Anti-Jew policy in Germany inspired Dr M’s banking reforms, says Sanusi

Tun Dr Mahathir was inspired by Germany’s past policy of limiting Jewish financial influence to help the Malays but it was later thwarted by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, former Cabinet minister Tan Sri Sanusi Junid said.

Sanusi told a Malay economic forum that Dr Mahathir and former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin were hoping that Malays would control the economy but when they saw progress was slow, they decided to follow the German example of not granting banking licences to Jews.

But the plan failed when Anwar became finance minister and approved two banking licences to non-Malay banking groups — Alliance Bank and Hong Leong Bank.

“We thought that if we can’t control the economy, we would follow Germany,” Sanusi said at the Malay Economic Congress here. “In Germany banking licences are not given to the Jews.”

He said while pre-existing licences had been given to non-Malays, Daim made sure that all banks had Malay directors, which was important to ensure all banks had Malay influence.

“But unfortunately a huge disaster happened (kecelakaan besar); when Anwar became finance minister he approved banking licences for Alliance Bank and Hong Leong bank,” he said. “We didn’t want to give.”

Sanusi said that as a result there are now “two non-Malay banks without Malay influence.”

Malays have political power because they are smart

Former Kedah Mentri Besar noted that normally political power is held by those who have economic power.

“But Malays have political power because they are smart,” he said.

Sanusi told a Malay economic forum that Malaysia’s banking system was formerly largely controlled by the Chinese but many were taken over by or forced to merge with government-controlled entities, former Cabinet minister Tan Sri Sanusi Junid said.

The loss of Chinese-founded banking institutions is widely perceived by the Chinese community as of one of the ways they have been discriminated against under the guise of helping the Bumiputera community.

The Umno-led Barisan Nasional government however had previously maintained that direct intervention was required to uplift the Bumiputeras and that mergers would help create stronger banks that could withstand globalization.

The Najib administration has said however that it will gradually liberalize the financial sector and any banking mergers should now be based on market forces.

Sanusi also said at the forum that Malays were unable to accumulate wealth as while they earned money, it was ultimately spent in non-Malay businesses.

“Who is rich? We are? Where is the money? There is none. It goes through the channels of non-Malays. The money only passes through Malays and that’s why we are unable to accumulate,” he said.

Dr M is right, Pakatan can rule forever, says Anwar

“Change” may not necessarily be for the better, Change may be for the worse. You may even destroy this country if you allow yourself to elect a government that is only interested in becoming the executive... not in serving the people, say Tun Dr Mahathir.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is right to fear Pakatan Rakyat (PR) ruling forever if elected as it will be a better government than Barisan Nasional (BN), says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Dr Mahathir had warned Malaysians last Friday that the country may never see a BN government again if PR is voted into Putrajaya, saying the federal opposition would do “everything possible” to stay in power forever.

“He (Mahathir) is implying that under the PR government it will be better managed, more just and well governed that people would find it difficult to support BN,” Anwar told reporters at Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar’s Hari Raya open house here.

 “He is saying once you lose, it’s gone forever — it’s true.

“Because then, the entire corruption and mismanagement (of the Barisan Nasional government) will be exposed,” he added.

Anwar said this would also serve as a reminder to the PR government that “you (leaders) must learn lessons from the excesses of the present government”.

“Strong institutions must be in place, so you do not abuse the position of power,” he said.

Dr Mahathir’s warning came when he spoke to a crowd of government retirees in Lembah Pantai here, but he did not elaborate further, instead urging voters to appreciate BN’s “good governance” over the past 55 years.

“But no way... once they gain power, they will do everything possible, and we cannot change again to BN... by then, it will be too late,” Dr Mahathir had said.

The country’s longest-serving prime minister then reminded the audience of his experience in government, and said he “knows a few things”.

He also repeated a recent point made on his blog and in public speeches that “change” may not necessarily be for the better.

“A lot of people ask, ‘Should there not be a change (of government)?’ I feel — and I do have some experience... you remember, I was PM for 22 years — change is not always for the better.

“Change may be for the worse. You may even destroy this country if you allow yourself to elect a government that is only interested in becoming the executive... not in serving the people.

“They want to become PM... so they go around telling people that it is time for a change,” he said.

PAS and DAP will never work with Umno, says PR

PAS and DAP will never work with Umno, but will work closely to the implementation of Islam’s hudud laws in the country?

Federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) today said its component parties will never work with Umno, the main party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

DAPSY chief Anthony Loke said that both the DAP and PAS will never co-operate with Umno.

“But MCA president (Datuk Seri Dr) Chua Soi Lek said DAP will work together with Umno to replace MCA in BN,” Loke told reporters after a PR secretariat meeting.

“DAP will also not work with Umno,” he said.

He said the actual co-operation was between the DAP, PAS and PKR in the opposition pact, saying that none of them wants anything to do with Umno.

He said Umno “thinks it is irreplaceable and everyone wants to work together with it.”

PAS Treasurer Dr Hatta Ramli had earlier in the press conference said, “We (PAS) don’t see how we can cooperate with Umno”, adding that Umno plays with “racial and anti-religious issues.”

Kedah MCA backs hudud, if PAS work with Umno

Kedah MCA has pledged its support for the enforcement of hudud law for Muslims, Malay daily Sinar Harian reported today.

                                                          Datuk Chong Itt Chew

The Malay paper published the report titled “MCA Kedah sokong hudud” (Kedah MCA supports hudud) on the front page today.

The sudden turn of events appears to suggest Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Chinese party is strategized in competing with DAP for getting the crucial Malay-Muslim vote.

MCA at the federal level, however, has persistently maintained opposed to hudud law. The support of Kedah MCA contradicts itself on hudud law implementation thus remains questionable.

Kedah MCA chairman Datuk Chong Itt Chew was reported as saying that the reason for its reversal was simply because hudud law would not affect non-Muslims.

“If the implementation of the law brings benefits to the people and the country, it will not be a problem including to non-Muslims.

“DAP should also not object,” he was quoted as saying by the paper, referring to the MCA’s long-time political foe that has repeatedly made clear it is opposed to hudud law being enforced as Malaysia is not an Islamic theocracy.

Chong was reported telling the DAP’s ally PAS to reconsider its role in the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) opposition pact.

“PAS must make the decision to leave PR. As long as it is with PR, PAS will never succeed in implementing hudud law,” the MCA man was quoted as saying.

He was reported saying that Kedah MCA would support the Islamist party if it wished to work together with Umno, the ruling federal coalition’s Malay party and the BN’s mainstay.

Nash to Karpal: I’ll see you in court over anti-hudud remark

Senior PAS lawmaker Nasharudin Mat Isa defended calling Karpal Singh “anti-Islam”, saying he is ready to meet the DAP chairman in court to resolve their dispute in a case that is seen to test the ties between the two Pakatan Rakyat (PR) allies ahead of crucial elections due soon.

Karpal, a veteran lawyer, had said that he will sue the former PAS deputy president for defamation over the latter’s “highly irresponsible and mischievous” remarks, stressing that he has “never spoken against Islam” and respects Islam “as the official religion of the country”.

“I maintain my stand that Karpal Singh is anti-Islam and am ready to meet him in court,” Nasharudin today told The Malaysian Insider in a text message today.

“I was taught in PAS that Islamic teachings cover every aspects of life. In it is faith, laws and morals. 

“Rejecting part of Islam means rejecting Islam,” the Bachok MP said, referring to Karpal’s opposition to the implementation of hudud, the Islamic penal code.

Karpal has repeatedly said that the Islamic penal law cannot be enforced in the country as “hudud can only be applied in an Islamic state” while Malaysia remained a secular country.

The DAP veteran said he hoped Nasharudin would “understand the difference between Islam (as a religion) and Islamic state”.

“Our constitution provides for a secular state, and in Malaysia it is secular law which applies. You must have an Islamic state before we can have hudud law,” Karpal had said.

“I’m not saying PAS is wrong, but we cannot apply hudud because ours is a secular state. Our law doesn’t allow it,” he added.

Umno and its Utusan Malaysia newspaper have in the past week accused the DAP of being “kafir harbi”, or belligerent infidels, declaring it “haram” or forbidden for Muslims to support the secular PR party.

Karpal is seen as a lightning rod for Umno attacks because of his strong opposition to hudud.

Last Thursday, Nasharudin said that “Karpal Singh is not only against hudud but also against Islam”, adding that as a lawyer, Karpal should know that the implementation of the Islamic penal code required high standards of proof.

“For some offences, proof beyond any shadow of doubt is required. But he (Karpal) rejects all this just because it is an Islamic law,” Nasharudin said.

Karpal to sue PAS’s Nash accusing DAP against Islam

The political relationship between DAP and PAS seems became very tense after the DAP national chairman Karpal Singh issued the statement that he will sue Nasharudin Mat Isa for defamation.

Ironically, the opposition wants to create a feel-good factor among their coalition and hope that it will translate into votes in coming general election. The latest political development, however, appears to be otherwise and it will certainly make the road to Putrajaya more difficult.  

Karpal Singh said today he will sue Nasharudin Mat Isa for defamation after the renegade former PAS No. 2 appeared this week to side with Umno by pressing his party to leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and accusing the DAP leader of being against Islam.

It was reported that the DAP national chairman said  the former PAS deputy president’s remarks about him yesterday “are highly irresponsible and mischievous”, and that “I have never spoken against Islam”.

However, he stressed that hudud law cannot be implemented in the country as “hudud can only be applied in an Islamic state” while Malaysia remained a secular country.

“Time and time again I have said I respect Islam as the official religion of the country,” Karpal said.

“What DAP have been saying is we are not for an Islamic state. That is just a political concept,” he added.