Salahuddin: All Malaysians have a right to live here

 

All Malaysians have a right to live in this country, said Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub.

That was his response when asked to comment on Pengkalan Chepa MP Ahmad Marzuk Shaary's description of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community as "not human" and "goes beyond animal limits".

"We cannot generalise. If there is (a crime), then we (investigate) case by case. If they are Malaysians, they have a right to live in this country.

"If there is an offence - not just by the LGBT - anyone who breaks the rules has to face the law.

"We cannot generalise in this issue. We must be careful," said Salahuddin (above) at a function in Subang Jaya, Selangor today.

Since Monday, some opposition MPs - one of them being Marzuk - have been complaining about the Women's Day rally on March 12, where a handful of participants were spotted carrying the rainbow flag - a symbol often associated with LGBT rights.

Marzuk went on a tirade against the LGBT community when debating the national unity index.

His Perikatan Nasional colleague and Kuantan MP Wan Razali Wan Nor was forced to withdraw his claim to the Dewan Rakyat that the rally was linked to the LGBT movement.

Asked to comment about the reaction by opposition MPs towards the march, Salahuddin urged MPs to "get their facts right".

"My advice is, regardless of if you are in the government or opposition, get your facts right and don't simply accuse.

"We have to be careful. I advise all MPs to do their homework," he said.

Menu Rahmah

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on a news report that some in the food industry have withdrawn their Menu Rahmah products, Salahuddin, who is the domestic trade and cost of living minister, said the Menu Rahmah programme was entirely voluntary.

However, he said his officer will be investigating the matter and the results will be reported to the cabinet.

"Anyone who wants to adopt the scheme is free to do so. We have received a lot of (positive) feedback.

"There was one person who plies his trade under a tree and his food is tasty. He sold each meal for RM5. He became popular and thus expanded his menu.

"We can say that the Menu Rahmah programme is part of the economic engine," he said.

The Menu Rahmah programme encourages those in the food industry to sell no-frill quality meals for just RM5. Thus far, various sub-sectors, including fast food chains, have adopted the concept.

On Feb 22, Salahuddin told Parliament that the Menu Rahmah programme was a short-term solution aimed at helping a particular segment of society that is dealing with the high cost of living. - Mkini