Why not bar 'anti-Christian' minister from S'wak, Adenan asked
Why was Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid not barred from Sarawak, despite having insulted Christians who are a sizeable population in the state, Sarawak PKR wants to know.
"Chief Minister Adenan Satem has pledged to keep extremists out of Sarawak.
"I want him to explain why this religious bigot (Mahdzir) is welcomed into Sarawak when the government bans opposition leaders for no good reason," Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian asked in a statement today.
Baru was referencing to remarks Mahdzir made last year at the Hulu Langat Umno annual meeting.
In his speech, Mahdzir claimed Sarawak Report , which had reported claims of misappropriation in state-owned 1MDB and the RM2.6 billion deposited into the prime minister's personal bank accounts, was part of a Christian and Jewish conspiracy to split Muslims.
"The Jews and the Christians have pledged that as long as there is the moon and the stars, as long as the end of the world is not here yet, they will decide that Muhammad's followers will be confused and split among themselves. This is the pledge of the Jews and Christians.
"And today, those who do things to us are not only from within the country, but from outside the country, like Sarawak Report , which does not operate from Kuching," Mahdzir ( photo ) reportedly said.
Despite brickbats , Mahdzir has not apologised for his remarks.
As such, Baru wants Adenan to remind the education minister of this incident, and make him apologise.
"If you are unable to extract an apology from him, then Sarawakians will be left to judge for themselves whether you are a man of your words or merely one of ‘them’ – the Umno type who preach the 1Malaysia slogan but fail miserably in practising it," the Ba'kelalan assemblyperson said.
Mahdzir is in Sarawak for talks with Adenan regarding the state's education system.
This in regard to Sarawak's stance on English as a teaching medium, the conditions of rural schools in the state and on the placement of more local teachers to teach in Sarawak schools.
For more news and views that matter, subscribe and support independent media for only RM0.36 sen a day:
Subscribe now