KUCHING: The federal government has been urged to reconsider the proposed guidelines by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) on Muslim participation in events held in non-Muslim places of worship and funerals.
In voicing her concern, Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) Women chief Kho Teck Wan said the new guidelines as mentioned by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, require organisers to obtain permission from the authorities.
“Based on the minister’s parliamentary reply, the new guidelines will prevent non-Muslim events to be held close to mosques, suraus, and Muslim cemeteries.
“However, there are many places in Sarawak where Muslim and non-Muslim houses of worship are seating close or even next to each other.
“This will make the new set of guidelines impossible to comply and totally inapplicable — unless relocating houses of worship is involved,” she said in a statement.
While the guidelines are to be finalised by end of this month, any additional restrictions imposed will not only be a burden to event organisers, but cause confusions and division in the society in long run.
“Sarawak prides herself as a melting pot where people from different backgrounds, religions and ethnicities live harmoniously for hundreds of year.
“It is far too common to have immediate family members that are of different race and religious background.
“Due to the nature of this ‘hybrid’ family, it is a norm for Sarawakians to celebrate each others’ cultural and religious activities together,” she said.
As a result of such common practices, she said mutual respect and understanding are achieved naturally in the community.
Besides that, she said the Sarawak’s Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government formed Unit for Other Religions (UNIFOR) in 2017 to further encourage and promote understanding and cooperation between different religious groups.
“Sarawak is a fine example of how unity in diversity is formed through collaboration and togetherness instead of extra rules and restrictions.
“I therefore would like to stress that such new guidelines are utterly unnecessary, and in some cases totally inapplicable in the state,” said Kho.
