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KUALA LUMPUR – Since its formation some 70 years ago, PAS has become synonymous with championing Islamic causes, turnings its calls for Muslim unity for the Malays into an oft-repeated slogan among its clerics.
The party’s agenda has widely been popularised among the public, leading to the community seeing PAS as a distinctly Islamist political party.
Yet, despite its divine intentions, PAS has not built a reputation for extending kindness, respect, and courtesy to those who do not share its sentiments, especially to those among the non-Muslim community.
Furthermore, the party has for many years been on a collision course with the country’s royal institution, which is seen as a bedrock for the nation’s multi-ethnic and multireligious makeup, and the rightful custodians of Islam as the religion of the federation.
In this list, we look at several incidents where PAS has run afoul of the nation’s royal houses.
Refusal to follow resignation decree during Perak crisis
On February 6, 2009, when PAS helmed the Perak government alongside former allies PKR and DAP under the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact, the then menteri besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin moved to dissolve the state assembly without receiving consent from the late sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah.
The situation led to a political crisis in Perak, which came following the exit of three representatives from DAP and PKR, who withdrew support for the PR-led government and declared themselves as independent politicians.
In response, Sultan Azlan Shah issued a decree for Nizar and the state executive committee members to resign from their posts with immediate effect.
However, Nizar defied the sultan by insisting he was the rightful menteri besar, even though the post had officially been handed to Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir of Barisan Nasional.
In 2009, Nizar proceeded to hold his own “state assembly meeting” under a rain tree, earning his followers and team the moniker of the “rain tree government”.
Blocking Perak’s raja muda from attending menteri besar’s swearing-in
Aside from Nizar’s refusal to step down on February 6, 2009, more than 2,000 PR supporters assembled near Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar to prevent the swearing-in of Zambry as the menteri besar.
The protesters acted aggressively against the motorcade carrying the then regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah, throwing objects and blocking the convoy, which led to the arrests of several individuals, including those who were not from the state, as well as a group of foreigners from Indonesia.
The incident was widely condemned by several quarters, including then communications and multimedia minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who reminded PAS that Malaysia was a constitutional monarchy, not only at the federal level but at the state level as well.
Filing a civil suit against the Perak sultan
Disputing his removal as menteri besar, Nizar, who was also Bukit Gantang assemblyman, filed a civil suit against Sultan Azlan Shah, under the pretext that the ruler had contravened Article 16(6) of the Perak constitution.
In the suit filed by his lawyer, Karpal Singh, on February 10, 2009, Nizar claimed Zambry’s appointment was not legitimate and triggered a constitutional crisis as there were two people designated for the post at the time.
On May 11 that year, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Nizar’s menteri besar appointment was valid after being dropped from the post for three months.
However, his return to the state’s number one post was short-lived after appellate court judge Datuk Ramly Ali approved the stay of execution on the high court’s ruling to hear Zambry’s appeal on the matter on May 21 that year.
After a series of legal back-and-forths, the Federal Court on February 9, 2010 agreed with the appellate court’s decision to recognise Zambry as the rightful menteri besar.
PAS rep refuses to meet Perak sultan
On December 8, 2020, three PAS assemblymen in Perak refused their invitations after being summoned for an audience with Sultan of Perak Raja Nazrin Muizzuddin Shah – after being called to Istana Kinta in Ipoh – following instructions from the party’s leadership.
This came as another political crisis in the state erupted after Bersatu politician and the then menteri besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu failed to retain majority support at the end of 2020.
The crisis also saw Sultan Nazrin summon reps from Bersatu and PAS for an audience with him to resolve the matter.
PAS’ snub of the royal household led to only Bersatu and Umno reps being sworn in as the state’s executive councillors.
It was only later that Sultan Nazrin finally assented to swear in the three Islamist assemblymen as His Royal Highness’ excos.
Putting words in the Agong’s mouth on the emergency ordinance
On July 29, 2021, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri’ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah issued a strongly worded statement reprimanding Law Minister Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan over the latter’s announcement in Parliament that the emergency proclamation and its ordinances had been revoked.
He said the PAS secretary-general’s words were “inaccurate” and “misled lawmakers in the Dewan Rakyat”.
In a statement issued by Comptroller of the Royal Household Datuk Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, the Agong asserted that the application to revoke the emergency ordinances, backdated to July 21, was “hastily made without presenting it in Parliament”, and that “the contradictory and misleading statement in Parliament failed to respect the principle of the rule of law in the Rukun Negara”.
This “disregarded His Majesty’s functions and powers as the head of state, as enshrined in the federal constitution”.
“To this, His Majesty expresses great disappointment over the statement made on July 26 that the government has revoked all emergency ordinances promulgated by His Majesty, although the revocation has not yet been given royal assent.”
Defying the Selangor sultan on the Bon Odori festival
In early June this year, Minister in Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad earned the ire of Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, after the PAS vice-president advised fellow Muslims against attending the Japanese Bon Odori festival, which is held in Selangor, among other states.
Idris had previously said that the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) had found the festival to bear elements of another religion and could be detrimental to the Muslim faith.
This however drew a sharp rebuke from the Selangor ruler who warned Idris not to issue confusing and inaccurate statements that would undermine Jakim’s image and reputation, and suggested that the minister attend the festival to see for himself the difference between culture and religion.
Sultan Sharafuddin also ordered officers from the Selangor Islamic Religious Department and the Shah Alam City Council to attend the programme to see for themselves what happens during the event.
Despite the censure and instead of respecting and honouring the wish of the ruler, PAS’ ulama council and the women’s wing doubled down on discouraging Muslims from participating in the event, saying it contains elements of Buddhist rituals.
On June 16, Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Ahmad Yunus Hairi said that he was summoned for an audience with the sultan of Selangor over the incident, claiming that the ruler wanted to know of the party’s stance regarding the Japanese celebration.
A day later, Sultan Sharafuddin’s private secretary Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani corrected the statement, saying that His Highness had stated that he will not stop any Muslims from attending the celebration until an in-depth study over it has been conducted.
He stressed that during Yunus’ audience, the topic of PAS’ stance regarding the Bon Odori festival never surfaced.
However, PAS shamelessly maintained that the party still enjoyed cordial relations with the palace. – The Vibes, June 21, 2022
