‘Jais didn’t follow raid SOP’
Describing the incident as an embarrassment, Khalid said Jais had failed to inform the state government before investigating the case.
He said the state allowed Jais to carry out it duties autonomously only for matters involving Muslims.
However, on matters involving other races and religions, he said Jais has to seek the opinion of the menteri besar and state executive council first.
“This is the third time (Jais has not informed the state government in non-Muslim enforcement activities) and we are resolving it (internally). I hope there is no fourth time,” Khalid said at a press conference after the weekly exco meeting at Bangunan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, here, yesterday.
He was commenting on Jais’ brief detention of a woman, Zarina Abdullah Majid, at her Hindu wedding ceremony on Sunday.
It was reported that Jais officers had interrupted the wedding at a Hindu temple after receiving reports that the 32-year-old bride could be a Muslim.
Checks on Zarinah’s MyKad showed that she was Muslim and Jais officers took her away for questioning.
The department acted under Selangor’s Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims), which outlines acts deemed to be proselytisation by non-Muslims towards Muslims, and grants Jais the power to investigate and arrest individuals without a warrant.
However, the bride said her father, who had abandoned her family, had registered her as a Muslim but she grew up as a Hindu.
The two earlier incidents referenced by Khalid were Jais’ raid on the Damansara Utama Methodist Church in August 2011 based on reports that there was an attempt to convert Muslims to Christianity and a raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) in January, resulting in the seizure of about 300 Bahasa Malaysia and Iban Bibles which contained the word “Allah”.
During the exco meeting, Khalid said Jais had informed the state government that initial investigations showed that Zarina had been registered as a Muslim by her father, but she had never adopted Islam’s teachings and ways of life.
“After a comprehensive discussion, Jais has stated their readiness in helping the woman solve the problem of her religious status.
“We have stressed upon Jais that it has to obey the standard operating procedures on enforcement operations and action will be taken against any officers who fail to do so.
“To protect the harmony between races and religions in Selangor, the state government regrets the incident and has ordered Jais to examine cases involving non-Muslims carefully so that such incidents do not recur.”
Khalid said weddings were special occasions that should not be spoilt and action would be taken against Jais.
However, he declined to elaborate, saying that it was an internal state matter.
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