NATIONAL BROADCASTING STATIONS AND INFO DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE FACILITIES TO CLARIFY FATWA

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Radio Television Malaysia (RTM), Malaysia's national broadcasting stations and the Information Department are ready to provide time for quarters concerned to provide clarification to the people about 'fatwa' (edicts) issued in the country, said Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek.

He said RTM and the Information Department had the infrastructure and the
facilities to enable the parties concerned with fatwa issued to provide
clarification.

Speaking to reporters after attending his ministry's Quality Day 2008
function at Auditorium Perdana at Angkasapuri (building that houses Information
Ministry and RTM headquarters) here Tuesday, Ahmad Shabery said what was
important was to give additional and clear information on edicts issued.

"We want the parties concerned...Jakim and the like to articulate the fatwa
concerned and RTM and the Information Department will provide the infrastructure
so that information is delivered to the grassroots clearly," he said when asked
how RTM could play a role to explain the fatwas issued to the people, including
non-Muslims.

Recently, two fatwas issued on tomboy behaviour and yoga had evoked various
reactions, including from non-Muslims.

On bloggers and blogs, Ahmad Shabery said the government did not propose to
have laws to restrict or control them as done in some countries but the
government always monitored them.

"I feel the government is not proposong to do that as maybe the number of
naughty persons who abuse the facility is not big...one or two per cent only of
the total in the blogging world.

"So it is not fair that because of one or two per cent of them that we have
legislation that makes it difficult for all," he said.

On the steps taken by the government to face the global economic crisis,
Ahmad Shabery said Malaysia had not seen large work lay-offs as in Western
countries like the United States where the number of peole who sought aid and
social benefits was at its highest in 16 years.

"We don't hear of that in our country as our economic system is better
established and the government's preparation is far better than that of the
Western countries," he said.

On digitalisation efforts, Ahmad Shabery said with only two channels, RTM
could only cater to 50 or 60 film producers whereas the number of producers
registered with RTM was 420.

"We hope that with greater digitalisation...at some time there will be
about
1,200 producers. If each producing firm employs (about) 50 workers there will
about 53,000 job opportunities in three years to come," he said.

He said his ministry was also striving to establish a local-content fund to
have all those in the production and creative-content industries to come
together to plan on expansion as the focus now was on developing a creative
industry economy.

Ahmad Shabery also said his ministry's sixth place among 27 ministeries, in
the 'star rating' done by the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and
Management Planning Unit (MAMPU) was encouraging and an indication that the
ministry was still relevant and needed as there were countries where information
ministries were no longer relevant.

Meanwhile, in his speech, Ahmad Shabery said with hard work, team work
and high quality, it was not impossible for the ministry to leap to first place
in the MAMPU rating.

He said the ministry's staff must ask how far had their work and roles as
agents of change had succeeded in bringing change in society in the war on
corruption, in reducing crime and instilling good values.

"We must know how to quantify quality in doing our jobs," he said.

At the function, Ahmad Shabery also presented quality awards to agencies
and
departments under his ministry.