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KOTA KINABALU – Sri Tanjong’s Warisan assemblyman Justin Wong has asked Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor to ban PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang from entering Sabah following the PAS leader’s insensitive remarks of late.
Wong said another PAS leader calling for a ban on international artists’ concerts in the country has once again proved that the party is promoting and disseminating cult-like extremism, which is seen to be condoned by the Sabah government led by Hajiji.
“The sensitivity is akin to a threat to Sabahans who have been and will always be embracing multiculturalism.
“Hajiji should be the first person to come out and denounce his counterpart in Perikatan Nasional, while still a member of Bersatu.
“Therefore, I call on the chief minister who always claims to be a liberal and moderate leader, to openly make a stand on this with PAS, including banning the PAS president from entering Sabah,” he said in a statement today.
Wong stressed that PAS leaders are notorious for expressing extreme and racial remarks that would divide Malaysians based on their race and religion, and the government must take a proactive approach to protect the secular society.
“International pop stars have the right to entertain the people; it should not be up to politicians to decide whether artists could hold concerts in Malaysia.
“It will not cause social issues; in fact, it should be seen as a cross-cultural platform that can resonate with every Malaysian irrespective of their race and religion.
“Most importantly, it will bring an immeasurable amount of joy to the audience,” he said.
Meanwhile, Wong cited the recent remark made by Hadi that non-Muslims are the root of corruption, saying that it was totally baseless and an attempt to cause racial disunity.
“Insinuation, innuendos, and insensitive remarks seem to be their (PAS) forte, and now they are trying to infringe upon the basic rights of citizens to enjoy some entertainment.
“PAS always tries to attack innocuous activities engaged upon by every ordinary citizen of this country. I wonder what their real intention is,” he added.
Wong said he had opposed the appointment of Sabah’s nominated assemblyman Aliakbar Gulasan in 2020, saying that the inclusion of PAS in Sabah will mark the beginning of the erosion of unity in the state. – The Vibes, September 4, 2022