Kit Siang fingers Umno, PAS as culprits behind heightened attacks against DAP

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 25 — Umno and PAS have stepped up their campaign of fake news and hate speech to discredit DAP, Lim Kit Siang said today.

The DAP MP claimed that it is part of a concerted effort to destabilise the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.

He said recent allegations that DAP is peddling communist ideas, has alleged links to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and wants to form a Christian government are baseless accusations by PAS-Umno to sow hate and present a false narrative to Malaysians.

Lim warned that the escalation of fake news, lies and hate speech was no surprise as November 11 is approaching, which is when the Kuala Lumpur High Court will decide whether former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak walks free or will be ordered to enter his defence on seven charges of abuse of power, corruption and money-laundering involving RM42 million of funds from SRC International.

“We are seeing in Malaysia a mutation of the spread of fake news and hate speech using unrelated old photos, videos, messages and lies to create a new false narrative in social media, even alleging that I am related to former Malayan Communist Party leader Chin Peng, which are barefaced lies,” Lim said in his speech during the Kedah DAP State Convention in Alor Setar today.

“A PAS leader has joined an Umno leader to call for the banning of DAP, replete with lies, fake news and hate speech.

“Malaysians must not fall victim to the lies, fake news and hate speech which are emerging to be a great threat to the unity, harmony and even survival of Malaysia as a plural society.”

Lim said the LTTE have been defunct since 2009 and DAP had never in the past or now supported them. He also rubbished claims of a Christian Malaysia and the spread of Communism.

In Parliament yesterday, Opposition leader Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob led several other Umno MPs in calling for DAP to be outlawed if its leaders are proven to be connected to the controversial Belt and Road Initiative for Win-Winism comic book authored by a former member, Hew Kuan Yau.

The Umno vice-president demanded the Home Ministry investigate the ruling PH component party to see if its leaders were involved in the publication of said comic book.

Apart from that two DAP members, Gadek assemblyman G. Saminathan, who is also a Melaka state executive councillor, and Seremban Jaya assemblyman P. Gunasekaren were arrested by Bukit Aman officers for alleged ties to LTTE.

The arrests have marred the image of DAP in the eyes of a section of Malaysia’s Malay-Muslim majority as a political party that harbours racial extremists.