Of shouting matches & paper planes: PKR MP suspended for 6 months

It was a morning of angry exchanges, paper planes and ripped up motions in the Dewan Rakyat today - with first time MP N Surendran (PKR) eventually being suspended from Parliament sessions for 6 months.

Libya: Ansar Al Sharia, security relies on Islamic law

Explosion outside Benghazi courthouse (archive)

(ANSAmed) - TRIPOLI - Security in Libya depends on the implementation of Islamic law Sharia, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Jihadist group Ansar Al Sharia.

The group in Libya is believed to be responsible for the 2012 attack on the US consulate in Benghazi in which Ambassador Chris Stevens and another three US officials died.

The Salafite militants also said it did not recognize state institutions, including security services, accusing them of apostasy and of being evil forces serving tyrants. Sharia is hailed as the only legitimate law in the country.

The group of 'partisans of Islamic law' was created in eastern Libya during the 2011 uprising which ousted Muammar Gaddafi. The statement was released after the visit Monday of Premier Ali Zeidan to Benghazi to discuss security with special forces chief Wanis Bu Khamada.

The Cyrenaica region over the past few months has been at the centre of clashes, attacks and political homicides almost on a daily basis. (ANSAmed)

Turkish Parliament Lifts Trouser Ban For Women

The decision comes after a landmark ruling in the secular state to allow female MPs to wear the Islamic headscarf.

 

Safak Pavey with Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton last ye

The Turkish parliament has lifted a ban on women politicians wearing trousers in the assembly.

The move comes after a landmark decision to allow female MPs to wear the Islamic headscarf.
The change in the rule for trousers came after an MP Safak Pavey from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) drew attention to the trouser ban during a parliamentary debate on the emotive headscarf issue.
The headscarf ban has long polarised opinion in the largely Muslim - but officially secular - Turkey.

Ms Pavey, who has a prosthetic leg, was banned from wearing trousers

Ms Pavey, elected to office in June 2011, has a prosthetic leg but parliament had rejected her previous request to be allowed to wear trousers because of regulations which specified that women should wear suits with skirts.
Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan's ruling centre-right AK Party, which has Islamist roots, proposed the relaxation of the trouser ban and the opposition parties - the secularist CHP, the pro-Kurdish BDP and Turkish nationalist MHP - backed the plan and the measure was approved late on Wednesday.
The Turkish parliament witnessed historic scenes at the end of October when four AKP female politicians wore headscarves for the first time in the assembly.

MPs Nurcan Dalbudak (l) and Sevde Beyazit Kacar (r) wearing headscarves

The headscarf is viewed by secularists as an emblem of political Islam and thus a threat to the republic's secular identity, but the AK Party has argued that the restrictions on its use violate the principle of religious freedom.
Secularists made only subdued protests to the move, highlighting a shift in attitudes in Turkey about religion after more than a decade of AKP rule.
The headscarf ban has also been lifted in other state institutions as well as parliament.

'If you are unhappy with me, bring a motion'

Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia has denied that he is not open to criticism but said that any MP dissatisfied with him should put forth a motion to be deliberated.

"I'm open to criticism through a motion," he said after giving PKR’s Padang Serai MP N Surendran the marching orders again this morning, claiming that the latter's two-day suspension following his ejection from the House on Tuesday would not be over until after 11.30am.

The House is today debating a motion to suspend Surendran for six months from the Dewan Rakyat over comments he had made during a press conference at the Parliament lobby shortly after his ejection on Tuesday, during which he called Pandikar (right) a "biased" speaker.

"If you criticise outside of the House, it is insulting both the speaker and the House," said Pandikar, who later abruptly left the proceedings to give way to his deputy Ronald Kiandee.

Pandikar said that Surendran would be allowed back into the House the moment he left his chair for Kiandee.
Surendran, who was later suspended for six months from the Parliament, had yesterday questioned whether the motion against him means that the speaker is “above criticism”.

However, PAS’ Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad argued that it wouldn’t be feasible for MPs to bring a motion every time they are unhappy with the speaker, because many motions brought forth by the opposition are not even debated in the House if there are time constraints.

'Hulu S'gor MIC: Allegations aim to tarnish Mugilan'

The Hulu Selangor MIC has rubbished an allegation that the party's candidate for Youth chief, V Mugilan had failed to convene the annual general meeting (AGM) for the Hulu Selangor youth division.   
Mugilan is the current MIC Youth deputy chief.   

Division chairman R Sithamparam said the AGM was held on Sept 29, this year, at a Chinese restaurant in Kerling, Hulu Selangor.   

He said even the party's central working committee member, G. Kumar Aamaan, had attended the meeting as an observer.   

"This allegation is aimed at tarnishing Mugilan's image. Everyone knows that Mugilan is a brave and vocal leader who brought changes and transformation to reform the party," he told Bernama at the MIC headquarters in KL today.   

At the AGM, Sithamparam was division secretary. He was recently elected division chairman.

Yesterday, Hulu Selangor youth deputy chief R Vikneswaramoorthy alleged that Mugilan was unfit to run for the post of Youth chief as "he had done nothing for the youth development and even failed to call for his youth division AGM".   

However, when contacted by Bernama, Mugilan said he had indeed, held divisional annual meetings, and had alerted all party members in the Hulu Selangor division, including Vikneswaramoorthy, via phone calls, letters and short message service, to inform them of the meeting.   

"But, he (Vickneswaramoorthy) did not reply to any of those. I strongly believe someone had paid him to tarnish my image, as the election for Youth chief is around the corner," he claimed.   

Mugilan will face the wing's current secretary, C Sivaraajh, for the Youth chief's post in the Nov 16 polls.     -

- Bernama

Uthayakumar barred from meeting family, lawyers

Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) de facto leader P Uthayakumar was yesterday barred by the police from meeting his lawyer and family members in the court despite obtaining the court's permission to do so.

Uthayakumar's lawyer M Manoharan said the High Court deputy registrar had granted the family time with his client, who was in court yesterday for case management.

However, after proceedings were concluded, he was whisked away by several police personnel before he could meet his wife S Indra Devi (left), Manoharan and another lawyer, Aftar Singh Dhaliwal.

"An police inspector from the Kajang Prison, along with seven or eight policeman, dragged him harshly away from us. They were pushing him and they were very rough.

"They are going to quarantine him for eight days in the section with the other hardcore criminals. It is a cramped place," Indra Devi told Malaysiakini.

Manoharan said that he was contemplating possible contempt proceedings against the prison authorities.

Meanwhile, both Indra Devi and Manoharan expressed concern over the eight-day quarantine that will be enforced on Uthayakumar following his court appearance.

Manoharan explained that all detainees would be put into quarantine after their return from court, which would mean that Uthayakumar would not be placed in the medical block.

Uthayakumar suffers from a string of ailments, including a prolapsed disc, and is currently appealing against his two-and-a-half years' jail sentence for breaching the sedition law.

He was convicted by the Sessions Court for publishing seditious words in his petition to then British prime minister Gordon Brown in 2007 to highlight the mistreatment of Indians in Malaysia.

Hindu Sangam pans Ku Nan's 'how to build temples'

If Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor’s definition of temples is anything to go by, not a single Hindu temple could have been built in Malaysia, said the Malaysian Hindu Sangam.

“Because to build a temple according to our religion’s rules, we will need at least five acres of land for all aspects (of the temple) to be considered,” said its president RS Mohan Shan (left).

He said this is to accommodate requirements such as ponds, halls, and the temple itself, however, the government does not allocate land for this.

“The government is not allocating us any land for Hindu temples. Most of our temples are illegally built because we do not get proper land for these thing,” he claimed when contacted.

Mohan was asked to comment on Tengku Adnan’s insistence that the 101-year old Sri Muneswarar Kaliyamman temple, which was partially demolished on Sunday, was actually a "shrine".

Tengku Adnan (right) claimed this is because it did not meet several requirements for Hindu temples, such as having a water source like rivers and ponds; that it must face east, and that those entering the temple must prostrate.

He also claimed that the demolition was to make way for renovation works to beautify the temple.

Mohan said that while the Hindu Sangam recognises that many Hindu temples are not up to specifications, the federal minister should not have the final word on Hindu affairs.

“I welcome it because he learnt about Hinduism as a Muslim and it is good, but he should not be the authority to decide anything on Hindu rites.

“The decision board should be Hindu Sangam or any (Hindu) religious body,” he said, referring to Tengku Adnan’s claim to have knowledge of Hindu religion.

'Demolition premature'

Mohan added the NGO has issued guidelines on building temples and is in midst of educating the Hindu community to follow the rules and rites relating to Hindu temples, but stressed that the process needed more time.

Even so, he said the demolition should not have taken place because the temple committee, Hindu Sangam, and the Federal Territories Ministry are still in talks regarding the temple’s land dispute with developer Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd.

In a meeting in mid-September, he claimed Deputy Federal Territories Minister Loga Bala Mohan Jaganathan had suggested the temple be rebuilt to accommodate 100 devotees at a time within a 3,000 square feet area.

This was a compromise between the 5,000 square feet of land that is originally occupies and the over 2,000 square feet that it would be left with if it ceded to Hap Seng’s demands, he said.

A meeting between the temple committee and Loga Bala’s had been fixed for Nov 19 to follow-up on the proposal.

“The issue should be settled this month. Why did they have to go and have the demolition and all this?” he said.

Mohan said the Hindu Sangam will press for the proposal to materialise and for the 3,000 square feet of land to be gazetted as a Hindu temple to prevent a repeat of the demolition.

Paper shredder Bung leads BN MPs in tit for tat

PARLIAMENT In a rather bizarre tit-for-tat action, BN parliamentarians led by the vocal Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin tore the motion paper tabled by PKR's Kuantan MP Fuziah Salleh in Parliament today.

This was their "revenge" against the Pakatan Rakyat MPs for tearing the government's motion to suspend PKR's Padang Serai MP N Surendran from Parliament for six months.

In the morning sitting, Pakatan MPs branded the motion to suspend Surendran as "usul haram" (an illegal motion), and later tore the motion papers in a standing protest in Parliament.
                       
But after Fuziah (left) made a technical error in her motion to deduct the salaries of five advisers in the Prime Minister's Department, Bung Mokhtar stood up and demanded that Fuziah be referred to the rights and privileges committee for the error in the motion.

Subsequently, he called the motion "usul haram" (illegal motion), mirroring Pakatan MPs’ action earlier in the morning, before tearing the red motion paper vociferously and throwing it up in the air.

Bung Mokhtar stood up for more than a minute and then started chanting "tipu" (cheating) all by himself as the debate on the motion was delayed.
Bung Mokhtar: This motion is wrong. There is no need for debates. I urge my comrades to stand alongside me. We reject this motion because it is haram (Procedurely wrong). Haram and must not be debated. We reject it 100 percent!

Kiandee: Don't...

[BN MPs stood up]

Bung Mokhtar: Koyak! Koyak! (Tear it up!)

Sim Tong Him (DAP-Kota Melaka): Sit down.

Bung Mokhtar: Koyak! Koyak! (Tear it up!). The motion is haram. Haram! Haram! The motion is haram!

Rafizi Ramli (PKR-Pandan): I want my friends from BN to know, because of their comedic theatrics, this is going up on Youtube later.

Bung Mokhtar: [Referring to Pakatan Rakyat MP's antics earlier] There were those doing funny things earlier. Why don't you talk about that? Say it! It's worse than what we are doing. Say it! [To BN MPs] Stand up! Stand up! Stand up!

This motion (is an attempt at) deception. How can we debate this? Why should we? This motion is haram. Haram, haram, haram! We cannot (debate). Haram, haram, haram! We cannot (debate). Tipu (lies), tipu, tipu [repeatedly says "tipu" while opposition MPs tries to interject].

Fuziah's motion was to cut the salaries of five special advisers in the Prime Minister's Department.

The five were Rais Yatim, Noh Omar, Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, Johari Baharom and Hasbi Habibollah.

But with the attention grabbed by the conduct of the BN MPs, the debate for the motion did not proceed smoothly and the motion was later rejected.

The point of contention was that Fuziah made a technical error in the exact wordings of the positions of these five special advisers.

Later, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Razali Ibrahim told opposition MPs that "if it hurts (for tearing the motion papers), that's how we felt in the morning."

Sultan: Allah eksklusif untuk penganut Islam

Ini bagi mengelakkan kekeliruan umat Islam di negeri ini dengan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh penganut agama lain dalam agama mereka

PETALING JAYA: Sultan Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah hari ini menetapkan bahawa semua rakyat negeri itu, tanpa mengira agama dan keturunan perlu akur dan mematuhi larangan penggunaan Kalimah Allah oleh mereka yang bukan beragama Islam.

Perkara itu diputuskan setelah berunding dengan Dewan diRaja Selangor yang bersidang pada 11 November lalu seperti yang diperuntukkan dalam Seksyen 9 Bahagian 1 Enakmen Ugama Bukan Islam (Kawalan Perkembangan Dikalangan Orang Islam) 1988.

Enakmen tersebut terpakai kepada semua orang sama ada Islam atau bukan Islam dalam negeri Selangor.

“Semua rakyat perlu patuh kepada keputusan Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor yang telah membincangkan isu berkaitan dengan tuntutan penganut agama Kristian terhadap penggunaan kalimah Allah.

“Muzakarah yang diwartakan pada 18 Februari 2010 memutuskan bahawa kalimah Allah adalah kalimah suci yang khusus bagi agama dan umat Islam dan ia tidak boleh digunakan untuk merujuk kepada Tuhan dalam agama lain.

“Sesungguhnya kedudukan agama Islam di Malaysia telah didaulatkan dalam Artikel 3 Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagai Agama bagi Persekutuan dan mempunyai kedudukan istimewa berbanding agama lain,” titahnya.

Kenyataan khas itu dikeluarkan melalui Setiausaha Dewan diRaja Selangor Hanafisah Jais hari ini.

Berhubung kes The Herald, Baginda yang merujuk kepada ketetapan undang-undang dan fatwa, menitahkan penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam kitab ‘Bible’ dan juga penerbitan ‘Herald’ versi Bahasa Melayu perlu dihentikan serta merta.

“Ini bagi mengelakkan kekeliruan umat Islam di negeri ini dengan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh penganut agama lain dalam agama mereka, kerana kalimah Allah bagi umat Islam adalah merujuk kepada Tuhan Yang Satu seperti yang terdapat dalam surah Al-Ikhlas,” titahnya.

Merujuk kepada rayuan kes di Mahkamah Rayuan antara Kementerian Dalam Negeri dengan penerbitan mingguan Katolik, The Herald pada 14 Oktober lalu, Baginda turut menggesa semua rakyat di Selangor mematuhi keputusan itu.

Baginda turut menasihati agar mana-mana pihak tidak mengambil kesempatan untuk menjadikan kalimah Allah ini sebagai agenda politik kerana menganggap ia satu kalimah suci yang melibatkan akidah umat Islam.

Di bawah adalah kenyataan khas DYMM Sultan Selangor

“Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Selangor setelah berunding dengan Dewan di-Raja Selangor yang bersidang pada 11 November 2013, telah membuat ketetapan tegas bahawa semua rakyat di negerì Selangor khasnya, tanpa mengira agama dan keturunan perlu akur dan patuh terhadap larangan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh mereka yang bukan beragama Islam sepertimana yang diperuntukkan di dalam Jadual kepada Seksyen 9 Bahagian 1 Enakmen Ugama Bukan Islam (Kawalan Perkembangan DI Kalangan Orang Islam) 1988 yang telah diwartakan pada 7 Julai 1988. Enakmen tersebut adalah terpakai kepada semua orang sama ada Islam atau bukan Islam di dalam negeri Selangor.

Selanjutnya, Baginda menegaskan bahawa semua rakyat di negeri Selangor, perlu patuh terhadap keputusan Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor yang telah membincangkan isu berkaitan dengan tuntutan penganut Agama Kristian terhadap penggunaan kalimah Allah. Muzakarah tersebut telah memutuskan bahawa kalimah Allah adalah kalimah suci yang khusus bagi agama dan umat Islam dan ia tidak boleh digunakan untuk merujuk kepada Tuhan dalam agama-agama lain. Keputusan Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor tersebut telah diwartakan pada 18 Februari 2010 (Sel. P.U. 6).

Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Selangor turut menegaskan bahawa sesungguhnya kedudukan agama Islam di Malaysia telah didaulatkan dalam Artikel 3 Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagaì Agama bagi Persekutuan dan mempunyai kedudukan istimewa berbanding agama-agama Iain.

Berhubung dengan kes The Herald, Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Selangor sekali lagi menzahirkan dengan tegas pendirian Baginda berhubung lsu Nama Allah bahawa Nama Allah yang merupakan kalimah suci khusus bagi umat Islam tidak boleh sama sekali digunakan di Negeri Selangor oleh mana-mana agama bukan Islam yang Iain sebagaimana yang diperuntukkan di dalam undang-undang dan fatwa yang berkuatkuasa. Oleh yang demikian, penggunaan kalimah Allah di dalam ‘Bible’ dan juga penerbitan ‘Herald’ versi Bahasa Melayu perlu dihentikan serta merta. lni bagi mengelakkan kekeliruan umat Islam di negeri ini dengan penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh penganut-penganut agama lain dalam agama mereka, kerana kalimah Allah bagi umat lslam adalah merujuk kepada Tuhan Yang Satu seperti yang terdapat di dalam Surah AI-Ikhlas.

Maka, dengan itu, Baginda menggesa semua rakyat yang duduk di negeri Selangor khasnya perlu menghormati dan mematuhi keputusan yang dibuat oleh Muzakarah Jawatankuasa Fatwa Kebangsaan, Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Selangor, undang-undang serta keputusan secara sebulat suara oleh Mahkamah Rayuan dalam kes Menteri Dalam Negeri & lapan (8) yang lain v Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur (Rayuan Sivil No: W-Ot-l-ZOlO) pada 14 Oktober 2013.

Baginda juga menasihatkan agar mana-mana pihak tidak mengambil kesempatan untuk menjadikan kalimah Allah ini sebagai agenda politik mereka kerana kalimah Allah ini ialah satu kalimah yang suci dan melibatkan akidah umat Islam.

Umat Islam digesa supaya merapatkan barisan, dan bersatu padu dalam mempertahankan kesucian kalimah Allah dan menghalang segala usaha mana-mana anasir yang tidak bertanggungjawab untuk menyalahguna dan menghlna kalimah Allah yang suci ini. Adalah ditegaskan bahawa isu yang berkaitan dengan agama tidak seharusnya dipandang ringan kerana ia boleh membawa implikasi buruk kepada keselamatan negara dan boleh menimbulkan ketegangan antara kaum di negara ini.

Baginda berdoa ke hadrat Allah S.W.T. agar perpaduan dan keharmonian rakyat negara ini sentiasa terpelihara dan mereka dapat hidup dengan aman damai, menghormati antara satu sama lain dan saling bertolak ansur.”

Indian NGO says Ibrahim ‘loving man’

Perinbam plans to emulate Perkasa's philosophy of 'going all out and fighting for the community"

PETALING JAYA: An Indian NGO here believes that Perkasa has begun to “gain the trust” of the Indian community and that this was visible during the later’s Deepavali open house recently.

Persatuan India Baru Amal dan Kebajikan India (Perinbam) president V Thamotharam claimed that 6,000 people had turned up and it was testimony to the community’s “slowly changing” perception of the organisation and its chief Ibrahim Ali.

“He (Ibrahim) is a loving man…He is not a racist as claimed by many.

“He cares about his community and will go all out to fight for their rights. It’s something we want to emulate,” said Thamotharam adding that crowd that turned up at the open house in Sri Gombak had enjoyed the food and Ibrahim’s speech and hospitality.

He said Perinbam looked up to Perkasa as a role model especially in how the organization is determined, at all cost, to look after the Malay community’s welfare.

“We have a lot to learn from them. They fight for their rights,” added Thamotharam.

Perkasa, an ethnic Malay organisation has been in the spotlight over Ibrahim’s controversial statements on several race and religious issues.

Ibrahim had, among others, reportedly called for the burning of the Bible and had backed the SK Pristina school principal’s decision to shift the tuckshop to the toilet during Ramadan month.

The later issue was raised by an angry Perinbam with Ibrahim.

But when asked about it today, Thamotharam told FMT: “There is no longer any conflict with them (Perkasa).

“We now want to strive forward and not look back. I have no comment’s on Ibrahim’s past statements,” he said.

Thamotharam further added that his association had planned to carry out a few projects with Perkasa next year.

“We plan to do a few projects with Perkasa to help improve the living standards of Indians and Malays,” he said adding that Perimban was established in 2011 .

The association’s main focus was education and welfare of the poor children.

Why shouldn’t Najib attend CHOGM?

Najib is pressured to miss the CHOGM Summit in Sri Lanka but are we missing the forest for the trees?
COMMENT

There is much rumpus made surrounding the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) this year, regionally and internationally. Voices of displeasure and concerns have surfaced since the meeting will be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka; where war atrocities have occurred against the ethnic Tamils.

Back here, Najib is being pressured by various organisations be it political or non-governmental to give a miss to the meeting since his attendance will be deemed as consenting to the war crimes that inflicted death, pain and misery to civilians. Najib has been bashed and even accused to be acting in a criminal manner for agreeing to be in Colombo.

The CHOGM 2013 Summit will be hosted for the first time in an Asian country in 24 years; and unfortunately has been riddled with unease and tension among some participating countries. Canada has retracted its participation while India is sending its foreign minister instead of the prime minister.

Should Malaysia follow suit at the eleventh hour?

Observing the trend of events and non committal stance taken by our government, Malaysia will definitely not back down. Currently, the Commonwealth comprises of 53 independent states working together in the common interests of their citizens for development, democracy and peace.

And why should Malaysia back out just because some disgruntled pockets of society? Yes, there is no denying in every possible term that human rights were violated. Innocent lives were lost. Many civilians were limped, raped, maimed, injured and tortured when the Sri Lankan military launched its offensive to rid its soil of any Tamil Tigers, leading to the ill-famed Sri Lankan civil war from 1983 until 2009.

Sri Lanka was practically torn apart to shreds during this period. Its economy, political and social fabric were in tatters and shreds. In plain terminology, it was disgusting to the highest degree and must be condemned in the harshest possible manner.

Nevertheless in all wars, it takes more than one party to be guilty. Have we not forgotten the fact that the Tamil Tigers had also recruited child soldiers in their camps? Some reports have claimed that at the end of the hostilities, nearly 600 child soldiers surrendered themselves to the Sri Lankan military. The Tamil Tigers also behaved in demonic proportions by violating all humanity in their pursuit for a separate and independent territory.

This is not an issue of which party is guiltier in committing crime and atrocities. Both were wronged from their perspectives and both reacted in a manner that suffered the innocent, the children, women, elderly and even the unborn.

Nevertheless is boycotting the CHOGM ever going to change history? Definitely not, but it may send a message out there that Malaysia denounces their past acts. That is about all we can achieve. Is it enough?

Will the Malaysian Indians and in specific Tamilians take the matter further to concretize their stand and sever all economic, touristic and social ties with Sri Lanka immediately if Najib concurs with their demands?

Cans of dead worms

Please do not be hyper-critical and a hypocrite on the same breath. All those opposing our participation to the Colombo CHOGM should reflect on grounds of fairness and equality.

This is not about Najib or Malaysia. This is about human idiosyncrasies and their political motives and maneuvering.

Why have we conveniently forgotten the terrors committed by the Japanese Army during World War II (WWII)? Was the Japanese kind to us when they invaded Malaya then?

The younger generations seems incognizant of the facts of WWII; but ask any living soul today that went through the horrors of the WWII; they will never forgive the Japanese till end of time.

But today, almost every human on earth deals with Japan directly or indirectly, have meetings there, and even boast about how the Japanese have evolved human technology. Why are these groups who are against Malaysia’s participation in Colombo do not raise issues with the Japanese?

The Japanese Kempetei or also known as “Military Police Corps”, arrested civilians and their brutality was particularly notorious in many occupied territories including Malaya.

What about North Korea and their atrocities?

Until today the North Korean regime is cruel to its people. The people of North Korea are in essence living in fear daily. Thousands if not millions of their children are starving even as this article is being written. Families from North Korea separated from South Korea yearn to see their relatives till death but their wishes are not met.

Amusingly its official name is “Democratic People’s Republic of Korea” but is run with an iron fist under the dictatorship of one man; often described as “totalitarian and Stalinist.” Are we kidding ourselves with the Sri Lanka CHOGM and making fools in the international media?

Why were there no protests and kicking when an established and esteemed college university in Kuala Lumpur conferred one of their highest honours to the North Korean leader?

Let us not isolate incidents and open cans of dead worms. The world has forgotten the very essence of atrocities carried out by the British, Americans and Germans.

Our colonial masters, Britain broke every rule known to mankind for human rights when they were propagating their righteousness on the world. If only Mahatma Gandhi was alive to tell us more.

Malaysians are nothing short of mocking themselves in asking Najib to boycott the Colombo CHOGM. Let us put issues right not on racially or politically skewed agendas. CHOGM just does not fit the ideals.

Narinder Singh is a FMT team member.

Surendran suspended for six months

Despite strong criticism that the motion was against the procedure, Parliament suspended N. Surendran for six months for insulting the Speaker.
UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: The Parliament suspended Padang Serai MP N Surendran today for six months for insulting Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia amid strong criticism that the motion is illegal and against the procedure.

The Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers rejected the motion when it was tabled at 11.30am because it did not fulfill the one-day filing requirement.

The motion was only filed at 6pm yesterday.

Surendran had accused the Speaker for uttering complete lies and being biased in a media conference after the PKR leader was ejected by the House on Tuesday.

Pakatan lawmakers said it was a conflict of interest when the Speaker allowed the motion to be debated in one day, although it was not a matter of public interest.

They said under normal circumstances it would take days before the motion could be debated.

However, amid banging the table and tearing up the motion, Minister in the Prime Minister Nancy Shukri proceed to read out the motion.

It was later adopted with 92 MPs voting in favour and the opposition members boycotting the voting.

Unhappy Pakatan reps

Earlier, Surendran who entered the House after serving a two-day suspension since Tuesday was told to leave as Speaker Pandikar Amin had said the MP was required to fulfill a full 48-hour suspension. He was ejected at 11.30am on Tuesday.

However the issue of defining the time period became the bone of contention with Pakatan reps crying foul over the decision by deputy speaker Ronald Kiandee to allow the tabling of the government motion.

“Why is it that two persons with the same title and sit on the same chair can give two contradictory definition to ‘one day’?

“Is it because he is a Pakatan member then he has to observe the suspension based on time, but if it is a motion brought by Umno then it doesn’t need to observe any laws?” Gombak MP Azmin Ali said.

Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang said Surendran should be referred rightfully to the House’s rights and privileges committee to ascertain the proof of his wrongdoings instead of being slapped with a suspension immediately.

In response, Kiandee said the speaker has the discretion to expedite a government motion without informing the reason.

“It is definitely a matter of public interest because the speaker is the highest institution of the Parliament,” he said after repeatedly pressed by opposition lawmakers.

Speaking to reporters later, Surendran said the suspension would not affect him “one jot” from taking up matters of public interest in the future.

He said the whole matter stemmed from his insistence to move an emergency motion on the demolition of part of the 101-year-old Sri Muneswarar Kaliyamman temple at Jalan Raja Chulan on Tuesday.

“I will continue doing my work after six months. I will be back,” said Surendran.

Meanwhile, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo have condemned the suspension which they deemed were unlawful.

Leaked draft confirms Pakatan’s fears

A leaked TPPA draft by WikiLeaks shows that we will be facing pricier medicine, internet policing and longer patents if we agree to the deal.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pricier medicine, internet policing and longer patents – these are what Malaysians will face should the government agree to the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), according to Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

DAP lawmaker Charles Santiago said today the draft of the secretive trade pact, published online by whistleblowing site WikiLeaks yesterday, has confirmed Pakatan’s worst fears all along.

“We have to be worried about it for three reasons. First, Americans are pushing for a longer patent period – now, the patent period maximum is 20 years, (but) we are now pushing it beyond 20 years, which could be 30, 40 (years)… another proposal is up to 50 years patent.

“This means a patented medicine can only be generic after the 50th year. Which means the cost of medicine, for the longest time, will be very high,” he told a press conference here today.

He claimed the chapter also touched upon “Internet policing” which would have an adverse impact on websites.

“If I go into your website and download something from you, and I do it illegally, you will be held liable. So they have introduced another layer of policing of copyrights…and a new group called Internet cops,” said the Klang MP.

He added that should the Malaysian government delay approval of patent permits from foreign firms settled here, the government would have to pay compensation.

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar, who was also present at the press conference, said they had only begun to scratch the surface of the 95-page document, which touched on intellectual property and would work with the Bantah TPPA coalition to further scrutinize it.

“It appears the government has reneged on its promises. More technology will be patented; intellectual rights property owners will profit at the expense of generic producers,” she said.

Caucus has no powers

Worse, she said, there was no means by which parliamentarians could seek recourse as the current parliamentary caucus on the TPPA had no formal powers.

“We want the caucus to be formalised into a proper standing committee and we want to scrutinize every line. Now we have the leaked texts, but no formal process to make changes to benefit Malaysians,” said Nurul Izzah.

Santiago said the Malaysian government could no longer hide behind secrecy as WikiLeaks had revealed the documents online for the world to read.

“What we can surmise from the leaked documents is that the US is pushing for its own demands, its own laws and the demands of its corporations.

“Does the Malaysian government still want to go ahead with this agreement?” he said.

Marina to take legal action against Isma

SIS' Marina Mahathir is initiating legal action against Isma to put the record straight as to where she stands with Comango.

PETALING JAYA: Sisters in Islam (SIS) board member Marina Mahathir will be sending a letter of demand to Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) soon to retract their accusations; but she was short of revealing when the letter will be sent.

“My lawyers will be sending out letter of demand first with time frame. If they don’t comply, then we go to the next step,” she said in an email correspondence.

When asked when the letter would be sent, the social activist said, “soon.”

Isma accused her of being the mastermind behind a coalition of local human rights organisations called Coalition of Malaysian NGOs (Comango) since she is SIS’ board member and SIS is part of Comango.

On Nov 8, Isma distributed 70,000 leaflets in mosques all over the country claiming that Comango was attempting to undermine Islam.

Isma said Comango did that by calling for the removal of Malay privileges, freedom to leave the Islamic faith, and championing rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

They named Bersih 2.0 co-chair S Ambiga and Marina as being part of Comango.

Last month, Comango submitted its report on the state of human rights during United Nations’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR).

Isma also attended the session along with government agencies and Muslim NGOs to defend the government’s stand on these issues.

Marina in return warned Isma to retract their accusations or face legal suit three days later.

Yesterday, Marina in an open letter reiterated that Isma was spreading lies about her.

“I was indeed well aware that SIS is a part of Comango and was certainly well aware of the report Comango was preparing for the UPR process.

“But I never attended any meetings nor was personally involved in the production of the report, which is only one of the 28 NGO reports on human rights in Malaysia,” she said.

She also said that she supported the report and dismissed Isma’s claim that Comango was destroying the image of Islam and Malaysia.

“I know the report, I support it not least because it is nothing that Isma says it is, as anyone who would care to read it on the Office of the Commission on Human Rights website would know.

“It is therefore disingenuous of Isma to claim that Comango is deliberately going overseas to destroy the image of Malaysia and of Islam.

“The world actually already knows what goes on in Malaysia via the internet,” she said.

Marina also added that Isma was wrong to assume that she was the mastermind and it had sinned based on Surah Al-Hujurat verse 12.

The verse states: O you who have believed, avoid much [negative] assumption. Indeed, some assumption is sin. And do not spy or backbite each other. Would one of you like to eat the flesh of his brother when dead? You would detest it. And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Accepting of repentance and Merciful.

Barisan and Opposition to resolve 19 election petition appeals amicably

The Star

PUTRAJAYA: The Barisan Nasional and the Opposition pact are discussing a possible “global settlement” to resolve 19 election petition appeals that have yet to be decided by the Federal Court.

Barisan lawyer Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin said they are hoping to resolve the issue amicably.

“I think it is a positive way for all to move on,” he said, adding that the parties concerned were all in agreement to discuss the matter.

“We are optimistic about it,” he told reporters after the appeals were called before a five-man panel chaired by Court of Appeal president Justice Raus Sharif yesterday.

A global settlement refers to an agreement between concerned parties after all sides address or compromise over the relevant matters accordingly.

Justice Raus set Dec 2 for the parties to inform the court on the outcome of their discussion.

Barisan co-counsel Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun said the Barisan had filed fewer than 20 election petitions, of which four were pending appeals.

“The court should not be used as a forum to change the government,” he said.

Mohd Hafarizam said the petition appeals cover, among others, the state seats of Selama and Manong and parliamentary seats Bagan Datoh, Machang, Ketereh, Batu, Lembah Pantai, Kuala Selangor and Titiwangsa.

PAS lawyer Hisham Fauzi told the media he has to get instructions from the party first as the Barisan had offered to withdraw its appeals.

“Our petitions have been struck out due to the Barisan’s objection regarding the appointment of solicitors. Filing of petitions must be done by the petitioner and the petitions must be served by the petitioner himself.

“We have asked the apex court to decide over this issues as we feel that certain provisions under the election petition rules cannot overrule the right to counsel under the Federal Constitution and provisions under the Legal Profession Act; any lawyer can appear for any case,” said Hisham.

Besides that, he said the Opposition was concerned over the high cost imposed when petitions are struck out by the High Court in certain states.

Lawyer Edmund Bon, who acted for two PKR petitions, said they had agreed to discuss the global settlement.

Bersih is against global settlement, says election judges are to blame

Any out-of-court settlement between Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat to withdraw election petition appeals will set a bad precedent, polls reform group Bersih 2.0 warned today.

Its co-chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan (pic) said election courts would continue to dismiss election petitions on technical grounds.

She said the courts would also impose exhorbitant costs when petitoners or respondents lost their cases.

"We are concerned because there will be no access to legal channels in future to obtain a remedy," she told The Malaysian Insider.

Her response came following reports that the BN and the opposition are discussing the possibility of a global settlement over 19 election petitions appeals pending before the Federal Court.

What this meant was that BN and PR would withdraw their suits which would also prevent the apex courts from making important legal pronouncements for future references.

Lawyers Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun and Datuk Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, appearing for the BN, informed the Federal Court on Wednesday on the possibility of reaching a global settlement.

Parties have been given until December 2 to inform the court on the outcome of their discussion.

Almost all 70 election petitions earlier were struck out by election courts with costs as high as RM150,000.

The appellants are now in the Federal Court to have their election petitions reinstated and sent back to the election court to decide on their merits by way of a full trial.

Ambiga said it was clear that the costs factor had intimidated parties to settle the petitions without the Federal Court having to decide on the legal issues.

"This in itself is very oppressive and Bersih will not blame the parties because they are succumbing to pressures to settle," she said.

Ambiga said litigants would be very reluctant to come to court in future because they would be punished for bringing forward election disputes.

"I blame the election judges for the current situaton.

"And if left unchecked, they will make this (dismissing petitons on technical grounds and imposing high costs) a habit," she said.

Ambiga said Bersih would like the Federal Court to be given the chance to deal with the legal issues as petitions were thrown out on technical grounds.

She said electoral reforms could also come in the form of opinions from judges and Parliament could consider such views when amending or introducing new election laws. - November 14, 2013.

Kelantan sudah bersedia laksana hudud

(Bernama) - Mahkamah Syariah Kelantan kini sudah mampu untuk menguruskan pelaksanaan undang-undang hudud jika kerajaan Kelantan pimpinan PAS mampu menguatkuasakan undang-undang berkenaan di negeri ini.

Ketua Hakim Syarie Kelantan Datuk Daud Muhammad berkata ini kerana segala prasarana berkaitan pelaksanaan hukum Islam itu sudah lengkap termasuk mempunyai hakim untuk melaksanakannya.

“InsyaAllah Kelantan sudah boleh laksanakan hudud. Undang-undang sudah ada dan kalau perlu tambah hakim, kita tambah,” katanya selepas Majlis Perasmian Kompleks Mahkamah Syariah Negeri Kelantan di Bandar Baharu Tunjung di sini, hari ini.

Perasmian kompleks berharga RM25.8 juta itu disempurnakan Sultan Kelantan, Sultan Muhammad V yang turut dihadiri Tengku Mahkota Kelantan Dr Tengku Muhammad Fa-iz Petra, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom, Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Ahmad Yakob dan Panel Hakim Mahkamah Rayuan Syariah Kelantan Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim.

Pada 1993, Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan meluluskan Enakmen Jenayah Syariah II Kelantan 1993 untuk membolehkan kerajaan Kelantan melaksanakan hukum Islam itu.

Bagaimanapun sehingga kini pelaksanaannya tidak dapat dilaksanakan termasuk disebabkan ia mendapat tentangan daripada rakan sekutu mereka iaitu DAP.

Sementara itu, Daud berkata tidak ada kes tertunggak melibatkan pelbagai kes umat Islam di Mahkamah Syariah di negeri ini dan itu dianggap satu kejayaan.

“Kami berjaya menyelesaikannya sekurang-kurangnya dalam tempoh setahun daripada kes itu berjalan. Ini kerana kami mempunyai kelengkapan termasuk hakim yang mencukupi,” katanya.