Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, 13^th January 2010: 

Hishammuddin is too truculent and controversial an Umno leader to be a good and professional Home Minister to inspire confidence of all Malaysians that he will not use his ministerial powers for party political ends

“KDN akan ambil tindakan keatas Anwar – Jika sengaja guna isu agama perkauman berhubung insiden serangan gereja” is the Utusan Malaysia headline today, whose real casualty is public confidence in Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein as a good and effective Home Minister who could resolve the crisis caused by attacks on places of worship and church arson tarnishing Malaysia’s international reputation as an international example of inter-religious harmony, peace and goodwill.

Hishammuddin is too truculent and controversial an Umno leader to be a good and professional Home Minister to inspire confidence of all Malaysians that he will not use his ministerial powers for party political ends.

Why is Hishammuddin talking about action against Anwar when he has not been able to take any action in the past five days against anyone for the spate of attacks on places of worship, whether church, surau or Sikh temple which have placed at risk billions of ringgit which might otherwise benefit Malaysia in the form of foreign investment, tourism and educational opportunities?

Such truculence and controversial stance from Hishammuddin is all the more unbecoming when he cannot completely disclaim responsibility for the present deplorable state of affairs because of his irresponsible and insensitive statement last Thursday that the government did not prohibit the people from expressing their views over the use of the word “Allah” by the Catholic weekly magazine Herald.

It is regrettable that Hishammuddin did not make use of his one-hour TV3 Soal Jawab session to admit his mistake and apologise for his irresponsible and insensitive statement last Thursday, but instead, to continue to make truculent statements and baseless accusations against Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

This is the time for Hishammdudin to be a good, effective, non-controversial and professional Home Minister and to stop playing Umno politics.

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