Monday, July 14, 2008

Pas Youth: Don't serve liquor at Chelsea events

2008/07/15

By : Mazlinda Mahmood


SHAH ALAM: The state government must make sure that liquor is not served at events sponsored by a beer company in conjunction with the visit of Chelsea Football Club to Malaysia.

Selangor Pas Youth chief Sallehin Mukhyi said the presence of Muslims, including state leaders, at the events should be taken into account.

"We have nothing against them coming but we do not want liquor to be served at functions attended by Muslims.

"This will not only involve Pakatan Rakyat leaders and Selangor residents, it will also be done on state premises."

He said Pas Youth hoped the state government would study the programmes planned for the English football club before allowing it to come for the friendly match.

"We urge the state government to cancel several of the programmes, which are against the tenets of Islam."

Sallehin said Pas had no issue with the football match as the party looked at it as a healthy activity.

"Since the match is with an international club, this would establish a good relationship at an international level. However, we do not want events conducted prior to the match to have liquor."

He said since the PR government included Pas, it would not be appropriate for a function to include liquor. He said an event serving liquor was not only against the tenets of Islam but also Malay culture.

Therefore, the state Pas Youth wing would not hesitate to send a memorandum of protest to the state government on the issue.

This is not the first time the wing has asked the state government to step in to change parts of a function deemed un-Islamic.

It had submitted a memorandum to the menteri besar's office to protest plans to have artistes Ella and Mas Idayu perform at the Sultan of Selangor Cup football match on July 6 and threatened to hold a demonstration if the event went ahead. However, the show featured both artistes and went on without a hitch.

The match between Chelsea and the Malaysian national team is set to take place at Shah Alam Stadium on July 29.

No comments: