PAS appears to be now wary of internet portals, which are allegedly used by those who are enemies of Islam, with a hidden agenda to twist the true meaning of the religion.

 

The party’s information chief Nasruddin Hassan Tantawi said the new media are providing the grassroots with information which is not only false but biased as well.

 

“80 to 90 percent of their reports and the manner in which they are reported are spins from the true stories,” Nasruddin told about 200 who turned up at a ceramah in PAS operations center in Pongsu Seribu, Kepala Batas, last night.

 

Nasruddin came to this conclusion based on his own experience on the ground.

 

“Two days ago, I attended a dialogue with PAS members in Alor Gajah and Jasin, in Melaka. Among the questions they asked was why, as information chief of the party at the muktamar, I had challenged DAP to an elbow and knee fight.

 

“I asked them if they had attended the party's muktamar, and they said no. They told me they read about me making those remarks in Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider ,” said the Temerloh parliamentarian.

 

“Since the muktamar up till now, the most talked about remark is the one related to “elbows” and “knees”,” Nasruddin said.

 

He was referring to his speech at PAS 61st muktamar in Selangor on June 5, where he was quoted as saying to loud applause from the audience:

 

"Dia (DAP) tampar kita banyak kali. Bila kita kata jangan tampar pipi kanan sebab pedih, dia tampar pipi kiri. Kemudian dia tampar bertalu-talu. Akhirnya kita tampar dia sekali, baru dia tahu bahawa kena tampar itu sebenarnya pedih.

 

"Saya rayu janganlah cabar kesabaran kami. Walaupun kami dari Dewan Ulama yang rata-ratanya memakai kopiah, serban, berjubah, tetapi ingat dalam jubah ini ada siku dan lutut yang masih kita belum guna lagi," katanya ahli parlimen Temerloh itu sambil mendapat laungan takbir daripada  perwakilan dan pemerhati."

 

(“They (DAP) hit us many times. When we say do not slap our right cheek because it is painful, they hit us on the left. Then they hit us again and again. Eventually, we hit them once, only then they know that it is painful to be slapped).

 

(“I appealed to them not to challenge our patience. Even though we are from the ulama council who mostly wear white caps, turbans, robes, but remember under our ropes are elbows and knees which we can still use.")

 

DAP fell out of favour with PAS when the party cut ties with its president Abdul Hadi Awang over his unilateral move to table a private members bill in Parliament on hudud.

 

Following this, PAS delegates accepted a proposal by the ulama council to cut ties with DAP, which led to the party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng ( photo ) declaring that Pakatan Rakyat is “dead”.

 

Nasruddin explained that he never meant those remarks to be a warning or a threat to DAP.

 

He said the remarks were issued when he tried to defend PAS, to urge the party’s critics not to insult or belittle PAS’ struggles.

 

He only meant to say the ulama had elbows and knees beneath their turbans and robes, which they could use to defend those who make fun of and belittle Islam.

 

“Those words were uttered in a defensive manner and not as a threat. Don’t tell me we are to just sit quiet when Islam is attacked? ” Nasruddin queried.

 

' Not seeking fight'

Nasruddin said the party was not seeking for a fight as Islam taught its believers to seek for peace.

 

Even when enemies appear, Muslims are taught to be patient. “But patience also has it limits,” he added.

 

He urged PAS members not to feel guilty or small when they have to defend Islam or to spread the message of Islam especially in Penang.

 

“But the test we face today comes from those who use the new media to twist the people’s minds. 

 

"There are certain quarters who strategise and control the situation to send the wrong information to the society,” Nasruddin claimed.

 

“But God willing, and together with Hadi, who has given his commitment, we will go from state to state around the country to clarify our stand,” he said. 

 

“We do not want enemies but want to bring new hope for the people. So be agents to send the right information to the people,” he told the crowd.