An Islamic scholar today decried the absence and regrettable silence of ulama in the fight against corruption and bad governance in Malaysia.

NONE “Our ulama are occupied by red herring issues,” said UIA lecturer Mazslee Malik ( right ), adding that the issues played up are even detrimental to Malaysia’s multiracial society.

This, he argued, goes against Islamic traditions where past ulama as custodians of the faith were very much involved in the fight against corruption and bad governance.

Mazslee contended that the fight against graft is indeed part of Islamic teachings that should have been upheld by the ulama.

“It is part of syariah... Part of amar makruh nahi mungkar (enjoining good and fighting evil)... It is jihad (holy war),” he stressed.

He lamented that many Islamic scholars and religious authorities like the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) only see fighting evil as acting against khalwat (close proximity) cases and persons in possession of books they do not favour.

Evil, he believed, should include even bad governance and corruption and is something that all Muslims, especially ulama, should fight against.

Sadly he saw that not many ulamas are taking on this noble duty.

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