Deputy PM Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will announce a Cabinet-approved, non-political organisation at the UMNO assembly, aiming for unity on religious matters.
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will announce the establishment of a new organisation outside the political arena this Saturday.
He said the Cabinet has approved the establishment, which he proposed, and he will make the announcement on the final day of the UMNO General Assembly.
Ahmad Zahid, who is also UMNO president, said he did not rule out inviting ulama and representatives from other parties, including PAS, to future editions of the Multaqa Ilmuwan Islam Malaysia.
“This is the first time it has been organised since I took over in 2018, and the strategic cooperation with Yayasan Ilmuwan Islam Malaysia is an effort to set aside political ideology,” he said.
He added that when it comes to religious matters, unity of thought must be strived for through an open approach.
In his speech earlier, Ahmad Zahid stressed the need for a balanced relationship between rulers and Islamic scholars to ensure the country is administered with trust, knowledge, and wisdom.
He said discussions between the two groups are vital to bridge administrative realities with religious demands, preventing decisions based on emotion or narrow political interests.
He also referenced a past statement by the late PAS spiritual leader Tan Sri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who said PAS would dissolve if UMNO placed Islam as the foundation of its constitution.
“When the late Tok Guru Nik Aziz made that statement, I regarded it as a ‘wasiat’ (last will). The first thing I did after taking over UMNO’s leadership was to place Islam in UMNO’s constitution,” he said.
Ahmad Zahid added, “But PAS has not dissolved yet; I consider that PAS will dissolve on its own.”
