Pahang to continue khalwat raids despite what minister Mujahid says about curbing them

PEKAN: Pahang will continue with anti-vice operations, including raids at residences and hotels, to prevent "immoral activities", said the Regent of Pahang, Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah (pic).

He said what was important was to ensure actions taken by the enforcement team were not done hastily, but in accordance with the law and regulations, such as getting the approval of the police and the local authorities.

Tengku Abdullah said this in response to a media report on a statement by Religious Minister Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa that there would be no more night khalwat raids or intrusion into Muslims’ private lives.

The minister was quoted as saying that there would be no more "knocks on the door in the middle of the night" and no more "breaking down of doors" by religious authorities investigating reports of khalwat or other alleged wrongdoings.

“That is the view of the minister concerned, but at the state-level, particularly Pahang, we will continue (with the enforcement) to curb shariah crime,” he said after opening a chess workshop for school students here today.

Tengku Abdullah, who is also the Pahang Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MUIP) president, said more awareness programmes would be organised to prevent the public from committing shariah offences.

“This programme is more apt, in fact better than punishment. We want to educate, and not only penalise them (offenders).

“Hopefully, it will make the young people more religious abiding, as well as make them stay away from vice or other shariah offences,’ he added. — Bernama