Mujahid: Ponggal circular was on Muslim ethics, not properly crafted

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa today said the Education Ministry circular on Ponggal was intended to explain how Muslims should conduct themselves during the festival but the failure to properly word it had caused controversy.

"There are ethics on how Muslims will attend occasions of other faiths. That's normal and nothing strange.

"But the most important question is that why was the circular given, they didn't craft properly.

Then suddenly it becomes a problem. Who (is getting the heat) today? The Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim)," he told journalists after attending an event at the Finance Ministry in Putrajaya today.

Mujahid reiterated that Jakim was merely providing a religious view sought by the Education Ministry.

"Jakim has never banned any celebrations... Even in our letter to the Education Ministry, it was clearly stated that there are ways to attend the program in order to respect multiculturalism.

'As a Muslim, we are bound by ethics when we go to other people's occasion, be it a ritual or not," he said.

Mujahid said the "host" was the Education Ministry, which he said should have been wise in conveying its message.

"It was the Education Ministry that asked us (for our views). So the host should then be very wise to tell what we have discussed and when we have given from our point of view. We didn't ban (haramkan) any festival," he said.

On January 13, Education Ministry deputy director-general Adzman Talib issued a circular stating that Jakim's position on Ponggal was that it is haram (forbidden) for Muslims.

"It is informed that Jakim's 100th Syariah experts panel meeting which convened on April 8 and 9, last year, had decided on the ruling (hukum) on Ponggal festival for Muslims.

"Ponggal is a celebration for Hindus. Therefore, Jakim decided that it is haram for Muslims to participate in the festival, particularly in the practice of cooking rice with milk," he had said.

The circular also highlighted Jakim's guidelines on what Muslims should do if they had no choice but to attend the festival.

 - Mkini