Monday June 29, 2009
Pakatan hits out at Barisan over oil royalty
KUALA KRAI: The gathering at a football field in Manek Urai Lama, 25km from here, on Friday night was to announce PAS candidate for the by-election, but the party, together with others in the Opposition started attacking Umno and Barisan Nasional.
Before the announcement, PAS had called on several of its leaders including president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and others in Pakatan Rakyat, who included DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and PKR’s election director Saifuddin Nasution, to speak.
All of them took the opportunity to run down Umno and Barisan Nasional in various ways, focusing on the issue of oil royalty, which the Opposition claimed was due to Kelantan.
Kelantan had claimed that the Federal Government owed the state RM1bil in petroleum royalty from the exploration of oil and gas in the state since 2004.
Saifuddin, who started the salvo on the oil royalty, claimed that the Federal Government was cruel towards the people of Kelantan by denying them the royalty which could have been used to improve their livelihood.
He said states like Terengganu, Sabah and Sarawak were all enjoying the royalty except Kelantan, which is under PAS rule.
“When Umno is cruel to the Kelantan people, then they are cruel to Manek Urai voters.
“They denied (Kelantan) the royalty just because you are living in an Opposition state. Thus, there is no reason for Manek Urai voters to support Umno,” he said.
Nik Aziz meanwhile, repeated his remarks about Umno being similar to a communist party.
He said he did not understand why Umno leaders were angry over his remarks when it was the truth.
Umno, he said, was similar to a communist party as both rejected Islam.
“When I criticise with facts about them being similar to a communist party, they get angry. But I will not stop saying it until Umno submit to Islam.
“I have been saying this for years and I do not understand why Umno is suddenly angry over my statement,” he said.
Nomination for the by-election had been set for July 6 while polling date has been fixed for July 14.
The seat fell vacant following the death of PAS assemblyman Ismail Yaacob on May 24.
In the 2008 general election, Ismail, a five-term assemblyman, defeated Barisan candidate Zulkifli Omar with a 1,352 majority votes.
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