PAS leaders play down Youth chief’s Valentine’s threat

By Adib Zalkapli

February 10, 2011

The PAS Youth chief had claimed PR-ruled states would hold a Valentine’s Day crackdown. — file pic

SHAH ALAM, Feb 10 — Selangor PAS leaders distanced themselves today from party Youth chief Nasrudin Hasan’s declaration that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states would launch crackdowns on Muslims celebrating Valentine’s Day.

The announcement has been widely criticised by civil groups and denounced by Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians as proof that PAS would implement a puritanical Islamic state if PR comes to power.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said Nasrudin had not been authorised to speak on behalf of the state governments, and pointed out that enforcement of Islamic laws were carried out independently by religious departments.

“He does not represent the government,” said Khalid, who is also a member of the PAS national political bureau.

“The state religious department regularly conducts checks on immoral activities, not just on Valentine’s Day,” the first-term MP told reporters.

Khalid also confirmed that Nasrudin’s remarks were personal views and had not been brought up during the party’s recent political bureau meeting.

Nasrudin had reportedly said that the state governments in Kedah, Kelantan and Selangor had directed the local authorities to work closely with the police and Rela to check on immoral activities that day.

He said that in Penang, PAS Youth would work with the state Islamic department to monitor the celebration of Valentine’s Day.

He was quoted as saying that the programme was part of an attempt to promote sin-free lifestyles among the public.

Meanwhile, PAS Kota Raja MP Dr Mariah Mahmud said the party’s welfare bureau would only approach youths on Valentine’s Day to educate them on Islamic rules.

“There is no crackdown by PAS; we are calling our initiative ... the ‘We Care’ (expedition),” said the member of PAS central committee.

“We will educate the public on syariah principles, as some of [those] we met were not aware of Islamic rulings,” said Mariah.

PAS’s stand on implementing Islamic rules has resulted in several public disagreements among members of the PR coalition.

Previously the Islamist party had attempted to stop the sale of alcoholic beverages in Muslim majority areas in Selangor resulting in fierce opposition from DAP and some PKR leaders.

Valentine’s Day is an annual commemoration of love and romance, and is celebrated the world over on February 14. - Malaysian Insider