Anwar: Pakatan committed to ensuring Malay rights

By DHARMENDER SINGH (The Star Online)

SHAH ALAM: Malays in the five Pakatan Rakyat-held states need not fear that their rights would be eroded as the three parties in the coalition have signed an agreement to uphold the rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution.

PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and he, had signed the agreement on Sept 8 as proof that all three parties would uphold Malay rights.

The agreement, he said, clearly stated that the coalition would uphold the principles in the constitution and protect the rights of bumiputras and uphold the status of Islam as the official religion.

It also states that Bahasa Malaysia is the national language and upholds the status and rights of the Sultans.He said even the social contract between the races was already agreed upon by all members of the coalition.

“We signed an agreement that cannot be changed by any party so there is no truth to claims that Pakatan Rakyat will take away the rights due to pressure from members within the coalition,” he said during a briefing for religious school teachers in the state that was organised by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department yesterday.

The four-paragraph agreement signed by the three parties also said opposition leaders rejected race-based politics as it would disrupt the unity and harmony of the community.

Anwar said the people, especially teachers in religious schools, should not fear that the Pakatan state governments would no longer look at developing Islamic studies in the five states.

He said the people should not be taken in by false accusations hurled at the Pakatan states as the governments were working to improve religious education and needed the cooperation of the teachers to implement new programmes.
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This appears to be a strategic move by Pakatan Rakyat to allay fears of the Malays owing to few incidents and misteps in states governed by them. As reported in some dailies and news portals recently, Pakatan Rakyat is fast losing the support of Malays.

Why issue such a vague statement? Why can't they spell out clearly their interpretation on Malay Rights and Social contract. Is NEP equvailent to Malay rights? What about all the quotas, contracts, shareholdings etc.

Aren't DAP want equality for everyone with Lim Guan Eng pledging to do away all elements of NEP at State Level.

We also read about Kelantan MB, Nik Aziz rejecting Ketuanan Melayu as Islam does not discriminate according to race.

From what I have observed, Pakatan Rakyat has the habbit of issuing joint statements, while individual parties and their members within Pakatan Rakyat continue to speak in the contrary, according to their own Party stand.

I have nothing against NEP but it would be better that for everyone to have a clear cut, black and white interpretation on what is actually Malay Rights.

Pakatan would definitely win more support from Bumiputra and assure non-Bumiputras if they spell out clearly what they mean by this statement.