Stop toxic rants, G25 member tells Opposition

PETALING JAYA: Toxic electioneering during the present campaign in six states, where the Opposition constantly uses race and religion for political support, must stop as it benefits no one and merely divides the public, said G25 member Datuk Noor Farida Mohd Ariffin.

“Using race and religion during election campaigns should not be allowed, and politicians must stay away from such issues.

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has repeatedly called on all politicians to refrain from touching on such issues, but many of those from the Opposition have ignored his advice.”

Noor Farida said the sultans of Selangor and Perak have also been very clear in their views that politicians should steer clear of race and religion, but their advice have also been ignored by some politicians.

She said PAS leaders who command support in the states they control express whatever views they wish without thinking of the consequences, as they believe they will remain in power after the election.

“The only way to bring this to an end is for voters to speak up through their votes by rejecting politicians who exploit race and religion.

“These politicians are only interested in gaining power through any means.”

She urged voters to turn their backs on such politicians and to protect the future of the nation and its unity.

On Tuesday, PAS vice-president and Terengganu Chief Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar accused Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders of employing tactics that threaten and intimidate non-Malays against voting for his party.

He claimed that at a ceramah, Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh gave a speech that “included threats and intimidation towards non-Malays”.

Samsuri also claimed Yeoh’s statement mentioned that if PH loses in the state election, the Selangor menteri besar would be from PAS and the removal of PH in the state election will be an act of
self-punishment and punishment for future generations which could be construed as intimidation.

In defending herself against Samsuri’s accusations, Yeoh, who is also Youth and Sports minister, said on X (formerly Twitter): “I gave a talk in Selangor: ‘... you are punishing yourself if you choose to remove the MB (menteri besar) from PKR that you have today and change him to the menteri besar of PAS’.

“PAS/PN jumped. MB Terengganu rebuked me. This is a fact. Not incitement.”

Yeoh also pointed out the difference between the two personalities when she said Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari was present in Selangor when major floods hit the nation while Ahmad Samsuri was on holiday in New Zealand.

At the ceramah, a video of which has been widely viewed, she urged voters to get their families, no matter where in the state they are, to go out and vote to uphold PH’s mandate.

Yeoh said in the video Perikatan Nasional (PN) rules Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu while PH only has three states – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang – and Barisan Nasional (BN), which is part of the unity government, controls Johor, Malacca, Pahang and Perak.

She said if PN takes the three PH states because PH supporters think the party is the federal government and are comfortable with it, PH will lose the three states it has
that are very important economically.

“Don’t listen to people who say let’s punish PH, as the party is not being punished. But the voters are punishing themselves if they choose to give away the PKR MB they have today and exchange him for a PAS MB.

“The voters are not punishing PH but their children and grandchildren in Selangor. Remind people they are punishing themselves as PH only has three states. PN has nothing to lose. PH has everything to lose.”

Nowhere in the video could Yeoh be heard touching on race or religion. She merely urged voters to safeguard “the three PH states as they are the precious reserves that have been kept all these years for emergency use”.

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