THE usage of satire or sarcasm in a prose – whether in a print or social media – can sometimes backfire on their authors as Malaysians are too straight forward to appreciate creative thoughts.
Henceforth, DAP’s Selangor State Executive Councillor Datuk Teng Chang Khim’s intended teaser that “one can get drunk by the sheer sight of alcohol” which is meant as a teaser to run down PAS’ obsession with its alcohol protest has turned into an ammunition by the Islamist party to launch a counter-attack against proponents of non-restrictive alcohol sale for non-Muslims.
For context, PAS is standing firm behind the action of Permatang Pauh’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) MP Muhammad Fawwaz Md Jan who on Tuesday (Jan 9) spearheaded a protest against the open selling/promotion of Carlsberg beers in conjunction with the Chinese New Year festivity by the Sunway Carnival Mall in mainland Penang’s Seberang Jaya.
This has prompted Teng ‘to belittle’ the PAS Permatang Pauh information chief’s effort in a Facebook (FB) post that he has since deleted by remarking that “Kalau kamu tak minum tapi tengok pun boleh mabuk, itu masalah kamu, bukan masalah arak. Sia-sia kamu sembahyang” (literally, “If you are intoxicated just by looking, the problem is with you and not alcohol. A waste of your prayers”).
In his defence via his latest FB post, the Bandar Baru Klang state assemblyman denied that he was not “backing down” but merely wanted to prevent people from “taking advantage” of the situation especially after Selangor PAS Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar regarded his post as an insult to Muslim prayers.
Pro-PAS political analyst Nazman Che Iberahim was full of praises for first-term MP Fawwaz whom he reckoned as having acted rationally, maturely and wisely despite Teng’s cynical remark that the young ustaz was “drunk”.
“The truth is Teng himself may actually be drunk for being recklessly emotional and superficial,” claimed Nazman of the Darulnaim Research Centre in a Harakah Daily commentary.
“Ustaz Fawwaz came to represent the population, especially the Muslim majority, so that the promotion and sale of alcohol held at Sunway Carnival Mall was not held openly and promoted on a large scale. He met privately with the management of the business centre.”
He further defended Fawwaz: “This took place through discussions, requests and advice in a peaceful and harmonious manner and mutual respect without any element of pressure or radicalism. Suddenly there are parties, especially DAP leaders, who are seething with heat to condemn the actions of Ustaz Fawwaz”.
Nazman further justified his describing Teng as “a drunkard” for being a DAP politician who is oblivious to the sensitivity of the Muslim community which forms the majority of the Malaysian populace.
“He who has been in politics for more than 30 years and once led the local government portfolio and is fully aware that majority of the people of this country are Muslims. Hence, he should be sensible about supervision related to alcohol,” he opined.
“DAP fights for alcohol consumption as if it is a basic right; in fact, it is the extreme party for it always drag alcohol-related matters into becoming racial and religious issues. It is as if Muslims are prejudiced, oppressing and discriminating against other races.”
For the record, Fawwaz, 40, can be reckoned as a ‘force to be reckoned with” for he toppled incumbent PKR-Pakatan Harapan Nurul Izzah Anwar with a majority of 5,381 votes during the recently-concluded 15th General Election.
The CEO of Yayasan Darul Hadis Al Filfilaniyyah as well as a religious preacher is married with 11 children. – Jan 12, 2023
