KUALA LUMPUR – Former PAS leader Datuk Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali, who is now with Umno, has issued a general reminder that stealing with the ultimate intention of helping the poor by way of sedekah (alms) is prohibited by Islam.
He pointed out that the religion rules that the end does not justify the means if a particular action is not done in accordance with Islamic teaching.
“Is it halal to rob with the intention of giving alms to the poor like Robin Hood? In Islam, the legitimacy of an act depends on two conditions, namely the right intention and manifested action that conform to shariah.
“An illegal act does not become legal and halal merely because of good intentions,” he said in a brief post on his Facebook yesterday.
“However, an intention can change in status from neutral (harus) to recommended (sunat), reprehensible (makruh), or forbidden (haram).”
Citing a quote from an ulama, the former Kuala Nerus MP added that “all practices are based on intention”.
While he did not mention any names, Khairuddin’s statement comes in light of PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s remark that the cash handouts distributed to voters during the 15th general election are a charitable act.
The Marang MP also claimed that the alms were courtesy of public donations and not distributed directly by election candidates.
Previously, Barisan Nasional had filed election petitions for three parliamentary seats alleging vote buying during the campaigning period, including for the Marang constituency.
Perikatan Nasional, which includes PAS, has been accused by various quarters of misappropriating billions of ringgit in public money during its time in federal power to help fund its election campaign.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission has already initiated an investigation into the matter, with its probe focusing on the RM92.5 billion in government funds allegedly abused under the previous administration.
Last month, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said that officials from the Finance Ministry have confirmed serious breaches of procedure in the handling of public funds under former prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s rule. – The Vibes, January 23, 2023
