TV3 news on proselytisation fake, says NGO

An NGO has lodged a police report against TV3 for allegedly fabricating news of a tuition centre in Jalan Klang Lama, Kuala Lumpur, trying to convert Muslims to Christianity, on account that the surau whose members were shown protesting the centre appears to be non-existent.

jalan klang lama tuition centre tv3 report 3The group, Jingga 13, said the private TV station on Aug 21 aired a report during its main news bulletin (Buletin Utama) alleging that the tuition centre had been spreading Christianity to its Muslim students.

The news clip showed footage of jalan klang lama tuition centre tv3 report 4a group of about 50 from the Qariah Surau Al-Musyrikin led by a Mustapha Kamal Mohd Yusof - believed to be an Umno branch leader in Seputeh - gathered in front of the centre, protesting the proselytisation of Muslims.

jalan klang lama tuition centre tv3 report 6

“The report is jalan klang lama tuition centre tv3 report 5meant to portray that there are efforts to spread Christianity through the tuition classes, to the point that it has caused the surau members to protest,” lamented Fariz Musa, Jingga 13's coordinator.

However, said Fariz, their checks suggest that no such surau exists in the area.

“From Jingga 13's investigations in the vicinity of the tuition centre in the Jalan Klang Lama squatter area, and from speaking with the locals there, we found that not a single surau exists in the area,” said Fariz, who is also a PKR exco member.

“The tuition centre is located in a squatter area populated mainly by Chinese and Indians, along with some foreign Indonesians.

“It was pretty clear the qariah and the surau reported on TV3 does not exist,” he said.

Surau name 'pokes fun'

Fariz also pointed out that the name of the reported surau itself is suspect, and appears to be aimed at poking fun.

“The name of the surau 'Al-Musyrikin' that was reported looks like it was intentionally conjured up.

“It is indeed impossible that someone would call their house of Allah with a name such as 'Al-Musyrikin' (non-believers).

 “It's pretty clear that TV3 cooked up the false news and at the same time poked fun at Muslim places of worship with that name Al-Musyrikin,” said Fariz.

According to him, the residents in the squatter area concerned told him that the tuition centre has been there for years for the purpose of teaching Christianity to the children living in the area who are Christians.

“They comprise students who are Chinese, Indian and a small number of Christian Indonesians.

“There are no Muslims who attend Christianity classes there,” said Fariz.

The NGO lodged a police report today at Shah Alam police district headquarters against the TV station for maliciously spreading false news, that it said aimed at stoking religious and racial tensions, that at the same time had ridiculed Islam.

Meanwhile, the news report concerned has apparently been removed from TV3's website.