Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Dr M: PAS is backed by the devil
- Reporters who stir racial tension should be jailed, says Dr M
- Muhyiddin: We will defend Sabah at all costs
- Haris: I’ve had enough of RPK
- Give us power over our own land, says orang asli
- Unveiled Syrian Facebook post stirs women's rights debate
| Dr M: PAS is backed by the devil Posted: 21 Nov 2012 03:51 PM PST
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider The PAS president is backed by the devil himself, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir said today, in retaliation against Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's thinly-veiled comment about Malay-majority Umno. "He himself is working with the devil, that's the devil I know," Dr Mahathir said in a press conference here, referring to Abdul Hadi. This remark came after the Marang MP spoke at the Islamist party's annual conference, or muktamar, last weekend, where he criticised a "party of devils". "The devil party which is controlled by the devil — the devil that people know — is incapable of upholding justice for all," Abdul Hadi said in his opening speech last Friday. At a press conference later, Abdul Hadi was asked to clarify which party did he mean was the "party of devils", but he refused to name any names. "Siapa yang makan lada, dialah yang rasa pedas," he replied, referring to a Malay idiom on knowing that one fits a description. "Go and ask Mahathir, that was said by Mahathir, he was the one who coined the term," PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali added. In his blog entry in August, Dr Mahathir had urged the people to choose the "devil they know" rather than risk the country's future with an "angel they don't know", a reference to Pakatan Rakyat. The line had since then been used repeatedly to attack the ruling coalition on various occasions.
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| Reporters who stir racial tension should be jailed, says Dr M Posted: 21 Nov 2012 03:41 PM PST
Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad today acknowledged the government's censorship of news, but denied allegations that freedom of press is suppressed. "If you play out ethnic issues to the point where people would want to fight each other, then we'll censor that," he told reporters at a press conference here after the International Conference on War-Affected Children organised by the Kuala Lumpur Foundation to Criminalise War (KLFCW). "But otherwise it's quite free ... You read Harakah, Sin Chew Jit Poh, China Press, Malaysiakini ... we don't censor. We should really put them in jail." Asked to clarify who exactly should be jailed, Dr Mahathir replied: "Journalists lah." Dr Mahathir had earlier criticised the lack of press freedom in the US, where news of conflicts resulting from the superpower's foreign policy is allegedly censored by its government and owners of news publications. "Censorship is not only done by the government, I know that because I was in the government before. "It is done by the owners of press. It is done by journalists like you, and it is done by your sub-editors who will edit what you write," he added. The former PM had been quoted admitting that he started his own blog CheDet.cc because his voice was stifled. "I became a blogger because I was blocked out from mainstream media. I still needed to say something," he said when addressing the Asian Bloggers and Social Media Conference in 2010. Malaysia is ranked 122nd in the Press Freedom Index of 2011-2012, a rank shared with Algeria and Tajikistan. Malaysia was ranked 104th in 2003, the last year of Dr Mahathir's administration, and was ranked 131st in 2009, the year current Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak took over.
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| Muhyiddin: We will defend Sabah at all costs Posted: 21 Nov 2012 03:00 PM PST
(The Star) - Sabah must be defended as Barisan Nasional's stronghold at all costs, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said. "Sabah is an important state for Barisan, we cannot afford to lose it," he said during a breakfast meeting with members of the former Barisan elected representatives association (Mubarak) here. "We must defend it at all costs. Some people say that Sabah is a fixed deposit (for Barisan) but I think it is more than a fixed deposit," he said referring to Sabah Barisan sweeping 24 of the 25 parliament seats and 59 of the 60 state seats in the 2008 general election. Muhyiddin said it was important for everyone to work hard to ensure that the ruling coalition continued to rule the country. He said Barisan had transformed itself to meet with the aspirations of the people particularly the younger generation who are savvy and aware of things not only in the country but also overseas. "They have high expectations and are more knowledgeable and aware of the things happening around them. "This is the new reality we face as a political party. We must evolve. The Barisan of today is not similar to the Barisan of yesterday, we have transformed to meet to the new expectations of the people," Muhyiddin said. He said Mubarak members had a role to play in helping Barisan win convincingly in the next general election which was going to be very challenging and important for the coalition to continue ruling the country. Later in the morning, Muhyiddin flew to the Kuala Penyu district for a walkabout in town. Kuala Penyu is part of the Beaufort parliament seat held by Datuk Lajim Ukin, who left Umno to align himself with Pakatan Rakyat.
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| Posted: 21 Nov 2012 02:06 PM PST Raja Petra responds by saying Haris did not have a consistent view of MCLM, and that he had supported him over many things despite not agreeing with them. Patrick Lee, FMT Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, according to his former confidante and social activist, Haris Ibrahim, has gone too far with his writings. Haris accused Raja Petra (better known as RPK) of causing division through his Malaysia Today blog, strongly implying that the latter, now living in Manchester, England, was on former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's payroll. "By late September, I had come to terms with the fact that RPK and I were not on the same cause," Haris wrote in his blog posting. He added that many times he was at a loss with RPK's writings. He cited a recent article by Raja Petra, saying that it was full of "untruths" and an attempt to divide the Anything-But-Umno (ABU) movement and its allies through his blog. Haris added that he had been corresponding with the blogger, and had questioned RPK's political stance. "I told him that I have only declared war on Umno-BN and it was he who needed to make clear where he stood in this war, so that I too would know what to do," he said. Haris disputed several of RPK's claims, including one where potential election candidates under the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) pulled out because of problems with Pakatan Rakyat. "They withdrew because they were put off by RPK's interview with TV3 which was aired just before the Sarawak state election [in April] last year," said Haris. He also called RPK's claim that the Jan 2, 2012 interview with the NST was part of a plan for MCLM personnel, including Haris, to smoothly exit the group as a "blatant lie". Haris said that RPK spoke about an alleged "Anwar-Najib" deal, seemingly gleaned from Umno insiders. "But I'm convinced that this revelation by RPK now is with a view to drive a wedge between ABU and our allies in Pakatan," said. 'The ugly side of the Chinese' Haris further cited an anonymous Facebook post, which claimed that RPK was being hired by Mahathir, and that Malaysia-Today was created by the former premier to topple his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. The anonymous person, Haris added, said this after a September meeting with RPK. Haris also cited FMT letter-writer Victor Lim, who hinted that the controversial blogger not only had strong financial backing, but was also mysteriously allowed to escape to England. "Who had the power and influence to faciliate RPK's migration?" Lim had asked. It was a view that was not shared by RPK, who criticised these allegations in an article entitled, "The ugly side of the Chinese". RPK also accused Lim of supposedly being under the payroll of PKR-Batu MP Tian Chua. Haris, however, thought differently, seemingly agreeing with Lim. "RPK has gone into overdrive in blaming the Chinese, Malays, Muslims over what's wrong with the country. Since Jan 2 until now, I've had to closely read his writing and rebut them," Haris told FMT. Asked if these accusations meant an end to his relationship with RPK, Haris said that all he cared about was making sure that BN would lose the next federal elections. "Right now, I'm working with many people on the ground, and they're not in Manchester, shooting from the hip. I'm not prepared to remain silent every time he takes a very racist stand," he said. RPK: I'm not a racist' In an e-mail interview later, RPK denied being funded by the former premier, citing a letter written against him by Mahathir's former political secretary, Matthias Chang. "It is of course, not true… what Matthias Chang wrote about me would certainly not be done to someone who is on Dr M's payroll," he said. He said that his family had faced many hardships, and hinted that these would not have come about if Mahathir was behind him. One of his hardship was his daughter, Raja Suraya, having to buy back his stake, confiscated by the government, in a Bukit Rahman Putra house she owned, which cost RM300,000. He also asked how he could have been working with Mahathir when he only "began associating" with the premier in 2006, two years after Malaysia Today was formed. RPK also denied being a racist, and that he was only being termed such after he attacked Malaysia's Chinese. "Why was I not considered a racist before? Why am I a racist only now? When I attack the Malays, the Muslims, the religious department and scholars, the Sultans… I'm a freedom fighter. When the non-Malays are included in my attacks, I become a racist," he said. RPK was also critical of Haris, adding that the latter had different views and that they would sometimes clash. "Haris wanted to use MCLM as a platform to 'outsource' 30 potential MP candidates for Pakatan Rakyat. I felt MCLM should not be political but nevertheless went along with him," he said. He also attacked Haris for not having a consistent view of MCLM, and that he had supported him over many things despite not agreeing with them. "It appears, though, he is not returning that same courtesy I extended to him… he has his views on what ABU should be, as do I. "However, while I respect his views, he does not respect mine. He expects me to agree with his view with no conditions attached," he said.
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| Give us power over our own land, says orang asli Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:39 AM PST
(The Sun Daily) - An orang asli spokesman from Tasik Chini, Pahang, proposed today for the community to be given more power to administer the ancestral lands which they have been calling 'home' for generations. Tasik Chini action committee chairman Ismail Muhammad, speaking on behalf of some 5,000 orang asli from the Jakun tribe, said this could be done if the government enact a law which not only recognised the community's right to their lands, but also to prevent "rampant destruction" of natural resources which surround the areas. "As long as the power (to govern) is left in the hands of politicians, I do not see when there will be an end to (logging and mining) activities, which negatively affects our livelihood," said Ismail. "We can scream and shout to the heavens, but as long as there is no law (which gives power), nothing will change," said Ismail during the launch of Transparency-International Malaysia (TI-M)'s documentary on Tasik Chini here yesterday. The 37-minute documentary titled "Hacking at Harmony: Tasik Chini and Ecosystem on the Brink" was produced as part of TI-M's Forest Governance Integrity Programme, in collaboration with NGOs, local communities and government agencies. Aimed at addressing issues and challenges on forest governance, Tasik Chini was selected as a pilot site for the programme, following concerns over the degradation of Malaysia's only Unesco Biosphere Reserve. Widespread commercial activities on sites which borders several orang asli villages around Tasik Chini has since caused the once clear blue water to turn murky brown, destroying its once famed lotuses and various fishes - a main source of livelihood for the community. Peninsula Malaysia Orang Asli Network representative Shafie Dris also claimed that the people in power are largely "ignorant" of demands made by the community. "The perception is that we are demanding for large acres of lands ... In fact, all we want is for the government to recognise the rights to our ancestral lands, where we have been residing for generations, and will continue to do so for generations to come," said Shafie. Tenaganita programme officer Katrina Mariamauv meanwhile noted that comments made by the orang asli representatives reflected the "urgency" felt by the people over a need to protect their lands from rampant development. "While awareness raising (initiatives) are crucial and important, but the time for action is right now!" she said. Mariamauv called for the parties benefiting from the "destruction" of natural resources to be made accountable for their actions. Speaking at a press conference, TI-M secretary general Josie Fernandez said the official documentary will also be distributed to policy-makers in hope of inspiring positive change. Fernandez earlier chaired a forum on threatened forest sites in Malaysia which saw two speakers elaborating on impacts of rampant logging and commercial development to the Segari Melintang forest reserve in Perak, as well as the Tranum forest reserve in Pahang. |
| Unveiled Syrian Facebook post stirs women's rights debate Posted: 21 Nov 2012 11:36 AM PST
(BBC News) - Among the dozens of Facebook groups spawned by the Syrian uprising, a page supporting women's rights has suddenly received a wave of attention, because of an image posted there by one of its followers. The picture was of 21-year-old Dana Bakdounis, without the veil she had grown up wearing - and it polarised opinion. Dana Bakdounis has been brought up in conservative Saudi Arabia, but it was as a reaction against conformity that she first removed her veil in August 2011. "The veil did not suit me, but I had to wear it because of my family, and the society," she says. "I did not understand why my hair was covered. I wanted to feel the beauty of the world… I wanted to feel the sun and air." By then, she was already following The Uprising of Women in the Arab World page on Facebook. With nearly 70,000 members, it has become a forum for debate on women's rights and gender roles in the Arab world. Women, and men, from non-Arab backgrounds also comment on its photos. On 21 October, Dana decided to do something for the page, and for oppressed women and girls around the Arab world by posting a photo of herself. Looking right into the lens, her short-shorn hair in full view, she held an ID picture of her previously veiled self, along with a note that read: "The first thing I felt when I took off my veil" and "I'm with the uprising of women in the Arab world because, for 20 years, I wasn't allowed to feel the wind in my hair and [on] my body". The image proved hugely controversial, attracting over 1,600 likes, nearly 600 shares, and more than 250 comments. Dana has received much support, and while many of her friends have un-friended her, many more have sent friend requests. Some previously veiled women have even posted copycat pictures in support, and the Twitter hashtag #WindtoDana has been created as a channel through which to express solidarity. 'Brave girl'She has also received hundreds of messages of derision, along with threats.
Her mother, with whom relations have cooled because of her disapproval of her daughter's actions, received a death threat against Dana's life.The debate is growing more nuanced. One woman comments that opposition to the veil is misplaced, saying instead "our fight should be for equality in society… that's what we should be fighting for; when a veiled woman is refused a job because she covers! Take pride in your veil women, it's a blessing!""Everything has changed for me since I took my veil off," says Dana. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20315531
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