KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail today challenged government critics, especially those in the Opposition, to come up with better ideas and policies that benefit Malaysia instead of sowing division with race, religion, and royalty — dubbed the 3Rs.
He said that certain politicians like PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang often plays up the 3Rs to gain attention, adding that such actions are dangerous and can fan discord in multireligious and multicultural Malaysia.
“Marang MP once said that if you’re with us, you’re with Islam and if you are against us, you lack faith. It can’t be like that. Don’t act holier than thou,” the senator told a news conference at Parliament here, referring to Abdul Hadi by his constituency.
“We must fight and discuss ideas and policies such as education, poverty, country development and economy. This way, we can move our country forward,” he added.
Saifuddin Nasution was speaking about the government’s position after the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia’s (Suhakam) report was debated in the Dewan Rakyat earlier this morning.
The PKR secretary-general claimed Abdul Hadi had never directly engaged with anyone on policy issues, compared to his frequency in citing topics related to the 3Rs.
“The Prime Minister’s Question Time is a good time for us policy makers to discuss serious issues. For example, yesterday, we discussed the maritime issue.
“But Hadi never engages when he was in the Dewan Rakyat. He never asked questions. I’ve been here since 2008, I have never seen Hadi involved in any debate,” Saifuddin Nasution said.