Friday 13 February 2015
Number of ‘Muslim’ children in Britain doubles in a decade
Landmark study shows number of children under five being brought up as Muslim rose 80 per cent in a decade while three quarters of Muslims in UK identify themselves solely as British
By John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor
The number of children growing up as Muslims in the UK has almost doubled in a decade in what experts have described as an “unprecedented” shift in Britain’s social make-up.
One in 12 schoolchildren in England and Wales are now officially classed as Muslim after a decade which saw the number of followers of Islam surge by just over 1.1 million, according to the most detailed study of its kind ever published.
The report, presented to Parliament, concludes that Muslims could play a decisive role in the coming general election, expected to be the closest in recent times, making up a significant share of voters in some of the most marginal seats in the country.
But the study of official census data by the Muslim Council of Britain also concludes that the Muslim population will continue expanding for “many decades” to come – something experts said could transform everything from social attitudes to foreign policy.
Although immigration has driven growth in the past, it is the dramatically younger age profile of the Muslim population which could have the biggest impact in the future.
At a time when the wider population is ageing rapidly, half of British Muslims are under the age of 25 and a third are under 15.
Overall 2.7 million people living in England and Wales on census day in 2011 – and another 81,000 across Scotland and Northern Ireland – described themselves as Muslim.
That is up from just under 1.6 million in 2001 – a 75 per cent jump.
Among children under the age of five the rate of increase was more than 80 per cent.
Strikingly, although just over half of Muslims living in Britain were born abroad, almost three quarters identifed themselves exclusively as British in the census.
Significantly, Muslims make up more than a fifth of the population in 26 parliamentary constituencies and around 50 per cent in some areas. There are also 70 council wards with a Muslim population of 40 per cent or more.
Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11406700/Number-of-Muslim-children-in-Britain-doubles-in-a-decade.html
By John Bingham, Religious Affairs EditorThe number of children growing up as Muslims in the UK has almost doubled in a decade in what experts have described as an “unprecedented” shift in Britain’s social make-up.
One in 12 schoolchildren in England and Wales are now officially classed as Muslim after a decade which saw the number of followers of Islam surge by just over 1.1 million, according to the most detailed study of its kind ever published.
The report, presented to Parliament, concludes that Muslims could play a decisive role in the coming general election, expected to be the closest in recent times, making up a significant share of voters in some of the most marginal seats in the country.
But the study of official census data by the Muslim Council of Britain also concludes that the Muslim population will continue expanding for “many decades” to come – something experts said could transform everything from social attitudes to foreign policy.
Although immigration has driven growth in the past, it is the dramatically younger age profile of the Muslim population which could have the biggest impact in the future.
At a time when the wider population is ageing rapidly, half of British Muslims are under the age of 25 and a third are under 15.
Overall 2.7 million people living in England and Wales on census day in 2011 – and another 81,000 across Scotland and Northern Ireland – described themselves as Muslim.
That is up from just under 1.6 million in 2001 – a 75 per cent jump.
Among children under the age of five the rate of increase was more than 80 per cent.
Strikingly, although just over half of Muslims living in Britain were born abroad, almost three quarters identifed themselves exclusively as British in the census.
Significantly, Muslims make up more than a fifth of the population in 26 parliamentary constituencies and around 50 per cent in some areas. There are also 70 council wards with a Muslim population of 40 per cent or more.
Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/11406700/Number-of-Muslim-children-in-Britain-doubles-in-a-decade.html
Islamic state sell brides of Jihadi martyrs as sex-slaves, Aussie Intelligence warns women trying to join
- Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s Anthony Byrne said ‘women are being passed around as sex slaves after their partners are killed’
- He warned Australian women against travelling to Iraq and Syria to marry extremists
- It comes after a pamphlet outlining ISIS’ ‘laws’ on sex slaves revealed it is acceptable for members to have sexual intercourse with children
- They also outline that it is permissible to beat and sell women as slaves
Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s Anthony Byrne said women travelling to the middle east to become jihadi brides ‘are being passed around as sex slaves after their partners are killed’
Australian women heading to Syria and Iraq as brides for members of the terrorist organisation Islamic State are being turned into sex slaves once their husbands die.
Intelligence information has revealed that a number of Australian women that travelled to Syria have suffered this fate, prompting officials to warn others against following in their footsteps, according to News Corp.
‘Our information is that women are being passed around as sex slaves after their partners are killed,’ Anthony Byrne, the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security’s deputy chair told the Daily Telegraph.
‘They are literally selling women for sex. Young Australian women should know that it’s not an adventure… it’s a slave trade.’
It comes after a pamphlet outlining ISIS’ ‘laws’ on sex slaves was released by The Research and Fatwa Department of the Islamic State.
Published in full by the Jihad and Terrorism Threat Monitor, the list of ‘Questions and Answers on Taking Captives and Slaves’ states that it is acceptable to have sexual intercourse with children, beat female slaves and sell them.
‘It is permissible to buy, sell, or give as a gift female captives and slaves, for they are merely property, which can be disposed of as long as that doesn’t cause [the Muslim ummah] any harm or damage,’ the rules state.
It comes after a pamphlet outlining ISIS’ ‘laws’ on sex slaves revealed it is acceptable for members to have sexual intercourse with children
‘It is permissible to have intercourse with the female slave who hasn’t reached puberty if she is fit for intercourse; however if she is not fit for intercourse, then it is enough to enjoy her without intercourse.’
The list of prices that women are being sold at by the terrorist organisation was also made public by Iraqi News in November last year.
It revealed that girls between the ages of one and nine were priced at about 200,000 Iraqi dinars, just over $200.
Between 10 and 20-years-old, a woman is listed as being worth 150,000 dinars and from between 20 and 30 years they are sold for $100,000 dinars ($100 AU).
Hafsa Mohamed, 20, Hodan Abby, 18, and Zehra Duman, 21.
NYT journalist tells of unravelling Jho Low’s luxury condo purchases in New York
The New York Times (NYT) journalist who co-wrote the story about the ownership of high-end properties in the United States by Malaysian investor Jho Low, told a local radio station the story was born simply out of the need to uncover the reason behind rising real estate prices in New York.Noting that prices for luxury properties in cities like Los Angeles, Miami and New York were rising, Louise Story told business radio station BFM how she and her colleague, Stephanie Saul, had heard people say that a lot of units in high-end developments were purchased by foreigners.
In her February 9 article "Well connected at home, young Malaysian has an appetite for New York", it described how Low, whose full name is Low Taek Jho, in 2010, began by making some very expensive real estate deals in the US, using shell companies.
Story had set out to uncover who these foreign buyers were, only to find that there were few details.
"Today, more than half of the buying in New York and nearly half of the buying across the country in high-end property are purchased by shell companies, which are corporate entities set up just for the purpose of buying real estate.
"What they do is generally keep the owner secret, so no one really knows who the buyers of the properties are," she told BFM radio in an interview on the The Evening Edition show today.
Story said she wanted to lift the veil on these shell companies and started looking at a handful of buildings in New York City, including the famous Plaza Hotel which had been converted into condominium units.
"We ended up deciding to zero in on one complex called the Time Warner Center which is next to Central Park in Manhattan," Story said of her investigation that started in the middle of 2013.
The journalists – methodically, unit by unit – started to crack through the shell companies and found that some units had multiple layers of ownership.
"Some of them took weeks just to uncover one (owner) because it was one shell that was owned by another shell which was owned by another shell which is owned by a trust which is owned by another company before you even got to a person's name behind it.
"And behind one of these units, we ended up getting to a person named Jho Low," she told radio presenter Umapagan Ampikaipakan in the interview.
She said that when she looked at the macro picture of capital outflow of countries, she found China, Russia, India and Mexico on the list, but said she found it interesting that Malaysia was ranked along with these countries as well, despite being a smaller country in terms of population.
Story said Malaysia was interesting to her because during her time reporting here, she found that people were concerned over a culture of corruption and about money leaving the country.
"But it is not necessarily all nefarious," she stressed.
Asked what kind of effect she thought the story might have, Story said she expected that many would be watching Low's next steps with interests as he did a lot of "interesting and big deals".
She also said that for this story, it was the first time the paper ran a summary of the story in Bahasa Malaysia.
The NYT story on Low was part of a series of five articles which began on February 7 on how the influx of global money has fuelled New York City's high-end real estate boom.
Investigations by NYT journalists took more than a year and found that "nearly half of the most expensive residential properties in the United States are now purchased anonymously through shell companies and that the real estate industry does little examination of buyers’ identities or backgrounds”. – February 12, 2015.
Anwar more dangerous in prison than on the outside, warns Ambiga
Putrajaya will soon realise it has made a mistake in incarcerating Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, warned lawyer and activist Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan today, saying that the opposition leader was more dangerous inside prison.She said that despite being convicted of sodomy and sentenced to five years in jail, Anwar should not be discounted.
"Don't discount him. He is at his best when he is down. BN (Barisan Nasional) will see that it has made a terrible mistake in imprisoning him," she said at a forum at Malaysiakini office in Petaling Jaya tonight.
Ambiga, who is the former Bersih 2.0 co-chair, said Anwar was a bigger factor than ever before.
"He symbolises what our struggle is about. He becomes a rallying factor for Pakatan Rakyat," she added.
"Without Datuk Seri Anwar, there will be no PR."
In a strongly-worded speech, Ambiga, referring to the internal conflicts in the coalition, said that Pakatan now had no choice but to unite for the interests of the people.
"This is something that we are anticipating, and that we demand of Pakatan Rakyat.
"With Datuk Seri Anwar in jail, you have to step up and stop internal bickering. It is very tiring for the people to see this," she said.
She also noted that Pakatan Rakyat was made up of politicians who are intelligent and talented, unlike ministers from the ruling BN government, whom, she noted, "could not string a sentence that made sense".
"Are you telling me you can't solve your problems? I don't accept that," she told Pakatan.
"You have no choice but to unite and I demand and the people demand that you do."
Ambiga, who previously led two massive rallies in Kuala Lumpur to demand for clean and fair elections, said there was no reason to demonstrate against Anwar's conviction although most of the people were disgusted with the Federal court's decision.
"The difference between 1998 and 2015 is the existence of social media. It has allowed the people to get the message."
She also revealed that Anwar, who is serving his sentence at the Sungai Buloh prison, was sleeping on a two-inch thick mattress.
"This is what a 67-year-old man is going through because BN has no guts to take him on in Parliament.
"What we are seeing here is the extent of the cruelty of this government. I don't like it one bit. Nobody deserves it," she added.
Also present at the forum were Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong, Parit Buntar MP Datuk Mujahid Yusof Rawa, social activist Hishammuddin Rais and Batu MP Tian Chua, who said Anwar has helped create awareness to use people’s power to bring about change.
"In 2008, the two party-systems existed because the public demanded good governance," he said of the general election that year which saw Pakatan denying BN its traditional two-third majority by winning 82 parliamentary seats and also capturing four states – Kedah, Perak, Penang and Selangor while retaining Kelantan.
Mujahid noted that following Anwar's second sodomy conviction on Tuesday, there was no major street protest.
"It does not mean that people are insensitive. The BN should not misinterpret such a conduct."
Pakatan, he said, could move forward without Anwar's leadership if it found solutions to its internal problems.
"The only thing is that we have to stop telling the public that we have no problems. Admit that we do.
"And then, we must also give a time frame for when we can resolve these issues," he added.
Hishammuddin said it was an uphill task for Pakatan to take over Putrajaya unless the public could pressure the Election Commission to conduct free and fair elections.
Liew, who is also DAP political education director, said that Pakatan wanted to see the end of Umno just like the congress party in India.
"The coalition must be defeated in the next election by a landslide."
He added that the coalition's immediate campaign is to ensure that Anwar remained safe and secure in prison.
"We must exert pressure to see that he will be treated decently," he said. – February 12, 2015.
'IGP should probe the whole world then'
Such were the tone of remarks by two opposition leaders when asked about Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar's recent threat to probe their comments on the Federal Court's verdict on Anwar Ibrahim.
On Tuesday, Chief Justice Ariffin Zakaria, and four other Federal Court judges, unanimously upheld the Court of Appeal's decision to sentence Anwar to five years jail for sodomy.
When contacted, PKR national deputy youth chief Dr Afif Bahardin and PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan said they had yet to receive any calls from the police.
But the duo remained unfazed, saying they were prepared for police action.
"My views questioning the credibility of the Malaysian judiciary are shared by many, including international leaders," Afif, who is also a Penang executive councillor told Malaysiakini.
"The IGP appears to have nothing better to do. He may as well probe the whole world because many are questioning the court's decision to jail Anwar," added the Seberang Jaya assemblyman.
Afif was referring to the international outcry by world leaders and human rights NGOs against Anwar's incarceration, as this is the second time the opposition leader has been imprisoned for charges related to sodomy.
Prime
Minister Najib has maintained that the courts are independent,
dismissing allegations that charges against Anwar was "politically
motivated" to end his political career.But Arutchelvan (right) said that the whole country shares his views that the charges and Tuesday's conviction on Anwar - the Permatang Pauh MP - were "politically motivated".
He said even BN leaders were mostly "silent" about the court's verdict as they may have felt uneasy about the matter.
"It looks like the IGP merely wants to instill fear in the nation, so that he can stop us all from criticising the government.
"He should probe the whole country and even the world which sees Anwar's jailing is to end his political career.
"Even Amnesty International deems Anwar as a prisoner of conscience. How about that, IGP?" he asked.
Khalid also wants to haul up Jingga 13 chief Fariz Musa for allegedly calling on Anwar's supporters to overthrow the government through street protests.
But Fariz said he was merely referring to possible programmes planned by PKR or Pakatan Rakyat to seek Anwar's freedom.
"I did not mean separate rallies to overthrow the government.
"The police have not contacted me yet but I am prepared for it," he added.In an interview with The Sun published today, Khalid (left) was quoted as saying "I have issued the warning; now it is time to enforce the law against those who breach and attempt to breach public order.
"They will be investigated for instigating the people to take to the streets,” Khalid had reportedly said.
Already political cartoonist Zunar. real name Zulkiflee SM Anwar Ulhaque, is being remanded until Saturday.
Police are also investigating on PKR vice-president and secretary general Rafizi Ramli and Taiping MP, Nga Kor Ming under the Sedition Act.
Dr M: If I were PM now, I'd resign
Responding to a question, he said a PM should "make things easy" and resign if he cannot perform.
This was an obvious swipe at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak (left) who appears to have been struck out from Mahathir's good books."Nobody pushed me out. When I resigned, I just thought 22 years was too long.
"But if you don't perform and people criticise you, please make things easy for the country," he added.
Mahathir said this in his talk at a public forum titled 'The Malaysian Dilemma' in Kuala Lumpur this morning.
When it was pointed out to him that he had chosen former prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Najib as his successors, Mahathir admitted that he was “not good at selecting successors” and went on to name his former deputy prime ministers, Musa Hitam and Anwar Ibrahim.
"I chose Musa (left)
and look what happened. I chose Anwar, you know what happened. As for
Najib, I do not know whether my choice was right or wrong," he said.Mahathir further explained that the problem was because most of them "looked good, like Mr Clean" before they came into power.
"Power corrupts. US President Barack Obama made such an impression but now they want to throw him out," he said.
When it was also further pointed to him that Abdullah has now "found his peace" but Mahathir instead was still "making noise", Mahathir said he could not keep quiet because he had told retirees to remain active.
'If you are not active, you will die'
"And if you are not active, you will die. Although I have retired, I still love this country, I want this country to be peaceful," he said, adding that he had a right to criticise and that his support was not absolute.
"I have a duty to say it, if something is wrong. I was a politician since I was a baby. I will continue to be a pain in the neck for a lot of people," he said.
Admitting that he was reluctant to criticise the prime minister because many would think that he harboured hopes to become the number one leader again, Mahathir said a leader must be corrected.
"If you don't correct a leader, he will think that he's not doing anything wrong."
Meanwhile,
when pressed by reporters at a press conference later as to whether
Najib should resign, Mahathir simply said: "If the people don't like us,
we resign early. If you stay beyond your welcome, even after you have
retired, people will not like you."I am lucky that even after I have retired, people still shake my hand."
Asked who would be the most suitable candidate to replace Najib, Mahathir said it was "surely not him" as he was almost 90 years old.
He also denied that the Malaysian dilemma was due to the lack of leadership, saying: "No, that is like praising myself. I cannot praise myself".
Mahathir had earlier been asked what would he do with Najib's brainchild, the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), if he was the prime minister.
'We shouldn't have 1MDB at all'
"We shouldn't have 1MDB at all. It's not necessary. It's not a national wealth fund because you borrow money for it.
"If you have excess money, you can have 1MDB, but manage it properly. But I would not have 1MDB."
Also at the press conference, Mahathir said issues surrounding the sovereign wealth fund had become a controversy and must thus be explained.
"One way is to have an independent audit for government bodies. People may ask why I did not implement this during my time.
"Well, during my time, not many people complained," he said.
Commenting on the 1MDB's loan from tycoon Ananda Krishnan, Mahathir said it would not solve the problems plaguing the company.
"Because you are borrowing to pay debts. So you still have debts to pay," he said.
Oust BN for Anwar’s sake, says Ariff Sabri
The Raub MP calls on opposition supporters to begin by ensuring a win in Permatang Pauh.
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Raub MP Ariff Sabri believes that the government will be adamant on keeping Anwar Ibrahim in jail even if one million Malaysians sign a petition for his release and even if world leaders intervene.
“I believe the government will not budge,” he says in his latest blog posting. “They will say this has been the outcome of a lengthy legal process.”
He also speculates that Anwar will not ask for a royal pardon. “Anwar Ibrahim will never entertain such an idea, I think. Asking for a pardon would amount to admitting that the crime for which he was accused and now sentenced did take place.”
Ariff believes that it is more important for Anwar to “affirm and fortify” his innocence.
However, he acknowledges that he can’t be certain whether Anwar and his family think the way he does. It may be more important for them to secure his personal freedom, he says.
Commenting on the judgment on Anwar’s sodomy case read out at the Federal Court last Tuesday, Ariff says, “It sounded like a prosecution monologue.”
Ariff says he shares the grief felt by Anwar and his family, but he seems resigned to accepting that Anwar will remain in jail unless the current ruling regime is overthrown.
“I think we have no more legal recourse,” he says. “We must do it the political way. Maybe Najib can be thrown out earlier.
“We kick out Najib and his gang. They will then know that life as they have known before, consisting of private parties and soirees, gallivanting on private and government owned jets, thriving on governmental dishonesty and incompetence, will come to an end.”
He says the process of overthrowing Najib’s regime should begin with the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election and climax at the next general election.
“Once we have power, we can do so many good things,” he writes. “We want to fight corruption, we can do something. We want to reform the judiciary? We can do that. We want to allow cooperatives and village economic outfits to issue bonds? We can do that too. Why not? If the government can guarantee one RM1 million paid-up-capital company to issue bonds 40,000 times over, we can do the same with farmers’ co-ops and village economic co-ops.
“Elect a new government. We will enforce the law on troublesome NGOs, be they formed by Malays or non-Malays. Tangkap semua in accordance with the law.”
He calls on Pakatan Rakyat supporters to ensure that the Permatang Pauh seat remains with the coalition.
“If we all support Anwar as we claim to do, we must pitch all our efforts to make sure Permatang Pauh remains with Pakatan. I am certain that we will spare no efforts to achieve this.
“Umno, in particular, says that it’s ready to take Permatang Pauh. They have been preparing since the Court of Appeal sentenced Anwar guilty last year. Bear in mind, when Umno says it’s ready, it means they are ready in talk only. What has Umno done in Penang? Nothing much.
“Secure Permatang Pauh to show we stand in solidarity with Anwar. Stand by Anwar, in good and in bad times.”
Ariff also commented on a news report about a Malay scholar being offended because some Anwar supporters carried posters depicting the legendary Justice Bao Zheng of ancient China.
“Justice Bao is a symbol of justice,” Ariff says. “Let me repeat: a symbol of justice. I will leave it to readers to assess a person who is easily offended and yet calls himself a scholar. He must have been trained at some secluded ‘falsampah’ school.” (“Falsampah” is his contraction of two Malay words meaning “philosophy” and “rubbish”.)
He says he has a simple response to the scholar: “Learn to accept it. The Chinese civilization is 4,000-5,000 years old compared to how long is the Malay civilisation?
“I seem to recall that Malay civilisation started only after an Indian prince by the name of Parameswara founded Melaka in the 15th century. Before that, Malay civilisation was a Hindu-centric civilisation.
“So what if another civilisation is older than ours and its accomplishments therein are far more accomplished than ours? It does not diminish my Malayness at all to acknowledge a more universal symbol of justice than my own. If there is a symbol of Malay justice, please show it to us so that we can make posters of him.
“We have no future if we have this kind of mentality.”
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Raub MP Ariff Sabri believes that the government will be adamant on keeping Anwar Ibrahim in jail even if one million Malaysians sign a petition for his release and even if world leaders intervene.
“I believe the government will not budge,” he says in his latest blog posting. “They will say this has been the outcome of a lengthy legal process.”
He also speculates that Anwar will not ask for a royal pardon. “Anwar Ibrahim will never entertain such an idea, I think. Asking for a pardon would amount to admitting that the crime for which he was accused and now sentenced did take place.”
Ariff believes that it is more important for Anwar to “affirm and fortify” his innocence.
However, he acknowledges that he can’t be certain whether Anwar and his family think the way he does. It may be more important for them to secure his personal freedom, he says.
Commenting on the judgment on Anwar’s sodomy case read out at the Federal Court last Tuesday, Ariff says, “It sounded like a prosecution monologue.”
Ariff says he shares the grief felt by Anwar and his family, but he seems resigned to accepting that Anwar will remain in jail unless the current ruling regime is overthrown.
“I think we have no more legal recourse,” he says. “We must do it the political way. Maybe Najib can be thrown out earlier.
“We kick out Najib and his gang. They will then know that life as they have known before, consisting of private parties and soirees, gallivanting on private and government owned jets, thriving on governmental dishonesty and incompetence, will come to an end.”
He says the process of overthrowing Najib’s regime should begin with the upcoming Permatang Pauh by-election and climax at the next general election.
“Once we have power, we can do so many good things,” he writes. “We want to fight corruption, we can do something. We want to reform the judiciary? We can do that. We want to allow cooperatives and village economic outfits to issue bonds? We can do that too. Why not? If the government can guarantee one RM1 million paid-up-capital company to issue bonds 40,000 times over, we can do the same with farmers’ co-ops and village economic co-ops.
“Elect a new government. We will enforce the law on troublesome NGOs, be they formed by Malays or non-Malays. Tangkap semua in accordance with the law.”
He calls on Pakatan Rakyat supporters to ensure that the Permatang Pauh seat remains with the coalition.
“If we all support Anwar as we claim to do, we must pitch all our efforts to make sure Permatang Pauh remains with Pakatan. I am certain that we will spare no efforts to achieve this.
“Umno, in particular, says that it’s ready to take Permatang Pauh. They have been preparing since the Court of Appeal sentenced Anwar guilty last year. Bear in mind, when Umno says it’s ready, it means they are ready in talk only. What has Umno done in Penang? Nothing much.
“Secure Permatang Pauh to show we stand in solidarity with Anwar. Stand by Anwar, in good and in bad times.”
Ariff also commented on a news report about a Malay scholar being offended because some Anwar supporters carried posters depicting the legendary Justice Bao Zheng of ancient China.
“Justice Bao is a symbol of justice,” Ariff says. “Let me repeat: a symbol of justice. I will leave it to readers to assess a person who is easily offended and yet calls himself a scholar. He must have been trained at some secluded ‘falsampah’ school.” (“Falsampah” is his contraction of two Malay words meaning “philosophy” and “rubbish”.)
He says he has a simple response to the scholar: “Learn to accept it. The Chinese civilization is 4,000-5,000 years old compared to how long is the Malay civilisation?
“I seem to recall that Malay civilisation started only after an Indian prince by the name of Parameswara founded Melaka in the 15th century. Before that, Malay civilisation was a Hindu-centric civilisation.
“So what if another civilisation is older than ours and its accomplishments therein are far more accomplished than ours? It does not diminish my Malayness at all to acknowledge a more universal symbol of justice than my own. If there is a symbol of Malay justice, please show it to us so that we can make posters of him.
“We have no future if we have this kind of mentality.”
Liow ready to meet Ismail over boycott remark
Meeting will be held in the interest of unity among the various races, says transport minister.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Liow Tiong Lai is ready to meet Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who wants to clarify his statement on calling for a boycott of Chinese traders who refuse to reduce the price of goods.
The meeting would be held in the interest of unity among the various races in the country, said Liow, who is also transport minister.
He disclosed this after opening a national road safety campaign held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year at the South Integrated Terminal in Bandar Tasik Selatan here today.
Yesterday, Ismail said he would hold a meeting with Liow to clarify his statement.
Ismail Sabri said the meeting was expected to be held before the Chinese New Year to ensure the issue was resolved amicably.
– BERNAMA
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: MCA president Liow Tiong Lai is ready to meet Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who wants to clarify his statement on calling for a boycott of Chinese traders who refuse to reduce the price of goods.
The meeting would be held in the interest of unity among the various races in the country, said Liow, who is also transport minister.
He disclosed this after opening a national road safety campaign held in conjunction with the Chinese New Year at the South Integrated Terminal in Bandar Tasik Selatan here today.
Yesterday, Ismail said he would hold a meeting with Liow to clarify his statement.
Ismail Sabri said the meeting was expected to be held before the Chinese New Year to ensure the issue was resolved amicably.
– BERNAMA
Umno will regret its Anwar ‘vendetta’ in GE14, says WSJ
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 12 — In an opinion piece today, financial daily Wall Street Journal (WSJ) criticised the Federal Court’s decision to convict Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for sodomy, calling it a “Pyrrhic victory” for ruling party Umno.
In its bid to stop Anwar from becoming a prime minister, WSJ said Umno had damaged Malaysia’s reputation and the fabric of society, both of which will return to haunt the ruling party in the next general election.
“Umno’s decades-long vendetta against Mr Anwar has brought discredit on Malaysia’s government and political culture,” said the article titled “Malaysia’s Anwar Shame”.
“It is likely to accelerate the ruling party’s loss of support from a maturing population repulsed by such dirty tricks. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s failure to call an end to this farce is a stain on his legacy.”
According to WSJ, Umno had resorted to a trumped-up charge against Anwar recycled from the playbook of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, rather than fight Anwar “fairly”.
“In both cases, the allegations against Mr Anwar arose as he was poised to wrest power from Umno,” said WSJ.
“In 1998, he created the ‘Reformasi’ movement that challenged government corruption and cronyism. In 2008, he established an opposition coalition that won 48 per cent of the popular vote and came close to forming a government with defectors from the ruling coalition.”
Shortly after Anwar was delivered the guilty verdict on Tuesday, a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) was released, hailing the “independence” of the judiciary and pointing out that there have been many rulings against senior government figures.
Critics later questioned the PMO’s quick release of its response to the conviction, claiming that it suggests the possibility of collusion between the government and the judiciary.
Anwar had also accused the Federal Court of being on the “dark side” for upholding his conviction of a sodomy charge that he maintained was politically motivated.
In delivering its verdict, the Federal Court said that Anwar’s claim of a political conspiracy in his second sodomy charge remains unproven and is not credible defence.
According to a press summary of its decision, the country’s top court also pointed out that Anwar’s political conspiracy allegation was given in an unsworn statement, which meant that the prosecutors and trial judge could not quiz him on his claim.
Former Kelantan MB Nik Aziz Passes Away
KOTA
BAHARU, Feb 12 (Bernama) -- Former Kelantan Menteri Besar and PAS
spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat passed away at his house
in Pulau Melaka, Kota Baharu, Thursday night.His son Nik Mohamad Abduh said when his father Nik Abdul Aziz, 84, passed away at 9.40pm, his family members were by his side.
Nik Aziz who was also Chempaka state assemblyman from 1990 to 2013 had returned home from the Universiti Sains Malaysia Hospital in Kubang Kerian at 8.40pm where he had been receiving treatment for prostate cancer since Jan 19.
His health had deteriorated in December when major floods hit Kelantan.
Nik Mohamad Abduh said his remains will be taken to the Pulau Melaka Mosque for prayers at 10am Friday and later buried at the village Muslim cemetery.
News of Nik Aziz's death spread quickly and scores of people had already arrived at his residence to pay their last respects while school children and villagers had also started reciting the 'Al-Quran'.
Traffic police were also called in to control traffic as roads leading to Nik Aziz's house was congested for a few kilometres.
-- BERNAMA
Why some civil servants reject BN
A former senior civil servant responds to Khairy Jamaluddin's question.
FMT
PETALING JAYA: It’s their sense of duty to the nation that makes some civil servants refuse to vote for Barisan Nasional, according to Ramon Navaratnam, a former secretary-general of the Transport Ministry.
He said this was not a new phenomenon, but added, “This trend could be gathering momentum.”
Navaratnam was responding to a question that Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin raised in a recent TV interview.
“The minister rightly suggests a study of this serious phenomenon,” he said in a letter to FMT. “But I could readily respond to the minister.
“Civil servants are permanent employees who generally have a dedicated and professional pride to serve God, King, Country and the Rakyat, with a long term perspective and a sense of service. On the contrary, most politicians tend to look forward mostly on a short term basis, until the next election.
“Hence the more committed civil servants tend to have more serious concerns with the growing scourges of corruption, wastage, politically motivated projects and programmes and poor management practices and cronyism, etc. Hence civil servants react unfavourably to what many politicians preach as they notice the difference between the practice and the preaching. They witness first-hand how many politicians often make generous promises, but fail to deliver.”
However, he added, it would be incumbent upon civil servants to obey government decisions.
“Civil servants, regardless of their political affiliations, must faithfully implement government decisions once they are made, without fear or favour. They should also not distort policies through dubious practices and act as Little Napoleons. Those who sabotage government policies should be severely dealt with for all to see and for the people to respect the government itself.”
He called on the government of the day to respect the political views and preferences of civil servants and not politicise the civil service “for its own long-term survival” and to work for the sake of “sustainable national stability, progress and the people’s well being”.
Bold appeal
Navaratnam, who is currently the Chairman of the ASLI Centre for Public Policy Studies, praised Khairy for speaking of the “need to respect the political views of civil servants”.
“I am sure the 1.4 million civil servants in our country will welcome this unique and bold appeal from a serving minister to protect the dignity and integrity of the whole public service,” he said.
“It is essential that the civil service, particularly at the most senior levels, should be free and independent of partisan politics. While they may have their own political and party affiliations, they however cannot and should not bring to bear their political preferences on their policy advice and in the implementation of public policies.
“They should not indulge in petty party politics. Neither should they be subject to political pressures, to do the bidding of politicians without regard to the national and public interest.
“Unfortunately, there has been some tendency to encourage civil servants to be loyal to the political parties that form the government, in order that civil servants be regarded as ‘loyal civil servants’. This should not be the case, as indicated by the Sports Minister, quite sportingly.
“A civil servant can be a loyal public servant and yet not be a political party member or supporter of the ruling government. However some political leaders do not see this subtle difference. They privately label some civil servants as disloyal if they are members or supporters of opposition political parties. They can lose out on promotions and favoured postings if they are deemed to be non-government party members or supporters. This is an unhealthy attitude which has and can erode the independence and integrity of the national institutions, like the civil service, the police and even the judiciary and other bodies.
“Thus, I agree with the minister that no civil servant should be forced to support the political party that the government represents. If and when this happens, the morale and self-respect and dignity of the civil service could be adversely affected.
“This loss of morale can be reflected in the poor performance and inefficiency in the civil service. Worse still, it can cause the decline and even the downfall of the government apparatus and institutions. So please don`t politicise the civil service.”
PETALING JAYA: It’s their sense of duty to the nation that makes some civil servants refuse to vote for Barisan Nasional, according to Ramon Navaratnam, a former secretary-general of the Transport Ministry.
He said this was not a new phenomenon, but added, “This trend could be gathering momentum.”
Navaratnam was responding to a question that Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin raised in a recent TV interview.
“The minister rightly suggests a study of this serious phenomenon,” he said in a letter to FMT. “But I could readily respond to the minister.
“Civil servants are permanent employees who generally have a dedicated and professional pride to serve God, King, Country and the Rakyat, with a long term perspective and a sense of service. On the contrary, most politicians tend to look forward mostly on a short term basis, until the next election.
“Hence the more committed civil servants tend to have more serious concerns with the growing scourges of corruption, wastage, politically motivated projects and programmes and poor management practices and cronyism, etc. Hence civil servants react unfavourably to what many politicians preach as they notice the difference between the practice and the preaching. They witness first-hand how many politicians often make generous promises, but fail to deliver.”
However, he added, it would be incumbent upon civil servants to obey government decisions.
“Civil servants, regardless of their political affiliations, must faithfully implement government decisions once they are made, without fear or favour. They should also not distort policies through dubious practices and act as Little Napoleons. Those who sabotage government policies should be severely dealt with for all to see and for the people to respect the government itself.”
He called on the government of the day to respect the political views and preferences of civil servants and not politicise the civil service “for its own long-term survival” and to work for the sake of “sustainable national stability, progress and the people’s well being”.
Bold appeal
Navaratnam, who is currently the Chairman of the ASLI Centre for Public Policy Studies, praised Khairy for speaking of the “need to respect the political views of civil servants”.
“I am sure the 1.4 million civil servants in our country will welcome this unique and bold appeal from a serving minister to protect the dignity and integrity of the whole public service,” he said.
“It is essential that the civil service, particularly at the most senior levels, should be free and independent of partisan politics. While they may have their own political and party affiliations, they however cannot and should not bring to bear their political preferences on their policy advice and in the implementation of public policies.
“They should not indulge in petty party politics. Neither should they be subject to political pressures, to do the bidding of politicians without regard to the national and public interest.
“Unfortunately, there has been some tendency to encourage civil servants to be loyal to the political parties that form the government, in order that civil servants be regarded as ‘loyal civil servants’. This should not be the case, as indicated by the Sports Minister, quite sportingly.
“A civil servant can be a loyal public servant and yet not be a political party member or supporter of the ruling government. However some political leaders do not see this subtle difference. They privately label some civil servants as disloyal if they are members or supporters of opposition political parties. They can lose out on promotions and favoured postings if they are deemed to be non-government party members or supporters. This is an unhealthy attitude which has and can erode the independence and integrity of the national institutions, like the civil service, the police and even the judiciary and other bodies.
“Thus, I agree with the minister that no civil servant should be forced to support the political party that the government represents. If and when this happens, the morale and self-respect and dignity of the civil service could be adversely affected.
“This loss of morale can be reflected in the poor performance and inefficiency in the civil service. Worse still, it can cause the decline and even the downfall of the government apparatus and institutions. So please don`t politicise the civil service.”
Only 2 options for Anwar to be a free man again
Following Tuesday's Federal Court decision jail
Anwar Ibrahim five years for sodomy, the oppositon leader is now left
with two legal options to set aside the conviction.
The first is to file for a judicial review asking the Federal Court to reconsider its decision to convict and sentence him.
The
second is for him to seek a pardon from the ruler of the state or
territory where the sodomy offence occurred. In this case, it being the
Federal Territory, the ruler would be none other than the Yang
di-Pertuan Agong.
Anwar's (left) counsel Ramkarpal Singh when contacted said they have yet to decide on filing for a judicial review.
“We have to study the full grounds of the judgment first. Then we can make a decision,” said Ramkarpal - who is also the Bukit Gelugor MP - when contacted today.
Another of Anwar's lawyers, N Surendran, said they will announcing further legal steps to be taken by Anwar's defence team.
“We will make an announcement soon,” he said when asked whether Anwar would seek a pardon.
Feb 24 deadline
Yesterday, Bernama quoted a law professor from Universiti Utara Malaysia as saying a royal pardon was one option available.
Several local media reports since then have claimed that Anwar would not be seeking a pardon.
Malay daily Berita Harian quoted senior PKR leader and lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah as saying the issue (of a pardon) 'does not arise'.
Normally, a royal pardon or clemency from the King (below) is the last option available to a convicted person to set aside his or her sentence.
The appeal for it has to be done within 14 days of the court passing the sentence.
Anwar,
therefore, has until Feb 24 to file his appeal for a royal pardon in
order to set aside his jail sentence and remain as Permatang Pauh member
of Parliament.
Observers,
however, point out that Anwar had declined to seek a royal pardon when he was imprisoned in 1999 for abuse of power.
In seeking a royal pardon, the convict's lawyers will have to write to the Pardons Board whose current members include the present Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail.
Among the politicians who had successfully sought royal pardons following their convictions was former Umno Youth chief and Selangor menteri besar, the late Harun Idris, who
was found guilty of corruption in the 1970s.
Anwar in good spirits
Padang Serai MP Surendran, meanwhile, said he, along with PKR central working council member Latheefa Koya, met Anwar at the Sungai Buloh prison earlier today.
He said the opposition leader remains resolute and was in good spirit despite being subject to harsh prison conditions.
“Anwar
thanked Pakatan Rakyat leaders and all Malaysians throughout the
country for their support and concern. He also noted the concern
expressed by the major international
powers on his jailing,” said Surendran (left).
Anwar was sentenced to five years' jail after the Federal Court unanimously found him guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a Kuala Lumpur condominium on June 26, 2008.
Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria took two hours to read the judgment in which he ruled there was overwhelming evidence that Saiful was sodomised by the accused as proved by the substantial scientific and corroborative evidence.
The first is to file for a judicial review asking the Federal Court to reconsider its decision to convict and sentence him.
The
second is for him to seek a pardon from the ruler of the state or
territory where the sodomy offence occurred. In this case, it being the
Federal Territory, the ruler would be none other than the Yang
di-Pertuan Agong.Anwar's (left) counsel Ramkarpal Singh when contacted said they have yet to decide on filing for a judicial review.
“We have to study the full grounds of the judgment first. Then we can make a decision,” said Ramkarpal - who is also the Bukit Gelugor MP - when contacted today.
Another of Anwar's lawyers, N Surendran, said they will announcing further legal steps to be taken by Anwar's defence team.
“We will make an announcement soon,” he said when asked whether Anwar would seek a pardon.
Feb 24 deadline
Yesterday, Bernama quoted a law professor from Universiti Utara Malaysia as saying a royal pardon was one option available.
Several local media reports since then have claimed that Anwar would not be seeking a pardon.
Malay daily Berita Harian quoted senior PKR leader and lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah as saying the issue (of a pardon) 'does not arise'.
Normally, a royal pardon or clemency from the King (below) is the last option available to a convicted person to set aside his or her sentence.
The appeal for it has to be done within 14 days of the court passing the sentence.
Anwar,
therefore, has until Feb 24 to file his appeal for a royal pardon in
order to set aside his jail sentence and remain as Permatang Pauh member
of Parliament.Observers,
however, point out that Anwar had declined to seek a royal pardon when he was imprisoned in 1999 for abuse of power.
In seeking a royal pardon, the convict's lawyers will have to write to the Pardons Board whose current members include the present Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail.
Among the politicians who had successfully sought royal pardons following their convictions was former Umno Youth chief and Selangor menteri besar, the late Harun Idris, who
was found guilty of corruption in the 1970s.
Anwar in good spirits
Padang Serai MP Surendran, meanwhile, said he, along with PKR central working council member Latheefa Koya, met Anwar at the Sungai Buloh prison earlier today.
He said the opposition leader remains resolute and was in good spirit despite being subject to harsh prison conditions.
“Anwar
thanked Pakatan Rakyat leaders and all Malaysians throughout the
country for their support and concern. He also noted the concern
expressed by the major internationalpowers on his jailing,” said Surendran (left).
Anwar was sentenced to five years' jail after the Federal Court unanimously found him guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a Kuala Lumpur condominium on June 26, 2008.
Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria took two hours to read the judgment in which he ruled there was overwhelming evidence that Saiful was sodomised by the accused as proved by the substantial scientific and corroborative evidence.
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