00:01Opposition leader Hamzah Zainuddin's pledge to support the Urban Renewal Authority Bill will be put to the test, analysts say, with Perikatan National partner PAS increasingly keen on taking the opposite stand.
00:15James Chin of the University of Tasmania said the bill has become a political tool for PAS to rally Malays sentiment and that whether the bill is good or bad is not going to matter.
00:26Chin said PAS sees it as effective against Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government, with the bill led by a Chinese minister, adding they can play the racial game.
00:38He said PAS would frame the bill as evidence of Anwar's failure to protect Malay interests by portraying redevelopment projects as benefiting only the Chinese community.
00:48Asmi Hassan of Academy Nusantara said, PAS is capitalising on fears that the bill was designed to get rid of Malays from urban areas, even though it affects mostly urban residents.
01:02PAS Youth has announced a protest rally on October 4 against the bill in support of Kampung Sungai Baru residents, where forced eviction took place earlier this month.
01:12Another analyst speaking on condition of anonymity, said Hamza's experience as a former Home Minister and Bersatu Deputy President, gives him the tools to align PN's strategy and address grassroots concerns before the bill is tabled again.
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