HUMAN rights activist and lawyer Siti Kasim has ticked off Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for behaving as if he has nothing to do with the ‘leaked’ contentious proposed amendments to the guidelines on Muslim participation in non-Muslim festivities/funerals.

In fact, she doubted that the guidelines made public by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar via a parliamentary reply had not obtained consent from the higher-ups.

In other words, could somebody be indulging in the game of lempar batu sembunyi tangan (Malay proverb equivalent to “passing the buck”) or rather, could there be smoke without fire?

“We don’t know whose brilliant idea is this … there are people who claimed that these are the ideas of Na’im who want to show that he’s doing his work,” the Orang Asli advocate pointed out in a YouTube video.

“But the truth is nothing come out of thin air by itself … surely our PM or somebody (in high position) should be aware that the (proposed) guidelines would be made public.

“Even if assuming that the Cabinet or PMX is unaware, the matter can never be raised at all in the Parliament.”

Ramasamy offers his two sen

Siti Kasim was commenting on the Cabinet’s scrapping of the controversial guidelines yesterday (Feb 7) with PMX contending that there is no need to create guidelines on Muslim participation in the festive celebrations of other religions.

The decision will be presented to Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah who is also the National Council of Islamic Religious Affairs (MKI) chairman.

Echoing Siti Kasim is United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council chairman Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy who described as” troubling that Anwar was seemingly unaware of this proposal despite it originating from a department under his authority”.

“Did Minister Naim Mokhtar who is in-charge of religious affairs consult Anwar before attempting to bring the proposal to Parliament? If Anwar was uninformed, how did the proposal even make it to the Cabinet level?” wondered the puzzled former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II in a Facebook post.

“Such a controversial policy should have been halted long before it reached this stage.”

‘Over-obsession’

Siti Kasim further took offence with a subsequent statement by JAKIM (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia) that it has the authority to caution Muslims as to be careful of their conduct in order not to compromise their akidah (Muslim faith).

“What an obsession! Who do they think they are? Yet again they’re trying to play God as if they’ve the right to interfere in how we carry on with our lives,” she fumed.

“As a Muslim, I know my boundaries and even if I overstep my boundaries, then I shall bear the sins myself … I truly can’t fathom why JAKIM and the politicians think they’ve responsibilities in preserving our faith as Muslims.

“Please stop all these unnecessary guidelines or oppression in your quest to uphold institutionalised religion … don’t underestimate the intellect of Muslims or our ability to think.

“Allow us (Malay Muslims) to be a good human being in whatever manner that we deem fit so long as we don’t disrupt the lives of others.”

‘Non-Muslims to the rescue’

Interestingly, Siti Kasim also pleaded with non-Muslims to stand up for the rights of “oppressed Malay Muslims” in contrast to incessant calls by rightist Muslim groups that non-Muslims should not interfere in Islamic matters.

“As many rules and regulations laws have been drawn up to curtail their freedom, I hope my non-Muslims brothers and sisters will talk on my behalf to defend my rights.

“We can’t do it ourselves in our fight against these conservative extremists who think that they possess the right to control us.

“At the end of the day, we need each other … As much as I try to talk on your behalf, I harbour hope that you shall also rise up to defend the rights of Malay Muslims who are being oppressed by the nationalised Islam in Malaysia.” – Feb 8, 2025

Main image credit: Anwar Ibrahim/Facebook

The post Siti Kasim to PMX: Don’t plead ignorance as if Madani Cabinet is unaware of controversial guidelines first appeared on Focus Malaysia.