By Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang
Sin Chew Jit Poh today headlined the announcement of an Islamic caliphate by Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL) as the leader of all Muslims in the world in the name of the religion of Islam with full civil powers. It is therefore important that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak must immediately withdraw his call for UMNO members to emulate Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s (ISIL) courage to prove that Najib is not condoning the militant and terror tactics of a terrorist organisation and to vouchsafe his credentials as a moderate leader of peace.
About a week ago, Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak shocked the nation and the international community by calling upon UMNO members to emulate the bravery of ISIL. Najib was impressed that ISIL had succeeded in defeating the Iraqi army of 30,000 soldiers with the strength of only 1,300 militants including terrorist suicide bombers. According to Najib in his speech at an UMNO branch dinner in Cheras, such an act of bravery, “when someone dares to fight to their death”, must be emulated if UMNO is to survive.
This is a most shocking statement by a Prime Minister to praise the bravery of a terrorist organization that kills civilians because of differences in race and religious beliefs. Surprisingly such remarks were not highlighted prominently in some Chinese newspapers.
The Prime Minister’s Office has since clarified that Najib’s speech “in no way indicated any support for ISIL”, besides stressing that Malaysia classifies ISIL as a terrorist organisation and has arrested suspected ISIL members in the country. However, this explanation does not in any way absolve Najib of the fact that it was a grossly irresponsible statement to make, especially for a leader purporting to promote moderation through the Global Movement of Moderates.
DAP commends PAS for denouncing ISIL for its terrorist tactics that harms and kills innocent civilians as well as renouncing its members who support ISIL by expelling them from the party. Najib should also show the same commitment and prove that his statement supporting ISIL’s courage was taken out of context by withdrawing such remarks.
There are already reports of Malaysians who have allegedly joined ISIL, and if he refuses to withdraw his remarks, Najib would be perceived to be tacitly condoning or indirectly encouraging terrorism by lauding the bravery of a militant group that uses suicide bombers to harm innocent civilians. Would MCA and Gerakan Ministers dare to make the same call to Najib during the first Cabinet meeting attended by them tomorrow?
DAP leaders will not be distracted by wild MCA attacks to divert attention from the important issue of whether MCA leaders during the Cabinet meeting tomorrow dare to demand in Cabinet that the BN government will not support the implementation of hudud laws and that Malaysia is a secular, not an Islamic state.
