National Express Malaysia

A Great Win of Organized Hindu Force. Temple bell again filled the air at Bhagya Laxmi Mandir at Charminar-Hyderabad.

2012-01-31T03:54:00.001+08:00

Hyderabad – 29th January, 2012 || Hindu activists from all the wings including the Hindu Jangaruti Samithi organized a big protest rally and Mahaarati on 27th January, 2012 at about 12 noon with bell ringing , conch blowing and drum beating to restore the rights of ringing temple bells at Bhagyalaxi Mandir at Charminar area of Hyderabad in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. The Hyderabad was a princely state under Muslim Sultanate and wanted to join with Pakistan at the time of partition of India. But, it was accessed by India with a strong initiative of Sardar Ballav Bhai Patel, the then Home Minister of India in the year 1948.

On September 16, 1948, Indian Army moved in to Hyderabad State from five different points. Four days later, the Hyderabad forces surrendered ultimately. The number of dead was a little over 800. The police action followed over the agitated Muslim fundamentalists there, achieved a success within a couple of days subsequently.

But, the fanatic and pro-pak Islamists are still active withing the ruling congress and the MIM (Majalis Ittehadul Muslimin), who tried to restrain the religious rights of Hindus in Hyderabad by stopping the temple bells at Bhagya Laxmi Temple at Charminar area.

But, Hindus came out successfully by restoring the rights to ring the temple bells with a big and effective movement, where Hindus are minority and Muslim population is higher than 60% in that specified area of agitation.

Hyderabad sets an example for every Hindu, how to fight against obstinate Islam even in a crucial and minority emphasis.

Muslim Fundamentalism crushed by angry Hindu Agitation.

Wild allegations trigger tension in old city of Hyderabad on banning Temple bell at Bhagya Laxmi Mandir.

Devotees assemble at Bhagyalaxmi temple near Charminar on Friday. Photo: G.Ramakrishna

Report by Staff Reporter in Hindu || HYDERABAD, January 28, 2012.

No bar on tying of flags for Milad-un-Nabi or ringing of bells in temples, clarify police

Tempers ran high in old city on Friday with two communities expressing anger over alleged restrictions imposed by the police on tying of flags for coming Milad-un-Nabi and on banning of ringing of the bell in Bhagyalxmi temple, adjacent to the historic Charminar.

The rumour that police were preventing the devout from ringing the bell surfaced apparently after a newspaper published a picture of two woman constables holding the bells in the temple in an attempt to prevent the devotees from ringing them during ‘Harati’ time. The fact that the picture was published five days ago and the firm denial of police that such an order was issued, did not cut much ice.

Police suspect that the picture was not shot recently, as one of the constables in it was currently attached to Nampally police station and not old city. The situation appeared to spiral out of control after Telugu Desam corporator Raja Singh known for his right-wing activities, announced that he would go to the temple to the ring the bell. Singh’s supporters wanted to take out a rally to Charminar arguing that there was never any restriction on ringing of the bell in temples.

Anticipating trouble, the police moved in and took the corporator into preventive custody on Thursday night and released him on Friday morning.

“There is no such order prohibiting ringing of bell. Many devotees did ring the bell during Harati time. These reports are baseless,” the South zone DCP, Manish Kumar Sinha, said.

Meanwhile, tension was also building up at several places in old city after people alleged that the police were preventing the tying of banners and flags for Milad-un-Nabi festival. However, Mr. Sinha refuted that restrictions were imposed on tying of banners and flags.

“It is true that we’re trying to streamline the ‘jalsa’ (meeting), processions and decorations such as tying of flags organised during the festival by speaking to various sections,” Mr. Sinha said. While he claimed that organisers responded positively to police suggestions, some cried foul alleging that the police were detaining persons who tied flags on roads and grilling them.

PROCESSION ROUTES

The DCP said that elders of the community celebrating the festival were asked to confine decorations to February 4, 5 and 6. Details of the meeting venues, routes of processions and other celebrations were being collected to provide adequate security and ensure minimum traffic chaos. Keeping in view the violence that erupted after the festival two years ago, the police did not want to take any chances. eHINDU INPUT.

Hague: Muslim party wants dog ban

2012-01-31T03:41:00.004+08:00

Hague: Muslim party wants dog ban
via Spitsnieuws (Dutch):

Hasan Küçük, Hague councilor for the Islam Democrats, says dogs should be banned as pets in the city, reports De Telegraaf. The Muslim party says that the animals belong in nature, not inside the house. Küçük says that keeping dogs is animal abuse and should therefore be criminalized.

He responded sharply during a council debate last Thursday, when the Party for Animals suggested more consideration for dogs.

Paul ter Linden (PVV councillor) responded saying that pets are the norm in the Netherlands, and whoever disagrees should move to another country.

Shamsubahrin: NFC chief pressured me to bribe police

2012-01-31T03:33:00.003+08:00

Anwar’s only goal is to become PM, says Dr M

2012-01-31T03:32:00.000+08:00

Anwar’s plans do not extend beyond becoming prime minister, claimed Dr Mahathir.

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 30 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is a politician who will say anything to become prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed today.

According to the former premier, this included making different promises to appease different political parties within Pakatan Rakyat.

“He is a man who is trying to please everybody’s wishes,” Dr Mahathir told reporters here.

Dr Mahathir claimed that Anwar’s primary aim was to become prime minister, and that as a leader, he had no concrete plans for the country or Malaysians.

“His main struggle is to become PM, to go to Putrajaya. For Indians, he will support Hindraf. For DAP, he says he says ‘scrap affirmative action’,” said Anwar’s former mentor.

The longest-serving prime minister gave a speech here earlier on Malaysia’s approach to public leadership, in which he stressed the importance of voters being extra careful in choosing their leaders.

“If a wrong leader is chosen, there is a high price for it.

“In a democracy, one has a right to choose a leader. One also has the right to dispose of a leader, it is the best system by the human race,” he said, pointing out that a “good leader” needed to be well-versed in a multitude of fields and studies.

He also said a good leader needed to listen and be able to absorb criticism, and that the public must not be afraid to voice out their concerns.

“As PM, I did wield authority, but you must never forget your origins. We are all humble people, from lower beginnings,” Dr Mahathir said.

‘No action’ angers conned businessman

2012-01-31T03:29:00.003+08:00

Singapore businessman Abdul Aleem Sem criticised the Malaysian police and a prominent local bank for dragging their feet despite a complaint lodged in September last year.

PETALING JAYA: A Singaporean businessman lost about RM7,000 last year through a scam after his e-mail correspondence with his supplier was intercepted by a cyber criminal.

Adding salt to injury, the businessman alleged that the Malaysian police and a prominent local bank which held the perpetrator’s bank account did not take any action against the latter.

“The report was lodged in September last year but till today the police and the bank failed to address my grievances. Even my letters to Bank Negara went unanswered,” said Abdul Aleem Sem.

Relating his ordeal, Aleem, 55, who runs a medical equipment business in the island state, said that on Sept 16 last year, the scammer had imitated their supplier’s contact person Coco Zou after hacking his company’s e-mail correspondence with the supplier, based in Shanghai, China.

“The scammer used an almost identical e-mail of our supplier and started telling us to credit payment to a bank account in Puchong instead of the usual Chinese bank,” Aleem said, adding that the scammer had even imitated the supplier’s invoice number.

The bank account in Puchong was registered under the name of Maria Dass A/ John.

After making payments on Sept 20, Aleem suspected something was amiss when their supplier claimed that they had yet to receive the payment.

“I called Zou for clarification and it was then I realised that we got conned,” he said.

Following this, Aleem lodged a report with the police here and the Puchong branch of the bank on Sept 29.

He also lodged a complaint with the Singaporean police and Bank Negara the following day.

He said that it had been months now but the police had yet to take any action.

Still waiting for justice

Asked if he had checked with the local bank, Aleem said he sent various letters and contacted the bank involved but received no favourable answer.

“They said Maria Dass took out the money and closed his account a couple of days after the transaction was made. They just washed their hands off,” he said.

On his next course of action, Aleem said he would seek legal redress against the bank for failing to protect his interest.

“In one e-mail correspondence, the bank told me that they have taken action against the perpetrator. What action have they taken? I don’t know but I have yet to receive justice,” he said.

Aleem added that he was informed by the Singaporean authorities that they sent a letter to the Malaysian police for assistance over the matter but received no reply.

“I don’t know why the police here are taking a long time. If this happened in Singapore, the authorities would have nabbed Maria Dass within days,” he said.

Bukit Aman’s cyber crime and multimedia head ACP Kamaruddin Md Zin could not be reached for comment.

Sah Palanivel mahu Cameron Highlands

2012-01-31T03:26:00.003+08:00

Presiden MIC itu merasmikan bangunan tambahan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Tanah Rata di Cameron Highland.

PETALING JAYA: Ada usaha untuk menyingkirkan Naib Presiden MIC, Datuk SK Devamany daripada mempertahankan kerusi parlimen Cameron Highlands dalam pilihan raya umum ke 13, dakwa beberapa pemimpin Umno bahagian.

Ketua Wanita Umno Cameron Highland, Ramiza Mohd Husain juga mendakwa perkara yang sama.

“Saya mendapat tahu Ketua Umno bahagian Cameron Highlands, Datuk Wan Rosdy Ismail Wan Ismail mahu membawa masuk Presiden MIC, Datuk G Palanivel bertanding di kerusi parlimen tersebut.

“Beliau mahu Devamany yang sudah dua penggal menjadi ahli parlimen Cameron Highlands digantikan. Tetapi Wanita Umno menentang,” kata Ramiza.

“Saya mendapat tahu Pemuda dan Puteri Umno juga menentang. Ini yang disampaikan kepada saya.

“Devamany tidak buat salah apa pun. Dia orang baik. Dia baik dengan orang Melayu tetapi orang atas tidak suka dia.

“Orang atas ini (Wan Rosdy) sudah berjumpa Palanivel dua kali – sekali pada bulan Disember dan yang terbaru bulan ini,” katanya ketika dihubungi hari ini.

‘Orang Umno burukkan Devamany’

Raziah berkata, untuk kepentingan bersama, isu ini perlu diselesaikan segera kerana bimbang orang Melayu tidak menyokong calon baru kerusi parlimen Cameron Highlands.

“Ada segelintir orang Umno sendiri yang memburuk-burukkan Devamany dengan harapan ahli parlimen itu digugurkan.

“Kita berharap Datuk Wan Rosdy melihat perkara ini dan berbincang dengan kami semua sebelum keputusan akhir dibuat,” kata Ramiza.

Seorang AJK Umno bahagian berkata, Palaniveil sudah menjalankan beberapa aktiviti di Cameron Highlands.

Katanya, beberapa hari lalu presiden MIC itu merasmikan bangunan tambahan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil Tanah Rata di Cameron Highlands.

“Orang-orang Palanivel juga sudah ada di Cameron Highlands,” tambahnya.

Bagaimanapun, katanya ramai orang Umno tidak gembira kerana kredibiliti Palanivel sudah tiada sejak kalah dalam pilihan raya umum 2008 di parlimen Hulu Selangor.

Rajnikanth’s prance into the past

2012-01-31T03:24:00.001+08:00

Rajnikanth can be a good performer. He was one till he got sucked into fairy tales where kings and robots rule.
COMMENT

Tamil superstar Rajnikanth never thinks small. His recent films have been larger than the halo he has around him — movies like Sivaji and Endhiran, for instance.

But at 60-plus, a bald Rajnikanth requires elaborate face touches to be able to do the kind of roles he loves. They are often parts that are physically arduous, and cosmetically challenging.

It was, therefore, not surprising at all that his Rana, a historical thriller with an array of stunts in three different avatars, had to be put off after the actor reportedly underwent a kidney transplant in a Singapore hospital.

Months after this very secretive sojourn, Rajnikanth is now set to shoot Kochadaiyaan (an eighth century Pandyan ruler), again a part that will weave into it all the trappings of stardom, while being exhaustively tiring.

To be helmed by daughter Soundarya, the movie will be photographed by Rajiv Menon, set to music by AR Rahman and acted out by among others Katrina Kaif, Shobana and Prithviraj. As someone quipped, Kochadaiyaan will be larger than anything that Rajnikanth has attempted till now.

It will be in 3D and in “performance capturing technology”, its debut in India. James Cameron’s science-fiction Avatar and Steven Spielberg’s animated thriller The Adventures of Tintin were made with the same skill.

Hopefully to hit the screen this August, Kochadaiyaan will see Rajnikanth essaying the long-haired Pandyan king, celebrated for his valour. In body suits with reflective markers on them, the star will cavort with a much younger Kaif mostly in front of coloured screens.

While Rajnikanth has never made an attempt to hide his real physical self – bald pate and somewhat haggard look – in public, he has been exhibiting a strange desire to play parts infused with youth, good looks and a sense of virility.

Aiding and abetting him now in this is Soundarya.

A waste of talent

Although, Rajnikanth has a fan following that is miles ahead of even Amitabh Bachchan’s, and the general impression that his publicists spread is that audiences want to see the actor in magical, make-believe, swash-buckling heroism, this seems like such a waste of talent to a film critic like me.

For, Rajnikanth can be a good performer. He was one till he got sucked into fairy tales where kings and robots rule.

As a cruel husband in the 1975 Apoorva Raagangal, as a humble servant out to take revenge for his sister’s brutal death in the 1978 Bairavi, in Mullum Malarum and so on, the star played actor and was widely lauded.

But that seems like history now.

It is quite possible that Rajnikanth nurses a strange craving to delete his dreary days as a bus conductor in Bangalore that only followed a tragic childhood of death and loss.

And, maybe, it this longing that pushes him to walk tall (too tall) across the frames, hiding behind an attitude which takes him far, far away from the real world.

Which appears to be getting murkier for the man with his daughters, Soundarya and Aishwarya, allegedly in a power struggle to get to Rajnikanth’s wealth, and with his son-in-law, Dhanush (the guy behind the immensely popular, though blood curdling, lyrics of Kolaveri Di or Murderous Rage), reportedly romancing Kamal Hassan’s daughter Shruti off screen.

Given this, Rajnikanth is probably in a mood to vanish into the Pandya land of the hoary past!

Gautaman Bhaskaran is a Chennai-India based author, columnist and film critic, and can be contacted at gautamanb@hotmail.com . He is an FMT columnist.

My view of "what-do-you-mean-by-abu"

2012-01-31T03:21:00.001+08:00

Hi Pete,

If you are getting correct statistics data analysis, then I would argue that the dropping figure for Malaysia Today readership (after September 2008) had nothing to do with your detention in Kamunting. It is more that those readers were merely interested to know the latest political development and inside stories (which were never reported in the newspapers) after the March 2008 election.

Most importantly, these readers were most interested to know what would happen to Anwar's 16th Septmber commitment to oust BN with the planned 30 lawmakers crossing over. So, since Anwar was merely bullshitting, those readers lost their interest in reading MT.

So, I think, it is nothing to do with your detention.

L. Lee

A Porn Star Goes to Bollywood

2012-01-31T03:20:00.000+08:00

Sunny in a Sari -- for once

The Buzz About Sunny Leone
New stars are frequently born in Bollywood and just as suddenly disappear. Few stay on and most don’t make it beyond a few films. The buzz presently is about Sunny Leone.

Leone’s toned body and attitude have catapulted her to a spot at the top of India’s most-searched Internet celebrity list, beating out such top actresses as Katrina Kaif and Kareena Kapoor, who generally rule Internet trending in a country crazy about good looks, as anywhere else.

Good looks-wise, Sunny is definitely high potential – a cute face sitting atop a fabulous figure surely honed into place via hours at the gym, pool, pilates, a protein-abundant, low-carbohydrate diet --and a fair amount of surgical enhancement.

The problem is that if she indeed attains stardom, she would be doing something that is almost unheard of, not only in Bollywood but in Hollywood as well, except by a handful of fringe crossovers. She earns her living as an adult pornography star, which is illegal despite India’s thriving and throbbing underground porn industry.

For all of their verve, Bollywood movies remain relatively chaste – the industry has become famous for “air kisses” – lips rarely touch, let alone genitals, despite the fact that this is the country where the Kama Sutra originated, the famed ancient Sanskrit text describing the rules for sensual pleasure, love and marriage.

In the recent past, visitors to India have included heiress Paris Hilton and actress Pamela Anderson, both of whom have had the misfortune of being the subjects of leaked home-made videos of them performing in bed. However, a full-blown, intelligible porn star is a novelty in India.

The 30-year-old Leone was born Karen Malhotra to Punjabi Sikh parents who migrated to Canada from India. She is now based in California, where practicing her craft is legal. Indians have made it big as doctors, software engineers and investment bankers in the US. Sunny chose an alternate path to success, in which she demonstrably has thrived.

She might have remained unknown in India except perhaps to some hard-core aficionados. But, as luck would have it she was picked up by Bigg Boss, a top reality show on TV, endorsed by Salman Khan, the he-man Bollywood superstar.

Bigg Boss, which plays to huge ratings, follows a format pioneered in the Netherlands in which celebrity contestants stay in a single house for about three months with no connection to the outside world. A mysterious person known as Bigg Boss oversees the household, although he is never seen. It has no television, no telephones. no Internet clocks or pen and paper.

Surrounded by scores of photographers and television cameras, she sashayed her way onto the show with a huge smile, then entered the Bigg Boss house wearing traditional Indian attire and an admittedly imperfect Hindu pronunciation. Then, surprisingly, among the ragtag accumulation of loud, callow, empty-headed, vulgar and immature participants, Leone stood out as the most reasonable, fashionable, eloquent and personable.

Unfortunately she also attracted the attention of the Indian Artists and Actors Forum, which demanded that the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting take action against the network that carries the show.

Information & Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni declined and was quoted in the local press as saying the complaint hadn’t reached her, but that Justice S K Shah, the former chief justice of Delhi, was leading a “self-regulatory mechanism” to take charge of the “safeguarding of such vulnerable issues and sections of society.”

Leone has been criticized for promoting pornography, which she hadn’t done, at least on the television airwaves. It was claimed that young Indian impressionable minds are being lured to search her on the Internet and led to her website, hosted abroad, that feature porn clips featuring Leone.

As expected in India, the actress has become the target of radical, fringe, ultraconservative elements who relish such moments for their two minutes of fame on TV and in print. Nor is she alone. One of the latest victims has been the author Salman Rushdie, who was forced to cancel a trip to an Indian literary festival by politicians condemning him for his famed book the Satanic Verses in an attempt to gain Muslim votes in a local election.

Others have ranged from M F Hussain, considered India’s finest artist, who was forced by ultranationalists to go into exile for his paintings of Hindu deities in the nude; tennis player Sania Mirza, who was condemned falsely by major Hindu political parties for making a blue film after it became public that she intended to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik; and the iconic cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who was caught up peripherally in the so-called “Monkeygate” scandal when a teammate use a racial epithet to describe an Australian opponent.

The fact is that young and old with access to the Internet visit porn sites, irrespective of Leone. The government has ignored the unnecessary attacks on Leone, unlike the other recent instance involving Rushdie, in which identity and vote bank politics muddled a sane response.

Leone, appearing unruffled by the controversy, has continued her expedition into the heart of India’s movie and entertainment industry. She has been signed up by the film makers Pooja and Mahesh Bhatt, known for their bold but commercially successful movies.

Appropriately, the movie that she has been picked to star in is titled Jism2, a Hindu word meaning “body,” obviously an effort to cash in on Leone’s physical allure, a quality that she appears to be immensely endowed with.

As has been proved time and again in the past, for any actress to make a lasting impact on Indian audiences and movies, Leone will need to earn her stripes as an actress. Sometimes it talks more than looks. In one recent super hit film, titled Dirty Picture, actress Vidya Balan fattened up herself to play the role of the central character. As an actress, Leone will be judged, in many ways, much more critically than for being a porn star, as she is sure to find out.

(Siddharth Srivastava is a New Delhi-based journalist. He can be reached at sidsri@yahoo.com)

NEWS REPORT

2012-01-31T03:15:00.004+08:00

US soldier agrees to plea deal in Iraqi killings

1. A US soldier killed 24 Iraqi civilians, men, women, and children and was charged for manslaughter before a US military court.

2. US law allows for plea bargaining between the prosecutors and the accused person. Through this the soldier agreed that he would plead guilty if the charge is changed from manslaughter to dereliction of duty.

3. He was then sentenced by the court to reduction in rank to private, pay cut by two-thirds and three months jail.

4. We don’t have provision for plea bargaining in our laws. When Anwar’s Government takes over he will make our laws more modern, not so lapok(archaic) as they are now. Then those accused can bargain and the charge of whatever can be reduced so the accused can plead guilty to a lesser charge.

5. Just think, you kill 24 innocent Iraqis and get three months jail. That is justice.

Malaysia Calls For Citizens Held At Guantanamo To Be Brought Before Tribunal Soon

2012-01-31T03:08:00.003+08:00

KLUANG, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia called for its two citizens held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre since 2006 to be brought before a military tribunal as soon as possible.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the detention of the duo without trial shows that the Western country does not practise what it preaches in the matter of human rights.

"We hope that they (the Malaysians) will be brought before a military tribunal as soon as possible. We are often accused of not being independent, our judicial system is said to be not independent. But, I wish to state that we have two citizens being held (at Guantanamo) without trial for several years," he said.

He spoke to reporters after the handing over of affordable houses built by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) to 56 flood victims in Kampung Gajah, here Monday.

Hishammuddin said what the Western country did in the case of the detention of the two Malaysians without trial was inconsistent with what it preached on the issue of human rights.

"We are often accused of being unjust," he said.

A newspaper reported recently that the two Malaysians -- Mohd Farik Amin and Mohd Nazir Lep -- held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre were expected to be brought before a military tribunal in the United States soon.

Anwar will ‘accelerate privatizations’?

2012-01-31T03:00:00.002+08:00

Anwar needs to clarify a Wall Street Journal report that says he wants to “accelerate privatizations” if elected. What exactly does he want to privatise?
Excepts from the Wall Street Journal report:

If elected, Mr. Anwar said he will accelerate privatizations and do more to enable free markets to operate more efficiently, such as improving transparency in the bidding for government contracts.

and

“The overall principle is that we want the government-linked companies to sell off their noncore and noncompetitive assets,” Mr. Najib said in an interview two weeks ago. “We are always looking out for how to add value to the country.”
Mr. Anwar, though, criticized the way Mr. Najib’s government pursued these privatizations, saying that without open, public tenders, key companies remain controlled by a well-connected few.
Privatization “looks good, but look again at the procedures,” said Mr. Anwar. “The issue is not about privatization, it is blatant corruption.”

While it is important to do away with corruption and cronyism, the issue is also about privatisation (and other neoliberal policies), and not just how privatisation is done. Many Malaysians have had enough of the BN’s neoliberal approach that has seen essential or strategic sectors being privatised and higher tariffs imposed on the public. This neoliberal approach has also contributed to widening income inequalities.
Soon after he was released from jail in 2004, I asked Anwar whether he would pursue neoliberal policies if he won power eventually. His response was something along the lines of crossing the bridge when we come to it. But with a watershed general election approaching, Malaysians need to make an informed choice so that they know what to expect if the Pakatan is elected to federal power. It is fine to highlight the scandalous NFC ‘cows and condos’ fiasco, but Malaysians also need to know what kind of broad and specific economic policies the Pakatan will introduce in key areas such as health care, transport, housing, education and food production. Not as exciting as ‘cows and condos’ but no less important.
Would a Pakatan federal government go down the neoliberal route with the wholesale privatisation of state assets? Would a Pakatan federal government, for instance, support the privatisation of KTM services (which should be seen as a strategic public service to promote public transport) or the privatisation of Penang port? Would it support the de facto privatisation of higher education and health care (albeit indirectly through the promotion of private ‘medical tourism’, HMOs and the like)? Would it hive off timber concessions, and strategic urban land banks (without providing for public amenities, public education, public health care and recreational parks) to private developers?
It is true that the BN government has engaged in businesses that it should never have been involved in, in the first place. Think of Proton, which has drained so much of our resources. To dispose of such GLCs is fine.
But there should be a clear distinction between profitable and loss-making non-core sectors and between non-strategic and strategic sectors of the economy.
Privatisation of strategic sectors like water, health care, higher education, ports and public transport should be avoided.
Profitable assets like GLC highway concessionaires could be used to subsidise the strategic public transport sector including KTM, Rapid KL and light rail operators. Similarly, the lucrative Penang Bridge tolls could be used to subsidise the ferries, Rapid Penang buses and other public transport in the state. Only loss-making non-core or non-strategic sectors that are not of public interest should be privatised if they can’t be turned around.
Thus, Anwar needs to clarify his statement and explain precisely what he means (assuming the WSJ reported his intention accurately) by wanting to “accelerate privatizations”. In this respect, how different is he from the ‘Father of Malaysian Privatisation’, Mahathir Mohamad?

Ringing Bell in Temple stopped by Muslims in India. Muslims are snatching every right from Hindus in Muslim majority areas in India.

2012-01-28T05:57:00.000+08:00

Every where in Muslim Populated areas in India, Hindus are discarded from their Religious rights.

Congress Govt. agrees ‘Aurangzebi Fatwa’ to STOP RINGING BELL IN TEMPLE in Bhagyanagar through its Muslim allies in Majalis Ittehadul Muslimin.

Bhagyanagar (Hyderabad) : 25th January : HE News Desk Hyderabad ~ late script ||

Anti-Hindu Congress Government in Andhra Pradesh has banned ringing of bell in Sri Bhagyalakshmi Temple in Char Minar area in Bhagyanagar. The Government has also imposed ban on performing ‘Maha-aarti’ and has deployed police force to implement the ban. Akbaruddin Owaisi a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of ‘MIM (Majalis Ittehadul Muslimin)’, a Muslim Political Party being the alliance with State Congress Party of Andhra Pradesh, a southern state in India, has demanded to impose ban on processions taken out on Hindu festivals viz. ‘Ram-Navami’ and ‘Hanuman-Jayanti’. Hindu organizations are angered due to such demand by Owaisi. In a country where Hindus are in majority, a Muslim MLA, demanding ban on processions taken out during Hindu festivals, indicates that Hindus are staying in Pakistan and not in India. Muslims are now demanding ban on Hindu processions; tomorrow, they will demand for demolition of Hindu temples and will, later, demand that Hindus should become either Muslims or leave their womenfolk behind.

Unfortunately, Muslims are considered as a very lucrative vote bank for all the political parties in India and they are giving every concessions to the Muslims including special educational felicity in Madrasha, establishing Mosques and Muslim grave yards, reservation quota in services and jobs, special loans and arrangements for their business, felicities in personal laws under Shariyat, subsidy in Haj pilgrimage and many thing more.

Actually, lack of unity among Hindus is responsible for such situation and there is no alternative for Hindus to establish a Hindu Nation in Bharat to change this situation. It is now established that Congress Govt. is trampling sentiments of Hindus only to appease Muslims. Today, there is ban on ‘aarti’, ban on ringing bells in temple; tomorrow, these Hindu-hater rulers of Congress will issue a ‘fatwa’ that Hindus should adopt Islam; cows will be slaughtered in front of Hindu temples; Hindu women folk will be enjoyed by them by their choice; Hindus will be considered as ’Jimmi’ or otherwise to be slit on neck as being Kaffir and a Muslimstan will be established in India as Pakistan. How long are Hindus going to tolerate such Congress rulers with Jehadi force, who are making them experience how living in Pakistan would be. Now at least Hindus should unite and undertake a strong agitation, in a lawful manner, against those imposing curb on their religious rights and save Hindu Existence in India i.e. Bharat!

Islington girls forced into marriage at the age of nine

2012-01-28T05:48:00.001+08:00

TRIBUNE INVESTIGATION: Imam condemns ordeal of youngsters still in primary school amid alarming number of abuse cases

Published: January 27, 2012
by PAVAN AMARA
AN alarming number of under-age girls – some as young as nine – are being forced into marriage in Islington, according to a leading campaign group.
The Iranian and Kurdish Women’s Rights Organisation (IKWRO) claim that at least 30 girls in the borough were forced into marriage in 2010.
The practice was condemned by the Imam of Finsbury Park Mosque, who said such marriages were against Islam and “unacceptable”.
He pledged to invalidate any marriage which he said were carried out by “back-street Imams”.
IKWRO, which made headlines last month when they revealed there had been almost 3,000 “honour-based” violence cases in 2010, has shown the Tribune records which revealed at least three 11-year-old girls and two nine-year-olds had been forced into marriage with older men within Islington. The oldest girls involved were 16.
They have warned that hundreds of Islington girls could be suffering sexual, emotional and physical scars as a result of the child marriages every year and are calling for teachers, social workers and police to be better trained to spot and manage the abuse.
Information from the Ministry of Justice, following a Freedom of Information request, revealed that 32 Forced Marriage Protection Order applications were made for children under 16 in Britain last year.
Six of these were made for under-16s within Islington at the Royal Courts of Justice, although these were not necessarily made for Islington residents.
At the Islington court, “five or fewer” orders were made to protect children between the ages of 9-11.
The orders are a form of injunction that threaten legal punishment if marriage takes place due to emotional or physical force.
In most cases, the children fear they will be killed if they reveal the truth to anybody, while others believe they will be separated from their families and taken into social services’ care.
Dianna Nammi, director of IKWRO, explained that the girls are married in a mosque’s sharia court. This means they are not legally married according to British law, rendering the Home Office unable to recognise or prove the abuse.
“They are still expected to carry out their wifely duties, though, and that includes sleeping with their husband,” she said.
“They have to cook for them, wash their clothes, everything. They are still attending schools in Islington, struggling to do their primary school homework, and at the same time being practically raped by a middle-aged man regularly and being abused by their families. So they are a wife, but in a primary school uniform.
“The reason it doesn’t get out is because they are too terrified to speak out, and also the control their families have over them is impossible to imagine if you’re not going through it. The way it is covered up is so precise, almost unspeakable.”
Ms Nammi said that one 13-year-old had to sneak out of a maths lesson to contact the group, because she was being monitored so closely by her family.
“Her teacher didn’t notice because she said she’d gone to the toilet, but when she got home that day she was beaten,” she said.
“Her father knew she hadn’t been in maths because he had sent an uncle to spy on who she was talking to through the classroom window.”
Ms Nammi said that the girls are married off to family friends or family members to stop them from losing their virginity to anyone not chosen by their father.
However, the incentive is also often financial.
“The girl automatically becomes her husband’s property, so he takes financial responsibility for her,” said Ms Nammi.
“In fact, often the husband has to start contributing to the girl’s family, so it becomes a way of bringing in another salary.
“Who are girls going to tell? Often they feel like teachers at school won’t understand what their families are like. They will think they’re like Western families, and won’t understand that if they pass on anything at all that they’ve been told to the family, then the girl will be killed. So they just chose not to tell at all.”
IKWRO offers counselling and support to the children, but does not force them to take any action until they are ready. Often, that involves being placed in social services’ care.
Finsbury Park Mosque imam Ahmed Saad said he was glad the issue was being highlighted, and stressed that it was not an Islamic problem, but a cultural one.
“This is down to ignorance, and ignorant people who will use any excuse they can to do this to their children,” he said.
“It is the practice in their home countries and they don’t want to stop that here, so they will say it’s in the Koran, when it is not. According to Islam, it is entirely unacceptable.
“My own grandmother was married at the age of 11, but that was in 1907 in Egypt when lifespans were much shorter.
“I have heard of this happening in Islington by back-street imams. They are imams who have little knowledge of Islam – they are not educated, and they simply lead prayers, and yes they will do this and it is very quietly kept a secret with no one admitting to it.
“Islam says both parties must truly consent in their hearts, and if the girl was forced into it in any way then she can invalidate her Sharia marriage with or without the husband’s permission.
“I will personally do that for anyone who comes to me. This is simply child abuse, as a child does not know what they are doing.
“My heart goes out to the girls.”
Imam Saad explained that Sharia law stated an individual can marry when they begin puberty, with the most important stipulation being that they are “rushd”, or mature enough to understand marriage.
A spokesman for the Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) said he was “unsure” whether the lack of legal status of the marriages affected whether the they could intervene or not, but directed the Tribune to government practice guidelines on dealing with forced marriage.
The spokesman added that due to the lack of legal status the marriages may be a “criminal matter that only the police can deal with”, but admitted to it being "”a very grey area”.
The FMU guidelines state: “It is probable that children’s social care will play a key role in protecting the interests of the child or young person. This can be achieved not only by arranging practical help such as accommodation and financial support, but also by co-operating and working with other agencies such as police, health and education professionals.”
Sibel Balci-Saner, a Turkish and Farsi speaking adviser at IKWRO, said while that the Islington Police’s domestic violence co-ordinators were “brilliant” at dealing with the cases, front-line officers “can make things worse by not being sensitive because they don’t really understand what’s going on”.
“When they try and speak to the child’s parents they often have a language barrier,” she said.
“Too often they don’t bother to call an interpreter so they don’t talk to the parents at all about what they’re doing, until it goes to court much later. A common complaint we have is that it depends on who you are, too – some women say that when they’re from poorer families the police don’t take them as seriously.”

Bride at 12 – ‘I have to be a wife to him...’

ROJIN – this is not her real name – told a Tribune reporter how she had been forcibly married at the age of 12 to a 32 year-old man. She said she grew up in Finsbury Park where she lived with her parents from the Middle East.
After her “marriage” she said she was placed in care and then allowed to live with friends.
“I was forced by my dad,” she said. “He didn’t beat me or anything, he told me I was useless, no one would ever accept me anyway so I’d better just marry while someone wanted me because it wouldn’t happen again.
“I thought that if I didn’t do it I would just be taken away and married anyway, so it was better to co-operate and at least get to stay in England.
“Also, if I co-operated then if my husband treated me badly at least my family would support me against him. But if I said no, they’d say I was bringing shame on the family and wouldn’t support me no matter what he did, because I would have made them angry.
“My parents sorted out an imam to marry us quite quickly. The first one they approached said no, the next one said yes, and this was in Islington. I met my husband three days before my wedding, which only my close family was invited to.
“We were married in my parents’ house.
“He was a 37-year-old man from Birmingham [the Tribune understands he had come from the Middle East]. I told my parents that I had fallen in love with him and I was doing it for myself because my mum felt bad about what they were doing to me. That night I had to go to his flat and sleep with him because that’s what marriage is.
“But I didn’t want to. After that I told my husband I didn’t want to look at him or talk to him. I didn’t want him sitting next to me, standing next to me, nothing. He got frustrated and said that I had to sleep with him because I was his wife, but I said if he forced himself on me then I would call the police and tell them everything.
“After my mum died I was taken into care. I told my social worker about everything, but I missed out the bit about sleeping with him.
“Social services have no understanding of Islam, and they don’t know that for me, as a Muslim, I am still his wife because we were married by an imam and we have not divorced. So I still text him and want to go to see him because I have to as a wife.
“This is more of a marriage to me than a legal one because it’s by Allah. In my mind I know I have to still be a wife to him till he finally divorces me or I feel something bad will happen to me, or my mum, who is now dead, will have shame on her name.
“He refuses to divorce me, though. Friends have said they’d be happy to come with me to the mosque for a divorce to say yes to it.
“I live with friends so I don’t have to sleep with him, cook for him, nothing like that. He can’t beat me, and no one can kill me here, but I am trapped as his wife.
“Even when I am an adult and leave, I’ll have to go back to him as his wife until one day he finally grants me a divorce.”
The Tribune has been unable to authenticate what this girl told us.
We have seen a record kept by the Women’s Rights body (IKWRO) stating she had been placed in care but there did not appear to be independent evidence that this had taken place.
We stress this is the story of a 12-year-old girl as told to this newspaper.

Manglish or Bahasa rojak. How can?

2012-01-28T05:42:00.001+08:00

The inexcusable translation in our government departments is not just a question of lack of professionalism and education but, more importantly, of attitude, especially of those at the top.

Throughout Malaysia’s arms spending history, the government has forked out billions on defence procurement while millions more have allegedly been used for commissions and backhanders.

And yet the defence ministry does not see fit to apportion a tiny fraction of its massive budget on the services of a translator.

It cannot be a lack of funds or a scarcity of translators. Is it an aversion which started after one high-profile translator connected to a particular defence purchase met an untimely end?

When the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) posted its error-riddled translation on its English website to describe the dress code appropriate for staff, it received extraordinary attention on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

The translations ranged from the painful sounding “Clothes that poke eye” to the more serious safety connotation of the “Malaysian Government take drastic measures to increase the level of any national security threat”.

Defence Minister Zahid Hamidi admitted that his ministry had utilised the free Google online translator. He subsequently ordered the site to be removed temporarily. It is easy to blame Google.

The buck should stop with him, the minister. Was he being penny-wise, pound-foolish or is this merely lack of attention to detail? Military budgets are not just about buying the big toys. What use is the equipment if no one can translate the repair manuals for our service engineers?

It is not sufficient for Zahid to confirm that future translations will be done manually. Shouldn’t the Cabinet be looking to overhaul the whole education system and specifically the manner in which students treat their education and the learning of English? Nationalist sentiments should not override global aspirations.

Malaysia’s seemingly bottomless military budget has been spent on armaments and other defence hardware including the purchase of two Scorpene submarines at RM7.3 billion. The Scorpene deal allegedly included RM570 million on “coordination and support” services, a euphemism for “commission”, to a little-known company called Perimekar.

In the Scorpene scandal, which is now being fought in the French courts, a Mongolian model-cum- translator, Altantuya Shaaribuu, who was said to be fluent in Russian, English, Chinese and French, was later found murdered in a jungle in Shah Alam.

What about training and repair manuals?

Are the problems in Mindef the tip of the iceberg? Can Zahid reassure us that none of his men have used the free online Google translator to translate defence training or repair manuals from some foreign language to Bahasa?

The frequent waste of military hardware from crashing planes to defective equipment, has resulted in heavy loss of lives and expensive machines. The wide array of armaments from different countries, contribute towards complications in maintenance, poor operational effectiveness, stocking issues and compatibility between different systems. Could the translated manuals have posed a problem, too?

One former member of the armed forces confided, “The MiG manuals were translated from Hindi to BM. We bought the jets from Russia. MiG jets are built under licence in India for the Indian air force. The Russians must have found it easier to get the Hindi version translated instead.”

It isn’t just cyberspace where government bodies are maligned. Perak enters the New Year with the much-touted Visit Perak Year (VPY) 2012.

In 2011, the patience of hoteliers, travel agents and ordinary Perakians including politicians was tested when many claimed that very few people knew what VPY 2012 involved.

The state is hoping to receive in excess of three million visitors, both foreign and local tourists. Despite that, many tourist sites were not prepared for VPY 2012.

The ‘Ipoh Tree’ saga

In October 2011, a local Ipoh community paper, highlighted the glaring problems in the proficiency of English of the staff working at the Perak Tourist Information Centre (Pusat Pelancongan Perak) near the Ipoh Padang.

According to the paper, the Perak Tourism Information Centre, which is an extension of the Ipoh City Council’s tourism department, had an embarrassing description of the Ipoh Tree, emblazoned beneath a photograph of the tree, on display at the centre.

The full text which the paper reportedly found at the centre is reproduced here:

“The words ‘Ipoh’ makes us memorize to Ipoh Tree. Epu or Upas Tree (Antiaris Toxicarial). It can be found in many areas surrounding Ipoh City old time ago. Introduction about Ipoh tree as a place can get it from “Perak And The Malays” book author by J.F. Mcnair in 1979.

“This tree is grouping under ‘nettle’ species and can growth up until hundred feet’s tall. The primitive using the Ipoh Tree’s liquid to make a poison dart to use in their weapon. This tree also can be found in Borneo Sumatera, India and Philippine. Now days Ipoh Tree can be founded at Railway Station and D.R. Seenivasagam Park.”

Even primary school students will consider the above description, which is littered with errors, to be gibberish.

If people think that it does not matter that such things happen in a provincial city like Ipoh, then how about the gaffe which occurred when Chinese premier Wen Jiabao and his entourage visited Putrajaya? The banner flying at the welcoming ceremony was printed in inaccurate Chinese.

Or how about the court interpreter, Ting Chin Kin, who translated Teoh Beng Hock’s supposed suicide note using Google Translate?

Just like in the Mindef mess, the inexcusable translation in our government departments is not just a question of lack of professionalism and education but, more importantly, of the attitude, especially of those at the top. Incompetent officials appear to hold sway in the Malaysian civil service and Cabinet.

The top echelons should dispense with their “tidak-apa” attitude, and lead by example. If they demanded good results and accuracy, then perhaps, people might feel less inclined to say that the two important languages in Malaysia are Manglish and Malay.

AIM fund won’t help Indians, says PKR

2012-01-28T05:39:00.002+08:00

Najib is urged to remodel the micro credit scheme.

KUALA LUMPUR: A PKR leader today called for a remodelling of Budget 2012’s micro credit scheme for poor Indians, saying the fund, as currently managed by Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM), had no way of meeting its objective.

“What can one do with RM3,000?” said PKR Malacca vice-chairman G Rajendran in reference to the maximum amount a participant in the scheme can borrow.

He suggested that the amount be increased to RM30,000 and the credit, instead of being restricted to women, be offered to youths as well.

The budget allocates RM100 million for the scheme.

Rajendran said his call was a challenge to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to lend some credibility to his claim that he cared about the plight of poor Indians.

It would be a chance for him to prove that the scheme was more than just an election gimmick, he added.

He said RM3,000 was not even enough to set up a business premises. “At the most, one could probably set up a stall selling garlands, or vending nuts and other titbits or taking orders to tailor clothes.

“I can imagine that if 3,000 women in Malacca get the maximum credit, then we will have 1,000 flower stalls, 1,000 nut vendors and 1,000 seamstresses. The competition will be so stiff that no one will make any profit.”

He accused Najib of trying to buy votes through the scheme and said he was insulting the Indians by assuming that their support was cheap.

“If they give RM3,000 per person, then more than 33,000 people will get the loan. That means 33,000 families will be forced to vote for BN.”

He said many young Indians were interested in starting businesses of their own but could not get loans from banks and government-linked bodies because these institutions would entertain only those applicants with at least two years of business experience.

The scheme should not exclude them, whatever their gender, he added.

Umno To Act Tough Against Saboteurs Before General Election

2012-01-28T05:32:00.001+08:00

UALA LUMPUR, Jan 28 (Bernama) -- Umno may activate its disciplinary committee to monitor members who are involved in acts of sabotage before the next general election.

Its president, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said this was an unprecedented move as the committee was normally set in motion once the general election was over to take action against members who violated party's rules and ethics.

"Problems cropped up in every election, especially in a big party. This is nothing new.

"There may be unbecoming behaviour. There may be disgruntled candidates, even supporters could act to the detriment of the party. So it is better that we take actions beforehand to maintain party discipline," he told reporters after chairing the Umno Supreme Council meeting here Friday night.

Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor were present.

The prime minister said the disciplinary committee was authorised to take action against any misconduct in the party.

"We do not want any untoward things to happen after the election is over as they will be detrimental to the party. So it is better to be proactive.

"We have this mechanism. If there is any violation, the committee will take action and the action taken will be fair. Any complaints will be brought to the committee," he said.

On preparations for the next general election, he said the party's machinery was in a state of readiness, but efforts should be intensified to ensure that the tasks and instructions given were fully implemented to ensure victory.

Meanwhile, Najib said the meeting also discussed on the effectiveness of the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) with Supreme Council members asserting the need to ensure that all eligible households get the assistance.

He said the meeting also concurred with the government's decision to review the implementation of the Public Service New Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) to avoid dissatisfaction among civil servants.

ABU bukan organisasi dan tidak ada ketua, ABU bukan sokongan bersifat cek kosong

2012-01-28T05:30:00.003+08:00

Kenyataan Terbuka

27 Januari 2012

ABU MILIK RAKYAT

Seminggu ini ABU atau Asalkan Bukan Umno telah menjadi perhatian. Bermula dengan insiden serangan bersifat perkauman terhadap Ceramah ABU di Dewan MBSA, Seksyen 30, Kg Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam sehinggalah kenyataan terbuka oleh S.Jayathas yang selepas itu diketahui bertindak atas arahan P. Utayakumar yang merupakan pimpinan Hindraf yang telah menubuhkan sebuah parti politik yang dikenali sebagai Parti Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia.

Ditegaskan sejak awal ABU bukan sebuah organisasi atau jauh lagi sebagai sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan. ABU ialah mewakili sentimen rakyat yang kecewa dan sedar dengan hakikat banyak masalah negara ini berpunca dari sebuah parti yang dicipta oleh penjajah iaitu United Malay National organisation (Umno). Seingat kami sentimen ABU ini mula wujud sekitar tahun 1998 selepas pemecatan DSAI dan kemudian diporpularkan oleh Hishamuddin Rais melalui blog Tukar Tiubnya.

Namun bermula beberapa bulan lepas beberapa organisasi seperti SAMM, SABM, PSM, PRM dan banyak lagi juga tidak ketinggalan beberapa organisasi mahasiswa serta aktivis-aktivis masyarakat yang bergerak sendirian telah bergabung dan bersetuju menghidupkan kempen ABU untuk menjadikan ia sentimen nasional dalam menyatukan kekuatan rakyat demi menumbangkan Umno dan Barisan nasional khususnya dalam PRU akan datang.

Kempen ABU ini menggariskan 3 perkara kenapa perlu rakyat menolak Umno iaitu

Isu sentimen perkauman melampau yang dibawa oleh Umno telah menggagalkan penyatuan rakyat juga sebagai senjata untuk mengalihkan isu apabila satu isu besar muncul dalam negara.
Isu Lynas diangkat kerana isu ini menunjukkan ketidak pedulian Umno terhadap suara rakyat sanggup memperjudikan nyawa rakyat demi projek menguntungkan pihak tertentu. Isu ini juga berkait rapat dengan pembaziran, rasuah yang menghilangkan hasil petroleum negara sehingga negara terpaksa mencari industri tenaga baru bagi menggantikan petroleum.
Isu harga barang yang melampau dan jelas regim gagal mengawal

Isu - isu ini diangkat kerana ia isu yang dekat dan mudah difahami oleh rakyat. Isu ini juga bersifat fundimental dan dikongsi oleh semua gerakan progresif. Maka dengan isu ini diharapkan dapat menyatukan semua gerakan progresif dan secara tidak lansung mengenepikan isu perbezaan yang tidak menguntungkan gerakan. Selain itu isu seperti keadilan asas dan sistem perundangan juga menjadi tumpuan.

Telah dipersetujui ABU tidak akan punya struktur tetapi hanya penggerak terdiri dari organisasi atau individu sekutu yang bersama dengan sentimen ABU. Maka tidak ada ketua cuma yang ada kemungkinan penyelaras berdasarkan keperluan program.ABU tidak ada hak cipta semua orang boleh bergerak atas ABu tetapi jika bersekutu bersama impaknya akan lebih berkesan.

Semua orang boleh buat t-shirt ABu atau apa sahaja bahan mempromosi ABU tanpa izin sesiapa. ABU milik rakyat.

Menyentuh mengenai Hindraf yang kononya menarik sokongan dari ABU dan kemudian dinafikan oleh Penyelaras Kebangsaannya Sambulinggam dan pimpinan dalam buangannya Waythamoorthy yang menyatakan Hindraf terus bersama ABU dan semua pihak yang menentang Umno dan Barisan Nasional. Menurut mereka kenyataan tidak bersama ABU itu cuma pendapat peribadi Uthayakumar.

Bagi SAMM yang menjadi sekutu bersama ABU kami tidak berminat dengan apa yang jadi dalam mana - mana organisasi. Tanpa atau bersama Hindraf, sentimen ABU akan terus bergerak dan terlekat dihati rakyat. Namun kami amat mengalukan Hindraf atau mana - mana organisasi atau individu yang berkongsi sentimen ini dan bergerak bersama kerana penyatuan kekuatan merupakan kelebihan dalam gerakan menumbangkan regim yang ditunjangi Umno.

Terbaru juga komen Wan Farel, Penyelaras Segmentasi Mahasiswa dalam isu melibatkan KUIN di Kedah yang sedikit dilihat menyerang Menteri Besar PR Kedah yang kemungkinan dilihat agak kontradik dengan kempen ABU yang didokong SAMM. SAMM secara penuh menyokong kenyataan Wan Farel dan menganggap ia pendirian SAMM secara rasmi.

Perlu ditegaskan dokongan SAMM terhadap ABU bukan 'cek kosong' kepada yang melawan Umno. Sokongan dan sentimen ABU berdasarkan prinsip. ABU ialah sentimen kesedaran rakyat yang ingin melihat Umno tumbang kerana keangkuhan mereka dipuncak kuasa. Namun jika mana - mana pihak khususnya yang baru berkuasa sedikit melakukan perkara yang sama maka sewajarnya ditolak.

ABu ialah milik rakyat. ABU bukan cerita siapa nak jadi YB tetapi penyatuan kuasa rakyat melawan Umno. ABU ialah menefestasi dalam PRU akan datang Umno bukan sekadar berdepan dengan Pakatan Rakyat sebagai lawan politik tetapi akan berdepan sentimen rakyat ; Asalkan Bukan Umno.

Road show ABU dan program - program berimej ABU akan terus diperhebatkan dan akan diumumkan dari masa ke semasa.

Program yang terdekat ialah Ceramah Umum memperkenalkan ABU di NS, 28 Januari 2012, 8.45 malam di Taman Seremban Selatan akan menampilkan pemimpin politik, pemimpin NGO dan aktivis masyarakat. Semua dijemput hadir.

che'GuBard
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia

Breast implant maker's founder arrested, police say

2012-01-27T04:33:00.001+08:00

Paris (CNN) -- The founder of a French company that makes breast implants linked to a health scare was arrested Thursday, the French national police said.

Jean-Claude Mas, founder of Poly Implant Protheses, or PIP, was detained in Six-Fours-les-Plages, near Toulon in southern France, police said.

PIP Director Claude Couty was arrested around the same time in nearby La Seyne-sur-Mer, and investigators searched his home, according to CNN affiliate France 2.

Mas was arrested in connection with an investigation into manslaughter and involuntary harm following the cancer death of a French woman with PIP implants in 2010, police in Marseille said.

Prosecutors opened the probe in December in Marseille.

Marseille police and and public health officials are conducting the investigation, police said.

PIP implants have sparked health scares in Europe and South America.

A French attorney representing women with implants welcomed the arrest of Mas, though he said it could have come sooner.

"I don't expect much from his hearing as we have already heard his lack of respect with regard to all of the victims," said the lawyer, Philippe Courtois.

"He will undoubtedly say there was no problem with the gel, but that is not his decision to make," Courtois added.

An estimated 300,000 women in 65 countries received breast implants from the company. The implants were banned in 2010, and the company went bankrupt later that year.

The implants are not approved for use in the United States.

French authorities announced last month that the government would pay for the removal of the bankrupt company's implants, which a British medical group says were made from "nonmedical grade silicone believed by the manufacturers to be made for mattresses."

German medical groups recommended this month that women seek removal of PIP breast implants, saying they need not hurry but the devices could pose eventual health problems.

Authorities in France and England have dismissed fears of cancer from the implants but have said the devices are prone to rupture and could cause inflammation, scarring and fibrosis.

More than 500 French women have had the implants removed since last year, according to the French government agency that evaluates the safety of medical products. Since then, more than 1,000 implants have ruptured, the agency said.

The British government says there is still no statistical data to show that PIP implants are either toxic or more prone to rupturing than others.

"Our advice remains the same that there is not sufficient evidence to recommend routine removal. We have always recommended that women who are concerned should speak to their surgeon or GP," British Health Secretary Andrew Lansley said in a statement.

"The (National Health Service) will support removal of PIP implants if, after this consultation, the patient still has concerns and with her doctor she decides that it is right to do so," he said.

"We believe that private health care providers have a moral duty to offer the same service to their patients that we will offer to NHS patients -- free information, consultations, scans and removal if necessary."

Radical Tunisian Imam in Paris Faces Possible Deportation

2012-01-27T04:17:00.002+08:00

Tunisian imam Mohammed Hammami

Mohamed Hammami, a Tunisian imam, is accused of giving anti-semitic sermons and advocating the killing of adulterous women. The French Interior Minister, Claude Gueant, initiated eviction charges against Hammami for “violent anti-semitic utterances.” A “deportation committee” will deliver its verdict on Hammami’s deporatation on February 7th.
Hammami is the imam of Tabligh Omar mosque on Jean-Pierre Timbaud Street, located in the 11th district of Paris, France.
Hammami is believed to have delivered an anti-semitic sermon in which he said, “The money of those who are faithful should not be placed in banks, since that would benefit the Jews.” He is also believed to have said that adulterous woman should be punished by getting “whipped to death.”
The Tabligh Omar mosque was founded by Hammami and belongs to the Tabligh Jamaat movement – a Muslim missionary movement that aims to revive the faith of Muslims through a literal interpretation of the Qur’an. The movement is accused of promoting terrorism. Several French jihadists are thought to attend Hammami’s mosque.
Hammami was born in 1935 and moved to France in the 1960s. He may soon become the 35th imam to get expelled from French territories in the last 10 years. Since September 11, 2001, French authorities have put imams’ sermons under closer surveillance.
Source: Le Figaro (French newspaper)

'First Lady of Shopping' reported to MACC

2012-01-27T04:14:00.001+08:00

Instruct police to speed up NFCorp probe, ex-top cop tells Najib

2012-01-27T04:10:00.002+08:00

The NFCorp scandal has been linked to Shahrizat and her family. — File pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak should use his powers as prime minister to expedite the probe into the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp), a former senior police officer said today.

Former city CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said Najib could instruct the police, graftbusters and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to finish investigating the scandal-hit livestock company within a fortnight.

“Straightforward criminal breach of trust cases like [NFCorp] need at most two weeks,” he said in a statement.

“If the PM says he can’t interfere in the investigation or decision to prosecute, that’s just a weak and childish excuse.”

Mat Zain pointed out that in 1998, then-Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had ordered him to quickly wrap up the high-profile investigation into Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s black eye, failing which a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) would be set up to look into the police force.

He noted that Dr Mahathir formed the RCI on January 27, 1999 as promised when the results of the investigation were allegedly stalled by the Attorney-General.

“Based on existing precedent, Najib has no reason to draw out this NFC issue beyond two weeks,” Mat Zain stressed, saying that Putrajaya’s move to appoint an auditor to look into NFCorp’s books was a delaying tactic.

He added that the appointment of the auditor would waste more taxpayers’ money and was a slight to the integrity of the Auditor-General, who had been appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

“It is very unfair to the people if Najib is willing to destroy the credibility of royal institutions like the Auditor-General just to protect Shahrizat,” he said.

NFCorp hit the headlines following last year’s Auditor-General’s Report, and has continued to hog the limelight after it was linked to federal minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil’s family.

The publicly funded company is headed by her husband, Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail. Their three children also hold executive posts in the company.

PKR has since made several revelations relating to the scandal, including NFCorp’s purchase of two luxury condominium units in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, and the alleged use of project funds to pay for Shahrizat and her family’s personal expenses.

The opposition party has also alleged that Shahrizat’s family used nearly RM600,000 from NFCorp’s funds to settle their credit card bills in 2009.

But the management of NFCorp has maintained that the credit card expenses were solely for business purposes.

It has also denied allegations that funds from the RM250 million government loan were channelled into its accounts before the loan agreement was signed.

Shahrizat applied for three weeks’ leave from her duties earlier this month after new allegations of bribery surfaced.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced last week Putrajaya would appoint an auditor to scrutinise NFCorp’s books in light of accusations made against the company.

Brother: It’s Uthayakumar’s personal view

2012-01-27T04:01:00.001+08:00

P Waythamoorthy clarifies that it is his brother's personal view not to back the 'Anything But Umno' movement. Hindraf's stand, he adds, is different.

GEORGE TOWN: P Uthayakumar’s statement that Hindraf Makkal Sakti has withdrawn its support for the Anything But Umno (ABU) movement is his personal stand, said his brother.

According to Hindraf Makkal Sakti chairman Waythamoorthy, the movement respected Uthayakumar’s view, but had reached a collective stand to the contrary.

He said Hindraf’s official stand was to fully support and cooperate with ABU because “ousting Umno from Putrajaya is a common goal for all.”

“We in Hindraf respect his views though collectively we differ from his personal opinions. Hindraf’s voice is a mix of its grassroots supporters, not based on an individual,” he added.

Yesterday, Human Rights Party (HRP), Hindraf’s political offshoot, information chief S Jayathas issued a statement that a five-member Hindraf supreme council had decided to pull out from ABU.

The statement advised supporters not to attend any future ABU forums, in light of the violent attack on Hindraf activists in Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam on Jan 21.

The statement also listed Uthayakumar as Hindraf’s de facto leader.

However, when contacted this morning, Jayathas failed to clarify who appointed Uthayakumar to this post and when was it done.

Asked why Uthayakumar had previously declared Waythamoorthy as Hindraf’s leader and that he was only a legal advisor, Jayathas said it was to stop certain quarters from manipulating the issue.

A few minutes later, Jayathas uploaded a 2007 Wikipedia posting on the HRP website which referred to Uthayakumar as “Hindraf de facto leader.”

On the five-man supreme council, Jayathas claimed that it was formed well before Hindraf’s mammoth street protest on Nov 25, 2007 and its members were P Karuna, P Siva, K Waran, besides Uthayakumar and himself.

Asked why the supreme council was never publicised before, he said: “We laid low. But now, we want to be active.”

‘We can’t do it alone’

Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy stressed that Hindraf’s collective official stand was to support any third force from the Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak to “dethrone Umno and its mandores from Putrajaya”.

He said Hindraf would continue to work in tandem and move forward with any force that had a similar agenda to ABU’s.

“We will work with anyone to end Umno and their mandores’ atrocities against society, especially the poor and marginalised communities,” the London-based activist told FMT.

Hindraf’s decision to adopt a multi-pronged strategy and engage with any third party forces to oust Umno was made at the movement’s second annual convention held on Dec 4, 2011.

Uthayakumar did not attend the convention.

Waythamoorthy said Hindraf had consistently fought to end Umno’s rule but realised that it could not do this on its own.

He said Hindraf’s cooperation with third forces against Umno was solely based on a consensus that human rights and equality should be across the board starting with the poorest groups.

He said Hindraf coordinators unanimously agreed that a concerted effort from all parties irrespective of race, religion or creed was the best way to address the issue of the poor and marginalised Malaysian Indians and those in a similar position.

“Hindraf can never do it alone, without cooperating with others who have common goals,” he said.

Is Umno a racist party?

2012-01-27T03:59:00.001+08:00

Based on the rule book, anyone can become a member of Umno, provided that the person is a Muslim, speaks Malay and practices the Malay culture.
COMMENT

In the days when FMT still allowed comments from readers, we often got to see lively colourful opinions penned (or typed) under each and every article.

Regardless of what the news might be, whether about a government policy, political squabbling, international relations, opinion pieces or even sports, there was always a barrage of angry comments that linked everything to Umno and that everything was screwed because Umno was a racist party.

In many of the talks and public forums, pseudo intellectuals who pretended to be neutral insisted that Umno was a racist party, an organisation of narrow-minded people, run by a bunch of “keris” wielding warlords waiting to bathe their daggers with the blood of the other races.

A racist by definition is someone who believes that one particular race is superior to the other and this was why the National Socialist Party (Nazi) operated on the premise of racial purity because of their belief in the superiority of the Aryan race and that only those of pure blood could be a member of the party.

Although Umno might not be that extreme, the perception towards the party was somewhat similar, by which people see that only Malays were allowed to be a member.

The ‘metallic black’ remark

Then one fine day Nga Kor Ming, DAP’s Perak state secretary, in a ceramah consisting of mostly Malay PAS supporters, uttered this infamous statement: “Di negeri Perak ‘darul takut’ ini, kita ada menteri besar ‘hitam metalik’ yang haram jadah itu.” [In Perak, state of the fearful, we have a metallic black chief minister who is a (insert insult)]”.

Nga was referring to Perak Chief Minister Zambry Abdul Kadir who happened to be dark skinned.

Since he was talking to a predominantly Malay crowd, many interpreted the remark as referring to the irony that Zambry, being dark skinned looked more Indian rather than Malay, and how come someone so dark was heading the state chapter of Umno.

Nga defended his remark with the usual political “tai chi”, saying that “Metallic Black” was a referrence to the power tussle that happened in the state a few years earlier. But based on the premise of which the statement was made, many concluded that it was clearly a racist remark.

This raised a significant question: If indeed Umno was a racist party, how could they elect a leader who seemed to be more of Indian blood than Malay in the first place?

This also begged the question that if hypothetically someone managed to prove that Zambry was of Indian descent would he be stripped of his party membership?

First, let us take a look at Umno’s constitution regarding membership:

FASAL 5 – Pendaftaran Keahlian (5.1): Tiap-tiap orang Melayu dan Bumiputera berhak mendaftar diri sebagai ahli Umno mengikut Perlembagaan dan peraturannya (Every Malay and Bumiputera has the right to register as an Umno member according to the constitution and laws).

Right. So far Umno seems to be a an exclusive party where only the Malays and Bumiputeras were allowed to join as members. But how does one define a Malay? Well it was written “mengikut perlembagaan” (following the constitution) hence we should be able to find it in the federal constitution.

Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia Perkata 160 – Tafsiran: “Orang Melayu” ertinya seseorang yang menganuti agama Islam, lazim bercakap bahasa Melayu, menurut adat Melayu” (A Malay is someone who is a Muslim, speaks the Malay language and practices the Malay culture).

Now for a race-based party, surely it would appear ironic that there was no mention of ancestry or certain racial traits and profiling.

The reason why we generally despise racial politics is because we carry the notion that a man should be judged for who he is and not who his father was, we loathe at the prospect of defining a character via bloodlines, ancestry or skin colour. Indeed it was quite a revelation that this supposedly racist party did not endorse or made any mention of that.

Because if you look at the definition, a Malay was someone who was a Muslim, spoke Malay and followed the culture, that would mean, technically anyone could become a Malay. All you got to do was be a Muslim, be fluent in Malay and occasionally wear “baju melayu” (traditional attire) during Hari Raya while having a flair for “pantun” (poetry) would be considered a bonus.

National, not racial identity

The thing is, this is the way Umno, and to a certain extent the Malay community, see it – being Malay was more of a national identity rather than a racial identity. That the characteristics of being a Malay were not based on skin colour or ancestry,but rather upon the ideology of Islam that was intertwined with culture and language.

Of course one could argue that it was still an exclusive discriminatory political movement and that not everyone could be a member of the party, seeing that non-Muslims were excluded from it. But let’s look at it from this angle, could a democrat be a member of a Communist Party? Could a free market capitalist be a member of a socialist party? A communist is a person who endorses the teachings of Karl Marx just as much as a Malay endorses the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w). Whether you agree or disagree with that notion, it is how Umno sees it.

Back when opponents taunted former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad of being more Indian than Malay, with stories of his ancestors having come from Kerala, it didn’t really have much of an effect on Umno members or the Malay community in general.

As far as Umno members were concerned, he was a Malay leader not because of who his grandfather was but for who he was, ideologically, linguistically and culturally.

So now we are back with the original predicament, a philosophical question you could say, is Umno really a racist party or are those who insist that Malay is a racial term the real racist? I shall leave it to you.

Zaidel Baharuddin is Mr Right, Mr Right Wing that is, electronics engineer by day writer by night, Frank Sinatra fanboy all day long, catch me at WirawanWeb.com, lipassepi.blogspot.com or follow me on twitter via @Sinatra_Z. He is a FMT columnist.

Kelab Taat Suami bikin kontroversi lagi?

2012-01-27T03:56:00.002+08:00

Bila perkataan seks diketengahkan dan Rasulullah SAW dijadikan tokoh utama, pasti ada orang kata KTS buat kontroversi lagi atau cari publisiti lagi, kata Fauziah Ariffin.

PETALING JAYA: Kelab Taat Suami (KTS) yang pernah mencetuskan kontroversi dengan menyifatkan isteri ibarat pelacur kelas pertama dan menerbit buku panduan Seks Islam sebelum ini, kini melancarkan kempen ‘Rasulullah Tokoh Seks Suci Islam’, bersempena sambutan Maulidur Rasul pada 5 Februari ini.

Wakil KTS di Malaysia, Fauziah Ariffin berkata kempen itu mengajak umat Islam mencontohi Rasulullah SAW dalam semua aspek kehidupan.

Jelas beliau, kempen ini juga memberi kesedaran kepada semua bahawa Rasulullah SAW adalah contoh terbaik bagi seluruh umat manusia.

“Bila perkataan seks diketengahkan dan Rasulullah SAW dijadikan tokoh utama, pasti ada orang kata KTS buat kontroversi lagi atau cari publisiti lagi.

“Sebenarnya tidak. Perkataan seks itu sendiri sudah sangat dirosakkan oleh golongan tertentu dengan mengamalkan hubungan seks secara haram iaitu seks bebas, seks luar tabii dan sebagainya.

Contoh terbaik

“Bahkan dalam kehidupan dalam sesebuah rumah tangga pun semestinya kita menjadikan baginda sebagai model ikutan. Sebab Allah SWT pun menyebut di dalam Al Quran, yang antara maksudnya ‘pada diri Rasulullah itu terdapat contoh tauladan yang baik’,” katanya kepada FMT.

Ujar Fauziah, pihak KTS tidak akan memperkatakan sesuatu yang tidak setanding atau setaraf dengan kedudukan baginda, apatah lagi, jauh sekali dari mahu mencemar manusia paling mulia dan agung yang diciptakan oleh Allah itu.

Katanya, kerukunan dan keharmonian rumah tangga Rasulullah SAW sebagai suami dan pemimpin kepada 11 isterinya patut dicontohi, walaupun untuk umat Islam hanya dibenarkan beristeri empat.

“Sebenarnya seks suci yang berlandaskan perkahwinan yang sah disisi Islam adalah nikmat tertinggi yang dikurniakan Allah di dunia ini.

“Sudah tentu orang yang boleh menikmatinya adalah orang yang paling bertaqwa dan orang yang paling bertaqwa adalah Rasulullah sendiri,” ujar Fauziah.

Beliau menyoal, “kalau masyarakat berlurus hati kenapa tidak dapat menerimanya? Bukankah kehidupan berumah tangga atau dalam erti kata yang lain kehidupan seks itu sebahagian dari kehidupan normal manusia?.”

Semalam turut diadakan pelancaran kempen ‘Rasulullah Tokoh Seks Suci Islam’ di Pusat Perdagangan Pelangi, Damansara.

Kempen itu diadakan selama 12 hari bermula semalam sebagai menyambut hari keputeraan Nabi Muhammad SAW yang jatuh pada 5 Februari ini atau 12 Rabiul Awwal 1433H mengikut kalendar Islam.

How many MIC nominees are there in GLCs?

2012-01-27T03:54:00.001+08:00

Branch leader demands full disclosure from party president.

PETALING JAYA: A local MIC leader today demanded that party president G Palanivel reveal the number of nominees placed by the party in government-linked companies (GLCs).

V Thiagarajen, chairman of MIC’s Taman Mujur branch, accused Palanivel of treating the party as his personal fiefdom and appointing his clansmen to positions in these GLCs.

He said party members were still in the dark over the number of party nominees in the GLCs and their roles in these GLCs, but he added that he had learnt from a veteran party leader that there were more than 100 places allocated for MIC.

All Barisan Nasional member parties are allowed to place their nominees in the GLCs.

“Until today, no one apart from the party president can say for sure how many positions are exactly connected to MIC,” he said.

“He must also reveal who the directors of these companies are.”

He also asked Palanivel to explain the benefits that the Indian community had derived from MIC’s association with the GLCs.

“Parties like Umno and MCA get contracts from GLCs, but where the MIC is concerned, members are still in the dark over their operations.

“MIC must live up to its corporate social responsibility and be transparent with members about it dealings with these GLCs.”

He called on Palanivel to put himself in line with the Najib administration’s avowed intention to govern with transparency and accountability.

P. Uthayakumar – you are not HINDRAF

2012-01-27T03:42:00.000+08:00

Dear Mr P. Uhtayakumar, your criticism on the participation of HINDRAF with ABU may be well founded for your own reasons, but HINDRAF is not only about you, it is about me, and many like me.

R. Shan, Human Being

I think Mr P. Uthayakumar needs to get something right. HINDRAF is a mass movement of the grassroots poor not an individual agenda or an agenda for the kiasu Malaysians.

HINDRAF’s only identity is its masses’ consciousness to galvanize a movement of people from all walks of life. HINDRAF’s notion and objective from its inception may have been seen as an Indian agenda as this poverty strickened minority needed a voice for the voiceless. That was the situation then, but in all fairness, the Malaysian community did embrace them and understand their predicament. Changes are not going to happen overnight but it is high time, rather than running a narrow agenda, HINDRAF has to evolve and work with the rest of the community.

Nobody is taking the glory away from you. Uthayakumar and other comrades were detained under the ISA for the cause of the public but now, it takes guts and courage for HINDRAF to take baby steps to work with the rest of the community to move ahead like the initiative that had been done with ABU.

Nobody denies that the Malaysian Indians do face a protruded policy that had set the Malaysian Indians in such backward waters although they were in the forefront at least 30 years ago. Nobody also denies along with the Malaysian Indians, the rest of the Malaysian community had also been set aback with policies that promote cronyism, corruption and nepotism to stifle the growth of the nation.

All said and credit to HINDRAF, we see today various attempts by the ruling government and the opposition to appease the Malaysian Indians and those deprived like them, but this would only turn out to be short term benefits or shall I say a political gimmicks unless and until we as Malaysian Indians can work with other Malaysians to ensure that we will be the change that we want collectively.

Dear Mr P. Uhtayakumar, your criticism on the participation of HINDRAF with ABU may be well founded for your own reasons, but HINDRAF is not only about you, it is about me, and many like me. HINDRAF had provided the flexibility to exercise humanity and consciousness for the community on a collective basis not on a personal agenda even though it was initiated as a Malaysian Indian movement.

I am a supporter of HINDRAF not because it is a Malaysian Indian movement, but more so because it has a humane cause. Therefore, any humane cause like ABU and any other such organizations have my ears. And if HINDRAF can work with them, what is the problem?

Nothing personal, but just another voice of the true HINDRAF spirit for the betterment of all Malaysians.

Altantuya Killers' Appeal Up Soon

2012-01-27T03:40:00.002+08:00

Sirul and Azilah come to court

Case reopens doubts about Malaysian justice system
The politically-charged appeal of two elite Malaysian police bodyguards who were sentenced to death two years and nine months ago for the 2006 murder-for-hire of Mongolian translator and party girl Altantuya Shaaribuu is due on Feb. 10 in Malaysia’s Court of Appeal.

The High Court trial, in which everything appeared to have been done ignore the question of who hired the two killers, stands in vivid contrast to the appeal filed by prosecutors on Jan. 19 in the case of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, in which everything appeared to have been done to bend the evidence to try to put the 64-year-old Anwar behind bars. As Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah pointed out in his not-guilty verdict, “the court cannot be 100 percent certain that the DNA evidence against Anwar was not contaminated.”

The two bodyguards, Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri and Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, were to be paid RM50,000 to RM00,000 to kill Altantuya, according to a confession by Sirul which was never produced in court.

Although the three-judge court is expected to hear arguments, it is unsure when the verdict on the appeal by the two will be concluded on that date. Even if it is, according to criminal defense lawyer Manjeet Singh Dhillon, that is unlikely to be the end of the case. If the two are found guilty once more, they have the right of appeal to the Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest tribunal. That could take as long as another 2-1/2 years, Dhillon said in an interview.

Although the Malaysian court system has been working to shorten the length of time appeals take, delays remain. However, the length of time this particular case is taking is extraordinary, Dhillon said. Indeed, however, he said, the appeal in Anwar’s case could take a similar amount of time. As with the Sirul-Azilah case, Anwar’s appeal to the Federal Court could also take another two and a half years after the appellate verdict.

The murder case been linked to the fortunes of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Azilah and Sirul served as bodyguards in an elite police unit supervised by Najib, then the country's deputy prime minister. It has continued to dog him as bloggers and journalists from France and other countries have continued to question his involvement. Also on trial with the two, but acquitted without having to put on a defense, was Altantuya's jilted lover and one of Najib's best friends, political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda.

From the start of the year-long trial, during which prosecutors and the judge were hurriedly switched without warning, to the end, when the verdict was delayed since February 2008 until after the United Malays National Organization convention that named Najib party leader and thus prime minister, the case has appeared more about suppressing evidence than determining the guilt or innocence of the accused.

Asked about the failure of investigative agencies to attempt to discover why no attempt had been made to ascertain who had hired the two to kill the woman, Dhillon responded: “Frankly, that is ridiculous. It clearly shows the intention of the investigative agency. If you are a hired killer, someone has hired you, and he is a far greater criminal, whoever it is. If I am the head of the investigative agency, I would want to know who the mastermind is. Everybody wants to sweep this under the carpet.”

The murder was one of the most gruesome in recent Malaysian memory. It is a tale worth repeating. By several accounts, the then-28 year-old woman, who was executed with two bullets to the head in a jungle clearing near the suburban city of Shah Alam and whose body was blown up with military explosives, was at the center of a massive scandal over the purchase by Malaysia of two French submarines and the lease of a third.

The sale of the submarines and other vessels by the French government-linked military contactor DCN to Malaysia, Pakistan, Taiwan. India and other countries have been investigated sporadically by prosecutors who have alleged it involves a string of murders and kickbacks paid to some of France’s top political figures.

Altantuya, then Razak Baginda's lover according to Razak Baginda’s testimony to police, reportedly was a translator in the purchase, which cost Malaysian taxpayers €1 billion (US$329.1 billion in current dollars). The purchase netted a company controlled by Razak Baginda €114 million in "commissions," according to testimony in Malaysia's parliament.

By Razak Baginda's own cautioned statement to the police, he grew tired of Altantuya and broke up with her after a year-long affair in which he gifted her thousands of dollars. However, she flew to Malaysia to demand as much as US$500,000, according a letter found after her death. Other reports alleged the payment was for her part in the purchase of the submarines.

As she stood in front of Razak Baginda's house, demanding that he come out, the two policemen, accompanied by a policewoman, swooped down on her, tossed her into the back of a car, and she was never seen alive again.

In a cautioned statement that was never introduced in court, Sirul testified that in her last moments, Altantuya begged for her life, saying she was pregnant. Sirul said he and Azilah had attached explosives to the woman's legs up to her abdomen and her head, raising questions why they had sought to destroy her abdomen rather, for instance, than her hands, which could identify the body. Presumably the explosives would have destroyed any DNA samples of whose baby was inside her, if any.

P. Balasubramaniam, a private detective hired by Razak Baginda to keep the woman away from him, swore in an intensively detailed statutory declaration that he was told by Razak Baginda that Altantuya had been the lover of Najib as well, that she liked anal sex, and that she had been passed on to the analyst because Najib intended to become prime minister and didn't want a sex scandal hanging over his head.

In the declaration, Balasubramaniam said he had seen text messages from Najib after Altantuya disappeared, telling him to "be cool" and that he would take care of the matter. After delivering his statutory declaration, Balasubramaniam was summoned to a Kuala Lumpur police station, where he was forced into a total recantation of the document. He and his entire family disappeared. There apparently was never an attempt made by the court trying the three men to find him and ask him to testify as to the accuracy of the statement.

Other questions remain. In Sirul's cautioned statement, the police constable said Azhar told him Najib's chief of staff, Musa Safri, had ordered them to pick up the young woman. Azhar first suggested going to the Hotel Malaya, where Altantuya and two friends were staying, to kill them all, but decided not to because of the presence of closed-circuit cameras. Neither of the two was ever asked in court about Musa's involvement in the matter, nor about their relationship to Najib.

Burmaa Oyunchimeg, Altantuya's cousin who accompanied her to Kuala Lumpur and one of the two women whom Sirul and Azhar presumably intended to kill in the hotel, testified in the trial that she had seen a picture of Najib together with Razak Baginda and Altantuya. Najib has sworn on the Quran that he had never met the woman.

Both the prosecution and the defense leapt to their feet and asked that her testimony be stricken and she was never asked about it again. She also testified that when she attempted to leave the country, there was no indication that she had ever arrived there, leading to questions of how her records had disappeared from the immigration department. No questions were ever asked about how that could have happened either.

When Razak Baginda was first brought into court in June of 2007, his wife, Mazlina, angrily shouted, asking why he was being brought to trial when he had no ambition to become prime minister, which could have been construed as a reference to the allegation of Najib's relationship to Altantuya that was described by Balasubramaniam. Mazlina has never been asked to explain her statement.

Nor has Najib, along with Musa Safri, ever been asked to appear in court or been questioned about the case. It appears unlikely that they ever will be.

ABU goes to Seremban on Saturday, 28th January, 2012

2012-01-27T03:35:00.000+08:00

Click on the poster to see it in full size.
Hope to see you all there this Saturday.

New date for accused in Kugan case

2012-01-27T03:26:00.003+08:00

The New Straits Times

PETALING JAYA: The Sessions Court yesterday fixed Feb 13 to mention the case of constable V. Navindran who was charged with causing hurt to detainee A. Kugan, who died while in custody three years ago.

V. Navindran, 29, was initially charged with two counts of causing grievous hurt and two alternative counts of causing hurt to Kugan.

Navindran was alleged to have committed the offences at the interrogation room of the Taipan police station at 7am and 4pm on Jan 16, 2009.

The accused claimed trial on Oct 1, 2009 and was acquitted without his defence being called. The prosecution appealed and the Shah Alam High Court allowed the appeal last Thursday when it ordered Navindran to enter his defence on the two alternative charges.

The accused, who was represented by Datuk P.M. Nagarajan, was granted bail of RM10,000.

Judge Hayatul Akmal Abdul Aziz then fixed Feb 13 for mention before Judge Aslam Zainuddin at the Sessions Court in Shah Alam.

Anwar pulls in the crowds

2012-01-27T03:22:00.002+08:00

Anwar continues to draw the crowds as he criss-crosses the country. This was the scene at Sabak Bernam last night.

Photograph: Mediarakyat

Egyptian Sheikh: Driving a Chevy is Haram

2012-01-26T04:29:00.001+08:00

(Photo via Facebook.com)

"And I think to myself, what a wonderful world..."

A Salafi sheikh in Egypt has reportedly issued a fatwa that buying [or driving] a Chevrolet vehicle is haram because the American brand’s logo looks like the Christian cross.

In the video below, prominent Egyptian TV presenter Amr Adeeb takes the sheikh’s joke-of-a-fatwa to task, saying, “We’ve reached a really strange place with this.”

“The car’s been around [for a century] and only now did you notice there’s a cross on the car?”

Adeeb also notes that the car is not used or presented as a form of religious iconography: “Do we hold mass for it? Do we pray for it?” And his guest chimes in with a comment about the self-centered nature of the fatwa itself: “As if the people who came up with the logo were thinking that we want to put this special logo on the car just to piss us [Muslims] off?”

The TV presenter concludes, “With all of the problems in Egypt, you’re concerned about the cross?... We’re calling for unity [in the country] and then you come up with [fatwas] like this?”

By the way, there’s actually a few theories going around about the symbolism behind the Chevrolet logo. One common story is that General Motors co-founder William C. Durant copied the design off some wallpaper he saw in a Parisian Hotel. But historian Ken Kaufmann says the logo is actually based on iconography used by the Southern Compressed Coal Company ad for its “Coalettes” logo.
Either way, it’s usually referred to as a bowtie emblem, of which there are many examples in various corporate logos.

Knowledge is power, people. And I’m too annoyed to comment further.

ABU-Hindraf takes it to Suhakam - Part II

2012-01-26T04:20:00.002+08:00

ABU-Hindraf takes it to Suhakam

2012-01-26T04:19:00.003+08:00

Cops deny aiding ‘school kids’ to disrupt ABU ceramah

2012-01-26T04:18:00.001+08:00

SHAH ALAM, Jan 25 — Police said today they could not have aided a group of locals to disrupt an Anything But Umno (ABU) ceramah here last Saturday as officers only arrived after the two groups had clashed.

Shah Alam police chief Zahedi Ayob told reporters “police were only told (of the ceramah) after the disturbance but calmed the situation down as soon as we arrived.”

“We were not informed of the event. Why did they not tell us? Only they know,” he said.

ABU said yesterday it would lodge a complaint with the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) claiming police had worked with a gang of men to disrupt the gathering in a hall on Jalan Kebun here.

Rembau PKR chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin alleged that the “attack” was witnessed by plainclothes policemen who failed to step in despite the danger posed to the crowd by the group.

But Zahedi said today “even if a plainclothes officer had arrived earlier, he would not have been able to take action as he would have been alone and likely would have been whacked.”

“Even if you had been there, you would have had to wait for uniformed personnel. But as I said earlier, we did not know about the event at all and only arrived after the incident,” he said.

He also said allegations that the ceramah was disrupted by “30 to 40 men in Umno shirts are not true and only stories.”

“All six whom we detained for investigations are between 16 and 19 years old. School kids. Are they party members? Unlikely,” he said.

Zahedi added the six were identified as intruders during the ceramah through video and photographic evidence which showed “nobody there was in an Umno uniform.”

The anti-Umno coalition had claimed that the ceramah was cancelled after men in Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) T-shirts, allegedly armed with steel rods, kicked over tables and chairs and asked the attendees to leave.

Police also said they did not find any weapons at the scene but admitted there were unused flagpoles strewn about the venue.

Zahedi said organisers of public events should inform the police of their occurence as “we don’t want to obstruct, we want to protect.”

“If you do it in the hornet’s nest, then we will tell you not to and suggest another place. But if you say you like to get stung, then we will let you proceed,” he added.

He also said the six detained were not remanded and released on police bail after their statements were taken.

Police also said they were waiting to interview a 27-year-old who sustained injuries to his shoulder, back and eye in the clash and was hospitalised.

Aussie designer clarifies Rosmah shopping reports

2012-01-26T04:16:00.001+08:00

A screenshot of Carl Kapp's press release to The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 — Sydney-based fashion designer Carl Kapp, drawn into controversial claims that Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor spent A$100,000 (RM325,000) on a shopping trip in Australia earlier this month, clarified today that he had never specified the amount spent in his store.

The South African-born Kapp acknowledged that the prime minister’s wife had visited his store in Paddington, Sydney as published recently in the Sydney Morning Herald.

“The party of Datin Sri (Seri) Rosmah came to our store in a sizeable group, and during their visit, members of the party, including friends and the Chairman and organiser of Islamic Fashion Festival (IFF) separately made various purchases,” he said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider today.

“I believe Datin Sri Rosmah is the patron for this Islamic Fashion Festival.

“The article also stated that I alluded to being ‘flown to Malaysia next month’ solely for the benefit of the Prime Minister’s wife.

“This is also inaccurate. Visits to various parts of Asia, including Malaysia, for the purposes of channel marketing for our merchandise and sourcing of materials for future products are a regular part of my work calendar and ordinary course of business.” He added that the newspaper article had unfairly given the impression that the Carl Kapp establishment was indiscreet and was willing to divulge personal and private information about clients.

“This is manifestly untrue, and we wish to state unequivocally that we value greatly the privacy of our

Carl Kapp, courtesy of Carlkapp.com

clientele and would never violate their confidence under any circumstance,” he said.

Rosmah had on Monday dismissed claims of extravagant spending during a recent holiday in Sydney.

Several bloggers picked up the Sydney Morning Herald report that Rosmah had allegedly dropped an estimated RM325,000 in fashion designer Carl Kapp’s boutique during a private holiday a little more than a fortnight ago.

The paper reported Kapp as telling its ‘Private Sydney’ section that Rosmah “was absolutely gracious and very easy to deal with”, adding that she was nothing like the woman often portrayed by the local media for her extravagant lifestyle.

It was said that Kapp, who became suspicious of the identity of his mystery VIP customer when his Oxford Street store received a flurry of calls requesting valet parking for her limousine, said he was being flown to Malaysia next month with a collection of “toiles” for Rosmah to try on before completing her massive order of 61 dresses, pants, and tops.

Sodomy appeal: Saiful may have to wait longer

2012-01-26T04:13:00.003+08:00

Parties filing notices of appeal have to wait for written judgments first, says Anwar's lead counsel Karpal Singh.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan may have to wait at least three months to know if the prosecution’s appeal against Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal on a sodomy charge will be heard.

Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh said today that under the Courts of Judicature Act, parties filing notices of appeal have to wait for written judgments first.

A standing order allows judges up to eight weeks to produce their written judgments.

“In Anwar’s case, the prosecution will then peruse the written judgment before deciding to file a petition of appeal.

“If the prosecution feels the grounds of the written judgment are favourable for an appeal, then they will file a petition, otherwise it’s the end of the matter,” said Karpal.

He also told reporters that it was the Attorney-General’s prerogative to appeal.

“Its nothing extraordinary. The other senior counsels and I have previously adviced our clients not to go ahead with an appeal after studying a written judgment.

Karpal was talking to reporters after meeting trial judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah’s secretary over the status of the written judgment on Anwar’s Sodomy II trial.

He said the judgment was still not ready and the secretary informed him that relevant parties will be notified as soon as it’s ready.

He explained that under Chief Justice’s practise directive, judges have eight weeks to come up with their written judgment from the filing day of notice of appeal.

Meanwhile, Mohamd Zabidin was back on duty today after having been on leave since delivering his judgment on Anwar’s case on Jan 9.

Last Friday, the AG’s Chambers filed notice of appeal which was signed by Solicitor-General Idrus Harun.

The chambers issued a statement that the decision to appeal was based on evidence and the law and was not swayed by emotion or sentiment.

Mohamad Zabidin acquitted and discharged Anwar after ruling that the court was not 100% certain that the integrity of the DNA samples had not been compromised.

He also ruled that the court was reluctant to convict a person solely on the uncorroborated evidence of complainant, Mohd Saiful.

‘Merit in Karpal’s one man-one seat proposal’

2012-01-26T04:11:00.001+08:00

Some DAP leaders say the party should adopt the proposal and not cater to an elite few.

GEORGE TOWN: The DAP central executive committee must have the courage to adopt Karpal Singh’s one-man one seat proposal

The DAP chairman Karpal Singh made this proposal some time ago and the party is divided whether to take a stand on this for the coming election.

The Pahang DAP deputy chairman J Apalasamy and Bagan division assistant secretary G Asoghan feel adopting Karpal’s proposal is the only way forward for the party.

They said the one man – one seat policy would create more space for new talents to emerge.

Since many strongly supported Karpal’s proposal, they warned that some leaders and members will be frustrated if the party failed to adopt the proposal merely to satisfy a few.

Apalasamy and Asoghan were commenting on a recent statement by party deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw, who opposed Karpal’s proposal.

Tan was quoted as saying that the suggestion was not feasible and may not see the light of the day.

If adopted, the Kepong MP argued, the policy would cause a lot of dissatisfaction among current assemblymen and parliamentarians.

Apalasamy and Asoghan took Tan to task for seemingly suggesting that the ego and satisfaction of seven Peninsular-based double-seat representatives were far greater than wishes of thousands of grassroots leaders and members.

“Seng Giaw’s suggestion is a way backward, not forward,” said the duo.

If CEC failed to adopt the one man – one seat policy, Asoghan cautioned that majority members would perceive that the DAP leadership was using them to empower an elite few.

He said the party was not at all about seven double-seat holders, thus should uphold the rights of party grassroots and aspirations of the public.

“This is in line with the CAT theme of competency, accountability and transparency,” stressed Asoghan.

Bringing up fresh talents

Since the last general election, Apalasamy said many senior and new members have showed renewed enthusiasm to play active roles in the party.

He said the senior members, who have helped to build the party to its current strong political position, must be given due recognition.

“Hence, the seats must be distributed fairly and justly to accommodate these seniors and fresh talents,” he said.

Party supremo Karpal has proposed the one man – one seat policy with exceptions for candidates in Sabah and Sarawak, and Chief Minister of Penang, a post held by party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Lim is currently Air Putih assemblyman and Bagan MP.

The one man – one seat policy would affect double-seat holders in Penang such as state DAP chief Chow Kon Yeow (Padang Kota assemblyman and Tanjung MP) and Deputy Chief Minister II and party deputy secretary general P Ramasamy (Prai assemblyman and Batu Kawan MP).

Others who would be affected are Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham (Sitiawan assemblyman and Beruas MP), Nga Kor Ming (Pantai Remis assemblyman and Taiping MP), DAP national organising secretary Teresa Kok (Kinrara assemblywoman and Seputeh MP) and national DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke Siew Fook (Lobak assemblyman and Rasah MP) who is also Negeri Sembilan Opposition.

Two more double-seat holders, DAP Sibu MP and Bukit Assek assemblyman Richard Wong Ho Leng, and Bandar Kuching MP and Bukit Sentosa assemblyman Chong Chieng Jen, would likely benefit from the exception to rule for now.

Suhakam: Polis tak nak bicara tapi terus hukum

2012-01-26T04:07:00.000+08:00

Shaani berkata polis sepatutnya mendidik masyarakat supaya tidak mengambil tindakan yang bertentangan dengan undang -undang.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pesuruhjaya Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia (Suhakam) Shaani Abdullah

berpendapat institusi polis seolah-olah tidak faham dengan prinsip hak asasi manusia terutamanya dalam hal bertolak ansur semata-mata untuk melindungi kepentingan kumpulan tertentu.

Malah mereka menyalahgunakan kedudukan dengan mengurangkan kebebasan rakyat hanya untuk memudahkan kerja sendiri sedangkan tanggungjawab polis adalah untuk melindungi semua rakyat dan bukan untuk golongan majoriti, dakwa Shaani.

“Tak nak (guna) waran tapi mahu terus tangkap, tak nak bicara tapi mahu terus hukum,” tegurnya selepas mendengar aduan daripada wakil gerakan Asalkan Bukan Umno (ABU) Badrul Hisham Shaharin di pejabat Suhakam di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata sedemikian ketika mengulas mengenai cara polis bertindak menangani serangan kumpulan samseng semasa program ceramah anjuran ABU dan Barisan Bertindak Hak Asasi Hindu (Hindraf) di Dewan Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA) Seksyen 30, Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam pada malam 21 Januari lalu.

Shaani berkata polis sepatutnya mendidik masyarakat supaya tidak mengambil tindakan yang bertentangan dengan undang-undang dan bukannya menggunakan hukum sendiri dengan menyerang majlis ceramah tersebut.

“Majlis diadakan oleh badan yang sah, bukannya majlis anjuran kongsi gelap. Kalau rakyat marah, pergi buat aduan polis bukan guna hukum sendiri,” katanya.

Turut hadir mendengar aduan tersebut Pegawai Bahagian Aduan dan Siasatan Suhakam Yustina Ishak.

Polis disyaki bersubahat

ABU dalam memorandumnya kepada Suhakam mendakwa salah seorang dari kumpulan penceroboh yang mengganggu ceramah itu adalah pegawai polis yang tidak mengenakan pakaian seragam dan mengesyaki polis bersubahat dengan kumpulan penyerang terbabit.

Badrul juga berkata polis pada malam kejadian tidak mengambil apa-apa tindakan walaupun penyerang masih ada di tempat kejadian, sebaliknya menyuruh penganjur memberhentikan ceramah.

Selain memorandum, turut dikemukakan bukti rakaman video serangan malam kejadian dan gambar penyerang yang dikenal pasti.

Beliau turut menafikan laporan akhbar Berita Harian bahawa seramai 1,000 penduduk yang tidak berpuas hati mengepung dewan berkenaan, sebaliknya mendakwa hanya kira-kira 10 pemuda dipercayai penyokong Barisan Nasional (BN) mengganggu dengan menjerit dengan kata-kata perkauman sambil mengugut orang ramai keluar dari dewan itu.

“Mereka kemudian mengejar dan menyerang hadirin berrketurunan India dengan kayu, topi keledar serta mencampak kerusi ke merata tempat.

“Berikutan itu, sorang lelaki India yang juga ahli Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS mengalami kecederaan dan sehingga hari ini masih ditahan dalam wad,” katanya.

Sehubungan itu, ABU menuntut supaya Suhakam menubuhkan jawatankuasa khas menyiasat kejadian itu dan mengumumkan laporan penyiasatan tersebut.

Gerakan itu juga mahu Suhakam memastikan penyerang terlibat dikenakan tindakan undang-undang selain mengeluarkan kenyataan mengutuk tindakan menggunakan kekerasan dan berbaur perkauman bagi menghalang hak orang awam berhimpun secara aman.

“Kami juga mahu Suhakam menyiasat sama ada polis bersubahat dengan penyerang yang terlibat,” katanya.
Sementara itu Shaani dalam responnya berkata pihaknya akan membawa perkara ini ke mesyuarat pesuruhjaya untuk tindakan selanjutnya.

Katanya dalam mesyuarat itu terpulang kepada keputusan Suhakan sama ada wajar suruhanjaya itu ditubuhkan atau mengadakan sesi pendengaran inkuiri awam.

Cops come under fire for their 'inaction'

2012-01-26T04:02:00.003+08:00

Angkatan Warga Aman Malaysia (Warga Aman) has called for urgent police action against the "aggressors" who disrupted the Anything But Umno (ABU) ceramah in Shah Alam last Saturday.

The coalition of 20 Indian non-governmental groups has demanded to know why there is no action against those who gatecrashed the ceramah, and insisted that it be called off.

"Where and why is the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussien and the inspector-general of police so quiet? Let’s see what action the police will take to bring the culprits to justice," said the coalition’s secretary-general S Barathidasan.

The 'End Umno/BN regime' ceramah organised by ABU and the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) at the Shah Alam City Council hall in Jalan Kebun was cancelled following the scuffle, that left one injured.

The ceramah organisers lodged a police report yesterday, suspecting that police were also in cahoots with the assailants.

According to those who witnessed the incident, a “rowdy mob” interrupted ABU’s ceramah and hurled racial slurs at the participants, ordering them to vacate the hall.

“Such gangsterism must be stoped. It is the duty and responsibility of the police to protect citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble and speak.

“The police, however, have skirted around the matter contending that nobody was injured in the melee. The police are definitely in cohort with the gangsters for not taking any action immediately,” added Barathidasan.

He reminded that even if no one was assaulted, the authorities should investigate the incident nonetheless, “as (it’s) highly possible the incident will escalate into something serious”.

Jangan salahkan kami, kata penduduk Kampung Jalan Kebun

2012-01-26T04:01:00.000+08:00

(Malaysian Digest) - Satu laporan polis telah dibuat oleh wakil penduduk Jalan Kebun bagi menggesa pihak berkuasa untuk menghalang Hindraf daripada memasuki kampung tersebut.
Jurucakap penduduk Shaari Basri, 53, ketika ditemui pemberita mempersoalkan kehadiran Hindraf di kampung Sabtu lalu.

Shaari berkata, 100 peratus penduduk Jalan Kebun adalah berbangsa Melayu dan kehadiran Hindraf di kampung tersebut adalah mencurigakan.
"Hindraf adalah sebuah pertubuhan haram. Mengapa mereka mahu menganjurkan acara di kampung kami? Jangan salahkan penduduk kampung tentang provokasi yang berlaku. Mereka yang memulakannya," dakwa Shaari.

Beliau hadir bersama kira-kira 30 penduduk lain.

Dalam kejadian pada 21 Januari lalu, ceramah Asal Bukan Umno (ABU) di Jalan Kebun telah diganggu oleh sekumpulan lelaki bersenjatakan kayu dan topi keledar.

Bar Council says homosexuals free to speak up

2012-01-26T03:56:00.000+08:00

The Malaysian Insider
by Lisa J. Ariffin

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — The Malaysian Bar Council refuted today Utusan Malaysia’s claims that it supports homosexuality but backed the freedom of expression “minorities who face discrimination, abuse and persecution for their sexual identity.

An Utusan Malaysia bureau chief’s column in the Malay daily questioned why the Bar Council “supported” homosexuality among Malaysians, calling it part of a “deviant wave” that is fast gaining acceptance throughout the world.

But Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee (picture) told The Malaysian Insider “Utusan’s claims are irrelevant.”

“We would not support same-sex marriage but we support freedom of expression, even for (Perkasa president Datuk) Ibrahim Ali despite not agreeing with him,” he said, referring to the leader of the right-wing Malay rights NGO.

Lim said section 377 of the Penal Code bars both anal and oral sex without any distinction with regards to sexuality.

“Penetration is sufficient to constitute the sexual connection necessary to the offence described in this section. What is clear is that this provision does not draw a distinction between homosexual and heterosexual activity,” he said.

He added that the Bar Council “supports the freedom of expression and assembly by a group of minorities who face discrimination, abuse and persecution for their sexual and gender identity.”

Section 377 provides that “any person who has sexual connection with another person by the introduction of the penis into the anus or mouth of the other person is said to commit carnal intercourse against the order of nature.”

Lim said that as heterosexual adults engage in oral and anal sex, such a law presented a “moral hypocrisy.”

Noraini Razak, who was a news editor at the Malay daily until last month, accused the lawyers today of supporting gays, lesbians and transgendered people despite Malaysia being among 70 out of a total of 195 countries which banned homosexuality.

“It is honestly very strange when this deviant wave, which is being defended by this group (Seksualiti Merdeka) as a human right, gets the direct and indirect support from many local NGOs, including the Bar Council,” she wrote in her column.

Umno’s Utusan Malaysia also recently accused Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim of supporting homosexuality during an interview with BBC.

In the interview, the BBC reporter had reportedly asked Anwar whether he was prepared to push for the idea of anti-discrimination as far as gay rights were concerned, to which he had allegedly said “we will have to review some of our archaic laws.”

“We Muslims and non-Muslims in Malaysia generally believe and are committed to support the sanctity of marriage between men and women, but we should not be seen to be punitive and consider the archaic law as relevant,” Anwar had told BBC.

But he had also pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) did not support homosexuality, an excerpt of the interview which Utusan Malaysia did not include.

Anwar is now demanding a total of RM150 million in damages from the Umno daily for allegedly tarnishing his reputation in an article accusing him of being a gay rights proponent.

Malaysia Can Play Important Part In Creating New Growth Corridors, Says Najib

2012-01-26T03:54:00.000+08:00

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- Malaysia can play an important part in expediting creation of a new growth corridor, encompassing China through Southeast Asia and India to the Middle East, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Wednesday.

In stressing the importance of the new corridor, he said the China-Asean-India-Middle East partnership would be able to create huge business and investment opportunities.

He said the launch of the Global Business Council was timely as it would be an effective means of bringing together business leaders and entrepreneurs not just from China, India, Asean and the Middle East but also from the Chinese diaspora around the world.

"This is our time and this is our opportunity. So let us capitalise on this momentous occasion in the world economic history and to ensure the 21st history is a century that is led by Asia," he said when speaking at a special conferment ceremony and launching of the World Chinese Economic Forum's Global Business Council.

Najib was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by the World Chinese Economic Forum adviser, Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, and the forum's patron, Tan Sri Lee Kim Yew, at the event.

Najib was conferred the award in recognition of his bold measures and contributions to transform Malaysia, especially his ambitious economic transformation programme.

The prime minister said that in the current economic climate and with the Eurozone still in a precarious financial situation, "it falls to this part of the world -- the East -- particularly to China, india, Asean and the Gulf states -- to fuel the global recovery and to propel world economic growth.

"I'm not someone who is advocating the kind of age-old rivalry between the East and West but rather we should complement each other, but given the situation that we find ourselves today, Asia must lead the way," he said.

The Global Business Council, expected to further link business leaders and entrepreneurs from China, Southeast Asia, Australia and Europe, will also provide another platform for business ideas interchange, sharing of experiences and strengthening of relationship between countries in the regions.

"Open not only for the Chinese businessmen but for business personnel across all ethnic and nationality background, the council will also promote global corporate citizenship, corporate governance, business ethics and green growth," he said.

The Global Business Council will be headed by John So, the longest-serving Melbourne mayor.

Members of the council's International Advisory Panel include AirAsia's chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Public Bank co-chairman Tan Sri Thong Yaw Hong and other dignitaries from participating countries.

The Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (ASLI) will provide the secretariat support for the Global Business Council here, with the other branches to be established in China, Hong Kong, Europe, the United States and Australia.

Ceramah Anjuran Hindraf/ABU In Negeri Sembilan

2012-01-26T03:52:00.000+08:00

Penang house prices becoming more unaffordable

2012-01-26T03:49:00.001+08:00

Penang Island has a median house price to median income ratio – a common indicator of housing affordability – of 8.1, high by any standards and up from 6.8 five years ago.

Graph: Stuart MacDonald, Penang Institute

The current average housing price on the island is RM429440 while the median income on the island is RM52844. House prices on the island have risen by 50 per cent over the last five years. (Even on the mainland, prices have risen by 25-30 per cent over the last five years.)
For Penang state as a whole, the ratio is 5 (RM265010/RM52844) – up from 4 in 2006.
In contrast, the house price-to-income ratio for the USA was 3 until 2000, and then it rose to 5.8 by 2006, before the housing boom ended in an almighty bust. In the UK the ratio reached 11 in 2008, just before the credit crunch set in.
All the more reason for us to tread cautiously. The above figures are from an October 2011 research paper on ‘Supply and Demand in the Penang housing market: Assessing Affordability‘ published by Penang Institute.
Written by Stuart MacDonald, it makes for sobering reading and notes that house prices are becoming more and more unaffordable for more and more people.
Stuart has also come up with several recommendation on what can be done, including noteworthy recommendations to rebalance planning powers in favour of the state.
These are among the recommendations in his research paper ‘Drivers of house price inflation in Penang, Malaysia – planning a more sustainable future’:

Recommendation 3 – Reform planning powers to rebalance in favour of the state.
Policies can be easily developed to rebalance power in favour of the state, for example by requiring developers to fund the cost of independent consultants hired by local authorities, rather than directly funding them themselves, would remove the potential for conflicts of interest, promote truly “independent” studies, benefit the most professional consultancy firms and force the local authorities to develop the capacity to understand and scrutinise the studies presented, allowing a more strategic and holistic view to be taken.
A policy to regulate the process of “soft” launches can prevent developers selling properties to favoured purchasers, prior to general release, which forces up the price of property. The state can request the details of intended unit prices early in the development process and compare these with sales prices post launch to highlight developers that are restricting public access to units through their practices.
The state should publicly develop clear policies on issues such as land reclamation and hill cutting, with the public benefits of such policies clearly articulated. The state should also halt the process of converting leasehold land into freehold land (emphasis mine) (with exceptions where it may harm investment or economic development), until a clear policy has been developed which considers the long term benefits and risks to the state.
The amendment of regulations that prevent mixed commercial and residential development need urgent attention, as this is resulting in developments classifying its residential property as serviced apartments, which is also exempt of a requirement to provide a low-cost housing quota.
Greater clarity over the location of state land and assets (along with local authority owned land and assets) and communal lands is also required so that these may be managed for the benefit of the state with a longer term view.
Recommendation 4 – Review existing mechanisms for promoting affordable housing.
The state government, having developed the housing board, should initiate a review of all existing mechanisms for affecting the housing market in a way which would either raise revenue or reduce home ownership costs for those in middle to lower income groups or encourage developers and land owners to build housing appropriate to the needs of the people. Existing mechanisms, from density controls, to assessment rates should be reviewed, measured and evaluated in their total sum, understanding how one impacts upon another and assessing how progressive they are as forms of control or taxation, how feasible it may be to revise these mechanisms, taking into account the local context, cultural or historical and the political sensitivity of such reforms.

Touching on low-cost housing, Stuart notes in his paper:

Low cost housing must be provided in the same district as any developments led by the private sector, which should help to sustain property mix at the district level, but to what degree this is enforced in unclear. The low cost housing market is argued to have operated inefficiently, with developers being able to transfer and sell quotas, and the state allocation process also argued to be inefficient. Low cost housing developments are over represented in abandoned projects. Outsourcing the role of “social‟ housing provider to the private sector without sufficient controls from the public sector has resulted in an inefficient condition on private sector development. Conflicts of interest arise and private developers are driven to minimise their costs on low cost housing to protect their bottom line. The low cost housing market needs detailed examination.

Cops in cahoots with rowdy mob, alleges ABU

2012-01-25T03:40:00.002+08:00

(Malaysiakini) The Anything But Umno (ABU) movement suspects the police of being in cahoots with a rowdy mob which halted their ceramah in Shah Alam on Saturday.

ABU as well as the co-organisers Hindraf lodged a report on the incident at Dang Wangi district police headquarters today.
“It is to be taken into account that the police officer at the scene was seen chatting with a person from the group that attacked the participants.

“If it is true they (the police) have to be held accountable,” said Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, who lodged the report on the behalf of movement.

“The residents in the area assisted us in identifying several people who were captured on video at the scene that day.

“According to them they are local Umno leaders who were watching everything.

“If it is true, Umno must be wholly responsible for the violence,” said Badrul, who is better known by the moniker Chegubard.

He told reporters that they have submitted photos, CDs and video recording of the incident to the police.
The co-organisers will also lodge a complaint with the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) at 11am tomorrow.
The movement’s ceramah at Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) hall at Jalan Kebun was disrupted by the mob even before it commenced its session.

Scores of supporters

According to eye-witnesses’ accounts one participant was “badly injured” and had to be hospitalised after a scuffle.
The ceramah was called off to ensure safety of the participants.
Badrul was accompanied by ABU coordinator Haris Ibrahim, Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam and PSM secretary- general S Arutchelvan, as well as scores of supporters.

Arutchelvan said that they choose to report the incident at the Dang Wangi police station, instead of where it took place because they “have no confidence” in the cops in charge at the Shah Alam district.

“This is not new hence we aren’t surprised. Every time we organise an event there will be provocation by police, plainclothes or otherwise... but in return we are the ones who will be accused of disturbing them,” lamented Sambulingam.

“If the police were efficient this could have been avoided altogether,” added Arutchelvan.

Haris added that the person who was allegedly beaten up in the scuffle, Krishnan, 33, was still recovering from the trauma at the Seri Sentosa Specialist Centre.

Selangor police chief Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah, refuted that there were any unruly incidents and that a person was injured as no police report was lodge soon after the event.

However, according to Haris one report was lodged on the night of the incident itself but not by the movement.

Another NGO group Aktivis 901 also lodged a police report along with ABU's today condemning the "racist slurs" of the intruders at the ceramah.

As for allegations by a blogger that the assailants were engaged by ABU, Haris laughed off the claim.

"Let the police arrest them and let them tell we are behind it. Since their faces are in the video and photos.

"We also want to know... who among us have so much money to hire gangsters," said Badrul.

High court directs Muslim man to return boy to his mother

2012-01-25T03:33:00.000+08:00

MADURAI: Rejecting the claim of a Muslim man that he had adopted a Hindu boy as his son, the Madras high court today directed him to handover the boy to his mother.

"There is no concept of adoption known to Muslim Law," a division bench comprising Justices N Paul Vasantha Kumar and P Devadass said.

The court was hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by S Mala, mother of Giridharan.

"It is a well settled proposition of law that creating a relationship of parentage by adoption was unknown to Mohammedan law as it was forbidden by the Quran. Besides the Hindu Adoptions and Maintenance Act 1956 permitted adoption by a Hindu alone," the judges said.

Mala, in her petition, submitted that she had left her son under the care of Shaik Dawood in a children's home run by him and was paying for maintaining him in the home at Sangiliayandavarpuram in Tiruchi district.

Later when she had gone to the home to pick her son, she found Dawood had shifted her son to some other place and refused to give her son back. He also "threatened" her of dire consequence if she insisted on getting her son back, the petitioner said.

Mala said though she had filed a complaint to police no action was taken by them.

Dawood said Mala had given Giridharan to him for adoption. However, she denied that she had signed any such deed.

Cops in cahoots with rowdy mob, alleges ABU

2012-01-25T03:28:00.000+08:00

Perkasa: Bigger Christian threat with MB Khalid in charge of Islam

2012-01-25T03:25:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24 — Perkasa today warned of renewed efforts by Christian groups to convert Muslims in Selangor with Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim in charge of the state’s Islamic affairs.

The Malay rights group questioned the Selangor mentri besar’s religious credentials, comparing him to his recently axed state executive councillor in charge of Islam Datuk Dr Hasan Ali.

“The faith of Islam, of Muslims is under siege in Selangor... Perkasa is concerned of a more aggressive Christianisation attempt, especially with Khalid in charge of the exco portfolio for Islam,” Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali (picture) told The Malaysian Insider.

He described Hasan as a “Muslim warrior” who fervently defended Islam and ensured that Muslim apostates returned to their faith.

Hasan, a former Selangor PAS commissioner, gained notoriety last year for backing the Selangor Islamic department’s (JAIS) raid of a church over apostasy claims.

Weeks before Hasan was dropped as state executive councillor this month, he was spotted taking part in pub raids by religious authorities.

Like Perkasa, Hasan has consistently claimed there is a movement to convert Muslims to Christianity.

“Hasan was a firm exco, he is a religious man... but Khalid how is he to carry out his duties? He is also mentri besar and at the same time he lacks the religious credentials.

“What Perkasa can see is that Islam in Selangor will be weak if an unqualified person leads the state religious portfolio. If you look at any state, the exco holding this portfolio has to have an exemplary Islamic education,” said Syed Hassan.

Earlier this month, Hasan was sacked from PAS and dropped from the Selangor executive council for breaching party discipline.

He was axed after urging opposition supporters to avoid the rally on January 9 in support of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the day his sodomy trial verdict was handed down by the High Court here.

Hasan’s Islamic affairs portfolio was taken over by PKR’s Khalid, who also appointed PAS lawmaker Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi to take Hasan’s place on the council.

Syed Hassan repeated a challenge made by Hasan to Khalid recently, and dared the Selangor MB to lead Friday prayers and deliver a sermon.

“With Khalid, vice will increase in Selangor,” Syed Hassan said, echoing the words of Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali.

Ibrahim claimed Khalid’s role was not to uphold the interests of Muslims but was instead a political ploy to curry favour with “immoral” business owners as snap polls loom.

Who is playing Chinese chess?

2012-01-25T03:20:00.002+08:00

MCA uses PAS as a smokescreen to send flying daggers at the direction of DAP.
COMMENT

Chinese Chess is a terminology that is used by the Chinese to describe political maneuverings and plots to cause the opponent’s downfall.

This is the brand of politics that is being played by MCA against DAP as MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek and his son Chua Tee Yong (Labis MP) are daily attacking DAP although they are always attacking PAS using these points:-

Kedah and Kelantan which are helmed by PAS have not seen any progress nor development; and,

The implementation of hudud law by PAS will thwart development and have a great impact on the lives of non-Muslims.

Although the attacks are aimed at PAS, the real target is DAP. This is called ‘attack without attacking’ which is more like shadow-boxing.

This strategy of indirect attack is executed so that the Chinese will be unable to detect MCA as attacking DAP.

MCA being a Chinese party will surely incur the wrath of the Chinese if it is seen as attacking DAP because DAP is popular among the Chinese.

Therefore, MCA uses PAS as a smokescreen to send flying daggers at the direction of DAP but make no mistake about it: the target is actually DAP.

MCA’s father-and-son team have also challenged DAP secretary-general, Lim Guan Eng to state who will be the Prime Minister in the event Pakatan Rakyat manages to capture Putrajaya.

Lim responded to the challenge by saying that if Pakatan captures Putrajaya, the Prime Minister will be Anwar Ibrahim but the Chua-and-Chua team then turned around and said that Lim was bluffing as the Prime Minister will be from PAS.

This twisting of words shows that Soi Lek and his son are both sneaky and sly as Lim was genuine in responding to their challenge.

Back to MCA’s first attacking point of the lack of progress nor any concrete development in Kedah and Kelantan as mentioned above, this point is always rehashed to show that DAP has associated with a backward party. This is to sway the support of the Chinese business community away from DAP.

Point No 2 pertaining to the implementation of hudud law is connected to point No 1 (no progress in Kedah and Kelantan) but hudud is given emphasis to scare the Chinese. MCA also stresses that hudud law will scare away investors.

High deception

MCA leaders also never fail to exhort DAP to state its stand on hudud law but to DAP this is a non-issue as PAS will never be able to implement it.

Besides making use of PAS as a decoy, Soi Lek also throws in a red herring by saying that Pakatan Rakyat has failed to keep its promises in states such as Penang and Selangor. This wide-angled attack is meant to show that MCA is attacking the whole of Pakatan and not targetting PAS alone so as not to anger the Malays.

This is deception at the highest order as Chua and Son’s actual target is still only DAP.

Another of Soi Lek’s ploy is to frighten the Chinese especially the business community and clan associations that without MCA’s representation in the government, Chinese voices will be muffled.

This is Soi Lek’s idea of a psy-war and the business community and clan associations may vote MCA due to being frightened in this manner although the layman or average Chinese could not be bothered about it.

So far, DAP does not seem to respond to MCA and treats MCA as a dog barking at the moon (also PAS’s party symbol).

This is DAP’s strategy – let MCA babble on because if DAP engages in a verbal battle with MCA, MCA will achieve prominence. Thus, it is better to let MCA sink into oblivion instead of giving them publicity.

In the world of politics, any publicity, whether good or bad is still publicity. Therefore, leaving MCA alone is DAP’s stance towards MCA and that is the reason why MCA is talking nineteen to the dozen everyday – to obtain publicity.

Copying strategies

Next, MCA also copies strategies belonging to Pakatan, albeit with great modifications such as the giving of RM100 to their party members who are senior citizens.

This idea was copied from Pakatan’s Penang state government whereby RM100 is given to the public senior citizens. Pakatan is giving to the rakyat unlike MCA who gives this sum to their own party members.

Another idea which MCA copied from Pakatan is the microcredit scheme which MCA wants to give to young business entrepreneurs but the keyword here is ‘young’.

MCA’s idea is copied from the brainchild of Pakatan’s Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim’s idea of ‘Merakyatkan Ekonomi Selangor’ where budding entrepreneurs will be enrolled in the microcredit scheme with no age criteria attached to it. MCA adds the age clause so as not to be seen as copying Pakatan.

MCA focuses on highlighting Pakatan’s faults but copying those Pakatan’s programmes which they think they can use to garner votes.

Is MCA then genuine in their intentions? If they were genuine, they would not criticise Pakatan only to copy the latter’s ideas.

Still, MCA has got a good level of support from the rural Chinese who are hellbent on voting MCA as it was done by their forefathers even before 1957.

To these rural Chinese, MCA is the be-all and end-all in their daily existence as in their minds the DAP is only an opposition party good in making noise. It is difficult for DAP to change the mindset of the rural Chinese because the latter only read the MCA-controlled Chinese dailies.

Therefore, wherein the rural Chinese are influential, for instance in Perak, Soi Lek himself is spearheading the war effort there in an attempt to woo Chinese support for BN.

DAP must never underestimate MCA. It is when the enemy seems to be down that he is at his most dangerous.

This is because the hudud issue can influence the rural Chinese while the lack of representation in government can greatly influence the clan associations and businessmen unless DAP can convince the Chinese that MCA’s voice in the BN federal government is nothing much to shout about.

Besides the above methods of attack, MCA’s latest ploy is to tell the Chinese that DAP is neglecting the Chinese to focus on pandering to the Malays by recruiting more Malay members.

Is MCA trying to imply that DAP wants to have a DAP Menteri Besar by recruiting Malays? MCA is sly in a subtle manner in the use of the race card as this DAP Menteri Besar issue will also frighten the Malays and prevent them from voting for DAP.

All in all, MCA is playing the politics of Chinese Chess – the politics of deceit, decoy and deception but will the rakyat be able to read their nefarious tactics?

Selena Tay is a FMT columnist.

‘Urimai’ first, ‘nambikkai’ later

2012-01-25T03:18:00.002+08:00

Hindraf wants the government to ensure the rights of the Indian community first before asking for their trust.

GEORGE TOWN: Ethnic Indians will never have “nambikkai” (trust or belief) in the Barisan Nasional as long as Umno continues to blatantly violate the community’s “urimai” (rights).

Hindraf Makkal Sakti supremo P Waythamoorthy reminded Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak that nambikkai without urimai was meaningless like a headless human body.

“Najib can’t expect members of a marginalised community to pin their hopes on a government that had systematically discriminated, isolated, and sidelined them for more than 50 years.

“Indians want urimai first before nambikkai,” he told FMT here today.

Following the emergence of Hindraf as a voice for working-class Indians, he said the community has finally realised that the BN government can never be trusted.

Waythamoorthy said Indians knew that the Umno-helmed government has been pursuing racist policies merely to serve the interests of a single community at the expense of millions of others.

He added that Najib should not expect the working-class Indians to place their nambikai in Umno and its “jaaldra” (stooge), the MIC.

He was commenting on Najib’s call on Indians to have nambikkai in BN government to deliver the goods for their well-being.

Najib said the community should build a vision centred on nambikkai to bring it forward

Waythamoorthy questioned whether Najib has the political conviction to correct all the wrongs that his Umno government had committed on ethnic Indians.

“Until and unless he shows guts to recognise and uphold our urimai, he should not talk about nambikkai,” he said.

He added that ethnic Indians knew too well Umno’s racist policies.

“They know that these racist policies were implemented with MIC’s support.”

He said thousands of Indians remain stateless in the country of their birth while foreigners, especially Muslims, have been granted full citizenship.

Obvious discrepancies

Waythamoorthy also said MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam had claimed that the government had disbursed RM235 million to Tamil schools since 2008.

But he said Indians were sure that the cash did not trickle down to the schools.

Similarly, he said Indians would not believe Najib’s claim that the government had been investing some RM2 billion for Tamil schools since 2009.

“There are obvious discrepancies in the sums mentioned by MIC and Umno,” he said.

He proposed that Najib carry out pro-active policies for Indians if he wants their nambikkai.

For a start, he said the government should allocate free land to all landless Tamil schools and make them fully-aided schools.

Secondly, he said the Najib administration should also create Indian housing areas in the vicinity of Tamil schools, which would provide space for the community’s religious and cultural growth.

“Ethnic Indians are no longer going to trust in political propaganda. They had had enough.

“They want the government to walk its talk first.”

He also took a swipe at the appointment of MIC president G Palanivel as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Indian socio-economic development.

“It was just another typical mandore appointment to hoodwink the Indians,” he said.

Ibrahim Ali, politikus tua lagi kotor

2012-01-25T03:16:00.001+08:00

"Siapa yang dapat melupakan bagaimana beliau mengkhianati PAS umpama parasit setelah parti itu memberi beliau tiket bertanding pada 2008," tegas Faekah Husin.

PETALING JAYA: Tindakan Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas Dato’ Ibrahim Ali mencampuri urusan pentadbiran Selangor dalam isu pelantikan Exco kerajaan negeri yang baru dan rombakan portfolio Hal Ehwal Islam menunjukkan beliau kehabisan modal.

Setiausaha Politik kepada Menteri Besar Selangor Faekah Husin berkata, tindakan Ibrahim yang juga Presiden Perkasa (Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia) itu untuk membuktikan dirinya masih relevan di arena politik tanahair walaupun sudah tua lagi kotor.

“Percubaan beliau melaga-lagakan PAS dan Kerajaan Selangor juga agak pelik apabila melihat sejarah beliau sendiri dengan PAS,” kata beliau dalam satu kenyataan media.

Faekah menegaskan “siapa yang dapat melupakan bagaimana beliau mengkhianati PAS umpama parasit setelah parti itu memberi beliau tiket bertanding pada 2008.

“Hari ini beliau terhegeh-hegeh pula dengan Umno sedangkan parti yang bakal tumbang ini pun melihatnya sebagai liabiliti dan tidak mempunyai sebarang kredibiliiti,” katanya.

Ujar beliau, “kita tidak mempersoal tindakan Ibrahim Ali yang kini begitu akrab dan bersekongkol dengan mantan Exco Agama Dato’ Dr Hasan Ali.

Hina Sultan Selangor

“Namun keceluparan Ibrahim mempertikaikan kedudukan (Menteri Besar) Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim sebagai Exco Hal Ehwal Islam merupakan satu penghinaan kepada Sultan Selangor yang sesungguhnya adalah Ketua Agama Islam di Selangor.

“Keputusan Abdul Khalid memegang portfolio ini adalah setelah berbincang dan mendapat perkenan baginda Sultan kerana pentadbiran di

Selangor mengamalkan konsultasi berterusan dengan pihak istana dalam banyak hal apatah lagi dalam soal hal ehwal Islam,” katanya.

Menurut Faekah, tuduhan Ibrahim Ali bahawa pelantikan Abdul Khalid sebagai Exco Hal Ehwal Islam hanya akan menyemarakkan rumah maksiat di Selangor amat keterlaluan.

“Kita ingatkan Ibrahim Ali bahawa keutuhan dan kesucian agama Islam di Selangor, pengawalan kegiatan tidak bermoral, termasuk perjudian dan rumah-rumah maksiat adalah di bawah bidang kuasa Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) dan Jabatan Agama Islam

Selangor (Jais) yang kedua-duanya dalam pemerhatian rapat Baginda Tuanku,” jelas beliau.

“Menuduh bahawa Tan Sri Khalid akan merelakan kegiatan tidak bermoral atas perkiraan politik seolah-olah mempersenda kedua-dua institusi agama tersebut termasuk baginda Sultan,” tambah beliau.

Khianati PAS

Katanya, pada perkiraan Ibrahim semua ahli politik akan menggadai maruah demi undi sebagaimana dirinya yang sanggup mengkhianati

PAS walaupun parti tersebut mengutipnya setelah dicampak oleh Umno.

“Selaku umat Islam seharusnya Ibrahim Ali mendoakan setiap pemimpin berkhidmat dengan ikhlas, mentaati hukum dan menggalas jawatan sebagai amanah Allah agar negeri menjadi aman sejahtera dan diampuni Allah swt.

“Sebaliknya, beliau sanggup menuduh bahawa Selangor akan menjadi negeri peliwat. Ungkapan yang menggambarkan betapa kotornya pemikiran politikus tua ini.

“Bercakap tanpa iman; penuh dendam dan nafsu serakah. Ini merupakan penghinaan kepada seluruh rakyat Selangor yang seharusnya Ibrahim Ali dihalang dari menjejakkan kakinya di negeri berdaulat ini,” katanya lagi.

Faekah menerangkan bahawa Menteri Besar amat memandang serius tohmahan jahat ini dan akan membincangkan isu ini dengan semua agensi terbabit dan Kamar Penasihat Undang-undang Negeri termasuk juga pihak Istana.

“Kita tidak akan teragak-agak mengambil tindakan terhadap Ibrahim Ali kerana keceluparan melampau beliau semata-mata mendapatkan publisiti murahan,” tegas beliau.

Are we having a popularity contest?

2012-01-25T03:14:00.001+08:00

We want to know more than just who is winning the popularity contest. We want to know from both Najib and Anwar what are their strategies to make Malaysia self-sufficient in food production and how long is this going to take? We also want to know what are the back-up plans and contingencies in the event there is crop failure in our neighbouring countries and they refuse to continue selling food to Malaysia?

NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Chua Soi Lek said that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is ahead of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim in the popularity contest. I did not realise that we were running a popularity contest.

This is what I was trying to say in my latest articles in ‘The Corridors of Power’. This is not a popularity contest. This is not about ‘do you love Najib?’ -- and if you do not then vote Pakatan Rakyat because if Pakatan Rakyat wins then you will get Anwar as the new Prime Minister to replace Najib.

Malaysia is not the US. It is not about two people contesting to become the country’s leader. It is about which government can better serve the country’s interest.

Malaysia’s Westminster system of government is modelled after the UK. In the UK, they vote for the party that can best serve the British voters. They talk about Labour or Conservative (care a damn who the leader is) although now LibDem is also on their lips. Most voters are not concerned about the party leader although I admit some do vote based on who is leading the party.

Okay, let’s say we want Anwar rather than Najib as the next Prime Minister. I have no problems with that. But why do we want Anwar rather than Najib? Is it because we hate Rosmah Mansor? (That’s a good reason). Is it because we believe that Najib is somehow involved in Altantuya Shaariibuu’s murder? (That’s another good reason). Is it because of the rampant and blatant corruption? (That’s a damn good reason).

So, yes, we have our reasons as to why we don’t want Najib. But that is not enough. We can’t say we want Anwar because we don’t want Najib. We must say we want Anwar because we want Anwar.

So why do we want Anwar (other than because we don’t want Najib)? Let’s be clear in our minds about this. Even more important than that, let’s make sure Anwar too knows why we want him and not Najib (and not that we want him just because we don’t want Najib).

There are three things that are more important than Rosmah and Altantuya (and probably at par with our detest for corruption). And these are health, education and food.

When we are young (like my five grandchildren) we need a good education system (and good meaning comparable to global standards, not just Malaysian standards). I want to know that my grandchildren can survive, not only in Malaysia, but anywhere in the world -- and that they can compete with the more than seven billion world population. And, to do that, they will have to be damn smart and backed with a damn good education.

When you are old, like me, you need a good health care system. And at my age, 61, I am beginning to require all sorts of health care. I now fall down when I walk and bump into things and whatnot. I realise that I am getting old and unless I get good health care I will not last too long in this world. (And that is why I am taking all these courses in Oxford. I realise that my body is failing but I want to make sure that my mind remains sharp till the day I take my last breath).

And, to make sure that we all live to a ripe old age, we need food, good and nourishing food. And this is something that all Malaysians should be worried about because the country is not self-sufficient yet. Most of what you see in the market is imported. There is nothing that Malaysia produces that is enough, let alone surplus that can be exported.

Of course, we also need jobs, a house, transportation, some entertainment, a holiday now and then, some spare shopping money to go buy a Birkin handbag, and whatnot. But we will not die if we can’t do all that. We will if our health is not taken care of and we have no food to eat. And, without a good education, how do we support ourselves after we leave school -- unless we want to go to Indonesia to work as maids and construction workers (which one day might just happen, so don’t laugh too fast)?

Anwar was both Education and Agriculture minister at one time. What did he do when he headed these Ministries? Today, we complain about the state of affairs of our agriculture industry and our education system. Are not all these ‘inherited’ problems (they did not just happen recently)? These were problems prevailing since the time Anwar was the Minister. Nothing has changed.

I don’t want to know who is winning the popularity contest. Sukarno was also popular, more popular than Najib and Anwar combined. But was Indonesia heaven on earth when Sukarno was its President? He messed up the country good and proper.

So did his successor, Suharto, another very popular leader. Only now can Indonesia be said to be moving forward. In the very near future, Malaysia is going to be the poor cousin of Indonesia, just like East Germany was to West Germany.

We want to know more than just who is winning the popularity contest. We want to know from both Najib and Anwar what are their strategies to make Malaysia self-sufficient in food production and how long is this going to take? We also want to know what are the back-up plans and contingencies in the event there is crop failure in our neighbouring countries and they refuse to continue selling food to Malaysia?

We also want to know how the health and education systems are going to be reformed and when we can expect not just quality health care and education but also they being available FREE to all Malaysians.

Can we start with these three very crucial areas? Then, in that same breath, we can also talk about how to eliminate or reduce corruption. A popular leader is of no use to Malaysia if he does not have vision. So what is the vision and mission of both Najib and Anwar who are offering themselves as ‘the most popular leader of Malaysia’?

*********************************

Najib always ahead of Anwar in popularity contest, says Soi Lek

(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak has always been the preferred leader for Malaysians, says Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek, rather than Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who has lost support after “crying wolf” too many times.

The MCA president also believed that Anwar’s sodomy acquittal had vindicated the prime minister and not the opposition leader, as it proved the judiciary’s independence — a line that the Najib administration has used after the verdict was handed down on January 9.

As such, Dr Chua (picture) disagreed that the acquittal had placed both rivals on a level playing field and was unlikely to have a great impact on the results of the coming general election.

“To begin with, it has never been a level playing field and all the studies have shown that Najib, on his own, is more popular than Anwar.

“Their (the opposition’s) own studies also show that. So it never started with the same level playing field,” the MCA chief told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview here.

Following Anwar’s highly-publicised sodomy acquittal, analysts said both political rivals Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) were now neck and neck in the contest for Malaysia’s middle ground.

They added that with the end of the sodomy trial, both sides could now focus their attention on the economy and reforms needed to ensure Malaysia remains competitive.

“The positive outcome of the case evens out the playing field,” Ibrahim Suffian from the Merdeka Center had told The Malaysian Insider.

But Dr Chua said Anwar’s initial popularity when he re-entered the political scene had lost steam over the years.

“I think he has been calling bluff too many times. First, they said they would take over. I still remember receiving the SMS that the Agong was going to swear in Anwar as the new PM.

“So when you cry wolf or fire too many times, there will be a day when you actually catch fire and nobody pays attention to it,” he said.

Dr Chua was referring to Anwar’s controversial September 16 takeover attempt, when the PR de facto leader had boasted mass defections from BN would help the fledgling opposition pact claim Putrajaya.

The failed attempt haunted Anwar for years, with BN leaders trumpeting to the public that the incident showed the opposition leader’s penchant for lying to the public.

“Next, people can also see that what we call the ‘PM-elect’ (Anwar), apart from his rhetoric, what has he done?

“As RPK (blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin) correctly pointed out — in three years, he (Anwar) has gone overseas 60 or 100 times. Can you imagine? Hopping around the world, giving lectures... people can see whether you are just spinning, playing politics,” Dr Chua said.

In contrast, the former health minister said Najib has been concentrating on running his administration and transforming the economy.

“Whether you like Najib or not, he has paid a lot of attention to the economic transformation of the country and all the indicators show that in terms of foreign direct investment, we have done up,” he said.

Dr Chua said the business community are “practical people” who believe in delivery more than political rhetoric and in that respect, Najib has far surpassed Anwar in the popularity contest.

Buoyed by the feel-good factor following Anwar’s acquittal and cash handouts from Budget 2012, it is widely expected that Najib will call elections within months, ahead of the BN mandate expiring in May 2013.

Najib is due to celebrate the Chinese New Year later today in Penang, where the sizeable Chinese community voted in PR in Election 2008, paving the way for Lim Guan Eng to be chief minister.

Dei, s/o Mohamed Kutty, you empty your pockets first, lah

2012-01-25T03:11:00.002+08:00

By Harris Ibrahim,

The cheek of this old bugger!

Malaysiakini has him supporting the call for public officers to declare their assets, but then takes Nazri’s position that such a disclosure should not be made to the public.

Yes, not to us.

Mahathir’s reasoning?

“… people will be focussed on that instead of unity and nation building”, he is reported to have said
This racist bigot who destroyed our national institutions and, with his cronies, plundered the wealth of the nation by playing the race card whenever it suited him, now speaks of unity and nation building?

He should be the first to make full and frank disclosure of what he owns.

Here and abroad.

In his own name and that of his next-of-kin.

Doc, please don’t die on us just yet.
I want to see the day when we strip search you to retrieve every single sen you have stolen from us.

Rakaman Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim Di Lembah Pantai 19 Jan 2012

2012-01-25T03:08:00.003+08:00

Saudi: no cash from emerging economies until given more clout

2012-01-25T03:06:00.003+08:00

By Andrew Torchia - Reuters

RIYADH (Reuters) – Big emerging economies such as China, India and Saudi Arabia will not aid the West in its financial crisis unless they are given more influence in running the global economy, a senior figure from Saudi Arabia’s ruling establishment said on Monday.

“The financial crisis and great recession were born in the West, developed in the West yet hit hard throughout the world,” former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal said in a speech to a business conference in Riyadh.

He said this showed the need to give emerging economies more representation and more authority in global bodies such as the Group of 20 nations, a forum of the world’s major industrialized countries, and the Financial Stability Board (FSB), which discusses regulation of banks and financial markets.

So far, however, organizations such as the FSB “have yet to take these new realities into consideration,” while the G20 is making little headway in coordinating economic policymaking around the world, he said.

Big emerging economies’ lack of influence in international bodies reduces their willingness to contribute money to fight the global crisis, the prince warned.

The International Monetary Fund is seeking to more than double its war chest by raising $600 billion in new resources to help countries deal with the fallout of the euro zone’s sovereign debt crisis.

“What we can be certain of is that large developing nations will not agree to provide additional funds without a greater say in the IMF, and this applies to all global economic governance organizations,” Prince Turki said.

The prince, who chairs the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, a major think tank, no longer holds government office but is still seen as influential, and his position outside government may give him room to speak more frankly in public than current Saudi officials.

He is a former ambassador to the United States and Britain.

ECHOES OF CHINESE CRITICISM

His speech criticized Western governments for “leveraging up” their economies over the past six decades and letting their financial sectors spiral out of control, saying the United States and the European Union would continue to struggle with debt problems for five or 10 years.

Much of his criticism echoed comments by officials in China, another emerging economy that is being asked to help fight the global financial crisis.

Oman’s central bank governor told Reuters last week that his country was prepared to increase its contribution to the IMF.

In general, however, officials in the Gulf’s rich oil exporters have indicated they are in no rush to contribute funds to bail out the West, and expect Europe first to do more to resolve its debt crisis.

Prince Turki noted that the Saudi central bank’s holdings of roughly $360 billion in foreign securities, most of them in the form of U.S. Treasuries, helped to underpin the value of the U.S. dollar and the stability of the global economy.

He said his country would continue to play a stabilizing role but added that because it faced its own challenges, including the need to create jobs for a young population and cope with political strains across the Arab world, it would need in the future to focus more of its resources domestically and within the Middle East.

The Arab Monetary Fund, a regional body which lends to governments, and Saudi development funds such as the Islamic Development Bank need to be strengthened to help the Middle East develop economically, he said.

“We will continue to support our neighbors where we are able, including financially, but now we also face new exigencies of our own,” Turki said.

(Editing by Susan Fenton)

Mallika Sherawat, Dhanush Voted Hottest Veg Celebrities 2011

2012-01-25T03:04:00.003+08:00

CHENNAI, Jan 20 (Bernama) -- Bollywood actress Mallika Sherawat and 'Kolaveri' fame Dhanush have been voted 'Hottest Vegetarian Celebrities 2011' in a poll by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), overcoming competition from veterans Amitabh Bachchan and Hema Malini, among others.

"Thousands of people cast their votes to help PETA India determine the Hottest Vegetarian Celebrities of 2011, and Dhanush and Mallika Sherawat have been declared the winners," the animal rights advocacy group said in a press release.

National award-winning Dhanush and Mallika beat out early leaders Vivek Oberai and Vidya Balan and faced further competition from Amitabh Bachchan, Hema Malini, Sonu Sood, Shahid Kapoor, and Kareena Kapoor, Press Trust of India (PTI)quoted PETA India.

"If I had to pick the very best thing about being vegan, it's my clear conscience", Mallika was quoted as saying.

While, Dhanush, who shot to national fame with his chirpy video "Why This Kolaveri Di" was quoted as saying he felt light and healthy being vegetarian.

"There's nothing sexier than someone who exudes passion and compassion - and our winners have plenty of both," PETA India's chief functionary, Poorva Joshipura, said.

The winners were chosen based on the total number of votes each celebrity received, plus other factors, the release said and advocated following a vegetarian style of diet, as it helped reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer "and saves animals from a lifetime of suffering on cramped, filthy factory farms."

Kerala is Kashmir in South India. Kerala Hindus are under strangulation by Jehadi Islam.

2012-01-22T17:30:00.003+08:00

Sharon, the RSS Activist - The last Victim of Marxist-Islamist Terrorism Nexus in Kerala.

Is Kerala posed as Second Kashmir in Southern India?

~ Upananda Brahmachari.

Hindus in Kerala are almost under siege in the Muslim majority districts of Malappuram and Kottayam and also in Christian majority district of Ernakulam. The Hindus of other three or four districts in Kerala are also in danger line. The Mallapuram district was carved out to create a Muslim majority district by the Communist government headed by E.M.S Namboodiripad on 16 June 1969.

This land of Kerala is famous for the birth place of Adi Shankarayara and bearing a strong legacy of Hindu tradition and culture. But for a long drawn strategy of the anti Hindu force in Kerala, the Hindus are now decreasing the numbers and powers in Kerala which is very alarming

In the last week, two disastrous incident happened in Kerala one at Perumbavoor in Ernakulam District

Slaughter of Pregnant cow near Sasatha Temple at Peumbavoor - A warning to Hindu society in Kerala

where a pregnant cow was slaughtered by three Muslim butchers under instigation of the Muslim perpetrators in front of a Hindu Sasatha Temple temple during Makara Villakku time in Sabarimala and one Hindu activist named Sharon (Mullassery area RSS Karyavaha) was brutally murdered on 19th January 2012 in Manaloor area of Thrissur District by anti Hindu force led by CPIM-Islamist perpetrators. All the times Hindus and their sentiments are vehemently attacked with dire consequences in Kerala by anti Hindu force having their roots in Arabia, gulf countries or in Vatican. However, as a retaliation of Sharon’s murder, the local CPIM offices was vandalized and set on fire on the next day on 20th January.

Dawn-to-dusk shutdown and rallies in Ernakulam district at Muvattupuzha, Kunnathunadu and Kothamangalam area marked vehement Hindu Protest against Cow Slaughter in front of Perumbavoor Temple.

In the last three years in Kerala, more than 100 of Hindu activists (most of them are RSS, Hindu Munnani or Hindu Aiyakavedi activists) were murdered by the Muslim, Christian or CPIM goons, over 2000 Hindu girls were snatched forever by Muslim Love Jehadis, hundreds of Hindu establishments and Hindu occupations were vacated by the anti-Hindu Muslim, Christian or Political force, many Hindu temples and Devaswom boards were forcefully undertaken through anti-Hindu legislation. Anti-Hindus secular policies of the pseudo secular government of Kerala, either led by the secular Congress party or Communist parties always harm the Hindus in Kerala. The elected “Secular” Government of Kerala tried to a legislative Bill in 2010 with a view to take over only Hindu temples, trusts, their asserts and related affairs including the revenue from Hindu devotees, their donations and endowments, and entrusted their ownership, management and control to specially constituted statutory bodies like Travancore Devaswom Board, Cochin Devaswom Board, Guruvayoor Temple Committee, etc. But that bill was somehow restrained by the Hindu organizations through a series of protests.

Politics in Kerala has always been controlled by either Left power led by CPIM or the Rights counterpart led by Congress in their term were obviously dependent upon the Kerala Congress (A Christian Political force) or the Muslim League to grab the power in Assembly. The vote bank policies never facilitated Hindu voters in recent past except in the case of Pallakad Municipality was captured in 2005. In the recent years the Muslim and Christian political groups are putting various pressures upon all the political parties in Kerala to fulfil their goal for a ethnic cleansing of Hindus in the furthest destination in the south India. Newly built ‘Kerala Religious Police” a Muslim fanatic wing, Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and the Islamic Sevak Sangh (ISS), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) floated by the Islamists of Kerala, all are very musch active Keralian Jehadi road maps or the reorganized National Democratic Front (NDF) have recently emerged as stronger alternatives to ISS and SIMI and have allegedly masterminded communal violence in recent years.

T J Joseph, a professor at the New Man College, Thodupuzha - a victim of the Islamists. His right palm was chopped off by fanatic Muslims for setting a controversial question paper for an examination.

Perumbavoor, where the Jihadi Islamic fanatics slaughtered a pregnant Cow in Temple site and the
surrounding areas have witnessed a rise in Islamist operations recently. The place is just 25 km away from Muvattupuzha, where activists of Islamist organization Popular Front of India had cut off the right hand of a college professor on July 4, 2010.

In 1921, present day Malappuram district witnessed a devastating revolts and massacres known as the Moplah rebellions killing lacs of innocent Hindus overnight. Through the establishment of Mallapuram, all the then Hindu majority districts in Kerala was divided in two parts as the Kasaragod, Kannur, Wayanad and Kozhikode in the North were separated from the districts of Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam , Idukki, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram in the southern part. And if the non Muslims in Ernakulam and Idukki get majority in any chance (high chance is there) the Kerala Hindus will be divided by three parts geographically. All these are happening under a certain plan by the anti – Hindu force in Kerala.

Demographic change in Kerala marks a disastrous destiny of Kerala Hindus.

Out of 14 districts of Kerala Hindus are minority in at least five districts as the non Hindu population is
larger now than the Hindu population there. These districts are (i) Malappuram (ii) Wayanad (iii) Ernakulam (iv) Idukki and (v) Kottayam in which Muslims are singly majority in Mallapuram and Kottayam and Christians are singly majority in Ernakulam Districts as per projection reports available on the basis of Census Report 2001 (published) and the Census Report 2011 (un-published).

As per Census Report 2001, the district-wise population of Hindus, Muslims and Christians is as follows: Kasaragod: 7,05,234 (Hindus), 4,13,063 (Muslims), 84,891 (Christians); Kannur: 14,80,748 (H), 6,65,648 (M), 2,61,090 (C); Kozhikode: 16,69,161 (H), 10,78,759 (M), 1,27,468 (C); Wayanad: 3,92,141 (H), 2,09,758 (M) 1,75,495 (C); Malappuram : 10,57,418 (H), 24,84,576 (M), 1,75,495 (C); Palakkad: 18,02,766 (H), 7,03,596 (M), 1,09,249 (C); Thrissur : 17,61,842 (H), 4,88,697 (M), 7,20,152 (C); Ernakulam: 14,44,994 (H), 4,51,764 (M), 12,04,471 (C); Idukki : 5,66,744 (H), 81,222 (M), 4,80,108 (C); Kottayam: 9,63,497 (H), 1,16,686 (M), 8,71,371 (C); Alappuzha: 14,57,188 (H), 2,08,042 (M), 4,41,643 (C); Pathanamthitta: 6,94,560 (H), 56,457 (M), 4,81,602 (C); Kollam : 16,85,044 (H), 4,74,071 (M), 4,23,745 (C) and Thiruvananthapuram: 22,02,112 (H), 4,31,512 (M) and 5,95,563 (C). In the red lined districts Hindus became minority now below the strength of Non-Muslim population there.

Following the path of Muslim dominated Mallapuram district, Kottayam also became a certain Hindu Minority District in Kerala.

As per the recent details published by Department of Economics and statistics, Kerala, out of 19,53,646 population the so called minority Muslims counts for 9,88,057 while the Hindu population is only 9,63,497.

The current demographic trends in Kerala indicate that within the next five years Hindus will become a minority in the land of Sankaracharya (Kerala). As per recent census, Kerala population is: Hindus 56.20 per cent. Muslims 26.7 per cent and Christians 20.90 per cent. But the joint effort of the Muslims and Christians to end the Hindu majority and hold in Kerala to make a Kashimr or Nagaland in the certain parts of the state has been speeding up gradually since the declaration of Mallapuram as the first Muslim majority district in India in 1969. More over, the area wise increase of Muslims and Christians and the decrease of Hindus in Kerala in general is a dangerous threat to so called secular and democratic atmosphere in Kerala. Once Hindus become a minority, Hindu slaughter will begin like in Kashmir and Nagaland. Keralite Hindus cannot stop it in Kerala alone if the others Hindus in every Indian state do not retaliate and restrict the Jihad and Evangelization in Kerala just now. Yes, now or never. We should support the Hindu cause in Kerala.

ABU-Hindraf ceramah attacked

2012-01-22T17:20:00.003+08:00

PM: ‘Blueprint’ necessary for the development of Tamil education system

2012-01-22T17:19:00.003+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 — For Tamil schools to improve, educators need to work on a “blueprint” for the entire system, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today.

“I propose Tamil school educators to organise a seminar and produce a ‘blueprint’ that will be used to develop Tamil schools in the country,” the prime minister said in a speech after meeting with the community today.

He said such an overhaul was necessary for Tamil schools to be more forward and provide competitive and excellent education.

Najib (picture) also announced his government has agreed and will build six new Tamil schools, as requested by the community.

Six locations nationwide have been earmarked for construction. They are Taman Keladi in Sungai Petani, Kedah; Heawood Estate in Sungai Siput, Perak; Bandar Seri Alam in Masai, Johor; with the rest concentrated in Taman PJS1, Petaling Jaya; Bandar Mahkota in Cheras; and Taman Sentosa, Klang.

Najib also announced that his government has approved a budget of RM3.5 million for SJK (T) in Pakatan Rakyat-held Puchong.

Mob disrupts ABU/Hindraf event, one hurt

2012-01-22T17:16:00.004+08:00

Organisers believe that the assailants, who had caused serious injuries to at least one person, were linked to Umno.

VIDEO INSIDE

KLANG: A rowdy mob gatecrashed a ceramah organised by Anything But Umno (ABU)/Hindraf in Jalan Kebun here, causing serious injury to at least one person earlier tonight.

Organisers told FMT that one of the volunteers at the ceramah was badly assaulted and had to be
rushed to the hospital.

The incident happened at about 9.15pm when the ceramah was about to start.

About 30 attackers, waving sticks and helmets, rode their motorcycles into the ceramah venue – a hall – and rammed into participants and chairs.

Others had followed on foot and had allegedly ’caused havoc’ by tossing chairs, throwing away ABU brochures, and hurling insults at participants, demanding for them to leave.
Organiser and ceramah participants believe the attackers were linked to Umno.

“I believe they were Umno people. They had the BN and Umno flags, and were wearing Umno t-shirts,” said one participant who alerted FMT of the incident.

“There was some arguments and one boy was badly beaten by the unruly youths using helmets,” said Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) executive director E Nalini who was there to observe the ceramah.

She said the group left the venue when a couple of police patrol cars arrived. She added that the group however loitered outside the hall, shouting slogans and ignoring the policemen.

The speakers of the disrupted ceramah were supposed to be lawyer-activist Haris Ibrahim, PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu, PKR leader Badrul Hisham Shahrin and Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam.

Mohamad Sabu said he was on stage when the incident happened.
“They can’t do this, if they disagreed with us or our programmes, they can complain to police, not attack people. This is very bad image for democracy,” he said.

Hurling racial abuses
Meanwhile, another ceramah participant told FMT that the incident had gotten racial at one point when one of the ‘uninvited guests’ hurled racial abuses shouted at the participants, many who were Indians.

“One of them called us ‘keling’ while others proceeded to taunt the Indians present and shouted at the Malays there ‘you orang tak kenal hutang budi‘ (you unappreciative lot),” said legal executive M Yuktesvaran.

The organisers meanwhile said they were calling off the ceramah tonight, and will be resheduled to a venue in Seremban on Jan 28.

It is also learnt that they will be lodging a police report soon.

Police: Villagers were angry

Meanwhile Selangor police chief Tun Hisan Tun Hamzah brushed off claims of any attacks at the ceramah tonight.

“No such incident though there was some dissatisfaction by the residents about the activity,” he told FMT.

“No damages or injuries to people as alleged…no riots occurred,” he said, adding that Hindraf supporters were present at the venue.

However Shah Alam OCPD Zahedi Ayob confirmed there was “shouting and pushing” at the ceramah but everything calmed down after the arrival of the police.

He said that the tension was caused by the anti-Umno ceramah in a Malay area. He added that the Malay residents got angry with the ceramah, especially with a banner which called for the end of the Umno/BN “regime”.

“The villagers were also angry with the 20-odd Malays who had attended the ceramah…the kampung people came out to protest against the presence of the Malays in the Hindraf organised ceramah,” he told FMT when contacted.

He said the face-off between the villagers and the ceramah organisers caused a confrontation and “they were shouting and pushing in the dewan”.

He said that the ceramah, attended by about 70 people, was cancelled and so far the police had not received any reports of anyone being injured.

“I’ll like to say that we managed to avoid the incident from becoming worse apart from shouting and pushing. There is no such thing as people being beaten with sticks.

“The act of holding the ceramah was provocative. How can you hold such a meeting in a predominantly Malay area? No permit was requested as well,” he said.

He also warned the public not to spread rumours of a racial tension in Jalan Kebun, adding that false messages were being spread through SMSes that a Malay stall had been set on fire.

“That is untrue. When the group was leaving, the police were already there. They managed to control the situation,” he added.

‘Serangan’ program ABU: Umno mesti bertanggungjawab

2012-01-22T17:11:00.001+08:00

"Adakah orang India sudah tidak selamat berada di kawasan ramai penyokong Umno,?" kata Chegu Bard.
VIDEO INSIDE

KUALA LUMPUR: Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) mendesak Umno bertanggungjawab terhadap insiden program Asal Bukan Umno (ABU) malam tadi di Jalan Kebun, Shah Alam.

NGO pimpinan Ketua PKR Rembau itu, Badrul Hisham Shaharim itu juga meminta polis bertindak secara profesional ke atas insiden tersebut.

Katanya, kejadian malam tadi membuktikan sikap sebenar Umno dan hipokrasi kempen 1Malaysia.

“Adakah orang India sudah tidak selamat berada di kawasan ramai penyokong Umno,?” katanya dalam kenyataan hari ini.

Dalam kejadian semalam 20 pemuda menjerit kepada kaum India yang berada di dalam dewan tersebut.

Kata Chegu Bard, malah ada yang membawa masuk motorsikal ke dalam dewan.

Cedera dan rosak

“Mereka bersenjatakan topi keledar dan kayu terus memukul beberapa tetamu yang hadir. Peralatan P.A dan projektor juga ada dirosakkan.

“Beberapa orang cedera, namun mereka tidak mahu ke hospital kecuali seorang pemuda berbangsa India terpaksa dikejarkan ke hospital kerana hampir pengsan dipukul.

“Di luar dewan pula sebahagian dari kumpulan ini dengan senjata telah mengugut dengan menjerit kepada peniaga yang datang berniaga kerana program tersebut agar menutup perniagaan.

“Ada gerai yang menjual makanan ringan mengalami kerugian apabila gerainya disepak dan barang makanan yang dijualnya berterabur di tanah,” tambahnya.

Chegu Bard berkata, petugas dengan beberapa hadirin yang kebetulan yang baru datang berjaya menenangkan keadaan.

Katanya, kumpulan pemuda tersebut berundur ke seberang jalan mengadap dewan.

“Kira kira empat atau lima anggota polis datang, tetapi jumlah mereka bertambah ramai begitu juga penyokong dan hadirin yang ingin hadir bersama ceramah ABU. Keadaan mula tegang, polis dilihat tidak mampu berbuat apa-apa.

“Kira-kira jam 10.00 mlm penganjur memutuskan untuk menangguhkan program tersebut kerana bimbang soal keselamatan dan mengelakkan insiden tidak diingini berlaku,” katanya lagi.

PM hands Palani bigger task to improve Indian community

2012-01-22T17:07:00.002+08:00

Najib also says that his government is committed to the future growth of Tamil schools.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak today announced that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department G Palanivel has been appointed as the lead minister for the socio-economic development of the Indian community in the country.

The announcement on the appointment of Palanivel, who is also MIC president, was made by Najib at the Malaysia Tamil Schools Community’s annual gathering held at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Tamil Kinrara here.

Najib said the community should build a vision centred on “nambikei” which is belief in Tamil to bring it forward.

“If we are guided by the principles and philosophy of ‘nambikei’ and if we have ‘nambikei’ among us, there is nothing that we cannot achieve and no problem that cannot be solved.

“I am hoping that this ‘nambikei’, which is a common platform in the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership, will bring returns that we all can be proud of,” he said.

Najib added that the government was committed to the future growth of Tamil schools, thereby the future of the Indian community in the country and that from 2009 till last year, the government had allocated RM340 million for physical and infrastructure development for Tamil schools across the nation.

He said, in terms of management and administration, the government had invested about RM2 billion for Tamil schools since 2009.

“In the 2012 Budget, I had announced an additional allocation of RM100 million for upgrading Tamil schools and for their physical and infrastructure development.

“The expenditure list is being prepared and I hope the sum will be spent well so as to truly benefit the schools concerned,” he said.

Education development

He said the government was also cooperating on the matter on other funding groups like the “Community

Chest”, a welfare fund which contributed RM5 million to Tamil schools last year alone.

He said he hoped government-linked companies (GLCs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would also contribute towards education development in the country including for Tamil schools.

“The government has also allocated RM3 million to Community Builders Foundation (CBF) whose chairman is the MIC president. Through this NGO, we have helped more than 4,000 Tamil school students throughout the country who were weak in their studies but today have overcome the problem because of the intervention of the CBF.

“I have also helped the Sri Murugan Centre to produce outstanding students,” he said, adding that as a result of the efforts, the performance of students at Tamil schools was on the uptrend, showing a 47 per cent increase in the number of students who scored 7As in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination between 2009 and 2011.

He added that last year, the number of Tamil school students passing all subjects in the UPSR reached a new record at 53 per cent and was confident that the percentage would improve in the future.

- Bernama

Inaugural HINDRAF ABU Forum at Dewan MBSA, Seksyen 30 Shah Alam violently disrupted by Samseng Jalanan

2012-01-22T17:05:00.002+08:00

Today is the first time the regime has chosen to use youths, some of whom look like they are in their teens, to threaten and harm their fellow citizens who are engaged in a legitimate expression of their right to free speech and assembly.

N. Ganesan, National Advisor Hindraf Makkal Sakthi

The inaugural HINDRAF and ABU forum planned at Dewan Orang Ramai MBSA, titled "Tamatkan Rejim UMNO/BN" was violently disrupted by a gang of youths on motorcycles.

The event started at 9.20 pm, and within minutes of the speakers taking their seats on stage, a group of Samseng Jalanan rode their motorcycles into the venue, with horns blaring in an attempt to disrupt the proceedings.

The crowd and the speakers on stage calmly ignored the disruption, which was a signal for the leader of the mat rempits to step off his motorcycle and escalate the situation by calling for any Malays in attendance to leave the hall immediately. Having succeeded in getting a few of the attendees to leave the hall, the mat rempits then began kicking and pushing over the publicity material and tables placed at the entrance to the hall.

This made some of the crowd restless, and prompted the mat rempit leader to ask the crowd to 'berambus'. Things took an ugly turn when another mat rempit then rode his motorcycle right into the seating area, making those seated there scramble for safety. The men in the crowd walked up to the mat rempits and asked them to leave, and the shoving began between the two groups. Things went spiraling out of control with blows being traded, and one of the attendees who found himself in a running fight with the mat rempits outside the hall was knocked senseless, and had to be rushed off to the hospital.

The organisers then decided to call off the forum, as it became apparent that the mat rempits were under orders to do anything and everything to stop the forum from going on.

The police arrived at the scene about 10 minutes after the mat rempits rode off.

This is a sign that HINDRAF and ABU are doing the right thing. HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi are no strangers to intimidation by the police and other uniformed personnel at indoor forums and events that they organise.

But today is the first time the regime has chosen to use youths, some of whom look like they are in their teens, to threaten and harm their fellow citizens who are engaged in a legitimate expression of their right to free speech and assembly.

Hindraf Makkal Sakthi will not be cowed by today's brazen attempt by UMNO/BN to intimidate those that have the courage to speak out against their regime. Hindraf Makkal Sakthi will continue to hold forums around the country together with ABU, and educate the citizens that the time for change is nigh.

EUROPE AND NORTH AMERICA

2012-01-22T17:03:00.002+08:00

1. Ever since the Europeans and this includes the Americans, lost to the Eastern countries in the manufactured goods markets, they have switched to the financial market. Through the many products they created in this market they seem to be able to grow and maintain their wealth and prosperity as shown by such indices as the GDP and Per Capita income.

2. But the business is spurious. The financial market is basically about gambling. Ever since America decided that the market should regulate itself, that there should be less Government, all kinds of unacceptable practices have been allowed. Short selling expanded from shares to commodities to currencies, Banks lend more money than they have and allowed highly leveraged borrowings by hedge funds and currency traders. They indulge in sub-prime loans, securing these imprudent lending by mortgaging and insurance.

3. In real business the costs in the European countries are unduly high because of high salaries and wages for workers’ pensions, bonuses, short working hours, long paid holidays, unemployment and other social benefits. The standard of living may be high but European products cannot compete with the products of the East in world markets.

4. The currency trading today, for example is said to be worth four trillion dollars a day, equal to the total productivity of Germany in one year. Whereas producing goods and services by Germany spins off all kinds of supporting and other businesses as well as millions of jobs, currency trading spins off no businesses nor create any real jobs. All the dealing involves only the entry of figures in bank books. The earnings are real enough and can contribute to GDP and Per Capita growth. But the picture of economic growth indicated by these indices is false as the wealth belongs to a very small percentage of the population.

5. The sums involved are however huge, running into hundreds of billions and even trillions of dollars. When the bottom fell out, the losses are equally huge, sufficient to bankrupt even the biggest banks. Even countries can go bankrupt.

6. When you lose money, you become poor. Countries are the same. When they lose money or they borrow beyond their means and cannot pay, they become poor.

7. The problem is an unwillingness to admit that they, the Europeans, the Americans, the icons of the free market and economic prosperity are now poor. As a result all the manoeuvres so far are aimed at staying rich, at maintaining a lifestyle that is untenable.

8. The only real way out is to accept a lifestyle that is associated with lower incomes. But the people are demanding to live the rich life they were used to before. The austerity programs are rejected with demonstrations and strikes. And these simply aggravate the situation.

9. If wages and salaries as well as bonuses and other perks are lowered, then the production of goods and services by the workers would cost less. The goods will be able to compete again in the markets against those of the East. Real businesses would then be able to be resuscitated.

10. At the same time the financial market should be curbed. Operations out of tax havens should not be allowed and all accounts must be submitted to the authorities. Currencies should be pegged to a new independent trading currency based on a specific amount of gold or other precious metal. The fluctuation in value would be minimal, making doing business less uncertain.

11. With the lower cost of production there will be no necessity to outsource in Asia. The industries of Europe would be revived and contribute towards overcoming unemployment and early settlement of debts. Real wealth would be generated.

12. The Europeans also spend far too much on weapons. Research, development and upgrading swallow up huge amounts of money. As the weapons become more sophisticated the costs go up sky high. Where before a fighter plane would cost a million dollars, now they cost 50 to 100 million dollars.

13. Yet these weapons are quite useless in fighting the guerrilla wars they are likely to face. And they dare not have wars with countries with the same military capacities because it would be ruinous for everybody and would probably spell the end of the world.

14. Their military budget contributes to the wastage of funds as the likelihood is that the weapons would never be used for the purpose they are developed, certainly not on the scale they are being prepared for.

15. Everything points towards a new Bretton Woods. The world’s economy has become much more liked and integrated that a new set of monetary, financial and banking system needs to be negotiated and devised, taking into consideration the views and problems of the poor countries as well. There should be no thoughts about hegemony; military, political or economic.

Death in police custody – A Kugan (Taipan, USJ police station lock-up; 20 Jan 2009)

2012-01-22T17:00:00.001+08:00

Three years ago on 20 Jan 2009, 22-year-old A Kugan reportedly died in the Taipan, USJ police station lock-up five days after he had been arrested.

The death occurred in highly suspicious circumstances that raise very alarming questions about the treatment of detainees in police custody and the methods of interrogation used. Photographs and video footage of the deceased individual that were available in the public domain revealed what appeared to be shockingly severe, inexplicable injuries on his body, which appear to be consistent with physical restraint and torture.

Despite the requirement that all custodial deaths be investigated by inquiries conducted pursuant to Chapter XXXII of the Criminal Procedure Code, it does not appear that an inquest has been conducted into A Kugan’s death.

On 28 Jan 2011, the Sessions Court found police constable V Navindran not guilty of causing injuries to A Kugan during the latter’s detention. The decision was made without calling V Navindran to defend himself. However, this decision was overturned at the High Court on 20 Jan 2012, and V Navindran was ordered to enter his defence on two alternative charges of causing hurt to A Kugan.

Earlier, on 14 Jan 2012, N. Indra, the mother of A Kugan had filed a suit against the police and the government for more than RM100 million in damages over his death. She is seeking damages over misfeasance of public office, false imprisonment, negligence, assault and battery, and breach of statutory duties on the part of the defendants. In the suit, Deputy Inspector General of Police Dato’ Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, who was Selangor police chief at the time of the incident, is named as the first defendant, while the second defendant is police constable V Navindran.

Every death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. A Kugan’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic.

Based on statistics disclosed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 156 persons died in police custody from the year 2000 until February 2011.

We express our heartfelt condolences to A Kugan’s family and friends on this anniversary of his death.

Four years ago today, Goh Yan Peaw died after being detained at the Segamat police station lock-up for eleven days after his arrest. He was reportedly found unconscious in his detention cell and was taken to the hospital, where he died. An inquest into Goh Yan Peaw’s death was scheduled to commence on 10 June 2008. However, it is not clear what the outcome has been. All custodial deaths are required to be investigated by inquiries conducted pursuant to Chapter XXXII of the Criminal Procedure Code. Every death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Goh Yan Peaw’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic. Based on statistics disclosed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 156 persons died in police custody from the year 2000 until February 2011. We express our heartfelt condolences to Goh Yan Peaw’s family and friends on the anniversary of his death.

2012-01-22T16:59:00.000+08:00

Four years ago today, Goh Yan Peaw died after being detained at the Segamat police station lock-up for eleven days after his arrest. He was reportedly found unconscious in his detention cell and was taken to the hospital, where he died.

An inquest into Goh Yan Peaw’s death was scheduled to commence on 10 June 2008. However, it is not clear what the outcome has been. All custodial deaths are required to be investigated by inquiries conducted pursuant to Chapter XXXII of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Every death in custody must be thoroughly and impartially investigated. Goh Yan Peaw’s death must not be relegated to a mere statistic.

Based on statistics disclosed by the Ministry of Home Affairs, 156 persons died in police custody from the year 2000 until February 2011.

We express our heartfelt condolences to Goh Yan Peaw’s family and friends on the anniversary of his death.

Palanivel Appointed Lead Minister For Socio-economic Development Of Indian Community

2012-01-22T16:56:00.003+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Sunday announced that Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk G. Palanivel has been appointed as the lead minister for the socio-economic development of the Indian community in the country.

The announcement on the appointment of Palanivel, who is also MIC president, was made by Najib at the Malaysia Tamil Schools Community's annual gathering held at Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJK) Tamil Kinrara here.

Najib said the community should build a vision centred on "nambikei" which is belief in Tamil to bring it forward.

"If we are guided by the principles and philosophy of 'nambikei' and if we have 'nambikei' among us, there is nothing that we cannot achieve and no problem that cannot be solved.

"I am hoping that this 'nambikei', which is a common platform in the Barisan Nasional (BN) leadership, will bring returns that we all can be proud of," he said.

Najib added that the government was committed to the future growth of (SJK) Tamil schools, thereby the future of the Indian community in the country and that from 2009 till last year, the government had allocated RM340 million for physical and infrastructure development for Tamil schools across the nation.

He said, in terms of management and administration, the government had invested about RM2 billion for Tamil schools since 2009.

"In the 2012 Budget, I had announced an additional allocation of RM100 million for upgrading Tamil schools and for their physical and infrastructure development.

"The expenditure list is being prepared and I hope the sum will be spent well so as to truly benefit the schools concerned," he said.

He said the government was also cooperating on the matter on other funding groups like the "Community Chest", a welfare fund which contributed RM5 million to Tamil schools last year alone.

He said he hoped government-linked companies (GLCs) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would also contribute towards education development in the country including for Tamil schools.

"The government has also allocated RM3 million to Community Builders Foundation (CBF) whose chairman is the MIC preisdent. Through this NGO, we have helped more than 4,000 Tamil school students throughout the country who were weak in their studies but today have overcome the problem because of the intervention of the CBF.

"I have also helped the Sri Murugan Centre to produce outstanding students," he said, adding that as a result of the efforts, the performance of students at Tamil schools was on the uptrend, showing a 47 per cent increase in the number of students who scored 7As in the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) examination between 2009 and 2011.

He added that last year, the number of Tamil school students passing all subjects in the UPSR reached a new record at 53 per cent and was confident that the percentage would improve in the future.

Umno harus ambil tanggungjawab ; serangan bersifat perkauman terhadap program ABU

2012-01-22T16:55:00.003+08:00

Kenyataan Rasmi

22 Januari 2012

SAMM MENGUTUK SERANGAN GANAS BERSIFAT PERKAUMAN.

Asalkan Bukan Umno (ABU) ialah sentimen rakyat yang ingin melihat penyatuan perbagai 'force' dalam usaha menumbangkan Umno ke arah menyelamatkan negara. Ini penting kerana melihat kehancuran negara yang disebabkan Umno iaitu sebuah parti yang dicipta penjajah untuk mewarisi negara ini semakin tidak terbendung.

Sentimen ABU ini ialah sentimen rakyat namun baru - baru ini beberapa organisasi pertubuhan bukan kerajaan dengan kerjasama beberapa parti politik telah bergabung untuk memberi nafas baru kepada sentimen ini menjadi kempen kesedaran peringkat nasional. Pada 15 Disember lepas ABU telah dilancarkan di Taman Melewar, Gombak dengan menyaksikan pentas perasmian dikongsi oleh ahli politik, aktivis masyarakat, peniaga kecil, kontraktor, wakil orang asal, pekerja kilang dan wakil-wakil perbagai segmentasi masyarakat hadir menyampaikan ucapan.

Selepas itu program berteraskan ABU berterusan dalam perbagai pendekatan dalam skala kecil dan besar. Antaranya ialah pelancaran ABU Pulau Pinang pada 18 Januari 2012 di Permatang Damar Laut yang menyaksikan bukan sahaja lebih 1500 kehadiran dalam kawasan yang dikenali kubu Umno sebelum ini tetapi turut menyaksikan pengistiharan keluar beramai - ramai ahli Umno yang diketuai oleh bekas ketua cawangan Umno kawasan tersebut. Bukan itu sahaja pengedaran risalah ABU serta kemeja ABU mula menjadi trend anak muda.

Mungkin melihat kejayaan dan penerimaan makin meningkat maka Umno menjadi gusar.

Minggu lepas sekali lagi ABU menjadi perhatian apabila Hindraf secara rasmi menyatakan pendirian bersama dengan ABU. Hindraf berjanji akan bersama dengan sekutu - sekutu yang bersama sentimen ABU malah koordinator Kebangsaan hindraf w.Sambulinggam menyatakan hasrat ingin bersama PR bagi mengalahkan Umno/Bn dalam PRU akan datang.

Serentak dengan itu Hindraf mengusakan beberapa pentas program ABU di beberapa tempat.

Pada 21 Januari 2012 jam 9.00 mlm telah disusun program Ceramah Umum ABU yang menampilkan Hj. Mohd Sabu (Timbalan Presiden PAS), Peguam Haris Ibrahim (SABM), cheGuBard (SAMM) dan Sambulinggam (Hindraf) di Dewan MBSA seksyen 30, Jalan Kebun,Shah Alam.

Kira - kira 8.45 malam, orang ramai memasuki dewan, kebetulan dengan waktu Isya yang lewat maka kehadiran awal ialah majoriti bukan Islam. Kira - kira 9.00 mlm semua penceramah sampai dan mula duduk diatas pentas. Serentak dengan itu datang kira - kira 20 orang pemuda menjerit perbagai cacian dan makian yang dilihat secara sengaja ditujukan kepada hadirin India. Malah ada yang membawa masuk motorsikal ke dalam dewan. Mereka bersenjatakan topi keledar dan kayu terus memukul beberapa tetamu yang hadir. Peralatan P.A dan projektor juga ada dirosakkan. Beberapa orang cedera, namun mereka tidak mahu ke hospital kecuali seorang pemuda berbangsa India terpaksa dikejarkan ke hospital kerana hampir pengsan dipukul.

Di luar dewan pula sebahagian dari kumpulan ini dengan senjata telah mengugut dengan menjerit kepada peniaga yang datang berniaga kerana program tersebut agar menutup perniagaan. Ada gerai yang menjual makanan ringan mengalamai kerugian apabila gerainya disepak dan barang makanan yang dijualnya berterabur di tanah.

Petugas dengan beberapa hadirin yang kebutulan ada yang baru datang berjaya menenangkan keadaan. Kumpulan pemuda - pemuda tersebut berundur ke seberang jalan mengadap dewan. Ketika kira kira 4-5 orang ganggota polis datang, jumlahnya mereka bertambah ramai begitu juga penyokong dan hadirin yang ingin hadir bersama ceramah ABU. Keadaan mula tegang, polis dilihat tidak mampu berbuat apa-apa.

Kira - kira jam 10.00 mlm penganjur memutuskan untuk menangguhkan program tersebut kerana bimbang soal keselamatan dan mengelakkan insiden tidak diingini berlaku.

Jelas serangan tersebut ditujukan kepada hadirin bukan Melayu khususnya India, dalam taklimat sebelum bersurai cheGuBard meminta agar kawan - kawan Melayu agar dapat memastikan kawan-kawan berbangsa India dapat di iring ke kenderaan dan selamat keluar dari kawasan kerana di keliling dewan pemuda - pemuda ada yang bersenjata bertambah ramai menjerit jerit ugutan perkauman.

Ada orang tempatan yang mengenai penyerang tersebut dengan orang kuat Umno, malah dari pakaian (ada berlogo Umno), aksi dan jeritan mereka yang menghalau orang India keluar kerana ini kawasan Melayu kubu Umno jelas menunjukkan serangan tersebut harus dipertanggungjawabkan kepada Umno. Mereka sedang mencipta pergaduhan kaum, mujur yang hadir tenang dan bertindak bijak.

Kejadian malam tadi membuktikan sikap sebenar Umno dan hipokrasi kempen 1 Malaysia. Adakah orang India sudah tidak selamat berada dikawasan ramai penyokong Umno ? satu lagi paku telah diketuk untuk menyiapkan keranda Umno menjelang PRU akan datang.

Umno harus dipertanggungjawabkan dalam kejadian serangan fizikal, ganas dan bersifat perkauman ini. PDRM dituntut bertindak profesional gambar rakaman semua tersedia dan diserahkan bersama dengan laporan yang dibuat penganjur.

Kejadian ini sama sekali tidak melemahkan. Malah semua rakyat dijemput untuk hadir ke

Pelancaran ABU Negeri Sembilan

28 Januari 2012, 9.00 malam

Taman Seremban Selatan.

Sekian

che'GuBard
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia

22 Jan 2012

2.08 pagi

What happened in Jalan Kebun last night

2012-01-22T16:54:00.002+08:00

A group of stick-wielding youths on motorbikes gate-crashed an Anything But Umno(Abu)-Hindraf forum in Klang last night and disrupted the event.

Check out this Free Malaysia Today video.

Now, you might not agree with Hindraf’s politics (and I have reservations about its political approach and some of its claims), but this kind of disruption is unacceptable.

From the video, it seems clear who the aggressors are.

There’s simply no excuse for this kind of loutish behaviour nor should it be allowed to creep into our political culture.

Cow slaughtered inside Kerala temple compound

2012-01-20T03:45:00.002+08:00

Tension prevailed on Wednesday in Perumbavoor, a satellite town of Kochi city, and surrounding areas following the sacrilegious act of slaughtering a pregnant cow inside the compound of the famous Sree Dharma Sastha temple there by three persons belonging to the Muslim community late Tuesday afternoon.

Three taluks of Ernakulam district – Muvattupuzha, Kunnathunadu and Kothamangalam – observed a dawn-to-dusk shutdown on Wednesday as per a call given by Hindu organizations and Sangh Pariwar outfits to protest against the gruesome slaughter of the pregnant cow by slitting the throat.

The shutdown affected normal life in all the three taluks. Incidents of mild stone-pelting were reported from some places. The police had on Tuesday itself taken three persons – Muhammad (49), his son Anas (23) and Razid (18) – into custody in connection with the cow-slaughter. One person managed to flee the scene.

The police registered cases against the three Muslims under Section 120b (criminal conspiracy) and 153 A (inciting enmity between groups) of the IPC, police sources said. Investigations were on to find out if they deliberately wanted to create trouble, they added.

A member of the Sree Dharma Sastha temple committee expressed suspicion that the slaughter was perhaps not meant for meat but to stir up tension. “If they wanted the cow for meat they could have simply stolen it. That they committed the heinous act right in front of the temple has only one explanation – their intention was perhaps to create trouble,” he said.

As per police reports, Perumbavoor and the surrounding areas have witnessed a rise in Islamist operations recently. The place is just 25 km away from Muvattupuzha, where activists of Islamist organization Popular Front of India had cut off the right hand of a college professor on July 4, 2010 alleging that he had blasphemed Prophet Muhammad through a test paper for students.

The sacrilegious act of cow-slaughter took place late Tuesday afternoon after the three Muslims reached the temple compound pretending that they wanted to give medicine to the cow which had developed some health problems two days ago. The cow had wandered into the temple area about two weeks ago.

The three men then put up a screen in the temple compound (to conceal the slaughter from the people) with plastic sheets brought from a nearby building and slit the throat of the cow after one of them, a Moulvi from a nearby village, said the prayers which was mandatory as per customs of the community.

As news of the outrageous act spread, thousands of Hindus including activists of Sangh Pariwar outfits rushed to the temple and blocked the evil-doers from escaping. The arrival of some members of the Muslim community to justify the slaughter caused escalation in tension. One of those arrested was from among those who came to justify the act, said protestors.

The protesting devotees and local residents refused to allow the police to take away the evil-doers and the carcass of the cow, leading to tension that lasted for several hours. Though a team of police officials tried to calm the people down but the efforts did not succeed.

As the people refused to move away from the area even late in the evening, personnel of the Rapid Action Force and Quick Reaction Team were deployed. The police removed the carcass and the three persons from the scene after carrying out a lathi-large. Four police vehicles were damaged.

Devotees, temple committee members and activists of various Hindu organizations and Sangh Pariwar outfits held protest demonstrations in the temple area and the Perumbavoor town later. Tension escalated in the town as another demonstration was held by those who wanted to justify the slaughter.

An all-party meeting convened by the Ernakulam District Collector on Wednesday evening decided to hold a peace rally in Perumbavoor town on Thursday morning. The parties that took part in the meeting also came to an understanding that nobody would make provocative statements in connection with the incident.

Seven PSC proposals accepted for 13th GE

2012-01-20T03:40:00.001+08:00

The EC has agreed to implement seven out of 10 proposals, while the remaining three are still being studied.

KUANTAN: The Election Commission (EC) has agreed to implement seven out of 10 proposals presented by the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) in the coming 13th general election, said EC chairman Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

The remainder three which involved non-resident voters, absentee voters abroad and changing of registration areas were still being studied, he said.

“The seven proposals which would be implemented for the 13th general election are the use of indelible ink; early voting by police and armed forces and their spouses; extending the electoral roll display from seven to 14 days; abolishing the objection process and withdrawal period for candidates; cleaning up of the electoral roll; and strengthening the EC,” he added.

Aziz was speaking to reporters after a briefing to managers and assistant managers in preparation for the 13th general election, here today.

He said the committee, which was formed August last year has completed its nationwide public hearing sessions on Jan 13 in Johor Bahru.

“We understand that the committee’s final report would be presented in Parliament during the March sitting,” he added.

In relation to the cleaning up of the electoral roll, he said the EC has given a list of 12.4 million registered voters to MIMOS Berhad, for action early this month.

“We’ve given them a deadline but hope it can be completed before the PSC report is presented in Parliament in March,” he said.

Commenting on concerns that certain parties would still be dissatisfied with the implementation of the proposals, he said they could always put forward their suggestions to the EC through various mediums including letters.

On another note, he informed that the EC had terminated the services of 24 Assistant Registrars, while another 67 were issued warnings for various inefficiencies.

- Bernama

Nizar: Malays are back with us

2012-01-20T03:39:00.001+08:00

Perak's former menteri besar says that PAS is gradually reeling in the Malay votes there.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malay majority areas in Perak have been fierce battlegrounds for Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat for the past three years.

With most of the 24 marginal state seats located in these areas the Malay electorate’s support is vital for the opposition coalition to reclaim the government that it lost in February 2009.

Pakatan suffered not only an excruciating handing back of the state to BN but also a sharp blow to the reputation of its menteri besar, Nizar Jamaluddin, who was scorned as a “DAP puppet” and a “traitor” to the Perak sultan for refusing a royal order to vacate his post.

Pakatan scrambled to get back on its feet but a year later Nizar admitted that both he and the coalition were unable to enter remote Malay areas where they most needed to set the record straight.

At the time Pakatan gauged that its popularity among rural Malay voters had dipped 7-8 % from the 40% it had enjoyed in the previous general election.

In February last year, PAS state treasurer Abdul Rahim Ariff was quoted in a Wikileaks report as saying that if elections were held there and then, Malay votes would split evenly between Umno and PAS unlike in March 2008 when there was a clear swing of Malay votes towards PAS and PKR.

Tide is changing again

But the tide appeared to be changing yet again. In an interview with FMT last week, Nizar said that PAS’ steady groundwork was paying off with Malay electorate support flowing back in its direction.

The Bukit Gantang MP and his party had finally broken the seal on the doors into Felda and Felcra where they were going all out to keep it open.

“There is a taskforce within PAS and PKR focusing solely on Felda issues and working closely with the Felda central committee,” Nizar said.

“We’ve been working on six Felda sites so far and are slowly inching deeper into the region. And what we’ve found is that the objection towards PAS isn’t as strong as before.”

Three elements lie behind this shift. The first is the relationship PAS had forged with the second generation of Felda settlers who were currently living outside their settlement and exposed to news sources beyond the mainstream spectrum.

“These youth are those who are bringing back our messages to their parents and convincing them to take a different point of view,” Nizar said.

The second element is the redemption of PAS and Nizar’s image through the re-telling of the coup d’etat through Pakatan’s eyes.

“Umno’s justification was that I represented a Chinese government and it would retain a Malay one,” Nizar stated. “Remote Malay village communities agreed and condoned Umno’s actions.”

“Over time they forgot about it but we have been reminding them through VCDs, flyers and ceramahs. And when we explained it in their language they began to understand. So this issue would continue to be the prime agenda of all our ceramahs.”

NFC scandal is a bonus

The third element is a bonus delivered by BN through the recent NFC scandal with which many Felda settlers could comprehend and identify. And this, Nizar stated, “tremendously boosted” Malay support for PAS.

He nevertheless warned his compatriots against basking in overconfidence particularly when BN’s top guns were making frequent descents upon the state.

“(Prime minister) Najib (Tun Razak) has been spending a lot of time in Perak and (Deputy Prime Minister) Muhyiddin (Yassin) is there twice a month,” he said.

“Four federal ministers were transferred to Perak last month where they gathered 12,000 civil servants for a ceramah in Kuala Kangsar. There is money being thrown around but I believe that the people would take it without giving their votes in return.”

Nizar added that PAS had also learned from its past mistake of neglecting to assure the Malays that their interests wouldn’t be upstaged by those of the non-Malays.

The Malays community forms 54% of Perak’s electorate with the Chinese at 32% and Indians at 13%.

PAS’ provision of new hectares of land to Chinese communities, schools and associations was understandably met with unhappiness by the Malays who felt that their rights and privileges were being usurped by their new government. This further convinced them that only Umno was able to protect their interests.

“At the time we only had Barisan Alternatif and we built a state government based on which party won the most seats,” Nizar explained. “And since DAP won 18 seats most of the cabinet members represented the party.”

“But we now have an understanding within Pakatan of the importance of a balanced government. We have felt the negative implications of not showing a fair distribution among the communities and will now work on creating a balance based on racial composition.”

Probe Kadir’s vote buying claim, MACC told

2012-01-20T03:37:00.003+08:00

“Who gave him money?” DAP man asks in anti-corruption report

SEREMBAN: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has been asked to investigate former tourism minister Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir following his admission that he was involved in Barisan Nasional’s attempts to bribe voters.

The MP for Seremban, DAP’s John Fernandez, in a report lodged with the commission today, also urged it to investigate others who might have been involved.

Recent news reports quoted Kadir as saying that he used to receive “lump sums of money” during election campaigns to buy votes for BN in a strategy code-named “bomb”.

“I want MACC to investigate Kadir and find out who gave him the money,” Fernandez told reporters.

“He is a former cabinet minister, former Umno supreme council member and is still an Umno member. His statement as per reported clearly gives indications there is rampant vote buying by Umno and BN during elections.

“I also want MACC to investigate others involved and find out whether there has been any infringement of the current law. MACC should charge the relevant persons in court,” he said.

Another DAP man, Senawang state assemblyman P Gunasekaran, meanwhile questioned the MACC’s seriousness in investigating a report lodged some time ago against Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan.

“What happened to the report on allegations that Mohamad Hasan transferred RM10 million out of the country?” he asked, adding that MACC seemed to be dilly dallying in investigating BN figures.

“There are no feedbacks or updates after we lodge our reports. When we call them, the classic response is to say that MACC is still investigating or that the case has been sent to MACC headquarters in Putrajaya for further action,” he said.

Will Prosecutors Appeal Anwar Verdict?

2012-01-20T03:34:00.003+08:00

Saiful wants to appeal

The complaining witness faces some sticky questions
By Jan. 25 – the day after the end of the Lunar New Year holiday, Malaysia’s attorney general, Abdul Gani Patail, must decide whether to appeal the not-guilty verdict in opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II case.

Unlike many western democracies, Malaysia allows the prosecution the right of appeal against a not-guilty verdict. Anwar was declared not guilty on Jan. 9 by High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah, who said that “the court cannot be 100 percent certain” that the DNA evidence against Anwar was not contaminated.

The political temperature has been rising in Malaysia ever since the announcement of the not-guilty verdict, with a steady stream of announcements in the mainstream press demanding that the prosecution appeal. The United Malays National Organization, the leading political party in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, has reaped the reward of considerable sympathetic publicity, alleging that justice has been denied for Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, the star witness against Anwar.

Saiful’s father, Azlan Mohd Lazim, held an emotional press conference demanding that: “For the sake of my son, I plead to the AG to file an appeal.” The prosecution team, led by Solicitor General Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden, has also demanded that the case be appealed. Saiful himself, a baby-faced 26-year-old, has asked that the case be appealed as well.

Leading the charge to ask for an appeal is said to be a group of UMNO hardliners reportedly led by the Deputy Prime Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin despite the fact that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has claimed that the acquittal underscores Malaysia’s commitment to the premier’s extensive reform agenda.

Abdul Gani, as attorney general, has the sole discretion to grant the appeal and the matter doesn’t rest with either Saiful or UMNO. If the prosecution goes ahead with Saiful’s demand for an appeal of the case against Anwar, however, it brings back a difficult question that prosecutors have ignored since the onset of the case in June of 2008, when Saiful lodged a report claiming he had been sodomized by the opposition leader.

From the start, the prosecution has alleged that the reported contact between Saiful and Anwar was consensual. In court during the trial, which began in February of 2010, Saiful acknowledged that he had gone to Anwar’s condominium on the day the offense was said to have taken place with a tube of lubricant in his pocket, a clear indication that he knew what he was getting into. Anwar has said that he was meeting in the condo with a group of economists at the time, and while a CCTV camera picked up Saiful’s image in the lift, the former aide never entered the condo.

In any case, Saiful has never been charged by the prosecution for participation in an act of unnatural sex, as it is called in Malaysia. One lawyer in Kuala Lumpur, in an interview, compared the case to that of Anwar’s first sodomy trial in 1998, in which Munawar Anees, Anwar's former speechwriter, was sentenced to six months in prison on the same charge. It was alleged that Munawar took an overnight flight from the United Kingdom to Malaysia to be sodomized by Anwar, then turned around and got on a plane and flew back to the UK. Anwar served six years in prison in that case, which was universally condemned by human rights organization across the world as hopelessly rigged by the government to end his political career.

Both Munawar and another alleged participant in sex with Anwar later recanted their confessions, alleging they had been tortured into pleading guilty. Munawar’s appeal was rejected, however. Anwar was ultimately freed on appeal in September of 2004.

“When (Saiful) has committed the same act that Anwar has been charged with, why has he not been charged?” the lawyer asked. “Dr Munawar, who was basically a Saiful, was dragged into court and sentenced for six months’ jail for being the sodomee and not the sodomist. In this case the sodomist is charged with the same complaint, and the sodomee has got off. That is the situation.”

If Saiful is insisting that he wants to appeal the charge, the lawyer said, “the prosecution should begin initiating a charge against him as well. It is the prosecuting office that acts to protect the members of the public. I would like to see Saiful charged. He is part and parcel of this whole crime. One party cannot commit this crime alone. It takes two to commit the crime.”

Prime Minister Najib has reaped considerable praise for his statement that the government had nothing to do with Zabidin’s decision and that the case had been handled by the judge on its merits. During the trial itself, witnesses testified that Saiful had delayed for 104 hours in providing a DNA sample of Anwar’s alleged sperm.

Brian McDonald, a molecular geneticist, pointed out that no sperm after ejaculation could have survived 56 hours in Saiful’s rectum – during which he said he had neither gone to the bathroom nor eaten – and another 48 hours unguarded in an unlocked safe in the office of the investigating officer prior to being handed over to the chemical laboratory for analysis. It was this concern that led Judge Zabidin to say it was impossible to be 100 percent certain that the DNA hadn’t been contaminated.

If Zabidin’s assessment is correct, as he pointed out that leaves Saiful’s testimony as the sole link to a judgment against the opposition leader. But Saiful has never been arrested nor charged with consensual sex. Nonetheless, he continues to demand to be a complaining witness.

Ethics – an asset to justice

2012-01-20T03:31:00.002+08:00

The Star
by M. Veera Pandiyan

Getting judges to publicly declare their assets is a significant step towards improving the integrity of our judiciary and changing the perception of the bench.

DARE to declare! That seems to be the slogan of the moment, in the wake of the move by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and his state executive council to declare their assets publicly last week.

Based on the list of properties, investments and cars along with the loans taken, Penang is being run by a motley crew of wealthy and not-so-rich politicians.

Lim owns two shop lots in Malacca, worth RM435,000 and RM530,000 respectively and has taken RM650,000 in loans to pay for them.

He has RM298,785 in fixed deposits, with more than RM53,000 in earned interests besides investments in Amanah Mutual Bhd and Public Mutual Fund.

But there were no clues about the assets of the spouses and relatives, though. When asked about this, the CM was reported to have replied that the pledge was only for the assets of its leaders to be disclosed.

In the case of Selangor, the declaration of assets by the Mentri Besar and exco members in 2009 was basically in the form of their current earnings in salaries and allowances.

They decided not to include assets owned before the exco members held office, on the grounds of not being able to assure security for them or their family members.

Excos disclosed their assets privately to the MB’s office. The information, however, can be released for legitimate reasons, subject to conditions set and approved by the Special Select Committee on Competence, Accountability and Transparency or Selcat.

For political parties, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) holds the record for being the first to deliver the promise of declaring the assets of its elected and appointed representatives.

Since 2008, it has made public statutory declarations about what they own.

PSM’s sole MP, Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj – who unseated MIC supremo Datuk S. Samy Vellu in Sungei Siput – has been quoted as saying: “Once you become an assemblyman or MP, you must reveal the assets of yourself, your wife and your immediate family every year.”

An increasing number of countries have adopted similar ethics and even have anti-corruption laws requiring public officials to declare their assets and income, in addition to that of their spouses and dependant children.

In the US, for instance, the main law governing this is the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.

Based on last year’s declaration, President Barack Obama has assets worth at least US$4mil (RM12.48mil).

The amount includes book royalties, retirement funds, US Treasury bills and notes and other holdings.

In Malaysia, would all elected representatives from both sides of the political divide agree to be subject to such scrutiny?

As it is, many of our YBs are seen to be extremely well-heeled. They always claim to champion the cause of the rakyat but live in mansions worth millions and lead luxurious lifestyles.

Of course, they can always declare that they were already rich before being elected or appointed.

So, instead of waiting until they are elected, why not make it mandatory for all nominated candidates for Parliament and state seats to disclose their wealth and means of income and those of their immediate family?

Perhaps one way to ensure this is through compulsion – by an Act of Parliament.

One wonders if there would still be many people clamouring to be elected representatives or appointed representatives under such rules.

But we are at least making progress when it comes to the judiciary.

Chief Justice Tan Sri Arifin Zakaria has made a laudable move towards getting judges to declare their assets.

It is indeed a significant step towards improving transparency and integrity of our judiciary and changing the current public perception of the bench.

“I’m sure all of you have nothing to fear, so we have to work together with the MACC on this matter,” the CJ said at the judges’ conference last week.

The MACC has since set up a task force to identify the process under the civil service for the implementation.

The CJ has also told judges to maintain the independence of the judiciary and not to put up with any interference, including from their spouses, when making their decisions.

According to Transparency International’s Bribe Payers Index of 2008, the judiciary was perceived by surveyed business executives to be one of the most corrupt institutions in the country.

Business executives surveyed by the World Economic Forum Global competitiveness Report 2010-2011 identified the judicial system as being under enough influence of members of government, certain individuals and companies to constitute a competitive disadvantage.

They also found the efficiency of the legal framework for private companies to settle disputes and challenge government actions and/or regulations as another disadvantage.

The CJ’s move to boost the integrity of the judiciary is noteworthy in view of such negative perceptions.

The country cannot afford to have a judiciary perceived to be ethically compromised. It would be a millstone around the neck of any anti-corruption strategy.

As such, it needs the full support and cooperation of the people, members of the Bar, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and more so from the political leaders.

> Associate Editor M. Veera Pandiyan likes to share these wise words of Gandhi: “There is a higher court than courts of justice and that is the court of conscience. It supercedes all other courts.”

Police Detain Student Who Threatens PM On Facebook

2012-01-20T03:30:00.001+08:00

ALOR SETAR, Jan 19 (Bernama) -- A female student, in Kuala Muda district, was detained for writing a statement with lewd and threatening undertones against Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The student, 20, was detained after police received a report at about 10pm about her writings on facebook which contained obscenities and threat on the life of Najib.

State police chief Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim said police detected the owner of the facebook account, a student from a private institution of higher learning, after an investigation, and had detained her at 9am.

"We have been to her university, and from the university authorities, we have called the student, to have her statement taken on the matter," he told reporters here, tonight.

He said the police also seized a handphone and a laptop computer belonging to the student who is in second year at the university.

"We also called the parents of the student to help in investigation," Ahmad said.

He said, as the student was still in her week of examination, police had released her to enable her to sit for the examination.

"We will call several individuals to given information on the matter. We will also call the student again at any time if there is a need to do so," he said.

He said the police would investigate the case in detail and would always monitor the student.

"We have opened an investigation paper under Section 506 of the Penal Code," he said.

Umno tunjuk dangkal dalam spin isu cheGuBard hina masyarakat India

2012-01-20T03:28:00.003+08:00

Di atas ialah keratan paparan yang mengandungi akaun twitter che'GuBard yang disiarkan dalam beberapa laman pro Bn. Kononya menurut mereka che'GuBard menghina kaum India dengan mengatakan masyarakat india kaum tani sebagai kasta rendah.

Kesian melihat kesungguhan blogger pro Bn yang bersungguh membuat 'spinning' dengan setiap apa juga yang diperolehi mereka. Namun mereka tidak sedar bahawa usaha mereka ini menunjukkan secara tidak lansung kedangkalan hujah dan ilmu.

Apa yang saya sebut tidak ada kena mengena dengan kasta tetapi teori sistem kelas yang digunakan pakai dalam banyak tulisan / tesis dalam mengupas atau menggambarkan kelas masyarakat.

Soekanto (1993) dalam ‘Kamus Sosiologi’ dalam mengupas prasangka kelas secara jelas merujuk beberapa kali menyebut kelas bawahan sebagai rakyat tertindas dan kelas atasan sebagai elit yang dekat dengan kekuasaan. Teori Sosiologi yang dicetus Karl Marx yang kemudian dikupas dalam banyak tulisan turut merujuk kelas bawah sebagai kelas pekerja dan kelas atas ialah kelas pemodal atau penindas. Malah dalam silibus tajuk Konsep Hubungan Etnik yang terpakai di banyak IPT tempatan turut merujuk 'kelas bawahan' sebagai kelas masyarakat pekerja dan miskin.

Merujuk semula kepada twitter ucapan selamat Ponggal yang ditulis che'GuBard tidak ada salahnya. Apabila che'GuBard mengajak semua yang merayakan ponggal mengambil kesempatan semangat kaum tani untuk penyatuan 'kelas bawah' bangkit melawan penindasan sistem ekonomi yang kaya semakin kaya yang menindas sekarang ini.

Persoalanya benarkah juak - juak Bn ini begitu bersemangat dalam kononya memperjuangkan perpaduan kaum atau melawan penghinaan mana - mana kaum. Di Negeri Sembilan sendiri dua kali dalam dua sidang berbeza seorang adun Bn yang sama jelas membangkitkan penghinaan kepada masyarakat India dengan mencarut menyebut alat sulit wanita dalam bahasa Tamil. Kejadian ini berlaku apabila YB Ravi (Port Dickson) bangun membangkitkan permasalahan masyarakat khususnya orang India termasuk janji PRU yang tidak ditunaikan, berang dengan fakta yang dibangkitkan oleh YB Ravi seorang adun Umno bangun dan mencarut dalam bahasa tamil secara sengaja untuk menghina. Malah institusi dewan pula menghina seluruh rakyat negeri ini dengan gagal mengambil tindakan terhadap dua kali tindakan kurang ajar Adun tersebut. Tetapi pada ketika mana juak - juak yang bising dengan memusing belit mengenai twitt che'GuBard ???

India gives Mahathir a lesson on true democracy

2012-01-20T03:24:00.002+08:00

Last month, Dr Mahathir gave a speech in India which stirred one Indian activist to retort in an open letter to the doctor, titled ‘Dr M, in India we have bad roads but true democracy’ by Siddharthya Swapan Roy .

The author is a freelance writer and activist based in Maharashtra. The article is reproduced below in full:

Dear Dr Mahathir,

A couple of days back I woke up to newspaper reports which quoted you as saying that India’s democracy is a hindrance to its development and, if we did away with the nuisance of democracy, we will become developed.

Well, sir, it is heartening to see your concern about India’s future, especially now that our own elected government has orphaned us. To read that someone from the outside cares about our development sounds so very nice.

But you see, sir, your (apparently) good intentions notwithstanding, your advice to Indians is, well how should I put it… ill-advised.

I’m not really sure if you know much about the history of our nation. Don’t get me wrong.

Going by facts like the general absence of news from Malaysian newspapers; the absence of anything but song and dance in your electronic media; the absence of bookstores that sell knowledgeable books (for example, ones from which you can learn about history and not how to get rich in six steps); the abundance of malls and the stark absence of libraries; the abundance of coaching centres that can make masseurs, air hostesses and a host of quick-fix technicians and the relative absence of centres of higher learning especially in the social sciences; and, above all, the fact that this insanely consumerist and hedonist Malaysia was made under your tutelage, makes me doubt your knowledge of the history of India or any nation for that matter.

So allow me to apprise you of the story of our independence.

We won independence from colonial rulers waging a long and tortuous battle. A battle that sought to replace a discriminatory, unjust and violent regime that had enslaved huge populations with one which was based on the principles of liberty, equality and fraternity.

India was home then, as is now and as will always be, to an immense diversity of people who spoke different tongues, prayed to different Gods, wore different clothes and had different political beliefs. These diverse people said to each other that – we, despite our differences, will strive to live and flourish together and make a sovereign nation which will be democratic, socialist and secular.

We did not anywhere say that we want to be Malaysia or for that matter China or the US.

In India, no one is above the law

We want to become a nation with a system that treats all its citizens as equal unlike your country that officially accords special rights to Malay Muslims calling them first-class citizens while relegating thousands of people of Tamil, Chinese and other ethnic origins.

Despite the fact that they have known no other land than Malaysia as their own, you denigrate them with the tag of being second-class citizens.

We try to work towards having a system wherein a person will grow according to his merit and hard work earning what she or he has rightfully earned.

You may be surprised to know that here in India making cartels based on identity, even if under the name of a holy cow called “Bumipuetra” or son of the soil is looked down upon by most of us.

Here, promoting the selective interests of one’s self or that of his kin is called corruption and nepotism and not, as you call it, development.

We are in fact fighting tooth and nail to arrest the scourge of corruption and (you’ll be shocked to know) get the guilty punished.

Here in India no one is above the law and many a times powerful public figures go to jail for being corrupt or subverting the law.

Now that we are at it, sir, I’m sure it would be interesting to know what the minorities of your country have to say – especially the jailed and beaten ones – about the development-democracy debate.

In fact, sir, your idea of development is largely at odds with many of us here.

Development is no substitute for values

What you did to the tropical forests and water bodies of Malaysia (that is, raze vast acres of them into oblivion to make way for big-buck oil palm plantations and piggeries and so on) would cause huge outrage among many of us who are looking for sustainable development.

We are yet to be unanimously convinced that making cemented roads – however broad, lining them with buildings, even if glass-covered and glossy, and putting cars on them, however fast – is a substitute for our valued bio-diversity.

Many of us are very convinced that displacing huge populations of native people for useless things like racing tracks is a blot on the word “development”.

There are many of us who find it a shameful and cruel hypocrisy that while your country has abundant and openly advertised sex tourism, it still whips women for being licentious!

Thanks to the culture of reading here, many of us know of your penchant for cruelty in your personal career.

A career during which you enacted despotic and violent acts at times in the name (your contorted version of) Islam and at times in the name of security and national interest.

We could recount how you rose to power annihilating huge numbers of your opponents and stayed there for over two decades, continuing your devious rule using tactics and schemes which are far beyond Machiavelli.

Many of us know about your vile Internal Security Act, which you used to crush political opposition – jailing them and putting in place a frail and near-sham democracy and placing the entire nation under a one-man rule of Umno for over two decades.

You will note that I have used words like “most of us”, “many of us” and have tried to stay away from absolute claims.

Misconstrued understanding of ‘development’

Besides the age-old Indian practice of accommodating different opinions, it is meant to recognise that there are people in this country, too, who think like you and will have applauded you for saying what you did.

They, too, think that roads are all that important and not the humans who walk on them or the ones who sleep beside them.

They have misconstrued the word development as development of personal wealth and that this “development” is a holy cow and everything including the rights and lives of fellow humans is of lesser priority.

Their money power helps them buy a lot of print space and electronic bandwidth so they may appear like the majority, but thankfully the truth is they aren’t.

The majority of us recognise and are willing to admit – and even discuss at length – that there are problems in our nation – including bad roads.

But they’ll quickly add that we intend to solve those not by lessening democracy but by increasing it.

- Siddharthya Swapan Roy

The above article was sent to me by a friend. The article depicts the true Malaysian scenario. To start off check out the prevailing mentality of a section of our community. ‘Cerai Isteri kerana longgar’ - this was headline news in a local newspaper recently.The paper knows what thrills people. In other cultures, this would have made people vomit knowing there are more important matters at hand for the papers to report.

Its very regrettable to know thousands of our children leave school without being able to speak a word in English - a vital international medium for educational, social and economic growth. No grand transformation program can work without English.

An ocean of knowledge is available in English. Regard it like a computer. Without it there is no progress. Even whatever progress is made is aided by the presence of English in key areas such as the Registrar of Companies and the legal system.

For heaven sake realise that when you cannot guarantee the next meal for a child, at least give him the tools for survival. The vast population of school leavers and university graduates are stupid by international standards. Don’t play with the future of the children.
They know nothing. As elders, we have the responsibility to provide for them in this competitive world.

World Bank warns of 'very difficult year'

2012-01-19T02:55:00.001+08:00

The US economy will continue to suffer, the World Bank estimates, but not as much as poor countries [GALLO/GETTY]

Bi-annual report slashes growth projections and predicts a downturn in 2012 that "no country and no region will escape".
The World Bank has warned the international community to brace for slow growth and economic challenges in 2012 stemming partly from Europe's debt woes.

The bank substantially cut its forecasts for growth in both developed and poorer nations in its twice-yearly report, issued late on Tuesday.

"Europe appears to have entered recession, and growth in several major developing countries [Brazil, India and to a
lesser extent Russia, South Africa and Turkey] has slowed," the bank said as it updated forecasts made last June.

It predicted the global economy will expand by 2.5 per cent in 2012 and by 3.1 per cent in 2013, well behind the 3.6 per cent growth for each year that the bank had projected in June.

The US economy will also suffer from slower global growth, the report said, though not by as much as developing countries.

"The world is very different than it was six months ago," said Andrew Burns, head of the bank's global economics team and lead author of the report. "This is going to be a very difficult year."

Sobering assessment

The report noted two major reasons for the projected global slowdown: Europe's debt crisis has worsened and several big developing countries have taken steps to prevent growth from overheating and fueling inflation.

Developing countries' economies will continue to out pace those of richer, developed countries, but the World Bank also
lowered its forecasts for growth in these countries to 5.4 per cent in 2012 and six per cent in 2013.

That was down from previous estimates of 6.2 per cent and 6.3 per cent respectively for growth in developing countries.

"The downturn in Europe and weaker growth in developing countries raises the risk that the two developments reinforce
one another, resulting in an even weaker outcome," it said.

It also cited failure so far to resolve high debts and deficits in Japan and the US and slow growth in other high-income countries, and cautioned those could trigger sudden shocks.

On top of that, political tensions in the Middle East and North Africa could disrupt oil supplies and add another blow to
global prospects, the World Bank said in a sobering assessment of the challenges facing the economy.

'Global crisis'

It said that while Europe was moving toward a long-term solution to its debt problems, markets remain skittish.

"While contained for the moment, the risk of a much broader freezing up of capital markets and a global crisis similar in
magnitude to the Lehman crisis remains," the World Bank said, referring to the US investment bank that went bankrupt in 2008 and helped intensify a global financial crisis.

Against that backdrop, it said developing countries were even more vulnerable than they were in 2008 because they could
find themselves facing reduced capital flows and softer trade.

In addition, many developing countries have weaker finances and would not be able to respond to a new crisis as vigorously.

The World Bank pointed out that since last August risk aversion to Europe has shot up and "changed the game" for
developing countries that have seen their borrowing costs escalate sharply and the flow of capital to them decrease.

"No country and no region will escape the consequences of a serious downturn," the World Bank said, adding that now was the time for developing countries to plan how to soften the impact of a potential deep crisis.

Tortured Afghan child bride slowly recovering

2012-01-19T02:51:00.003+08:00

KABUL — The Afghan child bride who was tortured in an attempt to force her into prostitution is slowly recovering but is still hardly able to speak, a nurse told AFP during a visit to the girl's bedside Thursday.

Afghan child bride Sahar Gul, 15, lies in a bed as she recovers at the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital in Kabul today (AFP, Shah Marai)

Sahar Gul, 15, who was burned and beaten and had her fingernails pulled out was found last month in the basement of her husband's house in northeastern Baghlan province, where she had been locked in a toilet for six months.

"Since the past few days, Gul can walk very slowly, she can eat and talk in a frail voice," said nurse Latifa Mirzad at the Wazir Akbar Khan hospital, as the bruised and battered girl looked on silently.

"She is hardly able to speak of her ordeal but sometimes she says in a weak voice 'my father in-law and mother-in law have beaten me'."

Gul's case was taken directly to President Hamid Karzai by a delegation from the Afghan Women's Network on Wednesday.

"The president assured his full support to strictly punish the perpetrators of the crime against Sahar Gul so that nobody can commit such a crime in the future," said the network's Lema Anwari.

Karzai pledged in a statement after the delegation's visit to take action against the "cowardly" perpetrators of violence against women.

The president said that he always took measures as soon as he heard about cases of violence against women, and would continue to take the issue seriously so that the culprits were brought to justice.

According to figures in an Oxfam report in October, 87 percent of Afghan women report having experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence or forced marriage.

The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission logged 1,026 cases of violence against women in the second quarter of 2011 compared with 2,700 cases for the whole of 2010.

Uniting Malays Not Over (Umno)

2012-01-19T02:42:00.003+08:00

Many decades have passed since the inception of Umno but the organisation has failed dismally to unite Malays in Malaysia under its umbrella.
COMMENT

Umno, the acronym for United Malays National Organisation, despite being in existence for decades, has failed miserably to unite Malays under its banner. Therefore, it should perhaps re-define Umno as Uniting Malays Not Over.

All was well upon the inception of Umno by Jaffar Onn and the fight against the British that led to Merdeka. Umno was also well under Tunku Abdul Rahman’s leadership. But the changes that led to Umno losing favour with the Malay populace can be traced back to as early as the 70s.

Umno has since then become a fractious and divisive organisation which even led to its de-registration and the setting up of a new Umno during the era of the Mahathir administration. But the fact that a Malay organisation, claiming to represent the bulk of the Malay population, does not even have a Malay equivalent in naming itself speaks of the muddled politics the party has been engaging in until now.

Aside from the fact that Umno uses an English expression in describing itself, it is ironic that it doesn’t see the need to emphasise the importance of the English language among Malays, but personally most Umno leaders seem to favour an English education for their children.

While for the largely Malay masses, Umno champions and stresses the use of the Malay language – that it is a unifying language and therefore must be safeguarded to guarantee the future of the Malays – yet, in reality, the children of Umno leaders are generally packed off to obtain the best possible education in the English language.

It is primarily this and other forms of double standard practised by Umno leaders that have caused Malays to seek political affinity with PKR and PAS. While the Malays usually tend to hold on to traditional values and value the role of Umno in Malaysia, they now view the party as having strayed from the basis of which it was formulated.

While Malays value very much the contribution of Umno to their well-being, this is now a thing of the past, as the loss of interest in Umno now is due to the self-seeking attitudes of most Umno leaders and members.

Malays no longer see Umno as a party that champions the struggle of the Malays. In the new millennium, Malays have begun to realise that the winds of change have taken place at Umno, especially since the departure of Mahathir.

Precarious position

While during the reign of the Mahathir regime the rot had started to set in, the wily politician was able to still appease and appeal to the Malays. But the unity among the Malays started to crumble with the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim as deputy prime minister and the subsequent establishment of PKR.

Enter PAS which began to capitalise on the disappointment of the Malays with Umno and seized the opportunity to make gains, even presenting itself as a viable option to non-Malays. The interest in these two parties caught on among the Malays and led to the political tsunami that almost ousted the ruling Barisan Nasional from power in 2008.

In realising that Malay grassroots support has shifted to PKR and PAS, Umno tried to restore confidence among Malays by removing Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and hoped that the replacement prime minister will be able to curry greater favour with the large Malay voter base.

While urban Malays seem to be the bulk of Umno supporters today, the party is in a precarious position and has so far found no solution to being able to unite Malays under its umbrella. Umno’s loss of grassroots Malay support has gladly been absorbed by PKR and PAS.

As it stands, Malays as a race are more fragmented and, politically, their allegiance is currently skewered three-ways among PAS, PKR and Umno. The reality of Malays being divided and being ruled by a tripartite leadership does not augur well for Umno but is again welcome news for PKR and PAS.

The Najib-led Umno has strived hard to become the preferred political party of choice for Malays. But in doing so, the initiatives used and employed have made Malays even more wary and suspicious of the overtures made by Umno.

While it is conceded that Umno still has a large membership base, the steady numbers of Malays who are beginning to see a better future by hedging with PKR and PAS is becoming apparent. Even DAP has been holding the olive branch to Malays and making progress in recruiting Malay members.

What has gone wrong with Umno, once holding formidable sway over the Malay population of Malaysia? The steady rise of economic prosperity in which large numbers of Malays have not been able to savour much is the root cause of Malay disenchantment as they witness only pockets of Malays emerging super rich.

Elite Malay group

This creation of an elite Malay grouping spawned by Umno and the great schism it has created with the rest of the Malays have become noticeable and evident and the root of bitterness.

The fact that while the economy grew, and while even the other major races fared better, Malays largely feel they have been betrayed by Umno for not spreading the wealth over a wider base of the Malay population.

This grievance has caused the once-favoured Umno to be no longer the champion of the Malay struggle. The gauntlet seems to have fallen on PKR and PAS to restore parity and the equitable distribution of wealth.

Malay voters see the roles played by PKR and PAS leaders as consistent with their call to bring about reforms, while Umno is being viewed as mere slogan chanters who do not practise what they preach.

This dichotomy between creed and deed, this lack of evidence that Umno is sincere but displays the façade that it cares for the well-being of Malays is really a feeble attempt by Umno to secure the support of the Malay base.

But Malays have become quietly smarter and wiser and are aware of the bag of tricks of Umno politicians and need no direction or guidance as to what their role should be in seeing a better Malaysia. In the 13th general election it should not come as a surprise to most people (except maybe Umno) that the actual transformation that really takes place is the Malays themselves showing the exit door to Umno.

When that happens, perhaps Umno’s slogan of “Dulu, Kini & Selamanya” (Before, Now and Forever) should be changed to “Dulu, Kini & Tak Lama Lagi” (Before, Now and Not for long).

Christopher Fernandez has been teaching and writing throughout Asia since 1984.

Film-makers upset over Indian festival

2012-01-19T02:41:00.001+08:00

PETALING JAYA: A group of Malaysian Indian film industry players are unhappy that the Malaysian Indian Film Festival (MIFF), organised by MIC Youth, was held in India last week.

The group, led by producer K Murali, claimed that holding the Malaysian Indian Film Festival in Chennai was akin to “blowing our own trumpet” and that it did not benefit the local Indian movie industry.

The MIC Youth organised a three-day movie festival last week where 10 local Indian movies selected by the National Film Development Corporation of Malaysia (Finas) were screened in Chennai. An award presentation ceremony was the climax of the festival.

“The festival would be better if it was held in Malaysia. Our film industry is very small compared to India. Indians there are not interested in our movies,” he said at a press conference here, today.

“So, what is the point of holding such a festival in India? Instead, we should send our young actors or technical people over to India on how to produce better movies. From what I heard, the 10 movies brought there were not watched by Indians but MIC members who were in India to attend the Pravasi Bharathiya Divas conference (an Indian diaspora forum).

Also present the press conference were K Loganathan (actor), K Gandhiban (actor and director), V Manivannan (actor) and S Mohan Rao (actor).

While the group slammed the MIC Youth, Murali said he would arrange a meeting with MIC president G Palanivel to find ways to stimulate the local Indian movie industry.

Gandhiban, meanwhile, said the industry players were in the dark over the criteria used to select movies for the festival.

“We want to know on what basis were these movies selected… what are the criteria,” he added.

The group aimed their harshest words for the festival’s organising committee chief P Vijay.

“According to Vijay all the 10 movies were selected by Finas and he also gave an assurance that next year my films also will be selected to be screened at the festival.

“If it’s true the movies were selected by Finas, then how come Vijay can give assurance that next year my films will be selected for the festival?” Ghandhiban asked.

Real culprit

He said Vijay, who is the MIC Youth’s arts and cultural bureau chief, should be sacked from the party.

“He is the real culprit behind the video piracy in Malaysia and MIC should not give position to someone who spoiled the local music industry,” alleged Ghandiban, better known as Ben-G.

The group also questioned how a movie produced by Vijay won two awards, when he was the organising committee head.

Meanwhile, when contacted, MIC Youth chief T Mohan said the the wing wanted to hold the film festival in India with the aim of exposing the local movie industry to Indians.

“I am surprised that these people do not understand our intention to hold the film festival there. It would enable our movies to have a wider reach. We have quality actors and technicians. But, since our industry is too small, we are facing tough challenges to bring our movies to the international level,” he said.

“India is the best place to promote our movies to enable us to move forward. I would regard the festival as a success. Some Indian producers are keen to work with our actors and technical people.

“This is a good thing. Even, a few distributors from India are interested to distribute our local movie named ‘Appalam’. So, this is the way to promote our films,” he said, adding that he spent money from his own pocket for the festival.

Maid claims she was treated like a slave

2012-01-19T02:39:00.003+08:00

The maid claims that she had no off days and worked from dawn till next morning and often went hungry.

MELBOURNE: A Cambodian maid has revealed that she was treated like a slave by her employer in Kuala Lumpur, according to a report in “The Age” newspaper today.

Apparently a one-metre snake “ended” Orn Eak’s two-year ordeal when it entered her employer’s apartment, and her services were subsequently terminated.

(Serpents, or nagas, play a particularly important role in Cambodian mythology.)

“When the snake crawled into my employer’s apartment she blamed me and kicked me out,” Orn Eak, 28, told the newspaper’s Southeast Asia correspondent Lindsay Murdoch.

“I got the blame for everything, including the death of my employer’s elderly mother.”

Single with a five-year-old son, Orn Eak said she went to Malaysia to work because her mother was struggling to survive in their village in Kompong Thom province.

Orn Eak claimed she had no days off and worked from dawn into the early hours of the next morning, caring for her employer’s disabled mother. She said she was often beaten and went hungry.

The mistreatment worsened after the old woman died in hospital.

Last October, Cambodia imposed a temporary ban on sending domestic workers to Malaysia following numerous complaints of abuse. The order was signed by Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen following “some negative information” about the working environment of Cambodian maids in Malaysia.

Orn Eak’s mother, Ee Tha, 55, told “The Age” that she received only two payments in almost two years from her daughter’s employer totalling US$270 (about RM840). The employer deducted Orn Eak’s flight ticket home from her salary, which was supposed to be US$180 a month.

When Orn Eak arrived back in Phnom Penh in November, a woman picked her up at the airport and took her to the employment agency.

“I told the story about the snake to a director. Five men came into the room and beat me. They pushed my head onto a glass door and kicked me on the ground,” she said.

Ee Tha, who was asked to come to Phnom Penh to take her daughter home, said: “When I saw that my daughter’s face and body were cut and bruised, my heart dropped.”

After Ee Tha refused to leave the employment agency’s office with her daughter until she was given the money she was owed, a director finally handed over US$1,200 (about RM3,740) – that meant Orn Eak earned only US$1,470 (about RM4,580) for nearly two years’ work.

Social workers have verified her claims of abuse, the newspaper said.

- Bernama

Hindraf and ABU vs Umno

2012-01-19T02:37:00.003+08:00

The two movements have decided to join hands in a bid to end the rule of Umno and Barisan Nasional.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) will join hands with the Anything But Umno (ABU) movement in a bid to end Umno’s rule.

Speaking to reporters today, Hindraf national coordinator W Sambulingam said the government must be changed.

“Umno or Barisan Nasional which has been the governing party for the last 54 years has left the nation in a deplorable condition. We have to vote BN out,” he added.

Sambulingam said Hindraf and ABU would initially hold nationwide ceramah against Umno.

During the first phase, he said, 11 ceramah will be held in Kedah, Penang, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan and Johor.

“Our first ceramah will take place in Jalan Kebun in Klang on Jan 21,” he added.

Promiment lawyer and ABU coordinator Haris Ibrahim, who was also present at the press conference, welcomed Hindraf’s decision to join ABU.

He also invited other like-minded NGOs and individuals to join in the fight.

“We are pro-rakyat. So whoever feels that they are pro-rakyat can unite with us,” he said.

ABU was formed last year, and the movement focused on four major issues – the Lynas plant, price

hikes, racist politics and unjust laws.

National identity is not a race

2012-01-19T02:34:00.001+08:00

Said Zahari

NEW year, new you? Not if you’re national identity in Malaysia, it would seem. We ended last year with disputes over Article 153 provisions for bumiputera special privileges and began this one with discussions of a Race Relations Bill, hurtfully racialised statements, ethnocentric election strategising and accusations of religious subversion.
Said Zahari’s 1969 poem comes to mind: “Once again / Colour, race, religion and language/ Become sharp blades/ To use in the carnage.”
Here’s an idealistic wish for 2012: that public debate in Malaysia will stop treating our collective identity as a communitarian competition. I’m not arguing for a colour-blind society — colours are pretty. And with whatever credibility I retain after that last clause, I’ll argue that beauty is not relative. Strength need not come from comparison. Wealth may be limited, but we have enough to share.
Identity constructs
I refuse to believe that I am a minority in these beliefs. I may represent a minority religion and language within a minority race, but I grew up with comfortably multicultural social circles in national schools and never felt outnumbered until I left Malaysia for school.
This is not to suggest that those with less diverse backgrounds or stronger ethnic consciousnesses are any more or less Malaysian than I am. Our nation’s name honours our roots in Sanskrit-influenced maritime sultanates alongside our modern transoceanic federation. We don’t deserve the title “Malaysian” unless we value all the ways of being differently Malaysian.
Not that this is easy. Not least because identity is both historic and immediate, demanding generosity and rigour to avoid either trivialising or romanticising the past.

Syed Hussein Alatas, 1969 (Wiki Commons)

Like all national histories, ours is richly messy. I’m still in the process of learning about the mess, most recently through some brilliant books. Syed Hussein Alatas‘ The Myth of the Lazy Native (1977) taught me about the colonial origins of the ethnic stereotypes that continue to haunt us. T.N. Harper‘s The End of Empire and the Making of Malaya (1999) animated in meticulous detail the Emergency-era trauma and intergroup independence agreements caricatured in Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR) history textbooks.
A book I want to read next is Charles Hirschman‘s Ethnic and Social Stratification in Peninsular Malaysia (1975). Hirschman’s work on the evolution of Malaysia’s ethnic definitions was cited in Farish Noor‘s 2008 paper on the development of racial politics in Malaysia. Even a brief sample of this research tempts me to cynicism: thinking constructively about ethnicity becomes a struggle when it turns out that many of our ethnic perceptions were constructed by political opportunists, whether colonial or local.

A confused conversation
No wonder we haven’t figured out how to talk about ourselves. I’m no legal scholar, but it doesn’t take an expert to notice that the Constitution sometimes denotes Malaysia’s sub-communities as “ras, keturunan atau tempat lahir” and sometimes “kaum”, all of which have varying linguistic and ideological foundations.
Official forms today are more likely to ask for your particular “bangsa”, despite the fact that the term “kebangsaan” includes all of us. It’s not unlike the tension between calling our national language either “Bahasa Melayu” or “Bahasa Malaysia”.
This is another difficulty of affirming different Malaysian identities: some of our identities are founded on mutually irreconcilable claims. Some of these claims are primarily conceptual — for example, the friction between our Islamic heritage and our other missionary religions. Other conflicting claims involve policy problems. Affirmative action remains an open question.
Diversity in national identity
Thankfully, unity can coexist with disagreement. Understanding and respecting other perspectives does not require identical standpoints. I would like to think that a wider range of views can facilitate navigation of the unavoidably public but deeply personal territory of national and cultural identity.
My personal appreciation of the symbolic precedent of Malays in Malaysia has been informed by my appreciation of the symbolic precedent of Israel in Christianity. To some, that statement may be sacrilegious; to others, laughable. To yet others, the parallel will be recognisable but uninspiring — I’d felt similarly about a professor’s assurance that Arabic grammar was like geometry.
This array of possible reactions diminishes neither the fact that many have suffered injustice for and against Malay and Israeli sovereignty, nor my right to call myself Malaysian and Christian. But it does make exposing my identity a risk.
National unity is replete with such risks. Choosing to identify a group as large and heterogeneous as a nation is an act of reckless trust, especially in a country that offers a spectrum of smaller and thus safer identifications.

Norhayati Kaprawi

But I am encouraged in this trust by other Malaysians’ audacious expressions of nationality. Last July, thousands of netizens of all races claimed Anne Ooi as their Aunty Bersih. This past Christmas, Norhayati Kaprawi and Harakah Daily editors were among those who publicly advocated for interfaith amity.
In The Spectre of Comparisons (1998), Benedict Anderson notes that Malaysia “arose out of the last large British imperial garage sale”. I love garage sales. There’s an energetic authenticity that comes from face-to-face negotiations amid variously used treasures and trash. I would pick the exasperating but fascinating mess of our garage sale — precipitated as it was by conflict on many fronts — over the centralised gimmicks and careless labelling of a Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia any day.
Here’s to us.

Why did they free Anwar?

2012-01-19T02:30:00.004+08:00

P. Ramakrishnan - The Malaysian Insider

JAN 18 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal and discharge could not have earned the judiciary any brownie points. Neither did the trial judge, Justice Datuk Zabidin Mohd Diah, come across as someone capable of blazing a new trail in proactive justice.

In fact, the court proceedings only disappointed Malaysians the way the judge denied the defence the many crucial notes they were entitled to, dismissed their right to question the prime minister and his wife by granting their application not to appear as witnesses, and refused to recuse himself as the presiding judge by dismissing Anwar’s application that he was biased in the proceedings.

He even strengthened this belief by concluding at the end of the prosecution case that Saiful was a “truthful and credible witness” without even hearing the defence side of the case. The bias was so blatant and so obvious.

Who can forget the doctor who testified under oath at the trial? He wilfully refused to refer to his notes in a deliberate attempt to deny the defence his notes.

In spite of Karpal Singh coaxing him to refer to the notes while testifying, he stubbornly refused to look at his notes. The question arises, why would he want to deny the defence access to his notes? Was he coached not to refer to his notes? What was in those notes that would have been helpful in Anwar’s defence that they desperately wanted to hide?

Again, the way Anwar’s DNA was obtained was questionable and unethical. In spite of Anwar having assured the police that he would turn up at the police station to give his statement, he was waylaid, arrested and taken to the police station as if he was a common criminal. And they unnecessarily kept him overnight to obtain his DNA surreptitiously. Indeed that was how they obtained his DNA.

Anwar’s objection to the admission of his DNA was initially allowed because it was obtained by trickery. But later the judge allowed the DNA as an exhibit following the prosecution’s appeal.

So when the judge acquitted Anwar at the end of the trial, his decision was a clear contradiction to the way the case had progressed and proceeded. Going strictly by the court proceedings, Anwar should have been convicted. There were no two ways about it. The court decision took everyone by surprise.

The entire proceedings went against Anwar thus allowing an injustice to prevail. It created the unmistakable impression that the court was colluding with the executive to put away Anwar for good.

Widespread anger

So why was Anwar freed?

While the prosecution went all out to obtain a conviction, the powers-that-be could not ignore the sentiment on the ground. There was wide-spread anger and frustration among a wide-ranging spectrum of the population.

I was on my way to keep an appointment at the General Hospital in Penang on January 9, when I was informed of the outcome, moments after the judge had delivered his verdict to acquit and discharge Anwar. I met so many people at the hospital, the majority of whom were Malays and who were total strangers. When I told them that Anwar was freed, all of them without an exception praised God and were openly very happy.

I called my friend in Kuala Lumpur and related my experience with these people. I was told that this euphoria was not confined to Penang only but was felt everywhere in KL and elsewhere in the country.

With this kind of sympathy and support for Anwar, a guilty verdict and a prison sentence would have outraged all these people. The backlash arising out of this injustice would have punished the Barisan Nasional mercilessly in the 13th General Election.

Political motive?

According to many observers, it was a political decision to go after Anwar with this trumped up charge as he was seen as a threat to the BN’s continued domination of Malaysian politics. Now it was also a political decision to free him in order to mollify the public anger against the BN.

But if this was their strategy for the time being, will they allow Anwar the freedom to roam around the country, galvanising the people and spreading the wings of Pakatan all over Malaysia?

It is very likely that they would want to appeal this verdict and knowing the trend of the judiciary — you win round one and lose round two — the appeal would be allowed. In this way they can keep Anwar tied down with the court cases and continue to harass him giving him little rope to campaign effectively.

But this raises a serious issue. Who will decide if the prosecution should appeal? Following the norm, that decision is with the Attorney General, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail. But would that be fair to Anwar?

In the first sodomy trial, Manjit Singh who was representing Nallakaruppan revealed that Gani Patail had asked Nallakaruppan to incriminate Anwar offering a plea bargain. This incident should disqualify Gani Patail from deciding on the question of appeal. Apparently there would be a case of conflict of interest.

But the best decision is for the executive and the judiciary to accept the decision of the High Court and bring a closure to this unhappy event. There would be no justification for wasting countless hours of the court and unnecessarily incurring huge further costs in pursuing this case.

If the A-G proceeds with the appeal, the inevitable conclusion would be that it is a case of political vendetta against Anwar, plain and simple. It would debunk the claim made by some that the verdict showed the judiciary is independent. It would only establish the fact that nothing has changed in the judiciary. The rot has permeated beyond repair and redemption.

Hope only lies in a change of government for a better Malaysia and a better future for Malaysians. — aliran.com

Free speech goes both ways

2012-01-19T02:28:00.004+08:00

The Star
MusingsBy MARINA MAHATHIR

Howls of protest are heard when attempts are made to block hate speech, which is ironic because very often the speaker has no interest in respecting anyone else’s rights either.

I JUST returned from a symposium on social media, freedom of expression and incitement to hatred in Asia.

Forty Asian delegates as well as Frank La Rue, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, gathered to discuss what is happening in our countries and what can be done to meet the challenges that the Internet, particularly, poses.

The good news is that Malaysia is not the worst country when it comes to laws restricting freedom of speech on the Internet.

This is not to say we don’t have such laws but we are still grappling with the whole issue.

Delegates told of how, in some countries, if anything said by an individual online offends anyone, then the person who said it can be prosecuted.

Thus, if you opine that someone is a nobody, or that you don’t like someone’s hairstyle, then that person can say he’s offended by it and report you.

In many countries, there are laws preventing people from insulting various entities, including the government, royalty and religion.

The trouble is often the definition of insulting is vague and governments tend to be insulted on behalf of other people who may not care at all.

But that would be reason enough for them to prosecute someone.

Thus this leads to much abuse by these governments, especially towards people they don’t like.

The right to freedom of expression is of course balanced by responsibilities.

As Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states, the exercise of the right to freedom of speech carries with it special duties and responsibilities and therefore may be subject to certain restrictions.

However, these shall only be such as provided by law and are necessary “for respect of the rights and reputations of others” and “for the protection of national security or of public order, or of public health or morals”.

Our own Article 10 in our Federal Constitution allows the freedom of speech, assembly and association, but is then restricted by certain other provisions and laws.

For instance, it should be clear to everyone that child pornography, which violates the rights of children, should be prohibited and nobody should object to the blocking of such websites.

However, the Special Rapporteur reports that most governments rely solely on blocking of such websites and not on prosecuting those who produce them.

Also, despite child pornography being a by-product of child trafficking, most governments have done very little to tackle this root cause of the problem.

Another legitimate restriction to free speech is to censure hate speech, especially those that incite others to violence.

Even these have to be carefully enacted, so that only speech where there is a clear and immediate danger of violence occurring towards anyone or group is restricted.

We know that sometimes people say things in the heat of the moment they don’t really mean or intend to carry out.

On the other hand, sometimes there are people of influence who seem to encourage their followers or supporters to take steps to harm others.

Those are the ones that need restricting or even prosecution.

The other issue is privacy.

In order to be able to express their opinions freely, people need to have their right to privacy protected.

However, we now see governments requiring real name verification before comments can be made online.

This discourages many people in countries where there is legitimate fear of persecution for different views.

Even worse, there is little done when the personal details of people are posted online causing them to be harassed and even threatened.

We have seen very little will in governments to protect the privacy and security of these individuals, just because they may have different views.

Sometimes, it is not just the privacy of these individuals that are violated but also those of their families and friends.

Clearly, in Malaysia, these violations of privacy and of freedom of speech overall are made not just by the government, and by their supporters, but also by those opposing them.

Hate speech has of late been allowed free reign on the Internet.

Every time a blog owner tries to block someone who posts hateful comments, we get accused of restricting freedom of speech, which is ironic because very often the blocked person has no interest in respecting anyone else’s rights either.

Unfortunately, most Malaysians are complacent about these issues.

But as the Special Rapporteur pointed out, the freedom of speech, opinion and expression facilitates other rights such as the right to information, to education, to take part in cultural life and to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress.

Violations of free speech, whether through laws or just intimidation, affect all of us.

We should always be watchful when it happens.

BN Sticks To Genuine Multiracial Approach

2012-01-19T02:25:00.000+08:00

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 18 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional's (BN) multiracial approach has tended to the needs of all Malaysians as compared to the opposition pact PKR-DAP-PAS, said MCA vice-president Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.

He said as an example, during the BN Convention, presidents of all component parties be they Malay, Chinese, Indian and native Sabahans and Sarawakians were given a platform to speak up and were represented in policy decision making process, something which PAS, PKR and DAP leaders should start learning about.

"Exclusion of Indian leaders from the Pakatan banner during the recently concluded opposition pact convention in Alor Setar showed that the opposition wants Indian votes but couldn't care tuppence on respecting Indian stalwarts or caring for the Indian community's welfare," he said in a statement issued here Wednesday.

He further said the third opposition pact convention signaled more impending harrows under the Opposition rule.

"It is bad enough that gender segregation was enforced on both the audience as well as the press corps, to which DAP and PKR bigwigs could only sit and watch by doing nothing.

"The convention's organisers could even marginalise DAP chairman Karpal Singh by excluding his picture montage from the official banner despite him being chairman of DAP, thus claims by PKR and DAP to represent multiracial interests fall flat," he added.

Chor, who is Housing and Local Government Minister, said if the organisers failed to accord respect for Karpal but had montages of PAS Spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and others including DAP veteran politican Lim Kit Siang, how much more would the opposition ignore the presence and welfare of the Indian community as a whole.

"Is this the so-called acknowledgement that Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar can offer Karpal despite the latter having staunchly defended the former throughout both sodomy trials as lead counsel?" asked Chor.

"In view of all the examples listed above, it is no wonder that opposition pact desires Indian support, but could not care tuppence in respecting the Indian community, much less look after their needs," he added.