In another dramatic turn of events in the ongoing saga relating to the recent suggestion by DAP veteran Tan Kok Wai on bringing back local council elections to the Federal Territory, it seems like PAS’ commissioner Azhar Yahya has found himself facing a barrage of gun fire from rival party PKR.
According to a recent news report the Federal Territories PKR Youth wing had lodged a police report against the PAS leader at the Setapak police station last Tuesday over the latter's statement about local elections which may be deemed to be racist for claiming that it would cause racial tensions; in addition to that, according to its chief Mohammad Azfar, the PAS FT commissioner's contention was also alleged to be factually wrong.
Apparently, Azhar had reportedly said that Lembah Pantai and Bandar Tun Razak were areas with non-Malay majorities; however it was pointed out that it was factually wrong as Lembah Pantai has 59% Malay voters and only 17% and 11% Chinese and Indian voters respectively; while in Bandar Tun Razak, Malays were said to make up 62% of the voters with the rest being non-Malays.
Meanwhile, Federal Territories PKR vice-president and Wangsa Maju division chief Lai Chen Heng, who also lodged a police report on the same matter, described the statement as insensitive, and expressed hope that the police would take necessary action to stop such misleading statements from being repeated.
For context, last week Azhar was quoted by a local news website as saying that the DAP veteran’s proposal to reintroduce local council elections was considered very dangerous which could lead to racial monopoly due to the unbalanced distribution of the population by race, especially in the Federal Territories.
He went on to express his concern that the Chinese community could monopolise it, if the local council election takes place, resulting in the control of seats in Kuala Lumpur; he also pointed out that according to evidence, DAP dominates parliamentary seats in areas such as Kepong, Seputeh, Cheras, Bukit Bintang and Segambut.
Furthermore, the FT PAS commissioner said they were not talking about racism but merely raised questions about ensuring Malays secure a majority of seats and votes to preserve their “privileged rights”; he also raised the issue of the potential expenses involved in holding local council elections.
Additionally, he highlighted the presence of the 13 Members of Parliament within the Federal Territory who could play an active role in conveying the voice of the community to adequately represent the people and look after their respective constituencies.
For the record, during the recent Kuala Lumpur DAP Convention, Tan had proposed the reinstatement of local council elections by the government as it will result in a sustainable capital city, fostering efficient, transparent, and citizen-centric governance.
In fact, while it may be true that the Chinese community may form the majority in some constituencies, the PAS commissioner appeared to have failed to explain exactly how it could jeopardise the “privileged rights” of the Malays. Aren't there sufficient existing laws for that already in the country?
At any rate, what about the basic rights of “all communities” in the capital city to enjoy better governance to improve the living conditions there, considering that it seems to be forever dogged with less-than-satisfactory planning, frequent flooding and a long list of other problems?
Is it morally right to cite "ethno-religious" reasons to deny law-abiding and long-suffering city folks their rights and legitimate aspirations as tax-paying citizens, regardless of race or religion, to savour a better life?
Source: The Edge Malaysia and Sinar Daily
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