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How a rape was filmed and shared in Pakistan

When a young Pakistani woman was gang raped in a remote village, she kept silent. But then a video of the rape began circulating online and via mobile phone. As BBC Urdu's Amber Shamsi reports, little appears to have been done to stop web users from sharing the video.

Sadia (not her real name) had thought that if she kept quiet, it might protect her from the humiliation of being known as a rape victim.

But in the days or weeks after, two versions of her ordeal began to circulate online - one lasted five minutes, the other 40 minutes.

The video showed her being raped by four men, one by one, while she pleaded for mercy. It spread rapidly through the towns and villages of Punjab.

"It was my elder brother who first told me about the video. He saw it and recognised Sadia, then came to me," Sadia's father says.

"She felt too ashamed to tell me because I'm her father. If her mother had been alive, I'm sure my daughter would have told her."

They then reported the rape, and it was easy to find the alleged culprits in that small community.
'Sharing' the rape

It was shared largely through Bluetooth and clips have reportedly made it on to social media websites such as Facebook.

It can still be shared. Pakistan does not have the laws to stop this from happening.

Sadia lives in a typical Pakistani village, with mud homes surrounded by fields of sugarcane and small vegetable gardens.

She is 23 but she looks much younger. Since her mother died, she has been a surrogate mother to her younger siblings.

BBC video:  http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-31313551

Australian immigration minister mum on Sirul

Australian Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton was tight-lipped when asked to comment on former police corporal Sirul Azhar Umar.

Dutton said privacy laws in Australia are quite strict and prevented him talking about individual cases.

"It is difficult for Australian ministers to comment on ongoing matters because of privacy laws and the desire not to prejudice any matter that might be under consideration," Dutton (left in photo) told reporters today.

He was asked for an update on Sirul Azhar, who is now under immigration detention in Australia where he fled to.

He was sentenced to death for killing Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Australia has no death penalty and its laws prevent the country from deporting people facing death sentence in their home countries.

Dutton was at the Home Ministry in Putrajaya to pay a courtesy call on the minister, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Dutton also clarified that applications for the deportation of Sirul will be taken into account but the process might take awhile.

"The Australian government will take into consideration any applications that have been made and advice that has been provided.

"But there is a stringent legal process and rule of law that operates in relation to serious allegations against people within the Australian border, and that process now needs to take its course," said Dutton.

Teleconference okay

Asked to comment on the recent teleconference attempt with Sirul held by PAS information chief Mahfuz Omar (below), Dutton said it was a non-issue as Australian law allowed for such form of communication.

He, however, declined to comment on Sirul's immigration status.

"I don't want to comment on individual matters, but the general rule of law in Australia means that people, if they are subject to a visa, the government has the ability to deal with that visa, they have the ability to process matters according to the law.

"There are certain items and procedures, I will let officials comment in relation to particular matters, but there's nothing else publicly that I would like to add to it," the minister said.

While refusing to disclose specific details of his meet with the home minister, Dutton said Sirul’s matter had been raised by Zahid.

"Yes, the minister raised that issue with me and its an issue that he takes very seriously. It was raised during the course of our meeting," Dutton revealed without commenting further.

Vell Paari: Palanivel willing to destroy MIC

An MIC leader lambasted party president G Palanivel saying he's selfish enough to destroy the party, just to hang on to power.

Kepong MIC division chairperson S Vell Paari said that Palanivel's decision to appeal the decision of the Registrar of Societies (ROS) for fresh party elections stemmed not from advice from the BN leadership, but out of greed.

Vell Paari said Palanivel's supporters were out and about condemning the “interference” of Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, yet kept mum when BN secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor gave his advice.

“Why never claim interference that time? The reason being, when something is favorable to you (Palanivel), you agree with it but you condemn and say interference when it's otherwise,” he said in a statement today.

Vell Paari (left) reiterated that Palani's current actions were not about the issue of interference by BN leadership or even ROS. Instead, it was an egotistical need to remain in power.

Zahid's advice for Palanivel to follow ROS order was initially met positively by the same supporters, who later lambasted the home minister for “interference”.

Zahid had said that he hoped MIC would not take ROS to court as the ROS was not taking sides, but merely doing its job.

Vell Paari also said that he was “deeply disturbed and disappointed” by the condemnation thrown at ROS and the BN leaders.

“Rather than fixing the issue, Palani's supporters are out in public condemning ROS and the BN leadership while trying to divert the actual issue of election fraud,” he asserted.

ROS had ordered the 68-year-old Indian party to hold fresh party elections by May this year, after it found election fraud and declared the positions of three vice-presidents, 23 central working committee members (CWC), several divisions and branches in MIC, null and void.

However it later issued a definitive letter ordering the MIC to conduct re-elections for all of its branches, wings, divisions and its central leadership as well as the election for the president's post, to be held in May.

Interfaith group: 'Reject Quran' text not from us

The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) has denied circulating text messages to non-Muslims urging them not to accept translated copies of the Quran from a Muslim NGO.

The message, sent via instant messaging application WhatsApp, warns of a clandestine operation to convert non-Muslims through distribution of the Quran

"We issued a statement on this on Feb 9 and we left it at that.

"Anybody doing that (circulating the message) is assuming it is from the council, but it is not," MCCBCHST secretary-general Prematilaka KD Serisena said today.

The message reads: "Please don't accept it because the minute you do (accept the Quran), you will have to fill in a form claiming it is just for record purposes but actually they will track you down and convert you or change your records stating you are a Muslim.

"Be reminded that the Quran is their holy book and it's not to be touched by others and once it's in our possession we can't dispose it or put it anywhere because it's considered a holy book .

"Please be safe and exercise your rights and politely reject it. Please inform all your loved ones and especially children. Please warn them not to take anything or give any personal or family details to anybody."

The message claims that copies of the Quran were distributed to the public in Teluk Pulai, Klang.

Muslim NGO: We haven't distributed the books

On Feb 9, MCCBCHST raised concerns over the plan of the Islamic Information and Services Foundation's (IIS) to distribute a million copies of  the Quran, translated inyo various languages, to counter Islamophobia.

The council feared that the distribution of the Quran could be a way to propagate the religion to non-Muslims and induce conversions.

MCCBCHST said it released the scathing statement with careful consideration following rising complaints of "covert conversions" of non-Muslims to Islam.

However, an official with IIS told The Malaysian Insider that it has yet to distribute the Quran and the holy books would only be distributed to religious organisations and not to random individuals.

IIS also denied that it would take down personal information of those who accepted the holy books.

Also circulating on WhatsApp is a picture of the van of Muslim evangelical group Multiracial Reverted Muslims, which has the words "Ask us. Get your free Quran today" on its side.

However, MRM official Firdaus Wong told the The Malay Mail Online that his organistion is not distributing copies of the Quran as alleged in the WhatsApp message.

20 richest M'sians: Mokhzani slides off list

Mokhzani Mahathir, son of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, saw the biggest hole in his pocket as his net worth tumbled 42 percent or by about half-a-billion US dollars last year, according to the latest Forbes’ list of Malaysia’s 50 richest released today.

The big tumble takes him from 15th last year on the list (US$1.2 billion) to 26th this year (US$700 million). This represents the biggest net worth decline among the top 50 richest Malaysians over the past year, said Forbes.

Meanwhile, diversified businessman Syed Mokhtar Albukhary (left), the only Malay in the top 10, fell one spot to eighth this year as his net worth dipped by US$200 million to US$2.9 billion this year.

Hong Kong-based tycoon Robert Kuok remains Malaysia’s richest citizen as a number of Malaysia’s wealthiest see their net worth fall following the recent global oil price plunge.

Genting scion drops, too

According to an update of Forbes’ list of Malaysia’s 50 richest today, 91-year-old Kuok saw his net worth dip slightly by US$200 million (RM721.9 million) this year to US$11.3 billion compared to US$11.5 billion last year.

Retaining second place is Ananda Krishnan, whose net worth stands at US$9.7 billion. This represents a drastic fall from US$11.3 billion last year — a 14 percent dip.

Banking magnate Quek Leng Chan overtook gaming tycoon Lim Kok Thay this year to take third place, boasting a net worth of US$5.6 billion, though this is 12.5 percent lower than US$6.4 billion last year.

Similarly Lim of Genting fame saw his net worth tumble 15.3 percent over the past year to US$5.5 billion this year.

Read the full story at KiniBiz now.

 

Najib told to quit finance post over 1MDB failure

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak must resign from his position as finance minister for the failure of debt-ridden company 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to pay off its debts.

“He must do so in order for a full-time finance minister to take over his duties,” PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli said in a statement today.

Pointing out how 1MDB’s failure was no longer a secret, Rafizi said those responsible for the company’s management and decisions must therefore resign before the government agrees to the cash injection in the form of an RM3 billion bailout.

As such, apart from Najib resigning as finance minister, 1MDB’s board of directors must likewise do the same by resigning immediately, he said.

Rafizi, who is also a PKR vice-president, said the members of the board of directors should also not be appointed to any of the government’s subsidiary companies or agencies, lest they be “recycled”.

The Pandan MP said he would move a motion in the coming parliamentary session to ensure that the government bailout does not materialise until there is accountability for 1MDB’s failures.

The motion will also push for the RM3 billion bailout to be debated in a special parliamentary session.

“1MDB’s failures must be brought forward to Parliament so that these are not repeated, and action must also be taken against those responsible,” he said.

Quoting sources, The Edge Financial Daily reported that 1MDB was not only helped by billionaire Ananda Krishnan to settle its RM2 billion debt to banks, but it may also require a cash injection of as much as RM3 billion from the Finance Ministry.

The report also pointed out that “the controversial debt-laden outfit is facing a cash crunch as income from its power assets is not enough for debt servicing and it has run out of borrowing options”.

Zahid: AG decides if Anwar can attend Dewan

The Home Minister says his deputy made an incorrect statement.

FMT

PUTRAJAYA: It is the Attorney-General’s Office, not the Home Ministry, that decides whether jailed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim can attend Parliament, according to Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Speaking at a press conference here, Zahid expressed disapproval of his deputy’s statement yesterday that the Home Ministry could decide on the issue.

“I disagree with my deputy,” he said. “The matter should be referred to the Attorney-General. There’s no need for individual opinions, whether from among ministers or politicians.”

The deputy minister, Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, commenting on a law professor’s statement yesterday, said Anwar must apply through the Prisons Department and Parliament if he intends to attend the Dewan Rakyat. The Home Ministry would then decide on the application, he added.

Wan Junaidi agreed with opinions that say Anwar remains in his status as a member of Parliament pending a decision on the petition for a royal pardon that his family has submitted.

Zahid said the Attorney-General would be the party responsible for interpreting Section 49 of the Federal Constitution and the provisions of related laws.

Palanivel willing to destroy MIC to hang on to power

Vell Paari says Palanivel is a hypocrite to scream 'interference' simply because he doesn’t agree with the advice BN leaders are giving him.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: MIC members that are being left as “political orphans” as a direct result of party president G Palanivel’s “ill leadership” desperately need clarification regarding the current turmoil within the party, said S Vell Paari.

The Kepong division chairman also said that Barisan Nasional leaders and the Registrar of Societies (RoS) weren’t the parties to be blamed for MIC’s current predicament, contrary to what some factions within MIC claimed.

“I am deeply disturbed and disappointed to note recent acts and statements by Dato Palani’s supporters condemning RoS and BN leaders,” said Vell Paari in a media statement today.

He added that rather than resolving the matter of irregularities with the party’s election process which Palanivel was responsible for, the president’s supporters were painting a whole different picture to the Indian community by suggesting RoS and UMNO were out to get them.

“Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was only advising MIC to solve the internal crisis, but that was blasted by Balakrishnan (MIC’s vice-president) as interference,” said Vell Paari who pointed out that MIC’s president was in agreement with the Home Minister regarding re-elections just weeks before.

When Palanivel announced MIC’s plans to appeal to the RoS on the advice of BN Secretary-General Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Vell Paari questioned, “Why didn’t (he) claim interference that time?

“The reason being when something is favourable to you, you agree with it but you condemn and say interference when it’s otherwise.

“Hence this is not an issue of interference by BN leadership or ROS but it’s purely a selfish and greedy act to hang on to power by Palanivel, for which he is even willing to destroy MIC.”

Home minister sticks up for IGP

Zahid Hamidi tells the public to respect the IGP as he is an institution and not merely a man in uniform.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Zahid Hamidi has cautioned the public against threatening the Inspector-General of Police, saying he was not merely one man in a uniform but represented an institution guarding the security of the nation.

“The question of threatening any public officer should be avoided, because the person appointed is translating their responsibilities,” he was quoted by the Malaysian Insider as saying.

He was referring to an IS-styled group calling themselves Anti-Democracy Sons of Malaysia (AMAD) who uploaded a video onto YouTube Tuesday threatening to kill IGP Khalid Abu Bakar by blowing up his car.

Zahid said the death threat was not only about Khalid per se, but the institution that he represented.

Zahid said, “In this case, the IGP is not a person, he is an institution. Please respect the institution. His main responsibility is to make sure that the element of security is translated in general.

“His position has to be respected. Any statement issued by him is not his personal statement, it is a statement issued by an institution. This must be respected,” he emphasised.

Reacting to the death threat in the video, Bukit Aman’s Special Branch principal assistant director (counter-terrorism division) Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay, told The Rakyat Post, “We, the authorities, take this matter seriously and those responsible for the release of the two videos will have serious actions taken against them.”

An earlier video, also uploaded onto YouTube showed three similarly clad men in full face masks threatening to blast firecrackers in front of the nation’s courthouses.

In a statement yesterday, Khalid said he was taking the death threat issued against him in stride as it was common for men in uniform like him to be threatened in the line of duty.

“Such threats do not scare me as the police chief to carry out the tasks entrusted to me. Such threats are common in the life of a police officer in performing his duties,” The Malaysian Insider reported him as saying.

Why the Malaysian Government Has Reneged on Political Reform

Koon Yew Yin


This morning I listened to a local business station which carried an interview with Tom Greatex. He is a British Labour Party politician who is head of the All Party Committee on Malaysia of the UK Parliament. In the interview, although cautious, Greatex expressed great concern with the recent human rights record of the Government, especially after all the big talk by the Prime Minister of doing away with the Sedition Act, of political reform and being moderate.

His visit follows the recent statement by the British Foreign Minister who, immediately after the Federal Court’s confirmation of Anwar’s conviction, said that “[Anwar’s] case raises worrying questions about the independence of the judiciary and rule of law in Malaysia….the integrity of the rule of law is a key part of its success, as are the values of moderation and tolerance. We encourage Malaysia to recognise the importance of international confidence in its judicial system and to restore trust in its commitment to human rights.”

This is diplomatic language for saying that there is little or no international confidence in our judicial system when it comes to dealing with the opposition. It is also a polite way of saying that the Brits do not trust our commitment to human rights.

The British are not the only countries that have expressed concern. Our printed media has tried to minimize or even suppress it but strong words have also come from European Union countries, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc. Stronger criticism on the Anwar case have come from human rights groups such as Amnesty International and the International Federation for Human Rights which have called the verdict “disgraceful” and a “black day” for justice.

But what happened in the Anwar case is really the tip of the iceberg in terms of the Government’s attempt to kill off the opposition. To date, this drive has netted a wide range of government critics – not only politicians. Thus we have student leaders such as Adam Adli Abdul Halim and Fariz Musa, human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen, Bersih activist Hishamuddin Rais and cartoonist Zunar, being charged with sedition.

Killing Off Any Kind of Opposition

What is clear and especially alarming is that the Government is not only trying to kill off the political opposition but is also trying to kill off any kind of opposition; and it is using the state machinery which is supposed to be independent and neutral. Hence, not only is the judiciary brought into cooperating or colluding with the political masters, other agencies are also brought into the equation. This can be seen by the creation of the Classified Special Unit D5 in the police force to identify and handle sedition cases on social media. Apart from communist countries, ours must be the first country in the world to set up a branch of the police force set up to monitor the social media and cleanse it of anti government voices and sentiments.

So what is the impact of this shotgun approach to killing off the opposition which is definitely being initiated by UMNO and probably does not have the support of the other BN parties in the coalition.

I am sure that every foreign embassy which has an office in Malaysia and which reports back to their foreign ministries will have carried reports of this recent tsunami of political persecution. They will also be carrying analysis of why this is happening and of the impact of the political repression in Malaysia.

Check Out This Public Feedback Not Found in the NST

Here are my suggestions for what they should be including in their reports on the current political and socio-economic situation in Malaysia. 

1. The Prime Minister is politically insecure and fighting desperately to hold on to his position. Hence he has to take a tough line and go back on his earlier promises to abolish the sedition act and to liberalize the country.
2. UMNO hard liners are in the ascendency. They have become increasingly insecure following the recent two elections and know that the party’s grip on power will finally be broken soon. Hence they are trying every trick in the book to bring down Pakatan and the greater opposition. In particular, they are manipulating religious sentiments and intolerance to ensure that they do not lose the Malay constituency.
3. The state apparatus in Malaysia is being used to prop up the old regime.
4. The Malaysian public has become disenchanted. The taxi drivers, the police men when they are not in uniform, the lower rung civil servants, the traders, university students, media practitioners, the professionals – most of them see the present government to be corrupt, incompetent, ineffective, hypocritical and undeserving of support.

I propose that the foreign mission staff do their own private questioning or polling on these issues and to share their feedback with their colleagues and Malaysians.

Press Release | The Bar is Pro-Rule of Law and Justice, Not Pro-Opposition or Government

Much has been said of the prosecution of Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and there appears to be some obfuscation.   Those who are misconstruing or distorting the Malaysian Bar’s press release of 11 February 2015, which was plainly and clearly only in respect of the prosecutorial process, should cease doing so.  

Without recapping the issues raised therein, the Malaysian Bar wishes to address some issues that have arisen in the past week.

The prosecutor-by-fiat in the Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim case has been reported to have been giving interviews, attending roadshows purportedly organised by a political party in Government, and with his name used in suggestions for debates.   It was subsequently reported that the roadshows were not at the behest of or sanctioned by that political party.

Is such conduct befitting or compatible with the dignity of a prosecutor or the office of the Public Prosecutor?  Is it appropriate or proper for a prosecutor to replay the prosecution by way of roadshows or public debates?  Does a fiat given to a prosecutor to conduct a prosecution confer a licence to embark on a public tirade against a convicted and incarcerated person, or has the prosecutor-by-fiat been nevertheless authorised by the Public Prosecutor to undertake these activities?

A former Attorney General is reported to have said that such conduct is unprecedented.

The “Standards of professional responsibility and statement of the essential duties and rights of prosecutors” adopted by the International Association of Prosecutors on 23 April 1999 provide, amongst others, that prosecutors shall:

(1) at all times maintain the honour and dignity of their profession;

(2) always conduct themselves professionally in accordance with the law and the rules and ethics of their profession;

(3) at all times exercise the highest standards of integrity and care;

(4) strive to be, and to be seen to be, consistent, independent and impartial;

(5) always serve and protect the public interest; respect, protect and uphold the universal concept of human dignity and human rights;

(6) remain unaffected by sectional interests and public or media pressures and shall have regard only to the public interest; act with objectivity; and 

(7) preserve professional confidentiality.

 

Furthermore, the “Guidelines on the Role of Prosecutors” adopted by the Eighth United Nations Congress on the Prevention of Crime and the Treatment of Offenders in 1990 provide, amongst others, that prosecutors shall:

(1) as essential agents of the administration of justice, at all times maintain the honour and dignity of their profession;

(2) in accordance with the law, perform their duties fairly, consistently, and expeditiously, and respect and protect human dignity and uphold human rights, thus contributing to ensuring due process and the smooth functioning of the criminal justice system; 

(3) carry out their functions impartially and avoid all political, social, religious, racial, cultural, sexual or any other kind of discrimination; 

(4) protect the public interest and act with objectivity; and

(5) keep matters in their possession confidential, unless the performance of duty or the needs of justice require otherwise.

Are prosecutors governed by a set of practice and etiquette rules established by the Public Prosecutor, who is also the Attorney General, in a similar vein to the standards and guidelines referred to above, or the Legal Profession (Practice and Etiquette) Rules 1978 that govern advocates and solicitors?

The Public Prosecutor should perhaps shed light on these matters.

The prosecutorial discretion pursuant to Article 145(3) of the Federal Constitution is vested in the Attorney General.  However, as the late Sultan Azlan Shah once said, there is no such thing as an unfettered discretion, as every discretion has its legal limits.  Thus, although the exercise of discretion may be vested in an office, the exercise of it is accountable and is not beyond scrutiny.

There may thus be occasions when the Public Prosecutor or his office may be required to render an account of the exercise or non-exercise of the prosecutorial discretion or conduct on certain matters raised by the public.  We ought to bear in mind that, in any criminal prosecution, the Public Prosecutor’s office represents the public interest, and not the Government.  Criminal prosecutions are thus in the name of the Public Prosecutor, and not in the name of the Government of Malaysia.

The account or clarification would usually be done in a clinical, measured and dispassionate manner, mindful that the office is a public office acting in furtherance of the public trust.

 

There certainly should be no place for roadshows or debates.

Any roadshow or public debate by a prosecutor with respect to a prosecution he had conducted, culminating in a conviction, would add nothing to the conduct of the prosecution, proceedings or conviction, but may potentially embarrass, or affect the public confidence in or perception of, the office of the Public Prosecutor.

It was also reported that the prosecutor-by-fiat had referred to, and revealed in public, matters or details of proceedings expressly held in camera.

Proceedings held in camera are proceedings that are not conducted in open court, and are without the presence of the public.  The court would usually make directions or set terms as to the ambit of the restriction in terms of any revelation or publication of the matters heard in camera.  Whether it is improper or a contempt of court for a prosecutor (or a prosecutor-by-fiat) or any party to reveal or publish matters and evidence heard in proceedings held in camera would depend on the directions made or terms set, if any, by the court, and whether those directions or terms have been breached.   

The directions or terms made with regard to any particular proceedings held in camera could only be ascertained from the notes of court proceedings on the matter, if available, and any breach thereof would be a matter for the parties involved in the criminal trial or the court itself to take up.

The media release dated 12 February 2015 by the Attorney General is an example of an account or response by the office of the Public Prosecutor in a clinical, measured and dispassionate manner.

We thank the Attorney General for the statistics provided with regard to prosecutions undertaken between 2010 and 2014 pursuant to section 377B of the Penal Code.  It would be informative to have the statistics, if any, for such prosecutions under section 377B from the 1990s to 2009. 

The law is only as good and fair as if it is consistently and equally applied and enforced.  Section 377B, read with section 377A, criminalises both sodomy and oral sex (fellatio).  Section 377D has in the past been used to prosecute a participant or abettor in consensual sodomy.  The offences apply to heterosexuals and homosexuals.  It would be instructive to see what the statistics are for prosecutions for consensual oral sex under section 377B, read with section 377A, and under section 377D.

An analogy was drawn in the Attorney General’s media release with a prosecution for a corruption offence, to explain why the complainant was not charged as a participant for abetment in the prosecution for consensual sodomy against Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Is it a matter of policy, in the overall and long-term public interest, to grant immunity to those who are participants in an offence in order to prosecute other participants, instead of plea bargaining for an admission and lesser sentence, except where the participant is an agent provocateur acting with or emplaced by the authorities in a sting operation?   

In line with the analogy drawn in the said media release, it is to be noted that section 11 of the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 provides that a participant in an offence cannot enjoy protection under the said Act, including the removal of any immunity from criminal action.  Although this Act came into force subsequent to the charge against Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim and is largely concerned with corruption, it may said that section 11 of the said Act is a statutory codification or reflection of the public interest policy with respect to there being no immunity for participants in offences.

The Bar raises these issues and asks questions because it is pro-rule of law and pro-justice.  The Bar is neither pro-Opposition nor pro-Government.  

Christopher Leong

President

Malaysian Bar

Govt Can Consider More UTCs For S'wak Once Each State Capital Has One - PM

KUCHING, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- When the government realises its objective of having an Urban Transformation Centre (UTC) in each state capital, phase two of the initiative will possibly see more UTCs in Sarawak considering the vastness of the state, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said, however, this would depend on increased revenue for the government and the nation being on a very strong fiscal footing.

The UTCs, he said, became testimonies of the government's commitment towards realising its "People First, Performance Now," philosophy when they turned out to be a resounding success in facilitating the people in dealing with not only government agencies but also the private sector.

"Once the first phase is settled (to have a UTC in each state capital), we can consider a second round towards meeting the call by Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Adenan Satem for more UTCs in the state," he said when opening UTC Sarawak in Jalan Bukit Mata here tonight.

Having a floor space of 29,000 square feet, UTC Sarawak, which is the eighth UTC in the country and started operations at the end of last September, now houses 47 government and private agencies under one roof.

The UTC is a brainchild of the Prime Minister to provide a one-stop centre for urban communities to deal with key government agencies and is part of the country's National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS).

It was introduced to improve the delivery system to the people via strategic partnerships between government agencies and the private sector.

According to Najib, with the full commitment of the government, UTC Sarawak costing RM48.5 million was up and running within 12 weeks and since January, has received more than 260,000 visitors.

He said transformation in terms of finding solutions to challenges required creative and strategic thinking, and that the UTC, which came about through brainstorming, was a fine example of this.

"This is the end result, we could come up with these UTCs which no other country has been able to do. Hopefully, it will inspire greater confidence of the people in the government which is very committed and serious not only about improvements, but transformation across the country, no matter urban or rural areas," he said.

Najib said he was also committed to working with Adenan and other state leaders in bringing about transformation for a better future for Sarawak.

Meanwhile, he said this year, 200 imams or Village Security and Development Committee chairmen in Sarawak would be selected to perform the Haj under the sponsorship of the 1MDB Foundation.

The Jihadi John apologists: Islamic campaigner who today defended ISIS executioner as a 'beautiful, kind young man' was filmed calling for jihad outside U.S Embassy

• Asim Qureshi helped name his friend Mohammed Emwazi as Jihadi John
• Mr Qureshi said that MI5 had harassed Emwazi and help radicalise him
• Campaigner was tearful as he described him as 'extremely kind and gentle'
• He added that 'the man I knew would never hurt a single person'
• 'When are we going to finally learn that when we treat people as if they're outsiders they will look for belonging elsewhere'
• Comments caused fury from people who believe MI5 were doing their job
• CAGE broadcast was on Sky News for 58 minutes without interruption and the BBC showed it for 52 minutes

By Martin Robinson for MailOnline

A video has surfaced of the Muslim activist who described ISIS executioner Jihaji John as 'a beautiful man' supporting Jihad at an anti-US rally in London.

Asim Qureshi, leader of campaign group CAGE, was filmed urging protesters to 'support the jihad of our brothers and sisters' in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Chechnya.

Earlier today Qureshi, who helped to name ISIS militant Jihadi John as west London student Mohammed Emwazi, caused outrage by saying the murderer was 'beautiful' adding that he 'wouldn't hurt a fly'.

Speaking while close to tears at a press conference this afternoon, he blamed MI5 for radicalising Emwazi, saying the security services harassed him and alienated him.

In the earlier footage, Qureshi can be seen speaking through a microphone at the the pan-Islamic Hizb ut-Tahrir movement rally.

He says: 'When we see the example of our brothers and sisters fighting in Chechnya, Iraq, Palestine, Kashmir, Afghanistan, then we know where the example lies.

'When we see Hezbollah defeating the armies of Israel, we know where the solution is and where the victory lies.

'We know that it is incumbent upon all of us, to support the Jihad of our brothers and sisters in these countries when they are facing the oppression of the West.

'Allahu Akhbar! Allahu Akhbar! (God is great, God is great!)'

Qureshi stands alone on a stage in the 54 second clip, shot at the height of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars in 2006.

London School of Economics graduate Qureshi worked for CAGE at the time of his passionate speech, then known as CAGE Prisoners.

The organisation claims to 'strive for a world free from oppression and injustice', 'working to empower communities impacted by the War on Terror.'

However, the video footage, posted on YouTube, now raises questions about Qureshi, who alongside former control order detainee Cerie Bullivant tried to pin the blame for Mohammed Emwazi's radicalisation on the British Government.



Earlier today Qureshi was branded an ISIS sympathiser as he appeared to launch a defence of Emwazi and his barbaric crimes.

He said: 'When are we going to finally learn that when we treat people as if they're outsiders, they are going to feel like outsiders and they will look for belonging elsewhere.'

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2970521/Outrage-group-blames-MI5-radicalising-extremely-kind-Jihadi-John-fled-Syria-kill-people-ISIS.html

ISIS thugs take a hammer to civilisation: Priceless 3,000-year-old artworks smashed to pieces in minutes as militants destroy Mosul museum

• Extremists used power drills and sledgehammers to smash ancient items
• They wrecked a series of 3,000-year-old statues at museum in Mosul, Iraq
• One vandal says items being destroyed because they promoted idolatry
• Comes after thugs destroyed thousands of books at Mosul Public Library

By Julian Robinson for MailOnline

Islamic State thugs have destroyed a collection of priceless statues and sculptures in Iraq dating back thousands of years.

Extremists used sledgehammers and power drills to smash ancient artwork as they rampaged through a museum in the northern city of Mosul.

Video footage shows a group of bearded men in the Nineveh Museum using tools to wreck 3,000-year-old statues after pushing them over.

One of the items, depicting a winged-bull Assyrian protective deity, dates back to the 9th century B.C.

A man shown in the video said the items were being destroyed because they promoted idolatry.



'The Prophet ordered us to get rid of statues and relics, and his companions did the same when they conquered countries after him,' the unidentified man said.

The articles destroyed appeared to come from an antiquities museum in the northern city of Mosul, which was overrun by Islamic State last June, a former employee at the museum told Reuters.

The extremist group has destroyed a number of shrines - including Muslim holy sites - in a bid to eliminate what it views as heresy.

Militants are also believed to have sold ancient artwork on the black market in order to finance their bloody campaign across the region.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2970270/Islamic-State-fighters-destroy-antiquities-Iraq-video.html