Khalid Samad slaps speaker at Jais event with letter of demand

Amanah communications director Khalid Samad has threatened legal action against a speaker at a Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) programme.

The Shah Alam MP claimed that Kajian Strategik Islam Malaysia (Iksim) chief executive officer Mahamad Naser Disa made defamatory remarks against him.

Khalid said his lawyers have served Mahamad with a letter of demand that he retract the remarks made on Sept 28 at a mosque in Bukit Jelutong within 14 days.

"This (the remark) was clearly very political.

"The Sultan of Selangor himself has repeatedly decreed not to bring politics into mosques," the MP told a press conference at his service centre in Shah Alam.

Specifically, Khalid quoted an excerpt of Mahamad's presentation titled "Sovereignty of Islam in Malaysia threatened by spread of false doctrine" in which the Amanah leader was accused of going against proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 or Act 355.

“One of the reasons why Act 355 could not be amended was because the people (voters) in Shah Alam had sent (to parliament) an MP who objected to Act 355. So what to do? 

“I leave it to you (audience) whether you want to support or reject Act 355. If you do not support it, then you can send the same MP again (in the 14th general election),” said Mahamad, according to a video which Khalid played during the press conference. 

Khalid, who described the claims as false, pointed out that he had repeatedly explained his stand on the need to debate amendments to Act 355, which was tabled as a private motion by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang. 

Commenting further, Khalid also questioned Jais’ role in hosting the programme, which he claimed could promote intolerance and divisiveness, not only between Muslims and non-Muslims, but also among Muslims. 

“But I will give Jais the benefit of the doubt and send them a letter to seek clarification. 

“If Jais knew that this programme was organised in such a way and they still supported it, therefore I will take Naser’s statements as a part of Jais’ agenda, and also file a suit against them,” he said. 

Also present during the press conference was Amanah Youth vice-chief Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar, who said he had attended the half-day programme and stood up to question Mahamad’s remarks. 

“As a Selangor citizen, I felt that it was my duty to defend the Sultan’s decree (against politics in mosques) and protect Jais’ reputation from being used by certain parties to spread a dangerous doctrine,” he said. 

When contacted, Mahamad said he is still waiting to receive Khalid’s letter of demand.

At the same time, he also insisted that there was nothing political about the programme, and instead accused the participants who stood up to question him as trying to politicise the discussion. 

“I was only explaining Syariah law and referred to Act 355 amendments as a part of Syariah law. 

“The ones who stood up were members of a certain political party,” he said. - Mkini