Another monument of wasted money, this time RM650m

Perak mufti says ‘idolatrous’ Tugu Negara a big sin

GE14Now!: The building of a monument does not tantamount to worshipping it and on that score Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria is demonstrating his ignorance.

That said, I am concerned with the possible siphoning of money out of the budget set aside for the monument. That should be subject to greater scrutiny than something that is akin to asking ‘how many angels one might be able to fit on a pin head’.

If saluting something amounts to worshipping, then what about saluting the flag or to army superiors and so on. For their 15 minutes of fame, these religious leaders will say just about anything.

Azhar: Here we go again wasting precious time in focusing on non-issues while the real issues remain haram.

Why doesn’t this religious champion address corruption, unfair treatment, safe environments, abuse of women and children, ill treatment of migrant workers, justice for all, poverty and so on?

However, we do know that idle minds cannot grasp the big picture and would find it easier to dwell on smaller issues. What a shame to Perak.

Hibiscus: Harussani obviously is a very shallow minded man and not learned, especially about history.

Does he not appreciate that the Tugu Negara is to serve as a memorial in honour to those who had given their lives in the defence of this country? Has he seen anybody worshipping the Tugu Negara?

However, I agree with him that allocating RM650 million to beautify the place there is a waste of money. What the place needs is just some repair work and some cleaning.

If the government wants to plant more trees there, organise a gotong royong, so that the public can participate.

Ex-PJ: Yes, Harussani is right about better ways of spending the RM650 million.

Go to a national park if you want to see real virgin rainforest, instead of trying to re-create a fake version in Kuala Lumpur. This project is perhaps more about lining Umno’s pockets.

Mano: “There are a lot of poor people in the country. If the same amount was used for housing and to develop vacant land, it would be more beneficial towards improving the life of the rakyat,” said Harussani.

I support him on this one. If the lost 1MDB funds are found, that would be an even better solution.

Tok Karut: There appears to be some conspiracy on getting Harussani and cohorts to dream up these moments to derail Muslims from the task of the 1MDB ruckus. Why now? Or why again?

It is best to ignore his musings and move on to the task of sorting out the nation’s integrity.

Wira: To me, Harussani is a huge waste of public fund. I wonder if he could even get a productive and respectable job in the private sector if he wasn’t given his present appointment.

Tan Kim Keong: This mufti was implicated in 2006 for spreading rumours via SMS about a church in Ipoh conducting a mass baptism ceremony for Muslims, which could have resulted in an ugly religious clash.

As the result of the rumours, a large mob turned up at the church to intimidate parishioners and children who were there for their First Holy Communion celebration.

Harussani has not even apologised for this ‘big sin’ of spreading lies and the intimidation of children at the church.

Anonymous_1421406986: I am forced to say this, if all the violence in the name of religion is caused by persons who misinterpret divine teachings, how are these people who say things without logical explanation be any different?

I don’t think anybody prays at the national monument. The monument is to honour those who had sacrificed their lives for the country. And such monuments are found in every country in the world.

JD Lovrenciear: Wait! Next you may hear that even drawings, photos and pictures in school textbooks are proscribed. Only words and calligraphy are allowed, my friends.

Ah, don’t forget murals and paintings on walls all over the country done at great cost to beautify otherwise dull and worn buildings.

And then jihad will come to hunt and destroy all images that ‘insult’ Islam. Remember those destructions in the faraway mountains of the centuries-old images of Buddha?

Hello Asean fraternity, you better wake up too for Malaysia is your neighbour.

And Malaysia’s PM, if Hilary Clinton wins the US presidency, how are you going to account to her not-so-long-ago proclamation that we are a model Islamic country that Asean must emulate?

Demi Rakyat: Tugu Negara an item of worship? Only a person who does not know religion and who is not spiritual says this.

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