Najib says up to Selangor to solve Jais debacle

By Shannon Teoh

August 19, 2011

The prime minister insisted today that Umno had played no part in the Jais raid on a church. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 19 — The prime minister has refused to step into the fray over the raid on a church by Selangor’s religious authority, insisting that it is up to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government to resolve the crisis.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak also insisted that Umno had played no part in the Selangor Islamic Religious Department’s (Jais) actions, which has seen Christian and Muslim groups lock horns in yet another clash between the two religions.

“This is a question for the state, not federal. So the crisis must be solved by the state.

“How can Umno order them? Jais is under who? Not Umno. Umno cannot order them to do this. It makes no sense,” the Umno president said after chairing a supreme council meeting today.

Jais had said that it was acting on a complaint that Muslims were being proselytised at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) last week but the church has insisted that it was only hosting a local NGO’s thanksgiving dinner.

But PAS secretary general Datuk Mustafa Ali has alleged that Umno played a role in the affair and said he was ready to present proof to Jais director Marzuki Hussin.

Jais has come under fire from various parties and has been accused of trespassing but several Islamic groups have defended Jais, which has continued investigations into the matter and summoned 12 Muslims found at the event for questioning.

The furore over Jais’ actions is the latest in a series of issues surrounding Christians in the country whom hardline Muslims accuse of not respecting Islam.

A legal dispute that has yet to be resolved over the use of Allah by Christians led to the firebombing of places of worship at the beginning of last year.

The government was also forced to release 35,100 Malay-language bibles seized under the Internal Security Act before the April 16 state polls in Sarawak which has the country’s largest population of Christians.

Earlier this year, the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia also accused the DAP of conspiring with church leaders to turn Malaysia into a Christian state and install a Christian prime minister.

The Malay daily also reported this week that Muslim primary schoolchildren living in squatters in Jalan Klang Lama were being taught Christian songs and stories about Jesus.