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Ooi withdraws ‘extremist’
remark against JIM
by Himanshu Bhatt and Bernard Cheah
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
GEORGE TOWN: The chief minister’s chief of
staff, Jeff Ooi, has withdrawn his remark label-
ling Jemaah Islah Malaysia (JIM) an extremist
Islamic organisation.
In a statement faxed from Hongkong yester-
day, Ooi said: “I am withdrawing my statement
calling JIM an ‘extremist organisation’ that was
published by The Star on Sunday. I was advised
by Lim (Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng) and I fully
comply with the directive.
“However, for clarity, it is imperative to estab-
lish the relevant context.”
Earlier, in advising Ooi to withdraw his re-
mark at a press conference in his office, Lim said:
“I know JIM. It is not an extremist organisation.
“If it was, (state executive councillor) Chow
Kon Yeow would not have appointed its repre-
sentative to the MPPP as a councillor.”
Lim declined to comment when asked whether
JIM member Mohd Razali Abdullah, whom Ooi
had criticised last Saturday, was fit to be in the
council, saying it was a separate issue.
Exco man lodges police report against ministry adviser
by Opalyn Mok “I have written to Zainal twice,
newsdesk@thesundaily.com once on April 7 and again on May
12, to get details of the recipients
GEORGE TOWN: State executive and how the sum was distributed
councillor Phee Boon Poh has to the families. However, I have
lodged a police report against not received any reply from him,”
Rural and Regional Development he said.
Ministry adviser Datuk Zainal “So I have no choice but to
Abidin Osman to obtain details of lodge a police report on this issue
the RM1.1 million allocated by the on July 31 so that he furnishes me
ministry to help 22 hardcore poor with the details of the allocation.
families in Penang. “The state government needs
“I would think it would be appropriate for Jeff
Ooi, if he had made the remark that JIM is an
extremist organisation, to withdraw it,” he said.
Penang PKR Youth called on Ooi, who is
also the Jelutong MP, to apologise to JIM and
the Muslim community for portraying Islam as
extremist.
Its secretary, Khairil Anuar Kamarudin, said
yesterday the group gave Ooi 24 hours to apolo-
gise before they considered action.
“We call on Ooi to apologise for his talkative-
ness, rudeness, and attitude,” he said in a memo-
randum delivered to Lim’s office.
“We believe Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has principles
on religious tolerance and should look seriously
at the approach used by Ooi, which does not con-
tribute to strengthening the coalition. Instead, it
provokes the anger of the Muslim community.”
Khairil and several PKR Youth members,
including Bayan Baru MP Annuar Ismail, met
Lim’s political secretary, Ng Wei Aik, on the
second floor of Komtar before heading up to the
chief minister’s office.
He stressed that the memorandum was not
intended for DAP “but to Ooi to apologise”.
the details to update its records on
the aid received by the 22 families.
Now we don’t know who the 22
families are and what they have
received from the ministry.”
Phee said the state govern-
ment has a complete list of hard-
core poor families in the state
and will continuously update
it whenever they find families
that may have slipped under the
poverty line.
| FRIDAY AUGUST 7 2009
MCA slams PAS for
infringing on rights
of non-Muslims
by Karen Arukesamy
newsdesk@thesundaily.com He also slammed Selangor executive
councillor Datuk Dr Hasan Ali for his state-
PETALING JAYA: MCA yesterday hit out at ment on Tuesday asking non-Muslims to travel
PAS’s outcry and use of “Muslim sentiments” outside Muslim majority areas to buy beer and
on the “brewing beer conflict” in the Pakatan blamed Barisan Nasional for failure of such
Rakyat-ruled Selangor and for infringing on the implementation.
rights of non-Muslims. “PAS, as usual, is one up against Umno when
Its central committee member and non-gov- it comes to showing their arrogance and non-
ernmental organisation liaison bureau chair- tolerance in absolute disrespect of the rights of
man, Datuk Ti Lian Ker, said in a statement non-Muslims rights as provided by the law,”
Selangor PAS’s proposed guidelines regulating Ti said.
beer sales be made in tandem with the Syariah He said Hasan’s arguments that non-Mus-
Enactment (Selangor) 1995 is “flawed and bad lims have to drive further away to buy beer “is
in law”. retarded and discards the existence of DAP as a
In calling for a blanket ban on beer sales in political partner”.
Muslim-majority areas, he said, “PAS is effec- “(Selangor executive councillor) Ronnie Liu
tively extending syariah laws onto non-Muslims should advise Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners, PAS
on the pretext of Muslim sentiments”. leaders, to concentrate on the dakwah activities
“We are ruled by law and not sentiments and not impose prohibitions and penalties on
based on race or religion. PAS cannot, in effect, non-Muslims,” he said.
extend the provisions of the Muslim enactment On Tuesday, Hasan had urged Selangor Men-
and impose it on non-Muslims,” he said. tri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim to impose the
Referring to the civil law for non-Muslims, beer ban in Muslim-majority areas in Selangor
Ti said it clearly allows non-Muslims to buy and called for Liu’s portfolio be reviewed after
and sell beer in cans and bottles without any accusing him of “interfering” in local council
restrictions or licence. enforcements on the sale of beer .
“If PAS cannot respect an express provision The controversy had resulted in a gag order
of the law, how can we ever trust PAS to rule by Khalid on all the state excos until today when
the nation and be fair to non-Muslims? How can he will announce a solution for the problem.
DAP falsely assure the community into voting DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang, when contacted,
for PAS?” Ti asked. said he would issue a statement later on the
He said enforcement officers cannot act matter.
based on the sentiments of a Muslim-dominated
neighbourhood.
t w il l resolv e beer issue
v
t Selangor go
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er controversy sales. Even Critici
resolve the be PA S (ru le ) fo r day, Hasbulla
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neral, is no su rt
said: “The repo evening and
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the sale of alco
ho should be gi ar
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e M us lim -m ajority areas in an d be allow ed to continue ex ecut ive
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the state. les in non-Mus feedback on th
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lim
Accept offer, Lim tells villagers
by Himanshu Bhatt They accused the state government and the
newsdesk@thesundaily.com developer of using “pressure tactics” by show-
ing them the detailed building plans only at 5pm
GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government yesterday before today’s noon deadline.
urged the Kampung Buah Pala villagers yes- A spokesman for the residents association,
terday to agree in principle to an offer of 24 O. Selvaraj, said: “The state government wants
double-storey terrace houses for displacement, to project a picture of benevolence for itself, and
stressing that other logistical details would be a picture of greedy squatters for us.
sorted out later. “Railroading us into submission is not a com-
At a press conference, during which he petent approach to solving the problem.”
showed the building plans for the proposed He said the villagers need more time to
structures, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng stressed study the proposal as “it is only now that we
that each household would be given a legally- can discuss the plans with our families and the
binding title through a 99-year lease. residents”.
He said issues like temporary residences for Selvaraj also said that “on the average,
the villagers while waiting for the homes to be each household is sitting on land worth RM3.5
built would be sorted out later. million”.
Space for a Hindu temple would also be It is understood the terrace houses will
provided in the area, he said. occupy a section of the land, which is now
But the villagers, who have until noon today owned by Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Negeri
to submit their agreements to the developer, Pulau Pinang. The remaining larger portion o will
Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd, have pleaded be used to develop Nusmetro’s condominium
for more time to study the proposal. project called “The Oasis”.