The U-Turning PAS and its Party Prez Hadi Awang

Is Amanat Haji Hadi still banned, former PAS member asks Jakim

Authorities should clarify if the fatwa against 'Amanat Haji Hadi’ has been removed from the Islamic Development Department's (Jakim) list, said Johor DAP vice chairperson Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali.

The former PAS member said he was eagerly waiting for an official statement from the relevant authorities on the matter.

"As a former PAS member who used to be indoctrinated with ‘Amanat Hadi’ to justify the party's rivalry against Umno, this kind of issue has me looking forward to Jakim’s official statement.

"The National Fatwa Council and de facto Islamic Affairs Minister should also issue an explanation,” he said in a statement today.

Speaking from his personal experience, Sheikh Umar (above) said the message by Abdul Hadi Awang, who is the current PAS president, had made a serious impact on the country, especially its political landscape and Islamic dakwah.

The Paloh state assemblyperson said that as a young politician before, he had witnessed the divisive atmosphere caused by the amanat.

These include incidents where mosques held separate prayers led by different imams, PAS members rejecting consuming livestocks that were slaughtered by Umno members, and couples redoing their marriage solemnization.

Yesterday, Jakim reportedly said that they would check if the fatwa on Amanat Hadi had been deleted from the department website.

"I will have to check," said Jakim Corporate Communications Unit chief Zakaria Othman in a text message to Malaysiakini.

He was asked to respond to a Twitter user who asked about the status of the Amanat Hadi, which had triggered a crisis and serious divisions among Muslims in the country.

Twitter user @apanakdikato asked via tweet: "Is it true that @MyJakim had deleted its fatwa on Hadi’s mandate, which was declared as illegal in 2002? Don't play around with the ruling because of politics.”

Among the excerpts from Abdul Hadi’s mandate, delivered in Kampung Banggul Peradong were:

Saudara-saudara sekelian percayalah, kita menentang Umno bukan kerana nama dia Umno. Kita menentang Barisan Nasional bukan kerana dia lama memerintah kerajaan. Kita menentang dia ialah kerana dia mengekalkan perlembagaan penjajah, mengekalkan undang-undang kafir, mengekalkan peraturan jahiliyah. Oleh kerana itulah kita menentang mereka. Oleh kerana itulah kita menghadapi mereka. Oleh itulah kita cuba berlawan dengan mereka.

Percayalah saudara-saudara sekelian,

Perjuangan kita adalah jihad, ucapan kita adalah jihad, derma kita adalah jihad. Bergantunglah kita kepada Allah dengan (menghadapi) puak-puak ini kerana kalau kita mati melawan puak-puak ini, mati kita adalah syahid. Mati kita adalah Islam. Kita tidak perlu masuk Buddha, kita tidak perlu masuk Hindu, kita tidak perlu masuk Kristian, tapi kita menjadi kafir dengan mengatakan 'politik suku, agama suku.

(Loose translation: Ladies and gentlemen, believe me when I say that we are against Umno, but not because of their name. We are against Barisan Nasional not because they have been the ruling government. We oppose them because they uphold the constitution of the colonials, the laws of the infidels, and the rules of the ignorants. That is why we are against them. That is why we face them. That is why we try to fight them.

Believe me my fellow Muslims,

Our struggle is jihad, our speech is jihad, our donation is jihad. Let us depend on Allah when (facing) these tribes because if we die against them, our death is syahid (martyred). We will die in Islam. We do not need to enter Buddhism, Hinduism or Christianity to become infidels, but we become one just when we say politics is separated from religion).

Sheikh Umar also said that Hadi’s mandate also impacted the culture of takfiri (labelling other Muslims as infidels) among the Muslim community in the country.

"I expect a proper explanation to be given soon. This matter is also important, especially after PAS adopted a different stance than before through cooperation with Umno to form the current Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.

"The people have the right to get an explanation. PAS members, former members and those who have received PAS training should also get an explanation regarding the position of this matter to avoid confusion," he said.