Kelantan NGOs says it is 'haram' to vote for PAS

Several Kelantan Islamic NGOs claim voting for PAS in the 13th general election is “haram” (not permissable).

NGOs Minda Pondok, Ustaz Muda membela Agama dan Tanah Air (Ummati), Ikatan Cendekiawan Islam Kelantan (Icik) and Pendita, deemed fighting against the PAS struggle as jihad (crusade).

They opined that voting for PAS is akin to supporting the DAP, a party they claimed rejects Islam and fights for secularism.

According to Malay dailyUtusan Malaysia, the NGOs claimed that they will issue a document for this purpose and would submit it to the Malay rulers and the National Fatwa council so the matter could be discussed.

Minda Pondok adviser Abdullah Sa'amah, who is also the founder of NGO Pondok Geting, said PAS had failed to defend Islam, especially with the usage of the word ‘Allah’ by non-Muslims and said this cannot be forgiven.

“Allowing the usage of Allah by other religions is a sin.

“We must defend Allah at all costs as it is part of our belief and in this election we want a prime minister and a deputy prime minister who is a Muslim, and in this we will jihad and not vote for PAS.

“I am saying this in defending the usage of Allah as I refer to all four big scholars of Islam, (and) various references, which all say Allah is the only one and cannot be associated with something else,” he said.

Abdullah said that the Pondok people have rejected opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim (left) as one of his struggles is to allow the usage of ‘Allah’ by other religions.

Minda Pondok committee member Mohd Syamsul Mohd Yusoff al Hafiz, said that tahaluf siyasi(cooperation) by PAS is just in name as what is actually happening is PAS is becoming a tool for DAP.

“The tahaluf siyasi, which we see in BN, with Umno as imam(leader) while MCA and MIC as makmun (followers) who will struggle on the instructions of the imam, is correct,” said Mohd Syamsul.

The same Umno-owned daily also quoted another NGO, Pertubuhan Muafakat Sejahtera Masyarakat Malaysia (Muafakat) president Ismail Mina Ahmad, as saying the right partner for PAS is Umno.

Ismail claimed that PAS made a wrong move in choosing to be with Anwar and the opposition's cause.