Open Letter to Hasan Ali by Raja Petra Kamarudin

That is all I want to say, Yang Berhormat Datuk. I am sorry if I sound very blunt and abrasive but that is how I do things and even Tuanku can tell you that I spare no one, not even Sultans. I just hope that my message gets through to you so that you can spare me the agony of having to launch a campaign to send you into retirement in a most unceremoniously and inglorious manner. 

NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin


Yang Berhormat Datuk Dr Hasan Haji Mohamed Ali,

I trust you still remember me. We first met probably ten years or so ago in the royal town of Kelang.

I thought I should write to you because I feel, as a member of Kerabat Selangor, it is my duty to save Pakatan Rakyat Selangor, PAS Selangor, the Selangor Malays, and you, further embarrassment. Furthermore, it is my duty as a cousin to His Highness the Sultan to raise this issue as it is my personal opinion you are putting Tuanku in a very dicey situation with your continued irrational antics.

I say this because if Tuanku were to remain silent it would be perceived as Tuanku is not upholding Islam when it his duty as head of religion in Selangor to do so and, on the other hand, if Tuanku responds to your so-called revelations it would make Tuanku appear outdated, small-minded, easily-manipulated, hypocritical, and much more.

Sometimes I wonder whether all your so-called revelations are done in good faith or whether there is an element of mala fide with a hidden agenda to force Tuanku into a corner so that if Tuanku responds Tuanku is damned and if Tuanku does not respond Tuanku is also damned.

I have a deep-rooted suspicion that this is a conspiracy to embarrass the monarchy and put it under attack so that there would come a time when people would question the relevancy of the monarchy and ask whether Malaysia is better off as a republic. I am aware that many Islamists such as you favour an Islamic republic over what you perceive as a corrupt and un-Islamic monarchy. I would not be surprised if this is a very subtle plan to bring down the monarchy.

I am fully aware that you are a politician standing on the platform of Islam and that makes you a politician, period. I, for one, do not consider you a theologian because, if you were, you would not become a politician. You would instead serve God rather than serve your own very personal and narrow interest of seeking power.

Politics is dirty. So it would be very difficult to serve God when your motivation is the quest for power. You need to be un-Islamic and do many things contradictory to Islam if you want to gain power. That is the reality of the situation. Clean or Islamic politics are as rare as virgin prostitutes. If you were to resign from PAS and retire from politics then maybe what you say would sound credible. Now I can only assume that you have a dark and hidden agenda for what you are doing.

Yang Berhormat Datuk, let me be blunt. In politics, you serve the devil, not God. That is the bottom line and there are no two ways about it. And you, Yang Berhormat Datuk, are worse than a ‘normal’ politician. At least normal politicians are honest about their dishonesty. You exploit God’s name while doing the devil’s work.

We must not forget you were once a Director of BTN, the government-owned propaganda and brainwashing arm that is the cause of much of Malaysia’s racial problems today. In other words, if you were really motivated by Islam, and if your agenda was to serve God, you would have distanced yourself from BTN. How can a man of the cloth be involved in racism and discrimination, the very thing that the Prophet Muhammad forbade in his sermon in Arafah the final year of his life?
Yang Berhormat Datuk, the world has changed. You need to drag yourself screaming and kicking into the real world and not remain stuck in a world of fantasy that you appear to have difficulty extricating yourself from.

Today, people talk about human rights, freedom, and civil liberties. I know it is a hard concept to grasp for someone like you who feels that the world must dance to your tune and live the life as you see it. But that is the reality of what is happening in the world today and is something that can’t be avoided and something you cannot prevent.

Today, people no longer accept faith based on dogma but demand faith based on reasoning. In fact, faith itself has been placed under the microscope and people no longer accept faith based on theological arguments but expect tangible evidence to support belief.

Actually, Yang Berhormat Datuk, this is not a Muslim problem. This problem is not confined to just Islam. This is a universal problem faced by all religions the world over.

You will be surprised that in Iran, the seat of the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that changed the way the world perceives Islam and triggered what historians 100 years from now will call ‘The Period of Islamic Revival’, Muslims are leaving Islam in droves. Even Iran has to accept this fact and there is nothing the mullahs can do about it. I have personally met Iranians who scoff at religion as old wives’ tales, folklore, myths, and so on.

We have to accept one very basic fact: and that is humankind today is free-spirited, is able to contemplate and rationalise issues, and is brave enough to take a stand based on what they believe is the truth. In this type of situation you can only explain but you will have to allow them to decide what they wish to accept and what they wish to reject. You can no longer force them to accept what you consider to be the truth. They will decide the truth and falsity of the information and will come to their own conclusion and decision.

So, Yang Berhormat Datuk, it is time you toned down your religious rhetoric. You are beginning to look like a court jester. No one takes what you say seriously any longer. In fact, if you were to conduct a poll, the majority being polled would vote that you are a Trojan horse working for Umno whose job is to hurt Pakatan Rakyat.

Please rest assured I am not in the least concerned about your image, if you still have some left. My concern is Tuanku. If you continue this way you are going to place Tuanku in jeopardy. Tuanku just can’t ignore you considering you are the EXCO Member in charge of Islam.

However, if Tuanku were to act on your so-called revelations, it would not augur well for Tuanku.
That is all I want to say, Yang Berhormat Datuk. I am sorry if I sound very blunt and abrasive but that is how I do things and even Tuanku can tell you that I spare no one, not even Sultans. I just hope that my message gets through to you so that you can spare me the agony of having to launch a campaign to send you into retirement in a most unceremoniously and inglorious manner.

RAJA PETRA BIN RAJA KAMARUDIN