MCA, MIC and GPS culpable of PAS' demand for 'electoral apartheid' - Guan Eng

 

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has accused MCA, MIC and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) of being culpable of PAS’ goal to gerrymander in favour of one religious group.

In a statement today, Lim said PAS’ stated goals were not only in violation of Schedule 13 of the Federal Constitution, but Malaysia’s electoral borders were also already severely malapportioned.DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has accused MCA, MIC and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) of being culpable of PAS’ goal to gerrymander in favour of one religious group.

In a statement today, Lim said PAS’ stated goals were not only in violation of Schedule 13 of the Federal Constitution, but Malaysia’s electoral borders were also already severely malapportioned.

“Now PAS wants to put in an additional perversion to the value of one-person, one-vote and principle of equal representation in a democracy, by lashing on the toxic mix of race and religion.

“The problem is that the non-Muslims and non-Malays in the cabinet will remain silent and subservient, betraying their own communities and the Federal Constitution to remain in power,” said Lim.

Lim was referring to Plantation Industries and Commodities minister and PAS central committee member Khairuddin Aman Razali’s claim that his party was hoping that it and its allies will win two-thirds of the seats in Parliament during the next general election.

This will allow the new government to redraw election boundaries to benefit Muslims, through, among others, increasing the number of Muslim-majority constituencies.

Based on Article 113(2)(ii) of the Federal Constitution, Parliament can pass new election boundaries once it's due - without the approval of two-thirds of the Dewan Rakyat.

Electoral boundaries for Sarawak cannot be changed until 2023, followed by Sabah in 2025 and Peninsular Malaysia in 2026.

Khairuddin’s suggestion that a two-thirds majority was needed possibly signalled that PAS has the intention of amending the Federal Constitution to allow electoral borders to be redrawn earlier.

Meanwhile, Lim also accused MCA, MIC and GPS of culpability in the publication of a university lecturer’s racially and religiously inflammatory article which poured scorn on Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim’s charity work

“PAS is bringing religious extremism and racism in Malaysia to a new and dangerous level by openly and unashamedly discriminating, marginalising and excluding non-Muslims and non-Malays.

“PAS clearly wants a different Malaysian identity, a mutant variation that has no place for diversity, inclusiveness and a multi-racial or multi-religious Malaysia,” said Lim. - Mkini