6 theSun | WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25 2009

news without borders

Survey: More people watching Nasional@1

THE number of Nasional@1 viewers
increased to 615,437 six weeks after
the restructuring of RTM on Jan 1, said
Information Minister Datuk Ahmad
Shabery Cheek.
He said according to research
agency AC Nielsen, the number was
the highest in nearly a year.
“On the low rating, it happened
briefly in the first week and this did not
happen again. The rating or viewership
of TV1 news will surely increase,” he
said.
“When digital broadcasts are imple-
mented nationwide in 2012, 90% of the
country’s total population will receive
the transmission, including those in
remote areas of Sabah and Sarawak,”
he said in reply to Datuk Dr James
Dawos Mamit (BN-Mambong).
Shabery said digital broadcast
technology was more efficient be-
cause “it uses a minimum number of
spectrums to transmit more TV and
radio channels”.
The unused spectrums could be
used for national security purposes
and other services such as wireless
broadband, he said.
Shabery said other countries like
the United States would terminate
analogue broadcasts this year while
those in Europe in 2012 and Asean
countries had targeted to end ana-
logue broadcasts by 2015.
“We are working towards imple-
menting digital broadcasts nationwide
in 2012 to achieve analogue switch-off
in 2015.
“The failure to meet the target will
make us become outdated in terms
of broadcast technologies and face a
more expensive cost in maintaining
the analogue equipment,” he added.
– Bernama

‘Race relations not at low ebb’ Maria J. Dass and Giam Say Khoon at the Dewan Rakyat

PM asks for document

THE government may introduce new pro-
visions or amend existing acts in an effort
to avoid racial misunderstanding, says
Unity, Culture, Arts and Heritage Deputy
Minister Teng Boon Soon.
He said the cabinet felt there was no
need for the government to introduce a
Teng said the provisions or amend-
ments may be incorporated in existing
acts like the Internal Security Act, the Se-
dition Act 1948, and the Printing Presses
and Publications Act 1984.
“In reality, the people do not feel race
relations is at the lowest ebb. The people

on Penang ‘faith council’

new act governing race relations.
This was decided by the cabinet after
studying a report on the need to promul-
gate a new act on race relations tabled by
the ministry recently, he said in response
to a question from Fong Po Kuan (DAP-
Batu Gajah).
can still interact and work together in
various fields without any qualm,” said
Teng.
Teng called on political leaders and
NGO activists not to stoke racial hatred by
making sensitive statements on religious
and language issues. – Bernama

Ong: We’ll not go against the law
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat
says the party will not support anything
that is against the law when asked to
comment on his deputy, Datuk Seri Dr
Chua Soi Lek, who was hauled up by the
police to facilitate investigations into the
distribution of a sex video.
The video, that was first circulated
in December 2007, resurfaced on Feb
10 when a 50-year-old businessman
lodged a police report after finding the
pornographic tape in his mail box. The
tape featured the former health minister
allegedly engaged in oral sex.
When asked in the parliament
lobby whether the MCA disciplinary board
would act against Chua, Ong said: “It’s up
to the council.”
DATUK Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wants a
detailed document on the alleged formation of
theSun
the Inter-Faith Consultative Council in Penang
to obtain a clearer picture on the matter as
says: reported by Utusan Malaysia yesterday.
The prime minister said he would only
Goodwill comment on the matter after obtaining the
council detailed document.
“I’ve already read but have yet to receive
is good a clearer picture on the council. I’ve already
pg 13 told the officers concerned to obtain the docu-
ment pertaining to the implementation by the
Penang state government. I can only comment
after getting it.
“So far, I only read what had been reported.
If the report is inaccurate, I will then create
a new problem which should not arise,” he
told reporters after chairing a meeting of the
Economic Council in Parliament House.
He said whatever action taken or proposal
made on Islam, the position of Islam as the
official federal religion must be recognised and
its status preserved.
Earlier in the Parliament lobby, Penang
Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general
Lim Guan Eng told reporters he will be filing
a suit against Utusan Malaysia and Penang
Islamic Council president Shabudin Yahaya
for insinuating that DAP insulted Islam by set-
ting up an inter-religious consultative council
in the state.
Lim said: “The Penang government never
set up such a council as stated by Shabudin
(who is also Permatang Berangan assembly-
man). I do not know who Shabudin’s source
is. The executive council meeting minutes will
prove this council was never formed.
“If the state government sets up a consulta-
tive council, it would have to go through the
state executive council, I chair the state ex-
ecutive council and I know what happens.”
Holding up a copy of yesterday’s Utusan
Malaysia’s front page headlined ‘DAP Hina
Islam?’, Lim said: “This is not true.”
“DAP has never insulted Islam and as a
leader of Penang, I respect, support and up-
hold the status of Islam, and DAP has never
disputed this. Please remember that I went to
jail for a Malay Muslim girl.
“This is too much, its (the slander and
lies) gone too far. We will meet in court.
“I will be instructing my lawyer to file
a suit against Utusan and Shabudin, I have
been patient all this time,” he added.
Last week, Lim announced that the forma-
tion of the Penang Religious Goodwill Coun-
cil was to promote greater understanding
and tolerance among all religions and also
to focus on common universal values instead
of the differences. The council comprises 11
Muslim and 11 non-Muslim members.
In GEORGE TOWN, Penang Deputy Chief
Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin
told Shabudin to get his facts right before
making statements over the setting up of the
goodwill council.
Refuting Shabudin’s statement in Utusan
Malaysia that the setting up of the council
was an insult to Islam for trying to place
Islam on the same level as other religions,
Mohammad Fairus said Shabudin had
misunderstood the purpose of setting up the
council, reports OPALYN MOK.
“This is a goodwill council, not an inter-
religious council. It is to promote goodwill
among the different religions,” he said.
“There was no question of placing Islam
on the same level as other religions at all as
the council is not set up to direct or control
any religion.
“He is not the only one who knows about
Islam. I am also a Muslim and we have con-
sulted PAS on this before deciding on setting
up the council,” he told theSun.
Meanwhile, Parliamentarians from
Penang who lodged a police report yester-
day want the police to classify the case as
“seditious” and investigate the report which
they termed as “false news” under the Penal
Code.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament lobby,
Deputy Chief Minister (II) P Ramasamy
(DAP-Batu Kawan) said the report was not
even a differing view, but “an outright lie”.
His colleague Jeff Ooi (DAP-Jelutong)
said the council was non-existent but the
state has poured in a lot of effort towards
strengthening the relationship between vot-
ers from various religious backgrounds.
Meanwhile, Yusmadi Yusoff (PKR-
Balik Pulau) said Shabudin should step
down as the Penang Islamic Council chief for
smearing Islam’s image as his allegation has
promoted hatred and disharmony among
the people.
“This is very un-Islamic and I am ashamed
to be one of the Penang Muslim leaders (with
him),” he said.
Also present were Chong Eng (DAP-
Batu Kawan), Liew Chin Tong (DAP-
Bukit Bendera) and Tan Tee Beng
(PKR-Nibong Tebal).