Another religious controversy has threatened to erupt in Penang - this time on the election of mosque committees - but the state government has stepped in swiftly to nip the problem in the bud.

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia said in a front page report titled "Penang DAP government decides on the election of mosque committees in the state" today that the Penang Islamic Affairs Council (MAIPP) will now conduct elections to the committees of mosques in the state.

NONE The report warned that partisan politics would gradually seep into the committees if the election method was fully implemented next year.

The Utusan report also questioned whether this decision by MAIPP has received the blessings of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tunku Mizan Zainal Abidin as the head of Islamic affairs in the state.

The Malay language daily sees the current development as an effort by the DAP to interfere in the election of mosque committees and thereby influence the political direction of its members.

In refuting this, the state exco for religious affairs, domestic trade and consumerism, Abdul Malik Abul Kassim said the matter of obtaining the consent of the King did not arise.

Abdul Malik, who is PKR Batu Maung assemblyperson, said MAIPP is empowered to elect mosque committees, but the appointments would only be official after the palace gives its consent.

"They are empowered to prepare the name list... if we want to politicise the mosques, we would just submit our name lists to the palace, as the BN government had done previously," he told reporters in Penang today.

Exco: We prefer transparency

"But we prefer to practise transparency by conducting open elections for mosque committees... with this method, even Umno people can be voted in," he said.

NONE "The new MAIPP committee can start holding elections in 2012 as its former chief extended the tenure of the current mosque committees until the end of 2011, before he stepped down in 2009," Abdul Malik ( left ) added.

The last religious controversy also took off Penang, and also with an Utusan Malaysia front page report on May 7, headlined ' Malaysia Negara Kristian ?' (Malaysia a Christian state?).

The report quoted two pro-Umno bloggers as saying that a meeting between Christian pastors and the DAP decided to declare Malaysia a Christian state and instal a Chnristian as prime minister.

This report, which raised a hue and cry all over the country, was angrily denied by the Church as well as by the DAP -and Utusan got off with just a slap on the wrist from the Home Ministry.

According to today's Utusan report, the notice on the election has been widely distributed to about 4,000 mosques in the state.

All the mosques have been instructed to conduct their annual general meetings between June 15 and 24.

Nominees will be closely vetted by a special committee headed by the MAIPP, which decides whether to approve or reject candidates who may not be qualified for the posts.

The candidates selected would be given one week to campaign, from Jun 10 to 17, before voting, to be monitored by MAIPP representatives, is held on June 18.

Utusan quoted a source as saying that the new decision has sparked disagreements among MAIPP committee members, who want the method to be further studied to prevent partisan politics creeping into the mosques.

Source tells paper state behind the move

The source said "certain quarters" have influenced the committee to carry out the new method this year.

"In principle, it appears to be the decision of the MAIPP, but the proposal comes from above, that is, from the state government," the source told the newspaper.

When the newspaper contacted MAIPP chairperson Ellias Zakaria, he was reported to have told Utusan that the election method has been confirmed.

Reached today, Ellias, refused to comment further on the matter, leaving it to Abdul Malik to announce the details.

Meanwhile, the chief minister's political secretary, Ng Wei Aik, has given the newspaper 24 hours, until noon tomorrow, to correct its article, failing which the state would lodge a police report against it.

Ng, who is Komtar assemblyperson, said the report "smacks of ill intention", and was meant to give the impression that the DAP was interfering in the selection of the mosque committees.

"How can the DAP interfere when we do not have a representative in MAIPP? The report has a political agenda and gives the wrong impression... it is meant to inflame sentiments, especially that of Muslims, against the DAP," Ng added.