‘Embarrassing’ for Malays to rely on Sedition Act, says Anwar

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim says the Malay community's problems are not caused by other races but by their leaders. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, November 28, 2014.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim continued his criticism of Umno's support for the Sedition Act, saying the party knew no shame in wanting to retain the colonial-era law to protect Malay interests.

Speaking in Penang last night, Anwar said Malays knew that Islam was a religion that emphasised truth and justice, but Umno was willing to "abuse" the law on the pretext of defending the Malays.

"Is it not embarrassing to the Malay community? To save the Malays, laws are needed so they can arrest and abuse others," he said in response to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's announcement yesterday at the Umno general assembly that the Sedition Act would be retained and strengthened.

Najib, who is the Umno president, had said in his policy speech that the Act would be amended to include a clause to protect Islam while ensuring that other religions were not insulted, and to criminalise calls for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia.

Najib had said he decided to retain the Act – reneging on his promise in 2012 to abolish it – after considering the views of Umno leaders, grassroots members and Malay pressure groups.

Anwar yesterday said Najib's U-turn on the act showed that progressive forces within Umno were weakening and succumbing to pressure from the extreme right.

Last night, he also said the Malay community's problems were not caused by other races, but by their leaders. Umno has long relied on blaming other races when calling for Malay survival and Malay supremacy, he noted.

Instead of addressing disparity and inequality within the Malay race, Umno leaders continued to blame others, said the PKR de facto leader and Permatang Pauh MP.

"The widening income gap between the rich and the poor is not a racial matter between the Malays and the Chinese. It is happening especially within the Malay community itself.

"Tan Sris and Tuns have billions in riches while those at the bottom suffer in poverty," he said, also making reference to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) latest Human Development Report 2013 for Malaysia which showed that there was widening intra-ethnic income disparity.

"Whose fault is that? (Penang chief minister Lim) Guan Eng? The Chinese? The leadership must answer this," he said at an event at the Bukit Gedung food court in Bayan Lepas, Penang, last night.

Anwar also hit out at Umno for failing to discuss and find solutions to issues like the rising prices of goods and the struggles of young working adults to repay their student loans; as well as social problems like drug addiction among Malays.

"Instead they went Anwar, Guan Eng this; Anwar, Guan Eng that," he said.

He added that weak leadership was also the problem faced by Muslims worldwide.

Anwar then defended Lim, who had been accused by Umno leaders of selling land in Penang purportedly to drive Malays off the island.

"We go with facts. Don't think that there is no development (by Lim's DAP-led administration for the Malay community).

"The state government does help the community. We have to admit that," Anwar said.

Lim and PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu were also present, and the PAS leader defended Lim against claims that he was anti-Malay.

Earlier yesterday, Anwar also spoke at the Konrad Adenauer School for Young Politicians (KASYP) alumni meeting on Regional Integration, Good Governance and Democracy in Asia.

In his keynote address, he said youths should be given the space to express their views, even if they disagreed with leaders.

He also said the mantra of Asian values, national stability and social coercion should not be used to defend abuse of power and corruption.

Anwar said to be a democratic nation, the government must be inclusive and not have a ruling party only talking about one race.

"Those who champion Malay rights hardly talk about issues like tackling poverty... they defend policies like the New Economic Policy (NEP) because they are doing well because of it.

"The more compelling case is the widening income gap within the Malay community," he said.

- TMI