‘Fighting PAS is a jihad’

By admin-j On Dec 7, 2013

(Fz) – Kelantan Umno declared that their quarrel with PAS for all these years was not due to reasons such as hate, revenge or over colours but it was all in the name of jihad, a religious duty of Muslims.

This declaration was made by Ketereh delegate, Ahmad Termizi Musa during his speech on the closing day of the Umno General Assembly today.

“Umno is fighting PAS not due to the name. Umno is not fighting PAS because of the colours. Umno fights PAS not because of hate. Umno fights PAS not due to revenge.

“Believe me my dear Muslims, we fight PAS because it is a jihad,” said Ahmad Termizi.

Ahmad Termizi was speaking in the context of the situation in Kelantan where he said that the state government has been using its religious schools as platforms to mould the youth towards their own political beliefs.

He said that parents were keen to send their children to religious schools that cater to both religious and academic syllabi.

“A majority of parents are interested to send their children to religious schools that integrate religious studies with academic studies,” he said.

However, according to Ahmad Termizi, the Kelantan education department receives a lot of applications from parents to send their children to National Religious Secondary Schools (SMKA). More than 5,000 applications are received, but there are insufficient places available as Kelantan only has six SMKAs.

This means it could only provide about 1,200 places, so the balance of 4,000 applicants do not get places in SMKAs. So parents who wish to send their children to religious schools resort to sending them to state government schools which are often Arabic-centric religious schools.

“Kelantan is a very different state when compared to others. It is not the same with other states.

“What is happening that makes us worry is that children who are sent to learn at Arabic religious schools of the state government are moulded to meet their (PAS state government) needs and benefit their political struggle.

“That is how they have maintained their governance for more than 23 years,” he told delegates.