Chinese ready for PAS, says ex-deputy minister Tan

Chinese ready for PAS, says ex-deputy minister Tan
Posted by rakyat marhaen


SHAH ALAM: Malaysian Chinese are ready for PAS, says Dr Tan Kee Kwong, the former Deputy Minister of Land and Cooperatives.

“They can see the differences for themselves, the leadership style and the integrity of leaders like Nik Abdul Aziz and his team,” he said. “They are less pompous and are moderate compared to Umno leaders.”


Tan, who left Gerakan in 2008, said the Chinese had come a long way politically and members of the younger generation were more mature and knowledgeable.

“They know where they stand with Umno’s Barisan Nasional,” he told Harakah, the PAS-owned weekly. “They know they have no future if Umno-Barisan continues to rule. Umno today is far from what it used to be. Even when I was in Gerakan, we had already felt the pressure to leave the coalition. The leaders don’t listen. They do as they please.”

Tan, 63, left Gerakan because he was frustrated with the system. Today he is a member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s supreme council and enjoys being able to make a difference.

He said: “I think what is important to the Chinese is that PAS has shown that Malaysia can be a moderate Islamic country in the future. This is essential, and with the ‘Allah’ controversy, we can see where integrity lies.”

On Dec 31 the Kuala Lumpur had ruled that the catholic weekly Herald, could use theterm “Allah” in prayer and publications. It also ruled that the Home Ministry was wrong in banning the publications in 2007.

Tan said PAS had walked the Islamic path correctly, with honesty and integrity, traits that are “grossly missing in today’s political climate.”