KUALA LUMPUR,El Sky News— Minister of Housing and Local Government Nga Kor Ming has criticised opposition party PAS, accusing it of applying double standards by justifying its own actions while branding positive actions by others as wrong or haram.
“Don’t follow PAS’s habits,” Nga wrote in a caption accompanying a video posted on his official Facebook page, openly mocking what he described as PAS’s political approach to sensitive religious issues.
According to Nga, PAS tends to “declare everything it does as halal, while labelling even good deeds by others as haram.”
Emphasis on Malaysia MADANI Values
In the video, Nga stressed that the Malaysia MADANI framework is built on the principles of respect and compassion, particularly in a multicultural society like Malaysia. He rejected any attempt to monopolise moral or religious truth based on race or religion.
“MADANI is for everyone. Within the MADANI framework, there must be respect, and there must also be compassion,” he said.
“In a multiracial society like Malaysia, mutual respect is essential. People should not be divided based on skin colour or religious beliefs.”
Nga reiterated his message in writing on Thursday, warning Malaysians not to adopt what he described as PAS’s selective moral reasoning.
Triggered by Parliamentary Debate
The Facebook post followed a recent Dewan Rakyat debate in which Nga was questioned by Datuk Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PN–Rantau Panjang) over his use of phrases commonly associated with Muslims.
During the video, Nga emphasised that he respects Islam as the religion of the Federation and firmly denied allegations that his use of such terms was intended to mock or undermine the sanctity of Islam.
“As Malaysians, we respect Islam as the religion of the Federation. There is no question of playing with or misusing such words,” he said.
Use of Islamic Expressions Explained
Nga explained that expressions such as “Alhamdulillah” and “Insya-Allah” are Arabic terms that convey gratitude and hope, and are widely used in universal contexts.
“They are expressions of gratitude. In Arabic, it is ‘Alhamdulillah’. We should not always lean towards issues that undermine unity,” he said.
He added that Malaysia is home to diverse communities, including Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazan, Iban and Dayak, all of whom must be united as one large family based on mutual respect.
PAS Raises Concerns Over Religious Sensitivity
Earlier, Siti Zailah argued that the use of Islamic phrases by non-Muslims could cause confusion among non-Muslim communities and potentially undermine the sanctity of Islam.
“During your winding-up speech, you frequently used Islamic terms such as ‘sujud syukur’, ‘Alhamdulillah’ and ‘bersyukur’. Are you a believer? Do you believe in Allah?” she asked.
“We do not want these terms to be trivialised. This touches on the sensitive 3R issues — royalty, religion and race — which we are reminded to safeguard. If YB were Muslim, I would not object,” she added.
