THE new Sabah government today appointed state PAS secretary Dr Aliakbar Gulasan to the state assemblyman.

Aliakbar is the Islamist party’s first representative in the state assembly. PAS did not contest in the recently concluded state elections but is an ally of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah.

“Congratulations to Sabah PAS liaison secretary Aliakbar on his appointment as assemblyman (appointed) representing Perikatan Nasional,” said PAS central committee member Mukthar Suhaili on Facebook.

The 49-year-old Aliakbar was a PAS central committee member from 2015 to 2017.

The five other appointed reps are former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, Umno’s Suhaimi Nasir and Raimie Unggi, and Bersatu’s Jaffari Walliam and Amisah Yassin.

Aliakbar’s appointment comes over the protests of several parties, including Sabah churches, which had asked for PAS to be excluded from appointments to the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah administration.

Earlier this week, the Sabah Council of Churches (SCC) called on Deputy Chief Minister Jeffrey Kitingan to object to the nomination of a PAS representative for the state assembly.

“We are very concerned over the news that PAS has requested to fill one of the six spots for appointed assemblymen in the state assembly.

“PAS is an Islamist political party known to be divisive and holding little respect for other minority religions,” the council said in a letter to Jeffrey, who heads STAR, a component of the ruling GRS.

It is understood the same letter was also sent to another GRS compoenent, the Christian Kadazan Dusun United Sabah Party (PBS).

In the letter, the SCC drew attention to PAS Pasir Puteh MP Nik Muhammad Zawawi Salleh’s refusal to apologise for his “derogatory” remarks about the Bible.

This was in reference to Zawawi’s statement in parliament last month that the Bible had been “distorted” to allow alcohol consumption.

The SCC said Zawawi was an example of the political culture PAS was promoting in multi-racial Malaysia. 

“To have PAS in our state government is opening a door to division and polarisation of the different communities in Sabah, causing discord and the eventual erosion of the racial and religious harmony that we have achieved so far. Sabah has been the shining light of Unity in Diversity in Malaysia. Let not this be taken away,” the letter said.

Jeffrey had dismissed talk that a PAS representative would be appointed to the state assembly and a position in Sabah’s Law and Native Affairs Ministry.

PBS, another component party of GRS, had also raised concerns of PAS presence in the state backbench.

President Dr Maximus Ongkili said Chief Minister Hajiji Mohd Noor should take into consideration the sentiments on the ground. 

Barisan Nasional secretary-general Annuar Musa said last week he expected PAS to be granted at least one of the six state seats by appointment.

With the appointment of six assemblymen of its choice today and the recent addition of three independent seats to the count, GRS has increased its majority over Warisan Plus to 15. – October 8, 2020.