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Friday, 10 September 2010

'Critical' BN-Umno stoking racial tension

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time in history, Umno and Barisan Nasional cannot depend on the support of both Malays and non-Malays.

According to PAS deputy secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, non-Malay support for Umno and BN was at its most critical point, and this was why former information minister Zainuddin Maidin had mischievously labelled PAS an “exremist party”.

“Zainuddin is well aware that non-Malay support for Umno-BN is at a critical level… he knows non-Malays are veering towards Pakatan Rakyat.

“People see the coalition as having a mixed face. Pakatan has PAS with the Malays, PKR is multiracial and DAP is dominated by Chinese,” he said.

Takiyuddin said Zainuddin's comments were aimed at disrupting the unity in Pakatan.

The former minister had raised the ire of PAS members nationwide when he alleged last week that PAS had asked late premier Tunku Abdul Rahman to grab the properties owned by the Chinese during the May 13 racial riots.

He also alleged that PAS had, during the Malaysia-Indonesia confrontation, supported Indonesia to take over Malaysia.

Following Zainuddin’s allegation, PAS leaders nationwide had lodged police reports against the former minister.

'He wants Chinese to feel threatened'
On Monday, PAS legal bureau chief Mohamed Hanipa Maiden demanded that Zainuddin apologise for making fraudulent statements.

Mohamad Hanipa said if Zainuddin failed to apologise than the party would initiate legal action against him after Hari Raya.

Zainuddin, however, has refused to apologise.

Meanwhile, PAS information chief Idris Ahmad said the former minister was doing this on purpose.

“He wants the Chinese to feel threatened and react to PAS. They (Umno) have no more fire power left except to instigate race riots.

“To say PAS had instigated Tunku to grab properties belonging to the Chinese community is ludicrous. If PAS wanted to grab their property we wouldn’t have asked Tunku.

“We could have done it with the Chinese, who are a minority in Kelantan. But the fact is no Chinese has been killed or their shops burnt by PAS in Kelantan to date,” he added.

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