‘No benefit to redefine Islam in Constitution’

However, Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad welcomes arguments for and wisdom behind Putrajaya's proposal.

PETALING JAYA: Redefining Islam in the Federal Constitution to specify that it refers only to the Sunni denomination will not bring any benefit to the country, Khalid Samad said today.

The Shah Alam MP said that the amendment would only declare “half of the Muslim population as non-Muslims” and strain Malaysia’s relationship with Iran and Iraq, which are Shia majority countries.

“I don’t see what is the benefit of such an approach or stand,” Khalid told FMT.

“Why do something unnecessary to strain the relationship with half of the Muslim world?” he asked.

However, when asked if he would be against the amendment if it was brought to Parliament, Khalid said: “Not necessarily”.

“I will still listen to their arguments and wisdom behind it,” he said.

“Why are we falling into the trap of American international policy of trying to bring the Sunnis and Shias into loggerheads?

“Those are the issues they (Putrajaya) have to answer. It has not been an issue all this while, so why make it into an issue now?” he questioned.

Meanwhile, Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli said the decision to support or reject Putrajaya’s proposal lay with top Pakatan Rakyat leadership.

“We will wait for the top leadership of Pakatan’s deliberation on this,” he said.

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said last week that his ministry would propose to insert the words “Sunnah wal Jamaah” in Article 3 of the Federal Constitution to specify the definition of Islam as the religion of the federation.

This was to curb the spread of other ideologies, including the much-maligned Shia branch of Islam, in the country.

Yesterday, Umno’s Saifuddin Abdullah said the definition of Islam in the Federal Constitution is sufficient without having to specify that it refers only to the Sunni denomination.

Saifuddin pointed out that even redefining Islam in the constitution would not guarantee an end to the debate regarding Syiah in Islam in Malaysia.