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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• Zaid Ibrahim quits politics
• HINDRAF might join forces with BN – S. Thiagarajan
• Son of Lynas CEO charged with insider trading
• Man Utd world’s first team to top US$3b in value
• Guan Eng pours scorn on ‘BN’ A-G
• Why quiet about Dr M’s confession?
• MyWatch chief: Cop threatened to shoot me
• Mahathir: When will we regain our sanity?
• Police marching to BN beat
• Middle-income trap makes owning homes near impossible
• Najib: Action against Nasharudin stems from PAS’ insecurities
• Back to the gold standard: Some benefits of using gold as currency
• Distribution of 20 pct oil royalty to producing states can burden Petronas
• Nasharudin says will continue fight for Islam even without PAS post
• Taib to resign, Jabu to move up?
• AG: Govt will act on RCI report
• MCA to help take Pakatan to court over ‘promises’
• Najib to launch BR1M distribution
• No reason for us to oppose govt: Felda settlers
• PAS Syura Council gives Nasha the boot
• Soi Lek: Johor's development will soon overtake Selangor
• Malaysia a ‘coward nation’
• Pakatan won’t submit polls candidate list to MACC
• 30 days clause is ‘reasonable’, says EC
• JAKIM sermon to unite Muslims, not spark hatred, Islamic leader says
• Forced into extinction
• Perkasa ready to meet churches over bible-burning threat
• ‘Futile’ effort by anti-Bible group
• Please, please don’t discuss RCI testimonies
• Petra: Blame Mahathir all you want, but look yourselves in the mirror
• PM: Non-Malays okay with fair affirmative action
• Najib: Social media a double-edged sword for Umno
• Friday sermon irks local church leaders as ‘Allah’ row rages on
• PAS: Friday sermon an attempt to spread religious hatred
• Allah stand: PAS grassroots unhappy
• Overseas voting process has several defects, says DAP
• Friday sermon: ‘Enemies’ of Islam staking claim over ‘Allah’ to confuse Muslims
• Perkasa is outsourced by Umno, says Anwar
• Waytha under fire for silence over temples
• Preacher argues the ‘Allah’ case
• Free education ‘possible’, say economists

Zaid Ibrahim quits politics Posted: 28 Jan 2013 05:28 PM PST The former law minister who was banking on contesting in 'any urban seat' provided he had Pakatan's support will be focusing on business instead. Anisah Shukry, FMT Former minister and ex-Kita chief Zaid Ibrahim has quit politics and entered the corporate sector in a bid to "try something else". "Yes, I am quitting politics to concentrate on business. But I will continue to write, I will continue to give ideas and suggestions on politics," Zaid told FMT today. It was only last November that the lawyer-turned-politician had told reporters he would contest in any urban seat in the 13th general election, provided he had opposition coalition Pakatan Rakyat's backing. But when asked today whether he would continue to support Pakatan or turn to Barisan Nasional instead, he replied: "I will support whoever does right for the country. "If you do the right thing, I will support, no matter which side you are from." Zaid's abrupt departure from politics comes in the wake of his S$6.9 million (RM17.15 million) purchase of 350 million shares from Singapore-based Ipco International. The Straits Times reported today that Zaid's purchase will give him a 7% stake in Ipco, which has a diversified portfolio of investments. Ipco had said that Zaid "is well-connected in Malaysia and in the region and the company can leverage his extensive connections… and knowledge in the oil and gas industry in order to grow its own oil and gas business" the Straits Times reported. Commenting on this, Zaid said: "[The investment is] just a start, to see how things are. I am trying something else besides politics, so we'll see how far it goes." READ MORE HERE

HINDRAF might join forces with BN – S. Thiagarajan Posted: 28 Jan 2013 04:26 PM PST (The Kuala Lumpur Post) - HINDRAF, the Hindu Rights Action Force, will not be celebrating the government's decision to lift its four-year ban on it yet because it still wants its 18 demands fulfilled. Hindraf youth chief S. Thiagarajan said yesterday the group did not discount the possibility of working with the Barisan Nasional on issues related to the Indian community if the conditions were favourable. "It is a good start to the year. However, we don't want to celebrate yet because we still want our 18 demands fulfilled by the government," he said. He said Hindraf's stand was if any government, either BN or PR, fulfilled these conditions, then it would work closely with the government. "At the moment, no one from either side have approached us," he said. Thiagarajan said Hindraf leader P. Waythamoorthy would issue an official statement once he returned from abroad. Among the key demands are equal rights and opportunities for all Malaysians and scrap-ping the special privileges and positions of the Malays, which is enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Other bodies related to the Indian community and political leaders felt the ban lift by the Home Ministry was a good sign from government as it gave them a chance to air their views on issues affecting them. Malaysian Indian Progressive Society (MIPAS) president P. Raja Retinam said it was a good decision. "It shows the government has realised and also a signal it is willing to listen to Hindraf's 18 demands and other demands from similar NGOs." He said Hindraf, as the Indian's movement or struggle, would play its role for the community in the coming general election. "During the 2008 poll, 85 per cent from the Indian community voted for PR compared to 2004 when 90 per cent voted for BN. Raja said MIC's problem was they never met with Indian NGOs, they labeled as opposition, like MIPAS, over the community's problems. "They must change their modus operandi as BN may win the next general election but MIC may lose." On Makkal Sakti, he said it did not have the strength to list winnable candidates. "This NGO is now divided into three (PR, BN and Independent representatives). Hindraf is not one entity anymore. "MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam said the move reflected the government as being more liberal and tolerant. "However, the political stand of Hindraf is not clear. Compared to 2008, Hindraf's influence on the election will be lesser." On Hindraf's demands, he said many issues pertaining to the Indian community were already handled by the government. MIC Senator Datuk Daljit Singh Dhaliwal said the ban lift was good news for Hindraf. "Now, they have the opportunity to work together with the government, but it should be based on guidelines and regulations. "Perhaps, they can work closely with MIC and BN like other NGOs, such as the Indian Progressive Society (IPS), to strengthen Indian unity and work together for MIC's nine parliamentary seats in the next general election." He said when Hindraf held the 2007 rally, they changed scenario for the community by voicing out on jobs and education, among others. "Meanwhile, MIC had started working with the community and most had already supported BN." PPP Youth chief Harridz Mohan said the ban lift would give Hindraf freedom to air their views more appropriately. "We should not ban any organisation in the country. It is like taking away their constitutional rights.' He said the move had nothing to do with the coming general election or gaining support from Indians as the majority of people were back to support the BN. "It also gives more headroom for Indians to play their role in society.Harridz said the two new political parties born out of the Hindraf movement, the Makkal Sakti and Human Rights Party Malaysia, were supporting the ruling coalition. "Despite differences and different political paths, Indians are more united and focused on bringing in the right government, and that is for sure, the BN." He said it was vital for the community to put themselves on one platform to show unity instead in a fragmented manner.

Son of Lynas CEO charged with insider trading Posted: 28 Jan 2013 04:13 PM PST (The Malaysian Insider) - Oliver Curtis, the son of Lynas Corp's chief executive Nicholas Curtis (picture), has been charged in a Sydney court with insider trading, The Australian newspaper reported today. The 27-year-old investment banker was accused of conspiring with John Joseph Hartman, then a portfolio manager at Orion Asset Management, to "front run" share markets over a 13-month period, from May 2007 to June 208, by the use of contracts for difference (CFDs), the daily reported. CFDs are an arrangement made in a futures contract in which the differences in settlement are paid in cash instead of the delivery of physical goods or securities; and give investors all the gains and risks of owning a security without actually owning it. Curtis junior could be jailed up to five years and/or fined A$200,000 (RM640,000) if convicted under the Australian law, the paper reported. No plea was recorded as he was not required to do so. The paper also reported that the younger Curtis was alleged to have bought two BlackBerry smartphones for himself and Hartman, and to have financed trades. The case is set to be brought up for hearing on March 26, the paper reported, adding that Oliver was granted bail and would not have to attend the next court date. He was driven away in a black Range Rover with tinted windows after the case, the paper reported. He is also reported to headline Australia's society news pages. The married Oliver is also reported to have co-founded an investment bank, Riverstone Advisory, with his father, who is currently locked in an uphill public perception battle here over the RM2.5 billion rare earth Lynas Advanced Materials Plant (LAMP) which several grassroots groups in Malaysia and Australia claim pose a health and environmental danger.

Man Utd world’s first team to top US$3b in value Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:26 PM PST (Reuters) - English Premier League soccer club Manchester United are the world's first professional sports team to be valued at more than US$3 billion, according to Forbes Magazine. A recent surge in the club's shares after a poor start when they were offered on the New York Stock Exchange last year has boosted Manchester United's value to US$3.3 billion, a report on Forbes's website said on Monday. The increase has United, English champions a record 19 times, comfortably ahead of the world's second-most valuable sports team, the National Football League's Dallas Cowboys, worth US$2.1 billion. Forbes put the surge in United shares down to brighter earnings prospects from new sponsorship deals and said the demand could continue given the team's potential for lucrative payouts in the EPL and Champions League. United, who claim to have 659 million followers worldwide, are owned by the American Glazer family who retained a tight grip on the club after the flotation on the New York Stock Exchange. United shares closed 41 cents lower at US$16.48 in New York yesterday.

Guan Eng pours scorn on ‘BN’ A-G Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:19 PM PST The DAP leader takes a swipe at Abdul Gani Patail regarding his assurance on the Sabah RCI, saying that the public has no confidence in the latter. Priscilla Prasena, FMT In a scathing attack against Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the public has no confidence in the former. He was responding to Gani's assurance that action will be taken where criminal elements are involved concerning the findings of the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on the issuance of identity cards to illegal immigrants in Sabah. Lim dismissed Gani's assurance as "meaningless" as the AG failed to act on Perkasa over the call to burn Malay bibles containing the word "Allah". "Gani has demonstrated an upsetting tendency of delaying or even not acting on cases which involve Barisan Nasional leaders, their cronies or anyone relevant to them. "Nothing exemplifies such prosecutorial cowardice and double-standard as his refusal to act against Perkasa for calling for bibles to be burnt with the ridiculous excuse that the bible has not been burnt and he will only act when the bible is actually burnt," he said in a press statement. However, the DAP secretary-general noted that Gani appeared to display "extreme prejudice and bravery" when taking action against Pakatan Rakyat leaders such as DAP's Karpal Singh for sedition. "Gani's promises that he will act if there are criminal offences sounds even more empty following the denial of the BN government as shown in the recent horrific death of security guard C Sugumaran last week while being handcuffed by the police. "Sugumaran's death followed a string of custodial death victims such as Chang Ching Te in Subang this year and the previous years of A Kugan as well as 16-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah, who was shot dead by the police," said Lim. The chief minister accused the AG of being politically partisan to the point of blindly parroting the BN's line that the RCI is transparent and that it is a promise fulfilled. Lim said the time has come for Malaysians to remove a political attorney-general who serves no function except to serve his political masters. "Malaysians deserve a legal attorney-general who fulfills his or her statutory obligation to uphold the law without fear or favour in a professional and impartial manner. "There can be no justice for all when cronies and supporters of BN leaders enjoy legal immunity for breaking the law while law-abiding citizens are punished because they dare to dissent and oppose BN," he added.

Why quiet about Dr M’s confession? Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:15 PM PST Tuarasn MP Wilfred Bumburing is wondering why the Sabah Umno deputy chief is silent on the former premier's admission regarding the IC issue. Joseph Bingkasan, FMT KOTA KINABALU: Pro-opposition Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) has taken state Umno deputy chief Salleh Said Keruak to task for being quick to criticise the opposition but not former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad who admitted his role in the citizenship-for votes scandal that has since rocked the state. APS president Wilfred Bumburing said Mahathir openly confessed following shocking revelations during the ongoing Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) hearing but Salleh has chosen to ignore this and not challenged the former premier to testify and instead focused on Anwar Ibrahim. "By not doing so [challenging Mahathir] I dare to say he [Salleh] condones the great injury that Mahathir has done to the people of Sabah. "I also would like to ask Salleh what he had done during his tenure as the chief minister of Sabah to solve the illegal immigrant problem," he said. Following the disclosures by witnesses at the RCI's first stretch of hearings, Anwar came out and declared that he is ready to testify if invited to do so by the RCI. His willingness, meanwhile, has put pressure on Salleh and other former chief ministers including the present Chief Minister Musa Aman to testify before the RCI. "All of them are duty-bound to help solve the problem. Those who refuse to do so imply that they are in cahoots with Mahathir's misdeed," Bumburing added. Salleh has described those involved in the issuance of ICs to foreigners as traitors, saying that they deserved to be punished in accordance with the law of the country. He, however, denied that Umno was involved in the "Project IC" but added that any individual from Umno found to be involved must be punished. But Bumburing, a former Barisan Nasional man, has placed the blame squarely on Umno-led BN's shoulders. He said based on the RCI testimonies it is obvious now that the magnitude of the illegal immigrant problem in Sabah today is the result of a well-planned programme by the government under Mahathir. "The problem was raised by the people of Sabah since the 80s but the federal government had taken a hardline position of denial," Bumburing told FMT today. Mahathir erred The Tuaran MP pointed out that even the setting up of the RCI by the government was done reluctantly more than two decades after the situation was exposed. He said even Mahathir has been tightlipped about the extraordinary growth of the state population and was only recently forced to admit that his Umno-led BN administration was responsible for the issuance of ICs to the illegal immigrants in Sabah. READ MORE HERE

MyWatch chief: Cop threatened to shoot me Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:10 PM PST MyWatch chairman R Sri Sanjeevan was on undercover at several illegal gambling outlets in Jelebu when a policeman called him up and threatened to shoot him if he didn't leave.  Anisah Shukry, FMT A policeman from the Jelebu police headquarters allegedly threatened to shoot the chairman of anti-crime watchdog MyWatch early this morning, minutes after he informed Bukit Aman of illegal gambling outlets operating in the area. R Sri Sanjeevan told FMT he had been staking out the illegal gambling outlets in Simpang Pertang alone, waiting for the district police to act on his tip off, when he received a threatening call at 3.43am from a Malay man. According to Sanjeevan's police report, the man had demanded in Malay: "who are you, are you drunk, why did you call Bukit Aman, do you think we don't know what we are doing? I want you to leave that area or I will go there and arrest you or shoot you." When Sanjeevan asked who the man was, he allegedly replied: "I am a police officer from IPD Jelebu! If you have the guts, come to IPD Jelebu now!" Sanjeevan said he immediately called Bukit Aman and was told that the information would be passed on to the Negeri Sembilan contingent police headquarters. But no response came and Sanjeevan lodged a police report at 4.55am at the Jelebu district police headquarters over the matter. "The investigating officer confirmed that the number [from the death threat] belongs to IPD Jelebu," Sanjeevan told FMT. "So they are narrowing it down and will charge the perpetrator for criminal intimidation. I doubt the case will stick, but the public needs to know that police give death threats as well." Sanjeevan said he was certain the man who issued the death threat was a police officer intent on protecting the illegal gambling outlets there, which he said had been operating for two years. "It was just a four minute difference [from when I informed the police about the outlets]. Within four minutes, I get a threatening call. So who do you think it is?" Police protecting illegal gambling outlets Sanjeevan explained that he had gone undercover at 2.50am as a customer of the outlets based on information he received from a source. "I have been getting complaints too often [over the illegal gambling outlets and] have relayed it to police but they failed so I went down personally," he told FMT. READ MORE HERE

Mahathir: When will we regain our sanity? Posted: 28 Jan 2013 03:06 PM PST Aren't accidents a human right? asks the former premier in mocking the opposition towards the implementation of AES.  RK Anand, FMT Dr Mahathir Mohamad is wondering when Malaysians will regain their sanity and stop politicising everything, including the government's efforts to save lives. The former premier was commenting on the opposition towards the implementation of the Automated Enforcement System (AES) to nab traffic offenders. With his trademark sarcasm, Mahathir said since Malaysia was a democratic nation, all undertakings by the ruling administration must be opposed. "So the efforts by the administration to save lives, reduce road accidents and lower the death rate due to road accidents to below 6,000 a year must be opposed. "Aren't accidents a human right? A basic right for all of us? Why is the ruling administration attempting to rob us of this right? "Democracy has reached such a high point in our beloved nation that even the efforts to save lives becomes a contentious issue," he added in his blog posting. Noting the high accident rate in the country, Mahathir, a car aficionado himself, asked if Malaysians would accept the AES only after everyone lost a family member to fatal accidents. "When would we regain our sanity? Must everything be politicised and opposed just because it is our right to do so?" he asked. The former premier said when the volume of cars increase on the roads, the police find it difficult to enforce the traffic laws. "Many new equipment have been invented to help the police. But the volume of cars continue to increase and so do the number of accidents. "So an electronic device was invented, which not only measures the speed but also identifies the vehicle involved. Nowhere in the world was the implementation of this device opposed," he added. The government's decision to implement the AES became a hotly debated matter, prompting the attorney-general to freeze all court cases related to the summonses issued.

Police marching to BN beat Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:13 AM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - The public perception is growing that the authorities are all 'partners in crime' by concealing the truth about the many deaths in police custody. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak reaffirmed at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, recently that Malaysia is committed towards becoming a developed nation by 2020. Painting a cosy picture of a progressive nation, the premier conveniently swept the alarming truth under the carpet – that of police brutality having reached pandemic status in the country. The rakyat, meanwhile, is worried, angry and frustrated because the federal government continues to belittle the importance of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). Eight years ago, a 634-page report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the police force, headed by a former judge, revealed that the police were brutal, inept and the most corrupt among the government departments. Between 1999 and 2003, there were 5,726 formal complaints of corruption involving the police force and it was recommended that the police force be monitored by an independent watchdog. But Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein continues to disrespect the importance of the IPCMC. In the meantime, the layman ends up dead under police custody while politicians and offspring of Cabinet ministers continue to roam free despite being implicated in brawls and murders. Can the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar explain such travesty of justice? It was not too long ago when two police officers who were also members of the Malaysian Police Special Action Force were sent to the gallows for the murder of Mongolian native Altantuya Shaariibuu. The two cops were assigned to the Prime Minister's Department and acted as Najib's bodyguards. Altantuya was found murdered in a jungle at Puncak Alam in Shah Alam, her remains destroyed with C-4 explosives on Oct 18, 2006. If all this is not disturbing enough, the conspiracy between the public hospitals and police to hide the truth behind the deaths in detention makes the rakyat nauseous with the never-ending machinations of the ruling Barisan Nasional to conceal the facts. In the face of all this troubling scenario, Ismail is going about "re-branding" the police force, saying more degree holders are welcomed to join the force and that his "men in blue" are doing a fine job. But going by the "track record" of the Royal Malaysian Police, there is no reason for the rakyat to trust Ismail. From rapes in lock-ups to nude squats to bashing up detainees to being trigger-happy to misusing the C-4 explosives, Ismail's "men" have done it all and the pattern continues. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/29/police-marching-to-bn-beat/

Middle-income trap makes owning homes near impossible Posted: 28 Jan 2013 11:09 AM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - The poor have government-controlled low-cost housing, the rich can have their pick of whichever property they fancy but the middle-income wage earners are left to rent or make do with a remote location when it comes to getting a home of their own. The latest Property Market Report 2012 has revealed property prices in major cities such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Baru and Kota Kinabalu to be well above the affordability of any middle-income wage earner with a take-home pay of less than RM4,000, prompting the federal government to come up with several affordable housing schemes. In Kuala Lumpur, a single-storey terrace house in Taman Tun Dr Ismail or Lucky Garden is priced above RM730,000 while a similar type of house in the nearby Petaling district is priced above RM378,000. The solution, according to real estate agent and International Real Estate Federation (Fiabci) committee member Michael Geh, is for potential home buyers to look further away to the outskirts. "What we have now is a middle-income trap for the average wage earner where they can't qualify for low-cost housing and yet they can't afford a comfortable home within city limits," he said. Property prices have been strong in recent years with many urban areas experiencing property price increases while newly launched homes are priced above the RM500,000 mark, according to the Property Market Report statistics. If a house buyer wants to get a home that's within his means, he will have to either look at locations further from the city centre or get a "partner" as only a combined income will allow for easier approvals of housing loans, said Geh. "So, either you grab a spouse to apply for a loan based on a joint income or you look further out of the city for cheaper housing and commute to work everyday," he said. Geh said there was also a new trend where friends partnered up to jointly purchase properties. "Many singles prefer to partner up with a friend to jointly buy a house where they stay together as housemates instead of renting," he said. But many singles also prefer to rent and live like nomads where they frequently move from one place to another especially when they change jobs, he added. "This is especially true for fresh graduates who may not have enough income to sustain a housing loan," he said. Property auctioneer M. Shanmughananthan echoed Geh's opinions that it was now very difficult for the middle-income earner to purchase properties, especially newly launched projects in the city. "There is now a growing phenomenon of investors clubs and they are snapping up these new projects even before they are launched so genuine home buyers will not have a chance to get these properties at the launch price," he said. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/middle-income-trap-makes-owning-homes-near-impossible/

Najib: Action against Nasharudin stems from PAS’ insecurities Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:51 AM PST   (The Star) - The removal of former deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa from the PAS Syura Council stems from the party's uneasiness and sense of threat over the success of the Barisan Nasional government and Umno in uniting the Muslims, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said. The Prime Minister, who recently returned from a trip to Gaza with a Malaysian delegation that included Nasharudin, added: "Whatever their (Syura Council) decision was based on, the timing of it created a perception that it was done due to his visit to Gaza." Najib told reporters this after opening the Youth Action Forum 2013 here yesterday. PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who heads the Syura Council, had announced on Sunday that it had decided on Jan 13 to remove Nasharudin due to several factors, including failure to attend council meetings. Yesterday, the Kelantan Mentri Besar also said Nasharudin, who is Bachok MP, would not be an election candidate as none of the party's divisions had submitted his name. "It is likely that they (PAS) felt uneasy and threatened by our (the Government's) success," Najib said. He said it was unfortunate that action was taken against a PAS leader whose visit to Gaza "was driven by his personal desire for Muslim unity and upholding Islam". "That was the view he expressed and his personal stand, for which the action against him was taken," said Najib, adding that the trip to Gaza was apolitical. The Prime Minister said the visit was a historic occasion for all Malaysians who supported the Palestinian cause, brushing aside criticisms over the trip. He said the negative remarks were in opposition to the general sense of appreciation felt by the entire nation of Malaysia's role in helping the Palestinians.

Back to the gold standard: Some benefits of using gold as currency Posted: 28 Jan 2013 10:43 AM PST (The Express Tribune) - The Malaysian state of Kelantan started issuing gold coins in 2006. Although the federal government of Malaysia does not recognise these coins as legal tender, the demand for these coins has been overwhelming  In an environment of high domestic inflation, deteriorating exchange rate of local currency against major foreign currencies and decreasing interest rates, preserving the value of savings and investment is certainly a challenging task. Most people, especially unsophisticated investors, tend to seek refuge in real estate in an attempt to preserve the value of investments. However, small savers and investors who prefer liquidity find it difficult to lock their savings in illiquid investments like property. In the Indian sub-continent, there has been an historical obsession with gold as an enduring investment: women tend to try and convince their husbands to 'invest' in jewellery. All of us, however, know that gold jewellery has never been a good investment. The story is different when it comes to gold metal. Gold has always proven to be a safe haven for most investors, especially for the long run. In a country like Pakistan, which at present is facing all kinds of economic problems, it is becoming increasingly difficult for investors to preserve the real value of their investments. Meanwhile, local savers are also disheartened by the prospect of earning low, or in some cases negative, real return on their savings (and hence incurring a capital loss in real terms). This is also a deterrent for many foreign investors who may wish to invest in the country. One viable option for many savers is to open up foreign currency accounts in local banks to hedge against exchange rate fluctuations and rising domestic prices. This remains a preferred option for many, especially those who receive foreign remittances on a regular basis. However, while most of the local and foreign banks operating in the country offer foreign currency (US dollar, British pound and euro) accounts, there are nearly zero gold-based savings and investment products. Given the macroeconomic conditions, it is probably high time for the introduction of gold coins in Pakistan, as an attempt to introduce a stable currency for saving. The current share of Islamic banking in overall banking in Pakistan is about 8%, and we can expect that a very significant proportion of the banked individuals and households would be interested in saving in bullion. Islamic banks in the country can exploit this opportunity to win more business by introducing bullion accounts. If the introduction of gold coins is successful, monetary authorities – ie, the State Bank of Pakistan – may consider using gold coins to bring about monetary reforms in the country. Indeed, advocates of monetary reform have for long advocated a return to the gold standard. Some prominent economists, like Nobel laureate Robert Mundell and James Robertson, have written a lot on the benefits of returning to the gold standard. In the context of Islamic banking and trade, the likes of the former prime minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamed, and activists like Tarek elDiwani have been influential figures advocating the introduction of gold dinars and replacing the fractional reserve based banking system. In fact, the Malaysian state of Kelantan rather controversially started issuing gold coins in 2006. Although the federal government of Malaysia does not recognise these coins as legal tender, the demand for these coins has been overwhelming. Since then, some silver coins have also been sold to savers who would like to save them for the longer term. Read more at: http://tribune.com.pk/story/499405/back-to-the-gold-standard-some-benefits-of-using-gold-as-currency/

Distribution of 20 pct oil royalty to producing states can burden Petronas Posted: 28 Jan 2013 09:54 AM PST   (Bernama) - The distribution of 20 per cent royalty and goodwill payment (wang ehsan) to oil producing states can burden national oil company Petronas which also assists in the development of other states in Malaysia, said Terengganu Malay Chamber of Commerce Malaysia advisor, Datuk Wan Md Albakri Md Noor. He said the distribution of five per cent oil royalty to Sabah and Sarawak apart from goodwill payments to Terengganu were contained in agreements since Petronas was set up. "If we were to look at the national revenue structure, oil is the largest source of revenue for the country which is also used to develop other states," he told Bernama when met here. He said the special privilege given to oil producing states in the initial agreement with Petronas was that these states were still backward and in need of development. According to him, the issue of royalty was raised by the opposition merely for political expediency and not for the agenda to develop the states involved.

Nasharudin says will continue fight for Islam even without PAS post Posted: 27 Jan 2013 04:56 PM PST By Ida Lim and Nomy Nozwir, The Malaysian Insider Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa said today he will continue the fight for Islam even if he holds no position in the party. Reacting to yesterday's news reports that the Islamist party had revoked his membership in the PAS syura council as part of its disciplinary proceedings, he said the struggle to uphold Islam must go on. "Until the second this SMS is sent, I have yet to receive any letter about my removal from the position," Nasharudin (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in a text message this afternoon. "Whatever it is, the fight to uphold Islam must be continued, whether holding position or not. "That position is an appointment by the party; if the party wishes to take it back, that is the party's right. Just that for now I only know about the sacking through the media and not through the party's official channels," the Bachok MP said. Yesterday, syura council secretary Datuk Nik Zawawi Nik Salleh said a letter confirming Nasharudin's dismissal was sent out after a January 13 meeting chaired by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. He added that Nasharudin did not contact the council for further clarification. Sinar Harian reported Nik Zawawi saying that Nasharudin was found to have broken several of the body's regulations including non-attendance of council meetings. Nasharudin had previously asked the party to review its co-operation with other Pakatan Rakyat (PR) parties if coalition partner DAP continued to oppose the implementation of hudud laws, the Islamic penal code. His actions have drawn the criticism of other PAS members. READ MORE HERE

Taib to resign, Jabu to move up? Posted: 27 Jan 2013 04:42 PM PST Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's plans for an overwhelming win in Sarawak hinges on Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's resignation 'just before' the general election.  Joseph Tawie, FMT KUCHING: Rumours are rife that Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud will step down after the general election and succeeding him will be his deputy Alfred Jabu Numpang. Taib is expected to announce his decision just before the 13th general election to thwart any attempt by the opposition to flog his alleged malpractices and power abuse. It is also a bid to wrest lost Chinese support in the state. Jabu's tenure as chief minister will, however, last only until the next state election in 2016. Taib, meanwhile, will move up to become Sarawak governor or Yang di-Petrtuan Negri, a position that he has been wanting in exchange for relinquishing his chief minister's post. Taib's main concern is his RM46 billion business empire. According to state Barisan Nasional sources, rumours began circulating after Taib met Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak about two weeks ago. Najib, the sources said, was firm with Taib and insisted he stepped down as his continuity was affecting BN's position as a whole in Sarawak. Najib apparently advised Taib to announce his resignation just before the 13th general election so that the opposition could not exploit Taib's long contentious tenure as chief minister. Taib was appointed chief minister on March 26, 1981. The strategy Taib was a hot issue in the Sibu parliamentary by-election in May 2010. BN lost Sibu to DAP's Wong Ho Leng by a slim majority. Until then BN had held Sibu for over two decades. It was a BN's stronghold. In 2011 state election, Taib continued to be a hot election issue, especially in the Chinese majority seats where various allegations of corruption, abuse of power, nepotism and cronyism were slapped on him by the opposition. Chinese majority Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) lost 13 of 19 seats it contested to the opposition in the 2011 election. According to the sources, the "new" BN strategy proposed by Najib would ensure that BN wins back the confidence of Sarawak voters, especially the Chinese, who have allegedly been led astray by the opposition because of Taib's corrupt administration. SUPP has six seats at stake – Stampin, Bandar Kuching, Sarikei, Lanang, Sibu and Miri. Bandar Kuching and Bandar Sibu are in the hands of the DAP. "With Taib out, SUPP and BN would be able to wrest back Bandar Kuching and Sibu from the opposition, and at the same time retain the rest," said the sources. Taib had in the past indicated a number of times that he wanted to step down as chief minister, but has yet to find a "suitable" person to succeed him. The last time he spoke of stepping down was before the 2011 state election. At the time he promised that he would retire two or three years after leading the state government. His time is up. READ MORE HERE

AG: Govt will act on RCI report Posted: 27 Jan 2013 04:16 PM PST According to Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, the government needs admissible evidence for purpose of criminal prosecution. (Bernama) - The government will act on any report or resolution by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) on illegal immigrants in Sabah, said Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail. In giving this assurance, he said, where there were criminal elements involved, action would be taken, and wrongs would be righted. "Yes, if there are criminal offences, we will act. This is the government's promise. That is why, the RCI was set up. "However, we must remember, if we talk about criminal prosecution, we have to see whether there is sufficient evidence. In the RCI, everything that people say is acknowledged, but without evidence, we cannot accept. We can accept hearsay evidence. "To enable us to go to court, we have to look at admissible evidence. This is not an excuse not to take action against those who committed a crime. We will take action, but according to the law," he told reporters after attending the Opening of the Legal Year 2013 at the Tawau court here today. Also present at the event were Chief Justice of Malaysia Arifin Zakaria, Court of Appeal president Md Raus Sharif, Federal Court Judge Abdull Hamid Embong and Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum. Gani also urged all parties to have confidence in the RCI which he said had delved extensively into all issues which were exposed. "Everyone knows that many were arrested [including] those with identity cards. This shows that the government is transparent. Looking at another aspect, it is a promise fulfilled. "The prime minister [Najib Tun Razak] had said he would see to it that an RCI would be set up, and that it would be transparent and reliable. Otherwise, all these issues would not have been exposed. "And, I am very glad and happy with it because that is what we want. Why, because the truth must come out exactly as it is," he said. Gani said that a mistake could have been committed earlier, and that mistake was being investigated, whether it was committed by government officers or the government itself, or there was an element of fraud or corruption, which should be resolved to everyone's satisfaction. "And, that mistake, we have to rectify… it is very important for this state [Sabah], it's my state. We must do something. So, don't be in a haste, let's wait and see, just allow the RCI to do its job effectively," he said.

MCA to help take Pakatan to court over ‘promises’ Posted: 27 Jan 2013 12:17 PM PST   (The Star) - MCA has pledged to bring the Selangor Government to court over unfulfilled claims made prior to winning the state in the 2008 general election. These include reducing assessment rates by 20%, free water to all consumers and a special allowance to single mothers in the state. Klang MCA Youth chief Ching Eu Boon said his team was currently registering the names of people who have yet to receive these "goodies". "We are currently focusing on registering residents who did not get any reduction in their assessment and single mothers who did not receive the promised allowances. "We hope to record at least 5,000 people (in Pandamaran) because without proof, the matter cannot be brought to court," he told a news conference after registering about 1,000 names yesterday. On Wednesday, the Shah Alam High Court dismissed the application by the state government to strike out a RM10.9mil suit filed against them by a group of single mothers. Justice Yaacob Md Sam said promises made during an election continued to exist for interpretation as a policy by those who were elected based on the promises.

Najib to launch BR1M distribution Posted: 27 Jan 2013 11:53 AM PST   (NST) - Seven million households to get RM500 aid [MTadmin - That's HOUSEHOLDS, not individuals. Malaysia has approximately 29 million people. Assuming each household has 2 children, almost everyone is entitled to BR1M.] IPOH: FEBRUARY will be a much awaited month for more than seven million households and single Malaysians. On Saturday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will kick-start the nationwide disbursement of RM500 to the those eligible for the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M 2.0). Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah said the launch by Najib, who mooted the aid programme to help low-income households, would put in motion the disbursement of the aid nationwide to eligible households and single folk. Distribution of the aid would be carried out next month and would be completed by March. Ahmad Husni said the aid would be distributed through district officers and zone development officers. Under the BR1M 2.0 initiative, he said more than three million new applicants would also enjoy the cash aid. "The launch (of the disbursement) is confirmed, but the official venue has yet to be confirmed," he said after launching the "Populate the library" programme in Tambun near here yesterday. Ahamd Husni said so far, the Inland Revenue Board had processed six million BR1M 2.0 applications, both old and new, with 1.3 million still being processed by the board. "Last year, the government gave BR1M to 4.1 million households. On top of that figure, we have received 3.2 million new applications. "However, the government will continue to accept new applications. We have not announced the closing date yet, so those who feel they are eligible to apply for BR1M 2.0 can still do so." He said in a similar to process to last year's, the RM500 payment would be given via vouchers which can be cashed at mobile banks located at the venue of the aid disbursement. He said this year, four banks had been appointed to cash the vouchers. They are Bank Simpanan Nasional, CIMB, Maybank and Public Bank. Husni said the distribution of BR1M 2.0 would have a positive impact on economic growth and domestic consumption. "The spin-off effect will be felt throughout the country when the recipients start spending their money. Local businesses will also benefit greatly from this." Asked about the economic growth figure for the last quarter of 2012, Husni said the quarterly figure, as well as the annual figure, would be released by Bank Negara next month. He said the government was confident of recording more than five per cent growth for last year. Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah says BR1M 2.0 will would have a positive impact on the economic growth and domestic consumption

No reason for us to oppose govt: Felda settlers Posted: 27 Jan 2013 11:51 AM PST   (Bernama) - "A parent's love is whole no matter how many times divided". This quote may best describe the sense of responsibility and love the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has for Felda (Federal Land Development Authority) settlers in this country. For most settlers, the establishment of Felda on July 1, 1956, which aimed to provide new settlements to help the rural poor improve their economic status, clearly demonstrated the government's commitment and responsibility to provide a better life for the people (rakyat). The result was that the lives of thousands of people under the programme were successfully transformed, they were released from the clutches of poverty which had trapped their lives for so long. Sadly, for some settlers, what was done by the government appears not to have left any traces in their hearts, instead they choose to "bite the hand that feeds them". Such an ungrateful act should not exist, as according to Mat Zahari Derahman, 55, settlers do not have valid reasons to oppose the government that has done a lot for people. Mat Zahari, who is also the head of Felda Bukit Goh near here, said since he joined Felda in 1970, various assistance programmes to enhance their standard of living were implemented by the government, of which the benefits to the settlers could not be denied. "Various initiatives such as an interest-free home expansion financing programme, second generation housing development, educational programmes for the children of the settlers, agropolitan programmes, Settlers Welfare Fund, interest-free computer loan schemes, incentive schemes for Felda entrepreneurs, replanting subsistence assistance, productivity incentive bonuses, and the latest "windfall", have benefited us all,", he said. Based on that, the existence of those who opposed the government in FELDA such as the National Association of Felda Settlers' Children (Anak), was seen as 'the enemy within', trying to ruin what was enjoyed by settlers thus far, he said. For Felda Bukit Kuantan youth, Norehan Saleh, 28, representing Felda's second generation, Felda is now heading to another quantum leap. "As Felda's second generation, we do not want to be left out, instead we are prepared to jointly implement national transformation," she said. For Jasmi Faizal Muda, 31, from Felda Kota Gelanggi, every facility provided by Felda had indirectly helped the young people, including the second generation to be successful in various fields. "I think those who oppose to what the government is doing to increase our standard of living as the children of these settlers, are just smooth talkers," he said. Felda, which has existed for almost 57 years, currently has more than 112,635 settlers, who originally were poor people, but now can earn up to RM3,000 a month. In Pahang alone, there were 43,124 settlers, of whom 40,901 are involved in oil palm cultivation and the rest rubber cultivation. According to Felda's Corporate Unit Public Relations Officer Aman Shah Alladin, by the end of 2011, a total of 34,000 settlers were given ownership of land, while the rest are awaiting land alienation.

PAS Syura Council gives Nasha the boot Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:46 PM PST   (The Malaysian Insider) - Former PAS vice-president Nasharudin Mat Isa had his PAS Syura Council membership revoked as part of disciplinary proceedings, Sinar Harian reported today. Sinar quoted the council's secretary Datuk Nik Zawawi Nik Salleh saying that Nasharudin was found to have broken several of the body' regulations. The decision was said to have been made last 13 Jan at a meeting chaired by PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Among Nasha's infractions included non-attendance of council meetings, but Nik Zawawi declined to elaborate further. Nik Zawawi also said that a letter confirming Nasharudin's dismissal was sent out after the meeting was held. Nasha did not contact the council for any further clarification, he added.   Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pas-syura-council-gives-nasha-the-boot/

Soi Lek: Johor's development will soon overtake Selangor Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:44 PM PST   (The Star) - Dr Chua, however, cautioned that the positive development would come to a stop if Pakatan Rakyat's dream to make Johor its front line state came true.  Johor is set to overtake Selangor in terms of development in the next five years, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek. He said the development in Iskandar and Pengerang were the biggest contributors to the state's development. Tourism in the state was also improving quickly, and expected to surpass that of Malacca, he said. Dr Chua said about 50% of tourists to Malaysia passed through Johor, which was a gateway to the country. There were major tourist projects in the pipeline as well as completed ones like Legoland to fast-track tourism development in the state, he added. Dr Chua, however, cautioned that the positive development would come to a stop if Pakatan Rakyat's dream to make Johor its front line state came true. "I hope the people, especially those in Johor, have realised by now how PAS-led Kelantan and Kedah have been lagging in development; from investment, new jobs to tourism. "PAS, being the dominant party in Pakatan, is not keen on economic development, but more on imposing its religious values on non-Muslims ," he said after opening the 64th MCA anniversary celebration here Sunday. Dr Chua urged the Chinese voters in particular not to fall prey to DAP's gimmicks. "The DAP boasts of sending its national figures to wrest seats in Johor. "If they were to win, they will leave the voters, and at best, will only have an assistant to represent them," Dr Chua said. He noted that Malaysia was still a developing country, and elected representatives had to always be on the ground to help the people.

Malaysia a ‘coward nation’ Posted: 26 Jan 2013 10:41 PM PST   (Free Malaysia Today) - Taslima Nasreen, a controversial writer has sent out a scathing twit about Malaysia's move to ban Vishwaroopam. Controversial Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen has described Malaysia as a "coward" nation following Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussein's decision to suspend the screening of Tamil movie, Vishwaroopam. "Malaysia banned Vishwaroopam. Coward countries will ban it, coward cinemas will not show it. "This fear of Muslim fanatics is just plain stupid," said Taslima on Twitter after news of the suspension was reported by the Indian media yesterday. Taslima courted controversy in 1993 after a book that she wrote entitled Lajja criticised the implementation of the sharia law. Muslims in Bangladesh called for her death and this led to her decision to live in exile in India. Taslima is not the first to criticise Malaysia's decision. Yesterday, Malaysia's National Laureate A Samad Said questioned the rationale of the suspension by the Film Censorship Board (LPF) since it saw no harm in allowing Hindi film Race 2 from being screened. Vishwaroopam was suspended last Friday after cinemas began screening the movie. The movie has also been banned in Singapore and several other countries Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/27/malaysia-a-coward-nation/

Pakatan won’t submit polls candidate list to MACC Posted: 26 Jan 2013 05:17 PM PST (The Star) - Pakatan Rakyat has no plan to submit its list of election candidates to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for vetting. PKR vice-president Tian Chua said this was because the coalition felt MACC should not be involved in the general election and its processes. Tian Chua said Pakatan leaders believed that MACC should be free from politics and should not have a say in who was eligible to be a candidate for any party. "By getting involved in the election process, MACC had compromised its integrity and this shows that the commission is siding with the Barisan Nasional government," he said after a PKR lunch and ceramah in Taman Sentosa here yesterday. Tian Chua, who is also Batu MP, said Pakatan disagreed with the move and found it pointless. It was reported that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had said that it was a standard practice by Barisan Nasional to submit names of potential election candidates to the MACC to be vetted. Najib was responding to a suggestion by the MACC's Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel chairman Datuk Johan Jaafar that all political parties send their list of candidates for vetting by the commission. On another issue, Tian Chua said Pakatan member parties would not sabotage each other by having three-cornered fights in the coming general election, especially in Johor. He was confident that there would be no such fights for seats, including the Johor Jaya state seat. "Three-cornered fights are old news. But I cannot speak for those who might contest as independents," he said. When asked about PKR's candidate list, he said it was being finalised and the announcement was expected to be made before Chinese New Year.

30 days clause is ‘reasonable’, says EC Posted: 26 Jan 2013 05:08 PM PST The pre-condition for overseas Malaysians wanting to register as postal voters is comparative to similar clauses in Australia and Canada. (Bernama) - The new clause imposed by the Election Commission for Malaysians residing abroad to have spent at least 30 days in the country over a five year period is a reasonable condition, according to EC deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. The clause is a pre-condition for overseas Malaysian who wanted to register as postal voters. Wan Ahmad said the condition was simple and appropriate and had also been adopted by other Commonwealth countries such as Australia and Canada while Singapore had a minimum three months condition. "Thirty days in a period of five years, not 30 days consecutively. Voting is not just a right but a responsibility to the country. "EC also looks at it as showing love for country and still having a link with the homeland," he said. Wan Ahmad added that the condition was proposed to the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on Electoral Reforms which approved it. He said, however, that the decision to set the condition of five years and the minimum 30 days stay was set by the EC, as provided for under the Election Laws and Regulations. "As a constitutional organisation, the EC has the authority to set certain conditions and procedures," he said, dismissing claims by certain quarters that the condition was not discussed at the committee stage at Parliament. Earlier, Rasah MP Anthony Loke from the DAP had urged the EC to review the condition, contending that it was unfair and would unnecessarily impede the election process. Anthony had also claimed that the EC had delayed registration of outstation voters for almost 13 months from the date the PSC raising doubts on its preparedness and commitment to ensure a fair and clean election process. Replying to Loke, Wan Ahmad said thorough preparation was necessary because the EC needed to discuss with the Foreign Ministry on the election process for outstation voters as it would involve Malaysian embassy staff who would represent the EC. Apart from that, he said the cooperation of the Immigration Department was also necessary to check the records on the outstation voters' return to Malaysia. He added that the embassy staff too needed to be trained and assigned. The regulation to allow Malaysians abroad to vote via post was gazetted on Jan 21 this year based on certain conditions. The key condition was that they must have been in Malaysia or returned to the country for 30 days in a period of five years before the dissolution of the current parliament or state legislative assembly. This does not extend to Malaysians living abroad in southern Thailand, Singapore, Brunei and Kalimantan. They have to return to Malaysia to cast their votes. Prior to this, only fulltime overseas students, and civil servants and their spouses were allowed to vote through the post as absentee voters. Meanwhile, Wan Ahmad said since Jan 21, the EC had received 500 applications from Malaysians living abroad to become postal voters in the 13th general election. He expected the applications to increase with the simplified process of sending back the form to the EC via email. "The opportunity for Malaysians to be outstation voters is a political transformation and a paradigm shift in the democratic process," he opined.

JAKIM sermon to unite Muslims, not spark hatred, Islamic leader says Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:42 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider The federal Islamic authority's sermon last Friday was not meant to incite hatred against the Christians but to remind Muslims of the sanctity of Islam, a Muslim leader has said amid the ongoing "Allah" row. In the sermon, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) had labelled non-Muslims who use the word "Allah" to describe their God as "enemies of Islam" and warned that this was an attempt to confuse Muslims into thinking all religions share the same God. "Why is it lately that we are too afraid of the non-Muslims, too apologetic, and too humble when facing the non-Muslims?" Islamic Da'wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim) founder Datuk Dusuki Ahmad (picture) was quoted as saying today by Malay-language daily Berita Harian. "The Muslims need to believe that Islam is the highest religion, true, and accepted by Allah. Lack of confidence in JAKIM's actions as a religious authority will split apart values and create confusion in the Muslim community," he added. After the sermon, several PAS leaders accused JAKIM of stoking religious hatred, an act that they called "inappropriate and irresponsible". But Dusuki stressed that JAKIM's Friday sermon was more of a call towards goodness, than to foment religious hatred. Church leaders, however, were displeased with the sermon, saying that JAKIM was blatantly inciting suspicion and intolerance between Islam and Christianity. Last week, Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali called on Muslims to burn the Malay-language bibles that contain the word "Allah" and other religious Arabic script. A priest lodged a police report on Tuesday in Penang over the distribution of anonymous pamphlets advertising a "festival" to burn the Malay language bibles at a field there today. The police have called up Ibrahim, who is also the Pasir Mas MP, to record his statement, following calls by the Bar Council to charge him under the Sedition Act. A Sabah church group said last Friday that the religious freedom of Christian Bumiputeras was under attack, pointing out that most adherents of the faith in Malaysia came from East Malaysia and use the Malay language. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yesterday, however, refused to condemn Ibrahim's bible-burning threat, and instead called on people to stop blowing up the issue. The "Allah" dispute, which first erupted after the historic 2008 general election, remains a controversial topic in the run-up to this year's polls that must be held by April. Debate resurfaced last month after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang chief minister, called on Putrajaya to lift a ban on Malay-language Bibles in Borneo Malaysia. Several state rulers and Islamic religious authorities then reminded non-Muslims of state laws banning use of the word, despite conflicting with a 2009 High Court judgment that ruled "Allah" was not exclusive to Islam.

Forced into extinction Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:39 PM PST   (The Economist) - LIKE much that moves in Twitter-mad Saudi Arabia these days, it started with a single message. A lady in Dammam, the hub of the oil industry on the kingdom's Gulf coast, tweeted a complaint from a local shopping mall. Agents of the Committee for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (CPVPV), she said, were causing an unpleasant scene. The government-salaried vigilantes, a bearded auxiliary police force familiarly known to Saudis as the Hayaa, had marched officiously into an educational exhibit featuring plaster models of dinosaurs, turned off the lights and ordered everyone out, frightening children and alarming their parents. It was unclear precisely why the religious police objected to the exhibit, which apparently had been innocently featured at shopping centres across the Gulf for decades. Malls are one of the few public spaces where Saudis mix socially, and so often draw the Hayaa's attentions. Gone, however, are the days when its agents can go about their business unchallenged. Within minutes of the incident, a freshly minted Arabic Twitter hashtag, #Dammam-Hayaa-Closes-Dinosaur-Show, was generating scores of theories about their motives. Perhaps, suggested one, there was a danger that citizens might start worshipping dinosaur statues instead of God. Maybe it was just a temporary measure, said another, until the Hayaa can separate male and female dinosaurs and put them in separate rooms. Surely, declared a third, one of the lady dinosaurs had been caught in public without a male guardian. A fourth announced an all-points police alert for Barney the Dinosaur, while another suggested it was too early to judge until it was clear what the dinosaurs were wearing. Not a few tweets cast the incident in political terms. "Why close the show?" asked one. "It's not as if we don't see dinosaurs in newspapers and on TV and in the government every day." "They should go after the dinosaurs who sit on chairs," suggested another, seconded by a tweep who advised that dinosaurs in gilt-trimmed cloaks, the garment of choice for senior sheikhs, would make a better target. Read more at: http://www.economist.com/blogs/pomegranate/2013/01/saudi-arabia?fsrc=scn/tw/te/tr/forcedintoextinction

Perkasa ready to meet churches over bible-burning threat Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:38 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Malay rights group Perkasa has suggested a roundtable discussion with local church leaders to explain its president's recent threat to torch Malay-language Bibles. The Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) had called the threat "vile", stressing that all religious scriptures are sacred books. "Perkasa is willing to accept any church's invitation to get an explanation," Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali was quoted as saying today by Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition of Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia. "Perkasa is always working on building up the muhibah (goodwill) spirit between races and religions in this country. Perkasa only strongly opposes anyone who tries to challenge the sanctity of Islam and the faith of its followers," he added. Last week, Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali called on Muslims to burn Malay-language bibles that contain the word "Allah" and other religious Arabic script. A priest lodged a police report on Tuesday in Penang over the distribution of anonymous pamphlets advertising a "festival" to burn the Malay language bibles at a field there today. The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) upset church leaders with its last Friday's sermon that warned Muslims nationwide of "enemies of Islam" that would try to confuse them into believing that all religions are the same. Muslim and Christian leaders here have been at loggerheads over use of the Arabic word "Allah", with the former claiming that it refers exclusively to the Islamic God. A church was firebombed after the High Court ruled in 2009 that Muslims did not have an exclusive right to the word "Allah". Debate resurfaced last month after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang chief minister, called on Putrajaya to lift a ban on Malay-language Bibles in Borneo Malaysia. A Sabah church group said last Friday that the religious freedom of Christian Bumiputeras was under attack, pointing out that most adherents of the faith in Malaysia came from East Malaysia and use the Malay language. A Buddhist group urged today the National Unity and Integration Department, which is under the purview of the Prime Minister's Department, to resolve the drawn-out dispute over the usage of "Allah".

‘Futile’ effort by anti-Bible group Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:25 PM PST Nobody participated in the controversial Malay Bible-burning event schedued this morning in Penang.  Leven Woon, FMT Penang police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi today described the contentious Bible-burning event as "futile" after the venue remained empty hours after it was scheduled to start. The controversial event was scheduled for 9.30am at Dewan Ahmad Badawi, Butterworth,  but nobody showed up until 11am. Police were seen patrolling the place since early this morning. Speaking at a press conference here, Abdul Rahim said: "It was a futile attempt by the organisers. "I am thankful that the event did not happen. I thank the people, especially the Malay Muslims, for not participating in the event. "As CPO responsible for the security here, I urge everyone not to bring up religious and cultural issues that can undermine the harmony in the country." Earlier this week, pamphlets were allegedly distributed by a little-known group called Pasukan Bertindak Anti-Bible Bahasa Melayu (Anti-Bible Action Force) urging Muslims to join in the Malay Bible-burning festival fixed for today. The pamphlets were distributed in the wake of a call to Muslims by Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali during a convention here to burn the Malay and Jawi versions of the Bibles containing the term "Allah" and other Islamic Arabic terms. Ibrahim's call was in response to allegations that Bibles were being distributed to students in a school in Jelutong. The call, police reports and subsequent "invitation" by the Anti-Bible Action Force sparked another round of heated debate and police reports with many accusing Ibrahim of inciting hatred. Others blamed Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng for stoking an "old" issue by insisting that it is the right of Christians to use the term "Allah" in the Malay version of the Bible. Before the start of the no-show event, Abdul Rahim had warned the public not to participate while Lim had pledged to ensure that the event did not take place.

Please, please don’t discuss RCI testimonies Posted: 26 Jan 2013 03:22 PM PST 'Negative discussions' and comments will discourage witnesses who are yet to give evidence from coming forward, claims Upko.  Queville To, FMT A frazzled United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) has urged the public to refrain from gossiping and making comments about the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) hearing on illegal immigrants until it is completed. The plea comes as the Sabah Barisan Nasional  coalition partners come under increasing scrutiny by their supporters over their collusion with Umno to form what many now believe to be an "illegal" government. The Sabah BN component party along with counterparts Parti Bersatu Sabah, Parti Bersatu Rakyat Sabah and the Liberal Democratic Party are all struggling to explain their presence in the coalition in the light of damning evidence that they all benefited from a government-sponsored citizenship-for-votes scheme implemented in the 1990s. Upko's plea is the umpteenth overt call from the state government to stifle public debate and reports of the ongoing inquiry. Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman has also called in newspaper editors and warned them against "sensationalised" reporting of the proceedings. Local and national English and Bahasa Malaysia language newspapers have largely obliged. Upko's deputy secretary-general Lucas Umbol has justified the call, saying that "negative comments" could discourage the witnesses who are yet to give their evidence from coming forward. He was responding to the scepticism expressed by some quarters on the integrity and independence of the RCI to investigate the extraordinary increase in the population of Sabah by the BN administration. "Witnesses who have testified so far have been giving their evidence and statements with ease without fear or favour. "Therefore all quarters should withhold their comments as their comments could intimidate incoming witnesses and prevent them from giving evidence without fear. "No one should make any conclusion at this point in time because there are still many more witnesses to come and members of the RCI need to be given ample space and time to complete their investigation," said Lucas, a member of the party's Tenom division. He said comments and opinions should only be given after the RCI had completed its public inquiry and the report was written and made public. Damning evidence Witnesses giving testimony at the RCI, many of whom were senior federal civil servants, have startled the country with their disclosures that the federal government had a hand in the massive population explosion of the state, especially in the 1990s, which was mainly done to ensure Umno and the BN would take and keep control of the state. Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was in power at the time, has since declared that "there was nothing wrong" in giving tens of thousands of immigrants in Sabah citizenship as long as it was done legally. However, witnesses have revealed that in many instances the operation to grant citizenship and voting rights to immigrants and operating out of Kuala Lumpur did not seem to follow legal procedure and was done in a furtive way. READ MORE HERE

Petra: Blame Mahathir all you want, but look yourselves in the mirror Posted: 25 Jan 2013 05:41 PM PST (Harakah) - Prominent blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (pic) has chided Malaysians for being more quick in pointing fingers when things go wrong in the country, and urged them to see how they contributed to the current mess by voting in Barisan Nasional without fail. "You want to blame (former prime minister) Dr Mahathir (Mohamad) for your stupidity. You do not want to admit that it is you who are stupid. So you blame BTN. You blame UMNO. You blame the mainstream media. You blame PAS. You blame the Islamic State. You blame Hudud. You blame the fact that Dr Mahathir has Indian blood in him. You blame the fact there was no Internet. You blame your parents who did not know any better. "If you could, you would also like to blame Prophet Muhammad -- except that you are not quite sure how to do this," said the plain-talking Petra in his most recent posting on his news portal Malaysia Today. Petra said Malaysians had been supporting BN despite its clear abuses over the past 12 general elections, adding that the BN were their choice even at a time when opposition parties were rising such as in the 1990, 1995 and 1999 elections. According to Petra, the opposition parties had fared only slightly better - over 1 per cent of popular votes in 2008 compared to 1990 - the year UMNO was at its weakest following the failed challenge by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to oust Mahathir in the party's presidential election. "So, can the excuse that BN did well because there was no Internet yet at that time hold water? In 1990 there was no Internet. In 2008 the Internet had already fully matured. But in 2008 the vote improvement was only 1 percent over 1990," he wrote. Petra's comments came in the wake of widespread public anger especially among netizens against Mahathir for his role in granting citizenship to foreigners in Sabah in a bid to retain power. The Sabah Royal Commission of Inquiry has revealed shocking details how foreigners were given temporary Malaysian identity cards for voting purposes. But Petra said blaming Mahathir was easy, as is making the former UMNO strongman a scapegoat for all the problems faced by the country. "Ultimately, you are to blame. And pinning the blame on Dr Mahathir is your way of shifting the blame so that you need not kick yourself," added Petra, predicting yet another victory for BN at the coming polls due to a repeat of the same attitude among voters.

PM: Non-Malays okay with fair affirmative action Posted: 25 Jan 2013 04:27 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Non-Malays do not oppose pro-Bumiputera affirmative action as long as it is fair and transparent, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday. The prime minister also said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland yesterday that the government was moving towards an affirmative action policy on the basis of needs instead of race. "By and large, the non-Malays in Malaysia, non-Bumiputeras in Malaysia don't actually oppose affirmative action," said Najib at an interview with CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria at the WEF yesterday. "But what they want to be seen, is the way you implement the policy (that) should be done in a more transparent and fairer way. And what they deserve as Malaysians, the non-Bumiputeras, they should also get what they deserve," he said at the forum that saw the participation of some 3,000 international leaders from government, business, civil society and media. Najib pointed out that entry to universities was now based on merit. "That has increased the percentage of Chinese Malaysians into universities. But interestingly, the Malaysian Indians have fared badly. So they want a quota system. "Because (in) the previous system, they got 7 per cent, but now, it's down to 3 per cent. But that goes to show that it's based on merit," said Najib, who is also the Barisan Nasional chairman. Asked about government contracts, Najib said: "But even government contracts, quite a bit of it is based on open bidding. Some of it, of course, there's some preference for Bumiputera." As the 13th general election draws near, Najib said last week that the best way to protect Malay and Bumiputera interest was to expand the economic pie and ensure equal distribution of wealth by merit. He stressed that non-Malays could accept merit-based wealth distribution and called for an end to the rent-seeking culture. READ MORE HERE

Najib: Social media a double-edged sword for Umno Posted: 25 Jan 2013 04:18 PM PST Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider Social media is both a boon and a bane for Umno as it caused Barisan Nasional (BN) to lose its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said yesterday. The prime minister told CNN anchor Fareed Zakaria at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Switzerland yesterday that voters were getting more educated and critical. "I see the advent of ICT, social media as both something good, but also our bane. Could be our Achilles heel as well," said Najib in the interview with Fareed. "We need to realise that people are not going to give their vote to you based on how much you've done in the past," he added. Najib and his delegation are at the annual international forum that saw the participation of some 3,000 leaders from all around the world, including heads of state, as well as business, civil society, spiritual and media leaders. "Nobody can deny the fact that Umno and Barisan Nasional, we're the people who fought for independence. We're the people who developed the country. "But people today are saying that's in the past," the prime minister said. BN lost two-thirds parliamentary majority in the historic 2008 general elections that saw four states - Perak, Penang, Kedah and Selangor - falling to the loose coalition of PAS, PKR and DAP, that later formed Pakatan Rakyat (PR). Najib stressed that voters at the coming 13th general election were more concerned with what the government could do for them in future. "That's important for us to realise, that the level of expectation has increased by leaps and bounds," said Najib, who is also the BN chairman. There are currently about 13.6 million Facebook users in Malaysia out of a 28.3 million-strong population, which is a 48 per cent penetration of the population, according to monitoring website socialbakers.com. A total of 29 per cent of Facebook users in Malaysia are aged between 25 and 34 years. READ MORE HERE

Friday sermon irks local church leaders as ‘Allah’ row rages on Posted: 25 Jan 2013 04:12 PM PST Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Local clergymen are unhappy that federal Islamic authorities appear to be bent on "waging a war" between the country's Muslims and Christians over the protracted dispute on non-Muslims' usage of "Allah" to refer to their God. When contacted for their response to yesterday's Friday sermon by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), church leaders sighed in disappointment that the religious authority was so blatantly inciting suspicion and intolerance between the two most dominant religions here. But they refrained from condemning Jakim, noting that the authority reserved the right to preach to all Islamic followers like how church leaders could preach to parisioners, adding that it was time to lay the matter to rest. "The emphasis is unfortunate, because all religious places should be teaching people to live in peace and harmony with others, instead of cultivating a culture of suspicion," said Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) general secretary Rev Dr Hermen Shastri (picture). Treading carefully, the leader said that religions should always foster togetherness and acceptance, and should prevent from creating a society of fanatics. "But that is all I can say at this point," he added. Catholic priest Rev Fr Simon Labrooy was more forward with hs words, asking if the individual or individuals who penned the sermon in Jakim had unity or division in his mind. He said it was not the Malaysian Muslims who were "waging a war" on the Christians, but suggested that it was the person who wrote the sermon who should be investigated for his intention. "Never that the Muslims are to blame for doing this. But who has the right to write this? He should be hauled up because it shows that in his mind, he is already inciting religious tension. "Next, we have already provided a lot of facts o why and how 'Allah' has been used by Christians... why do you want to commit yourself to a blatant lie like this? "How could you judge the Arab-speaking world, particularly the Christians who use 'Allah' there?" he said. When asked if Subang Jaya parisioners in his flock have been affected by the ongoing polemic or feel animosity towards Muslims, Labrooy said Christians are aware that the ordinary Muslim is not the one responsible for the dispute. "They (Muslims) too do not want tension or trouble... this is just the work of a few bad apples," he said. Our Lady of Lourdes Church parish priest Rev Fr Michael Chua said the latest Friday sermon would warrant another discussion among CFM members on whether they should issue another response to the issue. "This is not the first time... there have been many other occasions and we cannot be responding to every single thing. "Let us stick to our last stand on this issue... for the sake of not prolonging this," he said, referring to CFM's remarks on the threat by Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali to burn Malay language Bibles. READ MORE HERE

PAS: Friday sermon an attempt to spread religious hatred Posted: 25 Jan 2013 04:05 PM PST Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider Several PAS leaders have blasted Malaysia's Islamic authorities for allegedly stoking religious hatred during yesterday's Friday prayers for Muslim by calling labeling those who insist on using "Allah" to describe their God as "enemies of Islam". According to the few leaders contacted by The Malaysian Insider, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which had prepared the sermon, had failed to portray Islam as a religion od peace and understanding, and had instead shown intolerance. "Jakim's move was an attempt to incite the sentiment of hatred towards the Christians. "This attitude is inappropriate and irresponsible," Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad said. In Jakim's Friday sermon yesterday, the religious authority had warned Muslims nationwide of attempts by "enemies of Islam" to confuse them into believing that all religions are the same. Muslims here were also told that being too open-minded and allowing Islamic rights to be abused by other religions was a "dangerous" act. "It is very clear that today, enemies of Islam are seeking to divert and undermine the Muslim community's faith. "They are united among themselves and are attempting, with their many tricks and ways, to stake their claim on the usage of 'Allah' in their scriptures," the sermon said. Jakim insisted that "Allah", a word that millions of Arab Christians and those in non-Arabic-speaking lands use to describe their God, belongs to Muslims and is an exclusive right to those who profess Islam as it is clearly to prevent Muslims from becoming confused, doubtful and mistaken over the true identity of the Muslim God. Citing an unnamed academic research, Jakim said that the word "Allah" was never found in the Bible as God, to these users of the holy book, exists in the Trinity concept as "God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The general term for the Holy Trinity, said the religious department, is "The Lord". As such, Jakim insisted that the National Fatwa Council's 2008 decision on the matter was accurate in stating that "Allah" cannot be used by those of other religions and cannot be likened to the Gods of others. The authority also warned that painful punishment would await disbelievers in the afterlife, noting that these "symptoms" if Islam's collapse would only destroy the glory and prestige of Muslims here. But Khalid said Jakim had not furnished proof to back its claims and was merely pointing fingers to drive a deeper wedge between the country's Muslims and Christians. "But why speak ill of the Christians, not all of them are bad. In fact, Islam is no advocate of this prejudiced behaviour to those of other faiths," he added. Instead, the lawmaker accused Jakim of being the reason why some Muslims are confused over their religious beliefs, arguing that the authority had failed to strengthen the faith of Muslims here. He said if Jakim believed that the faith of Muslim here has weakened, it should have used the sermon to differentiate between Islamic and Christian teachings, instead of condemning followers of the latter faith. PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub agreed with his party colleague's views, adding that JAKIM had become Barisan Nasional's (BN) tool to flare hatred at a time when religions tension was already at a high. "I'd like to ask, what is Jakim's role and responsibility when preaching to Muslims? "Jakim has become BN's tool... in fact, they had also twisted he statement made by the PAS Syura Council earlier this month," he added. READ MORE HERE

Allah stand: PAS grassroots unhappy Posted: 25 Jan 2013 03:42 PM PST Anwar Ibrahim's stand on the matter, says a PAS man, shows how much regard the former has for the Islamic party's religious credentials. Hawkeye, FMT BUKIT MERTAJAM: PAS grassroots are getting disillusioned with Pakatan Rakyat over the opposition bloc's inability to resolve the issue of allowing non-Muslims to use the word Allah, claims former Penang PAS Youth head Mohamed Hafiz Nordin. Alleging that he has come to represent the voice of the PAS grassroots here, Hafiz said many members are not coming out openly to express their anxieties out of respect for the party leadership. Nonetheless, they are expressing their grievances through him, Hafiz told a press conference. "PAS members including me are a discipline lot. I would never exit from PAS as my struggle is Islam. It is only that I am the outspoken kind and would not relent in speaking my mind. I am willing to represent the feelings of those who are unhappy in PAS," he added. He said the insistence from Pakatan leader Anwar Ibrahim that non-Muslims are allowed to use the word in Malay-language bibles runs contrary to the PAS Syura Council's stance on the matter. "It shows how much regard Anwar has for PAS' religious credentials. We are disappointed with his decision," he added. Secondly, DAP's lack of sensitivity towards PAS is another thing which has undermined the ties down the line in Pakatan, Hafiz said. He said there is no harm for Anwar to seek for the Pakatan leadership council to review their earlier stance that non-Muslims can use the word. It is also good for DAP to allow PAS to explain things, especially on how the council arrived at the decision to extol that it is best that non-Muslims refrained from using the word Allah. Hafiz said the grassroots members foremost loyalty is towards PAS, and not Pakatan, as their membership is based on Islam's struggle. READ MORE HERE

Overseas voting process has several defects, says DAP Posted: 24 Jan 2013 04:21 PM PST Syed Jaymal Zahiid, The Malaysian Insider DAP leaders today said there are defects in the overseas voting process and this could see Malaysians abroad denied the right to fair elections and possible vote manipulation. Four key issues were listed, among them being the Election Commission's (EC) delay in allowing those living overseas to vote, a problem that left many Malaysians abroad with little time to register as voters. "It took them so long to implement it and many Malaysians who are trying to vote now can't do so because they are not registered," DAP Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke (picture) told reporters here, saying that the EC had also done nothing to encourage those abroad to register while the overseas voting process was being deliberated. Loke noted that a parliamentary select committee on polls reform in its preliminary findings had asked the EC to allow overseas voting more than a year ago. The polls regulator, however, only announced the decision to carry it out early this month. With Election 2013 expected to be held in March, those who register now cannot exercise their right to vote in this election. Then there is the new rule that requires overseas voters to be in Malaysia for a minimum of 30 days anywhere between April 2008 to the time Parliament is dissolved. The problem was raised last July by the My Overseas Vote (MOV) movement which said Malaysians abroad would not be able to vote if the EC does not amend the rules on voter registration and postal voting. "As long as EC does not amend the regulations, it is impossible for 95 per cent of Malaysians abroad to register as voters," MOV co-ordinator Andrew Yong had told The Malaysian Insider, saying that "there are now one million Malaysians working overseas with the majority being private sector employees." "What this does is it filters out a lot of applicants. It's just not possible. Those abroad often only come back for a few weeks at the most. Why are they adding new restrictions; that could be a hassle," Loke charged. READ MORE HERE

Friday sermon: ‘Enemies’ of Islam staking claim over ‘Allah’ to confuse Muslims Posted: 24 Jan 2013 04:01 PM PST JAKIM cited "scientific" research to back its assertion that Christians have no legitimate claim to the word "Allah".  Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider Federal religious authorities warned Muslims nationwide today of attempts by "enemies of Islam" to confuse them into believing that all religions are the same, prolonging the debate over the usage of "Allah" by Christians even as it drives a deeper wedge between the country's two most dominant religions. In today's Friday sermon prepared by the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (JAKIM) here, Muslims were told that being too open-minded and allowing Islamic rights to be abused by other religions was a "dangerous" act. "It is very clear that, today, enemies of Islam are seeking to divert and undermine the Muslim community's faith. "They are united among themselves and are attempting, with their many tricks and ways, to stake their claim on the usage of 'Allah' in their scriptures," the sermon said. JAKIM insisted that "Allah", a word that millions of Arab Christians and those in non-Arabic-speaking lands use to describe their God, belongs to Muslims and is an exclusive right to those who profess Islam as it is clearly to prevent Muslims from becoming confused over the true identity of their God. Citing unnamed academic research, JAKIM said that the word "Allah" was never found in the Bible as God ― to Christians ― exists as the Trinity of "God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit." The general term for the Holy Trinity, said the religious department, is "The Lord" which is the English translation of biblical text. As such, JAKIM insisted that the National Fatwa Council's 2008 decision on the matter was accurate in stating that "Allah" cannot be used by those of other religions and cannot be likened to the gods of others. "We would like to say that as Muslims who believes in Allah and his messenger, then it becomes our responsibility to preserve the sanctity and defend the word 'Allah' in the best way possible, and should there be elements of insult and abuse, it should be stopped in accordance with provisions in the Federal Constitution. "Muslims must be firm in protecting the sanctity and the identity of their religion," JAKIM said in the sermon. The authority also warned that painful punishment would await disbelievers in the afterlife, noting that these "symptoms" of Islam's collapse would only destroy the glory and prestige of Muslims here. The "Allah" dispute, which first erupted after the watershed Election 2008, remains a hot-button topic in the run-up to this year's polls. Debate resurfaced last month after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang chief minister, called on Putrajaya in his Christmas message to lift a ban on Malay-language bibles in Borneo Malaysia. READ MORE HERE

Perkasa is outsourced by Umno, says Anwar Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:56 PM PST Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider Perkasa can get away with racial slurs and religious insults because it is backed by Umno, Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim alleged today. Malay rights group Perkasa and its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali have been playing up racial and religious issues as Election 2013 looms, without any rebuke from the government or the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN). "(Perkasa) is an organisation outsourced by Umno to fend racist and religious bigotry at the behest of Umno," Anwar (picture) claimed here. During Perkasa's convention in Penang last weekend, Ibrahim had urged Muslims to unite and burn all Malay-language bibles that contain the word "Allah" and other religious words in Arabic script. "We have not yet found a tough response by the Umno leadership nor the prime minister, nor the home minister," said Anwar. "This is, to me, disturbing ... you may have differences between PKR and Umno, Pakatan Rakyat and BN, but you have to draw the line." Anwar said that parties on both sides of the political divide can continue their political battles, but should never resort to defending racial and religious bigotry. On Wednesday, Anwar had called for Muslims nationwide to condemn Perkasa's threat to burn all Malay-language bibles. The opposition leader, a Muslim, said those who profess Islam and claim to protect "Allah" and the Quran should also defend their faith and morals by preventing the spread of racial insults, which were discouraged by the religion. Yesterday, Perkasa insisted that its president's words were actually a "wake-up call" to prevent possible violence against distributors of bibles containing the word "Allah" and other religious words in Arabic script. The group's secretary-general, Syed Hassan Syed Ali, said Perkasa was merely protecting Islam and its position, as enshrined in the Federal Constitution, and this included rejecting those who insult the religion and who try to spread their own faiths to Muslims. Ibrahim's remarks had immediately sparked furore among Christians and politicians across the political divide and invited calls on the government to cite him for sedition. The "Allah" dispute, which first erupted after the watershed Election 2008, remains a hot-button topic in the run-up to this year's polls. Debate resurfaced last month after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also the Penang chief minister, called on Putrajaya in his Christmas message to lift a ban on Malay-language bibles in Borneo Malaysia. Hot on the heels of the DAP leader's remarks, several state Rulers and Islamic religious authorities reminded non-Muslims of state laws banning use of the word despite conflicting with a 2009 High Court judgment that ruled "Allah" was not exclusive to Islam.

Waytha under fire for silence over temples Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:47 PM PST A MIC Youth leader has also questioned Hindraf's plans to 'take down another Indian' via contesting in MIC allocated seats.  B Nantha Kumar, FMT Hindraf pioneer P Waythamoorthy has come under fire for his deafening silence over the Selangor government's handling of two temple issues in the state recently. Accusing Waythamoorthy of "pretending to be in the dark" over the issue, Selangor MIC Youth chief M Shanker Raj Ayanger said the Hindraf man's silence showed that he was an opportunist. "While the Malaysian Indian community is upset that the Selangor government through the Sepang Municipal Council barged into a house and broke a shrine there recently, Waythamoorthy has kept mum on the matter. "Would he have done the same if the Selangor government was run by the Barisan Nasional? "It is surprising to note that Hindraf, which claimed to safeguard Indian rights, has remained silent on the two temple issues involving the Pakatan Rakyat government" he said. He was referring to the recent case where the enforcement officers from the Sepang Municipal Council demolished a private shrine built within the compound of a house. As soon as the issue subsided, the Kajang Municipal Council issued summons and fines to the Sri Mahamariamman Temple in Kajang, for excessive noise during prayer sessions. The council has since rescinded the summons and compounds. "It looks like Waythamoorthy has deliberately overlooked these two incidents. "There were also reports that seven temples have been demolished in Selangor after Pakatan's rule began in 2008 but Hindraf has disregarded the issue. "It seems quite clear Hindraf only makes noise if it is the BN. "But if Pakatan does anything, it is silent. When you fight for the community, you must be fair and just. You must fight even if the opponent is your friend. "You are fighting for the people. But now it looks like Hindraf is only there to criticise the BN and nothing else," he told FMT. READ MORE HERE

Preacher argues the ‘Allah’ case Posted: 24 Jan 2013 03:34 PM PST An Islamic preacher argues why he disagrees with Christians using the word Allah and reprimands Muslims for not understanding their own faith. G Vinod, FMT Amid threats of burning Malay-language Bibles due to the use of the word Allah, one Islamic preacher reasons why he disagrees with Christians using the Arabic holy word to refer to God. Saba Islamic Media preacher Shah Kirit Kakulal Govindji, in a YouTube video, said the generic word for God in Arabic is not Allah, but Ilah or Rab. The 22-minute video, taken during a ceramah session at the Al-Azim mosque, shows Shah Kirit saying that he disagrees with Christians using the word Allah to refer to God as the holy word is a unique name conferred in the Quran. "When you say in English, 'man is a thief' and translate it into Malay it becomes 'lelaki itu seorang pencuri'. "But can you translate that same sentence into 'Shah Kirit itu seorang pencuri'. Does it reflect the same meaning as the English sentence earlier?" he asked. Shah Kirit then quoted the Gospel of John, chapter 14, verse 28, where Jesus has said that," For my Father is greater than I." "So can I change the word Father to Allah and say, for Allah is greater than Jesus? Would the Christians agree to it?" he said. Shah Kirit also disagreed with arguments that it was all right for Christians in Malaysia to use the word Allah as even Indonesians do it. "We are talking about Bahasa Malaysia here, not Indonesian. If that's the case, the Indonesians call their primary schools as Pancasila. Shall we change the names of our schools then?" he asked. While he agreed that Christians in Arab countries use the word Allah to refer to God, Shah Kirit said that it was due to the cultural factor. "Besides, they are referring to Bibles in the Arabic language. We re talking about Malay Bibles, not Arabic," he said. READ MORE HERE

Free education ‘possible’, say economists Posted: 24 Jan 2013 11:30 AM PST   (The Sun Daily) - "If the government wants to do it, they just need to stop wasting money on things like BR1M, free tyres, RM100 for school children, petrol subsidy, and divert the money to tertiary education" Free tertiary education is possible if we cut down on "unproductive" spending, Malaysian economists have suggested. Their comments were solicited by theSun in the wake of national debate on the issue that has been stirred by an exchange between undergraduate K.S. Bawani, and Suara Wanita 1Malaysia (SW1M) president Sharifah Zohra Jabeen, at a forum in Universiti Utara Malaysia. The video of the exchange has gone viral on the internet. Chief Executive of Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS), Wan Saiful Wan Jan said the current government is capable of reducing the cost of tertiary education. "If the government wants to do it, they just need to stop wasting money on things like BR1M, free tyres, RM100 for school children, petrol subsidy, and divert the money to tertiary education," he said. He noted that the recent "free tyres and cash rewards" seemed to take precedence above cushioning the cost of tertiary education. It is only a matter of re-juggling priorities and putting tertiary education as priority above other "unproductive" spending, he said. "The cost will be removal of the wasteful spending and we will not receive the cash handouts and subsidies anymore," he added. The national education budget has been slashed from RM50 billion in 2012 to RM37 billion in 2013, which is a drop from 20% of the total national budget to 15%. Economist, Khoo Kay Peng, speculated that this is largely associated with government cash handout programmes such as BR1M and BR1M 2.0, and the RM200 rebate for smartphones. "The cut is unnecessary. Funds spent on one-time cash handouts and rebates do not create a lasting impact on the economy," he said. Ideally, Khoo sees that education funding should occupy 20% to 22% of the GDP. Another suggestion by economists to fund free tertiary education is to cut the defence budget. The director of Centre for Policy Initiatives, Dr Lim Teck Ghee, said the expenditure used in defence can be cut back to cushion the cost of tertiary education. "If we cut back expenditure in sectors such as the defence sector where the rationale for large budgets is not sustainable and reduce the cost of doing business due to rent seeking, patronage and opaque government procurement, it can generate tens of billions annually," he said. While it woud be great to have blanket tertiary education, economists argue that it is not a civic obligation to provide free tertiary education for all, neither is it economically-wise in the long run. Wan Saiful pointed out that we already have a deficit budget and blanket free tertiary education will increase the deficit. "I must add at this point that making tertiary, or any other level of education free, is not a good move in the long term. It may not have a disastrous adverse impact now, but in the longer term the country will not be able to afford it. "The deficit spending incurred by the Najib administration will be a burden on society long after Datuk Sri Najib (Abdul Razak) and his ministers have left us," he argued. On civic-responsibility, he said education is ultimately the responsibility of parents and individuals. "It is immoral to pass that responsibility to others through the machinery of government and taxation. If we want society to help each other, than we must encourage voluntary help, not coerce people through taxation. "Our society today has become overly reliant on government so that voluntary help is diminishing," he said. Dr Lim does not favour blanket tertiary education as he said not everyone cannot afford university fees. "Students from rich families can afford to pay a portion of the tuition fees and they should be made to do so," he said. Along with easing tertiary education fees, Lim also suggested reform of the higher education sector. He noted that 10% of government expenditure is presently allocated to higher education. "We have to ask if we are getting value for our tax money being spent on higher education," he said. He highlighted large numbers of unemployable graduates, the low academic standards, and the poor quality of research especially in public colleges. Instead of free tertiary education for all, funds can be used to enhance the quality of public tertiary education system. "Free tertiary education should be for those whose parents earn a low income," said Khoo Kay Peng, who is also a political commentator. He highlighted that the government allocates RM200 million annually to retrain unemployed graduates. "It speaks volumes of a need to revamp the tertiary education system if an undergraduate has to be retrained after just spending four years on his education," he said.

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