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• Govt's human rights report to UN 'less than truthful'
• Allah issue: Anwar calls for calm
• Cops confirm probe into sedition case involving Ali Rustam
• Jenice Lee vs DAP case management on Oct 28
• DAP bent on use of Allah word by Christians
• Kelantan Mufti warns non-Muslims in state against using Allah
• Jakarta Post: ‘Allah’ ruling risks spreading to Indonesia
• ‘Umno is the real MCA opponent’

Govt's human rights report to UN 'less than truthful' Posted: 16 Oct 2013 09:53 PM PDT   Jaqueline Png, Fz.com The Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the UPR Process (Comango) has slammed the government for being "less than truthful" in its report to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is the Human Rights Council's mechanism to promote and protect human rights through peer review process every 4.5 years. Malaysia is scheduled to present its report for the second time on Oct 24 in Geneva. The 20-page report talks about the current human rights conditions and efforts put into improving them. Among the Issues touched upon are rights of women, children and indigenous people, healthcare, right to education and healthcare, as well as political and civil rights. Comango spokesperson Honey Tan claimed that the report was deceiving as it states that the government has implemented "all" of the recommendations from the first UPR in 2009. "The suggestions were phrases like 'beginning to study' or 'to investigate'. There are no substantial steps taken to really address human rights violation," she said at a briefing here today.. Tan, who is with Pusat Kesedaran Kominiti Selangor (Empower), also criticized the report for not providing sufficient details on how resources were allocated for action taken to tackle the problems. Comango had complied a report to the government in March but the authorities only sought consultation from the NGOs two days before the May 5 general election. "We boycotted the consultation because it was so short notice, and clearly we do not have enough time to discuss what should be written in the report. And here, the government claims that it has consulted us," said Tan. The coalition is made up of 54 NGOs including Suaram, KL-Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall, All Women's Action Society (Awam), Tenaganita and the Centre for Independant Journalism. Bar Council vice-president Andrew Khoo, who were also at the briefing today, said the government's report was merely a lip service. "The government is taking the credit for the work done by the NGOs. The report is superficial and weak, it underscores the attitude of our government towards human rights issues." He noted that the government has proudly announced the abolition of the "draconian" Internal Security Act 1960 (ISA), but there was no mention of how the Prevention of Crime Act will inherit ISA's detention without trial nature. Another example highlighted by Tenaganita's Katrina Jorene Maliamauv was the 6P Programme to legalise foreign workers and immigrants. In the report, the government hailed the programme as "beneficial", but in reality, the programme has created even more room for employers to exploit foreign workers. Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/govts-human-rights-report-un-less-thruthful

Allah issue: Anwar calls for calm Posted: 16 Oct 2013 07:08 PM PDT It is understood Pakatan stand is that the word 'Allah' should not be exclusive to Muslims as Christians and Jews are also allowed to use it, but the name should not be used in a wrong and irresponsible manner that could jeopardise racial and religious harmony. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT Pakatan Rakyat supremo Anwar Ibrahim has called for calm following the Court of Appeal's decision to ban the term 'Allah' from being used in Catholic weekly, The Herald. The Permatang Pauh MP was responding to worldwide criticisms on the judgment, which law experts said had misplaced its priority by misinterpreting Article 3 and Article 11 of the Federal Constitution. "A lot of people have expressed concern on the matter. Pakatan's consensus is to call for calm and reasoned discourse on the subject and not condemn those who differ in views," he said. "Our collective stand on the issue remains the same as announced last year," he added, refusing to elaborate further. It is understood Pakatan stand is that the word 'Allah' should not be exclusive to Muslims as Christians and Jews are also allowed to use it, but the name should not be used in a wrong and irresponsible manner that could jeopardise racial and religious harmony. Asked if Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak had met with opposition leaders to discuss the much-debated issue, Anwar said: "He (Najib) is not around." "Najib doesn't seem to be around when it comes to controversial issues. This reflects the state of poor leadership in the country. It (Malaysia) needs a leader. The country is not on autopilot," he added. READ MORE HERE

Cops confirm probe into sedition case involving Ali Rustam Posted: 16 Oct 2013 05:29 PM PDT (The Star) - Police have confirmed that a sedition case has been opened against former Malacca Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam for remarks made at a function last week. Kuala Lumpur deputy CID director ACP Khairi Ahrasa in confirming the case refused to comment further as police were in early stages of investigations. This comes after DAP Kota Laksamana assemblyman Lai Kuen Ban lodged a police report against the Umno vice-presidential candidate for remarks allegedly made at a Perbadanan Usahawan Nasional Berhad (PUNB) function on Oct 8. The alleged remarks included an economic comparison between the Malay and Chinese communities. He reportedly commented that casinos, lotteries, massage parlours and ah longs should not be allowed to reach the Malay community.  Brickfields OCPD ACP Azlee Abdullah said police have already started recording statements from the event organisers and  attendees, but have yet to summon Mohd Ali himself. "We will do that soon enough. After the statements are recorded, the case will be forwarded to the prosecutors to decide if he is to be charged," said ACP Azlee. Mohd Ali, who was Malacca Chief Minister for 14 years, lost the Bukit Katil parliamentary seat to Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin of PKR during GE13. He is among six vice-presidential candidates vying for three seats in the party's polls this Saturday.

Jenice Lee vs DAP case management on Oct 28 Posted: 16 Oct 2013 05:24 PM PDT (The Star) - The High Court here has fixed Oct 28 for the next case management of a suit filed by former Teratai assemblyman Jenice Lee Ying Ha against the DAP over her expulsion from the party.  Justice Nor Bee Ariffin set the date in chambers after meeting counsel Harjit Singh Sandhu who acted for Lee while Sangeet Kaur, for DAP.   Sangeet told reporters later that they would inform the court on Lee's current position in the party. She said the plaintiff's counsel would reassess Lee's position before taking further action.   "The judge later set Oct 28 for the next case management," Sangeet said. On June 5, Lee had filed the suit against the DAP over her expulsion from the party.   Lee, 33, had named DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng as the defendant.   In the statement of claim, Lee sought a declaration for her membership in DAP since 2001 to be reinstated immediately, with cost and other relief deemed fit by the court.   She claimed that her expulsion from the party, which she knew through the media last April 20, was null and void because an investigation by the Registrar of Society (ROS) revealed that the election of the party's central executive council (CEC) members, held in December last year, was not in accordance with the DAP constitution.   In the recent 13th general election, Lee, the former Selangor DAP publicity secretary, contested as an independent candidate for the Teratai seat, but lost.

DAP bent on use of Allah word by Christians Posted: 16 Oct 2013 05:09 PM PDT (NST) - DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said the party is firm in its stand that Christians should be allowed to use the word "Allah". He said the Pakatan opposition pact would make a joint statement on the matter today. "This is a sensitive issue and as such it is important for all three opposition parties to meet up and give a joint statement. As the state Pakatan chairman, I will wait for the official announcement on the matter. "However, as for the DAP, we stand firm with our original stand that Christians should be allowed to use the word 'Allah'," he said when asked to comment on the Court of Appeal ruling on Monday. The court had ruled that the Catholic weekly The Herald could not use the word in its Bahasa Malaysia section, printed mainly for the benefit of Christians from East Malaysia. The ruling had overturned a Kuala Lumpur High Court decision in 2009.

Kelantan Mufti warns non-Muslims in state against using Allah Posted: 16 Oct 2013 04:45 PM PDT Shukri did not rule out the possibility of a backlash from Muslims if non-Muslims continued to use the word Allah. Elizabeth Zachariah, TMI The Mufti of Kelantan has warned non-Muslims in the state who use Allah in their worship that they could face action under the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions Enactment 1981. Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad said non-Muslims have to face the consequences if they still insisted on using Allah, as Malaysia had laws that had to be followed. "We in Kelantan have our own enactment. For a long time, the enactment has prohibited non-Muslims from using Allah. The enactment is for the civil court, not Shariah," Utusan Malaysia reported today. "So we leave it to the authorities to act on those who break the law. Those who are rational will understand the consequences," Shukri added. He was responding to a statement from the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) chairman, Rev Dr Eu Hong Seng, who said Christians would continue to use Allah in worship and prayers. Shukri did not rule out the possibility of a backlash from Muslims if non-Muslims continued to use the word Allah. "It is a possibility, something that we don't want to happen," he warned. READ MORE HERE

Jakarta Post: ‘Allah’ ruling risks spreading to Indonesia Posted: 16 Oct 2013 04:29 PM PDT (MM) - Malaysia's court ruling on Muslims' exclusivity over "Allah" could inspire Indonesians of the faith to lay the same claim over the Arabic word, Jakarta Post warned in an editorial yesterday. The English-language daily in Indonesia noted that religious exclusivism was equally strong in Indonesia, "if not stronger" than in neighbouring Malaysia, citing previous debates like whether non-Muslims should be allowed to say the traditional Arabic phrases "Assalamu'alaikum" (peace be upon you), "Alhamdulillah" (praise be to God) and "Insya Allah" (God willing). "It's only a matter of time before someone takes the cue from Malaysia and starts raising objections to non-Muslims using the word Allah," Jakarta Post wrote in an editorial titled "No one has monopoly claim to God: On the use of 'Allah' in Malaysia". "No one who believes in the power of one supreme God can really claim exclusivity. There is no such thing as the God for Catholics, just as there is no such thing as the God or Allah for Muslims," added the newspaper. Jakarta Post stressed that "those who claim exclusivity to God undermine their own faith, and inadvertently or not, preach polytheism". The republic's newspaper said it was ironic that religious exclusivism, "which goes against the grain of Islamic teaching", was now formally entrenched in Malaysia, a country that takes pride in its racial and religious diversity. The daily also noted that while Malaysian Muslims went for religious exclusivism, Pope Francis headed the opposite direction towards inclusivism by saying recently: "I believe in God, not in a Catholic God". "Monotheism is the foundation of the Abrahamic faiths – including Judaism, Christianity and Islam – and it entails that their followers pray to the same God Almighty. The Pope is only reaffirming the very principle of monotheism but at the same time he is promulgating the inclusivity of the deity," said Jakarta Post. "Every monotheistic religion will obviously claim exclusivity in their proximity to God, but that is not the same thing as claiming that God only listens to them and no one else," it added. On Monday, the Court of Appeal ruled against a High Court decision allowing the Catholic Church to refer to the Christian god with the Arabic word "Allah" in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly paper, the Herald. The court adjudged the usage of the word "Allah" as not integral to the Christian faith and said that allowing such an application would cause confusion in the Muslim community. The 2009 High Court ruling, which found that the word "Allah" was not exclusive to Muslims, had sparked a string of attacks like arson and vandalism against non-Muslim places of worship, including Christian churches and Sikh temples. Besides Sikhs, Christians in Arabic-speaking countries use the Middle-Eastern word "Allah" to describe their god. Jakarta Post noted that Indonesian Muslims, who shared the linguistic similarities with Malaysians, translate the phrase "Lailaha Illallah" to "Tiada tuhan selain Allah" (No God but Allah), instead of the literal translation "No god but God". "This erroneous translation may have become the basis that put Muslims in much of Southeast Asia to claim exclusivity to God," it said. The daily theorised that the distinction between Allah and God may have been made to help convert polytheists, since the people in the region were mostly Hindus and Buddhists before Islam arrived in the 14th century. "The late Islamist scholar Nurcholish Madjid drew sharp rebukes when he suggested that Indonesians should translate the term to 'No god but God', so the idea was dropped prematurely," said Jakarta Post. The newspaper noted that Malaysia and Indonesia have, so far, practised a more moderate and tolerant strand of Islam, compared to Muslims in the Middle East, the origin of Islam, or in South Asia. "But there is only a thin line dividing tolerance and intolerance, so we should not take this moderation for granted," said Jakarta Post. "With the rising exclusivism that the Muslim majorities in these two countries are pushing, we may be witnessing the Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia becoming less and less tolerant. In fact, it may already be happening," added the daily.

‘Umno is the real MCA opponent’ Posted: 16 Oct 2013 02:16 PM PDT   (FMT) - MCA has to engage in a daily tug-of-war with Umno at all administrative levels, and the party will only be popular if it stood up against Umno, says sacked MCA man Lee Hwa Beng. Former three-term Subang Jaya assemblyman Lee Hwa Beng said Umno is the real opponent of the MCA and only by standing up against the Malay party will it get the support of the Chinese. Lee, who was sacked from MCA recently, said the party had to engage in a daily tug-of-war with Umno at all administrative levels. "Our real opponent is not DAP as we only face the opposition party once every five years. Our real opponent is Umno. "Every day at local, state or federal level, we have to face them. We have to stand up against them if not they keep eroding our (Chinese) rights. "The more you stand up against Umno, the better received you are by the Chinese community. "The moment you 'kowtow' to them, the Chinese will run away from MCA," he told FMT in an exclusive interview recently. He said even the MCA leadership reckoned the dilemma. "After the general election in 2008 and MCA was only left with 15 parliamentary seats, (the then MCA president) Ong Ka Ting told me he has to resign from the cabinet because he cannot be effective with that little representation. "He said for sure he will be bullied by Umno. That's why he resigned," said Lee. Lee's statement underlined the love-hate relationship between the many race-based parties in Barisan Nasional. MCA and Umno on one hand have to stick together for political interest but on the other, both parties cannot compromise on issues and are determined to champion the interest of their own race. Lee said Umno needed the MCA to avoid a regime change. "Under the circumstances, it is important for MCA to get rid of the president, Dr Chua Soi Lek, who is handicapped because of his involvement in a sex scandal. "Chua has committed oral sex in the video and it is a Penal Code offence. So this has made him a lame duck. The moment he opens his mouth, Umno can use this to threaten him," he said. He also criticised Chua for allegedly being weak by surrendering several MCA seats to other BN component parties in the last general election. Umno will lose support On the future outlook of MCA, the former MCA central committee member said: "Sadly, the ball lies on Umno's court". Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/10/17/umno-is-the-real-mca-opponent/

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• Allah edict masks power play
• The Malaysian 'Allah' ban is about putting minorities in their place
• Wrong to deny fundamental rights just because some will be confused
• Allah, the Malay God

Allah edict masks power play Posted: 16 Oct 2013 09:58 PM PDT   The idea was partly that Malays - who were vastly economically disadvantaged - would gain ground on the far wealthier Chinese. When the British drafted this law, the intention was that it would be temporary. Turns out it wasn't, and race has been a constant inflammation point in Malaysian politics ever since, as several race riots demonstrate.     Waleed Aly, SMH      Six years ago, Proton - Malaysia's national car maker - teamed up with car makers in Iran and Turkey pledging to develop the world's first ''Islamic car''. Apparently automobiles had hitherto been non-Muslims. If that's not absurd enough, this week we learnt it's a good thing Malaysian cars can't talk, because if they could, they'd no longer be able to use the word ''Allah'' to mean ''God''. That's what a Malaysian appeal court ruled this week, after a Catholic, Malay-language newspaper had dared to drop the A-bomb.   The ''Allah'' controversy has been running for years and isn't over yet. This decision overturned the original finding from 2009 in favour of the newspaper. Now the editor is planning to appeal to the highest court in the country and the government will resist. This immediately reminded me of Proton's Islamic car: strip both these stories of the pious language that decorates them, and they're ultimately about the maintenance of Malay pride. These are symbolic gestures of ethno-nationalism. And that whole issue is becoming increasingly radioactive in Malaysian politics and society.   To see this, consider what precisely makes the Islamic car so ''Islamic'': compartments for storing a headscarf and Koran, and a compass to indicate the direction of Mecca. That's it. As though no car in history has sported a compass or storage. If you're in any doubt about how thin this Islamic veneer is, consider that Proton was considering a ''secular'' version for non-Muslim markets. This is not about function. It's not meeting a consumer need. This is appealing to consumer identity. It's selling a feeling of authenticity. Don't just be a Muslim, be very Muslim. The content of that commitment matters far less than the statement it makes.   The ''Allah'' imbroglio is altogether more serious, but no less strange. Arab Christians, Jews and pagans were using the word before Islam came along. The word has always appeared in Arabic translations of the Bible without controversy. The same ultimately came to be true in the Malay language, which incorporates plenty of Arabic lexicon. So it's hardly surprising that Malaysian Christians have been using the word, too. For longer than Malaysia has existed, as it happens. It's in their Bibles, too. Why should this suddenly be a problem? The Malaysian court held that Allah ''is not an integral part of the faith in Christianity'' and that therefore its use in a Catholic newspaper ''will cause confusion in the community''. The fear, apparently, is that Muslims will suddenly start practising Christianity if both faith groups refer to God by the same name. Malaysian Muslims therefore need a form of protection from their own ignorance that no Muslim community has needed anywhere at any time.   But this isn't about that. If it were, you'd expect Malaysia's Islamist opposition party (PAS) to be at the forefront of this charge. But it is not. Indeed, it is mildly opposed. This is instead about an old guard of Malays (who are officially always Muslims) confronting the fact that the privileged position they've held for the first 50 years of Malaysian independence simply can't hold for the next 50.   Now they're lashing out, as if trying to resist the death throes of their own supremacy.   That supremacy is a matter of law. Indeed, it's in the constitution, which establishes Malay quotas for entry into civil service, public education and access to federal business licences. The idea was partly that Malays - who were vastly economically disadvantaged - would gain ground on the far wealthier Chinese. When the British drafted this law, the intention was that it would be temporary. Turns out it wasn't, and race has been a constant inflammation point in Malaysian politics ever since, as several race riots demonstrate. Read more at: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/allah-edict-masks-power-play-20131017-2vpj8.html#ixzz2hz3S5EkE

The Malaysian 'Allah' ban is about putting minorities in their place Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:22 PM PDT   The 'Allah' ruling is as ridiculous as a UK law saying that 'God' is a Christian designation, and other religions can't use it Nesrine Malik, The Guardian "Allah" means God, unless you are a non-Muslim Malaysian, in which case you have to find another word. After a recent court ruling in the country, Allah can now be used only to refer to the Muslim God, and non-Muslims (mainly the Malaysian Christian Catholic community and press) have been banned from using it. It is a decision that has inflamed opinion among minority religions and disheartened Muslims. Apart from all the practical implications of this (re-printing Bibles and so on), there are other intangible but more heartfelt grievances. At first glance it looks like a petty scuffle over semantics, but the roots of the dispute go deep into the issue of national identity. The ruling was flimsily justified by the "risk" of conversion. Announcing the change, the judge said: "It is my judgment that the possible and most probable threat to Islam, in the context of this country, is the propagation of other religions to the followers of Islam." But the ban is less about religion than about putting non-Malay minorities in their place, subordinating their status to that of Muslims, the majority population. The issue is made more complex by the fact that "Allah" is an Arabic loan-word and, when imported into other languages, can come to be thought of as a proper noun. On my first day at a British school, a teacher going around the class and asked us what our respective non-Christian gods were called. When I floundered, she exasperatedly told me that my god was called Allah, and I couldn't quite explain to her why that felt wrong. To me, Allah just meant "God" in Arabic. It wasn't a name. Read more at: http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2013/oct/16/malaysian-allah-ban-minorities-in-place

Wrong to deny fundamental rights just because some will be confused Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:17 PM PDT   Having recited that religious sensitivities are a threat to public order and safety, the decision unfortunately serves to reinforce the notion that the use or threat of violence would win the day in court. It is unacceptable that citizens are denied their Constitutional rights of religious freedom and expression on the basis that others who disagree or who are confused would resort to aggression. Christopher Leong, President, Bar Council Malaysia THE Malaysian Bar is deeply concerned by the decision of the Court of Appeal delivered on Oct 14, 2013 in what is commonly referred to as the 'Herald' or 'Allah' case.   The concerns arise from the Court's interpretation of Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution on the status of Islam and other religions and Article 11(1) and (4) on the fundamental right to profess and practice a religion.   Any interpretation of the Constitution must invite the greatest scrutiny as it impacts on the fundamental freedoms guaranteed to all citizens.   We are particularly concerned with the following findings, that:   I. The insertion of the words "in peace and harmony" in Article 3(1) is to protect the sanctity of Islam and "also to insulate against any threat... to the religion of Islam";   Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution expressly provides that "Islam is the religion of the Federation; but other religions may be practiced in peace and harmony in any part of the Federation".   The Court of Appeal found that this Article was inserted as a byproduct of the social contract by our founding fathers, and that the purpose and intention of the words "in peace and harmony" was to protect the sanctity of Islam as the religion of the country and to insulate it against any threat. This is an unnatural reading of the provisions in Article 3(1). The words in their clear and ordinary meaning provides for the right of other religions to be practiced unmolested and free of threats.   In referring to the social contract, effect should be given to the understanding as at 1957 and not to the numerous amendments that have since been made to the Federal Constitution in violation thereof. Paragraph 57 of the White Paper in 1957 which gave rise to Articles 3(1) and 11(4) of the Federal Constitution provides as follows:   "There has been included in the proposed Federal Constitution a declaration that Islam is the religion of the Federation. This will in no way affect the present position of the Federation as a secular State, and every person will have the right to profess and practice his own religion and the right to propagate his religion, though this last right is subject to any restrictions imposed by State law relating to the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among persons professing the Muslim religion."   II. The use of the word 'Allah' in the Malay version of the Herald would cause or create confusion amongst persons professing the religion of Islam;   It is unreasonable and contrary to the Constitutional scheme that a fundamental liberty is liable to be denied on the basis that some person or persons would be confused.   The decision does not in any way aid in addressing or resolving the alleged confusion amongst persons professing the religion of Islam, when in fact that word 'Allah' is used by more than one community in this country and by peoples of different faiths in the Arab world and other Muslim countries.  Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/viewpoint-wrong-deny-fundamental-rights-just-because-some-will-be-confused

Allah, the Malay God Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:13 PM PDT   We can say that most Malays, even those with kopiah (skullcap) who go to surau, have little knowledge of their own religion, let alone of other religions. So, with their belief that only Muslims worship Allah, there is no doubt that a typical Malay reading a Christian article or bible with the word Allah all over would probably think that it is an Islamic text. Mohd Izzudin Saedon, TMI It is believed in Malaysia that 'Tuhan' is the general Malay word for the deity of any religion. The recent Malaysian court ruling banning the word "Allah" from a Catholic newspaper denies religious freedom of the minority Christian community in Malaysia. How true is this? Christians make up less than 10% of the Malaysian population. Although the percentage is higher than Hindus, the religion is a little uncommon among the native Malay Muslims, especially to those living in the peninsula. As the more familiar religions of Buddhism and Hinduism refer their deity in words alien to the native Malay Muslims, it is unofficially known that the word Allah denotes only the Muslim "Tuhan" or God in Malay. Most Christians living in the peninsular are of Chinese and Indian ethnicity. While their numbers are relatively smaller than the Buddhists and Hindus, churches of various Christian sects are not rare. These churches do not use the Malay-language bible and no Malay is spoken or written in their sermons and religious stuffs. Instead, they use English or the mother tongue of the followers like Mandarin and Tamil. God (in the context of Christianity) is never referred to as Allah. Furthermore, the word Allah itself is very foreign to these Christians with some obviously awkward in pronouncing the word. Before the Allah issue, almost all of these Christians would agree that Allah exclusively refers to the Muslim God. However, things are very different in the other parts of Malaysia, Borneo. Almost 50% of the East Malaysian Bumiputeras (natives) are Christians. These Christian Bumiputeras use their native Iban, Dayak, Penan and other languages in everyday life. All these languages belong to the same group as the official Malay language with many common vocabulary and similar grammar. The use of 'Malayic languages' in their religious matters has lead to a controversial issue just recently. Today these Christians are not allowed to call their "Tuhan" as Allah anymore. Now, must they delete all the Allahs in their circulated Alkitab (Malay or Indonesian translation of the Bible) and think of a new name for their Lord? The real issue Christianity is not a new religion in this part of the world. Christian missionaries and traders have long spread their faith here with their gold, gospel, glory thingy ever since the Malay trading ports era. There are many Christian Malays outside Malaysia, maybe within Malaysia too, if one does not constitutionally need to be a Muslim to be considered a Malay. One of the first men believed to have circumnavigated the world, Panglima Awang, who was baptized and known as Enrique of Malacca, was a Malay. Later in the modern world, there were suspicions that another Malay who sailed around the world, Azhar Mansor, had converted to Christianity. The man eventually denied that accusation. There's this unending, maybe inherited, fear that the Malay Muslims are in constant danger of being converted into another religion (especially Christianity as other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism are not very popular in this once Hindu-Buddhist society). And there are real situations to base this fear on. While spreading the teachings of other religions to Muslims is illegal in Malaysia, there are evidences that many Malays were converted into Christianity. Malay Muslims become restless as more and more murtad (apostate) cases are uncovered. Some are even concerned about the Orang Asli community who no Malay Muslim gives a damn about before, being proselytised by Christian missionaries although it is not illegal to do so to the mostly animistic Orang Asli. Back to the Allah controversy, if non-Muslim non-Malay natives of Borneo have long been Christians and have long been introduced to Yesus Kristus, Ruhul Kudus and Allah as the hypostases in the doctrine of Tritunggal (Trinity), why is it that only recently the non-Islamic usage of Allah becomes controversial nationwide? Is this not because of all the murtad cases igniting fear among Malay Muslims as I mentioned earlier? Let's not get to the argument over "rights of spreading the truth", "religious freedom", or that "Allah is used in the Arab world", yet. Let us first agree that the sole reason of this controversy is the fear among Malays that their ancient Muslim identity is being threatened by another "Allah-worshipping" religion. Being born a Malay Muslim myself, like most Malays living in Malaysia, I cannot guarantee that I perform all the compulsory religious duties or that I do not enjoy any religiously forbidden things. What is important is that I believe in God. In contrast to most Malays, I do not believe in "Allah, the Malay God" but in God of the universe. He who creates the worlds but is not in this world. He who I believe has been worshipped by people of religion everywhere post=paganism, maybe earlier. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/allah-the-malay-god-mohd-izzudin-saedon

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Court of Appeal’s decision on Allah Posted: 16 Oct 2013 04:34 PM PDT Dato' Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar It has come to the attention of Muslim Lawyers' Association Of Malaysia (PPMM) that there has been some misconception and/or misunderstanding as to the actual decision delivered by the Court of Appeal on the Allah matter. The subject matter before the Court of Appeal was pertaining to the legality of the condition imposed by the minister prohibiting the use of the word Allah in the specific publication of Herald – The Catholic Weekly. This matter came before the Court on the application of Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur by way of judicial review, which is a specie of actions to be brought before court in challenging the legality of ministerial and/ or administrative decisions. It was the Archbishop who complained in that application to the then High Court that the Minister was wrong in imposing the said condition which amongst others infringed the Archbishop's purported guaranteed rights under Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, and that the minister's reliance amongst others on the existence of the anti propagation laws under article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution would also be furthering that infringement. In the light of that background, the Court of Appeal in determining whether the High Court was correct or otherwise in its decision, was duty bound to examine the complaint of the Archbishop under Article 3(1) and 11(4) of the Federal Constitution. Hence, a careful reading of all the three judgments of the Court of Appeal will show that the Court had ventilated, studied and considered the application of all the relevant provisions of the Federal Constitution as well as the related provisions of all the necessary statutes in coming up with the decision to answer the complaint of the Archbishop in his application for judicial review of the Minister's conditions imposed. It is very clear from the decision of the Court of Appeal, that what it decided was specifically with regards to the legality of the imposition of the condition by the minister in which the unanimous decision is "that the minister has not acted in any manner or way that merit judicial interference on his impugned decision", which simply means that the Archbishop was prohibited from using the word Allah in the Herald. Therefore, PPMM would wish to stress that as far as the Court of Appeal's decision is concerned, PPMM is of the view that the decision goes as far as prohibiting the Archbishop from using the word Allah in the Herald, and nothing beyond that. It would be a misconception on the part of any sections of the public, locally and/or internationally to deem that the decision of the Court of Appeal has in any way put out a blanket prohibition on any section of the non-Muslim community of Malaysia from using the word Allah. However, a careful reading of the said judgments will also show that all members of the Malaysian community were allowed to use the word Allah in the sense of the Quranic/ Islamic reference to God, which is as pronounced in Surah Al Ikhlas, ("Purity") (Chapter 112) as follows: "Say: He is Allah, The One and Only; Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; And there is none Like unto Him.". In conclusion, PPMM would humbly call for all sections of the public to read and understand the judgments of the Court of Appeal in the sense in which it was given, and also not to make unnecessary and unwarranted remarks which may lead to confusion and/or bordering contempt. – October 17, 2013. * Dato' Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar is the president of the Muslim Lawyers' Association Of Malaysia.

Gun Shooting Posted: 16 Oct 2013 11:37 AM PDT This would never have been a fear of parents during our childhood except maybe during the war. Especially not when it was a public holiday and playing outside the family home with friends on a bicycle. Dr Kok Chin Leong, President of the Malaysian Paediatric Association  Shock and disbelief best describes our feelings on hearing the news of a 10 year old boy who was shot through his nose and now warded in the paediatric intensive care unit of Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun, Ipoh, Perak. The bullet is lodged at the back of his skull in between the cervical vertebrae (bones at the nape of the neck) narrowly missing his spinal cord and major blood vessels in the neck. This would never have been a fear of parents during our childhood except maybe during the war. Especially not when it was a public holiday and playing outside the family home with friends on a bicycle. Medical school does not prepare one for these sort of urban challenges which may not be uncommon in the west or in the context of a country with lax gun laws and heavy debate on such issues are commonplace. From shooting incidents to accidental "friendly" fire and now this current scenario, we fear that it can only get worse. This is further complicated with the recent "shoot first" statement from the Home Minister. There is no culprit except negligence here. The concerned policeman ought to have known better. Protectors of the law are armed for a reason and that is to act as a deterrent towards crime prevention rather than for the said weapon to be used for assault. This was not a shoot first, ask later type of case. This was just plain negligence, transgressing all norms of gun care and is simply inexcusable. We as concerned citizens and paediatricians as well as child protectors ask for better due care and accountability. A review of existing gun laws and the enforcement of more stringent protocols and Standard Operating Procedures of firearms is called for.

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• Crying Over Keruak's Spilled Milk
• Asia: Income Inequality by Gini Index 1970-1989 and 1990-2011
• Alamak, the Allah-word again?
• Tidak Perlu Keluar Malaysia, Hanya Tinggalkan BN
• Chua Soi Lek – Vincent Lee sell heritage asset for obscene profit

Crying Over Keruak's Spilled Milk Posted: 16 Oct 2013 02:13 PM PDT Malaysia NEEDS freedom from many evils which includes corruption, social evils, red-tapism, crime, fundamentalism, pseudo-secularism and many such other aspects which are deep-rooted in our system. But suggesting the elimination of all or any of these handicaps is just hypothetical in a present-days political system. What we actually need to do is to get freedom from the present breed of politicians, who instead of using politics as a tool to serve people, would rather run politics as business for minting money by be-fooling the public. Sabah missed a great opportunity to become the State Flagship in the cattle and dairy industry due to a major blunder in decision-making when Salleh Said Keruak was Chief Minister and Datuk Lajim Ukin the State Agriculture Minister. Sabah government had a cattle farm in Darwin Australia and the state had actually reached 100 percent self-sufficiency in the production of such meats in 1998. At that time, the commercial cattle farm was owned by Desa Cattle Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Village Development Corporation (KPD) that was operating in Mesilau, Sook and in Darwin, Australia. Then Salleh Said Keruak and Lajim Ukin decided to sell the farm in Darwin Australia and also sold remaining thousands of acres of Desa Cattle land in Sabah to Kim Loong a West Malaysia group. When the farm in Darwin Australia was closed in 2002, the remaining thousands of acres in Sabah too shrunk beyond recognition, the latter through the controversial sale involving Kim Loong the West Malaysian group. It is understood that the controversial deals occurred during the chief ministership of Salleh Said Keruak and when Lajim Ukin was State Agriculture Minister. Now Lajim is saying the sale went through the state Cabinet and that he should not be the one to answer for it. As a result of the said controversial acquisitions, Desa Cattle land shrunk to a measly thousand acres in Keningau and Kundasang. The Austalian Government has since banned the acquisition of lands for cattle farming. It is so sad to see all that precious land sold. Kim Loong the West Malaysian group made huge profits from the land over the years by converting it to oil palm cultivation. Because of this silly decision, now, Sabah is no more self-sufficient in beef, mutton and buffalo meat production had declined by 13 percent the following year after the controversial deal, that causes the state to import frozen beef from Australia and New Zealand, and frozen buffalo meat from India to meet the need for the commodity til today. Desa Cattle a brainchild of Former Chief Minister Tan Sri Harris Salleh was a brilliant idea to see Sabah to be self-sufficient in dairy and meat, but within a period of 15 years, politicians having their own agenda just destroyed it. This controversial deal between KPD Holdings, the State Government and the management Group calls for declassifying the documents on these deals that lead to massive losses of far greater magnitude than the on-going case of National Feedlot Corportation (NFC), another "lembu" business. How was the Management Group allowed to allegedly siphon and squander millions of ringgit and freely allowed to sell vast acreage of state land in Sabah and in Australia among many other deals, without honoring the agreement? Read more at: http://selvarajasomiah.wordpress.com/2013/10/17/crying-over-keruaks-spilled-milk/

Asia: Income Inequality by Gini Index 1970-1989 and 1990-2011 Posted: 16 Oct 2013 02:10 PM PDT Malaysia is the 3rd most unequal nation in ASIA! We have the 3rd biggest GAP between the rich and poor. We are worse than Philippines, Thailand and even Indonesia. Our rich are very rich and our poor, very poor! Income Inequality is bad and has to be addressed. Are we talking and thinking about this enough? Do you understand this as an issue or not? Please discuss. For 40 years, the gap between Rich and Poor did not change much! Read more at: http://aafaizli.com/asia-income-inequality-by-gini-index-1970-1989-and-1990-2011/

Alamak, the Allah-word again? Posted: 16 Oct 2013 12:07 PM PDT The Malay Mail Online - Bar slams 'Allah' ruling, says wrong to deny fundamental rights on basis others may be confused Both legally and logically, the Bar Council is right, but then the core issue surrounding the Allah-word controversy has never been about legality, the law or logic, though the court by its ruling informs us of the legal implication. In actuality it's all about religious emotions and fears, and of course politics or/and the political exploitation of the emotions and fears affected by the subject matter, namely, the use by the Christian church of the Allah-word to refer to their Christian god in the Malay language version of the bible or al Kitab. For decades, Sarawakian and Sabahan Christian natives have been referring to the Christian god in their native or/and MalayIndonesian language bibles as Allah. The Indonesian language al Kitab was written by Dutch Christian missionaries centuries ago and in the absence (until recently) of Malay language bible, was the only bible in a language which could be studied, read and referred to by the Malay speaking Sarawakian and Sabahan Christians. Was there any proselytizing intent by those 16th Centrury Dutch Christian missionaries in using Allah to refer to the Christian god in a book used in predominantly Muslim Indonesia? This issue is but a moot point when considered in the current circumstances of the politico-religio-social-legal controversy in Malaysia. To reiterate an earlier statement, 'For decades, Sarawakian and Sabahan Christian natives have been referring to the Christian god in their native or/and Malay Indonesian language bible as Allah.' And so too have the Sikhs in referring to Allah in their Holy Book, the Guru Granth Sahib. So why has the recent brouhaha arisen over an issue long tolerated by Muslims, at least until recently? The issue over the use by the Christian Church of the Allah word to refer to the Christian god in the Malay language version of the Bible - and may I just stress on the issue is about the Malay language version, and not the English language version of the Bible and the Church's various news/disseminated documents such as the newsletter The Herald) - was brought to the boil a few years back by a Catholic priest Father Lawrence Andrew, the editor of the Catholic newsletter The Herald. Much to the deep disappointment, chagrin and even anger of my Christian friends such as Lucia Lai, Ong KM, D'Cruz, etc, I have already taken a stand against the Catholic Herald's wish to use that word. I voiced my various reasons and rebuttals against the Christian arguments in reasonable details in a letter to Malaysiakini and also in the following posts: (a) Allah, Elohim or Yahweh? (b) Now who are the Arab wannabes? (c) The Church & Allah Thus I won't add anything more to my consistent stand on the issue, other than to remind those angry Sarawakians and Sabahans (see Malaysiakini's In Sarawak, angry reactions to 'Allah' ruling) that they only have Father Lawrence Andrew to thank for their current unfair religious disadvantage when he should have let a sleeping dog lie. Read more at: http://ktemoc.blogspot.com/2013/10/alamak-allah-word-again.html

Tidak Perlu Keluar Malaysia, Hanya Tinggalkan BN Posted: 16 Oct 2013 11:56 AM PDT Kita tidak perlu menanti PRU14 untuk tumbangkan kerajaan Najib. Kita boleh lakukan nya sekarang. Biarkan UMNO dan BN merasai penangan sokongan majority dan undi popular. Mereka menang kerana manipulasi persempadanan dan kepadatan pengundi yang tidak adil, masih tidak sedar diri. Pemimpin UMNO masih angkuh dan membudak budakkan orang lain.   Di Malaysia Timur, BN ada 47 kerusi parlimen dan jumlah yang agak besar dalam tangan komponen bukan UMNO. Jika parti2 ini tinggalkan BN, bagaimana? Jeferey Kitingan dan lain2 tokoh Malaysia Timur hanya perlu berkerja keatas parti ini untuk menumbangkan PM Najib. Tidak perlu keluar Malaysia kerana itu akan menjustifikasikan tindakan ketenteraan keatas bangsa Malaysia sendiri.    Bayangkan jika Taib Mahmud hanya perlu neutral manakala semua parti bukan Islam lain keluar BN- BN akan hilang kuasa. Katalah 14 ahli parlimen PBB berkecuali dan 11 parlimen bukan Islam keluar BN. jika keluar hanya akan membawa faedah kepada kaum mereka. di Sabah pula jika 8 kerusi parlimen bukan-UMNO keluar BN sudah ada 19 kerusi berpindah.   Jika PBB berkecuali samalah seperti  BN hilang 14 parlimen menyebabkan 33 kerusi perpindah. BN akan hanya tingal 100 kerusi dan bila 33 ahli parlimen bersekutu dengan 89 ahli parlimen PR- sudah ada 122 kerusi. Jika 122 ahli parlimen ini bersatu- BN sudah tidak bertahan lagi. Sebaik sahaja threshold in dicapai, berduyun ahli parlimen UMNO dan BN menyeberang. Bayangkan jika 7 ahli parlimen MCA turut sama. Kiamat dunia bagi pencuri dan perasuah BN. Dikalangan 88 ahli parlimen UMNO itu pun kita boleh bincang2. Kita boleh gunakan kaedah insentif atau kaedah ugutan. Boleh kita lakukan begini? Mengapa tidak. Sebaik sahaja BN hilang sejumlah kerusi parlimen, parti lain boleh jadi kerajaan. banyak pembaikan kita boleh lakukan. Orang Melayu tidak perlu takut jika UMNO ditewaskan. Selagi kerajaan yang ganti BN mempunyai majority pimpinan Melayu, itu sudah mencukupi. Read more at: http://sakmongkol.blogspot.com/2013/10/tidak-perlu-keluar-malaysia-hanya.html

Chua Soi Lek – Vincent Lee sell heritage asset for obscene profit Posted: 16 Oct 2013 11:47 AM PDT But I will continue to expose all the wrong doings. As I said, I know a lot of things happening due to having served about 20 years in Star. As a PLC, we have a lot of property. One of them was a property with 3 detached houses sitting on a 2.2 acre land in the elite Bukit Tunku area (people from my era call it Kenny Hills). The house was used by first Prime Minister Tunku Abdul Rahman. He was the chairman of The Star at one point and the place hold historical and heritage value. The Star has owned the place for quite a long time. In fact, for many years, it was the playground for the top bosses. Other people cannot get in, even if you are senior management in Star including Linda Ngiam who was barred from using the place. And because the land is at a prime or elite area, it fetches very good prices. In 2005, a valuation was done and the property was valued at RM20 million. For many years, The Star has turned down offers to buy the land. Because although we are corporate, we had a sense of social responsibility. We cannot allow a place with heritage and historical value be turned into a commercial enterprise. In fact, Star directors had agreed to turn the place into a public gallery to showcase Tunku Abdul Rahman's contributions to this country. It was supposed to be a Corporate Social Responsibility on the part of The Star. But when Chua Soi Lek and Vincent Lee took over The Star, one of the first things they did was to sell off the property! They don't care about historical value or sentimental aspect of the building which was once owned and occupied by our father of Independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman. To add insult, the place was sold at a loss!!! It was sold to Vincent Lee's friend for only RM15.8 million although easily can sell for RM43 million. Everything was hush hush. So, why did we sell the place below market value? Vincent Lee must answer who pocket the extra. Did CSL ask him to do it? Why do we have to sell the property which got high historical value to a developer which will turn it into a development project? Are we so hard up for money?? CSL got to answer all these queries. Please stop treating Star like your grandfather's company where you can plunder as you please. You and Vincent do this at the expense of Star workers' welfare and morale. Read more at: http://thestarinsider.blogspot.com/2013/10/chua-soi-lek-vincent-lee-sell-heritage.html

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How to become a non-Muslim Posted: 15 Oct 2013 06:47 PM PDT But now you have taken a stand that the Allah word is not exclusive to Muslims and that Christians, too, can use the Allah word as the name for God. Because of this stand, you are now expelled from Islam. Islam, according to Nooh Gadut, will sack you and you now become an infidel and an apostate. So now you are no longer a Muslim although you may have been born into a Muslim family or converted (or were converted by your parents) into Islam. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Boleh murtad jika pertikai keputusan kalimah ALLAH (Sinar Harian) - Penasihat Majlis Agama Islam Johor, Datuk Nooh Gadut (gambar) menyatakan orang Islam yang mempertikaikan keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan berhubung penggunaan kalimah ALLAH boleh menjadi kafir serta murtad. Menurutnya, tindakan umat Islam yang mempertikaikan keputusan itu mencerminkan akidah dan syariat serta keji dari segi akhlak. Katanya, kafir dan murtad seseorang itu "jatuh" sekiranya individu tersebut melakukan dalam keadaan sengaja dan waras. "Kalau takdirnya yang mempertikaikan itu umat Islam, mereka boleh menjadi kafir dan murtad sekiranya (kenyataan mempertikaikan) itu dilakukan dengan sengaja," katanya yang dipetik Utusan.online. Kelmarin, Mahkamah Rayuan memutuskan kalimah ALLAH tidak boleh digunakan dalam majalah mingguan The Herald. Dalam pada itu, Nooh berkata, mempertikaikan keputusan itu juga seolah-olah mempersoalkan apa yang termaktub dalam kitab suci al-Quran iaitu ALLAH hanya untuk orang Islam. "Kalau jatuh murtad, gugurlah amalan mereka di dunia dan akhirat. Segala amalan kebaikan tidak akan diterima. "Oleh itu, mereka wajib segera bertaubat dengan mengucap dua kalimah syahadah dan berjanji tidak akan mengulangi dosa itu lagi," katanya lagi. *************************************************** The religious advisor to the Johor government, Datuk Nooh Gadut, has spoken. Now let us hear from the religious advisors and/or Mufti of the other states. If I am not mistaken, the ex-Mufti of Perlis, Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin, disagrees with this opinion and has an opposing view. The man I would really like to hear from, though, would be the Perak Mufti, Tan Sri Dr Haji Harussani bin Haji Zakaria, mainly because he is the most controversial of the lot. Anyway, according to Nooh Gadut, any Muslim who disputes the Monday court ruling regarding the Allah word (that Allah is exclusive to Muslims only) would become an infidel and an apostate (boleh menjadi kafir serta murtad). Back in the old days in Christendom, say 400-500 years ago, you will be put to death for this crime. In some Muslim countries you can still be put to death today. Assuming I do not agree with the court and am of the view that there is no harm in Christians also using the Allah word as the name for God, would that mean I am now an infidel and an apostate and am no longer a Muslim? Would that also mean I can no longer get arrested if I drink single malt whisky and have sex with a woman who is not my wife? I suppose if we go by the opinion of Nooh Gadut that would be so. And if that is so (meaning I am no longer a Muslim because I dispute the Monday court ruling), would that mean I can now become a Christian (since I am no longer a Muslim but am 'religionless')? Yes, that opinion by Nooh Gadut does not really answer any questions. What it does is it actually raises even more questions, and interesting questions at that if I may add. By disagreeing with the court and by saying that Christians can use the Allah word makes you a non-Muslim. But what happens when you have now become a non-Muslim? Are you now free to do the things that Muslims are not allowed to do? Okay, in the first place, who made you into a Muslim? If you used to be, say, a Hindu and then you converted to Islam, then you made yourself a Muslim. But, say, you are below 18 and your parents converted to Islam and hence you, too, are now regarded as a Muslim, this would mean your parents made you a Muslim without giving you any choice in the matter. Then, again, say your parents are/were Muslims the day you were born and hence you automatically became a Muslim then you could, I suppose, say that God made you into a Muslim. This could also mean you were not given any choice in the matter because no one can choose how/where they are born.  But now you have taken a stand that the Allah word is not exclusive to Muslims and that Christians, too, can use the Allah word as the name for God. Because of this stand, you are now expelled from Islam. Islam, according to Nooh Gadut, will sack you and you now become an infidel and an apostate. So now you are no longer a Muslim although you may have been born into a Muslim family or converted (or were converted by your parents) into Islam. A very interesting development, don't you think so? If Umno sacks you then you are free to join PKR or if DAP sacks you then you are free to join MCA. Are you free to become a Christian since Islam has now sacked you over the matter of the Allah word? I believe Latheefa Koya of PKR (pic above) does not agree with the court ruling and is of the opinion that Christians should be allowed to use the Allah word. I suppose Latheefa is now an infidel and an apostate and is no longer a Muslim. I suppose, also, she can now remove her tudung and do things like drink, have sex with men she is not married to, and whatnot. Or am I wrong?

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