Tan Sri Dr James Masing
KUCHING: Sarawak does not welcome Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa), a NGO advocating the supremacy of the Malays.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Tan Sri Dr James Masing said the ideologies of the extreme Malay organisation had no place in a multiracial society like Sarawak and that their presence would only create tensions and problems.
Masing who is also Land Development Minister and Baleh assemblyman added that it was unnecessary for Perkasa to spread to the state since there was no threat to the dignity of the Malay society.
“Perkasa is a Malay organisation that upholds the rights and dignity of the Malays. However, it is not necessary for Perkasa to extend its wing here because the dignity of the local Malay community is well protected. Furthermore, the other multiracial communities in the state had no problem with their Malay counterpart.
“The Malays can stand on their own feet. They do not need people like Ibrahim Ali (Perkasa president) fight for them ,” Masing told reporters when met at the lobby of the State Legislative Assembly (DUN) complex on the first day of sitting here yesterday.
He felt that people like Ibrahim who politicises racial sentiments would only create problems if they were to be allowed to spread their ideologies in the state.
“We do not need this kind of people. They will only ‘buat kacau’ (create nuisance),” he continued.
When asked if the government would bar Ibrahim from entering the state, Masing mentioned that the former Pasir MP can visit Sarawak like any other Malaysian provided that he does not spread Perkasa ideologies and policies here.
Last Sunday, Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali confirmed that the organisation had plans to visit Sarawak in the near future.
Reported in an online news portal, he mentioned that Perkasa was very active in Sabah and the organisation was hoping to get the same kind of support from Sarawakians when it opens its chapter here.
Perkasa declared it has some 45,000 members in Sabah.