UUM lecturer and political analyst Kamarul Zaman says inviting opposition parties, NGOs could see Prime Minister Najib Razak put on the spot over US ties.
The rally is expected to be led by both Najib and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, similar to how a protest in support of the Rohingya was held in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur, in December last year.
The two leaders are expected to highlight Malaysia’s position in response to the decision by Trump to acknowledge Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff said Najib could invite opposition parties and NGOs, aside from just having Umno and PAS, but that it would be a risky move.
“This is because other political parties may be more critical of him, urging him to take more drastic measures against United States President Donald Trump’s action,” Kamarul Zaman said.
He added that Najib could have acted more statesman like by inviting all political parties and all NGOs to the event instead of restricting it to PAS.
“Najib only associating himself with PAS may also upset some non-Malay voters but since Jerusalem is more of a humanitarian issue instead of a religious issue, the impact would not be much in terms of votes from both Malay voters and non-Malay voters.”
Kamarul Zaman said it is obvious that Najib is trying to get some political mileage to boost his standing in the eyes of Muslims by holding the event.
“While Najib could be sincere in voicing out the Palestinians’ struggle, it could be that he is trying to appease PAS leaders and members hence, boosting his image in their eyes too, as Palestine has been a very close issue to PAS,” he said.
Meanwhile, Berita Harian reported Hadi as saying that condemning the move by Trump to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel does not mean Malaysia should cut ties with US.
“That’s why when we address Trump’s actions, we are merely talking about his evils. We know that not everyone in the US agrees with Trump.
“Therefore, the government needs to choose properly whom we need to maintain relations with. It is part of dakwah (missionary work) that is open to non-Muslims,” he said. -FMT
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.