The PAS-UMNO Himpunan Penyatuan Ummah (HPU) and its Charter last Saturday have resulted in the escalation of fake news and hate speech in the manipulation of issues of race and religion in the past five days to polarise inter-racial and inter-religious relations in the country.

First, UMNO Vice President and former Minister, Datuk Ismail Sabri perpetrated the fake news that Jakim and the halal certification process had been transferred to the Finance Ministry, and disseminated the hate speech to create alarm, fear and hate among Muslims that non-Muslims are now responsible for the halal certification process.

Next, on Malaysia Day on Monday, PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang perpetrated the vile and divisive fake news at a Malaysia Day function in Bintulu that DAP wanted to give control of the state and its wealth to the Chinese and disseminated the equally vile and divisive hate speech to create alarm, fear and hate among Malays and Muslims that the DAP was “the biggest leader” in the Pakatan Harapan government in Putrajaya to ensure “the wealth for Chinese only, not for all people; other people are left behind”!

Third, since the PAS-UMNO HPU and its Charter, there had been an upsurge of vile and divisive fake news and hate speech on the social media exploiting the 3Rs to depict a false picture of DAP as anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Royalty.

Fourth, the PAS Deputy President, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man yesterday ramped up the attack on DAP alleging that it was pursuing a “Christianisation agenda”, citing as example the speech by the Deputy Youth and Sports Minister and DAP MP for Bukit Mertajam, Steven Sim, at a “New Malaysia Narrative” forum on “Anak Malaysia? Our Story of Past, Present and Future Malaysia” at Mega Chinese Methodist Church in Kota Damansara.

I was shocked by Tuan Ibrahim’s allegation when I first read it in the media, but Steven Sim has since explained that he was speaking to Christians in a church and had discussed their responsibilities as Malaysians. Read the rest of this entry »