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Thursday, October 16, 2014

6 years on, Malay groups only carp at Pakatan-ruled Penang

Penang Suaram coordinator Ong Jing Cheng (yellow T-shirt) leaving Speaker's Square in the Esplanade, George Town, after a group of men attacked Suaram members taking part in an anti-Sedition Act rally on Sunday evening. The attackers have been identified as members of a Malay NGO opposed to foreign interference in Suaram. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 16, 2014.Penang Suaram coordinator Ong Jing Cheng (yellow T-shirt) leaving Speaker's Square in the Esplanade, George Town, after a group of men attacked Suaram members taking part in an anti-Sedition Act rally on Sunday evening. The attackers have been identified as members of a Malay NGO opposed to foreign interference in Suaram. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, October 16, 2014.
It does not happen in other Pakatan Rakyat-ruled (PR) states, except Penang, where six years after the 2008 political tsunami, Malay groups are still holding protests against the state government ostensibly over the community's welfare.
No mention is made that DAP and its partners have only ruled Penang since 2008 as rowdy protests continue against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and mobs disrupt peaceful demonstrations and even stormed the state legislative assembly earlier this year in the name of Malay welfare and rights.
There is suspicion over who has funded or organised these groups but one leader insists they have banded together over concerns about local issues affecting their welfare and livelihoods.
But not everything was politics, said Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin, the president of Gabungan Perwakilan Melayu Pulau Pinang (G-PEM), one of the new coalitions that have emerged this year.
"We deliberate, share ideas, collect information... We look into welfare issues like local Malay traders losing their stalls. We have recorded more than 20 cases like that in Penang and we want to highlight their plight because they were not offered compensation.
"We also want to highlight issues of affordable housing and of local Malays losing their kampung to new developments.
"Another issue we are studying is the proposed sale of the Royal Malaysian Air Force land on the mainland," he told The Malaysian Insider, referring to Putrajaya's plans to redevelop the airbase.
Besides G-PEM, another new coalition is the Gabungan Persatuan Melayu Islam Pulau Pinang (GPMIPP), which was formed this year.
GPMIPP is infamous now for breaking up a peaceful demonstration by human rights activists against the Sedition Act at the Speaker's Square in George Town last Sunday.
G-PEM, a smaller coalition of 14 groups, is a member of GPMIPP, Rizuad said.
They were not out to raise trouble but just want to be more organised and have a stronger voice in raising Malay issues with the state authorities, he said.
"We want to have a collective voice and to function with better coordination so we can act on issues and push for action.
"We want to do this as professionally as we can, going through the right channels to get results," he said.Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin, president of Gabungan Perwakilan Melayu Pulau Pinang (G-PEM), was one of 15 men arrested for trespassing into the Penang assembly building during a protest in June. – Facebook pic, October 16, 2014.Mohd Rizuad Mohd Azudin, president of Gabungan Perwakilan Melayu Pulau Pinang (G-PEM), was one of 15 men arrested for trespassing into the Penang assembly building during a protest in June. – Facebook pic, October 16, 2014.

G-PEM was formed in April this year, and among its 14 local Malay NGOs are Persatuan Mukabuku Pulau Pinang, Persatuan Penarik Beca, Persatuan Wira Bersatu Pulau Pinang, Persatuan Ibu Tunggal Barat Daya and Permatang Pauh and Persatuan Nur Kasih Pulau Pinang.
The larger GPMIPP has 51 member groups, including G-PEM and some of G-PEM's component members as well.
While GPMIPP is not registered, Rizuad said G-PEM's registration with the Registrar of Societies (RoS) was approved last month.
Its members are mainly from the working and middle class, with a small number of professionals who advise the coalition on legal matters and other issues.

He admitted that a quarter of the members among G-PEM's 14 NGOs were also members of political parties Umno, PKR and PAS.
"Our member Persatuan Anak Jati Melayu Pulau Pinang (Pajim) is mostly made up of PAS members," said Rizuad, who is both an Umno and Perkasa member.
He said he and the chairmen of the other NGOs in G-PEM met at least once a week to discuss issues affecting their communities.
Chief minister must engage Malay community
Rizuad said G-PEM was always ready to meet with the state excos, including Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng himself.
"We have sat down with the state religious exco Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim before. I have also asked for an appointment to see the chief minister to discuss Malay issues.
"It has been some time and I am still waiting for the appointment to see Lim. He has to engage local Malay NGOs and look into the issues they are raising on behalf of the community.
"I won't bring 100 people into the meeting. I will just bring my committee members. I don't beat up people," he said.
Despite having ties with Umno and other political parties, Rizuad, who was also Penang Perkasa Youth chief, said G-PEM was not funded by these organisations.
"We don't want their money. We want to stay neutral so whenever we think that the federal government or the Pakatan Rakyat government is not doing something right, we can speak out and criticise.”
G-PEM sourced its funds from members through fund-raisers, he added.
"We only need a little money to print out statements, make photocopies and for food and drinks if we have meetings or programmes among our members. That does not cost much.
"We also have a rule against paying people to participate in demonstrations.”
Hard to control emotions
G-PEM and some of its member NGOs had been linked to several demonstrations in Penang, and the latest was an anti-sedition rally they disrupted at Speaker's Square in George Town on Sunday. The event was called off following the disruption.
Rizuad, who said he was not at the rally organised by Gerakan Hapus Akta Hasutan (GHAH), admitted that G-PEM was involved in the ruckus because its members had representatives present.
"I do not have control over all my members. Personally, I would have preferred they all debated about the Sedition Act issue at the Speaker's Square properly.
"GHAH organising a protest like that was also a way of inciting people.”
Rizuad said his members told him after the incident that things became tense at the square when Malay NGO members got angry with the presence of some foreigners at the event.
"I don't think it is right that foreigners were involved. That is foreign interference into Malaysian affairs," he said, referring to news reports two years ago that GHAH member Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) received foreign funds.
"Freedom of speech must also be observed sincerely. They should not have brought in foreigners.
"I also take the police and relevant authorities to task for not acting on foreigners who try to meddle with our affairs. The authorities should have prevented it.”
Rizuad at first would not comment on the disruptive behaviour of G-PEM members, but when asked again, he said that maintaining control was difficult when emotions were high.
"I was aggressive, too, but I am trying to do things differently now. I had been told off that my style was too aggressive. But when it comes to issues of race and religion, I will fight to the end."
No stranger to controversy, Rizuad was allegedly one of those who had trespassed into the state legislative assembly building during a protest against Seri Delima assemblyman R.S.N. Rayer for remarking "celaka celaka Umno" (Umno be damned) on May 21 this year.
He was among 15 men charged with trespassing under over the incident on June 19.
- TMI

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