WARISAN president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal has raised concern over what he describes as the growing trend of misrepresenting good deeds as political acts, following a string of recent incidents during Ramadan.
Shafie, who has been delivering short religious talks across Sabah throughout the fasting month, said his intentions had always been focused on spiritual reflection and charitable engagement.
However, some of his actions — including giving money at a Ramadan market in Sembulan recently and attending a mosque event — were cast as political manoeuvres rather than charitable outreaches.
“Sometimes even when I buy food — like in Sembulan — it becomes an issue. It went viral. I gave extra money — this is not an election. Just because I bought kuih, it becomes political?” he said.
Shafie said the kuih cost RM30, but he gave RM50, then added another RM10 as sedekah, or voluntary charity.
“But that too was turned into something else,” he added.
Shafie’s remarks also come in the wake of a last-minute venue change for a breaking-of-fast event initially planned for Masjid Petagas in Putatan.
Shafie was scheduled to deliver a tazkirah there on Thursday, but organisers were informed a day earlier that the mosque could no longer host the event.
A new venue was secured in Ketiau on the same day, just hours before guests were expected to arrive.
“I mean, like today — suddenly we had to change the location. This is not about politics. Doing good deeds — there’s no condition,” he said.
While he did not assign blame to the mosque, Shafie said the decision raises concerns over access to religious spaces and likely, public perception.
“I don’t want to make a big issue. That’s their right. Whatever it is, it’s their heart — they can do whatever they want. But sometimes there are outside hands involved… it becomes hard to find a place,” said Shafie, adding that this was not the first time he experienced such incidents.
Still, Shafie maintained his public speeches were not political and focused on Islamic teachings.
“I wasn’t talking politics. I wasn’t talking about Warisan’s struggle. I only recited verses from the Qur’an, shared stories about the people, the prophets… is that wrong?”
Although, he admitted that he does not hold formal religious credentials or tauliah, but said that should not disqualify him from sharing basic religious reflections.
“I know I don’t have tauliah. I’m not an ustaz. But I’ve been a policymaker for many years in this country.
“In Kuala Lumpur, for 30 years we passed religious laws at the federal level — we know the rules, the guidelines, and we follow them,” he said.
Further to this, he said he had instructed officials not to issue directives that might restrict religious events during his time as Sabah chief minister between 2018 and 2020.
“I told the State Secretary (at the time)— don’t issue circulars, don’t block people.”
He also noted the broader role of mosques, which he described as community spaces that should be open for religious education and social support.
“Even if it’s a mosque, it should be a place for people to learn Qur’an, for kids to learn how to recite… even about marriage — all that should be possible,” he said.
Shafie said he remained committed to continuing his outreach during Ramadan despite the criticism.
“Ibadat is not meant to be a burden — it is meant to uplift people in this country,” he said. – March 27, 2025
