Home Ministry: Mat Sabu made Shiite invocation

PAS deputy president Mohammad Sabu made a Shiite invocation during a ceramah in Arau, Perlis in 2005, the Home Ministry said today.

At a press conference to provide "evidence" of Mat Sabu's involvement in Shiism, ministry secretary-general Abdul Rahim Mohamad Radzi said the information was from an interview conducted by the ministry with Kedah Fatwa Council member Abdul Aziz Hanafi.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced on Dec 9 that the authoritiespossessed evidence, including "pictures", to prove that the "PAS number two" follows Shiite teachings.

Abdul Rahim also listed nine other reasons to show that Mat Sabu has connections with Shiism, one of which was "strong sympathies with Iranian revolution leader Khomeini (right).

The secretary-general refused to take questions from journalists during the press conference and merely read out from a prepared statement. 

"All these facts clearly prove that he (Mat Sabu) has connections with the faith and activities of Shiites," Rahim said in concluding his five-page statement, sighted by Malaysiakini.

Malaysiakini journalists were earlier barred from covering the press conference at the ministry in Putrajaya.

Ministry quotes blog writer

The ministry also quoted the writer of a blog called 'Duke of Umno' with a certain Abdul Rahim from Pendang, Kedah claiming to have personally witnessed Mat Sabu performing his prayers using a small flat stone, a practice synonymous with Shiites.

Apart from that, the ministry also referred to an interview conducted by portal Antara Pos with Jati deputy president Aidit Ghazali, in which the latter claimed Mat Sabu to be a "Shiite icon".

"Meanwhile, statements from his friends who have been in the same political struggle with him also admits that he has connections with Shiism,” Abdul Rahim said.

He said that Mat Sabu had “urged” Malaysian Muslims to follow the example of the thinking and leadership qualities of Khomeini, “which is clearly based on Shiism”.

However, Abdul Rahim did not specify any action to be taken against Mat Sabu, merely saying that the ministry will cooperate with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and also the police to “monitor the situation” and to “stop the spread of Shiism”.