The four leaders are DAP vice-chairman Syahredzan Johan, assistant publicity secretary Young Syefura Othman, Central Executive Committee member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali and Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid.
PETALING JAYA: PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has labelled four Malay DAP leaders as “uneducated” after they criticised his latest article, accusing him of exploiting Islam for political interests rather than producing an academic piece.
The criticism was directed at Abdul Hadi’s latest article in his Minda Presiden PAS column, titled “The Islamic State and Its Relations with Non-Muslims”.
The four leaders are DAP vice-chairman Syahredzan Johan, assistant publicity secretary Young Syefura Othman, Central Executive Committee member Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali and Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid.
“(They are) Malays who have not studied. They have not studied,” he was quoted as saying by Sinar Harian after delivering his kuliah duha at Rusila Mosque here on Friday.
Earlier, the four leaders questioned Abdul Hadi’s stance in criticising DAP despite PAS having previously worked with the party under the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition.
In the article, Abdul Hadi also described secularism as a misguided doctrine brought by colonial powers that continued to be spread openly and subtly by media outlets supporting DAP.
Commenting on the matter, Abdul Hadi maintained that all statements and arguments he put forward were based on the Quran, hadith, the DAP constitution and official written statements issued by the party’s leaders.
“What I say is substantive and based on the Quran and hadith. I write based on the Quran and hadith… and I refer to what is stated in the DAP constitution and the written statements of its leaders,” he said.
On questions regarding the former Pakatan Rakyat relationship, the Marang MP explained that any political cooperation entered into by PAS had always been subject to strict conditions, including a requirement not to oppose the party’s policies.
He said the cooperation ended once DAP began attacking PAS policies and breached the agreed guidelines.
He said PAS only took a firmer stance after DAP made public statements touching on the party’s policies, including the issue of a ban on alcohol sales to Muslims in Kelantan and opposition to Bill 355, which seeks to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act.
“The ban on alcohol in Kelantan applies only to Muslims, not non-Muslims. As for Bill 355, it is Islamic legislation intended to educate, including changing the punishment of whipping from one that causes injury to one intended for rehabilitation, yet they opposed it.
“I have personally held dialogues with Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Lim Guan Eng and Tan Seng Giaw. When we explained the issues, some of them were receptive, but some were sacked or removed from DAP, while others were afraid that Chinese voters would not vote for them,” he reportedly said.
