DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke has hit out at Dr Mahathir Mohamad after the latter alleged that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s position is under threat due to the large number of DAP lawmakers in the government.

Loke reminded Dr Mahathir that the party had backed him when he led the Pakatan Harapan government from 2018 to 2020 before its collapse following the Sheraton Move.

“But did DAP ever withdraw its support from him or threaten his position?” Loke asked in a statement while noting that its 42 lawmakers then had backed him in parliament.

Earlier today, Dr Mahathir, in a statement, alleged that Anwar’s government had to adhere to DAP’s instructions to ensure its survival.

“Yes, DAP only has four ministers. But within the government, there are 40 DAP MPs. If DAP retracted its support, Anwar Ibrahim’s government would collapse,” he said.

“That is why Anwar has to follow DAP’s manifesto, specifically making a multiracial Tanah Melayu and replacing the official religion of Islam with a secular country and a country without an official religion.”

The former prime minister also claimed that it was unconstitutional to promote a multiracial country.

He said this was because the Federal Constitution never mentioned that Malaysia was a multiracial country.

“I’m just raising the provisions of the Constitution. Is it against the law to defend the Constitution?

“Instead, what is against the Constitution is promoting a multiracial country.

“Is the government going against the rule of law, including the Constitution, which did not mention that Malaysia is a multiracial country? Instead, the Constitution stresses a Malay Malaysia,” he said.

Loke pointed out that Malaysia has been renowned as a peaceful multiracial nation.

“Why is he willing to take a stand that is so opposed to Malaysia’s multiracial society now?” he asked.

“DAP will not be enemies with any ethnic group. We will continue serving the country and playing our role to build a united society based on the principles of the Rukun Negara.”

Loke said Dr Mahathir’s claim was baseless and DAP would never threaten Anwar to change the status of Islam as the official religion of the country.

He stressed that DAP MPs will defend the basic provisions in the Federal Constitution, which include Islam as the official religion of the federation and at the same time, the right for other religions to be practised peacefully, as stipulated in article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution.

“DAP has never questioned Islam’s position as the official religion of the federation and will never do it,” he said. – July 3, 2023.