PAS deputy attacks on 1MDB expose rift among Islamists

The Parti Islam Se-Malaysia’s only leader who is continuously harping about the 1MDB issue shows deepening differences within the Islamist party on the biggest global scandal ever.

The party’s deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man today said the government is doing everything to divert the attention from the 1MDB with sensational issues.

He mentioned some high-profile arrests, a slapping incident at an event hosted by Prime Minister Najib Razak and other trivial matters as the issues that are supposedly given the highlight in order to hide the 1MDB scandal behind the scene.

He said there is also the rising cost of living that is affecting the people but these trivial issues are used to get the people pre-occupied with the sensational.

He said with these techniques, Barisan Nasional hopes the public will forget issues such as 1MDB and rising costs of living by focussing on programmes such as TN50, non-stop political dramas such as slapping and high-profile arrests.

His views were published in the PAS mouthpiece Harakah today.

He also said in reality “political change cannot be avoided although the time is not known.”

His views are different from PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who is now seen as an ally of Prime Minister Najib Razak.

Hadi is willing to ally his party to the Umno in the next general elections in a three-cornered fight that might give the party of Najib a hands-down victory against the opposition grouping Pakatan Harapan.

Tuan Ibrahim said the country’s problems require a serious political shift or change, adding that the souring economy was largely the government’s fault and its abuses are now being revealed.

He pointed out that criticism about the abuse of power within the government is now coming out from Umno and the Cabinet.

He also said it never happened before in Malaysia’s history that a Prime Minister has been asked to step down, and that the calls came from various sources.

Tuan Ibrahim also said Islam is against the mindset that closes its eyes and ears to change.

“In Islam, man is urged to open their eyes and ears, to analyse with a sincere heart and come to your own conclusion,” he said.

Source: The Malaysian Insight