Penang CM proposes goodwill council

PENANG: The state government plans to set up an Inter-Religious Goodwill Council to foster better relations, understanding and mutual respect among people of various religions here.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said religious experts would be invited to sit on the council, a government body likely to be headed by him and his two deputies.

He added that the council would also ensure that racial and religious issues would not be exploited by certain quarters.

Lim said he made the proposal during a courtesy call by PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, and it was well received as both parties had the same approach when it came to fairness for all. The proposal would be tabled before the state executive council on Wednesday.

Responding to the Finance Ministry’s denial that funding under the 9th Malaysian Plan (9MP) had been reduced by 51.7% last year for industrial infrastructure projects in the state, Lim called on the ministry to check its records.

He said that according to a letter dated Nov 15, 2007, from the Economic Planning Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department, the funding was cut from RM128mil to only RM61.8mil.

“There was definitely a reduction,” said Lim, adding that he would highlight the matter to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and bring it up at the State Assembly and in Parliament.

Asked to comment on Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin’s statement that Pakatan Rakyat should be able to “seize” control of the Federal Government within five to six months, Abdul Hadi said it might be earlier than that or even later.

“We plan but God decides. The important thing is we hope for a good change – not through beli (purchase) or rasuah (bribery) but throughhijrah (migration).

“We hope our friends from Barisan Nasional would migrate over and, together with Pakatan Rakyat, bring about change in this country,” he said.

Pakatan needs at least 30 seats to gain control of the Federal Government.

On the issue of an Islamic state, Abdul Hadi said Islam was an open religion that was fair in political aspects, and urged the people not to look upon Islam as a religion according to the Western term but in a broader sense.

“There are similar issues among all humans which Islam places importance on, such as fairness and rights, and the fight against oppression and corruption,” he said.

--THE STAR