No to Operasi Lallang

Don't replay Operasi Lallang, PAS warns government

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:54

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS today issued a double warning to the BN government and its coalition partner the MCA: “Don’t play racial politics and don't use the ISA and replay Operasi Lalang."
The first salvo came from party deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa who urged MCA not to play racial politics.
“I'm warning MCA not to walk the narrow road of racial politics to garner support from the Chinese who are disillusioned with Barisan Nasional,” said Nasharuddin.
The warning comes in the wake of the recently concluded Malaysian Chinese Economic Congress organised by the MCA which urged the government to reduce bumiputera equity in the new economic model.
He said MCA’s move to support the resolution clearly proved that components within BN had failed to reach a consolidated consensus to rule the country following their failure to secure a 2/3 majority in the March 8, 2008 general election.
In contrast Pakatan Rakyat, he said had jointly agreed to hold firmly to the Pakatan policy which was signed by coalition partners – PAS, DAP and PKR – in December 2009.
Pakatan will preserve the special status of Malays and ensure the legitimate rights and interest of other races are protected as enshrined in article 153 of the Federal Constitution.
Meanwhile, party information chief Idris Ahmad reminded the government not to use the ISA as it did during Operasi Lalang when it came down on dissenting voices in a mass swoop.
He urged the federal administration to stay calm and not issue a blanket blacklist of the opposition because it wanted to protect BN from the internal strive gripping its component parties.

Malays were also immigrants

“Umno leaders must repent and understand that they are not only disliked by the Malays themselves but have also been rejected by the non-Malays, especially the educated and informed generation,” Idris told Harakahdaily yesterday.
Describing the current political scenario as 'heated', he said the situation arose because BN refused to accept the democratic decision of the rakyat.
Citing MCA president Chua Soi Lek’s call, during the congress, for the removal of the 30 percent bumiputera equity, Idris said he (Chua) had stoked the anger of deputy Umno president Muhyiddin Yassin.
“Muhyiddin’s anger was further fanned by other Umno leaders, Malay NGOs and certain media have been playing up these verbal assaults.
“PAS is worried that there will be a repeat of 1987, when Umno experienced a breakup with teams A and B until Umno was banned by the court.
"Suddenly out of the blue, you had deputy MCA president Lee Kim Sai saying Malays were also immigrants (pendatang) and their right questionable," he said.
Idris went on to recall that Umno leaders had called for a rally at the TPCA stadium in Kampung Baru to protest Lee’s statement.
Some among the Umno leaders even urged protestors to bring pen knives into the stadium.
“Eventually the rally was called off due to security reasons… but  then came Operasi Lallang. Lee Kim Sai had left for Australia, but the victims were PAS, DAP and NGO leaders who were detained under the ISA and shipped to Kamunting," he said.
FMT