Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- From Arab Spring to Malaysian Monsoon?
- Fernandes: We didn’t ask for new baggage system
- MACC panel: Foreigners not needed
- Malaysia Moving Steadily Toward Cloud
- The GTP is delivering results
- Chua told to apologise over latest anti-Islam jibe
- UMNO General Assembly: Beating the drums for another May 13
- Karpal: Datukships put DAP in ‘awkward spot’
- Choose wrongly at nation’s peril, Najib warns voters
- Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant
- "Pekida and Govt must work together to ensure survival of BN"
- Who’s talking cock about India and China?
- ‘Pekida, bantu pertahan k’jaan BN’
- Usah cuit perasaan Melayu
- PKR no pushover in Sarawak
- Allegations against KR1M justified
- PR mesti ingat: 'The darkest part of the night is just before dawn'
- Hijrah -- in reverse
- Malaysia – Assembling the Peaceful Assembly Act
- 2 futher views on the 2011 UMNO General Assembly
- An imaginary address to malapportionment
- 9Bio
- Canadian TV show on the Stop Timber Corruption Campaign
- Malaysian top politician’s family holds several billion US dollars' worth of illicit assets
- Race-based ideology and Islam: The Malaysian enigma
- Sarawak Chief Minister's Vast Holdings Revealed
- M’sia-Qatar agree on RM6 billion investment fund
- Police ready to face national polls
- Najib: Malay future at risk under Pakatan
- Rakyat Voices 3: Firewall Your Vote
- Wikileaks: Anwar said he would be PM or jailed
- Register and vote or don’t complain, says MCCBCHST
- Perkasa wants MCA to retract hudud ‘slur’ or face polls wrath
- Umno leader linked to Alstom bribery scandal, says Singapore daily
- Karpal hits out at DAP warlords
- Usno links up with Jeffrey’s UBF
- Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?
| From Arab Spring to Malaysian Monsoon? Posted: 05 Dec 2011 01:14 PM PST The only credentials he attempted to present is Umno's supposed "glorious" records of past achievements, which are highly questionable, as this claim is debunked by the fact that Malaysia has slipped badly in every field against its former peers or inferiors like Singapore, Korea and Taiwan. In fact, Malaysia is now struggling to keep pace with former laggards like Indonesia and Thailand. Kim Quek The restlessness for change triggered by the Arab Spring, and subsequently spread to Singapore and Thailand (as shown in their recent elections), has made the recently concluded Umno General Assembly a focus of much attention. Observers were looking for clues to answer the critical question in the backdrop of imminent election: Will Umno – one of the world's longest reigning political parties – also fall in the current wave of rising popular dissent? The clues are aplenty. As someone who has watched the live telecast of the opening session of the assembly, my first impression of the top hierarchy on stage is that they looked worried and disconcerted. This feeling of diffidence was not dispelled by the President's opening speech, which lacked the kind of substance that reassures that all is well and the party has the wherewithal to move the country forward for the next five years. The next few days saw leaders engaged in the usual racial exhortations and opposition-bashing, and requests for more government patronage. Rather unique to this assembly, leader after after leader pleaded for refrain from backstabbing and sabotage from within, for which the entire assembly took a collective oath to pledge their loyalty to party and party president. In the concluding speech, Party President Najib Razak warned the delegates point-blank that if Umno is defeated, it will be doomsday for the Malay race, the Islam religion and the Malay Royalties. Turning to the "28 million Malaysians out there", he said bluntly that either they elect the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) for a brighter future or face destruction under the opposition. Assembly is only warmongering Reviewing the entire episode, my conclusion is that this Umno assembly is only an exercise of beating the war drums and calling members to battle. There were no deliberations over the unprecedented challenges we face, and how BN will take the nation out of the current quagmire. Najib's only reference to these issues is his oft-repeated recitation of his various "transformations", without coming up with convincing substance that these are anything but slogans. The only credentials he attempted to present is Umno's supposed "glorious" records of past achievements, which are highly questionable, as this claim is debunked by the fact that Malaysia has slipped badly in every field against its former peers or inferiors like Singapore, Korea and Taiwan. In fact, Malaysia is now struggling to keep pace with former laggards like Indonesia and Thailand. The inescapable impression that one gets from the proceedings of this assembly is that Umno is fighting for its own survival and nobody else – certainly not for the country, nor for the Malays for that matter. If everything is fine as claimed, then why is the Malaysian government plunging more steeply than ever into record level of debt in recent years in an unbroken spell of 15 years of hefty budget deficits, despite enjoying unprecedented boom in petroleum prices? Why has the private investment to GDP ratio stuck stubbornly at the doldrums of 10% (among the lowest in the region) since the nineties when it peaked at 37%? Why are the people crying out in pain over ever escalating costs against stagnant income? Transformation an illusion If Najib's "transformations" have worked, then why has corruption worsened as reflected in the unprecedented plunge in Corruption Perception Index monitored by the prestigious Transparency International, and the continuing massive leakages in the BN administration as recorded in the latest Auditor General's report? If BN has looked after all the races and communities well as claimed, why has the temperature of racial and religious tension risen sharply in recent years? Umno in this assembly adopted the strategy of demonizing the opposition and frightening the Malays with catastrophe to their race, and the country at large, with unspeakable disaster to the nation, if Umno is not re-elected to power. Umno claims that if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power, Chinese will rule the country through DAP, and Malays will be reduced to beggars, Islam substituted by Christianity, and the Malay Sultans' fate in peril. But this nightmare scenario is easily lampooned when DAP points out that in the 2008 election, DAP only fielded 47 candidates, against 97 by PKR, and 66 by PAS for the contest to fill the 222-seat parliament. Besides, PAS is completely Malay and PKR is dominated by Malays. So how can DAP overpower PKR and PAS – as well Umno for that matter – to become the super power in Malaysian politics? The fact that Umno has to resort to construct such a ridiculous bogeyman to achieve its political object is manifest of its utter desperation and panic. Pakatan shines through Najib in his concluding speech said that Pakatan Rakyat, if elected, will destroy the country. But how can that be when the Pakatan-controlled state governments have been consistently commended by the Auditor General for their prudent financial management, and distinguishing themselves for keeping corruption at bay and introducing transparency and accountability to their respective administrations? Isn't it a fact that their good governance has been recognized and confirmed through the robust influx of private investments, in spite of having suffered under ill treatment by the BN federal government? Isn't it a fact that the Pakatan state governments have treated all the races with fairness and justice? If the Pakatan political leadership has proven to be incorruptible and competent and just in their management of resources and treatment of the people, then isn't it logical to conclude that such a political leadership is exactly what Malaysia needs to check the current slide and restore confidence and good governance to move the country forward? I am quite sure that the people have the good sense to make the right choice, if informed of the true facts. So the electoral battle ahead is a battle of information dissemination. If Pakatan Rakyat succeeds in conveying the true picture to the majority of the people despite BN's stranglehold on the mass media, in time for the next poll, then the current Umno assembly may prove to be a watershed event. It may go down in history as the advent that triggered the enlightenment of the people to the folly of clinging to a defunct feudal political system. Such enlightenment will cause a decisive break from the past – the replacement of race-centric politics by governance-centric politics – and sweep Pakatan to power to usher in a new era for the nation.
|
| Fernandes: We didn’t ask for new baggage system Posted: 05 Dec 2011 12:54 PM PST AirAsia denies requesting Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd for a sophisticated baggage handling system. (Free Malaysia Today) - AirAsia chief executive officer, Tony Fernandes, in a tweet this morning denied requesting Malaysian Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) for a sophisticated baggage handling system (BHS) to be installed in Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2). "The baggage system is a red herring by MAB. We didn't ask for it. But whatever it is, it didn't cost RM3.9 billion. Or delay terminal by almost two years," he said. KLIA2, or commonly referred as the New Low-Cost Carrier Terminal project, was announced in 2010 and was originally slated to be completed in April next year to accommodate 30 to 35 million passengers. Fernandes' statement comes after MAHB released two letters signed by Tony and MAHB's CEO and managing director Bashir Ahmad. In the letter dated June 16, 2011, Fernandes stated that he would prefer installation of the most sophisticated fully automated BHS (baggage handling system) in KLIA2, reported the New Straits Times today.
|
| MACC panel: Foreigners not needed Posted: 05 Dec 2011 10:00 AM PST By T K Letchumy Tamboo, The Malay Mail KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory panel has lambasted the proposal by the Selangor government to bring in foreign experts to investigate the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal. They believe such a move would be "a disgrace and an insult" to the institution, and any foreign assistance should be used only as a last resort. Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yesterday declared the State government's willingness to hire foreign experts to probe the NFC issue. MACC advisory committee member Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas said the move would be demeaning and humiliating to the institution. "It will be a very sad day if all our national scandals are going to be investigated by foreign experts. It just portrays and reflects our weaknesses," he told The Malay Mail in a telephone. Megat Najmuddin said the proposal by the Selangor government was a "politicisation of sorts". "Face it, our society is now split to two. One is the Opposition and the other is the government. This is a proposal to try to politicise the enforcement of law in the country and it is not right," he said. "If they are not happy, there are certain ways to express it and there are certain ways to express it and there are certain ways to do it. We have had countless Royal Commissions of Inquiry (RCI) and they could have suggested to have one for the NFC controversy." Megat Najmuddin also said the NFC scandal may be a misuse of funds and not really a criminal case. "I do not see any criminality in the NFC sacndal. The police have said there is no criminality involved in it. The MACC has also said there is no evidence of corruption in the issue and as such it is not under their jurisdiction," he said. "There may be a misuse of funds but that's not even a crime. If you take a loan from a bank and use it for other purposes, how could it possibly be a crime? Exhaust all local avenues first "We cannot simply convict people based on suspicion and hearsay. I have no idea what the Selangor government is screaming about. They are just trying to politicise the whole issue." Former chairman of the MACC panel on prevention and consultation Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam felt it was not proper or fair at this stage for any political group to invite foreign experts to investigate the NFC scandal. "This issue must be approached professionally and not politically. If the MACC is not investigating the matter further, then it should be left to the police," he said. "Only after that investigation in Malaysia should other avenues be sought." Ramon said that in the event of dissatisfaction on the outcome of the initial investigation, there would be nothing to prevent any parties from starting investigations on their own, be it with foreign experts' help or without. "We have to follow our own traditional methods with integrity and transparency," he said. MACC advisory board member Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, who offered his personal views, said the proposal may mean that the Selangor government lack confidence in the MACC. "They may not have faith in us but it is their prerogative to bring in foreign experts," he said. "MACC, upon its investigation, found that the scandal has no elements of corruption and that was why they passed the baton to the police in the fi rst place. "I think, from what I read in the newspaper reports, this whole controversy is just an abuse of public funds." |
| Malaysia Moving Steadily Toward Cloud Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:49 AM PST By Roger Strukhoff, Sys-Con Media Malaysia seems to be moving steadily toward cloud computing, at least according to results of the latest Cloud Maturity Index study conducted by Forrester Research on behalf of WMware's Singapore office. Of the 158 Malaysian companies surveyed, 64% respondents said they have deployed or are actively planning cloud initiatives. Insurance companies led the way among current deployers with 67% reporting current cloud initiatives. The education sector led among groups planning to deploy, with a positive response rate of 69%. These results can be viewed in context with research earlier this year by Asia Cloud, a non-profit based in Hong Kong. This organization's Cloud Readiness Index, which considered more than a dozen factors, ranked Malaysia in seventh place in Asia. Malaysia emerges as a star performer overall in the Tau Index research I've been conducting over the past year. In my research, I weigh a number of technology and social measurements into a recipe that delivers a "pound-for-pound" ranking of national ICT expenditures. This mixed bag results in a strong overall ranking for Malaysia within the Tau Index. The country has its shortcomings, to be sure, but is clearly headed in the right direction. It's the prototype "not-quite-highly-developed" nation. It also leads the pack among its immediate neighbors, with the exception of the wealthy Singaporean city-state. |
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:45 AM PST By Ravindran Devagunam, NKRA Director via The Sun We refer to the survey released by Transparency International on the Corruption Perception Index and the Corruption Barometer last Thursday. In July, the government announced a new NKRA to manage the cost of living, with cash aid and book vouchers as initial initiatives for families with schoolchildren. |
| Chua told to apologise over latest anti-Islam jibe Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:44 AM PST (Harakah Daily) - Muslim youth group ABIM today joined PAS leaders in condemning MCA president Chua Soi Lek's latest 'Islamophobic' statement that Islamic laws would drive away investors from the country. ABIM secretary-general Mohamad Raimi Ab Rahim also expressed the movement's disappointment over "failure by certain quarters to give him (Chua) the necessary information" on the subject of hudud and Islamic laws.Yesterday, Chua (right), whose statements deriding Islamic customs went unpunished by the authorities, told his party's forum called "Hudud and its Implications on non-Muslims" that Islamic laws were not fair to women and contravened human rights because it prescribed 'cruel' punishments for serious crimes. To prove his theory, Chua said Genting, which hosts Malaysia's only casino in Genting Highlands, Pahang, would be shut down by PAS resulting the loss of 15,000 jobs, 20 million tourists and RM1 billion in taxes. "Then we will have difficulty in attracting investment and even existing investors may pull out," said the former Health minister, who resigned after a video clip of him engaging in sex with a Chinese prostitute became public. According to Raimi, Chua's statement not only exposed his ignorance and malicious intentions which could spark tensions among adherents of different religions, but also his disrespect towards Muslim sensitivities. Urging the authorities to take action against Chua, ABIM said he should publicly apologise to Muslims in the country. PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man meanwhile said Chua's criticisms of Islamic laws were nothing new, and said it was more disappointing to note UMNO's approval of his remarks by remaining silent. "Having failed to convince the Chinese community to support BN, he now resorts to lambasting the hudud laws. But what is really sad is that UMNO chooses to remain silent amid the ongoing insults," said Tuan Ibrahim. Referring to the now familiar claim by UMNO leaders that PAS was being exploited by DAP to undermine Islam, Tuan Ibrahim (left) pointed out that Chua's latest derogatory remarks about Islamic laws only proved who was being exploited. He said Chua had been over the years been emboldened by UMNO's criticisms of hudud enactments in Kelantan and Terengganu which it dismissed as deviation from Islamic laws. "PAS has repeatedly urged them to show us where we had committed the error (in the enactments). If what we enacted is not the true hudud as alleged, then UMNO should enact the true hudud enactments and we at PAS will definitely support them," said Tuan Ibrahim. 'UMNO Ustads sell their souls' PAS Central Committee member Dzulkefly Ahmad (left) said UMNO leaders should instead try to allay fears about Islam among the non-Muslims, but were doing the opposite. "Islam is lambasted on MCA's stage for the sake of popularity in the next general election," said Dzulkefly, referring to UMNO's representatives Kamal Saidi and Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya, who participated in the anti-hudud forum. "Clearly, UMNO would do anything including selling off Islam to gain a few votes while the men of religion in UMNO sell their souls for MCA's sake," said the Kuala Selangor member of parliament. Earlier, the anti-hudud forum by MCA saw the withdrawal of Muslim non-governmental organisation Islamic Renaissance Front, saying the BN party attempted to use it for its narrow political agenda. "At no certain terms would we have agreed to participate in this forum if the intention of MCA was made clear to us beforehand. We agreed on good faith that there would be an intellectual discussion on this issue. However it seems that Dr Chua Soi Lek has twisted the facts and turned it to become a front supporting the Prime Minister and anti-opposition," said IRF director Dr Ahmad Farouk Musa. This was followed by another NGO slamming Chua for trying to make political mileage. "I accepted the invitation in good faith, based on the understanding that it will be an open discussion on the topic. I did not expect the MCA president to suddenly turn the forum into a propaganda briefing," said Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs's Wan Saiful Wan Jan. |
| UMNO General Assembly: Beating the drums for another May 13 Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:43 AM PST Dr Lim Teck Ghee, CPI The UMNO General Assembly has come and gone. Most political observers had expected it to be the usual rah-rah event aimed at rallying UMNO members ahead of the coming elections and in support of the leadership of Najib Razak, the party president. They were right. The public were subject to yet another spectacle of sound and fury on how important the party is to the future of Malays, albeit with the occasional reminder of how indispensable the party is to the well being of all the citizens of the country. Optimistic observers who had hoped that the party would live up to its rhetoric of being a mature and transformed party of moderation – at least for the duration of this publicly viewed occasion – were disappointed. The collective breast beating led by the party president and deputy president – on the greatness and goodness of the party compared with the weaknesses and evilness of the opposition – was quite unprecedented in the history of the party's general assemblies. The attacks against PAS, PKR and especially the DAP during the meeting have only just begun. Can we expect it to continue with greater viciousness and spitefulness as UMNO leaders fan out into the grassroots to campaign in the next few months leading to the elections? What should be of concern is not just the running down and bad mouthing of the opposition. This has been the norm in past assemblies, especially those leading up to the elections. What is new and unexpected is the vitriol and venom directed openly and without inhibition at opposition parties and their leaders. In many speeches made at the assembly, there appears a concerted attempt at inciting racial and religious emotions and issues and exploiting Malay insecurities with imagined and wildly exaggerated threats of the looming new dawn of non-Malay and Christian dominance for Malaysia should the party fail to win the coming elections. The many socio-economic and political challenges facing the community and nation – many arising from bad governance, abuse of power, and corrupt practices practiced or condoned by the party and its coalition partners during the decades of Barisan rule – received little mention or attention. UMNO's Ultimate Game Changer The question which arises now is whether the party is laying the ground work – deliberately or inadvertently – for the game-changing political development sought after by hard line UMNO leaders in case the coming election results do not go UMNO's way. This game changer is a repetition of the 1969 May 13 racial riots. In his opening address to the assembly, it is notable that amongst the developments listed by the Prime Minister, Najib Razak as influencing the party he referred to the 1969 racial riots as one of the party's eleven game changers in its past and current history. What is regrettable is the way in which he appears to condone the racial violence that resulted in authoritarian rule and the suspension of Parliament, and pins the blame for this darkest event in our history squarely on the opposition. "Let us never be negligent because there are some among the opposition leaders who are stoking flames and slogans to belittle the Malays so that there will be a 13th May". The PM as the responsible leader of our nation must clarify this statement and allay the anxieties and fears of our citizenry and voters on the possible recurrence of racial violence. He and his Deputy President must never give the impression to Malaysians and to UMNO supporters especially that they are seeking to fan or are condoning extremist sentiments in any way whatsoever. The oblique warning by the prime minister that there is a possibility of another recurrence of racial violence may not have been apparent to political analysts, drowned by the assembly proceedings and verbiage. However, that this potential game changing option is being contemplated in high circles is beyond doubt. May 13 was sparked off as a result of election results in which the opposition parties denied the UMNO-led Alliance their customary two-thirds majority in Parliament. Should the coming election fail to deliver the expected victory for UMNO, are we to expect hard-line UMNO leaders to resist the handing over of power peacefully and to agitate for power by other means? Ominously, the scapegoat for any new outbreak of racial and religious violence has already been identified – not UMNO extremists but those on the other side of the political fence.
|
| Karpal: Datukships put DAP in ‘awkward spot’ Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:40 AM PST (The Star) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh regrets that two party leaders had accepted the Datukship awards bestowed on them by their respective Rulers, reported Nanyang Siang Pau. He said Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Selangor Assembly Speaker Datuk Teng Chang Khim's acceptance of the award had put the party in an "awkward spot". "Their acceptance was not in line with the party's stand and principle as only party members who had retired or were not politically active are allowed to accept titles," he said. Ngeh and Teng were conferred titles in 2008 and 2010 respectively. Asked if their refusal would be perceived as an insult to the Rulers, Karpal said it was the party's stand and therefore, would not be deemed an insult.
|
| Choose wrongly at nation’s peril, Najib warns voters Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:38 AM PST By A Ruban, The Star SHAH ALAM: Choose the wrong side in the coming general election and risk the nation going downhill, warned Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Citing Barisan Nasional's impressive track record, Najib said only the current coalition knew how to rule the nation and take it to greater heights. "If we miscalculate and choose the wrong side, our country could very much end up like Greece. What Barisan built today could be destroyed in a flash if the wrong side rules the country tomorrow. "We may be strong now and we may have good resources, but we could face a similar predicament like Greece if the wrong side is chosen," he said at the Islamic Propagation and Welfare Organisation of Malaysia (Pekida) assembly here yesterday. Referring to the Opposition as "they", Najib said most plans made by them were against the nation's development and focused more on seizing power. "They are not in power yet but are already criticising the Malay rulers and expressing hope to change the Jalur Gemilang. "In the civil service, they have said that hundreds of civil servants would be stopped from working when they come to power," he added. Unlike the Opposition, Najib said Barisan was concentrating on developing the nation for the benefit of the people. He cited the RM100 assistance to students and RM500 to all households with incomes of less than RM3,000 as among the good deeds done by the Barisan government. "Poor families and students are given assistance. There's more room for improvement, especially in the rural areas. "For this, we will continue to ensure that the gap between the rich and poor is narrower," he said. Najib added that he was confident that Barisan would triumph once again in the coming election. "As a prime minister, I will continue to do the best for the people and we will not step back. "We will show that Barisan can do it because only with us, you can dream of a fisherman's son or farmer's son to be a minister or CEO of a big company," Najib said, pointing at Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar, who he said came from a poor family. Commenting on the assembly, Najib said it was the job of Pekida to ensure that Malay rights were taken care of. He noted that Pekida had been on track and had been doing a good job in championing Malay rights. "Pekida must continue to flex its muscles and bring up the Malays in the country," he said. |
| Ex-Perlis MB denies graft claims over power plant Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:32 AM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Despite a finding by Swiss authorities after exhaustive investigations, Umno veteran Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh has denied accepting a bribe from French engineering giant Alstom for a power plant in Perlis. The former Perlis mentri besar and Dewan Negara president was responding to the Singapore's Straits Times that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials raided his Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium's (TTPC) office last week as he was directly implicated in Alstom's indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts. "I wish to categorically state that the allegations contained in the above report are totally baseless and malicious," Abdul Hamid (picture) said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider last night. He stressed that the company's board of directors, including Ti Chee Liang who was named in the Swiss court papers, did not receive "7.5 million Swiss francs (RM25.5 million) to help Alstom Malaysia secure a contract to build a power plant in Perlis in late 1995". "I confirm that no monies were received by any Board members including me," the Umno veteran said. Abdul Hamid explained that the decision to award the contract was unanimous and the contract was later awarded on November 30, 1999 when he was the board chairman. He was Perlis mentri besar between 1986 and 1995 before being made TTPC board chairman from 1996 to 2005. The politician also disclosed that he was unaware of ongoing investigations into Alstom Malaysia by the Swiss authorities. "To date, I have not been notified or called by thern to make any statements or provide any details. I am shocked that the Swiss authorities have accused Ti and me of wrongdoings, financial or otherwise. "For this reason, I have instructed solicitors in Switzerland to initiate proceedings to clear my name. I welcome any investigation pertaining to these baseless allegations," Abdul Hamid said in his statement. In the report picked up by The Malaysian Insider, the Singapore Straits Times said both Abdul Hamid and his former business partner Ti were singled out in the criminal summons against Alstom. According to ST, Alstom was fined €31 million (RM130 million) by the Swiss Attorney-General two weeks ago for failing to implement proper controls to prevent bribery by company executives in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia, an offence under Swiss law. Alstom is a major player in Malaysia in the power business, and is credited with supplying key equipment for nearly 7.5 gigawatts of the country's installed power generation capacity, the paper added. Last month, Alstom's Malaysian office denied it was aware of local investigation regarding the RM130 million fine by Swiss authorities involving contracts awarded to the company here. "There is no probe ongoing in Malaysia that we are aware of and Alstom has co-operated fully in Switzerland. The fine is for corporate negligence in the past and not for bribery," Alstom Malaysia president Saji Raghavan said in a statement. "In fact, investigation confirms there is no systematic bribery and sufficient controls are in place," he pointed out. The company had described itself as a "subcontractor of a consortium" and a "victim of the actions of some of its employees, who would have benefited from kickbacks", according to a previous Reuters report.
|
| "Pekida and Govt must work together to ensure survival of BN" Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:16 AM PST (Malaysian Digest) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said there is no other option that can guarantee a bright future for the country except by maintaining the existing government. He said political power comes from the people in which if the struggle is based on the interests of the people, then the people will continue to support the present government. READ ALSO Pekida: 'Kami bukan gengster, kami tolong Melayu' Najib to aid Pekida in return for election support What is this outfit called Pekida?
|
| Who’s talking cock about India and China? Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:12 AM PST UPPERCAISE MAHATHIR TALKING COCK, PART 4 Is democracy bad for economic development? Is there such a thing as "too much" democracy? Does it slow down economic development? Mahathir (I am not a dictator) Mohamad says so. Last week in India, he sneered at democracy as the cause of India's growth being slower than China's (a communist country). His people used to say that back in the 1990s too: NST group editor A Kadir Jasin wrote a Sunday column saying that democracy was not good for development, just look at China. Here's my very simplistic explanation of why India has been slower than China. Simplistic explanations are Mahathir's favourite tool: the more simplistic, the more clever he sounds. Why China is ahead of India in development 1. China started earlier — economic reforms 13 years before India. 2. They switched from a Soviet-style command economy to a free market economy. With a 13-year head start, of course they would be ahead of India (all things being equal). But Mahathir (I am not a dictator) Mohamad did not take the trouble to tell you that. Instead he told India they had "too much" democracy, and that they should have more power at the centre and less power in the state so that they could develop faster.
|
| ‘Pekida, bantu pertahan k’jaan BN’ Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:04 AM PST Perdana Menteri mahu Pekida bantu kerajaan kekal memerintah Putrajaya selepas PRU 13. (Free Malaysia Today) - Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) diseru membantu mengekalkan kelangsungan kerajaan sedia ada bersesuaian dengan piagam pertubuhan itu yang mendokong kerajaan yang memerintah. Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata pemerintahan kerajaan (Barisan Nasional) dewasa ini adalah selari dengan matlamat dan tujuan Pekida ditubuhkan. Justeru beliau mahu Pekida menjalankan tanggungjawab untuk mempertahankan kerajaan memandangkan tiada pemerintahan lain yang dapat menjamin masa depan negara. "Tiada pilihan lain selain tegakkan pemerintahan sedia ada. Tanggungjawab yang digalas Pekida atas jemala adalah untuk mempertahankan pemerintahan sedia ada. "Apa akan jadi pada umat Islam jika pemerintahan tersungkur dan rebah. Apa akan jadi pada Islam jika hilang taring? "Asas dan pokok adalah berjuang untuk kelangsungan kuasa jika kuasa terlepas segala cita-cita terkubur dan masa depan akan bertukar jadi gerhana. Ini kerana asas untuk menjadi bangsa yang mulia dan bermaruah bergantung kepada pemerintahan sedia ada. "Ia akan jadi realiti dan kenyataan jika ada kuasa," katanya di hadapan 10,000 hadirin pada Majlis Perhimpunan Perdana Pekida Malaysia di Politeknik Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah di sini hari ini. Tegas Najib, pilihan alternatif yang ditawarkan oleh pembangkang belum tentu dapat menjamin kedudukan Melayu dan Bumiputera. Pembangkang hanya berperanan untuk meruntuhkan apa yang dibina oleh kerajaan selama ini.
|
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 09:02 AM PST Perkara asas dalam perlembagaan tak perlu dirungkai, pertikai: PM Sambil membidas pakatan pembangkang kerana belum lagi berkuasa sudah mempersoalkan dasar untuk membantu orang Melayu dan Bumiputera, Najib ketika berucap pada majlis Sepetang Bersama PM sempena Perhimpunan Perdana Persatuan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (PEKIDA), semalam, berkata: "Orang Melayu tidak pernah bersikap pelampau di bumi ini. Orang Melayu tidak pernah menjadi bangsa yang rasis. Orang Melayu sejak merdeka sanggup berkongsi kuasa dan memberi apa yang adil kepada mereka. "Kita mengamalkan wasatiyyah sebagai pendekatan kita sejak dulu. Kita menolak kefahaman keterlaluan, kefahaman ekstrem tidak menjadi dasar pegangan. Orang Melayu menghulur tangan kepada orang bukan Melayu untuk membina negara yang aman, bersatu dan lebih makmur. "Tentu sekali ini bukan gelanggang sama rata. Jadi, sudah tentu keberhasilan berbeza dan pencapaian tidak sama. Bagi persekitaran yang serba lengkap, sudah tentu mereka akan mencapai kejayaan jauh lebih tinggi daripada mereka yang tinggal di pedalaman," katanya.
|
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:58 AM PST The April 16 Sarawak election proved that despite Umno maligning Anwar Ibrahim, PKR still made 'inroads into Dayak ground'. Unless Umno people are sleeping or are busy shashaying in the lobby of Concorde Hotel and cockily holding fort in the coffee house, the wins tell us that the OPPOSITION CAN WIN. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today There's a view that PKR cannot win any parliamentary seats in Sarawak and that all embattled Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) seats will go to DAP. Allow me to cite one observation passed to me by the Oracle of Syed Putera, who incidentally is the alter ego of former economic adviser Daim Zainuddin. You can almost say that whatever the Oracle spews is what Daim thinks. Recalling the April 16 Sarawak state election, the Oracle said the 100 percent victory by Taib Mahmud's Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) wasn't unexpected. PBB won all 35 seats it contested in the state election unlike Umno (in 2008 polls). But the Oracle was more concerned about the victory by PKR in the Sarawak state election. He said that Anwar Ibrahim (PKR de facto leader) with all the character assassinations carried out on a daily basis, had managed to assist Sarawak PKR chairman Baru Bian get three seats! What do the wins represent? Unless Umno people are sleeping or are busy shashaying in the lobby of Concorde Hotel and cockily holding fort in the coffee house, the wins tell us that the OPPOSITION CAN WIN. PKR made inroads into Dayak grounds. Then came the news about the sacking of one MP from the Sarawak Barisan Nasional coalition – Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party's (SPDP) Dr Tiki Lafe from Mas Gading. SPDP has four parliamentary seats.
|
| Allegations against KR1M justified Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:55 AM PST The Health Ministry has concurred that some of the items sold in the KR1M shops are of inferior quality. I think that the report from the Health Ministry on Friday would be absolutely devastating as the "allegations" have proven to be true. Its director-general Hassan Abdul Rahman agreed that the KR1M items tested by Pua, PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar failed the standards set by the government, except for the creamer which is pending further investigation. Douglas Tan, Free Malaysia Today I truly appreciate Ameer Ali Mydin writing to FMT and giving his side of the story after my column "Kedai Rakyat: Pulling a fast one". Once again, it truly is an honour that my articles have drawn the attention of the authorities and now Mydin, and I hope it would continue to do so as the rakyat deserve to know the facts. Let me first clarify that I do not write on behalf of DAP and my views do not necessarily reflect that of DAP. What interests me more is the truth, or whether or not arguments and explanations put forth on certain issues can be substantiated. In this day and age, public scrutiny is always a good thing in order to ensure that the rakyat's money is spent fairly and wisely. Therefore, I was only able to base my facts on a combination of what is public knowledge and press releases on the Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia website. I am glad that KR1M has decided to give us the facts directly so that we are able to do a more in-depth analysis of the whole issue. Refurbishment costs Firstly, I would like to apologise to Mydin for my remark that renovations of the KR1M stores could be done for RM70,000. What this assumption did not take into consideration were costs for items such as the chillers and freezers, in addition to the CCTV and POS system. Taking Mydin's advice to "do my homework", I went around to interview several contractors and they revealed several interesting points during our discussions. At the cost of RM250,000 to RM750,000 for a space of 1,500 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft, the cost of doing the renovation would be between RM150 and RM167 per sq ft. At first glance, these quotes are very good for these contractors and they would want to do the project. However to avoid misunderstanding, would Mydin be so kind to provide the Bill of Quantities (BQ) so that contractors could send in their quotes? This would be to the benefit of Mydin and the rakyat to save cost, wouldn't you agree? Store openings I clearly explained how I derived the number of stores to be 31 in my article. I took it that six outlets were opened with 25 more to come next year, therefore we would come to a total of 31 outlets. Perhaps I could humbly request that KR1M keeps its website up to date to avoid misunderstanding. After the clarification, we now understand that the subsidy of RM40 million is for 85 outlets to be opened across the country by 2012. This includes the seven stores already opened and 25 more to be opened this year. We shall watch this space to see whether it really happens. However, I have a feeling the money has already been paid out in full. Can Mydin clarify this point? With so many other scandals going on, we do not want Mydin's reputation to be tarnished if they remain silent on the matter. I am happy to give them the benefit of the doubt. KR1M product quality Unfortunately, when it comes to defending the quality of KR1M products, perhaps Mydin could have done a little more checking before being so enthusiastic to defend his products. I could accept that the generic KR1M products to be equivalent in quality to its branded counterparts, but please forgive me and the public of being sceptical in light of the new evidence. Ameer wrote in his letter, and I quote: "It baffles me as to whoever gave you the idea that generic products are of lower quality. Please read up the meaning of generic products before you make such assumptions and in this case, allegations." He went on to target Petaling Jaya MP Tony Pua by saying, "To date we have only unfounded, unsubstantiated allegations by Tony Pua. If he can so kindly provide his test reports to the ministry, I'm sure they would take appropriate action." I think that the report from the Health Ministry on Friday would be absolutely devastating as the "allegations" have proven to be true. Its director-general Hassan Abdul Rahman agreed that the KR1M items tested by Pua, PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad and PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar failed the standards set by the government, except for the creamer which is pending further investigation. Items specifically include the following findings as tweeted by Pua. The Health Ministry:
|
| PR mesti ingat: 'The darkest part of the night is just before dawn' Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:19 AM PST ASPAN ALIAS Perhimpunan Agong UMNO yang baru selesai ini menampakkan kepada kita segala niat dan matlamat UMNO serta pimpinannya yang sebenar. Bermula dari ucapan Timbalan Presidenya semasa perhimpunan 3 sayap parti pada selasa lepas membawa kepada ucapan dasar presiden dalam Perhimpunan Agong UMNO sehinggalah kepada ucapan penangguhan persidangan pada sabtu yang lepas semuanya penampilan parti yang 'desperate dan panicky'. Seperti biasa agenda Melayu menjadi isu yang terbesar seperti perhimpunan-perhimpunan sejak UMNO mula berkecai selama lebih dua dekad yang lalu. Isu agenda Melayu ini pada saya hanyalah merupakan umpan yang ampuh untuk memerangkap orang Melayu untuk dipergunakan bagi pemimpin-pemimpin parti yang sentiasa lapar kepada kuasa tetapi tidak bertanggungjawab kepada rakyat yang memberi mandat itu.
|
| Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:09 AM PST Yes, "hijrah" is the beginning of the new year of the people of the Islamic faith but my questions were these: has the Islamic intellectual paradigm evolve since the 1900s? Has religion courted philosophy? What is still ailing the "Muslim mind" and what fundamental shifts need to be engineered? A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE Dr Azly Rahman I took time today to reflect upon the story of Prophet Muhammad's (Peace be upon Him) exodus/migration from Mekkah to Madinah in 622 AD, signifying the beginning /Year One of the Islamic calendar. I posted notes on my Facebook page; a forum I utilise primarily as a tool for intellectual engagement, somewhat like a digital/electronic platonic cave or as a virtual salon of the French Revolutionary period, to discuss anything under the sun with view of deconstructing dominant ideas of the day.
These are questions that came to me spontaneously that asked to be posted for members of my Facebook forum I now call the Trishakti salon. I posted a thought: perhaps the Quran is too personal and personalising of a text to be transformed into a hegemonising and universalising text for an "Islamic state"; perhaps an Islamic state exists in its impossibility, still an "imagined community" ruled by perfect people over perfect people they govern. Perhaps the Quran is too vague of a grand narrative for political philosophy and that any interpretation of it as one, will run into the unresolvable problem of getting entangled into the complexity of praxis (ideology to practice) of the various "mazhabs/schools of thought", each competing with each other on what truth is. And we have not yet talked about the nagging problems of the use and abuse of the sayings of the prophet (the hadiths) Sense and meaning I thought perhaps the Quran is meant only for personal reading, best done hermeneutically, in that as many as there are souls in this world, therein lies the number of possible ways to make sense and meaning of how one ought to live his/her life as a "Muslim" or a "person at peace" or have submitted to a life of peace and peace-making. I don't know ... as Socrates would say ... the world of Islam is at best, politically messy, grounded in the triumph of the disabling influences of culture. I thought, ala the Jeffersonian (American philosopher-statesman) ideal, had the Malaysian constitution clearly separated religion and the state, Malaysians would probably have a less complicated scenario of race-religious relations and class. Rather, race issues would predominate, making resolutions easier. Countries claiming to be Islamic states are either ruled by dictators or despots, prone to perpetual revolutions due to its internal contradictions. Like an evolving self and an evolving soul, liberal democracy may still be a useful political philosophy better than theocracy, as Man essentially are not born-sinners to be cleansed by the pepper spray of the state nor born to suffer to be robbed of his rights and be happy suffering,
It is the lethal combination of state and religion that, in the course of history, made killing each other in the name of this or that god legitimate, in holy wars to ascertain who was "holier than thou" and masking the real interest of kings and warriors be they Charlemagne, Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, or even Saladdin Ayyubi. Still, the decade-old question circa 9/11 remains: which god would allow such atrocity as well as the bombing of millions of innocents in Iraq? Unfamiliar practices I had another thought as well: in my lifetime i have seen and read about all too often "atrocities" committed in the name of Islam; a child beaten with a hard long cane for failing to memorise a chapter from the Quran, an Islamic religious teacher taking advantage of girls in a marhaban group, Islamic teachers telling students how dangerous the ideas of Socrates are, a band of Islamic teachers sabotaging the teaching of English language, syariah lawyers lying through their teeth and taking advantage of women, imams involved in get-rich-quick schemes, honor killings, female genital mutilation, the religious-criminalisation of rape victims,
Those I have mentioned above are practices of Islam not familiar to me and in fact more of these happenings are making the religion strange to what I know it ought to be. Maybe it is a postmodern phenomena of the coming of age of a religion. Or maybe, this is a consequence of a failed marriage between religion and philosophy. In all these, my heart still pays tribute to only the Islam brought by Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him). May Muslims in this age of high speed hyper-modernity and Arab Spring ideology, engineer their exodus wisely. DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master's degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States. https://www.facebook.com/#!/azly.rahman http://azlyrahman-illuminations.blogspot.com/
|
| Malaysia – Assembling the Peaceful Assembly Act Posted: 05 Dec 2011 08:06 AM PST Amanda Whiting, New MandalaThe process of enacting the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 and the public debate and disappointment this has engendered illustrate some of the worst, and yet also some of the most encouraging, aspects of the law and legal culture in Malaysia. When Prime Minister Najib Razak announced on Malaysia Day this year his government's plan to annul three of the four Proclamations of Emergency (those of 1966, 1969 and 1977) and the Emergency Ordinances made under them, replace the Internal Security Act 1960 with a more enlightened anti-terrorism law, and review or abolish laws inconsistent with the constitutional right to freedom of speech, assembly and association, many people dared to hope that his UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government had finally appreciated the magnitude of public disapproval, manifest in the reduced majority for UMNO in the March 2008 election, and the massive assembly of citizens rallying on July 9 this year to support Bersih 2.0's campaign for clean and fair elections, to choose but two of many examples. Hearing or reading his speech, and in the aftermath, as the Attorney-General's Chambers began low-key and invitation-only consultations on law reform, people indeed allowed themselves to hope that UMNO really meant that it would work towards "creating […]a Malaysia that practices a functional and inclusive democracy where public peace and prosperity is preserved in accordance with the supremacy of the constitution, rule of law and respect for basic human rights and individual rights".[1] Yet when the Peaceful Assembly Bill was tabled in Parliament on 22 November 2011, that hope was replaced by bitter disappointment or outright cynicism, since it was apparent that the new law was in many ways worse than the old, despite the fact that it is modelled closely – but with telling differences – upon Queensland's relatively progressive Peaceful Assembly Act 1992. Under the previous law regulating assemblies, which is currently being repealed (sections 27-27C of the Police Act 1967), any rally or march that took place without a police permit was unlawful, and organisers of, and participants in, an unlawful assembly, or people who disobeyed police directions in relation to the gathering, could be fined between 2,000-10,000 ringgit (approximately AUD $626 – $3,130), and jailed for up to one year. Police discretion to refuse a permit was more or less unfettered (the "security of Malaysia" and "disturbance of the peace" often being generously construed by the police), and there were no limitations upon the conditions police could place on a permit once granted. In other words, the freedom of assembly guaranteed in article 10 of the Federal Constitution has long been severely curtailed by a statute that was arguably unconstitutional because it all but negated the right it purported to regulate, as critics such as human rights NGOs Suaram and Aliran, and the National Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) have repeatedly pointed out. The Peaceful Assembly Bill, once it comes into force, will replace these sections of the Police Act with a more detailed, but even more restrictive, set of provisions. It might more aptly be called the Prevention of Assembly Bill. For example, only Malaysian citizens – and so not the more than 2 million foreign workers, refugees and asylum seekers currently resident in the country – can participate in an assembly. Moreover, organisers must be at least 21 years of age, and participants 15 years of age or older. No such restrictions existed in the Police Act. Moreover this age restriction sits oddly alongside the noises the government is making about winding back the constraints the University and University Colleges Act 1971 places upon students participating in politics. Street protests, defined as marches or rallies to advance a cause, rather than static gatherings, are now prohibited (although, confusingly, processions are allowed), whereas previously they were permissible. Section 4, which purports to set out the right to organise and participate in an assembly, in fact itemizes restrictions and completely fails to refer to, or in any way recognise, the entrenched constitutional basis of the right, or the purpose of the Act to further and protect, rather than diminish, the right. This is in stark contrast with the Queensland law, which commences the parallel section (section 5) with a clear recognition that 'a person has the right to assemble peacefully with others in a public place' and that 'the right is subject only to such restrictions as are necessary and reasonable in a democratic society' and in the interests of public order, safety, and protection of the rights and freedoms of others. In place of the application for a permit required by the Police Act, the Peaceful Assembly Bill requires advance written notice of the intended assembly to be given to the police, including precise information about time, duration, location, purpose, and identity of the organisers and all speakers, and the police have an almost unlimited discretion to impose conditions and restrictions. The PM's assertion that the Bill abolishes the requirement for prior police permission is thus not accurate – it only does so for gatherings that are already 'private' such as weddings, funerals, family occasions and the general meetings of societies (Schedule 3), or those to be held at places designated by the Minister. If the police do not impose conditions in response to the notification, it would appear that the assembly is deemed to be authorised. This is one of the few positive aspects of the Bill. Amongst the factors that the police may consider are 'cultural or religious sensitivity' and 'the concerns and objections of persons who have interests' (defined to mean people who own property, live, work or carry on a business in the vicinity of the proposed assembly). While the list of factors is mostly based on section 11 of the fairly benign Queensland Act, one difference in application between the two is likely to be grounded in the lamentable and well-documented readiness of the Malaysian police to entertain the complaints and often outlandish allegations of right-wing pressure groups, such as Perkasa and similar ethno-supremacist organizations, that their religious or race 'sensitivities' are offended by the expression of alternative views. Police refusal to allow Seksualiti Merdeka to hold its annual gathering is a recent case in point. Another significant difference is with the role of the courts. Whereas aggrieved Queenslanders may apply to a Magistrates Court to expedite an application, and the police must seek a court order to prohibit an assembly – thus interposing an independent layer of review between citizens and the executive – Malaysians are directed to appeal from the police to the relevant Minister, in other words from the executive to the executive, without any court oversight. (It may, however, be possible to seek judicial review of the Minister's decision, since, unusually for a Malaysian statute, the Peaceful Assembly Bill does not oust the jurisdiction of the court.) Apart from the prohibition on street marches, the Peaceful Assembly Bill also forbids public assemblies within 50 meters of a 'prohibited place,' itemized in the First Schedule to include utilities and petrol stations, fire stations, hospitals, schools, places of worship, airports, docks, bridges and piers, and railways. Furthermore the Minister may gazette additional places, thereby extending the prohibition. Likewise, the Minister may gazette certain areas as 'designated assembly places', a provision presumably designed to corral protestors into out-of-the-way sporting arenas or similar venues. Obvious anomalies aside, such as the apparent prohibition on members of a faith group holding an assembly in the vicinity of their own place of worship, it would appear from the extensive list of prohibited sites that it will be extremely difficult to hold a public assembly in an urban area. Organizers and participants have extensive responsibilities to abide by all these requirements, and are liable for penalties of up to 20,000 ringgit (approximately AUD $6, 260) for non-compliance, double the Police Act penalties (although it seems that imprisonment has been dropped). Furthermore, the police may without warrant arrest any person failing to comply with a restriction or condition, and may also order the assembly to disperse if it becomes a street protest, encroaches on a prohibited area, or the participants fail to comply with stated conditions. In doing this, police may 'use all reasonable force.' In sum, the Bill does nothing to curtail the potential for arbitrary exercise of police powers, but much to enable it. Aside from the obvious defects in the text of the Bill, what does this law 'reform' exercise, and the reactions it provoked, reveal about law and law-making in Malaysia? In the deficit column, we can place the irresolution, amounting to double-speak, of the government. Prime Minister Najib promised better alignment of Malaysian laws with both Malaysian constitutional foundations and international human rights principles (although, as lawyer Eric Choo pointed out, there are important discrepancies between the undertakings PM Najib made in the official Bahasa Malaysia text of his Malaysia Day speech and the English translation authorised by the PM's office[2]), and yet the Bill manifestly does no such thing, as local commentators (such as Bersih 2.0,[3] Aliran,[4] The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST)[5] and the Bar Council[6]) and international observers (such as LawAsia[7] and the Asian Human Rights Commission[8]) observed. There is simply no reference to, or recognition of, human rights standards and principles for freedom of speech, assembly and association, either as they are expressed in article 10 of the Malaysian Constitution or in international instruments, let alone a harmonization of Malaysian law with constitutional and human rights principles. Indeed, as Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim stated in Parliament during the brief debate on the Bill,[9] citizens of Zimbabwe and Myanmar currently have greater protection of their freedom of assembly than do Malaysians. The PM promised a 'functional and inclusive democracy', but the government did not undertake meaningful consultation before the Bill was first tabled (the Bar Council, which was consulted, was appalled at how few of its recommendations were incorporated); and, despite howls of public protest once the content of the Bill was first revealed, the government refused to establish a parliamentary select committee to consider amendments, but rather bulldozed the legislation through the lower house 7 days after it was first introduced, and with only minor tinkering to shorten some of the notification and response timelines. The Bill was passed in the absence of the opposition MPs who had walked out in protest at the limited time allowed them to debate the amendments. This haste, too, is not uncommon in Malaysian law-making.
|
| 2 futher views on the 2011 UMNO General Assembly Posted: 05 Dec 2011 07:55 AM PST SAKMONGKOL AK47 My friend Walla has written some pertinent comments. As usual, anyone who knows Walla personally is always impressed with his rapier sharp intellect. For the benefit of my readers, I reproduced here, Walla's comments. I think Sak has written a great piece here - an outpouring from the heart straight from the mind. His are the things the Umno GA 2011 should have deliberated instead of spewing nonsense and hatred bereft of intelligence, integrity and standard and also insulting on the grace of our Malays. If anything, Umno has shown not just our rakyat but also the whole world how low-class are their delegates. Just wait for another set of wikileaks to reinforce the conclusion. Even others with third-world mentalities will be embarrassed - because here we have the extremely well-fed and well-dressed talking cock and expecting the rakyat to agree with them just because they are on stage punching their fists, putting on their false and hawing show, and creating yet another bogeyman to channel attention away from their corruptions and abuse of power that continue to form the bulwark of issues that is destroying the future of the young. Incidentally this deflection tactic is a hallmark of that black mamba cobra. Just think of it - three thousand empty-headed and self-deluded hyenas and jokers wanting to run this country of 28 million for another five years in the same way they have been running it into the ground all the past years, and then asking to be trusted and supported again so that they can whip up another opiate of spin while ripping off the rakyat who will have to settle for an economy with a rm400 plus Billion debt that will grow unabated because in his calculations Keynes couldn't imagine the rapaciousness and gross stupidity of an animal called Umno. Why didn't a single Umno delegate tell Najib that politics is not a game so how can he talk about game-changer? And if in responding to his call to Umno leaders to "do the right thing" by resigning as unwinnable candidates they were to tell him "you first, show the way", will his answer be any different from that by Mahathir in the twenty-two years he had messed up the institutions while holding on to his seat and spinning about bersih cekap dan amanah? Why didn't a single Umno delegate ask Muhyiddin whether Nazri would have labelled his speech 'racist' eight times and call for his immediate censure in parliament? And if he cannot answer that, why didn't a single Umno delegate ask Muhyiddin about Mohamed Rahmat's exposure that Mahathir's cronies tried to acquire villagers land at 80 sen psf so that they could resell at 1,780 sen psf for the Second Link - in Johor? (http://is.gd/HtOsts) why didn't a single Umno delegate ask Nazri whether he agrees with his PDRM saying the lawyers march to parliament was illegal when the last one checked, lawyers are the ones defining what is legal for the police? Why didn't a single Umno delegate ask Shahrizat how she can wear the tudung and look pious comforting women but evade an explanation how her family can get such a large grant in all but name out of the rakyats' pocket so that they can spend on condos, land, limousine and trips, presumably everything needed to breed cows so that the rakyat won't have to think it's all karma from beheading one cow in Shah Alam? Why didn't a single Umno delegate ask Khairy why he is still trying to bullshit his way through? Let's not waste any more time on this kid with an attitude unbefitting a youth leader, let alone that of a future prime minister, unless the entry requirements sink below those required to be a juvenile smart alec. And, why didn't a single Umno delegate ask one Mr. cyber magoo somewhere here what did he mean by saying "Umno's back in business"? Isn't that revealing too much of the real standard operating procedure of Umno - all for one, but one for money, power, privileges and double standards? Add diamonds, hermes bags, cayennes, lusty travels overseas and what not, and you can say it will be easier to push a camel through the eye of a needle enroute to heaven. The frivolities of this recent circus show reveal in no uncertain terms how Umno has been destroying this country. They're not leaders. They're zombies stoned on reckless power-mongering and double standards not only for laws of the land, but also for its policies, procedures and procurements. In much the same way the Auditor-General's curling report has nuked Najib's feel-good Annual Budget 2012, this Umno General Assembly has completely nuked and debunked Umno's standing before the eyes and ears of all sensible, moderate, thinking and upstanding rakyat of the country. We all know why Umno was shocked by the results of the last general elections. It had been overweeningly confident that each race would only vote for its own party. Doesn't that mindset reflect racism in the first place? And what actually happened? The rakyat voted for other races. Now what will Muhyiddin say next were he to find out that many Malays had voted for DAP in GE12? That they are racists as well by dint of supporting what he has labeled without foundation as a racist party? If that is not enough, how will he advise his constituents who are gainfully employed by organizations run by people who support DAP? That they should resign from their jobs because he is Umno incarnate? The mindset of forgettable jokers like these is locked in some hoary past that remains the only thing they think they can still use to scare the rakyat because they realize without that false scare, the rakyat will immediately see through them and their party as irrelevant. Our society is on a painful but healing path away from the racism started by that black mamba cobra. Why try to stop the rakyat from healing amongst ourselves so that we can help one another with brotherly goodwill that doesn't have to be propped up by artificial crap policies used by Umno to secretly funnel rakyat funds to the accounts of their own puerile and corrupt putras and puteris? Want to talk next about keeping our Malay culture and language? Fine - after everyone uses the language exclusively, how does one go about next to acquire the very knowledge to dig all out of the casket-sized hole the young have been deposited in? How will they be able to interact confidently with the rest of the world - on its own terms - so that they can contribute to the world-class standards this country has needed - since at least three decades ago? How? By the tail of the Pekan or Pagoh cow? Which one? OneMalaysian has also written a polished comment which bears careful appreciation.
|
| An imaginary address to malapportionment Posted: 04 Dec 2011 11:04 PM PST By Lee Wee Tak The famous retiree, Mr. Ng Chak Ngoon has certainly attracted national attention with his malapportionment bombshell in the PSC hearing for electoral reform in Sabah. With BN only needing around 15% of the votes to secure a simple majority in parliament, no wonder Najib expressed his confidence in the just concluded UMNO AGM that UMNO will win the general election yet again.
Inspired by Mr. Ng's call, I did some number crunching over the weekend. And I found a near prefect "75% - 25%" rule at work. Total number of registered voters for GE2008 was 10,923,140 (that would include people above 100 years old voters as well as phantom voters as well) and the total number of parliamentary seats is 222. In order to truly reflect 1 voice 1 vote a parliamentary constituency should be made up to 49,199 (ie. 10,923,140 divided by 222) or round up to 50,000 voters per seat. As the 75% - 25% rule is at work, you will note that # 75% of the parliamentary constituencies have registered voters below 50,000 # 25% of the parliamentary constituencies have registered voters above 50,000 Of the 75% constituencies with less than 50,000 registered voters – 75% of the seats are won by BN (remaining 25% go to PR) Of the 75% constituencies with more than 50,000 voters – 75% of the seats are won by PR (remaining 25% go to BN)  If you look at the top 24 seats, you will find 79% of the seats are won by PR with majority many times over total registered voters of Putrajaya (a mere 6,608 with 5,416 turned out to vote – just fill up stadium hoki Tun Razak whose capacity is 5,000)  So what if I play with the number of voters in Selangor in an imaginary re-delineation exercise? Working with 50,000 voters per constituency, with a 15% tolerance factor as proposed by Bersih: · The 15% tolerance range dictate that an average constituency size should consist of between 42,500 to 57,500 number of registered voters · For example, if you look at Kelana Jaya, PJ Utara dan Selatan, Subang and Shah Alam, total number of registered voters there is 389,206 – given 9 seats, the average number of voters per seat should be 43,243 within the range of the above range, instead of the present 5 seats only. · The above would be similar to size of certain BN seats such as Tawau (42,560 registered voters), Kota Belud (43,071), Kuala Pilah (42,328), Alor Gajah( 54,097) and Jempol (53,478). · Number of seats in Selangor should be increased from the present 22 seats (5 seats to BN and 17 seats to PR) to 32. Base on present seats ratio as well as voting trend BN would have circa 20% of the seats; the revised parliamentary seats should be 7 to BN and 25 to PR.  * before certain people jump on me, yes it is purely a numerical exercise but in reality there are a lot of other factors to determine boundaries but not withstanding that, the general picture should look like above and not like now! Read more at: http://wangsamajuformalaysia.blogspot.com/2011/12/imaginary-address-to-malapportionment.html |
| Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:54 PM PST
So, instead of correcting an obvious wrong, more public funds were piled into the project to cover it up and this decision could only have been approved by the Fourth Floor. The decision to do so was so hush-hush and the cover up so brilliantly successful that even YB Lim Kit Siang did not get a whiff of the stench emanating from Putrajaya. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Hakim Joe Not many Malaysians have heard of 9Bio let alone know what this company is all about but what they should know is that it is a wholly government owned company that has misused, wasted and siphoned away public funds equivalent to the cost of erecting the Petronas Twin Towers. Ninebio Sdn. Bhd. or 9Bio was launched and conceptualized by the then Minister of Health, Dr. Chua Soi Lek (aka Pornstar), in 2003 but did not receive official government sanction as a National Project until September 2006 when a budget of RM350 million under the 9th Malaysian Plan (9MP) was fast tracked and infused into the company to create an environment whereby research and development of halal vaccines will eventually lead to the mass production of such medicinal products for the Islamic world, making Malaysia the hub of halal vaccine R&D and production worldwide. Good intentions, superb conceptual marketing, plentiful of funds to kick start the project, officially sanctioned by the Malaysian Government and ably managed by a group of medical professionals. What could possibly go terribly wrong? Well, nothing because nothing substantial was achieved during the subsequent five years except for the changing of its company name from 9Bio to the Malaysian National Institute for Natural Products, Vaccines and Biologicals, signing a JV agreement with Emergent Bio Solutions Inc. of the US, getting the recognition of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) as a key center for halal vaccinations, and the tiny issue of a bill submitted by Ekovest-Faber Sdn. Bhd. (a 60%-40% JV company owned by Ekovest Berhad and Faber Group Berhad) to the Government for RM1.9 billion in their capacity as the turnkey contractor for the design, construction, completion and maintenance of the research and development facility on a 784 acre plot in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan (called the Enstek Park). Inflation works wonders especially in this part of the world. Apparently 9Bio started off with just one individual - Datuk Dr. Nor Shahidah Khairullah from the Malaysian Ministry of Health who was seconded from the MOH to become the pioneering CEO of 9Bio in January 2007 (with a RM45,000 monthly salary) and nothing irregular was detected until the Jabatan Audit Negara (JAN) reported otherwise in their 2008 Auditor General's Report, bearing similarities to the National Feedlot Center case. In the report, the AG accounted failures, mismanagement, weaknesses, false claims and financial irregularities on the part of 9Bio's CEO and a special MOF Tribunal was convened to investigate these findings by the Auditor General. Part of the AG's findings also stated, "Datuk Dr. Nor Shahidah binti Khairullah had intentionally: (1) Transferred money from Company's account in the form of payments to her personal Credit Card account for a totaled sum of RM108,747.60 (USD8,000, GBP6,000, EURO7,700); (2) Transferred money from Company's account in the form of Traveler's Cheque under her personal name for a totaled sum of RM21,484.10; (3) Transferred money from Company's account in the form of Bankers Cheque under her personal name for a totaled sum of RM128,648.40; and (4) Transferred money from Company's account in the form of Cash via Cash Cheques for a totaled sum of RM208,979.80." The Auditor General also recommended that "Datuk Dr. Nor Shahidah should be found guilty for criminal breach of trust (CBT) and cheating when she purposely and intentionally siphoned Company's money for a totaled sum of RM467,859.90 without the approval of the board of directors." Dr. Shahidah did not possess carte blanche when acting on behalf of 9Bio as Dato' Sri Dr. Mohd. Nasir (MOH Secretary-General) was the 9Bio Chairman and the board of directors included Tan Sri Dr. Ismail Merican (MOH Director-General) and Datuk Ir. Dr. M.S. Pillay (MOH Deputy DG). How was it then possible for Dr. Shahidah to give authorization (for anything to be done that is above the limitation order) without board approval unless it was actually approved by the board of directors? One. Dr. Shahidah approved the full payment of RM4.1 million consultation fees to Frost & Sullivan, a consultant appointed by 9Bio to prepare a working paper for the proposed manufacturing and process control of the new 9Bio facility in Nilai, even before a single piece of A4 paper was completed by the consultancy firm at the quoted price of RM3.9 million. Two. The appointment of Frost & Sullivan was done only after twelve months of inactivity by the CEO and the board of directors. 9Bio has failed to submit its business plan to either the MOH or MOF since its inception but company records showed that Dr. Shahidah has already collected RM540,000 in wages and has 52 days of paid leave by the first year on the job. During the subsequent MOF Tribunal, Dr. Shahidah argued intensely that JAN had no right or executive privilege to question her alleged excessive travel expenses as it was covered by a special Research and Development grant and not by 9Bio. Dr. Shahidah also claimed that prior approval was given by the Ministry of Health's Director General, Tan Sri Dr. Ismail Merican, for her to travel to Germany and Switzerland. When questioned as to why she was accompanied by a (male) consultant from a different company (Mr. Julian Ding of First Datuk Dr. Nor Shahidah was subsequently terminated as the CEO of 9Bio and a police report was made with the PDRM and yet another report with the ACA. When Dr. Shahidah was sacked from 9Bio in May 2008, thirty other 9Bio staff resigned voluntarily from the company and (coincidentally) joined Ekovest-Faber. One question why Dr. Shahidah, a relatively unknown researcher/doctor from the MOH, was specially selected from a group of better qualified and far more experienced candidates to head 9Bio and how she could have accomplished the things (as reported in the 2008 Auditor General's Report) she attempted within sixteen months as the CEO of 9Bio. Additionally, why was the Director General of the Ministry of Health (Tan Sri Datuk Dr. Hj. Mohd. Ismail Merican), the Deputy DG (Datuk Ir. Dr. Mukundan Sugunan Pillay), and the Secretary General (KSU) of the MOH (Dato' Sri Dr. Hj. Mohd. Nasir Bin Mohd. Ashraf), as the controlling officer, all protecting and covering up for her? After the departure of Dr. Shahidah from 9Bio, the MOF decided to take control of the project (from the MOH) and appointed Prof. Dr. Mohd. Azmi Mohd. Lila to become the new CEO of 9Bio. Datuk Ir. Dr. M.S. Pillay was then appointed as the Chairman of 9Bio after retiring from the MOH, the first non-medical (engineer) individual to rise to the number two post in the MOH. What influence and control did Dr. Shahidah hold over the three men, even to the extent that Tan Sri Dr. Ismail Merican reappointed her as a consultant to the MOH to supervise 9Bio's purchase of specialized medical manufacturing equipment, irrespective of the on-going PDRM and ACA investigations and regardless of the damning report by the Auditor-General, and for Dato' Sri Dr. Mohd. Nasir (9Bio's Chairman) and Datuk Ir. Dr. M.S. Pillay (9Bio's Executive Director) to agree to this appointment? It was during this transitional period that Ekovest-Faber hit the MOF with the RM1.9 billion bill. Included with the invoices were six Variation Orders (VO) approved by Dr. Shahidah. So, instead of attempting to determine the basis for the super-duper inflated cost to build the 9Bio facility, the government decided to sweep it all under the proverbial carpet and pay the asking price instead. What's a couple of billion between friends anyway? Additionally the MOH was just slowly only recovering from its Minister's admittance of being a porn superstar and the federal elections being around the corner did not help either. The Abdullah government was also concerned by the upcoming PKFTZ scandal in which quite a few Tun(s) were involved and how the accumulation of these losses of public funds could be detrimental to his government seeking another 5-year mandate from the people. So, instead of correcting an obvious wrong, more public funds were piled into the project to cover it up and this decision could only have been approved by the Fourth Floor. The decision to do so was so hush-hush and the cover up so brilliantly successful that even YB Another thing that was not reported in the AG Report was that when Dato' Sri Dr. Mohd. Nasir became the 9Bio chairman, one of the first things he did was to approve the rental for temporary office space at Metropolitan Square in Damansara Perdana until the 9Bio facilities in Nilai were completed. It was then reported that 9Bio's rental (for two floors) amounted to RM61,193 a month and that another RM2 million were spent renovating it (renovation contract awarded to Environ Ventures Sdn. Bhd. by Hotel Ninety Six from Questions remained unanswered and to this day, Dr. Shahidah remains free as both PDRM and MACC has yet to complete their respective investigations. Could the Gang of Four somehow have managed to get away with it? |
| Canadian TV show on the Stop Timber Corruption Campaign Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:52 PM PST Last Saturday, 3rd December, Canada's Global Television broadcast an extensive report on timber corruption in Sarawak and the Taib family's property business in Ottawa, Canada. The show features interviews with British journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown, Canadian linguist Ian Mackenzie, Canadian anthropologist Wade Davis, an anonymous Sarawakian and BMF director Lukas Straumann. Taib's daughter Jamilah Taib Murray and her Canadian husband Sean Murray who are accused of laundering the proceeds of Sarawak logging in Canada refused to appear in the show. Please watch the show yourself under the following link and inform your friends on this important piece of news: http://www.globalnews.ca/16x9/video/family+trees/video.html?v=2173509506&p=1&s=dd#video |
| Malaysian top politician’s family holds several billion US dollars' worth of illicit assets Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:48 PM PST Official documents show that the inner circle of Malaysia's Taib family is linked to over 400 companies in 25 countries and offshore jurisdictions –the Taib family's stake in the net assets of 14 Malaysian companies alone is over 1.46 billion US dollars (4.6 billion Malaysian Ringgit) - See list below. By Bruno Manser Fonds Research by the Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) has uncovered the vast dimensions of the Malaysian Taib family's illicit assets. According to the Swiss organization, the inner family circle of Malaysian potentate Abul Taib Mahmud has a stake in over 400 companies around the globe and holds illicit assets worth several billion US dollars. Abdul Taib Mahmud ("Taib") has been Chief Minister, Finance Minister and Planning and Resources Management Minister of Malaysia's largest state, Sarawak, since 1981. He has been long criticized for corrupt practices and abuse of office but Malaysian authorities have failed to take action against him, despite an ongoing investigation by the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). Taib is a key supporter of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition. In Malaysia alone, Taib, his four children, eight siblings and his first cousin Hamed bin Sepawi have a stake in 332 companies worth several billion US dollars. The Taib family's share in 14 large companies' net assets alone has been calculated at 1.46 billion US dollars (4.6 billion Malaysian Ringgits). The three largest Taib family-linked companies are the 84% Taib-owned Cahya Mata Sarawak (net assets 2.4 billion Ringgits), the 25% Taib-owned Custodev Sdn Bhd (net assets 1.6 billion Ringgits) and the at least 35% Taib-owned Ta Ann Holdings Bhd (net assets: 1.4 billion Ringgits). Cahya Mata Sarawak is a construction conglomerate listed on the Kuala Lumpur stock exchange (KLSE 2852) that has benefited massively from a cement monopoly and from untendered public contracts awarded by the Taib-led Sarawak state government. Ta Ann Holdings Bhd (KLSE 5012), which is chaired by Taib's first cousin, Hamed Sepawi, is an internationally active logging company. Since its foundation in the 1980s, Ta Ann has been granted more than 675,000 hectares of logging and plantation concessions by the Taib government. Privately-held Custodev Sdn Bhd is a Sarawak-based property development company. Achi Jaya Holdings (net assets 550 million Ringgits), which is wholly owned by the Taib family, holds a monopoly over log exports from the timber-rich state. "We consider these corporate interests of the Taib family to be illicit assets", said BMF director Lukas Straumann today. "There are many clear indications that Taib has abused his public office to build a corruption and fraud-based billion-dollar empire." "We are shocked to see that the Taib family has so shamelessly enriched itself while the people of Sarawak have to struggle with widespread poverty and an appalling lack of infrastructure and government services." Apart from Malaysia, the Taib family also has stakes in at least 85 companies in 24 countries and offshore jurisdictions, namely Australia (22 companies), Bermuda (1), the British Virgin Islands (7), Brunei Darussalam (1), Cambodia (1), Canada (9), the Cayman Islands (1), Fiji (3), Hong Kong (7), India (2), Indonesia (3), Jersey (1), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1), Labuan (1), New Zealand (5), the People's Republic of China (2), the Philippines (1), Singapore (2), Sri Lanka (1), Thailand (2), the United Arab Emirates (1), the United Kingdom (4), the United States of America (6) and Vietnam (1). The Bruno Manser Fund is calling on anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering authorities worldwide to investigate the Taib family's business activities and freeze Taib family assets in their countries. Business leaders and corporations are advised not to conduct business with Taib family corporations for legal and reputational reasons. See companies at: BMF_exclusive_research_Taib_family_companies.pdf (605KB) |
| Race-based ideology and Islam: The Malaysian enigma Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:45 PM PST It is remarkable that some Muslim politicians in our present day differ so much from their earliest religious leaders. The contemporary racist mentality displayed by local Malay supremacists who claim to be Muslims contradicts directly against the values held so dear by earlier Islamic rulers. There is inherent inconsistency to juxtapose the interest of the 'Muslims' with that of the 'Malays' and 'Bumiputeras'. By Joshua Woo (New Mandala) In the recent United Malays National Organisation's (UMNO) general assembly, the "Prime Minister and Umno President Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched a Bumiputera Economic Transformation Roadmap" as a gesture to inform the Malay community that his political party will continue to advance the Malay agenda.[1] UMNO's Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin further affirmed this race-based ideology by saying that "it is vital" to protect "Malay political power."[2] He justified such ideology by painting the picture that the interest of the Malay race, given its demography in the country, dictates the well being of the whole nation. "[W]hen we talk about Malay interest it does not mean we are racist because the largest group in the Malaysian society whether you like it or not is still Malays, Bumiputeras and Muslims."[3] Seeing 'Malays', 'Bumiputeras', and 'Muslims' being juxtaposed next to each other certainly stirs up curiosity as to what actually has the third group (Muslims) to do with the other two:
It is common understanding among theologians and scholars of comparative religions that Islam promotes racial equality. One of the clearest indications of this is in the fact that Allah's Prophets consist of individuals from different races. There is no distinction made among them:
Not all of these messengers are Arab, yet all are considered equally authoritative. There is simply no relevance to their prophethood whether they came from the Jewish, Arabian, or any other race. Besides the Prophets, there are also Qur'anic teachings concerning equality of humankind:
Here, the Islamic Scripture teaches that all ethnic groups are created in the same way, and bear close ties to one another. Reflecting on this, Abd-al'Aziz 'Abd-al-Qadir Kamil, Professor at the University of Cairo and Minister of Waqfs and Azhar Affairs of Al-Azhar University, commented that: "God […] commands us to fear two things: God and 'the wombs' (al-arham). 'The wombs' refers here to the human bond that links all men, however remote they may be from each other in space or time, and however unlike they may be in language and colour, and however much they may differ in economic or social position. We are charged to fear God's commands, and this applies first and foremost to the observation of human brotherhood on the widest scale…"[4] At another place of the Qur'an, we find similar teaching:
Although it is commonly interpreted that this passage is talking about race, some said that it actually refers to 'tribes' and not 'race'. Responding to this, Paul A. Hardy, who lectured on Islamic thoughts at the School of Oriental and African Studies at the Universityof London, remarked that there is no difference between tribe and race in this passage. He pointed out two early Islamic commentators—the eighth century C.E. Sufyan ath-Thawri and the tenth century C.E. Tabari—who understood this verse as reference to genealogy.[5] In other words, this verse is indeed referring to race. It describes the creation of the various ethnic groups with their own genealogy. No race or genealogical lineage is declared superior or should be favoured than others. The only superiority is that of piety, between those who are loyal to Allah and those who are not—Not between those who are Malay and non-Malay, Bumiputeras or non-Bumiputeras. Besides, this verse also states that the diversity of races is intended for mutual learning ("that you may know one another"). The instruction to cultivate multi-racial learning is understood by Hardy as "a motivating force for mutual love."[6] If this is followed, then this further undermines the ideology that one race is or should be more favoured than others. Turning to the Hadith, we find in Prophet Muhammad's Farewell Sermon his conviction of racial equality: "All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action."[7] The Prophet has a deep sense of racial impartiality. Probably this is the reason why he condemned those who claim supremacy over others because of their ancestral-racial lineage:
These Hadith accounts prompted Abd-al Aziz Abd-al-Qadir Kamil to conclude that, "Islam sees mankind as a large garden, in which there are flowers of many colours, but no one colour is superior to any other;"[10] and, "The diversity of tongues and colours is simply a manifestation of divine power, and does not imply any notion of preference or privilege. On the contrary, in Islamic thought, privilege is opposed to God's commands of love and brotherhood."[11] Commenting on the Prophet's teachings on racial equality, Zakaria El-Berry, the then Minister of State for Wakfs and Head of the Higher Council for Islamic Affairs, who was also Professor of Sharia Law at Cairo University, wrote, "In this powerful style, the Prophet, peace be on him, has destroyed all racial and other discriminatory grounds artificially claimed by selfish and conceited forces."[12] The implication of this to the Malaysian context is obvious: the Prophet opposes all race-based ideology, including 'Ketuanan Melayu'. Among the Hadith accounts, there was an incident where the Prophet made clear that there should not be favouritism based on racial, cultural, economic, or even familial affinity in Muslims' handling of public policy:
Such was the firmness of the Prophet's sense of impartiality. Probably due to his stern stand on this issue that subsequent Muslims continued to exemplify the same deep sense of racial equality. One example is seen in the trial presided by the second Caliph, Umar ibn-al-Khattab, which involved a Jew and Ali ibn-Abi Talib. During the trial, the second Caliph called the Jew by his name and addressed Ali by his agnomen (Abu al-Hasan), because that was how the Caliph called Ali when they talk. As the trial proceeded, the Caliph noticed the angry expression on Ali's face. So the Caliph rebuked Ali, "Are you displeased that your opponent is a Jew and that you have appeared with him before the court!" Ali said in reply, "No, but I take it amiss that you have not treated us equally but have displayed partiality in my favour, inasmuch as you addressed him by his name and me by my agnomen." (At that time, the use of the agnomen was a mark of esteem).[14] In this account, Ali displayed the same fervency to uphold racial equality like the Prophet. Such was the admirable sensitivity of the first Muslim leaders with regard to racial differences. (We know that later on Ali assumed the caliphate as the fourth Caliph, ruling over the entire Islamic community of that time.) The Qur'an stipulates that the concern of the people of Allah should not be dictated by race and kinship, but by justice and righteousness. "O you who believe! Be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of Allah's sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allah is nearer to them both in compassion; therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn aside, then surely Allah is aware of what you do." (Qur'an 4:135) Therefore it is remarkable that some Muslim politicians in our present day differ so much from their earliest religious leaders. The contemporary racist mentality displayed by local Malay supremacists who claim to be Muslims contradicts directly against the values held so dear by earlier Islamic rulers. There is inherent inconsistency to juxtapose the interest of the 'Muslims' with that of the 'Malays' and 'Bumiputeras'. Read more at: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2011/12/05/race-based-ideology-and-islam-the-malaysian-enigma/ |
| Sarawak Chief Minister's Vast Holdings Revealed Posted: 04 Dec 2011 08:52 PM PST A Swiss NGO says Abdul Taib Mahmud's holdings span the globe and then some The two NGOs previously reported that Taib's children are the shareholders and directors of numerous companies controlling residential and commercial buildings in Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States together worth hundreds of millions of US dollars. Many of the assets came into their possession when they were in their early 20s and were still college students with no visible access to legitimate resources to invest. ASIA SENTINEL The looting of the riches of the Malaysian state of Sarawak has earned the family of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud billions of US dollars through investment in as many as 400 companies in 25 countries, according to allegations by an NGO that has been stalking him for months.Research by the Switzerland-based Bruno Manser Fund said official documents show the Taib family stake in 14 Malaysian companies alone is worth US$1.46 billion. The fund has uploaded all of the documents onto the Internet. They can be found here: http://stop-timber-corruption.org/resources. However, the fund said, its research only covers publicly available information from Malaysia's Registry of Companies and other official documents and the total of all of the Taib family's holdings could run well in excess of that amount. "Not counting their more hidden wealth, this puts the Taib family firmly into the category of one of the richest families in the world and makes them far richer than the Queen of England (whose assets are a mere half billion pounds)," the fund said. In all, according to the fund, named for a Swiss environmentalist who disappeared in Sarawak in 2000 while trying to aid the Penan tribe, the family also has stakes in companies in Australia (22 companies), Bermuda (1), the British Virgin Islands (7), Brunei Darussalam (1), Cambodia (1), Canada (9), the Cayman Islands (1), Fiji (3), Hong Kong (7), India (2), Indonesia (3), Jersey (1), the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (1), Labuan (1), New Zealand (5), the People's Republic of China (2), the Philippines (1), Singapore (2), Sri Lanka (1), Thailand (2), the United Arab Emirates (1), the United Kingdom (4), the United States of America (6) and Vietnam (1). On May 12, in the wake of previous revelations by the Bruno Manser Fund and another reform NGO, the Sarawak Report, Swiss President Micheline Calmy-Ray announced that she was asking Swiss financial authorities to investigate the chief minister's assets held in Swiss financial institutions. In a letter to the Bruno Manser Fund, Calmy-Ray indicated that if the probe finds evidence of corruption from timber sales, Taib's Swiss assets could be frozen. There has been no indication of the progress of that probe. At the time, a Taib spokesman said the funds had been legitimately deposited and that there was no evidence of criminality. Allegations are that as chief minister, Taib granted timber access permits to a plethora of companies, most of them owned by ethnic Chinese, that have denuded much of the state, Malaysia's largest, of much of its tropical rainforest. The two NGOs previously reported that Taib's children are the shareholders and directors of numerous companies controlling residential and commercial buildings in Canada, Australia, Britain and the United States together worth hundreds of millions of US dollars. Many of the assets came into their possession when they were in their early 20s and were still college students with no visible access to legitimate resources to invest. Although the two NGOs have filed numerous complaints with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, the anti-graft agency only reluctantly agreed to investigate Taib's holdings after the Swiss decision. A well-placed source told Asia Sentinel at the time that the MACC had no choice but to do so in the face of an international probe or face embarrassment. But, the source said after the new allegations, "that investigation has gone cold."
|
| M’sia-Qatar agree on RM6 billion investment fund Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:02 PM PST (Bernama) - PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Qatar today agreed to work together to set up a RM6.3 billion Malaysia-Qatar fund, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said. He said both countries agreed that the fund would help increase bilateral cooperation and investment. "We both agreed that each country would set aside US$1 billion to begin with and look for investment opportunities in Malaysia, Qatar and also within the whole region," he said at a joint press conference with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Hamad Jassim Jabr Al Thani here today. Sheikh Hamad is on a three-day working visit to Malaysia, starting today. Najib said both countries would be working out the details on the fund, including other general areas. He also said both countries were confident the volume of total trade and the range of products sold would be further increased. "Total trade between Malaysia and Qatar increased by almost 200 percent reaching RM3.3 billion for the first nine months of this year," he said. Najib said Sheikh Hamad has responded positively to a request made by Petronas to buy natural gas from Qatar. On when Malaysia would buy gas from Qatar, he said, the country was looking at Petronas' requirement and would disclose details later. "As you know, we are in the midst of building the offshore gas terminal that will be ready in July next year. So, once the terminal is ready, there will be a requirement for more import of natural gas," he said. Najib said they also discussed the involvement of Qataris in the development of Sungai Besi land, where the masterplan was being work out by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB). He said investment opportunities in the Iskandar region in Johor was also discussed. - Bernama |
| Police ready to face national polls Posted: 04 Dec 2011 07:00 PM PST (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: The federal police logistics department is all geared up to face the 13th general election which is expected to be held in the near future. The Bukit Aman director of logistics department Zulkifli Abdullah said the department was discussing with the Home Ministry to determine the equipment and adequate funds required to face the election. "The Logistics Department and the other departments have also discussed among themselves the requirements for the general election. We have always been ready and waiting for the right signal when it (general election) will be held," he said. He said this after the Logistics Department Assembly and Presentation of Excellent Service Awards 2010 to 110 police officers and other ranks as well as civilian staff at Bukit Aman, here, today. When asked on the distribution of the budget allocated to the Police Logistics Department in the 2012 Budget tabled in Parliament by the Prime Minister, he declined comment except to say that new equipment would be obtained in June next year at the latest. He said the department received RM2.8 million from the 2012 development allocation to provide a store for the Narcotics Department. Earlier, Zulkifli said five reslutions had been acepted by the department at the conference of police chiefs recently. "The five resolutions that must be understood by every member of the Logistics Department are the management of acquisitions for the modernisation of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) and strengthening of investigations; to ensure that basic 'Head to Toe' equipment were provided based on the quality and time specified; diligent spending by emphasising value for money and avoiding wastage. "In addition, we must ensure standard acquisition based on the best practice and adherence to all regulations and financial procedures and to determine the logistical requirements to face the 13th general election," he added. -Bernama |
| Najib: Malay future at risk under Pakatan Posted: 04 Dec 2011 06:57 PM PST By Shannon Teoh, The Malaysian Insider
SHAH ALAM, Dec 5 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak warned today the future of Malays would be in doubt if his ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) does not remain in power after a general election expected soon. After presiding over an Umno general assembly last weekend that saw delegates and leaders accusing Pakatan Rakyat (PR) of being anti-Malay and Islam, the prime minister today told a Malay NGO that claims a membership of over two million that their "responsibility is to defend the current government." "The alternative choice, are they better than what is already in place? Can they guarantee our power is not dissolved or our position eroded? What about the dignity of Islam and Malays? "We will not allow our people to be insulted. We will not back down by even an inch. We are warriors," he said to cheers at Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia's (Pekida) gathering here before leading cries of "Hidup Melayu (long live the Malays)!" Umno had sounded the alarm last weekend, warning that only BN will ensure that Islam remains an important aspect within the government administration. Party delegates had cited events such as claimed proselytisation of Muslims since Election 2008, when PR took power in five states, as proof that the faith among Malays would be in jeopardy. Najib said today if the Umno-led BN lost power, "all our ambitions will be buried and our future will be full of darkness." "What will happen to Muslims if the government changes? What will happen to Islam if we lose our strength?
|
| Rakyat Voices 3: Firewall Your Vote Posted: 04 Dec 2011 06:53 PM PST By Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia
OUR vote is sacred. Or is it? The Election terrain is not flat, that much we know - Putrajaya has just over 6,000 voters, Kapar 112,000 or 17 Parliamentary seats difference between the two. Much has been reported of late about the suspicions over tampered electoral rolls, sudden spikes in the number of voters in certain constitutencies, and shifting forms of phantom votes. Those are issues being battled at the institutional level. What about us as individuals, what can we do? More importantly, on Election Day, how do you ensure your vote gets a safe passage all the way into the final count? This Saturday, learn about your rights as a voter under the Election Laws. Tindak Malaysia, a voter's rights advocacy group, will present important facts about the General Elections and the pitfalls which may come in your way as a voter. What's fact and what's myth?
|
| Wikileaks: Anwar said he would be PM or jailed Posted: 04 Dec 2011 04:12 PM PST (The Malay Mail) - Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had two options when faced with sodomy charges three years ago, according to diplomatic transcripts revealed by whistleblower site Wikileaks on Saturday. He would either become "prime minister or end up in jail" in face of government attempts to use the charges to derail his political challenge when speaking to 40 diplomats assembled at the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) headquarters on July 22, 2008, according to transcripts of US ambassador to Malaysia James R. Keith. However, the cables quoted him as saying: "This time I'm not going to jail." Anwar claimed he had new information that revealed his accuser, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan's, extensive contacts with senior police officers prior to the alleged sodomy incident, as well as a medical report that found no evidence of sodomy on the accuser's body. Nevertheless, Anwar and his lawyer anticipated prosecutors would soon file formal charges. "I would quickly announce my decision to run in by-election so as to become a member of Parliament by September. My entry into Parliament was 'critical' as a condition for those MPs who have agreed to defect to the Opposition," he said. Anwar singled out the US for its concern and looked to the European Union (EU) to take a similar stand while urging other countries to at least raise privately their human rights concerns with Malaysian leaders. In the 90-minute presentation, Anwar laid out a general proposition that, given political conditions in Malaysia, he would either become Prime Minister or go to jail. He went through in detail the sodomy allegations and claimed political manipulation, drawing ready comparisons with his earlier prosecution for corruption and sodomy in 1998. He also told the foreign diplomats of his accuser's links to the top leadership and the police, and made accusations of evidential tampering, hence, explaining his reluctance to provide DNA samples. Anwar said he had forgiven those who acted against him in the 1998 corruption and sodomy cases. On foreign affairs, Anwar said he would seek to maintain strong relations with the US and EU, while also pursuing close ties to all countries, including "Iran and Sudan". He expressed his strong objection to the US "occupation of Iraq'', while recognising the atrocities of Saddam Hussein. The cable concludes: "It does seem that Anwar has put on a brave, defiant face on the current situation for his first gathering before diplomats since he returned to active political life in late 2006. "However, there are only two possible outcomes, under current circumstances, it is far more likely that Anwar finds himself behind bars rather than sitting in the Prime Minister's office."
|
| Register and vote or don’t complain, says MCCBCHST Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:44 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - If you do not register and vote in the election, you have "no right" to complain about unfavourable government decisions, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) said today. The non-Muslim inter-faith body added a person's failure to participate in the election was tantamount to saying he or she does not care about how the country is run. "If you don't care, what gives you the right to complain when something happens that you don't like?" MCCBCHST president Daozhang Tan Hoe Chieow said today in a press conference. He said in Election 2008, of the 15 million eligible voters in Malaysia, only eight million turned up to cast their voters. A total of 11 million were registered voters. "Seven million (voters) were missing in action," he said. Tan said the council plans to embark on a nationwide voter registration drive on Sunday, December 11, at places of worship in 11 states and one Federal Territory. "Just from the statistics, we know there are 4.384 million eligible voters who are not registered. "We hope we can choose a government that is clean and transparent and people-centric, a government that can continue this prosperity, stability and harmony," he said. Tan denied the council's registration drive was politically-driven, saying that as a non-governmental organisation it was duty-bound to ensure voters are registered. "This is non-political. It is more about awareness," he said.
|
| Perkasa wants MCA to retract hudud ‘slur’ or face polls wrath Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:41 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Perkasa will "teach MCA a lesson" in the general election if the party does not retract its remarks on hudud, Syed Hassan Syed Ali has said. The Perkasa secretary-general charged that MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was rude and clueless about hudud when he claimed that implementing it would bring about destruction of the country's economy.
In response, Syed Hassan said Umno needed to advise the MCA president to "watch his mouth." "Soi Lek also said it is hard to attract investors because of Malaysia's poor human rights records and of cruel punishments, this will also make investors flee," the Perkasa leader said in a statement.
|
| Umno leader linked to Alstom bribery scandal, says Singapore daily Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:36 PM PST Already on the backfoot over a national cattle farming scandal, Umno is now rocked by allegations that a former leader took kickbacks from French engineering giant Alstom for a power plant project in Perlis. Singapore's Straits Times (ST) reported today that Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) officials raided last week the offices of Teknologi Tenaga Perlis Consortium (TTPC), which is partly controlled by former Dewan Negara president and ex-Perlis Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Pawanteh (picture). The newspaper said the Umno veteran was directly implicated in Alstom's indictment for bribery in securing foreign contracts. Abdul Hamid is said to have been paid 7.5 million Swiss francs (RM25.5 million) to help Alstom secure a contract to build a power plant in Perlis in the late 1990s. He was the state's mentri besar from 1986 to 1995. The Singapore daily said both Abdul Hamid and his former business partner, Ti Chee Liang, were singled out in the criminal summons against Alstom. According to ST, Alstom was fined €31 million (RM130 million) by the Swiss Attorney-General two weeks ago for failing to implement proper controls to prevent bribery by company executives in Malaysia, Latvia and Tunisia, an offence under Swiss law. Alstom is a major player in Malaysia in the power business, and is credited with supplying key equipment for nearly 7.5 gigawatts of the country's installed power generation capacity, the paper added. Citing government sources familiar with the investigations, ST reported that the MACC will be questioning local Alstom executives in the days ahead. Last month, Alstom's Malaysian office denied it was aware of local investigation regarding the RM133 million fine by Swiss authorities involving contracts awarded to the company here. "There is no probe ongoing in Malaysia that we are aware of and Alstom have co-operated fully in Switzerland. The fine is for corporate negligence in the past and not for bribery," Alstom Malaysia president, Saji Raghavan, said in a statement. "In fact, investigation confirms there is no systematic bribery and sufficient controls are in place," he pointed out.
|
| Karpal hits out at DAP warlords Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:26 PM PST It's the CEC, the party supreme decision-making body, which decides on candidates and seats, says the DAP national chairman. (Free Malaysia Today) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh today warned certain party leaders against becoming political warlords by circumventing the leadership to promise and announce seats for their cronies on their own accord. He said that no party leader or even member has the right to bypass the party top decision-making body, the central executive committee (CEC), to allot seats for their cronies. "No one has the authority to choose or announce candidates and seats. "Only the top leadership has the rightful privilege to do so," Karpal, the Bukit Gelugor MP, told FMT here today. Firing a broadside against Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Karpal stressed that the party would not hesitate to take stern disciplinary action against the "warlords". "There is no room for warlords in DAP. "The party never had warlords and will never entertain it in future," he said. He was commenting on a recent vernacular newspaper article quoting Ramasamy, a CEC member, as saying that the party had decided to field three Indian women – D Kamachi, Kasturi (daughter of the late DAP stalwart P Patto) , and an unknown lawyer from Penang, Mangleswari. Ramasamy was also quoted as saying that parliamentarians M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat), Charles Santiago (Klang) and M Manogaran, and assemblyman A Sivanesan (Sungkai) were virtually certain of contesting in the coming general election. According to the article, Ramasamy, the Penang DAP deputy chief, has also claimed that he would re-contest both his Prai state and Batu Kawan federal seats. This has irked Karpal who has repeatedly said that the DAP would field one candidate for one seat in the next polls, albeit minor exemptions to the rule. Dismissing Ramasamy's claim that the party had given him the green light to contest both seats, Karpal said the CEC was yet to decide on party candidates and their seats for the next general election. He also pointed out that current incumbent elected representatives do not even have the luxury to choose their seat in next polls. He said the incumbents would even be dropped altogether if found to be incompetent. He added that it was for the CEC to decide on candidates and their seats based on performance and winning credentials.
|
| Usno links up with Jeffrey’s UBF Posted: 04 Dec 2011 03:23 PM PST Jeffrey meanwhile advised the crowd not to be misled again by the sweet talk of the so-called leaders of BN and to use their vote wisely. (Free Malaysia Today) - Leaders of the once all-powerful United Sabah National Organization or Usno which disbanded in 1990 have joined up with the United Borneo Front (UBF) in its fight to restore Sabah's rights. Usno protem vice-president, Abdullah Sani Salleh and protem secretary-general, Arifin Abdul Salam told supporters at a recent joint-gathering with UBF at the birthplace of Usno in Kampung Tanjung Kapur, near here, that the Barisan Nasional coalition government had betrayed Sabahans. Abdullah Sani told the large crowd of Bajau, Suluk, Sungai, Dusun, Rungus, Kagayan and other sub-ethnic groups that the state government leaders and Umno in particular have failed to safeguard and protect the rights of Sabah and Sabahans. "Usno leaders support UBF and Jeffrey Kitingan who is fighting for Sabah. Usno supporters should support the UBF and Jeffrey to restore the rights of Sabah," Abdullah Sani told villagers in Jeffrey's presence. "Usno will work towards the unity of all races in Sabah regardless of whether they are Bajau, Suluk, KDM, Rungus, Brunei or others to reclaim the rights of Sabah and Sabahans in Malaysia," he added. Abdullah Sani said that land-related problems are just some of the many examples of the state government failing the people and that the ruling party and its "wakil rakyat" have victimized the villagers by alienating the land to outsiders. "Since the state government has done little to help, Sabahans should unite to change the state government," he said. After reminding residents that Kampung Tanjung Kapur was the birthplace of Usno in 1961 and that Usno would defend their land rights, Abdullah Sani said that Usno founder, the late Tun Mustapha Harun had never betrayed Sabah. He said Mustapha had never alienated taken an inch of the land of villagers other than the land for his own house which still stands today.
|
| Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three? Posted: 04 Dec 2011 10:11 AM PST By Lim Kit Siang The 65th UMNO General Assembly closed yesterday with one big question among thinking and patriotic Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation: – "Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?" At first the lies and poison were only told and used at closed-door UMNO meetings. Then they were spread by anonymous UMNO blogs and cybertroopers on the Internet, followed by the UMNO media. When these lies and poison failed to achieve the desired public and political impact with the approach of the 13th General Elections, UMNO strategists became more irresponsible, reckless and desperate. In the past week, these lies and poison became the staple diet of UMNO leaders in the meetings preparatory to and during the sessions proper of the 65th UMNO General Assembly, with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in their capacities as UMNO President and UMNO Deputy President giving their personal stamp of approval by adopting and retailing these lies and poison to sway votes in favour of UMNO in the coming polls. Culminating in Muhyiddin and Najib, one UMNO leader after another in the past week have taken to the public pulpit in a carefully-orchestrated campaign to demonise the DAP and frighten Malay voters with the lies that the Malays will lose their rights and power should Pakatan Rakyat win more federal seats in the next general election, or in the words of the UMNO information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, "the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, Say goodbye to Islam because they (DAP) are agents of Christianisation". Muhyiddin was completely unabashed in playing the race card when he falsely accused the DAP of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers, even telling the lie that the DAP's agenda is to establish a Republic in Malaysia. Muhyiddin made history as the only Deputy Prime Minister in the world who was caught out telling a bare-faced lie, for he had been completely silent to my challenge to him to substantiate his allegation that the DAP wanted to abolish the constitutional monarchy and establish a Republic. I had publicly said that Muhyiddin's "despicable, irresponsible, incendiary and seditious" allegation that the DAP's agenda is to form a republic is completely founded on a lie, particularly his rhetorical question to buttress his allegation: "If not, do they dare to suggest the prime minister's position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?" (Muhyiddin quote)
|
Yes, "hijrah" is the beginning of the new year of the people of the Islamic faith but my questions were these: has the Islamic intellectual paradigm evolve since the 1900s? Has religion courted philosophy? What is still ailing the "Muslim mind" and what fundamental shifts need to be engineered?
Rather, I thought, man is neither - the sacred and the profane in him requires a gentle, evolving government that respects his natural rights as man; rights he has surrendered to the state, in place of his happiness perhaps living nobly in the forest or in the paradise he had refused to be banished from.
Taliban with concubines, Tabligh wandering preachers spewing incomprehensibles where a little learning is dangerous, fatwa-making as frenzy and fiesta, the 5,000-strong Million Malay-Muslim rally, and of course men saluting the formation of the cult group Al Arqam's Obedient Wives Clubs.
Dr Chua (picture) had predicted investors would flee Malaysia if hudud was made federal law because hudud was not fair to all, in particular women, and also prescribed cruel punishments for crimes contrary to international convention.| You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
