In an effort to hold their ground on the Malay special rights issue, PAS has organised a convention on 'empowering the race'.

pas convention shah alam 190211 panelists Held in Shah Alam, capital of Pakatan Rakyat-controlled Selangor, the national convention entitled ‘PAS' Guarantee’ saw numerous Pakatan heavyweights - including Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng - in attendance.

The speeches were aimed at assuaging fears and confusion that the rights of the Malays are being eroded by Pakatan.

In his speech Nik Aziz ( below ) defended his state policies as being based on Islamic teachings in contrast to those that are race-based.

"In Kelantan, our 'development together with Islam' has been more well-received among the Chinese than the 'ketuanan Melayu' (Malay supremacy) concept by Umno, with the keris as their weapons.

pas convention shah alam 190211 nik abdul aziz nik mat at podium "They (Umno) are just driving the non-Muslims away and causing hatred among the people," he said.

"Even the Prophet Muhammad wouldn't have been able to propagate Islam as widely as it is now if he had just championed ' ketuanan Arab ' (Arab supremacy).

"He would not have been able to convince the Roman caesars," Nik Aziz said.

He dispelled BN’s common accusation that PAS and Pakatan would discard the Malays’ special privileges, explaining that PAS’ agenda was based on the dakwah, and that Malays will still be their priority since they are the earliest race to embrace Islam.

"In the Malaysian context, the Malays are the dominant race and of course they are PAS' priority.

"The fact is, Umno does not take care of the Malays, and even more so the Muslims and the Islamic agenda," he said.

'BN started n on-Muslim affiars portfolio'

Lim in his address clarified persistent and misleading mainstream media report that the DAP-led Penang government have been 'victimising' the Malays.

NONE Most recently, the DAP secretary-general's administration has been charged as anti-Islam over his newly-set up non-Islamic religious affairs portfolio.

"They forget that the first people to set up a similar portfolio is that Perak menteri besar. You know, the one that did not get the rakyat's mandate," Lim ( right ) said, referring to Umno's Zambry Abd Kadir.

Zambry had first set up the non-Muslim affairs committee after he assumed power in 2009, appointing Chenderiang assemblyperson Mah Hang Soon as its exco.

"Why didn't Umno and (Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia ) attack Zambry then?" asked Lim.

The pro-government daily had recently attacked Lim’s committee, saying that it may discuss "sensitive issues" such as religious conversion and promote religious pluralism.