PUTRAJAYA is playing up extremist and racist sentiments in an effort to avert attention from more pressing matters, said Lim Guan Eng today.

Kedah’s ban on 4D lottery outlets and Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s ban on alcohol sales at Chinese medicine halls and grocers is Putrajaya’s way of averting attention away from the Covid-19 health crisis and economic recession, he added.

“Using lies by appealing to extremist and racist sentiments does not hide the fact that discriminating against minorities is not only immoral and against the basic tenets of the Federal Constitution, but also divisive and does not benefit Malaysians, including Malay-Muslims.

“(It is) wrong to discriminate, neglect and target non-Malays or non-Muslims as an excuse to hide their incompetence and failure to meaningfully improve the lives of Malay-Muslims with higher incomes, better jobs and a brighter future.”

The Bagan MP said both bans have been justified as a means to stop collecting sin taxes.

If this is the case, sin taxes can be placed in a separate fund from the federal consolidated fund, he added.

“DAP will not object to sin taxes being separated from the federal consolidated fund. Such taxes can be placed in a separate fund and spent on only non-Muslims without the fear that it will ‘tarnish’ Muslim expenditures.”

Lim also blamed GPS, MCA and MIC for empowering Islamist party PAS to pander to its conservative base by coming up with such policies.

Despite Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional calling for the return of a Malay-Muslim government in Malacca, both coalitions are warring with each other at the federal level, he added.

“Voting for the current coalition will only return the same warring pact that is focused on fighting each other for power and position than looking after the interests of the rakyat.” – November 17, 2021.