Of God, PAS and DAP

Barisan Nasional is still harping on religion and attempting to drive a wedge between PAS and DAP.

COMMENT

Barisan Nasional is still up to its old tricks of trying to cause a permanent split between PAS and DAP and that is why it is latching on to the God issue so very tenaciously.

Said PAS Bukit Gantang MP, Nizar Jamaluddin: “BN’s strategy of roping in God to destroy Pakatan Rakyat is destined to fail because a far worse issue was the unity government issue and still Pakatan managed to handle it well. This God issue is a small matter and the longer BN clings on to it, the speedier will be BN’s demise.”

Nizar took pains to stress that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was merely requesting for permission from the BN federal government for Christians to use the Allah terminology in the Bible and not asking permission from PAS, but PAS has been purposely dragged into the row.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad concurred with Nizar, saying that it was the BN federal government which had allowed Christians to use the Bible containing the Allah terminology.

“When Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein gave a stern warning that the licence for the printing of Bibles in the Malay language would be revoked if there was misuse, it clearly shows that the BN federal government was the one which had in the first place allowed the use of the Bibles in the Malay language.

“Certain parties just want to make this an issue to stir up tension and emotions. The Home Ministry should act against those who want to stir up tension,” said Khalid.

Khalid also said the meeting between Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz Nik Mat and the Bishop of Penang Diocese, Sebastian Francis, was to show that there is certainly room for dialogue between Islam and Christianity.

During the discussion between the two religious leaders, Bishop Francis said the nation needs the spiritual strength of Nik Aziz as a guiding example. Both had agreed that the time spent on religious squabbles could instead be put to better use.

The meeting between Nik Aziz and Bishop Francis was indeed a wise and strategic move to show that PAS can work together with DAP despite having differences on issues pertaining to religion, which in fact is only a storm in a teacup.

In the event that Pakatan wins federal power in the 13th general election, PAS will try to amend the Federal Constitution to allow for hudud to be implemented but due to the numbers game, PAS will fail because PAS and only PAS wants hudud.

Tarnishing Pakatan’s image
The mainstream newspapers also continue their spin that PAS and DAP will break up. Some pro-BN political analysts have also been airing their views that both PAS and DAP are out to dupe the electorate.

The whole thing about the God issue is just a BN project to break up the Pakatan coalition before the 13th general election and to tarnish Pakatan’s image in the eyes of the voters. BN’s motive is to show that if Pakatan is divided, it cannot govern the nation.

Not content with getting pro-BN analysts to do its job of bashing Pakatan, BN also makes use of PAS people to achieve its aim of destroying Pakatan.

A recent example was when an English daily on Feb 1 published an untruth about Dr Nik Mazian Nik Mohamad (PAS State Assemblyman of Gaal, Kelantan) as urging Muslims to vote only for Muslims, including Umno candidates, to ensure that Islamic principles are defended if the battle is between Umno and a non-Muslim PKR candidate.

In fact, he said that Muslims should only vote for PAS. What a spectacular spin on the truth!

Therefore no one should be trapped by BN’s tactic to divert the attention of the rakyat from the main issues of corruption and cronyism.

Dragging on the God issue indicates that BN may want to play on this issue a little while longer and the polls date may very well depend on how much political mileage BN can gain from God.

Malaysians must also not forget that Umno seems to bully DAP on issues pertaining to God, but let MCA get away scot-free although MCA leaders, especially its president, Dr Chua Soi Lek, had in the past insulted Islamic practices in regard to handshake and the closing of shops during the first day of Aidilfitri in 2010.

Chua, too, has said that Muslim countries tend to be economically backward and that if Pakatan Rakyat becomes the federal government, the same fate will befall Malaysia as PAS has little or no interest in the economy.

It is high time the rakyat just focused on ushering in the new federal government via the electoral process and to stop the “foreigners” from voting. Heaven can wait. Earth takes priority as the stage is set for the greatest moment in Malaysian history.

Selena Tay is a DAP member and a FMT columnist.