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Pendang MP defends May 13 remark, says it is ‘friendly reminder’
3 hours ago
Predeep Nambiar
PAS's Awang Hashim says there is nothing wrong talking about the incident, pointing out that the matter is being taught in Form 5
PN MP Awang Hashim said a repeat of the May 13 incident could destroy the nation’s progress ‘in an instant’. (Bernama pic)
KUALA LUMPUR: A PAS MP today defended his repeated reference of the May 13 racial riots in the Dewan Rakyat in his debates, insisting it was not a threat in any way, but a “friendly reminder”.
Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) said there was nothing wrong talking about the tragedy, adding that the topic was taught to Form 5 students.
“Don’t tell me teachers who teach this in schools are guilty of sedition?” he asked when debating the 13th Malaysia Plan today.
Awang said he brought up May 13 to stress the importance of unity and avoid a repeat of the incident, which he said could destroy the nation’s progress “in an instant”.
“This is a friendly reminder to us all,” he said. “We don’t want such a thing to happen again. We have built our economy, our buildings are tall, but things like this can ruin us in a blink of an eye.”
Awang sparked an uproar in the lower house last week when he raised the spectre of the May 13 incident when criticising the 13MP on grounds that it lacked initiatives for the Bumiputera community.
He said one of the factors that led to the incident was the economic pressure on the Bumiputera community, and was reported as saying: “Is the government trying to bring back another May 13 incident?”
Separately, Awang questioned why the RM100 million allocation to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) had yet to be disbursed.
He turned to RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), saying Rayer and the other Indian MPs should bring the matter up with the prime minister.
Rayer shot back, accusing Awang of making “malicious assumptions” about whether he or the other MPs had taken up the issue.
“How do you know that I, or the others here, did not bring this to the prime minister’s attention?” he said, adding that he had personally aired the Mitra issue in a pre-council meeting.
Deputy speaker Syahredzan Johan told Awang to rephrase his call “to get MPs to complain to the prime minister regarding the Mitra issue”, which Awang agreed to do.
Awang Hashim (PN-Pendang) said there was nothing wrong talking about the tragedy, adding that the topic was taught to Form 5 students.
“Don’t tell me teachers who teach this in schools are guilty of sedition?” he asked when debating the 13th Malaysia Plan today.
Awang said he brought up May 13 to stress the importance of unity and avoid a repeat of the incident, which he said could destroy the nation’s progress “in an instant”.
“This is a friendly reminder to us all,” he said. “We don’t want such a thing to happen again. We have built our economy, our buildings are tall, but things like this can ruin us in a blink of an eye.”
Awang sparked an uproar in the lower house last week when he raised the spectre of the May 13 incident when criticising the 13MP on grounds that it lacked initiatives for the Bumiputera community.
He said one of the factors that led to the incident was the economic pressure on the Bumiputera community, and was reported as saying: “Is the government trying to bring back another May 13 incident?”
Separately, Awang questioned why the RM100 million allocation to the Malaysian Indian Transformation Unit (Mitra) had yet to be disbursed.
He turned to RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong), saying Rayer and the other Indian MPs should bring the matter up with the prime minister.
Rayer shot back, accusing Awang of making “malicious assumptions” about whether he or the other MPs had taken up the issue.
“How do you know that I, or the others here, did not bring this to the prime minister’s attention?” he said, adding that he had personally aired the Mitra issue in a pre-council meeting.
Deputy speaker Syahredzan Johan told Awang to rephrase his call “to get MPs to complain to the prime minister regarding the Mitra issue”, which Awang agreed to do.
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