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The three UMNO Vice Presidents, UMNO Ministers and the mainstream media, both printed and electronic, should publicly apologise for distorting the position of the Conference of Rulers on SARs and DAP calls on the Cabinet tomorrow to restore per capita funding for SARs until a decision is taken on the Murad Special Committee report on the issue Media Statement by Lim Kit Siang (Penang,  Tuesday): The clarification yesterday by the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, Engku Tan Sri Ibrahim Engku Ngah "that the Conference of Rulers has not yet made any decision pertaining to the Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) issue" has cleared the four-day confusion on the position of the Conference of Rulers on the issue after its meeting last Thursday. It also established beyond a shadow of doubt that UMNO leaders as well as the mainstream media, both printed and electronic, had been most irresponsible in trying to distort the position of the Conference of Rulers on SARs and exploit the name of the Rulers to the political advantage of the ruling coalition. Friday's mainstream printed media, for instance, gave the most prominent treatment to the story, with three national dailies carrying front-page headlines, viz: "Rulers endorse Government's solutions on Islamic education" (New Straits Times), "Majlis Raja-Raja restu - Penyelesaian isu pendidikan Islam termasuk SAR" (Berita Harian) and "Langkah kerajaan direstui - Majlis Raja-Raja diberi taklimat khas mengenai sekolah agama rakyat" (Utusan Malaysia). Bernama carried the headline "Rulers Council Endorse Gov't Proposal On SAR" while The Star report appeared in Page 2 with the heading "Rulers Council endorses Govt plan on SAR". In the event, PAS acting president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, who is also Parliamentary Opposition Leader and Terengganu Mentri Besar, has been proved right when he said he did not trust newspaper reports quoting Engku Ibrahim on the Ruler's decision and that he would refer the matter to the Rulers to get a better view of their stand. Hadi was backed by the PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Mentri Besar, Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat that the Conference of Rulers which met last week did not discuss solutions forwarded by the government on Islamic education issues. He said he was equally baffled how a statement that the Conference of Rulers had endorsed the matter was issued. Nik Aziz said he accompanied Sultan of Kelantan Tuanku Isman Petra throughout the meeting of the Conference of Rulers and he was very sure the issues were not raised. The clarification by the Keeper of the Rulers' Seal yesterday has give an authoritative and definitive account of what transpired and the actual position of the Conference of Rulers on SARs as Engku Ibrahim made the following four points: "1. On the Sekolah Agama Rakyat SAR issue, a Special Briefing was actually given to Their Majesties the Rulers and Their Excellencies the Yang di-Pertuas Negeri by The Honourable Education Minister before the start of the Meeting of the Conference of Rulers on March 13. "2. As a result of the Special Briefing, Their Majesties the Rulers acknowledged that matters pertaining to the Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) are being studied by a Special Committee set up by the Government chaired by the Honourable Tan Sri Murad bin Mohd Noor. "3. It is emphasised here that the decision of Their Majesties the Rulers to endorse the resolution proposals to be taken by the Government actually meant agreement with the Government's move to come up with resolution proposals pertaining to the Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) with the setting up of a Special Committee to conduct a study besides taking into account all the memorandums submitted by all relevant parties to Their Majesties the Rulers. "4. Is is also stressed that the Conference of Rulers has not yet made any decision pertaining to the Sekolah Agama Rakyat (SAR) issue." It is most shocking that the clarification of the Conference of Rulers had been blacked out by two of the three mainstream media which had earlier blazoned on their front-page the false story that the Conference of Rulers had endorsed the government's stand on the SAR issue. Both New Straits Times and Berita Harian today did not carry the clarification of the Conference of Rulers, while Utusan Malaysia relegated the story to a Page 4 lead. The Star blacked out the clarification of the Conference of Rulers. In the past four days, UMNO leaders led by its three Vice Presidents, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Tan Sri Mohamad Mohamad Taib, and UMNO Ministers like the two Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Dr. Rais Yatim Datuk Abdul Hamid Zainal Abidin had irresponsibly tried to manipulate and exploit the stand of the Conference of Rulers on the SARs. The three UMNO Vice Presidents, UMNO Ministers and the mainstream media, both printed and electronic, should publicly apologise for distorting the position of the Conference of Rulers on SARs. Education Minister, Tan Sri Musa Mohamad said in Parliament yesterday that the Education Ministry will propose two options to SARs - to register as private religious educational institutions under the Education Act 1996 or opt to become government-aided schools - to the special committee chaired by former director-general of education Tan Sri Murad Mohamed Noor which was set up to look into the role of the SARs. As Murad's report will be ready in three to four months, it is most unreasonable and unjustifiable in going against all the rules of natural justice for the government to take "pre-emptive" action to withdraw per capita funding for the SARs before deciding on the options available to them or giving the SARs an opportunity to be heard. Although Musa said yesterday that as of Feb. 28, 14,916 out of 74,000 SAR students and 1,937 out of 4,429 SAR teachers had applied to be transferred to national schools, the Cabinet tomorrow should rescind its "pre-emptive action" to terminate per capita funding for the SAR schools, until a just, fair and comprehensive solution has been proposed for the SARs. DAP calls on all Members of Parliament, whether Barisan Nasional, Barisan Alternative or DAP take a common and united stand to urge the Cabinet tomorrow to restore per capita funding for the SARs until the Murad special committee had submitted its report and a final decision made after the fullest discussion and debate by the government, Parliament and the civil society. (18/3/2003) * Lim Kit Siang, DAP National Chairman