Covert conversion: PN leader urges govt to bar preacher from public schools

 

A Perikatan Nasional component party leader has urged the Education Ministry to ban controversial Islamic preacher Firdaus Wong from setting foot at public schools, claiming that the latter poses a danger to non-Muslim students.

This followed Firdaus’ recent video where he spoke about converting non-Muslim teenagers to Islam in secret and without their parents’ consent.

According to Malaysian Indian People’s Party national information chief M Suthan, what Firdaus suggested was unlawful and insensitive towards the feelings of non-Muslim parents.

“Who says children between the ages of seven and 17 are allowed to convert (to another religion) without their parents’ permission?

“(This is) a dangerous and misleading 3R (race, religion and royalty) statement by Ustaz Firdaus.

“What’s next? Can we also marry these underage kids off without their parents’ approval too? Where do we draw the line?” he asked in a video posted on TikTok.

Confusion

Last week, Firdaus uploaded on TikTok a video where he advised another preacher on how to handle requests from teenagers to embrace Islam.

To this, Firdaus said the teenagers should be welcomed to Islam but their conversion must not be registered nor announced. He also shared some advice on how teenagers can practise Islam discreetly so they can keep it a secret from others.

Independent preacher Firdaus Wong

In Suthan’s statement, the politician said the school is a place to educate children and not a platform to covertly convert their religion, and said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek should take firm action by “barring this controversial individual from all primary and secondary schools.”

However, Suthan’s notion that covert conversions were happening in public schools was believed to have stemmed from a confusion caused by an earlier statement by an NGO.

In the statement, the NGO claimed that the preacher who asked Firdaus’ advice was a school teacher.

Malaysiakini checks found that the man was actually Adnin Roslan, a religious book author who is also an influencer with a huge following on TikTok.

In the video clip, Adnin was also heard saying that he was approached by several students wanting to become a Muslim, and it was after they were told by their school teachers they could only convert after reaching the age of 18. -Mkini