WHENEVER Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa is asked what it feels like to be in the government, and now, to be a minister, his thoughts always go back to his late father, Yusof Rawa.

“I’m sure he would have been proud to see the country in safe hands and me being there among the people.

“As a son, I would have kissed his hand and hugged him if he were still around. I intend to visit his grave soon,” said Mujahid, who is the youngest of Yusof’s 11 children.

Yusof died in 2000. He never got the chance to see his son’s rise in politics.

Mujahid was sworn in yesterday as minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs.

Admitting that it is arguably one of the more “challenging ministries”, Mujahid said he hopes to put some of his ideas on reform into practice, to try and arrest the recent rise in religious tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims, both locally and globally.

He wants Malaysia to be a model country that is progressive and inclusive, to combat the hatred and prejudices elsewhere in the world.

“All the ideals I have written about, the way forward for Malaysia, must be laid down in policies and practices.

“As a Muslim nation, global Islamophobia and the bad impression of Islam have to be addressed politically and at the international level,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

“I humbly accepted the post and hope that Islamic institutions in Malaysia can be modelled (as) the best in the world.

“I’m ready to take on the challenge.”

Mujahid, who is serving his third term as Parit Buntar MP, said he always aspired to see the country becoming great, and had dreams of becoming part of the government – but he never thought it would happen so soon.

“It feels great. It is such an honour, but I also feel the burden of responsibility. The victory was not ours. The people made it happen,” said the Amanah vice-president.

Long, hard journey to Putrajaya

The Penang-born Mujahid was one of the progressive leaders in his previous party, PAS. He coined its 2013 general election slogan “PAS for all”, which softened the Islamist party’s hard-line image and ultimately led to it gaining the support of non-Muslim voters.

He was the PAS leader who went around the country holding dialogues with Christians in churches, even when there were tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims over the “Kalimah Allah” issue.

Despite his interfaith work and the efforts of other prominent leaders, like former PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, the party’s hudud ambitions eventually led to the irreversible split in the now-defunct Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

In 2015, PAS severed ties with DAP and booted out all its progressive leaders, including Mohamad, better known as Mat Sabu, and Mujahid, in the party elections.

The progressive leaders then set up Amanah in September the same year. The splinter is now a member of the ruling Pakatan Harapan federal government.

Mujahid said his late father would surely remind him that he must remain humble and hold on to the principles of trust and keeping promises.

“Throughout my political career, I have seen sad and happy moments, and experienced losses and victories, as well as personal attacks and smear campaigns.

“But my wife, children, brothers and sisters all stood by me. They fell and rose with me,” said the 53-year-old politician, whose name means “a fighter who does not give up”.

Now that PH is in Putrajaya, the struggle continues for both Mujahid and his party, but in different ways.

“Amanah’s deep-rooted Islamic values of justice and freedom have always been its strength.

“We may have few MPs and assemblymen, but we are expected to excel and set a good example for the people.”

Mujahid said while the work ahead is challenging, he looks forward to the exciting trip ahead. – July 3, 2018.