Pakatan Harapan politicians lodge police reports over comments that could incite hatred in Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR: Several Pakatan Harapan (PH) politicians filed police reports on Wednesday (Nov 30) against other politicians for alleged racist comments and hate speech that could incite hatred among Malaysians.

Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) mobilisation director Mohd Sany Hamzan said he had made four separate reports against several politicians following their statements that could also incite hatred against the PH coalition. Amanah is a PH component party.

"I urge Malaysians in particular, to reject any form of racism, the politics of hate, the politics of religion, (and) the politics of pitting one against another.

"We want political parties in this country to have integrity and a sense of responsibility, to be academic, and we have to show this attitude to the community," said Mr Mohd Sany, according to Bernama. 

The police reports were filed together with other PH politicians, as well as those from the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (MUDA) at the Dang Wangi police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. MUDA has an electoral pact with PH.

It is not clear which politicians the complaints were filed against.

Last Saturday, Mr Mohd Sany also filed a police report at the Dang Wangi police headquarters and urged Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to take firm and immediate action against individuals who played up religious sentiments and raised racial issues during the 15th General Election (GE15).

There have been instances of racist comments and hate speech during the campaigning period and following the appointment of Mr Anwar Ibrahim as the country’s prime minister. 

Local media said that police reports were lodged after Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang accused the Democratic Action Party (DAP), a component party of PH, of spreading Islamophobia.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr Abdul Hadi said that PAS was targeted by DAP because the Islamic party managed to win the most seats among all political parties. 

“They commit slander against Islam… especially against PAS.

“DAP continues to be extreme towards the culture of Muslims which it wants to subtly and systematically destroy,” he said. 

He said on Tuesday that he is willing to cooperate with the authorities and even present himself at the police headquarters in Bukit Aman following the complaints.

Mr Abdul Hadi and other PAS members have been painting the DAP as enemies of Islam and portraying the unity government formed by PH, Barisan Nasional, Gabungan Parti Sarawak and Gabungan Rakyat Sabah as a “minority government”. 

Meanwhile, they have referred to the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition as the “real” majority.

Mr Hassan Saad, another PAS politician and Kedah’s Baling MP, is currently being investigated for portraying Mr Anwar as an Israeli agent, according to Malay Mail. 

Malaysian police confirmed on Tuesday that it has commenced investigations over Mr Hassan who is being probed under Section 504 and Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation and intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace respectively.

Police secretary Noorsiah Saaduddin also said the case is being probed under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act for improper use of network facilities.

The allegation against Mr Anwar was made in a viral recording of a woman claiming that there was “Israeli influence” behind his appointment as prime minister.

In the recording, the woman is heard claiming that Mr Hassan told her after the general election that PAS had secured enough votes to form the government.

The woman alleged that Mr Anwar had “contacted Israel and foreign powers” to interfere in the matter, according to the Malay Mail report.

Meanwhile, the deputy chief of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) youth wing Kamil Munim has urged PN leaders to stop engaging in hate speech and spreading slander to cause disharmony and create fear among Malays.

“The trend of hate speech, spreading lies and insulting others since before the election until now when a prime minister has been sworn in, is to cause fear among the Malays.”

“To link the prime minister with Israel is an old tactic, recycled by PAS with ill intention to instil fear in the Malay-Muslim community,” Mr Kamil was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insight on Wednesday.