FORMER career diplomat and ambassador Dennis Ignatius has called out Prime Minister (PM) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for his proposal to give the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) a bigger role as “sending out the wrong signals”.
Writing on his blog, Ignatius points to the department’s dogmatic and insular views as going against the grain of an inclusive Malaysia.
The PM who is also the Finance Minister was quoted as saying that he wants JAKIM to “not only to talk about religion and Islamic law [but] to expand its duties, talk about economic issues, look at digital programmes, and look at the education curriculum”.
He further commented that Muslims needed a true understanding of Islamic teachings to avoid misapprehensions and clashes between the various communities in the country.
However, Ignatius who is now a political affairs columnist, author and talk-show host derided the suggestion that JAKIM expand its scope to cover the aforementioned matters.
He criticised the move as “ill-conceived” as the religious department lacks the necessary expertise and credentials while adding a further layer of bureaucracy to an already sluggish policy-making process.
“If the government needs advice in preparing the national budget or input on economic development plans, shouldn’t it turn to economists, bankers and entrepreneurs instead of the mullah?” argued Ignatius in his latest blog Why Empowering JAKIM is Wrong?
“Isn’t that what the PM’s advisory council headed by former PETRONAS CEO (Tan Sri) Hassan Marican is there for?”
The retired foreign services officer also shared his concerns about JAKIM’s apparent hostility towards other religions that is counter-productive towards the PM’s agenda of an inclusive Malaysia.
Its divisive attitude is contrary towards inter-faith and inter-ethnic harmony as underlined by JAKIM’s silence on a number of issues, including high profile public figures making disparaging remarks about other religions and non-Muslims and non-Islamic cultural events.
A clear example would be JAKIM’s stance that Muslims boycott the Bon Odori event that has infuriated the Sultan of Selangor.
Ignatius attributed this to the agency’s dogmatic approach and increasingly narrow view that is far remote from the PM’s plan of promoting a moderate, inclusive and tolerant brand of Islam.
He also cited the example of the Sultan of Johor instructing the state religious authorities to cut ties with JAKIM for promoting a divisive and disruptive agenda as more evidence that the PM has made a serious miscalculation in an attempt to woo the religious conservatives.
“JAKIM is a big part of the problem; giving it such a broad nation-building mandate is sheer folly. By appeasing the mullah in order to win support, the PM is just pushing us further down the road to an Islamic state,” lamented Ignatius. – June 21, 2023
