PUTRAJAYA: The statement issued by the Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoists (MCCBCHST) that officers of the Department of Islamic Development, Malaysia (Jakim) who are stationed in a number of government departments and ministries are involved in policy formulation is unfounded.
Unity Government spokesperson, Fahmi Fadzil, who is also the Minister of Communications, said the officers were only deployed to help in terms of integrity and spiritual fulfillment in the government departments and ministries involved.
“So to hurl accusations that these Jakim officers are involved in policy issues in the ministry they are stationed in is far from the original target and goal of their deployment,“ he said in a weekly press conference at his ministry here.
He said this in response to the allegations issued by the religious group that Jakim officers will be placed in every government department to ensure decisions are in line with Islamic principles.
Elaborating on the matter, Fahmi said the policy of deploying Jakim officers was not new, rather it had been implemented since 2006 or 2007.
“The Minister of Defence (Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin) for example, who was in the Cabinet at that time and reminded the Cabinet now that the policy was announced at that time.
“The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar also reminded that until today, none of the ministries have received the placement of new JAKIM officers, meaning that if there were JAKIM officers in the past, that is the ministry that currently has a Jakim officer,“ he said.
Following that, he said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when chairing the Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya today instructed the Ministry of Unity and Mohd Na’im to hold discussions with the religious group.
Fahmi said it was to avoid continued misunderstandings even though the issue had been explained by Jakim on August 7.
Jakim in a statement on August 7 explained that the post of Jakim Islamic Affairs Officer was created in the ministry based on the need for the management of Islamic affairs in the ministry in line with the implementation of the Inculcation of Noble Values policy since the early 80s.
The policy was later known as the Inculcation of Islamic Values in National Policies and Public Administration (1985) and Islamic Work Ethics (1987).
The placement of Jakim officers began in 1982 as an attaché in London and Indonesia.
The next placements were in the Department of Agriculture, Department of Prisons, Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Home Affairs, National Security Council (MKN) including several other government agencies.
