KUALA LUMPUR – Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh today schooled Bersatu for allegedly accusing her of proselytising Christianity to Muslim youth through a programme initiated by a company affiliated with her ministry.
During the committee-stage debate on Budget 2023, Yeoh clarified that the initiative conducted by Impact Integrated, an agency affiliated with her ministry, to visit places of worship did not include any Muslim youth.
This was contradictory to allegations on social media and chat groups that she was using such programmes to expose Muslims youth to Christianity, said Yeoh.
Yeoh further explained that the organisation had organised a visit to a mosque on March 4 and a gurdwara on March 11, where all participants involved were non-Muslims.
The programme under Impact integrated is dubbed Impact Malaysia, where they hosted the Jom Ziarah program.
Allaying any further concerns on the matter, Yeoh also explained that the programme was not meant to create any perception that all religions are of equal status under the federal constitution, as alleged on social media.
Instead, the programme was meant to foster better understanding and tolerance of different religions among Malaysian youth, said Yeoh.
‘Don’t be hypocritical’
Yeoh then stressed that as an experienced elected lawmaker, she is well aware of Islam’s special status as prescribed under the federal constitution.
“As the former speaker for the Selangor state assembly from 2013 to 2018, and being the Subang assemblyman for 10 years, I’m aware of the laws that ban evangelism.
“So, slandering me to say that I am using agencies under the ministry for such purposes (proselytising Muslim youth) is extreme and is only meant to turn me into a punching bag to cover the faults that are allegedly done by their leaders,” she said, referring to Bersatu leaders being implicated in criminal charges related to the alleged misappropriation of government funds.
“I am not talking about PAS. I am talking about Bersatu, the one slandering me,” clarified Yeoh.
Yeoh also calls out the purported hypocrisy of elected lawmakers to play on racial and religious sentiments by pandering to their respective gallery yet would visit different places of worship to canvas for votes.
She then called out her “slanderers” to analyse the statement of PAS deputy president Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man who on October 2, 2018, stated that it was not wrong for Muslims to visit other religions’ places of worship, provided that they do not participate in religious rituals or wear religious garments tied to the said religions.
Hannah Yeoh also stated that allegations were extreme and were made to make her a political ‘punching bag’. pic.twitter.com/mK4SpAp333
— TheVibes.com (@thevibesnews) March 14, 2023
Similarly, she also cited an excerpt from PAS president Tan Sri Abdul Hadi Awang’s statement during his visit to a church in Miri, Sarawak in 2015 where he was reported as saying that the “exchange of ideas is interesting in fostering better understanding in a plural society, especially in Sarawak”.
“PN lawmakers, please confer with one another on whether you share the same views, before attacking your opponents.
“You (Bersatu) cannot say that (Muslim) youth cannot enter churches, but PAS says otherwise…this will create confusion,” she quips.
This led to Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin (Putrajaya-PN) standing up and reminding Yeoh not to conflate issues faced by her ministry with other matters.
However, Radzi was asked to sit down by deputy speaker Alice Lau, who asked Yeoh to proceed with her speech.
No more overlap
Moving forward, Yeoh also explained her ministry will no longer conduct programmes that overlap with other government ministries.
This comes after opposition lawmakers suggested that initiatives under Impact Integrated to promote better social tolerance be moved to the National Unity Ministry instead.
“When I first entered the Youth and Sports Ministry, there were other youth-led programmes such as those involving agriculture, entrepreneurship and even national unity.
“Moving forward from today, we will ensure that there will be no more overlapping of government programmes,” he said.
In response to the allegations, Impact Malaysia stated that its Projek Artikel 11: Jom Ziarah Gereja programme and a temple visit will be held between March 18 and 19 as their third and fourth visits of their ongoing awareness programme.
This program aims to expose Malaysian youth to the cultures and beliefs of various nations and to increase inclusiveness through tour and volunteer activities in the Klang Valley.
This was after it had already conducted its mosque-visit programme at Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan on March 4 involving eight non-Muslim participants contrary to the accusations hurled by other parties.
Impact Malaysia also confirmed that it had organised a visit to the Gurdwara Sahib in Shah Alam involving three non-Muslim participants. – The Vibes, March 14, 2023
