NOVEMBER 20 — PAS never ever misses an opportunity to meddle with non-Muslim issues.

Take the latest. PAS Trengganu law-maker Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi (he is cut from the same cloth ) has called on other states and local councils to emulate DBKL’s new liquor rules regulation.

Under the new DBKL’s guidelines, all sundry shops, convenience stores, Chinese medicine halls, come October 1, 2021 will no longer be allowed to sell hard liquor, although there is no prohibition on selling beers.

Now, listen to the the twisted logic of Muhammad Khalil ( which has to be the official view of PAS) when he says that the "move should be lauded” and that "this effect is in line with with the government’ policy to create a healthy lifestyle and a civilised and responsible society.”

All this from an Islamist political party, whose own Dewan Ulama PAS Perlis’s wife sought a Fasakh (dissolution of marriage) on among the grounds, that he has been doing unnatural acts on her. So much for PAS version of leading and practising a "healthy livestyle” and "civilised society.”

Naturally, PAS or any of its leaders are the last people who should be pontificating to non-Muslims about how to lead a "healthy lifestyle " or about "civilised society” when their own leaders are proven to lead a despicable lifestyle and worst uncivilised.

Now, here is a question and even a dare.

Instead of being concerned about non-Muslims, why don’t for a change, Muhammd Khalil and his band of ilk, get down from their moral high horse and express their indignation and demand that the government and local councils prohibit sundry shops, convenience stores or the Mamak/Malay restaurants from selling cigarettes to Muslims, or demand these premises put up a sign at the counter that cigarettes cannot be sold to Muslims.

Better still instead of the health warning on the cigarettes packets, PAS should go beyond and demand that the cigarette manufacturers, on all their cigarettes packets should carry a warning that Muslims forbidden to smoke.

After all, the late Tuan Guru Nik Aziz in 2009, showed his utter disgust for smokers when he said that "smokers are despicable than the cows” (pity the poor cow). So, it is high time PAS walk the talk and ban both cigarettes and make smoking an offence in PAS administered Kelantan and Trengganu.

PAS can find support and justification to ban Muslims from buying cigarettes and smoking in the National Council’s Fatwas. In 1996, the National Fatwa Council issued a Fatwa, declaring that smoking was haram and then in 2015 again issued another Fatwa that electronic cigarettes including vape are haram.

The National Fatwa Council was of the considered view that from the Shariah aspect, smoking is detrimental to health and can lead to death, damage of body, illness and harm of the mind.

Despite the Fatwa by the National Fatwa Council, it is said that only two states — Penang and Selangor — have declared that smoking is harmful, with Penang even going further by declaring that Muslims are forbidden to sell cigarettes.

Now, go take look what is on the shelf behind the counter at most nasi kandar restaurants.

Surely PAS knows that a cigarette is not just just tobacco and paper, but there are approximately 600 ingredients in a cigarette and when burned it creates more than 7,000 chemicals (even the secondary smoke has about 4,000 chemicals ), with at least 69 of them known to cause cancer.

If PAS leaders were to engage their brains, they will know that in Malaysia, cigarette smoking accounts for a massive 25 per cent of smoking related deaths, making 3 out of 5 of the top cause of death.

With RM1.5 billion spent by Malaysians on cigarettes, it should be manifestly obvious to PAS, which community has the largest percentage of smokers. In fact, some from this community, then graduate to become drug addicts and become the majority drug abusers.

Thus, PAS should look within and pontificate to their own community and advise them to lead a "healthy lifestyle” and to live a "civilised” life. Stop the fixation with non-Muslims.

Abraham Lincoln once said, " better to remain silent, and be thought as a fool than to speak and remove all doubts.” Each time, a Muhammad Khalil or other PAS leaders opens their mouth, it only confirms what non-Muslims have been thinking of them.

So, maybe Muhammad Khalil ( and the rest of the ilk) should keep his mouth shut. At least then non-Muslim will think he is only appears to be stupid.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer(s) or organisation(s) and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.