DAP’s youth wing has criticised its counterparts in PAS for condemning the “continuous holding” of concerts in Malaysia, which the latter said would “invoke the anger of God”.
DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) chief Dr Kelvin Yii said the reported remark by PAS Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari shows how “bankrupt” the party is of ideas.
Ahmad Fadhli’s statement further illustrates that PAS has “nothing else constructive” to offer to Malaysians besides “creating animosity” in a multicultural society like Malaysia, Yii claimed.
“When Malaysians are grappling with a surge of cost of living and a gloomy economy, all PAS seem to care about is to ‘moral police’ others, while often trying to interfere with the rights of other Malaysians that are protected under the Federal Constitution,” Yii said in a statement today.
“PAS should acknowledge and respect that Malaysians are able to think and evaluate any form of entertainment for themselves, and that the fate of the country lies on good governance and policies, rather than the number of concerts that we have,” the Bandar Kuching MP added.
Yesterday (Aug 19), Ahmad Fadhli reportedly warned organisers of concerts in Malaysia – which he claimed were “rampant” – and should not “challenge the emotions of Muslims”
While he did not mention any concert in particular, the Pasir Mas MP’s statement came barely one day after American singer-songwriter Billie Eilish’s concert at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on Thursday evening (Aug 18).
“Listen to Muslims”
Ahmad Fadhli had also cautioned the authorities to “listen to the voice of the Muslims before incurring Allah’s wrath”, as he called on Muslims to “unite and oppose” concerts.
However, Yii said what would incur “real anger” from the Almighty is “blatant corruption, bad governance, inequality, discrimination and oppressive laws”.
God would also be incensed over threats of harm against one another, including members of the judiciary – something which PAS is “silent” about, claimed Yii.
He was referring to death threats made against Chief Justice Tun Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat over her supposed impartiality and bias in Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s SRC International final appeal, which followers of the former prime minister are up in arms over.
This comes after an “anti-Najib” Facebook post attributed to her husband went viral on social media.
“All these divisive rhetoric are merely smokescreens for their (PAS) leaders’ incompetence in Government in dealing with real issues that affect all Malaysians, as well as their deafening silence against their own partners in Government who are involved in grand corruption and kleptocracy,” Yii said.
The Pakatan Harapan youth chief added that Ahmad Fadhli’s remarks are proof there should not be any place in Government for PAS to influence and formulate national policies, especially those that affect the lives of concert-going teenagers.
He also said that the party should “get out from under their shell” and address real issues affecting Malaysians, rather than trying to “infringe upon the rights of others” that are protected under the constitution.
PAS previously called for American singer Selena Gomez’s 2016 Malaysian concert to be banned because it allegedly promoted “Western culture and hedonism”. – Aug 20, 2022
Main photo credit: Reuters
