Malayur News: 09/20/10

Monday, 20 September 2010

The price of palm oil

Anwar-Azmin team playing dirty, says contender

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - Free Malaysia Today,

KUALA LUMPUR: PKR deputy presidency contender and former party deputy secretary-general PS Jenapala today claimed there are fraudulent and underhanded tactics practised…

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Zaid: Azizah bukan boneka, Anwar hanya ahli biasa

Oleh Jamilah Kamarudin - Free Malaysia Today

PETALING JAYA: Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Datuk Zaid Ibrahim berikrar mahu mengembalikan kuasa sebenar Presiden parti itu jika beliau berjaya…

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Nazri: I will shield gov't, even from Mahathir

(Malaysiakini) Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz has picked a public spat with Utusan Malaysia columnist 'Awang Selamat', as he defended his criticism of former premier…

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parliament gobind singh ban over nazri mistake 251108 04

Reacting to accusations that he is “anti-Dr Mahathir” and that he had been biadap (uncouth) towards a statesman who has done much for the country, Nazri said in an open letter to Utusan that his stand is to the contrary.

So far, said Nazri, Mahathir has been the best prime minister he has ever served. But as an ex-premier, he said Mahathir leaves much to be desired.

Nazri (left) claimed he has been consistent in his defence of the government against its critics - even if these now include Mahathir.

“Awang should get out of his time warp and face the fact that I am now in the government ... It is Tun Mahathir who is criticising the government and not the other way round.

“...I will defend the government, just as I did in the past when Tun Mahathir and (then) Tun Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) was the prime minister.”

Nazri reiterated his challenge to the columnist to come clean on where his loyalty lies, given the priorities Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has placed on an inclusive 1Malaysia.

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“I want Awang to know that I am always sure who my boss is. It is not (DAP leader Lim) Kit Siang or (Opposition Leader) Anwar (Ibrahim), because they are not the prime minister of Malaysia, the chairperson of BN or president of Umno.

“I am not too sure Awang knows who his boss is because he undermines the 1Malaysia policy of the prime minister and promotes the narrow racism of (Perkasa chief) Ibrahim Ali, who is not even an Umno member.”

Nazri said even school children know that his agenda is to win the next general election and for Najib to remain as prime minister.

“I do hope that Awang also has the same agenda, unless of course his boss is somebody else.”

Questioning the column for criticising his “civil” treatment of opposition leaders, Nazri said such conduct is the right thing to do in a democracy since “they are also elected by the people”.

“Of course, Awang is caught in the time warp of the days where government MPs did not only not engage them, but hated and disliked them in all circumstances.

malaysia parliament parlimen

“Awang will never understand this because he is not a MP, put in the House by the voice of the people. Anyway, did Awang ever think of how five PKR MPs could become Independents, if not for the civility shown by me to them as parliamentary affairs minister?

“The number of crossovers to the Independent caucus has exceeded the single MP from Pasir Mas, this so-called hero for the Malays who Awang idolises. Incidentally, Umno has never asked or needed for Ibrahim to help us. Any association with him will only cause us to lose votes.”

'Malaysian first'

Training his sights on claims that he is pandering to the Chinese, Nazri pointed out that Mahathir - who was reported to have said he didn't need Chinese votes - has realised why he lost in the 90 percent Malay-majority seat of Kota Setar Selatan in 1969 to PAS' Yusof Rawa.

“There is a lesson to be learned from this,” said Nazri.

utusan 140910 majoriti orang malayu menyokong perkasa

utusan 140910 majoriti orang malayu menyokong perkasa

Driving home his point, Nazri said Awang has never contested in an election and, furthermore, hides behind the anonymity of a pseudonym of a column in the Malay-language daily, which is owned by Umno but which has highlighted the Perkasa cause.

“Politicians like me who have stood for four general elections and won, have to be very careful in what we say and not be reckless like Awang. We need to muster all the votes regardless of race and we do not stay in the comfort zone as Awang does.

“He (Awang) can write and say anything irresponsibly and recklessly, knowing that he will never be punished by voters. I advise Awang to stick to what he does and knows best and not try to meddle in national politics, of which he has shallow knowledge and zero experience.”

As a parting shot, Nazri also challenged detractors to question his identity and priorities as a citizen.

“And yes I am a Malaysian first and Malay next. Does any bigot have a problem with that?”

BANTING MURDERS: Lawyers' nine dogs put down

The dogs at the poultry farm in Sungai Gadung were aggressive and had attacked other farm animals. — NST picture by Rosdan Wahid

BANTING: Nine pedigree dogs, belonging to the…

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The dogs at the poultry farm in Sungai Gadung were aggressive and had attacked other farm animals. — NST picture by Rosdan Wahid

BANTING: Nine pedigree dogs, belonging to the lawyer brothers from here, were put to sleep by Kuala Langat District Council officers yesterday. Six Rottweilers, two Dalmations and a bulldog were put down by lethal tranquilisers at the poultry farm in Sungai Gadung, believed to the scene of a quadruple murder.

The officers were seen entering the farm at 8.15am and left about two hours later with the carcasses in a pick-up lorry.

According to sources, since the murders were uncovered, the hungry dogs which were left unattended became aggressive and attacked other animals in the farm, such as goats, ducks and chickens.
The source said police had told the district council to catch the dogs but the team despatched to the area decided to put the dogs down as they were aggressive.

The carcasses were taken to the Sungai Sedu landfill in Telok Datuk, near here, to be buried.

Meanwhile, scores of local and foreign tourists on their way to a nearby longan farm and curious onlookers tried to get into the farm where the murders allegedly took place.

They were, however, turned away by policemen.

Longan farm owner Lim Soon Beng, 40, said he had lost thousands of ringgit since the entrance to his 6ha farm was sealed to give way to police investigations.

"I have been losing between RM2,000 and RM3,000 a day as my produce could not be transported out and tourists were stopped from entering the farm."

The two lawyer brothers, aged 41 and 38, from here, and five others were detained to facilitate investigations into the murders of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya, 47, her driver Kamaruddin Shansudin, 44, banker Noorhisham Mohammad, 38, and lawyer Ahmad Kamil Abdul Karim, 32.

The four were killed and burnt and their ashes scattered in rivers.

Police have found bone fragments, a cricket bat and a knife after searching the rivers.

The bone fragments have been sent to the Chemistry Department for DNA analysis and the results are expected this week.

Sosilawati, the founder of the Nouvelles Visages beauty line, and her three aides were believed to have met one of the lawyers before they disappeared on Aug 30.

They were allegedly murdered at the farm belonging to the lawyer. The farm has, among others, a clubhouse, chalet and an office.

Two teams are carrying out the investigations, one on the quadruple murder and the other on the disappearance of three people and the murder of a housewife.

Read more: BANTING MURDERS: Lawyers' nine dogs put down http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/6det/Article/#ixzz103DajZEV

ONE MALAYSIA…… FACT OR FICTION?

By Muralitharan Ramachandran - http://malaysianminorityindians.blogspot.com

With the most recent declaration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on his standpoint on 1 Malaysia which is not about racial equality,…

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By Muralitharan Ramachandran - http://malaysianminorityindians.blogspot.com

With the most recent declaration of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on his standpoint on 1 Malaysia which is not about racial equality, it is established that UMNO and Perkasa have ended their disagreement to preserve their Malay Supremacy agenda. This was already anticipated by non-Malays, setting the phase for even further extreme ethnic politicking and communal deterioration. In previous denial statements given by leaders such as Tengku Adnan, Khairy and others from UMNO regime on their ties with Perkasa, it is indeed an evident that it was purely a deception. The sudden diversion by the premier has also triumphed Tun Mahathir on his call for UMNO not to sever ties with Perkasa which, claimed by Tun Mahathir, will formulate unhappiness among the Malays. This has raised the eye-brows of many on Najib’s sudden diversion.

Najib’s action also has produced query on the power of UMNO if Tun Mahathir and Perkasa have control over it. The recent racial annotations by two school principals made non-Malays express dissatisfaction and anger over the issue while they observed on how UMNO protects their main stream media Utusan Malaysia and the right wing Perkasa even with their racial remarks being articulated frequently. Despites calls by various quarters of people including the opposition to get rid of Perkasa, the premier prefers to go on deaf ears. These actions proves that the 53 year old racist UMNO government is not susceptible over issues concerning other ethnics and will go beyond any extend in order to spark racial controversies and create disharmony among the variety of races just to remain in power and control. This indicates the failure of Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept and efforts to win the support of the non-Malays.

Najib’s failure is also a failure to BN components. Leaders of MCA, MIC and Gerakan have been promoting the Premier’s 1 Malaysia concept and praising UMNO leaders who were against Perkasa and Tun Mahathir on his stance on Perkasa. These leaders from the component parties have also given assurance to their respective ethnics and a supportive statement of UMNO is not racist party and it is against Perkasa. All their supportive statements about UMNO and Najib’s 1 Malaysia concept have set them on fire. They are now being magnified by their own people. UMNO have been their master for the past 53 years and it is indeed the appropriate time for serious confrontation by these component parties with its masters. The recent 12th general election has conveyed a message of dissatisfaction among the non-Malays towards the ruling UMNO/BN government.

Although the message sent is clear, Najib’s UMNO/BN government is ignorant about this significance and continues towards their creed of ‘KETUANAN MELAYU’. Are these component parties going to retain as a string-puppet to UMNO and prolong the lost of confidence by their own community? How are they going to act in response on this set down? Are they going to insist on a justification from the Premier or are they going to assist him to get away with his deception and twisting facts of 1 Malaysia? Or are they going to be tongue-tied on these issues and enjoy the cozy cabinet positions while betraying their community? Let us observe the deed of MCA, MIC and Gerakan on the treachery of their master. These BN components are indebted to us an answer….. 1 Malayisa - Is it a fact or Fiction?

Kulim: SITF's next stop in resolving Indian woes

KULIM: The Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) set up by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to resolve problems faced by the Indian community at strategic locations throughout the country is…

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KULIM: The Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) set up by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to resolve problems faced by the Indian community at strategic locations throughout the country is moving into high gear with its next stop in Kedah followed by Selangor and Pulau Pinang.

Following the success of its first meet-the-people programme in Ijok, Selangor last Aug 15, the SITF would hold its second programme on Sept 25 at Taman Selasih in Kulim between 10am and 4.30pm, said Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam, who is also the SITF chairman.

“Various government departments and agencies will be on hand to address the problems faced by the Indian community,” said the MIC vice-president who would also be present at the programme.

Among them would the National Registration Department to handle the issuance of birth certificates and identity cards; Social Welfare Department; Skills Development Department to offer skills training for youths; Tekun Nasional to provide small business loans; and the Social Security Organisation.

After Kedah, Subramaniam said SITF would move to Sepang in Selangor on Oct 3 followed by Perai, Pulau Pinang on Oct 16.

He said in each programme, the SITF would gather the problems of the Indian community and undertake measures to resolve them in a systematic manner.

“We don’t want to be accused of meeting people but not doing anything to resolve their problems. An action committee will follow-up on the problems brought to our attention,’ he added.

Citing the Ijok programme where almost 500 problems were being scrutinised by SITF, the minister said welfare cases topped the list of problems followed by identification cards and birth certificates.

Subramaniam said the main objective of the SITF which was made up mainly of MIC leaders and corporate figures, was to ensure that the decisions of the cabinet committee for the Indian community chaired by the prime minister were effectively implemented.

He said the SITF would act as a government delivery system at strategic locations where the people would have access to the various government departments and agencies.

Missing 'cult-like' group found alive after suicide fears

Members of a church group led by Reyna Chicas were reported missing amid fears they may have planned to take their own lives.

Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A group of 13 Salvadoran immigrants missing in southern California amid fears that they planned a cult-like mass suicide have been found alive, unhurt and…

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Los Angeles, California (CNN) -- A group of 13 Salvadoran immigrants missing in southern California amid fears that they planned a cult-like mass suicide have been found alive, unhurt and upset to find they were the subjects of an extensive search.

Authorities had been scouring the Palmdale area of northern Los Angeles County on horseback and by helicopter Sunday in search of the group, which included eight children between the ages of 3 and 17, said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A resident spotted one of the vehicles identified in the lookout at a park and notified the sheriff's department, he said.

One woman in the group told CNN they were "perfectly OK" and were shocked and angry to learn that such an extensive search was under way. The woman, who would not give her name, said they had been praying all night in the park, that they had done this routinely and that their husbands were aware of the practice.

The search began Saturday afternoon, when the husbands of two women in the group reported them missing, the Sheriff's Department said. One of the men said their wives were part of a "cult-like group" and had been "brainwashed" by its leader, and Whitmore said the wife left a purse with her husband and asked her "to pray over" it.

When the husband opened the purse, he found money, mobile phones and notes that "talked about meeting Jesus, talked about deceased relatives soon to meet up," Whitmore told CNN earlier Sunday. That raised concerns that the group members planned to take their own lives, he said.

The husbands told investigators that the group had broken away from a Christian church in the Los Angeles area "and formed a separate group that included both traditional and non-traditional practices and beliefs," the Sheriff's Department said Saturday. Its leader, whom investigators identified as Reyna Marisol Chicas, had taken her followers on a similar outing six months ago "in the apparent belief that there was going to be a major earthquake."

Several members of the group spoke with investigators, and Chicas was held for questioning after giving deputies a false name, Whitmore said. Though no crime had been committed and the group appeared to be praying for 'honest and well-meaning things," he said deputies had to investigate once their husbands filed missing persons reports.

"The letters themselves could be interpreted in many ways," Whitmore said. "Now, some of the language in it could be interpreted as saying goodbye as relatives, but that's an interpretation." But given the husbands' concerns, "It is better to overreact than underreact," he said.

Teoh inquest: Mystery note tendered as exhibit

(Malaysiakini) A note said to be deceased DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's 'final testament', written in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese, has been tendered as an exhibit at the inquest…

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(Malaysiakini) A note said to be deceased DAP political aide Teoh Beng Hock's 'final testament', written in Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese, has been tendered as an exhibit at the inquest into his death.

Speaking to reporters during a recess, Teoh's family lawyer Gobind Singh Deo confirmed that the note is the original copy he had seen last month.

The note was found in Teoh's backpack, left in the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office on July 16 last year.

The MACC had interroga NONE

ted Teoh (left) overnight on July 15, in connection with a probe into alleged misuse of funds by his employer and Selangor exco Ean Yong Hian Wah.

His body was found the next afternoon on the fifth floor service corridor of Plaza Masalam, Shah Alam. The Selangor MACC has its office on Level 14 of the building.

The item was not initially listed as evidence by police investigating officer Ahmad Nazri Zainal.

Testifying before the coroner today, he said he did not list many of the personal items in the bag because he found them "of little value".

The items listed included Teoh's Mykad, digital camera battery charger and Tesco customer loyalty card.

Also found were a VCD, mineral water, computer accessories, note books and some pieces of paper.

The note and other previously unlisted items were only recorded on Oct 7, 2009 with several items, including the 'mysterious' note which was then submitted to the Chemistry Department for examination.

These were previously stored in a locked cabinet in Ahmad Nazri's office.

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(right) has requested that the court interpreter who provided the translation for the note be made available to take the stand when the inquest resumes at 2pm.

"She is now on duty at the High Court. If she agrees with our suggestion, then there will be no need for us to call our own interpreter," he said.

Ahmad Nazri had testified this morning that MACC officer Zurinawati Zulkifli - who alerted him to the presence of the bag - had refused to sign a handover form because she was not assigned to the case for which Teoh had been called for questioning.

He said Zurinawati told him that the MACC investigating officer on the case, Mohd Anuar Ismail who was not present at the time, had initially taken the bag into his office.

However, Ahmad Nazri said that, when he saw the bag it was on a sofa outside another officer's office.

The black bag and the main contents were tendered as exhibits today.

The police officer also testified that he found that a window on Level 14 was ajar and that the handle was missing and appeared to have been broken off.

"(Teoh's body) was found directly below the window," he said, adding that the forensics team arrived at 4pm.

'Not suicide'

At the previous hearing of the inquest, Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand stood by her original testimony that Teoh did not commit suicide, refuting the findings of other three other pathologists.

Present today are lawyers Tan Hock Chuan, representing the Attorney-General's Chambers, and Abdul Razak Musa who heads the MACC prosecution unit.

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar is acting for the Selangor government.

Coroner Azmil Muntapha Abas is presiding over the inquest in Shah Alam, Selangor.

Sodomy trial: Anwar's appeal to strike out charge dismissed

By FMT Staff

FMT ALERT PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal has dismissed Anwar Ibrahim's appeal on a High Court refusal to throw out his sodomy charge.
The appeal was dismissed…

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Nurul Izzah sees red over KTMB land sale

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: The latest sale of prime land belonging to Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) has come under fire from Lembah Pantai…

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Dr M's blog 'may harm your computer'

By FMT Staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's blog has become the latest website to join the “may harm your computer” list. Last week, several websites, including news…

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Malaysia's religious problems: The way forward

By Pak Sako - Free Malaysia Today

COMMENT "You are my brother and I love you. I love you worshipping in your church, kneeling in your temple, and prayin…

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Don’t you dare abandon the BN, Ibans warned

By Joseph Tawie - Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: The Iban community cannot afford to abandon the BN in the coming state election. To do so will mean they will suffer…

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Umno-Perkasa reconciliation: All eyes on MCA, MIC, Gerakan

BN - equal or not equal?

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

As expected, Umno and Perkasa have reconciled, setting the stage for even more intense racial politicking and social disintegration.…

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BN - equal or not equal?

Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle

As expected, Umno and Perkasa have reconciled, setting the stage for even more intense racial politicking and social disintegration. It also places a huge question mark on the future of MCA, Gerakan and MIC and their ability to protect and speak up for their communities.

For not only is the Umno-Perkasa patch-up a resounding victory for the conservatives in Umno led by former premier Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister Najib Razak’s multi-racial 1Malaysia plan has also been scuttled. Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan now says 1Malaysia is not about racial equality.

“The Umno-Perkasa reconciliation is very significant. In the past Umno denied links to Perkasa. But because no one believed it, it was forced to publicly reject Perkasa. Now it has publicly made up with Perkasa. What does this mean for Malaysians,” Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham told Malaysia Chronicle.

Najib and Tengku Adnan

“It means that, for whatever his reasons, Najib is still unwilling to discard ketuanan Melayu. Yet we have Soi Lek insisting that Umno has never believed in Malay supremacy. This is now proven to be a bare-faced lie. Not only has Soi Lek failed to represent the views of the Chinese community, he has even lied to them for the sake of helping Umno to retain power and this is totally unacceptable. It is time for them to take stock of themselves and what is happening to Malaysia."

A big let down for the BN components

Apart from Chua Soi Lek, the MCA president, Gerakan chief Koh Tsu Koon and MIC head S Samy Vellu have also been ridiculed and condemned for their part in the Najib-Umno 'sandiwara'. MCA, Gerakan and MIC had rushed to cheer-lead the announcement by Tengku Adnan that Umno would reject Perkasa and its president Ibrahim Ali. This would be the start of a new Malaysian era, they had proclaimed.

Soi Lek

“As a secretary-general I can tell you, we have nothing to do with Perkasa, and certain things Perkasa is doing we are not happy with because they are eroding our support. When they talk about my Chinese friends or my Indian friends, they make us lose more votes,” Tengku Adnan had said on September 8.

But sadly, Najib and now Tengku Adnan has let them down - without apology or explanation. On Sunday, the Umno sec-gen was forced to deny his words after Najib himself made a sharp U-turn two days ago. Now, not only has the PM's prized 1Malaysia plan fizzled out, but it appears his New Economic Model due to be fleshed out next month will also not contain any significant reforms. This ultimately means that endemic high-level government corruption will continue to remain a staple of Malaysian life.

Tsu Koon

“I didn’t even ask members of Umno to relinquish their relationship with Perkasa. It was totally blown out of proportion by Ibrahim Ali. When we had a meeting with BN secretaries-general, we never talked even a little bit that we wanted to distance ourselves from anybody. Our policy is to be close with everybody. We should even go and approach opposition members and explain what our policies are because they are misguided,” back-tracked Tengku Adnan on Sunday.

All eyes are now on how MCA, MIC and Gerakan will respond. Will they insist on a clear-cut explanation from Najib or will they help him to excuse away his latest failure?

Samy Vellu

“Once and for all, MCA, Gerakan and MIC should confront the reality. They don’t need the opposition to tell them, the 2008 election is already enough. But these guys wanted the glory and cushy Cabinet posts. For that they sold out the communities they represent. If they have any decency, they would make a final stand. But I am sure they won’t because they have become like Umno - the money and goodies outweigh social conscience and responsibility,” PKR vice president Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.

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Leaders from MCA, MIC and MIC have gone record, praising Tengku Adnan and Umno for the bold move to break off from racial and religious agitation practiced by Perkasa and Mahathir. When Mahathir warned Umno it would be suicidal to dismiss Perkasa, the BN components even condemned him for advising his party to regress. Malaysia Chronicle appends below their quotes sourced from various mainstream media.

MCA

“In my association or the MCA’s association with Umno, I have never heard of any Umno leader who says that the Malays are more superior than the non-Malays. No,” said MCA president Chua Soi Lek, when asked by reporters if Singapore's Lee Kuan was correct in saying Malaysia subscribed to racial policies that favored the Malays

"MCA welcomes the comments by various UMNO leaders in distancing themselves from the racist espousals of Perkasa led by its chairman Dato’ Ibrahim Ali by acknowledging that such association with Perkasa would lead to UMNO’s erosion of support," MCA sec-gen Kong Cho Ha said in a statement.

"Meanwhile, we regret to read the remarks by a prominent public figure who claims that UMNO needs backing from Perkasa if it does not want to risk Barisan Nasional losing support. BN does not consist of only one political party, but is an alliance which comprises various political parties representing all the ethnic groups in Malaysia. Hence, BN thrives on the support rendered by every race, not only from the Malays."

Gerakan

"The statement also reflects the liberal and moderate stand of Barisan Nasional component parties towards all races," Bernama reported Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon as saying when asked to comment on Tengku Adnan's remarks that Umno would distance itself from Perkasa.

“Unfortunately, Dr Mahathir's latest statement has sent out a very disturbing message,” Gerakan Youth deputy chief Oh Tong Keong Oh said in a statement when Mahathir urged Umno not to break away from Perkasa.

“If Umno has to embrace a racist group like Perkasa for fear of losing 'the Malays' support', as suggested by Dr Mahathir, and other ethnic-based political parties from both sides of the political divide follow suit, then where is Malaysia? How about us Malaysians?”

MIC

“It is not the right thing to do to practise racism as it can affect the country’s stability,” said MIC vice-president Datuk M. Saravanan, referring to Perkasa and the reason behind Umno wishing to distance itself from Perkasa..

“Perkasa is not saying the right things.Non-Malays have never begrudged the position of Malays as enshrined in the Constitution. They have to rethink their actions,” said former MIC deputy president Datuk S Subramaniam.