By P Ramakrishnan
Free Malaysia Today
June 16, 2015

Some Umno leaders seem to have taken leave of their common sense. They don’t make sense when they speak and there is no logic in what they say.

COMMENT

The reaction from two Umno leaders exposes their hypocrisy when they came out with their ridiculous statements with regard to the DAP’s willingness to build a mosque in Kampung Pasir Tumboh in Kelantan.

According to Kelantan Umno liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, “The DAP’s plan to build a mosque in Gua Musang is an insult to Muslims in this country.”

Meanwhile, not to be outdone by Mustapa , Kelantan Umno Religious Affairs Bureau chairman Datuk Ashraf Wajdi Dusuki repeated the same silly statement: “The DAP’s plan to build a mosque in Gua Musang is an insult to Muslims in this country.”

Except for coming out with a sweeping statement claiming outrageously that it is an insult to Muslims in this country, none of them has cared to state in what way it would be an insult to Muslims if a mosque was to be built by DAP.

This is the same kind of illogical statements being parroted by certain unthinking Muslims who readily proclaim, “It is an insult to Islam”, “It is an insult to Muslims”, without caring to explain or justify their statements. These people are not capable of coming out with cogent arguments to state their case convincingly. They ramble incoherently to rouse the emotions of those who are incapable of reasoning.

Mustapa went further with another equally ridiculous statement that makes no sense. He stated, “It is an attempt to deny the Federal Government’s efforts of building over 24,000 mosques and surau nationwide.”

How can it be an attempt to deny the Federal Government’s efforts at building 24,000 mosques and suraus by building a single mosque in Kelantan?

Did the DAP deny this? Or was it stated by the imam and the residents of Kampung Pasir Tumboh who sought the help of the DAP?

The DAP said that they had been asked by the local imam and residents to help build a mosque as theirs had been damaged by the floods in December. They desperately needed a mosque and they were prepared to turn to whomsoever was willing to give them a helping hand.

Abdul Mutalip, the Seman Kampung Pasir Tumboh’s imam, said “residents have no qualms as to who builds the mosque”.

It is six months since their mosque was damaged, requiring a new replacement. Why didn’t Umno do something about it? Were they not aware how crucial a mosque is to the Muslims in their daily prayer?

Instead of explaining why the needs of the residents of Seman Kampung Pasir Tumboh, whose houses and mosque had been destroyed by the floods, had not been addressed for half a year, these Umno leaders are resorting to politics when they should be acting responsibly. It is indeed a shame.

The DAP, being sensitive, “had assured that funds to build the mosque would be from the public and free of haram (forbidden) elements such as gambling”.

Intent on finding fault, Datuk Ashraf , said “the halal status of funds did not make it right”.

I must confess my ignorance when I admit openly that I have no idea where the money comes from when the Federal Government builds mosques all over the country. Is there a halal fund for this purpose? Or does the money come from the consolidated federal accounts?

If that is the case what has Ashraf Wajdi Dusuki have to say to this? Where did the funds come from for the building of the National Mosque and all the state mosques? If there was a separate halal fund, when was it created?

For those few bigoted Muslims who are so obsessed with halal money, are they comfortable about receiving their salaries and pensions? Surely they must know that they are paid from the consolidated funds which come from various sources, including sources that are clearly non-halal.

The Malaysian government receives taxes from gambling, cigarettes, alcohol, non-halal food, etc. It is this money, among others, that is used to pay salaries and pensions, to bring about development, to provide healthcare and affordable housing, to send students to universities, to give scholarships, etc.

It is for this money that so much corruption is committed!

What is Ashraf’s view on all this?

P Ramakrishnan is Aliran’s executive committee member and an FMT reader.