‘Accept criticism if using taxpayers’ money’
YoursayPublished: Feb 10, 2015 1:32 AM | Updated: Feb 10, 2015 2:17 AM
YOURSAY 'Jakim is not a private company. It is a public body.'
Jakim doesn't equate religion, says Proham
Basically: A citizen and taxpayer cannot 'defame' a government department. Umno BN should wake up and get used to the idea that as long as they take taxpayers’ money, they have to accept their criticism, and if it’s unjustified, then show why, not sue them.
Jakim is not a private company. It is a public body, and the definition of public body is that it belongs to the public. Lawyer Eric Paulsen was criticising Jakim's officers, who are flesh and blood, not representatives of God. Thus he cannot be charged for insulting Islam. If I criticise DBKL, can I be charged for insulting the datuk bandar?
Sali Tambap: Since the debate was refused, they can argue the issue in court. What matters is that the argument can be presented in court as a forum to hear the validity of the opinion stated by Paulsen.
They cannot run away forever and use the Sedition Act when they cannot reply to a citizen's objection to what they are doing.
Vijay47: In equating criticism of Jakim, an administrative body, as an attack on Islam, is to rely on exactly the same logic that Ismail Sabri proudly displays, where a racist attack on a community is somehow said to be a call for a reduction in prices.
The charge is not in defence of the faith; it is from the same seed that saw the creation of Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali, of Isma, and yes, of Ismail Sabri.
These are agents used to incessantly browbeat non-Malays and non-Muslims to teach them that no criticism, however justified or necessary, of anything even remotely related to Malays and Muslims, will be brooked.
The idea seems to be "Keep hammering at them until finally they collapse and succumb". Remember how the condemnation of an elected prime minister and his wife are taken as crimes? What is at stake here is not the sanctity of a religion but the survival of a gang of rogues.
Cantabrigian: This Proham is a joke. Nobody is saying Jakim is Islam and Islam is Jakim. Paulsen could easily write to Jakim in a better way to criticise Jakim but chose the social media to air his grouses, and oh yes, he did it badly with mala fide and wrong information.
So far he has yet to come out with any evidence that Jakim is promoting extremism, hence his defence of justification, thus Jakim does not need to prove anything here until Paulsen comes with the real proof. Kuthubul Zaman as a lawyer and former Bar Council president, should know this basic sedition/defamation 101.
SteveOh: Drop the charge. Paulsen is innocent. He has done what the government has been doing for so long, warning against extreme ideas in religious sermons. Why is that suddenly a crime when someone else like Paulsen does it?
Anonymous_3f6d: How come Jakim never took action against Razak Baginda's relationship with Attantunya?
My Opinion: Why so much concern about criticising religion? If your religion is good or other people think is bad, why make such a fuss?
Let them criticise and try respond intelligently and rationally. It is only religions that are faulty created bigots who can only defend their faith by violence.
I strongly support the freedom of expression to criticise all religions, philosophies (including political systems) and their founders. Otherwise we'll never progress.
________________________________________________________
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
Jakim doesn't equate religion, says Proham
Basically: A citizen and taxpayer cannot 'defame' a government department. Umno BN should wake up and get used to the idea that as long as they take taxpayers’ money, they have to accept their criticism, and if it’s unjustified, then show why, not sue them.Jakim is not a private company. It is a public body, and the definition of public body is that it belongs to the public. Lawyer Eric Paulsen was criticising Jakim's officers, who are flesh and blood, not representatives of God. Thus he cannot be charged for insulting Islam. If I criticise DBKL, can I be charged for insulting the datuk bandar?
Sali Tambap: Since the debate was refused, they can argue the issue in court. What matters is that the argument can be presented in court as a forum to hear the validity of the opinion stated by Paulsen.
They cannot run away forever and use the Sedition Act when they cannot reply to a citizen's objection to what they are doing.
Vijay47: In equating criticism of Jakim, an administrative body, as an attack on Islam, is to rely on exactly the same logic that Ismail Sabri proudly displays, where a racist attack on a community is somehow said to be a call for a reduction in prices.
The charge is not in defence of the faith; it is from the same seed that saw the creation of Perkasa and Ibrahim Ali, of Isma, and yes, of Ismail Sabri.
These are agents used to incessantly browbeat non-Malays and non-Muslims to teach them that no criticism, however justified or necessary, of anything even remotely related to Malays and Muslims, will be brooked.
The idea seems to be "Keep hammering at them until finally they collapse and succumb". Remember how the condemnation of an elected prime minister and his wife are taken as crimes? What is at stake here is not the sanctity of a religion but the survival of a gang of rogues.
Cantabrigian: This Proham is a joke. Nobody is saying Jakim is Islam and Islam is Jakim. Paulsen could easily write to Jakim in a better way to criticise Jakim but chose the social media to air his grouses, and oh yes, he did it badly with mala fide and wrong information.
So far he has yet to come out with any evidence that Jakim is promoting extremism, hence his defence of justification, thus Jakim does not need to prove anything here until Paulsen comes with the real proof. Kuthubul Zaman as a lawyer and former Bar Council president, should know this basic sedition/defamation 101.
SteveOh: Drop the charge. Paulsen is innocent. He has done what the government has been doing for so long, warning against extreme ideas in religious sermons. Why is that suddenly a crime when someone else like Paulsen does it?
Anonymous_3f6d: How come Jakim never took action against Razak Baginda's relationship with Attantunya?
My Opinion: Why so much concern about criticising religion? If your religion is good or other people think is bad, why make such a fuss?
Let them criticise and try respond intelligently and rationally. It is only religions that are faulty created bigots who can only defend their faith by violence.
I strongly support the freedom of expression to criticise all religions, philosophies (including political systems) and their founders. Otherwise we'll never progress.
________________________________________________________
The above is a selection of comments posted by Malaysiakini subscribers. Only paying subscribers can post comments. Over the past one year, Malaysiakinians have posted over 100,000 comments. Join the Malaysiakini community and help set the news agenda. Subscribe now.
These comments are compiled to reflect the views of Malaysiakini subscribers on matters of public interest. Malaysiakini does not intend to represent these views as fact.
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