Malay rights pressure group Perkasa has denied claims that it is to blame for the apparently dwindling support for Umno by the masses.

umno agm 2009 tengku adnan mansor pc 200309 02 "Tengku Adnan Mansor's statement that Umno was unhappy with Perkasa because the movement's actions were reducing support for the party is an arrogant (remark)," said Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Ali in a statement issued today.

Syed Hassan said that it was the actions of Umno and the BN coalition themselves which were repulsing voters and not others.

He said that Tengku Adnan's ( right ) claims about Perkasa shows that Umno will continue to lose support because some of its leaders were incapable of change.

"Perkasa only points out Umno and BN's mistakes. But if they think we are the cause of their flagging support, it's up to them," said Syed Hassan.

Syed Hassan was commenting on Tengku Adnan's interview with the Malaysian Insider in which the latter promised that Umno will field a candidate against Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali for the Pasir Mas parliamentary seat.

We've never asked Umno to give way

Tengku Adnan said that there was no reason for Umno to support Ibrahim and claimed that the movement which the latter leads was eroding non-Malay support for BN.

ibrahim ali perkasa press conference 2 During the 2008 general elections, the party-less Ibrahim ( left ) won the seat on a PAS ticket and founded Perkasa as a Malay rights pressure group.

Perkasa now claims more than 50,000 members and that they consist of many Umno members.

On Tengku Adnan's vow to place an Umno candidate against Ibrahim for the Pasir Mas seat, Syed Hassan said it was puzzled as to how an important Umno leader would be "brave enough" to make such a statement.

"But before this, I must ask Tengku Adnan. Since when has Perkasa ever asked for BN to make way for Ibrahim to contest the Pasir Mas seat," he asked.