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Can PKR be any different – or is it a mere clone of Umno?

Many who voted for PKR are upset and angry that certain party leaders have not shed their Umno DNA

Graphic: Astro Awani

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What a let down by PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail when he took a racial position over the awarding of digital bank licences. It was very unbecoming of him!

Bank Negara Malaysia had granted these licences to five companies after a rigorous and stringent scrutiny of selection based on merit, integrity, competence and experience.

One can safely assume that those who sat on the selection board must have been wholly or mostly Malays. And they chose the most deserving applicants as worthy of digital bank licence holders. In making their choice, they could not have been ignorant of the racial composition of these companies. They were focused and objective in their duty. They should be lauded for acting prudently in the interest of the nation.

But Saifuddin contended that “Out of five companies, only one is bumiputra. I am confident … many bumiputra fintech companies… are more than qualified to be granted a licence,” he said in a statement on Facebook.

We must ask Saifuddin regarding those who were successfully awarded the licences: Aren’t they Malaysians? Did the “many bumiputra fintech companies that are more than qualified to be granted a licence” – as he claimed – apply for the digital bank licences? If they did, they had gone through the sieve of strict selection and must have been rejected as not qualified enough to deserve the digital licence.

According to Bank Negara, it received 29 applications “which were thoroughly assessed pursuant to Section 10 (1)” of Financial Services Act and the Islamic Financial Services Act, which require the central bank to consider all factors in Schedule 5 of the acts and other relevant policy requirements.

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The assessment criteria cover the character and integrity of applicants, the nature and sufficiency of financial resources, the soundness and feasibility of business and technology plans, as well as the ability to meaningfully address financial inclusion gaps.

Bank Negara further stated “it has instituted strict governance and evaluation procedures to ensure robust, objective and consistent assessments across all 29 applications received. Four levels of assessment were carried out, supported by a cross-functional technical team, a review team and internal independent observers from BNM’s risk and legal departments.”

The Bank Negara statement added that the final recommendations to the minister were deliberated and endorsed by the central bank’s management committee.

From the above clarification, it is abundantly clear that only the best and the most qualified have been chosen. What is there to gripe about, Saifuddin?

Saifuddin’s stand is most disappointing, as the party he represents, PKR, was touted to be a party for all Malaysians – irrespective of ethnicity – who deserve to be served through a needs-based policy, without excluding any poor of any community. This policy would undoubtedly help the majority of the Malays who are poor, without denying help for the deserving poor of the other communities. It is a sharp, pointed and incisive inclusive policy, which is commendable.

By veering away from this praiseworthy approach of addressing poverty in our country, he has debunked all that PKR had stood for and championed all these years.

Why he resorted to this biased and despicable approach when the economy is in tatters is puzzling. Has it, by chance, anything to do with the internal PKR election due to take place on 8-13 May 2022, in which he is going for the deputy president’s post against Rafizi Ramli? Is a party position so important that he had to trample upon a decided policy matter?

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The fact that no other top PKR leader rebutted his stand is most disturbing. It gives the impression PKR is wishy-washy about its own stand on equal treatment for the poor. It should be uncompromisingly firm and clear so that there will be no room to doubt their sincerity about their policy.

When a national leader like Saifuddin turns his back on what is right and proper, without being cautioned by the PKR leadership and the PH presidential council, what do you expect from state leaders? It was not surprising that Terengganu PKR chief Azan Ismail foolishly claimed that “the imbalance in awarding digital bank licences would badly affect bumiputra equity ownership goals”.

Azan urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz to address the “imbalance” in awarding digital bank licences.

In a statement on 1 May 2022, Azan claimed the government’s choice of five licence recipients would badly affect bumiputra equity ownership goals.

Little do they care that those bumiputras appointed to head government-linked companies, Felda and Tabung Haji, besides others, did not contribute to the development of these entities to assist the economy of the country. In many instances, they looted and squandered and enriched themselves. Is this what he needs repeated?

In this respect, Umno is truthful. Umno is shamelessly honest in declaring their biased policies favouring the Malays at the expense of the poor non-Malays. Umno would want to grab as much as possible from the non-Malays and deny them whatever that they can manage. We have no doubt about Umno’s declared stand. It’s crystal clear. It is an exclusivist product of biasness and extreme discrimination that violates justice and fairness.

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This is where PKR fails to stand out by being consistent with the policies espoused by it. And many who voted for it are upset and angry that certain PKR leaders have not shed their Umno DNA. The sooner PKR wakes up and understands the sentiments on the ground, the better it would be for PKR. Otherwise, it is in for a great shock in the coming general election.

PKR should not be carried away by its performance at the 2018 general election. It won not because it was Parti Keadilan Rakyat; it won because disillusioned Malaysian voters turned against Barisan Nasional and cast their protest votes in favour of Pakatan Harapan.

It was the majority of non-Malay votes that ensured victory for PH. Saifuddin Nasution has conveniently forgotten this truth, although he was a beneficiary.

If PKR embarks on this route to woo the Malays with biased policies, they don’t deserve our support. Let that be clear. The sooner PKR acts to get back on track defending its original policies and declared statements, the better will it be for PKR.

Failure to act would be seen as a betrayal of the trust of the electorate that voted for PH. Be warned, they are in a mood to punish you if you don’t return to the straight path of sanity, sincerity and integrity. They won’t tolerate your nonsense and they won’t forgive your betrayal.

The views expressed in Aliran's media statements and the NGO statements we have endorsed reflect Aliran's official stand. Views and opinions expressed in other pieces published here do not necessarily reflect Aliran's official position.

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Politi Schess
12 May 2022 8.24pm

You can take a man out of the UMNO but the UMNO remains within the man.

This goes back to 9 November 1996 when a group of UMNO youth led by Saifuddin Nasution (then in UMNO) stormed the Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor (Apcet II).

In this two-part video, you an see many current PKR MPs and state assemblymen and assemblywomen cowering under the attack.

The storming of Apcet II by Umno Youth – Part1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmBzfCr9X6k

The storming of Apcet II by Umno Youth – Part2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIGSEopuhYI

Saifuddin Nasution later joined PKR and now is PKR secretary-general.

Malaysian politics us politi scheiss.

Chandramohanan
Chandramohanan
8 May 2022 7.00am

Saifudin is fishing votes for the deputy president post, so as usual generate the Malay votes.
He should be rejected at all cost from PH

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