S Thayaparan
"Therefore, the claim that (Bon Odori) was strictly a cultural event does not have enough merit."
COMMENT | PAS is flexing its muscles by publicly disagreeing with the Selangor sultan regarding the Bon Odori festival. It should surprise nobody that this rejoinder is coming from the ulama wing of PAS.
While PAS political operatives are busy challenging the court cluster in Umno, its religious minions are testing the bulwarks of the pillars of ketuanan politics to see if breaches, and then usurpation, are possible.
Ahmad Yahaya (above) did three things. First, he publicly disagreed with the head of the religion of a state thereby implying that the sultan is not fluent in religious dogma - and thereby challenging the words of the Selangor state ruler.
Second, he encourages, one could even argue, ferment rebellion by asking the religious apparatus in all states to further investigate the Bon Odori festival, thereby bypassing the words of the sultan and establishing a narrative that the final arbiter of what is Islamic in this country is not the sultan but rather the religious bureaucracy.
Third, and this is the most troubling, is that Ahmad goes a step further and encourages Muslims to not attend the festival on religious grounds thereby going against the words of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who, in this context, was essentially taking the middle ground.
"Therefore, the claim that (Bon Odori) was strictly a cultural event does not have enough merit."
- PAS ulama wing chief Ahmad Yahaya
COMMENT | PAS is flexing its muscles by publicly disagreeing with the Selangor sultan regarding the Bon Odori festival. It should surprise nobody that this rejoinder is coming from the ulama wing of PAS.
While PAS political operatives are busy challenging the court cluster in Umno, its religious minions are testing the bulwarks of the pillars of ketuanan politics to see if breaches, and then usurpation, are possible.
Ahmad Yahaya (above) did three things. First, he publicly disagreed with the head of the religion of a state thereby implying that the sultan is not fluent in religious dogma - and thereby challenging the words of the Selangor state ruler.
Second, he encourages, one could even argue, ferment rebellion by asking the religious apparatus in all states to further investigate the Bon Odori festival, thereby bypassing the words of the sultan and establishing a narrative that the final arbiter of what is Islamic in this country is not the sultan but rather the religious bureaucracy.
Third, and this is the most troubling, is that Ahmad goes a step further and encourages Muslims to not attend the festival on religious grounds thereby going against the words of Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah who, in this context, was essentially taking the middle ground.
We have to really think about this for a moment. Forget about Bon Odori. What the sultan was advocating, albeit in a circuitous way – it is always circuitous when it comes to religious dogma - was that Muslims embrace the multicultural aspects of the Malaysian experience.
What Ahmad did instead was, ask Muslims to ignore the sultan's moderate path and abide by the dictates of not only a religious political party but also the religious bureaucracy of which the royalty are supposed to be the heads.
In other words, Ahmad was telling Muslims to disregard one of the pillars of ketuanan politics.
PAS being arrogant
Does anyone see how dangerous this is? This means that while one of the supposedly highest pillars of ketuanan politics preaches moderation, PAS asks Muslims to ignore the sultan and instead trust in the party’s interpretation of Islam.
And observe how arrogant PAS is.
Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah
Here they are advocating that people disobey the sultan and questioning his religious credentials, but when activist lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri explored themes of power and suppression regarding the royalty, she was hauled up by the state security apparatus.
It was reported that Fadiah’s article questioned Anwar Ibrahim's move to perpetuate a "feudal culture" at a time when monarchies in many other parts of the world had been rendered supposedly obsolete.
Do not get me wrong. I am not defending the royal institution. What we are dealing with here is the hypocrisy of the political elites in this country.
In a functional democracy, Ahmad has a right to advocate his position. However, we are not living in a functional democracy.
We are not even living in a constitutional monarchy either, despite claims that we are. The realpolitik in this country is the ketuanan paradigm.
To understand the dynamics at play, we have to revisit what Fadiah wrote in her brilliant piece.
“One month before the recent general election, the Johor crown prince, popularly known as TMJ, unreservedly told the whole nation not to bring down the government – the government which had been ruling the country with an iron fist for 61 years.
“The crown prince’s act of uttering these words shortly before the elections, while many people were engulfed in simmering anger, struggling to escape the oppressive situations they had been subjected to for so long, was indeed a calculated move.
“The act was clearly executed out of fear of the unknown – fear of losing the privilege and power accorded to the monarchy by the oppressive government who was complicit in subjugating the people, should a change of government become a reality.
“This particular event which is in no way an anomaly is proof that the institution has never been neutral. It’s as clear as day that the side of the people is the side it has never been on.
“As for believers of this archaic institution who contend that it is a symbol of unity, standing on the side of the oppressor while many are denied the right to good life in a country that is structured by domination, inequality, and exploitation only speaks of one kind of unity: unity in oppression.”
Here they are advocating that people disobey the sultan and questioning his religious credentials, but when activist lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri explored themes of power and suppression regarding the royalty, she was hauled up by the state security apparatus.
It was reported that Fadiah’s article questioned Anwar Ibrahim's move to perpetuate a "feudal culture" at a time when monarchies in many other parts of the world had been rendered supposedly obsolete.
Do not get me wrong. I am not defending the royal institution. What we are dealing with here is the hypocrisy of the political elites in this country.
In a functional democracy, Ahmad has a right to advocate his position. However, we are not living in a functional democracy.
We are not even living in a constitutional monarchy either, despite claims that we are. The realpolitik in this country is the ketuanan paradigm.
To understand the dynamics at play, we have to revisit what Fadiah wrote in her brilliant piece.
“One month before the recent general election, the Johor crown prince, popularly known as TMJ, unreservedly told the whole nation not to bring down the government – the government which had been ruling the country with an iron fist for 61 years.
“The crown prince’s act of uttering these words shortly before the elections, while many people were engulfed in simmering anger, struggling to escape the oppressive situations they had been subjected to for so long, was indeed a calculated move.
“The act was clearly executed out of fear of the unknown – fear of losing the privilege and power accorded to the monarchy by the oppressive government who was complicit in subjugating the people, should a change of government become a reality.
“This particular event which is in no way an anomaly is proof that the institution has never been neutral. It’s as clear as day that the side of the people is the side it has never been on.
“As for believers of this archaic institution who contend that it is a symbol of unity, standing on the side of the oppressor while many are denied the right to good life in a country that is structured by domination, inequality, and exploitation only speaks of one kind of unity: unity in oppression.”
Activist lawyer Fadiah Nadwa Fikri
Middle ground
Furthermore, in this regime, the middle ground is unfortunately not defined by the average rakyat.
The rakyat or those who believe in the middle ground have to hope that certain power structures within this moribund system will stake the middle, especially in contentious issues.
In this instance, it was the royalty and in this instance, the forces of extremism blatantly disregarded the supposed pillars of ketuanan politics.
Indeed, Religious Affairs Minister Idris Ahmad would rather duck the question of whether he would be following the sultan's advice, rather than reaffirm the pillars of ketuanan politics.
Meanwhile, nobody, certainly not the defenders of bangsa and agama, is filing police reports on the religious affairs minister to get the police to investigate.
Indeed there is complete silence. Instead, what the establishment is content with is that nobody will question this hypocrisy because, to do so, would invite sanctions from the state.
What PAS is demonstrating is the shape of things to come.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
Middle ground
Furthermore, in this regime, the middle ground is unfortunately not defined by the average rakyat.
The rakyat or those who believe in the middle ground have to hope that certain power structures within this moribund system will stake the middle, especially in contentious issues.
In this instance, it was the royalty and in this instance, the forces of extremism blatantly disregarded the supposed pillars of ketuanan politics.
Indeed, Religious Affairs Minister Idris Ahmad would rather duck the question of whether he would be following the sultan's advice, rather than reaffirm the pillars of ketuanan politics.
Meanwhile, nobody, certainly not the defenders of bangsa and agama, is filing police reports on the religious affairs minister to get the police to investigate.
Indeed there is complete silence. Instead, what the establishment is content with is that nobody will question this hypocrisy because, to do so, would invite sanctions from the state.
What PAS is demonstrating is the shape of things to come.
S THAYAPARAN is Commander (Rtd) of the Royal Malaysian Navy. Fīat jūstitia ruat cælum - “Let justice be done though the heavens fall.”
"What PAS is demonstrating is the shape of things to come."
ReplyDeleteI agree with the good Commander that the defiance by PAS is but a step towards their brand of politics and religion.
If the rest of the sultans do not stand on the side of the Selangor Sultan, I believe they will regret in the future.
PAS has declared war against the Sultan. Will monarchy pick up the gauntlet and go head on against PAS?