KUALA LUMPUR – PAS Youth is ordering members nationwide to lodge police reports against DAP lawmaker Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham over his call to have non-Muslims be members of a special government committee on shariah laws.
The wing’s information chief Nazir Helmi said Ngeh had interfered in the affairs of Muslims and in Islamic legal matters.
The fact that the Sultan of Selangor, who chairs the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) has issued a decree reminding non-Muslims not to interfere in such matters, also showed how “outrageous” Ngeh’s proposal had been, Nazir said.
“For his rudeness, I call on the PAS Youth machinery across the country to file police reports against Ngeh for his recklessness,” Nazir said in a statement posted on Facebook.
He also called for reports against DAP, which he claimed was always behaving provocatively by issuing statements that undermine racial unity and harmony.
Nazir also said it was not enough “to just issue a statement” and action by the authorities was required so that “such nonsense statements” are not issued again.
He did not cite any specific statements, but several press releases were issued yesterday to diffuse outcry over Ngeh’s proposal from opposition figures in Bersatu and PAS, and from Umno, which is DAP’s ally in the unity government.
DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke then moved to diffuse the situation by calling out Ngeh’s proposal as a “mistake”, while reiterating the party’s support for the authorities, including the Malay rulers who are guardians of Islam, behind the establishment of the special committee.
Religious Affairs Minister Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar last night said there was no merit to Ngeh’s call for non-Muslims to be in the special committee.
The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, also issued a decree last night reminding non-Muslims to respect and not interfere in Islamic affairs in the country.
This morning, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said he fully supported the Sultan of Selangor’s statement, and urged non-Muslims with any concerns about Islamic matters in the country to write to the MKI.
The special committee was announced earlier this month by Na’im to review the competency of state legislatures to create shariah laws, as well as the jurisdiction of the shariah courts as provided for under the federal constitution.
This followed Anwar’s announcement in the Dewan Rakyat last month that Putrajaya will create a committee, sanctioned by the Conference of Rulers to elevate and strengthen the shariah legal system. – December 30, 2023