PAS spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat Monday called for a stop to any muzakarah (discussions) between PAS and Umno as it could cause a split in the Islamic party.
He described the attempt by Umno to have the muzakarah purportedly to strengthen Malay solidarity as merely a gimmick but aimed at causing the fall of PAS.
“I want to ask the PAS leaders (reported to have held talks with Umno) whether they are interested in safeguarding PAS and Islam. Trying to be friends with Umno is like “sleeping with the enemy,” he told a press conference here Monday.
The Kelantan Menteri Besar was commenting on remarks by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Sunday that high-level talks had been taking place between Umno and PAS on matters relating to Malay unity and strengthening Islam.
Abdullah, however, said Nik Aziz was not among the PAS leaders in the talks. (The Star)
AnakDesa – In the first place, I cannot see why anyone would believe that the Malay community or Malays as individuals stand to gain from uniting behind one political party or one ideology. Malays are not a single-minded, homogeneous lot, any more than the Chinese, Indians, Kadazandusun in Sabah or the Dayak in Sarawak are. To ask a Malay to subjugate his own individual beliefs to the tyranny of the Malay majority is ridiculous, and completely undermines the democratic right of individual Malaysians, Malay or not, to freedom of thought and expression.
If a few Malay strongmen believe they can really subjugate their fellow Malays and fellow Malaysians to the yoke of one single ideology, one single belief system, they will have to face the consequences sooner or later. We know what single-party and single-ideology countries turn out like; even the few successes like China are forced to tolerate differing viewpoints, if not differing political parties.
You cannot force a man to believe something he does not have his heart in; there is no reason to think a Malay will stop thinking and stop believing in something simply for the sake of “Malay unity”.
Disunity among the Malays or for that matter any races in Malaysia, is actually caused by certain leaders who have been in power for too long and thus became very arrogant. They thought that they are above everyone and they can’t accept criticism nor do they listen to anyone but themselves. These are the type of leaders that create disunity. Don’t blame certain race or for that matter any religion. No religion in the world preach about disunity. It is men that is to be blame! When I said men, I mean arrogant leaders. They refuse to understand the feeling of the rakyat. That’s what happened to Berjaya party when they gave Labuan to the Federal Government they never consulted the rakyat but just listen to one man. No one dare to opposed him nor criticised him. Any ADUN opposed him will be sacked from being a YB. But then the YBs are more interested in their position and their pocket that forgot the rakyat’s voice and sentiment on the issue. The rakyat showed their displeasure in the very next by-election in Tambunan and thereafter the general election, where they were swept out of office. And recently the BN Government nearly collapsed because of a few arrogant leaders. SO DON’T BLAME ON RACES OR RELIGION FOR ANY DISUNITY. BLAME THE LEADERS!!!!
