KUALA LUMPUR: Attempts by Opposition parties to exploit racial and religious issues to win support will bring limited results, said the Prime Minister’s media adviser Datuk A. Kadir Jasin.
Responding to a question from the floor during a dinner talk organised by a law firm here, Kadir said Malaysians of all races had proven that they were united in rejecting such attempts.
“If you go by the May 9 results, the race and religious card are important but I don’t think they have the same kind of weightage as in past.
“I think Malaysians of all races and religions vocied out their opposition to this.
“This idea of trying to use race and religion I don’t think its going to be very much to their advantage,” said Kadir.
He was asked for his view on how real he felt the threat was from Umno and PAS if the parties were to continue to play up racial and religious issues to drum up support.
Kadir said that Malaysians of all races went out to Istana Negara after the general election to ensure that the hard-won democracy was not hijacked.
“I think we have to give a lot of credit to all of us in Malaysia,” he said.
The dinner talk was organised by the Lee Hishammuddin Allen and Gledhill law firm as part of its annual Up Close and Personal series of talks.
The topic of Kadir’s talk was, “Post-9 May – Where are we heading to in this new Malaysia?”
To another question, Kadir said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should be made to wear the orange coloured Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) orange lock up T-shirt after being arrested on corruption charges.
He was asked why Najib was not made to wear the T-shirt after being arrested and when taken to court.
“About Najib not wearing orange T shirt, it puzzles me, he should be made to wear it, I’m sure there's one his size.”
Kadir said justice must not only be done but be seen to be done.
“I think it’s not to late to have all the people (arrested) wearing the t-shirt, and the lawyers who are present tonight must say they must be made to wear the orange t-shirt,” he told the audience.
Kadir was also asked whether it was true that law enforcement authorities would not go after former ministers who served in Tun Dr Mahathir
Mohamad’s Cabinet when he served as the country’s fourth Prime Minister, and were only out to prosecute former ministers who did not serve in his Cabinet.
Kadir denied such a notion, pointing out that Najib was a long-serving member of Dr Mahathir’s Cabinet in the past.
To a question on unhappiness by voters who felt cheated by Pakatan Harapan inability to deliver on some of its election manifesto pledges, Kadir said that the Government never said that it would not implement its pledges.
“We are implementing, and those pledges we could not implement we will explain to the people by telling them the truth that there is no way under the current economic and financial situation can we do these things.
“The Government is starting to say this but they have to say much more clearly what can and cannot be done,” said Kadir.
