Handheld talking Bible: Christians slam Hasan Ali for fresh apostasy claims

PAS' problematic Hasan Ali came in for a tongue lashing from Christian leaders. The Selangor executive councilor in charge of Muslim affairs had accused Christian missionaries of using 8 ways to proselytize Muslims - one of which included using a rather far-fetched 'solar-powered handheld talking bible'.

Replying to a question from Umno's Sungai Burong assemblyman, Hasan said Christians were also setting up welfare groups that handed out financial and other forms of assistance to single mothers, the poor, the elderly and others. Inducements included daily provisions, capital for business purposes and other aid.

However, the maverick PAS leader, who had once tried to broker a merger between his party and Prime Minister Najib Razak's Umno, was given short shrift by Christian leaders.

"Talk is cheap. Where is the proof. There are more than ample laws to punish those that try to proselytize Muslims so if Hasan Ali has evidence, put it on show. Don't just accuse, that is hardly fair," Rev Thomas Philips, the vice chairman of inter-faith group MCCBCHST, told Malaysia Chronicle.

Hasan will continue to stir up trouble

But despite hitting bulls-eye, Rev Thomas is unlikely to succeed in convincing Hasan to put his money where his mouth was. This is not the first time that Hasan has been accused of stirring up trouble for Christians in a bid to show Muslims in the state that Christians could not be trusted.

He had rushed to defend the Umno-controlled JAIS over a raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Centre, which was bull-dozed through without any search warrant.

When the Sultan recently announced in a controversial ruling that no one would be prosecuted although - as the Ruler insinuated - there were signs of proselytization, Hasan was among the group that roundly condemned the Sultan's critics as being disloyal. He helped pushed for a mammoth Himpun rally of One Million Muslims to protest apostasy but less than 5,000 turned up.

Lost to Umno

Thursday's 'drama' in which Hasan was accused of play-acting along with Umno's Sungai Burong assemblyman raised eyebrows and prompted fresh talk that Hasan was already lost to Umno.

"He may in membership terms be a part of PAS but in his heart he is already an Umno guy. See the way they will feed him questions where he will answer to create the most controversy against his own Pakatan coalition," PKR veteran watcher Eddie Wong told Malaysia Chronicle.

Indeed, Hasan had in 2008 brokered an Umno-PAS alliance after he was promised the Selangor Mentri Besar post by Umno leaders, who have sworn to recapture the country's richest state by all ways and means.

Eager to be MB

Few among Hasan's Pakatan colleague trust him. Most have already asked his PAS party to drop him from the state exco line. So far, PAS has not reappointed him as the state commissioner - an ominous sign but perhaps this is still not enough.

According to Selangor Pakatan leaders, more treachery is on the cards and with the next general election widely expected within the next 3 months, Hasan can expected to play an even more aggressive role against their coalition.

Meanwhile, Hasan vowed to crack down on errant Christians, vowing more 'checks' against "community centres", distribution of leaflets and even monitoring the Internet, where he insisted missionary work was being conducted under the guise of entertainment, assistance, counselling sessions and classes.

Malaysia Chronicle