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Thursday, September 03, 2020

Don't spook the Melayu

MM Online:

Perikatan leaders’ controversial remarks sting but won’t deter non-Malay allies, say analysts



Datuk Nik Muhammad Zawawi speaks at the 58th PAS Dewan Ulama in Kuantan June 20,2019. — Picture by Ahmad Zamzahuri 


KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 — Two Perikatan Nasional leaders’ remarks that upset the country’s minorities were unlikely to dissuade the coalition’s non-Malay allies from supporting it as they have too much to gain from doing so, according to political analysts.

They acknowledged that PAS MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh’s claim that the Bible has been distorted and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal’s support for the abolition of vernacular schools would alienate non-Malay support.

However, they believe PN allies such as Gabungan Parti Sarawak would be able to tolerate this due to the benefits they derive from backing the informal coalition and the aligned Muafakat Nasional.

Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s (Unimas) Jeniri Amir told Malay Mail that GPS, in particular, could also claim to have no part of such comments as they were not in PN and only supported it.

“Definitely the people here (Sarawak) are not happy with such remarks but would this affect parties like GPS? Not so much.

“They can absolutely distance themselves from the supposed Malay centric politics of West Malaysia while still cooperating with PN or MN,” he said, adding that it was different from when Sarawak parties had been beholden to Barisan Nasional and its lynchpin, Umno.

In Parliament, Nik Zawawi triggered a controversy with his claim that the Bible has been distorted from its original meaning, which he made to support another assertion that all religions forbid the consumption of alcohol.


Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Ahmad Kamal speaks during a Perikatan Nasional event at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur September 1, 2020. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa 

Before that, Bersatu Youth chief Wan Ahmad Fayshal also insisted that vernacular schools — which are guaranteed under the Federal Constitution — should be closed for being obstacles to “strong national identity”.


While both incidents could hurt GPS ahead of the Sarawak election that must be held next year, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Geostrategist Prof Dr Azmi Hassan explained that the payoff for GPS meant it was unlikely to criticise the coalition over these.

Among others, he said backing PN meant GPS need not worry about any of the coalition’s parties encroaching during the Sarawak election and were more likely to receive any federal assistance it needed.

This would put it in a better position to face Pakatan Harapan parties, which he said were far more likely to squabble over seats.

“By PPBM, PAS and Umno opting out of the state election, it will no doubt give a lot of breathing room to GPS to form the state government. So, if the state election to be held before GE15, then GPS aligning with PN is all for the advantage for GPS,” he said.

For parties like MIC and MCA, Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun also said they were unlikely to buck despite the clear damage both incidents would cause to their base.

While vernacular schools are a core issue for the Chinese-based MCA, Oh said it and MIC were comfortable with the tokenism of their presence in an overtly Malay PN.

He also said both parties would already have been familiar with such a position from their years in BN when Umno dominated them.

“The argument for them to support PN is to tell their constituencies or potential constituency that, ‘Yes this is a Malay-centric government but imagine if I’m not in there, then it will be even more Malay centric’.

“I think that is the main argument which has been the same argument for both parties for the longest period of time but especially now as it is really a Malay-centric [coalition],’’ he said.

In remarks similar to that of Jeniri, Oh said circumstances have changed significantly since BN lost the 2018 general election, especially for non-Malay parties such as MCA and MIC.

“This is because both MIC and MCA are also gunning for Malay votes. They are gunning for constituencies that are 50:50 non-Malays and Malays. But, of course, Umno also would like to grab those seats, so they would have to sort of ingratiate themselves to Umno,” he said.

The Christian Federation of Malaysia, the Sabah Council of Churches, and Association of Churches in Sarawak have all criticised Nik Zawawi over his claim but he has refused to apologise.

Despite the apparent anger, PN and its leaders have remained largely silent about both controversies.

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kt notes:

Same with PH - when Mahathir called Chinese and Indians 'orang asing' at his Malay Dignity Congress, Lim KHAT Sial and son kept mum, so what's the difference. PN and PH are/were led by Malay dominated leadership, and besides, as Commander (rtd) S Thayaparan of MKINI said of the DAP's policy, "Don't spook the Melayu".


8 comments:


  1. ‘Yes this is a Malay-centric government but imagine if I’m not in there, then it will be even more Malay centric’

    Was it? Is it?

    Or it's used to justify their comfortable presence in an overtly Melayu ketuanan narrative tokenism!

    ReplyDelete
  2. KT still hung up over Toonsie....ha ha ha...

    DAP did spook the Malays. BIG TIME. They were the strongest party with 42 MPs and NO FROGS that could be bought.

    Guanee was so powerful (ha ha ha); he exposed Jibby's Malay-dominated government's mismanagement and theft, the 1 trillion national debt, re-negotiated all the one-sided contracts, eliminated direct-nego projects that were feeding the corrupt, took on all the Tabung Haji debts etc etc. The Malays were also spooked by the appointment of Tommy Thomas and Richard Malanjun. They were also spooked by so many non-Malay MPs and Ministers in the Harapan government. That was why they took to the streets over the signing of ICERD & Rome Statute, and that was why the racist Malay Unity Congress took place. All culminating in the Sheraton Shake to form a Malay-Only government, excluding the multi-racial parties DAP, PKR and Amanah.

    If they are not afraid of DAP why are they going after the Sec Gen over some trumped up charges?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pengkalan Batu assemblyperson Norhizam Hassan Baktee, Tronoh assemblyperson Paul Yong Choo Keong and Buntong assemblyperson A Sivasubramaniam

      Earlier, Mrs Hee and a Bhai in Perqak DUN

      Delete
  3. hmmm analyst with a phd in dogology?

    ReplyDelete
  4. It's OK. as long you still have your Rice Bowl, and many Chinese have their bungalows and Mercs and BMWs, or at least their Double-Storey terrace houses and Camrys.

    Let the Bumis have their political power.

    Same like let CCP have the whole South China Sea, as long as we don't have war and don't have to salute the Red Flag, and sing March of the Volunteers every morning.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. its a warring song toking abt flash n blood, both chilling n creepy, no wonder the zombie day night tok conquering by force, a very violence animal growing up under ccp.

      Delete
  5. What will spook them are the 3R's.

    Even KT don't dare to spook.....kwai kwai censor comments that are too sensitive, why so scared...?

    ReplyDelete
  6. Tikus tikus pengecut of the Blind-Mice Club still at it ? Hehe...sneaky snarky irrelevant attacks on CCP and the Chinese government at 'Don't Spook The Malays' .....WA KA KA KA

    Dumb losers....

    Laughing stock...

    Memalukan....hehehe

    ReplyDelete