DAP's Teluk Intan by-election candidate's mother Yammy Samat's decision to leave Malay rights pressure group Perkasa to boost her daughter's campaign does nothing to the NGO.

In fact, said its secretary general Syed Hassan Syed Ali (left), people are joining Perkasa in droves so one departure will hardly make a dent.

“Whatever Yammy's reasons for leaving Perkasa is not a problem to us. Everyday we process about 250 membership cards for new applicants so one or two leaving is no big deal.

“We'll ony be really sad if we lose a leader who truly sacrifices everything for the race without any personal interest, and is willing to be maligned by other races for this. Then we will be sad,” he said.

He added that Perkasa has not received any official letter from Yammy to say she is quitting but thanks her for her contributions while part of the Perkasa central leadership.

He was responding to Yammy (right) , who is Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud's mother, who announced that she will leave Perkasa in a bid to stop discussion over her daughter's links to the organisation.

Dyana had earlier said her mother was not affliated to Perkasa, which DAP has been at loggerheads with, but later admitted that her mother was part of the pro-tem committee.

Lying to pander to Chinese

Meanwhile, Syed Hassan said that it is “sad” that Malays now have to “lie” to deny their links to Perkasa in order to win Chinese votes.

“Isn't it better to just be honest? Muslims need to tell the truth (not) only admit it after things are exposed.

“(Dyana) is not even an elected representative and she is already lying to the people,” he said in a statement.

Talk of Dyana's links to Perkasa was sparked upon circulation of a photograph (right) of Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali between Dyana and her mother.

The photograph was taken earlier this month at an event hosted by Ibrahim in honour of Umno veteran Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Yammy, an Umno member, and Ibrahim both campaigned for Razaleigh when he went against Dr Mahathir Mohamad for the presidency, causing an Umno split in 1987.

An anti-Pakatan Rakyat blogger yesterday also published a picture of Dyana assisting her mother in a Perkasa membership registration drive.

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