Umno leaders were told today not to make PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang a political martyr by taking police action against him over his support for suicide bombings.

DAP chairperson Lim Kit Siang, a former ally of Muslim-based opposition party, said that although Hadi was wrong to support suicide bombers in Palestine, Umno was similarly wrong to call for the police to take action against Hadi.

"It is wrong for Umno to demand police action against Hadi, which will only make him a political martyr, considering the atrocious Barisan Nasional record to stifle and oppress opposition and dissent," said Lim in a statement.

Lim said Hadi instead should be lambasted for his stand and should be asked to retract the support for suicide bombings.

DAP and PAS were allies in the 1999 general election but they parted ways in 2001 owing to PAS' aims of setting up an Islamic state if it comes to power. DAP is adamant that Malaysia should remain a secular country.

At present PAS controls two states including Terengganu, which Hadi is the menteri besar.

Incompatible teaching

"Hadi's support for suicide bombings in the Palestinian struggle against Israel oppression had highlighted the incompatibility of the political Islam advocated by PAS," added Lim

Lim also said that PAS' concept of an Islamic state with democracy and pluralism was contrary to the universal teachings of all other religions, including Islam.

The DAP leader also expressed his disappointment that Hadi had chose to express his support for suicide bombings just days after the second anniversary of the Sept 11 twin attacks in the US which killed more than 3,000 people.

He also said he was sadden by the support shown by PAS leaders to the alleged terror group Jemaah Islamiah which is blamed for the Bali bombing last October as well as the Jakarta hotel blast last month.

"Hadi is wrong even if he tried to make a distinction between suicide bombings in Palestine and the suicide bombings by Jemaah Islamiah in Indonesia - a distinction which lacks credibility."

Hadi's edict

The controversy surrounding the suicide bombings arose when Hadi, in the recently concluded PAS Muktamar (annual assembly), had said that the party supported suicide bombings in Palestine on the grounds that Islam permits this in the fight against oppression.

"Is it wrong to support a group of people who are fighting the cruel acts of Israel, which uses sophisticated arms against children with stones and pebbles?" he had asked.

"Suicide bombing is accepted in Islam if in order to save thousands of lives, one or two individuals are willing to sacrifice their own. I'm not the one allowing this. It was accepted in Islam since the time of the Prophet."

But he said his party did not support acts of terrorism such as the recent bombings in Bali and Jakarta.

Reacting to this statement, Umno Terengganu information head Mohamad Nasir Ibrahim Fikri said that the state Umno feared that Hadi's statement could be construed as an edict which could use to create chaos.

Mohamad Nasir was quoted in the media today as saying that Hadi's statement could be used by PAS members to vent their anger on anyone who opposed their political struggle and not for the religion.