Stop portraying that Perkasa is a Malay representative - Gerakan

Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang said Perkasa should stop portraying itself as a body which represented the Malay community after its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali had refused to contest in the Pengkalan Kubor by-election.

Tan said it should not be difficult for Ibrahim to contest the seat where the voters consists of 92 per cent Malays.

He said the non-governmental organisation had previously contested in a Malay-majority seat like in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, a seat with 96 per cent of Malays.

He had contested and won the seat under the PAS banner in 2008 but lost the seat in 2013 when he contested as an independent.

“Since Ibrahim has refused to prove Perkasa relevance by contesting the said by-election, it is only right that Perkasa stop behaving as if they represent and have the support among Malay community,” he said in a press statement.

He said by refusing to contest, Perkasa is now no longer in a position to make any statements.

Gerakan Youth secretary-general William Chang had earlier challenged Ibrahim to contest in the by-election to prove the NGO’s relevance among Malay voters.

Ibrahim had refused and had later threatened to call on Malays to vote against the party in the next general election.