Is PDRM taking over Jakim’s duties?

Questions about a police officer's involvement in an anti-Christian seminar remain unanswered.

COMMENT

Many of us would have been disgusted by the police’s involvement in a recent anti-Christian seminar organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) at its Malacca campus last week.

As if that was not shocking enough, the country’s top cop’s justification of a police officer’s role in the seminar will make your jaw drop.

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar has been quoted as saying that the police had the right to participate in any seminar that did not violate any law. “I want to ask,” he said, “what laws have the police and the organisers violated? We can be anywhere and we are always everywhere.”

According to Khalid, the police officer at the seminar was invited by the organisers to speak on the threats to security posed by Christian proselytisers.

“My proposition is that if the people who want to Christianise Malays also want to invite us to give our views, then let them call us,” a news report quoted him as saying. “The police are ready to give our views to these people. We can even provide tutors to teach them the Federal Constitution.”

He added that the police would continue to work with Islamic religious departments nationwide to fight the scourge of Christian proselytising.

Malacca police chief Chua Ghee Lye has acknowledged that a special branch officer was present at the seminar, but he said there were no immediate plans to launch a probe against the organisers.

Did the said seminar not incite hatred against Christians? Hence, shouldn’t the organisers be hauled up for investigation?

The police’s reason that “the seminar was meant for Muslims only” is silly at its best. Does that mean any group representing any community in the country can hold a seminar that incites hatred towards others as long as it’s carried out within four walls and attendance is restricted to members of that community?

Khalid should have demonstrated his professionalism by answering questions on the issue at hand instead of preaching about the right of the police to be omnipresent.

If the police are indeed everywhere all the time, why are people getting raped, robbed and shot in broad daylight?

Also, the police’s role, as we know it, is to maintain security and public order. Since when, and for what reason, did they wade into religion?

Are the police trying to take over Jakim’s duties? Shouldn’t UiTM have called Jakim officers to speak at the seminar instead?

Perhaps Khalid has forgotten that the police are paid to serve every Malaysian, regardless of race or religion.

But then again, this is the same police force that cleared protestors against the Taman Medan church cross of any wrongdoing.