Lim: PM does not keep his promises

PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak is a leader who does not keep his promises and is also a hostage to extremists in the country, DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng said in a statement today.
Lim, who is also Penang Chief Minister and Bagan MP, said Najib has effectively ended his 1Malaysia concept and also his Coalition of Moderates by reneging on his promise to repeal the Sedition Act.
"Najib's statement from today backtracking from his earlier firm commitments to repeal the Sedition Act, first made in 2012, is a dismal gift on the eve of celebrating our 51st Malaysia Day anniversary," he said.
Najib first made the pledge the repeal the Sedition Act in 2012 during a dinner for the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), which was also said during an interview with BBC World News in July 2013, and most recently repeated on Sept 6, 2014.
Since Prime Minister promised to repeal the law, more than a dozen people have been hauled to court to face sedition charges including Opposition politicians, a law professor, and most recently, a journalist and a lawyer are also being investigated under the Sedition Act.
Right-wing Malay Muslims group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) president Abdullah Zaik has also been charged with Sedition.
"Clearly, this flip flop by Najib shows that he cannot stand up to extremists who want an elected dictatorship with authoritarian powers to violate basic human rights," Lim said.
He also slammed what he calls "selective prosecution" by the government as right-wing groups such as Perkasa along with some Umno leaders have escaped punishment after making inflammatory statements against non-Malays and non-Muslims.
Lim called on the government to address more pressing issues at hand such as the rapidly rising national debt and cost of living instead of going after dissidents.