Zam tells Mujahid to begin reforms by closing tahfiz schools

Mujahid Yusof Rawa, the new minister in the Prime Minister’s Department overseeing Islamic affairs, has been asked to close tahfiz schools as part of his “progressive” reforms.

Writing on his blog, former Umno minister Zainuddin Maidin made the suggestion after praising Mujahid for saying that parties “making use of” race and religion are no longer relevant.

“Such progressive views on religion shows that there is hope for the government to bring Muslims out from ‘jumud’ (backward) religious practices – which have for so long been championed by PAS and supported by religious types with no exposure (to the outside world).

“The first step must be to close all tahfiz schools in the country, which do not give any hope to the future generations of Muslims.

“I hope Mujahid remains brave and firm to bring Muslims in the country in touch with reality, in terms of the need to be dynamic and rejecting the synonymy of Arabisation with Islam,” he wrote on his blog.

Zainuddin also took aim at Umno’s defence of the son of former prime minister Najib Abdul Razak being spotted in Taiwan with a local actress.

“Don’t forget that Najib’s supporters, under the name Pemantau Malaysia Baru, have defended the son of the former premier drinking and gallivanting in Taiwan as being an individual right, and not relevant to the country’s affairs,” he wrote.

Taiwanese newspaper Apple Daily had claimed that Nazifuddin Mohd Najib was with Celia Zhang on Thursday afternoon, a day after his father had been charged in court.

At a pro-Najib rally last night, the Umno group Pemantau Malaysia Baru defendedNazifuddin’s actions, saying that it is his prerogative to do as he pleases as a private citizen.

Playing on the meaning of the word “pemantau” (observer), Zainuddin said the direction in which the country is heading has rendered the group irrelevant.

“It is Pemantau (Malaysia Baru) that should be banned, because it is not relevant to Malaysia that wants to make religion as the basis of its values. They are ’observing’ the haram, and made it halal.

“They are only relevant to Umno,” he said. -Mkini