Kit Siang wants Takiyuddin to apologise over ‘poisonous’ remarks

PETALING JAYA: Tan Sri Lim Kit Siang has demanded an apology from PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (pic) over his “poisonous narratives” remarks.

“Takiyuddin should apologise and withdraw his reference of the Constitutional provision that any Malaysian can be a Prime Minister as ‘poisonous propaganda’ and he should be referred to the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges whether he has violated his oath as an MP to ‘preserve, protect, and defend’ the Constitution,” the DAP veteran said in a statement Wednesday (Dec 20).

He said Takiyuddin should also retract his remarks.

Lim said Takiyuddin “added oil to the fire” when he described the proposal of the DAP Federal Territories chairman Tan Kok Wai to restore local government elections as a “toxic narrative”.

“Instead of asking the Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to ‘control and stop DAP’s toxic narratives’, will Takiyuddin set out to make PAS more moderate and less extremist?,” Lim asked.

He also asked if PAS would become a moderate Islamist party in line with the Malaysian Constitution and Malaysia as a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, and multicultural country.

Takiyuddin had said, on Dec 19, that Anwar should curb the “poisonous narrative” peddled by DAP.

This narrative had brought DAP’s true intentions into question, Takiyuddin added in reference to recent statements by party veterans Lim and Tan.

Lim had said last month that the Federal Constitution did not prevent a non-Malay from being prime minister while Cheras MP Tan, on Sunday (Dec 18), had called for local government elections to be revived.

“PAS is of the view that the motives of their statements (is) to strengthen DAP’s position and power by abandoning the core values that bind all quarters to sane, moderate and reasonable agendas and political culture,” Takiyuddin said in a statement on Tuesday (Dec 19).

“This confirms the worries of several parties, especially Malays, of DAP’s real intentions and whether or not it is genuine in upholding the interests of the country or is solely prioritising its own interests and parochialism,” he added.

He also reminded Tan that the previous government’s decision to abolish local council elections decades ago, as clearly spelt out in the Local Government Act 1976, was aimed at preventing local governments from being controlled by a single ethnic group to prevent racial tensions and disharmony.

Takiyuddin said PAS views these developments seriously, especially those involving veteran DAP leaders.