Double Standards in Azan Row

Double standards in azan row, says Pua
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

The DAP national publicity secretary questioned if BN would have been forgiving if the controversy had involved a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) politician.

Yesterday, MCA lawyer Ng Kian Nam apologised for complaining about the volume of the “azan” from a mosque in Kampung Kerinchi here, and described the matter as a “misunderstanding’.

“I think the apology should be accepted. I don’t think the matter should be exploited or made into a big deal.

“The issue that Pakatan Rakyat has is not so much about the apology but the double stand that Umno politicians have. When it is an MCA rep, let’s close the case quickly and make sure the issue should not prolong,” Pua told reporters during a press conference here.

Ng said he had mistaken the pre-dawn sermon for the “azan”, which led him to send a letter of complaint to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on December 20 last year.

In the letter, the MCA Youth leader had suggested the authorities set specific guidelines to control the volume of the loudspeakers at mosques, saying that the “azan” often disturbed his sleep in the mornings.

This led to a protest by two Malay NGOs last Friday.

The issue was resolved yesterday when Ng met Lembah Pantai Umno division chief Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin as well as representatives from the NGOs which had protested against the lawyer.

However, Pua pointed out that the “azan” row would have made headlines in Umno-owned newspapers, especially Utusan Malaysia, if it had involved PR.

He said PR would have been attacked for religious insensitiveness and called a racist.

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