By Shikin Louis
ASAJAYA, June 8: A Sarawak minister has voiced concern over a premature sacrificial ritual conducted in Kampung Asajaya Laut ahead of Hari Raya Aidiladha, warning that such actions could cause confusion about proper Islamic practices related to korban.
Sarawak Minister for Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts, Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, emphasised that sacrificial slaughter must strictly follow syariah guidelines, which permit the ritual only after Aidiladha prayers and during the three designated Tasyrik days.
“The animals meant for korban—cows, goats, and camels—can only be slaughtered after the Aidiladha prayers. The act must fall within the three-day period known as the Days of Tasyrik.
“If the slaughter is done before that, even with good intentions, it is not considered korban. The meat from such a slaughter is like any ordinary meat given out during the year—it carries no religious reward specific to the korban ritual,” he told reporters after distributing korban meat at Darul Ehsan Mosque in Kampung Asajaya Laut today.
Abdul Karim, who is also the Asajaya assemblyman, said he was made aware of the early slaughter carried out by a federal government body in the village two days before Aidiladha, and stressed the importance of consulting religious authorities before planning such programmes.
“If we are unsure, we should ask those who are well-versed in religious matters. Don’t make assumptions.
“The people in villages may not fully understand the significance of the korban period and could be misled,” he added.
While acknowledging that acts of giving are commendable, he cautioned organisers against associating them with religious rituals unless they are conducted in full compliance with Islamic law.
“Donating meat to the community is always encouraged and can be done anytime. But don’t do it so close to Aidiladha that it creates confusion. If it’s not korban, don’t make it appear as such,” he stressed.
In his speech, Abdul Karim also reminded local folk not to politicise the distribution of korban meat, emphasising that recipients are determined based on Islamic guidelines, not political affiliation.
“Who are the asnaf? We usually refer to lists provided by the village or mosque committees to identify who among the villagers are eligible,” Abdul Karim explained.
He cautioned against the tendency to associate korban distribution with political figures, stressing that the practice should remain strictly religious.
“Sometimes people say, ‘The cow was donated by our local representatives, and since we voted for them, we should receive some of the meat too.’ Don’t link this to politics,” he said.
He recalled past incidents where villagers refused to accept the distribution system because they felt every household should receive meat simply based on their support for local representatives.
“This shouldn’t happen. In Islam, it’s not supposed to be that way. If you want to be part of the event and receive some of the meat, you can volunteer as part of the working team during the slaughter and meat preparation. There’s reward in that too,” he added.
Nonetheless, Abdul Karim stressed that the rightful recipients should always be those who qualify according to syarak (Islamic law).
At the event, he handed over korban meat to 69 asnaf recipients from Kampung Asajaya Ulu and Kampung Asajaya Laut.
On the same day, he also presented sacrificial meat to 32 asnaf recipients from Kampung Sebandi Lot and Kampung Sebandi Matang.
Also present at the event were Federal Deputy Minister of Rural and Regional Development and Samarahan MP Datuk Rubiah Wang, Samarahan Division Deputy Resident Rais Ahmat, Asajaya District Officer Jerry Zannuddin Bidin, and Temenggong for Samarahan Division, Chek Bujang. – DayakDaily
