Nik Aziz Slams UMNO's 'False Islam'

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 22 — PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat slammed Umno today for practicing “a secular and false Islam” and expressed confidence his party would maintain at least a 5,000 vote majority to win next week’s Permatang Pasir vote.

In his election message issued today, the influential and folksy PAS leader likened Umno’s brand of Islam to plastic flowers, counterfeit money and fake identity cards.

“As there is counterfeit money, fake hair or even fake identity cards, there is also false Islam.

“For Muslim voters of all races they will want to record their thanks to a real Islamic movement. They will not vote for an Umno that practices secular Islam,” the Kelantan mentri besar said.

Nik Aziz’s attacks comes just a day after Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muyhiddin Yassin slammed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for its campaign to “smear” Barisan Nasional (BN), saying he was surprised they would do it with the Muslim fasting month just around the corner.

Muslims began fasting for the holy month of Ramadan today, during which they are also expected to focus on pious thoughts.

Umno has claimed that Pakatan Rakyat is trying to assassinate the character of its Permatang Pasir by-election candidate Rohaizat Othman, a lawyer who was disbarred after he was found guilty of misconduct by the Bar Council.

Rohaizat is facing PAS Penang state commissioner Mohd Salleh Man in a straight fight for the state seat in the by-election on Aug 25.

Nik Aziz’s remarks today also comes amid intense attacks from Umno over his party’s Islamic credentials.

Umno has hit out at PAS for working closely with the Chinese-dominated and secular DAP.

In the Permatang Pasir campaign, Umno has been telling voters that PAS were mere puppets of the DAP and had abandoned its Islamic values.

But Nik Aziz was unrelenting today in his criticism of Umno and BN.

“To the non-Muslims I can understand the restlessness in your hearts.

“There are allegations of bribes of RM10 million involving the MCA and then there is the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock.”

He also listed down the recent stadium collapse in Terengganu, major cracks on the Middle Ring Road here and the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal as examples of corruption involving the BN/Umno administration.

Nik Aziz described the by-election in Penang as preparation for PR to eventually take over the helm in Putrajaya.

Source : themalaysianinsider