More in-depth discussions on Islamic aesthetic values should be carried out before any statement or decision on the demolition of the eagle monument at Eagle Square, Langkawi, is issued, said social and cultural affairs adviser to the government, Rais Yatim.

He said this was because the eagle statue was a tourism attraction in the holiday island, and not worshipped by any parties.

"There is beauty seen through the eyes of Islam. We should take a lesson from a verse which says Allah loves beautiful things and so the matter should be considered, taking all factors into consideration," he said.

He was speaking to reporters after opening Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) Malaysia's Specialist Medical Centre in Kuantan today. Also present were the medical centre's chairperson Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman and UIA rector Zaleha Kamaruddin.

Rais was commenting on proposals to demolish the monument, after Perak deputy mufti Zamri Hashim was earlier quoted as saying the eagle statue was 'haram'(forbidden) in Islam as it looked like a real living bird and should be demolished.

Rais, who is also UIA president, said the proposal to demolish the eagle figure should be discussed, as it needed to take into consideration the existence of the national monument (Tugu Negara) in Kuala Lumpur and the cat statue in Kuching, Sarawak.

"If this is the case, the national monument in Kuala Lumpur and the cat statue in Kuching should also be demolished," he said.

He said the authorities also needed to think carefully on the proposal to build social and cultural character of the nation.

"Malaysia will lose out on its Islamic aesthetics when Saudi Arabia is building various monuments such as symbols of butterflies. Whoever has been to Jeddah will know, the authorities there are also Sunni (Muslims)," he said.

'Not wrong to shake hands'

On other matters, Rais said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's move to meet his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim and erstwhile enemy could be that Mahathir "missed" him after recalling past events.

"But it was not wrong of him to shake hands with Anwar Ibrahim, maybe in his heart he (Mahathir) felt about what he had done before the cases Anwar faced lately. But we don't have all the answers (why Mahathir met Anwar)," he said.

They met at the High Court yesterday where Anwar had a case relating to the National Security Council Act.

Mahathir sacked Anwar in 1998 as the deputy prime minister. Anwar was also sacked from Umno.

Anwar was later charged with corruption and separately with sodomy. He was sentenced to six years jail in 1999 on four counts of corruption.

He was released on Sept 2, 2004, after almost six years in prison when the Federal Court allowed his appeal against conviction for sodomy.

He is serving a five-year jail term on another sodomy conviction.

- Bernama