PAS MP urges rethink of govt's vague subsidy plan
The lack of a clear mechanism raises concerns on how the government plans to implement its RON95 subsidy rationalisation process in a fair manner, said PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.
He stressed that while PAS is not opposed to reforms, the opposition party will not stand by initiatives that victimise the rakyat by making them the subjects of economic policy 'experiments'.
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Free Malaysia Today
5 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Dr M to invite Umno members to join new Malay unity alliance
Dr Mahathir Mohamad at the press conference at the Perdana Leadership Foundation today. He is flanked by (from left) PN leaders Hamzah Zainudin, Muhyiddin Yassin and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. PUTRAJAYA : Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he will invite Umno members to join his new Malay unity alliance in an effort to 'restore Malay power' in the government. He stressed, however, that he was not inviting Umno as a party to join the alliance. 'I invite Umno members (to join the alliance) because they are Malays. If they agree with our efforts, we welcome them,' he told reporters at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here today. Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin and PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man were also present at the press conference. Mahathir said the big-tent alliance, which included PAS and Bersatu, would not be a formal political party for now. He said it would be a loose coalition or a 'big umbrella' to rally the Malays in an effort to save the community from what he described as political and economic decline. 'There are many groups trying to unite the Malays, but if there are too many, we end up split. We can only win if we are united. And we can only regain power if we win,' he said. Mahathir also claimed that Malays today faced many threats and were afraid to speak openly about their concerns because of government restrictions on free speech, including on race, royalty and religion (3Rs). He said the position of Bahasa Melayu as the national language was also being sidelined, as 'many other languages are being spoken'. He also claimed there was a lack of protection for Malay rights, despite such rights being enshrined in the constitution. 'The government stops us from talking about the Malays. It says that 3Rs are off-limits. Even what I say today may not be reported in the newspapers, only on social media. This is a cruel government. 'We just want the Malays to realise that their position is under threat. Many, especially in the rural areas, don't understand this danger. We must help them see it,' he said. He also said the alliance would begin preparing to contest future elections in an effort to return political control to the Malays. Last month, Mahathir said Malay-based parties, including PN, had failed to unite the community. He said Malay unity could not be achieved within the confines of political parties as they all 'have their own agendas'. The new alliance is not Mahathir's first attempt at uniting the Malays. In August 2022, he announced the formation of a coalition called Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) comprising Malay-based parties, NGOs, academics and professionals. In May 2023, Mahathir quit GTA after it failed to obtain voters' support during the 15th general election. GTA contested in 125 seats in the November 2022 nationwide polls but all its candidates, including Mahathir and his son Mukhriz, who is the Pejuang president, were defeated and lost their deposits. Pejuang also left GTA in January 2023 to focus on strengthening the party.
New Straits Times
7 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Dr M unveils new secretariat to 'unite Malays'
PUTRAJAYA: Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has announced the formation of a new movement to unite the Malay community under a single umbrella. Dr Mahathir said the initiative was not about politics but a collective response to what he described as the growing challenges faced by Malays in the country. "For our meeting today, we came from two parties — Bersatu and Pas — not because of our respective parties, but because we believe the Malay community has problems," he said. He was speaking at a press conference on the Jawatankuasa Sekretariat Orang Melayu. Present were Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin, and Pas deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man. Dr Mahathir said the secretariat aimed to unify Malays across political lines into a single movement. He said that fragmented efforts to unite Malays had only caused division and weakness. "If we are divided, we will fail. We can only regain power when we are united. "We believe the only way to solve Malay issues is for Malays to once again hold power in government." Asked about several grievances affecting the Malay community, Dr Mahathir cited the decline of the Malay language and issues related to Malay rights, among others. When asked if Umno would be invited to join the secretariat, Dr Mahathir replied: "I am not inviting Umno (as a party), but rather Umno members — not in their capacity as members, but as Malays. "If they are Malay, whether they belong to Umno or any other party, as long as they agree with our effort, we welcome them."
Free Malaysia Today
9 hours ago
- Free Malaysia Today
PAS leader wants Syura Council to vet candidates for top 2 posts
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man have not been challenged since the 2015 party polls. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : A PAS leader has proposed that candidates for the party's president and deputy president's posts be vetted by the Syura Council, PAS's highest decision-making body. PAS Dewan Ulama committee member Mokhtar Senik said this is to ensure that those who intend to challenge the positions currently held by Abdul Hadi Awang and Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man are qualified. 'If there are only two qualified candidates, then only those two should contest. Those who do not meet certain standards should be disqualified by the Syura Council,' Mokhtar said on Facebook today. Mokhtar Senik. 'The goal is to ensure the candidates for these top positions meet certain standards, because I worry that everyone thinks they are qualified.' Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim are both members of the Syura Council, which is chaired by PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin. Speculation had emerged that, for the first time, the president and deputy president's posts might be contested at the party elections in September. FMT reported that this may happen if Hadi, who has served as president since 2002, steps down, as urged by some members, because of his health. At the same time, there are rumours that Tuan Ibrahim also intends to make way for new leadership, though there have been calls from the pro-ulama faction for him to defend the party's No. 2 post. As of now, both Hadi and Tuan Ibrahim have not made any decision on defending their positions. The last time the top two posts were contested was in 2015 when Hadi defeated Ahmad Awang for the president's post, and Tuan Ibrahim ousted Mohamad Sabu for the deputy presidency. That election saw a showdown between the pro-ulama and professional factions, resulting in a mass exit of PAS leaders, including Mohamad, Khalid Samad and Dzulkefly Ahmad. They went on to form Amanah, now a component in Pakatan Harapan.
