KUANTAN, June 20 — PAS will not hesitate to eject any of its leaders if their morals are found lacking, its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said today.
The Marang MP who turned up unexpectedly at the party’s Youth wing congress here said other political parties may consider morality to be trivial, but not PAS which regards virtue as sacred and places great emphasis on education.
“We are unafraid of rejecting such leaders, unlike some others whose activities are based on videos,” he said in his speech to PAS Youth delegates at the Bukit Gambang Resort.
Hadi did not name anyone in his speech, but was likely referring to political foe PKR.
The ruling Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition’s biggest component is embroiled in a sex video scandal after a Youth leader claimed to have had several trysts with a senior party leader.
The police are investigating the case under Section 377B of the Penal Code for “carnal intercourse against the order of nature” which carries the penalty of a maximum 20-year jail term and caning; Section 292 of the same law for distribution of pornographic materials that carries a punishment of maximum three years’ jail or fine, or both; and Section 504 for “intentional insult with intent to provoke a breach of the peace” that is punishable by jail up to two years, or fine, or both.
The Malaysian Communications Multimedia Commission is also investigating the “improper use of network facilities or network service” under Section 2033 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for the posting of several video clips showing the sexual acts that have been widely shared through WhatsApp.
Hadi insisted that good morals is the Islamist party’s core strength, and that it is non-negotiable.
“If it was my subordinate who was involved in immoral activities, I would resign from my post, and disband the party,” Hadi said.
In his speech, Hadi also denounced those who viewed politics to be “filthy” and “disgusting” as being un-Islamic in their thinking.
“Such claims are not Islamic, as politics is taught to be separate from religion. Indeed Islam teaches this is the purpose of man to uphold the faith.
“For 13 centuries the powers of the world respected Islam. But now the ummah is weak not because of the religion but because of themselves. Yet there will always be those who will defend the faith, especially when it comes to politics,” he said.
Hadi said upholding Islam is a greater challenge than anything else, not just physically but also spiritually and mentally.
“When Muslims are willing to face this challenge, it is then that Islam will take power and rule.
“Some do not wish to do so, for fear of challenges from certain quarters. But those ready to defend Islam should expect these challenges to begin with,” he said.
Hadi called upon the Youth delegates to remain steadfast, saying their role is very important and that the ongoing congress will serve to strengthen the youth machinery and PAS’ other wings.
