Perikatan Nasional is turning the tables on the coalition government - implying that it is the latter who are "penunggang agama" (riding on religion).
PN chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan said this in regard to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's Aidilfitri open house tour across six states - which the former said could not be separated from a political motive.
"Stale and deviant rhetoric that PAS and PN are 'penunggang agama' for political purposes now appears to reflect back on the federal government itself, which has 'hijacked' an important annual Islamic event to achieve its political objectives," he said in a statement today.
Anwar is hosting the prime minister's Aidilfitri open house in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Penang, Selangor, and Negeri Sembilan - the six states where polls will be held a few months from now.
Anwar has previously denied that the open house tour is motivated by the state polls.
Takiyuddin's statement comes a week after both the PN-led Kelantan and Terengganu state governments expressed openness to Anwar's event.
‘Disrespectful and wasting money’
The PAS leader said no matter what angle the open houses are viewed from, it was clearly excessive and indefensible.
He said it would have been better for Putrajaya to have stuck with tradition - in which each state government organised Aidilfitri open houses on their own.
"This act of crossing boundaries of respect and etiquette between the state and federal governments in this context clearly challenges the image and dignity of the states, and would not contribute to better ties and trust between both sides," he said.
Takiyuddin added that it would also not benefit the public.
Meanwhile, Takiyuddin also argued that the open house tour went against Putrajaya's commitment to be more prudent in order to strengthen the country's fiscal position.
Earlier, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail dismissed the argument that the open house tour would be a waste of public funds.
“Why should we be calculative about having open houses to celebrate Aidilfitri with the people? That ketupat and lemang will not cost that much. I don’t see any issue... how would it be a waste?
“Other than lemang, ketupat, and satay, there will also be booths offering cendol and ais kacang, and they are not that expensive. InsyaAllah, it won’t be a waste,” he was reported as saying.
On a related matter, Gerakan president Dominic Lau urged Putrajaya to reveal the cost of organising open houses in Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah.
“It is our responsibility to ensure the government doesn’t misuse taxpayers’ money for political purposes.
“Putrajaya must act responsibly when it comes to public funds,” Sinar Harian reported him as saying. - Mkini
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