Zaid : PAS muktamar has ‘no class’

Former law minister takes PAS to task for appearing more interested in attacking Amanah than discussing the death of an 11-year-old tahfiz pupil.

PETALING JAYA: DAP’s Zaid Ibrahim says PAS’ annual muktamar for the Youth, Ulama and Women’s wings, which began today in Alor Setar, has “no class”.

In a tweet earlier today, the former law minister said PAS appeared more interested in attacking other opposition parties such as Amanah and in the lawsuit against Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown.

He said PAS should concentrate on more important issues such as the recent death of a tahfiz student in Johor Bahru.

“PAS tak ada class. Di muktamar cakap la pasal sekolah tahfiz, pasal peluang pekerjaan graduan sekolah Arab. Ini cakap Amanah, Claire.” (“PAS has no class. At the muktamar, they should talk about tahfiz schools or job opportunities for graduates of Arab schools. Instead, they talk about Amanah and Claire.”)

Eleven-year-old Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi died yesterday, a week after being admitted to hospital for injuries to his legs, allegedly inflicted during a beating by the assistant warden at the religious school he was attending.

He had previously undergone surgery to amputate both his legs in an attempt to stop an infection from spreading.

He had been scheduled for further surgery to amputate his right arm but died just hours later yesterday.

His death has sparked widespread anger and calls for the end to corporal punishment in schools. Many are also urging authorities to take action against the school and the assistant warden, who is in remand until Saturday to facilitate investigations.

Rewcastle-Brown, meanwhile, has been a subject of controversy since Sarawak Report published an article on Aug 8 last year claiming that RM90 million was “reckoned” to have entered the accounts of top PAS leaders to woo them into supporting Umno and Barisan Nasional.

Today, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said Hadi had filed a defamation suit against Rewcastle-Brown at the London High Court on April 21.

He said PAS was seeking “substantial” damages but declined to reveal the exact amount. He said the party was also seeking an injunction against the article, titled “As Najib Denies All Over 1MDB, Let’s Not Forget His Many Other Criminal Connections – Comment”. -FMT