JD Lovrenciear questions Najib’s controversial choice of venue for performing a religious oath.
As the tides of the unsolved Altantuya murder mystery swept through the country in the face of an unexpected statutory declaration by one of the convicted police personnel now on death row, former Prime Minister Najib Razak raised eyebrows when he performed a sumpah laknat.
Najib took the religious oath at a mosque in the heartland of Malay-Muslim sentiment, Kampung Baru, on 20 December.
While all citizens, including Muslims, are entitled to exercise their freedom of expression and to subscribe to the teachings of Islam, why did Najib specifically choose the Masjid Jamek in Kampung Baru and not any other Muslim place of worship in the country?
Is it because he always performs his obligatory prayers at this specific mosque? Is it too far-fetched to ask if there is a strategic agenda to this taking of oath?
And why on a Friday which is the day where Muslims turn up in numbers to fulfil their religious obligation? Isn’t swearing in a place of worship strictly a private act of faith by a human being before the Almighty?
Or was it an opportunity to politicise a cause? Worse, was it a cunning means to rally support using the name of religion and the mercy of the Almighty?
Notably, the Federal Territory mufti has come out urging the Federal Territory Islamic Affairs Department (Jawi) to enforce laws barring sumpah laknat in mosques on matters of public interest or court cases.
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