COMMENT | Besides the Umno Youth chief’s quote above, his counterpart from PAS, Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi – the progeny of PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang – claimed that the DAP had “disturbed” Islamic institutions and the monarchy since coming into federal power. What does the office of the acting Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Nazrin Shah have to say about this?

If DAP had indeed “disturbed” Islamic institutions and the monarchy, why would the acting Agong grant an audience with its leaders Lim Kit Siang and Liew Chin Tong, along with former Sungai Benut MP Tawfik Ismail and former Bernama chairperson Annuar Zaini?

Are PAS and Umno claiming that the audience granted by the acting Agong is wrong and detrimental to the umrah? After all, if PAS and Umno are claiming that DAP is anti-Islam and anti-Malay, this would mean that the audience was granted to people who not only want to remove Islam as the official religion of the federation, but also have mala fide intent towards the monarchy.

Asyraf calling the DAP a chauvinist and racist party raises interesting questions. Is the Umno Youth chief claiming that the acting Agong had extended an invitation to a chauvinistic and racist party?

What does this say about the institution if it extends invitations to racist parties that do not have the interests of the Malay community at heart? Unless, of course, the Umno Youth chief is claiming that the acting Agong is ignorant of the racism and chauvinism of the DAP. Is this what Asyraf is claiming?

After all, the institution of the monarchy is wise and benevolent, and surely if DAP were a racist and chauvinistic party hell-bent on supplanting Islam in this country and destroying royal institutions, the office of the acting Agong would know of this. Unless, of course, Umno and PAS are claiming the office is incompetent. Are they implying that the rulers are unaware of the dastardly deeds of the DAP? Is this what Umno and PAS are claiming?

 ‘Known’ anti-Islam party?

After all, the personalities at the joint Umno-PAS ceramah in Kampung Keledek, Cameron Highlands, claimed that DAP is “known” to be anti-Islam. If they were known to be thus, then why would the acting Agong extend them an invitation?

Are Umno and PAS questioning the reasoning of the acting Agong? Are Umno and PAS really claiming that the acting Agong would grant an audience to members of a political party known to be anti-Islam? For what purpose?

This would mean that the acting Agong was smiling and talking convivially – by all accounts – with members of an anti-Islamic political party, and this would mean that he was derelict in his duty towards Islam and Muslims in this country.

Is this what Umno and PAS are implying? That by meeting with the grand old man of the DAP, who, according to PAS, is known to be anti-Islam, the acting Agong is not upholding Islam?

After all, if you were supposed to defend Islam, why would you meet with people who were against the religion, and allow yourself to be photographed in a setting which implied peace and harmony?

Bringing into disrepute

Khalil also claimed that Muslims were mandated by their faith to come out and vote, presumably against DAP, which he claimed was an existential threat to Islam and the Malay community.

What does it mean when the acting Agong meets this existential threat and has a pleasant discussion? Does this mean that the acting Agong does not realise that DAP is an existential threat to the Malay community?

These are important questions that Umno and PAS need to answer. DAP Youth is wrong for lodging a police report for hateful speeches or whatever it is they are lodging the report for. What they should have done is lodge a report that Umno and PAS were disrespecting the royal institution.

After all, if the acting Agong was meeting people who PAS and Umno claim are anti-Islam and anti-Malay, what does this say about the royalty? What does this say about the judgement of the royalty? What does this say about the royal institution as the defender of 'bangsa dan agama'? What does this say about the office of the acting Agong, which most probably facilitated this meeting?

Like I said, these are important questions. If DAP really is anti-Islam and anti-Malay, what the acting Agong has done is to legitimise their agenda by meeting them, or worse, being apathetic about meeting with people who are anti-Islam and anti-Malay. PAS and Umno need to answer these questions because this time, they have not only attacked DAP, but also the royal institution.

By claiming that DAP is anti-Islam, anti-Malay and has disturbed the monarchy, they are bringing into disrepute the institution of the monarchy. After all, as DAP political education director Liew Chin Tong said on Sultan Nazrin and Lim: "The two seemed happy talking about current affairs. His Majesty was wise and generously shared his knowledge with us,” – which either means that the Agong did not realise that Lim is anti-Islam and anti-Malay, or he did not care.