| Fate of PAS in Pakatan coalition at stake Posted: 16 Nov 2013 01:12 PM PST 
(The Ant Daily) - If the conservatives triumph, then it is highly likely that they will want to forge a unity government with BN. The outcome of the PAS election on Nov 22 will decide not only the fate of the conservatives or progressives but also whether the party itself will leave Pakatan Rakyat and work with Barisan Nasional under a unity government. If the conservatives triumph, then it is highly likely that they will want to forge a unity government with BN. But if the progressives or Erdogans prevail, the party will remain in Pakatan and together with its two partners – PKR and DAP – keep alive the coalition's dream of capturing Putrajaya in the next general election. The election may be a PAS affair, but party insiders said the outcome will create a new political landscape in Malay politics that will affect Umno and the Malays. Observers said this is why Umno is closely watching the PAS election, and Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia is seen to be rooting for the conservative faction in PAS. While the progressives are riding on a wave of optimism, the conservatives of late are equally confident that they can be victors in the contest for the deputy presidency, vice-presidency and the central committee posts. Said a party insider: "The fundamentalists are very confident they can capture most of the top posts. They believe they can unseat Mohamad Sabu for the number two spot." Mohamad Sabu, better known as Mat Sabu, is defending his post against Kelantan Deputy Menteri Besar Datuk Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah. Party insiders said that was the reason PAS information chief Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man opted out of the deputy president's race to contest for one of the three vice-president seats. "Earlier, Tuan Ibrahim wanted to go for the number two post, but the fundamentalists advised him to go for the vice-presidency since Amar stands a better chance against Mat Sabu," said an insider. "For vice-president, Tuan Ibrahim is seen as winnable, acceptable candidate. As information chief, he has been meeting party grassroots members all over the country for the past several years," said the insider. Among the three incumbent vice-presidents, all from the liberal faction, an insider said Sallehuddin Ayub is the most vulnerable. "The other two – Datuk Husam Musa and Datuk Mahfuz Omar – may retain their posts," he said. Besides Tuan Ibrahim, the other candidate is ulama council member Abu Bakar Chik. "Thus, the fundamentalists may come in strongly as Amar is considered a better candidate than Mat Sabu, with Tuan Ibrahim likely to get a vice-president seat," said the insider. If Amar romps home to victory, then the top two posts will be controlled by the fundamentalists. Read more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/news/2013/11/17/fate-pas-pakatan-coalition-stake |
| What did OIC members tell Malaysia at the UNPR? Posted: 16 Nov 2013 12:24 PM PST 
In case you're unaware, we came out pretty badly. write2rest Those who love to hate Islam won't like the outcome of last month's United Nations Periodic Review (UNPR) because of the concern about human rights expressed by many nations which are members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
I wrote the last sentence after studying a UN report which lists recommendations given to Malaysia by UN member nations about how we can improve our position in the global ranking of Human Rights. In case you're unaware, we came out pretty badly.
I've chosen to write about recommendations from Muslim majority nations because the image of Malay-Muslims, has taken a beating in recent days due to the Malaysian Court of Appeal denying Christians (in October) the right to continue calling God Allah and also because some Malaysian groups have been misleading Malaysians about the outcome of the UNPR.
The Malaysian Government sent 36 delegates to the 2013 UNPR to represent our progress on commitments we have made over the years to the UN. The status of our conformance and the our sincerity in uplifting our conformance with universal agreements on Human Rights will make a huge impact upon investment in our nation and in our global status. We cannot deny that as a nation we have, for many years, funded local and international efforts to move us closer to our goals.
The Malaysian Government delegation took pains to 'explain' the Allah Judgment. It needed to be explained because the conclusions of the Court – and Malaysia's official Islamic authorities – were considered laughable not only by secular nations, but also by Muslim-majority nations worldwide. For Muslims around the world, Malaysia's arguments sound as strange as the last century's claims of racial superiority by white South Africans.
I won't discuss the differences between the UN and the OIC. Suffice to say that in 1990, the OIC – which now has 57 members – produced the Cairo "Declaration on Human Rights in Islam" as the next level up from the UN Declaration on Human Rights. We will not be far of the mark if we think of the UNPR as a stepping stone to compliance with the Cairo declaration.
So, what did these Muslim-dominated countries have to say to Malaysia about Human Rights?
First, let's note the names of the 35 OIC nations who gave us recommendations, and the number of recommendations from each nation:
Afghanistan (x2); Albania (x3); Algeria (x2); Azerbaijan (x3); Bahrain (x3); Bangladesh (x2); Benin (x2); Brunei Darussalam (x2); Chad (x1); Djibouti (x2); Egypt (x3); Indonesia (x2); Islamic Republic of Iran (x4); Kazakhstan (x3); Kuwait (x2); Kyrgystan (x1); Lebanon (x2); Maldives (x3); Mauritania (x2); Morocco (x1); Mozambique (x2); Nigeria (x1); Oman (x1); Pakistan (x2); Qatar (x2); Saudi Arabia (x2); Senegal (x2); Sierra Leone (x4); State of Palestine (x2); Sudan (x2); Tunisia (x2); Turkey (x4); Turkmenistan (x2); Uzbekistan (x3) and Yemen (x1).
In summary, 35 OIC member nations provided Malaysia with 77 recommendations. This compares with an overall total of 104 UN member nations and 249 recommendations. Therefore, in percentage terms, 34% of the nations which provided Malaysia with recommendations are members of the OIC; these nations contributed 31 % of all recommendations. Read more at: http://write2rest.blogspot.com/2013/11/what-did-oic-members-tell-malaysia-at.html |
| Can sing but cannot read 'Allah' word in Selangor Posted: 16 Nov 2013 12:14 PM PST 
AAAAAAaaaaaaaLLLLLLlllllllll ........... ... just under what constitutional or legal grounds will a non-Muslim Christian, Taoist, Buddhist, Shinto or Hindu (etc) in the state of Selangor who prays in English or Chinese or Pali or Japanese or Tamil/Hindi/Malayalam/Telugu and uses the word 'Allah' in his prayers, be charged with? KTemoc Konsiders Apparently, according to Mohd Tamyes Abdul Wahid, the Selangor Mufti, if you're a non-Muslim you can still sing the word 'Allah' contained in the Selangor State anthem, even though HRH Sultan Selangor, via a fatwa, has just warned non-Muslims against using the word 'Allah'. HRH is of course the Head of Islam in Selangor and he can fatwa on all issues on Islam in the state as much as he likes. But his most recent fatwa prohibiting non-Muslims from using the 'Allah' word has, with all respect to HRH (ampun tuanku), unfortunately further muddied the murky waters spilled out by the Appeals Court on issue.
I don't propose to start from the very beginning of the 'Allah' word issue as I've blogged amply on it but I take this opportunity to reiterate my personal stand, that as a non-Muslim, repeat, as a non-Muslim I do NOT support the Catholic Church on its obdurate insistence to use the 'Allah' word as the Malay language reference to the Christian god in its Bahasa section of its weekly newsletter, The Herald.
If you want to know why I have adopted this stand (an unusual one for a non-Muslim Chinese - no, I'm not nor related to Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, wakakaka), please read my earlier posts:
(a) Allah, Elohim or Yahweh? on 12 Jan 2010
(b) Catholic Herald & the 3rd Pandora Box on 01 Apr 2010
(c) Now, who are the Arab wannabes? on 29 Dec 2012
(d) The Church & Allah posted on 01 Jan 2013
(e) The elephant in the room posted on 19 Oct 2013
Just prior to HRH's fatwa on non-Muslim use of the 'Allah' word, the situation or imbroglio has been best summed up by Dr Ronnie Ooi of Aliran who stated that Malays could interpret the Appeals Court's ruling as:
- That the Court of Appeal decision is completely wrong and the use of the word Allah should be unrestricted. This is certainly the view of the MP for Sepang and Pas central committee member Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, expressed in a very well written article for Malaysiakini, and of Professor Abdul Aziz Bari.
- That the decision applies to The Herald only and not to East Malaysia. This appears to be the position of Muslim Lawyers' Association of Malaysia president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) deputy president Aminuddin Yahaya and the Malaysian government.
- That the decision implies a blanket ban on the use of the word Allah by all non-Muslims including in East Malaysia and presumably in the Sikh holy books as well. This appears to be the view of the lawyer for The Herald and is demanded by Perkasa. It seems to be implicit in what Pas syura council deputy chief Haron Din wants when he says the "holy name is exclusively for Muslims only"
Note the 3rd dot-point in which the right wing elements, comprising The (Catholic) Herald, Perkasa and PAS Syura Council are 'together with one heart' in pushing the envelope kau kau - bloody ornithological species of identical plumage - semua nak cari pasal saja, pordah!  | Father Lawrence Andrew, editor The Herald
who told us that Elohim is a foreign word for God, while Allah is a local (Malay) word
wakakaka |
But forget about those Huns and let's return to HRH's fatwa. Two legal facts are undeniable, namely: (1) HRH is the Head of Islam and thus Islamic Affairs in Selangor, where he can issue fatwa on Islamic issues and make rulings on Islamic matters, and (2) there is a law (state or/and federal legislation) prohibiting non-Muslims preaching and converting any Muslims in Malaysia. I want to discuss one confusing point which liesoutside the above two legal situations. Initially I had thought the best example would be to use the Sikh religion which has the word 'Allah' in its Guru Granth Sahib, the Holy Book of Sikhism, ...  | Guru Granth Sahib
see if you can spot the 'Allah' word which appears 12 times in it |
... BUT I decided not to because the Book is in the Punjabi language, and as I have been repetitively saying, the Muslim government authority in Malaysia doesn't give a f**k about any language (eg. Punjabi, Chinese, Iban, Swahili) using the 'Allah' word other than Malay (Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia) and in a media form just all too easily circulated, to wit, The Catholic Herald. But of course, HRH's recent fatwa as the Head of Islam in Selangor has now infringed on the Sikhs' rights to freely practice their Sikh religion in Selangor, and may I mohon ampun tuanku again, has now weakened the government's position and credibility via-a-vis its insistence that the Appeals Court's ruling only applies to The (Catholic) Herald. It has been said HRH had received very bad advice on the fatwa. Now, what if very religious (wakakaka) kaytee, while in the state of Selangor, uses the word Allah in his Christian wakakaka or Taoist or Buddhist or Shinto or Hindu prayers in English or Chinese or Pali or Japanese or Tamil (my late dad spoke Tamil fluently and taught me a few words, while I acquired a few additional but very naughty and sexy ones as well, wakakaka)? Just what legal authority does the Selangor Head of Islam have over a Christian, Taoist, Buddhist or Shinto or Hindu (etc) who prays in English or Chinese or Pali or Japanese or Tamil/Hindi/Malayalam/Telugu in the state of Selangor? HRH as the Sultan of Selangor is only a constitutional monarch, and outside of the religion of Islam and Islamic issues, he has no legal authority over a non-Muslim [though we suspect he has lots of extralegal powers and persuasion). Read more at: http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2013/11/can-sing-but-cannot-read-allah-word-in.html |
| Utusan: ‘Allah’ row now a national security issue Posted: 16 Nov 2013 12:06 PM PST 
(MM) - Umno-owned daily Mingguan Malaysia urged the authorities today to take action against those who questioned the Court of Appeal ruling on the "Allah" case, saying it has now become an issue of national security. The editors of Mingguan Malaysia, the weekend edition of Malay-language daily Utusan Malaysia, also called for the Selangor Sultan's recent decree - which banned the Arabic word for God to all non-Muslims in the country's richest state, including in the Malay-language bible, the Al-Kitab, and in the Catholic weekly, the Herald - to be respected. "Awang hopes that the authorities will take stern and more pre-emptive action because it is now a national security issue," said Awang Selamat, a pseudonym used to relay the paper's collective editorial voice. "Awang is very disturbed by the reaction of certain non-Muslims who have challenged the ban, even though it has already been decided by the Court of Appeal on October 14. "This provocation is expected to continue in various forms. How long must the Muslims be patient? Their patience has its limits," they added. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/utusan-allah-row-now-a-national-security-issue |
| Zaid: Ignoring Sultan’s ‘Allah’ decree is not treason Posted: 16 Nov 2013 11:52 AM PST 
(MM) - He added that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's blanket ban on the use of "Allah" in the state may not apply to non-Muslims as Islamic laws or religious edicts are only legally binding on Muslims. Muslim hardliners here have insisted it would be treasonous to ignore the Selangor Sultan's "Allah" decree but a former Umno law minister believes otherwise, and even doubts that the ruler's order is legally binding on non-Muslims. Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, a known critic of groups like Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA) and Perkasa, said an act of treason typically means leading a rebellion against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or any state ruler, for whatever reason. "There is a specific definition under the Penal Code for treason: if you lead an armed rebellion against the King or Sultan, then that's treason. "Not following the decree is not treason," Zaid told The Malay Mail Online. He added that Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah's blanket ban on the use of "Allah" in the state may not apply to non-Muslims as Islamic laws or religious edicts are only legally binding on Muslims. Zaid also questioned if a royal decree is considered a law and argued that even if this was the case, the order contravenes the Federal Constitution, which states that non-Muslims cannot be bound by any Islamic laws. ISMA yesterday claimed that non-Muslims would be committing treason if they dared to disobey the Selangor Sultan's decree banning their use of "Allah", in apparent warning against attempts to challenge the exclusive right of Muslims to use the Arabic term for God. ISMA deputy president Aminuddin Yahaya said the blanket ban by Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah must be respected by all Selangor folk in light of his position as the state's ruler and highest religious authority. But Zaid said it must first be established if the decree is binding. "Is the decree law? Even if it is law, it cannot be applicable on non-Muslims. How can you make an Islamic law and apply it on non-Muslims?" he said. Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/zaid-ignoring-sultans-allah-decree-is-not-treason |
| Taiwan abuzz over incident Posted: 16 Nov 2013 11:50 AM PST 
(NST) - News of murder-cum-kidnap of its citizens in Sabah goes viral in print and social media SHAH ALAM: THE print and social media in Taiwan are abuzz with news of the murder-cum-kidnapping of two Taiwanese tourists on Pulau Pom Pom, off Semporna, Sabah, which has grabbed national attention in the republic. The country's national daily, Ping Guo Ri Bao, front-paged the report yesterday, while other national newspapers, such as The China Times, Liberty Times and United Daily News, as well as local papers The China Post and Upaper, provided coverage of the incident. Through its online news portal, The China Post reported that Taiwanese officials were monitoring the latest developments on the incident with local authorities. Taiwan's Foreign Affairs Ministry said it would offer the necessary assistance to the victims' family to help them deal with the tragedy. The ministry issued an "orange warning" for Sabah, the second highest in Taiwan's four-colour tourism advisory system, immediately following the incident. Taipei Times, Focus Taiwan news channel, Taiwan Sun and The China Times reported that the ministry urged the public to avoid travelling to the area, unless it was necessary. Taiwan News reported that police continued to gather information from other tourists at the resort, who reportedly had not left the island and would continue with their vacation plans. Hung Chi-Wei, 25, from Taoyuan, Taiwan, said he read about the incident in Ping Guo Ri Bao yesterday. "When I read the news, I texted my Malaysian friends in a group chat immediately." He said he also discussed the story with his friends in Taiwan. Concerned about the safety of the region, Hung said he would not be visiting Sabah for the time being. Similarly stunned, Taiwanese Chung Yi Ping, 25, who works in Taipei, said yesterday she found out about the incident from a local newspaper distributed at MRT stations. "It is big news here that our citizen was killed overseas." She said she would be looking out for more information on the incident from television reports. TVBS news, a satellite cable television news channel in Taiwan, also reported on the tragedy. It informed viewers that it was unclear whether An Wei Chang, 58, the woman believed to be kidnapped, was still alive. The channel also reported that Taiwan forces were too far away to save the victim. |
| Pakatan moves to ensure hearing day for suit to nullify GE13 results Posted: 16 Nov 2013 11:49 AM PST 
(TMI) - Pakatan Rakyat is going all out to ensure the High Court hears the merit of its suit to nullify the results of all 222 parliamentary seats in the May 5 general election. It has asked for more time to file additional affidavits to rebut the Election Commission's application to throw out the suit. Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Datuk Rosnaini Saub has fixed January 27 to hear the striking out application. On July 15, PR asked the court to set aside results of all 222 parliamentary seats, as well as to disband the current EC leadership and conduct fresh polls. In its statement of claim, PR said the unprecedented move was necessary due to the indelible ink fiasco which it said caused massive cheating in the polls. On August 29, the EC filed an application to strike out the suit, saying that it was wrong for the opposition and several defeated candidates to challenge the election results in a civil court. The EC said any move to question polls results should be made through election petitions in the election court. In the striking out application, the EC said that aggrieved parties could only file petitions to challenge election results once the outcome was gazetted under the Federal Constitution and the Election Offences Act. It said PR's suit was frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process. In its statement of claim, PR, which is seeking exemplary and general damages, said it lost some 30 parliamentary seats by fewer than 10% of the votes. The coalition further claimed that even if the percentage of those who voted twice was small, it was sufficient to affect the results in a significant number of seats. In addition to the indelible ink fiasco, where it was discovered on voting day that the ink applied on voters' fingers could be easily washed away, the plaintiffs - PKR, DAP and PAS - also trained their guns on seven members of the EC. The other plaintiffs in this action are opposition candidates Dzulkefly Ahmad, M. Manogaran, Saifuddin Nasution, Arifin Rahman and R. Rajoo, all of whom narrowly lost in the polls. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/pakatan-moves-to-ensure-hearing-day-for-suit-to-nullify-ge13-results |
| Maybe you misunderstood Posted: 15 Nov 2013 05:20 PM PST 
Some readers did not get what I said and thought that I claimed Dr Asri has debunked the Hadith (or that I used Dr Asri's statement to debunk the Hadith). Actually, I said no such thing if you can understand English, and hence also understand what I wrote. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin In my article, 'As I was saying…' I said: Whatever it may be, Dr Asri has pointed out that much of the Malay beliefs regarding Islam are distorted and misguided. Today, Dr Asri talks about Ashura and the Sunni-Shia schism. However, these are not the only two things that are wrong. There are many more issues, some of which I have talked about in the past. Muslims need to re-evaluate their beliefs. Not all are correct and much has been twisted over more than 1,000 years to suit various political agendas through the ages. Even the 700,000 Hadith have been whittled down to less than 7,000. That comes to less than 1%. Even then, if you consider the overlaps or repeats, you will end up with less than 5,000 Hadith or just 0.7%. And some Islamic sects accept only 500 or reject all totally. It is believed that much of the Hadith were created by 'spin-doctors' during the time of the Muslim divide and civil wars. Hence many are suspect. And the Hadith is very important because while the Muslims may be united when it comes to the Quran, it is the Hadith that divides them. And it is the Hadith that makes Muslims do what the Quran forbids them from doing. Hence the issue of Hadith cannot be ignored. That, of course, is my personal view on the matter and most likely 99% of the Malays-Muslims will disagree with me. But then that is what makes me a maverick, is this not so? Some readers did not get what I said and thought that I claimed Dr Asri has debunked the Hadith (or that I used Dr Asri's statement to debunk the Hadith). Actually, I said no such thing if you can understand English, and hence also understand what I wrote. One reader argued that it is compulsory to believe in the Hadith (or accept the Hadith) or else one would not be able to understand the Quran because the Hadith explains the Quran. First of all, are they saying that the Quran is an incomprehensible book? In that case, the claim by the Quran itself that it is a complete book would become disputable. Secondly, the Hadith explains only 28 of the 114 chapters of the Quran -- or just 25%. And even then not the entire chapter but just a portion of the chapter. Hence if we need the Hadith to be able to comprehend the Quran that would mean a large portion of the Quran would remain incomprehensible. Okay, if the Hadith helps explain the Quran then maybe you can enlighten us on which chapter of the Quran the following Hadith helps explain. And these are merely a handful of the roughly 7,000 'approved' Hadith. Narrated AbuSa'id al-Khudri: The people asked the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): Can we perform ablution out of the well of Buda'ah, which is a well into which menstrual clothes, dead dogs and stinking things were thrown? He replied: Water is pure and is not defiled by anything. (Abu Dawud 1:66) The Prophet said, "Fever is from the heat of Hell, so abate fever with water." (Sahih Bukhari 7:71:621) Waqidi said: "The prophet of Allah used to say that I was among those who have little strength for intercourse. Then Allah sent me a pot with cooked meat. After I ate from it, I found strength any time I wanted to do the work." (Ibn Sa'd's Kitab Tabaqat Al-Kubra, Volume 8, Page 200) Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Apostle said, "None of you should walk, wearing one shoe only; he should either put on both shoes or put on no shoes whatsoever." (Sahih Bukhari 7:72:746) "When the Prophet went to her he found her to be an old woman, so he divorced her." (al-Tabari vol.9 p.139) Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said "If a house fly falls in the drink of anyone of you, he should dip it (in the drink), for one of its wings has a disease and the other has the cure for the disease." (Sahih Bukhari 4:54:537) Abu Huraira reported that Moses was a modest person. He was never seen naked and Banu Isra'iI said: (He was afraid to expose his private part) because he had been suffering from scrotal hernia. He (one day) took bath in water and placed his garments upon a stone. The stone began to move on quickly. He followed that and struck it with the help of a stone (saying): O stone, my garment; O stone, my garments, O stone..... (Sahih Muslim 30:5850) Narrated Abu Said: A man came to the prophet and said, 'My brother has got loose motions. The Prophet said, Let him drink honey." The man again (came) and said, 'I made him drink (honey) but that made him worse.' The Prophet said, 'Allah has said the Truth, and the abdomen of your brother has told a lie." (Sahih Bukhari 7:71:614) Narrated Ibn 'Abbas: The Prophet said, 'When you eat, do not wipe your hands till you have licked it, or had it licked by somebody else." (Sahih Bukhari 7:65:366) Narrated Abu Huraira: Abul Qasim said, "If any person peeps at you without your permission and you poke him with a stick and injure his eye, you will not be blamed." (Sahih Bukhari 9:83:39) Abu Huraira reported: The Apostle of Allah (may peace be upon him) said. When any one of you awakes up from sleep and performs ablution, he must clean his nose three times, for the devil spends the night in the interior of his nose. (Sahih Muslim 2:462) |
| Allah for Muslims only, insists Jati Posted: 15 Nov 2013 04:17 PM PST 
Islamic NGO warns Muslims and non-Muslims in Selangor to abide by the Sultan's decree and threatens action against those disobeying the order (FMT) - Islamic NGO, Jalur Tiga Malaysia (Jati) warned Selangor citizens to abide by the Sultan of Selangor's decree that the word Allah is exclusive to Muslims. Jati president and former Selangor PAS commissioner, Hassan Ali, said they will lodge a police report against anybody who goes against the Sultan's decree. "We warn every Selangor citizen to follow what was said by the Sultan and we will not hesitate to lodge a police report against individuals or organisations belittling the Sultan's decree," said Hassan. "Jati supports the Sultan as the head of Islam in Selangor. Tuanku's remark was timely as the court has ruled that the word Allah belongs exclusively to Muslims," said Norman Toha, Jati's secretary general. Hassan Ali lambasted certain parties who tried to discredit the court's verdict by insisting that the word Allah solely belongs to the Muslims. He referred to the Shahada (Islamic creed which declares belief in the oneness of God and acceptance of Muhammad as the prophet) and that Muhammad was never linked to any God accept Allah. "From early on Jati has been consistent. We hold that the view that the word Allah is only for Muslims. End of story. The Shahada clearly shows that there is no God but Allah," said Hassan. READ MORE HERE |
| Muslim group Jati declares war on Comango Posted: 15 Nov 2013 04:13 PM PST 
(The Star) - Muslim group Jati has declared war against Comango for its alleged attempts to turn Malaysia into a liberal country in the name of human rights. Comango stands for Coalition of Malaysian NGO's in the Universal Periodic Review Process (UPR) and had submitted recommendations to the United Nations on the government's alleged human rights violations. Jati president, Datuk Dr Hasan Ali said that their attempts, among others, were to turn Malaysia into a "heaven" for apostasy, unnatural sex and deviant teachings. "And their most rude demand is to call for the repeal of the Syariah law, which will eventually see the demise of Islamic laws that are a core foundation in Islam," he told the press here. Hasan, who is also a former PAS vice-president said it was clear that the Comango's action was the most "devious". "These kind of people should not be given space and privilege to enjoy comfortable life in Malaysia. These are the wolves in sheep clothing. "Based on their action, it is only appropriate for us to declare war against them because Malaysia doesn't need these so-called Comango warriors," he said. Comango had come under fire from other Muslim activists, claiming that the group's human rights recommendation to the UN were against the true teachings of Islam and the sovereignty of the Federal Constitution. They have also been accused of calling for the freedom of religion, including renouncing Islam; the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) rights; the removal of Malay privileges, the freedom to embrace Syiah teachings; and the right for non-Muslims to use 'Allah' to refer to God. He said the Jati will organise a briefing session to the public with the states' religious councils and other NGOs on the danger Comango poses. "Not only will the danger of their demands affect Islam and the Malays, it will also reshape the life of the 28 millions Malaysians," said Hasan. He also claimed that the country is already showing signs of disunity and the situation could get worse if any of the demands made by Comango was materialised. "Therefore, Jati is urging all individuals involved in Comango to review their decision and think rationally," he said. Earlier, the group also praised the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharifuddin Idris Shah who had recently called on the non-Muslims in the state to not refer to God as Allah. The state ruler had also ordered that use of the world in the Bible and in the Bahasa Malaysia section of Herald be stopped immediately, to avoid causing confusion among Muslims in Selangor. In the light of the decree, Jati secretary-general Norman Toha had warned the public, especially those who live in Selangor not to question the decree, or a police report will be lodged against them. "We will not hesitate to lodge a police report against them because the Sultan's decree is an order as it is coming from a head of state, a head of religion in Selangor and what he said was constitutional," he said. |
| Hudud – Kelantan sedia RM1j untuk pelaksanaan Posted: 15 Nov 2013 03:26 PM PST 
(KL Post) - Kerajaan Kelantan sedang menunggu maklum balas beberapa pihak, termasuk pakar perlembagaan, sebelum melaksanakan hukuman itu di negeri ini. Timbalan Menteri Besar Kelantan, Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah, berkata pihaknya serius merealisasikan hukuman itu, termasuk memperuntukkan RM1 juta dalam Bajet 2014, bagi membeli dan menyiapkan prasarana berkaitan pelaksanaan hukuman itu.
Beliau mengakui atas sebab-sebab tertentu, termasuk kekangan Pusat, pihaknya sebelum ini menangguhkan sementara usaha tersebut, namun kini kembali mengerakkan kerja untuk melaksanakannya.
"Sebelum ini kita berhenti kerana lampu merah (sekatan). Kita 'free gear' tetapi tidak matikan (enjin) kereta, oleh kerana lama sangat, jadi kita intai kalau-kalau polis tiada. Sekarang kita akan teruskan dengan harapan polis tidak sekat.
"Sebenarnya sebelum pilihan raya umum (lalu), kita telah beberapa kali bincang tetapi tidak dedahkan, untuk tahun depan Menteri Besar telah masuk RM1 juta dalam bajet untuk persiapan prasarana bagi melaksanakan hudud.
"Kita tengok keperluan untuk laksana hudud tetapi nak buat, kena dapatkan pandangan pakar dahulu, termasuk pensyarah universiti dan pengamal undang-undang. Insya-ALLAH mereka akan bagi pendapat dan selepas itu kita akan laksanakan," katanya pada kuliah Jumaat di Dataran Ilmu, di sini, semalam.
Beliau mengulas kenyataan Ketua Hakim Syarie negeri, Datuk Daud Muhammad, yang menyatakan kesediaan pihaknya kuat kuasa hudud selepas bangunan kompleks Mahkamah Syariah di Tunjung beroperasi.
Semalam, seorang pendakwah dan pensyarah, Dr Abdul Basit Abdul Rahman menyarankan kerajaan Kelantan menetapkan masa bagi merealisasikan hukuman itu dengan menjadikan Brunei sebagai contoh.
Nik Mohd Amar, yang juga Timbalan Pesuruhjaya Pas Kelantan, berkata pihaknya tidak mahu melaksanakan hukuman itu tergesa-gesa, sebaliknya mengikut kaedah dan tertib bagi mengelak masalah di kemudian hari.
Berhubung saranan Kelantan mengikuti langkah Brunei, beliau berkata, orang ramai tidak boleh membuat persamaan kerana Kelantan hanya sebuah negeri, sebaliknya Brunei adalah sebuah negara diperintah Sultan yang mempunyai kuasa penuh.
"Kelantan adalah sebahagian Malaysia. Kita terikat dengan undang-udang dan perlembagaan. Brunei adalah negara dan sultan berkuasa mutlak. Kita di Kelantan tidak begitu. Raja ada batas, cuma kita akui tindakan Brunei bagi semangat dan iltizam kepada kita," katanya. Nik Mohd Amar berkata, Kanun Jenayah Kelantan (II) Kelantan yang diluluskan Dun bukan sahaja diambil daripada mazhab Syafie, tetapi diadunkan daripada mazhab lain mengikut kesesuaian. |
| How it works Posted: 15 Nov 2013 02:55 PM PST 
Normally, the Speaker will invite the MP to speak and only when the Speaker announces who is to speak does the MP stand up to speak. All the others are to remain seated and keep quiet. And if anyone shouts while the MP who has the floor speaks the Speaker can chide that person and if he or she does not listen then action can be taken against that person. THE CORRIDORS OF POWER Raja Petra Kamarudin This week, Padang Serai Member of Parliament N. Surendran was kicked out of Parliament and subsequently suspended for six months for defying the Parliament Speaker. Surendran is not the first MP to suffer this fate. In fact, even Barisan Nasional MPs have also been disciplined in this fashion. Basically, the Speaker has the final and absolute decision on who may speak and he or she has the power to discipline members who violate the procedures of the House. Such are the powers of the Speaker. I was watching the UK Parliament in session earlier this week and twice the Speaker stopped the debate and demanded that the MPs from both sides of the political divide stop shouting. Even the Prime Minister had to comply. Normally, the Speaker will invite the MP to speak and only when the Speaker announces who is to speak does the MP stand up to speak. All the others are to remain seated and keep quiet. And if anyone shouts while the MP who has the floor speaks the Speaker can chide that person and if he or she does not listen then action can be taken against that person. Sometimes, in the UK, too, the debates get out of hand but it is never allowed to descend to the level of a fish market like in Malaysia. The bone of contention here is that the procedure in how action was taken against Surendran was not observed. The opposition says a one-day notice must be given before action can be taken. Hence it is an argument over technicalities. That is the same reason why the Speaker stopped Surendran from speaking -- because he needed to give a two-day notice, which he did not. However, when asked to stop talking, he refused to do so -- ignoring the fact that the Speaker decides if you can or cannot speak. Whether the Speaker was wrong is one issue, which the opposition is contesting. But whether Surendran was also wrong is a matter that the opposition does not wish to discuss. Maybe to avoid such incidences in future all those elected into office should be made to attend a class regarding Parliament procedures and rules. After that they should sit for a test and if they fail they should be made to attend the class again. Only then will we have civilised MPs who do not turn Parliament into a circus. If not Parliament will look like a zoo during feeding time. ************************************* Surendran ejected from Dewan over temple issue (FMT) - Padang Serai MP N.Surendran was thrown out of parliament today for bringing up an emergency motion on the demolition of part of the hundred year old Sri Muneswarar Kaliyamman temple at Jalan Raja Chulan. He cited Rule of Order 18.1, and wanted to read out the motion but was stopped by the Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin. The Dewan Rakyat speaker stated that in order to invoke Rule Order 18.1, the matter should be an urgent issue that involves national issues. Pandikar Amin advised Surendran to invoke Rule of Order 43 which requires two days, in advance, to submit an emergency motion. The Padang Serai MP, unhappy with the speaker's ruling continued to read the emergency motion and displayed a placard with photos of the demolished temple. The speaker then invoked Rule Order 44, and ejected Surendran from the parliament session. READ MORE HERE ************************************* Surendran suspended for six months (FMT) - The Parliament suspended Padang Serai MP N Surendran today for six months for insulting Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia amid strong criticism that the motion is illegal and against the procedure. The Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers rejected the motion when it was tabled at 11.30am because it did not fulfill the one-day filing requirement. The motion was only filed at 6pm yesterday. Surendran had accused the Speaker for uttering complete lies and being biased in a media conference after the PKR leader was ejected by the House on Tuesday. READ MORE HERE ************************************* 'Revoke suspension against Surendran' (FMT) - Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today urged the Dewan Rakyat to revoke its suspension against PKR MP N Surendran, claiming the suspension was mala fide and illegal. "Surendran's suspension is a mockery of our supposedly most august House which is fast losing its lustre, respect and public confidence," said LFL adviser Eric Paulsen. On Tuesday, Surendran was ejected from the Parliament for criticising Dewan Rakyat Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia for refusing to allow a motion to debate the demolition of the Sri Muneswarar Kaliyaman Temple in Jalan P Ramlee. The next day, Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs, led by Law Minister Nancy Shukri brought in a motion to suspend Surendran from parliament for six months. READ MORE HERE |
| Malaysians are an emotional lot Posted: 15 Nov 2013 01:24 PM PST
So carry on and be emotional. That is your right. You can be emotional about your religion. You can be emotional about your language. You can be emotional about your culture, customs and traditions. You can be emotional about your prejudices and superstitions. You can be emotional about your gender. You can be emotional about your sexual orientation and preferences. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin A reader by the name of 'Joseph George' posted a comment in my article 'Where the fuck is Anwar Ibrahim's statement?' saying that I get very emotional when the subject (or discussion) is regarding the Monarchy (or Rulers). I would have thought that passionate (and not emotional) is the correct word to use considering that I have been carrying the cause for change for about 35 years when most Malaysians such as Joseph George woke up only very recently in 2008. To be able to stay with a cause for 35 years you certainly have to be very passionate about that cause. If not you would have moved on a long time ago. Anyway, most if not all Malaysians are emotional about one thing or another. Hence it is not surprising that I would be emotional about the subject of the Monarchy if that is how Joseph George would like to describe it. After all, I have never denied that I am a Royalist at heart and offer no apologies for being one. I mean, would I condemn you for being a Republican and should you apologise for being one? I respect your right to be a Republican, as you should respect mine to be a Royalist. This is what a democratic and civil society is all about -- something I have been propagating for a long time now and which appears to escape most people. As I said, most if not all Malaysians are emotional about one thing or another. Hence allow me to be emotional (although I would claim to be passionate rather than emotional) about my cause and you can be emotional about yours as well. That is called respect for each other's fundamental liberties. The Malaysian Hindus are emotional about their temples and would masuk hantu (go berserk) if the authorities demolish any of their temples even though that temple may be squatting on other people's land. The Malaysian Chinese would also masuk hantu if the government denies them what they consider as their right to Chinese schools and Chinese education although some people regard mother-tongue education as a hindrance to racial harmony and national unity and although in other countries such as the UK mother-tongue education is not an issue to the Chinese. The Malaysian Christians are emotional about being allowed to use the Kalimah Allah (the Allah word) although Christians in other parts of the world would not be emotional about this issue and, in fact, would refuse to use Allah for God and would even consider it an insult if, say, the Church of England uses Allah in its sermons in church. The Malaysian Muslims are emotional about the Christians wanting to use the Allah word because they regard it as a clandestine move by Christians to proselytise Muslims. The Umno members are emotional about the ABU (Anything But Umno) movement because they regard this as an attempt to end Malay political dominance and thereafter abolish Malay privileges and remove Islam as the religion of the Federation and later abolish the Constitutional Monarchy in favour of a Republic. The Penang Chinese are emotional about maintaining a Chinese government in Penang and they switched from MCA to Gerakan and now to DAP every time they see an erosion of Chinese political power and Umno becoming too strong in Penang. (Anwar Ibrahim himself said so). And Anwar Ibrahim is emotional about becoming the Prime Minister of Malaysia and he would work with anybody who can assure him that his dream can materialise. Some say that Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is emotional about maintaining his legacy and in assuring that his dynasty would continue in the spirit that Malaysian politics is very dynastic in nature for both the ruling party and the opposition. So you see, at the end of the day, everyone is emotional about one thing or another. And this is the beauty of a democratic and civil society. You are allowed the right to be emotional about your cause. The Bersih activists and supporters are allowed to be emotional about the general elections and even allowed to declare the present government illegal although in the Westminster first-past-the-post system the party that gets to form the government is the one that wins the most number of seats and not the one that wins the most popular votes. So carry on and be emotional. That is your right. You can be emotional about your religion. You can be emotional about your language. You can be emotional about your culture, customs and traditions. You can be emotional about your prejudices and superstitions. You can be emotional about your gender. You can be emotional about your sexual orientation and preferences. In short, you can be emotional about anything under the sun and even believe that the sun revolves around the earth or that the earth is flat, like what Christians used to believe (and would kill those who believed otherwise), if you so wish. And as for me, I am 'emotional' (to quote Joseph George) about maintaining the Constitutional Monarchy because I am not convinced that an American-type Republic can work seeing that the political corruption in the US is far, far worse than in the UK. Hence, as the Pakatan Rakyat supporters would say, I choose the lesser of the two evils (yes, this is what Pakatan Rakyat supporters believe). |
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
