Malays must take heed from the Chinese community, says Mat Sabu

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

June 05, 2011

Mat Sabu is urging the Malays to be proactive in defending their civil rights. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — Newly elected PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu told Malays to learn from the Chinese community and be proactive in defending their civil rights.

Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, said the Malays have been passive and not willing to help each other.

“The Tionghua are always concerned about their rights and will fight for justice like in the case of Teong Beng Hock. Even the case has died; they will revive it again until justice is found.

“However something similar happened to Sarbani, our people did not do anything. They only said what can we do? He has already died,” he told the delegates today during PAS general assembly.

Customs assistant director Ahmad Sarbani Mohamed was found dead on the badminton court on the first floor at the MACC office in Jalan Cochrane on April 6 this year.

Teoh, an aide to Selangor executive councillor Ean Yong Hian Wah, was found dead on the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after giving a statement to the anti-graft body on July 16, 2009.

Mohamad said that the Malays must wake up from their slumber as the country will be facing its 13th general assembly.

He also reiterated that the party cannot win Putrajaya based on the votes its members alone and must work hard to gain public support.

“We must get support from the general public. The party must get support from non-Pas members, Chinese, Indians and Kadazans.

“We must be together with the president and get the support so that we can deliver the votes to Pakatan Rakyat,” he said.

Mohamad also said that Umno was already on its deathbed as MCA and MIC has become irrelevant.

“MIC and MCA are like crutches to Umno and without them, they will be destroyed. The Chinese and Indian communities are beginning to show their support for PAS. Surely Umno is dying,” he said.

Mohamad won the party deputy presidency with 420 votes in Friday’s election, leading a group of progressive leaders to counter conservatives who prefer to link up with Umno.

The Penang-born Mohamad defeated incumbent Nahsarudin Mat Isa who received only 224 votes and vice-president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who came second with 399 votes. A total of 1,100 delegates voted in this year’s party elections.

Mohamad was contesting the post for the second straight time against the three-term deputy president, who together with Tuan Ibrahim, are seen as leaders from the ulama or scholars’ group.