The Malaysian Insider
By Boo Su-Lyn
September 19, 2010

Kuala Lumpur – Tengku Adnan denies that his BN counterparts have agreed to distance the ruling coalition from Perkasa. – file picKUALA LUMPUR, Sept 19 — Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor has now denied that his Barisan Nasional (BN) colleagues agreed to keep the ruling coalition from Perkasa as it was eroding their support.

His denial came shortly after Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s statement yesterday that Umno did not want to stir conflict with any non-governmental organisation (NGO), despite the recent move by Umno leaders, including himself, to rebuff the Malay rights group.

“When we had a meeting with BN secretaries-general, we never talked even a little bit that we wanted to distance ourselves from anybody,” Tengku Adnan told The Malaysian Insider today.

“Our policy is to be close with everybody. We should even go and approach opposition members and explain what our policies are because they are misguided,” the BN secretary-general added.

Earlier, Tengku Adnan reportedly said his BN counterparts had agreed that distancing the ruling coalition from Perkasa was the best way forward to halt the erosion of non-Malay support for BN.

He had also told them that Umno would not back the strident Malay rights group or Ibrahim in the next general election.

Tengku Adnan however denied stating that BN had to distance itself from Perkasa. He pointed out that he merely said the Malay group has tried to undermine the coalition’s chances in the next general election by sabotaging the racial harmony between BN component parties.

“I never said we have to distance ourselves from Perkasa. I just said Perkasa is trying to jeopardise BN’s position for the next general election by destroying the racial harmonious position between my component parties,” said Tengku Adnan.

The Umno secretary-general went a step further and said that he had never asked party members to sever ties with Perkasa, accusing its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali of blowing the issue out of proportion.

“I didn’t even ask members of Umno to relinquish their relationship with Perkasa. It was totally blown out of proportion by Ibrahim Ali,” said Tengku Adnan.

Perkasa claims to have a membership base of 300,000, of whom 80 per cent are said to be Umno members.

He however, was quick to deny that his statement today was a reversal of his earlier stand against Perkasa.

“I am not backing down from what I said about Perkasa,” he said, adding that he was referring to his remarks about Umno not supporting Perkasa in the next general election.

Tengku Adnan also reiterated Najib’s statement and said that the Malay ruling party should not distance itself from any NGO, but should instead approach them to educate them on BN policies.

“I agree with Najib. Umno shouldn’t distance themselves from all NGOs. We should engage with any NGOs, not only Perkasa. We should engage ourselves with them until they understand what we are trying to do,” said Tengku Adnan.

He added that Umno needed to explain the 1 Malaysia concept particularly to Perkasa as they did not seem to understand the policy.

“With Perkasa, we need to explain what our 1 Malaysia concept is all about. I don’t believe in what Perkasa is fighting for because they don’t understand what the 1 Malaysia concept is all about,” he said.

Perkasa stepped up the pressure on Najib yesterday to explain his 1 Malaysia concept clearly as failure to do so could result in Umno and BN being rejected, following Najib’s statement on Friday that the policy was a “work in progress”.

The Malay group said that the 1 Malaysia concept was misunderstood by certain non-Malay communities who perceived the policy as an initiative to create racial equality in sharing the economic pie.

Perkasa had stressed earlier that the 1 Malaysia concept must be founded on Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which states the special position of the Bumiputeras and allows the government to set quotas for educational institutions, government jobs and permits.

Tengku Adnan also said that the 1 Malaysia policy was not about equality as the welfare of poor people across racial groups had to be taken into account.

“1 Malaysia is not about equality. You need to look at the poor Malays, poor Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans and Muruts. How do we help them? How do we ensure they can earn a living in the country? That is what 1 Malaysia is all about,” he said.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and analysts today denounced the 1 Malaysia policy as a “work in regress”, citing the rise in racial extremism and Najib’s refusal to defend the concept against Perkasa.

Recently, there has been a spike in racially-tinged incidents, such as two school principals allegedly spouting racist slurs and the furore surrounding a Chinese MP’s visit to a surau.

Najib’s weeks-long silence on racial issues like that of the school principals has earned him much flak from the public and the opposition who accused him of being like his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #

1 Malaysia a ‘work in regress’, say PR leaders, analysts
By Boo Su-Lyn
The Malaysian Insider
18th September 2010

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 18 – Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and analysts today denounced the 1 Malaysia policy as a “work in regress”, citing the rise in racial extremism and Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s refusal to defend the concept against Perkasa.

Yesterday, the prime minister stressed that the 1 Malaysia concept was not a failure but merely a “work in progress”.

“It (1 Malaysia) is a work in regress,” DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang (picture) told The Malaysian Insider today.

“If it is a work in progress, we must see tangible steps in that direction, but we are seeing the reverse. During the last 18 months, we have seen a rise in extremism and he (Najib) himself has admitted it,” he added.

Najib said recently that he was saddened by the rising tide of extremism in the country, including racism, but did not pinpoint the strident Malay right wing group, Perkasa.

DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua said that Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept would “forever be a work-in-progress” if the premier failed to defend the policy against the likes of Perkasa.

“Najib may describe his 1 Malaysia as a work in progress, but if he is not even willing to defend it openly against organisations like Perkasa that trample all over it, then it’ll just forever be a work-in-progress. No difference from ‘failure’,” said Pua.

Perkasa stepped up the pressure on Najib today to explain his 1Malaysia concept clearly as failure to do so could result in Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) being rejected.

The Malay group said that the 1 Malaysia concept was misunderstood by certain non-Malay communities who perceived the policy as an initiative to create racial equality in sharing the economic pie.

Perkasa had stressed earlier that the 1 Malaysia concept must be founded on Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, which states the special position of the Bumiputeras and allows the government to set quotas for educational institutions, government jobs and permits.

Najib said yesterday, however, that the misuse of Article 153 could spiral into “sensitive” issues and hurt racial groups.

Pua dismissed Najib’s remarks as a pointless statement that failed to improve people’s understanding of the 1 Malaysia policy.

“There’s no point just saying there’s misuse when his men in Umno and Perkasa don’t see any misuse, and worse is not getting any lead from him on what is the right definition,” said Pua.

“What is the issue with (Article) 153 that has been misused? Why doesn’t Najib ‘correct’ the view and put an end to the abuse?” asked the Petaling Jaya Utara MP.

The 1 Malaysia policy has been decried by critics as a hollow slogan amid escalating racial tension, notably racially-tinged incidents involving two allegedly racist school principals and the furore surrounding a Chinese MP’s visit to a surau.

Najib’s weeks-long silence on racial issues like that of the school principals has earned him much flak from the public and the opposition who accused him of being like his predecessor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar characterised Najib’s 1 Malaysia policy as a construction project whose progress was “too slow”.

“It is like a construction project. Work is in progress but progress is slow. Even though he (Najib) said it’s not a failure, he is slow,” said Mahfuz.

The Pokok Sena MP blamed Umno as the reason behind the spike in racially-tinged incidents, like the controversy surrounding Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching’s visit to a surau in her constituency to deliver aid.

“Racial elements are the agendas of Umno,” said Mahfuz.

Umno leaders have slammed Teo for making a speech at Surau Al-Huda in Kajang while Perkasa called for a ban against non-Muslims from entering mosques or suraus.

Political analysts echoed the views of PR leaders and said that the 1 Malaysia policy would remain a work in progress unless Najib made a strong stand against groups like Perkasa.

“It will continue to be a work in progress unless he (Najib) gets some guts. You have got to show conviction that you believe in your policy,” said political observer Azmi Sharom.

“One of the ways to show conviction is by opposing strongly the people who don’t agree with your policy. Not coming out against Perkasa honestly and openly shows that Najib is not serious about 1 Malaysia,” added the law lecturer.

Political analyst Dr Lim Teck Ghee went a step further and blamed government policies as the reason behind worsening race relations in the country.

“The new rhetoric sounds good, but most people are not only cynical but also point to government policies as the main cause of division and disunity,” said Lim.

Although he acknowledged that the results of the 1 Malaysia policy could not be seen overnight, Lim said that the government, under the rule of BN throughout Malaysia’s history, has had more than half a century to foster racial harmony.

“Of course, 1Malaysia cannot come about overnight but the Government has had more than 50 years to make it work – and now it is asking for more time – perhaps another 50 years?” asked Lim.

“The admission that 1Malaysia is a work in progress should not be used as an excuse for going slow in implementing the concept based on universal values and norms of justice, equality and basic rights and freedom,” he said.