MUSLIMS seem to be divided over the recent ‘open-minded’ move by the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Religious Council (MAINS) to include non-Muslim politicians in its Islamic affairs briefing.
This came about as a pro-opposition netizen questioned the presence of the state’s Industry and Non-Muslim Affairs Committee chairman Teo Kok Seong (not to be mistaken for his controversial academician namesake) at the briefing on grounds that “matters pertaining to Islamic affairs should shield be left to Muslims to manage by themselves”.
“Such action is incorrect and should be questioned,” he penned on X in reaction to a photo bearing the caption “There is a DAP representative in the MAINS meeting as an observer”.
Sampai sekarang kerajaan Negeri Sembilan PH-BN tak memberikan penjelasan kenapa ada pemimpin non-muslim yang masuk dlm mesyuarat Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Sembilan.
Hal ehwal urusan agama islam biarlah org islam sendiri uruskan.
Tindakan ini tidak betul & perlu ditegur. pic.twitter.com/3VSsWQpxDL
— A.Azarul (@ahmadazarul_) May 29, 2025
Earlier, MAINS had defended the briefing held on May 20 which Teo who is also a two-term Bahau state assemblyman attended as part of an inclusive and integrated governance approach involving members of the state executive council, including non-Muslims.
“The attendance was in line with the directive and consent of the Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir aimed at providing exposure and deepening understanding of Islamic administration in the state,” read the statemen by MAINS.
The council further noted that it had previously conducted a similar briefing with all state assembly members – including non-Muslims from both government and opposition – on Oct 8 last year.
This approach reflects its commitment to progressive and inclusive Islamic governance, according to the council.
Many Madani government backers ticked of the poster for his narrow mindset, alluding to the point that Tuanku Muhriz as the Negeri Sembilan ruler had consented the move given Teo’s attendance would further enhance the understanding of non-Muslims on the state’s Islamic administration.
Moreover, the poster was either oblivious or had y chosen to ignore to ignore the fact that MAINS had clarified on the matter on May 27 which is two days prior to his social media post.
As one commenter aptly put it, though there was a non-Muslim presence in the briefing, “it’s the Muslims who eventually make decisions on Islamic matters”.
This is when it became obvious that the issue here is not about non-Muslims sitting in the briefing or interfering in the administration of Islamic affairs but merely a tool by the pro-PAS faction to demonise DAP.
To counter the grouses of a pro-opposition commenter as to why “only Muslins are busy inviting non-Muslims to gatherings/conferences related to Islam when the same is not reciprocated by non-Muslims”, one rational Muslim furnished the following cheeky response:
“How is this possible when some radical Muslims have even demanded that the Christian cross at churches be removed. And now you want to be invited to interfaith dialogues?” – May 31, 2025
