this neswpaper statement that recently i picked from the Borneopost newspaper online on 29 July 2009.
PAS president admits making ‘cawat’ remarks By Raynore Mering
KUCHING: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has admitted to using the word ‘cawat’ (loincloth) on voters in Batang Ai, but denied he was insulting them.
Dato Sri Dr James Masing VS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang
He said in a report on NST Online yesterday he was lashing out at Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders for fooling Sarawak voters into voting for the coalition and that it was not his intention to insult the voters.
“I feel sorry for them as they are being tricked by BN politicians. This has resulted in the voters not being brave enough to vote for a change unlike voters in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said at a ceramah in Kepala Batas on Sunday night.
To Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Dato Sri Dr James Masing, however, Hadi’s explanation for what was obviously an offensive comment was nothing more than rhetoric.
He also felt that the explanation was typical of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders who played on the emotions of the people in the hope of turning them from the BN.
“The voters in Batang Ai are smart to vote for a credible political organisation in BN, than to vote for a new set up (PR) which is full of rhetoric and sweet promises which they know PR can’t deliver.
“Hadi will find that voters in Batang Ai vote with their head and not their heart, if he is smart enough to analyse the situation,” Masing, who is Land Development Minister, told The Borneo Post.
Reacting to Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit’s call for forgiveness for Hadi for the remarks, Masing said: “How can the Dayak community forgive Hadi for his insulting remarks. After all we are mere humans and not divine beings as Adit correctly pointed out. For a mere mortal, sometimes the learning process can be costly.”
Adit, who is a member of Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) State Leaders’ Council, had said on Monday that if indeed Hadi had uttered the remarks, he should be informed of the truth and facts about Sarawak.
“If he had said it (cawat), then he should be forgiven for his ignorance because he did not know what he was talking about. Forgive him. Teach him,” Adit said.
Hadi had spoken of the ‘cawat’ in a Malaysiakini report on July 11 in the run-up to the Manek Urai by-election.
He also said the voters in Batang Ai did not know how to vote.
He was quoted as saying: “Semua pilihanraya kecil sebelum ini keputusannya memihak kepada kita. Cuma di Batang Ai sahaja kita kalah sebab mereka ini tidak reti undi, pakai cawat lagi. Saya bukan nak hina tetapi tempat yang pakai molek, undi PAS.
“(In all previous by-elections, the results favoured us. Only in Batang Ai did we lose because they did not know how to vote, still wearing loincloth. I am not trying to insult, but those places dressed nicely, vote for PAS).”
In the Batang Ai by-election on April 7, PR was defeated by a BN greenhorn, Malcolm Mussen.
Mussen garnered 3,907 votes to win by a majority of 1,854 votes against Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Jawah Gerang, the former five-time MP of Lubok Antu.
Held simultaneously with the Batang Ai by-election were by-elections in Bukit Gantang, Perak, and Bukit Selambau, Kedah.
In both seats, BN lost by a margin of more than 2,000 votes.
Hadi’s remarks had incurred the wrath of BN leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Alfred Jabu, who demanded an apology from Hadi.
The PRS Batang Ai Youth Wing is planning to burn PAS flags in Engkilili town as a show of protest against Hadi’s remarks.
They are now awaiting a police permit for the gathering.
My view.
I was vey suprised to read recent borneopost nespaper online which publicity the statement of the Dayak people who were insult by the religious party leader,datuk seri abdul hadi wang which stated the dayak people still wear the cawat cloth despite voting the barisan national party in batang ai state election recently.I did not intend ingnite racial riot among the other communities but to share my view about that statement.
i was very sad and yet disheartening that another degradotory word or statement that issued by the reliogious leader condenming the dayak communities that they wearing the cawat cloth.Despite i am not dayak people,but it was very shamenfull for why this religious leader condenming the other communities.i was very dissappointed of this people who had shallow and uncivilised mind to condenm the other minority community.What they had done definely will going spark the racial riot amont the malaysia.For me,such staement only making the situation getting worse and i could disbelieve of this ignorant and insolent of this cleric leader for making the shamefull statemnt to the other communities.How we are going to promote the one malaysia concept if this people continue to lookdown other race as it looks likes he is racist guy.I am very disapponited of it.I hope that such that leader will shall never never again make that malicious statement in the future.After all we are malaysian people that always live in peace and unity with other communities.We should not lookdown with other communities.As sarawakian chinese people, we should never lookdown to the other communities.i always belive that other peopl have thier own cultural that should respected.Perhaps this religious leader should be dead for making that such stupid and fool statement that degradetory other minority races.
As Sarawakian,i always that leader should responsible for making any staemnt that not offended other communities.Let hope that we as malaysian will always live in tranquility and peace.
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