Running scared, wakakaka

Malaysiakini:

Mohammadin clears up pharaohs exhibition confusion

Tourism Minister Mohammadin Ketapi said the confusion on staging the exhibition of tombs and artefacts of Egyptian pharaohs in Kuala Lumpur was due to a miscommunication.

Mohammadin, claimed he was in the dark, despite announcements made by him and his deputy Muhammad Bakhtiar bin Wan Chik on the exhibition last week.

However, the minister today admitted in the Dewan Rakyat that he had actually signed off on the request to loan the artefacts.

The exhibition is expected to be held in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2020

"I signed off the letter to loan the pharaohs artefacts to be brought to Malaysia.

"The problem was when approval was received, I was not informed by the museum's director-general.

"As I need not know that it had been approved, I said I did not know when I was asked about it," he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

Mohammadin was responding to Awang Hashim (Pendang - PAS) who asked the minister to explain the contradictory statements.

"It was only the next day that I was informed. I summoned my director-general (and asked) why when you need a signature, you find me but when there is a decision, I am told late.

"He apologised. To me, it's a small matter and it is forgiven. So it's a miscommunication. I hope it is not turned into a big issue," said Mohammadin.

He said the allocation for the exhibition has yet to be made under Budget 2020 as the ministry was unsure if it will be approved at that time.

Awang also asked Mohammadin why hold such an exhibition and joked if this was in reference to "Mahafiraun" (great pharoah), a nickname used against Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Bloke was scared or worried for two reasons, namely:

(1) he might offend Mahafiraun, wakakaka, and

(2) he might offend the religiously sensitive (eg. JAKIM) with exhibition of non-Islamic (wathuniya) artefacts.