ID :
17874
Wed, 09/03/2008 - 11:13
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/17874
The shortlink copeid
OPPOSITION GOVT BEING HYPOCRITE OVER SEPT 16 PUBLIC HOLIDAY, SAYS INFO MINISTER
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 3 (Bernama) -- Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Tuesday the opposition PAS government in northeastern state of Kelantan was being hypocrite in seeking to make Malaysia Day on Sept 16 a public holiday because it had once disputed the merging of Peninsular Malaysia, East Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak to form Malaysia.
He said the Kelantan PAS government had, in fact, brought the matter to court but the Federal Court dismissed the case on Sept 14 1963.
"It was fortunate that the court dismissed the case, otherwise Malaysia may not have been formed at all," he said in a statement to Bernama.
Kelantan Chief Minister Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said on Monday agreed with a proposal by opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party) advisor Anwar Ibrahim to make Malaysia Day on Sept 16 a public holiday.
Ahmad Shabery asked whether declaring the date a public holiday would mean that the Kelantan PAS government's opposition to the efforts of the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra AlHaj (on the formation of Malaysia) could be forgotten just like that.
"Let it not be for just a little attention in the political game that they
are prepared to be hypocrite in agreeing to the proposal for a public holiday on
Sept 16.
"Let it not be for just a few points in the political game that they are
prepared to forget history and their stand at one time," he said.
Ahmad Shabery said he hoped that the issue would not be blown out of
proportion and become the basis of a fresh political controversy.
-- BERNAMA
He said the Kelantan PAS government had, in fact, brought the matter to court but the Federal Court dismissed the case on Sept 14 1963.
"It was fortunate that the court dismissed the case, otherwise Malaysia may not have been formed at all," he said in a statement to Bernama.
Kelantan Chief Minister Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said on Monday agreed with a proposal by opposition Parti Keadilan Rakyat (People's Justice Party) advisor Anwar Ibrahim to make Malaysia Day on Sept 16 a public holiday.
Ahmad Shabery asked whether declaring the date a public holiday would mean that the Kelantan PAS government's opposition to the efforts of the country's first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra AlHaj (on the formation of Malaysia) could be forgotten just like that.
"Let it not be for just a little attention in the political game that they
are prepared to be hypocrite in agreeing to the proposal for a public holiday on
Sept 16.
"Let it not be for just a few points in the political game that they are
prepared to forget history and their stand at one time," he said.
Ahmad Shabery said he hoped that the issue would not be blown out of
proportion and become the basis of a fresh political controversy.
-- BERNAMA