PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has received a royal chiding for crossing the line with his remarks.
Hadi received a telling off from Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for his disrespectful statement which appears to be directed at the Malay Rulers following the Federal Court’s recent decision against a few provisions in Kelantan’s Shariah Criminal Law Enactment.
The royal rebuke was conveyed in a letter addressed to Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Ab. Halim Tamuri, which was signed by Sultan Sharafuddin’s private secretary Datuk Munir Bani.
In the letter dated Feb 27, Munir said Sultan Sharafuddin was saddened by Abdul Hadi’s statement, titled “Ketinggian Islam Wajib Dipertahankan (Islam’s sanctity must be defended)”, which was splashed all over social media and targeted religious scholars, lawyers, judges, MPs, assemblymen and the Malay Rulers.
Munir said Sultan Sharafuddin believed Abdul Hadi’s statement indicated that he (Abdul Hadi) had not read in totality and in depth the Ruler’s speech in regard to the Federal Court’s decision.
“Tan Sri Abdul Hadi’s cynical statement saying that the Rulers’ ‘need to look at the needs of the afterlife and not worldly interests’ was inappropriate and ill-mannered from a Malay cultural perspective,” said Munir.
He added that Malay culture was always respectful and decent when addressing the Malay Rulers.
“Abdul Hadi’s statement had also criticised the judges (saying) they had failed to interpret the Federal Constitution according to true Islamic principles and it seems (according to Abdul Hadi) the Federal Constitution was invented and formulated by the colonials according to the shape of their mould to destroy religion, race, language and the nation eventually,” said Munir in the letter to the Selangor PAS commissioner.
Munir added that Abdul Hadi’s disrespectful statement stood to confuse and create anxiety among Muslims which could eventually divide them, especially Malays, in the country.
“Tan Sri Abdul Hadi’s statement that the Federal Constitution was created by the colonials which set aside the position of Islam is inappropriate,” said Munir.
In the letter, Sultan Sharafuddin asked that by questioning the legitimacy of the Constitution, Hadi was going against the very law he pledged to uphold during the various terms he had been sworn in as a parliamentarian.
“Does Hadi not respect the Federal Constitution as the supreme law of the land any longer?
“Does this mean that Hadi is deliberately playing political polemics to gain Malay, Muslim support?”
The sultan then pointed out that it was not the first time Hadi had gone up against the Malay rulers.
He cited Hadi’s remark in March 2023, when the Islamist party president questioned the Terengganu sultan’s decree which barred politicians from giving speeches in mosques in the state.
“Such statements reek of disrespect to Malay rulers who are the head of Islam in the respective states.
“It is worth noting that the Malay rulers have taken vows to uphold the Islamic religion and will strengthen it at all costs.
“Thus, any party that wishes to reprimand or advise the Malay rulers on matters pertaining to Islam, must do it through the right channels and procedures,” said the ruler.