From Immorality To Hero Am I The Only One Baffled By Pas

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It is insane to think that a politician can be termed a "hero" when he returns from an overseas jolly with his wife and plays Russian-roulette with other people's lives. That politician is nothing but a selfish and arrogant individual, who thinks that his position in government will protect him
A hero is someone who dedicates his life to protecting others in an effort to make the world a better place. During this coronavirus pandemic, the true heroes are our frontliners - doctors, nurses, hospital cleaners, the armed forces and policemen
It is easier to get blood out of a stone than a straight answer from a PAS politician. Do PAS MPs have a problem with reality, with reporters' probing questions, with the rule of law, with the ministerial code of conduct, or with upholding their responsibilities as lawmakers
The ongoing political drama with Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Khairuddin Aman Razali (above), who refused to observe the self-quarantine rules on his return from Turkey, cannot be forgotten
Instead of censuring him, many PAS politicians tripped over themselves, trying to justify their colleague's abuse of power
On Sept 1, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang skilfully dodged a reporter's question about Khairuddin's transgression, by talking about morals
Hadi (above) is the last person who should lecture us on morals. He stuck the knife into Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail's back when she was nominated by now-dissolved Pakatan Rakyat (PR) to be Selangor Menteri Besar
Hadi denied having talks about forming a unity government with the felon, Najib Abdul Razak's Umno-Baru, whilst pretending that PAS was a loyal coalition partner in PR
Last November, Hadi expressed his support for former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad but three months later, Hadi was safely installed as Muhyiddin Yassin's right-hand man after the Sheraton coup
Khairuddin deliberately put the health and lives of others at risk. He did not act with any morality. Perhaps, PAS or Hadi's definition of morality is far removed from ours
If a DAP politician had failed to observe the quarantine rules, he and his party would have been crucified
Hadi should come off his moral high ground and realise that anyone who breaks the law, is in breach of the moral code
He said: "If they commit a sin that is contrary with Islam and morals, we will fire them."Isn't breaking the law a sin? As a minister, Khairuddin's conduct reflected badly on PAS
Politicians who think that politics and morals are mutually exclusive are dangerous people. Remember the former British prime minister, Tony Blair? As a committed and practising Christian, Blair would have believed in the sanctity of life, and yet, he took Britain to war against Iraq, based on a lie
Politics and morals cannot be treated as separate entities
A few days ago, PAS spiritual leader Hashim Jasin (photo) made the bizarre claim that Khairuddin was a "hero". In addition, Hashim shifted the blame onto Health and Foreign ministries for their negligence
Hashim's definition of a hero is not the same as ours. Someone who failed to self-quarantine, was economical with the truth and risked the health and lives of others, cannot be considered a "hero"
Last week, PAS' vice-president, Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's comparison of Khairuddin with lorry drivers and pilots was both demeaning and unfair
It also showed his lack of understanding of those who work for a living
Both professions are excluded from quarantine but must adhere strictly to the rules imposed on them for doing their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic
The lorry drivers and pilots perform a vital role in keeping the economy and nation running, but if Khairuddin was missing from the government, it is doubtful if anyone would notice or feel his loss
It is incredible that none of the senior PAS politicians showed good judgment and common sense. Instead of putting themselves in the shoes of the rakyat, they hemmed and hawed, and dug a deeper hole whilst trying to justify Khairuddin's crime. Nothing was mentioned about breaking the law, about the lack of professionalism or Khairuddin's lack of humility
The Islam that was taught by my parents and elders, is similar to the version learnt by many of my Muslim relatives and friends. Those teachings do not gel with the version of Islam promoted by PAS
Khairuddin's actions cannot be made halal with terms like "morality" or "heroism". He was also economical with the truth
There is another way of seeing the Khairuddin fiasco
It is not just the story of a minister who broke the law and thought that he could appease the crowd by paying a fine and making an apology. He was only forced to do these, because of the public outrage
This is also the story of the silence of the majority of Muslims. The ones who are quietly furious with Khairuddin and PAS' lame excuses but dare not speak out
Where is the public condemnation of the wannabe clerics masquerading as politicians, who have tarred the religion, and the reputation of the Malays? Where are the learned muftis to denounce Khairuddin's wrongdoing
For years, PAS claimed they were protectors of Islam and defenders of the Malays. Khairuddin has proven them wrong
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO). Blog, Twitter. - MkiniThe views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of MMKtT.

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