PETALING JAYA, Aug 3 ― The Malay community should reserve its outrage for the country’s brewing debt crisis instead of allowing themselves to be distracted by racial and religious controversies, according to PAS’s Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man (picture).

The warning from the Islamist party’s information chief comes as the downgrading of the country’s sovereign debt outlook was overshadowed by yet another religious row erupting over a video featuring a Muslim dog trainer and her three pet dogs.

“The lack of response among Malaysians, especially Malay-Muslims, on economic issues and the national debt is worrying,” he said in a statement today.

“Malay-Muslims must be aware because in an economic crisis they will be most affected as the country’s majority.

“Don’t be quick to anger on matters of race and religion, while economic issues that could ruin generations to come are left ignored,” the former Pahang state assemblyman cautioned.

Ratings agency Fitch cut its outlook on Malaysia’s sovereign debt to “Negative” on Tuesday, citing gloomier prospects for reforms to tackle country’s rising debt burden following a divisive election result this year.

The revision from a stable outlook adds to concerns over Malaysia’s high debt pile at a time when the currency has been pressured by bond fund outflows and talk of the US Federal Reserve ending its easy monetary policy.

But the country’s attention is now locked on the controversy of a 105-second video on YouTube titled “video menghina Islam. 1 hari di hari raya (video insulting Islam. 1 day in Hari Raya)”, in which dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof is seen walking and bathing her three dogs as the “Takbir Raya”, or Muslim call to prayer traditionally reserved for the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, plays in the background.

The outrage also follows another recent online storm where sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee stirred up a hornet’s nest when they posted a mock “Selamat Berbuka Puasa” (breaking of fast) greeting on their Facebook page that showed them eating “bak kut teh”, and describing the soupy pork dish as “wangi, enak, menyelerakan” (fragrant, delicious, appetising).

At the same time, Putrajaya is also busy engaging in a nationwide crackdown on the Shiah (Shi’ite) school of Islam, ferreting out adherents of the sect as religious deviants.

Today, Tuan Ibrahim also criticised the Malay community’s focus on government handouts as a measure of the country’s economic performance rather than paying heed to how these were being funded.

“The saddest part is when it appears the Malay-Muslim view on the economy has been restricted to a measurement of the government’s ‘ability’ to give bonuses, BR1M and similar promises during elections.

“Malays must embrace economic matters, otherwise the government will be under no pressure from the majority to answer for the country’s economy and finances,” Tuan Ibrahim added, pointing out that the national debt was now a sliver under the legal ceiling of 55 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

On Tuesday, Fitch had called out Putrajaya’s worsening reforms prospect following Barisan Nasional’s bruising at Election 2013.

“Prospects for budgetary reform and fiscal consolidation to address weaknesses in the public finances have worsened since the government’s weak showing in the May 2013 general elections,” Fitch said in a statement.

“Malaysia’s public finances are its key rating weakness.”

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak is scheduled to table the Budget for 2014 in Parliament on October 25.