Anwar, PKR Youth want stern action against Zulkifli
Zulkifli, the MP for Kulim, had lodged a police report against PAS leader Khalid Samad for taking the view that non-Muslims could use the word Allah. His actions sparked anger amongst his Pakatan colleagues, not least from his PKR party.
Wong Choon Mei, Harakah Daily
It was indeed a pleasant surprise and bodes well for the future of Pakatan Rakyat when PKR Youth chose to stand above party partisanship, showing the way forward with a principled call for stern action to be taken against their maverick colleague Zulkifli Noordin. Their calls were also swiftly noted by PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim, who agreed that Zulkifli may have “crossed the line” this time.
“I have emailed him so that he will give an explanation because I want to refer this case to the party’s disciplinary committee and political bureau which will hold a meeting this Tuesday. I hope he can provide his answer before that,” Anwar told reporters.
Zulkifli, the MP for Kulim, had lodged a police report against PAS leader Khalid Samad for taking the view that non-Muslims could use the word Allah. His actions sparked anger amongst his Pakatan colleagues, not least from his PKR party.
“What Zulkifli did is totally unacceptable. It is not the Pakatan way,” PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin told Harakahdaily.
“PKR and Pakatan Youth have challenged him to a debate based on true knowledge and facts. If Zulkifli insists that Allah is exclusive to Muslims, let him prove it and convince us all.
“Zulkifli has also committed a grave act by asking the police to investigate Khalid under the Sedition Act, which we do not recognize as a humane law and therefore cannot accept. After weighing all the facts, we have no choice but to call on our party and our coalition leaders to take full and unflinching action against him.”
Out of control and personal
Zulkifli, a practicing Syariah lawyer known for his hard line beliefs, has long been a thorn in PKR’s flesh with his emotional and often out-of-control outbursts. Now, locked in a bitter feud against Khalid, the popular MP for Shah Alam, it looks like the vendetta may be more personal than mere disagreement over who can use Allah.
According to PKR insiders, Zulkifli became enraged because Khalid had revealed that despite his fiery rhetoric to the public, Zulkifli did not say anything during a recent meeting called by Anwar to brainstorm the Allah issue.
Khalid had also attended the meeting, which was aimed at putting into perspective the court ruling that has divided the Malay community. On December 31, 2008, Judge Lau Bee Lan opened a Pandora’s Box when she overturned a Home Ministry ban on non-Muslims using the word Allah.
Zulkifli is convinced that Allah is for Muslims only – a stand that is in direct conflict to that taken by his party and the rest of Pakatan, although it is in line with arch rival Umno’s.
Khalid’s stand is in sync with that espoused by his PAS party and the rest of Pakatan. They believe that based on the Quran, non-Muslims can use the word Allah. And to ensure that there is no abuse or misuse, they have asked for guidelines to be drawn.
“I am not worried by the police report,” Khalid told reporters. “What is that when NGOs have already done so and protesters have also stamped on my picture?
“But I believe as a Pakatan colleague, Zulkifli should be more consistent. Why just lodge a police report against me and not PAS or Pakatan? After all, our stand is the same, only his is different.”
Pakatan must stand up for fair play
Indeed, out of fairness and to protect the growing solidarity with the Pakatan, it behoves PKR to haul up Zulkifli and deal him a heavy sentence as a deterrent.
As Shamsul has pointed out, no one is trying to make him change his opinion but he must respect his party, his party mates, his coalition and his coalition colleagues. Otherwise, be an Independent or join Umno-BN!
Just as PAS president Hadi Awang was urged to take stern action against Selangor commissioner Hasan Ali for damaging Pakatan’s credibility over the sale of beer last year, Anwar must now take similar steps against Zulkifli.
“I have advised him not to cause any tension among our partners but he has crossed the line this time,” Anwar said.
Malaysians will understand if out of pique, Zulkifli renounces PKR and Pakatan. But they will certainly be less willing to forgive if PKR and Pakatan do not stand up for fair play and allow Zulkifli to get off the hook – yet again.
