Mahathir and his story on the mosques
Yes, a very impressive speech and advise to Malaysian Muslims. But the reality on the ground is very different from what Prime Minister Dr Mahathir is saying. And all these episodes I related are my personal experiences during the time when Mahathir was Malaysia’s Fourth Prime Minister. And Anwar’s office even tried to get the religious department to demolish Masjid Al-Mujahideen in Damansara Utama 35 years ago.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
(Astro Awani) – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad mengajak penduduk di negara ini untuk membangunkan masjid di kawasan masing-masing tanpa mengharapkan bantuan daripada mana-mana pihak ataupun pihak kerajaan.
Kata Perdana Menteri, beliau pernah ke beberapa negara Islam seperti Mahgribi dan Khazakstan yang mempunyai masjid yang sangat cantik dan indah. Menurutnya, semua itu dilakukan sendiri oleh penduduk tempatan. (READ MORE HERE)
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Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary, Dr Ibrahim Saad, asked the religious department to demolish this mosque
Let me tell you a story regarding mosques back in the 1980s and 1990s when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was Malaysia’s Fourth Prime Minister.
The residents of Damanasa Utama got together to build their own mosque, now called Masjid Al-Mujahideen, using their own money and not a single sen of the government’s money. In fact, the government offered to help with some funds but the residents turned down the offer. They did not want any government money.
Dr Ibrahim Saad, Anwar Ibrahim’s then political secretary in the Education Ministry, asked the religious department to demolish Masjid Al-Mujahideen because it was a private mosque and did not involve any government funding. The religious department summoned the mosque committee for a meeting to inform them about this directive from Anwar Ibrahim’s office.
Finally, nothing happened because they knew demolishing the mosque like what they tried to do in Memali would result in bloodshed (just like in Memali) and for 35 years now Masjid Al-Mujahideen has become a landmark. (Ibrahim Saad later became Penang’s Deputy Chief Minister and retired with the multi-billion Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) contract).
I was summoned by the Special Branch and threatened with detention without trial because of my involvement in this mosque in Rusila
Around that same time, in Terengganu, I was involved in three mosques — Masjid Kolam (Kuala Ibai), Masjid Rusila (Marang) and Masjid Simpang Empat (Cendering). We bought up the land surrounding the mosques and expanded them with a school, dormitories, a cemetery, etc.
The Terengganu State Government sent in the police to close down Masjid Kolam and Masjid Simpang Empat and, again, we almost had another Memali in Kuala Ibai and Cendering. (They did not dare touch Rusila, though, because they knew all the police would go home in coffins if they did).
I was summoned by the Director of the Terengganu Religious Department to be informed that the State Government was going to take action to close down Masjid Kolam, which I was the Chairman of.
Wan Mokhtar Ahmad, the Terengganu Menteri Besar, summoned me to his house at 7.00am where he informed me that the State Government was not happy regarding my involvement in the Cendering mosque and that if I am not careful they are going to take action against me.
I was the chairman of this mosque and three truckloads of police were sent to close it down
Haji Yusoff, the head of the Terengganu Special Branch, summoned me to his office to inform me that I was just one step away from getting detained under the Internal Security Act and the only reason I was still walking free is because my emak sepepu was the Tengku Ampuan of Terengganu (or the then Sultan of Terengganu’s consort). If not, I would already be in Kamunting.
Yes, a very impressive speech and advise to Malaysian Muslims. But the reality on the ground is very different from what Prime Minister Dr Mahathir is saying. And all these episodes I related are my personal experiences during the time when Mahathir was Malaysia’s Fourth Prime Minister. And Anwar’s office even tried to get the religious department to demolish Masjid Al-Mujahideen in Damansara Utama 35 years ago.
