Monday, September 04, 2023

PM Anwar questions Muhyiddin's authority to issue fatwa against Pakatan’s Pulai hopeful, calls for an end to such acts




PM Anwar questions Muhyiddin's authority to issue fatwa against Pakatan’s Pulai hopeful, calls for an end to such acts




Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim speaks at the Ceramah Mega Perpaduan Madani event at Bandar Uda Utama in Johor Baru September 4, 2023. — Bernama pic

Monday, 04 Sep 2023 7:53 AM MYT



JOHOR BARU, Sept 4 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s political fatwa against the Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate in the Pulai parliamentary by-election is unacceptable and must be stopped, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said last night.

He was responding to Muhyiddin’s reported remarks on the campaign trail in Kempas yesterday, that voting for the PH candidate Suhaizan Kaiat is “haram”.


“I see a problem that was brought up earlier. How can a vote be sinful? What is all this and who are you?

“This can’t go on and we must put an end to this nonsense,” Anwar said during the Ceramah Mega Perpaduan Madani event at Bandar Uda Utama here late last night.





Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Ceramah Mega Perpaduan Madani event at Bandar Uda Utama in Johor Baru September 4, 2023. — Bernama pic


Also present were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi representing Barisan Nasional (BN), Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) president Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and Suhaizan.

They were accompanied by other state PH and BN leaders during the event.

At the same event, Mohamad had lashed out at Muhyiddin for issuing the religious edict and attributing it to the latter’s close association with PAS, a component party of PN.

Mohamad said he did not expect such remarks coming from Muhyiddin, a person he used to respect.

“I will rarely hit out at Muhyiddin. However, when he made the political fatwa that it is sinful to vote for the PH candidate, it immediately came to my mind that this is the result of him being friends with PAS.

“We have to be aware that he has started to enter the takfiri phase.

“To all Malaysians, whatever our differences of opinion, let us not label a fellow Muslim out of Islam, or saying this person will be bound for heaven or hell. That is what Allah decides,” Mohamad said in his speech.

Takfiri is an Islamic term referring to a Muslim accusing a fellow Muslim of being an apostate, usually if they are deemed insufficiently religious.

Suhaizan in his speech, said Muhyiddin’s fatwa was dangerous as the latter was abusing Islamic law for politics.

“I don't have a problem if you don't want to support me, but if you use Allah’s law to make it sinful, I feel that it is too much.

“If politicians can use Islamic law by declaring it sinful against their political opponents, I fear that others will follow suit,” he said, adding that it is a very dangerous precedent.




PH candidate for the Pulai seat, Suhaizan Kaiat (pic), in his speech, said Muhyiddin’s fatwa was dangerous as the latter was abusing Islamic law for politics. — Bernama pic


During last Saturday night’s Ceramah Perdana PN in Kempas here, Muhyiddin said the political fatwa against Suhaizan was necessary as a show of protest by Pulai’s voters following the Anwar-led unity government's failure to alleviate the people‘s hardship ever since coming to power nine months ago.

Following that, the former prime minister had received heavy criticism from both PH and BN leaders questioning his right to issue such a religious edict.

BN chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi demanded that the Pagoh MP name the Islamic law that forbade voters from backing a PH candidate.

BN deputy chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hassan called on Muhyiddin to repent, adding that he should not toy with religion.

DAP central executive committee member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, described Muhyiddin’s political fatwa as being extreme and offensive.

The Johor DAP vice-chief said such an edict could breed extremism in the country.

The Pulai parliamentary and Simpang Jeram state by-elections are being held following the July 23 death of its incumbent Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub, who was also the domestic trade and cost of living minister.

The Election Commission has set polling day for both by-elections for September 9, with early voting tomorrow.

***




Muhyiddin needs to repent, leave religion out of politicking, says Tok Mat




Umno Deputy President Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan arriving at the World Trade Center (WTC) in Kuala Lumpur to await the results of the six-state State Election (PRN) August 12, 2023. — Bernama pic

Sunday, 03 Sep 2023 9:25 PM MYT



JOHOR BARU, Sept 3 — Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin needs to repent over his statement likening voting for Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate Suhaizan Kaiat to a religious sin.

Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said Muhyiddin should instead act like a gentleman and explain his coalition’s direction or plans to voters while campaigning and politicking and not issue statements that distort religious values.


“Never claim what’s right is a sin, that’s not our right, it’s fine to campaign and engage in politicking, but don’t toy with religion. If this was boxing, what he did was akin to hitting below the belt.

“I would like to advise my brothers to be gentlemen, tell voters what you are going to do (should you win the by-election), whether you will shore up the government or otherwise, don’t issue statements like this,” he said in response to the Pagoh MP’s statement at a media conference after visiting the Permatang Kempas polling centre here today.


He also asked the Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) machineries, especially women, to go out and meet more undecided voters to explain to them the importance of voting for the Unity Government candidate in Pulai as a PH victory was important to strengthen the administration, which currently two-thirds majority, and ensure the economic recovery of the country.


Mohamad said that a strong stable government was the main criteria for investors to invest in a state or country and this was proven by Johor’s achievement of recording RM70.6 billion in investments last year.

“After Johor won (with two-thirds majority) last year, the state government brought in RM70 billion in investments last year, 30 per cent of the overall national investment.

"Our country is now the destination for new incoming investors, including Tesla, and existing investors like Infineon Technologies has added another RM25 billion in investments in Kulim High Tech Park in Kedah,” he added. — Bernama


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