Zamihan to seek clarification from Zahid after Home Ministry transfer

After his planned 'debate' with Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin was called off, Home Ministry religious officer Zamihan Mat Zin is now facing an immediate transfer to the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development's (Jakim) human resources division. His transfer, which Zamihan said was done without any reason, comes into effect this Thursday. Baffled by the decision, he said he would seek clarification from the ministry by meeting its minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. He said if his services were no longer required, he would not hesitate quitting the civil service. "I am being transferred and ordered to report to my new posting on the 18th (Thursday). I am not going to appeal. I will pray to Allah and the Prophet. They transferred me out without reason. "I will ask my boss, Datuk Seri Zahid first. If he needs my services at the ministry, I will stay on. If he doesn't, I will just leave... leave the civil service," he told The Malaysian Insider. Zamihan, who is also president of Pertubuhan Ahli Sunnah Waljamaah Malaysia (Aswaja), said he could still work as a preacher if he left the civil service. "I can still preach. We work for Allah, not for the people. I am also active with a non-governmental organisation's work. We have many programmes in line such as talks and curbing deviant teachings," he said. Zamihan had earlier revealed that a discussion on religious extremism featuring him and Asri was cancelled at the last minute, following "orders from the top". "Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim also knew that the debate on the 17th was cancelled because orders came from the country's top leadership," he said. However, he would not reveal who exactly gave the order. Zamihan said he suspected that the reason behind his transfer to Jakim was to shut him up. "The reason is somebody used his political power to pressure my department's superior so that I will keep quiet and not fight. "What I had wanted to say is the talk was to gain knowledge, an intellectual discourse. It is not my way to do things for my personal gains or over trivial matters," he said. –February 16, 2016. ]]>