Muhyiddin once labelled PAS a heretic party, says Lokman

PETALING JAYA: Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who was denounced by Bersatu for accepting his appointment as the head of the unity government’s media secretariat, has reminded the party of its own criticism against PAS.

He added that prior to Bersatu joining hands with PAS in the Perikatan Nasional coalition, the Islamist party was constantly vilified by Bersatu politicians.

Lokman said in 2013, Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had labelled PAS a “heretic party”.

“We still remember many accusations were made by Muhyiddin, among them was that PAS was a heretic party. But now, after they are cooperating (in Perikatan), we never heard Muhyiddin repeat that remark,” he said in an interview yesterday.

It was reported that Muhyiddin, during his tenure as deputy prime minister in 2013, had labelled PAS a heretic party.

Lokman was responding to Bersatu supreme council member Faiz Na’aman, who said in a statement that it was “peculiar” that Lokman, who is Umno supreme council member, was appointed to lead the unity government media team, led by Prime Minister and PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Lokman said Faiz should instead ask Muhyiddin why he did not bring up the Bersatu leader’s negative remarks against PAS prior to their cooperation in Perikatan.

Lokman claimed Faiz was worried about the political inroads made by the unity government.

He added that Umno and Pakatan Harapan leadership, who were foes for decades, were able to cooperate as a team and allowed him to lead the unity government’s media team. Yesterday, Faiz said Lokman had relentlessly criticised Anwar before his appointment as prime minister.

“Isn’t there anyone more capable in PKR to head the Umno-DAP unity government’s media propaganda team?

“It isn’t hard for Malaysians out there to find old ceramah videos and statements by Lokman who insulted Anwar?” said Faiz in a statement on Facebook.

Faiz also said Lokman had once dared Anwar to utter the sumpah laknat (swearing in the face of divine retribution) to deny sodomy allegations.