HASSAN ALI: MUSLIM DIDN’T GO OVERBOARD ON PIG ISSUE

Selangor PAS commissioner and state EXCO member Hassan Ali said, the Muslims didn’t go overboard on pig issue. “The protest that we saw I suppose was being orchestrated by Umno in particular.”

When, in an interview with Malaysiakini, he claims that Umno is the one who orchestrated the pig issue in particular.

Selangor state EXCO member Hassan Ali is the EXCO in charge of Islamic affairs, Malay customs, infrastructure and public amenities, who is also the Selangor PAS commissioner and Gombak Setia state representative.

Here is what we learned.

Malaysiakini: From your point of view, why are the Malay Muslims highly sensitive towards the issue of pig farming whenever it’s being brought up?

Hassan Ali: It’s not only about religion but a cultural factor as well. As far as religion is concerned, as a Muslim, we should be adopting the attitude of respecting each other. Other people also have got their needs. Islam respects the needs of other people professing different religions other than Islam. Therefore, if I were to be seen from that angle, I think I would be giving the opportunity to the non-Muslims as well. They need pork, they eat pork. So why don’t give them the opportunity to get pork, and apart from that, better facilities and amenities in pork production as well?

Secondly, as far as Islam is concerned, pig is forbidden. Our mufti has given a good explanation on that. Of course it is forbidden for the Muslim, but allowing other people to eat pork is not forbidden. To me, more or less, it is not only recommended, but also obligatory for the Muslim authority, like me here administering the state, to give the same good opportunity to the non-Muslims to enjoy whatever within the limitation of the broad moral and ethical character of this state.

But from what I see, the Muslims didn’t go overboard on this issue. The protest that we saw I suppose was being orchestrated by Umno in particular. So when we put to them that this was Umno’s project and the Umno people are getting directly involved in this project, now I think the problem of pig rearing is no longer a big issue. If Umno was to keep pushing on this, I think they are the ones who have to shoulder the brunt, rather than us.