It's time the party grooms grassroot leaders to forge Malay unity instead of plucking just about anyone and thrusting him into the limelight, says the Penang Malays Congress.
GEORGE TOWN: It’s time for the DAP leadership to take pro-active steps to identify and develop Malay leaders from the party rank and file, a Malay-based local NGO said today.
Penang Malays Congress (PMC) president Rahmad Isahak said the Tunku Aziz Tunku Ibrahim saga was a lesson to the party that it should never pluck just anybody and thrust him into the limelight.
Saying that one should never try to build a house from the roof down, he said DAP should know by now that it should groom potential Malay talent from the grassroots
He said it was imperative for DAP, as the ruling party of Penang, to allow grassroots members, not persons like Tunku Aziz, to emerge as the party’s Malay leaders.
He said that many Malays became aware of Tunku Aziz only last week and some did not even know that he was a DAP senator under its Penang quota.
“It reflects Tunku Aziz’s quite contributions to the party and the Malay community, especially in Penang,” said Rahmad.
He added that it was time DAP gave prominence to Malay grassroots leaders and to forge a strong Malay leadership in the party.
He said that the DAP’s failure to groom new Malay leaders since 2008 was a major reason behind the latter’s suspicion of the party.
He said DAP should work hard to shed the widespread perception that it was a Chinese chauvinist party.
He said DAP cannot afford to let its Pakatan Rakyat partners, PKR or PAS, be in charge of Malay affairs in Penang as “both parties failed to seize the initiative the past four years.”
He added that the DAP’s hopes for Tunku Aziz to emerge as the party’s Malay leadership face has also fallen flat.
Being the ruling party, he said DAP must show to the people of Penang that it was a multi-racial party to safeguard the interest and rights of all ethnic groups.
“DAP cannot leave to other parties to do it. It must take the lead. It must unearth local talents to lead the Malays in the party and state,” said Rahmad.
He said one way to do this was to field at least five ‘home-grown’ Malay candidates to contest one federal and four state seats in Penang in the next general election.
He said it would take the sting out of Umno if DAP were to field strong Malay candidates.
“Umno’s propaganda that the DAP is for Chinese would not have listeners. But if the DAP continues to sideline the pressing Malay leadership agenda, the Malay community would continue to be suspicious of the party,” warned Rahmad
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