PAS welcomes Malaysia’s withdrawal from Rome Statute

KOTA BHARU: PAS has welcomed Malaysia’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Its spiritual leader Datuk Hashim Jasin said it was a good move which would benefit Islam, and that PAS held to the principle of supporting any move that was for the good.

“We always welcome anything that benefits Islam… we will be together with the Prime Minister (Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on this,” he told reporters after opening the Kota Bharu PAS division’s 52nd annual general meeting here yesterday.

In the past, PAS has claimed that only its members are the true followers of Islam and even branded Umno members who are mostly Malays, all of whom are Muslims, as infidels.

In Seremban, Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, who is also discharging the duties of the (Umno) president, congratulated the Prime Minister and the Pakatan Harapan government for withdrawing from the statute.

Speaking to reporters at the Barisan Nasional’s (BN) operations room for the Rantau by-election on April 13, the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar and BN candidate (for the by-election) said it was a wise move.

On Friday, Dr Mahathir had announced that Malaysia was withdrawing from the Rome Statute following the confusion arising politically and within the society on it, stressing that the decision was not because the Statute was harmful to the country.

He said Malaysia, which acceded to the Rome Statute on March 4, could withdraw from it before June this year. The decision to withdraw from the Statute was made collectively at the Cabinet meeting on Friday, Dr Mahathir said.