PETALING JAYA, 3 Nov: The state government respects the decision by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) to ban the non-governmental organisation (NGO), Sisters in Islam (SIS) and hopes that the controversy will be freed through a meeting between the two parties.
The Chief Minister of Selangor, Mohamed Azmin Ali, said that the meeting will open space for the parties to hear each other’s explanation.
“I have contacted the Datuk Mufti to get an explanation and suggested that there should be a discussion with SIS.
“This will not be solved through the media. As the Chief Minister, I will take on this responsibility so that both sides sit down and talk.
“We have to create this atmosphere to find a solution and not by coercion or pressure. It’s not healthy,” he said
He was speaking to reporters after the Muslim Democrats World Conference Dinner at the One World Hotel in Bandar Utama yesterday.
On October 31, SIS filed a judicial review against the MAIS ruling to ban the Muslim women’s group after realising it through a search through the MAIS e-fatwa website on October 20.
The ruling was gazetted in Selangor on July 31 without receiving public attention.
Yesterday, at a media conference, SIS stressed that they have the right to challenge the MAIS decision against them.
The SIS Program Manager, Suri Kempe, said that the NGO can take legal action because their freedom is obstructed.
Elaborating, Azmin said that SIS’ action to file the judicial review should be respected and it is up to the court to decide.
Meanwhile, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) de facto leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, in his reaction at the same event, also defended Mohamad Azmin’s stance and said that the Selangor government has to respect it because the decision on the ruling has already been made.
“In my opinion, the Selangor government certainly has to respect the fatwa decision, but that does not mean he (Mohamed Azmin) cannot provide his view to hold discussions with SIS.
“Therefore, we ask for MAIS’ consideration to provide room to hold discussions and a forum regarding this issue. In my opinion, a reasonable discourse on the matter should be developed,” he said.
NS