JAKIM:No more billion ringgit budget? No more abuse of Halal logo? One less Towel Head in office?

PETALING JAYA: The Islamic development department (Jakim) will now be placed under the purview of the Malay Rulers. The decision was made by the Conference of Rulers, at a meeting held at Istana Negara today. Previously, the agency reported to the religious affairs minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and the prime minister as well. The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, was appointed by the Conference of Rulers to be chairman of the Majlis Agama Nasional, with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob set to serve as his deputy. The agency was established in 1997, and is tasked with managing Islamic affairs in the country.

Comment :

High time this happens. All this time, Jakim thinks it’s a law unto itself!

Rulers like Sultan Nazrin of Perak and the Yam Tuan of Negri Sembilan are very progressive Muslims and I’m sure they will keep Jakim in check and hold it accountable for its actions. And the Sultan of Johor had also made public his displeasure with Jakim over the Muslims-only launderette issue, and he had also demanded that Jakim’s finances be audited. I doubt that the majority of Rulers are pro-Jakim.

Actually, Jakim should not have existed in the first place because the Islamic religion falls under the purview of the Sultans and not the Federal government.

And the good thing about Jakim being under the Rulers is that it is unlikely to get the RM1 billion plus budget allocation because the states have no money.

It’s outrageous because even the health ministry which does a more useful job than stupid Jakim doesn’t get as much as Jakim. University hospital had to release so many researchers because their budget allocation was not sufficient to pay them. And these are people with PhDS. Jakim ustazs don’t even have SPM!!

DFN Ariffin.