Give no-hudud pledge before Buddha, PAS told
Published: Sep 12, 2014 1:54 PM | Updated: Sep 12, 2014 10:42 PM
In a strange twist ahead of the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, MCA has urged the PAS-led Kelantan government to pledge before Buddha that it will not press on its with ambition for hudud law.
PAS' openness to another religion seems to have started haunting it now.
In a strange twist ahead of the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, MCA has urged the PAS-led Kelantan government to pledge before Buddha that it will not press on its with ambition for hudud law.
"PAS must make the declaration before the many Buddha statues in the Pengkalan Kubor constituency to show that it genuinely respects Buddhism and other religions," said MCA central committee member Lua Choon Hann said in a statement in Chinese today.
However, in an English version later, the statement was toned down and the word "Buddhist temples" was used instead.
Lua, who is also Kelantan MCA liaison committee secretary, said in the Chinese statement that the pledge was necessary for voters there particularly those of Thai and Chinese descent.
He pointed out that PAS often used the various Buddha statues in the state, including the largest sitting Buddha in Southeast Asia situated in Pengkalan Kubor, to showcase its openness.
"It would be ironic if PAS uses such statues to promote their openness while at the same time insist on implementing hudud law and ignoring the feelings of people of other religions," he said.
Likewise, Lua said that DAP and PKR, as coalition partners of PAS, also had a responsibility to see that the Islamic party makes this pledge to abandon hudud law.
"In conjunction with the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, they (DAP and PKR) should ask PAS to sign the pledge before the many towering Buddha statues that it will abandon its ambition for hudud law to give Malaysians of various races and religions a definitive answer," he said.
While the worship of religious statues is seen as a sin in Islam, the PAS-led Kelantan government has allowed such structures for the non-Muslim community particularly, among Buddhists which have also become a tourist attraction.
BN's Mat Razi Mat Ail is expected to take on PAS' Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim in the by-election fixed for Sept 25. Nomination day is tomorrow.
The seat fell vacant after incumbent Noor Zahidi Omar, from BN, passed away on Aug 20 from cancer.
The constituency, which is predominantly Malay Muslim, has a small Buddhist community comprising Thais and Chinese due to its proximity to the Thailand border.
Ask Umno to pledge to Buddha, PAS tells MCA
"PAS must make the declaration before the many Buddha statues in the Pengkalan Kubor constituency to show that it genuinely respects Buddhism and other religions," said MCA central committee member Lua Choon Hann said in a statement in Chinese today.
However, in an English version later, the statement was toned down and the word "Buddhist temples" was used instead.
Lua, who is also Kelantan MCA liaison committee secretary, said in the Chinese statement that the pledge was necessary for voters there particularly those of Thai and Chinese descent.He pointed out that PAS often used the various Buddha statues in the state, including the largest sitting Buddha in Southeast Asia situated in Pengkalan Kubor, to showcase its openness.
"It would be ironic if PAS uses such statues to promote their openness while at the same time insist on implementing hudud law and ignoring the feelings of people of other religions," he said.
Likewise, Lua said that DAP and PKR, as coalition partners of PAS, also had a responsibility to see that the Islamic party makes this pledge to abandon hudud law.
"In conjunction with the Pengkalan Kubor by-election, they (DAP and PKR) should ask PAS to sign the pledge before the many towering Buddha statues that it will abandon its ambition for hudud law to give Malaysians of various races and religions a definitive answer," he said.While the worship of religious statues is seen as a sin in Islam, the PAS-led Kelantan government has allowed such structures for the non-Muslim community particularly, among Buddhists which have also become a tourist attraction.
BN's Mat Razi Mat Ail is expected to take on PAS' Wan Rosdi Wan Ibrahim in the by-election fixed for Sept 25. Nomination day is tomorrow.
The seat fell vacant after incumbent Noor Zahidi Omar, from BN, passed away on Aug 20 from cancer.
The constituency, which is predominantly Malay Muslim, has a small Buddhist community comprising Thais and Chinese due to its proximity to the Thailand border.
Ask Umno to pledge to Buddha, PAS tells MCA
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