Soi Lek urges examination of sermon’s text during investigations

--->Hello there: Dr Chua greeting some of the JKKK and JKKP chairmen and secretaries attending a seminar at Park Avenue Hotel in Sungai Petani, Kedah yesterday

SUNGAI PETANI: Investigations into the alleged use of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s name during Friday prayers should also include checking the particular contentious text, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.

“The main question here is whether the text was approved and what was the motive for the name of a non-Muslim to appear in the Friday prayers conducted in the said mosques.

“Also, when the name was inserted, was it with his (Lim’s) consent or whether he (Lim) was aware of it,” he said.

Dr Chua said he did not know much about the issue and only got to read about it in a Malay daily.

It was reported that Penang police had also set up a special task force to investigate reports that Lim’s name was used instead of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during Friday prayers in two mosques in the state.

Earlier, when opening a leadership course for new Federal Village Security and Development Com-mittee (JKKP) heads in Penang, Kedah and Perlis, Dr Chua reminded the Chinese new village chiefs not to “bite the hand that feeds them”.

He added the leaders should bear in mind that they represented Barisan Nasional and the Federal Government in the new villages.

“Therefore, they should have the sensitivity and awareness about their roles, and how they should discharge their duties as community leaders,” he said at the one-day programme yesterday organised by MCA with the co-operation of the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

Dr Chua added the MCA leadership and the ministry hoped the JKKKP leaders would also use the financial allocations with utmost care.

On the allegation by 988 Chinese radio station host Jamaluddin Ibrahim that Dr Chua had used a discriminatory remark on him, the party president said: “When Jamal started talking, I reminded him that this (month) is Ramadan.

“(There was) nothing excessive and I hope Jamal will not refer to religion or whatever he thinks that he can abuse for his own interest.”

An online news portal had reported that Jamaluddin was seeking an apology and clarification from Dr Chua, after the latter allegedly told him to be more responsible as a Muslim over the issue.

Jamaluddin was taken off the air and told to go on leave by 988 chief executive officer Wong Lai Ngo after the company received a warning letter from the Malaysian Commu­nications and Multimedia Com­mission (MCMC).

MCMC had deemed as offensive certain contents aired over the radio station.

Star RFM Sdn Bhd chairman Datin Linda Ngiam on Aug 19 said the company was conducting an investigation into the matter.

THE STAR (Tuesday August 24, 2010)