KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 — The decision to dismiss 25 imams and relocate 10 others in Perlis yesterday did not involve the federal government as the matter is under the jurisdiction of the state government, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa.
He said the federal government will not intervene on this and respect the decisions taken.
On Thursday, the Perlis Islamic Religious Affairs Department (JAIPS) had reportedly terminated the services of 25 mosque imams effective Jan 1.
The decision was made by the Perlis Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIPs) in a meeting on Dec 6 and was conveyed in a letter dated Dec 31 (Monday).
“I believe in the wisdom of the Raja of Perlis Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin Putra Jamalullail to resolve the issue as all the procedures for extending contracts and appointments of mosque committees are subject to the approval of MAIPS,” he told Bernama after appearing as a guest on Bernama News Channel's talk show, ‘Ruang Bicara' at Wisma Bernama here last night.
On a different note, he was asked to comment on an article in a local newspaper written by a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Syariah and Law, Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia (USIM), Dr Muzaffar Syah Mallow who suggested that smokers, though eligible as zakat receivers, should not get zakat since they can afford to buy cigarettes.
Mujahid said the giving of zakat (alms) should not be linked to smoking, although the National Fatwa Committee had issued an edict that smoking is forbidden in Islam for causing harm.
He also added that the ban (on smoking) was not gazetted as a law in the country.
Hence, he said, to link the giving of zakat to any of the eight eligible groups, that also included smokers, was unreasonable. — Bernama
