Kepong MP Lim Lip Eng has welcomed PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s directive for the party to win over non-Muslim votes in the 16th general election.
For that, Lim suggested three “tips” that Hadi and his party should follow to make them appear less radical and win over non-Muslim, non-Malay voters.
“Firstly, Hadi and PAS should agree with the view that Malaysia is a secular country that has Islam as the official religion, as recommended and acknowledged by three former prime ministers, namely Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Abdul Razak, and Tun Hussein Onn.
“Secondly, PAS leaders should stop labelling the non-Muslims ‘kafir’, as it is often used against them and creates a bad perception of the non-Muslims. Hadi and PAS should agree that the term only carries adverse effects and disrupts harmony among the multiracial people of Malaysia,” Lim said in a statement today.
The DAP leader was responding to Hadi’s remark at the PAS muktamar yesterday that the party should work on winning non-Muslim votes after the “Green Wave” managed to create a major impact among Malay voters in GE15.
“This matter is crucial and should be discussed and implemented with hard work, organisation, and wisdom,” the Marang MP said in his policy speech at the 69th PAS muktamar in Shah Alam yesterday.
Elaborating, Lim said the third thing Hadi should do is admit that corruption, which is a deeply rooted problem in the country, is caused by all races and not only by the non-Muslims as he has repeatedly stated before.
“Baseless statements like these only worsen the situation and do not help in racial integration in the country,” he said.
At a time when racial and religious statements are often exploited by political parties for political expedience, it is crucial for PAS to follow these tips to show that it respects the rights of non-Muslims, in line with its “Islam for All” slogan, Lim stressed.
“I hope Hadi and PAS will use these tips to approach the non-Muslims. It is time we did politics based on policy-based discussions and put aside racial and religious sentiments,” he added.
Notoriously inconsistent
Meanwhile, PKR vice-president Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad also slammed Hadi over the directive, saying the PAS chief “says one thing today, and another thing tomorrow.”
“Reading Hadi’s latest ‘mandate’ reminds me of his previous accusations against non-Malay voters.
“In August last year, he alleged that the non-Muslims and non-Bumiputera were the major cause of the country’s political and economic ruin. It looks like Hadi is now hoping for votes from a group he has chastised as a nuisance before,” Nik Nazmi, who is also Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change minister, said in a Facebook statement today.
Nik Nazmi said Hadi is notorious for his inconsistency while campaigning.
“For Malaysia to move forward, all races and religions must be involved in nation-building.
“PKR, as a multi-racial party, has never labelled any race as a nuisance to the country. I believe the various initiatives carried out by the unity government will convince the voters across races and religions to continue supporting the government,” he said.
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