Anwar deplores extremism fears raised by ruling party

Anwar deplores extremism fears raised by ruling party

KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): Jailed Malaysian ex-deputy premier Anwar
Ibrahim accused on Friday the National Front of creating a
"culture of fear" and urged Chinese and Indian voters not to be
scared by forecasts of riots and Islamic extremism if the ruling
coalition loses power.

National Front advertisements in Friday newspapers told the
Chinese community that voting for the opposition Alternative
Front alliance which Anwar heads meant throwing away their
religious and cultural freedom.

"Thousands of years of culture could disappear overnight if
the opposition were to grab power," read one advertisement, with
a torn picture of a traditional lion dance.

Another said the ultimate goal of the opposition Parti Islam
SeMalaysia (PAS) was making Malaysia an Islamic state and "hudud"
(Islamic laws) for Muslims.

PAS rules northeastern Kelantan, the only opposition-led
state, and is part of the Alternative Front along with the
National Justice Party led by Anwar's wife and the Chinese-
dominated Democratic Action Party (DAP).

"If opposition elements can remove Chinese signage and cover
up Chinese characters -- they could easily remove and cover up
our places of worship as well," said the advert.

"Vote opposition and you vote away your religious freedom," it
declared. Earlier adverts have predicted riots if the opposition
wins.

Anwar, PAS and DAP have dismissed the fears and slammed the
coalition for trying to frighten non-Malays in the multiracial
nation.

In a letter read by his wife Azizah at a press conference,
Anwar said the ruling party was trying to create a "culture of
fear."

"The intention is to shift focus from major corruption among
the leadership, the practice of nepotism and cronyism as well as
wastage amid the mega-projects," he said in the letter from
Sungai Buloh prison.

"I believe that the people would not be easily cheated and
deceived. I have never seen (Mahathir) ranting and raving as
badly as this before. They must be in a state of alarm."

Anwar told the Indian community not to be "easily scared or
deceived by the slanders and lies of the National Front" and
urged them to "use your freedom to bring forth changes."

Anwar, 52, was sacked by Mahathir in September 1998 and jailed
in April for six years for abusing his powers to quash
allegations of sexual misconduct. He is now on trial for sodomy.

PAS, in a statement, said the advertisements instigated non-
Muslims to hate Islam. "These advertisements only show that the
National Front is so desperate that it has to frighten the non-
Muslim and Chinese voters," it said.

PAS said it was not extremist and had not denied non-Muslims
religious and cultural rights during their rule in Kelantan since
1990.

But the DAP Friday admitted the advertising campaign was
damaging its chances with voters. "They are very confused," said
its chief Lim Kit Siang.

"It's very bad," he said. "We can either win big or lose big.
We can become the biggest losers."

Mahathir, back on the campaign trail after resting on Thursday
to recover from a cold, described PAS during a speech in Kelantan
as fanatics.

The PAS spearheads the challenge to him in the northern Malay
heartland. The sacking and jailing of Anwar, a charismatic former
Islamic youth leader, has divided Malay voters.

"PAS will not be able to set up an Islamic state because they
need a two-thirds majority in parliament to amend the
constitution," Mahathir said.

He said PAS was only standing in some 60 seats and its Islamic
state was not backed by its partners in the Alternative Front.
"They (PAS) are speaking with a forked tongue and they cannot be
trusted.

"PAS has become a party of fanatics because they are not
receptive to changes. They are rejecting everything," the
73-year-old premier said.

Mahathir said doctors had advised him to speak for only 15
minutes. But he spoke for over 40 minutes, despite coughing
frequently.

"We want a united nation," he said. "Our political differences
should not force us to pray differently.

"But PAS practices a concept whereby those in different
political affiliations are not Moslem brothers. Indeed, they are
rejecting brotherhood in Islam.

"They have deviated from the religion and it is our duty to
bring them to the correct path."