Mujahid's aide gives The Star 24 hours to apologise over khalwat report

Updated 7 years ago · Published on 7 Oct 2018 11:54PM · 8 Comments

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Mujahid Yusof Rawa has given The Star 24 hours to apologise for allegedly misreporting his words concerning khalwat raids. – The Malaysian Insight file pic, October 7, 2018.

AN aide Mujahid Yusof Rawa is now demanding The Star newspaper make an open apology within 24 hours over reports that he had said there will be “no more night khalwat raids” or “banging down doors in the wee hours of the morning” to intrude into Muslims’ private lives.

Mujahid’s press secretary Siti Zulaikha Zulkifli in a statement last night reiterated that at no time during the exclusive interview between the minister and the paper did he make the statements as reported.

Siti Zulaikha said she too had scrutinised the interview and “I also found the minister never mentioned the words ‘no more knocks on the door in the middle of the night and no more breaking down of doors by the religious authorities investigating reports of khalwat or other alleged wrongdoings’ as reported.”

The October 6 report, which carried the headline: “No More Moral Policing” while the online version was: “No more night khalwat raids or intrusion into Muslims private lives, says Mujahid” sparked a furious debate among Muslim conservatives, religious leaders, Muslim civil society groups and politicians.

“Due to the headlines and what was reported, the news had gone viral resulting in a misunderstanding primarily among Muslims in this country,” Siti Zulaikha stated.

Mujahid had in an early morning interview with TV Alhijrah denied ever making such a statement.

He said what was reported did not come from him and even alleged fabrication when he told the TV portal “all of it must have come from the editors making their own summary of my statement”.

“Probably added by the paper themselves.”

“If we are suspicious, we will act but then again it will be within the confines of the law,” Mujahid said.

He did admit in the interview that he touched on issues committed in public and in private and the abuse of power by the authorities to break into a person’s personal, individual sphere which he said “does not reflect the Islamic values”. – October 7, 2018.

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Comments

  • It has been said I think that Turkey which is a predominantly Muslim country and a member of the European Community observes a more liberal form of Islam i.e. Turks do not see it necessary to pray 5 times a day (because it is impractical in this modern day and age of economic activity)? Neither it seems that they sacrifice animals, or sacrifice animals in view of the public? With Anwar and Turkish President reportedly being close, will elements of the liberalism practised there eventually find its way here?..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Self-inflicted absurdity.

    Posted 7 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply

  • A good Muslim should see the speck in his own eye instead of seeing the log in others. Otherwise conducting anti-vice raids is just being hypocritical. By the way did Prophet Muhammad ever conduct anti-vice raids. against others?

    Posted 7 years ago by Rupert Lum · Reply

  • Mujahid, please do not make this shameful matter concerning Islam into a national issue. The less spoken the better.Your enforcers have caned, jailed and disgraced the female half of the culprit while leaving the male participants to (indirectly) brag about his sexual conquest. Now you shamelessly want to continue with that action. Do something about the main connection of the road which connects 'centre point' in Bander Utama to Kota Damansara. A distance of less that 200 metres to connect to Kota Damansara has now become a journey of almost 10 KM all the way round the curve and the Club. It was a shame of the previous BN government. Is PH any better after more than 100 days of the so;called ;rule of law'

    Posted 7 years ago by Shaikh karim · Reply

  • Pakatan did not really expect to win this GE 14 in 2018. Give them time, and they must win again in GE 15 to build on reforms and consolidate to restore good democracy after many years of neglect of people and country..

    Posted 7 years ago by MELVILLE JAYATHISSA · Reply

  • Whar an irony! 24 hours of "Islamic Compassion" followed by 24 hours of threat for a newspaper to rescind its report. Could Mujahid not call for another press conference to clarify the matter instead of resorting to threat?

    Posted 7 years ago by Roger 5201 · Reply

  • This Minister is a useless thin skin.

    Posted 7 years ago by TJ Lee · Reply

  • Apologize for trying to make Mujahid look good? For a few brief heady moments the entire nation rejoiced - except for a tiny handful of hideous self-righteous religious hypocrites, no doubt.

    Posted 7 years ago by Antares Maitreya · Reply