Rejecting race is un-Islamic, says BTN man

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 19 — Pahang National Civics Bureau (BTN) assistant director Ahmad Shah Jamlus said rejecting race is un-Islamic and stressed that the religion and Malays are inseparable.

In the bureau’s blog, Ahmad pointed out that the creation of Adam and Eve implies differences in mankind as we are made of distinct races.

Ahmad said that the Quran says Allah has created nations and tribes and the most honoured are those with the most piety towards Allah.

“Therefore Malay and Islam cannot be separated. The first step in reaching a higher level of God-consciousness is established in the country’s constitution whereby under article 160 stipulates that a Malay must be a Muslim,” Ahmad wrote in an article, “Rejecting race or ethnicity is rejecting human nature,” on February 9.

Ahmad’s comments are bound to reignite fears that government has failed to revamp BTN.

The BTN, a state agency charged with running courses on patriotism for civil servants and undergraduates, came under fire last year for promoting racism.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration had promised a revamp of BTN’s courses following a widespread public outcry.

Last year, BTN deputy director Hamim Husin told to a Puteri Umno closed-door function that Malay rights is a mandate to rule the country.

Hamim had also made derogatory references to the Chinese and the Indian communities, saying each of their communities had only a vote each.