PENANG information officer Wan Ji Wan Hussin today slammed PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang for making false accusations against the DAP-controlled state.

The popular preacher formerly of PAS dismissed Hadi’s claims that Penang folk were suffering under DAP’s rule.

“While Penang families are receiving RM700 flood disaster aid from the state government, the statement by the PAS president clearly proves that he was lying when he claimed Penangites are suffering,” Wan Ji said in a statement today.

He was responding to a Berita Harian article titled “Derita bawah naungan DAP” (Suffering under DAP), which reported Hadi’s attacks on DAP, its veteran leader Lim Kit Siang and the Penang government.

Hadi was slamming Lim for harbouring ambitions to be prime minister, an allegation that has of late been repeated by Barisan Nasional and others anti-DAP parties.

Hadi reportedly said it was against Islam, the religion of the federation, for Lim to harbour such an ambition, adding that only Islam could be fair to all.

He said this was unlike PAS, which prioritised maintaining Islamic leadership in the country.

Hadi went on to accuse DAP of failing to be a “clean government” and causing its citizens to suffer. DAP leads the Pakatan Harapan government in Penang.

“I think the PAS president needs to think about not making malicious accusations and spreading lies against the (Penang) government in his statements.

“He also needs to think about how he is to answer Allah in the afterlife on the false allegations he has made,” Wan Ji said.

The former PAS member, who has since become PKR Youth Islamic bureau chief, said if Hadi was not influenced by “Umno and BN propaganda”, he would surely admit that Islamic development in Penang far exceeded other states.

Wan Ji said the state government had been increasing allocations for Islamic affairs development annually.

“It is miraculous that Hadi has not attacked MCA for accusing Penang of being anti-Chinese because it was giving so much money to the development of Islam.”

Wan Ji said Penang had also never barred any religious speakers from delivering sermons, speeches or talks in mosques and surau in the state, not even Hadi himself.

He said PAS preachers were free to speak in Penang mosques and surau, even though their speeches often contained false allegations and slander against the state government.

The Islamist party has been on unfriendly terms with DAP since their political break-up in 2015.

“The state only asks that the speakers do not include elements of hatred, slander and others things, like racism, that may harm the image of Islam.

“Unlike other states in Malaysia, Penang has no list of religious speakers barred from speaking in mosques and surau in the state. 

“Even those like Ustaz Shahul Hamid from the Asya’irah school is not barred,” Wan Ji said, referring to the preacher who previously courted controversy by urging Muslims to boycott curry powder made by Hindus, and that Muslims should not get haircuts from non-Muslims.

He said Penang also awarded more than 10 religious personalities as Tokoh Ma’al Hijrah recently. – December 16, 2017.