A MUSLIM’S rights group has panned PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang over his controversial branding of non-Bumiputeras and non-Malays as “roots of corruption”, raising concerns about the consequences of such remarks on race relations and national harmony.
Islamic Renaissance Front (IRF) fellow Ahmad Muziru Idham said the impact of the Marang MP’s “roots of corruption” linkage was “dangerous” given the implications of the influential figure, besides not including data to back his claim.
Ahmad noted that the overall content of Hadi’s reported remarks last month – that the corruption “disease” needs to be eradicated in a holistic manner and no “true Muslims” would tolerate any kind of corruption – may be good.
“But with the passage that is mixed with hatred in the text, his actions must be held accountable,” he told FocusM.
“His linkage of non-Muslims and non-Bumiputeras to corruption is inappropriate and should be subject to strict action to curb the spread of racism in society.”
Even so, Ahmad said Hadi should not be probed under the draconian Sedition Act 1948, which civil society has been fighting to repeal for years now.
“Why do we want it to be enforced on others when we detest it among our fellow activists?” Ahmad asked.
After much public anger and police reports lodged against Hadi over his inflammatory and unsubstantiated remarks, Bukit Aman’s Classified Crime Investigation Department (CCID) is now probing him on the matter.
Hadi was at Bukit Aman on Tuesday (Aug 30) for questioning under Section 505 (c) of the Penal Code for issuing statements likely to incite the public and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for improper use of network facilities or services.
Among those calling for Hadi to be investigated for sedition include Global Human Rights Federation (GHRF) president S. Shashi Kumar, who also called for PAS to be disbanded on grounds of their “extremist ideology” the same way the Malayan Communist Party (MCP) was disbanded over their radical struggle.
“Immature call”
Ahmad, however, said calling for PAS to be banned was an “immature” call as “excluding them into a dark corner” was counter-productive, adding that PAS existed long before the country’s independence and has contributed to democracy-building.
“The only way forward is to have more dialogues with them,” he said. “That’s the only way to build an understanding between the different faiths and races in this country.”
PAS members, on the other hand, must be more “assertive” towards any attitude or statement issued by its leaders and be brave enough to take decisive actions – even to the point of going up against their president.
“Otherwise, PAS will no longer be relevant in this multi-racial Malaysia,” Ahmad cautioned.
Meanwhile, speaking about the impact of Hadi’s remarks on society, Ahmad said the answer lies in how Hadi is perceived – as a Muslim scholar or “just another politician”.
“We have to understand that he comes from a state that is predominantly Muslim (Terengganu). Perhaps he has very limited interactions with non-Muslims.
“So, there is still a lot of room for improvement in terms of race relations and understanding the different communities.”
However, given his position as PAS president – a party that has a large number of followers among Malay-Muslim communities on the east coast especially – Ahmad fears that racism will spread in society as a result of Hadi’s “roots of corruption” remarks.
Hadi is also the country’s special envoy to the Middle East (with ministerial status) and vice-president of the International Union of Muslim Scholars.
Ahmad added that the people must fight against any racist speech because it threatens the harmony of the country and goes against human rights principles. – Sept 2, 2022
Main photo credit: FMT
