Will the recent Harakah firings taint PAS’ principled image?

(The Ant Daily) – All this while, Pakatan Rakyat, including PAS, has criticised Barisan Nasional for not respecting freedom of speech and for misusing the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

PAS’ decision to end the contracts of two senior editors of its official newspaper, Harakah, as well as requesting the editor-in-chief Ahmad Lutfi Othman, who was on sick leave, to resign has raised questions among social media circles, especially within the ranks of its supporters.

The termination has stirred discontent among the party faithful, many of whom view it as unnecessary.

According to a Jan 6 Malaysiakini report, the move was linked to several articles written by Ahmad Lutfi’s brother, Dinsman – who incidentally is a famous writer – that were critical of PAS’ ‘ulama’ leadership. Ahmad Lufti was informed of the ‘decision’ made by Harakah’s board of directors a week ago.

“He was advised to stop due to health reasons and offered an invalidity pension with half salary payment from Socso. He, however, rejected the offer and asked to be allowed to continue in his post,” Malaysiakini had quoted a source as saying.

The source added that the board of directors, led by PAS Secretary-General Datuk Mustafa Ali would discuss the issue further during their upcoming February meeting.

Asked who would head PAS’ official mouthpiece with Ahmad Lutfi gone, the source said that no decision has been made yet. The new deputy editor-in-chief of Harakah is Taufek Yahya.

In light of this move, Madrasah Seni is organising a solidarity campaign for Harakah Friends in conjunction with a donation drive for Kelantan flood victims at Madrasah Seni (Jalan Gombak, Kuala Lumpur) tomorrow (Jan 9).

In addition, Madrasah Seni’s management protested the removal through a statement issued by Dinsman, saying “Today, the PAS leadership has shown that it cannot be criticised. Any criticism is shouted down and harsh force is used to stamp it out. I thought that only the late Tan Sri Azizan Razak (former Kedah Menteri Besar) acted in such a manner, but it seems that many ulama in PAS now act in similar fashion. Thus, Datuk Tarmizi Md Jam and Roslan Hamid are removed from Harakah, and Ahmad Lutfi Othman is asked to resign.”

The Harakah termination has also attracted the attention of Seniman Paksi Rakyat, who decided to show its solidarity with the fired Harakah newsmen through its upcoming Monthly Poetry Recital programme, also to be held tomorrow.

Paksi plans to include Ahmad Lutfi and the other Harakah editors during the event, which celebrates poet Chan Yong Sin and his poetry anthology “Bebas”, written during his 11-year detention under the Internal Security Act.

All this while, Pakatan Rakyat, including PAS, has criticised Barisan Nasional for not respecting freedom of speech and for misusing the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

And now, we are faced with PAS acting in the same way.

What’s worse is the timing. At a time when the public is focused on the floods, PAS has instead chosen to quietly embroil itself in an internal party conflict that involves its official organ, Harakah.

What has become of PAS’ principles of truth and justice? Let us wait and see.