Is PAS' Salleh Man useless as MAIPP head, Amanah asks

PAS' claim that Penang has interfered in the state's fatwa decisions exposes the weaknesses of its sole representative Salleh Man as the state Islamic head, said Parti Amanah Negara vice-president Mujahid Yusof Rawa.

Mujahid said Salleh, the Permatang Pasir assemblyperson, holds a “big post” in the state administration as the president of the Islamic Affairs Council of Penang (MAIPP).

“Is PAS implying that they have failed to use Salleh Man as their Islamic representative, to fulfil whatever Islamic purposes they have in Penang?” asked the Parit Buntar MP.

He was responding to the controversial remark by PAS Penang commissioner Fauzi Yusof who alleged that the state government led by DAP and PKR had “interfered” in the decisions of the fatwa committee.

Fauzi said this was because the decisions by the committee were tabled in the state executive council meetings before obtaining the approval of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

When contacted, Salleh declined to comment about the controversy, saying he did not wish to be involved in the verbal war between the parties.

Penang executive councillor on Islamic Affairs Abdul Malik Kassim had described the allegations as “slanderous”, while state Mufti Wan Salim Mohd Noor denied the interference, urging PAS not to politicise decisions on fatwas.

No noise from PAS when it was in Pakatan

Mujahid said it was very clear that the executives cannot interfere with the fatwa process as the committee reports directly to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“The decision on fatwa itself comes about after deliberation from experts; and they are responsible directly to the Agong,” he told Malaysiakini.

“How can an Islamic party like PAS not know about the fatwa system? How come they (PAS) did not make any noise when they were part of the administration?” he queried.

Mujahid said the state executive council merely needed to be informed about the fatwa decisions, not to debate them.

“So there is no such thing as interference”.

PAS was part of the opposition coalition until it broke up with DAP in 2015, after which the Penang government declared a Pakatan Harapan administration with Amanah, minus PAS.

Amanah, a splinter group of PAS, was established in 2015, after a group of progressive leaders, friendly to DAP, were booted out of PAS central committee during the party’s internal polls.

Mujahid said he was saddened by the PAS statement regarding the fatwa interference, saying that his former party had “undermined the mufti institution”.

However, he was not surprised by PAS remarks which seemed to target the Penang government and its treatment of Islamic affairs.

“Such lies and slander from PAS is nothing new as they are merely parroting what Umno has been saying all along,” Mujahid said.

“That is why it is not wrong to assume that PAS is Umno in Penang and Umno is PAS,” the quipped.

He challenged Fauzi to debate the matter in public and let the state government defend itself.

As to the Penang government, via its think tank Penang Institute practising “Liberal Islam”, Mujahid urged PAS to define the concept of Liberal Islam before accusing others of practising it.

“Until today they have not define what Liberal Islam is; please come out with a proper definition or else the approach by PAS is very dogmatic; they have lowered themselves by making all these allegations,” Mujahid said.

“If Penang is practising liberalism, it means Salleh Man is a liberal MAIPP president”.-Mkini