Gerakan offers a scholarship for Mat Sabu to ‘re-learn’ history
KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 10 — Gerakan has suggested that Mohamad Sabu return to university to “re-learn” the country’s history, saying today that it will offer the PAS deputy president a scholarship for that purpose.
Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon accused Mohamad, popularly known as Mat Sabu, of being “ignorant of history”.
“It is clear Mat Sabu is ignorant of history, and if so Gerakan is prepared to offer a scholarship to him so that he can re-learn history in a local university. We can call Prof Khoo Kay Kim, Zainal Kling, and the rest to educate Mat Sabu,” Koh (picture) told reporters, referring to the professors who have said the PAS leader has his historical facts wrong.
“He must be aware of what is happening. If he does not understand, he should sit in front of the Tugu Negara to understand,” he said.
Mohamad has come under heavy fire after Umno-owned newspaper Utusan Malaysia allegedly quoted him on August 27 as saying that the communists who attacked the Bukit Kepong police station during the communist insurgency were heroes.
Utusan reported that Mohamad made the remarks at a political ceramah in Tasek Gelugor, Penang, on August 21.
During the Emergency (1948-1960) communist insurgents attacked the police station on February 23, 1950 while the country was still under British rule.
The Malay daily also stated that the PAS leader said the country’s first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj and Umno’s first president Datuk Onn Jaafar were not freedom fighters.
Umno-linked newspapers have picked on Mohamad since he was elected PAS deputy president earlier this year as he has been against unity talks with the ruling party.
Mohamad announced earlier today that he will file a suit on Monday against Utusan over its report of his ceramah last month that touched on the Bukit Kepong tragedy.
His 24-hour ultimatum for an apology from the Umno-owned Malay daily expired yesterday.
