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Umno has betrayed you, Hadi tells Malays

 

Hadi took aim at Dr Mahathir’s claim that Malays risked losing power by backing Pakatan Rakyat. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang accused Umno today of betraying the Malay community as both continue to battle for the hearts and minds of the country’s dominant majority.

Dismissing Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s contention that the community would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) takes over the government, Hadi pointed out that the Umno-led federal government had discriminated against Malay-majority states under PAS administration.

“We will not forget the political discrimination to divide and rule by Umno, which controls the federal government, against the Malay-Muslims in Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah in the issue of fertiliser subsidies, and denying the Terengganu and Kelantan governments of their oil royalty,” said Hadi in a statement today.

Last Tuesday, Dr Mahathir claimed that the political marginalisation of the Malays had already become a reality in PR-controlled states even though those administrations were led by Malays.

The former Umno president, who still commands widespread influence among party members and the larger Malay community, pointed to the former PR mentri besar in Perak Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin as an example of how Malay politicians had been sidelined by PR.

He also implied that a Chinese or an Indian could become prime minister if PR took federal power because there was no constitutional restriction on race for the position.

Yesterday, at a Perkasa gathering in Kelantan, Dr Mahathir accused the Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat of compromising Islam for political interest.

Hadi, however, said it was Umno — which was led by Dr Mahathir for 22 years — who had compromised Islam for political expediency.

“Umno has failed to fulfil its responsibility. As a result, the Malays that obtained a large majority in election failed recognise the role of Islam as the religion of the federation,” said the Marang MP.

“Umno and BN (Barisan Nasional) leaders have behaved in a manner that has tarnished the image of Islam with injustices in society, abuse of power and corruption,” he added.

Hadi then said Dr Mahathir’s remarks suggested that the Malay party was desperate to stay in power.

“Everything is repeated at the time when Umno is at its weakest. History shows that Umno is a colonial heritage that carries out their agenda and ideology that weaken the Muslims,” said Hadi.

Nik Aziz brushes off Dr M’s ‘power-hungry’ claims

 

Nik Aziz rubbished Dr Mahathir’s accusations of him having compromised his values for political power. — file pic

 

KOTA BARU, Sept 26 — Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said today that he was not crazy for power and was only continuing to lead the state at the behest of the leaders of PAS.
“Year after year, term after term, the party wanted me to continue as the MB of Kelantan,” he told reporters at his office here today.

The PAS spiritual leader was responding to remarks made by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad at a Perkasa gathering in Pasir Mas near here yesterday, that Nik Aziz in wanting to continue to stay in power, was now compromising on Islamic principles by working together with political parties like the Chinese-dominant DAP.

Dr Mahathir had said that with the Malays disunited now and their allegiance equally spread out among Umno, PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat, it was not impossible that the Malays might become like their counterparts in Singapore where he said Malays and Muslims no longer had any power to voice out their concerns.

Elaborating further, Nik Aziz said: “Among our former prime ministers, there have also been greedy ones. Could be he is also power-crazy. Anyway, I thank him for the reminder.” — Bernama