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• Sarawak minister denies conversion bid at pre-schools
• Hisham: New law replacing ISA to include detention without trial
• Dr M’s ‘befriend Perkasa’ riles Kita
• DAP finds unlikely ally in Harris
• Veeps defend Umno from Dr M’s attacks
• PAS: Why is MAIS assisting Perlis?
• PKR: NFC paid for private umrah trip
• Pua: Health Ministry ‘covering up’ KR1M milk powder issue
• DPM: Umno fixing its internal problems
• Egypt protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square for third day
• PKR claims NFC funded umrah packages, Singapore firms
• ‘Hindraf will join Pakatan on one condition’
• Four sue Penang government over SPICE project
• Political agenda behind RM100 cash aid slammed
• ‘Stop sending Ustaz to Sarawak schools’
• BN says polls focus will be on young voters
• Minister says being gay is unconstitutional

Sarawak minister denies conversion bid at pre-schools Posted: 21 Nov 2011 05:43 AM PST (Bernama) - Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian's alleged claims that there were attempts to impart Islamic teachings and practices to non-Muslim children in some Department of Community Development (Kemas) and government pre-schools are not true, says a state minister. Sarawak Welfare, Women and Family Development Minister Fatimah Abdullah said investigations carried out at 11 Kemas pre-schools in Ba'kelalan found that only tutors were Muslims while two of the pre-schools had a majority of Muslim children. "Eight other pre-schools comprised non-Muslim teachers," said Fatimah when winding-up debate at the Sarawak state assembly in Kuching today. Fatimah added that the placement of a Muslim teacher in one of the Kemas pre-schools was only temporary, pending the appointment of a local teacher from the constituency. Denying claims that there were many teachers from the mainland (west Malaysia) teaching at Kemas pre-schools, Fatimah urged all state assemblypersons to be cautious when issuing sensitive statements, especially those related to religion. She said all teachers in Kemas pre-schools were locals. Baru had last week alleged that in many rural areas that are predominantly Christian, there were subtle attempts at imparting Islamic teachings and practices to children in pre-schools. He had highlighted reports from non-Muslim parents that their pre-school children recited Islamic prayers they had learnt from their teachers, at home. Meanwhile, Fatimah also announced a proposal to set up a One Stop Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Registration Centre) to reduce the duration period for approval of applications for pre-schools and nurseries in Sarawak. Fatimah said the approval period for registration of such schools had already been reduced from three years to one.

Hisham: New law replacing ISA to include detention without trial Posted: 20 Nov 2011 08:57 PM PST (Bernama) - The new law to replace the Internal Security Act 1960, which will be repealed, will still provide for detention without trial, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein. He said detention without trial was also being practised in some countries in the fight against terrorism, such as the Patriot Act in the United States and Anti-Terrorism Act in the United Kingdom and Australia. "The US, UK and Australia all champion human rights, but they realised that when dealing with militancy and terrorism, they needed to have acts of that nature. "In fact, there are some Malaysians who are being detained by the US in Guatanamo without trial for many years now. So, please don't have double standards and we don't want hypocrisy in this matter," he said, here, Monday. Hishammuddin who had earlier attended the Innovaiton Day celebration and the ministry's monthly assembly, also said that Barisan Nasional, as the ruling government, would be responsible and abide by all new laws to be implemented in the interest of public well-being. "He have learned from the experience of countries which have abolished such acts without thinking long and they paid the price," he added. On Sept 15, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his Malaysia Day special address announced that the ISA would be repealed and two new suitable laws formulated to preserve peace, harmony, stability and prosperity in the country. Asked about new elements to be incorporated in the new acts, Hishammuddin said these would include the period of detention, notice to families of the detainees and making appeals. He opined that they would not be difficult to be implemented as the process of replacing the ISA had begun two years ago. On the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 to be tabled in Parliament next week, he said it was in the final stage of drafting by the Attorney-General's Chambers.

Dr M’s ‘befriend Perkasa’ riles Kita Posted: 20 Nov 2011 05:40 PM PST The party is disappointed with the former premier's call on Umno to join hands with the Malay rights group to win votes. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita is disappointed with Dr Mahathir Mohamad for asking the Malays to "put their heads in the sand" by urging Umno to befriend Perkasa to win the next general election. The former premier yesterday warned Umno that it needed allies in Malay rights groups like Perkasa to recoup crucial Malay votes and pinned Barisan Nasional's 2008 electoral losses on the lack of Malay support. But Kita described Perkasa as an "organisation that clearly advocates racial hatred and bigotry". In a statement, the Zaid Ibrahim-led party pointed out that Mahathir's winning formula for Umno is about the Malays inwardly huddling together and defending the values espoused in 1946 against outsiders. It however added that it believes the Malays know better as they have seen how the "Malay-first-Malaysian second" policies have only helped those in power. "They have seen how those that represent the 'old Malay order' trample on their civil and human rights," Kita stated. "They've seen how these policies are an excuse for corruption, nepotism and the abuse of power." Kita further tore into the practice of government subsidies as well as the "Hidup Melayu" mantra. It scorned the former as an "opiate for those addicted to voting BN" and the latter as having no place in their children's future. "Kita believes that Malays recognise that their future is not in maintaining this fortress mentality. Instead, it is to embrace universal values which include integrity, hard work and tolerance, without losing one's identity as a Malay." "The enlightenment of the Malays comes first from taking their heads out of the sand and their willingness to face the harsh realities of a competitive society." READ MORE HERE

DAP finds unlikely ally in Harris Posted: 20 Nov 2011 05:36 PM PST A power struggle is gripping Sabah Umno and the opposition has become an unwitting participant in the tussle. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP has found an unlikely supporter in former Sabah chief minister Harris Mohd Salleh – more than a quarter of a century after they first crossed swords over the administration of the state. The opposition party may have also been unwittingly drawn into a Sabah Umno power tussle between Chief Minister Musa Aman and Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal when it called on the authorities to investigate government contracts awarded for rural projects. That call was enough for anyone within the Umno-led Barisan Nasional with an axe to grind to pile pressure on Shafie. Harris, who spared no effort to attack the opposition party and its supremo, Lim Kit Siang, when he ruled the state from 1976 to 1985, has suddenly found that he can agree with DAP on certain matters concerning state administration. The former chief minister wants the BN government to "take seriously" allegations made by DAP over contracts awarded in Sabah by the Rural and Regional Development Ministry run by Shafie. Speaking on the sidelines of a defamation suit being heard here against former chief minister Yong Teck Lee, a local newspaper Daily Express quoted Harris as saying: "The detailed accusations made by DAP… were glaring… there are definitely wrongdoings on the part of the ministry." Harris said the ministry's reply to the accusations was unsatisfactory, adding that it was absurd for the ministry to justify awarding the full RM100 million tender amount for the Pulau Gaya electrification project when the actual tender cost was only about RM25 million. 'No impact' from projects Harris also claimed that he had received "many complaints from rural folk" that the billions of ringgit allocated by the federal government for rural projects was not having an impact on their lives. "More often than not, the projects were introduced for the sake of contracts and most of them are of low standard," he said. READ MORE HERE

Veeps defend Umno from Dr M’s attacks Posted: 20 Nov 2011 05:33 PM PST (The Star) - Two Umno vice-presidents have come out in defence of the party, following scathing attacks in a weekly paper yesterday by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said such attacks were not unusual, claiming the criticisms would not affect the party's performance. In an interview with Mingguan Malaysia, the party's longest-serving president who retired in 2003, said Umno had not made any improvement since the 2008 general election. The paper also quoted him as saying Umno currently lacked good, credible leaders and was a pale shadow of its former glory. Dr Mahathir blamed his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the damage, alleging the country's fifth prime minister prioritised his family. He said the damage had been inherited by Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who needed time to fix Umno and make it stronger. Reacting to the criticism, Hishammuddin said: "We are going through a transformation process and knowing Tun (Dr Mahathir), he would throw ideas and challenges to see if we are able to meet them." Speaking to reporters after Najib met Umno Youth members at the PWTC here, Hishammuddin added: "The special briefing by the party president shows that Umno is getting ready to transform before the general election. Mohd Shafie said Umno had contributed much to the development of the nation. "It is not easy to fulfil everybody's needs. But, we will continue to do our best to improve our image."

PAS: Why is MAIS assisting Perlis? Posted: 20 Nov 2011 03:02 PM PST PAS Selangor wants to know why the state's zakat money is being used to aid other states. (Free Malaysia Today) - Selangor PAS state commissioner, Abdul Rani Osman, wants an explanation from Lembaga Zakat Selangor (LZS) – Selangor zakat body – on why more RM10 million of the state's zakat collection was handed over to the Perlis Islamic Religious Council. The decision was made during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting last week and a perplexed Abdul Rani wants to know why Perlis was singled out. "Why were other northern states, like Kedah and Kelantan, disregarded?" he asked. "According to LZS, both these states have already received zakat money but I have heard otherwise. So I want black and white proof of this claim." Abdul Rani told FMT that the total amount of zakat allocated for Perlis was over RM10 million and that the money has already been disbursed in the state. "This sum of RM10 million is a lot of money," he said. "We're not against helping Muslims in Perlis if there is a need but we want to know what that need is." "Muslims in Selangor have a right to know what their money is being used for and we must be able to tell them. It is an issue of transparency." The distribution of state zakat funds falls under the jurisdiction of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS). Many Muslims still need aid FMT earlier reported that recent amendments to the Administration of the Religion of Islam (State of Selangor) Enactment 2003 now holds MAIS accountable only to the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Shararafudin-Idris Shah, and not the state government. READ MORE HERE

PKR: NFC paid for private umrah trip Posted: 20 Nov 2011 03:00 PM PST PKR also claims that the duo had used taxpayers' money meant for NFC to set up private companies in Singapore. (Free Malaysia Today) - PKR today made fresh allegations on the publicly-funded National Feedlot Centre (NFC) – that it paid for a personal umrah trip package for its director Mohd Salleh Ismail and his son Wan Shahinur Azran. Mohd Salleh is the husband of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Shahrizat Jalil. PKR also claimed that the two had used taxpayers' money meant for NFC to set up private companies in Singapore. The new allegation came as the NFC, tasked to spearhead Malaysia's food security initiative, is struggling to clear its image from several graft exposé made by PKR leaders. PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution claimed to have "clear evidence" that NFC had spent RM31,580 to finance the umrah package trip. He said their evidence pointed to Mohd Salleh's office which gave the instruction to fund the trip. "These are private spendings that are not supposed to be financed by public funds," Saifuddin, the Machang MP, told a press conference at the Parliament lobby here. On the alleged private companies in Singapore, he urged the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the police to probe into all transactions between the NFC and its subsidiaries, and Global Biofuture Pte Ltd and Meatworks Singapore Pte Ltd. The two companies – Global Biofuture and Meatworks – also owned by Shahrizat's family, currently have debts with Real Food Company (RFC), whose majority shareholders are also her husband and sons. As of June 2010, Saifuddin said, Global Biofuture, a firm in the food and fuel business, owed RFC RM939,495. Personal companies In the same period, Meatworks, a luxury restaurant chain, was found to be owing RFC RM2,416,815, he added. "PKR believes that a sum of money was taken from the RM250 million loan meant for NFC and channelled to these personal companies of Shahrizat's family, including to set up Global Biofuture," said Saifuddin. He said that the evidence given on the matter so far is enough to merit an investigation and urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who has defended the project as a success, to come clean. READ MORE HERE

Pua: Health Ministry ‘covering up’ KR1M milk powder issue Posted: 20 Nov 2011 02:59 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider DAP MP Tony Pua accused the Health Ministry today of colluding with suppliers of the allegedly unhealthy growing up milk powder sold at Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) to protect the government's 1 Malaysia brand. The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said this was because the ministry had failed to order a nationwide recall although the product is currently being tested for its shortcomings, nor did it warn the public against consuming the product. "To date, the KR1M has only announced on its website that they will stop selling the product temporarily pending checks. "However, this announcement, which is made on its website, falls far short of what is ethically required and global best practices to protect the interest of the people and consumers," Pua said in a press conference in Parliament today. The DAP national publicity secretary added there was no need for the ministry to conduct any laboratory testing on the milk powder as its shortcomings were clearly disclosed on the product's label. He said it "would not take more than 30 minutes" for the ministry's officials to discover the discrepancies. "Hence the remarkable silence from the health minister smacks of cover up and collusion with the supplier to ensure that the 1 Malaysia brand is not negatively impacted. "This is extremely irresponsible as (Health Minister) Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai is placing political interest above that of the young children," he said. Pua, along with several Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers, recently claimed the 1 Malaysia Growing Up Milk Powder did not contain at least 15 of the legally required essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, and is seriously deficient in calcium and iron content. They also claimed the product carries 6,012 international units (IU) of Vitamin A per 100kcal, which is 802 per cent above the permissible limit. Excessive amounts of Vitamin A can lead to liver problems, reduced bone mineral density, skin discolouration and hair loss, Pua had said. MORE TO COME

DPM: Umno fixing its internal problems Posted: 20 Nov 2011 02:50 PM PST By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider   Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today agreed with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that Umno is plagued with internal squabbles but gave an assurance that the matter is being addressed. "We all know after Prime Minister (Datuk Seri) Najib Razak took over from his predecessor (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, there were problems, like internal squabbles," Muhyiddin (picture) told reporters today at a press conference here. "However, to say that the party is not moving to address the problem is not true. But I believe that not enough is being done. More needs to be done," he said. Last week, former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir had criticised Umno for not making any effective improvements since the 2008 general election. The party's longest-serving president was quoted as saying Umno currently lacked good, credible leaders and that it was a pale shadow of its former glory. Muhyiddin today acknowledged the caustic appraisal from Dr Mahathir, saying that the former premier still cared about the party and wanted to see it stay relevant and lead the government.   READ MORE HERE.

Egypt protesters in Cairo's Tahrir Square for third day Posted: 20 Nov 2011 02:49 PM PST (BBC) - Protesters against Egypt's military rulers remain camped in Cairo's Tahrir Square for a third day, after the deaths of at least 13 people in violence over the weekend. Security forces launched a major assault to clear the square on Sunday, but protesters returned within an hour. The unrest casts a shadow over elections due to start next week. It is the longest continuous protest since President Hosni Mubarak was ousted in February. Demonstrators say they fear Egypt's governing Supreme Council of the Armed Forces is trying to retain their grip on power. The council, led by Field Marshal Mohamed Tantawi, is charged with overseeing the country's transition to democracy after three decades of autocratic rule under Mr Mubarak. 'Worst violence in months' Clashes were reported late into the night, with the injured being taken to makeshift clinics on the streets. Demonstrators on Sunday were seen throwing stones and petrol bombs at armoured personnel carriers and police. Security forces responded with tear gas and rubber bullets. Witnesses reported scenes of panic when hundreds of soldiers and police beat protesters on their heads as they chased them out of Tahrir Square. Protesters - some of them brandishing spent bullet casings - accuse security forces of also using live fire, a claim denied by police. Violence has also taken place in other cities including Alexandria, Suez and Aswan. A total of 11 people were reportedly killed on Sunday and two on Saturday, according to medical sources. Health officials say as many as 900 have been injured, including at least 40 security personnel. A statement from the cabinet said elections, due to begin in a week, would go ahead, and praised the "restraint" of interior ministry forces against protesters. The military council, in a statement read out on state television, said it "regretted" what was happening, AFP news agency reports. In recent weeks, protesters - mostly Islamists and young activists - have been holding demonstrations against a draft constitution that they say would allow the military to retain too much power after a new civilian government is elected. They have repeatedly tried to regain a foothold in Tahrir Square - the focal point of the protests against Mr Mubarak - but until this weekend they had always been removed quickly by the police. The latest violence is some of the worst in months between the Egyptian authorities and demonstrators. Parliamentary elections are scheduled to begin on 28 November. In all, the election process will take three months to complete. Earlier this month, the military council produced a draft document setting out principles for a new constitution. Under those guidelines, the military and its would be exempted from civilian oversight. This has angered protesters who fear the gains they have made during the uprising could yet slip away as the military tries to retain some grip on power.

PKR claims NFC funded umrah packages, Singapore firms Posted: 20 Nov 2011 02:48 PM PST By Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Funds meant for the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) were used to fund umrah packages and set up two Singapore-based companies, both owned by Senator Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family, PKR alleged today. In their latest round of exposes on the scandal-tainted federally-funded cattle project, PKR leaders claimed to have proof that NFC executive chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, Shahrizat's husband, had ordered payment of RM31,580 to be made for his and his son Wan Shahinur Izran Mohamad Salleh's haj pilgrimage in 2010. "PKR has clear proof that orders for the umrah package to be paid using this public fund had come from the NFC executive chairman's office," PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution (picture) said today. He was speaking at a joint press conference in Parliament with Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin and PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli. The Machang MP urged the police and Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to probe all transactions between the NFC and the National Meat and Livestocks Corporation (NMLC) and Real Food Company (RFC). Both NMLC and RFC are majority owned by Mohamad Salleh and his children Izran and Izmir. He said this was because financial records showed that Singapore-based firms Global Biofuture Pte Ltd and Meatworks Singapore Pte Ltd, both of which are also owned by Shahrizat's family, currently have debts with the RFC. As at June 2010, he said, Global Biofuture, a firm in the food and fuel business, owed RFC RM939,495. In the same period, Meatworks, a luxury restaurant chain, was found to be owing RFC RM2,416,815, he added. "PKR believes that a sum of money was channelled from the RM250 million loan meant for NFC to these personal companies of Shahrizat's family, including to set up Global Biofuture in Singapore," said Saifuddin. The NFC has been dogged by allegations of corruption and fund misappropriation after it made it into the pages of the Auditor-General's Report for 2010, which described the project "as a mess". Among others, PKR has alleged that the NFC funds were used for Shahrizat's and her family's personal expenses, as well as to purchase multimillion ringgit condominium units at the luxurious One Menerung in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.   READ MORE HERE.

‘Hindraf will join Pakatan on one condition’ Posted: 20 Nov 2011 01:33 PM PST By G Vinod, FMT PETALING JAYA: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi is willing to join Pakatan Rakyat on one condition: the latter must look into the problems of the Indian community more effectively. Hindraf pro-tem chairman P Waythamoorthy said Pakatan's own lacklustre performance in dealing with the Indian problems had driven significant amount of the community's support away from the opposition pact. "This is why we had an ambivalent relationship with Pakatan for the past three years and they kept ignoring the Indians at their own peril," he said. He was responding to a call by DAP chairman Karpal Singh that all political parties opposed to the Barisan Nasional join Pakatan officially without any conditions attached. "For now, there seems to be a 20% to 50% shift of the Indian votes away from Pakatan compared to 2008. This resulted in Pakatan losing several by-elections," he added. Waythamoorthy said that Pakatan should call for a meeting soon with Hindraf leaders to iron out details and take the matter to the next level. Although the parties may have had their differences in the past, he said it was time for them to set aside their quarrels and unite to unseat the powerful BN in the next general election. "There's no way Hindraf or Pakatan by itself can remove BN from Putrajaya. Only a synergy between us will help us in the next polls," Waythamoorthy said in a statement.. Karpal had set his sights on Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) and Human Rights Party (HRP) – the political outfit of Hindraf – to join Pakatan. Socialist ideology Waythamoorthy said that it was vital for them to enter a pact based on mutually agreed upon principles and not for convenience alone. "With mutual understanding, we may see the scale being tipped back to Pakatan's favour," he said. Echoing Waythamorrthy's sentiments, PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan also welcomed Karpal's statement and hoped that Pakatan leaders would call for a meeting with them soon. "Our position is that we will continue working with Pakatan to kick BN out from Putrajaya," said Arutchelvan. However, he rebutted Karpal's statement on socialism, saying the world is seeing a revival of socialist ideology in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crisis.   READ MORE HERE.

Four sue Penang government over SPICE project Posted: 20 Nov 2011 01:23 PM PST (The Star)  Four Penangites have filed a suit at the High Court here against the state government, challenging the validity of the Subterranean Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (SPICE) project. In the statement of claim, the four - Khoo Yen Her, R. Rama Krishnan, Abd Manan Abd Manap and K. Sathiasilan - have asked for a copy of the agreement for the development of the project between the Penang Municipal Council and SPICE developer, Eco Meridian Sdn Bhd. They have also asked for the allocation to increase the density of 1,500 residential units to be declared null and void.

Political agenda behind RM100 cash aid slammed Posted: 20 Nov 2011 01:19 PM PST (Harakah Daily) - Pakatan Rakyat leaders have cried foul over the political agenda behind the RM100 cash aid to school students. In a letter revealed recently, it was claimed the cabinet directed "elected representatives of the Federal government" to help give out the aid, as it was a "contact point" between the government and the people. The letter, sent by Education Ministry's Rosli Mohamed dated November 11, urged state education departments to take immediately implement the directive "to ensure the distribution of the aid is organised by the schools to fulfil the government's objective." PAS vice president Mahfuz Omar said the RM100 aid was not really meant to help the students or the parents. "It's for political interests, to show that UMNO and BN is the one who gives," said the Pokok Sena member of parliament. PKR secretary general Saifuddin Nasution lashed out at Rosli for being "unprofessional, unaccountable and dishonest" in carrying out his duty as a ministry official. "He has turned the ministry into a political tool. I advise him to stop playing politics. This violates the principle of civil servants' ethics to remain neutral," said the Machang MP On the other hand, PKR's Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin claimed that in her constituency, the RM100 aid was distributed from UMNO branches instead of schools. "The aid should be rightly distributed by officers from the government or Education ministry," she said. Earlier, there had been complaints that parents were forced to sit through UMNO's political lecture before they were given the cash. The RM100 cash aid is part of the incentive to reduce the people's burden as announced by prime minister Najib Razak at the tabling of the 2012 Budget last October.

‘Stop sending Ustaz to Sarawak schools’ Posted: 20 Nov 2011 12:13 PM PST By Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: A simmering issue over the alleged conversion to Islam of Dayak students and pre-schoolers in Sarawak is set to explode in the Umno-led Barisan Nasional's face . Responding to the latest allegations that there was an attempt to impart Islamic teaching and practices to non-Muslim children in some Kemas and government pre-schools in the rural areas, the state's largest Dayak organisation has demanded an immediate stop to such covert activities. Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) which has well over 100,000 members are demanding that the Taib Mahmud-led state administration intervene and arrest the situation or face public wrath. In May this year Barisan Nasional coalition partner Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president James Masing had alleged that the Education Ministry would be seconding thousands of teachers including 'Malay religious teachers' from the peninsular to Sarawak to meet the shortage of teachers. But Educationa Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had dismissed Masing's claims. Last week at the state legislative assembly, Ba Kelalan assemblyman Baru Bian had expressed parents' concern that their pre-school children were being exposed to Islamic prayers and practices. Reacting today, SDNU deputy president Dr John Brian Anthony said: "We want the government to put a stop to it, because it is not healthy for the country where one religion is trying to patronise each other. "Yes (we know) in Malaysia we have Islam as the official religion…but we have to respect each other. "Once you have embraced Islam, dress like a Malay and speak the Malay Language, you are Malay. I think this is a political reason. "We Dayaks in Sarawak must resist this attempt. It interferes with our rights." 'Real attempt' to convert Brian was responding to Bian, who is state PKR chairman, and Barisan Nasional assemblyman Dennis Ngau's (Telang Usan) concerns which they raised during the debate on the state budget. Bian said he had received complaints from parents that their pre-school children in the government run Kemas schools in the rural areas have been receiving Islamic teachings and that these children were reciting these prayers at home. Describing the allegations as a "real attempt at imparting the Islamic teachings and practices", Bian urged the state government to intervene and investigate the issue. Ngau from ruling Barisan Nasional also supported Bian's call and told the members of the state assembly that he too received similar complaints from parents. He agreed with Bian that the government should seriously look into the complaints. No need for West Malaysian teachers According to Brian, there were also complaints that Muslim religious teachers were being sent to the rural areas. "We have heard that Muslims teachers including Ustaz have been sent to the rural areas where they are Dayak children. "As there are no Malay children, who are going to learn, if it is not with the intention of converting the poor Dayak children to become Muslims? "We want the government to look into the matter and put a stop to it. "It is not going to be healthy for the country," Brian said. In May this year, Masing along with several other quarters had voiced concerns over religious teachers from Peninsular Malaysia being imported into Sarawak. Sharing Masing's concern was Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen who said that Sarawak must oppose these teachers from being imported to the state, "especially after having seen the effects" (of Islamisation) in Peninsular Malaysia.   READ MORE HERE.

BN says polls focus will be on young voters Posted: 20 Nov 2011 12:11 PM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider Barisan Nasional (BN) will focus on winning over young voters who it said may be the determining factor for the upcoming general election, which is expected to be the stiffest in Malaysian history. BN leaders said today the ruling coalition is undergoing a paradigm shift where, unlike previous years, it will actively woo young voters who have yet to make up their mind on who to support. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak spent almost an entire day at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) today, where he gave a speech at the closing of the BN Youth Job Fair and the 1 Malaysia social media foundation. "BN is a winnable brand. BN is a party which has been tested and proven its capability to govern," Najib said to youths attending the fair. The Umno president stressed the BN government was one that cared for them, and the success of the jobs fair proved youths were "supporting" the country's oldest coalition. Najib also delivered a special address (Amanat) to Umno Youth and Puteri Umno delegates in a closed-door session, ahead of the party's general assembly at the end of the month. The Umno president's speech, according to Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin, touched on the direction Umno and BN must take to ensure support among young voters "swings back" to BN. "This is the first time there is an 'amanat' for the Umno Youth and Puteri Umno just before the party general assembly. The president's speech was focused on the direction (BN should take) to ensure young voters support us. "Acknowledgment has been given to what we (Youth wings) have done, it's just that the president has asked us to incorporate additional touch points to ensure young voters swing to BN," the Rembau MP told reporters here. Khairy said the Umno Youth wing also unveiled a new slogan today: "BN pilihan orang muda" (BN, the choice of the young). "All our efforts will be focused on that slogan. We want to show young Malaysian voters that the choice is in their hands, and what BN has to offer," he said. The Umno leader said that BN's events today alone showed that it was serious and determined to winning back young voters. "In the last few by-elections they came back to us. Our push is very serious," Khairy added. As at July last year, Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was leading in the voter registration drive, signing up twice the number of voters compared with Barisan Nasional (BN) in the first six months of 2010. The DAP was also leading in signing up more voters compared with other political parties, registering 32.5 per cent of the new 169,838 voters registered between January and June last year.   READ MORE HERE.

Minister says being gay is unconstitutional Posted: 20 Nov 2011 11:47 AM PST By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider A federal minister said today it is unconstitutional for a person to be homosexual in Malaysia, but did not back up his claims with any provision. There are no provisions in the federal constitution which directly mention the sexual preference of individuals. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom (picture) however cited sections 377(a), (b), (c) and (d) of the Penal Code to justify his argument. The sections relate to carnal intercourse against the order of nature. "In reality, in the country's constitution it is not allowed, including sections 377(a), (b), (c) and (d) which prohibit sexual relations between two men," said Jamil, who is in charge of Islamic affairs and head of the Malaysian Department of Islamic Development (Jakim). MORE TO COME HERE.

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