Perkasa proves Rev Eu right — Ibnu Ishak

JAN 1 — The situation can be simply put as follows.

Whether it was wise or prudent for him to do so, and whether or not he put the matter with sufficient tact and diplomacy, the Rev. Dr, Eu charged that Article 153 was being improperly used (rather than Art. 153 itself being responsible) to "bully" non-Malays.

Perkasa in response issued a statement that it was only because of Art. 153 that non- Malays and non-Muslims (including Christians such as the Rev. Dr. Eu) enjoyed peace and security in their lives here in Malaysia.

So they should be careful, Perkasa warned, not to question Art. 153 or its routine invocation and all-purpose use by Malays, at the immediate risk of imperilling, even forfeiting, the peace and security that they now enjoy in Malaysia.

Quite a statement

Especially since, as has been pointed out, the social, cultural, political and religious rights of non-Malays are widely grounded constitutionally, notably under the cardinal “Fundamental Liberties” guarantees and provisions of the Constitution, and are not simply some sort of conditional or “brokered”, and hence unilaterally revocable, “trade off”, via Art. 153, for non-Malay recognition of the “special position” of the Malays.

Perkasa, in other words, was here not simply invoking Art. 153 to bring pressure to bear upon the nation’s non-Malay citizens in an attempt to restrict the free exercise of their citizenship rights.
More, Perkasa, through its spokesman, was ready to misrepresent the constitutional meaning, standing and scope of Art. 153 in order to exert that intimidatory pressure.

So, perhaps strangely, Perkasa itself ever so speedily provided the proof, or apparent proof, of the correctness of the Rev. Dr. Eu’s allegation.

There it was, in plain view before one’s eyes, and obligingly provided by Perkasa itself: a clear, incontrovertible example of Article 153 being improperly used to pressure, intimidate, or (as he put it) "bully" non-Malay Malaysians.

If I were the Rev. Dr. Eu, I could not ask for, nor dream of, any better proof of my claim, any more powerful vindication of the substance of my complaint