MARAN MP Datuk Seri Ismail Abdul Muttalib has denied the accusations that the questions he brought up in Parliament were racist and seditious.
In response to his question about whether Chinese new villages still had communist connections, the PAS lawmaker noted that he tried to seek clarification based on his observations and for security purposes.
“I know the history. For example, Chinese villages were settlements for those influenced by communism. So, I do not wish for the perception that there are still communists in these villages to persist,” he told Malaysiakini.
Besides, he mentioned that residents of new villages must integrate into the surrounding communities.
As a result, he explained, he proposed moving the administration of these new villages under the National Unity Ministry so that they can better integrate with other communities.
It is worth noting that during the communist insurgency, the government has set up new villages to protect the Chinese community from communist fighters.
According to Ismail’s observations on the ground, new village inhabitants tend to be very mono-ethnic, with some Chinese villagers not able to converse in Malay fluently.
“Whereas in other villages, for example in Felda, there are also Chinese people even though it is specifically for the Malay people,” he said.
The news portal earlier reported that Ismail had submitted a parliamentary question, among others, asking why new villages were still being preserved and whether communism still existed in those areas.
He also questioned whether the government intended to merge the villages under the same ministry.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail clarified that during the emergency period, new villages were established to confront the threat of communist insurgents.
He reiterated that the Chinese villagers who were resettled in new villages during that time period were survivors of communist insurgents, not former communists or supporters of the movement. – April 15, 2023
Main pic credit: Astro Awani
