‘Umno must initiate talks with PAS’

It is imperative for these two parties to come together and lead the way towards restoring race harmony in the country, says Penang Malay Congress.

GEORGE TOWN: A Malay NGO has come out in support of a proposal by a Kelantan Umno leader that the nationalist Malay party initiates goodwill talks with PAS.

The talks can be held under the name of the national reconciliation proposed initiative by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, said Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak.

“This is something which should be pursued as it is clear from the results of the 13th general election that the non-Malays have rejected Umno and to a degree PAS,” said Rahmad.

PAS may not be have been rejected outright because it contested under the Pakatan banner, but the non-Malays are uneasy over its struggle for an Islamic state.

However, it is clear that after evaluating the outcome of the election, Umno is struggling with the non-Malay vote, said Rahmad.

MCA and Gerakan, the main Chinese components parties of Umno-led Barisan Nasional, were almost wiped out in the polls.

Rahmad said it is no longer a consideration but a must for PAS and Umno to come together and study the option of pursuing goodwill arrangement between the two parties.

For two decades, since the expulsion of Anwar Ibrahim from Umno, the Malay political voice has nosedived in certain states and because their leaders are at loggerheads, he added.

“This must change if the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s mooted idea of national reconciliation is to take place,” Rahmad.

Malays rejected by their own community

In Penang for example, the Malay ground continues to side with Umno despite the presence of PKR and PAS as alternatives.

“Racial ties are polarised. Malays are hestitant participants in a DAP-led state government while Pakatan’s Malay leaders have been rejected by their own community,” said Rahmad.

Umno won 10 state and three parliament seats in Penang, an almost stalemate result to the 2008 electoral performance.

Rahmad said the goodwill talks between Umno and PAS, can pave the way towards healing the ties with other races in the country.

Once the Malay ground is united, they will not feel insecure over the ties with non-Malays, said Rahmad.

He said although the urbanised voters may have rejected ethnic-centric issues, they did not bother to offer proposals on how to address the rootcause of it – polarisation.

“The onus is on the biggest political parties – PAS and Umno to lead the way towards restoring race harmony in the country,” said Rahmad.

Earlier, he had lauded Kelantan Umno secretary Md Alwi Che Ahmad, who proposed that his party initiates goodwill talks with PAS.

Alwi said that such talks can become the premise towards reconciliation and in the higher interest of all disputes, which is to be patriotic towards the interests of all Malaysians.