'Pakatan Nasional' a clear and present danger

Pakatan Nasional will allow PAS and BN to replace Pakatan Harapan and a Malaysian government through the back door with a new Muslim dominated Federal government that would be openly hostile to non-Muslims, the Federal Constitution, and democratic institutions. 

Pakatan Nasional poses a clear and present danger to the Malaysian way of life following PAS leaders clear and unequivocal declaration that they do not want non-Muslims as cabinet ministers, especially key posts like the Finance Ministry, even though there is no such prohibition in the Federal Constitution.

Such a dangerous, divisive and destructive politics is consistent with racist and religious extremist statements from PAS and Umno leaders, that were condoned by both MCA and MIC, as follow:

• opposes funding for vernacular schools with some even calling for it to be closed down,

• boycott non-Muslim products and businesses,

• bar non-Muslims from becoming Cabinet Ministers;

• dispossess Indians and Chinese the right to vote,

• show outright contempt for the religious celebrations and practices of non-Muslims; and

• spread vicious lies against non-Muslims that is justifiable just because they are non-Muslims.

Major newspapers that leans towards these opposition parties, such as the English daily the Star and Chinese daily Sin Chew Jit Poh have gone to town touting the new Pakatan Nasional as the new Federal government despite knowing that Pakatan Nasional will extinguish the existing rights of their own non-Muslim and non-Malay readers. 

Further, the PAS leaders' unbridled hostility to the West and modern technology will usher in a dark age for Malaysia like in Kelantan, where the only thing modern is luxury Mercedes Benz cars, and leaders getting RM50,000 bonuses is more important than the ability to pay the salaries of their own civil servants.

Harapan is the only coalition that represents all Malaysians and firmly rejects racists and religious extremists trying to regain the power they had earlier lost through corruption and economic mismanagement, by targeting non-Malays and non-Muslims. Harapan wants shared prosperity that is inclusive, not exclusive, to only one group.

The time has come for not just non-Malays and non-Muslims but all Malaysians to stand up for moderation based on democracy, rule of law, performance and integrity that respects and protects the rakyat, regardless of race, religion, geography and demography. Being moderate is neither appeasement nor confrontational.

Being moderate is the knowledge that we are stronger together only by working and cooperating with each other to resolve problems as one nation and one people. 

Our primary focus is always on helping parents to protect their families, improve the economy, reduce the cost of living, generate a higher living standard and ensuring a better future for our children that they can live better than their parents.

LIM GUAN ENG is finance minister and MP for Bagan.