KUALA LUMPUR – Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim has warned against attempts to politicise religion in Malaysia, as Islam is enshrined in the Federal Constitution as the religion of the federation.
In his royal address during the opening of Parliament, the King said while non-Muslims may practise their respective religions in peace, they may not proselytise Muslims.
“The Federal Constitution recognises Islam as the religion of the federation, and this shall be preserved. There should not be attempts by any party to manipulate and politicise this foundation of the constitution.”
To this, Sultan Ibrahim urged Malaysians to maintain national harmony and avoid playing up public sentiments by inciting 3R issues – race, religion and royalty.
He also expressed disappointment that Malaysia is still struggling to achieve harmony since its formation over six decades ago, attributing it to the lack of mastery of the national language and understanding of other cultures.
With that, he urged the government to formulate a policy to ensure stronger unity among the people.
Citing the Malay proverb “melentur buluh biarlah dari rebungnya”, he underscored the importance of shaping Malaysians from young to create future generations that are united and compassionate.
Religious tensions reached a new high following the Federal Court’s decision to strike out 16 provisions of the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment (I) 2019, in the suit brought by state-born lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and her daughter, Tengku Yasmin Nastasha Tengku Abdul Rahman.
It led to claims that the sanctity of Islam was presumably challenged, to the point that several religious leaders had chastised Nik Elin and the court.
The incident resulted in the formation of the National Shariah Judiciary Committee to study and continuously monitor issues that arise in the shariah courts.
On the other hand, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Hasan recently said the setting up of the Malaysian Shariah Prosecution Department would further strengthen the national shariah legal ecosystem.
The establishment of the department is currently in the discussion stage with stakeholders.
Zulkifli also highlighted the government’s commitment to implement shariah laws more systematically through the proposed amendments of the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965. – February 26, 2024