PAS, DAP candidates slammed for playing race, religion card

 

#KamiNampak claims (from left) PAS’ Siti Zailah Yusoff, DAP’s V Ganabatirau, Gerakan Tanah Air’s Fazli Mohammad and Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s Priscilla Lau have played up racial and religious sentiments in the course of their campaigns.

PETALING JAYA: A youth initiative has taken to task four election candidates for playing up racial and religious sentiments while campaigning on social media.

#KamiNampak named PAS’ Siti Zailah Yusoff, DAP’s V Ganabatirau, Gerakan Tanah Air’s Fazli Mohammad and Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s Priscilla Lau as the candidates involved.

They are contesting parliamentary seats Rantau Panjang, Klang, Balik Pulau and Lanang, respectively.

#KamiNampak coordinator Jason Wee called on candidates to campaign on policies and practices instead of using race and religion “as selling points”.

“(Their) use of the race and religion card is short-sighted,” he said in a statement, adding that it would also create mistrust between the different races in the country.

Last month, Ganabatirau had called on voters to reject Barisan Nasional and PAS, saying they had played up racial issues to undermine Pakatan Harapan (PH) when it was in power.

These included the death of firefighter Adib Kassim in a 2018 riot and the proposed ratification of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD).

#KamiNampak is spearheaded by the non-profit group Architects of Diversity (AOD).

More than 60 youth volunteers are monitoring Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube accounts of election candidates in all 222 parliamentary contests. - FMT