We know who you are and who you work for, Isma tells Ambiga, new Negaraku NGO

(Malay Mail Online) – Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) expressed its cynicism over a new movement launched by lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said today, saying it challenges the rights of Malaysian Muslims and Malays.

According to the Islamist group, the coalition called Negaraku is just a new front for humanist, liberal and religious pluralist movements in the country.

“You can put any name you want, we know who you are and who you work for,” Isma president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman said in a statement.

“Their agenda is still the same, their focus is to fight against Islam as the religion of the federation, and the sovereign right of the Malays in this Malay land.”

Ambiga and Samad, who were both previously co-chairman of the electoral reform watchdog Bersih 2.0, launched Negaraku earlier today.

The two touted the group as a “people’s movement to reclaim the country”.

It is chaired by Bersih steering committee member and vice-president of Muslim group Ikram, Zaid Kamaruddin.

Negaraku is endorsed by over 60 civil society groups and NGOs.

An Isma preacher had previously labelled liberalism, the philosophy founded on liberty and equality, as the manifestation of Satan’s struggle to mislead mankind.

The group had also attacked Ambiga in a series of campaign against the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) last year, claiming the lawyer as one of the alleged mastermind of the human rights lobby group.

Isma has accused Comango of trying to challenge the position of Islam in the nation and spreading “liberalism teachings” backed by Western powers.

The group has also consistently labelled liberalism, Christianisation, non-Muslim’s chauvinism and religious pluralism as threats against the Malay-Muslim community.