Deal with morals of ‘wayward youth’, says MPF
by Nurul Nazirin
Feb 8, 05 3:49pm
The public outcry over the raid on a Kuala Lumpur night spot by the Federal Territory Religious Department (Jawi) has missed the bigger picture – the “moral waywardness” of youth, says the Muslim Professionals Forum Bhd (MPF).
In a statement signed by MPF chairperson Dr Mazeni Alwi, the group said it would like to see the discourse rise above the intensifying accusations against Jawi .
“We lament the moral waywardness of our youths, the social problems arising out of the loose sexual mores and their lack of (self-confidence)…,” said the statement.
“Yet the sensitivity of Muslims who make up the majority of the population has never been taken into consideration in this emotive affair.”
The Jan 20 raid earned notoriety after it was reported that Jawi officers had, among others, verbally abused the Muslim women, who were among 100 youths detained during the raid, by passing lewd remarks about their attire and taking photographs of them.
Contacted today for elaboration, MPF board member Dr Musa Mohd Nordin said “very little is being done” about the behaviour of youths, although many have criticised the religious officers for humiliating them during the operation.
Musa said the focus has been on issues of legality of the raid, human rights justifications, how future operations should be conducted, and why laws should be reviewed.
“If Jawi has conducted its operations badly, the officers should be disciplined. However, the misconduct of the youth will also need to be dealt with,” he said.
He noted that more should be done about the morality of youths, because this is not a one-off matter and the core issues have never been properly addressed.
Respect status
The group urged Malaysians, the government, community leaders and non-governmental organisations to be more reasoned and respectful of the sensitivity of others and the status of Islam as the official religion.
It also expressed support for a proposal by Women and Family Development Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, that future operations should involve women officials.
The MPF suggested that Jawi officials provide clarification in the face of allegations that they had mistreated those rounded up. If the allegations are proved, the errant officers should be disciplined.
In particular, the department should “protect and maintain the public image of Islam” within its powers of enforcement, ensuring that its personnel act in a more professional manner in carrying out their duties.
MPF is a local Muslim organisation that aims to promote Islamic studies and research, and to provide an Islamic response to the intellectual, educational, scientific and cultural challenges encountered.
The organisation was set up on July 23 last year by Dr Jemilah Mahmood, Farah Abdullah, Zainal Abidin Jamal, Dr Sarah Haniza Abdul Ghani, Mazeni and Musa.