Hak pekerja Malaysia antara terburuk

Youth delegates see red over chief's speech

Vienna imam tried over teen jihadists

The imam of a Vienna mosque told the District Criminal Court on Tuesday he had nothing to do with the disappearance of two young girls who left Austria in April to fight in Syria's civil war.

"I have never seen the girls," said the imam, who goes by the name Ebu Tejma.

The tabloid daily – Österreich - claimed the 15 and 16 year-old girls of Bosnian origin were "driven" to the so-called holy war in Syria by the imam, who preaches a particularly radical form of Salafism at the Altun-Alem mosque in Vienna's second district.

The 32 year-old preacher has gone so far as to file a legal complaint against the media for misrepresentation.

"There are no facilities for women in our mosque. There is no place for women," he told Judge Gerald Wagner.

The newspaper has "totally ruined my reputation. I have never spoken to the girls. My name has been dragged through the mud."

However, the defendant's legal representative, Peter Zöchbauer, wants to examine the evidence, suggesting it is also possible that he came in contact with minors outside the mosque.

Zöchbauer named a witness he claims can confirm the imam had "confronted (the girls) with religious content."

The hearing has been adjourned until early October.

Before setting the date, the judge played Youtube clips in which the imam was shown preaching.

Along with praise of Osama bin Laden, he also mentioned "duty" to a "defensive war".

The imam described the sequences as being taken out of context.

"If I said so, I was not right in the head. I do not recommend even adult men to go into battle."

Muslim Brotherhood cleric declares his support for the Islamic State

Wagdy Ghoneim, just expelled from Qatar along with other Muslim Brotherhood leaders, used to live in the United States. He served as imam at the Islamic Institute of Orange County, California in the early 2000’s, and raised funds for Hamas-linked Muslim charity KindHearts. How many people are still in the United States today who learned about Islam from Wagdy Ghoneim?

And why doesn’t this Muslim cleric, who has dedicated his life to understanding and teaching the Qur’an and Sunnah, see what Barack Obama and David Cameron and Tony Abbott and so many other non-Muslims see so clearly, that the Islamic State has nothing to do with Islam?

“Video .. Wagdy Ghoneim after being expelled from Qatar announces support for ISIL,” my translation of the Arabic article “بالفيديو.. وجدي غنيم بعد طرده من قطر يُعلن تأييده داعش” by Hassan Bahi, Al-Masry Al-Youm, September 16, 2014 (thanks to Coptic Nationalism):

Islamic preacher Wagdy Ghoneim on Tuesday announced his rejection of the war being organized against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), and his “support for them, despite differences on some issues,” he said, and asked for “unity in the face of the Crusader alliance against Muslims.”

Ghoneim said, in the first video he recorded and put his on Facebook page after being expelled from Qatar, under the title, “Do not crusade against the Islamic State”: “America is heating up the world against ISIL. The West and America and the Crusaders in general are vengeful against Islam and Muslims, and they desire evil for Islam.”

He added: “Our enemies are Crusaders, their faith is based on bloodshed and murder, and this is evident in their Bible,” accusing the West of fabricating videos depicting the “slaughter of hostages in Iraq at the hands of ISIL.”

He continued: “America is the largest terrorist state, and the West, too. We will not forget what it did to America’s Indians, and the Abu Ghraib prison, Allah is sufficient for me, the most excellent in whom I trust, and yes, America threw the body of the martyr bin Laden into the sea, is that respect for human beings and human rights?”

He explained: “I am with my brothers in ISIL in some matters, but I advise them always to adhere to the Qur’an and Sunnah and to unite against their enemies, and I reject the Crusader alliance to defeat them.”

Sabah Christians tell Putrajaya to stop interfering in their religion

Christians in Sabah, already hard pressed in fending off attempts to convert Bumiputera Christians to Islam, have told Putrajaya to leave non-Muslims alone to manage their respective faiths and that laws enacted for the administration of Islam should not be applied to non-Muslims nor should non-Muslims be subject to Shariah law.

They said while Islam is the religion of the federation, people of other religions and faiths should have “the constitutional right and freedom to profess, practise, propagate and manage their respective faiths without interference and intervention by the state”.

They claimed that while freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Federal Constitution and is also set out in the 18- and 20-point conditions of Sarawak and Sabah respectively, to be part of the Malaysia Agreement, “the legislative, executive and judiciary have trampled upon such rights of people of other faiths by making laws and decisions that militate against such freedom”.

Citing the prohibition of the usage of the word ‘Allah’ by Bumiputera Christians to refer to God and the restricted ban on the use of the AlKitab – the Bahasa Malaysia version of the Bible – since the early 1980s, they said this was a gross violation of human rights.

In their 30-point Kota Kinabalu Declaration at the end of a three-day “mamangkis” held at the Kadazan Dusun Cultural Association in Penampang, Sabah Christians also accused the judiciary of being “increasingly more inclined to defend the supremacy of race and religion than to abide by their oath of office to defend the supremacy of the constitution”.

The mamangkis, which was organised to coincide with Malaysia Day, was an old Kadazandusun war cry used by their pagan ancestors to rally warrior troops for battle but a new mamangkis movement spearheaded by Perpaduan Anak Negeri (PAN) is now making it a Christian clarion call for revival.

Following the feud over the use of the word Allah, the Sabah churches said the state, including Islamic agencies and the sultans as heads of Islam in their respective states, must not intervene in other faiths.

The declaration also stated that “the proliferation of oppressive laws that violates our fundamental civil liberties continues unabated”.

They pointed to the trampling of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that gives recognition to the inherent dignity and of the equal rights of all people.

They also said the legislative, executive and the judiciary must restore “just, fair, and democratic principles of governance as envisaged by the framers of our Constitution and our founding fathers”.

“The Federal Constitution shall be the supreme law in the nation and all citizens have equal protection under the law and any other form of supremacy is clearly ultra vires the Constitution and unacceptable.”

The Sabah churches also defended the rights of the indigenous Orang Asal communities in Peninsular Malaysia when it said it was timely after half a century of “unjust exclusion, the rights of the indigenous Orang Asal communities must be given due recognition with utmost urgency” under Article 153 of the Constitution.

They said while Article 153 accords special position and privileges to Peninsular Malays and indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak, the Orang Asal are excluded from such protection.

“While the special position of the Malays and natives of Malaysia shall be safeguarded, it is timely that the legitimate interests of other communities in Malaysia be equally observed and upheld in accordance with the provisions of Article 153.”

In signing the declaration, Sabah Council of Churches president Bishop Datuk Dr Thomas Tsen, National Evangelical Christian Fellowship–Commission of Sabah Affairs chairman Reverend Datuk Jerry Dusing, PAN chairman Pastor Esther Golingi, and Pastors Fellowship of Kota Kinabalu English and Chinese leader Pastor Steven Choon and Pastor Daniel Chin, also pledged their commitment to defend the sovereignty of Malaysia as a federation composed of Sabah, Sarawak and Malaya. – September 17, 2014.

'Queens ruled in Acheh, so Azizah can be MB'

Seven Islamic NGOs have backed PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail for the Selangor menteri besar post on the basis that the Acheh Sultanate had been ruled by queens.

Spokesperson for the group, the Centre for Studies in Modernity and Civil Society (Cesmacs) director Muhammad Nur Manuty said the Acheh Islamic government had been ruled by four successive female monarchs between 1641 and 1689.

They are Queen Sofiatuddin (1641-1675), Queen Naqiatuddin (1675-1678), Queen Zakiatuddin (1678-1688) and Queen Kamalat Syah (1688-1689).

“The rule of these female rulers for 59 years in Acheh clearly shows that they can govern fairly, and were successful in providing welfare for the people,” he told a press conference in Shah Alam today.

The former PKR information chief added that Islam does not forbid women from taking on leadership roles, and women have become presidents and prime ministers in Indonesia, Pakistan, and Bangladesh as well.

When asked to comment about doubts about Wan Azizah’s capabilities after an incident in June where her written questions to the Selangor State were rejected, Muhammad Nur said Wan Azizah’s track record needs to be evaluated as a whole.

“Whatever we want to use to measure up a person, let it be comprehensive and not based on a single incident.

“Recently she had just become a Selangor assemblyperson so in Selangor’s context, she is still new, but she has been an MP since 1998,” he said.

In June, Selangor speaker Hannah Yeoh reportedly rejected all 10 questions that Wan Azizah submitted on the basis that it exceeded a requirement that the questions are limited to 40 words or less. She was sworn into office two months before.

Meanwhile, Nik Yusof Nik Ismail from Badan Dakwah Selangor rebutted allegations that Wan Azizah is a puppet to her husband and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

He said Wan Azizah can listen to advice from any person, but the final decision rests with her alone.

Also present at the press conference this morning were representatives from the NGOs Wadah Selangor, Selangor Abim, Yayasan Takmer, and Pusat Kerohanian.

 

Uthaya to be freed on Oct 3 as sentence slashed

 

The Court of Appeal has dismissed Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leader P Uthayakumar’s appeal to set aside his sedition conviction.

However, the appellate court reduced his jail sentence from 30 months to 24 months.

With the remission, his lawyer M Manoharan (left) said, Uthayakumar would be set free on Oct 3.

Justice Aziah Ali led the three-member panel that made the unanimous decision.

"We find that the complaints raised against the conviction made by the appellant on the sessions sourt and High Court decisions are without merit, and the appeal against the conviction is dismissed.

"After considering the mitigation plea, we agree to reduce the prison sentence to 24 months, from 30 months," Justice Aziah said.

The other judges sitting with her are Justices Mohamad Ariff Md Yusof and Ahmadi Asnawi.

Deputy public prosecutor Azlina Rasdi appeared for the prosecution.

As this case originated from the sessions court, this was Uthayakumar's final appeal.

Uthayakumar was found guilty of sedition by a sessions court in Kuala Lumpur June 5, 2013, for publishing seditious material in a letter, written between Nov 15 and Dec 8, 2007, to then British prime minister Gordon Brown.

In the letter, Uthayakumar claimed that the government had state-sponsored 'social-ethnic cleansing' of the Indian poor in Malaysia.

For this, he was ordered to be jailed for two-and-a-half years.

The High Court in KL upheld the sessions court decision, which led to Uthayakumar's final appeal which was heard today.

Detained under ISA

Prior to this he had been detained under the Internal Security Act for more than 800 days, from December 2007, on similar grounds, along with his lawyer Manoharan and three others.

His younger brother P Waythamoorthy (left) who was also part of the Hindraf movement, escaped the ISA crackdown on the Hindraf leaders and lived in the UK for several years before being appointed as a senator and deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department last year, following the 13th general election.

Waythamoorthy eventually resigned over claims that the promises made to Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia, an entity registered with the Registrar of Societies, were not fulfilled.

Earlier, Manoharan submitted that there was no corroborative evidence between the investigating officer and the Malaysiakini journalist to prove the article was seditious.

The Malaysiakini journalist was a witness in the case.

He also told the court that what was printed by the investigating officer from the Police Watch website was no longer available and there was no evidence to suggest that the letter was sent.

Manoharan also said that the 30 months jail sentence was excessive as the courts had, prior to this, at most imposed an 18 months jail sentence for sedition.

He asked that a fine be imposed instead of a jail sentence as the late Karpal Singh was ordered to pay RM4,000 fine for a similar charge of sedition.

"The number of police reports lodged against the late Karpal were higher than what Uthayakumar had faced," Manoharan argued.

About 20 Hindraf supporters gathered since this morning to hear the appeal. Also present was his wife S Indra Devi.

Former top cops to join pro-Sedition Act roadshow

(Malay Mail Online) – A former inspector-general of police and retired Criminal Investigation Department (CID) chief will join a nationwide roadshow calling for the retention of the Sedition Act 1948.

Ex-IGP Tan Sri Musa Hassan and former CID head Tan Sri Zaman Khan is set to embark on the roadshow together with Malaysia Airlines (MAS) chief executive officer Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman as part of the Gerakan Malaysia Mempertahankan Akta Hasutan (Movement of Citizens Defending the Sedition Act 1948) campaign.

The campaign and the involvement of the three was publicised over Facebook today by the movement’s organiser, Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, who was also listed as a speaker in the roadshows.

“We live in a fragile country with different races and we need a guideline, should anything happen..we need a law to refer to, in ascertaining if one has crossed their limits, or not,” lawyer Mohd Khairul said when contacted by Malay Mail Online.

When asked the purpose of the roadshow given the growing call for the act to be repealed, Mohd Khairul answered; “We love this country more than anyone else.”

“We have already started our activity, with Ipoh being our first stop. We have already received many invitation to give talks in Pahang, Kedah and even Tawau, Sabah,” he added.

He added that although Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has announced the plan to repeal the colonial era law, the movement is seeking to ensure that Putrajaya does not “err” as it did by abolishing the Internal Security Act (ISA) and the Emergency Ordinance (EO) security laws.

When launching the movement last week, Musa suggested a mandatory death sentence for “habitual” offenders under the Sedition Act.

This prompted former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to tell the former IGP to “try it on himself” before suggesting it for others.

There now exist opposing movements either calling for the retention of the colonial era law or pushing for it to be repealed as pledged by the government.

Putrajaya was recently forced to reaffirm its commitment to repeal the Sedition Act, which remains in use two years after Najib said it will be replaced with laws on national harmony.

Critics, however, believe the government is deliberately dithering on the promise due to pressure from strong right wing elements within Umno and its supporters, who want the Act to stay.

Defenders of the Sedition Act, primarily pro-establishment conservatives including Dr Mahathir, contend that its removal will open the floodgates of attacks against the Bumiputera, Islam, and the Malay rulers in the absence of the repealed Internal Security Act (ISA).

Those pushing for the law to be eliminated, however, insist that its ambit is too broad, as it criminalises speech with an undefined “seditious tendency” and without need to prove intent.

Azmi tells public to keep fighting for freedom

He calls for patience, saying academic freedom isn't something that can be achieved overnight.

KUALA LUMPUR: Azmi Sharom has called for patience in the fight for academic freedom but said the public must not stop pushing for it.

“Trying to achieve standards in democratic practice, I see it as a process,” the Universiti of Malaya law lecturer said in an interview with FMT.

“It’s a process where we have to be patient, and we have to keep pushing every single step of the way.”

Azmi today filed an application with the High Court to challenge the constitutionality of the Sedition Act, under which he has been charged because of comments he made in relation to the ongoing Selangor political crisis.

He referred to a 2011 case in which another law lecturer, Abdul Aziz Bari, had his service with the International Islamic University suspended for a similar offence. Police investigated Aziz under the Sedition Act, prompting numerous student demonstrations calling for academic freedom and university autonomy.

Azmi said the current movement against the Sedition Act and for academic freedom actually began with Aziz’s case.

“The act should have been gone back then,” he said.

But it was not a lost cause, he added. “It’s difficult to sustain a protest for three years, but it is clear that what happened to Aziz and what is happening to me now has raised awareness about the Sedition Act not only amongst students but also the general public.”

He said the greater public awareness was crucial in the fight to get the Sedition Act repealed and, by extension, in achieving academic freedom.

Referring to the application he filed today, Azmi said, “The constitutional rights that exist for us as Malaysians have to be protected.

“Limitations to these rights have to be done exactly the way the constitution allows. The wording is very specific. These rights have to be taken pedantically because they are extremely important.”

PAS going back and forth on gender issue

NGO Empower says it is disappointed PAS cited gender as one of the reasons to reject Wan Azizah as the Selangor MB.

PETALING JAYA: The Communications and Media Officer of Empower Yasmin Masidi has stated her disappointment that PAS’ clergy wing still cannot accept Wan Azizah as the Selangor Menteri Besar (MB) because she is a woman.

Citing a statement a PAS representative made to an online news agency recently, Yasmin quotes PAS as saying they rejected the PKR president “due to her gender, along with two other reasons”.

Expressing her disagreement Yasmin said, “Honesty and integrity are qualities that should be part of leadership criteria, not gender.”

Yasmin also said that following PAS’ statement on gender, members of the NGO were “especially disappointed that PAS continues to hide behind its version of Islam to justify gender discrimination.”

Yasmin added, “Malaysian women – including Muslim women – have proven themselves capable of being leaders and decision-makers at all levels of society, despite the many barriers in their way.

“Even in the classical period, Islamic history is filled with examples of women leaders such as Hurrah Malikah Arwa’ bint Ahmad, who was the head of administration for Yemen on behalf of the Fatimid Caliphs in the 9th century.”

Yasmin cited modern Muslim-majority nations including Pakistan and Bangladesh that have had women heads of state.

Another issue of contention was the conflicting statements PAS has made regarding the suitability of Wan Azizah as the MB.

Yasmin said that on August 14, PAS secretary-general Mustafa Ali had said that “gender was not the reason” however a later statement saying the exact opposite was told to an online news portal.

Youth of the nation

Thank you Zaid Ibrahim, for exposing the political hypocrisy of our PM and other Umno leaders.

COMMENT By Koon Yew Yin

The latest assault on DAP and PKR, from the Prime Minister (PM) himself, concerns their “loyalty” to the Sultan of Selangor.

This cheap political trick to question the loyalty of opposition parties should not come from a PM. In a democracy anyone who has a public duty has to be accountable for his actions.

Instead of talking to the people about the complexities of democracy and how constitutional monarchs and political leaders should conduct themselves, the PM took the lazy route of inflaming the feelings of the Malays by suggesting PKR and DAP would not protect the Malay rulers and their religion.

For a man who talks about the great transformation of the country, this was irresponsible and most disappointing.

My concern is that this anti-DAP feeling will spin out of control into anti-Chinese sentiment, that in turn has the potential to become anti-Malay and, ultimately, anti-Muslim.

Hatred will then consume the nation. Then what? Racial clashes? Innocent lives will be lost, both Chinese and Malays, and the country will grind to a halt. Wealthy leaders will flee and the so-called defenders of the Malay race will run off to London or Argentina.

Ordinary people who just want to live in peace will have to start over.

Speaking as a non-Malay Malaysian, I wish to express my deep appreciation to Zaid Ibrahim for exposing the political hypocrisy of our PM and for spelling out, in easily understood terms, the looming scenario of violence should racial hatred and anti-opposition bashing continue unabated.

Unfortunately it is not the PM alone who engages in this duplicitous double talk. The Deputy PM, the Home Affairs Minister, the Minister in the PM’s Department in charge of Islamic affairs, even the most junior Umno deputy ministers and parliamentary secretaries do it.

Where’s the political moderation?

Speeches at an international level show political moderation, while back home it’s a different story.

When speaking to Chinese, Indians or East Malaysians, a moderate slant is adopted. When speaking to Malays, a hard line and racially or religiously ultra-nationalist slant is taken, urging Malays to defend Malay royalty, the Malay race and Umno, their saviour against rampaging and disloyal and traitorous non-Malays.

Where the rot started

Many attribute this radicalisation of Umno politics to opportunistic leadership, with the rot starting with Mahathir Mohamad’s prime ministership.

Others have argued that this is due to the fear of loss of power, wealth and status, should BN and Umno’s rule come to an end.

Whatever the reasons, the reality is that we have today Umno as a party that is committed to moderation on paper but in reality is the breeding ground of intolerance and bigotry, which will bring about the destruction of our country as we know it.

What is the solution?

Zaid has proposed to his non-Malay readers to “interact with them … so that they see that you are not the enemy.”

He notes that in Kelantan, Malay and non-Malay relationships are excellent, and it is the same in many other places. He also makes the important point that the people are tired of these leaders’ defeatist mantras but that “since they have a monopoly over TV stations and newspapers, they will keep working to get (ordinary Malaysians) to believe that the threat truly comes from within.”

This is sound advice aimed at the grassroots. But time is needed to build up these interracial and interreligious relationships and time is not on our side. More rapid responses are needed to fight this mother of all battles to ensure a peaceful, democratic, pluralistic and progressive nation.

Perhaps the most urgently needed of these rapid responses is for similar voices of sanity and moderation to come from within the ranks of Umno.

Zaid has long been a voice of common sense, even from the days when he was part of the ruling party. He has championed the case for greater freedom and basic liberties and is now taking up the cudgels to fight political and racial extremism.

Another is the former Deputy Minister of Higher Education and now CEO of the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation, Saifuddin Abdullah, who has a track record of advocacy for democratic reform and has championed youth empowerment. He has also refused to play the race card, despite his long time membership in Umno.

Are there other moderate and progressive Umno leaders out there who can rise above racially laced platforms and rhetoric now deemed de rigueur for any aspiring Malay with ambitions to rise to political prominence in the country. Or is this a no-brainer?

The PM himself should lead the way and not smear the opposition governments of Penang, Selangor and Kelantan as enemies or traitors to the Malay cause.

The answer to this question, I believe, holds the key to the kind of future facing the Malays and all other Malaysians.

Youth of the nation

The Star
by LIM MAY LEE, JC LAM and JAYDEE LOK

THEY are creative, intelligent, passionate and, most important, patriotic.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve featured young Malaysians – from all walks of life – who have been running initiatives and movements that encourage nation-building, unity and political participation.

As a youth news platform, we’re proud to say our fellow young Malaysians have taken on the challenge to drive the nation forward, and they’re doing it with some fresh, amazing ideas. Here are some of their stories.

myHarapan

In 2010, a group of friends organised a focus group, during which they concluded that young Malaysians intent on starting nation-building initiatives rarely get the support they need.

“So, we felt what was needed was an independent platform … not one regulated by the government,” said myHarapan CEO Nurfarini Daing.

The result of that aspiration was the birth of the aptly-named NGO myHarapan, which aims to help youths drive initiatives on their own.

“We advocate social entrepreneurship. It’s really about creating the right mindset,” said Nurfarini. “We get them to do projects on their own and facilitate the process, instead of spoon-feeding them.”

To do that, myHarapan provides engagement programmes, organises workshops, provides content and offers grants, among other things. Simply put, they act as an “accelerator” to get determined young people to work on their ideas.

In fact, those hoping to kickstart their projects can opt for one of two grants by myHarapan – The Youth Action Grant (which offers up to RM15,000) for one-off projects, or the Social Venture Fund (which provides up to RM250,000) to establish organisations with long-term plans.

On top of that, myHarapan also provides ample opportunities for young people to share and pitch their nation-building ideas to a global audience.

One example is the ongoing Social Business Challenge. This competition, to formulate project ideas designed to address and alleviate poverty in urban communities, is open to those aged 18-35.

The winning ideas, besides earning startup funds, will also be sent to this year’s Global Social Business Summit (GSBS) in Mexico, where opportunities for them to grow are aplenty.

“GSBS is the biggest social summit in the world right now. It brings together all the big shots in the industry interested in pitching good social business ideas,” said Nurfarini. “Through this, we’re also trying to showcase Malaysia on the global stage.”

Last year, the fifth edition of GSBS was held in Kuala Lumpur, the first time the event took place outside of Europe – thanks to myHarapan.

“It was a big achievement for us,” said Nurfarini. “It can be hard getting funds. But after hosting the GSBS last year, there has been a lot of local interest in social entrepreneurship.

“I think social entrepreneurship has become very trendy now. In the future, it will be something people really look out for in terms of running businesses.”

Next year, myHarapan hopes to continue promoting social entrepreneurship internationally, by including it in the agenda at the ASEAN Summit here in Malaysia.

MyConsti

Political awareness among young people has certainly increased over the past few years, and with that comes a desire to make a change. But change cannot happen without an understanding of the fundamentals behind policies, right?

Understanding our constitution, however, can be pretty difficult for the average person. Enter MyConsti. First formed by the Bar Council in 2009, it aims to educate citizens – especially those aged between 15 and 35 – on the Federal Constitution, and the law in general.

“Lack of knowledge and understanding on the law particularly the Federal Constitution often leads to misinterpretation and misinformation,” said Firdaus Husni, chairperson of the Bar Council Constitutional Committee (BCCC).

“That’s why we spearheaded MyConsti – to bring the contents of the Malaysian Federal Constitution to all Malaysians in a manner simple enough for the public to understand and appreciate without compromising the substance.”

To reach out to the youth, MyConsti produced a series of public service advertisements (called Rakyat Service Advertisements, or RSAs), and guides (called The Rakyat Guides) based on nine main themes they identified within the Federal Constitution. They’ve also run a series of public forums, conducted television and radio interviews and written articles – all based on the constitution.

On ground, MyConsti has developed and run workshops, mostly in partnership with school and college students, NGOs and even churches. And in keeping with their aim to educate the youth, they’ve even held two concerts called Rock 4 Rights.

These efforts were not just contained to urban areas, either. MyConsti has also organised trips to orang asli settlements.

“We are all beneficiaries of the Federal Constitution. I hope the younger generation realises that,” said Firdaus. “And that’s why they need to protect the Federal Constitution.”

She also added that the constitution has been amended several times, which shows that change is possible for the young people of Malaysia.

“But first, they need to arm themselves with knowledge. How can we protect the Federal Constitution if we don’t even know what’s in it?”

Firdaus’ hope now is for the people to take ownership of MyConsti, and help spread its message throughout the country.

“Get a copy of our Rakyat Guides,” urged Firdaus. “Read them and pass them on. Organise a MyConsti workshop in your area.” She promised they would be there, once told of the time, venue and date of the workshop.

You can also join MyConsti for free! Just send an email to perlembagaanku@gmail.com and complete the registration form, and you’ll be on your way to helping spread sorely-needed knowledge to your fellow countrymen.

“In the course of our campaign, we have met many youths who are enthusiastic to do their part for nation building. Seeing them never fails to inspire the MyConsti campaigners to do more. It tells you that there’s hope for the country,” said Firdaus.

Perdana Fellows Programme

If you’re talking about getting young people involved in nation-building, there’s probably no better way to do it than to actually stick them straight into the Government – which is exactly what the Perdana Fellows Programme does.

Through the programme, the country’s brightest young minds get to apply to be interns under Cabinet ministers for a period ranging from six weeks to six months.

This means the youth won’t just get a chance to learn, but also have their voices heard by the people who run the country.

In the two years since it was initiated, the programme has given 70 future leaders the chance to learn, first-hand, the ins and outs of policy-making and ministerial administration.

“The Perdana Fellowship Programme helps bridge the gap between the government and the youth, making both parties better informed of each other. This way, the youth will have a well-rounded understanding of issues and know not to criticise policies blindly,” said University of Nottingham undergrad Victoria Cheng, 22, who is currently a Perdana Fellow under Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Paul Low.

University of Warwick student Muhammad Mikhail Rosli, 21, who worked with Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, said one of the most important things he learnt was how tedious and complex policy-making can be.

“I’ve learnt that the recurring criticism that governments are slow to implement things disregards the need to be careful when exercising government functions.

“Most people do not consider the trade-offs involved when good policies are politically unattractive, or the wide gap between planners and implementers,” he said.

In an earlier interview with The Star, Perdana alumnus Hafiz Ariffin, 25, confessed that he had underestimated the amount of work a Prime Minister had until he was placed under Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak himself.

According to Mikhail, some people tend to be quite skeptical about the motives behind the programme; but his personal experience as a fellow was very positive.

“I think it has given urban youths, like myself, the opportunity to experience first-hand this distant and controversial figure we call ‘the Government’.

“The programme does not breed (negative) ideologies but instead gives direction for more informed conversations among the youth,” said Mikhail.

Cheng believes the programme serves as an effective awareness platform and encourages Malaysian youths to get involved.

“The most crucial aspect of this programme is having the government opening itself up to the people,” she shared.

“I also see youths becoming more proactive and passionate about public policy and civil welfare. More of us are actually involving ourselves in concrete ‘servanthood’ activities as opposed to just making noise on social media and the blogosphere.”

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RM1 Million Pledge For Education Of MH370, MH17 Cabin Crew's Children

Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun HusseinGENTING HIGHLANDS, Sept 17 (Bernama) -- Eu Yan Sang and Genting Group have pledged RM500,000 each to kickstart the Flagbearer Education Foundation for the children of the cabin crew on board Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 and MH370.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, who was appointed as the patron of the foundation, applauded Eu Yan Sang for establishing the foundation and other charitable drives that have improved the conditions of Malaysians who were less fortunate.

"My heart reaches out to the affected families (of the MH17 and MH370 tragedies). Their loss is great, an incomprehensible one that cannot be soothed by mere words of consolation and comfort.

"We could not begin to imagine their pain as much as we can try to be empathetic to their grieving. What we can do is to continue our best efforts to ensure that every affected family receives closure and to pray for the peace of those who have tragically departed regardless of our racial and religious background," he said in his speech at Eu Yan Sang's 135th Anniversary Celebration Gala Dinner, here, Wednesday night.

Hishammuddin said with the kind of struggles that the nation had been going through recently, it was extremely commendable to witness a strong sense of communal responsibility from the local industries that supported those who were in need.

"It echoes the aspiration of the government to have more private and public organisations undertake strong positions in their corporate social responsibility programmes that centre upon the ideology of mutual respect, love and charity.

"In the future, we hope to see more such entities embodying this philosophy as we strive to become a nation that is not only economically driven but also morally responsible," he said.

At the event, Eu Yan Sang also donated RM1.26 million to the Cancer Research Initiatives Foundation and the Registered Trustees of the Joseph William Yee Eu Foundation.