Shah Alam PAS head Khalid Samad today conceded that he had made the mistake of overlooking the resolution from his division to ban Sisters in Islam (SIS), which has drawn strong reaction from various quarters.

The resolution, which was passed by the PAS muktamar (general assembly) without debate last Sunday, has been severely criticised by several opposition leaders, non-governmental organisations and also former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

pas khalid samad pc on uitm student molested case 270509 03 At the specially held press conference to explain the issue, Khalid said before the general assembly, he found certain unsuitable words in the original resolution which were deemed sensitive.

Hence, he said, he asked the Dewan Muslimat (women's wing) of Shah Alam PAS to submit the resolution for changes during a special meeting on April 23 to discuss the division's resolutions to the general assembly.

The resolution on SIS was brought by the women's wing to the division's general meeting on April 19.

But Khalid, who is also Shah Alam MP, said he failed to look at the resolution as he and his committee were busy preparing for the party's general assembly and the Penanti state seat by-election.

The resolution brought to the general assembly urged the assembly "to call on the National Fatwa (Edict) Council to do research on SIS, which is promoting liberal Islam, and to ban the organisation if its views are found to be in conflict with Islamic teachings and to rehabilitate its members".

Apologise to party first

Khalid said he would write to PAS headquarters soon to explain the situation although he had not been asked by the party to give an explanation, but had been told to handle the issue as the resolution came from Shah Alam PAS.

Asked whether he had accepted SIS' demand for an apology over the controversial resolution, Khalid said he would need to apologise to the party first for the mistake.

He said he had been contacted by SIS' senior manager Maria Chin Abdullah and he explained what the Dewan Muslimat actually meant in the resolution, and that Shah Alam PAS wanted its representatives to hold discussions and debates with SIS on religious issues and not ask for SIS to be banned or its members to be arrested for rehabilitation.

Khalid said although discourses could be held, ultimately any issue, such as the division of property according to 'faraid' ruling, must be referred to the main sources of reference in Islam - the Quran and Hadith - so that the views expressed would not be in conflict with Islamic teachings.

Umno 'puppets' - Nik Aziz says it again

In another development, PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat reiterated that PAS leaders who supported the unity government proposal were 'Umno puppets'.

pas nik aziz speech 060609 03 He also took to task these leaders for not showing respect to him as the party's spiritual leader.

"I will continue to advise party members not to support the idea of a unity government, though some might not be agreeable," he said.

Meanwhile, Kelantan PAS Supporters Club asked PAS leaders who backed the unity government not to get involved in campaigning for the Manek Urai by-election next month.

According to the club's deputy president Yap Kok Seng, this was because their presence would only confuse the voters as it was uncertain where their loyalty was.

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