Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, 11^th August 2012: 

Najib should explain why he authorised Utusan Malaysia’s 4-day despicable and seditious “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign

This is the fourth consecutive day that the UMNO newspaper Utusan Malaysia has conducted its despicable, seditious and anti-national “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign falsely betraying the DAP as anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers to create racial and religious hatred and undermine national unity.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should explain whether he had authorized or approved the Utusan Malaysia’s four-day despicable, seditious and anti-national “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign when it could be extended to accuse the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, his father Tun Razak and his uncle Tun Hussein Onn as enemies of Islam?

This is because the stand of the DAP in accordance with the Malaysian Constitution, that Malaysia is a secular state with Islam as the official religion of Malaysia, is no different from that of the first three Prime Ministers from 1957 to 1981, and in fact for the next two decades from 1981 to 2001 during the first 20 years of the premiership of Tun Dr. Mahathir until the fourth Prime Minister made the unilateral, arbitrary and unconstitutional declaration at the Gerakan national delegates conference on Sept. 21, 2001 that Malaysia is an Islamic state.

This is why Mahathir could blithely respond yesterday that he could not be equated to the DAP under the Utusan Malaysia “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign, as he had declared Malaysia an Islamic state when in power although he had not implemented hudud.

Does Najib agree with the clear implication of Mahathir’s response that the fourth Prime Minister could escape the strictures of Utusan Malaysia’s “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign, but not the first three Prime Ministers, including his father Tun Razak and uncle Tun Hussein?

Utusan’s despicable, seditious and anti-national campaign on “Haram Sokong DAP” must be condemned by all right-thinking Malaysians, whether in Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, as it is scraping the bottom of the barrel in the most irresponsible and unprincipled politicking trying to fan racial ill-will and conflict in a multi-racial and multi-religious society.

Only in Johor Bahru early this week, Najib said that Islam should not be politicized by any quarters in this country to become “political fodder”.

Why then is he as Prime Minister and UMNO President allowing the UMNO newspaper, Utusan Malaysia, to embark on such a despicable, seditious and anti-national “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign for four consecutive days – to the extent that even the first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia have become vulnerable to attacks in any extension of such a Utusan campaign?

Najib owes Malaysians a clear explanation whether he had authorized or approved the Utusan’s despicable, seditious and anti-national “Haram Sokong DAP” campaign, or whether he is prepared to publicly dissociate himself from it and condemn the Utusan Malaysia campaign as a deplorable example of belitting Islam by making the religion the political fodder by some political quarters which he had denounced in Johor Bahru just a few days ago.

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