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• Offer To Razaleigh Hid From Anwar - JMM
• Ranking: Three Malaysian universities enter Top 500
• Pakatan touts Buku Jingga has political will, unlike BN’s plans
• Najib vows to help Indians if MIC secures their vote
• Food stamps being considered to cushion rising cost of living
• Johor Sultanah: Bersih 2.0 was hijacked
• Blogger: MP ran at cops
• Going global has become the norm
• Najib unfazed by online abuse
• EO6: A bitter lesson for the govt
• Slow response to 1 Malaysia email beta signup
• DAP to MCA: Contracts given on merit, not race

Offer To Razaleigh Hid From Anwar - JMM Posted: 30 Jul 2011 01:28 AM PDT (Bernama) -- Opposition leaders are said to have turned their backs on Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim by offering Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah to become the next opposition leader. Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM) vice-president Omar Saleh said a discussion on the offer to the Gua Musang member of parliament to replace Anwar as opposition leader was said to have involved PAS Spiritual Leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. "JMM learned that Anwar was in the dark about the meeting. We want to know why Nik Aziz hid the meeting from Anwar?," he asked Saturday. Omar did not rule out the possibility that the offer was made to Tengku Razaleigh as Anwar was in limbo as he faced a sodomy trial. "...I think something is brewing," he said. Yesterday, Member of Parliament for Bayan Baru Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim claimed that Tengku Razaleigh was offered to become the next opposition leader in the run-up to the 13th General Election.

Ranking: Three Malaysian universities enter Top 500 Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:56 PM PDT By Priya Kulasagaran, The Star PETALING JAYA: Three Malaysian universities have made it to the top 500 out of 12,000 universities ranked in the Webometrics Ranking Web of World Universities released Saturday. They are Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (419), Universiti Sains Malaysia (428) and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (462). This is the first time that Malaysian varsities have entered into the top 500 since the ranking's inception in 2004. Meanwhile, American universities dominate the Webometrics ranking, with the top five universities being the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, Stanford University, Cornell University, and the University of California, Berkeley respectively. The ranking is an initiative by the Cybermetrics Lab, a research group part of the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientficas (CSIC) in Spain. According to the Webometrics website, the aim of the rankings is to encourage universities to have a better web presence and researchers to publish more scientific content on the internet. Among the main indicators used to analyse university web presence are the size or number of web pages recovered from search engines; visibility; number of rich files available; and the number of citations found in Google Scholar. The rankings are published every six months, and survey around 20,000 higher education institutions worldwide.

Pakatan touts Buku Jingga has political will, unlike BN’s plans Posted: 29 Jul 2011 11:54 PM PDT   By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 – Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders charged that their Buku Jingga reform plans are backed by political will, which is what Malaysia needs to restore competitiveness and the economy in light of increasing living costs. PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli (picture) compared the Buku Jingga to the Najib administration's Government Transformation Plan (GTP), Economic Transformation Plan (ETP) and New Economic Model (NEM), which has been in action since 2010. "GTP, ETP took approach of economic grandstanding, long term plan, whereas Buku Jingga is based on what people on the ground want. "There must be institutional reforms to increase investor confidence, we need to quickly lend a hand to the public especially when dealing with rising living costs, and that is what Buku Jingga is about," Rafizi said during a dialogue on public policy organised by Malaysian Student Leaders Summit (MSLS) here. Among the other panelists present were DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua, Pemandu CEO Datuk Seri Idris Jala and MCA central committee member Datuk Ti Lian Ker. While admitting that BN policies such as the GTP and ETP were "fairly well-written" and had some solid points in managing the economy, Rafizi said that the policies lacked political will because it failed to include "immediate" measures which could help towards reforming the economy. Issues like the direct tender awarding of the Kuala Lumpur (KL) Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) project, the current toll system and the government's subsidising of Independent Power Producers (IPPs), according to Rafizi showed that the Najib administration had its limits in implementing political and economic reform. "It shows that there is a certain threshold to the government's political will, these are quick acid tests people want to see," said Rafizi. Using the example of reducing fuel subsidies as an example, Pua stated that if the government wanted to implement something like that, alternative measures must also be in the place so that the backlash or effects are kept at a minimum. "You cannot increase petrol prices without first improving the transport system...when these things happen, people start to doubt the government's political will," added Pua. The Petaling Jaya MP said the Buku Jingga was a preview of how PR's policies would be like should they assume federal power in the next general elections. In response, Jala defended the measures introduced and enforced by the government, and even said PR's Buku Jingga's plans were impossible and unrealistic. READ MORE HERE.

Najib vows to help Indians if MIC secures their vote Posted: 29 Jul 2011 08:00 PM PDT   By Yow Hong Chieh, The Malaysian Insider PUTRAJAYA, July 30 – Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to do all he can to bring the Indian community back into the "mainstream of development" but asked that MIC redouble efforts to secure the community's vote. The prime minister said there must be "quid pro quo" between Barisan Nasional (BN) component party MIC and the ruling coalition if both wished to benefit from their relationship as "loyal friends". "There must be an understanding. Can you all deliver for Barisan Nasional? You can deliver and we will deliver," Najib told delegates at the 65th MIC general assembly here today. Najib also stressed that unity within MIC at all levels was crucial for the party to be seen as the main choice for Indians come polling day. "There cannot be factions within MIC. There must be only one MIC," he said. The Indian community have always been a strong supporter of the ruling coalition but forsook it in Election 2008 after the government cracked down on the Hindraf rally in November 2007 when 30,000 Indians marched for better opportunities. The 2010 census showed there are 1.9 million Indians or 7.3 per cent of the 28 million population, far less than the 2.3 million foreigners in the country. MORE TO COME HERE.

Food stamps being considered to cushion rising cost of living Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:54 PM PDT By Hamdan Raja Abdullah, The Star MUAR: Providing food stamps is among the options the Government is looking into to cushion the rising cost of food prices in the near future. Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said besides food stamps, some countries also provide annual incentives or have a stockpile system in place while Malaysia provided subsidies such as for fuel. "We have not decided yet but I will look into all of this," he said at a press conference after launching a Doktor Turun Kampung programme in Pagoh on Saturday. He said the Government was very concerned over the rise in living costs and had made it the seventh National Key Area Result target. "We will have to look into many areas and factors to determine affective measures to cushion the rising living costs. And from related data gathered by the Domestic Trade Ministry since last year there is a tendency for prices, especially foodstuff, to increase," he added. Muhyiddin, who heads the special committee to study on the rising prices, said it was a global issue which linked with higher prices of fuel which in turn affected food production.

Johor Sultanah: Bersih 2.0 was hijacked Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:42 PM PDT (Malaysiakini) - Almost 3 weeks after the Bersih 2.0 rally, the debate over the event still continues with a key member of royal family saying today that the electoral reform movement "had in someway been hijacked" by other groups and individuals. Johor Sultanah Raja Zarith Sofia Sultan Idris Shah, said though the original cause of Bersih rally was genuine, it had been taken over by others. "They had in someway been hijacked by other groups and individuals... the original idea about general elections and the transparency of general elections were lost," she said. She was fielding a question from a student after officiating the 5th Annual Malaysian Student Leaders Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Hilton this morning. Raja Zarith Sofia, who is also the Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, advised the students against total belief in media reports on the Bersih rally. Instead, she said they should on their own decide on what is right or wrong and try to grasp as much as they can on the current events of the country. "Of cause you can see from the mainstream media that perhaps Bersih is founded by wrong people and bad guys and other groups are good guys. "It maybe or may not, there is no right or wrong question, but it may indicate that the country is heading for some kind of maturity." She also said the Bersih rally organizers may have been influenced by the Middle East revolution but claimed that the scenarios are different between the two. "We must realise that in Middle East, what they were reacting - especially in Egypt - was against the rule of one person," she said, referring to the Egypt's former president, Hosni Mubarak. "The fact that there was so much poverty and they don't really have a big middle class like we do." READ MORE HERE

Blogger: MP ran at cops Posted: 29 Jul 2011 04:24 PM PDT (The Star) - The video showing Batu MP Tian Chua charging at a police line has got PKR scrambling to explain their vice-president's action even as the matter became a major talking point in cyberspace. A committee member of Bersih 2.0, Haris Ibrahim, who is also Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement president, posted the video on his blog, The People's Parliament, and demanded an explanation from Tian Chua. In his postings on Thursday, Tian Chua Have You Been A Bad Boy? and Confirmed Tian Chua Was A Bad Boy, were accompanied by raw footage of the incident. The posts drew a host of comments from netizens, including some who demanded an apology from the MP for tarnishing the Bersih 2.0 rally. The clip showed Tian Chua counting satu, dua, tiga (one, two, three) before rushing towards riot police with several others in tow. His fellow vice-presidents, R. Sivarasa and N. Surendran, held a press conference yesterday in an attempt to explain Tian Chua's actions, claiming the MP never charged at the police line. Surendran said police had boxed in protesters in the narrow underpass and acted excessively without giving time for protesters to disperse and Tian Chua could have come to his own decision to move towards the police line as there was nowhere else to escape once police action commenced. Sivarasa, who is also Subang MP, claimed that the footage was released by the police and was a distortion of facts. "The issue had been picked up by some bloggers who may have completely misunderstood or been misled over the footage," he said. In his explanation posted on The People's Parliament, Tian Chua denied he had charged at the police as insinuated by the mainstream media. "Anybody in those circumstances could notice the danger of staying in the enclosure once the police fired tear gas. The video footage only showed a few people rushing towards the open air," he said. Haris pointed out the footage that he posted were not from the police but were recorded by an eye-witness. The police had also released video clips, which were also aired on RTM, to answer allegations made by those who participated in the rally but none of them addressed the Tian Chua issue. SEE VIDEO HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFWduXFANAI

Going global has become the norm Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:13 PM PDT   By Yahoo News/EuroSport Still, it was good of the Malaysian FA to come out and apologise for anything bad a handful of people might have said. I suppose there are idiots wherever you go in the world. I was a little surprised to hear about the alleged abuse a few fans directed at Yossi Benayoun during Chelsea's recent friendly against Malaysia All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur. It is a predominantly Muslim country, but even so I would have expected people there to just appreciate one of the Premier League's biggest clubs coming to town rather than take the opportunity to have a go at a player just because they happen to be from Israel. Still, it was good of the Malaysian FA to come out and apologise for anything bad a handful of people might have said. I suppose there are idiots wherever you go in the world. The incident was barely mentioned here in Singapore, a nation which never usually needs an excuse to have a dig at its neighbour, especially after they recently beat them on a World Cup qualifier. That shows how little importance anyone in the region is attaching to the incident. The people of the Malaysian capital have been spoiled this summer, what with Arsenal and Liverpool both coming to town before Chelsea did. Despite being the Premier League champions until just a couple of months ago, the Blues cannot hold a candle to either of those two sides in terms of popularity in South East Asia, especially Liverpool. The title may not have been held at Anfield for more than two decades, but they are still number one round these parts. If Liverpool ever do win the Premier League for the first time, the place would explode! As I have mentioned previously, there are a few more blue shirts popping up here and there in this part of the world, but they will have to win a few more championships before they can truly hope to crack this market, currently so dominated by Liverpool and Manchester United. And crack it they must. With UEFA's Financial Fair Play rules coming into effect, even clubs owned by billionaire oligarchs now have to start maximising potential revenue. There is such an appetite for football in countries like Malaysia and Indonesia, and they will accept any invitation to get involved. It is no wonder the ludicrous idea of a 39th game was mooted not so long ago. Chelsea are now in Hong Kong competing in the Asia Trophy, which also features Aston Villa and Blackburn. Even Rovers, who even cannot fill their own ground, are trying their best to win fans abroad, something a certain dubious advert is being used to do in India.  There are potential pitfalls with going on pre-season tours halfway around the world, and Arsene Wenger has perhaps been the most vocal in expressing his fears over fatigue setting in among his players before the campaign has even started. But the Gunners choosing to clock up the air miles rather than have their usual low-key summer in Europe shows just how they have changed their tune. Besides, today's footballers are fitter than ever - they can handle the rigours of the extra travel and hostile climate far better than those of my generation could. Which is just as well, really, because the annual trip to at least one emerging market is now a bare necessity for any club that wants to make any decent money these days. Going global was once viewed with cynicism, but now it has become standard practice.

Najib unfazed by online abuse Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:55 PM PDT (Bernama) - KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today he would continue to allow the public access to his online communication platforms although they had experienced serious abuse over the past weeks. He said he arrived at the decision in the spirit of having open and direct communication with the people. "Over the past weeks, there have been serious abuse of my online communication platforms, most noticeably on Facebook," he said, adding that it would not be fair to deny many Malaysians the opportunity to interact with him because of the irresponsible acts by a few. "As it stands, I have over 800,000 Facebook 'likes' and close to 170,000 followers on Twitter. Even at the time of writing, I observe that more Malaysians have stepped up in support of civil dialogue and posting constructive comments. Do keep it up. "I hope we as Malaysians can demonstrate responsible, respectful behaviour while commenting online," he said in his latest post on his blog. In recent weeks, Najib's Facebook page had come under serious abuse by people who posted negative comments against him and the Barisan Nasional government. Many of the abusers seem to be supporters of the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) as their profiles bore the Bersih logo and the colour yellow.

EO6: A bitter lesson for the govt Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:45 PM PDT   By Jeswant Kaur, FMT Abusing the Emergency Ordinance 1969, six breadwinners of their families' were thrown behind bars and defamed with having waged a war against the King, holding subversive beliefs and instigating the rakyat to attend a rally which the police had deemed illegal. Yesterday, 28 days later, all six were set free, unconditionally. The question that begs an answer from Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak is: What happened in those 28 days' that made him, his cousin the Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar realise that the six are innocent and should rightfully be released? Or was it a case of all three parties being well aware of the innocence of the six but proceeded to used them as scapegoats, hoping to teach Malaysians in general a lesson for taking to the streets on July 9, 2011 and challenging the 'powers that be'? The six detained were Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar, Parti Sosialis Malaysia deputy president M Sarasvathy, central committee members Choo Chon Kai and M Sukumaran, Youth chief R Saratbabu and Sungai Siput branch secretary A Letchumanan. Despite cooperating with the police, the six were treated like hardcore criminals, being held in solitary confinement and deprived of all basic necessities including their medication as in the case of Jeyakumar and Sarasvathy. It was much later that the police claimed the six were detained for allegedly being "movers" for the July 9, 2011, rally organised by election watchdog Bersih 2.0 (Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections). However, none of the six were steering committee members of the Bersih 2.0 which was declared illegal by the government. The coalition comprises of more than 60 non-governmental organisations. What rule of law, Najib? On July 29, after a tormenting 28-day ordeal, when all six were released, Najib had this to say: "It is a decision (to release) taken by the police based on their own observation. "We accept the decision made by the police… it is up to the attorney-general to decide on the next course of action. As a sovereign country we uphold the rule of law." Is Najib confirming that this country has turned into a police state, with the police having absolute liberty to detain and abuse whoever they wish? Premier Najib said Malaysia as a sovereign country upholds the rule of law. The rule of law states that individuals, persons and government shall submit to, obey and be regulated by law and not arbitrary action by an individual or a group of individuals. Clearly Najib contradicted himself, for in the case of the six, the rule of law was never applied. It was the arbitrary action of the 'powers that be' that resulted in the detention of the six who later became known as PSM6. And in case Najib has forgotten, the rule of law applies to the government as well, compelling it to obey the law and not manipulate it to serve the interest of a select few.   READ MORE HERE.

Slow response to 1 Malaysia email beta signup Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:39 PM PDT By Melissa Chi, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — Thousands are thronging an IT fair in the city but only some 200 have signed up so far for the controversial 1 Malaysia email service, which is entering its beta or testing phase next month. Tricubes Bhd, which is marketing the 1 Malaysia email service as myemail.my, has set up a booth at the Pikom Digital Lifestyle Expo at the KLCC Convention Centre for this weekend, where they have been visited by either those curious about the service or wanting to reserve their usernames. Product Manager Amir Shariffuddin told The Malaysian Insider that the pre-registration started last month at the National ICT Conference 2011 at the Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC), although he did not provide the total number of registered users to date. "It is not just an email. It is a whole platform of information flow. It is also the official electronic correspondence between the government and the rakyat," he said. When asked if Myemail messages sent to government officials will get priority over those sent using other email services, he said "probably". Amir stressed that the service would make it is easier and faster for the government to send official documents to the users. Among the benefits listed in an informational leaflet on Myemail are that it replaces paper bills with digital versions in portable document format (PDF); provides a "marketplace" where exclusive deals are offered to Myemail users; introduces social networking access through the email "dashboard"; provides an email inbox and access to online payment services; and allows direct access to Microsoft Office files. The 1 Malaysia email service, which was supposed to start beta service at the end of April, has been marketed as a move that will reduce the use of paper and save the government RM200 million over 10 years. The project has been met with scepticism by some Malaysians, who question to the redundancy of the facility. Most adults with Internet access have at least one personal email and another for work or education purposes. The Malaysian Insider understands that Tricubes aims to sign up at least 20,000 users for its beta phase although it has yet to secure any government or private sector agencies to test the payment gateway. Hamidreza Ghotb, another Tricubes representative at the booth, explained that the e-payment and paperless bills will only be available to government agencies as well as government-linked companies this year. "Its (Myemail's) ability is limitless. You can incorporate Facebook and everything you can imagine, with Myemail," he said, adding that the possibility will happen "some time in the future". Myemail also promises security, cost-saving, convenience, fast delivery, and a green solution. The catch is, however, those signing up for the email service will have to buy a USB biometric device sold by Tricubes or go to any National Registration Department (NRD) office to use the additional services offered, on top of the emails. Tricubes chief executive Khairun Zainal Mokhtar had also said the USB device would also allow Myemail users opt for the more secure end-to-end data encryption for an additional fee, which he described as "a fraction of the cost".   READ MORE HERE.

DAP to MCA: Contracts given on merit, not race Posted: 29 Jul 2011 02:33 PM PDT   By Shazwan Mustafa Kamal, The Malaysian Insider KUALA LUMPUR, July 30 — DAP rapped MCA today for accusing the Penang government of sidelining the Chinese community in the award of contracts, stressing that the state administration's criteria was strictly merit-based. In a strongly-worded reply, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua charged that Barisan Nasional (BN) parties like MCA were stuck with "archaic" policies where they were only interested in attracting votes from the "respective races" they claimed to represent. "They fail to recognise their own chauvinism and their total disconnect from ordinary citizens today who are increasingly seeing themselves as Malaysians first," he told The Malaysian Insider today. MCA had accused Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng of awarding all of the state's Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) contracts to Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, leaving the Chinese community out in the cold. Penang Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang claimed yesterday this was likely because the chief minister was "currying favour" with the non-Chinese community as, according to her, the DAP has realised that it could not rely on support from the Chinese forever. Tan was referring to a statement Lim purportedly made on Wednesday that the contractors in all five districts in Penang for DID contracts are Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, with women accounting for 20 per cent. In response, Pua today said DAP and Pakatan Rakyat (PR)'s policies were specifically designed from a "merit and needs-based perspective." "Unlike MCA and BN's model, we are race-blind. If one is poor, he or she will deserve assistance, regardless of race, religion or creed. "If one is competent and cost-efficient, they will be awarded government contracts and projects irrespective of company ownership," he added.   READ MORE HERE.

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Still no magic after the Vatican-Malaysia alliance Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:30 PM PDT Christians need to feel that they are first class citizens again on par with the Muslims, with full and unhindered rights to practice their religion. The "Allah" issue must be solved immediately, and not delayed as the government tactical maneuvering for so long. Indecision is a decision and delayed justice is justice denied. DANIEL JOHN JAMBUN Datuk Seri Najib's recent visit to the Vatican is admittedly something to be glad about for all peoples of Malaysia, regardless of their religious beliefs and practices. However, I tend to agree with Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who said the visit promises no magic. He should know because he also was part of Tun Mahathir's delegation in the first official visit to the Vatican to meet the late Pope John Paul II.   As Malaysians, we have to wonder as to why the visit was made at this time. It is very probable that Najib wanted to catch two birds with one stone with the visit, to appease Malaysian Christians who have been deeply hurt by all the mistreatments and shenanigans thrown at them, and to help rebuild Malaysia's image abroad after all the negative publicity generated in the international media which painted the Malaysian government as having a strong anti-Christian internal policy.   Immediately, the visit which later produced photographs and videos of a humble Najib shaking hands with a slight bow to the Pope, should have served to partly silence some of the anti-Christian rhetoric at home, and to reduce the strong anti-Christian sentiments of many Malays who even went to the extent of antagonizing Christians with deeply hurtful slurs and name-callings. How can we ever forget the torching of churches, and the throwing pig heads into mosques, which clearly wasn't done by Christians. The most unbelievable development was when a group demanded that crucifixes be removed from churches when Muslim government leaders are coming to visit. The concocted story of some Christians and Chinese plotting to install a Christian Prime Minister and the ensuing statement by the notorious Ibrahim Ali that he would be willing to bath in the blood of Christians to defend Malay rights was reaching the edge of insanity, and was testing the patience of even the most prayerful of Christians.   Returning home, Najib had followed up with calls to move from tolerance to acceptance, to close existing interracial gaps, admitting "there are still dividing walls and feelings of our difference". The dividing walls are thick and the gaps between religions have widened due to his own neglect. So surely, despite all these, not enough is being done to integrate Malaysians into a more harmonious co-existence. The Prime Minister needs to be more aggressive in addressing the anti-Christian sentiment among Malays. Instead of just encouraging Malaysians to embrace acceptance, which is very vague, he needs to say unequivocally, daringly, sternly, and explicitly that "It is time to stop antagonising Christians. Let's embrace them as our Malaysian brothers! We need the Christians. They are a part of our national brotherhood to move the nation forward!" But dream on! I believe this kind of wise and conciliatory gesture will never come out from Najib for fear of losing Malay support.   But there are very urgent things to be done. On top of the national unity, national integration, 1Malaysia and tranformasi that have become hollow buzzwords, Najib needs to address urgent Christian-related problems. One of this is religious justice. Christians need to feel that they are first class citizens again on par with the Muslims, with full and unhindered rights to practice their religion. The "Allah" issue must be solved immediately, and not delayed as the government tactical maneuvering for so long. Indecision is a decision and delayed justice is justice denied. Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon had said that the renewed Malaysia-Vatican ties will boost the long-avoided interfaith dialogue, with Vatican playing a role to "promote the values of moderation and inclusiveness." Let's see if that is not just sweet talk.   The national development agenda must include the development for all religions and for all religious groups, and not just the official religion. Christians and Hindus are forced to build their houses of worship with their own funds while mosques are all build with the people's money. But logically, other religions deserve the same treatment because they too pay all sorts of taxes. The national budget must make provisions for Christian activities, including ministry and missionary works (among non-Muslims), welfare, motivation and education. All government officials, especially in the Customs Department must from now on be told never again to confiscate any Bibles of Christian books. And the promise to allow free import of Bibles and printing of Bibles in the country, including in Malay, must be clearly reassured and fulfilled. Only this way Najib can show the world and the people of Malaysia that the Vatican visit wasn't just a showpiece for international public relations but for real change towards not just religious tolerance but inter-religious "acceptance" and openness at home. Najib shouldn't fear losing the Malay votes with such a policy because the BN's survival so far hadn't been because of mainly Malay votes but votes of non-Malays, especially those in Sabah and Sarawak. All these while Najib has been seen as dilly-dallying on reaffirming interreligious harmony, pandering to the bigotry of religious fanatics who think nothing of creating unrest and havoc. He has developed an image of an indecisive leader, controlled by Malay extremists. He failed to show wisdom and diplomacy in his handling of the recent Bersih 2.0 rally, showing his muscle with a brutal crackdown. But after his Vatican visit, after the establishment of what is now called the Malaysia-Vatican alliance (alliance in what?) he can change his image to that of someone with an astute and strong character by doing the right things.  But the bet is that he won't, and the magic we expect will not materialize. He had also addressed the United Nation's assembly previous to this, during which he talked about the need for human rights worldwide, and yet came home to deny that very right to many Malaysians. Do we have to wait for a real magic only after a third Vatican visit by the next prime minister? If so, then it may be too late for many of us.

Britain will never humiliate Najib Posted: 28 Jul 2011 04:01 PM PDT   By Mariam Mokhtar, FMT The United Kingdom expelled the remaining Libyan diplomats from the London Embassy on July 27, but it had little to do with democracy despite the British claims. The announcement was more a calculated move to protect British interests in Libyan oil and minerals. Plus the fact that the EU, including Britain, found that Muammar Gaddafi was a good repeat customer for arms. Hopeful Malaysians thinking that Britain would mete out the same treatment to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak should desist from harbouring such thoughts. Britain will never humiliate Najib. After the red carpet treatment and the various receptions at Mansion House, Downing Street and Buckingham Palace, Najib is practically the "golden boy" of the Far East. Malaysians yearning for a democratic Malaysia will be searching for parallels with the Libyan people. There are many. The Libyans have had 42 years of tyranny under Gaddafi; we had 54 years of Umno-BN. Gaddafi is famed for his tent meetings where leaders glorify him. His portrait is draped over buildings and in public places. No one dares to criticise him in public. It is no different for Malaysians. Any dissenting voices are silenced with our draconian laws. Najib's lieutenants distinguish themselves by singing praises in public about him. Didn't Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob claim that he could mobilise three million people to support Najib on Facebook? When Najib returned from Europe last week, having cut short his vacation, thousands turned up at the airport to welcome him. The more intellectually challenged in this crowd thought Najib was magnanimous. If they cared to think a bit deeper, Najib was panicking about William Bourdon's visit, the French lawyer who was in Malaysia to lecture about the Scorpene scandal. Najib subsequently deported Bourdon. Nevertheless, it is common knowledge that the busloads of people greeting Najib are handsomely rewarded for their efforts. Another similarity between Libya and Malaysia are the personal links the two leaders have with western nations. Gaddafi's son, Saif, graduated from the London School of Economics and is closely linked to rich and powerful people in Europe and America. In a British government trade and investment guide, Najib is described as an economics graduate from UK and someone whose rule is transparent – mere window-dressing to attract investors. There is no mention of Malaysia's human rights abuses. The driving force One critical similarity between Libya and Malaysia is the rejection of the democratic ideals of their people by the two leaders. Gaddafi's response to pro-democracy marchers has been particularly brutal, leaving hundreds of civilians dead. The Malaysian government's response towards its own pro-democracy march has been violent though not with the same brutality as Libya's. The repression of the Bersih 2.0 marchers has been condemned worldwide. Najib has brushed these concerns aside and claimed that the march was illegal, that there was a communist plot to topple the King and that the police were provoked. He stressed Malaysian elections were clean. British Prime Minister David Cameron would be naïve to believe these excuses. However, any Malaysian who thinks Britain will intervene on our behalf will be disappointed. The driving force is trade and economy. Britain's economy is in the doldrums so when Najib touts for business between the two countries, he is welcomed. Libya, just like Egypt, procured arms on a large scale from Britain. Malaysia is no different. The Brits would not risk Najib shopping elsewhere. Might there be a slim chance France is prepared to drop all charges in the Scorpene scandal provided Najib purchases French armaments? Who knows.   READ MORE HERE.

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• Four things Najib must do to salvage his tattered credibility after his greatest leadership ...
• EO 6 Release - Celebration at Speakers' Square

Reform Now! Posted: 29 Jul 2011 07:02 PM PDT   By A Bittersweet Student Frustration reigns in the hearts of many when the topic about our education is brought forth. Anger rises within the neglected races as their say in it does not count. The hard headed minister sits proudly in front of the press as he announces the new proposals that he has in his mind for our education system. Many watching his press conference, smack their foreheads and begin praying for an educational reform in the country, Malaysia. After much conflict due to the surprising selection of students for the JPA scholarship, it is time for meritocracy to take centre stage. Students should be awarded based on their merits and not their skin colour. What's the point of protecting your own kind when they are unable to perform and bring major achievements to the country? What is the government trying to prove? The government should be trying to avoid the 'brain drain' in our country not give potential leaders an excuse to invest their intelligence elsewhere. In order to bring a 'balance' in the education system, the 'geniuses' of the Education Ministry have implemented that curriculum is a must among students when it comes to the provision of scholarships. However, it is all a lie as not one of them spoke on curriculum achievements when explaining the qualification of being a recipient of the scholarship. The hard effort put in by students due to their never-ending competition involvement are wasted away as it is meaningless. Besides, if the government would match up the curriculum activities to the interests of teenagers along with their latest implementation "One student, One Sport" efficiently, the attendance of students would increase. But why? Is it true they intend to produce 'all rounder' students or is it just a political gimmick? The young generation of today are slowly slacking in their academics due to their teacher's extravagant teaching methods. The lack of know-how in their own subjects complicates and confuses students further. Teachers at this day and age have lost sight of the importance of teaching thus conducting their lessons with lack of enthusiasm and passion, boring their students to death. Most teachers in school's nowadays are those that are either drop outs or low achievers in their previous schooling years. Therefore, it is imperative for them to be retrained - the proper way. The medium of instruction plays an important role in the education system. "Bring back English in the Science and Mathematics subjects!" English is the international language, making students capable in communicating fluently once they have furthered their studies overseas. Students studying overseas are no doubt representatives of the country. Imagine the humiliation this country would face if a student on scholarship was offered to study overseas yet could not communicate properly. How could we expect the sophisticated side of this world to regard us as one of them when we do not have a good command of the English Language?                   A student is only properly motivated when placed in a conducive environment with proper and usable facilities. Mission schools nationwide are not provided with new facilities. Books in libraries, musical instruments and sports equipments should be updated from time to time. But this hardly happens to mission schools and they are forced to raise funds on their own. Sports and music facilities should be provided and constantly maintained in schools throughout the country as well. Above all, the education system now is very much one sided and will slowly lead to the country's doomsday as they are unable to provide qualified leaders of this nation. Something needs to be done immediately! Someone must have the courage to step up and say something. It is bad enough that everything they do is for their own political benefit now they are using education as well? Enough is enough! Politics here can be described to be a circus where all eyes are on the ringleader and what ever he does is being watched, talked and joked about by the other countries. Why deny the mistakes one has done? A wise man does not lie about his mistakes or try sweeping it under the carpet hoping it goes unnoticed but boldly he will go forth and apologize in front of the press on the mistakes that has been made and evidently show initiative to get to the bottom of things. Needless to say, educational reform is evidently needed in this country so there is no point trying to deny it.

Four things Najib must do to salvage his tattered credibility after his greatest leadership ... Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:36 PM PDT Firstly, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police should tender a public apology to the PSM6 for their unlawful detention and Najib should make public commitment to annul the four Proclamations of Emergency which are obsolete, going back from 34 to 47 years ago,  repeal the EO and all oppressive legislation. Lim Kit Siang The past five weeks are undoubtedly the worst period for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak since becoming the sixth Malaysian PM 27 months ago – making him the object of ridicule and scorn not only in the country but also internationally, forcing him to cut short his overseas trip. It was his greatest failure of leadership as Prime Minister leaving his credibility in tatters – which is why his claim yesterday that the release of the PSM6 under the Emergency Ordinance was in accordance with the rule of law was met with nation-wide derision. Najib cannot be more wrong if he thinks that he had restored his credibility with the release of the PSM6 yesterday, as nothing could wipe out the fact of his government's high-handed and unsuccessful action to suppress the 709 Bersih 2.0 rally for free and fair elections, resulting in the arbitrariy and totally unjustifieable arrests of the PSM6, first on the ridiculous grounds of "waging war against the Agong" and "reviving communism" and then under EO for being "prime movers" of Bersih. There are four things Najib must do, immediately and urgently, if he wants to salvage his tattered credibility after his greatest leadership failure as Prime Minister post-Bersih post-EO6. Firstly, the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and the Inspector-General of Police should tender a public apology to the PSM6 for their unlawful detention and Najib should make public commitment to annul the four Proclamations of Emergency which are obsolete, going back from 34 to 47 years ago,  repeal the EO and all oppressive legislation. Secondly, lift the ridiculous ban on Bersih 2.0 and end the government's even more ridiculous Xanthophobia (irrational fear of yellow) arresting people for wearing the yellow Bersih 2.0 T-shirt and set up a Royal Commission of Inquiry on free and fair elections to make recommendations in time for the forthcoming 13th General Elections. Thirdly, take firm action against the UMNO official organ, Utusan Malaysia, which had in the past few months carried out a most insidious and seditious  campaign to incite ethnic hatred and religious tensions in the country totally against the spirit and objective of a united, harmonious, inclusive multi-racial and multi-religious nation – making Utusan the greatest threat to and destroyer of  Najib's 1Malaysia campaign. Fourthly, charge Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) officers found by Teoh Beng Hock Royal Commission of Inquiry as having committed a host of offences and crimes, including perjury before the TBH Inquest and TBH RCI, and setting up a special investigation squad for  fuller investigation into the real causes and circumstances of Teoh Beng Hock. This is because the TBH RCI, despite its unacceptable "driven suicide" finding,  had provided several new leads which must be further pursued, in accordance with the Prime Minister's undertaking to Teoh Beng Hock's family in July 2099 to "leave no stone unturned", to find out the real causes and circumstances of Beng Hock's death. It is only when Najib is prepared to these four basic things that he can hope to begin to recover his credibility which suffered a fatal blow in the past five weeks as a result of the government's gross mishandling of the 709 Bersih 2. Rally and arbitrary arrests of the  PSM6.

EO 6 Release - Celebration at Speakers' Square Posted: 29 Jul 2011 03:22 PM PDT A victory celebration will be held tomorrow in thanksgiving for the release of EO 6 and for all your support, prayers, pressure and publicity lobbying for their release.  Come together and celebrate the victory of vox populi and people power!   A celebration will be held tomorrow for the release of the EO6.     Date: Sunday 31 July 2011   Time: 6.00pm   Venue: Speakers' Square Esplanade, Penang     There will be speeches, singing and lots of joy and happiness. As what Dr Kumar said, the police did not release the EO6. It is the people and people's power who released the EO6.   Please bring something to share with the crowd if you can. See you all there!!

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• Now do you know what I mean?
• If you had to argue your case
• Have you got your halal certificate yet?
• Back to the Middle Ages
• Is Jho Low a Trojan horse?

Now do you know what I mean? Posted: 28 Jul 2011 05:58 PM PDT So which is it then? Is the DAP-led government of Penang neglecting the Malays or neglecting the Chinese? Can Umno and MCA please agree on this? Can we also hear whether MIC agrees with HINDRAF that it is actually the Indian Hindus who are the ones being neglected or does MIC want to contradict HINDRAF and declare that the Indian Hindus are being well looked after and are very happy, thank you very much? NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Malaysia's Penang Wanita MCA: Why no DID projects given to Chinese (The Star/ANN) - Malaysia's Penang Wanita MCA wants to know why not a single state Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) project was given to Chinese contractors. Its chairman Tan Cheng Liang said she believed the Chinese contractors had submitted tender applications for the projects. "Has the state deemed their applications incomplete." "I am aghast and unable to comprehend why isn't a single contract awarded to a Chinese contractor," said Tan in response to Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's statement on July 27, that contractors in all five districts for the DID projects were Malays, bumiputras and Indian Muslims of which women accounted for 20%. Tan said since the DAP took over the state, not a single Chinese contractor in the five districts were given projects. "The DAP-led state government should not simply award contracts to bumiputras to make themselves look fair." "They should ensure that the contractors are capable of guaranteeing a successful completion of the projects and there will not be problems later," she said. Tan said there was proof that despite the support from the Chinese for Lim and DAP, the interest of the Chinese had been threatened after DAP came into power. "They realise that they cannot rely on the Chinese forever but I hope the curry favour among other races is not done at the expense of the Chinese," she said. ********************************* MCA is alleging that the DAP-led government of Penang is sidelining the Chinese and is favouring the Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims.  MCA, in case some of you still don't know, is the second largest coalition partner in Barisan Nasional and is the original member of the Alliance Party that negotiated with the British for Merdeka for Malaya. Penang Wanita MCA chairman Tan Cheng Liang was referring to a statement Lim Guan Eng was said to have made two days ago that the DID contractors in all five districts in Penang are Malays, Bumiputeras and Indian Muslims, with women accounting for 20%. Umno, on the other hand, has claimed that since the new government took over in Penang in March 2008, the Malays have been sidelined and the 'racist' DAP-led Penang government just focuses on the Chinese. Now, while the 'husband' alleges that the Penang government neglects the Malays, the 'wife', on the other hand, alleges that the Penang government neglects the Chinese. Clearly this 'couple' no longer sees eye-to-eye on the issue of whether it is the Malays or the Chinese who are being neglected. MIC, the 'second wife', is in the meantime still foggy and blur (as usual) and is trying to figure out what stupid thing to say (as usual). MIC can't jump onto the bandwagon and allege that the Penang government is also neglecting the Indian Hindus. This is exactly what HINDRAF is claiming. So, if MIC claims the same thing, then HINDRAF can turn around and say, "Ah hah! Did we not say so? Even MIC agrees with what we say. That means HINDRAF was right all along. The Indian Hindus are being neglected." Anyway, this is what the people in Barisan Nasional are saying. Now, if someone from Pakatan Rakyat said something like this do you know what the opposition supporters would say? They would say MCA has been bought. MCA is a Trojan horse. MCA is trying to sabotage Barisan Nasional. MCA is secretly and maliciously trying to help the opposition by contradicting Umno. That is the advantage of being in Barisan Nasional. They allow you freedom to speak without calling you a traitor. But whether you still have freedom after you speak is another matter. Maybe not! But you do have freedom to speak in spite of not having freedom after you speak. So which is it then? Is the DAP-led government of Penang neglecting the Malays or neglecting the Chinese? Can Umno and MCA please agree on this? And can we also hear whether MIC agrees with HINDRAF that it is actually the Indian Hindus who are the ones being neglected or does MIC want to contradict HINDRAF and declare that the Indian Hindus are being well looked after and are very happy, thank you very much? Politicians! Now do you know why we need to guard against politicians? They will take pains to make sure that after almost 54 years of Merdeka we still focus on issues concerning Malays, Chinese and Indians and not look at things in the context of Malaysians.

If you had to argue your case Posted: 28 Jul 2011 07:14 AM PDT Your Honour, I am no prophet. I can't claim to be guided by God, at least not in the way the Prophets of old were. But what have we learned from the examples of the Prophets? Basically, what we have learned is we must not be afraid of challenging the system and not to fear reforms. To do that, we must speak out, debate and enter into discourse. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Malaysia's Internal Security Act allows the government to detain you without trial indefinitely. The initial detention is not more than 60 days during which time they will decide whether you can be released or should be further detained in the Kamunting Detention Centre. If you are further detained in Kamunting, within three months of your detention you will appear before the Lembaga Penasihat (Review Board), which will review your case and decide whether to prolong your detention or allow you to go home. These review proceedings will give you the opportunity to attempt to convince the Lembaga that your detention is not justified and that they should release you. You can either argue your case yourself or you can get a lawyer to do it for you. This is what I would probably say during the review proceedings had I been given an opportunity to argue my own case. ************************************ Your Honour, first of all I thank you for the opportunity offered me to try to convince you why I should be released and allowed to go home. I realise that, normally, detainees would arrange for a lawyer or a team of lawyers to argue their case and that the proceedings are conducted in the same way as in a court of law. Nevertheless, I would like to dispense with the services of a lawyer and argue my case myself. I hope you will bear with me and hear me out and allow me to take you through the issues as to why this Lembaga should consider releasing me and allow me to go home. Your Honour, if you were to peruse my Detention Order, you will see that the four grounds of my detention, as stated in that Detention Order, is for speaking out or for expressing myself. I know the grounds of my detention have been explained in great detail and with a lot of legal jargon that would probably confuse even lawyers themselves. However, putting that aside, and as the Americans would say, cutting to the chase, the long and short of it is, simply, I am too vocal. Your Honour, whether, as what the Honourable Minister said, I am a threat to national security is a matter of opinion. As they say, one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter. George Washington was a terrorist and was treated as such by the British Colonialists. If they had caught him, they would have put him to death. Today, Washington is the name of the capital of the most powerful nation in the world. I agree wholeheartedly that the pen is mightier than the sword. If I had carried a sword and had threatened bodily harm then certainly that would make me a threat to life and limb and therefore a threat to national security and public order. But my crime is merely for using the pen, in this case a computer keyboard, and as much as the pen may be mightier than a sword, metaphorically speaking, using a pen is not the same as threatening someone with a sword. What would humanity be today if freedom of expression had not been allowed? And that is my only crime, being too free with my expression. Buddha, a Hindu prince, lived a protected life and knew nothing about death, sickness, poverty, etc. until he was exposed to the world. That exposure opened his eyes to the suffering, injustice and evil of the world around him that he had been protected from. Eventually, Buddha became disillusioned and sought enlightenment. Through enlightenment, Buddha saw the truth and brought reforms to the world. Had the powers-that-be tried to stifle Buddha and prevented him from seeking enlightenment, Buddhism would not exist today. Was Buddha a terrorist? Was he considered a threat to Hinduism? If they had declared Buddha a threat to society and had put him to death we would never have known Buddha or Buddhism, which teaches love, kindness and peace and is not violent even to animals. What was Buddha's crime if you want to consider him as having committed one? His crime is he was different. He was a seeker. He was what today we would call a reformist. Because of Buddha, that part of the world could see reforms while the rest of the world, even Europe, was steeped in superstition and ignorance. Europe was locked in what we would call the dark ages while Buddha brought enlightenment because they allowed him to do what he did. They did not lock him away under detention without trial. Your Honour, as a Muslim just like me, you too must be very familiar with the history of our Prophet Muhammad. Muhammad too was a reformist. For ten years he preached reforms but the people of Mekah rejected him. In fact, they plotted against him and schemed his death. Did God abandon Muhammad to his fate? No! God commanded Muhammad to leave Mekah and to seek asylum in the safety of Medina. Yes, God refused to allow them to silence him. God wanted Muhammad to continue spreading his message of reforms. Today, even the non-Muslim western world regards Muhammad as the greatest reformist in history. It took more than 1,500 years for the western world to fully understand Christianity and to comprehend the teachings of Christ. For more than 1,000 years the Christian world remained in ignorance mainly because no debate and discourse was allowed. Debates and discourse was punishable by death. It was not until they revolted against this that the Christian world progressed and discarded their superstitious and ignorant ways. Again, it was not until the reformists rose up and demanded change did the world become a better place and the killings in the name of religion end. So you see, Your Honour, for thousands of years reformists have fought against impossible odds and won. As a result, we now live in a better and more progressive world. Your Honour, I am not prophet. I can't claim to be guided by God, at least not in the way the Prophets of old were. But what have we learned from the examples of the Prophets? Basically, what we have learned is we must not be afraid of challenging the system and not to fear reforms. To do that, we must speak out, debate and enter into discourse. Your Honour, my crime, if you can even consider it a crime, is that I have challenged the system and have spoken out. And for that I am now in Kamunting under ISA detention. How can speaking out be a crime? How can we see reforms and changes if we do not speak out? I am here in Kamunting because I am considered a threat to national security. Galileo Galilee too was considered a threat to national security. But because of his links to the Duke they did not dare put him to death. Instead they excommunicated him and placed him under house arrest. And what was Galileo's crime? His crime is he declared that the sun does move around the earth but instead the earth moves around the sun. And that declaration, to the powers-that-be at that time, was a crime and a threat to national security. Would we still insist today that Galileo is a criminal and a threat to national security? So you see, Your Honour, the world will never progress if we jail or put to death everyone who challenges the system and tries to preach reforms -- as long as they don't preach death and destruction, which neither I nor Galileo have done. I may be overzealous in expressing myself. That may be my fault. But Martin Luther was as well when he challenged the church that resulted in reforms, as was Martin Luther King. Because of his work and other social changes, the first African-American President is now serving America. Your Honour, the Honourable Minister has declared me a threat to national security based on his standards and interpretation. Can one man make this sole decision on behalf of 28 million Malaysians? Does his view reflect that of the majority of Malaysians? Your Honour, the Honourable Minister himself was once a reformer who challenged the system. Then, the government viewed him as a threat to national security as well. And although he was never detained under the ISA, he was, however, punished by being sent into the political wilderness where he lingered for quite some time. Then, the Honourable Minister justified his actions for challenging the system as the need to introduce reforms to the country. The Honourable Minister himself was a reformist and he too opposed the system and he too was punished for this. I would imagine that the Minister still holds these ideals close to his heart. Why would the Minister now take offense to what he himself once did? Your Honour, I remember the time when the Honourable Minister was outside the government and he and I opposed the system and challenged the system and fought to bring reforms to system. Then, he too was a firebrand and did not fear going against what he considered was wrong. Today, he is in the government and I am still outside the government. And, today, he signs my Detention Order and detains me without trial for doing nothing short of what he once did himself -- expressing the need for reforms. Your Honour, instead of I appearing before this Lembaga to try to convince you why I should be released, the Honourable Minister should be made to appear before this Lembaga to explain why he sees the need for my further detention and in what way my actions of expressing myself can be construed as a threat to national security. Your Honour, I have nothing further to say. I just pray that this Lembaga sees the logic of my arguments and can accept that the world needs reformers. If there had not been any reformers then the world would not be the progressive world that we see today. Thank you, Your Honour.

Have you got your halal certificate yet? Posted: 27 Jul 2011 05:39 PM PDT Hotel operators which have yet to obtain halal certificates from the Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) have been urged to get their certifications to ensure that the food and drinks they served during Ramadan are halal. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha said the department had simplified the certification process and it can now be obtained within a day. "We have sent out letters to them and about 80 per cent of hotels in the Federal Territories have obtained their certifications." "There are also special officers to process the certifications should an urgent approval is needed," he told reporters after opening the Federal Territories Nasyid Festival 2011 at the Islamic Centre complex, here today. He said hotel operators who failed to display the halal certificate can be fined under the Trade Descriptions Act 1972. "We will carry out operations from time to time. We will also act based on complaints from the public," he said. -- (Bernama) ****************************************** Jakim: Yes, can I help you? Hotel: Is this where I apply for the halal certificate for my hotel? Jakim: It depends. Hotel: Depends? Jakim: Yes, are you a local-owned hotel or foreign-owned hotel? Hotel: Foreign-owned. Jakim: This counter, counter number one, is for local-owned hotels. The next counter, counter number two, is for foreign-owned hotels.  Hotel: Okay, thank you. Jakim: Yes, can I help you? Hotel: Hey, hold on! You're the same officer from counter number one. Jakim: Yes, we have only one officer on duty today. Hotel: But you have ten counters. Jakim: Yes, counter number one is for local-owned hotels, counter number two for foreign-owned hotels, then we have counters number three to ten for other applications like restaurants, supermarkets, and so on. Hotel: But why did you ask me to move to counter number two? Why can't you just serve me from counter number one if you are handling all applications? Jakim: Procedure. Hotel: Never mind. I want to apply for a halal certificate for my hotel. Jakim: Foreign-owned? Hotel: Yes, I already told you. Foreign-owned. Why ask again? Jakim: You told the officer at counter number one. This is counter number two. Hotel: But you are the same officer at counter number one. Oh, never mind. Jakim: Have you filled in the form? Hotel: Yes I have. Here it is. Jakim: But this is Borang A. You must fill in Borang B. Hotel: What's the difference? Jakim: Borang A is for hotels registered under the Registrar of Businesses. Yours is registered under the Registrar of Companies. So must fill in Borang B. Hotel: Where do I get Borang B? Jakim: At counter number ten. Hotel: But there is no officer at counter number ten. Jakim: I am also the officer for counter number ten. Hotel: Yes, I know, you already told me there is only one officer on duty today. So why can't you just give me the form here? Jakim: Cannot. You must go to counter number ten. Procedure. Hotel: Okay, okay, I will go to counter number ten. See you over there. Jakim: Yes, can I help you? Hotel: You know what I want. I want Borang B. Jakim: For foreign-owned hotel registered under the Registrar of Companies? Hotel: Yes, yes, yes. Jakim: No need to get angry. I am just doing my duty. Hotel: Okay, okay, I know, procedure. Jakim: Your hotel sells halal food? Hotel: Yes, we sell only halal meat, fish, vegetables…all halal Jakim: Fish and vegetables definitely halal. No need for halal certificate. Only need halal certificate for meat. You buy your meat from halal butcher? Hotel: Yes, from halal butcher. Jakim: You have the halal certificate from the butcher? Hotel: No, I don't. But there is a halal sign on the packing. Jakim: How do you know it is really halal? It could be a fake halal sign. There are many fakes nowadays. Hotel: I don't know whether it is genuine or a forgery? I go by the halal sign on the packing. The packing says the meat is halal so I assume it is halal. Jakim: Cannot. We must be sure. You must ask them to show you the halal certificate from Jakim. They can't simply put a halal sign on the packing unless they first have a Jakim halal certificate. Hotel: But my suppliers are overseas. How would they get a Jakim halal certificate? Jakim: Jakim will visit the overseas factory and check first. Then we will issue them the halal certificate. Hotel: So when can you visit these overseas factories then? Jakim: The factories must first invite us. Hotel: Then you will go there? Jakim: No, we will then schedule a visit. But they must send us the flight tickets and book the hotels for our officers at their own cost. Hotel: The factories have to pay for one of your officers to visit them so that you can certify that their factory is halal? Jakim: No, not one officer. Ten officers.  Hotel: You need to send ten officers overseas just to certify that the factory is manufacturing halal meat? Jakim: Yes, if not we cannot confirm that their meat is halal. Hotel: Okay, never mind, we will stop selling imported meat and just serve local meat. Would that be okay? Jakim: Yes, that is okay as long as you can show the halal certificate from the supplier. Hotel: Okay, we also sell beer. Does the certificate cover this as well? Jakim: No, beer is haram. We cannot issue a halal certificate for that. Hotel: But we can sell beer? Jakim: Yes. Hotel: But we can't sell meat unless we can prove it is halal? Jakim: No. Hotel: Can we accept credit cards? Jakim: Yes. Hotel: But credit cards involve interest. Is that not haram? Jakim: Interest is haram. Hotel: So the meat must be halal but you can pay by credit card even though interest is haram? Jakim: That is correct. Hotel: And we can employ Malay staff who are Muslims? Jakim: Yes, you can. In fact, if you have no Malay staff you cannot get a hotel licence under the rules of the New Economic Policy. Hotel: But our hotel has a bar, disco, karaoke lounge, massage centre and everything that is haram to Muslims. We can, or must, employ Muslims? Jakim: Yes. Hotel: But their salaries would come from haram sources. Jakim: No problem. Even government staff get paid from revenue from banks, finance companies, money-lending, liquor, bars, night clubs, massage parlours, gambling, lotteries, casinos, cigarettes, and so on. Hotel: That is allowed? Jakim: Yes, allowed. Hotel: But aren't all those businesses haram? Jakim: Yes, they are haram. Hotel: So banks, finance companies, money-lending, liquor, bars, night clubs, massage parlours, gambling, lotteries, casinos, cigarettes, and so on are allowed but meat that is not halal is not allowed? Jakim: That is correct. The meat must be halal. And Jakim will not issue a halal certificate unless you can prove it is halal. So you must sponsor ten officers to go overseas for two weeks to visit the factory first before we can issue the halal certificate. Hotel: Two weeks? Why so long? Jakim: We need one whole day to visit the factory and the other 13 days for rest after the long journey. Hotel: I think never mind. We will stop selling imported meat, just sell local meat, and we will continue to sell beer and run our bar, disco, karaoke lounge and massage centre where most of our revenue comes from anyway.  Jakim: No problem. Then you can get a Jakim halal certificate.

Back to the Middle Ages Posted: 25 Jul 2011 08:20 PM PDT Yes, in Mekah and Medina there is no banned sect of Islam. In Mekah and Medina everyone is just plain Muslim and we are allowed to pray side-by-side with them and behind imams who are Salafis or Wahhabis. But when we come back to Malaysia, we ban them, arrest them and declare that they are deviant Muslims and terrorists whom Malaysians must not follow. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Malaysia appears to have many enemies of the state. The colour yellow. Words such as 'Reformasi', 'Hindraf', 'Bersih', 'Altantuya', etc. Shiah and anything at all within the scope of non-Sunni Islam. Communists. Jews. Gays. Democracy. Gatherings. Marches. Rallies. Free speech. Bahasa Malaysia Bibles. Proportional representation in Parliament and the State Assemblies.  Opposition political parties. You name it and they are all enemies of the state as far as Malaysia is concerned. The Malaysian government is scared of its own shadow. And now Wahhabism is the latest addition to the list of 'banned items'. The article 'The Wahhabi Myth' addresses the fallacies connected to Wahhabism or Salafism as follows: The 'Wahhabi' Myth by Haneef James Oliver clarifies many of the gross inaccuracies and outright lies that have been attributed to the belief of the Salafi Muslims (often referred to as "Wahhabis"). Karen Armstrong speaks about the difference between Osama bin Laden's sect (Qutbism) and Salafism/"Wahhabism" in a Guardian article entitled "The label of Catholic terror was never used about the IRA": "Bin Laden was not inspired by Wahhabism but by the writings of the Egyptian ideologue Sayyid Qutb, who was executed by President Nasser in 1966. Almost every fundamentalist movement in Sunni Islam has been strongly influenced by Qutb, so there is a good case for calling the violence that some of his followers commit "Qutbian terrorism." Qutb urged his followers to withdraw from the moral and spiritual barbarism of modern society and fight it to the death. Read more here: http://sinningslave.wordpress.com/ The bottom line is, anything that does not comply with my beliefs, standards, ideology, doctrine and whatnot is just not on and is haram. That was how things were back in the Middle Ages. Either you are with me or you are against me. And if you are against me then you are my enemy and you must die a violent and painful death. The problem is, while the civilised world has abandoned these old Middle Ages ways and beliefs, in the developing world -- such as in Malaysia -- we are still living in the Middle Ages and still adopting what the civilised world has long abandoned. In short, as the previous Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said: Malaysia is a country with First World infrastructure but Third World mentality. And this statement came from the Malaysian Prime Minister himself. And do you need me to quote what one-time Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said about the mentality of Malaysians? No, I thought not. I better not quote anything from Dr Mahathir lest you all froth and foam at the mouth like rabid dogs. Tens of thousands of Malaysians go to Mekah and Medina every year for their Haj and Umrah. To date, millions of Malaysians have performed both the main and 'small' pilgrimages. And what do they do in Mekah and Medina? They pray side-by-side with the Shiah, Wahhabi, and many other sects of Muslims -- behind an imam of the Grand Mosque in Mekah and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina who are Salafis or Wahhabis. Yes, in Mekah and Medina there is no banned sect of Islam. In Mekah and Medina everyone is just plain Muslim and we are allowed to pray side-by-side with them and behind imams who are Salafis or Wahhabis. But when we come back to Malaysia we ban them and arrest them and declare that they are deviant Muslims and terrorists whom Malaysians must not follow. I watched a movie last night about a gang of robbers that the FBI was trying to track down. They had some suspects but could not get a warrant to put them under 24-hours surveillance. It would be very difficult to convince the court, said the FBI boss, unless one of them converts to Islam. What does that tell you? It tells you that Islam is dangerous and Muslims are terrorists. If one of the bank robbers were a Muslim then the court would readily waive his fundamental rights. That is of course a made-in-America movie where anything Islam is bad and Muslims are terrorists. I suppose they are not that wrong when even the Malaysian government labels Wahhabis or Salafis as terrorists. And is not Malaysia a perceived Islamic country and did not Umno say it is the largest Islamic party in the world? When the Christians and Jews call Muslims terrorists, they are prejudiced. When Muslims call Muslims terrorists, this is a statement of fact and proves what the West suspected of Islam -- that it is a terrorist religion. And did I not say many times that Muslims are Islam's greatest enemy? ************************************ Wahhabi alert will damage ties with Saudi Arabia, says PAS By Shannon Teoh, Malaysian Insider PAS said today that Putrajaya was damaging ties with key Muslim countries such as Saudi Arabia, home of the religion's two holy cities of Mecca and Medina, by placing ulamas suspected of practicing Wahhabism on a terror watchlist. PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar told reporters today that the move by the National Security Council (NSC) to monitor scholars such as influential former Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin was an overreaction that could jeopardise ties with the country where Wahhabism is the dominant form of Islam. "This will hurt ties with Saudi Arabia and give a negative perception towards Malaysia," the Pokok Sena MP said. About 26,000 Malaysian Muslims travel annually to perform the Haj in Mecca, one of the largest national quotas given by the kingdom. Malaysia has asked for another 10,000 places as nearly 700,000 are on the waiting list. Deputy president Mohamed Sabu also mocked the Najib administration's move, calling it a "fiction and propaganda." The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that the NSC met and ordered state muftis and religious agencies to monitor and take action against the traditionalist Islamic practice that has been linked to terrorism. Maverick scholar Asri was first linked to Wahhabism and the terrorists group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) early last year, along with PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, former Perlis mentri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dan Perlis Mufti Juanda Jaya. The Malaysian Insider understands that Abdul Hadi and Shahidam Kassim have been omitted from the watchlist. Two Umno lawmakers have come to the defense of Dr Mohamed Asri Zainul Abidin, insisting that the Najib administration has wrongly labelled the maverick former Perlis mufti as a potential terrorist threat. Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said that the NSC had overreacted over a difference of opinion by raising a terror alert over fears that Wahhabism was being revived. *********************************** Asri not a terrorist, say Umno MPs By Shannon Teoh, Malaysian Insider Two Umno lawmakers have come to the defence of Dr Mohamed Asri Zainul Abidin, insisting that the Najib administration has wrongly labelled the maverick former Perlis mufti as a potential terrorist threat. Both Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said that the National Security Council (NSC) had overreacted over a difference of opinion by raising a terror alert over fears that Wahhabism was being revived. The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that the NSC met and ordered state muftis and religious agencies to monitor and take action against the traditionalist Islamic practice that has been linked to terrorism. "Asri is not a terrorist," Saifuddin said on micro-blogging site Twitter yesterday. The Temerloh MP told The Malaysian Insider later that "I disagree with labelling someone as a Wahhabi, leading to calling him a terrorist. This only divides Muslims." Khairy also said in a statement that reports that Asri and other Muslim scholars have been placed on a watchlist for as "Wahhabis and terrorists... is an overreaction." "I see no subversive action or effort by Asri that qualifies him as a terrorist," the Rembau MP added. The Malaysian Insider also reported that the NSC meeting listed several prominent leaders as Wahhabis including a group of young Islamic scholars who joined Umno last year. Although he did not follow suit in joining the senior partner in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, Asri, who has been linked to Wahhabism in the past, is said to wield considerable influence over young Muslim scholars. Saifuddin also told The Malaysian Insider that Wahhabism was practiced in the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. "Does this mean that Malaysian Muslims should no longer perform the Haj (in Mecca)? We can have differences of opinion in Islam. We should not let this bring us to labelling others as Wahhabi or terrorists," he said in a text message. Khairy also agreed that it was unacceptable that someone was accused of terrorism without being allowed to offer an explanation. Asri was first linked to Wahhabism and the terrorists group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) early last year, along with PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, former Perlis mentri besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dan Perlis Mufti Juanda Jaya. The Malaysian Insider understands that Abdul Hadi and Shahidam Kassim have been omitted from the watchlist.

Is Jho Low a Trojan horse? Posted: 24 Jul 2011 11:24 PM PDT I sometimes wonder whether this is genuine stupidity or whether Jho Low is a Trojan horse who is doing all this very cleverly and intentionally  to accelerate Najib's downfall. Why allow Najib's enemies easy access to ammunition? Jho Low seems to be offering Rosmah's and Najib's head to their enemies on a silver platter. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin "Jho Low pays record price for NY condo, nearby to Rosmah's favourite jeweller," said Wong Choon Mei of Malaysia Chronicle on 21 July 2011. In that story she goes on to say: Remember Jho Low? Yes, apart from Paris Hilton, whizz-kid Jho is also very close to Prime Minister Najib Razak's wife Rosmah Mansor. In fact, the 29-year old Penang boy has just bought a super-luxury penthouse in New York at a sky-high price that has set tongues wagging amongst the property agents there. Incidentally, the condo is just a 10-minute walk from Rosmah's favourite jewellery retailer Jacob & Co, from whom she has been reported to have bought a RM24.4 million ($8 million) 'natural fancy blue-gray cushion-cut' diamond ring. And in case Rosmah, who is not known to be fond of exercise, prefers to be driven, Jacob & Co at 48, East 57th Street is just a 3-minute whizz away by stretch limousine. Business ties Jho is also connected in some way - directly or indirectly - with several very important investment and financial entities. These include Najib's prized RM15 billion 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the RM10 billion Terengganu Investment Authority, UBG which is the former banking arm of Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud's family business, as well as the oil-rich Mid-East firm PetroSaudi. No, this is not a business article to unravel the amount of filth contained within the dealings of this nest of firms. Malaysian Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said it best when he described 1MDB as Najib's political "slush fund" to prop up Taib and his cronies. Some in the financial circles even say the complex paper trail that surrounds the firms' inter-dealings would surely provide an ideal way to launder some of the possibly illicit money that may flow through the network. Read more here: http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=16215:remember-jho-low?-this-is-what-he-has-been-doing-lately&Itemid=2 ************************************** What makes this revelation even more interesting are the four links Malaysia Chronicle added below that story under the sub-heading of 'Related Story': 1. Who is he? M'sian billionaire splashes RM14.5bil on super-yacht 2. The Rosmah ring: 24mil RM or US$, tupperware party or VVIP exhibition 3. Rosmah in hot soup over gargantuan RM24.4mil diamond ring 4. VIDEO Rosmah's RM24.4mil diamond ring Wong Choon Mei is known to be closely linked to PKR leader, Tian Chua. It seems as though Malaysia Chronicle is suggesting that Jho Low, who is in turn closely linked to 'First Lady' Rosmah Mansor, is not only the man behind the purchase of the most expensive yacht in history but is also the man who couriered that very controversial ring to Malaysia. According to the whispers in Putrajaya, Jho Low sent the ring to Malaysia for Rosmah to look at and whether it has now been sent back to New York, as alleged, or is still in Malaysia, is not known. And, if it has been sent back to New York, whether this is because Rosmah did not like it or whether it is because of the controversy surrounding this ring -- and therefore it is too hot to allow it to remain in Malaysia -- is also not known. Whatever it may be, Jho Low's name seems to be linked to not only the purchase of this very expensive super-luxury New York penthouse but also to the yacht and the ring. Anyway, that is what they say and we only go by what they say, whether this is true or not. But what we do know, and this is a fact, the 3M team of Mahathir-Muhyddin-Mukhriz are going to town on this issue. Jho Low is close to those who walk in the corridors of power, in particular the 'First Family of Malaysia'. And anything he does will always be linked back to the 'First Family'. There is no avoiding this. Is Jho Low just too stupid? Does he not know that he is under close scrutiny and anything he does will lead back to Rosmah's and Najib's door? And do Rosmah and Najib not know that the 3M team is gleefully awaiting his downfall so that a new 'First Family' can be installed in Putrajaya? When Najib cancelled his one-week holiday in Europe and rushed back to Malaysia after meeting the Pope in Rome (and which Najib publicly thanked Rosmah for her 'sacrifice') we already smelled a rat, a big smelly rat. Why would Najib cancel his holiday and rush back to Malaysia unless there was some sort of major emergency? And an emergency this serious can only mean his throne is under threat. And, lo and behold, when Malaysia Chronicle came out with this story of the super-luxury penthouse in New York and linked this story to the story of the yacht and Rosmah's ring, the whole thing became very clear. We are probably seeing history repeating itself here. Back in the days of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi they used Khairy Jamaluddin as the catalyst to bring Pak Lah down. Now, the catalyst is Rosmah Mansor. And Jho Low's stupidity is making this possible. Why are Jho Low and Rosmah making it so easy for the 3M team to make their move? I would have thought that since Jho Low is now so high profile and everything he does makes the front page he would not want to do anything that attracts so much attention. And buying the most expensive yacht in history and a super-luxury penthouse in New York, plus sending a very expensive ring to Rosmah by courier, is certainly the height of stupidity. I sometimes wonder whether this is genuine stupidity or whether Jho Low is a Trojan horse who is doing all this very cleverly and intentionally  to accelerate Najib's downfall. Why allow Najib's enemies easy access to ammunition? Jho Low seems to be offering Rosmah's and Najib's head to their enemies on a silver platter. The Umno blogs are working overtime to dispel talk that Rosmah bought that ring. This is actually true and the Umno blogs are not lying. Rosmah did not buy the ring. Jho Low sent it to her. But why send the ring to Rosmah by courier? Surely a ring that expensive can be sent to Malaysia through other means and in secrecy. This is probably the most stupid thing Jho Low has ever done (if it was stupidity in the first place and not done on purpose). And with the story of that ring linked to the story of the record-breaking yacht and the super-luxury penthouse in New York, just doors away from the jewellers, the 3M team has everything it now needs to start working on an early retirement for Najib. No wonder Najib had to cancel his holiday and rush back to Malaysia. Najib probably thought it would be safer to reclaim his throne before he finds it in someone else's hands. And we do not need to be a Harvard graduate to figure out who this someone else is.

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