Najib defends Rosmah, reveals her unsung deeds

At least 280 killed in inter-communal clashes

France sends troops to its former colony to help stop bloodshed between Christian and Muslim militias

Christian civilians fled by the thousands to the airport guarded by French forces in this chaotic capital Friday as the mostly Muslim armed fighters who have ruled the country since March hunted door-todoor for their enemies and the death toll from inter-communal violence rose to 280 people.

Bodies lay decomposing along the roads in a city too dangerous for many to collect the corpses. Thursday's clashes marked the worst unrest in Bangui in nine months and raised fears that waves of retaliatory attacks could soon follow.

"They are slaughtering us like chickens," said Appolinaire Donoboy, a Christian whose family remained in hiding.

France had pledged to increase its presence in its former colony well before Christian militias attacked the capital at dawn Thursday. The arrival of additional French troops and equipment came as the capital teetered on the brink of total anarchy and represented the greatest hope for many Central Africans.

About 1,000 French troops were expected to be on the ground by Friday evening, a French defence official said.

As night fell across the near anarchic capital, Christians fearing retaliatory attacks by the mostly Muslim ex-rebels crowded as close to the runway as possible, laying out their woven mats in front of a barbed wire coiled fence. National radio announced that at least 280 people had died, citing figures from local Red Cross officials.

France signalled its amped up presence Friday by sending out armoured vehicles to patrol the streets.

Up to 250 French troops are carrying out permanent patrols in Bangui, and "we didn't notice any direct clashes between armed groups today," said French military spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron in Paris.

On Thursday, however, 10 armed attackers in a pickup truck fired on a French position at the airport. French forces returned fire, killing four attackers and wounding six, Jaron said.

A UN Security Council resolution Thursday allowed France to proceed with its mission. It coincided with the worst violence to roil the capital since March when the mostly Muslim rebels known as Seleka overthrew the president.

On Thursday, Christian militias believed to be loyal to ousted leader Francois Bozize, attacked the city. The conflict has gathered little sustained attention since the government overthrow in March, and the dramatic developments were overshadowed Friday by mourning for South African anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela.

© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun

LGBTs exist to purge the bad, says Umno delegate - Malaysiakini

The lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community exist to group "bad people" together so that they can quickly die out, said an Umno delegate.

Abd Mutalib Abd Rahim representing Johor said when debating the motion on education and religion at the Umno general assembly today that a religious teacher told him this.

"Why has this disease endemic in the west begun to seep into this country?

"LBGT exists in the west so that bad people (orang jahat) can be purged, leaving behind only the good people to inherit the earth," he said.

Abd Mutalib, from the Simpang Renggam Umno division, said an example was that gays and lesbians have no offspring.

"People who keep changing partners are the same, disease will spread and many of them will die early.
"The same is for those who change their gender, they do not live long," he said.

Shedding tears at LBGT acceptance

Abd Mutalib said he learnt about this from his experience as a former religious enforcement officer.

"People who change their gender don't last long, before they die, they become insane, after they become insane, they die," he said.

As such, he said eventually all "indecent people" will cease to exist and this was the divine reason for the LGBT community's existence.

Nonetheless, Abd Mutalib stressed that the LGBT trend should not be let into the country and lamented their acceptance by liberal Muslims.

"People who promote such a lifestyle should be rejected.

"In fact, there should be enforcement so that such a deviant practice does not become prevalent that it affects the next generation," he said.

Meanwhile, another delegate, Sharifah Maznah Syed Kassim Barakbah (right), urged Umno to be at the forefront at engaging the LGBT community to solve their "problem".

"To curb LGBT, Umno needs to take the initiative to be the champion in being the bridge to the community.

"This is to reach out to such target group and solve their problem as some may be shy about it," she said.
More women syarie lawyers needed
On a separate matter, Sharifah, who is from the Alor Setar Umno division, called for more women syariah lawyers.

"This is so that women will not feel discriminated and will be more comfortable when dealing with religious authorities," she said.

She further called on the government to clamp down on mosques that use Friday sermons to attack the government.

"BN have given them so much but they still dare to use our mosques to make accusations against the government," she said.

Najib: Rosmah helped me twice

Umno president Najib Tun Razak also said that Umno is not a racist party and will help all "but we want this country to be helmed by Umno Malays'.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno president Najib Tun Razak today revealed that his wife had played a vital role on two instances involving diplomatic circles.
“I have never told this before. Two years ago, a Malaysian student was detained after he was suspected to be a spy by Egypt.

“I told my wife (Rosmah Mansor) to appeal to the then President Mubarak’s wife. In two hours, the student was released.

“Then during Operation Pyramid in Saudi Arabia, we made an impossible request to get our students out without visa.

‘She used her diplomatic connections and got them out. The Saudi government even offered two jumbo jets to help us extract our students,” he said while delivering his closing speech at Umno’s 67th annual general meeting in Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre today.

Najib’s revelation comes on the heel of a recent outcry over the government’s need to rent jets for her personal use.

Rosmah’s active involvement in the country’s diplomatic circles has been fodder for the opposition and Najib-BN critics.
She also previously had an audience with Singapore Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew when he visited Malaysia.

GLCs to implement BEA

Touching on religion, Najib also told the delegates present that the government is committed to raising the standards of Islam and defending the sanctity of the faith.

“I have discussed with Jamil Khir Baharom (Supreme Council member and Minister in Prime Minister’s Department) to amend the party constitution to state that Islam is the religion of the federation and we will follow Sunni Islam,” he said.

He also spoke on the implementation of the Bumiputera Economic Agenda (BEA) which came under scrutiny after it was launched several months ago.

“I have met chief executive officers (CEO) of all government linked companies (GLC). I stressed to them that BEA is a national economic agenda and they have to implement it.

“I will see their scorecards which will determine their jobs remain with them,” he said.

He also defended the policy as a policy that ensures the security of the majority.

“In the West, affirmative action is for minority. Here if the majority Malays and Bumis (66.7%) are not successful it would be very bad.

“Umno is not racist. Umno has been fair to all. We want to share with the Chinese, Indians, Kadazans and Ibans but we want this country to be helmed by Umno Malays,” he said.

Najib also addressed the less favored economic decisions that his administration took by removing sugar subsidy, petrol price hike and upcoming increase in the electricity tariffs.

“It is a short term pain for a long term gain. When we removed subsidy international ratings agency, Moody’s gave us a positive outlook.

“We can rise to A3 – A5 ratings. It is important to have a healthy economic outlook,” said Najib who added the move was vital to realize a developed nation status in 2020.

Perkasa: Fed govt must fund, save Malay candis

Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali said the candis were "part of our history" and must be protected for the sake of the future generations.

PETALING JAYA: The federal government should step in to protect the ancient candis in Bujang Valley if the state government does not have the resources to do so, said Perkasa today.

“If the Kedah state government does not have enough funds, the federal government must take care of it (candis),” said Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali.

On Thursday, Kedah exco for education Tajul Urus Mat Zain said that the state government’s move to gazette the candis in the state would result in Umno losing Malay votes, adding most houses there may have a candi underneath.

However, History Association of Malaysia (Kedah chapter) chairman Wan Shamsuddin Mohd Yusof lashed out at Tajul, saying that the candis were built by Malays of the past and the government must protect it.

“The candi were the result of the Malays’ workmanship. The carvings are different from candi (found) in India,” he said.

Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir had also said that it would be impossible to gazette all the candis as there ‘could be’ thousands of it.

He also said that the state government would have to compensate property owners for the use of their land, in order to gazette the candis.

“So it is going to come down to tens of millions of ringgit, which we really don’t have,” said Mukhriz.

But Syed Hassan said that it is compulsory for the government to protect the nation’s heritage for the sake of the future generation.

He also said that the government could develop the areas near the candis to become a tourism hub.

“It is part of our history. It will be good to take care of it (candis) for the sake of our younger generation,” said Syed Hassan.

Stop order

On the recent demolition of candi 11 in Sungai Batu, the Perkasa leader said developer Bandar Saujana Sdn Bhd would not have destroyed the ancient spot if the place was gazetted earlier.

“Probably if gazetted earlier, the developer would not have touched it,” said Syed Hassan.

Last week, Bujang Valley Study Circle, an NGO dedicated to researching the historical site told FMT that a private developer had bulldozed the candi in order to develop a housing project.

The NGO also claimed that that several candis had been destroyed in the last few years, in the name of development.

The Kedah state government has since issued a stop work order on the site, following a massive public uproar.

Man killed in second attempt on his life

Penang police say that initial investigation shows that same suspects who attempted to kill M Parttipan in June were responsible in the murder yesterday.

NIBONG TEBAL: A man who was shot and injured in June, was killed in a hail of bullets by the same suspects near his house, here, last night.

M. Parttippan, 29, was walking alone in Lorong Puteri Gunong 40, Taman Puteri Gunong, Tasik Mutiara when approached by two men in a black MyVi at 9pm.

Penang CID chief, SAC Mazlan Kesah said they fired six shots at Parttippan and a bullet hit his ribs, killing him at the scene. Six bullet shells were found at the scene.

“The preliminary investigation found the suspects to be the same ones who shot the victim in June. We have identified one, in his 30s, and we are hunting him.

“The victim’s body was sent to Sungai Bakap Hospital. Based on our records, the victim had four criminal records including one involving drugs,” he said, adding that the motive could be vengeance and related to drugs.

In the incident on June 20, Parttippan was hurt when he was shot at about 200 metres from the scene of last night’s incident.

-Bernama

‘Declare war against deviant teachings’

(Bernama) - An all-out war must be carried out against deviant teachings as they could divide the Muslims and go against the teachings of the Sunnah Wal Jamaah, which is practiced by Muslims in Malaysia.

The Syiah ideology which originated from the Middle East not only went against the faith but could also destroy the country due to the differences in religious practices.

The ideology had already been declared as ‘haram’ or forbidden by the National Fatwa Council at a special discussion or ‘muzakarah’ in 1996 and must be addressed aggressively by the authorities and the Islamic Religious Council as it clearly threatened the Muslims’ faith, thus affecting solidarity among Muslims in the country.

Strongly upholding the Sunnah Wal Jamaah, independent preacher Mohd Fikri Che Hussain said Umno, as the largest Malay and bumiputera political party championing the Islamic cause, must act quickly to check the Syiah ideology.

“As is the case in countries like Syria, the Syiah proponents are embroiled in civil wars because of the differing ideologies between the Syiah and ‘Ahlul Sunnah’. Thus, before the situation gets out of hand, the government must take stern action,” he told Bernama.

The fact is that there are 81 deviationist groups that were actively operating throughout the country.

According to the chairman of the Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah Organisation Malaysia, Abu Syafiq Mohd Rasyiq Mohd Alwi, five of the groups were the Syiah, al-Arqam, Hizbut Tahrir, Wahabi and Tarikat Naqshabandi teachings.

Mohd Fikri said the Islamic education system in schools and the universities must be strengthened and streamlined by focusing on their faith so that the future generation would not be easily influenced and deceived by deviationist teachings.

“The threat from the Syiah will only be apparent in countries which did not take action to suppress its influence,” he said.

Actually there are advantages and disadvantages in the proposal to define Islam according to the practice adopted by the ‘Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah’ in this country.

The head of the Muslim Transformation Bureau, Malay Consultative Council, Mohamed Ghazali Md Noor conceded that the proposal was good but required in-depth discussions and must be studied in detail in a wide context.

“Islamic bodies in the country such as the Islamic Development Department Malaysia (Jakim) and other non-governmental organisations must be proactive and effective in carrying out such efforts, besides tightening enforcement,” he said.

Former PAS deputy president Nasharudin Mat Isa believed the proposal was a good move but there must be follow-up action too.

Acknowledging that Islam was facing major challenges that not only involved the Syiah teachings, but also the demands of the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) which were hiding behind human rights movements, Mohd Fikri wanted the government to be more sensitive to the current environment.

“The younger generation nowadays are seen to be keen to be closer to religion. What is feared is that they get involved in deviationist teachings and went against the teachings of the Sunnah. Thus, the government must look into this development,” he added.

Pupuk perpaduan sesama Islam – SM Mohamed Idris

Kami dukacita di atas cadangan oleh Timbalan Presiden Umno Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang mahu meminda Perlembagaan Persekutuan untuk menjamin ajaran Ahli Sunnah Wal Jamaah sebagai kepercayaan umat Islam di Malaysia dan merayu supaya mempertimbangkan semula perkara itu kerana ia mempunyai implikasi serius ke atas perpaduan umat Islam dan komitmen antarabangsa Malaysia.

Kami percaya cadangan yang dibuat itu adalah respons kepada kempen anti Syiah pada masa ini yang sedang dijalankan oleh kumpulan tertentu yang dipengaruhi dan disokong oleh ulama Salafi yang bersikap melampau.

Islam itu satu dan tiada Islam Sunni atau Islam Syiah. Terdapat perbezaan mazhab dan orang Islam bebas untuk mengikuti mana-mana mazhab. Sebarang cubaan untuk menafikan hak sesuatu mazhab akan hanya membawa kepada perpecahan dan konflik dalam kalangan umat Islam dan melemahkan usaha yang sedang diusahakan untuk menyatupadukan umat Islam bagi menghadapi cabaran dari kuasa hegemoni, diktator dan pemerintah autokratik.

Pada Julai 2005, berdasarkan fatwa yang dikeluarkan oleh 24 ulama paling kanan dalam agama Islam termasuk Ulama Sunni, Sheikh Al Azhar Dr Muhammad Sayyid Tantawi, Sheikh Dr. Yusuf Abdullah Al-Qaradawi, Mufti Pakistan Muhammad Taqi Uthmani dan Ulama Syiah Ayatollah Al-Sayyid Ali Khameni dan Ayatollah Al-Sayyid Ali Al-Sistani, Raja Abdullah II dari Jordan telah menganjurkan satu persidangan Islam antarabangsa yang dihadiri oleh 200 sarjana Islam terkemuka dunia dari 50 negara yang telah menerima fatwa tersebut, iaitu:

• Sesiapa sahaja yang patuh kepada salah satu daripada empat Usuluddin Islam mazhab Sunni (Hanafi, Maliki, Shafei dan Hanbali), dua Usuluddin Islam mazhab Syiah (Ja’fari dan Zaydi), Usuluddin Islam mazhab Ibadi dan Usuluddin Islam mazhab Thahiri adalah seorang Islam. Mengisytiharkan seseorang itu sebagai murtad adalah mustahil dan tidak dibenarkan.

• Terdapat lebih banyak persamaan antara pelbagai mazhab Usuluddin Islam berbanding dengan perbezaan antara mereka. Pengikut lapan mazhab Usuluddin Islam ini bersepakat dalam perkara prinsip asas Islam.

• Semua percayakan Allah (Tuhan), dimuliakan dan ditinggikan, esa dan unik; al-Quran itu suci dan wahyu yang dipelihara dan dilindungi oleh Allah, dimuliakan serta tiada sebarang perubahan dan pindaan; dan Muhammad SAW adalah Rasul dan Nabi untuk semua manusia.

• Semua bersetuju mengenai lima rukun Islam: mengucap dua kalimah syahadah; solat; mengeluarkan zakat; berpuasa di bulan Ramadan dan menunaikan haji ke Mekah. Semua bersepakat mengenai rukun Iman: percaya kepada Allah, Malaikat, Al-Quran, Rasul, Hari Kiamat dan qada dan qadar.

• Ketidaksepakatan antara ulama antara lapan mazhab Usuluddin Islam itu hanya pada cabang agama (furu) dan beberapa asas (usul) [agama Islam]. Ketidaksepakatan tentang cabang agama (furu) adalah satu rahmat. Lama dahulu dikatakan bahawa kepelbagaian pendapat dalam kalangan ulama adalah satu rahmat.

Fatwa itu diterima dengan sebulat suara di sidang kemuncak Pertubuhan Kerjasama Islam di Mekah pada Disember 2005 dengan penyertaan Malaysia. Enam perhimpunan ulama Islam antarabangsa lain juga menerima fatwa itu, kemuncaknya dengan Resolusi 152 daripada Akademi Fekah Islam Antarabangsa yang berpusat di Jeddah pada Julai 2006.

Jumlahnya, lebih 500 ulama Islam terkemuka, cendekiawan dan pemimpin politik dari seluruh dunia memperakui fatwa itu dan Mesej Amman. Mereka yang mengendors fatwa itu dari Malaysia termasuklah bekas Perdana Menteri Dr. Dato’Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Ketua Pembangkang Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Prof Dr. Kamal Hasan dan Ketua Pemuda Umno Khairy Jamaluddin dan Dato Seri Dr. Shahidan Kassim [Kunjungi laman sesawang rasmi Mesej Amman (Amman Message) untuk senarai lengkap mereka yang menerima fatwa itu].

Resolusi 152 Akademi Fekah Islam Antarabangsa, Islam dan Satu Ummah, dan mazhab Usuluddin Islam, menyeru supaya diketepikan ketidaksepakatan antara orang Islam, menghormati antara satu sama lain, menguatkan hubungan persaudaraan dan tidak membenarkan perpecahan dan campurtangan luar. Ia menasihatkan pengajaran fekah berkaitan perpaduan Islam kepada pelajar sekolah menengah dan universiti. Ia menyarankan pihak berkuasa berkaitan di negara Islam mengambil langkah untuk mencegah percetakan, penyebaran dan pengedaran penerbitan yang menambahkan lagi perpecahan ummah.

Resolusi 152 juga menekankan jangan menyalahkan mana-mana lapan mazhab Usuluddin Islam kerana tindakan yang salah daripada pelampau seperti membunuh mereka yang tidak bersalah, menjatuhkan maruah dan merampas harta mereka. Terdapat elemen pelampau dalam kalangan Syiah dan Sunni yang di beberapa negara menggunakan kekerasan, malah kadangkala di dalam masjid sendiri.

Elemen seperti ini perlu didedahkan dan diasingkan kerana ia menyemai perpecahan dalam kalangan umat Islam dan memperburukkan imej Islam. Dialog antara Syiah dan Sunni mestilah digalakkan dan disuburkan, dan sebarang perbincangan mengenai perbezaan mestilah dibincangkan dalam suasana persaudaraan.

Kita perlu menyedari bahawa konflik mazhab sebenarnya dicetuskan oleh kuasa hegemoni yang mahu mengawal sumber di negara Islam. Pecah dan perintah telah menjadi dasar mereka sejak Perang Dunia Pertama. Sesetengah pemerintah dan diktaktor Arab yang bersikap kuku besi yang takutkan kebangkitan Islam digunakan sebagai alat untuk memecahkan umat Islam mengikut garis mazhab.

Kami merayu kepada kerajaan supaya melaksanakan Mesej Amman dan cadangan Akademi Fekah Islam Antarabangsa supaya menggalakkan perpaduan di kalangan umat Islam. – 7 Disember, 2013.

* Penulis adalah ko-ordinator, Rangkaian Keadilan Sejagat (UJN).

* Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

Group: Punish those who abuse parking lots for disabled

The Star
by LEE YEN MUN

PUTRAJAYA: A disabled group wants action to be taken against drivers who indiscriminately park their vehicles at bays designated for them.

The National Council for Persons with Disabilities wants local councils around the country to not only fine those irresponsible drivers but recommend them to be penalised under the Kejara demerit point system.

This was among the proposals raised during a meeting between the council and the Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim, here, yesterday.

“They have called for enforcement in this matter. The group has also requested for parking operators to put up signs clearly indicating that the parking bays have been reserved for an OKU (orang kurang upaya or disabled person) instead of painting the sign on the floor,” she said, adding that this could be easily overlooked.

The issue of abuse of OKU-designated parking space were among the 27 areas of concern raised in a two-day nationwide roadshow held in July this year.

Other issues highlighted were calls for more OKU-friendly transportation facilities, affordable insurance as well as training and job opportunities.

The group also wanted a one-stop centre for the OKU community to streamline policies and matters pertaining to this group.

The council, which was set up under the Persons With Disabilities Act, also had representatives from nine ministries, including the secretary-generals of Finance, Transport, Health, Human Resources and Educa­tion.

Rohani said there were ongoing efforts to provide convenience to the OKU group, including the RM9.3mil that was spent on providing OKU-friendly facilities in 146 schools last year.

Najib Calls For Sacrifice From Members For UMNO's Survival

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 7 (Bernama) -- At the conclusion of the UMNO General Assembly 2013 Saturday, party president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave a most meaningful mandate to the 3.4 million UMNO members to make sacrifices to ensure the survival of the party, religion, race and country.

In his message and advice which were conveyed in an allegorical manner, Najib, among others, reminded members never to betray the party just because they did not get what they had aspired for.

He said that while there might be those who were sulking or disappointed with the party, they should not do anything that could result in the party that had championed their cause all this while to be destroyed just like that.

"If UMNO is defeated and buried, if UMNO is no longer in power, eventually everything will be meaningless," he said when winding the debate at the conclusion of the assembly.

Najib reminded UMNO members and the Malays to refrain from harbouring any feelings of jealousy and not to slander one another because this could destroy themselves. On the other hand, they should always be open in facing the tribulations and challenges.

Najib said although UMNO, as a party was still inadequate, every member must realise that their struggles today would ensure the party's survival in future.

To the party's 'old-timers', Najib hoped that they would have no regrets for having served and fought for the party although their deeds and services had never received any recognition.

Meanwhile, the prime minister pointed out that UMNO was never deterred or disappointed in championing the sanctity of Islam, the welfare of the Malays and Bumiputera as well as the country's sovereignty although they had been slandered by the opposition.

Najib's speech had also raised the spirits of the delegates when he called on UMNO members to rise and support the struggles to defend UMNO and the nation.

Earlier in his speech, Najib outlined three key messages for UMNO delegates to observed.

He said the main message centred on the government determination to uphold Islamic teachings and principles and defend its dignity and sanctity.

UMNO, he said, had received a signal from members to continue to empower the Bumiputera Economic Agenda.

"Let me assure you that my friends and I are committed in fulfilling the party's aspirations, " he said.

The UMNO president also emphasised the seriousness of the party's machinery at all levels in transforming the party to ensure that it would continue to remain relevant and hold the reins of the country.