Johor Muslims follow a different type of Islam, says Nur Jazlan

Nur Jazlan Mohamed said although Abdul Hadi Awang is the prime minister’s special envoy to the Middle East, he is not allowed to enter some countries in the region because of his adherence to a different school of thought in Islam.

(Malaysiakini) – The more PAS talks about religion, the better it will be for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Johor state elections as the state has a balanced population of Malays and non-Malays, says state Umno deputy chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed.

He said the Islamic party, which is contesting 15 seats, is bereft of ideas and all they talk about is polygamy and promoting ridiculous practices like saying husbands can beat their wives “lightly”, among others.

“In Johor, we have a multiracial society, with Malays and non-Malays. PAS is welcome to talk about their brand of religion.

“They can’t engage in discussions about education or the economy. They only know how to talk about religion.

“Go ahead, the more they do it, the more non-Malays will return to the BN fold,” he said in a video interview with Malaysia Gazette last night.

Nur Jazlan said even the Malays in Johor were not interested in listening to PAS’ version of religion because they have had a holistic education that had enabled them to gain deep religious knowledge in their own way.

The former deputy home minister said PAS leaders were also performing poorly as ministers, which was obvious to any casual observer.

“Look at the party’s leader, Abdul Hadi Awang. He is the prime minister’s special envoy to the Middle East but he is not allowed to enter some of the countries in the region because of his adherence to a different school of thought in Islam.

“Then he goes to Qatar to meet the Taliban leaders although Malaysia does not have any diplomatic ties with them. On top of that, he pledges aid for them, which he should not do as it is a government policy matter.”

Nur Jazlan said, PAS in Perikatan Nasional was like an anchor weighing down Bersatu, which is struggling to stay afloat in politics.