PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s “Malay-Muslim cabinet” proposal is “seditious, dangerous, racist and extremist”, DAP said today.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said Hadi’s talk about a Malay-Muslim only cabinet under a PAS-influenced federal government was not only “unconstitutional but would also lead to the break-up and dissolution of Malaysia”.

He said Hadi’s remarks must be strongly condemned.

“Hadi’s exclusive Malay-Muslim cabinet is clearly unconstitutional, as it reduces non-Malays and non-Malay Muslims to citizens of inferior status with diminished rights. 

“No non-Malay, non-Muslim and even the vast majority of Malay-Muslims, who are moderate, in Malaysia will accept such an extremist and racist position that can be identified only with the Taliban,” he said.

Lim was commenting on Hadi’s column in PAS mouthpiece Harakah Daily last Friday, in which he said Islam required that a nation’s leader and its cabinet members be Muslims from the most influential race. 

Hadi said Islam also recognised the rights of non-Muslims in politics, economy and other aspects of life. 

In politics, he said, Islam stressed that the main leadership in charge of policies must be Muslims, while non-Muslims were accepted in roles of management and expertise.

Lim, who is also Bagan MP and Penang chief minister, said Hadi’s “hardline extremist and racist position” would also frighten off Sabah and Sarawak.

“(It) may even lead to the break up of Malaysia as a nation into Muslim-Malay sections and non-Malay Muslims, non-Malays sections,” he said.

Lim also noted that Hadi failed to talk about fighting corruption and financial scandals, like the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) controversy or abolishing the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which had caused the people economic hardship.

“This is the type of political party Umno wants to cooperate with, because PAS is willing to overlook Barisan Nasional’s rampant corruption and turning Malaysia into a kleptocracy to enable PAS to pursue such racist and extremist objectives.”

Lim said DAP was right to sever ties with PAS after the death of PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan menteri besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who died in February 2015.

A few months after Nik Aziz’s death, PAS under Hadi’s leadership officially ended its political cooperation with DAP, causing the collapse of the former opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat.

Both parties had butted heads for months over PAS’ insistence to implement the Islamic penal code hudud in PAS-ruled Kelantan. The relationship between both parties has been bitter ever since.

“Tok Guru Nik Aziz, whose moderate and anti-Umno position was replaced by Hadi’s extremist, racist and pro-unity government with Umno. 

“DAP is willing to pay any political price to uphold our principles and defend the federal constitution by breaking off with PAS,” Lim said.

The DAP leader also took a dig at BN component parties, MCA, Gerakan and SUPP for not breaking ties with BN lynchpin party Umno when the latter was seeking cooperation with PAS to save itself from losing support over controversies like 1MDB and GST.

“Despite such betrayals by Umno, parties like MCA, Gerakan and SUPP continue to stick with Umno. 

“Are the perks and privileges of ministerial office and the temptations of power at any price, worth giving up the rights of non-Malays and non-Malay Muslims?

“Are (they) more powerful than the fundamental principles of right and wrong?” Lim said.

Earlier this month, Hadi had attacked DAP by accusing its veteran leader Lim Kit Siang of wanting to be prime minister. He also alleged that Penang folk were suffering under the DAP-led state administration. – December 26, 2017.