The Malaysian Government’s Silence on Covert Conversion: A Poor Start to Madani Harmony?

On 27 April 2024, Malaysia’s National Unity Ministry launched the Madani Harmony Initiative. To commemorate the launch, religious and political leaders have been and will continue to visit places of worship in several states until November 2024. Named the Harmony Trail, it serves as a “symbolic gesture of unity and solidarity among Malaysians”. National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang said the programmes under the initiative would be based on understanding, respect, and acceptance among Malaysia’s diverse communities.

With recent issues surrounding the 3Rs (race, religion, and royalty) causing tensions and even violence, Madani Harmony is a timely initiative in view of the Unity Government’s overall commitment to cultivating respect and compassion among Malaysians of all races and religions. Yet, the government’s silence on a Muslim preacher’s recent encouragement of covert conversion of non-Muslim minors to Islam does not give the impression that respect and compassion are foremost on its mind. If anything, the silence may be viewed as a continuation of the encroachment of institutionalised Islam on non-Muslims’ lives which began in the 1980s. This encroachment came in the form of changes to the law, and the centralisation and bureaucratisation of Islam in the form of the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (JAKIM).

On 2 June 2024, independent preacher Firdaus Wong uploaded on his social media platforms a video of a discussion at the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair. In this video, another preacher, Ustaz Adnin Roslan, claims to Firdaus that many non-Muslim students aged 14 to 17 years old have sent him messages expressing their desire to become Muslim. These students sought advice from Ustaz Adnin in secret, as they were told by others that they could not legally change their religion until they were 18. Ustaz Adnin then asks Firdaus for advice for these desperate students. Ustaz Adnin is an independent preacher with more than two million followers on TikTok, known for Tarbiah Sentap, an initiative targeted at Muslim youth looking for Islamic knowledge and advice.

In the video, explaining that the matter needs to be viewed from both an Islamic and a legal perspective, Firdaus says that according to Malaysia’s law, an individual would have no choice but to wait until their eighteenth birthday to change their religion. Yet, despite knowing this, he immediately contradicts this legal understanding, saying that Islam places no restrictions on the age at which one wishes to become Muslim. He adds that a religious authority should still facilitate the minor’s conversion but should not take any pictures or videos of the process and should not officially register their conversion. He then gives advice on how a convert may discreetly perform rituals such as prayer without their family knowing.

Such advice undoubtedly violates Malaysian law. Article 12 Clause (4) of the Federal Constitution states that “…the religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his parents or guardian”. The conversion of minors without parental consent is clearly illegal.

Unsurprisingly, a handful of civil society organisations have expressed concerns about Firdaus’ comments. The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) issued a statement on 10 June demanding the government to take action against Firdaus for his “immoral and sinister plan”. Similar calls were also made by the Malaysian Hindu Agamam Ani Association and the Global Human Rights Federation. This concern is rooted in history: Malaysia has a long line of cases of illegal conversion of minors to Islam.

While the outcome of the investigation remains to be seen, the silence from the prime minister and all his ministers does not reflect any real sense of commitment to the stated values of Madani Harmony.

In response, Firdaus said that he would not back down, likening those who complained to infidels waging war on Islam. He narrated the story of Prophet Muhammad’s cousin, Ali bin Abi Talib, who allegedly converted to Islam when he was ten. Firdaus narrates that Ali remarked, “When God created me, he never asked my father for permission. So why do I have to ask for permission from my father when I want to worship God?” Ali thus converted to Islam in the presence of the Prophet and kept it a secret until his father found out.

While Muslim historians might dispute this version of Ali’s story for being inaccurate, Firdaus’ use of it to justify his actions is anachronistic as it does not consider the different socio-religious and more importantly, legal context of Ali’s time and modern Malaysia. If anything, it is a gross misuse of religious history to justify acts which are not only illegal in one’s country but also disrespectful to one’s parents. This is ironic, since respect for one’s parents is a central part of being a good Muslim. It would have made more sense for Firdaus to uphold this value especially when dealing with minors.

Firdaus’ insistence on standing his ground and condemning his critics is unsurprising. He is known for his controversial remarks and an aggressive approach towards dakwah (preaching). He is active in online and offline dakwah and often posts videos of himself engaged in debate with non-Muslim passersby. He derogatorily refers to non-Muslims as kafir (infidels), fans the flames of divisive political rhetoric, and often files police reports when he sees a perceived threat to Islam. He takes inspiration from the controversial and internationally renowned preacher from India, Zakir Naik, who is also known for making derogatory remarks about non-Muslims. Firdaus is president of Multiracial Reverted Muslims (MRM), a Facebook page turned non-governmental organisation which he established in 2011 for converts to support one another and learn how to conduct dakwah.

Three weeks and several complaints later, the police announced on 25 June that an investigation into Firdaus’ comments has been opened. The case is under Section 505(c) of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which deals with statements made with the “intent to incite or which is likely to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community of persons”.

While the outcome of the investigation remains to be seen, the silence from the prime minister and all his ministers does not reflect any real sense of commitment to the stated values of Madani Harmony. Only one MP from Pakatan Harapan has spoken up, although he questioned the silence of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), and not the government. Given Malaysia’s history of illegal conversions, silence does not inspire confidence in citizens that the government is committed to decisively addressing problems which have long caused socio-religious and legal grievances among Malaysians.

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