An Umno religious leader today advised party members not to humiliate Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in relation to his alleged involvement in a sex video, as this was against Islamic teachings.

Fathul Bari Mat Jahya of Umno's Young Ulama Secretariat explained that to chastise the person in the video without ascertaining his identity is slander, which is prohibited in Islam.

NONE "We are supposed to end a human being's humiliation, not spread it," Fathul Bari ( right ) said.

The young cleric said this to some 50 participants at a forum in conjunction with Umno's 65th anniversary celebration today, in response to a question on whether Anwar should continue denying his involvement in the video.

Also present were Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan and Malay Consultative Council chairperson Hasan Man.

Last month, Rahim Tamby Chik, Shazryl Eskay Abdullah and Shuib Lazim had invited several journalists to view a 21-minute sex video allegedly showing Anwar having sex with an East Asian-looking woman..

Anwar has since dismissed the allegations, claiming it was aimed to tarnish his reputation, and had also filed a police report on the matter.

Eskay, a businessperson, who revealed the video with a screening for representatives of the media on March 21, had on April 29 taken a “ sumpah laknat ” (religious oath) in a mosque, swearing that the man seen having sex with a prostitute was Anwar.

“Those who have watched the video are entitled to their own opinion, but those who haven’t should not formulate a conclusion and spread the shame,” said Fathul Bari.

As he pointed it out, members of the audience, who were all engaged in their own conversations, turned silent and paid attention to Fathul Bari.

He also urged Umno and PAS to set aside their political differences and unite for the sake of Islam.

“Umno stands for Islam, protects Islam and helps spread the teachings of Islam in the country. PAS is for the same ideals. If we unite because of our religion, the impact will be very positive.

“This is because our pact will not be based on bloodline or race but religion, Islam,” he said.

At a press conference later, he told reporters that it is advisable for Anwar to similarly prove his innocence by taking the religious oath. 

NONE Ahmad ( left ), who is a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, agreed with Fathul Bari, adding that he was however convinced that the alleged man in video is indeed Anwar.

“I watched the video, together with my wife... and it does look like him,” said the deputy minister, drawing laughter from those present.

In a more serious tone, however, he reiterated that the Umno leadership has got nothing to with the video nor has any intent to play it up.

Non-Malays will benefit from PAS-Umno partnership

Meanwhile, Ahmad, when addressing the forum, spoke about the importance to Malay unity which will be strengthened if Umno and opposition Islamist party PAS were to forge a pact.

He said that it would be particularly “profitable” for the non-Malay community, as the unity of both parties representing the Malay community form the majority of the population.

“If PAS works with Umno, it is not only the Malays who will benefit but also the non-Malays. The business community will profit from a majority that is peaceful.

NONE “When there are no longer political conflicts, we will be able to concentrate our energy on education, economic advancement and nation-building,” he said.

He said that he prioritises the spirit of nationalism and wants all races in the country to progress together.

“It is ridiculous if we continue fighting among ourselves. We fight in the mosque, at coffee shops and other places. Instead of working to elevate our community, we are trying to drag each other down,” said Ahmad.

His views were however, shot down by Hasan, who advised against the partnership as it was best to have alternative views.

“We do not want PAS to join BN because PAS has a different purpose. We don’t have to bring PAS into BN but we don’t have to become enemies either. We have to accept that there are minor ideological differences between the parties but we must not let PAS get close to DAP,” he said.

He also said that like Umno, PAS similarly gave importance to ‘ ketuanan Melayu ’ (or Malay supremacy).

“The media often describes Umno as being the far-right and PAS on the left. When the ideology is politicised, it will cause hate among the Malay community,” he added.

The talk of forging unity between Umno and PAS has been toyed with on and off since the 2008 general election, after BN had lost it customary two-thirds parliamentary strength.