Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek is against the screening of a sex video, implicating an opposition leader, in Parliament.

Responding to the call by DAP chairperson Karpal Singh suggesting that the video be screened in Parliament to enable the members to identify the man in the video, Ahmad Shabery said doing so would leave a bad taste.

"Parliament is a place for leaders to formulate policies and not to conduct a trial. The matter should be left to the police," Ahmad Shabery, who is an Umno supreme council member, was reported by Bernama as having told reporters at parliament lobby yesterday.

He added that it would be better if the video was shown to the experts for verification purpose.

NONE Meanwhile, a footage allegedly containing excerpts from the video made its way to the Internet.

Asked about the footage, Ahmad Shabery said, he had not seen it and had no intention of watching it.

"For me it's quite surprising (for the video to appear online). We must find out its sources because it (the video) should be with the police," he said.

"We have to know how it got leaked and posted on YouTube and blogs."

A trio of Datuks, who have admitted that they are behind the screening of the 22-minute video to a group of media editors at a Kuala Lumpur hotel on March 21, have surrended the video to the police.

Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has lodged a police report, denying that he is the man in the video.

In a statement issued this morning, meanwhile, the Ulama Association of Malaysia (PUM) also blasted the proposal for the video to be screened to members of parliament.

“The Dewan Rakyat should be the arena to debate motions and the major issues of the country, but some want it to be a sex video theatre," said the group's secretary Mohd Roslan Mohd Nor.

"PUM is very disappointed with those quarters who display such eagerness to render a sex scandal into an issue of national importance whereas there are many more important national issues that should be debated.

"Challenging one another to screen the lewd video reflects the debasement of mind and morals of the people’s elected representatives, whereas they are seen by possessing exalted minds and character."

PUM also said it hopes the home ministry will issue a warning and take the appropriate action against media practitioners who had distributed the pictures of the video.

"Failure to do so is a sign of the country’s destruction and demise."

NONE Saying it expects the authorities responsible to fail in this regard, PUM said it will seek the intervention of the Council of Malay Rulers to act urgently "to stop the wickedness and sin that is currently being promoted."

Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong ( left ), meanwhile, said the video should not be screened in Parliament because doing so would tarnish the country's image.

However, he supported the call for a commission of inquiry to be set up to investigate the video.

He suggested that Karpal, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang, PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang be appointed as the commission's members.

"These five leaders must be appointed into the commission, otherwise there would be allegations of a cover up," he said.

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It's him, all right. Maybe. Perhaps. Or is it?