat as the component parties of PKR, PAS and DAP had reaffirmed commitment to the fundamental principles of the Malaysian Constitution in a common platform last December.
What should be the cause of concern to all, including potential investors whether local or foreign, is the resort to “May 13” talk or threat in political discourses, including by Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, even during the Merdeka Month celebrations this year. As far as I can remember, the spectre of May 13 had had never been invoked by previous Deputy Prime Ministers in the past four decades.
All sane, rational and responsible political leaders from whatever complexion deplore any “May 13” threat or talk, for are united in wanting to ensure that there is no possibility of another “May 13” let alone “perang besar” than May 13 in the country!
The escalation of race politics when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is proclaiming his 1Malaysia policy and during the Merdeka Month celebration raises disturbing questions whether Najib is serious about the 1Malaysia slogan or whether he is really in full charge of his administration.
At the rate things are escalating, someone will be lodging a police report for sedition against Najib for unveiling the New Economic Model (NEM) on March 31 for its proposal for the fifth SRI (Strategic ‘Reform Initiative), viz: a transparent and market-friendly affirmative action.
NEM proposed inclusiveness as the second goal and key component – fostering equal and fair economic opportunities where affirmative action will consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of households.
NEM wants affirmative action programmes to be based on “market-friendly and market-based criteria together taking into consideration the needs and merits of the applicants”.
When police reports of sedition are lodged because proposals are made fully in line with the NEM proposals, something has gone very wrong not only with Malaysian politics but with the entire process of nation-building.
This is a matter which warrants the serious attention of all political leaders and the Malaysian citizenry.
#1 by k1980 on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 2:32 pm
BN’s manifesto for the next GE — “Vote BN or you get May 13”
#2 by frankyapp on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 2:41 pm
Simple if they failed to come out with such proof,then sue both of them ie the Perak mufti and the ugly Utusan.
#3 by sheriff singh on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 3:36 pm
The ‘Alternative Constitution’ should be the Original Federal Constitution of the Federation of 1957 plus the Malaysia Agreement.
We need to start again from the beginning.
#4 by rahmanwang on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 3:44 pm
Ok you guys should also read YB Khalid Samad’s blog too.
He is in the opinion that the BN government is in the process to “round” up all the Pakatan Rakyat’s leaders. I too am thinking in the same line as now UMNO will nail Datuk Anwar then play up racial upheaval, then blame it on Pakatan Rakyat. Basically UMNO wants a walkover for GE13.
#5 by Thor on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 4:09 pm
Let me explain once again, loud and clear!!!
May 13th is about “clashes between chinese and malays”.
Now, we have PKR and PAS as brothers so where got another May 13th, dude!!!
Umno’s scare tactics are all scr@wed up!
Only thing I know will happens now and then is Friday 13th, where Freddy will come to haunt those bargers till they get mad!
Very scary, is’nt it???
#6 by tak tahan on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 4:18 pm
May may 13th between china and malaysia.Sound more bigger fight or no fight,isn’t it?Guess who will win?
#7 by yhsiew on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 4:47 pm
///This allegation by the Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria is a very serious and inflammable one and should not be made without proof.///
Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria has to be charged for creating rumors and causing racial tension among Malaysians.
#8 by Cinapek on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 4:52 pm
” ….This allegation by the Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria is a very serious and inflammable one …”
Indeed. This man is very dangerous. Under the guise of a holy person, he is instigating racial disharmony by making allegations without proof. He has done this before on the church conversion lies and he got away scot free. He is at it again. Whether he is doing this on his own sinister intent or at the behest of a hidden hand, if he cannot show show proof of this latest allegation, he should be shown up in public for what he is, a rumourmonger out to create trouble. Do not expect the BN Govt to take action. They are probably the hidden hand.
Khalid Samad has alluded to the fact that someone is deliberately fanning all these racial instigation to provoke the PR and the non Malays in order to get an excuse to detain all the PR leaders under the ISA. This could lead to emergency rule, effectively killing off any opposition because the BN Govt is not confident of winning the next GE. The signs are all there.
#9 by dagen on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 4:54 pm
Fellas. GE13 is definitely coming. And this time the corrupt umno would fight back real dirty. This is one good indication on how low umno would go. And come to think of it dirty tactics are the only weapon left for them. Money to buy votes has been more or less neutralised by of brave friends in sibu and HS. ISA detention has been turned into an international issue and keep that up so as to make it more difficult to use the isa. May13 is now known to all, was instigated by umno and it was not so much a racial issue. In any event given the situation today, a repeat of may 13 is unlikely unless umno once again instigate it actively.
And on the other hand all sorts of issues have cropped up. They are now a real burden on umno. Bakun dam, taib’s wealth, pkfz, altan, beng hock, submarine, sime darby, subsidy removal, 1malaysia slogan, first lady ads in NY, stupd remarks by headmistress, etc etc.
So really umno now has no choice but to play it really dirty. Create issues where none exist. Create alternative constitution. Create pics of jui meng next to sultan johore. Lies and deceptions are what they are planning now. And they are also planning ahead on how to neutralise pakatan’s strength (ie use of the internet to counter umno’s lies). They intend to filter websites. In other words opposition sites would be banned or blocked.
#10 by Thor on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 5:35 pm
Dagen,
Don’t exaggerate too much!
You are imagining things!
It won’t happen!!!
Even if Umno are to play dirty, they are’nt gonna start anything big.
Human got brains and feelings, you know!
The only thing they can do is to spark off a few small clashes and using the police and army to quell, that’s all.
Maybe Zaid and Musa don’t have brains but there quite alot of personnel out there who’re good and will rebel for sure.
They’re not going to take any risk harming their very own race.
We also have United Nations and they’re not gonna sit and watch, in case things really happen.
Be cool man!!!
#11 by dagen on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 6:14 pm
Oh dear,
Jamal of 988 radio station is in trouble with the umno gobermen. He has been asked to go on leave.
Bad decision umno. Bad decision. Jamal is a mandarin speaking DJ. He grew up in china and went to university there. He is very well received by listeners of 988. 988 has over a million followers. Of course not all of them could tune in to listen to his morning programme all the time. But I am quite certain most if not all listeners know him.
And Thor that is precisely my fear. No brains. If they have any then they would have worked hard (like singapore, taiwan and korea) and malaysia would now be a developed nation.
And without the benefit of properly functioning brains those umno idiots would have to fall back on to their basic animal survival instincts.
#12 by Loh on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 6:21 pm
The term ‘special rights of the Malays’ certainly causes problem when DAP seems to accept that description to mean the special position of Malays as stated in the constitution, especially with respect to article 153.
Special rights connote special entitlement. But the special position of Malays as provided in the constitution only recognizes that Malays needed assistance because there were needs for them to be assisted. It carries the stigma that Malays are crutch-dependent and out of pride they would themselves forgo the classification to be in the position to require help. That was what the late Tun Dr Ismail said that he was surprised that MCA and MIC leaders during pre-independent days readily agreed to the special provision and he thought that out of pride Malays would give up that position, in time. Mamakthir said he had two spoonfuls of Pakistani blood. So he knew not the pride of Malays since he could not feel it as true Malays. But Mamakthir wanted the convenience of the special position of Malays to fit his agenda, though Malays bore the blunt of indignity during his 22 year rule. He wants Malays to be continually embarrassed so that he could make his son somebody in the government by claiming that Malays are still weak, as if they are the endangered species.
When the term ‘special rights of Malays’ are loosely used to represent special position of Malays, in the context of the constitution, it gives the impression that Malays were entitled to that special assistance for reasons other than the fact that assistance were provided to enable them to keep pace with development. The term distorts the fact that the assistance provided to Malays was need-based. Younger Malays who chose to ignore the true history of the country justify the special assistance given to them as in recognition of the distorted views that they were somehow not pendatangs. That is ridiculous. Other than orang asli, all Malaysians are pendatangs, including Najib who traced his roots to one of the Indonesians province. Muhyiddin as minister cannot claim to be too young to know history. He certainly knows it unless he is really stupid. But somehow he chooses to spread the distorted view including a threat to a repeat of May 13. It is a wonder why Najib keeps Muhyiddin in his cabinet. Yes, it is easier to watch him at close range, but why tolerate the embarrassment to condone his opposition to 1Malaysia?
#13 by boh-liao on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 6:38 pm
UmnoB is recycling d dirty tactics of MMK, using nonMalays as bogeyman 2 boo Malays
In politics, nothing is impossible, esp when a ruling class is losing power n control
Beware of La Nina n El Nino blowing up perang besar n Ops Lalang!!
#14 by Jeffrey on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 7:12 pm
///The escalation of race politics when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is proclaiming his 1Malaysia policy and during the Merdeka Month celebration raises disturbing questions whether Najib is serious about the 1Malaysia slogan or whether he is really in full charge of his administration./// – YB Kit.
What is disconcerting is the probability of the latter that Najib is not “really in full charge of his administration”. For example it takes another cabinet minister like Nazri Aziz to take the moral high ground of telling off his own colleagues in Umno and MCA leaders for their open squabbling, claiming that they were not acting in the spirit of 1 Malaysia. “When we fight each other in public, I certainly do not condone this and I think it is not good for the BN… In public you say we are 1 Malaysia and then you say we are the BN and we have a spirit of our own and then later you show that that you are quarrelling What message are you giving to the public??” he added. [reference – The MalaysianInsider’s report Aug 19th by Clara Chooi]. I would have thought that it should be Najib telling his flock to stop the open bickering. Earlier his own aide and special officer Nasir Safar was guilty of making very un – 1 malaysia public statement that Indians were beggars and chinese women came for flesh trades in public…
There is another dimension beyond the immediate administration over which he also does not seem to have any control.
For example Perkasa’s outright rejection of his NEM in last Bumiputra economic Congress and recent lodging of police report against MCA’s president CSL’s proposals made fully in line with Najib’s own NEM proposals.
Even a school principal Siti Inshah in Kulai could in spite of her racist remarks get the Education Ministry and its Minister to say things in her defence.
It looks at if the people who want to upkeep the Ketuanan status quo have permeated every level and tier of our society and country, in as well out of the administration who are ever ready and on the standby to resist and fight every gesture, signal, policy initiative or programme relating to his purportedly inclusive 1 Malaysia.
This is a vast reservoir from which reactionaries and detractors against 1 Malaysia/NEM could readily draw support to work against any of his proposed reforms.
These are using the politics of coercion – typically allegations of sedition and invocation of spectre of May 13 backed by lodgment of police reports (in more extreme cases mail live bullets to Karpal or Tony Pua) – to intimidate and cower those who speak for Change in tandem with the PM’s rhetoric.
Whilst threats are delivered against others there is no question that they are obliquely directed at and against the PM that his reform initiatives are not acceptable, as far as these people are concerned. There are no two ways about it. If the PM does not control the situation and make them toe his line, they will no sooner control and make him toe their line. The latter is a dangerous. Because things fall apart when the Centre cannot hold! It becomes a free for all like for example someone like this Perak mufti could just allege PR has come out with an alternate constitution without any proof.
#15 by Thor on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 7:23 pm
I was in Secondary 3 when May13th started and I studied in Kampung Kerinchi at that time.
Kampung Kerinchi was “infested” with Malay folks and it’s the villagers who first warn us of the incident, before it started.
They kinda asked us to go back home and chaos broke out after that.
Not all malays are bad as only a handful of them, who are Umno members and supporters are troublemakers at that time.
It lasted less than a week as pressures were mounted on the PM from the British and even the Chinese government to stop the infighting.
It won’t do any good to these people, if they’re going to start it again.
They still have to hand over the power to PR if PR were to win.
This is no Mugabe country and I’m damn sure about it!
Only thing that you’ll mostly see are those goons, packing all their bags with their families heading towards the third country.
#16 by JJx on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 8:35 pm
I believe Najib & co is made aware that come GE13 they may be looking at a more severe beating. Thus, they need to avoid GE13 in order to stay in power. The only way to do so is to spark a racial riot so that emergency rule be declared.
Do not fall into their trap.
#17 by Bigjoe on Thursday, 19 August 2010 - 9:24 pm
In the 1950s, 60s, 70s America and the Western world was in the throes of civil rights and anti-war movement and preached freedom of speech everywhere. Here in Asia especially so Malaysia and Singapore, the inexperienced leaders of nascent nation preached restricted freedom and rights for the sake of development. Talk of moderation was de rigueur in particular here in Malaysia.
May 13, 1969 marked the pivotal point where people held their tongue in the name of moderation were abuse from one thing to another and lies became acceptable in public life.
We went from ignoring the lies of May 13, 1969 to now key leaders believing that weaving tales of lies is not only a legitimate political tool but that it can work again and again and forever even.
Zaid Ibrahim says we are too tolerant of corruption. I say we are also too tolerant of lies. We are too tolerant of corruption because we are too tolerant of lies. It is ridiculous that we have a state-sponsored religious leader make a bold-face lie! Is it not a testament why Tunku was so wise to insist on secularity of this country? Mixing religion and politics is just too potent a political drug in this country.
The Perak mufti play a dangerous game but more pertinent to the Malay sensibility, he insult their desire to live an ideal political Islamic life. He condemns his own race not to deserve political Islam. Its not Malays who has not proven deserving, its leaders like these that they have.
#18 by Godfather on Friday, 20 August 2010 - 8:12 am
Is it any wonder that they are dragging their feet on providing more extensive broadband coverage to the rural areas ? That’s their last bastion of support, with their abilities to lie and suppress information.
#19 by k1980 on Friday, 20 August 2010 - 9:06 am
New constitution divides rakyat into tuans and pendatangs?
#20 by Comrade on Friday, 20 August 2010 - 12:39 pm
May more BN/UMNO voters not again be fools
No more May13, all must keep cool
Use the ballot-paper, your best tool
To put an end to evil BN/UMNO’s rule