PAS's Dilemma with the Malay Rulers: Championing Islam

by

Ismail Hakim

PAS's Political Goal

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party or the Islamic Party of Malaysia commonly known as PAS positions itself as a political party that aims to establish Malaysia as a country based on Islamic legal theory derived from the primary sources of Islam, the Quran and Sunnah.

PAS has publicly stated its intent to instate what it claims to be sharia law, including the full range of criminal laws.

As an Islamic political party, PAS takes a lead at local level in opposing forms of entertainment that will damage society's morals. PAS strongly support the sharia law to oppose apostasy.Read here

PAS Youth's Protest Threat in Selangor

PAS through its youth wing, PAS Pemuda, pushed its Islamic envelope a few steps too far on the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor Government, which it is a partner in government.

When PAS leadership remained silent on its Youth wing's public threat to demonstrate against a concert by two Malaysian artistes at the football match between Selangor-Singapore, the royal household of Selangor had it enough.

The Selangor Sultan showed his anger and displeasure. (Read here).

(Note: In May, 2008, the Sultan of Perak intervened when the Perak Menteri Besar made a hasty transfer of Perak Religious Department (JAIP) director Datuk Jamry Sury without FIRST consulting the Perak Ruler, who is the head of Islam in the state. The Menteri Besar apologised to the Sultan and rescinded the transfer order. Read here)

The Role of the Malay Rulers on Islam.

PAS in its tunnel-visioned view of the world in pushing its fundamemtalist Islamic credentials keeps forgetting the traditional role of the Malay Rulers which is enshrined in the Federal (and State) Constitution.

Federal Constitution (Read here)

Article 3.2: In every State other than States not having a Ruler, the position of the Ruler as the Head of the religion of Islam in his State in the manner and to the extent acknowledged and declared by the Constitution, all rights, privileges, prerogatives and powers enjoyed by him as Head of that religion, are unaffected and unimpaired; but in any acts, observance or ceremonies with respect to which the Conference of Rulers has agreed that they should extend to the Federation as a whole each of the other Rulers shall in his capacity of Head of the religion of Islam authorize the Yang di-pertuan Agong to represent him.

Article 3.3: The Constitution of the States of Malacca, Penang, Sabah and Sarawak shall each make provision for conferring on the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be Head of the religion of Islam in that State.

Article 3.5: Notwithstanding anything in this Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall be the Head of the religion of Islam in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Labuan; and for this purpose Parliament may by law make provisions for regulating Islamic religious affairs and for constituting a Council to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in matters relating to the religion of Islam.

Article 4.1: This Constitution is the supreme law of the Federation and any law passed after Merdeka Day which is inconsistent with this Constitution shall, to the extent of the inconsistency, be void.

PAS's Dilemma

Firstly, PAS's politial aims as a political party are restricted by the provisions of the Federal Constitution. It can only change the Constitution to make Malaysia an Islamic state or impose Islamic sharia laws on ALL citizens of Malaysia, if it commands TWO-THIRD majority in the Federal Parliament. As per Article 4.1, all other laws contravening the Federal Constitution are deemed void.

Secondly, PAS's credentials as a champion of Islam in Malaysia must come face-to-face with the constitutional powers of the Malay Rulers on matters related to Islam in each state, for the simple reason that the Sultans are the Heads of Islam in their states. In the case of the federal territories, it is the Yang DiPertuan Agung.

Thirdly, the Sultans are also recognised as Heads of their respective states, meaning they are not only rulers for the Malays, but rulers to protect the interests of ALL their subjects, irrespective of race and religion residing in their states. Thus on matters of Islam, the sultans as Malay Rulers, have to take into full account the interests of their NON-Muslim and the non-Malay subjects besides their Malay subjects.

Whereas for PAS, its primary target of interest are Muslims. Non-muslims are of secondary concern to PAS for its existence as a political party.

Therein lies the dilemma for PAS.

It has not only the Federal Constitution as a stumbling block to fulfill its political mandate, it has also the Malay Rulers to contend with. The recent PAS Youth's fiasco with their public threat to demonstrate at a football stadium is a case in point.

Any attempt by PAS to demonise or marginalise the Malay Rulers will face a severe backlash, as the Malay Rulers are well regard and respected among the Malays, and in recent months prior to the March 2008 election, by a cross section of the Malaysian society. (Read here and here and here)

PAS, even if it wins government in states or in the Federal Government (unless it has a two-third majority), does NOT have a free ride on what it wants to impose and enforce on Islamic rules and regulations on the country.

It is (therefore) a huge sigh of relief for the majority of Malaysians who, while recognising Malaysia as an Islamic country, would prefer it remains a Secular State and NOT an Islamic State of any form or structure.

Protecting the Sanctity of the Federal Constitution

The wisdom of the founding fathers of Malaysia in establishing checks and balances cannot be over-emphasised. They foresaw the pitfalls facing a young nation trying to unite and mold a peaceful and workable multi-racial and multi-religious society.

The Federal Constitution was drafted to provide equality, fairness and justice to ALL Malaysians. It is the only recourse Malaysians have to prevent and to destroy all forms of religious extremism and abuse of political powers of governments.

Having said that, there are constitutional amendments in the current Constitution forced through by the Government-in-power over the years which failed to meet the equality, fairness and justice criteria and these amendments must be revisited by voters.

For Malaysians of all creed today, it is all the more sacred to ensure the sanctity of the Federal Constitution and the role of the Malay Rulers enshrined in the Federal Constitution be forever safe-guarded.
-Ismail Hakim

Related Article

From Zulkifli Sulong "Dilema Pemuda PAS dan istana Selangor" in Malaysia Insider : Read here
(Zulkifli Sulong is a veteran journalist covering Malaysian politics for 20 years. He is the editor of the Bahasa Malaysia weekly Siasah )

Excerpts:

"Jika kamu bertemu dengan kemungkaran, cegah dengan tangan (kuasa), jika tidak ada kuasa, cegah dengan perkataan dan selemah-lemah iman adalah benci (kemungkaran itu) di dalam hati."

Ini adalah hadis yang menjadi pegangan PAS. Dan inilah yang mesti dilakukan oleh pemimpin PAS dalam apa-apa situasi pun. Inilah yang diajar oleh tok-tok guru dalam PAS kepada ahlinya.

Tugas mencegah kemungkaran dari perspektif mereka sangat. Cuma apakah tindakan yang hendak diambil apabila berdepan dengan sesuatu isu.

Yang terbaru bila bertemu dengan isu Ratu Rock. Ella dan Ratu Gelek, Mas Idayu yang akan membuat persembahan dalam konsert sempena perlawanan bola di Stadium Shah Alam Jumaat ini.

Konsert ini pula akan ditonton oleh kira-kira 10,000 pelajar sekolah kerana menurut penganjurnya, Datuk Abdul Karim Munisar, 10,000 tiket percuma telah diberikan kepada sekolah-sekolah seluruh Selangor.

Siapa Ella dan siapa Mas Idayu? Rasanya, kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia khasnya pelayar internet kenal dengan mereka. Tambahan lagi dengan satu laporan yang pernah dibuat terhadap Ella.

Bertolak dari situlah, saya yakin, inilah yang dilakukan oleh Pemuda PAS di Selangor dalam menyatakan bantahan mereka. Mereka menghantar memorandum kepada pejabat Menteri Besar. Bagi mereka, membiarkan Ella dan Mas Idayu memberikan persembahan terbuka kepada kanak-kanak sekolah bakal memberikan impak negatif kepada mereka dan ini adalah satu kemungkaran yang perlu dicegah dengan sebaik mungkin.

Bukan soal anti hiburan. Jika anti hiburan, mereka akan menentang konsert ini secara keseluruhannya. Tetapi mereka memohon agar kedua-dua artis ini dikeluarkan dari senarai artis yang membuat persembahan di majlis itu nanti.

Yang menjadi persoalan kini, sejauh manakah bantahan ini akan pergi jika persembahan kedua-dua artis itu diteruskan. Sedangkan, dengan jelas, pihak yang paling sensitif dengan isu ini adalah Sultan Selangor sendiri.

Sultan Selangor, sebagaimana laporan media, sangat murka dengan Pemuda PAS. Baginda, melalui Menteri Besar dikatakan memanggil Pemuda PAS untuk mengadap baginda bagi membincangkan isu ini.

Saya difahamkan, Lajnah Politik PAS yang bersidang beberapa hari lepas telah turut membincangkan isu ini. Hasilnya, hadis yang saya sebut di ataslah yang menjadi sandaran mereka.

Bagi mereka, Pemuda PAS sudah menyatakan bantahan mereka dengan jelas apabila menghantar memorandum kepada MB Selangor memohon agar kedua-dua artis itu tidak dibenarkan membuat persembahan di majlis itu.

Persoalannya adalah, penganjur majlis ini adalah Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Berhad – KDEB yang dimiliki oleh kerajaan negeri Selangor

Inilah dilema PAS. Menentang kemungkaran dengan segala yang mampu atau memahami dan menginsafi real politik yang berlaku dalam negara ini. Istana adalah pihak yang mempunyai status tersendiri dalam politik Malaysia.

Selepas Pemuda PAS menghantar memo kepada MB Selangor, Sultan Selangor, sebagaimana laporan sebuah media, telah menunjukkan kemarahannya terhadap PAS. Antaranya baginda telah mengugut akan membawa perlawanan bola antara Selangor dan Singapura, yang dianjurkan serentak dengan konsert itu ke Singapura.

Baginda juga melalui MB Selangor, telah menitahkan Pemuda PAS menghadap baginda untuk membincangkan bantahan Pemuda itu.

Saya difahamkan, Pemuda PAS menyandarkan tindakan mereka berdasarkan garis panduan program hiburan yang dikeluarkan oleh Jakim sendiri. Jika kerajaan negeri tidak mematuhi garis panduan itu, siapa lagi pihak yang mematuhinya. Kalau pergi lebih dalam lagi, jika Sultan Selangor yang menjadi ketua agama Islam di Selangor tidak mematuhi garis panduan itu, siapa lagi yang bakal mematuhinya.

Namun semuanya bakal menjadi dilema. Jika salah diuruskan, ia bakal mengulangi sejarah penubuhan kerajaan negeri di Perlis dan Terengganu.

Mungkin atas dasar itulah, panduan yang diberikan oleh Lajnah PAS adalah sebaik-baik pendekatan.

Semua tahu PAS sudah melahirkan sikapnya membantah konsert itu dan yang mempertahankan konsert itu adalah istana. Maka terlepaslah sudah tanggungjawab Pemuda PAS.