TELUK INTAN Umno must cease it race-themed cries, declaring any criticism of the party an insult to all Malays and Islam, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said.

Umno, he said, must come it its senses and realise that it is merely a party, while Malays are a race.

He also reminded his former party that it has Christian members who are non-Malays but nonetheless bumiputeras.

“Its true Umno represents the Malays, but there are Christian members in Sabah and Sarawak.

“Malay is a race, Umno is a party. That is why I cannot bring myself to equate Malays with Umno, Anwar said.

He was addressing some 200 people during a ceramah at the Perak PKR Youth operations centre in Kampung Terengganu, Teluk Intan, last night.        

The PKR de facto leader said Umno must also stop pretending it is the defender of Islam as history has proven the party has rejected hudud since the time of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In fact, he claimed, back when he was in Umno, his wife, now PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, was teased for adorning the headscarf.

“Which Umno wants hudud?

“My name is Anwar Ibrahim and I used to be the vice-president of Umno.

"When Kelantan wanted to implement hudud before, who wrote a letter in warning? Mahathir,” he said, full of energy despite his hand in a sling from a recent road accident.

On the coming Teluk Intan by-election, Anwar expressed hope that DAP candidate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud remained strong to face the personal attacks thrown at her during campaign.

    

At the same time, Gerakan, which is fielding its president Mah Siew Keong as its candidate, must explain its handling of Malay land while the party had governed Penang.

“Malay land that is finished, that was under Gerakan’s chief minister.

“Answer that first. Do not insult Dyana Sofya,” Anwar added.

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