‘Understand context of statement to avoid confusion’
PORT DICKSON: Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has urged all quarters to review the statement made by Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa about “khalwat raids” in order to avoid any confusion.
He said the statement by Mujahid, who is minister in the Prime Minister ’s Department, should be seen in the proper context.
“We should understand the context (of the statement). We are not against curbing vice.
“We have to look at the law enforcement.
“Vice is still vice,” the PKR de facto leader said during a campaign trail at Padang Merdeka in Sri Tanjung here.
Mujahid, in an interview with a local daily, was allegedly quoted as saying that there would be “no more knocks on the door in the middle of the night and no more breaking down of doors by the religious authorities investigating reports of ‘khalwat’ (close proximity) or other alleged wrongdoings”.
The quote drew the ire and rebuke from state muftis concerning his authority, while several Malay Muslim groups condemned him as having taken a “liberal” stand.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Saturday also weighed in, saying that Islam did not instruct its followers to “go and hunt for people” and “needlessly find trouble”.
Mujahid later clarified that his statement was taken out of context.