Ex-brigadier-generals, top cops in Perkasa

By Hawkeye - Free Malaysia Today,

KOTA BARU: Many of Perkasa's new members comprise retired civil servants while about 10% come from PAS and PKR.

Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali said about 70% come from those who had served the civil service including four retired brigadier-generals of the army and retired senior police officers as well as a handful of retired departmental directors.

“They are not keen to join a political party, so they join us as we are by large a non-governmental organisation,” he said after organising a Perkasa rally in Pasir Mas here.

He said many retired civil servants believed in the struggle of Perkasa and his movement has outstretched the political divide as about 10% of the new members come from PAS and PKR.

There also also many ex-Umno members within the ranks, he claimed.

Ibrahim stressed that Perkasa has nothing against other communities, as it was just interested in preserving the rights of the Malays.

If one looks at Parliament nowadays, there are more non-Malay representatives and this is a reason why there is a call for unity among the Malays so that their political voice would not be diluted by the current political abyss in the country, Ibrahim said.

He said Perkasa would condemn anyone including Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat if there are issues which compromise the rights of Malays.

Ibrahim said he invited both the Chinese and Indian communities to gather here to show that his movement has nothing to do with hurting them.

Perkasa roadshow

Recollecting the months before he formed Perkasa, the Pasir Mas MP said he was depressed after PAS whom he was earlier said to be aligned with, had apparently directed him to not raise issues of Malay rights in Parliament.

“I was mystified. What was wrong about raising issues of those who may feel that they were sidelined in the current political landscape?

“Where is the freedom of choice and speech, which Pakatan Rakyat had bragged about?” he asked.

This motivated him to form Perkasa, which he insists would remain an NGO for now.

Ibrahim would now focus on explaining what Perkasa is all about and the group has lined up a roadshow beginning in Perak, Selangor and Johor in the next few months.