Clarification by Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor

 

Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Mohd Noor, former inspector-general of police

I REFER to the first, second, third and fourth paragraphs of the article “Nik Aziz is father of kafir” (NST, May 8).

Actually, what I said in the telephone conversation with the journalist was about the attitude of Pas leaders, including spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and president Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang, who used religious arguments against Umno, although Pas had forged a working relationship with DAP, a non-Islamic party that stated its policy against the formation of an Islamic state.

For instance, I said, Nik Aziz had issued a statement that it was compulsory for his followers to take part in the Bersih 3.0 gathering as if it was a religious call.

I told the journalist that, from my point of view, this could cause a misunderstanding among Pas followers, regarding the status of the gathering from the perspective of the law, as it could can spark tension between law enforcers and Pas followers who attended it.

I also told the journalist that such a confusing fatwa (ruling) from the Pas leadership was not new because in the early 1980s, Hadi had issued a fatwa likening Umno members to infidels for collaborating with non-Islamic parties, namely MCA and MIC, until it caused a friction in the community, for example, (Muslims) praying with two imam in some villages, which is still happening now.

Hadi’s fatwa, to my knowledge, has not been retracted.

This, in a way, has affected public order in those areas.

I further told the journalist that since Pas was now working with DAP, didn’t this mean that Pas’ leadership, including Nik Aziz, seemed to have turned Pas members into non-believers?

Furthermore, in paragraph six, the term that I used was “political creature” and not “political animal”.