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.”