PAS spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin recently made a rather odd statement , urging Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh to forgive the Perak PAS Commissioner, Razman Zakaria, for his controversial comment referring to her as the “daughter of YTL.” Hashim emphasized that everyone makes mistakes, especially in politics, and called for the matter to be laid to rest.
“As ordinary human beings, we are all prone to mistakes. I believe that the Perak PAS Commissioner recognizes his mistake and has apologized,” Hashim said in an interview with Scoop yesterday. “He has apologized, and others have made mistakes, apologized, and been forgiven. So why can't this case be forgiven?”
For context, a few weeks ago, during a Ceramah Kebangkitan Rakyat event in Seri Iskandar, Razman claimed that Yeoh was the “daughter of a rich man” and the “daughter of YTL.” In response, Hannah posted on X, stating, “PAS needs to know that not all Yeohs are related.” While Razman quickly apologised, Hannah chose to take legal action against him for his remarks.
In the wake of the dispute, Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin reminded leaders and members of its coalition to to base their statement on facts and avoid creating unnecessary issues. Now, on February 2, Datuk Hashim has stepped in, requesting that Hannah forgive Razman for his slip of the tongue.
However, Hashim’s request feels somewhat strange considering that just earlier this month, PAS organised a Himpunan Bangkit Ummah rally to criticize Hannah and another DAP Minister, Nga Kor Ming, for allegedly offending Muslim sensitivities. Furthermore, 182 police reports have been filed against Hannah in connection with her book, Becoming Hannah: A Personal Journey. PAS has also backed lecturer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff in his legal battle with Hannah over the book.
Hannah’s defamation suit stems from accusations by Kamarul, who claimed she used religion for political purposes, specifically alleging that she was attempting to “proselytize Christianity” and “convert Malaysia into a Christian nation,” accusations Hannah strongly denies.
Given that Hashim believes “to err is human, to forgive divine,” it’s puzzling that he hasn’t asked his own members to forgive Hannah if she were mistaken, especially when he’s urging Hannah to forgive Razman. After all, Hannah has denied the allegations of attempting to promote Christianity through her political work. Shouldn’t this be enough for PAS to reconsider its view of her actions and put the matter to rest instead of fueling it with rallies and police reports?
It raises the question: how can Hashim ask Hannah to forgive Razman, but not extend the same request to his own PAS members when it comes to Hannah? If PAS members like Razman are held to one standard, and non-members like Hannah are held to another, where is the justice in that?
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