Media statement by Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Thursday, 19^th August 2010: 

DAP supports Anwar's call for proof of allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion

DAP supports the call by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for proof of the allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion.

This allegation by the Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria is a very serious and inflammable one and should not be made without proof.

This allegation has already been the basis of a very alarmist front-page Utusan Malaysia headline "Elak perang besar" on Tuesday and an incendiary article entitled “Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia” yesterday.

DAP leaders had never heard or known of such an alternate constitution.

Any such an alleged alternative constitution could not have emanated from Pakatan Rakyat as the component parties of PKR, PAS and DAP had reaffirmed commitment to the fundamental principles of the Malaysian Constitution in a common platform last December.

What should be the cause of concern to all, including potential investors whether local or foreign, is the resort to "May 13" talk or threat in political discourses, including by Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, even during the Merdeka Month celebrations this year. As far as I can remember, the spectre of May 13 had had never been invoked by previous Deputy Prime Ministers in the past four decades.

All sane, rational and responsible political leaders from whatever complexion deplore any "May 13" threat or talk, for are united in wanting to ensure that there is no possibility of another "May 13" let alone "perang besar" than May 13 in the country!

The escalation of race politics when the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is proclaiming his 1Malaysia policy and during the Merdeka Month celebration raises disturbing questions whether Najib is serious about the 1Malaysia slogan or whether he is really in full charge of his administration.

At the rate things are escalating, someone will be lodging a police report for sedition against Najib for unveiling the New Economic Model (NEM) on March 31 for its proposal for the fifth SRI (Strategic 'Reform Initiative), viz: a transparent and market-friendly affirmative action.

NEM proposed inclusiveness as the second goal and key component - fostering equal and fair economic opportunities where affirmative action will consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of households.

NEM wants affirmative action programmes to be based on "market-friendly and market-based criteria together taking into consideration the needs and merits of the applicants".

When police reports of sedition are lodged because proposals are made fully in line with the NEM proposals, something has gone very wrong not only with Malaysian politics but with the entire process of nation-building.

This is a matter which warrants the serious attention of all political leaders and the Malaysian citizenry.

*Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader & MP for Ipoh Timor