IF criticism of PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang means promoting Islamophobia, then Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is most guilty of promoting Islamophobia in Malaysia.
Hadi will find it easy to look up the archives to find past videos of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman labelling PAS as parti ajaran sesat (heresy party) which I have never done.
In fact, how can Hadi become Malaysia’s Prime Minister (PM) when Saudi Arabia regards Hadi as a “terrorist” which explained why Hadi — even in his capacity as the PM’s special envoy to the Middle East to the last two “backdoor governments” — had never visited Saudi Arabia as he is persona non grata in the country.
The fact that Hadi had not filed a police report alleging that the DAP was promoting Islamophobia for more than a month shows that he is aware that he has no evidence to back up his claim as they were only part of his extremist, divisive, and toxic politics of lies, fear and hate to polarise the Malaysian society.
I am very surprised by Hadi’s allegation that DAP is promoting Islamophobia in Malaysia for it has never been made by anyone else nor the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) which has an Islamophobia Observatory and has come out with annual reports on Islamophobia since 2007 yet is not aware of Islamophobia in Malaysia.
Has Hadi lodged or is he going to lodge a report on Islamophobia in Malaysia to the OIC Islamophobia Observatory as the DAP has ministers and deputy ministers in the Federal Government and if not, why not?
I am mystified by the “Islamophobia” allegation by Hadi. Does Hadi remember what he said during the Teluk Intan by-election in May 2014?
Hadi had praised Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, the DAP candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election, for making DAP her political party of choice despite being a Malay.
Hadi responded to critics who criticised PAS for partnering with DAP, claiming that PAS has more in common with DAP than with other political parties. He said: “We feel that Dyana is brave to be a candidate, more so a DAP candidate.”
Hadi reminded PAS members that DAP had helped PAS when the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition tried to oust the party from ruling Kelantan during the 1977 Kelantan Emergency.
He said although there were so differences between DAP and PAS like what is halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden), alcohol, pork, and hudud, both parties agree with each other in eradicating poverty, cruelty and corruption, among others.
Let Hadi tell Malaysians what happened following the Teluk Intan by-election in 2014 when the PAS leadership flipped.
Does DAP’s rejection of Hadi as the PM of Malaysia make DAP promote Islamophobia?
The DAP and DAP Malay leaders do not reject Islam, but they reject Hadi as a model Islamic leader as they are fully conscious of the Rukun Negara (National Principles) preamble which states that Malaysia “nurtures the ambitions” of “achieving a more perfect unity amongst the whole of her society”, “guaranteeing a liberal approach towards our traditional heritage that is rich and diverse” and “building a progressive society that will make use of science and technology”?
Does Hadi subscribe to the Rukun Negara? — Jan 7, 2023
Retired DAP supremo and former Iskandar Puteri MP Lim Kit Siang, 82, has a colourful political career spanning 57 years.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
