PAS has launched a booklet to refute the claim of Entrepreneur Development Minister Mohd Nazri Aziz that the Terengganu state government was ultimately responsible for the closure of two Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM).

Penghianatan Umno Terhadap Bangsa Melayu serta Rakyat Terengganu ("Umno's Treachery Against Malays and the Terengganu People") was launched last week on the occasion of the July 31 debate cancelled by Terengganu police citing "security concerns" as the reason.

The 76-page booklet is the product of a collaborative work between Terengganu Exco member Mustafa Ali and Kuala Terengganu MP Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi.

Presenting facts

It includes transcripts of verbal exchanges in parliament between government and opposition representatives, correspondence between Terengganu Foundation and Mara officials, as well as articles and other documents related to the issue.

In his preface, Syed Azman said his intention was to present the relevant documents and facts to the public so that they can form their own evaluation of the issue. In doing so, he believed Umno's ill-intentions would become self-evident.

"(This book) would reveal Umno's narrow politics and vindictiveness towards people who have exercised their democratic right and rejected Barisan Nasional in the 1999 elections."

According to Nazri, the main bone of contention that led to the MRSMs' closure was Mara's insistence that the intake quota for Terengganu-born students be reduced from 80 percent to 40 percent.

Since the Terengganu government had not responded, he alleged he had made the decision to stop the schools' operations. His ministry's letter informing the state government of the closure was dated July 31, 2002.

Claims by authors

Documents in the book, however, purportedly disproved Nazri's assertions.

According to the minutes, reproduced in the book, of a meeting between representatives of the government agencies held on January 10, 2002 Terengganu Foundation (responsible for the schools' operations) Director Yusof Tahir urged that Mara-state government discussions continue.

Syed Azman (right) and Mustafa (left) alleged that further negotiations on the issue of the quota could have been held.

They also claimed that Nazri's decision to close the two schools was made autocratically and was inconsistent with the efforts of Mara and Terengganu Foundation officials to continue their cooperation.

They also claimed the decision was made contrary to established procedures and principles.

In the 1993 memorandum of understanding between Mara and the Terengganu Foundation (pages 47-53) Clause 5.5 stated that "in the case of a disagreement...(the issue) would be referred to arbitration by the chairman or member of the Board of Trustees of Terengganu Foundation and the chairman of Mara."

No such steps were taken, say the book's authors.

Challenge

MRSM colleges are administered by Majlis Rakyat Amanah (Mara), which comes under Nazri's ministry. Nazri, who is Umno Chenderoh division chief and MP for Chenderoh in Perak, had issued a written challenge to Syed Azman on June 17.

The challenge was made following the PAS MP's motion in the Dewan Rakyat in June to "condemn the government for acting in haste" in closing the two colleges in Besut and Dungun.

Nazri had earlier announced the closure of the two MRSMs in Besut and Dungun. He insisted, however, that the closure was not to due to political pressure, but a "matter of principle". The move had led to the transfer of over 600 students to other MRSM branch campuses.

Opposition members, especially those from PAS, had claimed that the closure was politically motivated and meant to punish the people in Terengganu for voting in PAS.