Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has dismissed calls from Umno to stop referring to the great Islamic Caliph Umar Abdul Aziz.

NONE Lim (DAP-Air Putih) said all religions taught good values and encouraged others to emulate the faith and personalities of their spiritual leaders.

"Am I wrong to do this? All I want to do is emulate the good values of the Caliph and I see nothing wrong with this," Lim ( right ) told reporters after his winding-up speech at the Penang legislative assembly sitting today.

 

"Don’t tell me I should learn these values from Umno leaders," he quipped.

Lim is fond of using the quote amar maarof nahi mungkar (espousing the good while abhorring the evil) during his speeches.

The quote is a direct reference to the just and fair rule of the Caliph , (717 to 720) though some quarters have labelled this as an attempt to gain political mileage.

‘Emulate others, not Caliph ’

During yesterday’s sitting, Shahabudin Yahaya (BN – Permatang Berangan), claimed that Lim using the Caliph as an icon would hurt the sensitivities of Muslims.

"The rakyat has asked me to convey this message (to the CM). I am not questioning his character and personality but using the great Caliph as an idol has made the Muslims uneasy and restless," he alleged.

"He cannot be compared to the Caliph. In terms of faith and belief, the two are not similar at all," added Shahabuddin.

NONE Shahabuddin said Lim should think about the sensitivities of those outside the assembly though he admitted there was nothing wrong in the CM’s action.

"From his perspective, there is nothing wrong. It is his right to do it and the right of those who support him," he added.

"But from the perspective of those who are talking in the coffee shops, how can he compare himself to the Caliph?"

Shahabudin said Lim had many other leaders whom he could emulate such as Abraham Lincoln, Confucius or even Nelson Mandela ( above ).

"The Caliph is a Muslim and a very spiritual person and Lim should never equate himself with that spirituality," he added.