Who is BN, especially MCA and Gerakan, trying to kid with the racist and Taliban-like Perkasa?
BN leaders criticised for joining Perkasa demo
| March 25, 2013
A Gerakan politician says that by
joining the demonstration, the BN leaders are acknowledging that Perkasa is a
force to be reckoned with.
GEORGE TOWN: Barisan Nasional
leaders are lending credibility to Perkasa by joining a demonstration in
Esplanade organised by the Malay supremacist group yesterday.
Baljit Singh, who heads the state
Gerakan legal and human rights bureau, said participation of BN leaders would
give a wrong perception that the coalition was collaborating with Perkasa.
Among those present were state BN
chairman Teng Chang Yeow, state Umno’s deputy chairman Musa Sheikh Fadzir and
secretary Azhar Ibrahim, state MIC deputy chief L Krishnan and Teluk Bahang
assemblyman Dr Hilmi Yahaya.
Baljit said BN leaders should have
realised that they cannot be seen standing side-by-side with leaders and
members of an organisation that espoused racial supremacy.
He said Perkasa’s Malay agenda
contradicted BN concept of 1Malaysia, recalling that BN leadership had on
countless occasions denied links with the Ibrahim Ali-led NGO.
“Public perception is important in
politics. By joining a protest that included Perkasa, BN leaders are lending
support to the group.
“BN may just lose more non-Malay
votes,” warned Baljit, who boycotted the event as a protest against Perkasa
participation.
Themed “Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu
Pulau Pinang”, thousands of NGO members gathered at the Speaker’s Square as
early as 3pm yesterday to demonstrate against the Pakatan Rakyat government.
Earlier the crowd walked for nearly
two kilometres from Masjid Kapitan Keling to the Esplanade, carrying banners
and chanting slogans against the state government and Chief Minister Lim Guan
Eng.
Arguably the biggest demonstration
held by NGOs to date against Lim’s five-year leadership, the protest included a
long convoy of youths on bikes waving BN and NGO flags.
Penang Perkasa chairman Yusoff
Suhaimi, who was in thick of action, claimed that some 120 NGOs jointly
organised the rally.
“The NGOs attending the
demonstration are under the Sekretariat Penyatuan Rakyat Pulau Pinang umbrella,
which was called by me under the Penang Special Affairs Department (Jasa)
secretariat,’ he said yesterday.
Lim under fire too
Baljit meanwhile hit out at Lim for
claiming that the state government had to charge toll for the proposed
multi-billion ringgit undersea tunnel to avoid potential suit by the second
bridge operator.
Baljit countered that the state
government could be liable for a suit only if a contractual clause had
expressly stated for a tunnel toll charge.
Otherwise, he said no one can sue
the state government for not charging toll.
