By fully endorsing Perkasa, how can UMNO deny that it is an extremist political party that panders to racist ideology of dominance and superiority? Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali had inflamed non-Muslims when he openly called for the Malay and Iban version of the Bible to be burned. UMNO leaders not only failed to condemn him but an UMNO Minister even supported him.
Worse UMNO supported the refusal by the Attorney-General to charge Ibrahim Ali for sedition. Public outrage amongst both Muslims and non-Muslims intensified when the BN Federal government justified such inaction against Ibrahim Ali because in asking for the Iban or Malay Bible to be burned, Ibrahim Ali was only exercising his constitutional rights to defend Islam and he had no intention of offending Christians.
Barely had that furor died down when Ibrahim Ali 2 days ago, in representing a coalition of racist Malay NGOs, urged Putrajaya to exempt only Bumiputera students who excelled from paying back loans taken from the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN). Datuk Ibrahim Ali also wanted Putrajaya to take immediate action over the phenomenon of many more non-Bumiputeras than bumiputeras being exempted 100% from repaying PTPTN because they obtained first class honours.
Even though Universiti Malaya Students Association (PMUM) president Fahmi Zainol said that Ibrahim Ali should be charged for sedition for inciting racial tension in the country, this will never happen because the Sedition Act is clearly used as a political weapon to punish opposition PR political leaders and academics who dared to question BN and UMNO. Instead of rewarding excellence regardless of race, UMNO is supporting an organisation like PERKASA who want to discriminate excellent students just because they are non-bumis or of different skin colour.
Such overt racial discrimination by Perkasa emphasises the urgent need for a Racial Harmony Act that can unite the rakyat and punish those who chose to divide the rakyat for their own selfish interests. No wonder Najib has stopped talking about 1Malaysia nor about redoubling efforts to attract human talents. MCA and Gerakan leaders should bring up in the Cabinet weekly meeting tomorrow that UMNO publicly divorces Perkasa to prove parties’ commitment and sincerity in opposing Perkasa.