Noting that the government still refused to succumb to public pressure to take action against the two school principals accused of uttering racial slurs, the veteran leader took the liberty today to suggest his own method to combat racism.
He said that the lack of action in the principals’ cases showed that Najib had failed to prove his own “zero tolerance for racism” pledge.
“More than three weeks have passed and both principals had not yet been referred to the police, let alone the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
“This is totally at variance with the ‘zero tolerance for racism’ belatedly made by the prime minister two weeks after the deplorable incidents involving the two school principals,” he said in a statement today.
Lim acknowledged that Education director-general Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom had issued a circular on August 26 to all school principals and teachers warning them that action would be taken for racist remarks made in schools.
He, however, claimed that despite this, the government’s inaction against the two principals remained glaring.
“The prime minister should realise that the escalation of the rhetoric of race and religion makes a total mockery of his 1 Malaysia slogan.
“Is he prepared to give flesh to his ‘zero tolerance for racism’ declaration and put his 1 Malaysia policy to the test by leading a nationwide ‘Say No to Racism’ campaign starting with errant Umno leaders, government officials and Utusan Malaysia?” he said.
Lim went further to suggest that his idea be endorsed by the Cabinet during its meeting this Wednesday.
“The Cabinet could not make a more useful decision than to launch this nationwide campaign to end the escalation of racist bigotry and religious extremism which has increasingly invaded the public space and consciousness,” he said.
He said the campaign should be a truly national one that transcended party politics.
“It should leverage on the fact that the overwhelming majority of Malaysians regardless of race or religion abhor racial and religious extremism.
“It should also mobilise the good sense and goodwill of the majority of Malaysians to take a clear and unequivocal stand to denounce racism in any form,” said Lim.
Over the weekend, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin continued to remain non-committal over the racist principal incidents and pointed out that the matter was now in the hands of the Public Service Department.
The government’s continuing silence over the issue has drawn heavy flak from the public and opposition politicians.
The two principals, from Johor and Kedah, were recently accused on uttering racial slurs to their students.
The Johor principal had allegedly told the Chinese to go back to China and likened the Hindus to “dogs” for the prayer strings they wore.
The Kedah principal had purportedly scolded non-Muslim students in the school for failing to respect the Muslims culture when they ate food in school canteen during the Ramadan month.