The group of eminent Malays says he may use religion to advocate for an Islamic state in Malaysia.
It was worried he may use religion to advocate for an Islamic state in Malaysia.
“We hope the ministry is not employing Zamihan in the belief that it takes a thief to catch a thief,” it said in a statement today.
“With his background, there is a risk that Zamihan may influence the detainees into the wrong path,” it said.
The group, which comprises former civil servants and diplomats, said instead of rehabilitating them to understand the multicultural diversity of the country and the need for Malaysians to show tolerance, he might promote extreme views.
“We believe this could be the case as Zamihan himself is an extremist by his words and personal conduct,” it said.
“The employment of such a person by the ministry, and paid from public funds, sends a wrong message that religious extremism is acceptable in our society and deserves to be rewarded if it helps to advance the government’s Islamic agenda.”
On Oct 11, Zamihan, who is an officer with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), was arrested for alleged sedition following a talk he gave at a mosque in Shah Alam on Oct 8 in which he supported a Johor laundromat operator who had set a Muslim-only customer policy.
A video of Zamihan’s speech went viral as it showed him criticising Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar of Johor over the ruler’s ultimatum to the laundrette in Muar to end its discriminatory policy.
Defending the policy, Zamihan also made derogatory remarks about the hygiene of Chinese Malaysians.
It was reported that Jakim referred Zamihan to its disciplinary board following his comments on the sultan.
On Oct 14, Sultan Ibrahim castigated Zamihan, calling him “an empty tin can without any brains”.
The sultan said Zamihan’s style of speaking was vain and conceited “as though only he was right and could deride other cultures”.
Two days later, the Selangor palace announced that Zamihan’s religious teaching credentials were revoked, and he was also removed from the state’s council to vet religious preachers.
Recently, Zamihan had criticised the management of a surau in Penang that had allowed non-Muslims to take shelter in the premises during the floods in the state last weekend.
The G25 also said Zamihan’s employment made a mockery of the government’s declaration that Malaysia was a model for moderation in Islam.
“When extremist preachers like Zamihan and Zakir Naik are given VIP treatment at the highest levels of government, the claim that Malaysia is a moderate Muslim country will ring hollow to the outside world and to our own people,” it said.
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