KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Islamist party PAS has decided not to pursue the issue of a divorce oath or bai’ah taken up by its elected representatives, saying that they will leave it to the party turncoats to settle the matter with Allah.
Party secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan was reported by Malay daily Sinar Harian as saying that they do not wish to prolong the issue, despite being confident that they have a case if they were to go to the Shariah Court.
“Bai’ah is a pledge between an individual and Allah witnessed by man. If they think there is no effect, we leave it to Allah,” Takiyuddin reportedly said.
“They need to take responsibility for what had been said though there is no pressure by PAS central (leadership) to resign,” he added.
The “third talaq bai’ah” oath is allegedly a must for Kelantan PAS lawmakers to take before accepting their posts and requires them to swear to divorce their wives with the “third talaq” the moment they join a new party.
Talaq ― or talak as it is spelled locally ― is a type of divorce in Islam which provides the man an avenue to initiate a divorce through simply pronouncing the word; if the man pronounces a “third talaq”, he is then prohibited from getting back with his wife again, unless he takes another woman as his wife and then divorces her afterwards before remarrying the first woman.
PAS leaders raised the issue recently after a slew of elected representatives from their so-called progressive faction quit the party and went on to form Parti Amanah Nasional.
Takiyuddin in the report stressed that the oath is a legitimate promise made all PAS MPs to fulfill their responsibilities to the rakyat and party in the interests of their faith and country.
“(PAS) members of Parliament must remember they made a pledge to Allah, to the rakyat and to their voters,” Takiyuddin reportedly said.
“We are confident (the oath) is binding, but we will not bring it to court even if we can do so,” he added.
