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January 19, 2006
Malaysia: Neighbourhood "Spies For Islam" To Be Disbanded
Today's Khaleej Times reports that in Malaysia, the government has ordered that a voluntary spy-team created by an Islamic body should be disbanded, as its actions effectively invaded people's rights to privacy.
The Federal Territory Islamic Department in Putrajaya announced on Tuesday that it had formed a 75-member "Islamic Council Volunteer Squad" whose duty was to snoop on Muslim citizens and report their activity to the Islamic Department. They were to be on the lookout for Muslim couples holding hands in public and other "offences", hanging out in parks and other public situations, ready to snoop and report. They had not been given powers of arrest.
Yesterday, a government minister, Radzi Sheikh Ahmed, announced that Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Malaysian prime minister, had told his Cabinet that no group has the right to spy on people, and as well as banning the vigilante group, no similar body will be allowed anywhere in the nation. Radzi said "This involves invading people's privacy."
A similar plan to create an Islamic snoop-squad in the south of Malacca state had been rejected by the government last year. Mohammed Nazri Aziz, another minister, said: "For one, these people are not trained. You can't simply give any Tom, Dick and Harry the powers to spy and catch people." He added that police were perfectly capable of enforcing the law.
Tuesday;s announcement of the vigilante group caused widespread condemnation from government officials, lawyers and civil rights groups.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at January 19, 2006 10:04 AM
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