GEORGE TOWN, Feb 3 — DAP Penang is ready to seek funding and support from cultural figures to provide courses for PAS leaders and its members on Chinese family names.

Sinar Harian reported today that DAP Penang’s Organisational Secretary, Phee Boon Chee, said that through this initiative, the party hopes to address misunderstandings and myths surrounding Chinese family name culture.

“DAP Penang is prepared to seek funding and assistance from cultural figures to offer this course, as there have often been inaccurate statements made about non-Malay communities,” he said in a statement on Monday.

According to Sinar Harian, PAS previously criticised the comments and suggestion made by an architecture professor for the party to hold a course for its members on Chinese names.

PAS information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari said the academic had implied that PAS was ignorant of the customs and cultures of non-Malay communities in the country.

Commenting further on this, Phee stated that PAS’s rejection of the suggestion was inappropriate, as the party frequently made statements that offended other communities.

“If PAS truly understood the customs and cultures of non-Malay communities, the party should not make statements that hurt the feelings of other ethnic groups, particularly the Chinese community.

“Just look at the statement made by Perak PAS commissioner Razman Zakaria regarding the background and family name of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.

“Prior to that, Kepala Batas MP Siti Mastura Muhammad, also linked a DAP leader with the former Prime Minister of Singapore based on an unfounded ‘cousin’ relationship,” he was quoted as saying.

He also said PAS is moving away from the principles of mature and prosperous politics, instead relying on lies and attacks to maintain its political influence.