Hannah Yeoh says KL City Hall action at Bukit Bintang Street Dakwah site followed canopy complaints, not religious activities
PETALING JAYA: Kuala Lumpur City Hall enforcement against the Street Dakwah site in Bukit Bintang was due to public complaints about a canopy installation, not the dakwah activities, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh.
“The items (that were seized), such as chairs, folding tables, tents and trolleys were later retrieved by Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM).
“No religious materials were seized by (City Hall),” she said during the Minister’s Question Time in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Yeoh was responding to a supplementary question from Arau MPDatuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim, who sought clarification on the enforcement, including allegations of seizing dakwah materials such as pamphlets.
“I would like to correct the statement made that the new mayor seized the materials of MRM. This is slander, and we should think positively during the month of Ramadan.”
Yeoh said the City Hall officer on duty was so affected by online harassment on Facebook, stirred by sentiments from certain parties, that he had to deactivate his social media account.
“This saddens me because of the many perceptions being spread, which is not right.
“When enforcement officers receive complaints, they go out to the field and must carry out their responsibilities without fear and as civil servants, they serve honestly.”
Yeoh advised all parties to always assume good intentions and avoid spreading slander against one another.
She said the Federal Territories Department, through City Hall, supports all dakwah activities, as long as they are conducted in accordance with regulations set by the authorities.
She added that City Hall works closely with other departments and agencies, including the Islamic Development Department, Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department to ensure that events and activities receive the necessary cooperation.
