Companies that support Bersih shouldn't be blacklisted: Tengku Razaleigh

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno veteran,Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, is against a call to blacklist companies that sponsor the Bersih movement.
"I don't think that is right. Anybody can donate to any cause so long as it does not break any law or the constitution," the Gua Musang MP told reporters when met after he launched a book titled 'The End of Umno? - Essays on Malaysia’s Dominant Party' at the Royal Lake Club here today.
Tengku Razaleigh was commenting on the call first made by Utusan Malaysia's columnist Awang Selamat, believed to be the joint pseudonym of the Malay-daily senior editors.
In its weekly column published on Sunday, Awang Selamat said it is wrong to back a group that is trying to depose a democratically elected government.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan has backed Utusan Malaysia's call and said he would direct the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and the Public-Private Partnership Unit (Ukas) to conduct background checks on companies that seek government contracts through the two agencies.
"I agree with (Awang Selamat's) view that these companies ought to be blacklisted. I will ask the EPU and Ukas to study the background of all companies that seek government contracts through them.
"Companies that clearly support illegal rallies will be blacklisted immediately. I'm sure that there are many other companies that can offer the government equal or better terms and should be given a chance.
"The time for being meek and tolerant is over. I will boycott companies that back movements that threaten the nation's economic security," Abdul Rahman said in a series of tweets on Sunday.
On a separate issue, Pakatan Harapan(PH) Secretariat Chief Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah who was also present at the event said the opposition coalition hopes to announce its candidate to be the Prime Minister if they win the upcoming General Election.
"PH has spoken to Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia and other political parties, which includes PAS and we will be a having a convention on Nov 12.
"Perhaps there will be some agreement between some of the political parties – between PH and outside PH – that would give some kind of signal as to what the shadow government looks like," he said.