Protests in two states over moves to scrap NEP

Protests in two states over moves to scrap NEP

Posted by Raja Petra
Saturday, 15 March 2008

By Chow Kum Hor, THE STRAITS TIMES

MALAYSIA yesterday witnessed the first public protests against moves to scrap the New Economic Policy (NEP) in the two opposition-ruled states where it is threatened.

About 2,000 Umno members and supporters defied a police ban to gather after Friday prayers in the Penang town centre chanting: 'Long live Malays. Malays will not disappear from Penang.'

The protesters, who were also holding banners that read 'Long Live the Malays' and 'Do Not Abolish the New Economic Policy', gathered outside the Chief Minister's office at the 65-storey Komtar tower in the town centre.

The NEP is the government's affirmative action programme to help Malays.

The protest lasted about 30 minutes, and the crowd dispersed after a police warning.

'This protest is an expression of the Malays' dissatisfaction over the Penang government's decision to abandon the NEP. This will further marginalise the Malays,' Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim, who was among the demonstrators, told The Straits Times.

'The new Chief Minister has not even warmed his seat, and he is already talking about this. This shows that he does not like the Malays.'

Other local Umno chieftains, including former deputy chief minister Abdul Rashid Abdullah, were also at the protest, which took place despite a warning by police chief Musa Hassan to people not to gather at the site.

Riot police and armoured trucks equipped with water cannon were on standby at the site.

Datuk Azhar said the protests would continue until the Democratic Action Party-led state government overturned its decision to dismantle the NEP.

In Shah Alam, Selangor, around 60 people held a similar demonstration about 500m from the Menteri Besar's office. During the 20-minute demonstration, the crowd shouted slogans such as 'Long Live Umno' and 'New Selangor Government is the DAP's Puppet'.

The crowd had gathered there after Friday prayers at a nearby mosque following a widely circulated SMS asking Malays to take part in the protest.

Selangor's newly installed Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, who is from Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), had also said he would scrap the NEP.

Yesterday, shortly after he was sworn in, Tan Sri Khalid refused to discuss the NEP, saying he did not see it as an issue.

'What I want to discuss is whether we have done enough to help the needy among the Malays, Chinese, Indians and others,' he said in response to reporters' questions on whether Selangor would follow Penang's proposal to abolish the NEP.

PKR, together with the Chinese-based DAP, have been the most vociferous in criticising the NEP. Both parties, along with Parti Islam SeMalaysia, did exceptionally well in last Saturday's polls to seize control of Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor, while retaining Kelantan.

New Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who heads the DAP, created a stir after he was sworn into office on Tuesday when he said that his government would ditch the NEP, which 'breeds cronyism, corruption and systemic inefficiency'.

The remark has made the Malays jittery and even drew a warning from Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, who asked Mr Lim not to stoke racial tensions.

The chief of Umno's young women's wing, Ms Noraini Ahmad, yesterday joined in the chorus of criticism, demanding that Mr Lim withdraw his remarks about the NEP.

However, since his controversial comments, Mr Lim appears to have gone into damage-control mode by repeatedly stressing that the rights of minority races would be protected.

Yesterday, he met the representatives of 21 Muslim non-governmental organisations in his office. 'This new government is the government of all the people of Penang, irrespective of political background, race or religion. We want to represent all the people in this state,' he said.

He also dispelled rumours that his government would not allow the azan, the Muslim call to prayer.

Mr Azmi Abdul Hamid, president of Malay welfare group Teras, said the civil society groups were happy with their meeting with Mr Lim. 'We are glad to have received a reassurance that the interests of the Malays in Penang will not be neglected,' he was quoted as saying.

But a lawyer, Mr Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zan, 40, lodged a police report yesterday calling for an investigation into whether Mr Lim had breached the Sedition Act.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FROM BERNAMA, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE