Former Terror Suspect Zaky Mallah Say He’ll Run Against Tony Abbott At The Next Election

Former terror suspect, self-declared Islamist and controversial Q&A audience member Zaky Mallah has announced his intention to run against former Prime Minister Tony Abbott at the next federal election.

Mallah, who lives in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta and works in a warehouse, told Junkee that “The seat of Warringah is a seat run by a right-wing extremist MP — Tony Abbott. This seat needs to be challenged, and challenged by an Aussie Muslim.”

“I have a broad range of policies I have been developing for the past several years in preparation for this campaign,” Mallah said.

The next federal election is likely to be held in 2019, but Mallah has been promoting his candidacy this week by sending his press release to anti-Islam Facebook groups. While most online commenters have laughed off his announcement, one posted: “As much as we laugh and joke, London’s mayor is a Muslim (Sadiq Khan). Which is worrying as they [Muslims] do get elected, and by a huge majority of voters.”

In 2005, Mallah became the first person charged under the Howard government’s anti-terror laws after he recorded a video threatening to kill security officials, and then sold that video to an undercover ASIO agent.

Despite being acquitted of the terrorism charges, Mallah was jailed for two and half years after pleading guilty to threatening Commonwealth officials.

Section 44 of the Australian Constitution states that anyone who “has been convicted… for any offence punishable under the law of the Commonwealth or of a State by imprisonment for one year or longer” is ineligible to serve in federal parliament, potentially scuppering Mallah’s ambition.

Mallah has posted videos on YouTube where has expressed support for Al Qaeda-affiliated groups and the establishment of an “Islamic Caliphate” in Syria, but he told Junkee he preferred to be described as a “supporter of Islamist groups opposing President Assad”.

In 2015 he appeared on the ABC’s Q&A and asked a Coalition minister about plans to change citizenship laws.

Watch the full exchange between @zakymallah and @steveciobo on @QandA. The ABC will now review Mr Mallah's appearance http://t.co/0neRuNkRx3

— ABC News (@abcnews) June 23, 2015

The exchange led to then Prime Minister Tony Abbott launching an inquiry into Q&A and declaring “heads should roll”. The ABC’s head of television said the decision to allow Mallah to ask a question was a mistake.

Before Mallah spoke to Junkee about his political agenda he demanded to know if we were affiliated with Rupert Murdoch (we aren’t). He told Junkee his policies included renaming Australia Day to ‘Invasion Day’, removing the Union Jack from the Australian flag, mandating that the Speaker of the House of Representatives must be an Indigenous MP, and, in response to Pauline Hanson’s proposed burqa ban, the establishment of a ban on bikinis in public places.

Mallah told Junkee that he wanted the Australian flag replaced with his own design called the AusRoo:

Mallah also wants to abolish the NSW Police’s Middle Eastern Organised Crime squad “and any other racial squad that the NSW police is promoting”. When Junkee pointed out that this was a state issue, given it related to the NSW police, Mallah said: “I will speak to the NSW police minister and advise him that Middle Eastern Organised Crime squad is un-Australian, racist and not good for policing.”

Mallah points to the rise of right-wing extremism and Pauline Hanson as motivation for his announcement and said “Muslims must stand up and enter Parliament to bring Islam to its doorsteps.”

The seat of Warringah has been held by the Liberal Party since World War II and Tony Abbott has been the local member since 1994. Last year former Australian Idol host James Mathison ran against Abbott in Warringah, securing 11 percent of the vote.

Muslims make up just 0.5 percent of the Warringah, well below the national figure of 2.2 percent.

Last year Mallah plead guilty to riding a motorised scooter on a footpath.