Dr M: PAS the one backed by devils

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has accused PAS of being the ones backed by the devil, in retaliation to the opposition relentlessly labelling Umno as such following the former premier’s remarks that the country would be better off with"the devils you know than the angel you don't".

Clarifying that his remark was merely an English proverb, which meant known leaders would be better than unknown ones, Mahathir said it was PAS that had explicitly stated that it did not mind support from the devil.

"Maybe PAS deputy spiritual leader Haron Din is not skilled in English proverbs and therefore had misinterpreted that I was willing to be with the devil.

"But on Jan 24, 1999, PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat clearly said in the Malay language - and I am sure Haron Din remembers - 'Who wants to help an Islamic state, we as leaders of Islam must accept, be it DAP, MCA or MIC. If they want to help, why reject? If DAP is sincere in helping PAS, I accept. Not just DAP; even if it’s the devil, I can accept'.

"Clearly Nik Abdul Aziz is willing to accept the devil's help for his Islamic state... What kind of Islamic state is formed with the help of the devil?" he wrote in a column of Umno-owned Mingguan Malaysia today.

Mahathir said the country was fortunate as Muslims had been united under the same sect but this unity was shattered with the emergence of PAS.

"In their (PAS) zeal for votes, they deliberately misinterpret Islam and declare only their version is the true Islam, causing the Malays to split," he said.

As a result of PAS labelling Umno as infidels, he said, it had disrupted prayers, broken up marriages and even separated graveyards as rituals done by people from Umno were supposedly not Islamic.

This, he added, was aggravated by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's amanat (message) to defame Umno as infidels.

"But today PAS has openly allied itself with infidels (Pakatan partners) that openly oppose PAS' Islamic state... but Umno does no label PAS as infidels," he said.

Mahathir said Nik Abdul Aziz in branding of over three million Umno members as infidels, has strayed from Islam and lauded those who have abandoned the party.

"Those who have left PAS can truly fight for Islam and spread true Islam," he said.