NEWS FROM MALAYSIAKINI

Former FT imam sacked after campaigning for Anwar
Jan 28, 09 7:34pm
The former imam who witnessed the oath-taking by alleged sodomy victim Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan - and then revealed details during the Permatang Pauh by-election - has been sacked from the Islamic Affairs Department Jakim.

Ramlang Porigi had been transferred to Jakim from his previous position as imam in the Federal Territory Mosque last September after he spoke at several forums during PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's campaign.According to his lawyer, Ahmad Nizam Hamid, Ramlang received the termination letter last week - the grounds were that he had "spoilt the name of the public service".

Ramlang has been slapped with four charges, three of them in relation to speaking on three separate occasions on Aug 24 during the Permatang Pauh campaign, Nizam told Malaysiakini.The fourth charge - that he had held a press conference at noon of Aug 25 - is inaccurate, according to the lawyer.Nizam clarified that Ramlang had held a press conference with PKR vice-president Mohamad Azmin Ali and other opposition leaders after midnight (on Aug 26) at the Penanti services centre in Penang.

On Aug 15, Ramlang was among four officials of the Federal Territory Mosque who had been ordered to be present at the ceremony where Saiful (right in photo) swore he had been sodomised by Anwar last June. Ramlang then appeared at three events organised by the opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat - about 48 hours before polling day in Permatang Pauh.He claimed that he had been directed to witness the Saiful's oath-taking ceremony but did not state where the orders originated.

Request deniedJakim director-general Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abdul Aziz, in a letter which he signed as chairperson of a disciplinary board, Ramlang’s sacking was done under Regulation 38(g) of the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993.This was after the board met on Jan 16 this year and considered the facts of the case, the allegations against Ramlang as well as the written representations made by the latter.

However, Wan Mohamad added, Ramlang's request for a domestic inquiry - following the show-cause letter issued to him last November - was denied "because the board is of the view that whatever statements that have been made are sufficient".Ramlang is allowed, according to Regulation 14 and 15(1), to submit a letter of appeal within two weeks of the date of the letter, said Wan Mohamad.

Nizam said an appeal would be lodged.On Aug 7, Anwar had pleaded not guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to the act of sodomising Saiful at a condominium on Jun 26 last year.