Hadi meant the rich and famous, say non-Muslim supporters

 

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang was talking about a small group involved in corruption, according to PAS non-Muslim supporters. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: The PAS non-Muslim supporters’ wing has defended controverial remarks by party leader Abdul Hadi Awang linking graft to non-Muslims.

N Balasubramaniam.

The supporters’ wing chief, N Balasubramaniam, said Hadi had told them at a meeting that he was in fact blaming the rich and famous.

Balasubramaniam said that was the reason the wing did not kick up a fuss over the issue, according to a Malaysiakini report.

“So actually what he (Hadi) said was, the ones who gave bribes were the rich and famous. After that, we understood what he meant,” he was quoted as saying.

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Balasubramaniam also said that when PAS was in power there were no racial issues, when told that many people were upset by Hadi’s remarks.

The wing’s youth chief, B Balendran, claimed that some words had been taken out of context to “create a big issue”.

He said Hadi had “a long text” in his Facebook posting in which he had raised the corruption issue. “And what he meant was only a small group of people,” he said, adding that what had been reported was not entirely accurate and needed to be read in full.

On Monday, police recorded Hadi’s statement, after 28 complaints were lodged against him over his claim earlier this month.

On Aug 20, he was reported to have accused non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras of being at the root of corruption and forming the “majority of those involved in ruining the country’s politics and economy”. - FMT