THE three-month-old United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) has had an invaluable opportunity to enlighten its formation and aspirations as a national political organisation to champion the rights of poor Indians and other races to opposition to PAS yesterday (Jan 24).
The informal yet cordial meeting has been described as merely an “orientation exercise or fact-finding mission without any other underlying intents” by Urimai’s national interim council chairman Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy.
“It was an informal meeting initiated to know about the role of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition in Penang, ie how are they responding to some land issues and the on-going water shortage woes encountered by Penangites,” the former DAP stalwart and ex-Penang chief minister II told FocusM.
“We also touched on the broader issues of the non-Malay support for PAS and how they are going to win over their support in the future. It was a cordial meeting based on the understanding of the need on the part of PAS to clear misunderstandings and confusion of its political role.”
Apart from Ramasamy, Urimai was represented at the meeting which took place at The Light Hotel in Sebarang Jaya, Penang by fellow interim national council members Satees Muniandy (former DAP Bagan Dalam state assemblyman) and Shamsher Singh Thind (lawyer and accredited meditator).
Penang PAS on the other hand was represented by the state’s opposition leader Muhd Fauzibin Yusoff (state assemblyman for Sungei Dua), Bukhori Ghazali (Pinang Tunggal) and its Non-Muslim Supporters Wing (DHPP) Penang head K. Jayaraman.
That Ramasamy who was a three-term Perai state assemblyman having cleared the air about the purpose of Urimai’s meeting with PAS, this shall set the record straight that there was no intent expressed about Urimai being eager to join the opposition camp or anything to that extent.
Like Shamsher has posted on his Facebook page, “This is not the LIGHT Move. We are only searching for LIGHT at the end of the tunnel (which is still invisible). Don’t take us LIGHTly!”. – Jan 25, 2024
