End the bickering, Malay leaders told

Hawkeye

 | June 1, 2013

Penang Malay Congress rues lack of attention to the marginalised.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Malay Congress today urged Malay leaders to stop their political bickering, saying it was distracting them from carrying out their responsibility of raising the economic status of the community.

Congress president Rahmad Isahak said these leaders had no choice but to bury their differences if they were sincere about improving the lot of the Malays.

He said the Malays of Penang were especially in need of good leadership.

“The Penang Malays may have the numbers, but they lack the economic as well as the political clout to turn the fate of their community around,” he told FMT. “Many are still stuck in the lower middle income group. Our rich are few and far between.”

It would be hard to improve the situation until Malay leaders decided to place their responsibility to the community above their personal political ambitions, he added.

Rahmad criticised Umno for what he said was “rampant infighting” within the party, but he was also harsh with PAS and PKR, saying they were using so much energy fighting Umno that they had little left to benefit the marginalised Malays.

“This why there is a surge in the growth of Malay-dominant civic groups,” he added.

“The community is pleading with the Malay leaders to perform instead of just bickering all the time.”

Rahmad disclosed that he had invited Malay leaders from PKR, PAS and Umno as well as Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng of DAP to his son’s wedding feast next week in Bukit Mertajam.

He said part of his intention was to bring together the various stakeholders in the effort to lift the poor Malays of Penang out of their misery.

“I hope it will be the start of sincere cooperation in the interest of marginalised Malays.”

Earn stripes as a YB first’

Hawkeye

 | May 27, 2013

Penang Malay Congress criticises proposal to increase salaries of Penang elected reps, saying they should first learn to serve.

GEORGE TOWN: The DAP-led Penang state government should focus on improving the quality of life among the people instead of proposing a salary raise for its elected or appointed representatives.

Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak said the salary hike proposal gives the wrong impression that the state wants to reward elected representatives first before they perform or earn their stripes as a “YB”.

Hardly a month after the 13th general election, the DAP is already mooting a salary hike for its state executive councillors, the 45 state assemblymen and appointed local councillors. The call was made by Chow Kon Yeow, the state exco and Penang DAP chief last week.

“The reward should be about earning the people’s right to serve and to make Penang a better state. It is not about monetary gain, which the state is about to gift to the elected representatives. The state is sending the wrong message if this proposal is true.”

First, the timing is all wrong and second, the state government has just received a fresh mandate from the people to serve, not to seek for a salary hike.

The election is barely over and Pakatan Rakyat is still disputing it, yet in the middle of it all, the state wants to hike the salaries of the same persons in Penang who the rakyat fought hard to re-elect despite a strong campaign to unseat them by Barisan Nasional, Rahmad said.

Penang has become the second state after Sarawak to announce plans to revise the salaries of elected representatives upwards.

Rahmad said although the DAP-led Pakatan won with a bigger mandate compared to the 2008 general election, this does not give them the licence to seek salary increments, especially when the state’s economy is not faring well.

Asia is sandwiched between the recession in Europe and the sluggish American economy, so whatever growth here is at best, moderate rather than impressive, said Rahmad.

“If the global economy continues to crawl at this level, it is bound to affect Penang in the long-term because its economy is export-driven and services-orientated.”

Pakatan leaders must discuss proposal

Rahmad added the state should aspire to perform better first, such as ensuring that the first brick is laid for an affordable housing unit, redraw the traffic flow to contain the escalating congestion, fight crime with the police.

“It should also draw more investors, especially in the areas of transfer of technology as this can create jobs, reduce polarisation levels, have more healthy activities for the young as well as curbing the rise in healthcare costs due to the influx of foreign patients.

“Aspire to achieve something which the people can call tangible before seeking to increase salaries as ultimately, such costs will be borne by the taxpayers.The undersea tunnel between the island and mainland is also yet to be built,” he said.

Rahmad, however, supported the proposal to increase the municipal councillor’s basic allowance of RM700 as it is pittance in today’s world where the living costs is high.

Bukit Bendara PKR division head, Jason Ong Khan Lee, said he was inclined to agree with some of the points raised by Rahmad.

Ong, who is the former Kebun Bunga assemblyman, said the state should achieve something first before they allow themselves to be rewarded with a salary hike.

“If you do so, I am sure the people will not mind if there is a 20% to 30% hike in salaries. But it must be earned. Nothing is free nowadays.”

Ong said the state must concentrate on issues of governance and management to ensure productivity is at the optimum for both the public and private sectors.

“When the people begin to reap the benefits of good governance, it is fine to seek a hike,” said Ong, adding that the matter should be discussed among the top Pakatan leadership .

Umno must initiate talks with PAS’

Hawkeye

 | May 7, 2013

It is imperative for these two parties to come together and lead the way towards restoring race harmony in the country, says Penang Malay Congress.

GEORGE TOWN: A Malay NGO has come out in support of a proposal by a Kelantan Umno leader that the nationalist Malay party initiates goodwill talks with PAS.

The talks can be held under the name of the national reconciliation proposed initiative by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, said Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

“This is something which should be pursued as it is clear from the results of the 13th general election that the non-Malays have rejected Umno and to a degree PAS,” said Rahmad.

PAS may not be have been rejected outright because it contested under the Pakatan banner, but the non-Malays are uneasy over its struggle for an Islamic state.

However, it is clear that after evaluating the outcome of the election, Umno is struggling with the non-Malay vote, said Rahmad.

MCA and Gerakan, the main Chinese components parties of Umno-led Barisan Nasional, were almost wiped out in the polls.

Rahmad said it is no longer a consideration but a must for PAS and Umno to come together and study the option of pursuing goodwill arrangement between the two parties.

For two decades, since the expulsion of Anwar Ibrahim from Umno, the Malay political voice has nosedived in certain states and because their leaders are at loggerheads, he added.

“This must change if the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s mooted idea of national reconciliation is to take place,” Rahmad.

Malays rejected by their own community

In Penang for example, the Malay ground continues to side with Umno despite the presence of PKR and PAS as alternatives.

“Racial ties are polarised. Malays are hestitant participants in a DAP-led state government while Pakatan’s Malay leaders have been rejected by their own community,” said Rahmad.

Umno won 10 state and three parliament seats in Penang, an almost stalemate result to the 2008 electoral performance.

Rahmad said the goodwill talks between Umno and PAS, can pave the way towards healing the ties with other races in the country.

Once the Malay ground is united, they will not feel insecure over the ties with non-Malays, said Rahmad.

He said although the urbanised voters may have rejected ethnic-centric issues, they did not bother to offer proposals on how to address the rootcause of it – polarisation.

“The onus is on the biggest political parties – PAS and Umno to lead the way towards restoring race harmony in the country,” said Rahmad.

Earlier, he had lauded Kelantan Umno secretary Md Alwi Che Ahmad, who proposed that his party initiates goodwill talks with PAS.

Alwi said that such talks can become the premise towards reconciliation and in the higher interest of all disputes, which is to be patriotic towards the interests of all Malaysians.

Stop ‘dreaming of a united front’, Umno

Hawkeye

 | April 21, 2013

If the Malay vote becomes diluted in Penang, there is a possibility that the community will not have a strong political voice, says Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Ishak.

GEORGE TOWN: The two representatives of the Penang Malay Congress, who are standing in the general election as Independents believe that voters will vote for the candidate who sincerely wants to help the Malays emerge from the rut that they are in now.

Congress president Rahmad Ishak said Umno’s argument of championing unity among the Malay politicians is a short-cut theory.

“We should stop dreaming about a united front. We are not fighting for Independence, but rather who can best lead us forward. For state seats, it is on who can best address the localise issues,” he said.

According to Rahmad, the Malay electorate is now divided into four blocs, the traditional ones with BN, one with PKR, another with PAS and lastly, his group – the non partisan – who believe they can form the third alternative political front here.

He said if  the Malay vote becomes diluted in Penang, there is a possibility that the community will not have a strong political voice.

“The time has come to select good candidates rather than the parties that they belong to, as ultimately, the voters want a person, who can serve, and not just candidates from strong parties,” Rahmad said.

Rahmad is contesting the Batu Maung state seat in a three-cornered fight against state PKR vice-chairman Abdul Malik Abul Kassim and Barisan Nasional (BN)’s candidate Mansor Musa.

The congress’ secretary Mohd Noor Sirajajudeen Mohd Abdul Kader, meanwhile, is contesting the Batu Uban state seat, which is a five-cornered fight.

Mohd Noor is a former deputy public prosecutor.

The other contestants are Baratharajan Narayansamy Pillai, an independent, Goh Kheng Sneah from BN, Dr T Jayabalan from PKR, and A Rajendra, another independent.

Plight of Penang Malays

Rahmad said he and Mohd Noor’s campaign revolved around raising the plight of Malays on the island.

This he said was not because the Malays were backward, but that there is a sizeable number, who are struggling to survive due to the unabated rise in living costs.

“It’s the same with the other races, but since Malays represent 51% of the population-base in the state, it is only fair that more attention be accorded to their cause,” said Rahmad.

He said it is the duty of whoever elected to find ways to off-set the rising costs of living on the island. This could be done by finding better paying jobs, reducing wastage,  corruption, bureaucracy and alleviating the intense traffic jams which affect productivity and resolving the skyrocketing property prices here.

Rahmad is fully aware that it will be a uphill battle contesting as an Independent but he believes that the Malaysian voter psyche has changed since the 2008 general election.

“The outcome of the 2008 GE gave birth to a two-party system, but in 2013, it will unleash the emergence of strong candidates, who can give the third front a strong voice, “ he said.

He said PKR had been given a chance in 2008 to administer Penang, but remains a weak link although it is the birthplace of the party’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

“We gave PKR a chance to administer the state, especially to address the plight of the poor Malays but they failed miserably because of poor leadership.

“Power corrupts! Look at what happened to Pakatan Rakyat. PAS and PKR are fighting among themselves to contest in seats here,” he said adding that in Malaysia, the voters have many politicians who are clever to talk and preach, but lack the finesse to act on their promises.

‘Field only credible Malay candidates’

Hawkeye

 | April 6, 2013

This is vital if Penang DAP wants to appease the Malays in the state, says the Penang Malay Congress.

GEORGE TOWN: DAP must field credible Malay candidates in the upcoming 13th general election if it wants to appease the Malays, Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

He said the selection of such candidates in Penang is important because the electoral battle ahead is likely to be a tough fight between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat.

Rahmad advised the DAP against picking candidates favoured by the leadership only, but who lack rapport with the people.

“Remember in Penang, one cannot only be well liked by one community. It is a state with a diverse ethnic base, so any candidate must be well received by all,” he said in an interview.

DAP is seen as a Chinese-centric party because its membership is predominantly of one race and the party is mostly championing Chinese issues.

Therefore, political observers said it will be an achievement if its Malay candidates can win some seats in Penang.

The only Malay DAP candidate to ever win was the late Ahmad Nor, a labour unionist who won in the Bayan Baru parliamentary seat in 1990.

Rahmad said the selection of candidates in Penang is important because the Malay ground has become restless, owing to the lack of leadership from PKR and PAS, which are supposed to be looking after the community’s interests.

Therefore, he said it is DAP’s task to impress upon the Malays that their interests will be well addressed after the 13th general election, should Pakatan Rakyat retain the state.

According to Rahmad, the issues that are unsettling the Malays are the lack of affordable housing, quality jobs, traffic congestion as well as the high cost of living.

Thus, Malay candidates selected by DAP to contest in Penang will be viewed favourably if they are willing to fight for such issues, he said.

It is learnt that the state DAP has interviewed five possible Malay candidates; among them were Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s political secretary Zairil Khir Johari, academician Senator Dr Ariffin Omar and DAP veteran Zulkifli Mohd Noor.

However, Penang DAP under the tutelage of Tanjung MP Chow Kon Yeow is believed to likely only recommend two seats for the Malay candidates here.

This is because it is difficult to find them seats to contest as most of the 19 state seats allocated to DAP, have high Chinese voter composition.

At the parliamentary level, the four seats held by the DAP here also have a strong Chinese base.

Rahmad reminded candidates that their job is to serve the voters, so they must have long-term commitments to the electorate.

Check NG0s with political leanings’

Hawkeye

 | March 27, 2013

The new NGOs in Penang have broken from the traditional mould and are seen as lackeys of political parties.

GEORGE TOWN: The chances are that if you throw a stone in Penang you are most likely to hit an NGO. In the last five years, the island has seen a mushrooming of non-governmental organisations.

The traditional NGOs champion causes like the disabled, environment and other social ills. But the new ones have dubious leaders and most of them are shadows of political parties.

One man who is very concerned with the unwanted rise of NGOs is Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

He wants the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to probe the rise of several NGOs here since 2008.

Rahmad said many of the new NGOs seem to be involved in the political and socio-economic issues in the state.

He said that the formation of new NGOs is healthy as it shows an acceptance of civil society and democracy here.

But at the same time, the issues and individuals behind such groups are seen as dubious at best, Rahmad claimed in an interview.

The new NGOs seemed to be championing political issues rather than the conventional norms such as the rights of the disabled or protecting the environment.

They seem to have exploited the loopholes in the ROS guidelines to form and name organisations, without any clear reference to how many members they have, submission of accounts and other criteria imposed by our watchdog of societies.

Dubious names

Therefore, the congress is encouraging ROS to investigate such organisations to ascertain if they are sincere and genuine, he added.

He said dubious organisational names have appeared in media reports together with individuals, who were previously unheard of in the local NGO scene here.

The new NGOs have organised protests – some turning violent, lodging police reports for all kinds of issues and in some instances, have tried to intimidate politicians such as the recent vandalism of a vehicle carrying PKR vice-president Tian Chua in Penang, Rahmad said.

“This is an undesirable attitude for those claiming to be NGOs. Such groups form the focus of a civil society where dialogues and forums are seen as the best platform to champion their struggle or objectives.”

Since Independence, Penang has been the home to an active collection of NGOs and civil societies with the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) as the leading light.

In the last decade, some NGOs in Penang have gone on to form the Penang Forum platform which meets on certain occasions to discuss issues dear to them.

Rahmad said the congress is appreciative of the contributions made by the likes of CAP and other NGOs such as the environmental group, SAM, but he is distrustful of the newer NGOs which seemed to be more interested in politics.

Confusing the people

These NGOs are aggressive and champion sensitive issues such as race and religion, he said.

They are confusing the people here, as on the one hand, they are NGOs, which are supposed to be impartial at best, but then they are constantly attacking Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as Anwar Ibrahim and Lim Guan Eng, Rahmad said.

Admitting that the congress is also new here, he said that it was formed based on the guidelines under ROS four years ago and it advocates impartiality.

“We criticised without fear or favour, either Barisan Nasional or Pakatan as one can determine by our media statements and reports.”

Rahmad said while the congress was formed to protect the interests of Malays in Penang, particularly on the island, they feel that other NGOs were being unfair to Lim because he has only been the Penang chief minister for one term.

Rightly, Lim has flaws and may have made mistakes, but the violent manner of how the NGOs reacted to it, is being unfair to him, he said.

The constant demonstrations and personal attacks against him should stop.

He said Lim was already made aware of the need to pay attention to the plight of the Malays, who are lagging behind others under the socio-economic scope here.

Now, the onus is for him to prove that he can deliver for the Malays and he must try harder, Rahmad said.

Field Malay candidates in Penang, DAP told

Hawkeye

 | February 21, 2013

The Penang Malay Congress suggests that the eight Malay DAP leaders, who contested in the last central executive committee election, should be given state or parliament seats.

GEORGE TOWN: DAP should come out with a candidates’ line-up which appeals to all Malaysians and not just the Chinese, said the Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

It should not be preoccupied with just winning in the general election but focus on how to govern in its aftermath.

“Everybody wants to win in this modern age, but we should also see beyond winning. We have to ensure that after winning, we must learn to manage our victories, otherwise the moment would be shortlived.”

Therefore, the line-up unveiled by DAP should mirror its Malaysian-Malaysia slogan and consist of a rich blend of Chinese, Indians and Malay candidates, Rahmad said in an interview.

He said this was an important consideration in view that DAP’s alliance – Pakatan Rakyat wants to capture Putrajaya in the election.

DAP should also bear in mind that the three Pakatan components are not on equal footing throughout the country, he claimed.

“PAS is strong in the Malay heartland (Kedah) and the east coast, but not readily accepted in states such as Penang whereas PKR is only strong in highly urbanised areas like Selangor.”

Sabah and Sarawak are different stories altogether, he added.

DAP should come up with a line-up which can forsee the possibilities that PAS and PKR candidates may not be accepted in states like Penang, which is DAP’s bastion now, Rahmad said.

Therefore, Rahmad is appealing to DAP supremos Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng and Karpal Singh to ensure that the party fields Malay candidates, particularly in Penang.

This would safeguard DAP in an event that the Malay candidates in PKR and PAS are overwhelmed by the onslaught of Barisan Nasional.

He also suggested that the eight Malay DAP leaders, who contested in the last central executive committee election, should be given state or parliament seats.

They are Ahmad Ton, Harun Ahmad, Syed Solaiman Syed Ibrahim, Tengku Zulpuri Shah Raja Puji, Lt. Col Roseli Abd. Ghani, Zulkifli Mohd. Noor, Zairil Khir Johari and Dr Arifin Omar.

Do not underestimate BN

He said although BN is largely seen as rundown and out of sync here, Pakatan should not underestimate the coalition, which boast of over 10 parties with a membership of over three million politicians.

“Do not think that the brains are with Pakatan only. BN has its fair share of technocrats and talent.”

He said the congress is of the view that DAP is here to stay in Penang for sometime because the voters here are simply fed up of BN and they subscribe to the belief of ABU (Anything But Umno).

So, any candidate using the DAP symbol including the Malays have a chance, and the latter is important in view that Pakatan needs to form a balanced state government, which consists of all major races.

But having all races in the state government, is also inadequate, as proven in the last election of 2008.

It is not about filling the government here with Malay faces, they must be capable leaders in their own right, and individuals who would stand-up to persons with dictatorial tendancies, Rahmad said.

He believes that PAS and PKR have failed the Malays in Penang, thus many are rebounding back to BN or namely Umno.

But there is a chance for Malays in Penang to warm back up to Pakatan, if they see a shift in DAP’s stance from its Chinese-centric policies to one which is more “encompassing,” Rahmad said.

On reports that Umno may field more “ulama” (Islamic clerics) candidates, Rahmad dismissed it, as having no impact here.

The Penang (islander) Malays are more concerned about “bread and butter” issues, as many are living in settlements, which are under-pressure to cave-in to the thirst for redevelopment.

There are many developers out there, who want to make money as the island is a prime area for a luxurious form of living, he added.

Many Malays have become squatters while some are relocated to high-rise buildings, which eventually also become urban slums on the island, he said, citing Jelutong as an example.