MELAKA: Bringing extreme religious labels into politics risks splitting a multiracial, multireligious society, says Melaka Pakatan Harapan chairman Adly Zahari.
PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang had recently likened the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) between the government and Bersatu to a "Dajjal" (false messiah) approaching during the end times.
Adly said Melaka Pakatan rejected the use of religious sentiment to frighten voters.
"Using extreme religious labels in politics risks splitting a society of many races and religions," he said at Pakatan's daily press conference here on Thursday (Nov 5).
He urged voters not to let political differences turn them against their neighbours and families.
Adly noted that Melaka gazetted a fatwa on Sept 26, 2013, prohibiting Muslims from declaring one another infidels.
He said that while the Dajjal label was not the same as declaring someone a kafir, it should remind everyone of the limits of political dispute.
On Hadi's remark, Adly said political agreements must be judged by what they contain and the arguments made for them, not by extreme religious labels.
"We agree that the nation's revenue belongs to all the people and that their welfare cannot be made conditional on political support.
"If there is a clause in the CSA that goes against this principle, name the clause and produce the evidence. Frightening terms do not make an accusation any more credible," he said.
Adly also said the coalition's candidates for the upcoming state election had been urged not to be drawn into provocation.
"I do not deny that our candidates are not perfect. But they are doing their best, and we make sure they do not provoke anyone.
"Our stance is that if we have differences, we put them forward with arguments," he said.
In his Minda Presiden column, Hadi described the CSA as a "Dajjal approach at the end of times" that turns power into something people are forced to stay in rather than a trust owed to all.
Polling for the Melaka state election is on Nov 14, with early voting on Tuesday (Nov 10).
