Zaid slams Saifuddin's claim 'Mentega Terbang' promotes apostasy

Former law minister Zaid Ibrahim has slammed Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail for saying that the movie “Mentega Terbang” promotes apostasy among Muslims and threatens public order in Malaysia.

Taking to X, Zaid (above) told Saifuddin that religion is a matter of faith, and fictional movies cannot change one’s faith.

“There are hundreds of movies on YouTube that can affect your beliefs or change your faith if you want the excuse to do so.

“Does the minister wish to ban YouTube?” Zaid asked.

He was responding to Saifuddin’s contention in an affidavit that justified the banning of “Mentega Terbang” last year, alleging that the film advocated religious pluralism and liberalism that can cause Muslims to question their faith.

Questioning the rationale behind the movie’s ban, Zaid urged Saifuddin to shut out critics who raise issues by referring to verses in the Quran that support pluralism and liberalism, as well as encouraging thinking and accepting diversity.

“Islam is like a white piece of cloth. You can follow the interpretations and teachings of conservative ulama (clerics), which have impoverished the ummah in the last 700 years.

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

Rope in ‘intellectual’ ministers

Zaid then expressed disappointment with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s alleged failure to live up to the Madani or civilisational Islam principles he promoted in 2022.

“Muslims here are still denied the opportunity to experience a nation guided by a progressive intellectual Islamic leadership.

“Instead, what we have is more of the same: ring-fence Muslims from books, movies and everything that may make them experience the world as it is because their akidah (belief) is weak and fragile,” Zaid lamented.

Moving forward, Zaid urged Anwar to rope in “intellectual” ministers who are different from the PAS clergy, if he was serious about revamping Islamic society the Madani way.

“Mentega Terbang” tells the story of 15-year-old Aisyah, who in the face of her mother’s death, gets drawn into exploring the concept of rebirth as contained in other religions.

Her father is shown as having no issues with his daughter studying the holy scriptures of other religions in search of an answer.

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