To all intents and purposes, themrole and function of the colonialera Majlis and Jabatan Agama have been inherited by their present-day eponymous reincarnations, with not too much difference in style. Hence, it is not uncommon to hear outpouring of dissatisfaction against religious officials' condescending attitudes. For instance, wanton abuse of powers committed by Jabatan Agama enforcement officers has become regular news. In raids conducted against Muslim couples suspected of khalwat, religious officials in Penang have been reportedly filming on videotape the undressed conditions of disgraced couples, arguing for the need of such circumstantial evidence to incriminate the suspects in court. Worse,some of these sexually compromising images were leaked to the tabloid press and circulated via the Internet by none other than the officials themselves.