Religious policing turning Malaysia into apartheid state, Zaid says

(MMO) – The country’s stringent religious policing, especially apparent during the fasting month of Ramadhan, is sending Malaysia towards apartheid, a former minister said.

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim added that Malaysia is now a “hudud country” due to how religious authorities were treating Muslims who flout Islamic laws.

“We are going down the road of South Africa’s former apartheid system, the difference being that many Afrikaners believed that they were a superior race by virtue of being white.

“In this hudud country we have discrimination too. The law takes a harsh view of Muslims who commit sins such as not fasting or not wearing the tudung. These ‘less Islamic’ Muslims get hauled to jail or counselling centres,” he said in his latest blog post yesterday.

He added that in a democratic nation, “lesser” Muslims should be allowed to practice their religion freely and not be prosecuted for any inadequacies.

“However, enforcement officers (who are paid by the state) regard themselves as protectors of the religion, just as many white South Africans once thought that it was their responsibility to defend apartheid as a lasting contribution to the preservation of the white race,” he said.

He explained that the Kelantan religious department’s cautioning women who do not wear headscarves and ministers’ barring Muslim restaurants from operating before 3pm were exactly why he deemed Malaysia as a “hudud country.”

“This is the trend of shariah-compliance in Malaysia. It’s sad that we have to show respect in a way that deprives stall-owners of the ability earn a living during this holy month.

“Welcome to hudud country!” he said.

In 2014, Islamic affairs minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir said Muslim-operated eateries should not sell food before 3pm during the Muslim fasting month, saying that those who defied the rule would risk punishment.

Last month, Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said that eateries promoting Ramadhan buffets without a halal certificate could be fined up to RM200,000.

Local daily The Star reported today that, in the five days since the fasting month began, 31 Muslims in Kelantan had been detained for improper dressing, such as not wearing a headscarf or donning clothes deemed too tight. Twenty-four were let off with a warning and the rest sent for counselling.

During the fasting month of Ramadhan, Muslims would eat before dawn and fast throughout the day, breaking their fast only after sunset.

Efforts are also underway to introduce hudud, the Islamic penal law, in Malaysia.