DAP adviser Lim Guan Eng has fired back at attempts by the rightist fraternity to ban or outlaw the annual Butterworth mega pork sale event on grounds that “it insults Islam” and “testing the patience of Muslims”.
Deeming the event staged within his Bagan parliamentary constituency as “a legitimate business event”, the former Penang chief minister described those accusations as baseless, hence “we shall never bow to extremists”.
“The event was only open to non-Muslim consumers and was held within the temple boundaries, so there was no question of provoking or irritating Muslims,” the four-term Bagan MP rebutted in a recent Mandarin-only Facebook post.
“We have made it clear that Muslims aren’t allowed to participate.”
Guan Eng further warned “these extremists against over-fanning religious sentiments to incite emotions”.
“The event has been held for four consecutive years and has never caused controversy in the past but this year it was suddenly attacked with detractors questioning whether it’s influenced by extreme political thinking, deliberately creating misunderstanding and provoking religious sentiment,” lamented the four-term Air Putih state assemblyman.
Political weapon
“If selling pork is wrong, have all pork vendors in the market broken the law? By the same logic, is distributing beef during Hari Raya Korban also wrong? I’m also curious as to which law or constitutional provision prohibits the sale of pork?”
Henceforth, Guan Eng challenged those who “thinks that the event is illegal or inappropriate to lodge a police report”.
“It’s unacceptable to try to restrict the lifestyle and consumption choices of non-Muslims just because of the pork promotion,” slammed the former finance minister.
Moreover, the event is related to the traditional culture of the Dragon Boat Festival. The Chinese have always celebrated the festival with pork-made dumplings.
That the sale of pork and the making of pork dumplings during the Dragon Boat Festival are questioned is itself tantamount to a lack of respect for Chinese culture and tradition.
We’ll continue to hold pork sales next year and will not succumb to any extremist forces.
A quick check at the comment section of the Malay language MYNEWSHUB FB page which again carried Guan Eng’s statement displayed prevailing rightist mentality as if Guan Eng is “challenging the Malays and Malay rulers who criticise pig farming (in Selangor) by staging a defence”.
Not less, many detractors are also weaponising Guan Eng’s statement to stir up anti-DAP sentiment to undermine the party in the wake of the upcoming state polls
“Look at that … Do Johorians want this to happen on the Johor soil … who is to blame for this kind of thing to happen?” fumed one commenter.
“If Johorians don’t want this to happen, make sure they and their cronies (DAP) have no place in this fortunate Johor.”
One commenter remarked that the mega pork sale event is “legal but uncivilised”.
“There are cynical and insensitive elements. No respect for Muslims. No other purpose. An ad hoc programme with the aim of showing power,” he jibed.
The bottom line is such that the rightist fraternity continues to paint the picture of the so-called pendatang (immigrant) faction being disrespectful to the sensitivity of the majority.
- Focus Malaysia
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