Perkasa severs ties with Umno

Ibrahim claimed Perkasa did not require Umno or BN’s backing. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 9 — In a tit-for-tat move, Datuk Ibrahim Ali appeared to officially disassociate Perkasa from Umno today, claiming that his fledgling Malay rights group “does not need” support from the ruling party.

“Perkasa NGO does not need Umno’s support or that of any other political parties,” he declared in a statement sent via text message here this afternoon.

Umno had come under fire frequently since Perkasa’s formation, for the failures of its leaders to speak out against the often controversial and extreme views of the right-wing group.

Nazri said Perkasa did not represent Umno or BN.

Pakatan Rakyat has continually mocked the Najib administration for allegedly fearing to reject the group’s ideals, claiming that Perkasa was the “conscience” fo Umno.

Some leaders have even analysed that Perkasa, which comprises many Umno members and has received the blessings of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was formed to help Umno recapture the support of conservative Malays who felt that the Najib administration was too accommodating towards the non-Malay community.

To date, only Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz has made strong statements against Perkasa, claiming that the group did not represent the views of the Barisan Nasional (BN) or Umno.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, however, has so far been non-committal on his feelings for Perkasa and even famously said that the group was “not so extreme”.

Yesterday, however, Umno seemed to be in damage control mode and appeared to have finally made a firm decision to disentangle itself from Perkasa.

In a statement to an English news daily front-paged today, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said he had told his counterparts in all BN parties that Umno would not back Perkasa or its president Ibrahim in the next general election.

The Umno leader reportedly admitted that any move to support Perkasa would only erode BN’s support from the non-Malays.

When speaking to The Malaysian Insider, Tengku Adnan said that Umno would field its own candidate in Ibrahim’s Pasir Mas constituency in the next election.

He also said that BN leaders agreed that distancing themselves from Perkasa was the best way forward, acknowledging that Perkasa had successfully pitted BN component parties against one another.

In a recent spat, Umno and MCA appeared at each other’s throats when MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek called for the removal of the 30 per cent Bumiputera equity target and urged the government to accept the 13 resolutions formulated during its recent Chinese Economic Congress.

Umno will challenge Ibrahim for his Pasir Mas seat, according to Tengku Adnan.

Entering the fray, Perkasa further fanned the fires when it attacked MCA for allegedly questioning the “special rights of Malays” which it claimed were enshrined under the Federal Constitution.

Umno leaders then warned MCA not to forget the BN’s struggles when fighting for the rights of the Chinese.

In reiterating that Perkasa did “not need Umno’s support”, Ibrahim today said “We only need the support of everyone in this country and the laymen who support Perkasa’s struggles.”

He also listed down Perkasa’s objectives, which were to: uphold the Constitution; fight for an honest government and justice; combat corruption and abuse of power; and promote an efficient delivery system, good governance and a harmonious society.

“We also want fair and honest leaders who are close to the people, who are not corrupt, not conceited or big-headed, who are moral, believe in their faith, who are not greedy and are generous in nature,” Ibrahim said. - Malaysian Insider