FORMER law minister Zaid Ibrahim has criticised DAP for not standing up for its lawmaker Teresa Kok, who is under police investigation for raising concerns over a halal certification proposal.

Zaid accused the party of throwing the senior MP “under the bus.”

“She had brought up a matter of public interest that could quickly be resolved with common sense,” he said on Facebook.

He added that Kok should not be dismissed as a troublemaker.

Zaid urged Muslim leaders not to react emotionally when a non-Muslim leader raises an issue like halal food certification. “Have a discussion, a civil one,” he said.

Kok had called for a review of the proposal to make halal certification mandatory for food establishments that do not serve pork or alcohol, saying that it would burden small traders.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said Kok should have aired her concerns “through the proper channels.” He called her remarks unnecessary, saying she had complicated the issue.

Kok defended her comments, arguing that she could not raise her concerns internally because Religious Affairs Minister Na’im Mokhtar had brought up the matter in public without consulting MPs.

Zaid, a former DAP member, also criticised DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke for not offering support to Kok. He also called out other DAP MPs for staying silent.

“What other ministers from DAP were doing about the matter, they were just loyal followers who could do nothing more than keep quiet.

“Simply put, Teresa is now thrown under the bus,” Zaid said. – September 9, 2024.