Peddling fear and distrust, Harussani-style

”Saya dimaklumkan sekarang sudah ada perlembagaan baru yang dibuat oleh pihak tertentu.

”Kebetulan saya ada memberi satu ceramah di Alor Setar. Ada seseorang datang dan memberikan saya tiga buah buku Perlembagaan yang dikehendaki pihak tertentu.”

PERAK mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria, alleging that a new constitution is being drafted which will deny Malay Malaysians and Islam their special positions. He offered no proof, but claimed that someone gave him three copies of the supposed document. Harussani made his revelation while speaking as a panelist at a forum on Malay Malaysian unity and the erosion of their constitutional privileges. After the session, however, he declined to elaborate on his allegations when approached by reporters. (Source: Harussani dedah kewujudan ‘perlembagaan baru’, Utusan Malaysia, 16 Aug 2010)

“Saya tahu siapa, parti politik mana terlibat dalam menubuhkan perlembagaan baru itu. Tetapi saya tidak akan dedahkan, biarlah sekadar memberitahu terdapat kegiatan pihak tertentu untuk mewujudkan perlembagaan baru menggantikan Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

“Sekiranya didedahkan kesannya terlalu besar sehingga boleh mencetuskan peperangan besar di negara ini.”

The day after making his revelation about a new constitution that would erode the position of Malay Malaysians and Islam in the country, Harussani said he knew the political party involved but refused to disclose it. He said this was to avoid a war in the country. He added that he would only name the political party if the government asked him to do so. (Source: ‘Elak perang besar’, Utusan Malaysia, 17 Aug 2010)

“In the first place, it is not an offence to desire to change the constitution. What can you charge that person with?”

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz, rubbishing Harussani’s claim as “coffee-shop talk”. Nazri said any attempt to change the Federal Constitution would first have to be tabled as a motion in Parliament, and he, as the minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, would have to know about it.

Nazri dismissed the possibility of such a thing happening because the Barisan Nasional currently held the majority of seats in Parliament. He added that police should not waste time investigating Harussani’s claim. However, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has said that police would check the claim. (Source: ‘New Constitution’ claim is coffee-shop talk, says Nazri, The Star, 20 Aug 2010)

“It was never my intention to create chaos. As the mufti (Muslim scholar who interprets syariah laws), I have the responsibility to remind Muslims of the threats facing Islam today … I was only carrying out my duty as a mufti to inform the necessary people of the supposed baptism.”

Harussani, explaining why he raised the allegation that Muslims who had converted to Christianity were to be baptised en masse at a church on Jalan Silibin in Ipoh on 5 Nov 2006. He first spoke about it at a private meeting and said he did not expect what he said to spread. He also said the originator of the claim was a woman who had sent him a text message and later came to his house.

The SMS that circulated resulted in angry Muslims protesting outside the church on the day of the supposed baptism. However, the event turned out to be the first Holy Communion for Catholic children, and the claim that Muslims were being baptised turned out to be false. A woman and her husband were later detained in connection with the text message. (Source: ‘Baptism’ message started by woman, claims Perak Mufti, The Star, 13 Nov 2006)

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