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Malaysia not planning to follow Singapore’s move in banning 2 Islamic preachers

KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Tuesday (Oct 31) Malaysia has no plans to follow Singapore’s footsteps in barring two preachers from giving talks as they did not flout the country’s laws.

Malaysia’s deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says Malaysia has no plans to follow Singapore’s footsteps in barring Islamic preachers, Haslin Baharim (L) and Ismail Menk from giving talks as they did not flout the country’s laws. Screengrabs taken from Youtube.

Malaysia’s deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says Malaysia has no plans to follow Singapore’s footsteps in barring Islamic preachers, Haslin Baharim (L) and Ismail Menk from giving talks as they did not flout the country’s laws. Screengrabs taken from Youtube.

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KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said on Tuesday (Oct 31) Malaysia has no plans to follow Singapore’s footsteps in barring two preachers from giving talks as they did not flout the country’s laws.

His remarks followed comments by Malaysian cleric Haslin Baharin that he planned to seek an explanation from Singapore and did not rule out taking legal action after he was barred from entering the Republic to preach on a religious-themed cruise.

Mr Zahid said Singapore’s decision has no bearing on Malaysia.

“It is their (Singapore’s) right to do so as they have their own laws,” he said.

He said Malaysia has no problems with the presence of Mr Haslin and Zimbabwe-born Islamic scholar Ismail Musa Menk, saying that during their time in the country, they did not contravene any of its laws.

Neither did the duo say anything which caused conflict and disharmony in Malaysia, he added.

“We have no intention to stop them (from speaking) since they have not broken any laws.”

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said on Monday that it has banned Mr Haslin and Mr Menk — better known as Mufti Menk — from setting foot to Singapore after the authorities learned that the duo were to preach on an Islamic-themed cruise which will depart and end in Singapore from Nov 25 to 29.

The authorities had previously rejected the two men’s miscellaneous work pass applications to preach in Singapore, added MHA.

Mufti Menk has been banned from preaching in Singapore since 2015, while Mr Haslin’s work pass application was rejected earlier this year.

A work pass is required to preach in Singapore, but not on a cruise ship.

MHA noted that Mr Haslin has expressed views that promote disharmony between Muslims and non-Muslims, who he describes as “deviant”.

The ban comes a few weeks after Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam told Parliament that MHA is looking to tighten processes to ensure foreign preachers with divisive teachings do not come here to preach.

Mr Menk said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Tuesday afternoon that he had been asked by the organisers of the "halal cruise" earlier this year to be a part of it and he had agreed.

"My work permit issue with Singapore in Nov 2015 is common knowledge. Since then, I have had no issues coming into Singapore as a tourist," he said.

"To imply that I was using the cruise “to get around the ban by preaching instead on cruise ships which operate to and from Singapore” is erroneous. I have never been on a cruise before, let alone give lectures on board. This was purely for a humanitarian mission to Banda Aceh," he added.

"I will not be joining the cruise now for reasons not within my control."

Mr Haslin, popularly known as Ustaz Bollywood, said on Tuesday that he was in the dark over Singapore’s latest decision and will seek to understand the rationale behind it from the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) in the next few days.

“I want an explanation, what’s the rationale and justification that I allegedly promote disharmony between Muslims and non-Muslims,” Malay daily Harian Metro quoted him as saying.

“This issue has not only affected my name at an international level, but it has also affected Malaysia’s image.”

He planned to show Muis video recordings of the religious talks that he has given, and maintained that he was aware of local sensitivities. He claimed that he was always careful whenever he preached in countries like Singapore and Brunei where he will not touch on issues such as local politics and Shiaism.

Mr Haslin had previously been rebuked by Perak’s top Islamic leader or mufti because of his style of conducting sermons, in which he included elements of comedy and singing.

Expressing disappointment over the move to bar him from Singapore, Mr Haslin said he would not be able to visit his relatives.

“It’s OK if they don’t allow me to give religious talks because there are numerous requests for me to do so in Malaysia but I have a lot of family members I would like to visit in Singapore,” he was further quoted as saying by Harian Metro.

He said he has contacted a few parties allegedly with close ties to the Republic and these quarters have suggested that he take legal action if he felt he has been wronged.

“I am still considering this. I will wait for further explanations from the Singaporean government on their move,” he said.

“But I am ready to apologise if it’s true I encourage improper conduct.” AGENCIES

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