Hasan’s Himpun attendance not sign of tension within PAS
PAS leaders defended their colleague Selangor executive councillor Hasan Ali’s personal right to attend the Himpun gathering.
(Free malaysia Today) – PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hasan Tantawi, who was conspicuously missing from last Saturday’s ‘Himpunan Sejuta Umat’ (Himpun) gathering, said today that he stayed away out of respect for the organisors who wished to keep the event apolitical.
Nasruddin’s absence was noticeable because he was among those who had openly supported the Himpun gathering against the wishes of party leaders.
PAS central leadership had decided to stay away from the gathering but did not ban party members from attending in their personal capacity.
“I didn’t attend because the organisers had requested for the event to be apolitical.
“My stand on the matter is not contradictory to the party’s official stand.
“There is not much difference (with the central party’s stand).
“We (PAS Youth) were merely expressing our support for Muslims to gather to strengthen their faith” he told FMT.
Subdued rally
Although organizers planned to gather one million Muslims to gauge the “unity” among them particularly against proselytising, only about 5,000 supporters turned up at the Shah Alam stadium on Saturday, Oct 22 in what was mostly a subdued rally.
The event was organised hot on the heels of the Aug 3 controversial raid by Selangor religious authority, JAIS on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC).
The raid followed a tip-off that proselytisation activity was happening at an event.
Despite the PAS’ ban on members attending Saturday’s event, PAS Selangor executive councilor in charge of religious affairs, Hasan Ali attended it.
Hasan who supported the raid on DUMC did not speak at the event but only recited a prayer at the end of it.
He was one of the two notable political figures who attended Saturday’s rally. The other was Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali.
