MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar should be sensitive in issuing statements or revealing proposals which can potentially harm unity among the various races in the country.
The minister should act in a responsible manner and handle issues which crop up from time-to-time cordially especially when it concerns race and religion.
The unity government has always emphasised that matters pertaining to 3R (race, religion and royalty) should be kept low-key but what the minister seems to be doing is seeking political mileage by announcing something which is merely at proposal level.
In a parliamentary written reply, the minister had stated said that event organisers at non-Muslim houses of worship need to obtain approval of Islamic authorities when inviting Muslim leaders for festive celebrations, funerals or any other event held in their premises.
These were among the “yet-to-be-approved updates” to existing the guidelines involving Muslims in such gatherings which will only be finalised by the Muzakarah Committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) end of this month (February 2025).
The existing guidelines are contained under the Guidelines for Muslims Attending Non-Muslim Festive Celebrations which were endorsed by MKI Fatwa Muzakarah Committee in 2005.
MIC is not politicising the issue but we are concerned over the proposed guideline which can harm the strong bond among various races in the country.
What the minister has released were not rumours or speculation but a proposal to the existing guidelines and this definitely does not augur well for the good of the nation.
If this is the way the unity government and its ministers wish to handle national affairs, then they are bound to lose support of their electorate regardless whether the voters are Muslims or non-Muslims. – Feb 6, 2025
Datuk Seri M. Saravanan is the MIC deputy president and Tapah MP.
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Main image credit: Dato’ Setia Dr. Naim/Facebook
