Hindu conversions: Families plead for meeting with their daughters

The chairperson of the Pak-Hindu Welfare Association, Mangla Sharma said that they would appeal to the federal Shariat court against the “brainwashing” of Hindu girls. PHOTO: MOHAMMAD SAQIB/ EXPRESS 

KARACHI: On Monday, Lata and Rinkle Kumari’s families wept and appealed to the government to let them meet their daughters, while 15-year-old Asha’s family demanded that the authorities should find and rescue their missing daughter.

While speaking in Sindhi at a press conference at Karachi Press Club, Rinkle’s mother begged and pleaded for an opportunity to meet her daughter. According to Asha’s mother Reshma, her daughter went missing 18 days ago from Jacobabad. While wiping her tears with her dupatta, she said that it was cruel that the authorities had not found her as yet. While talking to The Express Tribune, Asha’s brother Vinod Kumar said that he used to drop and pick his sister from the parlour where she was doing a course. “When I went to pick her up on March 3, the parlour owner told me that she had already left,” he said. “She was so tired of the course. She did not want to go there anymore but I kept pushing her to do so.”

The family registered the FIR and nominated the parlour owner. So far the case is still under investigation.

According to Lata Kumari’s father, the Hindu doctor who converted to Islam, his wife was in the hospital because of what had happened.

The patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council, Ramesh Kumar, spoke out against the recent incidents of abduction and forced conversion in the Hindu community. “Girls from our peace loving community get scared when they see a bullet,” he said. “Imagine how Rinkle felt when she went to court with 500 people carrying weapons! Can we ever say that her statement was recorded of free will?” He added that if Asha was not rescued soon, 20 days later they would find out that she had also converted.

According to Ramesh, the country’s economy was dependent on the minorities. “There are eight million Hindus in Pakistan, out of which seven million live in Sindh,” he said. “Their current state is forcing them to leave their homes. So far 200 to 250 families have moved from Jacobabad. We don’t want to leave the country.” The chairperson of the Pak-Hindu Welfare Association, Mangla Sharma said that this was not the first time the community had to step forward to raise their voice against injustice. Sharma added that they would appeal to the Federal Shariat Court against the forced conversions. “Our girls are being brainwashed,” said Sharma. “They need counselling.”

Rinkle’s uncle Raj said that protests were being held by religious extremists every day in Mirpur Mathelo. “They are threatening us that if Rinkle returns home, four Hindu women will go missing,” he said. “What will we do now? Where will we go now?”

According to Qadir Khan, a lawyer, under Article 36 of the Constitution minorities should be protected but were not given security.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s wing chief in Sindh, Michael Javed said that a judicial commission should be set up to look into these cases. The patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council clarified that they were satisfied with the court proceedings but wanted a judicial inquiry of the policeman who mishandled the cases in Ghotki. He said that it was no use to approach the minority parliamentarians as they were not representatives of the minorities. “We prefer to lodge our complaints with top government officials,” he said. “However, it is only the Supreme Court that takes notice of such cases.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20th, 2012.

Ex-ISA detainee Yazid says he met Osama

Top 100 Indian students should be sent to top 100 universities

Senator S. Ramakrishnan

The prime minister announced that top 100 Indian students with 1st class honors will get to do post graduate studies with local universities. Well Mr. PM why only top 100 can do their post graduate studies with local universities. Any Indian or Malaysian with 1st class honors should be given the opportunities to do their post graduate degree. Mr. PM why not send the top 100 Indian students to at least one of the top 100 universities to do their post graduate studies and offer important positions when they return so that they can be actively involved in nation building. But on the other hand, if an Indian student can get 1st class honors, he or she will be offered more post graduate opportunities by MNCs or Singapore government. They don’t discriminate like your BN government.

For the information of our Prime Minister, I would like to highlight the plight of Malaysian Indian medical students in Indonesia. Many Indians along with Malay students are studying for medicine in universities in Sumatra and Bandung. As we all know many of the Indians are from poor economic background. Quiet a number of students pay their upfront fees payment and enter the universities. After that their parents apply for loans all over to pay the balance. Some manage to get but there are also some don’t get the support anywhere. I was told by the Malaysian student’s association committee members whom I met during my recent visit to Indonesia that every year 5/6 Indian students dropped after year 3 or 4 due to non-payment of fees. All the payments made for the first few years wasted. There are students doing part time work in Indonesia for living expenses. Overseas students are not eligible for PTPTN. Some of these students are disgruntled because of the financial predicament. Mr. PM Can you please look into financial support for overseas medical students?

There is one student struggling all the way to pay college fees, but now has reached year 6. He may not be able finish his medical studies because he owes the Bandung University about RM40000. His father passed away due to depression and worries while looking for loan for his son. Poor Indian parents go through hell to see that their children get proper education. They don’t have any one place to turn to. Can you Mr. PM resolve this issue of loan or scholarship that haunts the poor Indians year in year out when SPM and STPM results are announced? How can the Indians support you when your government openly discriminate them?

Every year many top Indian students are denied PSD scholarships. It’s only after March 2008 election results that the PM without UMNO’s support going to Indians to offering election goodies. Indian community is not overwhelmed by one off offers but looking for inclusion in policies. Indian students’ intake in local university is only 2.6% last year. In terms of basic rights Malaysian Indians are regressing every year. Mr. PM please improve our fundamental rights and needs before Indian community walk with you.

‘Singh is not king for Indians’

A group of furious Indian opposition supporters is calling on the DAP stalwart to quit because he has become a liability.

PETALING JAYA: Lashing out at DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, a group of Pakatan Rakyat Indian supporters has called on the veteran politician to resign.

Speaking at an emotionally-charged press conference here, PKR member K Saminathan said Karpal has now become a liability to DAP and the opposition.

“Because of his vengeance towards (DAP deputy secretary-general) P Ramasamy, Karpal is indirectly bringing down DAP and Pakatan.

“He may be a ‘King’ to the Sikh community but not to the Indian community,” he said, alleging that the DAP stalwart had overlooked the woes of the Indian community over the past 40 years.

Samy also said that a nationwide road show would be organised to pressure Karpal to step down.

The press conference was held in response to Karpal’s criticism of the DAP disciplinary committee for letting Ramasamy, who is also Penang deputy chief minister, off the hook.

Ramasamy, who had been embroiled in a recent verbal salvo with Karpal, was accused of masterminding a demonstration against Karpal in last December.

Pro-Karpal assemblymen rapped

Meanwhile, Malaysian Tamil Students’ Development Organisation representative A Kalaimugilan took Penang DAP assemblymen A Thanasekaran (Bagan Dalam) and RSN Rayer (Seri Delima) to task.

He said the duo, who are known to be aligned to Karpal, were “traitors” of the Indian community.

He said when Pakatan won Penang in the 2008 general election, DAP had offered two exco posts to the Indian community.

“While Ramasamy was given one of the posts, both Thanasekaran and Rayer refused to accept the other post due to conflict of interest that might arise with their respecetive legal practice,” he said.

“Because of their selfishness, the Indian community lost a golden opportunity (of having another exco) in Penang,” he added.

MIC Youth chief T Mohan also came under fire during the press conference for interfering in Pakatan’s internal issue with regard to the spat between Karpal and Ramasamy.

“He is a ‘toothless tiger’ in his party. He should concentrate on MIC’s problems,” said Kalaimugilan.

‘If you can’t solve, we’ll throw you out’

Residents of Kampung KTM Railway Line in Sungai Buloh want Selangor MB to issue solve their 20-year-old housing problem swiftly.



SHAH ALAM: About 25 former residents of the Kampung KTM Railway Line in Sungai Buloh arrived at the Selangor state secretariat (SUK) yesterday to compel menteri besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to give them plots of land promised by the state government in 1992.

The group, which arrived at about 9am, was led by 61-year-old S Muniandy.

Speaking at a press conference later, Muniandy said that 229 families of the former railway line residents were promised plots of land by the then menteri besar Muhammad Muhammad Taib, before being asked to move to longhouses in Rawang.

“The then state government told us that it was a six months transition period. Twenty years have passed but we have not seen our lands yet,” said Muniandy.

After waiting at the SUK for about four hours, Selangor exco for housing Iskandar Abdul Samad met the residents and promised to get them a meeting with Khalid on March 29.

Disappointed by Khalid’s absence, Muniandy accused the current Pakatan Rakyat state government of being no different from the previous administration.

“We will not give up. We will change the MB if Khalid fails to resolve our woes,” said Muniandy.

Catch more in our video.

An example of bad damage control

This is just like how Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa talk. Who are you? You are nothing. You Chinese and Indians are pendatang. This country belongs to the Malays. Don’t be so sombong. If you don’t like it you can go back to China or India. Don’t try to demand this and that. Stop asking to be treated equal. You are not equal. Malays are first-class citizens. Chinese and Indians are second-class citizens.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The PKR people are embarking on some serious damage control. And to cover their arses they are distorting what really happened in the hope that they can confuse the people. See what Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, and S I Tan said below. These were all carried in Malaysiakini, The Malaysian Insider, Harakah, as well as pro-opposition Blogs, Din Merican’s included.

Here we are screaming about the lies and distorted news from Umno and the government- and Umno-controlled mainstream media. Then we find the opposition doing exactly the same as what they accuse Umno and the government- and Umno-controlled mainstream media of doing.

This is what I mean when I say that the opposition must walk the talk. How can a priest stand up in the pulpit during Sunday mass and scream that you must be a good Christian and then go and bugger the choirboys and bonk the nuns? Wouldn’t this be called hypocrisy?

Chua Jui Meng is allegedly a Born Again Christian. I don’t know when he died (maybe when MCA kicked him out) but he got born again when he joined the opposition and decided to fight corruption. Considering he was the most corrupted Health Minister Malaysia has ever seen, I can appreciate that he, of all people, would be the expert when it comes to corruption. Would you not employ the best robber to advise you on how to prevent robberies?

The only problem is when he decided to become born again and then join the opposition to fight corruption he refused to give back all the money he robbed when he was the Health Minister. Aiyah! How can you keep all those millions and then whack others for being corrupted? You must first give back all the money you stole before talking about how corrupted other people are.

Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, and S I Tan are from Chinese and Tamil schools or what? How come they can’t understand a simple thing like the difference between a debate and an interview?

‘Debate’ means two or more people take opposite positions on an issue and they argue and defend the position they have taken. ‘Interview’ means one person asks another person questions and you reply to those questions.

So, Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, S I Tan, don’t get confused. More importantly, don’t try to mislead others. That is something Umno and the government- and Umno-controlled mainstream media are supposed to do. The opposition people are supposed to be honest, sincere and trustworthy. If you all also act just like Umno people then why the need to vote opposition? We might as well just vote Barisan Nasional. We want to vote opposition so that we can get something different and something better. But now you all are acting just like Umno -- lying and distorting things.

How many times must I repeat the same story before you can understand? Aiyah! Chinese and Tamil schools so bad one or what? Anyway, let me for the umpteenth time tell you what happened.

Wikileaks is producing a documentary and they are interviewing many people for the documentary. Many people mah! Two of these people are Anwar Ibrahim and me. The issue is, do they interview Anwar and me in separate sessions or can they kill two birds with one stone and interview us both at the same time?

When they asked me I said no problem, can do both at the same time. When they asked Anwar he said big problem, must do separate interviews. So the decision was it would be two separate interviews. When they asked me who shall go first, I told them to interview Anwar first and I will take the next session.

So, where got debate one? Why do you keep saying I invited Anwar to a debate? I never invited Anwar! Wikileaks invited Anwar. And it is not a debate between Anwar and me. It is an interview. Julian Assange asks questions and you reply. Simple!

Anyway, whether it is a debate or interview is one issue. But why so sombong one? Why are you all talking like Umno and Perkasa?

Wah! Garang! Who is Raja Petra Kamarudin? He is nobody. Anwar is somebody, a great man. How can Raja Petra want to share the same stage with Anwar? Anwar is way up there. Raja Petra is way down there. Raja Petra is not the same level as Anwar. Raja Petra is just a Blogger. Anwar is the opposition leader.

Imagine if I talk like that.

Who are Chua Jui Meng, N Surendran, and S I Tan? They are just Chinese and Indians. They are pendatang. They are not even Bumiputeras. I am from the Selangor Royal Family. My cousin is the Sultan of Selangor. My uncle was the Agong. My grandfather was the Governor of Penang. Why you call me RPK? Bad manners mah! You must address me as Yang Mulia, not RPK.

Is that the way to talk? Sound sombong or not?

Now the NFC directors refuse to appear before the PAC. They have snubbed the PAC Committee. Who are you? You are just a Committee. Why must we appear before your Committee? We are Directors of the NFC. We are bigger than you. You are nothing. We are orang besar. We have Umno backing. We can walk in to the PMs and DPMs office any time. No need to even make an appointment. We no need to layan you one. We can just snub you.

Can you see how many Malaysians have this same attitude?

Siapa awak? Awak ni rendah. Awak tahu saya siapa? Saya Datuk. Saya Tan Sri. Saya Tun. Saya wakil rakyat. Saya Yang Berhormat. Saya ada kuasa. Saya orang besar. Awak apa? Awak ni Blogger saja. You are nobody. I am somebody.

When I walked into the police station in 2001, Bakri Zinin, the current CID Chief whacked me for no rhyme or reason (he just likes whacking people). When I stood up and asked him why he beat me up, he charged at me and wanted to beat the shit out of me. Luckily three of his officers held him back while my wife held on to me. If not I would have killed him.

“I am the OCPD here!” Bakri Zini screamed.

That’s right. Another case of who are you? I am the OCPD here. I am a big man. You are nothing!

Later, when they looked at my IC, they discovered who I was. To cover their mistake, they arrested and handcuffed me and threw me into the lockup. When I demanded to know under what charge, they replied that they are going to arrest me first and then decide later what to charge me with.

So you see how this ‘who are you, I am a big man’ works?

No lah. Don’t act like this. This is a very sombong attitude. Umno also talks like this. In March 2008, the voters punished Umno for talking like this. So don’t make the same mistake like Umno or else the voters might also punish you like they punished Umno in 2008.

This is just like how Ibrahim Ali and Perkasa talk. Who are you? You are nothing. You Chinese and Indians are pendatang. This country belongs to the Malays. Don’t be so sombong. If you don’t like it you can go back to China or India. Don’t try to demand this and that. Stop asking to be treated equal. You are not equal. Malays are first-class citizens. Chinese and Indians are second-class citizens.

Sound sombong or not? Well, this is exactly how you also sound. So be careful how you talk. If everyone also talks like you, you don’t like it. You will scream that we are all equal. We are all Malaysians. Where got first-class and second-class citizens?

Got! Raja Petra Kamarudin is second-class, maybe even third-class. He is just a Blogger. He not the same taraf as Pakatan Rakyat leaders. Pakatan Rakyat leaders are higher class. How can Raja Petra Kamarudin share same stage as Pakatan Rakyat leaders?

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Chua Jui Meng: Raja Petra bukan taraf Anwar untuk di ajak berdebat

“Bukan takut rahsia bocor tapi bukan taraf Anwar (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim). BN (Barisan Nasional) cuba ubah isu kerana orang yang sepatutnya berdebat dengan Anwar adalah Najib (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak),” kata Pengerusi PKR Johor, Datuk Chua Jui Meng.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika diminta mengulas berkenaan kenyataan Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang melabelkan Anwar sebagai penakut kerana keengganannya berdepan dengan pengendali portal Malaysia Today, Raja Petra Kamarudin.

"Saya yakin BN sengaja mengubah topik kerana mahu mengelak kerana khuatir banyak rahsia mereka bakal terbongkar sekiranya menerima pelawaan itu.

“Sekarang kita cabar pula sama ada Najib berani menyahut cabaran untuk berdebat dengan Anwar. Kenapa pula mengubah isu Raja Petra dengan Anwar? ini bukan soal keberanian tetapi kita mahu individu yang layak,” katanya semalam.

Dalam perkembangan lain, Jui Meng enggan mengulas sama ada beliau akan bertanding di Parlimen Gelang Patah kerana menganggap ia masih terlalu awal, selain menyerahkannya kepada kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat untuk memilih.

“Sama ada DAP atau PKR yang bertanding di kerusi itu bukan masalahnya. Hubungan kami masih mesra seperti dulu, malah terus bekerjasama erat untuk menang dalam pilihan raya umum akan datang,” katanya.

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Anwar shouldn't debate Najib by proxy, says PKR

PKR vice-president N Surendran is bemused by the flap arising from his party supremo’s imputed refusal to debate maverick blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK).

“I’m amused as to how the controversy has enabled two escape artists to evade the more pressing compulsions for debate,” allowed the busy lawyer-politician in remarks made to Malaysiakini.

“One, of course, is RPK himself: Has there been a more compelling need for the two diametrically opposed parts of him to debate each other, seemingly absurd as that may sound,” offered Surendran.

“On the one hand, the public had for years seen the part of him prior to February last year, just before the Sarawak state elections, when he was a significant voice in the medley that was for reform and change in the country,” he continued.

“After an astonishing statement he made last February, the man struck an about-face, a turnaround which he has sustained to this day, thus showing a face radically different to the one he held up to Malaysian netizens prior to February 2011,” observed Surendran.

Surendran, a likely PKR candidate for the 13th general election, argued that since there has been no distinct change to the political structures of the nation, RPK’s volte-face - its mystery, its puzzle - is prime material for a public airing.

“Seriously, a public debate between the two sides of RPK’s persona is a way to dispel that mystery, though I’m afraid it would give political ventriloquism a bad name.

“But can that be any worse that what he has given to the crusading reformist spirit on the net with his astonishing somersault of the last year,” queried Surendran.

The PKR veep held that the other escapee from the contretemps over Anwar Ibrahim’s imputed refusal to debate RPK was Prime Minister Najib Razak.

“The PM has chosen to ride pillion in this matter by imputing cowardice on Anwar’s part but it is he who is ducking out of a debate with Anwar,” charged Surendran.

“His remarks to foreign correspondents yesterday had plenty of allusions to the American political scene but he missed the elephant in the room which is the prevalence of public debates between leading contestants,” he asserted.

“He wants Anwar to debate his proxy, RPK, which is typical of the rentier culture he represents,” quipped Surendran. -- Malaysiakini, 20 March 2012

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Why the hell should Anwar debate RPK? — S I Tan

Why should the Leader of the Malaysian Opposition debate a discredited blogger?

In any democracy, the incumbent PM debates the leader of the Opposition, not some blogger who has illusions about his own influence.

Raja Petra Kamarudin may think that he is worthy of acclaim but he is not. He has not stood for elections and is not representing any constituency. In fact, he is just another blogger who owes his loyalty to himself and whoever gives him the time of day.

If you layan him, he is very happy and will be friendly towards you. But if you don’t listen to his advice, then he gets all worked up.

Of course, some people argue that he has crossed over to BN and that is his choice. Maybe they find him more useful in bringing down the Opposition but he is nothing more than someone who puts his views across on his blog.

He is not the Leader of the Opposition, an Opposition which has managed to shake BN’s hegemony. Anwar is the leader and therefore the PM should show some spine and debate him.

But asking Najib Razak to show some spine would be asking too much. So Najib now takes this side issue of Anwar not debating the blogger as his escape route.

After more than 50 years, this is what Malaysia has been left with: a prime minister unable to act prime ministerial and constantly looking for his script from public relations advisors. -- The Malaysian Insider, 19 March 2012

MONEY

1. I wrote recently on the financial problems of Europe at the invitation of the Financial Times. Of course it is not erudite as would those who studied economics and finance would write. Strangely some people agreed with my views.

2. During the financial crisis of 1997-1998 I was forced to read up on the subject. Today I know a bit more about money and finance. But the most important thing about money which everyone of us knows without need to be an economist or financial expert is that if you spend more money than you have you will be in trouble. Simply put, if you have one hundred Ringgit but you spend one hundred and ten Ringgit, you will be in debt to the amount of ten Ringgit. But if you have 100 RM and spend 90 RM you will not face trouble.

3. No big deal. But when you have a million or a billion, your 10% overspending will put you in debt to a level which you may not be able to pay and the person you owe money to may not be so ready to forgive.

4. Greece is now bankrupt. The reason is simple enough, Greece overspent. It borrowed more money than it is able to pay. The sums are big, running into billions of Euro. The creditors cannot forgive.

5. Why did Greece borrow beyond what it could pay. Well, Greece is a member of the European Union, a collection of developed countries. So it must live by the standards of the European Union. It must practice the welfare state principles of the European countries.

6. The revenue of the Greek Government was not enough to support the high standards of living, the high pay, pension and other benefits of the Europeans. So the Government borrowed money to cover the high salaries, short working hours and days, early pensions, unemployment benefits and other perks that European Governments offered their workers.

7. The private sector had to follow the Government, which results in raising the cost of production until the products of their labour are no longer competitive and either they earn less profits or became unsaleable altogether.

8. Loans unfortunately have to be paid when matured. When the loans amounting to hundreds of billions cannot be paid, the Greek Government, the borrower, must be made bankrupt.

9. Somewhere in the story of Greece, there is a lesson for other countries. The lesson as I pointed out earlier is very simple. When you spend more than the money you have, you will become a debtor. And when you cannot pay your debt you will become bankrupt.

10. Once upon a time when I was Prime Minister I had the responsibility of approving the budget before it was presented to Parliament.

11. Roughly I knew I had to make provision for operation, for debt servicing and for development. Despite allegedly being profligate, I managed not to overspend. In fact the reason why we did not go down during the financial crisis was because we had no big debts to pay.

12. Of the three elements of the Government budget, only development spending can be reduced. Debt servicing and operations (salaries, pensions and other statutory expenditure must be paid on time if we are not going to default). If we increase salaries too much, and we have more than a million Government employees, there is a likelihood that we will not have enough for even minimal development.

13. We may announce a big development budget but there will simply be not enough money to implement them.

14. We may borrow. But there is a limit to borrowing. When you borrow the debt servicing charges will increase. A point will be reached when we will not be able to service debts or pay the lender when the loans become mature.

15. All these elementary things must be known to the Government. So we will not become like Greece. But people do not seem to know about this. Demands for pay increases, for higher non-taxable pensions, for abolition of tolls ( the Government has to make up for the loss of revenue by toll concessionairs), more holidays, more subsidies etc will continue to be made.

16. The opposition, wishing to become popular and win elections will always support these demands. Not having to be responsible for the overspending and the possible bankruptcy of the nation, it is easy for them to support. I hope the people will see through their lack of a sense of responsibility to the nation.

17. The incumbent Governments cannot be irresponsible and try to be popular always. The people must understand this.

18. When a demand is made the Government has to examine the implication not only to the Government in terms of its capacity to meet the demand, it must also consider the effect on the whole nation. If the Government cannot approve the demand it must be because it does not want to bankrupt the nation.

Islam membenarkan bapa kahwin anak kandungnya?

ADAKAH Islam membenarkan seorang bapa mengahwini anak kandungnya? Menurut sesetengah pendapat Mazhab Shafi’e, begitulah. Anak yang dilahirkan di luar pernikahan, boleh dikahwini oleh bapa kandungnya sendiri.

Di Malaysia, yang lebih memberatkan pendapat Mazhab Shafi’e, Fatwa Kebangsaan Malaysia 1971 menyatakan bahawa anak tak sah taraf tidak boleh dibin atau dibintikan bapanya dan bapanya tidak boleh menjadi wali untuk anaknya. Ini bermakna bapa kandungnya dianggap bukan muhrim anak itu. Di Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN), walaupun kedua ibu bapa mengakui bayi itu anak mereka, pegawai-pegawai masih tidak akan mencatat nama bapa di sijil kelahiran anak tersebut.

Isu anak tak sah taraf ini dibincangkan semasa forum dianjurkan Sisters in Islam bertajuk Apa Ada Pada

Dr Juanda Jaya (Wiki commons)

Nama. Ketua Hakim Syariah Terengganu Datuk Ismail Yahya dan mufti Perlis Dr Juanda Jaya adalah antara panelis. Mereka memanggil untuk penamaan anak tak sah taraf disemak semula kerana dikatakan tidak menepati konsep Islam serta mengaibkan. Mengapa di Malaysia masih tidak boleh membenarkan seorang bapa mengakui anak kandungnya sendiri di sisi undang-undang?

Nasab yang penuh kekeliruan

Dr Juanda Jaya (Wiki commons)

Semasa saya sendiri memperbaharui kad pengenalan di Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara baru-baru ini, di papan kenyataannya ada keratan akhbar soal jawab bersama Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim). Ia menerangkan bahawa tujuan anak tak sah taraf tidak boleh dibin atau dibintikan bapanya ialah agar tidak wujud kekeliruan dalam nasab keturunannya.

Alasan kekeliruan itu menjadikan saya keliru. Takut keliru nasab keturunan, tapi tidak takut kalau anak itu terkahwin dengan bapa kandungnya sendiri? Atau dengan adik beradiknya sendiri, iaitu anak-anak bapanya dengan isteri lain, atau dengan adik beradik bapanya? Bukankah itu lebih huru-hara jadinya?

Mungkin saya saja yang keliru. Jakim sepertinya tidak keliru. Dengan jelas, Jakim menerangkan bahawa anak yang dilahirkan di luar pernikahan dianggap bukan muhrim bapa kandungnya dan juga bukan muhrim pada ahli keluarga bapa kandungnya.

Maka, oleh kerana secara perundangan fiqah, mereka tiada pertalian keluarga, bermakna dari segi hukum Syariah di Malaysia, seorang anak boleh mengahwini bapa kandung atau ahli keluarga bapa kandungnya.

Orang Islam takut ilmu?

Orang Islam suka benar petik hadith Nabi “Carilah ilmu sampai ke negeri Cina”. Nak tunjuklah betapa Islam cintakan dan meraikan ilmu pengetahuan. Tapi, apakah yang memetik hadith itu sendiri sebenarnya mahu mengikut saranan Nabi ini? Sepertinya ramai yang tidak.

Ramai orang Islam di Malaysia seolah-olah takut dengan ilmu. Seperti ada ilmu yang halal dan ada ilmu haram, ada ilmu yang datang dari Allah dan ada ilmu yang bukan datang dari Allah.

Jadi bila ada masalah dalam masyarakat, yang dicari hanyalah “sumber-sumber Islam” iaini kitab-kitab lama dan pendapat ulama zaman silam yang hidup beratus atau lebih seribu tahun dahulu.

Itu pun ditapis lagi, iaitu yang diambil sebagai sumber rujukan hanyalah ulama yang dia setujui sahaja. Jadi, jangankan nak baca buku-buku dan pendapat sarjana dari Cina, India atau Barat, malah kitab-kitab tulisan dari mazhab-mazhab lain dalam ahli sunnah wajamaah sendiri pun dia takut nak rujuk. Takut terkeliru.

Ulama Islam dulu pelajari pemikiran Barat

Ibnu Rushd (Wiki commons)

Umat Islam juga suka benar berbangga tentang kehebatan saintis-saintis Islam, yang semuanya hidup di zaman silam, seperti Ibnu Sina dan Ibnu Rushd. Tapi mereka lupa bahawa ramai saintis Islam agung itu juga menimba ilmu dari Barat seperti Yunani (Greece) atau kerajaan Rom. Ramai ulama besar seperti Imam Ghazali dan Al-Farabi juga mempelajari falsafah Aristotle, Plato dan Socrates. Sama ada mereka setuju dengan kesuluruhan pemikiran ahli falsafah Barat itu atau tidak, itu hal kedua. Yang penting, mereka tidak sensor atau mengharamkan diri mereka atau orang lain dari terdedah pada pemikiran Barat yang hebat.

Berapa ramai agaknya tokoh agama di Malaysia yang pernah baca dan pelajari ilmu falsafah Barat?

Saya pernah mengunjungi Formaci (Forum Mahasiswa Ciputat), sebuah persatuan mahasiswa di Universiti Islam Negeri, Jakarta dan bertemu dengan beberapa mahasiswa di sana. Saya rasa nak menangis bila melihat di papan putih mereka tersenarai jadual diskusi yang membincangkan buku pemikir-pemikir hebat seperti Plato dan Aristotle dan juga Karl Marx, Friedrich Hegel, Immanuel Kant dan sebagainya. Mahasiswa dari pelbagai jurusan bertemu beberapa hari sekali untuk berdiskusi kerana mereka mengatakan semasa di pesantren (madrasah), mereka hanya terdedah pada ilmu-ilmu keagamaan. Maka, bila sudah di universiti mereka mahu mengambil peluang untuk memahami dan terdedah pada pemikir-pemikir hebat dari Barat.

Maka tidak hairanlah mengapa Indonesia boleh mempunyai pemikir dan sarjana yang hebat seperti Cak Nur (Nurcholis Majid) dan Gus Dur (Abdur Rahman Wahid). Mereka tidak takut pada ilmu.

Membolehkan anak dibin atau dibintikan bapanya

Ulama dahulu bukan saja tidak takut mencari ilmu, tapi mereka juga tidak gentar atau cepat keliru dengan perbezaan pendapat.

Ramai ulama besar dalam Mazhab Maliki, Hanbali, dan Hanafi yang berpendapat anak yang dilahirkan di luar pernikahan boleh dibin atau dibintikan bapa kandungnya. Mereka juga menggunakan dalil-dalil agama yang kuat.

Apa berani kita mengatakan mereka salah atau ilmu mereka cetek? Mengapa tidak kita kaji apakah hujah-hujah yang mereka utarakan? Manalah tahu ada antara pendapat mereka lebih bersesuaian dengan konteks masyarakat kita di Malaysia sekarang ini. Lagipun, banyak juga pendapat mazhab lain yang turut digunapakai di Malaysia seperti dalam hal pembayaran zakat fitrah.

Bukankah Islam meraikan kepelbagaian pendapat, dan objektif utama Islam ialah untuk memudahkan dan mencapai keadilan?

Hak asasi anak

Jakim dan undang-undang Mahkamah Syariah di Malaysia menetapkan bahawa bapa kandung anak tak sah taraf tidak dipertanggungjawabkan untuk menafkahi anaknya. Tanggungjawab memberi nafkah, saraan dan penjagaan kanak-kanak tak sah taraf adalah semata-mata pada ibu dan saudara mara ibu. Anak tak sah taraf juga tidak boleh mewarisi harta bapa kandungnya.

Adilkah undang-undang ini terhadap anak yang tidak berdosa?

Bukankah orang Islam sendiri yang selalu kata setiap bayi yang dilahirkan itu suci bersih? Dia tidak berdosa dan tidak menanggung dosa orang lain.

(agastecheg / sxc.hu)

Setiap bayi yang dilahirkan di dunia ini mempunyai banyak sekali hak-hak asas. Di peringkat antarabangsa, inilah yang dinamakan sebagai hak asasi manusia. Antara hak-hak asas setiap bayi atau kanak-kanak di muka bumi ini ialah hak untuk mendapatkan:

perlindungan dan kasih sayang;
makan dan minum;
pendidikan;
kehormatan diri (self-dignity);
perlindungan dari penganiayaan;
keadilan.

Jadi, jika anda mengatakan hak asasi itu ciptaan Barat dan merupakan sesuatu yang asing dalam Islam, maka bermakna anda sendiri yang mengakui sememangnya Barat lebih hebat dari Islam.

Teladan Indonesia

Alhamdulillah, tidak perlu menoleh ke Barat, negara jiran kita pun telah mengambil langkah berani dalam memberi keadilan kepada anak yang berstatus tak sah taraf.

Pada 17 Feb 2012, Mahkamah Konstitusi Indonesia telah meminda undang-undang perkahwinan Indonesia. Pindaan itu mengiktiraf hubungan darah dan hubungan sivil antara anak tak sah taraf dengan bapa dan keluarga bapa kandungnya, yang boleh dibuktikan berdasarkan ilmu pengetahuan, teknologi atau alat bukti lain.

Ketua Mahkamah Konstutusi Mahfud MD berkata bahawa dengan itu, beban bukan lagi ditanggung oleh ibunya saja tetapi juga bapa anak itu. Ia juga bermakna bahawa anak tak sah taraf juga mempunyai hak penuh sebagai anak kandung, termasuk hak waris.

Bilakah Malaysia mahu melangkah ke depan seperti Indonesia?

Masyarakat Islam Malaysia masyarakat penghukum?

Bila ada kes perempuan buang bayi, maka berteriaklah sesetengah orang Islam mencaci maki dan mahu menghukum perempuan yang membuang bayinya. Marahlah juga mereka pada rumah-rumah perlindungan untuk wanita-wanita yang hamil di luar pernikahan kerana dikatakan menggalakkan zina.

Apabila ada wanita yang belum berkahwin hamil, masyarakat terus menghukum dan tidak peduli apakah mungkin wanita itu telah diperkosa, diperdaya atau terjebak dalam pemerdagangan manusia. Tiada langsung belas ihsan. Mereka juga tidak mahu mempertanyakan mengapa mahkamah syariah tidak mempertanggungjawabkan bapa kandung anak itu untuk menafkahinya.

Orang Islam suka kata Islam itu adil, tapi masalahnya ialah ramai antara kita sendiri yang tidak tahu bagaimana menterjemahkan keadilan itu. Tambah celaka lagi bila kita yang tidak berupaya memahami dengan mendalam dan merealisasikan keadilan itu mengatakan “inilah Islam”.

Kadir Sheikh Fadzir sempat keluar Umno sebelum parti itu diketepikan

Oleh Aspan Alias | The Malaysian Insider

20 MAC — Tan Sri Kadir Sheikh Fadzir telah rasmi meninggalkan Umno. Ini disahkan oleh Setiausaha Agung Umno Tengku Datuk Seri Adnan Mansor. Tindakan beliau itu telah dijangkakan dari awal lagi kerana beliau telah meluahkan banyak perkara yang beliau tidak persetujui berlaku didalam Umno. Beliau telah menyertai Umno pada tahun 1956 dan bersama-sama menyertai Umno Baru pada bulan Februari 1988 yang lalu.

Saya memahami apa yang dirasakan oleh TS Kadir itu kerana beliau sudah begitu lama terlibat didalam kedua-dua parti (Umno asal dan Umno Baru), dan tentulah beliau nampak dan merasakan perbezaan diantara dahulu dengan sekarang. Saya menganggap dan boleh mengagak yang beliau lebih selesa berada diluar Umno untuk bersama-sama menyatukan Melayu diluar parti yang kian hari kian lemah itu.

Tindakan TS Kadir keluar dari parti itu merupakan bayangan menifestasi sebenarnya yang berlaku didalam Umno. Sebagai seorang yang telah bersama dengan parti itu selama 5 dekad lebih itu, tindakan beliau itu tentunya didasarkan kepada masalah-masalah yang berlaku didalam Umno kerana saya secara peribadi merasakan apa yang diresahkan oleh TS Kadir itu.

Meninggalkan parti itu adalah satu-satunya pilihan TS Kadir kerana tidak ada maknanya jika berada didalam parti yang meresahkan beliau. Tentulah berbagai-bagai tohmahan akan dilemparkan kepada beliau oleh penyokong dan penjilat pimpinan parti itu tetapi biarkan sahaja mereka berbuat apa yang mereka suka. Kita sahaja yang tahu perbezaan berada diluar parti yang kini sedang menuju kepada penghujung perjuangannya.

Saya telah dihubungi oleh ramai juga rakan-rakan kenalan dan yang tidak saya kenali bertanyakan tentang tindakan TS Kadir ini untuk mendapat komen saya. Saya hanya memberikan pandangan yang berlainan. Orang lain biarlah dengan pandangan mereka. Ia bergantung kepada matlamat masing-masing. Jika matlamatnya ialah untuk meneruskan agenda memusnahkan rasuah tegar dan menjauhi dari penjajahan pemikiran oleh pimpinan yang hanya mementing perut mereka sahaja, meninggalkan Umno itu merupakan jalan yang terbaik.

Menentang kegiatan rasuah didalam parti dan kerajaan didalam Umno akan hanya mengundang diri kita dihina dan dinesta kerana mereka didalam parti itu tidak lagi mahu melihat rasuah itu dihapuskan. Saya pernah menyatakan dengan jelas yang Umno dan rasuah itu ibarat aur dengan tebing yang saling menyandar diantara satu dengan lain. Rasuah tidak akan berkembang pesat tanpa Umno dan Umno pula tidak akan hidup tanpa rasuah. Rasuah itu sudah menjadi pakaian kepada pemimpin-pemimpin Umno disetiap peringkat.

Isu negara sejak tiga dekad dahulu adalah rasuah. Rasuah inilah yang membawa kepada masalah-masalah yang lain kerana apabila pemimpin politik dan pelaksana mengamalkan rasuah mereka tidak akan membuat keputusan dengan baik lagi. Bagi melindungi rasuah maka pimpinan terpaksa berbohong dengan rakyat. Mereka terpaksa berbohong beribu kali kerana bohong mereka yang pertama dahulu.

Dulu mereka boleh berbohong sekehendak hati, tetapi apabila rakyat sudah menjadi rakyat yang bermaklumat maka pimpinan sudah tidak lagi boleh melindungi perkara mungkar yang mereka lakukan.

Kini TS Kadir meninggalkan parti dan beliau tidak kesaorangan. Ratusan ribu “card-carrying members” Umno tidak memberikan sokongan terhadap parti itu lagi. Mereka adalah diantara ahli yang sudah merasa jemu dengan kerenah pemimpin-pemimpin mereka. Minggu ke minggu, tahun berganti tahun, pemimpin-pemimpin Umno telah memberikan masalah kepada parti. Sepatutnya pemimpin yang menahan ragam ahli-ahli yang ramai ini.

Tetapi sekarang keadaan sudah terbalik. Pemimpin-pemimpin mereka pula yang memberi masalah kepada parti. Pemimpin parti sekarang tidak berkelayakan untuk dituakan (hormati). Sepatutnya kita ikut perbilangan; yang muda membuat ragam dan yang tua menahan ragam. Banyak kritikan terhadap TS Kadir ini datangnya dari orang-orang baru, yang sedang cuba-cuba mengenali Umno itu.

Kebanyakkan dari mereka ini jika diperbandingkan dengan usia dan pengalaman dalam Umno ini tidak lebih dari orang yang masih belum mengenali yang mana satu tangan kanan untuk makan dan yang mana tangan kiri untuk beristinjak. Umno kata orang, Umno kata mereka. Tetapi mereka tidak tahu dan masih belum mengenali Umno yang sebenarnya.

Itulah sebabnya ramai diantara yang menulis dialam maya ini menulis mempertahankan Umno itu bukan kerana mereka mengenali parti itu sebaliknya kerana mempertahankan apa yang mereka ada atau apa yang mereka boleh perolehi. Malahan setengahnya mendapat imbuhan untuk mencarut dan menggunakan bahasa yang tidak menunjukkan ketamaddunan mereka.

Tindakan TS Kadir keluar parti itu merupakan cebisan dari perasaan tidak puas hati dengan “conduct” Umno sekarang ini. Perasaan itu dirasakan juga oleh ramai ahli-ahli Umno yang lain. Hanya mereka tidak berani bersuara kerana salah satu kejayaan Umno ialah untuk membentuk sindrom bisu dikalangan ahli-ahlinya. Ada mata pandang ada telinga dengar sahaja.

Dalam keadaan beginilah yang membuatkan orang Melayu terbantut daya pemikiran mereka. Itu jelas merupakan sumbangan besar Umno terhadap orang Melayu. Saya berkeyakinan ramai lagi ahli-ahli Umno akan mengikut jejak langkah TS Kadir itu. Seperti pilihanraya 2008 yang lalu, lebih dari sejuta ahli Umno keluar parti di dalam bilik mengundi disaluran masing-masing nanti.

Lain-lain perkataan TS Kadir sempat keluar sebelum parti itu diketepikan oleh rakyat tidak lama lagi. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

'Syariah lawyers must be Muslims'

The New Straits Times 
by ILI LIYANA MOKHTAR, LING POH LEAN AND NUR ADILLA NOORAZAN

SYARIAH lawyers need to be Muslim, because if non-Muslims were appointed, the syariah court rulings will be non-binding towards them.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, however, welcomed non-Muslims who wanted to study syariah to enhance their knowledge of Islamic law.

Jamil was replying to Nasharudin Mat Isa (Pas-Bachok) who wanted the government to state when it would implement the Legal Syariah Act.

Jamil said he agreed with Nasharudin that the laws regarding syariah lawyers in the country should be streamlined.

Currently, each state has different laws governing the conduct of syariah lawyers, making it difficult for them to practise in different states.

Jamil said the government was working closely with the Malaysian Syariah Lawyers' Association to draft a suitable legislation for the Syariah Legal Profession Act.

He said the government had distributed concept papers of the proposed Syariah Legal Profession Act to state governments to receive feedback from law practitioners.

All Parties Have To Work Together To Expand Green Energy R&D, Says Najib

NILAI, March 20 (Bernama) -- Research institutes and institutions of higher learning have to work together with businesses and the government to expand research and development (R&D) in green energy, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said today.

With the aim of placing Malaysia as the focal scene for regional solar energy research and development, the support from key industry players and businesses was of paramount importance, he said.

"The government is taking decisive steps to ensure that our energy future is green, sustainable and diverse and that Malaysia uses energy in the most efficient manner.

"Malaysia's embracing of green technology is not only to conserve and preserve its resources, but is also envisaged to act as a new economic impetus for the country," he said in his speech at the launch of the First Completion of Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) Solar at Cypark Integrated Renewable Energy Park in Pajam, near here.

The text of his speech was read out by Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

By practising energy efficiency, which is expected to lead to saving of RM14 billion in Gross National Income by 2020, "we can preserve the environment and energise the Malaysian economy towards becoming a developed nation by the year 2020," he said.

Najib also praised the Solar Panel Industry Alliance (SPINAL) for their efforts to promote the widespread and increased adoption and sustainable use of all forms of energy and focusing on solar.

With SPINAL efforts to further strengthening regional and international cooperation would benefit the rapid renewable energy deployment around the globe, he said.

The prime minister said the renewable energy target under the 10th Malaysia Plan was 5.5 per cent of the total capacity mix in 2015 or 985 megawatts of generating capacity, from less than one per cent of the energy mix today.

"Out of this, 5.5 per cent solar power would contribute at least 65 megawatts, he said.

By 2020, solar power is expected to contribute to a minimum of 220 megawatts, as per the target under the National Renewable Energy Policy, he said.

"Solar power is one of the more viable energy alternatives because if its advantages such as independence from fossil fuels and zero carbon gas emissions, increased energy security, high job creation potential and significant foreign direct investment," said Najib, who is also Finance Minister.

"Furthermore, Malaysia has ample supply of natural sunlight, which is currently not utilised to its full potential," he added.

The solar park project is part of a 15 megawatts Integrated Renewable Energy Park project and the first solar project completed under the Entry Point Projects (EPPs) of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

The project, undertaken by Cypark Resources Bhd, is producing eight megawatts green energy currently and has the capacity to produce 11,712 megawatts annually for the next 21 years, with annual sales value of more than RM11 million.

MPSP, MPPP implement gender-responsive budgeting

The Penang state government has set up a Penang Women’s Development Corporation, which is working with the Penang Island and Seberang Perai municipal councils to implement gender-responsive budgeting.
This report from theSun:

Penang promoting gender interest policies
Posted on 7 March 2012 – 05:16pm
Last updated on 7 March 2012 – 05:27pm
Himashu Bhatt
GEORGE TOWN (March 7, 2012): Penang government has set up a special state-run body to promote gender interests through the policies and programmes of the public and private sectors.
Called Penang Women’s Development Corporation (PWDC), it will function to advice the state government in formulating policies to realise gender and social equality, as well as undertake advocacy to promote good governance.
“It will monitor laws and policies which are gender discriminatory,” Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said during a press conference to introduce the corporation here today.
“It will also conduct programmes to empower women in various sectors of society as well as commit itself to raising the consciousness of women and men in Penang on gender equality and justice, human rights and good governance,” he added.
The state government has allocated RM1.5 million for the PWDC’s programmes and operations for 2012.
The amount is in addition to RM800,000 allocation channelled through the State Women, Family and Community Development Committee.
The PWDC’s board of directors, comprising activists, academics and social workers, is chaired by Ong Kok Fooi, the state executive councillor for youth and sports, and women, family and community development.
As a flagship programme, a 3-year Gender Responsive Budgeting project is being implemented by the PWDC together with the Penang island and Seberang Prai municipal councils.
The pilot project will work to make gender concerns become part of the mainstream focus of the budgetary process and policies of the two local government bodies, beginning with services related to cleanliness and safety, Lim said.
Both Penang and Seberang Prai councils have contributed RM63,000 and RM200,000 respectively for the pilot project.
One of the expected outcomes of this project is to have “sex-disaggregated data,” which contains core gender indicators, in the databank and statistics collected by the two local councils, Lim said.
These would then be used as evidence in making gender responsive policies and in their output-based budgeting, he stressed.
Lim also noted that Penang’s female labour force participation at 53.4% is much higher than the national average of 45.7%. “However, they are concentrated in low and semi-skilled positions in the manufacturing and services sectors,” he said.