| Voting registration Posted: 23 Sep 2011 12:16 PM PDT Below is the mail I received from SPR and below that are all the mails that we have been sending back and forth to each other. Just to refresh, my name is Shaman Narayanasamy, IC no.: (edited by admin), a Malaysian student in Helsinki, Finland. I have been wanting to REGISTER AS A VOTER for the past month or so. Please note once again, that I am NOT registering to be a postal voter yet. I want to register to be able to vote. I am NOT in the electoral roll and I am very aware of the fact. I have all the necessary documents to be able to register. Based on the reply I got from SPR, I am eligible and fit the criteria to register as a voter. Just like their website, they insist that I will be able to register at the "Pesuruhjaya Tinggi". However, this has not been the case. From the mails below, we see all the announcements in media and confirmation from SPR themselves but I still failed at registering myself as a voter despite the claim of the facilities to do so overseas.
Note that I am CC-ing this mail to various people from SPR, Pengarah SPR Selangor (since I am from Selangor), Setiausaha Pejabat Pengerusi SPR and Setiausaha Naib Pengerusi SPR. I do not know if I am mailing the right people, but I would like some action to be taken instead of forwarding and regurgitating information/rules/announcements/news which I can find and read for myself in various websites. I was disappointed to receive such a reply from "sistem aduan SPR" who basically re-stated what is written in their website that I can read myself but not really getting into my case personally.
I am not trying to cause problems for anyone, but I just want to obtain my right to be a voter. I am ashamed that I did not register as a voter back in Malaysia and I apologize for that. I really hope that this issue is taken seriously and not just ignored. I hope that I would finally be able to register as a voter.
Best regards, Shaman
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Sistem Aduan SPR <aduan@sistemaduan.spr.gov.my>
To: shaman
Cc: yusniati@spr.gov.my
Sent: Friday, September 23, 2011 4:36 AM
Subject: Jawapan Aduan/Maklumbalas AD-850113106057-2011-09-19-131421
Tuan, Terima kasih atas minat tuan dalam urusan pilihan raya khususnya terhadap bidang pendaftaran pemilih. Untuk makluman tuan,semakan telah dibuat ke atas rekod nombor kad pengenalan tuan,dan hasilnya didapati bahawa nama tuan masih belum tersenarai dalam daftar pemilih SPR.Untuk melayakkan tuan untuk menjadi seorang pemilih tuan mestilah; a)seorang warganegara Malaysia b)berumur 21 tahun atau lebih c)bermastautin / tinggal dalam mana-mana bahagian pilihan raya yang hendak didaftarkan. d)tidak hilang kelayakan sebagai pemilih Bagi warganegara Malaysia di luar Negara, permohonan untuk mendaftar sebagai pemilih boleh dibuat dengan HADIR SENDIRI dan membawa kad pengenalan milik sendiri dan mengisi borang pendafatran maklumat alamat di luar Negara di mana-mana pejabat Pesuruhjaya Tinggi atau Keduataan Malaysia atau pejabat Konsulat Malaysia di luar negara seperti yang berikut: a) http://www.kln.gov.my/bm/?page=mission Sekiranya tuan adalah seorang pelajar sepenuh masa yang sedang belajar di luar Negara atau pasangan kepada pelajar tersebut atau seorang penjawat awam yang sedang bertugas di luar Negara atau pasangan kepada penjawat awam tersebut,maka tuan adalah layak untuk mendaftar sebagai pemilih tidak hadir dengan syarat mengemukakan dalam Borang Pendaftaran dan dikepilkan bersama borang tersebut. Sekiranya tuan mempunyai sebarang pertanyaan lanjut berhubung perkara ini, tuan bolehlah menghubungi PEJABAT PILIHAN RAYA NEGERI SELANGOR,LOT 03-11,TINGKAT 3,KOMPLEKS PKNS,40690 SHAH ALAM,SELANGOR DARUL EHSAN di talian 03-5519 4273,5511 1806. Sekian semoga maklumat ini dapat membantu. Selamat Mendaftar dan Selamat Mengundi.
----- Forwarded Message -----
From: shaman
To: "receptionist@malaysianembassy.fi" <receptionist@malaysianembassy.fi>
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 3:07 PM
Subject: Re: Voting registration
Hi Jerlene,
Regarding the matter below. The "Form A" is available for online on the SPR website. Can I register through the embassy now since this service is available?
Best, Shaman
From: "receptionist@malaysianembassy.fi" <receptionist@malaysianembassy.fi>
To: shaman
Cc: "ts@malaysianembassy.fi" <ts@malaysianembassy.fi>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 12:03 PM
Subject: RE: Voting registration
Dear Shaman,
Thank you for your email. As spoken yesterday, the Election Commission is in the process of changing the law for allowing Malaysians residing abroad to vote. An extract of the news as follows:
"All Malaysian registered voters residing overseas WILL SOON be able to vote via post.
According to Election Commission chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof, this will "hopefully happen in the next general election".
Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur today, he said that the EC is CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF AMENDING THE ELECTION RULES to allow this.
The change in election rules will expand the postal vote from only civil servants and full-time students and their spouses."
Some news article about the election. You must register as a voter if you have not registered in Malaysia.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/8/25/nation/20110825124644&sec=nation
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?sec=nation&file=/2011/8/26/nation/9370989
We will keep you informed on this election matter once we received any information from Malaysia.
Yours sincerely,
Jerlene Wallenius
Embassy of Malaysia
Aleksanterinkatu 17
00100 Helsinki
Tel: 010 320 2030
Fax: 010 320 2041
________________________________________ From: shaman Sent: 30 August 2011 11:51 To: receptionist@malaysianembassy.fiSubject: Voting registration Dear sir/maam, My name is Shaman Narayanasamy and I came to register as a voter yesterday at the embassy as I did not register as a voter back in Malaysia. However, I did not manage to do so because the embassy was not prepared to handle such a case. Below is a video of the announcement which clearly shows the EC chairman saying that you can register as a voter in the embassy: http://malaysiakini.tv/video/22240/postal-votes-to-be-extended-to-all-msians-overseas.htmlPlease look into the issue and keep me updated regarding this issue as soon as possible. Best regards, Shaman
|
| Using hudud card to rally support Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:30 AM PDT Realising that Barisan Nasional is making strides with Malay support, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is now openly embracing hudud law in support of PAS' ambition. His move may cost him the votes of non-Malays and moderate Muslims. COMMENT By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY, The Star AGAINST great risk of losing the support from non-Malay voters, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has come out to endorse hudud law in Kelantan, backing PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat's plan to implement the law and set up an Islamic state in the state. The Opposition Leader's backing, although he said was in his personal capacity, is hugely different from his earlier commitment to religious pluralism and a multi-ethnic, secular society governed by secular, man-made laws. The sudden change in attitude is a recognition on the part of PKR and PAS that they are rapidly losing Malay support with their concession to and dalliance with non-Malays, especially the Chinese voters. This recognition had slowly dawned on them but was accelerated by the "Mat Sabu" incident in which PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu has come under persistent fire for saying that the 26 policemen and their families who died defending the Bukit Kepong police station in 1950 against a band of communists led by Mat Indera, were not the real heroes. The real heroes are Mat Indera and his communist band, Mat Sabu had claimed. The incident has riled up many Malays and over 1,000 police reports were made. Mat Sabu might have been charged for criminal defamation, but the case has strongly moved the Malay emotion and has become a rallying point against PAS. No senior PAS leader has come to the defence of Mat Sabu who was left to manage the crisis on his own. Umno has used the Mat Sabu case as a national rallying point whipping up strong reaction against him and PAS, accusing them as unpatriotic and showing little respect for the nation's founding fathers, Tunku Abdul Rahman and Datuk Onn Jaafar. Constant reminders in the mainstream media that PAS had abandoned Islam and that it better drop the word "Islam" from its name has begun to rattle the party as well. It is true that the party had abandoned its Islamic state policy for a welfare state at its last muktamar in July. It also went on to elect Mat Sabu, a non-ulama who doesn't wear a turban and Arabic clothes, to its second highest elected office. DAP especially was overjoyed with the way things had turned out at the PAS muktamar. But now that Anwar has sided with Nik Aziz on hudud, it has been left holding a time bomb in its lap. DAP chairman Karpal Singh has always pointed out that hudud law was unconstitutional and the Federal Constitution would have to be amended to implement it. That's why although the hudud law was passed in Kelantan and later in Terengganu, they were never implemented without the Federal Government's active support. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said on Thursday that the Federal Government would not implement hudud law as Malaysian society was not ready for it and investors would get worried. It appears that Anwar, after years of preaching pluralism and Islamic moderation has come out in support of hudud law in Kelantan saying it was clear and would administer justice for their intended purposes. It is a blow to all Anwarites. Both PAS and PKR are now seeking to win over the Malays with this sudden and fundamental change in policy towards hudud. After four years, they now realise that only DAP would stand to benefit from their dalliance with the non-Malays. But it is too late in the day to reverse track and try to appease the fundamentalist Malays with the promise of an Islamic state. By coming out in support of hudud they are also alienating many Malays who oppose the law and had supported PKR's multi-racialism. That section of support for PKR is also now in danger with Anwar's readiness to embrace hudud law in Kelantan. The nation was founded on one set of secular laws and only one. To introduce another set, no matter if it does not involve non-Muslims, is a radical move without precedent and will significantly impact on every facet of our life. DAP, which has championed secular law, must come out in the open now and state whether it too supports hudud on the grounds that it does not involved non-Muslims. What about the moderate Muslims who oppose hudud but support DAP? The issue is fundamental and sits at the core of the relationship among Pakatan Rakyat parties. Can they run and carry a theological party like PAS whose only ambition is to create an Islamic state? Nik Aziz has made himself very clear on the matter. He is all for hudud law in Kelantan and when Pakatan Rakyat captures the country, for all of Malaysia. That has been the pillar of PAS' struggle since the party's inception in 1951. Politicians are ruled by political expediency and Anwar is no different. Realising that he is losing crucial Malay support, Anwar is forced to come out to endorse hudud law and support Nik Aziz's plan in Kelantan, leaving DAP out in the cold. |
| Pakatan must come clean on hudud Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:09 AM PDT Barisan Nasional leaders want Pakatan Rakyat to state its stand clearly over the implementation of hudud laws in the country. "(Opposition Leader) Anwar (Ibrahim) says he supports (hudud laws), but would he proceed further and make this the policy of Pakatan when it comes to power? That's the real acid test," Ong said, adding that he was speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of MCA. G Vinod and Teoh El Sen, Free Malaysia Today A Barisan Nasional minister today mocked Pakatan Rakyat over the proposed implementation of hudud laws, while other BN leaders urged the opposition to make its stand clear. Minister in the Prime Miniter's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz said PAS should just go ahead and implement hudud laws in Kelantan if it wanted to. "If PAS wants to do it, if it claims it can implement hudud, then what's stopping the party (from doing it)? Just do it," he told FMT. "If the Quran is the constitution of PAS, then why do you need permission from mere mortals like us?" Nazri asked. He said for the BN coalition, hudud was never an issue, adding that it was PAS which has been making the most noise about it. "As far as I'm concerned, they (PAS leaders) are all liars; what they do is they use religion to instil fear into conservative Muslims just to get worldly benefits," Nazri said. He, however, declined to comment on Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin's comments that hudud law was an intergral part of Islam. Yesterday, Muhyiddin also said the country was not ready for hudud law. Joining the fray today, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said that his party would withdraw from BN if its partner Umno considered implementing hudud law, while former president Ong Tee Keat said he was also against it. Ong said the whole debate over hudud was mere "political posturing and rhetoric just to woo voters". Real acid test 
"Maybe certain quarters may have in mind to really implement it, but when we ask them if that is Pakatan's stance, there's no answer from them," said Ong who is the Pandan MP. "(Opposition Leader) Anwar (Ibrahim) says he supports (hudud laws), but would he proceed further and make this the policy of Pakatan when it comes to power? That's the real acid test," Ong said, adding that he was speaking in his personal capacity and not on behalf of MCA. Ong said he would "never agree to or accept such a law" being enforced, adding that it was impossible for a state to bypass federal laws. "The proponents argue that only Muslims who break the law have reason to fear but, in my opinion, this contravenes the Federal Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land," he said. Ong said that the Federal Constitution was "quite secular" in nature, although this fact is not popular to the Muslims. "This has been accepted by all parties since independence. But due to political expediency, calls for hudud laws arose," Ong said, adding that PAS in the 1970s never asked for it but only raised the issue in the 1980s. MIC has also called on Pakatan to make its stand clear on the implementation of hudud law. "It is a fundamental issue and people need to know what they are voting for in the next general election," MIC secretary-general S Murugesan said. "Anwar's statement has exposed a deep chasm in the fundamentals of Pakatan… For far too long, Pakatan leaders have glossed over and side-stepped the issue. "No longer. They better come clean and declare to their own members and to the public where they stand. Anwar can no longer eat his cake and have it too," Murugesan said. 'Don't be desperate politicians' 
A Gerakan Youth leader also made a similar call to Pakatan to come clean on the hudud issue. "Should Anwar become the prime minister in future… will he implement hudud law for the whole of Malaysia?" asked Kedah Youth chief Tan Keng Liang. Tan said people in Kedah also wanted to know whether the state would be next if Kelantan went ahead with enforcing hudud law. Tan, who has long been against hudud law, said existing laws are already in place and hudud law is not needed. "If there is a law that needs to be refined, then we refine it. We don't make a total change just because you felt like it and your religion asks you to do it," Tan said. He urged the opposition not to be "desperate politicians" trying to make drastic changes just to suit their agenda – which was to get more supporters based on religious sentiments. He added that Anwar was now supporting hudud as PKR is losing Malay supporters. "I fully understand that Muslims are bound by their religion, but they must understand that Malaysia is a moderate country. Since independence, we already have a system… why do Anwar and PAS want to change it?" Tan also urged PAS to state clearly what is the framework of the hudud laws. "You say non-Muslims won't be affected. Can you tell us if, for example, a non-Muslim raped a Muslim, which law applies?" READ MORE HERE |
| Zaid told: Apologise, quit or get sacked Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:06 AM PDT He should return to Umno, says Kita executive Zahrein Zakariah. (Free Malaysia Today) - Kita president Zaid Ibrahim's recent controversial and solitary decisions have earned him three options from a party leader – apologise, resign or prepare to be ousted. Zahrein Zakariah, a member of Kita's central executive committee, today issued a second call for Zaid's resignation, saying the party no longer needed him. He suggested that he return to Umno. "I will continue calling for his resignation," Zahrein told FMT. "Nothing changes. I will rally the others to bring him down. And then we will introduce a new decision-making system which will be bottom-up." Asked if Kita could function without Zaid, he replied, "Yes it can. I repeat, Kita is not Zaid and Zaid is not Kita." Zaid began courting dissent when he sacked three party leaders. It sparked accusations of tyranny and persistent flouting of party protocol. He exacerbated the uproar when he apologised to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for doubting his political will to make reforms. His most recent controversial move was to announce a Kita Democracy Roadshow to garner support for Najib's reform pledges. Zahrein said Zaid did not consult anyone in the party leadership on the roadshow, adding that members were angry, viewing the move as another one of his "apple polishing antics". Scandal list He expressed incredulity at Zaid's support of a prime minister and government that had "clearly lost the people's confidence" and had "killed democracy". "Maybe Zaid Ibrahim believes in Najib, but Kita does not," Zahrein said. "Barisan Nasional is failing big time and Kita wants nothing to do with it." He rattled off a list of "scandals" that he said had erupted since Najib came into power, including the Perak coup, the church burnings, the Teoh Beng Hock case and the accusations of corruption in the purchase of Scorpene submarines. "Zaid can talk for himself," he said. "He can polish all the apples he wants, but Kita will not follow. "There is no Kita roadshow for Najib. Zaid can call it the Royal Malaysian Circus for all we care. "Zaid is a one-man show and he is leading Kita in the wrong direction. Kita is a social justice movement aimed at setting things straight in Malaysia and it makes no sense for us to support Najib." Zahrein disagreed with party leaders who had said that Kita's image remained intact despite Zaid. READ MORE HERE |
| Outside force working to destroy Kita Posted: 23 Sep 2011 08:04 AM PDT Kita central executive committee member KS Kottapan says that there is a puppet-master orchestrating the attacks against Zaid Ibrahim. (Free Malaysia Today) - Certain money-minded leaders are the cause of the rift in Kita, central executive committee member KS Kottapan claimed today. He said that these leaders, who have been openly criticising party president Zaid Ibrahim in the past two weeks, wanted to drive the party in the wrong direction. He added that some of these critics have been sacked by the party. He also alleged that these sacked leader were being manipulated by some outside force to destabilise Kita. "I received a telephone call on Sept 13 midnight from a party leader, inviting me for a meeting. He said he was organising the meeting without Zaid's knowledge, and aimed at toppling Zaid as the party chief," he told FMT today. However, the meeting did not take place as the said leader was sacked from the party the next day. "I strongly believe someone from behind the screen is the puppet master. He is orchestrating the attacks on Zaid and Kita," Kottapan said. He added that the party has started investigating its internal problems involving the so-called "unhappy" leaders. "We will get rid of all these viruses which are affecting Kita," he said. Kita has been rocked by internal turmoil following the sacking of its central executive committee member Muhammad Firdaus Christopher on Sept 14. Firdaus was also in charge of the party's administration. Along with Firdous, party secretary-general Abdul Latif Abdul Tambi and former treasurer Rashid Azad Khan were also given the boot for insulting Zaid and working against the party's interest. In retaliation, the trio charged that Zaid held a tight grip over the party, often acting as a dictator. They also said that there was no transparency in the nine-month-old party. In recent days, several state Kita leaders have joined hands with the trio in attacking Zaid. Some have even called for Zaid to step down and hand over the party to younger leaders. READ MORE HERE |
| If it works well, don’t fix it Posted: 23 Sep 2011 06:42 AM PDT 
The question now is: are PAS and DAP going to swallow the bait, hook, line and sinker? If they are then maybe they are not matured enough and are not ready yet to form the next federal government. Maybe we should allow Barisan Nasional to continue running the country until the opposition matures and not get trapped so easily. NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin As they say, if it works, don't fix it. Another saying: no need to reinvent the wheel. Yet another saying: lunacy is doing the same thing while expecting different results. Hey, if you want sayings, I have an abundance of them and I can write pages upon pages of sayings.
My favourite sayings, however, are those by Sun Tzu. This is because my wife sent me that book when I was in the Kamunting Detention Centre and it took me only a day -- from 7am to 7pm -- to read the entire book. The next day I read it again, and the third day yet again. (Well, there is nothing really much to do when you are in solitary confinement and reading helps take your mind of sex).
I know, at this point, some impatient readers are going to ask: RPK, what's your point? Actually nothing. I just wanted to impress you that I know all the sayings and that I read a lot.
Hah! Gotcha!
Okay, let's get serious. If it works, don't fix it. And it worked ten years ago. So why change it if it works? Just use what works. And the Hudud thing works each and every time. So why not use it again? Why reinvent the wheel? Let's do a Sun Tsu and get them good and proper.
Ten years ago, the then Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mahathir Mohamad, goaded and challenged PAS to implement Hudud in Terengganu. And PAS took the bait, hook, line and sinker. And that sunk the opposition coalition, Barisan Alternatif, faster than the Titanic.
What they probably forgot was that ten years earlier, PAS tried to implement Hudud in Kelantan. So they passed the law in the Kelantan State Assembly. But then laws can't be passed unless approved by Parliament. But PAS did not have a two-thirds majority in Parliament. In fact, it did not even have a one-third majority in Parliament.
So the Barisan Nasional-dominated Parliament blocked it and the Kelantan State Government could not implement Hudud in the state. That was the end of the matter. Barisan Nasional shot it down even as it was still taxiing and before it could take off like what the Japanese did to the Americans in Pearl Harbour.
So the Hudud thing in Kelantan was a non-starter. I would even go so far as to say it was a no-brainer. Kelantan did not get its Hudud and the opposition was put to sleep. As they say: you release the bird in the hand and fail to catch the bird in the bush. And don't they also say that a bird in the hand is worth TWO in the bush?
Ten years on, they did the same thing in Terengganu. And, again, they lost the bird in the hand and failed to catch the bird in the bush. And, two years later, the opposition paid the price, a very heavy price, when it got massacred and Barisan Nasional performed its best ever in Malaysian election history.
That was what happened in Terengganu ten years ago and in Kelantan ten years before that.
Now, ten years after that very bitter lesson, which the opposition still does not seem to have learned from, we are seeing history being repeated. Again, PAS is being goaded and challenged and, again, they are taking the bait and swallowing it hook, line and sinker. Again, Malaysia is embroiled in 'The Great Hudud Debate'.
Do you think this Hudud controversy is about religion? If so, why not Pakatan Rakyat table a motion in the next session of Parliament to approve the Terengganu State Hudud laws passed by the Terengganu State Assembly ten years ago and the Kelantan State Hudud laws passed by the Kelantan State Assembly ten years before that?
Yes, let's call their bluff. Let's play poker. I just love a good poker bluff. I don't play poker (in fact, I don't gamble at all) but I just love a good poker bluff. Let's take the challenge and table a motion in Parliament to approve the Kelantan and Terengganu State Hudud laws. Then let's see what happens.
Will Umno vote in favour of those laws? If they do, then the other 13 members of Barisan Nasional will leave the ruling coalition and Umno will be left all alone with only one-third of the seats in Parliament. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak will no longer have the majority in Parliament and will have to resign. A new Prime Minister -- not from Umno -- will have to take over. Barisan Nasional will be finished.
You want to play, let's play. Then let's see who wins.
Come on, how many seats does Umno have? Add that to the number of seats PAS has and how many will that come to in total? How many altogether? 100? 100 out of 222 comes to how many percent? Two-thirds? Or less than half?
You think Umno and PAS combined can form the federal government? 100 seats mana cukup? Throw in the 'independent' ex-PKR MPs also tak cukup. Still can't get the 112 seats they need to form the federal government.
And you think ALL the 100 Umno and PAS MPs are going to support Hudud? Half the 100 MPs will walk off, take sick leave, resign, or whatever. Many will even openly vote against Hudud. Maybe you can get 50 or 60 MPs at the most voting in support of Hudud. 50 or 60 out of 222, that's all.
This is not about religion. If it were about religion then all these people would not be so corrupted. Isn't corruption haram? It is about politics. It is about using the old and proven formula of raising the Hudud issue to get PAS and DAP to fight and to see the opposition coalition break up like it did ten years ago.
The question now is: are PAS and DAP going to swallow the bait, hook, line and sinker? If they are then maybe they are not matured enough and are not ready yet to form the next federal government. Maybe we should allow Barisan Nasional to continue running the country until the opposition matures and not get trapped so easily.
When I say 'bodoh macam lembu', you get angry and say that I am arrogant. But if you really bodoh macam lembu what else can I say?
Let me close with another saying. When you make one mistake, that is forgivable. When you make the same mistake twice, that is stupidity. But if you make the same mistake three times in the row, then you don't deserve to live. You should be shot dead. And let me be the one to pull the trigger. It will be my pleasure.
|
| Nik Aziz should not take leave of his senses - Karpal Posted: 23 Sep 2011 02:46 AM PDT (Bernama) -- DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said he was surprised at Kelantan Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat provocative language by now saying that the DAP could choose to leave the opposition pact if it objected to PAS' plan to set up an Islamic state. "It''s difficult to understand why Nik Aziz is unnecessarily supplying canon fodder to Barisan Nasional with a general election in the offing. "I would have thought the issue relating to Islamic state had been laid to rest irrevocably with the resolution adopted by the PAS muktamar held this year," he said in a statement today. Karpal alluded to PAS' resolution that the party would give up its objective to create an Islamic state in Malaysia and instead strive towards the setting up of a welfare state. "It''s difficult to understand why Nik Aziz has in such a short period of time forgotten about that resolution. He should not take leave of his senses," he said. Pakatan Rakyat leaders are at loggerheads over the Kelantan PAS government''s push to implement hudud laws and the party''s Islamic state ambition. |
| WIKILEAKS: High-Tech toilets for tourism; rising Ringgit. Economic Update Dec 2006 Posted: 23 Sep 2011 01:00 AM PDT 
In response, the GOM installed 23 high-tech, self cleaning toilets in major shopping areas and tourist sites in and around Kuala Lumpur. Each air-conditioned toilet, which reportedly costs RM 400,000 (USD 113,000), has an automatic seat cleaner that washes, scrubs and dries the bowl after every use, according to the city authorities. Users are charged RM1 (USD 0.28) per use. Deputy Prime Minister Najib, who tested one of these toilets during their debut, said clean toilets were a measure of a country's level of civilization. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin 
1. (U) Summary: The Government of Malaysia is ready to launch its drive to attract more tourists this year in honor of its 50th anniversary. Initiatives include a multi-million dollar Ferris wheel, sorely needed lessons in customer service, and 23 self-sanitizing toilets at a cost of USD 113,000 each, in addition to a generous appropriation for an advertising campaign. Meanwhile, the Ringgit continues to strengthen against the dollar, but less so than some other currencies in the region. End Summary. Launch of Visit Malaysia Tourist Campaign 2. (U) Malaysia will soon kick off a grand tourism campaign entitled "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" (VMY 2007) with the theme "One Golden Celebration." The campaign, in honor of Malaysia's 50th year of independence from Britain, aims to draw in over 20 million tourists and generate spending of RM 44.5 billion (USD 12.7 billion). In 2006 Malaysia drew 17.5 million tourists who spent an estimated RM38 billion (USD 10.8 billion), mostly coming from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia. 3. (U) On January 6, Prime Minister Abdullah will launch the VMY 2007 campaign at the Titiwangsa lakeside park in Kuala Lumpur with a "Colors of Malaysia" celebration that will include a portable 60 meter high giant Ferris wheel named the "Eye on Malaysia." A Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board (MTPB) official told FSN Econ Analyst that the RM30 million (USD 8.5 million) Ferris wheel will face the Kuala Lumpur skyline. Other activities will include a water screen display on Malaysia's history, rides, and performances by local artists. Several fireworks displays are also scheduled throughout the year. 4. (U) According to the MTPB official, the Ministry of Tourism is coordinating over 240 events for VMY 2007 nationwide, with 50 major events showcasing Malaysia's tourist attractions. The MTPB has invited print and electronic media representatives to publicize the campaign and is working to link up local tour companies and airlines with international operators to highlight places to visit in Malaysia. The GOM is developing tour packages tailored to specific travel interests such as shopping, exotic cultures, or nature vacations. MTPB's targeted markets are ASEAN, China, India, the Middle East and Europe, with special attention being given to countries where cold winters are more likely to entice travelers to visit warm exotic places. The government-owned radio station is working with a private production house to air tourism programs. Plans for VMY2007 5. (U) Malaysia has allocated RM 200 million (USD 56.7 million) for promotional activities to bring in the tourists. Working with other countries in the ASEAN region, the MTPB has come up with new programs such as a "one destination, two nations" package that promotes both Malaysia's and a neighboring country's tourist sites through the national airlines of both countries. The VMY 2007 organizers will also coordinate with the state governments to promote region-specific tourism. On average, MTPB said tourists spend about RM 2,600 each but the tourism industry is hoping to entice tourists to increase their spending to RM 3,500 each with new packages and special deals. The Tourism Ministry hopes to increase tourists' spending in part by asking local tour operators to promote tourist destinations outside or in addition to the typical preferred destinations. Cheap Hotels; Courtesy Courses; Taxi Crackdown 6. (U) A representative of the Malaysia Hotel Owners Association told FSN Econ Analyst that few hotels acted on last year's approval by the Ministry of Tourism to increase prices. Competition is fierce due to Malaysia's abundance of hotel rooms, which helps keep prices among the lowest in the region. 7. (U) The Ministry of Tourism has started to train some 20,000 service providers in the tourist industry, including taxi drivers, hotel and shopping mall staff, tour coach operators, and Customs and Immigration officials. Programs include crash courses in Malaysian tourist attractions, customer service, and basic spoken English communication. 8. (U) The GOM also is taking stern action against unlicensed taxi service providers at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. A draft amendment to the Road Transport Act would carry a fine of up to RM 50,000 (USD 14,000) and a sentence of up to five years in jail, or both, for providing non-licensed taxi services from the airport. These providers normally offer cheaper fares but the GOM finds their solicitation of arriving passengers "aggressive" which, according to Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengu Adnan, "could reflect poorly on the country during VMY2007." High Tech Toilets 9. (U) Malaysia's public toilets have become a hot issue for the GOM because of tourist complaints that they are often dirty with water everywhere and basic items such as soap and toilet paper missing. In response, the GOM installed 23 high-tech, self cleaning toilets in major shopping areas and tourist sites in and around Kuala Lumpur. Each air-conditioned toilet, which reportedly costs RM 400,000 (USD 113,000), has an automatic seat cleaner that washes, scrubs and dries the bowl after every use, according to the city authorities. Users are charged RM1 (USD 0.28) per use. Deputy Prime Minister Najib, who tested one of these toilets during their debut, said clean toilets were a measure of a country's level of civilization. The Strengthening Ringgit 10. (U) On December 22, Malaysia's ringgit appreciated to 3.5278 against the U.S. dollar, its highest level in nine years. The currency had weakened to a two-week low against the dollar on December 18 following news of Thailand's imposition of capital controls but bounced back when Thailand reversed its decision a day later. Several senior Malaysian government officials and the central bank immediately announced Malaysia would not impose similar capital controls. The ringgit subsequently fluctuated between 3.53 and 3.54 during the final week of 2006. 11. (U) Malaysian officials appeared to shrug off concerns that the strength of the ringgit against the dollar would hurt the nation's trade-driven economy. The press reported that Second Finance Minister Nor Mohamed Yakcop said the government was not worried about the ringgit's rise because the currency's strength is mainly the result of the U.S. dollar's weakness. He said the ringgit was not that strong when viewed against other currencies and has not approached a level which could hurt exports, noting that other Asian currencies have appreciated more against the US dollar. For 2006 the ringgit gained 7% against the dollar while the Thai baht appreciated 13% and the Indonesian Rupiah 8%. (Comment: Malaysia shifted the ringgit peg to a managed float system based on a basket of trade-weighted currencies in July 2005. The Central Bank closely monitors fund flows in and out of the country and intervenes in the market in an effort to maintain the ringgit within in a range to ensure economic stability.) 12. (U) Bank Negara data indicated that from July 2005 to the end of September 2006, the ringgit had appreciated 3.1% against the US dollar and 7.9% against the Japanese yen, but during the same period had weakened by 7.6% against the Thai baht, by 7.3% against the Philippine peso, by 6% against the Korean won, by 3.3% against the Indonesian rupiah, by 2.8% against the Singapore dollar and by 1.4% against the Chinese renminbi. 13. (U) Analysts say the ringgit has more room to strengthen on expectations of further appreciation of other Asian currencies, particularly the renminbi. The Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER), an economic think tank, estimate that the ringgit is still undervalued and expect it to reach 3.5 to the dollar by the end of the first quarter of 2007. Commerce International Merchant Bank (CIMB) also revised upwards its forecast for the ringgit, raising its forecast from 3.55 to 3.45 by end of 2007. A Dow Jones Newswires poll of 10 financial institutions put expectations at 3.535 to the dollar by the end of March and 3.455 by the end of 2007. Inflation Eases 14. (U) Malaysia's consumer price index (CPI) rose 3% year-on-year in November, the lowest rise in 15 months. For January to November, the CPI increased 3.7% from a year ago. For the full year, inflation is expected to reach 3.6%, below the Ministry of Finance official projection of 3.9%, and is expected to continue to ease. Although the government has not made a forecast for next year's inflation, CIMB has projected inflation to retreat to 2.7% in 2007, provided there is no hike in fuel prices. Comment 15. (SBU) The GOM's lavish spending to attract tourists bears all the marks of typical government waste and economic micro-mismanagement. The concept of letting the private sector do what the private sector does best has not quite caught on in Malaysia. It is the government, not the private tour operators, putting together the packages and telling people where they ought to want to go. The bright side is that the GOM seems aware of the need to improve customer service throughout the country; training in this area could prove a worthwhile investment. The same cannot be said for an 8.5 million dollar Ferris wheel and two dozen hundred-thousand-dollar toilets. SHEAR (January 2007) |
| Will they never learn? Posted: 22 Sep 2011 11:32 PM PDT 
THE PEOPLE'S PARLIAMENT I am referring to some of the opposition leaders who have responded to Mahathir's devillish stirring of the old hudud issue, and the stance of the many non-Muslims out there to this ridiculous matter that seems to have gotten so much attention this last two days. Whoever crafted this piece in Malaysianinsider is absolutely spot on. I quote : "It is a no-brainer why Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dredged up the issue of PAS's pursuit of hudud law in Kelantan". In 2002 or 2003, I think, Dr M did the same. Needled PAS to detail their proposed plan for an Islamic state in Terengganu, then under PAS rule. Hadi bit the bait that Dr M tossed at them. Came up with their blueprint for their Islamic state in Terengganu. Kit Siang's reaction to PAS's posturing then says it all. In the 2004 GE, PAS paid the price for falling for Dr M's ploy : Terengganu went back to BN Is it not obvious enough that Dr M's latest salvo on the hudud issue is simply to try to get PAS to feel obliged to defend their 'Islamic state' ideal and get DAP to respond with a defence of the secular nation that we are? Yesterday, FreeMalaysiaToday reported Tok Guru Nik Aziz as describing Mahathir as 'lucu' for his latest attempt to drive a wedge between DAP and PAS. Today, Malaysiakini reports HERE and HERE a war of words between DAP's Karpal and Nik Aziz, the latter saying that DAP can leave Pakatan for all he cares if they are not in agreement to PAS's agenda to establish an Islamic state! What the @#$% is going on? I am particularly baffled by the response to this whole hudud business by Anwar. Yesterday, Malaysiakini reported Anwar as saying that he personally supported Kelantan's bid to implement hudud law. "For now, in general, in principle, I believe this can be implemented. Looking at the specific areas and there are clear guarantees on the administration of justice. It does not in any way infringe on the rights of non-Muslims," Anwar is reported to have said. There are clear guarantees on the administration of justice? Does not infringe on the rights of non-Muslims? Dato Seri, tell that to the widow of Seargeant Moorthy. Tell that to the family and friends of the late Lawrence Selvananthan. What baffles most, though, is this. The Kelantan hudud law that Mahathir has raked up again and which Anwar now supports implementation, was passed by the Kelantan Legislative Assembly in 1993. However, to be effectively implemented, it needed an act of Parliament to clothe the syariah courts in Kelantan with the power to implement the hudud precribed punishments. That meant that UMNO and the BN government would have to support such a bill in Parliament. This put UNMO then in a spot. Anwar was then the deputy president of UMNO and the deputy prime minister. To the best of my knowledge, the law passed in 1993 remains unchanged to this day. If Anwar now says that it is now worthy of support and implementation, perhaps he can now share with us why it was not okay to be supported in 1993? READ MORE HERE |
| Why hudud law is everybody’s business Posted: 22 Sep 2011 09:04 PM PDT 
Every citizen of a modern state is entitled to voice a view whether or not that state should have the right to inflict dire physical punishment on any of its citizens, or even to enact hypothetically on a provisional basis laws of that kind whose effects are, to put the matter without euphemism, brutalising — either in fact, by their positive enforcement, or prospectively, by virtue of their intimidating inscription within formally codified law. Clive Kessler, The Malaysian Insider Once again the familiar argument has surfaced, or been desperately invoked, this time in the latest stand-off between the leading Pakatan Rakyat allies Karpal Singh and Anwar Ibrahim. Hudud law, if implemented, will apply only to Muslims, Anwar Ibrahim again insists, so the question is one that concerns only Muslims, not Malaysian citizens of other faiths — or no conventional doctrinal allegiance at all. So non-Muslims have nothing to fear, no legitimate interest in the matter, and no right to express any opinion. The matter is for Muslims alone. This is not the first time that we have heard this argument. It is standard debating "stock-in-trade", not only from Anwar Ibrahim and the syariah-promoting elements in Parti Keadilan Rakyat but equally from the designated spokesmen of PAS and Umno as well as from the various associations of ulama and officially constituted religious authorities, state and federal. Not just familiar, it is also, at best, inadequate and, more often than not, misleading. It is wrong for two basic reasons — reasons far more basic than any specific legal technicalities such as the issues raised over the interpretation of the 1988 court decision cited by Karpal Singh, or any similar individual legal judgment. The first reason is this. Whether they are actually implemented and enforced or simply stand as symbolic signposts and "ambit claims" on the statute books, the formal authoritative assertion of the hudud laws — including such punishments as amputation and stoning and even death for apostasy — fundamentally changes the relation of the individual to the state and its legal order. It substantially alters the balance between the state and the individual in the state's favour. It thereby transforms the entire character of the state, arguably coarsening its laws and their impact upon public culture and social life. When the state or any of its instrumentalities is suddenly empowered to hold, and potentially exercise, that awesome force — which it previously could not exert — over any of its citizens, or any section of them, the nature of citizenship itself is diminished and its meaning is reduced, not just for those directly "targeted" but for all citizens. A state that declares itself ready to use such fearful measures, or even prepares to arm itself with them, is a state that announces its own capacity, both institutional and moral or psychological, for savage enforcement and retribution. It is not a state that any ethically enlightened, socially emancipated or truly thoughtful citizen who had lived in a state without such fear-inspiring powers would freely choose to call home. A free citizen would refuse to exchange what they had previously enjoyed for this debased and degraded citizenship under this kind of regressive and repressive regime. Once the syariah law and its hudud punishments are authoritatively instituted, this degrading of the character of free citizenship is a general effect. It is one whose immediate human implications must soon affect all citizens, regardless of religion and social background, even if it is technically mandated only upon one section of the citizenry — in the Malaysian case the numerically preponderant and politically dominant section of the population. This basic underlying change in the nature of the state, and in the character and extent of its power over its citizens, will inevitably transform the tenor of social life in general. So it will affect all the state's citizens, not only those who are Muslims. Because it must affect the entire citizenry, all the state's citizens without exception are entitled to have, and express, a view on the subject of hudud law implementation. Every citizen of a modern state is entitled to voice a view whether or not that state should have the right to inflict dire physical punishment on any of its citizens, or even to enact hypothetically on a provisional basis laws of that kind whose effects are, to put the matter without euphemism, brutalising — either in fact, by their positive enforcement, or prospectively, by virtue of their intimidating inscription within formally codified law. Even if still unenforced, their presence on the statute books cannot but have a clear, immediate and chilling effect upon all citizens by reshaping, in fact diminishing, the very meaning of citizenship itself. Even if it is only hypothetical or symbolic in intent, an assertion of the state's right to mutilate and maim any citizen, even the least worthy and most criminally debased of them, can only demean everyone. It demeans, too, the citizenship that they share and the law under which they live and through which their citizenship is created and sustained. The introduction, even the mere hinted suggestion, of any proposal for the official infliction of pain on people's bodies and souls — for outright crimes against their fellow human beings, or even for the exercise of independent intellectual and spiritual conscience — must markedly shift society away from the gentle end, and decidedly towards the crude and brutalizing end, of the ethical scale. That seems indisputable. Any such legally mandated assault upon the citizen — any citizen or subject of the state — with its mutilation of bodies, maiming of souls, shaming and extreme humiliation of persons and its violation of personal conscience and human dignity will discredit the state, its laws, and those who uphold them. This is not a direction that a modern progressive state can take or its citizens, if they are thoughtful, condone. Those who endorse such measures must have a different agenda. Every citizen of a modern state has the right to say that the national political community of which they are a member should not be in the business of chopping off hands and feet or even talking about, or hypothetically considering, the introduction of such measures — nor in the business of criminalising beliefs, including those of personal and spiritual principle, that are held in good conscience. Regardless of their religion or faith affiliation, a citizen is entitled to say to the ruling authority, "You cannot maim and painfully shame my fellow citizens — some of my fellow citizens, any of them — well, not in my name you don't! Because if you do, you not only enlist me as one of the perpetrators of this dire, extreme and callous act, you also make me one of its objects and victims. As both implicated joint author and as implied target of this or any such action, I say no!" Any contention that a citizen or any group of them should remain silent, and may be told to do so, because they have no legitimate say in such matters is unsustainable. It is a claim that fundamentally misunderstands the nature and meaning of modern citizenship as morally autonomous membership in the national political community. Any citizen of a modern state, regardless of religion, is entitled to hold, voice and promote the view that the national political community of which they have long been a member — and long regarded in Malaysia, ever since its inception, as humane in its aspirations and progressive in its direction of development — should not suddenly assume, or (perhaps rhetorically to embarrass its political adversaries), even flirt with the previously unimagined power and right to cut off hands and feet or to criminalize individual beliefs held in good conscience. Any such citizen would be entitled to take the view that such a dire innovation, when introduced or even officially considered — or merely intimated via some tactical political gesture — must unilaterally abrogate the fundamental contract that holds between a modern state and its citizens as its political stakeholders and moral shareholders. Such a citizen has the right to the view that the state of which they are a member should not have, or suddenly grasp towards, any such recourse since — should it choose, especially as in Malaysia, to do so against its own history — the state and all its members stand to be demeaned by that action. What the state does, it does in the name of its citizens — all its citizens — in general. All are implicated in its actions, and everybody is entitled, indeed obligated, to concern themselves with the moral meaning of actions for which they are in any measure responsible. Every citizen is accordingly entitled to argue openly whether the state in which they hold citizenship should be permitted to impose such punishments on any of its citizens — and, as a citizen, to hold in good conscience that all stand to be demeaned if any one of them is so treated. Every citizen has a right to hold and express a view whether he/she wishes his or her state to be such a state, a state that claims the right of recourse to such dire and extreme methods in the treatment of any of its citizens. Dire and extreme — let there be no mistake — these measures undeniably are since they involve the intimidatory "criminalisation" of behaviour and also thinking, on issues of legitimate personal moral and spiritual conscience. They humiliate and punish in demeaning and savage ways that entail both terrible physical cruelty and extreme psychological degradation, the fearful violation and stigmatizing, at once and alike, of both bodies and souls. Such legal provisions, even if they stand only "in reserve", are statements about the kind of regime that the state is prepared, or earnestly aspires, to be and the kinds of measures to which it is prepared to have recourse. Every citizen is, by definition, a stakeholder in the state, and all of them — not just one specially designated segment of the citizenry — are entitled to hold, voice and also promote politically a view whether the state of which they are all "part-owners-in-trust" should evolve towards or away from such a coarsening brutalisation of tone and character. READ MORE HERE |
| What is meant by Hudud? Posted: 22 Sep 2011 08:37 PM PDT 
What many do not realise is that the hand cutting punishment is not an automatic thing. The criminal must first be assessed as to why he or she stole. And if it is because of poverty, then instead of cutting off the thief's hand, he or she has to be put under welfare and be taken care of by the state. In fact, the head of the welfare department instead would be punished for neglecting the poor and destitute that resulted in them having to steal to survive. By Raja Petra Kamarudin and Masterwordsmith The origins and obligations of Sharia law
Sharia is the body of Islamic religious law based on the Qu'ran and the words and actions of the prophet Mohammed and his followers.
In the West, Sharia has become synonymous with the brutal punishments meted out in Islamic states, but the majority of laws are to do with everyday issues, ranging from personal hygiene to banking.
Hard line Muslim leaders claim that Sharia is eternal and can never be changed, while moderates argue that it is not a strict set of laws but should be open to interpretation.
Sunni and Shia Muslims follow different schools of thought in interpreting the Sharia laws, but all Muslims are required to live according to Sharia wherever they are.
Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia and Iran have implemented Sharia as the legal system of the country, but in Britain it has no legal standing, despite the introduction of Sharia-compliant banking and food.
Examples of obligatory laws
• Earnings must be lawfully obtained
• Food must be halal
• Personal hygiene must be of a very high standard
• Couples must have a full bath in flowing water after intercourse
• The body must be covered modestly
• Prayers must be said five times a day
• Believers must fast during Ramadan
By Clare Dwyer Hogg and Jonathan Wynne-Jones, The Telegraph
*******************************************
Sharia is an Arabic word meaning "the right path". The Sharia comes from the Qu'ran, the sacred book of Islam, which Muslims consider the actual word of God. The Sharia also stems from the Prophet Muhammad's teachings and interpretations of those teachings by certain Muslim legal scholars.
Muslims believe that Allah (God) revealed his true will to Muhammad, who then passed on Allah's commands to humans in the Koran.
Since the Sharia originated from Allah, Muslims consider it sacred. Between the seventh century when Muhammad died and the 10th century, many Islamic legal scholars attempted to interpret the Sharia and to adapt it to the expanding Muslim Empire.
The classic Sharia of the 10th century represented an important part of Islam's golden age. From that time, the Sharia has continued to be reinterpreted and adapted to changing circumstances and new issues. In the modern era, the influences of Western colonialism generated efforts to codify it.
Following Muhammad's death in A.D. 632, companions of the Prophet ruled Arabia for about 30 years. These political-religious rulers, called Caliphs, continued to develop Islamic law with their own pronouncements and decisions. The first Caliphs also conquered territories outside Arabia including Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Persia, and Egypt.
As a result, elements of Jewish, Greek, Roman, Persian, and Christian church law also influenced the development of the Sharia. Islamic law grew along with the expanding Muslim Empire. The Umayyad dynasty Caliphs, who took control of the empire in 661, extended Islam into India, Northwest Africa, and Spain. The Umayyads appointed Islamic judges, kadis, to decide cases involving Muslims. (Non-Muslims kept their own legal system.) Knowledgeable about the Qu'ran and the teachings of Muhammad, kadis decided cases in all areas of the law. Following a period of revolts and civil war, the Umayyads were overthrown in 750 and replaced by the Abbasid dynasty. During the 500-year rule of the Abbasids, the Sharia reached its full development. Under their absolute rule, the Abbasids transferred substantial areas of criminal law from the kadis to the government. The kadis continued to handle cases involving religious, family, property, and commercial law. The Abbasids encouraged legal scholars to debate the Sharia vigorously. One group held that only the divinely inspired Koran and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad should make up the Sharia. A rival group, however, argued that the Sharia should also include the reasoned opinions of qualified legal scholars. Different legal systems began to develop in different provinces. From this very brief history of the Islamic empire and the development of the Sharia, some scholars argue that the Sharia evolved over time and transformed to meet the needs to society during their respective times. In other words, the Sharia was not static but dynamic. Other scholars argue that the Sharia was already present during the time of the Prophet and was already fully developed by the time the Prophet died. In other words, this was what was laid down by the Prophet and merely continued after the Prophet died (meaning, the Sharia did not evolve or transform over time). This argument is to support the theory that the Sharia came from God and was not 'invented' by man over hundreds of years following the death of the Prophet. In an attempt to reconcile the rival groups, a brilliant legal scholar named Shafiee systematised and developed what were called the "roots of the law". Shafiee argued that in solving a legal question, the kadi or government judge should first consult the Qu'ran. If the answer were not clear there, the judge should refer to the authentic sayings and decisions of Muhammad. If the answer continued to elude the judge, he should then look to the consensus of Muslim legal scholars on the matter. Still failing to find a solution, the judge could form his own answer by analogy from "the precedent nearest in resemblance and most appropriate" to the case at hand.
This clearly shows that even the scholars themselves could not agree on whether the Sharia is God's law or man's creation based on interpretation of the Qu'ran and the teachings (examples) of the Prophet. |
| Sarbaini widow lists proofs of MACC deception Posted: 22 Sep 2011 08:36 PM PDT 
She decries persistent efforts to defame the late customs officer (Free Malaysia Today) - The widow of customs officer Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed, Maziah Manap, today accused the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) of persisting in its attempt to defame her husband as a corrupt official. She referred to a Sept 12 press statement by MACC lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and called it another bid by the agency to wash itself of responsibility for her husband's death. In the statement, Shafee said Sarbaini fell to his death while trying to escape from the MACC building in Cheras to meet a friend so that they could synchronise their statements to the agency's investigators. "I no longer can cope with any more defamation just so MACC is not held responsible for my husband's death," Maziah Manap said in a press statement. She said the MACC's conclusion that Sarbaini was responsible for his own death was baseless and not supported by evidence given during the official inquest. She highlighted the following five factors as support for her argument: - there has been no proof that Sarbaini was involved in corruption;
- there is no proven reason for him to be afraid and to try to escape;
- there is no basis for MACC's theory that Sarbaini was trying to escape to warn his friend, Wan Zainalabidin, to synchronise their statements;
- the statements that investigators allegedly took from Sarbaini were works of mischief and deception; and
- deletion of CCTV footage of over 22 hours covering the time of the incident, as confirmed by forensic expert ASP Fauziah Che Mat.
The MACC is already reeling from the suspension of three senior officers earlier this week, who were arrested in connection with an extortion-and-robbery case involving RM1 million. READ MORE HERE |
| Gerakan Says No to Hudud Posted: 22 Sep 2011 08:01 PM PDT (Bernama) - Gerakan will oppose any attempt to implement hudud or any other theocratic law as it goes against the basic structure of the federation and constitution, said its deputy president Datuk Chang Ko Youn. "We're a country with a Muslim majority but with a significant non-Muslim minority. The basic structure of our constitution preserves this diversity, and that's why our punitive laws are secular and applies to everyone. We can't have different sets of laws for each section of society," he said in a statement issued here today. It was reported that opposition Pakatan Rakyat members were at loggerheads with regard to the implementation of hudud law. Deputy Prime Minister and Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had said that Malaysia was not ready for hudud law as it was a multiracial and multiracial country. |
| Nazri backs call for non-prosecuting AG Posted: 22 Sep 2011 06:08 PM PDT 
But he says the government has put constitutional amendments on hold. (Free Malaysia Today) - Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Aziz today expressed support for a call to separate the functions of the Attorney-General and the Public Prosecutor in different individuals, but denied that the government interfered in the AG's work. "We can use the United Kingdom as a reference," he said. "However, this is my personal opinion." In Britain, the Attorney General is the government's chief legal adviser. Prosecution powers are in the hands of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Yesterday, the Bar Council called on the government to amend the constitution in order to distinguish the AG from the Public Prosecutor. Its president, Lim Chee Wen, said that vesting the same person with both functions could give rise to "selective prosecution" due to intervention by the executive arm of government. Lawyers for Liberty made a similar call, saying the AG should be answerable to Parliament. Nazri, who sits on the Umno supreme council, dismissed the widely held notion that the government was interfering in the AG's work. "During my tenure as law minister, the government never interfered in the AG's independence," he said. Nazri also said the government had put on hold any tabling of laws that would require revising the Federal Constitution. This would be necessary to fulfil the Bar Council's call. "It's because we do not have the two-thirds majority needed to make the amendment and we do not trust the opposition lawmakers will give us their support," he said. As for making the AG answerable to Parliament, Nazri said it was not possible under the Malaysian system of government. "In our parliament, only an elected MP can sit in the Dewan Rakyat." READ MORE HERE |
| Bersih: PSC’s recommendations must come before polls Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:20 PM PDT By Tarani Palani, FMT PETALING JAYA : Polls watchdog Bersih 2.0 today said it was not concerned with the composition of the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on electoral reforms as what was more important was for the committee to complete its task before the next general election. "Political parties have a right to choose their representatives to be in the PSC. We can't challenge that. "All we are saying is that the PSC has to finish its job before the general election is announced," Bersih steering committee member Dr Subramaniam Pillay said at a press conference today. He was asked to comment on the five Barisan Nasional MPs who will be sitting in the PSC. Yesterday BN announced that it will be represented by Maximus Johnity Ongkili (PBS-Marudu), Alexander Nanta Linggi (PBB-Kapit), Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad (Umno-Kangar), Fong Chan Onn (MCA-Alor Gajah) and P Kamalanathan (MIC-Hulu Selangor). Ongkili is the chairman of the committee which has been given a six-month deadline to come up with its recommendations. The bill to form the committee will be tabled when Parliament sits on Oct 3. Three Pakatan Rakyat MPs and one independent MP will complete the nine-member PSC. Pakatan is expected to name its representatives next week. The choice of BN MPs for the committee has not sat down well with some quarters who had argued that these MPs were not familiar with electoral matters. Subramaniam, however, brushed aside these critics, arguing that it was the quality of the work that the committee does that matters at the end of the day. "We had a committee which did a good job (to review) the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). That committee was also made up of some old (has-been) politicians. "Then we had the PSC to look into national unity and I don't know what came out of that," he said. PSC should be committed Subramaniam, when asked if Bersih had any preference on who should be the Pakatan MPs on the PSC, said that the decision was for Pakatan to make. "We cannot say. That' up to Pakatan to decide. The Pakatan people cannot tell us what to do. Similarly, we cannot tell the Pakatan people what to do," he said. He, however, hoped that Pakatan will pick representatives with knowledge on electoral procedures. He reiterated Bersih's stand that it wanted the PSC to complete its task before the elections are called and urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to ensure this. "If the elections are called in October and the PSC is formed in October, then the PSC would not have even started its job… it is merely a public relations exercise," he added. READ MORE HERE. |
| Stupider Malayans Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:18 PM PDT By DUMNO Tuan-tuan dan puan-puan. Puan-puan dan tuan-tuan. Datuk-datuk, nenek-nenek, batuk-batuk, hingus-hingus dan lain-lain seklian. I will now change my mode again for the sake of the stupit non's. * ahem * Ya mah, you are non-Malay, non-Muslim, non-Bumiputra werd. You are nothing but a NON ! And we DUMNO, are non-NON's. Unnersten? Goblok !! Yesterday I was tolding you oredi how come dumno will winning the cuming eRection. Now you know how lor. So easy only mah. PKR bring up Altantuya, people vote for PKR. BN bring up Hudud, people vote for BN, PKR bring up Teoh Beng Hock, people vote for PKR, and I can go on and on and on and on. Even worster, some gong-gong called Merdeka-rating always seems to justify it with real-looking statistik. And then some dungoo political expert big name will come up and make statements that even the Prophet will be surprised. Aiyahhhhhhhhhh wasting time leh. It is so easy. Kangkung oso cannot get easier. Malayans are simply stupit lor. So stupit until you have no tulang-belakang. No tulang-depan, and no tulang-tepi. Tulang atas dan bawah pun dun have !! Lalang oso stronger than you ah !! It is because you all as stupit as you are that you have today mah. I tell you one secret-lah. Politik is dirty. Dirty Dancing oso not so dirty. We ahli politik are like David Copperfield. We can make things appear and disappear whenever we want. Not because we pray to Syaitan. No, we oredi kowtim Syaitan. He now works for us. We the ahli Politik give you all wayang everyday. Udderwise you will say dat we never do our job. So, how to look like we do our job? Appear everyday in Ugutan Malaysia lor. You all never read dat paper wan meh? No ah? New Snake Times? The Star, Sun and Moon are all Cult newspapers oredi mah, so no need to mention them. Oso, their talking so funny. Who unnersten what they say? We Malayans speak dis way mah, and even our England skool teachers speak dis way, so if Star Sun and Moon dun write this way, we wont give them any more lesen. Really wan. Ibrahim Ali said so. He told me tree times. Really !! Wan... Too... Tree ... heh heh. Now back to the Hootoot Law. We, the DUMNO actually dowan it wan. How can?!?! We bluff you all only. If DUMNO allow it ah, then we got no more hands and legs leh, coz all kena chop off. How to hamsup young underaged girls anymore laidet? DUMNO people all very hamsup, and extremely Kudikaran oso mah. Hahaha surprise you dat I can oso speaking Yindan leh. I oso got much-much Yindian spy. You think we have MIC for fun ah? You think MCA for fun izzit? They are actually all our spy mah !! James Bond oso cannot lawan ah. But ours is called James Gong, and James Kongket. I tell you anudder secret. NEP is actually a komunis konsep. Take from rich, give to poor. You all so stupit until so simple thing oso you dunno. Hahahahahahaha Some more call it Robing Hoot. We rob you ah... you Ah Hoot, the Toot !! See?? I prove to you dat you are all so Toot oredi. Some more say you wan to be First World wor. How to be First World if you all so stupit? I say oredi, the only tulang you have is the one in your trousers! Dat oso must use "Ali's walking-stick" or the Cheena call "Wai Kor", to tolong. No wonder people say dat Malayans are Truly "lemah-lembut" Kakakakakakaka We not scared of Anwar. We scared Malayans want female PM. Oredi the Fei-fei Lady of Putrajaya kontrol dis country. Like Sri Lanka, India, Israel, Central African Republic, Great Britain, Portugal, Bolivia, Dominica, Iceland, Norway, Yugoslavia, Malta, Netherlands, Philippines, Pakistan, Lithuania, Nicaragua, Ireland, Haiti, Germany, Bangladesh, Poland, Canada, Burundi, Rwanda, Turkey, Bulgaria, Guyana, New Zealand, Mongolia, Panama, Latvia, Finland and the latest one Thailand. But the Sawadikha one is actually a Barbie Doll, because of her DuckSin brudder, so dat wan dun count. Anyway, Malayan men's cuckoo-bird have "Roaming Problem". They think they is a Romeo, and so, must sewa some Chooliet to hamsup. Dat's why DUMNO will RULE FOREVER AND EVER lor. So easy ! I hope the Malayan Crime Minister wont come and C4 me for telling you all dis cigarettes. She very garang wan. Her husband is ok. He just wanna hamsup Mongolian girls. Better run fast-fast and go call uncle C4. He told me oredi boom-boom Tugu Keganasan today. See, he even send me dis gambar as proof. He tooken it with his henfone. OK I quickly change my mode again, before the fatty bom-bom in PuraJaya scold me. Seklian dan Terima Kasih. |
| Zaid’s roadshow for Najib sends Kita reeling Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:15 PM PDT By Stephanie Sta Maria, FMT PETALING JAYA: Kita president, Zaid Ibrahim, has sent shockwaves through his party with his announcement of a roadshow to drum up support for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's pledge for reforms. Kita's democracy roadshow secretariat told the press yesterday that it was important for people at all levels to understand the policy transformations which are "historical and full of importance". The secretariat also said that Kita would be holding meetings with the public to provide information and clarification on the issue in order that Najib's "noble efforts" are not obstructed by misunderstanding. The roadshow will be held nationwide from Sept 27 to Oct 26. This is the latest in a string of surprise moves from Zaid, with the first being the abrupt sacking of three party top leaders, which fuelled accusations of his tyranny and disrespect for party protocol. The announcement of the roadshow has sent the party's leaders in many states reeling particularly since they first learnt of it through the press late yesterday evening. Penang chief, Tan Tee Beng, said that Zaid had never held any meeting with the state leaders on such a controversial decision which clearly needed a collective opinion. "His apology to Najib already created havoc within the party," he said. "This roadshow has created a timebomb for both Zaid and the party. It's like adding salt to the wound." "Is he diverting attention from the talk of infighting within the party? If Barisan Nasional invited a Kita representative to sit on a panel to discuss the issue, we would gladly oblige but there is no need for a roadshow." Nothing concrete Federal Territory chief, G Rajaratnam, said that such a roadshow was premature when Najib had only announced an intent to repeal the Internal Security Act (ISA) without any futher solid details. "Whatever Najib says should be taken with a pinch of salt," he said. "Logically, this roadshow shouldn't be done because there is nothing concrete to talk to the people about."
READ MORE HERE. |
| MCA threatens to quit BN if Umno implements hudud law Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:13 PM PDT By Lisa J Ariffin, The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, Sept 23 — The MCA will leave the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition if hudud law is implemented by Umno. "MCA's stand is very clear. We will object strongly to hudud. If Umno wants to implement hudud, we will pull MCA out of Barisan Nasional - simple as that," MCA president Datuk Sri Dr Chua Soi Lek told reporters here today. "Our stand is very clear. Umno wants to implement hudud, MCA is no party to it, we'll get out of it," he added. When asked to comment on Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin's statement yesterday that Umno supported hudud law in principle, Dr Chua (picture) said: "That can be understood because all Muslim support the teachings of the Quran. But you must see his qualifying statement that Malaysia is not ready to implement hudud law. And that's very clear." Yesterday, Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat said he was willing for the DAP to leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if it objected to his views about implementing hudud law. Nik Aziz had also dismissed as laughable suggestions that Kelantan could now go ahead to implement hudud law in the state now that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was no longer the prime minister. Instead, he challenged Datuk Seri Najib Razak to withdraw any objections the federal government still had over Kelantan's longstanding plans to implement hudud. READ MORE HERE. |
| Umno blogs use sex video to attack Customs ahead of Sarbaini verdict Posted: 22 Sep 2011 03:11 PM PDT 
(The Malaysian Insider) - KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 23 — Umno-linked blogs have released a sex video in an apparent attempt to tarnish the reputation of Customs officers ahead of Monday's verdict in the inquest into the death of Ahmad Sarbaini Mohamed. The video — which appears to have been secretly recorded — shows a Malay man engaging in sex with a Caucasian woman in what looks like a hotel room. Umno-linked blog theunspinners.blogspot.com was the first to release the video, claiming the man in the recording was a Customs officer while suggesting the woman was a Russian prostitute. The man in the video is not named, but the blogger links the recording, which is titled "Pegawai Kastam Yang Terlampau," to the senior Customs officer's death while in the custody of the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) earlier this year. The blogger also echoes the position of the MACC and its lawyer Datuk Seri Shafee Muhamad Shafee Abdullah during the Ahmad Sarbaini inquest. Ahmad Sarbaini, the Selangor Customs assistant director, is believed to have fallen from the third-floor pantry of the MACC office in Jalan Cochrane here on April 6 and landed on the badminton court on the first floor. Ahmad Sarbaini's case is seen as high profile as it was the second death involving a person under the MACC's care. Teoh Beng Hock Teoh, a DAP political aide, was found dead on July 16, 2009 on the fifth-floor corridor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after he was questioned overnight by MACC officers at their then-Selangor headquarters. Shafee had argued during the inquest that there had been no evidence presented to suggest either homicide or foul play, as claimed by Ahmad Sarbaini's family. The lawyer said that there was also compelling evidence that Ahmad Sarbaini had climbed out of the window, from which he is believed to have fallen, on his own. The release of the video that is being linked to the Customs Department comes after Ahmad Sarbaini's widow released a statement on Raja Petra Kamarudin's Malaysia Today website claiming that Shafee and the MACC had defamed her husband. READ MORE HERE |
| Comic Relief Posted: 22 Sep 2011 01:47 PM PDT By Scapegoat Joe
The Cast:
High Court Judge Latuk Mohd. ZMD (Judge)
Latuk Seri AI (DSAI)
Defense Lead Counsel KS (King Kapal or KK)
Defense Lawyer SN (Ke Le Fe Lawyer or KLFL)
Allegedly being F-ed SBA (Saifool)
Prosecuting Lead Counsel Tan Sri AGP (AG)
Deputy Public Prosecutor FAL (FAL) Judge: Order! Order!
DSAI: Er…kopi O kau, tarik kuat kuat!
KK: I also want but kosong. Remember, no sugar ah!
KLFL: Me too but I want mine with 5 sugar!
Saifool: Me three but mine with only 1 sugar. Got to take care of this body cos fat mama likes it the way it is.
AG: Me four!!!
Judge: Aiyah…order in the court lah! Not order drinks lah. You all think you are boss here, meh?
AG: Of course I am Taiko here. Remember that the ISA has not been repealed yet. You want to make Taiping your permanent home?
Judge: Soli lor… but do you remember that OUR Taiko just told us to kow-tim this case fast fast?
AG: Okay! Okay! No need to use him to "big" me, okay? No drinks mah no drinks lor. Something stuck up your twat? Okay! Okay! Let's kow-tim this quick quick.
Saifool: Ya-lah…why talk so much? Now I must cancel all my appointments and I can sue you for loss of income!
Judge: You aquah just shut up and make sure that the cork is still stuck up you're A-hole. If not I'll come down and F you up your a-hole myself.
Saifool: (Drooling) Yes please…
KK: Hello…can we continue with this charade? It is bouncy here like mad already.
Judge: Okay lor! You in a hurry, meh? I thought lawyers charge by the hour? Okay, call in the first witness, Mr. Prosecutor!
AG: I call in Dr. X who only just graduated in medicine from Anti College in Tapah.
KK: Objection! Anti College in Tapah does not teach medicine and therefore Mr. X cannot be qualified as a doctor.
Judge: Overruled! Who say cannot? I got my law degree from Anti College also. What do you say, AG?
AG: (whispering to FAL) Girl, go kow-tim it immediately and don't let Saifool distract you this time.
FAL: Okey dokey. I quickee callee LTL at MCA now.
AG: Baa…baa…black sheep have you any drool? Yes sir, No sir, three bags fool…
Judge: (Screaming) What the hell are you doing?
AG: Wasting time lor, what else? You stupid, meh?
FAL: (whispering to AG) Kow-tim already, sir!
AG: Gooooood… eh, uncle… no need to shout lor. Anti College is now qualified to teach medicine. Everything settled already!
Judge: (Addressing KK) You satisfied now, counsel?
KK: (Choking) WTF???
Judge: You may take the stand, Dr. X and stop making eyes at the AG.
AG: Dr. X, can you please tell the court whether semen specimens can tahan being stuck inside the A-hole for 56 days, or not? And whether you can still identify the DNA from it?
Dr. X: You say can mah can lor. Only depends on the number of zeros on the cheque mah.
KK: Objection!
Judge: Overruled. Dr. X, may I remind you that you are on the stand as a witness and your conduct must be proper…and stop playing with yourself!
Dr. X: Yessir. Okay, sir. No problem, sir.
Judge: (Screaming) Then go answer the F-king answer lah.
Dr. X: Sir, this is Boleh-Land and everything also Boleh.
AG: No more questions, Judge.
Judge: Defense, your turn to question the witness.
KK: How long have you practiced medicine?
Dr. X: My second day was when the AG personally ask me to test the semen samples for DNA.
KK: What did you do on your first day?
Dr. X: I was very lucky lor…I remember very clearly that I nearly overdosed a patient at Kampung Kepayang clinic. Everything written in English, where can understand? I spent six weeks qualifying to become a doctor, where got time to learn English? How I know mercury is dangerous?
Judge: Defense, you got anymore stupid questions or not?
KK: Only one, sir. (Addressing Dr. X) Sir, how come all the experts say that semen samples have deteriorated after 30 days that no DNA can be identified, but you say can even after 56 days?
Dr. X: I got pray a lot mah and Gawd told me so lor. What's your problem, man? You don't trust in Gawd meh? Tell them to take the Bible, Quran, Buddhist Scriptures, Torah and whatever they got in here and I will swear by them all.
KK: (Exasperated) No more questions, sir.
Judge: Then I pronounce DSAI guilty of all charges.
KK: But I still have 100 more witnesses to call…
Judge: All disqualified.
KK: But that Saifool still have not even taken the stand yet!
AG: Uncle, we are charging DSAI lor not Saifool the Complainant lor. We already got the sworn testimony of the Complainant from the cops….you don't trust them, meh?
Judge: Court adjourned. Sentencing next week after I meet and discuss it with the AG (whispering) and after the cheque clears… |
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