KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Peeved at the attempt by a group of 25 influential Malays to shore up the primacy of the Federal Constitution over Islamic laws, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia, a group known for its strident ethno-centric voice, has taken refuge in name-calling as it sidestepped the issues raised with predictable slogans.
Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman called the 25 an “expired bunch” who should head to the mosques to repent and pray for having urged the government to review the scope of Shariah laws.
“They represent people who are outdated and this is because they were educated in the colonial era where the importance of Islam and Islamic education were not stressed,” Abdullah told the Malay Mail Online today.
Malaysia has moved on, the new generation of Malays are steeped in eastern values and have a deeper understanding of Islam, he said.
“They want Islam and they want it (Islam) to be applied in their daily lives,” he added before renewing his attack on the group of 25.
“Your generation is all expired, so please go back to masjids and repent. You did not learn then, so you better learn now,” Abdullah Zaik added, still addressing the 25.
In a statement emailed late night two days ago, the group of 25 expressed dismay over the unresolved disputes on the position and application of Islamic laws in Malaysia, which it said reflected a “serious breakdown” in the division of powers between the federal and states.
The group cited its own observations of religious bodies often flexing their muscles beyond their duty and scope, by issuing various fatwas or religious edicts which violate the Federal Constitution and a breach of the democratic and consultative process.
The group also criticised the rise of supremacist non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which are often heard haranguing dissenting voices of being anti-Islam, anti-monarchy and anti-Malay, stifling attempts at rational discussion and conflict resolution.
It also lamented the use of the Sedition Act to threaten those with differing opinions or criticisms.
The group listed five pressing issues that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should tackle, the first being the areas of conflict and overlap between civil and Shariah laws, urging a review.
“The Islamic laws of Malaysia are drafted by the Executive arm of the government and enacted in the Legislative bodies by human beings. Their source may be divine, but the enacted laws are not divine.
“They are human made and therefore fallible, open to debate and challenge to ensure that justice is upheld,” the group said.
The group urged Najib to take charge and to send out a clear message that rational and informed debate on Islamic laws must not be seen as an insult towards the faith or the religious authorities.
