IF WE CAN BAN DAP, WE CAN ALSO BAN YOU – ANWAR RAPS ‘STUCK IN OLD MENTALITY’ PAS, TELLS BERSATU LEADERS TO STOP HARPING ON ‘SMALL ISSUE’ BRI COMIC BOOK WHEN THERE ARE ‘OTHER NATIONAL ISSUES’

PAS is wrong to call for rival party DAP to be banned as such moves will only backfire, said PKR president Anwar Ibrahim today.

He said the Islamist party should not be trapped in an old mindset of wanting to ban things it does not approve of.

“I think PAS is still stuck on its old mindset in calling for the ban. That is old politics.  

“If you teach the new government of its power to ban parties, that is dangerous. And, it is dangerous for PAS, too,” the Port Dickson MP said after an event in Bangi this morning.

He was referring PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man’s call for the government to ban DAP for being a threat to national security, citing its alleged Christian agenda, links to terror groups like the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and promotion of communism through a comic book.

Tuan Ibrahim had said that because police had strong evidence against the DAP leaders arrested over alleged links to the LTTE, that it was not merely a political issue but one of “national security”.

In 2012, Tuan Ibrahim, who was PAS information chief at the time, had urged the National Fatwa Council to issue a fatwa against DAP for its opposition to Islamic rule in the country and hudud law.

He had said the council needed to make a decision promptly to avoid confusion among the people, especially Muslims.

At that time, disputes had surfaced over the proposed implementation of hudud law in Kelantan.

Anwar tells Pakatan leaders to stop harping on BRI comic

ANWAR Ibrahim does not want Pakatan Harapan leaders to prolong the debate over the comic on China’s Belt and Road Initiative that was published by former DAP member Hew Kuan Yau.

The PKR president said the issue was a small matter and urged PH component parties to stop accusing each other.

“It is a small issue, no need to prolong it. I disagree with PH parties accusing each other.

“There are other national issues,” he told reporters after an event in George Town today.

The Home Ministry on Wednesday banned the comic for promoting “communism and socialism” as well as spreading “confusing facts”.

Other Bersatu leaders have also slammed Hew over the comic.

Yesterday, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow defended Hew, saying the government acted in haste to ban his comic.

Chow said there could also be ulterior motives in banning the comic for supposedly promoting communism.

“The authorities need to look at the real intentions behind the comic and look at it in detail before banning it,” the Penang DAP chief was quoted as saying in George Town.

Anwar today said the war of words between PH leaders over the matter was not a major issue.

“It only involves some supporters.

“We have explained to our supporters the importance of DAP, PKR, Amanah and Bersatu to continue the PH agenda,” he said.

Anwar also said he would leave it to the authorities to investigate the comic, including the action to seize copies of the comic from the Asia Comic Cultural Museum, of which Hew is the curator.

– https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/