PAS: Penang increasingly tense with racial politics

PAS’ Parit Buntar MP Mujahid Yusof Rawa has hit out at Umno for exploiting the Malays as bait to regain lost ground in Penang.

Mujahid ( right ) said Umno is so desperate that it no longer cares if their actions or approaches destroy the harmony between the different races in the country.

He added that the situation in Penang is becoming increasingly tense with racial politics where certain quarters feel that their strategy can make the Malays hate the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

“The easiest way is to play with the sentiments of the Malays... the community has still not come out from the racial framework,” he told reporters at a press conference in Jelutong today.

“Their approach is dangerous as it can inflame racial sentiments,” he warned.

Mujahid said PAS strongly rejects Umno’s “dirty politics” and condemns the BN-controlled media who are in cahoots with the latter to play its brand of cheap politics.

He pinned the blame largely on Utusan Malaysia and TV3 and expressed his regret and frustration that the media had become the “main culprits” behind Umno’s efforts to destroy harmony and divide the different races in Penang.

“We urge them to return to politics in a dignified manner, and use a more civilised approach to play politics.”

Mujahid was responding to the recent controversy surrounding a tourism booklet, published by an NGO, Arts-Ed, which contains oral history about the early existence of Balik Pulau residents.

My Balik Pulau created waves in Penang when Umno’s Pulau Betong assemblyperson Muhammad Farid Saad ( right ) highlighted several ‘inaccuracies’ in the booklet.

Muhammad Farid, who is currently facing legal action from the state for his alleged racist comments, said the booklet was an insult to the Malays for trying to eliminate the community’s early existence in Penang.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng denied that the state is responsible for the booklet, saying instead the project to publish it had been approved before 2008 by the federal government, through the Tourism Ministry.

However, many quarters are unconvinced with Lim’s denial, and have started protesting against the 12-page booklet, which carries the state government’s logo.

PAS supports move to sue Farid

Mujahid said a political approach that uses race as an issue is to be regretted and this will prevent any efforts to build a multi-racial society who respect each other.

“Stop this falsehood and malicious lies, and stop accusing the state without checking the facts,” he urged.

PAS supports the state’s action to sue Muhammad Farid to teach him and others a lesson to check the facts first before making accusations, he said.

“It’s unfortunate for an assemblyperson to expose his weaknesses publicly because of his desire to denigrate whatever that is done by the state government,” he said.

To a question that a PAS member was involved in burning the booklet , Mujahid said he had not received any complaint from the party’s branches here.

Former Penang PAS Youth chief Hafiz Noordin had reportedly joined a group of Malay NGOs under the banner ‘Gabungan Bela Hak Insan’ to burn the booklets at the height of the controversy.

Mujahid said PAS does not endorse any NGO which had been set up on a racial platform.

He gave a warning to all PAS members not to join Gabungan, saying that stern action will be taken against those who did as the party does not approve of any action that goes against Pakatan principles.

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