BN punched holes in the survey taken apparently in the Kinta Valley by well-known motivator Dr Fadzillah Kamsah which found that only 15 percent of Muslims pray while the rest do not do so.

Pakatan leader Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin made this claim when his oral question on what was the percentage of Muslims pray five times a day came up on the third day of the state assembly sitting today.

azlan In answering Nizar’s oral question, Menteri Besar Zambry Abd Kadir said it was not possible to take such a survey in such a short time to determine the percentage of such cases.

As to Nizar’s claim that only 15 percent of Muslims are praying, Zambry raised doubts over this and asked whether it is an analysis or survey done by Fadzillah as an analysis is different from a survey.

Anyway, such a study can vary from area to area and it cannot be generalised that only 15 percent pray, he said.

“It could be more than 15 percent in some areas while it could be less than 15 percent in other places. So how can we determine and come to a conclusion that only 15 percent of Muslims pray?” he asked.

In the war of words, each leader claimed that each had made more effort than the other to encourage more Muslims to pray.

State land problems highlighted

When the debate on the 2011 state budget came up, PKR Teja assemblyperson Chang Lih Kang  highlighted problems affecting state land, two of which were in his constituency and the other in his party colleague S Kesavan’s Hutan Melintang constituency.

On Tuesday, Kesavan was suspended from the August House for allegedly not following assembly procedure.

NONE Kesavan’s contention is that 13 lots of state land in his area meant for the poor and needy had allegedly been given to Umno cronies and officials from the land office.

This issue was highlighted by Nizar during his speech yesterday and today, Chang ( left ) again reminded the House of this alleged land abuse.

The Teja lawmaker also highlighted the plight of residents in Kampung Sungai Itek who faced land problems.

He claimed that 10 lots for planned villages in Kampung Sungai Itek had been given to Umno cronies. while in the same area another 50 acres which were developed by 20 vegetable and fish farmers were also allegedly taken up by Umno cronies.

Chang also highlighted the plight of duck farmers who had been operating for nearly 10 years on former mining area, and had been told by the owners, Gopeng Berhad, to vacate their land.

Similar complaints on state land in their respective constituencies were also made by Buntong assemblyperson A Sivasubramaniam and Jalong assemblyperson Leong Mee Meng.