Jamil Khir: Jakim says pluralism in Anwar’s London speech

March 24, 2011

Jamil KhirKUALA LUMPUR, March 24 — The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has confirmed that there were elements of religious pluralism in a speech delivered by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in London in March last year, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom.

He said the speech had elements that disputed the exclusivity of truth that is only found in Islam as it broached on subjects like the Transcendent Unity of Religions through the universal concept of sufism, equality of religions, Perennial Wisdom and Metaphysical Unity.

Jamil Khir said this when winding up debate on the motion of thanks for the Royal address in the Dewan Rakyat today.

He added that Jakim would continue to monitor such activities as the National Fatwa Council in 2006 and ruled that the concept of pluralism in religion and liberal thinking was against Islamic doctrines.

Meanwhile, Deputy Human Resource Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan when winding up her debate, said the country still needed to import highly skilled manpower. — Bernama