Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Minister’s remark confirms suspected shoot-to-kill policy, lawyer says
- Borders manager to face syariah charge
- Forum to dissect Bersih tribunal’s findings
- Home minister defends banned ‘Tiga Line’ gang, says not thugs
- MACC opens 15 investigation papers on AG's report
- Tony Pua waiting for police’s next move on running dogs remark
- No more warnings to criminals, we shoot first, Zahid recorded as saying
- Why no police action on Umno lies?
- No pressure from anyone to sign TPPA
- Many Malays learning Mandarin in Kelantan
- Snubbed by welfare dept, disabled man crawls up stairs
| Minister’s remark confirms suspected shoot-to-kill policy, lawyer says Posted: 06 Oct 2013 09:29 PM PDT
Co-founder of Lawyers for Liberty, Latheefa Koya, said the home minister was essentially giving the police a free pass to be trigger happy when confronting suspected criminals. "With the home minister saying it in such fashion, it has confirmed out worst fears that there is a shoot to kill policy," the PKR legal bureau chief told The Malay Mail Online when contacted. "He is calling to do murder basically. It is completely wrong, completely illegal... I think he should be investigated immediately." In his speech at a security briefing event with community leaders in Ayer Keroh, Malacca last Saturday, Zahid reportedly said the authorities should take the approach with members of organised crime that he alleged were mainly victimising the Malay community. "I think the best way is not to compromise with them, don't give anymore warnings to them, [if] we have evidence, we [will] shoot first," he was quoted as saying by news portal Malaysiakini based on a 20-minute recording of his speech from the event. Today, Latheefa pointed to a lack of proper investigations in previous cases of fatal police shootings, adding that even when there were inquests, these usually end with an open verdict. Separately, Padang Serai MP and PKR vice-president N. Surendran said Zahid has now cast suspicion over the circumstances of all instances of the discharge of firearms by the police. "In light of Zahid's statement, all previous cases of fatal shootings by police must be re-opened. "In view of the seriousness of the matter, which involves the lives of ordinary Malaysians, we call for the immediate formation of a Royal Commission of Inquiry," Surendran said in a statement today. |
| Borders manager to face syariah charge Posted: 06 Oct 2013 09:09 PM PDT
"She is a Muslim and like many Malaysian Muslim women, she wears the tudung as respect for her faith. However, her image as a respectable Muslim woman was severely tarnished because the charge made by Jawi against her was that she distributed a book that defiled Islam. "In a majority Muslim country like Malaysia, an allegation that a person has defiled Islam generates all kinds of negative implications," added Yau. FMT Staff, FMT
This followed a decision by Syariah judge Abdul Walid Abu Hassan in dismissing an application by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department to withdraw the charge against Nik Raina under Section 103 (1) of the Syariah Criminal Procedure (Federal Territories) Act 1997. He also ordered a stay of the proceeding at the Syariah Court pending the outcome of an appeal in the case at the Civil Appeal Court. When handing down the decision, Abdul Walid said Nik Raina appeared to be using the civil court to prevent the syariah prosecutor from doing their job, despite the charge against her was made under Section 13(1) of the Syariah Criminal Offences Act which was under the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court. He said although Nik Raina had succeeded in obtaining an order from the Civil High Court for a stay of Jawi's action, the powers and jurisdiction of the civil and syariah courts were not the same. "The Syariah Court will not interfere with the decision of the Civil High Court and I do not want to elaborate because it is the jurisdiction of the court concerned. "It also appeared to me that Nik Raina was using the Civil Court to avoid being tried," he added. He said Nik Rania was supposed to be ready to be tried at the Syariah Court and that it had yet to be determined whether the distribution of the book contradicted with Islamic law. Earlier, syariah prosecutor Che Saufi Che Hussin said the prosecution respected the order issued by the Civil High Court last March 22 for Jawi to withdraw the charge against Nik Raina. "But, according to Section 103(1) of the Syariah Criminal Procedure Act, it depends of the court's jurisdiction whether to proceed with the charge against Nik Raina or freed her of the charge," he added. Lawyer Rosli Dahlan, representing Nik Raina, applied to the Syariah judge to release his client on grounds that the charge against her was baseless. On June 19 last year, Nik Raina, 37, was charged with distributing, by selling, the book, 'Allah, Kebebasan dan Cinta' (Keberanian untuk menyelaraskan kebebasan dengan iman)", a translation of the book, 'Allah, Liberty and Love' (The courage to reconcile faith and freedom), by Irshad, which was said to be against the syariah law. She was alleged to have committed the offence at Borders bookstore, at Lot T-216B, 3rd Floor, The Gardens Mall, Mid Valley City here, between 8.41am and 9.45pm on May 23 last year. On March 22 this year, the High Court (Appellate and Special Powers Division) allowed Nik Raina's application for a certiorari order to stay Jawi's action against her. High Court judge Zaleha Yusof also allowed an application by Nik Raina for a declaration that the action by Jawi in seizing the books was null and void because it was done before the Home Ministry issued a ban on the book. "The incident this morning is unprecedented. Normally, when the prosecution has intimated its withdrawal of any criminal charge and has conceded that the charge is invalid and illegal, the court would not prevent such withdrawal and would in fact on its own motion strike down the "Thus, the decision by the Syariah Court was quite out of the ordinary. It is to be noted that the case had not started," Yau said in a statement. |
| Forum to dissect Bersih tribunal’s findings Posted: 06 Oct 2013 07:41 PM PDT
A former aide involved in Anwar Ibrahim legal team plans to scrutinise the tribunal's findings and expose lies perpetuated by Pakatan Raykat on the 13th general election Athi Shankar, FMT A former legal aide in Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's legal team will organise a forum on Friday to scrutinise the findings of Bersih's People's Tribunal. Yuktes Vijay said the forum would also expose the lies spread by Pakatan Rakyat and Anwar on the 13th general election. The forum will have a four-member panel of lawyers and speakers from the police force, media and non-government organisations. Titled 'Cleaning Bersih: An Analysis of Bersih's People's Tribunal', the forum will be held at the Crystal Crown Hotel in Petaling Jaya at 7.30pm. "Many who read my submissions to the US embassy on GE 13 urged me to hold the forum so that the validity of the findings of Bersih's tribunal will be known," said Yuktes. He said Bersih's tribunal was to justify the Blackout 505 Rallies and placate Anwar. He added that claims of blackouts and phantom voters by Pakatan was an attempt to hide the coalition's weakness and mask Anwar's incapability as a leader. Flaws and mistakes Yuktes said Bersih should have named the tribunal as 'Anwar's Tribunal on GE13′ because the proceedings mirrored Anwar's political style which was devoid of logic and integrity. He said the tribunal had also deliberately failed to air Pakatan's electoral mistakes and flaws. Yuktes said the tribunal was biased against Barisan Nasional and the Election Commission, especially given the dominant presence of pro-Pakatan Rakyat supporters as witnesses.
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| Home minister defends banned ‘Tiga Line’ gang, says not thugs Posted: 06 Oct 2013 07:36 PM PDT
(MM) - Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has proclaimed friendship with members of a Malay non-government organisation (NGO) that were part of the Tiga Line secret society outlawed by his ministry earlier this year. While detailing the government crackdown on underworld figures at a security briefing with community leaders in Ayer Keroh, Malacca last Saturday, the home minister reportedly asserted the 6,000-plus Malay members of some gangs should not be lumped in the same category.
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| MACC opens 15 investigation papers on AG's report Posted: 06 Oct 2013 05:16 PM PDT
CLICK GRAPHIC FOR BIGGER VIEW (The Star) - A total of 15 investigation papers have been opened by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) following the findings in the Auditor-General's Report 2012. MACC investigation director Datuk Mustafar Ali said they viewed the weaknesses exposed by the report seriously. "It is the duty and responsibility of the MACC to probe the corruption cases, abuse of power and misappropriation highlighted by the report," he said yesterday. He said the MACC had set up a special team with the National Audit Department to take follow up action. "The MACC, which is leading this team, will present the findings, action plan and recommendations to take action against those who have committed bribery, misappropriation, abuse of power and forgery," he said. On the setting up of a special committee chaired by the chief secretary to the government, Mustafar said this was a significant and proactive effort so that issues raised in the report do not recur. "At the same time, strict action can be taken against those who are careless and fail to obey the law," he said.
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| Tony Pua waiting for police’s next move on running dogs remark Posted: 06 Oct 2013 04:59 PM PDT
(TMI) - DAP national publicity chief Tony Pua is unfazed over the police's investigation into his Facebook posting in which he described the Registrar of Societies (RoS) and Malay daily Utusan Malaysia as Umno's running dogs. Instead, the Petaling Jaya Utara MP said he is watching the police's next move on the matter as it "would define their professionalism". "In a country where the police can lose their guns allegedly because they were thrown into the sea during operations or when a dog-trainer can get investigated for sedition, I suppose anything goes," he said, referring to the Auditor General Report as well as the arrest of dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof, who was probed for sedition over a video showing her bathing her dogs which the authorities said was an insult to Islam. The 2012 Auditor General Report released last week revealed that the police lost RM1.33 million worth of equipment including 44 guns. The Inspector-General of Police and the Home Minister have alleged that the lost firearms could have "fallen into the sea". "If anything, I'm curious about the response of the police on this matter, as it will define the limits they will go to, to defend Umno and its lackeys. "Or, will they, like RoS and Utusan, become Umno's canine paws," Pua told The Malaysian Insider. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Mohd Zinin said police will study the reports lodged by five non-governmental organisations against Pua before deciding whether it should be investigated under the criminal law or the Sedition Act. The five groups behind the reports are Selangor NGO secretariat, Pertubuhan Permuafakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia, Pertubuhan Martabat Jalinan Muhibbah Malaysia, Ikatan Rakyat Insan Muslim Malaysia and Pertubuhan Gerakan Bersatu 69. Pua called the organisations as a "joke", and said he was saddened by the goings-on in the country. "I don't know whether to laugh or to cry looking at the state of affairs in the country today when 'insulting' Utusan Malaysia can be deemed seditious," he said, referring to the Umno mouthpiece with which his party had numerous run-in. Pua stood by his statement when he told The Malaysian Insider yesterday that he was merely stating the obvious with his "running dogs" description of both Utusan and the RoS.
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| No more warnings to criminals, we shoot first, Zahid recorded as saying Posted: 06 Oct 2013 04:56 PM PDT
(TMI) - Police will not hesitate to shoot criminals first and ask questions later, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi reportedly said in his speech at a function at the Malacca International Trade Centre on Friday. He was quoted as saying this at a security briefing with community leaders (Majlis Taklimat Keselamatan Bersama Pemimpin Masyarakat), which then became a platform for him to "speak on sensitive issues", reported the Oriental Daily. Malaysiakini reported that journalists were told to leave towards the end of the event, with warnings by the minister not to report what he had said. The news portal, however, obtained a 20-minute recording of the speech from an assemblyman in Malacca. The recording showed Ahmad Zahid saying that 28,000 of the 40,000 gang members identified are of Indian ethnicity, and that there was nothing wrong in detaining them. "What is the situation of robbery victims, murder victims during shootings? Most of them are Malays. Most of them are our race. "I think the best way is that we no longer compromise with them. There is no need to give them any more warning. If we get the evidence, we shoot first," he added. The minister took a swipe at Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department P. Waythamoorthy who had previously criticised the police for the shooting of five suspected gangsters in Penang two months ago. "There is a deputy minister who disputed me and the police. He asked why there were no warning shots first before shooting," he told those present. Without naming Waythamoorthy, who is the former leader of the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), Zahid pointed out that he had called on him to resign from his post if he did not agree with the government's decision. His words were met with cheers. Zahid was also reported to have revealed that the amendments of the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) were his own idea.
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| Why no police action on Umno lies? Posted: 06 Oct 2013 04:35 PM PDT
Lim Guan Eng takes the authorities to task for their inaction against Umno groups and Utusan Malaysia for spreading lies about the DAP. Athi Shankar, FMT Lim Guan Eng took the police to task for their inaction on Umno groups and Utusan Malaysia for lying that his party, the DAP, wanted to set up a 'Christian state' in Penang or Malaysia. The Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary general described the lies as "dangerous and propagation of religious hatred." He claimed that Umno groups and Utusan Malaysia had spread lies about the DAP on the flimsy ground that its leaders had attended a closed-door meeting with Christian pastors. Lim asked why it was wrong to attend a closed door meeting with Christian pastors when DAP leaders had attended such meetings with leaders from other religious groups, including Muslims. He revealed these Umno groups had even lodged several police reports against the DAP and the Christian pastors. He said that police investigations into the meeting with Christian pastors, involving Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, in Penang found that the allegations that DAP wanted to form a "Christian state" was a lie. Moreover, he noted that Jeff Ooi was a Buddhist, not a Christian. "Even though police closed the case, no action was taken against these irresponsible groups who spread such lies. Why was there no police action taken against Umno groups and Utusan Malaysia?" asked Lim.
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| No pressure from anyone to sign TPPA Posted: 06 Oct 2013 04:31 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The government is not being pressured by any party to sign the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA) as claimed by certain quarters, the Dewan Negara was told today. Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Hamim Samuri (pic) said the government would ensure that the nation's and the people's interests were not compromised in the ongoing negotiations of the trade pact.
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| Many Malays learning Mandarin in Kelantan Posted: 06 Oct 2013 11:17 AM PDT
(ST) - Proportionately more Malays study Chinese in this state than in others IN A recent two-hour class in one of Kelantan's religious schools, female students in veils and loose-fitting baju kurungs - traditional Malay wear - learn how to read and speak in Mandarin and write in Chinese.
Their teacher is Mr Wang Yin Kang, a Chinese-Muslim teacher from Yunnan, China.
Some of his students in the Tarbiyah Mardhiyah Religious Secondary School, which means "Upbringing that pleases Allah" in Arabic, are also members of the Chinese Language society, where they take up drama classes and carry out dialogues in Mandarin, supervised by Mr Wang.
There is a famous saying in Islam: "Seek knowledge even as far as China." It appears that Malay-Muslims in Kelantan are, as closely as possible, trying to do just that.
Kelantan is the most Malay state in the country, yet there are proportionately more Malays studying Chinese here than in other states.
It is common to find Malays enrolling their children in Chinese-language schools or attending Chinese-language classes offered in religious schools.
The state government under Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) funds Mandarin classes in schools. It even sent three Malay-Muslim teaching college graduates to study Mandarin in Guangzhou, China in 2009 and has hired a few teachers from China to conduct Mandarin classes.
Many Kelantanese take the lead from their revered former menteri besar, said Mr Hu Pang Chaw, chairman of the PAS Supporters Congress, the party's non-Muslim wing.
"The Kelantanese see the party's spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as the prime example of someone who encourages the younger generation to take up the Chinese language, as five of his grandchildren attend Chinese schools," he said.
Located in the north-east of Peninsular Malaysia bordering Thailand and looking out to the South China Sea, Kelantan's population is 95 per cent ethnic Malay. Chinese, Thais and Indians make up the rest of the state's population of 1.6 million.
All around Malaysia, more parents are sending their children to Chinese schools and Chinese tuition classes. But in Kelantan, the concentration of Malay students in these schools is much higher.
Statistics on Malays' enrolment in Chinese vernacular schools funded by the government are not publicly released. But according to Mr Hu, between 20 per cent and 50 per cent of the student population in Kelantan's 15 Chinese vernacular primary schools and two secondary schools are Malay. In a Chinese primary school in Rantau Panjang on the outskirts of Kelantan, two- thirds of the students are Malays.
In other parts of Malaysia, there is an average of about 10 per cent Malay students in Chinese schools.
Read more at: http://www.stasiareport.com/the-big-story/asia-report/malaysia/story/many-malays-learning-mandarin-kelantan-20131007 |
| Snubbed by welfare dept, disabled man crawls up stairs Posted: 06 Oct 2013 11:14 AM PDT
(National Express) - Kulim JKM director Rohana Yusof refused to receive the memorandum and instead chose to remain at the department's office on the first floor of the municipal council building complex. A disabled man resorted to crawling up a flight of stairs in a bid to submit a memorandum to the Kulim Welfare Department (JKM) after its director snubbed his association. When contacted, Padang Serai MP N Surendran said some 50 members from the Persatuan OKU Setia Daerah Kulim had protested outside JKM to voice their grouses about welfare benefits around 1.30pm today. However, he said Kulim JKM director Rohana Yusof refused to receive the memorandum and instead chose to remain at the department's office on the first floor of the municipal council building complex.After waiting for over an hour under the hot sun, Surendran said one of the association's committee members, 53-year-old Gnana Pragasan (left), who cannot walk, decided to personally go up to the first floor and hand the memorandum to Rohana. "With the memorandum in his mouth, he used his hands to climb all the way up and banged the door until the director finally came out to receive the memorandum," he said. Surendran said the incident today illustrated the welfare department's insensitivity towards the disabled and elderly in the country.  "It is a sucker punch for the disabled community, it is a national shame... the (Woman, Family and Community Development) minister must answer," he said.Surendran said among the grouses in the memorandum was the fact that the Kulim JKM office was on the first floor where disabled people found it difficult to access. They were also upset that JKM officers have refused conduct site visits to disabled people who cannot personally visit the department's office for assessment, while others were unhappy that they were not receiving their welfare allowance. Also present at the scene were Lunas state assemblyperson Azman Nasrudin and PKR legal bureau chief Latheefa Koya. |
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