Sivarasa booted out for raising temple demolition issue

Life sentence for Noida Muslim couple who killed their daughter and Nepalese servant

by Christopher Sharma


Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar committed murder to punish an alleged affair between their 14 year old daughter and the Nepalese domestic worker, Yam Prasad Banjade . Dating to 2008 , the crime sparked strong debate among Muslim , Hindu and secular Indians. Interviewed by AsiaNews, Banjade’s wife welcomes the judgment. Impoverished, the woman hopes to be compensated for her husband’s murder.

Kathmandu ( AsiaNews) - A special court in Uttar Pradesh ( northern India ) yesterday sentenced Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar to life imprisonment. The wealthy Muslim couple, both dentists, are guilty of the murder of their 14 year old daughter and Yam Prasad Banjade, a Nepalese domestic worker killed in Noida in May 2008.

Originally the Central Bureau of Investigation ( CBI ) had asked for the death penalty, but the judges have opted instead for life imprisonment . The couple acted in anger after discovering an alleged affair between their only child and employee. The Talwar's lawyers say they will appeal. Yesterday, hundreds of Nepali women and human rights activists launched a campaign in New Delhi for 16 days against violence against women and against honor killings , very common in Muslim communities .

Interviewed by AsiaNews Khumkala Banjade , wife of Hemraj Banjade , said she was satisfied by the sentence : " I had asked for the death penalty for the murderers of my husband, but I accept the court's verdict against the Talwars". Since her husbands death the woman has been living in abject poverty with a sick child and her mother-in-law of 80. "It was our poverty - she says - that led my innocent husband to his death at the hands of this couple. I ask for compensation for his murder and I hope the Indian court will be able to give justice to me and to my family. "

In these five years, the case of the pair of Noida has been followed by millions of people and has raised many criticisms against the local police accused on several occasions of serious shortcomings. A few hours after the crime, dozens of people, including journalists and television crews and strangers arrived at the house without any police control, compromising the scene. The trial also raised a number of cultural debates among Muslims, Hindus and civil society. Some experts say that the case showed a "clash of cultures " in India, pitting police and conservative sectors of society against the excesses of the upper middle class . Rajesh Talwar and Nupur Talwar were both observant Muslims and according to Islamic community had the right to punish the serious affront committed by the domestic worker and daughter, both adulterers . In order to justify the decision, Judge Shyam Lal also used the passages from the Koran that punish murder.

Penan families not going to get a sen more, says Sarawak Chief Minister

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud (pic, left) continued to play hardball with the state's long-suffering Penan tribe when he said his government will not pay an extra sen to the 100 families displaced by the Murum hydroelectric dam project.

He called their cash demands "outrageous" and insisted the state government will not budge as the demands "would be rejected anywhere in the world".

The 100 Penan families, who have set up a blockade on the access road to the dam site, are demanding RM500,000 compensation for each family while the state government is only prepared to pay RM15,000 per family.

"Their demands are often over exorbitant cash payouts. The government will continue to reject their most outrageous demands because they are unreasonable," Taib said when concluding the debates in the state assembly this afternoon.

The chief minister also hinted that the Penan had been made use of when he said: "What they have managed to achieve is a lot of publicity for the instigators behind them, who received cash from their sponsors outside Sarawak".

He said that to those affected by the proposed construction of a larger dam in Baram and another proposed dam in Baleh along the Rajang River, the government would devise a resettlement plan that is acceptable to all parties.

In Baram, the project would displace thousands of people in 33 villages.

The dams are the cornerstone of Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (Score), the industrial corridor of the state government’s industrialisation plan.

Taib said the success of Score depended on the successful resettlement of the affected communities.

"There is no doubt in my mind in the link between Score and resettlement.

"The government is committed to a successful resettlement exercise because the people of Sarawak owe it to the affected communities.

"We owe it to the indigenous people that they should also benefit from the development programme which we are pursuing for Sarawak," he said.

Taib also said Sarawakians should be proud of their present resettlement policy because "it is probably among the best in the world".

The chief minister also acknowledged that Sarawak had not taken adequate measures in the past to provide for better resettlement because "we could not afford them".

"Now that we are able to integrate hydro development as part of our hinterland development strategy, we are in a position to plan better and have a better approach."

On another contentious issue, the Malaysia Agreement, Taib said it should not be questioned as Sarawak had benefitted much in the 50 years after it gained independence and became an integral member of Malaysia.

He said the people had enjoyed peace and harmony, tackled poverty which fell from 60% in the 60s to only 2.4%.

"The standard of living in Sarawak has improved by leaps and bounds in the last 50 years," he said. – November 27, 2013.

MIC U-turn: Youth results upheld

The party management committee, led by MIC president G Palanivel, reversed an earlier decision to suspend the results .
UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: In less than 24 hours, the MIC leadership decided to uphold the MIC Youth election results after a high level meeting today at the party headquarters.

Yesterday, MIC secretary-general A Sakthivel said that the party leadership had suspended the party’s youth wing’s election results pending investigations into alleged irregularities in the polls.

The emergency meeting this morning by the party management committee, led by MIC president G Palanivel, also decided to reinstate all 38 youth delegates who were voted in the youth polls on Nov 16 polls.

Hence, the delegates would be allowed to vote in the party national election, scheduled on Saturday.

The management committee comprises of the party president, deputy president, the three vice presidents and party state chairpersons.

Sakthivel told reporters today the committee decided that the phantom-voter allegation would not change the outcome of the results.

“The one vote does not make any difference to the result,” he said, adding that the party also sacked a youth member.

However, Sakthivel refused to give further details about the youth member who was overseas.

In the youth polls, former secretary C Sivarraajh won the wing’s top post defeating deputy chief V Mugilan by 44 votes.

Sivarraajh obtained 278 votes to Mugilan’s 234 to take over from outgoing youth chief T Mohan who is contesting for vice-president’s post this time.

The deputy’s post was won by MIC youth legal bureau head R Thinalan who garnered 321 votes beating Malacca MIC youth deputy chief K Sashi who obtained 188 votes.

Meanwhile, Sivarraajh urged the leadership not to make the same mistake in the future.

Sivarraajh also thanked Palanivel for sorting out the issue quickly and also the youth members for supporting him while the results were suspended.

He urged the party’s election committee to vet the candidates to see if they had been declared bankrupt before preparing electoral list.

ROS letter

Sakthivel also confirmed that the Cheras division delegates were entitled to vote in the national election.

The Registrar of Societies (ROS) had directed the MIC to iron out problems in its Cheras division as the issue could affect the party’s annual general assembly.

In a letter to Sakthivel on Nov 21, ROS deputy director-general Alias Mamat said they had received a complaint from Cheras division deputy chief K Palanisamy on the running of the division’s 14 branch meetings.

Palanisamy had written to the ROS that the meetings were held simultaneously on July 21 at the Cheras MIC division office in Taman Kobena, Cheras.

However, Sakthivel admitted that the issue was brought up in today’s meeting.

“All the delegates in MIC Cheras division are allowed to vote in the polls as for now,” he said.

PKR Roban Lumpuh, 110 Anggota Sertai SPDP

(Bernama) - Operasi PKR cabang Roban di Saratok, Sarawak, lumpuh selepas pengerusi dan setiausahanya keluar parti dan membawa bersama-sama mereka 108 anggota serta penyokong untuk menyertai Parti Demokratik Progresif Sarawak (SPDP).

Gani Eli, yang mempengerusikan cabang itu sejak 2011, mengetuai kumpulan yang keluar PKR itu untuk menyerahkan borang permohonan mereka kepada Presiden SPDP Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom di sini hari ini.

"PKR tidak ada hala tuju selepas pilihan raya (umum ke-13). (Kami telah dibiarkan) macam itu sahaja," katanya pada sidang akhbar selepas menyerahkan borang permohohan mereka di ibu pejabat SPDP di sini.

Beliau berkata lebih banyak anggota dan penyokong PKR dari Roban dijangka mengikuti jejak mereka.

Sementara itu bekas Setiausaha PKR Roban Abang Mokhtar Abang Zulkifli berkata beliau menyedari parti pembangkang itu tidak dapat berbuat apa-apa untuk meningkatkan kehidupan rakyat.

"PKR tidak boleh diharap untuk masa depan tetapi kami yakin SPDP boleh membawa pembangunan yang dapat memajukan rakyat," kata Abang Mokhtar.

Sebaik saja menerima borang permohonan mereka, Mawan menyifatkan keputusan kumpulan itu untuk keluar PKR sebagai berita baik bagi Barisan Nasional.

"Mereka memilih untuk menyertai arus perdana dan mahu bekerjasama (dengan Barisan Nasional) dengan menyertai SPDP," katanya.

Beliau berpendapat di sebalik beberapa cabaran yang melanda SPDP sejak beberapa tahun lepas, parti itu tidak pernah kehilangan daya penariknya dan masih berjaya membawa kemasukan anggota baharu.

"Kami tidak pernah mengutuk orang sebaliknya sentiasa bersedia untuk menghulurkan persahabatan dan merapatkan hubungan," katanya.

Orang Asli: We are not stupid anymore

FMT by Vignesh Kumar

The Orang Asli throughout the country are awakening to the loss of their lands and rights and demand that the government cease these acts of crime.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Orang Asli communities say that they are not stupid anymore and have realised how the government is grabbing their land.

Jaringan Kampung Orang Asli Se-Malaysia (JKOASM) co-ordinator Tijah Yop Chopil said: “I hope the government will be fair in protecting indigenous people’s land and rights”.

“The government must realise that robbing the indigenous people of their land is a crime. They do not comply with the indigenous people’s land laws.” she said.

“They have to stop this immediately. We are not stupid anymore,” Tijah said.

Tijah was speaking at the 7th Land Conference of the Indigenous People held at the YMCA Brickfields today.

She also wants the government to respond to Suhakam’s report on the national inquiry pertaining to the Orang Asli land rights.

Suhakam’s report initially listed 18 recommendations but during the five-day land conference which started on Nov 21 and ended today, JKOASM further identified and added 17 new resolutions toward protecting their land rights.

“The government has formed a special task force to look into this matter. We want assurance from the government’s task force that they will protect the Orang Asli land rights,” said Tijah.

Tijah said the Orang Asli community need proper clarification from the government and that their rights should not be questioned.

“We hope the government gives due recognition to our land rights, looks into this matter seriously and preserve our rights.

“We are the original people of Malaysia and we have the rights,” she said.

“We will fight all out to protect our land,” she added.

Najib Wants More People To Benefit From Development Programmes

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has expressed hope that more people will benefit from development programmes and initiatives introduced by the government.

However, he said the programmes, such as 1AZAM, would only provide the platform, and it was up to the individual to make an optimum use of the available opportunities.

He said through the 1AZAM programme, four opportunities to increase income had been made available, namely through job placement, small business, service provider and agriculture.

In his Facebook status today, Najib said he was impressed by the success of single mother of five, Zabidah Abdul Hamid, in operating her cake business.

"Starting with a monthly income of RM300, the business now enables her to earn RM3,000 a month, especially after she spreads her wings to Klang Valley and Selangor," he said.

By participating in 1AZAM, Zabidah was given training and guidance in terms of manufacturing and marketing aspects, besides being encouraged to move on her own and grab all available opportunities, Najib explained.

"The 1AZAM programme has provided a comprehensive platform for Zabidah and with hard work and determination, nothing is impossible," he said.

The prime minister also called on all people to work harder to improve their living conditions and contribute to the country's economic growth.

Two MPs thrown out over temple demolition issue

Dewan Rakyat speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia today stopped R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) from raising the demolition of the Sri Muneswarar temple annexe in Kuala Lumpur, and then booted him out of the House for delaying proceedings.

An hour later, V Sivakumar (DAP-Batu Gajah) (left) was ordered to leave the House by deputy speaker Ismail Mohamed Said for questioning the speaker's ruling that the issue cannot be raised anymore.

Sivarasa is the second PKR representative, after Padang Serai MP N Surendran, to be thrown out of the House for raising the issue.

While Sivarasa is barred from the Dewan Rakyat up to Friday, Surendran is serving out a six-month suspension order.

Sivakumar's suspension period is uncertain at this point.

On both occasions, in dealing with Surendran and Sivarasa, Pandikar fell back on the Federal Territories Ministry's account of the issue and the claim that a court order had been issued for the demolition exercise.

"The issue has been settled, it has been raised before," Pandikar said when preventing Sivarasa from elaborating on his argument.

This took place when he was debating the Federal Territories Ministry's 2014 budget at committee stage.

At a press conference later, Sivarasa said Pandikar (right) does not appear to be acting neutrally and is reacting "emotionally" whenever it comes to the issue, by accepting the ministry's version of events.

He also said that the court order did not allow for demolition of any part of the temple.

Sivarasa said he would bring a copy of the court order to Parliament on Monday, when his suspension ends, to prove Pandikar and the ministry wrong.

Sivakumar later incessantly questioned the deputy speaker, who took over proceedings from Pandikar, as to why the issue could not be raised and said that the speaker must not answer on behalf of the ministry.

Ismail told Sivakumar to "take a rest" while he was ordered to leave the House.

"The speaker already made a ruling. I don't have to explain to you on the matter anymore," Ismail told Sivakumar.

In a press conference earlier, Sivarasa said that many issues are constantly repeated in the Parliament and questioned why the speaker has prevented anyone from speaking on this particular issue.

"And all along, the speaker has been referring to a false statement," Sivarasa said.

'Johor sultan has power to change rest day'

As the head of Islam in the state, the Johor sultan has powers to unilaterally revert the rest day from Sunday to Friday, constitutional law expert Abdul Aziz Bari said.

“The sultan, in my view, can do that as Friday is a holy day for Muslims and (he) has some practical reasons; so that Muslims can spend more time in the mosque as in pre-1993 (days),” he said in an email to Malaysiakini.

“The issue here is about whose power and through what procedure. The power is with the state and the sultan appears to have exercised it for religious reasons.”

He said state holidays fall under state jurisdiction, according to Schedule Nine of the federal constitution.

“It is not stated (in the constitution) whether it should go through the Dewan,” he said referring to the state assembly.

The constitutional law professor said the sultan can act unilaterally as long as it is in matters which do not contravene the federal constitution.

Furthermore, he said, Johor Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin has already indicated that the ruling will not be forced upon non-Muslims and the business sector.

Abdul Aziz (left), who returned to academia last month, two years after being sacked from by Universiti Islam Antarabangsa for critical remarkes against the Selangor sultan, said that changing the rest day from Friday to Sunday in 1993 had been more problematic.

“The (state) government may declare a holiday for a day or two but when it comes to changing something that has been going on for centuries, it is something else; it should have been more careful and elaborate.

“Now it has caused difficulty as the society has been so used to it, hence the uneasiness over the sultan's announcement.”

'Disrupting centuries-old practice'

Johor, then led by Muhyiddin Yassin, and Perlis, then headed by Shahidan Kassim, had changed their rest days from Friday to Sunday, disrupting a centuries-old practice in the two states.

Friday was the rest day for the unfederated Malay states - Johor, Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis - where British colonial influence had been relatively weaker.

Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu still maintain this practice.

In modern history, Abdul Aziz said, Johor's rest-day change is likely linked to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad's campaign to “clip the rulers' wings”.

“Some of the rulers have forgotten what the former PM did to them in 1983 and 1993.

“Note that Umno Baru was launched in Istana Besar Johor Bahru in 1988, four years after Mahathir amended the constitution which took away the power to assent to bills and also power to declare emergency.”

Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar in his birthday speech decreed that the rest day will revert to Friday with effect from next year.

The private sector will mostly maintain the Monday to Friday work week to facilitate external trade, as long as banks do the same.

Banks, however, are undecided as to whether they will maintain Monday to Friday operating hours, pending official confirmation from the state government that the Friday rest day is optional.