Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria's statement labelling the New Year’s Eve protestors as ‘traitors’ is “off the mark” and shows that he is clearly a pro-BN mufti, said PAS Kelantan Youth chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.

He also questioned the mufti’s understanding of the word bughah, an Islamic term for Muslims fighting against their country’s leaders.

In a statement today, Ahmad stressed that the right to assemble peacefully is guaranteed in the federal constitution, which in turn is the highest law in Malaysia.

Quoting the religious scholar Syamsuddin Al-Ramli, he pointed out that bughah is defined in the Shafi'i school of Islamic jurisprudence as a Muslim who opposes their leader by force, refuses to fulfil his responsibilities to the leader, is armed, has a cause to fight for, and has a leader of his own.

“When the Perak mufti issues a statement that the rally’s participants are bughah and bloodshed is permitted on them, I want to know from where is he coming?

"The majority of imams from various schools and authorities have stated that only those who oppose their ruler with weapons can be considered traitors.

“Even then, the way to handle them is discussed at length in (texts on Islamic jurisprudence) and not just killed on basis that their blood can be spilled…

“Does the Perak mufti not know that the people who went to the Turun rally were not armed even with a single blade?

"What there is are machetes displayed (by the police) without its owner like the rallies before,” he said in a statement today, while stressing that these are his personal views.

Ahmad was responding to Harussani’s statement published in Berita Harian today, calling the protestors at the anti-price hike rally on New Year's Eve ‘traitors’ and called for a crackdown against them.

“In fact, all the protesters should be arrested for being traitors to the government and accordingly in Islam, bloodshed is permitted on the bughah (protesters),” he was quoted as saying.

The rally drew at least 10,000 protestors opposing the rising cost of living due to various subsidy cuts and tax hikes.

'Insult to the people'

Meanwhile, the group Persatuan Mahasiswa Islam Universiti Malaya (PMIUM) urged Harussani to retract his statement and apologise to the people, saying that the bughah label is demeaning.

He stressed that the purpose of the rally was to oppose the rising cost of living, not to topple the government, and it can only be bughah if there is an attempt to topple a just government.

“As the country bears a huge debt, (government) wastage continues. Does the mufti not see this? Is that not tyranny?

"The allocation for the (Dec 31 countdown) concert at Dataran Merdeka is RM15 million; does the mufti see this as a good way to celebrate the new year?

“A mufti should be advising rulers, not just apple-polish them,” said PMIUM president Mohd Bukhairy Sofian in a separate statement today.