KOTA KINABALU, March 6 — A Sabah PKR lawmaker demanded today that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman issue a public explanation and take appropriate action on rumours that mass Islamic conversion events are allegedly taking place in state schools.

Penampang MP Darell Leiking acknowledged that state assistant minister Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif had earlier today denied the Sabah government’s involvement in any of the alleged conversion activities, but said this was insufficient.

“If it is true that the Sabah government is not involved, then the chief minister should be furious that these people are tarnishing his department’s name as a partner in this controversial proselytising activity,” Leiking told Malay Mail Online.

“He should clarify what action and investigation he has and will be taking as this issue is getting more and more widespread,” he added.

The lawmaker was referring to the recent spread of a controversial photograph purportedly showing a conversion event that took place between January 13 and 20 last year.

In the photograph, a group of people, some in Islamic headgear, and school students, are seen holding up a banner with the words “Ekspedisi Ziarah Syahadah ke Bumi Sabah”.

The banner named the Muslim Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Perkim) as organisers of the event, and claimed to have the support of the Sabah Chief Minister’s Department and Sabah Islamic Affairs Department (JHEAINS).

It also listed the names of several villages in the state’s interiors believed to be involved in the event.

The controversial photograph that is still making its rounds on text message service WhatsApp has riled Sabahans, with some condemning the state government for supporting such religious activities that they said was against Sabah’s religiously tolerant society.

Leiking, who had himself received the photo via WhatsApp recently, said the chief minister’s department or any government department should not be party to any religious conversion activity, as the sanctity of religion should be observed and respected and not intruded upon by a third party.

“Freedom of religion is enshrined in the Federal Constitution and also one of the chief premise why Sabah had agreed to form the Federation of Malaysia.

“We all know proselytising is wrong to a Muslim and I would like to see that same respect is also applied to all those of other faiths unless the person has no religion in the first place or has done the same on his own accord without enticement or encouragement,” he said.

Yesterday, Mohd Arifin, who is in charge of Islamic affairs in the State, denied any involvement from the government in the alleged conversion exercise by the national missionary group.

According to a report by The Daily Express, Mohd Ariffin acknowledged that there were several claims that “independent movements” were going into rural and remote villages such as Nabawan and Ranau in Sabah to preach about Islam and organise mass conversions.

Arifin said, however, that JHEAINS was not informed of such activities but are monitoring the activities of these movements allegedly from peninsular Malaysia.

“Any independent group or movement that wishes to spread Islamic teachings and values to Sabah needs to get permission to spread from the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (MUIS) through the state mufti office.

“There are existing guidelines that the independent preachers need to comply with prior to spreading the Islamic teachings in Sabah,” he reportedly said.