AN incredulous Johor prince today expressed disbelief at a Muar launderette’s “extreme” barring of non-Muslims from using its machines.

Tunku Idris Sultan Ibrahim said he was appalled by the discrimination in an Instagram post, accompanied by a picture of a news report of the launderette, which had a large Muslim-only sign at the entrance.

“Is this for real? This is too extreme. I’m appalled,” he wrote.

The post has received almost 5,000 likes.

The prince followed up the post with another one quoting the Quran exhorting Muslims to “speak good to people”. He pointed out that it  doesn’t say to “speak good only to Muslims”.

“Islam has taught me about tolerance and respecting people of other faith. Not about supremacy over others,” said Tunku Idris.

The religious authorities, meanwhile, appear to be in disagreement over whether such discrimination is right.

According to news reports, Johor Islamic Council adviser Nooh Gadut said Muslims and non-Muslims must ensure that the laundry is not mixed with “najis mughallazah”, or faeces of pigs and dogs, but Perlis mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said such “narrow-mindedness” led to extremism and made living in a multiracial society impossible.

The owner of the launderette in Muar maintained that he was doing his duty as a Muslim, even as pictures of the outlet went viral on social media last week. – September 26, 2017.