One hundred non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Selangor today handed to Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah a memorandum protesting against the administration of Islamic affairs in the state.

Some 200 representatives of the NGOs, led by Datuk Abdul Rahman Palil, handed the memorandum to the sultan’s naval aide-de-camp (ADC) Commander Ahmad Ramli Kardi at Istana Bukit Kayangan here at about 3 pm.

Abdul Rahman told reporters that, among other things, they had stated in the memorandum that the Pakatan Rakyat state government had misused mosques as venues for politicking in the administration of religious matters.

He said it was also stated that there was an increasing number of unauthorised people delivering sermons and giving talks in mosques and suraus in the state.

Abdul Rahman claimed that Pakatan Rakyat government intended to sack existing imams and officials of mosques and suraus though the period of their appointments would only end on May 2009 (for mosque officials) and May 2010 (for surau officials).
“The memorandum was delivered with the intention that what was happening would be rectified as the sultan is the head of religion in the state,” he said.

Abdul Rahman said the memorandum also protested against the unrestricted construction of houses of worship of all races without consideration for racial sensitivities.

He said the issue of “zakat” (tithes) was also mentioned in the memorandum because much of the aid from the Selangor Tithes Board had been deferred on the orders of the state government, and that the memorandum asked for a review of the aid hitherto given.