'Islamic politics still has boundaries, including 3R' - Fahmi tells Hadi

 

Selangor exco Fahmi Ngah stressed that restrictions on discussing the 3R issues of race, religion and royalty in Malaysia are not a Western-imported concept that contradicts Islam, but are instead in line with the principles of Islam to maintain the harmony of a plural society.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Fahmi (above) said that while he respects the view of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang that Islam requires its adherents to provide advice to leaders and the Muslim community, it must be emphasised that the 3R is a mechanism for maintaining peace.

“The hadith ‘religion is advice’ quoted by Hadi remains bound by the principle of not harming others. Raising racial sentiments or insulting the Malay rulers is not advice, but the fire of slander that can destroy national harmony.

“Islam forbids causing mischief or corruption on earth (al-fasadu fil-ard). Furthermore, Islam outlines the offence of rebellion (bughah) and preventive measures that can be enacted by the ruling authorities (ulil amri).

“Denying the 3R in the concept of Islamic jurisprudence is tantamount to denying the principle of prevention, which is not foreign to Islamic teachings.

“In the Malaysian context, the institution of the Malay rulers is the guardian of Islam, the trustee of divine sovereignty as the ruling authority, and the preserver of Malay customs that outline the principles of decorum and morality in local Malaysian practice. Respecting this institution is part of the governance recognised in Islamic politics,” he said.

He said this when commenting on Hadi's statement yesterday that the term 3R does not exist in the framework of Islamic politics.

Hadi’s defence

To back his argument, the Marang MP cited a hadith from the compilation of Sahih Muslim (Kitab al-Iman, no 55), narrated by Tamim al-Dari.

Abdul Hadi Awang

“Religion is offering sincere advice. We (the companions of the Prophet) asked, ‘To whom?’ The Prophet replied, ‘To Allah, His Book, His Messenger, the leaders, and the general public’,” Hadi wrote, quoting the text.

“This advice applies to Allah, the Prophet, Islamic leaders, and the Muslim community. Therefore, there is no such thing as a 3R ban in Islamic politics.

“God forbids speaking about Islam without proper knowledge,” he said through his regular Minda Presiden PAS column.

Sovereignty, Islamic morality

Fahmi, who is also a PKR leader, said that the Selangor government itself, under Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, is very firm that 3R is not an issue of freedom, but an issue of sovereignty and Islamic morality.

“This is an authoritative view that should not be taken lightly,” he said.

“The Selangor government under the Pakatan Harapan and BN coalition practises the Islamic principle of enjoining good and forbidding evil (amar ma’ruf nahi mungkar) prudently, not by insulting or triggering conflict between races and religions.”

Conversely, he said the PAS leader needs to reflect on whether they have really been practising sincere advice all this while, because the public knows that the party's leaders are known for insulting, reviling, and even, at one time, being implicated in the issue of takfir (excommunicating or branding other Muslims as infidels).

“No one in Selangor or Malaysia bans constructive criticism against leaders. What is banned is inciting, playing with racial issues, and belittling the royal institution,” he added. - Mkini