AN ideal plot twist could be if the PAS-ruled Kelantan state government would consent to the use of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s photo in its statewide Friday sermon.
This came about as Melaka PAS information chief Ahmad Bilal Rahudin expressed his sadness and regret over the oppressive disciplinary action of the Melaka state government against four Melaka Islamic Religious Department (JAIM) officers responsible for injecting the photo PAS president Tan Sri Hadi Awang in the recent Friday sermon slide.
The action which came in the form of dismissal or change of position has been made known by the state’s Education, Higher Education and Religious Affairs EXCO Datuk Rahmad Mariman in the form of a media report.
“Rahmad in his reasoning claimed that the incident in question caused anxiety and public grievances to the extent that it could affect the harmony of the Muslim community in Melaka,” penned Ahmad Bilal in a Facebook post.
“The fact is that it isn’t the PAS president whose face is displayed in the slide who affects harmony for he’s a prominent scholar and statesman. This scholarly figure is also the former vice-head of the World Ulama Union and has produced hundreds of religious books and even wrote his own religious interpretation.”
This led to mixed reaction with opposition-slant commenters describing the state government’s action as reflecting “the anxiety of an infidel” given the allegation of causing anxiety and public grievances “is unfounded”.
However, pro-Madan government backers tend to view the insertion of Hadi’s photo as “medieval and extreme politics”.
This was when one commenter wondered how the reaction would be like if Anwar’s photo were to be inserted in the Friday sermon across Kelantan.
“Henceforth, the officers deserve to be fired for injecting political elements at mosques … civil servants like this should be dismissed for their insincerity in serving the government of the day,” he justified.
However, other commenters blamed the cowardice of the “Melaka state UMDAP government” whereby “the anxiety of DAP citizens is prioritised”.
In a jest, one commenter reckoned that there would have been no fuss if DAP vice-chairman and six-term Seputeh MP Teresa Kok’s photo had been used. – Sept 24, 2024
