The Malaysian Insight

DAP has no concept of sin and heavenly reward (dosa pahala), said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, and the Muslims of Cameron Highlands should, therefore, not pick the party to represent them in Parliament.

Hadi said this is a mega-ceramah with Barisan Nasional leaders as he marshalled the support of party members in the constituency to vote for a candidate from the former ruling coalition, who was its traditional rival.

Hadi fell back to his typical form by claiming that it was the religious duty of Muslims to vote for someone of the same faith, a line commonly adopted by Umno and PAS against the multiracial Pakatan Harapan government.

He also labelled DAP – a former PAS partner from 2008 to 2015 – as anti-Islam and anti-Muslim.

“Give your trust to a Muslim representative to represent you, as Islam teaches spiritual aspects, such as sin and heavenly reward in leadership. The problem is (the concept) of dosa and pahala does not exist within DAP. It does not exist in non-Islamic parties.

“Muslims and the Orang Asli who are Muslims are required (wajib) to choose a representative who can bring the Islamic voice,” Hadi told a 1,000-strong crowd of Malay-Muslim farmers and Felda settlers in Sg Koyan 1.

Non-Muslims should not fear the BN candidate as the party has already proven that it respects their rights, he said.

The three Felda schemes in Sg Koyan are a crucial voting district and together supply more than 2,800 votes.

Sg Koyan 1 is a Malay Muslim majority voting district in Cameron Highlands where 46.5% of its 1,243 votes went to PAS in the 14th general election.

PAS managed to net 3,587 votes when it contested against BN and Pakatan Harapan at GE14. BN ultimately won the parliamentary constituency by polling 10,307 votes.

The BN is now defending Cameron Highlands against PH and two independent candidates.

In a message directed at PAS members, Hadi asked them to put their differences with Umno aside to support BN.

Hadi added that PAS agreed with BN’s choice of Ramli Mohd Nor.

“This candidate is a candidate that has been agreed to by both PAS and Umno.

“Forget past conflicts and disagreements. Get the people, Muslims and non-Muslims, to support a Muslim to represent them.” – January 21, 2019.