In a recent column on Harakahdaily titled “DAP memimpin PH menyambung kerja penjajah hapuskan Melayu Islam” (DAP leading Pakatan Harapan to continue the work of colonisers to eliminate Malay-Muslims), PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang claimed DAP is dominating Harapan.
He also accused DAP of continuing a colonial agenda to weaken the position of Malays and Islam in this country.
As expected, central PAS ulama wing information chief Mohd Nor Hamzah backed his president's statement.
Nor argued that the PAS president's statement was based on faith (akidah) and history, not racial sentiment.
He also claimed that political manoeuvrings in Malaysia cannot be separated from the long history of Malaya, which the people must understand.
Nor added that Hadi’s remark was aimed at awakening society to the clash of faith and identity against a new doctrine of colonisation.
Before going any further, I would like to pose this question to Hadi and those who support his statement: since when exactly has DAP been continuing the colonisers' work to wipe out Malays/Islam?
Has it been from the very beginning, or is this a recent development?
If DAP only recently developed an agenda to continue the colonisers' work of wiping out Malays and Islam, then Hadi is implicitly accusing the Muslim/Malay leaders within Harapan - specifically from Amanah and PKR - of ignoring this agenda.
Consequently, they could also be accused of abetting DAP.
Where is the evidence?
Perhaps, it would be wise for Hadi to present evidence to support his wild accusations, as the burden of proof lies on the person making the claim.
It might also be a good idea for the Marang MP to lodge a police report so that the authorities can investigate his serious claims.
Who knows, Hadi and his supporters might have truckloads of evidence to back up the claims. As the late actor AR Tompel said in the movie “Do Re Mi”: "Surely a religious man wouldn't lie."
If Hadi’s claim is true, it can be argued from a legal standpoint that DAP may have committed a criminal act of sabotaging the Federal Constitution, which clearly protects Islam and the special position of the Malays.
According to constitutional experts, the position of Islam and the special position of the Malays are part of the "indigenous elements" of the Federal Constitution.
Or did Hadi simply issue a reckless statement without checking his facts?
PAS’ previous ties with DAP
Furthermore, if DAP has always harboured an agenda to continue the colonisers' work of wiping out Malays and Islam, why was PAS itself willing to be friends and form political alliances with DAP in the past?
It is rather ironic that in Perak, once upon a time, even though DAP won the majority of seats to form the Perak state government, it was this very same DAP that agreed to accept a PAS assemblyperson to become the menteri besar.
And when the Perak government was subsequently toppled through a coup, why did PAS protest against that ouster?
Logically, if it were true that DAP had an agenda to wipe out Malays and Islam, PAS should have agreed with the actions taken by Umno in Perak at that time.
It is an open secret that many statements, from both Hadi and other PAS leaders, have previously defended DAP against various slanders and wild accusations.
It is also interesting to note that DAP once sent its prominent lawyer, the late Karpal Singh, to defend Halimatun Sa'diah, who was dismissed from her job for wearing the niqab.
Many are also confused because a Malay-Muslim leader who once legally challenged the PAS hudud enactment in Kelantan has now been accepted as a PAS member.
So, it is quite strange for Nor to claim that Hadi’s statement was based on faith and history, rather than racial sentiment.
I do not intend to debate this matter extensively, other than to say that based on the factors of faith and history, Hadi’s statement - pardon my words - simply has no place in history.
Honestly, I am not surprised at all if other PAS leaders come to support Hadi’s statement. The strong culture of loyalty (wala') within PAS makes it easy for its leaders, members, and supporters to blindly agree with their president's remarks.
Ultimately, while Hadi has every right to criticise DAP, such criticisms should be fair and just so they can be easily respected by both friends and foes. - Mkini
HANIPA MAIDIN is a former deputy minister of law.
The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.
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