Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Cops search home of suspect’s sister in royal Facebook slur probe
- Malaysian government's Malay policy failure
- One man, One vote
- Is freedom a folly of faith?
- Bahrain revokes citizenships of 31 people
- MyCC: Flowers, Chickens, and Eggs??
- ‘Tiada orang Islam mahu saudaranya murtad’
- Nurul Izzah dihukum sebelum beri penjelasan
- Secular or non-secular?–What history tells us
- The doctrine of I’m right and you’re wrong
- Dr M: I told Petronas to enrich my son
- PAS ready to meet Selangor Sultan to explain Nurul Izzah issue
- Nurul Izzah in a bind
- Leaked Sarawak concession map shows Taib's secret stranglehold over the Borneo rainforest
- HSBC rakes in US$130 million bankrolling rainforest destruction and human rights abuses in ...
- Log tale
- Why the need for political reforms
- MALAY ORIGINS: Evidence suggests otherwise
- Ask Lord Bobo: Of Frogs, Rats, and Penang’s Unconstitutional Anti-Party Hopping Law
- Serang Nurul golongan desperado, kata Mujahid
- The fart-ology of it all
- Mashitah: DAP boleh digelar Kafir Harbi jika tolak Islam
- Muslims can't leave Islam: Dr Mahathir
- Six NGOs urge France to investigate SUARAM over Scorpene report
- Ex-Perlis mufti backs Nurul Izzah, says ‘no compulsion in Islam’
- Nurul Izzah may face action over Islam remark, says deputy minister
- Ants in the pants?
- Nurul Izzah dikecam dalam Dewan Rakyat
| Cops search home of suspect’s sister in royal Facebook slur probe Posted: 07 Nov 2012 12:42 PM PST
(FMT) -- The police paid a pre-dawn visit this morning to the rented home of Asiah Abd Jalil, sister to Ahmad Abd Jalil ― the man being investigated for allegedly criticising the Johor sultan ― and searched the premises without a warrant, just hours after the family held a gathering at the landmark Dataran Merdeka here last night pushing for his release from detention.
Asiah told The Malaysian Insider four policemen had knocked on the door of her rented home in Klang at about 6.30am today and initially asked to record her family's statements. The family declined as they were rushing to Johor Baru where Ahmad was to be presented before a magistrate at 2.30pm today. The police then asked to search the home she shares with her children and another brother, to which she agreed after consulting her lawyer, Fadiah Nadwa Fikri. "They conducted a thorough search but it was done in a professional manner. They asked for permission and allowed my mother and I to cover our aurat before entering," Asiah said over the phone as the family drove through Seremban. "They said they were looking for something but we have no idea what they're looking for." Asiah said she believed the police had gone to her Klang house because it was the address listed on Ahmad's MyKad even though he no longer lived there, having moved to Damansara Damai recently. Ahmad, a 27-year-old quantity surveyor was arrested at his office in Cheras on November 2 and hauled to face the Johor police for allegedly posting seditious remarks against the Johor royal house on Facebook. Yesterday Johor CID deputy director Asst Comm Nor Azizan Anan denied that Ahmad had been forced to confess to the crime while under police interrogation. Ahmad was remanded a further three days from Tuesday under Section 233 (1)(b) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for his alleged Facebook insult against the Johor Sultan. Section 233 deals with an "improper use of network facilities or network service, etc". Section 233(1)(b) stipulates that "a person who initiates a communication using any applications service, whether continuously, repeatedly or otherwise, during which communication may or may not ensue, with or without disclosing his identity and with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any person at any number or electronic address, commits an offence". | ||||
| Malaysian government's Malay policy failure Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:16 AM PST
(PressTV) - It was designed to close the vast economic gap between the Malays and non-Malays, especially Chinese. Watch video at: http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2012/11/07/270955/malaysian-governments-malay-policy-failure/ When the New Economic Policy was introduced in 1970, the majority Malays only controlled 3% of the economy. The policy gave Malays a host of special privileges, including in getting government contracts, lower interest rate loans and places in university, aiming to increase their economic share to 30%. But critics say most of the benefits have just gone to big companies close to the ruling party. The organisation representing businesses owned by Malays who are also known as Bumiputera says despite a huge increase in membership, Malay businesses are still struggling. The government says the policy has narrowed the economic gap, reduced poverty among Malays, created a sizeable middle class and prevented tensions between Malays and non-Malays from boiling over. Prime Minister Najib Razak has acknowledged that the implementation of the policy has been flawed. Najib has floated the idea of moving to a system of helping those most in need regardless of their race. But he is facing resistance from conservatives in his party who still want to maintain all the privileges for the Malays.
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:12 AM PST
Why scream Anything but UMNO (ABU)? We instead should be screaming Anything but Corruption, Anything but Intolerance, Anything but Inefficiency and so on. When we scream ABU, we are basically giving Pakatan Rakyat leaders carte blanche to do as they please for they know that our vote is secure. Adam Netto As a Malaysian student studying in Germany, I would like to talk about the Brent Spar controversy. In 1995, despite reservations from various parties, Shell planned on disposing off the Brent Spar, a North Sea oil storage and tanker loading bouy, by sinking it in deep Atlantic waters. A Greenpeace organized boycott of Shell led to a 10 percent drop in sales in Germany. Faced with a loss of revenue and a tarnished brand image, Shell shelved its plans to sink the Brent Spar and found a more environmentally friendly method to decommission the Brent Spar. Basically, the German consumer showed Shell who really calls the shots through their cheque books. I use this case study as an analogy to the strength we, Malaysians, wield as voters in the upcoming general election. As tax paying citizens, we are basically consumers choosing the best product i.e Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional, which will benefit our country the most these next 5 years. Now, we would not walk into an electronics shop, hand over a lump sum of money to the cashier and say, "Anything but an Iphone, please." So, why scream Anything but UMNO (ABU)? We instead should be screaming Anything but Corruption, Anything but Intolerance, Anything but Inefficiency and so on. When we scream ABU, we are basically giving Pakatan Rakyat leaders carte blanche to do as they please for they know that our vote is secure. Let us take a lesson from the recently concluded American Presidental election. On the road to reelection, President Obama won Massachusetts, the home state of Mitt Romney and where he previously served as Governor, and Michigan, Mitt Romney's birth state. The voters in those states kept sentiment out of the picture and voted the best man, in their opinion, into the White House. With that in mind, when Election Day arrives, I will vote for the candidate I believe best serves the interests of my country, my family and myself regardless of which party he/she represents. I hope you do the same.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brent_Spar http://www.nytimes.com/1995/06/17/world/oil-companies-face-boycott-over-sinking-of-rig.html http://edition.cnn.com/2012/11/06/politics/election-2012/index.html
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 10:02 AM PST
The fervour for one's faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Shenaaz Khan In a decadent country crammed with prejudiced politicians spewing their inherent ignorance, it is wholly refreshing to see a young gifted politician view religion through non-sectarian lens. Nurul Izzah Anwar's observations on the merits of religious freedom are both courageous and inspiring. This is after all a country where one is branded from birth by race and religion, then coerced and conditioned into being clothed with the fabric of societal acceptance. And should one deign to tread away from this muzzling moralistic mould, one is deemed an unsound, satan-worshipping, bubonic-plague-carrying concubine! It is therefore no revelation that religious freedom is deliberately viewed as an ambush on Islam, having diabolical and moral repercussions. Even a mere suggestion of examination of any doctrine is swiftly slayed as if it were brought forth by pagan beasts! But spiritual scholars, religious rookies and political pinheads would do well to remember that though laws and restrictions may be legally exerted upon persons, these edicts can never truly hijack hearts or heads. The moral police cannot control mental vistas or vices. The complex contraption that is religion requires discourse and understanding, not cosmetic rituals, loud pontificating and doctrinal proclamations. The fervour for one's faith should lie in the heart of the follower. It should not be demanded upon by other mere mortals. Nor should it infringe upon the rights of non-believers. Nevertheless, this country's overt obsession with righteous religious paths has all but shoved God to the unhallowed pavement! While God is said to be the all merciful, compassionate creator, the interpreted tenets of religion instead expose an iron-fisted intolerance of biblical proportions. The level of intolerance permeating through Malaysian society and the Islamic intellect is simply god awful! Though all prophetic preachings bear identical ideologies, to, say propose, that the principles of Ahimsa be practiced by a Muslim would be akin to religious renunciation! We now live in times where crooning Christian carols in Malay is a malediction upon Muslim mankind. Where seeking Muslim women's rights is religiously wrong. Where a unit of language is permitted to be used solely at the behest of one faith. And the scriptured strictures go on! Thus, what remains the fundamental failure of faith is a divine devotion devoid of depth. A patronage of a parish that glorifies a genuflecting body rather than a generous soul. It is then hardly surprising that the hudud hobgoblin is repeatedly resurrected to scare one away from the pantheon of Pakatan or sway one towards the temple of BN. But while Pakatan parties have purged itself of puritan parasites the likes of Hassan Ali and Zulkifli Nordin, it is the government that routinely employs religious discrimination. It was after all the harebrained Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein who fervently defended a brutish bunch of protestors who desecrated a cow head to protest the building of a hindu temple. It was this same malevolent minister who defiled justice by having Egyptian student Hamzah Kahgari deported for tweeting a liberalist message. And renowned writer, Irshad Manjis, was labelled an LGBT loving Lucifer and her book Allah, Liberty and Love banned by the Malaysian government. This again, was the handiwork of our hideous home minister. And lest we forget the sins of the past, former Home Minister Syed Hamid Albar had in 2008 ludicrously banned the book Muslim Women and the Challenges of Extremism, published by Sisters In Islam. It was also the ruling government that had gone on a guideline galore of intolerance, declaring V-neck t-shirts as the dress of the debauched. Alas, while this biased government exercises great restraint in intelligent pursuits, they disgorge mindless drivel with great speed. Hence, opportunistic orthodox ogres have scrambled to scream sacrilege at Nurul Izzah. But let it be made clear that the heart of her message was that any affirmation and adherence of faith should be one of free will and not of force. Her statement was not in support of apostasy; it was an endorsement of equality. And in making that stunning statement, my dear MP typified her principles by displaying graceful gumption and astute knowledge. The same however cannot be said of the vapid vulgar BN blockheads who are solely capable of despicable babble. That which they lack in refinement and sophistication, they very well make up for in stupidity and shallowness. The MP of Kota Belud is one such stellar sap. Ever equipped with witless quips and armed with the integrity of Iago, the sycophant from Sabah was quick to mouth off his inane insipid insights. Which is no surprise given that his entire parliamentary pilgrimage is piled with political posturing and apple-polishing. As expected, many of his bigoted BN brethren were quick to follow suit. Such is the covenant of the cult called corruption! A sect whose five pillars of faith include trickery, treachery, tyranny, thuggery and thievery. Their trodden path to divinity has led them to the mosque of miscreants where the sins of spawn and spouse are miraculously cleansed by MACC messiahs. Where their Episcopal empire endows erstwhile ministers with beefy bankrolls. And their prophets of profane profit congregate and extol great virtues upon their very own trinitas; the father, the son and the holy hummer. But while these caliphs of cruelty command the sacrificial burning of human liberties, Malaysians must rise and declare a jihad for justice! We have had it with BN's man-made hadiths. Along with the hypocritical holiness of this greedy government, we have been made to endure the disciples of dumbness such as the neanderthal Nazri Aziz, the imbecilic Ibrahim Ali and the boorish Bung Mukhtar. That these unworthy specimens were voted in as parliamentarians is an abomination in itself! Hence, if we wish not to be doomed to eternal damnation, we need to elect legitimate leaders and not lavatory litter. So whether you're guided by what thy Lord had decreed, or what humanity has heralded, please vote with your conscience. I know my vote will be for MP Nurul Izzah! Shenaaz Khan has been a resident of Bangsar Baru for the last 37 years.
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| Bahrain revokes citizenships of 31 people Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:59 AM PST
(Al Jazeera) - The decision, they said, "is intended to punish them for expressing peaceful dissent and thereby intimidate others from exercising their right to freedom of expression." List of 31 people, many of them activists and two former MPs, comes amid ongoing government crackdown on opposition. Bahraini authorities have revoked the citizenships of 31 people, among them two former members of parliament, for having "undermined state security," state news agency BNA reported. The names of the 31 activists, including brothers Jawad and Jalal Fairuz, both ex-MPs who represented the opposition Shia al-Wefaq party, were listed in Wednesday's report, which quoted an interior ministry statement. Also named was Ali Mashaima, son of prominent activist Hassan Mashaima who is head of the Shia opposition movement Haq and who is serving a life sentence for allegedly plotting against the monarchy. The government move comes after Bahrain late last month banned all protests and gatherings to ensure "security is maintained," after clashes between Shia-led demonstrators and security forces in the Sunni-ruled country. The Gulf state, Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet and strategically situated across the Gulf from Iran, has experienced unrest since February 14 last year when protests erupted calling for democracy. Hundreds of people were arrested when the security forces, aided by troops from neighbouring Saudi Arabia, crushed the uprising within a month. However, protests resumed months later and happen on a regular basis in villages around the country. Many activists, some whose names appear on Wednesday's list, were tried in a special military court set up at the time. Another former MP and leading al-Wefaq member, Matar Matar, told AFP that some named on the list were acquitted by the military court while others were never charged with "undermining state security." Other opposition sources said that some of the named activists are currently living abroad. 'Grave concern' According to the International Federation for Human Rights, 80 people have died in Bahrain since the unrest began. Two local rights groups -- The Bahrain Youth Society for Human Rights and the Bahrain Center for Human Rights -- voiced "grave concern" over the decision to revoke the citizenships. "The BYSHR and the BCHR express grave concern over the systematic targeting of prominent political activists, former members of parliament, clerics and others," they said in a statement. The decision, they said, "is intended to punish them for expressing peaceful dissent and thereby intimidate others from exercising their right to freedom of expression." | ||||
| MyCC: Flowers, Chickens, and Eggs?? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:52 AM PST
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| ‘Tiada orang Islam mahu saudaranya murtad’ Posted: 07 Nov 2012 09:11 AM PST
(FMT) -- MB Selangor berpendapat siasatan Jais terhadap Nurul Izzah sebagai tindakan positif untuk membuka perbincangan sesama Islam. "Tiada orang Islam yang mahu saudaranya meninggalkan agama (murtad)," demikian menurut Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berhubung kenyataan Naib Presiden PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar baru-baru ini. Abdul Khalid berpendapat siasatan Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) terhadap Nurul Izzah sebagai tindakan positif untuk membuka perbincangan sesama Islam. "Malah menjadi tanggungjawab Jais untuk bertindak pro-aktif dan memahami maksud sebenar kenyataan tersebut sekaligus menyelesaikan kekeliruan yang timbul. "Saya dapati ada sesetengah laporan berita yang telah lari konsep awal (maksud sebenar) termasuk Utusan Malaysia yang menyiarkan laporan berita seolah-olah kenyataan Nurul Izzah itu ke arah 'kenerakaan'. "Pada saya ini perkara ini tidak betul dan kita perlu selesaikan dengan baik demi kebaikan umat Islam bersama," katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas mesyuarat mingguan Exco di sini semalam. Nurul Izzah dalam sebuah forum Sabtu lalu berkata bahawa rakyat tidak harus dipaksa mengamalkan ajaran tertentu termasuklah orang Melayu adalah salah. Abdul Khalid yang juga Exco Agama turut menyokong dan memuji kesediaan Nurul Izzah untuk bertemu Jais.
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| Nurul Izzah dihukum sebelum beri penjelasan Posted: 07 Nov 2012 08:49 AM PST
(Harakah Daily) -- Dewan Muslimat PAS Pusat (DMPP) kesal dengan tindakan pihak tertentu menghukum Naib Presiden PKR, Nurul Izzah Anwar sebelum mendapatkan penjelasan beliau. Timbalan DMPP, Dr. Siti Mariah Mahmud berkata, pihak yang membuat tuduhan kononnya Izzah menyokong Melayu murtad khususnya pimpinan Umno tidak memahami konteks dan maksud sebenar kenyataan Izzah dalam forum 'Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Siapa Bertanggungjawab?, Sabtu lalu. | ||||
| Secular or non-secular?–What history tells us Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:40 PM PST
ART HARUN Lately there has been a public discourse on whether Malaysia is a secular country or otherwise. Let us take a break. And take a visit down memory lanes. Perhaps history might shed some lights on the issue. To begin with, article 3 (1) of our Federal Constitution provides as follows:- "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation." Initially, when the Reid Commission was set to draft our Constitution, the Alliance (UMNO, MIC and MCA) presented a 20 page memorandum to the Reid Commission. On Islam, the memo says: "The religion of Malaysia shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion, and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State." After 118 meetings, the Reid Commission wrote its report in Rome and published it in February 1957. On the position of Islam, it says: "We have considered the question whether there should be any statement in the Constitution to the effect that Islam should be the State religion. There was universal agreement that if any such provision were inserted it must be made clear that it would not in any way affect the civil rights of non-Muslims — 'the religion of Malaysia shall be Islam. The observance of this principle shall not impose any disability on non-Muslim nationals professing and practising their own religion and shall not imply that the State is not a secular State'. There is nothing in the draft Constitution to affect the continuance of the present position in the States with regard to recognition of Islam or to prevent the recognition of Islam in the Federation by legislation or otherwise in any respect which does not prejudice the civil rights of individual non-Muslims. The majority of us think that it is best to leave the matter on this basis, looking to the fact that Counsel for the Rulers said to us — 'It is Their Highnesses' considered view that it would not be desirable to insert some declaration such as has been suggested that the Muslim Faith or Islamic Faith be the established religion of the Federation. Their Highnesses are not in favour of such declaration being inserted and that is a matter of specific instruction in which I myself have played very little part." Justice Abdul Hamid, a member of the Reid Commission from Pakistan however disagreed. He proposed to include the following article; 'Islam shall be the religion of the State of Malaya, but nothing in this Article shall prevent any citizen professing any religion other than Islam to profess, practice and propagate that religion, nor shall any citizen be under any disability by reason of his being not a Muslim'. A provision like one suggested above is innocuous. Not less than fifteen countries of the world have a provision of this type entrenched in their Constitutions. Among the Christian countries, which have such a provision in their Constitutions, are Ireland (Article 6), Norway (Article 1), Denmark (Article 3), Spain (Article 6), Argentina (Article 2), Bolivia (Article 3), Panama (Article 36) and Paraguay (Article 3). Among the Muslim countries are Afghanistan (Article 1), Iran (Article 1), Iraq (Article 13), Jordan (Article 2), Saudi Arabia (Article 7), and Syria (Article 3). Thailand is an instance in which Buddhism has been enjoined to be the religion of the King who is required by the Constitution to uphold that religion (Constitution of Thailand, Article 7). If in these countries a religion has been declared to be the religion of the State and that declaration has not been found to have caused hardships to anybody, no harm will ensue if such a declaration is included in the Constitution of Malaya. In fact in all the Constitutions of Malayan States a provision of this type already exists. All that is required to be done is to transplant it from the State Constitutions and to embed it in the Federal." In proposing as such, Justice Hamid was actually mirroring the memo by the Alliance. He said, "It has been recommended by the Alliance that the Constitution should contain a provision declaring Islam to be the religion of the State. It was also recommended that it should be made clear in that provision that a declaration to the above effect will not impose any disability on non-Muslim citizens in professing, propagating and practising their religions, and will not prevent the State from being a secular State. As on this matter the recommendation of the Alliance was unanimous their recommendation should be accepted and a provision to the following effect should be inserted in the Constitution either after Article 2 in Part I or at the beginning of Part XIII." In "The Making of the Malayan Constitution" by Joseph Fernando, the author states: "The UMNO leaders contended that provision for an official religion would have an important psychological impact on the Malays. But in deference to the objections of the Rulers and the concerns of non-Muslims, the Alliance agreed that the new article should include two provisos: first, that it would not affect the position of the Rulers as head of religion in their respective States; and second, that the practice and propagation of other religions in the Federation would be assured under the Constitution. The MCA and MIC representatives did not raise any objections to the new article, despite protests by many non-Muslim organizations, as they were given to understand by their UMNO colleagues that it was intended to have symbolic significance rather than practical effect, and that the civil rights of the non-Muslims would not be affected. " Shortly after the London Conference the British Government issued a White Paper in June 1957 containing the Constitutional Proposals for independent Malaya. Paragraph 57 deals with the Religion of the Federation and reads:- "There has been included in the Federal Constitution a declaration that Islam is the religion of the Federation. This will in no way affect the present position of the Federation as a secular State, and every person will have the right to profess and practice his own religion and the right to propagate his religion, though this last right is subject to any restrictions imposed by State law relating to the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the Muslim religion." The Constitutional Bill was then was passed without amendment.
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| The doctrine of I’m right and you’re wrong Posted: 06 Nov 2012 08:04 PM PST
The fact that scholars all over the world and for hundreds of years are not unanimous or united regarding the meaning of the verse 'there is no compulsion in religion' in the Qur'an means it is open to interpretation. Does it mean you are not forced to become a Muslim? Does it mean you are not forced to become a Muslim but once you do you must remain a Muslim? Does it mean you are not forced to remain a Muslim but can leave Islam if you want to? THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin Mujahid Yusof Rawa, a PAS leader and the son of one-time PAS President of about 30 years ago, has taken Nurul Izzah Anwar's side in the current controversy she is facing. And this controversy is about her statement regarding freedom of religion. The ex-Mufti of Perlis, Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, also supports Nurul Izzah's statement. None of the other muftis have said anything yet though, although I am eagerly awaiting their statement so that we can resolve this matter once and for all. Ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, however, disagrees with Nurul Izzah. The Tun said that Islam is like Hotel California: you can check out but you can never leave. That means once you are a Muslim you cannot leave Islam. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Mashitah Ibrahim, agrees with Dr Mahathir, as does Ibrahim Ali of Perkasa. In short, never mind whether they are government supporters, opposition supporters, or neutral like Mohd Asri -- and I would like to believe that includes me as well -- Malays-Muslims are deeply divided on matters related to Islam. You see, religion, Islam or otherwise, works on the doctrine of I'm right and you're wrong. All religions work on this principle. They also work on the principle of if you are not with me (meaning of my same religion) then you are against me (meaning you are my enemy). Sure, religionists would deny this. They would say that their religion is not like that. That, of course, is utter bullshit. At best they would tolerate your religion, as we have heard them say often enough. Tolerate is what you do when you are faced with something obnoxious like your neighbour's dog shit on your lawn or the loud noise from your neighbour's karaoke session way past midnight. You tolerate something foul. So, if you tolerate another religion that means you consider that religion as foul. But religionists would deny this. And this is because they have perfected the art of self-hypnosis. They can make themselves believe in something false. Hence they can make themselves believe that they are not like that even though they are exactly like that. They have made denial syndrome into an exact science. And this means whatever comes out of the mouths of religionists must be treated with great suspicion. They are great con artists. They can con themselves so what more con other people. And this is why Nurul Izzah Anwar is now in trouble. She gave her opinion. But as long as her opinion is also your opinion that is okay. Once her opinion differs from yours, then you will make her eat shit. In the first place, why was Nurul Izzah so silly as so attend that forum? And who was that stupid person who trapped Nurul Izzah by asking her that question? Did they intend to trap Nurul Izzah knowing that once they pose that question she would be in trouble whichever way she replied to it? If Nurul Izzah had said she does not support freedom of religion she is in trouble. If she says she supports freedom of religion she is also in trouble. Both ways she is cooked. And if she had said' no comment' she is also cooked. I suspect that Nurul Izaah was set up. I thought she would be savvy enough to realise that religionists can never accept opinions. The correct opinion is their opinion. Your opinion is the wrong opinion. That is how it works. According to the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (MAIS), who spoke on behalf of His Highness the Sultan of Selangor, His Highness is upset with Nurul Izzah. That is what the MAIS chairman, Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa, said. Whether that is true or not I am not sure but most times these people put words into the Sultan's mouth and the Sultan would be too scared to contradict them lest His Highness is accused of supporting apostasy. So there you are. After trapping Nurul Izzah, they now trap the Sultan, knowing that His Highness would not dare say otherwise. Did I not say that Umno is clever? How many times must I repeat that Pakatan Rakyat is not as clever as Barisan Nasional at this game? Religionists in general and Muslims in particular do not tolerate differences of opinion and differences in interpretation. Religion, after all, is just that -- opinions and interpretations. For example, when religious scholars or ulamak make a statement or issue a decree, they will always start with "According to so-and-so….yada, yada, yada…" or "As reported by so-and-so…yada, yada, yada…". That means this is the opinion of a third party. And this also means that it is purely hearsay. The fact that scholars all over the world and for hundreds of years are not unanimous or united regarding the meaning of the verse 'there is no compulsion in religion' in the Qur'an means it is open to interpretation. Does it mean you are not forced to become a Muslim? Does it mean you are not forced to become a Muslim but once you do you must remain a Muslim? Does it mean you are not forced to remain a Muslim but can leave Islam if you want to? Yes, what does it mean? Some Muslims (from both sides of the political divide) say it means you cannot leave Islam while others (from both sides of the political divide) say you can. Muslims are not really sure what it means but they take the stand that it means whatever I say it means. Okay, let's look at this from another angle. Is Malaysia a Parliamentary Democracy or a Theocratic State? It can only be one or the other. If, as some people say, the Sharia applies and all Muslims are bound by the Sharia, then clearly Malaysia is a Theocratic State. And if Malaysia is a Theocratic State then we have to abolish general elections and elect our leaders based on the principle of a Council because general elections will allow non-Muslims to become leaders -- which is not acceptable at all in a Theocratic State. However, if we elect our leaders through a general election (which will allow non-Muslims to become leaders) then we are a Parliamentary Democracy -- and that would mean we are not bound by the Sharia but the Federal Constitution would prevail instead. Our political leaders from both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat must clarify this point. Are we a Theocratic State where the Sharia applies or are we a Parliamentary Democracy that allows its citizens freedom of thought, freedom of opinion, freedom of association and freedom of religion? Currently, Malaysia's status is very confusing. And that is why Nurul Izzah is in trouble. She spoke as a Democrat. But the religionists will not allow that. They want her to speak as an Islamist, not as a Democrat. As a Democrat she is right -- you do have freedom of religion. As an Islamist you do not have freedom of religion. Once you are a Muslim you remain a Muslim till the day you die. And if you leave Islam then you die, now. In short, you are put to death as an apostate. Do you know who is to blame for all this? The politicians use religion for political gain but they leave things very vague so that we remain confused. The more confused we are the more they can exploit the issue. Anwar Ibrahim, the Opposition Leader, must take a stand on this since he is the Opposition Leader. Najib Tun Razak, the Prime Minister, must also do the same since he is the Prime Minister. Can Muslims leave Islam and if they do then what does the government do to them? Will they be arrested, jailed, or put to death? Malaysians need to know so that this episode can be put behind us and we can move on to more important matters. And as long as Anwar and Najib remain silent that is how long this matter would go unresolved and Malaysians will continue to fight over religion. Now do you know why I don't support both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat? They are both very devious and mischievous. They confuse us and make us fight just so that they can gain power. | ||||
| Dr M: I told Petronas to enrich my son Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:40 PM PST
The former premier mocks a reporter who asked an embarrassing question. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Dr Mahathir Mohamad today mocked a Malaysiakini reporter for questioning him on lucrative multimillion ringgit petroleum contracts involving Petronas and SapuraKencana Petroleum Bhd, of which his son Mokhzani is vice-president. The visibly annoyed former prime minister, who is adviser to the national oil company, said he had used his influence with Petronas to ensure that SapuraKencana win the business. "Yes, of course, he is given it because I instructed Petronas," he told the reporter. "You can put that in your paper." "I presided over everything. I told them, 'Please give to my son and not to anybody else'." The reporter's question came during a press conference that followed the presentation of a patron award to Mahathir from the Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP). The reporter raised the question in defiance of a plea by the event organisers that the media confine the session to town planning and other issues related to the function. The reporter asked if Mahathir thought there was a conflict of interest in the award of two contracts, worth RM836 million in total. Mahathir replied: "That is what I've been doing all the time. Even the time when I was prime minister, everything goes to my children. "But when everything goes to the children of other PMs, you don't want to mention because he is a nice man." Mahathir left shortly afterwards, cutting the press conference short. An event official later told FMT the reporter should have "been more respectful". "We wanted the press conference to be confined to the event," he said. "It's okay that he wanted to ask the question, but he could have framed it in a more tactful way." Reuters reported last week that Allied Marine & Equipment Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned unit of SapuraKencana, was awarded a RM700 million underwater services contract for three and a half years by Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd. Another wholly-owned unit, Kencana HL Sdn Bhd, was awarded a RM135.8 million engineering, procurement, construction and commissioning contract from HESS Exploration and Production Malaysia BV for an integrated gas project in the Kamelia Field in the North Malay Basin. The contracts were announced in two stock exchange filings last Thursday.
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| PAS ready to meet Selangor Sultan to explain Nurul Izzah issue Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:33 PM PST
Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider PAS leaders today said they are ready to meet the Selangor Sultan to give an explanation over the allegations that Nurul Izzah Anwar had supported freedom of religion for Malays. Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, a PAS central committee member, did not dismiss the possibility that the king, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah did not receive Nurul Izzah's actual statement. "I am convinced the Sultan did not get Nurul (Izzah)'s actual statement...if not, I myself can meet the Sultan to tell." "I am close enough with the Sultan...I can bring the actual statement to the Sultan," Dr Dzulkefly (picture), who is also the Kuala Selangor MP said during a press conference in Parliament today. Utusan Malaysia carried a report on its front page today, saying that the Selangor of Sultan was shocked with Nurul Izzah's statement in the forum: "Islamic State: Which Version, Whose Responsibility" in Subang Jaya last Saturday. The PAS Dewan Muslimat today also expressed support for Nurul Izzah, stressing that the attacks on the PKR leader was carried out by political foes who had pre-judged her before listening to her explaination. "This issue has been politicised and intentionally magnified (diperbesarkan)," the Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said in the same press conference. Nurul Izzah has since then denied supporting apostasy among the Muslim community, and yesterday said she will take legal action against Umno-owned dailies Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her statement.
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| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:28 PM PST
Nurul Izzah Anwar appears to have forgotten Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's opinion on apostasy at the forum. 'BRASH': PKR vice-president's comment on religious freedom stirs controversy Syed Umar Ariff, NST NURUL Izzah Anwar has stepped into a political minefield following her statement on the freedom of religion among Muslims, which is being described as "insensitive and brash". Perhaps the Parti Keadilan Rakyat vice-president was taking a leaf out of the book of her father, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who always found himself in trouble for making jolting statements, like supporting efforts to protect the security of Israel. Nurul Izzah said: "How can anyone say the freedom of religion applies only to non-Muslims? It has to be applied equally. "In the Quran, there is no specific term to Malays as to how it should be done," she said to a question on whether Malays had freedom of religion. Oh yes, Nurul Izzah did deny claims that she supported apostasy during a forum on an Islamic state. No right-minded Muslim would have done that. She may have meant well raising the issue but her clarification deviated from what was understood by mufti and religious experts. It was as if she had never said anything regarding religious freedom among Muslims on that fateful day, but was, rather, taking a quote from a surah (a chapter in the Quran). It was rather stupefying, indeed. The 32-year-old could have been careful with her words. They were probably said to appease potential liberal-minded voters. Still, Nurul Izzah should have known better about the political ramifications. It could cause the loss of support among Malays or a backlash from an ally, if one does not thread carefully when dealing with an issue that is taboo among Muslims. Nurul Izzah, one of the opposition's strongest frontliners, had learned the hard way in her attempt to appear enlightened on the issue. She is now bearing the brunt of anger from mufti, imam and even skullcap-wearing neighbours. Moreover, she has yet to realise the high probability of Pas joining the fray. And now she has gotten herself in a bind that will be brought up by rivals. To make it worse, in her excitement to speak on apostasy during the forum, she appeared to have forgotten Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat's opinion on that matter. The hudud issue between Pas and DAP has yet to subside even after all these years. The conservative Islamic party may now face a threat to its goal of an Islamic country. Many ulama in Pas are uneasy with the statement. This is not the first time Pas has to suffer hints that its alliance with PKR and DAP may lead to perdition. Some Pas leaders, like vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, may choose to overlook it, saying that Nurul Izzah has made clear what she said. Others may have slapped their foreheads because of her slip of the tongue. Above all, this can lead to another problem in Pas on whether it should condemn such statement or otherwise for the sake of painting a rosy picture of Pakatan Rakyat's unity. Will this become another thorn in Pakatan's side? It may be far-fetched to say that this will affect Malay votes for the opposition, or that it will contribute to the breakdown of the opposition alliance. But it is simply another example of what will happen when a prominent opposition leader chooses not to think of what she says, or has a wrong political guru, to begin with.
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| Leaked Sarawak concession map shows Taib's secret stranglehold over the Borneo rainforest Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:16 PM PST
Timber concessions covering 36% of Northern Sarawak are held by the Samling group that is linked to the Taib family - BMF is calling on the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the granting of timber and plantation concessions in Malaysia's largest state on the island of Borneo (MIRI, SARAWAK/MALAYSIA) Swiss NGO, the Bruno Manser Fund, has today released one of Sarawak's best-guarded secrets, a map of all the timber and plantation concessions in the northern part of Sarawak, a state on the island of Borneo that accounts for 25% of the world's exports of tropical logs. The map was prepared in May 2010 by Sarawak's Forest Department and was never intended to be made public. For over three decades, kickbacks for timber and plantation concessions have been one of the most important sources of political funding and personal enrichment for Sarawak's long-term head of government, Chief Minister Taib Mahmud ("Taib"). As a consequence, the Sarawak government has done everything in its power to keep secret the precise figures and dates on the timber and plantation concessions granted to Sarawak companies. Not surprisingly, the leaked Sarawak forestry map provides strong evidence that large tracts of the state's forests have been handed over to family members and cronies of the Sarawak Chief Minister. Most concessions in Northern Sarawak have gone to the Samling group, which exploits 1.37 million hectares of timber and plantation concessions in the area, equivalent to 36% of the total land mass of Northern Sarawak (3.79 million hectares) as is shown on the map. Samling is owned by the Yaw family, a Sarawak Chinese family with close ties to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. 5.4 % of Samling shares are held by Ahmad Bin Su'ut, the Chief Minister's spiritual medium ("bomoh"). Another 5% are held by Abdul Hamed Sepawi, Taib's first cousin. Both are thought to be nominees for Taib himself. Another 18 % of the land mass (700,000 hectares) have been concessioned to four state agencies, Yayasan Sarawak, Sarawak Timber Industry Development Corporation, Sarawak Economic Development Corporation, and the Land Custody Development Authority, which are ultimately controlled by Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud. Other private companies with very significant concession areas are logging giants Shin Yang (384,000 hectares), Rimbunan Hijau (295,000 hectares) and KTS (156,000 hectares). Other operators related to the Taib family are Titanium Management, a company owned by Taib's son, Abu Bekir Mahmud, (55,000 hectares of plantation concessions) and Ta Ann (33,000 hectares), which is controlled by Taib's cousin, Abdul Hamed Sepawi. The Bruno Manser Fund is calling on the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) to investigate the granting of timber and plantation concessions in Sarawak as part of its ongoing corruption investigation against Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud. Access the leaked Sarawak concession map under: http://www.stop-timber-corruption.org/resources http://www.stop-timber-corruption.org/resources/Concessions_SarForstDep_NE_Sarawak_comp.jpg
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| HSBC rakes in US$130 million bankrolling rainforest destruction and human rights abuses in ... Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:07 PM PST
HSBC has bankrolled logging companies causing widespread environmental destruction and human rights abuses in Sarawak, Malaysia, violating its sustainability policies and earning around US$130 million in the process, a Global Witness investigation reveals today. The bank is also providing financial services to companies widely suspected of systematic bribery and corruption. Malaysia's Sarawak region exports more tropical timber than South America and Africa combined and now has just five per cent of its forests left intact following decades of industrial-scale logging and plantation development. The Global Witness report, "In the Future There Will Be No Forests Left", identifies loans and services to seven of the region's largest logging conglomerates that would have generated HSBC an estimated US$130 million in interest and fees. The companies supported by HSBC have devastated Malaysian Borneo's rainforests and carried out various abuses against indigenous communities. Sarawak's logging giants, all past or present HSBC clients, have since expanded their destructive model of business to every major tropical forested region in the world. These companies are currently logging or converting forests to plantations in 18 million hectares of concessions – an area three times the size of Norway. "HSBC has bankrolled some of the world's worst logging companies and in some cases got them off the ground with their first commercial loans. The destruction they have caused simply couldn't have happened without the services and kudos the bank provided," said Tom Picken, Global Witness Forest Campaign leader. By providing services to a sector notorious for corruption and high-level political links, HSBC is at serious risk of violating international anti-money laundering regulations which require it to carry out extra checks on clients linked to senior politicians. Sarawak is headed by Chief Minister Taib, currently the subject of a probe by Malaysia's Federal Anti-Corruption unit. Taib holds complete political control over the region's land allocation and forestry licensing, and is widely believed to use this power for the benefit of his family and associates. Several of HSBC's Sarawak clients are closely connected to Taib's family. Global Witness has obtained strong evidence showing Taib and members of his family are engaged in systemic corruption and money laundering. Global Witness Forest Campaign Leader Tom Picken said, "In light of recent money-laundering scandals, HSBC and its financial regulators urgently need to find out whether the bank is handling illegal transactions from this notoriously corrupt and destructive sector". The report shows how four of HSBC's current clients in Sarawak systematically violated the bank's 2004 forestry policies. These required the bank to drop clients that did not have a credible likelihood of having 70 per cent of their operations certified to the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) or equivalent standard by 2009. None of HSBC's Sarawak forestry clients investigated by Global Witness hold a single FSC certificate. This represents a 100 per cent compliance failure. Furthermore, Global Witness uncovered multiple instances of unsustainable and illegal operations by the companies, including the following:
Picken said "In 2004 HSBC brought in progressive world-wide forest policies designed to avoid precisely these sorts of commercial relationships and make the bank a market leader on sustainability. It has consistently traded on these commitments in public, yet failed to meet them in practice. The bank should hold its hands up, drop these clients immediately and compensate the victims for the mayhem it has helped cause."
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| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 06:03 PM PST
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| Why the need for political reforms Posted: 06 Nov 2012 05:53 PM PST
So, let me spell it out to you clearly, yet again. Malaysia needs political reforms. Of course we also need electoral reforms. We also need good governance, transparency, an end to abuse of power and corruption, an end to racial discrimination and religious persecution, and a million other things. But what Malaysia needs most is political reforms and if we can achieve that then many ills facing the country can automatically cure itself. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Eight in 10 Chinese want political reform: survey (AFP) - BEIJING - Eight out of 10 people in China's major cities support political reform, according to a survey reported Wednesday, on the eve of a once-in-a-decade leadership transition. Seven in 10 people believe the government should face greater public scrutiny and strengthen its checks against corruption, said the poll, published in the state-run Global Times newspaper. Corruption topped the survey's list of threats to social stability. "Most Chinese people believe China should initiate political reform," the newspaper said. The survey figures come as President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao wind down 10 years of leadership that saw roaring economic growth but also growing popular discontent over problems including corruption and income disparity. The leaders' expected successors, Vice President Xi Jinping and Vice Premier Li Keqiang, are due to be anointed at a five-yearly Communist party congress beginning in Beijing tomorrow. They will face mounting pressure to address such issues and spur economic growth, which has slowed to 7.4 per cent, its lowest quarterly rate since 2009. Analysts say the administration has failed to enact the economic and political reforms needed to ensure steady growth in the coming years. China's all-powerful ruling party censors public criticism and its top leaders make key policy decisions and appointments through negotiations behind closed doors. Two thirds of respondents rated China's development over the past decade as "satisfactory or somewhat satisfactory" while seven in 10 said they felt reform should occur gradually. After corruption, they ranked the widening rich-poor gap and an inadequate social safety net as the most pressing problems. About 70 per cent said the government should expand access to healthcare, pensions and social security within the next five years. Eighty-five per cent said they felt "China is likely to face more challenges in the future". The survey, of more than 1,200 adults living in seven major cities including Beijing and Shanghai, was consistent with results of prior polls, the Global Times said, citing a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences scholar. Surveys on such subjects appear periodically in state-run media. ******************************************* I have read many 'theories' posted in Malaysia Today. One is that Singapore is a great nation because it is a Chinese-run island-state. Another is that Malaysia is in bad shape because it has a purely Malay government/administration. A third theory is that back in the days when Malaysia had a Chinese Finance Minister the country's finances were better managed -- hence the answer to Malaysia's problem is to have a Chinese Finance Minister. I suppose that AFP report above regarding China dispels this Chinese-is-best theory. The fallacy that race determines all is a very Nazi-like theory. Good and bad has nothing to do with race. Evil is colour-blind and if you do not know that by now then you are too dumb to be reading what I write. So go away and go read articles on Malaysia Chronicle -- more your 'level'. And this is the message I have been attempting to get across to you -- of course in my usual most provocative manner. Well, I did say I enjoy throwing the cat amongst the pigeons and to see 'siapa yang makan cili rasa pedas'. And I must admit that many felt pedas, mainly because they were the ones who makan cili. Yes, that's right, it is not that difficult to make Malaysians melenting. Rub them slightly the wrong way and they foam at the mouth like mad dogs. Okay, so I am a sadist. I enjoy torturing you. So sue me! Or just stay away from Malaysia Today. That would be better because I am not honoured by having idiots making up my numbers. I would rather that Malaysia Today be a small website of thinking readers than a large website with idiots as readers. Two years ago I told you that I had joined the Liberal Democratic Party in the UK and voted for them in the last general election. And I also told you the reason why. Labour was propagating status quo. Conservative was propagating electoral reforms. Lib Dem, however, was propagating political reforms. I too support political reforms hence I joined Lim Dem and voted for them. Yes, how many Malaysians would dare declare that they voted in the UK general election, never mind who they voted for. Doing so is grounds enough for you to lose your Malaysian citizenship. Hence most Malaysians would not vote in a foreign country's general election -- even secretly and for sure not openly. But I did it and I do not hide the fact that I did it. And if the Malaysian government cancels my citizenship then so be it. Anyway, back to the issue of political reforms. The Bersih movement is fighting for electoral reforms. The ABU movement is trying to get Umno kicked out. Suaram is fighting for human rights. And so on -- there are many NGOs, movements, societies, associations, etc., fighting for all sort of things. To each his own, I always say. You have your struggle and I have mine. I may agree with what you do. I may even support what you do. But that does not mean your fight must also be my fight. I may not stand beside you but that does not mean I stand opposed to you. For example, I support the rights of LGBTs. But that does not mean I want to enter into a gay marriage with you. And just because I do not want to sleep with another man that does not mean I am opposed to gays. Do you brain-dead wankers get what I mean? And don't even attempt to use the 'either you are with me or you are against me' argument on me or else I will whack you to kingdom come. So, let me spell it out to you clearly, yet again. Malaysia needs political reforms. Of course we also need electoral reforms. We also need good governance, transparency, an end to abuse of power and corruption, an end to racial discrimination and religious persecution, and a million other things. But what Malaysia needs most is political reforms and if we can achieve that then many ills facing the country can automatically cure itself. So forgive me if I choose a different route to yours. We may all be heading in the same direction and aiming to reach the same destination. But I would rather take a different route to yours. And the route I choose to achieve what I feel Malaysia needs is the route of political reforms. And because of that I do not embed or attach my struggle into a political party, whether Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat. I strongly believe that what I hope to see can only be achieved outside the political platform. I suppose it is just like religion. We all want to go to heaven and not go to hell. But each one of us chooses a different route in getting there. Just because one of us chooses Islam and the other chooses Christianity the objective does not change. At the end of the day both believe in the existence of God. Both, however, do not share the same route in 'reaching' God. Only stupid Muslims will say unless you convert to Islam then you are my enemy. | ||||
| MALAY ORIGINS: Evidence suggests otherwise Posted: 06 Nov 2012 04:50 PM PST
New evidence seems to suggest that Malays and Negritos both evolved together in Southeast Asia in prehistoric times. DATUK Dr Ananda Kumaraseri's comment piece, "Malaysia reflects its rich varied heritage" (NST, Nov 2), was a fair attempt at describing Malaysia's population and cultural variety, based on ancient history. (NST) - Unfortunately, his narration of the past was based on outdated theories and knowledge. There were no "waves" of migration into Southeast Asia, nor did Malays originate from Tibet or southern China, as he mentioned. Dr Ananda was reading knowledge of the 1930s, basically just archaeological knowledge. Lots of new evidence in archaeology and linguistics, as well as DNA studies, in Asia more recently have overturned the theories and views about Southeast Asia that originated from the 1930s. For a round-up of some of the new evidence, refer to the book Tamadun Alam Melayu (by M.A. Ishak 2009, published by Persatuan Sejarah Malaysia). The picture is now emerging that it was in Southeast Asia that man first began to differentiate and that the races began to emerge in Asia. This evolution apparently resulted in the emergence of a spectrum of peoples, from darker-skinned Negritos to lighter-skinned ones (Jakuns) and the still lighter-skinned "Malays". That is to say, the Malay population did not go through the process of being deutero Malays and then proto Malays, as is so commonly mentioned. What the new evidence seems to suggest is that Malays and Negritos both evolved together in Southeast Asia during prehistoric times. At that time, southern Southeast Asia was one large block of land which then broke up to form the Malay Archipelago following rises in sea levels three times from 14,000 to 8,000 years ago. (For a comprehensive account of the sea floods and its significance in the history of Southeast Asia, please refer to the book Eden in the East by Stephen Oppenheimer, 2001). Some of the people who arrived in Southeast Asia from Africa (about 60,000 to 80,000 years ago) did not stay in Southeast Asia long and moved on without going through the process of early differentiation in Southeast Asia. They became the aboriginal peoples of Papua New Guinea and Australia as we know them today. Some others continued moving northwards instead and they differentiated further and became Tibetans, Yuehs, Thais and others, and only much later did the Chinese, Koreans and Japanese emerge. In other words, human migration was from south to north, and not from north to south as suggested by the theories of the 1930s. Thus, the Chinese are, in fact, a distant sub-set of Southeast Asians, and not the other way round. The largest DNA studies conducted by scientists from 10 Asian countries, including Malaysia, China and Singapore, published their findings in December 2009. They concluded that migration of man in East Asia was from south to north. The 2009 findings reinforced findings from several earlier but much smaller studies, which also carried the same conclusions. But much later, migrations of man from north to south in East Asia (and Chinese historical accounts mentioned these events) did take place. These migrations brought Vietnamese, Thais, the people of Myanmar and others into Southeast Asia. These were thus back-migrations to the south, and these happened because of the pressure of the expanding Chinese population in the north. But Malays have always been in the southern part of Southeast Asia. There are no historical accounts, whether in China or wherever, of people who could be identified as Malays migrating south during historical times. Malays (or, any other present-day Southeast Asians) could not have migrated south from the north earlier, meaning during prehistoric times either, as DNA studies have shown human DNA in Southeast Asia is older than that in China (in other words, human movement could only have been northwards during prehistoric times), and DNA composition in China showed a heavy Southeast Asian content, meaning Southeast Asian origin. Over time, Malays having flourished as natives of Southeast Asia (alongside the Negritos) from the original migration from Africa and split following the break-up of their homeland -- the southern Southeast Asia land mass -- into the Malay Archipelago. This resulted in the Malays becoming the population of all the islands of the archipelago. Their land-and-sea environment then caused the ancient Malays to develop a maritime way of life and maritime skills. Eventually, the Malays sailed right into the Pacific Ocean populating all the islands there (where they are now known as Polynesians and Micronesians), and also to Madagascar across the Indian Ocean. Malay kinship across these two oceans has been indicated by DNA studies from the 1960s and even earlier linguistic studies. Their ancient presence in the archipelago led to the development of sub-identities like the Javanese, Bugis and others among the Malay ethnic group, also known as Malayo-Polynesian. It is wrong, therefore, to suggest that Javanese or Bugis, for instance, are immigrant people in Malaysia, as all these people are mere sub-ethnic groups of a larger ethnic family, all inheriting a single common and extensive ancient homeland. Thus, to get our prehistory and history right based on the new knowledge, Malays are the ancient ancestral people of southern Southeast Asia. They did not migrate from anywhere else in Asia. The whole archipelago that resulted from the break-up of the original land mass of southern Southeast Asia was their original homeland and they kept sailing to and fro within the archipelago, even until present days. The high cultural and linguistic diversity in the Malay Archipelago (despite being occupied by only one language family) is further proof of the Malays' ancient presence as linguistics theory suggests the more ancient a people are, the more they generate linguistic diversity. Linguistic diversity among Malays in the archipelago is, in fact, the highest in the whole of Asia, thus pointing to their very ancient presence. It is this ancient Malay population that is at the base of the country that we now call Malaysia. Dr Ananda was right in suggesting that Malaysia's past shaped the "thinking, attitudes, ethos and the nature and substance of its statecraft". Diversity is nothing new to the archipelago or to Malaysia, even before the arrivals of Chinese and Indians during very recent historical times. I look forward to the revision of our school history books to keep abreast of the new evidence. | ||||
| Ask Lord Bobo: Of Frogs, Rats, and Penang’s Unconstitutional Anti-Party Hopping Law Posted: 06 Nov 2012 04:44 PM PST
LOYAR BUROK Lord Bobo, what do you think of Penang's new anti-hopping law? Is it unconstitutional? (Ribbit, via email) On 1 November 2012, the Penang State Legislative Assembly passed the Penang State Constitution Enactment (Amendment) Bill 2012 ("the Bill"). Unfortunately, as at the date this article was written, the precise terms of the Bill remain unknown, as the Bill could not be located anywhere on the Penang State Legislative Assembly's website. So much for Penang's much heralded commitment to "Competency, Accountability, Transparency" (saved somewhat only by virtue of proceedings in the State Legislative Assembly being broadcast live on the Internet). Nevertheless, going by news reports the Bill apparently:
Simply put, as far as Penang is concerned no elected representative can party hop or cross the floor, and if they did so, they must vacate their seat. Proponents of the Bill argue that there is a dire need for such anti-party hopping legislation. Governments, they say, should only be formed as a consequence of voters expressing their will at the ballot box. So when Malaysia has Sabah (1994) and Perak (2009) as part of the tapestry forming the nation's political past, an anti-party hopping legislation is vital. Even so, let's abandon subjectivity and embrace something more objective, that orphan child which is hailed as sacrosanct one day, and ignored the following day – the Federal Constitution. The right to party hop or to cross the floor is part of the freedom to freely associate with whosever one wills. This right is a fundamental liberty guaranteed under Article 10(1)(c) of the Federal Constitution. Of course, like most rights under the Federal Constitution, it is subject to exceptions. Legislations can be enacted to limit or regulate the right to freely associate with whosoever one wills. Does this therefore mean that the Bill is constitutionally valid? The short answer to that is no. A very clear no. The Bill is unconstitutional, as legislations limiting or regulating the right in question cannot be passed by State Legislative Assemblies. Only Parliament can enacts such laws. This much is evident from Article 10(2)(c) of the Federal Constitution and confirmed by the Supreme Court decision in 1992 in Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan & Anor v. Nordin Salleh & Anor.
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| Serang Nurul golongan desperado, kata Mujahid Posted: 06 Nov 2012 04:35 PM PST
(HARAKAH) - Mujahid Yusof Rawa menyifatkan, kenyataan Nurul Izzah Anwar telah diputarbelitkan untuk kepentingan pihak tertentu yang desperado. Bagi beliau, "Tiada paksaan dalam agama" adalah prinsip kemuliaan Islam tetapi ini bukan bermakna ia menggalakkan kemurtadan.
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| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 04:22 PM PST  So today we see Nurul Izzah caught offside by her very innocent naive statement about freedom to follow a religion, undoubtedly addressed more to non-Muslims more than anyone. But regardless of the exact words she had said or her intended target audience, it's a wonderful 'heaven-sent-come' opportunity for UMNO to excoriate her, and accuse her of apostasy. KTEMOC KONSIDERS Scene 1: A politician farted loudly while making a pre-election campaign speech. Unabashed, he smiled and even giggled, and the news media subsequently reported his audience roared with laughter. He was said to have quipped: "I had a hearty breakfast, a blessing of Allah swt who allowed me to be born in this wonderful country of plenty. But I must tell my dearest wife to cut down on the beans." Again, the news reported the reaction of the crowd as favourable, with the applause deafening.  Scene 2: A politician farted loudly while making a pre-election campaign speech. Embarrassed, he smiled and even giggled, and the news media subsequently reported his audience roared with disgust. He was said to have quipped: "I had a hearty breakfast, a blessing of Allah swt who allowed me to have such a wonderful wife who prepared the great meal for me, but I must tell my dearest one to cut down on the beans." Again, the news reported the reaction of the crowd was of total disgust, with the booing deafening.  Yes, of course they were from opposite side of the fence, and the news media reporting on the two incidents was known to be highly partisan. Irrespective of the actual reaction of each crowd, the one-sided and highly biased reporting was already determined, to boost the picture of the former and demonize the latter. It's politics at its dirtiest.  Last year, DAP ADUN M Manoharan called for a redesign of the Malaysian flag because it looks too much like the flag of the USA. In fact, Manoharan was very careful in his proposal not to undo the crucial core of our flag, stating "The jalur (stripes) need to be changed. The red and white is causing a lot of confusion. I think the star, crescent and royal yellow should be maintained." Despite his harmless (in fact constructive) proposal, low brow Muhyiddin Yassin jumped on him and condemned the ADUN for showing disrespect to (what Muhyiddin termed as) our 'national heritage'.  He indicated that Manoharan's proposal was indicative of a likelihood that Pakatan would even amend the Constitution, of course without revealing to his target audience that the UMNO-led government had already amended the Constitution more than 200 times, a Boleh-Land world record yet to be surpassed. And what was Muhyiddin's bull about 'national heritage' when any commonsense understanding would tell us that a national flag, while a symbol of national identity, pride and belonging, is not exempt from changes, as per our national anthem having had its tempo changed. Canada has made one of the most improved changes to national flags. The striking red maple leaf on its flag shows indisputably its Canadian identity – see below and understand how the maple leaf design stands out remarkably and uniquely as Canadian, making the revised Canadian flag renowned as one of the best flag designs – a design which came about through deliberate change.  And like Canada, it's only a matter of time before Australia and New Zealand will change theirs as well.
Spain on the other hand has switched from and back to its original royal flag, abandoning its Republican motif. Estonia is now preparing to change its flag, which I suspect is a political move to be more identified (politically, economically, socially?) with its neighbouring Scandinavian countries.   But it was Malaysian politics at its dirtiest when a DPM saw fit to exploit an innocuous and quite constructive proposal from a citizen, all for grubby political gain. But then that's Muhyiddin who excels in Machiavellian triviality - nonetheless like all political pygmies, he deserved "thunderous applause" for his nonsensical brand of politicking, wakakaka.  But it should have been a salutary lesson for Manoharan and other Pakatan pollies to be more careful with what they say publicly (and for Penang DCM Mansor Othman, even privately, wakakaka) in that a desperate BN will stoop down into the gutters to scrounge for any material to add sh*t to it before hurling the lot at Pakatan. And that's because they don't have the teflon-coated backsides of UMNO (or pro UMNO) people like Ibrahim Ali, Utusan Malaysia and pro UMNO bloggers, ... ... or for that matter, those UMNO MPs who committed lèse majesté with teflon-coated impunity on 10 December 1992 in describing the rulers as known robbers, adulterers, drunkards and kaki pukul.  Compare that vile vicious venomous comment of gi-normous lèse majesté implications with the sound advice that poor Nizar Jamaluddin gave to HRH Johor, namely, that half a million ringgit (regardless of who owns it) would be better spent on the people's welfare than on a car licence plate, which on top of everything, has nothing to show a relationship with Johor State or even royalty, or ...  What's good for the goose is, unfortunately in Malaysia, certainly not for the gander. So today we see Nurul Izzah caught offside by her very innocent naive statement about freedom to follow a religion, undoubtedly addressed more to non-Muslims more than anyone. But regardless of the exact words she had said or her intended target audience, it's a wonderful 'heaven-sent-come' opportunity for UMNO to excoriate her, and accuse her of apostasy. And like a Bulldog holding on to a piece of bone in its mouth, UMNO won't let go (at least for a while). I'm afraid she's on her own because daddy has been remarkably silent on her naive slip-up. But she'll survive.
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| Mashitah: DAP boleh digelar Kafir Harbi jika tolak Islam Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:45 PM PST
Mohd Farwan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider DAP boleh diistilahkan sebagai Kafir Harbi, sekiranya parti itu secara terbuka menentang dan menolak Islam, kata Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim. Mashitah ketika sesi soal jawab lisan di Dewan Rakyat hari ini menegaskan, mana-mana pihak yang membuat tuduhan Kafir Harbi mahupun Kafir Zimmi juga boleh dikenakan tindakan di Mahkamah Sivil di bawah Peruntukan 298(A) Kanun Keseksaan kerana cuba menimbulkan rasa tidak senang hati yang boleh menjurus kepada perpecahan dan memudaratkan keharmonian negara. "Sekiranya bukan Muslim menentang kepada Islam, mengeluarkan kenyataan seperti melabel bahawa syariah Islam itu ekstremisme, dengan terang menyebut tidak mahu Islam, tidak kiralah nak langkah mayat atau tidak, atau merasakan mempertahankan maruah Islam itu sebagai sesuatu yang membazir tenaga dan masa, maka jelas bahawa ia adalah menentang kepada Islam," kata Mashitah dalam jawapan lisan kepada Ahli Parlimen Tanah Merah, Amran Ab Ghani. "Jika disabitkan kesalahan, mereka (orang yang menuduh) boleh dipenjara bagi tempoh tidak kurang dari dua tahun dan tidak lebih lima tahun." Beliau turut menegaskan, dalam keadaan masyarakat majmuk di negara ini, istilah tersebut bukanlah suatu tuduhan, sebaliknya hanya merupakan istilah yang diguna pakai ulama untuk membuat kajian sikap bukan Muslim terhadap komuniti Muslim. "Ia bukan satu tuduhan ... istilah atau konsep Kafir Harbi atau Zimmi adalah satu istilah yang digunapakai oleh para ulama untuk membuat kajian sikap atau pembacaan sikap terhadap bukan Islam yang ada untuk bekerjasama dengan mereka. "Jadi daripada kajian sikap itu, diklasifikasikan atau dikategorikan sama ada bukan muslim itu dianggap sebagai (Kafir) Harbi atau Zimmi. "Ia bukan satu istilah yang membolehkan sebarang hukuman diambil untuk dibunuh atau sebagainya ... tetapi adalah sebagai satu kajian sikap yang mana bila diklasifikasikan mana-mana orang itu sebagai Harbi atau Zimmi, sama ada kita masih terus boleh berkawan dengan dia ataupun tidak ... itu sahaja. "Jadi tidak timbul soalan tuduhan yang boleh membawa kepada satu hukuman atau sebagainya," tegasnya lagi.
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| Muslims can't leave Islam: Dr Mahathir Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:39 PM PST
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad joined Muslim conservatives today in dismissing the view that there is no compulsion in Islam, telling those professing the faith not to get too "carried away by western ideals". "We are Muslims. We do not change our religion," the influential former prime minister told a press conference this afternoon. "Others ... their beliefs perhaps permit them (to convert). We should not be too taken by western thoughts." Dr Mahathir said that such freedom, if allowed, could lead to racially-charged arguments, even among those in the same religion. "If we're free to do this and that, in the end, we start to produce films that ridicule other religions and then we fight among us. "So do not be too carried away by western ideals. A man can marry a man, a woman can marry a woman... and the family is destroyed," he said. Dr Mahathir was asked to wade into the controversy surrounding remarks made by PKR's Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah Anwar, who recently expressed her support for freedom of religion for all Malaysians, including Malays, in a forum last Saturday. Her remarks drew widespread backlash among conservative Muslim groups and Umno hardliners, who accused the PKR vice president of supporting "apostasy". But Nurul Izzah has denied this and yesterday said she would take legal action against Umno-owned dailies Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her statement. The PKR leader has, however, found support from popular Islamic scholar Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, who said in an article in Sinar Harian today that there is no compulsion in Islam. "After hearing her explanation, I understand what she meant. The 'no compulsion' is from the aspect of practice in the religion of Islam. "If truly there were compulsion, this country's government would certainly take action against a Muslim individual, for example a Muslim woman who does not wear the tudung (headscarf)," he told the Malay daily. The Univesiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer told the newspaper he had written an article two years ago titled "Iman Tidak Boleh Dipaksa (Faith Cannot be Forced)", and added that the content was "the same" as what Nurul Izzah had stated. "Malays cannot be forced and [they] believe voluntarily. But, through preaching, a person can be brought back to the faith," he was quoted as saying. Race and religion issues are inseparable in Malaysia, where the Malays — who make up 60 per cent of the 28 million population — are constitutionally defined to also be Muslims. The country's supreme law states that Islam is the religion of the federation but also provides for other religions to be practised freely. In Parliament today, a deputy minister Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim said legal action may be taken against Nurul Izzah for purportedly insulting Islam. "There are no such provisions for now, but it can be included under provisions on insulting Islam or causing Islam to be insulted. "Anyone who orally or in written form mocks or causes Islam to be degraded, can be imposed with a penalty of not more than RM3,000 or jail of not more than two years, or both," the deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs said.
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| Six NGOs urge France to investigate SUARAM over Scorpene report Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:33 PM PST
(Bernama) - Six non-governmental organisations (NGOs) today urged the French government to conduct an investigation on Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM) for wrongly filing a report in 2009 on the purchase of two French-made Scorpene submarines by Malaysia. Young Malaysian Journalists Club (YMJC) president, Dzulkarnain Taib said the NGOs had handed over a joint memorandum to the French Ambassador to Malaysia, Martine Dorance at the embassy, here at 2.30 pm today. Besides YMJC, the memorandum was also signed by Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia, Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia, Malaysia Malay Network, Malaysian Crime Prevention Awareness Board and Malaysian Consumerism Protection Board. He said the memorandum demanded the French government to investigate SUARAM for acting as a bogus non-governmental organisation and had manipulated the French justice system in the Scorpene probe. "SUARAM's false pretension could threaten the long-established relationship between Malaysia and France," he told Bernama here today. Dzulkarnain claimed SUARAM had acted in bad faith to claim itself as a bona fide representative of the Malaysian people and wrongfully used this charade to hoodwink the French courts to be appointed as the plaintiff or parti civile vis-avis the Scorpene issue.
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| Ex-Perlis mufti backs Nurul Izzah, says ‘no compulsion in Islam’ Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:29 PM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - There is no compulsion in Islam, popular Islamic scholar Datuk Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has said in his defence of PKR's Nurul Izzah Anwar who has been under attack from Umno-linked conservative Muslim groups over her recent remark on the subject of faith — a hot button topic in mainly Malay-Muslim Malaysia. The still influential former Perlis mufti was weighing in on the controversy that has erupted following the PKR vice president's statement at a public forum on "Islamic State: Which version, Whose Responsibility?" in Subang Jaya last Saturday, with several religious hawks suggesting that her remarks meant she supported Muslims renouncing Islam and turning "murtad" or apostate. "After hearing her explanation, I understand what she meant. The no compulsion is from the aspect of practice in the religion of Islam. "If truly there were compulsion, this country's government would certainly take action against a Muslim individual, for example a Muslim woman who does not wear the tudung (headscarf)," he told Malay daily Sinar Harian. The Univesiti Sains Malaysia (USM) lecturer told the newspaper he had written an article two years ago titled "Iman Tidak Boleh Dipaksa (Faith Cannot be Forced)", and added that the content was "the same" as what Nurul Izzah had stated. "Malays cannot be forced and [they] believe voluntarily. But, through preaching, a person can be brought back to the faith," he was quoted as saying. Mohd Asri was also reported saying that Nurul Izzah's initial remark could have been misconstrued because it was not explained in detail. He added the first-term federal lawmaker had contacted him to help explain to the public her statement and that he agreed with her remarks that there was no compulsion in Islam. The Lembah Pantai MP, who is expected to defend her parliamentary seat in the coming 13th general election, was reported by state news agency Bernama as saying that no one should be compelled to adopt a particular religion and that this applied to Malays as well. Following the outcry, she has been forced to deny that she was supporting apostasy or encouraging Muslims to renounce Islam. Race and religion issues are inseparable in Malaysia, where the Malays — who make up 60 per cent of the 28 million population — are constitutionally defined to also be Muslims. The country's supreme law states that Islam is the religion of the federation but also provides for other religions to be practised freely.
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| Nurul Izzah may face action over Islam remark, says deputy minister Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:20 PM PST
Mohd Farhan Darwis, The Malaysian Insider Legal action may be taken against PKR vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar for purportedly insulting Islam, a deputy minister in the prime minister's department told Parliament today. Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim's statement comes following allegations that Nurul Izzah had expressed her support for freedom of religion for all Malaysians, including Malays, in a forum last Saturday. "Lembah Pantai (MP Nurul Izzah) said Malay-Muslims are free to choose their religion. In other words, (they) can exit Islam; that is apostasy...what's the punishment that can be imposed on Lembah Pantai?" Sri Gading MP Datuk Mohamad Aziz had asked her in a supplementary question today. "There are no such provisions for now, but it can be included under provisions on insulting Islam or causing Islam to be insulted," Mashitah said during Question Time today. "Anyone who orally or in written form mocks or causes Islam to be degraded, can be imposed with a penalty of not more than RM3,000 or jail of not more than two years, or both," the deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs said. Nurul Izzah has denied supporting apostasy and yesterday said she would take legal action against Umno-owned dailies Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her statement.
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| Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:08 PM PST
Has BN has run out of ideas to attack Pakatan and is therefore grasping at straws and building ideas based on fantasy? Selena Tay, FMT The Barisan Nasional leaders are acting like ants in the pants of the Pakatan Rakyat leaders. "Ants in the pants" is a Cantonese phrase that is used to describe very irritating or annoying people that are difficult to be rid of. A few examples are enough to illustrate this point. The first example comes from Umno's Kota Belud MP Abdul Rahman Dahlan who is of the view that the accounts of the Pakatan-helmed states needed to be re-checked as something may have been done to enhance the performance of these states for the audit report, which was issued on Oct 15 to all MPs in Parliament. The Auditor-General had to silence him by issuing a statement that the Auditor-General's Office is neutral at all times. Certainly there is no reason to suspect anything amiss as both Pakatan-helmed states and BN-led states had received both kudos and brickbats in the audit report. Of course, BN had the more and bigger blunders than Pakatan, but that is nothing for the former to complain about as it had been governing since Independence and given their skills at governance, it is thus not a surprise. The raising of this issue clearly shows that BN has run out of ideas to attack Pakatan and is therefore grasping at straws and building ideas based on fantasy. Another person full of fantasy and illusory ideas is none other than MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek who is living in constant fear that hudud will be implemented if Pakatan comes to power and he has gone on the warpath against hudud. Suddenly realising that he has damaged the Malay support for Umno, he has started to put a spin on his words by saying that he is not against hudud per se but only against PAS' version of hudud. Hudud is hudud and there is definitely no such thing as PAS' version of hudud. Obviously, he is now backpedalling by using a foolish excuse to try to dupe the public but he only comes across as being silly. Hadi Awang, the PAS president who is also the Marang MP, pointed out that "it is a great error to label the Islamic law of hudud as 'PAS' hudud" as doing so would equate to labelling the five daily prayers obligated upon the Muslims as "PAS" prayers. The chairman of PAS non-Muslim wing, Hu Pang Chaw, has remarked that thanks to Chua, the non-Muslims are now interested to find out more about hudud. He gave the example of a PAS fundraising dinner in Kota Tinggi, Johor, where 80 out of the 100 tables were purchased by Chinese and Indians. The third example of ants in the pants comes from the BN federal government itself which keeps insisting that Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya will soon be facing a water crisis. Hence the need to build the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant. PKR's Gombak MP, Azmin Ali had revealed in Parliament that Selangor had sufficient treated water with 10.2% in reserve, but this was disputed by the Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, Peter Chin Fah Kui, who had said that the state's raw water reserve stood only at 0.97%. Chin, however, said he would propose to the Cabinet for a "laboratory" to be set up for further talks so that an amicable solution can be reached by both parties. There is no guarantee that water bills will not go up after Langat 2 is constructed. In Penang, there is constantly a group of people demonstrating against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at one time or other. Of course, these people have a right to voice out their grouses so nothing can be done about that save to say that they are like ants in the pants. Another group of ants is Gerakan which has made silly comments on DAP veteran Karpal Singh's proposal that only one person contests one seat. Since March 2008 when BN lost its two-thirds majority in Parliament, Pakatan states have never experienced smooth governance, not to mention that Perak was lost due to a nefarious and diabolically-orchestrated power grab. BN leaders continue to find faults in Pakatan's governance. That is fine but there are times when the problems are inherited from BN's era. Many a time too, the Pakatan-helmed states had to solve these inherited problems; for instance, the Penang government had to compensate an individual named Tan Hak Ju for the sum of RM40 million in a land matter while the Selangor government had to solve the problem of various abandoned housing projects in Selangor. One of the abandoned housing projects is located in the parliamentary seat of Selayang in Bukit Botak and PKR's William Leong has worked hard and finally managed to get the project going again. Another problem in Selangor is the condominium development near the Batu Caves temple that was approved during the time Selangor was still under BN. The BN federal government, too, has denied oil royalty payments to Kelantan and now the amount has come up to more than RM10 billion. At the end of the day, it is clear that BN has continued to throw spanners into the wheels of the Pakatan state governments although compared to Pakatan, BN's errors are many times worst.
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| Nurul Izzah dikecam dalam Dewan Rakyat Posted: 06 Nov 2012 03:05 PM PST
Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim berkata kenyataan Nurul Izzah itu boleh didakwa di bawah enakmen kawalan agama kerana menghina Islam. Jamilah Kamarudin, FMT Sidang Dewan Rakyat hari ini kecoh ketika membahaskan isu hak kebebasan memilih agama termasuk di kalangan Melayu yang dibuat ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar. Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim berkata kenyataan Nurul Izzah itu boleh didakwa di bawah enakmen kawalan agama kerana menghina Islam. Namun menegaskan tiada peruntukan atau enakmen khusus yang boleh digunakan jika didapati cuba mengajak orang Islam lain untuk murtad. "Kalau seorang bukan Islam mengajak orang Islam untuk keluar Islam, maka kita ada dalam enakmen kawalan agama. "Tapi yang wujud kali ini orang Islam yang mengajak dan membuka ruang untuk orang Islam sendiri memilih agama setelah ibu bapanya mendidik dan ibu bapa mewariskan agama tersebut. "Setakat ini tiada peruntukan khusus sebegitu tapi boleh dimasukkan di bawah peruntukan menghina agama Islam atau menyebabkan Islam dipandang hina," katanya ketika menjawab soalan Datuk Mohamad Aziz (BN-Sri Gading) mengenai tindakan wajar diambil terhadap Nurul Izzah. Katanya, berdasarkan enakmen kawalan agama, mana-mana orang secara lisan atau bertulis mempersendakan atau menyebabkan Islam dipandang hina boleh dikenakan hukuman tidak lebih RM3,000 atau penjara tidak lebih dua tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali. Jawapan Mashitah itu kemudiannya disanggah Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad (PAS-Kuala Selangor) yang menggesa supaya Mashitah segera menarik balik kerana gagal kenyataan Nurul Izzah sepenuhnya. `Kamu angkuh' "Saya minta timbalan menteri sebelum buat apa-apa pertuduhan, atas perkara dakwaan yang dilemparkan kepada Lembah Pantai, apakah timbalan menteri tahu kenyataan sebenar yang disebutkan Lembah Pantai?" "Lembah Pantai kata ada salah laporan … tapi Sri Gading tak faham," tegasnya. Kenyataan Dzulkefly itu kemudiannya mendapat respon daripada ahli Parlimen BN yang mempertahankan Mashitah. "Kamu angkuh!", Datuk Idris Haron (BN-Tangga Batu) kepada Dzulkefly. "Timbalan menteri tidak membuat tuduhan!" sahut Mohamad Aziz. Mashitah turut mempertahankan kenyataannya itu tidak menuding jari kepada mana-mana pihak, sebaliknya hanya menjawab pertanyaan Mohamed. Sementara itu, Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah dilaporkan semalam terkejut dan kecewa dengan kenyataan Nurul Izzah. Sultan Sharafuddin, menurut Pengerusi Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) Datuk Setia Mohamad Adzib Mohd Isa turut menyanggah pandangan orang Melayu beragama Islam mempunyai kebebasan memilih agama lain dan keluar Islam.
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