KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak must declare his position on the recent barrage of criticisms aimed at Christians and other non-Muslims here, Lim Kit Siang said, challenging the prime minister to state if he stands with the moderates or the extremists.
The DAP veteran said remarks made yesterday by Islamist group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) and by several Muslim panellists at a seminar on Christianity flew in the face of Najib's 1 Malaysia concept, which promotes racial acceptance and inclusivity among the country's different ethnic groups.
Lim also reminded Najib of his Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) brainchild, which was set up in January last year as part of the prime minister's move to reject extremism and racism.
“(But) Why has Najib given full and free play to the merchants of hate, lies and falsehoods to perpetuate their worst to tear the Malaysian nation asunder?” the DAP lawmaker asked.
Lim said it appeared as though there are currently two movements under Najib as prime minister - the GMM and a “Movement of Racist and Religious Extremists”.
The latter movement, he said, is given full liberty to spew racist drivel without any fear of punishment.
“Najib must take a clear stand – whether he is with the moderates or the extremists, whether he is for 1Malaysia or the very antithesis of 1Malaysia,” Lim asked.
Yesterday, Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman said that the influx of Chinese migrants into Tanah Melayu had been “a mistake” and must be rectified.
Infuriated by the remarks, lawmakers from the opposition DAP in two states filed police reports against the group earlier today.
At the day-long seminar on Christianity yesterday, several Indonesian Muslims, academics and Muslim converts gave lectures on the use of the Arabic word for God, “Allah” in the Malay archipelago and their interpretation on the life of Jesus Christ, whom Christians revere as God manifest on earth.
A speaker told the thousand-strong audience — which included former prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi — that the New Testament gospels, which recount the life of Jesus, were falsehoods as the prophet was only “a human slave to Allah” and not a divine being.
Another said that Christians should convert to Islam as they would be “betraying Jesus” and his principles otherwise.
The speakers also saluted Malaysia for banning Christians here from using the word “Allah” in their worship, even as the world casts a spotlight on the rights of religious minorities in the region with Southeast Asian nations adopting increasingly fundamental Islamic principles in their governments.
