Zambry scared to call for polls because of Allah row -harakahdaily.net

IPOH, Feb 1: Umno Mentri Besar Zambry Kadir is afraid to call for snap polls in Perak because of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s blunder over the Allah issue, said PAS leader Nizar Jamaluddin.

“They miscalculated badly and it has backfired. They thought it would get the Malays all riled up against the non-Muslims but it was a major blunder,” Nizar told Harakahdaily.

“Now not only the non-Muslims are angry with Umno but the Malays are also upset at the way the Allah issue has been twisted by unscrupulous politicians who are so corrupt, they dare to openly go against the teachings of the Quran.”

Mammoth Youth gathering at Larut

Perak, the second largest state in Malaysia, has a population more than 2 million, of which 54 percent or 1.1 million are Malay, 32 percent are Chinese, 12 percent Indian and the rest other races.

Pressure is mounting on Umno and Zambry to dissolve the state legislative assembly ahead of a February 9 deadline, when the Federal Court is due to deliver its verdict on who should be the rightful chief minister of Perak.

Zambry, who is also Pangkor assemblyman, has already hinted that there will not be any snap elections. Yet he has been busily organizing talks and seminars both in Perak and overseas to drum up support for his party.

As for Nizar, his PAS party is already working full throttle on getting its election machinery into top gear. On Sunday, more than 10 thousand PAS Youth members gathered in Kubu Gajah, Larut to hear Nizar and vice presidents Mahfuz Omar and Salahuddin Ayub speak.

They also took a solemn pledge to defend the democratic rights of the Perak people, to work to ensure that PAS and the Pakatan Rakyat wins the state elections and that Nizar is restored as the rightful Mentri Besar and Pakatan the rightful state government.

PAS ulamaks to set the facts right

Indeed, a dispute over whether the word Allah can be used by non-Muslims to describe God has become the latest hot topic in Malaysia.

PM Najib’s Umno has taken the stand that Allah is for Muslims only. It has been widely accused of instigating a spate of violence and desecration against places of worship in the country.

According to the core committee of ulamaks who govern the Islamic-based PAS, the word Allah can be used by non-Muslims provided that guidelines are put in place to prevent its misuse and abuse.

“Umno thinks it can get Malay support by politicizing the Allah issue. But their stand is against our religious teachings,” Nizar said.

“Our ulamak (religious experts) together with our Pakatan Rakyat friends will go down the line, into each and every small village in rural Perak to explain the matter and to set the facts correctly. Justice and the truth will win the day. And this is what Najib and Zambry are afraid of.”