Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Ex-DAP Tunku Aziz: Lim Guan Eng appointed himself CM
- Ex-mufti: Pakatan should rebuke its own for anti-Islam remarks
- IGP: Police studying police reports against Ngeh
- Karpal denies DAP getting foreign funds
- Israel won't force Google to block anti-Muslim video
- Let authorities probe Suaram foreign funding, says Najib
- 237 reports made against Ngeh’s controversial Tweet
- End the siege on religions, urges NGO
- Tunku Abdul Aziz: No political clout in Pakatan Rakyat to form the next federal government
- France bans protests over Prophet Mohammad cartoons
- Who will be the Sabah opposition CM?
- Report: M’sia high on religious intolerance
- Next Parliament session may be last before polls
- NST report: ‘Ridiculous and rubbish’
- EC waiting for AG's nod over postal voting for overseas Malaysians
- Najib slams fake letter to IIUM as a 'desperate act'
- Karpal denounces insults against Prophet
- ‘Reopen probe against Mahathir’
- Pakatan promises affordable housing, after cheaper cars, free education
- Malaysian role vexes Thai conflict
- Malaysia wants to prevent homosexuality from spreading
- Dr M: Leaders can be reproached and challenged
- Najib’s turn at Google Hangout, aims for cyber-savvy crowd
- Umno, PAS youth wings to hold separate protests over anti-Islam video, cartoon
- Hudud feud heats up between Karpal and PAS leaders
- Actress sues California man behind anti-Muslim film
- Najib tells Chinese voters to stop ‘confrontational culture’
- Umno will never regain Selangor
- Battle between ‘familiarity’ and ‘change’
- Guidelines for women bosses spark outcry
- Waytha still a ‘national threat’?
- Ad Calling Jihad ‘Savage’ Is Set to Appear in Subway
- Dr M: Najib’s cash handouts ‘very close’ to vote buying
- Free speech or incitement? French mag runs cartoons of Prophet Mohammed
- Dr M: BN won’t get supermajority
- Taib is worth RM45b, believe it or not
- Freeze Taib’s accounts, govts told
- Fake website or serious opposition mouthpiece? - PBS
- Zakir Naik’s host defends invite
- Duo’s application struck out in RPK suit
- White House: Libya attack may have been preplanned
- 'Fatwa' to kill issued against anti-Islam filmmaker
- French Mag to Publish Cartoons of Prophet Mohammed
- Uproar over Ngeh’s tweet on anti-Islam video
| Ex-DAP Tunku Aziz: Lim Guan Eng appointed himself CM Posted: 21 Sep 2012 09:55 PM PDT  Athi Shankar, WikiSabah GEORGE TOWN: In the never ending attempts to belittle Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng ,the latest query is whether Lim is the legitimate leader of the state. This time it comes from former DAP national vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Ibrahim. Tunku Aziz says Lim appointed himself as the chief executive of the newly formed Pakatan Rakyat government by virtue of being the party's secretary general.By convention, he noted that long serving Penang DAP chairman and Padang Kota assemblyman Chow Kon Yeow should have been the chief minister, not a parachute candidate like Lim. But, Tunku Aziz alleged Lim declared himself as the chief minister during a meeting among DAP elected representatives held in Red Rock Hotel immediately after the 2008 election results were announced. During the closed door meeting, Abdul Aziz claimed that when a question was raised on who would be the new chief minister, Lim, the Bagan MP and Air Putih assemblyman, immediately jumped up and said "I am the chief minister because I am the party secretary general." He said Lim pre-empted any internal political conventional process to take place to choose the chief minister. "No one nominated or chose him … he chose himself. He bypassed the party's central executive and state committees to bulldoze his way through to grab the post. "I think many know the story on how he became the CM," Tunku Aziz told FMT before speaking at an indoor rally here last night. Tunku Aziz noted that Lim had been committing administrative blunders since 2008 because he does not understand the local needs, demands and sentiments. He cited unscrupulous sales of state land to rich developers to build posh houses at the expense of affordable homes for the poor was a perfect example of Lim's mismanagement due to lack of knowledge, maturity and experience. Rich developers He said Lim was now surrounded by rich developers. "Ordinary Penang people can't afford to buy homes in their own birth place. It's violation of their rights. Penangites wanted a chief minister, not a land broker," said Abdul Aziz. As the secretary general, he said Lim should sit at the national secretariat and focus to reorganise, restructure and strengthen the DAP to face the next election. He said DAP now was in disarray due to overwhelming power play by the dominant Lim dynasty which had frustrated many grassroots leaders and members. He said some leaders and members either were sacked or had left the party for good as "they were fed up with the Lim dynasty dominance." "Lim thinks he can handle everything so he wears many hats, sparing only positions of councillors and JKKK head to others. "His monopoly of power is a sign of insecurity and distrust of others," said Tunku Aziz.  Family business Later when speaking on the same subject at the rally, he said the Lim dynasty had turned DAP into a family business, practicing double standard and selective prosecution. He also slammed these leaders as hypocrites for not voicing out their opposition against the hudud law, even though they supported their national chairman Karpal Singh's firm stand against it. "They fear losing the Malay votes," Tunku Aziz told a crowded Leong See Kah Miew hall in Jalan Perak. Other speakers at the rally themed "The days when we were in DAP" were former DAP members Tan Tuan Tat, a former Selangor DAP publicity secretary; Yap Kon Min and Tony Tan Chee Chong, a former personal assistant to Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok Suh Sim. On Pakatan, Tunku Aziz described the coalition as a mere "marriage of convenience" in which all allies – DAP, PKR and PAS, could agree on many issues to clinch a common agenda. He noted that Pakatan can't reach consensus on a shadow cabinet and predicted intense internal squabbles for positions of prime minister and cabinet ministers if the coalition capture the federal government.
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| Ex-mufti: Pakatan should rebuke its own for anti-Islam remarks Posted: 21 Sep 2012 09:28 PM PDT
Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider Former Perlis Mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin today advised Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders to practise moderation when criticising others and not shy away from rebuking party colleagues if they breach religious boundaries. The Muslim cleric, who was commenting on the row over DAP lawmaker Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham's remark on Twitter, said politicians on both sides of the aisle should not only attack their opponents while keeping silent when their allies make mistakes. "For Pakatan, I hope they will be more balanced in politicking. Don't just pick on the faults of your opponents, but keep quiet when your ally makes a mistake. This is unhealthy politics. "I also hope that Umno will be the same, practise a healthy political culture," he told The Malaysian Insider. Asri's comments came after Ngeh apologised for asking recently over microblogging site Twitter if the protests against the anti-Islam clip "Innocence of Muslims" were a waste of "time and energy." Ngeh, the chairman of DAP's Perak chapter, came under fire for the remark but his party colleagues had also earned the ire of Barisan Nasional (BN) politicians when they did not openly rebuke the leader for his tweet. "I accept Ngeh Koo Ham's statement of apology, only next time, hopefully he will be careful with his comments," Asri said. Earlier today, Ngeh said that he felt his apology should sufficiently calm Muslim anger over his remarks and urged his critics to move on from the matter to other more important issues. He had on Thursday said that he had not meant to hurt Muslim sensitivities or belittle Islam with the offending message on Twitter. But prime minister yesterday questioned Ngeh's sincerity, reportedly saying: "If it is that easy, we can also pass remarks, insult and ridicule other religions and later apologise." De facto law minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz had yesterday called for the police to probe Ngeh over his remarks on the microblogging site. Yesterday, DAP's Lim Guan Eng said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak should not be "uncharitable and small-minded" over Ngeh's apology. He pointed out that Ngeh's apology and retraction yesterday proved that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders were more gracious and willing to admit to their mistakes or shortcomings, unlike the politicians in Najib's Barisan Nasional (BN). Lim also told Najib to look at his own members in BN before passing any judgment against Ngeh, pointing out that many in the ruling coalition who made offensive statements in the past had not found it necessary to apologise later.
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| IGP: Police studying police reports against Ngeh Posted: 21 Sep 2012 07:04 PM PDT
(Bernama) - The police are evaluating reports made against Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham to determine the nature of the offence when he questioned Muslim reaction to an anti-Islam film, the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said today. "If there is justification, we will conduct the investigation in accordance with procedure," he told a news conference after launching a campus community policing programme at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), here.
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| Karpal denies DAP getting foreign funds Posted: 21 Sep 2012 07:00 PM PDT
(Bernama) - DAP national chairman Karpal Singh said the allegation that the party is getting foreign funds from George Soros was uncalled for. "Where is the evidence that the DAP is getting foreign funds?" he said when asked about several Malaysian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) including Suaram having obtained foreign funds to destabilize the government.
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| Israel won't force Google to block anti-Muslim video Posted: 21 Sep 2012 05:01 PM PDT
Court rejects MK Talab el-Sana's petition to prevent the controversial film from being available to people in Israel via the Internet • Court: Those who may be offended by it should not look for it on the Internet. (Israel Hayom) - The Jerusalem District Court rejected a petition by MK Talab el-Sana (Ra'am-Ta'al) on Thursday requesting that the controversial film, "Innocence of Muslims," produced in the U.S., be made inaccessible to people in Israel through the Internet. Judge Miriam Mizrahi decided to refrain from issuing an order to restrict access to the film through the YouTube website. El-Sana, together with other Israeli-Arab political and religious leaders, requested that the YouTube page featuring the film be shut down, or, alternatively, that the page be blocked from access throughout the country. Although the petitioners asked for an urgent hearing on the matter so that the court could issue a temporary order to prevent the film from being accessible on the Internet, Mizrahi said in her ruling that those who thought they would be offended by viewing the film should not search for it on the Internet. "Whoever does not look for the film will not find it, so the public who would be offended by the film can avoid seeing it," Mizrahi said. The court is scheduled to continue to discuss the matter on Oct. 15, after both sides submit their detailed legal explanations. The petitioners, through attorney Kais Nasser, claimed, "The movie is extremely offensive, desecrates the image of the Prophet Muhammad in a racist manner, tramples his sanctity and name, and offends the honor and faith of more than a billion Muslims throughout the world and more than a million Muslims who are citizens of Israel." According to the petition, publication of the film violates the penal code by offending the feelings of Muslims, incites racism and constitutes slander. Attorney Hagit Bleiberg, who represented Google (owner of YouTube) in the case, pointed out that "No one in the world, and in Israel in particular, has recognized the Google search engine as a publisher. The film's creator is its publisher. It is he who uploaded the content. YouTube did not upload the film and neither did Google. It's a fact that the court did not find them responsible for it." At the end of the session, El-Sana warned that violent protests may take place in Israel if access to the film is not blocked. On Sept. 11, the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other embassy staffers were killed in an attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi by protesters angry over the film which they said ridiculed the Prophet Muhammad. After that incident, a wave of violent protests swept through Arab countries in light of the film's publication and repercussions from the film's anti-Muslim message have yet to abate in the Arab world. Cindy Lee Garcia, an actress from Bakersfield, California, who had a small role in the anti-Islam film, told the Gawker website on Sept. 12 that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (aka "Sam Bacile"), the film's producer, initially said he was an Israeli real estate mogul but told her on set that he was actually Egyptian and spoke Arabic. Garcia said that after protests broke out in Libya and Egypt, she called Bacile up to express her outrage. When she asked why he made the film, she said he told her, "I'm tired of radical Islamists killing each other." Garcia has since sued Nakoula and demanded that the film be removed from YouTube. She accused the producer of fraud, slander and violation of her privacy, and said her life was in danger due to her role in the film. A Los Angeles judge rejected her petition on Thursday, but Garcia, via her attorney, vowed to continue to pursue the matter. Meanwhile, the chief editor of the satirical French weekly paper Charlie Hebdo was unapologetic and defiant on Sept. 19 over his decision to publish drawings considered offensive to Muslims. Charlie Hebdo editor Stephane Charbonnier, who publishes under the pen name "Charb," has been under police protection for the past year. "Muhammad isn't sacred to me. I don't blame Muslims for not laughing at our drawings. I live under French law. I don't live under Quranic law," Charbonnier told The Associated Press. He said he had no regrets and felt no responsibility for any violence. "I'm not the one going into the streets with stones and Kalashnikovs," he said. "We've had 1,000 issues and only three problems, all after front pages about radical Islam." On Nov. 2, 2011 a fire caused serious damage at the headquarters of the newspaper which had "invited" the Prophet Muhammad as a guest editor throughout the week. A police official said the fire broke out at the offices of Charlie Hebdo, and the cause remains unclear. No injuries were reported in the incident.
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| Let authorities probe Suaram foreign funding, says Najib Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:56 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today he would leave it to the authorities to investigate allegations that non-governmental organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) receives foreign funding. "Let the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) and the relevant authorities investigate (the matter)," he told reporters after launching the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) at Pudu Sentral, here. Preliminary investigation by CCM had revealed the existence of fund transactions between Suaram and its parent company, Suara Inisiatif Sdn Bhd. Suaram, which claims to be a non-governmental organisation, was also found to have not registered with the Registrar of Societies (RoS). On the Saudi Arabian government's rejection of a Malaysian application to increase its annual quota of pilgrims to the Holy Land, Najib said the decision rested with the Saudi Arabian government. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said yesterday that Malaysia was among 40 countries which were denied an additional quota of Haj pilgrims for this year by the Saudi Arabian government. Malaysia had asked for the annual quota of 28,000 to be raised by 10,000 this year in view of the 982,000 people on the Haj pilgrimage waiting list. Najib expressed pride over the success of the 1 Malaysia English Channel Solidarity Swimming Expedition team yesterday. He said the team's success was a major achievement for Malaysia as well as for the Malaysian Armed Forces. "I am very proud that they were able to swim across the English Channel, a feat most difficult to accomplish, what with the many obstacles. I am also proud of the fact there are people who are resilient and bold and carry the spirit of Malaysia Boleh," he said. Two teams from the armed forces, one comprising a solo swimmer and the other a relay team, completed the feat yesterday after the event was postponed due to strong winds and rough sea. Solo swimmer Estino Taniyu, a Royal Malaysia Navy (RMN) personnel from Semporna, Sabah, became the second Malaysian to conquer the channel without the use of a shark cage, after Lennard Lee who accomplished the feat in 2004. Estino completed his swim in 13 hours, 45 minutes and 45 seconds. The relay team of six swimmers, comprising Mohd Roslan Mohd Zawawi, Mohd Khairul Faizal Mazli, Mohd Salleh Mahmor, Buranurdin Sali, Sharizal Omar and Mohd Zulfadhli Mahamad, completed their swim in 14 hours and 30 minutes. The expedition was sponsored by the Malaysian 7 Continents Exploration Club under the patronage of the prime minister.
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| 237 reports made against Ngeh’s controversial Tweet Posted: 21 Sep 2012 03:19 PM PDT
(Bernama) - A total of 237 police reports have been lodged in the state against Perak DAP chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham for his controversial tweet questioning the moves taken by Muslims in protesting the anti-Islamic 'Innocence of Muslims' film. Perak police chief Datuk Mohd Shukri Dahalan said police would look into the reports and take into consideration all aspects before making any decisions on the matter. "So far, we have collected the reports lodged statewide and my officers will study them.
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| End the siege on religions, urges NGO Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:58 PM PDT
(The Star) - The unrelenting siege on all religions and their prophets must cease, said a Muslim non-governmental organisation. Society must also be courageous to condemn abominations against theism, said the Muslim Professionals Forum yesterday. In issuing its statement over the controversial film Innocence of Muslims and the subsequent violent protests across the Muslim world, the organisation said that "the perpetrators have guised behind the cloak of freedom of speech while claiming to be works of literature or the arts". The beliefs of Christianity, Judaism and Hinduism have similarly not been spared. "Specific individuals and interest groups are unashamedly abusing our noble values of freedom of speech and expression to tarnish the image of authentic religions, demonising it and demeaning their prophets with trails of untruths and unfounded claims," said the organisation's board of directors. The Muslim Professionals Forum also labelled the irrational and emotional reactions by some Muslims and the violence unleashed with its consequent deaths, injuries and damages to property as "most un-Islamic" and "distant from the Islamic teachings of peace, justice and fair-play". "Governments, civil society, religious leaders and icons in the literary and film industry must be courageous to condemn and prohibit the publication and showing of films and literary works of a similar nature." Umno had also condemned the production and airing of the movie as well as the caricatures of Prophet Muhammad in bad light in a French magazine. "Fellow Muslims need to understand that Islam doesn't need us to defend it; it only needs us to represent it faithfully and authentically."
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| Tunku Abdul Aziz: No political clout in Pakatan Rakyat to form the next federal government Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:55 PM PDT
(The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat does not have the political clout to form the next federal government because they cannot agree on many fundamental issues, said former DAP vice-president Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim. "Among themselves (DAP, PAS and PKR), they have not agreed with each other. This is what people are describing as a marriage of convenience. They will surely divorce," he said here on Friday night during a ceramah at the Leong See Kah Miew community hall. "But (for now), they are scared to do so because they share a common goal, which is to capture Putrajaya." He was speaking in Penang for the first time, since he quit DAP in May. The former Transparency International board of directors' vice-chairman also touched on the political situation in Penang. He added that even if Pakatan won, it would be a useless outcome because they would only decide on the ministerial posts when they reached Putrajaya and it would be too late. "Now, they cannot decide among themselves about forming a shadow cabinet," he said. On Penang, he said while the state had progressed in the last four years, it was developed because it had a history of more than 200 years and not because of Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. "Rather it is your (local) ancestors, who are the ones who built it up," he said. According to Tunku Abdul Aziz, Lim was a politician who parachuted into Penang because he was not capable in Malacca.
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| France bans protests over Prophet Mohammad cartoons Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:52 PM PDT (Reuters) - PARIS: France banned protests yesterday against cartoons published by a satirical weekly denigrating Islam's Prophet Mohammad as part of a security clamp-down while prayers took place across the Muslim world. The country's Muslim population, drawn largely from ex-colonies in North and West Africa, shrugged off the controversy as imams in mosques denounced the pictures but urged their followers to remain calm. The drawings have stoked a furor over an anti-Islam film made in California that has provoked sometimes violent protests in several Muslim countries, including attacks on US and other Western embassies, the killing of the US envoy to Libya and a suicide bombing in Afghanistan. Interior Minister Manuel Valls said prefects had orders to prohibit any protest and to crack down if the ban was challenged. "There will be strictly no exceptions. Demonstrations will be banned and broken up," he told a news conference in the southern port city of Marseille. The main body representing Muslims in France appealed for calm as the weekly Charlie Hebdo put a new print run of the cartoons featuring a naked Prophet Mohammad on the news stands. Mohammed Moussaoui, head of the French Muslim Council, described both the film and the cartoons as "acts of aggression" but urged French Muslims not to protest in the streets. "I repeat the council's call not to protest. Any protest could be hijacked and counterproductive," he told radio RFI. An estimated 8,000 Muslims gathered peacefully for Friday prayers at a temporary prayer hall in northern Paris set up in a former fire department depot. So many turned out that hundreds had to pray in the rain in the adjacent parking lot. "This demonstrates that the vast majority of the Muslim community is not made up of extremists," said Abderahmane Dahmane, spokesman for the local association that runs the prayer hall, one of the largest in the Paris region. "The majority will not play the game of the hotheads." At prayers in the northeast Paris suburb of La Courneuve, delivery driver Hakim Ardjou, 42, also rejected violence. "We just want our message to be heard: this sort of insult is a disgrace, but we will keep calm." Public approves protest ban French embassies, schools and cultural centers in some 20 Muslim countries were closed yesterday, the Muslim day of prayer, in a precaution ordered by the French government. French media showed footage of an embassy protected by soldiers and barbed wire in former French colony Tunisia, where the Islamist-led government has also banned protests over the cartoons. Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said there had been anti-French demonstrations in Afghanistan, Egypt and Indonesia, but there were no incidents against French nationals. "In a certain number of countries, the measures (closures) will be kept in place as a precaution on Saturday and Sunday," Fabius told journalists. Police were on alert in the French capital after protests planned by some Muslim groups were banned. Charlie Hebdo, an anti-establishment weekly whose Paris offices are under police protection, defied critics to rush out another run of the publication that sold out on Wednesday. It says the cartoons are designed simply to poke fun at the uproar over the film and on Friday hit back at critics accusing it of deliberately stirring controversy to sell newspapers. "If Charlie Hebdo wanted to make a quick buck, it would not produce Charlie Hebdo," it said on its Twitter feed. The publication has a print run of around 70,000 but its Mohammad cartoons have made front-page news in a country which has both the largest Muslim and Jewish populations in Europe – an estimated five million Muslims and 600,000 Jews. President Francois Hollande's government has sought to balance a cherished tradition of freedom of expression with security concerns, denouncing Charlie Hebdo as irresponsible. "When you are free, in a country like ours, you always have to measure the impact of your words," French European Affairs Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. A survey by TNS Sofres for i-Tele news channel showed 58 percent thought freedom of expression was a fundamental right, and that "freedom to caricature" was part of that. Yet an even higher 71 percent of the roughly 1,000 people interviewed on Thursday approved of the ban on protests against the cartoons. France has a proud tradition of street protest.
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| Who will be the Sabah opposition CM? Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:40 PM PDT Sabah BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan has given the opposition one month to announce who their chief minister will be. (FMT) - KOTA KINABALU: Sabah Barisan Nasional has thrown the opposition,namely Pakatan Rakyat, a challenge – "announce your shadow cabinet within a month". Aware that this will be a singularly impossible immediate feat for Sabah Pakatan which is grappling with seething resentment over newcomers – defectors from BN – flexing their muscles, Sabah BN secretary Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that Sabahans had the right to know who will be the state's chief minister if the opposition came into power. "We're giving them a month, ample time for their members to meet and discuss who should be made chief minister. "We're fair, we don't expect them to come up with the shadow cabinet line-up tomorrow or the day after," he said. Abdul Rahman added that announcing their shadow cabinet would also reflect on the opposition's sincerity in supporting a two-party system. "In the west under the two-party concept, opposition parties must announce their shadow cabinet before the election so voters would be able to judge their experience, credibility and effectiveness in the cabinet. "Such act is also in line with the democratic process as the people will be able to know the candidates' backgrounds, track record and experience. "The people would then be able to judge for themselves the leaders' abilities and experiences," said Abdul Rahman He was speaking to reporters during a joint press conference here yesterday. Also present were Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) secretary-general Dr Henrynus Amin, United Pasok Momogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) secretary-general Wilfred Madius Tangau; Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah (PBRS) secretary-general Dr Johnson Tee, Liberal Democratic Party secretary-general Teo Chee Kang, Parti Gerakan Sabah liaison secretary Wong Choon Seng, MCA Sabah liaison secretary Goh Wak Kheng and MIC Sabah liaison secretary Gannes Nandy. According to Abdul Rahman, the current conflicting statements from opposition leaders about candidates for ministerial posts were confusing Sabahans.
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| Report: M’sia high on religious intolerance Posted: 21 Sep 2012 02:38 PM PDT A US-based report suggests that while Malaysia's government was more relaxed on religious restrictions, it still had a long way to go. Patrick Lee, FMT At first glance, Malaysia may be enjoying more religious freedom today, according to the US-based think tank, the Pew Research Center. In a report entitled "Rising Tide of Restrictions on Religion" surveying 197 regions, Malaysia's government seemed to be more relaxed over religion, scoring 6.4 in mid-2010, compared to 8.1 in mid-2009. However, the decrease in government-applied restriction -collated under the report's Government Restriction Index- still puts it at 0.2 points below the "Very High" marker. As a result, the country now shares a "High" placement with nations such as Pakistan, Bangladesh and Iraq. At the same time, Malaysia seemed to have higher social hostility where religion was concerned. In mid-2009, the group's Social Hostility Index (SHI) marked Malaysia with a score of 1.3. In mid-2010, this figure increased to 2.2. As such, Malaysia is termed as a "Moderate" country SHI-wise, sharing the category with the US, Zimbabwe, Cambodia, Haiti and Australia. According to the report, the GRI's score was determined by various questions including:
The SHI on the other hand, was determined by questions such as:
The report did not delve into Malaysia's individual score. Meanwhile, the report said that more than 5 billion people in the world today (75%) lived in a country where their government restricted them from practicing their faith.
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| Next Parliament session may be last before polls Posted: 20 Sep 2012 08:42 PM PDT
(Bernama) - With the Dewan Rakyat convening on Monday for the budget meeting, questions have arisen as to whether it would be the last or penultimate meeting before the government's mandate runs out on April 28 next year. Pundits speculate that the 13th general election could be called at the end of November, after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak quipped during a visit to Machang, Kelantan, early this month that he was longing to call the general election. If that happens, then the Budget meeting of the Dewan Rakyat, the third meeting of the fifth session of the 12th parliament, which ends on November 27, could be the last meeting of the 12th parliament. If the general election does not take place in November as speculated, then it is likely that the government may go the full term on its mandate, meaning the election would be held early next year. Election Commission (EC) Deputy Chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said parliament would dissolve automatically if the Yang di-Pertuan Agong did not dissolve it before April 28 next year. "After that, the EC will have 60 days to hold the general election. The same rule applies for the state legislative assemblies, except Sarawak's," he told Bernama. (Sarawak held its state elections only last year.) The Dewan Rakyat meeting opening on Monday will go on for 34 days up to November 27 and the speculation of a general election will prompt greater focus on Budget 2013 to be tabled by Najib, who is also the finance minister, on Friday. The people, in general, will be awaiting "good news", especially from the aspect of the prices of goods. Not to be left out are the 1.4 million civil servants who are eagerly waiting for an announcement on the improvement to the Malaysian Remuneration System. Last May, Najib said that Budget 2013 would focus on balanced and quality growth as well as the people's welfare. Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Ronald Kiandee, when contacted by Bernama, said the coming meeting of the Dewan Rakyat would be more lively than usual. MPs convinced that this meeting would be the last before the dissolution of parliament would make full use of the opportunity to raise issues, he said. "The Speaker will be often prompted to given them more time for debate," he added. Also at the coming meeting, there will be a slight change in the seating of MPs, with Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin, 57, and Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing moving from the Barisan Nasional (BN) segment to occupy seats next to the independent MPs. Last July, Lajim announced that he was resigning from all positions in Umno and the BN and pledged support for the opposition. He did not resign from the party, but the government revoked his post of deputy minister of housing and local government. Bumburing quit as deputy president of the United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko), a BN component party. It is learnt that Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia would determine the seating arrangement of the two MPs after considering their political affiliation.
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| NST report: ‘Ridiculous and rubbish’ Posted: 20 Sep 2012 06:39 PM PDT The NGOs mentioned in an alleged plot to destabilise the government lash out at New Straits Times for its alleged smear campaign. Anisah Shukry, FMT Suaram denied today that it is a tool for foreign hands to destabilise the Malaysian government as alleged by New Straits Times (NST) daily today, adding that the US-based National Endowment for Democracy (NED) has no say in its direction or projects. NST claimed today that the Washington-based NED is seeking to destabilise the government by channelling up to RM20 million in funds to Malaysian non-governmental organisations (NGO) such as Suaram, Lawyers for Liberty (LFL), the Centre for Independent Journalism (CIJ) as well as news portal Malaysiakini. But the front page report "Plot to destabilise govt" did not specify how the organisations planned to overthrow the Barisan Nasional-led government with the donated funds. It also failed to substantiate its claim that the NED wished to destabilise the government, beyond citing "investigators" and "sources", and a Berita Harian interview with Aliran founder Professor Dr Chandra Muzzafar yesterday. When asked to comment on the report, Suaram chairperson K Arumugam said that it was no secret that NED provided funds to Suaram, but added that that was the full extent of NED's role in the human rights group. "We make it clear in our annual human rights report that NED provides us with funds so that we are able to monitor the violation of civil and political rights in Malaysia. It's not some top secret thing," Arumugam told FMT. "But NED doesn't decide what we do in Malaysia. We decide what we plan to do, then we apply for funding for those projects. They don't dictate nor direct anything." He said that there were many agencies online that were willing to donate to human rights organisations, and that Suaram's link with the NED had began via a simple Google search for funds. "So the idea that the NED wants to destabilise the government through Suaram is completely nonsense, pure rubbish," Arumugam said. "How are we supposed to even do that? We are such a small group of people. Is the government so unstable?" He further pointed out that if such allegations were true, then the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) would not have presented Suaram with a human rights award last year. "So we are recognised for our human rights by a statutory body formed by the government itself. It's highly unlikely they would award it to a group that intends to overthrow the government," he said. 'Practise journalism ethics, NST' Arumugam also slammed NST for not calling up Suaram or any of the other NGOs mentioned in the article before publishing it. "NST should have called Suaram to create a balanced reporting. Instead of allowing us to respond to the allegations, it merely discredited Suaram," he said. "While it is their freedom of expression to publish it, we would have appreciated some balanced reporting," he added. His view was echoed by CIJ executive officer Masjaliza Hamzah, who poured scorn on the article for lacking neutrality and evidence. "NST should practise journalism ethics. One, they did not call us for any quotes. Two, they should have provided evidence," she told FMT. "If anyone is accused of destabilising the government, this is a serious charge and they cannot make such a serious charge and not provide evidence." Masjaliza said that such an article should have been relegated to a blog rather than the front page due to its lack of substantiated facts and sources. "Show proof. They need to name what activities CIJ has done that points to it being part of a larger plot to destabilise the government," she challenged. Like Arumugam, LFL co-founder and advisor Eric Paulsen found the article to be "quite ridiculous" and an obvious attack against NGOs that challenge the government's credibility. "LFL has been vocal, without fear of favour, on issues such as abuse of power, detention without trial, police shootings," Paulsen told FMT. "These are all issues that affect the government's credibility. So, presumably, that is why NST has written such an article." He also said that the article was clearly linked to Suaram as the latter has been in the highlight after initiating a French inquiry probing Malaysia's multibillion ringgit purchase of two Scorpene submarines. "Suaram exposed the hundreds of millions that the government paid for commissions for submarines that we don't even need, and this has caused huge embarrassment to the government. "Suaram's is a credible human rights organisation, so clearly the decision to persecute it, as well as to publish such a sensational front page article, is linked to the Scorpene scandal," he said.
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| EC waiting for AG's nod over postal voting for overseas Malaysians Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:58 PM PDT
(The Star) - The Election Commission is waiting for the green light from the Attorney-General's Chambers to proceed with plans for overseas Malaysians to become postal voters in the coming general election. Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said the AG is now studying the proposal to determine whether it will require amendments to the Federal Constitution or laws governing national polls, or just some "tweaking" of existing regulations. "The EC is waiting for the AG for final advice on how to proceed. I cannot say (when a decision will be made), but it will be very soon," he told a press conference. Currently, only full-time Malaysian students and their spouses and civil servants and their spouses are eligible as postal voters. This has led to complaints by those who are not within the category, such as private sector employees working overseas. A Parliamentary Select Committee on Electoral Reforms in its report in April, among others, recommended that postal voting be expanded to all Malaysians overseas.
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| Najib slams fake letter to IIUM as a 'desperate act' Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:30 PM PDT
(NST) - UMNO president Datuk Seri Najib Razak has strongly criticised irresponsible quarters who had vilified him with a false letter addressed to the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) rector Datuk Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin. The letter, which was sent using the Umno letterhead and Najib's purported signature, referred to the appointment of Datuk Dr Mizan Hitam as IIUM deputy rector of student affairs, replacing Dr Nik Ahmad Kamal Nik Mahmood. The letter allegedly stated that Mizan's appointment was intended to bring success and glory to "Pro Aspirasi" in order to empower the nation based on Umno's constitution. Najib said this was an act by a desperate group who would go all out to invoke hatred towards the government. "I vehemently deny any involvement in this, and have never issued any party letter on the appointment of university officials," Najib said after the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday. He said this could be verified by the university and also the Higher Education Ministry.Earlier, at a press conference, IIUM Student Affairs & Development Division dean Dr Akmal Khuzairy Abdul Rahman refuted the attempt to link the prime minister and Umno to the letter. "The university categorically denies that we received the letter from the prime minister," he said. The letter was addressed to UIA Rector Prof Datuk Seri Dr Zaleha Kamaruddin on Aug 7.
Datuk Seri Najib Razak with the fake letter, using an Umno letterhead and purportedly signed by him, that has been circulating on social media sites and the International Islamic University campus notice boards. The letter allegedly indicated Mizan's appointment had been approved by the Umno supreme council and that it was to facilitate the initiation of the "Ops 2020" project in conjunction with IIUM's campus elections on Sept 25. |
| Karpal denounces insults against Prophet Posted: 20 Sep 2012 04:18 PM PDT The DAP leader says it will take a long time for the feelings of Muslims to be assuaged. (FMT) - National DAP chairman Karpal Singh has denounced the American movie Innocence of Muslims and cartoons published by the French magazine Charlie Hebdo that insult the Prophet Muhammad. "On behalf of the DAP, with all the force at my command, I condemn the insults to Prophet Muhammad as evidenced in the movie Innocence of Muslims and the French satirical magazine," he said in a press statement today. "The irresponsibility and the wanton disregard for the feelings of Muslims have certainly left an indelible scar on their psyche and it will take a long time for the feelings of Muslims to be assuaged." The movie portrays the Prophet as a womaniser and a fool, and Charlie Hebdo has published offensive cartoons such as one showing him as a bearded figure bending over to display his buttocks. Had the movie and cartoons originated in Malaysia, Karpal added, the offenders would be liable to prosecution under Section 298 of the Penal Code. The section provides for the imprisonment and fine of any individual who utters words with the intention of injuring the religious feelings of any person. Karpal urged Muslims to exercise restraint in opposing both the movie and the magazine. "It is hoped Muslims will exercise restraint in the face of the justified grave provocation brought about as a result of the irresponsibility of those who have thought it fit to insult Islam's prophet," he said. "The innocent should not be subject to any harm to their person or property." Karpal's statement also referred to a controversial Twitter message by Perak DAP chairman Ngeh Koo Ham, saying he hoped Muslims would accept his apology. Ngeh apologised yesterday for questioning the rationale for demonstrations by Muslims against the United States and France.
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| ‘Reopen probe against Mahathir’ Posted: 20 Sep 2012 01:33 PM PDT In an open letter to IGP Ismail Omar, the former KL CID chief said the case was never closed as indicated by former IGP Musa Hassan and AG Abdul Gani Patail in 2008. G Vinod, FMT The police should reopen investigations on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad on alleged abuse of power, said former Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department CID) chief Mat Zain Ibrahim today. In an open letter to Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Ismail Omar, Mat Zain said he was referring to then Anti-Corruption Agency's (ACA) probe on Mahathir under the instruction of its then director-general, Shafee Yahya. "Former IGP Musa Hassan and Attorney-General (AG) Abdul Gani Patail told the media in April 2008 that the probe against Mahathir was closed by former AG Mohtar Abdullah in February 2000. "But I tell you that the case is still open," said Mat Zain. Mat Zain said that the case could not have been closed in February 2000 as the police reports were only made against Mahathir in June that year. He also said a businessman lodged a subsequent report against Mahathir on July 22, 2000. "The investigation papers were only produced to AG Chambers in November 2000. Even then, the KL police delayed further probe pending new statements from others, including Shafee," said Mat Zain. Training his guns against Musa and Gani, Mat Zain said that it was obvious that the duo were attempting to deceive the rakyat by saying the the case against Mahathir was closed. "What's worse is that they passed the buck to a dead person (Mohtar) to save their own necks," said Mat Zain.
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| Pakatan promises affordable housing, after cheaper cars, free education Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:22 PM PDT Rafizi said PR's budget proposals will be backed up by background costing. (The Malaysian Insider) - Pakatan Rakyat's (PR) budget proposals next week will highlight affordable housing, a touchy subject that urbanites and unionists have asked the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) to act on as house prices are rising faster than income levels. The federal opposition coalition had earlier promised to slash vehicles prices and offer free tertiary education, and the move on housing prices is seen as a sweetener to win more support to capture Putrajaya in the next general election which must be held by middle 2013. PKR strategy director Rafizi Ramli said the PR budget proposals, to be unveiled on September 24 by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, will address the two issues which are driving housing prices up. "The first reason is speculation. There is no denying that Barisan Nasional has been trying to counter this by controlling credit for housing but this textbook style in dealing with the issue is too late," he told The Malaysian Insider, saying credit restrictions were not working as speculators no longer approached banks for funds and instead pooled their resources. Rafizi said there was also a need to regulate developers who hand out rebates and discounts after setting prices. "They (developers) give so many rebates and discounts and deducting all this, suddenly you find that the house is only RM900,000. "But because the initial value was a million, it pushes up the base line for housing prices," he added. He said there were a lot of "nitty gritty items" needing review, adding that BN's handling of the crisis was not detailed and thorough enough to curb speculation. "The government has also abdicated the role of providing housing to private contractors, so now we in PR have to look at different ways to balance the supply for affordable housing," Rafizi said, adding that there was no drive for contractors to build affordable houses. He said that instead of Putrajaya's move to guarantee aid to first-time homeowners through the My First Home Scheme announced in Budget 2012, PR would look into increasing the supply of affordable housing but added that the issue would not be resolved overnight. "We won't see any effects until the third year because this problem cannot be solved quickly, even in one or two years," said the trained accountant, adding it was a matter of cost and cashflow. "BN would never admit to this, but whenever we come out with a policy, we will always give a proper cashflow along with it. So I can assure everyone that the plan is sound," Rafizi said. He added that proposals in the PR budget will be backed up by background costing and would not be including the earlier policies promised by the opposition pact. "The onus is on us to prove that our plans are viable, as we have done with our car policy and even with our PTPTN policy; the figures and cashflow we provide will tally," Rafizi said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pakatan-promises-affordable-housing-after-cheaper-cars-free-education/
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| Malaysian role vexes Thai conflict Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:14 PM PDT
(Asia Times) -- PATTANI - When Malay Muslim insurgents recently staked Malaysian flags along roads, pedestrian bridges and on electricity poles across Thailand's predominantly Muslim southernmost provinces, the symbolic acts of rebellion highlighted Malaysia's often overlooked cross-border role in the deadly conflict. Although Thai officials have consistently characterized the situation as homegrown, that interpretation is stretched by the fact that many Malay Muslim Thai nationals share an ethnic and religious affinity with Malaysia's ethnic majority. Malaysia has long served as a source of sanctuary for ethnic Malay separatists who launch attacks in Thailand and flee to safety across the border. Read more at: http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/NI21Ae01.html
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| Malaysia wants to prevent homosexuality from spreading Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:11 PM PDT
(Business Standard) - Malaysia's education ministry today said it viewed the phenomenon of homosexuality seriously and wants to make sure it does not spread in schools, days after it distanced itself from 'guidelines' issued by a seminar on how to identify gay tendencies in children. Deputy Education minister, Mohd Puad Zarkashi said various measures had and would be taken, including appointing counsellors in schools to help parents understand the issue and the dangers it posed. "However, the ministry does not intend to issue set guidelines to curb the LGBT phenomenon although we realise that it is increasingly evident in this country," he told a parenting seminar on tackling the LGBT issue. Mohd Puad said the question of set guidelines did not arise, but many people might have thought that the ministry was directly involved in fighting the LGBT menace by issuing such guidelines. "Actually, we want to educate parents and expose them to the LGBT threat but the parents themselves, through the consultative council, expressed their worry over the LGBT phenomenon," he was quoted by national news agency Bernama as saying. Mohd Puad said the ministry was of the opinion that the LGBT symptoms be honestly made known to parents and teachers so that the problem involving the young, especially those still schooling, could be checked. "The time has come for the LGBT issue be discussed openly and not treat it as a taboo subject, just like when we introduced sex education in schools where we undertook various measures including naming the subject health and reproductive education," he said. Meanwhile, Shahlan Ismail, chairman of the parent teachers consultative council said that so far 11 seminars nationwide had been organised by the Council on the LGBT issue, to discuss with parents the "symptoms" and "preventive measures" as well as the dangers posed by the phenomenon. "These seminars are not aimed at encouraging the public to get rid of LGBTs as claimed by some quarters, or to use violence against them or to arrest them," Bernama quoted him as saying. |
| Dr M: Leaders can be reproached and challenged Posted: 20 Sep 2012 12:06 PM PDT
(Bernama) - "During my time (as prime minister), I was reproached by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Hitam and there were also scores of people who were angry with me," he said. Leaders can be reproached and challenged if it is felt they have strayed from the struggle to develop society and the nation, says former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. "(We do it) when we have the opportunity to do so, but not in an angry or insulting manner. We give opinions that can be taken into consideration by the leaders," he said. Speaking to reporters after a discussion on leadership at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), here yesterday, he said the leaders too must be open to challenge and reprovals. "During my time (as prime minister), I was reproached by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Musa Hitam and there were also scores of people who were angry with me," he said. Dr Mahathir said leaders must also not overstay in power and "go when it is time for them to go, although they are popular among the people". Asked how a leader would know if it is time to step down, he said: "A leader must be able to read the people's mind and there would be indications or signals for him to go." However, he said, it would be bad if the time given to a leader to lead was too short that he could not learn his job, formulate some policies and implement them. "Five years? Ten years? Some countries limit it (term) to five years. That is not good. "People need to give time to a leader unless of course if he is very bad, filling his own pocket, giving priority to his family and something like that. If he is not like that, then you allow him to stay on at least for another term". On the 13th general election, Dr Mahathir said the problem that he saw in Barisan Nasional at the moment was that there were too many people who considered themselves as the best candidates. "When not elected as candidates, these people will go all out to prevent the elected candidates from winning." He said another thing that would hinder BN from winning two-thirds majority comfortably in the elections was that the people were easily influenced by the feeling of hatred being stirred up against the government by the opposition. |
| Najib’s turn at Google Hangout, aims for cyber-savvy crowd Posted: 19 Sep 2012 03:36 PM PDT
Jahabar Sadiq, The Malaysian Insider Datuk Seri Najib Razak will host a Google Hangout on September 29, becoming the second Malaysian politician to connect with IT-savvy Malaysians especially youths who form a distinct demographic of the 13 million eligible to vote in the next general election. The Malaysian Insider understands that the prime minister will answer questions in the hour-long session in the online forum from 4pm that Saturday, a day after he tables the Budget 2013 proposals in Parliament. The budget is the last one before elections that must be called by middle 2013. "Datuk Seri Najib is having a Google Hangout on September 29 at 4pm and this will add to other efforts in cyberspace," a source told The Malaysian Insider. It is learnt that his communication team is working on the details of the Google Hangout and an advertising campaign to promote the event, which will centre on the government's efforts to develop the country into a high-income developed nation by 2020. It is also understood that Najib, who is finance minister, will also answer questions about the Budget 2013 proposals. The Google Hangout comes at a time when the Malaysian authorities lodged an official complaint to Google and its video-sharing site YouTube about the anti-Islam film clip "Innocence of Muslims" which is seen as denigrating Prophet Muhammad and the faith, which is the country's official religion. YouTube has blocked access to the video clip from Malaysian Internet Protocol (IP) addresses but other services remain. The video-sharing site is popular in Malaysia and is mainly used by opposition politicians who want to bypass local free-to-air television stations which are either run by the state or by pro-government owners. Najib's main political foe, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, was the first politician in the country to hold a Google Hangout, which allows virtual meetings of up to 10 people or a broadcast to an online audience of millions. Anwar's event drew thousands when it was held on August 17, two days before the Eid festival when Malaysian Muslims return home to celebrate the end of the holy Ramadan fasting month. US President Barack Obama hosted a Google Hangout last January as part of his re-election campaign. The forum comes in the form of live video connections and video YouTube questions. Najib, who will seek his own mandate in the next polls, is one of the country's most popular politicians online through his blog www.1malaysia.com.my, his two Facebook accounts and his Twitter microblogging account. His main Facebook page has 1,181,087 likes against Anwar's 388,219 likes in a country which has some 12.9 million Facebook accounts.
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| Umno, PAS youth wings to hold separate protests over anti-Islam video, cartoon Posted: 19 Sep 2012 02:12 PM PDT
(The Star) - Umno Youth and PAS Youth will hold separate protests Friday over the anti-Islam video and a satirical cartoon published in a French magazine deemed insulting to Prophet Muhammad. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin said the wing, together with 10 other non-governmental organisations, will now gather at Majid Jamek in Kampung Baru "to show displeasure over the video and cartoon as well as to condemn the violence targeted at innocent people." It is learnt that PAS Youth supporters would continue with their gathering outside the American Embassy in Jalan Tun Razak. Earlier, both sides had reportedly agreed to gather in solidarity outside the embassy. "We have decided to change the venue to the Masjid Jamek due to security reasons," Khairy told a press conference Thursday. "The Home Ministry and police have advised us to break up the crowd as we are expecting more than 5,000 to join the gathering," he said.
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| Hudud feud heats up between Karpal and PAS leaders Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:50 PM PDT
(The Star) - The feud between DAP stalwart Karpal Singh and PAS leaders over the implementation of hudud laws has heightened. The DAP chairman insisted that he had every right to object to the implementation of hudud despite PAS' warning for him not to meddle in its internal affairs. Karpal said PAS, being only a component party in Pakatan Rakyat, should not commit the group to a policy that would have detrimental effects on its aim to attain power. "I hope PAS leaders will carefully re-evaluate the party's stand on the implementation of hudud in the country. They should do so in the interest of Pakatan. "The warning to me by PAS not to interfere in its internal affairs is clearly misplaced and unwarranted," he said in a statement here yesterday. The issue of hudud, added Karpal, could only jeopardise Pakatan's chances of gaining federal power as well as retaining the five states it won in the last general election. Hudud, he said, was not even included in Pakatan's common policy framework enshrined in the Buku Jingga. On Tuesday, PAS ulama vice-chairman Dr Mahfodz Mohamed had advised Karpal not to be a stumbling block when it came to the implementation of hudud law in the country. Karpal also implied that it was pointless to pursue the hudud agenda as even the Kelantan Syariah Criminal Code Enactment was void. Reminding PAS leaders that the Federal Constitution was the supreme law of the land, the DAP stalwart said there was no place for hudud in secular Malaysia. Karpal also described it a matter of "grave disturbance" that PAS' upper echelon leaders were still pushing for the implementation of hudud. PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat had said the implementation of hudud should not be delayed because it was a religious obligation. PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib and several other leaders had also said they would not forgo the hudud agenda. Only the Anwarinas in PAS, including Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad, had called for an end to free airing of views on hudud as it would jeopardise their performance in the elections.
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| Actress sues California man behind anti-Muslim film Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:41 PM PDT (Reuters) - LOS ANGELES: An actress in an anti-Islam film that triggered violent protests across the Muslim world sued a California man linked to its production yesterday for fraud and slander, saying she had received death threats after the video was posted on YouTube. Actress Cindy Lee Garcia, who also named Google Inc and its YouTube unit as defendants, asked that the film be removed from YouTube and said her right to privacy had been violated and her life endangered, among other allegations. It was the first known civil lawsuit connected to the making of the film that has circulated online as a 13-minute trailer, including under the title "Innocence of Muslims." The film, which portrays the Prophet Mohammad as a womanizer and a fool, helped generate a torrent of violence across the Muslim world last week. The US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed in an attack in Benghazi. US and other foreign embassies were stormed in cities in Asia, Africa and the Middle East by furious Muslims. Garcia accused a producer of the movie, whom she identified as Nakoula Basseley Nakoula along with the alias Sam Bacile, of duping her into appearing in a "hateful" film that she had been led to believe was a simple desert adventure movie. "There was no mention of 'Mohammed' during filming or on set. There were no references made to religion nor was there any sexual content of which Ms. Garcia was aware," said the lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court. For many Muslims, any depiction of the prophet is blasphemous. Caricatures deemed insulting in the past have provoked protests and drawn condemnation from officials, preachers, ordinary Muslims and many Christians. "This lawsuit is not an attack on the First Amendment nor on the right for Americans to say what they think, but does request that the offending content be removed from the Internet," the lawsuit said. The suit accuses Nakoula, Google and YouTube of invasion of privacy, unfair business practices, the use of Garcia's likeness without permission and intentional infliction of emotional distress. A representative for Nakoula's criminal attorney declined to comment on the lawsuit. "We are reviewing the complaint and will be in court tomorrow," said a Google spokesman.
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| Najib tells Chinese voters to stop ‘confrontational culture’ Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:33 PM PDT
(The Malaysian Insider) - Datuk Seri Najib Razak has urged voters from the Chinese community to shun what he called the confrontational culture adopted since Election 2008 in making demands, in a Malaysia Day letter sent out to voters by Barisan Nasional's (BN) campaign machinery in Selangor.
The letter, written in Chinese, appeared targeted at younger voters who are Chinese-educated — with the demographic considered a major supporter of public protests and gatherings such as the last few Bersih rallies.  The Malaysia Day letter which BN sent to primarily Chinese-educated voters in Selangor. Chinese voters are also seen as leaning heavily in favour of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties. "After the March 2008 elections, we have found that the non-confrontational culture had vanished into thin air, to be replaced by a confrontational approach. "Even if we acknowledge street demonstrations and openly debate sensitive subjects as a right of the public, should we not also consider whether a confrontational approach is the right way to solve problems and to push for reforms?" said Najib. The letter sent by Selangor BN was signed by Najib as prime minister and state BN chairman. In the letter, the PM did not cite examples of the confrontational approaches allegedly adopted by voters. But the BN administration has been rocked in recent years by two major public rallies organised by the Bersih electoral reform movement. Police action in violently clamping down on both rallies has hurt the BN government's popularity. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-tells-chinese-voters-to-stop-confrontational-culture/ |
| Umno will never regain Selangor Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:25 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - If the voter swing remains at 7% in the coming general election, then Barisan Nasional will likely be left with less than 90 seats.
The general election is expected to be held very soon and that will be the best time for Umno. Later dates would place Umno in a very precarious position to do damage control on issues that are coming out of the woodwork. Also, Umno thinks that what it has done in terms of handing money and cash to the public is sufficient to bring back the voters that it lost in the 2008 general election. We are not going to dispute that assessment. But we are not going to overrate its chances in getting back what it has lost either. On average, the vote swing towards the opposition in 2008 was around 12%. With all the money it has given out, all the propaganda it is dishing out through the audio-visual and Umno-owned new media, it has probably succeeded in getting back at the most 5%. That still leaves a 7% vote swing in favour of Pakatan Rakyat on the whole. If the swing remains at 7%, Barisan Nasional will likely be left with less than 90 seats. They are out! Umno will never regain Selangor Meanwhile, in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory with 11 parliamentary seats, Pakatan still has a surplus of 15%. That is assuming that while Umno went on the offensive, Pakatan has been sleeping. In Selangor specifically, bearing in mind the water issue, I predict the vote swing will stay around 15%. With a 15% vote swing, how will Pakatan fare in Selangor? Umno can only retain the current six parliamentary seats it has if over the past four years Umno has managed to regained 18% of the swing votes it lost in 2008. But that is very unlikely given the gangster-style manner Umno is taking to recapture Selangor. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/09/20/umno-will-never-regain-selangor/
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| Battle between ‘familiarity’ and ‘change’ Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:23 PM PDT
(Free Malaysia Today) - Can PKR's Rafizi Ramli persuade loyal Pandan voters to veer away from their hardworking two-term Barisan Nasional MP Ong Tee Keat in the coming polls? It will be a battle of many titans in the coming 13th general election. Perhaps, one of the most watched and hotly contested seats in Selangor will be the Pandan parliamentary constituency. To date, speculation is rife that PKR's Rafizi Ramli, 35, will likely challenge MCA's incumbent Ong Tee Keat, 56, provided the latter is still slotted to re-contest in the Pandan seat. Ong is currently serving his second term. Unperturbed by his uncertain political career and resolutely serving his constituents, Ong is also playing his card close to his chest. Since Ong lost his party presidential post – in a three-cornered contest at an extraordinary MCA-AGM election in 2010 – to his arch nemesis Dr Chua Soi Lek, he has been sidelined by his party. However, close supporters in Pandan claimed that Ong has been constantly facing internal sabotages carried out by hidden hands from the higher-ups in his party. His detractors have deliberately spun endless rumours and speculations to discredit his loyalty to his coalition partner, Barisan Nasional. But Ong took it all in his stride, kept his silence and continued his focus on his constituency services. Kelvin Ang, 48, founding publisher of the Malaysia Book of Records (Chinese edition), in commenting on Ong's track record, said: "Since the 2008 [electoral] tsunami, Tee Keat has never stop serving the constituents. "He never bad-mouthed his party predecessors or his critics." Recalling an incident which indicated Ong's commitment to his constituency, Ang said: "I remember on one occasion, Tee Keat had a bleeding nose for having had to walk under the hot weather visiting the constituents. "The next day, he had a plaster across his nose but he still showed up for another event," Ong told FMT. It is this trait in Ong that Rafizi has found "challenging" in the latter's quest for the Pandan seat. Ong admired Rafizi said Ong's success in the previous general election was due to voters' "familiarity" with him, but was doubtful if a similar feat can be achieved in the next general election. According to Rafizi, the next tsunami will drown out Ong's performance record as the majority of the voters want a complete change of national government. What will voters from Pandan want? Will they overwhelmingly vote for "change" hence, rejecting a "familiar" member of parliament who has served them with a personal touch for the past years? As a staunch Buddhist, Ong has many admirers in his constituency. "Tee Keat is straightforward. His distaste for corruption is known within his circle of supporters. That's why those opportunists and pretentious people from his own party do not speak highly of him because they do not get any benefits from any organised charity events," said a local NGO leader CL Liew, 61, who has known Ong for the past 23 years. "Tee Keat is particularly concerned with public safety and his strong, generous support for Rukun Tetangga – providing uniforms and transport logistic vehicles like battery-driven bicycles – was much appreciated. Buddhist organisations and mosques also received much assistance from him during cultural and religious celebrations," Liew said. There are many areas of concern (in Pandan), Ong told FMT. "Pandan's constituency profile comprises middle-income and poor residents. Hence, the large numbers of apartments, low-cost flats and pockets of squatters in the area." "This led to the problem of stratified property management for the medium-cost apartments and condominiums. I think the situation is rather bad. "Problems like flooding and soil erosion are also emerging. For example, Taman Putra, Bukit Permai and Cheras Baru were hit with soil erosion recently, which had never happened before," Ong said, adding that there is a need for more expert management to cope with these concerns. He said that was one reason he had set up a "special squad" to identify areas of neglect to tackle the various problems like garbage collection, road repairs, clogged drains besides upgrading the quality of life of the residents like providing more recreational facilities in green lung areas and children's playground. "The high residential density has also given rise to the need for regular free medical check-ups for the elderly. Mobile clinics, acupuncture services, specialised health screening sessions [ultra sonic screening of digestive tracts] for the poor income group are organised by networking with the various local NGOs, which have been very successful. A haemodialysis centre is also ready to provide services at Taman Maju Jaya in the constituency," he added. Will it be a referendum? For education, Ong said the list of services included free tuition classes for students sitting for the SPM and UPSR examinations. Many long-serving supporters like Ang and Liew acknowledged that Ong is an MP who walked the talk. "For more than 20 years, Tee Keat had served his constituency well and we hope he will be given another chance to re-contest in Pandan," Liew said. Will the fight in Pandan be a referendum for "change" or "personalised services" between Rafizi and Ong? Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2012/09/20/battle-between-familiarity-and-change/
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| Guidelines for women bosses spark outcry Posted: 19 Sep 2012 01:03 PM PDT  (The Star) - The dust on the gay guidelines has barely settled before a new one has surfaced this time, directed at female bosses. The guidelines (pic) are listed in the Health Ministry's MedikTV Facebook page and feature eight "tips" on how to be a "good female boss". It was uploaded as a photo link but has been taken down at press time. The tips, written in Bahasa Malaysia, advised women to "banyak berbincang dengan orang bawahan, khususnya pekerja lelaki" (have many discussions with your subordinates, especially male workers). It also advocated they "pandai mengambil hati orang bawahan" (be smart in winning your subordinates' hearts) and "jangan menunjuk ego kuasa di depan orang bawahan terutama semasa memberi arahan" (don't flaunt your ego and power in front of your subordinates, especially when giving orders). However, the ministry has been quick to express its strong disapproval of the photo, with Deputy Health Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin saying MedikTV had apologised for the post. "It has also given a guarantee that all posts after this will not be prejudicial in nature or side any party," she said in an SMS. Rosnah also stressed that the guidelines had not been published by the ministry and had nothing to do with "any of the concepts or campaigns introduced by MOH". MedikTV also posted an apology on its Facebook page, stressing that the posts were not ministry policy. "This is our responsibility. All feedback should be channelled to us without involving other parties," it said. An online news portal reported that the Information Department had also shared the photo on its Facebook page on Tuesday. However, both links on the MedikTV and Info Department's Facebook pages had been removed at press time. Facebook users had described the guidelines as sexist and discriminatory. |
| Waytha still a ‘national threat’? Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:53 PM PDT
(The Sun Daily) - Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P. Waythamoorthy, 46, was prohibited from leaving the country on Tuesday after being told by airport officials he was classified as a "threat to national security" in the immigration department's records.
Waytha, who spent five years in self-exile in the UK, was held up at the LCCT, Sepang while checking in for a Manila flight at 5.30pm. "It was a business trip and it has gone to waste as a result. This is absolutely ridiculous. I had no problems entering the country last month. I was told by immigration officers that the police have classified me as a national threat, and I am not allowed to leave the country," he told theSun. He learnt the immigration had clarified that the prohibition order was issued by the police in 2007 and it may be outdated. Waytha lodged a report against Immigration Director Datuk Alias Ahmad, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein at 11am today at the Travers police station, claiming the prohibition was a breach of human rights. "The restriction should have been removed if it is outdated. I am leaving for London on Saturday and I hope to not face similar problems," he said. Waythamoorthy said he would institute legal action against the relevant parties if the prohibition remains active. Officials from the police, immigration and Home Ministry were not reachable for responses. Waythamoorthy left the country in November 2007, fighting Hindraf's cause from overseas before returning to Malaysia last month. On Aug 2, Ismail was reported to have said that the police will monitor the movements and activities of Waythamoorthy and that no action would be taken against him as long as he abides by the law. On Aug 1, Waythamoorthy entered the country via the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex in Johor Baru with a passport issued to him on July 30 by the Malaysian High Commission in Singapore. His passport was revoked on April 2008. Upon his return, Waythamoorthy said he would not be taking sides in the country's political arena nor would Hindraf become a political party as its main duty was to champion the cause of the Indian community in the country.
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| Ad Calling Jihad ‘Savage’ Is Set to Appear in Subway Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:39 PM PDT
(New York Times) - As violent and sometimes deadly protests consume much of the Muslim world in response to an American-made video mocking the Prophet Muhammad, New Yorkers will soon encounter another potentially inflammatory rendering of Islam: an advertisement in the transit system that reads, "In any war between the civilized man and the savage, support the civilized man." It concludes with the words, "Support Israel. Defeat Jihad," wedged between two Stars of David. After rejecting the ads initially, then losing a federal court ruling on First Amendment grounds, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said on Tuesday that the ads were expected to appear next week at 10 subway stations. "Our hands are tied," Aaron Donovan, a spokesman for the authority, said when asked about the timing of the ad. In July, Judge Paul A. Engelmayer of Federal District Court in Manhattan ruled that the authority had violated the First Amendment rights of the group that sought to place the ad, the American Freedom Defense Initiative. The authority had cited the ad's "demeaning" language in barring its placement. The authority, which appealed the July ruling, also asked the judge to postpone implementing his decision until after its next board meeting on Sept. 27. But in an order late last month, Judge Engelmayer granted the agency just two more weeks to revise its ad policy or to seek a further stay from an appellate court. It has done neither. Now, the authority finds itself in a precarious position. The American Freedom Defense Initiative has also purchased ad space in Washington, but the transit authority there said Tuesday that it had "deferred" the ad's placement "out of a concern for public safety, given current world events." A similar option is not available to New York's transportation authority because of the court order, according to the agency. Mr. Donovan said the authority might consider revising its ad policy at its board meeting next week. Pamela Geller, the executive director of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, said in an e-mail Tuesday that transit officials in Washington were "kowtowing to the threat of jihad terrorism." She added that recent events in the Middle East had not given her pause "for a second" about posting the ads in New York. "I will never cower before violent intimidation, and stop telling the truth because doing so is dangerous," she said. "Freedom must be vigorously defended." She added, "If someone commits violence, it is his responsibility and no one else's." The group has also advertised at Metro-North Railroad stations, with posters that cite "deadly Islamic attacks" since Sept. 11 and read, "It's not Islamophobia, it's Islamorealism." The transportation authority has said it did not try to block these ads because they did not meet the agency's threshold for "demeaning" language, as the ad referring to a "savage" had. Muneer Awad, the executive director of the New York chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said the ads were an attempt to "define Muslims" through hate speech. "We're encouraging American Muslims to go out there and define themselves," he said. Mr. Awad added that the group had not called for the ads' removal, though it has asked the transportation authority to redirect funds it receives for the ads to the city's Human Rights Commission. "It's perfectly legal to be a bigot and to be a racist," he said. "We want to make sure there's a counter-voice."
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| Dr M: Najib’s cash handouts ‘very close’ to vote buying Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:34 PM PDT
Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad admitted today that the Najib administration's penchant for handing out cash to Malaysians through its various people-centric policies was "very close" to vote buying. But the former prime minister said the government was running out of time with polls drawing closer as the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition needed a bigger mandate to tighten its grasp on Putrajaya. "I do not believe in giving money to the people. I believe in giving facilities. But I think when a government has no time and they are facing an election, they make a decision that is easy," Dr Mahathir said in his keynote address at the Perdana Leadership Foundation's CEO Forum 2012 here. "If you give people money, then they should support (you). Maybe it is not vote-buying... but it is very close to that," he said, to laughter from the audience. The government is expected to announce a second round of RM500 cash handouts to lower-income households when Budget 2013 is tabled next week, in a move that is seen as giving Najib and his BN pact's ratings a boost ahead of polls expected soon. The first round of handouts under the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (BR1M) programme, which involved some five million families and cost taxpayers RM2.6 billion, saw Najib's approval ratings shoot up to 69 per cent, largely due to a surge of support from low-income households. Throughout his address, Dr Mahathir repeatedly mentioned the Najib administration's cash handouts, at one point even saying that "he (Najib) has a lot of money". "Now we have a new man as the head (of government)," he said when recalling the succession of prime ministers after he stepped down in 2003. "I won't say anything bad about him because I support BN. "The only thing I'm going to say is that he has a lot of money and he is giving away money to everyone. "During my time, I didn't give away money. I could have even given money to myself but I didn't. I think I made a mistake there," he said in jest. Najib will table the Budget on September 28 and besides the fresh BR1M handout, he is expected to announce other measures to boost domestic spending and the economy in a bid to head off a worsening economic outlook as he prepares to call his first general election. The economy grew at a surprising pace of 5.4 per cent in the second quarter, blowing away economists' expectations and potentially giving rise to a feel-good factor ahead of the general election. But the good news is not expected to last, as the global outlook is likely to affect Malaysian exports. Malaysia's surprisingly strong second-quarter economic growth despite weakening exports was largely due to the buffer of ongoing construction projects and increased spending attributed to civil servant salary hikes and government cash handouts, say economists, which could point to uneven growth in the months ahead. This means many ordinary Malaysians are not feeling the positive effects of economic growth, making the second BR1M handouts necessary to continue maintaining any economic momentum. A number of international ratings agencies also say that Malaysia has yet to present a convincing plan to tackle the twin fiscal threats of its federal budget deficit and federal debt even though strains on its credit profile are increasing. The ratio of federal government debt to GDP reached 51.8 per cent at end-2011 despite strong GDP growth but barring a further deterioration in the global economy, the government should be able to meet its 2012 deficit target of 4.7 per cent of GDP. The opposition Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has criticised the Najib administration for what it says is vote buying by the BN government through public spending in the form of various handouts such as the BR1M.
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| Free speech or incitement? French mag runs cartoons of Prophet Mohammed Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:33 PM PDT
(CNN) - After a week of deadly, international protests against an anti-Islam film, a French satirical magazine is fueling the debate between freedom of expression and offensive provocation. The magazine Charlie Hebdo published cartoons featuring a figure resembling the Prophet Mohammed in an issue that hit newsstands Wednesday. Magazine director Stephane Charbonnier said his staff is "not really fueling the fire," but rather using its freedom of expression "to comment (on) the news in a satirical way." "It happens that the news this week is Mohammed and this lousy film, so we are drawing cartoons about this subject," Charbonnier told CNN affiliate BFM-TV on Wednesday. "It's more turning in derision this grotesque film than to make fun of Mohammed." The "lousy film" he's referring to is "Innocence of Muslims," an amateurish, 14-minute video that mocks the Prophet Mohammed as a womanizer, child molester and killer. The video drew international attention last week and spawned heated protests in more than a dozen countries. Any depiction of Islam's prophet is considered blasphemy by many Muslims. France will close embassies and schools in about 20 countries on Friday, the main Muslim day of prayer, as a precaution, the Foreign Ministry said Wednesday. It is already boosting security in some locations. There has been no violence reported as a result of the cartoons so far. They were published just a day after hundreds of Muslims took to Twitter to satirize the U.S. magazine Newsweek's cover story on "Muslim Rage." Muslims posted tongue-in-cheek tweets about what enrages them, such as having a really good hair day but no one knowing because you wear a hijab. Hend Amry, who posted that tweet as @LibyaLiberty, said Charlie Hebdo's latest cartoons were a cynical attempt to inflate sales. Opinion: Media don't get #MuslimRage She compared it to the French magazine that printed topless photos of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge last week. "Like printing tawdry pics of (Catherine) Middleton -- lowbrow rating booster," she said. "If we're going to chart it on the Muslim insult-o-meter, it is less inflammatory than the 'film,' but does continue the East/West divide we see," she told CNN. Charlie Hebdo journalist Laurent Leger said the magazine has shown Muslim men and Muslim extremists in the past, but does not explicitly state that the cartoons are depictions of the Prophet Mohammed. Rather, he said, the cartoons are open to interpretation. "The aim is to laugh. We want to laugh at the extremists -- every extremist. They can be Muslim, Jewish, Catholic. Everyone can be religious, but extremist thoughts and acts we cannot accept," Leger said. Hend Amry said she didn't believe that was really the magazine's intention. "No it isn't. It's for ratings," she said. Leger said the magazine was within its rights. "In France, we always have the right to write and draw. And if some people are not happy with this, they can sue us and we can defend ourselves. That's democracy. You don't throw bombs, you discuss, you debate. But you don't act violently. We have to stand and resist pressure from extremism." The cartoons are already drawing strong condemnation by the French Muslim community. Mohammed Moussaoui, president of the French Council of Muslim Faith, described a feeling of "indignation against this new Islamophobic act" to BFM-TV. He said the cartoons are "insulting for the prophet of Islam," and described their publication as a "new provocation." French authorities have already taken precautionary measures, with police vehicles parked outside the offices of Charlie Hebdo late Tuesday. The offices were the scene of an attack last November, when they were burned on the day the magazine was due to publish an issue with a cover appearing to make fun of Islamic law. The cover featured a bearded and turbaned cartoon figure of the Prophet Mohammed saying, "100 lashes if you're not dying of laughter." The magazine received threats after it announced that the edition would be guest-edited by the Prophet Mohammed and dedicated to the Arab Spring, Charbonnier told BFM-TV in November. The cartoonist known as Luz has been under police protection since last year, when one of his illustrations depicting the Prophet Mohammed was featured on the cover of that issue. Luz told CNN the latest cartoons depicting Mohammed are not featured on the cover. "We learned our lesson," Luz said. French Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault weighed in on the debate Tuesday, expressing "his disapproval of any excess" and appealing "to the spirit of responsibility of each," according to a statement from his office. "The prime minister states that the freedom of speech makes up one of the fundamental principles of our republic. This freedom is expressed within the confines of the law and under the control of the courts," the statement read. Outside the country, security at French embassies have been reinforced, French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said. "I am against all provocations, especially during a period as sensitive as this one. I do not see any usefulness in such provocation," he told the radio station France Info. "There must be freedom of speech, but I am absolutely opposed to any provocation." France has seen rising tensions over its rapidly growing Muslim minority -- the largest Muslim population in western Europe. Last year, the country banned the wearing of Islamic veils and other face coverings, claiming they were both degrading and a security risk. Belgium has passed similar legislation, and Switzerland banned the building of minarets, the tall spires which often stand next to mosques.
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| Dr M: BN won’t get supermajority Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:27 PM PDT The influential former prime minister says Najib's government is weak. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Influential former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad today described the Najib government as weak and predicted that it will not gain the much-needed parliamentary supermajority in the upcoming polls. Malaysia's longest-serving premier said the present government under Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was too focused on "surviving" after its record losses in the 2008 general election, meaning it could not make "strong decisions" needed to push the country forward. Mahathir had in the past hinted repeatedly that Najib was making concessions to popular and opposition demands to shore up support and warned that this could weaken his administration. Speaking at the 2012 Perdana Global CEO Forum here today, the country's fourth prime minister said he would not "say anything bad" of Najib's performance now but hinted that it was too occupied with wooing voters at the expense of development. "I think Barisan Nasional will win but I think the majority will not be so good," he said in his keynote address entitled "What to expect post-13th general election". "If you ask me, will BN deliver after it wins? Today the government is not strong… it is trying to survive. What it is doing is just surviving. When a government is only trying to survive, it cannot focus on development." Mahathir also hinted that Najib, an unelected prime minister who took office in April 2009, was splashing out cash to woo voters and hinted that it was almost "close to vote buying". Spending a lot of money "I won't say anything bad about Najib. I'm supposed to be campaigning for him but what I can tell you is, he is spending a lot of money. I wish I could have done that but we didn't have that much money then," he joked. The former premier had often dodged rating Najib's performance in the past, repeatedly saying that he would avoid giving negative feedbacks. Observers interpret Mahathir's response as a hint that the outlook on Najib's leadership and approach to redeem BN's losses in 2008 was not good. And while he is seen campaigning hard to ensure the ruling coalition stays in power, analysts said this does not necessarily translate into endorsement for Najib. Today, Mahathir again urged voters to be mindful of voting in the opposition, saying that although the present administration may have its weaknesses, the country can improve with only a reshuffle in leadership. He said voting the opposition into power could be disastrous and the voters will have to "pay the price" when most of the policies of the opposition are in place. BN claimed most of the ideas proposed by Pakatan Rakyat were populist and unrealistic. Pakata had promised to raise oil subsidies, lower car prices and cut taxes but the government said these measures will affect revenue and hinder development.
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| Taib is worth RM45b, believe it or not Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:23 PM PDT When Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud told longhouses residents in Sungai Aup, Sibu, in 2010 that he had 'more money than he can ever spend', people understood that he was rich. But how rich, was anyone's guess. Pushparani Thilaganathan, FMT Earlier today, Swiss-based NGO, Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), threw some light when it released its report: The Taib Timber Mafia. Facts and Figures on Politically Exposed Persons from Sarawak, Malaysia. According to the report, Taib and his 20-member family clan are collectively worth US$21 billion (RM64 billion). Taib himself is worth US$15 billion (RM45 billion) and, according to the report, "is the richest man in Malaysia"… his wealth having been derived from "plundering the state during his three decades as Chief Minister of Sarawak". It further explains why Umno and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak cannot muscle old man Taib out of his decades-old political seat. Also wallowing in wealth are Taib's better known siblings Onn Mahmud, Tufail Mahmud, Raziah Mahmud and his children Mahmud Bekir, Sulaiman Rahman, Jamilah and Hanifah. Also in this elite loop is his first cousin Hamid Sepawi. Lesser known to the masses are Taib's 12 other clan members, also "business magnets" worth millions in US dollar. Disclosing these financial details in a 45-page report released in Brussels in conjunction with the visit of the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, Bernard Dompok, to the European Union, BMF noted that "godfather" Taib and his family may have more "assets hidden in offshore districts", which may be untraceable. "The facts and figures of the Taib family are merely the tip of the iceberg as many family assets are likely to be hidden overseas or in offshore districts where information is virtually impossible to obtain." But the extensive research into Taib's business in Malaysia and overseas had, however, uncovered the vast dimensions of the family's illicit assets. "This report aims to build up international pressure against the corrupt Taib family and provide investigating bodies, journalists, Sarawakians and interested parties with detailed evidence on the Taib financial empire. "The report also aims to demonstrate the financial and political control that Taib has over Sarawak and provides profiles on the chief minister and his family members, all of whom have financially benefited from the destruction of Sarawak's rainforest," it said. The reports claimed that Taib abused his position as chief minister, state finance minister, and planning and resources minister, to award his family members with timber and palm oil concessions, state contracts and directorships in Sarawak's largest companies. It notes that in 2009, his three ministries controlled 49.6% of the state's operating expenditure of RM1.19 billion (US% 391 million) and 80% of the state's development expenditure of RM3.08 billion (US$1.01 billion), with the other 10 ministers sharing the rest. Overflowing wealth Detailing the wealth list of the Taib clan, the report said that the second richest man in Malaysia was Taib's brother Onn Mahmud, who is worth US$2 billion (RM6 billion). Also sharing the billionaire tag with a net worth of US%1.5 billion (RM4.5 billion) and US$1 billion (RM3 billion) respectively were Taib's elder son Mahmud Bekir and his Canada-based socialite daughter Jamilah Taib-Murray. His two other children – the "invisible" Kota Samarahan MP, Sulaiman Rahman, is worth US$300 million (RM900 million) while and daughter Hanifah has US$400 million (RM1.2 billion) to her name. Taib's sibling Onn Mahmud has an alleged net worth of US$1.5 billion (RM4.5 billion) and is the second richest man in Malaysia, while his other brother Tufail has US$600 million (RM1.8 billion) and sister Raziah is worth US$500 million (RM1.5 billion). Other siblings noted in the report are Arip Mahmud who is worth US$100 million (RM300 million), Ibrahim Mahmud and Ali Mahmud at US$20 million (RM60 million) each. His sister Ferdahanum and Zaleha are worth US$10 million (RM30 million) each while the net worth of another sister Aisah Zainab is not known. Also mentioned in the report is Taib's cousin Hamid Sepawi who made the Forbes Asia 2012 list . Hamid, who is the founder of Ta Ann Group, a timber conglomerate, is worth US$175 million (RM535 million), according to the list. Next in line is Taib's in-laws. His daughter Jamilah's husband, Sean Murray, is worth US$10 million (RM30 million) while Hanifah's spouse Syed Ahmad enjoys US$20 million (RM60 million) in assets. Of his brother-in laws, Robert Geneid (Raziah's spouse) has US$10 million (RM30 million) and Ferdahanum's man Abdul Aziz Husain has US$20 million (RM60 million).
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| Freeze Taib’s accounts, govts told Posted: 18 Sep 2012 11:20 PM PDT A Swiss NGO has lumped Taib Mahmud together with 'money launderers' Indonesian president Suharto and Philippines' Marcos. (FMT) - Swiss NGO, Bruno Manser Fund (BMF), has reiterated its call for governments and banks around the globe to freeze the assets of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud and his family. It has also called on anti-corruption and anti-money-laundering authorities worldwide to investigate the Taib family's business activities. In a statement issued in conjunction with the release of its report 'The Taib Timber Mafia. Facts and Figures on Politically Exposed Persons from Sarawak, Malaysia' in Brussels, Belgium earlier today, BMF said the Taibs could be compared to Indonesia's president Suharto and president Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines. "The Taibs are being compared to the Suharto and Marcos clans who have also stolen billions from their countries. "According to Transparency International, former Indonesian president Suharto had embezzled US$15 to US$35 billion, while former Philippines president Ferdinand Marcos is thought to have stolen between US$20 and US$900 billion. "We want the governments and banks around the globe to freeze Taib family assets. "These assets should be frozen and restituted to the people of Sarawak, and the Taib family and their co-conspirators should be prosecuted for corruption, abuse of public funds, fraud, money laundering, tax evasion and other related crimes," noted the statement, alluding to the report which detailed Taib and his family's extensive wealth. According to the report, which was released to coincide with the visit by the Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister, Bernard Dompok, to the European Union, Taib and his 20-member clan are worth US$21 billion (RM64 billion). And the extensive wealth, the report claims, was derived "through the almost complete political and economic control of Sarawak" over the past three decades. "Taib Mahmud has systematically plundered a country once rich in natural resources, particularly oil, gas and timber. While the proceeds of the oil and gas extraction are mostly benefiting Malaysia's federal government, the Sarawak state government enjoys total autonomy as to the use of the state's forest resources and state lands. "The Bruno Manser Fund estimates the combined net worth of 20 Taib family members at close to US$21 billion, which have been acquired through the almost complete political and economic control of Sarawak, over three decades. "In particular, the Taibs have established monopolies over the granting of timber and plantation concessions, the export of timber to third countries, the maintenance of public roads as well as over the production and sale of cement and a number of other construction materials," it said. Taib's assets being monitored Taib, an impoverished carpenter's son, has been helming Sarawak since 1981. According to the report, his personal wealth now stands at US$15 billion (RM45 billion), making him the richest man in Malaysia. The second richest man in Malaysia is his brother Onn Mahmud with a net worth of US$1.5 billion (RM4.5 billion). Both have been closely linked to logging scandals dating back to 1981, the year Taib assumed the chief minister's post. The report cited two key scandals – one in 2007 and another in 2008. "In 2007, a scandal exposed by the Japanese tax authorities revealed that tens of millions of US dollars had been paid in secret, illegal kickbacks by Japanese shipping companies exporting timber from Sarawak. "The money was paid directly to Hong Kong companies linked to the chief minister's brother, Onn Mahmud. The Japanese cartel concluded an agreement in 1981 with Malaysia's Dewan Niaga Sarawak regarding lumber transport. "Dewan Niaga is a state-affiliated agency in charge of lumber export control and is headed by Onn Mahmud, one of Taib's brothers. "In 2008, Indonesian newspaper, Tribun Pontianak, revealed that around 30 shipments of illegal Indonesian logs were imported into Sarawak and re-exported to other countries every month. Chief Minister Taib Mahmud was implicated in this timber scam," the report noted.
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| Fake website or serious opposition mouthpiece? - PBS Posted: 18 Sep 2012 05:24 PM PDT
(Bernama) - Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) has urged Malaysians in Sabah to look at the website http://suarapakatanrakyat.com/ postings since August 2011 to judge for themselves whether Suara Pakatan Rakyat is a fake website or a serious opposition mouthpiece created specifically to discredit Barisan Nasional (BN) in a systematic manner. PBS has described the opposition's denial and calls for evidence to link the blog to Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) as a desperate attempt to distance itself from the controversial but popular pro-opposition blog. PBS assistant secretary-general Daniel Kinsik said the PBS police report and subsequent statement (over an article) did not point finger specifically at PKR, but rather the blog and the blogger whose writings were obviously pro-opposition and critical of BN. PKR Sabah deputy secretary-general Darrel Leiking had earlier challenged PBS secretary-general Datuk Henrynus Amin to produce evidence to link PKR to the blog. "What evidence is Darrel talking about when the PBS police report simply urged the police to investigate the seditious nature of the article," said Daniel in a statement, here, today. "Why is he so jumpy when nothing is said to specifically accuse PKR of being the author of the blog? Does he know something we do not know?" What is there to be afraid of? "As a lawyer, Darrel should read the PBS police report and subsequent statement, before jumping to conclusion merely based on sensational headlines created by the editors to add spark," he said. Daniel said PKR Kadazandusun and Murut leaders were confused and started acting strange as the controversial article mocking the Sumazau dance must weigh heavily on their conscience as opposition leaders, knowing very well Suara Pakatan Rakyat is a mouthpiece for the opposition agenda. "Notwithstanding the police investigation, PBS' stand is that the article in the Suara Pakatan Rakyat blog is seditious in nature and seems to be the work of those closely linked to the opposition agenda. "If indeed Pakatan Rakyat has nothing to do with the controversial blog, they should take legal action to stop Suara Pakatan Rakyat from further publishing, using a name closely identical to theirs," he said. However, Daniel said, the people of Sabah would not be easily fooled by the opposition denial, as Darrel's antics merely reinforced public suspicion that Pakatan Rakyat was desperate and afraid of the unexpected turn of events against them.
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| Zakir Naik’s host defends invite Posted: 18 Sep 2012 05:12 PM PDT Saba Islamic Media invites non-Muslims to the controversial orator's talks. G Vinod, FMT Saba Islamic Media today defended its invitation of controversial Islamic orator Dr Zakir Naik to give talks in Malaysia, saying its purpose was to promote harmony among people of various religions. Saba spokesman Shakirin Kakulal Govindji said his organisation was inviting non-Muslims to Naik's talks and would give them priority during the question-and-answer sessions. News that the Mumbai-born physician-turned-orator was coming to Malaysia next week has caused fierce debate on the Internet, with some commentators alleging that Naik has often insulted non-Islamic faiths in his talks. "We are a multi-religious country and we want to maintain the peace and harmony in Malaysia," Govindji told FMT. "In the past 20 years, Saba Islamic Media has worked towards building bridges with people of different faiths in the country." He said that among Saba's objectives in inviting Naik was to have him clarify Islamic views on unity among people of all faiths, the Islamic perspective on modern science, and Muslims' misconception of terrorism and jihad. Naik is scheduled to deliver a series of talks between next week and Oct 7 at several venues, including the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC). Govindji said there would be a non-Muslim panellist at the PWTC event. "We also invite non-Muslims to attend the talks," he said. "Priority will be given to them to pose questions. Rest assured that no one will stop you. "So I urge those who disagree with Zakir's thoughts to put forward your rebuttals and allow him to answer them. Zakir has agreed to end the sessions late to accommodate all questions." Govindji also explained his own views on inter-faith harmony. He said that although there were doctrinal differences between religions, this did not mean that people of different faiths could not unite on common ground.
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| Duo’s application struck out in RPK suit Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:48 PM PDT
(The Star) - The High Court here has struck out an application by two lieutenant colonels to amend their statement of claim in a defamation suit filed against blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin. High Court judge Justice Su Geok Yiam dismissed the application after ruling that the issues for amendment brought up by Lt-Col Abdul Aziz Buyong and Lt-Col Norhayati Hassan were matters of evidence rather than fact. She also ruled that there had been no satisfactory explanation for the delay in the amendment. No date has been set for the next mention. Raja Petra was charged with defaming Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor and the two senior military officers in a statutory declaration made at the Jalan Duta court complex on June 18, 2008. However, the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court subsequently granted him a discharge not amounting to an acquittal over the charge. The two lieutenant colonels have since filed separate RM1mil defamation suits against him.
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| White House: Libya attack may have been preplanned Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:13 PM PDT
(Yahoo News) - THE White House on Tuesday explicitly left open the possibility that last week's dramatic attack on the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, which left four Americans including U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens dead, was a preplanned attack. Press secretary Jay Carney suggested the assault could have been the work of an armed group looking to "take advantage" of unrest he blamed on an anti-Islam video available online. Carney repeatedly described that footage as the "precipitating" cause of the protests and the violence targeting American diplomatic posts in Egypt, Libya, Sudan, Tunisia and elsewhere.
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| 'Fatwa' to kill issued against anti-Islam filmmaker Posted: 18 Sep 2012 02:04 PM PDT
(Agencies) - A Fatwa was issued against filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula amidst warnings from Hizbollah of dangerous repercussions if the anti-Islam film is released in full. Hizbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah called the film the "worst attack ever on Islam". Hizbollah warned of "very dangerous" global repercussions if an anti-Islam film is released in its entirety, as a fatwa was issued against the film's producer who has gone into hiding with his family. The warning from Hizbollah's Hassan Nasrallah came as the death toll from a week of violence sparked by the movie rose to 19. An eruption of Muslim anger over a trailer of the American-made film that appeared on the internet has spread across the world, taking hold Monday in Afghanistan, Indonesia, the West Bank, the Philippines and Yemen. Tens of thousands of demonstrators poured into the streets of southern Beirut to denounce the film at Nasrallah's request, and the head of the powerful Shiite Muslim group surprised supporters by making a rare public appearance. Nasrallah, whose Lebanese movement is blacklisted in the United States as a terrorist group, has called for a week of protests across the country over the film, describing it as the "worst attack ever on Islam". "America must understand ... the US must understand that releasing the entire film will have dangerous, very dangerous, repercussions around the world," he told the rally. The filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula, a 55-year-old Egyptian Copt and fraudster who was sentenced to 21 months in prison in the US in June 2010, has not been seen since Saturday when he was questioned by his US parole officer. The risks now facing those involved in the production of the film "Innocence of Muslims", which depicts the Prophet Mohammed as a thuggish womanizer, were underlined when a Salafist cleric in Egypt called Monday for the deaths of all those involved in its making. The film producer's family joined him in hiding, as more cast members of the film that outraged the Islamic world insisted they had been duped into making it. Before dawn on Monday, officers from the Los Angeles County sheriff's department escorted four members of Nakoula's family out of their home to be driven in unmarked police vehicles to an undisclosed location to join him. The terrorism monitoring service SITE Intelligence Group said Ahmad Fouad Ashoush issued his fatwa, or religious edict, against the cast and crew of "Innocence of Muslims" via jihadist internet forums over the weekend. "I issue a fatwa and call on the Muslim youth in America and Europe to do this duty, which is to kill the director, the producer and the actors and everyone who helped and promoted the film," the cleric said. The controversial movie has sparked a week of furious protests outside US embassies and other American symbols in at least 20 countries. In Pakistan, thousands of students burned US flags and chanted anti-American slogans in the northwestern city of Peshawar, where Osama bin Laden kept a home during the 1980s jihad against Soviet troops in adjacent Afghanistan. In the nearby district of Upper Dir, a protester was killed and two others wounded in a shoot-out with police. In Karachi, Pakistan's biggest city, another demonstrator died after being shot in the head during clashes with police near the US consulate on Sunday. The US embassy in Islamabad was closed on Monday because of the risk of demonstrations and diplomats have been banned from all but essential travel throughout the country. In neighboring Afghanistan, protests turned violent for the first time when more than 1,000 people rallied in Kabul, setting police cars and containers ablaze, police told AFP. Between 40 and 50 policemen were "very slightly wounded" by stone-throwers and members of the crowd waving sticks, said Kabul police chief Mohammad Ayoub Salangi. Google has barred access to the video of the film in Egypt, India, Indonesia, Libya and Malaysia, while the government has restricted access to Google-owned YouTube in Afghanistan. Later, Pakistan blocked access to YouTube after an order from Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to do so, following the video-sharing website's failure to take down the anti-Islam film. Attempts to access YouTube met with a message saying the website had been classed as containing "indecent material". In Jakarta, protesters hurled petrol bombs and clashed with Indonesian police outside the US embassy shouting "America, America go to hell", as demonstrations in the world's most populous Muslim nation turned violent. The capital's police chief Untung Rajab said 11 policemen and a protester were injured and taken to hospital, and that four protesters were arrested. Mass demonstrations after the main weekly Muslim prayers on Friday saw 11 protesters killed as police battled to defend US missions from mobs in Egypt, Lebanon, Sudan, Tunisia and Yemen. The unrest began in Cairo, where protesters stormed the US embassy late Tuesday, replacing the Stars and Strips with an Islamic flag. Hours later it spread to the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi, where the US consulate came under sustained attack, killing four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens. In Afghanistan, two US Marines died and six US fighter jets were destroyed when Taliban fighters on Friday stormed a giant airfield to avenge the film. The United States has deployed counterterror Marine units to Libya to protect its embassy in Tripoli and stationed two destroyers off the North African coast. A Marine unit was also dispatched to protect the US embassy in Yemen, where police shot dead four protesters and wounded 34 others on Thursday as a mob breached its perimeter. There were more protests in Yemen on Monday. The United States has evacuated all non-essential staff and family members from Sudan and Tunisia and warned US citizens against travel to the two countries. Libya said it has arrested 50 suspects in connection with the consulate attack. |
| French Mag to Publish Cartoons of Prophet Mohammed Posted: 18 Sep 2012 09:53 AM PDT The offices of the Charlie Hebdo magazine destroyed in a bomb attack in Paris, 2011 (ABC News) - A French satirical magazine is set to publish several cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed on Wednesday, a move that is likely to inflame the Islamic faithful and militants who have already rioted in more than 20 countries over a movie mocking the prophet. Depictions of the prophet are strictly prohibited and considered blasphemous by Muslims. Cartoons of Muhammad published in Denmark in 2005 and then reproduced in newspapers across Europe triggered riots throughout the Mideast and Africa. Churches and embassies were torched and at least 100 people died in the outbreaks and police crackdowns. The magazine "Charlie Hebdo" has confirmed that it will publish the cartoons, but has not revealed what they will depict. French newspaper "Le Monde" reports that some of the cartoons show the prophet in "particularly explicit poses," without providing any further detail. The move comes as Muslims are still simmering after riots in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia and nearly 20 other countries over the move "Innocence of Muslims." U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans died during an attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya. French government ministers have criticized the magazine's decision and police in Paris have stepped up security around its offices. Read more at: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2012/09/french-mag-to-publish-cartoons-of-prophet-mohammed/
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| Uproar over Ngeh’s tweet on anti-Islam video Posted: 18 Sep 2012 09:49 AM PDT
(The Star) - Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham has sparked an uproar over his tweet questioning whether Muslims were "wasting time and energy" in protesting the controversial anti-Islam Innocence of Muslims video clip. Politicians from both sides of the divide banded together to hit out at Ngeh, with many calling him insensitive. Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin described Ngeh's comments as insensitive and offensive, adding: "It clearly shows that he and DAP have failed to understand Islam and Muslims, our respect for the Prophet and our feelings." He also noted that Ngeh had indirectly criticised PAS who were planning to join a peaceful assembly on Friday over the matter. "No wonder PAS cannot trust DAP when their senior leaders regularly betray a lack of respect for Muslims," Khairy said. In his Twitter account, Ngeh, who is Sitiawan assemblyman, posted: "Khairy wants Muslim protest against Sam Bacile. For Islam or his political gains? Are Muslims wasting too much time and energy on this?" It was reported that Umno and PAS members are planning a massive protest on Friday against the anti-Islam film that mocks and insults Islam and the Prophet Muhammad. Information, Culture and Communications Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim tweeted that Ngeh was unfit to be a political leader for denying the rights of Muslims to uphold their religion. PAS Youth secretary Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil said Ngeh should be careful with his statements, pointing out that it was not Khairy who mooted the idea to hold a massive protest on Friday. "This issue involves all Muslims and it is mandatory for Muslims to protect the good name of Prophet Muhammad regardless of their political affiliation," he said yesterday. Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said Ngeh displayed "extreme insensitivity" in questioning whether the planned protest was politically motivated. MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said Ngeh's comments reflected insensitivity towards the feelings of Muslims. He stressed that the displeasure against the video clip had nothing to do with politics and that even Google and YouTube had taken measures to deal with the matter. "How can people in our country use this as a political tool? This is the problem with some, especially in DAP, who always look at things with a political slant," he said. Former DAP vice-chairman Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim said the remark by Ngeh was unsustainable and uncalled for. Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir slammed Ngeh, saying it was not right for him to make such a statement especially in relation to such a sensitive issue. Three police reports have been lodged against Ngeh. Ngeh said he was very disappointed that some people had twisted the meaning of his tweet, reiterating that he respected the rights of everyone to protest or demonstrate. "There is no doubt that I condemn the video but my tweet was a question and not a statement as some have claimed, belittled Islam," he said. "I agree with the Malaysian Young Ulama that there needs to be restrain and a need to not cause further unrest. We should focus on the person who made the video and not the whole of the United States, where there are also Muslims living." |
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