Get facts right before ‘advising’, PBS tells YIS
KOTA KINABALU: Yayasan Islam Sabah (YIS) secretary general Raden Kakung should get his facts right before presuming to ‘advise’ others about constitutional matters and matters that are in the realm of politics.
Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary general Datuk Johnny Mositun said PBS stood fully by its acting president, Datuk Seri Panglima Dr Maximus Ongkili who had stated that PBS denounced any attempt to change Malaysia’s status as a secular country into an Islamic state.
“On this, PBS will never compromise. Dr Maximus has correctly pointed out that to do so would violate the Malaysia Agreement.
“Furthermore, there is no ambiguity about the provisions in the Federal Constitution on the secular status of Malaysia and the position of Islam as the official religion,” Mositun said.
“The position of Islam as the official religion has never been questioned from the time Malaya gained independence, and even when Malaysia was formed in 1963. Neither PBS nor any other political party has ever questioned that. The Constitution itself protects Islam’s status, as it does Malay rights and privileges,” he said.
Mositun said Raden’s advice to the PBS acting president to ‘avoid making political statements on religious matters as it could stir negative emotions among Malaysians’ was nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to do just that, to stir up anti-PBS sentiments among Muslims.
“So, is he saying political parties cannot defend the secular status of Malaysia by upholding the Constitution by conveniently claiming these to be religious matters?
“But NGOs like his YIS can usurp the rights and responsibilities of political parties by re-classifying these constitutional and political matters as religious matters?” he asked.
Mositun said Raden should do himself and YIS a favour by first checking out the state and federal constitutions to see what they say about any official religion for Sabah and Sarawak, understand that their status in this context is a political matter and not a religious matter exclusively for NGOs like his or Ulama to determine.
“PBS reiterates its full commitment to defend and preserve the secular status of Malaysia, in accordance with the spirit of the Malaysia Agreement 1963. We will not bow under threats or pressure from any quarters bent on subverting our Constitution and turning Malaysia into an Islamic State,” he said.