DEWAN Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today rebuked Khalid Samad (Amanah-Shah Alam) for interrupting Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

During the session on religious issues and developments on an atheist group in the country, Khalid made remarks seen as politically motivated.

“If we want to fight atheism, Muslims should be sincere about their religion, they should speak against injustice, reject corruption and embezzlement, and demand transparency in the 1MDB case… then only people can see it’s a powerful religion,” he said.

To this, Asyraf Wajdi said Khalid used religion a lot when he was with PAS, accusing the government of rejecting Islam and being secular but now that he belonged to a splinter party, he has abandoned his friends.

Hearing this, Khalid stood up to say that the deputy minister was being personal.

The frequent interjection incurred the wrath of the speaker, who warned Khalid that he would eject him from the house.

“I will consider whether what was said (by Khalid) is against the standing order. When YB Shah Alam spoke, I listened carefully but ultimately, a religious issue was being politicised with the 1MDB case.

“Asyraf Wajdi said he had to respond with a political slant as the accusations thrown against the government were baseless,” Pandikar said.

To a question from Siti Mariah Mahmud (Amanah-Kota Raja) on developments on the Atheist Republic Consulate of Kuala Lumpur, Asyraf Wajdi said the ideology was in conflict with one the principles of the Rukun Negara, belief in God.

“The federal constitution also states that the government can introduce legal provisions to curb any doctrine or belief that can threaten the Islamic religion.

“For non-Muslims, it goes against public order and morals and if there are parties trying to spread such ideology like atheism and to refute the sanctity of other religions, action can be taken under the Sedition Act.” – Bernama, November 23, 2017.