Mahathir calls PAS president a ‘kafir’ for working with Umno

This article is more than 12 months old

Jan 04, 2018 06:00 am

PUTRAJAYA: Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad, now an opposition leader, has called Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) president Abdul Hadi Awang a "kafir" (infidel) and a traitor to Muslims for supposedly working with Umno.

Dr Mahathir, who is Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia chairman, said Mr Hadi had once called Umno a party of infidels but is now working with Umno, hence making him an infidel as well, the New Straits Times reported.

"Mr Hadi was the one who said that if you work with kafirs, you also become a kafir. So he himself is a kafir now," said Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister for 22 years.

He also accused Mr Hadi of helping Malaysian Prime Minister and Umno head Najib Razak by contesting 100 seats in the upcoming 14th general election.

"Despite knowing that PAS will lose, Mr Hadi knows well that he will be helping (Mr Najib) win the election by splitting the opposition votes. And that is his intention.

"That is not very Islamic. In Malay, we call it 'pengkhianat' (traitor)," Dr Mahathir told reporters at the Perdana Leadership forum.