Ramkarpal slams Ku Nan for comments about Penang Malays

DAP's Bukit Gelugor MP says FT minister trying to cover his back after outrage over earlier comment on radio stating intention to make Penang a federal territory.

PETALING JAYA: Bukit Gelugor MP Ramkarpal Singh has condemned the comment from Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor claiming that the “Penang state government does not care about the Malays”.

Calling such comments an afterthought by Tengku Adnan, Ramkarpal said the minister had not mentioned at any point during his interview with the business radio station BFM, about wanting to help the Malays.

“The idea of wanting to make Penang a federal territory to help the Malays is absurd and clearly an afterthought in response to the outrage his initial statement had caused on the matter,” Ramkarpal said.

He was referring to a report yesterday in which Tengku Adnan, who is better known as Ku Nan, was quoted as saying that the idea to make Penang a federal territory, was not to extend authority over the state but to help the Malays.

Tengku Adnan was reported to have also said: “We know what is happening in Penang. They (the state government) do not care about the Malays”.

“The allegation that the Penang state government has been neglecting the Malays is a most serious one and if there was an iota of truth in this allegation, then surely Tengku Adnan would have cited it as the main reason for turning Penang into a federal territory during the said show itself and not days later,” Ramkarpal said, adding that it proves that the claim is utterly baseless.

He added that Penangites would be completely against the idea of the state becoming a federal territory and dared the minister to hold a referendum on the matter.

Previously, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and other state and federal DAP leaders had spoken up strongly against Tengku Adnan’s suggestion during an interview on the radio show Breakfast Grille, where the latter stated that if he could, he would like to expand the federal territories to include Penang, Langkawi Island and parts of Malacca.

The interview aired on Feb 1, in conjunction with Federal Territory Day.

Lim also likened FT minister Tengku Adnan to a conqueror for suggesting on the show that Putrajaya take control of Penang, Langkawi and parts of Malacca. -FMT