UMNO official condemns Al-Arqam's founder
UMNO official condemns Al-Arqam's founder
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP): A senior member of Malaysia's ruling party
yesterday condemned a local Islamic leader, living under self-
exile in Thailand, for claiming to be more popular than Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad and proposing a national referendum to
prove it.
Isa Abdul Samad, a senior leader of Mahathir's United Malays
National Organization (UMNO), said Ashaari's remarks reflected
his arrogance and demonstrated the fear which he actually has for
Mahathir, the Bernama news agency reported.
"There is no need for a referendum. The suggestion was made
actually to conceal the fear and anxiety Ashaari experienced
after Arqam's deviationist teachings were exposed," the agency
quoted Isa, chief minister of the southern Negri Sembilan state,
as saying.
Ashaari Muhammad told AFP in Chiengmai Saturday the Mahathir
was bent on banning his controversial Islamic missionary, the Al-
Arqam, because the premier was getting jittery at his growing
prominence and of the fact the movement was based in Kuala
Lumpur.
Ashaari founded Al-Arqam in 1968 and led its growth into a
powerful missionary force with a strong economic base and
branches in 15 countries, including Thailand.
The self-styled Islamic leader was living in relative
isolation in Thailand for the past seven years until Malaysian
authorities accused him in June this year of turning Al-Arqam
into a security threat.
Officials said Al-Arqam had become deviationist and formed an
armed suicide squad to defend its beliefs while Ashaari was
planning to takeover the country from Mahathir.
Isa said yesterday that Ashaari feared he was losing control
of his followers in Malaysia and had proposed a referendum
against Mahathir to win their sympathy.
Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and more than half
of the multi-racial country's 18 million population are Moslems.
Ashaari refused to say on Saturday whether he aspired to
become prime minister but predicted that Mahathir and deputy
Premier Anwar Ibrahim would fall from power in two years or
earlier.
Fauzi Abdul Rahman, another senior UMNO member and
parliamentary secretary to the information ministry, said
yesterday a national campaign against Al-Arqam was being planned
through the media to help Mahathir fight the group.