Fahmi orders probe on pro-Harapan portal that irked Pahang sultan

A pro-Pakatan Harapan portal that irked the sultan of Pahang will be investigated, said Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.

This was over a report by Harapan Daily that alleged Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had given a warning to PAS.

While neither Fahmi nor the Pahang palace named the portal, the headline cited “Sultan Pahang beri amaran terhadap amalan bawaan PAS” (Pahang sultan warns against PAS’ practices), which was an article published by Harapan Daily.

Speaking to Bernama, the minister assured that appropriate action would also be taken against the portal.

“This also serves as a reminder to all parties, regardless of whether electronic or print media, portals, or social media platforms, to never take lightly issues related to the 3Rs (religion, race, and royalty),” he said.

Harapan Daily had on March 22 reported on an excerpt of a speech Sultan Abdullah gave, which was being shared on TikTok.

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah

In the speech, which the Pahang palace confirmed was from a Maran district development briefing on March 20, the state ruler had remarked that “old sicknesses” should be forbidden from mosques.

This includes having two competing imams during prayers and declaring others as kafir (infidels).

Sultan Abdullah added that politicking can take place every five years - referring to elections - but that mosques must be kept as sacred places.

The monarch did not mention PAS, as alleged by Harapan Daily in its report.

However, the practice of having two competing imams performing prayers in a congregation had been associated with PAS in the past.

Likewise, PAS has often been accused of declaring other Muslims as kafir.

The Pahang palace, in a statement yesterday, decried the statement as slanderous and maintained that the sultan’s speech was not directed at any political party.

Following the royal rebuke, Harapan Daily retracted the article yesterday and apologised to Sultan Abdullah. - Mkini