00:00Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has called for healthy and constructive dialogue over the
00:06controversial Mufti Bill 2024. In an exclusive interview with FMT, Anwar acknowledged that
00:13while some criticism of the bill was valid, others were rooted in Islamophobic sentiments.
00:19There is a Mufti Bill which is now being hotly debated and critics have questioned the constitutionality.
00:28What would your response be and how would you say that the interests of all are still
00:33protected?
00:34Anything you mention about Islam, I would say partly Islamophobia. They are not able
00:41to differentiate between the extremist view, fanatical views and the need to promote Islam
00:48in a moderate sense.
00:51He emphasised that the polemic surrounding the bill can only be resolved through healthy,
00:56reasoned discourse that considers all perspectives.
01:00The vast majority of Muslims in Malaysia are reasonable and moderate people. So this sort
01:07of reaction is sometimes also unwise. But I think the answer to this is probably healthy
01:17discourse, reasoned discourse between all groups.
01:25The bill, set to be debated in the Dewan Rakyat this month, has drawn criticism for
01:29granting unchecked authority to religious officials.
01:34Perlis Mufti Asri Zainul Abedin warned it could stifle freedom of thought, while former
01:40law minister Zaid Ibrahim feared fatwas could become binding laws infringing on personal
01:45freedoms.
01:46However, DAP's Bangi MP, Sharid Zanjohan, argued that Zaid's concerns were misleading,
01:54saying similar provisions already exist in state law.
01:57He also said the bill would only apply to the federal territories.
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