AMID heightening concerns that PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang is attempting to create another Sheraton Move-like conspiracy, winning the confidence vote in Parliament on Dec 19 is most crucial for Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to thwart off a downfall similar to that of the short-lived Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.
This, according to retired DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, follows the admission by Hadi that he masterminded the Sheraton Move conspiracy which toppled the first PH government after 22 months in February. 2020.
“And the first step of the Sheraton Move conspiracy was the issue of the ratification of International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD),” recalled the veteran lawmaker in a media statement.
‘The ICERD issue in 2018 allowed Hadi to spread lies and falsehoods that DAP was anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Royalty and that the DAP was behind the ratification proposal.”
In actual fact, the 81-year-old former Opposition leader said DAP ministers and leaders were completely surprised when the then PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced in his speech at the United Nations (UN) General Assembly in September 2018 that Malaysia was prepared to ratify the UN treaties and covenants on core human rights issues.
“Hadi has yet to apologise for his lies and falsehoods about the DAP in the first PH government with regard to the ICERD issue yet he has started to tell new lies and falsehoods about DAP in Anwar’s unity government – making new diatribes against DAP by accusing the ‘creedless and immoral DAP of Islamophobia’,” lamented Kit Siang.
“The DAP is as innocent of Hadi‘s charges of Islamophobia as the DAP is innocent of Hadi’s earlier charges of being the mastermind behind the abortive move to ratify ICERD in 2018.
“We must not allow a second Sheraton Move conspiracy to succeed which will set back the country for decades, but to ensure that Anwar’s unity government last for at least five years to lay the basis for Malaysia to be great again.”
Kit Siang further described Hadi’s latest allegation of DAP being guilty of Islamophobia as “most ridiculous and laughable”.
“Since its formation 56 years ago in 1966, DAP had fully supported Article 3 of the Constitution which stipulated ‘Islam as the religion of the Federation but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation’,” justified the 81-year old former Iskandar Puteri MP.
“Would a political party which is Islamophobic support Article 3 of the Constitution?”
Added Kit Siang: “What Hadi is worried about is that the DAP has three Malay MPs elected in the GE15 who only proof that lies, falsehoods and fake news can be countered over time.” – Nov 30, 2022
