KUALA LUMPUR, July 2 — Malaysians across all creeds and cultures are allowed by the Federal Constitution to question, doubt or reject any change in laws or policy, such as the proposal to introduce hudud here, according to the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM).
The group’s chairman Rev. Dr. Eu Hong Seng said as such, Malaysians should not be labelled enemies of Islam or “kafir harbi” for simply expressing their opposition to hudud.
“Hudud is a small part of the Shariah, not even constantly or consistently applied throughout the history of Islam.
“So how can such Malaysians be designated as enemies of Islam?” he asked in a statement.
Eu was referring to the uproar over Pahang Mufti Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman’s use of the “kafir harbi” label on the DAP and its supporters.
He said called it regrettable that a person holding a state mufti position had thought it acceptable to use such a term in multireligious, multi-racial Malaysia and urged for strong leadership from the federal government to ensure such remarks are not repeated.
“We need an active and pro-active Department of National Unity and National Integration to work hard at maintaining the peace of our nation.
“We are dismayed by the silence over the years as our society is hit by the divisive issues of race and religion,” he said.
“We need strong leadership from our prime minister and his government to quell all manner of divisive rhetoric that come at us in this season of our nation’s history,” he added.
Eu also urged for swift action from the police on the matter and said results of the investigation should be made public once completed.
Last week, Abdul Rahman reportedly labelled the DAP members as “kafir harbi” for opposing hudud, also calling it a great sin for Muslims to work with the party.
Kafir harbi refers to infidels who wage war against Islam and who can be slain, while kafir zimmi refers to infidels that are protected by a Muslim state.
Despite heavy criticism from leaders here, including other muftis, the Pahang cleric stood his ground and refused to apologise for his statement.
On Wednesday, the PMO issued a statement saying that the mufti’s remarks meant that the “kafir harbi” should only be resisted and not be fought against. It added that the issue only became controversial due to attempts to twist the statement by using the term “fight”.
Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has since confirmed that the Pahang Mufti will be investigated under the Sedition Act following two reports lodged over the issue.
