BUKIT MERTAJAM – Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has brushed aside the notion of a political “green wave” in the upcoming six state elections.
He said the issue is more to do with failure to counter fallacious propaganda and racial rhetoric by certain quarters.
“It is about the failure to address some of the concerns. Failure to fight off the incessant propaganda. (These are) nonsensical issues brought up by some PAS leaders.”
Anwar said this after attending Qurban Perdana at the futsal court in Arowana, Permatang Pauh.
Anwar, who is on a half-day visit to mainland Penang, has three programmes here before he heads back to Kuala Lumpur later today.
Questioned about his strategy for the six state elections, the Pakatan Harapan chairman indicated that it would be revealed some time after the Hari Raya Aidiladha season.
He commented that there were “good vibes” at the festive event he was present at, with the crowd also including PAS people.
On the issues raised by PAS, Anwar replied that the problem was because nobody questioned some of the party’s ulama, and said that he does not buy the “green wave” narrative.
“I do not buy the narrative about the green wave. It is also about the failure to address some of the concerns (of voters) and to counter effectively the incessant propaganda based on the race card and religious sentiments.”
Some of these, he noted, are nonsensical issues such as that of Prophet Adam having allegedly landed in Gunung Jerai in Kedah.
“What is wrong with this country? There are facts to acknowledge. The notion that the third caliph was in Kedah was tolerated out of ignorance. There is more loyalty to the party than to the religion itself,” he said.
Anwar said that some ulama should commit to the true teachings of Islam and bar certain quarters from preaching falsehoods about the religion.
This is especially so in the assertion that those who counter PAS are enemies of Islam, he stressed.
“It is no longer just a political narrative. It is dangerous for the country to go on such paths. And when we counter it, they (opposition) claim that we disrespect the ulama. We must have the courage and ability to address such nonsense from rivals.”
Anwar said that his message to the ruling PH coalition and Umno is that they do not just have to deal with winning the state elections, but also with saving the country from this “crazy group”, bent on peddling the race card and religious bigotry.
He also reiterated that the Malay Rulers’ Council has decreed that mosques should not become a platform to preach slander and pit one against another over race or religious issues. – The Vibes, June 30, 2023
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