Do not accuse others of being apostates based on rumors, says minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Muslims in the country have been advised to stop accusing people of being apostates based solely on hearsay.

Referring to the issue of a Muslim woman who married an Indian hockey player, the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri said that article 160 of the Federal Constitution defines that a Malaysian is a person who professes the religion of Islam. .

Therefore, he said, one should not accuse a Malaysian of being an apostate on the basis of unverified news.

The issue will soon be taken up by the religious authorities of Johor as it has also received the attention of the state sultan, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, said Zulkifli al Dewan Negara in concluding the debate on the 2021 Supply Bill today.

Earlier, the media reported that Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh Pawar married his Malay lover, Illi Najwa Saddique, in Mithapur, near Jalandhar, Punjab.

Manpreet, 28, was wearing a Punjabi wedding dress complete with a turban, while Illi Najwa was wearing a Punjabi wedding dress when they exchanged vows. This raised doubts among Internet users about the religious status of women.

Meanwhile, Zulkifli said the government had allocated 100 million ringgit uniquely next year for the purpose of maintaining and improving religious and Tahfiz schools.

“The allocation will be channeled to institutions registered with state authorities, including those operated by individuals or by the private sector,” he said, adding that the government will ensure that Islamic education institutions in the country remain competitive and in line with the general education.

On the difference in SOPs implemented in mosques and suraus across the country during the execution of the conditional movement control order, Zulkifli clarified that the SOPs were issued by the state mufti with advice from the Security Council and the Department of Health. of the state.

The state government has a responsibility to consider the implementation of SOPs based on the Covid-19 situation in the state, he added.