Umno info chief: Hard to work with Hadi due to provocative remarks

(Malaysiakini) – Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan has pointed the finger at PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang saying the latter’s comments make him difficult to work with.

This came after the Marang MP claimed Pakatan Harapan is unable to be fair because many of its leaders are “non-believers and immoral” and that when Harapan contested the 14th general election in 2018, it openly took in bribe givers and bribe takers.

“This is another reason why working with PAS in elections is proving more and more difficult. Political considerations and calculations are one thing but their ideological slant is sometimes just so difficult to swallow. I suspect their former Harapan friends felt the same.

“There is no need to call Harapan non-believers or without morals. Those are big words and big accusations beyond the pale. Harapan isn’t made up of aliens or monsters.

“Inside Harapan, there are many good, well-meaning, and often capable people – Muslims and non-Muslims – just like other parties,” Shahril told Malaysiakini.

He questioned if the late PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat would have made such remarks as Hadi (above) did.

Hadi also claimed Harapan practices politics of vengeance, where it allegedly made statements publicly that interfered with the country’s administration and the judiciary.

“There will always be a degree of mudslinging but this is just low and damaging. PAS has a not insignificant influence on the Muslim community and it shouldn’t use that influence this way.

“I don’t know if Tok Guru Nik Aziz for example would have written something like this. And anyway it’s not up to another human being to decide who has iman (faith) or aqidah (belief) and who doesn’t,” he added.

Shahril, who is also Umno Youth vice chief, said it was also worth remembering that the latest post is on top of Hadi’s recent remarks that the root of corruption is mostly among non-Muslims and non-Bumis.

“We compete but needn’t resort to this kind of bizarre attacks which are unbecoming of someone so senior in the party.

“There are so many other things you can use if you want to score political points. Why this?” he asked.

Shahril said in every party, there will always be individuals who take things too far but Hadi, however, is the president of a major party.

“It was a written post, not a misspeak at a ceramah (talk). Which makes it different and more alarming because this is probably what he genuinely feels,” said the Umno youth vice chief.