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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Authorities may be allowed to tap phone lines
When fairness and justice isn’t seen, trouble starts to fester
SIS warns Jakim against claiming to be voice of God
Now, Utusan goes after Namewee for supporting The New Village film
Eight shootings in as many days
Jakim should rehabilitate dog trainer who produced video, suggests Jailani
Zaid: Malaysia no different from Taliban rule
Lay off, lawyers for Muslim dog handler warn Jakim
Police calls on Suaram director over Scorpene “lies”
Are Malaysians getting used to gunshot murders?
Documents debunk claims
Reconciling religion and politics in Malaysia
It’s OK for Rocky to be angry
Former Vice-cop charged with raping and sodomising 13-year-old
Putrajaya exposes ignorance with anti-Syiah campaign, says Hadi
Leadership fight gathers steam
DAP facing de-registration?
Chetz insulted, mocked Islam, says Jakim
Disciplinary action against Chua vetoed
Gossip on Broadway: first day open house

Authorities may be allowed to tap phone lines

Posted: 03 Aug 2013 11:40 AM PDT

(fz.com) - The government will work together with telecommunication companies (telcos) to lawfully intercept telephone conversations of felonies and criminals on bail, or any conversations, carried out through telecommunication channel.

Quoting a source, a Sin Chew Daily report said this is permissible under four laws in the country.

The Dangerous Drug Act 1952, Security Offences (Special Measure) Act 2012 and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 empower the authority to search, confiscate or intercept conversations of suspects for crime prevention.

While the amendment of Penal Code in 2012 gave power for the court to order an accused to wear electronic monitoring devices while he is on bail.

"The respective authorities, such as MACC or the police, have their own enforcement departments. They will collaborate with the telcos in intercepting telephone conversation of suspects.

"As this involves national security, it needs to be carry out in secret. Therefore, the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) is not involved.

"In certain countries such as the United States, they have enacted a similar law to intercept or wiretap conversations carried out through mail, telegram, telephone or any electronic devices," said the source.

The source also said apart from wiretapping, the authority is also studying the possibility to let an accused wear devices to monitor his or her whereabouts.

However, in order to do so, the public prosecutor needs to obtain a court order.

MACC deputy commissioner Datuk Mohd Shukri Abdul told the daily Section 42 of the MACC Act provides for the MACC to intercept or open any mails to obtain information for purpose of investigations.

However, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri said the authority is still studying on how to make an accused person out on bail wear an electronic monitoring device.

She said the government may refer to the methods used in Singapore and United States, adding she believes Malaysia can implement it without infringing upon human rights.

When fairness and justice isn’t seen, trouble starts to fester

Posted: 03 Aug 2013 11:26 AM PDT

Mohamed Bouazizi, a vegetable seller, set himself alight on December 17, 2010

(The Malaysian Insider) - The danger is when all avenues seem to be shut and the system is rigged of those in power and their supporters, Malaysia's young may grow disillusioned and end up believing that working within the system cannot deliver the cleaner and more equitable country they want.

Less than three years ago, Tunisian fruit vendor Mohammed Bouazizi set himself on fire to protest the corruption and abuse of power in the Mediterranean town of Sidi Bouzid.

That flame would spark the Arab Spring that began in north Africa - Tunisia and Egypt - before going to the Arab world.

In Malaysia, the government has been warning against those who would like to start an Arab Spring, pointing out that the country has no high unemployment, business is thriving with many federal projects and cash aid is at hand.

But is that enough? People become radicals or choose to go outside the system to vent their anger and frustration when they lose hope in the ability of that system to provide fairness and justice.

They lose hope - in elections, the court system, the Attorney-General and ultimately, they believe that the rules are stacked up against any hope of meaningful change.

The people feel the leadership's moral compass is warped, that there is no sense of what is right or wrong. The feeling of being let down simmers and could explode in a flash as the Tunisian fruit vendor did in December 2010.

So while the powers that be in the country's administrative capital of Putrajaya may be thrilled that the courts are dismissing election petitions without hearing the merits of the case and levying world record costs, for others it is another failure of the system to deliver fairness and justice.

Similarly, when there is a blatant disregard for fair play and a level playing field in meting out punishment, this also becomes another example of where the system fails to meet the aspiration of the average Malaysian.

The authorities act against young bloggers and a Muslim dog trainer for their actions in the social media but not against politicians whose threats rent the country's fabric of harmony and unity.

SIS warns Jakim against claiming to be voice of God

Posted: 03 Aug 2013 11:24 AM PDT

(The Malay Mail) - Malaysia's religious authorities risk the sin of "shirik" (idolatry) after seemingly speaking for God in judging an online video deemed offensive to Islam, Muslim women's group Sisters in Islam (SIS) warned yesterday.

On Friday, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) adjudged a video made by dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof, which shows her walking and bathing her dogs, to be an insult to Islam and resulted in the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) pursuing investigations against her.

"What differentiates Jakim's opinion from that of the lay person is that Jakim's views are backed up by enforcement powers of the state," SIS programme manager Suri Kempe told The Malay Mail Online via email yesterday.

"Anybody who questions and challenges the injustice of these views and actions is accused of being against Islam and God," she said. "This is tantamount to claiming to be the embodiment of God, and Jakim should be very careful as it could be a form of shirik."

Shirik, which means setting up rivals or peers with God, is one of the gravest sins in Islam.

Suri pointed out that understandings of Islam and the Quran are "partial, limited and humble" and cannot be considered "perfect or free from error".

"The great ulama (clerics) of the classical period were very humble and conscious of this," said Suri.

"Imam Shafie is reported to have said, 'I believe my opinion is right with the possibility that it is wrong and I believe the opinion of those who disagree with me is wrong with the possibility of that being correct.' And only God knows best," she added. Imam Shafie is regarded as the founder of Islamic jurispudence.

The Muslim women's rights activist also said that SIS did not find Maznah's video insulting.

"We do, however, find it troubling that Jakim claims to ― and is recognised by other actors within government (such as MCMC) ― speak for Islam and for God," said Suri.

Now, Utusan goes after Namewee for supporting The New Village film

Posted: 03 Aug 2013 11:21 AM PDT

(The Malaysian Insider) - The Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia has found a new target, or rather an old punching bag – Malaysian rapper Namewee (pic).

"Every Malaysian must be patriotic. National aspirations should be the utmost. If he does not understand that, then what does it mean to him to be a Malaysian?"

Its Mingguan Malaysia weekly's columnist Awang Selamat today called Namewee racist, childish and a person who did not know his history - saying he was being an extremist for voicing out against the decision to halt the screening of the film "The New Village", which some said had glorified communism.

Awang said even non-governmental organisations and the Umno Youth chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, had questioned the movie and this was a clear sign that the government needed to be firm in avoiding history from being re-written.

"Although there were objections and provocation especially from extreme groups, let them be. Don't budge. Among those who had rudely voiced their objections was Namewee or Wee Meng Chee," wrote Awang, a pseudonym used by Utusan's editors in the weekly edition.

"He (Namewee) had several times caused a controversy including insulting the 'Negara Ku'. Not long ago, Namewee, (after apologising for his rudeness), had support from political leaders including Mohamed Nazri Aziz, but not this time."

Awang said Nazri, who is now the Tourism and Culture Minister, too reacted against Namewee.

"I understand why Nazri would be so angry and no longer sympathises with him. This was because Namewee is racist, had gone overboard and took lightly the government's decisions," he wrote.

"Apa lagi dia mahu? (What else does he want?)

Eight shootings in as many days

Posted: 03 Aug 2013 11:17 AM PDT

(The Star) - The country has seen a worrying increase in the number of shootings recently. Here is a list of the most recent shooting incidents that have happened around the country.

Saturday, Aug 3

Kajang: A man who was released from prison last month, Balamurali Balakrishnan, was shot four times while napping at his home. He died at the scene.

Friday, Aug 2

The gunshot wound on Wong's shoulder

Pandan Indah: Gold dealer Wong Foo Yui was shot in the shoulder while waiting in his car for the traffic light to change, but he managed to escape from the shooter.

Wednesday, July 31

Parit Buntar: Former EO detainee N. Jeevandran, 26, who was wanted by police over four criminal cases was shot dead at the intersection of Jalan Permai Utama near the District Education Office. The victim, from Taman Seri Semarak, was shot at close range by a suspect who fled.

Tuesday, July 30

Mentakab: Several shots were fired into the house and a car belonging to a businessman. At least five empty 9mm casings were recovered at the crime scene. The back window of the car was shattered with three bullet holes while at least two other shots hit the porch area and the exterior wall.

Monday, July 29

Bukit Mertajam: G. Santhanasamy, 30, from Kulim, Kedah, was injured in the legs when he was shot at while waiting at a traffic light junction along Jalan Mengkuang.

Police investigating the scene of Najadi's murder.

Kuala Lumpur: Founder of Arab-Malaysian Development Bank, Hussain Ahmad Najadi, 75, was shot dead in the parking area at Lorong Ceylon, Kuala Lumpur. His wife was injured. He was walking to his car with his wife when the armed sneaked up behind him fired several shots towards him, killing him on the spot.

Sunday, July 28

Ipoh: Jasrafveenderjeet Singh, 25, died due to a gunshot wound in the neck, while other two victims, aged 28 and 55, were hurt and needed treatment at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun (HRPB). It is understood the victims were drinking at a restaurant near the Kampung Simee when they were shot.

Saturday, July 27

Jempol: Chairman of crime watchdog MyWatch, Sri Sanjeevan Ramakrishan, was shot while sitting in his car with a friend in Bahau. He has since been sent to the Serdang Hospital but the bullet has yet to be extracted.

The days before

July 26: Temerloh: A lorry driver from Pertubuhan Peladang Kawasan (PPK) Temerloh was wounded in the arm after being shot while on the way to Jerantut. The man was sent to Hospital Sultan Haji Ahmad Shah to be treated.

July 18: Kulim: A gunman fired nine bullets, killing a 45-year-old teacher at a traffic light junction at Simpang Empat Keladi .

July 15: Kampar: A 51-year-old man and his son were shot after breaking fast in an armed robbery at Taman Sejahtera. The man and his 13-year-old son were critically injured after being hit by shots fired by one of two robbers who broke into their home. The victim was hit in the abdomen while his son suffered injuries in the right thigh.

July 12: George Town: A four-year-old boy was injured in the forehead and left leg when a gunman opened fire at him and his car repossessor father in front of their home in Bukit Jambul.

July 8: Bachok: Student affairs senior assistant Hashim Mat Zain, 43 was gunned down in a gangland-style killing while leaving his school in Tawang near Bachok, Kelantan.

July 5: Pasir Mas: Teacher Mat Zaki Hashim, 35, sustained serious injuries after being shot in the neck in Kampung Kubang Panjang. His car was believed to have stalled on the road before he was shot by unknown assailants.

June 15: Putrajaya: Royal Malaysian Customs deputy director-general Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim, 58 was shot dead by two men on a motorcycle at a traffic junction in Putrajaya.

June 14: Kuala Kurau: A businessman, Lim Kong Hai, 52 was seriously injured after being shot in the abdomen by robbers near the Kuala Kurau bus station. However, he died of a heart attack two weeks later, just as he was about to be discharged.

June 6: Muar: Tan Chai Heng, 51, with gunshot wounds on his face was found lying in a park, about 30 meters from his house. Based on the injuries under his right eye, the victim was believed to have been shot with a pistol from close range. His body was found by a neighbour.

June 4: Taiping: Garage owner Govindaraju @ Murthy, 36 died while his friend A. Manivannan, was injured after being shot at a restaurant in Taman Kota Jaya. A gunman was believed to have fired three shots at them.

May 29: Kuala Lumpur: A businessman survived despite being shot at seven times by two men on a motorcycle in Bandar Rahman Putra, Sungai Buloh.

May 12: Butterworth: Two men, S. Kannan, 37 and G.Suresh, 28, were killed while two others were seriously injured after being shot at while stopping at a traffic light junction of Bukit Tambun. The attack is believed to be related to their businesses. The four had come from Malacca to attend their friend's wedding.

May 11: Seremban: Two men, Chalidass, 29 and G.Surentharan, 31, died and their two friends were shot at close range their four-wheel-drive stopped at a traffic light intersection here.

May 12: Cheras: Police volunteers N.Saravanan and his friend Tamil Selvam were both injured when shot after an argument.

May 11: Lunas: Shop assistant Thangaraja, 31, was found dead in his car with 10 gunshot wounds at an intersection near Taman Kucai in Lunas.

May 9: Alor Setar: Tow truck operator M. Nagenthiran, 30, died from three gunshots near his flat at Taman Setia Jaya. One gunshot wound was found on his head and another two on his back.

May 8: Tangkak: Engineer Muthu Pillai, 41, was found dead with three gunshot wounds in an oil palm plantation.

April 30: Taiping: A pillion rider fired at a man in the compound of his home in Simpang but missed. The men rode up to the house of the 26-year-old victim and called out his name before firing.

April 25: Seremban: N. Ragunathan, 39, was shot dead in his car after he had apparently conducted a transaction at the Road Transport Department (JPJ) office along Jalan Seremban-Tampin. He was alone in his Proton Perdana when two men rode up alongside his car outside the JPJ office.

April 26: Cheras: R. Karikaalan, 29, died on the way to hospital after hit by two of the 10 shots that were fired by two men on a motorcycle while his 60-year-old mother was wounded in the right arm.

April 25: Tampin: A runner for the Road Transport Department, N. Ragunathan ,39, was shot dead in his car by one of two people on a motorcycle.

April 16: Taiping: K Muthazagen, 47, was killed when bullets fired from close range penetrated his head. During the incident, the victim was eating alone at a restaurant in the area without realising the presence of the suspect.

April 14: Seremban: Tan Kok Soon, 56, was shot at close range while having dinner with his family at a restaurant in Oakland Commercial Centre.

April 12: Seremban: James John, 45, was shot dead in his car at traffic lights around Taman Sri Labu by two men on a motorcycle.

Jakim should rehabilitate dog trainer who produced video, suggests Jailani

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:59 PM PDT

(The Star) - The Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) should guide and rehabilitate Maznah Yusof, 38, also known as Chetz, who has been criticised for producing a video of herself celebrating Hari Raya with three dogs, suggested Communications and Multimedia Deputy Minister Datuk Jailani Johari.

He said a programme should be carried out to guide and rehabilitate the woman.

He told this to reporters at a Ramadan programme at the Sultan Mahmud Mosque, Kuala Berang here Saturday.

Jailani said Jakim regarded the woman's action as an insult to Islam and had informed the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on the matter.

Zaid: Malaysia no different from Taliban rule

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:33 PM PDT

(MM) - Beneath its veneer of modernity, Malaysia is no different from a country governed by Taliban radicals, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said today in his latest tirade against the country's religious authorities.

Triggered off by an editorial published in Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia today that lauded fast action by Islamic powers-that-be on alleged insults to Islam, the former Cabinet minister questioned whether the same indignation would have existed if it had been any other religion under attack.

"Don't be smug, Malaysia with skyscrapers and monorail, and wealthy trappings. Deep inside, no different from Taliban country," Zaid tweeted through his @zaidibrahim Twitter account today.

The Taliban is a fundamentalist Islamist movement that formed the Afghanistan government in 1996 before it was overthrown by the US-backed Northern Alliance in 2001.

Under Taliban rule, women had to wear a head-to-toe burqa in public and were barred from working or studying. Taliban gunmen also shot 16-year-old Malala Yousafzai - who is now considered a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize - in Pakistan last year for publicly opposing a ban on girls' education.

Zaid also said yesterday that the arrest of dog trainer Maznah Mohd Yusof over an Aidilfitri video featuring her dogs was a result of paranoia.

Maznah, popularly known as Chetz Yusof, is being investigated under the Sedition Act and Section 298A of the Penal Code that includes offences of causing disunity on religious grounds. The 38-year-old Muslim woman was released from remand in Johor yesterday on a court bond.

Weighing in on the ongoing action against Shi'ites in the country, Zaid also said that books he has read by Iranian scholars of the school are "far more profound" than what is taught here, which he pinned as the cause of the recent crackdown on followers of the school in Malaysia.

Last Thursday, Zaid posted a series of tweets lashing out against the authorities over what he perceived to be a trigger-happy reaction to issues concerning Muslims and Islam.

The former de facto law minister during the Abdullah administration said that Muslims doing anything outside the norm, like keeping dogs as pets or buying lottery tickets, are not tolerated.

"They are treated like criminals; remanded; become subject of speeches by top leaders. Muslims are protected species," he tweeted.

The Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said yesterday that the video made by Maznah three years ago was an insult to Islam.

In the 105-second video reposted on YouTube on Tuesday, Maznah is seen walking and bathing her three dogs as the "Takbir Raya", or Muslim call to prayer traditionally reserved for the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, plays in the background.

The juxtaposition appeared to be a reference to the wudhu, or ablution performed by Muslims before prayer; dogs are also considered unclean by adherents of the predominant faith in Malaysia.

In another controversial incident, the religious authorities recently barred four Muslim girls from participating in the Miss Malaysia World 2013 beauty pageant.

Before that, two bloggers were charged under the Sedition Act, the Film Censorship Act and the Penal Code after posting a mock "Buka Puasa" (fast-breaking) greeting that featured a pork dish; pork is "haram" (forbidden) to Muslims.

Lay off, lawyers for Muslim dog handler warn Jakim

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:24 PM PDT

Latheefa (left) and Surendran say Jakim has acted beyond its authority.

Elizabeth Zachariah, TMI

Lawyers for the Muslim dog handler have expressed shock at what Jakim had to say about the controversy, calling it "unlawful".

Yesterday, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom announced that Jakim has found that the YouTube clip of Maznah Mohd Yusof and her three dogs which went viral online was insulting to Muslims.

He had directed the Muslim authority to relay its findings to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for further action.

Maznah's lawyers, Latheefa Koya and N. Surendran, responded that Jakim had no authority to issue such a statement, noting that it had brazenly and unlawfully interfered with the judiciary system.

They criticised Jamil Khir for supporting Jakim's stand on the issue and for threatening to go to the MCMC with their declaration, saying that his actions showed that he was "ignorant and indifferent" to the roles of Jakim.

"Jakim has acted beyond its authority and in excess of its jurisdiction," they said in a statement today.

They pointed out that Jakim's declaration is equivalent to finding Maznah guilty for posting the video.

"In this country only the judiciary has the power to pronounce the guilt or innocence of a citizen," they said, adding that Jakim was merely an administrative body with no powers to make such a statement.

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 10:15 PM PDT

Cynthia Gabriel to give a statement to the police after reports were lodged against Suaram for allegedly spreading false information on the Scorpene deal.

Leven Woon, FMT

The director of Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram) Cynthia Gabriel has been called by the police to give a statement after reports were lodged against the NGO for allegedly spreading lies about the RM6.7 billion Scorpene submarine deal.

She told FMT that the police will, on Monday, serve the notice for her to do so.

Alleging that the purchase of the two French-made submarines in 2002 is tainted with corruption and tying it to the slaying of the Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, Suaram initiated a legal action in the French court in a bid to seek justice.

They also claimed that the defense ministry, which was helmed by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak then, has sold Malaysia navy documents to the shipmaker DCNS to aid the entity in its bid for the contract.

However, the case took a twist when a middle man in the deal who has a fallout with Najib's aide and thought to be turning his back against the government, told the the New Straits Times recently that there is no wrongdoing in the deal.

The middle man, Jasbir Singh Chahl, also denied that the Altantuya was part of the negotiating team.

Altantunya was alleged to have been the French translator for the government.

Cynthia said following the news report, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has instigated the people to lodge police report against Suaram.

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:27 PM PDT

On April 26 this year, Deputy Director General of Customs, Datuk Shaharuddin Ibrahim was shot dead in Putrajaya. Last week, Chairman of MyWatch R.Sri Sanjeevan was shot at close range in Jempol, Negeri Sembilan and is in critical condition in a hospital. Early this week founder of Arab Malaysian Bank, Hussain Ahmad Najadi was shot dead in Lorong Ceylon here.

Kurniawati Kamarudin, Bernama

Murder cases involving parang and other sharp weapons used to be a hot topic in the past, as these incidents were seen as "unusual" crimes and given much space and debate in the local media.

Then these incidents became more rampant and regular, with at least one such murder case reported in a week, which fuelled more hot discussions and also fear among the people in their otherwise safe streets.

Today, such cases are seen as nothing unusual and very much in the same perspective as a snatch theft, motorcycle robbery and muggings.

These crimes have become almost a part of life with many of them already "anaesthetised" to such events and no longer having the kind of curiosity or rage to know more about the incidents like it used to be in the past.

Of late however, Malaysians have been cornered with another new crime trend -- murder by gunshots. It will not be off the mark to say that most Malaysians are used to seeing or hearing the sounds of gunshots only in the television and never before in their very own streets.

While in the past, murder by gunshot was more rare, with isolated cases reported here and there. These past few months, however, this latest style of crime has become major news in the country.

This is not only bringing out huge debates in the media and social networks but is also shaking Malaysians' very sense of safety and security.

While these victims are in the high profile cases, there have been a spate of fatal shootings involving more ordinary citizens, warranting some serious attention in this growing crime trend.

A change in trend

So, seriously, what is happening?

A statement by Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said among other factors, the increasing number of high crimes, particularly armed murders, were being carried out by former inmates of the Simpang Renggam jail who had been released following the repeal of the Emergency Ordinance.

There is indication that the crimes have been conducted by hired gunmen. The hired assassins may be executing the crime for money, but what about the ones who are hiring them, what are their motives?

Revenge, anger, dissatisfaction, rivalry may be behind these cases, said Personal Security Consultant and a member of the Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) Master Saiful Hamiruzzaman.

"These crimes can be easily carried out now. When someone is not satisfied with something, they just hire someone to do the killing for them. Looking at the pattern of these murders, the victims are obviously the targeted enemies," he told Bernama.

This differs from the usual cases of armed robberies, where if the robbers don't get what they want, they would just let loose and shoot anyone within their range.

Nevertheless, these crimes have not reached a state that requires pushing an emergency button for the general public, he opined, adding that the crimes so far indicated that the targets were mainly high profiled personalities.

This, however, does not mean that people can actually sigh a relief, as can be seen, the crime can happen to anyone, he said.

"Sometimes such murders can happen over a very small matter. For example a traffic accident where one car has scratched another car and a quarrel ensues with both parties throwing insults at each other.

"One party may remain angry and decide to take revenge. The party may just take note of the other party's face and take down the person's car number as well and then later hire a third party to do "something" including even murder.

This can happen and is not an impossible thing."

Murder trends

These murders however, are seen pointing towards a phenomenon where shootings could end up being seen as a common event in the society.

If we can consider some of the crimes today as common when once they could have been rare occurrences and something truly frightening, there is a possible danger that one day assassinations by the gun, a hot topic now, may end up being categorised as another common crime in few years time.

On the ways the recent murders have been executed meanwhile, many are said to be clearly not the work of professionals.

The pattern is the same, the criminal rides on a motorcycle and uses a black helmet with fully tinted glasses, and follows the target. Once at the traffic light, he pulls the gun out and shoots at the target.

In many of the cases, more than one shot has been fired at the victims. "This shows that those involved are not really trained as sharp shooters.

Some of them have fired their shots randomly as in the case in Ipoh where three of the victims were having their drinks outside a restaurant which resulted in one person being killed and the other two injured," Master Saiful said.

"There is always the possibility that a non-target could have ended up as the victim and that is something to worry about."

Staying away from criminal

Perhaps nothing can be done if a stranger suddenly pulls up close and pulls out a gun and shoots at a target. In such a situation there are only two possibilities -- death or injury.

However, individuals who feel that they have enemies, should take precautionary measures to avoid becoming victims such as avoiding high traffic areas like entertainment outlets and so on, Master Saiful suggested.

For instance, when approached by a stranger, it is important for the individual to just ignore and not give them a clear view of their faces as the criminals would be able to easily identify them for their criminal intent later on.

It is also important to be conscious at all times and to also follow one's natural instinct and to avoid being near motorcycles where both the rider and pylon rider are covered in helmets with fully tinted glass.

"At a traffic light, those who feel they are being followed, they should take a left turn instead of going straight. This will also allow them to avoid accidents should they want to keep the distance from a suspicious character.

"Meanwhile, should one be approached be a suspicious character while walking, move away to a distance of four-feet, make a turn and run in a zig zag manner.

"Should the criminal start shooting while the individual is running, it will be difficult for him to focus as the person is not running in a straight line and hence the risk of becoming a victim is further reduced."

Stay alert

Malaysians tend to quickly forget. As soon as a crime gets resolved by the police, people tend to take it easy and relax.

They tend to soon forget and get back being comfortable and drop their defences whether it is about being careful of their own safety, the safety of their family members or community.

Master Saiful said it was also timely for the government to consider adding a special subject on crime prevention beginning from the primary school level.

It would teach students very early on crime prevention. Such learning will help them stay away from crime, and not become victims and also learn on ways to counter crimes.

"We may not be able to completely get rid of crimes, but a generation that has a high awareness of crime will certainly be in a better position to help the country overcome crimes," he added.

Documents debunk claims

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 03:14 PM PDT

(The Star) - Official documents have surfaced that debunk long-standing allegations that Altantuya Shaariibuu became the lover of a close aide of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak through her involvement in the Scorpene submarine deal.

One document is a contract signed on June 5, 2002, between the Malaysian government and French supplier DCN International S.A., Spanish supplier Izzar Construcciones Navales, and Malaysian service provider Perimekar Sdn Bhd.

This was two years before Abdul Razak Baginda met Altantuya in 2004, as stated by him in his sworn affidavit.

It is also consistent with the statement in recent news reports by Jasbir Singh Chahl, who was a middleman in the submarine deal, that the Mongolian woman, said to be an interpreter, was never part of the negotiation team as the Malaysian team used English in its dealings with the French company.

What's more, Jasbir's revelation tallied with the confessions made by fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin three years ago.

Raja Petra had admitted in his blog that he wrote the 2008 statutory declaration (SD) pertaining to Altantuya's death based on information fed to him by certain personalities aligned with an opposition leader.

In his blog entry on April 14, 2011, Raja Petra revealed that a former student of the Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) fraternity, had prodded him to write about an SD alleging the presence of Najib's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor at the site where the remains of Altantuya were found at the time she was murdered.

"The whole objective of this exercise was to block Najib from taking over as Prime Minister," he said, adding that then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was under pressure to resign.

Altantuya was killed in 2006. Two policemen were charged with her murder and Razak with abetting them. The two were found guilty in April 2009 and sentenced to death. Razak was acquitted.

Reconciling religion and politics in Malaysia

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:56 PM PDT

To me, what is more important is to place such conflicting views in the public sphere. Democratic debate is a battle of opinions, and any possible positions in any discussed issue cannot be neglected. To admit otherwise is to adopt a paradoxical form of pluralist democracy.

Douglas Teoh, Aliran

In the light of an upsurge of religious-related issues in the headlines, whether it was about the one-parent conversion law, the school canteen incident, the outright rejection of Archbishop Joseph Marino, I was struck by a fact, which I had taken for granted — that Malaysian politics is inseparable from religion.

The question that consequently arose from this was a troubling one: "How much should religion influence our government, and vice versa?" After some thought on the matter, my answer would have to be a pluralist one, where all parties regardless of their political leanings have to be included in the debate.

Secular vs religious forms of government

The very nature of this debate is driven by the perceived superiority of a person's perspective.

On the one hand for the "secularist", one draws on reason, objective arguments and evidence to show that the spiritual should not be even considered in governmental affairs.

On the other hand, the "religious" draws from historical, biblical and ethical knowledge to support a religious city-state.

What's inherent in such a debate is a prejudicial position that effectively excludes the Other from any opinion of government and religiosity. In other words, both view the Other as extremists, in an almost ironic sense.

My response to that would be there is no clear notion of right and wrong, especially not in politics. The people decide what they deem is right and wrong with their diverse cultural settings and rationalities.

To me, what is more important is to place such conflicting views in the public sphere. Democratic debate is a battle of opinions, and any possible positions in any discussed issue cannot be neglected. To admit otherwise is to adopt a paradoxical form of pluralist democracy.

So what needs to be done?

The secularists (one who advocates separation of religion from state e.g. no shariah law) need to be mindful that being rational may also mean admitting a non-secularist government and to prepare to conduct dialogue and discussions.

I think that many liberalist scholars made the mistake of promoting discourse in a "moderate" fashion, where all arguments made by fundamentalists are dismissed as being extreme and harmful to civil discussion; thus they should act in "moderation."

But some political thinkers like Joel Olson have pointed out that "extremism is neither a vice nor virtue but an approach to politics that emerges in times of profound social and political tension. Democratic theory has to speak to these times." It is a question of context sensitivity.

For the religious, in its simplest philosophy, it is not "reason" (in the scientific sense of the term) that is particularly important. After all, a spiritual government may be effective in its own right — the constitution of Medina drafted out by Prophet Muhammad himself is such an illustration.

But Olson also makes clear that the moral aim of the fundamentalist and the secular is one and the same — not "to destroy" or "condemn", but rather, "to convert".

If the religious parties in Malaysia can approach the debate with such a mindset, I would say that certain sectors of civil society in the public opinion would be appreciative of and reflective on the essence of religion, perhaps in politics. It is when action is taken without convincing the rest that fundamentalism and radical politics turns into an ugly brawl between fanatics and the "sane".

Arguing from a philosophical sense, what needs to be acknowledged by parties concerned is the very process of democracy itself. The notion of acceptance and tolerance is misdirected and oft-times overused: if we make ourselves see sense in someone else's point of view, we do so at the risk of jeopardising our own beliefs, and possibly our sense of self.

If the people acting as a collective decide a certain issue in a democratic manner, we need to respect the decision — for a true democracy provides room for alternate and counter-discourse to take place in due course.

It’s OK for Rocky to be angry

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:49 PM PDT

So when a rookie online reporter called to ask about Rocky's posting, I told him, what's so terribly wrong about a Singapore newspaper writing negative things about Malaysia when some Malaysian newspapers and writers make running down Singapore their bread and butter?

A Kadir Jasin, TMI

I am happy that my friend Rocky gets angry. Unlike me, he's always composed, stoic and steady. He seldom gets angry. He's always that big, tall and steady Rocky.

It's good to get angry sometimes. Get things out of your chest. I always believe that a person who feels the anger but can manage it is better than one who is not touched by it.

In his posting of Aug 1 headlined "Malaysia, where death is cheap and staying alive costly", Rocky is angry that a Singapore tabloid, The New Paper, had portrayed Malaysia in bad light.

So when a rookie online reporter called to ask about Rocky's posting, I told him, what's so terribly wrong about a Singapore newspaper writing negative things about Malaysia when some Malaysian newspapers and writers make running down Singapore their bread and butter?

I told the rookie that The New Paper is not a new paper. It was started by the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) – the owner of The Straits Times – way back in 1987.

Being a Singapore paper, it is responsible to the Singaporeans. Since many Singaporeans live in Malaysia or visit our country, it's the paper's right and responsibility to warn its readers of the risk that they may face while in Malaysia.

Let us face facts

Is it not a fact that Malaysia is becoming more and more dangerous? Don't just blame the Singapore newspapers. Our own newspapers are replete with stories of murder and mayhem. In fact, crime stories have become the staple of our newspapers. They regularly make the front page.

I hope neither Rocky nor his followers would consider me a Singapore agent. But I am willing to be accused of being an agent provocateur.

I want to provoke Malaysians to think critically and be willing to tell their elected representatives – from the novice Yang Berhormat to the Prime Minister – what they feel and want. We want a safer Malaysia!

We want them to accept culpability for their actions – abolishing the Emergency Ordinance and the Banishment Act that overnight unleashed some 2,500 bad hats and criminal elements on all of us.

It's fine for Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak and his liberal-minded advisers to want to appear humane and be popular with the city slickers. Or gunning after their votes. But did he get it? No. Instead the lives and limbs of the ordinary rakyat are put at risk.

I am not anti-government

A very senior civil servant asked a former deputy minister (who is a friend of my friend) why I have turned from being pro-government to anti-government.

I am not anti-government. I am not a subversive element. I love my country. I am not even anti-Mohd Najib. Yes, I told him repeatedly of his burdens, his Achilles heel and what the people think of his family. Not a new thing either. I had told him these things as early as when he was Education Minister. There shouldn't be any misunderstanding on this matter. In my simpleton way of thinking "raja dalam rumah buat kira-kira, suri dalam dapur makan roti gula." Period.

But I am critical and I am against the wrong things he and his advisers had done or are doing. Let's see how far they will go with the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement with the USA! Almost every person who dares to speak out has spoken against the agreement and the government is less than willing to share information with the people.

It's ok for him, his Cabinet and even the MPs in the House to do away with preventive laws, including the ISA. They have bodyguards and live in walled and guarded compounds.

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:45 PM PDT

A Penang Federal Reserve Unit deputy chief was charged with raping a minor in Kota Kinabalu when he was a vice-cop there in 2012.

Deputy Supt Rohaizat Abd Ani, 54, is accused of raping and sodomising the girl in a hotel room in February and May last year and was released on a RM40,000 bail pending trial in December.

The police officer, still on active duty, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.

He is charged with three counts of rape and one count of sodomy.

The Star reported that deputy public prosecutor Jamil Aripin asked for bail of RM20,000 for each of the charges, saying that they were serious.

However, the accused lawyer, Ram Singh told the court that Rohaizat would not abscond since he holds a senior position in the police force.

Ram also asked for a lower bail.

Rohaizat covered his face with newspapers when he arrived at the courthouse with his wife, avoiding photographers and reporters.

Putrajaya exposes ignorance with anti-Syiah campaign, says Hadi

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:40 PM PDT

(TMI) - Putrajaya's campaign against Syiah Islam has only exposed its deep ignorance about tolerable age-old differences within Islam, says PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang (pic).

In his first public comments about the anti-Syiah campaign, Abdul Hadi warned against politicising the issue or branding Syiah as deviant Muslims.

"Discussions on the Syiah issue should be the realm of the academia, and the government must act based on knowledge and not politicise the issue," he was quoted as saying in the PAS organ Harakah Daily today.

There have been allegations that several top PAS leaders are secretly Syiah but the Islamist party has denied it. Malaysian Muslims follow the Sunni branch of Islam.

Harakah said Hadi's comments came after a campaign led by Islamic bureacrats and several Wahhabi-influenced Muslim spokesmen from Umno, using Malay-language dailies to vilify Syiah Muslims.

The seasoned Islamic scholar, with close ties to both Sunni and Syiah authorities worldwide, reminded that any approach to tackle differences among the various schools of thought in Islam must be done in an environment of scholarship and knowledge, the report said.

Agreeing that Syiah Islam may not be suitable to be followed by local Muslims who have long subscribed to the Shafi'i school of thought, Hadi warned against quickly branding Syiah as being outside the fold of Islam.

He reminded Muslims against falling into the trap of sectarian war set by their enemies, adding that big powers were currently involved in setting the stage for action against Iran, a predominantly Syiah Muslim nation, whose alleged nuclear weapons project have worried both Israel and US-backed Arab monarchies.

Hadi pointed out that just as within the Sunni school, there are various denominations within Syiah Islam, adding that Muslim scholars have long recognised the Imamites - the principal sect of Syiah Islam - which are followed in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon.

"They are allowed to perform the Haj to Mecca because scholars recognise them as Muslims. They pray and perform pilgrimage, though many of their rituals may be at odds with the Sunni jurisprudence," he was quoted as saying in the report.

READ MORE HERE

Leadership fight gathers steam

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:36 PM PDT

The gloves have yet to come off in the fight for the Wanita Umno leadership but the two key contenders have started to aim subtle jabs at each other.

The reason is that Shahrizat represents the Wanita wing which is dominated by mothers and grandmothers whereas Azalina is still largely associated as the first and most successful leader of Puteri Umno.

Joceline Tan,The Star

RIVALS for the Wanita Umno leadership Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil and Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said are only 10 years apart in age.

Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat will be 60 soon while Azalina, who is the Pengerang MP, will turn 50 in December.

They are both baby boomers, that generation of women who pioneered the break from the old cultural thinking about women's place in society.

Yet, the Wanita Umno contest has begun to acquire shades of a tussle between two generations of women in Umno.

The reason is that Shahrizat represents the Wanita wing which is dominated by mothers and grandmothers whereas Azalina is still largely associated as the first and most successful leader of Puteri Umno.

As such, Shahrizat cannot be blamed if she views Azalina as the harbinger of views and ideas from another generation and she recently cautioned against a split in the "mother-and-daughter" ties in the women's wing.

It is also evident that Shahrizat believes that Azalina has the backing of her old nemesis Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.

She has said tongue-in-cheek that she welcomes "proxy candidates" sent by certain groups into the battleground.

The contest is gathering momentum now that it is likely to be a straight fight.

Azalina has taken to social media to put across her message of "youth transformation agenda".

Her campaign on Facebook shows her in her capacity as the new chairman of Parliament's Women's Caucus.

Her latest Facebook posting reads: "Wanita Umno must act as a Platform for Women's Democracy."

Shahrizat has stuck to the old, time-tested way of reaching out directly to the women.

The last few days saw her allies coming out to voice support for her re-election.

She commands overwhelming support from her Wanita exco members, many of whom went on a break in London as well as an umrah in the Holy Land.

Several state Wanita Umno chiefs also issued statements of support for her. One of them was Johor's Datuk Sharifah Azizah Syed Zain, who claimed that 98% of the Wanita members in Johor are staunchly behind Shahrizat.

That southern arrow was aimed at Azalina, who is from Johor, and it was to send the message that her own home state is not with her.

Another Shahrizat ally, Datuk Rosni Zahari, who is Pahang Wanita chief, went on to claim that 90% of the Wanita heads of Umno's 191 divisions want Shahrizat to stay.

That is really impressive but, then again, all the state Wanita chiefs are appointed by Shahrizat and they could hardly be expected to say otherwise.

Nevertheless, the power of incumbency cannot be underestimated in Umno politics and Shahrizat definitely has the upper hand. She obviously has a plan and she is moving very confidently.

Azalina, on the other hand, is labouring under the perception that she is an "outsider" trying to rock the boat.

She does not have the network or the contacts that Shahrizat has cultivated over the years.

Moreover, as some have pointed out, she went straight from her Puteri leadership to become a division chief rather than a Wanita division chief.

But she has a few other things going for her. The first is that Puteri members are automatically absorbed into the Wanita wing after they reach the age of 35 and Azalina will have support from them. They adulate her and still call her "boss".

Over the years, quite a number of these former Puteri grassroots leaders have become Wanita branch heads and they will be voting in the contest.

But Azalina's problem is whether there are enough of them holding such positions to make a difference.

This group also resents the mother-versus-daughter or Wanita-versus-Puteri analogy. They do not like being identified as ex-Puteri members now that they are in the Wanita wing.

They say the Wanita wing is growing so well these days because Puteri has become the recruiting arm, producing ready-made women members for the Wanita wing.

"We are one big family. How can they say this contest is about Wanita fighting Puteri or mother versus daughter? A mother who really loves her daughter would pave the way," said a former Puteri leader.

The second factor is, rightly or wrongly, known as the "Rafidah effect". The former Iron Lady still has some measure of hard-core support among the senior ladies who have not forgiven Shahrizat for going back on her pledge not to challenge Rafidah for the wing's leadership in 2009.

In the 2009 contest, Shahrizat won 64% of the votes against 35% by Rafidah.

The pro-Rafidah group in the wing is not as big as before but there will always be at least 30% or so in any party that will go against the incumbent.

This group may throw their support behind Azalina.

The third factor is that contests in Wanita are not always about what the women want. At times, the outcome has been swayed by what the men want or rather who the men want.

The talk out there is that the men in Umno regard Shahrizat as a liability because of the National Feedlot Corporation or NFC issue.

Many of them love her grace and style but are concerned about her image.

DAP facing de-registration?

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:28 PM PDT

Unfair of ROS to accuse DAP of trying to form a new party through de-registration and being insincere in handling the whole issue.

Selana Tay, FMT

The DAP saga continues and looks set to drag on indefinitely. Although the Registrar of Societies (ROS) has instructed DAP to hold its central executive committee (CEC) polls again, the party has does not see the need to do so.

Besides the above issue, ROS director-general Abdul Rahman Othman has made a misrepresentation on DAP when he said that DAP members hoped to form a new party.

He had also told DAP members that any hope of ROS approving the registration of the new party is virtually nil as ROS did not even entertain 29 applications to set up new parties submitted over the last five years.

This was reported in an English daily dated July 26, 2013 under the title: 'Don't harbour false hopes'.

It is clear that Abdul Rahman is very antagonistic towards DAP and his antagonism shows through in the false accusation that DAP members want to form a new party.

DAP is now mulling over taking legal action against the ROS director-general pertaining to this statement.

This columnist wishes to inform all readers that no one in DAP wants to set up a new party.

It is beyond any logic why Abdul Rahman wants to make such a baseless accusation. Is there any malicious intent behind the accusation?

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng had a meeting with Abdul Rahman before the 13th general election and the ROS director-general had never mentioned anything about the need to hold the CEC polls again.

Instead he had given the assurance that he would not be making any decision on the matter until investigations are completed.

Has Abdul Rahman shown himself up as being insincere in the handling of this whole issue?

Political tool

Commenting on this matter, the Shah Alam MP from PAS, Khalid Samad remarked that "instead of focusing so much attention on DAP, ROS should instead focus on registering Pakatan Rakyat (PR) as a political coalition because this matter has been long pending."

At the end of the day, ROS seems to be a political tool of the BN federal government as it is evident by its reluctance to register Pakatan despite requesting the opposition coalition to submit its application time and again and then rejecting the application due to technical error.

Going by this premise, DAP must be prepared to face de-registration very soon. It could even happen as early as Friday, Aug 16when no word is forthcoming from DAP on when it will hold its CEC polls again.

DAP leaders should take heed of this date and mark it out on their diary.

PAS' Siti Mariah Mahmud, the Kota Raja MP, commented sarcastically that "if DAP is de-registered, they can always re-register under the name of "New DAP" and this should be easily approved by ROS as it is not a new party despite the word 'new' but merely the same old party under a "new" name."

It must be said that only during the era of the Najib administration has this sort of trouble affected the DAP.

Is this a part of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's national reconciliation plan? Is the motive to get rid of DAP just because MCA is weak and is in dire need of Chinese support?

Do the BN strategists think that if DAP ceases to exist, the Chinese will go back to supporting MCA?

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:22 PM PDT

(Bernama) - The Malaysia Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has decided that the "1 Hari di Hari Raya" video clip suggesting that Muslims could celebrate Aidilfitri with dogs has insulted Islam and an irresponsible act.

Its director-general Othman Mustapha said the video recording owner had clearly insulted the faith and provoked the sensitivities of Muslims in Malaysia who belonged to the Shafie mazhab (sect), which prohibited Muslims from holding or touching dogs and if they did, they must cleanse themselves.

He said the "takbir raya" which sang praises for the greatness of Allah but played in the background in the video recording while its owner was doing something unIslamic, had also provoked the sensitivities of Muslims.

"Such a video recording should not be made by a Muslim as he or she should respect the feelings of other Muslims.
"The action of the video recording owner appears to have mocked and challenged the Islamic faith of Muslims.

"Such a provocation is usually committed by a few non-Muslim individuals," he added in a statement, here.

Othman said a police report had been lodged on the controversial video on Wednesday and Jakim was now preparing a report to be submitted to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission for further action.

A 38-year-old woman, known as Chetz, has come under public condemnation after a video clip featuring herself with three dogs celebrating Raya three years ago was uploaded to YouTube recently.

The woman was remanded at the Segamat district police headquarters in Johor for two days until today after her statement was recorded by Bukit Aman police yesterday.

Disciplinary action against Chua vetoed

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:20 PM PDT

Two MCA presidential council members reject calls for Chua to be referred to the disciplinary committee over his Penang port chairman position.

Leven Woon, FMT

The ambitious plan of MCA's Save Party Committee 3.0 to topple Dr Chua Soi Lek by referring him to the party disciplinary committee was hit by a rough start with two presidential council members saying that Chua has not erred.

The anti-Chua movement announced on Thursday that they would urge the party presidential council to refer Chua to the disciplinary committee for not resigning from his Penang Port chairman position.

This, they said, has violated the party's "no government post" stance, which the party pledged if it fared worst in the 13th general election.

The movement, which comprised eight MCA division chairmen, also said they would resolve to get one third of the central committee members to impeach Chua should the first move fails.

Responding to this, MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu said there is no basis for hauling Chua to the disciplinary committee because the presidential council has already decided in June that the party members are barred from only four government positions.

The four are village heads, local councillor, state executive councillor and ministerial posts.

"Besides the four, a party member who holds a contractual post can continue until the tenure expires. The rest of the posts are not affected," he told FMT through a phone interview.

"That's why (MCA vice president) Ng Yen Yen can continue to be the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board chairman," he added.

MCA central committee member Loh Seng Kok also mirrored the sentiment, saying that the presidential council has also resolved to allow members to hold government positions which are shunned by the party.

"Penang Port Chairman is a position appointed by the Prime Minister and not one identified by the party to avoid.

"(The Save Party Committee) is uttering nonsense when it said it would ask the disciplinary committee to take action against Chua," he said in a statement.

"It is obvious that this irrelevant issue is raised now because party election is coming," he added.

Posted: 02 Aug 2013 02:02 PM PDT

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net