No force used in 'inspection visit', says Jais
In its first official statement since the purported raid on a fund-raising dinner in a hall located on church grounds in Petaling Jaya, the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) has denied that it raided the event and stressed that no force was used in its "inspection" visit.
In its first official statement since the purported raid on a fund-raising dinner in a hall located on church grounds in Petaling Jaya, the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) has denied that it raided the event and stressed that no force was used in its "inspection" visit.
"No force was used by Jais enforcement officers on that night... only after the event attended by 100 attendees was over, did the inspection take place inside the hall," said a statement issued today by Jais director Marzuki Hussin (right).
Marzuki said the “inspection visit” was only done to ascertain reports that Muslims were present at the “thanksgiving dinner” held concurrently with the breaking of the fast.
However, the statement did not mention if attending a dinner with non-Muslims was an offence, and if so, under which state Islamic enactment.
‘Wild allegations’
Marzuki said officers from Jais and the police negotiated with the organiser, NGO Harakan Komuniti, prior to the "inspection" and did not barge into the hall, as some parties have alleged.
He also said that they even cut short their inspection when they were ordered off the premises by organisers, who he said seemed to be “disputing the police and the department’s authority to enforce laws on Muslims”.
"Reports that Jais conducted a raid, used force and gate-crashed the dinner are all wild accusations," he said.
Marzuki explained that neither the police nor his officers exercised their powers to detain the organiser or made arrests.
“While for the 12 Muslims found to be in attendance, only their details were recorded, other than being asked to attend Jais counselling sessions,” he said.
Last Wednesday, the department’s enforcement officers, accompanied by police, reportedly gatecrashed the dinner in the Dream Centre, a hall located on the Damansara Utama Methodist Churdh grounds but separate from the church building proper.
Church and civil society leaders immediately bristled and attacked Jais over the alleged raid, calling it “high-handed”.
Selangor executive councillor Hasan Ali of PAS and several Malay and Muslim NGOs came to the Islamic authorities’ defence, citing concerns over Christians proselytising Muslims.
