Is the Indian Blueprint another promise?

The Indian Development Blueprint is in the making now.

I was one of the invitees in the panel discussion for this agenda.

A blueprint is a plan. In this context, it is a plan/target/guideline for the development of Indian Malaysian. YBhg Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim questioned the panel members on the whereabouts of his and the late K Pathmanaban’s blueprints. I wonder the same. What happened to them? Have we achieved our target? I have never seen one, have we been propelling without a direction all this while, if not, where is it?

MIC could have launched a site for all Indians to contribute their ideas and suggestions just like what was done by Najib Abdul Razak before presenting Budget 2017. It would have given every Indian Malaysian a fair chance of voicing out their opinion , even those Indian Malaysians who are residing overseas at the moment. It wasn’t implemented and the invitation to the panel discussion was only sent to about 100 plus people from various NGOs and agencies.

We have so many productive young bloods who are eager to tell you how things can be sorted for betterment and yet, there is no platform for them.

The panellists did not discuss any specific topic or debate on suggestions that came in from participants; they only presented on their achievements. No presentation on their vision planning for National Transformation 50 (TN50) or at least another 10 years in line. They also did not discuss the setbacks that they have faced and how they are planning to prevent it in future. Isn’t that a crucial component to analyse before renewing a blueprint?

Upon arriving, we were told that the framework has been done and they are looking for additional inputs - I lost my enthusiasm. If it has been drafted, why wasn’t it shared via email to all the invitees, we could have had a very productive discussion that afternoon. We would be aware of your plans and areas that needs improvisation. Wouldn’t that also promote transparency? I felt wasted.

We have written many articles on areas to look into for Tamil schools and Indian development;

Tamil school development

Bahasa Malaysia; Changing threat into treat for SJKT
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/bahasa-malaysia-changing-threat-into-treat-for-sjkt/
Better choices after SPM
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/better-choices-after-spm/
Students safety is no joke
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/students-safety-is-no-joke/
Hindu NGO proposes “MRSM like” Tamil schools
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/hindu-ngo-propose-mrsm-like-tamil-schools/#.V8VGnBf3a6w.facebook
Tamil schools; your contribution counts
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/tamil-schools-your-contribution-counts/#.V8QNVjf5AU8.facebook
Where are we heading with Tamil schools?
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/342959

Indian development
Need for an Indian agenda
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/need-for-an-indian-agenda/
Budget 2017; Checklist for MIC
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/budget-2017-checklist-for-mic/#.V7bg5jdabP8.facebook
Indians in your manifesto for GE14
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/indians-in-your-manifesto-for-ge14/#.V4w_-Qqclu8.facebook
Indians in your manifesto for GE14
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/indians-need-new-economic-policy-to-be-independent/#.VwipZwyD4NI.facebook
Indians need new economic policy to be independent
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/indians-need-new-economic-policy-to-be-independent/#.VwipZwyD4NI.facebook
Wake up call for Indians in the government sector
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/wake-up-call-for-indians-in-the-govt-sector/#.VvSm-XsGG9A.facebook
Additional TV channel in RTM solely for Malaysian Indians
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/additional-tv-channel-in-rtm-solely-for-indian-community/#.V3m7v7CmP-w.facebook
SEED; No push back
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/seed-no-push-back/
PM, push MIC for overhaul
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/359450#.WAXDVXEHGfU.facebook
MIC in real action
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/mic-in-real-action/
4 mil Malaysian Indians by 2025
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/4-million-malaysian-indians-by-2025/
Enact or lose confidence
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/enact-or-lose-confidence/
Power to make changes in the wrong hands
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/power-to-make-changes-is-in-the-wrong-hands/
MIC can do better
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/mic-can-do-better/

These are articles that we have written in 2016 alone and we have addressed countless issues in our articles. There are suggestions in each article although the title might not sound relevant to the blueprint. We have written many more, but those are directed to PM himself in improving on his administration, thus are not included here.

Read and grab my points, its impossible to let you know all these within an hour of open discussion slot at your blueprint meeting. That is why a ‘suggestion site’ is important.

Among all the articles that we wrote, I would like to specially highlight on the first article ‘Need for an Indian agenda’ - this is a compulsory component if you are serious about increasing the Indian equity by 2020 - or even 2025 now.

The establishment of a Malaysian Indian Investment Holdings ( MIIH ). We submitted the proposal to the then-minister in the PM’s Department during one of our events in the Royal Selangor Club and there has been no feedback till now. It has to co-exist together with SEED and SEDIC to ensure a balanced growth.

We don’t wish to claim ownership, we want this to be executed and serve the poor and needy. Grab the framework and work on it. The only thing that we demand is transparency, whatever you do, publish and keep us in the loop.

The PM in his speech at MIC’s recent AGM mentioned that there is “pushback” from the Indian community in almost any plans that he tries to carry out for us. Isn’t surprising? When we have so many people voicing out their dissatisfaction over insufficient aid and attention from government, how can there be a “pushback” from the community towards government initiatives? Something is wrong in between.

YB Dr S Subramaniam, you must take full responsibility and step down from your health minister position temporarily for at least six months to sort things out in MIC; completion and approval of blueprint from PM and fixing the pushback. How long are we going to just talk and fight for Tamil schools, temples, and now, crematorium sites in AGM, blueprint discussion, etc?

Fifty-nine years is not sufficient to sort out basic matters yet? MIC must create a platform to engage our people with top leaders in the government like Ali Hamsa and Irwan Serigar Abdullah. 1MINE held an event with Irwan last year pertaining the future of the ringgit in this country and participants were pleased with his very friendly gesture and willingness to help Indian Malaysians in business.

YB Subra, prove your commitment to our community and take the effort to keep MIC relevant. We are tired of just talk of blueprint but not being able to witness anything related to it; launch the site and let us know what is being planned and can be expected from your end.

We are tired of repeated empty promises.
_____________________________________________________________________
S GOPINATH is president of the Malaysian Indian Network of Entrepreneurs Association (1MINE).
indianmalaysians

Former top cop files police report against AG

A former high-ranking police officer has filed a report accusing attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali of abuse of power in connection with the investigations into 1MDB.

This comes after the Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered that “no further action” (NFA) be taken on the former CID chief's police report on 1MDB lodged on Oct 24.

In his latest report - filed on Nov 21 - Mat Zain Ibrahim, who once headed the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department (CID), states that the order not to act on his earlier report came from Apandi.

Malaysiakini has sighted a copy of a Nov 7 letter signed by current Kuala Lumpur CID chief Rusdi Mat Isa informing Mat Zain that the AG’s Chambers had classified his Oct 24 report as NFA required, effective Nov 1, about a week after the report was lodged.

The Oct 24 report, citing the US Department of Justice (DOJ) civil suit to retrieve US$1 billion of “stolen money” from Malaysia’s troubled sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, suggested there is “strong evidence” to investigate Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his younger brother, CIMB chairperson Nazir Razak.

In his Oct 24 police report, Mat Zain also implicated Nazir in a possible offence under Section 411 or Section 414 of the Penal Code, for allegedly “receiving or disposing of stolen properties”.

This follows Nazir’s admission to The Wall Street Journal that he received US$7 million from Najib and that he distributed it to ruling party politicians prior to the 13th general election.

Nazir had posted in Instagram then that he wished he had not helped his brother. "I understand the furore, and with hindsight, I wish I didn't (do it)," Nazir had written.

Also in his report, Mat Zain noted the DOJ claim that the US$681 million found in the account of ‘Malaysian Official 1' (MO1) originated from Tanore Finance, which is beneficially owned by Tan Kim Loong, an associate of businessman Jho Low.

The DOJ suit also named Jho Low, who is said to be close to Najib’s family, and the prime minister’s stepson Riza Aziz.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan confirmed that MO1 was Najib, but claimed that since the prime minister was not named, it indicated that he was not being investigated.

The prime minister has denied abusing public funds for personal gain while Nazir has also clarified his role, and he was subsequently cleared by an internal probe carried out by the bank.

The government has also denied any cover-up in the matter.

However, Mat Zain argued that if Apandi was certain that the US$681 million was a Saudi donation, he should have immediately filed an objection and demanded the DOJ to retract its claim, or that the Malaysian government should have filed a counter suit.

Besides this, he said, Apandi could also lodge a complaint with the US court against Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent Robert B Heuchling, who affirmed the DOJ suit, for perjury.

“Since none of the above were done, we can only assume that whatever the DOJ has filed is true and unrebutted,” Mat Zain told Malaysiakini.

Malaysiakini has texted Apandi on this latest allegation for his comments and is yet to receive his response.

Malaysia peninsular belongs to either China or India from B.C., 1st~15th century.

Malays are Muslims descendants of Chinese, Indians. If buddhist then Siam,  Religion and geopolitical divides them.

The Influence of India on Malay Culture

By Sabrizain

Hindu influence in the Malay Peninsula was initially limited more or less rigidly to the upper class of old Malay society - the royalty. Malay royalty was essentially Hindu royalty descended, according to the Malay Annals, "Sejarah Melayu", from a legendary half-Indian and half-Greek monarch, Raja Suran, whose sons all bearing Indian proper names, Sang Nila Utama, Krishna Pandita, Nila Pahlawan, then descended on Bukit Siguntang in Sumatra from whence Malay royalty spread. The spread of Hinduism was not the result of any organised missionary movement. Indian merchants by virtue merely of their feconomic standing, drew converts from the ruling and trading classes of the races with which they traded. If Hinduism was accepted, it was because of a desire for a better standard of living rather than because of an understanding and appreciation of a superior religious system.

Hinduism spread also through marriage. The small princes of the Malaysian coastal trading centres were glad to marry off their sons and daughters to the prosperous Indian merchants or their children. For those who lived on the outskirts of the trading centre, the Hindu influence was to come much later and in gradual stages. While the common people often followed the religious faith of their rulers, there was always an undercurrent of fear of evoking the wrath of their earlier animistic deities. Hinduism was assimilated only with a lot of local theological "spice" retained.

Early Malay literature is almost completely derived from Hindu epics, from the Ramayana and the Mahabaratha. Even today, a major portion of Malay vocabulary is made up of Sanskrit words. Today, when a Malay speaks a sentence of ten words, probably five of them will be Sanskrit words, three Arabic and the remaining either of English, Chinese, Persian or of some other origin. One expert even made the sweeping claim that there are only four words in the Malay vocabulary which are genuinely Malay - "api" or fire, "besi" or iron. "padi" or rice, and "nasi" or cooked rice.

Words such as putera, son; puteri, daughter; asmara, love; samudra, ocean; belantra, jungle; kenchana, gold; sukma, soul; and literally thousands of other words are all Sanscrit words, either in original or in modified form.

What of the influence of India on the religious developments of the
Malaysian peoples? Malay folk-lore and Malay literature show that during the period before the coming of Islam, about the 14th century A.D., the greater gods of the Malay pantheon were really borrowed Hindu divinities. They were, in some respect, modified by Malay ideas, but only the lesser gods and spirits were actually native to the Malay religious system. It is true these native gods and spirits can be identified with the great powers of nature, such as the spirit of the Wind (Mambang Angin), the spirit of the Waters (Hantu Ayer) and the spirit of the Sun (Mambang Kuning). But none of them appears to have the status of the chief gods of the Hindu system. Both by land and water, the terrible Shiva and Batara Guru or Kala, are supreme.

In Malay folk-lore we find Vishnu, the preserver, Brahma the creator, Batara Guru (Kala) and S'ri all invoked by Malays, especially by Malay magicians. Of all the greater deities of the Hindu system, Batara Guru is unquestionably the greatest. In Hikayat Sang Sembah , the tales of Sang Sembah, Batara Guru appears as a supreme god with Brahma and Vishnu and some subordinate deities. It is Batara Guru who alone has the "water of life", the elixir of life, which can restore life to dead humans and animals. To the Malays of old, then, and to the Malay bomohs even of the present day in whom are preserved these notions, "tok Batara Guru" or any one of the corruptions which his name now bears, was the all-powerful god who held the place of Allah before the advent of Islam, and was a spirit so powerful that he could restore the dead to life. All prayers were addressed to him.

Of the lesser deities of Hinduism, the most notable who have remained in Malay superstition and folklore are the "gergasi", half-human forest spirits of Hindu mythology represented in Malay folk-lore as tusked orgres that feed on human flesh. Then there is the raksaksa, a race of cannibal giants ruled, according to the Indian Puranas, by Ravana. A tribe of raksaksa is mentioned in the Kedah annals, Hikayat Marong Mahawangsa, which tell of a giant king, Maroung Maha Wangsa, who led a tribe of giants and founded the present state of Kedah which they called Langkasuka.

All in all, that a form of Hinduism was the accepted religion of the Malays prior to the advent of Islam is certain, and it is a fact amply proved by Malay folk-lore and superstition, Malay literature, Malay customs and various archaeological inscriptions.

Muslim religious teachers in Malaysia today still preach the Islamic concept of heaven in a terminology which is neither Malay nor Arabic, but Hindu. The sanskrit word "shurga" is always used in connection with the Islamic concept of paradise. The proper Arabic word for this is actually "al-jannah". In the same way, the Hindu religious term "neraka" or hell is used by Muslim Malays to explain the Islamic concept of hell. The Arabic word for hell is "al-nar: or the place of fire. Then the Muslim fast, the annual religious abstention from food and drink, is known by the Sanskrit term "puasa". A Muslim religious teacher is often called "guru, another Hindu religious term , in fact the name of a Hindu deity, Batara Guru. The Muslim prayer is among the Malays, called "sembahyang". "Sembah" in Sanskrit means to pray, and "yang" is a Sanskrit term meaning divinity or conjuring respect, as in Sang Yang Tunggal", the most divine one, and "Yang Dipertuan ".

There are many other Hindu religious terms that have lost their original meaning and are being freely and unconsciously used by Muslim Malays in connection with the religion of Islam. This shows that Hinduism exerted a profound influence on Malay culture before the coming of Islam to Malaysia. And this influence has survived, despite the strict monotheistic restrictions of the Islamic faith, to the present day. So, in religion as well as in other aspects of Malaysian culture, we cannot treat the influence of India as something belonging to the past. The political influence of old India which was climaxed by the great Empires of "Sri Vijaya" and "Majapahit" is today at an end, but the cultural influence of India which began at the beginning of the Christian era is still very much alive, and it will be alive for many, many centuries to come because it has become part of the life of the Malaysian peoples.

Putrajaya will take over Hadi's bill, PM says

UMNO AGM Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the government will "take over" PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

"I urge all not to politicise the matter. It is a Private Member's Bill, which will be taken over by the federal government," Najib, who is also Umno president, said in his policy speech at the Umno general assembly today.

He did not elaborate how it will be "taken over" by the government.

Najib said that Nov 24, the day Hadi tabled his motion seeking leave to table his bill, was a "historic" day.

Despite the two parties traditionally being rivals, PAS has, in recent years, been accused of colluding with Umno, particularly on matters concerning Islamic law.

Meanwhile, minister in charge of Parliament affairs Azalina Said Othman confirmed that the government will be "taking over" the bill during the second reading.

"Marang (Hadi) has to first finish the motion and it would be debated and voted and that means the first reading is completed and the government will pick up.

"There will be a statement and the government will pick it up as a second bill and (minister in charge of Islamic affairs) Jamil Khir (Baharom) will read it as a government bill," she told reporters at the sidelines of the Umno annual general assembly today.

The process will take place in March, she said.

Won't affect non-Muslims

Hadi's bill seeks to raise the sentencing limit of the syariah court from a maximum RM3,000 fine, six strokes of the whip and five year jail limit to maximum 30 years' jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the whip.

On Nov 22, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi briefed Muslim MPs on Hadi's bill.

During the meeting, it was decided that a proposal would be submitted to Najib to urge him to form a parliamentary select committee, consisting of Muslim and non-Muslim MPs, to review the bill after it is tabled in Parliament.

BN component parties MCA, MIC and Gerakan said they would oppose the bill in its current form, arguing that it is unconstitutional.

Gerakan said the bill would create a parallel system alongside civil law, but Najib said this would not happen.

"To the non-Muslims, don't worry because you will not be subject to it and the government is reviewing if there will be dualism in penalties," Najib said.

While Hadi's motion to seek leave to table the bill was read on Nov 24, the Marang MP will only elaborate on his motion to the Dewan Rakyat during its next sitting in March next year.

Ancient maps of Tamil Kingdom before Malay in South East Asia

Please study these ancient maps. It shows that Malaysia peninsular belongs to Chola, Hindoostan, Moghul empire in 8~14 century. Before Malay Sultan and Melacca exist

And from 1~8 century it was part of China.
Chinese and Indians come to peninsular since 500 thousands years ago. Malay and South East Asians are the descendants of cross marriage. The phrase tanah Melayu was invented by Umno in 1950's.

Manigramam (Malacca) -Renamed

Literal meaning of Manigramam in Tamil is “gem like town”. Ruler Parameswara renamed it to melaka.This is to be identified in the Malay peninsula as a trading center of the Tamils from the Coromandel Coast. Manigramam occurs in Tamil inscriptions of the Malabar coast.

Tondi (Malayan Port) -Renamed

There are two places in the Tamil country with the same name Tondi – one in the Chera Empire and the other one in the Pandyan Empire. However, there seems to have been a third Tondi in the Malay Peninsula.

Takkolam (Takuapa Today Part of Thailand) -Renamed

Takuapa of the northern part of the Malay Peninsula is otherwise known as Takkolam. Takkolam is the Tamil word for “piper cuveba’ and “calyptranthes jambalana. There is also a place in the Tamil country which up to now carries the same name Takkolam. The North Malaysia Takuapa could have been either abounded by the spices “calyptranthese jambalana” and “piper cubeba” or it could have been occupied by settlers from the Takkolam of the Tamil country, or both.

Langkasuka (Pattani Today Part of Thailand) -Non Renamed

The name 'PATTANI' is derived from the Tamil word 'PATTANAM'. Until the late 19th century, it was called Pattanam by theTamils. Reference - TAMIL LEXICON. One must differentiate between PATHTHANS of Tamilnadu who are called 'PATTAANI'. The Pathans migrated to Tamilnadu when they came with the Turks andMughals. Patani probably rivals Kedah as among the oldest Malay states on the Peninsula. The lost Second Century kingdom of Langkasuka may have spanned the peninsula from Patani on the east coast, to northern Kedah on the west. Wu-pei-chih, certainly firmly places a Lang-hsi-chia to the south of Songkla (Singora), up to the Patani River and the fabled spirit land of Lakawn Suka still features in the mythology of Patani Malays. Patani was probably one of the Sri Vijayan empire's conquests and ' Ilangasoka, undaunted in fierce battles' was certainly recorded as one of Rajendra Cola's conquests in his raids into Southeast Asia into the empire in 1025.In the northern part of Malaysia there is a place called Pattani. before seem to be Langkasuka during Liang dynasty Hindu chinese ruler. “Pattani” in Tamil means a pea (pisum sativum), however, the upper most class among the Tamil Muslims call themselves Pattanis. Since Malaya had been subject to the settlement of Tamil Muslims (who intermarried with the local women) as early as the 10th century A.D.

Kadaram (Kedah) -Renamed

Kedah, the west coast of Malaya, is known as Kadaram in Tamil. Kadaram-kandan, “conqueror of Kadaram” was one of the attributes given to Rajendra Cholan I of the Tamil Chola empire of the early 11th century AD. There is also a place in the Madurai District in Tamil Nadu, of the Pandyan Empire, with the name Kadaram.A large and round fruit, which is a species of orange, with sour and bitter taste (not grapefruit) is called by the Tamils as kadarangkay, kadaram-pulp. This variety of orange was brought by the Tamil traders from Malaysia to Tamil Nadu, or the place abounded by this pulp could have been named after it by the Tamil settlers in Malaya.Kedah in the Malay language means 'open wide'which is apt as Kedah is primarily made of padi fields which as flatlands. So Negeri Kedah would be 'Wide Open State'. Place names in Malaysia tend to be Malay words that describe the nature of the place or the plants or animals that are abundant there.

Mayirudinggam, Mappappalam, Mewilimbanggam, and Madamalingam (Perlis,Kedah,Penang and Perak) -Renamed

Mayirudinggam, Mappappalam, Mewilimbanggam, and Madamalingam are to be identified in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Not sure Mappappalam was kedah or thailand part state,These are among the several states that were part of the Sri Vijaya empire but were overwhelmed by Rajendra Chola I in 1025 AD. A Tanjore Inscription which commemorates this victory mentions the place names.

Cheras (suburb of Kuala Lumpur) -Non Renamed

Cheras in Malaysia is a suburb located in both Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Originally, Cheras is the name of a kingdom in ancient Tamilakkam. Another Name for Chera Clan of south india.Outside of Malaysia on the central part of the island of Sumatra are a group of people called the Karo Bataks carrying Dravidian clan names such as Chera, Chola, Pandya, and Pallava. Today cheras still alive as a part name of malaysia place.

Cholanur (Selangor) -Renamed

Mudirajindia stated, Selangor was called as Selangore. That means, few hundred years before, Raja Raja or ( Rajendra ? ) Cholan discovered Malaiyur (Malaya and then Malaysia) and named one of the state as Solan/Cholan Oor and thus the state later came to be called Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity"Ooru => Oor = Village / TownCholan Ooru => Solan Oor => Solanor => Selangor = Selangore.The origin of the name Selangor is lost in history, although some sources claim the name to have come from the Malay word selangau, 'a large fly', most probably due to the abundance of flies in the marshes along the Selangor River in the state's northwest.claims the state's name is derived from the term Selang Ur meaning "land of the straits" (according to this theory, selang means "straits"[citation needed] in the Malay language and ur means "town" in Tamil.) Aur (which sounds similar to ur) also means river in Malay. Hence, Selangor may mean 'river straits'. A major problem with this hypothesis is that the word "selang" does not in fact mean "strait" in Malay, not even in obsolete usage according to the Kamus Dewan; the proper word for "strait" is selat." Until now, there is a street called Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur. Most of all Tamil History distinguished by now-a-days Malay Rulers in Malaysia. There is no much evidence to prove this and malaysia lost the History book that ever read approximately aged 30 to 40 years back".It is recorded in history that Rajendra Chola conquered a few fareast countries and controlled their administation from India. Chola's Rule in Malaysia Selangor is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. Malaysian Indians are a group of Malaysians largely descended from those who migrated from southern India during the British colonization of Malaya. Prior to British colonization, Tamils had been conspicuous in the archipelago much earlier, especially since the period of the powerful South India kingdom of the Cholas in the 11th century. By that time, Tamils were among the most important trading peoples of maritime Asia. Across Malaysia today there is a rolling back of the 2,000-year-old culture of the Malays, brought with the Chola and Srivijaya kings from India.

Source: Sangam Literature Silappatikaram (The Tale of an Anklet)
History Search: thai, burma, indonesia, south india and ganga negara.

By JOHAMI ABDULLAH

Early Indian works speak of a fantastically wealthy place called Savarnadvipa, which meant “land of gold.” This mystical place was said to lie far away, and legend holds that this was probably the most valid reason why the first Indians ventured across the Bay of Bengal and arrived in Kedah around 100 B.C.

Apart from trade, the early Indians brought a pervasive culture, with Hinduism and Buddhism sweeping through the Indo-Chinese and Malay archipelago lands bringing temples and Indian cultural traditions. The local chiefs began to refer to themselves as “rajahs” and also integrated what they considered the best of Indian governmental traditions with the existing structure.

I learnt Malayan history in the 1950s and taught it in the 1960s and 1970s in secondary schools. All the history textbooks at the time had the early Indian connection specifically mentioned in them. Teachers of that period taught about the early Indianised kingdoms of Langkasuka, Sri Vijaya and Majapahit that existed from as early as 100 C.E.

Anyone can see that Parameswara, the founder of Malacca, has a clearly give-away name that points to the Indian/Hindu influence. No one can deny this, and all our children need to know about this. They have the fundamental right to learn about this aspect of our history too.

Why don’t our children learn about these early Indian connections today? It needs mention here that this early Indian connection has nothing to do with the much later cheap Indian “coolie” labour influx that the British brought over to man the railways and plantations of Malaya from the late 19th century onwards.

The Malay language as we know it today is already fully impregnated and enriched with many foreign words. This is good. Malay, therefore, has been a bahasa rojak from early times itself.

Rojak itself (and also cendul) is a Malaysian food developed by an Indian Malayalee Muslim community known as the Malabaris who hailed from Kerala. They were also referred to as kakas. We now wrongly credit the Penang mamaks for this great food.

The only other bahasa rojak that can beat the Malay language in the matter of foreign word assimilation is the English language because it has “polluted” itself with words from just about every civilisation that exists or existed in this world.

The very word “Melayu” itself is most probably of Indian origin from the words “Malai Ur,” which means land of mountains in Tamil. Singapur, Nagapur and Indrapur are very common Indian names that have similar backgrounds.

The early Indians were probably inspired by the main mountain range that looks like a backbone for the Malay peninsula and thus named it Malaiur. The word “malai” is undoubtedly Indian in origin as is the case with the word Himalayas and we all know where it is situated.

The English word “Malaya” is a further corruption of the word by the British who themselves are very good at corrupting the pronunciation and spelling of and changing the names of indigenous places worldwide to suit their tongue’s capability. The Malay word “Melayu” with the missing “r “ is closer to the original name “Malaiur”.

To my knowledge, the hundreds of Malay words of Indian origin have not been catalogued by anyone except perhaps the noted Malay scholar Zaaba. Even if such an effort has been made, it is definitely not widely known or ever published.

Many Malay words, from describing Malay royalty (Raja, Putera, Puteri, Maha, Mulia, Seri, etc) and common everyday terms (bakti, suami, cuma, dunia, bumi, jendela, serpu, kerana), all have Indian connections. The undeniable Indian connection in the word “Indonesia” is also reflected in the name itself.

The Indian factor that influences even the prevailing Malay culture in terms of music, food, dress and certain other everyday practices like betel chewing and bersanding is another thing over which a loud hush prevails. Why?

Such knowledge of the roots of this great country, be they Indian, Chinese, Arab or whatever, can indeed very strongly facilitate the ongoing efforts of the Government to make our children think of themselves as Bangsa Malaysia more easily and more readily.

Pedestrian bridge collapses in Bangsar, two feared dead

A pedestrian bridge under construction near Mid Valley Megamall on Jalan Kampung Haji Abdullah Hukum has collapsed, killing at least two people.

According to The Star Online, four others were injured in the incident which happened around 3.30pm.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department chief operations officer Samsol Maarif Saibani said the department was alerted about the incident at 3.33pm.

Fire and rescue personnel from the Pantai, Hang Tuah and Seputeh fire stations have been dispatched to the scene.

The bridge was supposed to link KL Eco City, which is also under construction, to The Gardens shopping centre.

It is part of a planned construction to integrate the Abdullah Hukum LRT and the soon-to-be completed Eco City KTM, with both KL Eco City and The Gardens and Mid Valley shopping complex.

Meanwhile, newswire Bernama uploaded a video depicting construction workers crowding around what looked like a police vehicle.

Some were holding on to the truck and weeping.

"Construction workers weep over their friend who perished when a building structure collapsed on Jalan Bangsar," Bernama reported on Twitter.

[Video] Beberapa pekerja pembinaan meratapi seorang rakan mereka yg terkorban dalam kejadian struktur bangunan runtuh di Jalan Bangsar itu pic.twitter.com/f8NSN4so0R

Wanita Umno delegate questions non-Malay bosses in GLCs

UMNO AGM A Wanita Umno delegate today questioned why non-Malays are appointed in top positions in government-linked firms.

"I urge the leadership to pay more attention to the appointments in GLCs. For example, developer SP Setia Bhd.

"Everyone knows the majority stake is held by PNB (Permodalan Nasional Bhd) so why is the CEO and the GM (general manager) in Penang ethnic Chinese?

"What's happening now is that other races are holding top positions and this means contractors, consultants and lawyers appointed are all from their race," Bagan delegate Hamidah Arshad said during the annual general assembly debate in PWTC today.

Hamidah also alleged that no Malay contractors are appointed by GLCs.

Meanwhile, the Malay Mail Online reported Pasir Putih Wanita chief Zurina Ripin urged the government to allocate 30 percent of government contracts for food products to the women's wing.

"We want 30 percent of government contracts. There are plenty of ministries so what is wrong if we get 30 percent of the food (supply or manufacturing) contracts," she reportedly said during the debates on the wing's economic motion.

"Is it difficult to give the 30 percent? We are in power. Just give it to the (Malay) women entreprenuers out there," she reportedly said.

She added the government must consider this if it is serious about gender equality, the news portal reported.

The 30 percent contracts demand was part of the wing's economic motion, unanimously passed today.

Stop fooling the public, Puteri Umno delegate tells govt

Don't say the economy is fine when the public can see many are losing their jobs, Norsarfinaz Mohd Aznam says.

A Puteri Umno delegate has delivered a harsh message to the government, asking the leaders to stop sugarcoating the truth about the country’s economy.

Norsarfinaz Mohd Azman, a delegate from Pahang Puteri Umno, said the government should also stop underestimating the intelligence of youths today.

“Don’t tell us the economy is fine when we can see our friends losing their jobs and the prices of household items go up.

“We have a high level of intellect,” she said when debating the motion on religion at the Puteri Umno assembly in Putra World Trade Center here today.

Present to hear her speech was Umno acting deputy president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

Norsarfinaz, who is also Jerantut Puteri division chief, told Zahid to listen to her plea for the government to stop shielding the public from the truth and instead bring awareness to them so they may act accordingly.

She also asked for the public to be given a chance to help solve the problem.

“We know Malaysia is not the only country facing financial difficulties. It’s a problem that is affecting the whole world.

“So be frank with us and let us work with the government to address this issue.”

Norsarfinaz then said, in a sarcastic tone, that while the government can advise the public to save costs by travelling within the country instead of overseas, it should at least ensure these destinations are appealing enough.

“For example, if we want to go for vacation, maybe we could go to Pahang. After all, next year is Visit Pahang Year.

“But if we were to go there, make sure the forests are not cleared.

“Ensure the bauxite problem is settled so that it wouldn’t be as thick as our foundation (a make-up item used to cover facial flaws).

“And the rivers shouldn’t look like ‘teh tarik’.”

PKR MP Rafizi Ramli had yesterday alleged that deforestation activities had been going on all around Pahang. He warned the government to immediately address the issue or he would leak the information “one area at a time”.

Damaging temple statues: Medical grad freed

Psychiatrist confirms that accused suffers from bipolar disorder and did not know he was committing an offence at the time.

A medical graduate charged with damaging statues of Hindu deities at the Sree Muneeswaran Amman Kovil Temple here last April was acquitted after he was found to be mentally unsound when committing the act.

Sessions Court Judge Ikmal Hishan Mohd Tajuddin, in his judgment, said it was clearly proven that the accused Fathi Munzir Nadzri, 29, committed the offence, but a psychiatrist confirmed that he was suffering from “Bipolar Affective Disorder with Psychotic Features Manic Phase”.

“Yes, he did it, but on the balance of probabilities, he was found to have done it while he was in an unstable state of mind and did not know that he was committing an offence.

“As such, the accused is acquitted under Section 347 of the Criminal Procedure Code with a warning according to (Act 593) Section 348 Criminal Procedure Code for the safe custody of person acquitted,” the judge said.

The court also acquitted and discharged Fathi Munzir on the charge of possessing a machete on the same date and place.

“On the possession of the machete, several doubts were raised, including the testimony of the main witness who said he saw the accused carrying something like a rod and not a machete, and that the seized weapon was not checked for fingerprints,” he said.

Fathi Munzir was charged with causing damage to the statues at the temple located in front of Angsana Mall shopping centre and being in possession of a machete about 5pm on April 24.

On the charge of damaging the statues under Section 295 of the Penal Code, Fathi Munzir could have been sentenced up to two years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

For possessing the machete, the accused was charged under Section 6(1) of the Corrosive and Explosive Substances and Offensive Weapons Act 1958, which provides a maximum of 10 years’ jail and whipping, upon conviction.

On April 29, the court ordered Fathi Munzir to undergo an examination and treatment for a month at Hospital Bahagia.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Fadhli Ab Wahab while the accused was represented by Tun Mohamad Ammar Aziz.

Where is Umno’s sense of conscience?

It was interesting to read that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has now detained another government officer with millions in his bank account. The account has since been frozen. This is the same MACC that cleared Malaysian Official 1 (MO1) of nearly RM2.6 billion in his account. Not only that but one amongst those responsible for clearing him from the Attorney-General’s Chambers is now the chief commissioner of MACC.

I suppose different rules apply depending on your status and position. It is this type of behaviour that promotes cynicism amongst many about the seriousness with which corruption is tackled in the nation. The appointment was a further insult to MACC. Mr Chief Commissioner, if you are sincere and halal, than take on MO1 and show your sense of commitment.

As chairperson of the Business Ethics Institute of Malaysia (BEIM) I sat on the board of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Academy. The appointment was from the chief secretary of the government and this was an honour for BEIM. Having however lost confidence in the seriousness with which the issue of corruption was being addressed by the government, I resigned as to continue would be to condone what was going on.

It was only appropriate that someone from within MACC should have been promoted to the position.

Daily we hear news and accounts internationally relating to the 1MDB fiasco. A number of international banks have been closed and evidence given in the on-going case in Singapore just shocks one as to the scale of the fraud and exploitation. Yet in Malaysia neither has any board member, the adviser and others mentioned as MO2, MO3 and other officials been called to account.

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has very clearly enumerated in its 166-page report evidence relating to wide-scale money-laundering of money belonging to the nation.

While people in power and position can use their status to protect themselves as in this case, what disappoints me is that no one in the establishment sees any wrong. So many good people who know and understand the situation just keep quiet. One minister who stepped down had the guts to raise questions, as was the former deputy president and another vice-president of Umno.

A senior journalist resigned from the New Straits Times because he could not continue under the present circumstances.

Why do many more people not make a stand on issues so important and critical to the nation’s well being? To continue in silence is to condone and the time will come when they will themselves realise that they have sold their souls under the guise of loyalty to an individual. Surely there are higher loyalties as to one’s nation, the constitution, one’s conscience and to God. As is often said, “It is enough for good people to remain silent for evil to triumph.”

In today’s individualistic world is it all about ‘I’, ‘Me’, ‘Myself’ first and then everything else thereafter. It is amazing that Umno party members do not even realise that they are now participating in the early demise of their party. What is a party without a conscience and a purpose beyond ethnicity? If this is what they choose to remain then the end is not too far.

You may be a graduate from Oxford or Melbourne University or for that matter from any university, yet what is the value of your degree and qualifications if you continue to condone what is so blatantly wrong. Nearly a million people came out under Bersih 4 and 5 and made a statement. If the authorities continue to close their eyes to reality then they will be in for a shock.

Are our elections ‘halal’?

Further what is the point of winning elections and losing the popular vote? How can such individuals and parties continue with gerrymandering to win power? In a country where there is so much consciousness about things being ‘halal’, are our elections ‘halal’ if such practices are condoned? Just as justice used selectively is justice denied, similarly Islam applied selectively is unfair to what Islam represents. We need to call the bluff of such Muslims.

The same goes for all believers whatever be their faith. Is your belief a mere garment for you to wear and remove as appropriate? Or does your belief embody you with moral standards and values, principles and convictions which help engender an enlightened conscience that gives clarity to the issues that challenge us today? Beliefs if they do not inspire an inner transformation or fresh realisations are mere platitudes to impress others.

Lasting change ultimately comes from within. Neither ‘hudud’ nor an increase in punishment in terms of whipping, lashing or cutting hands will change an individual. There may be an element of fear but lasting change comes from the impact good role models and mentors provide.

It has to be learning from within. Otherwise it projects cruelty and a lack of compassion in today’s context. Punishments cannot replace good role models and PAS must address this singular failure for all their talk and preaching.

As is said, “Man’s capacity for justice makes democracy possible but man’s capacity of injustice makes democracy necessary.” When this is not even practiced within Umno as a party and office-holders can be dismissed with impunity, it all shows up for the lack of practice and substance. Such are the individuals who speak about moderation and democracy in our country.

So much gain is linked to being associated with the party leader. The cronies who sing songs in his praise are honoured with promotions. Others are just silent and through their silence condone what is being done. In the end whether a Marcos or a Suharto, Estrada or Mobutu, the time will come when such self-enriching leaders meet their end. These kleptocrats survive because many keep them alive blinded by their own self-interest and the ‘I Me Mine’ syndrome.

What say you Paul Low, the Integrity Minister?

When a leader is ready to sacrifice the nation and its ideals, his party and its conscience then the day is nigh when the end is a matter of time. So great is the scandal and so international is its outreach that the 1MDB debacle will swallow many in its last chapter. Then there will be many who will regret not standing up for their faith, convictions, their party and the nation.

Where is Umno’s sense of conscience?

Only one parent’s consent needed for child’s religious conversion, Federal Court told

The consent of one parent is sufficient for a child to be converted to another religion, the Federal Court heard today in a high-profile dispute on the validity of three Hindu children's unilateral conversion to Islam.

Senior federal counsel Arik Sanusi Yeop Johari, who acted for the Malaysian government, cited four dictionaries and the Federal Constitution's treatment of the word “parent” to back his argument that the consent of both parents were not required.

“In all these four dictionaries, the ordinary meaning of the word parent without 's' has been defined to mean 'a father or a mother,” Arik Sanusi, who is also the director of the Shariah section in the Attorney-General's Chambers, told the court.

He referred to the Concise Oxford English Dictionary, the Osborn's Concise Law Dictionary, the Reader's Digest Great Dictionary of the English Language and Shorter Oxford English Dictionary, saying: “Based on the above references, we submit 'parent' in its singular form means father or mother, 'parent' in its plural form means father and mother.”

He was presenting his arguments at the Federal Court's hearing of Hindu mother M. Indira Gandhi's challenge of the validity of her Muslim convert ex-spouse Muhammad Riduan Abdullah's unilateral conversion of their children to Islam.

Arik Sanusi agreed that Article 160 of the Federal Constitution read together with section 2(95) of the Eleventh Schedule ― which states that “words in the singular include the plural” and “words in the plural include the singular” ― meant that words could be interpreted either way.

But he insisted that the Federal Constitution distinguishes between the words “parent” and “parents”, highlighting two separate provisions there.

He noted the Federal Constitution's Article 12(4) says a “parent or guardian” shall decide the religion of those aged below 18 years old, while Part I and Part II of the constitution's second schedule regarding Malaysian citizenship used the word “parents”.

Arik Sanusi also cited the Federal Court's 2008 decision in the case of Subashini Rajasingam v Saravanan Thangathoray, which he said decided that the word “parent” is singular and that the Muslim convert father's unilateral conversion of his child is valid and in accordance with Article 12(4).

When asked how his argument that the consent of one parent alone for child conversion could be consistent with the Indira's lawyers' contention that the Guardianship of Infants Act meant the wishes of both parents should be considered, Arik Sanusi said the Federal Constitution should be referred to as it is the supreme law and pointed to Subashini's case.

“So on this point, since the word parent has been interpreted by the Federal Court to be singular, we should not rely on interpretation in other legislation. That's the purpose of Article 4 (of the Federal Constitution) where the Constitution is supreme,” he said.

K. Shanmuga, who represented Indira, argued however that all laws should be read harmoniously ― including Guardianship of Infants Act, the interpretation rule under the Federal Constitution's Eleventh Schedule, the Constitution's Article 12(4), Articles 5, 8 and 11 which among others guarantees equality and bars gender discrimination.

“We read all that against the backdrop of the Guardianship of Infants Act, it leads to the conclusion that both parents must consent unless they have been stripped of their guardianship rights,” he said.

Summing up the arguments for Indira, Shanmuga said the civil courts have jurisdiction to hear the challenge against the validity of the Perak religious authorities' conversion certificates and that the conversions must have complied with a Perak Islamic state law's requirements.

“And if both parents are alive, as long as there's no order under Guardianship of Infants Act or Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act stripping my client of her guardianship rights, as long as her guardianship rights are intact under Guardianship of Infants Act; then her consent is necessary before the certificates can be issued,” he said.

Fahri Azzat, another lawyer for Indira, said that interpreting “parent” to be the singular form only would lead to “absurdity” and an environment of “anxiety and tension” with no peace in the family.

He highlighted the High Court judgment in Indira's conversion challenge which said that such interpretation would lead to a never-ending chain of a parent unilaterally converting a child, before the other parent unilaterally converts the same child to another religion.

Indira's lawyer Aston Paiva also noted that her three children had not uttered the Muslim affirmation of faith and that there was no consent in writing from Muhammad Riduan for their conversion ― both which are required under the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Perak) Enactment 2004.

Indira is appealing against Muhammad Riduan’s covert conversion in 2009 of their three children — then aged 12 years old, 11 years old, and 11 months old — without their knowledge and without Indira’s consent.

Chief Judge of the High Court of Malaya Tan Sri Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, who chaired the five-man panel, said the decision will be delivered along with the full grounds of the judgment at a later date.

The other judges on the Federal Court panel are Chief Judge of the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak Tan Sri Richard Malanjum, Tan Sri Abu Samah Nordin, Tan Sri Ramly Ali and Tan Sri Zainun Ali.

In her legal challenge against the children’s unilateral conversion, Indira had named the Perak Islamic Religious Department (JAIPk) director, the Registrar of Muallaf, the Perak state government, the Education Ministry, the government of Malaysia and Indira’s ex-husband K. Pathmanathan as respondents.

Indira’s appeal is against the Court of Appeal’s 2-1 ruling last December, in which it said only the Shariah courts have the jurisdiction to decide on the validity of a person’s conversion.

The Court of Appeal had set aside the Ipoh High Court’s 2013 judgement, which found that the three children had not been validly converted to Islam and declared their conversion certificates null and void.

Indira’s eldest daughter Tevi Darsiny and son Karan Dinish are now aged 19 and 18 respectively, while the third child Prasana Diksa now aged eight is with Muhammad Riduan who had snatched her shortly before unilaterally converting the trio in 2009.

Timeline of key events in the Ipoh child custody tussle