Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- We have not been spared
- Malaysia: Nation of Strangers
- Pergi ke Mekah untuk Berhibur
- Cow slaughtering in schools in Malaysia during school hours are considered unconstitutional
- Why do banks fail to implement two-guard rule?
- Government unions want salaries to equal contract staff in Putrajaya agencies
- Brunei a throwback to an age of absolute monarchy
- Cameron praises Najib's approach on moderation against extremism
- PAS in a bind over fake photo
- Why a little knowledge is dangerous
- No power struggle for top spot in Selangor, says state speaker
- The Budget And The Story Of Shahrazad
- Ex-MRCB chief ordered to pay ex-Realmild director RM10m over ‘Umno trust’ suit
- PAS supremo calls for Syariah law
- Sack Guan Eng, Rahmad tells DAP
| Posted: 29 Oct 2013 12:18 PM PDT
The map confirms the global reach of US signals intelligence operations with special collection facilities in 90 different locations spread across most major capitals on every continent. (Borneo Post) - Deputy Home Minister outraged by reports revealing US National Security Agency spying on Malaysia through surveillance facilities at American embassy in Kuala Lumpur
KUCHING: The American embassy in Kuala Lumpur has been reported to be one of American embassies installed with communications intelligence facilities worldwide.
Australian dailies Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and its Fairfax Media sister publication The Age revealed in their reports that a top secret map also listed American embassies in Jakarta, Bangkok, Phnom Penh and Yangon as among those similarly equipped.
The map dated Aug 13, 2010, initially published in full by German magazine Spiegel's website shows no such facilities located in Australia, New Zealand, Britain, Japan and Singapore – US' closest allies.
The map confirms the global reach of US signals intelligence operations with special collection facilities in 90 different locations spread across most major capitals on every continent.
Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Datuk Dr Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar when contacted last night said if the information was true, Malaysia should make an offi cial protest to the American government for its unethical behaviour.
"We have been friendly to them and we have been helping them in their agenda but they have not practised what they preach.
Expressing outrage over the possible intrusion of private telephone cal ls Wan Junaidi added, "Individual spying is also totally unacceptable because it's against the value of individual privacy which has been preached by the west." The Borneo Post contacted the American Embassy in Kuala Lumpur last night to verify the Australian news report.
US Embassy spokesman Harvey Sernovitz said it would respond to the allegations by intel ligence whist le-blower Edward Snowden that it is running monitoring stations in its embassies across East and South East Asian countries including Malaysia to tap telephones and monitor communication networks.
He added that the embassy could not come up with the necessary comments last night but would try to do it by today (Wednesday).
Spiegel has broken a series of stories about US surveillance of its al lies and neighbours f rom documents leaked by Edward Snowden, a former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor.
In August , Australian intelligence sources confirmed that top secret intel ligence tool XKeyscore — revealed by Snowden — has been used to spy on Malaysia among other Asia- Pacifi c countries.
The revelation followed a leaked slideshow published by the UK's daily The Guardian revealing in detail the NSA programme, which the newspaper claimed collects "nearly everything a user does on the Internet".
The top secret slideshow made in 2008 revealed that the Xkeyscore program allows analysts to search through extensive database of emails, search queries, social media, online chats, and browsing histories of millions of people with no need for prior authorisation.
According to the SMH report, the map revealed yesterday showed a joint group between Central Intel ligence Agency and NSA called 'Special Collection Service' conducting sweeping surveillance operation and clandestine operations against specific intel ligence targets.
SMH also reported that the current operations were said to take up a whole room of the embassy buildings and it also enabled the staff to listen to local telephone calls as well.
Last week, Spiegel reported that the telephone number of Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor had been a target of US Surveillance since 2002 when she was the leader of the opposition.
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| Posted: 29 Oct 2013 12:02 PM PDT
(Asia Sentinel) - Where have all the non-Malays gone? This is the excerpted text of an address given by Malaysia's former finance minister recently to a breakfast meeting at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center organized by Paddy Schubert Sdn Bhd As you are aware, our nation became free from the fetters of colonial domination about five and a half decades ago. Sadly and strangely, after 55 years of independence, I think we are now farther apart than we have ever been before. On Aug. 31, 1957, our freedom from the shackles of a colonial past was greeted with euphoria by the different races who came together on the basis of a common vision for a shared future. We then had a prime minister who believed that the purpose of independence was the pursuit of happiness for the different races in the country, and our success in that pursuit was to him the ultimate test of our success as a nation. Tunku Abdul Rahman's vision for the newly independent nation was based on the "greatest happiness principle," a subject of intense political discourse in 18th and 19th Century Europe. Like the enlightened political philosophers in the western world, our father of independence believed that governments existed to provide for the happiness of the people, and nothing more. Tunkuʼs policies were tied up with the golden rule that we must have respect for one another and treat others just as we wish others to treat us. This golden rule was an important principle in an interdependent, multi-ethnic society such as ours. Tunkuʼs basic concept of happiness is best expressed in his favorite maxim, "live and let live." It is a maxim that calls for acceptance of people as they are, although they may have a different way of life. Tunku applied the maxim in the public domain. If Tunku had boasted that he was the happiest prime minister in the world, it was only because the people were happy. In Tunkuʼs words at that time, "I pray and hope that this happy state of affairs will continue for all times." Unfortunately, however, Tunkuʼs dreams were dashed to dust by the events of May 13, 1969. This once happiest prime minister expressed the pain he felt as Father of Merdeka (independence) as he relived those traumatic moments: "I have often wondered why God made me live long enough to have witnessed my beloved Malays and Chinese citizens killing each other." Such was the man that Tunku was. He was the moving spirit of the nation. He has long gone, and today his premiership is a distant memory. Since the time he left, inter-ethnic relations have taken a turn for the worse on all fronts. Today we have a regime that promotes the concept of 1 Malaysia with all its contradictions. Read more at: http://www.asiasentinel.com/society/malaysia-nation-strangers/ |
| Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:54 AM PDT
Mekkah bukan sahaja untuk orang warak dan beriman, tetapi ia adalah juga tempat untuk orang menipu dan belajar menipu. Mansor Puteh Pergi ke Mekah untuk berhibur seperti berada di Disneyland dan belajar menipu! Rakam video secara haram dan curi air zam-zam dari kumpulan mengerjakan umrah dan jual balik kepada mereka, dan jual kain tutup kaabah tiruan dengan harga tinggi. Biasanya orang Islam pergi ke Mekkah untuk buat ibadah, atau dia sudah lama tinggalkan ugama, dan mahu bertaubat supaya bila dia tiba di sana mengerjakan Umrah atau Haji, dia akan menjadi insan yang lebih soleh dan baik.
Dan biasanya bila dia kembali ke Tanah Air, dia akan menjadi orang yang lebih baik dari dulu.
Ini kebiasaannya berlaku.
Ia adalah dalam bentuk mencuri air zam-zam, menjual tasbih dan sebagainya.
Yang sedihnya, orang yang menipu itu adalah orang yang sudah lama tinggal di Mekkah, jadi dia tahu di mana dia boleh cari barang untuk dijual dengan harga yang tinggi dengan membelinya dengan harga yang murah.
Yang mereka tipu itu adalah orang Islam lain yang beria-ia fikir yang kain tutup Kaabah itu adalah kain yang tulen.
Tetapi yang peliknya ialah mereka yang menetap di Mekkah lama ini, tidak mempunyai wajah yang manis, seperti ramai orang Islam yang baru sahaja pulang dari mengerjakan Haji yang mempunyai perwatakan yang baik dan paras yang bersih.
Paras mereka tidak menunjukkan mereka orang warak. Mereka tetap mempunyai waras yang biasa, seperti orang yang tidak pernah menjejakkan kaki di Mekkah atau mengerjakan Haji yang sebenarnya atau Haji yang Mabrur.
Sekarang ini mengerjakan fardu Haji tidak susah seperti dulu; orang boleh pergi ke Mekkah dengan menaik pesawat dan boleh berhubung dengan sanak-saudara dengan talipon setiap masa dan dengan secara Skype.
Dan masa untuk terbang dari Malaysia ke Mekkah juga tidak lama, sekadar lapan jam, berbanding dengan beberapa minggu dengan menaikki kapal laut dari Perlabuhan Kelang.
Jadi, kerja menunaikan fardu Haji sekarang tidak seterik seperti dahulu dan orang juga boleh balik ke Mekkah untuk mengerjakan Umrah setiap bulan.
Tetapi ini tidak bermakna orang yang telah beberapa kali mengerjakan Haji atau Umrah atau telah lama menetap di Mekkah itu adalah orang Islam yang lebih baik dari mereka yang belum mengerjakannya.
Ramai orang yang tidak berpeluang untuk mengerjakan Umrah atau Haji adalah orang Islam yang lebih mulia berbanding dengan mereka yang telah menetap lama di Mekkah, yang pergi ke sana untuk tujuan perniagaan dan juga menipu!
Dan walaupun mereka akan terus menetap di Mekkah mereka akan terus mencari jalan untuk menipu orang lain yang sudah semestinya orang Islam lain yang percayakan mereka sebab mereka fikir orang yang telah lama menetap di Mekkah itu adalah orang lebih warak dari mereka sendiri.
Mekkah bukan sahaja untuk orang warak dan beriman, tetapi ia adalah juga tempat untuk orang menipu dan belajar menipu.
Dan ada orang yang pergi ke Mekkah menunaikan fardhu Haji tetapi menipu syarikat penerbangan dengan menyorokkan barang-barang yang mereka bawa ke dalam pesawat supaya ia tidak melebih had barang yang diberi.
Jadi, sebab apa mereka mahu ke Mekkah?
Oleh sebab itu saya tidak mempunyai sebarang gambar di dalam masjid ini atau di Masjid Nabawi di Madinnah.
Mereka mengguna kamera tangan sebab mereka dilarang membawa alat elektronik rakaman ke dalam kawasan masjid itu. Dan mereka lebih ghairah menghabiskan masa buat rakaman ini dari mengerjakan Umrah atau Haji, sama seperti mereka lakukan semasa pergi ke Disneyland dan pusat hiburan lain. |
| Cow slaughtering in schools in Malaysia during school hours are considered unconstitutional Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:50 AM PDT
Since the last few decades, minorities in Malaysia especially the poor Ethnic Indians have been suffering from human rights violations by the Muslim majority politicians in Malaysia. Any act to defend the human rights of the minorities is usually drowned by threats and insults and calls for the minority races in Malaysia to leave the country. Ano Rao. (LL.B Honours) A school should help in developing and cultivating good and higher values like truth, sympathy, love, cooperation and an all rounded education for a child. Through different social interactions and moral teachings, it spreads the message of righteous living in a society. However in multiracial Malaysia, schools have in recent years been converting the sanctity of the school premises into slaughter houses. Last week, several schools in Malaysia ceremoniously slaughtered cows in its compound during school hours for a feast in conjunction with Aidiladha celebrations. This was done in the presence of unsuspecting non Muslim young students who panicked witnessing the gruesome slaughter of cows, prompting complaints of insensitivity by their parents. Mr Saravanan who is a vegetarian and an animal lover found such acts very irresponsible and called up the headmaster of one of these schools that had conducted this slaughter and voiced his dissatisfaction. http://national-express-malaysia.blogspot.be/2013/10/parents-fume-over-cow-slaughter-in.html The Headmaster confessed that he did not get any permission from the Education Ministry of Malaysia and had merely felt it was not necessary as to his understanding since Malaysia is an 'Islamic' country and as such no such permission is required. http://www.kinitv.com/video/2280O8
http://national-express-malaysia.blogspot.be/2013/10/school-no-place-for-slaughtering-cows.html Others complained but requested anonymity fearing that they would be targeted for harassment. In fact Mr Saravanan himself has been getting death threats from certain individuals for highlighting the matter and ironically the police are looking for him probably in an attempt to intimidate him. Since the last few decades, minorities in Malaysia especially the poor Ethnic Indians have been suffering from human rights violations by the Muslim majority politicians in Malaysia. Any act to defend the human rights of the minorities is usually drowned by threats and insults and calls for the minority races in Malaysia to leave the country.
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| Why do banks fail to implement two-guard rule? Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:40 AM PDT
(fz.com) - Kawalan Prima Sdn Bhd, which had hired the killer guard is still guarding the doors of Ambank - despite the Home Ministry announcing that its licence had been revoked for not submitting vetting papers for the said guard, as well as allowing him to carry a firearm without a licence. Why haven't financial institutions implemented a guard-to-staff ratio in their banks? Could an additional guard stationed at the USJ Sentral 2 Ambank branch have prevented the Oct 23 robbery-cum murder? These questions are popping up now, as fz.com learns that police had been asking financial institutions to implement the ratio of a minimum two guards as a check-and-balance. But the recommendation fell on deaf ears as bank security managers are on a tight budget. Security Services Association of Malaysia (SSAM) president Datuk Shaheen Mirza Habib say banks which are making billions in profits, do not bother allocating enough money to make sure their premises are safe. "When banks choose which security company to hire, they pick the lowest quotation available. And when we tell banks there are not enough guards for such a huge place, the banks simply don't care. They take security issues very lightly," he told fz.com. When bank officer Norazita Abu Talib was in the vault with another colleague, there was only one security guard – the suspect who shot her and made off with RM450,000. The outcome could have been different if another guard was present to monitor each other. Shaheen admitted that the security services industry is currently at "a very sorry state", as unscrupulous firms hire illegal immigrants to work as guards in banks, condominiums and housing estates. "Only Malaysian citizens and about 20,000 Nepalese are allowed to become security guards, and they must go through police vetting. Permanent residents cannot be guards too. But everywhere you see Pakistani and Bangladeshis guarding condos, those are absolutely illegal." he said. He pointed out, that honest business operators are not rewarded for playing by the book. Instead they are being squeezed out of the market because they are unable to compete with firms that depress prices by employing cheap labour. "A normal guard by right should be paid about RM2,200 a month, have vetting reports and a gun licence if he's armed. They are even well-paid if working on late shifts. But illegal immigrants are paid RM1,200 and their bosses make loads!" He said the condo managers know very well of the hanky-panky behind the business, but are colluding with them for cheaper security guards. There are currently 712 security firms in the country. Those who obtain an operating licence from the Home Ministry are automatically members of SSAM. Ali Baba in security licensing? Shaheen also said there are operating licence holders who are "franchising" the business, by renting out their licences to third parties. If the authorities do not conduct frequent raids and checks, more firm owners are going to forced down that path, he warned. "If the Home ministry does not weed out the rotten apples, soon the entire industry will fall into hands of crooks." He also said that it is difficult for regular business entities to know which security firms to avoid. "If bank managers check security guards' gun license more often and insist on vetting report from the firms, they can easily identify who are the illegal workers." He opined that the Home Ministry should announce it to the press when they revoke licenses and name the violating firms, as it will serve as deterrent against any malpractices and warn those who are already had their hands stained. Just as Shaheen is sounding the warning, it is learnt that Kawalan Prima Sdn Bhd, which had hired the killer guard is still guarding the doors of Ambank - despite the Home Ministry announcing that its licence had been revoked for not submitting vetting papers for the said guard, as well as allowing him to carry a firearm without a licence. Company officials claim all it has received is a show-cause letter.
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| Government unions want salaries to equal contract staff in Putrajaya agencies Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:36 AM PDT
(TMI) - Stung by news that contract officials are getting high pay, the main union body representing 1.4 million civil servants now wants Putrajaya to give them better salaries. The Congress of Unions of Employees in the Public and Civil Services (Cuepacs) said it was unfair that qualified civil servants are paid less than those on short-term contracts. "Cuepacs views the current arrangement as unfair whereby contract workers in agencies are getting higher wages than their civil service counterparts," Cuepacs deputy president Azih Muda told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur. He was commenting on Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming's expose yesterday that the pay package of a head of a government agency could be as high as RM69,000 a month. Ong revealed that Malaysia's top civil servant, the Chief Secretary, was only paid RM23,577 – a far cry from what was earned by the heads of agencies such as TalentCorp, Agensi Inovasi Malaysia, and Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu). Azih questioned the qualifications and talent of these agency employees that warrant higher salaries than civil servants doing the same job in government.
"Civil servants are just as qualified as those employed in these agencies," he said noting that many of them could be deployed to work in these agencies. Azih said Cuepacs supported the government initiative to trim the budget deficit but urged it to start by looking at the exorbitant salaries paid to those working in its agencies. |
| Brunei a throwback to an age of absolute monarchy Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:33 AM PDT
(The Telegraph) - The impending adoption of Sharia has led to calls for Britain, Brunei's closest ally, to re-assess its relationship with a former Protectorate which won independence as recently as 1984. With a swing of his powerful arm, a prison guard landed a wicked-looking cane on the back of a dummy dressed in the white uniform of convicts in Brunei. "It doesn't hurt as much as you think," he said. Earlier this month, the International Convention Centre in Brunei's capital, Bandar Seri Begawan, was hosting a regional summit with the likes of John Kerry, the US secretary of state, and President Xi Jinping of China. Last week, however, it was the venue for a three-day event designed to showcase the Sultan of Brunei's decision to adopt Sharia for his country's Muslim population. Robes worn by judges were put on display and Islamic scholars gave speeches. But the caning demonstration brought home the harsh reality of a penal code which punishes adultery with death by stoning, theft with amputation by sword - and drunkeness with 40 lashes from a rattan cane. From next April, the Muslims who are 70 per cent of Brunei's 400,000-strong population will risk all these punishments. And despite the guard's assertion, just three or four strokes of his cane will break the skin and leave most victims scarred for life. The impending adoption of Sharia has led to calls for Britain, Brunei's closest ally, to re-assess its relationship with a former Protectorate which won independence as recently as 1984. David Cameron was already facing criticism for agreeing to attend next month's Commonwealth summit in Sri Lanka, where human rights abuses are common. The Prime Minister is now being pressed to condemn Brunei's embrace of laws widely regarded as barbaric and draconian. "London has a very important role in trying to get the Sultan to re-consider this drastic move to a criminal Sharia system," said Phil Robertson, deputy director of the Asia division of Human Rights Watch. "There needs to be a major international outcry to stop this law and Great Britain should take the lead, starting by raising public concerns at the upcoming Commonwealth meeting." Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/brunei/10407476/Brunei-a-throwback-to-an-age-of-absolute-monarchy.html |
| Cameron praises Najib's approach on moderation against extremism Posted: 29 Oct 2013 11:31 AM PDT
(Bernama) - The United Kingdom Prime Minister, David Cameron, has praised Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on his approach to moderation against extremism. He said Najib's initiative has been able to inspire and unite people across the globe. "(Prime Minister) Najib is a newly re-elected leader whose pioneering Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) is uniting and inspiring people across the world in the fight against extremism," he said in his special address at the 9th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) here today. In 2010, Najib has called for members and leaders of the world's major faiths to censure and reject their own extremists and jointly support GMM. The concept was further expounded by the Prime Minister at prestigious platforms including at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, East-West Centre, the Asia-Europe Meeting and the Asean Summit. At the inaugural International Conference on GMM held in Kuala Lumpur in early 2012, Najib had called for the establishment of the GMM Foundation. The proposed foundation will serve as a centre of first resort in the dissemination of information on the concept of moderation in combating the scourge of extremism in five broad areas including peaceful co-existence, democracy and rule of law, finance, education and conflict resolution. On another note, Cameron also lauded Najib's commitment to doing business with Britain in delivering millions of pounds of new investments and creating hundreds of new jobs here and in Kuala Lumpur. "Over the coming years, I hope we will see billions of pounds of new investments in a range of sectors where the United Kingdom excels from property and housing to aerospace and life sciences," he said. Besides Cameron, 16 heads of state and government are attending the biggest gathering of leaders in the history of WIEF, being hosted for the first time outside Islamic nations. Najib is expected to hold bilateral talks with Cameron today for about an hour at No. 10, Downing Street, to explore more possibilities for the two friendly nations as they endeavour to expand their bilateral trade to eight billion pounds by 2016. Najib will be accompanied by International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Datuk Hamzah Zainudin, Malaysia's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Datuk Seri Zakaria Sulong and several high ranking Malaysian government officials. On another note, Bahrain's Crown Prince, Prince Salman Hamad Al-Khalifa, praised Najib's speech at the forum, which touched on harnessing economic potential through women empowerment. "Although it has no relation to the subject that I will speak about, it is my firm belief that the foundation of any democratic society is a democratic household and the threshold to that is an empowered and equally productive environment for all genders. "So, thank you Sir, that was very brave and very appropriate," he said, drawing laughter from the floor. |
| Posted: 28 Oct 2013 07:08 PM PDT
(The Star) - PAS campaigners in the Sungai Limau by-election are in a bind after they were caught distributing flyers with a doctored photograph of reporters interviewing the late assemblyman Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak. The face of one of the two reporters had been superimposed with that of the PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat in the flyers, which also had words praising his "vision and background". Sinar Harian northern bureau chief Mohd Idros Mohd Ali said he was shocked when he saw the photograph, which showed Azam seated beside him during an interview with Azizan when he was still the Mentri Besar. "I never went with Azam to interview Tok Jan (Azizan). "We have the original photograph taken on May 25, 2011, showing I was then with deputy editor Muhamad Mat Yakim. "The only logical explanation is that the photograph has been tampered and Muhamad's face replaced with that of Azam," he said. Azam is in a straight fight with Barisan Nasional candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim for the Sungai Limau state seat that was left vacant following Azizan's death last month. In an immediate response, Sungai Limau PAS election director Datuk Ir Amiruddin Hamzah said party campaigners were not aware that the flyers had a superimposed photograph. "The designers (of the flyer) selected the photographs from their own resources. We were not aware that it is not authentic. We have no intention of misleading the electorate. "We will replace the flyers immediately," he told reporters here yesterday. Amiruddin also said the party would also investigate the authenticity of the photographs, which showed both Azam and Azizan standing side by side and used on the party's banners, following doubts raised by certain people. Meanwhile, Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said PAS leaders could not simply give the excuse that they were "not aware" of the doctored photograph, claiming that the flyers were distributed with the aim of fooling the electorate. "As leaders, they should be aware," he said to newsmen after meeting Yan and Kuala Muda teachers at SMK Dulang here yesterday.
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| Why a little knowledge is dangerous Posted: 28 Oct 2013 06:27 PM PDT If Moses and his tribe made the journey from the Nile Delta to Mt Sinai, then they need not have crossed the Red Sea because the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments is north of the Red Sea between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba (which is very far north of the Red Sea). NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin
Ravinder Singh e-mailed the letter below (Syariah law good for rapists) to Malaysian Insider and Free Malaysia Today. Maybe, today, we can talk about that letter. I am so tired of reading numerous comments from non-Muslims these last few years that Islamic law allows rape on grounds that it is so hard to find four (upstanding) witnesses to prove rape. First of all, there is a difference between rape (which is a crime of violence) and zina or adultery (which is illicit but consensual sex). If you borrow money from a bank (which is consensual on the part of both parties -- the lender and the borrower) and you do not pay back your loan, would you get arrested and charged for robbery (which is not consensual on the part of the bank but you took the money anyway)? After all, in both cases you took the bank's money and they lost this money. But in the second case it was by force and was not consensual. In short, you 'raped' the bank or took something by force (like you do to a woman you rape). Hence when we talk about zina we need to talk about adultery and not rape. And thou shall not commit adultery is one of the Ten Commandments of the Jews, Christians and Muslims alike. Adultery is one of three sins, along with idolatry and murder, which the Mishnah says must be resisted to the point of death. "Behold, you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." -- Genesis 20:3 "Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." -- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 "Adultery is an injustice. He who commits adultery fails in his commitment. He does injury to the sign of the covenant which the marriage bond is, transgresses the rights of the other spouse, and undermines the institution of marriage by breaking the contract on which it is based. He compromises the good of human generation and the welfare of children who need their parents' stable union." -- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2335 Hence all three of the Abrahamic faiths are united on this issue. Some say that Jesus 'abrogated' this law with the 'let he who has not sinned cast the first stone' statement (if that incident really did happen). Jesus did not abrogate this law. Jesus just said that if you want to punish someone with the death sentence then make sure you are someone of high morals and not equally a sinner. In other words, if you, too, are an adulterer then what right do you have in putting someone to death for adultery? And does not Islam say the same thing? In fact, even in common law if the witness is someone of questionable character then this witness's testimony is suspect. Okay, Moses was reported to have received the Ten Commandments at the burning bush on Mt Sinai at St Catherine soon after the exodus from Egypt. The Jews, Christians and Muslims all believe that this incident did happen and it is reported in the holy books of all the three Abrahamic faiths. There is definitely no dispute here. "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God." -- Exodus 31:18 The holy books also report that Moses and his people crossed the Red Sea -- which God had parted -- to get to Mt Sinai and that the Pharaoh and his entire army drowned (not a single Egyptian survived) when God closed back the Red Sea as soon as Moses and his people had safely crossed. If Moses and his tribe made the journey from the Nile Delta to Mt Sinai, then they need not have crossed the Red Sea because the place where Moses received the Ten Commandments is north of the Red Sea between the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba (which is very far north of the Red Sea). The map below plots the journey that the Israelites took and you can see that they need not have travelled so far south and crossed the Red Sea to get from the Nile Delta to Mt Sinai. So, before we argue about whether God did or did not give humankind the Ten Commandments through Moses at Mt Sinai and whether Jesus did or did not abrogate this law and whether the Muslims are following Jesus or Moses in implementing the laws of the Ten Commandments, let us first of all talk about the story of the parting of the Red sea and if this story is not in the least plausible then is the story about the burning bush and the two tablets plausible? Here we are arguing about a so-called historical fact (the Ten Commandments and the punishment for breaking these Commandments) when in the first place we need to argue about whether the incident of the Ten Commandments really did happen when the parting of the Red Sea may not have happened after all. *************************************** Syariah law good for rapists FMT LETTER, From Ravinder Singh, via e-mail Rapists in the making and "zina" minded persons will be the happiest ones to have hudud laws in place. The punishment might be stoning to death, but convicting them will be an impossibility under hudud as four mature adults of impeccable character are required to come forward and bear witness that they saw the act taking place. How on earth will this be possible in today's society and environment? Then, those sitting on judgment themselves must be of impeccable character. This reminds me of a story in the bible when Jesus' disciples or followers brought to him a woman whom they accused of being of loose character. They demanded that he order she be stoned to death. His response was simple and straight to the point: Let anyone who is without sin cast the first stone. No one dared to do that. Yes, hudud was practiced even during the time of Jesus. PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi claims that hudud is "more focused on preventing crime; so we should work to reduce situations that would spur people to commit crime." His so-called "British law" is also focused on preventing crime. It also provides the death penalty for crimes like murder just like hudud. Can Nasrudin tell us if there are any laws other than hudud that do not have the objective of preventing crime? Isn't that the purpose of all criminal laws? Does he know or understand that in today's world a rapist can be convicted without any eyewitnesses, but with solid DNA evidence? Under hudud DNA evidence will be inadmissible and the rapists and zinaists would be laughing at the hudud law and society will be worse off with the hudud law unable to do what Nasrudin claims it will do. This is not a figment of my imagination but the reality of today's society and environment. Hudud will actually spur the sex-maniacs to commit rape and zina more bravely. Life is not enriched by having "spiritual" laws as Nasrudin claims, but by the way children are brought up. Laws don't fail because they lack spirituality, but societies fail because spirituality is not inculcated into children at a tender age and throughout their growing years. Thus children grow up not knowing law and order, not knowing what is right and what is wrong, not knowing how they should carry themselves, how they should treat others. If Nasrudin is serious about creating a law-abiding, or law-fearing society, he should take the challenge of working in a school where teachers are afraid of the children, where child-gangs rule the day, and use spirituality to change the character of these children. If he could succeed in doing so, it will be a model for all schools to follow to check the deplorable discipline of the children. And this will definitely go a very long way in creating an adult society of the future that is spiritual and God-fearing. Our schools are the cause of the failure of our society. So don't be so simplistic and blame certain laws while claiming superiority of others. Do not be blind to the deplorable discipline situation in our schools. Here is where societies are created or destroyed. Jika hendak meluntur buluh, biarlah dari rebungnya.
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| No power struggle for top spot in Selangor, says state speaker Posted: 28 Oct 2013 05:06 PM PDT
Rita Jong, TMI Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh (pic) has dismissed rumours of a power struggle between Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and PKR vice-president Azmin Ali. She said it was something sensationalised by the media after the state government was presented a memorandum from backbenchers. "The memorandum is on how backbenchers like to see the standard of living improved in Selangor. These are voices of assemblypersons and their suggestions are to improve to administration of the state. It's simple as that," said Yeoh after launching the Adun Muda Selangor, a programme to expose youth to the workings of the legislature. She said after the memorandum was handed last week, there was a three-hour meeting which discussed the points raised between Khalid and the backbenchers. She added that this is also a healthy political trend as backbenchers are no longer just a rubber stamp. "Even the last five years, we get our own PR politicians standing up voicing against our own policies. "This doesn't mean there's a disagreement or struggle for power, but they are just playing their role to voice out the concerns of the people. That's all," she said. Yeoh was responding to rumours that Azmin was planning to take over Khalid as MB following strong criticism against Khalid's leadership. While Khalid brushed off the rumours, saying that it's part and parcel of politics to be criticised, Azmin laughed off, saying it was not true.
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| The Budget And The Story Of Shahrazad Posted: 28 Oct 2013 05:02 PM PDT
A Kadir Jasin I TRIED, but I could not. So I had not commented on the 2013 Budget. I did not know where and how to begin. It was a little bit like listening to my late father reciting the "Hikayat 1001 Malam" aka The Arabian Nights. You were not sure whether Shahrazad was the victim of an evil Sultan or was the ultimate female manipulator. But thanks to a handful of desperate, confused but well-intentioned souls who approached me with interpretations of the Oct. 25 budget, I can now belatedly put in my two sen worth of thoughts down.
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| Ex-MRCB chief ordered to pay ex-Realmild director RM10m over ‘Umno trust’ suit Posted: 28 Oct 2013 04:54 PM PDT
(MM) - Former Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) chairman Datuk Seri Abdul Rahman Maidin (pix) was today ordered by the Court of Appeal to pay the remaining RM10 million owed to his ex-colleague, Datuk Khalid Ahmad, for purchasing Khalid's shares in Realmild Sdn Bhd. The appellate court's ruling effectively upholds the High Court's 2010 decision dismissing the notion of an Umno trust over the disputed sale of of a block of Realmild Sdn Bhd shares.
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| PAS supremo calls for Syariah law Posted: 28 Oct 2013 04:42 PM PDT
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang says the existing Western laws have failed to curb crime in Malaysia. K Pragalath, FMT PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has joined the bandwagon in calling for Syariah laws to be implemented in Malaysia to curb the rising crime rate in the nation. He said that the existing laws did not take into account an important aspect; the human nature. "The existing laws used are not developed by considering human nature, which is made up of body, soul, mind and the ability to live in a community," said Hadi, via a Facebook post today. Last week, PAS youth chief Nasrudin Hassan Tantawi made the similar call while debating the amendments to the Penal Code (Amendments) Bill 2013 at the Parliament. He had called for Islamic laws to be given a chance, saying not only Syariah would deter crime but also enrich a person's soul as it covers the concept of sin and reward (pahala). Nasrudin, who is also Temerloh MP, also questioned on why Malaysians could accept British laws that allowed detention without trial but reject Syariah, which is opposed to detention without trial. Hadi, who is also Marang MP, said that the existing laws from the West failed to curb crime, adding it was evident from the soaring crime rate in the United States. "The crime taking place in America is not calculated by months or days, but by the hours and minutes as there are too many (criminal activities)," he said. Backing Syariah laws, Hadi said that there are some confusion in the practise of Islam in the country although the Constitution declares Islam as the official religion of the Federation. "Islam is the official religion of the Federation but other faiths are allowed to be practiced. However, Islam itself is not free and is being resisted," claimed the PAS leader. The renewed call for syariah laws by PAS leaders, especially coming from Hadi, is set to cause major concerns in Pakatan Rakyat, especially since DAP has been a vocal opponent of the Islamic law.
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| Sack Guan Eng, Rahmad tells DAP Posted: 28 Oct 2013 04:36 PM PDT
Penang Malay Congress leader urges party leaders to convene a special congress meeting soon to end Lim's party leadership. Athi Shankar, FMT Penang Malay Congress has today called on the DAP central executive committee (CEC) to sack secretary-general Lim Guan Eng to once for all end all dilemma and save the party from de-registration. PMC president Rahmad Isahak blamed Guan Eng's mismanagement and mishandling of party affairs as solely responsible for the DAP's current problems. Although the new CEC line-up was yet to be given recognition by the Registrar of Societies (ROS), he wants party leaders to convene a special congress meeting soon to terminate Lim's party membership. He claimed Guan Eng had manipulated the ROS directive to hold a re-election by by-passing the party constitution to hold the fresh polls on Sept 29 in a special congress. "Can Guan Eng with all his expertise, smartness and brilliance, save the party from imminent ROS decision on the re-election process? "Surely that's a tall order given that all party rules had been torn apart to have the re-election to protect his dynastic selfish interests," Rahmad said in a statement here today. He also alleged that the party problems in Malacca, Johor and Kedah were all caused by Guan Eng's constant politicking and manipulations. Rahmad said the position of Zairil Abdullah Khir Johari as an interim Kedah party chairman, replacing the duly elected Lee Guan Aik, for instance was a blatant violation of democratic rights of members. "Guan Eng's intense politicking and manipulation have yielded disastrous results for the DAP at all levels. "He should stop his blame game, pointing fingers at others as if he is whiter than white. "He should be man enough to admit of his shortcomings, weaknesses and failings, which were solely responsible for putting DAP in its current quandary, having to face the public podium of contempt. "As a former party member and responsible citizen, I call on the CEC to sack Lim via a special congress to save the party. "Guan Eng is a liability to the party. Have no doubt about it," Rahmad stressed.
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