KUALA LUMPUR: Members of Parliament have been reminded to exercise caution when using religious terms that could lead to misunderstandings and prolonged disputes in the Dewan Rakyat.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said words such as "munafik" (hypocrite) might be familiar to those with a deep understanding of religion but not to those less familiar with their meaning, including non-Muslims.
"I did not attend a religious school. I went to an English school, and I am extremely wary of using words with profound meanings that I may not understand.
"If someone accused me of being a munafik, I would immediately fall ill because I did not come from a religious school," he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
He said the same applied to Muslims and non-Muslims who might feel apprehensive upon hearing such terms, particularly when they were used by individuals with religious knowledge.
Johari said MPs should be mindful of the differing levels of understanding among their fellow MPs when using religious terminology.
He suggested that MPs opt for less controversial language to prevent debates from dragging on unnecessarily.
"We do not need to show that we are knowledgeable or that we attended religious schools. Such language can create an intimidating situation when others do not understand it."
He said disputes over the use of such terms wasted parliamentary time that should instead be spent addressing issues affecting the people.
Earlier, proceedings in the Dewan Rakyat turned tense following a war of words between government and opposition MPs over the use of "munafik" in reference to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
The exchange erupted after RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong) invoked Standing Order 36(1), objecting to the use of the term by Datuk Seri Takiyuddin Hassan (PN-Kota Baru) during the debate on the 2027 Supply Bill.
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