Johor To Gazette Tmj S Decree Banning Use Of Mosques And Surau For Politics

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(From right) Johor Islamic affairs committee chairman Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid, Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Johor State Secretary Tan Sri Azmi Rohani at the briefing on the legal and administrative matters of the state religious department at Bangunan Dato Jaafar Muhammad, Kota Iskandar, Iskandar Puteri.
ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor government will gazette Tunku Mahkota of Johor Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim's decree banning the use of mosques and surau in Johor as political platforms, says exco member Mohd Fared Mohd Khalid.
The state Islamic affairs committee chairman added that the decree would go through the fatwa-making and gazetting processes before it was implemented.
“The Johor Islamic Religious Department (JAINJ) must first prepare a draft of the guidelines as a reference before it is presented to Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar to get His Majesty’s blessing,” he said.
He was speaking to reporters after a briefing on legal and administrative matters concerning the state religious department at Bangunan Dato Jaafar Muhammad here on Sunday (Feb 19).
The briefing was chaired by Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, and was also attended by MPs and assemblymen from Johor, including Ayer Hitam MP Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Bakri MP Tan Hong Pin.
Mohd Fared added that all the suggestions given by the MPs and assemblymen would be included in preparing the draft.
On Jan 17, the state government issued a reminder that politicians are forbidden to use mosques and surau in Johor as a platform for politics.
The order was in accordance with Section 96 of the Islamic Religious Administration Enactment (State of Johor) 2003.
“It should be emphasised that organising political programmes in mosques and surau should not be carried out, and action will be taken against any political party that contravenes this order,” said Mohd Fared.
Approval from JAINJ must be obtained before any activity in the form of religious talks, or usrah, or the sharing of religious knowledge is carried out in mosques, he added.
He said speakers on Islam or religious teachers who deliver lectures also need to be accredited and officially recognised by JAINJ.
“This decree emphasises that (contravening the decree constitutes) an offence... under Section 9 of the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment 1997 for contempt or defiance of religious authorities,” he added. - Star

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