BARISAN Nasional (BN) and PAS leaders sought to assure Tg Piai voters that they will not cause racial chaos as claimed by a Pakatan Harapan (PH) minister.

They described such claims made by Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Salahuddin Ayub to school officials in Tg Piai as racist and illogical as BN and PAS have peacefully governed the country and certain states.

In a ceramah last night, in Tg Piai’s Rimba Terjun, MCA president Wee Ka Siong and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang took turns castigating Salahuddin and defending their parties’ records.

“Their thinking is racist and wrong. Think for yourselves. This is a minister that does not use his head. The Javanese call this ‘gobrok’ (stupid),” said Wee, without mentioning names.

It is believed that he was referring to Salahuddin, who was caught in video telling officials of a Chinese primary school here that a potential Umno-PAS government would sow conflict among the races.

Salahuddin had said a vote for BN candidate Wee Jeck Seng of MCA would be a vote for Malay nationalist Umno and Islamist PAS.

Wee said it is inconceivable that an Umno-PAS administration will cause racial strife.

“That if they (PAS and Umno) win, they will close schools and we can’t run businesses, that thinking is wrong.”

The Tg Piai by-election is being contested by six candidates but the two biggest political rivals are BN and ruling coalition PH, which is fielding Karmaine Sardini of Bersatu. Gerakan, Berjasa and two independent candidates are also on the ballot.

PAS has pledged to support Jeck Seng as it has a political pact with BN’s lynchpin party Umno.

In his speech, Hadi said the party’s record in governing Kelantan and Terengganu speaks for itself.

“Umno has governed this country for years and PAS has ruled these states. Is there any conflict in Kelantan or Terengganu?”

PH leaders have in the past warned an Umno-PAS government will rule Malaysia like the oppressive Taliban government of Afghanistan.

Hadi said although MCA and PAS has disagreements, they did so as independent opposition parties.

“In comparison, DAP, a PH component party, had criticised PAS even while both were in the same coalition.”

The Tg Piai by-election was called following the death of MP Dr Md Farid Md Rafik, 42, on September 21. He won the federal seat for PH in last year’s general election. – November 7, 2019.