Jawi ordered to act over Quranic placard promoting ‘deviant lifestyle’ at rally

2026-03-12 - 09:04

A picture shared on X of the offending placard being carried at an International Women’s Day rally in Kuala Lumpur on March 8. (ustazahasmaharun Instagram pic) PETALING JAYA: Religious affairs minister Zulkifli Hasan has ordered the federal territories Islamic religious department (Jawi) to take legal action over a placard containing a verse from the Quran that was carried at a recent rally in Kuala Lumpur promoting “deviant cultures.” “This is not only insulting to Muslims, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, but also desecrates the Quran’s sanctity by interpreting the verse beyond its true context and meaning. “I urge everyone to study the Quran according to long-standing scholarly traditions and not to arbitrarily interpret it to the point of misrepresenting its true meaning or justifying cultural practices that contradict Islamic values,” he said in a statement. Harian Metro previously reported that the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) will lodge a police report against several women’s rights NGOs and a political party for insulting Islam and promoting LGBT lifestyles at an International Women’s Day rally in the capital on March 8. Pictures and videos of the placard in question went viral on social media, drawing criticism from Muslims and calls for the authorities to investigate the matter.