'Held back by 3R ban', Hadi urges govt to be open to advice

PARLIAMENT | The government should not consider itself beyond reproach and open up space to receive advice, said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

“To ensure justice, there must be freedom to give advice but we are held back by 3R (race, religion, and royalty).

“3R means leaders cannot be criticised, nor can any errors in matters of religion be mentioned.

“In Islam, Allah instructs us in the Quran to speak the truth and be patient in doing so,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Hadi was referring to the government clamping down on 3R speech which Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has said could disrupt the country’s stability.

Last year, the PAS chief was investigated by the police for alleging that DAP has a “Chinese agenda” and is “out to continue the eradication of the Malay and bumiputera supremacy set in place by British colonisers”.

This March, he faced another investigation over a statement on PAS’ news portal, which allegedly hit out at several parties, including the Malay rulers.

His statement then even attracted a rebuke from Selangor ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah.

Elaborating his point, Hadi lamented that those who touch on 3R issues risk repercussions from the authorities.

“If we advise the government, they may take many actions - evict us from the Dewan Rakyat, ban our entry, and even involve the police in investigations,” he said in Parliament.

However, the 77-year-old reaffirmed his commitment to speaking out against the government’s wrongdoings.

“Our responsibility is to give advice, to correct with firmness and courage, and be steadfast.

“God willing, we will fulfil this duty as the people have entrusted us to serve as MPs who offer constructive feedback and criticism, support what is right, and oppose what is wrong,” he concluded.

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