KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 ― Newly-formed coalition Negara-Ku should be renamed "Agendaku" as it is nothing more than a front to shore up waning support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR), especially with Datuk Ambiga Sreneevasan at its helm, Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysia said today.
Writing under the pseudonym Awang Selamat, the editors of the Malay-language newspaper claimed that Ambiga's involvement in the new movement was clearly political in nature and that Negara-Ku is the latest attempt by the former Bar Council president after many "failed" rallies organised under the Bersih banner.
"Let it (Negara-Ku) become an illegal organisation, unless it is changed to a name like Agendaku, which is more befitting to Ambiga's reputation and record," Awang wrote in the weekend edition of Utusan Malaysia, and called on the Registrar of Societies (RoS) to reject any formal application should the group submit one.
"In Awang's opinion, using the name Negara-Ku is a desperate attempt to help salvage the image of the opposition especially PKR and DAP.
"Ambiga is just hiding behind a name which is the title of our national anthem," Awang said, adding that the movement's ideals to promote racial harmony and combat extremism is just window-dressing.
"What is feared is that this (Negara-Ku) can eventually lead to extremism," Awang wrote further, but did not elaborate.
On Thursday, Negara-Ku was launched by lawyer Ambiga and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said, who were both previously co-chairmen of the electoral reform watchdog Bersih 2.0.
The two touted the group as a “people’s movement to reclaim the country” already endorsed by over 60 civil society groups and NGOs.
Both Perkasa and Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) criticised the formation of Negaraku.
Isma accused Negara-Ku of being against Islam as the religion of federation and the rights of the Malays, alleging it was a new front for humanist, liberal and religious pluralist movements in the country.
