Jamil Khir Baharom

Biography

Jamil Khir obtained his Bachelor of Syariah from the University of Malaya in 1986 and Master in Islamic Studies from the Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences, Cordoba University in Virginia in 2000. He began his military service in 1986, as lieutenant in the Military Religious Corps (Kagat). He was promoted to colonel in 2002 and brigadier general in 2005. In 2005, he was appointed director of Kagat, the first ever two-star general to serve in that capacity.

He is a member of the Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) Religious Programme Advisory Committee and often appears on RTM1's religious talk show Forum Perdana Ehwal Islam.

Political career

In April 2009, Jamil Khir was appointed a Senator in the Dewan Negara. He joined Prime Minister Najib Razak's inaugural Cabinet, serving as Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of religious affairs and heading the Department of Islamic Development (JAKIM).

Following the revelation by authorities in 2010 that terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) had been actively expanding its activities in Malaysia, Jamil Khir became one of the leading figures in the Cabinet to deal with the situation. He assured Malaysians that local Muslim missionary groups and religious schools were not influenced by JI and that his department was working with the Home Ministry to stifle the purported JI movement in Malaysia. Regarding terrorism and religion, he said: "There are individuals or groups trying to make their way into these institutions to influence students. They use religion to realise their goal and this is the reason why terrorism is linked to Islam." He also said that Malaysian students in the Middle East were being monitored for suspicious activity.

Following a controversy in March 2011 involving underaged girls being married to middle-aged men, Jamil Khir defended the country's Syariah marriage laws, which apply only to Muslims. Rights groups called for laws that allow marriage under the age of 16 if religious officials give their consent to be amended. However, Jamil Khir disagreed, arguing that the current laws are sufficient as authorities "does not simply grant the consent [to marry someone aged 16 and below]."

In June 2010, the site of the Warrior's Day celebration was moved from the National Monument as the National Fatwa Council deemed celebrations around the statues as idolatry and contrary to Islamic practices.

Jamil Khir is an outspoken opponent of homosexuality. In November 2011, he called homosexuality "unconstitutional"; though he later clarified he meant it is against the Penal Code. In response to a gay Malaysian pastor getting married in New York, Jamil Khir said same-sex marriage is a form of "extreme human rights" and "will create social problems." He also criticised LGBT-rights event Seksualiti Merdeka for promoting "a deviation from society's norms."

At the 2013 election, Jamil Khir moved to the House of Representatives, winning the seat of Jerai in Kedah. He defeated the incumbent Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) MP, Mohd Firdaus Jaafar.

Zakat Fund Misuse

In September 2011, Jamil Khir denied an allegation by Malaysia Today that he used zakat funds collected by religious authorities to finance a house for his family. Malaysia Today had published a photo of his home, alleging that it was worth millions of ringgit. Jamil Khir said his house was renovated with his own money.

Malaysian Islamic Economic Development Foundation (Yapeim) Fund Abuse

On 11 November 2015, National Oversight and Whistleblowers (NOW) has claimed that Jamil Khir had used Yapeim funds to go shopping and play golf in the US. Jamil Khir denied the allegation, stressing that it was not a recreational trip and has demanded for written apology from NOW's director, Akmal Nasir.