A "green lion" dance from PAS...

While the Malay right wing group Perkasa has fallen into controversy for distributing ‘white ang pow’ in their open house programme, Islamic party PAS has won cheers among Facebook users for respecting Chinese culture during Chinese New Year.

A few photos of the federal opposition party’s Chinese New Year programmes have gone viral in Facebook, especially a photo which depicts a grassroots leader from Mersing, Johor, giving ang pow to a pork seller.

Other photos which have gone viral include Selangor PAS exco member Iskandar Abdul Samad giving ang pow in front of a pork stall and a “green lion” performance in an open house function held Perlis PAS. (Green is the symbolic colour for PAS.)

Facebook users were comparing PAS and Perkasa, praising the opposition party for its open-mindedness and its understanding of Chinese culture.

“This is a scene which MCA will not want to see, its Islamic state claims will be useless,” said Denise Yee on Facebook.

“Mersing PAS division chief (Rosalan Mamat) and Cempaka state assemblyperson (Iskandar Abdul Samad) is greeting happy Chinese New Year to a pork seller and distributing Chinese mandarin, they didn’t distribute ‘white ang pow’ to Chinese community,” he added.

No problem for Chinese to eat pork

When contacted by Malaysiakini, Rosalan Mamat seemed surprised to know his photo was circulating on the internet, but he also thanked the Facebook users for their praises.

The 51-year-old businessman said the photo was taken when he and other Pakatan leaders were distributing ang pow, Chinese mandarin and Chinese New Year cards to the public in Mersing market on Jan 21, two days before Chinese New Year.


When asked why he didn’t evade the pork seller who is deemed not “halal” by certain Muslims, Roslan explained that this was because Islam never forbids non-Muslims from taking pork.

“There is no problem for Chinese to eat pork, only Muslims cannot eat pork. We must respect Chinese culture and this is their right.

“Only Umno and MCA people will twist the facts, claiming that when PAS grabs power, they will not allow Chinese to eat pork,” said Roslan.

He added that this was the first time for the Pakatan divisions to hold such programmes together. However, PAS leaders have been visiting and greeting the Chinese community during the last couple of Chinese New Year celebrations.

Green lion dance at state headquaters
 
Meanwhile, Perlis PAS chief Hashim Jasin said its was not the first time that the party had invited a ‘green lion’ to perform at their function. He revealed that PAS had in fact featured lion dance performancec in some of the party’s dinners in Arau and Sanglang in the last two or three years.

He, however, said that this was the first time (Jan 29) the party and its supporters held the Chinese New Year open house event and invited a ‘green lion’ to perform at the state headquarters. It is understood that the ‘green lion’ was invited from a sports club in Kedah.

Asked why they wanted a lion dance performance, Hashim explained that they were following Kelantan PAS government’s footsteps, which always held multi-racial cultural performances.

“Not only Chinese, Malays also like lion dance performances. It is very attractive,” he added.

Asked if the performances were held to gain the support of the Chinese community, he admitted that the people will be able to see how PAS interacts with different religions and races, contrary to the claims made by Umno that PAS will “chop Chinese hands and legs” when they grabbed power.
 

PAS buktikan ia 'parti celik budaya'

Ketika kumpulan pendesak Melayu, PERKASA mengagihkan “angpau bersampul putih” kepada masyarakat Cina sempena sambutan Tahun Baru, parti Islam PAS, menurut warga maya ternyata lebih bijak dalam menghormati budaya bangsa lain.
Beberapa gambar merakamkan pemimpin PAS termasuk di kalangan akar umbi 'celik budaya' khususnya yang membabitkan masyarakat Cina. Antaranya, memaparkan gambar seorang pemimpin akar umbi PAS dari Mersing, Johor memberi angpau kepada penjual daging babi telah mendapat sambutan hangat.

Turut mendapat pujian adalah gambar exco kerajaan negeri Selangor Iskandar Abdul Samad mengagihkan angpau di hadapan sebuah gerai menjual daging babi dan tarian "singa hijau" yang diadakan sempena rumah terbuka Tahun Baru Cina anjuran PAS Perlis.

Negara Islam

Warga maya di laman Facebook itu juga membandingkan ‘kecerdikan’ antara PAS dan PERKASA yang didakjwa sebagai ‘buta budaya’ dan gagal memahami kepercayaan serta cara hidup masyarakat Cina di negara ini.
 
"Ini babak yang mahu dielakkan oleh MCA, momokan mereka mengenai negara Islam akan menjadi  sia-sia," kata Denise Yee dalam Facebook.

"Pengerusi PAS bahagian Mersing, Johor (Rosalan Mamat) dan ADUN Cempaka (Iskandar Abdul Samad) menyambut Tahun Baru Cina dengan penjual daging babi sambil mengedarkan limau mandarin. Mereka tidak mengagihkan 'angpau putih’ kepada masyarakat Cina."

Ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini, Rosalan Mamat mengucapkan terima kasih kepada pelayar di Facebook kerana memuji tindakan beliau itu. Rosalan, 51,  yang juga seorang ahli perniagaan berkata gambar itu dirakamkan dua hari sebelum Tahun Baru Cina ketika beliau dan beberpa pemimpin PAS tempatan mengedarkan angpau, limau dan kad tahun baru di sebuah pasar di Mersing.

Ditanya mengapa beliau menghampiri dan menyapa penjual daging babi berkenaan dan tidak mengelakkan dirinya kerana bagi masyarakat Islam daging berkenaan dianggap tidak "halal", Rosalan berkata agamanya tidak pernah melarang orang bukan Islam untuk memakan daging tersebut.

Tak ada masalah

"Tidak ada masalah untuk Cina makan babi, hanya umat Islamyang tidak boleh makan daging babi. Kita mesti menghormati budaya Cina dan ini adalah hak mereka.

"Hanya Umno dan orang-orang MCA yang akan memutar-belitkan fakta dan mendakwa bahawa apabila PAS berkuasa, orang Cina tidak akan dibenarkan makan babi," katanya.

Menurutnya lagi, ini adalah kali pertama bagi pemimpin tempatan Pakatan Rakyat keluar bersama mengucapkan selamat tahun baru kepada masyrakat Cina. Sebelum ini mereka menganjurkan aktiviti masing-masing secara sendirian.
Sementara itu, Pesuruhjaya PAS Perlis, Hashim Jasin berkata ini bukan kali pertama parti Islam itu menjemput "singa hijau" memeriahkan majlis mereka.

Menurutnya, sejak dua atau tiga tahun lalu, PAS sebenarnya telah menampilkan persembahan tarian singa di jamuan makannya di Arau dan Sanglang.

Bagaimanapun, beliau berkata ini kali pertama parti itu mengadakan rumah terbuka Tahun Baru Cina dengan menjemput "singa hijau" untuk memeriahkan majlis itu di ibu pejabatnya pada 29 Jan lalu.

Melayu terhibur

Difahamkan bahawa singa hijau itu dijemput dari sebuah kelab sukan di Kedah.

Apabila ditanya mengapa PAS mengadakan persembahan tarian singa, Hashim menjelaskan bahawa mereka mengikuti jejak kerajaan PAS Kelantan yang sentiasa mengalakkan persembahan  kebudayaan berbilang kaum.
"Bukan sahaja Cina, orang Melayu juga terhibur dengan persembahan tarian singa. Ia amat menarik."

Ditanya sama ada tindakan itu, cubaan PAS untuk meraih sokongan masyarakat Cina, Hashim (kiri) berkata terpulang kepada rakyat untuk menilai bagaimana parti Islam itu berinteraksi dengan masyarkat berlainan agama dan kaum.

Ini katanya, jelas bertentangan dengan dakwaan sesetengah pihak yang menuduh PAS akan “memotong tangan dan kaki orang Cina” apabila mereka berkuasa nanti.

source:malaysiakini

cheers.