KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 27 — The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) must explain its expenditure and justify its demand for RM1 billion in annual allocations, said Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Sultan Iskandar.
The Johor ruler said he will have JAKIM provide details of its spending when the Conference of Malay Rulers meets next, noting that the federal Islamic agency has an obligation to report to the conference.
“I am curious to know — if it is true — why do they need a RM1 billion budget? Does it include allocations to all the states?
“During the next Conference of Rulers (meeting), I want them to show me their breakdown for expenses. I want to know if they are financing our religious schools here,” he said in an interview with the Sunday Star.
The Johor ruler said he will have JAKIM provide details of its spending when the Conference of Malay Rulers meets next, noting that the federal Islamic agency has an obligation to report to the conference.
“I am curious to know — if it is true — why do they need a RM1 billion budget? Does it include allocations to all the states?
“During the next Conference of Rulers (meeting), I want them to show me their breakdown for expenses. I want to know if they are financing our religious schools here,” he said in an interview with the Sunday Star.
We would all love to know too, but alas, HRH did not attend the recent Rulers' Conference.
Continuing with the MM Online article:
... the Johor ruler reminded JAKIM that the Conference of Malay Rulers was the highest authority on Islamic matters and that the agency’s function was only advisory.
“We are the heads of religion in our own states. JAKIM can give advice or propose guidelines but it is up to us whether we want to accept it or not,” he said.
The Johor Sultan also pointed out in Johor, fatwas or religious edicts issued by the Johor Islamic Council cannot be effective without his approval, and that he had questioned some of the fatwa issued by them before.
... the Johor ruler reminded JAKIM that the Conference of Malay Rulers was the highest authority on Islamic matters and that the agency’s function was only advisory.
“We are the heads of religion in our own states. JAKIM can give advice or propose guidelines but it is up to us whether we want to accept it or not,” he said.
The Johor Sultan also pointed out in Johor, fatwas or religious edicts issued by the Johor Islamic Council cannot be effective without his approval, and that he had questioned some of the fatwa issued by them before.
By the by, Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki a deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs and thus JAKIM claimed the RM724.6 million set aside for the JAKIM next year was not sufficient to combat “extremist” ideologies like the Islamic State (IS) but then JAKIM Director General said Jakim powerless to contain Islamic State threat, so WTF?
If you're unable to combat IS, please lah, don't waste my tax money.
But wait, according to Dr Asyraf Wajdi, JAKIM's remaining targets (besides IS which its DG confessed JAKIM is powerless to contain) are "liberalism, pluralism, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community".
Wah such dangerous threats! But is that what JAKIM's proposed RM1 billion is supposed to do. I have to admit I'm unimpressed and in total amazement that we have a RM1 billion-budgeted department just to combat "liberalism, pluralism, and the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community".
Sebentar bib tunggu dulu okay? I err because JAKIM has additional important roles, namely:
(1) Jakim urges Muslims to hold prayers for rain, and I suppose if successful a rain-making kit (like the UMP anti-hysteria kit) will be exported to the Middle East, and
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My dear Tuan Othman Mustapha (DG JAKIM) Sir, how about outsourcing? Cheaper lah. |
(2) JAKIM's halal hub division issues halal certificate for chicken eggs to avoid dubious elements in its cleaning and packaging process (just in case there may be porcine DNA a la the alleged Cadbury scandal recently).
Amazing, isn't it? Apart from eggs, I wonder what else will come under the scrutiny of JAKIM's halal hub division?
Maybe rice, salt, sugar, pepper, kunyit, etc?
Amazing, isn't it? Apart from eggs, I wonder what else will come under the scrutiny of JAKIM's halal hub division?
Maybe rice, salt, sugar, pepper, kunyit, etc?
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Thank goodness KitKat was not affected - I love KitKats and it would have jeopardized kissing sweeties |
Hey, wow, I am surprised and embarrassed to find that I agree with you ! wakakakka....
ReplyDeleteYou are mistaken to think that I criticise you automatically.
My stand on your posts is purely incidental, based on the issues at hand.
Somehow, my experiences have led me to socio-political views which are almost diametrically opposite to yours....wakakakakaka.....
Back to opposing you....
"If you're unable to combat IS, please lah, don't waste my tax money.".....I am pretty sure you pay your taxes to Canberra, and none at all to Putrajaya.....wakakaka...
Malaysia and Australia have a double taxation avoidance agreement, and if you are resident in Australia, you would only pay Malaysian tax on income actually earned in Malaysia e.g. if you live in Australia, but still earn income from business activities in Malaysia.
By the way, since you are an Australian taxpayer , you may want to insist on accountability from them....Errr...on the subject of state-sanctioned killing...I'm quite sure those RAAF F/A-18 Hornets are dropping something more lethal than leaflets in Syria, and they aren't dropping their payloads on empty buildings or empty vehicles.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for them to Fuck ISIS morning, afternoon and night, but just tone down the volume on opposing state-sanctioned killing.
Holier-than-thou hypocrisy is very annoying.
don't confuse war and its (nonetheless regrettable) killings with cold-blooded state executions of criminals already under detention and kept safe from society - the former may be argued as necessary for defence but the latter?
DeleteThe penalty imposed has to match the severity of the crime.
ReplyDeleteNo more , no less.
Always, the full and fair due process must be followed.
It is up to the society concerned to sort out what it considers "appropriate".
I don't support Holier-than-thou comparative judgements.
In the case of the most heinous of crimes, such as brutal murders, the most severe forms of penalty are called for.
Sociological studies as well as actuarial data show that if a person is killed in the prime of their life - age 25 - 55, on average 5 other people face tragic, life-altering consequences, - a spouse, one or two living parents, 2 to 3 dependent children.
So , a particularly heinous murder often does not only take a life, it has severe impact on multiple other people.
Life Imprisonment, as in true life imprisonment, where the person has no possibility to be released to be a free civilian, may be an acceptable alternative to capital punishment.
What I cannot agree with are the cases in Australia and UK, Europe where a brutal murderer gets released in less than 20 years. They may get freed still in their early 40's, plenty of energy left to build a normal life or even go back to lucrative criminal activity.
That is not justice.
(Tongue in Cheek)
ReplyDeleteJakim is the sole authority for issuing Malaysian Halal certificates for export.
For this, it has to act as an auditing and certification body, requiring extensive resources.
It is also the sole recognised authority for validating that imported "Halal" food is truly Halal , and contains no Porcine DNA, down to microscopic levels.
This requires costly, state-of-the-art DNA detection machines.
Jakim is also tasked with the responsibility to neutralise and roll back the spread of Homosexuality, Lesbianism, Bisexuality, and Transexuality among Malaysian Muslims.
It is a task of major magnitude as well as serious gravity.
In fact RM 1 Billion is not sufficient to carry out this very serious responsibility...
The more than a dozen "JA" agencies in Malaysia have built themselves up such that, because they are responsible for administering Islamic institutions , and are under the umbrella of the respective state Sultans or the Agong, criticising a "JA" agency amounts to criticism of the religion of Islam, and /or criticising the Sultan /Agong. Both of which are Seditious acts.
ReplyDeleteIn the face of that, we are all expected to be "JA"-men , JA being the German word for Yes.
They may have taken a clever leaf from the Catholic Church.
For over a thousand years, the Catholic Church held both Spiritual and, indirectly, Political power in Europe. To criticise the Church was equivalent to criticising Christianity, an act of Heresy, punishable by death.
In fact the Church was, and is, merely a collection of fallible human beings, they make mistakes, they have ambition, greed, jealousy, self-promotion, lust for power, lust for flesh.
The origins of the Secular state had nothing to do with Democracy or rule of law. Many rulers wanted temporal power all to themselves, and wanted to break the power of the Church. These were despotic kings, who plotted to restrict , erode and limit the Church's authority to the confines of only religious matters. All other power belonged to the King.
Democracy and universal suffrage only came much later, but these Despots laid the early foundations of the secular state.
Kassim Ahmad said (from Din Merican's blog) that Islam in Malaysia has been abused through a “priesthood caste” system.
Delete“This priesthood caste did not exist at the time of the Prophet or the four caliphs. They only emerged about 300 years later by appointing themselves as interpreter of religion for Muslims.”
He called on Muslims to return the Quran as the sole and highest source of information in Islam, and to reinterpret the Holy Book to suit modern times.
“I have said before that the Quran explains itself. The old method to use the hadith (Prophet’s saying and actions) to explain the Quran is not very good, as this means we are saying that the Prophet Muhammad knew everything. This is ridiculous, as he is just a Messenger of Allah.”
“They (Muslims) view their religious leaders like gods and goddesses, that these leaders are seen to be protected from maksum (protected from sin) and must decide on everything about their lives.”
We have also recently heard one Muft saying the Quran must be read in its original Arabic script, and that even without understanding the meaning of the Arabic words, the reader will automatically gain the blessing of Allah.
This is nothing more than the ulama's way of keeping knowledge of the Quran away from ordinary Muslims who do not understand the Arabic language and making themselves all the more important, in the way Christian (Catholic and Orthodox) priests had kept the Bible mysterious (and known only to priests) by its languages of use, namely Greek and Latin.
Kassim Ahmad has written some interesting and progressive analysis over the years, some of which have offended the Official Islam authorities in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteI feel he has also unnecessarily attacked and insulted people who could have defended him later. His attacks on Anwar Ibrahim , for example , were vicious.
Kassim Ahmad cut a lonely figure when facing his recent trial for "insulting Islam".
When they came for him, there was no one to speak up for him....