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Fatwa not a problem if
royal consent given: MB
by Humayun Kabir
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
IPOH: The state government will wait for the
consent of Sultan Azlan Shah on the National
Fatwa Council’s fatwa on yoga before gazetting
it, Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar
Jamaluddin said yesterday.
He told a press conference the proper
procedures will be followed before the fatwa
can be enforced in the state.
Mohammad Nizar said the process of
implementing the fatwa in the state has to be
first studied by the State Fatwa Committee,
which will forward its report to the State
Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council
before presenting it to Sultan Azlan Shah for
his consent.
Once the Sultan gives his assent, the
religious council will inform the state
government of the fatwa, which will be
published in the gazette and binding on every
Muslim in the state.
“The fatwa on yoga by the National Fatwa
Council is a non-issue,” Mohammed Nizar
said.
It was reported that Perak Religious
Department director Datuk Jamry Sury
had jumped the gun by announcing in a
newspaper on Monday that the state will
enforce the fatwa ruling even before consent
has been given by the Sultan.
Jamry is expected to be summoned to the
palace to give an explanation.
A palace source in Kuala Kangsar has been
quoted as saying that both the fatwa on yoga
and tomboys will not be implemented without
the consent of the Sultan.
Bernama also quoted Islamic Development
Department Malaysia (Jakim) director-general
Datuk Wan Mohamad Datuk Sheikh Abdul
Aziz as saying the department is asking the
fatwa committee in each state to meet before
the fatwa on yoga is presented to the Sultan
and Malay rulers for consent.
He said the implementation of the fatwa
must follow the legal process before it could be
gazetted in each state.
Earlier, Mohammad Nizar launched a
one-day seminar organised by the state Anti-
Corruption Agency with the cooperation of the
state government. About 100 state department
heads and deputies were present.
The mentri besar told them that living
beyond one’s means and lack of religious
upbringing are the two main factors
contributing to corruption in Malaysia.
“Corruption also depletes public funds
Rapper in the soup again
WEE MENG CHEE a.k.a. Namewee on the
Internet, who got himself into trouble with
the authorities for his “Negarakuku” rap
video last year, is in the soup again.
He ruffled a few feathers of the directors
of his alma mater, Chung Hwa High School,
for using the school as the setting of his lat-
est video, “Teacher Hew’s Time”.
The school board deems the three-part
video, uploaded onto YouTube recently, has
damaged the school’s reputation, and wants
him to remove the clips from his blog and
website and a clarification that the content of
the video has nothing to do with the school.
In a lawyer’s letter served on Wee on
Monday, the Muar school said it reserved the
right to sue the 25-year-old mass communi-
cation graduate who returned to Malaysia
three months ago, Sin Chew Daily reported.
The video clips of four to five minutes
each describe how Teacher Hew teaches his
pupils the alphabets and broken English in a
very crude way. The “PG-rated” video starts
off with “The Alphabet Song” accompanied
by stills of girls in skimpy outfits.
Some of the phrases used by Teacher Hew,
including a reference to the female sexual
anatomy in Hokkien, and his gestures have
Can’t get a copy of
through inflated tenders, which give rise to
shoddy work because of compromise on the
quality of the project,” he said.
“As a result, the people and the country
suffer.”
He said a good religious foundation
can turn off the temptation of indulging in
corrupt practices.
“One should also learn to be content to
live within one’s means and not succumb
to temptation of corruption to exceed one’s
earning capacity,” he said.
Press Digest
by Kong See Hoh
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
irked many who have watched the clips.
Some have described them as cheap
propaganda.
Earlier, Wee has defended his clips saying
he had used them to depict the independent
Chinese school system, which is incomplete,
as those who finish middle school are forced
to go abroad to continue their tertiary educa-
tion.
He said Teacher Hew is not a person but
a phenomenon.
A director of the school said the clips,
which included scenes of one of its class-
rooms, school compound, buildings with the
name of the school shown, has impinged the
sanctity of the school.
A check showed that the clips have been
removed from YouTube but are still available
on Wee’s blog.
Wee ... used
On the threat of legal action, Wee said, “it
school as setting
is a good thing, as more people will be drawn
in latest video
to his videos”.
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US taps
online
youth
groups
to fight
Hock Nan reminds
Guan Eng of Gerakan’s
Penang plan
crime by Opalyn Mok
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
pg 8
GEORGE TOWN: The state Gerakan has pledged its support
to the state government in its efforts to combat the global
economic slowdown.
Its chairman, Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, said
yesterday Gerakan believed all parties must work
together to address the important economic
challenge similar to what was happening in
Europe and the United States.
“Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ought to be
aware of the second Penang Strategic Develop-
ment Plan (2001-2010), initiated by former chief
minister and Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh
Tsu Koon,” he said in a press statement.
“The plan is a blueprint for success and
prosperity and paved the way for Penang’s
recovery after the 2000 ‘dot com bust’ in the
United States.”
Teng said the five main thrusts of the plan are
economic competitiveness, ecological balance,
caring and sharing, cultural vibrancy, and good
governance.
“I hope Datuk Lee Kah Choon, the executive
chairman of InvestPenang, will draw on his past
experience in Gerakan and provide valuable
input and harness the experience he attained
when with Gerakan,” he said.
He urged the state government to continue
the good efforts of the previous state government
in ensuring continued economic prosperity.
While welcoming a forum titled ‘The New
Vision for Penang and Malaysia’ on Dec 5 and 6,
to be held by Penang Development Corporation
and InvestPenang, Teng said Gerakan Penang is
concerned that the state government only real-
ised the importance of taking proactive action
eight months after taking over power.
“It is my hope that Lim will acknowledge the
important work done in the past and build on
those efforts to accelerate Penang’s growth
to ensure Penang remains in the forefront of
national development,” he said.
Cheer for pomelo
growers
IPOH: The state government is planning to
gazette about 120ha of pomelo cultivation
in Tambun here into agriculture land to
promote eco-tourism .
Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) central
Mohammad Nizar said public servants committee member K. Kunasekaran said
must have the inner strength to resist Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamalaud-
the temptation and eradicate corruption. din disclosed this at a closed-door meeting
Otherwise, corrupted civil servants and attended by him, PSM deputy chairwoman
their families have to live with the stigma of M. Saras and a few farmers at Mohammed
corruption when caught in the act. Nizar’s office yesterday.
This would come as good news for the
Perak ACA director Bahri Mohd Zain
pomelo growers, numbering about 100,
told reporters the agency is reviving SPAI
who have been occupying the former
(Accountability and Integrity Management
state mining and forest land for the past
System), introduced about 10 years ago and
40 years.
now gaining popularity among the state
Kunasekaran said they also also dis-
agencies.
cussed other old land problems.
Name supporters,
Fong told
ELEVEN Dong Liang chiefs from for the retention of Kua.
10 states issued a joint statement However, at the Dong Zong
on Monday demanding that their EGM, the Dong Liang chiefs voted
Malacca counterpart, Fong Chiew 10-3 to reject the motion.
Ping, name the seven Dong Liang “We want to remind Fong not
chiefs she claimed had supported to make any more misleading
the retention of Dr Kua Kia Soong remarks. We also suggest that
as the New Era College head, she make public her list of ‘at least
Oriental Daily News reported seven Kua supporters’ to prove
yesterday. that she had not been bluffing,”
Dong Liang are the affiliates the statement said.
of Dong Zong (United Chinese The statement also noted
School Committees Association), that Fong has also claimed the
whose chief, Dr Yap Sin Tian, and motion was rejected because the
Kua are the two central figures of Dong Liang chiefs were misled by
the months-long New Era College deputy Dong Zong chief Zou Shou
controversy. Han.
The statement said Fong had, It said Fong’s remark showed
at a “Save New Era College” that she has underestimated the
gathering on Nov 16, claimed that wisdom of the Dong Liang chiefs.
prior to the Dong Zong extraordi- The 11 Dong Liang chiefs urged
nary general meeting (EGM) early Fong to respect the decision taken
this month, she had obtained the at the EGM and refrain from fur-
backing of at least seven Dong ther action in order not to make
Liang chiefs for her motion to call the matter worse.