SHAH ALAM: Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali has neglected the welfare of the state Islamic Religious Department (Jais) employees by allowing budget cuts.
This was the claim made by Selangor Umno information chief Datuk Zein Isma Ismail, who said the Selangor government had come up with several regulations, including allowance cut and no overtime payment for Jais staff.
In lieu of overtime, Jais staff instead given an additional day of leave.
“This has caused anxiety among Jais employees. I personally heard their complaints. The staff are upset with the state government’s act of cutting allocations for the religious office, making it difficult for them to carry out their duties.
“They no longer get paid for overtime work, especially enforcement officers who work until night to combat immoral activities. Instead they are given extra leave.
“Likewise, the state government does not pay much attention to any suggestions and efforts to uplift religious offices,” he said in a statement today.
Zein, who is also Subang Umno head claimed that more than 6,900 Fardhu Ain and Kifayah (KAFA) teachers were promised permanent jobs, but the state government has failed to act on it until today.
“What is more worrying is when political power stand in the way of religious implementation, particularly when several fatwa by the state mufti were not in line with Azmin’s policy and administrative principles.
“This is what we have to endure under the DAP-led Pakatan Harapan coalition. What is the point of having a Malay Menteri Besar who cannot even defend and support the state religious department’s efforts?
“This is why I am urging the Malays and Muslims to wake up. They need to realise that they are in fact being ruled by DAP."
Zein urged Muslims in Selangor to look back on Azmin’s leadership since he became the state Menteri Besar to see if he had done any good for the Muslim community.
“Were any Islamic agenda made into a policy under his administration? The beer festival issue is enough to prove that despite being a Muslim leader, he could not ban the party.
“This goes to show that, regardless of who (from Pakatan Harapan) sits as the Menteri Besar or Prime Minister, they will have to bow to DAP’s demands since it is the strongest party in Pakatan Harapan.”
Zein added that DAP would obviously not be interested in any efforts to improve and implement any Islamic administration polices.
Jais director Datuk Haris Kasim when contacted merely said: “That’s a political issue. No comment.”