'Recent divorce ultimatum reflects growing political extremism in Malaysia'

SHAH ALAM - The recent announcement by an individual stating his intention to divorce his wife if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the unity government manage to survive until August has raised serious concerns about the state of politics in the country.

Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organisations (Mapim) President Mohd Azmi Abdul Hamid expressed his dismay, highlighting that staking family relationships on current political developments is indicative of a disturbing lack of maturity.

"These actions represent an extreme form of politics, where fanaticism has reached such heights that it threatens to rupture the bonds of marriage.

"It is a troubling sign that politics in our country is veering towards chaos," Mohd Azmi said in a statement today.

He further elaborated that the individual in question appears to have succumbed to extreme political indoctrination, likely propagated by opposition political leaders who promote divisive perceptions outside the bounds of a mature democratic framework.

"These individuals have fallen victim to an aggressive campaign that fuels extreme hatred, with the goal of destabilising the government through the use of labels and the manipulation of racial and religious sentiments," Mohd Azmi added.

The incident in question had gone viral on social media last February when a man declared his readiness to divorce his wife for the third time if Anwar and the government did not change by August.

This reportedly raised questions about the validity of such a divorce under Islamic law.

Mohd Azmi pointed out that the opposition party's desperation to seize power has led them to adopt a "the end justifies the means" approach.

He expressed concern that this extreme hatred could damage society to the point of undermining the institution of the family.

"Regrettably, the leaders of the opposition party are willing to mislead the public, resulting in cases like the aforementioned divorce, all for the sake of narrow political gains.

"Such behavior is highly irresponsible and warrants condemnation from religious leaders," he stressed.

Mohd Azmi highlighted that it's not just the prevalence of labeling and distrust in society that is problematic but also the ease with which divorce has become associated with political fanaticism.

"It is disheartening to see that the sacred institution of marriage, and the covenant between husband and wife, which holds immense significance in Islam, can now be dissolved due to an alarmingly low level of political understanding," he said.