Why discriminate against non-Muslims by barring them from policy-making? MCA asks Hadi

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — An MCA leader today questioned PAS and its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s proposed Cabinet that would bar non-Muslims from key leadership positions that involve policy-making.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) component party’s publicity spokesman Datuk Seri Ti Lian Ker said Hadi’s recent remarks meant that non-Muslims would only be accepted for positions that revolved around their expertise.

“Why does the PAS president or PAS have to discriminate (against) non-Muslims with the prohibition that they cannot lead or touch on matters of policy and concept? Is this the concept of fairness and humanity that has been promoted by PAS leaders?

“How can we trust the PAS president or PAS if statement that is stated so clearly and the party organ HarakahDaily can deny it when it receives public criticism?” the MCA religious harmony bureau chairman asked in a statement.

“Where is the sincerity and honesty of PAS leaders if they can hide behind the pretext of religiousity to deny statements that are clear by only pointing fingers and blaming third parties on accusations of slander?” he added.

Ti referred to a line in Hadi’s December 22 article that was carried on HarakahDaily: “In terms of politics, Islam firmly makes it mandatory for the main leadership that takes care of its policy and concept to be from Muslims, and accepts non-Muslims in terms of expertise and management, not on matters of policy and concept.”

Ti said Hadi had allegedly clearly stressed that policy matters falling under the Cabinet’s jurisdiction can only be handled by Muslims, pointing out the emphasis by the PAS president that non-Muslims would only be accepted for management matters and not policy-making.

“Isn’t it clear that non-Muslims have been discriminated and prohibited from exploring issues of ‘policy and concept’? Isn’t it clear that the Cabinet and Ministers are leaders in ministries that will make decisions and proposals that touch on worldly ‘policy and concept matters’?” Ti asked.

Ti was responding to PAS deputy president Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who had asserted yesterday that Hadi had not said he wanted an “all-Malay Cabinet” and reportedly claimed that the latter’s remarks had been twisted by others.

Yesterday, PAS information chief Nasrudin Hassan claimed that Hadi had not called for a solely Malay-Muslim Cabinet and alleged that his remarks had been misreported by several media outlets, insisting that the PAS president had recognised the role of non-Muslims in a government.

Following Hadi’s article, leaders from the federal opposition Pakatan Harapan had criticised the idea of pushing for an all-Malay Cabinet as being irrational and discriminatory, while DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had also described such a proposal as being racist, extremist and unconstitutional.