Ali Thanvi’s Book “A Gift for the Muslim Couple”?

by Sheila Musaji

Ashraf ‘Ali Thanwi was born in 1863 and died in 1943 in India.  He studied at Darul Uloom Deoband and was a Hanafi scholar.  He was conservative, even for his time, and wrote a great deal in Urdu.  Even during his lifetime he was controversial.  **.  He was a supporter of Jinnah and wanted Pakistan to separate from India.

He published a book called the “Bahishti Zewar” (Heavenly Ornaments) that has been popular among Hanafi’s in India since it was published in 1905.  It is often given to newly married women.  The book promotes a particularly narrow and culturally distorted interpretation of the position of women.

I read the original many years ago and found it extremely misogynistic, out of date, and irrelevant to Muslims in 20th century America.  I threw away the copy that I had been given in disgust.

It seems that someone in India thought an English collection of selections from this was needed, and in 2005 this collection was published as “A Gift for the Muslim Couple”.

A bookstore in Canada was selling this book, and in fact sold out.  Whether that is because there are a lot of Indian immigrants there who had heard Thanvi’s name, or had heard about the Bahishti Zewar from their parents or grandparents, or just because they wanted a good laugh, who knows.  If there are people in the community who still take this book seriously, that is more than disappointing.

The Toronto Sun published an article titled Book tells Muslim men how to beat and control their wives setting off a frenzy among the anti-Muslim bigots. 

Many of the thousands of articles condemning this book refer to a “new book”.  Pamela Geller merely referred to the original Toronto Sun article.  Robert Spencer published an article holding this books position on wife beating as being authoritative.  He took the opportunity to dispute with the scholars and Muslim community activists who disagree with the position taken by people like Thanvi..

None of these folks has done their homework.  Thanvi lived and did most of his writing in the 19th century.  The book from which this compilation was taken was published in 1905 in India.  His views are not the views of most 21st, or even 20th century Muslims.  Much of what he says has been challenged by scholars.

That is not to say that there are not people, even in the U.S. or in Canada, that agree with Thanvi’s interpretations.  They may be unaware that there are also numerous scholars who have an entirely different interpretation of the Islamic texts.  These scholars attempt to counter the arguments of those holding extreme or narrow interpretations by providing alternate interpretations and by backing those up with documentation for their reasoning. 

Robert Spencer’s article is an example of how close the thinking of the Islamophobes is to the thinking of those holding to extreme interpretations.

Spencer refers to Qur’an 4:34 in which the Arabic word “daraba” has been translated variously into English as - chastise, beat, and go away from.  He objects to Laleh Bakhtiar’s translation of “go away from” saying “In light of this unanimity among the translators, both Muslim and non-Muslim, this seems difficult to sustain – it is hard to believe that all of these authorities on Qur’anic Arabic, spanning several centuries, got the passage wrong until Bakhtiar.”

Here, is what I wrote in 2007 about the controversy over Laleh Bakhtiar’s translation of this verse

Laleh Bakhtiar’s translation of the Qur’an seems to be upsetting some of those who don’t want to consider the possibility that just because a particular interpretation has been widespread, that doesn’t mean it canot be re-evaluated.  There is only one verse that has stirred up controversy or objections to Dr. Bakhtiar’s translation - 4:34

I interviewed Dr. Bakhtiar back in March before this translation was published, and she explained her translation of this verse:

It is an universal, inclusive translation with no parenthetical expressions.  The translation has internal consistency and reliability.  There is a different English equivalent for each Arabic grammatical form.  Words not appearing in the Arabic but necessary for English are in italics.  The translation is presented line by line and not verse by verse.  Symbols for how a line is recited in Arabic are placed at the end of a line.  The translation reverts 4:34 and “to beat” back to its original interpretation meaning “to go away”
This translation reverts 4:34 and “to beat” back to its original interpretation meaning “to go away”
With the blessings of God, this is the first complete English translation of the Quran that uses the original meaning of “to beat” in 4:34 which was “to go away.” Three arguments are given for why this is so:
1. The words “beat them” in 4:34 are a command, an imperative form of the verb. Yet the Prophet, peace and the mercy of God be upon him, never carried out this command. Even if one were to say that just because a word in the Quran is grammatically a command does not mean that the Prophet had to carry it out; it means it is permissible for him to do or not to do. The retort: He chose not to do it. Therefore, whoever follows the Sunnah of the Prophet should also choose not to do it.
2. The word interpreted as “to beat” for over 1400 years in the Islamic world has over 25 meanings. Why chose a meaning that goes against both the legal and moral principles of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet?
3. The strongest argument for why the Arabic word does not mean “to beat” but rather means “to go away” is because interpreting the Arabic word as “to beat” contradicts another verse in the Quran. We start with a premise: Islam encourages marriage and while divorce is allowed, it is discouraged. The Prophet said: Marriage is half of faith. He also said: Divorce is deplorable.
In 2:231 the Quran says as translated in the Sublime Quran: “When you divorce wives, and they (f) are about to reach their (f) term, then hold them (f) back honorably or set them (f) free honorably; and hold them (f) not back by injuring them so that you commit aggression, and whoever commits that, then indeed he does wrong to himself; and take not the Signs of God to yourselves in mockery; remember the divine blessing of God on you and what He sent forth to you of the Book and wisdom; He admonishes you with it; and be Godfearing of God and know that God is knowing of everything.” All English translations translate this verse in a similar way.
That is, a husband may not hold back his wife from divorce by hurting, harming, injuring her or using force against her. Reading this verse as if for the first time, it suddenly occurred to the translator that what the Quran says in 2:231 contradicts the way 4:34 has been interpreted over the centuries by everyone except the blessed Prophet. The translation in the Sublime Quran of 4:34 reflects the interpretation as the blessed Prophet understood it: “Men are supporters of wives because God has given some of them an advantage over others and because they spend of their wealth. So the ones (f) who are in accord with morality are the ones (f) who are morally obligated, the ones (f) who guard the unseen of what God has kept safe. But those (f) whose resistance you fear, then admonish them (f) and abandon them (f) in their sleeping place, then go away from them (f); and if they (f) obey you, surely look not for any way against them (f); truly God is Lofty, Great.”
In 4:34, as translated in a similar manner by all present English translations except the Sublime Quran translation, Muhammad Asad, for example translates 4:34 in the following way: “Men shall take full care of women with the bounties which God has bestowed more abundantly on the former than on the latter, and with what they may spend out of their possessions. And the righteous women are the truly devout ones, who guard the intimacy which God has [ordained to be] guarded. And as for those women whose ill-will you have reason to fear, admonish them [first]; then leave them alone in bed; then beat them; and if thereupon they pay you heed, do not seek to harm them. Behold, God is indeed most high, great.”
What this tells us (and all present English translations) is that if a woman wants a divorce, a husband is forbidden from harming, hurting, injuring or using force against her while for a woman who wants to stay married, it is permissible for her husband to beat her!!! Recall our premise: Islam encourages marriage. If women were aware of this contradiction, what woman would chose to stay married and be beaten rather than be divorced and unharmed?
The Arabic Word of God was, is and remains the Word of God. There is no change in the Arabic. The change is in our perception, our interpretation. The understanding of saying “go away” is a revert interpretation to how the blessed Prophet understood it. Whoever believes in and follows the Sunnah should logically agree with reverting the interpretation to the way that the blessed Prophet understood it.
We refer back to the first two arguments: 1. The word “beat” is a command which the Prophet chose not to carry out; and 2. The Arabic word “beat” has 25 meanings so why chose a meaning that does not follow the legal and moral principles of the Quran and the Sunnah of the Prophet? 3. Interpreting the word as “beat” contradicts 2:231 and fosters divorce rather than marriage, commands to immorality and prohibits morality which is one of the definitions of a hypocrite in the Quran (see 9:67). read full text of interview

Mohammad Ashraf, a spokesman for ISNA-Canada, dismissed her work and said “Women have been given a very good place in Islam.” He further stated that he would not permit Bahktiar’s book, The Sublime Quran, to be sold in the bookstore of the Islamic Society of North America (Canada). “Our bookstore would not allow this kind of translation,” says Mohammad Ashraf, ISNA’s secretary general. “I will consider banning it.”

Thank God, there are others who hold a different view.  A statement was issued by Ingrid Mattson, President of the Islamic Society of North America in response to Mohammad Ashraf:

The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has asked ISNA Canada Secretary General to retract his statement that he would consider “banning” Laleh Bakhtiar’s translation of the meaning of the Qur’an and his questioning of Bakhtiar’s authority to undertake such a translation. 
ISNA is an umbrella organization that strives to represent the diversity of North American Islam.  ISNA has long recognized the validity of different schools of Islamic thought, theology and doctrine.  We have affirmed this recognition as an original signatory of the “Amman Message” (http://ammanmessage.com/) and by offering the platform of our conferences and conventions open to representatives of our diverse community.  We do not recognize any particular scholar, school of thought or institution as necessarily authoritative for all Muslims.  Further, we support the right of scholarly inquiry and intellectual discussion on issues related to Islam. 
ISNA supports and encourages honest debate and scholarship on issues affecting the Muslim community.  In particular, we have long been concerned with the misuse of Islam to justify injustice towards women.  ISNA held its first domestic violence conference over ten years ago, and has since that time, has held numerous training and education seminars to promote domestic harmony and prevent violence against women.
It should be noted, in fact, that Bakhtiar’s interpretation of Qur’anic verse 4:34 is not new, although we do not deny that she arrived at her position independently.  A similar interpretation was offered by Dr Abdul Hamid Abu Sulayman, Rector of the International Islamic University of Malaysia, in a 2003 special edition of “Islamic Horizons,” ISNA’s flagship publication.  It is unfortunate that many Muslims are unaware of the depth and sophistication of Qur’anic exegesis.  ISNA is committed to rectifying this lack of knowledge and expects our administrators to promote ISNA’s values and mission.

Dr. Robert Dickson Crane commented to me about this controversy:

In my view, Laleh Bakhtiar is perhaps the most profound Islamic scholar among women in the world and equal to the very best anywhere among men.  Attacks on her translation are merely a distraction from the real issue of openness in the search for truth.  This confrontation is now spreading all over the internet.  Whoever fails publicly to address and expose religious extremism, whether perpetrated by Muslims or others, is bound to become its victim.  Countering the perversion of any religion may be distasteful but it is a necessary first step in any proactive education about the truth in any religion.  These two responsibilities, both fard ‘ain and fard kifaya, are what the jihad al kabir or intellectual jihad is all about.  This is the only jihad specifically mentioned in the Qur’an, as distinct from the jihad al akbar for self-purification and the jihad al saghrir for human rights, both of which are implicit throughout the Qur’an but depend in some measure for their success on the never-ending search for truth.

I believe that it is time that American Muslims stand up and be counted on this and many other pressing issues.  Banning books or limiting free speech is not the answer, but bookstores and publishers should be made aware that a majority of Muslims do not approve of their making such materials readily available.  And, it must be mentioned that the full Bahisti Zevar is also available on Amazon.

Environment & Ecology in Islam - article collection

collected by Sheila Musaji

“And We created from water every living thing.”  Qur’an 21:30

“Make not mischief on the earth” Qur’an 2:11

“Mischief has appeared on land and sea because of (the meed) that the hands of men have earned, that (God) may give them a taste of some of their deeds: in order that they may turn back (from evil).”  Qur’an 30:41

“There is not a moving creature on earth, or a bird that flies with its wings, but they are communities like you (humans).  We have neglected nothing in the Book; then unto their Lord they shall (all) be gathered.” Qur’n 6:38

Muslims are instructed to look after the environment and not to damage it:

Devote thyself single-mindedly to the Faith, and thus follow the nature designed by Allah, the nature according to which He has fashioned mankind. There is no altering the creation of Allah.
Qur’an 30:30

This is part of a Muslims responsibility to God:

Allah is He Who raised up the heavens without any pillars that you can see. Then He settled Himself on the Throne, and constrained the sun and the moon; each one pursues its course during an appointed term. He regulates it all and explains the Signs in detail, that you may have firm belief in the meeting with your Lord. He it is Who spread out the earth and made thereon firmly fixed mountains and rivers, and of fruits of every kind He has made pairs. He causes the night to cover the day. In all this, verily, are signs for a people who reflect.  Qur’an 13:2-3

In 1986, at a meeting held in Assisi by WWF-International and stemming from an idea by HRH the Prince Philip, five leaders of the five major world religions – Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Judaism – were invited to come and discuss how their faiths could help save the natural world. This is the Muslim declaration on Nature, taken from the original Assisi Declarations on Nature.  The statement was drafted byHis Excellency Dr. Abdullah Omar Naseef, secretary general of the Muslim World League.

The essence of Islamic teaching is that the entire universe is Allah’s creation. Allah makes the waters flos upon the earth, upholds the heavens, makes the rain fall and keeps the boundaries between day and night. The whole of the rich and wonderful universe belongs to Allah, its Maker. It is Allah who created the plants and the animals in their pairs and gave them the means to multiply. Then Allah created mankind - a very special creation because mankind alone was created with reason and the power to think and even the means to turn against his Creator. Mankind has the potential to acquire a status higher than that of the angels or sink lower than the lowest of the beasts.
The word ‘Islam’ has the dual meaning of submission and peace. Mankind is special, a very particular creation of Allah. But still we are Allah’s creation and we can only properly understand ourselves when we recognise that our proper condition is one of submission to Allah who made us.
And only when we submit to the Will of Allah can we find peace: peace within us as individuals, peace between man and man, and peace between man and nature. When we submit to the Will of Allah, we become aware of the sublime fact that all our powers, potentials, skills and knowledge are granted to us by Allah. We are His servants and when we are conscious of that, when we realise that all our achievements derive from the Mercy of Allah, and when we return proper thanks and respect and worship to Allah for our nature and creation, then we become free. Our freedom is that of being sensible, aware, responsible trustees of Allah’s gifts and bounty.
For the Muslim, mankind’s role on earth is that of a Khalifah - vicegerent or trustee of Allah. We are Allah’s stewards and agents on Earth. We are not masters of this Earth; it does not belong to us to do what we wish. It belongs to Allah and He has entrusted us with its safekeeping. Our function as vicegerents, Khalifahs of Allah, is only to oversee the trust. The khalifah is answerable for his/her actions, for the way in which he/she uses or abuses the trust of Allah.
Islam teaches us that we have been created by Allah, that we will return to Allah for Judgement, and that we are accountable for our deeds as well as our omissions. The khalifah will have to render an account of how he treated the trust of Allah on the Day of Reckoning. The notion that describes the accountability of the khalifah is akhirah (the Hereafter). Islam is the guidance of how to live today so that we can face the akhirah: it is the Message which informs us of what will be involved in that reckoning.
The central concept of Islam is Tawhid - the Unity of Allah. Allah is Unity and His Unity is also reflected in the unity of mankind, and the unity of man and nature. His trustees are responsible for maintaining the unity of His creation, the integrity of the Earth, its flora and fauna, its wildlife and natural environment. Unity cannot be had by discord, by setting one need against another; it is maintained by balance and harmony. Therefore, Muslims say that Islam is the middle path and we will be answerable for how we have walked this path and how we have maintained balance and harmony in the whole of creation around us.
So unity, trusteeship and accountability, that is tawhid, khalifah and akhirah, the three central concepts of Islam, are also the pilars of the environmental ethics of Islam. they constitute the basic values taught by the Qur’an. it is these values which led Muhammad, (peace be upon him), the Prophet of Islam, to say: ‘Whosoever plants a tree and diligently looks after it until it matures and bears fruit is rewarded’, and ‘If a Muslim plants a tree or sows a field and men and beats and birds eat from it, all of it is a charity on his part’, and again, ‘The world is green and beautiful, and Allah has appointed you as His stewards over it.’ Environmental consciousness is born when such values are adopted and become an intrinsic part of our mental and physical make-up.
And these are not remote, other-wordly notions, they concern us here and now. If you were to ask me what the notion of the Hereafter has to do with here and now, my answer might surprise you. I would say nuclear power and biotechnology. Both of these are very present here-and-now issues. Both have benefits and costs. Both have implications for the health and well being of mankind and nature. If I sincerely intend to be Allah’s khalifah, His steward on Earth, then I must have an opinion about them and prepare myself to make chioces about them, because I will be accountable for what mankind has wrought with these devices in the Hereafter.
Islam is a very practical world view. It seeks, in all its principles and injunctions, to give pragmatic shapes to its concepts and values. Indeed, the notion of tawhid and khalifah have been translated into practical injunctions in the Shari’ah (Islamic Law). Surah Shari’ah institutions as haram zones, inviolate areas within which development is prohibited to protect natural resources, and hima, reserves established soley for the conservation of wildlife and forests, form the core of the environmental legislation of Islam.
The classical muslim jurist, Izzad-Din Ibn Abdas-Salam, used these aspects of the Shari’ah when he formulated the bill of legal rights of animals in the thirteenth century. Similarly, numerous other jurists and scholars developed legislations to safeguard water resources, prevent over-grazing, conserve forests, limit the growth of cities, protect cultural property, and so on. Islam’s environmental ethics then are not limited to metaphysical notions; they provide a practical guide as well.
Muslims need to turn to this nexus of values, this way of understanding themselves and their environment. The notions of unity, trusteeship and accountability should not be reduced to matters of personal piety; they must guide all aspects of their life and work. Shari’ah should not be relegated just to issues of crime and punishment, it must also become the vanguard for environmental legislation.
We often say that Islam is a complete way of life, by which it is meant that our ethical system provides the bearings for all our actions. Yet our actions often undermine the very values we cherish. Often while working as scientists or technologists, economists or politicians, we act contrary to the environmental dictates of Islam. We must imbibe these values into our very being. We must judge our actions by them. They furnish us with a world-view which enables us to ask environmentally appropriate questions, to draw up the right balance sheet of posibilities, and to properly weigh the environmental costs and benefits of what we want, what we can do within the ethical boundries established by Allah, without violating the rights of His other creations.
If we use the same values, the same understanding in our work as scientist or technologist, economist or politician, as we do to know ourselves as Muslims - those who submit themselves to the Will of Allah - then, I believe, we will create a caring and practical way of being, doing and knowing; a true Islamic alternative to the environmentally destructive thought and actions which dominates the world today.

sahabat berasaskan iman

SESEORANG yang memiliki ikatan hati sangat kuat dengan sahabatnya disebabkan cinta kepada Allah SWT akan saling mengingatkan antara satu sama lain, berkongsi rasa duka, apatah lagi gembira dan suka.

Hubungan persahabatan begitu juga membolehkan sahabat merasakan manisnya iman sehingga ada yang berubah pendirian dan sikap untuk lebih menghampiri Penciptanya. Wanita tidak terkecuali dalam membina ukhuwah sesama Muslim.

Tidak salah menyintai sahabat yang baik, mengasihi dan menyayanginya seperti kita dicintai, dikasihi dan disayangi, tetapi biarlah kerana Allah SWT, tidak melencong daripada landasan agama selain sentiasa saling mengingatkan azab yang pedih.

Silaturahim umat Islam dibina kerana Allah SWT lebih kuat dan teguh kerana iman setiap orang mukmin kepada Allah SWT disambungkan kepada saudara seagama menjadikan pertautan hati, jiwa, akal serta rohani yang tiada taranya.

Rasulullah SAW bersabda yang bermaksud: “Ada tiga hal yang apabila ada pada seseorang, nescaya dia akan merasakan manisnya iman; menjadikan Allah dan Rasul-Nya lebih dicintai daripada yang lain. Dan apabila menyintai seseorang, dia tidak menyintainya melainkan kerana Allah SWT. Dan dia enggan kembali kepada kekufuran selepas Allah menyelamatkannya seperti dia enggan dilemparkan ke neraka.”

Orang yang merasai manisnya iman sukar berkongsi apa dirasai dengan orang lain melainkan perasaan sama turut dialami. Yang pasti, Nabi Muhammad SAW yang digelar kekasih Allah manusia paling dekat hatinya dengan Allah kerana Baginda menyintai Allah melebihi yang lainnya.

Baginda SAW sanggup menghadapi apa juga bahaya serta bencana semata-mata mempertahankan agama dan mesej dibawa dari Yang Maha Esa. Umat Islam pula akan merasai manisnya iman dengan menyintai Allah dan Rasul lebih daripada segala-galanya.
Seseorang isteri menyintai suaminya tanpa berbelah bahagi sehingga sanggup meninggalkan agama, keluarga dan tanah air untuk berada di samping suami. Itu tanda cinta yang tiada bandingannya.

Situasi serupa juga akan dirasai jika kita menyintai Allah dan Rasul, sehingga cinta itu tidak terungkap oleh kata-kata, sebaliknya kita akan sentiasa gembira dan tenang apabila mendampinginya serta menjauhi yang tidak disukai kerana bimbang dibenci.

Wanita muslimah yang menjalin persahabatan sesama saudara seagama perlu mengambil kesempatan untuk merasai manisnya iman dengan membina ukhuwah dan menyintai sahabat kerana Allah SWT.

Walaupun tiada di depan mata, silaturahim tetap terbina dengan ikatan hati yang kukuh jika kita sentiasa menghampiri-Nya kerana iman kepada Allah disambungkan kepada saudara seagama.

Kesibukan urusan harian dan komitmen pada keluarga sepatutnya tidak membataskan wanita menjalin hubungan persahabatan, tambahan pula kecanggihan teknologi hari ini memudahkan lagi perhubungan tanpa memerlukan masa atau tenaga yang banyak.

Ada sahabat yang memerlukan kita berkongsi masalah dihadapi dan meminta pertolongan mengatasi kesusahan membelenggu. Hubungan erat dan ikhlas tentunya dapat membantu sahabat dalam kesusahan dan memanfaatkan diri kita yang dilahirkan ke dunia kepada orang lain.

Jangan pula ada wanita mengambil kesempatan membina hubungan sesama wanita melampaui daripada batasan sepatutnya seperti menjalin hubungan songsang yang bertentangan dengan agama dan norma.

Bahkan, ada yang meminta cerai daripada suami untuk ‘hidup bersama’ dengan teman wanita yang dicintai. Hubungan sesama wanita yang tidak menimbulkan syak dijadikan kesempatan melakukan perkara menyalahi syariat agama.

Tidak salah menyintai sahabat yang baik, mengasihi dan menyayanginya seperti kita dicintai, dikasihi dan disayangi, tetapi biarlah kerana Allah SWT, tidak melencong daripada landasan agama selain sentiasa saling mengingatkan azab yang pedih.

Orang yang mengasihi kerana Allah mendapat kemuliaan, kebanggaan dan kehormatan pada saat Allah mengumpulkan mereka pada hari akhirat dan Allah akan menaungi mereka pada hari berkenaan.

Mereka lupa Allah SWT mengangkat darjat orang yang mengasihi kerana Allah, bukan kerana wang dan pangkat.

Abu Hurairah, daripada Rasulullah SAW bersabda yang maksudnya: “Bahawasanya ada seorang lelaki yang hendak mengunjungi saudaranya di desa lain, maka Allah SWT mengutus malaikat untuk menemuinya di sebuah jalan yang akan dilaluinya. Selepas bertemu, malaikat bertanya kepadanya: “Ke manakah kamu akan pergi? Lelaki itu menjawab: Aku akan menemui saudaraku di desa ini. Malaikat bertanya lagi: Apakah ada kenikmatan dunia yang kamu harapkan darinya? Lelaki tadi menjawab: Tidak demikian, tetapi kerana aku menyintainya kerana Allah. Malaikat berkata: Sesungguhnya aku adalah malaikat yang diutus Allah kepadamu untuk mengkhabarkan bahawa sesungguhnya Allah sudah menyintaimu seperti kamu menyintai saudaramu kerana-Nya.” (Hadis riwayat Muslim)

telefon mudah meletup

MOHAMED SHARIL bertukar dokumen perjanjian dengan Zainal Abidin di Cyberjaya, semalam. - Foto Fariz Iswadi Ismail

Produk tak ikut piawaian banjiri pasaran ancam nyawa: SKMM

CYBERJAYA: Pengguna perlu berhati-hati ketika membeli telefon bimbit, komputer riba dan komputer tablet kerana kira-kira 30 peratus daripada peralatan yang dijual di pasaran negara ini tidak memenuhi piawaian keselamatan teknikal antarabangsa serta berbahaya digunakan.

Perkara itu didedahkan Pengerusi Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM), Datuk Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi selepas menerima aduan orang ramai banyak telefon bimbit seludup yang digelar sebagai ‘underwater atau submarine handset’ di kalangan peniaga, tidak menepati piawaian.

Kita berharap kerjasama ini bukan hanya membantu SKMM meningkatkan pemantauan dan mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap mereka yang menjual produk telekomunikasi tidak memenuhi piawaian, malah melindungi pengguna terbeli peralatan seludup. - Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Pengerusi SKMM

“Jika pengguna membeli produk telekomunikasi seperti telefon yang tidak memenuhi piawaian, anda mungkin terdedah kepada kejadian ia meletup ketika di dalam saku atau ketika digunakan.

“Kita menasihatkan pengguna membeli peralatan yang disahkan selamat dan mempunyai label SKMM bagi menjamin keselamatan diri masing-masing,” katanya kepada pemberita selepas menandatangani memorandum persefahaman (MoU) dengan SIRIM QAS International Sdn Bhd (SIRIM), di sini semalam.

Beliau berkata, SKMM juga bekerjasama dengan Kastam Diraja Malaysia (KDRM) bagi memantau kemasukan produk telekomunikasi yang tidak memenuhi piawaian daripada memasuki pasaran Malaysia menerusi pintu masuk dan pelabuhan utama di seluruh negara.

“Ramai peniaga produk telekomunikasi di Malaysia sudah mematuhi piawaian penjualan produk telekomunikasi, namun masih ada segelintir yang menyeludup masuk barangan itu,” katanya.
MoU itu membabitkan pemeteraian perkongsian pintar antara SKMM dengan SIRIM bagi memantau penjualan dan mengawal selia pemasaran produk telekomunikasi menerusi penggunaan aplikasi 'Online Centification for Communication & Multimedia' (e-ComM) yang dibangunkan oleh Dagang Net Technologies Sdn Bhd (Dagang Net).

“Kita berharap kerjasama ini bukan hanya dapat membantu SKMM meningkatkan pemantauan dan mengambil tindakan undang-undang terhadap mereka yang menjual produk telekomunikasi tidak memenuhi piawaian, malah melindungi pengguna daripada terbeli peralatan seludup,” katanya.

Aplikasi e-ComM turut digabungkan dengan Malaysia's National Single Window (NSW) yang dibangunkan oleh Dagang Net, iaitu syarikat dilantik oleh Kementerian Kewangan sebagai pemudahcara perdagangan dan kelulusan KDRM.

Penggunaan aplikasi e-ComM juga bagi memastikan tanda atau label persijilan SKMM digunakan dengan betul tanpa sebarang unsur penipuan dan pemalsuan serta membantu SKMM menyediakan laporan berkala.