The Kelantan Barisan Nasional (BN) is allegedly using the state education department to distribute leaflets in local schools to ridicule Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s stance that the PAS-ruled state is entitled to a 5 per cent oil royalty rather than the RM20 million compassionate payment offered by Putrajaya.
A few teachers told The Malaysian Insider that they have received the leaflets last week, weeks after the Gua Musang MP spoke out against his Umno party at a forum in the Stadium Sultan Mohamad IV Kota Baru in late January. Razaleigh is the founding chairman of state oil firm Petronas and has said all oil-producing states are entitled to the 5 per cent oil royalty.
“Yes, the leaflets are being distributed... a few teachers have received it and it smears Tengku Razaleigh. In fact, a lot of students have also received the leaflet,” said a teacher attached to a school in state capital Kota Baru, referring to the A4-sized leaflet.
“If I am not mistaken, the leaflet came out a few days after Tengku Razaleigh spoke at the stadium,” said the teacher who asked for anonymity.
He said certain parties had sent the leaflets to his school for distribution among the teaching staff and students. Umno said it will study remarks made by the Kelantan prince, popularly known as Ku Li, although a few others have called for action against the veteran leader.
An Umno divisional leader confirmed to The Malaysian Insider that the leaflet will be distributed at an Umno-organised oil royalty ceramah this Friday. The ceramah will headline Kelantan Umno chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, his deputy Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin and Malay rights group Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali.
The leaflet contains Ku Li’s opinions about oil royalty for Kelantan made last month and another statement allegedly made in 2000 over oil royalty for Terengganu. Terengganu only received compassionate payments made through federal agencies when PAS won the state in the 1999 general elections.
The leaflet is titled “Ku Li tipu rakyat, Tok Guru Kena Tipu Pulak!” (Ku Li cheats the people, Tok Guru is also cheated!) with pictures of Razaleigh and Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
Another teacher said the state Education Department had been tricked into distributing the leaflets by the BN.
“A few officers from the state education department and the district education department have spoken about this issue. Strictly speaking, this has nothing to do with their work,” said the teacher who only identified himself as Awi.
He also disclosed that a National Conference of Secondary School Headmasters was held at a Kota Baru hotel on Feb 1 which was attended by Mustapa. He claimed that Mustapa later met the state education department and local headmasters to discuss the oil royalty issue.
“They spoke about the oil royalty at that special meeting. That is all that I was told and also the leaflets was distributed. People thought it was strange that Tok Pa (Mustapa) attended the meeting of teachers and education officers.
“For those who know, they know it had a political agenda,” he added.
Kelantan Umno has ticked off Razaleigh for having his own agenda to go against the party’s stand over the oil royalty with the Kelantan Umno Youth urging him to quit his Gua Musang seat and move to PAS or any other Pakatan Rakyat party. Other Umno leaders have asked for action to be taken against Ku Li with deputy Umno president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin asking the party veteran to review his position in the party.
Mustapa, who is International Trade and Industry Minister, said yesterday that the RM20 million compassionate payment will be distributed at the end of March particularly for the poor.
news courtesy of Malaysian Insider
No comments:
Post a Comment