Govt not onboard with proposal to elect religious minister for non-Muslims

LocalPolitics
14 Feb 2025 • 5:45 PM MYT
Media Selangor (EN)
Media Selangor (EN)

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PUCHONG, Feb 14 — The government has disagreed with a proposal to create a separate ministerial portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Department for non-Muslims, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

He added that no one in the Cabinet was onboard with the proposal.

“We already have a religious affairs minister, a unity minister, and a harmony committee that represents all ethnicities and religions in Malaysia. It’s more than enough.

“A ministerial appointment, if any, is the prerogative of the Prime Minister, and there’s no such plan,” he said when asked after performing Friday prayers at the As-Salam Mosque in Puchong Perdana here today.

It was reported that Raub MP Chow Yu Hui, when debating the motion of thanks for the royal address at Dewan Rakyat last Wednesday, proposed the ministerial portfolio in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) be divided into two — for Muslims and non-Muslims.

Yu Hui reportedly said the move is vital to strengthen unity and religious harmony in Malaysia’s diverse society while ensuring no one is left behind.

— Bernama