KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — Authorities have been urged to promptly take action against blogger Alvin Tan for ridiculing the call to prayers (azan) via a video recording uploaded to YouTube, recently.
Socio-culture Adviser to the Government Tan Sri Dr Rais Yatim said a delay in taking action would result in the enforcement bodies in the country being belittled and the emergence of others who would make similar provocations.
“The vociferousness of certain quarters and individuals who openly insulted Islam and belittled the royal institution shows the weakness of enforcing the law in this country.
“The delay in the enforcement has resulted in many individuals daring to come forward to revile religion, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the the Prime Minister.
“The enforcement bodies must act fast and firmly, whether under the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998, Sedition Act or others,” he told reporters after being a host in the seried programme ‘Budi dan Tamadun’ at the radio station Classic National, Radio Televishen Malaysia (RTM) at Angkasapuri here, today.
He said this when asked to comment on Tan’s new video recording on YouTube showing him singing the call to prayer in R & B rhythm while playing the keyboard.
Rais, who is also an expert in the law and Federal Constitution, also commented on the action of 13 DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s State Assemblymen yesterday, who did not given any reaction to the speech of the Yang Di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir.
“Similarly, the action of 26 State Assemblymen in Perak who wore black at the opening of the state assembly in March, was as if ignoring the ruler.
“In Thailand, immediate action will be taken without any compromise if a citizen insults the king, and that is different with the enforcement in this country.” He said the Malays were increasingly forgetting their culture and legacy due to a weakness in the education system today which is not applying relevant lessons related to good moral character.
“Our education system is successful in turning out a knowledgeable society but not those with cultural values and heritage of the Malays.
“The education transformation which recently announced is slow in bringing the features of civilisation, heritage and culture into the education system and if not initiated now, the use of the Malay language itself will be lost.” — Bernama
