PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has reaffirmed that the government does not restrict religious activities in the country, but stressed that such activities must be conducted in accordance with regulations and enforced transparently.
He said all parties must adhere to the law, noting that solutions may not always be straightforward.
“I was also involved in religious outreach activities in the past. But if people want to preach in a way that disrupts traffic… go ahead, preaching is not restricted at all, but follow the regulations. That’s all we ask,” he said at the Home Ministry’s monthly assembly and Ihya Ramadan event here today.
Also present were Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar.
Yesterday, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) said it would meet representatives of Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM) following enforcement action against the group over an unauthorised dakwah street booth near Jalan Bukit Bintang, in front of the Yayasan Selangor building.
DBKL said the non-governmental organisation had committed offences by installing a tent on a pedestrian walkway, a public space that must remain clear to ensure safety and smooth public movement.
It added that enforcement was carried out professionally and in accordance with the law to safeguard public safety, urban order and the proper use of public spaces, stressing that dakwah activities are not prohibited in public areas but must comply with local authority procedures.
The action drew criticism from several parties, including MRM founder Firdaus Wong Wai Hung, who reportedly said the group had conducted “Street Dakwah” at the location for 14 years with the knowledge of DBKL and the police.
He also claimed the group had previously been informed that a permit or licence was unnecessary as no sales were involved and traffic was not disrupted.
PAS Youth likewise opposed DBKL’s move, which involved 12 officers closing the booth and confiscating dakwah materials at the Bukit Bintang site.
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