Malay unity talks is Umnos ploy to split opposition
K KabilanPublished: Jan 4, 2001 8:34 AM | Updated: Jan 29, 2008 6:21 PM
Umno's proposed Malay unity talks with Keadilan and PAS is an attempt to split the Barisan Alternatif (BA), said an opposition leader today.
Umno's proposed Malay unity talks with Keadilan and PAS is an attempt to split the Barisan Alternatif (BA), said an opposition leader today.
PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said the decision to only invite Keadilan and PAS was a ploy by Umno to create division within the opposition front.
"It is an attempt by Umno to show to the people that the BA component parties differ in their principles and support base," he said.
Not invited to the proposed talks are DAP and Syed Husin's PRM, the other two components in BA.
Syed Husin stated that even if PRM, which has a majority of Malay supporters, was invited to join the talks, the party will only be willing to discuss matters of national unity involving all citizens.
"We will only be involved if there is a genuine talk on unity for all Malaysians," he said.
"We will also be interested to talk to Umno about other bigger problems such as corruption, mismanagement, growing authoritative control and the public's lack of confidence in the judiciary and the police, and the bailouts to help certain individuals," he added.
Syed Husin was commenting on an Umno proposal for full-scale discussions between leaders of Umno, PAS and Keadilan on issues pertaining to the Malay unity.
No agenda
Yesterday Umno deputy president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that there would be no pre-conditions imposed on PAS and Keadilan to join the discussions.
The proposal was mooted by Umno's management and disciplinary committee and after a meeting yesterday, the committee decided to formally propose the matter to the Umno supreme council for further discussion.
Abdullah, who chaired the committee meeting, said the proposed talks will be held in the full spirit of musyawarah (discussion) and without an agenda.
The disciplinary and management committee discussed the issue of Malay unity at its meeting following a request by Mahathir.
Political advantage
According to Syed Husin, there are no problems of unity among the Malays and Malaysians in general.
"Only certain politicians keep harping on these issues and they are deliberately doing it for their own political advantage," he added.
Syed Husin said PRM will be meeting tomorrow to discuss the proposed Malay unity talks and will also have a meeting with all the other BA parties on the matter later next week.
However, he added that the call for the talks was a positive sign as in the past Umno was not forthcoming in having discussion with the opposition.
No official stand
Meanwhile, Keadilan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said that it was obvious that Umno and its leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad have lost the Malay support in the recent past and were now trying to regain that by proposing the dialogue.
He said that Keadilan had not made any official decision on whether to be involved in the proposed dialogue, adding that the party's supreme council will meet early next week to discuss the matter.
"If there is an official invitation, we will respond to it after the meeting," he said.
Chandra, however, stressed that Keadilan's main concerns were to promote better social justice, to eradicate poverty, to curb abuse of power and corruption and were not confined to the subject of Malay unity alone.
"Our priority is to see a unity of all Malaysians," he said.
Prepare to talk
Nevertheless, he added that Keadilan is prepared to talk to anyone, including Umno, but at the same time it will hold true to its principles.
When asked for his comments on the suggestions by Umno that the talks are open to just Keadilan and PAS, Chandra said that this could be an attempt by Umno to wrongly portray his party to the non-Malays.
"It is an attempt to create doubts among the non-Malays about parties like Keadilan. Keadilan is capable of garnering the support of the non-Malays and by inviting us to talk about Malay unity, Umno wants the people to think that Keadilan is a Malay party," he said.
PRM president Dr Syed Husin Ali said the decision to only invite Keadilan and PAS was a ploy by Umno to create division within the opposition front.
"It is an attempt by Umno to show to the people that the BA component parties differ in their principles and support base," he said.
Not invited to the proposed talks are DAP and Syed Husin's PRM, the other two components in BA.
Syed Husin stated that even if PRM, which has a majority of Malay supporters, was invited to join the talks, the party will only be willing to discuss matters of national unity involving all citizens.
"We will only be involved if there is a genuine talk on unity for all Malaysians," he said.
"We will also be interested to talk to Umno about other bigger problems such as corruption, mismanagement, growing authoritative control and the public's lack of confidence in the judiciary and the police, and the bailouts to help certain individuals," he added.
Syed Husin was commenting on an Umno proposal for full-scale discussions between leaders of Umno, PAS and Keadilan on issues pertaining to the Malay unity.
No agenda
Yesterday Umno deputy president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said that there would be no pre-conditions imposed on PAS and Keadilan to join the discussions.
The proposal was mooted by Umno's management and disciplinary committee and after a meeting yesterday, the committee decided to formally propose the matter to the Umno supreme council for further discussion.
Abdullah, who chaired the committee meeting, said the proposed talks will be held in the full spirit of musyawarah (discussion) and without an agenda.
The disciplinary and management committee discussed the issue of Malay unity at its meeting following a request by Mahathir.
Political advantage
According to Syed Husin, there are no problems of unity among the Malays and Malaysians in general.
"Only certain politicians keep harping on these issues and they are deliberately doing it for their own political advantage," he added.
Syed Husin said PRM will be meeting tomorrow to discuss the proposed Malay unity talks and will also have a meeting with all the other BA parties on the matter later next week.
However, he added that the call for the talks was a positive sign as in the past Umno was not forthcoming in having discussion with the opposition.
No official stand
Meanwhile, Keadilan deputy president Dr Chandra Muzaffar said that it was obvious that Umno and its leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad have lost the Malay support in the recent past and were now trying to regain that by proposing the dialogue.
He said that Keadilan had not made any official decision on whether to be involved in the proposed dialogue, adding that the party's supreme council will meet early next week to discuss the matter.
"If there is an official invitation, we will respond to it after the meeting," he said.
Chandra, however, stressed that Keadilan's main concerns were to promote better social justice, to eradicate poverty, to curb abuse of power and corruption and were not confined to the subject of Malay unity alone.
"Our priority is to see a unity of all Malaysians," he said.
Prepare to talk
Nevertheless, he added that Keadilan is prepared to talk to anyone, including Umno, but at the same time it will hold true to its principles.
When asked for his comments on the suggestions by Umno that the talks are open to just Keadilan and PAS, Chandra said that this could be an attempt by Umno to wrongly portray his party to the non-Malays.
"It is an attempt to create doubts among the non-Malays about parties like Keadilan. Keadilan is capable of garnering the support of the non-Malays and by inviting us to talk about Malay unity, Umno wants the people to think that Keadilan is a Malay party," he said.
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