FORMER prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has contended promoting Malaysia as a multiracial country goes against the Federal Constitution.
In his latest social media posting, the 98-year-old veteran politician had responded to UMNO Bukit Gelugor information chief Mohd Huzaidi Mohd Hussin’s calls for him to stop playing up racial sentiments.
“I am merely voicing out what was stated in the Federal Constitution. It’s not against the law to defend the Constitution,” the former Langkawi MP wrote in a series of tweets.
JANGAN MAIN ISU KAUM
1. Kata Ketua Penerangan UMNO Bukit Gelugor bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Mahathir (perlu) berhenti daripada memainkan sentimen melibatkan perkauman.
— Dr Mahathir Mohamad (@chedetofficial) July 3, 2023
“The current government claims Malaysia is a democratic nation. There is apparently freedom of expression… Is it against the law to defend the Federal Constitution?”
“On the contrary, what is against the Constitution is promoting the country as a multiracial country.
“Is the government rejecting the rule of law, including the Constitution, which does not mention Malaysia as a multiracial country but instead emphasises the ‘Malayness’ of Malaysia.”
Shifting his focus to DAP, Dr Mahathir went on to claim that the party is holding Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim ransom with its numbers.
“Yes, DAP only has four ministers, but it has 40 DAP members in government (the number of MPs). If DAP withdraws its support (for the unity government), Anwar’s government will fall,” he alleged.
“Therefore, Anwar must adhere to DAP’s manifesto especially in making the country a multiracial one and replacing the official religion of Islam with a secular country [and turning] Malaysia into a nation with no official religion.
“With this, Malaysia will lose its membership in the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC).”
Hitting back at the former premier for his comments, Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii insisted that DAP had never disputed the position of Islam as the official religion of the country.
Sudahlah Tun,
Kita tak pernah mempertikaikan kedudukan agama Islam dalam perlembagaan, namun pada masa sama kita juga mempertahankan hak semua rakyat tak kira bangsa & agama yang juga dijaga dalam perlembagaan.Jangan sebarang reka cerita untuk pecahkan perpaduan yg ingin dibina https://t.co/NBwdVsOL7L
— Kelvin yii (@Kelvinyii88) July 3, 2023
“Rather, all we did was to defend the rights of the people regardless of race and religion, which he said are also protected in the Federal Constitution,” Dr Yii tweeted in response to Dr Mahathir’s latest diatribe.
“Tun, stop making up stories to break up the unity that we are trying to build. Stop trying to change history and make up narratives and create an illusion of something that doesn’t exist just to stay relevant.” – July 3, 2023
Main pic credit: AP Photo
