Selangor Pas commissioner refuses comment on royal reprimand issue

State Pas commissioner Datuk Dr Ab Halim Tamuri admits to have received the letter from the Selangor palace regarding the recent controversial statement by Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang.

(NST) – However, Ab Halim, who is Paya Jaras assemblyman is refusing to comment about it.

“No comment. I cannot comment, thank you,” he told reporters briefly outside of the state assembly after the sitting ended for the day.

The letter was sent by the sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah’s private secretary Datuk Muhamad Munir Bani on Feb 27.

Several backbenchers have questioned Halim’s actions of keeping mum and refusing comment on the issue.

“By right, as an assemblyman in Selangor, he should respond quickly to this issue…and not allow two to three days to pass by just like that.

“We regret that the Paya Jaras assemblyman did not give any response to the letter issued by the palace,” Abbas told a press conference.

The Seri Serdang assemblyman also highlighted the issue when interjecting Danial’s debate on the motion of thanks for Sultan Sharafuddin’s address at the state assembly session today.

However, opposition lawmaker Dr Afif Baharudin, who is Taman Medan assemblyman told the state assembly today that such an issue should not be included during the debate on the motion of thanks for the Selangor Sultan’s address.

Sultan Sharafuddin today expressed displeasure at Pas President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang for the latter’s recent statement which were directed to religious scholars, lawyers, judges, members of parliament, State Legislative Assemblies and the Malay rulers.

The ruler was refering to Hadi’s statement titled ‘The Stature of Islam Must Be Defended’ published on the Pas’s portal on Feb 20.

Sultan Sharafuddin’s private secretary, Datuk Muhamad Munir Bani had said that the Selangor ruler expressed disappointment at what Hadi said as it showed that the Pas leader did not thoroughly understand His Majesty’s speech during the meeting of the Malaysian National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) on Feb 15

Munir also said the ruler has described Hadi’s words as being very inappropriate and uncivilised, and confirmed that the palace had sent a letter sent to Halim about the matter on Feb 27.