PERIKATAN Nasional (PN) elections director Datuk Seri Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor claimed that non-Muslims are the group that gets arrested the most for giving and receiving bribes in Malaysia. The caretaker Kedah Menteri Besar firmly asserted that his statement is a fact.
Explaining why PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang claimed that non-muslims and non-Bumiputera’s are the cause for corruption in Malaysia, Sanusi pointed his finger at DAP as the ones who started playing the narrative that Malay leaders are involved in bribery and corruption.
“I stick with my stand which is the same as Tok Guru (Hadi) that as long as it is true, then I will speak. Just go and take a look at the record of those arrested for the offence of giving and receiving, many are non-Muslims, it is a fact and it is true.
“Because at the time when the statement was issued, DAP played up the claim that Malay leaders are corrupt. Malay leaders cannot be trusted,” Sanusi was quoted as saying during the ‘Keluar Sekejap‘ talk show programme together with Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahril Hamdan which was aired online last night.
Sanusi also added that they said that that it is better to have good non-Muslims than Muslim leaders who are not good because they practice corruption. But when looking at the facts, many who get caught are non-Muslims.
When asked about PN’s strategy to secure the votes of non-Malays, Sanusi emphasised the coalition’s commitment to promoting harmonious politics. He is of the opinion that by presenting a strong lineup of competent Malay and Muslim candidates, the non-Malay community will be inclined to vote for them.
“PN still brings politics that is harmonious. I feel that Malaysian votes, if we are not influenced by extreme politics, scaring non-Muslims about Islam and Islamic leaders that have been portrayed as extreme, the Chinese and Indians can support PN, without a problem.
“This is the background of Malaysian politics. But if it is a Malay candidate then he or she will have to go and look for Malay votes. If you want to win the Chinese vote, you will have to go look for a Chinese candidate. That is the political divide based on race in Malaysia that we cannot avoid. But they do not let us talk (about race),” he said.
He further explained that this is the current backdrop of Malaysian politics, where candidates must seek votes along racial lines.
Malay candidates tend to focus on securing Malay votes, while Chinese candidates seek Chinese votes. This racial divide is an unavoidable aspect of politics in Malaysia. However, he lamented that there are restrictions on discussing racial issues. – July 12, 2023
