PAS must not walk into the “ban judi” trap…again
Remember what the Chinese told PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang in 1999? Gambling is part of Chinese culture. So, banning gambling would be denying the Chinese the right to practice their culture. Hence you cannot ban gambling.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
This has happened before in the past. When PAS opposes gambling, it will be called an extremist or Taliban party. When PAS says or does nothing, it will be called a munafiq or hypocrite party.
And now, again, it is happening. PAS is being baited. This debate on gambling is being raised to bait PAS into commenting (or into not commenting).
If PAS comments against gambling, the anti-PAS (anti-Islam, anti-Sharia, anti-Hudud, anti-RUU355, and so on) people are going to accuse PAS of being an extremist or Taliban party who are a threat to non-Muslims and who are denying non-Muslims their rights (menafikan hak orang bukan Islam).
If PAS says nothing, the anti-PAS (anti-Islam, anti-Sharia, anti-Hudud, anti-RUU355, and so on) people are going to accuse PAS of being a munafiq or hypocrite party.
So what is PAS going to do?
Simple! Just say PAS respects the Federal Constitution of Malaysia and the 13 State Constitutions — and if these 14 Constitutions ban gambling, then PAS will oppose gambling, and if these 14 Constitutions do not ban gambling, then PAS will not oppose gambling.
As a parliamentary democracy, the Federal Constitution of Malaysia and the 13 State Constitutions reign supreme. Hence PAS has no choice but to respect these 14 Constitutions — until and unless the Federal and State Constitutions are amended to declare gambling illegal in Malaysia.
Furthermore, gambling is only haram or dosa for Muslims, not for non-Muslims — just like liquor, pork, extramarital sex, not fasting or praying five times a day, sodomy, gay relationships, etc. So you cannot ban something that is halal for non-Muslims.
Remember what the Chinese told PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang in 1999? Gambling is part of Chinese culture. So, banning gambling would be denying the Chinese the right to practice their culture. Hence you cannot ban gambling.
PAS must take the sensitivities of the Chinese into consideration. The Chinese cannot be denied their right to gamble.
Hence if PAS opposes what is halal for non-Muslims, PAS would be accused of being undemocratic, of not respecting the rights of non-Muslims, and of being an extremist or Taliban party.
If the Malays or Malaysians want gambling banned, then speak to your member of parliament and ask him or her to raise this matter in Parliament. If the majority of the MPs, in particular the Malay-Muslim MPs vote to ban gambling, then gambling will be banned. But if the majority of the MPs, in particular the Malay-Muslim MPs, do not want gambling banned, then PAS must respect the voice of the majority.
Now, can the PAS leaders just do this, or are they too dumb to understand that this gambling issue is a political issue and not a religious issue? And why do these PAS people keep walking into the same trap again and again? The gambling issue is being waved in front of PAS just to get them all excited. And these PAS people do not have the brains to avoid walking into the trap.
