PAS practises open dialogues with Perikatan Nasional partner Gerakan, the Islamist party president said, including on objections to the government’s plan to roll out the “Imam Al-Nawawi 40 Hadith” appreciation module in public schools.
Abdul Hadi Awang pointed out that such dialogues were also held with Gerakan over other issues in the past.
"We're always in communication with Gerakan. We hold dialogues. It’s not the first time.
"There have been ongoing dialogues. That (objection) is just one issue. There are many others," he told a press conference after attending a 'Dialog Rakyat' at the Pulai PAS operations centre today.
Earlier, Pulai Umno division chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed urged PAS to "educate Gerakan" over the Education Ministry's plan to introduce the module, following party president Dominic Lau's reported objections on grounds that it supposedly goes against the Federal Constitution.
"I would like to ask, where are the PAS ulama when their friend in Perikatan Nasional - Gerakan - objected to the teaching of the 40 hadith to Muslim students?
"When a party that is not their ally raised any objection, they would swiftly issue a statement that 'non-Muslims should not object' (on matters related to Islam)," Jazlan said on Facebook today.
On Aug 19, Education Minister Fadhlina Siddek launched the "Imam Al-Nawawi 40 Hadith" appreciation module, aimed at fostering the values of Prophet Muhammad's sayings or hadith at the school level.
The module will be introduced in National Religious Secondary Schools (SMKA) and Government-funded Religious Schools (SABK) before being rolled out to other public schools.
Initial reports on the module, which did not mention that it would be taught to Muslims only, prompted the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) to express "deep concern" over the possibility that non-Muslim students will have to learn the module as well.
Reassurance needed
Lau in a statement today said the government must reaffirm its stand that the module will not be taught to non-Muslims.
He said initial announcements made on the matter were too "micro in nature" and triggered unhappiness among parents.
"The problem that we have under this government is that they often fail in the explanation process and trigger public unrest," Lau added.
Within the government, BN component MCA had also raised the party's concern, but party president Wee Ka Siong reportedly said he was satisfied with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's explanation on the matter. - Mkini
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