PKR to champion for 'Ketuanan Rakyat' - The Sun

PETALING JAYA (April 24, 2008): By Kong See Hoh

If Pakatan Rakyat (PR) comes to power at federal level, a coalition government headed by PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be championing "Ketuanan Rakyat" (people's supremacy) instead of shouting for "Ketuanan Melayu" (Malay supremacy).

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said this during an interview with Sin Chew Daily.

In the interview, published today, she stressed that PKR will not become a single-race party but will stay true to its multi-racial party politics.

In a multiracial society, she said, PKR's coalition partner PAS will definitely not be able to set up an Islamic state.

Wan Azizah said although it is PAS's ideology to create an Islamic state, it can only be practised in the overwhelming Malay-majority state of Kelantan, and not the whole of Malaysia due to the country's multiracial makeup.

"We must recognise that Islam is the country's official religion but it is impractical to turn the multiracial and multireligious Malaysia into an Islamic state, everything must be based on the Federal Constitution," she said when asked to state PKR's stand on the Islamic state ideology espoused by PAS, and the party line should PR get the chance to form the federal government.

Wan Azizah is to be nominated for the Parliamentary Opposition job when the 12th Parliament begins its maiden session on Monday.

The Opposition has won 82 parliamentary seats to deny the Barisan Nasional (BN) a two-thirds majority.

It also wrested control of Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor from BN in the March 8 general election.

On the opposing stand taken by DAP and PAS on the Islamic state issue, Wan Azizah said: "Islamic state has always been PAS' agenda and DAP, as everyone knows, is against it (making Malaysia an Islamic state).

"The fact is, we all accept that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, and the three parties should cooperate within the framework of the constitution."

She said the country has the Federal Constitution, and we should follow what is provided for under the constitution.

The reality is that the Malaysian society is made up of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other minority races, making it impossible to establish an Islamic state, she said.

She said PAS alone cannot form the federal government and PAS must recognise the fact that its Islamic state ideology will remain just an idealistic concept.

She also stressed that the voices of the minority races cannot be denied.

"As such, we should not keep talking about Malay supremacy or marginalising a certain race, which is not what the people want to see."

She also refuted the assertion that the Malay leaders in PR have sacrificed the interests of Malays in order to appease non-Malays in the country.

Giving the Selangor state government's decision to go ahead with the centralised pig farming project as an example, she said there is no "so-called sacrifice".

"The project is given the thumbs up because (we) don't want to see (the present) pig farms to continue to pollute the environment.

"We must accept that it is the right of the Chinese to eat pork. Although Muslims do not consume pork but they have no rights to stop non-Muslims from eating pork.

"We must accept others' rights, but not including polluting the environment," she added.

"You can eat pork, but (you) cannot pollute the environment. I believe no one can accept filth and another Nipah outbreak, but its your right (to eat pork) and the Malays should accept centralised pig farming."