Kit Siang: I will never be a ‘Zakir Naik or Jho Low’

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 3 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang said today he will never run away and choose to become an international fugitive, unlike people like Low Taek Jho or controversial preacher Dr Zakir Naik.

This follows after PAS lawmaker Ahmad Fadhli Shaari called for Lim to leave the country after the DAP MP had urged for Dr Zakir to leave Malaysia.

In his statement to the media today, Lim recalled his experience during the racial riots of May 13, 1969, in which many have claimed him to be an instigator of.

Lim, however, explained that he was in Sabah at the time to help an election campaign of an independent parliamentary candidate when news of the riot broke.

“I did not run away as I did not want to become a Jho Low, an international runaway from law and order and a fugitive from justice.

“I was expelled from Sabah as I had criticised the then Sabah Chief Minister, Tun Mustapha Mohamad, at the rally on May 13, 1969, and I was in Singapore for three nights as the Subang International Airport was not operational with the Klang Valley under curfew following a declaration of emergency.

“Despite advice by party leaders and family members not to return to Kuala Lumpur, as my name was on the blacklist for Internal Security Act arrests, I took the next available flight to Subang International Airport from Singapore on May 18, 1969, when the airport was re-opened.

“I had returned to KL from Singapore then as I felt that my place was with the people who had just elected me as Member of Parliament (Bandar Melaka), and that my duty demanded that I return home to be with the people inside the country instead of being an international fugitive from justice — and that even if I was to be detained under ISA, I must be man enough to face the consequences. I would never be a Jho Low or even Zakir Naik,’’ he said.

Lim also questions why he was lambasted his support for moderation advocate and author Anas Zubedy’s open letter to Dr Zakir on why he should leave the country voluntarily.

“Three days ago, I had said I supported Anas Zubedy’s open letter to Zakir Naik, who had given four reasons why Zakir Naik should leave Malaysia voluntarily.

“Now I am being attacked as being anti-Islam for supporting Anas’ Open Letter, but no attack had been made on Anas or to engage him on his Open Letter to Zakir Naik. Isn’t Anas a Muslim?

“Why is this the case and what is the rationale for such irrational behaviour?’’ he asked.

Lim also questions the motivation of “a leader of klepto-theocracy” who pledged support for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad as the preferred prime minister.

“Why did the propagandists of klepto-theocracy so easily forget that they had alleged earlier that Tun Dr Mahathir had become my stooge?

“Malaysian politics is in no-man’s land. On the one hand, Mahathir is alleged to be my stooge, but at the other end of the political spectrum, I am alleged to be Mahathir’s stooge.

“Can these leaders of klepto-theocracy decide who is whose stooge — whether Mahathir is my stooge or I am Mahathir’s stooge?’’ he asked.

Last month, PAS President Datuk Seri Hadi Awang had stated that the Islamist party prefer for Dr Mahathir to serve his full term as the prime minister.

Lim also pointed out that PAS had in the past stated DAP was the only political ally that had defended them when BN had won Kelantan in the 1978 general elections, however, such facts was forgotten.

“A few years back, a leader of klepto-theocracy said only DAP defended PAS when the Kelantan state government fell to Barisan Nasional in 1978 and PAS was very grateful. Now all this is forgotten.

“It would appear that apart from misuse of Islam to support thievery, corruption intolerance, bigotry, lies and falsehoods, the proponents of klepto-theocracy needs another quality – political amnesia!

“Probably they need also another ‘quality’ — becoming ‘dumb and dumber’ over the years!” he said.