PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang has irresponsibly alleged that there is Islamophobia in the Malaysian media.
I want to ask Hadi whether he is prepared to prove his allegation by lodging a formal complaint to the Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Islamophobia Observatory against Malaysiakini for promoting Islamophobia and to substantiate his allegation.
DAP was the first victim of Hadi’s wild, irresponsible and preposterous allegation that it was promoting Islamophobia – all because DAP had never suggested that Hadi Awang should become the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
I have been waiting for six months for Hadi to substantiate his wild, irresponsible and preposterous allegation that DAP had been promoting Islamophobia but Hadi has failed to do.
Is Hadi going to do so in the forthcoming three-week Parliament which begins tomorrow May 22)?
DAP is not new party. It marked its 57th anniversary recently and if it had promoted Islamophobia, then Hadi should not have difficulty to substantiate it with the necessary evidence.
I want to see Malaysia to be a role model for the world for inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisation dialogue, understanding, tolerance and harmony and the last thing I want to see is fear, hatred or prejudice against any religion, including Islam.
Now, Hadi has upped the ante, widening his allegation of Islamophobia in Malaysia to the mass media.
This is the first time anybody has alleged that there is Islamophobia in Malaysia, not only in the political arena but also in the mass media.
Is Hadi prepared to lodge a formal report against Malaysiakini to the OIC Islamophobia Observatory and substantiate his serious allegation?
I for one do not want Islamophobia to infect the Malaysian mass media but as former Special Adviser to the Middle East for two prime ministers (PM), Hadi should not be hurling baseless allegations against any media.
I do not believe that making wild, irresponsible and preposterous allegations which cannot be substantiated is something a respected Islamic leader will do.
The ball is in Hadi’s court. – May 21, 2023
Veteran lawmaker and retired DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang was the former MP for Iskandar Puteri.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
