Shoe-throwing case: A deputy education minister fails miserably

Sonia Ramachandran - The Ant Daily

QUICK TAKE: With Kiki Kamaruddin (Siti Fairrah Ashykin Kamaruddin), we got a taste of what road rage in Malaysia looks like and with Abdul Rahim Jaafar, we apparently see what “classroom rage” in the country is like.

On July 10, Abdul Rahim, a teacher at SK Port Dickson, reportedly threw his shoe at eight-year-old M Sharmini for not paying attention during her moral studies class which resulted in the latter receiving three stitches on her head for the injury.

That did not seem the end of the case for Sharmini, who according to Facebook postings, was recently admitted to hospital after fainting at her home, apparently due to a seizure.

Her parents, according to the posting, do not have a history of seizures.

That naturally begs the question if her condition was brought about due to the trauma of the “shoe-throwing” incident.

In Sharmini’s case, Abdul Rahim allegedly continued to teach although she was bleeding profusely after being hit by his shoe.

Abdul Rahim has since been issued a show-cause letter and transferred to SK Linggi, with the possibility of further action against him soon.

MIC Youth has come to the fore by reportedly saying it will provide legal assistance to Sharmini to file a civil suit against Abdul Rahim.

"Legal aid will be provided free of charge to help the family advocate their rights and to ensure the offender who has caused injury to Sharmini is appropriately punished for his action.

"We have yet to determine the amount of the suit. But what is important is to teach a lesson to all teachers not to do the same," MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh was quoted as saying.

Saying he wanted to ensure such an incident is not repeated, Sivarraajh lamented that many teachers involved in such cases were transferred to other schools and later merely asked to apologise with no further action

MIC Youth seemed to walk the talk with its members present when Sharmini was admitted for her apparent seizure, rallying around her and her family to show their support.

The question now is what is Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan’s, who is also a MIC central working committee member, reaction to all this?

He reportedly expressed his regret over the issue through his Facebook page and said that an apology had been issued by the school, the state Education Department and the Port Dickson district education office.

Malaysian Community Development Organisation (MCEO) founder and president Jeevithan P Ganasan said such statements over the social media will not make any difference to Sharmini’s life or the lives of the other students Abdul Rahim is teaching right now.

“As a responsible deputy minister and as a leader of the Indian community who he is entrusted to look after and who put him there in the first place, he should take further action in this matter.

“The little girl did not just get a slap on the wrist but was injured to the extent of needing stitches, that too on her head. MIC Youth is the one seen making the effort and taking action in this matter,” said Jeevithan.

So what indeed is Kamalanathan actively doing for the Indian community, aside from the much publicised picture of him bowing and kissing the hand of Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister?

It looks like MIC Youth is the one taking the lead in this matter and the ones actually standing by Sharmini and her family throughout their ordeal.

Perhaps Sivarraajh should be the deputy education minister instead.

Hannah Yeoh: Women make better Speakers

Watch: IDF Sets Up Hospital for Gazans

As part of the IDF's commitment to minimizing civilian casualties, it has set up a field hospital capable of advanced medical treatment.

By Elad Benari, Canada

As part of the IDF's commitment to minimizing civilian casualties, it has set up a field hospital capable of advanced medical treatment.

The following video provides a glimpse into the hospital.

In addition to the field hospital, the IDF has also ensured that medical supplies enter Gaza, even during Operation Protective Edge, as can be seen in the following video.

Israel has attempted to limit civilian casualties in Gaza by warning civilians to leave areas where fighting is expected.

The IDF halted fire for several hours last week to give Gaza residents time to evacuate safely. However, Hamas called on civilians to stay where they were, and praised "martyrs" who died as human shields.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American Desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)

Negara-Ku tidak perlu didaftarkan, kata Ambiga

Negara-Ku merupakan gabungan badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) yang tidak perlu didaftarkan di bawah Akta Pertubuhan, kata penaungnya, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan hari ini.

"Kami percaya tiada keperluan untuk membuat pendaftaran kerana kami ikatan kemasyarakatan," katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider.

Beliau mengulas kenyataan Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) hari ini Negara-Ku adalah pertubuhan haram kerana Pendaftar Pertubuhan (RoS) tidak menerima sebarang permohonan untuk mendaftarkan kumpulan itu.

"Atas sebab itu, Negara-Ku organisasi haram," kata kementerian itu.

KDN turut memberi peringatan bahawa NGO berkenaan melanggar undang-undang jika terus mengadakan aktiviti tanpa membuat pendaftaran dengan RoS.

Selain KDN menggesa NGO berkenaan untuk membuat pendaftaran, KDN berkata nama Negara-Ku juga tidak sesuai kerana ia milik Malaysia dan akan mengundang kekeliruan.

"Ini kerana Negara-Ku merujuk kepada lagu kebangsaan seperti disebut dalam Seksyen 2 Akta Lagu Kebangsaan 1968," kata KDN.

Bagaimanapun, Ambiga menolak dakwaan itu kerana pemimpin NGO berkenaan sudah meneliti akta yang dimaksudkan dan tidak melihat sebarang masalah dengan nama itu.

"Kami percaya ia tidak mengelirukan mahupun melanggar undang-undang. Kami tidak menggunakan nama lagu kebangsaan," katanya yang menolak nama NGO itu milik Malaysia.

Arahan KDN itu dikeluarkan selepas akhbar milik Umno, Utusan Malaysia menyelar Negara-Ku bertujuan mecapai cita-cita politik Ambiga.

Awang Selamat, nama pojokan yang mewakili pengarang akhbar berkenaan mendesak RoS menolak permohonan Negara-Ku kerana mengelirukan orang ramai.

"Biarkannya kekal sebagai pertubuhan haram sehingga namanya ditukar kepada AgendaKu. Ia lebih sesuai dengan rekod dan reputasi Ambiga," katanya.

Ambiga berasa kesal dengan pengumuman KDN dan mempersoalkan mengapa kementerian berkenaan tunduk kepada "suara ekstremis minoriti".

"Ia sangat menghampakan apabila setiap kali kumpulan ekstremis menyuarakan pendapat mereka, KDN mengambil tindakan tehadap apa yang mereka rasakan. Sepatutnya, mereka melihat kami secara objektif.

"Bagaimana ia menjadi masalah apabila semua yang kami lakukan mempunyai agenda perpaduan? Mereka patut melihat sokongan yang diterima NGO terlibat.

"Adakah mereka melihat secara objektif atau sekadar memberi arahan kepada KDN," katanya.

Gerakan Negara-Ku dilancarkan dua minggu lalu dan diketuai aktivis Zaid Kamaruddin dalam memberi harapan baru kepada Malaysia.

68 NGO menyertai Negara-Ku yang mensasarkan mengukuhkan Perlembagaan Persekutuan, Perjanjian Malaysia dan Rukunegara.

Zahid will not allow Negara-Ku to register

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today declared that his ministry will not allow anti-racism NGO Negara-Ku to register as an organisation under its current name.

Ahmad Zahid said the movement led by former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan and national laureate A Samad Said has yet to apply for registration with the Registrar of Societies (ROS).

"Even if it were to apply for registration with the Registrar of Societies (ROS), the name Negara-Ku is not suitable because it belongs to Malaysia.

"Negara-Ku refers to the song Negaraku which is recognised as the national anthem under Section 2 of the National Anthem Act 1968.

"It can cause confusion among the public, and in line with Section 7(3)(d)(i) and (iii) of the Societies Act 1966, it should not be registered," he said in a statement posted on the Home Ministry's official Facebook page today.

Section 7(3)(d)(i) of the Act allows the ROS to refuse registration of any organisation whose name appears to mislead or deceive the public to the true character and purpose of a society, while Section 7(3)(d)(iii) allows for the same  to apply if the ROS finds the name to be "undesirable".

Ahmad Zahid maintained that any organisation intending to conduct its activities legally in the country must be registered under the Socieities Act 1966.

"The government would like to stress that an organisation that conducts its activities without being registered under the Societies Act 1966 is an illegal organisation," he said.

Earlier this month national laureate A Samad Said and former Malaysian Bar president Ambiga Sreenevasan formed a new NGO to battle racism and extremism in the nation, called Negara-Ku (my country).

Previously,  both led the Bersih movement for clean and fair elections, which like Negara-Ku, comprised a coalition of NGOs.

In the case of Bersih, even though it was not registered, its member organisations were.

Despite this, the government in 2011 declared Bersih an illegal organisation.

However, the Kuala Lumpur High Court overturned the declaration the following year, stating that the government decision was "tainted with irrationality".

Britain arrests two in suspected female genital mutilation case

Actress and Girls' Rights ambassador for Plan International, Freida Pinto, listens to speeches at the 'Girl Summit 2014' at the Walworth Academy in London. The arrests of two people in London came only days after the summit on female genital mutilation. – Reuters pic, July 26, 2014.

British police have arrested two people in London on suspicion of conspiracy to carry out female genital mutilation (FGM) and placed a young girl in the care of social services, a police statement said today.

The arrests followed the arrival at the capital's Heathrow airport on yesterday from Kampala of a 72-year-old Ugandan man accompanied by an 11-year-old girl, the statement said.

They came only days after London hosted a one-day summit on FGM and forced marriage where the government announced it would earmark 1.4 million pounds (RM7.5 million) for a prevention programme and prosecute parents allowing the practice.

The man was arrested in Newham, east London, today and a 40-year-old woman was also arrested in Hackney, northeast London, it said. Both remain in police custody.

The statement did not say whether the girl had undergone FGM in Uganda. Immigrant families sometimes take girls back to their home countries for FGM, the partial or total removal of external female genitalia to suppress sexual desire and prevent what their traditional societies see as immoral behaviour.

"With concerns for her welfare, specialist officers took the girl – a UK national – into the care of social services," the statement said.

The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 made it illegal to participate in any sort of arrangement for FGM to be performed on another, either in or outside of Britain.

At the "Girl Summit" on Tuesday, Prime Minister David Cameron said 21 countries had signed an international charter to eradicate both practices and urged other countries to join them.

About 103,000 women aged between 15 and 49, as well as 10,000 girls under 15 who have migrated to England and Wales, are estimated to have undergone FGM, according to a report from City University London.

Worldwide, more than 130 million girls and women have undergone FGM are more than 700 million women alive today were children when they were married. – Reuters

Perkasa questions Ambiga’s credentials in criticising former chief justice

Malay rights group Perkasa has warned former Bersih 2.0 chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan not to go overboard in her criticism of former chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohamad, saying she was not sufficiently qualified to judge him.

Its president Datuk Ibrahim Ali (pic) said Ambiga should take a look at herself in the mirror before criticising Hamid.

"Ambiga is just a former Bar Council president, there are so many people out there who are far more qualified than her," he said in a statement today.

"Who is Ambiga to issue a warning to Hamid? She should look at the mirror first.

"She is always raising her voice and calling for attention to various issues such as human rights and free elections.

"But others cannot call attention to issues, only her. Pi la Ambiga, Lu boleh jalan (Get lost Ambiga, take a hike)," Ibrahim said.

Negara-ku patron Ambiga yesterday said Hamid was still bound by restraint even though he was no longer sitting on the bench.

"By convention, former judges, even after they step down, are expected to conduct themselves in a particular way.

"They must do this so that it does not reflect badly on the judiciary. It's like an unwritten rule but in other countries, they actually have guidelines on that," Ambiga said after speaking at a forum in Penang yesterday.

Hamid had earlier this week claimed that the position of Islam was under threat in Penang, saying non-Muslims wanted similar status to be accorded to their respective faiths.

Hamid, who is the head of the National Unity Front – a unity council set up by Malay rights group Perkasa and other Muslim NGOs – blamed Muslims for allowing the use of the word Allah in Bahasa Malaysia Bibles.

He said this while presenting a paper in a forum organised by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim).

The Bahasa Malaysia Bibles are used by the Bumiputera Christian communities in Sabah and Sarawak, as well as by some Christian orang asli community in Peninsula Malaysia.

‘Level-headed people won’t oppose Negara-Ku’

No reason why the NGO Negara-Ku should be opposed by any level-headed and right-thinking Malaysian, says former Sabah state secretary.

KOTA KINABALU:Former Sabah state secretary Simon Sipaun, 76, said he decided to be a patron of the newly-launched NGO Negara-Ku because the objectives are worth supporting to make the country a better place for every citizen irrespective of race to live in.

Simon said he became patron after Negara-Ku steering committee member Jerald Joseph contacted him just before its launch recently.

“They were looking for a person from Sabah to be one of the patrons. My role is essentially ceremonial,” he said.

Negara-Ku chairman Zaid Kamaruddin confirmed last Thursday that Simon would be a patron of the NGO.

The former Suhakam vice-chairman, who is now a MACC adviser, sees no reason why Negara-Ku should be opposed by any level-headed and right-thinking Malaysian.

“National unity and integration which is so important and essential in a plural society continues to be an elusive dream and vision in Malaysia.

“This is despite having a minister in charge of national unity, a department of national unity and national integration and a national unity consultative council,” he said.

He added that there was a lack of political will and strong national leadership for integration to take place.

“We need national Malaysian and not racial leaders,” said Simon.

He said the country needed a Mandela-type of leadership which did not condone discrimination based on race and religion.

“Mandela, despite the temptation, never advocated black supremacy or one community claiming superiority over others,” he added.

Simon said he was confident that the country would have a better and brighter future if it turned away from an overdose of politics based on race and religion.

“It must embrace good governance and the citizens must be made to feel that the government truly cares for them,” he said.

The two other patrons of Negara-Ku are novelist A. Samad Said and former Bar Council chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan.

Hadi’s backing for Khalid risks Pakatan break-up, say insiders - TMI

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang's surprising endorsement of Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to remain as Selangor menteri besar has thrown Pakatan Rakyat (PR) into a spin, and could even risk a break-up, say insiders.

Some PAS leaders have expressed shock but there has been no official reaction from PKR and DAP over Hadi's remarks but coalition insiders say it went against the PR leadership council decision on Wednesday to mull over PKR's proposal that party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail take over the job.

"The question now is, who speaks for PAS? Is it the leadership that attended the PR leadership meeting or just Hadi? And is he repudiating the PR statement now?" a PR insider told The Malaysian Insider.

"It is up to PAS to resolve that issue now. As far as PR is concerned, we have all agreed to replace Khalid and the replacement comes from PKR," he added.

Another PR leader also warned that Hadi's decision to back Khalid could have far-reaching consequences for PR, including a break-up if the leadership council decision was not upheld.

"Anything can happen now, from the real threat of the pact breaking up or even snap polls.

"We are not prepared but we have no choice but to sketch out all scenarios," he said, adding that they have to wait for PAS to make its final decision on Khalid, who has been facing criticism of not acting in the coalition's interests.

The PAS leadership is due to meet on August 10 to discuss PKR's proposal for Dr Wan Azizah to replace Khalid but Hadi remained adamant yesterday that the two-term menteri besar has done no wrong to deserve the sack.

"I have heard all the opinions, collected it all before I finally found that the PAS grassroots agree that Khalid remains because he has fulfilled the trust," Hadi said in Terengganu yesterday, citing Selangor PAS commissioner Iskandar Samad's remarks that the state chapter did not support the idea of replacing Khalid.

Most PAS leaders, who were contacted, declined to comment on Hadi's remarks but central committee member Khalid Samad said a final decision has yet to be made.

"We have agreed to discuss this on August 10. So I presume that this is not PAS's official decision yet," said the Shah Alam MP.

Khalid Samad also said Iskandar's remarks did not represent Selangor PAS as the two meetings between the state party leadership and the national leadership did not produce any consensus about Khalid's job as menteri besar.

Selangor PAS committee member Izham Hashim also confirmed that the state chapter has yet to decide whether Khalid should go or stay on as menteri besar.

"The meeting did not achieve any consensus as we all had differing views. The meeting decision was to leave it to the party leadership to negotiate with our Pakatan Rakyat friends to get consensus," Izham told The Malaysian Insider.

PAS information chief Datuk Mahfuz Omar said he did not know about Hadi's remarks on the matter.

"We will meet after Hari Raya," he said, referring to the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri holidays next week.

But this is not the first time that Hadi's decisions has rocked Selangor PR.

He had personally endorsed Ridzuan Ismail for the Kota Damansara state seat in election 2013 although the seat was being defended by PSM president Dr Nasir Hashim, who stood on a PKR ticket as the party was not a PR member. Both lost to BN.

There were questions about Hadi endorsing Ridzuan as only the PAS secretary-general, Datuk Mustafa Ali, was authorised to issue letters certifying election candidates.

Despite the loss in Kota Damansara, PR grabbed a bigger victory in Selangor with PAS and DAP winning 15 seats each while PKR took 14.

Umno holds the other 12 in the 56-seat state assembly.

What is Impian Malaysia?

Once upon a time, a political party was formed. Its name was Democratic Action Party or DAP, and it wanted to promote the idea of a Malaysian Malaysia.

It was meant to be an idea for a united nation, a country for all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion. Hence, Malaysia would never be a monopoly of any particular race, religion or ideology, as enshrined in the original Federal Constitution.

The idea was born almost a half century ago. It may sound obsolete to some, it may even sound obscene to some racist-minded people.

However, despite its noble intention, the Alliance and its successor Barisan Nasional under the control of Umno through their controlled media had portrayed the ideal as something evil, especially for the Malays.

The obstacles

Even until today, there are some Malays who believe that Malaysian Malaysia is an attempt to destroy the Malays, although no one has ever come up with a detailed explanation on how such a diabolical plot would be carried out.

In other words, it was just a lie propagated over the years by Umno-Barisan Nasional.

But in politics, perception is almost everything. Hence “Malaysian Malaysia” has become a dirty word, regurgitated by Umno-owned media as well as other state apparatuses such as government-conducted team-building courses and political talks.

“Malaysian Malaysia” has even paved the way for Umno-BN to push the boundary of control by vilifying words such as “liberal”, “secular”, “plural” and many more terms that imply freedom, democracy and rights.

Yet many Malaysians, including some Malays, are not easily cowed by such form of control. They know some leaders in the Umno-BN government are merely trying to usurp power via hegemonic dominance, especially by using, misusing and abusing religion and race.

For DAP, it has suffered almost 50 years of lies and slander of being demonised as communist and Chinese chauvinist party. Yet the party is still standing.

And now, more than ever, young Malaysians have become more interested to know about DAP. Many have joined, many more are still thinking of joining.

To the surprise of Umno and its political cronies, even young Malays are interested in joining DAP, or at least are keen to know deeper about the party. “What’s happening here?” some of them may be wondering.

No doubt some people have some ideas about the phenomenon – maybe it’s the new generation of millennials (born after 1985) who have had no historical baggage, maybe the Internet has helped the young to circumvent old politics, or maybe the youth are merely curious or perhaps they are just being rebellious.

Or perhaps – to some Malays especially – it’s the image of Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, the DAP candidate for the recent Teluk Intan by-election, giving hope to a new era of politics in Malaysia.

Whatever the reasons, for he DAP, it is yet a new hope for its ongoing process of rejuvenating the party. By that, it doesn’t simply mean having young faces but also new ideas, allowing the combination of strength between the young and old with a shared ideal of a new Malaysia.

The dream

It’s also beyond the party. It’s a dream for all Malaysians. This is the idea of Impian Malaysia or the Malaysian Dream.

In the words of Lim Kit Siang:

“The Malaysian Dream (Impian Malaysia) envisions a plural society where all her citizens are united as one people, rising above their ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic differences as the common grounds binding them as one citizenship exceed the differences that divide them because of their ethnic, religious, linguistic and cultural divisions.

“The Malaysian Dream does not exist only today. It had existed even before the founding of Malaya and Malaysia.

“The Johor Malay leader Datuk Onn Jaafar had also fought for it as far back as 62 years ago in 1951 when he suggested that Umno open its door to non-Malays and Umno change its name from United Malays National Organisation to United Malayans National Organisation.

“This is a worthwhile patriotic contribution to the Malaysian Dream shared by all patriotic Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, down the decades, whether in Malaysia or in the world Malaysian Diaspora.”

Those words were uttered a year ago when Kit Siang launched the Impian Malaysia movement in Gelang Patah, Johor to recruit “agents… for our activities and programmes to promote Malaysian identity and consciousness particularly among the young generation of Malaysians.”

The DAP veteran is serious with his dream of hope.

This means Impian Malaysia is not merely a slogan, it is aimed at the younger generation. It challenges them to be in the forefront. It wants them to walk the talk, pardon the cliché, because the Umno-BN leaders have failed the young in providing the environment, the space and the zone needed for them to express themselves openly without fear of anything.

The Umno-BN leaders have failed the young who are disgusted to see politics of hate, racial abuses and discrimination, economic injustices, income inequalities, job opportunities, limited freedom for arts and culture, lack of academic excellence and many other forms of unnecessary restrictions.

The reality

Hence, Impian Malaysia aims to unite Malaysians through all forms of programmes, activities and ideas that promote understanding and tolerance.

Impian Malaysia is both an idea as well as a programme that aspires to empower Malaysians, especially the marginalised and the have-nots.

In fact, programmes have begun since last year with the launch of “Impian Sarawak” where DAP volunteers are working hand in hand with local villagers to build basic infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity supply, and other amenities.

From Sarawak to “Impian Sabah”, and now more similar projects, including environmental care programme are being implemented in the peninsula.

Cynics will always have time and energy to point out weaknesses. Most of them will see Impian Malaysia as at best, an idea or worst, a political slogan.

Surely they are entitled to their opinion. However, lest they forget, nothing is stronger than an idea whose time has come, a saying usually attributed to the great French author Victor Hugo.

However, it doesn’t necessarily mean it will be automatically successful. Many of us understand that if such an idea can win the hearts and minds of all Malaysians, it may spell the end of racial politics and race-based political parties in our country. And we know that many people in power now may not like it, to put it mildly.

This simply means that for Impian Malaysia to become a reality, it’s not going to be a walk in the park. Hence the minds, the strength and the tenacity of our younger generation are much needed.

With the help of the senior minds and experiences, the young can finally achieve the equal opportunity dream of Datuk Onn whose idea was far ahead of its time.

At the same time it’s important to note that Impian Malaysia is not a new thing. Yet it’s not about going back into the past. It’s all about refreshing an idea that has always been with us for such a long time.

It’s about doing the right thing without being afraid of our own shadow. It’s not easy but it can be done, if we want to. – July 26, 2014.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Weightlifter Mohd Hafifi Delivers Malaysia's First Gold Medal At Glasgow Commonwealth Games

GLASGOW, July 27 (Bernama) -- Nohd Hafifi Mansor clinched the first gold medal for Malaysia at the 20th Commonwealth Games here in the men's weighlifting 69kg category just a short while ago.