Nik Aziz asks PM to retract statement

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat today asked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to retract his recent statement that he (Nik Aziz) had defied an order and insulted the Sultan of Selangor in regard to political speeches in mosques.

The PAS spiritual leader said the statement by Najib, which was published in a mainstream newspaper on April 25, was a viewpoint aimed at pitting him against the Selangor palace.

He also alleged that the newspaper concerned had fabricated news a day earlier that he had questioned the Sultan’s decree which forbade mosques from being used for political purposes.

“I will not forgive this here or in the hereafter unless Najib openly retracts what he said,” he said in a posting on his blog today.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor had issued the order which is binding on mosques in Selangor in the interest of preserving Muslim solidarity.

Nik Abdul Aziz denied he had ever questioned the Sultan’s order. He was in Hulu Selangor helping the Pakatan’s campaign for the by-election in the parliamentary constituency when the issue surfaced.

“I never gave any response that touched on the Sultan’s directive. It was an outright fabrication by the newspaper concerned,” he added. — Bernama