KEDAH has summoned the vigilante Badar squad to explain its raids on hotels in search of allegedly promiscuous Muslims couples over the last two years.
“The Kedah Islamic Affairs Department will call them in soon to state that what they are doing is not right,” the exco for religion, Ismail Salleh, told The Malaysian Insight.
He said this could take place next week.
Before that, Ismail will meet members of the squad on Sunday, when they plan to submit a memorandum to protest against the recent incident in Kuala Muda where copies of the Bible in English and Tamil were allegedly distributed through residents’ post boxes and in the compound of a mosque.
“I will drop them a hint when they come to see me.”
Ismail said the squad’s action of taking couples caught in raids to a cemetery at night for counselling is wrong in the eyes of the law.
The squad cannot simply conduct raids, as such operations by law enforcement agencies have standard operating procedures that must be followed, he said.
“(Taking them to the cemetery) is wrong. It’s not the way of the new government, which holds to the concept of being merciful to all in creation (Rahmatan Lil Alamin).
“Even when knocking on doors during a raid, there is an SOP. You cannot just do whatever you like.”
State police have reiterated that they will act against squad members, but only if there are complaints against them.
Kuala Muda district police chief Azli Abu Samah said police will continue to monitor the squad’s movements.
“We will wait and see if there is any report (against them). Only then can we take action.”
He agreed that there might have been some officers who let off the squad due to their religious convictions.
“When it comes to religion, we want to prevent wrongdoings. Perhaps, the police officers who dealt with the squad were speaking from a religious point of view, and not in the context of the law.”
Badar squad founder and leader Azhaar Mohamad has defended its methods, saying members have caught “hundreds of couples” in the last two years, helping curb promiscuous activities.
The members, who are volunteers, work in groups of 20 to 40 men. They stake out budget hotels and parks almost every weekend in search of unmarried Muslim couples, and those caught are taken for counselling at the cemetery, with their parents’ permission.
Azhaar said the squad has approval from mosque officials.
Responding to outcry over the squad’s vigilantism, he said the authorities have never stopped it before, and questioned why there is criticism now.
Legal rights group Lawyers for Liberty said the Badar squad’s actions are equivalent to mob rule and undermined the law.
It also said police should be blamed for failing to act against the squad thus, making them complicit.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa said squad members should work within the ambit of the law, and that taking the law into their own hands in the name of Islam would just end up tarnishing their good intentions.
Mujahid, minister in charge of religious affairs, said he will discuss the matter with Ismail. – November 16, 2018.
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