Rabu, 9 Januari 2013

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Prejudice and the ugly face of BN in Sabah

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:49 AM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/asli-sabah-bn.jpg 

(Free Malaysia Today)Yet another leader of the Sabah chapter of the State Reform Party (STAR) has cried foul over religious discrimination against the native Christians in the state.

Sabah STAR women's wing chief, Melanie Annol, said there had been increasing reports and claims that both the federal and state governments are willfully sidelining native Christians in job opportunities and promotions in public service and government-linked bodies in the state.

In supporting STAR leader Daniel John Jambun's recent call on authorities and politicians to stop harrasing Christians in Malaysia, Annol stressed that victimisation in Sabah is real and that the native Christians had chosen to keep it to themselves until now.

"I would like to direct the world attention to this systematic racial discrimination against native Christians especially the Kadazandusun – Murut groups, the original people in Sabah.

"These natives were supposed to lead the state and be as dominant but what had happened was they had been willfully left behind and sidelined by the ruling Barisan Nasional in almost every spectrum of opportunity in government offices," she said in a statement issued here today.

Annol who is also STAR head for Penampang, claimed that in some cases of new recruitment of staff, certain departments were taking in only Muslim applicants and no Christians, no matter how well qualified.

"There had been reports where the entire intake of staff were always Muslims and only one or two from the Kadazandusun natives managed to get in, even that was because they were Muslim Kadazandusuns.

"I stand proud to be able to highlight this discrimination now before it gets out of hand and as we look ahead to seek a fair treatment from a fairer government.

"What I am saying is the truth and its happening in Sabah.

"We never envisaged it to be like this bad. The late Tun Mustapha Harun and Tun Fuad Stephens must be cringing in their graves seeing the unbelievable now is happening in Sabah," she said.

Annol also pointed out that even in institution of higher learning like Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) one can see the overwhelming "imbalance" in term of opportunity for the Christian natives staff.

"I don't believe that race and religion were not a criteria when the authorities recruit or promote officers in their departments. It just defies logic that Kadazandusun Christians find it is very hard now to get employment in public services and those once inside find it even more difficult to get promotion.

"In UMS I only see two prominent Kadazandusun names – Prof Felix Tongkul and Prof Marcus Jopony – among the most senior officers," she said based on what was printed in the university's book for its recent convocation weeks ago.

Marginalised by Muslims and Malayans

She said according to latest record all the top seven officials of UMS are from one community.

Currently the vice-chancellor is Prof Mohd Harun Abdullah, three deputy vice chancellors Prof Shariff Abdul Kadir Shariff Omang, Prof Shahril Yusof, and Associate Prof Kasim Md Mansur, the registrar is Abdullah Mohd Said while the Bursar is headed by Rizal Othman.

The chief Librarian is Dayang Rukiah Awang Amit.

The 32-member UMS Senate are all from the same community except for one Indian, one Chinese and Dr Jopony and Dr Tongkul.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/01/09/prejudice-and-the-ugly-face-of-bn-in-sabah/ 

‘Allah’ ban against court order, Cabinet decision, Selangor told

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:41 AM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2013/january2013/bible-jan10.jpg 

(The Malaysian Insider) - Lawyers in the "Allah CD" case have formally written to tell the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) that the Selangor Sultan's latest ban on the usage of "Allah" by non-Muslims is disrespectful of a 2009 High Court order and in conflict with a 2011 federal government decision on the matter.

In a letter to MAIS yesterday, the lawyers affixed documents to both decisions to remind the council that a settlement to the controversy had long been reached, despite the latest religious storm over the same issue.

"MAIS's action, which is inconsistent and contrary to the order of the court, appears to belittle and disrespect the court decision," the lawyers said in the letter signed by Annou Xavier, who is also a member of the Kuala Lumpur Catholic Lawyers' Society (CLS).

 

The first document attached to the letter is a copy of the 2009 court order where Jill Ireland, a Sarawakian Christian, was granted permission to challenge the government's previous confiscation of several of her religious CDs which bore the word "Allah". The second document is a April 2011 circular to Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman Bishop Ng Moon Hing that was signed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself, stating that Christians and those of other faiths can import and use bibles in any languages including Bahasa Malaysia.

In the run-up to the heated Sarawak state polls, the federal government had on April 2, 2011, issued a 10-point solution to the "Allah" controversy, allowing the publication and distribution of the AlKitab, the Malay-language Bible that it had impounded due to its usage of "Allah" to refer to the Christian God.

As such, Annou said that by suddenly banning non-Muslims in Selangor from using "Allah", MAIS had not only contradicted both the court and federal government's decisions, but had also contravened Article 11(3) of the Federal Constitution which, he said, stipulates that those of all other faiths in Malaysia had the right to conduct their religious practices freely.

"We hope MAIS will not prolong this issue of non-Muslims using 'Allah' in the media and instead respect the court decision as well as every individual's right to freedom of religion," the lawyer wrote.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/allah-ban-against-court-order-cabinet-decision-selangor-told/ 

 

Who can lead BN's move to reclaim Selangor?

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:32 AM PST

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The Barisan Nasional (BN) faces a major predicament in its battle to reclaim Selangor in the next general election - it lacks a clear choice of commander to lead its political machinery.

Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com 

This is evident from the state of limbo in Selangor Umno, the senior partner in BN, which has been under the stewardship of Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak since he took over as the prime minister in 2009 and appointed himself as the state Umno liaison chief soon afterwards.
 
It also reflects the lasting effect of the BN's shock defeat in the 2008 general election, when the ruling coalition lost control of the country's most-developed state for the first time.
 
Political analyst Professor Datuk Mohammad Agus Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia bluntly states that the BN, which has to deal with a full array of unresolved leadership issues, will be unlikely to win the state back from Pakatan Rakyat, despite having held it for more than 50 years before the damaging defeat five years ago.
 
"Leadership is one very significant issue here and, what does Umno have?" asked Mohd Agus. "It has money and (control of the) mainstream media. But in a place like Selangor, the online media plays a big role in the dissemination of information and it is not enough that BN can exploit the mainstream media.
 
"A majority of the electorate in Selangor is bound to gauge a party depending on the leadership of the party and its image, as well as the unity it shows and the personalities who are vying to be candidates," said Mohd Yusoff to fz.com.
 
In the 2008 general election, BN only managed to win 20 of the 56 seats in the Selangor state legislative assembly. Of that, 18 were won by Umno and two by MCA. In at least nine of these constituencies, BN won by less than a 5% majority, while Pakatan Rakyat held an unassailable 36 seats prior to the defection of two of its assembly members and the death of another.
 
It was the worst ever defeat for BN in the state. In contrast, during the 2004 general election,  BN controlled 54 of the 56 seats in the state. This reflects the force of the political tsunami that swept the nation in 2008.
 
The defeat took the party's divisions by storm, resulting in a massive shake up in its ranks, with Najib taking over control of the state Umno apparatus from former menteri besar Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.
 
'1,000 generals'
 
Mohd Khir, who was largely blamed for the BN's loss in the state in the 2008 election, however retained the Sungai Panjang seat with a comfortable majority. He was also dropped as the state's BN chairperson, a position he had held since 2000. He now leads Umno's state-level think-tank.
 
His credibility was put to the test again, when he was charged with graft, upon which he resigned as the leader of the opposition in the legislative assembly. In the case, he was sentenced to a 12-month prison term two years ago for corruption involving two plots of land in Petaling Jaya. Mohd Khir has appealed against the decision.
 
Nevertheless, according to Mohd Agus, although Mohd Khir had left office in disgrace, the former menteri besar is seen as a force to be reckoned with in the state, along with several prominent personalities including his predecessor Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib and Selangor Umno deputy liaison chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar. These leaders are well connected with their electorate and are able to move the ground support in favour of the candidate they back.
 
For a while, speculation was rife that Sri Serdang assembly member Datuk Mohamad Satim Diman would be the candidate of choice after taking over from Mohd Khir as the leader of the opposition in the state legislative assembly in July 2011, but the appointment of former works minister and Sepang MP Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamed as BN coordinator in the state early last year, gave life to rumours that Mohd Zin stood a better chance as he was seen as Najib's choice.
 
Reports have also emerged that the BN is looking at fielding corporate personalities to take on Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, who is frequently cited for his skills in managing the state's coffers.
 
One such personality, whose name was bandied about, is property tycoon Datuk FD Iskandar, the chief executive officer and managing director of Glomac Berhad, after his appointment as the party's state treasurer but, the lack of resounding support for the political newcomer put the brakes on such speculation.
 
Despite repeated calls for Umno members to close ranks, discord remains ostensible with "too many warlords" wanting to take the lead, noted Mohd Agus.
 

 

#KL112: Res Ipsa Loquitur!

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:24 AM PST

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Najib Razak has now been drawn into a corner (yet again) in his pussy-footing over calling for the 13th Malaysian General Elections. If Najib Razak deals with this rally with force as was what had happened in BERSIH 3.0, he would face another big, big backlash among the young voters, of whom believe that freedom of assembly should not be curtailed.

Hikayat Putera Kemuning 

To be very, very honest I was quite gobsmacked and was in confusion when I heard from one of my favourite maestre Tukar Tiub Hishamuddin Rais that there was a sequel to the already massive BERSIH 3.0 to be held this Saturday, 12 January 2012, namely for a mega-rally dubbed #KL112.

Coupled with his obvious disdain for apocalypse that makes the Mayan Grand-Witch doctor fume with rage, Tukar Tiub went on the offensive against his arch-nemesis the United Malays National Organisation (of which he stubbornly refuse to dub otherwise) by enlisting the NGO, opposition parties, the punks and skinheads; to be honest everything under the unfalling sky that is 'Anything But UMNO' or more affectionately known as ABU; in joining forces (again) to pressure Najib Razak into a position that would make the late Bobby Fischer, Gary Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov blush with admiration.

For here are the facts: (1) Najib Razak has now been drawn into a corner (yet again) in his pussy-footing over calling for the 13th Malaysian General Elections. If Najib Razak deals with this rally with force as was what had happened in BERSIH 3.0, he would face another big, big backlash among the young voters, of whom believe that freedom of assembly should not be curtailed. On the other hand, if he gives in and allows the demo to proceed, he would obviously be regarded as a reformer, though would be at loggerheads with the far-rightist in his right wing organisation including (but not limited to) PERKASA, who is UMNO's step-sister on his stepdad's side twice removed.

(2) All these very tall tales of UMNO and BN's 'transformation' would again be rendered bland if heavy-handedness were to prevail. All BRIMs, KRIMs and stuff would be effectively neutralised and Najib would be left trying to salvage his efforts through ANOTHER round of an mandatory but improved BRIM etc with maybe a RM3000 payout financed by IMF loans this time around and blaming it to Anwar Ibrahim.

(3) Malaysia has high domestic and extra-terrestrial debts for which is well documented which runs to more than a couple of hundred billion Ringgits - nothing much. But Najib Razak knows that corruption of the citizenry has a very high price - that is the Rakyat will feel that they deserve it and that the next handout MUST be more than the previous. At the rate he is going by labelling everything under the sun as being 1Malaysia, we will have a very difficult time finding out what is NOT 1Malaysia. Desperation has seen that even recycled bread is now fielding that name, no matter how ingenius the idea was. 

Read more at: http://puterakemuning.blogspot.com/2013/01/kl112-res-ipsa-loquitur.html 

Deep despair in BN corridors

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:10 AM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Najib-Deepak-Musa-Hassan-300x202.jpg 

Although I am convinced that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan are telling us the truth, I doubt their sincerity. I believe they are doing this because they were short-changed. They are revealing the truth in instalments in the hope that the big pay day will come.

Toffee Rozario, Free Malaysia Today 

For the Barisan Nasional government to fall, the majority of the Malays must vote the opposition and that is the definitive trend today.

The signs are there, it is just too many. The next general election is going to deal a huge blow to the Barisan Nasional government and it will be a blow that will take BN at least 20 years to recover.

The recent revelations, coming in spurts, are a typical Umno strategy, which Dr Mahathir Mohamad used so often and that explains the succession he has passed on.

Although I am convinced that former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hasan and carpet trader Deepak Jaikishan are telling us the truth, I doubt their sincerity.

I believe they are doing this because they were short-changed. They are revealing the truth in instalments in the hope that the big pay day will come.

That's when they will decide whether to keep quiet or spill more. But when and if that big "pay day" comes, then I believe they will wait for yet another bigger pay day; after all, isn't the current "strategy" just pay, pay and pay?

I doubt Deepak's claims that he will tell all. He is waiting for the big payouts and he wants it as soon as possible.

He knows as much as Najib Tun Razak, Rosmah Mansor and Mahathir that the end is near and that the BN government is going to be dumped.

In fact, they all know that and are trying their level best to intimidate the people. But this time it will not work.

Slow revelation of truth

Before this government falls, all these players must collect their ill-gotten gains promised to them by the big boys. And they must leave the country quickly less they get caught for all the bad things they have done in concert with the BN.

Thus the slow revelation of the truth.

Notable is the fact that for the government to fall, the majority of the Malays must vote the opposition and that is the definitive trend today.

All polls have have indicated that, so there is this feeling of deep despair among the top brass in Umno.

Thus they can't give in to every private investigator, carpet man or cop.

There simply won't be enough left to pay the Umno division chiefs if they win the election, and if they do not deliver, then all hell will break loose in Umno itself.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/10/deep-despair-in-bn-corridors/ 

In the spotlight again over ‘Allah’ issue

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:03 AM PST

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It was quite obvious Guan Eng was sealing in the DAP support in Sarawak and Sabah where there is a large Christian population. But the issue is a perception disaster for PAS which is seen as having lost its original ideals.

Joceline Tan, The Star 

Religion has moved to the political centrestage again with the revival of the kalimah Allah' controversy.

POLITICS runs through Lim Guan Eng's veins and his speeches at almost every event, including religious occasions, is about politics, politics and more politics. The Penang Chief Minister's Christmas message last month was no different - he mentioned Lynas, the AES issue and money scandals.

But it was his call for the term "Allah" to be used in Bahasa Malaysia Bibles that landed his Pakatan Rakyat partners with a giant headache. It has made him a hero among the Christians but the matter stunned many Muslims who are not comfortable with the development.

Religion has once again moved to the political centrestage with the revival of the "kalimah Allah" issue.

On Tuesday, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang appeared at a press conference with PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang where Hadi read from a brief statement that appeared to endorse Guan Eng's Christmas message. Basically, Hadi said that Islam does not forbid non-Muslims from using the term "Allah" although it may not be equivalent to the actual meaning of the original Quranic word.

The three leaders looked rather tense and seemed in a hurry to get it over with. None of them were really comfortable about the subject matter and who can blame them?

The press conference was taking place on the same day as a no-nonsense statement from the Selangor Palace reminding everyone in the state that there is a fatwa decreeing that the term "Allah" is sacred and exclusive to Muslims. The Selangor fatwa was gazetted on Feb 18, 2010, shortly after the controversy over the Bahasa Malaysia language Bibles.

The Pakatan leadership appears to be going against the Palace and the state fatwa, whichever way one looks at it. For instance, a Malay daily had the following headline: "Sultan larang, Hadi benarkan" (the Sultan disallows, Hadi allows).

Actually, Hadi was being consistent in the sense that he had said more or less the same thing at the height of the issue in 2010. His problem is that a number of the leading ulama in his party do not agree with him.

Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, the party's Pahang chief and the man seen as Hadi's likely successor, had just a couple of weeks ago said that the "kalimah Allah" was meant only for Muslims. The view is shared by Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib and the party's leading theologianDatuk Dr Haron Din.

In 2010, when Hadi was being hailed by Christians as an "accommodating leader," many in PAS had disagreed with his stand but they kept their peace. The mood has shifted and the conservatives are less willing to hold their tongue this time around.

Hadi's latest statement has not gone down well with the party and the deafening silence on the part of Harakah daily on the issue says it all.

It has to be remembered that this is a party some of whose members are not even comfortable with wishing Christians "Merry Christmas" and which has protested against Muslims celebrating Valentine's day on the grounds that it has Christian connotations and encourages proximity between the sexes. PAS leaders are against cinemas which are seen as venues for vice activities and the unisex hair salon issue in Kelantan is still hanging in the air.

Some in Pakatan are upset with Guan Eng for stirring up this polemic issue so close to the general election. Even the Sultan of Selangor had expressed "shock and regret" over Guan Eng's Christmas message. They said DAP was already assured of the bulk of the Chinese and Christian votes and there was no need to hurt PAS on the Malay ground.

"PAS loses votes every time the Pakatan Rakyat Council makes a decision," said a Selangor PAS member.

Read more at: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2013/1/10/nation/12554144&sec=nation 

 

 

Haron: I’ll never agree to allow non-Muslims use 'Allah'

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 11:00 AM PST

http://murabbiy.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/haron-din1.jpg 

(The Star) - PAS deputy mursyidul am Datuk Dr Haron Din says he will never agree to any decision allowing the use of "kalimah Allah" by non-Muslims.

"Kalimah Allah dominates every surah in the Quran, while the word Allah cannot be found anywhere in the Bible," he said.

He said this in response to the resurfacing of the contentious issue after DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said recently that Christians should be allowed to use the word "Allah" in the Malay version of the Bible.

The PAS Syura Council meeting on Saturday is expected to be highly charged as many of the religious scholars in the party are not agreeable to Pakatan Rakyat's consensus to allow non-Muslims to use "kalimah Allah".

Some members of the Syura Council were caught by surprise over the decision that was made without consulting the supreme body of the Islamist party.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang said on Tuesday that Islam did not forbid non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" but it should not be abused.

Dr Haron described as kufur (disbelievers) those who allow non-Muslims to use the word "Allah", as it could lead to syirik (shirk) when the word is used on the cross and other prayer paraphernalia.

PAS Ulama chief Datuk Dr Harun Taib had also expressed shock over Pakatan Rakyat's claim that a consensus had been reached.

In an immediate response on Tuesday, Harun said that as far as he could remember, the Syura Council had never made a decision on the matter.

PAS mursyidul am (spiritual leader) Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz was quoted in a Malay daily as saying that on a personal basis, he believed non-Muslims should be allowed to use "kalimah Allah", as it could be the first step to preach Islam to them.

However, Nik Aziz said he would abide by the Syura Council's decision.

Meanwhile, Selangor Barisan Nasional coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed hit out at Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for defying the Selangor Sultan's advice to abide by a fatwa barring non-Muslims from using "kalimah Allah".

Mohd Zin said Anwar, who claimed to be adviser to the Selangor Government, should be ashamed for being ignorant of the fact that the ruling prohibiting the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims for the propagation of other religions apart from Islam was stipulated in Section 9 of the Non-Islamic Religion Enactment (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) 1988.

"What kind of message is he trying to send?

"Is he trying to instigate Pakatan supporters to commit sedition?" he asked.

 

Don’t politicise God

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:55 AM PST

http://i1.wp.com/aliran.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/ramakrishnan_avatar.jpg?resize=100%2C100 

Why is it that this so-called affliction only affects Muslims in West Malaysia? What is the rational explanation? Are the Muslims in East Malaysia made of sterner stuff that they are not afflicted by this confusion? Could it be a case of Muslims in East Malaysia being better educated and instructed in Islam that nothing will shake them from their faith?

P. Ramakrishnan 

When God is politicised we are in big trouble. That is what is happening in Malaysia. And that's why we are in such a big mess.

zunar-cartoon-on-Allah-term

Religious zealots have come out with edicts that defy logic and override the supreme law of the land, the Federal Constitution.

They have paid scant attention to the High Court ruling way back in 2009 that the word "Allah" can be used by the Christians.

The government has appealed against this decision. But nothing has happened for more than three years. Seemingly it is meant to be so! There is no urgency to solve this matter as soon as possible. Most people think that the delay is deliberate and politically motivated.

The claim by some members of certain organisations who had aggressively demonstrated on the premise that Muslims and Christians will be confused if "Allah" is used by non-Muslims is ridiculous and laughable. There is no merit in their claim. There is no justification for this view. What is the basis for this ridiculous claim?

Why is the word "Allah" confusing? And confusing to whom? What is so confusing about the word? It had been in use for thousands of years; yet we have not come across anyone in any part of the world who was ever confused because the word "Allah" was commonly used by Muslims and non-Muslims.

Have the ordinary, average Muslims, who are the majority in this country, ever complained that they are confused when Christians use the word "Allah"? Until this controversy, which has been recently created deliberately by the religious zealots, the word "Allah" has been used widely and commonly in Malaysia by the various communities without anyone getting confused or upset!

It would appear that the only ones who are confused must be the minority of narrow-minded religious zealots! Are they really confused – or are they, for political reasons, desperately trying to confuse the majority of people who are sane and sensible and comfortable with the use of the word "Allah"?

The word "Allah" has been used all along in Malaysia without causing any problem or creating any unrest – until some religious zealots came along and suddenly claimed exclusive right to the use of the word. For heaven's sake, this is an Arabic word used freely and universally without any problem or confusion in the rest of the world!

Muslims throughout the world have understood this word and what it refers to. Locally Muslims, Hindus, Chinese, Sikhs, the Peranakan community in Malacca and the Orang Asli have used the word comfortably and freely and they have understood what it stands for and represents.

We have never ever had confused zombies walking around like lost souls and going astray. Yet, it is argued that the use of "Allah" by non-Muslims can cause confusion. Why is it that this so-called affliction only affects Muslims in West Malaysia? What is the rational explanation?

Are the Muslims in East Malaysia made of sterner stuff that they are not afflicted by this confusion? Could it be a case of Muslims in East Malaysia being better educated and instructed in Islam that nothing will shake them from their faith?

What has gone wrong in West Malaysia for the religious zealots to claim that the Muslims here will be confused? Are the Muslims in West Malaysia that weak and gullible to the extent that they are not capable of thinking rationally and discerning what is right and wrong? Are they really confused? Or is it a case of causing confusion where there is no confusion? What is the political agenda for creating this controversy?

The word "Allah" has been used for centuries. It has been around even before Islam came into being. Where Islam originated, there has been tolerance and accommodation. Both Christians and Muslims have used the same word freely in their daily conversation and prayers without upsetting any religious sensitivity. No prohibition was imposed because they understood the core value of their respective faiths.

Islam was not founded on denial. It is a compassionate religion whose tenets exhort Muslim to be tolerant and caring, to stand up for justice, to protect the rights of others, and to be accommodating and to never deny what is rightfully others. These religious zealots seem incapable of living up to the demands of their faith. Their doctrine is one of denial.

Is the faith of the Muslims in West Malaysia that shallow and precarious that they can be so easily led astray? Isn't it an indictment that after all that has been done to protect and preserve Islam and to educate the Muslims into becoming better human beings with so much effort, it has been a total failure?

Shouldn't these religious zealots be directing their attention and anger to the more serious malaise plaguing the Muslim community and deserving their wholehearted attention?

It is a fact that teenage pregnancy, incest, baby dumping, drug abuse, HIV infection and many more ailments are rampant among the Malay community. Seriously, these are the areas that the zealots should be involved in.

There is wide-spread corruption, abuse of power, human rights violations, injustice, deaths in custody, racism, co-habitation, rape, murder, discrimination, wastage and many more wrongs which should be the concern of these religious zealots. But there are no earnest attempts to resolve these issues. But strangely, the uttering of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims consumes their entire attention.

The Penang Mufti, Hassan Ahmad, has reminded all parties not to challenge the National Fatwa Council's decision that "Allah" can only be used by the Muslims in the country.

The Kuala Lumpur High Court had ruled in a landmark decision in December 2009 that the Home Ministry's blanket ban on the use of the word "Allah" is illegal. Would he care to rage and rail against the Malaysian judiciary for that ruling? Would he now state that the judiciary has no right to adjudicate on this issue?

The Perak Mufti, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria has declared that if non-Muslims want to use the word "Allah" they must convert to Islam. There is no logic in this baffling statement. Would he dare to declare that the entire world is subject to his 'ruling'? The rest of the world wouldn't care two hoots for his views. He would become the laughing stock of the Muslim world.

Going by their logic, Islam must be insulted throughout the wide world on a daily basis because many adherents of different faiths utter this word in their prayers and conversations. What are these religious zealots going to do about this?

Now, what happens to the Holy Book of the Sikhs which has the word "Allah" in it? Are the religious zealots suggesting that it should be rewritten, dropping the word "Allah" to reflect their views?

Mizrahi Jews (descendants of the Jewish communities of the Babylonian era in the Middle East and the Caucasus) also use the term "Allah". Are the religious zealots declaring that from henceforth the Mizrahi Jews have no right to use this word? How ridiculous can one get.

In the view of many thinking Malaysians, it is these religious zealots who are confused – not the rest of the Muslim community. It is time we settle this issue once and for all.

Now is the real test for these religious zealots. We hope that they will be brave enough and honest enough to be consistent in their narrow-minded views. There are some state anthems that have the word "Allah" in the lyrics. Will they now declare that the non-Muslims in West Malaysia should not sing these state anthems? That should be the case, going by their warped reasoning!

Will they be consistent in their stand by declaring that the Rukun Negara, the national code of conduct for all Malaysians, should not be observed by Muslims because of the word "Tuhan"? Will they have the guts to say that we sideline the Rukun Negara because, in their lopsided view, it can confuse the Muslims in West Malaysia?

And likewise, will they also forbid the Muslims of West Malaysia from singing the national anthem, Negaraku, which has been sung spiritedly since our independence, because in the lyrics there is the word "Tuhan"? Will they say that we must abolish the national anthem in West Malaysia?

Now, it is really confusing to all of us. The religious zealots must be genuinely and thoroughly confused as well!

 

Ahead of polls, Putrajaya tells local media to ‘soften people’s hearts’

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:51 AM PST

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/images/uploads/2013/january2013/bersih-jan10.jpgFile photo of the Bersih street rally in Kuala Lumpur in April last year. BN has told the local print media to play up objections to street rallies organised by the opposition for various causes. One such rally will be held this weekend. 

(The Malaysian Insider) - Putrajaya has told the local media to "soften people's hearts" and provide more good news before this year's general election to showcase the ruling Barisan Nasional's (BN) administrative record, say executives who have attended a series of hush-hush meetings since New Year's Day.

The Malaysian Insider understands that newspaper and television news editors have also been told to play up positive economic stories and businessmen's objections to street rallies such as this weekend's Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR) rally in Stadium Merdeka.

"The minister wants us to 'soften people's hearts' with positive news and programmes," said a media executive who attended a meeting chaired by Information, Communications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

"The focus is more on the Chinese and Indian communities as BN feels they are not getting enough support from them," the executive added.

BN suffered historic losses in Election 2008, ceding four states and more than one-third of the 222-seat Parliament to several opposition parties that later formed Pakatan Rakyat (PR) under sacked Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The swing has been attributed to widespread discontent among the Chinese and Indians, who form a significant minority among the country's 28 million population.

But the opposition pact has found it difficult to expand its influence through the mass media as the government controls national radio and television broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM), state news agency Bernama and its broadcasting arm BernamaTV and Radio24.

Rais's ministry is also in charge of licensing private broadcasters such as Syarikat Televisyen Malaysia Bhd (STMB), Astro, TV AlHijrah and private radio stations.

It is understood the minister had asked for a list of positive programmes to be aired in the next few months ahead of Election 2013 which is now expected to be held before the first week of April.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/ahead-of-polls-putrajaya-tells-local-media-to-soften-peoples-hearts/ 

 

When Yong is hungry like the wolves

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:46 AM PST

http://www.sapp.org.my/gallery/090128_cny2.jpg 

The political signal coming from Yong Teck Lee in the last few months indicate that he is trying to sail on two boats — Barisan National and Pakatan Rakyat — at the same time. His shifting statements to keep both the major political parties in good humour may end with a backlash.

Selvaraja Somiah 

President of Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) Taiko Yong Teck Lee's romancing of the Barisan National may end his love affair with the Sabah opposition front soon. But this new love story bring up the moot question as to why he is so desperate when the Barisan National has hardly given any indication to warmly accommodate him under its fold.

Sources in the Barisan National say Yong Teck Lee can't be trusted. How can they depend on a leader who was willing to ditch the Barisan National — his decade-old senior partner — when he felt the relations between both were strained because of one man Pak Lah? Earlier too, Yong Teck Lee parted ways with Pairin Kitingan and formed the SAPP. The gainer of this triangular game being played in the state may be Shafie Apdal a good friend of Yong Teck Lee who is waiting and watching in the wings to take over as chief minister from Musa Aman.

Remember when Yong Teck Lee was chief minister he together with Shafie Apdal milked Yayasan Sabah until it nearly when dry? However, thanks to Musa Aman,he saved the day for Yayasan Sabah. Even Lajim Ukin, Sabah's famous party hopper and old buddy of Yong Teck Lee from the Party Bersatu Sabah (PBS) days where both began their political career and where both plotted to destroy PBS are seen regularly together nowadays.

If recent gathering in the meetings of SAPP is any indication, then Yong Teck Lee being adamant to go for a majority of the state seats (60 in Sabah) this coming looming 13th general election on what he termed as "the principle of Sabah autonomy" is all about splitting the opposition votes and helping Barisan National win big.

The political signal coming from Yong Teck Lee in the last few months indicate that he is trying to sail on two boats — Barisan National and Pakatan Rakyat — at the same time. His shifting statements to keep both the major political parties in good humour may end with a backlash. At the same time, Pakatan Rakyat camp specially The Democratic Action Party (DAP) feels that Yong Teck Lee is not dependable and his track record for the last couple of years shows that he is more committed to divide and split the opposition votes. It is a known fact that despite poor governance Yong Teck Lee ruled this politically vibrant state for 2 years but a lot say he worked 4 long years (pun added because he worked day and night 24hours a day making hay while there is sunshine with his partner in crime Joseph Ambrose Lee).

Read more at: http://selvarajasomiah.wordpress.com/2013/01/09/when-yong-is-hungry-like-the-wolves/ 

 

Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 112

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 10:39 AM PST

Phm3VanIF9E 

Merdeka Heritage Trust dalam kenyataan berkata antara syarat bagi Stadium Merdeka ialah penganjur mesti memastikan jumlah pengunjung/peserta tidak melebihi 30,000 orang.
 
 
Jan 12hb suatu perhimpunan mega akan dijadikan satu perhimpuan yang bersejarah, aman tenteram sebelum pilihanraya umum. Perhimpunan bersejarah ini telah dibenarkan oleh pengurusan Stadium Merdeka. Selain itu pihak PDRM berhasrat untuk kerjasama, menurut sekatariat HKR menganggarkan sejumlah 1 juta pengunjung akan menghadiri perhimpunan bersejarah ini. 

- Merdeka Heritage Trust dalam kenyataan berkata antara syarat bagi Stadium Merdeka ialah penganjur mesti memastikan jumlah pengunjung/peserta tidak melebihi 30,000 orang.
 
- Kehadiran pengunjung ke Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat ini dipercayai melebihi demo BERSIH 3.0, anggaran kehadiran ini sudah pasti mana-mana stadium di Malaysia tidak berupaya memuatkan sejumlah bilangan yang sedemikian besar. 
 
- Walaubagaimanapun, HKR mengalu-alukan kehadiran rakyat menyertai himpunan ini. Suara rakyat adalah suara keramat dapat dilaung-laungkan supaya memberi signal dan mesej supaya parti pemerintah menunduk ke atas permintaan rakyat. Bila menjelang PRU13 nanti, rakyat lah jadi hakim untuk menjatuhkan hukuman terhadap parti pemerintah.   

 

DRB-HICOM to go private?

Posted: 09 Jan 2013 05:13 AM PST

FIRST QUARTER TARGET: Tycoon Syed Mokhtar may make standalone offer, says source

 
 

(Business Times) - Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar AlBukhary may make a standalone offer to privatise DRB-HICOM Bhd, the country's biggest automotive company, people working on the plan said yesterday.

Business Times understands that the plan is being helmed by privately-held Meridian Solutions Sdn Bhd. Meridian is a unit controlled by Syed Mokhtar's top financial aide, Ooi Teik Huat.

The low-profile 53-year-old Ooi is one of the Syed Mokhtar's top backroom boys, who sits on the board of many companies in which the Kedah-born businessman has a controlling stake.

Ooi currently sits on the board of Malakoff and MMC Corp Bhd. It is further understood that Hong Leong Bank Bhd and Public Bank Bhd are the two top banks working with Ooi on the privatisation.

"Hong Leong and Public Bank will help provide the financing for the exercise. It is scheduled to take place in the first quarter of this year," said the source.

Business Times was also told that DRB-HICOM could be taken private for between RM3.50 and RM4 a share, and that the exercise will be solely driven by Syed Mokhtar, who controls some 55 per cent of the company.

Syed Mokhtar, 61, could fork out as much as RM7.73 billion to take DRB-HICOM private.

The exercise comes barely a year after he bought Proton Holdings Bhd at RM5.50 a share or 24 times estimated earnings.
At RM4 a share, DRB-HICOM is valued at RM7.73 billion.

The stock closed at RM2.63 a share yesterday, giving it a market capitalisation of RM5.08 billion.

"None of the other shareholders are involved. It is a standalone bid as DRB-HICOM is severely undervalued. Its landbank itself has a net worth of RM10 billion," said the source.

Neither Syed Mokthar nor his representatives on the board of DRB-HICOM have briefed the board on the planned exercise.

"When they are ready with the money and the numbers tally, they will file in straight the offer to take DRB-HICOM private to the company secretary," said the source.


So it’s settled then

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 07:57 PM PST

Malaya or Malaysia did not attend the conference because Malaya and Malaysia did not exist yet at time. Malaya was created only in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963. Hence Malaya/Malaysia is not a party to that treaty or a recipient of any compensation. The recipient would be Britain, the colonial masters of the non-existent Malaya/Malaysia at that time.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

So it's settled then. Pakatan Rakyat allows non-Muslims to us the Allah word. Barisan Nasional does not allow non-Muslims to use the Allah word.

MCA, the lead partner in Barisan Nasional after Umno, has no opinion about the matter. You use or don't use the Allah word they don't care. They are not going to comment about it.

MIC does not want to comment whether they are going to comment. They are just going to maintain an elegant silence. So you do not know whether MIC agrees or does not agree to non-Muslims using the Allah word. And MIC will soon be known as MINC, the acronym for 'May I Not Comment'.

His Highness the Sultan of Selangor does not agree to non-Muslims using the Allah word. The Church does not agree to His Highness the Sultan not agreeing to non-Muslims using the Allah word.

Some people in Pakatan Rakyat agree with Pakatan Rakyat's stand. Some people in Pakatan Rakyat do not agree with Pakatan Rakyat's stand. Some people in Pakatan Rakyat do not want to take a stand regarding Pakatan Rakyat's stand.

Some people in Barisan Nasional agree with Barisan Nasional's stand. Some people in Barisan Nasional do not agree with Barisan Nasional's stand. Some people in Barisan Nasional do not want to take a stand regarding Barisan Nasional's stand.

So it's settled then. Malaysian politics can no longer be divided between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional. Because there are supporters, opposers and abstainers from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional, Malaysian politics must now be divided between the pro-Allah word and the anti-Allah word grouping.

Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional plus their 13 or so component party members will need to be disbanded and a new grouping of pro-Allah word and anti-Allah word be created to face the coming general election. The voters will then be able to vote along the lines of whether they support or oppose the use of the Allah word.

Once either the pro-Allah word or the anti-Allah word grouping wins the general election and gets to form the new federal government, Malaysians can expect to see brighter days ahead of them. Maybe corruption, abuse of power and wastage of public funds will still be a problem and we will still not see transparency, accountability and good governance, but at least Malaysians would have resolved one extremely important issue -- whether the pro-Allah word or the anti-Allah word grouping gets to run the country.

With either the pro-Allah word or the anti-Allah word grouping running the country, foreign investors will flock to Malaysia and will pour billions into the country. More jobs will be created and no Malaysian will face unemployment. There will, in fact, be a huge problem of labour shortage, which will allow a few million Indonesians to migrate to Malaysia to fill up the many job vacancies. These Indonesians can then be given Malaysian citizenship and they will be able to vote in future Malaysian general elections.

Malaysia can then increase the minimum wage to RM1,500 a month, as what some people want, which can be further increased by 10% a year so that Malaysians can be ahead of the inflation rate and not find it hard to make ends meet.

In time, Malaysia's minimum wage can match that of the UK, which is roughly RM35 an hour. Then the one million Malaysians living and working overseas can return to Malaysia and seek employment at home since Malaysia is facing a shortage of workers and is paying high wages, comparable to that of the UK.

Malaysia's political culture would also see a revolutionary change that it much needs. No longer will politics be about who makes a better Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak or Anwar Ibrahim. It will also no longer be about Ketuanan Melayu, the New Economic Policy, Article 153, Bahasa Malaysia, Malaysia's poor education system and poor health service, etc. It will be about whether you support or oppose the use of the Allah word.

Malaysians of all races and religions will no longer be divided like they are now. Malaysians of whatever race and religion will be united under one of two umbrellas. And these umbrellas would be either you support or you oppose the use of the Allah word.

Now, on the second issue of the so-called RM207 billion from Japan, the Treaty of San Francisco or the San Francisco Peace Treaty between Japan and the Allied Powers was officially signed by 48 nations on 8th September 1951 at the War Memorial Opera House in San Francisco, United States. It came into force on 28th April 1952.

The countries that attended the Conference were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Ethiopia, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Pakistan, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Saudi Arabia, the Soviet Union, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Syria, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, and Vietnam.

This treaty served to officially end World War II, to formally end Japan's position as an imperial power, and to allocate compensation to Allied civilians and former prisoners of war who had suffered Japanese war crimes. This treaty made extensive use of the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights to enunciate the Allies' goals.

Malaya or Malaysia did not attend the conference because Malaya and Malaysia did not exist yet at time. Malaya was created only in 1957 and Malaysia in 1963. Hence Malaya/Malaysia is not a party to that treaty or a recipient of any compensation. The recipient would be Britain, the colonial masters of the non-existent Malaya/Malaysia at that time.

So that is also settled then, just like the use of the Allah word has been settled. And the Japanese Embassy has just confirmed that the RM207 billion does not exist just like Malaya/Malaysia did not exist when the treaty was signed.

So now Malaysians can get back to the business of choosing their next government in the coming general election. And you will choose your government not on whether you support Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional but on whether you support or oppose the use of the Allah word.

And once the election is over and the winning grouping gets to form the next government, Malaysia is going to prosper and is going to grow in leaps and bounds and in no time at all Malaysia is going to move from the bottom of the list of ASEAN countries to the top of the list, beating even Singapore and Indonesia, who are yet to resolve the issue of whether non-Muslims can or cannot use the Allah word.

Malaysia is going to be remembered as the first of almost 200 countries all over the world that has officially decided on the matter of whether non-Muslims can or cannot use the Allah word. Malaysia has made history and in time will be hailed as a world leader poised to take over the leadership of the United Nations.

Malaysians who used to be ashamed of their country will now be proud to be Malaysian. The United Nations may even consider shifting its headquarters from New York to Putrajaya in honour of the great progress the country has made in resolving the issue of the use of the Allah word.

PROUD TO BE MALAYSIAN

mAV7OM7jVac

SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAV7OM7jVac

 

Explain RM207 billion compensation, says Anwar

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 05:04 PM PST

(Anwar Ibrahim's Blog) - PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is taking the BN government to task and wants it to explain what became of the RM207 billion compensation allegedly paid by the Japanese government to surviving victims and the heirs of over 30,000 Malayans used as forced labour for the infamous Death Railway from Siam to Burma during World War II.

He has claimed that the money was not transferred to the Treasury when he was finance minister back in the 1990′s.

"I have said that this money was not dispersed to the Treasury. This RM207 billion is something which the present BN government can't stay silent."

"Like the issue brought up in the transfer of suspected illicit funds following the report by the Global Financial Integrity group, where over RM190 billion was unaccounted for. So far, there has not been any comment from the prime minister or the Treasury on this issue. There is a clear neglect of the country's finances," he said.

Anwar was asked to comment on the revelation by former Perak menteri besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin that the Japanese government had allegedly paid the compensation to the Malaysian government in the 1990′s.

Nizar had said that he does not know if the money is still in the keeping of the government or had already been disbursed to the victims.

"There were 30,000 who had survived to come back to Malaysia, though some had died, they have heirs who formed the Association of former labourers and heirs of the Siam-Burma 1942-1946 railway construction," Nizar was quoted saying in a Harakahdaily report.

 

Don’t repeat past mistakes, Jerit tells Pakatan

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 04:52 PM PST

Workers are furious that Pakatan has rejected its 'reasonable' floor wage proposal of RM1,500.

Anisah Shukry, FMT

Non-governmental organisation Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) has flayed Pakatan Rakyat for using "lame excuses" and "unsound judgment" in rejecting Malaysian workers' recent RM1,500 minimum wage proposal.

Jerit said Pakatan's outright rejection of the RM1,500 minimum wage was "not of sound judgment or justified", especially since the Wold Bank Report was prepared on the advice of the Malaysian government and classified as "not for citation".

"The PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli's sudden dependence on the World Bank Report, a document used by the BN government, is really baffling us," Jerit said in a statement today.

On Sunday, more than 20 workers' union under the coalition of the Malaysian Workers Network (MWN) had proposed a monthly a minimum wage of RM1,500 ahead of the 13th general election.

But the following day, several Pakatan leaders told FMT the figure was not applicable for the time being and maintained that the floor wage should be set at RM1,100.

Citing the classified World Bank report, Rafizi had said anything higher than the rate Pakatan had proposed in its alternative budget would have an adverse impact on the economy.

PAS MP Dzulkefly Ahmad also told FMT that RM1,500 would not be sustainable as it would be counter-productive to workers.

But Jerit today questioned whether Pakatan had truly done its research before making such statements, and cited the nation's per capita income as proof that RM1,500 was reasonable.

"Taking into account the income per capita figure which is RM RM26, 420 per year per Malaysian citizen, which means each Malaysian roughly should be taking home RM2,291 as a wage, the demand for RM1,500 minimum wage is very reasonable and has a basis," said Jerit

"Thus, for PKR to reject outright the RM1,500 demand for minimum wage without knowing the rationale of the workers is akin to the pot [PKR] calling the cattle [BN] black."

Jerit was referring to the fact that Pakatan has continuously slammed BN for setting the country's minimum wage at RM900 for the peninsula and RM800 for Sabah and Sarawak.

Jerit also cited Indonesia as an example that implementing a minimum wage of RM1,500 was possible.

"Indonesia, our neighbouring country, just in November 2012 gave its minimum wage a 40% increase from 1.5 million rupiah [about RM472] to 2.2 million rupiah [about RM692]," said Jerit.

"Even then, the Jakarta Globe on Nov 6, 2012 reported that 'despite hefty minimum wage increases across the country next year, Indonesia remains an attractive destination for foreign companies due to the solid pace of its economic growth, global banks UBS and Deutsche Bank say.'."

RM 1,500 not viable?

Jerit also questioned whether "Rafizi and the Pakatan leadership" were aware of the rakyat's cost of living and whether Pakatan's proposed minimum wage of RM1,100 would suffice.

READ MORE HERE

 

MCA man sits on fence over ‘Allah’ row

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 04:39 PM PST

Boo Su-Lyn, The Malaysian Insider

An MCA leader refused today to make a stand on the Selangor Sultan's decree banning non-Muslims from referring to their gods as "Allah".

When asked if non-Muslims should be allowed to use the word "Allah", MCA deputy publicity chief Loh Seng Kok (picture) evaded the question by saying: "I'm not making a statement."

He noted, however, that many state anthems contained the word "Allah".

"Are we being barred from singing the state anthem now?" asked Loh, who is also an MCA central committee member.

Muslim-majority Malaysia has 13 states and three federal territories. More than half the state anthems contain the word "Allah" in their lyrics.

The Selangor Sultan instructed the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) yesterday to take firm action against all groups, including non-Muslims, who continued to question the state fatwa (edict) and a 1988 state law restricting use of the Arabic word.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek was unavailable for comment.

Former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has said that the royal ban would force many states to create a "special" version of their anthems.

Christian church leaders have questioned if a fatwa could be applied to non-Muslims.

Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM) secretary-general Rev Hermen Shastri also pointed out that the High Court's 2009 ruling, which said that the word "Allah" was not exclusive to Muslims, was still in effect pending the Home Ministry's appeal against it.

CCM president Bishop Datuk Thomas Tsen has highlighted Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's 10-point agreement, issued in April 2011, that allowed Christians in Borneo Malaysia to use the word "Allah" in their worship.

 

Despite royal decree, Protestant churches say will keep using ‘Allah’

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 04:02 PM PST

Debra Chong, The Malaysian Insider

An umbrella body representing Malaysia's Protestant churches said today Christians nationwide have been calling their god "Allah" in their worship for centuries and will continue exercising their constitutional right to do so, notwithstanding a Selangor state decree barring the term from them.

The heads of churches of the Council of Churches of Malaysia (CCM) said it had noted the current discourse over the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims.

The church leaders who are meeting in Ipoh, reiterated that they have been using "Allah" in Malay-language bibles "for centuries" and that many indigenous communities here have incorporated the word that was of Arabic origin as part of their everyday language.

"That being the case, we shall continue this practice ― a right guaranteed to us in our Federal Constitution (Article 11) ― and call on all parties to respect this fundamental right," they said in a statement to The Malaysian Insider.

The CCM clergymen's statement comes on the heels of a similar statement issued yesterday by the umbrella body for all Sikh temples in the country.

The Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) added that any move to stop non-Muslims from using the word "Allah" in a religious text would be a restriction on Sikhs from practising their religion.

"The Malaysian Gurdwaras Council (MGC) is saddened to note that a decree has been issued by His Highness the Sultan of Selangor that non-Muslims in the state are banned from using the word Allah as it is a holy word exclusive to Muslims.

"The MGC is further dismayed that no exceptions have been made in the decree," MGC president Jagir Singh said in a statement.

Sultan Sharafuddin has called for an emergency meeting with state Islamic religious officials to bar non-Muslims from using the Arabic word for god, the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) said yesterday.

The statement from the state's highest Islamic authority came despite a High Court ruling in December 2009 that the word "Allah" was not restricted to Muslims and the Catholic Church had the right to publish the word in the Malay section of its weekly newspaper, Herald.

Despite the Selangor Sultan's latest decree banning non-Muslims in the state from using the word "Allah", Pakatan Rakyat (PR) confirmed today its stand on the controversy, insisting that Islam does not prohibit others from using the word.

READ MORE HERE

 

Ambiga: TI-M’s refusal to watch polls disappointing

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:57 PM PST

(The Star) - Bersih 2.0 steering committee co-chairperson Datuk S. Ambiga says Transparency International-Malaysia's (TI-M) rejection of the Election Commission's (EC) invitation to monitor the general election is "disappointing".

She said this was because accredited bodies had the advantage of gaining access into polling stations.

However, she deemed most of the EC's conditions as "ridiculous", and urged the commission to review its conditions if it was truly committed to inviting independent bodies to monitor the elections.

In an immediate response, TI-M secretary-general Josie Fernandez said she was "surprised" by Ambiga's criticism, adding that it was the executive committee's unanimous decision to reject the offer.

She said this was because some conditions were not agreeable.

"I hope Ambiga realises that for us to take part, we must first address issues such as a limited number of observers permitted in each constituency and limitations such as not being able to speak to the press," Fernandez said.

She said TI-M also faced financial and human resources constraints and would not be able to deploy the several hundred observers required.

Meanwhile, Ambiga introduced the new election monitoring campaign launched by Bersih 2.0 in partnership with Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections and Pusat Komunikasi Masyarakat.

Called the Pemantau Pilihan Raya Rakyat (Pemantau), she said the body hoped to get 10,000 volunteers to serve as observers, adding that they would have to sign a pledge and code of conduct.

"Those who have not adhered to the code of conduct will have their reports devalued," she said.

 

‘Japan did not pay RM207 billion’

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:44 PM PST

(The Star) - Japan never paid RM207 bil to the Malaysian Government as compensation for victims of the Death Railway project in the 1940s, according to the Japanese Embassy.

Its Second Secretary Takaharu Suegami, responding to PAS working committee member Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin who was reported to have said so, said the latter's claim was "outside the involvement and knowledge of the Government of Japan".

"All questions arising out of the unhappy events with regard to Malaysia have been fully and finally settled under the San Francisco Treaty which entered into force in 1952," he said in a statement yesterday. Nizar was quoted by Harakah Daily as saying that the embassy had confirmed that the money was handed to the Malaysian Government in 2004.

The report stated that the money had yet to be distributed to families of the estimated 30,000 Malaysians who were forced labourers of the project between 1942 and 1946.

Suegami said both countries had also signed an agreement on Sept 21, 1967, whereby Japan agreed to supply services and products to Malaysia totalling RM25mil.

The grants, he said, had been used to build two ships, among other projects, but there was no transfer of an undisclosed amount of money.

"Malaysia agreed that any question from the events of the Second World War that might affect our good bilateral relations would be fully and finally settled with the agreement.

"All the supply in accordance with the agreement was completed by May 6, 1972," he said.

 

Zahid to sue Rafizi for alleged defamation

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:36 PM PST

(The Star) - Defence Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will sue PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli for alleged defamation.

He said Rafizi had gone overboard by accusing him of abuse of power over the acquisition of a company and land by Boustead Holdings Bhd, which is a subsidiary of Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT).

Boustead in a filing with Bursa Malaysia last month stated that it would acquire an 80% stake in Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, linked to controversial carpet businessman Deepak Jaikishnan, through subsidiary Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd.

Zahid said Boustead, as a public-listed company, did not take instructions from any minister or individual.

"They (Boustead) did purchase the company for RM30mil and land for RM130mil but Rafizi should be aware that the market price was more than RM300mil.

"The said transaction is fully commercialised and does not involve the Defence Ministry or me.

"Not a single sen of LTAT's money was used in the transaction... LTAT takes care of its contributors," he said yesterday after announcing plans for the Lang- kawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (Lima) in March.

Zahid challenged Rafizi to lodge a police report against him if he was "man enough" and to issue an open statement, adding that the latter should not destroy the trust contributors had in LTAT.

"We will see each other in court. I hope he stops the lies.

"He should get his facts right and not play such politics," he added.

 

Mat Sabu: We expect trouble-free rally

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:33 PM PST

(The Star) - Organisers of the gathering at Merdeka Stadium on Saturday are expecting a trouble-free rally.

Organising chairman PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said that there would be no marching to Merdeka Stadium and participants were expected to make their own way and gather at the venue from 2pm to 5pm.

He told reporters after meeting Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar to discuss the Saturday gathering yesterday.

Mohamad, however, said that the organisers had yet to receive official notification from the stadium management on whether they would be allowed to use the venue for the gathering or otherwise.

He said that they would wait until 1pm today for the green light to use the stadium, failing which, they would make an alternative plan.

"We will make the final decision tomorrow and announce it by 4pm," he said.

Meanwhile, city police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Mohmad Salleh said police were finalising their preparations for the gathering.

"We will inform road users on the traffic situation and road closures as soon as a plan has been formulated," he said.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said that the Opposition pact must ensure that the assembly they propose to hold on Saturday does not develop into a riot.

"They should apply to Stadium Nasional, Bukit Jalil, if they wish to organise the assembly there and ensure that the capacity stipulated was complied with," he said.

He said everyone must ensure that the assembly did not turn into a riot as had happened during the "Bersih" gathering last year.

 

English murdered in a murder story

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:16 PM PST

Black Rose - the much-hyped tell-all - falls short of expectations but provides enough inside jokes and hints to keep its readers gripped.

Anisah Shukry, FMT

By this time, avid followers of The Confessions of the Carpet Man have no doubt winced and chuckled through every misspelt word and thinly-veiled nicknames in the book The Black Rose, presumably written by the Carpet Man himself.

Never mind that Deepak Jaikishan, the star of the real-life saga, has denounced the free e-book as being a fake – such a fact makes for even more salacious reading and adds further intrigue to the unfolding drama.

And what a drama: By reading the first paragraph alone, the reader can guess just how complex the issue is – and the bad language certainly doesn't help.

"This is a true version of the events leading to the 2nd SD by LABA on the instruction of Black Rose, on the day the first SD was announced by LABA flanked by the head of the opposition, Black Rose called me in the same evening, she wanted KAPEED to help solve the SD issue as the repulsion was very severe, she explained to me that LALA's people were going to see the SD by LABA to convince a direct participant in the 4C incident to come forward and make a SD and confess that he had been instructed by whom to initiate 4C and that ABCD instructed him and ABCD was instructed by BIJAN."

And that's just the first sentence.

But whether the writer intended this or not, there is a plus side to the run-in sentences and disregard for punctuation – it makes for a hilarious book that just cannot be put down.

For example, the Selangor Umno Wanita chief Raja Ropiaah Abdullah land deal is just that more gripping when described so eloquently in the following manner:

"…Raja Popiah was a very strong person in state politics, she was very chauvinistic and greedy and unlike popiah stall owners who once they have sold their popiah to one person will never dare to sell it to another, Raja Popiah darest do the unimaginable…"

This unintentionally humorous writing is especially useful since readers will find that the book holds nothing new in terms of information.

But on the down side, the writer's brutal murder of the English language makes it very difficult for the reader to take the contents, and the writer himself, seriously.

Content-wise, for those who haven't read the book, you don't miss out on anything except for a lot of laughs, because it is just a (bad) re-telling of information Deepak previously divulged to the press.

Analysing the symbolism

From the Raja Ropiaah land deal to the events leading and following the second statutory declaration by P Balasubramaniam, everything appears to be recycled from Deepak's interviews and press statements.

Even the documents included in the PDF file, which make up half the book, were apparently already available on PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli's website.

Regardless, those who have free time should definitely give this book a try; the nicknames the writer came up with alone are worth it.

READ MORE HERE

 

IPF plans mammoth rally on Jan 12

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:06 PM PST

The gathering is to show support for BN's attempt to retake Selangor in the 13th general election. 

B Nantha Kumar, FMT

As Pakatan Rakyat prepares for a mammoth rally dubbed "Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat" (People's Uprising Rally) on Jan 12 at Stadium Merdeka, a BN-friendly party is also scheduled to hold a massive rally on the same day.

The All Malaysia Indian Progressive Front better known as IPF confirmed that the party was  planning a rally on Jan 12, at Dataran Tesco, in Semenyih where Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is expected to be the guest of honour.

Speaking to FMT, party president M Sambanthan (picture), who is also director of the rally, said the gathering was to show support for BN's attempt to retake Selangor in the 13th general election.

"The peaceful assembly is really important to IPF. It is the time for us to show our adherence to the prime minister and BN," he said.

He said IPF would mobilise 20,000 people to attend the rally and this would send " a strong message to Pakatan Rakyat in Selangor that Indians were unhappy with the opposition coalition."

"We have informed all our branches to mobilise support for the rally. We hope the rally would be peaceful," he said.

Sambanthan also quashed speculation that the IPF rally was to counter Pakatan's Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat also planned on the same day at Stadium Merdeka.

"This is not something we planned just last week. We started planning for it since last year and the prime minister gave the date some three months ago. Some Pakatan leaders are going around saying our rally is to counter their rally. IPF's rally does not have anything to do with their rally," he said.

READ MORE HERE

 

Senior lawyer sees red over judge-bashing

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 03:01 PM PST

Sankara Nair wants action to be taken against those responsible for the incredulous and vile attack on Justice VT Singham.

RK Anand, FMT

The scathing attack against a high court judge has left a senior lawyer seething with indignation and demanding that action be taken against the perpetrator.

Referring to an article published on the Perkasa website yesterday, Sankara Nair told FMT that he was both outraged and appalled by the incredulous and vile statements.

"The writer is incredibly moronic and his allegations are scurrilous, vilifying and wholly unwarranted. The writer has gone on a vicious, baseless, and defamatory personal tirade against the judge and it is prima facie contempt of court.

"The writer is clearly politically motivated and as such incapable and not qualified to give substantial, constructive and reasonable criticism of Justice VT Singham or any judicial officer for that matter," he added.

Sankara said that if the Attorney-General's Chambers did not direct the police to lodge a report, he would be more than willing to file a police report on this matter.

The lawyer also urged the chief justice as head of the judiciary to call upon the AG Chambers to act against the individual or individuals of Perkasa who were involved in this matter.

"Judges are always vulnerable and it is most unfortunate that they are unable to defend themselves personally against attacks against them. Thus, it is the public duty of all lawyers and the Bar Council to guard against such attacks on judges and to protect the sanctity and integrity of all judges in performing their judicial duties.

"It is reiterated that it is the legal and bounden duty of the Attorney-General's Chambers to take a stand and to come out strongly against such atrocious behaviour by this writer and institute contempt proceedings and also order the police to commence investigations by issuing an Order to Investigate (OTI) with a view to prosecute the writer," he said.

The article penned by Zainuddin Salleh had questioned Singham's impartiality, his past judgments and also insinuated that he could be a homosexual due to him being a bachelor.

Singham is the presiding judge in the RM50 million defamation suit filed by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim against Utusan Malaysia. He is scheduled to deliver his judgment on Jan 22.

'Article aims to intimidate him'

Commenting further, Sankara, a former Anwar lawyer, said the judge had yet to deliver his verdict and the contents of the article was clearly premeditated and timed as such with an intention to intimidate him and to interfere with the administration of justice.

"This amounts to a clear commission of a criminal offence under Section 228 of the Penal Code, the objective of which is to preserve the prestige and dignity of the court by punishing any person who intentionally insults in any way the court administering justice," he added.

READ MORE HERE

 

Curse of No. 13 to usher the end of Sabah BN?

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:26 AM PST

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Jason Matius
 
There is now serious talk spreading among the Sabah opposition parties concerning the effect of numbers in the political fortunes of political parties in Sabah. And to the opposition parties' delight, the numbers appear to point to the death knell of the Barisan Nasional in the next general election.
 
A series of text messages and excited conversations concerning the number thirteen, prophesying BN's supposed impending fall, have been making their rounds among mainly opposition supporters here. These messages remind Sabahans of the fact that USNO, Sabah's first government, was defeated by Berjaya in 1976 (7 + 6 = 13), Berjaya was defeated by PBS in 1985 (8 + 5= 13), and PBS was toppled from power by BN in 1994 (9 + 4 = 13). Also interesting is that each of these three governments ruled for exactly nine years!
 
Whether you are superstitious or not, you'd admit it's not easy to simply brush aside these uncanny series of 9s and 13s which marked the length of life and sensational deaths of three past governments. Many even believe this is Sabah's equivalent to Malaysia's strange RAHMAN prophecy, the arrangement of initials of the names of all the past prime ministers from the beginning to the present one. Many of those who believe these are not mere coincidences, are also convinced the Sabah's series of 13s will continue at least to the next general election.
 
This belief is reinforced by the fact that for the forthcoming polls, the number 13 is not even hidden like in the past in which the last two digits of the year had to be added to come up with the jinxed number 13. In GE13 the number is wholly and clearly written, not once but TWICE, i.e. the last two digits of the year, and in the number of the times the general elections will be conducted! One clearly written 13 is bad enough, but twice?
 
In the past, many observers were expecting the Sabah BN to fall in 2003, i.e. nine years after 1994, but when it didn't happen, BN supporters had said BN had successfully broke the nine-year jinx. But now some can argue for the interesting fact that the nine-year series has not been broken, but simply doubled to 18 years, i.e. to 2012, plus a few month to reach 2013, the year which ends with 13.
 
Other than these numbers, it has been mentioned in the biography of the late Tun Fuad Stephens that when he won his state assembly seat in Kiulu in 1985, his majority was exactly 1,111. To the Chinese observers it was a bad omen because 1111 added to four and four in Chinese is pronounced the same way as the word for death. Shortly afterward Stephens along with many others died in a plane crash which is now called the Double Six Tragedy because it happened on the June 6. Many people, however, say it should have been called the Triple Six Tragedy, to include the year 1976, the year it happened; hence completing it to 666, which is the number of the devil.
 
Will the jinx of the number 13 really see the end of Sabah BN in the hands of the opposition? Many people can't wait to find out.

 

Perkasa Lawan Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 112

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:17 AM PST

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Himpunan Rakyat112, satu himpunan raksasa yang dikendalikan oleh pihak yang menuntut keadilan, rakyat boleh melepaskan kemarahan mereka terhadap parti pemerintah dengan aman tanpa rusuhan. Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 112 juga dapat sokongan NGO.    

 

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Timbalan Presiden PAS, Mohamad Sabu bersalaman dengan CP Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri bin Mohd Zinin, Pengarah Jabatan Siasatan Jenayah PDRM, gambar di atas menceritakan Mat Sabu, Pakar perancang demo yang mewakili komiti NGO ini berjabat tangan dengan pegawai atasan PDRM.  

 

Sumber Fb Polis Di Raja Malaysia

"Pihak polis meminta kerjasama yang baik dari penganjur dan orang ramai dan mereka sendiri akan bersama-sama memastikan himpunan 12 Januari ini akan berlangsung dalam keadaan aman dan damai.

"Polis dan kami sama-sama berazam untuk menjadikan himpunan ini sebagai rekod himpunan paling aman sebelum PRU dan polis juga berkata inilah perubahan sejarah pentadbiran polis dibawah akta baru," katanya kepada media  

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Walau bagaimanapun PERKASA, satu pertubuhan anti-demokrasi, anti-perpaduan rakyat dan NGO racist ini berkeras dan mahu menghalang kebangkitan rakyat. Mereka memainkan peranan seolah-olah bertentangan dengan perlembagaan yang diwartakan, hak dan kebebasan perhimpuan rakyat. 

Perkasa membuat laporan polis terhadap Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (HKR) anjuran Pakatan Rakyat pada Sabtu ini. 

Timbalan Ketua Penerangan Perkasa Abdullah Mansor membuat laporan itu di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) Dang Wangi di sini hari ini. 

Abdullah dalam laporan polisnya berkata, pihaknya bimbang pembangkang sengaja mengadakan himpunan itu sebagai cubaan untuk menghidupkan suasana seperti di Dataran Tahrir, Mesir kerana mendapat maklumat kumpulan itu akan berkumpul di Dataran Merdeka. 

Perkasa sebuah NGO yang pro UMNO. Amat takut dan risau periuk nasi mereka pecah akibat UMNO kalah dalam PRU13. Perkasa masih tidak sedar dalam Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat 112, ramai peserta yang menyertai HKR 112 adalah terdiri dari bangsa Melayu yang beragama Islam. Mereka ini juga perjuang dan pembela Melayu.   

 

Big problems, small solutions

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:13 AM PST

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Compared with Anwar's ideas to solve the nation's woes, Najib's 1Malaysia This and 1Malaysia That are but small painkillers providing short-term relief

Selena Tay, FMT 

Soon 10 million Malaysian citizens will be able to enjoy the 1Malaysia Privilege Card and do online shopping at the 1Malaysia Privilege Portal. This may be a way of enabling the rakyat to obtain a bit of discount benefits but this is not solving the problem in the long run.

A friend of this columnist mentioned that 5% discount is given for purchases at a fast-food outlet but the discount is only limited to purchases of less than RM20. Do your math and see how little the discount comes up to!

Frankly, all these 1Malaysia ideas are not solving the problems at all. They are just little ideas yielding tiny gains for the rakyat. One of the biggest problems faced by the nation is corruption.

Is there any major effort by the relevant authorities to curb this crime? Forget the NKRAs (National Key Result Areas) and the KPIs (Key Performance Index) but has there been any real reduction in corruption? Zilch, nil, tiada.

Another major problem is the ever-rising crime rate. Any reduction? Not really. Snatch thefts and house break-ins are rampant and rife. Instead, the Najib administration comes up with 1Malaysia This and 1Malaysia That. These are not problem-solvers but small painkillers that provide short- term relief.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is not doing the big things to solve the big problems. Is there any idea or plan on how to curb the massive illicit fund outflow? Again zilch, nil, tiada. In fact, in the first place there is no effort being made to acknowledge that there exists big problems such as corruption, rising crime and illegal fund outflow.

Instead, attention and action have been diverted to giving small discounts and small cash aid here and there. Clearly, Najib is not a man of big ideas when it comes to benefiting the rakyat.

Just compare with Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim who has ideas such as abolishing road tolls, reducing petrol prices and giving out taxi permits. Now these are big ideas.

In regard to taxi permits, so far the Najib administration has only handed out four new tyres. This gift amounts to only RM520 whereas the taxi permit costs nearly three times that amount at RM50 per day, which comes up to RM1,500 per month. That is the reason why the prime minister does not really understand the situation on the ground.

Making up for lost time

As for the RM500 cash aid handed out under the BR1M programme, curbing inflation is the better move in the long term. And curbing inflation can only be done with good management of the economy. By handing out cash aid, Najib is only applying the painkiller solution of instant but temporary relief unlike Anwar's ideas which solve the problem once and for all.

In respect of this, Pakatan Rakyat's promises are the better deal and we should put Pakatan in power to see if the better deal becomes the real deal. Let us see how Pakatan performs as the federal government and how BN performs as the opposition. Then and then only can real comparison be made between the BN era and the Pakatan era.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/09/big-problems-small-solutions/ 

What value our degrees?

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 10:05 AM PST

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As the government continues to provide more funds for education under the PTPTN scheme, more young people look forward to a tertiary education and a degree. But in the eagerness to create more graduates, some universities are closing an eye to the weaknesses and shortcomings of students.

R. Nadeswaran, The Sun

"Citizen is a special status held by the people who have the right to be in a country. For example, people deserved to choose their own life such as individual freedom, freedom of workship, and citizenship through marriage. It was the important thing to be the advanced country and also decrease the poor people. Moreover, Malaysia is a wonderful city. People have to choose their own minister to be right choosed after 'Pilihan Raya'. In Malaysia also they have no age limits to their want to get studies. It was a good thing to us and also to be the advanced city in 2020. Malaysia also have their own systems and also rules.

Malaysian Constitution is the most important things in Malaysia it is because Malaysia was the most beautiful country. Besides, the Yang DiPertuan Agong has the highest positions according to the constitution. Other than that, people in this country deserved to choose their own choice for example their Prime Minister. It is shown that Malaysian was a great city than others. In Malaysia also they have no war it is because Malaysia was a calm country. Moreover, Malaysia also trying to together with the other country to move forward to be the advanced city in the eyes of the world."

NO, the above are not the work of some foreign students trying to learn English. Neither are they of primary school pupils attempting their Standard Three English language test. No, they have not been edited and are reproduced as they were written and submitted.

The creators of the above are final year students of a multiple award-winning university. These are excerpts of their essay on Malaysian studies. Despite the poor language and content, they will be "passed" by the university and perhaps given an "A" for their efforts.

Will these students be able to word a job application? Will they be able to go through a job interview? Will employers want to give jobs to this category of students who cannot string two sentences without five mistakes? Will these students be prepared to face the outside world?

Later this year, they will "graduate" complete with gowns and mortars in front of proud parents and relatives. They will receive scrolls from a VVIP and pay a small fortune for the ceremony and photographs.
They will join the thousands of young men and women who would fall under the category of unemployed or unemployable graduates. But the scroll is not worth the paper it is printed on.

In short, they are the end-products of production lines that have been set up to churn out graduates, irrespective of their skills, knowledge or ability. To enable these production lines to function, a whole load of people get licences or permits to set up "tertiary institutions". There is no quality control and the end result is that some of them are absolutely useless and make money from the National Higher Education Loan (PTPTN).

As the government continues to provide more funds for education under the PTPTN scheme, more young people look forward to a tertiary education and a degree. But in the eagerness to create more graduates, some universities are closing an eye to the weaknesses and shortcomings of students.

In 1997, the PTPTN scheme was launched at a time when private colleges were starting to bloom, and foreign universities such as Monash University and Nottingham University were invited to set up their campuses in Malaysia. The PTPTN was supposed to be a rolling fund to provide loans to students who could not afford tertiary education.

Today, the PTPTN scheme, as one observer remarked, is no different from or maybe worse than the "sub-prime" loan scandal in the US.

You lend money to people (children) who are "not qualified" to "buy" a degree that is worth very little, on the belief that the value of the degree will keep increasing. When the value appreciates and there is a regular income, the loan can be settled and therefore everybody will be happy. But the bitter truth is that the degree is not a guarantee of regular income and hence the loan defaulters. Under these circumstances, will the government be able to recover the loans or will they be written off?

R. Nadeswaran has met several "graduates" who cannot hold a simple conversation. Comments: citizen-nades@thesundaily.com

 

Are Malaysia’s law-enforcing institutions paralysed?

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:48 AM PST

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The 200 acre land is designated for a building military camp, and Awan Megah is prohibited from conveying it to any third party. In addition, the Selangor State government, which is the administrator of all lands in the state, has also declared that it will not approve any transfer of the said land unless it is used to build the military camp. Hence, Boustead is effectively barred by law to acquire the land. With this land transaction being a castle in the air, Boustead is, in truth, paying out RM160 million for which it gains nothing. 

Kim Quek

The total impotence of law-enforcing institutions across the full spectrum of the Malaysian polity to deal with high corruption and criminal activities of the ruling elite is mercilessly exposed through the serial unfolding of scandals by Deepak Jaikishan – one time close associate of the Prime Minister's wife.

 

First, it was the police, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) and the Attorney General who have remained steadfastly silent despite a series of swirling exposes for more than one month of Prime Minister Najib Razak's family's alleged acts to cover up the PM's alleged link to the murder of Mongolian beauty Altantuya.

 

In addition to accusing the family of committing bribery and criminal coercion in order to come up with a false statutory declaration to protect the PM, Deepak also accused the family of having accepted bribery from him for facilitating his participation in a scandalous Defence Ministry (Mindef) project – the construction of the RM100 million National Defence Education Center (Puspahanas). The PM and his family have also remained strangely and inexplicably silent.

 

Now, even the Securities Commission, watchdog of the securities market, is also found wanting in protecting the integrity of the Malaysian Stock Exchange when it fails to haul up a Defence Ministry-linked company embarking on a dubious deal, which was apparently designed to quell the politically explosive Deepak-Najib scandal. Listed company Boustead Holdings Bhd, an investment arm of the military pension fund entity (LTAT) under Mindef, is playing Santa Claus to dish out millions of ringgit in cash to silence whistle-blower Deepak and the Mindef project recipient, Selangor Umno women wing's chief Raja Ropiaah Raja Abdullah, who was sued by Deepak over alleged breach of trust in their ill-fated partnership in the project.

 

MINDEF TO THE PM'S RESCUE

 

Boustead is buying up Deepak's company Astacanggih Sdn Bhd for RM30 million, and at the same time also buying the disputed 200 acres of land from Ropiaah's company Awan Megah (M) Sdn for RM130 million. Upon this announcement by Boustead, Deepak instantly withdrew his law suit against the Umno leader, presumably appeased and refrained from further blowing his trumpet.

 

However, behind the Boustead maneuver that resulted in this lightning development are facts that are perhaps stranger than fiction – the goods that Boustead are chasing after are in truth illusionary to its shareholders. For Astacanggih is but an asset-less shell company that has never filed its accounts with the Companies Commission, and the 200 acre land, which was intended as Mindef's part payment to Awan Megah for undertaking in 2005 to complete the Mindef project, is still vested with the government, as the project was never constructed.

 

Furthermore, the 200 acre land is designated for a building military camp, and Awan Megah is prohibited from conveying it to any third party. In addition, the Selangor State government, which is the administrator of all lands in the state, has also declared that it will not approve any transfer of the said land unless it is used to build the military camp. Hence, Boustead is effectively barred by law to acquire the land.

 

With this land transaction being a castle in the air, Boustead is, in truth, paying out RM160 million for which it gains nothing.

 

So shouldn't the Securities Commission as well as the MACC have stepped in to probe the directors of Boustead and LTAT respectively over this outrageous fraud and betrayal of the welfare of military personnel and veterans, who have obviously become sacrificial lambs at the altar of political expediency of the political masters? 

 

And shouldn't the Defence Minister, who has apparently initiated such a political move to save Najib's skin, be also investigated by MACC over such abuse of power, corruption and bribery on his part?

 

 

PM ABUSED POWER TO GRANT PROJECT

 

As a further blow to the image of PM Najib, he happened to be the Defence Minister who approved in 2005 the award of the project to Awan Megah, which is now found to be a company that has remained dormant since 2003, certainly without the wherewithal to design and construct the RM100 million Mindef facilities. This is clearly an act of abuse of power and corruption.

 

In any democratic country where the government is popularly elected, the prime minister would have stood up to face these serious and unyielding allegations by either denying or acting to reclaim his dignity; and the law-enforcing institutions would also have swung into action – one after another – to uphold the law. But in Malaysia, we have only eerie silence, save the noises made by the opposition, mainly through the Internet, as the relative news are blacked out in the mainstream media.

 

Obviously, our institutions, including the mainstream media (all newspapers and TV channels), have either been neutered or reduced to serving as lapdogs of the political masters; and unless these institutions are thoroughly reformed, the plundering and breach of law by the ruling elite with impunity will only get worse – a path that will lead eventually to state bankruptcy and national catastrophe.

For peace-loving Malaysians who yearn for the restoration of rule of law, what alternative do they have other than to seek a change of government by granting a new mandate – through the coming election – to the opposition alliance, whose corruption-free leadership has demonstrated the ability to administer the state governments under its control with integrity and prudent financial management? 

Mustafa: Hudud application impossible for now

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:45 AM PST

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(fz.com) - Hudud, the Islamic system of criminal law, is destined to remain entangled in a series of legal, political and administrative processes that will prevent its application for a long time to come, says PAS Secretary-General Datuk Mustafa Ali.

At the mention of the complexities that surround Hudud - ranging from the implementation issues that it entails, the differing stances on the subject taken by Pakatan Rakyat coalition members and its incessant appearance in the headlines since 2008 - Mustafa chuckles.
 
"But you have never seen Hudud being implemented," he responds, drawing attention to the contrast between all the talk over the matter on the one hand, and the lack of any legal or practical steps taken to implement such laws.
 
Speaking to fz.com in an interview recently, the Islamic party strongman says that he would not be surprised if the issue makes another comeback just as the general election approaches.
 
He says that although the Pakatan parties - PAS, DAP and PKR - have "agreed to disagree" over the issue, it will not just go away as it is close to the heart of any Muslim and it was a matter of principle for followers of Islam to uphold.
 
"No Muslim, whether in PAS or Umno, can say that Hudud is not in Islam or that it is against the teaching of Islam. But if you speak to an Umno person, although they would agree with this, there are so many "buts" and "buts" (to justify its lack of implementation)," he says.
 
Hudud, says Mustafa, must be discussed in a broader perspective, as it is a "very small" portion of the Islamic justice system.
 
"It is more of a deterrent than a form of punishment... more to instill fear in the people. It is just a small part of all the different systems of life in Islam such as economics, education and social well-being. Hudud is a very small part of criminal law," he said.
 
In what (for now) appears to be the last word on the issue, Pakatan decided in September 2011 that DAP will stick to its opposition to the issue and PAS cannot be forced to abandoned its principle to implement the law.
 
Flanked by 20-odd top Pakatan leaders, the coalition's head Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said then: "Pakatan respects the PAS initiatives and aspirations (to implement the Hudud in Kelantan), but we have to reach a consensus… DAP is opposed to that and PKR and PAS respect that decision".
 
He also said that the matter was a non-issue as the existence of the Second Syariah Kelantan Criminal Enactments 1993 and the Terengganu Syariah Criminal Enactments 2003 required amendments to the Federal Constitution.
 
Referring to these state laws, Mustafa reiterates, as he has done many times before, that the passage of any laws containing elements of Hudud must follow the democratic process.
 
"Even in Kedah (where PAS holds 16 out of 36 state seats), we don't have the numbers to implement Hudud (or pass any related legislation)," he says, noting that the state laws passed in Kelantan and Terengganu were voted for by a two-thirds majority in their respective state assemblies.
 

Minimum wage

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:41 AM PST

http://komunitikini.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Malaysia-Ringgit.jpg 

YT Teh 
Top Gloves just announced its foreign workers' salary will increase from RM1200 to RM1800 (inclusive of overtime) due to implementation of RM900 minimum pay. RM600 represents a fifty percent increment for these workers. Just assuming two million foreign workers in Malaysia, the increment is going to cost Malaysian companies RM14.4 billion. Why are we increasing minimum pay which will mainly benefit foreign workers?
Instead of the RM900 minimum wage, can we ask companies like Top Glove to set aside a compulsory contribution of RM100 per foreign worker which would be distributed to its local work force earning below RM1500 as special subsistence assistance for poor Malaysians? Prices of goods are already going up rapidly. Low income Malaysian workers will suffer most.
Beware, the opposition's simple solution of RM 1200 minimum wage is even more disastrous. We need a solution that truly benefits and builds up the local work force.
Just my honest contribution of ideas.

 

Five contradictions in restricting the use of 'Allah'

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:38 AM PST

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There are major contradictions in the claim that the word 'Allah' belongs only to Muslims and Islam and does not apply to non-Muslims and other religions (JAKIM), and in the insistence that non-Muslims must convert to Islam to use the word 'Allah' (Perak's mufti Harussani Zakaria).

Pak Sako, CPI 

The contradictions are as follows.

1. If we disallow non-Muslims from using the word 'Allah', are we implying that Allah has no relation to the non-Muslims, that Allah did not create the non-Muslims, but to whom Allah must belong if He is the Creator of all things?

2. If we say Allah is not the god of the non-Muslims, does this not imply that besides Allah there must exist a second god specifically for the non-Muslims, the former god of Muslim converts? Does this not clash with the Islamic concept of tauhid, which proposes that there cannot possibly be another god apart from Allah, and that no being can perform the work of a god other than Allah?

3. If we maintain that 'Allah' has no relevance to other religions, who then ultimately created these religions if not Allah, the Creator of all things? Are we suggesting that Allah got it wrong before unveiling Islam? But if tauhid is to stand and Allah is the sole Creator, and if Allah is infallible, perfect and all-knowing, does it not mean that Allah happily created, with no games intended, all the variety of religions and religious philosophies including Christianity and Hinduism?

Read more at: http://english.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2465&catid=219&Itemid=189 

 

Questions over ‘fatwa’ effect on non-Muslims after Selangor Sultan’s ‘Allah’ decree

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:27 AM PST

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(The Malaysian Insider)Christian church leaders have expressed concern over the effect of the Selangor Sultan's royal decree banning followers of faiths other than Islam from using the word "Allah" to describe their gods.

The state Ruler had also instructed the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (MAIS) and the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (JAIS) yesterday to take firm action against all groups, including non-Muslims, who continued to question the state fatwa (edict) and a 1988 state law restricting use of the Arabic word.

"Can a fatwa be applied to a non-Muslim?" asked Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of the country's sole Catholic newspaper, Herald, when contacted by The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

In December 2009, the High Court ruled that the word "Allah" was not restricted to Muslims and the Catholic Church had the right to published the word in the Malay section of its weekly newspaper, Herald.

The priest declined further comment, saying he would leave the question to be answered by legal experts, after pointing to a key issue raised in the Herald's court challenge three years ago.

In her 2009 ruling, High Court judge Datuk Lau Bee Lan found that "a non-Muslim could be committing an offence if he uses the word 'Allah' to a Muslim but there would be no offence if it was used to a non-Muslim".

Rev Hermen Shastri from the Methodist Church told The Malaysian Insider that the High Court's judgment is still legally in effect pending the Home Ministry's appeal to ban non-Muslims using the word, which it had argued in court was a security threat.

"Until overturned, Christians have the right to use it," Shastri, who is secretary-general of the Council of Churches in Malaysia (CCM), an umbrella body representing all the Protestant churches nationwide.

CCM president Bishop Datuk Thomas Tsen told The Malaysian Insider he was worried about the consequences of the decree on Sabah and Sarawak Christians living in the state.

"Of course I am concerned about the effect on our people who live here, especially when Najib talks about 1 Malaysia and we want to speak in one language," the Lutheran bishop said, referring to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's remarks.

Like Andrew, he declined comment on the Selangor sultan's statement, but highlighted a 10-point agreement issued by the Najib administration in April 2011, allowing Christians in Borneo Malaysia the freedom to use it in their worship, ahead of the Sarawak state election.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/questions-over-fatwa-effect-on-non-muslims-after-selangor-sultans-allah-decree/ 

 

Muhyiddin: We are not bankrupt

Posted: 08 Jan 2013 09:23 AM PST

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(The Star)Malaysia is not bankrupt but is cash rich with a record collection of RM125bil in taxes last year, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.

Refuting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's allegation that the country was on the verge of bankruptcy, he said the Government would not have been able to afford RM560mil aid for 5.6 million students or the BR1M aid if the Government was strapped for cash.

"Therefore, I would like to appeal to all of you not to fall into the Opposition's trap," he said during a meet-the-people session at the district padang here.

Citing another example, he said critics had accused the Government of implementing the AES project because it had run out of cash to fund its programmes.

"Malaysia is not the first or only country to implement AES.

"We were forced to do so as thousands of Malaysians are dying on the roads annually due to accidents," he said, adding that 6,000 fatalities were registered last year.

Muhyiddin, who was here for a one-day working visit, said Malaysia had not only received huge foreign investments but had been recognised as one of the most progressive economies in the world.

"While most countries, including Europe and the United States, were facing economic uncertainties, we have continued to register a 5% growth."

"In fact, experts have forecast that we will be able to do equally well, if not better, this year as our country and economy are well managed."

Muhyddin said the per capita income of the rakyat was also set to increase to US$15,000 (RM45,250), by 2020.

The per capita income of Malaysians was only US$7,500 a year ago and this had since increased to US$9,700 (RM21,120), he said.

He said Pakatan Rakyat could not be an alternative to Barisan Nasional because its members were always at loggerheads with each other.

"They cannot agree to simple things as we have seen in Kelantan and Selangor on several occasions," he said.

During his visit, Muhyiddin handed over RM20.65mil to the state government for the RM100 aid to be given to 206,500 students in the state, RM4.1mil for several projects here and RM3.5mil for the redevelopment of a hawker centre. 

Japanese embassy: What RM207b?

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 07:23 PM PST

The embassy says it has never confirmed that the sum was paid to the Malaysian government as compensation for the Death Railway project.

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

The Japanese embassy today denied any knowledge of the RM207 billion compensation for Japan's Death Railway project as pursued by PAS' Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin.

Japan's second secretary to Malaysia Takaharu Suegami said today his government never confirmed that RM207 billion was paid to the Malaysian government to compensate some 30,000 Malaysians once recruited as forced labour in its Death Railway project.

"Regarding the compensation of RM207 billion inquired by (Nizar), it is outside of the involvement and knowledge of the government of Japan," he said in a statement.

"We must remind you that the embassy of Japan has never confirmed that RM207 billion was paid to the Malaysian government as compensation for the victims of the 'Death Railway' project," he added.

Suegami's statement followed claims that RM207 billion in compensation was paid a decade ago, but neither the surviving victims nor their families had received any payment.

Nizar had earlier told FMT that he had obtained internal information regarding the issue from the Finance Ministry in the form of a memorandum quoting the sum of RM207 billion.

Agreement for RM25m settled in 1972

Suegami said all matters related to compensation during the Second World War had been settled under the San Francisco Treaty, 1952.

He added there was also a mutual agreement between Malaysia and Japan in 1967 whereby Japan had agreed to supply Malaysia with grants, products and manpower totaling RM25 million.

"The necessary arrangements for its implementation were already conducted by the two governments," he explained.

"The government of Malaysia has agreed that all questions arising out of the unhappy events during the Second World War which may affect the good relations between the two countries are fully and finally settled.

"All the supply in accordance with the agreement was completed by May 6, 1972," he added.

Suegami assured that his country was dedicated to building future-oriented and cooperative relationships with Asian nations, and would continuously work to achieve "peace and prosperity of the world in the future as well".

Finance Ministry memo

Nizar had said he received an internal memorandum quoting the RM207 billion sum as compensation for the Death Railway project.

READ MORE HERE

 

Embassy clarifies report on 'Death Railway' compensation

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 06:22 PM PST

(Harakah Daily) - The Japanese embassy in Kuala Lumpur has clarified a report by Harakahdaily quoting Bukit Gantang member of parliament Nizar Jamaluddin.

Nizar, who heads Jejak, a secretariat formed to investigate the claim that compensation paid by Tokyo to the Malaysian government for victims of the Death Railway project has yet to reach them, had last week met officials of the embassy to get more details.

In its report, Harakahdaily quoted Jejak as saying that the embassy's second secretary Takaharu Suegami confirmed money had been paid to the Malaysian government in the 1990s.

In a short email to Jejak clarifying the report, the embassy said it was not aware of any other compensation paid to Malaysia other than the 1967 agreement between Tokyo and Kuala Lumpur.

Under the deal signed in September 1967, the two governments agreed that Japan would pay "blood money" to the Malaysian government being settlement of the issue of compensation to those forced to work on the "Death Railway", an ambitious project by the Japanese imperial power to link Burma and Thailand with 400-kilometres of railway tracks.

The Japanese embassy also further clarified today that the compensation, in the form of grants and services worth some RM25 million to Malaysia, was transfered "around 1970's or 80's", but added that it had to check with its government on the list of victims as well as whether there has been any other compensation.

Nizar had earlier suggested that based on documents he had, Japan had paid some RM207 billion to the Malaysian government in 2004, while the money had yet to be distributed to family members of the estimated 30,000 Malaysians who worked as forced labourers for the project.

 

Deepak offers to buy back Astacanggih from Boustead unit

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:55 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan has offered to buy back Astacanggih Sdn Bhd shares sold to a unit of Boustead Holding Bhd last year, a deal that is linked to land swapped for the scandal-hit Puspahanas project.

The controversial businessman declined to give reasons for the earlier sale but said he wants back shares in his company.

"I want to buy back the shares from Boustead," Deepak (picture) told reporters here today.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia last December 27, Boustead said its wholly-owned unit Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd was acquiring an 80 per cent stake in Astacanggih for RM30 million.

Boustead said the shares were purchased from Prestige Dimension Sdn Bhd and other minority shareholders of Astacanggih on December 20.

Bakti Wira Development and Astacanggih also signed an agreement with Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd on December 27 to acquire 80.94ha of freehold land in Klang, Selangor, for RM130 million.

Awan Megah is the developer of the National Defence Education Centre project or Puspahanas in Putrajaya that is behind schedule. The project was awarded to Senator Raja Datuk Ropiaah Abdullah's Awan Megah in 2005 and was due to be completed in 2011.

Despite the controversy over RM100 million Puspahanas project and the land swapped for the project, Boustead said the acquisition will present an opportunity for the group to expand its land bank.

"Moreover, the land was adjacent to 283.28ha of development land held under Jendela Hikmat Sdn Bhd, a company which the group and Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera jointly holds 60 per cent equity interest," it said.

Boustead said it was optimistic of the land's prospect considering its strategic location.

"The demand for industrial land in this location has been on the uptrend with the completion of UMW's latest storage and testing plant in Bukit Raja, Klang," it said.

 

Memang saya yang kirim SMS penafian ‘Black Rose’: Deepak

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 05:38 PM PST

Menurut Deepak, Rafizi perlu mengaku siapa pihak ketiga yang dimaksudkan agar tidak menyusahkan pihak lain.

Perak Today

"YA, Kiriman SMS beberapa hari lalu kepada rakan-rakan media adalah dihantar oleh saya sendiri."

Kontroversi yang melibatkan Peniaga Karpet, Deepak Jaikishan semakin hangat diperkatakan terutama dikalangan media-media siber puak pembangkan atau lebih khusus PKR.

Walaupun Deepak bukanlah individu yang menyokong BN atau UMNO khususnya, namun kenyataan beliau juga telah diputarbelitkan oleh beberapa pemimpin PKR.

Sehinggakan, wujud satu cerita yang mengatakan peniaga itu menerbitkan sebuah buku berjudul 'Black Rose' yang menceritakan mengenai Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak dan Isteri, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor berkaitan kes pembunuhan Altantuya.

Situasi itu sememangnya menimbulkan syak wasangka kerana Deepak, sejak dari awal lagi bukanlah golongan pro-BN namun beliau kini seolah-olah telah disabotaj oleh pemimpin PKR.

Susulan kewujudan buku yang dikatakan diterbitkan oleh Deepak, satu kenyataan balas telah dibuat peniaga terbabit bagi merungkai kekeliruan yang timbul.

"Saya rasa ada pihak yang nak ambil kesempatan tentang perkara ini… saya nak tegaskan buku saya adalah sebuah novel dan nama-nama di dalam buku ini tidak menunjukkan mana-mana individu.

"Peguam dan kawan-kawan saya ada salinan buku itu dan buku saya bukan sampah seperti buku yang mereka katakan itu.

"Saya tahu ada pihak yang tidak berminat untuk mengetahui perkara sebenar malah individu terbabit cuba menghalang saya dari menyatakan kebenaran.

"Saya sendiri tidak faham kenapa Pengarah Strategi Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Rafizi Ramli boleh mengemukakan bukti kononya ada dokumen… fakta mana yang dia dapat ni," katanya dalam sidang media petang tadi.

Justeru, kini Deepak mencabar Rafizi supaya mengemukakan bukti bahawa terdapat pihak ketiga yang menyerahkan dokumen berkaitan transaksi pembelian barang kemas yang mengaitkan Rosmah.

Menurut Deepak, Rafizi perlu mengaku siapa pihak ketiga yang dimaksudkan agar tidak menyusahkan pihak lain.

"Bila perkara ini berlaku mulalah ada pihak yang kata ada orang UMNO di belakang saya atau saya telah dibayar oleh individu lain untuk menjatuhkan Rosmah.

"Apa ni… Im Not For Sale, saya sumpah tidak ada orang UMNO di belakang saya.

Terdahulu, laporan MalaysiaKini menyatakan perlancaran buku 'Black Rose', satu siri buku yang dijanjikan oleh ahli perniagaan permaidani, Deepak Jaikishan yang mengisahkan persengketaan beliau dengan keluarga Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Difahamkan Siri pertama – Black Rose 1.0 – telah diedarkan kepada media malam ini dalam bentuk e-buku setebal 26 halaman dengan pengarangnya dinyatakan sebagai 'Spirit of Altantuya'.

Lantas, Deepak telah menafikan pelancaran buku tersebut dikeluarkan olehnya melalui SMS kepada semua media dan meminta namanya dikeluarkan.

READ MORE HERE

 

Looking at things realistically

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 04:53 PM PST

Hence with 10 seats in the FT, 10 in Johor, 25 in East Malaysia, 11 in Kedah, 12 in Kelantan, 11 in Penang, 18 in Perak, 17 in Selangor, 1 in Terengganu, 1 in Melaka, 3 in Negeri Sembilan, 5 in Pahang and 0 in Perlis, Pakatan Rakyat can just scrape through with the majority that it needs to form the new federal government -- 124 Parliament seats for Pakatan Rakyat versus 98 seats for Barisan Nasional.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Raja Petra Kamarudin

In the March 2008 general election, Pakatan Rakyat won 80 Parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia and only two in East Malaysia -- one each in Sabah and Sarawak. Barisan Nasional won 140 Parliament seats in total.

Let's say this time around Pakatan Rakyat manages to retain its 80 Parliament seats in Peninsular Malaysia. It does not lose any of its seats and neither does it increase its seats in Peninsular Malaysia. That would mean Pakatan Rakyat would need to win at least 32 seats from East Malaysia (or an increase of 30 seats from the current two) to form the new federal government.

The first question would be: would an increase from two to 32 be a realistic aim? Is that not too large a jump to expect?

Nevertheless, 32 seats from East Malaysia would give Pakatan Rakyat a mere two-seat majority -- 112 Parliament seats for Pakatan Rakyat versus 110 for Barisan Nasional. That is too risky, as Barisan Nasional needs to buy over only one Pakatan Rakyat Member of Parliament to trigger a hung Parliament -- or two Pakatan Rakyat MPs to take over the government.

Hence Pakatan Rakyat needs more than just an additional 32 seats. Preferably it should be at least 42 seats to make it safe for Pakatan Rakyat so that Pakatan Rakyat wins 122 Parliament seats versus 100 for Barisan Nasional.

However, East Malaysia has only 56 Parliament seats -- 25 in Sabah and 31 in Sarawak. So 42 seats would not be a realistic target. At best Pakatan Rakyat may be able to win between 3-8 Parliament seats in Sabah and 7-11 in Sarawak.

That would give Pakatan Rakyat only 10 to 19 Parliament seats in total -- far short of the 32-42 that Pakatan Rakyat needs to form the new federal government (or form the new federal government with a safe majority of 22 seats).

Let's average those worst (11) and best (19) case scenarios for East Malaysia and put it as 15 seats in total. Added to the 80 seats from Peninsular Malaysia, that would give Pakatan Rakyat only 95 seats. And that would mean Barisan Nasional would still form the federal government with 127 Parliament seats.

Hence 11-19 seats from East Malaysia are not enough. From the total of 56 seats for East Malaysia, Pakatan Rakyat must win at least 25. And this would mean Pakatan Rakyat must cooperate with other East Malaysian parties because on its own Pakatan Rakyat can never win 25 of the 56 seats from East Malaysia.

On top of that, Pakatan Rakyat would need to win an additional 15 seats from Peninsular Malaysia from its current 80. I am assuming, of course, that Pakatan Rakyat can retain every single one of its 80 seats from Peninsular Malaysia. This would then give Pakatan Rakyat a total of 120 Parliament seats versus only 102 for Barisan Nasional.

We are, of course, working on the assumption that Pakatan Rakyat can retain all its 80 Parliament seats from Peninsular Malaysia and then it wins an additional (new) 15 seats from Peninsular Malaysia plus 25 seats from East Malaysia (which would include some 'joint venture' arrangements with other non-Pakatan Rakyat parties). If not then it will not work.

But where are these seats going to come from?

Well, in the 2008 general election, Pakatan Rakyat won only 1 seat in Johor from the 26 seats in total. Hence Pakatan Rakyat would have to increase its seats in Johor to at least 10.

In Pahang, Pakatan Rakyat won only 2 of the 14 seats. It would need to win at least 5 seats this time around.

In the Federal Territory, Kedah, Penang and Selangor, Pakatan Rakyat may have already peaked. Hence it needs to look at Perak where it won only 13 of the 24 seats and try to increase this to 18 -- or an additional 5 seats.

Hence with 10 seats in the FT, 10 in Johor, 25 in East Malaysia, 11 in Kedah, 12 in Kelantan, 11 in Penang, 18 in Perak, 17 in Selangor, 1 in Terengganu, 1 in Melaka, 3 in Negeri Sembilan, 5 in Pahang and 0 in Perlis, Pakatan Rakyat can just scrape through with the majority that it needs to form the new federal government -- 124 Parliament seats for Pakatan Rakyat versus 98 seats for Barisan Nasional.

Of course, if Pakatan Rakyat can win 1 seat in Perlis, 2 in Melaka, and 3 in Terengganu, then it will sail in with 128 seats versus Barisan Nasional's 94.

The earlier question I asked was: but where are these seats going to come from? The next question to ask, I suppose, is: can this be done?

Pakatan Rakyat is confident that it can win at least 122-127 seats, leaving Barisan Nasional with only 95-100 seats. Barisan Nasional, on the other hand, is confident it can win 130-135 seats, leaving Pakatan Rakyat with only 90 or so seats.

Only one can be right. Both cannot be right. Hence the other must be wrong. Which one do you think is right?

 

Lim: Umno lying about DAP and BM bibles

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:22 PM PST

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said that the allegation that his party will print 100,000 Bahasa Malaysia Bibles with the word Allah are insane lies.

Athi Shankar, FMT

The DAP said today that the allegations it planned to print 100,000 Bahasa Malaysia copies of the Bible using the word Allah are insane lies.

Deputy Education Minister Mohd Puad Zarkashi made this allegation at a press conference in Putrajaya yesterday.

Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng demanded Puad, an Umno supreme council member, to show proof or else withdraw and apologise for what he termed as "insane lies."

Puad is also quoted to have said that the copies would be distributed for free in several states, including Kedah and Kelantan.

Unfortunately, said Lim, Puad's lies were printed in Umno-controlled newspapers – New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia.

"Puad's lies are insane and without any basis whatsoever. I will direct the DAP leaders to lodge police reports against Puad and the three Umno-controlled papers tomorrow for such insane and dangerous lies to create public disorder.

"The DAP will also consider other legal measures against Puad and the newspapers," Lim, the Penang Chief Minister, said in a statement today.

Lim insisted that DAP had never got involved in religion, believing that religion was a matter of personal faith for the individual that should neither be exploited nor politicised.

Moreover, he pointed out that the DAP neither has the resources nor the financial muscle to print and distribute an astonishing 100,000 Bahasa Malaysia edition of the Bible.

He said Puad's statement was just another Umno lie against DAP to win votes in the coming general election.

He wonders whether Umno would next even accuse the DAP of being responsible for Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder.

READ MORE HERE

 

Pakatan: Non-Muslims can use ‘Allah’

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 03:19 PM PST

G Vinod, FMT

Pakatan Rakyat today announced that it has no qualms about non-Muslims using the word "Allah" to refer to God as long as it is not misused.

Speaking at a press conference here today, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said that "Allah", which is written in the al-Quran, is special and cannot be translated properly to other languages.

"That's why Muslims of all races refer to God as Allah. So non-Muslims can use the holy word although it may not reflect the original meaning," he explained.

Also present were PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang.

However, the decision made by Pakatan runs contrary to the Selangor Islamic Religious Council's (MAIS) stand today that non-Muslims in the state are forbidden from using the word "Allah".

"The Sultan of Selangor, Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had decreed that non-Muslims are forbidden from using the word "Allah", as mentioned by His Majesty on Feb 18, 2010, as the name is a sacred word for Muslims," said MAIS secretary Mohd Misri Idris in a statement issued this morning.

Misri added that the ruler had also urged MAIS to take action against Muslims or non-Muslims should they go against the decision under Selangor's Non-Islamic Religions Enactment (Control of Propagation Amongst Muslims) 1988.

Hadi, who is also Marang MP, said he regrets that Umno has resorted to use the holy word as a political tool to further its agenda.

"Umno, a party that represents a large number of Malay-Muslims, has politicised the matter without considering the sensitivity of Malaysia's multi-religious society," he added.

Asked on the ruler's decree, Hadi refused to comment. saying his statement was sufficient.

Commenting on the matter, Anwar praised PAS for its move, saying the decision was in tandem with Islamic teachings.

"While we don't object to non-Muslims using the word Allah, we also urge all quarters including the churches not to misuse the holy word as the name is revered greatly by Muslims," he said.

READ MORE HERE

 

How siege mentality works

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 02:39 PM PST

When will Muslims get out of this siege mentality and stop looking at every act by non-Muslims as an act to undermine Islam? I suppose as long as Judaism and Christianity are seen as competitors to Islam this psyche will never change. Can you see that only Judaism and Christianity are treated with hostility? This is because Muslims do not perceive Hinduism and Buddhism as competitors.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

U.S. triples foreign arms sales in 2011

By Mike Mount, CNN Senior National Security Producer

International weapons sales by the United States tripled in 2011 to a record high of $66.3 billion, according to a congressional report that noted big fighter jet and helicopter purchases by Saudi Arabia.

The data by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service noted an "extraordinary increase" over 2010, saying the total U.S. figure accounted for almost 78 percent of sales globally.

Russia followed the United States at $4.8 billion with France at $4.4 billion, according to the report, "Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2004-2011."

China's 2011 sales were at $2.1 billion but focused less on large weapons platforms such as planes and more on smaller weapons, selling them to Asian countries and to African nations, the report said.

The data allows members of Congress to see "the level of arms transfers by major weapons suppliers to nations in the developing world ... where most the potential for the outbreak of regional military conflicts currently is greatest and where the greatest proportion of the conventional arms trade is conducted," according to the report.

A number of countries in the near-East and Asia, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Oman, continued or resumed large-scale weapons purchases because of continued threats from Iran.

Saudi Arabia was the biggest buyer of arms from the United States, making up about half of the 2011 total at $33.4 billion, according to the report.

Saudi Arabia bought some 84 new F-15 fighter jets to add to its fleet as well as upgrades for 70 others. The purchase also included ammunition and missiles for the planes. Saudi Arabia also bought numerous Apache attack helicopters and multi-use Blackhawk helicopters.

With its very close proximity to Iran, the United Arab Emirates bought an advanced missile shield system called the Theater High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and its corresponding radar systems for almost $3.5 billion. The U.A.E. also bought $939 million worth of Chinook transport helicopters.

Oman bought 18 F-16 fighter jets for $1.4 billion.

"For certain developing nations in these regions, the strength of their individual economies appears to be a key factor in their decisions to proceed with major arms purchases," according to the report.

Last year was the eighth-straight year the United States led global arms sales. The United States and Russia made up almost 70 percent of weapons sales in the developing world between 2008-11.

While the United States showed huge growth in sales, the international arms market is, "not likely growing at all," according to the report.

"There continue to be significant constraints on its (international arms market) growth, due, in particular, to the weakened state of the global economy," the report said.

***************************************************

Saudi Arabia is the world's 11th highest military equipment purchaser. And if you notice something else as well, Muslim countries appear to be spending a lot on arms purchases and would spend even more if the US did not block or embargo sales to certain 'unfriendly' Muslim countries.

To prevent war you must be prepared for war, the military strategists say. Hence you arm yourself to the teeth to make sure that no one starts harbouring any ideas of invading your country. And if you own more arms than your neighbour, your neighbour would not dare attack you.

However, since you are well armed, you now pose a threat to your neighbour. Hence your neighbour too needs to match you and also has to become well armed or else you might attack this neighbour instead.

And that is why it is called an arms race. You compete or race with each other to see who can be better armed. So, when your neighbour buys 20 fighter jets you buy 30. When your neighbour buys 30 tanks you buy 40. And so on.

History has shown us that most wars are fought between neighbours. Once in a while we have wars such as Britain versus Argentina over the Falkland Island. Most times, however, it is East versus West or North versus South of the same country or ethnicity.

Of course, the US breaks this rule by getting involved in wars all over the world and halfway across the world. But then being the policeman of the world and in the interest of selling more arms they need to keep wars going. Furthermore, if other countries fight each other, then most likely they would leave the US alone.

Arms trading is probably one of the largest businesses (I was told second to the entertainment industry: which includes music, movies, theatres, casinos, theme parks, clubs, discos, TV, radio, game/reality shows, etc.) and extremely lucrative. There is no compromise on security, which means price is not a criteria. You buy what needs to be bought and pay what needs to be paid with no hesitation. You cannot afford to worry about money when life and limb are at stake.

Muslim countries appear to be top of the list of arms purchasers. And a big portion of their budget is spent on arms rather than on education, health, welfare, and whatnot. And it is basically money down the drain.

How much of those billions that are spent are actually productive? Let us look at Saudi Arabia as one example. Saudi Arabia has not fought any wars. Yet it is the largest buyer of arms. What happens to all those arms that it buys? Well, after a couple of years the weapons become obsolete and need to be mothballed. Then they need to buy the latest and improved version to replace the scrapped armoury.

Hence these billions of weapons have a short shelf life and need to be discarded even though they have never been used. And that is why I said it is money down the drain. It is like buying car insurance. You do not need car insurance unless you crash your car. And probably 99% of the people who buy car insurance do not crash their car. Hence it is money down the drain. Arms are also insurance -- insurance against your neighbour attacking you, which you never use in the end

With the exception of Saudi Arabia, most countries that spend a huge chunk of their budget on arms are also countries where the people are poor. That means the more you spend on arms the poorer your people are. And that is because to be able to spend on arms you need to sting on health, education and welfare.

I sometimes wonder whether this is because of the siege mentality, more so amongst Muslims. Muslims seem to view 'others' (including other Muslims) as enemies. Hence they need to arm themselves to the teeth to secure themselves against these enemies.

Islamic history is all about jihad and wars. This is the 'culture' that Muslims are brought up with. So it is in the Muslim psyche that they are constantly on war mode and hence the need to arm themselves.

And this is also why we hear so much statements and rhetoric from Malaysian Muslims regarding enemies of Islam. To the non-Muslim it may be puzzling as to why Muslims always view others as enemies. And why do Muslims always jump at their own shadow and imagine an enemy lurking in those shadows?

If you can understand this then you can understand why Malaysian Muslims are so sensitive about Bahasa Malaysia Bibles and the use of the word Allah in these Bibles. Muslims regard non-Muslims as a threat to Islam so every move made by non-Muslims is viewed with suspicion. Muslims are constantly in war mode so any act by non-Muslims would be perceived as an act of war.

When will Muslims get out of this siege mentality and stop looking at every act by non-Muslims as an act to undermine Islam? I suppose as long as Judaism and Christianity are seen as competitors to Islam this psyche will never change. Can you see that only Judaism and Christianity are treated with hostility? This is because Muslims do not perceive Hinduism and Buddhism as competitors.

Judaism and Christianity share the same roots with Islam while Hinduism and Buddhism do not. Hence Muslims do not care whether Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs, etc., also use the Allah word but for sure the Jews and Christians must not. That is the Muslim psyche.

And countries like Saudi Arabia spend billions on arms not because they fear the Jews and Christians but because they fear their fellow Muslims. Is this not ironical? And trust me: many Muslims are going to be very upset with what I just wrote. And they are going to be upset with me not because they feel I have lied but because I have told the truth.

But is this not also what the Pakatan Rakyat people are like, even the non-Malays/non-Muslims? They are angry with me not because I lie but because I have told the truth. And since I have told the truth they are not able to rebut what I say other than angrily accuse me of lying without explaining what then is the truth if I have lied.

Maybe I should say that this is not a Muslim psyche but a Malaysian psyche -- they get angry about the truth. But is it not the truth that in 2011 the US tripled its arms sales and the majority of these countries are Muslim countries while Saudi Arabia is the largest purchaser? So why get angry about what I wrote when it is true?

 

Death Railway: Ships or billions?

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 01:01 PM PST

The Japanese embassy claims that compensation was paid in the form of two ocean-going cargo ships, but Nizar Jamaluddin says the ships were for Japanese atrocities during World War II, not the 'Death Railway'. 

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

Confusion reigns over the compensation for Japan's Death Railway project, with the consulate saying it has reimbursed in the form of two cargo ships while PAS' Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin continues to pursue the RM207 billion allegation.

According to Nizar, the Japanese embassy claimed it had already fully compensated some 30,000 Malaysians once recruited as forced labour in its Death Railway project – in the form of two cargo ships "and all others".

Japanese envoy to Malaysia Shigeru Nakamura had made this claim when approached by the Bukit Gantang MP following allegations that RM207 billion in compensation was paid a decade ago, but neither the surviving victims nor their families had received any payment.

Nizar told FMT today that during a meeting with Nakamura, the latter claimed that compensation was paid fully in the form of two ships "and all others" in 1967 and that he (Nakamura) believed "all matters pertaining to the death railway are settled".

However, once pointed out by Nizar that the two "blood debt" ships were presented to the Malaysian government for Japanese atrocities during World War II and had "nothing to do with the Death Railway", Nakamura promised to consult his Tokyo counterparts to determine if the allegations are true or otherwise.

"We are now waiting for confirmation of the total amount and exact amount and who had acknowledged the acceptance of the RM207 billion," the PAS leader told FMT today.

"I have approached the Japanese embassy to find out if the allegations are true and they are committed to find out," he added.

Finance Ministry memo

Nizar said he had obtained internal information regarding the issue from the Finance Ministry in the form of a memorandum quoting the sum of RM207 billion.

"It was a memo from the Finance Ministry mentioning they will cooperate with the Attorney-General's Office and the Human Resources Ministry to make a Cabinet paper to approve how the particular amount shall be dispersed," he said.

"That's why in parliament I tried to ask the minister of finance (Najib Tun Razak). Because from the memo, I was made to understand the amount was kept in the treasury," he added.

However, until today, there had yet to be a response from the minister.

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar’s suit: Scathing attack on judge

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:56 PM PST

An article published on the Perkasa website questions Justice VT Singham's political leanings and casts aspersion on his sexual orientation.

RK Anand, FMT

An article published on the Perkasa website launches a scathing salvo against High Court Judge VT Singham, who is presiding over Anwar Ibrahim's defamation suit against Utusan Malaysia.

Among others, it cast aspersion on the judge's sexual orientation, political leanings as well as his past judgments.

Singham is scheduled to deliver his verdict on the RM50 million suit on Jan 22, and the writer believes that it would favour the opposition leader.

"Singham is known to lean towards the opposition. According to observers, when there are cases involving politicians, he would ensure a victory for the opposition," read the article.

As an example, the writer said in 2011, the judge rejected the application by Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to strike out certain parts in Anwar's defence statement pertaining to a suit over a sex video.

Singham had also ordered Hishammuddin to pay RM25,000 in cost to Anwar.

"The home minister filed a suit against Anwar over the opposition leader's statements to the media… where he accused Hishammuddin of being responsible for showing the video to a group of editors and reporters, organising the screening and being part of a plot involving the prime minister and the police top brass.

"These accusations did not make sense because those who were responsible [for exposing the video] did not conceal their identities. That is why there are doubts about Singham."

The writer was referring to the video which depicted a man resembling Anwar having sex with a prostitute. The opposition leader had denied that it was him in the footage and accused his political rivals of attempting to tarnish his image.

Meanwhile, the article also claimed that Singham's judgments in non-political matters have also been disputed, for example, a rape case involving a National Service trainer.

"He had freed the accused on the premise that the credibility of the victim was in question for reporting the matter late.

"This was a weak reason because in almost all rape cases, the victims are late in lodging a report because of the dilemma and trauma endured. The comments in the social media revealed that many were displeased with Singham's decision."

'Why is he not married?'

Stooping to a personal level, the writer also questioned Singham's unmarried status despite the judge being in his fifties and insinuated that he could be homosexual.

"Imagine a judge who is capable in every sense still unable to find a match even at this age. He must have been a 'desired man' in the early years of his career.

"The only explanation for a man who does not choose any woman as a partner despite being capable and in the pinnacle of his career is that he does not desire any woman.

"Perhaps he agrees with Anwar that the laws concerning homosexuality in Malaysia are outdated because he himself has led a difficult life because of these laws. Is this the factor that has shaped the 'manner' of how Singham executes his judicial duties?"

The writer claimed that if the judgment favoured Anwar, then it would prove that there is something amiss with the judicial system, that it is not fair and independent because it is controlled by the opposition.

Anwar sued Utusan based on a Jan 17 report published on its frontpage quoting former PAS leader Hasan Ali, who called on the people to reject the opposition leader based on the former's views on laws regarding homosexuality in Malaysia expressed during an interview with BBC.

READ MORE HERE

 

Anwar has changed

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:47 PM PST

Zaid Ibrahim

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lengthy article entitled "Change" has once again set political tongues wagging. Not that Dr M has written anything new – it's just the same, old tirade against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Rakyat.

Whatever Dr M says however, must never be brushed off as inconsequential. Like Robert Mugabe and Hosni Mubarak, he has a large following and some rebuttal is required lest people believe him.

He first flogged US President Barack Obama as someone who did not deliver on his promises of change. He forgets that Obama was re-elected with an bigger margin than the first time he won the presidency. Dr M also ignores the fact that American citizens are in a better position to judge their President than a wealthy but old and retired Malaysian Prime Minister.

He then went on to say that Anwar and his friends in the Pakatan would bring havoc to the country, even if they rule for only five years. Anwar and the Pakatan, he said, would make all kinds of sweet promises but would not be able to deliver them. Why? The main thrusts of his argument were as follows:

Anwar did not accomplish much when he was in government, and even when he tried to do something, he was a disaster. During the 1998 financial crisis, for example, he wanted to follow the solutions prescribed by the International Monetary Fund, solutions Dr M said would have only bankrupted the country. He then said Anwar is not as pious or religious as he appears, and is a corrupt politician who practises cronyism to enrich his friends and family.

For now,  my  response to these allegations is to say that even if all of the above were true, we should still give Anwar and his friends a chance to rule. This is because Dr M is unable to give an objective assesment of Anwar. He is dumfounded that his nemesis is not only politically alive, but will probably be the next Prime Minister. Dr M is unable to accept this possibility as this would be a devastating defeat for him. Dr M is unable to accept that the person he targeted with the whole machinery of the state is still an active political leader  who is more popular than he is. In other words, Dr M is too disturbed by Anwar's thriving success to give a balanced view .

I have been an Anwar follower from afar for a long time. I was never his friend, but my interest in politics made me especially interested in him when my first preference, Tun Musa Hitam, pulled out of the political arena. When Anwar was sacked in 1998 and the black eye incident became worldwide news, I felt really sorry for him. I could not do much except to quietly support the Free Anwar  campaign. I even named my horse "Deputy Coming Back" in 2000 as a symbolic  gesture of support.  Unlike Dr M, I can give a better and more detached assesment of both Anwar and his friends in the Pakatan, which voters in the upcoming General Election can rely on.

Yes, Anwar did not do much good when he was  in UMNO. His tenure as  Education Minister   was poor and even as Deputy Prime Minister, he  was not a trailblazer. He was  imperious,  feudalistic, strong willed and more interested in strenghtening his position in the party than pushing for real reform. But he was obviously good enough for the job; Dr M would not have picked him as his successor otherwise.

Anwar was never shy about showing off his Malay and Islamic agendas, even if these made non- Malays/non-Muslims uncomfortable. His "slaughter" of Tun Ghafar Baba manifested the rapacious character of a man who was willing to abandon friendship and good behaviour so long as he could become Prime Minister. He had friends and allies who were given concessions and allotted shares in public companies. There was no doubt that he was filling up his war chest. In short, he did what a typical UMNO leader would do if he wants to move  up the ladder and be Prime Minister.

However, I believe that tragic and traumatic experiences can change a man. Anwar has suffered more than any political leader I know and because of these hardships, he is a different man today. He still wants to be Prime Minister (who doesn't), but he knows Malaysians have also changed. Today the people want a cleaner and more responsible Government. They do not want a corrupt leader who would only enrich himself, his party and his family. Anwar and the members of his family are not rich, and live modestly.

Stories of him having billions stashed away are lies. He has wealthy friends, of course, and they have kept his struggle going. I don't believe money is terribly important to Anwar and his family, so I don't think we will have pilferage on a huge scale when he becomes Prime Minister. So one up for him.

Malaysians also want to coexist in harmony. They are tired of UMNO's divide-and-rule system. Anwar has  travelled  far and wide in his political campaigns and has seen for himself how groups outside the gated communities live. He relates well with the rural as well as the urban poor and emphatises with the grievances of the marginalised. His concern for the less fortunate is genuine. His strong sense of justice is perhaps due to his own experiences, but they are real and something we can trust him with. He has changed, but Dr M has not. Two up.

An important point to remember is that Anwar has a close relationship with PAS. I was initially sceptical that PAS could ever be a strong political force in a moderate Malaysia because for many years, they were hystericaly extreme in their views. Today Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang is no longer the firebrand Islamic leader from Rusila of the 1980's, but a moderate and practical politician. PAS has many young and moderate leaders, and they inject a strong ethical amd moral dimension to governance, at least more so than UMNO.  I believe Anwar's influence on PAS and political Islam as a whole is positive. Three up.

READ MORE HERE

 

Sultan Selangor kesal Guan Eng ungkit isu kalimah Allah

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:31 PM PST

(The Malaysian Insider) - Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah terkejut dan kesal dengan tindakan Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng, yang meminta agar Putrajaya membenarkan kalimah Allah digunakan dalam semua Bible berbahasa Melayu baru-baru ini.

Berikutan dengan kenyataan dan gesaan tersebut, Sultan Selangor itu telah memanggil satu mesyuarat khas dengan beberapa orang Ahli Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (MAIS), Mufti Selangor serta pegawai tertìnggi MAIS dan JAIS pacla 6 Januari 2013.

"DYMM Sultan Selangor telah membuat ketetapan dan menitahkan dengan tegas bahawa kalimah Allah yang merupakan kalimah suci khusus bagi umat Islam tidak boleh sama sekali digunakan di Negeri Selangor oleh mana-mana agama bukan Islam yang Iain sebagaimana yang telah difatwa dan diwartakan pada 18 Februari 2010," kata Setiausaha MAIS Datuk Mohd Misri Idris dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Perdebatan di mahkamah mengenai isu perkataan "Allah" masih belum diselesaikan, dengan Gereja Katolik masih dihalang dari menggunakan perkataan tersebut dalam akhbar mingguannya The Herald, walaupun keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi membenarkannya pada 31 Disember, 2009, kerana Kementerian Dalam Negeri pada 2010 membuat rayuan ke atas keputusan Mahkamah Tinggi itu, dan sejak itu mahkamah tidak membuat sebarang keputusan untuk menetapkan tarikh untuk perbicaraan.

Menurut Mohd Misri lagi, Sultan pernah mengeluarkan titah sama berkaitan penggunaan kalimah Allah tiga tahun yang Ialu apabila isu ini pertama kali dibangkitkan akan tetapi tidak diendahkan.

"Namun DYMM Tuanku amat kesal kerana titah Baginda tersebut telah dipandang ringan oleh sesetengah  sehingga isu yang sama dibangkitkan semula," katanya.

"Berikutan dengan itu DYMM Tuanku juga telah menitahkan MAIS dan JAIS untuk mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap mana-mana pihak sama ada orang bukan Islam atau di kalangan orang Islam sekalipun yang masih mempersoalkan atau memperlekehkan Fatwa yang telah dikeluarkan mengikut peruntukan undang¬ undang yang sedia ada di Negeri Selangor."

Polemik penggunaan kalimah Allah timbul kembali apabila Lim dalam perutusan Krismasnya pada 24 Disember lalu menggesa kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk membenarkan penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam Injil bahasa Melayu memandangkan ia telah dibenarkan di Sabah dan Sarawak sejak 50 tahun lalu dan digunapakai di Timur Tengah hampir seribu tahun lalu.

Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man kemudian memberi respon bercanggah dengan pendirian presiden parti tersebut Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang pada tahun 2010 apabila  berkata kalimah "Allah" dalam Alkitab, terjemahan Injil bahasa Melayu tidak akan mencerminkan maksud asal ayat tersebut.

 

Stupid and indecent proposal

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:14 PM PST

The Jakarta Post

The plan to regulate how women sit as pillion riders on motorcycles in the city of Lhokseumawe in Aceh is not only stupid, it is also grossly indecent. The mayor of this gas town, Suaidi Yahya, may have cited sharia (Islamic law) in support of his plan, but the very idea itself is discriminative and indecent.

Stupid is something some of us can live with but indecent is something we have to stop.

Talk about stupid, one solution for female pillion riders, who find themselves on a motorbike with a man who is not driving safely, is to take the helm — to be the one wearing the pants — except that would probably be seen as even more indecent by the mayor especially if the man straddles behind her. 

His suggestion that women should sit sideways with their legs dangling off to one side is neither safe nor comfortable. Perhaps the mayor could try riding that way for a day to experience it. For good measure, someone should choreograph an accident and watch him fall off the motorbike. Just be sure that he wears a helmet, we don't want anything bad to happen to him. 

Stupidly enough, Mayor Suaidi actually has plenty of supporters, although not surprisingly from the city's ulama, supposedly the guardians of the people's moral standards. Seriously, you have to have a dirty, sick, indecent mind to find it improper for a woman to straddle pillion: Forget her safety, she is displaying her curves and look — her legs are apart.

Aceh leads Indonesia in pushing the implementation of sharia. It is the only province that practises sharia side by side with the national laws and has come up with the most sharia bylaws, some of which are extremely discriminative of women. 

Outside Aceh, there are more than 50 mayoralties and regencies that have formally adopted sharia through the local political processes, and they in turn have also come up with their own stupid bylaws.

The central government appears to have washed its hands in the name of regional autonomy, despite many of these sharia bylaws, which are clearly discriminatory against religious minorities and women, running counter to the Constitution.

Aceh, for example, has introduced canning as a means of punishment for certain types of offences. Some towns, including the capital city of Banda Aceh, hold weekly public spectacles after Friday prayers to whip sinners. Not surprisingly, most of those punished are women. 

As evidenced by the planned ban on straddling motorcycles, almost all sharia bylaws target women. There is the ban on wearing jeans, the ban on riding in the same car with a man who is not her spouse as well as the ban on walking the streets alone after night curfew — which if broken can lead to the woman facing accusations of prostitution.

What is most indecent about Suaidi's proposal is that it is carried in the name of Islam, and in doing so the mayor lends credence to the view that Islam represses women. That is certainly one interpretation of Islam that many ulama and men like Mayor Suaidi would not deny (and probably wholeheartedly agree with). 

It is really up to decent Muslim men and women across Indonesia, whom we hope make up the majority, to stop all discriminatory practices that not only go against Islamic teaching but also tar the good name of their religion.

 

Permuda PAS: Perhimpunan Sabtu ini fasa terakhir rampas Putrajaya

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 12:11 PM PST

Rakyat Malaysia di London, Taiwan dan Sydney telah pun bersedia untuk mengadakan himpunan yang sama bagi meraikan himpunan rakyat di Kuala Lumpur ini.

(FMT) - Himpunan kebangkitan rakyat di Stadium Merdeka di Kuala Lumpur Sabtu merupakan fasa terakhir Pakatan Rakyat merampas Putrajaya dalam pilihanraya umum ke 13.

Ketua Pemuda PAS, Nasrudin Hassan berkata, pihaknya telah mengeluarkan arahan kepada seluruh saf pemuda untuk turun beramai-ramai menjayakan himpunan ini.

"Saya ingin mengambil peluang ini untuk mengajak seluruh rakyat Malaysia khususnya golongan muda untuk  turun beramai-ramai menjayakan himpunan ini.

"Ayuh kita jadikan himpunan kebangkitan rakyat 2013 suatu pengalaman yang menakjubkan lalu mencatat lakaran penting dalam lipatan sejarah negara untuk menuntut perubahan.

"Mari bersama kita mencorak masa depan yang lebih gemilang untuk Malaysia," katanya dalam blog Pemuda PAS yang diterbitkan hari ini.Nasrudin berkata, pihaknya menjangkakan sekurang-kurangnya 50,000 Pemuda PAS untuk bersama-sama warga Malaysia yang lain membanjiri dataran Stadium Merdeka.

"Suara sejuta umat akan bergema merayakan perubahan, InsyaAllah!," katanya lagi.

Himpunan di luar negara

Nasrudin juga berkata, sehingga setakat ini pihaknya diberitahu rakyat Malaysia di London, Taiwan dan Sydney telah pun bersedia untuk mengadakan himpunan yang sama bagi meraikan himpunan rakyat di Kuala Lumpur ini.

READ MORE HERE

 

Show proof, MIC tells PKR

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 11:57 AM PST

A MIC leader tells Chua Jui Meng not to spin tales over the compensation for the Death Railway workers.

B Nantha Kumar, FMT

A MIC leader has challenged PKR vice-president Chua Jui Meng to expose the evidence regarding the Death Railway compensation.

S Vell Paari claimed that the opposition leader had come up with another tale to confuse the Indian community.

"Since [PKR vice-president] N Surendran failed to convince the Indians on the 'stateless Indians' issue, now its Chua's turn…" said the MIC publicity and communication chief.

In a FMT article on Sunday, Chua urged former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to clear the air over the alleged compensation given by the Japanese government.

The compensation, believed to be amounting to RM207 billion, was meant to be distributed to some 30,000 Malaysians who had been recruited as forced labourers by the Japanese to build the Thai-Burma rail link.

The money was believed to have been transferred by the Japanese government to Malaysia in the 1990s.

Vell Paari, however, found it odd that apart from Pakatan leaders, nobody else was aware of the compensation.

"He (Chua) said the money was given in the 1990s. Then, how come there was not a single media report about this?" asked the MIC central working committee (CWC) member.

Furthermore, he said that it was not a small sum which could be concealed.

"It is a huge amount. And the Japanese government would not have paid the compensation without the knowledge of international bodies such as the United Nations," he added.

Vell Paari also challenged Chua to ask his de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim about the compensation since the latter was the deputy prime minister in the 1990s.

"Let's say, if Chua is talking the truth that the Umno led government 'hijacked' the money, then Anwar must have also been a part of it," he said.

Anwar was deputy prime minister and also finance minister between 1993 and 1998.

Yesterday Anwar had confirmed that RM207 billion Death Railway compensation was sent to the Malaysian government but added that the money did not go through the Treasury. He also called on Mahathir to explain the matter.

READ MORE HERE

 

No more feel-good factor for BN

Posted: 07 Jan 2013 10:48 AM PST

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Barisan-Nasional-Banner-300x202.jpg 

With the surprise of an early election now gone, Najib will find out soon that his polls date will no longer be a secret.

Amir Ali, Free Malaysia Today 

A stale Barisan Nasional, with its image tarnished and its glitter diminishing, is in desperate need of a new image and a new face to get back its traditional "feel-good factor" in Malaysian politics.

With the general election nearing rapidly, BN is finding itself cornered with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak failing to cash in on numerous chances to regain popularity. The missed opportunities, since June last year to hold early polls, have pushed BN to the limit of its capacity.

The 2013 Budget – seen as a popular, electoral budget – was one of BN's attempts to shore up its crumbling base. The small handouts (as provided for under the budget) came in trickles and did nothing to boost BN's image. There was no real feel-good factor after the budget was unveiled.

A flurry of accusations against Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, further eroded BN's image. Besides, people have been treating Najib with disdain for delaying the announcement of the polls date.

The fact that Najib is undecided over the polls date shows that BN is worried it might suffer a defeat.

Najib had had his fair share of feel-good factors when he took over the helm of the government from Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2009. Since then, it has been an uphill battle for BN to regain the high ground.

Moreover, Najib's hesitation also showed up his weaknesses – his indecisiveness and lack of tact in outplaying his opponents.

With the element of surprise gone, the polls date can no longer be kept a secret.

It has been reported in many blogs and online news portals that BN is facing a silent revolt that could lead to the downfall of Najib even before the polls are called.

While this seems to be a long shot, is BN seeking to push forward new faces as leaders in order to regain its lost glitter? Nevertheless, it is clear that BN has failed to outwit the opposition given the blurry situation over the election date.

But BN is hoping that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim might lose his patience over the delay and commit some tactical mistakes. Yet again, the BN strategists have failed to try Anwar's patience to its limits.

Opposition seems well prepared

There have been many times when BN showed it was gearing up for early polls in 2011 and 2012. This kept the opposition on high alert, forcing Pakatan Rakyat to campaign literally on a daily basis in order not to be caught napping when Najib dissolves Parliament.

By constantly pushing back the election date, the BN hopes Pakatan will eventually run out of money and patience. This did not happen.

On the contrary, Pakatan seems well prepared for the 13th general election, based on its rallies and its constant highlighting of controversial issues linked to BN throughout the year.

The fact that the opposition is warning the regime not to delay the polls beyond April, and to stop any race-based campaigns, is seen as unhealthy for BN. However, some local pundits believed that BN is wary of calling for polls before April 2013.

The theory that has been floating around for some time now is that BN will eventually call for polls in April, thus forcing the four Pakatan-led states to hold the state polls at the same time.

Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2013/01/08/no-more-feel-good-factor-for-bn/ 

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net
 

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