PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday warned Lim Guan Eng not to make statements that could stoke racial tensions. He was referring to a statement Lim had made after his swearing-in as the new Penang chief minister, in which he said the DAP-led state government would not practice the New Economic Policy. He had said the NEP was the source of “cronyism, corruption and inefficiency“.
When a journalist asked if he would guarantee the fate of Malays in the state, Lim had said: “We share the same fate, our destiny is together in this state. We will not segregate according to race and there will be no discrimination against anyone, no one will be left out.”
Abdullah told Bernama, in between meetings with top civil servants at his office here, that the NEP, introduced by the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, Malaysia’s second premier, had in fact succeeded in increasing the size of the economic pie and had benefited everyone.
“I would like to ask the DAP which community has been made poorer because of the NEP” he said. “The (Penang) state government must not try to create an atmosphere which can cause racial tensions,” warned Abdullah, who is also head of Penang Umno.
He also said the new state government in Penang should not marginalize the Malays, who are the minority in the state, and other minority groups like the Indians.
“Do not marginalize the Malays. I want to ask Lim Guan Eng what are his plans for the Malays in Penang. What are his plans for the Indians in Penang. What are his plans for other minority groups in Penang?” The prime minister gave an assurance that the federal government would continue to look after the lower-income groups in the state and would also continue with the special assistance programs for bumiputras.
PAS will uphold the good in NEP
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS will continue to uphold the positive features in the New Economic Policy (NEP) which coincides with its manifesto which promotes the concept of a welfare state. Its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said the NEP has many positive aspects which could be implemented, such as protecting disadvantaged Malays, but it must not be at the expense of the non-Malays. “One of the good aspects of the
NEP is to protect the Malays who are poor and left behind, but not by taking away the non-Malays’ rights. Some of the non-Malays also need to be protected. “We cannot take from the non-Muslims to protect the Muslims. This is not allowed in Islam,” he said at the party headquarters yesterday, when asked about the DAP-administered Penang’s
intention to do away with the NEP. Speaking to reporters after chairing the PAS Central Working Committee meeting, Abdul Hadi said whatever that is good in the NEP will continue to be implemented. Asked whether PAS disagreed with Penang’s new Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, Hadi said: “DAP is against corruption. They are asking the state executive councilors to declare their assets. We are agreeable to that.” Asked about Lim’s agenda to restore local government elections, he said: “We will wait and see. That has to be studied by legal experts as it touches on the Federal Constitution.” On whether PAS planned to implement an open tender system for all government contracts, he said: “It is the same with us. That is what the Kelantan state government has been doing.” Asked about talks that the BN was courting the party, he said: “As the Inspector-General of Police has said, do not believe in rumors. Nobody from BN approached me or the party. We don’t have time for that.
“Now is the time to strengthen the states. When this is resolved, we can work with BN on the kind of cooperation it could have with the states that we govern. We don’t have the interest (to discuss with BN) so far,” he said.
Questions :
1. Why PAS can still hold to NEP but not DAP?
2. Can they practic what they preach?
3. Does BN in my area knows how to take down those poster tied up on the lamp post and some even beyond my house boundary?
Taken from The Sun newspaper.
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