The burning of effigies of DAP leaders at a Kota Baru Umno event shows the party is spiralling out of control under Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s leadership, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim said.

Anwar said this in a message through his lawyers from the Sungai Buloh prison, where he has been incarcerated for six months for sodomy.

He said the burning of effigies of DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and his father and party veteran Lim Kit Siang is “disgraceful and uncultured act, which carries a racial slant”.

“The Umno leadership under Najib is increasingly intolerant, irresponsibly relying upon race and religion in an attempt to remain relevant.

“The tactic of demonizing opposition figures is reminiscent of authoritarian statecraft,” he said.

He urged Umno leaders to pluck up the courage to face dissent through reasoned debate, and not to use the law to silence criticism.

“Laws must be wielded to protect society, and not to cow and intimidate the people,” he said.

The Kota Baru Umno effigy-burning event last week was in the lead up to the Himpunan Rakyat Bersatu rally tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s rally is to counter the Bersih 4 rally, with organisers claiming the mostly ethnic Chinese rally-goers had wounded Malay feelings by insulting Malay leaders.

Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Mansor, however, said the rally is to show support to the government and anyone can attend the rally to show love for the nation.

The Bersih 4 rally on Aug 29 and 30 had among others called for Najib’s resignation, following allegations of corruption.

Najib maintains that he has never taken public funds for private use, and laments a conspiracy to topple him.

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