The Cabinet must repudiate Abdul Rahman Dahlan's racist and extremist support for Perkasa Ibrahim Ali's right to burn the Bible

The Cabinet must repudiate Urban Wellbeing, Housing And Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s racist and extremist support for Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali’s right to burn the Bible or else be tarred as a cabinet that fails to represent all Malaysians. Abdul Rahman had said that Ibrahim had already explained that his remark was merely to correct the error of printing the said bibles, and burning them was the proper thing to do just as Muslims burn copies of the Quran that have misprints.

This is a shocking statement. How can it be proper for a racist and extremist like Ibrahim to burn the Bible as an act of correcting the Bible? Just as non-Muslims should not be allowed to burn holy books of other religions, Ibrahim Ali should not be allowed to burn the Bible especially when this is done as a protest against Christianity.

No one can understand the logic and rationale for Abdul Rahman’s statement that Ibrahim Ali's urging to burn bibles containing the word ‘Allah’ cannot be compared with the present case against the sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee for insulting Muslims. By failing to act against Ibrahim Ali, one can only conclude that insults against non-Islamic religions are permitted.

Whilst DAP supports action against the couple because they were made against another religion, why should a racist and anti non-Muslim and anti non-Malay like Ibrahim Ali’s threat of burning the Bible not be similarly punished for threatening interfaith harmony? For Abdul Rahman to even state that Ibrahim Ali’s threat to burn the Bible was normal is a reflection that both of them share a twisted mind that is anti non-Muslim, which has clearly buried Prime Minister 1Malaysia concept.

Malaysians are also asking why the young couple can be punished for their Facebook posting but not BN candidate for Shah Alam Zulkifli Noordin anti-Hindu statements in the You Tube? Clearly BN practices double-standards and selective prosecution by only punishing anti-Muslim statements but not anti non-Muslim statements.

The important question now is whether Cabinet including both Muslim and non-Muslim, will address such shocking remarks from a new Minister from Sabah that has no respect for Christians and non-Muslims. Can Cabinet members, especially non-Muslim Ministers, accept Abdul Rahman’s racist and extremist views that insults against their religion are normal?

Lim Guan Eng DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan