Penang Religious Affairs Exco’s endorsement of Shahul Hamid is an embarrassment to Penang govt
 

1)         Penang Exco in charge of religious affairs Abdul Malik Kasim’s statement as reported in Free Malaysia Today (17 Oct 2017) that the issue of whether Penang-based Shahul Hamid was an accredited preacher did not arise because whereby the former defended the latter:

”as long as he did not deviate from the teachings and the faith,”

is laughable and shows that DAP’s Penang state Government is desperately bending backwards to fish for Talibanese votes now that PAS has abandoned them. Shahul Hamid’s video that preached divisiveness in a public domain went viral and this demands answers and actions from the state authorities along the mode and advice by our Conference of Malay Rulers.  

2)         However the Penang state government via Penang Exco Abdul Malik seems to suggest that Shahul’s preaching along his Talibanese style that was seen to be racist and hateful preaching to Muslims (whom he claimed should not be patronising non-Muslim hairdressers, discouraging parents from sending their children to “non-Muslim” schools and prohibiting Muslims from wishing “Happy Birthday” or even saying “hello” when answering a telephone call or scoffing at non-Muslims as “kafirs”), is alright and will not get a sharp rebuke from Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng or his Exco .

3)         Abdul Malik's statement suggesting that it was okay as long as Shahul did not deviate from the teachings and the faith is a mockery and a debacle in view of recent developments and statements from the Conference of Rulers  that the “damaging implications of such actions are more severe when they are erroneously associated with or committed in the name of Islam” and that “the reputation of Islam must not ever be tainted by the divisive actions of certain groups or individuals which may lead to rifts among the rakyat.”

The lackadaisical stand against Sharul by the DAP Government is unacceptable and must be condemned by none other then Lim Kit Siang himself. Is the state government’s response to this matter akin to enabling Talibanism in Penang?

4)         Lim Guan Eng as the Chief Minister, must reprimand his Exco member or at least address and give his take on the matter. Has the DAP Government in Penang changed their political position to be more Taliban-friendly now in order to capture lost votes gained after having  collaborated with PAS for the 2008 and 2013 general elections? Is DAP afraid that PAN and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's PPBM cannot deliver or replace PAS ballots now as seen in their latest failed Hapus Kleptocracy Rally?

5)         After the rebuke from the Sultans of Johor and Selangor against racism and bigotry, Menteri Besars and Chief Ministers of states must be more vigilant and reprimand such speeches or acts by nipping them in the bud instead of being wishy-washy.

6)         Is the Chief Minister of Penang waiting for other state’s Governor to publicly reprimand people like Shahul or waiting to pass the blame to UMNO or MCA again?

Dato’ Sri Ti Lian Ker
MCA Publicity Spokesman ( Bahasa Malaysia / English ) 
MCA Religious Harmony Bureau Chairman

-MCA online-