— The Malaysian Insider
Oct 14, 2012
OCT 14 — There are many out there who fear the Islamist PAS working together with the secular DAP. To the point that PAS is seen as abandoning its Islamist roots while DAP is accused of either being very Christian or trying to help PAS implement an Islamic state.
That didn’t work in 1999 when both parties worked together in the Barisan Alternatif that floundered over the Islamic state concept. In Election 2008, they agreed not to contest against each other and PKR, and their success led to the formation of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Among those in the happy group then was Datuk Dr Hasan Ali. Well, he isn’t there now after being sacked last January by PAS.
This past week, he has criticised Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Mentri Besar, over the latter’s comments about cooperating with DAP. Others who have supported such cooperation include PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.
But Hasan’s ire was directed at Nik Aziz and other PAS leaders whom he called “parasites”. Yet, at the heart of his umbrage is an underlying racism and chauvinism. And that Muslims and non-Muslims should not cooperate.
It is incredible that such a notion still exists almost 50 years after Malaysia was formed, and 55 years of Merdeka for Malaya. Wasn’t the country’s independence based on cooperation between all races? Wasn’t PR victory in 2008 due to such cooperation too?
Perhaps, Hasan recognises the value of such cooperation and realises that it can knock out his former nemesis, Barisan Nasional (BN). Perhaps he wants BN to take back Selangor and rub PR noses into the ground for rejecting him and his ideas.
Beyond the politics of it, it is just reprehensible that we have Malaysian politicians who believe that Muslims and non-Muslims should not cooperate with each other. Malaysians must not tolerate such ideas and tell off those who believe that this manner of thinking is correct.
Malaysia is a country for all, a country where all Malaysians cooperate no matter what race or religion. People like Hasan need to know this before mouthing off and criticising those who work together despite having different faiths. That is true unity.
Hasan can joust all he wants with his former party colleagues but he shouldn’t do it at the expense of Malaysia and Malaysians. We have come a long way as a nation and as a people who work together and should not be undermined by those who feel people of different faiths should not cooperate.
If anything, Malaysians should show people like Hasan the door if he decides to stand for elections again.
#1 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 11:02 pm
///Malaysia is a country for all, a country where all Malaysians cooperate no matter what race or religion. We have come a long way as a nation and as a people who work together and should not be undermined by those who feel people of different faiths should not cooperate./// – MalaysianInsider Author. The MalaysianInsider is talking about the concept of nationhood but the group represented by people like Datuk Dr Hasan Ali is talking about Islam as both religion and a religious based political system that is diametrically different from that of simple nationhood. Islam is a Brotherhood (Ummah) that unites Muslims together across the Islamic world. It is not confined to a nation! Therefore it inevitably draws the distinct lines between muslims and non muslims, believers and non believers. It challenges Western governments because they’re perceived as interfering with Muslim lands and political affirms thereof. It challenges and disagrees with secular systems and public laws from citizens’ private lives because Islam is a Complete Way of Life with no separation between religion and government, public spheres and private spheres. Western democratic constitution is based on popular vote, consent of the people by election of parliamentary representatives that make laws by which citizens lives are governed – in short the sovereignty of men and man make laws subject to amendments from time to time according to changing social needs and circumstances. In contrast Islam upholds sovereignty of God’s laws (not men). Shariah, as contained in the Holy Qur’an gives a complete and final picture of laying down the entire moral, legal and political chart for all time for humanity. It contains everlasting, unchangeable legal realities in which human beings are governed. It’s the perfect law, not subject to periodic amendments according to social changes.
#2 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 11:07 pm
Sorry typo omissions rectified in capitals:”…. It challenges Western governments because they’re perceived as interfering with Muslim lands and political AFFAIRS thereof. It challenges and disagrees with secular systems and SEPARATION of public laws from citizens’ private lives because Islam is a Complete Way of Life with no separation between religion and government, public spheres and private spheres…”
#3 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 11:24 pm
Given these fundamental differences in norms, values and philosophy, what areas (other than common antipathy against a government, corrupt and abusive of power) are there which share common outlook and evinces promise of permanent cooperation??? Can the author cite any example, anywhere? Is there any Islamic nation (of PAS’s theocratic vision or aspirations) anywhere in the world that can be held as example of such successful muslim/non muslim cooperation and shared outlook? If so we would like to hear from the MalaysiaInsider.
#4 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 14 October 2012 - 11:44 pm
All these premises stated by the MalaysianInsider author -Over 50 years of Nationhood, national boundaries, a feeling of shared citizenry of one nation for common national and therefore the imperative of cooperation of all citizens of whatever race & religion in a nation- are totally out of point and irrelevant to the philosophy/ideology of Datuk Dr Hasan Ali & Ilk because to them the Muslim Ummah is a political brotherhood that reaches across national boundaries, humanity is not divided by nations by by whether they’re muslims or not (ie Kafir or dhimmis) and its duty of the brotherhood to protect and support one another and to help realise, as soon as possible, Almighty’s state in this world and to promulgate His Laws…
#5 by yhsiew on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 7:27 am
Hasan Ali’s action is being seen as a revenge for being sacked by PAS. This is what people would do when they do not get what they wanted in a political party.
#6 by Bigjoe on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 8:11 am
People have to understand why Hasan Ali’s vitriols gets more and more ridiculous as times goes by.
The likes of Hasan Ali fish from a pond that is very small – the conservative Islamistic right. In UMNO, the number of people that fish from that small pond is so many, in fact everyday more pop up the latest ‘star’ being Nashruddin Mat Isa. The thing about that pond is that it those small amount of fish don’t seem get tired of being caught again and again – almost an unlimited capacity to be cooked again and again.
BUT in the end, its still a small pond that everyone of these card-carrying ‘champion’ of Islam want to tap. So they end up bumping into each other eventually as they fight for the same pool.. The way you stand up from everyone around the pond is that you shout louder and louder and more and more ridiculous – because that pool of fishes just never seem to get tired of being fished again and again..
So the ultimate answers against the likes of Hasan Ali is that if they are confined to the same pool long enough, eventually they will start to fight with those around the pool or the pool will start to die and there is nothing to fish from…
#7 by Winston on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 9:13 am
The crux of the whole matter is that whoever cornered the Malay votes will take the cake!
And with the cake comes unbridled access to the wealth of this country.
This is a tried and test method of the Mamak!
This is why this country is in such dire straits.
This is why it behoves all true Malaysian patriots, regardless of race and religion, to clean up the mess and start with a fresh slate.
#8 by sheriff singh on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 2:21 pm
Hasan Ali is a frusco because he is now an ‘irrelevant’ and unwanted person. He is in a dilemma as nobody wants him.
So he shoots off his mouth to get some attention and sympathy. Poor fellow. Poor prune-face.
#9 by Godfather on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 2:41 pm
You get enough schizoprenic bloggers to beat the drums and the lies may just stick. These people won’t give you access to refute and challenge their lies, so the only avenue is to sue them. Not necessarily for money but for public retractions. Clowns like Helen Ang and Syed Akbar are on a jihad against Christianity, so you need to be alert to their antics.
#10 by dagen wanna "ABU" on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 4:12 pm
Hasan ali? Siapa tu?
#11 by monsterball on Monday, 15 October 2012 - 8:43 pm
Hasan Ali again???
I laugh whenever I see his face…a typical religious fanatic idiot.
#12 by Cinapek on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 - 11:21 am
I think we are giving too much credit to Hasan Ali and the likes of him and their political dogmas. There is no need for any high flown analysis of their political views and how it is impacted by their religious beliefs.
There is a simple explanation. Greed. Greedy for power. If PR had made him MB of Selangor, I am sure he will be singing a different tune altogether. When he was not selected, he set out to sabotage the incumbent MB using the only weapon he has, the race and religion card. When this failed and he was sacked, he became am embitted man. So he retaliated in the only way he knows how. Play the race and religion card to the hilt.
#13 by Jeffrey on Tuesday, 16 October 2012 - 2:48 pm
Sure, Hasan Ali, Nasha and the likes of them play the religious or race card out of greed for political capital. It is not so much of them than the pond that they fish. Not sure its small pond. Its pond that can enlarge due to indoctrinated religious views spawned over the decades since Mahathir’s administration. That’s why the likes of them fish cos they know that the more they play such bait – that is not effectively rebutted- more and more teeming shoals of fish will gather.