Commenting on remarks Saifuddin made yesterday, Selangor Gerakan Youth vice-chairman Ivanpal Grewal Singh said he had ignored the racial orientation of Pakatan’s newest member, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM).
Saifuddin’s remarks came in a speech he delivered at the Federal Territories Pakatan Harapan Convention. Referring to Barisan Nasional, he said: “For them , if the issue affects the Indians then they tell MIC to handle it; if it affects the Chinese then they tell MCA to handle it; if it affects the Malays then Umno handles it.”
In contrast, he claimed, Pakatan would “handle every issue for everyone because that is the Malaysian way”.
Ivanpal said Saifuddin neglected to mention that PPBM’s membership requirements were racially discriminatory.
“PPBM is a race-based party and in order to camouflage itself as a non-racial party, it has allowed non-Bumiputeras to register as second-class members,” he said.
After PPBM’s registration last year, its president, Muhyiddin Yassin, told the press that non-Bumiputeras could join the party as associate members. He said associate members would not be eligible to compete for positions in the party or to vote in party elections.
Ivanpal also said it would be “unfair” to say that BN was made up entirely of race-based parties.
“BN is a coalition of both race-based and non-race-based parties,” he said. “But if you look at the cabinet, state excos and BN supreme council, all communities are represented.”
He said it was important to distinguish between form and substance.
“Pakatan Harapan has always been about great form but no substance. This bogeyman of race-based parties is just a way to deflect attention from that.
“DAP has its membership open to all races but if you look at the party, it’s predominantly Chinese.”