KOTA BARU: Menteri Besar, Datuk Ahmad Yakob, has hit out at quarters who called for the disbandment of the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
He said the department has contributed greatly to the development of Islam in Malaysia and should not be dissolved.
“I am of the same opinion with the Mufti of Kelantan (Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad) that the department must be defended as it (department) had done a good job in upholding Islam and its teachings.
“The department should be defended,” he said when met after the launch of the Tadarus al-Quran and Tadarus Perdana held at Balai Islam, here, today.
Ahmad was asked to comment on calls made by certain quarters for Jakim and other Islamic religious institutions to be dissolved.
Mufti of Pahang, Datuk Seri Dr Abdul Rahman Osman, had said that Pakatan Harapan should act swiftly to prevent the spread of the movement to abolish religious institutions in the country.
On a separate matter, Ahmad said the state government would consider re-appointing religious teachers and community leaders that had their services terminated by the government since two weeks ago.
“We will look into the matter and consider hiring them if they are qualified for the job.
“The leadership has changed but religious scholars are not being sidelined,” he said when asked to comment on the dismissal of 3,075 community leaders and religious teachers in the state.