Saturday 6 September 2014
MALAYSIA LESBIAN COUPLE ARRESTED BY RELIGIOUS OFFICERS IN HOTEL RAID
The two female Malaysian students could face up to three months in jail and six cane strokes after a sex toy was found in their room during a 'hotel raid' by religious officers.
BY DARREN WEE
A lesbian couple was arrested by religious officers yesterday during a raid of a budget hotel in Malaysia.
Nine officers from the Johor Islamic Religious Department raided their room in Johor Bahru at around 12.45am, the Sinar Harian newspaper reported.
One of the women answered the door while the other was naked in the bathroom.
The women, both students aged 20 and 21, were not initially suspected of breaching 'close proximity' laws but officers became wary when the women remained silent as they searched the room.
When a sex toy was found, one of the women admitted they were a lesbian couple. On further questioning, she said they had not yet used the toy, which had just been removed from its packaging after recently being bought online.
The women were arrested for lesbian sex under section 26 of the state’s Shariah law and taken to a police station for booking, then to the religious department's office for further action.
They could face up to three months in jail, six cane strokes and a fine of RM5,000.
Sisters In Islam (SIS) has urged the religious department to conduct a thorough investigation of the women.
SIS legal officer Rashidi Abd Rahim told the Raykat Post that the news report failed to show any criminal element and prosecutors had to prove that a sex act had taken place.
“Otherwise we will open the flood gates with people prosecuted based on an accusation,” he said.
He added that he hoped the women would be given adequate legal representation.
A lesbian couple was arrested by religious officers yesterday during a raid of a budget hotel in Malaysia.
Nine officers from the Johor Islamic Religious Department raided their room in Johor Bahru at around 12.45am, the Sinar Harian newspaper reported.
One of the women answered the door while the other was naked in the bathroom.
The women, both students aged 20 and 21, were not initially suspected of breaching 'close proximity' laws but officers became wary when the women remained silent as they searched the room.
When a sex toy was found, one of the women admitted they were a lesbian couple. On further questioning, she said they had not yet used the toy, which had just been removed from its packaging after recently being bought online.
The women were arrested for lesbian sex under section 26 of the state’s Shariah law and taken to a police station for booking, then to the religious department's office for further action.
They could face up to three months in jail, six cane strokes and a fine of RM5,000.
Sisters In Islam (SIS) has urged the religious department to conduct a thorough investigation of the women.
SIS legal officer Rashidi Abd Rahim told the Raykat Post that the news report failed to show any criminal element and prosecutors had to prove that a sex act had taken place.
“Otherwise we will open the flood gates with people prosecuted based on an accusation,” he said.
He added that he hoped the women would be given adequate legal representation.
Choose Your Own Jihad: IS Recruits Western Youth by Promising Flexibility
The Islamic State's phenomenal ability to entice young Western Muslims to the battlegrounds of Syria has relentlessly made headlines throughout 2014, with the activities of these fighters raising threat levels around the world. As noted recently by SITE Intelligence Group Director Rita Katz, jihadi groups in Syria go to great lengths to target propaganda at Westerners and to encourage disaffected and idealistic young Western Muslims to leave their home countries for battle.
Complementing the sophisticated media targeting dissatisfied Western youth, online recruiters from the Islamic State (IS), formerly the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), go even further in honing in on that demographic by promising that fighters can tailor their experience in jihad should they join with IS.
An appeal to leave life in the West, the promise of battle-type options to jihadi recruits amplifies the jihadi message that Western fighters partake in a physically and religiously satisfying experience—selling an idealized vision of the jihadi battlefields without the sobering lack of choices within in many organized military units.
The following messages shared by IS recruiters, spanning approximately six months, underscore the promise by IS English-speaking recruiters to the new members for battle choice, flexibility in occupation, and physical requirements.
One alleged IS fighter and recruiter under the name "Abu Dujana Britani" consistently promotes the message of flexibility throughout social media to motivate and facilitate prospective fighters. His activity throughout the year demonstrates that the boasted inclusiveness of the current IS appears to be part of a long-standing recruitment strategy, and one that pre-dates the group's rebranding into the "Islamic State."
For example, on March 27, 2014, Abu Dujana responded to a question pertaining to whether IS recruits must face the other major jihadi faction in an inter-factional conflict. The anonymous questioner asked:
....if a brother disagrees with an operation could he be compelled to do it (like fighting an enemy he disagrees fighting)
Abu Dujana reassured his questioner in no uncertain terms that IS recruits could opt-out of any battle that they are not happy with. On the second point, he wrote:
...no one is ever forced to fight, however if youre worried about fighting other muslims, we only fight them in self defence or to take back property which was wrongfully taken which is justified. But yeah you can choose to sit back, do ribat [guard duty] or whatever you prefer.
Several weeks later Abu Dujana again returned to social media to answer a question about whether IS recruits are allowed to "select what we want to do? Lie, a sniper... ribat, technician?" Responding succinctly with "Yes of course," Abu Dujana also strongly implied that individual fighters' preferences are given high priority.
The emphasis on fighter self-determination is not only portrayed by Abu Dujana; alleged IS fighters have also issued public messages claiming that the group accommodates its recruits' preferences. For example, on April 24, 2014 an alleged fighter who writes under the name "Mujahid Al Shami" noted:
In #ISIS we try our best to put people where they are most comfortable in, thats why there are English, French, German, Russian battalions.
The message was reinforced throughout the summer of 2014. In a statement shared on July 1, 2014, an alleged IS fighter, under the name "Abu Farris," dismissed a question about whether concern about fighting other Muslims influenced his decision to fight for IS. He responded, in part, by emphasizing that not only did he follow his "brother" to Syria, but that he is able to determine the terms of his engagement:
... I chose where i want to go. The state doesnt force me to kill muslims, we work on murtads and kuffar may allah rectify our affairs
Abu Farris similarly underscored the impression of fighter self-determination in response to a question of what IS fighters do when they are bored. On August 4, he answered a question by providing a wide array of options, ranging from domestic bliss to police work:
if ur married spend time with wife urm you csn go masjid teach kids, u can give dawah [issue summons] to local citizens.. urm do police work, its ur khilafa u can do alootttt alhamdulilah [Allah be praised]
Online IS recruiters go to great lengths to portray their organizations as being inclusive of all backgrounds, experience levels, and even physical limitations. In one late-March 2014 example, Abu Dujana responded to an inquiry asking about the "standards" that the mujahideen have for their fighters, and specifically, whether the group "only let[s] ppl go to the front who they perceive as strong, or anyone who wants to go can go."
Abu Dujana responded expansively, claiming:
we [IS] have no physical standards whatsoever, people think isis fighters are some crazy well trained mercenaries, nothing could be further from the truth, we only have a small core of experienced fighters.
On April 23, 2014, an alleged IS fighter claimed on Twitter that there are many roles for people to play, even if they are not inclined to battle. The fighter, who writes under the name "MuhajirSumalee," stated:
Brothers, if you don't want to fight at least make Hijra feesabilillah. Doula [IS] isnt a militant group we need doctors, engineers, etc.
The recruiter Abu Dujana Britani also continued to urge readers to come on their own terms, even if they are unsure of their suitability for battle. Among the exhortations, on August 11, 2014, he shared a message assuring an alleged IS sympathizer who "is scared of fighting" but feels able to "cook food for the mujahideen" that he should still come to Syria.
The promises of a chose-your-own jihad appear to have limits, though, even for as enthusiastic a booster as Abu Dujana Britani. Asked by a fan if newly minted a foreign fighters can chose to fight alongside online jihadi celebrities, such as Abu Dujana himself, the recruiter demurred. After being asked "when i get to sham... and complete training will the amirs let me join your crew" he responded equivocally, writing:
Its a possibility. But also depends on my ameer [leader].
In conclusion, the degree to which IS recruiters in Syria claim that new recruits can determine what they want to participate in is a characteristic of the IS approach to luring young Western fighters to their conflict. This allows the groups to deter anxieties of potential recruits that might keep them from leaving their homes for battle.
The emphasis on recruit choice serves a pragmatic faction as well: it bolsters battle and jihad as being practically equivalent to an immersive summer camp experience to recruits who, though attracted to the promised adventure of engaging in warfare, may be adverse to the discipline and lack of autonomy inherent in joining a traditional military.
This messaging is consistent with the group's online efforts to systematically reduce both the perceptions and reality regarding challenges to joining jihad among IS's target audience of disaffected young, Western, Muslim men.
Al Qaeda Rebels to Try UN Peacekeepers Under 'Divine Law'
UK-based monitoring group reveals Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front rebels say they will put 45 captive Fiji troops on Islamic trial.
The 45 UN peacekeepers from Fiji who were abducted by Al Qaeda-linked Al-Nusra Front rebel forces on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights last Wednesday are to "stand trial" under sharia (Islamic law), according to a Britain-based monitoring group.
Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said that the commander of Al-Nusra Front has declared that the 45 peacekeepers will be tried under "divine law," according to Asharq Al-Aswat as cited by Yedioth Aharonoth.
It was revealed on Monday that the rebels issued three demands for the release of the peacekeepers: to be taken off the UN terrorist list, delivery of humanitarian aid to parts of the Syrian capital Damascus, and compensation for three of its fighters it says were killed in a shootout with UN officers.
In response, the 15 members of the UN Security Council on Wednesday demanded the "immediate and unconditional release" of the Fijians, denouncing their abduction "in the strongest terms."
The statement added that "there can never be any justification for attacks on or the detention of UN peacekeepers." Fiji has issued a similar statement calling for the release of its soldiers.
In addition to the 45 Fijian troops, 72 Filipino troops were surrounded by the rebel forces; however, the two units of soldiers from the Philippines managed to escaped over the weekend into Israel.
The Fijians and Filipinos are part of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) established in 1974 to maintain the ceasefire between Syria and Israel forces in the Golan, and oversee the implementation of a disengagement agreement.
The Israeli-Syrian border has been growing increasingly tense, as fighting between Syrian President Bashar Assad's forces and rebel forces has occasionally spilled over.
Just on Thursday afternoon the IDF returned fire on a Syrian army position after a mortar shell struck Israeli territory. Several mortar shells have hit Israeli territory in recent weeks, and the IDF shot down a Syrian drone last week after it strayed into Israeli airspace.
Hadi made unilateral decision on MB nominees after Azmin rebuff, says source
The source said Hadi was disappointed over PKR deputy president Azmin Ali declining PAS’s nomination for the MB position on August 17.
Hadi then took it upon himself to nominate three of his party’s leaders to the Selangor Sultan, the source said.
The source said Hadi wrote to the Selangor palace directly and bypassed the party’s central committee, its second highest decision making body.
“The letters were sent straight to the palace without having to go through the secretary-general’s office,” the source said.
After its central committee meeting on August 17, PAS announced that it was nominating two PKR leaders to take over from Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim – Azmin and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
However, after a PR presidential council meeting later the same day, Azmin, who is Bukit Antarabangsa assembly person, declined PAS’ nomination.
Today, the party’s deputy president Mohamad Sabu admitted that the list of candidates which had been sent to the Sultan did not include Dr Wan Azizah’s and Azmin’s names.
Yesterday, PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali admitted that the party sent three names other than that of Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin.
Mustafa said PAS had sent the names of two other PKR state lawmakers and one from Selangor PAS. However, he did not reveal who they were.
This latest development could possibly strain ties between Pakatan Rakyat allies PAS, PKR and the DAP as they seek to resolve the prolonged Selangor menteri besar crisis.
PKR and DAP are adamant about wanting Dr Wan Azizah as the new menteri besar.
They have submitted her name to the Selangor palace along with the statutory declarations 30 Selangor law makers supporting her. This means she commands majority support in the 56-member Selangor Legislature.
The two parties did this even after the Sultan of Selangor had instructed the three parties to nominate more than two candidates for the post.
While PKR and DAP has stuck with just Dr Wan Azizah's name, there are reports that PAS has pursued its own course and nominated three names.
Differing reports claim that the Islamist party has submitted the names of its own leaders, while some say they nominated PKR leaders other than Dr Wan Azizah and Azmin.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/hadi-made-unilateral-decision-on-mb-nominees-after-azmin-rebuff-says-source#sthash.MoyPA2Sq.dpuf
Ibrahim Ali says 'no' to BN if Sedition Act ended
Although admitting that he was "not that influential", he said there was "no use supporting the BN if it becomes the same as Pakatan Rakyat".
Ibrahim (right)
told a press conference this evening: "What's the use of me supporting
BN if it wants full freedom and disregards national security?"If the BN agrees for full freedom, it means that we should move our support to another party."
He pointed out that he had been supporting BN for its decisions that prioritise the national interest, although unpopular at times.
"People support BN not because they like the leaders but because of the policies.
"But if they want to liberalise everything, for so-called transformation, then their agenda will be the same as Pakatan."
As such, Ibrahim said, the people were free to support anyone and there was "no point hanging on to the present government".
Ibrahim had earlier announced that the National Unity Front (NUF) was launching a campaign in defence of the Sedition Act.
This, he said, was in response to the Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee's #MansuhAktaHasutan campaign.
Ibrahim said that the signature campaign will tentatively be launched on Oct 18 at the field in front of the Sultan Sulaiman Club.
“We hope to invite leaders who have expressed displeasure against the repeal of the Act such as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad as well as former inspectors-general of police (IGPs).
“They know the history on how difficult it is to maintain national security,” he said.
‘It’s not a Malay agenda’
Claiming that the campaign was a matter of national security, he stressed that it was not a “Malay agenda”.
He pointed out how the campaign will also be launched by non-Malay NGOs: Pertubuhan Cina Era Baru Malaysia (Percisma) and the Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Amal India Baru (Perinbam).
He further claimed that they were embarking on the campaign as they were “concerned” that race relations will be affected if the Act is abolished.
Promising that they will conduct the campaign “properly”, he said they will not be like electoral watchdog Bersih.
“Unlike Bersih, we won’t go to the streets.
“This campaign is not about condemning others. It is just to tell the public why the Act should remain,” he said.
Signatures will be collected before being presented to the government. Ibrahim, however, did not give a timeline for the signatures to be collected.
He also rubbished claims made by opposition political leaders who said that the Act had been used “selectively” against them, saying they were just using the issue for political mileage.
“When opposition leaders are charged, they say the government is cruel.
“Well, they have to remember that no one is above the law. Even the royalty are not above the law,” he said.
Former Prisons Department director-general Mohd Zaman Khan (right),
who was also at the press conference, said that without the Internal
Security Act (ISA), the country would not be developed as it is today.“How can a country be developed if it is full of chaos?
“We don’t want our country to be destroyed by irresponsible quarters,” he said, defending the Sedition Act.
Jika semua PAS kena setuju dengar PKR…tutup PAS masuk PKR – Subky Latif
(Agenda Daily) – Minggu ini, sudah dua kali, propagandis PAS, Subky Latif menulis dari hatinya mengenai kemelut dalam pakatan pembangkang.
Kali pertama beliau mengulas mengenai kenyataan ‘penyapu baru’ PAS Tan Sri Muhammad Mohd Taib kononnya jika buat pilihanraya negeri PAS akan kalah teruk.
Pada Jumaat, melalui kolum di Harakah, Subky membidas lagi, kali ini mengenai desakan supaya PAS mengikut keputusan PKR dalam isu MB Selangor.
Dalam tulisan bertajuk ‘Pakatan mesti bersetuju untuk tidak setuju’ itu Subky kata dalam semua muafakat dan kerjasama tidak semua dipersetujui.
“Jika semua yang ada pada PKR dan semua yang dikehendaki PKR dipersetujui PAS, maka tiada perlu lagi PAS wujud. Tutup parti dan semua ahli PAS masuk PKR,” katanya.
Menurut pengasas lidah rasmi PAS, Harakah itu, jika semua yang PAS mahu dipersetujui Anwar tidak dia membentuk partinya sendiri. Masuk saja PAS selepas dipecat UMNO.
“Anwar dan DAP setuju kepada parti berbagai kaum, sama-sama anti rasuah dan penyelewengan, mahu menegakkan keadilan dan kerajaan yang anjal. Patutnya Anwar masuk saja DAP atau DAP dibubarkan supaya semua bersama dalam PKR.
“Tetapi kerana ada yang sama-sama tidak setuju, PKR tidak boleh masuk DAP dan DAP tidak boleh masuk PKR,”jelas beliau menggunakan logik mudah kenapa PAS boleh berbeza pandangan dengan PKR dan DAP.
Jelasnya, apabila PKR tidak setuju Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim terus menjadi menteri besar Selangor, PAS setuju dia terus menjadi menteri besar kerana sebab yang berbeza.
“Apabila PKR, DAP setuju memberi satu nama saja kepada istana sebagai calon MB baharu, PAS setuju memberi lebih dua nama seperti yang dikehendaki istana.
“Ia adalah satu dua contoh bagi Pakatan ada yang tidak disetujui sesama sendiri.” katanya mempertahankan pendirian PAS bahawa urusan untuk menamakan calon MB adalah hak parti itu dan tidak terikat dengan keputusan PKR juga DAP.
“Demikian juga DAP tidak setuju dengan konsep negara Islam dan hudud yang dirangka PAS sebelum kewujudan Pakatan Rakyat maka tiada ia disebut dalam perkara yang disepakati setakat ini,”katanya.
Menggunakan pepatah sedangkan gigi dan lidah lagi tergigit, kata Subky, kita tetap setuju gigi dan lidah tidak terpisah.
“Janganlah kerana takut lidah tergigit kita cabut semua gigi atau kita potong lidah.
“Apabila kita tahu kita ada perbezaan, maka jangan kita fikir kitalah raja, kemahuan kita yang mesti diikut, kemahuan orang tidak diambil kira.
“Sedang sekarang raja pun mendengar rakyat, maka janganlah sesama rakyat hendak jadi macam raja zaman dulu,”tegas beliau.-5/9/2014
Subky merupakan bekas pengarang Utusan Malaysia dan rapat dengan Perdana Menteri kedua Tun Razak sebelum menyertai PAS.
Beliau pernah menjadi calon PAS bertanding melawan Presiden MIC Tan Sri V. Manikavasagam di Klang pada tahun 1979 dan Presiden UMNO Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad di Kubang Pasu pada tahun 1999.
Menjadi AJK PAS Pusat selama 23 tahun iaitu dari Pusat 1982 hingga 2005.
Kini merupakan kolumnis tetap Harakah sejak diasaskan beliau pada tahun 1987.
Khalid Samad warns of PAS faction out to end ties with Pakatan
PAS moderate Khalid Samad (pic) has warned of a faction in the Islamist party which is out to break its alliance with Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in order to create a more "exclusive" and "chauvinistic" brand of Islam.In a hard-hitting blog post today, the PAS central committee member said this group was believed to have emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000, and could comprise “SB” members whom he claimed had infiltrated PAS in the 1980s.
"Even if they are not SB, it is certain that this new group is set to undo all that PAS has built till now,” he said.
He later told The Malaysian Insider that this faction was more chauvinistic than even groups like Isma (Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia).
"They want to make the party more exclusive and they want to exclude the professional group in PAS.”
In his posting, Khalid, who is also the Shah Alam MP, said this group, which he named “Langgar Golongan Professional” (Against the Professionals), has divided PAS internally and provoked a crisis the likes of which the party had never seen.
He said the group had three strategies: one, to promote the leadership of the ulama to the extent that it could not be challenged; two, to attack the leadership from the professional and pro-Pakatan Rakyat faction; and three, to attack and create tension with allies PKR and DAP.
"After calling themselves ulama or defenders of the ulama leadership, this group will then attack the old leadership, especially those from the professional faction that is pro-PR.”
He said the original objective of the Shura Council was to monitor the party's journey to ensure that it did not stray from Islam, but the anti-professional faction had adopted a new understanding more akin to a “Western theocratic” approach, whereby the ulama’s authority was paramount.
“The ulama have to be given positions although they might not be skilled or knowledgeable. This is against inclusiveness and has narrowed the room for participation by all so that cooperation between the ulama and professionals is no longer happening.”
At the same time, this group also seeks to ruin the close relationship between the ulama and professional factions in the party by planting suspicions in the ulama against the professionals, Khalid said.
"By using emotions and sentiments, their hope is that their targeted leaders would be rejected by PAS members," he added.
The group targets leaders by accusing them of being liberal, disloyal to the president and ulama and being more aligned to PR and PKR, Khalid said.
“Their targets are those from the professional faction, who strongly support cooperation through PR."
And by attacking allies PKR and DAP, they are in fact more friendly towards Umno and Barisan Nasional, Khalid said.
He said this group was hiding behind slogans like "Love the president, love the ulama".
Their objective was to make sure that PAS left the PR coalition, Khalid said, but noted that he was unsure if they intended to create an alliance with Umno and BN or not.
"What is clear is that this group wants PAS to leave PR, and with that, Umno/BN will be able to breathe in relief. Their nightmares will be over. This is because the only one that can defeat Umno/BN is PR.
"So that means, whoever wants PR to fail is actually helping Umno/BN."
To overcome this problem in PAS, Khalid called on the professional faction and the ulama supporters to engage in a debate.
"With this debate or forum, we can judge whether their arguments are right or is it only to bring about a break-up for a hidden reason. Are they willing and brave to do this? InsyaAllah I am willing."
Khalid's warning comes even as PAS central committee today said that it had been sidelined by the Shura Council, which is headed by ulama, in naming the party's candidates for the Selangor menteri besar position.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said that the party's central committee members had no knowledge of the latest development reported today whereby the names of Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Azmin Ali were left out of the list submitted to the palace, but which included two other PKR assemblymen and one PAS exco member.
Utusan Malaysia today reported PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali as saying that PAS’s top decision-making Shura Council had decided that the Islamist party nominate two party lawmakers and two from PKR for the Selangor menteri besar post.
This was contrary to the decision the Islamist party's central committee had reached at its meeting on August 17 to nominate Dr Wan Azizah, who is PKR president and her deputy, Azmin as Selangor MB.
On Sunday, several PAS members began a campaign to ensure the Islamist party stays in PR, after president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told a central committee meeting on August 25 that he wished to cooperate with Umno to form the Selangor government.
The Persatuan Ummah Sejahtera Malaysia (PasMa) was formed after some 100 PAS members met in Kota Baru with the aim to counter the possibility of PAS leaving the pact in favour of sharing power with Umno.
PAS's role in Pakatan has been debated on numerous occasions, most recently during the Selangor menteri besar saga, with some members asking PAS leaders to review the party’s cooperation with PKR and DAP, saying the Islamist party had been compromised.
Khalid had previously urged PAS members who want the Islamist party to leave PR to instead leave the party.
He had said that if members felt the party was better off without Pakatan, then they should join Umno.
"Once these members leave, only then PAS will be able to become an effective member of Pakatan Rakyat," he said. – September 5, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/khalid-samad-warns-of-pas-faction-out-to-end-ties-with-pakatan#sthash.4acv8YfM.dpuf
Mat Sabu not aware three names submitted
He said the committee, on Aug 17, unanimously agreed to nominate Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Azmin Ali for the position of MB.
PETALING JAYA: PAS Deputy President Mohamed Sabu today denied knowledge of PAS submitting three names to the palace for the Selangor Menteri Besar’s post.
“The committee, on Aug 17, unanimously agreed to nominate Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Azmin Ali for the position. I was not informed of their names being excluded from the list.
“Media reports also mentioned Secretary-General Datuk Mustafa Ali acknowledging the listing of a PAS Exco member as a candidate.
“We, however, are not aware of this as it was not decided in the meetings,” he said in a statement today.
Mat Sabu stressed that in the party’s Executive Committee meeting on Aug 25, everyone agreed that the names decided in the Aug 17 meeting would be submitted to the Selangor Sultan.
Yesterday, Mustafa confirmed that party president Abdul Hadi Awang had submitted the names of three candidates for the MB’s post.
“The committee, on Aug 17, unanimously agreed to nominate Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Azmin Ali for the position. I was not informed of their names being excluded from the list.
“Media reports also mentioned Secretary-General Datuk Mustafa Ali acknowledging the listing of a PAS Exco member as a candidate.
“We, however, are not aware of this as it was not decided in the meetings,” he said in a statement today.
Mat Sabu stressed that in the party’s Executive Committee meeting on Aug 25, everyone agreed that the names decided in the Aug 17 meeting would be submitted to the Selangor Sultan.
Yesterday, Mustafa confirmed that party president Abdul Hadi Awang had submitted the names of three candidates for the MB’s post.
PAS gives three names to palace
PKR and DAP meanwhile are maintaining their decision to go with a sole candidate - Wan Azizah.
SHAH ALAM: The Selangor palace has received the names of three potential candidates for the post of Menteri Besar from PAS, according to a palace source.
The three candidates are reportedly Iskandar Abdul Samad, Sallehen Mukhyi and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi.
However, all three have denied any knowledge of the matter.
“The correspondence was handled personally by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang,” said the source.
Meanwhile, PKR and DAP are maintaining their decision of wanting only Wan Azizah to be the sole candidate for the post.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said he was unsure whether the names of Wan Azizah and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali were not on the list sent to the palace.
“We, the members of the PAS central committee, have no knowledge of the fresh names because that was not decided at the meeting of the committee on Aug 17,” he said in a statement.
On Aug 26, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had decreed that the three parties making up the Pakatan Rakyat pact – DAP, PKR and PAS – submit more than two names to be considered for the post of MB.
The sultan requested the names after deferring the acceptance of the resignation of Khalid Ibrahim until a new MB was appointed to replace him.
Khalid had initially refused to step down as MB in defiance of a PKR and Pakatan Rakyat decision to do so to pave the way for PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to take over the post.
He was sacked from PKR for his persistence in staying on.
The three candidates are reportedly Iskandar Abdul Samad, Sallehen Mukhyi and Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi.
However, all three have denied any knowledge of the matter.
“The correspondence was handled personally by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang,” said the source.
Meanwhile, PKR and DAP are maintaining their decision of wanting only Wan Azizah to be the sole candidate for the post.
PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said he was unsure whether the names of Wan Azizah and PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali were not on the list sent to the palace.
“We, the members of the PAS central committee, have no knowledge of the fresh names because that was not decided at the meeting of the committee on Aug 17,” he said in a statement.
On Aug 26, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, had decreed that the three parties making up the Pakatan Rakyat pact – DAP, PKR and PAS – submit more than two names to be considered for the post of MB.
The sultan requested the names after deferring the acceptance of the resignation of Khalid Ibrahim until a new MB was appointed to replace him.
Khalid had initially refused to step down as MB in defiance of a PKR and Pakatan Rakyat decision to do so to pave the way for PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to take over the post.
He was sacked from PKR for his persistence in staying on.
Malaysia Government Uses Sedition on the Opposition Press
Malaysiakini reporter arrested over story on Penang arrests of opposition members
By
Malaysia’s sedition campaign, which in recent weeks has resulted in charges against eight opposition politicians, apparently has been extended to the country’s independent press, with the arrest on Thursday of Susan Loone, a Penang-based reporter for Malaysiakini (Our Malaysia), one of Malaysia’s most popular news websites.
Loone was told to report to the police in Penang, where she underwent nine hours of questioning and had her cellphone confiscated over the publication of a story on the arrest Sunday in Penang of Phee Boon Poh, the chairperson of a voluntary patrol unit sanctioned by the Democratic Action Party leadership along with 156 members of the patrol unit. Phee is an executive counselor with the DAP. According to Loone’s story, the country’s inspector-general of police, Abu Bakar last Tuesday declared PPS an illegal organization because it wasn’t registered with the Registrar of Societies, calling the organization’s members “gangsters.”
“In a classic case of shooting the messenger, Loone has been detained by police for reporting what somebody else has said,”: according to a statement by Malaysia’s Center for Independent Journalism. “Loone's arrest is the latest in a spate of investigations that are clearly aimed at curtailing legitimate voices of dissent.
The investigations, the CIJ said, “are taking place after the government's stated intention to repeal the Sedition Act, a hangover from the colonial era. The Act is broadly worded and poses a significant threat to the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Further, the history of prosecutions under the Act show that it is almost exclusively used against critics of the government or State institutions.”
The arrest of Loone, along with the crackdown on Phee and the other opposition leaders, is apparently a manifestation of orders by the United Malays National Organization Supreme Council to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to get tough on the opposition after months of drift on the part of the premier. Malaysiakini, with a daily readership of 400,000, is one of the country’s biggest websites or possibly the biggest, publishing editions in Malay and English, and is fiercely critical of the government.
However, Malaysiakini has not been alone. Choon Mei, the editor of Malaysia Chronicle, reportedly has also been hauled in for questioning. Jahabar Sidiq, the editor of Malaysian Insider, said that although his publication has been threatened with lawsuits, that is pretty much where the intimidation has stopped. Raja Petra Kamarudin, the publisher of Malaysia Today, has long been out of the country after being charged with criminal defamation.
Some analysts regard the new crackdown as an indication of internal weakness on the part of UMNO and the Barisan Nasional, which lost the popular vote in the May 2013 general election for the first time since 1969 but retained Parliament through gerrymandering. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who publicly broke with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recently, saying he had withdrawn his support of the premier, has accused Najib of being too soft on the opposition.
The party and its components in the ruling Barisan Nasional have not been able to capitalize on growing dissatisfaction with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition. A source close to the Mahathir wing of the party told Asia Sentinel that despite Pakatan’s disorganization and a months-long squabble over leadership in the state of Selangor, if an election were held today in Selangor, which is held by Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, UMNO would probably still lose the state.
“I was told at the last Umno Supreme Council meeting that some of the members said that since the elections in 2013, the country has been floating around aimlessly,” said a political consultant with close ties to the UMNO leadership. “They suggested that Najib needs to show stronger leadership as Malays like leaders who are pahlawan or warriors. They said that unless the UMNO leadership showed it can be tough and firm, the party would continue losing the Malay ground. Since then, all these actions have been initiated against the opposition. I was also told that one of Najib's main advisers on talking and acting tough is Tan Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis, the former Second Finance Minister and Ambassador to Washington.”
Malaysiakini has suffered a long series of attempts by the government force it to pull in its horns, the biggest in 2003 when police raided the website, confiscating four servers and 15 personal computers after members of UMNO Youth complained that it had published a seditious letter to the editor. It has suffered distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks in which it is flooded with millions of simultaneous messages designed to overpower its servers. It was threatened by a lawsuit by Najib himself for defamation in June. The government has refused to issue a license that would allow Malaysiakini to issue a print edition.
The mainstream press – the New Straits Times, The Star and a flock of Malay-language newspapers -- are all owned by the major political parties in the ruling national coalition, as are the electronic media. They can be depended upon to form a noisy claque to defend the government when needed. Lately, After Najib came under attack Mahathir, the mainstream press lined up scores of UMNO members to express their support for Najib, although they never carried anything about Mahathir’s attack.
“Malaysia has embarked on a severe action against numerous activists, opposition politicians, journalists, students and academics. In the past, critics have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), but now it is the Sedition Act that is increasingly used against individuals who have expressed their political, religious or other views,” said Margaret John, the coordinator for the Singapore and Malaysia chapter of Amnesty International Canada in an email to Asia Sentinel. “The arrests are a clear violation of international human rights law and have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Malaysia.”
The two biggest press watchdog organizations, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders, have not issued statements of support, possibly because they have been preoccupied with the brutal murders in Syria of US freelance journalists James Foley and Steven Sotlof by the radical fundamentalist organization Islamic State.
John Berthelsen is the editor of Asia Sentinel
Malaysia’s sedition campaign, which in recent weeks has resulted in charges against eight opposition politicians, apparently has been extended to the country’s independent press, with the arrest on Thursday of Susan Loone, a Penang-based reporter for Malaysiakini (Our Malaysia), one of Malaysia’s most popular news websites.
Loone was told to report to the police in Penang, where she underwent nine hours of questioning and had her cellphone confiscated over the publication of a story on the arrest Sunday in Penang of Phee Boon Poh, the chairperson of a voluntary patrol unit sanctioned by the Democratic Action Party leadership along with 156 members of the patrol unit. Phee is an executive counselor with the DAP. According to Loone’s story, the country’s inspector-general of police, Abu Bakar last Tuesday declared PPS an illegal organization because it wasn’t registered with the Registrar of Societies, calling the organization’s members “gangsters.”
“In a classic case of shooting the messenger, Loone has been detained by police for reporting what somebody else has said,”: according to a statement by Malaysia’s Center for Independent Journalism. “Loone's arrest is the latest in a spate of investigations that are clearly aimed at curtailing legitimate voices of dissent.
The investigations, the CIJ said, “are taking place after the government's stated intention to repeal the Sedition Act, a hangover from the colonial era. The Act is broadly worded and poses a significant threat to the right to freedom of expression enshrined in the Federal Constitution. Further, the history of prosecutions under the Act show that it is almost exclusively used against critics of the government or State institutions.”
The arrest of Loone, along with the crackdown on Phee and the other opposition leaders, is apparently a manifestation of orders by the United Malays National Organization Supreme Council to Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to get tough on the opposition after months of drift on the part of the premier. Malaysiakini, with a daily readership of 400,000, is one of the country’s biggest websites or possibly the biggest, publishing editions in Malay and English, and is fiercely critical of the government.
However, Malaysiakini has not been alone. Choon Mei, the editor of Malaysia Chronicle, reportedly has also been hauled in for questioning. Jahabar Sidiq, the editor of Malaysian Insider, said that although his publication has been threatened with lawsuits, that is pretty much where the intimidation has stopped. Raja Petra Kamarudin, the publisher of Malaysia Today, has long been out of the country after being charged with criminal defamation.
Some analysts regard the new crackdown as an indication of internal weakness on the part of UMNO and the Barisan Nasional, which lost the popular vote in the May 2013 general election for the first time since 1969 but retained Parliament through gerrymandering. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who publicly broke with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recently, saying he had withdrawn his support of the premier, has accused Najib of being too soft on the opposition.
The party and its components in the ruling Barisan Nasional have not been able to capitalize on growing dissatisfaction with the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition. A source close to the Mahathir wing of the party told Asia Sentinel that despite Pakatan’s disorganization and a months-long squabble over leadership in the state of Selangor, if an election were held today in Selangor, which is held by Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat, UMNO would probably still lose the state.
“I was told at the last Umno Supreme Council meeting that some of the members said that since the elections in 2013, the country has been floating around aimlessly,” said a political consultant with close ties to the UMNO leadership. “They suggested that Najib needs to show stronger leadership as Malays like leaders who are pahlawan or warriors. They said that unless the UMNO leadership showed it can be tough and firm, the party would continue losing the Malay ground. Since then, all these actions have been initiated against the opposition. I was also told that one of Najib's main advisers on talking and acting tough is Tan Sri Jamaluddin Jarjis, the former Second Finance Minister and Ambassador to Washington.”
Malaysiakini has suffered a long series of attempts by the government force it to pull in its horns, the biggest in 2003 when police raided the website, confiscating four servers and 15 personal computers after members of UMNO Youth complained that it had published a seditious letter to the editor. It has suffered distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks in which it is flooded with millions of simultaneous messages designed to overpower its servers. It was threatened by a lawsuit by Najib himself for defamation in June. The government has refused to issue a license that would allow Malaysiakini to issue a print edition.
The mainstream press – the New Straits Times, The Star and a flock of Malay-language newspapers -- are all owned by the major political parties in the ruling national coalition, as are the electronic media. They can be depended upon to form a noisy claque to defend the government when needed. Lately, After Najib came under attack Mahathir, the mainstream press lined up scores of UMNO members to express their support for Najib, although they never carried anything about Mahathir’s attack.
“Malaysia has embarked on a severe action against numerous activists, opposition politicians, journalists, students and academics. In the past, critics have been arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA), but now it is the Sedition Act that is increasingly used against individuals who have expressed their political, religious or other views,” said Margaret John, the coordinator for the Singapore and Malaysia chapter of Amnesty International Canada in an email to Asia Sentinel. “The arrests are a clear violation of international human rights law and have a chilling effect on freedom of expression in Malaysia.”
The two biggest press watchdog organizations, Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters without Borders, have not issued statements of support, possibly because they have been preoccupied with the brutal murders in Syria of US freelance journalists James Foley and Steven Sotlof by the radical fundamentalist organization Islamic State.
John Berthelsen is the editor of Asia Sentinel
112 NGOs band together to fight Sedition Act
BY JENNIFER GOMEZ | TMI
A movement dubbed “Abolish the Sedition Act” (GHAH) was launched today in response to the use of the draconian law as a means of political repression and terror.
A total of 112 civil society organisations are part of this movement, which said it wants to bury the colonial-era law if Malaysia is to be a truly independent nation.
“The Sedition Act is clearly being misused to protect the government and its interests, clamp down on the opposition and dissidents, make certain issues off limits, stifle civil liberties and create a climate of fear reminiscent of the worst days under the iron-fisted Mahathir regime,” said Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen at a press conference today.
He said the movement was concerned with the selective prosecution under the act, adding that the Attorney-General was targeting government critics.
“Over the past month, the act has been indiscriminately used in a new wave of political repression and terror and whose targets have included elected representatives and lawyers who have a public duty to speak on matters of public interest,” Paulsen said.
The movement’s demands include the repeal of the act and for existing sedition charges to be dropped.
Paulsen also said the act was being used to strike fear in the media, as seen from the arrest of Malaysiakini journalist Susan Loone for investigations over an allegedly seditious article.
“They’re trying to create a climate of fear, but don’t worry, carry on with your job and if you get into trouble, Lawyers for Liberty will be behind you.”
When asked if GHAH would organise demonstrations, Paulsen said that it was the right of Malaysians under Article 10 of the Constitution to assemble and march peacefully.
“After the case of Nik Nazmi in the Court of Appeal, no Malaysian should be afraid to demonstrate peacefully.”
(He was referring to Selangor Deputy Speaker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who was charged with failure to give a 10-day notice to police for the Black Out Rally last year.)
“So certainly it is part of what we will be doing, but it is something we should not ponder upon because it is within our rights,” he said.
Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng said the movement would support the upcoming protest in Universiti Malaya on September 10 in support of law lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Sharom, who was charged with sedition earlier this week.
Activist Hishamuddin Rais, who was also charged with sedition, said that the political situation was such now that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was using the Sedition Act to counter accusations by former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad that he was a weak leader.
“This is the background of the situation we are in, Najib is trying to prove to Dr Mahathir that he is not weak and so we are the victims.
“But the bigger issue is that the Sedition Act means that we cannot speak or think,” Hishamuddin said.
Amnesty International Malaysia executive director Shamini Darshni said that the increasing use of the Sedition Act was fostering a climate of repression. The views of opposition politicians and other critical voices, as well as of ordinary individuals simply expressing their opinions, were being suppressed.
In calling for the act to be abolished, she also called on the Malaysian authorities to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to incorporate its provisions in domestic law, policy and practice.
GHAH will be launched on September 15 and will go on a nationwide roadshow.
A movement dubbed “Abolish the Sedition Act” (GHAH) was launched today in response to the use of the draconian law as a means of political repression and terror.
A total of 112 civil society organisations are part of this movement, which said it wants to bury the colonial-era law if Malaysia is to be a truly independent nation.
“The Sedition Act is clearly being misused to protect the government and its interests, clamp down on the opposition and dissidents, make certain issues off limits, stifle civil liberties and create a climate of fear reminiscent of the worst days under the iron-fisted Mahathir regime,” said Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen at a press conference today.
He said the movement was concerned with the selective prosecution under the act, adding that the Attorney-General was targeting government critics.
“Over the past month, the act has been indiscriminately used in a new wave of political repression and terror and whose targets have included elected representatives and lawyers who have a public duty to speak on matters of public interest,” Paulsen said.
The movement’s demands include the repeal of the act and for existing sedition charges to be dropped.
Paulsen also said the act was being used to strike fear in the media, as seen from the arrest of Malaysiakini journalist Susan Loone for investigations over an allegedly seditious article.
“They’re trying to create a climate of fear, but don’t worry, carry on with your job and if you get into trouble, Lawyers for Liberty will be behind you.”
When asked if GHAH would organise demonstrations, Paulsen said that it was the right of Malaysians under Article 10 of the Constitution to assemble and march peacefully.
“After the case of Nik Nazmi in the Court of Appeal, no Malaysian should be afraid to demonstrate peacefully.”
(He was referring to Selangor Deputy Speaker Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who was charged with failure to give a 10-day notice to police for the Black Out Rally last year.)
“So certainly it is part of what we will be doing, but it is something we should not ponder upon because it is within our rights,” he said.
Suaram executive director Yap Swee Seng said the movement would support the upcoming protest in Universiti Malaya on September 10 in support of law lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Azmi Sharom, who was charged with sedition earlier this week.
Activist Hishamuddin Rais, who was also charged with sedition, said that the political situation was such now that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was using the Sedition Act to counter accusations by former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad that he was a weak leader.
“This is the background of the situation we are in, Najib is trying to prove to Dr Mahathir that he is not weak and so we are the victims.
“But the bigger issue is that the Sedition Act means that we cannot speak or think,” Hishamuddin said.
Amnesty International Malaysia executive director Shamini Darshni said that the increasing use of the Sedition Act was fostering a climate of repression. The views of opposition politicians and other critical voices, as well as of ordinary individuals simply expressing their opinions, were being suppressed.
In calling for the act to be abolished, she also called on the Malaysian authorities to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and to incorporate its provisions in domestic law, policy and practice.
GHAH will be launched on September 15 and will go on a nationwide roadshow.
Malaysian Bar: Sedition Act panders to extremists
Malay Mail
by BOO SU-LYN
by BOO SU-LYN
KUALA
LUMPUR, Sept 5 — The Sedition Act 1948 was never intended to create
national harmony but it encourages extremism instead, Malaysian Bar
president Christopher Leong said last night.
He
said the colonial-era law panders to extremists and perpetuates
disunity as it is wielded whenever others claim to be insulted or
disrespected.
“The
Sedition Act is the antithesis of democracy, rule of law and justice,”
he said at the official launch of the #MansuhAktaHasutan campaign by the
Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee (NYLC) last night to
repeal the Sedition Act.
“The
use of the Sedition Act serves to perpetuate immaturity, lack of
understanding, confusion and ignorance. It exploits insecurities. It was
never designed to achieve national harmony; it was intended to suppress
dissent and maintain power,” Leong added.
In
a statement last night, the Selangor chapter of Malay rights group
Perkasa argued to retain the pre-independence law, saying it was needed
to preserve national unity, as a “weapon and shield” against “traitors”.
Leong
expressed concern with the recent slew of sedition cases, pointing out
that the government crackdown contradicted Prime Minister Datuk Seri
Najib Razak’s 2012 pledge to abolish the Sedition Act.
“It
is indeed ironic that as we now celebrate 57 years of ‘Merdeka’, we see
the use of the repugnant and draconian Sedition Act to stifle
fundamental freedoms and constrict democratic space in an independent
Malaysia,” said the lawyer.
He
stressed that the National Harmony Act, which has been proposed as a
replacement of the Sedition Act, should only criminalise threats or
incitement of violence on the grounds of race and religion, and that the
element of intention must be included.
“The intended National Harmony Act should not seek to criminalise thought, speech and expression,” said Leong.
Former Malaysian Bar president Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan urged the 300-strong audience at the forum not to be cowed into silence.
“Many
call this Operasi Lalang 2. We are no ‘lalang’ (weed). We’re going to
stand up today,” she said, drawing applause from the audience.
Operasi
Lalang was the 1987 government crackdown that saw more than 100
opposition politicians and activists being arrested under the Internal
Security Act during the 22-year-long Mahathir administration.
Ambiga
also criticised the sedition dragnet that has mostly targeted
opposition lawmakers from Pakatan Rakyat, calling it an attack on
parliamentary democracy.
“Instead of taking on the opposition in Parliament, they choose to decapitate them by using the Sedition Act,” she said.
Global
Movement of Moderates chief Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who was invited
to speak at the open forum, said the “culture of fear” was growing, amid
the sedition crackdown that has claimed not only politicians, but also a
law professor and even a teenager.
“What we are seeing today is that the government seems to be cracking down on dissent,” Saifuddin told the forum.
“At
the same time, this is also the government that prides itself by
calling for more political reform and supposedly appreciating the
contestation of ideas,” added the Umno member.
Several
members of the audience asked if the #MansuhAktaHasutan campaign would
involve a mass protest, to which NYLC chair Syahredzan Johan said there
were no plans to do so as yet.
“But when that day comes and the need for a walk arises, I’m sure we will be walking,” said Syahredzan.
The
lawyer said the year-long campaign was focused on raising awareness
nationwide, especially in rural areas, on the necessity of repealing the
Sedition Act.
Selangor MB crisis: No impasse, Sultan merely has to choose, says Bar Council
The Star
by TAN YI LIANG
by TAN YI LIANG
KUALA
LUMPUR: There is no impasse in the Selangor mentri besar crisis and the
Sultan's role, as clearly defined by the state constitution, is to
appoint the person whom he thinks the majority of state assemblymen have
confidence in, said Bar Council president Christopher Leong.
"I
do not see an impasse. What I see is a process being undertaken by
Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah to perform his role under Article 53(2) of
the Selangor state constitution," said Leong.
Speaking
after participating at the #MansuhAktaHasutan (Abolish the Sedition
Act) forum and campaign launch at the Bar Council here Thursday, Leong
confirmed the Sultan's legal role now was to decide who most likely has
majority support of the state assembly.
"The state constitution does not provide a procedure for the Sultan to make his judgement.
"People
should look at this current process as that procedure. Ultimately, the
objective is for the Sultan to fulfill his role under Article 53(2),"
said Leong.
He added an impasse would only exist if the role of the Sultan under Article 53(2) remained unfulfilled.
Government Won't Retract Freedom Of Speech In Social Media - Najib
JERLUN,
Sept 5 (Bernama) -- The government will not retract the freedom of
speech in the social media but wants the freedom to be exercised with
accountability, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.The Prime Minister said the government practised an open attitude but it was the responsibility of the people, especially the young generation or 'Gen Y' to understand that there was a limit to freedom.
"I want to issue a warning that the existing law will be imposed on anyone attempting to jeopardise peace. This is certainly in force," he said in his speech when opening the Jerlun UMNO divisional delegates meeting at the Sekolah Menengah Sains Kubang Pasu, in Jerlun, Friday.
Najib said that the Sedition Act would be abolished and would be replaced by the proposed National Harmony Act, but matters pertaining to religion and race would not be neglected.
Prime Minister said the government would not allow freedom that did not adhere to the principles of accountability especially regarding Islamic religion, the other faiths as well as the special privileges of the Malays and the Malay Rulers.
"We must defend...(we are) not saying there is a new legislation and the rest will be put aside...but we will add in more appropriate provisions," he said.
Najib said although there would be freedom and openness, he hoped these would not result in extreme cases cropping up because there must be maturity in thinking in whatever action taken.
"There must be a limit...(because of) this principle of accountability, we must look for a formula where we provide space for the freedom of speech including comments on the leaders but, at the same time, there must be a limit so as not to destroy peace and national harmony," he said.
Also present at the function were Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir, who is also the Jerlun UMNO division head, Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azlan Man, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah and Deputy Minister of Energy, Green Technology and Water Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid.
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