©New Straits Times
(Used by permission)
THE PKR member of parliament who had disrupted a Bar Council forum on conversion
and Islam on Aug 9 re–emerged in public yesterday.
Zulkifli Nordin, the MP for Kulim Bandar Baharu, is however
adamant that he did nothing wrong.
"For me, Islam comes first. I am a Muslim first, a party member second. A Muslim
first, a lawyer second. A Muslim first, an MP second.
"You attack Islam, I'll be there, even if I have to do it on my own. Whatever it
is, Islam comes first," said Zulkifli, looking agitated when asked about the
incident at a press conference at the Parliament lobby yesterday.
Asked why he had "disappeared" after the incident, Zulkifli said he had been
"attending to personal matters".
Zulkifli took exception to media reports that he had stormed the Bar Council
forum.
He said he was invited in by the council's secretary, Lim Chee Wee, and another
staff member to verify that the forum had ended.
"I went in to defuse the situation and to confirm that the forum had stopped. I
was invited up, otherwise how did I get in?
"I didn't kick the door and barge in, but the picture painted now is as if I
barged in and that is a total lie."
Zulkifli, a practising lawyer, said there was a heated exchange of words between
three representatives from Muslim NGOs that accompanied him and a few forum
participants, but the situation was shortly brought under control.
"When I was inside, I did not say a word. I did not do anything. I was just
asked to verify that the forum had ended. I was just disappointed when some
participants of the forum started using rough language on the others (NGO
representatives) with me."
Zulkifli said he attended the rally under the banner of the Muslim Organisations
in Defence of Islam and not Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
He said sensitive matters should be discussed behind closed doors with the
authorities.
"Don't invite any Tom, Dick or Harry. You can talk about Islam but you cannot
talk for Islam.
"I don't call any chendol or kacang putih seller to talk about Hinduism, do I?
That would only look stupid. I would call the priest or the relevant authority.
"Just because some mosquito group of Muslims start talking about Islam, they
'represent' Islam. I don't think that is fair.
"We have authorities, Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia, Yayasan Dakwah Islam
Malaysia, IKIM, UIA. Why invite those mosquitoes?"
"We Muslims have been tolerant enough all this while, for so many years we have
been asked, forced to live under the law that is not Islam. We have been
forced."
Zulkifli said he was considering filing a motion against the Bar Council in
Dewan Rakyat to "sanction and reprimand" them for their anti–Islam stand.