The PAS president says his recent tirade against DAP was firmly grounded in Islamic scripture, the Federal Constitution, and past statements from DAP leaders.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said the Pakatan Rakyat pact fell apart after DAP opposed the PAS-led Kelantan government’s policies.
PETALING JAYA: PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has labelled four Malay DAP leaders as “uneducated”, after they accused him of exploiting Islam for political gain.
Hadi said a recent statement he issued on social media, where he claimed DAP wants to steer the constitution back towards secular rule, was firmly grounded in Islamic scripture, the Federal Constitution, and past statements from DAP leaders.
“The four Malay DAP leaders who accused me of exploiting Islam for political gain through my writings are uneducated.
“They are not learned persons,” Berita Harian quoted him as saying.
In a Facebook post two days ago, Hadi accused DAP of working to steer the constitution back towards secular rule and glorifying the Communist Party of Malaya’s struggle.
The Marang MP also claimed the proposed Urban Renewal Act was aimed at evicting poor Malays from their homes in the name of urban renewal.
He also said secularism was a deviant teaching brought by Western colonisers, and that DAP contends the constitution is secular in nature.
This drew a rebuke from DAP Malay leaders Syahredzan Johan, Young Syefura Othman, Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali and Syerleena Abdul Rashid, who questioned why the issues did not hinder PAS from working with DAP under Pakatan Rakyat from 2008 to 2015.
On being former allies with DAP, Hadi said PAS had some common ground with the party, though its principle for any alliance is that PAS’s partners must not oppose the Islamic party’s policies.
He said the Pakatan Rakyat pact fell apart after DAP opposed the PAS-led Kelantan government’s move to ban the consumption of alcohol for Muslims and pass the state shariah criminal enactment.
Calling themselves “Gelombang Saksama” (Equality Wave), a coalition of 19 Indian NGOs met Bersama co-leaders Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad to stress the need for the party to make the Indian community’s interests an integral part of its political agenda.
DAP’s former MP Charles Santiago, who attended yesterday’s meeting, described it as the coalition’s first engagement with Bersama to discuss the Indian community’s future and its place in Malaysia’s political and economic landscape.
“The meeting stressed that at 6.5 percent of Malaysia’s population, Indians remain an important constituency, but their political leverage cannot be taken for granted.
“Declining population growth, persistent poverty, discrimination, school dropouts, and widening socio-economic disparities have reached alarming levels requiring an urgent need for a long-term, institutional response,” said the former Klang lawmaker.
Charles said the NGOs, representing various sectors, urged Bersama to ensure the Indian agenda is not reduced to a short-term electoral commitment but becomes part of a sustained programme for socio-economic transformation, equity, and wealth creation.
One key proposal, he said, was the establishment of a dedicated statutory body for the Indian community, with the independence, mandate, and resources to coordinate and drive long-term socio-economic development.
Former Klang MP Charles Santiago
“Such an institution should bring together government agencies, civil society, businesses, and community organisations rather than operate through fragmented programmes,” he explained.
Dedicated funding
The meeting also proposed a dedicated funding vehicle to mobilise government resources alongside contributions and investments from Indian individuals, businesses, and corporations.
Charles said the aim was to create a sustainable funding ecosystem to support economic opportunities, education, entrepreneurship, and community development.
The NGOs also called for the reinstatement of the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs to provide high-level political oversight and coordinate action across ministries and government agencies.
“The NGO representatives welcomed the opportunity to begin a conversation with Bersama.
“They urged the party to take up these proposals as part of its national agenda and to work with the Indian community towards a future in which the 6.5 percent are economically strong, politically empowered, and equal participants in Malaysia’s future,” he added.
‘What exactly was the minister doing?’
Charles previously warned Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Pakatan Harapan, of which DAP is part, that the “window is closing” and the Indian Malaysian community “will remember who acted when there was still time and who only woke up when votes were at stake”.
The caution came after Anwar appealed to Indian voters to forgive his mistake of referring to houses of worship built on disputed land as “illegal” during a meet-and-greet session in Seremban ahead of last month’s Negeri Sembilan state election.
The prime minister also announced that he would personally oversee matters concerning the community.
While Human Resources Minister R Ramanan would assist in implementing initiatives, Anwar said he would now take direct responsibility for the portfolio.
In response, Charles called on Anwar to immediately establish a Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs and replace Ramanan in the Malaysian Indian Community Transformation Unit (Mitra).
PM Anwar Ibrahim and Human Resources Minister R Ramanan
“If he (Anwar) has to take over, what exactly was the minister doing? Or is this just another political gimmick, complete with dancing to an evergreen MGR song yet again?” he asked, referring to the prime minister’s decades-old routine of gyrating to the tunes of the late Tamil Nadu actor-turned-politician MG Ramachandran when canvassing for Indian votes.
Rayer points out improvements
Defending Anwar, Charles’ DAP colleague and Jelutong MP RSN Rayer said the prime minister’s actions showed that he recognised and appreciated the Indian Malaysian community’s overwhelming support for his “reformasi” movement.
Rayer said the Madani administration had continued to improve the community’s welfare, education, and economic interests, including by increasing Mitra allocations from RM100 million to RM150 million.
He also cited RM76 million in financial grants to Aimst University over the past three years and RM20 million to Tafe College.
Apart from these financial grants, Rayer added that Anwar had allocated RM200 million for the maintenance of non-Muslim places of worship.
He said Indian students who excelled in the SPM examination had also gained greater opportunities for matriculation and entry into local universities under Anwar’s government.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has lambasted an Islamist party leader for accusing Putrajaya of targeting Islamic bodies in its fight against corruption.
In his speech at a hotel in Bangi today, Anwar said that agencies like Tabung Haji are being investigated because they are government-run and have issues warranting further scrutiny.
The prime minister said such actions should not be turned into racial or religious issues.
“If you ask me, Muslims and Malays should be even more serious and meticulous when it comes to upholding morality and values, because we should set an example.
“In dakwah, we call this dakwah bil hal (lead by example); the most effective form of preaching is preaching by example.
“If we say we must fight drugs, but there are many drug problems among our own people, or say we must fight corruption, but many of those who greedily take bribes are also among us, that is not setting an example.
“But sometimes it is difficult to explain this because people are uncomfortable with such matters,” Anwar told the audience at a meet-and-greet session with Felda managers this morning.
‘Tarnishing Islam’s image’
While he did not specify anyone, it is understood that the Pakatan Harapan chairperson was responding to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang. 😁👍👍👍😁
The Marang MP yesterday published a lengthy article where he linked criticism of alleged misconduct at Tabung Haji to what he claimed was an attempt to tarnish Islam’s image.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang
Hadi claimed the Tabung Haji issue had been amplified by “a handful” of people who exaggerated the matter with the malicious intent of shaming Malay-Muslims over misconduct.
According to Anwar, those scrutinised by authorities were targeted because they allegedly betrayed the trust given to them, not because of their religious, racial, or political backgrounds.
The premier said he regrets the attitude of some who are supposedly unbothered by corruption issues.
“When there is corruption, (some people) say cannot (investigate), because this is an Islamic body. Do not let this go out because it would humiliate us.
“This is not right. We must be an example.
“If (wrongdoings) occurred, we must set the example by showing our will to correct them. The people can accept this,” he added.
Published: Aug 21, 2026 10:42 AM Updated: 12:42 PM
DAP’s Abdul Aziz Bari has called on PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to withdraw from public life and focus on his health and well-being, accusing the veteran politician of repeatedly making racist and inappropriate remarks in Malaysia’s plural society.
In a statement, the Tebing Tinggi assemblyperson condemned Hadi’s latest attack on Malaysiakini, which the PAS leader accused of supporting DAP and propagating the party’s “heretical teachings” of secularism.
Aziz said the Marang MP should have used the proper channel, such as the Malaysian Media Council, to air his grievances, noting that Malaysiakini had also given PAS considerable space.
“I believe the PAS president has not forgotten that the portal, together with DAP and Pakatan Rakyat, also defended PAS’ rights when the Dr Mahathir Mohamad administration attempted to remove the word ‘Islam’ from PAS’ name in 1999.
“While we respect the PAS president’s rights as a citizen, we must also acknowledge that he has made many views that are racist and inappropriate for this country’s multiracial society.
“His views also do not reflect the Islamic worldview of rahmatan lil alamin - mercy to all creation.
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang
“Therefore, with all due respect, it would be best for him to withdraw from the public sphere and focus on his own health and well-being,” said the former academic.
Describing Hadi’s latest accusation against Malaysiakini as “shocking and confusing”, Aziz suggested that the portal’s management consider legal action against the PAS leader.
The Perak DAP vice-chairperson said the allegation was particularly serious in a Malay-Muslim-majority society.
In the latest edition of his “Minda Presiden” column, Hadi described Malaysiakini as one of several media outlets that supported DAP and helped propagate its secularism.
He also accused Malays in Pakatan Harapan of remaining silent over the alleged deviancy and even acting as spokespersons for DAP.
Hadi also linked criticism of alleged misconduct at Tabung Haji to what he claimed was an attempt to tarnish Islam’s image.
Last month, he described DAP members as “pendatang brought in by the colonialists”. In 2022, he blamed non-Muslims and non-bumiputera for allegedly causing systemic corruption in the country.
The United States has announced another round of economic sanctions against Cuba, this time targeting nine state-owned mining, metal and construction companies.
A notice posted on the US Treasury Department’s website on Thursday showed Cuba’s Ministry of Construction of Cuba among the sanctioned entities, as well as government-controlled import companies.
Enterprises that extract and trade the island’s minerals, like the mining group GEOMINSAL, were also on the list. Cuba holds significant deposits of cobalt and nickel.
In addition to the nine entities, three leaders at the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP), a state organisation designed to foster international relations, were sanctioned as well.
The administration of US President Donald Trump portrayed the targeted individuals and groups as national security threats in an accompanying statement, written by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Rubio, a longtime proponent of government change in Cuba, accused the mining and construction companies of helping to “sustain the regime’s repressive apparatus”.
He also blasted ICAP for allegedly organising a “subversive network” of “international sympathisers” to help Cuba’s government.
“The Trump Administration will not stand by while a hostile foreign power seeks to exploit our freedoms — none of which are afforded to its people — by misleading and corrupting American citizens with lies, spy tradecraft, and other malfeasance,” Rubio wrote.
He added that ICAP’s activities help Cuba with its goal of “exporting Marxism, racial resentment, and Communist violence across the world”.
While the US has long sought to isolate Cuba over political differences, the Trump administration has pressed forward with a “maximum pressure” campaign designed to topple the island’s government.
Following the military operation to abduct and imprison Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3, Trump has turned his sights to Cuba, an island roughly 145 kilometres, or 90 miles, from the US state of Florida.
Since the mid-20th century, the island has been been governed as a socialist state under the one-party rule of the Communist Party of Cuba.
In remarks earlier this year, Trump indicated that, once the US-Israeli war against Iran reaches an end, “Cuba is next” for regime change.
He has floated ideas including a “friendly takeover” of the island, and his administration has conducted negotiations with Cuban officials. Media reports have suggested he sought, at one point, the resignation of Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel.
To heighten the pressure on Diaz-Canel’s government, his administration has implemented a series of withering measures meant to destabilise the Cuban economy.
Among them has been a de facto fuel blockade that began in January. Trump cut off Cuba’s supply of oil from Venezuela and proceeded to threaten any country that exports fuel to the island with tariffs. Only one oil tanker, from Russia, has docked at the island since.
In May, Trump also unveiled a new executive order authorising his government to impose far-reaching sanctions on those “responsible for repression” in Cuba. Thursday’s economic measures cite that order as justification.
Trump’s pressure campaign has contributed to energy blackouts and shortages of crucial goods, including medicine, on the island.
United Nations officials have warned that such conditions could trigger a humanitarian crisis. In March, for instance, a group of UN experts warned that the fuel blockade amounts to an illegal form of “energy starvation“.
The following month, UN Human Rights Commissioner Volker Turk pointed to accelerating infant mortality rates, as well as a decline in survival among children with cancer. He warned that the growing restrictions against the island are fuelling those health outcomes.
“The fuel restrictions imposed since early 2026 and recent tightening of extraterritorial sanctions, taken together, are directly harming Cubans, especially the most vulnerable,” Turk said in a statement. “These sanctions must be lifted immediately.”
But the Trump administration has argued that Cuba poses a national security threat to the US, thereby necessitating the sanctions.
The E1 plan was green-lit by Israel last year to further separate east Jerusalem from the West Bank and faces international condemnation.
Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. (Reuters pic)
PARIS: France, Italy, Britain and Germany on Thursday piled on mounting international condemnation of a major settlement project in the occupied West Bank, after Israeli authorities opened bidding for more than 1,200 homes in the area.
The E1 plan was green-lit by Israel last year and would further separate east Jerusalem, occupied and annexed by Israel and predominantly inhabited by Palestinians, from the West Bank.
“At a time of grave instability in the West Bank with unprecedented levels of violence by settlers against civilians, and serious restrictions on the Palestinian economy, this decision is even more concerning,” the joint statement from Paris, Rome, Berlin and London said.
“We urge the Government of Israel to retract these plans immediately and end its expansion of settlements in the West Bank,” it added, warning businesses against bidding for the construction tenders at risk of “involving themselves in serious breaches of international law”.
The UN secretary general has said the E1 plan posed an “existential threat” to a contiguous Palestinian state.
Belgian foreign minister Maxime Prevot called the tenders “unacceptable” on Thursday, saying the project “would seriously undermine the viability of the two-State solution”.
His condemnation echoed a statement by Britain’s top diplomat Ed Miliband on Wednesday demanding an end to the project and settlement expansion in the West Bank, with London summoning Israel’s charge d’affaires.
‘Israel will defend its rights’
Miliband said he delivered the message directly to his Israeli counterpart Gideon Saar.
Saar on Thursday said he rejected “outright” Miliband’s statement and “the patronising tone of his words”.
“The Jewish people have the right to live throughout the Land of Israel, just as the British have the right to live in London and throughout the United Kingdom,” he wrote on X.
Saar went on to accuse the UK of “blaming only Israel while ignoring Palestinian extremism” which he said was fuelling antisemitic attacks against the British Jewish community.
“The UK Government’s decision to damage the relationship between our countries is deeply unfortunate,” he added, vowing that “Israel will defend its rights, its interests and its people”.
The British government on Wednesday also pledged to unveil “a comprehensive set of measures” in the coming weeks, including sanctions targeting people involved in the “illegal settlement expansion”.
Israel approved the plans for the roughly 12-square-kilometre parcel of land known as E1 just east of Jerusalem, in August last year.
The plan seeks to build around 3,400 homes on the ultra-sensitive tract of land, which lies between Jerusalem and the Israeli settlement of Maale Adumim.
The latest tender covers more than 1,200 housing units, according to Israeli NGO Peace Now.
Peace Now said Israel’s housing ministry published the tender on Aug 18 and immediately opened it for bids.
Submissions are due by Oct 19, one week before Israeli elections scheduled for Oct 27.
The group said the homes accounted for about one-third of the planned E1 development and accused the government of trying to advance construction commitments before the vote.
Israel heavily restricts the movement of West Bank Palestinians, who must obtain permits from authorities to travel through checkpoints to cross into east Jerusalem or Israel.
Last year, Britain and France were among 21 countries who condemned Israeli approval of the E1 project, calling it a violation of international law and urging Israel to reverse the decision.
Excluding east Jerusalem, the West Bank is home to around three million Palestinians. About 500,000 Israeli settlers also live there.
Violence against Palestinians by Israeli settlers has increased since the unprecedented Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel by Hamas from the Gaza Strip.
