Thursday 16 October 2014
Turkish cleric links objections to infant rape to pre-marital sex
The mufti of the Black Sea province of Samsun has raised eyebrows after questioning the sincerity of those who object to the rape of infants, saying they should also display the same reaction to youngsters engaging in pre-marital sex.
“If you cannot object to a 18-year-old’s pre-marital sex, your objections to seven-month-old babies being raped are just crocodile tears … Chastity can be lost with very attractive offers following puberty. A relationship that starts with good intentions can end up badly. A youngster loses their chastity while in the bloom. Unchastity begins with the eyes, ears and hands,” mufti Hayrettin Öztürk said in a speech in Samsun on Oct. 13.
“Passion is such a thing that if you don’t draw a line, there is no place to stop you. Allah tells us ‘do not show [yourself] like women of ignorance,’” he added.
His statement has prompted the Directorate of Religious Affairs (Diyanet) to launch an internal investigation on the case.
“We have invited our cleric to Ankara, we will meet and listen to him,” said Mehmet Emin Özafşar, the vice head of the Diyanet.
Öztürk previously made headlines after warning people against performing the “horon,” a Black Sea folk dance, with other members of the opposite sex. Men and women dancing together was religiously impermissible, he warned.
Full horror of the Yazidis who didn’t escape Mount Sinjar: UN confirms 5,000 men were executed and 7,000 women are now kept as sex slaves
- Yazidi refugees were lined up, shot dead, then bulldozed into mass graves
- At least ten men at the village of Hardan were beheaded
- Jihadists came into villages and selected women at will to make slaves
Thousands of Yazidi men in Iraq were murdered in scenes reminiscent of the Bosnian Srebrenica massacre when Islamic State jihadists swept through in August, according to researchers.
Tens of thousands of Yazidi refugees took up residence at make-shift sites and villages across the Kurdish region of northern Iraq after fleeing across Mount Sinjar in August - but equal numbers remained trapped behind the Isil lines.
Researchers, piecing together reports of attacks, have now concluded that more than 5,000 Yazidi were gunned down in a series of massacres by jihadist.
A further 5-7,000 women are also being held in makeshift detention centres, where they either been taken away and sold into slavery or handed over to jihadists as concubines.
Five detention centres in the town of Tal Afar is thought to hold around 3,500 women and children.
Due to the magnitude of the killings and enslavement they occurred largely unreported, but now United Nationals researchers have verified many of the tales of horror.
Bakat Khalaf, 60, said 14 of his family were missing or kidnapped, including his son.
Khartun Yusef said her daughter and four granddaughters were being detained in Tal Afar. Her son managed to get away with her to Mount Sinjar, but he was shot and killed when they tried to return home for supplies.
Her other son, who is 18, had been captured by jihadists.
The UN researchers have been collecting accounts of the Isil incursions.
It says that 250-300 men were killed in Mr Khalaf's village, Hardan, including ten that were beheaded. Another 400 were gunned down in the village of Khocho; Isil shelling killed another 200 civilians in the village of Adnaniya and 70-90 men were shot in a ditch in the village of Quinyeh.
On another road, out of al-Shimal village, near to Sinjar town, witnesses reported seeing dozens of bodies.
Researchers said hundreds more men had been killed for refusing to convert to Islam.
Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2792552/full-horror-yazidis-didn-t-escape-mount-sinjar-confirms-5-000-men-executed-7-000-women-kept-sex-slaves.html
Najib called to account for Sedition Act by Commonwealth lawyers
Ahead of the Malaysian Bar's walk to protest the Sedition Act tomorrow, the German Federal Bar has expressed concern over the use of the law in a letter to Datuk Seri Najib Razak, asking the prime minister for his stand on its widespread against the government's critics.The German Bar's Dr Martin Abend, in a letter dated yesterday, noted that the act had been applied increasingly in Malaysia in the last few months, including against lawyers for voicing their legal opinions.
Abend said that in one particular case, a lawyer’s house was searched and his mobile phone and his laptop seized.
"The German Federal Bar is deeply concerned about these current developments in Malaysia.
"We kindly ask you to inform us if the information available to us is correct and how you view the situation," Abend said in the letter which was posted on the Malaysian Bar's website.
He also urged Najib to ensure that the Sedition Act would not be applied to facts relating to the freedom of expression.
"In accordance with the UN Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers, lawyers, just like any other citizen, shall have the right to take part in public discussion of matters concerning the law, the administration of justice and the promotion and protection of human rights”.
These principles also provide that lawyers must be able to “perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference".
"Furthermore, “the State must ensure that lawyers are able to perform all of their professional functions without intimidation, hindrance, harassment or improper interference," Martin wrote.
He also called on the prime minister to ensure that the "Walk for Peace and Freedom 2014” scheduled by the Malaysian Bar tomorrow would be allowed to progress peacefully.
Legal associations from other countries have also lent their support to the protest tomorrow.
Bar associations of New Zealand, Australia, Sri Lanka and Nepal, and the Commonwealth Lawyers Association sent letters which were posted to the Malaysian Bar's website.
The UK Law Society also wrote a letter to Najib, expressing concern over continued use of the colonial-era law.
Its president Andrew Caplen said they were concerned about the use of the act to against lawyers in the course of conducting of their legitimate professional duties and the effect of the act on freedom of expression in Malaysia.
Caplen in his letter dated October 2, called on the Malaysian government to cease any investigations and prosecution's under the act and to uphold its commitment of 2012 to review and repeal the act.
Caplen also noted the sedition cases brought against lawyer Edmund Bon and the late Karpal Singh, also a lawyer.
Law professors Dr Azmi Sharom and Dr Abdul Aziz Bari are also among those who have come under the Sedition Act.
The Korean Bar Association also noted in a statement that there were continuous cases of persons being unreasonably arrested, detained and prosecuted for voicing their news and opinions on matters related to law and the legal system.
As such, it called on the government to cease its disproportionate use of police powers and abuse of discretion under the Sedition Act.
The lawyers' march to protest the act will begin at Padang Merbok and move to the Parliament building at 10.30am tomorrow. – October 15, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-called-to-account-for-sedition-act-as-commonwealth-lawyers-show-suppo#sthash.0BJmHVQz.dpuf
Explain inaction on racial, religious provocation cases, Bar asks police, A-G
Ahead of its peaceful walk to protest the Sedition Act tomorrow, the Malaysian Bar has a list of at least a dozen cases of provocative racial and religious remarks since 2012, and wants the police and Attorney-General to explain the status of each to the public.The list of cases was appended in a document when the Bar passed a resolution at its extraordinary general meeting (EGM) on September 19 that the Sedition Act should be repealed and a protest march be held.
Its president Christopher Leong said it was not for de facto Law Minister Datuk Nancy Shukri to speak of these matters that came under the responsibility of these agencies.
"It is for the police to explain their non-actIon while the Attorney-General's Chambers on why it refused to prosecute certain cases," Leong told The Malaysian Insider.
He said this in response to the barrage of criticism against Nancy, who last week replied on behalf of the public prosecutor that no charges would be framed against Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali for his statement last year that Malay Bibles should be burnt.
In a written reply to Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng on October 7, Nancy said Ibrahim's remark was made in defence of Islam as the constitution provided for the state and federal laws to control and restrict the propagation of other religions to Muslims.
Leong said police investigations and prosecution were not under her purview.
Former Attorney-General Tan Sri Abu Talib Othman in a recent interview with The Malaysian Insider also said that only the public prosecutor had the absolute discretion whether to frame or drop charges against accused persons.
Leong said the list of cases with unknown status were raised at the Bar EGM to show how the Sedition Act was being used selectively.
"The cases were referred to highlight the injustice of the situation and that the sedition law is open to abuse," he said.
Among the notable cases in the Bar's list were that of controversial lecturer Ridhuan Tee Abdullah and former Perkasa vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin for allegedly disparaging the Hindu religion and insulting adherents of the faith in February and March last year.
Ridhuan also allegedly made inflammatory remarks in an article "Kesabaran Umat Islam ada had" (There is a limit to the patience of Muslims) on February 18 last year.
There were also police reports made after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the results of the 2013 general election was a "Chinese tsunami" on May 6 last year, and also after Utusan Malaysia published a front-page article entitled "Apa lagi orang Cina mahu? (What more do the Chinese want?) the following day.
The document presented at the Bar EGM also questioned the status of reports made against retired Court of Appeal judge Datuk Mohd Noor Abdullah for allegedly accusing an ethnic group of treason and then warning of retribution by another ethnic group on May 22 last year.
It also asked about the status of investigations against retired chief justice Tun Abdul Hamid Mohammad for allegedly stating in early September that only Malays truly fought for independence while the other races were consumed by self-interest.
Other major cases on the Bar's list are:
* The bloodletting of chickens in a street of Kuala Lumpur, allegedly by some members of Pertubuhan Permuafakatan Majlis Ayahanda Malaysia (Permas) and an overt reference to the racial riot of May 13 as an implied threat.
* The person involved in the burning of an effigy of Father Lawrence Andrew, a Christian priest, in January.
* A speech at a seminar entitled "Seminar Kalimah Allah dan Kristologi Nusantara" at Universiti Teknologi Mara on May 6.
* Segambut Umno division chief and Senator Datuk Kamruddin Ambok for allegedly stating that non-Bumiputeras were "biadap and kurang ajar" (uncouth and impolite) early last month.
* Former Perak state executive councillor Datuk Hamidah Osman for allegedly stating, "Bila nampak ular dan seorang India, pukul India dulu" (When you see a snake and an Indian, hit the Indian first) on Twitter on September 18, 2012.
The Sedition Act has been used against several politicians from Pakatan Rakyat, student activists, lawyers and even academicians who have been hauled up by the police since August, either for investigation or prosecution.
Among the big names are opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and law professors Dr Azmi Sharom and Dr Abdul Aziz Bari.
Leong said the Sedition Act was a bad and unjust law and must be repealed because it criminalised speech and expression of thought.
He said some people claimed that sedition was not a bad law but the Bar's stand was that a legislation could not depend on the good faith of men.
"Our experience and history had shown that the repealed Internal Security Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act had been abused," he added.
He said there were others spreading false information that those who wanted the Sedition Act repealed also wanted to remove provisions that protected the position of Islam, the Malays and the Rulers.
"The Malaysian Bar abides by the constitution as these are integral and important parts of nation building," he said.
The Bar will hold a peaceful walk in protest against the Sedition Act tomorrow from Padang Merbok to Parliament.
Leong said at the end of the walk at Parliament, the lawyers will present relevant documents to the prime minister or his representative.
He said the Bar had given notice under the Peaceful Assembly Act to the police to facilitate the event.
"There is no pre-registration (for the walk) but the support from members is very encouraging based on queries about the event," he said. – October 15, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/explain-inaction-on-racial-religious-provocation-cases-bar-asks-police-a-g#sthash.mlGV1dz6.dpuf
Umno man: Crack down on Anwar campaign - Malaysiakini
The campaign, organised by PKR Youth, is in relation to Anwar’s final appeal against his sodomy conviction at the Federal Court slated for Oct 28 and 29.
Cheras Umno division leader Syed Ali Alhabshee said Anwar is not a "special individual" who is immune to the law.
“PKR Youth’s campaign is akin to belittling the judiciary and appropriate action must be taken against this. For me, the legal system in this nation is fair.
“Nobody can question the integrity of the judiciary, and all quarters must adhere to the court’s ruling,” Syed Ali added in a blog post today.
He also claimed that the campaign is an attempt to exert pressure on the Federal Court judges ahead of their verdict.Furthermore, he claimed, the campaign revealed that Anwar is bankrupt of ideas and is now using PKR Youth as his “puppet”.
The Umno leader advised the people not to be influenced by campaigns that call for street demonstrations.
“Anwar is willing to do anything to become prime minister. He is now using PKR Youth to influence the people not to respect the legal system.
“I hope that before the people can be influenced, the police will take pre-emptive measures to seize the flyers that slander the government,” he added.
According
to Syed Ali, there must be an end to the politics of hate and culture
of street protests perpetuated by Anwar and his allies,which have
destroyed Malay unity.He claimed that Anwar and Pakatan Rakyat parties cannot bear to see Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s resolve and earnestness to develop the nation.
“Najib’s determination and sincerity in wanting to champion the interests of all races worries Anwar.
“He (Anwar) is concerned that his Putrajaya ambition will be buried when the people support the prime minister’s transformation agenda,” Syed Ali added.
Despite the authorities claiming otherwise, Anwar has always maintained that the second sodomy charge, similar to the first, is a political conspiracy against him.
Cops take statement from Zahid on sedition report - Malaysiakini
However, Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar refused to divulge further details.
"Investigations are still ongoing. We have already called him (Zahid) to give his statement," Khalid (left) said at a brief press conference at Bukit Aman today.Perak DAP had lodged a report against Zahid, claiming he had made seditious remarks in his speech at a ceramah in connection with the recent Pengkalan Kubor by-election.
The statement was on a demonstration held in Kuala Kangsar during the Perak constitutional crisis imbroglio in 2009.
The home minister is reported to have said that DAP members threw rocks at the then Perak Raja Muda and also on his car at the height of the political crisis.
Meanwhile, Zahid said he had not only given a statement to the police two days ago, but also handed over evidence related to his speech.
Zahid: I have given police audio recording
“Yes, and I have not only give the police the audio (recording), but also the visuals and transcript of my speech,” he said when met at the Parliament lobby.
In a jovial tone, the home minister told reporters that he has full confidence in the police to investigate him.
“I leave it to the police to conduct investigation on the minister with jurisdiction over the police,” he said.
On another matter, Khalid said some 10,000 taxi drivers registered with the MyTeksi smartphone app are about to become the eyes and ears of the police through a collaborative effort.
The drivers would also become an intermediary between the police and the society at large in fighting street crimes, he said.
“Taxi drivers are everywhere, even in places where there are no police,” Khalid said.
He said the taxi drivers with MyTeksi will be given training by the police in stages.
The MyTeksi app was launched two years ago to help users call a cab, and now has also been updated with an emergency button that connects them to a nearby police headquarters if they witness any crime or accident.
'Isma chief's sedition charge is Islam's battle' - Malaysiakini
Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma)’s
campaign to rally support behind its president Abdullah Zaik Abdul
Rahman continues with the release of a lengthy write-up on his journey
thus far.
In the biography-style article published on its mouthpiece Ismaweb, the
portal paints Abdullah Zaik – or ‘Ustaz Lah’ – not only as a defender of
Islam, but also as an international thinker and a leader of his time.
And
of all his many achievements thus far, the father of nine’s pivotal
battle in upholding Islam is this “selective prosecution” brought on by
MCA and DAP, for a statement he made to defend the sovereignty of Islam
and Malays in Malaysia.
“This move is none other than an attempt to weaken the struggle to
regain the stature of Malays and Islam in Malaysia. Let us all come
together to defend this true Muslim-Malay fighter,” it reads.
It said that it is for this reason that May 6, 2014 should be remembered
as “the most historical date in the struggle to uphold Islam and Malays
in Malaysia”.
“A statement was made with clear intention to remind the Chinese of
their origins and to defend the sovereignty of Islam and Malays in this
country.
“The statement was made in response to the insolence of MCA and DAP, who
were in cahoots to ridicule the implementation of the hudud in
Malaysia.
“Malaysia is clearly a Muslim country, and this is clearly carved out in
the Federal Constitution. The insolence was committed on a land where
Islam is like a teak tee – tall, strong and remarkable.”
Abdullah Zaik, 48, was charged with sedition after saying that the Chinese had entered Malaya as intruders.
Achievements thus far
Founding Isma in 1997, the biography says, Abdullah Zaik’s feats include
leading Isma in obtaining 740,000 signatures to oppose the Coalition of
Malaysian NGOs for the Universal Periodic Review process (Comango)’s
“efforts to undermine the constitution”.
The
graduate in syariah studies from Al-Azhar University, Egypt, also
played an important role in Himpunan Sejuta Umat (Himpun), which among
others was a response against the proselytisation of Muslims, it said.
He also heads Aman Paestin Bhd and sits on the advisory board for
Yayasan al-Quds Malaysia and Public Campaign to Protect Palestine
(P2CP), advocates of Palestinian rights.
Azbullah Zaik was once chairperson of the Malaysia-Turkey Foundation and
founder of the Internatinal Muslim Thinkers Conference.
“Ustaz Lah also understands the importance of building a strong Malay
Archipelago (Nusantara) identity, and is putting together a historical
colloquium on Malay sovereignty in the archipelago,” it said.
At home, Abdullah Zaik was also member of the Standing Committee on
Religious Harmony and Understanding and boasts 20,000 members under
Isma.
“Today Isma continues to progress as a pressure group to represent Malay
Muslims, with the slogan ‘Developing a community with an agenda’,” it
said.
Abdullah
Zaik’s trial, scheduled to start on Monday has been postponed to Dec 22
pending the constitutional challenge of the Sedition Act by law
lecturer Azmi Sharom.
In the lead up to the trial, Isma has been on a social media blitz to
rally support for its president, under the campaign – ‘We are all
Abdullah Zaik’.
Islam, Muslims and I - Malaysiakini
Due to a few loudmouths who tend to use Islam for their political glory in Malaysia, the problem is that there are just too many 'experts on Islam' from Muslims and non-Muslims crawling out of the woodwork and into the media, with labels of extremism, liberalism, conservatism, orientalism, feudalism, and all the ...isms.
While non Muslims use Muslims as the benchmark for Islam, many Muslims dig out what they want from Islam and use it to defend themselves. Both end up insulting Islam.
Many of these also try to reason that Islam only came 1,400 years ago.
Islam, in the form we know it now, came 1,400 years ago, but one forgets that the Quran states that we came from Adam and Eve, which was not 1,400 years ago. That happened since the Earth was created, whenever that was. So, to just confine Islam to 1,400 years ago is plain wrong if one were to talk about Islam.
But I believe that Islam was beautified and perfected 1,400 years ago. For example, initially, Muslims were to pray 50 prayers a day, but now we only have five obligatory prayers.
As
a plain Muslim, and I believe for most Malaysian Muslims who do not get
the front pages of the media, Islam for us is a way of life and our
belief in one God and his messengers and the goodness of mankind. That
is the Islam I believe, no ..isms there.I am one of those people Ben Affleck talked about - it is sad that in this Internet world, we had to have Ben Affleck to point out that we exist and that the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) is only accepted by a dismissible percentage of Muslims.
And as a plain Muslim, I believe that there is a group of people who have spent the better part of their life poring over the sacred texts and translations and commentaries and that they are better equipped to issue the explanations to the flexing questions we simple people have.
For the majority of Muslims, we do not have the time nor the ability to go through the sacred texts and find out the logic answer, so people like me will leave this to the ulamas, which literally means the learned.
With knowledge comes humility
And ulamas mean 'ulamas' - people who have vast knowledge and ability to explain to laymen. With knowledge, comes humility and respect for mankind - all kinds, not just Muslims.
I remember how in Cairo there are many old sheikhs who open their doors for all and sundry to go to them and sit and ask questions. One does not have to be a Muslim or fully covered to sit in front of them. They will answer your questions and will look at you in the eye when they speak.
I remember how my friends and I went to this sheikh and one of my friends actually asked him about why women cannot pray when they have their menses.
He
explained in detail but it was done without any sexual connotations, it
was almost a biology lesson and we were not embarrassed.The fact that in Malaysia, children are taught sexism and racism in religion in Islamic studies in national schools just runs smack of that scene I gave in Cairo.
In Malaysia, unfortunately, Muslims do not have that many learned people for us to go to and we end up Googling to find out the whys and hows of simple daily things.
Those learned people here, not all, but most, would only give lectures and not entertain questions. And to get people to listen, many would try to spice up their lectures with sex and funny anecdotes that insult the intelligence.
Too many people wear the ulama badge, even those who have merely finished the tahfiz secondary school.
(Having learnt the Quran by heart does not make you learned, speaking a smattering of Arabic does not make you learned. Just covering your face and putting on a robe, does not make you learned. But then again, I digress and that is another issue I will leave for another article.)
Yet, even then, while I give authority to those learned people, I have come to know from learned people themselves that if the authority in question goes against the logic of humanity, then as a Muslim, I have a right to choose to believe or follow or not. But first I must have a valid argument to oppose. If I am going to oppose for the sake of opposing, then it is best for me to bite my tongue and let it burn.
I believe in women’s rights, but...
For example, I believe in women's rights, but I must understand there is a reason women cannot lead the prayers.
My father used to tell this story again and again.
"If a woman leads a prayer, then the men behind would forget to follow. For, a man and a woman are of different attractions. A man bending is not much of a distraction to women but a woman bending would pose much distraction to men."
Simple logic, to me.
Yet, the Prophet Muhammad on his deathbed put women on top of his agenda and told men to protect them. (What the men did later to women in the name of Islam is another story.)
This
is why I believe Islam is a religion that has many moulds and yet the
same batter. One just have to visit Mecca and see how millions will rise
and bow at the same instant, in various positions, similar fashion yet
not the same, to that one call "Allah-u Akbar" (God is Great).Probably why the Prophet Muhammad himself said that at the end of time, Muslims will be in tens of sects - one Hadith says 73.
This is why I will accept it your right, if you are an adult in your right mind and claim you are a Muslim, to practise Islam within the basic framework.
I also accept that it is your right to cover your face, your head or your body, as long as it does not transgress my right or my children's rights, for whom I have complete authority, until they too become adults in their right minds.
It is your right if you want to drink alcohol, smoke, eat pork or screw yourselves silly, as long as it does not involve me or my personal space.
Some Muslims may say, "Hey, then you are a liberal".
No, I am just being a Muslim and I believe in the fundamentals. Am I a fundamentalist then?
I will defend Islam using all the fatwas that are logical to me. Does that mean I am an extremist?
I will defend Islam to the last of my breath. Does that mean I am a jihadist?
No, I am just a plain Muslim. A person of peace, as the Prophet Muhammad said. But if you make fun of Islam and do stupid things in the name of Islam and embarrass the religion, I will defend myself and my religion.
That, to me, is my right, as an adult in my right mind.
ZAKIAH KOYA is a member of the Malaysiakini Team.
Protecting the right to speak
When you allow people to express themselves peacefully and when you ensure one group does not harass another group, what you would be achieving in the long term is a peaceful society.
Azmi Sharom, The Star
LAST Sunday a group of people gathered at the Speakers Corner in Penang to protest against the Sedition Act. They did not get very far because a bunch of, now how shall I put this politely, unruly humans shouted abuse at them and harassed them to the point where it was impossible to continue.
Now I think these fellows who wanted to stop the gathering have just as much right as anyone else to voice their opinion. Apparently, they will defend the Sedition Act till their dying breath.
What a wonderfully dedicated lot of humans they are; so very committed, so very brave. Maybe they should get a medal.
However, I would like to point out a small point regarding the right to assemble and to speak.
This is not meant for those courageous men who so fearlessly chased away a couple of tourists from Speakers Corner. I am sure their craniums are already full to overflowing with whatever it is they like to put in there and I doubt there is any room in that space between their heroic ears for any new ideas.
No, this message is for the police. I want them to know about certain international standards regarding protests and counter-protests. I am using international standards because I am certain our men and women in blue would like to be an international-standard police force. Surely they want to be seen as one of the best police services in the world.
Anyway, back to the lesson. Everyone has the right to assemble and speak their mind on issues they think are important.
Conversely, those who dislike their point of view also have a right to assemble and speak their minds.
The job of the police, nay, the duty of the police, is to allow both groups the space with which to express them.
However, when you have competing groups, the blood might rise a bit higher than normal and thus, there could be a possibility of unpleasant clashes.
This is why it is the police’s job, nay, duty, to ensure the groups are kept separate.
In this way, everybody’s right to expression is upheld.
It is not the police force’s job to pick sides. It is not their job to allow one group to chase another one away.
In fact, it is the antithesis of what they are supposed to do.
Now ideally I would like to have a police force which truly appreciates the values of a democratic country.
It would be wonderful beyond belief if they understand that when they protect the citizen’s right to speak, what they are in truth protecting is the very essence of our independent nation – that is to say, a nation built upon the promise of civil liberties, democracy and the rule of law.
However, if this is too abstract a concept to be passed on, allow me to make another argument.
When you allow people to express themselves peacefully and when you ensure one group does not harass another group, what you would be achieving in the long term is a peaceful society.
Let me explain. If I am going to organise a protest and I know there will be a bunch of unruly humans who will try to break my gathering up, I could do one or two things.
Firstly, trust the police to keep us apart.
Or secondly, gather a group of people to confront the unruly humans. The second option could very easily lead to fisticuffs and a whole lot of overweight men wheezing for breath.
Wouldn’t it be better if the cops were to just do their duty and prevent such things from happening?
After all, they are always going on about how important peace and security is.
Besides, wheezing fat men are most unsightly.
By the way, in case the police think it is better not to let people gather at all, may I point out two things? Firstly, it is our right to gather and to express ourselves.
And secondly, if you don’t allow people to speak peacefully and if they get frustrated at the suppression of their rights, that is when people turn to unlawful means to get their message across.
Therefore, no matter how you look at it, if the police of Malaysia are truly concerned about peace, then they have to get their act together and start behaving according to international standards of respecting everybody’s right to express themselves.
Here ends the lesson.
LAST Sunday a group of people gathered at the Speakers Corner in Penang to protest against the Sedition Act. They did not get very far because a bunch of, now how shall I put this politely, unruly humans shouted abuse at them and harassed them to the point where it was impossible to continue.
Now I think these fellows who wanted to stop the gathering have just as much right as anyone else to voice their opinion. Apparently, they will defend the Sedition Act till their dying breath.
What a wonderfully dedicated lot of humans they are; so very committed, so very brave. Maybe they should get a medal.
However, I would like to point out a small point regarding the right to assemble and to speak.
This is not meant for those courageous men who so fearlessly chased away a couple of tourists from Speakers Corner. I am sure their craniums are already full to overflowing with whatever it is they like to put in there and I doubt there is any room in that space between their heroic ears for any new ideas.
No, this message is for the police. I want them to know about certain international standards regarding protests and counter-protests. I am using international standards because I am certain our men and women in blue would like to be an international-standard police force. Surely they want to be seen as one of the best police services in the world.
Anyway, back to the lesson. Everyone has the right to assemble and speak their mind on issues they think are important.
Conversely, those who dislike their point of view also have a right to assemble and speak their minds.
The job of the police, nay, the duty of the police, is to allow both groups the space with which to express them.
However, when you have competing groups, the blood might rise a bit higher than normal and thus, there could be a possibility of unpleasant clashes.
This is why it is the police’s job, nay, duty, to ensure the groups are kept separate.
In this way, everybody’s right to expression is upheld.
It is not the police force’s job to pick sides. It is not their job to allow one group to chase another one away.
In fact, it is the antithesis of what they are supposed to do.
Now ideally I would like to have a police force which truly appreciates the values of a democratic country.
It would be wonderful beyond belief if they understand that when they protect the citizen’s right to speak, what they are in truth protecting is the very essence of our independent nation – that is to say, a nation built upon the promise of civil liberties, democracy and the rule of law.
However, if this is too abstract a concept to be passed on, allow me to make another argument.
When you allow people to express themselves peacefully and when you ensure one group does not harass another group, what you would be achieving in the long term is a peaceful society.
Let me explain. If I am going to organise a protest and I know there will be a bunch of unruly humans who will try to break my gathering up, I could do one or two things.
Firstly, trust the police to keep us apart.
Or secondly, gather a group of people to confront the unruly humans. The second option could very easily lead to fisticuffs and a whole lot of overweight men wheezing for breath.
Wouldn’t it be better if the cops were to just do their duty and prevent such things from happening?
After all, they are always going on about how important peace and security is.
Besides, wheezing fat men are most unsightly.
By the way, in case the police think it is better not to let people gather at all, may I point out two things? Firstly, it is our right to gather and to express ourselves.
And secondly, if you don’t allow people to speak peacefully and if they get frustrated at the suppression of their rights, that is when people turn to unlawful means to get their message across.
Therefore, no matter how you look at it, if the police of Malaysia are truly concerned about peace, then they have to get their act together and start behaving according to international standards of respecting everybody’s right to express themselves.
Here ends the lesson.
Varsities on the lookout for IS recruitment
Measures are in place to curb militant groups from recruiting students via Facebook.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Local universities are constantly monitoring students’ activities to ensure they are not influenced or recruited by militant groups.
President of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Rais Yatim said the management and staff of the university’s security division conducted checks on students’ background so that they were not susceptible to groups professing the ‘jihad’.
He proposed that other public and private institutions of higher learning take similar precautionary measures to curb the increasingly aggressive actions of militant groups in enticing the young through Facebook.
“The universities cannot remain silent, as anything unforeseen may happen. This is a great security challenge as idealism is an issue which is easily penetrated in universities,” he told Bernama.
Principal Assistant Director of the Counter Terrorism Division of the Special Branch at Bukit Aman, SAC Ayob Mydin Khan Pitchay revealed efforts by militant groups to recruit the young through Facebook.
They target on those between the ages of 15 and 30 years, including school children and university students with family and education problems in the name of jihad.
Rais also said that so far, no IIUM student had been found to be involved or have any inclinations towards the group.
“Should a student be found to be involved, he or she will automatically be expelled as the university will not compromise when it comes to security,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said the university would also monitor developments relating to the group and was prepared to cooperate with the authorities at any time.
Sahol Hamid also believed that only a small number of students were likely to be swayed by the group’s propaganda, while the majority were mature enough to differentiate the good from the bad.
The same view was shared by Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Ibrahim Komoo who was in awe as to how some university students could be involved in militant group activities.
“It is unreasonable for students to get involved unless this group is exceptionally good in persuading and inciting them,” he said, adding that it could be tough to fend off the persuasion for students who “lack inner strength”.
Ibrahim doubted if there were UMT students involved with militant groups as the university adopted a stringent system in the selection of its students.
Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Dr Raduan Che Rose said the university also monitored its students’ movements and activities.
There are three militant groups joined by Malaysians in Syria, namely the Islamic State (IS), Jabhat Al Nusra and Ajnad Al Sham.
So far 22 Malaysians, including three women, have been detected to be with militant groups in Syria and 23 others have been detained in the country for alleged links with these groups. – Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Local universities are constantly monitoring students’ activities to ensure they are not influenced or recruited by militant groups.
President of the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) Rais Yatim said the management and staff of the university’s security division conducted checks on students’ background so that they were not susceptible to groups professing the ‘jihad’.
He proposed that other public and private institutions of higher learning take similar precautionary measures to curb the increasingly aggressive actions of militant groups in enticing the young through Facebook.
“The universities cannot remain silent, as anything unforeseen may happen. This is a great security challenge as idealism is an issue which is easily penetrated in universities,” he told Bernama.
Principal Assistant Director of the Counter Terrorism Division of the Special Branch at Bukit Aman, SAC Ayob Mydin Khan Pitchay revealed efforts by militant groups to recruit the young through Facebook.
They target on those between the ages of 15 and 30 years, including school children and university students with family and education problems in the name of jihad.
Rais also said that so far, no IIUM student had been found to be involved or have any inclinations towards the group.
“Should a student be found to be involved, he or she will automatically be expelled as the university will not compromise when it comes to security,” he said.
Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Sahol Hamid Abu Bakar said the university would also monitor developments relating to the group and was prepared to cooperate with the authorities at any time.
Sahol Hamid also believed that only a small number of students were likely to be swayed by the group’s propaganda, while the majority were mature enough to differentiate the good from the bad.
The same view was shared by Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Terengganu (UMT) Ibrahim Komoo who was in awe as to how some university students could be involved in militant group activities.
“It is unreasonable for students to get involved unless this group is exceptionally good in persuading and inciting them,” he said, adding that it could be tough to fend off the persuasion for students who “lack inner strength”.
Ibrahim doubted if there were UMT students involved with militant groups as the university adopted a stringent system in the selection of its students.
Meanwhile, Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Dr Raduan Che Rose said the university also monitored its students’ movements and activities.
There are three militant groups joined by Malaysians in Syria, namely the Islamic State (IS), Jabhat Al Nusra and Ajnad Al Sham.
So far 22 Malaysians, including three women, have been detected to be with militant groups in Syria and 23 others have been detained in the country for alleged links with these groups. – Bernama
‘Peanuts’ for Tamil, Chinese schools punitive
The Prime Minister has repeatedly reminded that he is a Prime Minister of and for all Malaysians.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: The token RM 50 million allocation in Budget 2015 for Tamil and Chinese schools is a punitive measure designed to drive home the point that there’s a price to be paid for voting opposition, if not for pushing vernacular education over national schools.
“The budget reveals the racial bias of Barisan Nasional (BN) and the state system which it controls, as well as revealing of the racist character of the country’s major stake players,” said Lim Teck Ghee, Director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI), a think tank.
The public can be forgiven, thinks Lim, for linking the budgetary allocations to the speech delivered by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the annual general assembly of the MCA.
In the Prime Minister’s speech he made two important points, he noted.
One was that Putrajaya could do more for the Chinese community, he stressed, and the other point was that this was linked to them supporting the BN.
“You have to do your part. You cannot demand and support DAP, you cannot demand and support PR… you demand and support BN, and we will be fair to the Chinese community,” said Najib, recalled Lim.
The only logical inference we can take away from this statement is that the budget has been used to punish the Chinese, believes Lim, for not throwing their support behind the MCA and BN during the last elections.
Put bluntly, the message is “You vote the opposition and we will punish you wherever and whenever we can”.
“We may not be able to do it in the budgetary allocation for health or transport or other sectors where the allocations are more race neutral. But in sectors where we can draw the line on the basis of race, we will do it,” is what BN is saying, according to Lim.
Najib, at the same time, was a bundle of contradictions in his speech.
Najib, in the same speech, also reassured the Chinese community of its right to mother tongue education, reiterating that the right is enshrined in the Federal Constitution and in the laws of the land, besides being included in the National Education Blueprint, said Lim.
What takes the cake, continued Lim, was that “the Prime Minister has repeatedly reminded us that he is a Prime Minister of and for all Malaysians”.
KUALA LUMPUR: The token RM 50 million allocation in Budget 2015 for Tamil and Chinese schools is a punitive measure designed to drive home the point that there’s a price to be paid for voting opposition, if not for pushing vernacular education over national schools.
“The budget reveals the racial bias of Barisan Nasional (BN) and the state system which it controls, as well as revealing of the racist character of the country’s major stake players,” said Lim Teck Ghee, Director of the Centre for Policy Initiatives (CPI), a think tank.
The public can be forgiven, thinks Lim, for linking the budgetary allocations to the speech delivered by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak at the annual general assembly of the MCA.
In the Prime Minister’s speech he made two important points, he noted.
One was that Putrajaya could do more for the Chinese community, he stressed, and the other point was that this was linked to them supporting the BN.
“You have to do your part. You cannot demand and support DAP, you cannot demand and support PR… you demand and support BN, and we will be fair to the Chinese community,” said Najib, recalled Lim.
The only logical inference we can take away from this statement is that the budget has been used to punish the Chinese, believes Lim, for not throwing their support behind the MCA and BN during the last elections.
Put bluntly, the message is “You vote the opposition and we will punish you wherever and whenever we can”.
“We may not be able to do it in the budgetary allocation for health or transport or other sectors where the allocations are more race neutral. But in sectors where we can draw the line on the basis of race, we will do it,” is what BN is saying, according to Lim.
Najib, at the same time, was a bundle of contradictions in his speech.
Najib, in the same speech, also reassured the Chinese community of its right to mother tongue education, reiterating that the right is enshrined in the Federal Constitution and in the laws of the land, besides being included in the National Education Blueprint, said Lim.
What takes the cake, continued Lim, was that “the Prime Minister has repeatedly reminded us that he is a Prime Minister of and for all Malaysians”.
Kiwi widow rejects MH370 compensation
Beneficiary told to fill detailed questionaire but declined after seeking legal advice.
FMT
WELLINGTON: A widow has rejected a US$50,000 offer by Malaysia Airlines for families of MH370 victims because of the conditions that came with it, the New Zealand Herald reported yesterday.
MAS had said that the US$50,000 compensation to the families of MH370 victims was only part of the final payment.
The Herald reported yesterday that widow of Kiwi victim Paul Weeks had rejected the offer because she was asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire, but after seeking legal advice, she was reluctant to do so.
A Malaysia Airlines spokesperson told the Herald that the offer was made in good faith with no strings attached.
Some victims had accepted the offer, however, the airline understood why others were hesitant.
“An advance compensation payment of US$50,000 has been offered to the families of each passenger on board MH370 to alleviate any immediate financial hardship,” the spokesperson said via email.
“The payment is being made in recognition of a non-binding, though widely followed international practice, with the amount being part of and to be offset against the final damages payable.
“The payment being offered is not conditional on the families waiving any rights to claim further compensation from the airline and the families remain free to take whatever further legal action they deem appropriate.
“However, in order to receive the payment full personal details have been requested to ensure that the amount is made to the legally entitled next of kin,” he said.
The spokesperson wanted to assure victims that full compensation would be offered regardless of whether they accepted the initial payment.
“The families are at liberty to either accept or reject the offer. The families were also advised that they can accept the payment later if they so wish,” he clarified.
The spokesperson could not comment further on when final compensation would be offered.
Voice370, the group Mrs Weeks helped set up for the families of the missing, criticised the offer at the weekend.
“Is any life worth so little?” the group asked.
“No sum of money, no matter how great, can compensate the families for our losses. No amount of money can ever take the pain away. True justice cannot be measured by money.”
The group said finding out what happened to MH370 was more important than compensation.
WELLINGTON: A widow has rejected a US$50,000 offer by Malaysia Airlines for families of MH370 victims because of the conditions that came with it, the New Zealand Herald reported yesterday.
MAS had said that the US$50,000 compensation to the families of MH370 victims was only part of the final payment.
The Herald reported yesterday that widow of Kiwi victim Paul Weeks had rejected the offer because she was asked to fill out a detailed questionnaire, but after seeking legal advice, she was reluctant to do so.
A Malaysia Airlines spokesperson told the Herald that the offer was made in good faith with no strings attached.
Some victims had accepted the offer, however, the airline understood why others were hesitant.
“An advance compensation payment of US$50,000 has been offered to the families of each passenger on board MH370 to alleviate any immediate financial hardship,” the spokesperson said via email.
“The payment is being made in recognition of a non-binding, though widely followed international practice, with the amount being part of and to be offset against the final damages payable.
“The payment being offered is not conditional on the families waiving any rights to claim further compensation from the airline and the families remain free to take whatever further legal action they deem appropriate.
“However, in order to receive the payment full personal details have been requested to ensure that the amount is made to the legally entitled next of kin,” he said.
The spokesperson wanted to assure victims that full compensation would be offered regardless of whether they accepted the initial payment.
“The families are at liberty to either accept or reject the offer. The families were also advised that they can accept the payment later if they so wish,” he clarified.
The spokesperson could not comment further on when final compensation would be offered.
Voice370, the group Mrs Weeks helped set up for the families of the missing, criticised the offer at the weekend.
“Is any life worth so little?” the group asked.
“No sum of money, no matter how great, can compensate the families for our losses. No amount of money can ever take the pain away. True justice cannot be measured by money.”
The group said finding out what happened to MH370 was more important than compensation.
Did PM mastermind sedition blitz or has he lost control?
Continuing his tirade against injustices, Kit Siang decries arrest of slipper protestor.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP today denounced the arrest of a protestor who held a slipper against a poster of Prime Minister Najib Razak, calling it a “rank and blatant injustice” in the light of the authorities’ refusal to punish Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali for his Bible burning statement.
The man in question, odd-job worker M. Krishan, was picked up last Saturday and is being investigated under the Penal Code for intent to disrupt harmony and to commit a crime. He was one of the participants in an October 8 protest against the fuel price hike and the impending introduction of the Goods and Services Tax.
In his latest tirade against the “defects and abuses in the administration of justice in the country,” DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang referred to the Prime Minister’s Department’s defence of inaction against Ibrahim as an instance of double standards being applied.
“If Ibrahim Ali’s threat to burn the Malay-language Bible is allegedly protected by Article 11(4) of the Constitution, isn’t the protestor photographed holding a slipper against a poster of the Prime Minister protected by Article 10 (1) on freedom of expression?” he asked.
“The arrest of the protestor and the immunity of Ibrahim Ali have further highlighted the rank and blatant defects and abuses in the administration of justice in the country; at a time when the Najib premiership is shocking the nation and the world with a white terror regime unleashed by a blitz of selective and malicious sedition prosecutions against Pakatan Rakyat leaders, activists and intellectuals.”
Lim wondered whether Najib was the mastermind behind the sedition blitz or had become a prime minister who had lost control of his government. He asked whether the Attorney-General was “marching to the beat of a different drummer, heading in the opposite direction of Malaysia as the world’s best democracy as pledged by Najib”.
He claimed that no cabinet minister would defend the sedition dragnet in private, but said “the tragedy” was that no one in the cabinet would dare call for a halt of “such a travesty of justice and trampling on democracy”.
Lim gave his support for the Malaysian Bar’s “Walk for Peace“ tomorrow, saying reasoning with the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General and cabinet ministers about “iniquities and injustices” had apparently become a “dialogue with the deaf”.
KUALA LUMPUR: DAP today denounced the arrest of a protestor who held a slipper against a poster of Prime Minister Najib Razak, calling it a “rank and blatant injustice” in the light of the authorities’ refusal to punish Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali for his Bible burning statement.
The man in question, odd-job worker M. Krishan, was picked up last Saturday and is being investigated under the Penal Code for intent to disrupt harmony and to commit a crime. He was one of the participants in an October 8 protest against the fuel price hike and the impending introduction of the Goods and Services Tax.
In his latest tirade against the “defects and abuses in the administration of justice in the country,” DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang referred to the Prime Minister’s Department’s defence of inaction against Ibrahim as an instance of double standards being applied.
“If Ibrahim Ali’s threat to burn the Malay-language Bible is allegedly protected by Article 11(4) of the Constitution, isn’t the protestor photographed holding a slipper against a poster of the Prime Minister protected by Article 10 (1) on freedom of expression?” he asked.
“The arrest of the protestor and the immunity of Ibrahim Ali have further highlighted the rank and blatant defects and abuses in the administration of justice in the country; at a time when the Najib premiership is shocking the nation and the world with a white terror regime unleashed by a blitz of selective and malicious sedition prosecutions against Pakatan Rakyat leaders, activists and intellectuals.”
Lim wondered whether Najib was the mastermind behind the sedition blitz or had become a prime minister who had lost control of his government. He asked whether the Attorney-General was “marching to the beat of a different drummer, heading in the opposite direction of Malaysia as the world’s best democracy as pledged by Najib”.
He claimed that no cabinet minister would defend the sedition dragnet in private, but said “the tragedy” was that no one in the cabinet would dare call for a halt of “such a travesty of justice and trampling on democracy”.
Lim gave his support for the Malaysian Bar’s “Walk for Peace“ tomorrow, saying reasoning with the Prime Minister, the Attorney-General and cabinet ministers about “iniquities and injustices” had apparently become a “dialogue with the deaf”.
39 identified with links to militant groups
Ahmad Zahid says government will act against those proven to be involved in militant activities.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have identified 39 Malaysians, one of them a woman, as having links with militant groups, including the Islamic State (IS), the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the police had yet to get verification on the involvement of any individual in the activities of the Jihad Al-Nikah or sexual ‘jihad’.
He disclosed this in a written reply to a question from Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) on the matter.
The Jihad Al-Nikah refers to the controversial concept of women offering themselves to militants to satisfy the latter’s sexual needs.
Ahmad Zahid said the government would act in accordance with the law against those proven to be involved in militant activities.
This included using the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, Penal Code and Societies Act 1966, he added.
“The government has never recognised any entity, organisation or pact involved with militants in the country or abroad,” said Ahmad Zahid.
- Bernama
KUALA LUMPUR: Police have identified 39 Malaysians, one of them a woman, as having links with militant groups, including the Islamic State (IS), the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the police had yet to get verification on the involvement of any individual in the activities of the Jihad Al-Nikah or sexual ‘jihad’.
He disclosed this in a written reply to a question from Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut) on the matter.
The Jihad Al-Nikah refers to the controversial concept of women offering themselves to militants to satisfy the latter’s sexual needs.
Ahmad Zahid said the government would act in accordance with the law against those proven to be involved in militant activities.
This included using the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, Penal Code and Societies Act 1966, he added.
“The government has never recognised any entity, organisation or pact involved with militants in the country or abroad,” said Ahmad Zahid.
- Bernama
Heartening Report on Global Hunger
But still 800 million people go to bed hungry, IFPRI report notes
Asia Sentinel
The world has made significant progress in combating global hunger, according to the 2014 Global Hunger Index published this week by the International Food Policy Research Institute. The state of hunger in developing countries as a group has improved since 1990, falling by a heartening 39 percent, according to the 2014 index.
“Undernourishment fell most rapidly between 1990 and 1995, underweight after 2005, and progress in reducing child mortality has gained momentum since 2000,” the report notes. “Even with these improvements, the 2014 aggregate index remains ‘serious’ and warrants continued concern.”
Despite the progress, the report says, the level of hunger in the world is still serious, with more than 800 million people continuing to go to bed hungry, according to estimates quoted by IFPRI from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Other sources published recently say Indonesia, despite rapidly improving economic conditions, continues to suffer badly from childhood stunting from malnutrition. According to a 2013 report by UNICEF, in some provinces including Nusa Tenggara Barat, stunting is actually increasing as mothers forgo breastfeeding. According to the UNICEF report, stunting, which can affect mental acuity as well as physical prowess, has increased from 43 percent in 2003 to 48 percent in 2010. Stunting actually affects 17 percent of all children across Indonesia, according to Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, up from 15 percent across the country, primarily because of parental unawareness of children’s growth needs.
Progress in addressing child underweight was the main factor behind the improved score for the region since 1990, with 26 countries reducing their scores by 50 percent or more. In terms of absolute progress, comparing 1990 GHI with 2014, Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chad, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Thailand, and Vietnam saw the biggest improvements in scores.
In India, the percentage of underweight in children fell by almost 13 percentage points between 2005–2006 and 2013–2014 as a range of programs and initiatives launched by India’s central and state governments in the past decade seems to finally have made a difference for child nutrition, according to the document.
IFPRI found that both Thailand and Vietnam have achieved impressive progress in reducing hunger since 1990. In the past two decades, Thailand, IFPRI says, has experienced robust economic growth and reduced poverty despite brief setbacks related to the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998. Vietnam has also cut back its 1990 GHI score by more than three-quarters, reducing the proportion of undernourished from 48 percent to only 8 percent, lowered underweight in children from 41 percent to 12 percent between 1990 and 2011, and more than halved the under-five mortality rate. While every second pregnant woman in Vietnam was anemic in 1995, only one in three pregnant women still suffered from anemia six years later.
GDP per capita has more than tripled in Vietnam since 1990, and strong, broad-based economic growth translated into a decline in the proportion of people living on less than US$1.25 per day, from 64 percent to 17 percent between 1993 and 2008, according to the World Bank 2014. The country put nutrition high on its agenda, effectively developed and carried out a plan to prevent protein-energy malnutrition among children, achieved high coverage of immunization and other primary healthcare services, granted targeted health subsidies to the poor, and ran successful social security programs.
The report by the Washington, DC-based NGO concentrates on one form of hunger that it says is often ignored or overshadowed by hunger related to energy deficits. It is hidden hunger—also called micronutrient deficiency—which affects some 2 billion people around the world, the report notes, meaning a shortage in essential vitamins and minerals can that have long-term, irreversible health effects as well as socioeconomic consequences that can erode well-being and development and take a toll on economies.
Hidden hunger can coexist with adequate or even excessive consumption of dietary energy from macronutrients, such as fats and carbohydrates, and therefore also with overweight /obesity in one person or community.
“Poor diet, disease, impaired absorption, and increased micronutrient needs during certain life stages, such as pregnancy, lactation, and infancy, are among the causes of hidden hunger, which may ‘“invisibly’ affect the health and development of a population.”
To eliminate hidden hunger, IFPRI says, governments must make fighting it a priority, investing in and developing human and financial resources, increase coordination, and ensure transparent monitoring and evaluation to build capacity on nutrition. Governments must also create regulatory environments that value good nutrition. This could involve creating incentives for private sector companies to develop more nutritious seeds or foods.
“Transparent accountability systems are needed in order to ensure that investments contribute to public health, while standardized data collection on micronutrient deficiencies can build the evidence base on the efficacy and cost effectiveness of food-based solutions.’
The world has made significant progress in combating global hunger, according to the 2014 Global Hunger Index published this week by the International Food Policy Research Institute. The state of hunger in developing countries as a group has improved since 1990, falling by a heartening 39 percent, according to the 2014 index.
“Undernourishment fell most rapidly between 1990 and 1995, underweight after 2005, and progress in reducing child mortality has gained momentum since 2000,” the report notes. “Even with these improvements, the 2014 aggregate index remains ‘serious’ and warrants continued concern.”
Despite the progress, the report says, the level of hunger in the world is still serious, with more than 800 million people continuing to go to bed hungry, according to estimates quoted by IFPRI from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization.
Other sources published recently say Indonesia, despite rapidly improving economic conditions, continues to suffer badly from childhood stunting from malnutrition. According to a 2013 report by UNICEF, in some provinces including Nusa Tenggara Barat, stunting is actually increasing as mothers forgo breastfeeding. According to the UNICEF report, stunting, which can affect mental acuity as well as physical prowess, has increased from 43 percent in 2003 to 48 percent in 2010. Stunting actually affects 17 percent of all children across Indonesia, according to Women Empowerment and Child Protection Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar, up from 15 percent across the country, primarily because of parental unawareness of children’s growth needs.
Progress in addressing child underweight was the main factor behind the improved score for the region since 1990, with 26 countries reducing their scores by 50 percent or more. In terms of absolute progress, comparing 1990 GHI with 2014, Angola, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Chad, Ghana, Malawi, Niger, Rwanda, Thailand, and Vietnam saw the biggest improvements in scores.
In India, the percentage of underweight in children fell by almost 13 percentage points between 2005–2006 and 2013–2014 as a range of programs and initiatives launched by India’s central and state governments in the past decade seems to finally have made a difference for child nutrition, according to the document.
IFPRI found that both Thailand and Vietnam have achieved impressive progress in reducing hunger since 1990. In the past two decades, Thailand, IFPRI says, has experienced robust economic growth and reduced poverty despite brief setbacks related to the Asian financial crisis of 1997-1998. Vietnam has also cut back its 1990 GHI score by more than three-quarters, reducing the proportion of undernourished from 48 percent to only 8 percent, lowered underweight in children from 41 percent to 12 percent between 1990 and 2011, and more than halved the under-five mortality rate. While every second pregnant woman in Vietnam was anemic in 1995, only one in three pregnant women still suffered from anemia six years later.
GDP per capita has more than tripled in Vietnam since 1990, and strong, broad-based economic growth translated into a decline in the proportion of people living on less than US$1.25 per day, from 64 percent to 17 percent between 1993 and 2008, according to the World Bank 2014. The country put nutrition high on its agenda, effectively developed and carried out a plan to prevent protein-energy malnutrition among children, achieved high coverage of immunization and other primary healthcare services, granted targeted health subsidies to the poor, and ran successful social security programs.
The report by the Washington, DC-based NGO concentrates on one form of hunger that it says is often ignored or overshadowed by hunger related to energy deficits. It is hidden hunger—also called micronutrient deficiency—which affects some 2 billion people around the world, the report notes, meaning a shortage in essential vitamins and minerals can that have long-term, irreversible health effects as well as socioeconomic consequences that can erode well-being and development and take a toll on economies.
Hidden hunger can coexist with adequate or even excessive consumption of dietary energy from macronutrients, such as fats and carbohydrates, and therefore also with overweight /obesity in one person or community.
“Poor diet, disease, impaired absorption, and increased micronutrient needs during certain life stages, such as pregnancy, lactation, and infancy, are among the causes of hidden hunger, which may ‘“invisibly’ affect the health and development of a population.”
To eliminate hidden hunger, IFPRI says, governments must make fighting it a priority, investing in and developing human and financial resources, increase coordination, and ensure transparent monitoring and evaluation to build capacity on nutrition. Governments must also create regulatory environments that value good nutrition. This could involve creating incentives for private sector companies to develop more nutritious seeds or foods.
“Transparent accountability systems are needed in order to ensure that investments contribute to public health, while standardized data collection on micronutrient deficiencies can build the evidence base on the efficacy and cost effectiveness of food-based solutions.’
Zahid to be charged with sedition? Tell it to the Marines!
By Lim Kit Siang Blog,The Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abdu Bakar announced this morning that the police have recorded a statement from Home Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over his speech at the Pengkalan Kubor by-election which Perak DAP and DAPSY had made police reports as being “seditious”.
Perak DAP State Secretary Wong Kah Woh and DAPSY chief Teoh Kok Seong lodged the police reports more than three weeks ago on Zahid’s
“seditious” speech inciting racial sentiments, and it makes a total mockery of Zahid’s public oath that the police would investigate “within 24 hours” any sedition police report when the police took more than three weeks to take a statement from the Home Minister, who is the subject matter of the sedition police report.
The timing of the IGP’s announcement on the eve of the Bar Council’s “Solidarity Walk” against the recent blitzkrieg of sedition prosecutions against Pakatan Rakyat leaders, activists and intellectuals is also intriguing – is it to make the point that the police are even-handed and will investigate anyone who is the subject of a sedition police report?
If so, can the police explain why it has not yet investigated the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir although the DAP MP for Segambut Lim Lip Eng lodged separate sedition police reports against the two on Sept. 24 more than three weeks ago?
Is the police also trying to make the point that the police, in its investigations, is capable of recommending to the Attorney-General that the Home Minister be charged under the Sedition Act?
Tell it to the Marines!
As a former UMNO Minister had suggested during the current parliamentary budget debate that those charged under the Sedition Act 1948 must be made to prove their innocence, is Zahid prepared to be charged under the Sedition Act to let the courts decide whether he is guilty as well as accept the shifting of the onus of proof bearing the presumption of guilt instead of presumption of innocence?
Furthermore, would Zahid go along with the outrageous viewpoint of another Umno MP who seem to be quite agreeable with the idea that those found guilty of sedition should be “shot in the head”, claiming that this was what happened in China and during the Japanese Occupation.
Law Society raises concerns over Malaysian Sedition Act
10 October 2014
The
Law Society has expressed concern over Malaysia's continuing use of the
1948 Sedition Act. The act, which was made law during the British
colonial era, criminalises speech uttered 'to excite disaffection'
against the government. The act has been used to intimidate and silence
political opponents including lawyers.
The
Act is a contradiction of the UN's fundamental principles of human
rights, as set out in the General Assembly's Declaration on the Right
and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to
Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms. Principles which as a UN member state Malaysia is subject to.
The
Law Society has written to the Malaysian prime minister expressing
concern over the recent opening of an investigation by police in
Malaysia against Mr Edmund Bon, an advocate at Bon Advocates in Kuala
Lumpur, Malaysia. The arrest of Mr Bon is one of many and highlights the
continuing use of the act in Malaysia despite promises from the prime
minister to repeal the act.
President of the Law Society Andrew Caplen said:
'We
support the Malaysian Bar Council's decision to organise a Walk for
Peace and Justice to Parliament on 16 October. We hope that all parties
in Malaysia will make use of this unique moment to come together and
address the valid concerns of the Malaysian legal profession about the
use of the sedition act and the Rule of Law in Malaysia. The walk's
culmination of handing over of a memorandum or open letter to the prime
minister of Malaysia (or his representative) at parliament would be an
excellent starting point for a sincere dialogue between government and
civil society in Malaysia.'
Please click
here to read the letter by The Law Society to the Prime Minister of Malaysia.Malaysia Sets Example With Consistently Improved Scores In Corporate Governance Report - Najib
Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun RazakKUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia has set an example by being the only Asia Pacific country to have consistently improved the scores in the Corporate Governance Watch Report in its past four surveys.
"I would like to thank all who have worked towards strengthening our regional standing in corporate governance as we progress towards becoming a high-income, developed economy," he said in his latest post on his Facebook account, Wednesday.
Najib was commenting on Saudi Arabia's English-language daily newspaper, Saudi Gazette's report about how Malaysia had strengthened its regional standing in corporate governance after recording higher scores in the biennial Corporate Governance Watch 2014 Report.
The prime minister also provided a link to the news report.
In its online portal, Saudi Gazette reports that according to the report by the Asian Corporate Governance Association, in collaboration with CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets, Malaysia achieved an overall score of 58 percent in 2014 compared to 49 percent in 2007, maintaining its fourth ranking in the region.
The newspaper said, the report drew attention to the sustained and concerted efforts by Malaysia in driving governance reforms, resulting in Malaysia becoming the only market out of the Asia Pacific countries assessed that consistently improved its scores in each of the last four surveys.
Corporate Governance Watch Report or 'CG Watch' is a major regional survey which looks at the macro corporate governance quality in 11 Asian markets and provides aggregate data on more than 500 companies.
Press Release | Malaysian Bar’s Walk for Peace and Freedom 2014
This item has been updated since initial publication.
16 October 2014 (Thursday)
Padang Merbok Car Park, Kuala Lumpur
The
Malaysian Bar is walking for peace and freedom tomorrow (16 October
2014) as part of its campaign to repeal the Sedition Act 1948 (“Act”),
and for a moratorium on the use of the Act pending its repeal. The Walk
for Peace and Freedom 2014 is a public show of support for the Prime
Minister’s call for inclusiveness and for the voices of the moderates to
be heard.
No
freedom is without limits. Incitements to, threats of or acts of
racial or religious violence, and bringing into hatred the Royal
Institution, are not acceptable in Malaysia.
These
should, however, be dealt with by other legislation. There are, for
instance, existing provisions in the Penal Code that provide for the
crimes of causing disharmony, disunity and feelings of enmity and hatred
on the grounds of religion, criminal intimidation, insulting with the
intent to provoke a breach of peace, making statements conducive to
public mischief, and offences against the Rulers. New legislation and
policies to foster unity and harmony should be considered.
The
Malaysian Bar recognises that Islam is the religion of the Federation
and other religions may be practised in peace and harmony; the special
positions of the Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and
Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities; and the
sovereignty of the Rulers — these are clearly set out in the Federal
Constitution. The Malaysian Bar upholds the Federal Constitution as the
supreme law of the land. The call to repeal the Act is not a challenge
to those provisions.
The
Royal Institution, for example, is an integral and important part of
our nation-building. There are extremist elements that seek to drive a
wedge between Malaysians and polarise our society. Do not allow them to
succeed. Malaysians look to the Rulers to be Rulers and champions for
all Malaysians, and not only for a segment of Malaysians.
The
Malaysian Bar recalls the preamble to the Rukun Negara: we are a nation
dedicated to achieving a greater unity of all her peoples; seeking to
maintain a democratic way of life; creating a just society; ensuring a
liberal approach to Malaysia’s rich and diverse cultural traditions; and
building a progressive society and nation.
In
furtherance of the aspirations and values inherent in the Rukun Negara,
the Malaysian Bar supports lively debates and frank discourse, and
welcomes differences in opinions. Freedom of speech and expression of
thought help build and develop a nation seeking to nurture and maintain
long-term peace, bonds of unity, real mutual respect and lasting
harmony. The Act undermines these aspirations of right-thinking and
moderate Malaysians. An inclusive approach, as stated by the Prime
Minister, is the way forward as Malaysia aspires to be of developed
status by 2020.
Christopher Leong
President
Malaysian Bar
15 October 2014
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