Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is trying to stoke fire betwen PAS and DAP over their allegedly differing stands regarding the bumiputera discount for luxury real estate, said Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

He explained that, in principle, he agreed to both statements by DAP publicity secretary Tony Pua and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on the issue.

"Unfortunately, we have a deputy prime minister who likes to be a firestarter," he said in response to Muhyiddin's statement on Saturday.

Bernama had reported Muhyiddin congratulated Abdul Hadi over the latter's statement acknowledging the special rights of Malays and bumiputeras that was in “ contradiction to the stand of the (other) opposition parties.”

Khalid, in a press conference at his service centre today, explained that the issue started with Tony Pua's call to dismantle the policy on giving discounts to bumiputeras to own high-end properties.

"Pua’s stand was that discounts should not be given to the rich. I agree with that. The president (Abdul Hadir) meanwhile raised the issue of the special privilege of Malays and the rightful need to help the Malays who are still lagging behind in the economy. I also agree to that," he said.

Help the poor not the rich

Khalid then pointed out that if the discount to the wealthy is denied, then a greater discount can be offered for houses below the RM500,000 and commercial buildings below RM2 million.

"It means that the discount is still there, but it is not channelled to the rich. Instead it’s used to enable the less wealthy to buy houses in the RM100,000 to RM200,000 price range.

"So the seven percent discount for RM500,000 houses is turned into say, 10 percent discount for the cheaper houses.

"In that way, we are not assisting the rich but the less well-off Malays and bumiputeras."

He added that this view reconciles the stand between PAS and DAP on the issue, despite Muhyiddin’s efforts to drive a wedge between the parties.