What godfather? Zamihan asks Khalid
Preacher Zamihan Mat Zin challenges the Amanah leader to reveal identity of ‘godfather’ or apologise, failing which legal action will be taken against him.
This comes after Khalid claimed in a press conference recently that Zamihan was protected by an influential leader, who he described as the preacher’s “godfather”.
“Ustaz Zamihan has his own ‘godfather’. This is not new. He shamelessly calls people ‘kafir’ (infidels), yet no action has been taken against him,” Khalid said.
In a statement issued today, Zamihan challenged Khalid to publicly reveal who this ‘godfather’ was or face the possibility of legal action being taken against him.
“If it is true I am protected by a ‘godfather’ as claimed, then I challenge the Amanah leader to reveal who this ‘godfather’ is.
“Khalid’s statement is not only an attempt to sully my reputation but is an opportunist move by him and the opposition in response to issues that have arisen,” he said.
Zamihan has been embroiled in controversy ever since he criticised the Sultan of Johor’s stance on a Muslim-only laundrette in the state, and described Malaysian Chinese as “unclean” during a religious lecture he gave at a mosque in Selangor. A video of the lecture that was uploaded on the Internet, went viral.
Zamihan was subsequently arrested for sedition on Oct 11 and released on Oct 14.
That same day, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar castigated the preacher, calling him “an empty tin can without any brains”.
The Johor sultan also said Zamihan’s style of speaking was vain and conceited “as though only he was right and could deride other cultures.”
Sultan Ibrahim subsequently instructed that the Johor Islamic Religious Department sever ties with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), the federal agency that hired Zamihan.
Meanwhile Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah of Selangor ordered that Zamihan’s preaching accreditation in the state be revoked.
In his statement, Zamihan said if Khalid failed to reveal who the “godfather” was, it would only prove that the Shah Alam MP was a liar and should then apologise.
“Therefore, I want Khalid Samad to issue an open apology for his malicious statement aimed at spoiling my reputation, failing which, I will instruct my lawyer to initiate legal action against him.”
Zamihan, who is also president of Pertubuhan Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah Malaysia (Aswaja), said his organisation struggled for Allah and not any “godfather”.
Zamihan protected by a ‘godfather’, says Amanah’s Khalid
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