Politicians have been told not to look for "cheap political mileage" in the controversy surrounding the publication of an article in the Malaysian Bar's official publication that allegedly insults Islam and Muslims.

The Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall's civil rights committee said in a statement today that all parties should study the article first.

Chairperson Ser Choon Ing said it was regretful that the article by lawyer Yang Pei Keng had been "misconstrued and taken out of context".

Ser said close reading the article "from whatever angle" would show that it does not mean to question or insult any religion, and that Yang's analogy had affirmed the Muslim community's right to freedom of religion.

"The article has demonstrated the writer's respect and tolerance on individual rights and freedom of religion, it should not be interpreted as insulting Islam," Ser pointed out.

He stressed the need for greater space for freedom of expression especially in situations where local council have been incapable of handling sensitive issues such as religion, thereby depriving residents of a platform to air grouses.

"We should have discussion of these issues. Only through rational discussion can we enhance mutual understanding among different ethnic groups," Ser said.

Yang's article entitled, 'Local authorities ought to be sensitive to individual rights' (PDF version), was published in the May/June issue of Bar Council's Infoline .

The article was on the move by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council to issue guidelines for dog licences, requiring potential owners to obtain prior consent from their neighbours. The rule was not implemented following protests from residents.

Yang had written: "As in the case of those developers building mosques in the vicinity of a non-Muslim community, while one recognises that any community's right to perform its religious obligation by way of using a loudspeaker, to some, it is noise pollution created to the annoyance of those residing in the neighbourhood.

"Following the argument of the local authority, prior consent ought to have been obtained from the local residents before permitting any developer to put up any mosque in their neighbourhood. However, this has never been an issue so far, simply because the non-Muslim community recognises the Muslim community's right to freedom of religion."

Bar's position

On Aug 4, Shah Alam Umno division committee member Mohd Azhar Othman lodged a police report over excerpts of the one-page article on grounds that it insulted Islam by likening the Muslim call for prayer or azan as "noise pollution" and a nuisance to local residents.

The division's community service centre chairperson Ahmad Sharizal Jimim has demanded a written apology from the Bar Council, as a pre-condition to the matter being dropped.

The Bar Council has stood by the article, saying this has been completely taken out of context and that there is nothing wrong with the article if read in its proper context.

Council chief Kuthubul Zaman Bukhari was reported as saying that Yang's article was merely developing an argument for mutual understanding and tolerance, using the illustration of the broadcast of a religious rite.

Yang has declined to comment on the matter thus far. The Johor-based lawyer has been actively in human rights groups such as the National Human Rights Society and is the author of a series of Chinese publications on fundamental human rights.

Islam is the official religion of Malaysia and Muslims make up more than half of the population of 25 million, which also includes large Buddhist, Christian and Hindu minorities.