Shahidan lodges reports

ADUN Tambun Tulang, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim menunjukkan salinan laporan polis yang dibuatnya di Balai Polis Kangar. Shahidan membuat laporan polis berhubung memorandum Persatuan Peguam Syarie Malaysia (PGSM) dan kenyataan Penolong Pengarah Instituti Latihan Islam Malaysia (ILIM), Zamihan Mat Zain Al Ghani mengenai kenyataannya dalam akhbar terhadap bekas mufti Perlis, Dr Asri Zainul Abidin.

KANGAR, Nov 4 — Former Perlis mentri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim today lodged two police reports over a memorandum by the Syariah Lawyers Association of Malaysia (PGSM) and statement by a senior official of the Islamic Training Institute of Malaysia (Ilim) on former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin.

Shahidan, who is also an Umno supreme council member, was accompanied by former Perlis Islamic Religious Department director Md Sadik Ismail, several imam and about 200 of his supporters when lodging the reports at the Kangar police station.

He said PGSM’s memorandum sent to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on Oct 12 contained allegations against Asri, such as using an extreme approach in teaching Islam and always inviting controversies, to the extent of causing public uneasiness and fighting incidents in Perlis had also tarnished the image of the state.

On the allegation by Ilim assistant director Zamihan Mat Zain Al Ghari that Asri had falsified his syariah qualification, Shahidan said it questioned his (Shahidan’s) credibility as Asri was appointed Perlis mufti when Shahidan was the menteri besar.

He said it was shameful that the statement came fom a senior officer of Ilim, an agency under the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim), and that he was considering taking legal action against Zamihan.

Shahidan, concerned that such allegations could cause friction and disunity among Muslims, said he would seek an audience with the Raja Muda of Perlis Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail, who is the president of the Perlis Islamic Religious Council, over the matter.

He said there were those who labelled Perlis as a Wahhabi state when all along it had been practising Sunni Islam.