Teresa: Ismail Sabri should be expelled from Cabinet

The MP for Seputeh says that Ismail Sabri should be dropped from Cabinet for making threats against Permatang Pauh voters

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP’s Teresa Kok has called upon Prime Minister Najib Razak to “exercise leadership qualities and expel Ismail Sabri Yaakob from the Cabinet.”

In a media statement today, Teresa said that Ismail should be dropped from his position as Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister because he threatened Permatang Pauh voters.

The Seputeh Member of Parliament said that Ismail stated that agricultural funds and projects in Permatang Pauh would not be approved if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won the by-election.

“(This) has further proven that he is most unfit to be a Cabinet Minister,” she said.

Teresa referred to an incident earlier this year when Ismail “called on Malays to boycott Chinese businesses to lower prices.”

She said she found Prime Minister Najib Razak’s reaction to this “puzzling”.

“His (Ismail’s) remarks were a clear challenge to Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, yet it was puzzling that the Prime Minister could be so tolerant of Ismail.”

Not only did he fail to reprimand Ismail, she said, the Prime Minister’s Department released a statement defending him, saying that Ismail’s remarks were not targeting a specific race. Rather, they were meant to rebuke traders who refused to lower the price of goods.

Teresa said that Ismail tried to explain his latest statement about Permatang Pauh by saying that “it was easier to get help from a Barisan Nasional minister than a PR representative.”

“A democratic election must be free, fair and clean. Any political threat is totally unacceptable and cannot be condoned,” she said.

“Never before has the nation had a minister who makes such irresponsible and hurtful racist remarks, yet Ismail has been allowed to remain in office,” she said.

“What will be the Prime Minister’s excuse this time for not expelling (Ismail) from office?” she asked.