Mustapha Sakmud Warns Political Parties Against Weaponizing Religion

KOTA KINABALU, Nov 3 – Sabah Pakatan Harapan Chairman Datuk Mustapha Sakmud urged political parties not to exploit religious sentiments as a tactical weapon to discredit political opponents, following controversial remarks linking parliamentary democratic instruments to apocalyptic end-times figures.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah and Sarawak Affairs) voiced deep concern over recent statements attributed to PAS President Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang, who reportedly equated the federal government’s Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) mechanism to “Dajjal” (the Deceitful Messiah). Mustapha stressed that deploying such extreme religious terminology is alien to local norms and risks causing confusion among Muslims in Sabah.

“When political arguments are no longer sufficient, must end-times terminology be turned into a weapon?” Mustapha questioned in an official press statement on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. “The CSA can be debated rationally within the framework of parliamentary democracy without resorting to religious sentiment to discredit those with differing views.”

Mustapha highlighted the inherent double standards of the criticism, noting that the CSA model was previously utilized and adopted when PAS was part of the federal government, making current attempts to frame the same mechanism as religiously abhorrent illogical.

Underlining Sabah’s long-standing harmony, Mustapha reiterated that ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity remain the primary cornerstone of unity across the state’s multiracial society and should never be leveraged to stoke political animosity.

“For Sabahans, portraying fellow Muslims in such a negative light merely because they hold different political views is alien and unacceptable,” he stated. “Religion should unite, not divide, and Sabah does not need to be lectured on unity by those who continue to label one another.”

He called on all Sabahans to preserve their longstanding societal cohesion, firmly reject divisive political tactics that exploit faith for power, and urge all political factions to focus on constructive dialogue aimed at advancing public welfare.

Political Response, CSA Context, and Regional Harmony

Key points surrounding the religious controversy and regional political reactions include:

• Controversial Analogy: Response to PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang framing the Confidence and Supply Agreement (CSA) as “Dajjal-like.”
• Double Standard Highlighted: Mustapha pointed out that PAS previously supported and utilized the CSA framework during its tenure in government.
• Sabah Harmony Standard: Reaffirmed that weaponizing religious labels against political rivals violates Sabahan values of tolerance and mutual respect.
• Call to Action: Urged voters and political actors to focus on rational democratic debate rather than exploiting religious sentiment for political leverage.

–NMT