Umno MP says interfaith guidelines unnecessary, denies being DAP stooge

Summary

• Umno's Tampin MP Isam Isa criticises the proposed guidelines for Muslims attending non-Muslim events.

• He denies being an UmDAP member when prodded by the opposition.

PARLIAMENT | Umno's Isam Isa (BN-Tampin) has criticised the recent proposed guidelines for Muslims attending non-Muslim events.

In his speech debating the king’s royal address, he told the Dewan Rakyat that national harmony was not a problem previously.

"Has society in Malaysia been living in an unharmonious state all this time?

"Things like this have never arisen before, why now?" he said.

An unidentified opposition MP was then heard interrupting Isam, mockingly asking him which party he is a member of as the speech seemingly belonged to a different party.

This led Isam to deny that he was a stooge for DAP.

"I am still with Umno, not UmDAP," Isam quipped.

UmDAP is a term used to mock Umno after the party became allies with DAP.

MP points to Constitution

Commenting further, Isam said that Article 3 of the Federal Constitution is the reason for national peace and reiterated Umno's stance to defend it.

Article 3 states that Islam is the religion of the federation but that other religions may be practised freely.

Last week, Terengganu mufti Sabri Haron said that the guidelines - which were scrapped - were essential to safeguard national harmony.

The issue arose on Feb 4, when Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Na’im Mokhtar said in a parliamentary written response that the government was planning to introduce a new guideline for non-Muslim events with Muslim guests.

The proposed guidelines included requiring event organisers to obtain approval from religious authorities if Muslims were present and ensuring that events did not contain elements that could offend Muslim sensitivities.

But on Feb 7, the cabinet decided that the guidelines were unnecessary, with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim saying that Muslims know their limits.

A day later, Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah also expressed his disapproval of the guidelines.

The Selangor ruler stressed that Islam, through the Quran, Sunnah and the teachings of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah followed by Muslims in Malaysia, has always provided the best guidance for generations.

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