Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Karpal v Nasha feud: leave it to the duo, says PAS
- Adakah Azmin Ali yang memasang kamera pengintip di bilik Menteri Besar Selangor Khalid Ibrahim
- Uthayakumar’s lieutenant joins PKR
- PKR wants Lajim to contest both seats
- Just shooting the breeze
- Chamil openly apologises to Seputeh MP
- Kerjasama Pas dan DAP bercanggah dengan kehendak Islam - Shahnon (with Haron Din video)
- Prove claims, Anwar told
- Whistleblowing is an Islamic duty
- Offensive against Pak Lah a ‘distraction’
- ‘Judges still probing Scorpene deal’
- Tolerance
- Education Blueprint 2013-2025 needs to truly reflect the aspirations of Malaysian
| Karpal v Nasha feud: leave it to the duo, says PAS Posted: 09 Oct 2012 12:54 AM PDT
(Malaysian Digest) - PAS maintains that the ongoing feud between DAP national chairman Karpal Singh and former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa should be left to the duo. PAS central committee member Khalid Samad said Karpal's insistence on suing Nasharudin is his personal choice, Sinar Harian reported. Khalid, who is also Selangor Deputy PAS Commissioner II, said the party will not interfere as they have never asked any of its members to issue a callous statement. "That's a personal matter; it's up to Karpal if he still wants to sue Nasharudin or otherwise. "Moreover, PAS has never asked Nasharudin to issue a statement in that vein towards any other leaders. "But it doesn't mean if Karpal is anti-hudud, he is anti-Islam," the Shah Alam MP told reporters at the Parliament lobby today. Yesterday, Karpal had declared that he would continue his defamation proceedings against Nasharudin, after assessing the situation. Nasharudin was alleged to have defamed Karpal by claiming that the latter was against hudud and Islam. Nasharudin had said he was ready for legal action by Karpal. Other DAP and PAS leaders had previously also chosen to stay out of the fray and reiterated that the matter should be left between the two. Khalid, meanwhile, believed that the issue won't affect the outcome of the upcoming general election. He said the dispute doesn't involve any of the parties, and is confident that support for PAS will not be affected as a result. "That is purely his (Nasharudin) personal views, there's no need for the whole party to be involved. "We're certain that the people's support is still with us even if we don't interfere," he said.
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| Adakah Azmin Ali yang memasang kamera pengintip di bilik Menteri Besar Selangor Khalid Ibrahim Posted: 08 Oct 2012 08:07 PM PDT
(The Kuala Lumpur Post) - Nampaknya Khalid Ibrahim terpaksa juga mula belajar menerima hakikat dirinya sudah tidak diperlukan lagi oleh PKR setelah Timbalan Presiden PKR, Azmin Ali membuka mulut membuat kenyataan, kemungkinan Selangor akan mendapat Menteri Besar baru selepas selesai PRU 13. Azmin yang sebelum ini dikaitkan dengan aksi 'jual beli aiskrim' di dalam tandas sudah diketahui umum telah lama bercita-cita untuk menjadi MB dan seringkali cuba mengganggu gugat kelancaran pentadbiran Khalid di negeri itu. Malah pendedahan oleh MB Selangor itu berhubung penemuan sebuah kamera pengintip di balik tabir langsir dalam pejabatnya sebelum ini juga berkait rapat dengan usaha-usaha terancang dalam PKR untuk menjatuhkan Khalid bagi digantikan dengan Azmin. Melihat pada hubungannya yang rapat dengan Ketua Umum PKR, Anwar Ibrahim tidak sukar untuk kita fahami kenyataan terbaru Azmin ini tentunya sudah mendapat lampu hijau dari Anwar. Mahu tidak mahu, Khalid sudah boleh menguburkan terus hasratnya menyambung khidmat sebagai MB untuk penggal kedua selepas PRU 13 nanti. Mungkin sementara menanti PRU 13 bermula secara rasmi, Khalid boleh memulakan tabiat seperti Anwar pula dengan berangan-angan untuk menjadi Menteri. Dalam kenyataan kepada media itu juga, Azmin turut mengesahkan perkara tersebut telah dibincangkan oleh pemimpin tertinggi PR namun belum ada kata putus. Ini bermakna, dikalangan ramai pemimpin PR sendiri kelihatannya lebih condong untuk meminggirkan Khalid dari jawatan MB walaupun seringkali bekas CEO Guthrie itu dipotretkan sebagai MB yang cemerlang khidmatnya. Barangkali masing-masing juga sudah terlalu penat dengan pelbagai kontroversi yang melanda pentadbiran kerajaan negeri sejak Khalid menerajui Selangor, disebabkan itu spekulasi ini sengaja ditimbulkan. Keterlanjuran Khalid dalam isu air dengan memfokuskan tumpuan pada perihal penyusunan semula pengurusan bekalan air sehingga mengambil langkah songsang menangguhkan loji Langat 2 dan PPAMPS juga dipercayai turut mempengaruhi pandangan ramai pemimpin PR untuk cenderung melucutnya dari jawatan MB. Kasihan Khalid, belum pun penggal pertama sebagai MB berakhir, orang-orang kuat parti sudah ramai yang naik menyampah dengannya. Apa paun, kenyataan Azmin itu jelas membayangkan PKR masih menyimpan sisa-sisa harapan yang negeri itu akan kekal dalam genggaman pakatan pembangkang sekalipun realiti semasa dan mood khalayak umum di Selangor adalah sebaliknya. Tak salah kalau Azmin pun mahu turut berangan, apatah lagi sambil berilusi strategiknya kali ini akan membolehkannya ditabalkan sebagai MB baru Selangor, walau hakikatnya saat ini majoriti rakyat Selangor lebih berminat untuk mencampak terus semua pemimpin PR ke dalam longkang. Dengan mengetepikan senario dan realiti semasa serta kecenderungan pengundi di Selangor tika ini, kita andaikan saja PR benar-benar masih diberi peluang memerintah Selangor, itu bermakna seorang MB baru pastinya akan dilantik datangnya dari salah satu parti dalam gabungan PR. Jika itu terjadi, maksudnya bakal MB Selangor yang baru nanti tentulah seorang bekas pelakon video seks yang terbabit secara langsung melakukan urusan jual beli 'aiskrim' dalam tandas. Sangguhkah rakyat Selangor menerimanya?
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| Uthayakumar’s lieutenant joins PKR Posted: 08 Oct 2012 05:18 PM PDT Hindraf leader S Jayathas has joined PKR, saying the political party can provide a better platform to champion the cause of the Indians. B Nantha Kumar, FMT S Jayathas, regarded as Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar's most trusted lietenant, has now joined PKR. During a press conference at the PKR headquarters today, Jayathas submitted his membership application form to party vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar. Also present were vice-president N Surendran, Subang MP R Sivarasah and other party officials. Jayathas said he decided to work with PKR because he needed a stronger platform to champion the cause of the Indian community. However, he refused to answer questions on whether he considered Hindraf no longer relevant. "For the time being, PKR is the better party to fight towards a better future of the Indians," he said. He added that PKR had shown genuine concern for the Indian community and was committed to address their grouses. Jayathas was one of the pioneer members of PKR but left the party due to his activeness in the Hindraf movement. The Malacca-born businessman was defeated by BN candidate in the Merlimau state assembly seat in the 2004 state election where he contested under a PKR banner.
Jayathas' departure from Hindraf would render a blow to the movement, which over the years had lost its influence among the Indian community. In an immediate reaction, Hindraf Youth chief S Thiagarajan, Jayathas had joined PKR because he was suffering from financial problems. "We had a meeting last Friday where Jayathas told us that he wanted to join PKR because he received a 'better offer'," he said, without elaborating. However, Thiagarajan said Hindraf was grateful to Jayathas' contribution to the movement. Responding to Thiagarajan's claims, Jayathas said he would have joined Barisan Nasional if monetary reward was his motivation.
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| PKR wants Lajim to contest both seats Posted: 08 Oct 2012 05:16 PM PDT
(Daily Express) - The district's PKR Supreme Council has unanimously agreed that Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin contest the Beaufort parliamentary seat and Klias State seat in the next election. Beaufort PKR Chief, Abd Jairin Ukin, proposed this during the division's AGM held here last Sunday. Abd Jairih said the unanimous decision was also firmly supported by all Beaufort PKR members and that they also pledged to ensure all Pakatan Rakyat candidates in the area concerned win in the general elections. "This undivided support was based on the firm spirit of cooperation and understanding that has been forged for so long among the PKR and Pakatan components especially in the Beaufort parliamentary constituency," he said. In fact, he claimed, support for the Pakatan has increased as evidenced by the number of people joining the opposition after Lajim joined the Pakatan. Prior to this, he said, there was some opposition from among PKR members here who have worked hard for the party when they heard that Lajim would be contesting the two constituencies. "But based on understanding and one objective, we have unanimously supported Lajim's candidacy in the two constituencies," he said. Abd Jairih said this is the advantage of being in the Pakatan where the struggle is to defend the welfare and plight of the people who hunger for change. A total of 65 application forms were handed in to join PKR during the event.
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| Posted: 08 Oct 2012 04:49 PM PDT In theory, these ten positions are merely ceremonial with no executive powers. In practice, however, the ten Monarchs wield more power than you think. And if the Sultan can order the police to detain his own brother and the police will comply (read the news item below) do you not think that the Rulers can order the military to do what they feel is needed for this country? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
Mentally ill man attacks drunk (The Star) - A drunk was shaken out of his stupor when his mentally ill neighbour attacked him with a machete. The neighbour approached the man who was sitting outside his house in Cheras and drinking yesterday afternoon. The neighbour attacked the man, injuring him on the head. The man escaped and ran to a nearby police station. Police detained the 35-year-old neighbour. ********************************************* Neighbour 1: "I thought you said you do not drink any more." Neighbour 2: "I don't. I drink exactly the same amount as I always drink. I don't drink any more than usual." Neighbour 1: "That's means you don't drink any less either then." Neighbour 2: "No, I don't drink any less, but I also don't drink any more." Neighbour 1: "Aiyah. You ni dah mabuk lah!" Neighbour 2: "Ah, yes, but tomorrow I will be sober while you will still be…" And that was when neighbour 1 attacked neighbour 2 with a parang. And what would the moral of this story be? The moral of the story is: never ague with a mad chap. When they lose the argument they will resort to violence. And this is what we appear to be seeing in Malaysia of late. Malaysian politics is hovering around the fringes of violence. It is not that serious yet. It is still only splashing of red paint, breaking of windscreens, throwing of stones, fisticuffs and cuts and bruises on the face, etc. But then that is how it all starts, isn't it so? Tempers are rising. People are beginning to allow the suppressed feelings of frustration to surface. Both sides feel that the 13th General Election is the final lap that will determine who is going to take power come dinner time of Polling Day. It is now or never. Hence the coming general election has to be an all-out race where winner takes all and loser loses all. And this is why the ante has been upped. In a system where winner takes all and loser loses all, there is no margin for compromise. It is an all or nothing situation. And if you want all rather than nothing, then you need to fight tooth and nail to win because losing cannot be an option. Have we maybe forgotten the original objective of a general election? Why do we even have a general election in the first place? The intention of a general election is to allow the people (citizens) to rule themselves. This is opposed to the old monarchy system where a Ruler rules over the people. In a monarchy system, power is hereditary. Basically, God decides who rules over you. And God makes this decision through the successors of the Ruler (in Islam called Caliph). Hence the people have no choice as to who rules over them since the decision is in the hands of God. Since then the system has changed somewhat. For Malaysia that would be August 1957 -- and about 100 years earlier for Europe and 200 years earlier for the US. Malaysia has what we call a Constitutional Monarchy. That means the people get to choose who they want to rule over them with the Monarchy being basically a means to maintain some checks and balances. That is in theory, of course. But is this how it works in practice? Actually, in practice anything goes. The Sultan can banish the dentist who was late going to the palace and the dentist can be escorted out of the state immediately. The Sultan can refuse the choice of Chief Minister (Menteri Besar) if he does not like the chap. The Sultan can order the detention of his own brother and mother. In short, the Rulers can do quite a lot, far beyond what their powers under the Constitution allow. Is this legal? Well, if the Ruler does something far beyond what the Constitution allows then of course it is not legal. But who is going to argue with the Sultan? The OCPD? The CPO? The IGP? The Minister of Home Affairs? The Prime Minister? Technically, the police or government can refuse the Sultan. In practice, no one wants to be the mouse that bells the cat. Hence, in practice, the Sultan can order the police to kick you out of the state if His Highness does not like the colour of your shirt. And the police will do just that without arguing with the Sultan that this action is not allowed under the law. Now, the police take orders from the government, mainly the Minister. The military, however, have a different chain of command. Have you noticed that most times it is the Colonels who head military coups? Well, that is because most times the Colonels are the Camp Commanders and the military has been trained to take orders from their Commanders. Hence the Colonels take charge of the military coups and they can even order the arrest or execution of the generals. Now, the British, in their wisdom, have made all the nine Rulers the Colonels-in-Chief of the various branches of the armed forces. And the Agong is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces. Hence we have nine Colonels-in-Chief with one Commander-in-Chief who is also the Supreme Head of the Federation. In theory, these ten positions are merely ceremonial with no executive powers. In practice, however, the ten Monarchs wield more power than you think. And if the Sultan can order the police to detain his own brother and the police will comply (read the news item below) do you not think that the Rulers can order the military to do what they feel is needed for this country? In theory, the nine state Rulers are supposed to act on the advice of the Chief Ministers (Menteris Besar) while the Agong is supposed to act on the advice of the Prime Minister. But can we be assured that this will always be the case? Let us look at a hypothetical situation. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seeks an audience with the Agong to request the dissolution of Parliament. At the same time, the nine Menteris Besar also seek an audience with the nine state Rulers to request permission to dissolve the nine State Assemblies. And the three Chief Ministers in Penang, Melaka, and Sabah also do the same (but with the Governors of the States). Parliament and the 12 State Assemblies (except Sarawak) are then dissolved. Technically, there is no longer a government and Malaysia is headed by a caretaker Prime Minister. The country is run by the civil service while the Elections Commission (SPR) takes charge of the federal and state elections and is answerable to the Rulers. Yes, the civil service is now running the country with SPR running the elections. And the State Secretaries will 'report' to the state Rulers while the KSN will 'report' to the Agong. The SPR head will also 'report' to the Agong. And the military will be on standby in case the Rulers decide that an Emergency needs to be declared because of a breakdown in law and order. So you see, even though in theory the position of the Constitutional Monarchs is purely ceremonial, in practice they actually have more power than you think. And while you may argue that Malaysia's system does not allow a military takeover with the Monarchs heading an Emergency government, who is going to go face the Rulers to argue with them? Did not Chairman Mao say that power comes out from the barrel of the gun? So, in whose hands are these 250,000 or so guns? And if the current splashing of red paint, breaking of windscreens, throwing of stones, fisticuffs and cuts and bruises on the face, etc., escalates to something more serious like that case of the mentally ill chap slashing his drunk neighbour with a parang, do you think the Rulers will just turn away and do nothing? I think we should cool our tempers a bit. We are currently only hovering around the fringes of violence. But it takes very little to move from the fringes into the centre. The right (or wrong) words and the shouting match can turn into a melee. I have tried, again and again, to caution you readers of Malaysia Today to tone down the rhetoric a bit. I know when you can post insults behind the security of your computer without having to reveal your identity everyone can be brave. And I see many 'brave' readers posting comments in Malaysia Today because they need not reveal themselves. But eventually the mocking and insults will migrate to a higher level. And when that happens it will be too late to back down. Elections should be about the people choosing who they want to rule over them for the next five years. But when it is reduced to the level of one race (or religion) 'fighting for survival' against another, then politics takes on a whole new dimension, which I think most Malaysians would not want to experience. Kerana mulut, badan binasa. Always remember that. Don't test the resolve of the Rulers to end this current madness called 'Malaysian political culture'. It is not the kind of culture we will enjoy seeing. And as has been proven in many other countries, once we adopt this culture it is very difficult to turn back the clock. Wounds do not heal so easily and grudges can be retained over many generations, again, as has been proven in many other countries. ********************************************* I did not commit any offence, says Tengku Fakhry (Bernama) - The Sultan of Kelantan's brother, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry Petra told the High Court yesterday that he had not committed any criminal offence on 30 July 2009, the day he was confined by police. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry, 34, testified that he was neither informed of any criminal wrongdoing nor the reason for his detention by the police in the Istana Mahkota grounds, in Kubang Kerian, Kelantan. "I was confined for at least an hour by the police and not allowed to leave the palace grounds that day," he said during the proceedings against Inspector General of Police (IGP), Tan Sri Ismail Omar and three others related to his alleged wrongful confinement on July 30 2009. He added that his lawyer, Datuk Mohd Haziq Pillay, was also in the car with him at the time. The fifth plaintiff' witness said, just before he was detained by the police he had driven out the Bentley Brooklands car which belonged to his father, Sultan Ismail Petra, from the palace garage. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry said prior to that day his father had instructed him to drive the car down to Singapore. However, as he was about to drive the car out of the palace grounds a Volvo had blocked his way and the main gates were closed. Tengku Muhammad Fakhry described the situation as scary saying he saw several armed policemen moving in and out of the palace. During cross-examination by senior federal counsel, Azizan Md Arshad, who represented the defendants, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry said he was not aware of the order issued by his brother, the acting Sultan of Kelantan at the time, Tengku Muhammad Faris Petra, prohibiting him from taking the car out of the palace. He also refuted Azizan's suggestion that the police had actually prevented the Bentley Brooklands from being taken out of the palace grounds and had not confined him. The plaintiff filed a RM150 million suit on Dec 9 last year, naming the IGP; the Kelantan Sultan's chief personal bodyguard, ASP Norazman Ismail; Kelantan police chief at the time, Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi, and the Royal Malaysian Police as the first to fourth defendants respectively. In his statement of claim, Tengku Muhammad Fakhry alleged that he was wrongfully confined on July 30, 2009 in the compound of Istana Mahkota, Kubang Kerian as he was about to leave in a Bentley Brooklands car. He is seeking RM100 million in general damages, RM50 million in aggravated and exemplary damages, interest at a rate of four per cent, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court. The trial before Judge Datin Zabariah Mohd Yusof resumes today.
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| Chamil openly apologises to Seputeh MP Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:44 PM PDT
(The Star) - Utusan Malaysia columnist Datuk Chamil Wariya and Utusan Melayu Sdn Bhd have openly apologised to Seputeh MP Teresa Kok in a High Court here, as part of a settlement in a defamation suit. The apology was read yesterday by lawyer Zalil Mohd Mess for Chamil and TKB Mohana Kumar for Utusan Melayu before High Court judge Justice Dr Hamid Sultan Abu Backer. He also ordered Utusan Melayu to pays costs of RM50,000 and to publish an apology in the daily. Earlier, lawyer Sankara Nair who acted for Kok, submitted that both parties had resolved the matter out of court. Nair said based on settlement terms the first defendant Chamil had to read the apology in open court with no order as to costs. "The second defendant Utusan Melayu also has to read the apology in open court, pay RM50,000 in costs to plaintiff Teresa Kok and publish an apology in the Sudut Sastera column in its Sunday edition, Mingguan Malaysia," he said. Zalil who read the apology for Chamil said he (Chamil) regretted that his short story had been used in Mingguan Malaysia which was published on Dec 12, 2008. Zalil stressed that some of the characters in the short story had been changed. Mohana objected to the assertions made by Chamil and asked the court to record it. Mohana, who read the apology for Utusan Malaysia, said they had changed several names without affecting the story line. He said they regretted their actions and apologised to Kok.
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| Kerjasama Pas dan DAP bercanggah dengan kehendak Islam - Shahnon (with Haron Din video) Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:31 PM PDT
(Bernama) -- Perjuangan politik PAS kini tidak lagi menepati kehendak Islam apabila parti itu bekerjasama dengan DAP, kata Sasterawan Negara Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Shahnon Ahmad. Beliau berkata apa yang dilakukan oleh PAS sekarang ialah hanya menuruti kehendak politik DAP dan pendekatan seumpama itu bercanggah dengan kehendak Islam kerana PAS sepatutnya memimpin dalam memperjuang Islam. 74OEaEqVjY8
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| Posted: 08 Oct 2012 02:17 PM PDT
WILD ALLEGATIONS: Give us list of suspect postal voters, says election panel (NST) - THE Election Commission yesterday asked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to back his claims that the postal voters' roll was questionable. The opposition leader had claimed that the 304,136 names in the list, which was gazetted in June, were suspect. "The thing is, there are only 272,247 names listed as postal voters... which electoral role did he cross-check with?" EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof asked at a news conference here. Aziz said the EC also had issues with several other claims it said were wild allegations. These included claims that there were 64,000 suspect postal voters included on April 9, 2010; there were 77,246 new voters excluded from the 2008 electoral roll; there were 2,522 suspect names of members of the armed forces and the police; there were 4.38 million voters without addresses while 3.3 million more only had house numbers; and that localities in Selangor were reduced to 13,813 from 24,479. On the 77,246 names that are now in the electoral roll, Aziz explained that when a person registered as a voter, it did not mean that he would automatically be eligible to vote. Instead, his application would go through the due processes including the setting of locality, displaying of his application for any protest, and possible public inquiry. He also asked Anwar to hand over the sets of 64,000 and 77,246 names that had been called into question. On the 2,522 armed forces and police personnel whose names were not matched to their MyKad, Aziz said the EC was in the midst of matching their names to the identification documents. He said in the coming general election, the EC would be using their 12-digit identification number as in their MyKad. On the issue of questionable addresses, he said prior July 16, 2002, those who were above 21 could provide any addresses as the EC did not have the facilities to verify them. Since then, with the Agency Link-up System, addresses given to the EC by the applicants had to match their MyKad. Meanwhile, the shrinking number of localities in Selangor was due to sub-divisions carried out in 2009, June 2010, and twice last year, Aziz said. He said the EC had gone to great lengths to investigate claims, even those described as absurd, such as the allegation by Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) that anyone could register as voters using a fake MyKad. |
| Whistleblowing is an Islamic duty Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:47 PM PDT  Maszlee Malik, The Malay Mail There were countless incidents during a lifetime of Prophet Muhammad where a use of whistleblowing was sanctioned.  Among them is a auspicious convention as reported by a single of his companions, Jabir garbage bin Abdullah, who listened a soothsayer say: "Discussions have been trusted (not subject to disclosure) except in three areas: "Shedding wrong blood, wrong cohabitation as great as wrong accumulation of wealth." (Narrated by Abu Dawud)In another hadith, Zaid garbage bin Khalid reported which Prophet Muhammad said: "Shall you not tell you who is a most appropriate of witnesses? The a single who brings his sworn statement before being asked to do so, or tells his sworn statement when he is asked for it." (Narrated by Malik). It is evident from this convention which a soothsayer was enlivening hisummahto blow a alarm voluntarily, as a dignified requisite towards a maslahah, (public interest as great as benefits of a incomparable society). If you look during it from a point of view ofamru bil maaruf(enjoining goodness) as great as wal nahy an almunkar(forbidding wrongdoing) or from a perspective ofshahada(witness attestation), which is mandatory upon Muslims, then! alarm floating is a "duty" given a purpose of whistleblowing is a same as which of ! 'enjoini ng goodness as great as ominous wrongdoing'. The polite as great as domestic administration department department of Prophet Muhammad (who as personality of a city state of Medina, was a showcase of competency, burden as great as transparency. These were likewise practical to a administration department department of government income as great as expenditure in a provinces.  The oft-mentioned incident involving Ibn Lutaybiyah demonstrates this principle succinctly. Functioning as anamil(tax collector), he returned to Medina loaded with taxation revenues, as great as asserted which a concrete portion of a income was given to him as tokens from sure people.The soothsayer reminded him by saying: "What is wrong with a male whom you allocated as a taxation collector as great as he said this is for you as great as which was given to me? If he stayed in his parent's house, would something be given to him?" (Narrated by al-Bukhari) On another occasion, a soothsayer was quoted as constantly reminding his companions by saying: "Whomsoever you designate over an affair, you shall give him provision. What he takes after which is crack of trust." (Narrated by Abu Daud) The 4 rightly-guided caliphs, a successors of Prophet Muhammad continued a benchmarks of competency, burden as great as clarity in their administration department department of a state. Abu Bak r, a initial caliph after a prophet, stressed a significance of burden as great as a poise of people with authority in a village in his really initial debate to a Muslim village after being elected as a caliph, saying: "Cooperate with me when you am right, though scold me when you commit error; obey me so prolonged as you follow a commandments of Allah as great as His Pro! phet; th ough spin away from me when you deviate." (Narrated by al-Hindi as great as Ibn Kathir). His alternative companions mostly held him to account for his decisions as great as administration department department of a state.  This was additionally a position of Omar al-Khattab when he was elected to attain Abu Bakr. In his maiden debate after being allocated as caliph, Omar stressed a need for burden in his administration, as great as a rights of each empowered citizen.It was reported which whilst Omar was once delivering a Friday sermon, an ordinary person rose as great as interrupted, saying: "O a personality of a believers, you won't attend to your oration until you insist how you came up with your prolonged skirt (the Arabian robe)." Apparently, there was a little distribution of fabric to a people as great as given a measure of distribution as great as a tallness of Omar; he could not have done a skirt out of his share. So, a observant voice of egalitarianism unhesitatingly challenged Omar, a personality of a immeasurable caliphate. Omar's son stood up as great as explained which he gave his share to his father, so which a skirt could be done to! fit Oma r. The observant voice then expressed his capitulation as great as sat down, as great as Omar resumed his oration (Ibn Qutaybah, 2002: 1/55). Accountability of open administrators Omar's policy upon burden was not singular to a obsolete style of written complaints as great as defamation from a public. As for a open offices, he determined a specific bureau to understanding with a burden of a open administrators. The bureau was designed for a investigation of complaints opposite officers of a state which reached a caliph. When it was initial established, Om! ar alloc ated Muhammad ibn Maslamah to take a responsibility of this ombudsman-like department.  In important cases, Omar would entrust Muhammad to proceed to a location, examine a charge as great as take action. Sometimes an exploration commission was constituted to examine a charge. Whenever a officers raised complaints opposite Muhammad, they were summoned to Madinah, as great as a box was listened by Caliph Omar himself.The caliph additionally discharged governors when a people complained opposite them. Among those discharged was a companion of Prophet Muhammad (Saad Ibnu Abi Waqqas. In a after proviso of Muslim history, a specially-designed bureau great known as Diwan al-Mazalim was determined to lift put this task, which currently can be deliberate a exemplary chronicle of a ? la mode ombudsman. O nce, whilst delivering a sermon, Omar said: "My rights over open supports (the Baitul Mal) have been similar to those of a guardians of an orphan. If great placed in life, you will not explain anything from it. In box of need, you shall draw usually as much as it is constitutionally allowed for providing food.  "You have each right to subject me about any improper accumulation of a income as great as annuity collections, improper utilisation of a book money, sustenance of a each day bread to all, border-security arrangements as great as nuisance caused to any citizen."He was available by historians to have released certificates, witnessed by a group of elders, to all duly allocated governors stipulating which a administrator should not float an costly h! orse, ea t white bread, wear any fine cloth or forestall a people's needs (from being satisfied). This is only a single example of Omar showcasing a practise of clarity where a ruler, as great as a state officers, should have zero to hide from a open as great as have been open to inspection of their use of open funds. Another example of burden as great as open airing of grievances practised during a period of a rightly-guided caliphs can be found in a important letter written by a fourth caliph, Ali ibn Abi Talib, to a administrator of Egypt, Malik al-Ashtar, as available in a gathering of Ali's letters as great as sermons, 'Nahjul Balaghah'. In his recommendation to a governor, Ali asserts: "Out of your hours of work, fix a time for a complainants as great as for those who want to proceed you with their grievances. During this time, you should do no alternative work though listen to them as great as pay attention to their complaints as great as grievances. 'Let them verbalise unreservedly' "For this purpose, you must prepare open audience for them; during this audience, for a sake of Allah, provide them with kindness, pleasantness as great as respect. Do not let your army as great as police be in a audience hall during such times so which those who have grievances opposite your regime might verbalise to you freely, unreservedly as great as without fear." All of these examples spell out a significance as great as critical purpose of whistleblowing as another facet of ensuring competency, burden as great as clarity in upholding justice as great as great governance. Whistleblowing has regularly been an integral member of a Islamic domestic culture, strongly rooted in a ontological recognition given a really beginning. Furthermore, Muslim scholars, both a past as great as present, have been really prolific in their writings upon topics related to burden as great as a use ofmazalimandhisbah(public inquiry). A mong a most important was 'al-Ahkam al-Sultaniyyah', a magnum musical composition of al-Mawardi (al-Mawardi, 1995), in which he dealt with both a topics ofmazalimandhisbahextensively. Another exemplary scholar, Ibn Taimiyah, additionally authored a book titled 'Hisbah', in which he discussed hisbah as a pertinent responsibility of each Muslim particular as great as additionally as an requisite upon Muslim rulers (Ibn Taimiyah, 1985). Al-Ghazali, in a same token, dealt with a emanate of burden of a woman monarch as great as his officers in his celebrated 'Nasehat al-Mulk', which was his recommendation to a son of a sultan during his time. However, it was a distinguished vizier as great as scholar, Nizamul Muluk, who smartly deliberated these topics in a really normative meaning in his shining treatise, 'Siyasat Nameh'. These deductive analogies, formed upon sound justification from authentic eremite texts, spell out a nobleness as great as righteousness of genuine acts of whistleblowing to inspire as great as promote competency, burden as great as clarity in a societies. Even though there is no direct anxiety to complicated day whistleblowing per se, a principles it embraces implies which whistleblowing is partial as great as parcel of a comprehensive scheme of great governance to grasp a top goal of Islamic nicely in order to safeguard justice with integrity as great as mercy wit! hin a parameters of maqasid al-syariah. Moreover, a use of whistleblowing is additionally deliberate an movement of worship. According to Yusuf Al-Qaradawy, "whenever a Muslim follows up great intentions with a slight action, his movement becomes an movement of worship." Ulama should back whistleblowers The augmenting acts of genuine whistleblowing, which you declare today, meant which all is not great with a state of trustworthiness as great as integrity of a domestic governance. The courageous acts of a few who have sto! od up op posite a establishment to display a wrongdoings of people in open bureau as great as a gross abuse of open supports have been exemplary acts of piety in a pursuit of great governance to attain a contentment of society. Regrettably, this eminent means is being led by a politician as great as non-scholars instead of an 'apolitical' or non-partisan entity or individuals. Civil society, free from a clutches of narrow-minded politics, should perfectly be leading this whistleblowing initiative. We would brave supplement which Islamic-based organisations as great as Muslim scholars, given of their ontological awareness, ought to be spearheading this citizen's watchdog beginning to guard as great as protect opposite rubbish as great as detriment of open supports as great as abuses of open office. However, disappointingly, most of a Islamic scholars (ulama), whom you had expected to be during a forefront of such righteous efforts in a area of polite as great as domestic governance, have been engrossed with 'red herring' issues which in most cases usually offer to polarise serve a multi-racial as great as multi-religious make-up of Malaysian society. The failure of a ulama to spearhead such an beginning would send a wrong signal to a lay Muslims, as great as remonstrate them which whistleblowing is alien to a corpus of Islamic belief. We goal which this distinguished as great as fair attempt will move a brand new chapter as great as in essence, a brand new goal in a endless episodes of a onslaught to defend democracy as great as great governance in a beloved country, Malaysia. As a consequence, you goal these efforts will evolve a some-more competent, accountable as great as pure domestic governance. Undoubt! edly, th ere have been whistleblowing actions taken by a great adults in a past. The stream bid takes a whistleblowing beginning to a higher turn of open engagement. The 'National Oversight as great as Whistleblowers Centre' is a really laudable bid t! o galvan ize as great as make established this endeavour, thus creation whistleblowing some-more structured, guided as great as professional. We sincerely as great as unreservedly urge all civic-minded adults of Malaysia, regardless of race, religion as great as domestic affiliations, to await this excellent whistleblowing initiative. Above all, you strongly inspire a Muslim community, eremite scholars (ulama) as great as Islamic organisations to welcome this polite multitude beginning in a common quest of attaining competency, accountability, transparency, great governance as great as adult well-being. We strongly believe which all these qualities have been indisputably syariah imperatives as great as main pillars of a Islamic domestic norms which all Muslims should aspire to achieve. MASZLEE MALIK is with International Islamic University Malaysia, whilst MUSA MOHD NORDIN is with a Muslim Professionals Forum (MPF). |
| Offensive against Pak Lah a ‘distraction’ Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:41 PM PDT Penang Umno claims Pakatan Rakyat is 'spinning' to distract voters from the real issues in the state. Hawkeye, FMT Pakatan Rakyat is trying to distract voters here from the issues which are plaguing its administration in Penang, claimed state Umno Youth chief Sheikh Hussein Mydin. He said this strategy was evident in view of the fact that the Pakatan partners – PAS, PKR and DAP – were riddled with disagreements over issues such as "hudud" to affordable housing and over a leaked recording where one leader allegedly called Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng "arrogant and cocky". And what better way to distract the people than by launching an offensive against Barisan Nasional, including on former premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in Penang, said Sheikh Hussein. "For Pakatan, its policy is that attack is the best form of defence. It is often critical of BN. It has become too preoccupied with attacking us until it has forgotten how to govern the state. There are many examples here," he said. Sheikh Hussein was responding to a statement by the Penang Malay Congress president Rahmad Isahak that BN stands to lose the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat and two other state seats if Abdullah chooses to retire from active politics. Rahmad based his prediction on the fact that Abdullah, who is better known as Pak Lah, is a stalwart in the constituency since 1978, and that his absence would create a vacuum which BN may not be able to fill in time for the next general election. Rahmad expects PAS to benefit greatly if Pak Lah decides to retire, as the former has a chance to wrest Kepala Batas. PAS has been stepping up its presence in the area since 2008. To this, Sheikh Hussein said Umno believes that the congress led by Rahmad is supporting DAP, although it has labelled itself as an apolitical entity here with a non-governmental organisation status. He accused Rahmad of intentionally trying to shift the focus of attention towards Pak Lah when the issue should be about the performance of the present state government. Pak Lah to retire? According to Sheikh Hussein, Pakatan wants to force BN to focus on its traditional strongholds such as Tasek Gelugor and Kepala Batas, as it is worried that it will lose its current parliamentary seats in Batu Kawan and Balik Pulau.
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| ‘Judges still probing Scorpene deal’ Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:29 PM PDT There was never a question of an ongoing trial as the criminal inquiry on the submarine deal is ongoing, says William Bourdan. Anisah Shukry, FMT The lawyer acting for human rights group Suaram in the Scorpene probe has slammed French government prosecutor Yves Charpenal for his "contradictory" statements to the media. Yesterday, Charpenal had told national news agency Bernama that there was no ongoing trial in the 2009 multi-billion Scorpene submarine deal between Malaysia and France, as it was still under investigation by two French judges. "I am aware about all the fuss kicked up by certain media [organisations] in Malaysia over this matter but what I can say is that this is nothing more than a trial by the media," he was quoted as saying. But Suaram's lawyer William Bourdon said in a statement today that there had never been a question of an ongoing trial, as the investigating judges were still continuing their probe on the Scorpene inquiry. "The Tribunal deGrande Instance has convened a criminal inquiry of which Suaram has been accepted as a civil party since March 2012. "Upon completion of the inquiry will the investigating judge make the decision of whether the case goes to full trial." He also stressed that it was not for the prosecutor to decide if the case goes to full trial, but the two Judges, Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire. "To our knowledge the current prosecutors in charge of the case have not made any such statements as suggested by Charpenel," he said. In April this year, the Tribunal de Grand Instance in Paris began its inquiry into Suaram's claim that French naval firm DCNS had paid some RM452 million as a bribe to Malaysian officials to obtain a contract for two submarines. Malaysia had paid RM6.7 billion in 2009 for the two submarines of which RM574 million was earmarked for co-ordination and support services for Perimekar Sdn Bhd, owned by Abdul Razak Baginda , a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Human rights groups and opposition parties have also linked the submarine purchase to the 2006 murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu, a one-time lover to Abdul Razak. But Defence Minister Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi said on Oct 6 that the Auditor-General had explained the purchase of the submarines was made according to legal procedures. The Malaysian government is now probing Suaram for having "misleading accounts" as well as allegedly distributing bribes to a civil servant in return for national secrets – both of which Suaram has denied and labelled as "harassment" due to the probe. The Umno-controlled daily New Straits Times has also accused Suaram, along with several other NGOs deemed opposition-friendly, of being part of a foreign plot to destabilise government. They have denied the charges and requested evidence to back up the accusations, which NST has yet to furnish.
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| Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:18 PM PDT
Since I was hungry (I had hardly eaten anything because the buffet line looked so daunting), I made my way to the "halal" table and started pointing but before I could say anything, I was told "Ini makanan halal" or in English "this is halal food". KS My daughter is enrolled at a Chinese medium national type primary school. I sent her there because whilst being a Chinese by race, I hardly speak any Chinese worth being proud about, and my level of reading is limited to writing my own name and identifying some few Chinese characters, which means I probably wouldn't survive a day in China by myself if no one spoke to me in English. It does not mean that I am not proud to be Malaysian. It just means that I am proud to be Chinese too and I would like to give my child some of what I could not achieve. My personal background is unique in that I have studied Islamic Studies (at my own father's insistence) when I was in secondary school. I have a credit in the old SRP (now PMR) in Islamic studies and I did not continue Islamic Studies because when I applied to take up Islamic Studies as a subject for my SPM, I was not allowed to do so by the Ministry of Education on the grounds that I was not a Muslim. At one point I almost converted to Islam. Obviously decisions by authorities such as mentioned in the previous paragraph influenced my decision not to become a Muslim as it felt like I was being blackmailed into becoming a Muslim. In saying that, I do not place blame on Islam as a religion, but rather the practice and extremism of certain members of the faith had caused me to lose my faith in the promise of Islam as a religion. Put also into perspective that among my peers I am sometimes not considered a pure Chinese because of my beliefs and the way I run my life. Yet today, I am at ease, eating any kind of generic food found in Malaysia (I do not consider the eating of exotic animals to be generic), eating with my hands, or with chopsticks, or even with spoon and fork (our colonial history at play). What my background means is that I feel that I am in a unique position to comment on what happened recently at my daughter's school during a celebration of the Chinese mid-autumn festival. The school had made arrangements to have a big do for the mid-autumn festival. Among the arrangements was a pot luck, where all the parents would bring their own food to the table to be shared, which is key to my story here. On the day of the festival celebrations, I made my way to the school which had much fanfare, children running around happily with each other, parents looking on them adorably. PTA/PIBG organizers were conspicuous by a uniform t-shirt which they all wore. Interested, I went to have a look at the food arrangements. Food was arranged buffet style on tables arranged in the canteen. And quite properly in my opinion, a separate table set apart for "halal" food, which was being hovered over protectively by some Muslims. Not surprising to me as there were probably 30 to 40 Muslims in a crowd of over 700 and care should be taken to ensure that there was enough food for EVERYONE. The festivities opened up with speeches, and some minor performances by school children, and the buffet was declared opened. There was a rush for food and my criticism of that is that no lines or crowd control was effected, but in general everyone was having a rollicking good time. Among the chief dishes was satay, being grilled by someone hired to grill satay, and I found out later that there had been two (2) satay stalls arranged, one by Chinese parents (whom I assume are not Muslims), and another by Malay parents (whom I assume are Muslims). Yet, I saw at the "halal" table a tray containing perhaps 200 sticks. Since I was hungry (I had hardly eaten anything because the buffet line looked so daunting), I made my way to the "halal" table and started pointing but before I could say anything, I was told "Ini makanan halal" or in English "this is halal food". And this by one of the organizing members of the dinner, who was almost definitely a Muslim (he looked Malay and therefore I assume he is Muslim). I was initially stunned to say the least, upset, and also angry at the same time. I almost retorted but I did not want to make a scene, and considering the small-mindedness of the statement, chose to ignore it, and rather lined up waiting another 20 minutes for some hot delicious satay instead of insisting on some cold satay. Why did this stun me? Why did this make me upset? Why did this make me angry? 1) By saying that the food is "halal" (when there is a big sign made by the organizing committee that the food is "halal", does it mean that I am not fit to eat "halal" food? The last I checked parents of a Chinese student who was not Muslim had taken the thought (or at least I hope there was a thought) to order halal food for the celebrations in order to be all inclusive. 2) At the time of my asking, the buffet had already been in progress for about an hour. Most guests had already eaten at least part their fill, and food was starting to run out. It was apparent to me that the demand for food at the "halal" table was more or less past its peak. I could see that there were about 8 Muslims sitting at the table chatting and not one of them eating. 3) There was ample satay at the table, offering it to a majority who had none would have been a kind gesture, especially since there was more satay on the way. 4) Again coming back to the fact that there was satay grilling on the grill, and ample satay on the "halal" table cooling down. Why have cold satay later when you can have hot satay? If you are not eating the food, why let it's taste be ruined by letting it cool down? Why not get replacement satay later? 5) If you (I am referring to a specific person), the PTA committee member who is a Muslim and who told me that the "food is halal" is such an extreme Muslim, then, what were you doing attending a supposedly pagan festival and even encouraging Muslim children to play with lanterns (which I saw with my own eyes) in celebration of the festival? A contradiction of the highest order and display of lack of understanding of one's own religion, beliefs and tolerance of. 6) Did the Muslims at the school not notice that the school administration had taken pains to ensure that their rights to eat halal food had been protected? Did they not see the forest when they noticed trees in front of them, or were they so overwhelmed by the trees that they thought they were in a haunted forest? 7) My wife who had earlier attended the PTA/PIBG meeting earlier in the year when the committee was being voted in had specifically heard the headmistress apologize to the non-Chinese speaking parents and advised them to move their children to governmental Malay medium schools if their children could not cope as the methods of teaching in a Chinese school may be too different for them to cope, yet at the same time welcomed the challenge of teaching these students. As far as I am concerned, if you are willing to exact your children to non-conformity in order to expand their mindset (just as my father did to me and 2 of my sisters), then you yourself as the parent must be ready to make the leap of faith into non-conformity! I won't go on further except to say that it is disappointing to see such myopic thoughts in a country which is supposed to be multi-racial, multi-religious, and multi-cultural, and especially is supposed to have such harmony and tolerance for all things racial, religious and cultural. This small incident among such a happy evening for my family ruined the event for me personally as I feel that such insensitivity should not exist in this country in this day and age. Looking back, it may have even been me personally who was too sensitive towards an innocent insensitive gesture, but I reserve my right to feel aggrieved as I do not feel that I had offended anyone (unless someone tells me logically why I may have done so), and I feel that the gesture was made with the lack of common sense or forethought for the consequences. I am not asking the reader of this article to become angry. I am asking the reader to understand the morale of the story. What the purpose of this article means to make clear to the reader is that we all, ALL peoples of Malaysia, have to use their common sense in reacting to the various elements of race, religion and culture in this country as it is what is supposed to make us strong. By the same grace, I commend: 1) That we do have Chinese-medium education systems in our country and that our government allows for such systems. |
| Education Blueprint 2013-2025 needs to truly reflect the aspirations of Malaysian Posted: 08 Oct 2012 01:02 PM PDT
Organizing a dialogue should be a piece of cake yet MOE failed to do it properly. At this rate, can we even trust them to carry out an overhaul of our education system and count on them to successfully implement a blueprint that it is inherently much more complex? TBH, Parent from Petaling Jaya Not many were aware of the final Open Dialogue on the National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 on Saturday, 6th October, 2012 held at Pudu Sentral, Kuala Lumpur. I attended but walked away highly disappointed and furious that our time was spent in futility while taxpayers' money was wasted due to inept education officials. The Ministry of Education (MOE) screwed up big time with their thoughtless planning. And when they got bashed left and right for the badly chosen venue, they quickly claimed that it was a last-minute thing, giving excuses that the original plan was for a "Pameran" only with no dialogue session. What a blatant outright lie! Their website (http://pendidikguru.org/portal-pmo/index.php? option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=10) dated 14-Aug-12 had clearly stated "10:00pagi : Sesi Dialog bersama KPPM / TKPPM" and was the only one planned for KL. The venue was so noisy and very unconducive. Instead of making any suggestions that I had intended to, I simply handed over my printed note to the Chairperson and made a public statement to Timbalan Ketua Pengarah (TKP) Dr Amin Senin that "This whole thing is a joke! Cannot hear anything! If MOE cannot even get this kind of basic thing right, I feel sorry for all our children!" Upon further criticism by other attendees and sensing their folly, they quickly announced that another session will be held in KL again soon, at a proper venue. It was obviously a public relations face-saving attempt. One cannot help but get the impression that by giving it minimum publicity, MOE was not quite sincere with this whole exercise. Perhaps they fear facing some very vocal public and NGOs who have all but denounced the blueprint. Stakeholders (including an elderly gentlemen who travelled all the way from Ipoh) were keen to provide final input to this 13-year blueprint that the whole country is counting on to bring about transformational changes to our education system. We are putting all our hopes and that of our children's future, into this blueprint. Organizing a dialogue should be a piece of cake yet MOE failed to do it properly. At this rate, can we even trust them to carry out an overhaul of our education system and count on them to successfully implement a blueprint that it is inherently much more complex? During Q&A, TKP insisted that all views had been taken into account. What perplexes me is, after taking into account all those views, who determines what goes into the blueprint, and how? 1) Two widely supported suggestions i.e. for the continuation of PPSMI alongside MBMMBI and for a non-politician Education Minister, that received among the loudest applause during town hall meetings held earlier, are missing from the blueprint. 2) An attendee of two Round Table discussions on Education revealed that there is almost unanimous agreement that English should be made the medium of instruction at least for Mathematics and Science. It is highly questionably why their views are ignored. 3) During one of the dialogues, we were told of very high-ranking Education Ministry officials who would not publicly state their stand when asked if they sanctioned the published blueprint. Instead, they opted to remain silent. 4) We also heard of claims that this published blueprint did not reflect some major contents in the original proposals compiled by very senior education officers. Unless the blueprint is amended to incorporate an accurate picture that truly results from MOE's engagement with the public, and which rightly reflects the aspirations of Malaysians, we, the stakeholders, cannot help but suspect that all the sessions and dialogues engaging with the public are just an eye-wash. Therefore, one should not be faulted for concluding that there is possible manipulation of data collected. It is extremely disappointing and very nauseating to sense a lack of sincerity on the Minister's part to take our views into account. |
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