KUALA LUMPUR: Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh has cautioned government backbenchers against falling for the opposition's racial and religious rhetoric.

In an interview with Malaysiakini, Yeoh cited the criticisms of the recognition of Bak Kut Teh as a national heritage dish by Perikatan Nasional leaders.

"It's because they (the opposition) have an audience like that. As a result, things that were not a problem before can be a problem today.

"The criticisms we hear are very similar to the noise we heard in 2018 when Pakatan Harapan (PH) first took over Putrajaya. At that time, Umno and Pas were in the opposition."

She said it was important to understand the "nature of the opposition" and that members of Parliament who back the government must not fall for their "bait".

Yeoh said the situation now was different from when PH was in opposition as it did not play up racial and religious sentiments.

"The people perceive it to be a time of peace (when PH was in opposition)," she said.

In the interview, Yeoh also said the government was striving to push for change amid criticisms over the slow pace of reforms.

Yeoh said several important legislations have been passed since the unity government came to power, including the anti-stalking law, decriminalisation of suicide attempts, and the repeal of the mandatory death sentence.

"That was all in the first year (of administration). Many ministers have also started pushing for reforms in various ministries.

"My message to our supporters is yes, we all want reforms and I can assure our supporters that we are working very hard to make this work," she said.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/04/1036050/dont-fall-oppositions-race-religious-bait-says-hannah-yeoh