Sinchew is a one-track, tunnel-visioned Chinese newspaper with Malay columnists fearful of PAS.
Tajuddin Rasdi warned in his Sinchew column that “we risk Talibanising this country with PAS controlling five states and 35 MPs”.
“That is the scariest scenario for this country and if that happens, we will never recognize the Malaysia that we will live in anymore,” lamented Tajuddin is his widely read July 15 article.
Tajuddin is immensely popular with the Chinese readership and his column penned two days ago has garnered 18,000 [update: 20,000] views.
He wrote: “I have warned Malaysians many times in my articles that the Malay middle class [is] now completely entrenched in religion and support any conservative policies on establishing Islam in Malaysia, socially, religiously and politically”.
BELOW: When Malay middle-class Islamist meets Chinese middle-class evangelist, a Mahathir fan ‘club’ is formed
DAP “prepared”, Umno frayed
Tajuddin Rasdi’s alarmist narrative rests on two planks.
One, what he terms “Islam-weighted issues” are purportedly being raised by PAS and Umno as election bait.
Two, we’re now living in “days closest to the general election”, Tajuddin repeatedly tells his Sinchew readers.
Tajuddin further believes that the “general election war games have already started”.
(1) Is GE15 really just around the corner?
Nope.
The general election is not that close lah. Even Tajuddin’s old party DAP thinks it is still many months away.
Malaysians will likely be heading to the polls only next year.
GE15 could fall in Feb-March (after CNY) or in May (after Raya), predicted DAP sec-gen Anthony Loke today.
(2) Did PAS or Umno spark the current controversy?
Nope.
We’re referring to the arrest of Siti Nuramira the selendang shedder.
Tajuddin talked about “religious baiting” which he said is happening because we’re “this close to the general election“.
As mentioned, a greater likelihood is GE15 taking place anytime one year into the future — which is rather distant when measuring political news cycles.
Tajuddin suggests that issues related to Islam are “baited by PAS and its partners” as a prelude to GE15.
Only very recently on Hari Raya Aidil Adha, a controversy lit up when the TikTok featuring Siti Nuramira publicly peeling off her selendang went viral.
Police investigated the matter because a report was made to them. The police report was lodged by Crackhouse Comedy Club.
Tajuddin really must not overlook this fact, i.e. it was the non Muslims who korban Siti Nuramira to the authorities. It was not the act of any PAS or Umno member.
Nonetheless, Tajuddin is continually obsessed with his idée fixe of PAS and Umno as election baiters.
According to him, “PAS and Umno absolutely love it when Malaysia’s non Muslims, especially those from DAP, answer their election-baiting issues on Melayu and Islam”.
Actually, the non Muslims are indifferent to Siti Nuramira. Her attempt to crowdfund some bail money fell flat.
(Compare the enthusiastic response from the non Malays for Syed Saddiq who collected close to three-quarters of a million ringgit in public donations for his bail and legal costs.)
UPDATE (July 18): Siti Nuramira’s bail has been successfully raised through the Lawyers For Liberty activist group.
And in the matter of selendang/hijab, Tajuddin does not mention to his Sinchew audience that it is actually an issue raised and championed by the DAP.
BELOW: Hannah Yeoh wearing tudung litup
In Sinchew‘s rendering of the story, the ostensible “bigots” (“extremists of religion” is also another phrase Tajuddin uses) are the Muslims.
Yet at the same time Tajuddin airs the following observation — “I notice that DAP’s non-Malay MPs and Aduns are very quick to air their comments on the media regarding Islamic issues”.
“Of course, these MPs and ADUNs are looked upon as ‘heroes’ and ‘heroines’ in their respective constituencies”.
Precisely!
First off the mark to condemn Siti Nuramira’s performance as “offensive” was DAP Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh and her evangelist colleague Steven Sim — DAP’s Bukit Mertajam MP.
@hannahyeoh, who is also her party Assistant National Publicity Secretary, immediately tweeted that the wannabe comedian (and/or the non-Malay boyfriend) had “rightfully been arrested”.
Like Usain Bolt off the starting block, Penang religious authorities advocated for the closure of Crackhouse Comedy Club at lightning speed. (Note: The Islamic agencies in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah – states led by PAS – are not at the forefront of this.)
Mufti Pulau Pinang, Datuk Seri Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor berkata, kelab tersebut perlu ditutup sama sekali supaya menjadi pengajaran kepada semua pihak.
“Jadi, saya menyokong DBKL bertindak keras ke atas kelab tersebut memandangkan kesalahan yang dilakukannya amat berat dan boleh menjejaskan kestabilan negara,” katanya dalam sebuah kenyataan di Georgetown pada 15 Julai.
Behold DAP trying to out-Islam PAS
Tajuddin Rasdi is worried about PAS gaining control of five states post GE15 and thereafter entrenching an irreversible Islamic orthodoxy.
But here and now with regard to the Siti Nuramira case, we can see that it is Penang – a DAP-ruled state – which is the frontrunner in urging strict enforcement of religious sensitivities.
DAP politicians have also been loudest in decrying Siti Nuramira.
Yet strangely, Tajuddin is afraid that he will not recognize the old Malaysia he knows should PAS get too much power.
The Sinchew columnist mudah lupa. Malaysia Baru has already taken shape, and it is DAP having gotten a lot of power which shaped the new Malaysia.
Malaysia has taken on a new look since DAP first won control of several states under the Pakatan coalition.
Before GE12 in 2008, Tajuddin would not have seen non-Muslim party operatives garbed in selendang eagerly touting their photo ops in social media.
Tajuddin accuses PAS and Umno of election baiting with Islamic issues.
When looking at the DAP Aduns and apparatchiks (pictured in the bottom of this page), where does he reckon selendang fits in our religious landscape?
Are the DAP Chinese trying to appear Islamic when they’re in reality non Muslim?
Or otherwise, “selendang is not a religious attire” as asserted by Hannah Yeoh’s defender Léon Moch (screenshot above).
If selendang is not a garb laden with any religious commotions as some oppositionists insist, then why is Siti Nuramira in trouble?
Freeing her hair from a selendang would have been as innocuous as tossing her hair loose – like a shampoo ad – from under a ‘secular’ baseball cap, no?
However it was the DAP evangelist MPs as well as the Mufti from the DAP-ruled state who were the first to condemn Siti Nuramira.
Tudung polemics are not introduced into Malaysia Baru by PAS or Umno. Tudung is already a settled thing for Wanita Umno and Muslimah PAS since years ago.
It is the DAP that is dabbling in tudung and other Islam-related outward displays. Neither Umno nor PAS coerced the DAP’s cloying Chinese women into tudung. See how they’re grinning from ear to ear.
And Tajuddin is actually afraid of PAS rendering Malaysia unrecognizable! The poor man is still stuck in his cognitive dissonce.
Helen Ang 
For those who believe in the deployment of swallows, male or female to soften up the resistance, as adopted by the KGB, Mossad, Singapore or James Bond 007, the PAP adopted this approach as far back as1957 in the Malaya Hall Student Elections, London.. PAP was formed in 1955. What these BACs or born again christians are doing in present day Malaysian Politics is just a continuation of the old theme. But in the real World, there are many unforeseen factors which will crop up and become formidable obstacles to their ambitions. Rome was not built in a day ! Until the BACs are certain that they are fighting with a solid base behind them, I reckon all bets are off on their success by the use of swallows, male or female, As it is as yet an untested tactic as applied in the heartlands of an Islamic majority country.. If at all, this may be seen to be full of risks and may back-fire in the future. Hopefully, these BACs folks are still around to see the results of their crude handiwork which is no laughing matter like playing with fire. Seeing is believing !
What these BACs or born again christians are doing to the Muslims today is exactly what the Singaporean students did to the 1st Gen elite Malay students in Malaya Hall, Bryanston Square, London in 1957, 2 generations ago – the use of male and female swallows by Singapore since 1955 and the present phenomenon of the BACs or born again christians reaching out to the Muslims in Islamic Malaysia. At the end of the day, all these 3 tactical approaches proved to be ineffective. Lee Kuan Yew established the INSEAS in 1972 where young UMNO aspirants were given a forum, a rousing reception and appropriate flatteries in the Straits Times the following morning. Since 1972, none of these UMNO fellows made a mark back in Malaysia ! The best Singapore tailored CPTPP took a long tome and probably ineffective and slow for Singapore in the present day World. Vide. The Straits Times 1972-2022. However, Man proposes. God disposes. All Singapore’s GRAB Policy came to nought with the coming of the Covid-19 and the Ukraine War and much more to come. Vide. Singapore’s Prime Minister’s Speech Rwanda. June 2022.
Why don’t these BACs or born again christians convert en mass to be Muslims ? Like this, a positive plus sign for our Malaysian Democracy, Instead of beating around the bush taking selfies wearing Muslim costumes and stirring up all sorts of controversies to these unfamiliar acts !. Call a spade, a spade !