Media Statement (2) by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, 2^nd February 2010: 

Jamil Khir, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department should be suspended or even removed as Minister for Jakim’s open insubordination and insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept

Senator Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in direct charge of Jakim, should be suspended or even removed as Minister if he cannot give a full and satisfactory explanation to Cabinet and the nation for Jakim’s open insubordination and insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and vision.

If the Cabinet tomorrow is not prepared to discuss and take strong action against Jakim and the civil servants involved in the open insubordination and insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept, then the Cabinet Ministers are not fit or qualified to continue in office.

Last Thursday, on the same day that the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was launching the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre on Thursday, JAKIM (Islamic Development Department) of the Prime Minister’s Department organized a forum for 800 civil servants which was tantamount to open insurbordination and insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and vision.

At this Jakim forum, speakers including civil servants like Zamihan Mat Zin from the Institut Latihan Islam Malaysia, Mohd Aizam Masod from Jakim’s research department and Mahammad Nasir Disa, deputy chief of Syariah Research Department of the Attorney-General’s office made speeches which were completely inimical and detrimental to Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan and spirit, turning the forum into an inflammatory and incendiary gathering going against all notions of a 1Malaysia objective and vision.

At the Jakim forum for civil servants, Christians were blamed for provoking Muslim anger by challenging the ban on their use of the word “Allah” and politicians, particularly those from Umno/Barisan Nasional were also blamed for failing to defend Islam, with Zamihan for instance openly blasting politicians for being vocal only on Malay rights but doing little for Islam.

Zamihan even went as far as suggesting that a repeat of the May 13 racial riots was possible if the Christians, whom he accused of practising “extremism” did not “back down”, uttering the threat: “Who knows, there might be a Feb 13?” (Malaysian Insider 28.1.10)

The special forum for 800 civil servants organised by Jakim last Thursday, and the divisive, intolerant, incendiary and inflammatory speeches raising the spectre of another May 13 must be condemned in the strongest possible terms as downright irresponsible and anti-national as they run contrary to the proclaimed objectives of the 1Malaysia slogan and vision advocated by Najib.

If the Cabinet does not take any action tomorrow, police reports may be lodged against Jakim for its insubordination and insurrection against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept for organizing anti-national, inflammatory and seditious forum for 800 civil servants last Thursday.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor