The Pahang Islamic and Malay Customs Council (Muip) has disallowed hotel proprietors in the state from placing copies of the Bible or any religious reading materials of other religions other than Islam in their rooms.
The Malaysian Insider reports that Muip deputy president Datuk Seri Wan Abdul Wahid Wan Hassan said a letter of prohibition on the matter had been sent out to 147 hotels across Pahang since March 6, and that any hotels defying the directive would be subject to legal action.
He said, “The letter of prohibition was issued under the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Among Muslims Enactment 1989, in line with Article 11 (4) of the Federal Constitution.
“With that, a non-Muslim or the hotel management is prohibited from placing the Bible or any material or document relating to a non-Islamic religion in public reading rooms, especially in the hotel rooms. If such materials have been placed there, these must be removed immediately.”
Wan Abdul Wahid said the act of placing religious reading materials in hotel rooms could be construed as an act of proselytising to Muslims.
If convicted, those who flout the directive could be fined up to RM5,000 or imprisoned for up to two years, or both.
