WHY ARREST HIM NOW? "THE HIDDEN HANDS" THEORY

Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi, Director of JAIS said what Asri did was against Section 119 (1) of the Selangor Islamic Administration (Selangor) Enactment 2003 which carries a fine of not more than RM3,000 or two years jail or both.

Najib denies Govt involvement in Dr Asri's arrest

KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 2, 2009) : The arrest of former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin by the Selangor Religious Affairs Department on Sunday has sparked animated response from various quarters, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak defending the Islamic scholar as a person who talks "very frankly" and quotes Quranic verses.

In denying that the Federal Government was behind the arrest, Najib also questioned the motive behind the arrest by JAIS.

"The motive behind Dr Mohd Asri’s arrest remains unclear…it was done by the (Selangor) State government, nothing to do with the Federal Government," Najib said, after launching the 2009 Pasar Tani Convention in Putra World Trade Centre today.

The arrest also generated a debate in the Dewan Rakyat, with Gombak MP Azmin Ali saying the Selangor Government did not agree with the arrest.

Both backbenchers and opposition MPs criticised the arrest, saying Asri is an ulama and should not be treated like this.

Asri was detained by 35 Jais enforcement officers and 25 policemen as he was preaching to about 100 people at a private residence in Taman Sri Ukay, Hulu Klang, early today. Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin and Hulu Klang assemblyman Saari Sungib were present then.

Asri was expected to be charged today at the Gombak Timur Lower Syariah Court under Section 119 of the Selangor Islamic Administration Enactment for preaching without JAIS accredition at a residential property, but was instead released on bond.

In response, JAIS said Asri had been issued with several warnings to obtain accreditation from them prior to his arrest.

Its director Datuk Mohammed Khusrin Munawi said what Asri did went against Section 119 (1) of the Selangor Islamic Administration (Selangor) Enactment 2003 which carries a fine of not more than RM3,000 or two years jail or both. He said investigations are ongoing.

Umno Youth head Khairy Jamaluddin said in his blog he hoped Asri’s arrest was not due to provocation by parties uncomfortable with him, or a politically motivated move aimed at diverting the attention of the rakyat from the weaknesses of some people.

He said the arrest raised many questions, including why Jais chose to arrest him now when he had been giving talks and lectures, and sharing his opinions on his blog for sometime now, in addition to being a columnist in a local newspaper.

Khairy did not name the parties that were uncomfortable with Asri but a Malay daily reported that some parties were against a move to place him as head of the Islamic Da’wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim).

The Malaysian Syariah Lawyers Association amd 15 Muslim non-governmental organisations had accused Asri of insulting Islamic scholars Imam Ghazali and Imam Nawawi and that he rejected Imam Bukhari’s hadith. Asri has rubbished the allegations contained in a memorandum against him.

Ampang MP Zuraida said Asri's topic on Sunday was on the perspective of the new thinking on Islam and on going back to an unadulterated Islam as thought by Dr Hamka (Abdul Malik Abdul Karim Amrullah, a ulama, political activist and writer from Indonesia who is well known in the Malay Archipelago).

Zuraida described the JAIS officers as "rough, arrogant and obstinate and there was no room for reasoning."

Tim Leonard, Maria J. Dass and Husna Yusop/sun2surf/foto from Malaysiakini


APA KATA MEREKA