Sarawak Islamic department vetting non-Muslim teaching applicants

MM Online on the intrusive, meddlesome, vetting, vetoing powers of Sarawak religious organization:

KUCHING, March 2 — Sarawak DAP urged Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Abang Openg today to explain the rationale for the state Islamic department vetting non-Muslim applicants who want to be school teachers in the state.

“It simply does not make any sense for the Sarawak Islamic Religious Department to filter and approve applications from non-Muslims who want to be teachers,” Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen, who is also Sarawak Opposition Leader, told reporters.

Chong cited the case of a female applicant, Wong Wang Yuen, whose application to be a mathematics teacher was rejected after the Islamic department vetted her application a month ago.

She holds a master's degree in mathematics education from Sultan Idris Education University, graduating in 2013.

“Why must the department be involved in filtering her application when she is not a Muslim and she is not going to teach Islamic Studies, but mathematics?” the Bandar Kuching MP asked.

Sarawak DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen 

This is a frightening example of how Islamic ulamas in this country intrude into, interfere with and interdict non-Muslims' affairs which don't even have anything to do with Islam.

And you are telling us not to interfere with UDD355? Don't you think the first thing should be for Muslim clerics and leaders not to interfere in secular matters involving non-Muslims?

Ulamas in Malaysia have been the most meddlesome of busybodies who have the outrageous audacity to vet a non-Muslim's application to be a maths teacher when those clerics probably don't even know the value of pi, ...

Saudi mufti issued fatwa on flat earth 

... who ferociously apprehended a married Muslim couple by even disregarding their JAKIM-issued marriage certificate and who stayed back in the couple's room to ogle at the woman as she dressed up, ...

From FMT: KUALA LUMPUR: A husband and wife are taking the Federal Territories Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) to court for arresting them for khalwat (close proximity) despite them having a marriage certificate.

In the suit, Mohd Ridhuan Giman, 34, & Siti Sarah Maulad Abdullah, 26, said they were suing the department for wrongful arrest and invasion of privacy.

They also accused Jawi of abusing its power and violating the couple’s rights to personal liberty and freedom of movement under the federal constitution. [...]... even though Ridhuan informed them that his wife was not decently dressed, a male officer barged into the room.

This led to a scuffle between Ridhuan and the male officer, which resulted in Ridhuan injuring his neck.

“Ridhuan had on several occasions informed the Jawi officers that they were a married couple and had even shown them a picture of their marriage cert on a handphone. But the officers refused to accept the explanation.

“Instead, one of the officers instructed Siti Sarah to get properly dressed in front of him, while another male officer took pictures and a video of the couple.”

... who continued to harass innocent Nik Raina (of Borders) even when both the civil and syariah courts found her not guilty, ...

Nik Raina in tears from years of harassment 

... etc etc etc.

The Sarawak state government has pulled the wool over the Chinese Sarawakians' eyes (or has thrown Grade 1 pepper into them).

sarawak pepper 

The late Adenan put on a good show prior to the state election - maybe he was then sincere but his successor Abang Johari has failed Adenan's legacy kau kau by allowing such a irrational vetting process. 

UUD355 will not be the first intrusive step into non-Muslims lives. The Sarawak state government has already achieved that notoriety.

Read on and weep:

Chong, who is also the state assemblyman for Kota Sentosa, said all the talks by the state government leaders on education autonomy were just to make Sarawakians happy.

“Here, we have a real life example where a fellow Sarawakian who wants to be a teacher is being rejected by the federal government,” he said, adding that there could be many more cases of applications being rejected after being filtered by the Islamic religious department.

Chong said Wong, 31, had applied to be a mathematics teacher, upon learning from the state Education Department that Sarawak had a shortage of 600 teachers for critical subjects, including 64 vacancies for mathematics teachers.

He said the application was made through the government's e-recruitment system.

“To her dismay, her application was rejected when she checked her personal profile in the system. The ground of rejection was most absurd and it was by Jabatan Agama Islam Sarawak and the reason given was that the application did not meet the criteria after being filtered”

Be warned about the perils of allowing ulamas to be in secular authority. Be warned about the Sarawak state government.

Be afraid, very very afraid!

Hadi Awang warned about May 13 happening again if the Penang state government had had local elections

from 6 to 100, no wonder they don't like maths teacher  who can count