Umno sec-gen - One cool, other blows hot on first day of Ramadan

Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa noted the contradicting manner in which Muslims approach the first day of Ramadan.

Although he did not mention names, it appeared that the Ketereh MP was responding to Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's latest excoriation of Johor Crown Prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim.

Annuar tweeted the crown prince's message, urging Muslims to celebrate Ramadan with a clean heart, with the remark: “Cool.”

“One is cool and celebrates Ramadan with a call to observe the fasting...

“The other whacks and hurls insults on the first day of Ramadan... The different ways in how Muslims celebrate Ramadan,” said the Umno leader in a subsequent tweet.

Without mentioning names, Annuar also claimed there were several Malay leaders trapped in the ideological warfare perpetuated by certain quarters.

“They are trumpeting DAP's narrative more than DAP itself, purportedly asking us to reject the politics of 3R – race, religion and royalty,” he added.

DAP leaders have repeatedly denied the party is against the rulers or sought to undermine the position of the Malays and Islam.

In an earlier tweet, Annuar revealed that he has been inundated with phone calls from the media and requests via Twitter seeking his comment on the term “stupid”.

“In the past, it was common for such words to come from the opposition, but now (it comes) from the government. I am sorry, I do not wish to comment,” he added.

Annuar also said that fasting is not confined to refraining from consuming food or drinks.

“But also to stop squabbles, scolding, hurling insults, slander and all inappropriate things, as well as to seek forgiveness,” he added.

In a special media interview this afternoon, Mahathir called on Tunku Ismail to cease commenting on matters which were beyond his knowledge.

Without mincing words, he also described the heir to the Johor throne as a “stupid, little boy.”

Mahathir was asked to comment on Tunku Ismail's statement that his father's good deeds, such as giving land to the people and government, were not highlighted.

The crown prince's statement came in the wake of a revelation that a plot of federal land earmarked for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) was transferred to the ruler.

Sultan Ibrahim has said since that he was prepared to surrender the land without cost.