No Night Hub....

By Patrick Lee

PETALING JAYA: Right-wing Malay NGO Perkasa has joined PAS in slamming Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's idea to turn Malaysia into an 'nightlife entertainment' hub.

"Perkasa is totally against it. Malaysia is a country that upholds Islamic values and we have to focus on these values," said Perkasa Youth chief Arman Azhar Abu Hanifah.

The plan to transform Malaysia into a 'nightlife entertainment' centre is detailed in the PM's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

The plan, which comes under the ETP's 12 Entry-Point Projects, is to create entertainment zones in Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley, Genting Highlands, Penang, Langkawi and Kota Kinabalu aimed boosting tourism and increasing entertainment revenue to RM1.8 billion by 2020.

Arman said Perkasa has already been in discussion with at least 15 other NGOs on the issue.

"We are planning to present a memorandum (on the matter) to the prime minister. We will offer the PM an alternative solution to the nightlife agenda," he said.

Arman said Malaysia did not have a problem when it came to tourism and that there were other ways to lure tourists.

"We have no problem with tourism, but in terms of transformation, we need to regard the Islamic sector.

"When you talk about transformation, you have to talk about it from an Islamic level," he said.

Perkasa was not alone in its condemnation.

Federal Territories PAS Youth wing has also attacked the move, saying it would encourage more incidents alcoholism, rape, prostitution, drugs and other social ills.

On a separate issue, Arman also suggested that the country adopt the characteristics of the Medina Charter (also known as the Constitution of Medina), a constitution drafted by the prophet Muhammad.

"We want Malaysia to have the 'piagam Madinah'. (Under this constitution) they (the Muslims) have to respect the other races.

"The other races can worship their own (faith) and they can fight their enemies, but they have to respect the Muslims," he said.

According to Wikipedia, the Medina Charter allows all groups to practice freedom of religion, equal political and cultural rights.

Non-Muslins were also not obliged to fight in the religious wars of the Muslims, although they had to defend their community against its enemies.