KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 — PAS secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan today accused Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh of trying to drive a wedge within the Opposition Perikataan Nasional (PN) coalition with her recent remarks in Parliament.
He said Yeoh’s references of past visits to temples and churches made by his party president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang and deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man were out of context.
“It is very clear that what was quoted was made without explaining the context in which it was made and without an accurate explanation regarding the statements either by the individuals directly involved or the parties representing them.
“PAS regrets that the KBS Minister plucked the statements unfairly and dishonourably, used them as a ‘political weapon’ with the intention of creating a conflict between PAS and Bersatu,” Takiyuddin said in a statement.
KBS is the Malay initials of the Youth and Sports Ministry.
Takiyuddin claimed Yeoh had a “motive” for pitting the two PN parties against each other, and that was made clear when she did not allow representatives either from PAS or Bersatu to respond to her remarks in the Dewan Rakyat.
“PAS would like to state that the most important thing in this matter is that the statement were made in the context that all relations, involvements, visits and such between Muslims and non-Muslims, whether individually or in groups, are only allowed in matters not involving rituals or religiously, and that participation is not open and unconditional, and all efforts must be made to ensure no violations of these conditions,” he clarified.
Takiyuddin was responding to Yeoh’s response in Parliament last Tuesday to allegations that her ministry was involved in any attempt to proselytise non-Islamic religions to Muslims during a recent programme that saw the participation of youths of diverse creeds visiting different houses of worship locally to foster interfaith harmony.
The allegations were made by Negeri Sembilan Muafakat Nasional chairman Badrul Hisham Shaharin — widely known by his moniker Che’gu Bard.
He was reported to have said that “Christian evangelist has started its work” in a slight aimed at Yeoh, a practising Christian.
The minister had cited data that showed that no Muslim youths were registered for the programme called Projek Article 11 that was organised by Impact Malaysia.
During her ministerial explanation, Yeoh said that Tuan Ibrahim had remarked back in 2018 that Muslims were permitted to visit temples and churches.
Yeoh had cited remarks by the PAS deputy president in 2018 on the permissibility of Muslims visiting temples and churches.
Yeoh, a trained lawyer who was the former Selangor State Legislative Assembly Speaker from 2013 to 2018, also said she is aware that Malaysian laws ban non-Muslims from preaching non-Islamic faiths to Muslims.
Yeoh who is a second-term Segambut MP has since lodged a police report through her political secretary against Badrul Hisham.
