Malayur News: 08/29/09

Saturday 29 August 2009

Kampung Buah Pala - "Stop quibbling?"

Khalid calls for town hall meeting after cow head protest

By Neville Spykerman - The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Aug 29 -Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today moved to ease tensions here after yesterday's provocative protests against the construction of a Hindu temple, and said the state government will hold a town hall meeting with local residents.

Despite initial evidence which suggests the 50-odd protesters who left a bloody cow's head at the entrance of the state secretariat were not locals, he said the state government would go ahead with a dialogue with local residents.

Yesterday, dozens of Malay-Muslims claiming to be local residents marched to the state secretariat and threatened bloodshed if the state government went ahead with plans to allow the construction of a Hindu temple in what they claimed was inhabited mainly by Muslims.

They left a cow's head in front of the state secretariat in an act seen as highly provocative because Hindus consider the animal sacred.

The Selangor mentri besar said today that he regretted the provocative, offensive and deliberate religious slurs by the small group of irresponsible people.

As we prepare to celebrate Malaysia’s 52nd Merdeka anniversary, it is appalling that such religious intolerance still exists among our fellow Malaysians.”

The group, who are against the relocation of a Hindu temple to Section 23, had carried out the protest outside the state secretariat yesterday.

Khalid appealed for calm and urged the public not to react or be provoked because to react would only create further discord among Malaysians.

“Although the protestors’ conduct must be condemned, we should allow the law to take its due process.”

He called on the police to act without fear or favour and conduct a fair investigation on the threats made by the demonstrators against state leaders.

He said the state had directed Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) to hold an open discussion on September 5, 2009 which would be attended by the actual residents of Section 23, city council officials and the representatives of Selangor Development Corporation.

“The meeting will allow all parties to express their views and give the state an opportunity to present clear and correct facts surrounding its decision to relocate the current temple from Section 19 to Section 23.”

In the meantime Section 23 residents are being urged not to allow themselves to be influenced by the distorted facts presented by interested parties who have politicized the issue.

“As we have stressed earlier, all those involved must be considerate, rational and mutually respectful as this is the only way for the matter to be settled amicably.”

OCPD: Volatile situation ‘did not permit’ police action

ACP Noor Azam Jamaludin … ‘we did not want to spark more anger’. – Picture by Choo Choy May

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani - The Malaysian Insider

SHAH ALAM, Aug 29 – Shah Alam OCPD ACP Noor Azam Jamaludin today explained that the police had failed to act during the cow-head demonstration at the state secretariat because the situation “did not permit” them to do so.

“We saw the situation was not right because we did not want to spark more anger but we will take actions based on other evidences that we have. We will take action based on evidence and against those who have been identified,” Azam said.

Dozens of riot police stood by and watched as protesters brought the severed cow-head to the Selangor state secretariat and stomped on it.

The act, which is offensive to Hindus who regard the cow as sacred, was carried out by a group of 50 protesters who oppose the relocation of the Sri Mahamariamman Temple to Section 23 to Section 19, claiming the area is mainly occupied by Malay-Muslims.

The 150-year-old temple was built on a plantation which over the years was developed into housing estates by the Selangor Development Corporation (PKNS). No provisions were made to relocate the temple, which is now in the middle of a Muslim majority area.

Azam assured that the police will begin investigation immediately based on the reports that they have received and the report that the police made yesterday.

The police will be arresting the protestors under section 27 (5) of the Police Act and Sedition Act.

Azam also advised the public to be patient and not to take drastic actions because the police “will bring justice to those responsible.”

“I regret what happened, the cow-head should not have been used as an issue. We will take action and identify who are involved and responsible for the head,” he said.

Azam also confirmed that the police will increase their presence in section 23.

“We won’t compromise where safety is concerned. I do not want any racial fighting like what was said in the mosque,” he said.

Malaysians live cheaply but paid poorly, too

AUG 29 – It pays to work in Switzerland: employees in Zurich and Geneva have the highest net wages in the world, a study by banking group UBS shows, while those in India’s Mumbai take home the lowest.

The world’s cheapest places to live were Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, Manila in the Philippines, and India’s Delhi and Mumbai. But the average employee in many of these cities, as well as Jakarta and Nairobi, gets paid some of the world’s lowest salaries which have between 11 per cent and 15 per cent of the purchasing power of a salary in Zurich.

The Swiss cities were also ranked among the top five most expensive in the world in the bank’s 2009 “Price and Earnings” international study.

“With its extremely high gross wages and comparatively low tax rates, Switzerland is a very employee-friendly country,” the Swiss bank said in a statement.

“No other cities allows workers to take home more income at the end of the month than Zurich and Geneva.”

The study, published every three years, compares the income and purchasing power of employees in 73 cities across the globe, highlighting wide discrepancies in wages between different regions, and even within the same country.

The biggest gaps were found in Asia, the study said, with Tokyo ranking as one of the world’s five costliest cities while the capitals of developing countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and India were all at the bottom of the price range.

Oslo was this year’s most expensive city, based on a standardised basket of 122 goods and services, followed by Zurich, Copenhagen, Geneva, Tokyo and New York.

When rents are factored in, however, New York rises to the top spot, the study said.

This year, the bank said currency fluctuations caused by the global economic crisis affected the rankings of several cities, most notably London, which was the second most expensive city in 2006, but which fell nearly 20 places following the pound’s drop earlier this year.

The analysis involved more than 30,000 data points, collected by several independent observers in each city, in March and April, the bank said. All amounts were converted into a single currency before being compared.

“An average wage-earner in Zurich and New York can buy an iPod nano from an Apple store after nine hours of work. At the other end of the spectrum, workers in Mumbai need to work 20 nine-hour days, roughly the equivalent of one month’s salary,” the study said.

Working hours also varied in the cities surveyed, with the study finding that on average, people in Asian and Middle Eastern cities work much more than the global average of 1,902 hours per year.

Overall, the most hours are worked in Cairo, followed by Seoul, while the least hours worked were in Lyon and Paris. – Reuters

The cow-head sacrilege an ominous warning that Najib’s first National Day celebration as Prime Minister will go down as a Black National Day if the ge

By Lim Kit Siang,

All patriotic Malaysians of goodwill and reason must condemn in the strongest possible terms the cowhead sacrilege in Shah Alam yesterday where a group of protestors claiming to be residents of Section 23 in the area protested the construction of a Hindu temple and threatened bloodshed and committed the ultimate act of religious insensitivity, insult and offence to Hindus by severing the head of a cow and stomping on it.

If such an ultimate act of religious insensitivity, insult and offence had been committed against Islam, Utusan Malaysia would have gone to town not only with full front-page coverage and denunciation, probably half the newspaper today would be devoted to it. Why the thundering silence from Utusan Malaysia?

In other multi-religious societies, such an ultimate act of religious insensitivity, insult and offence to one of the major religions in the country would have led to mayhem, riots and loss of lives and it bespeaks of the high degree of maturity, mutual tolerance, goodwill and co-existence that cool heads had prevailed in the response to such a deplorable act of sacrilege.

In a multi-religious society, the act of sacrilege to one religion must be regarded as an act of sacrilege to all other religions and the entire nation.

Let this serve as a overarching consensus of all political parties, mass media, NGOs and Malaysians if we cherish and love this nation.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak is to be commended for his quick response in ordering the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Musa Hassan to take swift action against those responsible for the cowhead sacrilege.

But why was the police so slow in its response to such a public act of religious sacrilege, when tardiness in dealing with “national security threats” had never been a weakness of the Royal Malaysian Police Force?

Police intelligence cannot be so obsolete that it is not aware of the act of sacrilege being planned and executed, when the organizers had taken pains to ensure that their protest would get the maximum mass media coverage – reported, photographed and videoed!

With two days to go before August 31, the cow-head sacrilege must serve as an ominous warning that Najib’s first National Day celebration as Prime Minister will go down as a Black National Day if the genii of racism and religious chicanery are allowed to get out of the bottle – as in plural Malaysia there is not just one genie but many genii threatening to tear apart the multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural fabric of Malaysia.

It must deeply trouble all right-thinking Malaysians regardless of race, religion or political affiliation that despite Najib’s 1Malaysia policy to serve as an overarching inclusive policy to build a united nation of diverse races, religions, languages and cultures, recent trends have worked in the opposite direction.

The past weeks in particular have seen various top political leaders and mass media acting with utter impunity and immunity to crank up racial and religious animosities to polarize the country along race and religious lines – as happened in the recent Permatang Pasir by-election – making a total mockery and repudiation of Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan.

These divisive, polarizing, centrifugal forces emanating from top official directions must stop if Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan is not to meet an even quicker end of all Prime Ministerial mottos – including Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s short-lived “Islam Hadhari”.

UMNO stirring the racial pot in Seksyen 23 – Shah Alam

HINDRAF condemns the latest incident involving the act of placing a severed cow’s head outside the gates of the state secretariat building in Selangor.

HINDRAF believes UMNO and their cohorts in the Royal Police Force (PDRM) organized this act that is inflammatory with an intention to incite and create racial hatred and feelings between the Muslims and Hindus.

These perpetrators were able to walk over 300 metres in open public and conduct their seditious speeches calling openly for bloodshed, and racial chaos without any interference from the police force. So far nothing has been done by the PDRM or the AG’s department other than issuing lip service statements.

Selangor Police chief Khalid Abu Bakar states “If a report is lodged, we will definitely take the necessary action,". Here we are talking about an outright and outrageous act in fanning racial hatred that could threaten the public security and he claims he needs a police report before an action can be taken.

The police had on many previous occasions brutally arrested and questioned peaceful protesters without any reasons for fear of public security, but they would need a report before they can take any action for those inciting violence and parading in the public with a severed cow’s head to undermine the sensitivity of the Hindus. This is absurd and nonsensical.

Who else could practice such double standard other the UMNO led government and its stooges and that is why HINDRAF believes that this is the work of the UMNO government to create unrest in Selangor.

There is no distinction between a muslim dominated area and non muslim dominated area as Malaysia is one multiracial and multicultural society living together side by side in co-existence in respect of each other’s race, religious practice and beliefs.

Instead of promoting harmony amongst Malaysians, UMNO is fast becoming the public threat by protecting such devious and extremist acts.

UMNO should curtail such irresponsible acts rather than seeding and sowing hatred, bullying extremist elements and fascist mindset amongst the fanatical Muslims for their own political survival.

PM Najib has to immediately issue a statement and make a firm stand on the subject and not delegate this paramount duty to his “mandores” and eventually hoping for the whole issue to be swept under the carpet.

If the AG’s department fails to charge these perpetrators, HINDRAF would proceed to formally lodge complaints with the UN Human Rights Council, European Parliament, UK Foreign affairs select committee and the Global Human Rights Defence based in The Hague.

In solidarity for a harmonious Malaysia Hindraf calls upon all peaceful citizens who respect and cherish Religious Freedom and the right to co-exist to join us on a peaceful candle vigil at Dataran Merdeka on 5thSeptember 2009 at 6.45pm

Thank you.

P. Waytha Moorthy

Chairman
HINDRAF

Need To Educate People On Showing Patriotism - Dr Rais

JELEBU, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim said on Friday Malaysians still depended on Merdeka Day celebrations organised by the government to show their patriotism.

He said it was saddening that many of them thought twice about spending RM3 to buy a small (national) flag.

"We can distribute flags once in a while, but we have to educate the people to be like those in Singapore and Indonesia where love for the country is inculcated through the family," he told reporters after presenting donations to flood victims in Kampung Triang, Kampung Petaling and Kampung Gagu, here.

Ninety-five families were handed the donations which came from the Negeri Sembilan government and Dr Rais himself as the Member of Parliament for Jelebu.

"The people must understand that love for the country must come spontaneously and not through prodding," he said.

Dr Rais said he felt that the spirit of patriotism among the people had to be strengthened and added that he was sure the situation would change for the better.

On the moderate scale of the Merdeka celebration on Aug 31 due to the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic, he said the activity to usher in Merdeka at midnight would be of a religious nature.

He said Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin would lead worshippers at a mosque, Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Tan Sri Bernard Dompok at a church, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat at a Chinese temple and MIC secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam at a Hindu temple.

These worshippers would pray for peace and prosperity of the country, he said.

Dr Rais said this would be the first Merdeka Day celebration to focus on the religious aspect and that this would be carried on in the future.

Unpublished Media Statement on Kg Buah Pala

This Q & A is based on media statement made by YB Lim Guan Eng and unreported media statement by the Villagers
on Kg Buah Pala Land Scandal

These YB Lim Guan Eng Statements can be verified and validated by way of newspaper reporting and the Village Statement can be verified by contacting Mr.Sugumaran/ Selvaraju/ Thamaraj at the Village.

It is very unfortunate that some main media chose to edit indiscriminately the truth.

Please pass on this email if you wish to help the oppresed by the Government.

Question 1
Reporter : Why did Pakatan Govt issued the Title for the Village Land on 27/3/2008 ?

YB Lim Guan Eng: It was merely admistrative process and it was approved by BN Govt previously.

Villagers : It is true that BN tried to steal Our Land .
That is the reason We campaigned and supported DAP to win in Election in 2008
We believed and trusted in DAP YBs promise to save Our Land from Land Scam.
We campaigned with Our Heart & Soul to ensure DAP victory and that DAP will save Our Land!!
Question 2

Reporter : Did Pakatan YBs made promises to the Village to save the Land during election??

YB Lim Guan Eng : I did not make any promises to anybody !! Maybe some other YBs did.. but not me!!

Villagers : YB Anwar , YB Karpal, YB Ramasamy.... all these people knew about our village land scam
and they promised to save Our Land from Land Scam if they formed the State Government.
We have video recordings of their promises!!

Question 3

Reporter : Couldnt the Pakatan Govt save the land from Land Scam??

YB Lim Guan Eng : We couldnt... The BN Govt is the Land Robber... ( declassified the BN EXCO minutes to prove!!)

Villagers : BN EXCO last approval on 25/4/07 should have lapsed and expired in 3 months..ie about 25/8/07!!
S.81 National Land Code
Further BN had preconditions that the interest and welfare of the villagers to be addressed first before
issuance of the title.
BN reduced the premium from RM6.4m to RM 3.2m because the compensation payable by the Developer
to the Villagers.
BN never issued the Title to the Developer because we never accepted any settlement for Our Land

during BN times!!

When Lim Guan Eng Govt came to power.. they had clean piece of paper to give us Our Land.
It was Lim Guan Eng Govt who accepted the premium of RM 2.24 m from the Developer on 14/3/2008.
It was Lim Guan Eng Govt who issued the Land Title on 27/3/2008 without addresing our interest!
The Developer wouldnt have paid the premium of RM2.24m without fresh approval from Government!!

YB Lim Guan Eng should declassify all EXCO minutes including DAP EXCO minutes and document
on Our Land!!

Question 4

Reporter : Couldnt Pakatan Govt acquire the Land or try to save the Land???

YB Lim Guan Eng: It wil cost the Govt RM 150m to acquire the Land.. I should think about 1.5m penang people
and not about or 24 houses in the village!

Villagers : Mr Derrick Fernandez ( Selangor Pakatan Legal Advisor ) have recommended that Penang Pakatan
Government can acquire back & save the Land and need only refund RM3.2m to the Developer
in view of the " Restriction of Interest" as at 27/3/2008 on the Land Title and the statement by
YB Lim Guan Eng that Pakatan Govt had never approve anything in respect of the Land for
Development.

Since there is restriction on the land as at 27/3/2008 and Lim Guan Eng Govt did not approve
anything... what is stopping Lim Guan Eng Govt from saving the Land worth RM 150m???

Question 5

Reporter : Why dont the State Government consider Mr.Derrick Fernandez proposal to the State ?

YB Lim Guan Eng : There isnt any precedent to support Mr. Derrick proposal.

Villagers : Wouldnt anyone with a reasonable mind who have lost the land worth rm150m
would try to save land especially when distinguished lawyer like Mr.Derrick
strongly recommends the acquisition and to offer refund only RM3.2m.to the Developer.
Mr.Derrick Legal Opinion have yet to be challenged by anyone!!!!

Perhaps YB Lim Guan Eng have other arrangement with the Developer???

Question 6

Reporter : Why dont You allow lawyers to represent the Villagers in any negotiation with the State?

YB Lim Guan Eng: I dont want outsiders to influence the villagers.

Villagers : We trusted all the DAP lawyers.. Karpal Singh.. Rayer... look where are we now???
We need independent lawyers to advise and intepret on whatever proposal by the State.
We dont want to end up with " Empty Promises" again
We are open to negotiate with the State on how to save the land or alternate housing.

Question 7

Reporter : What is the state proposal to the Villagers??

YB Lim Guan Eng : We will offer them RM200,000.00

Villagers : Firstly it is sham offer... Lim Guan Eng claimed that he will try to claim RM 200,000 from the
Federal Government for us and he wants us to fight along with him against the Federal Govt!!

Secondly We are not interested in any financial offers... We are losing our homes and land!!!
The State Government have not filed any documents in Court to save the Land!!
We want the State Government to honour their election promises to us.

Question 8

Reporter : The Villagers refused Your offer.. what is the next course of action?

YB Lim Guan Eng: The Villagers are being unreasonable .. they are being influenced by Hindraf & MIC.
They are squatters and they should be reasonable.

Villagers : We are poor villagers .. We only want to save our homes... We appreciate any help
from anyone in our cause to save our homes let it be Hindraf, MIC, Jerit, PSN,
Obviously Pakatan is not interested to help us!!!

We are not squatters. Our Land was held under British Title Lot 698 Crown Trust.
It was Lim Guan Eng Govt who caused the Court to declare us squatters because it was
Lim Guan Eng Govt who issued the Malaysian Title to the Developer on 27/3/2008
without addressing Our interest on the Land

BN never replaced Our Land Title nor issued any title to any Developer in their 30 years in Power
in Penang even though 3 other Developers have tried since 1970s because none of developer was able
persuade us to accept the compensation to settle our interest on the Land held under Lot 698 Crown
Trust.

Lim Guan Eng Govt owes a duty to explain to the People of Penang on how Our Land held under
Lot 698 Crown Trust being replaced by Malaysian Title PT 59 to the Developer on the 27/3/2008!!!

Question 9 ( after meeting villager without their lawyers)

Reporter : What is the State Proposal to the Villagers?

YB Lim Guan Eng: Villager are going to get a Double Storey House worth RM 500k .

Villager : It is another sham offer because the offer by the Developer is only stated in 1 1/2 piece paper
without any certainty of terms. duration or guarantee by the State. The Developer stated
will not guarantee anything in the " so called" offer letter !!!

We are being forced to sign the UNFAIR Offer within 24hours with threat of demolition of Our houses
in the event we do not sign the offer and vacate peacefully!!! This is a BLACKMAIL!!!

All We wanted was the State Government to guarantee the offer and ensure the houses to be built for us.

What can we do if the Developer does not build the houses upon completion of the Oasis Project
after 3 years?
What if the Developer become Bankrupt??
What is our houses are located next to sewage plant??
What if Our houses are made of planks n zinc??

Question 10

Reporter : What is your opinion that the Villager rejected Your offer??

YB Lim Guan Eng : Most accepted the offer . But some of them are unreasonable and greedy!!!
Some want RM 3.2 m each!!!

Villagers : Some villagers signed the sham offer out of fear because of the bulldozers demolishing their homes.

Principaly the Villagers agreeable to accept the house offers but want the state government to guarantee
the Agreement and fine tune the Agreement with definite certain terms and specification and duration.

YB Lim Guan Eng is only interested to paint us as Black Sheep in the media to justify his ignorance towards
Our plight and suffering.

The State should accept our alternative proposal to relocate us to adjecent piece of 2acre Land
to resettle Our Village and to maintain the cultural and heritage value of the Village.

Question 11

Reporter : Have you considered the alternative proposal by the Villagers??

YB Lim Guan Eng : Giving Double Storey House is already dangerous precedent for squatters.
There is no precedence by BN Govt to relocate the village at alternative land.

Villagers : We were not squatters until the Lim Guan Eng Govt made us to be in Court of Law!!!

We have been compromising to resolve the stalement and yet Lim Guan Eng is only interested
to play up media to portray us as unreasonable and greedy.

We believed that We change the Government to ensure that people are better represented and
the corrupted ways of BN will finaly come to end.

It is sad that Lim Guan Eng Govt wants to follow BN corrupted precedence and to deny us the adjecent
2 acre state land to resettle our village inspite it caused Our Land to be robbed by the Developer!!

We wonder what have happen to DAP Slogan " Let Change It"!!!

Question 12

Reporter : What is your opinion that the Villagers are seeking help from Federal Government?

YB Lim Guan Eng : They are seeking help from those who robbed them.
We have tried our best and we shall not dwelve further to negotiate with the villagers.

Villagers : We are seeking help from anyone who wish to help us .... let it be Pakatan or BN..
We are about to homeless.. do we have any option to choose???
We are not stopping Pakatan or DAP YBs to come forward to help us and infact
We welcome Pakatan & DAP YBs since they are in power in Penang.

We dont understand the reason Pakatan & DAP YBs refused to come to Village and talk to us
... usualy whenever there is BN cruelty.. they will the first and jostling each other in front of
the camera to help the weak and the oppressed!!!

We are not politicians... We are just poor farmers who want to save our homes..
We are not expert in media stunts and propaganda!!!

We have been compromising and willing to negotiate for amicable settlement. Our Village is open
to anyone who wish to help us.

Lim Guan Eng Govt is government appointed by the people to serve the people.
300 penangnites about to be made homeless !!!
Perhaps the glitteries of CM office have disillusioned Lim Guan Eng of his responsibilities to the people!!!

Notes:

Presently the Glugor Division UMNO have voluntered to mediate between the Villagers and the Developer to reach an amicable settlement.

The Cooperative have in principle agreed to allocate 1.5 acre land for the State Government to acquire at a nominal
price to build houses for the villagers with the compensation payment from Nusmetro.

This Cooperative offer have been conveyed to the State Government and the Villagers are waiting for reply from the
State Government on the offer from the Cooperative.

The Villagers welcome all to the village.

Rgds

Suara Rakyat Penang

Temple demo: Residents march with cow's head

Lets Celebrate Merdeka in Kg.Buah Pala

Everyone is welcome to celebrate Merdeka in a Village environment in the ground of Kg.Buah Pala on the 31st Aug. Activities will be updated soon.. Happy Merdeka! Villager would like to set free themself from the all the pressures and stress from various authorities and ill wishers, please join us for the celebration, lets show that we are a good citizen of this Nation! Dont sympathize us, we want to just celebrate! Lets Have Fun together!

(KBPMS) Kg.Buah Pala monitoring System.

Surveillance camera in the RTM building facing the Village.

There are about 5-7 surveillance cameras attached surrounding Kg.Buah Pala today, the same happended a week before the 13th August demolishent attempt. We are not sure if it is a tool for monitoring the crowd by the developer, State Government or the Police Force. Only they know what they are monitoring!

Azhar calls Penang government ?bigger robbers?

Azhar calls Penang government ‘bigger robbers’

PENANG, Aug 11 — Opposition leader Datuk Azhar Ibrahim today labelled the current Penang state government as ‘bigger robbers’ for accepting the balance of RM2.2 million from the sale of Kampung Buah Pala.

Azhar (BN-Penaga) said if Barisan Nasional (BN) are labelled as ‘robbers’ for selling the land, the Pakatan-led government are ‘bigger robbers’ for accepting the balance of the premium.

“If they called us robbers for accepting RM1 million as part payment for the sale of the land, then, they are ‘bigger robbers’ for accepting the balance of RM2.2 million,” said Azhar when Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was winding up debate on the Penang Hill Corporation Bill 2009 at the state assembly sitting today.

Azhar said the endorsement of the land was also done by the current state government on March 27, 2008 after the balance of the premium was received on March 14, 2008.

Lim however said, the present government did not sign any documents pertaining to Kampung Buah Pala, but rather just continued what was done by the previous BN government.

“Why did the BN government sell the land for such a low price? asked Lim.

Syed Amerruddin Syed Ahmad (BN-Bayan Lepas) immediately stood up to clarify that the land price was cheap because Kampung Buah Pala was swapped for another piece of land next to Dewan Sri Pinang which was owned by Koperasi Pegawai Kerajaan Pulau Pinang (KPKPP).

“So, the low price of the land does not arise because the sale of the land was done according to the proper procedures. But before BN could complete the deal, there was a change in the government,” he said.

Lim later said the state government viewed the Kampung Buah Pala issue seriously and would do everything possible to guarantee the welfare of the residents. – Bernama

Temple demo: Residents march with cow's head - Malaysiakini

Some 50 residents enraged with the proposed relocation of a Hindu temple to their area staged a noisy protest with a severed cow's head this afternoon.

The residents - from Section 23 in Shah Alam - who gathered after the Friday prayers, placed the head outside the gates of the state secretariat building for a short period before removing it.

"Where is Xavier? This head is for him," shouted one of the protesters in reference to Selangor executive councillor Dr Xavier Jeyakumar.

Jeyakumar is one of those in charge of non-Muslim affairs in the state.

Earlier, the protesters had marched some 300m from the state mosque to the state secretariat building.

The protesters also condemned Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim, exco member Rodziah Ismail (as the area falls under her state constituency) and Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad.

Before dispersing, several protesters spat and stomped on the cow's head. The cow is considered sacred among Hindus.

Addressing the crowd, Section 23 action committee deputy chair Ibrahim Sabri said: "If there is blood, you (the state government) will be responsible if you are adamant about building the temple."

"This is a warning. Relocate the temple to Section 22. This cow is a present to the state government. This is a gift from us," he added.

The protesters also carried several banners which among others read 'Take Beer' (mocking PAS' rallying cry of 'Takbir') and 'Illegal temples are very small, but once relocated, they are as big as Putrajaya'.

The crowd gathered for about 15 minutes at the main entrance of the state secretariat building under the watch of more than a dozen police personnel.

'We'll not budge an inch'

Speaking to reporters later, Action Committee chair Mahyuddin Manaf warned that the state government must give in or the residents would retaliate.

"We will not budge one inch, even if lives are lost or blood is made to flow. We will still defend Section 23 from having a temple built there," he said.

He added that a protest memorandum was forwarded to the state government two months ago but there has been no response.

Contacted later, Mahyuddin distanced his organisation from the act of bringing the cow head to the protest.

"It is not our intention. We were surprised," he said, denying that the act was intended to insult Hindus.

He said that the cow head was likely brought by angry residents.

"Maybe, they meant it (as a symbol of) stupidity. In Malay culture, the cow is a symbol of stupidity, or leaders that are stupid," he said.

On Aug 11, the state government announced that the relocation of the temple from Section 19 to Section 23 was final and will be situated 200m from the nearest house and 400m from a surau.

The temple will face an industrial lot and will be separated from the houses by a playground and a multi-purpose hall.

However, some residents felt that it was not appropriate to build a temple in a Muslim-majority area.

The Pakatan Rakyat state government accused rivals Umno of instigating the crowd to protest the relocation.

Jeyakumar to lodge police report

In an immediate reaction, a furious Jeyakumar described the protest as "unwarranted, unacceptable and without sensitivity towards other religions."

He also said that he will lodge a police report on the matter soon.

"These people should have ethics. They are inciting racial and religious hatred. I am going to lodge a police report against these people," he told Malaysiakini.

He also expressed disappointment towards the police personnel at the scene for not taking any action against the protesters.

"The police didn't stop anybody. The police should have arrested them and charged them for inciting hatred," he said, adding that he could tolerate with "ethical" demonstrations.

Jeyakumar is slated to meet Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar and other police officers over the matter tomorrow.

Khairy: What if they burn the Quran over a mosque? - Malaysiakini

Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has strongly condemned the protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple where angry residents paraded a severed cow's head this afternoon.

Calling on the protesters to reflect on their action, he asked: "How would you feel if the proposal to build a mosque in a non-Muslim area - which is already happening - leads a group of non-Muslims to burn and stomp on the Quran?"

"Would not the Malays rise with anger? If yes, then parading with a cow's head is just as insulting?" he added.

Khairy warned that such emotional acts could jeopardise peace in the country.

"If the residents were dissatisfied with the proposal to build a temple in their area, they should have used the existing channels to air their grouses," he said.

'Islam does not condone this'

He said although a memorandum submitted earlier by the residents might have failed to change the state government's stand on the issue, it was not an excuse to demonstrate in such an insulting manner as if this was an uncivilised country.

The Umno Youth leader added that he was saddened that the protest was done in the name of Malay non-governmental organisations and after Friday prayers in the month of Ramadhan.

"I believe this is not an action condoned by Islam, a religion which espouses humility and respect for other religions. This act is surely to anger the Hindus," he said.

"Where is the spirit of 1Malaysia, especially among the Malay Muslims who are the majority in this country. I pray that this incident does not lead to anything more serious," he added.

Khairy said while he would rise to defend the dignity of Islam if the religion is belittled, "I will also voice out if other religions are insulted."

Tsu Koon appeals for calm

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Koh Tsu Koon called on all parties concerned to remain calm and not overreact.

He urged the state government to quickly resolve the issue through peaceful and rational negotiation.

Koh, in charge of national unity, said the protest was uncalled for and unnecessarily provocative, especially since the cow is a sacred animal to Hindus.

"Instead, this matter must be resolved through negotiation in the spirit of Rukunegara and 1Malaysia and an amicable solution must be found," he added in a statement.

Koh also supported the directive by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak for the police to investigate this case and take prompt action.

PM furious, vows prompt action - Malaysiakini

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is outraged over this afternoon's 'cow head' protest in Shah Alam, said Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam.

The MIC secretary-general told Malaysiakini that Najib had conveyed his disappointment when he telephoned him regarding the incident.

"The prime minister was very upset. He promised to look into the problem and nip it in the bud," he said.

"Some 15 minutes later, the prime minister called back and said that he had spoken to Inspector-General of Police (Musa Hassan) and instructed him to take immediate action," he added.

In a statement earlier, Subramaniam said incidents such as these hinder the 1Malaysia concept being promoted by the premier and serve to only 'turn back the clock'.

After performing their Friday prayers, some 50 angry residents from Section 23 in Shah Alam marched with the cow's head to protest against the relocation of a Hindu temple to their area.

The protesters had marched from the state mosque to the state secretariat building.

"The group took their protest to the extreme by bringing a severed cow's head which clearly is a sign of disrespect to the Hindu community," Subramaniam said.

"It has emotionally angered the Hindus and if it is not controlled from the beginning, it may create unnecessary racial tension," he warned.

Samy Vellu: This is intolerable

Meanwhile, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy called the protest a "disgraceful" act.

"It was very uncivilised and brutish...and the group had just come after attending their (Friday) prayers," the DAP leader said.

Also seeing red over the incident was MIC president S Samy Vellu, who called it an "intolerable" act carried out by an "extremist group."

"The cow is a sacred animal of the Hindus, and for this group to resort to such action, is intolerable and tantamount to challenging the freedom of religion as enshrined in the Malaysian constitution.

"It is the right of Malaysians of any faith, including Hindus to build temples and other places of worships. I am very sad that this group had paraded the cow's head on their way to the state secretariat building," he said in a statement.

"We must not allow anyone to challenge or ridicule any religion in this country. I am worried that this action may lead to retaliation from the Hindu community. However, I wish to urge the Hindus especially to be calm and let the authorities deal with it," he added.

Samy Vellu called on the government and the police to take action against the organisers of this protest.

They must be punished according to the law for endangering racial harmony in this country, he added.

'Charge them in court'

MIC Youth was also appalled and expressed shock over the protest.

"It is a very shameful and disgraceful act and they do not seem to have any feelings for the sentiments of the Hindu community," said the wing's chief T Mohan.

"We strongly condemn their actions and call on the authorities to take immediate action. There are proper channels to express one's views but ridiculing the Hindu religion reflects the shallow minds of the protesters," he added.

Malaysian Indian United Party president S Nallakaruppan also similarly condemned the act.

"I fear that this kind of intolerance and act of stupidity will only cause more rift among the Malaysians. This is a bad move by the villagers," he said.

Human Rights Party leader P Uthayakumar was disappointed that the police did not arrest those involved in the protest.

He said the Attorney-General's Chambers should initiate criminal proceedings and charge them under Sections 298 and 298 (A) of the Penal Code read together with Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.

Section 298 concerns the offence of uttering words etc with the deliberate intent to wound religious feelings while Section 298 (A) is related to the offence of causing disharmony.

Makkal Sakthi Party president S Thanendran also condemned the protest as a "barbaric" act.

He urged the Selangor government as well as the police not to tolerate this sort of behaviour and to take stern action against the protesters.

"How can a temple disturb the peace of these people?

"Things can become really ugly if we start raising other questions," he said.

PM orders action against cow-head protesters

Ibrahim Haji Sabri,deputy chairman of the Sec 23 resident's commitee speaking at the protest today. - Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak has ordered the police to take swift action against a group that brought a cow's head to Shah Alam to protest a Hindu temple relocation in a bid to calm swirling racial tensions.

The outraged prime minister gave instructions to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan after Selangor police stood by in the after Friday prayers protest.

Umno Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin condemned the protest, calling it insensitive and disrespectful to another religion.

“This kind of emotional and insulting action can wreck the country’s peace,” the Rembau MP said in a statement.

“It saddens me that this protest was in the name of Malay NGOs after Friday prayers during Ramadan. I believe this is not an action acceptable to Islam which prizes moderation and respect for other people’s faiths,” he added.

Khairy said the action will anger the Hindus, adding those who organised the protest should consider their actions if others protested the building of mosques in non-Malay areas by burning and stepping on the Quran.

“Won’t the Malays be enraged. If yes, isn’t the cow head protest equally insulting?” he asked, adding he would equally defend Islam against its detractors and other religions too.

National Unity and Performance Management Minister Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon also called for calm and asked the state government resolve the issue.

“This matter must be resolved through negotiation in the spirit of Rukunegara and 1 Malaysia and an amicable solution must be found,” Koh said in a statement, adding he supported Najib's directive for quick police action. Indian leaders from both sides of the political divide condemned the protest, saying it will incite racial tensions in the country's most developed state.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu called the group extremist but asked Indians in the state to be calm.

"I am worried that this action may lead to retaliation from the Hindu community. However, I wish to urge the Hindus especially to be calm and let the authorities deal with it," he added, saying the protesters must be punished for endangering racial harmony.

The action drew the ire of other Indian leaders including Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P. Ramasamy who called the protest a "disgraceful" act" while Human Rights Party leader P Uthayakumar was disappointed that the police did not arrest those involved in the protest.

The Pakatan Rakyat government said it will lodge a police report, regretting the inaction by the police.

The group of Malay-Muslim protesters claiming to be residents of Section 23 had dumped the severed cow's head outside the Selangor state secretariat and threatened bloodshed unless the state government stopped the construction of a Hindu Temple.

The "residents" said that the construction of a Hindu temple in a 90 per cent Malay- Muslim neighbourhood was insensitive because activities there would disrupt their lives.

“I challenge YB Khalid, YB Rodziah and Xavier Jeyakumar to go on with the temple construction. I guarantee bloodshed and racial tension will happen if this goes on, and the state will be held responsible,” shouted Ibrahim Haji Sabri amid strong chants of “Allahu Akbar!” as he referred to Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his state administration.

Ibrahim identified himself as the deputy chairman of the Resident’s Committee against the building of the temple in S23 here, which is perceived by some as being a Muslim majority area.

He told the press that the state should move the temple to Section 22 as ‘originally planned’, and also labelled Khalid a “traitor to the Malay race and Islam”.

It is understood that the protest is an immediate reaction towards the Selangor MB’s visit to the Hindu temple site yesterday, an act seen by the "residents" as disrespectful to the Muslims of the community.

When asked whether members of the protest were affiliated with any organisations or movements, Ibrahim claimed that the people present today were members of PAS, PKR as well as Umno who are “united in the name of Islam and the Malay spirit.”

The issue first cropped up when the Selangor government proposed that the Sri Mariamman temple be relocated from Section 19 to Section 23.

In a statement, the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism & Taoism (MCCBCHST) called for calm to enable the authorities find a “peaceable agreement and understanding”.

“Nothing can be gained by provocative action on the part of any side. MCCBCHST regrets that a severed cow’s head was brought along in the demonstration,” said president Reverend Dr Thomas Philips, noting the cow is sacred to the Hindu religion.

He said religious issues were best resolved around the negotiation table where mutual respect can be shown to all.

“No further demonstration by any side should be contemplated or allowed. Peace and order should be maintained for the sake of all residents,” Philips added.

Kepala Lembu : I supported Abdullah’s Son In Law But It Left Me Wonder about Nik Aziz’s Son In Law….

By Sheih Kickdefella,

I support Khairy Jamaluddin, a man capable of wonders when they stop bragging about who they are or whose son in law he is.

I have read the MKini Report below and saluted Khairy Jamaluddin. At least he is not spending governments money trying to deceive his own father in law.

“Ketuanya, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, tindakan tersebut tidak langsung menyerlahkan sensitiviti dan penghormatan wajar terhadap agama dan kepercayaan orang lain yang perlu demi keharmonian antara kaum.

“Sebaliknya, tindakan emosional dan menghina sebeginilah yang boleh membawa kemudaratan kepada keamanan negara,” kata Khairy yang juga pengerusi Pemuda BN, dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

“Sekiranya mereka yang melakukan perarakan ini tidak senang dengan cadangan pembinaan kuil di kawasan perumahan mereka pun, mereka sepatutnya menggunakan saluran yang sedia ada untuk meluahkan ketidakpuashatian sejajar dengan semangat sivik atau kemasyarakatan.

“Saya sedar bahawa memorandum membantah cadangan tersebut yang dihantar oleh Jawatankuasa Bertindak Bantahan Pembinaan Kuil Seksyen 23 kepada ADUN Batu Tiga barangkali tidak mengubah keputusan kerajaan Selangor untuk meneruskan rancangannya membina kuil tersebut, berdasarkan kenyataan menteri besar.

“Namun, ini bukan satu alasan untuk wakil-wakil penduduk berdemonstrasi dengan cara menghina seolah-olah negara kita tidak bertamadun. Kalaupun kemahuan mereka tidak tercapai, sensitiviti terhadap agama dan kaum lain tidak boleh sekali-kali diketepikan,” katanya.

Yang menyedihkan, kata Khairy, ialah demonstrasi itu diadakan atas nama NGO Melayu selepas solat Jumaat di bulan Ramadhan al-Mubarak.

“Saya percaya ini bukanlah tindakan yang diterima di sisi Islam, agama yang memuliakan kesederhanaan dan menghormati kepercayaan orang lain,” tambahnya.

This son in law is not bragging about how hot he is and his dilemma about taking another wife….

Snapshot taken from Malaysian Insider

To my Hindu brothers and sisters, please forgive them.

By Haris Ibrahim,

Update at 6.59pm on 28/8/09 : The report of the incident by Malaysianinsider makes it imperative that decisive police action be taken against the perpetrators.

Bloodshed has been threatened, and the ringleader appears to have been named. The police have no excuse for inaction.

I’m also convinced after reading this report that something sinister is being planned by some very evil people in Selangor.

Again, stay calm, people.

________________________________________

I am deeply saddened by the actions of a group of individuals in Shah Alam today in desecrating the head of a cow to protest the relocation of a Hindu temple to their neighbourhood.

Malaysiakini has the report HERE.

I refuse to acknowledge this group as Muslims, as their action is unIslamic in the extreme, and mirrors the evil in their hearts.

They are said to have just concluded their Friday prayers before carrying out this despicable act. Any good arising from those prayers must surely have been nullified by this evil that they did so soon after.

I’m troubled by the inaction of the police who were present when the group of demonstrators did their absolute worst.

Why?

This is one of the worst incidences of incitement to religious hatred I have seen in a long, long time, and the police watch and do nothing?

Why?

Even more troubling is the recent spate of incidences of religious intolerance and extremism occuring in Selangor.

Are these connected, and part of a larger, more sinister agenda to destabilise the present state government?

If so, let’s not fall for it.

To my Hindu brothers and sisters, demonstrate the beauty that is to be found in your faith, and in the process shame these demonstrators.

Forgive them, and do not react in the manner that they appear to want to agitate.

I expect to see the Muslim MPs and ADUNs and leaders of both sides of the political divide condemn these acts in the strongest possible terms and to press the police authorities to haul the wrongdoers to court.

Should be easy enough to identify the perpetrators from the photographs on Malaysiakini.

Courtesy of Malaysiakini

Anything less and you would have failed in both your religious duty and your obligations as elected representatives of the people.

PM Directs IGP To Act Over Temple Protest

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 28 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has directed Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan to investigate an incident in Shah Alam Friday where protestors used a cow's head to vent their anger against the Selangor state government.

According to Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, Najib informed him of this after he (Dr Subramaniam) had briefed the prime minister on the incident which took place outside the Selangor state secretariat after the Friday prayers.

"The prime minister has promised to look into it and asked the IGP to immediately act on the matter," he said in a statement here.

In the incident, a small group of people said to be residents of Section 23 in Shah Alam had placed a cow's head on the gates of the state secretariat building, apparently in protest against the construction of a Hindu temple in Section 23.

"The prime minister said he was very upset over the incident and wants it to be nipped in the bud," Dr Subramaniam said.

He said that while the prime minister was promoting the 1Malaysia concept and racial unity, "this kind of action will hinder the process and put the clock back".

-- BERNAMA

PM orders action against cow-head protesters

themalaysianinsider.com

Ibrahim Haji Sabri,deputy chairman of the Sec 23 resident's commitee speaking at the protest today. - Picture by Choo Choy May

The outraged prime minister gave instructions to Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan after Selangor police stood by in the after Friday prayers protest.

Indian leaders from both sides of the political divide condemned the protest, saying it will incite racial tensions in the country's most developed state.