KUCHING, Nov 15: Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii opined Malaysia is sliding down a slippery slope of extreme conservatism at the expense of rights and freedoms of non-Muslims even in a pluralistic society like Malaysia.
Dr Yii in a statement today said even though the Cabinet recently announced that it had agreed for award-winning whisky brand Timah to keep its name, this has set a dangerous trend and precedent in the country.
He highlighted the Kedah state government’s recent ban of 4D gambling and Kuala Lumpur’s ban on the sale of spirits in grocery stores as part of the worrying trend.
“And here in Sarawak, we cannot think we are fully isolated from this and be naïve to think that this does not affect us.
“How about Sarawakians living in Kedah or working in West Malaysia who are affected by these extreme laws and restrictions? Do we not speak out for them too?” he questioned.
Dr Yii asserted that this trend is significantly strengthening especially when certain political parties chose to betray the election mandate by the people and instead put extreme religious parties in power which have no to little regards for rights of non-Muslims.
He said eventually if these parties continue to be given a foot in power, they have every platform to infiltrate and influence national policies including education that will have a huge bearing and influence on future generations.
“We are a multiracial and multicultural society, and we should we take pride in moderation and move away from extreme conservative trends,” he added. — DayakDaily
