KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 25 — The attorney general should take immediate action against PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang by charging the latter under either Sections 298A or 504 of the Penal Code or both to uphold the rule of law, DAP’s legal bureau chairman Ramkarpal Singh said.

Ramkarpal, who is Bukit Gelugor MP, said leaders cannot be allowed to make such statements with impunity as they have far reaching implications and threaten to disrupt peace and harmony amongst the different communities in this country.

"Hadi’s remarks were not based on any evidence or empirical studies and were basically made to play to the gallery and instil in the minds of some the myth that non-Muslims seem to be the root cause of one of the most heinous of social ills, corruption.

"Hadi should rethink his statement now that the Federal Court has confirmed that there was overwhelming evidence of abuse of power and criminal breach of trust by national embarrassment and former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak when he was in office, which nearly crippled the country’s economy,” said Ramkarpal in statement today, adding that to date, Hadi has not denied or retracted his remarks.

He also claimed that there can be no doubt that Hadi has caused feelings of disharmony and enmity with such a racist and reckless statement and as such, may have very likely committed an offence under section 298A of the Penal Code.

Section 298A handles causing "disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion."

Under Section 298A(1), those who are guilty shall be punished with imprisonment for a term of not less than two years and not more than five years.

Ramkarpal added that Hadi may have also committed an offence under Section 504 of the Penal Code which states intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace.

Under Section 504 it states that whoever intentionally insults, and thereby gives provocation to any person, intending or knowing it to be likely that such provocation will cause him to break the public peace, or to commit any other offence, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine or with both.

On August 20, the president of the Islamist party PAS claimed that non-Muslims and non-Bumiputera made up the majority of those who formed the "roots of corruption”, those who chase illicit gains — to the detriment of the country's economy and politics.

Hadi however did not provide any elaboration or justification behind his racial claims.