Na’im to meet MCCBCHST this Friday

KUALA LUMPUR: Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs), Datuk Dr Mohd Na’im Mokhtar, will meet with the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism, and Taoism (MCCBCHST) this Friday.

According to Berita Harian, Na’im stated that the meeting aims to discuss issues related to the placement of officers from the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM) in government departments and ministries, which have been opposed by the organization.

“I plan to discuss with MCCBCHST this Friday, possibly around 3 p.m.,” he told FMT.

Earlier, Minister of Communications and Government Spokesperson Fahmi Fadzil stated that MCCBCHST’s concerns regarding the placement of JAKIM officers in government departments and ministries, suggesting it might affect policy formulation, are unfounded.

He explained that no new placements involving JAKIM officers in any departments or ministries have occurred so far; instead, the agency’s officers present in several ministries are those who have been stationed there for a long time.

Fahmi mentioned that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has directed Minister of National Unity Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang and Mohd Na’im Mokhtar to hold a meeting with MCCBCHST soon.

Yesterday, MCCBCHST issued a statement opposing the proposal to place JAKIM officers in government departments, claiming it could undermine constitutional guarantees and human rights protected under Articles 5 to 13, which form the fundamental structure of the Constitution.

The statement was released in response to an article published by Daily Express, which quoted allegations by David Ong, Vice President of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), regarding the matter.

However, Na’im clarified that the purpose of placing JAKIM officers is solely to manage religious programs.