Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

---

• Islam, Egypt and political theory
• Shake-up in Sabah STAR leadership
• Umno polls will decide the nation’s future

Islam, Egypt and political theory Posted: 08 Jul 2013 06:58 PM PDT The Economist ON the face of things, this week's events in Egypt have validated a theory about Islam and society that seemed contrarian when it was first floated. In 1992 a French analyst of the Muslim world, Olivier Roy, published a book entitled "L'échec de l'Islam politique"—translated into English three years later as "The Failure of Political Islam".  Back then, political Islam—the idea that Islam could provide a platform for taking and exercising power in modern times—seemed to be doing quite well. The Islamic masters of Iran, having withstood a long war with Iraq, were looking for new places to extend their influence, including the former Soviet republics to their north. In Algeria, an Islamist party had won a clear electoral majority, triggering a military intervention and then a civil war whose outcome was anybody's guess. It seemed clear that wherever secular despots were willing to relax their grip, Islamist parties would step into the void. But none of those things disproved the thesis of Mr Roy, who is now a professor at the European University Institute. One of his simplest but most compelling points was that for all its power as a mobilising slogan, Islam just does not provide the answers to the problems of governing a modern state. Quite recently the resurgence of the Muslim Brotherhood in the wake of the Arab spring seemed, once again, to challenge Mr Roy's analysis. But as of this week, he could be forgiven for saying: "I told you so." In fact, he was saying more interesting things than that when I spoke to him today. These are some of the points he has made about the turmoil in Cairo. The Brotherhood regime in Egypt fell, of course, under the weight of its own incompetence (and in particular its failure to recruit technocrats) and its perceived nepotism. These sins fell short of big-time corruption, because the government did not last long enough to refine that art; but it still looked pretty bad. Nor, Mr Roy told me, could the Morsi government consolidate its power by "Islamising society"—one of the Brotherhood's stated goals—because Egyptian society was about as Islamised as it could be already. So did that "Islamisation of society" represent a success at least for the Brotherhood's work as a semi-clandestine, semi-overt opposition movement over the past several decades? Not really, because Egypt's Islamised social world was not centrally co-ordinated, as the Brotherhood would like it to be, but highly diverse, with sub-cultures growing around particular charismatic preachers and theological trends. Egypt's Muslim majority might be devout, but it was also "modern" in the sense that more than one Islamic style was available and individuals could make their choice. Even the strict back-to-basics form of Islam known as Salafism was a kind of modern choice, in the sense that individuals, rather than groups, opt it into it. Mr Roy is surely right to stress that Islam cannot provide detailed prescriptions for governing a modern state. As another scholarly Islam-watcher, Abdullahi Ahmed an-Naim of America's Emory University, has pointed out, Islam cannot even provide a clear basis for the centralised administration of family law, even though Islamic texts have a huge amount to say about family law. That is because the very idea of centralised administration did not exist at the time when the various schools of Muslim family law were evolved; in those days many matters were adjudicated at the level of the local community or the clan. But the fact that a political project is ultimately impossible will not stop people shouting for it, dying for it, trying their best to implement it. An ideology can still play an important role in history, even if it has little to contribute to the challenges of complex societies. And there is a sense in which all political projects, conceived in the abstract, are bound to fail when they face contact with hard reality. After all, as a famously jaded French philosopher said, at some level everybody fails in life.

Shake-up in Sabah STAR leadership Posted: 08 Jul 2013 02:05 PM PDT Jeffrey Kitingan has dropped all his five deputies and is rumoured to have appointed an ex-Umno leader as Sabah State Reform Party's vice-chairman.  Luke Rintod, FMT The Sabah chapter of Sarawak-based State Reform Party (STAR) top leadership has appointed its new state line-up in a presidential-decree style, shocking reform-minded leaders in the party. With the absence of a clear proviso in the party constitution, Sabah STAR chairman, Jeffrey Kitingan, is apparently left with absolute power 'to hire and fire' in the party here. He began his bid to overhaul the party following its shocking defeats in the recent 13th general election, by not reappointing all his five deputies. The five who were dropped are Daniel John Jambun, Awang Ahmad Sah Awang Sahari, Paul Voon, Dr Nicholas James Guntobon and Jacob Sadang Chang. Except for Jambun, the rest, it is understood, have not indicated their intention to stop serving in their capacities. Jambun has since told FMT that he wanted to concentrate on the activities of his UK-based NGO, Borneo's Plight in Malaysia Foundation (BOPIM). FMT learnt that Kitingan only consulted a few Sabah STAR leaders on his new line-up, notably its secretary Guande Kohoi, leaving even some senior leaders who had stood in the just-concluded general election, in the dark until last minute. Paul Voon, Awang Ahmad Sah and Dr Guntobon however were among the 60 party divisional leaders summoned to Sunflower Restaurant in Penampang near here to hear the announcement. Dr Guntobon when contacted said he is now one of the vice-chairmen in the party and has been retained as Kitingan's deputy head for Keningau. Dr Guntobon however has been "stripped" of his post as coordinator of Liawan state constituency where he had stood in the recent election. Keeping genuine leaders Jambun when contacted only said: "I refused reappointment. I wanted to focus on my NGO that seeks to restore the sovereignty of Sabah as nation". He refused further comment on STAR and surfacing rumours of disappointment among the party's second-echelon of leaders on the new line-up which they claimed included a fresh former Umno leader. The ex-Umno leader has apparently been appointed as vice-chairman. READ MORE HERE

Umno polls will decide the nation’s future Posted: 08 Jul 2013 02:00 PM PDT By calling for a no contest for the top two posts, Umno leaders are depriving Malaysians of better choice for the post of prime minister and deputy prime minister.  Since Independence, the top two posts in Umno have always been held by the prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively. G Vinod, FMT Now that the 13th general election is over, much of our leaders' energies are focused on their respective party polls. Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan are expected to hold their party polls this year. As for the opposition, PKR has postponed its polls to next year but PAS will hold its party election this year. But all eyes will be on Umno's elections, as it is the biggest Malay political party in Malaysia and is also the lynchpin of the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. Since Independence, the top two posts in Umno have always been held by the prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively. Probably that is why the battle for the posts have always been intense and at least on one occasion, downright ugly to the extent of getting the party deregistered and putting the nation in turmoil. Take for instance in 1987, former Umno president Dr Mahathir Mohamad was challenged by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the top post but the latter lost his bid by a slim majority. However, the battle did not end there. Subsequent legal challenges to the party polls got Umno deregistered and almost brought the entire nation to a halt. The controversial amendment to the Federal Constitution that placed the judiciary under parliamentary purview is said to be linked to the legal challenges Umno was facing at that time. In 2009, then Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi also decided to not defend his post after the 12th general election, citing he did not want to see the party divided. Abdullah's words seems to imply that any contest for the top posts would bring instability to the party. Nation's interest must be protected While many Umno leaders would like to maintain the status quo for the sake of stability, the question we must ask is: Are the party's top two posts an exclusive purview of Umno? The answer is no. As mentioned earlier, those holding the top two posts automatically become the nation's prime minister and deputy prime minister. This is what most Umno leaders fail to understand. They must comprehend the fact that they are electing the nation's top two leaders, not Umno's alone. For example, if Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah contests and wins the Umno presidency, he will become the new prime minister. Similarly, if Pengerang MP Azalina Othman makes a bid for the Umno deputy presidency and wins, she will become the nation's number two. So, by barring the contest for the top two posts, Umno, in effect, is depriving Malaysians of a better choice for prime minister and deputy prime minister. READ MORE HERE

You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

---

• Rafizi: Putrajaya writing off RM163m NFC loan
• Police force most corrupt, says TI survey
• 'Lower teaching entry bar'
• GE13: MACC says no proof of vote buying in Penang
• Corruption seen on the rise, global study finds
• Umno needs to change, says Muhyiddin
• New oil fields: Sabah must re-visit old ‘deal’
• Analyst: Pakatan blowing hot air over GE results
• In the Malay Press: Karpal gets flak over conversion of minors issue
• Ex-editor: Mahathir wanted memory of Anwar 'erased'
• Dr M: Law cannot be drafted, abolished on mere demands
• Chua: Clarify how conversion Bill was allowed to pass, causing unnecessary disputes
• Catholic Church moves to strike out Putrajaya’s ‘Allah’ appeal
• Guan Eng: Penang should be afforded its long overdue city status
• Snowden made the right call when he fled the U.S.

Rafizi: Putrajaya writing off RM163m NFC loan Posted: 08 Jul 2013 07:07 PM PDT PKR's Rafizi Ramli (picture) today alleged that Putrajaya was foregoing the outstanding RM163 million from the loan issued to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) after its cattle-farming project was transferred to another company. The PKR strategy director pointed out that the federal government had reportedly agreed to appoint another consortium to take over the controversial National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project, but that the new operator would not be responsible for the RM250 million loan that was issued to NFCorp. "In the current conditions, I am of the opinion that the RM163 million that was spent by NFC can be considered gone and that it will not be able to be recovered," Rafizi said in a statement. News portal The Malaysian Insider quoted industry sources earlier today as saying that the NFC project would be managed by Malaysian-Japanese venture Kirimitonas Agro Sdn Bhd and that the federal government would recover the soft loan to NFCorp through litigation. Rafizi noted that as of May 2012, RM181 million had been given to NFCorp, according to the Finance Ministry's parliamentary reply then. The Pandan MP said that the properties seized from NFCorp — which is owned by former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family — so far are valued at RM18 million (RM14 million from two condominium units and RM4 million for two plots of land). "The minister's reply that only RM18 million in assets have been seized thus far, and the decision to award the project to a new operator without taking over the RM250 million loan, confirms that the government will face difficulties in recovering the remaining funds that are estimated at RM163 million," said Rafizi. He pointed out that NFCorp was no longer in operation. "Therefore, it can be considered that the company can no longer service the loan and is bound to go through bankruptcy," said Rafizi. He added that part of the loan was used for non-asset expenses, such as salaries, transport allowances and other expenses that could not be recovered. "The government did not impose personal guarantees on the directors of NFCorp," he said. "So, their responsibility is limited to their shares in the company." Rafizi was pushed into the limelight after exposing NFCorp's purchases of luxury condominium units through the federal government loan that was meant for the national cattle-farming project. The Auditor-General's 2010 report had highlighted the failure of the NFC project in achieving its target of breeding 8,000 cattle in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, in 2010, besides noting NFCorp's management failures. The trial of Shahrizat's defamation suit against Rafizi revealed last March that NFCorp had purchased a RM534,622 Mercedes-Benz in 2009 as a company car that was parked in her house. In the trial, Shahrizat had also defended NFCorp's purchase of three luxury condominium units in the Orchard Scotts Residences and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore worth RM42 million, saying that the buy was part of the company's investment portfolio, according to her husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the executive chairman of NFCorp. Mohamad Salleh is currently on trial over charges of criminal breach of trust and violations of the Companies Act involving the alleged misuse of funds from the project. The Wanita Umno chief also testified that the RM42 million condominiums in Singapore and two condominium units in Bangsar here costing RM30 million in total made up more than one-fifth of the RM250 million government loan. Shahrizat's senatorship was not renewed in April 2012, causing her to lose her women, family and community development portfolio in the Cabinet. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-putrajaya-writing-off-rm163m-nfc-loan?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.SI5uIwAE.dpuf (The Malay Mail) PKR's Rafizi Ramli today alleged that Putrajaya was foregoing the outstanding RM163 million from the loan issued to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) after its cattle-farming project was transferred to another company. The PKR strategy director pointed out that the federal government had reportedly agreed to appoint another consortium to take over the controversial National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project, but that the new operator would not be responsible for the RM250 million loan that was issued to NFCorp. "In the current conditions, I am of the opinion that the RM163 million that was spent by NFC can be considered gone and that it will not be able to be recovered," Rafizi said in a statement. News portal The Malaysian Insider quoted industry sources earlier today as saying that the NFC project would be managed by Malaysian-Japanese venture Kirimitonas Agro Sdn Bhd and that the federal government would recover the soft loan to NFCorp through litigation. Rafizi noted that as of May 2012, RM181 million had been given to NFCorp, according to the Finance Ministry's parliamentary reply then. The Pandan MP said that the properties seized from NFCorp — which is owned by former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family — so far are valued at RM18 million (RM14 million from two condominium units and RM4 million for two plots of land). "The minister's reply that only RM18 million in assets have been seized thus far, and the decision to award the project to a new operator without taking over the RM250 million loan, confirms that the government will face difficulties in recovering the remaining funds that are estimated at RM163 million," said Rafizi. He pointed out that NFCorp was no longer in operation. "Therefore, it can be considered that the company can no longer service the loan and is bound to go through bankruptcy," said Rafizi. He added that part of the loan was used for non-asset expenses, such as salaries, transport allowances and other expenses that could not be recovered. "The government did not impose personal guarantees on the directors of NFCorp," he said. "So, their responsibility is limited to their shares in the company." Rafizi was pushed into the limelight after exposing NFCorp's purchases of luxury condominium units through the federal government loan that was meant for the national cattle-farming project. The Auditor-General's 2010 report had highlighted the failure of the NFC project in achieving its target of breeding 8,000 cattle in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, in 2010, besides noting NFCorp's management failures. The trial of Shahrizat's defamation suit against Rafizi revealed last March that NFCorp had purchased a RM534,622 Mercedes-Benz in 2009 as a company car that was parked in her house. In the trial, Shahrizat had also defended NFCorp's purchase of three luxury condominium units in the Orchard Scotts Residences and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore worth RM42 million, saying that the buy was part of the company's investment portfolio, according to her husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the executive chairman of NFCorp. Mohamad Salleh is currently on trial over charges of criminal breach of trust and violations of the Companies Act involving the alleged misuse of funds from the project. The Wanita Umno chief also testified that the RM42 million condominiums in Singapore and two condominium units in Bangsar here costing RM30 million in total made up more than one-fifth of the RM250 million government loan. Shahrizat's senatorship was not renewed in April 2012, causing her to lose her women, family and community development portfolio in the Cabinet. Read more here: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-putrajaya-writing-off-rm163m-nfc-loan?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.SI5uIwAE.dpuf   PKR's Rafizi Ramli (picture) today alleged that Putrajaya was foregoing the outstanding RM163 million from the loan issued to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) after its cattle-farming project was transferred to another company. The PKR strategy director pointed out that the federal government had reportedly agreed to appoint another consortium to take over the controversial National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project, but that the new operator would not be responsible for the RM250 million loan that was issued to NFCorp. "In the current conditions, I am of the opinion that the RM163 million that was spent by NFC can be considered gone and that it will not be able to be recovered," Rafizi said in a statement. News portal The Malaysian Insider quoted industry sources earlier today as saying that the NFC project would be managed by Malaysian-Japanese venture Kirimitonas Agro Sdn Bhd and that the federal government would recover the soft loan to NFCorp through litigation. Rafizi noted that as of May 2012, RM181 million had been given to NFCorp, according to the Finance Ministry's parliamentary reply then. The Pandan MP said that the properties seized from NFCorp — which is owned by former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family — so far are valued at RM18 million (RM14 million from two condominium units and RM4 million for two plots of land). "The minister's reply that only RM18 million in assets have been seized thus far, and the decision to award the project to a new operator without taking over the RM250 million loan, confirms that the government will face difficulties in recovering the remaining funds that are estimated at RM163 million," said Rafizi. He pointed out that NFCorp was no longer in operation. "Therefore, it can be considered that the company can no longer service the loan and is bound to go through bankruptcy," said Rafizi. He added that part of the loan was used for non-asset expenses, such as salaries, transport allowances and other expenses that could not be recovered. "The government did not impose personal guarantees on the directors of NFCorp," he said. "So, their responsibility is limited to their shares in the company." Rafizi was pushed into the limelight after exposing NFCorp's purchases of luxury condominium units through the federal government loan that was meant for the national cattle-farming project. The Auditor-General's 2010 report had highlighted the failure of the NFC project in achieving its target of breeding 8,000 cattle in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, in 2010, besides noting NFCorp's management failures. The trial of Shahrizat's defamation suit against Rafizi revealed last March that NFCorp had purchased a RM534,622 Mercedes-Benz in 2009 as a company car that was parked in her house. In the trial, Shahrizat had also defended NFCorp's purchase of three luxury condominium units in the Orchard Scotts Residences and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore worth RM42 million, saying that the buy was part of the company's investment portfolio, according to her husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the executive chairman of NFCorp. Mohamad Salleh is currently on trial over charges of criminal breach of trust and violations of the Companies Act involving the alleged misuse of funds from the project. The Wanita Umno chief also testified that the RM42 million condominiums in Singapore and two condominium units in Bangsar here costing RM30 million in total made up more than one-fifth of the RM250 million government loan. Shahrizat's senatorship was not renewed in April 2012, causing her to lose her women, family and community development portfolio in the Cabinet. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-putrajaya-writing-off-rm163m-nfc-loan?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.SI5uIwAE.dpuf PKR's Rafizi Ramli (picture) today alleged that Putrajaya was foregoing the outstanding RM163 million from the loan issued to the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) after its cattle-farming project was transferred to another company. The PKR strategy director pointed out that the federal government had reportedly agreed to appoint another consortium to take over the controversial National Feedlot Centre (NFC) project, but that the new operator would not be responsible for the RM250 million loan that was issued to NFCorp. "In the current conditions, I am of the opinion that the RM163 million that was spent by NFC can be considered gone and that it will not be able to be recovered," Rafizi said in a statement. News portal The Malaysian Insider quoted industry sources earlier today as saying that the NFC project would be managed by Malaysian-Japanese venture Kirimitonas Agro Sdn Bhd and that the federal government would recover the soft loan to NFCorp through litigation. Rafizi noted that as of May 2012, RM181 million had been given to NFCorp, according to the Finance Ministry's parliamentary reply then. The Pandan MP said that the properties seized from NFCorp — which is owned by former minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil's family — so far are valued at RM18 million (RM14 million from two condominium units and RM4 million for two plots of land). "The minister's reply that only RM18 million in assets have been seized thus far, and the decision to award the project to a new operator without taking over the RM250 million loan, confirms that the government will face difficulties in recovering the remaining funds that are estimated at RM163 million," said Rafizi. He pointed out that NFCorp was no longer in operation. "Therefore, it can be considered that the company can no longer service the loan and is bound to go through bankruptcy," said Rafizi. He added that part of the loan was used for non-asset expenses, such as salaries, transport allowances and other expenses that could not be recovered. "The government did not impose personal guarantees on the directors of NFCorp," he said. "So, their responsibility is limited to their shares in the company." Rafizi was pushed into the limelight after exposing NFCorp's purchases of luxury condominium units through the federal government loan that was meant for the national cattle-farming project. The Auditor-General's 2010 report had highlighted the failure of the NFC project in achieving its target of breeding 8,000 cattle in Gemas, Negri Sembilan, in 2010, besides noting NFCorp's management failures. The trial of Shahrizat's defamation suit against Rafizi revealed last March that NFCorp had purchased a RM534,622 Mercedes-Benz in 2009 as a company car that was parked in her house. In the trial, Shahrizat had also defended NFCorp's purchase of three luxury condominium units in the Orchard Scotts Residences and Marina Bay Sands in Singapore worth RM42 million, saying that the buy was part of the company's investment portfolio, according to her husband Datuk Seri Mohamad Salleh Ismail, the executive chairman of NFCorp. Mohamad Salleh is currently on trial over charges of criminal breach of trust and violations of the Companies Act involving the alleged misuse of funds from the project. The Wanita Umno chief also testified that the RM42 million condominiums in Singapore and two condominium units in Bangsar here costing RM30 million in total made up more than one-fifth of the RM250 million government loan. Shahrizat's senatorship was not renewed in April 2012, causing her to lose her women, family and community development portfolio in the Cabinet. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/rafizi-putrajaya-writing-off-rm163m-nfc-loan?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.SI5uIwAE.dpuf

Police force most corrupt, says TI survey Posted: 08 Jul 2013 07:04 PM PDT (FZ.com) - Police scored four on a scale five – five being most corrupt – in a list of institutions, a public survey conducted by Transparency International-Malaysia (TI-M) found. This was revealed in the graft watchdog's Global Corruption Barometer (GCB) survey which was conducted from September 2012 to March, this year.   However, when asked if the survey results indicated a necessity for an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), TI-M's new president Datuk Akhbar Satar declined to comment.   TI-M has been a strong advocate of institutional reforms, particularly as the police force's lead position as the most corrupt institution in two surveys in a row – the previous one in 2010.   The GCB is conducted biennially and is based on 1,000 surveyed on public experience of bribery and corruption. The survey was done through computer assisted telephone interviewing.   Placed behind the police are political parties which scored 3.8 out of five, in the public opinion perception index.   This was followed by the category of public officials/civil servants and Parliament/Legislature which stood at 3.3.   The results also found 39% of the respondents thought the level of corruption had increased, compared to the 37% in 2011.   However, 47% felt the height of graft remained the same while only 14% believed that it had decreased.   This had also translated to the decline in perception of Putrajaya's effectiveness in combating corruption to 31% compared to 49% in 2011.   According to statistics, 79% avowed to report an incident of corruption while an impressive 87% agreed that ordinary individuals can make a difference in fighting corruption.   Correspondingly, those which admitted to paying a bribe in the poll remained at a relatively low 3%.   The Malaysian statistics, however, paled in comparison to the global ranking where 27% respondents said they have paid bribes, meanwhile the number stood at 36% in Indonesia and 18% in Thailand.   However, Akhbar conceded that the respondents may have not been all that truthful on owning up to having paid bribes.   "The barometer survey asked people if they had come into contact with identified service providers in Malaysia and for each of these service they have engaged, they were asked if they had paid a bribe - 12% have paid the police, 8% in the judicial system and 3% in the education system," said Akhbar who presented the results.   "These results indicate that the incidence of petty corruption continues to remain at low levels demonstrating the rakyat's abhorrence to corruption and commitment to make a difference.   "However, the more dangerous form of grand corruption involving collusion and state capture continues to be a cause for concern," he said.   Akhbar, a former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) official, said to achieve the government's 70% aim in its fight against corruption by 2015 "much more needs to be done."   He also called on the government to nab the "big fish" and asked for a thorough review and reform of the police force and political parties which are viewed as being corrupt.   "Enhance the autonomy and independence of investigative agencies such as the MACC and the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC)," he said as well as a better protective framework for whistleblowers.   Read more here: http://www.fz.com/content/police-force-most-corrupt-says-ti-survey#ixzz2YXd4u3cQ

'Lower teaching entry bar' Posted: 08 Jul 2013 06:54 PM PDT (NST) - The government must lower the teaching entry requirement for students who excel in sports and those from the Orang Asli community, said the National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) president. Hashim Adnan said the government's decision to set the basic requirement of a minimum of 7As for Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia students from the peninsular who wanted to be teachers and 5As for those from Sabah and Sarawak would boost the profession. "However, it should also consider lowering the benchmark for students who have been active in sports and those from the Orang Asli community. "We cannot expect students active in sports to be able to produce results like inactive students as they would need to go for training and may miss lessons or have less time to study. "Instead of ignoring them, the ministry must make allowances for those who have represented the state or the nation in sports," he said. He said the ministry should also consider lowering the benchmark to 3As in SPM for Orang Asli students. "We should give more leeway to Orang Asli children who live in remote areas and want to become teachers. "If we lower the basic requirement, more of them will be able to become teachers and they can then go back to their villages to teach the children." Hashim was reacting to Second Education and Higher Education II Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh's statement when wrapping up the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that SPM students from the peninsular interested to enter the teaching profession needed to score at least score 7As, while the minimum requirement for students in Sabah and Sarawak was 5As. The move was implemented this year. "People think highly of the teaching profession and, of course, we need to ensure that we have quality teachers. In the peninsula, if you don't have 7As, then don't ask to be a teacher because that is the minimum requirement now. "But for Sabah and Sarawak, we are more lenient." Previously, post-SPM candidates wanting to take up teaching needed to score only a distinction in any three subjects and credits for Bahasa Malaysia, English and History. He said the ministry was reviewing the School-Based Assessment system (PBS) to lessen the burden of teachers. "We are also looking into increasing the number of teacher aides. "This has been implemented in several states, such as Kedah and Sabah." Idris said 500 schools were involved in the pioneer project. PBS was introduced in 2011 in all government and government-aided primary schools, and implemented in all government and government-aided secondary schools last year. The programme assesses students based on different evidence markers, like their ability to read or count, grading them into bands, starting from Band One to Band Six. Read more here: http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/lower-teaching-entry-bar-1.315721?localLinksEnabled=false#ixzz2YXbFV39V

GE13: MACC says no proof of vote buying in Penang Posted: 08 Jul 2013 06:03 PM PDT (The Star) - The Penang Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) has recommended to the Attorney-General to close all seven cases of alleged vote buying in the state during the 13th general election, due to a lack of evidence. Its director Datuk Samarajoo Manikam said details obtained from the witnesses did not show any offence against the MACC Act 2009. "Therefore, we recommended to the Attorney-General late last month to close all seven cases, and I believe they have accepted our recommendations," he told reporters after a dialogue with heads of department and political parties in a hotel here Tuesday. He said some of the witnesses could not provide details of who issued the alleged vouchers and how they were being distributed. He said some of them claimed to have received between RM100 to RM200. "The alleged offences had taken place in makeshift areas and were short-lived because by the time our officers went there, the persons concern were all gone. "Some of the alleged distributors were foreign citizens," he said. On May 13, seven Pakatan Rakyat candidates who lost in the 13th general election lodged reports with the Penang Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over alleged vote-buying. They were PKR's Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain (Teluk Bahang), Mohd Tuah Ismail (Pulau Betong), Norhayati Jaafar (Teluk Air Tawar) and Ahmad Zakiyuddin Abd Rahman (Pinang Tunggal) and Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik (Balik Pulau parliamentary seat), and PAS' Asnah Hashim (Bayan Lepas) and Rosidi Hussain (Penaga). Most lost their seats by fewer than 1,000 votes.

Corruption seen on the rise, global study finds Posted: 08 Jul 2013 03:16 PM PDT (AFP) - More than half of respondents in a global corruption survey released Tuesday think that graft has worsened over the past two years, and a quarter reported having paid officials a bribe in the last 12 months. The survey by Berlin-based non-profit group Transparency International (TI) also found that people have least trust in institutions meant to help or protect them, including police, the courts and political parties. Respondents also believed official anti-corruption efforts had deteriorated since the 2008 start of the world financial and economic crisis. The group's Global Corruption Barometer 2013 is the world's largest public opinion survey on corruption. It surveyed 114,000 people in 107 countries, the group said. It found that 27% of respondents had said they had paid a bribe to a member of a public service or institution in the past 12 months, revealing no improvement from previous surveys. The group pointed to a link between poverty and graft. Eight of the 10 countries with the highest bribery rates are African, said a TI spokesman. In 36 countries, respondents viewed police as the most corrupt, while 20 countries view the judiciary as the most graft-ridden. In 51 countries political parties were seen as the most corrupt institution. People's appraisal of government efforts to stop corruption was worse than before the financial crisis began in 2008, falling to 22% now from 31% then. Still, the group said that there was a growing will to fight back, with two-thirds of those who were asked to pay a bribe saying they had refused. "Bribe paying levels remain very high worldwide, but people believe they have the power to stop corruption and the number of those willing to combat the abuse of power, secret dealings and bribery is significant," said Huguette Labelle (picture), chair of TI. She added that "governments need to make sure that there are strong, independent and well-resourced institutions to prevent and redress corruption. Too many people are harmed when these core institutions and basic services are undermined by the scourge of corruption."

Umno needs to change, says Muhyiddin Posted: 08 Jul 2013 02:15 PM PDT (Bernama) - Deputy Prime Minister  Muhyiddin Yassin  said Umno must make comprehensive changes in order to remain relevant and to retain power in the future. He said whatever decisions made by the voters in the last general election must be accepted and that Umno members should not give up, but to stay strong in facing the ever-challenging political landscape. "When I go to the ground, I find that some Umno members are less enthusiastic now…and when asked, they said the political ecosystem has changed and that they were worried that we will lose. "In a situation like this, it's important for us to face whatever decisions made by the voters. "However, if Umno wants to retain power, it must make some changes. Not just for the sake of making changes, but to change towards achieving our goals," he said at the simultaneous opening of Pagoh Umno Youth, Wanita and Puteri Annual Conference here. Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said the changes were vital because without them, Umno would not be able to last and Umno's relevancy would always be questioned over the next five years. Meanwhile, he also called on Umno leaders to be at the frontline in fighting for issues concerning the Malays and the Bumiputeras. He said this was because certain quarters, especially Umno Youth and Wanita, were seen to have been keeping silence when matters concerning the rights of the Malays and Bumiputeras were being debated. If certain quarters are threatening the rights of the Malays, the people would expect Umno to champion the issue and to defend their rights as stipulated in the Federal Constitution, he said.

New oil fields: Sabah must re-visit old ‘deal’ Posted: 08 Jul 2013 02:10 PM PDT With new oil fields opening and bigger productions, it is vital that the Sabah government push for better returns from Putrajaya.  Queville To, FMT The Musa Aman administration must fight for a  higher royalty, especially now that new oil fields are being opened "with bigger productions and more revenue". Luyang assemblyman Dr Hiew King Cheu maintained the Sabah government cannot be happy and smug with the existing five percent it receives in oil royalty. "We deserve to have more especially with new oil fields are being opened up with bigger production and more revenue," he said. He cited the Kikeh oil field, noting that it is producing almost 50% of the total oil production in the Sabah oil fields put together. "What happens when other new oil fields open up and new reserves are found in Sabah? "The amount of money will be huge and why not we secure higher percentage on the sharing now?" he asked. He said the state government should not be content with the meager 5% oil royalty and the money from Kuala Lumpur. "Sabah deserves to get a bigger share. Just imaging when we have 20% on the oil royalty, just for 2012, we should be getting RM3,765.00 million. "There is an extra of RM2,823.75 million," he pointed out. Hiew thus questioned the logic for not fighting for a higher oil royalty especially in the instances of new oil fields. "The oil resources belong to the people of Sabah, not the state or federal cabinet," he stresesd. Look at bigger picture He maintained that it is the duty of the state cabinet to set up the special committee to study the oil royalty issue and to forward their recommendations to the federal cabinet for decision on an increment in the oil royalty to Sabah. He said the State government should not reject such a call just because it came from an opposition elected representative like him, but must look at the bigger picture, in the best interest of the state and its people. The state cabinet has the duty to fulfill the wish of the people, and it is their job to get the best for the Sabahans. For this, the ruling parties and the opposition parties should stand together to achieve the goal, because we all represent the people of Sabah. READ MORE HERE

Analyst: Pakatan blowing hot air over GE results Posted: 08 Jul 2013 01:45 PM PDT Muhammad Fuad Othman said the federal opposition is only attempting to "prolong its popularity" while it lasts to "make it to the next national polls. by Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com Pakatan Rakyat's discontent over the results of the 13th General Election is nothing but to release their "frustration", said a political analyst today. Universiti Utara Malaysia School of International Studies senior lecturer Dr Muhammad Fuad Othman said the federal opposition is only attempting to "prolong its popularity" while it lasts to "make it to the next general election". "They are just blowing hot air like a pressure cooker to show their frustration... rather than they break down inside, it's better to shout out," he said when asked whether the post-election street rallies were justified. "They want to ride on that popularity so that they can prolong their popularity to the next general election," opined Muhammad Fuad, while speaking at the "GE13: An analysis and aftermath" seminar today. "Most of the people who go to the Black 505 rallies are not even eligible to vote... they will be voting in 14th general election, if at all," he said. While Pakatan is aware that the Malaysian electoral system has always followed the first-past-the-post mechanism, the opposition is attempting to recreate a sort of "nostalgic feeling" by harping on popular votes it had garnered. He insisted that voters aged 18 to 25 years are returning to the government while voters aged 25 to 45 are likely to continue supporting the opposition. "This group is what we like to call the reformasi voters. They have been gassed by the government and feel like they are in a ditch, therefore they tend to be with the opposition," said Muhammad Fuad. "Meanwhile, the first channel of voters, those aged 50 and above, are solidly with the government," he asserted. Read more: http://www.fz.com/content/analyst-pakatan-blowing-hot-air-over-ge-results

In the Malay Press: Karpal gets flak over conversion of minors issue Posted: 08 Jul 2013 01:23 PM PDT The Kota Baru MP has chastised Karpal over his statement regarding the conversion of minors, saying he should not call all 51 PKR and PAS MPs to join DAP in supporting the latter's bill to amend the Federal Constitution. Sean Augustin, fz.com DAP chairman Karpal Singh is uneasy with anything to do with Islam, including on matters stipulated in the Federal Constitution, former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa said. Calling for action to be taken against the Gelugor MP, Nasharudin urged party leaders and members to support PAS assistant secretary-general Datuk Takiyuddin Hassan on the conversion of minors issue. The Kota Baru MP has chastised Karpal over his statement regarding the conversion of minors, saying he should not call all 51 PKR and PAS MPs to join DAP in supporting the latter's bill to amend the Federal Constitution. The proposed bill is meant to amend Article 12(4) of the constitution to stop the unilateral consent of a parent in deciding a minor's religion. Speaking to Utusan Malaysia yesterday, Nasharudin said Takiyuddin had given his views as a lawyer and a leader in Pakatan Rakyat. "The constitution is quite clear on this. Islam's position in the constitution is something that has been agreed upon by the opposition coalition," he said. The daily went on to quote other PAS members on the issue, including activist Mohd Riza Kammaruddin who said it was compulsory for the party not to compromise on matters of the Islamic faith. Fellow member and Penang Muslimin network head Hafiz Mohamed Nordin meanwhile said Karpal presented a danger to the country's harmony. In a related story, Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim said Karpal should not raise issues for political mileage. "I'm not saying the issue raised by Karpal was for publicity, but as a veteran politician, he should be a statesman and offer view to develop the nation," the former DAP vice president told the Malay daily. Tunku Abdul Aziz also urged Karpal to rethink his intention to amend the article to avoid prolonging the controversy. Former DAP Sungai Pelek chairman Tan Tuan Tat meanwhile said Karpal was a leader who was famous for making threats. Read more: http://www.fz.com/content/malay-press-karpal-gets-flak-over-conversion-minors-issue

Ex-editor: Mahathir wanted memory of Anwar 'erased' Posted: 08 Jul 2013 10:09 AM PDT Kadir Jasin felt that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to erase Anwar from public memory as the editors had built up his image for 16 years. "For 16 years, we developed Anwar from a rabble rouser, from a street fighter to a consummate politician listened to by Americans" Pathma Subramaniam, fz.com Former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad wanted media giant New Straits Times (NST) to "try and do away" with his adversary Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim after Anwar was sacked as deputy prime minister, a prominent former editor revealed today. "His (Mahathir's) feelings were that we should try to do away with Anwar. Maybe we should try to erase the memory of Anwar," said former NST group editor-in-chief Datuk A Kadir Jasin. At the "GE13: An analysis and aftermath" seminar today, Kadir said that he told Mahathir that it would be a "Herculean task" as Kadir had groomed Anwar's image as Mahathir's successor for 16 years. Anwar was axed by Mahathir on allegations of corruption and sodomy in 1998 and sentenced to six years in prison for graft, while the conviction for sodomy was overturned. "What I told the party president (Mahathir) then and people who were carrying out the instructions on his behalf is that it is difficult, and (moreso), if we are talking about having to face an election in the next few months. "It is almost impossible because (it was) fait accompli… that Anwar (had become) what he was then and still is. We developed Anwar for 16 years," Kadir said. "He (Anwar) wasn't like that when we first met him. In 1982, he was a scrawny fellow, poorly dressed - in batik lusuh (faded batik shirt), not-so-nice pants and sandals. "He was socialist, a poor person and he was leader of the downtrodden," said Kadir. "But we made him into someone who loves shoes made in Milan. I know a guy who went to Milan just to order shoes for Anwar. For 16 years, we developed Anwar from a rabble rouser, from a street fighter to a consummate politician listened to by Americans," he added. Read more: http://www.fz.com/content/ex-editor-mahathir-wanted-memory-anwar-erased

Dr M: Law cannot be drafted, abolished on mere demands Posted: 08 Jul 2013 10:08 AM PDT   (fz.com) - "The problem in not the law, but the people who are abusing the law."  A law cannot be simply drafted or abolished following demands from certain quarters, including the opposition, former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.    In fact, he said a study must be carried out to collect input and opinions from various quarters, or other countries which had enforced or abolished such and act, as well its impacts.    "If we bow to the demands of the opposition, there will be no law. Right now, they are demanding to have a rule of law, but if there's no law, how can we have a rule of law," he told reporters after launching Naza World Cup Asia Paintball (NWCAP) 2013 here yesterday.    He said this in response to the demands made by certain quarters to abolish the Sedition Act 1948.    Mahathir said if the Act were to be abolished, the people would be free to do anything or insult anybody.    "We used to have a courteous society where we don't easily insult people, but now, we have people easily bad-mouthing us, insulting our religion and our Prophet, but we can do nothing about it.    "The problem in not the law, but the people who are abusing the law," he added.

Chua: Clarify how conversion Bill was allowed to pass, causing unnecessary disputes Posted: 08 Jul 2013 10:05 AM PDT (The Star) - Non-Muslim Cabinet members should give the people an explanation as to how they allowed the controversial Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 to be passed unanimously by the Cabinet, said MCA. Its president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said although they welcomed the decision by the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to withdraw the Bill, he said the Bill had triggered many unnecessary controversies. "The move to withdraw the Bill shows that the Government listens to the people and that it has heeded the people's aspirations. "However, I believe that the Bill was thoroughly deliberated in the Cabinet before it was tabled for first reading in Parliament. "I cannot understand how the non-Muslim Cabinet ministers were not aware about the differences in using the term of 'mother or father' and 'parents' in Section 107(b) of the Bill until it was passed by the Cabinet for tabling in the Parliament," he said yesterday. He said the move would also cost the Barisan Nasional Government its image, therefore the non-Muslims Cabinet members have the responsibility to explain to the public. "We also support the call that Section 95 of the Administration of Islamic Laws (FT) Act 1993, which also uses the same wordings of 'mother or father', and other relevant state enactments, be amended so that conversion of a minor would need the consent of both parents," he said. Various groups have voiced their opposition to the Bill, which includes a controversial provision allowing a child to be converted with the consent of only one parent. The Bill was withdrawn yesterday from Parliament following a motion by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom. Two other related Bills – the Syariah Court Civil Procedure (Federal Territories) (Amendment) Bill 2013 and Syariah Criminal Procedures (Federal Territories) (Amendment) Bill 2013 – were also withdrawn. MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said it was good the Bill was retracted in the interest of religious harmony. "Now we will have more time to iron out what's not accepted by all races," he said adding that MCA wants the word "parent" (ibu atau bapa) in the Bill to be replaced with "parents" (ibu dan bapa), in line with the Federal Constitution.

Catholic Church moves to strike out Putrajaya’s ‘Allah’ appeal Posted: 08 Jul 2013 10:04 AM PDT Lawrence is editor of the Herald, the Catholic Church's sole newspaper.  (The Malay Mail) - Its patience seemingly worn thin, the Catholic Church has finally initiated a bid to strike out the federal government's appeal against a landmark High Court ruling that Christians have as much right as Muslims to call their god "Allah". The Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur filed an application yesterday afternoon to throw out Putrajaya's appeal, which has been languishing in the Court of Appeal for the past four years, the editor of Herald, the Church's sole newspaper, told The Malay Mail Online. "We have filed the application to strike out their appeal," said Father Lawrence Andrew. The Church was moved to act as the government had shown no signs of dropping its suit, the priest said, despite the Najib administration's initial overtures to mend the cracks that have appeared in Malaysia's multireligious society that has left Muslims on one side and believers of other creeds on the opposite ledge. "This appeal case has to be struck out because the prime minister had in a letter dated 11 April 2011 offered a 10-point solution to the problems faced by the Christians in procuring the Al-Kitab for their worship, study and prayer," Lawrence added. The 10-point solution was an assurance given by Datuk Seri Najib Razak to the country's Christian population that they were free to bring in and use their bibles in Malay as well as in other indigenous languages that contained the word "Allah", after shipments of the holy book were banned. Christians are Malaysia's third-largest religious population at 2.6 million people, according to statistics from the 2010 census, behind Muslims and Buddhists. Bumiputera Christians form about 64 per cent, or close to two-thirds of that figure, and have prayed in the national language and their native tongues for centuries. And the Catholic Church makes up the largest numbers of all Christians in Malaysia. The Official Catholic Directory 2012 puts its congregation as numbering 1,007,643 people at the end of 2010, but the figures would have spiked in the past three years. The Herald's readership is also estimated at roughly one million people. Lawrence noted that the government has also recognised the rights of Christians to "Allah" and pointed to a compromise reached with the Christian groups who agreed to allow copies of their holy book to bear the Home Ministry's stamp, which marks the Malay and native-language bibles to be Christian publications for a Christian readership only. "By the Cabinet decision and the subsequent letter of the PM, it has been stated that the Christians can procure the Al-Kitab freely but with the words for 'Christians only'. "The action of the government is an indication of admission and acceptance from the government that makes pursuit of the case academic," the priest said. Lawrence said the government's actions indicate it admits the "Allah" word has been an integral part of Christian Scripture and a core of the creed's dynamics in the country for more than four centuries. The "Allah" row erupted in 2008 when the Home Ministry threatened to revoke the Herald's newspaper permit, prompting the Catholic Church to sue the government for violating its constitutional rights. In 2009, the High Court made a landmark ruling in favour of the Catholic Church, when it said the Middle Eastern word was not the exclusive right of Muslims and the Herald could publish it in its Bahasa Malaysia section, which caters to its Bumiputera congregation. The federal government's appeal to reverse the 2009 High Court judgment is scheduled for case management in the Court of Appeal today. But in light of the latest development, the Court of Appeal will have to attend to the Church's strike-out application before it can decide a hearing date for the government's challenge.

Guan Eng: Penang should be afforded its long overdue city status Posted: 08 Jul 2013 09:59 AM PDT   (The Malay Mail) - We are the second most important city in the country so we should be given the city status instead of remaining as a municipal. Penang should be afforded its city status and its municipal council be given the city council status by the Housing and Local Government Ministry, said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. "We are the second most important city in the country so we should be given the city status instead of remaining as a municipal," he said. Speaking at the swearing in of municipal councillors for the Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP), Lim said it is time that the ministry make haste to recognise George Town as a city and the council become a city council. "Why is it that until now, Penang can't be given a city status? It can't be that Penang can't compete with the 12 cities in the country so I do hope that the ministry will speed up the process of giving George Town its city status," he said. He had pointed out that the Europe Business Assembly (EBA) had recently awarded the MPPP president Datuk Patahiyah Ismail as the Best Municipal Manager and also given MPPP the Best Municipality Award. "This international recognition should be enough to convince the housing and local government ministry that George Town should be given its city status and its municipal council be recognised as a city council," he said. George Town's city status has been a bone of contention raised by the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government since 2009 as George Town was declared a city by a royal charter granted by Queen Elizabeth II on January 1, 1957. However, it lost its city status and is no longer recognised as a city by the federal government and the PR-led state government has been demanding that the federal government reinstate its city status. "I hope that this delay in giving George Town its city status is not due to unexplainable reasons and that the ministry will speed up the process," Lim said. On the newly appointed councillors, 12 of whom are new faces, Lim advised that they perform in their duty as municipal councillors. "Be sure to go down to the ground and look at drainage or the roads if you must because it is your duty and do not turn away from your duty just because it is not within your scope of responsibilities," he said. He told the newly sworn-in councillors that they were picked by their respective parties so they must fulfil the expectations placed upon them by their parties. "You must perform because once we return the third vote to the people, you will be elected based on your performance by the people so if they do not want to elect you, there is no one else to blame but yourselves," he said. The Bagan MP also touched on the increase of street crimes in Penang after five years of being the state with the lowest crime index in the country. "It is alarming to note that our street crimes have increased by 72 per cent between January and May this year to place Penang as the state with the highest street crimes in the country," he said. With this in mind, he had instructed MPPP to install at least one street lamp each day and also to allocate an additional RM1.4 million to install 70 new CCTVs on the island. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/guan-eng-penang-should-be-afforded-its-long-overdue-city-status?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#sthash.pLWXShVY.dpuf

Snowden made the right call when he fled the U.S. Posted: 08 Jul 2013 09:55 AM PDT One lesson of the Pentagon Papers and Snowden's leaks is simple: secrecy corrupts, just as power corrupts.  Daniel Ellsberg, Washington Post  Daniel Ellsberg is the author of "Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers." He was charged in 1971 under the Espionage Act as well as for theft and conspiracy for copying the Pentagon Papers. The trial was dismissed in 1973 after evidence of government misconduct, including illegal wiretapping, was introduced in court.  After the New York Times had been enjoined from publishing the Pentagon Papers — on June 15, 1971, the first prior restraint on a newspaper in U.S. history — and I had given another copy to The Post (which would also be enjoined), I went underground with my wife, Patricia, for 13 days. My purpose (quite like Snowden's in flying to Hong Kong) was to elude surveillance while I was arranging — with the crucial help of a number of others, still unknown to the FBI — to distribute the Pentagon Papers sequentially to 17 other newspapers, in the face of two more injunctions. The last three days of that period was in defiance of an arrest order: I was, like Snowden now, a "fugitive from justice." Yet when I surrendered to arrest in Boston, having given out my last copies of the papers the night before, I was released on personal recognizance bond the same day. Later, when my charges were increased from the original three counts to 12, carrying a possible 115-year sentence, my bond was increased to $50,000. But for the whole two years I was under indictment, I was free to speak to the media and at rallies and public lectures. I was, after all, part of a movement against an ongoing war. Helping to end that war was my preeminent concern. I couldn't have done that abroad, and leaving the country never entered my mind. There is no chance that experience could be reproduced today, let alone that a trial could be terminated by the revelation of White House actions against a defendant that were clearly criminal in Richard Nixon's era — and figured in his resignation in the face of impeachment — but are today all regarded as legal (including an attempt to "incapacitate me totally"). I hope Snowden's revelations will spark a movement to rescue our democracy, but he could not be part of that movement had he stayed here. There is zero chance that he would be allowed out on bail if he returned now and close to no chance that, had he not left the country, he would have been granted bail. Instead, he would be in a prison cell like Bradley Manning, incommunicado. He would almost certainly be confined in total isolation, even longer than the more than eight months Manning suffered during his three years of imprisonment before his trial began recently. The United Nations Special Rapporteur for Torture described Manning's conditions as "cruel, inhuman and degrading." (That realistic prospect, by itself, is grounds for most countries granting Snowden asylum, if they could withstand bullying and bribery from the United States.) Snowden believes that he has done nothing wrong. I agree wholeheartedly. More than 40 years after my unauthorized disclosure of the Pentagon Papers, such leaks remain the lifeblood of a free press and our republic. One lesson of the Pentagon Papers and Snowden's leaks is simple: secrecy corrupts, just as power corrupts. Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/daniel-ellsberg-nsa-leaker-snowden-made-the-right-call/2013/07/07/0b46d96c-e5b7-11e2-aef3-339619eab080_story_1.html

You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net

Klik GAMBAR Dibawah Untuk Lebih Info

Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

---

• Ideological divide in Egypt
• The rising cost of living
• The time for consultation is over
• Setting the tone
• Al-Biruni, Comparative Religion and Malaysian leadership

Ideological divide in Egypt Posted: 08 Jul 2013 03:34 PM PDT This clash of opposing ideologies is at the heart of the struggle in Egypt, and may well play out in other Muslim countries with varying degrees of intensity. And here, there are many parallels to Pakistan: many said they preferred military rule to this kind of democracy. Egyptians should be careful what they wish for: many in Pakistan welcomed the army and believed their promise of early elections. Irfan Husain, The Dawn As I follow the ongoing turmoil in Egypt, I am reminded of a conversation I had with the Algerian ambassador to the United States. This was in Washington way back in 1991, but is very relevant to events in Egypt now. Then, the Islamic Salvation Army — or FIS, the French acronym — was poised to win the election. Fearing this outcome, the ruling National Liberation Front — or FLN — cancelled the next round of voting.  FIS and its supporters were outraged, and thus began a decade of murderous civil war that caused between 50,000 and 250, 000 deaths. Although exact figures may never emerge, both sides committed many terrible atrocities. I met the Algerian envoy just after the election was called off, and asked him if his government feared a violent backlash. He was very sure the ruling party and army would be able to control the situation. Clearly, he was either poorly informed, or was being diplomatic with a foreigner. My fear is that a similar scenario might emerge in Egypt. Already, ferocious clashes between supporters of the deposed president, Mohammed Morsi, and his opponents, as well as the security forces, have claimed dozens of casualties. Understandably, the Muslim Brotherhood is outraged that its elected nominee has been ousted in a coup only a year after his election. Already, over 300 senior party members have been arrested. For this anger to turn into a long campaign of protests and violence is only a short step.  We should not forget that the Brotherhood is used to repression. Ever since the party was formed in 1928, it has been a largely underground force, with hundreds of members arrested, tortured and executed. As a result of this long persecution, it was the only organised opposition party to seize the opportunity offered by the popular uprising against Hosni Mubarak. In one sense, the mass demonstrations in Tahrir Square against the increasingly unpopular Morsi mirrored the protests in Istanbul's Taksim Square.  Both represent the fault line in many Muslim countries between conservative citizens and their secular brethren. The former believe their countries should be governed by a strict Islamic code, and vote for religious parties who promise just that. But those with a secular worldview reject this vision, and want to transform their societies into modern states where religion is restricted to mosques and homes, and not allowed to intrude into the public sphere. This clash of opposing ideologies is at the heart of the struggle in Egypt, and may well play out in other Muslim countries with varying degrees of intensity. This is not to suggest that only Islamists voted for Morsi: in the second round, many secular Egyptians cast their ballots for him to help defeat his rival, a Mubarak-era candidate. They also believed his promise that he would be a 'president for all Egyptians'. In the event, he bulldozed through a divisive Islamic constitution that confirmed the worst fears among secular Egyptians. Even though Morsi has widely been viewed as an ineffective pawn of the Brotherhood, the fact is that he was hindered by the judiciary and the bureaucracy.  The economy suffered as tourism — Egypt's big foreign-exchange earner — was badly hit by the unrest that has shaken the country for two years. Finally, Morsi ploughed large amounts into subsidies to a nation hit hard by inflation. In short, there are ample reasons for people to go into the streets, demanding Morsi's removal from office. And here, there are many parallels to Pakistan: over the duration of the last PPP-led government, I must have received hundreds of emails from people demanding Zardari's exit. Many said they preferred military rule to this kind of democracy.  I counselled patience, and said that we ought to let the democratic process take its course, otherwise we would remain locked into the unending cycle of civilian governments followed by martial law. And fortunately, neither the military nor the opposition in Pakistan took advantage of the shambolic performance of the last government to topple it. Sadly, this course was not followed in Egypt, with unforeseeable consequences. In the West, the reaction has been one of quiet satisfaction. I'm sure champagne bottles were uncorked in Tel Aviv. The reality is that while many in Europe and the United States talk about democratic reform in the Middle East, the subtext is that they would prefer to see secular, pro-West governments in charge. And if these governments are headed by generals, so be it.  Thus, when the elections in Algeria were cancelled, the move was welcomed in Washington, London and Paris. Nobody wanted to see an Islamist government in power in Algiers. One reason is the fear that once such a regime is installed, it will never let go of power. Iran is a prime example of this: after the ayatollahs seized power, they have only permitted a tightly controlled democratic process. Candidates are carefully screened, and the Supreme Leader, an unelected religious leader, wields ultimate authority. Here, then, is the conundrum: do religious parties have the right to transform the constitutional basis of a state if they are elected to office for a limited period? Or should they seek compromise and consensus that reflects the differences in society? And if they become unpopular and risk losing the next election, should they cling to power to ensure the continuation of the religious structure they have created? There would be a strong temptation to hang on, based on the justification that rigging the elections would keep godless parties out of power. All these concerns reflect the deep anxiety about the real commitment religious parties and groups have towards democracy. On the other hand, Islamic parties, viewing Morsi's fate, will be justified in asserting that democracy is not the path to power, and that violent means should be followed. After all, if street demonstrations can topple elected Islamic governments, why bother to be part of the process? The Egyptian army, with its extensive corporate interests and sense of entitlement, was probably glad of a pretext to return to centre stage. Even though it has installed a judge to be the interim president, nobody is fooled by the façade. Egyptians should be careful what they wish for: many in Pakistan welcomed the army and believed their promise of early elections.

The rising cost of living Posted: 08 Jul 2013 03:22 PM PDT Malaysia's debt-to-GDP ratio is 53.4% as at the end of 2011, and therefore still relatively safe. But if government weans us off subsidies but installs new forms of spending, this brings us back to square one.  Tricia Yeoh, The Sun Daily A REPORT ranked Kuala Lumpur as the 74th most expensive city in the world, compared to 86th last year. Data from the Economist Intelligence Unit's (EIU) "Worldwide Cost of Living 2012" report showed that KL's cost of living index rose from 67 in June 2009 to 83 this month. Of course, Malaysians do not need a report to believe that the cost of living is on the rise. Living in the city means expenses on food and transport take a big cut of your monthly income. It comes as no surprise that the consumer price index (CPI), which measures inflation, increased by 3.2% in 2011 compared to the previous year. The groups that had the highest price rise were food and beverages (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), transport, restaurants and hotels, and tobacco (Department of Statistics, Jan 18). Malaysia sailed through the 1980s and 1990s, enjoying a steady growth rate of more than 7% on average, yet with a relatively low inflation rate. But times have changed. While we did achieve a 5.1% growth rate in 2011, inflation is steadily rising year on year. In the meantime, 60% of Malaysian households earn less than RM6,000 monthly, with 80% of households earning an average income of RM2,500. Political implications Coupled with global economic uncertainty, the economic climate in Malaysia is not too bright. And everyone knows that the cost of living is high on the list of electoral issues. The dilemma that the federal government has to face this year is how long it can hold off calling an election amid troubled times. The alternative is to wait till the full five-year term, but risk an even worse-performing economy. Whichever the case, the government is well-aware that the increasing cost of living will inevitably affect voting outcomes. Public sentiment already flares whenever talk of subsidy removal, toll or tariff hikes surface. It is, after all, the bread and butter issues that people are ultimately concerned with. Enter the flurry of financial schemes that have been announced by the federal government. There have been so many that one needs to pause to examine each carefully. First was the New Civil Service Remuneration Scheme (SBPA) announced last year, in which civil servants would receive salary increments and bonus payments among others. Then, the Skim Amanah Rakyat 1Malaysia (SARA 1Malaysia) scheme in which low-income Malaysians can take out a loan to invest in Amanah Saham 1Malaysia shares (which pays out RM13,000 at the end of a five-year lifespan if all dividends are re-invested). Schemes need further clarification Finally, the 1Malaysia Housing Programme, where low-income Malaysians can apply for a housing loan to buy affordable houses costing between RM150,000 and RM300,000. The controversial part of this housing scheme, which interestingly enough has had members of parliament on both sides of the political divide commenting on, is that the scheme is being financed by Employees Provident Fund (EPF) money, as a loan to the government. The Federal Territories and urban well-being minister announced that RM1.5 billion of EPF funds would be extended in loans to those who failed to secure commercial loans to buy their houses, helping some "20,000 eligible tenants and interested buyers". Pakatan Rakyat MPs have cautioned that this puts EPF funds at risk, by increasing government debt through an external body. They claim that if these "guaranteed" loans default, the federal government will be directly exposed to the debt and thus trigger a debt-induced financial crisis. Khairy Jamaluddin, Umno MP, also questions what risk management processes the government would institute before giving out the loans. Yes, a large part of Malaysians are feeling the pinch of inflation. And yes, it is generally positive that the government is taking this seriously. All the schemes, for example, have as their common objective to assist the low-income group in managing the impact of the rising cost of living. But these programmes must be carefully designed, with the lowest risk possible. Let's not forget that government funds equals the rakyat's funds. In the 1980s, the Greek government ran large deficits to finance public sector jobs, pensions and other social benefits, resulting in an extremely high debt-to-GDP ratio of above 90%. Spending for short-term electoral gain at the detriment of long-term consequences sent Greece spiralling downward, to its current debt crisis. Malaysia's debt-to-GDP ratio is 53.4% as at the end of 2011, and therefore still relatively safe. But if government weans us off subsidies but installs new forms of spending, this brings us back to square one. In the rush to implement popular schemes that could boost electoral ratings, such important public policies must ensure that short-term spending must not come at the cost of the country's future generations. Tricia Yeoh is director at a market research consultancy. She writes on national and socio-economic issues. Comments: letters@thesundaily.com

The time for consultation is over Posted: 08 Jul 2013 02:33 PM PDT Zaid Ibrahim, TMI The Government's decision to withdraw the Conversion Bill is welcomed. Although the Deputy Prime Minister was quick to add the decision to withdraw had been made "for now", implying that it could reintroduce the Bill in the near future, let's hope the Government will let the lessons from this experience guide its actions from this point forward. The first lesson is this: the Cabinet must never again succumb to outside pressure when formulating laws and policies. When the Law Reform Act (Marriage and Divorce) 1976, Administration of Islamic Law Act (Federal Territories 1993) and Islamic Family Law Act 1984 (collectively the Bills) were introduced in 2009, they were withdrawn purportedly because the Conference of Rulers had objected to certain parts of the Bills pertaining to the religious conversion of a minor. The Government had tabled the Bills as a comprehensive solution to the issues of custody and religious conversions after conflicts arose between Muslim and non-Muslim parents. These Bills had taken years to be formulated and the Attorney-General's Chambers had been diligent and meticulous in making sure all relevant stakeholders, including the muftis and religious councils, had been consulted. So it came as a surprise when the Bills were withdrawn at the behest of Conference of Rulers. Had the Government stood firm, as it should have, then we wouldn't have to endure the fracas of recent days. The three Bills need to be reintroduced and the question of consulting with other stakeholders, as the DPM alluded to, is no longer necessary. These Bills have had their fair share of being the subject of consultation. How many years must we deliberate over a policy just because a segment of society is not happy with it? READ MORE HERE

Setting the tone Posted: 08 Jul 2013 01:31 PM PDT Our thoughts and opinions are guided by four principles; the rule of law, limited government, free markets, and individual liberty and responsibility. The country is still grappling with the outcomes of GE13. Prior to GE13, only a small number of people believed that Barisan Nasional could do better than 2008.  Wan Saiful Wan Jan, The Star I AM really glad to start a fortnightly column in this newspaper. The Star has a long history with Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, who was also our greatest Prime Minister. When he was a columnist for The Star, he never shied away from making principled commentaries about difficult issues. The country owes him a lot, and his legacy is one that must not be forgotten. As an organisation inspired by Almarhum Tunku's vision to see this land become a nation of "liberty and justice", we at IDEAS are always looking for the opportunity to follow in his footsteps. The founding president of IDEAS, Tunku 'Abidin Muhriz, too, had a column in this newspaper. His wit and style of writing would be difficult to match, but the key messages that we all bring in our writings are similar. Everyone in IDEAS is committed to classical liberal principles, and we look for opportunities to apply this political philosophy in public policy. Our thoughts and opinions are guided by four principles; the rule of law, limited government, free markets, and individual liberty and responsibility. In a publication that we released back in 2010 titled The Tunku's Great Ideas, we outlined how Tunku Abdul Rahman himself consistently advocated these four principles. The publication can be downloaded free from our website www.ideas.org.my. However, since classical liberalism puts emphasis on individual liberty, it would be wrong to say everyone in the organisation always speaks with one voice. We, in IDEAS, are opinionated individuals in our own rights and our interpretation of the philosophy may differ from one another. So, while the big picture may be the same, the details may differ. I accepted the invitation to write in this newspaper following a chance encounter with The Star's group chief editor Datuk Seri Wong Chun Wai. At the height of the campaign period for the 13th general election, we were both invited to be on a panel in RTM. While waiting for our slot, we chatted about the role the media played in the campaign. We discussed the differences between mainstream press like The Star and party organs like PAS' Harakah. As one of the accredited election observers, I told Chun Wai that many people I met have been complaining about how many of the mainstream media were very one-sided in their reporting. I jokingly told him that if The Star did not change its tack, it would become an English version of Harakah. Soon after GE13, I received an SMS from Chun Wai inviting me to be a columnist in this newspaper. He said he wanted new voices, and that The Star is not an English version of Harakah. I was pleasantly surprised that he remembered what I said in jest, and I am delighted and humbled to be invited into this newspaper. Actually, I am not new to The Star. I was once a columnist for The Star's iPad edition. But I started that venture at the wrong time and had to stop after just a few articles. At that time, IDEAS was not even two years old yet. As the founding CEO, I had to prioritise my time to build up the think tank and this made the column suffer. That's why I thought it would be fairer to the editor if I stopped the column instead of continuously missing deadlines. I was hoping to start writing sooner, but unfortunately this first article had to be delayed a bit. My house caught fire on June 9 and most of my belongings were either burnt or damaged by water. Searching for a new house, buying furniture and clothes from scratch, and moving took a lot of my time (and bloated my credit card bill too!). But I do hope that from today I can play my little role to be a "critical friend" in The Star. The country is still grappling with the outcomes of GE13. Prior to GE13, only a small number of people believed that Barisan Nasional could do better than 2008. The vast majority of informed analysts have always said that BN would perform worse, but PR would not win. So, the outcome of GE13 was not really a surprise to many of us. What was surprising to me, however, is to see how many of our politicians failed to prepare for the results. And today, we see several BN leaders keep making mistakes after mistakes. The biggest was when some suggested that Malaysian Chinese and urban voters of all backgrounds were ungrateful. To this, my response is that we citizens have nothing to be grateful about when dealing with politicians. Instead, it is the politicians who should be grateful to us. We elected them. We pay their salaries, housing allowances, car allowances, and many more. Every single sen they earn by virtue of being a salaried politician, including the money they use to support their families, is because of us. They owe their living to us, not the other way round. The death of feudalism is certain and the true masters are we, the people. If these servants continue to think that they are the masters, then they are paving the road to retirement in GE14. And I hope that sets the tone for my future articles in this newspaper! > Wan Saiful Wan Jan is chief executive of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (www.ideas.org.my)

Al-Biruni, Comparative Religion and Malaysian leadership Posted: 08 Jul 2013 09:33 AM PDT   The Islamic bill has been withdrawn by the Government in tandem with protests from non-Muslim Members of Parliament (MP). However, Malaysians are in still in the dark with several religious issues in our Malaysian multi-religious society. Natesan Visnu  Prophet Muhammad sent a message to the monks of Saint Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai: "This is a message written by Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, far and near, we are behind them. Verily, I defend them by myself, the servants, the helpers, and my followers, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them. No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be changed from their jobs, nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they (Christians) are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, this is not to take place without her own wish. She is not to be prevented from going to her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation is to disobey this covenant till the Day of Judgment and the end of the world." The recent crisis with the conversion bill for children has sparked an uproar among the non-Muslims in Malaysia. The Islamic bill has been withdrawn by the Government in tandem with protests from non-Muslim Members of Parliament (MP). However, Malaysians are in still in the dark with several religious issues in our Malaysian multi-religious society. The purpose of this article to explore the understanding between religions in a multicultural society. The writer is not a religious expert and the views are based on reading various religious literature available online. Constructive criticism and views are welcome to explore the subject for mutual benefit and understanding among fellow Malaysians. Religious tolerance has been a debate for centuries. Many scholars have researched and produced works explaining the subject with great depth. However, the thoughts and opinions of these scholars have not resolved inter-faith issues and to date, humans have not resolved the differences among them. According to Al-Biruni (a Muslim scholar on the history of religion), "there is a common human element in every culture that makes all cultures distant relatives, however foreign they might seem to one another." (Rosenthal, 1976, p. 10). Biruni is a Muslim scholar that had studied Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and other religions. He studied religion with an open mind and his motive was to understand all of them instead of vilifying other religions. To take it further, Biruni was responsible to study Hindu scholarly books, learned Sanskrit and translated Hindu books into the Arabic language. He wrote Tarikh al-Kinh (History of India) exploring culture, mathematics, astronomy and every aspect of Indian life. Biruni is one of many scholars from the Muslim world that has explored in depth other religions and produced works towards religious tolerance. His main approach was to explore the common principles among the religions to promote religious harmony. Politicians with half baked knowledge on religion have been politicizing issues and misleading Malaysians in general for years. Translating the effort and approach of Biruni, a similar approach could be used in Malaysia to tackle the religious issues that have been plaguing our society for years and causing unnecessary grief for Malaysians.  The religious issues in Malaysia have been provoked by racist leaders such as Ibrahim Ali attacking Christians on the 'Allah' word usage, Zulkifli Nordin condemning the Hindus, and other politicians making inane comments. If we analyse closely, the religious issues are caused by politicians for their personal political gain. In Malaysia, certain groups of irresponsible politicians are the major cause for religious conflict among members of the society. The first most important move is to stop the politicians from further confusing the public on religious issues. In line with the above argument, the bill that needs to be studied and passed in Parliament is for politicians to stop making comments on religious issues. Politicians without the expertise on religion should be stopped from discussing religious issues in public. These issues should be addressed by experts with the similar wisdom of al-Biruni and the Dewan Rakyat should act based on their analysis on religious issues. Dewan Rakyat members should appoint an interfaith council consisting of scholars on comparative religion to provide advice on issues pertaining to religious issues. The approach will assist Malaysians to have a better solution on religious issues instead of relying on politicians who lack fundamental knowledge on religion attempting to debate the subject in Dewan Rakyat. Prophet Muhammad has set a great example in leading the non-Muslim community. The Muslim leaders in Malaysia should further study the method used by Prophet Muhammad to promote religious harmony among Muslims and non-Muslims. Echoing Islamic terminology, the term hadith refers to actions and statements by Prophet Muhammad, teaching the world on leadership for a multi-religious society. Malaysians need to urge politicians to explore further, with the help of the correct experts, the underlying concepts and reforms of religious issues that have been plaguing our society for years. Relating to the child conversion bill tabled recently, one particular verse of the Qu'ran: "let there be no compulsion in religion". Prophet Muhammad and his followers never practiced forced conversion on Pagan Arabs. The proposal for conversion of a child with only one parent's consent is a subject that requires indepth study. This writer's view is that the subject must be studied further by religious experts from all faiths and a collective recommendation be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat for debate. Politicians without indepth knowledge in comparative religion should consult the appropriate experts to explore the subject. To encapsulate the above, a comprehensive resolution on religious issues is required for the progression of our society. The failure to address religious issues will cripple the nation and limit our ability to prosper as a multi-religious society. Politicians should set aside their differences, work along with scholars and formulate policies that will benefit the people in general; not their political mileage.

You are subscribed to email updates from Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.	Email delivery powered by Google
Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610

Kredit: www.malaysia-today.net