Islamic Preachers, Missionaries Reminded To Always Adhere To Religious Ethics, Guidelines - Mohd Na'im

KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Dr Mohd Na'im Mokhtar today reminded Islamic preachers and missionaries, especially those operating independently, to always adhere to the ethics and guidelines set by the respective state religious authorities.

He said that the process of screening the background, character and qualifications of independent preachers and missionaries who operate without the recognition or supervision from an authoritative institution also needs to be strengthened to ensure the teachings delivered bring benefit, not slander.

"I would like to remind every preacher, missionary and individual who carries the image of Islam, especially independent religious figures, to always uphold good morals, integrity, and self-respect in accordance with Islamic teachings.

“Holding the position of a preacher is not a licence to exploit religion for personal gain or to engage in immoral or unlawful behaviour,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Mohd Na'im said the MADANI Government is also committed to strengthening a more structured, professional, and integrity-driven preaching ecosystem.

In this regard, he said, his office, together with Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (YADIM),  organised programmes such as Felo Muda Dakwah (FMD) and Akademi Daie Muda YADIM (ADMY), which focused on efforts to produce young preachers in the country.

"To date, 364 individuals have undergone intensive training under both programmes since they were introduced in 2014. This is part of the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs)’s ongoing effort to produce preachers who embody the values of a MADANI ummah," he said.

Commenting on a recent case involving an independent speaker suspected of disseminating sex videos, Mohd Na’im said the incident had serious negative implications, not only damaging the dignity of the individual involved but also tarnishing the image of the dakwah institution and undermining public trust in religious leadership.

He also urged the public to give the authorities space to conduct a thorough, fair, and transparent investigation and not to be hasty in making sweeping generalisations or judgments.

“At the same time, we must firmly reject the culture of public shaming one another, especially when it is driven by motives of influence-seeking or personal intention,” he said.

It was previously reported that the police had arrested a freelance preacher suspected of distributing several explicit videos and images allegedly aimed at shaming his wife and other women.

-- BERNAMA