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Hadi spells out terms for ‘unity talks’
by Tan Yi Liang
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
KUALA LUMPUR: PAS has
spelt out its terms for any “unity
talks” with Umno, placing pri-
ority on the need for discussion
on democratic reform, chang-
ing the Election Commission,
independence of the judiciary
and media freedom.
“These are initial steps for
the government to take. If
Umno wants to speak with us
on these issues, we will meet
with them on these issues,”
PAS president Datuk Seri
Abdul Hadi Awang said.
There would be no “unity
talks” otherwise, he said.
“There is also no split in
PAS,” Hadi told the press
after a PAS central committee
meeting at its headquarters
yesterday, explaining that the
party would remain in Paka-
tan Rakyat and resolve any
problems within the party and
the coalition.
Hadi also said he would
speak to Karpal Singh over
the DAP chairman’s recent
criticism of unity talks.
“I have to get an explana-
tion from him,” he said, refer-
ring to media reports quoting
Karpal as saying such talks
would be “a serious disservice
to the sincerity” of PAS as a PR
component party.
Responding to questions on
Sisters in Islam (SIS), Hadi said
PAS did not view the organisa-
tion as Islamic.
“To us, it is not an Islamic
NGO, because many of its
views contradict Islam. They
have misused the name of
Islam,” he said, adding that the
party had tried to correct SIS in
the past.
“We have had discussions
with them to correct their
views on Islam. We have
sent (Kota Raja MP) Dr Siti
Mariah Mahmood to correct
their views which contradict
Islamic teachings.”
When asked how PAS
would deal with the SIS issue,
Hadi said it was for the gov-
ernment to handle.
“(Dealing with SIS) is the
jurisdiction of the Department
of Islamic Affairs of the Prime
Minister’s Department. We can
only correct and offer views.”
He denied that PAS’s views
on SIS had damaged the party’s
public image.
“We see rising support from
the rakyat for PAS. In Perma-
tang Pauh, in Kuala Tereng-
ganu, in Bukit Gantang, and
we will win again in Manik
Urai.
“The only ones damaged
are SIS. People know they
speak without knowledge of
Islam.”
On the appointment of
Alur Limbat assemblyman
Datuk Mustapha Ali as PAS
secretary-general, Hadi: “He is
someone who is experienced
in the party leadership, and
I need people to improve the
PAS central leadership.”
Asked about PAS’s recent
meeting with Singapore’s
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan
Yew, he said the hour-long
meeting focused on issues of
national unity and PAS’s views
on regional relations.
“He wanted to know about
PAS’s foreign policy, including
relations with Singapore. We
were clear on this and told
him that Islam puts peace
before conflict, and campaigns
for justice for all,” Hadi said,
condemning the violence in
southern Thailand and the
Phillipines.
Unity govt proponents are
These are
Umno puppets: Nik Aziz
initial steps KOTA BARU: PAS spiritual leader
Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat
for the yesterday rapped party members
government who defended the proposal of a
to take. unity government mooted by PAS
If Umno president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi
Awang, regarding them as Umno
wants to puppets.
speak with He also disagreed with PAS
us on these central election director Datuk
issues, we Mustafa Ali calling on all PAS
will meet and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to
cease issuing statements on the
with them proposed unity government to
on these avoid confusing party members,
issues.” saying there was no reason why
they should.
“I cannot run away from the
– Datuk Seri
decision made at the PAS assem-
Abdul Hadi
Awang
Race relations and the
British experience
PETALING JAYA: British race rela-
tions expert Prof Dr Aneez Esmail
will share his views and experi-
ence in race relations in Britain
during his visit here next week.
Aneez, a leading campaigner
for racial equality in Britain for
more than 30 years, has worked
hard for change and regula-
tions to protect the interests of
socially disadvantaged people,
especially in the medical profes-
sion and in higher education.
He is a believer in affirmative
action based on need rather
than creed.
After his family was expelled
from Uganda by Idi Amin in
1972, Aneez went to Britain as
a migrant at age 13 and subse-
quently became a citizen.
He became a well-known and
highly respected medical practi-
tioner and professor of medicine at
the University of Manchester and
was also associate vice-president
for equality and diversity. A former
student leader and medical graduate
of the University of Sheffield, he was
a former president of the Medical
Practitioners Union, a fellow of the
Royal College of Physicians and sole
medical adviser to the high profile
Shipman Inquiry in Britain.
Aneez, who was interviewed
by theSun in February (http://
w w w. s u n 2 s u r f. c o m / a r t i c l e .
cfm?id=30469), has been recog-
nised internationally for his work
on race relations in Britain, and was
awarded the prestigious Harkness
Fellowship in 1997 including a
year’s tenure as visiting professor
at the Harvard Medical School.
His visit to Malaysia is organised
by the Institute of Ethnic Studies
‘Don’t arbitrarily convert children to Islam’
IPOH: The call to Islam is a willing
and conscious submission and
cannot be forced upon anybody,
including the conversion of a child
or minor to Islam.
The director-general of the
Institute of Islamic Understanding
Malaysia Datuk Dr Syed Ali Tawfik
Al-Attas said this was because the
ability to think and reason was a
vital element for a non-Muslim
to choose whether to become a
Muslim.
“A child who has not reached
age of maturity cannot be burdened
with the responsibility of accepting
something he does not understand
as his faculties of reason are still
theSun | FRIDAY JUNE 12 2009
bly in Ipoh last year ... the decision
was to support the PR. Those who
support this unity (government)
are Umno puppets – clear and
obvious,” Nik Aziz said.
“The unwarranted call from
PAS to form a unity government
is (from) Umno puppets,” he said
at his official residence here.
When told that the idea of
a unity government came from
Hadi himself, Nik Aziz said the
statement did not reflect the
wishes of PAS.
“The president is a leader
of an organisation, and (as) the
decision was not made by the
organisation, it is his personal
statement.” – Bernama
Prof Dr
Aneez
Esmail
of UKM and the Department of
National Unity and Integration of
the Prime Minister’s Department
together with other partners includ-
ing the British High Commission.
Annez is scheduled to give a live
interview over Astro Awani at 9pm
on Monday. He will also participate
in a dialogue with academicians,
civil society leaders, media, non-
governmental organisations and
corporate leaders.
A free public forum at which he
will speak at 3pm on Tuesday will
be the highlight of his visit and will
take place at the Malaysian Institute
of Integrity (formerly APDC), Jalan
Duta. Minister in the Prime Minis-
ter’s Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu
Koon will officiate the forum, while
social activist Datin Paduka Marina
Mahathir will act as moderator.
For more information, call 03-8921
4641 or 03-2093 6988.
immature.
“Therefore, it is unreasonable
to say that one can simply convert
a child,” he said in his keynote
address titled “Crisis in Religious
Thinking” at a discourse held here
yesterday.
He said a person who converted
a child to Islam was actually forcing
the child to accept the burden of
responsibility when Allah did not
command such a burden be placed
on the child.
He said conversion of a child to
Islam also did not guarantee that
he would remain a Muslim as the
decision to accept and practise the
religion depended on him alone.