SHAH ALAM, Nov 24 — Lawmakers who abandoned Umno for Pakatan Harapan (PH) after the 2018 general election are the worst kind of filth in Islam and are now being avoided by their Muslim constituents, according to Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Umno president used the term “najis mughallazah”, the lowest form of things marked as unclean in Islam.
“There are those who, when they come back to their constituents, state for Friday Prayers and were ignored.
“No one would even greet them, as if they are najis mughallazah,” he told a crowd of some 600 people attending the Selangor Muafakat Nasional launch in Jalan Kebun here last night.
Najis mughallazah is reserved for pigs and dog’s saliva, blood and its by-products by Sunni Muslims and which require adherents to undergo “samak” — a purification ritual that requires water mixed with earth for those who have come into contact with the filth.
Zahid claimed that Umno was fortunate to be rid of the MPs, further alleging that they are now regretting joining PH.
“Umno thinks that it was good news when those people left. We are purified automatically when they went there.
“I know they are regretting it, Tan Sri Noh Omar knows. Some of our friends have come to meet (us) asking to return,” he said referring to Tanjong Karang MP who was in the audience.
At the same time, Zahid said Umno will welcome back those who wish to return.
The Bagan Datuk MP likened such reconciliation to marriage and divorcees in Islam, where wedded couples can get back together even after two “talak”, but not once the third and final proclamation is made.
“Umno is open. But in Islam for the first and second talak, you can remarry.
“For the third ‘talak’ you cannot return because there would be a due process,” he said.
Umno lost 11 MPs in December last year. They were Datuk Rosol Wahid (Hulu Terengganu), Datuk Abdul Latiff Ahmad (Mersing), Datuk Shabudin Yahaya (Tasek Gelogor), Datuk Hamzah Zainudin (Larut), Datuk Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Sabak Bernam) and Datuk Seri Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz (Tanah Merah).
Five more were Sabah MPs Abdul Rahim Bakri (Kudat), Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun (Beaufort), Yamani Hafez Musa (Sipitang), Datuk Ronald Kiandee (Beluran) and Datuk Zakaria Mohd Edris (Libaran).
Jeli MP Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed and Masjid Tanah MP Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin were among the earliest leaders to quit Umno last year for Bersatu.
