HAS HADI LIT AN UNSTOPPABLE & DEADLY FIRE? – ‘AT LEAST THERE IS SOMEBODY WHO DARES TO CHALLENGE’ – PKR REP SHOWS SUPPORT FOR PAS CHIEF IN SIGN OF A SHIFTING MALAY GROUND AWAY FROM THE ‘CONTROL’ OF THE MALAY RULERS – BUT WHO IS TO ENSURE POLITICIANS, IF ALLOWED TO CONDUCT SERMONS IN MOSQUES, WON’T SPREAD OR INJECT THEIR PARTY PROPAGANDA IN THE SO-CALLED NAME OF ISLAM – THE RULE IS NOT NEW & HAS BEEN ABUSED FOR DECADES – WILL MALAYSIA BE ABLE TO STEER ITSELF AWAY FROM A GROWING ‘POLITICAL ISLAM’ CONUNDRUM OR BE SUCKED INTO ITS DANGEROUS FIRES
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s defiance against royalty regarding his right to preach in mosques has received unexpected support from PKR lawmaker Hassan Karim.
Hadi had previously persisted with delivering sermons in mosques in Terengganu, despite the prohibition by the state Islamic council against doing so.
The Islamist party leader claimed that there is nothing wrong with Muslim politicians delivering sermons in mosques or suraus, saying that they have a duty to speak up on various matters including politics.
Hassan saw Hadi’s point, saying it is democratic for Muslims to listen to Islamic teaching not delivered by an official imam or preacher.
Hassan said this was provided that the party itself did not use the mosque for its political propaganda.
He expressed the view that no one, including royalty or any political party, should be allowed to monopolise Islamic matters.
“I’m not a royalist, but we have to accept that in our country, we have a feudal (system),” he said, adding that monarchy should not be permitted to “control everything”.
The order was issued after state ruler Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin became upset that some politicians had delivered religious lectures or classes and led Friday prayers without approval.
Exemptions, however, are given to politicians recognised to teach or those with permission to do so from the Terengganu Malay Heritage and Islamic Religious Council council.
According to a search in data.gov.my, as of March 4, Hadi is not registered as a recognised speaker in Terengganu.
The portal provides a database for citizens to access and download open government datasets online.
Previously, Hadi had predicted the imminent collapse of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration in the near future.
His brazen predictions drew brickbats from various quarters, with several leaders urging him to focus on attending Parliament instead of sabotaging the government and upsetting the public.
Asked if his coalition’s efforts to usurp Anwar’s government are a challenge to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decree for political stability, Hadi said the king’s words are not the “final say” and do not prevent changes in a democratic country.
MKINI
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