No ill intent behind white ang pow, says Perkasa

Perkasa said its blunder of dishing out Chinese New Year ang pow in the taboo white envelope during their festive event yesterday was a mistake and not done in malice.

“To Perkasa, white signifies clean, holy, sincere. That’s why we did not change it (the envelopes) to another colour, as Perkasa did not know white envelopes are used during funerals.

“If we had known, we would not have used white,” said its secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali in a statement this morning.

He stressed that the act was sincere and had no other motive.
“We did not have any other intention, what more to insult (the Chinese),” he stressed.

“That is why we need a plural society, so that we understand one another’s customs,” said the rep from the Malay rights pressure group that is best known for its abrasive stand against the Chinese community and other ethnic minorities.

Perkasa held a Lunar New Year gathering for Chinese senior citizens at Kampung Baru in the capital city yesterday, its first such event.

The event backfired when it was reported that Perkasa leaders such as Ibrahim Ali had given out the festive red packets in white envelopes, which in Chinese custom are used only in cases of bereavement.
'Chinese guests didn't complain'
“It is very unfortunate that reporters who covered the event were more eager to highlight the issue of the white envelope than to spread news about the mutual respect (with the Chinese) that was built during yesterday’s event,” said Syed Hassan.

“Our many close Chinese friends who were present yesterday did not even raise the matter, and those who received (the ang pows) also did not make a fuss.”

While singing praises for Malaysia’s multiracial society and calling for better understanding amongst the races “so that the races understood one another”, Syed Hassan added that Perkasa’s struggle for the Malays was rooted in the federal constitution.

“Perkasa does not deny other races from making a living, but we want the country’s economic (wealth) to be shared in a fair manner, and not be monopolised only by a particular race,” he said.