KUALA LUMPUR: The government must cease its selective prosecution based on Religion, Race, and Royalty (3R), which is solely an attempt to silence dissent, the Dewan Rakyat heard today.
Pagoh member of parliament Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said this after numerous investigations were conducted towards him for allegedly touching on the 3R issues during previous political speeches.
Meanwhile, he said, leaders on the government bloc who made statements motivated by racial prejudice remained unpunished despite numerous police reports filed against them.
"Am I, as a Malay leader, considered a criminal for voicing the interest of the Malays and Muslims? Since when can't the Malay leaders of this country discuss such matters?
"The British colonists have long left our homeland, but it seems that the policies implemented by the Madani government today are worse than the colonial policies," he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
Yesterday, the Perikatan Nasional chairman's statement was taken by the police in an investigation into his allegedly 3R-related remarks made during the campaign week preceding the Aug 9 by-election in Johor.
Muhyiddin said building a civilised nation was based on the leaders' abilities to uphold their promises and adhere to the principles of integrity and trust.
"So, to achieve this objective, we should not refer to numbers alone, but more important is the trust and credibility borne by the government's leadership.
"This is to ensure that the national economy grows rapidly, the people's welfare is protected and their freedom is preserved by the principles of Supremacy of the Constitution and the Rule of Law (in Rukun Negara)."
On a different note, he added that a judicial system that was free from government interference would be able to attract more foreign investors.
He stated that the discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA) of 47 corruption-related charges against Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi did not set a positive example for Malaysia's judicial system.
"Foreign investors perceive us to be comparable to so-called renegade states in the third world.
"(Therefore) The government must prioritise increasing the confidence of the people and foreign investors by adopting a policy that is pro-investor and fair in implementing investment policy as well as the distribution of aid to each state," he said.