Tee: I was told to back Dr M, but I didn’t
He says he instead warned of non-Muslims exploiting the Mahathir-Najib dispute for their own benefit
(Free Malaysia Today) – Ridhuan Tee has denied a news report that said he supported Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s call for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s resignation.
Referring to the speech he delivered as an opener to Mahathir’s address to the public two Saturdays ago, he says his main message was that the political battle between the former prime minister and Najib did not profit Muslims in any way.
Writing for his Sinar Harian column, the controversial preacher also denies reports that he was one of the organisers of the event, billed as “A Statesman Speaks”.
Tee says he was invited to speak for 15 minutes and was indeed told by the organisers to speak “in tune” with Mahathir.
“I accepted the invitation to speak in good faith, but I did not choose sides in the dispute. The gist of what I said was that the crisis between Tun M and the PM would not bring any profit to the Muslim community, but would instead benefit the non-Muslims, who are bound to exploit the situation. I told those present to discuss the truth, not who’s right and who’s wrong.”
He tells his readers that he believes the nation must be saved from falling into the hands of the “ultra kiasu”, his code phrase for political parties controlled by non-Muslims.
“The Muslim community must be united in the name of what is right, no matter whether rightness belongs to Umno or PAS,” he says. “We don’t have much time. Quarrels that bring us no profit must be stopped before it’s too late.”
