PKR says no to all-Muslim panel for Zul Noordin

KUALA LUMPUR
Thursday, 4th March 2010

PKR’s disciplinary board will not bend to the will of Kulim-Bandar Bharu MP Zulkifli Noordin’s demand for an all-Muslim panel and is expected to deliberate on his hearing despite today’s walkout, party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution said today.

Saifuddin told The Malaysian Insider this evening that there was nothing wrong or disrespectful with the decision to maintain the present panel members instead of replacing them with only Muslim members.

Zulkifli had made the request for an all-Muslim panel in view of the fact that he was to answer to disciplinary charges involving his actions in the “Allah” row.

“He has to understand. He is not being tried for his stand on the word “Allah”. He is being tried for his act of lodging a police report against a fellow Pakatan Rakyat MP despite the party’s gag order on the matter,” Saifuddin said.

He added that the decision to reject Zulkifli’s request which was made by the party’s disciplinary committee would remain the same.

“We are trying him on his action of defying a party order, not about his stand. It is very different. That is why there is no need for there to be an all-Muslim panel,” said Saifuddin.

He added that Zulkifli was welcome to his beliefs on the “Allah” matter, whether or not it was in conflict with the party’s view. “But when you disregard a party order and lodge a report against a fellow MP, disciplinary action will have to be taken,” he said.

Zulkifli had lodged a report against Shah Alam PAS MP Khalid Samad over his disagreement in the issue. Saifuddin acknowledged that he had received a fourth letter from Zulkifli today, containing the same eight demands that the latter had made in view of his disciplinary hearing. He noted however that the decision would remain the same.

“The board will make their recommendations (of disciplinary actions) to the party’s supreme council for endorsement. This means that Zulkifli will have to make up his mind whether to concede to the board’s decisions, even though it was made by non-Muslim members, or leave the party.”

The maverick politician today staged a walkout when he was informed that his demands had not been met and the same panel who sat on Monday would be handling his case. Zulkifli had expressed disappointment that the panel comprised of only one Muslim member while the others were two Christian activists and one Hindu.

The muslim MP, Assemblyman and member of PKR must transformed themselves into this new entity of PKR 100%. They must understand that PKR struggle is for all Malaysians regardless of their races. If they feel that PKR should fight for the Malay and Muslim alone, they must make aright movement by resign from the party and join the racist Ibrahim Ali. PKR has no place for people like this Zulkifli Nordin! Bukittunggal.com

“I mean no disrespect to the members of the board but I refuse to recognise them for it is inappropriate for them to be passing judgement on a religion that they themselves do not understand.

“On this issue, I will not compromise. Who better to judge me then another fellow Muslim? I were to be punished by another Muslim for my involvement in this matter, I can accept it.

Justice requires for one to be tried by one’s own peers. Justice must not only be done, it must also be seen to be done,” he said in a press conference after the hearing.

Zulkifli is also facing the board for his open criticism of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. He is expected to leave PKR and join former colleagues Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim, Tan Tee Beng and Mohsin Fadzli Samsuri, who defected recently citing loss in the party’s leadership.

Zulkifli had told pressmen today that “as of now” he had no plans to quit and wanted to stay on to defend himself.

He noted that the board had a deadline to make a decisiob by next Tuesday on the matter. “Then I will decide,” he said, adding that if his demands were not met, it meant that the party had no respect for the Islamic religion.

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PKR Youth Slams Kulim MP Zulkifli Noordin

PETALING JAYA,
Sunday, 24th January 2010

The PKR Youth have blasted party colleague and Kulim MP Zulkifli Noordin for his police report against Shah Alam PAS MP Khalid Samad over the “Allah” issue

Describing Zulkifli’s action as “very Umno-like”, Youth leader Syamsul Iskandar called on party leaders to take stern action.

He said the act of lodging a police report and calling for Khalid to be probed for sedition had violated the spirit of the Pakatan Rakyat common framework.

“We deeply regret and are infuriated by his action which, to me, transgresses the PR common framework,” he told a press conference at the party’s headquarters here, adding that he wants PKR’s top leadership to take “stern action” against the Kulim MP.

“We dare him to come and explain before the youth wing on his action and we will send out a formal letter to him soon,” added Shamsul.

Shamsul said PKR and the youth wing have been consistent in maintaining that Islam is the country’s official religion as stated in the Federal Constitution but insisted that Zulkifli’s action was against PR’s common stand on the “Allah” issue.

PKR is a multi racial party. It fight for the rights of all Malaysian irrespective of their religions or races. Nut the actions of this MP lately did not represent the real spirit of PKR. DSAI should consider expel this MP before it is became too late to mend....Bukittunggal.com

PR, including its Islamist component PAS which is widely perceived to be conservative when it comes to religious matters , have backed the High Court ruling that allowed Catholic weekly to use “Allah” to describe the Christian God in its Bahasa Malaysia edition.

Zulkifli, known for his hardline Islamic views, had lodged a police report against the PAS man’s statement that a Selangor enactment which prohibited non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” and other Islamic terms was “outdated”.

“What he did is against the principle of musyawarah (intellectual debate),” blasted Shamsul further.

The PKR youth leader, however, did not elaborate when asked to explain the sort of disciplinary action he suggested be taken against Zulkifli.

He was also non-committal in his reply when asked if he had confidence that the party’s disciplinary committee will take any action against the Kulim MP.

“I am sure that they will look into it,” he said.

The police report against Khalid is not Zulkifli’s first “renegade” act that has placed him at odds with his party and PR as a coalition.

The Kulim MP, who was formerly with PAS, have often put himself in controversies seen detrimental to the opposition pact in the past.

One of the many examples of this was when he played a role in the demonstration against the Bar Council outside the body’s headquarters.

The protest, held by far right Umno-affiliated groups and other conservative NGOs, was organised to disrupt the Bar Council’s seminar on the jurisdiction crisis between the Syariah and the civil courts.

Despite his involvement to which he confessed of his role, no action was taken against him.

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