Perkasa: 30% bumi equity is not racial
Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali today said his Malay rights pressure group has always fought for needs-based affirmative action rather than a race-based one, but still wanted 30 percent bumiputera equity.
Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali today said his Malay rights pressure group has always fought for needs-based affirmative action rather than a race-based one, but still wanted 30 percent bumiputera equity.
"We support needs based (affirmative action), but at the same time in terms of sharing the economic cake, we want to achieve the 30 percent," he said after holding the group's first Chinese New Year open house in Kuala Lumpur today.
Asked if this was a reversal of Perkasa's previous stance, Ibrahim said his organisation has advocated for needs based affirmative action since its inception.
"We have been misunderstood because when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak launched the New Economic Model and planned to liberalise some sectors in the economy, we had spoken out at that time.
"But we voiced out in terms of the 30 percent equity; we want fairness, but it was construed that we do not support the needs of other races," he said, adding that he would like to correct this misconception.
He noted that the Chinese community controls more than 50 percent of the country's wealth.
"It is evident that in Malaysia, even though the majority are Malay and bumiputera, we are tolerant in working together with the Chinese community who are fluent in business.
"Therefore I urge the Chinese community in the fields of economy and trade to help out the bumiputera whenever they can," he said, adding that the equitable sharing of the economy will ensure the country's security.
‘MCA-Perkasa clash merely political trap'
He also clarified his previous clashes with MCA and Gerakan, putting the blame on the new media for demonising Perkasa.
"New media, like blogs, keep harping on this issue (that Perkasa is racist) and MCA and Gerakan have to win the hearts of the Chinese (by defending them against Perkasa), so sometimes it looks like we quarrel with them, but it's a political trap," he said.
Perkasa had in April last year protested outside the MCA headquarters in defence of Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia after MCA criticised the daily for labelling the Chinese community as ungrateful and calling on the Malays to unite.
Ibrahim adds that he has personally met several Chinese NGOs to correct the misconception towards Perkasa and the feedback had been positive.
