File photo of Mat Sabu speaking to the media. - Bernama
KOTA BARU: The previous government's plan to build a Saudi-backed King Salman Centre for International Peace (KSCIP) on a 16-ha plot of land in Putrajaya has been cancelled by the Pakatan Harapan Government.
Defence Minister Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, said the government has decided to cease the operations of KSCIP in Malaysia.
"KSCIP's temporary office at Menara HLA on Jalan Ampang was also ordered to be closed immediately," said Mat Sabu.
Former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had announced during Saudi King Salman Abdul Aziz's visit to Malaysia last year that they would allocate a large plot of land in Putrajaya to build the centre.
The Muslim World League, which is known to promote controversial Wahhabism and Salafism (a very fundamentalist and conservative form of Islam), is a key player in KSCIP.
Mat Sabu said the Malaysia Institute of Defence and Security (Midas), under the Defence Ministry, would take over the roles and function of KSCIP to check extremism.
The Defence Minister had announced the shutting down of KSCIP operations in Malaysia following questions posted by Batu Kawan MP Kasthuriraani Patto in Parliament on the status of the centre.
Kasthuriraani had asked if the centre would have any bearing on the government's initiatives to combat terrorism linked to groups such as ISIS and Abu Sayaf.
Mat Sabu had indicated 11 weeks ago, upon assuming office, that the project, aimed at checking extremism and terrorism, would be reviewed.
Parti Amanah Negara, which is led by Mat Sabu, had been critical of KSCIP even before Pakatan Harapan came to power.
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