- Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa

COMMENT | I wonder if alleged money launderer, religious provocateur and the darling of mainstream Malay/Muslim politicians, Dr Zakir Naik will attend the Umno/PAS signing of their charter this Friday.

After all, Zakir is the spiritual adoptive parent of this union. Sure, he may be late to the party – or maybe not – but his polemics closely echoes that coming out of this union.

Zakir’s insistence that “Muslim” unity trumps everything is broadcast plain and clear from his nights of “"Malam Islam bersatu bersama Dr Zakir Naik,” or his speeches about the topic – Unity of Muslim Ummah.

Non-Muslims think of such events in simplistic terms. They see it as a union between kleptocrats and extremists. While the political personalities involved may fit those descriptions, what is really happening is a coalescing of Islamic agendas into a potent political force...