Give Muslims credit for their faith, Zaid tells Saifuddin

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has slammed home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for his stance on the “Mentega Terbang” film, saying the minister should give Muslims credit for their faith.

(FMT) – In a post on X today, Zaid called Saifuddin’s points against the movie “banal”, saying there are “hundreds of movies on YouTube that can affect one’s beliefs if one needs an excuse to do so”.

“Religion is a matter of faith, and movies can’t change one’s faith. Does the minister wish to ban YouTube?” he said.

Zaid said there are passages in the Quran that clearly show that Islam encourages people to think and also accepts diverse views.

“Islam is like a white piece of cloth. You can follow the interpretations and teachings of conservative ulamas that have impoverished the ummah in the last 700 years.

“Or you can move forward and adopt the progressive methods and thinking of those responsible for the golden age of Islamic rule in Baghdad, Spain and Damascus,” he said.

Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Saifuddin as contending that “Mentega Terbang” promoted apostasy among Muslims and threatened public order in Malaysia.

He said this in an affidavit justifying the banning of the movie last year. He added that the film advocated religious pluralism and liberalism, which can cause Muslims to question their faith.

Saifuddin also said the movie incited public uproar when it was made available on a streaming platform last year.

“Around 30 police reports were lodged by Muslims throughout Malaysia against the film. On the whole, they were dissatisfied and opposed the film for contravening ‘Islamic faith’ and the Muslims’ way of life, insulting Islam, and affecting the sensitivities of Muslims in the country,” he said.

However, Zaid said the 30 police reports lodged against the movie “mean nothing”.

“In this country, you could get 300 police reports on anything harmless if you organised it,” he said.