PETALING JAYA: DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook has slammed Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor for claiming that non-Muslims make up the majority of people arrested for giving and receiving bribes.
Loke said the PAS election director’s allegation was baseless and irresponsible, adding that such a sweeping statement would not augur well for Malaysia’s multiracial society.
“I challenge Sanusi to furnish the report that made such a conclusion. Show me your facts. What study is your facts based on?
“If he can’t provide the evidence, Sanusi should issue an open apology,” he said in a Facebook post.
Loke, who is also the transport minister, said corruption should not be linked to any particular race and that everyone should seek to combat corruption.
He claimed Sanusi’s statement was proof that Perikatan Nasional was destructive to racial harmony and should be rejected by Malaysians.
According to New Straits Times, Sanusi made the claim on an episode of the “Keluar Sekejap” podcast, hosted by former Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.
He said he agreed with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s claim in August last year that non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras were at the root of corruption.
Hadi had said “the majority of those involved in ruining the country’s politics and economy were non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras”. Police had opened an investigation paper against him over the remarks.
According to NST, Sanusi said: “Just go and take a look at the record of those arrested for the offence of giving and receiving bribes, many are non-Muslims.”
He also accused DAP of claiming that “Malay leaders are corrupt” and “cannot be trusted”.
“But when looking at the facts, many who get caught are non-Muslims,” he said.
