KUCHING, Aug 23: Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president Datuk Liwan Lagang has advised PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to “look in the mirror before commenting on others”.
The Deputy Minister of Utility and Telecommunication pointed out that as the president of PAS, Abdul Hadi should be a father figure to unite all Malaysians, especially due to his party’s religious background, instead of being what he termed to be a “loose cannon”.
The Belaga assemblyman reiterated that as the president of PAS, Abdul Hadi should ensure that his party and his followers are the ‘salt of the earth’ for other Malaysians to emulate.
“Instead, you have not led by example because I have not heard anything positive that has come out of your mouth ever since you insulted us back in 2009,” he said, referring to Abdul Hadi’s negative comments on the Ibans during the Batang Ai by-election in 2009, blaming them for Pakatan Rakyat’s loss in April of that year solely on ignorant ‘cawat’— or loincloth-wearing voters who did not know how to vote.
As such, Liwan wants Prime Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri to censor him and strip him of his Special Ambassadorship post to the Middle East.
“And I would also like to recommend to the Sarawak government that he (Abdul Hadi) be barred for life from entering Sarawak as this Land of the Hornbills should not welcome such awful characters to our shore.
“Sarawak is blessed because our leaders, led by our Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, understand and respect all religions and races in this beloved land.
“If Abdul Hadi is so blind, as he has shown himself to be, he should learn from our premier since he (Abang Johari) is an excellent example of a just and moderate Muslim leader in a multi-racial and multi-religious society,” Liwan reiterated.
Corruption, according to Liwan, is not associated with any race and religion as it is a social disease that must be nipped in the bud and eradicated holistically.
“To say the majority of those who chase illicit gains in Malaysia are non-Muslims and non-Bumiputras is just a sweeping comment without providing proper data and statistics,” he said.
Liwan was commenting on a news report on Aug 20, which reported that Hadi has called for corruption to be eradicated holistically, likening it to a disease and labelled those involved as committing a huge sin.
However, the Marang MP also accused non-Muslims and non-Bumiputera of making up the bulk of what he called “roots of corruption”.
“If we want to deal with corruption, we must first tackle it from the grassroots. If not, it will eventually become a disease. These groups who chase illicit gains are the ones who eventually control the economy.
“They then damage our politics as they are the roots for corruption and the majority of them are non-Muslims and non-Bumiputras,” Abdul Hadi said in a post on his Facebook page on August 20.
It was also reported that Hadi did not provide any elaboration or justification behind his racial claims. — DayakDaily
