SNAPSHOT | Fahmi urges J-Kom chief to speak carefully; multi-faith group wants poster probed

KINI SNAPSHOT | What’s going on in the news today, with updates at 11am, 2pm, and 6pm.

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11am

Syam Ghaz

• Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil has urged newly appointed Community Communications Department (J-Kom) chief Hisyamuddin Ghazali to be more careful in his choice of words so that they do not get manipulated.

  “I told him his energy and dynamism are very good, but at the same time, we need to be careful to ensure the people understand what we are trying to convey.

  “Don’t make space that could be manipulated by enemies and those who want to make an issue,” Berita Harian quoted him as saying to reporters in Kota Bharu yesterday.

  

  He also reportedly described Hisyamuddin’s speed in tackling issues as “fresh” compared to his predecessors, and will continue to monitor his performance since this has only been Hisyamuddin’s first week on the job.

  “His methods are different from before, and I see opportunities for us to explore ways to tackle issues more thoroughly,” he added.

READ MORE: Quizzed on J-Kom chief, Teo urges restraint on improper language, 3R issues

Religion

• The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism urged Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, the Higher Education Ministry, and religious authorities to probe a poster with the university’s name purportedly promoting the registration of new Muslim converts.

  The interfaith council also called on relevant authorities to identify those who created and circulated the poster, any misuse of identities, the involvement of internal or external parties, and the use of similar approaches elsewhere.

  

  In a statement yesterday, the council stressed the right of every person to freedom of religion, but decried the practice of inducing conversion through pressure.

  “Malaysia’s harmony depends on trust, restraint, and respect between communities.

  “Religious outreach must be carried out responsibly, especially within educational institutions where students must feel safe, respected and free from any form of pressure,” it added.

READ MORE: Senator urges probe into poster offering 'perks' for uni students who convert

• DAP senator Dr RA Lingeshwaran hit back against an Umno ulama council leader for saying that Islam can be spread anywhere in Malaysia without obstruction.

  Lingeshwaran said that public educational institutes belong to every citizen, regardless of race or religion, and should therefore not be “exploited” as a platform for religious conversion.

  In a statement today, he responded to Umno ulama council deputy chairperson Khairuddin Aman Razali, who argued that Malaysia is an Islamic country while pointing to the special privileges granted to the religion in the Federal Constitution, such as the prohibition against converting Muslims.

  Lingeshwaran rebutted by saying that Malaysia is home to diverse communities and inflammatory statements should not be issued by political leaders, “more so when they come from an individual connected to a multiracial political alliance such as BN”.

• The Johor Bahru Municipal Council has ordered all entertainment outlets in the district to be closed for 24 hours in conjunction with Awal Muharram today.

  In a statement last night, it said the order is in effect from 7pm yesterday to 7pm tonight. It added that the closure is in line with an earlier directive issued on June 10.

Johor polls

• Following Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s call on Johoreans to elect leaders who are wise, principled, humble, and can cooperate with the federal government, the state’s caretaker menteri besar, Onn Hafiz Ghazi, asked where his administration had fallen short.

  

  In a Facebook post last night, he said his administration had complemented the federal government in many areas - even those that are under the purview of the federal government - and was never too proud to accept feedback and assistance.

  He also questioned whether a principled position to hear the voice of the majority of Johoreans by contesting all 56 seats in the state would be considered “arrogant”.

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