It looks like the last laugh may be on the "pompous and hypocritical" Umno leaders and if so, "serves them right".
According to PKR leaders who have borne the brunt of a concerted media attack, Umno's latest and last ditch strategy was to try to deflect attention from the slew of corruption scandals surrounding their own bigwigs such as Prime Minister Najib Razak's French Scorpenes trial, Minister Nazri Aziz and his son's controversial use of a Hummer vehicle as well as Wanita Umno Shahrizat Jalil's RM250 million NFC scandal.
But the plan failed. Despite the prolonged media assault, Umno and Utusan could not shake the Pakatan Rakyat opposition front nor could they dent public support for their main target - PKR vice president Nurul Izzah - with the allegations that she was encouraging apostasy when she remarked at a recent forum that:
"People should not be compelled to adopt a particular religion and this should also apply to Malays. When you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion... how can anyone say sorry, this (religious freedom) only applies to non-Malays, it has to apply equally," Nurul had said.
Look at what Pak Lah said!
Instead, Umno leaders who have been trying to command the moral high ground now find themselves on the defensive after an old news article featuring former prime minister Abdullah Badawi surfaced, showing the latter had been astonishingly sympathetic towards Muslims who wanted to leave Islam.
"We are waiting for Umno to respond. They have been pompous and hypocritical using Islam when political murder was their real motive. Let the Muslim community see with their own eyes whether Utusan and Umno will demand the same punishment for Pak Lah as they did for Nurul for allegedly encouraging apostasy. Let's see if JAIS and MAIS will call up Pak Lah for a thorough probe," PKR MP for Gopeng Lee Boon Chye told Malaysia Chronicle.
In July 2007 interview with Singapore's Channel NewsAsia, Abdullah was reported as clarifying that Muslims can leave the religion but they must first bring the matter to the state religious authorities. (scroll below for full text of the article)
Mr Abdullah says: "This is not something that cannot be done. It has happened before. Those who have decided to leave the religion for some reason, they don't want to be Muslims anymore, what can you do? If they want to leave the religion, what are you going to do?"
Not the first time
This is not the first time, Umno and Utusan have tried to smear Muslim leaders from the Pakatan Rakyat. Nurul's father Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has often found himself misquoted and forced to sue for defamation.
However, despite stirring up one hornets' nest after another, Umno has seen Malay support plunge and leaders leave its fold. Najib's own popularity has fallen to 58% from 61% previously based on a poll conducted in September.
"It serves Umno right. This shows Malays are no longer so foolish as to be led by their noses by spin-masters. The urban Malays will get even more disgusted with thanks to this episode whereas for the rural Malays, it won't increase their support for Umno either. Those in the Malay heartland are already either staunch PAS or Umno voters. They won't be swayed so easily. But the urban Malays will be further driven away to PKR and PAS," said PKR MP for Batu Tian Chua.
Malaysia Chronicle
Below is the Chanel NewsAsia article and link http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/southeastasia/view/287174/1/.html
PM Abdullah urges Islamic teachers to be more understanding
By Channel NewsAsia's Malaysia Correspondent Melissa Goh | Posted: 10 July 2007 0017 hrs
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has called on the country's religious departments to listen to the problems raised by those wanting to renounce Islam and find a solution for them.
He was speaking to reporters after opening an Islamic conference in Putrajaya on Monday.
The Malaysian leader has urged Islamic teachers to be more understanding and provide a listening ear to those who want to leave the religion.
He made this point when speaking to reporters after opening an Islamic conference in Putrajaya.
Mr Abdullah says: "I have always said to the religious officers that they must listen to what their grouses are. Is it that they are disappointed with certain things that happened and because of that they want to leave the religion of Islam?"
Asked about the growing number of religious disputes dominating news headlines, he clarified that Muslims can leave the religion but they must first bring the matter to the state religious authorities.
Mr Abdullah says: "This is not something that cannot be done. It has happened before. Those who have decided to leave the religion for some reason, they don't want to be Muslims anymore, what can you do? If they want to leave the religion, what are you going to do?"
But he stressed that religious officers must offer counselling and find out what was behind the intention to renounce Islam.
Under Malaysia's Syariah law, it is the duty of religious authorities to determine whether a Muslim should be allowed to leave the religion or not.
Just last week, a 29-year-old Indian woman, who wanted to renounce Islam, was released from a rehabilitation centre run by the state's Islamic religious authorities.
Revathi, also known as Siti Fatimah, was born to Hindu parents who later converted to Islam.
She was separated from her Hindu husband and 18-month-old daughter for six months and claimed to have been ill-treated.
She says: "It was a waste of time. I was detained and tortured in there. I was separated from my husband and my child. I am not satisfied at all!"
Since she's out of the rehabilitation centre, the civil court has decided that it has no jurisdiction to hear her plight given she is no longer under any form of actual detention.
Revathi's fate now lies with the Syariah court.
Revathi is known as the Indian Lina Joy.
Lina Joy, who was born a Malay Muslim, earlier failed in her bid to renounce Islam and be officially recognised as a Christian, despite appealing to the country's highest court.
Their cases have attracted much public sympathy in Malaysia's multi-racial and multi-religious society.
- CNA
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