PAS Youth information chief Khairul Nadzir Helmi Azhar has accused a journalist of trying to portray PAS in a bad light after an earlier incident involving the reporter and two PAS leaders on Sunday (Nov 14).
This came after Free Malaysia Today (FMT) published an article on how Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Idris Ahmad and deputy human resources minister Datuk Seri Awang Hashim had turned confrontational with FMT reporter Minderjeet Kaur following a question about the gambling ban in Kedah.
Taking to Facebook, Khairul Nadzir, who is also an aide to Idris, claimed that his boss had only thrown a “provocative” question in response to Minderjeet’s attempt to “make PAS look bad in the eyes of the non-Muslim allies”.
“What startled [Minderjeet] was when Idris asked a provocative question in response to her continuous ‘pushing’ which painted PAS in a bad light to the party’s non-Muslim friends,” he claimed.
“[The question was] ‘Would you agree (with the ban) if your husband is a gambler?’ [Her] question was politely answered with another question after the minister had politely explained that gambling is not a practice of any religion let alone for it to become a culture.
“The journalist looked annoyed because her spouse was used as an example when this is the reality, that gambling has ruined many family institutions.”
Khairul Nadzir went on to justify the question that was asked by his boss, pointing out that women and children become victims of their husbands’ or fathers’ gambling habits with some people even committing suicide over gambling debts.
“The question ‘Would you agree if your husband is a gambler?’ is reflective of how a leader has to save all families in Malaysia so that they stay away from gambling with the authority that they have.”
Khairul Nadzir also criticised the way the reporter had approached his boss, who was rushing home after attending the Perikatan Nasional manifesto event.
“Without even introducing herself, she immediately asked if the closure of gambling and liquor stores would affect the rights of the non-Muslims in Malaysia, as in making an ‘accusation’,” he wrote.
“Next to Idris, Awang further reprimanded her for her attitude and demanded that she spoke in Bahasa Malaysia.”
FMT had previously reported that the reporter had approached Idris to comment on the decision by the Kedah state government to ban gambling, to which he responded that everyone – Muslims and non-Muslims – were against gambling.
When asked how he had arrived at such a conclusion, Idris remarked that the policy on banning gambling had been implemented in Kelantan and Terengganu.
The policy had been well-received by the people in both the East Coast states, he added.
Minderjeet then raised the question about the possible concerns of such a policy being extended to other states, to which Awang was quoted telling her to speak in Bahasa Malaysia while badgering her about her nationality.
“You must also ask proper question[s], you know. You want me to respect you, you must respect us first…Can you speak in Malay?” he reportedly asked.
Understand media’s role, CIJ says
However, Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) was unimpressed with Khairul Nadzir’s defence of his boss.
“Politicians must understand that when you hold public office, the people hold you to a higher sense of decorum and accountability in your conduct.
“Therefore, political leaders must respect the media’s right to ask critical questions of public interest. They can refuse to answer the questions but that doesn’t give them or anyone else the right to intimidate journalists,” its executive director Watshlah Naidu told FocusM.
She added that it was also upsetting that the leaders had turned the whole situation into a gender-based issue, in a move to evade providing answers on matters of public interest.
“Leaders particularly those from PAS Youth should learn to appreciate the role journalists play in asking critical questions so that they can disseminate accurate information to the public at large,” Watshlah remarked. – Nov 15, 2021
Pic credit: The Star
