PAS declines to accept ex-servicemen's memo
PAS officials today refused to accept a letter of protest from former servicemen upset over its deputy president Mohamad Sabu’s statement regarding the Bukit Kepong incident in 1950.
PAS officials today refused to accept a letter of protest from former servicemen upset over its deputy president Mohamad Sabu’s statement regarding the Bukit Kepong incident in 1950.
About 100 people from the Ex-Police Association of Malaysia, Former Armed Forces Association of Malaysia and the Association of Malay Military Veterans and several unnamed NGOs were met with a locked door when they came to the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur to hand over the memorandum.
According to a PAS administrative staff member, they could not receive the one-page memorandum as they did not have instructions to do so from the party's senior officials.
This resulted in the group calling Mohamad, who was conducting a press conference in the building, an "eunuch" and "coward", while watched by about 20 police officers.
"We are disappointed that they have shut the door on us. We are just normal people, ordinary associations, sending a letter, not a bullet," said Ex-Police Association of Malaysia president Shafie Bakri (left in photo).
‘Our feelings are hurt’
The peaceful group, which also consisted veterans who had fought during the communist insurgency, left after about 30 minutes later, while singing the patriotic song Inilah Barisan Kita.
They became agitated and started hurling insults at Mohamad when it was clear he would not show up to receive their letter.
They were also unhappy because police instructed them to disperse as they did not have a permit.
Shafie refused to leave the memorandum at the door and vowed to return with "thousands more veterans" to prove their point.
"He has hurt our feelings by saying that Mat Indera and the communists are the real freedom fighters.
"If we leave the memorandum at the door, PAS will say they never received it and that it was eaten by a dog," he said, snidely.
‘Even DAP shows us more respect’
The Association of Malay Military Veterans president Mohd Ali Baharom (far right in photo) said that even DAP had the courtesy to accept a memorandum from the group.
He added that Mohamad should show more respect, especially to the widows of former servicemen who had also joined the demonstration today.
In the memorandum the group demanded Mohamad's resignation as deputy president and for PAS to review its membership in Pakatan Rakyat.
The group noted that since joining Pakatan, PAS had lost sight of its real struggle.
It also urged the Islamic party not to "manipulate historical facts" and to stop "trying to revive communism".
Asked by reporters later, Mohamad said that he had no idea the veterans had wanted to send a memorandum as no appointment was set.
“If they had made an appointment we would have accepted it,” he said.
