The “raid” by Selangor Islamic Affiairs Department (JAIS) on Zarena Abdul Majid’s Hindu wedding on Sunday is insensitive to the non-Muslim community and will have a negative impact on race relations in the country, said a DAP MP today.
Calling JAIS “overzealous”, Serdang MP Dr Ong Kian Ming said JAIS should respect the sanctity of non-Muslim places of worship and seek the approval of the Selangor state government before taking action in cases involving non-Muslims.
“The insensitive manner in which this raid was conducted coupled with the ignorant remarks made by the Deputy Director General of JAIS shows an organization that has clearly failed to take into account the sensitivities of the non-Muslim communities.
“Rather than adopt an “act-first, think-later” operating procedure, JAIS should respect the sanctity of non-Muslim places of worship and seek the approval of the Selangor state government, as agreed upon, before any action is taken on cases involving non-Muslims,” Dr Ong said.
He added that the JAIS raid only increased the perception that non-Muslims in Selangor are ‘under siege’ and will only worsen inter-ethnic relations, particularly after the BSM bible confiscation, and other controversial actions taken by JAIS.
On Sunday, four JAIS officers accompanied by police raided a wedding conducted in a Hindu temple in Petaling Jaya, taking the bride away for questioning on her religious status.
JAIS clarified that an investigation was conducted because the bride, Zarena Abdul Majid, had been registered as a Muslim as a child by her estranged father who was fighting for custody with her mother.
Following reports that Zarena was brought up in the Hindu faith and has never practiced Islam, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has ordered JAIS to assist .
Shocked by Ahmad Zaki’s ignorant remarks
Dr Ong said he was shocked by remarks made by JAIS deputy director Ahmad Zaki Arshad. Ahmad Zaki reportedly said that if Rafael Nadal visited a church in Malaysia, JAIS would have to investigate the matter because Nadal “has a Muslim name”.
“Firstly, it is ludicrous to say that Rafael Nadal is a Muslim name as neither Rafael nor Nadal, as far as I know, are names which are widely used by any Muslim community anywhere in the world. To use Rafael Nadal as an example of a Muslim name clearly shows the ignorance of JAIS Deputy Director, Ahmad Zaki.
The DAP leader also raised the fact that many non-Muslim Malaysians have Malay-sounding names, including PEMANDU CEO Senator Idris Jala, who is a Christian Kelabit from Sarawak.
“Will JAIS go and investigate someone by the name of Idris Jala if there is a report made that someone by this name is attending a church somewhere in Selangor?”
He said that Ahmad Zaki’s statement implies that JAIS would investigate any reported incidents of Muslims in Selangor who happen to be at a non-Muslim place of worship, including to attend festive events and celebrations.
“A member of the DAP’s newspaper, The Rocket, was recently married and held a wedding ceremony in a church in Subang Jaya where Christian songs were sung and where bible passages were read out. Many of the DAP’s Malay staff including those from Roketkini, our Malay publication, attending this wedding in this church.
“Would JAIS also have raided or disrupted this wedding if they had received reports that there were some Malays who were attending this wedding? Should non-Muslims in the state of Selangor now stop inviting their Malay friends to attend weddings or celebrations or festivals which are held in non-Muslim places of worship?” -The Rocket
