Exco: Explain subtle ‘brainwashing’ of students

GEORGE TOWN: A Penang Umno assemblyman has been told to explain his remarks alleging that Malays in Penang island will be wiped out.

Bertam Assemblyman Shariful Azhar Othman was alleged to have made the remarks to a group of students at the Seberang Prai Polytechnic on Friday.

State Executive Councillor Dr Afif Bahardin said he had a recording of what the assemblyman said.

He was very concerned about Shariful’s motive and the effect his remarks will have on young minds.

“If he had made such remarks, then he has to explain what he meant by them.

“We are not planning to take further action until we hear what he has to say about his remarks,” Afif told reporters at a press conference in Komtar today.

Later, Afif handed out a transcript of what Shariful had said in his opening remarks at the Penang Graduates’ Capacity Building Programme at the polytechnic.

Shariful was there in his capacity as Penang Bumiputera Human Capital Development Focus Group chairman.

Below is the transcript of what Shariful had allegedly said, as supplied by Afif:

“Tidak nampak seronok dengan perpecahan dan sebagainya. Di Pulau Pinang, sebagai contoh yang terbaik, kampung-kampung Melayu sudah tidak ada. Pembinaan rumah-rumah yang berkos tinggi di Pulau Pinang menyebabkan semua orang Melayu datang ke Seberang Prai.”

(“It is not good to see such divisions. A good example, in Penang island, there are no more Malay villages. The construction of expensive houses in Penang island has led to the exodus of Malays to Seberang Prai.”)

“Benda ini mungkin berlanjutan sehingga akan berlaku isu yang sama, iaitu pembinaan rumah-rumah yang berkos tinggi di Seberang Prai juga pada masa akan datang.”

(“If this goes on, the issue of expensive homes in Seberang Prai will also crop up in the future.”)

“Kalau perkara ini terjadi, kemana lagi orang-orang Melayu akan membawa diri? Ke mana lagi arah tuju mereka? Jadi, saya mohon sangar sangat kepada anak anak Pulau Pinang ini berfikiran matang.”

(If this happens, where else will the Malays go? What would be their direction? So, I ask the children of Penang to be mature.)

“Walau kita berbeza sokongan parti, contohnya bapa kita mungkin menyokong PKR tetapi kita mungkin sokong parti lain tetapi kita sebagai pelajar perlu berbalik kepada bapa kita dan fikir kembali mengenai masa depan orang Melayu itu sendiri, di tanah Melayu sendiri, di sesebuah negara yang ditadbir selama in oleh Raja-Raja yang berbangsa Melayu.”

(“Although we differ in (political) party support, for instance our fathers might have supported PKR but we might support other parties, but we as students must go back to our fathers and think about the future of Malays in our own land, which is a Malay land. A land that has been administered by kings who have been Malays by descent.”)

“Namun dengan perkara ini adakah kita seronok dengan pengakhiran yang sebegini?”

(“With the current predicament we are in, are we happy with the end result ?”)