Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Perkasa threatens to pull support for MCA, MIC over ‘Allah’ Bible-burning row
- Malaysia’s top 10 richest people for 2013
- ‘Better for Sarawak to pull out too’
- A-G ‘not concerned’ by Perkasa’s call
- ‘Malay Bibles with Allah not real Bibles’
- ‘Perkasa’s call enough reason for Sabah to pull out’
- Traitors will face action if PR takes Putrajaya
- Najib promises seven projects if Barisan retakes state from PAS
- Oxford College, St Hugh's, being sued for 'discriminating against the poor'
- Deepak asked to delay interview, says MACC
- Stop Perkasa or lose votes, warns MIC
- We’ll end all race-based policies such as the NEP
- Will Najib survive after GE13?
- Temple gets noise warning
- Tensions can flare if Sabah RCI sensationalised, Musa Aman tells newshounds
- ‘Pakatan all set to take away people’s rights’
- Call to ban politically incorrect terms like ‘ah pek’
- ‘Probe pre-independence immigrants’
- Burn ‘Allah’ Bibles, Perkasa chief to Muslims
- MACC asks Deepak to return with documents, no statement recorded
- For Pakatan, Election 2013 not a stroll in the park
- Ex-MNLF leader tells RCI how he came into Sabah in the 1970s
- PAS council: Azmin can say what he wants, he is disrespectful
- From boast to downright disgrace
- Jeffrey: Postpone polls in Sabah
- Bank Islam’s Azrul a PKR mole, says blogger
- Manikavasagam issued stern warning over outburst
- RM23m for Umno company to play middleman
- Radio stations very naughty, says Chief Minister
- RCI revelations could drown Musa, Umno
- Najib: I hate people who break promises
- Secularism in Search of a Nation
- Universities told to find pupils aged seven years old from deprived backgrounds in plan to ...
| Perkasa threatens to pull support for MCA, MIC over ‘Allah’ Bible-burning row Posted: 20 Jan 2013 04:55 PM PST
Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider Malay rights group Perkasa today threatened to stop supporting Barisan Nasional (BN) parties MCA and MIC after it earned brickbats from party leaders for urging Muslims to burn bibles containing the word "Allah" and other religious Arabic words. In a statement here, the controversial group explained that its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali's statement on the matter had been misinterpreted as he had merely been referring to Malay-language bibles. "I confirm that the Perkasa president did mention the words 'burn the Bible' but he did not mean the original English-language books. "He meant the Malay-language bibles that use 'Allah' and Jawi writing," Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said in the statement. According to recent media reports, Ibrahim had made the call on Saturday at a Perkasa convention in Permatang Pauh, Penang. He was quoted in one news portal as explaining his reason, claiming he was not instigating communal tension but offering a solution to stop non-Muslims from infringing on the sensitivities of the Muslims, the country's most dominant ethnic group. After Ibrahim's remarks, MIC leader S. Vell Paari urged the government to punish the right-wing Perkasa president or face the possibility of bleeding its non-Muslim votes. Irked, Syed Hassan replied today, saying: "Do not force us to change the oath we took during our national congress last December to stand united in our support for all BN candidates, including those from MCA and MIC."
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| Malaysia’s top 10 richest people for 2013 Posted: 20 Jan 2013 03:23 PM PST (Nanyang Siang Pau) - Telecommunications billionaire T. Ananda Krishnan is now the richest man in Malaysia. With a fortune estimated to be around RM30.56 billion, he takes over the top spot previously held by 'Sugar King' Tan Sri Robert Kuok. A research conducted by Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau showed that Ananda received a boost in his wealth when Astro Malaysia Holdings Bhd was listed on the Bursa Malaysia last year.
2. Robert Kuok (Kuok Group) - RM29.40 billion
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| ‘Better for Sarawak to pull out too’ Posted: 20 Jan 2013 03:16 PM PST
Following the steps of Sabah STAR, a Sarawak NGO also openly states that the state would be better off being independent. (FMT) - KUCHING: The Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) said that the ongoing religious debate in Peninsular Malaysia which took on a dangerous turn of late has caused great concern among Sarawakians. "We, Sarawakians, want no part in this heated quarrel over the Allah issue. The people of Sabah and Sarawak have no religious or racial problems and we don't wish to be contaminated with 'religious poison' from bigots and 'dangerous' politicians like Ibrahim Ali from Malaya," MoCS leader Francis Paul Siah said in a statement here today. MoCS has always maintained that Sarawakians are a different breed and "our racial and religious harmony are genuine, unique and not hypocritical". "On these two fronts, the people of West Malaysia could take a cue from us. But would they?," Siah asked. He said that the government had allowed Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali to go 'scot free' for uttering offensive and inflammatory words against Christians was the last straw. Last Saturday, the Perkasa leader has called on Muslims to burn the Malay version of the Bible. "How can any Malaysian, let alone government leaders, with the right sense of mind continue to tolerate the likes of Ibrahim and his Perkasa group? "We are very disappointed with the prime minister for doing nothing about it. At times, we wonder whether Najib is the prime minister of the whole nation which includes Sarawak and Sabah or only of Malaya," Siah said. There are many other reasons why Sarawak would be better off by pulling out of Malaysia. "The list is too long to detail here but as it stands today, I cannot think of one good reason why Sarawak should remain in Malaysia," Siah said.
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| A-G ‘not concerned’ by Perkasa’s call Posted: 20 Jan 2013 02:29 PM PST
A-G's Chambers will only act on Perkasa chief's call to burn the Bibles if the deed is carried out. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT The Attorney-General's (A-G) Chambers will only act on Perkasa president, Ibrahim Ali's controversial call to burn copies of the Malay Bibles if the books are actually burnt. Responding to Ibrahim's call on Saturday for Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles containing the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words, Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail said: "I will look at it if the act is done…" Gani, who seemed unperturbed by the widespread reactions following Ibrahim's inciting call, told FMT that he was "not concerned" by the statement and would only probe the case if reports are lodged. "I am not concerned with such statements. I will look at it [the issue] if the act [of burning] is done and if there is an investigation, " he said. He added that in such a scenario, his "advice to the government will be a separate matter" and one which he would "take seriously". Meanwhile, several prominent lawyers today called for action to be taken against Ibrahim, who they agreed was "inciting intolerance" and "religious hatred" among Malaysians. Lawyer and human rights advocate Siti Kasim believes firm action should be taken against Ibrahim for disrespecting non-Muslims with his "insensitive remarks". "If no action is taken [against Ibrahim], it would seem like we are allowing such comments to be made against other people and other religions," she told FMT. "[Ibrahim] has crossed the line in making such comments. It is unacceptable and I am thinking about making a police report with my colleagues," she added, explaining that the authorities can only act upon the issue once a police report is made. She praised the Christians and non-Muslims for keeping calm over the "uncalled-for" speech, and described Ibrahim as "somebody who is just trying to grab the limelight".
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| ‘Malay Bibles with Allah not real Bibles’ Posted: 20 Jan 2013 02:24 PM PST
Malay rights group, Perkasa, defends its chief's call for the burning of Malay Bibles with the word 'Allah', as they are only meant to confuse Muslims. Anisah Shukry, FMT Perkasa has defended its chief Ibrahim Ali's call for the burning of Malay Bibles which contained the word "Allah" by insisting they are not "real Bibles". "Perkasa feels that a Bible written in Malay is enough of an attempt to confuse Muslims, especially schoolchildren, what more a Bible that uses the word 'Allah' and is written in Jawi. "Thus Perkasa feels that a Bible like this is not a real Bible and is nothing more than an attempt to confuse Muslims into leaving Islam and converting to Christianity " Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hasan Syed Ali said in a press statement last night. He said this alleged attempt to convert Muslims to Christianity was the very reason why Perkasa was "extremely firm" in requesting that the government take action against the use of "Allah" in Malay Bibles. Syed Hasan was commenting on Ibrahim's call to Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contained the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words. "Muslims must unite to protect their religion. They must seize those Bibles, including the Malay editions, which contain the term Allah and other Arabic religious terms, and burn them," Ibrahim, the Pasir Mas MP, told reporters on Saturday. Syed Hasan said that Perkasa's highest leadership fully supported Ibrahim's Malay Bible-burning stand, but urged the media to not "twist" his words. "I confirm that the Perkasa president said 'burn the Bible' but he did not mean the real Bible written in English. He meant Bibles in Malay which use the word Allah and are written in Jawi," claimed Syed Hasan. He also insisted that rather than urging Muslims to seize and burn the Malay Bibles, Ibrahim had only urged Muslims to burn the Bibles upon receiving them. "The Perkasa president said during the Jan 19 press conference that whoever received the Bible in Malay with the word Allah and Jawi writing from someone, should just burn it. "We of the highest leadership of Perkasa completely support our president's stand. Don't twist our president's words," said Syed Hasan. 'Allah bibles also contravene constitution' He also flayed civil liberties lawyer Syahredzan Johan for being "selective" over the issue when commenting on it. Yesterday, Syahredzan had told FMT that Ibrahim's "hate speech" may have contravened Sections 298 and 505 of the Penal Code. Section 298 states that it is an offence to utter words that deliberately wound religious feelings. If found guilty, an offender can be imprisoned for a year, or fined or both. Section 505 states that it is an offence to make statements that that are conducing public mischief. Those found guilty under this section can be imprisoned for a span of two years, fined or both. "Thank you to Syahredzan Johan who informed the public through FMT that the highest action can be taken against the Perkasa president for his statement over the Bible burning issue under Sections 298 and 505," said Syed Hasan. "[But] why did he not inform the public the section that prohibits spreading religions to Muslims in this country? Why keep quiet when it's obvious that there are attempts to spread other religions in this country? "Doesn't it already mention in the Federal Constitution that we are prohibited from spreading other religion to Muslims in this country? Why is Shahredzan selective over this issue?" said Syed Hasan. Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution states that federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among Muslims.
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| ‘Perkasa’s call enough reason for Sabah to pull out’ Posted: 20 Jan 2013 02:19 PM PST
Why is Perkasa's Ibrahim Ali 'scot free' when he should have been arrested and charged a long time ago for uttering offensive and inflammatory words against Christians? Raymond Tombung, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Perkasa's call for Muslims to burn the Malay version of the Bible is the final straw for Christians in Sabah and could prove fatal for Barisan Nasional. And the government's implicit support for the firebrand, radical and racist NGO is opening up good reasons for Sabah and Sarawak to leave the federation, said State Reform Party (STAR) deputy chairman Daniel Jambun. Jambun, in a statement today, said he was appalled by the weakness of the prime minister who is not even willing to flex his muscle to arrest, charge and punish Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali for for fanning racial and religious hatred in the country. "The prime minister's silence is opening good reasons for Sabah to secede from the federation because past assurance for us have been reneged and violated, and that we have long felt that we are no longer defended by our own laws, by our own leaders, even by some of our kings?," he said. Jambun said it's not just the PM who needs to speak up against Perkasa but also several ministers who are responsible for national unity and harmony and national security, as well as the federal cabinet members from Sabah. "But they are surprisingly very quiet about the anti-national offences that Perkasa has been committing. "So what is the point of staying on in a federation that not only neglects you but also has an implicit policy to eliminate your rights?" Jambun asked. He also pointed out that what Ibrahim had said "very clearly" contravened the Penal Code and Sedition Act. "I agree with the lawyer Syahredzan Johan that Ibrahim needs to be stopped effectively with the laws immediately for possibly having committed several offences under sections 298 and 505 of the Penal Code. "The lawyer is right that Section 298 states that it is an offence to utter words that deliberately wound religious feelings. "If found guilty, an offender can be imprisoned for a year, or fined or both. Section 505 meanwhile states that it is an offence to make statements that are conducing public mischief. Those found guilty under this section can be imprisoned for a span of two years, fined or both." Umno leaders protected He said that Ibrahim should have been arrested and charged a long time ago for having uttered many other highly offensive and inflammatory words against Christians before this. "As such it makes us wonder why he is still scot-free. Why are the authorities giving him such special privileges of being a blatant violator of the laws and be subject to arrest?" he demanded.
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| Traitors will face action if PR takes Putrajaya Posted: 20 Jan 2013 02:07 PM PST
The citizenship-for-votes scam, now coming to light through RCI testimonies, is treason of the highest order, says Tawau PKR chief Kong Hong Ming Azman Habu, FMT TAWAU: A PKR leader promised that Pakatan Rakyat will ensure those who masterminded, engineered and made foreigners their tools to stay in power will be dragged to court if it comes to power. PKR Tawau branch chairman, Kong Hong Ming, said the perpetrators of the fraud will face the full force of the law and it is for the voters to decide this at the general elections. He was responding to the startling revelations by former civil servants and immigrants themselves of how the authorities registered thousands of foreigners as citizens and registered them as voters in Sabah since the early 1990s. A Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) set up to probe the illegal immigrant problem in the state heard testimonies last week from several former senior civil servants how a clandestine project was set up to help Muslim immigrants in the state gain citizenship and voting rights. The operation, the former National Registration Department officers said, was run out of a senior Barisan Nasional leader's house in Kuala Lumpur. Immigrants, including those from Pakistan and India, told the RCI how they were singled out by government officers, asked to sign papers, had their photographers taken and then handed Malaysian identity cards despite not applying for them. Kong said genuine Malaysians, especially Sabahans, can be rest assured that if Pakatan becomes the next government after the general election the traitors will face action. He said they (government leaders and civil servants who have been implicated) have committed high treason against the sovereignty of the nation and had destroyed the democratic process of Malaysia. He also said Barisan Nasional government is an unconstitutional government based on what has been revealed by witness at the RCI.
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| Najib promises seven projects if Barisan retakes state from PAS Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:05 PM PST
(The Star) - "All you need to do is give us the mandate and you will see progress happening in Kelantan" A highway, a spanking new stadium and an end to the people's water woes. The people of Kelantan can expect all these and more should the Barisan Nasional retake the state from PAS in the next general election,Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said. The Prime Minister announced at a Janji Ditepati (Promises Fulfilled) programme here yesterday that the Barisan would undertake seven major projects if it forms the next state government in Kelantan. Najib pledged that Barisan would build a highway linking Kuala Krai and Kota Baru, build a spanking new stadium and resolve the people's water woes if it is given the mandate to rule the state. Barisan will also build 3,000 houses under its people-friendly housing scheme, set up a Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) campus for 5,000 students, start a Rapid Kota Baru bus service and build a RM50mil mosque that will be the biggest in Kelantan. "This is only part of our manifesto. It is not yet complete. There will be other things to be announced later. This is Barisan's promise," he said, adding that the people of Kelantan had tremendous potential and Barisan could provide the catalyst for them to excel through systematic development. Taking a dig at the state government now run by PAS, the Prime Minister said transformation, progress and a strong ummah (community) could not happen merely "through slogan chanting and having the house painted green."  Close attention: Najib speaking with a pupil of SK Sri Wakaf Baru in Tumpat, Kelantan. — BernamaOn the other hand, he added, Barisan had shown it was capable of bringing transformation to the state. "All you need to do is give us the mandate and you will see progress happening in Kelantan," he said. Later, in a "live" interview with KelantanFM, Najib said the people here have a strong determination to succeed and, as a responsible government, Barisan would be able to provide more opportunities. "When the state and federal governments come from the same party, all development policies can be easily streamlined for the benefit of the people," he said.
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| Oxford College, St Hugh's, being sued for 'discriminating against the poor' Posted: 20 Jan 2013 12:40 AM PST
The Radcliffe Camera at Oxford University The Huffington Post UK An Oxford college is being sued for allegedly discriminating against poor students after it rejected applications from postgraduates who couldn't prove they had £21,082 for tuition and living costs. Damien Shannon, 26, is taking St Hugh's college to court claiming the policy amounts to "selecting by wealth" and bars all but the wealthiest of students. Shannon had successfully applied to take an MSc in economic and social history but was told his place was conditional on meeting Oxford's financial requirements. According to the Guardian, Shannon's submitted legal papers state: "It is my contention that the effect of the financial conditions of entry is to select students on the basis of wealth, and to exclude those not in possession of it. "In particular, the requirement for evidence of funds for living costs has a discriminatory effect." Shannon was only able to raise £10,000 through a loan but could not secure the remaining £11,000. Former Labour cabinet minister and Salford MP, Hazel Blears, has taken up the case with a parliamentary debate on postgraduate costs being heard on Wednesday, reports the Telegraph. She said: "Oxford University's demands for a guarantee on living costs are deeply unfair. "They will price gifted students out of doing these courses and our country will lose out on some really talented individuals." The case will be heard next month. A St Hugh's college spokesman said: "The requirement that postgraduate students provide a financial guarantee in order to take up their course place at the University of Oxford is made clear to potential applicants. "The university and college have both made fundraising for postgraduate scholarships a key priority."
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| Deepak asked to delay interview, says MACC Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:13 PM PST
Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider Controversial carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan claimed he was "not in the (right) state of mind" to be questioned over his claims last week and asked for a postponement, says the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). MACC's response was issued yesterday, a day after Deepak said he was told on Friday to return at a later date with documents pertaining to his allegations surrounding private investigator P. Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement in 2008. The second statutory declaration, was in relation to the 2006 high-profile murder of Mongolian Altantuyaa Shaariibuu. "Deepak was greeted by one MACC officer (yesterday) and he subsequently told the officer that he was supposed to be at the MACC office because he had made an appointment with a reporter. "When asked if he was ready to give his statement, Deepak told the officer that he was 'not in the state of mind' to have his statement recorded and requested that he does so on January 22, 2013, at 5pm," the commission's Deputy Chief Commissioner, Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdull, said in a statement. Deepak had told The Malaysian Insider on Friday that he expects to reveal everything to the MACC after he had recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement. The Bar Council is currently investigating the identity of lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement about the murder of Altantuya. A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences. Balasubramaniam's lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu had previously said M. Arunampalam's role as the lawyer who had drafted the investigator's second SD had been dispelled by well-connected businessman Deepak, who is also in the centre of the controversy surrounding Balasubramaniam's two SDs.
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| Stop Perkasa or lose votes, warns MIC Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:06 PM PST
The ruling coalition must take immediate steps to curtail Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa if it wants to win over the non-Muslims voters, says Vell Paari. (FMT) - A furious MIC leader today lashed out at Malay nationalist movement Perkasa's chief Ibrahim Ali for fanning religious and communal tension by provoking potential violence against non-Muslims. MIC strategic director S Vell Paari said the government must take criminal action against Ibrahim immediately to stop the situation from getting out of hand. "He should not be allowed to go on saying what he wants and wherever he wants and in the presence of whoever it may be to intimidate and threaten any Malaysian, let it be Muslims or non Muslims," Vell Paari said today. "To incite a criminal act against a fellow Malaysian due to religious difference is criminal in nature and action should be taken against him." He also urged the Barisan Nasional leadership to immediately clarify it's stand on Perkasa. "First and foremost he is a nobody and not a decision or policy maker in BN. He can't be allowed to go on pretending that he is speaking on behalf of the BN. "And to see him making such provocative remarks in the presence of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad is not going to look good on BN, especially with elections just around the corner," he said. He said people like Ibrahim should be isolated and made known that Malaysia has moved forward, and not stuck in a time warp. He also said that he would be urging his party leadership to clearly state their stand against Perkasa to the BN leadership. Vell Paari was responding to Ibrahim's call earlier today for Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words.
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| We’ll end all race-based policies such as the NEP Posted: 19 Jan 2013 04:00 PM PST
Pakatan's strategy is to implement a slew of people-centric fiscal policies that will ease the financial burden of the people, via both economic and education measures. By Chua Jui Meng, FMT Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has promised to do away with all such policies, like the New Economic Policy (NEP), when he is sworn in as prime minister. This is because the NEP has only benefited a small percentage of Malays – the Umnoputras and their families and cronies. How else can you account for the super rich current and former Umno leaders. Policies that benefit all Malaysians and Malaysia, as outlined in Pakatan's Buku Jingga (Orange Book), will be implemented to fasttrack socio-economic growth for the people and country, not political leaders and their cronies. Poverty eradication will feature significantly in Pakatan's rule and the mammoth KL112 (Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Kuala Lumpur) is proof of Malaysians, especially Malays, wanting change in the government. Petronas and its oil are Malaysia's largest billion-ringgit revenue earner. But only the Umno president, who is traditionally the prime minister, has access to Petronas accounts. Not even Parliament. Why the secrecy and zero transparency? Why is Singapore's per capita income 500% higher than Malaysia? When Sabah joined the Federation of Malaysia in 1963, it was the richest state in Malaysia. Today, the people of Sarawak are the poorest in Malaysia. Why? One word is the answer – greed! Unmo's greed is insatiable. That is why the majority of rural and urban Malays are living in poverty or are trapped in the middle and lower-income group. Pakatan government will focus on caring for the poor and to lift the living standards of all Malaysians. Our target is to eradicate poverty within Pakatan's first term as federal government, if given the mandate in GE13. This can be achieved by raising the household income of those with RM1,500 and below a month to RM4,000. The strategy is to implement a slew of people-centric fiscal policies that will ease the financial burden of the people, via both economic and education measures. Chua Jui Meng is PKR vice-president and Johor state chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.
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| Will Najib survive after GE13? Posted: 19 Jan 2013 03:55 PM PST
The question is if Umno will allow Najib to continue to helm the party and country if BN only wins with a smaller majority or without parliamentary two-thirds. Athi Shankar, FMT Can Najib Tun Razak survive as prime minister after the country's 13th general election? This was the biggest political question today as Malaysians await the forthcoming dissolution of the parliament, said DAP's Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong. Of course, he said Najib would sure to lose power if Barisan Nasional was defeated. But, he said the question was whether Umno would allow Najib to continue to helm the party and country if BN won the election with a smaller majority or without parliamentary two-thirds. "As the nation waits for the next polls, a new question emerges – can Najib survive as prime minister?" asked Liew in his article in the latest edition of DAP mouthpiece, The Rocket. Najib took over the reins of Putrajaya on April 3, 2009 from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, to become the country's sixth prime minister. Liew claimed that Umno undercurrents were now troubled by the reality that Najib was no game changer in winning extra Malay supports and securing more non-Malay support with his "1Malaysia" slogan for Umno and BN. Although Najib appeared not to be a racist in a vulgar way, Liew said the Umno president was unable to stem racist campaign by his own party, Malay supremacist organisation Perkasa and Malay daily, Utusan Malaysia.
Liew fired a broadside against Najib for his failure to work with Pakatan Rakyat state governments, especially after the malicious "coup" in Perak in February 2009. He said Najib's attempt to stamp his mark on Umno by fielding winnable candidates had also backfired. "After vacillating on when to dissolve parliament for the last three years, the immediate question now is will there be a person by the name of Najib leading BN into the next election?" asked Liew. The Altantuya factor He claimed Najib has promptly told him three things, firstly that he had nothing to do with the murder case of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu.
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| Posted: 19 Jan 2013 12:19 PM PST
(The Star) - The Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj) has ordered the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple committee in Pekan Bangi Lama to reduce its level of noise and cease religious activities after 6pm. In the Jan 8 compound notice issued to the temple, the council claimed that the noise from the temple and its religious activities had disturbed the neighbourhood. Temple Chairman R. Pannirselvam said MPKj enforcement officers ordered the temple to adhere to the notice, failing which he could be fined RM1,000 or jailed six months or both under Section 82(5) of the Local Government Act. He said the notice had caused uneasiness among the thousands of Hindus who congregate for prayers at the temple every Tuesday and Friday and also for other festivals. "Prayers are conducted between 6pm and 9pm and we ring bells during the prayers. How can we stop the ringing of the bells," he asked? MPKj councillor Senator S.T. Chandramohan however said the notice was rescinded late Friday following reports in a Tamil paper. Pannirselvam had sought the assistance of MIC Youth chief T. Mohan who assured them that the council did not have the right to impose such conditions. "This is a breach of the constitution which allows everyone to practise his own religion," Mohan said. He urged Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and Selangor exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar to publicly apologise to the Indian community. Explaining the notice, Chandramohan said it was issued without the knowledge of council president Datuk Hassan Nawawi and other councillors. "We have asked the council's audit and good governance committee to look into the matter because there is a standing instruction that any action against religious places has to be referred to the council's full board meeting," he said. Meanwhile, Hassan clarified that the notice urging the temple to reduce the level of noise had nothing to do with the ringing of bells.
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| Tensions can flare if Sabah RCI sensationalised, Musa Aman tells newshounds Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:43 AM PST
(The Malaysian Insider) - "In a sensitive situation such as the RCI, sensational coverage will not bring any positive results or effects for the state of Sabah or the country as a whole" Sensational coverage of the ongoing royal inquiry into Sabah's foreign population explosion could spark unnecessary tension, its chief minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman reminded journalists as witness testimonies of illegal immigrants being fast-tracked for citizenship is raising the mercury ahead of Election 2013. Questions are being asked of the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) role over the last two decades in failing to stem the flood of illegal immigrants into Malaysia's easternmost state, which has seen its population grow from just over 630,000 in 1970 to over 3.1 million in 2010 — more than double the national standard. "Many sensitive issues have been raised by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants that is currently being held. "We cannot interfere in the deliberations and the testimonies in the continuing hearing. We also should not rush into any conclusions while the Inquiry is proceeding," said Musa(picture) in a brief six-paragraph media statement to The Malaysian Insider last night. The state's longest-serving chief minister urged reporters to be mindful of their coverage of the RCI, "to avoid bringing about any kind of unnecessary tension among the public". "The government has no control over editorial content. We believe in the freedom of the press," said the 61-year-old, who has been in office since March 2003. "At the same time, in a sensitive situation such as the RCI, sensational coverage will not bring any positive results or effects for the state of Sabah or the country as a whole," he added. Musa had also made a similar request last week at a closed-door meeting with state English-language media representatives from New Sabah Times, Daily Express, The Borneo Post, andBN-controlled newspapers New Straits Times (NST) and The Star, as well as national news agency Bernama. The issue of illegal immigrants has turned emotive among Sabah natives like the Kadazandusun and Murut communities, many of whom feel that the state has been robbed of its sovereignty through the massive influx of foreigners from neighbouring Philippines and Indonesia. It is no secret that Sabahans are angry and want these foreigners shipped back to their home countries in one way or another. They also often blame the immigrants for robbing them of job opportunities and for the rise in the state's social, economic and security problems. Recent statistics from a 2010 census of Sabah's population showed an extraordinary 390 per cent increase from 636,431 citizens in 1970 to 3,120,040 citizens in 2010, more than double the national population growth of just 164 per cent. About 28 per cent of Sabah's 3.2 million-strong population are foreigners, numbering at 889,000 people.
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| ‘Pakatan all set to take away people’s rights’ Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:40 AM PST
(The Star) - "We will have to change our lifestyles as well as dress code, and probably even our choice of food. In fact, you will also be barred from lining up in the same queue with your wife after shopping at a supermarket." People will have their freedom curtailed and be subjected to harsher laws if Pakatan Rakyat were to rule the country in the coming general election. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said the people should take note of recent developments in Kedah and Kelantan to see for themselves what was in store for them should Pakatan form the next Federal Government. "To put it simply, lipstick will not be allowed and women will not be allowed to cut men's hair at the salons," he said. "There will be no high heels, no short sleeves, no cheongsam and certainly no live music or other forms of entertainment. "We will have to change our lifestyles as well as dress code, and probably even our choice of food. In fact, you will also be barred from lining up in the same queue with your wife after shopping at a supermarket," he said at the 52nd anniversary dinner of the Negri Sembilan Moral Uplifting Society on Friday night. Dr Chua said the rights of all Malaysians, which were clearly enshrined in the Constitution, would also be infringed upon as PAS, which would take on a dominant role in Pakatan, would call the shots as was evident in Kedah and Kelantan. "The DAP says this is a small matter, but let me remind you that the party can only be a taikor (big brother) in Penang. Elsewhere, it will have tokowtow (give in) to PAS," he said. Dr Chua said it was an open secret that PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang would be elected as Prime Minister as the party would have more influence over Parti Keadilan and the DAP. Dr Chua said the fact that PAS had never endorsed PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as their Prime Minister-elect if Pakatan were to win the next general election was also testimony to this. "Anwar will be left with only Selangor. So, you decide if you want Abdul Hadi as your Prime Minister," he told the crowd. Likening the DAP to a political eunuch, Dr Chua said it was only good at criticising the Barisan Nasional government, particularly the MCA. Dr Chua said the country would prosper if Barisan continued to lead the country. "Malaysia is the only country whose economic outlook was revised upwards last year by international bodies at a time when many other developed economies were facing downturns," he pointed out. "We are forecast to do even better this year but you must have leaders who are able to steer this nation to success and not those who will be busy taking away the rights of its people."
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| Call to ban politically incorrect terms like ‘ah pek’ Posted: 19 Jan 2013 11:35 AM PST (The Star) - Terms like ah soh (aunty), ah pek (uncle) and orang asing (foreigner) should be banned in government departments and state agencies, said a Barisan Nasional leader. Kota Melaka Parliamentary Supporters Club chairman Datuk Mohammad Ahad said he would propose to the Chief Minister to direct civil servants to refrain from using such terms to address the people. "From what my close friends told me, even bank staff address the non-Malays with such terms," he said, adding that many people, especially pensioners, felt offended. His friends, Mohammad said, were professionals who had once served in senior positions in government departments and felt upset that the younger civil servants would sometimes converse with them in colloquial Malay. The younger civil servants, he added, should realise that these pensioners were from the "baby boomer" generation with good education and experience. "They are knowledgeable about any issue and don't need to Google' to get information. Therefore, younger civil servants shouldn't look down on these older folk as being ignorant," he said, blaming the social media for perpetuating such terms to refer to certain ethnic groups. Mohammad, who is also Sg Putat Umno branch chairman, said he would propose to the Chief Minister that guidelines be drawn up on etiquette and customer service. "We have to do something to label such terms as dirty words' because, in a way, civil servants who continue to address people this way can derail the noble intention of the Prime Minister's 1Malaysia concept," he said. Malacca MIC deputy chairman Datuk M.S. Mahadevan said many grassroots leaders felt that Barisan would be at a disadvantage if civil servants continued to address non-Malays with such terms. "We have those who are in their late 60s venting their frustrations whenever they are described as orang asing," he said.
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| ‘Probe pre-independence immigrants’ Posted: 18 Jan 2013 06:24 PM PST
If the government can form a RCI to probe citizenships given to about 200,000 Sabah immigrants, why not on those pre-independence immigrants? asks the former PM Athi Shankar, FMT Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed cynically suggested the federal government form a royal commission of inquiry to probe if the one million "foreigners", who were given citizenship during independence, were entitled to it. He suggested for the commission to probe ancestral backgrounds of the "foreigners" to determine on whether they deserved their citizenship. If the government can form a commission to probe the citizenship given to some 200,000 Sabah immigrants, he asked on "why not on those pre-independence immigrants?" He told this at a crowded hall when officiating a Perkasa convention on "Penang Malays Economic and Education Transformation" in UiTM campus here today. Nonetheless he said he was not seriously demanding for such commission, but only wanted certain amount of fair play in such inquiries. "I'm not serious about it. But they must be fair," the country's fourth premier told a press conference later. Dr Mahathir seemed clearly frustrated by mounting criticisms against him over allegations of a citizenship-for-votes scheme in Sabah that occurred in the 1990s during his premiership. He said Sabah's illegal immigrants deserved their citizenships given that the law allowed for it if a person had stayed in the country for more than 10 years. "It was a co-incidence that they were given citizenship during election time," Mahathir told newsmen. Earlier in his keynote address, he said pre-independence immigrants should be grateful to the Malays for their citizenships, given by first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. Unlike natives of Myanmar and some African nations, he said the Malaya natives, both pribumis and bumis, did not chase out the immigrants when then Malaya got its independence from the British colonial masters. Ungrateful immigrants plotting to remove Malay privileges He said the Malays generously allowed the immigrants to be citizens, speak their languages and practise their respective cultures, something that even neighbouring Thai and Indonesian natives failed to do. Although Malays constituted 80% of Malaya's voting population during independence time, he claimed that they willingly shared power with the immigrants even though it would reduce their vote bank to 60% and weaken their own political strength. "We allowed the immigrants to flourish among us and let them even to dominate the economy. We also did not stop their language and cultural growth," said Mahathir.
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| Burn ‘Allah’ Bibles, Perkasa chief to Muslims Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST
Proclaiming he is not instigating communal tensions, Ibrahim Ali, says it's the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring sensitivities Athi Shankar, FMT PERMATANG PAUH: Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali has called on Muslims to seize and burn copies of Bibles which contain the term "Allah" or other Arabic religious words. Stressing that he was not instigating communal tension, the Pasir Mas MP insisted that it was the only way to stop non-Muslims from stirring the sensitivities and sentiments of the majority of population in the country. He said certain non-Muslim groups were out to provoke the Muslims by using the term "Allah" or any other Arabic religious words in the Bible. Under the Non-Islamic Religion (Control on Expansion Among Muslims) Act 1988, he said non-Muslims are prohibited from using several Arabic religious terms, including Allah, in their prayers or scriptures. "Muslims must unite to protect their religion. They must seize those Bibles, including the Malay editions, which contained the term Allah and other Arabic religious terms, and burn them. "This is the way to show our anger against disrespect to our sensitivity," he told a press conference after delivering his presidential speech at a Perkasa convention here today. 'Pre-election tactic' Held at UiTM campus, the convention was on 'Economic and Education Transformation of Penang Malays'.
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| MACC asks Deepak to return with documents, no statement recorded Posted: 18 Jan 2013 02:07 PM PST
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today did not record controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan's statement in relation to P. Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration in 2008 on the 2006 murder of Altantuyaa Shaariibuu. Deepak said the MACC today asked him to furnish a long list of documents, including those of a financial nature. "He asked me to give him a lot of documents. So I've agreed. We're going to meet early next week," he told The Malaysian Insider after the meeting at the anti-graft body's Putrajaya office. Deepak claimed that three men came to his office earlier to ask a lot of "unneccessary questions". Earlier today, Deepak told The Malaysian Insider that he expects to reveal everything to the MACC, saying: "Yes, I believe I'll be revealing everything in writing, the entire facts". "They want me to give a statement on the SD2," he had said, referring to private investigator Balasubramaniam's second statutory declaration, which contradicted his first sworn statement. Deepak had recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam, a private investigator, to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement. The Bar Council is investigating the identity of lawyers and possible misconduct in the drafting of Balasubramaniam's second sworn statement about the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu. A cloud of mystery has hung over the identity of the lawyer who drew up Balasubramaniam's second SD, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding Altantuya's 2006 murder, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences.
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| For Pakatan, Election 2013 not a stroll in the park Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:33 PM PST
Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider As it stands now, the fight for the new voter is split down the centre with Merdeka Center's latest survey showing half of Election 2013 virgins supportive of Datuk Seri Najib Razak, contrary to perception that first time voters are likely to be Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters. Nearly one in two Malaysians polled between last November and December in the "First-Time Voters Public Opinion Survey" said they were happy with the prime minister's performance even though only four in 10 said they were satisfied with the Barisan Nasional (BN) government since Najib took over the wheel from Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in April 2009. The latest findings appear to corroborate the independent pollster's earlier studies on public rating for the ruling coalition were lagging behind its leader's despite the slew of cash handouts and a raft of economic and legal reforms introduced over the past four years. In effect, BN would be worse off without Najib's popularity. The independent research house had polled 826 newly-registered voters in Peninsular Malaysia aged 21 and above and found Najib being most popular among Indians at 64 per cent compared to six out of 10 Malays and lowest among the Chinese, with six out of 10 saying they were upset with the PM. In contrast, the BN coalition trailed the PM's ratings by eight percentage points, with 41 per cent of first-time voters approving it compared to the 49 per cent that backed Najib. The ruling coalition was even rated one percentage point lower than the first-time voter's satisfaction with the federal government, which stood at 42 per cent. Political analysts have suggested that the BN cash in more on Najib's personal popularity to endear themselves to first-time voters. The survey also showed a marked split in the issues considered important to each ethnic group, with the Chinese saying they were most concerned about corruption while emotive issues touching on race and religion trumped livelihood issues for the Malays. More than half of the 561 Malays polled said they wanted more to see politicians debate Malay and equality rights than talk about living costs or corruption.
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| Ex-MNLF leader tells RCI how he came into Sabah in the 1970s Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:15 PM PST
(The Star) - KOTA KINABALU: A former leader of an armed group involved in a civil war in southern Philippines some 40 years ago told the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) that it was easy to slip into Sabah in the mid 1970s. Abdul Halil Aramil said that he and six other Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leaders, who were based in Basilan province, Philippines, arrived at an island near the east coast town of Sandakan sometime in 1975 without any problem. He told the inquiry that the group came to Jampiras Island, near Sabah, after their fighters in Basilan started running low on ammunition and food. "We sought help in Sabah," said Abdul Halil, who calls himself Commander Janggut. He added that he and the other MNLF leaders eventually settled in Sabah, with most of them securing employment in the oil palm plantations. Abdul Halil told the inquiry that he and several hundred Filipino refugees eventually set up a settlement in the interior Nabawan district, which they called Kampung Minsupala in reference to their homeland – Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan. He said that while they yearned for autonomy in southern Philip-pines, they now considered Malaysia as their home. "I have never gone back to where I came from and I do not wish to return there because it is not safe even though the war has ended," he said. Abdul Halil added that the situation there was unsafe as almost everyone owned a firearm. On June 1, 2012, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced the setting up of the RCI to investigate the long-standing problem related to illegal immigrants in Sabah, as the Government was committed to resolving the matter which could adversely affect the well-being of the state's people. Najib had insisted on the setting up of the RCI and had, on Sept 21, handed over appointment letters to the RCI chairman, former Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Steve Shim Lip Kiong and the commission's other members. The Prime Minister reportedly told the commission members that he wanted the inquiry to be completed before the general election.
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| PAS council: Azmin can say what he wants, he is disrespectful Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:12 PM PST
(The Star) - The PAS Syura Council, not happy with Azmin Ali's remarks that its decision on the kalimah Allah issue isn't the stand taken by Pakatan Rakyat leaders, said the PKR deputy president was being disrespectful to the council. PAS ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib (picture) said: "PAS stands by the Syura Council, as it is the supreme body responsible for policies and major decisions in the party. "Let him (Azmin) say whatever he wants. I do not want to comment about him. That is his matter." Azmin had reportedly said at a press conference on Thursday that the Opposition pact was sticking to its decision that non-Muslims can use the word "Allah" despite the council stating otherwise. He added that Pakatan was bound by the policies that were discussed during a Jan 8 meeting and that the council was not related to it. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang were at the meeting that arrived at the decision. But the council said on Monday that non-Muslims should be prevented from using the word "Allah" in translations of their religious texts. Azmin was adamant that Pakatan's stance on the issue had not changed and that the council's "afterthought" did not hold water with the Opposition pact. Meanwhile, sacked Selangor PAS chief Datuk Dr Hasan Ali also chided Azmin on his remarks, saying the PKR deputy leader had failed to understand the sentiments of PAS members and supporters on matters concerning Islam.
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| From boast to downright disgrace Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:05 PM PST
The modus operandi to ensure Sabah remained Umno's "fixed deposit" bordered on "treason" at the highest level and was a state-sponsored organised crime. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: It used to be Umno's and the Barisan Nasional's claim, made with some swagger, that Sabah is their "fixed deposit" state. The boast was meant to convey the message to the opposition that they were untouchable. As it turned out, it was true. The ruling coalition had indeed stuffed the ballot boxes in the state sufficiently, but not in the usual way, to ensure Sabah would always be in their corner in their bid to hang on to reins of power. But that boastful expression is coming back to haunt them. The first week of evidence gathering by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into the massive presence of illegal immigrants in the state emphasised this. The narrative so far is that what started as a refugee problem morphed into an illegal immigrant problem and then became a policy to re-engineer the population of the state to reflect Muslim dominance from its native Christian majority origins at the founding of Malaysia in 1963. From there it again changed shape and became an alleged illegal citizenship-for-votes project to prop up a shaky coalition government that has ruled Malaysia for more than 50 years and Sabah for almost two decades. The modus operandi that was used to ensure Sabah became Umno's "fixed deposit" state, bordered on state-sponsored organised crime while some would put it as "treasonous" activity at the highest government levels. Witness after witness stated as much over the last week. However, former civil servants who served during his time in power, illegal immigrants and refugees seem to contradict his statement by telling the commission of the clandestine nature of the issuance of Malaysian identification papers that led to them gaining citizenship and right to vote. Top Sabah National Registration Department (NRD) officers spoke of an operation codenamed 'Operation Rotten Durian' and by all accounts this operation reached into the highest offices including those of Mahathir's trusted aides and indeed Mahathir himself. He seems to confirm this when he said last week: "When I was prime minister, I was in power to determine the implementation of government policies. "The government received foreigners to be citizens if (they) fulfilled certain conditions, furthermore those who are there are not one, two days but already 20 to 30 years and they speak in Bahasa Melayu, have the right to be Malaysians. "So the problem is when there are people who are unhappy when there are some who become Malaysians although those individuals have already long resided in Malaysia, that is what causes problems." Speaking at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday, as the stunning nature of the RCI witness statements sank in, he repeatedly stressed that this giving of citizenships to foreigners was "within the law". "I never deny it (citizenships) were given. What I deny is that I did something against the law, that I will deny," he was reported as saying.
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| Jeffrey: Postpone polls in Sabah Posted: 18 Jan 2013 01:02 PM PST
Given the revelations at the RCI, Sabah STAR believes electoral rolls are tainted and needs to be cleaned up before the general elections. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Sabah State Reform Party (STAR) chairman Jeffrey Kitingan has called for the suspension of the forthcoming 13th General Election until the electoral rolls in Sabah are cleaned up. Commenting on the series of sensational revelations made by witnesses in the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on issuance of Malaysian citizenship to both legal and illegal immigrants in Sabah, he said the current electoral rolls are tainted and should not be used. He stressed that the revelations on phantom voters and illegitimate voters enabling fraudulent wins for Umno-BN candidates in the past is a clarion call for all Sabah leaders to join hands to oust the illegitimate government and to call for the suspension of the forthcoming general elections in Sabah until the electoral rolls are cleaned up. "It distresses genuine Sabahans and Malaysians to hear the revelations at the RCI. It is confirming that even the worst of our nightmares on the poor governance of Sabah are nothing compared to what we are hearing," said Jeffrey. "We hear of illegal immigrants being given registration receipts and used as voters for hire to ensure wins for Umno/BN candidates including a former chief minister who would have lost if not for these voters for hire." He was referring to witnesses testimony that between RM10 and RM20 was paid to these voters to be bussed around to various constituencies in the state that were deemed opposition leaning areas to prop up the BN candidates in those areas. In Friday's public hearing, the RCI was told of foreigners who were born in India and had travelled to Sabah using Indian passports ended up as Malaysian citizens by making false claims of being born in Sabah. They were given Malaysian ICs and passports despite not living in the state or country for the rehired period and have since voted up to five times. Present Sabah govt 'illegitimate' The witnesses, who are now voters told, the commission they were merely asked to sign forms while their place of birth, which was neither Sabah or any other part of Malaysia, was filled in by others and the ICs hand-delivered to them.
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| Bank Islam’s Azrul a PKR mole, says blogger Posted: 18 Jan 2013 04:49 AM PST
The pro-Umno Rocky's Bru says the suspended economist had "frequent, passionate and discreet" communications with several PKR leaders. (FMT) - A pro-Umno blogger has alleged that suspended Bank Islam chief economist Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin was a mole who supplied Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim with sensitive information. Ahirudin Attan, who runs a blog called Rocky's Bru, said this was the reason why Anwar, his daughter and Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah and PKR chief strategist Rafizi Ramli were "visibly and terribly upset" over Azrul's suspension from the bank. Azrul hit the limelight recently for outlining three possible post-GE scenarios at a regional forum in his capacity as Bank Islam chief economist. One of the three scenarios included Pakatan Rakyat winning the next general election. Bank Islam sought to distance itself from its chief economist after the news broke out, and shortly afterwards suspended his service indefinitely, citing breach of internal policy. PKR has questioned the propriety of the suspension. "If you are wondering why Anwar Ibrahim, his daughter Nurul Izzah, and PKR chief strategist Rafizi Ramli are visibly and terribly upset over the suspension of Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajuddin – to the point of calling for a boycott of Bank Islam – it's because they have a lot to lose. And I mean a lot," Ahiruddin said in his latest posting. "In their tweets… the trio may not have admitted to knowing Azrul. Very soon, however, they will have to own up to the fact that they not only know the Bank Islam chief economist but know him intimately." He claimed that Azrul was fondly known as "Wawa" by the three and that he was not a "regular bank employee they are making him out to be". "Wawa and the PKR leaders communicate frequently, passionately and discreetly. Anwar, Nurul Izzah and Rafizi will admit that they have been in regular contact with the Bank Islam chief economist for quite a while. They have been using him over and over and over again. "Wawa has been their insider, their fly on the wall at highly classified internal meetings and meetings with Bank Negara, and the spy who has been leaking to his handlers, including to Anwar Ibrahim directly, confidential information of the Bafia (Banking and Financial Institutions Act) kind, from board papers to correspondence between the central bank." He said the bank acted against Azrul because as a bank officer he had contravened the law. "And this was not his first offence. "Wawa was suspended pending a domestic inquiry. The investigation, however, has brought to surface affairs and conduct more sinister than just political over-zealousness.
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| Manikavasagam issued stern warning over outburst Posted: 17 Jan 2013 02:55 PM PST
(The Star) - PKR has issued a stern warning to Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam for criticising Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and state exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar. An official said the party's political bureau, headed by its president Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, issued the warning on Wednesday following a report from its disciplinary committee. He said several leaders, including Dr Xavier, had pressed for Manikavasagam's suspension, but were over-ruled by party adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Disciplinary committee head Datuk Dr Tan Tee Kwong confirmed that a decision had been made but refused to give further details, saying these would only be made public after Manikavasagam had been informed. Manikavasagam was issued a show-cause letter after two video clips in mid-December showed him urging Khalid to resign over the demolition of an altar in Taman Seroja in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi in November. In another clip, Manikavasagam blamed Dr Xavier for the demolition of temples in Selangor over the last four years. He replied to the show-cause letter on Tuesday. Earlier, two PKR members, N. Shanmugam of Batu division and K. Samynathan of Kelana Jaya, said Manikavasagam criticised the two leaders as they had failed to resolve problems involving temple demolitions in the state. "He (Manikavasagam) had promised that the Pakatan Rakyat government will not demolish any temple if it comes to power," Shanmugam said. "But seven temples have been demolished so far and more notices for demolitions have been received by other temples," Samynathan added.
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| RM23m for Umno company to play middleman Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:44 PM PST
DAP claims the Puteri Umno leader's company charged RM23,000 to train a PE teacher when in fact a similar programme conducted by UiTM costs only RM6,000. Jared Pereira and G Lavendran, FMT A Puteri Umno leader was awarded a contract worth RM22.9 million by the Education Ministry in 2012, and there are doubts that the company awarded the contract had the capability to do the job, DAP claimed today. DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming said the ministry had awarded a contract to the Puteri Umno leader to act as a middleman in a sports arrangement between the Education Ministry and the United States Sports Academy (USSA). USSA conducts a programme called the 'International Diploma in Physical Education and Scholastic Sports' (IDPESS) and the Education Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, had sought its services to retrain 1,000 physical education teachers here, especially those without proper qualifications. The alleged company, claimed Ong, was headed by Kedah Puteri Umno deputy chief Hisham Suhaili Othman, who is also Langkawi Puteri Umno chief. The company is Syarikat KH Sports World Sdn Bhd, who is the authorised agent in Malaysia for USSA, and the contract was awarded via a direct negotiation, said Ong . The purpose of this arrangement was to train these teachers to complement Muhyiddin's 'Satu Murid Satu Sukan' initiative which was to enhance physical education in nation building. According to its website, USSA is an online academy which provides sports degree programmes to about 1,300 students annually. Ong said the training of the teachers began last June but the duration of the program nor the number of teachers that have been trained was unknown.
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| Radio stations very naughty, says Chief Minister Posted: 17 Jan 2013 01:23 PM PST
(Borneo Post) - "The relevant authorities must find out who the sponsors or owners of these radio stations are. We cannot allow them to continue broadcasting lies upon lies because at the end of the day, many people would think that what they say is true.
Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud describes Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) as a 'naughty one' who has no respect for the truth.
Taib, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said a lot of people have heard RFS' broadcast and were angry because they knew the radio station was spreading lies.
He, however, believed that only very few (people) were misled by the lies.
"The fact that they illegally broadcast from a foreign country shows that the broadcasters have no pure motive in what they are doing," he said after receiving tithe on behalf of Tabung Baitulmal from Pelita Holdings Sdn Bhd and Magna Focus Sdn Bhd at Menara Pelita here yesterday.
On Radio Kenyalang, Taib believed that its establishment was prompted by the impending general election.
On possible jamming of the radio broadcast, the chief minister said the matter was best left to the relevant authority to decide.
Parti Rakyat Sarawak president Tan Sri Dr James Masing was reported to have said on Wednesday that he wanted Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Kenyalang to be stopped on their tracks as the 'illegal entities' are poisoning the minds of the rural populace, especially the Ibans, and running down the BN government.
Masing, who is also Land Development Minister, urged the authorities concerned to act against those distributing free radio sets in the rural areas as they were agents of the two radio stations.
He added that if their operations could not be halted, the relevant authorities should at least jam their transmissions so that they would become inaudible to listeners.
Masing added that Radio Free Sarawak and Radio Kenyalang must be stopped to prevent others from following suit.
"The relevant authorities must find out who the sponsors or owners of these radio stations are. We cannot allow them to continue broadcasting lies upon lies because at the end of the day, many people would think that what they say is true.
"This is bad because both radio stations are running down the BN government," he said.
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| RCI revelations could drown Musa, Umno Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:55 PM PST
(Free Malaysia Today) - The disclosures in the current RCI hearing in Sabah may lead to more damaging testimonies implicating the state's top leadership. Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman, who is also the state's Umno chief, could be in for some uncomfortable moments soon as those involved in handing out Malaysian documents to illegal immigrants in Sabah continue to expose the high and mighty. So far, one ex-chief minister, Osu Sukam has been implicated by the testimony of a former director of Sabah's National Registration Department (NRD) at the ongoing investigation by Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants problems in Sabah here. Ramli Kamaruddin, in his testimony said Osu was present with then federal deputy home minister Megat Junid Megat Ayob at a hotel here in 1994 when he was given instruction "to issue NRD receipts using the name and identity card numbers of voters already in the electoral roll, with the sole purpose of allowing them to vote to help ensure that a state government endorsed by the federal government would win" in Sabah. A former right-hand man of ex-premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Abdul Aziz Shamsudin, was also mentioned at the RCI hearing which, going on current disclosures, promises to expose one of the biggest scandals in Malaysia's history involving members of the ruling Umno-led Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition government. Another former chief minister, Harris Salleh, who testified before the five-member RCI, tried to shield himself from the scandal by saying that it was the federal authorities that gave immigrants Malaysian documents like IC, and not him or even the state government he led. He also denied any knowledge of a project to parcel out ICs in exchange for votes. Musa was dragged into the scandal after his name was mentioned many times in books by blogger Mutalib M.D. The blogger had implied Musa's involvement in recruiting illegal immigrants in Sabah to become Umno operatives and also voters to defeat Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) state government in the 1994 election. Mutalib, who did his own research and interviews with people directly involved in or in the know of the security scandal, has written prolifically on the hiring of Muslim illegal immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia by Umno. Musa's involvement is based on his being the chairman of an alleged special task force set up by Sabah Umno to recruit immigrants. A former Umno member, Jabarkan Napi, has also repeatedly named Musa in the scam. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/18/rci-revelations-could-drown-musa-umno/ |
| Najib: I hate people who break promises Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:32 PM PST
(fz.com) - Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that voters from the country's richest state must punish Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for failing to fulfil its promises in 2008. The prime minister said he was confident that BN will administer Selangor better than the current state government if voted back in the next general election. "Our objective is to recapture Selangor but it not for sake of power only. It is because I am confident and believe that we can provide better service and administer better than the current government led by the federal opposition," he said in a 15-minute radio interview during the launch of Selangor Radio BN at Umno headquarters here. Najib added the the state government has also cheated the people of Selangor through its lies and deception. "If we look back recently there have been so many problems. Firstly, they have not fulfil their promises but instead broken them. I hate people who break promises. I believe the people of Selangor share the same sentiment because we all feel like we have been cheated. I hate people lying to me. "I don't know about others but I feel that all of us believe that people must hold fast to their promises. If BN is given the mandate by the rakyat, we will provide an administration that can really fulfil the people's aspiration," he said. He said the people of Selangor must not allow the state to fall behind in the country's development. "Selangor is too important and strategic to the country. If the state is not line with the federal policy then we have problems like the current water shortage. "If we don't have the same government on both the state and federal levels then it will create many problems and eventually trouble the people and this will not benefit the country," he said.
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| Secularism in Search of a Nation Posted: 17 Jan 2013 12:18 PM PST
But can a person who is not atheistic truly be "secular" as expected by the Constitution, especially when the two major religions in India are Hinduism and Islam? What happens when the ways of one religion hurt the feelings of the other religion? Are atheistic lawmakers, of whom there were more than a few in the early days of the republic, qualified to decide how religious Indians must view other religious Indians? Manu Joseph, The New York Times In 1976, India made an amendment to its Constitution that inserted the word "secular" to describe the great republic. It was a national aspiration and still is, and is glorified as a national characteristic, which it is not from the evidence in plain sight. By "secular," India did not mean that it was atheistic or agnostic or that it rejected all religious practices. By "secular," the people who framed the amendment meant that in India all faiths are accepted, and that Indians are expected to tolerate all religions. Every Indian has grown up listening to the idea of India as a "secular" republic. It is a ceaseless background hum, like all moral lessons. One cannot escape its persistence. But can a person who is not atheistic truly be "secular" as expected by the Constitution, especially when the two major religions in India are Hinduism and Islam? What happens when the ways of one religion hurt the feelings of the other religion? Are atheistic lawmakers, of whom there were more than a few in the early days of the republic, qualified to decide how religious Indians must view other religious Indians? On this day, Dec. 6, 20 years ago, it did appear that the demand on practicing Hindus and Muslims in India to be "secular" was unnatural and unsustainable. An ancient mosque called Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, was demolished by a Hindu mob protesting the very existence of the monument. They believed that it was built over a Hindu temple and that the site itself was sacred because Lord Rama was said to have been born there. The demonstrators had been allowed on the site after the organizers of the protest had promised the Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed. The organizers, some of whom were from the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, which went on to govern the nation, asserted that the ensuing destruction of the mosque was the spontaneous act of an emotional crowd. In the days that followed, there were riots across India in which more than 2,000 Hindus and Muslims were killed. The mainstream news media in India have always held that Dec. 6, 1992, was a day of shame and that the destruction of the mosque was a mindless act of vandalism. In the months after the riots, newspapers ran features about Hindus and Muslims living in harmony: a temple and a mosque somewhere standing shoulder to shoulder on a single patch of land, a Muslim family that made Hindu idols, Muslims who married Hindus, Hindus who adopted Muslim orphans and so on. That India was "secular" was the respectable point of view among educated Indians. But, as it often is the case, there was a difference between the respectable view and what a majority actually believed and said in private, which was that the demolition of the mosque was a sign that India was changing and that in this new nation Hindus would become increasingly assertive and intimidating enough to protect themselves against other religions, especially Islam. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/06/world/asia/06iht-letter06.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=1& |
| Universities told to find pupils aged seven years old from deprived backgrounds in plan to ... Posted: 17 Jan 2013 11:48 AM PST
Top institutions will have to organise campus visits, masterclasses and mentoring sessions They will have to show how they are supporting pupils at primary schools in the poorest neighbourhoods Emma Reynolds, Daily Mail Seven-year-old children from the most deprived backgrounds should be targeted by top universities, the Government said today. Pupils at the lowest achieving primary schools should be offered individual mentoring, campus visits and masterclasses in specific subjects, announced the Office of Fair Access. The watchdog insisted that universities plough money into preparing disadvantaged youngsters for academic success - even taking over the running of some academies or free schools. Every institution planning to charge students more than £6,000 in fees now has to complete an annual agreement setting out how they will support students from the UK's poorest neighbourhoods. This could include fee waivers, or subsidised fees for poorer students and spending money on 'outreach' work to raise aspirations and achievement in schools and encourage more disadvantaged school pupils to apply. Universities that fail to meet their agreed targets on recruitment and retention face the prospect of fines of up to £500,000, and losing the right to charge more than £6,000. OFFA said universities must focus on raising children's aspirations and achievement at an early age to ensure they have a fair chance of going on to higher education. The document, the first to be published by new OFFA director Professor Les Ebdon, says it is vital that universities and colleges do much more to encourage disadvantaged students to study for a degree. Professor Ebdon says that he wants to see a 'step-change', adding: 'Let there be no doubt - sustained, well-targeted outreach such as summer schools, masterclasses and mentoring can be very effective and we want to see more of it.'
Excellence: Universities such as Oxford (pictured) must show how they are preparing youngsters for higher education OFFA says that universities must set out in their agreements the work they are doing with younger children, including those aged seven to 11, who are still at primary school. The document says that OFFA 'strongly encourages' institutions to have strong links with schools and colleges that traditionally send few students to university, or have large proportions of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263794/Universities-told-pupils-aged-seven-years-old-deprived-backgrounds-plan-boost-higher-education.html#ixzz2IIOdAa6D
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