Stand Up For Our Rights Against Extremist Policies That Seek To Divide The Rakyat For Political Gain And Distract Attention From The Problems Of COVID-19, Economic Recession, Injustice, Political Cronyism And Corruption.
The Melaka state government ask voters to support them in return for political stability and ensure a Malay-Muslim government. There is already a Malay-Muslim government in Melaka and at the Federal government but yet it is a warring PN and BN coalition that openly battles and attacks each other in the Melaka state general election. Voting the present coalition in would only return the same warring coalition that is focused on fighting each other for power and position more than looking after the interests of the rakyat.
Deploying lies by appealing to racist and extremist sentiments does not hide the fact that discriminating against minorities is not only immoral and against the basic tenets of the Federal Constitution, it is also divisive and does not bring any benefits to Malaysians, including the Malays/Muslims themselves. How does the sand projects sold to cronies help the ordinary Malaccan and Malay/Muslim?
How does the massive land reclamation projects in Malacca, not in one or two spots, but covering the entire coastal line in Malacca help Malays/Muslims especially the livelihood of the fishermen mainly Malay/Muslims. To cover up their inability to answer, racist and extremist sentiments are played up by BN and PN to distract attention.
That is why policies targeted against non-Muslims such as the ban on sale of alcohol in sundry shops/grocery stores and medicine shops by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall or the sudden ban on gaming number outlets in Kedah even though sold to only non-Muslims, is suddenly announced.
These businesses have been operating without any problems since Merdeka in 1957 to try to blind Malays and Muslims from the real problems of their abysmal failure in managing COVID-19 pandemic and the economic recession.
Such extremist tactics presupposes that Malays/Muslims are easily gullible as not to be concerned about the real problems that affect their daily lives especially incomes and livelihoods as well as the future, health and safety in the new COVID-19 normal.
Place Sin Taxes In A Special Fund Separate From The Federal Consolidated Fund
Why ban the sale of alcohol in our capital city with a cosmopolitan society when it is sold not to Muslims but to non-Muslims? Why ban gaming outlets in Kedah when it is patronised by non-Muslims? These are all PAS extremist rhetoric to pander to their conservative base. Unfortunately PAS extremism is now condoned by GPS, MCA and MIC Ministers in Cabinet.
Apart from extremism, PAS justifies the ban on alcohol and gaming outlets as to avoid collecting sin taxes because it is immoral. If that is the case, then DAP would not object to such sin taxes being separated from being deposited in the Federal Consolidated Fund, where all expenditures including to Malays and Muslims are spent.
At the moment sin taxes are also deposited in the Federal Consolidated Fund which are used for the annual Budgets and spent on Muslims and religious purposes. Such sin taxes can be placed in a separate fund not in the Federal Consolidated Fund, and spent only on non-Muslims without the fear that it will “tarnish” expenditures on Muslims.
Lim Guan Eng
DAP Secretary-General
