TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

At 78 and now suffering heart problems, Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is the subject of widespread speculation as to when he will step down as menteri besar, as well as the identity of his successor. While he has remained vague over both, his son Nik Abdul broached one subject in a blog-entry, in which he urged certain quarters not to stop his father from leaving office. Interviewed recently at his office in Kota Bharu, Nik Aziz said he is still capable of fulfilling his duties and that there is no need as yet for him to name a successor.

“(My health) is all right. If I stand for too long, I get tired. Doctors have told me not to (go on the ground) if I am tired. I’m old, and the ‘battery’ in my heart is weakening. “Other than taking medicine, I pray (for good health). Even the Chinese are praying for me. When they see me, they tell me Jangan mati lagi, (don’t die yet), Tok Guru,” he said with a laugh. “Even the Chinese are forbidding me from dying. They are more willing to listen to me than to the people from Umno.” Asked how his successor will be chosen, he said that one of the three deputy PAS state commissioners are likely to succeed him based on the hierarchy in the state and the party.

“It is ‘automatic’ according to party methodology. It is a form of preparation. We must have an umbrella ready before it rains,” said Nik Aziz, who has headed the Kelantan administration since 1990. Pressed further, he revealed that state executive councillor Ahmad Yakob is the front runner, by virtue of being the most senior of the trio. “Ahmad is the first layer. Whether or not he is accepted by the people, that is up to God. But he is deputy menteri besar. A lot of my duties have been delegated to him.” The other two are Nik Amar Abdullah and Husam Musa. The latter is widely deemed to be Nik Aziz’s protégé, although he has not received such endorsement.

Little is known about Ahmad, who like many Kelantan assemblypersons, shies away from the national political limelight. A religious scholar and long-serving state lawmaker, he is the Pekan Pasir state assemblyperson. However, Nik Amar has publicly endorsed Ahmad, as he wants Nik Aziz to name a successor quickly to prevent the likelihood of a power struggle in PAS.

Whatever the murmurings among the grassroots, the question as to whether Nik Aziz should stay or go may be overtaken by another development. PKR politician Zaid Ibrahim, who is spearheading a move to register Pakatan Rakyat as a coalition, has suggested that it be chaired by Nik Aziz. Nik Aziz said he is open to the idea, when asked if he would accept such an appointment. “I am the spiritual leader elected by the PAS central committee. What is wrong with being the spiritual leader of Pakatan? If you want to listen to me, thank you. If not, then I’m sorry.

“It is not a burden. It will increase my following. I would be happier leading open-minded Chinese than narrow-minded Malays,” he said with a smile. However, he instantly brushed aside any idea that PAS would compromise on its goals, such as the implementation of hudud law and establishing an Islamic state. These policies have been formulated on PAS’ religious obligations, he said, and therefore cannot be compromised. He also insisted that these policies have been generally misunderstood, and invited his Pakatan colleagues to clarify the matter with PAS. “There is no need (to quarrel). Say what you want, but listen to our reply. Don’t make accusations and (then) when I reply, you don’t listen. Tak boleh! (This won’t do). Islam means you should ask questions. If you don’t understand (our policies), ask,” he added. Pakatan will hold its first national convention this weekend in Shah Alam, where thorny issues such as PAS’ goal of a theocratic state are expected to be thrashed out.

Source: malaysiakini.com

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Wacana perdana Islam di Malaysia – Realiti dan Harapan malam tadi bertukar menjadi forum politik apabila isu tuntutan royalti minyak Kelantan pula muncul sebagai topik perbincangan. Wacana berkenaan membariskan ahli panel Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pendidikan, Pembangunan Islam dan Dakwah Negeri, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, mantan mufti Perlis Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, bekas Yang Dipertua Yayasan Dakwah Islamiyah Malaysia (Yadim), Datuk Mohd Nakhaei Ahmad dan Pengerusi Biro Agama Pemuda Umno Malaysia, Afandi Yusof.

Topik itu menjadi berlarutan selepas program yang dipengerusikan oleh Pensyarah Pusat Pengajian Sejarah, Politik dan Strategi, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Dr Muhammad Agus Yusuf itu mengutarakan soalan berhubung perkara berkaitan. Afandi mempertahankan keputusan kerajaan pusat yang mahu memberi wang ihsan berdasarkan undang-undang kononnya Kelantan tidak berhak kepada tuntutan tersebut. “Kelantan perlu ingat perjanjian baru dibuat pada 1990 sekali gus telah membatalkan perjanjian yang termaktub sebelum ini dalam Akta Petroleum 1974,” katanya. Perjanjian dibuat pada 1990 dikenali dengan perjanjian Kawasan pembangunan Bersama (JDA) antara Malaysia dan Thailand.

Bagaimanapun hujah Afandi itu disangkal Mohd Amar yang bertegas Kelantan merupakan sebuah negeri dalam Malaysia yang mana telaga minyak terdapat di kawasan perairan pantainya. “Maknanya jika tidak ada Kelantan maka tidak ada Malaysia yang mengusahakan projek pengeluaran bahan api itu pada hari ini. “Bahkan Thailand yang terlibat dengan perjanjian JDA itu memberi royalti kepada Songkla memandangkan berlakunya pertindihan antara perairan pantainya. “Jika kerajaan bukan Islam boleh bersikap adil dan telus berhubung perkara kepentingan rakyat, mana perginya integriti kerajaan pusat di negara kita dalam perkara ini?” soal Mohd Amar.

Hujah Afandi dilihat semakin tercorok ke belakang dengan penampilan Nakhaei yang cuba menyarankan agar royalti tersebut disalurkan mengikut salurannya. “Tak ada gunanya bergaduh dalam perkara ini. Berilah dulu... jika ia gagal diuruskan dengan baik, tarik balik,” kata Nakhaei disambut dengan laungan takbir penonton. Asri turut memukau ribuan penonton melalui hujah bernasnya lengkap bersama adat dan hukum. “Saya tidak menyebelahi mana-mana pihak. Sekadar mengemukakan hujah atau pandangan untuk dikongsi. Adalah baiknya isu ini diberi kepada yang berhak. Adilkan! “Menafikan hak seseorang merupakan satu perbuatan khianat,” katanya.

Wacana ini diadakan di dewan bangunan Kelantan Trade Centre (KTC) dengan dihadiri lebih 3,000 penonton. Ia dianjurkan Urusetia Penerangan Kerajaan Negeri dengan kerjasama Perbadanan Kemajuan Iktisad Negeri Kelantan, Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Kelantan, Majlis Perbandaran Kota Bharu-Bandaraya Islam, Harakah, Kelantan TV dan Aura X-klusif Guest House. Pada majlis yang sama ketika menjawab soalan moderator, Umno menyentuh isu doa bala dicetuskan Menteri Besar Kelantan, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Afandi lantang mencabar ulama PAS mengemukakan nas dan dalilnya.

“Saya cabar sekarang... kitab mana yang membolehkan umat Islam membuat perkara seperti ini. Ini satu perbuatan mungkar,” cabarnya. Namun hujahnya ditangkis Asri yang mengemukakan dalil dari hadis soheh Muslim berkaitan perkara itu. Asri menjelaskan hadis berkenaan meriwayatkan seorang sahabat pernah mendoabutakan mata seorang individu tertentu lantaran perbuatan fitnah serta penipuan dilakunya. “Akhirnya dengan izin Allah matanya buta hingga ke akhir hayat,” jelas Asri membuatkan dewan sekali lagi bergema dengan laungan takbir penonton. Mohd Amar mencelah untuk memperbetulkan kontroversi doa bala Nik Aziz. Katanya, doa itu tidak diperjelas secara menyeluruh oleh pihak bertanggungjawab mengeksploitasi perkara itu menyebabkan orang ramai menjadi keliru. “Petik sepenuhnya doa itu. Baru dapat maksudnya,” ujarnya.

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PAS spiritual leader Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat opened fire at Umno by claiming his political rivals are desperate to dislodge him from leading Kelantan in order to revive the troubled Barisan Nasional coalition. The long-serving Kelantan mentri besar explained that the Malay party's state of despair is akin to a drowning person desperate to do anything to say alive, including making unfounded accusations against him to unseat him. “The story is that Umno is drowning, willing to say anything including the accusations made against me. They know that they are weak. Terengganu is divided, there is Umno A and Umno B. Perak is worse, they are fighting for the speaker’s robe,” Nik Aziz told the 1,000-strong audience at Taman Melewar here.

He added that both of Umno’s main allies in Barisan Nasional are also in a state of disorder. “MCA, which is Umno’s right crutch, is in chaos. So is MIC, who is Umno’s left crutch. So they have nothing to do but make accusations against me. He advised Umno to stop ‘dreaming” of trying to capture Kelantan. “What are they going to do in Kelantan? They want to create a religion? They want to create a religion because they don’t have Islam. It is simple to build a mosque but religion and mosque are different,” the popular PAS leader said.

Nik Aziz said that Umno is pretending to build a mosque so that they can pretend that they are praying. He has been a trenchant critic of Umno and has protested any unity with the traditional political foe following the party's brief membership in Barisan Nasional between 1974 and 1977 that resulted in PAS losing Kelantan in the 1978 general election. “They don’t fight for Islam. They want to fight for people, country and race? Who taught them this? The white man. Who is the white man? Like the Prophet Muhammad no longer exists,” said the Deoband-trained cleric who was voted the 42nd most influential Muslim by a Jordanian institute recently.

He added that Islam does not differentiate between the different races. “Can a Malay movement save the religion? Malay is different. Islam is different." Nik Aziz stressed that Islam is key towards achieving 1 Malaysia. “Umno claims that Islamic is chaotic and divisive. They tried Islam Hadhari but it did not work and now comes 1 Malaysia. "Malaysia is the best place to have Islam because there are Chinese, Malays and Indians. They want to unite the people with what? With Islam,” he said to a loud applause from the crowd. The mainstream media has accused Nik Aziz of asking the people of Kelantan to pray for misfortune to befall the prime minister if the federal government refuses to give oil royalty to the state.

He has also been bogged down by accusations of cronyism and corruption since last month over the controversial appointment of his son-in-law Ariffahmi Abdul Rahman as the CEO of Kelantan Mentri Besar Corporation (PMBK) and for receiving sponsorship to perform the pilgrimage in Mecca from a businessman. He later cancelled the religious trip this year and ordered his son-in-law to leave the state investment arm following pressure from party leaders and the public. Last month, a debate on the Kelantan succession plan began when a senior state executive councillor, Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, urged Nik Aziz to name his successor, arguing that a succession plan would stabilise the Kelantan government. The discussion on the succession plan has also been seen to be manipulated by Umno leaders to weaken Nik Aziz’s position. However, the Islamist party has dismissed the suggestion and said that the influential spiritual leader can continue to rule the state without naming a successor.