MY Islamic party distances from GE2025 posts, calls SG's response 'exaggerated'

Malaysia's Islamic party (PAS) has come out to state that the Singapore government's action to block Facebook posts from two of its politicians was "exaggerated".

In a statement on Facebook, PAS' secretary general Takiyuddin Hassan said that Singapore's ministry of home affairs (MHA) has "every right" to take appropriate and reasonable measures to protect and safeguard their interests. However, the reaction was "somewhat exaggerated, especially considering PAS' ongoing good and mutually respected relationship with the republic's government."

Takiyuddin also emphasised that the posts in questions by leaders Iskandar Abdul Samad and Mohamed Sukri Omar were personal views and is not a reflection of PAS' policies or political stance. "PAS believes that both individuals were merely expressing their personal opinions without any intention to interfere, let alone influence the outcome of the election scheduled for May 3, as alleged," said Takiyuddin.

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He also added that the leaders' immediate response denying the allegations on social media "clearly proves that these allegations were inaccurate or untrue."

"In today’s borderless world, marked by rapid access to information and communication worldwide, it is inevitable that developments in any one country or place may attract interest or reactions from individuals in other countries, especially regarding issues that they personally consider important," said the secretary general in the statement.

"Such reactions should not be construed as attempts to interfere unless they are followed by concrete steps with such intentions," he added.

Earlier this week, it was revealed that two articles were published in the PAS newsletter. One of which identified Malay opposition candidates running in GE2025, highlighting their educational and career backgrounds. The other article criticised Singapore's housing policies and linked it to immigration.

Besides the two posts, Singapore has also directed Meta to block a post by a user identified as Zulfikar Mohamad Shariff. Zulfikar is an Australian citizen who renounced his Singapore citizenship in 2020. He published a post accusing several Malay-Muslim Members of Parliament of failing to represent the interests of the Muslim community. He suggested that the local Muslim community did not need another Malay MP who did not align with their views. The post was further amplified by Sukri, who shared Zulfikar’s claims.

Zulfikar, previously detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) in 2016 for promoting terrorism and radicalising individuals, was known for his pro-ISIS rhetoric.

The MHA and Elections Department (ELD) said in a statement on 25 April that Singapore is a secular state where religion and politics must not mix. " Our institutions serve all Singaporeans equally. Bringing religion into politics will undermine social cohesion and harmony, as we have seen in other countries with race- or religion-based politics," said MHA.

In line with Singapore’s commitment to safeguarding racial and religious harmony, MHA and ELD said the government will continue to engage widely, including with religious groups, to hear their views and ensure that they are taken into account.

"We urge all political parties and their candidates, as well as religious organisations, leaders and members of the public to do our part to safeguard the precious harmony we have in Singapore today," said the authorities.

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