KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) — Umno Youth wants the government to take stern action against the deviationist sect led by “Ayah Pin” in Terengganu, just like it did against the Al-Arqam and Al-Maunah movements.
Its delegate, Khazan Che Mat, said the activities of the sect led by Ariffin Muhammad could threaten national security.
Debating the motion on religion and education at the Umno general assembly here, he said there were already signs of this happening when a group of men rioted and set fire to the sect’s commune in Besut on Monday.
“The government must do something because I fear that if they are allowed to carry on, it will reach a stage that can affect national security…the government must also track down and arrest Ayah Pin immediately,” he said.
Khazan, who is from the Setiu Umno division in Terengganu, said swift action must also be taken to restore the faith of Ayah Pin’s followers.
Pahang delegate Syed Ibrahim Syed Ahmad said the ignorance of Muslims today had caused them to be easily influenced by groups like that.
As such, he proposed that teachers of religious and fardu ain classes be given better allowances and facilities so that they would be more committed to teaching.
“They are paid RM240 a month. In this day and age what can they do with that amount. That’s why they don’t have the spirit to teach and so grows a generation with poor religious knowledge,” he said.
He said that Umno, as the champion of Islam, should fight for better allowances and facilities for these religious teachers.
On education, Syed Ibrahim, who is from the Kuala Krau Umno division, proposed that the government introduce a parenting curriculum in the National Service Training Programme to teach the participants how to be good wives, husbands and parents and how to run a household.
Beaufort division Wanita chief Azizah Mohamed Dun urged the Education Ministry to give higher pay and incentives to teachers so that they need not work outside to get extra income at the expense of their primary duty as educators.
She urged Umno to set up an integrity institute at the party level to tackle problems like political corruption.
“We don’t want Umno members to become a laughing stock with outsiders questioning why we in Umno talk about (curbing) corruption and yet practise it,” she said.
She also called on the government to draw up a guideline to protect women from injustice from men and to place more women in strategic government agencies and bodies.