Now the PAS MP for Kapar, Dr. Halimah Ali has denied that her controversial remarks in Parliament last Tuesday linking low-quality food to cancer and autism were about the government’s Menu Rahmah initiative.

Why did Halimah issue the denial a week after she has spoken and not immediately after she was heavily criticised for linking it with Menu Rahmah?

It was clear from Hansard that she was referring to Menu Rahmah and her denial has compounded her careless and irresponsible speech.

I had suggested that she issue an apology for her careless and irresponsible speech, but she had decided, after a week of the controversy, to dig her toes and fight it out by denying that she was referring to Menu Rahmah.

An issue which could be resolved with an apology to show that PAS MPs are human, and could make mistakes has become an intransigent issue to show the thick-headedness of PAS MPs.

It is clear that she had been advised by the PAS ultras not to compromise and is now denying the undeniable.

Since the 15th General Election and the so-called “green wave” phenomenon, PAS leaders had been aggressive and uncompromising, piling up one extreme action after another, completely ignoring Malaysia’s multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural characteristics.

The most extreme actions include the unsubstantiated allegation of the PAS President, Hadi Awang for 14 weeks that the DAP is promoting Islamophobia, and the allegation that criticism of the PAS Youth “Himput” gathering in Terengganu last weekend with PAS members marching in the streets of Terengganu with replicas of medieval weapons and armour is an example of Islamophobia.

When will PAS leaders learn that Islam forbids slander (fitnah) and they must learn to accept democratic practices and Malaysia’s multi-ethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, and multi-cultural characteristics?

Will they join in the national battle against the divisive and toxic politics of lies, falsehoods, fake news, race, and religion in the era of information and social media?

Will they join in the war against corruption and stop equating corruption with charity?

Will they stop classifying criticism of PAS leaders as Islamophobia?

(Media Statement by DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang in Petaling Jaya on Wednesday, February 22, 2023)