Calls to support the unity government should not be made personal, says Ahmad Maslan

KUALA LUMPUR, May 24 — Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan has once again clarified that he did not ask Umno members to vote in the name of DAP but in the name of the unity government.

He said this was not a personal issue and it should not be used to accuse someone of being infidel.

“We cannot say that a person is infidel because I said, ‘not because of DAP but because of a unity government and we have to help each other’.

“I want to say that, PAS has been with DAP during the Pakatan Rakyat before this, Bersatu has been with DAP too and the PAS president had once said ‘vote for DAP’ but we never said they are infidels as it had nothing to with faith (akidah).

“When DAP signed the New Malaysia Declaration 2019, they pledged to defend the rights of Bumiputera, the sovereignty of the King and the Malay Rulers and the special status of Islam, this shows that it has nothing to do with faith when we are in the unity government together,” Ahmad Maslan told reporters today in Parliament.

The Umno Pontian MP was referring a Facebook account which uploaded a post of him replacing his face with a picture of a pig with the word kafir written on it.

The photo he said was uploaded in reference to his statement to ‘vote not in the name of a party or DAP but in the name of the unity government’ when he was asked by reporters when met last week.

“Police reports have been made in Sabah, Pontian (Johor) and several other places and Umno Youth will make a police report today.

“I’ve been bashed many times before this but I’ve never made any police reports, and this time I didn’t ask anyone to make police reports but the reports were made because it has gotten too far where my face was edited into a face of a pig and the word kafir was written on it.

“I’m not saying that a particular political party did this, but it reflects shallow mindedness.

“Again I would like to say that it is not in the name of DAP but in the name of unity government and we should help each other,” he said.

He gave an example for instance in Pontian, a Malay DAP candidate during the 15th general election won 15,901 votes, should DAP still contest there.

“These 16,000 voters, who will they vote after this? Maybe they will vote for an Umno candidate as it will help us in related areas, this is the nature of politics whereby we will also help them in related areas,” Ahmad said.

He stressed that he did not want to put the blame on anyone but it could happen to anyone and it is political harmony is needed in Malaysia.