KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said he is disappointed with religious experts who criticised him without asking for his explanation on his recent statement pertaining to khalwat raids.
This followed an interview with an English daily, where he was reported to have said that he would be engaging with religious agencies at state level on khalwat raids.
In the interview, he had also said what Muslims did behind closed doors was none of the government’s business.
Mujahid said the experts should have asked him for his full explanation out of respect, before issuing any statements.
“In Malaysia, issues pertaining Islam have always been sensitive. From the issue, we can see our mentality.
“Some people only look at the headline and then resort to insulting the minister, as if the minister was stupid and had no religion.
“We don’t really care about those commenting on social media, but when religious experts, who the people look up to, comment on the matter, they should at least ask for an explanation from the minister first.
“All these things will leave an impact on Islam. When I pointed out the mistake in the heading (of the article) and asked them (religious experts) to read the full transcript of the interview, where are they then going to put their faces,” he said in his opening speech at a roundtable conference at the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies Malaysia (IAIS) here.
Mujahid said he would never speak on issues unless he knew what he was talking about.
Following the interview, many religious experts have expressed their disagreement with Mujahid.
Among them include Perak mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria; Negri Sembilan mufti Datuk Mohd Yusof Ahmad and Pahang mufti, Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman.
Penang mufti Datuk Seri Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor and Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin however defended Mujahid.
Sabah mufti Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar on the other hand decided to wait for Mujahid’s statement before commenting on the issue.
Present at the event were the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director-general Datuk Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim and IAIS chief executive officer Prof Mohammad Hashim Kamali.
Reported by Nor Ain Mohamed Radhi, Ahmad Suhael Adnan and Zarul Fitrie Muhd Zamrie