Govt must be fair in acting against parties playing up 3R issue, says PAS

 

Khairil Nizam Khirudin said politics should be about raising issues affecting the people and seeking solutions, rather than creating conflict and hatred.

PETALING JAYA: PAS has urged the communications and digital ministry to be fair in taking action against political parties that play up issues pertaining to race, religion and royalty (3R).

PAS information chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin claimed that some current and former DAP leaders had recently played up the 3R issue in order to gain political capital.

“Politics should be about raising issues affecting the people and seeking solutions, rather than creating conflict and hatred, as done by DAP,” he said in a statement today.

Khairil said that PAS will not emulate DAP by issuing inflammatory statements pertaining to 3R and was committed to prioritising the issues faced by the people.

He cited the issue about the compound notice issued by the Kota Bharu Municipal Council (MPKB) to a non-Muslim woman for wearing shorts inside her shop recently.

He accused DAP vice-chairman Nga Kor Ming of commenting on the issue with the “intention to spread Islamophobia”.

On June 27, Nga, as the local government development minister, called for MPKB to retract the compound notice.

“In this incident, the (MPKB officers) should have advised and educated her first. After all, she is not a Muslim,” he had said.

Yesterday, Nga was reported as saying that the issue had been resolved and should not be played up further as the compound notice was cancelled.

Nga said he hoped such an incident would not happen again and that there was a need to respect Islam while also defending non-Muslims, as this was all within the framework of the Federal Constitution.

Khairil also hit out at former Damansara MP Tony Pua for his controversial remark labelling Barisan Nasional and Bersatu as “corrupt”, saying it was racially-charged as they both have Malay leaders.

At a DAP fundraising dinner on June 23, Pua said Pakatan Harapan supporters must prove to doubters that “a multiracial party that is clean and not corrupt” could do better “than corrupt coalitions (sic) like BN, Umno and Bersatu”.

Khairil then took aim at DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng for saying that voting for Perikatan Nasional in the state elections would “extinguish Penang”.

He was referring to a statement two days ago, in which the former Penang chief minister urged Penangites to vote for good governance and to defend, protect and preserve the sovereignty of Penang.

Lim had said that in the wake of claims by Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor that Penang belonged to his state. - FMT