KUALA LUMPUR – Perikatan Nasional (PN) accused the unity government of using Islam for political purposes by planning Hari Raya Aidilfitri open houses in six states facing elections.
PN deputy secretary-general Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan said the government has questionable motives for holding the open houses in states that are due to face polls.
“If it is meant to celebrate Hari Raya, it has strayed from this intention. It cannot be separated from political motives and to compete for influence ahead of the elections, which are due in just a few months,” Takiyuddin, who is also PAS secretary-general, said in a statement.
The Kota Baru MP, who is also PN parliamentary whip, said however Putrajaya might try to justify holding the open houses, its political objective was obvious.
“PAS and PN have always been accused of riding on religion for political purposes, but now the unity government is the one ‘kidnapping’ an important annual Islamic event to achieve its quest for power,” he said.
The federal government also failed to respect the authority of each state to hold its own Hari Raya celebration, he added.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s government will hold the first of six Hari Raya open houses on April 29 in Kedah. The other events are on May 6 in Penang, May 7 in Negri Sembilan, May 12 in Kelantan and May 13 in Terengganu. The final open house will be in Selangor on May 14.
Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are PN-held states, while Negri Sembilan, Penang and Selangor are ruled by Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan. These states must hold assembly elections before September.
Takiyuddin also took the government, in particular the Communications and Digital Ministry, to task over TV3’s move on April 21 to cancel PN’s Takbir Raya programme from being aired live ten minutes before broadcast time.
Although an e-mail was sent five minutes before the scheduled broadcast to state that it would be cancelled due to technical problems and that payment made would be returned, Takiyuddin said TV3’s behaviour was still unprofessional and questioned if there was political interference from the government. – The Vibes, April 26, 2023
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