By Tashny Sukumaran | May 10, 2011
Free Malaysia Today

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must prove his mettle as the “leader of 1Malaysia” by speaking out against Utusan Malaysia over its Christian plot report.

In making the call, Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) president Haris Ibrahim also wondered why the authorities were slow in acting against the Umno-owned newspaper.

“Why has there been no action against Utusan under the Sedition Act?

“Is the Umno-led BN government complicit in this attempt to sow racial and religious discord or else powerless to act against an emerging group of fascists?” he asked in a statement.

He urged the BN government to defend the right of all Malaysians to live in peace and to worship freely.

Last Saturday, Utusan had published a report claiming that DAP was conspiring with Christian leaders to convert the nation into a Christan state and install a Christian prime minister. Both DAP and the Christian leaders had denied this.

Meanwhile, MCLM also slammed the government’s assistance for the “fascist” militant wing of Perkasa, Briged Setia Negara

Describing Briged Setia Negara as a “dangerous extension” of Perkasa’s 1Melayu agenda and drawing parallels to Nazi stormtroopers, Haris questioned why the hardline NGO was endorsed by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

“To use the government’s resources to train what is so obviously a private militia belonging to an organisation that champions Malay supremacy is a betrayal of the rakyat,” he said, flaying Hishammuddin for condoning the existence of private militia.

Haris demanded that Perkasa’s agenda – which was in “blatant contradiction of the Federal Constitution” – should not be supported by the home minister.

He urged Hishammuddin to personally rescind his approval for the Briged Setia Negara and ensure its disbanding for the sake of national security.

“If he fails to do so, he must be held accountable for any and all violent incidents involving Briged Setia Negara,” he warned.