The call by PAS for the de-registration and prohibition of advocacy group Sisters In Islam (SIS) did not reflect the efforts of a party that was seriously seeking to address the challenges facing a modern nation-state, a SIS spokesperson said today.

Responding to PAS' objections to SIS' efforts in seeking an end to 'moral policing', SIS program manager Masjaliza Hamzah said her group would not be deterred from pursuing its goals of reviewing those Syariah provisions that allegedly infringe upon fundamental liberties.

However, Masjaliza added, PAS' statements did pose questions as to its sincerity in fostering dialogue and tolerance for divergent opinions.

"PAS' rally shows that there is still freedom of expression and freedom of assembly. We don't live in a Taliban state but one that is multi-cultural and multi-religious. There are some problems in this democratic system, but the PAS demonstration yesterday shows there is still that space, that right to freedom of expression and assembly," she said when contacted today.

"But PAS should also apply these rights to expression and assembly to other people. PAS' calls for our de-registration, prohibition, and apologies do not seem to represent intelligent efforts to respect and meet the needs and questions of every citizen and their opinions," she added.

"Its call yesterday is not the kind of politics that represents a society trying to meet the challenges of modernity."

Political ploy

Masjaliza was also responding to declarations in a memorandum which PAS Youth leaders read out yesterday during rallies held simultaneously outside different mosques throughout the country.

Among the PAS Youth leaders' calls included demands on the religious authorities to de-register SIS and affect SIS' apology for issuing statements that were allegedly against Islamic teachings and the precepts of the Federal Constitution.

Other than the poor reflection that PAS' actions yesterday had of its tolerance for pluralism, its rally yesterday was merely a political ploy of 'playing to the gallery' in order to rake up points, said Masjaliza.

As such, she said, they did not merit any real consideration or response by SIS.

"What they did yesterday, especially in naming the prime minister's daughter Nori Abdullah, the daughter of the former premier Marina Mahathir, as well as the singling out of SIS made it very clear that it was all just a political ploy," she told malaysiakini.

In responding to the statement of premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who yesterday reportedly said morality laws would stay while calling for improvements on their enforcement, Masjaliza also said public outcry over the enforcement of these laws signaled a need to review such laws.

"There is a public outcry whenever the very laws are being enforced. Doesn't that point to the fact that there is a need to review such laws?" she asked.