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• Increase in Chinese support for BN in Sungai Limau, says Najib
• Najib vows to defend use of Allah as exclusive to Muslims
• After ‘Allah’ rebuff, Karpal demands de-registration of Muslim groups and political parties
• In Sungai Limau loss, Najib sees swing to BN
• Karpal: Sungai Limau loss a slap in the face for Dr M and son
• Musa predicts more PKR defections in Sabah

Increase in Chinese support for BN in Sungai Limau, says Najib Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:50 PM PST (Bernama) - The result of the Sungai Limau state by-election, at a glance, shows an increase in the Chinese support for Barisan Nasional (BN), Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said. He said the results from the two ballot boxes where the majority of voters were Chinese, showed that they were in favour of BN candidate. "At a glance, there is an increase, but we have to look further," he told a press conference after attending the national Maal Hijrah celebration at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre (PICC) today. The official result of the by-election yesterday saw PAS retaining the state seat with a 1,084-vote majority after its candidate, Mohd Azam Abd Samat, garnered 12,069 votes against BN candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim's 10,985 votes. Najib said despite having lost the contest, BN had displayed encouraging performance because it managed to reduce PAS's majority in Sungai Limau which was regarded as a PAS stronghold. "Previously, we lost the contest for the seat by 2,774-vote majority, but now, we have reduced it to 1,084-vote majority. It shows that there is a trend of increased support for BN. "We know that the constituency is PAS's stronghold because we have failed to win the seat in five general elections. However, in the by-election, we managed to penetrate 10 polling centres compared with PAS, which only managed nine," he said. "The result also shows that democracy and transparency are still alive in Malaysia and that the by-election process and result cannot be questioned," Najib added. The prime minister also thanked the BN election machinery at the national level led by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, at state level led by Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir and divisional level led by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Jamil Khir Baharom. "I would also like to thank the representatives of Kedah BN, Wanita, Youth and Puteri. It reflects a good teamwork between the state and divisions. These people have worked hard and displayed a good performance for BN," he said.

Najib vows to defend use of Allah as exclusive to Muslims Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:45 PM PST Eileen Ng, TMI Putrajaya has pledged to defend the use of the word Allah as the exclusive right of Muslims, even as the debate continued following the October 14 Court of Appeal ruling banning the use of the word in a Catholic weekly. In his message marking the Islamic new year or Maal Hijrah today, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said while Malaysia upholds the Federal Constitution and the position of Islam, it also subscribed to the concept of moderation, or Wasatiyyah, saying it is the foundation of the country's harmony. "To appreciate the wider meaning of migration, we still uphold our religion and defend the name of Allah for religion, race and our beloved country. "Malaysia which upholds the Constitution and Islam as the official religion of the country, will remain steadfast in defending the position of Islam in the country in line with Maqasid Syariah and the concept of Wasatiyyah," Najib said in his message posted on his 1Malaysia blog today. Several Muslim groups have insisted that the word Allah belonged exclusively to Muslim, although Christians and other faiths have argued otherwise. This followed the recent Court of Appeal decision not to allow Catholic weekly Herald to use the word Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia section, after a long legal battle over the usage of the word. The decision overturned an earlier ruling by the High Court in  2009, which said that Allah, the Arabic word for God, was not the exclusive right of Muslims, and allowed the Herald to use it. The ruling was challenged by the Home Ministry in its appeal in January 2010. The Court of Appeal noted the Home Ministry's prohibition on the Herald from using the word was justified, arguing that Allah was not integral to the Christian faith. The church has 30 days to file the leave application to appeal against the Court of Appeal decision. READ MORE HERE

After ‘Allah’ rebuff, Karpal demands de-registration of Muslim groups and political parties Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:40 PM PST (MM) - DAP chairman Karpal Singh said today all religious and race-based professional or political bodies should be de-registered, singling out the Muslim Lawyers Association (MLA) as an example. The vocal politician said the MLA should not have been allowed to be formed in the first place as the existing Bar Council was already an adequate professional body that represents all lawyers in the country. "The Bar Council represents all lawyers in the country, the government should not allow a professional body to operate based on religious lines such as the MLA," he said in a press conference at Air Itam here today. He said MLA's registration should be revoked, insisting it was a serious matter that Muslim lawyers are allowed to form separate associations based on religion. "We don't want a situation where others want to do the same, we don't want a Hindu Lawyers Association or a Buddhist Lawyers Association," he said. The Bukit Gelugor MP claimed that even Muslim lawyers do not support MLA as it was purportedly an association set up by just a handful of troublemakers. His criticisms against MLA today come in light of the association's recent threat against the Malaysian Bar Council when it warned the body against backing Catholic weekly Herald's appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling that banned it from using the word "Allah". MLA president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar had cautioned the Bar Council against taking a partisan stand in the spat that is deepening a gulf in multi-religious 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. "The Bar Council should lodge a police report against MLA for issuing this threat and not be intimidated by them," he said. Responding yesterday, the Bar Council urged the authorities to stop turning a blind eye to threats after a Muslim law group warned it against backing the Catholic Church's court appeal for the right to call God "Allah". Council president Christopher Leong also stressed that the Malaysian Bar and the Bar Council are secular bodies that are not partial to any religious beliefs. "It unfortunately appears that some parties or segments of our society deem it appropriate to resort to issuing threats or fear-mongering as a means of getting their way," Leong said in a statement today. "The Malaysian authorities for their part should cease pandering to, or legitimising such practices, as it only serves to encourage those who resort to threats or violence as a means of getting their way or silencing others. Such behaviour also seeks to stifle discourse, growth and understanding," he added. Apart from the MLA, Karpal added today that all other political and professional bodies that operate along religious or racial lines should also be de-registered. "Such organisations operating along religious and racial lines is dangerous for a multi-racial society and a threat to unity," he said. "Unfortunately, this includes PAS but they have taken the first step by setting up a unit for non-Muslim supporters," he said. This means Umno, MCA and MIC, and all Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties that are race-based, should also be de-registered, he said. On whether this was against freedom of association, Karpal said freedom of association doesn't mean racist associations can be set up as there should be certain limits in place.

In Sungai Limau loss, Najib sees swing to BN Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:35 PM PST (MM) - PAS's reduced majority in yesterday's battle for Sungai Limau showed increasing support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the rice-bowl state of Kedah, despite the pact's failure to wrest the seat, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today. He noted that the farming constituency had always been a stronghold of PAS, which had held the seat since 1995, but the results showed that BN had made major inroads. "We knew the area is a PAS stronghold, but we managed to win in 10 voting centres compares to nine for PAS," he said at a press conference after attending the national Maal Hijrah celebrations here. In yesterday's by-election, PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat won by a 1,084-vote majority, securing a total of 12,069 votes over BN's Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim's tally of 10,985 votes. The late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, whose recent death paved way for the contest, retained the seat for a fifth straight term during the 13th General Election last May with a 2,774-vote majority. Najib said there were a few positive indicators that BN has gleaned from yesterday's results, not least being the apparent increase in Chinese support for the ruling coalition. He said there was a clear uptick in Chinese support in at least two polling streams where there was a visibly larger base of Chinese voters. "Looking at the snapshot, it is an increase in support. But this needs a deeper study. The result was largely due to good teamwork and the national and state machinery have to work together as a team," said the prime minister. Najib, who is also BN chairman, added that the outcome of the Sungai Limau contest should lay to rest any complaints the opposition Pakatan Rakyat have about the country's electoral system. The electoral system and the Election Commission (EC) have long been the opposition's whipping boys for allegedly giving the BN an unfair advantage in any contest, with the latest being the results of the May 5 national polls, when the ruling party emerged victorious for a 13th straight time despite losing out on the popular vote. The results led to a spate of protest rallies, dubbed Black 505, and the arrest and subsequent charging of several people from the opposition for allegedly failing to meet requirements under the Peaceful Assembly Act. "I believe that with the results, the opposition won't blame the EC which is what they usually do when they lose... this is proof that democracy is fresh and transparent in Malaysia," he said.

Karpal: Sungai Limau loss a slap in the face for Dr M and son Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:30 PM PST (MM) - DAP's Karpal Singh dismissed today the reduced majority for political ally PAS in the Sungai Limau polls, insisting the victory was clear-cut and signalled the waning influence of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad in Malaysian politics. The DAP national chairman said Barisan Nasional's (BN) loss in the farming constituency in Kedah, despite having parked its entire election machinery there for the duration of the campaign, was a clear rejection of the former prime minister and his son Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, who is currently the state's mentri besar. "So, this win by PAS is certainly a slap in the face for both Mahathir and Mukhriz," he said in a press conference here this morning. Karpal added that he hoped that with this loss, Dr Mahathir would quit interfering with the affairs of the country. On PAS retaining the seat with a reduced majority, the Bukit Gelugor MP insisted this was no major sign of any shift in support. "A reduction in majority doesn't mean PAS has no support as we must take into account the millions spent by BN during the campaign period," he said. The Sungai Limau state seat was vacated after the late PAS leader Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, who has been the state assemblyman there for five terms since 1995, passed away on September 26. Azizan's protege, Mohd Azam Abd Samat, retained the seat for PAS with a 1,084 majority votes in the polls yesterday, a drop of 1,690 votes as Azizan had obtained a 2,774 majority during the May 5 polls. During campaigning, BN had announced various allocations and funding for the mostly agro-based village that PAS had claimed were more than RM15 million in total. Karpal's party colleagues had echoed the same views when weighing in on PAS's victory last night, insisting the reduced majority took no skin off the Islamist party's nose but spelled a setback for the ruling BN that had been banking on Dr Mahathir and his son to win the polls. DAP Kedah interim chief Zairil Khir Johari and the opposition party's adviser Lim Kit Siang insisted that PAS's success in retaining the Kedah state seat was a major blow to the BN's mighty machinery under the leadership of Mukhriz, whom they claimed had followed his father's style and pulled out all the stops in his bid to wrest Sungai Limau. "It is clear that Mahathir's influence has receded with this win," Zairil, the son of a former Umno minister, told The Malay Mail Online last night after the official results announced a PAS victory by a lowered 1,084-vote margin. He alleged BN was free with its wallet on the campaign trail but claimed such tactics had failed to dent Sungai Limau's support of PAS despite the ruling coalition's hopes. "Considering all the carnivals, programmes and resources they have put into the campaign, any kind of victory by PAS, against all odds, even with a lesser majority, is considered a great success," Zairil said. When contacted, Lim reiterated his previous statement that PAS's latest win in Kedah was the third and probably final, setback to the election playbook he named "Mahathirism" in the six months after the May 5 general election. "This is his third setback in six months and this showed that he has failed to make any mark even in this by-election in Kedah," the Gelang Patah MP told The Malay Mail Online. The veteran opposition politician alleged that Dr Mahathir had mounted a campaign of "lies, falsehoods and character-assassination", which he added, had formed the staple tactic ahead of polling day in Sungai Limau. Lim noted that it was similar to the campaign his 88-year-old arch foe had initiated against him ahead of the 13th general election, citing Dr Mahathir's accusations that he was contesting in Gelang Patah to make the Chinese "dislike and hate the Malays", and claiming that the DAP wanted to remove the Malays from political dominance to set up a Christian state. Out of the 27,222 registered voters in that constituency, only 23,249 or 85.5 per cent voters turned out to cast their votes yesterday compared to 89.43 per cent voters during the 13th general election in May.

Musa predicts more PKR defections in Sabah Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:27 PM PST (MM) - Datuk Seri Musa Aman predicted today more defections from Sabah PKR after Kadamaian assemblyman Jeremy Malajad's departure yesterday, fuelling speculation of more troubles for the peninsula-based party in its east Malaysian chapter. In a report on The Star Online here, the state Barisan Nasional (BN) chief said the defections were to be expected as many members in the peninsula-based PKR have begun to lose confidence in the party's leadership, post-Election 2013. "There is a realisation among the PKR leaders that only by cooperating with Barisan Nasional can they help their constituents," he said after the Maal Hijrah gathering in Kota Kinabalu, the English news portal reported. Yesterday, Malay daily Utusan Malaysia reported Malajad as saying at a press conference that he quit all his party posts and relinquished his PKR membership to become a BN-friendly independent state assemblyman. Party insiders who were contacted by The Malay Mail Online confirmed that the issue had long been brewing in PKR's state leadership, with both Malajad and Matunggong assemblyman Jailani Hamdan said to have been unhappy over the lack of representation of the KadazanDusun-Murut at the state's top leadership. Jailani is also speculated to drop out of the party soon. Jailani confirmed with The Malay Mail Online that Malajad's departure was long expected, and said that it is not long before he does the same. "All the stories you heard about us being unhappy over the absence of the KDM at the top are true. We even raised this with Datuk Seri Anwar and Lajim, but they treated it as a small matter," he said, referring to opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. "It's confirmed that Jeremy is out, and I will officially announce my decision to quit this weekend either in Kota Kinabalu or in my constituency of Matunggong... my resignation is expected, but I will be springing a surprise during my announcement," he said, declining to give anything away. Malajad is the second opposition assemblyman to go the way of a BN-friendly independent. The first to do so was Luyang assemblyman and former Sabah DAP chief Dr Hiew King Cheu, who resigned as state party advisor after it was long speculated that he was going to leave the party.

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Sumber Asal Berita :-

Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News

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• After the win, PAS seeks palace intervention
• Any chance of a meaningful solution in ‘Allah’ furore?
• Syariah for Malaysia
• Laugh, Perkasa, and Be Effing Happy!

After the win, PAS seeks palace intervention Posted: 04 Nov 2013 09:15 PM PST      Mohsin Abdullah, Fz.com    AT THE HEIGHT of campaigning for the just concluded Sungai Limau by election, PAS had "revealed" numerous "malpractices" and "abuses" allegedly carried out by the Barisan Nasional in wooing voters. Now that PAS has won, what has become of the allegations? Is PAS keeping mum and "let by gone be by gone "with victory in the bag?   "It will definitely be pursued, in parliamentary debate, Bersih election reform, and even though the courts although we don't put too much hope in the latter", said Dr Hatta Ramli, PAS elections director.    His colleague, PAS strategist Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad had this to add: It would be important to get the PAC involved as abuses of public funds must seek for accountability. No better place than parliament. This money was never budgeted for. So how did they manage to spend?   Off budget or off balance sheet spending again. For Sungai Limau, allocated RM15 million. That's abuse of public fund".   Hard words indeed. And that's not all. On the eve of polling, PAS information chief Datuk Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man issued a statement hitting out at the Election Commission (EC) and Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) for being "dead wood" in "allowing widespread corruption in Sungai Limau."       Tuan Man alleged that handouts in cash and in kind were handed out "openly by government leaders as well as the usage of almost the entire government machinery" - adding on sarcastically, "except for the Meteorological Department which was not seen".    "MACC which is supposed to be an anti-corruption agency and the police stood still and became observers", said Tuan Ibrahim, going on to say: "We keep hearing stupid excuses like the handouts were not given by the calon or wakil calon so it is not rasuah".    According to Hatta the "abuses" have been highlighted and "the authorities including the EC are in the know and the rakyat have been informed'.   But said Dzulkefly, "Umno callous disregard for the law, yet the EC continue to do nothing, as the custodian for a free and fair election". Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/after-win-pas-seeks-palace-intervention

Any chance of a meaningful solution in ‘Allah’ furore? Posted: 04 Nov 2013 08:36 PM PST If the rule of law and not the whims and fancies of the government is to be upheld, the contradiction between the court judgment and the government's 10-Point Agreement must be resolved, says Dr Ronnie Ooi. Dr Ronnie Ooi, Aliran  Malaysia's 'Allah' controversy is fundamentally a political issue about how different communities relate to one another. It is not a legal issue. The Catholic Church needs to take account of the Malay community's majority view before deciding on the next step. If unrestricted use of the word Allah is not acceptable to the moderate Malay community, then the Church, together with others, should search for a compromise that will preserve the religious practices of Christians in East Malaysia as well as that of the Sikhs, who also refer to their God as Allah. The concept of "what is integral to a religion" may provide the framework for such a compromise. It is hoped that all sides will approach the issue in a spirit of goodwill and with a desire to find a solution. The Court of Appeal's decision on the use of the word "Allah" has angered and worried the Christian community and other segments of society. But if the decision had gone the other way, it would have angered segments of the Malay community. This shows that the issue fundamentally is not a legal issue but a political one about how the communities relate to one another. It is only a political settlement that will allow both communities to feel satisfied and secure. Many place their trust and hopes on the social contract reached by our forefathers and enshrined in the Malaysian constitution. It is certainly a good place to start, but constitutions are subject to differing interpretations. Governments appoint judges who favour their political outlook. Just look at the different outlooks of Supreme Court judges appointed by American Democratic and Republican presidents. If the majority race is united, they could command the two-thirds majority necessary to change the constitution. Just as marriage vows cannot guarantee a lasting marriage and relationships have to be worked on, so too a country has to work on its relationships, that is, in politics, and not rely entirely on its constitution. Interpretations of the Court of Appeal decision There are three possible positions that the mainstream Malay community can take: That the Court of Appeal decision is completely wrong and the use of the word Allah should be unrestricted. This is certainly the view of the MP for Sepang and Pas central committee member Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, expressed in a very well written article for Malaysiakini, and of Professor Abdul Aziz Bari. That the decision applies to The Herald only and not to East Malaysia. This appears to be the position of Muslim Lawyers' Association of Malaysia president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) deputy president Aminuddin Yahaya and the Malaysian government. That the decision implies a blanket ban on the use of the word Allah by all non-Muslims including in East Malaysia and presumably in the Sikh holy books as well. This appears to be the view of the lawyer for The Herald and is demanded by Perkasa. It seems to be implicit in what Pas syura council deputy chief Haron Din wants when he says the "holy name is exclusively for Muslims only". Views of the mainstream Malay community In assessing what the strategic objectives of its next move should be, surely the Roman Catholic Church should take the mainstream Malay community's view into account. This is because the judgment of the full bench of Federal Court, the final appellate court, will most likely mirror the Malay community's view. Secondly, it is quite clear that certain quarters in Umno and groups such as Perkasa are fanning distrust and fear of Chinese and Christians as a means of holding on to or gaining power. We must guard against unknowingly and carelessly giving ammunition to such people. It seems incredible that in his judgment, Justice Mohamed Apandi Ali could write: "It is my judgment that the most possible and probable threat to Islam, in the context of this country, is the propagation of other religions to the followers of Islam." As far fetched as this claim is, surely Church leaders must ask themselves if they could have done more to prevent this perception of Christians taking hold? What is the Malay community's majority view or, put another way, what does the silent Malay majority want? The evidence I am aware of is not too promising. I remember reading a survey which found that a high percentage of Malays (70 per cent) considered the thought of another religion using the word Allah "disturbing". What is also highly significant is that Pas leader Abdul Hadi Awang's initial stand that Islam cannot forbid other religions from using the word Allah, provided it is not abused, was reversed by a revolt of its syura council, led by Haron Din. This would seem to indicate strong opposition at the grassroots level. However, we should not depend on past history and should assess the Malay community's majority position again, in particular whether it can be changed by arguments. The picture is not completely dark. Apart from the two prominent Muslims who have come out against the decision of the Court of Appeal, there are others who have said that the decision only applies to The Herald and not to East Malaysia, such as the president of the Muslim Lawyers' Association of Malaysia and the deputy president of Isma. Others, such as former Perlis mufti Asri Zainul Abidin, former Pas syura council member Wan Ji and Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia (Abim) have come out against the extreme position taken by the adviser to the Johor Islamic Council that all Muslims who question the court's ruling become infidels. Dialogue with such individuals and organisations will help to clarify what is and what is not acceptable to the mainstream Malay community. Strategic choices for the Catholic Church If MP Hanipa Maidin and others of his thinking can deliver a united Pas in favour of the unrestricted use of the word Allah, and dialogue indicates that this is acceptable to the mainstream Malay community, then clearly the Church should make unrestricted use of the word Allah its strategic objective. But if Pas as a party comes down on the side of Haron Din and dialogue indicates that unrestricted use of the word Allah is not acceptable to the mainstream Malay community, then the Church must consider whether it is in its best interests to pursue what is almost certainly a lost cause or switch to an acceptable compromise. The important battle surely is not to achieve unrestricted use of the word Allah, but to counter groups like Perkasa, whose demands for a blanket ban on the use of the word Allah by all non-Muslims will lead to chaos for Christians in East Malaysia and for Sikhs. To win this battle, we need the support of the moderate Malay community. And if a necessary condition of such support is recognition of their sensitivity by accepting restrictions on the use of the word Allah, then it seems to me to be an honourable compromise. A compromise that springs to mind is to restrict the court's decision to The Herald, thus excluding East Malaysia. But does this mean that another publication called (say) Church Times can use the word Allah? If not, the restriction must apply to Peninsular Malaysia and not just The Herald. In that case, what happens to the Sikhs, whose Holy Book contains the word Allah? The question of the Sikhs has been pushed to the side, but should be brought centre stage as it is of great help in framing a solution. Firstly, to counter those like Haron Din, who claims that the "holy name is exclusively for Muslims only", we do not need to point to Arabia but to the Sikhs on our own doorstep. Secondly, note that one of the main grounds for the Court of Appeal decision is that "Allah is not essential to or an integral part of Christianity" but in the Sikh religion, Allah is clearly "essential to or an integral part of" the religion as it is found in the Holy Book. Therefore, clearly the court must protect the right of the Sikh religion to use the word Allah. Once the precedent has been established that one religion can use Allah, surely it becomes less difficult for mainstream Malay community to accept its use by East Malaysian Christians. How then can we frame a rule that allows the word Allah to be used in the Sikh religion and East Malaysia but not in the Christian community of Peninsular Malaysia? I think the solution lies in the concept of "an integral part of the religion". The word Allah is integral to the Sikh religion because it is found in their Holy Book. It is integral to Christianity in East Malaysia and the Malay-speaking church congregations in Peninsular Malaysia. It is not integral among Christian communities who use the English or Mandarin Bible. The concept must be applied to objective, verifiable facts, such as the number of Malay-speaking Christians, and not to a judge's subjective assessment of what is integral to a religion that is not his, which clearly he is not competent to do.  READ MORE HERE

Syariah for Malaysia Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:10 PM PST Malaysia is ready for syariah laws with the condition that the various enforcement bodies must be seen executing the basic tenets first among Muslims here. Narinder Singh, FTM The official religion of Malaysia is Islam as enshrined in the Federal Constitution. As a Malaysian, born, bred and educated here without once leaving the shores to gain formal knowledge, it has dawned upon me that it is utmost important to self-educate in issues pertaining to Islam. The triggering and motivating factor stems from the fact that only in having an open mind can one stretch his tolerance and acceptance to others in terms to their religion, culture and beliefs. Nevertheless, in as much as Islam and its syariah laws are admired and should be integrated in our society as it encompasses our very existence in every sense, what baffles and astonishes me is the ignorance displayed by some Malaysian Muslims. In the discovery and continuous learning, I was made aware that syariah laws are divine and outlines in detail every aspect of life a Muslim must adhere to: from his behaviour, dressing, foods, gestures, hygiene, prayer and almost every facet being human. Thus I am baffled and taken aback that in the push for syariah laws to be implemented in our society, we should be the least resistant as it also addresses issues surrounding economy, politics and social platforms. Today Malaysia stands atop as a leading nation in Islamic financial management, earning a role model status even for other Muslim nations globally. The greater Europe and even Americans have acknowledged our beyond par excellence in Islamic banking and financial systems that have captured customers from all walks of life regardless of religion. Syariah compliant financial tools and exchange board have made many a fortune without complaints even with international banks. The non-Muslims have welcomed the Islamic financial world with open arms. Then why the fuss and grumble when other syariah aspects are being discussed? So, it is perfectly fine if syariah makes money for one but a big 'NO' if it does not. Does not that reasoning fit perfectly into hypocrisy and unfounded substance for negating the proposal to implement syariah laws to the full extend? Why be selective? Nevertheless, the Islamic authorities must also be aggressively proactive in practical education to both the Muslims and non-Muslims on syariah laws. In my opinion, the Islamic enforcement agencies at federal and state levels have failed un-forgivingly and miserably in aligning the basic tenets of Islam among the younger generations. Some life experiences These are some experience and questionable practices observed in public. I wonder if the following antics are allowed in Islam in public; in specific for Muslims, and even the non-Muslims per se. Let me narrate a few incidents that got me intrigued in begging for clarifications from fellow Muslim friends and experts alike. READ MORE HERE

Laugh, Perkasa, and Be Effing Happy! Posted: 04 Nov 2013 03:19 PM PST By Kee Thuan Chye, Yahoo News The disclaimer at the beginning of the show tells it all: "This programme is intended for immature audiences only. This programme is NOT intended for educational purposes, merely to stimulate FUN. If you are easily offended, mudah tersinggung or terkeliru, probably best to close the window right now." This is That Effing Show, described by its producers as "a satirical news show that laughs, pokes fun and points out the (often) obvious and not-so-obvious absurdities of Malaysian socio-political life". Created by a bunch of clever, creative and concerned young people, it has been coming out regularly on the web TV network PopTeeVee since 2010. By its own description, the show is a parody of Malaysian life, done in good humour, which means it is not to be taken seriously. Those who are easily offended or confused are warned not to watch it. This being clear, the show should therefore not expect any complaints against it except aesthetic ones – like perhaps it failed to generate fun or to entertain, or that the technical production was sub-standard, or that its actors performed badly. Perkasa, however, is taking it very seriously. The Malay rights organisation has taken exception particularly to the series' recent segment, 'That Effing Show #95: Allah, Apa Lagi?', and its complaint is not on aesthetic grounds. Perkasa has even made not just one but nine police reports against it! Selangor Perkasa chief Abu Bakar Yahya says show #95 insults the recent ruling made by the Court of Appeal, which banned the Catholic weekly newspaper The Herald from using the word 'Allah' to refer to God. He says the show has also offended the Islamic community. No kidding? I have since viewed the six-minute video a few times, and I still can't fathom how it could be an insult to the court's verdict. At no point does any of the performers in the video question the verdict, either directly or obliquely, let alone show it any disrespect. What one of them does say is that Muslims need not fear getting confused if others used the word 'Allah'; it should be the other users who would be confused. Besides, Islam is the official religion, so what's there for Muslims to be worried about? The video gets funnier in the next skit, which features a banter between two Malays on one side and two Indians on the other. The Malays (played by Ezra Zaid and Faiq Syazwan Kuhiri) emphasise that now the court has given its ruling, other religions should use words other than 'Allah' for their God – like 'Tuhan' or 'Jesus' or 'Yahweh' – and leave 'Allah' solely to the Muslims. The Indians (played by Kubhaer Jethwani and Umapagan Ampikaipakan) retort, "OK, if you want to play like that, if you Muslims want to take back words, we also can take back words!" At this, the Malays shrug and pull funny faces to mock what they've heard. Until the Indians tell them, "You think Bahasa Melayu is so original? There are actually many words in it that originated from Sanskrit, Tamil, Portuguese, Persian." "Hah!" scoff the Malays. "Original or what, take back lah what you want! We have 'Allah', what more do we need? Go ahead!" "Confirm?" ask the Indians. "Confirm," say the Malays. Then the Indians say that the first word they want to take back is rokok (smoke/cigarette). The Malays are taken aback. "Where did the word come from?" they ask. "It's Dutch," say the Indians. The Malays are a bit flustered by this, but they say, "OK, take it back. Surely, that's all. Anyway, we still have 'Allah'." But the Indians reply, "There are many more." Then they rattle off a few other words – bahasa, budaya, bumiputra, raja, negara, pahala, puasa, cinta. As the Indians savour each word, the Malays agonise. They can't stand it now. "These are favourite words of the Malays!" they cry. "From the time we wake up in the morning, we use all those words!" The Indians try to console them. "We are merely concerned. We don't want you to be confused. Because so many words in Malay originated from Sanskrit, when you guys use them, we don't want you to 'terHindu'!" (terHindu = accidentally become Hinduised) The Indians continue: "Because that would be a ter-rible problem." The Malays ask each other, "What do we do now? We surely don't want to 'terHindu'!" "I know, I know," says one of them. "We'll call on our big back-up ... we'll call Uncle Ib … we'll call Ibrahim Ali." "He's from Perkasa, right?" ask the Indians. "Yes," say the Malays. "Perkasa …," reply the Indians, "… that word sounds Sanskrit." This is too much for one of the Malays to stomach. He launches into a manic mimic of that famous moment caught on video of Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali blustering in an interview with Al-Jazeera, "I … I … I … I … Don't talk shit! I tell you … three times! Don't talk shit! Don't talk shit!" Hahaha! Perhaps this is the part that offended Perkasa the most! And drove its members to make the police reports! READ MORE HERE

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Reply to "BSN, Affin and Muamalat remain at Grade F" Posted: 04 Nov 2013 03:41 PM PST To the Editorial Desk Reference is made to your report/article of Monday, 4th November 2013, (READ HERE) on the test results on online banking sites on BolehVPN.  Thank you for highlighting this report.  The test results have been noted (including the report that AFFINBANK's Corporate Internet Banking - cib.affinonline.com scored an "A").  We have reviewed and taken the necessary action on the consumer/retail online banking system and the latest test result is a Grade "A" as per the attached report.  We would appreciate if you could update your report on AFFINBANK.   Thank you & Regards May HT Kong Head, Corporate Communications Affin Bank Berhad Tel (O)     : +603-2055 9428 Fax           : +603-2026 1104 Email       : maykht@affinbank.com.my Website   : www.affinbank.com.my CLICK GRAPHICS FOR BIGGER VIEW

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Is Dr M to UMNO what Samy Vellu is to MIC? Posted: 04 Nov 2013 06:57 PM PST (a) Malay Mail Online = BN loss in Sungai Limau signals Dr M's waning influence, says DAP "It is clear that Mahathir's influence has receded with this win," Zairil, the son of a former Umno minister, told The Malay Mail Online last night after the official results announced a PAS victory by a lowered 1,084-vote margin. (b) TMI - Sungai Limau by-election results: Is this the end of Mahathirism? When Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad descended on Sungai Limau during the last hours of campaigning on November 3, one longtime PAS activist from Alor Star described it as a "relief". "Many people in Sungai Limau come from a religious education background," said the activist, referring to the community of teachers, students and parents involved in the area's clutch of private and public Islamic schools, which are nationally renowned. "They still remember how Mahathir used to run down PAS and our Islamic state concept," said the activist of the former prime minister's endless tirades against PAS in the few years before he resigned in 2003. Personally I don't agree with the the DAP view that PAS' victory in Sungai Limau spells the end of Mahathirism or the waning of Mahathir's power. Sungai Limau has long been a PAS stronghold thus one could even argue, if one wants to, that Mahathir's campaigning there helped slash the majority PAS had enjoyed in the May 2013 state election by half, thus indicating he is still influential. I suspect DAP's attempts to link PAS victory in its traditional stronghold of Sungai Limau to 'evidence' of Mahathir's waning influence (or even the end of the so-called Mahathirism) as merely a psychological campaign to demoralize the pro Mahathir forces in UMNO and Perkasa. However, as written two paragraphs above, I stated that "one could even argue ... yadda yadda ...", which incidentally I'm not, because while I believe Mahathir's political influence in UMNO has indeed waned as indicated in Mukhriz loss in UMNO's VP race, it has nothing to do with the expected PAS victory. Indeed, no matter how influential Dr Mahathir might still have been, it'd have been unlikely his campaigning in Sungai Limau could topple PAS in the Islamic party's stronghold  especially when the previous PAS ADUN had recently passed away and would be a factor in ensuring the PAS by-election candidate receive sympathy votes. My aim in disputing DAP's claim is principally to show it had not been a correct assumption but rather, as I suspect, a psychological strike against Dr Mahathir's supporters in UMNO and Perkasa. In fact I wonder what brought about the quite substantial reduction in majority in the PAS victory as compared to the May 2013 results. But I suspect the local Chinese have been disenchanted with PAS because its previous state government had through its religious-based policies, intruded offensively into Chinese affairs like dress codes for the Chinese very non-Islamic festivals - see my February 2013 post More power to koe-tai - and perhaps also the PAS state government's increase in reserved housing for Malays in the state from 30% to 50%, and who knows, even the abattoir cerita. Also, PAS' Kelantan state government has troubled many Chinese by their similar (legislated) intrusions into Chinese affairs, as an example, in the hair-dressing salon incident. Then, PAS Youth Chief Nasrudin Hassan made stupid statements that abandoned babies (through illicit births) were the result of non-Muslim events like Valentine's Day and New Year's Day celebrations. Malaysiakini reported in 2010 in its Valentine's Day blamed for baby dumping that Nasrudin Hassan had blamed the festivity celebrations on those two days as encouraging free sex that led to ... yadda yadda yadda ... culminating in baby dumping. Nasrudin claimed: "It's an indication that the 'mating season' occurred during the New Year's Day celebrations." Balderdash, my dear Yang Amat Alim, New Year's Days and Valentine's Days have been celebrated all over the world, yet we don't see our kind of baby dumping in those foreign countries. Why? Tell you a bloody secret mate ..... because their societies are far more humane, compassionate, caring, supportive and most important of all, less misogynistic. Misogynistic? Please read my 2006 post Wives not satisfying husbands are abusive! And incidentally Nasrudin, what about those numerous cases of incest which occurred more frequently in Kelantan and Terengganu than any other states? Have you yet backtracked them 9 months to either New Year's Days or Valentine's Days, or more likely, Budu Days wakakaka - see Has Aphrodisiac Budu Been Responsible? Stoning women to death, blaming non-Islamic celebrations on baby dumping, blaming women for everything, wanting to punish women – really I dread to think of such leaders for our nations. But 'tis the nature of the beast. Early last year I had written in Valentine's Day's wild sex romps & orgies: READ MORE HERE

Hijrah in Reverse, Part 1 Posted: 04 Nov 2013 03:56 PM PST I posted notes on my Facebook page; a forum I utilise primarily as a tool for intellectual engagement, somewhat like a digital/electronic platonic cave or as a virtual salon of the French Revolutionary period, to discuss anything under the sun with view of deconstructing dominant ideas of the day. Yes, "hijrah" is the beginning of the new year of the people of the Islamic faith but my questions were these: has the Islamic intellectual paradigm evolve since the 1900s? Has religion courted philosophy? What is still ailing the "Muslim mind" and what fundamental shifts need to be engineered? These are questions that came to me spontaneously that asked to be posted for members of my Facebook forum I now call the Trishakti salon. I posted a thought: perhaps the Quran is too personal and personalising of a text to be transformed into a hegemonising and universalising text for an "Islamic state"; perhaps an Islamic state exists in its impossibility, still an "imagined community" ruled by perfect people over perfect people they govern. Perhaps the Quran is too vague of a grand narrative for political philosophy and that any interpretation of it as one, will run into the unresolvable problem of getting entangled into the complexity of praxis (ideology to practice) of the various "mazhabs/schools of thought", each competing with each other on what truth is. And we have not yet talked about the nagging problems of the use and abuse of the sayings of the prophet (the hadiths) Sense and meaning I thought perhaps the Quran is meant only for personal reading, best done hermeneutically, in that as many as there are souls in this world, therein lies the number of possible ways to make sense and meaning of how one ought to live his/her life as a "Muslim" or a "person at peace" or have submitted to a life of peace and peace-making. I don't know ... as Socrates would say ... the world of Islam is at best, politically messy, grounded in the triumph of the disabling influences of culture. I thought, ala the Jeffersonian (American philosopher-statesman) ideal, had the Malaysian constitution clearly separated religion and the state, Malaysians would probably have a less complicated scenario of race-religious relations and class. Rather, race issues would predominate, making resolutions easier. Countries claiming to be Islamic states are either ruled by dictators or despots, prone to perpetual revolutions due to its internal contradictions. Like an evolving self and an evolving soul, liberal democracy may still be a useful political philosophy better than theocracy, as Man essentially are not born-sinners to be cleansed by the pepper spray of the state nor born to suffer to be robbed of his rights and be happy suffering. READ MORE HERE

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Batalkan parti politik berasaskan kaum dan agama-Karpal Posted: 04 Nov 2013 04:05 PM PST Beliau berkata cara tersebut merupakan jawapan kepada konsep perpaduan yang  menjadi amalan selama ini. "Masanya sudah tiba bagi semua parti berasaskan kaum dibatalkan pendaftarannya termasuk, malang sekali, PAS, kita perlu bersikap praktikal jika kita mahukan sebuah negara yang bersatu-padu. "Sepatutnya parti politik dan mana-mana pertubuhan profesional berasaskan kaum  atau agama ini tidak boleh dibenarkan memandangkan perkara ini merupakan suatu yang serius dan bahaya," katanya dalam sidang media di sini hari ini. Beliau berkata demikian ketika menyelar kenyataan Presiden Persatuan Peguam  Muslim Malaysia (PPMM) Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar baru-baru ini yang mengingatkan Majlis Peguam supaya tidak menyokong isu penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam edisi bahasa Malaysia majalah katolik The Herald. Karpal berkata pendaftaran PPMM sebagai sebuah persatuan juga tidak sepatutnya dibenarkan memandangkan Majlis Peguam membuka penyertaannya kepada semua peguam tanpa mengira kaum dan agama. "Persatuan seperti itu hanya pencetus masalah di negara ini,  kerajaan juga tidak sepatutnya membenarkan persatuan seperti ini," katanya.

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Islam needs a Martin Luther Posted: 03 Nov 2013 05:37 PM PST Martin Luther classified Pope Leo X as the true Satan (the Devil) or the anti-Christ and the Church of Rome as the ultimate Kingdom of Hell. Because of his very ferocious attack on the Church, Martin Luther was reprimanded by the Pope and was eventually excommunicated for his protesting. His followers soon became known as Protestors and the movement called the Protestants. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin I have actually said this a number of times before: Islam needs a Martin Luther. But it took 1,500 years before Christianity reformed. Since Islam is only about 1,400 years old, we may, therefore, have to wait till the year 2100 before Islam's Martin Luther comes along. On Saturday, I wrote an article called 'About the Crusades'. In that article I spoke about the Christian versus Christian Crusade, which eventually evolved into the Catholic Inquisition against 'deviant' Christians. Let me continue my story from there. There were actually two Inquisitions. We had the 'Medieval Inquisition' of the early second Millennium soon after the Norman invasion of Saxon England and then there was the 'Modern Inquisition' of the Renaissance period of the 1500s. Now, the Catholic Inquisition cost a lot of money and it was draining the coffers of the Vatican. They needed to drastically raise money so a scheme was implemented to raise this money through the selling of Indulgences. This moneymaking scheme was approved by Pope Leo X and basically involved the sale of 'forgiveness', which soon became a considerable source of revenue for the church. This meant that absolution from sins or the pardoning of sins could be bought for a certain amount of money -- meaning trading of salvation for money. This was one bone of contention for many Christians of that time who believed that there was no such thing as absolution from sins, even by the Pope, and especially not for money. Further to that, Pope Leo X, the 'seller' of absolution, owned a lucrative brothel in Rome. He also had mistresses or concubines and a number of illegitimate sons. (On the positive side, he was also patron to Raphael and Michelangelo, which saw the Renaissance period emerge in Europe). This was the second bone of contention. In fact, Pope Leo's predecessor, Pope Julius III, had three daughters and was known for his passion for prostitutes and boys. He also issued a bull to establish St. Peter's whorehouse in Rome. Even earlier than that, during the time of Pope Innocent VIII, the Archbishop of Canterbury had complained about the shameless and immoral lifestyle of the people of the cloth but the Pope had replied, "It is so widespread among the priests and the curia, you will hardly find one without his concubine." The most notorious of the Popes however, was Rodrigo Borgia of Spain, or Pope Alexander VI (Pope Innocent VIII's successor), who had four children. His mistress (he also had a wife) was Gulia Farnese, the 15-year old granddaughter of Pope Innocent VIII. Gulia's brother went on to become Pope Paul III and was nicknamed Cardinal Petticoat because of his many mistresses. Martin Luther, an Augustinian professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg in Germany, despised the Pope and the Vatican and hated the sheer hypocrisy of Catholicism, which he considered 'the root of all evil'. No seat could be closer to the Devil than the Papal Throne, said Martin Luther. And the resemblance of Hell is the Vatican City, he said. Martin Luther classified Pope Leo X as the true Satan (the Devil) or the anti-Christ and the Church of Rome as the ultimate Kingdom of Hell. Because of his very ferocious attack on the Church, Martin Luther was reprimanded by the Pope and was eventually excommunicated for his protesting. His followers soon became known as Protestors and the movement called the Protestants. Martin Luther's attempt to clean out the church rapidly gained international support. This triggered a widespread Reformation movement that saw the birth of an alternative Christian society beyond the control of Rome. In spite of the effort of the Catholic Church to clamp down on this breakaway movement, the Protestant Reformation completely undermined the authority of the Holy Roman Empire and split Europe into two -- Protestants on one side and Roman Catholics on the other. This movement soon enough spread to England and the Protestant-Catholic conflict that started with Henry VIII in the 1500s did not end until the English Civil War about 100 years later, but only after the loss of many lives. It took one man, Martin Luther, to stand up and oppose the corruption and evil in the church. But it took 1,500 years before this could happen and sanity could be restored to Christianity. But the cost to this was that Christianity was split into two with both sides calling each other heretics and apostates (shirik and murtad in Islam). We hope, one day, a Muslim Martin Luther will emerge and who will also reform the Muslim 'church'. God knows Islam is in dire need of reforms. Will 'mainstream' Islam, one day, be considered the Catholicism of the Muslim world with an alternative or competing Islamic reform movement opposing it? If it does happen and if it happens, say, by 2100, I will certainly no longer be around. However, it cannot but happen. If Muslims are to continue the way they are currently going, such as what is happening in Malaysia, Islam will one day be seen as what Catholicism was perceived 500 years ago -- the anti-Christ and the Kingdom of Hell. Yes, we Malaysians talk about change. We scream that we want reforms. But change of the political system alone is not enough. Change has to extend beyond just politics. It must be an absolute cultural, mental, and attitude change that involves more than just politics and touches even religion. In short, we need an Islamic Renaissance period just like what we saw in Europe 500 years ago.

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• Sg Limau by-election: It's PAS with reduced majority
• PAS retains Sg Limau, with smaller majority
• Two PKR assemblymen become BN-friendly independents
• Threats don’t scare us, says Malaysian Bar
• Kereta calon BN ditendang penyokong PAS
• Islam needs a Martin Luther
• Wanita Umno branch chief punched in the face
• Sungai Limau: Mukhriz calls assault on Umno Wanita member regrettable
• In Sungai Limau, Mukhriz claims pro-Pakatan crowds scaring away BN voters
• ‘PKR more than just Anwar’s party’
• What more do Pakatan reps want?
• A classic spin by Ambiga
• Sabah PKR defections: Blame Anwar

Sg Limau by-election: It's PAS with reduced majority Posted: 03 Nov 2013 10:09 PM PST   (The Malay Mail) - PAS managed to keep its hold on the farming constituency of Sungai Limau in Kedah state, but saw its vote majority slashed to a mere 1,084 votes in today's by-election. The Islamist party's candidate, 37-year-old Mohd Azam Abdul Samat scored 12,069 votes, besting the Barisan Nasional's (BN) Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who drew 10,985 votes. The seat fell vacant following the death of its five-term assemblyman Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak of PAS.  Azizan was also Kedah menteri besar for a term after the 13-party BN coalition lost its grip on the northern state in the 2008 general election. The PAS win, however, does not change the power composition in Kedah, which has returned to BN rule after falling to the three-party Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact for one term in 2008. During the May 5 polls this year, a total 24,349 voters turned out and PAS had won with a comfortable 2,774-vote majority. Many voters, of which 93 per cent are Malays, are still strong PAS supporters with a great respect for the late Azizan but PAS has voiced concern over the enormous amount of allocations being promised and the gifts being handed out in the last few days. Though Dr Ahmad Sohaimi is a local, many villagers do not know him but Azam, as a protégé of Azizan, is rather well known so PAS may still lead in the polls today due to villagers' familiarity with Azam.     PAS has also been agressively going from house-to-house, using the direct approach rather than just depending on various programmes and ceramahs, and this may work in their favour too as the rural folks preferred a representative who will go down on the ground to talk to them, listen to their issues and resolve their problems for them. The Sungai Limau state constituency has 27,222 voters, 25,323 or 93.02 per cent of them Malays, 1,842 or 6.76 per cent Chinese, 15 or 0.055 per cent Indians and 42 or 0.15 per cent other races.

PAS retains Sg Limau, with smaller majority Posted: 03 Nov 2013 08:07 PM PST (The Sun Daily) - PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abd Samat has been announced the Sungai Limau assemblyman tonight after beating his competitor from Barisan Nasional Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim in a straight fight, with a majority of 1,084 votes. Mohd Azam, 37, garnered 12,069 votes while Ahmad Sohaimi 10,985 votes. The EC said that voter turnout was 85.5% which is less compared to the 89% voter turnout in the 13th General Election in May. In the previous election, former assemblyman, late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak obtained 13,294 votes to beat rival Mohd Fazillah Mohd Ali from BN with a majority of 2,774 votes. The by-election results was announced by the Election Commission returning officer Abdul Rashid Othman after the ballot count was completed at Sekolah Kebangsaan Agama Yan here at about 8.55pm.

Two PKR assemblymen become BN-friendly independents Posted: 03 Nov 2013 06:41 PM PST (fz.com) - Kadamaian assemblyman Jeremmy Malajad announced that he has quit Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to become a Barisan Nasional (BN)-friendly independent, reports Bernama. Jeremmy, who was accompanied by 50 former Kadamaian PKR leaders, made the announcement at a press conference at the Kota Belud Rest House here today. While Jeremmy was making this announcement, word is out that PKR's Matunggong assemblyman Jelani Hamdan will follow suit. Jeremmy said he relinquished all his party posts, effective today, in line with Article 29.1.3 of the party constitution. "As an assemblyman who was recently elected by the rakyat (people), I realise the high hopes of the constituents that I represent to see changes in development in our rural area, particularly with regard to provision of basic facilities like roads, clean water supply, health clinic and more which have become the current issue of concern of the community in Kadamaian," he said. Jeremmy said he saw the BN government as being successful in tackling various issues in the state that were raised during the 13th General Election campaign including security and poverty, as well as in implementing the planned transformation programmes effectively. He believed that the people in Sabah, particularly, were increasingly confident in the approaches and seriousness of the BN government, including appointing six leaders in Sabah as full ministers to the federal cabinet. While stating his commitment to representing the constituents in Kadamaian, Jeremmy said he wanted to be directly involved in realising the various transformation programmes through politics, administration, economic generation and infrastructure development. In the 13th General Election in May, Jeremmy won the Kadamaian state seat with a 889-vote majority in a four-cornered contest.

Threats don’t scare us, says Malaysian Bar Posted: 03 Nov 2013 06:23 PM PST The Malaysian Bar brushes aside a threat allegedly made by the Muslim Lawyers Association in regards to the Allah appeal. (FMT) - The Malaysian Bar today said it was undeterred by threats or intimidation in its task to uphold justice, adding that it was bound to act without fear or favour, and without regard for its own interests. Responding to a media report on Saturday in which the Muslim Lawyers Association had allegedly warned the Malaysian Bar not to back Christian publication The Herald in the Allah ruling, Bar president Christopher Leong said he was disappointed with the Muslim lawyers association. "It is strange for an association of lawyers to fear arguments taken in a court of law and to impel them to issue threats. It leaves one to wonder what it is that they are afraid of," he said in a statement. He stressed that the Malaysian Bar did not back any party, and that access to justice was for all who seek it. "The Malaysian Bar and the Bar Council are secular bodies. We are not grounded in or partial to any religious belief. The Malaysian Bar does not stand for or against any party. "The positions that we take are, and will always be, prescribed by the rule of law and premised on the Federal Constitution. "We act for justice and truth and will not be swayed by partisan politics or religious belief. The Malaysian Bar will not be deterred in upholding the cause of justice by any threat or intimidation," he added. READ MORE HERE

Kereta calon BN ditendang penyokong PAS Posted: 03 Nov 2013 06:19 PM PST (Bernama) - Hari pengundian bagi pilihan raya kecil Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Sungai Limau hari ini dicemari beberapa insiden kekasaran dan perang mulut antara penyokong parti-parti politik bertanding. Tidak terkecuali, calon Barisan Nasional (BN) Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim turut menerima tempias kekasaran itu apabila kereta yang dinaikinya ditendang sekumpulan penyokong dipercayai daripada pihak lawan. Ahmad Sohaimi ketika ditemui pemberita di rumahnya melahirkan rasa kesal dengan tindakan kumpulan yang mencemarkan politik damai sepanjang tempoh berkempen, namun yakin ia bukan dilakukan penduduk tempatan. "Saya kenal orang di sini, ini tidak mencerminkan perbuatan mereka. Ini saya yakin perbuatan mereka yang datang dari luar," katanya. Beliau berkata dalam kejadian kira-kira pukul 11 pagi tadi di kawasan pusat mengundi Sekolah Kebangsaan Sungai Dedap, sekumpulan penyokong dipercayai daripada PAS menendang kereta yang dinaikinya lebih 10 kali. Ahmad Sohaimi bagaimanapun menganggap ia hanyalah sebahagian warna-warni politik dan tidak bercadang membuat laporan polis. "Ini satu daripada perkara yang saya perlu belajar dalam perjalanan politik. Masyarakat juga perlu perbaiki akhlak mereka. Tidak eloklah perbuatan begini," katanya. Dalam kejadian lain, di Sekolah Kebangsaan Dulang, berlaku sedikit kekecohan apabila penunggang motosikal dari Unit Amal PAS terjatuh di tepi jalan dalam cubaan mengelak sebuah motosikal lain yang dipercayai ditunggang penyokong parti lawan. Namun kekecohan berjaya dikawal anggota polis bertugas. Di Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Sungai Limau berlaku perang mulut dipercayai antara penyokong BN dan PAS, tetapi tiada insiden serius dilaporkan. Sementara itu, anggota Jawatankuasa Wanita Bahagian Batu Norsidah Abu Bakar pula didakwa ditumbuk penyokong PAS ketika merayu undi di hadapan Sekolah Kebangsaan Ulu Sedaka di sini hari ini. Satu laporan polis berhubung kejadian itu telah dibuat di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah Yan.

Islam needs a Martin Luther Posted: 03 Nov 2013 05:37 PM PST Martin Luther classified Pope Leo X as the true Satan (the Devil) or the anti-Christ and the Church of Rome as the ultimate Kingdom of Hell. Because of his very ferocious attack on the Church, Martin Luther was reprimanded by the Pope and was eventually excommunicated for his protesting. His followers soon became known as Protestors and the movement called the Protestants. NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin I have actually said this a number of times before: Islam needs a Martin Luther. But it took 1,500 years before Christianity reformed. Since Islam is only about 1,400 years old, we may, therefore, have to wait till the year 2100 before Islam's Martin Luther comes along. On Saturday, I wrote an article called 'About the Crusades'. In that article I spoke about the Christian versus Christian Crusade, which eventually evolved into the Catholic Inquisition against 'deviant' Christians. Let me continue my story from there. There were actually two Inquisitions. We had the 'Medieval Inquisition' of the early second Millennium soon after the Norman invasion of Saxon England and then there was the 'Modern Inquisition' of the Renaissance period of the 1500s. Now, the Catholic Inquisition cost a lot of money and it was draining the coffers of the Vatican. They needed to drastically raise money so a scheme was implemented to raise this money through the selling of Indulgences. This moneymaking scheme was approved by Pope Leo X and basically involved the sale of 'forgiveness', which soon became a considerable source of revenue for the church. This meant that absolution from sins or the pardoning of sins could be bought for a certain amount of money -- meaning trading of salvation for money. This was one bone of contention for many Christians of that time who believed that there was no such thing as absolution from sins, even by the Pope, and especially not for money. Further to that, Pope Leo X, the 'seller' of absolution, owned a lucrative brothel in Rome. He also had mistresses or concubines and a number of illegitimate sons. (On the positive side, he was also patron to Raphael and Michelangelo, which saw the Renaissance period emerge in Europe). This was the second bone of contention. In fact, Pope Leo's predecessor, Pope Julius III, had three daughters and was known for his passion for prostitutes and boys. He also issued a bull to establish St. Peter's whorehouse in Rome. Even earlier than that, during the time of Pope Innocent VIII, the Archbishop of Canterbury had complained about the shameless and immoral lifestyle of the people of the cloth but the Pope had replied, "It is so widespread among the priests and the curia, you will hardly find one without his concubine." The most notorious of the Popes however, was Rodrigo Borgia of Spain, or Pope Alexander VI (Pope Innocent VIII's successor), who had four children. His mistress (he also had a wife) was Gulia Farnese, the 15-year old granddaughter of Pope Innocent VIII. Gulia's brother went on to become Pope Paul III and was nicknamed Cardinal Petticoat because of his many mistresses. Martin Luther, an Augustinian professor of theology at the University of Wittenberg in Germany, despised the Pope and the Vatican and hated the sheer hypocrisy of Catholicism, which he considered 'the root of all evil'. No seat could be closer to the Devil than the Papal Throne, said Martin Luther. And the resemblance of Hell is the Vatican City, he said. Martin Luther classified Pope Leo X as the true Satan (the Devil) or the anti-Christ and the Church of Rome as the ultimate Kingdom of Hell. Because of his very ferocious attack on the Church, Martin Luther was reprimanded by the Pope and was eventually excommunicated for his protesting. His followers soon became known as Protestors and the movement called the Protestants. Martin Luther's attempt to clean out the church rapidly gained international support. This triggered a widespread Reformation movement that saw the birth of an alternative Christian society beyond the control of Rome. In spite of the effort of the Catholic Church to clamp down on this breakaway movement, the Protestant Reformation completely undermined the authority of the Holy Roman Empire and split Europe into two -- Protestants on one side and Roman Catholics on the other. This movement soon enough spread to England and the Protestant-Catholic conflict that started with Henry VIII in the 1500s did not end until the English Civil War about 100 years later, but only after the loss of many lives. It took one man, Martin Luther, to stand up and oppose the corruption and evil in the church. But it took 1,500 years before this could happen and sanity could be restored to Christianity. But the cost to this was that Christianity was split into two with both sides calling each other heretics and apostates (shirik and murtad in Islam). We hope, one day, a Muslim Martin Luther will emerge and who will also reform the Muslim 'church'. God knows Islam is in dire need of reforms. Will 'mainstream' Islam, one day, be considered the Catholicism of the Muslim world with an alternative or competing Islamic reform movement opposing it? If it does happen and if it happens, say, by 2100, I will certainly no longer be around. However, it cannot but happen. If Muslims are to continue the way they are currently going, such as what is happening in Malaysia, Islam will one day be seen as what Catholicism was perceived 500 years ago -- the anti-Christ and the Kingdom of Hell. Yes, we Malaysians talk about change. We scream that we want reforms. But change of the political system alone is not enough. Change has to extend beyond just politics. It must be an absolute cultural, mental, and attitude change that involves more than just politics and touches even religion. In short, we need an Islamic Renaissance period just like what we saw in Europe 500 years ago.

Wanita Umno branch chief punched in the face Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:49 PM PST (TMI) - Wanita Umno Bandar Baru Sentul (1C) chief Norsidah Abu Bakar was punched in the eye during a scuffle with a PAS supporter in Ulu Sedaka when she went to greet voters during the Sungai Limau by-election today. The incident occurred when the 50-year-old refused to move away from the spot after being ordered to do so by several PAS members. Norsidah, accompanied by Seputeh Wanita Umno chief Datuk Azizah Abdul Samad, lodged a police report. Later at a press conference at the Yan district police headquarters, Kedah police chief Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim urged supporters from PAS and BN to adhere to instructions from the police and the Election Commission. Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir expressed his frustration. "This sort of provocation, whether by locals or outsiders, will affect the mood of the voters. BN will not to respond to such provocation. There is no need to," he said during a visit to a polling centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Besar.

Sungai Limau: Mukhriz calls assault on Umno Wanita member regrettable Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:39 PM PST (Bernama) - Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir regrets that an Umno Wanita member was allegedly assaulted during polling for the Sungai Limau state seat by-election. "The effect of the alleged provocation whether by an outsider or people in the constituency is the same as it impacts negatively on Barisan Nasional voters. "We won't respond in kind, no need to react. This stand needs great patience. PAS had loudly announced its peaceful political campaign and we had hoped it could be interpreted accordingly but the reverse occurred. "We were not prejudiced, hoping the by-election will take place in a prudent and courteous atmosphere," he said at Pekan Simpang Tiga, Sungai Limau here today. Seputeh Wanita Umno Division chief Datuk Azizah Abdul Samad today lodged a report at the Yan District Police Headquarters over the punching of a Batu Umno Division Wanita committee member Norsidah Abu Bakar allegedly by a PAS Youth member at Sekolah Ulu Sedaka. Meanwhile, Mukhriz said PAS was still using intimidations to deter voters from coming out to vote. "The situation became uncontrollable. Four, five incidents which took place could have been avoided but they still took place to invoke fear on the voters," he said. He said another tactic used by PAS supporters was to go out in a big group and park their vehicles by the roadsides so that the place became congested to make it difficult for voters. Mukhriz hoped police would taken immediate action to overcome traffic problems and prevent congestion. Meanwhile, he told reporters at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Besar near here today that there should not be any provocation in the by-election. He urged voters to come out early to perform their duties. Mukhriz had arrived at the voters checking centre near Sekolah Kebangsaan Bukit Besar at 10.50am. He then stopped by at a food stall near Bukit Besar which was crowded with supporters of PAS. His presence was well received by them. The Sungai Limau state seat by-election today saw a straight fight between Barisan Nasional candidate Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim and Mohd Azam Abd Samat of PAS.

In Sungai Limau, Mukhriz claims pro-Pakatan crowds scaring away BN voters Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:37 PM PST (MM) - Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir appeared today to accuse the opposition of orchestrating crowds of supporters to block voters from casting their ballots in Sungai Limau, even suggesting that traffic snarl could cost Barisan Nasional (BN) the state seat. The first-term Kedah mentri besar who was part of the BN team that culled Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in the rice bowl state during Election 2013, alleged that the crowds, some of which had reportedly turned rowdy, were frightening away Sungai Limau voters from casting their ballots. "I've heard reports of fights outside some polling centres earlier and that the roads to all polling centres are jammed, both of which are tactics used by the opposition to deter voters from casting their votes," he said in a brief press conference when he visited the BN Simpang Tiga operations centre here, just opposite the SJKC Aik Min polling centre. He added that it was not surprising for the opposition to use such tactics to scare away voters, pointing out that if more were to turn up to vote, BN would have a higher chance of wresting the seat from PAS. "I will advise our BN supporters not to react to the opposition's provocation but to be more patient as we hope for the peaceful political atmosphere here to continue even on this last day," he said. He appeared to accuse PR of starting the skirmishes, even claiming that a PAS supporter had hit a female BN supporter outside one of the polling centres here. "I had hoped for a peaceful polling day so it is disappointing that this is to happen today, which will negatively impact BN voters," he said. He also urged the traffic police to take control of the traffic conditions so that voters can get to the polling centres. "We hope more Sungai Limau voters will come out to vote as the more voters cast their votes, BN will have a higher chance of winning," he said. As at 2pm, the Elections Commission spokesperson said a total of 18,843 or 69.22 per cent of voters have cast their votes. Polling closes at 5pm and the EC expects to announce the results by 10pm. BN's Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim is going up against PAS' Mohd Azam Abdul Samat for the state seat which has been under PAS for five terms. The seat was vacated after the former Kedah mentri besar Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak died on September 26. He had held the seat after winning it in 1995.

‘PKR more than just Anwar’s party’ Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:22 PM PST In an exclusive interview, PKR leader Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad explains how PKR's purpose is beyond becoming a platform for Anwar Ibrahim to become prime minister. Anisah Shukry, FMT A party formed by Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail in the aftermath of husband Anwar Ibrahim's 1998 fall from grace, PKR has had an uphill battle convincing voters that it's more than a vehicle of Anwar's vengeance towards BN. Within 14 years of its inception, the party suffered through two disappointing elections, saw its "patron" freed from prison, and eventually, with the help of party allies PAS and DAP, dealt a near-fatal blow to Barisan Nasional in the 2013 elections. Despite its immense growth, critics have accused it as being a "family party" – claims not helped by the fact that its president is Wan Azizah, its de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, and daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar is a vice-president. But one of the party's youngest members and rising stars, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who was only 16 when Anwar was imprisoned, insists he was attracted to the party not because of the Anwar factor, but because of reformasi. Reformasi was the rallying call of Anwar and his supporters after he was sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998. It sparked several demonstrations against the BN government, before eventually dying down after he was arrested and jailed. "I joined because I saw reformasi's potential for something that can capture the imagination of Malaysians for new politics that go beyond race and religion – about democracy, rule of law, transparency and all that," Nik Nazmi told FMT in an exclusive interview. The young leader became active in PKR in 2001, while only 19-years-old, before becoming an official member in 2005. He eventually contested — and won — the Seri Setia state assembly seat in 2008, despite being the youngest candidate contesting in the elections. He retained his position in the recent May 5 polls. "It's unfair to say that we are Anwar Ibrahim's party. Some people said in 1999 we were established for Anwar's release. But we still carried on (even after he was freed). If it was just going to be about Anwar's release then we would have closed shop." He said this was why he believed many leaders had since left the party – because they were under the illusion that the party centred on Anwar's release from prison. "But people like me, the reformasi generation, we got into the party because we believed that the party is about securing justice for all Malaysians," said Nik Nazmi, who has risen from the ranks to become the Selangor State Assembly Deputy Speaker. Nik Nazmi was not apologetic over the fact that PKR's top positions was filled by Anwar's family, nor that Anwar was given the position of de facto leader. The former PKR communications director reminded the public that Anwar was only made de facto leader after they learned he was not allowed to run for the party's presidency. "We were under threat of being de-registered because he (Anwar Ibrahim)…had just been released from prison. A five year gap was needed, and the party elections was held before the five years were up," he explained. "So the only way for him to lead the party was as de facto leader." Nik Nazmi pointed out that Wan Azizah had won the party presidency "fair and square" since 1999 and her role in the party must be acknowledged. Similarly, Nurul Izzah garnered the highest number of votes when she contested the vice-president position. "So I believe that if you ask anyone, many will say that Wan Azizah and Nurul Izzah have proven that they are politicians with their own strengths, appeal and merit," he said. READ MORE HERE

What more do Pakatan reps want? Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:15 PM PST FMT LETTER, From Richard Loh, via email Get down to work! That is what I and the voters would have wanted those Pakatan Rakyat MPs and state assemblypersons who have been elected in GE 13 to do. You should know better the differences between an elected representative and party position. Know your position and standing inside the party before you decide to stand as candidate. Once you are elected, the voters are hopeful that you will perform your duty as an MP or assemblyperson of the party you represented and there is no turning back till the next general election. You cannot just decide to turn independent and side with Umno/BN because you have internal problems with your party, that is your individual problem and not the voters. There is always room for discussion and solution to resolve any internal conflict that you may face inside your party. If you cannot resolved your problem internally and decided that leaving the party and turn independent (but sided with Umno/BN) is the way, it shows that you are not suitable to be an elected representative. Hence the only way for you is to resign and let voters decide a more suitable candidate in a by election. Ask yourself why you joined the party and being selected to stand as candidate which you finally won. Is it because of you that voters voted you and not the party? If you were to stand as an independent do you think you can win? As far as I know up till GE13, majority of voters have voted along party line and not an individual. If you are not happy because you cannot get what you want, be it power, position or monetary, by all means please leave. Or because you cannot accept criticism within your party, then leave, as voters can see that you won't be able to accept their criticism as well. READ MORE HERE

A classic spin by Ambiga Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:11 PM PST FMT LETTER, From Yuktes Vijay, via email I refer to S Ambiga's comments published in FMT. Ambiga states her reason for withdrawing from the debate was because it was premature to discuss the tribunal's finding when it was incomplete. It is a lie. A classic spin. In my first e-mail to the moderator, I had proposed the following title : "Title of debate: TRIBUNAL RAKYAT 2.0 Subject: BERSIH's People Tribunal had submitted its findings on GE 13. The findings indicate and suggest that but for a cleaner election the Government would have changed. Was this a fair or a bias finding. Discuss" It is clearly stated there that "the submitted findings" is what I intend to debate. After the moderator informed me of her reason of not wanting to debate, I clarified with another e-mail that it is not the tribunal findings that I would like to discuss. The true nature of the so-called Iron Lady can be seen with this quote from her published in FMT: "But he kept insisting to the moderators later that he only wanted to debate about the findings," she said." Firstly how can I insist when it was not even what I suggested in the first place? And I had clarified her wrong presumption (now I know it is an excuse) through my 2nd email via the assigned moderator. In short it is the "submitted findings" that I would like to debate about. Ambiga is trying to play with the word "finding" here in order to generate an excuse. However, sadly, those very DNA is in me too. Why would I want to debate about Bersih or more like, what can we both debate about Bersih? Topics on the source of their fundings or the fact that Bersih actually consist of 60 unregistered NGOs does not appeal to me or has any benefit to any Malaysians. Perhaps, we can debate on the links to George Soros, a convicted criminal and someone who has personally taken credit for creating chaos in various countries. The link to George Soros can be seen with NGOs like WAMI, SUARAM and Lawyers for Liberty who are part of the Bersih coalition receiving funds in the form of grants from George Soros funded NED organization. In fact Ambiga herself has admitted that Bersih itself receives funds from NED. READ MORE HERE

Sabah PKR defections: Blame Anwar Posted: 03 Nov 2013 03:01 PM PST A Sabah party assemblyman claims Anwar Ibrahim had promised to help finance their service centres but nothing has yet reached them. Luke Rintod, FMT PKR's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's unfulfilled promise to help financially the party's assemblymen in Sabah is believed to be the real reason behind the impending defection of two of its elected representatives. The two assemblymen speculated to leave PKR this week are Matunggong's Jelani Hamdan and Kadamaian's Jeremmy Ukoh Malajad. Local party insiders claimed that Sabah PKR might also lose two other assemblymen and its single MP soon, if the opposition party leaders reneged on the promise to give financial aids for representatives to operate their service centres. A Sabah PKR assemblyman who declined to be named told FMT that Anwar had pledged, post general election, to help financially the party's elected representatives but thus far there's been no news. The general election was in May. "Soon after the general election, Anwar promised these assemblymen the party would chip in to kick-start the operation or service centres of Sabah assemblymen. "Even Lajim Ukin (had since appointed to head Sabah PKR) talked of the same offer of help from PKR," the assemblyman said. PKR is currently in control of the rich Selangor state in Peninsular, while its counterparts DAP and PAS control the states of Penang and Kelantan respectively. According to the assemblyman, Sabah PKR leaders started to lose hope and confidence in the PKR leadership which they claimed is embroiled in its own internal bickering both at state and national levels. "PKR itself has internal problems, not mentioning its difficult relationships with DAP and PAS. "Anwar's promise to help sounded good but we have not seen any concrete help taking place and there is no sign it is going to be fulfilled, not until PKR assemblymen had left," added the assemblyman. READ MORE HERE

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