Press Statement
25th January 2021

MIC and MCA should demand PN Presidential Council to censure Kedah MB and demand reversal of Thaipusam’s cancellation as a public holiday, failing which MIC should launch a nationwide “Boycott PAS Campaign” for religious insensitivity and intolerance towards other faiths

I read the statement of Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor with grave concern. He ridiculed legitimate criticisms of MIC leaders on the cancellation of the Thaipusam public holiday in Kedah. Sanusi said he will ignore MIC’s warnings that said that it will not support him in the 15th general election (GE15) as MIC members supported Pakatan Harapan in GE14.

The Kedah MB has been making a series of wild statements that hurt the Hindu community since he took over the MB post. So far only MIC and MCA leaders in PN have refuted his racist statement, but the rest of the members in PN have been silent on his racist and discriminatory policy. Non-criticism will be seen as supporting the MB.

If PN leaders still regard the coalition as a multiracial and multi-religious coalition, then MIC and MCA should demand the PN Presidential Council to censure the Kedah MB and demand the reversal of Thaipusam’s cancellation as a public holiday, failing which MIC should launch a nationwide “Boycott PAS Campaign” for religious insensitivity and intolerance towards other faiths.

Since this PAS MB has shown utter contempt towards the festivals of non-Muslims and openly declared that his party doesn’t need Indian votes, it is high time for MIC leaders to teach PAS a lesson by initiating a nationwide campaign to boycott PAS now, and to pave the way to encourage more peace-loving Malaysians to boycott PAS in the coming GE.

On top of that, it is also time for all PN component parties, particularly those from Sabah and Sarawak to voice out their protests against the divisive and discriminatory pronouncement of the PAS-led government in Kedah. Because if the PAS-led government can implement such a discriminatory policy in Kedah, it will also surely push for other racially discriminatory policies in other states too. It is time for all component parties in PN to take a stand on this issue which smacks of racism, amongst others.

PAS has a short memory and will suffer the same way UMNO did when Ali Rustam made several racist statements in GE13 some years ago and subsequently lost his seat. History has a strange way of repeating itself. Beware Sanusi.

Teresa Kok
MP for Seputeh