MUSLIM preacher Firdaus Wong has come under fire over a video clip of him talking to a teacher on how to convert secondary school students.

Global Human Rights Federation president S. Shashi Kumar said the video, uploaded on Wong’s TikTok account three days ago, has caused public outrage and criticism.

The four-minute video shows Wong and the teacher discussing the conversion of Forms Three, Four and Five students.

In the video, the teacher is seeking advice on how to handle such matters. The preacher advises the teacher to convert the schoolchildren by reciting the “kalimah syahadah” but not to take any pictures and videos or register the students because they are aged below 18.

“The advice or suggestions proposed by the preacher raises not only ethical concerns regarding the conversion of minors discreetly without parental consent but also whether such advice or suggestion would be against the laws of Malaysia,” said Shashi in a statement today.

He slammed the teacher for failing in his duty of care to the students in his charge.

“Engaging in discussions about religious conversions without involving parents is seen as breaching the trust and responsibility placed upon him as an educator,” said Shashi.

He said conversions must not be done surreptitiously as true faith must stem from genuine belief and understanding.

“It should not be coerced or manipulated in any way. By advocating for covert conversions, the preacher seems to be promoting a superficial and insincere approach,” said Shashi.

He said Wong’s recommendations were clearly unethical as they taught children to lie and engage in religious activities behind their parents’ backs.

“This raises broader questions about what values and lessons are being imparted to young schoolchildren.

“We urge parents to closely monitor their children, especially those still in school, to prevent such covert conversions from occurring.”

He added that many police reports had been lodged against Firdaus over his actions and statements in the past but the authorities had failed to take any action.

He said the authorities must take responsibility and thoroughly investigate the preacher.

As at press time, the video is still up on TikTok. – June 6, 2024.