Cut from the same cloth

Zahid, just like many people in PAS and PKR, is an Islamist. He was with Anwar Ibrahim in the Muslim Youth Movement, ABIM -- just like many of those in PAS and PKR (including the late PAS President, Fadzil Noor, and the present PAS President, Hadi Awang). Hence they are all cut from the same cloth (the focus of my article today).

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

First of all, please read the first news item below. Then read the second one in Bahasa Malaysia below that. They are no doubt about two different matters but are, in a way, related. And I will explain in what way they are related.

The second (Bahasa Malaysia) news item is regarding a statement by a senior PAS Kelantan leader asking those who are following Shia Islam to leave the party. This is like, say, my party, Liberal Democrats of UK, asking all Catholics to leave the party because the official religion of the UK is the Church of England and Catholics are not Christians but heretics.

How liberal and how democratic would Liberal Democrats be if this were the stand the party took?

Now, PAS prides itself in the slogan “PAS For All” or “PAS Untuk Semua”. It appears like PAS is for all Sunni Muslims, Christians (of any sect), Hindus, Buddhists, Jews, Agnostics, Atheists, and so on, but NOT for Shia Muslims.

So PAS is not really for all after all. Hence PAS should change its “PAS For All” slogan to something like the ABU (Asal Bukan Umno) war cry -- such as ABS, or “Asal Bukan Shia”. To say “PAS For All” is a misrepresentation of the truth.

Clearly, judging by the statement of this senior PAS Kelantan leader, PAS does NOT respect the fundamental rights and civil liberties of ALL Malaysians. It only respects those rights and liberties of Sunni Muslims. Hence PAS is not really “for all” after all, as it claims to be.

Now, when I say that Pakatan Rakyat is no better than Barisan Nasional many get very upset with me. They vilify me and mock me. Why are you so angry with me when I tell the truth? Is it not true that PAS is NOT for all? Is not the statement of its own senior party leaders proof enough? And why are you so worried about the truth and why are you so angry when I reveal the truth?

Never be afraid of the truth because the truth will set you free. Only idiots will want to avoid the truth and will get upset when I reveal the truth.

I want to know DAP’s and PKR’s stand on this matter. DAP and PKR ‘fight’ for the rights of the non-Muslims -- the Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, etc. They scream and foam at the mouth when it comes to the perceived persecution of and injustice to the non-Muslims and/or the non-Malays. What about the rights of Muslims/Malays who also want freedom of religion? Do these people not matter to DAP and PKR?

Yes, the silence is deafening. This shows that DAP and PKR are not sincere about the fundamental rights and civil liberties of Malaysians after all. Shia Muslims, too, have fundamental rights and civil liberties. Why are their rights and liberties not also upheld?

Okay, now on to the next news item regarding Zahid asking Waythamoorty to leave the government.

Zahid, just like many people in PAS and PKR, is an Islamist. He was with Anwar Ibrahim in the Muslim Youth Movement, ABIM -- just like many of those in PAS and PKR (including the late PAS President, Fadzil Noor, and the present PAS President, Hadi Awang). Hence they are all cut from the same cloth (the focus of my article today).

When Anwar abandoned the opposition cause to join Umno in 1982, many from ABIM followed him into Umno while some joined PAS and some remained in ABIM.

In 1998, when Anwar was kicked out of Umno, some of those ex-ABIM leaders who had followed him into Umno joined him to form the Reformasi movement and then Parti Keadilan Nasional (now PKR) in 1999.

Zahid, however, remained in Umno and is now a Minister. (In fact, Zahid was detained together with Anwar back in 1998 so I am surprised he remained in Umno instead of joining Anwar in the opposition).

Nevertheless, Zahid is still very much an Islamist just like those ex-ABIM leaders who joined PAS and PKR. Hence Zahid, just like those other Islamists in PAS and PKR, is intolerant of fundamental rights and civil liberties. And that is why Zahid does not allow Waythamoorty to express his views. Waythamoorty can only say things in support of the government and not otherwise.

This is the same attitude of those Islamists in PAS and PKR. They, too, do not tolerate fundamental rights and civil liberties and will not allow you to express your opinions. If you do so they will whack you and ask you to leave and call you all sorts of names. 

I do not see any difference between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. And I have said this many times before. And until Pakatan Rakyat can show that it is different from Barisan Nasional I do not see why it deserves our support.

Sure, Pakatan Rakyat is ‘clean’ while Barisan Nasional is corrupt (and Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy exist). That may be a good start but that is not good enough for me. Until and unless Malaysians are allowed to talk and their fundamental rights and civil liberties are respected, then both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat are cut from the same cloth as far as I am concerned.

My perjuangan (struggle) is not about kicking out Umno (ABU). It is not about making Anwar Ibrahim the Prime Minister. It is about respecting the fundamental rights and civil liberties of ALL Malaysians, Shia Muslims included. And it is about allowing those in government to criticise the government and those in the opposition to criticise the opposition.

That is what is missing in Malaysia. And I do not like it one bit.

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Zahid urges Waythamoorthy to go if against government

Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi advised Deputy Minister P. Waythamoorty today to leave the Najib administration if the latter insists on being critical of the government’s action on crime.

The former co-founder of Indian rights group HINDRAF had spoken out against the killing of five alleged gang members in Penang on Monday that was part of a police crackdown against organised crime and gun violence.

“If you were a champion in an NGO, and now a member of the administration and want to make negative remarks about the government, then it is best you leave and rejoin the NGO,” the home minister was quoted as saying at the start of a forum on crime in Sunway today by news portal The Malaysian Insider.

Following the slaying of the purported gang members in Penang, Waythamoorthy had joined the families of the five men in disputing the police account of a shootout that led to the death of their deaths. Instead, they allege the men had been shot in their sleep.

On Thursday, Zahid had also issued a warning against Waythamoorthy, who was roped as deputy minister in by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak following Election 2013, to stop behaving like an activist.

In the Monday incident, police shot dead the five men in an ambush at an apartment unit on the 11th floor of a service apartment in Sungai Nibong, Penang.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar later linked the five men to 10 murder cases and two attempted murder cases in three different states- Penang, Kedah and Negeri Sembilan.

The police also recovered three pistols and a few rounds of ammunition from the apartment unit.

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Syiah: Ahli Pas Perlu Keluar Parti

(Sinar Harian) - Pas Kelantan menggesa mana-mana ahli yang terlibat atau menjadi pengikut ajaran dan fahaman Syiah perlu segera keluar dari parti tersebut.

Teguran tersebut dinyatakan Timbalan Pesuruhjaya III Pas Negeri, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah yang turut menegaskan Pas sejak dari dahulu hingga sekarang masih lagi berpendirian menolak ajaran fahaman tersebut.

“Mana-mana ahli Pas yang terlibat dengan Syiah, haruslah keluar daripada Pas sebab kita tidak terima selain daripada ajaran Ahli Sunnah Wal Jemaah.

Syiah sudah lama wujud di Malaysia namun kenapa baru sekarang ia diperkatakan oleh Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) yang kononnya ia semakin membimbangkan.

“Sebelum ini Syiah dibiarkan bergerak bebas tanpa sebarang tindakan atau dakwaan, tapi sekarang baru timbul.

"Jadi kita bimbang kalau ada agenda politik lain apabila isu itu kini mula ditimbulkan kembali dan mungkin boleh jadi sengaja nak mengaitkan Pas dalam hal ini,” katanya.

Ketika ditanya mengenai status keahlian Pas yang menyertai Syiah, Mohd Amar berkata, sehingga kini pihaknya masih belum menerima apa-apa laporan tentang hal tersebut.