Again, uninvolved Chinese blamed for Perak surau demolition (actually a surau building replacement)

Fact-check: Perak surau demolition permitted by local fatwa body

Published: Feb 20, 2024 8:00 AM


A video believed to be a heated discussion over an eviction order for Surau Al Karahmah in Kampung Seri Keramat in Pasir Puteh, Perak is circulating online, along with claims that this is evidence of Malay oppression.

The video, which shows a discussion between villagers and representatives of a development company, is captioned to identify the developers’ representatives by their ethnicity.

The viral WhatsApp message also questions why Malay representatives in the Pakatan Harapan coalition are not speaking out against the alleged oppression of Malays.

However, neither the video nor the caption includes statements by local religious authorities who in the past week have come forward to clarify that the surau demolition was permitted by the Perak Fatwa Committee.

Perak Islamic Affairs Department director (Jaipk) Harith Fadzilah Abdul Halim on Feb 15 told Sinar Harian the fatwa committee allowed the 45-year-old surau to be demolished and replaced with a new one.

“In this case, the new surau is already built and all the surau equipment has been provided by the Perak Islamic Affairs and Malay Customs Council (Maipk),” he told the daily.

On Feb 15, some 100 residents tried to stop efforts to empty the surau to prepare for demolition. The tense situation was broken up after police arrived, Sinar Harian reported.

Even though the matter has been clarified by the local religious authorities, the viral video and accompanying message continue to stoke ethnic tensions online.


‘Chinese, pendatang, communists’

The caption also refers to the unrelated Federal Court judgment which nullified 16 provisions in the Kelantan syariah enactments found to be overstepping jurisdictions.

“Chinese people came with their lawyer wanting to demolish the surau, who knows how they got the land? This surau has been here for 45 years.

“After the syariah enactments are successfully challenged, now they want to demolish a surau. So who is the real pendatang here?” the message circulating on WhatsApp read.

“We’ve already said not to vote for the unity government of treacherous Malays and communists, but you didn’t want to believe it. Serves you right.”

Meanwhile, the same messaging appeared on TikTok, where a man described as a religious preacher expressed how he was disappointed that the religious bodies are siding with “kafir” (non-Muslim) developers.

This video received more than 100,000 views, but comments are divided between supporters and those who urge the villagers to accept the new surau.