Isnin, 8 Julai 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Mainstream media will only change if BN loses, says Kadir Jasin
Selangor opposition chief again declines PAC chair
It’ll be back, Jamil Khir says of child conversion law
Death toll in Cairo shooting rises to 42 - state TV
Anti-Muslim riots haunt shattered Myanmar city
Tunku Zain: ‘DAP’s Was Not The Only Offer I Received'
20 MCA leaders in hot water over GE13 sabotage
Authorities see red over Air Asia uniforms
Internet big boys take aim at Singapore's 'regressive' new rules
Najib’s pick for Tabung Haji boss draws flak
PM only ‘suggested’ Sedition Act repeal, says Subra
Muslim Brotherhood says 34 supporters killed
16 Egypt coup protesters shot dead in Cairo
Two more die in Saudi Arabia from MERS coronavirus

Mainstream media will only change if BN loses, says Kadir Jasin

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 11:20 PM PDT

(TMI) - Kadir said Umno and the government used the media to vilify Anwar but the BN did badly in the 1999 general election as the Malays were split. The government then was returned to power because of the support of the non-Malays.

The mainstream media owned by Umno and MCA are not expected to change its ways despite the poor performance by the Barisan Nasional in the last general election, an industry veteran said today.

"Things will remain the same," said blogger and former New Straits Times Press group editor-in-chief Datuk A. Kadir Jasin.

He said no editor would change the editorial policy when the media, whether print or electronic, was owned by the government or political parties.

"They have to follow the agenda set by the owners," he said at an international seminar titled "General Electon 13: An analysis and aftermath" held at the International Islamic University in Gombak today.

"The public will have to put up with them as Umno has became stronger in winning more seats compared to 2008," he said.

In fact, he said some segments of the media reinforced old issues like playing up race and religion.

Kadir said the mainstream media will change only when the party which controls them loses in the election.

He said only then the media will change as what happened in countries like Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea.

Kadir, who helmed NSTP for 12 years until 2000, said his own experience showed that it was difficult to promote change.

He said it was the media which transformed former deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when he was in the government.

"The government then attempted to use the media to destroy Anwar in a short span but failed miserably," he said.

Kadir said Umno and the government used the media to vilify Anwar but the BN did badly in the 1999 general election as the Malays were split.

The government then was returned to power because of the support of the non-Malays.

Selangor opposition chief again declines PAC chair

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 11:18 PM PDT

(Bernama) - Selangor Opposition Leader Datuk Mohd Shamsudin Lias on Monday stood his ground and turned down an offer to chair the state public accounts committee, saying he would prefer to be just a member.

The Sungai Burong assemblyman declined the offer after Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (PKR-Pelabuhan Klang) tabled the motion which had the majority support of the house.

"I thank the state government for proposing me as the chairman of the PAC.

"However, I decline to accept the offer. I propose that the state government appoint another member of the house. I just want to be a committee member only," he told the state legislative assembly meeting.

Abdul Khalid then proposed Ng Suee Lim (DAP-Sekinchan) as the chairman of the committee and it received the unanimous agreement of the house and was officially announced by Speaker Hannah Yeoh.

On July 1, Mohd Shamsudin dismissed the motion of the state government proposing him as the chairman of the PAC and claimed that the appointment was insincere and had a political motive.

He claimed that the appointment was conditional in that the Pakatan Rakyat wanted its representative to be appointed chairman of the PAC in the Dewan Rakyat.

Yeoh denied that the appointment was conditional and urged Mohd Shamsudin to reconsider his decision.

It’ll be back, Jamil Khir says of child conversion law

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 09:12 PM PDT

Zurairi AR, MM

The controversial Bill on unilateral child conversion to Islam will be resubmitted once the authorities "streamline" it, Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom (picture) said today.

Earlier this morning, the minister had withdrawn the disputed Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 from Parliament following vocal opposition to the proposed law, along with the Syariah Court Civil Procedure (Federal Territories) (Amendment) Bill 2013 and Syariah Criminal Procedures (Federal Territories) (Amendment) Bill 2013

"We will 'perkemaskan' (streamline) them in the future," Jamil Khir told reporters here.

He did not, however, specify when the Bills will be re-tabled, and explained that the authorities will fall back on the current laws in the meantime.

"We'll see, after consulting a number of bodies of every level, after that is done then we'll table it," he said.

Before the amended proposal, the law in effect was the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) 1993, also known as Act 505.

Last Friday, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said in a statement that the Cabinet had discussed the matter at length and decided to retract the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 pending further study.

He was reported by national news agency Bernama as saying that the issue of a child's religious status, particularly in cases where either the mother or father is Muslim, should be discussed thoroughly among all relevant stakeholders before being made law.

"The Cabinet had agreed that the retraction of the Bill was necessary to ensure that the issue on the determination of the child's religion in such cases was resolved in a fair manner for everyone," he was quoted as saying.

All further amendments to the law contained in the Bill would also be retracted for now, Muhyiddin said.

The attempt to legislate single parent consent for child conversion to Islam had caught the attention of the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) and Bar Council shortly after it was tabled, with both calling the move unconstitutional.

The MCCBCHST went a step further and slammed the Cabinet as "insincere" for introducing the law despite a 2009 announcement by then law minister Nazri banning the unilateral conversion of minors to Islam.

The storm over proposed law resulted in a rare public disagreement among some Cabinet members, which saw ministers Datuk Seri G. Palanivel, Datuk Paul Low and Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz voicing their objection to the Bill.

Custodial tussles in cases of unilateral child conversions have been a growing concern over the years and provide a high-profile glimpse of the concerns of Malaysia's religious minorities over the perceived dominance of Islam in the country.

It also highlights the complications of Malaysia's dual legal systems where Muslims are bound by both civil and syariah laws, the latter of which do not apply to or recognise non-Muslims.

Death toll in Cairo shooting rises to 42 - state TV

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 09:06 PM PDT

CAIRO (Reuters) - The death toll in violence on Monday at the Cairo headquarters of the Republican Guard rose to 42, Egyptian state television said, after the Muslim Brotherhood accused the security forces of attacking protesters there.

The Egyptian military said "a terrorist group" had tried to storm the building. One army officer was killed and 40 wounded, the military said.

State television reported that an additional 322 people had been wounded in what it described as an attempt to storm the Republican Guard's headquarters.

Anti-Muslim riots haunt shattered Myanmar city

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 08:45 PM PDT

The horrors that followed have been pieced together by rights group Physicians for Human Rights who, quoting eyewitnesses, described a Buddhist mob – including men in monks' robes – hunting down and killing some 20 students and four teachers.

(AFP) - MEIKTILA: The thugs ordered Kyaw not to look as they killed his classmates, but the terrified teenager still caught glimpses of the merciless beatings as a wave of anti-Muslim killing engulfed his school town in central Myanmar, leaving dozens dead.

"They used steel chains, sticks and knives… there were hundreds of people. They beat anyone who tried to look at them," the 16-year-old told AFP.

Kyaw's small madrassa (Islamic school) on the outskirts of Meiktila town was razed during sectarian bloodshed in March that triggered an outbreak of Buddhist-Muslim violence across the country.

Officially 44 people were killed – although some fear the toll was much higher – and thousands were left homeless.

Kyaw, whose name AFP changed to protect his identity, escaped serious injury, but his school friends – who he saw as "brothers" -were not so fortunate.

"Five students from my class were killed," he said, with a quiet precision belying his haunted expression.

March 20 began as usual for the students, who traded jokes as they gathered in the school's mosque.

But by afternoon the centre of town was already seething after an argument in a gold shop and the brutal murder of a Buddhist monk.

As word spread that Muslim areas were being torched, the students took shelter in nearby undergrowth, hiding overnight as a mob descended and set the school alight.

The next morning, security personnel evacuated local Muslims. Kyaw and his friends were marched through a hostile crowd which hit them with stones and sticks. A few students retaliated. Some strayed or were pulled out and set upon.

The horrors that followed have been pieced together by rights group Physicians for Human Rights who, quoting eyewitnesses, described a Buddhist mob – including men in monks' robes – hunting down and killing some 20 students and four teachers.

Witnesses recounted seeing one pupil being decapitated and several being burned alive, according to a May report by the US-based group.

Graphic video footage given to AFP by activists shows an embankment next to the school turned into a killing ground.

In one sequence, a man is chased out of the undergrowth by an armed mob. One man hits him so hard with a wooden pole that the weapon snaps in two before a robed monk joins the savage beating.

Several more videos show charred corpses dumped in hastily-made pyres.

"When I arrived there I saw piles of bodies still burning," said local Buddhist political activist Myint Myint Aye, adding that she believes the death toll was closer to 100.

She said residents were swept up in the rioting, with a huge crowd cheering and clapping the demolition of Muslim shops.

But, like other observers, she believes the violence was manipulated, perhaps by Buddhist hardliners using hired thugs — a practice widely suspected during the former junta rule.

"If it was only people from Meiktila it would not have been that bad," she told AFP. "In just a day and a half, everything had been destroyed."

Attacks against Muslims – who make up an estimated four percent of Myanmar's population – have exposed deep fractures in the Buddhist-majority nation and cast a shadow over its emergence from army rule.

Security forces have been accused of being slow to stop the killing. "Killers and robbers are criminals – (police) have duties to stop them or to arrest them," said lawyer Thein Than Oo, a Buddhist who has acted on behalf of some Muslim men jailed in May for their part in the monk killing that sparked the Meiktila unrest.

"They said they have no order to interfere. So even the children were brutally killed at Meiktila," he told AFP.

At least ten Muslims have been convicted of serious offences in relation to the unrest. Only one Buddhist is known to have been found guilty of murder over the violence.

Families of the Muslim victims are too afraid to pursue the police over the whereabouts of their loved ones, according to activists who say bodies of the victims were removed and burned by the authorities without being identified.

According to state media, 49 people are on trial for murder with scores more facing court for their roles in the unrest.

"Both sides have been prosecuted," government spokesman Ye Htut told AFP, without giving further comment.

But rights groups insist the official response has been grossly inadequate.

"The message of impunity is shocking," said PHR report author Holly Atkinson. "In less than 48 hours they were able to drive… 30,000 people out of Meiktila. There are basically no Muslims in Meiktila."

Despite repeated requests by AFP, Meiktila police refused to comment.

Buddhist-Muslim clashes first erupted in the western state of Rakhine last year, leaving about 200 people dead, mostly minority Muslim Rohingya who are denied citizenship by Myanmar.

Some robed monks – revered in the country and who were at the forefront of past democracy campaigns — have taken part in the clashes.

"If there are monks who incite such harm, arson or murder… I boldly say that they are wrong," said Buddhist clergyman Sein Ni Ta, who was part of cross-faith relief efforts after what he termed a "systematic massacre" in Meiktila.

Senior monks urged peace after talks on the violence in June. But the meeting was used by radical cleric Wirathu – who has campaigned for a boycott of Muslim shops — as a platform to call for restrictions on marriages between Buddhist women and men from other faiths.

Blaming "Muslim extremists" he told AFP that Buddhists were provoked "to commit arson, destroy shops and to set fire to mosques."

Meiktila remains under a state of emergency. Life for local Buddhists has assumed some semblance of normality, but fear shudders beneath the surface.

Kyaw, who is back with his family in another part of Myanmar, struggles to sleep and is receiving counselling after his ordeal. Little remains of his Meiktila school — just a few scorched books among the rubble.

Tunku Zain: ‘DAP’s Was Not The Only Offer I Received'

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 04:13 PM PDT

(Malaysian Digest) - In any government, in any debate, in any intellectual discourse, there will always be one side proposing and the other, opposing.

The most important and logical thing to understand is that there is no reason why peace and harmony cannot be attained whilst subscribing to the proposition-opposition method.

Advocating this idea in hopes to better Malaysia, is an individual who defies the general mindset that those of royal blood generally do not show interest in putting forward ideas of change.

Sitting with him over a cup of coffee, it is not difficult to see that this individual is a humble, intelligent and inspiring young man.

Having only just turned 31, Yang Amat Mulia Tunku Zain al-Abidin Tunku Muhriz is an old soul whose ideas and thoughts run deeper and wiser than most men his age.

He received his education at the famed London School of Economics and despite his age, he has served as a parliamentary researcher at England's House of Commons and also had a stint as a consultant at the World Bank.

To further defy the odds, at 31, Tunku Zain has three books published.

His latest book titled Roaming Beyond The Fence is not unlike his earlier book Abiding Times, although he says that this time the publishers convinced him to put a picture of himself on the cover.

"They think it would increase the sales," he said, laughing.

The book is a collection of his writings for a column he used to contribute for local English daily, The Star.

What can be said about the second son of Yang Di Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Tuanku Munawir and Tunku Ampuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Aishah Rohani Tengku Besar Mahmud is that he is somewhat of a 'change whisperer'.

Tunku Zain is one who realizes that the emergence of new politics in the country should be made as a ground for change towards a better Malaysia, instead of constant bickering between both sides of the political divide.

This is reflected in the force that powers IDEAS, the NGO he started with two other friends.

IDEAS or the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs was founded with Wan Saiful Wan Jan, a PAS member and Wan Firdaus Wan Mohd Fuaad, an Umno member.

The 'marriage' between the three to bring up IDEAS is inadvertently the same change Tunku Zain is hoping to see in Malaysia.

"Why can't different sides sit down and discuss solutions to issues that affect the society?" he said.

"People need to be taught that it is ok to disagree. The mindset that if you disagree, automatically you become a traitor, has to go," he added.

Tunku Zain spoke passionately about decentralization and how he believes that would be the way forward for our country, particularly in terms of giving more say to the rakyat.

However, he understands that the ideas proposed by think-tanks in general sometimes fail to reach the laymen, mainly because of the 'ivory tower' perception that comes attached with most think-tanks around the world.

This is where he comes in, advocating for press freedom, as well as encouraging think-tanks to use a more down-to-earth language.

"We do a lot of speaking engagements, particularly to students, to educate them about the ideas that we want to inculcate," he said.

Getting back to decentralization, Tunku Zain said that it is not easy putting forth the idea of giving more power to the states. He cited an example of the United States of America, where the states have more power compared to the states in Malaysia.

"What I do is ask the people if they are happy with the crime in their neighborhood, are they happy with the way rubbish is collected in their area. More often than not, the answer is no. That is where the idea of decentralization will appeal to them because the public will then have a bigger say in the things that affect them directly.

"The biggest issue is education. Parents are generally more concerned about education for their children. This is why decentralization should be the mechanism to accommodate their needs and want," he told mD.

"I'm not saying that we should decentralize the entire education curriculum. Subjects like history should be unified to maintain a similar understanding of the fight and struggle our nation has endured to get here.

"I understand that as a concept, decentralization might be lofty but if you link it to an issue that the public is interested in, then the message gets through very easily," he added.

"What we need to make people understand is that it is possible to decentralize a lot of things without compromising on national unity."

Decentralization, in the eyes of the Negeri Sembilan prince, may help to ease political parties into the realization that should they lose power over the federal government in the future, they will still be able to serve the rakyat through the states.

"What we need today are more moderate candidates in politics," he said.

While he may have a wide interest in writing about political matters, and in putting forth his ideas for a better Malaysia, Tunku Zain does not see himself becoming a politician.

When asked if he may want to start a new political party, Tunku Zain laughed and said that creating a new party in any country is not a small endeavor.

"It requires a huge logistics effort. It is much more feasible for people in the current political parties to steer the party towards the greater good. What we need is to exact change from within the parties to better themselves in hopes to better serve the country."

"I am actually a conservative," he told mD.

"I strongly believe in the institution, in Merdeka, and in constitutional monarchy. I am also a hardcore fan of Tunku Abdul Rahman and his 'perjuangan'."

"To me, overthrowing the system will not work, what is needed is rejuvenation. we should reignite the true spirit of merdeka. We need to go back to what merdeka is all about, the sheer essence of Tunku's fight," he added.

Perhaps that is why, Tunku Zain rejected the offer from Opposition party DAP to join them. The matter was brought to light several months ago by former DAP leader, Tunku Aziz, and created quite a stir, particularly because DAP was seen as gutsy enough to proposition a member of the royal family.

On that controversial matter, Tunku Zain smiled and said that the offer was not entirely 'weird'.

"I have conversations all the time with members of different parties. And this is not the first time someone offered me to join them. The only difference is that this time the offer was made public. What should have been a private conversation suddenly received limelight," he said.

"I never considered the offer and I had no intention of taking it up," he added.

"I can understand why Tunku Aziz was upset about the matter. I've known him for a long time, he's a family friend. Perhaps to him, it was wrong for DAP to approach me like that. I understand his point of view.

Moving away from the controversial DAP talk, Tunku Zain, who in some ways can be regarded as an idealist, is perhaps exactly what Malaysia needs more of today.

The young man opined that with regards to Malaysian politics, it is much more likely, and hopeful, that one of the parties today may evolve into a party that truly encapsulates the great Tunku's (Tunku Abdul Rahman) 'perjuangan'.

Before ending the interview, another question was posed, on whether he thinks the monarchy institution in Malaysia is still relevant today.

"Yes it is," he said, smiling.

Another question was thrown, is he saying that because he is a part of the royal institution?

Unfazed and without so much as a stutter, Tunku Zain responded with a firm and resounding 'No'.

"If you look at any of the indicators of the most democratic countries in the world, the most economically advanced countries, and the country with the most political freedom, they are countries of constitutional monarchy. For instance, Spain, Sweden and Japan. That is why, to say that monarchy is contradictory to political freedom is not true," he said ending the interview.

20 MCA leaders in hot water over GE13 sabotage

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 04:07 PM PDT

(TMI) - Some party insiders are said to be concerned that the hearing was a tactic to stop certain leaders from contesting in the upcoming party polls.

Some 20 MCA leaders are expected to be hauled up by the party's disciplinary committee over complaints of sabotage during the recent polls.

Though no names were revealed, committee chairman Tan Sri Michael Chen was quoted as saying that he hoped investigations into the alleged misconduct during the campaign period will be wrapped up soon.

It is reported that the list includes several division chiefs.

Some party insiders are said to be concerned that the hearing was a tactic to stop certain leaders from contesting in the upcoming party polls, as a guilty verdict could result in their membership being frozen, which would mean that they are not able to participate in party-related activities, including the party elections.

Authorities see red over Air Asia uniforms

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:59 PM PDT

(AsiaOne) - The maverick-owner of Asia's largest budget carrier got a dressing down on Tuesday by the country's Transport Ministry over the propriety - or the lack thereof - of the uniforms worn by his female flight attendants. And the Transport Ministry seems to want a cover-up, or at least a review of the airline's dress code.

All Air Asia female flight attendants, many of whom are Muslim-Malays, generally dress in bright red jackets over white blouses and slightly-above-the-knee skirts. It's the last item that seems to make the ministry see red. It told Parliament in a written reply on Tuesday that it would ask the budget carrier to reassess the uniforms to better "reflect the Malaysian culture".

The issue surfaced after a Kelantan lawmaker from the United Malays National Organisation, Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz, commented that the airline's uniforms were "sexy" and "did not reflect the national identity". He did not specify what the national identity was, or is. The MP then asked if dress code guidelines were imposed on an airline when its licence was issued.

"Airlines have to abide by the safety standards, among others, and comply with emergency evacuation in the allotted time, as set by the Civil Aviation Department and the International Civil Aviation Organisation," acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein said, seeming to skirt the issue.

"Airlines including AirAsia are free to choose their uniforms as long as it complies with the criteria set by the authorities." Again, he did not specify what the criteria is.

Separately, Mr Fernandes had to contend with more criticism against the chief executive of Air Asia X, the carrier's long haul sister airline. Bung Mokhtar Radin, a Sabah lawmaker, known for controversial statements, advised CEO Azran Osman Rani to leave the country for criticising Utusan Malaysia, an Umno-owned newspaper that's perceived as becoming increasingly anti-Chinese.

Proclaiming Mr Azran to be "an insolent Malay" to a packed House of Representatives, Mr Bung said Mr Azran should emigrate if he was not happy in Malaysia. The House was, however, spared a further tirade when Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia advised Mr Bung not to use his Parliamentary privileges to launch attacks on civilians and government officers who could not defend themselves.

Mr Bung's remarks show that Umno's members are still smarting over Mr Azran's criticism of Utusan as "racist". To recapitulate, the paper had gone on a rampage against Mr Azran after the latter was critical of the paper's extreme anti-Chinese views in the wake of the May 5 general elections which saw the community desert the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition in droves.

Since then, no one, not even the chief executive of CIMB Bank, Nazir Razak, has been spared. Without specifying the paper, Mr Nazir, younger brother of Prime Minister Najib Razak, had defended Mr Azran's "forthright views" as "the mark of a leader". Utusan, and several pro-Umno blogs, flayed him for those sentiments.

Mr Fernandes has chosen to remain silent. He did not respond to a query from BT.

Internet big boys take aim at Singapore's 'regressive' new rules

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:16 PM PDT

(fz.com) - Singapore's move to tighten regulation of news web sites, already under fire from bloggers and human rights groups, has attracted criticism from an unexpected quarter – large internet firms with a big presence in the city-state who say the new rules will hurt the industry.

Web giants Facebook Inc, eBay Inc, Google Inc and Yahoo! Inc have said the revised rules "have negatively impacted Singapore's global image as an open and business-friendly country".

The comments, made in a letter to Singapore's minister of communications and information by the Asia Internet Coalition, an industry body, are the first sign that Singapore's success in wooing major players to its shores is not assured. Google, eBay, Facebook and Yahoo all have a major presence in the city-state.

Google said separately it was concerned about the long-term implications of the regulation – especially for local internet entrepreneurs who it said now faced greater uncertainty and legal risk.

In late May Singapore said websites that regularly report on Singapore would have to be licensed and listed 10 news sites that would be affected, based on criteria such as having 50,000 unique visitors from Singapore each month.

Websites affected by the new licensing regime would have to put up a S$50,000 (RM124,561) performance bond as well as take down within 24 hours any story that authorities deemed objectionable.

"Singapore aims to be the future, but this regulation looks a lot like the past," Google's Ann Lavin, director of public policy and government affairs, Southeast Asia, told Reuters.

Najib’s pick for Tabung Haji boss draws flak

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:14 PM PDT

(TMI) - When filling in a position, the consideration should not be to compensate a politician who has not been given a Cabinet position or help him with a better income.

He should be celebrating his appointment as the chairman of one of Malaysia's most respected institutions but instead Datuk Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim (pic) has been on the receiving end of the 2 Rs: ridicule and rejection.

And most of the vitriol against the head of Umno's Putera club and the MP for Baling is coming from his own party.

In the eyes of Umno politicians, the choice by Prime Minister Najib Razak for chairman of Tabung Haji lacks the experience, wisdom, qualifications and does not have the standing to head an organisation which sits on a fund totaling RM35 billion.

And those are the more charitable comments for the 47-year-old grassroots politician who has a secondary school certificate and little by way of blue ribbon pedigree.

The more biting criticisms link his appointment to his cozy relationship with the First Family and as a payback for his ability to make embarrassing issues for the rich and powerful disappear.

In fact, his was the only name forwarded by the PM to Datuk Jamil Khir, the minister-in-charge of Islamic Affairs, to replace Tan Sri Abi Musa Mohamed.

Sources told The Malaysian Insider that among the names bandied about for the chairman's post was that of Tan Sri Ismail Omar, the recently retired Inspector-General of Police.

Azeez is aware of the groundswell against him and that he is not a popular choice. But he believes that he deserves a chance.

"I appeal to everyone to give me the opportunity to serve as the chairman of Tabung Haji before passing judgement. My focus will be to handle the welfare of the pilgrims," he told The Malaysian Insider.

He has also heard the sniping that he does not have the corporate background but is quick to point out that there are other directors on the board of Tabung Haji who are experienced in business.

"I believe that the direction Tabung Haji is taking in business is already well set.

"We have many high-calibre directors such as Datuk Othman Mahmood, who used to be the deputy secretary-general in the PM's Department. So in terms of business, I don't have to be too concerned," said Azeez.

"There are many complaints that people are waiting too long to perform their haj. I will look into this matter," said the politician, who has made a name for himself as an executor of outreach programmes, including sending aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

Najib's supporters defend Azeez's appointment, arguing that he has proven himself to be an effective leader on the ground, and that he has served as a director on the board of Tabung Haji.

The PM himself has stayed silent on the matter, knowing that the current mood in Umno is one of restlessness and unhappiness and that sentiment is rooted more in BN's performance in the elections and the less-than-stellar performance of the government since the May 5 elections.

The flak against Azeez's appointment is also an indication that the days of Najib getting a pass from his own party are over.

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:12 PM PDT

(The Malay Mail) - A "suggestion" was all that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak made when he "announced" plans to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 last year, Datuk Seri S. Subramaniam said today.

The health minister stressed that the Cabinet has yet to decide whether to abolish the colonial-era law that critics have denounced as a tool to silence political opponents and dissent.

"The prime minister (picture) has the right to make a suggestion," Subramaniam told reporters at the Parliament House here today.

"He has to bring it back to Cabinet," he added.

In July last year, the prime minister announced that the Sedition Act will be repealed but added that this would only be done once a replacement law — a National Harmony Act — is introduced in its place.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said yesterday, however, that Putrajaya was merely looking at amending the Sedition Act, instead of abolishing it.

But Tourism and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz separately said the exact opposite yesterday, insisting that the federal government is committed to repealing the Sedition Act.

Najib told British broadcaster BBC in London on July 2 that the law was only applied on individuals who were undermining Malaysia's security, saying: "We will amend the Act but we want to keep Malaysia peaceful and harmonious."

Subramaniam said today that whether the Sedition Act is amended or replaced with another law, freedom of speech needed to be balanced with maintaining national security.

"We have to give enough space for people to freely express their opinions," said the MIC deputy president. "That will be maintained together with ensuring national security."

In October, Nazri, who was then the de facto law minister, said the proposed National Harmony Act will keep the main elements of the Sedition Act, but will have the additional element of allowing for criticism of the government. He added it would happen this year.

But the authorities' decision to charge PKR's Tian Chua along with activists Haris Ibrahim, Adam Adli and Safwan Anang last month with the Act has renewed questions over the government's sincerity to do away with the controversial law.

Opposition lawmakers argue that prosecution under the Sedition Act should not be pursued given Najib's announcement.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar has filed a Private Member's Bill in Parliament in a bid to hasten the abolition of the law.

Ahmad Zahid stressed yesterday that the Sedition Act is necessary to ensure that nobody can question the four issues embedded in the Federal Constitution — on the position of Islam as the official religion, Malay as the national language, special rights of the Bumiputeras, and the position of the Malay kings.

Ahmad Zahid has been seen as a strong advocate of preventive detention laws, which the Najib administration has slowly begun to remove as part of its reform measures.

Najib was seen to initiate a raft of legal reforms after taking office in April 2009, introducing a law that allowed peaceful assemblies in public and abolishing the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Emergency Ordinance (EO), both which allowed for detentions without trial.

Muslim Brotherhood says 34 supporters killed

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 02:57 PM PDT

(Reuters) - A spokesman for Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood said 34 of its supporters were killed today when they were fired upon at a sit-in outside the military facility where toppled President Mohamed Mursi is being held.

Reuters could not immediately verify the toll.

Murad Ali of the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party said that shooting broke out in the early morning while Islamists staged a sit-in outside the Republican Guard barracks.

16 Egypt coup protesters shot dead in Cairo

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 02:46 PM PDT

(AFP) - Sixteen activists were shot dead early on Monday during a protest outside a key Cairo army headquarters calling for ousted president Mohamed Mursi to be reinstated, his Muslim Brotherhood said.

"Sixteen people were killed and 100 others injured, many of them in serious condition," the group's spokesman Ahmed Aref told AFP.
Police barricades prevented journalists from accessing the area around the elite Republican Guards base.

Demonstrators told AFP that troops and police had fired tear gas canisters and bullets into the air to disperse the protesters.

"They wanted to disperse the protesters," who were determined to stage an indefinite sit-in, the protester said.

Another protester, Mahmud al-Shilli confirmed that security forces fired into the air, adding that a group of men in civilian clothing had attacked the protesters.

"The Republican Guard fired tear gas but the thugs came from the side. We were the target," Shilli told AFP.

Earlier, demonstrators told AFP by telephone that troops and police had fired tear gas canisters and live rounds in a bid to disperse them.

"I saw with my own eyes the people who they shot at," one protester said, adding that several people had been injured.

On Friday at the same spot, four people were shot dead by soldiers.

Supporters of Mursi's Brotherhood have mobilised in large numbers in different parts of Cairo in recent days, vowing to defend Mursi, who was ousted by the military on Wednesday after mass protests calling for him to be removed from power.

Mursi was Egypt's first freely elected president but lasted just a year in power.

Two more die in Saudi Arabia from MERS coronavirus

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 02:36 PM PDT

(Reuters) - Two more people have died of the SARS-like coronavirus MERS, Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry said, bringing to 38 the number of deaths from the disease inside the country shortly before Islam's Ramadan fast when many pilgrims visit.

A two-year-old child died in Jeddah and a 53-year-old man died in Eastern Province, where the outbreak has been concentrated, the ministry said late on Saturday in a statement on its website. Four people have died outside the kingdom.

The ministry said another three people had been confirmed as being infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), bringing the total number of confirmed cases inside the kingdom to 65 since it was identified a year ago.

On Friday the World Health Organization said MERS, which can cause fever, coughing and pneumonia, had not yet reached pandemic potential and may simply die out.

Ramadan, Islam's fasting month, is expected to start in Saudi Arabia today night and is traditionally a time when hundreds of thousands of Muslims come to Mecca for umrah, a pilgrimage that can be carried out at any time of year.

Millions are also expected to travel to Mecca for the main pilgrimage, haj, that will take place in October, although the authorities have cut the number of visas this year, citing safety concerns over expansion work at the main mosque site.

WHO experts said last month that countries at risk from MERS should put in place plans for handling mass gatherings but has stopped short of recommending restrictions on travel.

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Something to think about
Custodial deaths a national shame
Living in fear of being the next victim
Climate effects already upon us

Something to think about

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:38 PM PDT

To understand Malaysia in its entirety is to realise and accept that the majority of Malaysians are the Bumiputeras ("The Princes of the Earth"), and that the Malays make up the majority of the Bumis. Our constitution has deemed that all ethnic Malays are of Muslim. And yet these basic facts are the source of contention, even among Malay academia and intelligentsia.

Dina Zaman The Malay Mail Online

The dust has somewhat settled since the Malaysian general election came to pass. News is lively — every week, non-mainstream media picks up on the latest fiasco related to the elections. This week, the Election Commission admitted in Parliament that food colouring was used during the elections, and not indelible ink. The Blackout 505 rallies have been organised almost consistently by opposition political parties, and their supporters, in protest of the elections and how they were conducted.

One cannot deny that with all things, especially politics, there is much gossip and rumour mongering. Malaysia is famed not just for its shadow puppet play theatre; similarly, much of her politics can be attributed to "wayang kulit" performances.

What is the future of Malaysia May 2013 onwards, and how does this future impact on race and religious relations of the country? What created the DNA of our current politics that has led to a division of loyalty among Malaysians?

A brief history of Malaysia, ethnicity and religion

There are a few matters to consider, that has led to Malaysia questioning her identity:

1. Christopher Rodney Yeoh stated in his paper on pluralism in Malaysia that Malaysia's official religion is Islam, but it is not an Islamic state. "... despite the Muslim majority, Malaysia is not an Islamic state. Instead, Malaysia is considered to be a 'Malay-dominated plural society' and the freedom of practising other religions is granted to everyone (Shamsul 1998, p.29). This conception of Malay hegemonic rule is a result of the political bargaining between the major ethnic political groups of Malaysia, Umno (United Malays National Organisation), MCA (Malaysian Chinese Association) and MIC (Malaysian Indian Congress) during the formation of post-colonial Malaysia (at that time called Malaya) in 1957. As a result of the bargaining, non-Malay ethnic groups such as the Chinese and Indians were granted citizenship and their 'legitimate interests (economic rights), their rights of citizenship…and residence as well as their…freedom to preserve, practice and propagate their religion, culture and language' were recognised" (Ibrahim, p.128).

2. In return, Malays "retained their major symbols of their nation, that is, their Sultans, their special position, their language (as the official language), and their religion (Islam as their religion)" (Ibrahim, p.128). In addition, special rights were granted to protect the Malays. This is enshrined in the controversial and often quoted Article 153 in the constitution of Malaysia. According to this article, those who "profess the religion of Islam, habitually speak the Malay language, and conform to Malay customs" are entitled for special reservation of quotas in three specific areas: public services, education, and business licences, without harming the rights of other ethnic groups. Thus it is important to emphasise that Malaysia is founded "not on individual rights but on what political theorists have come to refer to as 'ethnically differentiated citizenship'" (Hefner 2001, p.29).

Zainah Anwar, founder of Sisters in Islam, feminist and columnist, in her column for The Star dated August 1, 2010, stated that political power would always remain in Malay hands. "The Malays make up the majority of the country's 28 million population and the percentage will only increase substantially over the coming decades given their higher birth rate."

"Political power remains in Malay hands. In spite of the Umno losses in 2008, Malay members of Parliament actually increased from 123 in 2004 to 130 in 2008, while Chinese representation decreased from 61 to 53. Umno still received the highest number of votes among all the parties in the 2008 elections, at 2,381,725 votes, almost 30 per cent of the total votes cast."

"Together with PAS, which obtained 1,140,676 votes, these two Malay parties garnered 44.3 per cent of the total popular votes. This is not counting PKR, a multi-racial party with a Malay base, which garnered 1.5 million votes. Compare this to DAP's 1.1 million, MCA's 840,489 and MIC's 179,422."

However at one point in time, the Malays were a minority in their own country.

Hussin Mutalib wrote in his book "Islam and Ethnicity in Malay Politics" that the religious psychology and infrastructure were decided upon by the British rule, even though the Malays had a tradition of Islamic education from before their arrival. The British were not unsympathetic towards the Malays deep-seated faith in Islam, but they were instrumental in dividing the classes via education. "One of the main outcomes of British rule in Malaya was the emergence of a 'plural society', the result of non-Malays... the Chinese and Indians, being brought into Malaya in large numbers." The immigrant groups were consciously not integrated into Malay society, as they were there for a purpose: to serve the British economic interests.

"In the twentieth century, for the first time, the Malays found themselves outnumbered by an 'open-door' immigration policy. In the 1921 census, Malays became a minority in their own country, constituting less than half of the total (Mills, 1942: 25; Sabarudin Cik, 1978)." (pg 15)

With a rising immigration population due to current labour policies and development, as well as expatriate packages that welcome permanent residences for well-heeled foreigners, outflow of Malaysian talent to foreign countries, and with an election outcome whereby the Chinese vote has shaken the current establishment, is the fear of becoming a minority (Malays) a possible materialisation?

Custodial deaths a national shame

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:30 PM PDT

Justice served: Kugan's mother Indra Nalathamby leaving the court. Kugan's family was awarded RM751,709 in damages and another RM50,000 in costs.

Our enforcement officers must appreciate, if not be made to appreciate, that it is the cornerstone of our criminal justice system that a person, including a suspect, is innocent until proven guilty.

Roger Tan, The Star

ON June 28, Justice Datuk V.T. Singham indeed retired with a bang! Two days before his retirement, he awarded RM751,709 in damages and another RM50,000 in costs to the family of Kugan Ananthan who died while in police custody on Jan 20, 2009.

Singham held that the then Selangor police chief Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, now the Inspector-General of Police, had committed misfeasance in public office.

In delivering his judgment, he also reportedly urged the government to urgently set up the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as recommended by the 2005 Royal Commission to enhance the operation and management of the Royal Malaysia Police (RCI).

However, at the time of writing this piece, his written judgment is still not available. In any event, the government and the IGP are expected to appeal against his decision.

This reminds me of the case of Mohd Anuar Sharip who vomited blood, collapsed and died in a police cell on Aug 19, 1999. In June, 2010, Justice Lee Swee Seng awarded about RM1.6mil in damages to his widow, Suzana Mohamad Aris. However, Lee's decision was subsequently reversed by the Court of Appeal. In October 2010, Suzana failed to obtain leave from the Federal Court to appeal against the decision of the Court of Appeal.

But it is worthy to reiterate Lee's words when he handed down his judgment: "Let the message go forth from this place that any more deaths in police custody would be one too many! Those with power to arrest and detain must ensure that the basic human rights (sic) of a detainee to seek medical treatment while in custody, is immediately attended to. There should be no more wanton and wasted loss of life in police custody for every life is precious … The safest place to be in should not by default be turned into the most dangerous place to be taken to."

This is in line with the oft-quoted words of Lord Bingham of Cornhill in the decision of the House of Lords in Amin, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department, 2003. In this case, a young offender was murdered by his cell-mate due to the latter's racial antipathy against the victim. Lord Bingham said: "This means that a state must not unlawfully take life and must take appropriate legislative and administrative steps to protect it. But the duty does not stop there. The state owes a particular duty to those involuntarily in its custody ... Such persons must be protected against violence or abuse at the hands of state agents. They must be protected against self-harm. Reasonable care must be taken to safeguard their lives and persons against the risk of avoidable harm ... But in any case where a death has occurred in custody, it is not a minor or unimportant duty. In this country ... effect has been given to that duty for centuries by requiring such deaths to be publicly investigated before an independent judicial tribunal with an opportunity for relatives of the deceased to participate. The purposes of such an investigation are clear: to ensure so far as possible that the full facts are brought to light; that culpable and discreditable conduct is exposed and brought to public notice; that suspicion of deliberate wrongdoing (if unjustified) is allayed; that dangerous practices and procedures are rectified; and that those who have lost their relative may at least have the satisfaction of knowing that lessons learned from his death may save the lives of others."

Last month, Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi revealed that there were 231 custodial deaths between 2000 until May 2013. Of these, Zahid said only two cases involved foul play and they are understood to be that of Kugan in 2009 and, recently, N. Dharmendran. He went on to say that the allegation that there were many custodial deaths, and that it was racially motivated, was merely a perception.

If this is the case, then indeed the government and the police are suffering from a serious perception problem. In the first place, no inquest was held for every custodial death when an inquest is mandatory for every death in police custody under section 334 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC). The RCI Report noted that out of 80 custodial deaths between January 2000 and December 2004, inquests were held for only six of these deaths.

Further, the Enforcement Agency Integrity Commission (EAIC) too is suffering from the perception problem. In fact, I respectfully disagree with Singham weighing in judicially on the ongoing debate to support the inception of IPCMC when the executive branch of the government was in favour of EAIC and the Opposition, the IPCMC. But EAIC by its own volition had also just shot at its own foot by appointing former Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Jamil Johari and former Bar Council chairman Lim Chee Wee as its consultants to a task force set up to investigate custodial deaths.

Firstly, no police personnel, whether current or former, should even be involved in any investigation into custodial deaths if EAIC is to be perceived as independent. This is particularly so when it involved Dharmendran and R. James Ramesh who died in police custody in order to counter allegations of police prevarications. Secondly, Lim may be a former president of the Malaysian Bar, but according to EAIC website, one of its Commission members, Vinayak Prabhakar Pradhan, is also his partner in their law firm, Skrine. If EAIC were a local authority, it would have expressly infringed provisions of the Local Government Act, 1976.

Be that as it may, it is sad to see that even at its infancy stage, EAIC fails when it should have zealously espoused and embraced for its own survival the fundamental values of independence, integrity, transparency and good governance required of an enforcement body such as EAIC.

Having said that, I do welcome the government's announcement to establish a permanent coroner's court to deal with custodial deaths. But it will still be a waste of time if the enabling law does not provide, for example, the following:

> A coroner should not be a junior judicial officer such as a magistrate. He should be at least either a senior Sessions Court judge or a High Court judge depending on the severity of the case.

> The process should be adversarial and not inquisitorial in nature. Relatives of the deceased should be made a party to the proceedings with a right to call and cross-examine witnesses.

> The various inhibitions to early disclosure of documents and information should be removed as currently there are just too many excuses and exceptions for important materials to be kept secret.

> Section 112 of CPC, which currently allows a witness to refuse to answer any questions which may incriminate him, should be dispensed with. In other words, all police officers and any persons who appear in the Coroner's Court are compelled to give evidence and they cannot claim this privilege against self-incrimination. However, any such self-incriminating evidence can be rendered not admissible in any subsequent criminal proceedings filed against them.

In conclusion, I cannot emphasise enough that there can be no public confidence in the system if there continues to be government inaction and a culture of impunity when it comes to dealing with custodial deaths. A Malaysian's right to life is enshrined in Article 5 of the Federal Constitution, and it is incumbent upon our law enforcement officers to uphold this. Custodial deaths are, therefore, unacceptable and inexcusable in a civilised society. Our enforcement officers must appreciate, if not be made to appreciate, that it is the cornerstone of our criminal justice system that a person, including a suspect, is innocent until proven guilty. This principle not only protects those suspects who are under their care, but also those police officers who are suspected of police brutality. But that does not mean that those who have already been convicted and are in the prison should be treated otherwise than what Lord Bingham has elucidated above.

It follows the government must urgently either overhaul EAIC or establish an independent police oversight body such as IPCMC with powers as suggested in the RCI's Report. Do not drag any more. The reason is simple. This culture of impunity must not be perpetuated. It must be immediately discarded for the sake of our future generations. Otherwise, it remains a national shame.

Hence, it is apposite to remind the government what the RCI said on page 122 of its report: "Of growing concern around the world is the 'culture of impunity' within police forces and the PDRM is not exempted ... culture of impunity feeds on itself. When officers act in contravention of laws and regulations without fear of investigation or reprimand, the culture of impunity begins to develop. Each wrongdoing that is not investigated or punished or is supported by higher ranks within the police leadership leads to the perception that such misconduct is permissible. As each new generation of officers observes and learns from their superiors, the culture becomes embedded in all the ranks of the PDRM."

The writer, a senior lawyer, is a former Malaysian Bar councillor.

Living in fear of being the next victim

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:23 PM PDT

Crime is happening everywhere, even at the doorsteps of victims, that one cannot help but wonder when he or she will be next on the list.

There are so many opportunities for me to get robbed – when I get out of the car to open the gate, when I'm unlocking the gate, when I get out of the car after I have parked it in the garage, when I'm locking the gate and when I'm unloading stuff from the car, even after I've locked the gate.

Philip Golingai, The Star

HOW many of you cheered when you read that a Tan Sri had gunned down a robber? I did.

Last Thursday, three armed men held up a private clinic in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur, at 10pm.

"Everyone was shocked when the three men burst in.

"They were carrying knives and a parang and held it at people's necks, shouting 'kasi wang! (give money)'," said Litya Gunasegaran, a 24-year-old nurse.

"One of them just snatched my necklace and went to another person."

The robbers grabbed cash and valuables from the doctor and his staff before turning their attention on the patients.

One of them was Pahang Chinese Chamber of Commerce chairman Tan Sri Lam Kam Sang.

The 68-year-old businessman and Raub MCA division chief was in the clinic because he was unwell after dinner.

The Tan Sri was armed with an automatic pistol.

With his finger on the trigger of his Glock 9mm, Lam warned the robbers he would shoot if they did not leave.

Instead, they lunged at him.

One of the robbers slashed him with a parang and Lam sustained slight abrasions on his abdomen. The Tan Sri then fired multiple shots.

The robbers fled the clinic.

One of them was found dead about 30m away with gunshot wounds on his knee, abdomen and buttocks.

Police recovered a knife and a Nissan car outside the clinic.

"The car was stolen during another robbery at a clinic in Kajang on Wednesday," said Cheras OCPD Asst Comm Mohan Singh.

Lam has no regrets shooting the robber dead.

"He was very aggressive and threatened my life.

"I pumped three shots into him after he tried to slash me a second time.

"If I did not have my gun, it could have been me who would be dead," he said.

I salute the Tan Sri.

I hope with the death of one of their comrades, the robbers would think twice before they go on their crime spree.

If I had a Glock 9mm and my hands were not trembling with fear, I would have shot the robbers, too.

I had the same thought when I watched a video clip sent to me via Whatsapp by my Twitter friend @kcl1308.

In that clip taken from a CCTV, you can see the automatic house gate opening and a dark-coloured luxury car entering the garage.

While the car was entering, two men in a motorcycle passed by.

As the automatic gate was closing, one of the men wearing a helmet ran into the house.

He whacked the front passenger window with what looked like an iron rod while the motorcyclist waited in front of the house.

He, however, could not break the window and the driver of the luxury car reversed his or her vehicle.

As the car was reversing, the man ran to the driver's side and tried to smash the window with his iron rod. He then jumped onto the motorcycle and he and his accomplice sped off.

If he or she wanted to, the owner of the luxury car could have rammed the robbers.

But he or she didn't.

I told myself, if it was me – in the heat of the moment – I would have tried to run down the robber.

But when I thought about it, probably it would not be a good idea as what if the (injured) robber returned to seek revenge.

I was filled with fear and loathing when I watched the video clip.

It reminded of a recent robbery involving my 29-year-old sister's best friend in Kota Kinabalu.

The modus operandi was the same – robbers entering a house while the automatic gate was opening.

The robbery drives the point home that we are no longer safe – even in our house.

I have heard enough horror stories of daylight robberies happening in my neighbourhood that I am quite fearful whenever I get out of my car at my house.

My only game plan if I'm about to be robbed is to press my car alarm button.

But from my conversations with robbery victims, I don't think I would dare press that button.

Probably, when parang-wielding men run towards me, I would freeze.

Even if I did press my car alarm button, what could happen?

Probably, my neighbours would think it was just another car alarm going off.

Or even if they rushed out of their house, the robbers would have escaped by then.

I have a feeling that it is just a matter of time before I become a crime statistic. Or is it all in my mind?

Climate effects already upon us

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:14 PM PDT

A report last week shows that the climate crisis is already increasing with extreme weather incurring thousands of deaths. Countries need to prepare for the worst with adaptation plans.

Martin Khor, The Star

THE world is facing weather extremes and it's time for countries to act and adapt to the changes. Two events last week sent out similar messages.

Most of the debate on climate change has been on mitigation, or how to prevent further global warming by curbing emissions.

But the spotlight should be on adaptation – how to cope with the effects of climate change. Because whatever we do to curb emissions (and not enough is being done), the impacts are already upon us.

The World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) released its report last week, aptly titled The Global Climate 2001-2010: A Decade of Climate Extremes.

It reported that the decade was the warmest in the world for both land and ocean surface temperatures.

The report is full of information on data showing how the rate of increase in global warming between 1991-2000 and 2001-2010 was unprecedented.

Every year of the decade except 2008 was among the 10 warmest years on record.

The average land and ocean surface temperature for 2001-2010 was estimated to be 14.47°C, or 0.47°C above the 1961–1990 global average and 0.21°C above the 1991–2000 global average.

The report also documented the recent effects that climate change have had, showing the crisis of adaptation is already with us.

First, there has been a rapid decline in Arctic sea ice and accelerating loss of net mass from the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets and from the world's glaciers.

As a result, global mean sea levels rose about 3mm per year, about double the observed 20th century trend of 1.6mm per year. Global sea level averaged over the decade was about 20cm higher than that of 1880.

Second is the increase in rainfall and floods. The 2001-2010 decade was the second wettest since 1901. Globally, 2010 was the wettest year since records were kept.

Most parts of the world had above-normal precipitation during the decade.

The eastern United States, northern and eastern Canada and many parts of Europe and central Asia were particularly wet.

Floods were the most frequent extreme event of the decade. Eastern Europe was particularly affected in 2001 and 2005, India in 2005, Africa in 2008, Asia (notably Pakistan, where 2,000 people died and 20 million were affected) in 2010 and Australia, also in 2010.

Third, droughts occurred in all parts of the world.

Among the worst hit were Australia (2002 and other years), East Africa (2004 and 2005) and the Amazon Basin (2010) with negative environmental impact.

Fourth, the decade saw 511 tropical cyclone-related events which resulted in nearly 170,000 deaths, over 250 million people reportedly affected and economic damages worth US$380bil (RM1.21 trillion) was recorded.

Fifth, there was tremendous increase of over 2,000% in deaths from heatwaves, from less than 6,000 in 1991-2000 to 136,000 in 2001-2010.

This was mainly due to the heatwaves that hit Europe (2003) and Russia (2010).

Sixth, more than 370,000 people died in 2001-2010 due to extreme weather and climate conditions including heatwaves, cold spells, drought, storms and floods, according to the data by the Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters (CRED). This was 20% higher than 1991-2000.

The average population exposed to flooding every year increased by 114% globally between 1970 and 2010, a period in which the world's population increased by 87% from 3.7 billion to 6.9 billion. The number of people exposed to severe storms almost tripled in cyclone-prone areas, increasing by 192% in the same period.

Can all extreme weather events be attributed to climate change?

Though there is no certainty and each case has to be taken on its own, many scientists conclude that the likelihood of many events was probably substantially increased by rising global temperatures.

I was also in Beijing last week for an international conference on adaptation, organised by China's National Development and Reform Commission with the British and Swiss aid agencies.

We were treated to presentations by Chinese scientists and policy makers on how climate change has been affecting local communities in several provinces in terms of rain, water supply, drought and rise in sea levels.

A four-year project run by the three agencies helped the development of scientific research, policy coordination among government agencies and the communities to adapt to climate change.

This was in the area of facing up to water shortages, flooding, development of drought-resistant and flood-resistant crops, health and infrastructure to cope with flooding and other weather events.

Policy makers and NGOs from other countries in Asia, Africa and Latin American also shared their adaptation experiences.

Some of them, including Kenya, Mauritius and China itself, have prepared national adaptation plans, covering various regions and sectors in their countries.

Formulating a national adaptation strategy is already an achievement as it requires scientific knowledge of local conditions in different regions in the country, projecting the effects of climate change under various scenarios, and mapping out solutions and costs.

Given the WMO report of more extreme weather events to come, each country should prepare itself, and try to get their plans implemented.

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Rafizi dakwa SPR belanja hampir RM500 juta pada PRU13

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 02:52 PM PDT

Pada sidang media di lobi Parlimen, beliau berkata, ia dibuktikan apabila SPR memohon peruntukan tambahan dalam Rang Undang-Undang Perbekalan yang dibawa ke Parlimen hari ini dengan tambahan RM60 juta.

Pengarah Strategi PKR itu berkata, peruntukan tambahan itu bagi menampung urusan kos perbelanjaan persediaan awal yang digunakan pada 2012 sebelum PRU13.

Beliau berkata, SPR diberi peruntukan RM45 juta tetapi memerlukan tambahan RM360 juta sebelum ini.

"Berkemungkinan mereka jangka PRU13 berlangsung pada 2012 tetapi sebaliknya 2013. Ini tambahan lagi RM60 juta, kalau tidak digunakan mengapa perlukan tambahan kewangan?" katanya yang menggesa SPR mengemukakan butiran perbelanjaan untuk semua jumlah peruntukan itu.

"Jumlahnya RM465 juta. Kita akan terus tanya di Dewan. Setakat ini jawapan disediakan SPR. Mereka tidak sediakan pecahan," katanya, menambah 'permohonan peruntukan tambahan' dibuat selepas ia digunakan.

Sebelum ini, Timbalan Pengerusi SPR, Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar, berkata kepada Bernama jumlah sebenar perbelanjaan PRU13 hanya diketahui apabila akaun perbelanjaan pilihan raya ditutup memandangkan bayaran masih dilakukan pejabat SPR negeri.

"Dalam soal bajet, kita telus kerana perbendaharaan akan pastikan setiap kos pada PRU disertai dengan butiran dan akhirnya diperiksa dan diaudit.

"Berdasarkan pengalaman, selalunya tidak melebihi jumlah besar atau jumlah siling yang diluluskan. Dasar SPR ketika meminta peruntukan, kita tidak mahu apabila sampai setengah jalan, bajet tak cukup.

Jadi kita membuat permintaan untuk jumlah atau anggaran besar," katanya. - 8 Julai, 2013.

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 02:29 PM PDT

Tiga rang undang-undang itu ialah Rang Undang-undang Pentadbiran Agama Islam (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 2013, Rang Undang-undang Tatacara Mal Mahkamah Syariah (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) (Pindaan) 2013 dan Rang Undang-undang Tatacara Jenayah Syariah (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) (Pindaan) 2013.

Usul itu dibentangkan oleh Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom di hadapan Timbalan Yang Dipertua Dewan Rakyat Datuk Ismail Mohamed Said.

Pada Jumaat lepas, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengumumkan Jemaah Menteri bersetuju untuk menarik balik Rang Undang-Undang Pentadbiran Agama Islam (Wilayah-Wilayah Persekutuan) 2013.

Rang Undang-Rang tersebut dibentangkan untuk bacaan kali pertama di Dewan Rakyat pada 26 Jun lepas oleh Jamil Khir.

Muhyiddin berkata isu status agama anak dalam kes ibu atau bapa memeluk agama Islam telah dibincangkan secara mendalam oleh Kabinet dengan mengambil kira pandangan dan kebimbangan pelbagai pihak termasuk parti komponen Barisan Nasional.

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On Being Raped

Posted: 07 Jul 2013 03:19 PM PDT

Not once did you ever visit the games village to check on the security situation. We hope that you will do the right thing and resign and take full responsibility for what has happened.

Kamariah Mohd

Dear YBhg. Dato' Seri Zolkples Embong, Ketua Pengarah, Majlis Sukan Malaysia

It is with regret and deep shame that I am writing this to you. This morning, the newspapers were splashed with the news that one of the "female" participants was brutally raped by three boys in her dormitory.

It was also most shameful to hear you say that the "security situation" at the games village was extremely tight, with guards constantly making rounds.

If what you say is true, then how did three boys enter the dormitory of the female victim at her most vulnerable time and commit the most heinous crime to her?

For your information, there was hardly any security at the games village. Anybody could enter the games village at whatever time they wanted; boys, men, all had free reign of the girls dormitory. We can only imagine the "horror" of what has been happening and had happened.

Do you know the grief, pain, suffering, shame of a girl who has been raped? Do you know how humiliating it is to make a police report that you had been raped? She carries it with her for the rest of her life. She wakes up screaming in the middle of the night because the "nightmare" never lets go of her.

It took great courage for the victim to report the crime done to her but you just brushed off all responsibility by hiding behind the new Youth & Sports Minister and pretending that all was OK at the games village.

Not once did you ever visit the games village to check on the security situation. We hope that you will do the right thing and resign and take full responsibility for what has happened.

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

NSC leaves investigation into Sukma rape case to Police

(The Malaysian Times) - The National Sports Council (NSC), as organiser of the Malaysia Games (Sukma) 2013, will leave investigation into an alleged rape reported during the event, to the police.

NSC director-general Datuk Seri Zolkples Embong said he ws only informed of the matter this morning.

"According to reports (in a local daily), it's become a police case so I'll leave it to the police.

"It is the first such case to be reported in Sukma and has interrupted the flow of the event this time," said Zolkples, who is also 2013 Sukma Managing Committee chairman, during a news conference at the Sukma Main Media Centre in the NSC here today.

Media reports stated that a handball athlete participating in Sukma had lodged a police report, alleging she was raped by a group of male athletes at the sports village in Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) last Wednesday.

According to the report, the 19-year-old said she was unconscious when the men took turns raping her. Prior to the incident, she was reportedly drinking with several male handball athletes at a basketball court.

Zolkples said he would contact the contingent on the matter.

"There was an offence and we (NSC) will get to the bottom of it, with the Federal Territory contingent.

"This can happen anywhere. In terms of safety, we have the cooperation of the police, and UPM has also increased the number of safety officers to monitor the sports village," he said.

Zolkples said security guards on duty monitored the area in the sports village but did not check every room.

"We have almost 4,000 athletes staying at the sports village, it's difficult to check each room. We also separate the blocks, according to gender, for safety purposes," he said.

ARRESTED

Meanwhile Star Online reported Three handball players, aged between 18 and 19, have been arrested in connection with the rape of a fellow teammate from the women's squad.

The three teenagers were picked up a day after the victim lodged a police report on Wednesday.

Serdang deputy OCPD Supt Lam Chin Fei said the three boys have been remanded till July 11 to facilitate investigations.

"We have classified the case under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape.

"They could face a maximum 20-year jail term and whipping if convicted," he said.

The 19-year-old girl, who was taking part in the ongoing Malaysia Games (Sukma), alleged that she was raped at the sports village at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) on July 3.

The girl claimed to have gone out for drinks with several of her teammates the night the alleged rape took place.

The next thing she realised was that she was naked and pinned down by a man at around 4am.

She claimed that she was in a semiconscious state when the three teenagers took turns to rape her.

DSP Lam urged anyone with information on the case to contact the police hotline at 03-2052 9999 or visit the nearest police station.

Meanwhile, Bernama reported that Police are investigating the rape allegations and are viewing the case seriously as it involved the country's sports image and crime among athletes, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

"This is a very serious report. We will carry out a thorough investigation," he said.

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Ahad, 7 Julai 2013

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Be, and it shall be

Posted: 06 Jul 2013 07:09 PM PDT

I, however, look at this from a very different perspective. Yes, Islam says that all God has to do is say 'be' and so it shall be. However, life is more complicating than that and God does not 'rule' this world by just clicking His fingers for things to happen.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest so let us take a break today and not talk about politics.

About 11 years ago, back in 2002, I was commissioned to write a book on the lectures by Dr. Tareq Mohammed Al-Suwaidan (photograph below). The lectures were in Arabic and the transcripts of these lectures were translated into English. From these transcripts I was commissioned to write the book called 'Stories of the Prophets'.

(See more details below).

It took a while to complete the book because the Arabic-to-English translation was quite literal and sometimes translations do not work that way. Hence I had to 'decipher' some of the sentences and this involved a lot of research and cross-references. I practically had to do a lot of reading on the Qur'an and the Hadith to get to the bottom of what Dr. Tareq was trying to say (or least what the translator was saying that Dr. Tareq said).

I won't claim that that exercise turned me into an expert on Islam, the Qur'an or the Hadith (or else that would make me an ulama' -- which would upset many people if I make that claim). Nevertheless it did force me to read and research and acquire a better understanding about the subject that I was writing about. I mean you cannot write a book about a certain matter and not grasp a deep understanding of the subject matter.

Anyway, today (other than to impress you with the fact that I have 'ghost-written' a book on Islam and the stories of the Prophets as revealed in the Qur'an) I want to discuss a small extract from that book, which you can read below. And that is the subject of all God has to do is say 'be' and so it shall be.

To the 'layman' Muslim, which means the majority of the Muslims, all God has to do is to click His fingers (assuming, in the first place, God has fingers) and it will happen. And that is all it takes for something to happen.

Things happen, not only for a reason, but also because of an earlier event or action. Hence, if you understand Islam (or any religion for that matter), you will understand the compatibility between religion and science. Hence, also, to argue that religion is incompatible with science is a misunderstanding of how things work.

I am not trying to sound like a philosopher or am trying to present myself as one. However, if we were to ponder on religion and science and ponder on the issue of our existence, you will come to a conclusion that God did not just say 'be' and we came into being. There are so many factors and events that influence and decide on whether we exist or do not exist.

Theologians and philosophers from the beginning of time have asked that very thought-provoking question with the most elusive answer: why are we here and what is the purpose of why we are here? I doubt we can answer that question so we can skip that question and go to another question that I always ask: did I almost not get here?

Did God just say 'be' and I came into being? Maybe when it involves the creation of the universe that may have been so. God said 'be' and the 'Big Bang' happened and, lo and behold, the universe was created -- and eventually we also came into being.

However, from that point of time to the day of my birth at midnight on the 27th of September 1950, other things happened that resulted in me being born. So it was not just a case of God saying 'be' and I got born. More importantly, if some other things did not happen that would have meant I would never have been born and you would not be reading this today.

So, was I created by God or was I created by certain events in history? Hence, did God have a hand in my creation or did history create me?

No, I am not trying to be blasphemous and say that God did not have a hand in why I am here. That would be a layman's way of looking at what they think I am trying to say. I am saying that if certain events did not happen back in time then I would not be here today because without these events it would not been possible for me to be born. And I am not just talking about my father and mother doing something that made it possible for me to be born. It is more complex than that.

So, if you were to ask me who then is responsible for my birth, I would most likely reply it was Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael.

Ah, now I can see some of you getting very confused. Who the hell is Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael and how come he is responsible for my birth?

Okay, Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael (photograph above) was the British Colonial administrator who coaxed the Malay Rulers to agree to the formation of the Malayan Union. When the Malays realised that the Rulers had been tricked into agreeing to the Malayan Union, they rose up in protest and demonstrated outside the Majestic Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. This event also triggered the formation of Umno, a movement that was initially set up to oppose the Malayan Union.

The British suddenly realised that the Malays were not really as docile as they had thought. For hundreds of years the Malays accepted any colonial master that wanted to rule over them. Now, suddenly, they rose up in protest, a shocking thing to happen at that time.

The British soon got cold feet and after two years the Malayan Union was aborted in favour of the Federation of Malaya. The British also realised that a sort of independence movement had emerged and soon enough they would need to talk about independence for Malaya.

It is not that that thought had not entered the minds of the British. Around 40 years before that the British had realised that come one day they would have to grant independence to the country. And that was why they set up schools like the Malay College Kuala Kangsar so that the Malays can be educated and trained to become administrators in the English tradition and with English values.

To accelerate the education and training of the locals soon after the Malayan Union fiasco, the British decided to send Malayans to England for a university education. At least if they were going to hand the country to the locals to manage they might as well educate and train these locals in English universities. Amongst the first Malays, Chinese and Indians that the British chose to send to England was my father.

And it was when he was in England that my father met and married my mother, much to my grandfather's chagrin.

My grandfather, who went on to become the Malayan High Commissioner to England, the Speaker, the Menteri Besar of Selangor, and finally the Governor of Penang, never went to England although he spoke English like Sir Winston Churchill. Hence my father, plus those early Malayans who were sent to England, did not need to be sent to England to administer the country. But he was. And because he was he met my mother and hence I was born.

What if Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael had not tried to pull that trick on the Malay Rulers? Would the Malays have risen up in protest? Would Umno have been formed? Would the British have panicked? Would they have decided to quickly send the Malayans to England to receive a British university education to prepare them to take over the country? Hence, would my father have been sent to England where he met my mother and which resulted in my birth?

In short, is my being the result of God saying 'be' or the result of so many events in history that if they had not happened then I would not have been born?

Anyway, those are the kinds of thoughts that run through my mind, which I try to rationalise and see how they dovetail with theological, historical and scientific facts and beliefs. And, boy, does that give me a whooping headache thereafter.

I do believe I think too much.

Anyway, have a good resting day and try not to think too much.

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

When Allah decided to create the earth, sun, planets, stars, galaxies and everything within it, He commanded: "Be!" and they were. This is mentioned in the following verse of the Quran: Verily, when He intends a thing, His Command is, "be", and it is! (Ya Sin, chapter 36 verse 82)

As for how everything were created, what we know is only what Allah has revealed to us in the Quran - which is that He created the heavens, and the earth, and everything within it in six days.

This is mentioned in the following verse of the Quran: It is God Who has created the heavens and the earth, and all between them, in six Days, and is firmly established on the Throne (of Authority): ye have none, besides Him, to protect or intercede (for you): will ye not then receive admonition? (Al Sajdah, chapter 32 verse 4)

These "six days" mentioned in the Quran are not the same as our earth days that represent one rotation of the earth around the sun.

Allah created the earth on Saturday. On Sunday, Allah created the mountains. On Monday, the trees were created while, on Tuesday, He created the microorganisms. On Wednesday, Allah gave the earth light and, on Thursday, the animals were created. Then, on Friday, the last living thing, Adam, was created. Adam, the father of all humankind, was created late afternoon on Friday and, indisputably, is the last creation of Allah.

Dr. Tareq Mohammed Al-Suwaidan

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dr.TareqAlSuwaidan

Dr. Tareq Mohammed Al-Suwaidan (born November 15, 1953) is a Kuwaiti entrepreneur, author and speaker, and a leader of the Kuwaiti Muslim Brotherhood. He is well known in the Middle East and in Muslim communities throughout the world for his management/strategic planning training, motivational speaking and television shows and appearances. According to Forbes magazine (Arabic edition: Forbes Arabia), Al-Suwaidan ranks second in annual net income among Islamic speakers in the Muslim world with an estimated net profit of $1 million in 2007. Al-Suwaidan was trained in the classical Islamic sciences in his youth and lived and studied in the United States, having received a B.S. in petroleum and natural gas engineering from Penn State University and an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in petroleum engineering from the University of Tulsa.

(READ MORE HERE http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tareq_Al-Suwaidan)

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Isnin, 8 Julai 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Ahad, 7 Julai 2013

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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