Selangor Ruler issues royal rebuke at Hadi

KLANG: PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang has received a royal chiding for crossing the line with his remarks.

Hadi received a telling off from Selangor Ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for his disrespectful statement which appears to be directed at the Malay Rulers following the Federal Court’s recent decision against a few provisions in Kelantan’s Shariah Criminal Law Enactment.

The royal rebuke was conveyed in a letter addressed to Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Ab. Halim Tamuri, which was signed by Sultan Sharafuddin’s private secretary Datuk Munir Bani.

In the letter dated Feb 27, Munir said Sultan Sharafuddin was saddened by Abdul Hadi’s statement, titled “Ketinggian Islam Wajib Dipertahankan (Islam’s sanctity must be defended)”, which was splashed all over social media and targeted religious scholars, lawyers, judges, MPs, assemblymen and the Malay Rulers.

Munir said Sultan Sharafuddin believed Abdul Hadi’s statement indicated the he (Abdul Hadi) had not read in totality and in depth the Ruler’s speech in regard to the Federal Court’s decision.

“Tan Sri Abdul Hadi’s cynical statement saying that the Rulers’ ‘need to look at the needs of the afterlife and not worldly interests’ was inappropriate and ill mannered from a Malay cultural perspective,” said Munir.

He added that Malay culture was always respectful and decent when addressing the Malay Rulers.

“Abdul Hadi’s statement had also criticised the judges (saying) they had failed to interpret the Federal Constitution according to true Islamic principles and it seems (according to Abdul Hadi) the Federal Constitution was invented and formulated by the colonials according to the shape of their mould to destroy religion, race, language and the nation eventually,” said Munir in the letter to the Selangor PAS commissioner.

Munir added that Abdul Hadi’s disrespectful statement stood to confuse and create anxiety among Muslims which could eventually divide them, especially Malays, in the country.

“Tan Sri Abdul Hadi’s statement that the Federal Constitution was created by the colonials which set aside the position of Islam is inappropriate,” said Munir.