KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng today urged Malaysians to stand up to PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang whom he accused of peddling racial and religious hate.

The Bagan MP also called on the authorities to take action against Hadi and his party for his latest remarks claiming that non-Bumiputera and non-Muslims were the "roots” of corruption in Malaysia.

"Police reports should be lodged, and action taken against PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for his baseless, divisive, racist and extremist branding of non-Muslims and non-Bumis as ‘roots for corruption’ in Malaysia. To date, Hadi has remained unrepentant and unashamed.

"Hadi has also falsely alleged that non-Bumiputera and non-Muslims are snatching political power from Malays and Muslims even though the prime minister, deputy prime minister, every principal and senior post in the civil service, armed forces and the police has never been held by non-Bumiputera or non-Muslims,” Lim said in a statement.

He alleged that Hadi and other PAS leaders have repeatedly made divisive and extremist statements that jeopardise the multicultural country’s harmony.

"PAS wants to ban concerts, Oktoberfest and Bon Odori even when these events are attended only by non-Muslims or they are only cultural events that have been organised for decades without any untoward incident,” he added.

Lim is the second public figure to demand action against Hadi after the latter’s sweeping remarks about corruption and the non-Bumiputera community.

Previously, Muhammad Mohan who heads the Malaysian chapter of corruption watchdog Transparency International called on both the police and the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission to investigate Hadi for racism and sedition.

"Hadi is emboldened to continue to espouse such hate speech because non-bumiputera and non-Muslim political parties or ministers in government continues to condone and support him as the government’s Special Envoy to the Middle-East with ministerial status.

"Whilst they may pretend to criticise Hadi or PAS in the press, the reality is that MCA, MIC, GPS and GRS are hypocritical by continuing to strongly support PAS and their Ministers in government.

"Not a single non-Muslim minister has brought up this issue in Cabinet and that PAS ministers should be ministers for all Malaysians and not just Muslims and Bumiputera,” Lim added in his statement.

"PAS cannot be allowed to play any role in government unless it publicly apologises and disavows such a racist and extremist ideology,” he said.

Two days ago, Hadi reportedly said that corruption should be tackled from its roots and alleged that most graft cases involved non-Bumiputera and non-Muslims.

He said if not tackled, it will eventually become a disease, adding that the groups who chase after illicit gains are the ones who eventually control the economy.

He also claimed that this was the cause of damaging politics and that a majority of these were non-Muslims and non-Bumiputera.

The Marang MP went on to say that qualifications were not important compared to the path of integrity one could lead as a Muslim.