Kit Siang to Annuar: Harapan minister who pushed for Icerd now in PN govt

 

DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang has hit out at BN secretary-general Annuar Musa's labelling of Pakatan Harapan as a "pro-liberal" and "pro-socialist" coalition out to take over Putrajaya in the 15th general election (GE15).

Annuar had reportedly claimed that Harapan's attempt to regain control was fuelled by its failure to ratify treaties such as the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Icerd) and the Rome Statute.

Lim, however, reminded the federal territories minister that the ratification was mooted by his own cabinet colleague from Bersatu, Saifuddin Abdullah as then PKR MP and foreign minister.

"Annuar cannot be unaware that the person who tried to ratify Icerd and the Rome Statute during the Harapan administration is now in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's cabinet as the communications and multimedia minister.

"Why does Annuar continue to perpetuate a lie?" Lim said in a statement today. 

Rather than focus on coming up with a new national consensus, Lim cited Annuar as an example of cabinet ministers who rejected visions for Malaysia's success.

The Iskandar Puteri MP further challenged Saifuddin to admit his role in Malaysia's initial plan to ratify Icerd - a decision which was revoked on Nov 23, 2018, after weeks of racially and religiously charged protests.

Saifuddin Abdullah

At the time, Saifuddin had alluded to alleged "deep state" elements in Putrajaya, left behind from the previous Umno-led BN administration, who were out to sabotage the new government's plans to ratify Icerd and other human rights treaties.

"Will Saifuddin come clean and admit that the 2018 Icerd fiasco was solely his own making when he was foreign minister in the Harapan government, when he first talked about a 'deep state' in the Malaysian government?

"When the DAP knew nothing about the proposed Icerd ratification although DAP was the target of demonisation for being anti-Malay, anti-Islam, and anti-royalty over the Icerd issue," he added. 

Contrary to the public attacks, Lim said he had spoken at a function in China a day after the government revoked its decision, stressing that no Malaysian would want Malaysia to ratify Icerd at the price of another May 13 racial riots in the country.

Lim recalled that he had said there was no doubt there were irresponsible elements seeking to incite and escalate racial and religious distrust, animosity and hatred to create the conditions to replicate another May 13 incident. 

GE15 is expected to see new realignments in both Harapan and BN, along with the formation of the new Perikatan Nasional and Gabungan Parti Sarawak pact.  - Mkini