Not at all like father, like son

KUALA LUMPUR (Harakahdaily) - Drawing a comparison between prime minister Najib Razak and his late father Abdul Razak Hussein, a PAS vice president said both were worlds apart when it comes to the spirit of federalism.

Salahuddin Ayub, commenting on the ongoing oil royalty dispute involving Kelantan and the controversy surrounding the rights of settlers under FELDA, said the country's second prime minister had made many lasting contributions to the nation.

Salahuddin

“I recall a speech by Tun Razak here on 12 November 1975 in which he said each state would get 5% of petroleum found either inside or outside its territorial waters. Unfortunately, today the people and government of Kelantan have no choice but to bring such matters to court because the spirit of federalism has been violated,” Salahuddin, who is also the Kubang Kerian member of parliament, told the Dewan Rakyat while debating 2011 budget.

Salahuddin said that during Razak’s era, the spirit of federalism spirit was used to bring the people out of poverty through the Petroleum Act 1974 and the establishment of Federal Land Authority (FELDA).

“In the era of Pekan MP as Prime Minister Malaysia, these two agencies were the subjects of lawsuits by the people to demand what is rightfully theirs.

"It is very different both in the approach and intention of this pair of father and son,” he said, adding that the federalism spirit had waned considerably.