Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- The biggest test for Pas' leadership
- Desperate measures to discredit Nurul
- Cops probe Malaysiakini for sedition
- Selangor Tidak Benarkan Penguatkuasaan AES
- AES won’t work without proper enforcement
- How to Get Back Your Genneva Gold and Money – 10 Things To Do
- Transcript of Nurul Izzah's Q&A at forum
- Kenapa ambil tanah Yayasan S’gor?
- PKR launches election website
- There is freedom of religion in Malaysia
- Shafie Apdal’s green eyed monster out for Musa Aman
- Justifying Racial Discrimination
- Nurul Izzah to tell JAIS apostasy row is Utusan’s fault
- Non-MPs barred from Parliament PC area
- Nurul Izzah buat laporan Jais esok
- Can Gerakan rise from the ashes?
- ‘I am disappointed with Nurul’
- ‘Stop targetting Nurul’
| The biggest test for Pas' leadership Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:18 AM PST
Zubaidah Abu Bakar, NST PARTI Islam Se-Malaysia (Pas) is holding its annual national assembly in Kelantan next week, the last before the next general election, with analysts and political watchers looking for some clues on the party's state of health and how well it would do in the coming polls.
In 2008, Pas won 23 parliamentary seats compared with only six wins in 2004. The question is whether they can repeat this performance given the changes that have taken place in the past four years. The biggest test for Pas this time around is the strength of its alliance with its Pakatan Rakyat allies -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat and DAP -- given the recent spate of public bickering over issues from hudud to apostasy. The latter even led to the sacking of Datuk Hasan Ali from the party earlier this year. These are some of the issues to be mulled by the more than 1,000 delegates at the three-day 58th Pas Muktamar at Pusat Tarbiyah Islamiyah Kelantan (Putik) in Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan, the party's stronghold state for the past 22 years. Party officials are not ruling out the possibility of sparks flying during the debates, as delegates push the party towards becoming a better Islamic organisation than it is today. Over the years, Pas has evolved to become more inclusive to suit present times, and has grown to be the largest opposition party with close to one million members. But Pas is not free from internal conflicts. Some members remain disenchanted that the organisation they joined to make Islam a way of life, appears to have been sidetracked. The party's readiness to dilute its Islamic agenda, particularly putting plans for an Islamic state on the back-burner, is causing concern among hardcore members. For them, this "new thinking" is hard to swallow, despite explanations from senior party leaders, including the party's mursyidul am (spiritual leader) Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. At last year's muktamar, the Pas leadership shifted from the call for an Islamic state to the aim of creating a benevolent state. Delegates appeared to agree with the now-mellowed Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that the difference between the two was only semantic as both concepts upheld the people's well-being. Nik Aziz had come to Pas' defence on the change, saying it was the right move since some people found the term unacceptable, even scary. He also said Pas had not discarded the principles behind its struggle as an Islamic movement. But the reality is that Pas suspended its ideals for the sake of a cohesive strategy for Pakatan Rakyat; the party had taken flak from the majority of Malaysians for its hardline stance on issues concerning Islam, including the setting up of an Islamic state and implementing hudud. The coming muktamar will also test the effectiveness of the Hadi-Mat Sabu partnership and of the "general election team" that was voted in last year. The party elections saw the progressives capturing crucial positions, and Mohamad Sabu, a non-ulama, ousting Nasharudin Mat Isa to become deputy president, much to the dissatisfaction of the conservative ulama in the party. Bridget Welsh, an associate professor in political science at the Singapore Management University, wrote in an article that the new leaders continue to face an internal battle within the party as the conservatives -- one group tied to the narrow concept of the Islamic state and the other tied to the "Unity Group" reminiscent of the 1970s -- are fighting hard to hold onto their positions. "Both visions -- tied to old guards in Pas -- are outdated, but they remain powerful ideas within Pas, and still permeate parts of the elected party leadership. Pas' progressives thus face a difficult path ahead." The muktamar is also taking place amid questions over the health of Nik Aziz, although not many senior party leaders want to discuss it openly. The rank and file in Pas fear losing Kelantan if, due to health reasons, Nik Aziz doesn't take the lead in their campaign to retain power in the state. Nik Aziz, 82, who has been menteri besar since Pas came to power in Kelantan in 1990, has been in and out of hospital following a major heart attack in 2004. Speculation about his health mounted after Harakah recently published a quotation from an interview with him, where he told Pas members to carry on his struggle to bring victory to Islam after his death. Nik Aziz was also absent at the 230th meeting of the Conference of Rulers at Istana Negara on Wednesday, raising questions on whether his health would permit him to attend the muktamar. |
| Desperate measures to discredit Nurul Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:17 AM PST
There is a reason why BN-Umno politicians are attacking Nurul Izzah. They know that she is the future. CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today I am not interested in talking to the converted. Certainly not to those of you who passionately believe that Dr Mahathir Mohamad did not abuse the office of prime minister to make his children insanely rich. Nor do I intend to engage those among you that have consigned body and soul to the cause of Pakatan Rakyat unconditionally – for even in Pakatan today there are those whose conduct and beliefs bring into question their ability to be open, accountable and responsible should they be given the responsibility of government. For those of you that vehemently insist that Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism, Hinduism, or any other religion is the only salvation of the human race, I bid you to leave us and not trouble us with your self-righteous indignations. I intend to speak to those among you that have clarity of purpose to listen, hear, understand and debate this vexed issue of "compulsion" – especially in relation to religion – vis-à-vis to what Nurul Izzah Anwar did or did not say in her recent comments at a public forum. In truth, it is really as much an issue of compulsion as it is of politics. More of politics. I am not going to refer to any quotes from the Quran, the Bible, the Torah, the Tripitakas, the Bhagavad Gita or any other holy books for I am not that scholarly a person. I have no emotional revulsion against any religion for we must all realise the good all religions have also done. Today we live in wondrous time. On Tuesday night, I read Obama's tweet: "This happened because of you. Thank you," proclaiming himself winner over Mitt Romney. A few minutes later I receive an e-mail from my cousin MK in Kuala Pilah updating me about his lunch with AJ, earlier at the new Chinese restaurant at the Lake Club in KL. I am sharing what happened on Tuesday night because what happened in the US and the news from Kuala Pilah reached me instantly at the click of my mouse. Now if you know this, then you will also know that what Nurul said or did not say in the name of religious freedom also reached me the same night. Desperate politicians Now we know that others have waded into this issue – each for his or her own personal gain and I do not intend to give them further gain by quoting what they have said. Suffice to remind you of what Andy Warhol said: "In the future, everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes." So let them look for their 15 minutes of fame elsewhere. What I want to try and do here is this: gaze into the abyss, into a Malaysia without Umno. It is as worrying to me as it is exhilarating. It fills me with apprehension at a future without Ketuanan Melayu and that "Bumiputera" safety net in business at work or play for us Malays and yet invigorating for my senses as I face a future that will demand much of the Malays – as much as it would demand of anyone else that calls Malaysia their home. Whoever wins or loses in this general election, there is no denying that we are on the verge of changing Malaysia for the better. We are no longer fighting hubris, our politicians are. And none more so than those desperate politicians from Umno-led Barisan Nasional. And how desperate are they? Let me tell you how desperate. They troll the ranks of Pakatan looking for who will be their nemesis. They seek here, there and everywhere for who in Pakatan could become the rallying point for that final surge needed to knock BN into that "lintang pukang, helter skelter" mode triggering Umno's free- fall towards oblivion. Who will rally the rakyat into stampeding towards the opposition ranks? Who? We know Anwar Ibrahim is a constant. Everything you would expect a leader to have endured physically and mentally, Anwar has endured. He has been to hell and is now back with us. But Anwar, Lim Kit Siang, Abdul Hadi Awang are yesterday's people. Still relevant but age is a punishing master and sometimes politics asks for more than what the aged will give. So who will venture against Umno? Only one name emerges. One solitary name: Nurul Izzah. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/11/09/desperate-measures-to-discredit-nurul/ |
| Cops probe Malaysiakini for sedition Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:11 AM PST
(The Sun Daily) - About 15 police personnel including six officers armed with a search warrant went over to the office of online news web portal Malaysiakini.com yesterday over a probe into an alleged seditious article published in the website. The police personnel from the Subang Jaya district police headquarters were apparently investigating a report on an article titled "Nurul's watershed idea for the nation" which was in response to the controversy surrounding Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar over her recent statement on religious matters. The commentary was written by the web portal's columnist Steve Oh. When contacted by theSun, Malaysiakini's chief editor Fathi Aris Omar said the police had recorded a statement from him, news editor Gerald Martinez and human resource manager A Shamini. The police team arrived at Malaysiakini's office in Bangsar at about 5.15pm and spent about 90 mins carrying out investigations over the article under the Sedition Act. Fathi said police did not seize anything but had told the web portal's officials that they would return today (FRI) to resume their probe at the premises. In response to case, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan said in a news report in the web portal that the police visit can be described as "yet another case of intimidation and harassment". "There is nothing considered as seditious in Oh's letter. We are consulting our lawyers on the matter," he said. Subang Jaya police chief ACP Yahaya Ramli told theSun that the operation was not a raid but police had merely gone to the web portal's office to record statements over the article.
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| Selangor Tidak Benarkan Penguatkuasaan AES Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:09 AM PST
Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim Kerajaan Selangor tidak akan membenarkan penguatkuasaan kamera Sistem Penguatkuasaan Automatik (AES) yang telah dipasang di negeri ini kerana Jabatan Pengangkutan Jalan (JPJ) gagal membuktikan AES adalah cara terbaik untuk mengatasi peningkatan kadar kemalangan jalan raya. Setelah mendengar taklimat oleh Ketua Pengarah JPJ, Datuk Solah Mat Hassan dalam mesyuarat Majlis Tindakan Ekonomi Selangor (MTES) semalam, kerajaan negeri bercadang untuk melantik penilai bebas untuk mengkaji sama ada Kementerian Pengangkutan telah mengambil kira secara menyeluruh langkah-langkah sepatutnya sebelum membuat keputusan untuk mengunapakai dan memasang sistem AES ini. Dari pembentangan tersebut, Kerajaan Negeri juga mendapati Kementerian Pengangkutan telah gagal mendapatkan kebenaran untuk pembinaan struktur bagi sistem AES daripada pihak berkuasa tempatan (PBT). Justeru, Kerajaan Negeri mengarahkan semua PBT untuk memaklumkan kepada kementerian menyatakan bahawa pemasangan AES telah tidak mematuhi undang-undang dan tidak boleh dilaksanakan sehingga perkara ini dipatuhi. Kerajaan Negeri merasakan perjanjian di antara Kerajaan Pusat dan syarikat konsesi perlu dikaji semula sebelum sistem AES dapat dikuatkuasakan. Kerajaan Negeri juga dimaklumkan bahawa syarikat konsesi akan mendapat keuntungan 17% di mana kerajaan negeri berpendapat jumlah keuntungan itu tidak wajar. Kerajaan Negeri juga mengesyorkan kutipan sama dimasukkan dalam Akaun Amanah berbanding Akaun Yang Disatukan untuk membiayai program kesedaran keselamatan jalan raya. Dengan cara ini, rakyat yang membayar saman akan menyumbang kepada negara bukan membantu menambah kekayaan golongan peniaga. Menerusi Akaun Amanah ini, syarikat konsesi hanya dibenarkan mengutip keuntungan wajar bagi menampung kos pemasangan kamera AES. Dengan cara ini juga, syarikat konsesi lebih berhati-hati untuk memasang AES dengan memilih kawasan-kawasan strategik untuk mengelak menanggung kos pemasangan yang tinggi. Kerajaan negeri tidak bertolak ansur sekiranya syarikat konsesi mahu mengaut keuntungan melampau hasil penswastaan saman kerana akhirnya rakyat yang terpaksa menanggung beban.
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| AES won’t work without proper enforcement Posted: 08 Nov 2012 11:06 AM PST
After spending so much money on the AES, only the speedsters will be punished. All other traffic laws can be violated with no consequences and Malaysians will continue with their bad habits. SK, The Star SO much has been said and millions of ringgit spent on the AES. How is it going to change Malaysians, I wonder. Last week, I was coming out of a private hospital car park and right at the exit was a huge lorry parked at an undesignated area, obstructing my view. I was going to turn onto a one-way street when suddenly a motorbike crashed into my car and the rider fell. He picked his motobike up and rode away. He was coming in the wrong direction of the one-way street. One notices everyday that so many vehicles go in the wrong direction on this one-way street (Jalan Sarekei), without feeling any guilt, including DBKL officers. The DBKL office is just down the road. On the same day, there was a motorcyclist riding at 7am along Jalan Loke Yew without a helmet. A traffic polceman on his big bike overtook him, gave him a glance and rode off. Is it the tidak apa or Malaysia Boleh attitude. With such poor enforcement, Malaysia is becoming lawless. So, after spending so much money on the AES, only the speedsters will be punished. All other traffic laws can be violated with no consequences and Malaysians will continue with their bad habits. And those involved with the AES will continue to collect lots of money at the same time.
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| How to Get Back Your Genneva Gold and Money – 10 Things To Do Posted: 07 Nov 2012 06:38 PM PST
Finance Twitter As many as 35,000 investors and up to a whopping RM10 billion of investment were sucked into Genneva Malaysia Gold Scheme. The problem – Genneva Malaysia's liabilities exceeded its assets. That was what Awang Adek Hussin, Malaysia Deputy Finance Minister, claimed couple of days ago. Considering PM Najib Razak is the Finance Minister himself, this statement from his deputy was perhaps the closest one can get from Bank Negara's (Central Bank) investigation after their raid. However, one of Genneva Malaysia's traders claimed the company has some 60,000 customers with monthly turnover of RM2 billion. On the other hand, Geneva Malaysia's website boast 50,000 customers and a turnover of RM3 billion. Whether these gold investors (or rather traders as what Genneva diehard fans would like to be known) actually poured merely RM30,000 or as high as RM285,000 each into the scheme is immaterial. The fact is most of these investors emptied their life savings believing Genneva scheme was a revolutionary and innovative business model – a blue ocean business strategy that could easily put McDonald and Apple Inc. business model to shame. Naturally, these street-smart Gennevarians cried foul and ran amok when their golden goose was slaughtered – by the authorities. They are crying for blood and refuse to wake up from their slumberland. They are upset the Central Bank took away their cash cow. They are furious they cannot milk their golden cow anymore. They would curse and whack you till kingdom come for suggesting Genneva Gold scheme was actually a brilliant and sophisticated Ponzi scheme. They are crying because their children, parents, grandma, kitten, hamster, goldfish and whatnot are dying because they can't afford the medicine after the Central Bank robbed their gold and monthly Hibah gift money. They are suggesting jealousy and cooking up tons of conspiracy theories as being the motive because Genneva was so successful that the company's gold bullion could easily dwarf the Central Bank's reserves (*woohoo*). In short, it's everyone's fault but theirs. If the 14,000-plus Facebook Genneva Supporters Likes is any indicator, between 20% to 40% of Genneva gold traders (they don't like to be called investors *tongue-in-cheek*) were painfully affected by the raid. This numbers can also means the high rollers or kings (of MLM and get-rich-scheme regulars) have long gone leaving these desperate leftovers running like headless chicken. While many greedy yet arrogant traders actually pawn everything including their undergarments and even took loans from financial institutions, a certain sector of illiterate yet ignorant rural folks bet their life savings on the scheme – all because of 1.8% to 2.5% monthly gift money. You can also bet your money that a portion of these Facebook Genneva Supporters actually do not have the physical gold bullion in their possession – they left it with Genneva for safekeeping because renewal every 3-months required the gold bullion to be presented to Genneva – a successful trick by Genneva deliberately inconvenience the buyers. While the more fortunate buyers have at least their physical gold bullion as consolation prize, the "unfortunate" risk takers have only a piece of certificate of ownership as their trophy. Latest update from the authorities revealed (from seized records) many investors who had paid had yet to receive any delivery of gold. The statement also said the total amount of gold seized during the raids from all the companies (Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Pageantry Gold Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd?) is approximately 142.7 kilogram, and monies in bank accounts and cash amounts to RM101.92 million – a puzzling figure considering Genneva alone is said to have monthly turnover of RM2 billion. So what happened to all the glittering gold bars and billions of ringgit allegedly robbed by Malaysian Central Bank? At yesterday's gold price of US$55.51 (RM169.39) per-gram or US$55,513.41 (RM169,359) per-kilogram of gold (the gold price has been trending down, mind you), there should be 11,809 kilograms of gold in Genneva's vault, based on RM2 billion of turnover. Either there should be 11 tons of gold bars or RM2 billion in Genneva's bank accounts (and cash). Now, let's give the Gennevarians the benefits of doubt. Let's assume there were indeed tons of gold bars and billions of cash prior to Central Bank's raid. What can the Genneva buyers do to get back their hard-earned gold and money?
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| Transcript of Nurul Izzah's Q&A at forum Posted: 07 Nov 2012 06:18 PM PST
1Christians Malaysia Last Saturday's forum in Subang Jaya, on the topic 'Islamic state: Which version? Whose responsibility?', was jointly organised by the Oriental Hearts and Minds Study Institute and Islamic Renaissance Front. At the forum, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar had said that there was "no compulsion in religion" when responding to a question from a member of the audience on whether religious freedom also applied to Malays.
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| Kenapa ambil tanah Yayasan S’gor? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 06:04 PM PST
Tempoh kelulusan yang singkat (tidak sampai dua bulan) dibuat secara tergesa-gesa dan meragukan. Fazy Sahir, FMT Alumni Yayasan Selangor mendesak kerajaan negeri memberi penjelasan berhubung pemberian tanah lot di Klang yang digunakan untuk mendirikan Pusat Kebudayaan Cina tanpa sebarang perbincangan lebih awal berhubung hal berkenaan. Pengerusi Ahli Jawatankuasa Bertindak Saya Anak Yayasan Selangor, Badrulzaman Baharuddin mendakwa urusan pemberian tanah 18.1 ekar itu diluluskan oleh Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dalam waktu yang singkat. Beliau mendakwa, tanah itu yang dipohon oleh Exco negeri Elizabeth Wong melalui sepucuk surat bertarikh 21 Mac 2011 dan mendapat kelulusan pada 18 Mei tahun yang sama. "Apa yang menjadi tanda tanya kenapa tanah milik Yayasan Selangor perlu diberikan dan tidak tanah lain? Adakah kerana kedudukannya yang strategik atau ada agenda tertentu untuk merampas aset milik Yayasan secara halus?," soal beliau. "Tempoh kelulusan yang singkat (tidak sampai dua bulan) dibuat secara tergesa-gesa dan meragukan," katanya dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat Umno Selangor petang tadi. Badrulzaman ingin tahu kenapa tiada perbincangan dengan pihak Yayasan terlebih dahulu sebelum keputusan dibuat. Turut hadir Presiden Persatuan Alumni Asrama Yayasan Selangor, Azme Dollah dan Presiden Gagasan Anti Penyelewengan Selangor (Gaps), Hamidzun Khairuddin. Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Azme turut memohon Kerajaan Pusat untuk memberi perhatian mengenai penutupan asrama Yayasan Selangor di Kuala Lumpur oleh kerajaan negeri. Menurut Azme, matlamat Yayasan Selangor kini bertukar matlamat dari menjadi pemangkin kepada aktiviti pendidikan anak-anak luar bandar kepada pencairan aset yang sedia ada. Ini kerana asrama ATDI dan ATPN di Kampung Pandan A akan ditutup selepas tamat peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) pada tahun ini. "Penutupan kedua asrama ini bertujuan untuk mendapatkan pulangan wang oleh pihak kerajaan Selangor," dakwa Badrulzaman.
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 05:56 PM PST
www.demirakyat.my is the central point of information on the party's election efforts, says Nik Nazmi. Anisah Shukry, FMT PKR today launched a website to canvass netizens for votes in the coming election. PKR communications director Nik Azmi Nik Ahmad told reporters www.demirakyat.my would serve as the party's main election platform and the central point for information on its election efforts. "The website is the place the public can visit to find out all they need to know about their candidates," he said. "All our election materials, including candidate lists, will be included on the site. "It will allow netizens to share our election messages, speeches, visuals and other paraphernalia either directly with people in their communities or with their virtual communities in Facebook and Twitter, for instance." Most important, Nik Nazmi quipped, would be the "donation page" because the "resource-strapped PKR" needed funds for its campaign. The site informs donors how their money will be put to use. For example, a donation of RM100 would allow PKR volunteers to reach out to voters residing in rural areas. "The website is a call to action and will be increased in capacity to display information about all election candidates as we progress to the general election," Nik Nazmi said. He said he expected www.demirakyat.my to attract large traffic, adding that it had been receiving 1,500 hits a day even before it was launched. He said the target groups included Malaysians living overseas who might not return in time for the general election but could contribute in ways other than voting for Pakatan Rakyat candidates.
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| There is freedom of religion in Malaysia Posted: 07 Nov 2012 05:21 PM PST
Hence how can Nurul Izzah be wrong for saying that there is freedom of religion in Malaysia? The fact that so many Malays have left Islam and the government does nothing about it means that there is freedom of religion in Malaysia, even for Muslims. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin
Improper to use freedom of expression to confuse people, says Mashitah (Bernama) - It is improper for an individual to use the freedom of expression as a reason to state an opinion which can confuse the people, especially Muslims, in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told today. Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim said that though the government believed in the principle of freedom of expression to state an opinion, matters related to religious issues were most sensitive to Muslims. "In the effort to exercise control over sensitive issues among Muslims, action can be taken under Section 298A of the Penal Code which relates to causing disharmony, disunity, or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will, or prejudicing the maintenance of harmony or unity, on grounds of religion," she said when replying to a question from Amran Ab Ghani (PKR-Tanah Merah) on the measures taken by the government to control the issuing of 'fatwa' (rulings) by unauthorised individuals. Mashitah said the legal proceedings under the provision were handled by the civil courts and a convicted individual could be sentenced to jail for between two and five years. Replying to a supplementary question, from Datuk Mohamed Aziz (BN-Sri Gading), Mashitah said that though there were no legal provisions to act against Muslims who propose that Muslims should be free to choose their religion, action could be taken against them for insulting Islam or causing it to be despised. Mohamed Aziz has asked what action could be taken against PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar for having said last Saturday that Malay Muslims should be free to choose their religion. Mashitah said enactments in certain states provided for a fine of up to RM3,000 or a jail sentence of up to two years, or both, for those convicted of insulting Islam or causing it to be despised orally or in writing. ******************************************** Jais should probe Nurul Izzah's statement: Khalid (Bernama) -- The Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) needs to carry out an investigation regarding Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar's statement on freedom of religion, said Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. Abdul Khalid, who is also the state executive councillor in charge of Islamic affairs, this was necessary to prevent Muslims from becoming confused and ensure that there was no negative impact to the ummah (faithful) in the wake of the controversy surrounding the issue. "I support an investigation into the matter and the actions taken by Jais on it as it is a positive thing, no Muslim wants another to leave the religion (Islam)," he told reporters here today. However, he added that Nurul Izzah, the MP for Lembah Pantai, should be given the opportunity to come forward to clear the air over the matter as there were many versions on the issue in media reports. He was commenting on a report in a news portal which had reported Nurul Izzah as saying at a forum held in Subang Jaya on Saturday that each citizen of the country had the right to profess the religion of his or her choice and that this included the Malays, all of whom are Muslims. ******************************************** Siti Kasim, a member of the Bar Council human rights committee -- and the person who asked Nurul Izzah Anwar that most controversial question regarding freedom of religion -- said she is disappointed that Nurul has "retracted" her remark. "I believe Nurul was just trying to impress the people, she didn't think of the consequences," she told FMT. Siti said Nurul should have stood firm on her remark that freedom of religion was a right for all including the Malay-Muslim. I would have to agree with Siti. Whether what Nurul Izzah said was politically correct or politically incorrect, she has already said it so she should stick to her guns. She should challenge her critics to explain what it is she said that was wrong. If they think that what she said was wrong then they have to come out to explain what is wrong with her statement. Nurul Izzah is now blaming Utusan Malaysia for this whole thing. Is she saying that she did not say what they said she said and that Utusan lied? Or is she saying she only meant that freedom of religion is for non-Muslims and Muslims do not have freedom of religion? I personally know a number of ex-Muslim Malays who have left Islam to become Christians. And according to the Perak Mufti, about 500,000 Malays want to leave Islam. I doubt someone of a Mufti's status would lie. Hence it must be true that 500,000 Malays want to leave Islam. But why did the Mufti say 'want to leave', as if they have not quite left yet? Islam is about akidah or faith. And if you no longer have faith in Islam then you no longer have any akidah. And if you no longer have any akidah then you are automatically no longer a Muslim. In short, you do not have to 'leave' Islam. By your very lack of faith you have been 'kicked out' of Islam, so to speak. Hence, it is not that 500,000 Malays 'want to leave' Islam but 500,000 Malays 'have already left' Islam because they no longer have any akidah. The absence of akidah means you are not a Muslim, plain and simple. Is this too difficult to understand? Now, how does the Mufti know that 500,000 Malays want to leave Islam? He can only know because the government has checked and they know the numbers because they know whom these people are. There are two ways to leave Islam. One would be to no longer have any akidah. Another would be to go to the National Registration Department (NRD) and inform them that you have left Islam and you want the 'Islam' on your identity card removed. Now, whether the NRD does or does not remove the 'Islam' on your ID does not matter. 'Legally', you may still be a Muslim if they do not amend/update your ID. Technically, you are no longer a Muslim. Hence Islam is not about the word 'Islam' on a piece of plastic. Islam is about what is in your heart. And if you heart is no longer a Muslim then you are no longer a Muslim, never mind what that piece of plastic says. Some people dispute the Perak Mufti's figure of 500,000. They say that figure is too high and that it is actually much lower than that. Okay, so it may not be 500,000. It may be only 100,000 or 50,000 or just 10,000. Whatever the figure may be, the government does not deny the fact that some Muslims want to or have already left Islam. And I personally know some of these people. I also know many Muslims who still regard themselves as Muslims but reject the Hadith. The government calls these people 'anti-Hadith'. However, these people say they are not anti-Hadith but pro-Qur'an -- or as what some would call 'Qur'an alone' Muslims. Trust me, there are many such Muslims, even amongst the Malays or Malaysians. Now, according to the Malaysian government's interpretation of Islam, you must accept the Qur'an, the Hadith and the Sunnah to quality as Muslim, all three. If you reject even one of the three then you are no longer a Muslim. In other words, tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of Muslims are no longer Muslims because they refuse to accept the Hadith and/or the Sunnah. Hence, according to the Malaysian government, these people have 'left' Islam. In fact, they would be considered heretics or even apostates, and heresy as well as apostasy attracts the death sentence in all three Abrahamic faiths (although those in the west no longer follow this rule -- as they no longer follow the rule on homosexuality, gay marriages, etc.). The bottom line is, by act of rejection of certain doctrines of Islam or by total rejection of Islam, many Malays have already 'left' Islam (or have been 'kicked out' of Islam). That is the reality. And has the Malaysian government arrested these people or punished these people in any way? The answer is, of course, 'no'. And since the government has not taken action against so many Malays who by act of omission or act of rejection have left or have been kicked out of Islam, would that not mean there is freedom of religion in Malaysia, even freedom for Muslims to leave Islam? Hence how can Nurul Izzah be wrong for saying that there is freedom of religion in Malaysia? The fact that so many Malays have left Islam and the government does nothing about it means that there is freedom of religion in Malaysia, even for Muslims. And that is why Nurul Izzah should not act like she has done something wrong. Instead of sounding very defensive and apologetic she should go on the attack. She should challenge the government to prove her wrong. She should challenge the government to state that there is no freedom of religion in Malaysia and any Malay who leaves Islam will be arrested and will be put to death. Nurul Izzah is probably afraid that she will lose Malay support if the Malays believe that she supports apostasy. Hence she is doing some damage control. It looks like the government has her on the run and she is falling right into it. The video recording of that forum is now on Youtube and what Nurul Izzah really said is there for all and sundry to see. It is too late to try to explain what she really meant or accuse Utusan Malaysia of distorting or twisting what she said. Maybe she meant something else and they interpreted it as something else. But so what? Nurul Izzah should not play this 'I have been misquoted' game that most politicians play. Instead, she should say, "Yes, I said that there is freedom of religion and prove that I am wrong." Challenge all those people who whacked you and make them state that there is no freedom of religion in Malaysia. Then, once they do that, challenge them to explain, if there is no freedom of religion in Malaysia, why has the government done nothing about all those many Malays who have left Islam? The best form of defense is an offense. Nurul Izzah should go on the offensive rather than appear defensive. They are trying to bring her down, that's for sure. If she has to go down then go down fighting. She should stand by what she said and make the government explain what it is she said that is wrong. I doubt anyone will dare say that there is no freedom of religion in Malaysia and any Malay who leaves Islam must be put to death. If they dare say this they would have said it a long time ago. I would play poker and see what hand they have. I bet you their cards are, as the Chinese would say, chekai. Come on Nurul, fight back, don't back down. And cancel your meeting with JAIS tomorrow. Tell them to go to hell. Why do you need to explain yourself unless you have done something wrong? Who the fuck are Nurul Izzah's advisers anyway?
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| Shafie Apdal’s green eyed monster out for Musa Aman Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:54 PM PST
If Musa Aman remains in power for another ten years uninterrupted, Sabah will be the most prosperous and peaceful place in the whole world. But unfortunately for the Sabahans, Musa Aman will be the Chief Minister only for the next five years. He is likely to be elevated as the Finance Minister of Malaysia. But Sabah's loss is the rest of Malaysia's gain. Selvaraja Somiah Shafie Apdal, the Minister of Rural Development is very much jealous of his counterpart in Sabah, Musa aman and is repeatedly attacking Musa and opposing his candidature for the continuation as Chief Minister. Shafie was responsible for undermining Musa Aman's leadership by instigating Lajim Okim to call for the removal of Musa as chief minister by appeasing Lajim with a RM150 million road project from his Rural Ministry. Shafie also helped form KDM Malaysia to divide the Kadazan Dusun Murut (KDM) community, politically weakening Pairin Kitingan and PBS, hence forming a wedge between Pairin and Musa. Now, Shafie Apdal is masterminding the return of Yong Teck Lee (SAPP) into the BN fold and claiming he has the tacit approval of Najib Tun Razak to negotiate the return, despite word of the Sabah BN components distrusting Yong. Yong Teck Lee, Shafie Apdal and Joseph Ambrose Lee were partners in crime, taking over the RM30-billion timber wealth of Yayasan Sabah through share-swap, in a time when Yong Teck Lee was Sabah chief Minister and Shafie Apdal was Directer of Yayasan Sabah. Like it or not, it was Musa Aman who was the then state finance minister who rejected this share-swap deal, saving Yayasan Sabah from a pending doom. Shafie Apdal's intention of bringing Yong Teck Lee back into BN will weaken Musa Aman's leadership among BN followers in Sabah due to Musa and Yong's bitter relationship. At this moment of time Musa Aman and all the other BN component parties have got a fantastic working relationship. SO the big question is: Why is Shafie so jealous of Musa Aman? Obviously Shafie dreams of being the top dog, for sure, but I firmly see it envy forming due to Musa's many achievements which has catapulted Sabah to the top position among the States in Malaysia. It is wrong to say that Sabah has registered improvement in one or two areas. In fact there is no area in which Sabah has not progressed. Education, law and order, good environmental practices, forest protection, clean water supply, electricity, agriculture, industrial progress, urban development, rural development, exports, solution to Sabah's illegal immigrant problem, increase for oil royalty – in whatever angle you look at, Sabah attracts deeper attention in every area, registering a surplus in many areas. But Sabah is not satisfied with this achievement. It is not resting on its laurels but is focusing on earning more surpluses. The reason for this attitude is that Sabah does not think only about itself. It thinks for the whole of Malaysia. Sabah is the locomotive engine of Malaysia and is keen to contribute more for Malaysia's growth. When Sabah attained independence in 1963, Malaysia was born. Right from independence in 1963 to 1985, Alliance- Barisan National ruled Sabah. After 1985, Datuk Harris Salleh was defeated, Pairin Kitingan from Party Bersatu Sabah became the Chief Minister. But even at that time Sabah was ruled by the Barisan National until 1986 when PBS pulled out from BN. In 1994, BN wrested control of the power from PBS when Lajim defected from Parti Bersatu Sabah which won the Sabah election, and his action opened a floodgate of defections from PBS and saw the collapse of Pairin's PBS government. Sakaran Dandai became the first Umno Chief Minister in Sabah in 1994. In 2003, Musa Aman was appointed chief minister. Musa Aman faced crisis after crisis immediately on assuming office. First the state treasury was nearly negative, Yayasan Sabah was on the verge of going bust, state agency were negative and the financial situation of the state was in shambles. Musa Aman had to prudently turn around the mess he inherited. In 2004, Musa Aman faced assembly elections and captured more seats than in 1999 and became the Chief Minister again. He won again in 2008 with a thumping victory winning 59 out of the 60 state seats. Musa Aman has earned the title as the longest serving Chief Minister of Sabah. Musa Aman is facing elections again expected within the next six months. Sabah registered remarkable progress in the last ten years of Musa Aman's rule. Nobody including his opponents can deny this. Read more at: http://selvarajasomiah.wordpress.com/2012/11/08/shafie-apdals-green-eyed-monster-out-for-musa-aman/
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| Justifying Racial Discrimination Posted: 07 Nov 2012 04:37 PM PST
It is worth understanding that the study involved sending resumes to prospective employers and then recording the number of callbacks received. There was absolutely no interaction between the applicant and the employer other than the details written on the resume. So how on earth can the people in charge of hiring even deduce that the candidate is 'lazy' and 'not hardworking'? Feizrul Nor Nurbi First of all, even though the title of this article is stated as the above, it is not the intention of this writer to even try to justify in any way that racial discrimination is acceptable. Racial discrimination – in every form and nuance - is wrong; no amount of justification can change this. The intention of this article is to highlight the seemingly worrying trend of Malaysian society accepting racial discrimination as a normal and acceptable way of Malaysian life and in some ways even coming out with points to justify their arguments. It is shocking to note that in the wake of a study by two academicians - Lee Hwok Aun of University Malaya and Muhammed Abdul Khalid of University Kebangsaan Malaysia - that tries to investigate the existence of racial discrimination in the hiring process of privately-owned companies in Malaysia, vocal Malaysians have come out to voice their opposition to the study, insisting nothing is wrong and racial discrimination is non-existent. Some even went to great lengths in attacking the 2 researchers, insinuating that their study was conducted with ulterior motives in mind, mainly political. Some question the sources of funding, some even rubbish the findings as inconsequential in line with the general perception on the quality of our local universities. But above all, the somewhat united voices of the opposition to the study tries to provide justification for the unfair practices discovered during a hiring process here in our country. Some justify by saying the Malay graduates are 'lazy','not hardworking', 'demanding', 'academically inferior' and in the broadest sense try to paint Malay graduates as not on par with Chinese graduates of which they label 'brilliant', 'hardworking', 'academically superior' and whatnot. As one commentator said, "Malays tend to give up easily and will walk away from stress". Is this not racial bias and presumption in its purest form? Another commentator said "Malay graduates can't even form a proper sentence in English! How can any company hire them?" How about this comment from a commentator "The Chinese have worked hard all their life, while the Malays have been spoon-fed since they're little. Obviously the Chinese make better workers". Another comment : "This is not discrimination. Business is about profit. Obviously they would want to hire quality people as their staff. And Malay graduates don't really make the grade". At a glance one can be forgiven to nod and agree with those comments, but look a bit deeper and you will then realize how each and every comment above are laced with racial bias, racial stereotypes, generalization and negative presumption of the people of the Malay ethnic. It is worth understanding that the study involved sending resumes to prospective employers and then recording the number of callbacks received. There was absolutely no interaction between the applicant and the employer other than the details written on the resume. So how on earth can the people in charge of hiring even deduce that the candidate is 'lazy' and 'not hardworking'? Is there a magical HR tool that can detect those traits just by merely looking at the resume? How about the presumption that the Malay applicants fare worse than their Chinese counterparts in English proficiency, when the resumes sent out were controlled in terms of their quality, where applicants from the two races will have almost identical resumes other than the stated name and the CGPA? Therefore how can one even conclude that the Chinese make better workers than the Malay when the hirer and the applicant have not even interacted in an interview? How can a person judge the better of two similar applicants just by mere resumes? It is true. Our education system leaves much to be desired. Year after year we hear complaints about our graduates not being able to converse in English. Year after year too we hear about the employability problems of graduates from our local universities. But within all the muck there are gems to be found. There are brilliant, hard working Malays that strive to be the pride of their people, trying hard to prove that they can succeed even in the harshest environment. Those that feel the private sector is where their calling is. Those who speak fluent English and try as hard as they can to disassociate themselves with all the stigma plaguing their race. Those who receive their scholarship with disdain, knowing well that there are other worthier recipients denied because of their skin-color. Those who work hard to be successful on their own doing, not relying on the Bumiputra affirmative action but trying to make it on their own terms and their own accords. But try as they might, the whole system seems hell bent on denying them the opportunity to prove themselves. These are the folks who strive for meritocracy but see their dreams dashed by those reputedly championing for meritocracy. Why? Because as a society, we have not matured enough to rise above racial bias and stereotypes. We have not recognized that it is the individual and not the race that matters. Because we all see ourselves as victims instead of a party that can affect change to the better. Until we all say "enough is enough" then things will remain as they are. Until we realize that "two wrongs don't make a right" then Malaysia will continue to be divided. Whatever the argument is, to justify racial discrimination is never acceptable. This is the thing that we must change – the mentality that the entrenched system is the norm, acceptable and defensible, when certainly they are not to remain in place if we are to see Malaysia move forward. One needs to look deep into themselves and ask "Am I part of the problem or part of the solution?" If you think racial discrimination is OK then you are part of the problem. If you think it is OK to stereotype people based on their skin color then change must start from within yourself. For a Kennedy once said, "Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country". And Malaysia – your country – and its people depend on us to discard this divisive trait and move forward as one people and one nation. Change starts from within ourselves.
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| Nurul Izzah to tell JAIS apostasy row is Utusan’s fault Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:31 PM PST
Mohd Farhan, Darwis, The Malaysian Insider Nurul Izzah Anwar, who has been accused by Umno of supporting apostasy for Muslims, will meet Selangor religious officials tomorrow to explain to them that she has been the victim of slander by Utusan Malaysia, the newspaper owned by the Barisan Nasional (BN) party. The PKR vice-president's statement, at a public forum on "Islamic State: Which version, whose responsibility?" in Subang Jaya last Saturday, has resulted in attacks from several religious hawks and Umno politicians suggesting that her remarks meant she supported Muslims renouncing Islam and turning "murtad" or apostate. "I will go to JAIS office at 11am tomorrow to lodge a complaint against Utusan Malaysia for their slander against me," Nurul Izzah (picture) told the media in the Parliament lobby today, referring to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department. Yesterday, popular Islamic scholar Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin defended her, and pointed out that her remarks that Malays also have freedom of religion meant there was no compulsion in Islam. Mohd Asri was also reported as saying that Nurul Izzah's initial remark could have been misconstrued because it was not explained in detail. He said 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. In Parliament yesterday, deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim said that legal action may be taken against Nurul Izzah. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad also joined Muslim conservatives 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". Earlier this week, Nurul Izzah said she will take legal action against Umno-owned dailies Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian for allegedly twisting her statement in a recent forum. She has reportedly denied that she is supporting apostasy among the country's Malay-Muslim community. 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.
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| Non-MPs barred from Parliament PC area Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:11 PM PST
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia says this iss because non-MPs are abusing Parliament grounds. Patrick Lee, FMT Anyone who is not a member of Parliament will no longer be allowed to speak to the media at a special press conference area within the Parliament lobby. Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said the space, reserved for MPs, was misused by others to give press conferences. "This is for those people who purposely use Parliament facilities to sit with the MPs for coverage," he told reporters in his chambers. At the same time, he said that people were still allowed to speak to the media within Parliament grounds, so long as it wasn't within the special press conference area. There had been many times during Parliament sessions when groups or individuals were invited by various MPs to speak to the media. In many cases, some of them had been members of these MPs' own political parties, and would sometimes take charge of these press events. Earlier today, Pandikar told the Dewan Rakyat that with immediate effect, the press conference area could only be used by MPs. Invoking Standing Order 93 and 94, he said the matter would be relayed to the Prime Minister, the Minister in charge of Parliamentary Affairs, the Opposition Leader and the head of Parliament's Administration. At the time, none of the MPs present in the House stood up to object. Pandikar also said that some Parliaments around the world did not even allow the press to enter their grounds. He added that even India's Parliament had a special press conference area outside its gates.
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| Nurul Izzah buat laporan Jais esok Posted: 07 Nov 2012 03:06 PM PST
Aduan itu termasuk segala kenyataan dan dakwaan yang dilemparkan terhadapnya berdasarkan laporan Utusan Malaysia yang menyentuh kebebasan memilih agama. Jamilah Kamarudin, FMT Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar akan membuat aduan di Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (Jais) di Shah Alam esok terhadap kenyataannya yang telah diputarbelitkan akhbar Utusan Malaysia. Nurul Izzah berkata, aduan itu termasuk segala kenyataan dan dakwaan yang dilemparkan terhadapnya berdasarkan laporan Utusan Malaysia yang menyentuh kebebasan memilih agama. "Saya sudah berhubung dengan Pengarah Jais (Datuk Marzuki Hussin) esok 11 pagi untuk mengemukakan aduan terhadap laporan yang menyerang dan memfitnah saya. "Segala dakwaan yang disebut itu berasaskan laporan Utusan dan bukannya (kenyataan) saya," katanya kepada pemberita di Lobi Parlimen hari ini. Manakala proses dokumentasi untuk memfailkan saman terhadap Utusan Malaysia dan Berita Harian akan dilakukan dalam masa terdekat. Naib Presiden PKR pada forum 'Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Siapa Bertanggungjawab' pada Sabtu lalu dilaporkan berkata rakyat tidak seharusnya dipaksa mengamalkan agama tertentu dan ia juga terpakai secara sama rata kepada orang Melayu. Kemudian Utusan Malaysia pada Isnin memetik dan menyiarkan semula laporan tersebut, namun menggambarkan kenyataan Nurul Izzah seakan-akan menyokong gejala murtad. Laporan Utusan itu kemudiannya mendapat reaksi negatif dan kecaman daripada pelbagai pihak. Malah Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah melalui kenyataan Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) kelmarin turut terkejut dan kecewa dengan kenyataan itu.
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| Can Gerakan rise from the ashes? Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:53 PM PST
Gerakan is placing all its hopes on the prime minister's projects for its survival. Humayun Kabir, FMT It seems that now Gerakan's only hope of a revival is by hitching its bandwagon to Najib Tun Razak's various 1Malaysia projects. The Gerakan leaders, at least those in Perak, are singing praises of Najib's projects and how it is going to help the party to rise from the ashes. In the 2008 general election, the party was almost annihilated. Gerakan won only two of the 12 parliamentary seats that it contested in 2008 and four state seats out of the 31 it contested. Gerakan national deputy president Chang Ko Youn told FMT that the party will see a brighter future and win more seats under Najib's various 1Malaysia projects and economic programmes. He said "under the 1Malaysia theme, Najib has brought a lot of changes and reforms that are effective, which is better than [under the administration of former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi]". Chang, who is also Perak state chief, said: "We will be contesting in the three parliamentary seats of Taiping, Beruas and Teluk Intan and four state seats of Aulong, Kuala Sepetang [both in Taiping area], Jalong [in Sungai Siput] and Canning [in Ipoh] in the coming general election." "We have submitted our list of candidates to Najib and we are waiting for his approval," added Chang. Younger candidates
Gerakan has bowed to the party's Youth wing's pressure of fielding younger candidates and has agreed to have 50% new faces. In Perak, according to party insiders, the three parliamentary seats and one state seat may be contested by party veterans while the remaining three state seats may see new faces. It will be the second attempt for Chang to contest in Beruas against incumbent DAP state chief Ngeh Khoo Ham while state vice chief Mah Siew Keong will once again challenge either incumbent DAP's M Manoharan or probably a new DAP candidate in Teluk Intan. Meanwhile, party Wanita chief Tan Lian Hoe, who is also deputy domestic trade and consumer minister, will stand for the first time in Taiping to challenge incumbent DAP strongman Nga Kor Ming.
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| ‘I am disappointed with Nurul’ Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:46 PM PST
The lawyer who posed the sensitive question on religious freedom is disappointed that the PKR leader has changed her stand. Leven Woon, FMT A lawyer who posed the question on religious freedom to PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar during a forum last Saturday is disappointed with the politicians 180 degree turn. Siti Kasim, a member of the Bar Council human rights committee, said she was disappointed that Nurul had "retracted" her remark. "I believe Nurul was just trying to impress the people, she didn't think of the consequences," she told FMT. Siti said Nurul should have stood firm on her remark that freedom of religion was a right for all including the Malay-Muslim. "There's nothing wrong about it, she is saying the truth. I expected a hoo-ha after that. But as a politician, you just need to stick to the truth," she added. She wondered if Nurul was merely adjusting herself to the largely non-Muslim audience on that day and making a political remark. At the forum titled "Islamic state: Which vision? Whose responsibility?", Siti asked Nurul whether freedom of religion should be extended to the Malays since the PKR leader talked about the issue in her speech. Siti said while Nurul did not mention about apostasy in her response, the latter however was a clear supporter of freedom of religion for the Malays. "In the following days she 'retracted' her remark, and said she did not support apostasy. But indirectly when you say you support freedom of religion, and if Malay wants to get out from Islam, that's apostasy," she pointed out. The Orang Asli rights advocate said she once posed the same question to Nurul's father, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim, but failed to get a direct response. "He was going around the bush and didn't answer directly. We want politicians to be straight forward," she said. Meanwhile, Siti said it was high time for the issue to be debated as the Federal Constitution did not exclude the Malays from their right to freedom of religion. She said the individuals who criticised Nurul were the conservatives who insisted that their version of religion was the correct one.
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| Posted: 07 Nov 2012 02:43 PM PST
A MIC leader and a business group express disappointment with the wave of attacks launched against the PKR vice-president. RK Anand, FMT Caught in the eye of a religious storm, PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar is staring at the possibility of being probed by the Islamic authorities. But an outspoken MIC leader cautioned the powers-that-be against "doing to her what was done to her father." Party communication chief S Vell Paari said Nurul – whom he described as "one of the few bright sparks in a pitch black room" – should not be hauled up over a political vendetta. Furthermore, he added that Nurul had explained herself. In 1998, Nurul's father Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as the deputy prime minister. He was then charged with sodomy and corruption, which Anwar claimed were trumped up by his former boss turned arch nemesis Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Anwar, now the opposition leader, was once again charged with sodomy in 2008 but had been acquitted this year. Once again, he accused his political rivals of hatching a plot. Conceding that he had no authority to comment on issues pertaining to Islam, Vell Paari explained that he was looking at the matter from a different vantage point. "While it is common for politicians to sing a different tune and issue threats of legal action when the heat is turned on, Utusan however is not the benchmark for free and accurate reporting either. "So Utusan's reports must be taken with not a pinch but rather a fistful of salt," he added. The MIC leader also took a swipe at Mahathir for claiming that Nurul was influenced by the ideals of Western liberalism. Firstly, he said it was wrong for the former premier to presume that the daughter of his nemesis had supported apostasy, when there were two versions to the dispute. Secondly, Vell Paari said Mahathir should stop blaming everything on the West as if this part of the world was free from sin. "If these critics feel that the West is the root of all evil, then they should stop wearing tailor-made designer suits and stop being chauffeured around in continental cars," he quipped. On a more serious note, Vell Paari said the latest controversy highlighted once again how the political climate in Malaysia was now enveloped in hate and fear. "Politics of hate and fear have become the staple diet in this country with both sides of the divide indulging in such antics to seek mileage. This must stop. "Both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders must cease this unhealthy brand of politics as it impedes the maturing process of this nation," he added. Give them room to express Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar was also disappointed with the attacks launched against Nurul. He told FMT that the younger generation of leaders must be given the scope to express themselves without fear of reprisals, be it from their seniors or the authorities.
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Nurul Izzah had also said, in her reply to the question, that she was "tied to the prevailing views" in the country.
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