Khalid to consider appeal when he returns from Saudi

Wong Choon Mei

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 29: PAS MP for Shah Alam Khalid Samad said he will consider whether or not to appeal the six months suspension slapped on him by the party's disciplinary board when he returns from Saudi Arabia on February 12.

“I will think about the appeal when I get back. What is important is that Datuk Hasan was also found to be in the wrong and as such he should no longer raise problems for the Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor,” Khalid told Harakahdaily in a text message.

The popular 53-year old leader, well-respected for his principled and multiracial stance, was found guilty of having breached party rules by calling on Selangor PAS commissioner Hasan Ali to resign last year and for divulging to the media what had transpired at a state liaison meeting.

Hasan wrong to air grouses that can hurt Pakatan

The PAS disciplinary board headed by Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man also issued a warning letter to Hasan.

Hasan was found guilty of discrediting the Pakatan state government by issuing public statements without going through internal channels, mainly over the recent Selcat inquiry into how state allocations were being run down by Umno-BN assemblymen. Selcat is a Selangor parliamentary watchdog committee.

Both men were found guilty under Section 75 of the PAS constitution. They have also been prohibited from making statements that can harm the party’s image.

“The suspension on Khalid extends to all position he holds in the party including as Shah Alam chief and also as committee member of the political bureau,” Tuan Ibrahim told a press conference.

“As for Hasan, even though he is not part of Selcat and Selcat is independent from the exco, we decided that Selcat was established by the state government and approved by the exco. Therefore as an exco member, he should bring any matters related to Selcat during the exco meeting and not outside,” Tuan Man also said.

Khalid likely to heed supporters' call to appeal

Both men have 30 days to appeal. Hasan has blamed the media for sensationalizing the events that led to his being brought before the disciplinary panel. It is unclear if he will appeal the warning given to him.

Meanwhile, Khalid’s close aides expect him to give in to the calls that have rung in non-stop for him not to give up.

“It is as though the whole of Malaysia has been calling to ask YB to appeal and not to be upset. But YB is now in Saudi and what is there to be upset about anyway. He is a very calm man and from what we know, he won’t let his supporters down,” an aide told Harakahdaily.

Nizar: PAS has at least 40% Malay support in Perak

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Wong Choon Mei

IPOH, Jan 26: Deposed Pakatan Rakyat Mentri Besar for Perak Nizar Jamaluddin said his PAS party still had minimum 40 percent support from the Malay electorate in the state, dismissing speculation that the coalition might lose in the event of snap elections.

“We are very confident of a clear and decisive victory and that’s why we intend to call for snap elections the moment we can do so. Unlike Umno, which is why they dare not call for fresh polls,” Nizar told Harakahdaily.

Latest in-house surveys by PAS showed little change in Malay sentiment towards the party, although polls conducted by the Merdeka Centre and Universiti Malaya suggest it may have lost 7 to 8 percent of the electorate.

“We respect their views but we also have faith in our own research,” said Nizar, the Pasir Panjang assemblyman, who is also MP for Bukit Gantang.

The former tin-mining state has a mixed population of more than 2 million, of which 54 percent or 1.1 million are Malay, 32 percent are Chinese, 12 percent Indian and the rest other races.

If PAS can maintain its support base of 40 percent of the Malay voters, then its chances of re-taking the state government is very bright. Already, pundits expect the Pakatan - which also consists of the multi-racial DAP and PKR - to sweep the mixed constituencies, where non-Malays form a high proportion of the population.

Raising living standards in rural Malay areas

According to him, Pakatan will soon be unveiling plans to lift from poverty the large pockets of rural Malay areas dotting Perak, and also introduce programs to inject modern facilities and infrastructure so that they could catch up with the urban parts of the state.

“Many of these place like Larut and Trong look like they are still in the pre-Independence era. They were completely sidelined and ignored by the Umno-BN in the state’s development plans," the 52-year old leader said.

“We intend to correct this by re-distributing the resources of the state in a more equitable and effective way, firstly by plugging leakage due to corruption.”

In the urban towns, where the population is mostly non-Malay, the Pakatan will announce business-friendly strategies to give all an equal chance to succeed.

"We will implement a new dimension, it will be a paradigm shift. No more stale investment strategies, no more corrupt ways of doing things," Nizar said.

"Those who doubt our ability to bring progress need only to look at the success and ingenuity of our land titles program. We are serious professionals who can get the job done well. If we had been allowed to continue, by now, we would have finished the target of giving out 150,000 titles to the poor and the homeless."

Pakatan will not sit and shake legs

Nizar was the Mentri Besar before a coup d’etat engineered by Prime Minister Najib Razak toppled the Pakatan state government in February 2009.

His lawsuit challenging the legaility of Umno-BN leader Zambry Kadir as his successor will be decided by the Federal Court on February 9.

But even if he is not reinstated by the court, Nizar said the Pakatan would still go full steam with its rural redevelopment plan.

“If I win the court case, I would still call for snap election. If Pakatan loses the election, we would still find ways to co-ordinate with the private sector to fund the programs,” he stressed.

“Right now, we have 28 assemblymen and we are not going to sit and shake legs. Win or lose, we have to work and our work is to service our constituents and look for ideas and ways to bring them the change and development that they wish for.”

Confident provided ...

Currently, Pakatan has the same number of 28 seats as Umno-BN. However, there are also three Independents - whose status is still being challenged in the courts - who have declared allegiance with the BN.

Nizar also expressed optimism about his chances with the Federal Court, despite widespread concern that he may not be able to get a fair verdict given the judiciary's track record of bowing to political pressure from the ruling elite.

“Morally and legally, we are in the right. So I am extremely confident that I can win the court case,” he said.

“The problem is there may be other factors involved. So we have to pray for God’s guidance and that the judges will all be guided by good conscience, good faith and wisdom.”

whos God

Praise for PAS, brickbats for Umno over Allah

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Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 5: PAS has won praise from civil society leaders for its consultative and dialogue-driven approach to guide Muslims through the controversial Allah issue, rather than the confrontational one used by various Umno-backed groups that has marred the peace of the past few days.

After convening a special meeting last night, PAS leaders have reiterated their stand that while Christians could use the word Allah, there must be controls to prevent its misuse or abuse. Otherwise, Thursday's High Court ruling was a potential time bomb that could in the future rock the harmonious relations amongst the races.

Indeed, PAS spiritual adviser Nik Aziz Nik Mat had at the weekend already called for dialogue with Christian leaders so that these concerns could be discussed and best-fit solutions found.

“I would commend PAS for their courage and honesty,” Ramon Navaratnam, chairman of the Centre for Public Policy Studies told Harakahdaily.

“On the Umno side, we hope Prime Minister Najib Razak will continue with his inclusive stance as envisaged by his 1Malaysia slogan. There must be good faith and goodwill to all. If we give in to extremists, this country is in trouble.”

Who belongs to who?

Last week, the High Court overturned a Home Ministry ban on a Christian magazine from using Allah to describe God in its Malay-language section.

The ruling spurred Muslim activists – mostly Umno-backed groups – into angry protests. They have threatened to hold mass demonstrations although an appeal has already been filed by the Home Ministy.

“No one should try to politicise the issue, which can cause tension and disharmony among the races,” said Malaysian Gurdawars Council president Harcharan Singh. The Sikh leader added that dialogue amongst leaders of the different faiths in the country was the best way forward.

Even Marina Mahathir, a columnist and the eldest daughter of former premier Mahathir Mohamad, blasted the emotional outbursts that have marred the past few days.

“It is not about God belonging to you, rather YOU belong to God,” Marina said in an interview with a news portal. “It is now the 21st century. What is the 21st century Muslim like? Different, or the same as how we were in the past? Sadly, the way we are looking at things right now, I’d say we are the same.”

Meanwhile, Bar Council human rights committee head Andrew Khoo suggested that filing an appeal against the High Court decision could only prolong the debate.

“It would be good for the government to provide leadership at this critical point to say 'enough is enough',” said Khoo. “Religion has always been a sensitive issue but it is not devoid of political undertones.”
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