Perkasa demands Penang to reveal funds for non-Muslims
The president of a Malay rights group is unsatisfied with Penang’s allocation for Muslims, and is demanding for a list of how much the state has given to other religions.
“Give a list of the contributions for other religions,” said Datuk Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa (pic).
He said Penang needed to prove that Islam has been prioritised despite the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government showing data that its allocation for Muslims has increased, compared with what the Barisan Nasional gave previously.
State executive councillor Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said on Wednesday that the Pakatan had allocated RM51.7 million for Islamic affairs in 2014, while Barisan had set aside RM25.49 million in 2008.
The new Pakatan budget is an increase from the RM35.78 million it gave in 2009.
Malik said this in reaction to former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad's remark that Islam is under threat in Penang, with non-Muslims wanting more funds for their religious activities.
Ibrahim told state Perkasa members while having “sahur”, or the meal before beginning the Ramadan fast, that Hamid had said he was informed of the “threat” by a former Penang mufti.
“So, you cannot blame him. Of course a former mufti will tell the truth,” he said in defence of the former chief justice, after the Penang chief minister labelled him “a liar, racist and an extremist”.
He said Lim Guan Eng should be more statesmanlike.
“It is not proper to attack Hamid… Just be a professional government. If there are allegations, prove otherwise by showing the facts.”
Ibrahim dismissed Lim’s remark that Barisan was being contradictory, with Gerakan saying that the Pakatan state government gives too much to Islamic affairs and Umno saying otherwise.
“Gerakan, DAP and MCA want to show who is more Chinese.”
He also defended the fundraiser to help road bully Siti Fairrah Ashykin Kamaruddin, or Kiki, pay her court-imposed fine after she was filmed hurling racist abuses on retiree Sim Siak Hong, 68, and hitting his car with a steering lock.
He said no such action was taken against non-Malays.
“Not even two weeks had passed (after the incident) and she was fined.
“A Malay boy gets kicked and no action is taken,” he added, referring to an undated video online of a young man lying on the ground as he is continually hit by an older man for some wrongdoing. – July 26, 2014.
