KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 15 — The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and religious enforcement agencies must act swiftly and decisively to identify and address any activities of individuals exploiting Islam for personal gain or organisations that undermine the sanctity of Islam in the country.

Senior lecturer at the Academy of Contemporary Islamic Studies (ACIS), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Perlis, Dr Zuraimy Ali emphasised the importance of taking action to prevent the rapid growth of subversive movements that could threaten the faith of Muslims in the country, highlighting that such groups should not expand unchecked due to a lack of legal intervention.

Additionally, the intelligence units of both agencies must be mobilised swiftly to protect more Muslims from being ensnared by perverse elements that oppose Islam and by leaders who exploit religion for personal gain.

"All forms of religious deviations must be addressed promptly through stringent enforcement to prevent any party from exploiting Islam or spreading false teachings.

"In the past, several deviant teachings have been listed by religious authorities, either through the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) or the state Islamic religious departments. However, these movements continue to spread, often operating secretly on social media or illegally, making it difficult for religious authorities to detect,” he said in a statement today.

He was commenting on the recent ‘Ops Global’ police raids on 20 welfare homes in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, which led to the arrest of 171 individuals for allegedly exploiting children and religion.

In the raids, the police also rescued 402 children. A health screening conducted found that 13 of them were suspected of having been sexually assaulted.

Echoing Zuraimy’s sentiment, Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s Religious Understanding and Strengthening Division deputy chief Zawawi Mughni, urged Jakim to take a more proactive role in monitoring the rise of misguided and extreme ideologies in the country.

He advised Muslims to remain vigilant when evaluating ideologies, cautioning against falling into the trap of a narrow interpretation of Islam that certain parties may exploit for their own interests.

"If this ongoing indoctrination under the guise of religion continues, it will lead to a stagnant and closed mindset. Individuals will uncritically accept whatever is fed to them, rejecting differing opinions and advice that challenge their narrow understanding,” he said. — Bernama