KUALA LUMPUR — Bangi MP Datuk Syahredzan Johan has strongly condemned the remarks made by PAS leader Datuk Ahmad Marzuk Shaary, accusing him of inciting division by comparing Malaysia to Palestine and alienating non-Muslim communities.
In a recent Facebook post, Ahmad Marzuk, the MP for Pengkalan Chepa, urged Malaysians to “learn from the history of Palestine: Do not repeat the same mistakes.”
In the post, he argued that Palestinians’ initial acceptance of Jewish immigrants as an act of humanity eventually led to their oppression and displacement from their own land.
The PAS leader then claimed that similar signs of injustice are beginning to emerge in Malaysia, particularly in the economic and political spheres.
“Economic sectors are increasingly dominated by non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras. Major shopping malls, key companies, and strategic lands have long been out of the hands of Muslims. Now, their influence has reached Putrajaya, shaping laws, enacting acts, and slowly redrawing the political map of the country,” he said.
This, according to Ahmad Marzuk, mirrors the Palestinian situation and signals a new chapter of injustice unfolding in Malaysia. He added that if Malaysians remain complacent, history will repeat itself on local soil.
In response, Syahredzan criticised the inflammatory rhetoric, stating, “This statement is clearly an attempt to paint non-Muslim and non-Bumiputera Malaysians as the aggressors, similar to Israel’s oppression of Palestinians.”
He emphasised that while Malaysians are united in condemning Israeli aggression, associating fellow citizens, particularly non-Muslims, with such actions is unacceptable and dangerous.
Syahredzan further reminded PAS that non-Malay and non-Muslim communities have been integral in building Malaysia alongside the Malays and Muslims, and thus, leaders like Ahmad Marzuk have no right to question their sincerity for narrow political gains.
The statement also pointed out that Malaysia’s recent celebration of Deepavali was marked by unity and harmony, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim calling on the nation to appreciate and protect its diversity.
It is unfortunate, Syahredzan said, that PAS leaders like Dr. Ahmad Marzuk are stoking division by branding non-Malays and non-Muslims as internal enemies with a sinister agenda against the Malay and Muslim communities.
“PAS continues to promote narrow racial agendas that threaten national unity. Malaysians who love this country must reject such outdated politics,” Syahredzan added.
He also challenged PAS’s political allies in Perikatan Nasional, as well as other partners in the loosely aligned ‘Ikatan Prihatin Rakyat’, to clarify their stance on these divisive remarks. – October 21, 2025