KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom (picture) denied today that the government is targeting specific political figures, particularly in opposition party PAS, in its recent crackdown on the Syiah school of Islam.
This comes as the Islamist party was forced to defend itself recently against allegations that its top leadership are followers of the banned Islamic sect after the issue cropped up in public discourse these past few weeks.
“For the government, Syiah is not about any party, it’s a belief and teaching that for us in Malaysia is not part of the Sunni teaching practised here,” Jamil Khir, the minister in Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs, told reporters.
“We don’t care about their political parties, as long as they practise Syiah we will not allow it.”
Yesterday, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man slammed the mainstream media for linking its leadership to the sect.
“The move seems to be more political in nature, by directing allegations without any concrete proofs, based only on assumptions,” he said in a statement yesterday.
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