Jakim, Jamil Khir to seek audience with Johor sultan

The Islamic Development Department (Jakim) and Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom are seeking an audience with Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar.

This follows Sultan Ibrahim's royal rebuke towards Jakim, and Zamihan Mat Zain, a preacher under the department's employ.

"We (Jakim and Jamil) will immediately seek an audience with the sultan regarding Zamihan, who gave a ceramah touching on the Muslim-friendly laundrette," Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said in a statement today.

Earlier today, Sultan Ibrahim called Zamihan Mat Zin “an empty tin with no brains” for purportedly criticising him over his objection to having Muslim-exclusive laundrettes.

The monarch also ordered Johor’s Department of Islamic Affairs (JAINJ) to no longer have any dealings with Jakim.

After Zamihan’s speech became widely reported, he clarified that he did not mention Sultan Ibrahim in his lecture and that he held the Malay rulers in high regard.

However, as Sultan Ibrahim was the only ruler to have voiced such objections, it is unlikely that Zamihan was referring to anybody else.

Zamihan had also said that he has not worked for Jakim for 13 years, but Jakim later confirmed that he was still under their employ, though he had been seconded to the Home Ministry.- Mkini