Ex-MCA veep cautions against constant demonisation of PAS

Ex-MCA veep cautions against constant demonisation of PAS

PETALING JAYA: A former MCA vice-president has cautioned against the constant demonisation of PAS, warning that such rhetoric could backfire and further polarise Malaysian society.

Ti Lian Ker said that PAS, like other parties, had good and bad leaders.

He said the persistent vilification of PAS would indoctrinate the Chinese community into believing that PAS was “taboo”.

“This is wrong, unhealthy and dangerous. It’s a potential racial time bomb,” the former deputy unity minister said in a podcast last night.

Ti had previously outlined several strategies for PAS to woo Chinese and Indian voters, including doing away with religious and political rhetoric.

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When contacted, he said he was not a supporter of PAS but called for more engagement and dialogue with the Islamic party, which commands the largest bloc of MPs in Parliament.

“MCA may disagree with PAS on some issues, but we must make them understand our fears and perspectives.

“We should stop dismissing them outright,” he said.

He added that the statement by two PAS leaders on avoiding the use of the word “kafir” or infidels on non-Muslims was “a step in the right direction”.

PAS central committee members Dr Halimah Ali and Awang Hashim were quoted as saying by FMT last week that the term should not be used disparagingly to insult others, especially non-Muslims.

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They were responding to a call by the leader of the PAS non-Muslim supporters’ wing for party members to refrain from using terms like “kafir” or “pendatang” (immigrant), as such labels would offend non-Muslims.

On a separate issue, Ti urged his party to “draw the line” and stop being complicit in unpopular government policies by remaining silent, especially since the party was being sidelined.

Ti said MCA leaders, particularly its president Wee Ka Siong, had been too muted on the unfair treatment the party had endured since the formation of the unity government and the electoral pact between Pakatan Harapan and Umno.

“If MCA is unhappy with the government and its policies, then it must have the courage to retract its support. Don’t stay silent and become irrelevant by association,” Ti said in the podcast last night.

“All we lose are the allocations for two MPs,” he added, referring to Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam) and vice-president Wee Jeck Seng (Tanjung Piai).

Ti had sounded the alarm in April over growing restlessness within the party, claiming that MCA was being “led on and sidelined” by new political arrangements.