PAS spiritual advisor Nik Aziz Nik Mat's press office today issued a rebuke to Malay daily Utusan Malaysia , for its Sunday edition frontpage headline claiming that the party is changing its tune and currying up to the Malays.

"The report is systematic slander and manipulated Nik Aziz's speech for cheap political mileage which is often the case for this Umno paper.

"They sold their principles, journalistic professionalism and ethics and became the agents of slander and cheap shots," said press secretary to the Kelantan MB, Ahmad Fadhli bin Shaari.

Today's Mingguan Malaysia , the Sunday edition of Utusan carried the headline "Nik Aziz changing his tune: Afraid of losing Malay support for PAS".

pas convention shah alam 190211 nik abdul aziz nik mat at podium In the article Nik Aziz ( left ) was quoted as saying, "for PAS, the Malays must be given priority in the struggle as they were the first race".

Ahmad Fadhli explained that the statement quoted was from the Kelantan MB's speech while opening the National Convention on Enabling the Race - The Promise of PAS at the Shah Alam City Hall (MBSA) auditorium yesterday.

He pointed out that the snippet in Utusan was taken out of context from what is in the actual speech.

First race to embrace Islam

The full sentence quoted said Ahmad Fadhli, is as follows: "For PAS, the Malays must be given priority in the spreading of Allah's message today, as they were the first race to embrace Islam in Tanah Melayu."

In reality, he argued, Nik Aziz was commenting on the Islamic parties responsibility to propagate the message of Islam to Malays who were the first to embrace Islam in the country and never touched on the Malays being the first race and must be accorded additional special rights.

As such, the question of PAS or Nik Aziz changing their tune never arose, as he was talking in the context of dakwah or spreading Allah's teachings and not about Malay special rights.

He said that while Nik Aziz consistently supported the federal constitution which protects the special rights of the Malays, and unlike Umno, never used the matter for political gain.

"I hope that Mingguan Malaysia will not take such opportunities to manipulate his speech like that and maintain the good working relationship with the Kelantan MB's office," concluded the aide.