Hadi accuses PH leaders of empty talk on Rohingya

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

PETALING JAYA: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today criticised Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders over the issue of Rohingya refugees, saying only former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad had spoken up on their plight.

In a statement, Hadi also appeared to take a veiled jab at PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who yesterday urged political leaders and elders to speak out on the Rohingya issue and not fear political backlash.

Anwar’s remarks came amid a spate of hate speech on social media aimed at the Rohingya community after Malaysia turned away a boat carrying about 200 people from a refugee camp in Bangladesh.

Hadi said PAS, even during its time in the opposition, had stood with Barisan Nasional in trying to resolve the matter based on the principles of religion and humanity.

“This is not the same as PH, where only the lone voice of Tun Mahathir could be heard at the United Nations while PH was busy with its internal crisis as it waited for Tun Mahathir to resign.”

Even before independence, he added, Malaysia had always accepted refugees and migrants due to Islam’s humane nature.

He said Islam had prescribed some 1,000 years ago what was contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1945-1948 and Geneva Convention 1951.

“But they (the UN) do not practise what they preach,” he said, adding that Islam’s stand on refugees does not discriminate regardless of race or religion.

He said those who only know how to criticise should reflect and study the history of their origins, to see how the people there had acted and treated refugees and outsiders.

Those who only know how to criticise, Hadi said, should reflect and study the history of their “places of origin” and see how the people there acted against and treated refugees and outsiders.

“Don’t (just) talk after losing power.” - FMT