Amanah says political rivals stoking racial hatred ahead of Johor polls

PETALING JAYA: Amanah deputy president Mujahid Yusof Rawa has warned that political sentiments involving race and religion are being deliberately exploited to incite hatred ahead of the Johor state election.

At a Pakatan Harapan (PH) programme in Batu Pahat last night, the former religious affairs minister said political opponents were using such narratives to create divisions between the Malays and Chinese.

Mujahid said the tactic included portraying parties such as DAP as targets of blame, which he argued was intended to inflame racial sensitivities.

“The political reality is that (our) opponents are making issues out of race and religion. We see how they attack (PH) by saying ‘DAP is evil’.

“These sentiments are being used to make people hate one another. They are turning DAP into a punching bag.

“But, despite whatever has been said, DAP remains a legally registered political entity with a state government in Penang and a significant number of MPs. Legally speaking, there is no issue,” Utusan Malaysia quoted him as saying.

He also said that PH upholds multiracial principles and constitutional guarantees for all communities regardless of race or religion.

Mujahid described the Johor election as the most “unusual” in the country’s history, citing Barisan Nasional’s clash with PH despite being partners at the federal level.

He also highlighted how PAS and Bersatu are contesting the state election under Perikatan Nasional’s banner despite ending their political cooperation last month.

Polling for the Johor election is on July 11, with July 7 set for early voting.