Religious Officers To Be Given Guns For Protection. Good Idea?
Following the murder of Jabatan Agama Islam Pahang (JAIP) officer Ahmad Rafli, ministers are looking into ways to give better protection to religious officers nationwide. Among the suggestions is to give them guns.
By Mei Mei Chu — 13 Nov 2013, 04:14 PM — Updated almost 11 years ago
On 12 Nov 2013, Pahang Religious Officer Ahmad Rafli Was Shot Dead. The Murder Is Believed To Be By Followers Of Religious Cult 'Tuhan Harun'.
It is shocking because it is the first time ever that an Islamic enforcement officer has been killed by a gunman and it is ominous because it suggests that the worst shades of Islamic sectarianism in the Middle-East may be discolouring the landscape of Malaysia.
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On 12 Nov 2013, Pahang Religious Officer Ahmad Rafli Was Shot Dead. The Murder Is Believed To Be By Followers Of Religious Cult 'Tuhan Harun'.
Image via thestar.com.myFollowing The Assassination, Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom Wants To Give Federal Islamic Religious Officers Guns For Protection
Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom Wants To Give Federal Islamic Religious Officers Guns For Protection
Image via themalaymailonline.comFederal Islamic religious officers could soon be given guns for protection, a minister said today following the assassination of a Pahang state religious enforcer last week
themalaymailonline.com
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom proposed that Islamic Department enforcement officers be equipped with firearms while on duty.
“We want the safety aspect to be upgraded. The enforcement officers can be given firearms during operations or we can have more patrols at their homes,” he said.
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"Firearms may be issued while on duty but what about times when the officers are at home," he said.
"Jakim is looking at all these aspects, including regular police patrols at their homes to assure them of their safety," he said.
thestar.com.myMinister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said the move was in light of the recent murder of a religious officer in Kuantan.
"This is among the measures being considered to ensure the safety of the officers," said Jamil, as quoted by the Star Online.
Pakatan Rakyat Parliamentarians Say It's A Terrible Idea As Religious Officers Are Not Trained To Use Firearms
Proposing to arm Islamic enforcement officers over a shooting still under investigation was an overreaction that would exacerbate Malaysia’s struggle with gun violence, said disapproving lawmakers.
themalaymailonline.com
The Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians added the plan mooted by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom could bring no positives as it encourages gun culture in Malaysia.
themalaymailonline.com
“It’s a terrible idea. What would the rationale be for arming them? If you conduct moral raids, why do you need firearms? You are not going to catch gangsters or robbers. That’s the police’s job,” DAP’s Bukit Bendera MP Zairil Khir Johari said when contacted.
themalaymailonline.com
“These are not trained professionals. The police are trained to use firearms for law enforcement, but these people are not law enforcement officers,” he added, referring to religious officers.
themalaymailonline.com
A Few Days After The Suggestion Was Made, Terengganu Has Already Armed Its Islamic Enforcement Officers With Firearms
Terengganu has stepped ahead of the country and armed its Islamic enforcement officers, urging other states to follow in its footsteps even as a federal minister sparked a furore yesterday when he proposed the security measure in the wake of the killing of a Pahang religious official.
themalaymailonline.com
The east coast state’s executive councillor Ghazali Taib said it is important that officers who are exposed to life-threatening risks be protected.
“Terengganu enforcement officers are supplied with firearms for safety reasons.
“These measures will ensure their family members are safe. “I recommend they be placed in government quarters or placed in a secure area with security features such as having a guard. The area will be patrolled by police periodically,” the Terengganu MP said.
themalaymailonline.com