Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Bank Muamalat Upah Aktivis Hak Asasi Manusia Hentam NUBE?
- Solve Crime Without Violating Human Rights
- BOPIM to go to court if child conversion Bill is passed
- Membership Terminated
- Gordon Brown's sister-in-law deported from Malaysia
- Egypt's Mursi removed from power
- Leftist agenda adds polemic to political debate, says analyst
- MCA to oppose broadening of syariah court’s powers
- No sane man will allow daughter to marry below 15, says Asri
- Retired judges can appear as counsel, says CJ
- Liang Pertahan Dakwaan Anwar Ada 20 Akaun Luar Negara
- Name them, former IGP tells ex-con
- ‘Islamic Bill being used to incite hatred’
- ‘Revoke controversial clause of Islamic Bill’
- Where is the compassion?
- What Najib must do?
- Najib: No basis for Arab Spring protest in Malaysia
- PKR's Jayathas being investigated under Penal Code
- British TV channel to air Muslim call to prayer
- Calls for rational solution to religion
- Nazri Aziz: Unfair for only one parent to determine child's religion
- Umno can sue Tian Chua for defamation over Lahad Datu article
- Ex-con: I paid cops RM50,000 monthly
- No WikiLeaks record of my ‘foreign stash’
- Kedudukan Saifuddin Nasution di pejabat MB Selangor masih kabur
- Upgrade vernacular schools – Academicians
- Dakwa milik 20 akaun, PR mahu ambil tindakan MP BN
| Bank Muamalat Upah Aktivis Hak Asasi Manusia Hentam NUBE? Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:52 PM PDT
Dalam dunia hari ini, kerana wang, segala-galanya boleh berubah sekelip mata. Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen "Rakyat Palestin adalah pengganas, bukannya pejuang!" Tidak mustahil wujudnya pendirian seperti ini terhadap rakyat Palestin oleh orang-orang yang sentiasa tidak bersetuju dengan kaedah segolongan rakyat yang berjuang mempertahankan hak dan menentang penindasan terhadap golongan bawahan. Bagi orang-orang ini, golongan pejuang sering dilihat sebagai pengganas dan pemberontak sehingga mereka sendiri terlupa bahawa merekalah yang menciptakan fenomena ini. Memang benarlah bahawa golongan kapitalis telah berjaya mengaburi mata dunia sehinggakan sebahagian golongan profesional dan berpendidikan tinggi pun telah buta untuk membezakan antara kebenaran dan kepalsuan. Mereka diajar untuk menetapkan keputusan sebelum melakukan kajian; bukannya kajian yang menentukan keputusan. Mereka diminta hanya melihat dengan mata; bukan disertakan akal, hati dan pancaindera yang lima. Mereka dilatih untuk berperang tanpa perlu mengenali siapa musuh yang ingin diserang. Tanpa disedari, akhirnya mereka terjerat sendiri. Dalam dunia hari ini, kerana wang, segala-galanya boleh berubah sekelip mata. Seolah-olah dunia sudah terbalik apabila aktivis hak asasi manusia sendiri mengambil pendirian untuk menghentam sebuah pertubuhan yang membela hak-hak pekerja dan asasi manusia. Mereka terperangkap dalam 'game' yang dimainkan golongan kapitalis. Hanya mereka yang benar-benar jujur dan ikhlas dalam perjuangan sahaja akan terselamat dari perangkap ini. Maka tidak hairanlah apabila Shaharul Anwar Shafie, seorang aktivis hak asasi manusia, pengasas sebuah media alternatif di internet dan perunding konsultan dalam bidang pengurusan strategik dan pembangunan sumber manusia mula mendedahkan wajah sebenar beliau sekaligus memaparkan kepincangan kredibilitinya kepada umum. Kecelaruan pemikiran dan pendirian beliau boleh dibaca seterusnya dianalisa melalui sebuah entri di laman web KL-Today.com dan Malaysian Insider pada 1 Julai 2013 bertajuk "Rasis: Kali ini J. Solomon (NUBE) sedikit melampau - Shaharul Shafie". Bukan sahaja ada sesuatu yang tidak difahami dan tidak dikaji secara mendalam oleh Shaharul malah beliau mungkin diberikan maklumat yang salah, tidak tepat atau kabur demi menutup kepincangan pihak yang memintanya menghentam NUBE. Antaranya; 1. NUBE adalah sebuah kesatuan sekerja yang mewakili HANYA golongan pekerja perkeranian dan bukan perkeranian di bank-bank perdagangan. NUBE hanya berbicara dalam skopnya sahaja. Jadi, statistik yang telah diberikan NUBE berhubung jumlah pekerja kaum India di BMMB bagi Wilayah Utara hanya berdasarkan kategori pekerja perkeranian, bukannya termasuk pegawai dan pengurusan. Justeru itu, fakta NUBE kekal tepat dan relevan.
Shaharul hanya melihat dengan sebelah mata apabila menuduh NUBE bersikap rasis berhubung isu ini sedangkan sikap rasis itu sebenarnya telah dimulakan oleh BMMB sendiri. 2. Kenyataan Shaharul yang mendakwa bahawa pekerja yang dipecat itu tidak menghadiri Kursus AML/CFT dan Shariah sejak tahun 2011 adalah SALAH. Kandungan Surat Pemecatan daripada bank sendiri bertarikh 7 Jun 2013 mengesahkan bahawa mangsa ada menghadiri kursus yang sama pada 19 November 2011.
3. Tahukah Shaharul bahawa Kursus AML/CFT dan Shariah hanya perlu dihadiri pekerja sekali dalam setahun? Nama mangsa sebagai peserta telah dimasukkan dalam kursus sama yang dibuat kemudiannya pada 22 Jun 2013. Bagaimana pula beliau boleh dipecat lebih awal iaitu pada 7 Jun 2013 tanpa memberikan peluang ke-2 untuk hadir bagi tahun 2013 dalam sesi kursus seterusnya? 4. Tahukah Shaharul bahawa pemecatan dibuat dengan melanggar prosedur rundingan penyelesaian pertikaian yang diperuntukkan dalam Perjanjian Kolektif, tidak diberikan surat amaran dan tidak menjalani prosedur siasatan dalaman?
Terdapat juga beberapa persoalan yang ingin ditimbulkan dan keraguan yang wujud berhubung entri berat sebelah tersebut. Antaranya; 1. Shaharul menafikan dirinya mewakili Bank Muamalat (BMMB) tetapi keseluruhan entrinya mencerminkan suara seorang majikan. Lagipun, terdapat maklumat sulit yang didedahkannya berhubung pekerja yang dipecat di BMMB. Bagaimana dokumen sulit pekerja boleh jatuh ke tangan awam? Adakah BMMB mengupah beliau dengan dibekalkan dokumen sulit untuk melakukan 'counter-attack' terhadap NUBE? 2. Shaharul mendakwa Bro J Solomon gagal mendapatkan fakta sebenar berhubung pekerja yang dipecat. Adakah Shaharul sendiri ada menghubungi NUBE atau menemui Setiausaha Agung NUBE untuk mendapatkan atau mengesahkan fakta sebenar? Adakah entri beliau boleh dianggap adil, bertanggungjawab dan tidak memihak sedangkan Shaharul yang akan menamatkan pengajian dalam bidang PhD pun tidak melakukan siasatan dan kajian secara menyeluruh?
3. Shaharul menuduh NUBE lebih banyak 'berperang' dengan pihak dalam industri perbankan. Siapa yang terlebih dahulu membuat 'serangan' apabila pihak majikan sengaja melanggar peruntukan Perjanjian Kolektif (C.A.), mengelak untuk berunding, memecat secara salah, menganaktirikan pekerja-pekerja perkeranian dan bukan perkeranian dan menyokong kewujudan 'contractor for labour'? Jadi, siapa sebenarnya yang menunjukkan sikap 'permusuhan'? Wajarkah sebuah kesatuan sekerja yang bertindak mempertahankan hak-hak pekerja ahli-ahlinya dituduh sebagai 'menyerang'?
4. Shaharul menyarankan agar rundingan dibuat bersama pihak pengurusan bank. Tahukah Shaharul bahawa istilah 'rundingan bersama kesatuan sekerja' sudah tidak wujud lagi dalam kamus pihak bank? Jika tidak, mengapa pekerja BMMB boleh sewenang-wenangnya dipecat? Mengapa pula rundingan untuk C.A. yang baru menemui jalan buntu sehingga kini? Rundingan yang sebenar berlaku sebelum pemecatan, bukannya dibuat selepas itu. Pihak NUBE pula mengetahui pemecatan dibuat hanya apabila pekerja tersebut menerima Surat Pemecatan. 5. Shaharul cuba mengaitkan NUBE dengan pembangkang? Apabila ada kata-kata dan tindakan berbaur pembangkang, dikatakannya pro-pembangkang. Apabila sebaliknya pula, dikaitkannya sebagai penyokong kerajaan. Sampai bila Shaharul harus mewarisi pemikiran sebegini? Di mana pula ruang bagi mereka yang memperjuangkan "yang benar tetap benar, yang salah tetap salah"? Mereka ini pula dikatakan pro apa? Di mana pula ruang bagi mereka yang ingin menegur dan menuntut hak setelah segala saluran teguran dan rundingan ditutup rapat dan dikunci? Adakah Shaharul sendiri terlupa bahawa Shaharul turut memperjuangkan pemansuhan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA), pendidikan percuma, kebebasan media dan hak bersuara yang dijuarai pembangkang? Beranikah Shaharul menafikan kesemua penglibatan ini? Pada September 2011, Shaharul pernah menuntut Pejabat Peguam Negara menarik balik pertuduhan di bawah Seksyen 500, Kanun Keseksaan ke atas Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohammad Sabu berhubung peristiwa bersejarah Bukit Kepong. Siapa sebenarnya yang lebih jelas dilihat menyokong pembangkang?
6. Bagaimana Shaharul boleh dilantik sebagai Ketua Bahagian Asia Tenggara merangkap Wakil Malaysia bagi sebuah pertubuhan bukan kerajaan (NGO) mengenai hak asasi manusia dan kebebasan media, Armed for the Quill (AFTQ)? Sedangkan pendiriannya jelas menyokong kes pemecatan seorang pekerja yang dilakukan secara tidak adil dan tidak menuruti 'Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)'. Shaharul sendiri pada 23 Oktober 2011 pernah menyatakan bahawa amat penting bagi kerajaan Malaysia untuk membersihkan imej amalan demokrasi di negara ini yang dilihat sebagai membelakangkan hak asasi manusia. Adakah apabila seorang majikan mengenepikan hak asasi manusia dalam layanannya terhadap pekerja, maka Shaharul pula terus membutakan mata, memekakkan telinga dan membisukan mulut? 7. Bagaimana Shaharul sebagai seorang pengasas kepada sebuah media alternatif di internet boleh melanggar Etika Kewartawanan Malaysia yang terkandung dalam prinsip-prinsip utamanya? Antaranya Prinsip Ke-6 menyebut, "Wartawan hendaklah berbudi pekerti ketika menjalankan tugas dan mengelakkan diri daripada plagiarisme dan hasutan, tuduhan tidak berasas serta rasuah dalam apa bentuk sekalipun;" Jika prinsip ini boleh dilanggar, maka kejujuran, keikhlasan dan sikap objektif yang ada pada wartawan seperti ini seharusnya boleh diragui. 8. Shaharul terus membuat rumusan keseluruhan berhubung kaedah dan sebab NUBE bertindak sedangkan beliau hanya mengikuti perkembangan NUBE kira-kira sedekad (hanya 10 tahun) kebelakangan ini. Adakah dalam tempoh ini, beliau turut mengikuti perkembangan bank-bank, polisi-polisi yang dibuat Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) dan dasar-dasar negara berkaitan ekonomi dan pembangunan modal insan bukan sahaja dalam tempoh itu malah sejak tahun 1990-an lagi. Bukankah kesemuanya itu juga mempunyai kaitan dan memberi kesan terhadap NUBE? Jadi, adil ke rumusan yang dibuat beliau? Tidak keterlaluan jika dikatakan kehadiran Shaharul di tengah-tengah masyarakat yang sering ditindas, dieksploitasi dan diperhambakan amat berbahaya kepada pembangunan budaya dan pemikiran masyarakat. Dengan ijazah yang ada, penglibatannya di pentas dunia, sikap 'split personality' yang dimilikinya dan penyamaran yang dilakukannya; beliau mampu meyakinkan seterusnya menyesatkan pemikiran masyarakat hanya dengan mengajar mereka berfikir sebagaimana seorang kapitalis berfikir. BMMB mengupah seorang professional, strategis dan berpendidikan tinggi untuk melakukan psy war dan 'counter-attack' terhadap NUBE. Sedangkan NUBE kekal dengan hanya mengunakan ahlinya yang berkelulusan rendah dan bekerja sebagai kerani sahaja untuk menjawab kembali. Abdul Jamil Jalaludeen Deputy President N U B E |
| Solve Crime Without Violating Human Rights Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:48 PM PDT
Dr Kua Kia Soong, SUARAM Adviser
The attempt by the government and its media to pin the blame for the rising incidence of crime on the repeal of the Emergency Ordinance is a devious attempt to reintroduce detention without trial. This is a further indication of the Najib administration's rather tenuous adherence to democratic reform.
There are at least three strong reasons for opposing any return to detention without trial:
1. It is a gross violation of human rights. For decades, our country has been relying on detention without trial laws to deal with all manner of "problems" including putting away opposition leaders and other innocent people like myself. The repeal of the ISA and the EO last year was the least any reforming government had to do. Any attempt to bring back so-called "preventive" laws to deal with suspected criminals is a retrograde step and will be seen as a downright betrayal by the Najib government after its GE13 pledge. Apart from violating the detainees' right to due process, EO detainees have also been subjected to physical and emotional torture as SUARAM's annual human rights reports show. The EO also violates Article 5 of the Federal Constitution which guarantees a person's right to trial and right to be defended by a legal practitioner.
2. The detention of the six PSM leaders has exposed the arbitrary use of EO Like the ISA, the EO has been used by the police and home ministry as a convenient means to arrest and detain whoever they want. More often than not, the arrests made under the EO are also of a speculative nature instead of (so-called) "preventive", resulting in many innocent people being arrested. Many victims of the EO have never had a criminal record. This has included the six upright PSM leaders in 2011.
By so doing, the police and the government have lost all credibility in claiming that the EO is necessary to deal with hardened criminals. The EO is too broad and leaves too much room for corruption as witnessed in the many cases of police officials profiting from the invocation of the EO. This fact alone – that the police and home ministry have abused the EO by detaining innocent political leaders – is sufficient to take the moral air out of the myth that "preventive" laws are necessary to apprehend criminals.
3. Other countries have succeeded in solving crime without "preventive" laws The Malaysian government should accept the reality that it has failed to solve the ever increasing incidence of crime and address the factors responsible for this failure, namely, corruption, lack of political will, allocation of human resources, among others. Again, if we can point to one example in the world where they have succeeded in solving this problem of crime without resort to detention without trial, the Malaysian government's argument falls…
Remember how New York City used to have the dubious reputation of being the crime capital in the world, racked with murders, burglaries, drug deals, car thefts, and other crimes? New York's drop in crime during the 1990s was correspondingly astonishing—indeed, there was even a day recently when there was no crime reported at all for all 24 hours! In a span of only a few years New York's murder rate plummeted from a high of 2,300 murders in 1990 to fewer than 600 since then, and has continued on a downward spiral for more than 10 years. This represents a reduction in the murder rate of more than 70 per cent and overall crime by 75 per cent. Car thefts fell from 150,000 per year to less than 20,000 per year.
I do not intend to discuss criminologists and sociologists' explanations for this here. All we need note is that New York, Boston and in fact many other cities in the world have succeeded in tackling their crime problems without any resort to so-called "preventive" laws such as the EO. They used a combination of diverse methods that worked such as neighborhood organizations and community courts.
Among the methods used, New York City hired 10,000 new police officers that increased the total to a formidable force of 40,000; civilians were hired for police administration duties, freeing police officers for beat patrol and more judges were hired to reduce the time spent processing criminals. Community policing was introduced while technology was employed to track high-crime areas; the number of undercover and narcotics officers was increased; truant patrols removed school children from the streets during school hours and parents were held accountable. Unemployed and homeless men and women were put to work cleaning parks, streets, and drains or entered into job training programmes. Illegal joints were shut down and religious organisations and community organisations also played a major role.
Boston is also enjoying its lowest crime rates in three decades. The city uses strategic and data-driven management approach; it works in partnership with the community to fight crime, reduce fear, and improve neighborhood quality of life. It takes proactive measures that reflect public safety and the department's philosophy of neighborhood policing. The department not only tracks and reports on serious crimes, but also sets district-specific goals. It promotes accountability and creates a learning organization by spreading best practices and lessons learned across the department. Thus, community policing is key. The police work with the clergy, with communities, large industries as well as non-profit organizations.
But for all this to work there has to be the political will and the stamping out of corruption from the highest level of the police force to the mata mata on the beat. Then we have to prioritise more police officers on beat patrol instead of spying on law abiding citizens, breaking up peaceful assemblies and all the work connected to detaining citizens without trial. |
| BOPIM to go to court if child conversion Bill is passed Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:43 PM PDT "And what is distasteful is the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister that this amendment is to be made in line with current guidelines. This is just an excuse and if there are such guidelines then they are illegal too" Daniel John Jambun The Borneo Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BOPIM) has decided to take the same stance as Gerakan that if the proposed amendment to Section 107(b) of the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) is passed, it will go to court to sue the Federal Government. The amendments, hinging on the use of the word 'parent' instead of 'parents', makes it legal for a father or a mother, or guardian, who converts to Islam, to convert to Islam his or her children below the age of 18. The President of the UK-based foundation, Daniel John Jambun, said in statement here that this decision is based purely on the pursuit and preservation of justice for non-Muslims in Malaysia which is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution. Jambun said that this Bill is in direct contravention of the Constitution, and for Sabahans, it is another violation of a promise made before Malaysia Day in the 20 Points which states in Point No. 1 that "... there should be no State religion in North Borneo, and the provisions relating to Islam in the present Constitution of Malaya should not apply to North Borneo." "And what is distasteful is the statement by the Deputy Prime Minister that this amendment is to be made in line with current guidelines. This is just an excuse and if there are such guidelines then they are illegal too," Jambun said. "The other nonsensical defence is by Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria who said that the Bill was only formalizing a standard practice which was agreed upon 'since Merdeka Day'. This is actually an admittance by the Mufti that there has been such an illegal and unconstitutional practice since 1957." Jambun accuses the Mufti of twisting facts when he said that non-Muslims complaining about the Bill "only want to incite hatred towards Muslims." "On the other hand I would say that, this Bill is purposely made in bad faith, to deny more human rights of non-Muslims in Malaysia, and in doing so, it incites great disappointment and frustration among non-Muslims," Jambun said. "And when we try to protect our rights we are accused of inciting hatred. This is pure hypocrisy expressed in reverse psychology! But we are not stupid! "I salute Dompok for his strong stance in objecting to Bill saying that it runs counter to the Government's transformation plans, especially the 1Malaysia concept of acceptance, inclusiveness and moderation. And I hand over BOPIM's applauses to the Roman Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing for describing the Bill as a 'flagrant violation of the equality of persons' provisions of the federal constitution'." The latest to voice opposition to the Bill came yesterday from Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low who demanded that the provision under Clause 107B be struck off because "it is fundamentally unjust as it denies the rights of one parent on the welfare of his or her children, and the children are also denied the protection of their right to receive guidance from both parents as to their well-being." "I also agree that there may be a hidden diabolical intent in the whole move," Jambun said. "Let's be aware that under the Guardianship of Infants Act which applies to non-Muslims, both parents are equal guardians of their children and have equal parental rights. However, under Syariah laws in Malaysia, fathers are the guardians of minor children – not the mothers. "This proposed law then is one which will rob children of their human right to choose their religion when they reach 18 years of age," Jambun added. "And it seems that this is intended as another diabolic agenda to suppress non-Muslims." Jambun was also highly critical of the other Christian KDM leaders in the Federal Cabinet who are keeping mum on the issue. "These leaders were voted into office by their constituents to protect their rights and to speak on their behalf. But why are they playing dumb?" Jambun demanded. "Why is Dompok the only KDM BN leader speaking for the non-Muslim KDMs? Have the other KDM leaders decided to go into another dumb and dumber act, fearing for the security of their favours in BN? "This has been the attitude and cowardly character of most leaders from Sabah since 1963, and this is the real reason we are in this situation where we continue to be bullied by Peninsular leaders who take us for granted. They still believe we are too scared to speak up for our rights," Jambun said. "And these leaders are proving that this assumption is right." |
| Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:40 PM PDT
Reason: Making wild and baseless accusations against the Party, and unfounded claims about illegal voters at the Party Congress 2012. Tan Kok Wai The DAP hereby informs that the membership of the following persons have been terminated with effect from 2 July 2013: However, pursuant to Clause VII paragraph 3 of the Party's Constitution, all six have fourteen (14) days from the date of their termination letters, to appeal in writing against the decision to the Party CEC.
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| Gordon Brown's sister-in-law deported from Malaysia Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:27 PM PDT O9xjeaJG1M4 The Bruno Manser Fund has been informed that Clare Rewcastle Brown, the editor of Sarawak Report and Radio Free Sarawak has been deported from Kuching, Sarawak, today, on orders from Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's office. Clare Rewcastle, who has been awarded the International Press Institute's Free Media Pioneer Award 2013, was on the way to Kuching to defend herself in a libel case brought against her by a crony of the Taib government. Clare Rewcastle told the Bruno Manser Fund that she arrived at Kuching airport at 11:45 a.m.local time on Wednesday on an Air Asia flight from Singapore. She was awaited by her lawyers at the gate who accompanied her to immigration. Despite earlier assurances given by the Malaysian officials that she would be allowed to enter the country, Clare Rewcastle was told by immigration officials that she was on the so-called NTL ("not-to-land") list. The former BBC journalist was immediately brought to a confinement room at the Kuching airport and escorted to the next flight to Singapore. She was told that she was banned from entering Sarawak under section 65 (1) (A) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 without any further reason being given. However, several officials mentioned that she had been banned under instructions form the Chief Minister's office. Clare Rewcastle, who is married to a brother of former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, is currently on the way back from Singapore to London. |
| Egypt's Mursi removed from power Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:23 PM PDT
(Sydney Morning Herald) - Egypt's military has ousted the nation's Islamist president, Mohamed Mursi, replacing him with a chief justice, calling for an early presidential election and suspending the Islamist-backed constitution.
The decision was greeted with jubilation in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where thousands of opponents to Dr Mursi had been calling for his toppling for days. Elsewhere, clashes between security forces and supporters of Dr Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood party had left at least 14 people dead and dozens wounded. Advertisement Dr Mursi is being held by the authorities, a Muslim Brotherhood spokesman and a security official said. Ahmed Aref, the Brotherhood spokesman, said both Dr Mursi and Essam El-Haddad, a senior aide, were being held but he did not know where.
Lt. Gen. Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi addresses the nation on Egyptian State Television. Photo: AP A security official said they were being held at a military intelligence facility.
At least two senior leaders close to Dr Mursi have also been arrested - Freedom and Justice Party Saad al-Katatni and the deputy head of the Muslim Brotherhood Rashad Bayoumi.
The army issued orders for the arrest of another 300 Islamists. Read more at: http://www.smh.com.au/world/egypts-mursi-removed-from-power-20130703-2pcgz.html#ixzz2Y2lDvxmS |
| Leftist agenda adds polemic to political debate, says analyst Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:17 PM PDT
(fz.com) - As the political stances of Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional (BN) are not driven by ideology, Malaysians need an alternative view of how policies affect them and to what extent, Boon Kia Meng said. Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM)'s decision to forge ahead with a renewed agenda to cultivate a strong left wing movement is a step in the right direction and will add another dimension to the national political discourse, a political analyst opines. As the political stances of Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional (BN) are not driven by ideology, Malaysians need an alternative view of how policies affect them and to what extent, Boon Kia Meng said. Therefore, a strong left in Malaysia will add to the polemic on policies that affect the people's welfare, he added. "The situation now is both coalitions do not have any coherent or consistent left agenda. BN, as a political structure, is undergoing a fundamental crisis and it needs to find a viable political organisation to secure their political hegemony," said Boon, a philosophy lecturer who is also an award-winning documentary producer. "From a Marxian point of view, the ruling classes are made up of various fractions of capitalists, senior state bureaucrats and politicians. "For these groups, they don't really care which political parties are in power, unless their rent-seeking opportunities are tied specifically to Umno. They will find the most suitable political structure for capital accumulation. "In that sense, these groups would also seek to court Pakatan's state governments. These business interests would hedge their bets and support any pro-business, political party or coalition," Boon added. Hence, this is where the left would come in – to serve as a check and balance of the political coalitions, he said. Championing socialist principles Following a general election that left it practically empty-handed and pondering its future, PSM held its 15th annual congress recently and resolved to stay the course and continue to champion socialist principles and left wing politics. This, the party believes, is a political aspect Malaysia could use, at this point in time. The challenge for the party, PSM chairman Dr Mohd Nasir Hashim told fz.com, is how to define socialism to people who are already biased against it. (Socialism is defined as any of various theories or systems of social organisation in which the means of producing and distributing goods is owned collectively or by a centralised government that often plans and controls the economy.) Nasir explained that they needed to cleanse perceptions about socialism that have been perpetrated negatively over the years by not only the government, but other political parties. "Yes, we are facing hardship because we are carrying baggage from past. But for us, the truth is socialism," he said. "For us, we are fighting for the truth. We know we are fighting for the truth amidst a lot of blockages," he added. Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/leftist-agenda-adds-polemic-political-debate-says-analyst#ixzz2Y2jrTJ4r |
| MCA to oppose broadening of syariah court’s powers Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:13 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail Online) - The MCA has vowed to fight in Parliament against a proposed law giving the syariah court extensive powers to decide an individual's Muslim status, after its leaders met with the country's largest non-Muslim interfaith group here. MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (picture) reportedly labelled a few clauses in the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 as violating freedom of religion. "Cabinet must amend the Bill or retract the Bill. MCA will oppose the related proviso," Liow was quoted saying by news portal fz.com. The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) had in a meeting with the MCA yesterday shared its concerns on section 107 (b), clauses 51(3)(b)(X) and 51(3)(b)(XI) of the Bill. The two clauses are on the syariah court's jurisdiction to decide an individual's religious status. According to the news portal, clause 51(3)(b)(X) empowers the syariah court to declare that a person is no longer a Muslim, with the other clause giving the syariah court power to decide on whether a deceased person was a Muslim or otherwise at the time of death. Sardar Jagir Singh, MCCBCHST's deputy president, said jurisdiction in legal disputes over the religious status of individuals should lie with the civil court instead of the syariah court. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/mca-to-oppose-conversion-law-on-syariah-courts-powers |
| No sane man will allow daughter to marry below 15, says Asri Posted: 03 Jul 2013 12:10 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail Online) - No sane father would permit his daughter to wed before turning 15, former Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Asri Zainul Abidin said yesterday. The prominent Muslim scholar also stressed that the syariah court should exercise discretion in permitting child marriages in "exceptional cases" such as if the girl is a 15-year-old orphan whose suitor is a loving, stable man. "If the father is sane, he's not going to allow his child to get married at 13," Asri (picture) told The Malay Mail Online in an exclusive interview here. "Islam does not allow forced marriages, marriages by deceit, and marriages without the agreement of the wali, a sincere protector," added the Muslim cleric, referring to the guardian for females seeking marriage. An uproar ensued when a 40-year-old Sabahan married a 13-year-old girl recently after raping her. The Attorney-General's Chambers reportedly dropped the statutory rape charge after the man registered his marriage in the syariah court, triggering public anger. Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail later promised in May to press statutory rape charges against the man, regardless of his marriage to the child, who is younger than the 17-year-old daughter from the man's first marriage. Women's groups have called for an end to child marriages, saying that child brides were less likely to complete their education and faced higher risks of physical, sexual and mental abuse. "Young brides are more likely to become young mothers, and the risk of death in pregnancy and delivery for girls under the age of 15 is five times higher than for women in their 20s," said the Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) in a statement last month. According to JAG, the 2000 Population and Housing Census showed that 6,800 girls under the age of 15 were married, with Selangor showing the most cases, followed by Sabah. Malays had the most number of child marriages at 2,450, while other Bumiputeras had 1,550, Chinese 1,600, Indians 600 and others 600. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/no-sane-man-will-allow-daughter-to-marry-below-15-says-asri |
| Retired judges can appear as counsel, says CJ Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:27 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Retired judges are free to appear in court as counsel representing their clients, Chief Justice Tun Arifin Zakaria said today. He said it would be advantageous for the court if ex-judges appeared as counsel as they could share their experience with the bench.
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| Liang Pertahan Dakwaan Anwar Ada 20 Akaun Luar Negara Posted: 02 Jul 2013 11:00 PM PDT
(mStar) - Ahli Parlimen Simpang Renggam, Liang Teck Meng mempertahankan pendedahannya di Dewan Rakyat mengenai dakwaan yang mengaitkan Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim memiliki 20 akaun bank luar negara. Menurut Liang, tujuannya mendedahkan dakwaan berkenaan bagi mendesak kerajaan menyiasat kebenaran maklumat yang diperolehinya daripada Internet kerana tidak mahu berlakunya campur tangan kuasa asing dalam politik Malaysia. Tegas Liang, campur tangan kuasa asing merupakan perkara yang tidak boleh dipandang ringan oleh kerajaan dan memerlukan siasatan yang telus bagi menjaga keselamatan dan kedaulatan negara. "Dalam Internet ada tuduhan bahawa Anwar memiliki 20 akaun di luar negara yang berjumlah ratusan juta semasa dia menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan sembilan akaun itu berada di Israel National Bank. Malaysia tiada hubungan diplomatik dengan Israel jadi apa kaitan Anwar dengan Israel? "Isu-isu campur tangan asing inilah yang saya minta penjelasan dan jawapan konkrit daripada kerajaan. Sekiranya benar ada kuasa ketiga hendak menumbangkan kerajaan, kita tidak boleh memperlekehkan perkara keselamatan dan kedaulatan ini," katanya ketika ditemui di bangunan Parlimen di sini, Rabu. Pada Selasa, Dewan Rakyat menjadi gamat selepas dikejutkan dengan dakwaan Liang bahawa Anwar mempunyai 20 akaun bank di luar negara dengan jumlah simpanan mencecah USD66 juta (RM209 juta). Menurut Liang, maklumat yang diperoleh menerusi internet seperti yang didedahkan Wikileaks itu turut mendedahkan bahawa kesemua akaun berkenaan dibuka di Amerika Syarikat, Israel dan China yang lengkap dengan maklumat terperinci termasuk nama pemegang, jawatan, nombor pasport, jenis, nombor, tarikh akaun dibuka dan tarikh matang. Mengulas mengenai hasrat pembangkang untuk mengheretnnya kepada Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan Ahli Parlimen, Liang berkata, tindakan itu bertujuan menghalang kerajaan daripada melakukan siasatan mengenai campur tangan asing dalam politik di negara ini. "Saya dapat maklumat ini daripada Internet, Anwar boleh cakap maklumat ini tiada dalam Wikileaks tetapi saya memohon siasatan oleh kerajaan mengenai campur tangan kuasa asing dalam politik di negara ini," katanya. "Saya cuma minta penjelasan dan terpulang kepada kerajaan, saya tiada masalah untuk meminta maaf sekiranya siasatan mendapati maklumat ini tidak benar. Tapi kalau ada orang yang disabitkan kesalahan (kerana berkomplot dengan kuasa asing) dan dibuktikan ada bersalah, dia hendaklah dijatuhkan hukuman sebagai pengkhianat negara," katanya.
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| Name them, former IGP tells ex-con Posted: 02 Jul 2013 05:45 PM PDT
Do not hide or withhold names even if it involves high ranking police officers, Musa Hassan tells ex-drug dealer who claimed to have paid thousands of ringgit in return for protection Alfian ZM Tahir, FMT Former IGP, Musa Hassan, has urged the ex-drug dealer complicit in bribing police officers in Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to reveal himself to the Malaysia Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). Musa said that there was no point in hurling such accusations in the media without reporting it to the respective agency. He added that the man should not be afraid of disclosing himself to the authorities.
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| ‘Islamic Bill being used to incite hatred’ Posted: 02 Jul 2013 05:37 PM PDT
Perak Mufti says the new Bill is redundant and accuses 'certain parties' of inciting hatred towards the Muslim community by playing up the issue. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT Perak Mufti Harussani Zakaria today claimed the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 was being used by certain quarters to incite hatred towards the Muslim community. The outspoken Islamic scholar told FMT that the Bill was only formalising a standard practice which was agreed upon "since Merdeka Day".
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| ‘Revoke controversial clause of Islamic Bill’ Posted: 02 Jul 2013 05:31 PM PDT
The provision under Clause 107B is fundamentally unjust as it denies the rights of one parent, says Senator Paul Low. Alyaa Azhar, FMT Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low has called for the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act Amendment Bill 2013 to be amended by revoking Clause 107B. "The provision under Clause 107B is fundamentally unjust as it denies the rights of one parent on the welfare of his or her children, and the children are also denied the protection of their right to receive guidance from both parents as to their well-being," he said in a statement today.
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| Posted: 02 Jul 2013 05:00 PM PDT
Now the most insensitive and ridiculous development has taken place. The Federal Constitution is being ignored. Common sense and fairness to the non-Muslim mother is being thrown out the window. Muslim sensitivity takes precedence, as always in this country. By Dato' Zaid Ibrahim The Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 was tabled in Parliament last week in what can only be described as a woeful attempt to address an old issue. When a non-Muslim couple decides to go their separate ways, a custody battle for their children usually ensues. If one parent (usually the father) had converted to Islam in the course of this relationship, then his Muslim right to custody becomes inevitable. As a Muslim, he automatically comes within the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court. No Muslim court would then deny him custody—a clever move. Under this Bill, he would also be able to convert his child to Islam without his ex-wife's knowledge as her consent would not be required. The Cabinet had earlier decided that in such cases, the child's religion should be the one he assumed at birth when the parents shared a religion, until he or she reaches maturity. The rightful thing to do is to stop one spouse from unilaterally converting the child. To accomplish this, the Federal Constitution needs to be amended so that under Article 12(4), the word "parent" means both husband and wife. This proposal was sent to a Special Committee headed by the Prime Minister himself, but this Committee refused to endorse the Attorney-General's recommendations. The so-called leaders who sat on this committee were afraid of an Islamist backlash, but how being fair to all citizens can become a fearful decision escapes me. Now the most insensitive and ridiculous development has taken place. The Federal Constitution is being ignored. Common sense and fairness to the non-Muslim mother is being thrown out the window. Muslim sensitivity takes precedence, as always in this country. You see, a law such as this does not apply to Muslims. Muslim spouses may quarrel and fight for custody, but neither of them could convert out of Islam. There is no mechanism in place that can even make that possible—apostasy for Muslims is punishable by death, in case you didn't know. That means Muslim couples would have no interest in this new law. It would be non-Muslims who have to endure the pain. Muslim Parliamentarians will feel that they are doing the religion a favour by supporting the Bill, and since it does not affect them why bother to ponder and reflect on its repercussions? The Barisan Nasional Parliamentarians who are non-Muslim will be disturbed and angry and may even cry foul, but their jobs and business interests will take precedence and they will, ultimately, do nothing. Conscience has no place in their decision making. Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the liberal Islamist, unfortunately misses the point on this hot-potato issue in the local political scene. He will take to the streets for indelible ink that proved not to be so indelible, but he will not do the same for freedom of religion and conscience. That leaves our non-Muslim citizens having to suffer in silence. This has somehow become part of the deal of living in a Muslim country that has clearly forgotten that Islam is a religion of compassion and kindness. Read more here: http://zaiduntukrakyat.com/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&cntnt01articleid=395&cntnt01origid=15&cntnt01returnid=80
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| Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:41 PM PDT
Reconciliation is impossible without meaningful reforms, says PKR's strategic director. Rafizi Ramli, FMT
The business of governing cannot be separated from the question of legitimacy. A government elected by the minority and conjured into office through myriad election irregularities will continue to struggle to establish its legitimacy. Thus it is that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's administration, stuck in such a political labyrinth, began to preach political reconciliation against a backdrop of unprecedented public protests that have now entered a second month. What exactly is the political reconciliation that Najib seeks? Najib, and to a large extent his Umno party, is staring at a bleak electoral future, confirmed by the results of the May 5 general election that saw his Barisan National coalition lose the popular vote for the first time since 1969. Topmost among all the problems he has to navigate is the continuous challenge posed by Anwar Ibrahim, the leader of the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition. Anwar is charismatic, dynamic, resilient and unwavering — the complete opposite of the way Najib is largely regarded by the public (especially among younger voters). Najib has consistently avoided a public debate with Anwar, which further weakens his leadership in the eyes of his own party and the public. A scenario where Najib has to face another parliamentary term under the onslaught of Anwar will prove politically fatal for the prime minister. His image as a weak leader incapable of matching Anwar's charisma will grow worse; that, in turn, will invite a leadership challenge from within Umno. This can only mean that a weaker and split Umno will face the opposition coalition in the next general election, which is likely to be the most decisive of all. It is therefore only logical that Najib must find a way to mute Anwar's challenge. Unwilling to face or defeat Anwar head-to-head, Najib now resorts to attempting a political alliance through his now often-quoted "political reconciliation" scheme. But Najib is missing the most important lesson from the electoral setback that his coalition suffered. The desire for change has brought together Malaysians of various groups and creeds to form a grand coalition opposed to the status quo. If the political reconciliation mooted by Najib is his way to preserve the status quo and his party's rule without implementing meaningful reforms, it is futile and doomed to fail from the beginning. I maintain that reconciliation can only take place with the willingness of every party to forge an alliance based on a set of agreed reforms, because that is the clear message sent by the voters during and after election day. What Najib must do? First and foremost, Najib must be willing to dismantle the authoritarian media regime operated by his party that monopolizes the mainstream press. The level of propaganda and character assassination directed against the opposition coalition and its leaders has reached such epidemic levels that a large majority of the urban population shuns the mainstream media altogether. The independence and quality of the mainstream media in Malaysia is among the worst in the region in spite of the relative wealth that it enjoys. Najib shamelessly exploited the grip that this authoritarian media regime has over rural voters to instill fears of ethnic clashes and minority dominance. His whole campaign was designed around pitting one race against another and was made possible by the absolute control he has over the mainstream media. Dismantling a status quo that allows such obscene propaganda to be aired every day means relinquishing his party's stranglehold over the mainstream media. In fact, my party PKR has made it clear that we will push for legislation that limits a political party's ownership of a public media entity. If reconciliation means reforms that upset the status quo, will Najib agree to free the Malaysian media from his and his party's grip? The last general election also saw an unprecedented number of reports and testimonies from across the country of widespread electoral fraud and irregularities. This includes the existence of phantom voters (either in the form of non-Malaysians allowed to vote or Malaysians who were allowed to vote more than once in different constituencies); massive vote-buying by candidates from Najib's coalition; the failure of the Election Commission to administer indelible ink to stop multiple voting; manipulation of the advance and postal voting process that discriminated against opposition candidates; and a plethora of other complaints. The disgust over what the majority of Malaysians consider as the worst electoral fraud in our history manifested itself in a series of spontaneous rallies across the country that have so far drawn more than 700,000 people in the first month. The rallies (dubbed the #black505 rallies) have evolved into a people's movement demanding electoral reforms, beginning with the immediate resignation of all members of the Election Commission and the rectification of the massive fraud that took place in the last general election.
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| Najib: No basis for Arab Spring protest in Malaysia Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:40 PM PDT
(The Malay Mail) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there is no basis to mount a protest like the 'Arab Spring' in Malaysia, pointing out that the country has enjoyed 55 years of peace and stability. In an interview with the BBC yesterday, he said the Southeast Asian country of 28 million people witnessed good economic progress and people had a lot to look forward to. "We don't think there's a basis for the people to go to the streets to protest against the government," he said when queried whether he was fearful that the protest against the government on the scale seen in Egypt could happen in Malaysia. Najib, who is on a four-day working visit to the United Kingdom, said what was important in the Malaysian context was that change could be delivered from within and it was not just about changing the government. "It's what happens with that change. And if people want change, what I'm saying is that we can deliver change but from within," he said during the live interview with BBC news presenter Jon Sopel, which was monitored here. Najib brushed aside claims that Malaysia was being governed in an autocratic manner and that the government was unresponsive to the people, suggestions drawn from Twitter feedback articulated by Sopel. "We're not (autocratic). We have to reach out to them. The problem with social media is that there's an awful lot of disinformation out there and it's up to us to correct that. "And this is what we're doing. We have to engage through the social media so that more and more people understand and appreciate what the government is doing," he explained. Najib also fielded questions about the country's general election on May 5 which saw the Barisan Nasional (BN) being re-elected to power amid concerns over the conduct of the polls. "We still maintain that the election was true, fair and transparent," he said, adding that the government was prepared to be scrutinised on this matter according to the constitution and law of the country. "We have nothing to hide, we're transparent," he calmly told the interviewer. Read more here: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/najib-no-basis-for-arab-spring-protest-in-malaysia?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.gF8ddPvY.dpuf
Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there is no basis to mount a protest like the 'Arab Spring' in Malaysia, pointing out that the country has enjoyed 55 years of peace and stability. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/najib-no-basis-for-arab-spring-protest-in-malaysia?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.gF8ddPvY.dpuf Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there is no basis to mount a protest like the 'Arab Spring' in Malaysia, pointing out that the country has enjoyed 55 years of peace and stability. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/najib-no-basis-for-arab-spring-protest-in-malaysia?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.gF8ddPvY.dpuf Datuk Seri Najib Razak said there is no basis to mount a protest like the 'Arab Spring' in Malaysia, pointing out that the country has enjoyed 55 years of peace and stability. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/najib-no-basis-for-arab-spring-protest-in-malaysia?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.gF8ddPvY.dpuf
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| PKR's Jayathas being investigated under Penal Code Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:36 PM PDT
(FZ.com) - PKR human rights and legal bureau deputy chairman S Jayathas is being investigated after getting involved in a skirmish with police officers last month. He is being investigated under Section 353 of the Penal Code for using criminal force to deter a public servant from carrying out duties. Met at the Dang Wangi police district headquarters, Jayathas said police asked him basic questions about the incident which occurred on May 26 while he was lodging a report on the death of N Dhamendran. "They asked me what was my intention for being at the station, why was I standing at the entrance and so forth," he told reporters. During the incident, after accompanying Dhamendran's family to lodge a police report on his death in custody, Jayathas spoke to reporters outside the station for a while. He said upon entering the police station again later, he was allegedly pushed to the ground by policemen. Jayathas had lodged a report on the action of the police, and at the same time, the police officers also lodged a report against Jayathas, claiming the latter had used force. Jayathas said there were 15 to 20 police officers outside the police station when he came with Dhamendran's family. "Around 11.30, I came out to talk with the press. When I wanted to go in again, they stopped me and started to block me," he said. "I told them 'you cannot stop me. The station is there for the public to make reports'. Then there was a commotion and the police officer pushed me to the ground," he added. On May 21, Dhamendran, an Alam Flora lorry driver, died while being held in police custody after he was arrested in connection with a shooting incident in Bandar Tun Razak. Police had initially classified the case as sudden death as Dhamendran collapsed after complaining of chest pains. However, an autopsy report prepared by Hospital Kuala Lumpur pathologist Dr Siew Sheue Feng stated "diffuse soft tissue injuries due to multiple blunt force trauma" as the cause of death. The case has since been reclassified as murder. The Home Ministry has also suspended four police officers involved in the case after public outrage over the reassigning of the officers to desk duties pending the completion of the probe into the case. Lawyers for Liberty legal and campaign coordinator Michelle Yesudas, who is representing Jayathas, said this is not the first incidence whereby police officers had stopped the public from entering the Dang Wangi police station. "We saw a similar situation when (student activist) Adam Adli (Abdul Halim) was arrested and brought to the police station," she said.
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| British TV channel to air Muslim call to prayer Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:29 PM PDT
(FZ.com) - A British television station will broadcast the Muslim call to prayer every morning during Ramadan to give a voice to Britain's Muslim minority, which has faced a backlash since the murder of a soldier on a London street. Channel 4 yesterday announced it would be the first mainstream national broadcaster to air the call, issuing it at 3am daily from July 9 for the entire Muslim month of fasting. The publicly-owned broadcaster, set up to appeal to minority audiences, will also interrupt its programming four times on the first day of Ramadan with 20-second films to remind viewers of the call to prayer. Christian programming is a familiar feature of British national radio and television, although its audiences are dwindling. Ralph Lee, Channel 4's head of factual programmes, said he expected the station would be criticised for focusing attention on a minority religion. But he said he hoped to give a voice to mainstream, law-abiding Muslims. "The calls to prayer prompt Muslims to carry out quiet moments of worship, but hopefully they'll also make other viewers sit up and notice that this event is taking place," Lee said in a statement. British Muslims have suffered reprisals since two men murdered soldier Lee Rigby, a 25-year-old veteran of the war in Afghanistan, in broad daylight outside London's Woolwich barracks in May. Since then, there have been a series of demonstrations against Islam and a rise in islamophobic attacks, including suspected arson at an Islamic centre in London. Prime Minister David Cameron called the Woolwich attack "a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country". Lee told the magazine Radio Times: "There has surely never been a more pressing need to give a voice to the moderate mainstream majority." The Muslim Council of Britain, which represents Britain's nearly 3 million Muslims, supported Channel 4's move, saying: "This is a very special month for Muslims and its recognition on a mainstream channel is not only symbolic for belonging and solidarity but will hopefully help to portray a more realistic account of Islam and Muslims." Hundreds of people took to Twitter to voice their opinions, some supporting the move but others attacking the "Islamification of the UK".
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| Calls for rational solution to religion Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:20 PM PDT
(The Star) - Various groups are calling for a rational solution to a controversial Clause in a recently tabled Bill, which allows a minor to be converted with the consent of only one parent. MIC deputy president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said there could have been a lack of communication in preparing the controversial Section 107(b) Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013. "A similar issue was discussed in 2009 by a committee under the then National Unity and Social Development Ministry. At that time, we made proposals for amendments to the Law Reform Act (Marriage and Divorce) and some components of the Islamic enactment for Federal Territories to resolve the issue," he said, adding that MIC was not consulted over the recent Clause. He said the party was also not aware of the Clause until it was tabled for first reading. "We saw that the Malay translation was not in line with our current thinking. So, we'll voice our views in Cabinet and see how we can resolve this issue," he said. It was previously reported in The Star that although the English version of the Bill states that a non-Muslim below 18 years of age may convert to Islam if "his parent or guardian consents to his conversion", the Malay version of Section 95 amended "ibubapa (parents)" to "ibu atau bapa (mother or father)". Subramaniam said the translation could have come about because of a legal precedent set in S. Shyamala's case, in which the Federal Court had interpreted "parent" as either father or mother. "We are stuck with the court's decision but as far as the Government is concerned, we are committed to finding a solution," he said. In November 2002, Dr Jeyaganesh C. Mogarajah became a Muslim and converted his two young sons without his wife Shamala's knowledge or consent. In July 2004, the High Court granted Shamala interim custody of the children but the father was allowed access. On whether MIC would vote against the Bill, Dr Subramaniam said: "I don't think we will reach that stage." In Batu Pahat, MCA Young Professionals Bureau chief Datuk Chua Tee Yong said all calls to relook the Bill should be viewed objectively to ensure the protection of non-Muslims' rights. "We have to look at the Bill rationally. We respect that the official religion in the country is Islam. It's just that we believe certain parts of the Bill may cause more issues," he said, adding that all processes of the law must be in accordance with the Federal Constitution. On the Government's assurance that all parties would be consulted before any decision was made, Chua said he was grateful that the Bill was open for discussion. "It means there is room for improvement. It is a good way to resolve the issue," he said, adding that he was confident MCA would discuss the issue in its next central committee meeting. However, he also noted that there were positive aspects to the Bill, such as allowing qualified non-Muslim syarie lawyers to represent parties in Syariah court proceedings in the three Federal Terri-tories. In George Town, state Gerakan legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh urged Barisan Nasional MPs to vote with their conscience on the Bill. "A child should be allowed to retain his religion and decide only when he is at the age of 18. It is not right to allow one parent to decide on the conversion of religion since both parents are responsible for the child's upbringing," he said, urging for the Bill to be withdrawn.
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| Nazri Aziz: Unfair for only one parent to determine child's religion Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:17 PM PDT
(The Star) - Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz disagrees with the proposed child conversion legislature, saying it was unfair to non-Muslims. He said it would not be fair for only one parent to determine a child's religion. "As a lawyer and a Muslim, I am not comfortable with the situation," he told reporters here on Wednesday. Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee said unless it is withdrawn, the Bill was expected to be tabled for second and third reading before the current meeting ends on July 18.
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| Umno can sue Tian Chua for defamation over Lahad Datu article Posted: 02 Jul 2013 04:14 PM PDT
(The Star) - The High Court on Wednesday ruled that Umno can sue Batu MP Tian Chua and two others for defamation over an article regarding the invasion by Sulu gunmen in Lahad Datu. High Court judge Justice Rosilah Yop held that Umno has the locus standi to initiate action under Section 9(c) of the Societies Act 1966 using the name of the party's public officer.
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| Ex-con: I paid cops RM50,000 monthly Posted: 02 Jul 2013 03:44 PM PDT
A former drug pusher claimed he paid between RM30,000 and RM50,000 a month to the police in Negeri Sembilan and Malacca for information on police stakeouts. G Lavendran, FMT "If I receive information that the police are going to hold a stakeout, I would put the (drug) business on hold and go into hiding until they tell me it is safe again," he claimed. The former drug pusher said this in an interview with FMT in the presence of anti-crime watchdog MyWatch chairman R Sri Sanjeevan in a secret location recently. He refused to be identified or shown in a video interview for fear of repercussion. He claimed he had been in the drug syndicate for about three years, pushing drugs with the help of the police. He was arrested and jailed two years under the Drugs Prevention Act in 2005. "I have not been in the business ever since I got out. It is time to turn over a new leaf and I am now running my own business," he said. "But I often receive phone calls from top cops I used to work with, asking me to start pushing drugs again. They say there are new ways to evade the law and they will ensure my safety this time around," he added. Other than paying a lump sum each month, he claimed that the police would call him daily requesting for cash ranging in the thousands. "Every time they need money, they will call me. I've even paid for family holidays for top cops and given 'ang-pau' for every festive season," he said. "On occasions, I would treat them at nightclubs and discotheques. They would also requests for the latest mobile phones and apparel. I have no choice but to comply as I need to keep the syndicate in business," he added. 'Syabu for cops' The former drug pusher also alleged that a handful of policemen would call him daily requesting for methamphetamine, known locally as syabu for their own consumption. "There are drug addicts in the police force and they will call me daily to supply them with syabu. "This means I must always have stock to meet their needs or they will turn against me," he claimed. The reformed man said he bought the drugs for about RM10,000 and sold it for double the amount. "Each pusher can earn up to RM100,000 a month and the syndicate consists of about 10 men. "Sometimes the police even conduct raids and seize our drugs, only to be sold back to us at a higher cost. That's why you only see huge drug busts on the news, the smaller ones are all covered up," he added.
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| No WikiLeaks record of my ‘foreign stash’ Posted: 02 Jul 2013 03:35 PM PDT
He says BN's Liang Teck Meng should be referred to the rights and privileges committee for misleading the house on his (Anwar's) alleged 20 foreign bank accounts. Leven Woon, FMT
Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim today debunked a BN backbencher's remarks quoting whistle-blowing site WikiLeaks that he owned 20 bank accounts totaling RM322 million in foreign countries including Israel, saying the allegations were fictional. "In fact, there was no such reference being made in any WikiLeaks entry on Malaysia," he told the Dewan Rakyat today, in reference to Liang Teck Meng statement. Anwar said the allegations had first appeared on pro-Umno blogs, which claimed that their information was retrieved from WikiLeaks. Liang yesterday claimed Anwar owned treasure trove of US$66 million (RM209 million) and S$49 million (RM123 million) in banks in United States, Singapore, China and Israel. He criticised Anwar for being a hypocrite by having numerous bank accounts in Israel despite having taken parts in the previous House's motions to criticise Israel for its violent acts in Gaza. When several opposition members wanted to use the House's standing orders to urge Liang to withdraw his alleged "false" statements, the deputy speaker had shot down the requests, saying that Liang was merely quoting WikiLeaks. Mocking Liang today, Anwar said the sole Gerakan MP should have known the risk of quoting WikiLeaks because there are also references made in the whistleblowing website on Najib's alleged involvement in the murder of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu. "None of the WikiLeaks entry say that I own bank accounts in Israel, but there are entry that suggests that Pekan (Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak) is involved in the Altantuya case," he said.
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| Kedudukan Saifuddin Nasution di pejabat MB Selangor masih kabur Posted: 02 Jul 2013 03:30 PM PDT
(Yahoo News) - Kedudukan Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail sebagai perhubungan politik menteri besar Selangor masih lagi kabur buat masa ini walaupun sebelum ini Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim dan Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pernah mengumumkan pelantikan mengenai jawatan itu. Ketua Umum PKR itu mengumumkan Saifuddin dilantik sebagai pegawai perhubungan politik kepada menteri besar Selangor sewaktu menggulung perbahasan Kongres Tahunan Nasional ke-9 PKR di Dewan Sivik MBPJ pada hujung Mei lalu. "Pengesahan berkenaan perlu dijawab sendiri oleh Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim," kata Saifuddin apabila dihubungi oleh The Malaysian Insider hari ini. "Jawatan jurucakap politik itu masih belum diwujudkan di negeri Selangor," tambah beliau. Sementara itu, Pengerusi PKR Selangor Mohamed Azmin Ali pada awal bulan lalu mendedahkan ada di kalangan anggota PKR Selangor yang kurang senang dengan perlantikan Saifuddin ke jawatan berkenaan. Azmin memberitahu pelantikan berkenaan seolah-olah meminggirkan pemimpin PKR Selangor yang lain. Sinar Harian turut melaporkan ahli Parlimen Ampang Zuraida Kamarudin pada Jun lalu belum menerima maklumat rasmi berhubung pelantikan Saifudin ke jawatan tersebut. Zuraida memberitahu PKR mengalu-alukan pelantikan tersebut jika benar ia dibuat demi kepentingan urusan pentadbiran kerajaan negeri. Awal bulan lalu, Abdul Khalid memberitahu tugas Saifuddin di pejabat menteri besar Selangor akan diumumkan pada minggu berikutnya namun sehingga kini pelantikan berkenaan masih kabur. Abdul Khalid membayangkan antara tugas jurucakap berkenaan adalah membantu penglibatan kerajaan negeri dalam pembangunan desa dan luar bandar. Menteri besar itu turut memberitahu pelantikan Saifuddin bukan lagi ura-ura. Beliau bercakap selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Exco pertama kerajaan negeri selepas Pilihan Raya 2013 di bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan negeri (SUK) di Shah Alam, Selangor pada Jun tahun ini. Pada Pilihan Raya 2013, Saifuddin yang bertanding mewakili PKR untuk kerusi Parlimen Kulim-Bandar Baharu tewas kepada calon Barisan Nasional (BN) Datuk Abdul Aziz Sheikh Fadzir dengan majoriti 1,871 undi.
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| Upgrade vernacular schools – Academicians Posted: 02 Jul 2013 03:13 PM PDT
"Vernacular school system at secondary school will indirectly minimise racial integration and patriotism in a multi-racial community to the younger generation." (Bernama) - Several improvements need to be carried out in the education system, especially the vernacular school system, with the objective of fostering solidarity among the people and unity of the various races in the country, noted an academician. Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (Upsi) Vice-Chancellor (Student Affairs and Alumni) Datuk Dr Junaidi Abu Bakar said the government needed to review the syllabus and subjects for all schools, including private and international schools. "The government's action in maintaining vernacular schools should be accepted by the people. "At the same time, the government has to ensure vernacular schools give emphasis to subjects as such nationhood, Bahasa Melayu, History and Civics/Moral Studies, and these subjects should be made compulsory for every pupil each year, and they must pass them in the examination," he told Bernama. To empower national education, the government on June 13, decided to maintain the vernacular school system, in line with the 2013-2015 Malaysian Education Development Plan. The decision was made, following a demand by 130 Malay and Muslim non-governmental organisations that the government consider the implementation of only one school system to address racial polarisation in the country. According to National Education Policy Research and Planning Division data, as at April 30, there are 1,294 National Type Chinese Schools (SJK) and 523 SJK Tamil schools with a combined student population of 658,137. Malaysian Muslim Consumer Association (PPIM) chief activist Datuk Nadzim Johan said a study by the association with several Chinese and Indian community leaders found the creation of school streaming as a hindrance to efforts to unite the people of various races in the country, since Merdeka. Junaidi, who is also a political analyst, proposed the vernacular school system should only be implemented at an early stage of education, that is, at pre-school and at primary school only. "At secondary school level, there is a need to have only one system that is the national secondary school with the aim of uniting all races," he said. He said National Type secondary school which specialised in catering to a certain race was like a wall hindering efforts to unite the races in the country. He said the implementation of a single school system to educate pupils on the elements of nationhood, history and noble values would lead to better understanding among one another. "Vernacular school system at secondary school will indirectly minimise racial integration and patriotism in a multi-racial community to the younger generation." Junaidi felt the government, in continuing to use a vernacular school system at the secondary level, would further widen racial relations and create an attitude of not respecting the Rukun Negara and the Federal Constitution. "At the same time, exemption on the use of Bahasa Melayu as a medium of instruction at National Type secondary schools also to some extent, eroded the importance of Bahasa Melayu as the national language," he said. Not only was it against the position of Bahasa Melayu as the national language, it is also a platform to unite the people and as the official language, it should be used in all official matters such as education, legislation and organising of official events. West Malaysian Malay Teachers Union president Mohamed Sabri Mohd Arsad said the emphasis on Bahasa Melayu as the unity language and leading language in the country was very important, without neglecting English as the second language and other languages as elective. Apart from that, focus should be given to subjects which could promote unity and national integration of all races in the country, such as History, religion, Moral Studies/Civics. "Today, parents and schools are emphasising more on subjects such as Science and Mathematics, without giving due focus to build character and stronger patroitism in schoolchildren," he said.
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| Dakwa milik 20 akaun, PR mahu ambil tindakan MP BN Posted: 02 Jul 2013 03:06 PM PDT
(Sinar Harian) - PKR akan membawa ahli Parlimen Simpang Renggam dari BN, Liang Teck Meng ke Jawatankuasa Hak dan Kebebasan Parlimen kerana mendakwa Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim mempunyai 20 akaun bank di luar negara dengan jumlah mencecah RM209 juta (USD66 juta). Ahli Parlimen Pandan, Rafizi Ramli berkata, dakwaan Teck Meng itu jelas tidak berasas kerana melalui kajian ke atas laman wikileaks.org mendapati tiada langsung maklumat yang menyebut Anwar mempunyai jumlah akaun sebanyak itu.
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