Dr Asri says poco-poco is lawful

Former Perlis Mufti Assoc Prof Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin had different views from Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria and the Perak State Fatwa Committee, who recently ruled the poco-poco dance haram (illegal according to Islam).

He argued, all human daily affairs, including dances, are lawful (harus) unless there is clear evidence that can substantiate the religion (Islam) to forbid it.

However, he added, if there are bad elements in the dance, the matter shall be managed by thoroughly removing the bad elements, rather than banning the whole thing.

"On this basis, in my opinion, the poco-poco dance is lawful, unless it is the person's wish to practice it based on his/her appreciation of the beliefs of another faith or religion" he said, who is also a lecturer at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).


The Perak Mufti, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria was reported to have said, the Fatwa Committee of the State had decided that the dance was illegal because it has elements of other religious beliefs and worshiping of spirits.

The gazetting of the fatwa would be made ​​soon.


In a statement made last night, Dr Mohd Asri also stressed that the Muslim community should know about the broadness of Islamic teachings, even more so in today's society of diverse knowledge and practice.

"So, the ruling in the case of dance, exercise, games and the like, should be broad and by giving some leniency granted by Islam," he said.


According to Dr Mohd Asri, if the ban is just based on its origin which is not Islamic, it will then create a trend of banning a host of other activities such as Tai Chi, Taekwondo and the Qiqong exercise.

He however stressed that he respected the opinion of the Fatwa Committee and the Perak Mufti, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria and the decision of banning the dance. 

He is just giving an alternative view.


Translated from Malaysiakini's Malay section article: Dr Asri: Poco-poco harus, bukan haram

Check also the comments section where most commentors are having a field day with their dissenting views and also poking fun at Tan Sri Harussani and the JK Fatwa's decision: 71 comments so far, and still counting...!

Related articles: Look beyond poco-poco, Perak mufti told

PAS leaders defend poco-poco, slam Perak Mufti 

Poco-poco - is it really a religous dance?

Foot in Mouth SHOCKER!

I spent most of the time today reading about the Sex Video Shocker supposedly 'implicating' or the person in the video act resembling oppostion party leader Anwar Ibrahim - the newspapers, online newsportal and comments, facebook status and comments, blog postings and comments, you name it.

But this is the dumbest comment I've read so far, and of all persons it came from a Malaysian Minister - Datuk Seri Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz:

(From Malaysiakini) Commenting on the screening of the sex video at a hotel yesterday, the de facto law minister insisted that it was not illegal for the people behind this to show the video to journalists and editors.

“You tell me what is wrong. Everybody says it is against the law, but tell me, which law? Whoever knows should come forward to inform us,” he said.

He noted that, if the screening was done to make money, then it “probably is” an offence.

Nazri also scoffed at Anwar's denial yesterday at a late press conference yesterday, pointing out that no one had reported his apparent involvement up to then.

“Why (deny)? It was supposed to be a private screening. Who is it (in the video)? It could be (DAP advisor Lim) Kit Siang, it could be (PAS president Abdul) Hadi (Awang),” he said.

Nazri joked that, if it were true that Anwar is the man in the footage, then this would amount to “a draw” between BN and Pakatan Rakyat.

“I think it's a draw now. We have (MCA president Dr) Chua Soi Lek and they have Anwar, if it's true that it is him... it's a draw now, God is great,” he quipped, referring to the 2008 sex scandal involving Chua when he was health minister.

You can read the whole article here: Nazri: Don't kill messenger 'Datuk T'

Fuyooo...he even has the cheek to say now this would amount to 'a draw' between BN and Pakatan Rakyat - macam main bola pulak, macam score goal, lepas tu kalau sama banyak goal kira draw-lah. Apa punya komen macam bebudak nih...? 

Okay, no need to add anymore comments to this. I'll just post a Malaysiakini commenter's reply to Nazri's challenge on what this Datuk T has done to go against the law, etc:

senior citizen: This chap Nazri claims to be the defactor law minister. Is it really so? Then the one who appointed him must be either an idiot or a psychiatric patient. He dare ask if screening the porn video is against the law. Does he need someone to tell him this. Either he is the biggest idiotic pretender on earth or he has evolved himself into a mental retard. Is screening a porn video for a group of people an offence? No it is not just an offence.`It is a crime. Penal Code section 292 clearly states in unambigious terms that it is a serious criminal offence. Any pornographic or obscene material publicly exhibited is classified as a penal code offence under section 292. Now does Nazri understand the law or does he know the law. Nari should either resign or be dismissed by the government. He is a misfit and surviving on tax payers money. This is a phoney character and I wonder what his intellectual or moral background is. For all I know he is a pretender with a shady life style. 

Onyourtoes Nasri, there are many things you said that are not logical. You said don’t kill the messenger; that is only proper if the message is true. If the message is a lie, why can’t the aggrieved party kill it? Right now you do not know the truth or otherwise of this video. So why are you in the hurry to defend this unknown guy? This Datuk T did not go to the police; instead he was showing it to selective journalists. Tell me is this fair? If he really has something authentic, he should have gone to the police (not that we trust the police very much). But did he do that? Must the showing of pornography materials involving making money before it becomes an offence? If that is the case, we can all make all kind of pornographic materials and claim that these are for fun, to bring someone down or it is based on our fundamental rights, can we? There is a new law now in Malaysia, it is our fundamental rights to make porno movie, show them to public so long as no money is charged.

Quigonbond First of all, BN smacks double standards for not killing the messenger, since they have always killed the messenger be it PI Bala, RPK or ISA detainees who brought up issues of (name it) corruption, abuse of power, gross negligence etc.. Secondly, if it is true that showing porn is not an offence, then I ask the BN government where to draw the line. What if I personally think (even though other people might not think so) that the dude in the video looks like the PM or the DPM (or perhaps both together) and I proceed to organise a porn viewing, am I to assume that since I'm just doing my part as a conscientious citizen that I won't be charged or fined for any offence?

2CTS WORTH Potato head--- it is not a draw PLs it is not football Do a wrong to equalise? What type of warp thinking is that !Dont kill the messenger? Where is RPK Where is Bala just to name a couple? Now in your wave of brainlessness you have approved porno watching Please go see a headshrinker before muttering something foolish

So do you still think this Malaysian Minister should get a good KPI score in his capacity as a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department? Or is it just because he can playact and 'kipas' his master kaw2 punya, so he can keep his post in the next election?

This commenter's reply can probably sum up what this Nazri guy is: 

Nazri, go and fly your kite somewhere else. You are kaki bodek nombor satu di Malaysia. Dulu you bodek Mahathir, but when he was out, you hentam him like a samseng kampung. Then you bodek Pak Lah and now Najib, in fact Rosmah. Oh ya, much much earlier you bodek Anwar when he was DPM. Your words are nothing but rubbish, sampah. That is all.

Somebody should give this Nazri a Foot in Mouth Award!

Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami

See the satellite images, before and after the Quake and Tsunami here in the New York Times website

Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Plant

Japan's largest ongoing threat is at this nuclear power plant. There have been explosions at four of its six reactors and all four have released some radioactive material.

Memoir "A Doctor in the House" yang memualkan!

It's good to hear that Singapore Minister Mentor, Lee Kuan Yew had admitted his mistake on the statement he made about Malay-Muslims in Singapore.

The Singapore Straits Times yesterday reported that the Minister Mentor said he stands corrected on how well-integrated Malay-Muslims are in Singapore.

Sun2surf carried the story today.  The Malaysia Chronicle also has one.

Bernama also has it : Lee Kuan Yew Mengaku Silap Berhubung Integrasi Melayu-Islam Di Singapura

Lee was referring to comments he made in the new book Lee Kuan Yew: Hard Truths To Keep Singapore Going, and the reactions that followed. 

"Hard Truths was a book based on 32 interviews over a period of two years," he said.

"I made this one comment on the Muslims integrating with other communities probably two or three years ago. Ministers and MPs, both Malay and non-Malay, have since told me that Singapore Malays have indeed made special efforts to integrate with the other communities, especially since 9/11, and that my call is out of date," he added.

I wonder when would Dr Mahathir Mohamed make a statement of such magnanimity on his rendition of others who go against his political will and judgment.

What is really there to celebrate of his much-maligned grandiose in his authoritarian legacy of 22 years?

In his quest to transform Malaysia into a ‘developed nation’, Mahathir had used all possible means, by hook or crook, domestic and external, to achieve his grand vision.

Nonetheless, within the country, as overseas, he was both loathed and loved by his countrymen.

But eight years since his departure, what has been his legacy? Just a 'memoir' yang memualkan!

In his memoir: A Doctor in the House, he was said to have dedicated 20 pages of his memoirs into detailing how he came to know about Anwar Ibrahim‘s alleged sexual liaisons with men and women, leading to the latter’s sacking in 1998.
Dr Mahathir wrote : “I also interviewed four girls who told me about how they were persuaded to see a very influential person, by an Indian man they knew by the name of Nalla. He had taken each girl separately to a house in Kenny Hills, a rich suburb in Kuala Lumpur. There they met a person they recognized as the D****y P***e Minister. They were asked to undress with the purpose of having sex. Two of them said they refused but the other two consented.”

We all are aware of his blunt way of writing and speaking to the media. But as a so-called 'statesman', you don't go spite and attack others in a no-holds-barred statement in your memoirs do you?

A memoir is something you want people to remember about the good things that you've done, and about the good things that other people have been meaningful to your life. You don't want to be remembered about the bad things you've said of other people.

But being the 'devil he is' he welcomes any lawsuit against the memoir. He said: “When I was writing, I tried to avoid hurting anyone’s feelings but I had to write the truth and I think there will be people who will be upset.”

“So I accept, if sue, sue lah,” he told reporters after the launch. All these in The Malaysian Insider's: Dr M tempts fate with memoirs, welcomes any lawsuit

The Malaysian Insider also claimed Mahathir's memoir is a work of fiction: A story-teller in the house— The Malaysian Insider.  Reading the book, Malaysian Insider said, one will have to come to only one conclusion — he was not guilty of any wrongdoing in his time as Malaysia’s longest serving prime minister.


In the memoir, Mahathir also wrote about how Lee Kuan Yew was unhappy with his "municipal role" at the helm of the city-state, and harboured ambitions to lead Malaysia: Mahathir says Kuan Yew wanted to be Malaysian PM 

What's wrong if Mr Lee Kuan Yew wanted to be the Prime Minister of this country when Singapore was part of Malaysia and if he can do the job better?

Somebody wrote: WE WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT COUNTRY IF LEE HAD BECOME OUR PM. LEE IS NOT A HYPOCRITE.

THIS MAN (Mahathir) RUINED THE COUNTRY AND IN HIS SO-CALLED CHEAPSKATE MEMOIR HE HAS BLAMED ALL OTHERS EXCEPT HIMSELF.

WHAT A JOKE.

THIS MEMOIR OF HIS IS FIT FOR THE SEPTIC TANK.


Related news: Malaysia's Mahathir writes memoir defending legacy

Dr M: Truth a bitter pill to swallow

I'm Yours - Jason Mraz (live)

The MACC Jokers are in Penang

No, this is not about its more famous namesake, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, although they are also a bunch of jokers (read: MACC Abu Kassim among 100 influential people in business ethics)

This is about the three-member stand-up comedy act who calls themselves the Malaysian Association of Chinese Comedians or its acronym - MACC.

Douglas Lim

And of course, these two groups are not related, except that the less famous one is, as they would put it, intentionally funny.

Phoon Chi Ho

The MACC comprise of Douglas Lim of former Kopitiam fame, and interlopers Phoon Chi Ho and Kuah Jenhan. They will perform in Penang on March 5 at at Dewan Sri Pinang.

If you are being called by the latter MACC for whatever reasons being, such as being a suspect or witness, don't worry about your safety for this MACC won't interrogate you in a building more than a storey-high.

Kuah Jenhan

But if they ever did, they would just put you in stitches!

And even if you are caught laughing so hard at their jokes, the only side effect you can get is not getting your gums dry (tak kering gusi). As the dentist would say, a dry mouth is susceptible to gum disease, which is the leading cause of tooth loss. So, if you don't want to loose your teeth early in life, laugh a lot until you get your gums wet. Source: What Dry Mouth Around the Gums Could Mean

Another site puts it better still: humor and laughter strengthen your immune system, boost your energy, diminish pain, and protect you from the damaging effects of stress. Source: Laughter is the Best Medicine

So, if you are in Penang this weekend, why not be a witness to this MACC! There is only one show...only this special show at the Dewan Sri Pinang on 5th March 2011 at 9pm. Get your tickets at the Red Rock Hotel, Jalan Macalister.


Related post: Here's Why You Should Not Miss the MACC (Penang Edition)