Tuesday 26 November 2013
Angola ‘bans’ Islam and Mosques for ‘final end of Islamic influence’. Angola may be the ‘role model’ to Europe, America, Australia to check Muslim aggression.
Angola ‘bans’ Islam and Mosques. Becomes first country to put clear message to its Muslim Citizens to ‘end of Islamic influence’.
25 Nov 2013:: I had to wait after hours to confirm this news as mostly unbelievable at this highest point of Jihad and Radical Islam, but really a small state of Africa named Angola banned Islam and Mosques after putting a clear message to its Muslim Citizens to ‘end of Islamic influence‘.
Now, the international media and a portion of Islamically influenced Indian counterparts have also confirmed this story that Angola emphatically did it.
Fear of radical Islam is not the preserve of Westerners. Indeed, in October, hostile actions have been conducted in several cities of Angola. Several officials have spoken on the subject. The governor of Luanda (Capital City of Angola) summarized the act stating that radical Muslims were not welcome in Angola and that the government was not ready to legalize the presence of mosques in the country.
The Minister of Culture , Rosa Cruz went in the same direction by stating that : “The process of legalization of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice. We must remember that the country is 95 % Christian and has a rather Christian culture.” The government has decided to destroy the long term, the country’s mosques deemed illegal, Islam is not considered as religion in its own rights in the country.
Last October, the minaret of a mainly frequented by ‘Guinean Mosque’ was dismantled . In the urban commune of Zango , the municipality has gone further by destroying the only mosque in the city. Even, no Jihadi group has been given any chance to take any revenge for that.
According to several Angolan newspapers, Angola has become the first country in the world to ban
Islam and Muslims, taking first measures by destroying mosques in the country.
“The process of legalization of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice,” Rosa Cruz e Silva, the Angolan Minister of Culture, was quoted by Agence Ecofin on Friday, November 22.
Silva comments were given during her visit last Tuesday to the 6th Commission of the National Assembly.
“This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country,” Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos was quoted by Osun Defender newspaper on Sunday, November 24.
The Governor of Luanda, Bento Bento, has said that “radical” Muslims are not welcome in the country and that the Angolan government will not be legalizing mosques or other places of worship for Muslims.
As a matter of fact Angola’s citizens primarily are showing their inclinations to their early indigenous beliefs. Recent surveys show that 47 percent adhere to traditional indigenous beliefs while another 38 percent of the population practice Roman Catholicism and 15 percent practice Protestantism.
Now, the ’banned religion of Islam’ in Angola is practiced by a very small percentage of the 18.5 million inhabitants of the Country. Only about 80,000-90,000 Angolans practice Islam. These Muslims are primary migrants from West Africa and Lebanon.
Angola has successfully given a global message how to restrict Radical Islam in the face of growing Jihad and Islamophobia.
Angola has started the ‘Era of Banning Islam’ in modern times. Now this starting of ’ban on Islam by the non-Muslim states’ may be defined in a way that the Final ‘War between Cross and Crescent‘ will be most evident in America, Europe, Australia and even in China though it has been initiated by African Angola.
There is no injustice to it. All the Muslim Countries do not allow the practice of Non-Muslim Religions. So, each and every Non-Muslims states have to right to ban the practice of Islam in those Non Muslim lands accordingly.
And this the time to put all nails to the Coffin of Islam. It is easy now as depicted by the Great Sign of Islam, ’786′. Do you know the meaning of Islam? Know it now.
Muslim clerics teach the mystery of ’786′ very confidentially. 786=? 7th Century: Birth. 7+8=15th Century: Peak. 7+8+6=21st Century: Fall. 786 depicts the birth, rise and fall of Islam in this encapsulated chronicle of bloodiest phases of human history.
The final fall of Islam has been started from Angola. World has to follow Angola. Hindu Existence Forum appreciates this action of Angola.
25 Nov 2013:: I had to wait after hours to confirm this news as mostly unbelievable at this highest point of Jihad and Radical Islam, but really a small state of Africa named Angola banned Islam and Mosques after putting a clear message to its Muslim Citizens to ‘end of Islamic influence‘.Now, the international media and a portion of Islamically influenced Indian counterparts have also confirmed this story that Angola emphatically did it.
Fear of radical Islam is not the preserve of Westerners. Indeed, in October, hostile actions have been conducted in several cities of Angola. Several officials have spoken on the subject. The governor of Luanda (Capital City of Angola) summarized the act stating that radical Muslims were not welcome in Angola and that the government was not ready to legalize the presence of mosques in the country.
The Minister of Culture , Rosa Cruz went in the same direction by stating that : “The process of legalization of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice. We must remember that the country is 95 % Christian and has a rather Christian culture.” The government has decided to destroy the long term, the country’s mosques deemed illegal, Islam is not considered as religion in its own rights in the country.
Last October, the minaret of a mainly frequented by ‘Guinean Mosque’ was dismantled . In the urban commune of Zango , the municipality has gone further by destroying the only mosque in the city. Even, no Jihadi group has been given any chance to take any revenge for that.
According to several Angolan newspapers, Angola has become the first country in the world to ban
Islam and Muslims, taking first measures by destroying mosques in the country.“The process of legalization of Islam has not been approved by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights, their mosques would be closed until further notice,” Rosa Cruz e Silva, the Angolan Minister of Culture, was quoted by Agence Ecofin on Friday, November 22.
Silva comments were given during her visit last Tuesday to the 6th Commission of the National Assembly.
“This is the final end of Islamic influence in our country,” Angolan President José Eduardo dos Santos was quoted by Osun Defender newspaper on Sunday, November 24.
The Governor of Luanda, Bento Bento, has said that “radical” Muslims are not welcome in the country and that the Angolan government will not be legalizing mosques or other places of worship for Muslims.
As a matter of fact Angola’s citizens primarily are showing their inclinations to their early indigenous beliefs. Recent surveys show that 47 percent adhere to traditional indigenous beliefs while another 38 percent of the population practice Roman Catholicism and 15 percent practice Protestantism.
Now, the ’banned religion of Islam’ in Angola is practiced by a very small percentage of the 18.5 million inhabitants of the Country. Only about 80,000-90,000 Angolans practice Islam. These Muslims are primary migrants from West Africa and Lebanon.
Angola has successfully given a global message how to restrict Radical Islam in the face of growing Jihad and Islamophobia.
Angola has started the ‘Era of Banning Islam’ in modern times. Now this starting of ’ban on Islam by the non-Muslim states’ may be defined in a way that the Final ‘War between Cross and Crescent‘ will be most evident in America, Europe, Australia and even in China though it has been initiated by African Angola.There is no injustice to it. All the Muslim Countries do not allow the practice of Non-Muslim Religions. So, each and every Non-Muslims states have to right to ban the practice of Islam in those Non Muslim lands accordingly.
And this the time to put all nails to the Coffin of Islam. It is easy now as depicted by the Great Sign of Islam, ’786′. Do you know the meaning of Islam? Know it now.
Muslim clerics teach the mystery of ’786′ very confidentially. 786=? 7th Century: Birth. 7+8=15th Century: Peak. 7+8+6=21st Century: Fall. 786 depicts the birth, rise and fall of Islam in this encapsulated chronicle of bloodiest phases of human history.
The final fall of Islam has been started from Angola. World has to follow Angola. Hindu Existence Forum appreciates this action of Angola.
PA Sheikh: Only Solution for Jews is the Sword
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| Violence outside Al Aqsa mosque` |
parts of "Palestine".
A Palestinian Authority Arab sheikh on Friday blasted the Palestinian Authority for being “too soft” towards Israel, and presented what he said was the “only solution” for the Jewish people.
The sheikh, Omar Abu Sara’a, made the remarks in a sermon he gave at the Al-Aqsa mosque during which he blasted the “traitor” Palestinian Authority.
He argued that the Oslo Accords did not bring about any results, and that in fact it is now recognized that they were nothing but a mistake that led to "the sale of land to Jews". He stressed that “Palestine” is holy Islamic land and should not be given up under any circumstances.
The solution, said Abu Sara’a, is in the words of the prophet of Islam Muhammad, who said, "Fight them" and did not say that Jews should be negotiated with. In this context he mentioned the tradition quoted by the prophet Muhammad, where a tree and a stone call a Muslim and tell him, “A Jew is hiding behind me, come and kill him."
“For Jews, we do not have but the sword and by extension we need to hold an all-out war against them and not talk with them," declared Abu Sara’a.
He called the leaders of the Palestinian Authority “traitors” because they gave up three quarters of “Palestine” to the Jews and are holding negotiations in which they are willing to make concessions on lands on which Muhammad ascended to heaven.
He also accused the Palestinian Authority of political, economic and ethical corruption and argued that the PA will be holding a wine festival near Ramallah which will feature an Israeli band and “Jewish harlots” who will morally corrupt young PA Arabs.
Abu Sara’a also claimed that women's organizations which operate within the PA are connected to international intelligence agencies as well as to the Israeli Mossad, and that they are designed to “dismantle the Palestinian society from within” by working to free women from the prohibitions that apply to them under Islamic law and tradition.
He warned his audience that these groups would also eliminate the authority of the father over his daughter in determining the identity of her husband, will deny the husband the authority to divorce his wife, give the woman permission to leave the house without her husband and establish equality between women and men. The desired solution to this situation, said Abu Sara’a, is the establishment of an Islamic caliphate and implementing Islamic law.
Adulterers may be stoned to death under new Afghan law, official says
Billions
have been invested on promoting human rights in Afghanistan over more
than 12 years of war
and donors fear that hard won progress,
particularly for women, may be eroding.
"We are working on the draft of a sharia penal code where the punishment for adultery, if there are four eyewitnesses, is stoning," said Rohullah Qarizada, who is part of the sharia Islamic law committee working on the draft and head of the Afghan Independent Bar Association.
Billions have been invested on promoting human rights in Afghanistan over more than 12 years of war and donors fear that hard won progress, particularly for women, may be eroding.
During the Taliban's 1996-2001 time in power, convicted adulterers were routinely shot or stoned in executions held mostly on Fridays. Women were not permitted to go out on their own, girls were barred from schools and men were obliged to grow long beards.
Providing fresh evidence popular support for the brutal punishment has endured, two lovers narrowly escaped being stoned in Baghlan province north of Kabul, but were publicly shot over the weekend instead, officials said.
"While they were fleeing, suddenly their car crashed and locals arrested them. People wanted to stone them on the spot but some elders disagreed," the provincial head of women's affairs, Khadija Yaqeen, told Reuters on Monday.
"The next day they decided and shot both of them dead in public. Our findings show that the woman's father had ordered to shoot both man and woman."
The public execution was confirmed by the provincial police chief's spokesman, who said the killings were unlawful.
"It is absolutely shocking that 12 years after the fall of the Taliban government, the Karzai administration might bring back stoning as a punishment," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch.
The US-based rights group has urged funding to be tied to commitments and last month, Norway took the rare step of cutting aid on the grounds that Afghanistan had failed to meet commitments to protect women's rights and fight corruption.
Most donors, however, have stopped short of using money to pressure President Hamid Karzai's administration and US and United Nations officials were aware of the plan to reintroduce stoning, Qarizada said.
The new law, he told Reuters, was unlikely to make stoning a common practice.
"The judge asks each witness many questions and if one answer differs from other witnesses then the court will reject the claim," Qarizada said.
UN official says Malaysia should reverse Allah ban
Malaysia should reverse a ban on a Christian newspaper using the word Allah to refer to God, a UN official said today about a decision that fanned religious tension in the mainly Muslim country.Malaysia's second highest court ruled in October that the Catholic weekly, Herald, could not use the word Allah to refer to God, in a landmark decision on an issue that has fanned religious tension in the majority Muslim country.
"Freedom of religion or belief is a right of human beings, not a right of the state," the UN special rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt, said in a statement.
"It cannot be the business of the state to shape or reshape religious traditions, nor can the state claim any binding authority in the interpretation of religious sources or in the definition of the tenets of faith," he said.
The chief judge in the Malaysian court said the word Allah was not an integral part of the faith in Christianity and that its use by the newspaper would cause confusion.
Since then, confusion has reigned over the interpretation of the ruling, with government ministers, lawyers and Muslim authorities giving widely diverging views on its scope.
Critics of the ruling have said it casts a chill on religious and minority rights in Malaysia, which has substantial minorities of non-Muslim ethnic Chinese and Indians.
"The current case may affect the right of all non-Muslims in Malaysia to use the word Allah while referring to God," the UN official said.
Lawyers for the Catholic paper had argued that the word Allah predated Islam and has been used for centuries by Malay-speaking Christians in Malaysia's part of Borneo island.
They said they planned to appeal against the decision in the country's highest court.
Christians make up about 9% of Malaysia's 28 million people. Muslims are the majority at about 60%. - Reuters, November 25, 2013.
Umno open to discussion with PAS
However, the Prime Minister and Umno president wants to know the scope of discussions between the two political parties.
KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Tun Razak said Umno is keeping an open mind on the willingness of PAS to hold discussions with the party on matters pertaining to Islamic administration in the country.
“We are open, but we want to see what is the scope of discussion and we are seeking for further clarification from PAS,” the Prime Minister, who is also Umno president, told reporters after presenting letters of appointment to 29 members of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), here today.
He said this when asked to comment on the statement yesterday by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who expressed the party’s willingness to discuss with Umno on the efforts to implement administration based on Islamic teachings in the country.
Meanwhile, Najib said it was the decision of the state government when Johor decided that the weekend holidays in the state be changed to Friday and Saturday beginning Jan 1.
“It is a state decision. So under the constitution, we have to respect once the state has made a decision,” he said.
Najib said the private sectors were not affected as the decision only involved the state service.
He also said that the government was creating the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) which would house both the federal and state departments in Johor Baharu.
“The UTC will open seven days a week and people can make use of that,” he said.
Last Saturday, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar had ordered that the weekend in the state be changed to Friday and Saturday effective Jan 1.
He said Friday was the most auspicious day of the week and Muslims should take advantage of the day to perform more religious deeds.
KUALA LUMPUR: Najib Tun Razak said Umno is keeping an open mind on the willingness of PAS to hold discussions with the party on matters pertaining to Islamic administration in the country.“We are open, but we want to see what is the scope of discussion and we are seeking for further clarification from PAS,” the Prime Minister, who is also Umno president, told reporters after presenting letters of appointment to 29 members of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), here today.
He said this when asked to comment on the statement yesterday by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, who expressed the party’s willingness to discuss with Umno on the efforts to implement administration based on Islamic teachings in the country.
Meanwhile, Najib said it was the decision of the state government when Johor decided that the weekend holidays in the state be changed to Friday and Saturday beginning Jan 1.
“It is a state decision. So under the constitution, we have to respect once the state has made a decision,” he said.
Najib said the private sectors were not affected as the decision only involved the state service.
He also said that the government was creating the Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) which would house both the federal and state departments in Johor Baharu.
“The UTC will open seven days a week and people can make use of that,” he said.
Last Saturday, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar had ordered that the weekend in the state be changed to Friday and Saturday effective Jan 1.
He said Friday was the most auspicious day of the week and Muslims should take advantage of the day to perform more religious deeds.
Stay neutral, candidates tell Palanivel
The MIC president's move to 'introduce' two candidates at a meeting with delegates from Selangor has turned others vying for the post against him.
PETALING JAYA: MIC chief G Palanivel’s move to ‘introduce’ two of the eight candidates vying for the three vice president seats in the party has got himself in hot soup.
Other candidates are now claiming that the party president was going back on his word of not taking sides in the vice-president race.
“He initially said he will not endorse or support anyone in the veep race, but now he starts attending meetings with some candidates. He says he is there to introduce these candidates.
“If that is the case, why didn’t he introduce all eight candidates. That is fair. The so called introduction session must be stopped once and for all. If he continues this, then we will do whatever it takes to ensure the election is free and fair,” a vice-president aspirant told FMT when contacted.
Eight leaders are fighting for the three veep positions up for grabs at the party polls on Nov 30, in Malacca. They are incumbents Youth and Sports deputy minister M Saravanan and Perak state assembly speaker SK Devamany. Others include former Youth chiefs T Mohan and SA Vigneswaran, party treasurer general Jaspal Singh, former vice-president S Sothinathan, Johor Baharu division leader KS Balakrishnan and Bukit Bintang division leader James Selvarajah.
Palanivel and deputy president Dr S Subramaniam won their positions uncontested under a peace deal brokered by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Barisan Nasional chairman a few months ago.
The deal was concluded in the presence of Palanivel, Dr Subramaniam, Saravanan and Devamany.
Under the deal, the president and deputy president would retain their positions uncontested and that they will not take sides in the vice-president contest.
Palanivel’s soon after being elected uncontested as party chief three months ago, declared that the party’s second top post should not be contested in accordance with the peace deal.
He has also said that he will be neutral in the vice-president’s race. This sentiment was echoed by Dr Subramaniam who maintained that he will not throw his support for any of the veep aspirants in-line with the peace deal hammered by Najib.
Dr Subramaniam himself was reported to have said that he hoped that the party president would stay neutral in the race, which also has about 88 candidates vying for 23 central working committee posts in the polls.
Wearing two hats
Party sources claimed that Palanivel had been quietly meeting delegates to the party general assembly telling them to support certain candidates, soon after he returned home from a five day official trip to Poland on Saturday.
The latest was on Sunday when he met delegates from 10 divisions in Selangor at the Bukit Jalil Golf Resort. Delegates who attended the meeting confirm that Palanivel called out names of two vice-president candidates and told delegates that he was supporting them. They were also told to vote for the two candidates.
“He told the delegates they have the freedom to pick the third and last vice-president. He is playing with fire. If all the other candidates gang-up against him, then he is in trouble. They can give him hell throughout his tenure.
“He should not have done that. Furthermore, Palanivel himself lacks support. Out of the 23 divisions in Selangor only 10 attended the meeting. And out of the 10, not all divisions are in support of Palanivel…some came just to hear what he had to say. To be frank they were equally miffed with the president’s move to introduce the two candidates, who are not the favourites.
“His behaviour was totally unacceptable as the party president vowed to stay out of the contest. Now another issue has cropped up. Palanivel is the election committee chairman for the veep and CWC elections.
“If he goes around endorsing someone, then he has to resign from this position or let someone else handle the polls. He cannot be wearing the two hats . If you support a candidate, then resign as the election committee chief,” said a division leader who attended the meeting.
He said Palanivel’s move was also ‘giving rope’ for candidates who lose the veep race to run to the Registrar of Societies to seek redress after the polls.
“He does not realise that although we cannot take the party to court we can still go to the ROS and complain that the polls were neither free nor fair,”said a veep candidate who declined to be named.
PETALING JAYA: MIC chief G Palanivel’s move to ‘introduce’ two of the eight candidates vying for the three vice president seats in the party has got himself in hot soup.Other candidates are now claiming that the party president was going back on his word of not taking sides in the vice-president race.
“He initially said he will not endorse or support anyone in the veep race, but now he starts attending meetings with some candidates. He says he is there to introduce these candidates.
“If that is the case, why didn’t he introduce all eight candidates. That is fair. The so called introduction session must be stopped once and for all. If he continues this, then we will do whatever it takes to ensure the election is free and fair,” a vice-president aspirant told FMT when contacted.
Eight leaders are fighting for the three veep positions up for grabs at the party polls on Nov 30, in Malacca. They are incumbents Youth and Sports deputy minister M Saravanan and Perak state assembly speaker SK Devamany. Others include former Youth chiefs T Mohan and SA Vigneswaran, party treasurer general Jaspal Singh, former vice-president S Sothinathan, Johor Baharu division leader KS Balakrishnan and Bukit Bintang division leader James Selvarajah.
Palanivel and deputy president Dr S Subramaniam won their positions uncontested under a peace deal brokered by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Barisan Nasional chairman a few months ago.
The deal was concluded in the presence of Palanivel, Dr Subramaniam, Saravanan and Devamany.
Under the deal, the president and deputy president would retain their positions uncontested and that they will not take sides in the vice-president contest.
Palanivel’s soon after being elected uncontested as party chief three months ago, declared that the party’s second top post should not be contested in accordance with the peace deal.
He has also said that he will be neutral in the vice-president’s race. This sentiment was echoed by Dr Subramaniam who maintained that he will not throw his support for any of the veep aspirants in-line with the peace deal hammered by Najib.
Dr Subramaniam himself was reported to have said that he hoped that the party president would stay neutral in the race, which also has about 88 candidates vying for 23 central working committee posts in the polls.
Wearing two hats
Party sources claimed that Palanivel had been quietly meeting delegates to the party general assembly telling them to support certain candidates, soon after he returned home from a five day official trip to Poland on Saturday.
The latest was on Sunday when he met delegates from 10 divisions in Selangor at the Bukit Jalil Golf Resort. Delegates who attended the meeting confirm that Palanivel called out names of two vice-president candidates and told delegates that he was supporting them. They were also told to vote for the two candidates.
“He told the delegates they have the freedom to pick the third and last vice-president. He is playing with fire. If all the other candidates gang-up against him, then he is in trouble. They can give him hell throughout his tenure.
“He should not have done that. Furthermore, Palanivel himself lacks support. Out of the 23 divisions in Selangor only 10 attended the meeting. And out of the 10, not all divisions are in support of Palanivel…some came just to hear what he had to say. To be frank they were equally miffed with the president’s move to introduce the two candidates, who are not the favourites.
“His behaviour was totally unacceptable as the party president vowed to stay out of the contest. Now another issue has cropped up. Palanivel is the election committee chairman for the veep and CWC elections.
“If he goes around endorsing someone, then he has to resign from this position or let someone else handle the polls. He cannot be wearing the two hats . If you support a candidate, then resign as the election committee chief,” said a division leader who attended the meeting.
He said Palanivel’s move was also ‘giving rope’ for candidates who lose the veep race to run to the Registrar of Societies to seek redress after the polls.
“He does not realise that although we cannot take the party to court we can still go to the ROS and complain that the polls were neither free nor fair,”said a veep candidate who declined to be named.
Waytha: NRD’s attitude reflects badly on govt
Indians continue to face many obstacles in obtaining identification documents from the NRD, says Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy.
KUALA LUMPUR: The callous attitude taken by National Registration Department (NRD) officers against Indians reflects badly on the government as it appears purely racist in manner, said Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy.
Waythamoorthy, who is also a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Indians continued to face many obstacles in obtaining identification documents from the NRD.
He was referring to the 12-year-old S Mahalachemi who attempted suicide after the NRD told her to undergo a DNA test to determine her parentage to obtain her MyKad.
The NRD had said Mahalachemi should obtain a DNA test because her skin colour differed from her mother,V Kamala, 60.
Waythamoorthy said it was an unreasonable request by the NRD because the child had her birth certificate confirming her Malaysian parentage.
Hindraf had earlier provided to the prime minister a holistic solution within the law whereby issues relating to the identification documents for more than 300,000 stateless Malaysian Indians could be solved permanently.
The solution proposed by Hindraf is in compliance with Article 14, 15, 16 & 19 of the Federal Constitution and initiates a pro-active manner to resolve the stateless issues facing Indians once and for all.
“The failure of a comprehensive solution will lead to such instances as the attempted suicide by this child due to the unreasonable manner how the NRD officers racially profile the Indian community.
“We urge the government to adopt the proposals so that such incidents can be prevented and reflect the willingness of the government in addressing the statelessness of the Malaysian Indians,” said Waythamoorthy.
MIC Youth to be involved
Meanwhile, special officer to Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir, C Sivaaraajh said he will meet Perak NRD director Mohd Zahari Hassan on issuing a MyKad to the girl.
“It is a straight forward case, where the mother has all the documents required to apply for MyKad. Thus, I do not think the NRD will reject her application,” he told FMT after visiting the girl in hospital.
“The problem started with the Ipoh NRD deputy director who had asked the mother and daughter to conduct DNA test,” he said, adding that MIC will lodge an official complaint against the officer.
Mahalachemi attempted suicide on Saturday after becoming upset with the NRD treatment and heartless teasing in social media.
She was taken to Raja Permaisuri Bainun hospital for treatment after she fainted at her aunt’s house in Taman Harmony, Jelapang.
It is learnt that Mahalachemi is in stable condition and doctors have advised her to take a two-week rest.
Mahalachemi, who turned 12 in September, applied for her MyKad in NRD at Ipoh Urban Transformation Centre on Tuesday.
Sivaaraajh , the newly-elected MIC Youth wing chief, also criticised opposition leaders for highlighting the matter in the media.
“They should be more careful on highlighting such issues, especially incdents involving underaged children. We must protect their identity,” said Sivaaraajh.
KUALA LUMPUR: The callous attitude taken by National Registration Department (NRD) officers against Indians reflects badly on the government as it appears purely racist in manner, said Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy.Waythamoorthy, who is also a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Indians continued to face many obstacles in obtaining identification documents from the NRD.
He was referring to the 12-year-old S Mahalachemi who attempted suicide after the NRD told her to undergo a DNA test to determine her parentage to obtain her MyKad.
The NRD had said Mahalachemi should obtain a DNA test because her skin colour differed from her mother,V Kamala, 60.
Waythamoorthy said it was an unreasonable request by the NRD because the child had her birth certificate confirming her Malaysian parentage.
Hindraf had earlier provided to the prime minister a holistic solution within the law whereby issues relating to the identification documents for more than 300,000 stateless Malaysian Indians could be solved permanently.
The solution proposed by Hindraf is in compliance with Article 14, 15, 16 & 19 of the Federal Constitution and initiates a pro-active manner to resolve the stateless issues facing Indians once and for all.
“The failure of a comprehensive solution will lead to such instances as the attempted suicide by this child due to the unreasonable manner how the NRD officers racially profile the Indian community.
“We urge the government to adopt the proposals so that such incidents can be prevented and reflect the willingness of the government in addressing the statelessness of the Malaysian Indians,” said Waythamoorthy.
MIC Youth to be involved
Meanwhile, special officer to Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir, C Sivaaraajh said he will meet Perak NRD director Mohd Zahari Hassan on issuing a MyKad to the girl.
“It is a straight forward case, where the mother has all the documents required to apply for MyKad. Thus, I do not think the NRD will reject her application,” he told FMT after visiting the girl in hospital.
“The problem started with the Ipoh NRD deputy director who had asked the mother and daughter to conduct DNA test,” he said, adding that MIC will lodge an official complaint against the officer.
Mahalachemi attempted suicide on Saturday after becoming upset with the NRD treatment and heartless teasing in social media.
She was taken to Raja Permaisuri Bainun hospital for treatment after she fainted at her aunt’s house in Taman Harmony, Jelapang.
It is learnt that Mahalachemi is in stable condition and doctors have advised her to take a two-week rest.
Mahalachemi, who turned 12 in September, applied for her MyKad in NRD at Ipoh Urban Transformation Centre on Tuesday.
Sivaaraajh , the newly-elected MIC Youth wing chief, also criticised opposition leaders for highlighting the matter in the media.
“They should be more careful on highlighting such issues, especially incdents involving underaged children. We must protect their identity,” said Sivaaraajh.
Najib: Do not see each other through race and religion
The Prime Minister stressed that national unity will emerge once Malaysians stop seeing each others through the lens of race or religion.
KUALA LUMPUR: The peak of nation-building can be attained if the people do not see one another through the lens of race or religion, said Najib Tun Razak.The prime minister said he realised that this was a major challenge because Malaysia was too complex, but he added that this did not stand in the way of achieving national unity.
“Eventually, national unity will emerge from our own minds. If we do not see each other through the lens of race or religion, then we can attain the peak of nation-building,” he said.
Najib spoke at the handing over of the letters of appointment to 29 members of the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC), here, today.
Also present at the event was the Chief Secretary to the Government, Dr Ali Hamsa, and NUCC Chairman Samsudin Osman.
The letters of appointment were handed over to Samsudin, NUCC deputy chairman Lee Lam Thye and the other members of the NUCC.
The NUCC members are drawn from among community leaders, academicians, intellectuals, representatives of non-governmental organisations and Barisan Nasional (BN) and opposition politicians.
Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department Joseph Kurup, Jamil Khir Baharom and Shahidan Kassim also attended the event.
Najib outlined seven guidelines to achieve national unity that encompassed the government’s commitment to ensuring peace and harmony in the country.
“I’m not interested in winning legal arguments but I’m interested in ensuring peace and harmony in Malaysia. There’s no substitute for peace and harmony,” he emphasised.
Najib said the guidelines stated that all decisions must be based on the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara (National Ideology) and be guided by the 1Malaysia concept which, among others, encompassed the principle of upholding social justice.
The objective took into account the new economic model in the context of ensuring that the nation’s wealth was shared in an inclusive, fair and just manner.
Najib said the NUCC was set up at the right time because Malaysia had to look forward in its journey as a nation, especially with the realisation that the nation-building process would take a long time.
“We have a choice. We can allow circumstances to dictate or attempt to change the course of the nation through positive intervention so that national integration and national unity progress on a more secure platform,” he said.
He said the government established the NUCC for the country to have a more structured mechanism that comprised those keen to contribute to nation-building.
“They (the NUCC members) are experts in their own disciplines, objective, and not populist. They are really sincere and committed to fostering national unity and harmony.
“This is the rationale for our setting up this council. Nation-building not only takes time but also cannot be taken for granted,” he said.
At a news conference afterwards, the prime minister said the NUCC was expected to prepare an interim report for the government within the next six months.
“This is the time frame we have given. If there are developments, they will report to the government. If they need more time, they will also refer to the government,” he said.
He said the report would focus on nation-building efforts as the government wanted to take a long-term perspective of the country’s future and what it would take to further strengthen national unity and harmony.
On the NUCC members, Najib said they comprised individuals with objective views although some of them were from the political opposition.
“If they are open-minded and do not use this (council) as a political platform, we welcome their participation,” he said.
- Bernama
Polis: Serah senjata api atau berdepan tindakan
Polis beri masa sebulan, ia termasuklah, Paint Ball Marker, Air Soft Gun dan Ball Bearing Gun (BB Gun) yang digunakan dalam sukan menembak Paintball.
KUALA LUMPUR: Polis memberi tempoh sebulan kepada kepada pemilik senjata api dan senjata api tiruan, untuk menyerahkan senjata mereka kepada pihak polis atau berdepan dengan tindakan undang-undang.
Ini termasuklah, Paint Ball Marker, Air Soft Gun dan Ball Bearing Gun (BB Gun) yang digunakan dalam sukan menembak Paintball.
Menurut Pengarah Jabatan Logitik Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah, tiada tindakan yang akan dikenakan kepada pemilik sekiranya senjata api tersebut tidak pernah digunakan dalam aktiviti jenayah.
“Malaysia adalah antara negara yang mempunyai undang-undang dan peraturan ketat berkaitan pemilikan senjata api.
“Selain individu daripada ahli pasukan keselamatan, tiada individu yang dibenarkan memiliki, membawa atau menggunakan senjata api kecuali bagi yang diberikan lesen di bawah Seksyen 4 Akta Senjata 1960,” kata Zulkifli dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman hari ini.
Beliau berkata permohonan lesen individu untuk senjata api tidak akan dipertimbangkan oleh PDRM, termasuklah senjata api tiruan.
“Permohonan lesen untuk memiliki dan menggunakan senjata tiruan bagi tujuan aktiviti sukan hanya akan dipertimbangkan kepada pengusaha yang terdiri daripada syarikat berdaftar dengan kewangan kukuh dengan modal berbayar tidak kurang daripada RM400, 000 atau kelab-kelab sukan yang berdaftar dan diiktiraf kepakarannya dalam sukan ini oleh Pesuruhjaya Sukan Malaysia,” jelasnya.
Tambahnya lagi, pemilikan senjata api tiruan tanpa lesen bertentangan dengan Seksyen 36 Akta Senjata 1960 dan boleh dikenakan hukuman penjara dan denda jika sabit kesalahan.
“Dari tahun 2012 hingga sekarang, polis telah menyiasat 47 kes membabitkan senjata api tiruan.
“Mengikut rekod, 29 orang telah dituduh di bawah Seksyen 36 (1) Akta Senjata 1960 dan dua orang telah sabit kesalahan dan dipenjarakan 2 bulan,” tambah Zulkifli.
Menurutnya lagi, mereka yang berkelayakan untuk mempunyai kelayakan untuk memohon lesen senjata api tiruan boleh berbuat demikian dalam tempoh satu bulan ini.
`Boleh buat permohonan’
“Mereka bolehlah membuat permohonan untuk memiliki senjata tiruan bagi tujuan sukan dengan mengisi borang tertentu yang boleh didapati daripada Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) di mana aktiviti sukan hendak dijalankan atau mencetak borang Pol. 128 dari laman sesawang PDRM dan melengkapkannya sebelum diserah kepada IPD berkaitan untuk proses permohonan selanjutnya,” katanya lagi.
Beliau berkata tindakan ini diambil untuk memastikan keselamatan rakyat dapat dilindungi daripada ancaman termasuklah menghindari penggunaan senjata tiruan dalam melakukan jenayah.
“Kita galakkan sukan tapi ia perlu dikawal di bawah perundangan,” katanya lagi.
Sementara itu, ketika ditemui di lobi, Zulkifli berkata tindakan tegas dikenakan kepada mana-mana anggota yang kehilangan senjata api mereka, termasuklah dilucutkan jawatan.
“Kita ada proses kita, apabila sesuatu senjata hilang laporan polis mesti dibuat.
“Kemudian satu jawatankuasa siasatan akan ditubuhkan dan tindakan yang berat akan diambil jika kehilangan senjata api itu menjurus kepada jenayah,” katanya kepada FMT.
Jelasnya, PDRM mempunyai Prosedur Standard Operasi (SOP) tersendiri dalam penggunaan senjata api.
” Kita ada lebih 100, 000 anggota yang guna SOP yang sama. Sistemnya kita ada, tetapi tak dapat elak dari berlakunya kecuaian manusia,” katanya lagi.
KUALA LUMPUR: Polis memberi tempoh sebulan kepada kepada pemilik senjata api dan senjata api tiruan, untuk menyerahkan senjata mereka kepada pihak polis atau berdepan dengan tindakan undang-undang.Ini termasuklah, Paint Ball Marker, Air Soft Gun dan Ball Bearing Gun (BB Gun) yang digunakan dalam sukan menembak Paintball.
Menurut Pengarah Jabatan Logitik Datuk Zulkifli Abdullah, tiada tindakan yang akan dikenakan kepada pemilik sekiranya senjata api tersebut tidak pernah digunakan dalam aktiviti jenayah.
“Malaysia adalah antara negara yang mempunyai undang-undang dan peraturan ketat berkaitan pemilikan senjata api.
“Selain individu daripada ahli pasukan keselamatan, tiada individu yang dibenarkan memiliki, membawa atau menggunakan senjata api kecuali bagi yang diberikan lesen di bawah Seksyen 4 Akta Senjata 1960,” kata Zulkifli dalam sidang media di Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman hari ini.
Beliau berkata permohonan lesen individu untuk senjata api tidak akan dipertimbangkan oleh PDRM, termasuklah senjata api tiruan.
“Permohonan lesen untuk memiliki dan menggunakan senjata tiruan bagi tujuan aktiviti sukan hanya akan dipertimbangkan kepada pengusaha yang terdiri daripada syarikat berdaftar dengan kewangan kukuh dengan modal berbayar tidak kurang daripada RM400, 000 atau kelab-kelab sukan yang berdaftar dan diiktiraf kepakarannya dalam sukan ini oleh Pesuruhjaya Sukan Malaysia,” jelasnya.
Tambahnya lagi, pemilikan senjata api tiruan tanpa lesen bertentangan dengan Seksyen 36 Akta Senjata 1960 dan boleh dikenakan hukuman penjara dan denda jika sabit kesalahan.
“Dari tahun 2012 hingga sekarang, polis telah menyiasat 47 kes membabitkan senjata api tiruan.
“Mengikut rekod, 29 orang telah dituduh di bawah Seksyen 36 (1) Akta Senjata 1960 dan dua orang telah sabit kesalahan dan dipenjarakan 2 bulan,” tambah Zulkifli.
Menurutnya lagi, mereka yang berkelayakan untuk mempunyai kelayakan untuk memohon lesen senjata api tiruan boleh berbuat demikian dalam tempoh satu bulan ini.
`Boleh buat permohonan’
“Mereka bolehlah membuat permohonan untuk memiliki senjata tiruan bagi tujuan sukan dengan mengisi borang tertentu yang boleh didapati daripada Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) di mana aktiviti sukan hendak dijalankan atau mencetak borang Pol. 128 dari laman sesawang PDRM dan melengkapkannya sebelum diserah kepada IPD berkaitan untuk proses permohonan selanjutnya,” katanya lagi.
Beliau berkata tindakan ini diambil untuk memastikan keselamatan rakyat dapat dilindungi daripada ancaman termasuklah menghindari penggunaan senjata tiruan dalam melakukan jenayah.
“Kita galakkan sukan tapi ia perlu dikawal di bawah perundangan,” katanya lagi.
Sementara itu, ketika ditemui di lobi, Zulkifli berkata tindakan tegas dikenakan kepada mana-mana anggota yang kehilangan senjata api mereka, termasuklah dilucutkan jawatan.
“Kita ada proses kita, apabila sesuatu senjata hilang laporan polis mesti dibuat.
“Kemudian satu jawatankuasa siasatan akan ditubuhkan dan tindakan yang berat akan diambil jika kehilangan senjata api itu menjurus kepada jenayah,” katanya kepada FMT.
Jelasnya, PDRM mempunyai Prosedur Standard Operasi (SOP) tersendiri dalam penggunaan senjata api.
” Kita ada lebih 100, 000 anggota yang guna SOP yang sama. Sistemnya kita ada, tetapi tak dapat elak dari berlakunya kecuaian manusia,” katanya lagi.
(MM) - Former Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman has joined Perkasa to keep the dominant Malay community in power, a news portal reported today.Abdul Rashid reportedly opened the Malay right-wing group’s Federal Territory annual general meeting yesterday, where he was quoted as saying that the three redelineation exercises during his term at the EC, which were done “in a proper way”, had ensured the continued political dominance of the Malays.
“This land has always belonged to the Malays. It’s in the history,” Abdul Rashid was quoted as saying by The Malaysian Insider.
“We did it in a proper way. Not illegally. The people who lost in the past general elections claimed that we did it wrong. But if we did, how did Barisan Nasional (BN) lose to the opposition in Kelantan, Penang and Selangor?” he added, referring to the redrawing of electoral boundaries.
The EC — which has been accused of gerrymandering to give more weight to rural constituencies, where the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) typically enjoys strong support — has said that it will begin redrawing constituency lines at the end of the year.
Polls watchdog Bersih, however, warned the EC last September that a repeat of the massive street rallies for electoral reforms was “inevitable” if the electoral roll is not cleared of irregularities.
Abdul Rashid was quoted as saying yesterday that Malays have to retain their political power because Malaysia belongs to them, noting that the it was first called the Malay Federation, and after independence, it was changed to Malaya, and finally, the peninsula was known as West Malaysia after Malaysia was formed in 1963.
“Our aim is to get all the Malays of eligible age to register and to vote. Our numbers are bigger. Not only I want Malays to be in power, but also we must be stronger,” he reportedly said.
Guess how long it takes to get a brand-new MyKad?
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| The writer shows his ‘misplaced’ MyKad while holding his temporary identity paper. — Picture by Arif Kartono |
(MM) - I now realise how easy it is for foreigners to use MyKad belonging to another to get about their daily chores.
It takes only an hour for one to obtain a new MyKad — no questions asked.
The Malay Mail journalist K. Harinderan put the process to test and was in for a shock.
Despite being in possession of a MyKad, he was able to apply for another card without having to lodge a police report or filling any forms.
Harinderan visited the National Registration Department (NRD) branch in Rawang last Thursday on the pretext of applying for a new MyKad after having “misplaced” his old card.
The exercise was conducted following revelations in Parliament last week that more than half a million MyKad were reported missing between January 1 and October 31. That’s an average of almost 2,000 cards lost daily.
There have also been numerous reports of foreigners caught holding a MyKad.
Harinderan relates his experience:
I visited the NRD Rawang branch at 9.15am but was met with a large sign on the counter that read “system offline”.
I returned at 11.15am and saw a large crowd, with at least 40 people ahead of me. After getting my number, I chatted with several people.
Alice Wu, 24, said she misplaced her MyKad and was told by a NRD officer that she need not lodge a police report.
“This reduces the burden of me running around to replace my card,” said Wu.
Azli Rahim, 41, said he too lost his identity card and was surprised that it took him only one hour to get his temporary identification paper.
“I was in and out within an hour and was told to return in two weeks to collect my new MyKad,” said Azli.
It was my turn after 45 minutes. The officer asked me to place my thumbs on a scanner to verify my prints.
The officer then asked me how I had lost my card. I replied I had simply misplaced it and was not a victim of a snatch theft or robbery.
He then told me I had to pay RM210 since this was the second time I had lost my card.
For the record, I lost my identity card about two months ago after my car was broken into.
The officer then asked me to take my photo at the photo booth. A temporary identity paper was printed out and handed to me accompanied with a receipt.
I was told to return within 10 days to collect my new MyKad. I left the department at about 12.20pm, just in time for lunch.
I lodged a police report at the Rawang police station over this exercise the following day.
Since police do not carry MyKad readers at roadblocks and banks do not have links with NRD, I am able to go about my daily routine and carry out transactions with my “missing” MyKad.
And I now realise how easy it is for foreigners to use MyKad belonging to another to get about their daily chores.
Orang Asli Selentar the Victim of IDC
S.Ramakrishnan,
The Orang Asli Seletar, a sea faring community, have lived along the coast of south Johor for hundreds of years. They are traditional fisherman living off the catches along the mangrove forest in the southern coast of Johor. These mangrove forests are steadily being cleared to make way for ports, power plants, oil storage, high rise buildings and industrial sits. These rapid emergence of industrial development sites along the coastal area of Nusajaya and Iskandar corridor are fast encroaching the orang Asli Seletar customary land leading to their ultimate eviction.
All their appeal to preserve their customary land to the Johor state government has fallen on deaf years and the coastal land is being continuously developed. The continued decimation of mangrove forests and pollutions of tributary rivers and coastal waters have crippled their traditional and subsistence activities thus driving them to poverty and possible extinction.
The Orang Asli Selentar are lamenting and seeking for help to save the mangrove forest which was rich with sea shells, crabs, shrimps, fishes, birds, monkeys and other reptiles. They are all fast depleting and the orang asli fishermen folk’s income has dwindled. The fast growth in the Iskandar development region has brought high revenue to state government, developers and foreigners but the original inhabitants have been left high and dry without any support.
The kampong Simpang Arang folks have written to Johor state menteri besar, Mr Tan Ah Eng the former MP for Gelang Patah, Datuk Haji Abdul Aziz bin haji Sapian former Adun on Sept 2012 but no response. They sought help from the Johor Port Berhad but offered pittance. They have made several police reports but no response from the state government. In Dec 2012, 188 Orang Asli Selentar have filed a class action in the Johor Bahru high court against 12 parties including state and federal government. They are yet to be considered by the courts. Earlier in Sept 2010 they filed a case against the local council and Johor director of land and mines, for committing trespass of orang asli selentar plaintiffs’ land and won the case. But on the ground orang asli selentar continue to facing the same old problem of dwindling income and no decision on their customary land and their livelihood.
The “equitable and fair distribution among stakeholder” clause in the Iskandar development comprehensive plan did not provide any compensation to the original inhabitants. The Orang Asli Selentar are simply ignored and conveniently forgotten in the whole development plan by Iskandar regional development authority (IRDA). The 180 orang asli selentar families in Kampong simpang arang don’t have ownership of their kampong house and their customary land exposed to development without any negotiation, recourse or compensation. Their burial grounds are exposed to be desecrated and removed to make way for development.
The kampong Simpang Arang Orang Asli folks are looking forward to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister in Putrajaya to look into their plight and take affirmative action to preserve their customary land and burial ground in the mangrove forest.
The deforestation of Mangroves along the coast of southern Johor is also an environmental concern. They are a safety net against any tsunami and high waves. It was reported in the world conservation report that the damage caused by the tragic 2004 Asian tsunami was exacerbated by over clearing of mangroves and other “bioshields”, inappropriate coastal development and inadequate information and preparedness. This tragedy continues unabatedly along the coast of southern Johor in name of development and national growth. Mangrove forest also act as filters and traps of pollutants and the stabilization of coastal land by trapping sediment and protection against storm damage.
It is rather surprising that the Johor department of environment has not taken any affirmative action to stop these developments that are causing gradual depletion of mangrove forest. We call upon them to take positive action. Orang Asli Selentar community is an important stakeholder in the management of mangrove forest. They have lived along and preserved the mangrove forest all this while but they are completely alienated and ignored. We hope the DOE comes open with what is happening to the mangrove forest and outline steps taken to preserve them.
The Orang Asli Seletar, a sea faring community, have lived along the coast of south Johor for hundreds of years. They are traditional fisherman living off the catches along the mangrove forest in the southern coast of Johor. These mangrove forests are steadily being cleared to make way for ports, power plants, oil storage, high rise buildings and industrial sits. These rapid emergence of industrial development sites along the coastal area of Nusajaya and Iskandar corridor are fast encroaching the orang Asli Seletar customary land leading to their ultimate eviction.
All their appeal to preserve their customary land to the Johor state government has fallen on deaf years and the coastal land is being continuously developed. The continued decimation of mangrove forests and pollutions of tributary rivers and coastal waters have crippled their traditional and subsistence activities thus driving them to poverty and possible extinction.
The Orang Asli Selentar are lamenting and seeking for help to save the mangrove forest which was rich with sea shells, crabs, shrimps, fishes, birds, monkeys and other reptiles. They are all fast depleting and the orang asli fishermen folk’s income has dwindled. The fast growth in the Iskandar development region has brought high revenue to state government, developers and foreigners but the original inhabitants have been left high and dry without any support.
The kampong Simpang Arang folks have written to Johor state menteri besar, Mr Tan Ah Eng the former MP for Gelang Patah, Datuk Haji Abdul Aziz bin haji Sapian former Adun on Sept 2012 but no response. They sought help from the Johor Port Berhad but offered pittance. They have made several police reports but no response from the state government. In Dec 2012, 188 Orang Asli Selentar have filed a class action in the Johor Bahru high court against 12 parties including state and federal government. They are yet to be considered by the courts. Earlier in Sept 2010 they filed a case against the local council and Johor director of land and mines, for committing trespass of orang asli selentar plaintiffs’ land and won the case. But on the ground orang asli selentar continue to facing the same old problem of dwindling income and no decision on their customary land and their livelihood.
The “equitable and fair distribution among stakeholder” clause in the Iskandar development comprehensive plan did not provide any compensation to the original inhabitants. The Orang Asli Selentar are simply ignored and conveniently forgotten in the whole development plan by Iskandar regional development authority (IRDA). The 180 orang asli selentar families in Kampong simpang arang don’t have ownership of their kampong house and their customary land exposed to development without any negotiation, recourse or compensation. Their burial grounds are exposed to be desecrated and removed to make way for development.
The kampong Simpang Arang Orang Asli folks are looking forward to submit a memorandum to Prime Minister in Putrajaya to look into their plight and take affirmative action to preserve their customary land and burial ground in the mangrove forest.
The deforestation of Mangroves along the coast of southern Johor is also an environmental concern. They are a safety net against any tsunami and high waves. It was reported in the world conservation report that the damage caused by the tragic 2004 Asian tsunami was exacerbated by over clearing of mangroves and other “bioshields”, inappropriate coastal development and inadequate information and preparedness. This tragedy continues unabatedly along the coast of southern Johor in name of development and national growth. Mangrove forest also act as filters and traps of pollutants and the stabilization of coastal land by trapping sediment and protection against storm damage.
It is rather surprising that the Johor department of environment has not taken any affirmative action to stop these developments that are causing gradual depletion of mangrove forest. We call upon them to take positive action. Orang Asli Selentar community is an important stakeholder in the management of mangrove forest. They have lived along and preserved the mangrove forest all this while but they are completely alienated and ignored. We hope the DOE comes open with what is happening to the mangrove forest and outline steps taken to preserve them.
Top priority for Pakatan Rakyat is to set up a high-level PR 14GE strategic council to plan for the capture of federal government in Putrajaya in next general elections
Congratulations are in order to PAS leaders and delegates for a very
successful 59th Muktamar at national, youth and wanita levels, causing
great disappointments to UMNO plotters and conspirators who had worked
overtime through their printed or social media in cyberspace to sow
dissension and distrust within PAS ranks and to sabotage the unity of
purpose of Pakatan Rakyat and giving hope to enlightened Malaysians who
comprise the majority of the electorate that two-coalition politics in
Malaysia is here to stay as it is very much alive and kicking.
PAS Deputy President Mohamad Sabu struck the nail on the head when he pointed out in his winding-up speech at the 59th Muktamar that PAS would only be a regional party confined to the east coast of the peninsula if it had not entered into a pact with PKR and DAP in Pakatan Rakyat.
As Sabu succinctly said:
However, 93% and 86% of the parliament and state seats won by PAS was in its “Northern” heartland of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
In 2004, as a result of the Pak Lah “Tsunami”, PAS was reduced to 6 parliament and 33 state seats (100% and 94% of which, respectively, were in the Northern states).
2008 marked a significant shift in PAS’s support outside the 4 Northern States. PAS won 23 parliament and 83 state seats in total, out of which 70% and 76% were in the 4 Northern States.
In 2013, PAS won 2 fewer parliament seats (21 vs 23) but won 2 more state seats (85 vs 83) and this time, 67% and 66% of parliament and state seats respectively were in the 4 Northern States (See Table 1 below)
Being part of Pakatan has helped PAS venture beyond its core 4 northern states.
The setback faced by PAS in Kedah in 2013 cannot be explained in terms of PAS participation in Pakatan but more so because of internal factors. Similar explanations can be used for the slight decrease in support for PAS in Kelantan.
If being part of Pakatan hurt PAS in the Malay heartland, then PAS would not have made gains in Terengganu.
Moving forward, it is clear that the states which have and will continue to experience the largest population growth in Peninsular Malaysia are Selangor, KL and Johor. These are where most of the new seat increases (parliament and state) will occur.
Many of the new seats will be ethnically ‘mixed’ seats.
Hence, if PAS wants to continue to make inroads beyond its 4 Northern States, it must work together in the context of Pakatan to maximize its Malay as well as non-Malay support. In the 4 Northern States, PAS must look internally to strengthen itself and Pakatan.
Another way of examining PAS’ performance out on a state by state basis is to analyse the % of votes obtained by PAS in the seats contested by PAS in each state.
This information is shown in Table 2 below.
PAS support in Kelantan and Terengganu reached its highest level in
1999 (60.5% and 58.7% respectively). PAS support in Kedah was the
highest in 2008 when it won 50.6% of total votes in the seats it
contested in. In 2013, even though PAS support is lower in Kedah,
Kelantan and Terengganu compared to 1999, it is still much higher than
in 2004.
At the same time, PAS’ support outside the 4 Northern States have increased significantly since 1999 especially in Penang (16.8% increase), Selangor (11.0%), Negeri Sembilan (5.1%) and Johor (7.2%). This shows that being part of Pakatan has clearly paid dividends for PAS in these states.
Table 2: % of votes won by PAS in PAS contested parliament seats (1999 to 2013)
Being part of Pakatan definitely helped PAS win two new parliament seats in 2013 that it could not have won without Pakatan’s support.
In Temerloh, a 63% Malay, 26% Chinese, 9% Indian seat, PAS won with a 1070 majority with very strong support coming from the 35% non-Malay voters in this seat.
In Sepang, a 59% Malay, 23% Chinese, 18% Indian seat, PAS won with a 1142 majority against a former UMNO Minister again with very strong support coming from the 41% non-Malay voters in this area.
For PAS to win back some of the marginal seats which it lost such as Sungai Besar (34% non-Malay), Kuala Selangor (36% non-Malay) and Titiwangsa (32% non-Malay), it must utilize the strength of the Pakatan brand and cooperation.
It is not just PAS which had benefitted from its partnership in Pakatan Rakyat, as the same case can be made for both the DAP and PKR as well.
There can be no doubt that by forming the coalition, the three component parties of DAP, PKR and PAS could not only individually win greater number of parliamentary and state assembly seats than when they are contesting on their own, they could also achieve a greater sum total of the overall number of parliamentary and state assembly seats countrywide.
The top priority for Pakatan Rakyat at present is to set up a high-level PR 14GE strategic council to plan for the capture of federal government in Putrajaya in next general elections as well as to achieve optimum election results for PR in the various states.
PAS Deputy President Mohamad Sabu struck the nail on the head when he pointed out in his winding-up speech at the 59th Muktamar that PAS would only be a regional party confined to the east coast of the peninsula if it had not entered into a pact with PKR and DAP in Pakatan Rakyat.
As Sabu succinctly said:
“Without Pakatan, our area of dominance would only stretch from Rantau Panjang (in northern Kelantan) to Kemaman (southern Terengganu).In 1999, when PAS benefitted most from the backlash against BN because of the 1998 political and economic crisis, it won 27 parliament and 98 state seats making it the largest opposition party.
“But with Pakatan, we conquered Selangor and, God willing, it will be Johor next.”
However, 93% and 86% of the parliament and state seats won by PAS was in its “Northern” heartland of Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
In 2004, as a result of the Pak Lah “Tsunami”, PAS was reduced to 6 parliament and 33 state seats (100% and 94% of which, respectively, were in the Northern states).
2008 marked a significant shift in PAS’s support outside the 4 Northern States. PAS won 23 parliament and 83 state seats in total, out of which 70% and 76% were in the 4 Northern States.
In 2013, PAS won 2 fewer parliament seats (21 vs 23) but won 2 more state seats (85 vs 83) and this time, 67% and 66% of parliament and state seats respectively were in the 4 Northern States (See Table 1 below)
| State | 1999 | 2004 | 2008 | 2013 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parl. | State | Parl. | State | Parl. | State | Parl. | State | |
| Perlis | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Kedah | 8 | 12 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 9 |
| Kelantan | 10 | 41 | 5 | 24 | 9 | 38 | 9 | 32 |
| Terengganu | 7 | 28 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 14 |
| Penang | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Perak | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
| Pahang | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Selangor | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 4 | 15 |
| KL | 0 | NA | 0 | NA | 1 | NA | 0 | NA |
| Negeri Sembilan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Melaka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Johor | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| P.Msia | 27 | 98 | 6 | 35 | 23 | 83 | 21 | 85 |
| Perlis, Kedah, K’tan & T’gganu | 25 | 84 | 6 | 33 | 16 | 63 | 14 | 56 |
| Others | 2 | 14 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 29 |
| Northern % | 92.6% | 85.7% | 100.0% | 94.3% | 69.6% | 75.9% | 66.7% | 65.9% |
| Others % | 7.4% | 14.3% | 0.0% | 5.7% | 30.4% | 24.1% | 33.3% | 34.1% |
The setback faced by PAS in Kedah in 2013 cannot be explained in terms of PAS participation in Pakatan but more so because of internal factors. Similar explanations can be used for the slight decrease in support for PAS in Kelantan.
If being part of Pakatan hurt PAS in the Malay heartland, then PAS would not have made gains in Terengganu.
Moving forward, it is clear that the states which have and will continue to experience the largest population growth in Peninsular Malaysia are Selangor, KL and Johor. These are where most of the new seat increases (parliament and state) will occur.
Many of the new seats will be ethnically ‘mixed’ seats.
Hence, if PAS wants to continue to make inroads beyond its 4 Northern States, it must work together in the context of Pakatan to maximize its Malay as well as non-Malay support. In the 4 Northern States, PAS must look internally to strengthen itself and Pakatan.
Another way of examining PAS’ performance out on a state by state basis is to analyse the % of votes obtained by PAS in the seats contested by PAS in each state.
This information is shown in Table 2 below.
| State | Parliament (As a % of Votes in PAS Seats) | Change 1999 to 2013 | Change 2004 to 2013 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2004 | 2008 | 2013 | |||
| Perlis | 44.5% | 35.6% | 44.5% | 44.7% | 0.2% | 9.1% |
| Kedah | 48.4% | 42.1% | 50.6% | 46.4% | -1.9% | 4.4% |
| Kelantan | 60.5% | 47.2% | 55.1% | 54.4% | -6.2% | 7.2% |
| Terengganu | 58.7% | 44.2% | 44.9% | 48.9% | -9.8% | 4.7% |
| Penang | 30.0% | 28.2% | 38.4% | 46.8% | 16.8% | 18.6% |
| Perak | 44.3% | 35.0% | 48.1% | 43.6% | -0.7% | 8.6% |
| Pahang | 44.0% | 32.6% | 39.7% | 42.1% | -1.9% | 9.5% |
| Selangor | 43.3% | 32.6% | 51.9% | 54.3% | 11.0% | 21.7% |
| WPKL | 47.5% | 27.3% | 48.7% | 44.3% | -3.2% | 17.1% |
| Melaka | 34.0% | 21.4% | 29.4% | 28.9% | -5.1% | 7.5% |
| Negeri Sembilan | 34.4% | 23.0% | 30.8% | 39.5% | 5.1% | 16.4% |
| Johor | 28.1% | 17.6% | 28.8% | 35.2% | 7.2% | 17.6% |
| P.Msia | 47.5% | 34.4% | 45.3% | 47.3% | -0.2% | 12.9% |
At the same time, PAS’ support outside the 4 Northern States have increased significantly since 1999 especially in Penang (16.8% increase), Selangor (11.0%), Negeri Sembilan (5.1%) and Johor (7.2%). This shows that being part of Pakatan has clearly paid dividends for PAS in these states.
Table 2: % of votes won by PAS in PAS contested parliament seats (1999 to 2013)
Being part of Pakatan definitely helped PAS win two new parliament seats in 2013 that it could not have won without Pakatan’s support.
In Temerloh, a 63% Malay, 26% Chinese, 9% Indian seat, PAS won with a 1070 majority with very strong support coming from the 35% non-Malay voters in this seat.
In Sepang, a 59% Malay, 23% Chinese, 18% Indian seat, PAS won with a 1142 majority against a former UMNO Minister again with very strong support coming from the 41% non-Malay voters in this area.
For PAS to win back some of the marginal seats which it lost such as Sungai Besar (34% non-Malay), Kuala Selangor (36% non-Malay) and Titiwangsa (32% non-Malay), it must utilize the strength of the Pakatan brand and cooperation.
It is not just PAS which had benefitted from its partnership in Pakatan Rakyat, as the same case can be made for both the DAP and PKR as well.
There can be no doubt that by forming the coalition, the three component parties of DAP, PKR and PAS could not only individually win greater number of parliamentary and state assembly seats than when they are contesting on their own, they could also achieve a greater sum total of the overall number of parliamentary and state assembly seats countrywide.
The top priority for Pakatan Rakyat at present is to set up a high-level PR 14GE strategic council to plan for the capture of federal government in Putrajaya in next general elections as well as to achieve optimum election results for PR in the various states.
Regional Conference on Policing in Southeast Asia Calls for Human Rights-Based Policing
Reproduced from here.
Civil
society activists and human rights lawyers from Indonesia, Malaysia,
the Philippines, Thailand and Timor-Leste are demanding effective
accountability mechanisms to deal with police abuse in their countries.
The weaknesses of current mechanisms have contributed to a culture of
impunity allowing for human rights violations by law enforcement
officials to go unchecked.
These
calls were made at a regional conference organized by Amnesty
International and KontraS (The Commission for the Disappeared and
Victims of Violence) on policing and human rights in Southeast Asia held
on 19-20 November in Jakarta. During the meeting, participants
discussed the range of human rights violations committed by the police
in their various countries, analysed existing internal and external
accountability mechanisms to hold the police accountable and debated the
effectiveness of police engagement, as well as some of the obstacles
civil society organizations face when engaging with police reform.
The
human rights violations allegedly committed by law enforcement
officials in these countries include unlawful killings, enforced
disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment, and excessive use of
force and firearms. In Indonesia police have also failed in many cases
to protect religious minorities while in Thailand serious concerns were
raised about the involvement of the police in cases of enforced
disappearances, particularly in the South. In Malaysia, the high number
of cases of deaths in police custody and the failure to bring the
perpetrators to justice was raised. In the Philippines, there are
concerns about state responsibility in allowing those in positions of
command responsibility to go unpunished for their crimes or crimes
committed by their subordinates.
Participants
at the conference also raised concerns about ineffective accountability
mechanisms, police corruption and the failure of police to protect the
broad spectrum of human rights, in particular ignoring and sometimes
contributing to violations of economic, social and cultural rights, or
not adequately handling complaints about violence against women and
other groups at risk such as children, indigenous peoples, persons with
disabilities and LGBTI communities.
While
in some countries internal disciplinary mechanisms have been used to
deal with some abuses, in many countries they lack transparency. Very
few cases involving human rights violations by the police reach the
courts. Further in most jurisdictions, victims of these abuses and their
families are unable to obtain full and effective reparation, often
because proper redress mechanisms are not in place or effectively
implemented.
Participants
reported that oversight mechanisms such as national human rights
institutions or ombudsmen in some of these countries are not fully
independent, lack the necessary powers to independently investigate
cases of human rights violations by the police or are unable to fully
enforce the findings of their investigations. In some cases, they do not
have the power or fail to submit their findings directly to a public
prosecutor.
At
the same time, there has been some progress in reforming the police,
and civil society organizations have been calling for greater
accountability and transparency. In Indonesia, civil society
organizations are using a 2008 freedom of information law to monitor the
progress of investigations into police abuses, while in the Philippines
human rights organizations have pushed successfully for an anti-torture
law and anti-disappearance law, which were passed in 2009 and 2012
respectively.
The
important role civil society plays in monitoring, documenting and
advocating on issues relating to police reform was stressed, along with
the need for better co-operation and skills sharing between countries
within Southeast Asia.
Human
rights should be at the centre of any process of police reform. As a
first step towards human rights-based policing, the Indonesian,
Malaysian, Philippines, Thailand, and Timor-Leste authorities should, as
a matter of priority:
Ensure independent, impartial and effective investigations into human rights violations by law enforcement officials. Those suspected of being responsible, including persons with command responsibility, should be prosecuted in proceedings which meet international standards of fairness and victims should be granted reparations; Establish independent and effective external oversight mechanisms to deal with criminal offences involving human rights violations; Make public results of complaints and investigations made through existing internal disciplinary procedures for the police, and ensure that members of the public can access these mechanisms free from reprisals; Make documentation relating to operational procedures of the police, including internal regulations, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and other information available to the public to ensure victims, their families and representatives are fully informed of police duties, and to facilitate a full public debate on police reform; Ensure that the police are representative of the communities they serve, and that appropriate steps are taken to ensure that the police are able to effectively handle complaints from groups at risk, such as women, children, indigenous peoples, LGBTI groups in a non-discriminatory environment, and that they are able to protect those at risk of violence such as religious minorities; and Establish procedures, develop expertise including through training, and procure equipment to facilitate professional investigations, including for securing and examining (potential) crime scenes, ballistics and other forensic tests, and autopsies or medical examinations.
This joint statement is endorsed by:
Amnesty International
Arus Pelangi, Indonesia
Fundasaun Mahein, Timor-Leste
Human Rights Committee, Bar Council Malaysia
Human Rights and Development Foundation (HRDF), Thailand
Jakarta Legal Aid Institute (LBH Jakarta), Indonesia
Kemitraan, Indonesia
KontraS (The Commission for the Disappeared and Victims of Violence), Indonesia
SUARAM (Suara Rakyat Malaysia), Malaysia
PUSAD (Pusat Studi Agama dan Demokrasi), Indonesia
PAHRA (PhilippinesAlliance of Human Rights Advocates)
Yayasan HAK, Timor-Leste
20 Nov 2013
Thorough Probe On Spying Activities Against Malaysia - Anifah
KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- Malaysian authorities are
investigating thoroughly the latest media report on the alleged
involvement of other countries, in particular Singapore, in spying
activities against Malaysia.
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the government was extremely concerned about reports of alleged spying by a number of countries on Malaysia.
He said if these allegations were eventually proven, it was certainly a serious matter that the Malaysian government strongly rejected and abhorred.
In a statement, he said the ministry would call the Singapore high commissioner tomorrow to seek clarification on the alleged spying activities by Singapore against Malaysia.
"The security and sovereignty of Malaysia remain the utmost priority of the government. It cannot be over-emphasised that spying against a good friend and neighbour is unacceptable and goes against the true spirit of and commitment to good neighbourly relations," Anifah said.
Anifah noted that Malaysia and Singapore currently enjoyed mutually beneficial and strong ties as reflected by the excellent relations between the two prime ministers and the expanding areas of cooperation.
An online news portal reported that secret documents leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden had revealed that Singapore had aided an intelligence group behind an alleged spying activity in Malaysia
Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman said the government was extremely concerned about reports of alleged spying by a number of countries on Malaysia.
He said if these allegations were eventually proven, it was certainly a serious matter that the Malaysian government strongly rejected and abhorred.
In a statement, he said the ministry would call the Singapore high commissioner tomorrow to seek clarification on the alleged spying activities by Singapore against Malaysia.
"The security and sovereignty of Malaysia remain the utmost priority of the government. It cannot be over-emphasised that spying against a good friend and neighbour is unacceptable and goes against the true spirit of and commitment to good neighbourly relations," Anifah said.
Anifah noted that Malaysia and Singapore currently enjoyed mutually beneficial and strong ties as reflected by the excellent relations between the two prime ministers and the expanding areas of cooperation.
An online news portal reported that secret documents leaked by American whistleblower Edward Snowden had revealed that Singapore had aided an intelligence group behind an alleged spying activity in Malaysia
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