Saturday 8 December 2012
A Little Miracle of Lord Ganesh. Peace TV of Zakir Naik is now facing ban in Bharat.
Anti Indian and Lord Ganesh defamatory Peace TV of Zakir Naik and other 23 others facing Ban in India.MHA (Ministry of Home Affairs) glare on hate channels: Govt puts on notice 24 foreign TV channels showing anti-India content after intel alert.
Pratul Sharma | MAIL TODAY | New Delhi, December 6, 2012 :: Hate channels which are illegally down-linked and freely available to viewers near the India-Pakistan and north-eastern borders have become important weapons in the psychological war against India.The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has red flagged 24 “illegal” foreign channels for beaming anti-India programmes. The potential for mischief by these channels was serious enough for the government to concede in Parliament:
“The content of some of these channels is not conducive to the security environment in the country and poses a potential security hazard.”
The government has initiated steps to enhance the penal provisions for beaming such channels. Amendments to the Cable TV Act, which will include higher fines apart from the existing jail provisions, are ready to be introduced in Parliament.The government’s move to block the channels follows a spate of communal incidents in Uttar Pradesh, Hyderabad, Assam, Srinagar, Mumbai and other parts of India in recent months following motivated reports.However, the authorities find it difficult to jam all channels. Encouraged by this lack of control and easily available in the border areas and even elsewhere, these channels are brought into homes via cable TV.
Ajit Doval, former director of the Intelligence Bureau, said, “If these channels are indulging in anti-national and seditious activities which are detrimental to the security of the country, then the government should take suitable legal action and a technological response to counter them. Read details in India Today>>
[Courtesy: India Today.]
Related Readings from Hindu Existence: LIKE US and UK, BAN DOGTOR* ZAKIR NAIK in BHARAT (INDIA).
Important Video: ZAKIR NAIK MUST BE PROSECUTED FOR LORD GANESH DEFAMATION IN PEACE TV AND FACE-BOOK.
Put Dr. Zakir Naik in Jail or Stop his Filthy Attitudes towards Hindus.
Java, radical Islam in favor of female genital mutilation
Circumcision is concentrated in particular in rural and remoteareas of the island of Java. So far campaigns by activists who denounce the danger of infection and the violence inherent in the practice to no avail. The debate within the Muslim world, on compulsory nature (or non) of the rite. A civil battle, supported by more than 400 NGOs.
Jakarta (AsiaNews) - In rural areas and more remote areas of Indonesia, particularly the island of Java, female circumcision is still a widespread traditional practice. Although it is not a rule set in a rigid manner by the precepts of Islam, it resists in the most populous Muslim country in the world thanks to the favorable opinion of a large part of society, due to the more extreme and integral fringe. Over the years, activists and politicians have launched campaigns and appeals in an attempt to eradicate the popular custom, which puts the physical health of girls at risk. However, efforts to stem the "tetesan" - as it is called in the country - have so far been a vain war fought on "two different fronts", at a governmental level and on a purely religious level.
Renowned experts of Islamic law in Indonesia, interviewed by AsiaNews, stigmatize the practice of female circumcision as "damaging", even if it continues the comparison - which in many cases results in open clashes - between the fuqaha extremists and moderate Muslims leaders. With the first in favor of mutilation, while the latter engaged in campaigns to put an end to the phenomenon.
The the Muslim intellectual Sumanto Al Qurtuby says the faction that supports tetesan is linked to the Salafi and Wahhabi community, which together with other fundamentalist groups are concentrated in Bandung and Aceh. They believe that circumcision is "morally" encouraged by Sharia, or Islamic law, and reiterated in the hadith, in anecdotes related to the life of the Prophet Muhammad. However, the expert adds, while the practice is "suggested" it is not "mandatory" and there are no moral foundations of Islamic law that state it should be perpetrated. There are in fact six different drafts of the hadith - better known as "Kutub as-Sittah" - and only one of these "calls for" the spread of female circumcision.
Together with the moral issue, there is also a health and a pyscological aspect. The practice of FGM, in fact, results in the loss of sexual pleasure and is often practiced in contexts far from sterile, in which there is a clear risk of infection or post-operative consequences. This is why human rights activists, citizens and a large part of civil society have fought for and end to this practice - especially in rural areas. An act, they describe as "dangerous" and "contrary to the health care."
The author of this article in his youth, when he was about eight years old, witnessed firsthand circumcision practiced on a young girl, forced by her parents (Muslims) to submit to the "Islamic ritual." Rather than doing it in a private and appropriately sterilized room - as I recall - the act of female circumcision was carried out in the open air, her feet on the ground, while the genital organ was removed with a razor blade. The little girl began to scream in pain, as a stream of blood oozed from the wound. At the end of the rite, I remember that the family offered a kind of celebration of the "thank you" to neighbors, for taking part in the "Islamic ritual."
An opinion poll carried out by the government in 2003 confirmed that the practice of female genital mutilation is still widespread in rural areas. In 2006, the Ministry of Health tried to intervene to stem the tide, without any substantive results regarding what is defined by a number of fronts, especially among female movements as, "an example of domestic violence." Throughout Indonesia at least 400 non-governmental organizations have arisen that are fighting against the practice. The movements in unison, recall that Jakarta is one of the signatories of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW Convention) and is called to make every effort to reduce the social impact of this practise.
Muslim Mob Attacks Christian School in Pakistan
Lahore: December 1, 2012. (PCP) Muslim mob attacked a Christian school, Community Education Centre in Azad Town, Su-e Asal. Community Education Centre is a project of Community Advance Program Ministries (CAP). It is working for the uplift of the poorest of poor in Lahore.
At 9:30 A.M the local prayer leader announced from his mosque that the staffs of Christian school has torn the pages of Quran ,He further stated that he had received an unknown call on his cell phone that some body had torn the pages of Quran in the school compound . Within No time hundred of local Muslim gathered at the main gate of school and even they tried to break in, however few Muslims went to the house of a women who was running a canteen in the school and they demanded the keys of the school, after seeing the seriousness of the situation she handed over the keys without any reluctance.
Then the local Muslims had blocked the Main Ferozepur Road, police reached on the spot and sealed the school.
WVIP, legal and Ground team led by Riaz Anjum Advocate and Napoleon Qayyum reached the spot and met with the local Muslims residents as well as the local police. The local Muslims women told our ground staff Mr. Asher “It is one of the best School in the locality, Almost 100 Muslim children are getting free education in this Christian school and we are satisfied with the education they are providing to our Children”. They further stated “the school administration never tried to teach anything against Islam to our children and they cannot do such disrespectable deed”.
The Senior Advocate of WVIP Mr. Riaz Anjum remained in contact with the local police ,as well as our National Director Napoleon Qayyum was in contact with the High authorities of the Government of Pakistan. With their efforts police has taken the prayer leader under investigation and started tracking the record of the phone call and police has not taken any adverse action against the Christian school and its staff. The police also asked our legal team to pen-down some of the statements of the school staff, which will be done accordingly.
At 9:30 A.M the local prayer leader announced from his mosque that the staffs of Christian school has torn the pages of Quran ,He further stated that he had received an unknown call on his cell phone that some body had torn the pages of Quran in the school compound . Within No time hundred of local Muslim gathered at the main gate of school and even they tried to break in, however few Muslims went to the house of a women who was running a canteen in the school and they demanded the keys of the school, after seeing the seriousness of the situation she handed over the keys without any reluctance.
Then the local Muslims had blocked the Main Ferozepur Road, police reached on the spot and sealed the school.
WVIP, legal and Ground team led by Riaz Anjum Advocate and Napoleon Qayyum reached the spot and met with the local Muslims residents as well as the local police. The local Muslims women told our ground staff Mr. Asher “It is one of the best School in the locality, Almost 100 Muslim children are getting free education in this Christian school and we are satisfied with the education they are providing to our Children”. They further stated “the school administration never tried to teach anything against Islam to our children and they cannot do such disrespectable deed”.
The Senior Advocate of WVIP Mr. Riaz Anjum remained in contact with the local police ,as well as our National Director Napoleon Qayyum was in contact with the High authorities of the Government of Pakistan. With their efforts police has taken the prayer leader under investigation and started tracking the record of the phone call and police has not taken any adverse action against the Christian school and its staff. The police also asked our legal team to pen-down some of the statements of the school staff, which will be done accordingly.
Razed temple highlights Pakistan Hindu woes
The community was distraught at the destruction of the temple
Witnesses say the developers moved in early on Saturday - when higher courts were closed and there was no hope of immediate legal redress for those affected.
The community has set up religious articles, including pictures and statuettes of their gods, in the midst of the rubble of the demolished temple.
But will they be able to fend off a construction giant in a society which is increasingly unsympathetic to its tiny Hindu minority?
Residents' protest
"First, a few men came to the temple and said they just wanted to visit the site," says Mukesh Kumar Jaidia, a resident of Doli Khata where the temple was located.
"Then some more men came, followed by the police and bulldozers. They erected a canvas fence around the temple and about four adjacent houses, and before we knew it, they were bulldozing the structures."
The Rama Peer temple, which some say was 80 years old, was one of many Hindu temples in Karachi that have in recent years been the subject of property disputes involving commercial builders.
The compound where it was located, and the land around it, is owned by the military.
In 2008, the military estates officer (MEO) of the area issued eviction notices to the temple and more than a dozen Hindu families residing in houses built around it, to clear the way for its purchase by a major construction firm based in Karachi.
"The residents refused, saying they had been living here for more than 50 years and had a right to be offered ownership rights for a price instead of being thrown out," says Dr Ramesh Vankwani, the head of the community organisation, the Pakistan Hindu Council.
A plea filed by one of the residents was dismissed by a court in November, paving the way for the construction firm to forcibly evict the residents last Saturday.
The community staged angry protests on Sunday, saying the demolition squad had desecrated their articles of faith and deprived several poor people of a roof over their head.
'Easy prey'
The Rama Peer temple is one of many property disputes
Most upper caste Hindus left Pakistan for India, leaving behind low caste Hindus who were largely poor and uneducated and performed menial chores.
With the advent of Islamic militancy in the 1980s, this vulnerable section of society has grown even more insecure.
In recent years, the community has faced a spate of kidnappings and forced conversions of their women by Muslim men, often backed by organised vigilante groups.
The capacity of these groups to intimidate the minorities and their supporters was in evidence in February this year when a 17-year-old Hindu girl, Rinkle Kumari, went missing from her home in Mirpur Mathelo town of Sindh province, and resurfaced at a shrine run by a locally influential Muslim family.
The armed followers of the shrine fired celebratory shots over what they called her conversion to Islam and her marriage to a local Muslim youth.
While she stated in a court that she had converted of her own accord, her parents said she had been intimidated, and that she had actually been kidnapped from her house by four armed men.
Human rights groups say there are dozens of cases of Hindu girls having been kidnapped and converted to Islam, mostly in Sindh province where the majority of Pakistani Hindus live.
Rinkle Kumari's family say that she was forcibly converted to Islam
The wealthier among them - especially those in business - also make easy prey for extortionists and criminal gangs involved in kidnapping for ransom.Their places of worship are being treated with equal disrespect.
Sporadic attacks
When Hindu extremists razed the Babri mosque in Ayodhya in northern India in 1992, Muslim mobs in Pakistan responded by destroying dozens of Hindu temples and Hindu settlements all over the country.
Sporadic attacks on Hindu places of worship have continued ever since.
In May, unidentified men vandalised a 19th Century temple situated inside an archaeological compound in the north-western city of Peshawar. They burned down the holy scriptures and images, and smashed the idols.
While the Pakistani statute books still carry laws from the colonial period that prescribe punishment for the desecration of religious places and articles, their enforcement has come to depend on how far a community is willing to go to make those laws work.
In Karachi's Doli Khata area, the socially weak Hindus will be up against influential builders, a powerful office of the military estates and a public opinion largely influenced by hostile Islamist groups.
1 Malaysia concept vague ‘by design’, says PM
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who mooted the 1 Malaysia concept, said he had deliberately not defined the idea so its meaning could absorb different views over time, even as he acknowledged there were sceptics from the non-Malay community towards the idea translating into government policy.“I didn’t define the concept very clearly, but that was by design,” the prime minister told The Malay Mail in an interview published today.
Najib (picture) said he had decided it needed to have an “element of strategic ambiguity” when he introduced it three years ago so that the concept could be broadened to include other views from the public.
The 59-year-old said the concept he envisioned to promote the idea of inclusiveness among the races, has been translated into policy and was clearly understood now even though some quarters have been sceptical at the onset.
“They may not see 1 Malaysia as something practised within the entire government system. But then again people must realise this is a journey,” he told the English-language paper in response to scepticism from the minority races outside the ruling Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Malay party, Umno.
He added that his idea was more comprehensive than had been previously envisioned by the country’s past leaders as his promoted the fundamental principles and values of social justice, inclusivity and moderation.
“This is the first time that we’re trying to really define it in terms of the principles and values associated with 1 Malaysia.
“In the past, people talked about working together, but there was no real operational definition of what that meant,” he said in the interview.
Najib, who is seeking a personal mandate for power at the 13th general election due soon, had previously said the 1 Malaysia concept promises to prioritise the people with improvements in public service delivery and economic reforms.
However, critics and opposition leaders have panned the 1 Malaysia concept and logo, which had been stamped on nearly every government product, ranging from grocery store goods like milk powder tins and rice sacks to healthcare services, as little more than rhetoric and sloganeering.
“1 Malaysia is also products and services which will lighten the burden of the people and improve their quality of life,” he said at the launch of the pioneer Kedai Rakyat 1 Malaysia (KR1M) thrift store at the Kelana Jaya LRT station on June 22 last year.
‘AG Chambers aiding human traffickers’
A labour activist claims that the AG Chambers is working hand in glove with the Bangladeshi High Commission to aid human traffickers.
KUALA LUMPUR: Labour activist Abdul Aziz Ismail has accused the Attorney-General’s Chambers of colluding with the Bangladeshi High Commission to aid human traffickers.
In an open letter to the government, the Selangor Anti-Human Trafficking Council member said he came to such a conclusion after his appointment as a workers welfare adviser under the Bangladeshi High Commission here was suddenly revoked.
“The sudden cancellation of my appointment by the commission under the instructions of the AG Chambers is beyond their boundaries and perimeter and it was done in bad faith,” he wrote.
He said he suspected that the AG Chambers and the Bangladesh High Commission had, willingly or unwittingly, become the tools of human trafficking syndicates, by protecting them.
In 2007, Aziz said he was officially appointed to assist or represent Bangladesh migrant workers on matters concerning their welfare by the commission. He was then empowered to assist them to obtain temporary stay visas, lodging police reports and accompanying them during legal proceedings as a translator.
He said in the years of voluntarism in this manner, he succesfully secured about more than RM700,000 of unpaid wages for exploited foreign workers.
He said that his work had began somewhere between 2006 and 2009, when most of the Bangladesh migrant workers were brought into Malaysia and issued fraudulent “calling visa” by the Immigration Department approved by the Home Ministry to bogus employers or outsourcing companies.
He alleged that those workers were later sold to a third party by their bogus employers or outsource companies, and abandoned.
“These traffic victims were later detained and arrested as undocumented, illegal entry, over-staying and violating employment pass,” he said.
Aziz said he was much involved during that period and represented victims of unpaid wages, unlawful dismissal, unlawful detention and all other suppression by agents, employers or the authorities.
All these he did without being paid a single sen by the commission or by the victims.
He said that the current 6P amnesty programme was akin to a “Re-Trafficking Programme” that caused hundreds of thousands of foreigners to be cheated and victimised by enforcement agencies.
Human trafficking industry
“Their objective is to deport the current re-trafficked victims at the expense of public funds and recruit new intake to boost the human trafficking industry,” he added.
Recently, Aziz helped FMT expose SNT Universal Corporation Sdn Bhd to be behind the exploitation of foreign workers, mainly Bangladeshis.
The company was accused of committing several offences, including cheating by falsely claiming to be able to register foreigners under the 6P programme and getting work permits for them, and setting up dozens of bogus employment agencies.
Those working in the company were also accused of assaulting these foreigners, an episode of which was captured on CCTV recordings.
FMT also reported that former home minister Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, the current MP for Kangar, was also a director in SNT Universal Corporation Sdn Bhd, according to the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) records.
Radzi later explained that he was roped in to be a director by several friends and that he was unaware of the activities of the company.
Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan had also weighed in on the controversy, alleging that the way the government had conducted the 6P was akin to human trafficking.
“When you privatise 6P and foreign labour, and allow third parties to make money out of it… this can be regarded as human trafficking,” Musa said.
KUALA LUMPUR: Labour activist Abdul Aziz Ismail has accused the Attorney-General’s Chambers of colluding with the Bangladeshi High Commission to aid human traffickers.In an open letter to the government, the Selangor Anti-Human Trafficking Council member said he came to such a conclusion after his appointment as a workers welfare adviser under the Bangladeshi High Commission here was suddenly revoked.
“The sudden cancellation of my appointment by the commission under the instructions of the AG Chambers is beyond their boundaries and perimeter and it was done in bad faith,” he wrote.
He said he suspected that the AG Chambers and the Bangladesh High Commission had, willingly or unwittingly, become the tools of human trafficking syndicates, by protecting them.
In 2007, Aziz said he was officially appointed to assist or represent Bangladesh migrant workers on matters concerning their welfare by the commission. He was then empowered to assist them to obtain temporary stay visas, lodging police reports and accompanying them during legal proceedings as a translator.
He said in the years of voluntarism in this manner, he succesfully secured about more than RM700,000 of unpaid wages for exploited foreign workers.
He said that his work had began somewhere between 2006 and 2009, when most of the Bangladesh migrant workers were brought into Malaysia and issued fraudulent “calling visa” by the Immigration Department approved by the Home Ministry to bogus employers or outsourcing companies.
He alleged that those workers were later sold to a third party by their bogus employers or outsource companies, and abandoned.
“These traffic victims were later detained and arrested as undocumented, illegal entry, over-staying and violating employment pass,” he said.
Aziz said he was much involved during that period and represented victims of unpaid wages, unlawful dismissal, unlawful detention and all other suppression by agents, employers or the authorities.
All these he did without being paid a single sen by the commission or by the victims.
He said that the current 6P amnesty programme was akin to a “Re-Trafficking Programme” that caused hundreds of thousands of foreigners to be cheated and victimised by enforcement agencies.
Human trafficking industry
“Their objective is to deport the current re-trafficked victims at the expense of public funds and recruit new intake to boost the human trafficking industry,” he added.
Recently, Aziz helped FMT expose SNT Universal Corporation Sdn Bhd to be behind the exploitation of foreign workers, mainly Bangladeshis.
The company was accused of committing several offences, including cheating by falsely claiming to be able to register foreigners under the 6P programme and getting work permits for them, and setting up dozens of bogus employment agencies.
Those working in the company were also accused of assaulting these foreigners, an episode of which was captured on CCTV recordings.
FMT also reported that former home minister Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, the current MP for Kangar, was also a director in SNT Universal Corporation Sdn Bhd, according to the Companies Commission of Malaysia (CCM) records.
Radzi later explained that he was roped in to be a director by several friends and that he was unaware of the activities of the company.
Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan had also weighed in on the controversy, alleging that the way the government had conducted the 6P was akin to human trafficking.
“When you privatise 6P and foreign labour, and allow third parties to make money out of it… this can be regarded as human trafficking,” Musa said.
Natives threaten army with court injunction
The construction of the RM40 million road connecting Ba Kelalan to Bario in Sarawak, at the cost of an essential water catchment area has angered local villagers.
KUCHING: Angry villagers in Ba’Kelalan have threatened the Malaysian Royal Army Engineers Regiment with a court injunction if they persist in building the Ba’kelalan-Bario road.
“If need be, we will apply for a court injunction to stop the army contractors from proceeding with the road construction,” said Baru Bian, a lawyer and Ba’Kelalan assemblyman.
Bian said that he had written to the chief of the Armed Forces that the villagers did not want the road (Ba’Kelalan-Bario road) as it passes Sungai Muda, which is a water catchment area.
The villagers have instead proposed that road be built from Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario. This would then safeguard the catchment area.
“The villagers have objected to the road being built through Sungai Muda as it would affect the water catchment area at Sungai Muda,” he said.
Bian, who is Sarawak PKR chief, said he was disappointed with army’s reply that only a few people were against the road construction while the majority of the villagers were for it.
“The folks in Ba Kelalan wants to protect Sungai Muda because its destruction would affect the lives of about 2,000 villagers from Punan Kelalan, Long Muda, Long Kumap, Long Langai, Long Lemutut, Buduk Nur, and SK Ba’Kelalan, an international award winning school,” he said.
In the letter, the army also said that the few people who rejected the road were the supporters of the Bian and that it reflected a very bad image.
“I have submitted a list of 152 villagers who are against the construction, and I will be calling for a big meeting in Ba’Kelalan on Dec 16, 2012,” said Bian.
“If the army still persists in carrying out the construction, we will apply for an injunction. It is typical of the BN mentality to blame the problem on the opposition.”
What about NCR rights?
On the reason given by the army that it is a ‘security road’ having its strategic importance to the forward operation base along the border to Lapo Bunga Cam, Bian said that it appeared that the army refused to listen to the people.
“Are they are serving the people or are they serving their own interest?” he asked.
He also questioned whether the road was properly planned as there was no EIA report and did not appear to involve the state authorities.
“And what about the native customary rights land of the people? Have they been excised out? My suspicion is that the project is improperly done and I urge the army to listen to the people,” he said.
Last month the villagers set up a blockade at Pa’Patar and Arur Lutut which is near the water catchment area called Sungai Muda.
The villagers claimed that contractors had already cleared about a kilometre stretch of the jungle despite their disagreement to have the road built through Sungai Muda.
The villagers told reporters last month that the army had explained to them that they opted for the Sungai Muda route because it is 20km shorter than the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route, and thus would incur less cost.
The villagers, however, did not buy that story because the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route is already there and merely needed small improvements, such as culverts.
The construction of the RM42 million Ba Kelalan-Bario Road started on Oct 1 and is expected to be completed by Sept 2014.
Defence minister Ahmad Zaidi Hamidi said army would implement the project under the Blue Ocean Strategy, and the road was a continuation of the 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan Road which was completed in September last year.
KUCHING: Angry villagers in Ba’Kelalan have threatened the Malaysian Royal Army Engineers Regiment with a court injunction if they persist in building the Ba’kelalan-Bario road.“If need be, we will apply for a court injunction to stop the army contractors from proceeding with the road construction,” said Baru Bian, a lawyer and Ba’Kelalan assemblyman.
Bian said that he had written to the chief of the Armed Forces that the villagers did not want the road (Ba’Kelalan-Bario road) as it passes Sungai Muda, which is a water catchment area.
The villagers have instead proposed that road be built from Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario. This would then safeguard the catchment area.
“The villagers have objected to the road being built through Sungai Muda as it would affect the water catchment area at Sungai Muda,” he said.
Bian, who is Sarawak PKR chief, said he was disappointed with army’s reply that only a few people were against the road construction while the majority of the villagers were for it.
“The folks in Ba Kelalan wants to protect Sungai Muda because its destruction would affect the lives of about 2,000 villagers from Punan Kelalan, Long Muda, Long Kumap, Long Langai, Long Lemutut, Buduk Nur, and SK Ba’Kelalan, an international award winning school,” he said.
In the letter, the army also said that the few people who rejected the road were the supporters of the Bian and that it reflected a very bad image.
“I have submitted a list of 152 villagers who are against the construction, and I will be calling for a big meeting in Ba’Kelalan on Dec 16, 2012,” said Bian.
“If the army still persists in carrying out the construction, we will apply for an injunction. It is typical of the BN mentality to blame the problem on the opposition.”
What about NCR rights?
On the reason given by the army that it is a ‘security road’ having its strategic importance to the forward operation base along the border to Lapo Bunga Cam, Bian said that it appeared that the army refused to listen to the people.
“Are they are serving the people or are they serving their own interest?” he asked.
He also questioned whether the road was properly planned as there was no EIA report and did not appear to involve the state authorities.
“And what about the native customary rights land of the people? Have they been excised out? My suspicion is that the project is improperly done and I urge the army to listen to the people,” he said.
Last month the villagers set up a blockade at Pa’Patar and Arur Lutut which is near the water catchment area called Sungai Muda.
The villagers claimed that contractors had already cleared about a kilometre stretch of the jungle despite their disagreement to have the road built through Sungai Muda.
The villagers told reporters last month that the army had explained to them that they opted for the Sungai Muda route because it is 20km shorter than the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route, and thus would incur less cost.
The villagers, however, did not buy that story because the Belingi-Lepo Bunga-Bario route is already there and merely needed small improvements, such as culverts.
The construction of the RM42 million Ba Kelalan-Bario Road started on Oct 1 and is expected to be completed by Sept 2014.
Defence minister Ahmad Zaidi Hamidi said army would implement the project under the Blue Ocean Strategy, and the road was a continuation of the 75km Long Luping-Ba Kelalan Road which was completed in September last year.
MIC Youth stage demo, wants MB’s head to roll
MIC Youth marched to the Selangor state secretariat building over the demolition of a shrine, demanding that both the MB and exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar tender their resignations.
VIDEO INSIDE
SHAH ALAM: MIC Youth today staged a peaceful protest in front of the Selangor state secretariat building demanding Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar to resign over the demolition of a Hindu shrine in Sepang.
Led by Youth chief T Mohan, who submitted a memorandum to the state government, the protesters also demanded a public apology over the demolition carried out by the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) in the compound of S Gobikumar’s residence here on Nov 20.
“We want Khalid and Jeyakumar to resign immediately,” Mohan told reporters.
While more than 1,000 people had turned up at Dataran SACC, only about 500 joined in the march to the secretariat building.
Carrying banners, the protesters called on Jeyakumar and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to “wake up” in order to defend the rights of non-Muslims in the state.
Among others, the banners read: “Xavier jangan tidur” (Xavier don’t sleep) and “Sejak 2008 Pakatan telah merobohkan tujuh kuil” (since 2008, Pakatan has demolished seven temples).
Apart from MIC Youth, local Indian-based NGOs like Perinbam, IASA, Tamillar Uthavum Karangal, Nambikkai and others also took part.
Mohan told reporters that the memorandum was submitted to Jayakumar’s personal assistant Abdul Razak.
“We are not like Jeyakumar and his team who are opportunists,” said the MIC Youth chief in denying that the protest was to fish for Indian votes.
“Pakatan Indian leaders are always claiming they are sincere but why are they keeping mum on this issue,” he added, urging MPS to rebuild the shrine.
Mohan also took Jayakumar to task for issuing contradicting statements over the matter.
The exco had asserted that the demolition was according to the Local Council Act but yesterday he issued another statement claiming that it was an act of “sabotage”.
He also said that the state government was unaware about the incidents and the exco council did not issue any orders to demolish the shrine.
“Look, how he twists his words,” claimed Mohan. “First, he said everything was done according to rules. And now he puts the blame on others.”
“He should investigate who ordered the demolition,” he added.
He also claimed that Jayakumar’s initial comment that the shrine was merely a “structure with no idols inside” was an insult to the Indian community.
“Even if it is just a structure, is it OK to demolish it by trespassing into someone’s house? All this talk goes against what was said before the general election when they promised not to demolish any place of worship,” he said.
VIDEO INSIDE
SHAH ALAM: MIC Youth today staged a peaceful protest in front of the Selangor state secretariat building demanding Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar to resign over the demolition of a Hindu shrine in Sepang.Led by Youth chief T Mohan, who submitted a memorandum to the state government, the protesters also demanded a public apology over the demolition carried out by the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) in the compound of S Gobikumar’s residence here on Nov 20.
“We want Khalid and Jeyakumar to resign immediately,” Mohan told reporters.
While more than 1,000 people had turned up at Dataran SACC, only about 500 joined in the march to the secretariat building.
Carrying banners, the protesters called on Jeyakumar and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to “wake up” in order to defend the rights of non-Muslims in the state.
Among others, the banners read: “Xavier jangan tidur” (Xavier don’t sleep) and “Sejak 2008 Pakatan telah merobohkan tujuh kuil” (since 2008, Pakatan has demolished seven temples).
Apart from MIC Youth, local Indian-based NGOs like Perinbam, IASA, Tamillar Uthavum Karangal, Nambikkai and others also took part.
Mohan told reporters that the memorandum was submitted to Jayakumar’s personal assistant Abdul Razak.
“We are not like Jeyakumar and his team who are opportunists,” said the MIC Youth chief in denying that the protest was to fish for Indian votes.
“Pakatan Indian leaders are always claiming they are sincere but why are they keeping mum on this issue,” he added, urging MPS to rebuild the shrine.
Mohan also took Jayakumar to task for issuing contradicting statements over the matter.
The exco had asserted that the demolition was according to the Local Council Act but yesterday he issued another statement claiming that it was an act of “sabotage”.
He also said that the state government was unaware about the incidents and the exco council did not issue any orders to demolish the shrine.
“Look, how he twists his words,” claimed Mohan. “First, he said everything was done according to rules. And now he puts the blame on others.”
“He should investigate who ordered the demolition,” he added.
He also claimed that Jayakumar’s initial comment that the shrine was merely a “structure with no idols inside” was an insult to the Indian community.
“Even if it is just a structure, is it OK to demolish it by trespassing into someone’s house? All this talk goes against what was said before the general election when they promised not to demolish any place of worship,” he said.
Musa: I was upset by Sin Chew reporter’s detention
The ex-IGP claims Syed Hamid Albar ordered the ISA arrest.
PETALING JAYA: Former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan claims that he was against the controversial 2008 arrest of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act.
He told FMT he was in hospital at the time and police made the arrest in obedience to the then home minister Syed Hamid Albar.
He said he scolded his deputy – current Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar – over the arrest and the latter wept and offered to resign.
Tan’s arrest in September 2008 came after the publication of her report on a speech made by the then Bukit Bendera Umno chief, Ahmad Ismail, in which he said the Chinese were squatters in the country and not deserving of equal rights.
Reacting to public outrage, Syed Hamid said Tan was arrested for her own protection. He said police were acting on information that her life was under threat. The statement drew ridicule from the public.
“The explanation sounded absurd to me,” Musa told FMT.
“At that time, I was in hospital, in IJN (National Heart Institute), having a bypass.”
He said he told Ismail, who was acting IGP, to investigate the case under the Sedition Act and not to use the ISA to arrest anyone.
He said he was upset at the turn of events and demanded an explanation from Ismail when he visited him at IJN.
“Then he started crying, saying that the minister gave the instructions. He told me he wanted to resign, saying things like ‘I want to resign, I don’t want to work anymore.’
“I said to him, ‘You shouldn’t be allowing yourself to be dictated to. I am in the hospital now, and you are Acting IGP.’ I told him ‘It’s stupid of you, wanting to resign. Next time, just don’t do it.’”
Asked if he tried to confront Syed Hamid, Musa said he could not because he was bedridden.
“But of course the girl was later released. But it was wrong. Using ISA didn’t make sense to me. If you think any seditious statement was made, then you have the law to investigate, right?”
During the controversy, Syed Hamid told the press the arrest was a police decision and that he had not interfered.
More recently, during the Umno annual general assembly, Syed Hamid denied Musa’s allegation that home ministers were among the politicians who regularly attempted to interfere with police investigations.
Asked to comment on this, Musa told FMT: “Well he can deny it, but Ismail told me at that time that he was directed.”
Drug raid
Giving another example of politicians throwing their weight around, Musa spoke of a drug raid at a club in Johor in 2003, when he was serving in the state.
“A Johor ADUN [state assemblyman] shouted at my officers asking them to get out,” he said. “And then he called me, asking why the officers raided this place.
“He told me, ‘Do you know I am wakil rakyat so and so?’ I answered ‘So what? Why are you angry? Is it your place?’ He then said he was a frequent customer and asked why we were embarrassing people who wanted to enjoy themselves.
“I replied, ‘Okay, you can enjoy, but we are looking for drugs. So don’t disturb my officers.’
“The next day he came to my office, scolding me. I said, ‘You shouldn’t do this, you should respect the police.’”
Musa said he was still upset with Ismail over his response to Musa’s recent allegations of political interference and criminal infiltration in the police force as well as his call on Ismail to “be tougher”.
Ismail had reportedly brushed off Musa’s remarks as “unimportant”.
“I am still quite upset,” he said. “His statement shows that he doesn’t want to improve the situation. I’m saying he is very arrogant.”
Musa said that Ismail had “changed a lot” and would often try to avoid coming face to face with him at public functions.
“Maybe he has been advised by certain groups and ex-police officers not to be close to me. I wouldn’t name names.
“If I don’t attend these functions, it doesn’t mean I don’t like the police. I just don’t want to be associated with these people. As I said, ex-police officers are also involved with the syndicates. I don’t want to be involved with them.”
He said he was sad over the public’s loss of respect for the police force.
“This is not just because of political interference, but because of the police themselves, the bosses, the top people.
“Firstly, they don’t know how to respond to the public. Secondly, they don’t work closely with the public. They don’t listen to public opinion. They don’t change – that’s the problem.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of anti-crime NGO MyWatch, R Sri Sanjeevan, has called for a thorough investigation into Musa’s allegations, including the one about Syed Hamid ordering the arrest of Sin Chew’s Tan.
PETALING JAYA: Former Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan claims that he was against the controversial 2008 arrest of Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act.He told FMT he was in hospital at the time and police made the arrest in obedience to the then home minister Syed Hamid Albar.
He said he scolded his deputy – current Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar – over the arrest and the latter wept and offered to resign.
Tan’s arrest in September 2008 came after the publication of her report on a speech made by the then Bukit Bendera Umno chief, Ahmad Ismail, in which he said the Chinese were squatters in the country and not deserving of equal rights.
Reacting to public outrage, Syed Hamid said Tan was arrested for her own protection. He said police were acting on information that her life was under threat. The statement drew ridicule from the public.
“The explanation sounded absurd to me,” Musa told FMT.
“At that time, I was in hospital, in IJN (National Heart Institute), having a bypass.”
He said he told Ismail, who was acting IGP, to investigate the case under the Sedition Act and not to use the ISA to arrest anyone.
He said he was upset at the turn of events and demanded an explanation from Ismail when he visited him at IJN.
“Then he started crying, saying that the minister gave the instructions. He told me he wanted to resign, saying things like ‘I want to resign, I don’t want to work anymore.’
“I said to him, ‘You shouldn’t be allowing yourself to be dictated to. I am in the hospital now, and you are Acting IGP.’ I told him ‘It’s stupid of you, wanting to resign. Next time, just don’t do it.’”
Asked if he tried to confront Syed Hamid, Musa said he could not because he was bedridden.
“But of course the girl was later released. But it was wrong. Using ISA didn’t make sense to me. If you think any seditious statement was made, then you have the law to investigate, right?”
During the controversy, Syed Hamid told the press the arrest was a police decision and that he had not interfered.
More recently, during the Umno annual general assembly, Syed Hamid denied Musa’s allegation that home ministers were among the politicians who regularly attempted to interfere with police investigations.
Asked to comment on this, Musa told FMT: “Well he can deny it, but Ismail told me at that time that he was directed.”
Drug raid
Giving another example of politicians throwing their weight around, Musa spoke of a drug raid at a club in Johor in 2003, when he was serving in the state.
“A Johor ADUN [state assemblyman] shouted at my officers asking them to get out,” he said. “And then he called me, asking why the officers raided this place.
“He told me, ‘Do you know I am wakil rakyat so and so?’ I answered ‘So what? Why are you angry? Is it your place?’ He then said he was a frequent customer and asked why we were embarrassing people who wanted to enjoy themselves.
“I replied, ‘Okay, you can enjoy, but we are looking for drugs. So don’t disturb my officers.’
“The next day he came to my office, scolding me. I said, ‘You shouldn’t do this, you should respect the police.’”
Musa said he was still upset with Ismail over his response to Musa’s recent allegations of political interference and criminal infiltration in the police force as well as his call on Ismail to “be tougher”.
Ismail had reportedly brushed off Musa’s remarks as “unimportant”.
“I am still quite upset,” he said. “His statement shows that he doesn’t want to improve the situation. I’m saying he is very arrogant.”
Musa said that Ismail had “changed a lot” and would often try to avoid coming face to face with him at public functions.
“Maybe he has been advised by certain groups and ex-police officers not to be close to me. I wouldn’t name names.
“If I don’t attend these functions, it doesn’t mean I don’t like the police. I just don’t want to be associated with these people. As I said, ex-police officers are also involved with the syndicates. I don’t want to be involved with them.”
He said he was sad over the public’s loss of respect for the police force.
“This is not just because of political interference, but because of the police themselves, the bosses, the top people.
“Firstly, they don’t know how to respond to the public. Secondly, they don’t work closely with the public. They don’t listen to public opinion. They don’t change – that’s the problem.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of anti-crime NGO MyWatch, R Sri Sanjeevan, has called for a thorough investigation into Musa’s allegations, including the one about Syed Hamid ordering the arrest of Sin Chew’s Tan.
Putrajaya police notified of Dec 12 sit-in
Thousands of stateless people are expected to participate.
PUTRAJAYA: Police have received official notification of the Dec 12 sit-in to highlight the issue of stateless people, according to its organiser, PKR vice-president N Surendran.
“We have officially notified the police today,” he told reporters after meeting with Putrajaya police chief Abdul Razak Abdul Majid.
He said all senior officers of the Putrajaya district police were at the meeting, which was held at their headquarters.
Surendran was accompanied by his lawyer Latheefa Koya, Batu MP Tian Chua of PKR, Klang MP Charles Santiago of DAP and Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad of PAS.
He said Abdul Razak raised concern that the notice was short of the 10 days required under the Peaceful Assembly Act.
“Our stand is that the spirit of the Act is to facilitate the assembly,” he said.
“We asked them to ensure everything will be under control. It is their duty to do that under the Police Act.”
The protest will be held in front of the National Registration Department (NRD) and will begin at 10am. Several thousand stateless people are expected to participate.
“We’ll bring documentation and we’ll demand of the NRD to issue identification cards to them immediately,” he said.
“We expect the NRD to process the applications because we are aware of cases of foreigners getting ICs immediately.”
Three days ago, Surendran was summoned to the Travers police station for questioning over the protest, but he refused to give a statement.
Dzulkefly told FMT he would ask PAS to assign its Unit Amal to provide security at next week’s protest.
“I will raise the issue with PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu during the central committee meeting this weekend,” he said.
PUTRAJAYA: Police have received official notification of the Dec 12 sit-in to highlight the issue of stateless people, according to its organiser, PKR vice-president N Surendran.“We have officially notified the police today,” he told reporters after meeting with Putrajaya police chief Abdul Razak Abdul Majid.
He said all senior officers of the Putrajaya district police were at the meeting, which was held at their headquarters.
Surendran was accompanied by his lawyer Latheefa Koya, Batu MP Tian Chua of PKR, Klang MP Charles Santiago of DAP and Kuala Selangor MP Dzulkefly Ahmad of PAS.
He said Abdul Razak raised concern that the notice was short of the 10 days required under the Peaceful Assembly Act.
“Our stand is that the spirit of the Act is to facilitate the assembly,” he said.
“We asked them to ensure everything will be under control. It is their duty to do that under the Police Act.”
The protest will be held in front of the National Registration Department (NRD) and will begin at 10am. Several thousand stateless people are expected to participate.
“We’ll bring documentation and we’ll demand of the NRD to issue identification cards to them immediately,” he said.
“We expect the NRD to process the applications because we are aware of cases of foreigners getting ICs immediately.”
Three days ago, Surendran was summoned to the Travers police station for questioning over the protest, but he refused to give a statement.
Dzulkefly told FMT he would ask PAS to assign its Unit Amal to provide security at next week’s protest.
“I will raise the issue with PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu during the central committee meeting this weekend,” he said.
Get real about BN’s racism, Kayveas told
DAP’s Manogaran says it is not mere perception of racial discrimination that makes Malaysians want to vote out the current government.
JEMPOL: A DAP leader has accused People’s Progressive Party chief M Kayveas of making excuses for Barisan Nasional when he spoke about racial discrimination at his party’s general assembly last Sunday.
Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran noted that Kayveas spoke of the public’s “perception” of racial discrimination in government policies while knowing well enough how real the problem is.
“If it is just perception, how come 95% of Felda settlers are Malays?” Manogaran said.
“Intake into the civil service is also Malay-centric. Those who sit in GLCs [government-linked companies] from top to bottom are mostly Malays as well.
“In the armed forces, most of the non-Malays promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel are put under what I would call the ‘flexi category’. They draw the salary of a lieutenant colonel, but their authority is on par with a major.
“The government has an unofficial policy that jobs in the civil service are for Malays and vacancies in the private sector are for non-Malays.
“This is not good for nation building.”
Manogaran told FMT such racist policies were unfair to the Malays as well because it creates the impression that they owe their positions to their racial background, not their capabilities.
“This is not right because there are many capable and qualified Malays who hold important and high posts in the private sector due to their capabilities and purely on merit.
“Furthermore, there is real discrimination against the poor Malays and those Malays who are not connected to Umno.
“These groups of Malays also need help because they are marginalised. They don’t get sufficient business opportunities. Big contracts are given to crony Malays.”
He agreed with Kayveas that voters were flocking to Pakatan Rakyat, but not because they had falsely perceived the BN government as one practising racial discrimination.
“They are seeking fairness and justice,” he said.
He urged Kayveas to be honest and admit to the reality of racial discrimination by BN.
JEMPOL: A DAP leader has accused People’s Progressive Party chief M Kayveas of making excuses for Barisan Nasional when he spoke about racial discrimination at his party’s general assembly last Sunday.Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran noted that Kayveas spoke of the public’s “perception” of racial discrimination in government policies while knowing well enough how real the problem is.
“If it is just perception, how come 95% of Felda settlers are Malays?” Manogaran said.
“Intake into the civil service is also Malay-centric. Those who sit in GLCs [government-linked companies] from top to bottom are mostly Malays as well.
“In the armed forces, most of the non-Malays promoted from Major to Lieutenant Colonel are put under what I would call the ‘flexi category’. They draw the salary of a lieutenant colonel, but their authority is on par with a major.
“The government has an unofficial policy that jobs in the civil service are for Malays and vacancies in the private sector are for non-Malays.
“This is not good for nation building.”
Manogaran told FMT such racist policies were unfair to the Malays as well because it creates the impression that they owe their positions to their racial background, not their capabilities.
“This is not right because there are many capable and qualified Malays who hold important and high posts in the private sector due to their capabilities and purely on merit.
“Furthermore, there is real discrimination against the poor Malays and those Malays who are not connected to Umno.
“These groups of Malays also need help because they are marginalised. They don’t get sufficient business opportunities. Big contracts are given to crony Malays.”
He agreed with Kayveas that voters were flocking to Pakatan Rakyat, but not because they had falsely perceived the BN government as one practising racial discrimination.
“They are seeking fairness and justice,” he said.
He urged Kayveas to be honest and admit to the reality of racial discrimination by BN.
Do you really care MIC, PKR?
Later today, both MIC and PKR will protest separately against the Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) over the demolition of a private home-shrine, but does it really warrant rallies?
COMMENT
PETALING JAYA: Intentionally or otherwise, November 2007 was an “awakening” of sorts for the Indians across the classes in country. Their “realisation” followed through in March 2008 when a tsunami wiped out Barisan Nasional in general and MIC in particular in five states.
Indian votes were pivotal in BN’s loss in four states – Kedah Perak, Selangor and Penang (Perak saw a reverse takeover by BN months later).
Suddenly, Indians became very important to Malaysia’s political class and their vote vital to the survival of a party and coalition.
Opportunistic politicians and parties have been “playing” the Indians at their whim since then.
The most recent of such “play” is the demolition of a privately-owned home shrine belonging to a houseowner, S Gobikumar.
According to media reports, on Nov 20 some 30 officers from Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) trespassed into Gobikumar’s house and demolished an altar his family built for personal prayers. The altar was structurally ready but no prayers had been initiated.
The demolition angered the Indian community.
Days after the demolition, Selangor state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar rushed to the defence of the MPS officers, claiming that the illegal structure was “just put up and not yet used for worship”.
He also said that Gobikumar had received a notice in July 2012 from MPS ordering the removal of the illegal structure. But FMT learnt that the notice was actually for the removal of rubbish in front of Gobikumar’s house.
Xavier asserted that the demolition was according to the Local Council Act.
But today, Xavier issued another statement claiming “sabotage”.
Sabotage claim
His statement read: “The YDP/ Head of MPS was neither consulted nor informed prior to the action of breaking the structure. The Selangor Non-Muslim Affairs Council co-chaired by exco Ronnie Liu, Teresa Kok and myself was also never informed of these actions, prior to them being taken. The action taken by certain officers was unilateral.
“There is reason to suspect this action is bordering [on] sabotage.”
MPS, on its part, is yet to issue an official statement to his request.
Amidst this political volleyball, both MIC Youth and PKR are planning separate protest and rally against the demolition of Gobikumar’s home shrine later today (Friday).
The question now is, why are both sides rallying and protesting over one man’s private domestic place of worship?
Isn’t this a private issue?
The Indian community has bigger issues at its doorstep that need positive political will and public support.
Let’s look at the common knowledge facts. Fifty-five years later, Indians have been grossly marginalised by the country’s “development” policies.
On the socio-economic scale, it sits alongside the Orang Aslis and natives in Sabah and Sarawak.
The community’s children have been sidelined in scholarships, places in public universities, jobs in the civil service and business opportunities. The community is spoken off in derogatory terms in textbooks and along the socio-political corridors. Its objections are seen as irrational outbursts by the “superior” class.
So what is that MIC and PKR are really protesting about? Aren’t these the issues that should be championed with rallies and protests?
Is giving so much focus to a private shrine likely to give them political leverage in the short term?
The answer then is YES! This is all about gaining the Indian vote. Forget the long-term issues.
Xavier must apologise
MIC Youth will today rally its diehard supporters and hold a “massive” gathering in front of Pakatan Rakyat-administered Selangor state government headquarters.
PKR is planning a similar rally at 3pm at MPS office in Sepang.
MIC Youth wants Xavier to make a public apology to the Indians for the demolition. It also wants MPS to rebuild the structure.
PKR, on its part, will rally to hand over a protest letter (against the demolition) to MPS.
MIC’s aim may be to show Pakatan as a racist party because the MPS councillor in charge of that area is a PAS member.
MIC may rake up the 2007 Padang Jawa incident in which a temple was demolished by the BN state government, which eventually resulted in BN’s loss in Selangor.
At that time, Pakatan had demanded that Menteri Besar Khir Toyo resign, and MIC had said nothing, nor did it demand an apology from “big brother Umno”-led Selangor.
Yesterday, seven top-level Pakatan (DAP and PKR) leaders demanded that current Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim suspend the MPS officers who were involved in the demolition of the private shrine.
In a joint statement, MPs M Manogaran (Teluk Intan), S Manikavasagam (Kapar), R Sivarasa (Subang), and Senator S Ramakrishnan and assemblyman M Ravi (Port Dickson) alongwith PKR vice-president N Surendran and former Hindraf leader S Jayathas warned MPS to be cautious and serious when dealing with religious matters such as temples and shrines.
Now the question remains if these same Pakatan Indian leaders are brave enough to ask Xavier to tender a resignation over the demolition of Gobikumar’s private prayer place.
[Note: SMSes from PKR leaders this morning stated that the PKR protest at MPS scheduled for 3pm today has been cancelled at the last minute.]
COMMENTPETALING JAYA: Intentionally or otherwise, November 2007 was an “awakening” of sorts for the Indians across the classes in country. Their “realisation” followed through in March 2008 when a tsunami wiped out Barisan Nasional in general and MIC in particular in five states.
Indian votes were pivotal in BN’s loss in four states – Kedah Perak, Selangor and Penang (Perak saw a reverse takeover by BN months later).
Suddenly, Indians became very important to Malaysia’s political class and their vote vital to the survival of a party and coalition.
Opportunistic politicians and parties have been “playing” the Indians at their whim since then.
The most recent of such “play” is the demolition of a privately-owned home shrine belonging to a houseowner, S Gobikumar.
According to media reports, on Nov 20 some 30 officers from Sepang Municipal Council (MPS) trespassed into Gobikumar’s house and demolished an altar his family built for personal prayers. The altar was structurally ready but no prayers had been initiated.
The demolition angered the Indian community.
Days after the demolition, Selangor state executive councillor Dr Xavier Jayakumar rushed to the defence of the MPS officers, claiming that the illegal structure was “just put up and not yet used for worship”.
He also said that Gobikumar had received a notice in July 2012 from MPS ordering the removal of the illegal structure. But FMT learnt that the notice was actually for the removal of rubbish in front of Gobikumar’s house.
Xavier asserted that the demolition was according to the Local Council Act.
But today, Xavier issued another statement claiming “sabotage”.
Sabotage claim
His statement read: “The YDP/ Head of MPS was neither consulted nor informed prior to the action of breaking the structure. The Selangor Non-Muslim Affairs Council co-chaired by exco Ronnie Liu, Teresa Kok and myself was also never informed of these actions, prior to them being taken. The action taken by certain officers was unilateral.
“There is reason to suspect this action is bordering [on] sabotage.”
MPS, on its part, is yet to issue an official statement to his request.
Amidst this political volleyball, both MIC Youth and PKR are planning separate protest and rally against the demolition of Gobikumar’s home shrine later today (Friday).
The question now is, why are both sides rallying and protesting over one man’s private domestic place of worship?
Isn’t this a private issue?
The Indian community has bigger issues at its doorstep that need positive political will and public support.
Let’s look at the common knowledge facts. Fifty-five years later, Indians have been grossly marginalised by the country’s “development” policies.
On the socio-economic scale, it sits alongside the Orang Aslis and natives in Sabah and Sarawak.
The community’s children have been sidelined in scholarships, places in public universities, jobs in the civil service and business opportunities. The community is spoken off in derogatory terms in textbooks and along the socio-political corridors. Its objections are seen as irrational outbursts by the “superior” class.
So what is that MIC and PKR are really protesting about? Aren’t these the issues that should be championed with rallies and protests?
Is giving so much focus to a private shrine likely to give them political leverage in the short term?
The answer then is YES! This is all about gaining the Indian vote. Forget the long-term issues.
Xavier must apologise
MIC Youth will today rally its diehard supporters and hold a “massive” gathering in front of Pakatan Rakyat-administered Selangor state government headquarters.
PKR is planning a similar rally at 3pm at MPS office in Sepang.
MIC Youth wants Xavier to make a public apology to the Indians for the demolition. It also wants MPS to rebuild the structure.
PKR, on its part, will rally to hand over a protest letter (against the demolition) to MPS.
MIC’s aim may be to show Pakatan as a racist party because the MPS councillor in charge of that area is a PAS member.
MIC may rake up the 2007 Padang Jawa incident in which a temple was demolished by the BN state government, which eventually resulted in BN’s loss in Selangor.
At that time, Pakatan had demanded that Menteri Besar Khir Toyo resign, and MIC had said nothing, nor did it demand an apology from “big brother Umno”-led Selangor.
Yesterday, seven top-level Pakatan (DAP and PKR) leaders demanded that current Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim suspend the MPS officers who were involved in the demolition of the private shrine.
In a joint statement, MPs M Manogaran (Teluk Intan), S Manikavasagam (Kapar), R Sivarasa (Subang), and Senator S Ramakrishnan and assemblyman M Ravi (Port Dickson) alongwith PKR vice-president N Surendran and former Hindraf leader S Jayathas warned MPS to be cautious and serious when dealing with religious matters such as temples and shrines.
Now the question remains if these same Pakatan Indian leaders are brave enough to ask Xavier to tender a resignation over the demolition of Gobikumar’s private prayer place.
[Note: SMSes from PKR leaders this morning stated that the PKR protest at MPS scheduled for 3pm today has been cancelled at the last minute.]
Selangor Sultan: I am above politics, let’s be clear about this
Wong Chun Wai and Loong Meng Yee, The Star Selangor will be one of the hardest fought states in the coming general election. As polling day nears, the Sultan finds himself a victim of attempts to drag his name into politics.
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was sad that he had become the target of groups and individuals who deliberately twisted his words and actions to imply that he was partial towards Umno.
“Why should I? I have nothing to gain from siding with Umno, PKR or any party,” he said. “What has Umno given me?
“Those that brand me as an Umno man, prove it. Show me when was I inclined to be with Umno. Do not blindly accuse me of things I am not guilty of. I have no political agenda.
“As head of the state, I am above politics. Let's be clear about this,” the outspoken Ruler said.
UMNO's karmic cycle
There was a strange but pleasurable sense of "being a Johorean" back in
the day, even for a little child like me who almost felt that life back
then was about the freedom to roam the kampong/village and walk five
miles to the smoke and dust-filled and Segget River-smelling town of
Johor Baru.A REPUBLIC OF VIRTUE
Dr Azly Rahman
Alpha-Omega, a beginning and an end, life coming around in full circle, "wa asal balik asil," "kalam baru balik pada kalam asal" - all these words came to me this last hour as I pondered upon the origin of Umno in its birthplace, where I, too, grew up fondly in - Johor Baru.
Will Umno die a natural death at age 70 or from circa 1946 when it was born? And will it be buried in its kampong/village near Bukit Senyum in Johor Baru?
I am now imbued with nostalgia of those growing-up years - of place names such as Kampong Mahmoodiah, Wadi Hana, Wadi Hassan, Bukit Senyum, Jalan Meldrum, and of course Stulang Laut where my grandparents (long deceased but fondly remembered) lived - all these bring me back to those memories of the Johor I once knew ... birthplace of "Malay nationalism" approved and perhaps sponsored and branded by the colonial masters, so that the channel of exploitation could still be opened in post-colonial times, notwithstanding the rhetoric of "Buy British Last" and the "Look East Policy" of the 1980s Mahathirist era.
Almost weekly to visit relatives, I frequent the vicinity where the Malay para-royalist of Turkish origin Onn Jaafar's (left) residence was, a British-installed Blenheim-Palace-looking structure (Blenheim was Churchill's birthplace) that stood on a hill befitting of a home for a British "little-brown brother".
And that was a Johor historic site where I am quite sure discussions on the formation of Umno were held; almost like a "revolutionary-period French salon" to fuel the opposition to the British proposal of the Malayan Union.
There was a strange but pleasurable sense of "being a Johorean" back in the day, even for a little child like me who almost felt that life back then was about the freedom to roam the kampong/village and walk five miles to the smoke and dust-filled and Segget River-smelling town of Johor Baru.
Fun it was too that one would be constantly exposed to the British names that were installed on the "material landscape of the city" in the form of street names, buildings, etc - names such as Larkin, English College, Woodlands, St Joseph School, Our First Lady of Fatima Church, Lido Beach, and Century Gardens... all these installed at different periods of history.
And of course there were names of human beings such as Sir Abu Bakar, Lady Marcella Ibrahim, and those Malays knighted by the British. And there was the Anglicised JMF or the Johor Military Force that served as private army to the Johor royalty. And of course there is this name in English as well, that is now synonymous with power, dignity, glory, ideology, hegemony and of late unnecessary idiocy - "United Malays National Organisation” or one christened as "Umno".
I have been a philologically-philosophically-semiotically sensitive person and would be obsessed with thinking about language and reality, how language constructs or destructs reality, and how language is also reality. "From word becomes flesh," "kun fayakun (be and thou shall become)," and "Om .... " - all these notions of the primacy of literacy fascinate me.
When I was a child when I would sit quietly, like Miss Rosa Parks, on the T, Hakim Bus, the Seng Hup Bus, or the Johor-Singapore Express bus, or any bus or vehicle I was travelling in and read "signboards" and names of kampongs, towns and cities, of business store-front signs, whatever... get intoxicated by language, and start thinking and thinking about how these places get named and who decides how they are named.
‘High on names’
I was always "high on names" perhaps not getting as high as the "... Lu Gua .. Lu Gua gua cakap sama lu - speaking - "Mat Gian" or "Mat Fit" of Kampong Ubi, Bakar Batu or Tampoi high on shabu or glue or daun ketum or whatever they were smoking ... but "high on words, concepts, etc”. Nonetheless, till now I maintain that "highness" for better or for worse ...
Back to Umno's karmic cycle and its rendezvous with moksha (end of cycle of birth and death). How will it all end?
Here is the essence of these notes - how many generations would it take to destroy a seemingly good idea of nationalism and would that destruction be just another phase of a karmic cycle to allow the rebirth of a new style of consciousness that no longer takes nationalism nor its ugly child "communal politics" as a mortal ideology but to allow for a natural birth of the new body with a new spirit?
And that spirit is of supra-nationalism with a Rawles-ian brand of distributive justice, foundationed upon cosmopolitanism and the idea of "multiculturalism and pluralism" in its most intellectual and practical sense - unlike the one ill-understood by Umno.
And how will other communal-based parties in Malaysia (MCA, MIC, etc.) meet their death, too - at a time, as they say in the "Arab Spring", when revolutions will find each one of us?
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Has corruption in M'sia really gone down?
It is arguable whether Malaysia has really done better in the latest Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report released by Transparency International-Malaysia, on behalf of Transparency International in Berlin.
As the report states clearly, the scoring system this year has been upgraded. Hence it cannot be accurately compared to last year's scoring.
Thus it can be misleading to highlight the claim that Malaysia has moved up six places to number 54 this year, compared to the ranking of 60 last year.
Furthermore Malaysia scored 49 out of 100 marks for this year. This is below the half mark of 50 thus placing Malaysia amongst the two-thirds of the 176 countries surveyed, that have serious corruption problems.
So how can we say that we have improved? If at all we have improved, it is a very insignificant improvement, which does not deserve all the praise bestowed on this dubious success.
Indeed it is disappointing that after so many government initiatives through MACC and Pemandu to combat corruption, we are not making much headway to improve the universal perception that we have a high level of corruption in Malaysia.
More disturbing is the TI Bribes Payers Survey which indicates that we scored the worst score at 50 percent of respondents who said they had ‘failed to win a contract or gain new business because a competitor has paid a bribe' in the last 12 months!
This is very damaging to our image especially to the foreign and domestic investors and our overall perception of well-being and the new Happiness Index that we plan to introduce in the national budget.
All this begs the question as to why we should go so far to pat ourselves on the back for perceived success when we should be ringing our hands in concern and do much more to fight corruption?
Being unduly optimistic can in fact become counter-productive as we can become unnecessarily complacent and lose the war against corruption.
But perhaps there could be some misconception or misunderstanding on the part of TI Berlin in their analysis of our corruption?
It may be that local and foreign contractors fail so badly to get contracts and new businesses, because of the official preferential treatment that we widely practise in the award of government contracts for goods and services?
Therefore I would urge Pemandu and TI-Malaysia therefore to take this matter up with TI in Berlin to set this bad record straight.
Could also our low scores in combatting corruption, be due to our relative lack in our success to fight grand corruption, which includes the big fish that get away?
We seem to be more successful in catching the small fish and this is most unfortunate, as it sends the wrong signals to the public.
But there are lessons to be learnt. Now that we know how poorly we are assessed by TI Berlin, even with the new revised CPI, we need to introduce much stronger measures to fight grand corruption.
We need to raise our sense of urgency and political will, to go all out to fight corruption or we will surely lose out in improving our quality of governance, our quality of Life and happiness and also our prospects to achieve Industrial status by 2020.
RAMON NAVARATNAM is chairperson of the Asli Centre of Public Policy Studies.
BN Confident Of Retaining Parlimentary And State Seats In Kuala Pilah
KUALA PILAH, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- The Barisan Nasional (BN) is confident of retaining the Kuala Pilah parliamentary seat and five state seat in the constituency in the looming general election, said Deputy Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Hasan Malek.
The state seats are Senaling, Juasseh, Seri Menanti, Pilah and Johol.
Hasan, who is also member of Parliament for Kuala Pilah, said the impending success could be attributed to hard work and responsibilities carried out by BN leaders in serving the people in the areas.
He said although Johol was without an assemblyman following the death of its incumbent, Datuk Roslan Mohd. Yusof on Oct 4, 2011, the constituency was being served by Seri Menanti assemblyman Datuk Abd Samad Ibrahim and Senaling assemblyman Datuk Ismail Lasim.
Speaking to reporters after presenting aid to three recipients in the Johol state constituency here today, Hasan said, "Although PAS was trying to make forays in Johol, BN elected representatives had been serving the people well regardless of racial and religious background."
He said 55 polling district centres had been set up in the Kuala Pilah parliamentary constituency and the BN election machinery would be activated when the time comes.
The state seats are Senaling, Juasseh, Seri Menanti, Pilah and Johol.
Hasan, who is also member of Parliament for Kuala Pilah, said the impending success could be attributed to hard work and responsibilities carried out by BN leaders in serving the people in the areas.
He said although Johol was without an assemblyman following the death of its incumbent, Datuk Roslan Mohd. Yusof on Oct 4, 2011, the constituency was being served by Seri Menanti assemblyman Datuk Abd Samad Ibrahim and Senaling assemblyman Datuk Ismail Lasim.
Speaking to reporters after presenting aid to three recipients in the Johol state constituency here today, Hasan said, "Although PAS was trying to make forays in Johol, BN elected representatives had been serving the people well regardless of racial and religious background."
He said 55 polling district centres had been set up in the Kuala Pilah parliamentary constituency and the BN election machinery would be activated when the time comes.
How Najib will draw a crowd of thousands at USM tomorrow
News reports have mentioned Penang Umno Liaison Committee chairman Zainal Abidin Osman as saying 50000 people are expected to throng USM tomorrow morning to attend a programme themed “People’s Housing” as part of Najib’s Promises Fulfilled Tour.
Rosmah and Najib are both expected to be at the Padang Kawad near the mini-USM stadium tomorrow morning from 9.30am onwards.
How are they so optimistic about drawing a large crowd though:
Meanwhile, Media Prima companies have also set up booths, presumably because Najib’s address could be telecast live.
Oh incidentally, Wikipedia reveals that Zainal Abidin Osman is the brother of USM Vice-Chancellor Omar Osman. Neat, huh?
Now, tell me that this Jelajah carnival thingy has nothing to do with election campaigning using government-owned facilities.
If you work or study in USM, do share with us what you have seen and heard.
Rosmah and Najib are both expected to be at the Padang Kawad near the mini-USM stadium tomorrow morning from 9.30am onwards.
How are they so optimistic about drawing a large crowd though:
- It is reliably learned that at least some academic staff have been notified about the event and administration staff have been encouraged to attend.
- USM students are claiming the university has allegedly sent a notice to students’ clubs of USM to send 50 members each to the Jelajah function; and some of those who plan to attend this they could get a goodie bag, a T-shirt or maybe more.
- One resident living near USM told me she received a phone call earlier this week from a caller who said he was calling from Telekom Malaysia. He told her she had been selected as one of the lucky recipients of a gift for being a loyal customer (even though several times she been slow in settling her bills). She was told only 10 people from each area had been selected and she would be receiving a letter by post to confirm this. True enough, she found a letter today bearing a Telekom masthead saying she could claim her gift at the Telekom booth at the Jelajah Carnival at USM from 11.00am to 2.00pm. (The envelope unusually bore a stamp and not a prepaid serial number.)
- Word has it that buses will be picking up people from around the area and even on the mainland early tomorrow morning. A contact informed me that BN component party members on the mainland have been going around telling people to be ready by 7.30am and there could be a T-shirt or maybe more for them. Apart from Butterworth, people are expected to come from as far as Tasek Kepala Batas and Kuala Muda.
Meanwhile, Media Prima companies have also set up booths, presumably because Najib’s address could be telecast live.
Oh incidentally, Wikipedia reveals that Zainal Abidin Osman is the brother of USM Vice-Chancellor Omar Osman. Neat, huh?
Now, tell me that this Jelajah carnival thingy has nothing to do with election campaigning using government-owned facilities.
If you work or study in USM, do share with us what you have seen and heard.
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