PUTRAJAYA: The government has reiterated that Islamic development department (Jakim) officers in government departments are not involved in policymaking, says Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil.
He also clarified that the move to place Jakim officers in government departments continues the government's policy from 2006.
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He said that the current Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, had mentioned this policy during his time in the previous government between 2006 and 2007.
“According to him, this was a policy implemented by the previous government,” he told the press after the Cabinet meeting at his ministry here on Tuesday (Sept 3).
Fahmi noted that Jakim officers were placed in various government departments to uplift the spirituality of the department staff, and they were not involved in policy consultations for the departments.
“So far, no department has received any new placement of Jakim officers.”
Fahmi also refuted the claims of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), which expressed concern over reports that Jakim officers would be placed in every government department to ensure decisions align with Islamic principles.
“It's inaccurate to say that Jakim officers are involved in policymaking. Such an allegation is uncalled for and baseless,” he said.
Fahmi noted that Anwar had directed the Unity Ministry and Prime Minister’s Department to meet with MCCBCHST soon to hear their views and state the government’s stance to clarify any misunderstanding.
On Monday (Sept 2), Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar said that while Jakim officers are placed in government agencies and departments, their roles are limited to organising Islamic religious programmes.
Quoting a Jakim statement dated Aug 7, he noted that the current federal administration under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had yet to decide to place Jakim officers in every government department.
According to the statement, this decision was made many years ago under different administrations from the 1980s until the early 2000s.
On Monday, the MCCBCHST issued a statement expressing concern over claims that Jakim would place its officers in all government departments for policy-making purposes.
The group also argued that Jakim’s role in ensuring government policies align with Islamic principles would fall outside the constitutional scope of the term “Islam” as interpreted by the courts.
“Jakim’s involvement in government policy-making may be unconstitutional as in the public sphere, only such Islamic acts as relating to ‘rituals and ceremonies’ are included,” it said.
