POKOK SENA: The government always takes proactive steps to curb the spread of deviant teachings or beliefs that are contrary to the Islamic faith in this country, said Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Dr Zulkifli Hasan.

He said all relevant parties, including agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, the Royal Malaysia Police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, are cooperating to address these issues.

“The aspect of providing enlightenment and understanding to the public is handled by many agencies, including those under the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) and other non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

“What is most important now within the current framework is that we complement the enforcement authorities while other agencies under the ministry provide understanding to the public,“ he said.

He said this when met after attending the Mahabbah Aidilfitri event at the Maahad Tarbiyah Islamiah Derang, here today.

Zulkifli was asked to comment on the issue of certain missionaries allegedly spreading deviant beliefs on social media, especially TikTok.

In response, Zulkifli said his department takes such issues seriously and constantly monitors them, noting that his department has not received any complaints regarding this matter so far.

However, he emphasised the importance of strengthening preaching programmes through cooperation between state and federal governments.

“My visits to states like Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan, Kedah and Perlis is to assess the cooperation between the federal government, the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) and the states for holistic missionary efforts.

“We hope that after this, the cooperative relationship between the states and the federal government can further strengthen the country’s missionary agenda. Preachers can also explore new forms of missionary work to make it more engaging and enlightening for the public,“ he said.

Meanwhile, Zulkifli added that Tabung Haji’s preparations to manage pilgrims for this year’s Haj season are proceeding smoothly, with the agency always ready to adapt to any changes due to its comprehensive support system.