Selamat Hari Raya, Hadi

 

I wish PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

However, does he agree that Malaysia should be a model for the world of inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisational understanding, tolerance and harmony?

I was sitting down to write my Hari Raya message to Malaysians, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, when I read Hadi’s ferocious attack on the DAP and me.

I do not know why Hadi has chosen Hari Raya to launch his attack on the DAP and me.

I have retired from DAP front-line leadership politics for more than a year and I cannot and do not respond on behalf of the DAP’s leadership but I cannot leave Hadi’s attacks on me unanswered.

Hadi is not a profound fake as it is easy to expose his dependence on lies, falsehoods and fake news for his arguments, as evidenced by the following four events:

Where is the evidence?

After the 15th general election, he accused the DAP of promoting Islamophobia.

It is now five months since he made the preposterous allegation, and despite my many challenges, he had not been able to furnish an iota of evidence to substantiate his wild allegation.

In fact, Hadi is the only political leader in Malaysia who make allegations without evidence.

Remember how DAP helped PAS in 1977?

During the Teluk Intan by-election in May 2014, Hadi reminded PAS members that DAP had helped PAS when the BN coalition tried to oust the party from ruling Kelantan, during the 1977 Kelantan Emergency.

He said although there were so many things different between DAP and PAS, like what is halal (permissible) and haram (forbidden), alcohol, pork, and hudud, the two parties agree with each other in eradicating poverty, cruelty, and corruption, among others.

Was DAP promoting Islamophobia by coming to PAS’ help in 1977?

Icerd issue

Hadi should know by now that DAP was not the mastermind or had anything to do with the 2018 episode when the Pakatan Harapan government under then prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad had tried to ratify the International Covenant of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (Icerd).

Is Hadi going to apologise for his ferocious attacks on the DAP as the “mastermind” of the attempted ratification?

Icerd doesn’t affect monarchy

Since 2018, Hadi has not been able to cite a single case of 55 out of 57 Organisation of Islamic Co-operation (OIC) Muslim countries where Islam was undermined or a single case of 36 out of 38 countries with a monarchical system where the monarchical system was affected as a result of the ratification of Icerd?

After four major blunders, what credibility has Hadi left for speaking truthfully and honestly, based on facts and truth and not on lies, falsehoods and fake news?

Plus, Hadi has repeated the allegation that I am a communist, for which he could not furnish any evidence.

If I am a communist, why didn’t the Home Ministry arrest me when Perikatan Nasional was in government under two “backdoor” prime ministers for 32 months from 2020 to 2022?

I have never been a communist, but Hadi insists I am one. When did he discover that?

But a communist is not a devil incarnate, as Hadi should be aware that the Saudi Arabia-Iran deal was brokered by a communist – Xi Jinping, the president of communist China.

So are Hadi and PAS against Malaysia having close relations with China?

I always believe that Malaysia can play a global role and one of these roles is to be a model state to the world of inter-ethnic, inter-religious, inter-cultural and inter-civilisational understanding, tolerance, and harmony! But does Hadi agree?

The Marang MP has no objection if Malaysia ends up as a divided, failed and kleptocratic state.

I do not agree. I see Malaysia has the potential to be one of the world’s achievers and models.

On the auspicious occasion of one of the most important religions in the world, despite all the wrong and false conceptions of DAP and me, I have no harsh words for Hadi.

And I wish Hadi and PAS, “Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Maaf Zahir dan batin!”

Let all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or religion, celebrate Hari Raya and show that we can be a role model for the world.

And Hadi’s example is not to be followed if we want to play such a role in the world. - Mkini

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LIM KIT SIANG, a DAP veteran, is the former Iskandar Puteri MP.

The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.