Umno, Perkasa slam UUM students’ inappropriate use of surau

Umno and Perkasa criticised students from Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) for allowing non-Muslims to enter the prayer room uncovered during a programme at a surau in Sintok.

Umno supreme council member Datuk Razali Ibrahim said the move was a clear violation of the sanctity of the house of worship and the students had failed to respect the sensitivity of Muslims in the surrounding area.

"We have to respect the mosque. In a mosque, there are regulations. Anyone from any religion too do not want to see their places of worship be treated in such a disrespectful way," the Muar MP was quoted as saying by Utusan Malaysia today.

It was reported yesterday that about 100 university students held a gathering at the Batu 15 surau but some of the non-Muslims students were said to be dressed inappropriately and even used the mimbar (a pulpit in the mosque where the imam gave his sermon) to deliver speeches.

Razali said action should be taken against those who deliberately flouted the rules inside the surau.

"Those involved should be punished and we have to make sure that they did not repeat this," he said.

Meanwhile, Pertubuhan Peribumi Perkasa (Perkasa) described the students' action as immoral.

"How can one enter a mosque and not be dressed decently? This only shows how low the moral of the students, in respecting Islam," said the Malay rights group's integrity bureau chief Ruslan Kasim.

"I just hope the students are not being used by some parties to realise their agenda to destabilise the country. They should think rationally before doing something," he said.

Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom said all parties should respect the sanctity of the houses of worship to avoid offending people of other races or religions.

"It was disappointing when non-Muslim students were seen not covering up while in the surau, and were not advised by fellow Muslim students to do so," he had said. – November 17, 2014.