Why so Racist?

Hadi’s remarks reflect PAS, PR leadership: PRS women chief

KUCHING: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can forget about making any headway in Sarawak, particularly in the Dayak majority areas, if its leaders continue to talk like PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

Expressing anger over Hadi’s remarks about Batang Ai voters recently, Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) women chief Doris Sophia Brodie said yesterday the remarks reflected the type of leaders PAS and PR have.

“Obviously, PAS and Pakatan are not ethnic-sensitive, thus they can forget about making their existence felt in Sarawak especially in Dayak dominant areas. On top of that, it is such remarks that stir racial tension,” she said.

“I think what Hadi said should hit the nail squarely for Dayak opposition leaders. Clearly, Pakatan and PAS do not have them or the Dayak at heart, to them the Dayaks are just to make the numbers and their laughing stock.”

In this respect, she said the PRS women of Batang Ai, Simanggang and Bukit Begunan divisions would come out in full force to support PRS Batang Ai youth in its plan to burn PAS flags in Engkilili town today to protest Hadi’s remarks.

Hadi, in a Malaysiakini report on July 11, was quoted as saying: “Semua pilihanraya kecil sebelum ini keputusannya memihak kepada kita. Cuma di Batang Ai sahaja kita kalah sebab mereka ini tidak reti undi, pakai cawat lagi. Saya bukan nak hina tetapi tempat yang pakai molek, undi PAS. (In all previous by-elections, the results favoured us. Only in Batang Ai did we lose because they did not know how to vote, still wearing loincloth. I am not trying to insult but those places where people dress nicely, vote for PAS).”

Hadi made the remarks in the run-up to the Manek Urai by-election, which PAS eventually won.

The Batang Ai by-election was held on April 7 following the demise of PRS vice-president Datuk Dublin Unting on Feb 24 after a heart attack.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) had picked Malcolm Mussen Lamoh to defend the seat.

He won by a convincing majority of 1,854 votes over Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Jawah Gerang, the former five-term Lubok Antu MP.

Held simultaneously with the Batang Ai by-election were by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Perak, and Bukit Selambau, Kedah.

In both seats, BN lost by a majority of more than 2,000 votes.

Leaders from all Sarawak BN parties, including Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) deputy president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) president Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan and PRS president Dato Sri Dr James Masing have condemned the remarks.

They have demanded a public apology from Hadi as they felt that the remarks were an insult to the dignity of the Dayaks.

So far, there have been no opposition Dayak leaders who have voiced their dissatisfaction over Hadi’s remarks.

PKR Sarawak advisor Dato Sri Hafsah Harun, in fact, had defended Hadi, saying that he could have been misquoted by Malaysiakini and if indeed he had said the voters still wore ‘cawat’, he meant their old thinking in supporting the BN.

Doris yesterday also dared Hadi to come to visit Sarawak and especially Batang Ai to see the development and the lifestyle of the people for himself.

“When he comes he better be dressed ‘molek’, in case he might feel embarrassed if our people ‘outdress’ him,” she said.

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