“If they don’t get their salaries, they won’t have funds. They will take bribes – this is one of the reasons why such things happen,” he said.
Many seem to have misunderstood the job scope of their representatives, asking them to do work beyond their means or scope, he told a forum organised by Universiti Malaya’s international institute of public policy and management on religion and corruption.
“We want leaders to be free from corruption yet we also don’t want them to take salaries.
“Sometimes when leaders do not take their salaries, we think they are good leaders but we forget that they too have lives to sustain.”
He said people must therefore be more clear about the MP’s job scope.
“Sometimes we see some people – they want to play football (and need a field), they call the MP. They need money to send their kids to school, they call the MP. We have burdened them with work that is not in their scope.
“Some of them (referring to representatives) have robes, wear prayer caps (kopiah) and their religious outfits are extraordinary … they don’t call these bribes, they call them ‘gifts for umrah’ or ‘funds for korban (sacrifices)’ .
But in the end, the hukum still states that these are bribes.”
Meanwhile, on the topic of corruption within religious institutions, Asri said religious leaders in official positions and politicians tend to get close to one another to protect each other’s individual interests.
“This is a phenomenon that happens and we must understand that.”
He added that there was a need for more leaders who use religion sincerely, instead of in exchange for support for political mileage and positions.
“Even though they are in official positions, they must not hesitate to speak the truth and not be afraid of going against things that are cruel or wrong.”
Meanwhile, KJ John from the oriental hearts and mind studies institute said the authority over religion should be given back to the Sultans and the states.
He added that the billion-ringgit funding allocated to the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) should therefore be redistributed to every state.
“There has been a lot of wrongdoing tolerated by Jakim in the past, in my opinion,” he added.
“I am of the view that under the constitutional monarchy system, Islam must be placed under the states, not under a federal institution.”