Gerakan wants Ibrahim’s ‘crusade’ threat against Christians investigated


By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian Insider
May 15, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, May 15 — Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Dr Koh Tsu Koon today called on the police to investigate Datuk Ibrahim Ali for inciting racial and religious hatred in his recent speeches, especially Ibrahim’s threat last night to wage a crusade against Christians.

Dr Koh, who is unity affairs minister in the Prime Minister’s department, accused the Perkasa president of being “uncouth” in his outburst, saying Ibrahim had clearly violated the government’s 1 Malaysia concept and call for moderation among the various communities.

“I feel disgusted that he should beat his chest this way, trying to be a hero, especially after the Prime Minister has just met Muslim and non-Muslim leaders separately, calling for calm, understanding and mutual respect,” Dr Dr Koh said in a statement today.

Dr Koh reminded Ibrahim that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, together with Christian leaders, had met last week to discuss the row over allegations by Utusan Malaysia of Christian conspiracy, and had decided to put the matter to rest.

Christian leaders, Dr Koh pointed out, had strongly denied any involvement in such a conspiracy, and had given their commitment towards respecting and upholding the spirit of the Federal Constitution and the status of Islam as the religion of the federation.

“The Christian leaders have also reiterated their stand that they will work with the government to sustain peace and harmony, while seeking for amicable solutions to various outstanding issues.

“So how could Ibrahim Ali keep talking about the Christian ‘agenda to usurp Islam?’,” he asked.

Dr Koh also chastised Ibrahim for proclaiming himself a defender of the dignity of Islam and for declaring that the Muslim community “placed peace and harmony above everything”, arguing that the Pasir Mas MP, in waging a “jihad” last night, had failed to stand by his own words.

“If so, he should not have uttered such words and behaved this way,” Dr Koh said.

Dr Koh added that in multi-racial Malaysia, local leaders should work to promote moderation and become mediators to manage divergent views instead of being provocative.

He said the police should swiftly investigate Ibrahim’s speeches over the past two days for elements of racial and religious incitement.

“I appeal to Malaysians to stay calm and not to fall into his trap to divide and push the people of Malaysia to take extreme stands and not to fall prey to emotions and sentiments,” Dr Koh said.

He was referring to the fiery speech Ibrahim made last night to about 200 people in Kampung Changkat, in Gombak, where Ibrahim challenged Christians to a holy war should they proceed with their agenda to usurp Islam.

He also declared that he was willing to take the fall for his statement for the sake of defending the dignity of Islam.

Despite complaining of fatigue from his nine ceramah stops from Kelantan to Kampung Changkat since Friday night, the Pasir Mas MP also said his blood was boiling with rage and “hairs standing on end” following recent reports of a Christian conspiracy between religious leaders and opposition party politicians.

“In Kelantan earlier, I declared before the police, I told the security forces present that if they want to send my messages to Bukit Aman (police), please go ahead,” he said.

“Please record my words — if there is any party in Penang, especially the Christian priests who are being backed by the Penang DAP, should continue with their agenda which we already know, I would like to offer that if they want to hold a crusade, we can.

“This is in the spirit of Sultan Saladin Ayubi . . . if they want to fight a crusade, we can.”

Saladin was a Kurdish Muslim who became the first Sultan of Egypt and Syria, and led the Muslim forces during the Crusades — a series of religiously sanctioned military campaigns taken by the Christians to recover the Holy Land from the Mohammedans.

Ibrahim also warned non-Muslims not to take the silence Muslims to mean they were complacent. He said it was because Muslims placed peace and harmony above everything.

“But we are ready. Silence does not mean fear; we have been silent because we prioritise peace and harmony.

“But these people, if they feel the peace that they have enjoyed all these years is insufficient, or the stability and progress of this nation is not enough and they want to do something that has never once crossed our minds, go ahead . . . we will be ready,” he said.

Ibrahim was referring to the row over Utusan Malaysia’s “Kristian Agama Rasmi?” (Christianity the official religion?) report. The report alleged that DAP leaders and Christian priests were conspiring to take over Putrajaya, abolish Islam as the religion of the federation, and install a Christian prime minister.

Christian leaders and members of DAP have denied the reports, and Najib has hosted separate meetings with religious leaders to resolve the issue.

Ibrahim last night insisted that allegations in the Utusan report were true.

He pointed out that a Muslim member of the DAP had on Friday lodged a report claiming to know the truth of what transpired at the meeting at a hotel in Penang.

Police are investigating Utusan Malaysia’s report of a Christian conspiracy.

DAP Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, among those implicated in the controversy, said eight pastors and 13 DAP members and people who attended the event have been called to give their statements to the police.

  1. #1 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 15 May 2011 - 11:43 pm

    It is good that Dr Koh Tsu Koon summoned the courage to say the right things – for once- whether or not that would actually cause the top leadership to take action is a separate matter. After all they are at the top vying for power using religion/race issues as leverage.

  2. #2 by isahbiazhar on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 12:12 am

    Ibrahim Ali is mad.He is stirring up the Malay Muslims so that he can win as an independent in the coming election.The police is powerless because he is backed by Mahathir who in turn has a powerful influence over Najib.Ibrahim Ali will face the same fate as Osama.The Malay youths do not support him except the 60above generation mainly kampong folks.The Christians have nothing to fear because Muslims all over the world has realised that if they take up arms to defend any course that has no support of the holy book will end tragically.We are not living during the era of the prophet as such there is no such thing as holy war.Ibrahim Ali had gone crazy as he is building up his influence choosing the wrong agenda.Muslims in Malaysia can think rationally.We know that even the ulamas can go wrong when the same pronouncement can differ from country to country.It is time for Muslims to think of other issues than religion.Muslims in Malaysia has a lot to catch up with other religious people in terms of wealth which the Quran is clear.Ibrahim Ali should lead a campaign to get the Muslims to make use of the religious facilities (mosques and suraus goes near empty)provided by the government using all Muslims and nonMuslims tax money and teaching the Muslims to build their own mosques without the help of taxpayers fund.The billions saved can go to help the poor rural folks to be out of poverty and become responsible citizens.We will achieve the 2020 status and the government getting rid of the subsidy mentality.I am sure Ibrahim Ali’s blood will boil because…………

  3. #3 by rockdaboat on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 12:19 am

    Either he is mad or he is stupid or he is attention seeking for no one in his right mind will challenge the position of Islam in this country. There is no necessity to do so.

    Therefore this moron can have his jihad alright: with his own shadow!

  4. #4 by robtang on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 1:52 am

    The agenda of Perkasa and whoever that is behind it is clear – it is trying to pit the Malays against the non-Malays to win votes. All right thinking political leaders irrespective of their parties must speak out against it. There is concern that rural Malays who do not have access to alternative news source may be more susceptible to the negative influence of Perkasa, Here, leaders and supporters of PK and PAS and even those in UMNO who are forward thinking and reform minded (if any) can play a positive role in educating the rural dwellers.

  5. #5 by monsterball on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 2:10 am

    For once I read KST have balls to say he right thing.
    I hope it is not because he is a Christain and do fight for all Malaysians with different beliefs…if ever Buddhists and Hindus Malaysians are being insulted.

    • #6 by robtang on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 8:22 am

      Irrespective of what his religion is, KST should be given due credit for speaking out against bigotry. FYI, he is not a Christian. More likely, he shares the same religion as the MP for Jelutong.

  6. #7 by monsterball on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 2:11 am

    I ask KTS to do same thing for Buddists and Hindus….also got moderated.

  7. #8 by yhsiew on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 2:56 am

    UMNO will not listen to Tan Sri Dr Dr Koh Tsu Koon because UMNO has already made Ibrahim Ali their mouthpiece to lure Malay support.

  8. #9 by gofortruth on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 3:40 am

    This Ibrahim Ali is Mahathir’s lap dog. Surely Mahathir is up to something. Is it to impress upon the public that Najib is a weak PM who can’t even handle a small fry like Ibrahim Ali who can freely spew dangerous statements that can cause possible outbreak of violence?

  9. #10 by k1980 on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 5:53 am

    //#2 — Ibrahim Ali is mad.//

    No lah, he is not mad. He just wanna be pm. Like Rasputin who brought down the czar, he will bring about the destruction of umno

  10. #11 by pulau_sibu on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 7:04 am

    Since Osama is dead, some one is so eager in taking over the position as terrorist No 1

  11. #12 by Bigjoe on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 8:38 am

    The only people who are better at saying one thing and doing another than UMNO/BN is the communist and the fascist and even then, they probably can learn a thing or two.

    These people have completely lost it on the realities of the fundamentals of governance. They appear not to care for any thing real within a reasonable period. Its all short term whatever power and money and the hell with everything else.

    Yes, you can get away with hypocrisy and lying to a great degree in politics and government. BUT you can’t throw common sense and truth out the door. The plain simple reason being the law of statistic is against you when you do that. Bad things will happen when you ignore fundamental common sense of the truth. Life, including in politics, is just that unpredictable. You can’t control your machinery or outcome when the lying gets out of hand.

    And that is exactly what they have done, they have completely lost it what they can do with hypocrisy. They are now hallucinating about their power and abilities.

  12. #13 by negarawan on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 8:59 am

    Hard to believe Koh is so naive. Ibrahim Ali is the inner voice of UMNO and Najib. So Koh, it’s not a good idea to criticize your boss?

  13. #14 by wanderer on Monday, 16 May 2011 - 9:28 am

    Dr Koh go and tell the Home Minister he was not doing his blooming job but instead, doing the bidding for this ultra racist Perkasa as-sos!
    Where were you all these years?… while UMNO and his racist backers were doing the mischief? Is’nt this too little, too late?

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