１．The Star Online（http://thestar.com.my）
Jais submits initial report on church issue, 15 August 2011
JAIS (Selangor Islamic Religious Department) submitted a preliminary report over its check of the Damansara Utama Methodist Church to Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim last week.
Mingguan Malaysia quoted a source saying that Jais was currently finalising the report.
“The report sent to the mentri besar is just a preliminary report and Jais is currently finalising it.
“Once it has been completed, we will submit it to the authorities,” said the source on Saturday.
On Aug 3, Jais disrupted a thanksgiving dinner organised by non-governmental organisation Harapan Komuniti at the Damansara Utama Methodist Church's Dream Centre in Petaling Jaya, claiming there was proselytisation of Muslims.
VARIOUS bodies have come forward to oppose the planned marriage of self-confessed Malaysian gay pastor Rev Ou Yang Wen Feng to his African-American partner.
Mingguan Malaysia's reports quoted various parties including the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship's executive secretary Alfred Pais saying that homosexual practices were against the teachings of Jesus Christ.
“Christianity does not condone same-sex marriage.
“A marriage between a man and another man is not acceptable and this culture should not be brought to Malaysia,” he was quoted as saying.
Ou Yang, 41, and his partner Phineas Newborn III, 47, a Broadway musical producer are planning to tie the knot at the end of the month in New York and have a Chinese wedding banquet and traditional tea ceremony in Kuala Lumpur eventually.
Malaysian Syariah Lawyers' Associations deputy president Musa Awang said same-sex marriage was against the moral and cultural values of this country, adding that Malaysia does not recognise such marriages.
A dangdut club in Kuala Lumpur is offering its customers a special “Ramadan package” where they can party till sahur (pre-dawn meal) for RM40 per hour.
For the price, a guest relations officer will entertain clients at the club, accompany them for their pre-dawn meal and even sleep with them.
A GRO, known as Zie who was interviewed by Metro Ahad claimed the holy month of Ramadan had not made it difficult for her to get clients, adding that club patrons, who were mostly senior citizens, wanted to “stay up so they will not miss sahur”.
Zie claimed her average monthly income was between RM10,000 and RM13,000 but during fasting month, she was able to pocket RM18,000.
1995-2011 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
２．Free Malaysia Today（http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com）
‘Pakatan leaders stopped MBPJ from seizing DUMC’, 14 August 2011
by K Pragalath
Blogger Papa Gomo makes the claim based on a document allegedly leaked from MBPJ.
PETALING JAYA: Pro-Umno blogger Papa Gomo has claimed that Pakatan Rakyat leaders had interfered to stop Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) shutting down the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) last Thursday.
The seizure operation was supposed to be conducted by MBPJ’s security and enforcement division.
DUMC has been in the limelight since Aug 3 when Selangor religious department (JAIS) interrupted a dinner held at the church following allegations that efforts to proselytize the Christian faith to Muslims were under way.
Papa Gomo’s claim was substantiated with a report purportedly from MBPJ’s enforcement and security division on its operation to seize the hall.
The report stated that on Aug 11 at 10.30am, the enforcement and security division had to call off its operation to seize DUMC after receiving a telephone call at 10.58am from Selangor senior exco Teresa Kok who queried about the seizure. The report added that Kok requested the operation to be called off.
The report also claimed that PAS’ Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad had similarly urged the MBPJ to cancel the seizure operation at 11.07am.
Papa Gomo also claimed that according to the leaked report, another Selangor exco, DAP’s Ronnie Liu had allegedly warned that personnel from the security and enforcement division woud be transferred out if they continued with the operation.
The report claimed that at 11.40 am, there were more instructions from the top, including from PKR’s Elizabeth Wong, to cancel the operation and the police was also notified abut the cancellation.
The two page report has the word ‘Sulit’ (confidential) stamped on its top right corner but does not carry MBPJ’s letterhead.
Catch-22 for PAS
According to Tulang Besi’s conspiracy theory, “If PAS opposed JAIS’ raid on Damansara Utama Methodist Centre, the Islamist party would be shunned by the Muslims.
“And if PAS supported JAIS, then it would lose credibility among the non-Muslim crowd.”
This was the blogger’s conclusion on his blog, Malaysia Waves following JAIS’ reluctance to meet with PAS on Aug 16.
The religious department does not want to face PAS even though details of its investigations are already published on pro-Umno websites.
The blogger further speculated that the whole act was masterminded by Umno.
During a press conference last week, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said: “We cannot make a statement before getting an explanation from the church and JAIS.”
Selangor state exco for Islamic affairs and Malay customs Hasan Ali had defended the raid. Hasan Ali is the immediate past Selangor PAS commissioner.
(End)
