Tuesday 23 December 2014
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Taxi driver fined £1,000 after refusing to pick up blind woman in pouring rain because she had a guide dog
- Sue Smith, who is blind, phoned taxi to collect her from Birmingham centre
- But when Shahzad Ahmad arrived he said his six-seater car was too small
- Ms Smith, 50, was left 'embarrassed' on the street with guide dog Sonny
- Ahmad was fired from the taxi company and now faces losing his licence
By Stephanie Linning for MailOnline
A taxi driver has been fined £1,000 after he refused to pick up a blind woman who was standing in the pouring rain because she had a guide dog.
Shahzad Ahmad, 32, told Sue Smith that he could not accept her fare because his vehicle wasn't big enough to fit five-year-old Labrador Sonny - even though he was driving a six-seater people carrier.
Ms Smith left feeling 'scared' and 'embarrassed' when Ahmad drove away, leaving her and Sonny to be soaked on the street, Birmingham Magistrates Court heard.
The 50-year-old had phoned taxi firm T.C. Cars after visiting the headquarters of Action for Blind People in Birmingham on March 27.
But she was stunned when Mr Ahmad arrived and told her that he could not take her with Sonny.
She was left 'embarrassed' and 'disorientated' in the street for 20 minutes as she tried to find her way back into the building she had just left.
Ms Smith said that the incident has 'dented her confidence' and has left her scared to get into a taxi.
It is an offence for a taxi driver not to take a blind person and their guide dog unless they have a medical exemption certificate for an allergy.
Ahmad was found guilty in his absence of breaching the Equality Act 2010 at Birmingham Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay court costs of £1,000 and a victim surcharge of £100.
On Thursday, Ms Smith, who lives with long term partner, Colin, 50, said: 'I was so angry and scared. It was horrible.
'It was pouring with rain and if I hadn't been going to the Action for the Blind building I would have just been stranded in the city centre. God knows what I would have done.
'I have been on antidepressants since and I'm scared to get a taxi now. It has really dented my confidence.
'He just kept saying "no, no, no" even though I told him it was illegal. He was very rude and just drove off.'
Ahmad, from Birmingham, has since been sacked by taxi firm and now faces losing his license.
John Kington, promotions manager at T.C. Cars, said: 'We acted swiftly and sharply as we do not tolerate this kind of behaviour at all.
'He was sacked straight away. Accommodating guide dogs is a requirement we are happy to meet and will continue to meet in future.'
Sue Bushell, from the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, added: 'Some drivers may have a fear of dogs but it is a legal requirement.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2882716/Taxi-driver-fined-1-000-refusing-pick-blind-woman-pouring-rain-guide-dog.html
Najib met Dr Mahathir over 1MDB, say sources
Datuk Seri Najib Razak has met Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to discuss the former PM's criticisms of national strategic investor 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), say sources.The prime minister met Dr Mahathir on Saturday but details of the meeting have not been revealed.
"It was cordial. The PM is satisfied with the meeting," a source told The Malaysian Insider.
The meeting comes after the country’s longest serving prime minister had repeatedly raised questions about the heavy debt and usage of funds at 1MDB in his blog and had complained about its operations via his blog as well as at various media conferences.
It also comes amid the ringgit's slide against the US dollar, which has caused a ballooning of part of 1MDB's debts which are in the greenback.
Today, The Edge Financial Daily reported that the depreciating ringgit would hurt 1MDB, which has a sizable chunk of its total RM42 billion in debts in the US dollar denomination.
This chunk, which amounted to RM22.25 billion according to 1MDB's financial statements for the financial year ended March 31, 2014, has now grown to about RM25.7 billion – an increase of about RM3.96 billion - due to the ringgit's decline by 6.5% in the past nine months.
The former prime minister in a posting in September had noted that 1MDB had spent billions of ringgit buying power plants from the Genting Group and tycoon T.Ananda Krishnan and had paid above market prices for them.
He also lamented that 1MDB is heavily indebted. It has debt of around RM38 billion after just five years in operation as the country's sovereign wealth fund.
"The money for 1MDB is not from the country's surpluses. It is debt, billions of ringgit of debt that has added to the already high national debt," Dr Mahathir wrote.
The former PM, who in an earlier posting had said he was withdrawing support from Najib, said as the government was already facing a deficit budget problem, it would not have the ability to help pay the 1MDB debt.
He also noted that a large part of the money raised from the issue of debt paper by 1MDB has been sent to the Cayman Islands, a move which many had questioned.
Critics have complained about the lack of transparency in how the money is managed out of the Caymans and it has been estimated that at least RM18 billion of 1MDB's money is parked there.
1MDB is Malaysia's second sovereign wealth fund after Khazanah Nasional Bhd.
Dr Mahathir had also questioned why the Umno annual general assembly held in November had failed to discuss a public interest issue like 1MDB.
A Penang Umno division leader, Datuk Seri Khairuddin Abu Hassan, has recently lodged a police report against 1MDB over its alleged dubious financial activities and massive borrowings.
His move subsequently led to him being criticised by the state Umno chapter, which had denied knowing of his intention to file the report. – December 22, 2014.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najib-has-met-dr-mahathir-over-1mdb-say-sources#sthash.dtGwjLES.dpuf
Zam: 'Eminent 25' making things worse for Najib
In a blog posting, Zainuddin called the views espoused by the group - comprising mostly of former top civil servants and ex-judges - as "ultra liberal" in nature, and does not take into account the sensitivities of Muslims and Malays in the country.
He was flaying the group for recently questioning the need to demolish a surau in Mersing, Johor because a group of Buddhists had conducted prayers there.
The comments were made by the group's spokesperson, Noor Farida Ariffin, published in the Sunday Star last week.
"If such thoughts had come from DAP or non-Malays, then it would have been considered as being seditious, but just because it came from a Malay and Muslim with a high stranding in society, this issue had been looked at silently by the Home Ministry," he said.
"This is an example of how the Eminent 25 are adding problems for Najib (left)
even though the PM has not recovered from the trauma of wanting to
repeal of Sedition Act, though he dropped that intention later,"
Zainuddin noted."They are worsening Najib's image because the group is believed to be supported by Najib," he said.
He also claimed that the "public talk" right now is that the group is backed by the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM), which has liberal Umno ex-deputy minister Saifuddin Abdullah as its CEO, with The Star CEO Wong Chun Wai in its board of directors.
As such, Zainuddin said that it comes as "no surprise" that The Star is promoting the Eminent 25 in order to cover their "hidden agenda” of promoting “non-Malay bigotry" by "pointing fingers at Malays and Muslims".
"In my next posting, I will show how the Eminent 25 have insulted Umno," he added.
The group rose to prominence after penning an open letter to Najib on Dec 7 condemning rising extremism in the country.
Teen's future uncertain as gov't appeals IC case
This follows the National Registration Department (NRD) and the Home Ministry are appealing against a Kuala Lumpur High Court order last month to issue him a MyKad.
Navin’s lawyer Annou Xavier told Malaysiakini that they received a copy of the notice of appeal from the Attorney-General’s Chambers today.
“This is truly a sad day as the government decided to appeal,” he said.
A notice of appeal is filed after 30 days following the judgment and following that, the judge will provide the written judgment. The Attorney-General’s Chambers will then submit the grounds for their appeal.
On Nov 25, KL High Court ordered the NRD and ministry to issue the MyKad after ruling that their decision not to grant him citizenship was unjustified.
Navin was issued a birth certificate and an international passport previously, but they revoked the birth certificate later on July 21, 2010 based on Article 15A of the federal constitution over “special circumstances” on the grounds that the father did not register his marriage.
Following this, Navin filed the originating summons application in December last year in which he sought a declaration that he is a Malaysian citizen and for the NRD to issue him a MyKad.
Justice Hue Siew Kheng, in her decision in granting a mandamus order to compel the authorities to issue Navin the MyKad within 30 days, said the “special circumstances” in not issuing the card were not defined and she used existing laws in the country in respecting children and for the authorities to act in the best interests of the child.
Hence, she said special circumstances should be what is done to promote the child's welfare and not render the person as stateless.
“This is an undesirable circumstance for the child,” said Justice Hue in her decision.
She noted that as the passport and birth certificate were issued to Navin, it is within the plaintiff's limited expectations for him to make the application.
“Firstly, his birth certificate states he is a citizen and the passport issued means a valid travel document recognised by the government was issued recognising him. This implied or recognised that he is a citizen of Malaysia and has a legitimate expectation to do so.”
Marina Mahathir ‘ignorant’ for attacking God’s law on hudud, claims Isma
The right-wing group said Marina was jahil (ignorant) of Islamic teachings when the social activist and daughter of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said implementing the Islamic penal code in Kelantan would end up splitting Malaysia’s multi-racial and multi-religious society.
“The obligation to implement it is not just because it is God’s instruction, but more importantly, it is for the benefit of society,” said Isma’s ulama council official Ustaz Muhammad Firdaus Zalani in a statement.
“It is impossible for God who created humans and the entire world to order something that will bring detriment to humans,” he added.
Last Friday, Marina was reported criticising the PAS-led Kelantan government’s plan to enforce hudud, saying that it was against the Federal Constitution and would inevitably affect non-Muslims although the strict Islamic criminal law was only meant for Muslims.
Opponents of hudud have said a Islamic criminal justice system cannot be implemented in Malaysia as the country is secular.
PAS’ renewed push for hudud law in Kelantan has once again put the Islamist party at loggerheads with its allies PKR and particularly, the DAP, in the federal opposition pact Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
Firdaus said today that bad things will happen only if people ignore God’s teachings.
“Saying that God’s teachings will bring harm to us all is as if we’re saying that God has failed and cannot understand the things that will bring us good,” he said.
He stressed that Muslims need to understand that God will not obligate believers to do something unless it benefits the world or brings them good in the afterlife.
“For me, there’s no problem discussing the technical parts of hudud so as to insert it in the country’s legal system, whether it’s about the current obstacles or how to make it appropriate based on current technological developments,” he said.
Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob announced recently that the state legislative assembly will hold a special sitting on December 29 to table and pass amendments to the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II.
The move is in preparation for PAS’s plan to table in Parliament a private member’s Bill to amend the Federal Constitution and to allow Kelantan to implement the Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II passed by the state assembly in 1993.
In Islamic jurisprudence, hudud covers crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery, rape and sodomy. Punishments for the crimes are severe, including amputation, flogging and death by stoning.
Let complainants of polls fraud air views
MIC cannot afford to have long-term political bickering and group feuds anymore, says deputy president.
FMT
GEORGE TOWN: MIC deputy president Dr S. Subramaniam said there was a need for the party leaders to hold a meeting with the members who complained about irregularities in last year’s election before arriving at a solution.
“The solution to this is to be holistic. First, we recognise the issues. The earlier we recognise the issues, the faster we can solve them. Bring all the members together and discuss it in the spirit of one team and to move forward, so that we can solve whatever problems there are, in a manner which is acceptable to everybody,” he told reporters after visiting the Penang Hospital, here today.
Subramaniam was asked on the statement by MIC president G. Palanivel yesterday who had reportedly described the protesters at the party headquarters last week as a mere “minority group of troublemakers”.
Dr Subramaniam, who is also the Health Minister, said the party could not afford to have long-term political bickering, group feuds and infighting anymore, or else MIC would face a major problem.
“The party has been weakened over the years since 2008. If we do not pull ourselves together, by 2018, we would face a major problem. I have expressed these views in the central working committee (CWC),” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the proposal for the party’s state leaders to be elected, Dr Subramaniam said the proposal was a good thing for the party to look at for greater democracy in MIC.
“At the moment, all branch, division and national leaders in the MIC are elected. The only group that is appointed is the state leaders. We are thinking of how to have the state leadership elected. A committee is working on it,” he added.
The Registrar of Societies (ROS) had nullified the election for the three vice-presidents and 23 CWC posts held during the party’s general assembly in Malacca last November.
In the letter dated December 5, the ROS had recommended that a re-election be held within 90 days of the directive, following alleged irregularities and breach of the party’s constitution and the Societies Act.
The ROS has also advised the MIC not to hold its annual general meeting until the matter was resolved.
– BERNAMA
GEORGE TOWN: MIC deputy president Dr S. Subramaniam said there was a need for the party leaders to hold a meeting with the members who complained about irregularities in last year’s election before arriving at a solution.
“The solution to this is to be holistic. First, we recognise the issues. The earlier we recognise the issues, the faster we can solve them. Bring all the members together and discuss it in the spirit of one team and to move forward, so that we can solve whatever problems there are, in a manner which is acceptable to everybody,” he told reporters after visiting the Penang Hospital, here today.
Subramaniam was asked on the statement by MIC president G. Palanivel yesterday who had reportedly described the protesters at the party headquarters last week as a mere “minority group of troublemakers”.
Dr Subramaniam, who is also the Health Minister, said the party could not afford to have long-term political bickering, group feuds and infighting anymore, or else MIC would face a major problem.
“The party has been weakened over the years since 2008. If we do not pull ourselves together, by 2018, we would face a major problem. I have expressed these views in the central working committee (CWC),” he said.
Meanwhile, commenting on the proposal for the party’s state leaders to be elected, Dr Subramaniam said the proposal was a good thing for the party to look at for greater democracy in MIC.
“At the moment, all branch, division and national leaders in the MIC are elected. The only group that is appointed is the state leaders. We are thinking of how to have the state leadership elected. A committee is working on it,” he added.
The Registrar of Societies (ROS) had nullified the election for the three vice-presidents and 23 CWC posts held during the party’s general assembly in Malacca last November.
In the letter dated December 5, the ROS had recommended that a re-election be held within 90 days of the directive, following alleged irregularities and breach of the party’s constitution and the Societies Act.
The ROS has also advised the MIC not to hold its annual general meeting until the matter was resolved.
– BERNAMA
Musa: We are going through another May 13 run-up!
Former Deputy Prime Minister declares he’s a “liberal” and very proud of it in supporting the Group of 25.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam, 80, entering the debate on the way forward for Malaysia in the face of political Islam competing with extremists of all shades, has declared that he’s a “liberal” and very proud of it.
“Only moderation and liberalism will allow us to survive,” said Musa in remarks carried in The Star and mainstream media. “But I don’t know what’s happening now.”
“I have always been a liberal and a moderate and am proud of it. My family, my parents, my elders brought me up that way, and in my more grown up days since I entered politics.”
He thinks that many Malay leaders were trying to instill fear and a siege mentality in Malays.
“They are also instilling a very serious inferiority complex among the Malays. This is misplaced,” added Musa. “So many Malays are capable, yet every day these groups are saying ‘You are inferior, you need protection’ and ‘Those superior people are attacking or threatening us’.”
Malays, he believes, should not continue to live in fear as they are well-equipped to face challenges and compete with anyone.
Musa’s declaration comes in the wake of a December 8 Open Letter by a Group of 25 Eminent Malays, former high-ranking civil servants.
Musa lauded the efforts of the Group.
“That was a very good symbolic statement made by them in that they triggered thinking, arguments and conversations,” noted Musa. “Then there were the responses (good), which I compliment also because they are not calling names. They are not arguing based on irrationality but arguing on an almost point-by-point basis. This was absent before.”
He deplored the use of racial and religious issues to play to the gallery and win political support. “It reminds us of the run-up to the May 13 race riots in 1969,” he warned.
KUALA LUMPUR: Former Deputy Prime Minister Musa Hitam, 80, entering the debate on the way forward for Malaysia in the face of political Islam competing with extremists of all shades, has declared that he’s a “liberal” and very proud of it.
“Only moderation and liberalism will allow us to survive,” said Musa in remarks carried in The Star and mainstream media. “But I don’t know what’s happening now.”
“I have always been a liberal and a moderate and am proud of it. My family, my parents, my elders brought me up that way, and in my more grown up days since I entered politics.”
He thinks that many Malay leaders were trying to instill fear and a siege mentality in Malays.
“They are also instilling a very serious inferiority complex among the Malays. This is misplaced,” added Musa. “So many Malays are capable, yet every day these groups are saying ‘You are inferior, you need protection’ and ‘Those superior people are attacking or threatening us’.”
Malays, he believes, should not continue to live in fear as they are well-equipped to face challenges and compete with anyone.
Musa’s declaration comes in the wake of a December 8 Open Letter by a Group of 25 Eminent Malays, former high-ranking civil servants.
Musa lauded the efforts of the Group.
“That was a very good symbolic statement made by them in that they triggered thinking, arguments and conversations,” noted Musa. “Then there were the responses (good), which I compliment also because they are not calling names. They are not arguing based on irrationality but arguing on an almost point-by-point basis. This was absent before.”
He deplored the use of racial and religious issues to play to the gallery and win political support. “It reminds us of the run-up to the May 13 race riots in 1969,” he warned.
The Crooked Bridge: Mahathir’s Revenge
The good doctor's ego had been severely bruised by his having to "beg" and his humiliation in Singapore.
By Andrew Gomez - FMT
It was the crooked bridge that never came to be. A proposed new bridge to replace the Pre-War Johor Causeway, it was arguably a thing of breathtaking beauty.
The benefits of demolishing the old Causeway were many. Alleviating the daily jams by allowing more lanes for bi-directional travel. A raised semi-bridge which would allow sea-going vessels to pass unhindered beneath its spans, potentially allowing the free-flow of water and sea traffic for the first time in more than half a century. For the first time, smaller vessels could travel south down the Straits of Malacca and make their way to the South China Sea while completely bypassing Singapore and the world’s busiest port, saving them both time and money.
In fact, if you study the artist’s rendering closely, you might notice that something is missing. The road is present, as is the KTM railway line with a fancy rotating bridge. Now have a glance at The Causeway today:
Notice the water pipelines that were missing from the Crooked Bridge rendition? Yes, the water pipelines from Johor that, back when the Crooked Bridge was first proposed, carried Singapore’s sole source of life-giving water. Let the ramifications of that sink in while you think about it from Singapore’s perspective.
Now, exactly what gives? To answer that, we need to reach further back into history. Specifically, the years of 1997 and 1998 and The Asian Financial Crisis or what the Thais called Tom Yung Goong.
The then Prime Minister was in a quandary. He had sacked his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim and to make matters worse, the country was experiencing a financial crisis unlike any other before. Currency speculators had devalued the Malaysian Ringgit to a fraction of its previous value. Attempts by the Central Bank to prop up the ringgit’s value had been expensive and ultimately futile. Malaysia was virtually bankrupt. There was no more money left.
With metaphorical hat in hand, Dr. Mahathir made a visit to Singapore to meet with PM Goh Chok Tong. Although unreported in the Malaysian media, Singapore’s media nevertheless broke the news that Dr. Mahathir had asked Singapore for a 5 billion dollar loan, as Malaysia was in dire straits financially. PM Goh responded positively. Singapore was willing to lend Malaysia the five billion but with “conditions”. It remains unclear exactly what these conditions were as only Dr. Mahathir and PM Goh were privy to the details.
Dr. Mahathir in any event decided that these conditions were unacceptable and returned to Malaysia empty-handed. Indonesia’s President B.J. Habibie had been closely observing these matters and pronounced loudly that “A friend in need is a friend indeed”.
Although the IMF had offered Malaysia a similar loan, that too came with IMF-imposed conditions and obligations which Dr. Mahathir similarly refused to accept.
Ultimately, as we may now recall, the ringgit was made non-convertible outside Malaysia. Effectively, the ringgit became overnight utterly worthless in every country on earth except for Malaysia.
Over time, Malaysia’s financial situation stabilized. Malaysia’s relationship with Singapore, however, had irretrievably broken down. The good doctor’s ego had been severely bruised by his having to “beg” and his humiliation in Singapore.
Malaysia started to question quite loudly and publicly the rationale of selling raw water to Singapore at a mere 3 sen per 1,000 gallons while buying treated water back from Singapore at a much higher rate. It wasn’t as though Malaysia needed Singapore to treat raw water ; other states in Malaysia were perfectly capable of treating raw water to make it potable without needing conniving, condition-imposing Singapore’s help, thank you very much.
Subsequently, relations between the two nations became even more acrimonious. Malaysian media regularly carried negative news about Singapore.
The hidden message was made very clear when Mahathir proclaimed “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
The Lion City, no doubt bristling at the threat, shot back via Prof Jayakumar “No cat will simply lie down and wait quietly to be skinned.”
When plans for the demolition of the Causeway were revealed and the images of the new Crooked Bridge were made public, the penny dropped.
Before resigning as PM, Mahathir obtained the assurance of his successor Pak Lah that the Crooked Bridge would become a reality.
Meanwhile, Singapore now realized that their only source of national water was no longer certain although water supply contracts were still in force. Heavy expenditures were made on desalination technologies as well as “NEWwater” which was purified raw sewage that was “clean enough to drink”. Various Singaporean MPs were shown on television “enthusiastically” gulping down glasses of NEWwater with occasional trembling of the glass against the lips to indicate the internal battles that must have raged within, knowing that you were drinking purified poo.
And Mahathir got his revenge for the humiliation of having to be a “Beggar”. Or, in the end, did he?
It was the crooked bridge that never came to be. A proposed new bridge to replace the Pre-War Johor Causeway, it was arguably a thing of breathtaking beauty.
The benefits of demolishing the old Causeway were many. Alleviating the daily jams by allowing more lanes for bi-directional travel. A raised semi-bridge which would allow sea-going vessels to pass unhindered beneath its spans, potentially allowing the free-flow of water and sea traffic for the first time in more than half a century. For the first time, smaller vessels could travel south down the Straits of Malacca and make their way to the South China Sea while completely bypassing Singapore and the world’s busiest port, saving them both time and money.
In fact, if you study the artist’s rendering closely, you might notice that something is missing. The road is present, as is the KTM railway line with a fancy rotating bridge. Now have a glance at The Causeway today:
Notice the water pipelines that were missing from the Crooked Bridge rendition? Yes, the water pipelines from Johor that, back when the Crooked Bridge was first proposed, carried Singapore’s sole source of life-giving water. Let the ramifications of that sink in while you think about it from Singapore’s perspective.
Now, exactly what gives? To answer that, we need to reach further back into history. Specifically, the years of 1997 and 1998 and The Asian Financial Crisis or what the Thais called Tom Yung Goong.
The then Prime Minister was in a quandary. He had sacked his deputy, Anwar Ibrahim and to make matters worse, the country was experiencing a financial crisis unlike any other before. Currency speculators had devalued the Malaysian Ringgit to a fraction of its previous value. Attempts by the Central Bank to prop up the ringgit’s value had been expensive and ultimately futile. Malaysia was virtually bankrupt. There was no more money left.
With metaphorical hat in hand, Dr. Mahathir made a visit to Singapore to meet with PM Goh Chok Tong. Although unreported in the Malaysian media, Singapore’s media nevertheless broke the news that Dr. Mahathir had asked Singapore for a 5 billion dollar loan, as Malaysia was in dire straits financially. PM Goh responded positively. Singapore was willing to lend Malaysia the five billion but with “conditions”. It remains unclear exactly what these conditions were as only Dr. Mahathir and PM Goh were privy to the details.
Dr. Mahathir in any event decided that these conditions were unacceptable and returned to Malaysia empty-handed. Indonesia’s President B.J. Habibie had been closely observing these matters and pronounced loudly that “A friend in need is a friend indeed”.
Although the IMF had offered Malaysia a similar loan, that too came with IMF-imposed conditions and obligations which Dr. Mahathir similarly refused to accept.
Ultimately, as we may now recall, the ringgit was made non-convertible outside Malaysia. Effectively, the ringgit became overnight utterly worthless in every country on earth except for Malaysia.
Over time, Malaysia’s financial situation stabilized. Malaysia’s relationship with Singapore, however, had irretrievably broken down. The good doctor’s ego had been severely bruised by his having to “beg” and his humiliation in Singapore.
Malaysia started to question quite loudly and publicly the rationale of selling raw water to Singapore at a mere 3 sen per 1,000 gallons while buying treated water back from Singapore at a much higher rate. It wasn’t as though Malaysia needed Singapore to treat raw water ; other states in Malaysia were perfectly capable of treating raw water to make it potable without needing conniving, condition-imposing Singapore’s help, thank you very much.
Subsequently, relations between the two nations became even more acrimonious. Malaysian media regularly carried negative news about Singapore.
The hidden message was made very clear when Mahathir proclaimed “There’s more than one way to skin a cat.”
The Lion City, no doubt bristling at the threat, shot back via Prof Jayakumar “No cat will simply lie down and wait quietly to be skinned.”
When plans for the demolition of the Causeway were revealed and the images of the new Crooked Bridge were made public, the penny dropped.
Before resigning as PM, Mahathir obtained the assurance of his successor Pak Lah that the Crooked Bridge would become a reality.
Meanwhile, Singapore now realized that their only source of national water was no longer certain although water supply contracts were still in force. Heavy expenditures were made on desalination technologies as well as “NEWwater” which was purified raw sewage that was “clean enough to drink”. Various Singaporean MPs were shown on television “enthusiastically” gulping down glasses of NEWwater with occasional trembling of the glass against the lips to indicate the internal battles that must have raged within, knowing that you were drinking purified poo.
And Mahathir got his revenge for the humiliation of having to be a “Beggar”. Or, in the end, did he?
Call on Najib and Cabinet to endorse the Open Letter of 25 Eminents to send a clear message to the nation and the world that Malaysian government fully committed to moderation against intolerance, extremism and bigotry
By Lim Kit Siang BlogThe Open Letter by 25 Malay former top civil servants and personalities on December 8 asking the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to show leadership against festering extremism and intolerance is undoubtedly the No. 1 News Event of the Year.
Never before has an Open Letter by the citizenry struck such a resounding chord in our multiracial, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation, as evidenced by the enthusiastic support from all groups of Malaysian society, not confined to Malays and Muslims, like ‘I am #26’ online petition with over 5,000 supporters; “KamiJuga25″ (We, too, are 25),signed by over 1,600 supporters; 95 NGOs in Malaysia, 22 Muslim activists and a multitude of support demonstrated by diverse groups and strata of Malaysian society in the past fortnight.
But the reaction has started, and the assaults on the 25 Eminents will escalate in personal attacks, character-assassination and viciousness employing the full resources of the intolerant and extremist media and social as we witnessed in the past two days.
This is the time for all moderates, crossing race, religious, gender, age and even political party lines to take a stand for moderation and marginalize, isolate and defeat intolerance, extremism and bigotry which are the greatest threats and enemies of a plural society like Malaysia.
This is the time for the positive politics of inclusion to replace the negative politics of exclusion!
At international fora in the past four years promoting wasatiyyah and the Global Movement of Moderates, Najib had called for a movement of moderates to drown out the extremists.
As he said in one such wasatiyyah conference, “We must ensure that our voices are heard — not just the voices of moderate Muslims but those of moderate Christians, moderate Hindus, moderate Jews and even moderate atheists.
“If these voices are to become loud enough to drown out the extremists, they need to be heard from every corner of the world.”
The voices of moderate Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, gender, age or political affiliation, are being raised to drown out the cacophony of the coarse loud-mouths and thugs from those preaching intolerance, extremism and bigotry.
The question is whether Najib will provide leadership for the voices of moderation to drown out siren calls of intolerance, extremism and bigotry.
It is now two weeks since the Open Letter of the 25 Eminents and the resounding support from all strata and groups of society, both Muslim and non-Muslim for moderation to drown out extremism in Malaysia, have shown the power of their call.
Is Najib prepared to present the Open Letter of the 25 Eminents to the Cabinet to get Ministerial endorsement to show to the nation and the world that the Malaysian government is fully committed to the course of moderation against intolerance, extremism and bigotry?
Is every Minister a moderate and prepared to take a stand against intolerance, extremism and bigotry?
Floods In Kelantan Extraordinary - Shahidan
TUMPAT,
Dec 22 (Bernama) -- The floods inundating east coast states in
Peninsular Malaysia, especially in Kelantan, have been regarded as
extraordinary, and all quarters must view the matter seriously to avoid
untoward incidents.Stating this Monday evening, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said, currently, several major rivers in the states were reported to have returned to the danger level, and more people might have to be evacuated.
"At the same time, the water levels of rivers have gone up again in Gua Musang. People are being reevacuated in Kuantan, Pahang and Besut in Terengganu.
"Take cognizance of this phenomenon because the continuous rain can result in a bigger (second) wave (of floods)," he told BERNAMA when visiting a flood relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Tumpat 2 in Tumpat.
As in the night, more than 16,000 flood victims had been evacuated to 60 relief centres in eight districts in Kelantan.
The floods had caused almost 200 residents in Gua Musang to be evacuated after the water level in Sungai Galas, Sungai Lebir and Sungai Kelantan exceeded the danger level following heavy rain since Sunday.
Shahidan expressed regret that some residents in the state were turning the floods into a festival by swimming and bathing in flood waters, an act that could result in a mishap for them.
"This is not an ordinary flood. It is extraordinary. Do not regard it as a festival.
"This time around, the current is strong, and I hope everyone will be extra careful," he said.
Shahidan also expressed satisfaction with the efficiency of the agencies involved in helping the flood victims.
"Overall, they did a good job despite facing minor problems at certain centres," he added.
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