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Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia coalition defends Ikram over Islamic assault allegations

In a joint statement today, GBM’s Senior Executive Ibrahim Tajuddin and Programme Consultant Eugene Yapp (picture) slammed the allegations raised by writer Murray Hunter. — Picture by Choo Choy May
In a joint statement today, GBM’s Senior Executive Ibrahim Tajuddin and Programme Consultant Eugene Yapp (picture) slammed the allegations raised by writer Murray Hunter. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 21 — A non-governmental organisation (NGO) Gabungan Bertindak Malaysia (GBM) today defended Muslim group Ikram after the latter was accused of having Salafist leanings and trying to enforce “fringe ideas of Islam”.

In a joint statement today, GBM’s Senior Executive Ibrahim Tajuddin and Programme Consultant Eugene Yapp slammed writer Murray Hunter who wrote the article titled “Islamic Assault on Malaysia’s Higher Education”, saying that the allegations were unfounded as Ikram has been working diligently with fellow NGOs of multi-ethnicities and faiths to spread its Rahmah Nation concept.

“In working together with other members of organisation within GBM that are of different faith and ethnic composition, Ikram utilises the guiding principles of Islam to disseminate and educate the general public on a better and more prosperous way of life where one is able to find and understand themselves and the people around them.

“In this respect, Ikram’s vision of a ‘Rahmah Nation’ deserves mention simply because non-Muslim coalition members within GBM such as the Kuala Lumpur Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (KLSCAH) and others are able to stand together with Ikram on such goals for nation building,” the statement said.

The statement also elaborated on the numerous initiatives that Ikram, which is a founding member of GBM, has championed over the years, including the IMPAK BM initiative that helps B40 families from various multi-ethnic backgrounds.

GBM said Ikram has never shied away from collaborating with other ethnic groups, contrary to what was depicted by the article.

“It is in this respect that Hunter’s article has failed to achieve. Rather than spur educational reforms, Hunter’s article has brought disrepute as well as fostered further dissensions and suspicions with communities.

“To our agreement, our nation is not perfect, there is much that is not right with it and there exist the differences of expectations in terms of our national trajectory and even identities. But that is within the realm of dialogues, negotiations and most critically, in reaching out to all Rakyat that are of different languages, beliefs, practices and cultures that could be utilised to form the common understanding between Malaysians,” the statement said.

Last Thursday, Asia Sentinel alleged that former education minister, Maszlee Malik, appointed at least 26 university officials with Islamist leanings and who were aligned with him and Perlis Mufti Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin prior to his resignation as education minister.

Maszlee did not deny links with Ikram but dismissed claims he was carrying out the group’s agenda. The former education minister also insisted that he is committed to diversity amid allegations of proselytisation.

Yesterday, Ikram president Mohd Parid Sheikh Ahmad denied Hunter’s allegation and said the group supports the current government’s efforts to recruit the best and most competent Malaysians with high integrity to lead and manage the country.

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