‘Dr M chided Najib for stoking racial tension’

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, who was then education minister, revealed this in the Dewan Rakyat during a debate on the ISA replacement bill.

KUALA LUMPUR: Racial unity has been a key feature of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s administration under his 1Malaysia campaign but Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim revealed that the former had landed in trouble for singing a different tune in the past.

In 1987, Anwar said, the then Umno Youth chief Najib had received a stern warning from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for stoking racial tension.

Anwar, who was then Umno vice-president and education minister, disclosed this while debating the Securities Offences (Special Measures) Bill 2012 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Earlier, Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar asked Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz why he (Mahfuz) was detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) during the Operasi Lalang in 1987 when he did nothing wrong.

The PAS leader said it was Najib who stoked racial tension during that period but was let off the hook.

“Najib is the one who said that he wanted to soak the keris in Chinese blood (during an Umno rally) but he was sent for a holiday to Australia while I was detained for no reason,” he added.

However, Nazri dismissed Mahfuz’s accusation, saying that Najib never uttered such a remark and that he too was present at the rally.

Barisan Nasional MP Abdul Manan Ismail also defended Najib, claiming that the latter was not sent to Australia for a holiday and accused Mahfuz of lying.

Anwar agreed with Manan and corrected Mahfuz but maintained that the problem in 1987 was between Najib and then MCA Youth chief Lee Kim Sai.

“The fact is, many of them detained at that time were not involved in instigating a racial riot,” he said.

During Operasi Lalang, the Mahathir administration detained over100 political leaders and activists, including DAP stalwarts Lim Kit Siang, his son Guan Eng and Karpal Singh.