FOLLOWING news of a Penang mall’s run-in with a certain PAS MP over – what else – its Chinese New Year alcohol promotion, veteran lawmaker Lim Kit Siang has weighed in on the matter to wonder if PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has a phobia of all things multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural.
More specifically, Lim wondered if Hadi is suffering from “Malaysia-phobia” – a distrust or phobia of Malaysia as a plural society, and suggested that perhaps one way to ensure the country does not suffer from this “phobia” is for religious leaders to attend the functions of other religions.
“Is Hadi prepared, for instance, to attend Christmas, Deepavali or Vesak functions to show the world that despite our differences, there is inter-religious understanding and harmony in Malaysia?” he questioned.
“After all, these religious events have been declared as national holidays in Malaysia. But what is more important is that [the formula of having] religious leaders attend the festivities of other religions [must be developed] if we want to have a more peaceful and harmonious global society.”
Lim’s comment came in light of the recent brouhaha at Sunway Carnival Mall in Penang over the ongoing Carlsberg event at the main concourse of the mall.
Recall that yesterday, a TikTok video of Permatang Pauh MP Muhammad Fawwaz Muhammad Jan went viral when he, along with several PAS service centre officers, had gone to speak to the mall’s management about the event, which he claimed had caused discomfort among Muslim visitors.
In response, DAP Pengkalan Kota assemblyman Daniel Gooi had criticised Fawwaz for assuming the role of a “moral police” and pointed out that it is not the role of an MP or elected representative to be moral police and take action on activities that they believe to be inappropriate.
Gooi also noted that it is clear the promotion was in conjunction with the upcoming Chinese New Year celebration and was aimed at non-Muslims.
Failure of Vision 2020
Lim further pointed out that it was indeed sad that after six decades of nation-building, there were elements that try to impose “moral policing” on others.
“We have completely forgotten the objective of Vision 2020 which is to create a multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation which could join the developed nations as a world-class Malaysia and it is precisely because of this ‘Malaysia-phobia’ that Vision 2020 has failed,” he lamented.
Lim said it was argued that the promotion of alcoholic beverages is a violation of the fifth Rukun Negara principle of ‘Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan’ (Courtesy and Morality).
“But do the PAS leaders – led by Hadi – fully endorse and support all five principles of the Rukun Negara especially the third one on ‘Keluhuran Perlembagaan’ (Supremacy of the Constitution)?” he asked. – Jan 11, 2023
Main pic credit: Sarawakvoice.com
