Penang Mufti Wants To Ban Pokémon GO “As Soon As Possible"
He said that numerous channels in Islam can help forbid the game.
By John Lim — 26 Jul 2016, 12:42 PM
While most Malaysians are eagerly waiting for the release of Pokémon GO, Penang Mufti Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor wants the game to be declared 'haram' with immediate effect
Speaking to Sinar Harian, Wan Salim said that through a research done by the mufti's department, the game's 'negative' outweighed the 'positives.'
“Therefore, we hope the National Fatwa Council will ban the game as soon as possible,” he was quoted.
He further said that numerous channels in Islam can be used to forbid the game. The ban will be done in the name of avoiding harm, and the maintenance of public welfare.
The channels are Sadd al Dharai (Blocking the means to evil), dar’ul mafasid (closing off the means that can lead to evil), maslahah ‘ammah (for public interest), and others.
Recently, IGP Khalid Abu Bakar said that the police would monitor the augmented reality game before deciding if it should be banned
"We will monitor the situation first before deciding if it should be banned. This is a game. If it is against the law, then we will take action. Otherwise, it remains a game," he said.
The collaborative mobile game between Nintendo and Niantic Labs is currently overtaking the world by storm. Making use of GPS and the camera of compatible devices, the free-to-play game allows players to capture, battle and train Pokémons through the real world.
The game is currently out in 27 countries. It is expected to release in the South East Asia region in the months to come.