Zahid (right) talks with members of Quran Text Review and Assessment (Lajnah Tasheh) Committee when attending a meeting with them in Putrajaya. — Bernama photo
PUTRAJAYA: The Printing of Quranic Text Act 1986 will be amended and tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this year to curb the abuse of its holy verses.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the Home Ministry had received input from members of its Quran Text Review and Assessment (Lajnah Tasheh) Committee that many shops and eateries were using Quranic verses as charms to boost their business.
In this regard, he said, the amendment was necessary to check the malpractice which could affect the faith of Muslims in the country, he said.
“According to Section 12 of the Printing of Quranic Text Act 1986, those who commit an offence could be fined not exceeding RM5,000 or jailed for not more than two years, or both.
“Following this light penalty, the members of the committee at a meeting (yesterday) unanimously agreed that the Act be amended and proposed that offenders be fined up to RM50,000 and jailed not exceeding five years, or both.”
He said this at a news conference after attending a meeting with the Lajnah Tashih Committee, here, yesterday.
Also present was Perak Mufti, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria.
The role of the committee is to view the Quran and ensure that the copies distributed to the public were genuine and error-free.
Ahmad Zahid said before amending the Act and tabling it in parliament, the ministry would meet with the Malaysian Islamic Development Department and Islamic religious departments nationwide to obtain their views and agreement. Subsequently, the proposal for the amendment to the Act would be tabled at a meeting of the Council of Rulers to get their consent, he said.
Also during yesterday’s meeting, the Lajnah Tasheh Committee discussed on prevention and action against the spread of the anti-hadith movement via monitoring of publications related to the interpretation of hadith in Malaysia. (Hadith: The collected reports of what Prophet Muhammad said and did during his lifetime.)
Meanwhile, Harussani said he backed the proposal to amend the Act because of the rampant abuse of Quranic verses by Muslims.
“For example, food outlet operators have abused the Quranic verses by using them as charms to boost their business.
“Some place copies of the Quran on the floor for sale, display Quranic verses in their dirty eateries and commit numerous other offences. The holy Quranic verses are a guide to life for Muslims and not to be used as charms and for display purposes,” he said. — Bernama