Weak attempt to make Pas a scapegoat - Takiyuddin

SHAH ALAM - Pas claims that the statement of Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy is a weak attempt to make the party a scapegoat for the failure of the existing government.

Its secretary general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said his party regretted Ramasamy's statement in a report entitled 'Ramasamy: Gov't needs another strategy to deal with Pas' which was pubished recently

According to him, the statement is seen as quite funny, superficial and even flawed in many ways.

"Besides confirming Putrajaya's continuous failure to win the trust of the people since forming the government last year, it is also a weak attempt to make Pas a scapegoat for that failure.

"The actions, statements and policies of the government which are scattered, confusing, contradicting each other in addition to the failure of PH-BN government to fulfill the promises that have been made before are the main reasons for the decline of its influence and image in people's eyes.

"It never has anything to do with Pas or the tendency of Malays to support Pas," he said in a statement on Monday.

On Saturday, Ramasamy said the government needs to use other strategies to challenge Pas' religious approach that divides the people.

Ramasamy claimed that Pas' divisive approach is a blasphemy to national harmony and unity.

Meanwhile, Takiyuddin said Ramasamy needs to speak frankly to the government of the day so that it improves itself with policies and attitudes more worthy of a government that is said to be credible than making Pas a scapegoat or blame the religious awareness among the Malays as an enemy of unity.

He further added as party that has been involved in national politics since before independence, his party is very aware of the importance of unity among the people in this country who are multiracial and religious.

According to him, history proves that when the country was plunged into one of its worst racial conflicts in the past , the states that were Pas strongholds remained peaceful in terms of unity and security between races.

"However, the same cannot be said to be true for the states that are now considered to be government strongholds. For Ramasamy's information, this situation is not only due to the teachings of Islam which is always open to diversity as a sign of God's greatness and justice.

"But it is also a manifestation of Malay culture that is simple and always tolerant towards all parties including those of different races or religions," he elaborated

Takiyuddin added that the peaceful multiracial community life in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah is living and permanent proof of that fact.

In the meantime, he said, Ramasamy's statement which seems to attribute the religious awareness of the Malays as an obstacle to community unity is not only flawed, but also contrary to the reality that exists and is known to the public.

"Religious awareness and practice are always the backbone and core of harmony and well-being in society, not the other way around as he has tried to indicate," he commented - BERNAMA