Noor Farida said this in a text message to FMT when asked to comment on recent media statements by Tawfik Ismail, the son of the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, who alleged he had been ostracised by the group and had been left out of email communications, meetings and events.

In a report in The Malaysian Insider, Tawfik claimed he was told to go on a “sabbatical” as some members of the group were displeased with his statements to the press last year about them having met with former deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Tawfik, however, argued that he had only disclosed to the press his own conversations with the two figures and not the full details of the group’s meeting. He also claimed neither of the two leaders had been offended by his actions.

It is believed some members of G25 feel Tawfik had betrayed the two leaders’ trust by divulging details of the meeting, which led to the group deciding on his ‘sabbatical’ and others calling for the revocation of his membership.

However, Tawfik maintained his actions had not harmed the group or its credibility and that Noor Farida’s comments on the review of khalwat laws had a more adverse impact on G25 than his statements to the press.

“I consider myself still a member in the sense that I subscribe to the goals of G25, which is the nationalisation of the political and social environment with regard to the place of Islam in a multicultural and multiracial society.”

He said some in G25 were threatened by him being so vocal and had reminded him of his place in the organisation.