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Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email This case popped up in early January after some children books were seized from several MPH bookstores due to reports that it contained images of prophets.
Latest news is the books have been returned, but not stated in what condition. » Read more: seized books returned
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email go to Bomoh also can get converted!!!! Very risky nowadays! So be careful, don’t simply utter any funny sounding verses and get caught in hidden cameras 🙂
Read about the earlier issues :
husband claims wife did not convert
| Court: Husband can claim ‘converted’ wife’s remains http://malaysiakini.com/news/77192 |
| Beh Lih Yi | Jan 18, 08 4:12pm |
| The Kuala Lumpur High Court today ruled that entertainment outlet manager Ngiam Tee Kong had the right to claim his wife’s body following a three-week long dispute over the deceased’s religion.
According to his lawyer Karpal Singh, Justice Lau Bee Lan ordered Wong Sau Lan’s remains, which has been at the Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia mortuary since she died, to be released to Ngiam.
Ngiam who was present in court said he was relieved that the dispute is over. “It has been 18 days. I can’t sleep sometimes, it has been very traumatic,” said the father of two whose 54-year-old wife died on Dec 30 due to an illness. Ngiam, a practicing Buddhist, said he hopes to claim his wife’s body this afternoon. The couple had been married for 28 years. Visited a bomoh “The bomoh‘s son videotaped my wife allegedly reciting some Islamic verses. This was done with bad intention, we had only gone there to seek treatment,” he added. After his wife died, Ngiam went to the hospital to claim her body and was told that he could perform the Christian rites but must return Wong’s body to be buried according to Muslim rites. The next day, he received a letter signed by the Islamic council’s director stating that Wong had converted to Islam on Dec 24 at a flat in Jalan Siakap, Cheras. However, Ngiam disputed the declaration. He claimed that the council’s letter did not state his wife’s Muslim name and that the conversion was not done in accordance with the law. He insisted that Wong was a practicting Christian. On Jan 4, Ngiam was granted an interim injunction preventing the hospital from releasing Wong’s body to the Islamic council in an ex-parte application filed by Karpal. Following the council’s letter to Karpal two days ago that Wong’s conversion is not binding, an inter-parte application to hear from both disputing parties scheduled for today before justice Lau did not take place. Seek damages “With that, we are not planning to pursue any action and we are relinquishing our right over the deceased’s remains for it to be handed to her husband.” Meanwhile, Karpal said he will seek damages for the anguish suffered by Wong’s family as a result of the dispute. “The council should be more careful in future to ascertain one’s conversion. They should not snatch a body, refuse to release it and later admit that it was not a lawful conversion. “There could have been other (similar) cases in which this kind of injustice had occurred. We must be more sensitive,” he added. Wong’s case was the latest in a series of similar disputes since 2005. |
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email The Hindu Board replies to attacks on its status.
Said Kumaraendran: "The board has never been a political tool of the ruling coalition. (Its) commissioners and temple management committee-members have always been appointed based on merit and (their) credentials, (not) political affiliation as alleged."
They are all appointed by the state governor on the advice of the state government based on their track-record as persons of high esteem in the society.”
– wonder how they define merit and credentials. Based on the track record?
| Penang Hindu Board 'not BN political tool' http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/77039 |
| Athi Veeranggan | Jan 15, 08 2:37pm |
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The Penang Hindu Endowments Board has defended itself against allegations that it has become a political tool of the MIC and Gerakan in Penang and that it is acting beyond its powers. K Kumaraendran rebutted the claim that political considerations have been the yardstick for the appointment of commissioners and committee- members, who manage the five temples in the state. A commissioner and lawyer, he was commenting on a Malaysiakini report last Friday, in which United Hindu Religious Council president G Mugunthan had alleged there is rampant political meddling in the annual appointments. "They are all appointed by the state governor on the advice of the state government based on their track-record as persons of high esteem in the society.” Hindu endowments belonging to the hilltop Waterfall Temple – Sri Balathandayuthabani Kovil (photo) – Sri Ramar Kovil in Dhoby Ghaut, Sri Kunj Bihari Krishan Mandir, Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil in Lebuh Queen and Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil in Butterworth are administered by the board. Under the Hindu Endowment Ordinance, the state governor on the advice of the state executive council appoints a board of commissioners, one of whom must be a government officer. The board then sets up an endowment management committee consisting of members of public professing the religion applicable to the endowments – in this case, Hinduism. 'Orderly festivals' According to Mugunthan, political-based appointments of commissioners have become a norm since the 1980s. Even the board chairperson is a politician, he said, referring to former MIC state chairpersons T Suppiah and K Rajapathy, and current state deputy chairperson PK Subbaiyah. Over the years many MIC division leaders and prominent Gerakan Indian leaders have been appointed as commissioners. Kumaraendran also refuted the allegation that the board had overstepped its jurisdiction. In this respect, it has a legal obligation to ensure that religious festivals are celebrated in correct and orderly manner. This involves implementing measures to regulate tanneer panthal (refreshment booths) and installing a centralised system to control the type of music played during Thaipusam each year. "Various quarters have commended the board for its actions to bring more order into Hindu religious festivals," he added. |
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email I'm confused. What business does a Muslim have reading Christian children books until he/she can complain to the authorities? The report say Islamic authorities (which jokers is it this time?) made the complaint. Why would an authority on Islam go and poke its nose into a different religion matters? Surely they have better things to do like snooping on promiscuous couples, investigating deviant teachings, or checking on mosques' sermons? I'm sooo confused!
| Christian children books seized http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/76951 |
| Chua Sue-Ann | Jan 11, 08 5:13pm |
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The Internal Security Ministry has confiscated English language Christian children’s books said to contain offensive caricatures of prophets from several bookshops in three states. Malaysiakini learnt that these books have been seized from three MPH bookstores in Johor Bahru, Senawang in Negeri Sembilan and Ipoh, Perak. It is unclear if other book retailers have had similar raids. The raids were conducted by state enforcement officials of the Publications and Al-Quran Texts Control Department under the Internal Security Ministry. Negeri Sembilan and Malacca department director Faizah Nor Sidek confirmed that a total of 29 books were seized in mid-December from the Senawang MPH outlet. According to Faizah, her department acted on a complaint from Islamic authorities. “The illustrations of prophets in the Christian children’s books are said to offend the sensitivities of Muslims,” she said when contacted today. The six titles have been sent to the department’s headquarters in Putrajaya for investigation. Faizah said that the department had issued an official notice of confiscation to the bookstore’s management and will communicate the headquarter’s final decision to them. Director of the Perak department Mohamad Zaid also confirmed that more than 10 books have been taken off the shelves in the Ipoh Kinta City branch on Jan 3. According to Zaid, enforcement officers received information from headquarters to remove the children’s books. MPH bookstores management declined to comment, saying that they will wait for the Internal Security Ministry’s official decision. Officials from the Publications and Al-Quran Texts Control Department headquarters were unavailable for comment. Christian publications in limbo These confiscations come amidst other controversial restrictions towards Christian publications. Customs authorities seized six titles of Christian children’s books last August on the grounds that the Bahasa Indonesia publications contained certain words that were exclusive to Islam. The words in contention are ‘Allah’ (God), ‘Baitullah’ (House of God), ‘Solat’ (prayer) and ‘Kaabah’ (The Sacred House). Sabah Sidang Injil Borneo Church – who sought to import these books for their Sunday school classes – have a lawsuit pending against the government and the prime minister, who is also the internal security minister. The hearing has been postponed to Jan 15 to allow relevant parties to seek a resolution to the issue. The suit, filed by church president Pastor Jerry Dusing, is seeking the return of the consignment of materials that were confiscated by Custom officers at the Low-cost Carrier Terminal on Aug 15. The church also want the court to rule on the constitutional right and legitimate expectation to the use of the term 'Allah' as a translation for God in Christian publications as well the right to import such publications. Last month, controversy erupted over the Internal Security Ministry’s directive to the Catholic church’s weekly publication Herald to stop using the term ‘Allah’ when referring to God or risk having its printing license unrenewed. The ministry has since renewed the weekly paper’s printing license after public outcry over the issue. However, the paper will persist with its lawsuit against the government to challenge the prohibition from using the word ‘Allah’. |
| Subscribe in a reader | Subscribe to poobalan.com by Email | Political meddling in Penang Hindu temples http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/76923 |
| Athi Veeranggan | Jan 11, 08 10:46am |
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A Hindu organisation has taken the Penang Hindu Endowments Board to task for acting beyond its jurisdiction and becoming a political tool of the MIC and Gerakan. The United Hindu Religious Council (UHRC) president S Mugunthan alleged that the board's nine commissioners were appointed yearly based on their political affiliation rather than their knowledge on Hinduism and administrative skills. He said that the political-based appointment for the board's commissioner position had become a norm since the 1980's. "It is obvious that the present commissioners were appointed due to their political allegiance with certain parties or leaders notably the MIC and Gerakan,” he said. Sources close to the endowments board told Malaysiakini that MIC president and Works Minister S Samy Vellu and Gerakan president and Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon were the most powerful influence behind the appointment of the commissioners. The source revealed that MIC and Gerakan had been using the commissioners’ position as a political gift to their local leaders. The present chairman of the endowments board is the state MIC deputy chairperson and executive councillor PK Subbaiyah. Over the past 20 years or so, many commissioners were appointed from political ranks of MIC and Gerakan. "This is unwarranted," added Mugunthan. The statutory powers Under Section 6 of the HEO, the board of commissioners shall appoint an endowment management committee consisting members of public professing the religion applicable to the endowment. UHRC deputy president K Suppayah, who was appointed as assistant secretary to the commissioner board for more than 20 years (1970-1993), said there was no provision under the ordinance that empowered the board to appoint the management committees to manage any Hindu temples, organise Hindu religious festivals, govern tanneer panthals (refreshment sheds), collect donations and charge devotees with prayer fees of any form. "The board is only a trustee of Hindu endowments of five temples," he said, while stressing that he had clarified the matter with the Attorney-General Chambers. At present Hindu endowments belonging to the Waterfall hilltop Sri Balathandayuthabani Kovil , Sri Ramar Kovil in Dhoby Ghaut, Sri Kunj Bihari Krishan Mandir, Lebuh Queen's Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil and Butterworth Sri Maha Mariamman Kovil come under the jurisdiction of the endowments board. Although it's merely a board of trustees to safeguard and manage the endowments of the five Hindu temples, the statutory body has, however transformed itself into a religious authority to appoint, control and dictate the management committees of the five temples, religious festivals and tanneer panthals (refreshment sheds). "This clearly contravenes Article 11 of the Federal Constitution which was unambiguous that the government shall not handle religious affairs pertaining to religions other than Islam. "Since the board is a statutory body, it shall not encroach into Hindu religious affairs," said Suppayah, while adding that the management of the five temples should be left to Hindu public, especially Hindu organisations. Legal action possible As such, the board would have no authority to stop tanneer panthals from playing their own music during the Thaipusam festival and install a 3km-long single public address system between the Waterfall hilltop temple in Jalan Air Terjun and the Jalan Brown – Jalan Utama. It also cannot impose charges on devotees for prayers of any form at the five temples. Technically and ideally, said Suppayah, either existing Hindu organisations shall be allowed or new independent organisations shall be registered to manage each of the temples and organise religious festivals and functions associated with the temples. "However, the board has now usurped a non-existent power by directly interfering with Hindu religious," he said. Mugunthan said his council would carry out awareness campaign on the real position and powers of the endowments board since many Hindus were either ignorant and naive about the whole issue. He did not rule out legal redress on the issue to stop the board from overstepping its judicial boundary thus committing unlawful acts. "We have to take court action to right the wrong then we will do it," he said. |
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The decision followed the Federal Territory Islamic Council’s admission that Wong’s conversion to Islam from Christianity was not done in accordance with the hukum syarak (Islamic law) and provisions in the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act.
In the council’s two-page letter, its legal unit head Eidey El-Nimeiry Mokhtar said: “We have carried out further investigation in relation to Wong’s conversion to Islam done by one Siti Aishah Ismail and from the investigation and statements recorded, we decided that her conversion was not valid.
Said Kumaraendran: "The board has never been a political tool of the ruling coalition. (Its) commissioners and temple management committee-members have always been appointed based on merit and (their) credentials, (not) political affiliation as alleged. 
Reliable sources had claimed that Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon (photo ) has insisted on "his men from Gerakan" being appointed. 