DAP veteran Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang’s statement that a non-Malay can be prime minister is “poisonous propaganda” that can potentially incite disharmony in the country, said a PAS leader.
According to PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan, it was common knowledge that several DAP leaders had brought up this matter in the past few decades, including the late Karpal Singh in 2012 and Lim himself in 2017.
“This time, hiding behind the Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara and Vision 2020, Lim had deliberately given the false impression about the Malays or the political image of the Malays by mentioning that all those documents were aimed at the multi-ethnic, religious and cultural ‘Malaysian Dream’ rather than a mono-ethnic dream,” the Kota Bahru MP said in a statement on Monday (Dec 11).
“Lim seemed to have also taken the opportunity to raise this issue when UMNO, as a party of the Malays, is finding itself in a conundrum over the fact that it was a component party of the Madani government, which has led to the party keeping mum (over this matter).
“According to Lim, his statement is also supported by the fact that the Constitution provides that non-Malays can become prime minister.”
Under the Federal Constitution, the only requirement for someone to be prime minister, as per Article 43(2)(a), is that the premier be an MP, who in the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s judgement has majority support.
There are no other criteria attached for an appointment to the top executive post.
Earlier today, Malaysiakini reported that Lim has been summoned by the police to provide a statement over his remarks, which was made to Malaysian students in Manchester, UK at the end of Nov 2023.
He is expected to give his statement to the police at 9.30am on Wednesday at the police station in SS2, Petaling Jaya.
Despite the source not being able to confirm the Act for which Lim is being probed, the former DAP leader is believed to be accused of provocation for speaking about the possibility of a non-Malay person becoming the prime minister of Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Takiyuddin also accused Lim of acting as if he was ignorant of the law without looking at the conventions that had been the common practice since independence, noting that not only had no non-Malay been prime minister but none had been appointed deputy prime minister either.
He further noted that it is clear that Lim was unable to unable to hide his prejudice against the role of the Malays as leaders of the country or their position in the country’s politics, adding that Lim seemed to think that only by having a non-Malay prime minister can the country be considered achieving its dream of being a successful country.
According to Takiyuddin, Lim’s ‘Malaysian Dream” narrative was not too different from the Malaysian Malaysia that was conceived by Singapore’s former premier Lee Kuan Yew once upon a time.
“The trick of hiding behind sweet words by both Lee and Lim cannot hide their true intentions, which is to raise polemics and questions about the position and privileged rights of Malays and Bumiputera as provided for by the Constitution,” the Islamist party leader said.
He added that Lim’s speech about Malaysia’s opportunity to become a great country or “divided, failed, and kleptocratic” is not at all different from Lee’s speech to Malaysian students in London in 1964.
“As such, PAS is issuing a warning to any party that is stubborn in raising such issues to stop rage baiting the Malays and the Bumiputera as it also means inviting the reoccurrence of the racial tension in the community leading to the racial strife (of May 13) in the country over 5- years ago,” he stressed. – Dec 11, 2023
Main pic credit: Bernama
