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• Sg Limau by-election: Too close to call
• Nasruddin to contest for PAS central committee seat
• 'DAP's CEC needs RoS okay to be recognised'
• CM slammed for appointing ‘lackeys’
• Wind of change is evident in Sungai Limau: Muhyiddin
• Why get emotional, ‘Allah’ not exclusive to Muslims, says Oxford theologian
• Perkasa calls video producers ‘rude’, insists on action over ‘Allah’ clip
• DAP bigwigs come together in bid to help PAS retain seat
• PopTeeVee says will cooperate with police after Perkasa reports against ‘Allah’ episode
• ‘No Bersih 4.0 rally this year’

Sg Limau by-election: Too close to call Posted: 02 Nov 2013 09:17 PM PDT (Bernama) - The result of tomorrow's Sungai Limau by-election appears to be a cliff-hanger with pundits saying if PAS wins, it would be by a reduced majority while not dismissing the possibility of the Barisan Nasional (BN) wresting the seat by a narrow margin. With campaigning, which started on Oct 23, to stop at the stroke of midnight tonight, the machineries of both parties have gone into "hyper-drive" to win the hearts of the 27,222 registered voters.    On paper, PAS is said to have the edge, as besides Sungai Limau being its stronghold, the party has 9,499 members there while the BN 9,230 with the remaining 8,493 voters deemed fence sitters.   Despite the constituency being a PAS stronghold since the 1995 general election, many PAS big-wigs like its president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, his deputy Mohamad Sabu and both party vice presidents, Salahuddin Ayub and Datuk Mahfuz Omar, apart from Opposition chief Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim have been tirelessly campaigning to assist PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat.   Former popular local artistes who joined PAS such as Aisyah, Bob Lokman and Abby Abadi were also roped in by the party to defend the seat.   Although BN is seen as the underdog, the area saw its machinery working hard led by BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, by bringing in central political figures to support Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, the BN candidate.   Sungai Limau, situated in the middle of a rice bowl area, is also home to more than three Islamic religious schools which mostly lean towards PAS.   However, the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, who held the seat for four terms since the 1995 GE, is said to have won it because of his credibility as a leader respected by friends and opponents and not due to he contesting on a PAS ticket.   Therefore, the PAS candidate is not expected to have an easy ride, especially since the Kedah administration is no longer under PAS but is led by Datuk Seri Mukhriz  Mahathir, who has a similar personality as Azizan.   This is because Mukhriz, the son of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, is seen as a young leader who is able to bring development to Sungai Limau, especially job opportunities and economic activities which is lacking in the area, where the majority of its residents are farmers and fishermen. Most of the youths there migrate to the urban areas in search of a better life especially from the Chinese community, who make up 6.7% of the voters in Sg Limau. It is also strong possibility that those who voted for PAS in the last general election in May may switch sides this time around. Azizan's supporters are also expected to do the same as a result of an internal revolt by a group of PAS leaders who wanted to remove him as Menteri Besar of Kedah when PAS was in power in the state for one term after the 2008 general election. Umno is also banking on the 3,000-odd outstation voters, especially on 1,752 of them who are its members.

Nasruddin to contest for PAS central committee seat Posted: 02 Nov 2013 06:45 PM PDT (Bernama) - PAS Youth chief Nasruddin Hassan today announced that he will contest for one of PAS Central Committee seats at the party's 59th Muktamar (General Assembly) scheduled for Nov 22 to 24. He said he made the decision to take up the responsibility after receiving support from the delegates. "I received two offers. One is to contest for one of the Central Committee seat and the other is for vice-presidency. However, I have decided not to contest for vice-president's post and will only go for the Central Committee seat," he told reporters after opening the 30th Annual Muktamar of Perak PAS here today. Also present were Perak PAS Commissioner Abu Bakar Hussien, Perak PAS Youth chief Mohd Zawawi Abu Hassan and his deputy Raja Ahmad Iskandar Al-Hiss. Nasruddin said he decided not to contest for the vice-president's post as he believed that other candidates vying for the post had higher credibility and capability to take up the responsibility. Nasruddin also repeated his stand of not defending the post of Youth chief to give way for new candidates. "It's now up to the delegates to choose their new Youth leader based on the candidates' track records and performances. The winner will definitely have to lead our youths to continue fighting for our cause, but the losers may not lose all, maybe there are other posts more suitable for them," he said. Nasruddin, who had held the post since 2009, also hoped that the elected candidate would be prepared to face bigger challenges and do more for the party that he himself could not do during his tenure. "I'm not satisfied with my performance, that is why I hope whoever takes over my place will continue fighting for our cause in a better way. I have done my best and I just hope that it has done good for the party," he added.

'DAP's CEC needs RoS okay to be recognised' Posted: 02 Nov 2013 06:08 PM PDT (NST) - The DAP's new central executive committee (CEC) must receive the acknowledgement of the Registrar of Societies (RoS) before it can be recognised as a lawful body, said former Kedah Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air (Kita) chairman Zamil Ibrahim yesterday. "DAP national chairman Karpal Singh should remind secretary-general Lim Guan Eng that the new CEC must obtain the recognition of RoS. "This is in accordance with the Societies Act 1966, which allows RoS to instruct a political party to hold a re-election if its leadership is deemed unlawful," he said yesterday. He said Karpal should advise Lim against delaying the submission of the party's full re-election report, as well as its list of new office-bearers. "This report is important for RoS to make an evaluation (on the re-election) before deciding whether the new CEC line-up is valid. Everyone has to abide by this law." RoS has yet to receive any document on the re-election of DAP's CEC members. The polls were held on Sept 29. RoS principal senior assistant director Desmond Das said DAP had between 30 and 60 days to submit such a document from the date the party' special congress was held to re-elect its CEC members. He said DAP should cooperate with RoS so that investigations could be carried out with regard to complaints from party members and former members on the new CEC line-up.

CM slammed for appointing ‘lackeys’ Posted: 02 Nov 2013 05:57 PM PDT (The Star) - DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has come under fire from a Kedah party chief for appointing "lackeys" to resolve internal disputes in the party. Kedah DAP chairman Lee Guan Aik, who had refused to abide by the party's order to step down and make way for Zairil Khir Johari, said Lim should be on the ground to resolve the issues directly in his capacity as the secretary-general. He said Lim should take responsibility for the problems plaguing the party instead of hiding behind party publicity chief Tony Pua and organising secretary Anthony Loke, who he said were "mere lackeys". Pua is appointed as reconciliation committee chairman for Perlis, Kedah, Penang, Kelantan, Terengga­nu, Perak and Pahang while Loke is the chairman for Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negri Sembilan, Malacca, Johor and Sabah. "Lim should meet the state (party) leaders and members, and he must also respect the decisions made by party members," said Lee. He said the central executive committee (CEC) had undermined demo­cracy by appointing CEC member Zairil as the interim Kedah DAP chairman. "The Kedah delegates had elected me as the state chairman in 2011. So, how can the committee appoint Zairil to replace an elected leader?" he asked. Lee said he had lodged a complaint with the Registrar of Societies over the CEC's decision to appoint Kedah interim committee members to replace those who were elected. DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang shrugged off the complaint as a mere ploy to adversely affect the voting trend in the Sungai Limau by-election. "The voters are intelligent enough to think as the by-election is not only about the future of Sungai Limau but also the country," he said. On Friday, the newly-appointed Kedah DAP interim committee deputy chairman, Syed Araniri Syed Ahmad, tendered his resignation effective immediately citing uncertainty over his party membership. Syed Araniri, who became the Taman Wira DAP branch chief after joining the party in January last year, said he had recently found out that his membership application form was never processed. He claimed that a CEC member told him that they forgot to process his application and those of 35 others. "I am disappointed because this shows that DAP's claim to protect the Malays is merely lip service. "I decided to resign because I am not certain about my membership status and also the status of those appointed as interim committee members," he said, adding that he had sent a message to Zairil about his decision.

Wind of change is evident in Sungai Limau: Muhyiddin Posted: 02 Nov 2013 05:42 PM PDT (Sun Daily) - The wind of change is evident in the Sungai Limau state constituency which was held by PAS for the last five terms, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He said the BN was confidence of wresting the seat as its election machinery was well received in every area, including PAS stronghold. "From our meetings with the voters, including the Chinese, they gave us a positive indication that they will help us due to our passion and sincerity. "If these are anything to go by, I think we can win the by-election," he told reporters after attending the BN machinery meeting at the Sungai Limau Dalam BN operations room here, today. Expressing his satisfaction over the BN's foray, Muhyiddin urged BN campaigners to continue to meet voters in the last few remaining hours before campaigning stop at midnight. He said the BN responded positively to issues and grievances raised by residents, including the need to repair 416 dilapidated houses through Felda Foundation and Giat Mara at the cost of RM3 million. Muhyiddin urged the voters to back Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris (UPSI) former senior lecturer Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim of the BN as the latter would be able to provide an effective and efficient service to the people in the constituency. On the crossover of over 300 Sungai Limau residents, including PAS members and supporters to Umno yesterday, Muhyiddin denied they were bought over to join Umno. "Many PAS members are becoming irate with the party not only due to what is happening in the party, but also over its weaknesses in administration, governance and idle development. "They feel that this is the right time to join Umno. We have no problem in accepting them. We don't have to entice them with money," he added. Muhyiddin also slammed PAS for misleading the voters by claiming that the BN machinery had asked them to boycott the polls. Describing it as a reverse psychology, he said, it was an insult to the voters' intelligence as they would not be easily duped by such antic. Present were Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir, BN secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Ahmad Sohaimi of the BN faces Mohd Azam Abdul Samat of PAS in the by-election tomorrow.

Why get emotional, ‘Allah’ not exclusive to Muslims, says Oxford theologian Posted: 02 Nov 2013 05:36 PM PDT MM) - Only Muslims with an "inferiority complex" would monopolise the use of "Allah" when the Arabic word for God is not exclusive to Islam, celebrated Swiss-Muslim theologian Dr Tariq Ramadan has said. The Oxford University professor of contemporary Islamic studies, who was hailed by Foreign Policy magazine as one of the top 100 global thinkers last year, took to Twitter yesterday to add his voice to a growing number of prominent Muslims outside Malaysia who have been critical of the government's stand that "Allah" cannot be used by followers of other faiths as it will cause confusion to Muslims. "Why do we get emotional when others use the word #Allah?" Ramadan asked on his Twitter account, @TariqRamadan handle. "There is only one God. My God is your God. Allah is not just the God for Muslims," he wrote. He added: "It is because of an inferiority complex that the word #Allah is monopolized. How about monopolizing good deeds instead?" Ramadan, who comes from an illustrious religious family—his father, Said Ramadan, was a prominent figure in Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood founded by his maternal grandfather, Hassan al-Banna, while his grand-uncle, Gamal al-Banna, is a famed liberal Muslim reformer—has been a vocal advocate of a progressive and moderate Islam. In a separate Twitter entry today that seemed a continuation of his critical views on Islam and Malaysia, he remarked that non-Muslims here appear to be sharing the sentiments of Muslim minorities in the West who have been sidelined by the majority in a plural society. He included the link to an article he had previously penned on religion here, under the hashtag Malaysia. In the article titled "Malaysia: which challenges towards which modernity?", Ramadan wrote that Hindu, Buddhist, Christian and atheist Malaysian citizens often feel that they are "captives in a debate that marginalises or exploits them". "Like the mirror image of many Muslim citizens in the West, they may be perfectly respectful of the constitution, of the laws and prerogatives of the civil state, but it is as if they are slightly excluded from the shared narrative upon which the Malaysia nation is founded," said the scholar, who had studied at the Al-Azhar University in Egypt. "It has proved difficult for them to achieve the fully equal status that would establish their sense of belonging to a pluralist society," Ramadan added. Ramadan's remarks on the "Allah" controversy in Malaysia follows criticism by other international publications against the Court of Appeal ruling earlier this month that found that the Home Ministry's decision to ban the use of the Arabic word in the Catholic Church's weekly, the Herald, was justified. The three-judge panel ruled that the use of the word "Allah" was not integral to the practice of the Christian faith, overturning a High Court decision that the ban was unconstitutional. Prolific Turkish writer Harun Yahya had last week urged Putrajaya to reverse its ban on the use of the word "Allah" by non-Muslims here, saying the decision was "based on illogical and theologically unacceptable reasoning". The writer—whose real name is Adnan Oktar and who had achieved cult status among Muslim here for his rejection of Darwinism—said such a ban would inevitably lead to an environment of severe oppression, despite Putrajaya's repeated claim that it only applies to local Catholic newspaper The Herald. "Such a decision cannot be accepted and defended even if it was directed at one newspaper or a single person," Oktar wrote in an opinion piece carried by Indonesian daily The Jakarta Post on October 25. He added: "This decision, which is completely against Islam, a religion of peace and brotherhood, must be reversed and there must be freedom of expression for everyone." Another Muslim religious scholar, Dr Reza Aslan, also said recently that the word "Allah" was merely an Arabic term for God. "Allah is a construction of the word al-Ilah... Al-Ilah means 'The God'. Allah is not the name of God," Aslan told radio station BFM last month. The American scholar, who has written two books on Islam and one on Christianity, said it was "almost a blasphemous thought to think that Allah has a name". Local Islamic scholar Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin has similarly said that the Quran allows ― and even encourages ― non-Muslims to address God as "Allah", as long as they are referring to "The Supreme Being". The former Perlis mufti said last month that banning non-Muslims from calling God "Allah" is tantamount to "syirik", which refers to the sin of practising idolatry or polytheism and is an unforgivable crime in Islam. Ramadan is scheduled to speak at a health conference in Petaling Jaya, Selangor on Wednesday.

Perkasa calls video producers ‘rude’, insists on action over ‘Allah’ clip Posted: 02 Nov 2013 05:02 PM PDT (MM) - Perkasa has described the producers of "That Effing Show" as "rude" youths who do not respect the president of the Malay rights group and the "sensitivities" of others, claiming that they lack knowledge of the country's Federal Constitution and independence. When contacted yesterday, Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali also insisted that the government should take action on those running the online satirical show over their video clip last week on the "Allah" controversy. "These youths are rude, kurang ajar (lack manners), don't know what is the Constitution, what is independence," he told The Malay Mail Online. "(They) don't know how to show respect, memainkan (poking fun at) the president of Perkasa," he added, referring to Datuk Ibrahim Ali. He was asked for a response to the online satirical show's anchorman Ezra Zaid's remarks on Friday in a new video titled "Perkasa Terasa", which mocked Perkasa's Perak chapter for going to the police over another video clip on the "Allah" controversy. Syed Hassan then took a jab at Ezra's father Zaid Ibrahim, a former Umno minister who had reportedly left politics. "These kids need to be taught but the problem is the one who is teaching them is also a liberal, someone who dreams day and night...has no place in NGOs and (political) parties," he said, agreeing that he was referring to Zaid. Zaid himself had called for Perkasa to be denounced and attempted to draw similarities between the group and the German Nazis, but Ibrahim had in reply thanked him for the publicity and recognition given to Perkasa. Syed Hassan explained that Perkasa had lodged a police report over the earlier video titled "Allah, Apa Lagi?" by "That Effing Show" as it had allegedly insulted a Court of Appeal ruling and Islam. "We want the government, the authorities to take action. This video insults the court," he said, adding that the video clip contained a line that had also "insulted Islam". When asked about Ezra's tongue-in-cheek comments that "That Effing Show" and Perkasa shared a lot in common including Ibrahim's alleged liking for comedy, Syed Hassan reminded the show's producers that the Malay rights group had a large membership of around 500,000 people. He also claimed that Perkasa had over 3 million supporters, citing a survey by Merdeka Center which he said showed that over 70 per cent of the local Malays supported the organisation — despite the pollster's clarification that the poll was on Perkasa's demands for the maintenance of quotas and economic protection for the Malays. "Don't insult Perkasa, Perkasa is not Ibrahim Ali only," Syed Hassan said, pointing to the group's strength in numbers. "Don't challenge Perkasa, we will teach all of these budak (kids)," he said. According to a Bernama report on Wednesday, Perkasa's Perak chapter lodged a police report on "That Effing Show's" 95th episode that was aired on YouTube on October 25, claiming it mocked the Court of Appeal's decision on "Allah". Its head Mohd Hafez Mubin Mohd Salleh together with 10 other Perkasa members lodged the report at the Ipoh police headquarters in Ipoh, at 1.44pm, the report said. Mohd Hafez reportedly said that the six minutes, 30 second clip, titled "Allah, Apa Lagi?", showed disrespect to the sensitivities of Muslims here. Over 30 members of Perkasa's Selangor branch had similarly lodged a police report on Friday over the same "Allah, Apa Lagi?" clip, news portal Sinar Harian reported yesterday. Selangor Perkasa chief Abu Bakar Yahya reportedly claimed that the video had touched on the sensitivities of the Malays and local Muslim community, saying that he hoped the authorities would take stern action. Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Ministry's decision to ban the use of the word in the Herald was justified, finding that the use of the word "Allah" was not integral to the practice of the Christian faith. The ruling— which overturned an earlier High Court decision that the ban was unconstitutional — has since sparked confusion over the use of the Middle Eastern word by Christians in their worship, especially with conflicting opinions within the government itself on how far the ruling would affect practising Christians. Churches in Sabah and Sarawak have said that they will continue their age-old practice of referring to God as "Allah" in their worship and in their holy scriptures. Several ministers also said recently that the 10-point solution issued by Putrajaya in 2011 — which allows the printing, importation and distribution of the Al-Kitab, the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Christian bible, containing the word "Allah" — should stand, despite the appellate court ruling. The Najib administration issued the 10-point solution shortly before the Sarawak state election in 2011 to end a Home Ministry blockade of shipments of Christian holy scriptures in the Malay language containing the word "Allah". The Cabinet, through Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jala, had stated in the resolution that the large Bumiputera Christian population in Sabah and Sarawak could use their holy books in the Malay, Indonesian, and indigenous languages.

DAP bigwigs come together in bid to help PAS retain seat Posted: 02 Nov 2013 04:47 PM PDT (TMI) - PAS roped in its Pakatan Rakyat (PR) partners to organise a dinner last night to meet Chinese voters in the Sungai Limau constituency, which goes to the ballot tomorrow. Called Super Saturday, the event was attended by top DAP leaders including Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Zairil Khir Johari, as well as PAS's Datuk Mahfuz Omar, Mohamad Sabu, Dr Hatta Ramli and its candidate Mohd Azam Abdul Samat. Kit Siang in his speech urged the 1,000 Chinese voters who attended the function to help the Islamic party win with a bigger majority. "This time, let us create history by securing the seat with a bigger majority through our candidate from PAS Ustaz Azam," he said. Dr Hatta, who is PAS election director, described the event as one of friendship between the PR component parties. "This is friendship between races in Malaysia. Don't worry because we have a better future even though there are extremists in Malaysia. We have PR which will protect the rakyat," he said. Guan Eng meanwhile urged Chinese voters in Sungai Limau to choose the PAS candidate because they share the same agenda of fighting graft. "Let us together reject bribery and GST," he said, referring to the Goods and Services Tax announced in the 2014 Budget speech on October 25. READ MORE HERE

PopTeeVee says will cooperate with police after Perkasa reports against ‘Allah’ episode Posted: 02 Nov 2013 04:40 PM PDT (MM) - Producers of "That Effing Show" PopTeeVee pledged their cooperation with the authorities today after Perkasa lodged police reports against a video on the "Allah" controversy. Hardesh Singh, PopTeeVee founder and executive producer, also said today that PopTeeVee and the Malay right-wing group share "an equal passion in building a better Malaysia", thus showing more proof that "there is even more in common" between the two. "We have only heard about Perkasa lodging police reports via the press. If this is true we will cooperate with the authorities if and when required," Hardesh said in a statement today. "Perkasa works for what they believe makes for a better Malaysia. We believe in following the footsteps of our experienced and passionate leaders in doing the same," he added. After Perkasa lodged police reports against "That Effing Show", the online satirical show aired another video last Thursday, where anchorman Ezra Zaid said tongue-in-cheek that the show had "a lot in common" with Perkasa, such as sharing a love for comedy with Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali, whom he said was described by Wikipedia as a "comedian". Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali then described the producers of "That Effing Show" as "rude" youths who did not respect Ibrahim and the "sensitivities" of others. He also said that Perkasa had lodged a police report over the earlier video titled "Allah, Apa Lagi?" by "That Effing Show" as it had allegedly insulted a Court of Appeal ruling and Islam. According to a Bernama report on Wednesday, Perkasa's Perak chapter lodged a police report on "That Effing Show's" 95th episode that was aired on YouTube on October 25, claiming it mocked the Court of Appeal's decision on the "Allah" issue. Perkasa Perak chief Mohd Hafez Mubin Mohd Salleh reportedly said that the six minutes, 30 second clip, titled "Allah, Apa Lagi?", disrespected the sensitivities of Muslims here. Over 30 members of Perkasa's Selangor branch were reported to have lodged a police report on Friday over the same clip. Selangor Perkasa chief Abu Bakar Yahya reportedly claimed that the video had touched on the sensitivities of the Malays and the local Muslim community, saying that he hoped the authorities would take stern action. Last month, the Court of Appeal ruled that the Home Ministry's decision to ban the Catholic Church from referring to God as "Allah" in its weekly, the Herald, was justified, finding that the use of the Arabic word was not integral to the practice of the Christian faith.

‘No Bersih 4.0 rally this year’ Posted: 02 Nov 2013 04:35 PM PDT Maria Chin Abdullah dismisses talk of a Bersih 4.0 rally this year and says their objections may not be in the form of street demonstration. Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah has dispelled rumour of an upcoming Bersih 4.0 rally, saying it would not be anytime soon, and may not be in the form of a street demonstration. Maria was responding to talk on the street that another street rally was imminent, as many had begun selling Bersih 4.0 T-shirts around the nation. "No, I don't think we are having a rally this year. Also, Bersih 4.0 need not be a rally, but just people moving towards reform," she told FMT. She said that those selling T-shirts were not related to the movement, but those who expressed support for those who want change. "They are not related to us, but this shows people are excited and enthusiastic to wear the Bersih 4.0 shirt," she said, adding that the shirts were being sold around the world. "This shows enthusiasm and that the movement is picking up. It is a good spirit," she added. Bersih to usher in new committee When asked on Bersih's current update, Maria said the election watchdog group will be having its internal elections on Nov 30. "Nominations will be announced by Nov 10. We're now waiting for a new committee to come in and take care of activities," she said. READ MORE HERE

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Things are stirring again Posted: 02 Nov 2013 05:08 PM PDT There have been so many false alarms about Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim being replaced as Selangor Mentri Besar that the accounts are starting to resemble a soap opera. But this time it may be for real. Joceline Tan, The Star DATUK Seri Anwar Ibrahim knew people had been staring at him in Parliament. He could feel dozens of pairs of eyes checking out his "new look" even when he was sitting quietly in his Opposition Leader's spot inside the House. There is no denying it, the PKR de facto leader has not looked this young and handsome in years. His eye bags have disappeared, the lines on his face are no longer as pronounced and the pigmentation marks are gone. His once sagging cheeks look firm and plumped-up and his face is now a youthful V-shape. Reporters have been talking non-stop about his "muka lawa" (handsome face) and some of them joked that he must have discovered the miracle of youth. Their sole complaint is what they termed his "mata sepet" - his eyes seem as though they are pulled up towards his ears. Anwar has been quite self-conscious about the attention. But he is such a smooth operator and when he settled down for a press conference in the Parliament lobby on Budget day, he defused the curiosity by saying: "People said I am using Botox, but if that is so, surely my feet would not swell up." He was implying he had gout but he was not limping or in pain when he got up to go after the press conference.   Anwar: The most powerful man in PKR has been getting a lot of attention for his miraculously youthful looks in recent weeks. His own party people joked - behind his back, of course - that their ketua umum now looks as young as their deputy president Azmin Ali. The cheekier ones said their president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail now looks like his older sister and their vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar looks like his younger sister. The PKR leader had famously said that the general election would be his last if he failed to make it to Putrajaya. But all that is gone with the wind and it is clear that he is re-inventing himself - looks-wise, at least - for another stab at Putrajaya. Anwar will be 70 by the next general election and his rival Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will be 65. But no problem, Anwar will be the younger-looking one. In the meantime, he has his hands full with his own party's politics in the run-up to the PKR election in March. The latest round of politicking surrounding Selangor Mentri Besar (MB) Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim is said to be related to that. Khalid has landed in the ring of fire again. When Anwar touched on Khalid's performance a couple of weeks ago, he was actually following up on a memorandum that Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen in Selangor had submitted to Khalid in connection to the state Budget that will be tabled next month. Alarm bells went off when they learnt that Khalid was planning to slash the development expenditure by RM100mil. Khalid is famous for his prudent fiscal policies and takes great pride in Selangor having reserves of RM3bil. However, the assemblymen are exasperated by his "save money" approach. They think Khalid has gone overboard and that he needs to spend more in the interest of the rakyat. The assemblymen are under pressure to deliver because expectations are higher than ever after such a spectacular win in the general election. Moreover, Selangor needs to implement the promises made in their Buku Jingga manifesto or else they would be accused of making promises they have no intention of keeping. "The criticism is growing, we can't defend him anymore," said a Selangor PKR official. The episode over the state Budget has seen Azmin move to centre stage. He chaired two meetings to draft the 10-page memo to object to the proposed Budget cut and to outline what needs to be done. He has argued that Pakatan needs to increase spending in the areas of affordable housing, environment, scholarships and basic services. Last Tuesday, Azmin was invited to attend the Selangor Pakatan meeting for the first time. Azmin's supporters said that despite being the Selangor PKR chairman, he has been excluded from such meetings that were chaired by Khalid in his capacity as the MB. They are of course implying it was Khalid's way of playing politics with Azmin. Khalid was pressured by the PAS side to include Azmin at the meeting which touched on politics, the state Budget and also administrative matters. The PAS and DAP side have come around to the role that Azmin can play and they are starting to view him in a new light and to acknowledge his leadership. Azmin is not perfect and he has his share of enemies after so many years in politics. His supporters say he has been a victim of perception and argue that he is organised, disciplined and can stand up to the Barisan side. Moreover, he is one of the most watched MPs in Parliament because he speaks authoritatively and does his homework before he talks. Khalid, on his part, is a decent, clean and hardworking politician who thinks that his way is the best way. He has his own ideas and style of doing things and has ignored requests to let the party play a bigger role in the state. His critics like to pick on his political secretary Faekah Husin, a strong-willed lady who has stepped on too many toes in the party. How­ever, she is fiercely loyal to Khalid. Some in the party were startled when Faekah, following the episode over the state Budget, issued a statement to defend her boss' prudent policies and to announce that the state would be building a new hospital and bridge in Klang. Critics think she has overstepped her role and that a political secretary should not be making such an announcement. They will be even more startled when they find out that despite their objections, Khalid has allegedly gone ahead to appoint Faekah as CEO of Mentri Besar Inc, the umbrella body for the state GLCs. Anwar, said one of his aides, thinks Khalid is "uncontrollable" and has given up trying to get the MB to listen to the party. Since 2008, the party has pulled him up several times to give him feedback and instruction and even to reprimand him. At these sessions, Khalid would sit nodding his head at whatever was said, looking apologetic and chastised. He would not get angry or defensive and his usual reaction would be to thank them for the feedback and that he would try to do better and to improve. The sight of this former high-flying corporate figure being humbled usually softened their hearts. The only trouble was that Khalid would then go off and continue doing what he liked. The most recent example was PKR's proposal that their secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution be made the chief-of-staff in the MB's office. However, Khalid watered down the proposal and Saifuddin ended up as the "rural development officer" in his office. To add salt to injury, he told Saifuddin there was no need for him to be on the 21st floor of the MB's office because they could communicate via email and relegated him to the fifth floor. The PKR folk did not know whether to laugh or to cry: Saifuddin is the party's secretary-general, he was the Machang MP and he is now a laughing stock. A post-general election decision to appoint state liaison officers from the different parties to assist the MB also seems to have died a sudden death at the MB's doorstep. Khalid has described the latest round of criticism as "asam garam dunia politik," meaning that it is part and parcel of politics. He took to Twitter to say he was not pressured by the memo from his Pakatan colleagues because he has an "open, transparent and responsible" attitude. As for the memo from his Pakatan colleagues, he tweeted that it was normal for him to get memos and he has received 170 on land issues. His press secretary Arfah Aziz uses Twitter to make sure everyone knows that her boss works from morning to night - chairing policy meetings, attending dinners, officiating at events, meeting the rakyat and even when going to the mosque. When the Selangor executive council held their meeting in a hotel in Bangkok recently, Arfah tweeted that Khalid was holding a press conference at 12.30am. As expected, speculation of a change in the MB's office has started again. Anwar has denied that Azmin was taking over from Khalid. Azmin rubbished suggestions of a crisis and also denied that Khalid would be replaced. Strangely, Nurul Izzah was the only one to admit that there was a crisis. But party insiders suggest otherwise. They said Anwar has reached the end of his tether with Khalid. PAS and DAP leaders apparently feel the same way and three of PAS' top leaders recently met Khalid to air their concerns. The other significant thing is that Anwar and Azmin have reconciled. They had a falling-out over the MB appointment in May but are back on the same page. Anwar has assured Azmin of his friendship and loyalty. He told Azmin the party has no objections to him moving up but that the decision on the MB's post is a numbers game and the numbers had favoured Khalid after May 5. Since then, Azmin is said to have secured the endorsement of the component parties. The insiders said a change is in the cards and "the ball had started rolling" from as early as after Hari Raya Puasa. Some claimed it will take place after the PKR congress next year. Others said it could be earlier. But Khalid has survived so many attempts to remove him that few are convinced anything will change in Selangor. Khalid still has the support of Dr Wan Azizah and her daughter Nurul Izzah, both of whom are prepared to do what it takes to block Azmin. But the problem for this mother-and-daughter pair is that Anwar is not only the most powerful man in PKR, he is also the boss at home. And unlike his wife and daughter, he is unlikely to stand in the way of Azmin. Anwar has a new look and Azmin is making a new bid for the MB's office. The plot can only thicken from here.

New BEE is from same old mould Posted: 02 Nov 2013 05:06 PM PDT There is need for a thorough evidence-based review of Malaysia's affirmative action policies that began with noble objectives 40 years ago. Zainah Anwar, The Star THAT the New Economic Policy has succeeded in eradicating poverty and eliminating the identification of race with economic function is not disputed. Malaysia's poverty rate has plummeted from over 50% in the 1970s to only 1.7%, according to the 2012 Household Income Survey. Bumiputras employed in the professional and management category have outstripped Chinese and Indians, while those qualified as doctors, engineers, and architects are almost proportional to the country's racial composition. Similarly, bumiputra corporate equity has gone up from only 2.4% in the 1970s to 23.5% in 2011, and according to other measurements, even higher. These are all laudable achievements. No one is questioning the twin objectives of the New Economic Policy. However, the debate today remains how best to achieve these objectives in the context of a more globally competitive environment, persistent income inequality over the past 10 years, growing intra-ethnic income inequality and other divides such as rural/urban, and peninsula Malaysia/Sabah-Sarawak. Given these inequities and the rising intra-ethnic income inequality among the bumiputras and between Malay and non-Malay bumiputras, most of whom live in Sabah and Sarawak, isn't it time for the Federal government to start addressing the needs of poor bumiputras through a differentiated approach? Can an affirmative action policy targeted at bumpitras continue to treat this ethnic group as one homogenous community when data show increased intra-ethnic inequality as one outcome? Should a policy designed to build national unity from the ashes of May 13, 1969, continue on the basis of ethnicity when this has resulted in increased communal tensions and undermine social cohesion? What should be done? Many Malaysians believe the unexpected announcement of the Bumiputra Economic Empowerment (BEE) programme was more of the same and politically motivated to appease Umno's own Tea Party hardliners in the run-up to party elections. It is short-term in approach and does not address weaknesses in policy-making and implementation, which has seen billions allocated to bumiputra economic empowerment and dozens of policy instruments and schemes over the decades still failing to build the resilient bumiputra commercial and industrial community and address the needs of those left behind. What is really needed today is not more handouts to bumiputra but a serious policy review of affirmative action policies of the past 40 years, where they have worked and where they have failed, and what best long-term steps should be taken to address the various inequities in this country. This review should be based on empirical evidence and data, not on emotions, threats and accusations. Should the NEP continue to be race-based or needs-based to end poverty, regardless of ethnicity? A persuasive argument can be made that even if affirmative action is based on need, the bumiputras being the majority population of this country will still be the group that will benefit the most. As reported in the New Economic Model for Malaysia, of the bottom 40% of households that earn less than RM2,000 a month, 77.2% are bumiputras. In effect, 80% of Malaysian households earn less than RM5,000 per month. It is no wonder that, according to the Internal Revenue Board, only one million of the 12.7 million Malaysians in the work force are eligible to pay tax, making wages and salaries contribution to Malaysia's GDP very low. The EPF reported that 78.6% of its contributors earn less than RM3,000 monthly. The low salary can be explained by the fact that some 77% of Malaysian workers have only SPM qualifications. These are all troubling data in a country that aims to attain developed country status, with per capita income of RM48,000 by 2020. Even if this is achievable, without addressing the gaping income inequality, this high income country status will remain an illusion for the individuals making up 80% of Malaysian households earning less than RM5,000 a month. Obviously, the details of the BEE still need to be worked out. A major concern is that the policy announcement made no mention of targeting the bottom 40%, to reduce the inequity gaps between the rich and poor, the urban and rural, the bumiputras in the peninsula and those in Sabah and Sarawak, where poverty rates are higher. There is also worry that a resort to quotas yet again will further reduce bumiputra competitiveness and resilience in an increasingly interconnected, globally competitive world economy. Much has been written and debated on the effectiveness of affirmative action policies to redress historical injustices. A new book on the New Economic Policy, The New Economic Policy in Malaysia: Affirmative Action, Horizontal Inequalities and Social Justice (National University of Singapore Press, 2013), edited by Edmund Terrence Gomez and Johan Saravanamuttu, suggests four lessons to be learnt. > First, the duration of affirmative action. Any such policy based on horizontal inequalities (inequalities based on culturally defined groups, rather than individuals or households) must have a time limit. Research shows that the most successful period of the NEP was its social restructuring phase in the first 15 years. Significant progress was made to eradicate poverty, increase bumiputra ownership of share capital, increase bumiputras in the professional and management category of occupations, and reduce income disparity between bumiputras and non-bumiputras. The focus on education for bumiputras paid high dividends in creating a bumiputra professional and middle-class group. The question being asked today is whether the results of continuing affirmative action policies and instruments are worth the billions of resources poured in, and worth the impact on economic growth, efficiency and competitiveness, and bumiputra independence and resilience. > Second is inequality of access. This has led to growing intra bumiputra income inequality. Who are those who have benefited most from IPOs allocated to bumiputras? Even then, the government has admitted of the RM54bil worth of stocks allocated to bumiputras since 1971, only RM2bil remains in bumiputra hands. A clear spatial divide (disparities between beneficiaries in different regions) has appeared where poverty is most severe in the Malay heartland of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis and among the orang asli and non-Malay bumiputras, with Sabah being the country's poorest state with a poverty rate of close to 20%. > Third, affirmative action should focus on providing high quality primary and secondary education to better prepare bumiputras to take advantage of the tertiary educational opportunities offered to them. The high unemployment rate among bumiputra graduates, and the high percentage of local bumiputra graduates being absorbed into Government and statutory bodies show a lack of capacity to acquire a sound education that can lead to more competitive advantage in the labour market. A study on the impact of exclusive bumiputra admissions quotas and academic performance was revealing. Of the 271 first semester students studying linear algebra in an engineering faculty, only 13.6% of those who scored an A in matriculation mathematics scored an A in the university course, while 61.6% of those who scored an A in STPM mathematics scored an A in university algebra. Evidently, the STPM of the national school system prepared the students better for university than the specially set-up matriculation system to improve bumiputra performance in maths and science. > Fourth, preferential treatment in business to produce a bumiputra commercial and industrial community has failed to propel the growth of a large robust pool of independent bumiputra businesses. According to a study, in spite of intensive privatisation and a policy of "picking winners", no bumiputra-owned firm appears in the Top 10 lists of companies either by revenue, profit or return on revenues. State support for development of Malay capital has fostered the expansion of a bumiputra rentier class and a corrupting intertwining of business and politics that undermine economic confidence, growth and competition. Before more handouts are given out in the name of a presumed homogenous bumiputra community, there is need for a thorough evidence-based review of Malaysia's affirmative action policies that began with noble objectives 40 years ago, now mired in cynicism that the policy has largely benefited and enriched an elite class of hand-picked cronies the most. Already, questions are being asked on who will benefit most from the RM10bil being pumped into ASB2, when some 75% of unit holders of ASB actually own only an average of RM611 per person.

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Demokrasi lebih subur dalam PAS berbanding Umno, kata Kadir Jasin Posted: 02 Nov 2013 04:43 PM PDT Bekas Ketua Pengarang Kumpulan News Straits Times itu dalam blognya berkata, perbezaan wujud apabila jawatan presiden dan timbalan presiden tidak ditentukan akar umbi, sebaliknya oleh anggota Majlis Tertinggi. "Bagi PAS hanya jawatan presiden tidak dicabar, Abdul Hadi Awang kekal sebagai Presiden. Jawatan Timbalan Presiden yang kini disandang oleh Mohamad Sabu mungkin menyaksikan pertandingan," katanya dalam laman blog miliknya. Untuk rekod, lima telah dicalonkan bertanding dalam pemilihan PAS, iaitu Mohamad; dua Naib Presiden Husam Musa dan Salahuddin Ayub; serta Ketua Penerangan PAS Pusat Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man dan juga Ahli Jawatankuasa Kerja Pusat Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah. "Setakat ini Husam, Tuan Ibrahim dan Mohd Amar belum memberi kata putus," katanya. Pertembungangan antara Mohamad yang dikenali Mat Sabu dengan Mohd Amar pada 22 hingga 24 November nanti jelas Kadir bakal menyaksikan pertembungan kumpulan ulama dan bukan ulama. "Sekiranya berlaku, ia sangat menarik. Ia akan mengulang tayang pemilihan 2011, tetapi dengan satu perbezaan," katanya. READ MORE HERE

Pengundi bukan Melayu derhaka kepada PAS? Posted: 02 Nov 2013 04:32 PM PDT Apakah pengundian esok bakal mengesahkan PAS terus unggul di kubu kuatnya itu atau sekadar berputih mata, andai BN berjaya merampas kerusi DUN-20 yang pernah diwakili oleh bekas Menteri Besar Kedah, Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak sebelum ini? Berbekalkan rekod kemenangan lampau, PAS dijangka tidak menghadapi kesukaran mempertahankan kerusi DUN Sungai Limau dengan temanya; 'Kekal'. Sebaliknya, BN terpaksa berkerja keras mendekati penduduk setempat dengan tawaran pakej pembangunan modal insan dan infrastruktur, untuk meraih sokongan, khasnya pengundi atas pagar kira-kira 14,000 orang yang selama ini memihak kepada PAS. 'Berani berhijrah' kah mereka sepertimana slogan BN dalam PRK itu? Sebelum ini, PAS disifatkan selesa dengan kedudukan 60-40 peratus di DUN Sungai Limau (dulunya DUN Sala), berdasarkan kejayaan PAS meningkatkan undi sebanyak 1,351 kepada jumlah undi 13,294 pada PRU-13, berbanding 11,943 pada PRU-12. Dari satu segi lain, penganalisa politik berpendapat peningkatan itu hanya mewakili satu perempat (25%) daripada 5,255 pemilih baru, bukanlah suatu petanda baik untuk PAS di Sungai Limau kerana kecenderungan 75% lebih memihak kepada BN. Strategi PAS mempertaruhkan calon muda berusia 37 tahun,  Mohd Azam Abdul Samat, cucu kepada Tuan Guru Haji Hamid, pengasas pondok di Bukit Besar, dilihat sebagai serampang dua mata, bukan sekadar mengekalkan imej kepimpinan ulamak oleh PAS, tetapi juga strategi menawan hati sebahagian 3,904 lagi pengundi muda yang mengundi BN pada PRU lalu. Pun begitu, imej bersih calon PAS, sedikit tercalar apabila timbulnya isu poster kempen yang memanipulasi gambar Azizan, seorang tokoh dihormati oleh masyarakat Sungai Limau. READ MORE HERE

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About the Crusades Posted: 01 Nov 2013 07:32 PM PDT Hence, what we see today is the dominant Church of Rome mainly because over 400 years they exterminated all those who were not aligned to the Church of Rome. But what if Constantine had chosen another model of Christianity instead of Paul's version? Well, then I suppose, today, the Church in Rome would not be a Catholic Church. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One of my favourite movies is 'Kingdom of Heaven'. I have probably watched that movie three or four times and have no problem watching it again. But that is the thing about western movies. It makes villains into heroes and heroes into villains. Basically, it all depends on how the director wants to portray things. John Wayne was the goodie who could shoot dead 20 'red skins' with his six-shooter. It did not occur to me then that a six-shooter has only six bullets -- so how could he kill 20 red skins without reloading his gun as he utters 'the only good Injun is a dead Injun'? Nevertheless, we would clap and cheer as the Injuns 'bite the dust' without thinking that the 'white skins' were actually the baddies who took the red skin's land by force and drove them into reservations. And that also goes for movies regarding the Crusades, 'Kingdom of Heaven' being one example. Do you know that there were probably twenty or more Crusades for almost 400 years from 1096 to the mid-1400s? And not all Crusades were Christians versus Muslims or fought in Jerusalem, as we are being led to believe. There were also many Crusades where Christians exterminated Christians in the power struggle being fought to determine which version of Christianity is the correct version. And to ensure that they met their objective of exterminating 'the teachings of the devil', they had to embark upon 'ethnic cleansing' so that there were no remnants of deviants and heretics who would threaten 'the religion of God'. Ironically, Jews and Muslims were not regarded as followers or practitioners of the teachings of the devil. Only those Christians who did not follow Rome or the Pope were. Hence Jews and Muslims were spared (except in Jerusalem) while fellow Christians suffered the brunt of the Crusades. And these Crusades were fought in Europe, not in the Middle East or Jerusalem. And history now refers to this Crusade as the Inquisition although in the beginning it was called a Crusade. And the Inquisition was basically an attempt to eradicate heresy (a.k.a. devil worshipping). Heresy was a concept introduced by the Church of Rome, which was set up by Emperor Constantine. Constantine wanted Christians to follow the model of Christianity established by Paul as in the New Testament rather than that of the Gospels because they considered the teachings of Jesus as being too Jewish. Although Paul was as Jewish as Jesus, Paul lived his life outside Judaea around the Mediterranean region and hence was more influenced by the Greek and Roman religions while Jesus was more inclined towards the Essene philosophy, to which the Nazarenes were attached. Historians even go so far as to say that Paul created a new religion with Jesus as the earthly godhead, which in the year 44 in Antioch, Syria, became known as Christianity. Thereafter, the doctrine of Paul got assimilated into Christianity and became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Subsequently, the Church Fathers decreed that Christians who still followed the Nazarene model would be considered heretics who should be put to death. It was not until a thousand years later, however, that the crime of heresy was 'formalised' after the 1229 Synod of Toulouse. The Church was worried about the emergence of influential groups that were undermining Rome. One of these groups was the Waldensians. One of the teachings of this group was that people should give away their wealth and live a life of poverty. They also translated the Gospel into French, which was forbidden. The problem with Latin was that only a handful of church leaders could read the Gospel while the masses would remain in ignorance. Eventually, the Church ruled that the Waldensians were followers of the devil and at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 they were declared heretics who practiced devil worshipping. The Cathars, too, who had translated the Bible into their own language, suffered the same fate. The Cathars, who came from the Italian-German region of Lombardy, Tuscany and the Rhineland, were non-conformists. They believed that one can preach religion without a licence and that there was no need for priests and churches like what the Catholics have (just like what Jesus, too, believed). Hence they regarded themselves as the true followers of Jesus and not followers of the 'contaminated' Roman religion. The declaration of heresy and devil worshiping against the Cathars was upheld by King Phillipe II of France and Pope Innocent III. In 1209, 30,000 soldiers under Simon de Monfort, wearing the red cross of the Holy Land, invaded Languedoc and exterminated the Cathars. This became known as the Albigensian Crusade. The slaughtering went on for 35 years at the cost of 30,000 lives, Catholics included (because they could not differentiate between Cathars and Catholics so better that all of them perish). Many were burned alive at the stake. And the same thing happened in other parts of Europe such as in the Netherlands and as late as the 1500s in England. Hence, what we see today is the dominant Church of Rome mainly because over 400 years they exterminated all those who were not aligned to the Church of Rome. But what if Constantine had chosen another model of Christianity instead of Paul's version? Well, then I suppose, today, the Church in Rome would not be a Catholic Church. No, this piece is not about theology. It is about history. And that is what history tells us.

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• About the Crusades
• BN lawmaker says NGO coalition’s demands against Islam, calls for probe
• Pendirian saya tetap, kata Harun Taib
• Pemimpin DAP Kedah letak jawatan
• Analyst: Long-term advantage for Sungai Limau victor
• Muslim lawyers: Dire action if Bar Council favours Church in ‘Allah’ appeal
• Mukhriz: Dr Leong’s appointment depends on Tunku Annuar’s approval

About the Crusades Posted: 01 Nov 2013 07:32 PM PDT Hence, what we see today is the dominant Church of Rome mainly because over 400 years they exterminated all those who were not aligned to the Church of Rome. But what if Constantine had chosen another model of Christianity instead of Paul's version? Well, then I suppose, today, the Church in Rome would not be a Catholic Church. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin One of my favourite movies is 'Kingdom of Heaven'. I have probably watched that movie three or four times and have no problem watching it again. But that is the thing about western movies. It makes villains into heroes and heroes into villains. Basically, it all depends on how the director wants to portray things. John Wayne was the goodie who could shoot dead 20 'red skins' with his six-shooter. It did not occur to me then that a six-shooter has only six bullets -- so how could he kill 20 red skins without reloading his gun as he utters 'the only good Injun is a dead Injun'? Nevertheless, we would clap and cheer as the Injuns 'bite the dust' without thinking that the 'white skins' were actually the baddies who took the red skin's land by force and drove them into reservations. And that also goes for movies regarding the Crusades, 'Kingdom of Heaven' being one example. Do you know that there were probably twenty or more Crusades for almost 400 years from 1096 to the mid-1400s? And not all Crusades were Christians versus Muslims or fought in Jerusalem, as we are being led to believe. There were also many Crusades where Christians exterminated Christians in the power struggle being fought to determine which version of Christianity is the correct version. And to ensure that they met their objective of exterminating 'the teachings of the devil', they had to embark upon 'ethnic cleansing' so that there were no remnants of deviants and heretics who would threaten 'the religion of God'. Ironically, Jews and Muslims were not regarded as followers or practitioners of the teachings of the devil. Only those Christians who did not follow Rome or the Pope were. Hence Jews and Muslims were spared (except in Jerusalem) while fellow Christians suffered the brunt of the Crusades. And these Crusades were fought in Europe, not in the Middle East or Jerusalem. And history now refers to this Crusade as the Inquisition although in the beginning it was called a Crusade. And the Inquisition was basically an attempt to eradicate heresy (a.k.a. devil worshipping). Heresy was a concept introduced by the Church of Rome, which was set up by Emperor Constantine. Constantine wanted Christians to follow the model of Christianity established by Paul as in the New Testament rather than that of the Gospels because they considered the teachings of Jesus as being too Jewish. Although Paul was as Jewish as Jesus, Paul lived his life outside Judaea around the Mediterranean region and hence was more influenced by the Greek and Roman religions while Jesus was more inclined towards the Essene philosophy, to which the Nazarenes were attached. Historians even go so far as to say that Paul created a new religion with Jesus as the earthly godhead, which in the year 44 in Antioch, Syria, became known as Christianity. Thereafter, the doctrine of Paul got assimilated into Christianity and became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Subsequently, the Church Fathers decreed that Christians who still followed the Nazarene model would be considered heretics who should be put to death. It was not until a thousand years later, however, that the crime of heresy was 'formalised' after the 1229 Synod of Toulouse. The Church was worried about the emergence of influential groups that were undermining Rome. One of these groups was the Waldensians. One of the teachings of this group was that people should give away their wealth and live a life of poverty. They also translated the Gospel into French, which was forbidden. The problem with Latin was that only a handful of church leaders could read the Gospel while the masses would remain in ignorance. Eventually, the Church ruled that the Waldensians were followers of the devil and at the Fourth Lateran Council in 1215 they were declared heretics who practiced devil worshipping. The Cathars, too, who had translated the Bible into their own language, suffered the same fate. The Cathars, who came from the Italian-German region of Lombardy, Tuscany and the Rhineland, were non-conformists. They believed that one can preach religion without a licence and that there was no need for priests and churches like what the Catholics have (just like what Jesus, too, believed). Hence they regarded themselves as the true followers of Jesus and not followers of the 'contaminated' Roman religion. The declaration of heresy and devil worshiping against the Cathars was upheld by King Phillipe II of France and Pope Innocent III. In 1209, 30,000 soldiers under Simon de Monfort, wearing the red cross of the Holy Land, invaded Languedoc and exterminated the Cathars. This became known as the Albigensian Crusade. The slaughtering went on for 35 years at the cost of 30,000 lives, Catholics included (because they could not differentiate between Cathars and Catholics so better that all of them perish). Many were burned alive at the stake. And the same thing happened in other parts of Europe such as in the Netherlands and as late as the 1500s in England. Hence, what we see today is the dominant Church of Rome mainly because over 400 years they exterminated all those who were not aligned to the Church of Rome. But what if Constantine had chosen another model of Christianity instead of Paul's version? Well, then I suppose, today, the Church in Rome would not be a Catholic Church. No, this piece is not about theology. It is about history. And that is what history tells us.

BN lawmaker says NGO coalition’s demands against Islam, calls for probe Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:38 PM PDT (Bernama) - The Registrar of Societies has been urged to investigate the status of 54 non-governmental organisations (NGO) under the Coalition of Malaysian Non-Governmental Organisations (Comango), which is planning to make demands which contradict Islam. Datuk Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom) said the action was necessary to ascertain the NGOs concerned were registered bodies and to ensure they were not used as tools by Comango. "The demands by Comango are not in line with our federal constitution, and their statements give a bad picture of Malaysia which can affect the country's good name and its relations with other countries," he said when debating the Supply Bill 2014 in the Dewan Rakyat today. Raime also said the Malaysian Islamic Development Department should also investigate Sisters in Islam (SIS), which was also in the coalition. "Comango clearly denies the role and existence of Muslims in the country... If SIS is in Comango, I urge Jakim to investigate," he added. He said immediate action should be taken against any efforts to undermine the country's laws and Islam. Last week, two backbenchers had criticised Comango over its plan to submit human rights issues involving Malaysia to the Universal Periodic Review in Geneva which they said were in conflict with the Federal Constitution. Comango, which is preparing a report on human rights in Malaysia, is seeking, among others, the rights of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender people, and religious freedom. It also questions certain provisions in the Islamic Family law, claiming they discriminated women. The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues on Wednesday.

Pendirian saya tetap, kata Harun Taib Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:32 PM PDT "Mungkin kerana saya pertahankan isu kalimah ALLAH itu, menyebabkan mereka terus memilih saya." (Sinar Harian) - Penyandang Ketua Dewan Ulama Pas, Datuk Harun Taib sedia menggalas tanggungjawab tersebut semula pada pemilihan Pas kali ini, namun masih menunggu notis pencalonan. Menurutnya, beliau juga tidak mengetahui punca kenapa dirinya masih dipilih untuk jawatan tersebut walaupun dirinya pernah terlibat dalam beberapa isu sebelum ini. "Mungkin kerana saya pertahankan isu kalimah ALLAH itu, menyebabkan mereka terus memilih saya. Nak kata saya ketuai parti dengan baik, rasanya saya yang paling mundur. Tapi Insya-ALLAH, saya akan jalankan tugas dengan sebaiknya," katanya kepada Sinar Harian. Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas mengenai namanya mendahului senarai calon yang layak bertanding pada pemilihan Dewan Ulama Pas Pusat pada 22 hingga 24 November ini bersempena Muktamar Tahunan Pas kali ke- 59 yang diumumkan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Pemilihan Parti, Asmuni Awi, semalam. Harun berkata, beliau juga akan tetap dengan pendirian mengenai isu kalimah ALLAH kerana ia berkaitan dengan akidah Islam. "Saya akan teruskan pendirian saya sama seperti sebelum ini, walaupun ada pemimpin Pas lain tidak sependapat dengan saya. "Saya tengok diri saya bukan berdasarkan orang lain, tetapi ia berkaitan akidah," katanya. Tambahnya, dalam isu 'tahaluf siasi' dengan PKR, cadangan tersebut sebenarnya adalah untuk Dewan Ulama membuat kajian terperinci. "Saya rasa perlu ada kajian terperinci, mana-mana yang longgar perlu dikemaskan, kalau dah kemas, perkukuhkan lagi. Bukan bermakna bercerai. "Mereka mungkin salah faham dengan maksud saya, atau itulah cara untuk serang saya. Saya terima serangan cara begini kerana yang menilainya adalah masyarakat," katanya. Beliau turut berharap, jika terpilih, perkara utama adalah meneruskan perjuangan parti sampai ke matlamatnya. "Insya-ALLAH jika sihat badan, panjang umur, saya akan teruskan perjuangan parti sampai ke akhirnya," katanya. Terdahulu, Harun dikecam apabila Majlis Syura bertegas menolak kalimah ALLAH digunakan masyarakat bukan Islam walaupun diminta mempertimbangkan keputusan tersebut. Isu tersebut turut dibawa ke mahkamah yang mana keputusan berpihak kepada larangan menggunakan kalimah ALLAH bagi majalah mingguan The Herrald. Harun menegaskan, masyarakat bukan Islam dilarang sama sekali menggunakan kalimah ALLAH yang hanya khusus untuk agama dan umat Islam dan tetap mempertahankan pendiriannya menyokong keputusan Mahkamah Rayuan tempoh hari yang tidak membenarkan penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam majalah tersebut. September lalu, Harun turut dikecam apabila dalam ucaptama beliau mahu Pas mengkaji semula 'tahaluf siasi' (kerjasama politik) dengan PKR di dalam PR, selepas sokongan pengundi Melayu kepada Pas merosot pada PRU13.

Pemimpin DAP Kedah letak jawatan Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:28 PM PDT (Sinar Harian) - Naib Pengerusi 1 Interim DAP Kedah, Syed Araniri Syed Ahmad meletak jawatan berkuat kuasa serta merta kerana hilang kepercayaan terhadap kepimpinan parti, termasuk Jawatankuasa Eksekutif Pusat (CEC). Beliau turut melepaskan jawatan sebagai Pengerusi DAP Cawangan Taman Wira Mergong, namun pada masa sama, meragui keahliannya berikutan tidak memiliki kad keahlian sejak hampir dua tahun lalu. Syed Araniri turut mendedahkan sikap parti itu yang double standard terhadap orang Melayu, apabila permohonan lebih 70 ahli Melayu dari pelbagai cawangan di negeri itu tidak diproses. "Amat meragukan apabila saya dilantik sebagai Naib Pengerusi tanpa memiliki kad keahlian parti. Apabila perkara itu dibangkitkan, jawapan yang saya terima ialah tunggu. Sampai bila perkara ini harus berlarutan, sudah dua tahun saya tunggu," katanya. Menurutnya, beliau menyertai DAP pada 15 Januari 2012 dan sebulan selepas itu menghantar permohonan keahlian, namun amat dikesali sehingga kini, ia tidak diproses. "Ini bermakna saya menjadi ketua di cawangan ghaib kerana cawangan itu juga tidak didaftarkan, kemudian dilantik di peringkat negeri tanpa ikut prosedur sah. Saya juga berhasrat menghantar surat aduan kepada Pendaftar Pertubuhan Malaysia (ROS) dalam masa terdekat," katanya. Syed Araniri turut menafikan tindakannya itu ada kaitan dengan PRK Dun Sungai Limau, sebaliknya menyifatkan sudah tiba masa kepincangan DAP didedahkan. "Saya tiada kepentingan diri sebaliknya kecewa dengan sikap pemimpin DAP Pusat yang tidak menjaga kepentingan ahli Melayu dalam parti itu. Permohonan lapan cawangan juga tidak diluluskan kerana dibarisi bukan pemimpin kroni," katanya. Menurutnya, ahli dan pemimpin Melayu dalam parti itu seolah-olah diperbodohkan oleh CEC, yang dikuasai tangan-tangan ghaib yang membuat keputusan sewenang-wenangnya. "Yuran pendaftaran diambil, namun kad keahlian tidak diproses. Ke mana perginya semua wang itu," soalnya. Syed Araniri berkata, berdasarkan buku perlembagaan DAP, pada klausa 10 (perlucutan keahlian), dinyatakan apabila diterima menjadi ahli, pemberitahuan bertulis akan diberikan selain dibekalkan buku perlembagaan, lencana dan kad keahlian.

Analyst: Long-term advantage for Sungai Limau victor Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:08 PM PDT (Bernama) - Although the Sungai Limau by-election on Monday poses no threat to the Barisan Nasional (BN) state government, the outcome will impact greatly on BN and PAS in the long term, according to analysts. Political analyst Associate Professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said, regardless of perceptions on the by-election, both parties were still striving vigorously to win. "If PAS loses, it will be a blow for the party. PAS leaders and members will be demoralised. This will pychologically boost BN, and the people will give a stronger suport, more specifically to the development agenda of Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, as the new Menteri Besar of Kedah," said Dr Mohd Azizuddin. He said although the campaigns on both sides were seen as not aggressive, they were actually intense, albeit veiled, because both sides were aware of the local sentiment. The Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) International Studies Faculty Dean said both parties had equal chances on Monday although the seat was said to be a PAS stronghold held by Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak since 1995. He was Menteri Besar for one term from 2008 until the last general election May. He died on Sept 26, necessitating the by-election. But the facts show that the seat, known as Sala before the general election in 2004, often changed hands between BN and PAS. PAS in its effort to retain the seat has played up the relations between its candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat as a protege of Azizan who had family ties with the latter, and had even used Azizan's name and photograph in its campaign. In the obsession to highlight the close ties between Azizan and Azam, PAS  'doctored' a photograph of a visit to Azizan by two journalists from Sinar Harian in 2011 by putting in a photograph of Mohd Azam over that of one of the journalists, in their pamphlets. BN candidate, Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim, despite being a senior lecturer at Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, is low keyed, and carries out face-to-face campaigning which meets the taste of the local residents. For Dr Azizuddin, the BN candidate's strategy is effective compared to that of PAS which mirrored desperation for still using Azizan. Mukhriz, who is also Kedah BN chairman, recently stated his confidence that BN would be accepted by the people of Sungai Limau because only BN could bring development to the area. Although BN had failed to win the seat since the 1995 general election, the people must look at BN's determination to develop Kedah after returning to helm the  following the 13th general election in May, he said. Meanwhile, Kedah PAS commissioner Datuk Mahfuz Omar said according to the latest feedback from the ground, PAS was confident of retaining the seat albeit by a narrower majority of just about 500 votes. The by-election this time is not only a collision of BN and PAS, not only between Dr Sohaimi and Mohd Azam, but also between Mukhriz and Mahfuz, who had been newly appointed to head their respective parties in the state after PRU13.

Muslim lawyers: Dire action if Bar Council favours Church in ‘Allah’ appeal Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:04 PM PDT (MM) - Leaders in the Malaysian Bar risk certain "action" if they decide to side with the Church and back its court appeal for Christians to call their god "Allah", a Muslim law group warned today. Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, president of the Muslim Lawyers' Association, cautioned the Bar Council against taking a partisan stand in the spat that is deepening a gulf in multireligious Malaysia. He reminded the Bar Council that the majority of its members were Muslims, and stressed that the views of a "few scattered Muslim members" in support of the Church did not represent the sentiments of its mainstream that number in the "thousands". "The Muslim Lawyers Association, whose considerable members are also members of the Malaysian Bar, wholeheartedly supports the decision of the Court of Appeal. "Our Association strongly oppose [sic] any partisan action by the Bar Council over the issue," he said in a statement. Several members in the Bar Council, which is the executive body of the Malaysian Bar, were this week reported to have voiced their support for the Church to appeal against a recent appellate court ruling overturning a 2009 landmark High Court's decision that the Arabic word for god was not exclusive to Islam. "The Muslim Lawyers Association awares [sic] that the Bar Council has repeatedly taking steps or stands contradictory with the Muslim beliefs and would not hesitate to take further action if the Bar Council continues with the same attitude," Zainul said, without elaborating on what the repercussions. Constitutional law expert Shahredzan Johan was reported by The Sun newspaper to have lauded the Sabah Lawyers Association's purported support of the Church on October 30, and highlighted that its counterpart in Sarawak were considering announcing the same. The bulk of Christians in Malaysia are Malay-speaking and hail from the two Borneo states. Syahredzan's colleague in the Bar Council, Andrew Khoo, was also reported saying the Council were considering applying to intervene in the Church's appeal if it went to the Federal Court, but added that no decision had been made. The Malaysian Bar last month criticised the Court of Appeal's "Allah" ruling, pointing out that it is unreasonable to deny a fundamental liberty on the basis that some persons would be confused, and reinforces the notion that the use or threat of violence would win the day in court. In a strongly worded statement on October 16, the Bar added that there was no basis for the court finding that the word "Allah" was not an integral part of the Christian faith, especially since the conclusion was made as a result of "a quick research" on the Internet. "It is for a party asserting exclusive rights to the use of the word 'Allah' to establish that they have such exclusive rights, rather than for others to have to establish that the use of the word is integral to their faith. On October 14, the Court of Appeal ruled against a High Court decision allowing the Catholic Church to refer to the Christian god using the word "Allah" in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its newspaper, 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 Catholic Church has said it would appeal the decision.

Mukhriz: Dr Leong’s appointment depends on Tunku Annuar’s approval Posted: 01 Nov 2013 05:00 PM PDT (Bernama) - The appointment of Gurun assemblyman Dr Leong Yong Kong as member of the state executive council (exco) to fill the MCA quota depends on the approval of the chairman of the Kedah Council of Regency, Tan Sri Tunku Annuar Sultan Badlishah. Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, however, said the appointment, if approved, would be made before the next state legislative assembly sitting scheduled to begin on Nov 18. After his appointment as the menteri besar, Mukhriz had appointed eight exco members, leaving the remaining two seats to be filled each by MCA and Gerakan representatives. As Gerakan candidates failed to win any state seat in the 13th general election, MCA was reported to have lobbied for the Gerakan quota to be given to MCA. However, Muhkriz said MCA had yet to make any official application to the state government except for the letter from MCA president Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek, proposing the appointment of Leong and Kulim assemblyman, Chua Thiong Gee as Kedah exco members. Mukhriz was met after closing the One Community One JPJ (Road Transport Department) programme at Sekolah Menengah Megat Dewa here today.

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