69 police reports lodged over Nga's Christmas party, says PAS Youth

Summary

• About 69 police reports lodged against DAP leader Nga Kor Ming over the Christmas celebration at the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

• PAS Youth, NGOs and other organisations file the reports.

• PAS Youth says police must investigate Nga under Section 298A of the Penal Code.

A total of 69 police reports have been lodged against Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming over the involvement of Muslims in a Christmas celebration on government premises.

In a statement PAS Youth posted on its Facebook page, members of the Islamist party’s youth wing, NGOs and other organisations had lodged the reports.

“PAS Youth urges the police to investigate under Section 298A of the Penal Code and ensure that government premises are no longer misused for events that violate religious sensitivities.

“Islam must be respected as the official religion of the federation for the sake of national harmony,” the statement said.

Section 298A of the Penal Code is a blasphemy provision that criminalises words and actions that insult a religion. It is punishable by imprisonment for two to five years.

Besides that, PAS Youth said Nga did not comply with the 2005 guideline issued by the National Fatwa Council as well as the federal territories mufti office ruling regarding Muslims attending non-Muslim festive celebrations.

The violations of the guidelines included:

• symbols and elements that contradict Islamic beliefs such as symbols of other religions and religious songs,

• holding such celebrations at government premises and involving Muslim staff, and

• causing unrest among Muslims and affecting national harmony.

On Dec 26, PAS Youth vice-chief Muhammad Hanif Jamaluddin denounced what he alleged to be a Christmas carol performance held at the Housing and Local Government Ministry’s headquarters in Putrajaya.

He took issue with a video of the performance where several Muslims were seen in the audience, saying that Nga should know it is haram (forbidden) for Muslims to partake in festivities of other religions.

However, Nga said his ministry upholds the value of unity in diversity as a pillar of the nation’s strength and that he would not succumb to “bigots, bigotry, and extremists”.

PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan in turn accused Nga of making “extreme” and “emotional” remarks and threatened legal action against the minister.

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