Right-wing group Perkasa, which has generated controversy with what has been called hate politics in Malaysia, has expanded its wings to Indonesia by setting up a Perkasa Club in Bandung.

 

The club is led by Syed Abdul Kadir Al-Haddad Syed Osman and its launch yesterday was officiated by Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali at a hotel in Bandung which was attended by some 100 Malaysians living in the town.

 

Mingguan Malaysia reported Ibrahim as saying that the club was important as a barrier to block groups subscribing to liberalism and pluralism that try to influence Malaysian students overseas.

 

"Perkasa must be swift in making a presence globally because the current trend shows that liberalism and pluralism is greatly spreading which brings in outside culture particularly from the West," he was quoted as saying.

 

In May, Ibrahim Ali had also launched the United Kingdom and Europe Perkasa Club which he said would help counter opposition propaganda in these Western countries.

 

However, Ibrahim was summoned by UK police prior to the launch and quizzed about the nature of his outfit as well as source of funding.

 

Ibrahim strongly denied the organisation had used public funds for its expansion.

 

In December last year, Perkasa had claimed it was prepared to replace Umno, prompting an angry retort  from Umno supreme council member Isa Samad ( left ) who said Perkasa had been a beneficiary of Umno's rule.

 

Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali later confirmed that the right-wing group had been receiving  funds  from the government, but downplayed its significance.

 

The matter was raised in Parliament in March this year, where Minister in the Prime Minister Shahidan Kassim in a written reply confirmed  Putrajaya had given "a little allocation" to Perkasa but refused to disclose the sum.