AS twice former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dropped by the National Health Institute (IJN) yesterday (June 25) to visit his foe-turned-friend Tan Sri Hadi Awang, one would have expected the latter to comment on the alleged racial incitement unleased by his son-in-law Zaharuddin Muhammad.
Riding on the recent appointment of Datuk Johnny Lim Eng Seng as the first Chinese military officer to climb to the rank of Lieutenant-General in the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), the Sungai Buloh PAS chief has made headlines with his prophecy that Malaysia can now expect “its first Chinese Prime Minister – the 50th – by 2058”!
In all frankness Zaharuddin would probably not have earned the wrath of DAP national adviser Lim Guan Eng had he not attached on his Facebook post image of the Melaka-born officer who was recently conferred the prestigious three-star rank in the country’s military.
At best, the retaliation could be milder if he were to stick to his insinuation that “both parents of the (imaginary) Kg Sungai Baru-born PM were granted Malaysian citizenship via the Malaysia My Second Home scheme 23 years earlier”.
Interestingly, Zaharuddin has uploaded back his controversial post which he had deleted earlier by justifying that his action was not one of cowardice but because “it was swamped by cybertroopers whose only intention is to destroy truth”.
Sadly, no PAS backing
He further defended his action that while he had “no explicit or implicit” intention to belittle Johnny Lim’s military promotion, this should not be made a precursor to the appointment of a non-Muslim/non-Bumiputera PM appointment in the future.
On this note, Zaharuddin has contemplated taking legal action against DAP’s deputy secretary-general Steven Sim Chee Keong on grounds of prejudice by having accused him of criticising Johnny Lim’s appointment by virtue of him (Johnny Lim) being a Chinese.
Also on his legal radar is social news site World of Buzz which Zaharuddin claimed had spined his original post with the headline “PAS Politician Warns that First Malaysian Chinese Lientenant-General Will Lead to Non-Malay PM in the Future”.
Whatever said and done, the joke is that PAS is seemingly distancing itself from defending the son-on-law of the Islamist party’s supreme leader but instead chooses to “celebrate diversity”.
“The appointment of Datuk Johnny Lim as ATM’s Lieutenant-General is a historic event that should be celebrated by all citizens, not questioned, let alone belittled simply because of his racial background,” justified party secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan.
“The ability, achievement, progress and success of any Malaysian in any field is good news for all, not the other way around. Congratulation from PAS to Lieutenant-General Datuk Johnny Lim.”
With such tone, one wonders if Zaharuddin would be dealt a similar blow that befell Perak state assembly opposition leader and former Perak commissioner Razman Zakaria who did not receive any party backing following a slew of slanders on political opponents. – June 26, 2025
