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4 April 2018

FMT News‏ @fmtoday

Loudspeaker ban at Penang mosques shelved

GEORGE TOWN: The ban on outdoor loudspeakers in Penang mosques will not take off as planned, state Mufti Dr Wan Salim Wan Mohd Noor said yesterday.

Instead, he said mosque committees could opt to restrict the use of the loudspeakers to only occasions when it was absolutely necessary.

“There were a lot of objections when we wanted to gazette the ban on the use of loudspeakers.

“So, we have put this fatwa (decree) on hold,” he said without elaborating further.

Wan Salim had announced last year that the ban applied to zikir, sermons, lectures, Hajj classes and recordings of the Quran.

However, his announcement was met with a lot of opposition, with certain quarters claiming the ban was for all calls for azan (prayers).

Wan Salim found himself in the centre of controversy after a letter dated last year from his office stated that a ban on all loudspeakers outside mosques with the exception for azan and iqamah, would be gazetted soon.

The September 1 letter by the Penang Mufti’s Office stated the nod had been given by the state Fatwa Committee.

In the same letter, the committee had also decided to prohibit the reading of the Quran before subuh (pre-dawn) prayers using external loudspeakers, following some ten complaints received by the religious authorities here between January 2012 to May 2015.

Some of the complaints included those against recordings of Quran recitals and ceramah (talks) before the regular calls for prayers.

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/04/04/loudspeaker-ban-at-penang-mosques-shelved/

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1 October 2015

malaysiakini.com‏Verified account @malaysiakini

Ban on loudspeaker use except for ‘azan’ in Penang mosques

The decision on banning the use of loudspeakers outside the mosques and surau except for the prayer call or ‘azan’ and ‘iqamah’ in Penang will be gazetted soon.

This was stated in a letter from the Penang State Mufti Office dated Sept 1 concerning the decision of the Penang State Fatwa Committee meeting on July 1 and 2 and confirmed at the Penang State Fatwa Committee meeting on Aug 23 and 24.

The letter quoting excerpts of the minutes of the Penang State Fatwa Committee Meeting stated that the meeting had agreed that the command decided at the State Fatwa Committee Meeting dated April 7, 2011 on the prohibition of reading the Al-Quran before ‘Subuh’ (dawn) using the loudspeakers outside the mosque and surau must be improved by including the prohibition on the use of loudspeakers outside the mosques and surau for all programmes, meetings and so on.

Only the use of internal loudspeakers are allowed for programmes and activities at the mosques and surau.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/314100

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15 April 2015

malaysiakini.com‏Verified account @malaysiakini

Letter to lower mosque speaker volume is fake

A letter addressed to a mosque in Tanjung Bungah, Penang, demanding that the loudspeaker volume be lowered during azan (call to) prayers as it disturbs the residents in the area is a fake.

Penang executive councillor in charge of Islamic Affairs Abdul Malik Kassim said his department has yet to receive a copy of the letter, allegedly sent by one Ivan Goh En Tat of Lorong Bintang 2, Tanjung Bungah.

Malik is not aware of any mosque in the locality that could possibly be the subject of the complaint by this person, who he said lodged a police report at the Northeast District police headquarters on Jalan Pattani this morning.

He said the person, Goh, also claimed he suspected that the letter, which also carried a mugshot of him and his address, was sent by a disgruntled former employee.

Malik was also informed that the Bukit Bendera Umno division has lodged a report asking the police to investigate the matter.

The letter uses the ‘f’ word to denounce Islam and the ‘loud’ azan prayers and states the writer is not afraid to be attacked for his claims.

It also states that a complaint letter would be sent to the Penang Island City Council to demolish the mosque as it is “illegal to disturb people” and it is against Malaysian law.

The letter appears suspicious as no one in his or her right mind would place a photo of himself on a letter that can be deemed highly insulting to the religion of Islam.

This is especially so when more than 100 individuals – opposition politicians, social activists, students, academicians, preachers and journalists have either been questioned, arrested or charged under the Sedition Act for making various remarks.

https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/295328

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