Umno supreme council member Mohd Puad Zarkashi has rebutted a Youth leader’s comment that their Kuala Kangsar candidate would be going against Islamic laws if she goes campaigning while in mourning.

He said she can still campaign online in this age of the Internet.

“Why are we quick to judge? Has BN candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid already broken any (religious) laws?” asked Puad.

He pointed out Mastura herself had taken the first step to ask voters for understanding that she has to undergo the mourning period of iddah, lasting 4 months 10 days.

Puad however said she can continue to campaign for the Perak parliamentary seat without leaving her home and breaking the religious principles involved in iddah.

“So the issue here is how she should campaign. Because this is the era of hyper connectivity, there is no problem for Mastura to run her campaign activities.

“What more in the month of Ramadan,” he said in a Facebook posting.

He was countering Umno Youth exco Fathul Bari Mat Jahya’s contention that Mastura shouldn’t be expected to leave her home to campaign as she is still under iddah.

Mastura is the wife of the incumbent MP for Kuala Kangsar Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, who perised in a helicopter accident during the Sarawak election.

Fathul told the party they should respect her religious obligations and not make her campaign for the seat vacated by her late husband.

Puad said if a former Hindraf leader could win an election while in prison, Mastura should have no problems winning this coming by-election.

In the 2008 general election, Hindraf leader and DAP candidate M Manoharan won the Kota Alam Shah state seat while being detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Umno Youth man: Religion won’t allow K Kangsar candidate to campaign