Back off with your holier-than-thou attitude, PAS told

Back off with your holier-than-thou attitude, PAS told



PENANG deputy chief minister P Ramasamy has criticised PAS for its holier-than-thou attitude in the recent controversy surrounding the Kedah state government’s decision to ban 4D gambling outlets and restrict the sales of alcohol.

“The holier-than-thou PAS leaders are saying that something that is harmful cannot be defended as human rights and as such, the clampdowns are defensible on the grounds that they are harmful immaterial of ethnicity or religious afflictions of individuals,” he noted.

“This argument of the harmful effects of gambling and alcohol is buttressed by the religious stand that Islam forbids such practices with PAS going on to say that since non-Muslim faiths are against these vices as well, there is nothing for the non-Muslims to complain about.

“I am not sure about PAS’s religious stand but I am sure that non-Muslim faiths are not asking for a ban on these vices.

“Non-Muslim faiths might discourage the consumption of alcohol or gambling but I am not sure that non-Muslim faiths are calling for an outright ban.”

According to the Perai assemblyman, PAS leaders have no business invoking religions other than Islam to justify the move against gambling and alcohol sales and consumption.

“If PAS leaders are so knowledgeable about the wrongs and the rights, how will they explain problems like drug addiction, corruption and instances of child molestation? Despite the laws against such acts, they are widespread.

“Can PAS give a guarantee that once gambling and alcohol are outlawed, both will cease once and for all?

“Can they guarantee that gambling and the sales of alcohol that might go underground following the ban will pose far less of a problem to society as compared to when they were legalised and regulated?”

“Don’t speak on behalf of the non-Muslims on grounds of morality”

PAS’s views about what they consider “offensive” might differ from how others see and understand gambling and the consumption of alcohol, said Ramasamy.

“If Muslims in the country feel that their religion forbids them from indulging in these vices, so be it but I am sure that the general Muslim population in the country is tolerant and understanding of the feelings and sentiments of the non-Muslims.

“It is not that all non-Muslims engage in these two activities – far from it. There are non-Muslims who avoid gambling and alcohol as well, and there are non-Muslims who also regard gambling and alcohol consumption as activities that are not sanctioned by their respective faiths as well.

“I am sure that there are Muslims whose views on gambling and alcohol consumption are different from that of PAS’s, and even UMNO and Bersatu might disagree with PAS’s actions [to ban gambling and alcohol] from a broader perspective.”

According to Ramasamy, PAS cannot claim that it is the only Muslim voice in the country.

“They cannot expect both Muslims and non-Muslims to understand its distorted reality. they can talk about restrictions on Muslims given its shallow high ground on religious morality but it cannot speak on behalf of the non-Muslims.

“Let the non-Muslims decide for themselves whether gambling and alcohol are harmful or otherwise.

“Meanwhile, PAS should back off with its holier-than-thou attitude.” – Nov 17, 2021