Tee defends Jakim by insulting ‘Si Mata Sepet’ Paulsen

The controversial preacher also accuses a church of promoting hatred.

PETALING JAYA: Controversial preacher Ridhaun Tee has come to the defence of Jakim with a personal insult against its main critic, human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen.

In the latest instalment for his column in Sinar Harian, Tee calls Paulsen an “ultra kiasu” lawyer and “Si Mata Sepet” (a slit-eyed person) with a “white man’s name”.

“How could this slit-eyed ultra kiasu say that Jakim promotes extremism? How much does he know about Islam? How often does he listen to the Friday sermons?” he asks.

He says it has become apparent that Paulsen and others like him have become too bold and ill-mannered as they try to meddle in Muslim affairs, “whereas we have never meddled in their affairs”.

In the midst of his harangue against Paulsen “and his sidekicks”, Tee made a passing reference to Christian extremism.

He accused a church in Jalan Kelang Lama of “promoting hatred” with sermons that “not only are extreme, but a clear challenge to our national sovereignty”. He says the sermons distort Malaysian history.

Turning to Paulsen’s supporters, he questions their sincerity and condemns their belittling of Jakim and the government.

“They would go to any length to acieve their ultra kiasu objectives,” he says.

He maintains that none of the Jakim-prepared Friday sermons delivered in the past two months had any hint of extremism. “Among the topics were the building of a compassionate society, love of the Prophet as a basis for Muslim unity, the natural human tendency towards goodness, the prevention of corruption, the empowerment of zakat, the love of God, the empowerment of the Muslim community, the building of a Muslim identity, and challenges in the raising of families,” he says.

“Are these extremist topics?” he asks.