Zulkifli and Khalid challenge each other to quit over Allah ruling

By G. Manimaran - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 — Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin from PKR wants his fellow Pakatan Rakyat lawmaker from PAS Khalid Samad(picture) to leave his party because of their differences over the recent court ruling allowing Catholics to use the word “Allah” to describe the Christian God.

Zulkifli suggested Khalid should join the DAP because of the latter’s apparent stand in defending non-Muslim rights to use the word “Allah.”

When contacted by The Malaysian Insider, Khalid slammed Zulkifli for having no “locus standi” to comment on his stand and that of PAS.

“He has no locus standi to talk about PAS. If he wants to talk about my stand as a PAS member and about PAS itself, I would like to request he leaves PKR and join PAS and then he can talk about it,” he said.

Khalid, who is also PAS Shah Alam division head, said he was not that bothered with Zulkifli’s remarks.

“I do not want to be too concerned with what he says,” he said.

“Nonetheless I respect the principle that everyone is entitled to give their opinions.”

“What I said was that non-Muslims have used the word Allah and Muslims too use the word Allah.

“The difference is the concept of unity or the question of the singular nature of Allah,” he said.

Writing in his blog yesterday, Zulkifli, who is one of the most outspoken MPs when it comes to religion, said:

“In fact I will go as far as to call on YB Khalid to reconsider his membership in PAS. Instead I suggest YB Khalid should consider joining other parties like DAP.

“This is because I have noticed YB Khalid’s actions, especially after being awarded given trust by God to be Shah Alam MP, have destroyed the good name and image of PAS as an Islamic party.”

Zulkifli also criticised Khalid for backing Hindus to build a temple in Section 23 Shah Alam, which he said was a Muslim-majority area.

“Malays who objected and protested were criticised by him,” he said in reference to the infamous cow-head protest for which the main participants have since been charged in court.