TERENGGANU has long forbade politicians from preaching in mosques but the latest ban issued last week has officials stumped. 

They told The Malaysian Insight they have yet to receive official instructions from the Terengganu Council of Islamic Religion and Malay Customs (Maidam) to prevent politicians from preaching in mosques. 

A member of the mosque committee in Kuala Terengganu, who only wanted to be known as Awang, said the ban on politics in the mosque or surau is not a new thing.

“We are not clear on what Maidam is trying to say because as we understand the instructions, it is an old thing, not a new one.”

“However, so far we have not received an official letter or circular regarding the instruction.

“We are waiting for a letter from Maidam so we can understand this directive better,” he said, refusing to allow his full name to be published for fear of reprisal from the authorities.

Commenting on the ban against politicians from becoming imams or preachers, Awang said some mosques and suraus may have invited politicians from certain parties to preach.

However, he hoped instructions would be refined again, especially those involving the position of imam or bilal.

“We don’t want a situation where instead of a few, all are banned.

“Imams and bilals may hold positions in politics or may be biased to a certain party but they are well versed in Islamic teaching,” he said.

It is clear they do not want the ban to cause people to stay away from mosques.

“The only ones who play politics are the politicians, but its imams and bilals make mosques and suraus popular.

“We don’t want a situation where mosques or suraus become silent and there are no lectures because there are too many restrictions that people are afraid to be in attendance,” he said.

Kristal Mosque imam Wan Mohd Ridhwan Wan Azam said he could not comment further on the order because he had not yet received any official letter from Maidam.

“We haven’t received any letter from Maidam, so I don’t have the details yet. We are still not clear with the instructions,” he said.

He said Maidam would usually call the imam or a mosque under the administration of the state government to explain any new instructions.

Ridhwan said the mosque will only invite speakers from among elected representatives who are qualified to preach.

“Usually we will be informed first because we are a mosque under the state government. Every speaker we invite has credentials.

“As for programmes involving politicians, prior to this, we did have such speakers,” he said.

Mosques and surau in Terengganu are now the focus of attention after PAS openly hinted it would defy the ruling issued by Maidam.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang yesterday said party leaders will continue to deliver religious lectures in mosques as usual.

Hadi said the practice is not a crime because according to him politics cannot be separated from religion.

“We will continue to lecture as usual. We have to realise we cannot separate politics and religion when even the prophet talks about politics in his sermons.

“We are talking about Islam, and Islam has its own politics. Islamic politics requires us to rebuke things that are not right in politics or economics.

“If something is wrong, Muslims must be reprimanded,” he told reporters yesterday in Marang, Terengganu.

Commenting further, Hadi said this is not the first time PAS has faced such a ban.

The Marang MP said the same ban was issued within the state in the 1960s when Barisan Nasional controlled Terengganu.

“This is just a repeat of old instructions. Since the 1960s, we have faced it. PAS is used to the ban,” he said.

Hadi reportedly continued his morning lecture as usual last Friday at the Rusila mosque in Marang after the ban was issued by Maidam.

The order issued by Yang Dipertua Maidam Shaikh Harun Shaikh Ismail on Thursday prohibits talks involving politicians in mosques.

Politicians are prohibited from acting as preachers and Friday prayer imams, which is also enforced on activists, he said in a media statement.

However, he said there are exceptions for those with teaching credentials or with permission from Maidam.

He said the directive was to implement the order of Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, who was saddened because there were parties who defiled the sanctity of the mosque by delivering political speeches.

In addition, all administrators of mosques and surau must ensure that speakers, lecturers, teaching staff and invited Friday prayer preachers have credentials or approval issued by Maidam. – March 5, 2023.