PAS is wrong in labelling opponents as non-believers because Islamic history teaches how those who opposed the rulers in the past were treated equally, said Pakatan Harapan (PH) Penanti state assembly (DUN) candidate Rosidi Hussain in a statement.
He highlighted that in Islamic historical fact, during some battles the followers of the two warring generals were considered martyrs by respected scholars.
A video of an elderly woman, purportedly a PAS supporter is going viral and in it the elderly person claims that anyone joining UMNO would become a “kafir” (non-believer or disbeliever, it is used in an Islamic context to refer to someone who does not believe in the Islamic faith) until the Day of Judgement.
Rosidi condemned such views and stressed the importance of acquiring knowledge to prevent people from becoming extremists.
He also pointed out that PAS and UMNO collaborated in the Perikatan Nasional (PN)-Barisan Nasional (BN) government from 2020 to 2022, and the concept of “UMNO kafir” was no longer applicable then. The question is, why is it applicable now?
However, PH has taken the risk of fielding Rosidi, a newcomer in Penanti DUN N12, as a strategy to attract voters in ensuring victory.
Moreover, Rosidi has a background as a religious scholar and is well-known to the voters in Penanti as he has been a lecturer in mosques and surau (Islamic prayer halls).
Rosidi’s strong religious image is believed to counter PAS’ propaganda suggesting that religious-leaning individuals are not interested in the ‘doubtful’ unity government.
He mentioned that during his campaign in the villages and targeted areas, people recognised him due to his role as an educator in the local mosques and surau. Therefore, introducing himself as a Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate was not an issue.
“So far, I have brought seven manifestos for the Penanti DUN.
“This determination can be achieved with the support of the people and the unity government at the federal level,” Suara Keadilan quoted the Sharia and civil lawyer as saying.
In the 14th General Election, the Penanti DUN seat was won by Dr Norlela Ariffin with a majority of 2,944 votes, defeating two other challengers.
Furthermore, Penanti is one of the state constituencies within the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency. PAS had claimed it as their stronghold after the defeat of Keadilan vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar in the previous election.
The claim could be challenged if Rosidi successfully maintains PH’s dominance in the area. – Aug 6, 2023
