MCA has urged Media Prima to immediately air a public notification of dissociation from Islamic motivator speaker Siti Nor Bahyah Mahamood’s remarks and not to broadcast any programmes with her as a panellist or guest speaker until she apologises to the Christian community.

malaysiakini interview loh seng kok 061108 01 In a statement today, MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok ( left ) urged both parties, Media Prima and Siti Bahyah, to immediately apologise for offending the sensitivities of the Christian community.

“Media Prima also must not permit any individual to use any of its channels to launch broadsides against any other person’s faith, and if it is necessary, to check the content of the guest speaker’s speech,” Loh said.

Loh also pointed out that Valentine’s Day is a commercialised occasion, no different from Mother’s Day, Father’s Day and Teacher’s Day.

Unlike Good Friday, Easter and Christmas, Valentine’s Day is not an occasion commemorated in the Christian calender by Christians, he added.

Loh further said that MCA deems that such remarks are not only offensive and derogatory against all Christians, but it smacks of an individual wielding an air of religious superiority and using the opportunity of being on air to broadcast “Christian-bashing”.

Earlier today, the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) condemned the TV personality for being derogatory and irresponsible to have passed such remarks.

Gazette fatwa, urges group

Meanwhile, the Muslim Lawyers Association has today called on the various state Mufti Departments to gazette the fatwa barring Muslims to celebrate Valentine’s Day to become law, as there is a need for stern action to be taken by the religious authorities.

subashini mohd shafi court case pc 030407 zainul rijal Its president, Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar ( left ), said the association regrets certain quarters questioning the initiative taken by Muslims and the state Islamic Departments to help curb such negative influences during Valentine’s Day, as this is in line with the concept of amar ma’aruf nahi mungkar (calling on people to do good and preventing people from doing bad deeds).

“On Nov 24, 2005, the National Fatwa Council has had decreed that celebrating Valentine’s Day is haram in Islam. Therefore, Muslims are prohibited from celebrating it. We would like to urge that the state Mufti Departments be required to gazette the fatwa to become law in prohibiting such celebration among Muslims. The celebration has its root on Christianity as it is to commemorate the killing of St Valentine, a Christian saint, by the Romans.

“Such a celebration does not result in Muslims coming closer towards God but it may affect their aqidah (belief). The association also urges the Islamic authorities to seriously enforce controls to curb the celebration of Valentine’s Day. There is no exemption that allows immunity of sins due to committing such vices, as it is against the religion.

“There is nothing wrong for the authorities to take action as they are fulfilling their moral obligation as this is allowed by law on Muslims. In fact, the public can also do the same as they have the right under the Federal Territory Criminal Procedure Act to curb such activities,” he said.