PAS’s Thaipusam greetings: surprising yet commendable

What a surprise! Islamic party PAS wished Hindus in Malaysia a happy Thaipusam on the eve of the religious festival.

In sending the greeting, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said Thaipusam was yet another manifestation of Malaysia’s diversity that helped foster openness, simplicity, compromise, mutual acceptance and respect.

“Without prejudice or passing judgment, such experience is a valuable asset and advantage for Malaysians, particularly in confronting the reality of the world’s diversity beyond our borders, compared to citizens of monocultural countries,” FMT quoted him as saying.

He noted in a statement that there would always be parochial and negative views about certain groups, whether related to beliefs, culture, political tendencies, or national issues such as loyalty and the like.

Therefore, Takiyuddin said, there was a need for moderation. He urged all parties to avoid emotional conflicts and pointless polemics so that harmony could be maintained.

“Parochialism, extremism or excessive approaches are flaws that need to be tempered with moderation, common sense and courtesy, instead of louder voices or a confrontational stance,” he said.

There was, however, a caveat to all this: He said openness, moderation and tolerance towards diversity should not be misconstrued as a “licence” to undermine Malaysia’s historical, cultural and foundational values.

He did not say what these were but I suspect, based on PAS’s previous positions and beliefs, he meant Islam and Malay dominance.

I’m sure many non-Muslims would have been surprised by the greeting from PAS which they generally feel is not exactly friendly towards their religious and cultural practices.

Based on the actions and remarks of PAS leaders over the years, many non-Muslims fear that if PAS were to be in power, they would have problems practicing their religions and cultures.

PAS, however, has always maintained that it has no quarrel with other religions.

It has to be noted that despite the suspicion, most Indians have high regard for a few PAS leaders, whom they see as moderate, and especially the late Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Many Hindus would recall that Kedah menteri besar  Sanusi Nor, a PAS leader, refused to declare Thaipusam a public holiday in 2021, causing much consternation and umbrage.

Thaipusam is not a gazetted holiday in Kedah but the state has observed Thaipusam as an occasional holiday from 2014 to 2019. However, in 2020, Thaipusam was not observed as an occasional holiday because it fell on a Saturday, considered a weekend in the state.

Also, many Hindus were upset when the Kedah government demolished two shrines – including one said to be more than 100 years old – within a matter of months in 2020.

Despite Sanusi’s explanation for doing so, many saw this as an indication of what to expect if PAS were ever to hold federal power.

Most Hindus have not forgotten the criticism levelled against then prime minister Najib Razak by the then PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan for attending Thaipusam celebrations dressed in a crème kurta at Batu Caves on Feb 7, 2012.

Nasrudin, among other things, called on the Fatwa Council to pronounce its view on Najib’s attendance at a Hindu celebration. He had said religion should not be “sold” for self-interest.

Nasrudin and a couple of others who questioned Najib’s attendance were roundly criticised by other Malaysians, with Najib himself saying there was nothing wrong in wearing the kurta and that millions of Muslims in India wore it too.

So, given all these, it is understandable that people may be a little surprised or a little suspicious of the Thaipusam greeting.

And there will be many sceptics too.

For instance, one person who called me soon after reading the news said Takiyuddin should first ask his own leaders – including president Hadi Awang – to follow what he had said.

“Takiyuddin said there was a need for moderation and that we should avoid emotional conflicts and pointless polemics. Isn’t PAS one of the biggest culprits here?” he asked.

He said PAS should practice what Takiyuddin preached about the need to temper parochialism, extremism and excessive approaches “with moderation, common sense and courtesy, instead of with louder voices or a confrontational stance”.

The politically inclined will see this merely as an effort to win over Indian voters who still play a crucial role in determining who wins in several states, and especially at federal level.

Certainly, PAS would realise that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan relies heavily on Indian votes.

Whatever the reason, I think we should welcome the gesture by Takiyuddin and PAS. It is good for multiracial, multireligious Malaysia.

I hope all political parties and all Malaysians will fully accept the religious and cultural practices of their fellow Malaysians and work to foster a sense of solidarity as Malaysians. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.