GEORGE TOWN: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said PAS threatened the rights of non-Muslims, as ensured under the Federal Constitution, through their leaders’ hawkish talk, denying claims by a PAS leader that it was not so.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had denied Lim’s earlier retort and “challenged” him to provide proof that the PAS leadership had wanted to end the rights of non-Muslims and non-Malays in the country.
In a statement today, Lim gave four instances where PAS’ top leaders have made remarks detrimental to non-Muslim rights in the country.
The finance minister said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang himself had thrice made such extremist remarks, which threatened the peace and harmony in this multiracial country.
Lim said on Dec 22, 2017, Hadi had said it was “not a policy or a concept, but a must” to have the country’s main leadership to be helmed by Muslims, while non-Muslims are to take up administrative roles and jobs as “experts”.
He said Hadi, on Jan 8, had called on Muslims to choose Muslim leaders without taking into account their past transgressions. Hadi had also claimed that a non-Muslim leader “would end in hell”.
And in an Oct 7 statement, Hadi had said it was “haram” for Muslims to surrender power to a non-Muslim, Lim said.
Lim said PAS Youth deputy chief Ahmad Fadhil Shaarhad said the country’s top posts such as the chief justice, and top Cabinet ministers, such as the finance minister, among others, ought to be held by a Malay Muslim.
“These statements are enough for us to doubt PAS’ sincerity in upholding a democratic system where people of all races and faiths have their rights protected under the Federal Constitution.
“Sadly, parties like MCA, which previously proclaimed it was shunning extremist politics and discrimination against non-Muslims, are now a political ally of PAS and has never questioned PAS on these matters.
“It is clear, under a PAS and Umno government, a non-Muslim leader who supports them, such as MCA’s Wee Ka Siong and Wee Jeck Seng, would never have the chance to be Penang’s chief minister, or even to hold a federal ministership.”
Yesterday, Tuan Ibrahim had said PAS was an experienced political party in a multiracial Malaysia and has never once deprived non-Muslims of their rights.
He gave the example of Kelantan, where he said in over 30 years of PAS rule, non-Muslims were allowed to practise their own faiths, open businesses and work in the government.