Muhyiddin's fatwa: Anwar urges voters to end PN chief's 'nonsense'

JOHOR BY-ELECTIONS | Entering the mid-way mark, Pakatan Harapan and BN leaders taking to the stage during a “mega ceramah” last night have amplified their calls for voters to reject divisive politics and the culture of labelling political opponents as “infidels”.

Thousands of supporters gathered at Uda Utama Recreation Park, Pulai, were reminded of the potential dangers of allowing the divisive rhetoric to gain traction in Johor.

In his speech, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim took Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin to task for declaring it as “haram” to vote for Harapan’s Pulai candidate Suhaizan Kaiat.

“Who are you (Muhyiddin)? You (voters) must put a stop to this nonsense!” stressed the Harapan chairperson.

Muhyiddin and PN leaders on the campaign trail in Pulai and Simpang Jeram had targeted the DAP and said any parties that accepted the Harapan component should be rejected for allegedly sacrificing Malay-Muslim interests.

Anwar, however, stressed that such allegations were untrue and he would otherwise oppose working with the DAP.

“If it was true they reject Islam and the Federal Constitution, we (Harapan) will oppose them (DAP).

“Most importantly, we work with the DAP to fight corruption,” said Anwar.

Muhyiddin during a ceramah in Kempas on Friday night urged voters to not give a single vote to Suhaizan.

“I will make an edict, (it is) haram,” he said.

Opponents highlight PAS’ track record

Meanwhile, other Harapan and Umno leaders who took to the stage reminded Muhyiddin of his remarks a decade ago labelling PAS as “Parti Ajaran Sesat”.

Muhyiddin was at the time a deputy prime minister from Umno and PAS was a part of the then Pakatan Rakyat federal opposition, together with PKR and DAP.

Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar described Muhyiddin’s latest remark targeting Suhaizan as a dangerous sign that resembles PAS’ culture to attack their political opponents.

Amanah vice-president Mahfuz Omar

“From as early as when we left PAS to form Amanah, there were those who said that our blood is ‘halal’...,” Mahfuz said in reference to threats of harm against those deemed to be enemies of Islam.

“Bangsa Johor cannot accept these kinds of extreme sentiments,” said the former Pokok Sena MP.

Meanwhile, Amanah president Mohamad Sabu said any “decrees” by PAS should be rejected as the party has a long history of dividing Muslims by labelling their political rivals as opponents of Islam.

The former PAS deputy president recalled they were taught by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's infamous speech against Umno - first delivered in 1981 - that the faith of Umno members was compromised, and PAS is in a holy struggle to uphold Islam.

“But when they (PAS) were partners with Umno [...] Umno became a ‘gift from Allah’,” said Mohamad.

Umno supreme council member Lokman Noor Adam said Muhyiddin had wasted the best opportunity to strengthen Malay-Muslim power, when he rejected a proposal by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to form a unity government after the 15th general election.

“If he had at the time decided to join the government, then Malay-Muslim power would be stronger than what it is today,” said Lokman.

Before GE15, PAS broke ties with Umno and formed Perikatan Nasional alongside Bersatu and Gerakan.

BN and Umno, meanwhile, brokered a new alliance with Harapan and other parties after GE15 to form Anwar’s administration.

In his own address to Harapan and BN supporters, Suhaizan reiterated the importance of rejecting divisive politics and personal attacks in the name of religion.

The Ceramah Mega Madani attracted one of the largest crowds of Harapan-BN supporters so far, including over 2,000 ‘Bakul Rahmah’ assistance recipients, distributed at the function in memory of the late Pulai MP, Salahuddin Ayub.

The Election Commission (EC) has set Sept 9 as polling day for both the Pulai and Simpang Jeram by-elections, with early voting on Sept 5. - Mkini