Selangor’s ruler, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, has taken Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang to task for issuing a statement titled ‘Islam’s Supremacy Must Be Defended’, which His Majesty said insulted the Malay rulers and could divide Muslims in this country.
Abdul Hadi, in a post on his Facebook page on Feb 20, addressed scholars, lawyers, judges, Members of Parliament and the State Legislative Assembly, and the Malay rulers, 11 days after the Federal Court ruled in an 8-1 majority decision, that 16 provisions for offences under the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (1) 2019 were void, because federal laws already covered the same offences, and because the state legislature lacked the authority to enact laws on their own.
Sultan Sharafuddin, chairman of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs, had earlier called for calm, following the ruling.
“Abdul Hadi’s cynical statement, indirectly linking His Majesty’s speech with the ‘attitude’ of the Malay rulers – ‘who should focus more on the afterlife and not just think about worldly pursuits’ – is highly inappropriate and ‘uncivilised’, coming from the context of the culture of the Malays, who always respect and value decorum when voicing out their views and when advising the Malay rulers,” Sultan Sharafuddin said in a statement today.
“Abdul Hadi’s statement is not only confusing, but can also lead to anxiety, and ultimately, a split among the Muslims, especially the Malays.
“Why is he only now disputing the position of the Federal Constitution, when Islam has been designated the federal religion since the Constitution was drafted in 1957?”
Sultan Sharafuddin has since sent a letter to Abdul Hadi through the Selangor State Pas Commissioner, Datuk Halim Tamuri.
Sultan Sharafuddin added that Abdul Hadi must be more careful before making any statements and should re-examine His Majesty’s speech to understand its true meaning.
“Abdul Hadi must be careful not to repeat the act of insulting the Malay rulers through his statements that could divide Muslims in this country,” said Sultan Sharafuddin.
“Politicians and political leaders must not use Islam and corrupt the sanctity of the religion for the sake of their political interests.”Is