VOTE FOR CHANGE: Ms Kumutha distributing party pamphlets in Ulu Tiram. The law graduate is the first non-Muslim to run for PAS. -- ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA
IN TIRAM (JOHOR) - MS KUMUTHA Rahman's quest for a seat in the Johor state assembly is an odd one.
The conservative Islamic Parti Seislam Malaysia (PAS) has fielded the 29-year-old law graduate - an Indian and practising Hindu - as its first non-Muslim candidate.
But she is contesting under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) flag.
Posted by Raja Petra
Thursday, 28 February 2008
Malaysia Today
Mr Hafiz Hamidun, PAS secretary of religious affairs for Tebrau district, which the Tiram constituency falls under, says that non-Muslims are not allowed to be party members or candidates under the PAS constitution.
But non-Muslims can join the PAS Supporters Club as members, and, if they run for a seat, must use the PKR symbol as agreed in an electoral pact between the two parties.
'No non-Muslim member can be a PAS candidate that's why I'm using the PKR's ticket to contest,' she said matter-of-factly.
Pointing to the word 'Keadilan', which means equality in Malay, she added: 'See this? I chose PKR over other opposition parties as it promises equality to all races and faiths.'
But asked after an hour-long interview when the notebook was closed and the pen capped if her nomination was aimed at attracting support from non-Muslim voters in Tiram, particularly the 14 per cent who are Indian, she said with a twinkle in her eye that 'it's a strategy'.
Ms Kumutha is putting her acquisitions officer job at Citibank on hold for a month to vie for the seat held by the Barisan Nasional's (BN) Datuk Maulizan Bujang.
A staunch Hindu who wears the salwar-kameez - a traditional Indian get-up - Ms Kumutha said she took part in the Johor non-Muslim PAS Supporters Club activities last month as she felt that the group was tolerant towards other religions.
She said that her younger brother, 26-year-old Logeswaran, president of Lajnah Perpaduan Nasional that boasts 2,500 Hindu Indian youth members in Johor, had organised many activities with PAS.
'I liked that PAS is for all (races and faiths) and that influenced me to get more involved in its activities,' she said. 'PAS stood out more than DAP or PKR but I don't want to elaborate. In this election, I want to elect the alternative party so we can make changes.'
She said: 'Nobody in the party ever tried to force me to convert from Hinduism to Islam. And I am very religious.'
Without prompting, she rattled off the names of Hindu temples that she visits regularly in Johor, and proudly declared that she is a vegetarian on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
She has never touched a drop of alcohol in her life, even while pursuing her degree from the University of Northumbria in Newcastle in the UK.
Speaking to The Straits Times at Ulu Tiram during a break from a walkabout, she said: 'People in the UK are liberal, they go to parties. But I don't. The Hindu religion made me aware of my limits. I know how I should act as a Hindu and behave as a lady.'
She is also traditional and filial.
'At the airport, before I flew off to study, I bent down to kiss my parents' feet to ask for blessings,' she said. 'Everyone was looking but to me, that's tradition.'
The spelling of her father's name, Rahman, had in the past prompted some to ask if she was Indian-Malay - Malays usually spell Rahman with a 'h' and Indians without - but she explained that this was due to a clerical error.
When her father was born, his parents, who were illiterate, wanted his name spelt as 'Raman' but the Malay clerk spelt it as Rahman.
Ms Kumutha's strong belief that she could bring about some changes in society spurred her to stand for election.
'I come from a poor family,' she said. Her father, Rahman Veerasamy, 52, is a taxi driver, and her mother Ponnammal Krishnan, 47, is a cleaner at Singapore's Suntec City. Brother Logeswaran runs a nursery in Johor.
Her dream was to earn enough so her parents could quit their jobs and 'goyang kaki' (to idle in Malay).
But she hoped to raise awareness about the importance of education to the poor and needy, especially the Indians, whom she said have adopted a nonchalant attitude towards education.
On Johor affairs, she said she was troubled by the high cost of living and rampant crime - which had deterred Singaporeans from coming.
'If I am elected, I will do a field research on the reasons why people here turn to crime and find appropriate solutions to tackle each of them,' she said.
She also promised better welfare for migrant workers including providing proper housing for squatters.
Ms Kumutha said she was confident she would 'get full support of the Chinese and Indians'.
She hoped to get 'maybe 25 per cent of Malay vote', adding: 'But what's for sure, even if I lose, is this will not be my last time contesting.'
A Tiram resident, Mr Mohd Yusof Harun, 64, a driver, said he will give Ms Kumutha a chance to prove herself.
He said: 'She may be young but she is educated and humble. I also don't want her to lose her deposit should she not get enough votes. So yes, I will put a 'pangkah' (cross) on her name.'
But others such as businessman John Lim, 58, are not so sure about her. 'She has no track record. She may be able to bring in fresh ideas but I'm not sure if she has the resources or well-thought-out plans to carry them out,' he said. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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