PETALING JAYA: DAP has never been anti-Islam, the party’s MP for Bukit Bendera Zairil Khir Johari said in response to Prime Minister Najib Razak’s claim in his keynote address at the Umno general assembly on Thursday.
In a statement issued Friday, Zairil claimed that it was Umno which had betrayed the Malays and Muslims of the country.
In Najib’s 30-minute speech yesterday, the Umno president said the people had only two options; namely to vote for the coalition led by Umno or the one dominated by DAP.
Najib went on to say if voters rejected Umno they would be ruled by those who were anti-Muslim and rejected the struggle of the Malays and Bumiputera.
Zairil however cited Pakatan Harapan’s record in Penang.
“Not only was the funding for Islam multiplied compared to the days of the Barisan Nasional administration, but the annual allocation to Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) was also initiated for the first time.
“In addition, annual payments are also made to ‘huffaz’ (those who memorise the Quran) and Fardu Ain classes (religious classes) and SAR teachers. Furthermore, the State Government has also spent RM20 million to take over land belonging to non-Muslims to be turned into Muslim cemeteries.”
He wondered aloud who was responsible for the Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (YaPEIM) scandal, where funds contributed by the public were allegedly used to finance a Wanita Umno leader and her family.
“What about the alleged use of Tabung Haji funds to save 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Berhad)? And don’t forget about the Mara scandal, the one involving the purchase of property in foreign countries worth hundreds of millions of ringgit, at prices deemed too high,” he countered.
He added that it was impossible for the Malays to lose power in the country due to the system in place.
“Not only are almost all public institutions such as the civil service, police, army and the judiciary dominated by the Malays, but the economy as well, as most sectors are controlled if not monopolised by Malay businessmen and government-linked companies led by the Malays.”
He said that in terms of politics and the law, the position of the Malays was not likely to be challenged because any amendment which affected the rights of the Malays required not only a two-thirds majority in Parliament but also the approval of the Council of Rulers.
Zairil then posited the reason Najib made this remark was to deflect the attention trained on him during the general assembly, amidst controversies surrounding his premiership such as the 1MDB issue and the RM2.6 billion donation.
“Apparently, in the most chaotic (Umno) general assembly in history, Najib has failed to manage the perception and belief of Malaysians and members of his own party, and had to resort to diverting the attention directed at him by repeating these defamatory and completely unfounded accusations.”
Najib, he said, should stop giving excuses and trying to divert the people’s attention away from his administration’s failures using outdated defamatory tactics.