PAS compares Malay land ownership in Penang with Palestine

PAS is continuing to play the race and religion card, this time by equating land ownership issues in Penang with the situation in Palestine and Israel.

On its social media platforms, the party draws parallels with Israel’s control of Palestinian land, starting from 1.5 percent in 1918, to the Palestinians becoming refugees in their own country.

In comparison, it claimed that a study conducted in 2010 found that Malay land ownership in Penang is only 27 percent.

The party claims that Penang has carried out a “systematic seizure” by taking over ownership and control of areas that were originally predominantly Malay-Muslim.

They allege that this was done by changing the status of rural land to urban land and implementing mega projects and luxury developments.

However, PAS did not provide evidence to support these claims.

“If this matter is not stopped, it is possible that in 50 years, the Malays will disappear from their own homeland,” they said.

‘PAS undermining Palestinian struggle’

Meanwhile, the PAS campaign has shocked a government backbencher, who sees it as a “narrow political narrative”.

“It is very surprising that PAS undermines the legitimacy of the Palestinian people’s struggle to fit their narrow political narrative,” said Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan on his social media account.

In 2016, Azeem Fazwan Ahmad Farouk, the director of the Centre for Policy Research and International Studies (CenPRIS) at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), stated that due to rapid development in Penang, Malay-owned land has been decreasing over the years.

He said that a USM study conducted in 2008 found that Malay-owned land in Penang was only 20.41 percent, and it is believed to have further diminished as Malays themselves sold it to other ethnic groups.

“This is a manifestation of the paradigm used by the country since 1957, which is to become a developing nation. This is due to the long-standing colonisation process that has taken place.

“In that effort, we forgot to seek balance and that is what is happening now, which is an imbalanced development that ultimately harms the society itself,” he was quoted as saying.

PAS had previously raised several racial and religious issues, such as accusing DAP of being communist and claiming that non-Malays are the biggest contributors to corruption.

The police had formed a special investigation team in April to address issues related to race, religion, and royalty.

PAS is currently running the “Kalih Pulau Pinang” (Change Penang) campaign to attack the DAP stronghold in the upcoming state election.

DAP has been heading the Penang government since taking power from Gerakan and BN in 2008, as part of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition that includes PKR and PAS at the time. - Mkini