Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 15.11.2021:
Will GPS, MCA And MIC Ministers Dare To Draw The Red Line In Cabinet Meeting This Week Against PAS Extremist Policies?
DAP MPs will pursue in Parliament to demand a full public apology from one PAS minister and the other a PAS deputy minister for disgraceful behaviour with their unseemly confrontation with a female reporter that is not befitting of a member of the Federal government. The two PAS leaders were arrogant and personally attacked the FMT reporter, Minderjeet Kaur, by bringing in her family member over her repeated questions about a ban on gaming outlets in Kedah. Both leaders have once again shown the true face of PAS as a heartless bully of minorities and women, who have no place under the extremist policies of PAS.
PAS vice-president Idris Ahmad, a senator who is religious affairs minister, pointedly asked if Minderjeet could tolerate her husband being a gambler, while Awang Hashim, who is deputy human resources minister and MP for Pendang, insisted that she ask the question in Bahasa Malaysia, even questioning whether she is a Malaysian. This may be acceptable behaviour for PAS leaders in their party who admire the Taliban government in Afghanistan but not to Malaysians who have rights under the Federal Constitution.
Idris was wrong and lied when he said everyone, both Muslims and non-Muslims, are against gambling. There are some non-Muslims who are against gambling but not everyone wants to ban gambling. Gambling should not be banned merely because one is personally opposed to gambling. A leader should not be forcibly imposing his own personal moral values on others who should be free to choose. PAS is taking a simplistic and narrow position from an extremist political viewpoint without bothering about the social and financial implications.
DAP agrees that there should be restrictions imposed such as prohibiting Muslims and also address the attendant social problems involved. Further any ban or gambling will only benefit illegal gambling operators who will be able to increase their business as well as worsen corruption in the police for illegal betting syndicates. That is the reason why gambling is legalised in many countries to curb illegal betting operators. The high excise duties imposed on cigarettes and alcohol has not deterred but facilitated the expansion of smuggled or illegal or contraband goods in the country.
This sudden and hasty decision to ban all betting outlets in Kedah by PAS Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor is clearly tied to PAS extremist approach to drum up support for PAS candidates in the Melaka state elections. However this sudden and hasty decision by the Kedah state government without any consultation with the stakeholders have not only ignored the cultural diversity, customary lifestyle and business practices that have gone on since Merdeka in 1957, but also affected the revenue for those who have invested in the gambling outlets.
Why have MCA, GPS and MIC Ministers being so quiet about PAS extremist policies? Will these Ministers dare to draw a red line and demand in this week’s Cabinet meeting that Cabinet direct that this ban be reversed to prove that MCA, GPS and MIC can stand firmly on their position of being able to stop PAS extremist policies?
LIM GUAN ENG
民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼区国会议员林冠英于2021年11月15日在吉隆坡发表文告:
砂盟、马华和国大党部长是否敢在本周内阁会议上划清界限，反对伊斯兰党的极端主义政策？
民主行动党国会议员将在国会要求一名伊斯兰党部长和一名伊斯兰党副部长，为他们不得体对峙女记者的可耻行为，进行公开道歉。这两名伊斯兰党领袖傲慢自大，并人身攻击《自由今日大马》记者敏德杰。当敏德杰重复询问他们有关吉打禁赌令的问题时，在回应中牵扯到对方的家人。这两名领袖再次展现了伊党无情欺凌少数族群和妇女的真面目，后者在伊党的极端政策下没有立足之地。
伊党副主席兼负责宗教事务的首相署部长依德里斯阿末询问敏德杰是否能容忍自己的丈夫是赌徒。而人力资源部副部长兼本同国会议员阿旺哈欣则坚持要对方用马来语提问，甚至质问对方是不是马来西亚人。对于仰慕阿富汗塔利班政府的伊党而言，他们或许可接受这两名领袖的行为，但是对获得联邦宪法赋权的马来西亚人而言，这是不可被接受的行为。
依德里斯阿末指所有人，包括穆斯林和非穆斯林都反对赌博，这个说法是错误的。的确，有一些非穆斯林是反对赌博的，但并不是每一个人都想禁止赌博。当局不应该仅仅因为个人的反对而禁止赌博。领袖不应该将自己的个人道德价值观强加在其他可自由做出选择的人士的身上。伊党从极端政治观点出发，采取简化和狭隘立场，而没有考虑到社会和经济影响。
行动党同意应实施限制，如禁止穆斯林参与这些活动，及解决后续的社会问题。再者，禁赌令只会让提高非法赌博业者的生意，令他们受益，并加剧警方与非法赌博集团之间的贪腐问题。这就是为何许多国家将赌博合法化，以遏止非法博彩业者。正如我国对香烟和酒精征收高额税务后，非但没有阻止，反而促进和扩大了走私或违禁品的业务。
来自伊党的吉打大臣沙努西这么突然和仓促的禁赌令，显然与伊党要以此极端主次方法为其马六甲州选候选人争取支持有关。不过，吉打州政府在没有与利益相关者进行任何协商的情况下做出这项突然而仓促的决定，不仅无视了我国自1957年独立以来的多样文化、生活方式和商业惯例，也影响了那些投资博彩店的人士的收入。
为何马华、砂盟和国大党部长对伊党的极端主义政策沉默以对？这些部长是否敢在本周内阁会议上划清界限，要求内阁撤销这项禁令，以证明马华、砂盟和国大党能够站稳立场，阻止伊斯兰党的极端主义政策？
林冠英