Embarrassing for Ismail to play up race on Facebook, says PAS lawmaker

More criticism is being heaped on a minister for his alleged racist posting on boycotting Chinese businesses with a PAS lawmaker today describing the post as an embarrassment.

Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who is also chairman of Anti-Racism Movement (GAP), said it was extremely embarrassing for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to raise racial issues on his Facebook status to pressure traders.

The Parit Buntar MP from PAS said looking at problems through racial lenses would only drive the people further apart.

"By keeping to this practice, the minister is only helping to widen the gap that separates the people when what we need to do is stress on the profiteering and taking advantage by traders, who cause consumers to lose out.

"We don't have to refer to any race. We should be against profiteering, not linking it to any race," said Mujahid, who is also PAS National Unity Committee chairman, in a statement today.

Ismail had reportedly posted the remark on his Facebook status in relation to prices of goods that have not gone down despite the drop in petrol and diesel prices.

Ismail said Malay consumers had a role in helping the government fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the price of goods.

"Forgive me for sharing my views, but besides the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism, which uses the Price Control Act and the Anti-Profiteering Act to act against traders who raise their prices indiscriminately, the greatest power lies with the consumers.

"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he said in the post.

Ismail, who is the former domestic trade and consumerism minister, confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that the statement had been made by him on his Facebook account.

The minister is also embroiled in a controversial allegation he reportedly made against Perak DAP adviser Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham, whom he claimed had shares in the popular OldTown White Coffee cafe chain owned by OldTown Bhd.

"Malays are still refusing to boycott (OldTown White Coffee) what more when its owner is said to be the DAP Ngeh family of Perak, who are known to be anti-Islam.

"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," he said.

Mujahid said such statements would stir up racial hatred and provocation.

"If there is proof of misuse or misappropriation of the halal sign, as alleged, the matter should be referred to the authorities.”

Meanwhile, Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim Chee Keong of DAP said Ismail Sabri was right about boycotting but the question was who to boycott.

In a statement today, Sim compared the household expenditure of Malaysians in in the 10-year period from 2009 to 2010 and from 1998 to 1999.

He said people spent less on food and non-alcoholic beverages compared with other major household expenditures from 2009 to 2010.

"Either food prices were adjusted lower during that period or households were more flexible to modify their spending on them. Food after all is what economists call 'adjustable essentials'.

"The same goes for clothing and footwear. And we can easily assume similar reason for the reduction of household spending on restaurants and hotels. These items are non-essentials," he said.

Sim said spending increased on housing, transportation and telecommunication, areas controlled by government cronies and were “technically fixed spending and non-negotiable”.

"First, these are essential items and are mostly non-adjustable. One cannot choose to pay lesser rent or instalment on one’s house or vehicle.

"In today’s connected world, telephones or mobile phones are non-negotiable items for social and work purposes. Evidently, 95% of Malaysian households own at least one mobile phone.

"Second, and more importantly, these items are controlled by monopolies, which mean anti-competition and consequently less competitive price for consumers," he said.

He also cited how homes in Malaysia cost about 5.5 times the nation's annual median income, which is higher than developed countries like Singapore (5.1 times its annual median income), US (3.5 times), United Kingdom (4.7 times) and Ireland (2.8 times).

Apart from debts due to purchasing a home, he said vehicle loans stood at almost 20% of household debt in Malaysia.

"This is only natural in a country where there is a total lack of public transport system and the people have to depend on private vehicles.

"The government is all out to sell more cars, sell more gas and build more highways and roads instead of improving public transportation. Who profits from such a policy and who will bear the cost?" he said.

Sim asked Malaysians to think who was contributing the most to the rising cost of living in Malaysia.

"Yes, we need to boycott the unpatriotic... The bulk of our household expenditure is really because of an 'unpatriotic government' that has failed to lower our cost of living due to its crony capitalism.

"Malaysians of all races are the majority, Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians are the minority. We should use our majority power to pressure the BN government to do something about the cost of living," Sim said.

He added that without change, BN would continue to oppress Malaysians regardless of race and religion. – February 3, 2015.