SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today said PKR member of parliament R. Sivarasa has "crossed the line" for giving a speech inside An-Nur Mosque in Kampung Melayu Subang last week.
The sultan, in his decree today, also told off mosque officials who want to bring politics into the house of worship to resign and surrender their responsibilities to others.
Sultan Sharafuddin said this during his speech at the launch of An-Nur Mosque in Temasya Glenmarie, here this evening.
He said a mosque is a symbol of Islamic greatness and a holy place that connects God with His servants, and thus, those responsible must carry out their duties with dedication and ensure that all rules and regulations set by the state Islamic Religious Department (Jais) are adhered to.
"Every speaker or lecturer from outside must be referred to Jais to ensure that they are really qualified as well as practice teachings that are in line with Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah.
"I am very upset with the recent incident at Masjid An-Nur in Kampung Melayu Subang, where Subang MP Sivarasa had given a speech in the prayer hall, despite my repeated reminders against turning mosques into a place for politics, be it by a Muslim or a non-Muslim.
"I don't allow politicians to deliver ceramah or give speeches in mosques because I don't want the holy place to be a cause of disunity among Muslims.
"However, it seemed that my reminders had went unheeded, and I want to stress this -- Subang MP Sivarasa, you have crossed the line!," the Sultan said.
Sultan Sharafuddin said Sivarasa can speak for eight or 10 hours if he wants to, as long as it is done outside a mosque.
He said the power given to mosque officials is to take care of the house of worship and its sanctity, and that they should exercise their duties responsibly.
"Should among the nazir, Imam or mosque committee members who want to be active in politics at mosques, I decree them to quit from their posts and hand over their duties to someone else.
"I will not hesitate to get Jais to terminate their services if found to have violated or failed to adhere to the existing rules."
The Sultan also ordered Jais to investigate the case in Kampung Melayu Subang thoroughly, and should the authority find evidence that the mosque officials had violated the rules, action should be taken against them after Ramadan.
Meanwhile, Sultan Sharafuddin also reminded the people to always be careful of attempts by irresponsible quarters, who want to disrupt the peace and harmony and peace enjoyed by the people.
He said the spread of deviant teachings and beliefs would only confuse the people and lead to chaos if not tackled at an early stage.
"I was informed by the Selangor Mufti Department that there are 15 deviant teachings active in Selangor that require strong action by Jais and the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais).
"I hereby order all Imam, mosque officials and members of the society to report any deviant activities or teachings in their area. Do not only put the responsibility on Jais to curb such activities."
Sultan Sharafuddin said he also wanted religious figures and academicians to continue educating the people, especially the young, on true Islamic teachings.
This include the importance of preserving the Ahlus Sunnah Wal Jamaah teaching, so that the people of Selangor would not stray into the wrong path or get involved with extremist groups like the Islamic State.
Earlier, before he launched the new mosque, which was built with a cost of RM12.3m, Sultan Sharafuddin received a business tithe of RM27 million from Permodalan Nasional Bhd.
The event also saw the Sultan presenting contributions to 386 asnaf, including 80 hardcore poor and 121 muallaf.