LOCAL MISSIONARY GROUPS NOT SPREADING JI TEACHINGS - M'SIAN MINISTER

TASEK GELUGOR (Malaysia), June 19 (Bernama) -- The government will not stop the Islamic missionary activities of local groups although it has been found that foreigners are spreading the teachings of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) in the country, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Jamil Khir Baharom said Saturday.

He said the local missionary groups were spreading the correct Islamic
teachings and did not resort to violence and militancy.
"The (missionary) groups in the country are operating in the right way and
are contributing to the good and are not linked to the JI.
"Do not have wrongful assumptions about these groups, which will give rise
to negative perceptions. We are monitoring those groups which have links abroad
and have an agenda of a violent nature," he told reporters after presenting aid
to 210 needy pupils of religious primary schools, here.
Jamil Khir was asked to elaborate on government measures to ensure that
missionary activities in the country were not influenced by the JI movement.
He said the ministry would cooperate with the Home Ministry to help prevent
the JI movement from gaining a foothold and spreading its teachings in the
country.
Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan said recently that investigations
showed that the JI operatives had been working independently to recruit
Malaysian students to participate in the "jihad" (holy war) abroad.
The matter came to light following the detention of 10 JI members early this
year. All of them had been deported.
-- BERNAMA