Nik Aziz says ready to join UMNO if...

Harakahdaily

KOTA BHARU, Oct 1: PAS Murshidul Am Tuan Guru Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said he would throw in the towel and join UMNO should the latter discard its nationalist identity and make Islam its ideology. “The day UMNO does that, I will dissolve PAS on the same day and fight for Islam together with UMNO,” said the Kelantan Menteri Besar. Nik Aziz had prior to this made similar statements, advising UMNO leaders to either dissolve their party to join PAS, or UMNO to abandon its racial ideology so that PAS would have no reason to continue. Nik Aziz however said UMNO had instead clinged to its struggle for Malay supremacy and took pride in narrow racism with chants such as "Hidup Melayu!" ("Long live the Malays"). “Till this day, it is not willing to change its struggle to one that is based on Islam. "Where is the Islamic spirit in UMNO?" asked Nik Aziz. Nik Aziz said confusion had been created by UMNO among Malay Muslims. “What confuses the Muslims is when UMNO calls itself as advocates for Islam but rejects Islam, for example the Hudud laws,” he explained. Nik Aziz also maintained that there was nothing in the Federal constitution which suggested that Malaysia was "secular", citing constitutional expert Dr Aziz Bari of the International Islamic University who stated that Islam was the official religion and was supposed to be advocated as a basis for the country's administration. “Why did UMNO leaders look down on this statement?,” he said. He said UMNO held on to secularism, accepting Islam based on their own interest, and said this was reason enough for the people to vote out UMNO in the election. On the move by PAS Supporters Congress (DHPP) to explain the justice system in Islam, Nik Aziz said the move should embarass UMNO. “UMNO should be ashamed that an Indian [non-Muslim] like Balasundram (of DHPP) is willing to organise a seminar to explain the Islamic justice system to those who have yet to understand how fair Islamic laws are. "All this while, has UMNO not thought of doing the same thing for their friends in Barisan Nasional?” he chided.