Munafiq…….munafiq…….munafiq

Never mind the ISA is un-Islamic. Never mind the ISA violates Islamic teachings. Never mind the Quran says no one can be punished without evidence of a crime having being committed. Umno needs such laws to enable it to hold on to power.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

ISA has protected country from terrorism, says Najib

The Internal Security Act (ISA) has been instrumental in combating terrorism in Malaysia, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said. He said the law has kept the nation secure from the threat of terrorism.

"There is a very strong raison d'etre for the Internal Security Act. Just look at Mumbai and you realise that we cannot take security lightly. The main reason why there have been no serious acts of terrorism in this country is because we have in place the ISA," he said on the Riz Khan Show on Al-Jazeera last night.

Najib, who is also finance minister, acknowledged however that the government needed to look into some elements of the act that troubled the people. "At the same time, what is important now is to realise that people are concerned about civil liberties... what is important is how you apply the ISA. I realise there are some controversies relating to how the act has been used lately, therefore, we intend to address them in future."

The prime minister-in-waiting gave assurance that the nation's security forces were adequately trained and equipped to face any threat to national security. "They (security forces) are competent and well trained. So far, we have not encountered any serious form of terrorist attacks on Malaysia."

Najib stressed that news reports claiming Malaysian links to the gunmen who terrorised Mumbai were "baseless and unsubstantiated". He also said the threat of extremist Islamic leanings in Malaysia was not serious, although he cautioned against being complacent.

"Generally speaking, the people are very moderate in the way they see Islam being applied in this country. But we have to be vigilant about it. There are few individuals who try to interpret Islam in an extreme and myopic way, which can mislead some young people."

Najib reiterated that the government was committed towards reform and change, in line with the wishes of the people that were reflected in the results of the March 8 general election.

"I realise that there is a new Malaysia today, a Malaysia that has evolved, a Malaysian society that is more matured and sophisticated, demands openness and its concerns relating to human rights and civil liberties. I think as the government, we have to respond to this new Malaysia." Najib said reforms to the judiciary and Anti-Corruption Agency were clear messages to the people that the government was "listening to the electorate".

He said while the government attends to the needs of the Malays and Bumiputeras who form the majority of its support base, it will also champion the rights of the non-Malays. The recent allocation of RM50 million each to Chinese, Tamil, missionary and religious schools, apart from granting government scholarships to students who score nine As and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examinations regardless of race, are examples of the government's new approach.

Najib said the view that Malaysian politics was being dominated by a proxy race was not a significant issue as the democratic process was alive and well in Umno. He also welcomed second and third generation Malays who were coming to the fore as they wanted to participate in the democratic process of the party.

"This shows that Umno is a very open and democratic party," he said when asked to comment on the heated contest between Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, and Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammad, for the party's Youth chief post.

On the nation's economy, Najib said it had grown stronger and more resilient and was in a strong position to weather the current global crisis. "We are in a strategic location as a gateway to China. We also have strong links with India and the Middle East. We are in a unique position to leverage on our links with various centres in this part of the world."

To a question on his reservations regarding the media, Najib said he was more concerned with them "telling the truth".

"Whether it be the mainstream media or the new media, it is important for them to tell the truth. If they tell lies, or half-truths or baseless allegations, they should be responsible for what they say or print." – New Straits Times

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“………it is important for them to tell the truth. If they tell lies, or half-truths or baseless allegations, they should be responsible for what they say or print," said Najib. Agreed! So let’s get down to the truth -- no, not MY version of the truth, but the REAL truth, not the distorted ‘truth’ of Umno and Barisan Nasional.

In 1960, Najib’s father, Tun Abdul Razak -- many whom refer to as ‘Bapak Tiga-Belas Mei’, but whom I would not go so far as to label as such seeing that this ‘dark period’ of Malaysia was not a one-man effort but a collective thing -- mooted the Internal Security Act (ISA). Allow me, therefore, to take you down memory lane so that we can better understand how the ISA came about.

There is no online version of the Malaysian Parliament Hansard records from 1960 and I am too lazy to drive down to Parliament House to conduct a manual search -- so I will have to rely on my memory to ‘extract’ what happened that day in 1960 when I was only ten years old. Forgive me, therefore, if I am not able to quote verbatim what was argued and debated in Parliament. I will try to relate, as close as possible, what was said, although it will have to be ‘lebih kurang’ and not a verbatim version of events.

Before that, for the less literate of our readers, allow me to explain what is a Hansard record. Hansard is the traditional name for the printed transcripts of parliamentary debates in the Westminster system of government. In addition to the Parliament of the United Kingdom and the UK's devolved institutions, a Hansard is maintained for the Parliament of Canada and the Canadian provincial legislatures, the Parliament of Australia and the Australian state parliaments, the national Parliament of South Africa and South Africa's provincial legislatures, the Parliament of New Zealand, the Legislative Council of Hong Kong, the Parliament of Malaysia, the Parliament of Singapore, the Legislative Council of Brunei, the Parliament of Sri Lanka, the Parliament of Trinidad and Tobago, the National Assembly of Kenya, the National Assembly of Tanzania, and the Parliament of Jamaica.

Tun Abdul Razak Hussein

Okay, now back to the 1960 Parliament debate. Tun Abdul Razak Hussein was then Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. He became the second Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1970 to 1976 after successfully ousting Tunku Abdul Rahman soon after the 13 May 1969 race riots -- which most historians agree was ‘engineered’ by the ‘Young Turks’ in Umno led by Tun Razak in their bid to oust the Tunku (and which worked if that was the reason for May 13).

Tun Razak was the Prime Minister responsible in setting up Barisan Nasional, which is the ruling coalition of political parties that have held power in Malaysia till today. Tun Razak, Najib’s father in case you have forgotten, is also the ‘architect’ behind the New Economic Policy (NEP) -- so this makes him an ‘engineer’ and ‘architect’ both in one.

But May 13 and the NEP are not the only things we can ‘credit’ Tun Razak with. In 1960, Tun Razak tabled a proposal in Parliament to enact the ISA, a draconian law that allows for detention without trial. The Umno argument that the ISA is an ‘old British law’ is therefore not true. Malaya was granted independence or Merdeka from Britain in August 1957. This means the ISA was made into law three years AFTER Merdeka. So how can it be an ‘old British law’? That is a lie which Umno has been perpetuating for a long time and in the spirit of ‘telling the truth’, as Najib said, let us therefore tell the truth.

D.R. Seenivasagam, a lawyer and founder of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), who was the then opposition leader in Parliament, stood up to oppose the proposed ISA. This law was too draconian and too ‘loose’ to be allowed.

Tun Razak then explained that the ISA will only be used against the Communist Terrorists (CTs) in the government’s effort to combat terrorism perpetuated by the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM). It will be for that purpose and for only that and for no other purpose.

There are about 500 CTs operating along the Malayan-Thai border and another 200 plus in the Pahang jungles, explained Tun Razak. The ISA will be used only against these 800 or so CTs in an effort to end terrorism in Malaya. With that explanation and assurance, even the opposition supported the ISA and Seenivasagam, plus all the other opposition Members of Parliament, voted in favour of introducing the ISA into law.

We must remember that Malaya, then, was under a state of emergency, which was declared by the British in 1948. However, twelve years later, in 1960, the Emergency was lifted. Therefore, when the ISA was proposed in 1960, Malaya was no longer under a state of emergency. So why the need for an ‘emergency’ law like the ISA? This is something that escapes me. If there was no longer a state of emergency why do we need an emergency law? Furthermore, the British Emergency Ordinance (EO) was never repealed (and which is still used till today). So the ISA was an additional law.

In 1989, almost twenty years ago, the Communist Party of Malaya signed a Peace Treaty with the Malaysian government in Haadyai, Thailand. Officially, the ‘war’ had ended and Malaysia was no longer under a state of emergency (which had been lifted in 1960 anyway). But the ISA remains and continues to be used.

Since the signing of the Peace Treaty in Haadyai in 1989, the ISA is no longer used against the CTs. It is now used against the ‘new Communists’, the Islamists -- plus of course those opposed to Umno. Back in the 1990s the West had declared -- after the break-up of the USSR in December 1991 and when Communist Russia no longer posed a threat -- that the ‘new Communism’ is Islam and Malaysia, a so-called Islamic country with Islam as the official religion, agreed with the West that Islam is the ‘new Communism’. So the ISA, which used to be used against the CTs of the MCP in the old days, is now used against the ‘new Communists’, the Islamists.

So much for Islam Hadhari.

The Malaysian government, therefore, has cheated the rakyat. The ISA is a law that is a SPECIFIC law meant to combat terrorism perpetuated by the Communist Party of Malaya. It is not meant for anything else. And the target of the ISA was the 800 or so CTs operating along the Malaysian-Thai border and in the jungles of Pahang. But that threat no longer exists. The ‘war’ ended in 1989 with the signing of the Peace Treaty in Thailand. There is no longer a state of emergency in Malaya, which the British lifted in 1960 anyway. But the ISA remains and is used against those who oppose Umno and against the so-called ‘new Communists’, the Islamists.

Umno says that Malaysia’s government is a ‘Malay’ government. Umno claims to be the largest Muslim party in the world. Umno says that Islam is the official religion of Malaysia. But Umno, the so-called largest Muslim party in the world in a country that legislates Islam as the official religion of this country, upholds laws that violate Islamic teachings. That is the reality of the situation. And Islam has a word for this. This word can be found in the Quran. And that word is munafiq, which means hypocrite.

In Surah Nur of the Quran, it specifies the punishment for the crime of adultery. No one can be accused of adultery unless there are four witnesses to the crime. And if the accuser is not able to prove his allegation, then he is to be punished instead. Yes, the accuser and not the accused must receive punishment in the absence of evidence. That is what the Quran says.

But those Muslims from the largest Muslim party in the world -- who foam at the mouth when they perceive in their very narrow minds anyone ‘insulting’ Islam and who scream that Islam is the official religion of this country -- violate the Quran’s edicts. We need the ISA, say these people, for the sake of preservation of national security. Never mind the Quran says no one can be punished unless there is evidence of a crime. Never mind the Quran says the accuser instead of the accused must be punished if the allegation is not supported by evidence. The Quran can say one thing. Umno will do the opposite.

This, Islam calls, munafiq.

Last night, 30 or so Malays aligned to Umno demonstrated outside the Bar Council in Kuala Lumpur. These 30 or so were demonstrating their support of the ISA. It was a pro-ISA demonstration. And they were protesting the anti-ISA forum being held inside the Bar Council.

The forum started at 8.00pm. The pro-ISA demonstrators came after the Ishak prayers. This is probably because they first went for their Ishak prayers. And this also probably means they do not miss their mandatory five times a day prayers. And, when they pray, they recite verses from the Quran. And they also probably recite verses from Surah Nur of the Quran. But, last night, after their Ishak prayers, they assembled in front of the Bar Council in support of the ISA and in violation of the verses of the Quran.

This, Islam calls, munafiq.

And Najib, too, wants to retain the ISA, a law that his father mooted back in 1960. Never mind the ISA is un-Islamic. Never mind the ISA violates Islamic teachings. Never mind the Quran says no one can be punished without evidence of a crime having being committed. Umno needs such laws to enable it to hold on to power. So it may not be the Islamic thing to do. So what? Power is more important than Islam. The ISA is more important than the Quran. This is what matters.

This, Islam calls, munafiq.

All together now, repeat after me……..munafiq…...munafiq….….munafiq.

Ketuanan Melayu – concept used by UMNO leaders to enslave all Malaysians

Part 2

Mumbai terror: Hema’s life revolved around her children

By : Adrian David and Evangeline Majawat , NST, Dec 01 2008

Hemalatha Kassippillai (left) and Jaya Pushani Ponnudurai.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mumbai terror victim Hemalatha Kassippillai was a strong-willed woman who successfully battled congenital heart disease for more than a decade, undergoing two open-heart surgeries.

She was described as a fighter and go-getter, and that is why her family is trying hard to come to terms with her death in the Mumbai massacre.

Hemalatha’s charred body was found in room 637 of the Taj Mahal Palace hotel and Towers on Saturday, more than 60 hours after terrorists had caused mayhem in India’s financial district.

Post-mortem revealed that Hemalatha, 51, died of smoke inhalation.

Her sister-in-law, Jaya Pushani Ponnudurai, 55, said Hemalatha was a focused and determined person who led an industrious life.

Her life revolved around her two children whom she last saw three months ago before they left to further their studies in medicine in Volgograd, Russia.

“She never let her illness slow her down. She had great strength and foresight and saw to her children’s every need,” said Jaya Pushani at the family house in Bangsar Baru yesterday.

Her children, Nishalini, 19, and Dhinesh, 18, have not been told of their mother’s death.

“We only have the children’s interests at heart, butwe don’t knowhowthey will cope when they eventually find out,” Jay a Pushani said.

Hemalatha was described as hardworking and had even finished a full day’s work before rushing to catch her flight to Mumbai on Nov 25.

She had, two days earlier, attended a large family reunion to celebrate her brother’s birthday.

“There was no indication that it would be the last time we got to see her. She told us she would be back on Dec 5.

She had always returned home safely from the many overseas assignments.” Hemalatha’s body was identified by her husband K.

Sivakumaran, a general manager of a security company in Kuala Lumpur, and her brother, K. Ratnarajah.

The family was then informed through a text message from Sivakumaran that simply read “bad news”.

Hemalatha’s body is expected to arrive here at about 7.30am today.

A customer relations manager with German reinsurance firm Hannover Rückversicherung AG she was in Mumbai for a business trip.

Hemalatha’s death added to the toll of at least 26 non-Indians who were killed in the attacks, which left 172 people dead and 293 injured.

Malaysian Indian Congress president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu extended his condolences to Hemalatha’s family.

“We feel sad and enraged over the death of Hema and almost 200 other people in this barbaric and unthinkable act of terror.”

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Makkal Osai

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We wanted to hit CST at peak hour, says arrested terrorist 2 Dec 2008, S Ahmed Ali,

The Times Of India

MUMBAI: Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab (21), the terrorist arrested by Mumbai Police, has told his interrogators that their plan was to get off the A person exposed the huge chink in security at CST railway station in Mumbai. He travelled by train to CST with his licensed .32 revolver. (TOI Photo) dinghy near the fishing village at Badhwar Park, Cuffe Parade, at dusk and strike all targets except Nariman House between 7 pm and 8 pm. However, the landing was delayed and they reached at 8.45 pm. ‘‘They knew that the crowds at CST would be thickest at 7.30 pm and their bullets would cause the greatest harm,’’ said an officer on condition of anonymity. Kasab told interrogators that Cama hospital and Metro cinema were not in their plan which was to take hostages at CST and return to base by hijacking a boat off the Gateway of India. The duo opened fire at platform no 13 of CST station, which caters to outstation trains, around 9.45 pm. Then, they walked towards the concourse of the local train station. By then, the commuters had dispersed. Afraid that they would be spotted and shot, they exited the station from the foot overbridge on the Northern end, walked past the Times of India building and went towards Cama Hospital. According to Kasab, this was not in the plan. At Cama hospital, they encountered a police team led by additional commissioner Sadanand Date. When cornered, they lobbed grenades, injuring Date and two constables, and fled towards Rang Bhavan, where they killed five more policemen , including ATS chief Hemant Karkare. Their landing was delayed because it took them some time to locate a trawler to hijack off the coast of Porbandar. ‘Only 10 terrorists’ After the attack at CST railway station, the two terrorists had planned to escape by mixing with the crowd, police sources said. The police are also investigating whether the terrorists had chalked out a plan to return to Pakistan by the sea route. ‘‘After the attack, they wanted to be away from the sight of the police. This is probably the reason that the duo got into the bylane leading to the rear of Cama and Albless Hospital. By then the police had cordoned off the areas,’’ a senior police officer said. The duo however had no plans of carrying out another attack. The intelligence bureau and Mumbai police maintained that only 10 terrorists landed in Mumbai. ‘‘All the terrorists have been accounted for,’’ an officer said. The Coast Guard too confirmed this fact to TOI. A senior Coast Guard official said they found only 10 life jackets in the trawler Kuber. They also found some cosmetics and blankets in the trawler.

DATUK MUKHRIZ - WHAT IS SEDITIOUS WHEN I AM UMNOPUTRA !!!

Its been reported that various parties have expressed their displeasure at the statement issued by aspiring UMNO Youth leader Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, son of former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad that vernacular schools in Malaysia should cease to exist.

MIC President Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu was quoted as saying today that he wants the Attorney-General to take appropriate action against Datuk Mukhriz for raising this sensitive issue that vernacular schools must be closed and using this agenda to canvass for votes in the upcoming UMNO Youth polls in March 2009.

Malaysians need to realise that nothing can happen if you are a UMNOPUTRA - they are all above the law, UMNOputras can say and do anything and nothing will ever happen. We have seen it happen and it will continue to happen.

The only way for Malaysians to stake their rightful claim will be to SHUT DOWN UMNO and BARISAN NASIONAL.

Are they prepared for it?

Zaid sacked from Umno

By Adib Zalkapli

(Themalaysianinsider) KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 – Former de facto Law Minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim was sacked from Umno late last night for breaking the party's code of ethics.

Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi who chaired the party supreme council meeting that lasted more than three hours said Zaid's attendance at opposition events was inappropriate.

"It is against the party's code of ethics," said Abdullah when asked to elaborate on Zaid's sacking.

The former Kota Bahru MP had attended a DAP victory dinner in Penang and PKR’s annual national congress last weekend.

When asked whether Zaid wanted to be sacked from the party by attending the events, Abdullah said it was just a perception.

"Let it be interpreted that way, but most importantly Umno has to be consistent. We cannot have double standards," said Abdullah adding that the decision cannot be appealed.

When met at the PKR congress, Zaid had told reporters that he did not expect to be sacked from the party.

Zaid had resigned from Abdullah’s Cabinet in protest against the use of the Internal Security Act (ISA) recently.

He had been appointed minister earlier this year and was tasked with bringing about reforms to the judiciary.

Since his resignation Pakatan Rakyat partides have been actively courting him to join them.

Adjust font size: DAP: Dakwa Mukhriz menghasut

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir boleh dikenakan tindakan bawah Akta Hasutan apabila mencadangkan penutupan sekolah berpendidikan Cina dan Tamil semalam untuk menubuhkan sistem persekolah satu aliran.

Tokoh utama DAP Lim Kit Siang berkata, sejak pindaan Perlembagaan Persekutuan pada 1971, seseorang yang mencadangkan penutupan sekolah vernakular pernah dikenakan tindakan seperti Utusan Malaysia pada tahun itu.

Ahli parlimen Sabah, Mark Koding pernah didapati bersalah menghasut apabila membangkitkan saranan menutup sekolah Cina dan Tamil di Dewan Rakyat pada 1978.

Pindaan itu meletakkan kesalahan tersebut bawah Seksyenn 3(f) Akta Hasutan.

Lim menambah, jika wujud kemerdekaan sistem pentadbiran keadilan di negara, Mukhriz boleh didakwa menghasut dan jika didapati bersalah, beliau boleh dilucutkan keanggotaannya di Dewan Rakyat jika didenda RM2,000 atau dipenjara setahun.

Pemuda DAP Pulau Pinang dipercayai akan membuat laporan polis hari ini berhubung kenyataan kontroversi Mukhriz di Parlimen semalam.

Sementara itu MCA menganggap kenyataan anak mantan perdana menteri itu Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad demi menguatkan kedudukannya menjelang pemilihan Pemuda Umno, Mac depan.

"Mukhriz hanyalah seorang daripada sekian ramai yang mengungkitkan polemik sejak beberapa dekad lalu, semata-mata untuk berdepan dengan pemilihan parti," kata presidennya Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

"Sangat menyedihkan kerana ahli-ahli masih tidak boleh berfikir di luar kotak.

Sementara timbalannya Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek berkata "yang hendak menjadi hero dalam pemilihan parti, bukan saya.

"Pemilihan MCA sudah lepas. Saya mencadangkan tengok cermin (dulu), siapa yang hero."

Tambahnya, kebebasan memilih aliran pendidikan dan menggunakan bahasa ibunda di sekolah-sekolah telah didebat sekian lama dan telah diterima sebagai amalan meluas.

Pengerusi biro pendidikan Gerakan turut mengkritik kenyataan Mukhriz itu.

"Kami mendesak Datuk Mukhriz menarik balik kenyataannya demi perpaduan rakyat, dan juga perpaduan BN," kata Dr Hsu Dar Ren.

Beliau juga berkata kenyataan exco Pemuda Umno itu bercanggahan dengan Akta Pendidikan yang mengiktiraf hak mendapat pendidikan vernakular, selain bertentangan Perkara 152 (1) (a) dan (b) Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Dengan mendakwa Mukhriz rela bermain dengan api perkauman demi meraih populariti menjelang pemilihan Umno tahun depan, wakil rakyat PKR Nurul Izzah Anwar berkata cadangan itu boleh membantutkan perkembangan pendidikan pelbagai aliran dan juga menjejaskan hubungan sesama kaum.

"Sekiranya Mukhriz benar-benar seorang 'pejuang bangsa Melayu', beliau seharusnya menentang Dasar Pengajaran dan Pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris (PPMSI) yang menyebabkan kemerosotan mutu pendidikan khususnya di kalangan masyarakat Melayu luar bandar yang miskin, dan bukan menghapuskan aliran pendidikan lain," kata ahli parlimen Lembah Pantai dalam satu kenyataan.

Beliau juga menggesa kerajaan BN kembali kepada sistem pendidikan yang adil kepada semua.

Najib says vernacular schools to continue

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that vernacular schools will continue existing as long as the Chinese and Tamil communities need them.

The government’s commitment to vernacular schools is a rebuff to the proposal made by Umno Youth chief candidate Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir for such schools to be abolished.

Najib’s quick response is seen as a move to bring to an end the controversy sparked by the proposal.

The proposal has drawn flak from both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders who have accused Mukhriz of trying to appeal to extremist elements as part of his election campaign.

Both the DAP’s Lim Kit Siang and MIC president Datuk Seri S Samy Velly have said Mukhriz’s remarks were seditious.

Najib said today the government’s stand is in accordance with the policies contained in the 1956 Razak Report on education.

The report states that all Malaysians should have a right of choice when it comes to the education stream, Bernama quoted Najib as saying.

He said an amendment to the Education Act in 1996 had made Chinese and Tamil national type schools a part of the national education system and, as such, the existence of these schools was provided for in law.

“Our policy is one that allows every individual to choose the schooling system that he or she wishes to have.

“We have also given our commitment that these schools will continue to exist as part of the national education system so long as they are needed by the Chinese and Indian communities,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting of the National Council for Local Government.

Najib said that Chinese and Tamil national type schools played an important role for the Chinese and Indians because they were the main medium for them to instil positive and useful values in the lives of their children, respectively

Pro ISA group makes its presence felt

Selangor Sultan unhappy with politicians exploiting race

By Leslie Lau

Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah says he is disappointed with the manner in which some politicians exploit racial issues for their own agenda.

Speaking to The Star newspaper in an interview published today, the Sultan's remarks comes amid a heated debate sparked by a raft of recent public comments about race relations and the concept of Malay Supremacy.

His comments are also the latest sign of a more vocal royalty which appears to be filling the vacuum left by a lack of political leadership.

The Sultan said he was disturbed by how some politicians preferred to dwell on what he called trivial issues instead of focusing on dealing with the economy.

"Malaysia belongs to all races, not just the Malays. The country is what it is today because of the contributions of all races and that is something we must acknowledge," he said.

He also acknowledged, however, that it was his initiative to have the recent Conference of Rulers issue a statement defending the social contract, which has also been the subject of roiling debate recently.

"People need to understand that the social contract is the primary basis for the formation of Malaysia. Let's not debate it because it is better for the rakyat to understand the history behind the social contract," he said.

He said the rights of the Malays were well protected and could not be taken away without the consent of the Rulers.

But he said the Rulers also felt that non-Malays should not feel apprehensive over their rights as these rights are also guaranteed.

Umno supreme council to discuss by-election, Zaid

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — The Umno supreme council meeting tonight is expected to discuss several matters including the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election and action on former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

Umno information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib said the meeting, to be chaired by Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, would likely discuss preparations for the by-election for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat although the Election Commission has yet to fix a date for the by-election.

The seat fell vacant following the death of Deputy Education Minister Datuk Razali Ismail, 59, while playing badminton in Genting Highlands last Friday.

Muhammad said the meeting was also expected to discuss action to be taken on Zaid for attending the recent Parti Keadilan Rakyat Congress. — Bernama

Soi Lek: I am not challenging Malay rights

Dr Chua says he accepts the leadership of Malay leaders. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Dr Chua says he accepts the leadership of Malay leaders. — Picture by Choo Choy May

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today clarified that he is not challenging the position of the Malay Rulers, Bumiputera rights or Bahasa Malaysia but questioned the use of the phrase “Ketuanan Melayu”, or Malay Supremacy.

"We must change the power-sharing concept in the Barisan Nasional as the term ‘Ketuanan Melayu’ gives the impression that other parties in the BN are slaves," he said, referring to Umno's dominance in the governing coalition.

"We accept the leadership of Malay leaders. But it cannot be denied that certain parties exploit the term," Dr Chua said.

Yesterday the Young Malay Graduates Movement (GGMM), a Malay rights group, demanded Dr Chua pay RM2 million in compensation for allegedly questioning the special position of the Malays.

Dr Chua said in his speech, at a recent advertising awards night, that by extending this phrase to all aspects of Malay rights within the power-sharing concept of the BN, it gave the impression that other parties in the BN were slaves to Umno.

The position of the Bumiputeras and Bahasa Malaysia, however, was not to be questioned as it is enshrined in the federal constitution.

"I used the term in the context of power-sharing in the BN, which has been exploited by certain quarters to gain support from the people.

"It has no connection whatsoever to challenging the Malay Rulers and the special rights of Bumiputeras and Bahasa Malaysia as the national language," he stated.

He gave examples of the exploitation of the term “Ketuanan Melayu”.

"During general elections, the opposition tells non-Malays ‘supporting BN is supporting Ketuanan Melayu’. So how do we explain to them in the short campaign period?"

On the other hand, he said there were also some NGOs and Umno politicians who are now accusing him of challenging the special position of the Malays for their own purposes.

Yesterday, Umno Youth chief hopeful Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir accused Dr Chua of trying to be a "hero" by challenging Malay rights.

Dr Chua shot back today, saying that there is no reason for him to be a hero as his party's polls were already done while "they are the ones facing a party election”.

"Whoever says I am being a hero should look in the mirror," he said.

He also touched on Mukhriz's call for the abolition of vernacular schools, saying that it has been an issue that has been debated since he joined politics in the ‘80s.

"It is very clear that there are constitutional guarantees of freedom of choice in education and freedom to pursue mother tongue education.

"I am sure MCA will object if the dual system is being replaced. We respect the constitution and it is provided for by the constitution," he added.

He hoped all parties would accept his clarification and read his speech in full.

"But they have the right to do something and I have the right to defend what I believe is true. They have the right to speak out, I cannot obstruct that," he said referring to GGMM as well as Malay-language newspapers such as Utusan Malaysia.

"Utusan, as usual as a BM paper, it brings up issues which are important to the Malays, and Chinese papers do the same and give publicity to issues that are important to the Chinese," he added.

Dr Chua was pressed also on whether he had the backing of his party in his stand as it had been reported in Utusan that party president Datuk Ong Tee Keat said that it was not the stand of the party.

"You have to read the Chinese papers. In Utusan he said that my views are personal. But in the Chinese press, he said he was satisfied and proud that my views were in line with his. So I leave it to the readers to decide which one reflects the stand of my president," he said.

DATUK MUKHRIZ - ONLY UMNO CAN SPEAK, OTHER BN COMPONENTS MUST LISTEN & OBEY

Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir reiterated today that since the Malay leaders are silent and tolerant towards non-Malays, Barisan Nasional component leaders seems to be raising the issue of 'Malay supremacy' of late.

Datuk Mukhriz further stated that only UMNO can voice anything while the BN component parties must keep quiet and obey UMNO and must concentrate on their own community problems and issues.

Datuk Mukhriz added that non-UMNO members, including BN component officials must not deliberate any issue pertaining to the Malays, especially questioning the Malay supremacy or special rights enjoyed by the Malays that is enshined by the Federal Constitution. He further quoted that recent statements made by component leaders would only create a tiff and will jeopardise the cordial and friendly situation enjoyed among the component parties.

The UMNO leaders have been tolerant so far but recent statements just insinuate the Malay feelings. Component party leaders need to avoid speak on this issue which hurt the feelings of UMNO and Malays. Datuk Mukhriz stated that the issue of Malay supremacy have been misunderstood and what they should do is to find ways of uniting the Malaysian society. When these component leaders make these statements, it shows that they know nothing of our history or maybe they are trying to act as champions to their own community.

The only way to resolve this issue is to have a singular uniform education system which will create greater interaction which will overcome our present predicament.

Datuk Mukhriz is vying to be the UMNO Youth chief in the forthcoming UMNO polls in March 2009. Datuk Mukhriz is the son of the former premier of Malaysia.

What Is The Pakatan Doing?

I am travelling today for a symposium overseas and had much to do and deal with before I left. Time constraints prevented me from writing an opinion piece for Disquiet in print. My apologies.

If I had had the time, I would have written on what I think and how I feel about the Pakatan Rakyat, more particularly PKR, offering a Deputy Chief Minister’s position to Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah (if reports are true).

I do not think this is the kind of example that the Pakatan wants to set and I am wondering how it is that those who lead the coalition could have even thought of making such an offer (if true). There has already been intense debate about whether cross-overs should be accepted as a point of principle, with the DAP having been very clear about its disagreement. Accepting a cross-over and offering him a plum position in the administration is something that far more extreme.

There are several ways this can be looked at. What does Arif Shah offer that so many of those who have struggled for so long in the pursuit of change-for-the-better cannot? His UMNO credentials? His network of UMNO supporters? The insult his defection would amount to?

Even if the defection of UMNO were to be the result of his defection, and I do not necessarily think that would be the case, is that worth the message it sends out about the Pakatan: that the Pakatan is a coalition that is prepared to pay whatever it takes to get where it wants to. Because if a deal has in fact been struck with Arif Shah, that is what the Pakatan is doing.

And it would seem that that is what the Pakatan has become.

What happened to the adherence to principle that underlay the Pakatan’s election campaign? Has the value of principle lessened since? Have we forgotten the kind of campaign that Arif Shah was associated with in Permatang Pauh, the obscenities, the racial slurs and incitement, the entire circus? Are we overlooking the fact that Arif Shah wants to leave UMNO for the way his has been treated (according to media reports) rather than for his rejection of UMNO’s ideology?

And above all, has Anwar Ibrahim forgotten what it is that motivated the rakyat on March 8th? It was not blind ambition, it was the pursuit of a better Malaysia.

How Arif Shah becoming a Deputy Chief Minister of Penang takes us closer to that objective is something beyond my comprehension. Even if it leads to the taking of Federal Government, I am certain that must have something to do with the offer, I question whether a Federal Government achieved on the back of personal interests is a government I want.

Malik Imtiaz Sarwar

Mac 2009

1. Negara tertunggu-tunggu Mac 2009 di waktu mana peralihan kuasa dikatakan akan berlaku.

2. Kepercayaan bahawa ini akan berlaku diasaskan kepada pengumuman oleh Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yang dia akan serah jawatannya kepada Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak pada tarikh tersebut. Abdullah juga menyatakan yang dia tidak akan bertanding jawatan Presiden Umno dalam pemilihan ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno pada Mac 2009. Justeru tidak ada bahagian yang mencalonkan Abdullah sebagai Presiden.

3. Biasanya sesiapa yang menjadi Presiden Umno akan menjadi Perdana Menteri jika Barisan Nasional menang dan menjadi parti yang terbesar dalam Parlimen. Tetapi ini tradisi sahaja. Jika diberi kepercayaan oleh majoriti ahli Dewan Rakyat, yang bukan Presiden Umno dan Pengerusi BN juga boleh jadi Perdana Menteri.

4. Dalam parti-parti lain di Malaysia terdapat Menteri Besar dan Ketua Menteri yang tidak terdiri daripada Presiden parti. Demikian sementara Haji Hadi adalah Presiden PAS, yang menjadi Menteri Besar ialah Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

5. Dalam DAP sementara pemimpin besarnya ialah Lim Kit Siang tetapi dia tidak jadi Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang. Keadaan yang sama terdapat dalam parti Keadilan di Selangor. Bahkan jika ketua Pakatan ialah Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, dia tidak mengetuai mana-mana Kerajaan yang dikuasai oleh Pakatan.

6. Berita angin sudah berkembang bahawa walaupun Najib akan jadi Presiden Umno, tidak semestinya dia akan jadi Perdana Menteri. Berita yang didengar ialah Abdullah masih berminat meneruskan jawatan Perdana Menteri.

7. Jika diambil kira sikap pemimpin dan ramai ahli Umno, kemungkinan ini berlaku tidak mustahil. Mereka tidak akan menentang Abdullah kerana mereka amat selesa dengan kepimpinan beliau dan nikmat tertentu yang mereka dapati darinya.

8. Tetapi pengekalan Abdullah sebagai PM tetap akan menyemarakkan kebencian rakyat kepada Umno dan BN. Politik akan bergolak sepanjang masa sehingga pilihanraya. Dan apabila datang pilihanraya percayalah majoriti rakyat akan tolak Umno dan BN.

9. Rakyat tidak berminat dengan parti-parti lawan tetapi mereka tidak ada pilihan. Umno sudah jadi parti pimpinan ramai perasuah dan jika Umno menang bersama BN, maka yang akan memerintah Malaysia ialah orang yang menjadi Perdana Menteri dan Menteri melalui rasuah dan mereka ini tetap akan amalkan rasuah dalam Kerajaan untuk dapat balik "pelaburan" mereka dan lebih daripada itu.

10. Jika rakyat Malaysia ingin elak daripada nasib buruk ini menimpa negara, rakyat perlu beritahu UMNO dan kepimpinannya awal-awal lagi iaitu rakyat akan tolak UMNO jika orang yang diketahui umum terlibat dengan rasuah dipilih sebagai pemimpin UMNO pada pemilihan Majlis Tertinggi Mac 2009.

11. Demikian juga jika Abdullah cuba terus menjadi Perdana Menteri selepas Mac 2009, rakyat harus beri mesej yang jelas yang UMNO serta BN akan dikalahkan.

12. UMNO pimpinan perasuah dan perosak tidak harus diberi kuasa memimpin negara yang tercinta ini.

13. Kerosakan yang telah dilakukan selama lima tahun Abdullah menerajui Kerajaan Malaysia sudah cukup buruk. Fikirkanlah akan keburukan yang akan dilakukan kepada UMNO dan negara apabila seluruh kepimpinan Kerajaan terdiri daripada perasuah.

14. Dalam UMNO sekarang sudah ada orang yang berpendapat kalau ini adalah kali terakhir mereka akan dapat sogokan, lebih baiklah mereka menerima. Sekurang-kurang mereka akan kecapi "nikmat" sekali. Mungkin tidak akan ada peluang lagi. Apa jadi kepada UMNO, bangsa dan negara adalah masalah lain, bukan masalah mereka. Bagi mereka "nikmat" tidak boleh ditolak, walaupun hanya RM100.

15. Bagi mereka ini generasi akan datang akan kutuk mereka apabila orang Melayu di Malaysia sudah jadi seperti orang Melayu di Singapura di mana mereka menjadi "hamba" kepada kaum-kaum lain. Inilah nasib yang menunggu orang Melayu kerana lebih sedia disogok daripada mempertahan dan memelihara kuasa bangsa.

Muslims condemn Mumbai attacks, but uneasy about bloodshed linked to their religion

Suspect named as Azam Amir Qasab 21 years old, fluent English speaker Told police he is from Faridkot village, in Pakistan's Punjab province said the attackers took orders from handlers in Pakistan

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) _ Muslims from the Middle East to Britain and Austria condemned Sunday the Mumbai shooting rampage by suspected Islamic militants as senseless terrorism, but also found themselves on the defensive once again about bloodshed linked to their religion.

Intellectuals and community leaders called for greater efforts to combat religious fanaticism.

Indian police said Sunday that the only surviving gunman told them he belongs to the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba. The group is seen as a creation of Pakistani intelligence to help fight India in the disputed Kashmir region. Another group, Jaish-e-Mohammed, has also operated in Kashmir. Both are reported to be linked to al-Qaida.

Ten gunmen attacked 10 targets in the three-day assault including a Jewish community center and luxury hotels in India's commercial hub. More than 170 people were killed.

Many Muslims said they are worried such carnage is besmirching their religion.

"The occupation of the synagogue and killing people in hotels tarnishes the Muslim faith," said Kazim al-Muqdadi, a political science lecturer at Baghdad University. "Anyone who slaughters people and screams 'Allahu Akbar' (God is Great) is sick and ignorant."

In Britain, home to nearly two million Muslims, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, Inayat Bunglawala, said that "a handful of terrorists like this bring the entire faith into disrepute."

A previously unknown Muslim group, Deccan Mujahideen, claimed responsibility for the attacks. The name suggests origins in India.

Pakistan has denied involvement and demanding that India provide proof. In Pakistan, Jamaat-ud Dawa, an Islamist group believed to have ties to Lashkar-e-Taiba, denounced the killing of civilians.

In Islamic extremist Web forums, some praised the Mumbai attacks, including the targeting of Jews.

A man identified as Sheik Youssef al-Ayeri said the killings are in line with Islam.

"It's all right for Muslims to set the infidels' castles on fire, drown them with water .... and take some of them as prisoners, whether young or old, women or men, because it is one of many ways to beat them," he wrote in the al-Fallujah forum.

In the Gaza Strip, the territory's Islamic militant Hamas rulers declined comment. Hamas has carried out scores of suicide attacks in Israel, killing hundreds of civilians in recent years. However, Hamas has said it does not want to get involved in conflicts elsewhere.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad referred to the attacks as terrorism, but added that the violence is rooted in "unjust policies" aimed at destabilizing the region. He did not elaborate.

India is seen by many in the Arab and Muslim world as a Western ally. For example, Israel has become an important arms supplier to India, angering Muslim Pakistan.

Saudi Arabia said in a statement carried earlier this week by the Saudi Press Agency that it "strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act." An editorial Friday in Saudi's English-language Arab News said that "no civilized person ... can be anything but revolted and sickened by the terrorist attacks in Mumbai."

However, Jonathan Fighel, an Israeli counterterrorism expert, said Saudi organizations have been funneling money to Muslim militants in Kashmir.

"This demonstrates exactly the double game and, I would say, the hypocrisy of the Saudi regime," said Fighel of the Israel-based International Institute for Counter-Terrorism.

Throughout the Muslim world, the attacks set off soul-searching.

"I think that Muslims should raise their voice against such actions. They should forge a coalition to fight such phenomena, because it harms them and damages their image," said Ali Abdel Muhsen, 22, a Muslim engineering student in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Muslims and Arabs must confront the violence "that is taking place in our name and in the name of our (Islamic) tenets," wrote Khaled al-Jenfawi, a columnist for Kuwait's Al-Seyassah daily.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to see a distinguished popular condemnation in the traditional Arab or Muslim communities that strongly rejects what is happening in the name of Islam or Arab nationalism," wrote al-Jenfawi.
___
Reporters across the Middle East and Europe contributed to this report.

Invitation to House of Lords (London) on Issues Affecting Ethnic Indian Community

On behalf of friends of Minority Communities in Malaysia I would like to invite you to a briefing at the House of Lords, Room G.

We will be addressed by Mr. Waytha Moorthy, a Human Rights Advocate from Malaysia and four representatives from a number of independent bodies from Malaysia and the United States of America. They will discuss the grave difficulties and threats facing Minority Communities in Malaysia, in particular the largest Minority Community, the Hindu/Sikh Community.

It is crucial the alleged persecution of Minorities be high-lighted to the Democratic World.

The event will take place on 8th December 2008 in Room G at the House of Lords. It will start at 11.00 a.m. and conclude at 1.00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

Please contact Mr. Waytha Moorthy on waythamoorthy@googlemail.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or 07875653848 for your attendance.

With kind regards.

Yours humbly,

Baroness Verma, FRSA

From Raja Petra

NO HOLDS BARRED Raja Petra Kamarudin Religious superstition and persecution never ceases to amaze me. Take the case of Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow of Mogadishu , Somalia . On 27th October 2008, 13-year old Aisha was killed. She was killed when 1,000 people stoned her to death. And she was stoned to death because three men had raped her. She was raped, so they accused of adultery. Imagine a 13-year old girl killed in a most brutal manner because she was raped by three men. Should it not be the three men who should have instead been stoned to death? And do you not wonder why Islam suffers from a serious image problem? Muslims should take stock of what they are doing and understand the disservice they are doing to Islam. Our religious rehabilitation by the Kamunting detention camp started on the Tuesday after Deepavali. The highlight of the sessions was the "nasi tomato" and the chicken wing in a plastic bag that they served for lunch, courtesy of JAKIM but paid for by the Malaysian taxpayers, 90% who are Chinese. The JAKIM ustaz told us that Islam is the true religion and that all other religions are false. We were reminded not to believe in or follow other religions, which are not accepted and recognized by God. Only the Koran is the true Holy Book and was sent to us by God through the Prophet Muhammad. All other books are false and were created by man and did not come from God. We must also not copy or ape the non-Muslims as that will lead us astray and we will become an apostate if we act like the kafir. He did not, however, give any examples on what would be considered acting like a kafir. In the meantime, in another incident that happened outside the Kamunting detention camp, an UKM lecturer explained that Muslims should not do yoga or meditate, as the origin of this is Hinduism. Muslims who do yoga or meditate would be led astray, argued the wise man from UKM. He then asked the religious scholars to come out with a fatwa or decree banning Muslims from doing yoga or meditating. It is ironical that the JAKIM ustaz who visited Kamunting chose that subject matter to kick off our religious rehabilitation program. The article that got me into trouble with the government and which resulted in my detention under the Internal Security Act said exactly the same thing. I pointed out that the Friday prayer sermons run down the other religions. I also argued that we are told not to ape the non-Muslims or take them as our friends as the non-Muslims are sworn enemies of Islam and can never be our friends. For that I was detained under the Internal Security Act and my first lecture happened to be the very thing I said and which got me detained. There are in fact many things which Malays do and which originated from Hinduism. Take the stringing up of coloured lights as one example. Seven days before Hari Raya Malays would string up coloured lights around their home, sometimes even on trees like they do during Christmas. This is a throwback of the old days when they used to use kerosene or oil lamps. And this was a custom borrowed from Deepavali because the Arabs do not do this. So, the next time you pass by a Malay house during Hari Raya and you see all those coloured lights you can smile, knowing that the occupant of that house is borrowing a Hindu ritual -- only that he or she does not know it. If we really want to go into the long list of Hindu customs and rituals that the Malays have borrowed the list would be endless. We should not ape the kafir, the religious scholars tell us. If not we would become a kafir. Well, what about wearing a tie, coat and pants? Is this not a kafir attire? How many Malays go about wearing a robe and turban? Even that UKM lecturer who wants a fatwa issued banning Malays from doing yoga or meditation wears kafir clothes. Look at all the Malay government officers. They all wear kafir clothes and sometimes a tie as well. The security forces all wear kafir uniforms with a kafir hat on their heads. We count our days using a Christian calendar. I am facing various charges for crimes I committed on certain days of the Christian calendar. What was the day of the Islamic calendar, the Hijrah calendar, that I committed my crimes? The charge sheet does not say. I am facing various charges in a kafir court. The charges I am facing are crimes according to kafir laws. I was also under detention without trial according to a kafir law. In fact, according to Islam, I have not committed any crime. And Islam does not allow for detention without trial. For that matter not only have I not committed a crime, according to Islam, but what I have done is what Islam has actually made mandatory. Islam makes it mandatory for all Muslims to perform "Amar Makruf, Nahi Munkar". This means to uphold good and oppose evil. All Muslims must do this without exception. Not doing it, according to Islam, makes you an extremely weak Muslim. I, however, am now facing trial and was under detention without trial for performing my Islamic duty. And kafir laws, not Islamic laws, are being used against me. Kafir laws are being used against Muslims for doing what Islam has made mandatory. And what is the reaction of Muslims to all this? What is the UKM lecturer doing about it? Is he up in arms about the kafir system being implemented against Islam? Is the Member of Parliament for Kulim demonstrating on the streets and screaming, "I am a Muslim first I don't care about other people's opinions"? Okay, the UKM lecturer wants yoga and meditation banned and the Kulim MP wants to shut the mouths of anyone who wants to talk about Islam. But that is about it. It never goes beyond that, Sometimes the Malays can be amazing. Okay, not sometimes, most times. Now UMNO wants Zaid Ibrahim sacked as a Malay. Can any Malay actually be sacked as a Malay? I wonder, but UMNO thinks it can be done. UMNO says that Zaid would be nobody -- he would not be a lawyer of the biggest law firm in Malaysia -- if he was not a Malay and the country did not have Ketuanan Melayu and the New Economic Policy. Zaid thinks that that is an insult. He would like to believe he is what he is because he is Zaid and because he is smart. If he would instead be a simple fisherman in Tumpat, Kelantan, without the benefit of Ketuanan Melayu and the NEP, then this means Zaid is actually quite stupid. I share Zaid's view. I also would like to believe that I am "somebody" and "special" because I am Raja Petra. If it is because of Ketuanan Melayu and the NEP, and if not because of that I would be washing cars in Bangsar, then this would certainly make me very unhappy. Yes, Zaid and people like him do not need crutches. Only losers need crutches. And that is why UMNO wants these crutches to remain, because they are all a bunch of losers. I would like to believe that I am what I am because of who I am and not because of Ketuanan Melayu and the NEP. I take pride in that. I would hate people saying, "of course Raja Petra is successful. He is a Malay and Malays have Ketuanan Melayu and the NEP to help them. Malays need crutches to get ahead." It is time the crutches are removed and the Malays learned how to walk with their heads held up high. Malays have to be made to believe that the Ketuanan Melayu and the NEP is an insult and that it suggests Malays are weak creatures. Malays must be proud of their achievements and not credit their achievements to the protection and special privileges they enjoy because they are Malay. The Malays used to be a proud race. Now they are no longer proud. They accept that they are weak. So they demand protection to compensate for this weakness.

The twists and turns of mala fide

I suppose there must be a good reason why the government would rather keep Malaysians stupid and lock me up so that I can’t continue in my attempts to wake Malaysians up and educate them. Could it be because stupid Malaysians can be easily manipulated while smart Malaysians would vote opposition?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) was created persuant to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act (1998) as a new regulator for the communications and multimedia industry in Malaysia. At the same time, the Communications and Multimedia Act (1998) was passed, to fulfil the need to regulate an increasingly convergent communications and multimedia industry.

The Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 is based on the basic principles of transparency and clarity; more competition and less regulation; flexibility; bias towards generic rules; regulatory forbearance; emphasis on process rather than content; administrative and sector transparency; and industry self-regulation.

The Act seeks to provide a generic set of regulatory provisions based on generic definitions of market and service activities and services. The jurisdiction of this Act is restricted to networked services and activities only.

The MCMC took over regulation of the Postal Services on 1 November 2002. On the same day it also was appointed the Certifying Agency under the Digital Signature Act (1997).

(http://www.skmm.gov.my/the_law/legislation.asp )

********************************************

The above is what they say on the MCMC website. In the section called WHAT WE DO (http://www.skmm.gov.my/what_we_do/licensing/licensing.asp ), the MCMC website says: The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission issues licences under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the Postal Services Act 1991 and the Digital Signature Act 1997.

In the section titled ENFORCEMENT (http://www.skmm.gov.my/what_we_do/Enforcement/enforcement.asp ), this is what the MCMC website says:

The primary function of enforcement is to conduct investigation upon receiving reports relating to the commission of offences under the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (CMA), the Postal Services Act 1991 (PSA), the Digital Signatures Act 1997 (DSA) and the relevant subsidiary legislations.

The objective of the investigation is to ascertain whether or not the offender has committed the offence and also to gather sufficient evidence on the offender. After the investigation is completed, the investigation paper will be submitted to the Deputy Public Prosecutor for his decision on the appropriate action to be taken on the case investigated by MCMC.

Effective enforcement carried out by MCMC is to ensure the rights of the licensees, investors, consumers and the public are always protected and the confidence in communications, multimedia and postal services are maintained at all times.

***********************************************

Okay, now read the above again and note the following sentences or clauses:

1) The jurisdiction of this Act is restricted to networked services and activities only.
2) …….emphasis on process rather than content……
3) ……. more competition and less regulation…….
4) Effective enforcement carried out by MCMC is to ensure the rights of the licensees, investors, consumers and the public are always protected…….

At 6.00pm on 26 August 2008, Malaysia Today suddenly ‘disappeared’. We thought it was a technical glitch and called the hosting company. The hosting company, who was located overseas, said that the site is working fine and that they have no problems accessing it. We insisted we can’t access it from Malaysia and on further investigation they confirmed what we said and told us that Malaysia Today can’t be accessed only in Malaysia but there are no problems if accessing the site from other countries outside Malaysia.

It was soon established that Malaysia Today could not be accessed because the MCMC had written to the 20 or so Malaysian ISPs (Internet Service Providers; such as Jaring, TMNet, Maxis, Celcom, etc.) and ordered them to block malaysia-today.net. They did not unblock malaysia-today.net until barely a few hours before the police detained me under the Internal Security Act around noon of 12 September 2008.

The reason given to the ISPs was that Malaysia Today had broken the law. Which law was never specified but then Malaysian companies that need the goodwill of the Malaysian government to renew their licences or to ensure that their licences do not get withdrawn do not ask for clarification. They just do what they are told.

Before the MCMC acted on 26 August, they had been summoned for a few meetings to be told that the Cabinet was not happy with the countless revelations and exposes that Malaysia Today had dragged up the last four years since 2004. The MCMC was told the Cabinet is of the view that they (MCMC) are not doing their job and the Cabinet wants them to act against Malaysia Today.

The fact that the MCMC, as charted in its website above, does not have that power (read items 1, 2, 3 and 4 above) to block Malaysia Today appears lost to the powers-that-be. The Cabinet is not concerned about what the law says. They just want Malaysia Today closed down and it is the MCMC’s job to do that. The MCMC replied that it would be difficult to block malaysia-today.net on political grounds as this would look too obvious. It would be better that they use ‘insulting Islam’ and ‘insulting Prophet Muhammad’ as that reason. This would look more ‘legitimate’.

So, on 26 August 2008, the MCMC ordered all the Malaysia ISPs to block malaysia-today.net, which they did. But they still needed a reason to block malaysia-today.net and they found this reason in a comment posted by anti-jihadist. The problem is anti-jihadist posted that comment on 28 August 2008, two days after malaysia-today.net was put out of action. Is the MCMC clairvoyant and could see into the future? Did it have a crystal ball and knew, two days in advance, that anti-jihadist was going to post a ‘damaging’ comment? It is mind-boggling that the MCMC was able to block malaysia-today.net two days before the comment that caused it to be blocked was posted.

Soon after malaysia-today.net went out of action, overseas friends of Malaysia Today floated a new website and tried to restore as much of the old data as possible. Some were saved but much was lost when the servers that hosted malaysia-today.net were closed down and sold off.

This posed another problem. I am facing a charge under the Sedition Act and the Attorney-General did not attach an original copy of the article ‘Let’s send the Altantuya murderers to hell’ with the charge. Instead, they manually typed out the article -- so, for all intents and purposes, the ‘evidence’ of my ‘crime’ had been fabricated. They are now trying to amend the charge but the court has rejected the motion to amend the charge. (The Attorney-General has now appealed this decision in the High Court so we are yet to know if they will be allowed to amend the charge).

Nevertheless, because malaysia-today.net no longer exists, they are not able to adduce the evidence to support the charge and even the amended charge is based on the manually typed copy of the article -- meaning the evidence is still ‘fabricated’. It would be interesting to see how the prosecution now pursues its case against me in the absence of the original article from malaysia-today.net.

Anyway, on 3 December 2008, the prosecution will be embarking on a ‘fishing expedition’ to see if they can find the original copy of that article in my two computers which they have confiscated. They hope, since they can no longer obtain the original copy of the article from malaysia-today.net, that they can instead find it in one of the computers. They are really desperate to find the evidence with which they can use to nail my balls to the wall.

The MCMC realised that they could not justify blocking malaysia-today.net based on a comment by anti-jihadist that was posted two days AFTER the site was blocked. So they decided to unblock malaysia-today.net and instead detain me under Section 73 of the Internal Security Act, barely a few hours later, on vague grounds that I posted articles that incite Malaysians to hate its leaders plus insult Islam and the Prophet.

My wife then filed a writ of habeas corpus and it appeared like the court might agree with my wife’s contention that my detention was vague and mala fide. The court was due to hear our petition on 23 September 2008. On 22 September 2008, they quickly re-detained me under Section 8 of the Internal security Act and on the morning of 23 September they sent me packing off to Kamunting. This torpedoed the habeas corpus hearing due to be held that same day and my wife had to start all over again and file a new habeas corpus action.

A day or two after the MCMC blocked malaysia-today.net, I received a phone call from that big chap who runs the Chawan restaurant in Bangsar, across the road from The Outback in Bangsar Village, who said he wants to discus how malaysia-today-net can be unblocked. My wife and I went to meet him and he told us that the MCMC wants to explore how to unblock malaysia-today.net but this must be based on certain terms and conditions. He told me that he is an emissary from Mohamed Shahril Tarmizi, the senior manager of the MCMC, the man who ordered Malaysia Today closed down.

The problem, they told me, was not my articles, but the comments. Currently, the comments in Malaysia Today are not moderated. Would I be prepared to moderate them? I asked them how to do that when we receive thousands of comments and they are posted 24-7. I would have to employ at least ten staff and that would cost me maybe RM15,000-RM20,000 per month. I do not have the money to do that. I then asked them what solutions they could recommend.

They admitted that they have been pondering over this problem for some time and also do not have any solutions to suggest. Okay, I replied, I am prepared to hand over the job of moderating the comments in Malaysia Today to the government. The government can take over and moderate the comments in Malaysia Today. Would they be prepared to do that?

They admitted that the government would not be able to do that, as it would require a massive operation to do so. Never mind, they told me, they will unblock malaysia-today.net and give us six months to come out with a solution. On 10 September 2008, I received a phone call telling me that the MCMC has decided to unblock malaysia-today.net and that they will give us six months to come out with a plan on how to moderate the comments in Malaysia Today. On 11 September 2008, malaysia-today.net was unblocked. On 12 September 2008, they detained me under the Internal Security Act.

Can any of you figure out what is going on here? I, for one, can’t imagine what game they are playing.

While under ISA detention, I related this whole episode to SAC1 Dato’ Zamri, the man in-charge of the six-member team of interrogators assigned to me. I am not sure of his ‘surname’ but he is probably the best-looking Special Branch officer in Bukit Aman and most likely will be the head of the Special Branch in time to come.

He was very accommodating (even bought me a packet of cigarettes; which is not allowed when you are in jail) but what concerned me was his insistence that my articles could mislead the readers because the majority of Malaysians have a much lower intellectual level and may not understand what I write. It is not that I have committed a crime as such. It is just that the way I write may confuse Malaysians. In short, my crime is for having a higher intellectual level than the average Malaysian and they might misunderstand what I write. This is why the government regards me as a threat to society.

I do not regard myself as an intellectual or even as being smarter than most Malaysians. But this was the argument THEY were using to justify my detention and this bothered me. Based on what they were tying to tell me, I have to be sent to Kamunting because I am smart and most Malaysians are stupid. So Malaysians need to be protected from me.

I asked Dato’ Zamri: would it not be better that I be allowed to go free and continue to educate Malaysians through Malaysia Today so that, in time, they too can be ‘smart like me’ (tongue-in-cheek of course because I did not buy the “Raja Petra is too smart and Malaysians too stupid” argument)? No, they did not think so. They felt that the best solution would be to lock me up so that the ‘stupid’ Malaysians can be ‘protected’.

I suppose there must be a good reason why the government would rather keep Malaysians stupid and why they lock me up so that I can’t continue my attempts to wake Malaysians up and educate them. Could it be because stupid Malaysians can be easily manipulated while smart Malaysians would vote opposition? Maybe Dato’ Zamri can help reply to this question.

In the meantime, the government has appealed the court’s decision to release me from ISA detention on 7 November 2008. They want me back in Kamunting where they feel I belong and which they feel would be safer for Malaysians. Let’s see what the court has to say about this. Will the court agree that Malaysians should be ‘protected’ and that I should not be allowed to awaken and educate them, or will the court feel that it is time Malaysians received the right information and not the crap that the school history textbooks and mainstream media spews forth?

Anwar dismisses cynics

SHAH ALAM (Nov 30, 2008): Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim today dismissed talks by cynics that his talk of taking over the government was just rhetoric, saying: "Insyallah, not long, we will be in Putrajaya."

Speaking of the exploitation of the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak, especially the ancestral land exploitation issues, he said: "We are giving their leader the option - are they going to continue supporting a system that insults the intelligence of their own people?"

"In the name of God, I trust the wisdom of my people, all Malaysians."

He said all this will be achieved by the power of prayers. "Don’t underestimate the power of prayers because we can plan, we can work but the power of the prayers of people of all faiths should not be underestimated."

"We all believe in what is right and we leave it to God, and in a short time, hopefully, we will achieved what we want," Anwar said.

Anwar had told a public rally on Saturday that Sarawak will be their next battleground before the Pakatan Rakyat takes over the federal government

He asked the party's leaders to make weekly trips to Sarawak to meet its aim to unseat the Barisan Nasional (BN) government in the state.

He stated this when explaining to those present why the PR could not meet its deadline of Sept 16 to unseat the federal government.

He further said it (taking over of federal government) did not materialise because a letter to negotiate the matter sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was not entertained by him. Another reason, he said, was that BN MPs wanting to defect had laid a condition that their names not be revealed until they were ready to do so.

His call to take Sarawak however has got his cynics pooh-poohing his claims, Bernama reported.

In Kuching, Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib questioned Anwar's credibility, especially when his Sept 16 deadline to form a new overnment did not materialise.

"I don't want to comment on people like that. Well, his (Anwar's) credibilty is not that high when he said Sept 16 is his target date which he promised to be the date to form a new government," Taib, who is also state BN chairman.

In Kota Kinabalu, Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek regarded PKR's aim to capture Sarawak next year as yet another delution of Mat Jenin, a dreamer in a popular Malay fable. He said after PKR failed to form the federal government on Sept 16 as promised, many people had lost their faith in the party.

"I find the stories of the 'delutions of Mat Jenin' to be interesting human dramas. I see the 'Mat Jenins' from the peninsula who failed to realise their big dream of forming the government on Sept 16, now trying again to win over the people.

"What is clear after Sept 16 is that, whatever new promises they make would only be laughed at," he told reporters when met at the home of Sabah Umno information chief Datuk Sapawi Ahmad in Kampung Ketiau, near here, today.

Don't use me as scapegoat says Jalil

BUKIT MERTAJAM, Dec 1 - Permatang Pauh Umno chief Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid has urged Seberang Jaya state assemblyman Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah not to use him and the division as a scapegoat or reason for joining the opposition.

"He can leave if he wants to but don't put the blame on us," he said when commenting a statement by Arif Shah that he had been sidelined by the division, despite being the only Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate to win in Permatang Pauh during the March general election.

Jalil who recently defeated Arif Shah in the contest for the Permatang Pauh chief post said he had no quarrels with Arif Shah.
He said the new committee was taking steps to strengthen the party by weeding out members who supported the opposition during the general election and the Permatang Pauh by-election in Aug.

Arif Shah was quoted by newspapers as saying that he was disappointed with Jalil and the Permatang Pauh division for ignoring him and that he had been invited by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to join the party.
"There is no problem. The division is working as a team for the future of the party and Permatang Pauh. We are one happy family," said Jalil.

Permatang Pauh Umno information chief Ahmad Sahar Shuib said Arif Shah should respect the delegates decision to retain Jalil as division chief.

"We did not sideline him. He has to fit in with the new line-up," he said. - Bernama

High crime rates? Nah, just change your perception…

First, when the price of petrol was hiked, they told us to “change our life-styles”.

Now, when the crime rate appears to be high, they are telling us to “change our perception” of crime…

… and all will be well.

Najib was saying that our perception of worrying crime rates should be viewed in perspective: apparently Malaysia has lower crime rates than Japan and Hong Kong.

Maybe it was just my perception that my apartment was broken into last year and my personal belongings stolen.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Curse Of Taj Mahal Hotel's Sixth Floor

By P. Vijian

MUMBAI, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- It was a painful death for Malaysian Hema Kassipillai, whose decomposed body was found on the sixth floor of the 565-room Taj Mahal Palace Hotel -- a gracious landmark of the city built in 1903.

The sixth floor bore the brunt of the violent terrorist attacks that burned down the entire floor in the 60-hour horrendous ordeal that started on Wednesday in India's financial capital.

Like all other rooms, Hema's room, number 637, was completely charred during the ensuing battle between unknown number of terrorists holed-up inside the hotel and dozens of Indian security forces.

Terrorists, allegedly arrived via sea route with their armaments, made two of the hotel's sixth floor rooms, facing the Colaba seafront, as their headquarters and later terrorised the occupants until Saturday morning.

The Times of India gave a descriptive write-up of the ill-fated hotel build by the industrialised Jamsetji N. Tata.

The occupants on the sixth floor also include the paper's Consulting Editor Sabina Sehgal Saikial, who was also killed in the attacks.

The hotel's general manager Karambir Kang's wife and his two sons also perished in the fire that gutted the sixth floor.

Another luckless guest on the sixth floor was Greek tycoon Andreas Liveras, who was slain by terrorist bullets.

But former Indian city model Gurpreet Gill, who currently lives in Singapore, escaped and was reported to have stumbled upon two suspected terrorists, whose room was next to hers.

The terrorists, equipped with blackberrys to monitor news and satellite phones, destroyed all the rooms facing the Arabian sea, including the presidential rooms, valuable paintings, furniture and hand-oven silk carpets, said the paper.

According to Indian Home Ministry, a total of 183 people were killed, including 22 foreigners.

The hotel is an architecture marvel which combines Florentine, Moorish and Oriental designs, making it a magnificent landmark of Mumbai.

But now it stands with a badly-wounded image.

-- BERNAMA

pic: vikatan.com

**********

Hema's Remains To Arrive Monday

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- The remains of Hema Kasipillay, 51, who died in the Hotel Taj Mahal Palace in the Mumbai terrorist attack, are scheduled to arrive at the KL International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang at around 6am Monday.

According to a spokesman at the Malaysian consulate in Mumbai, her remains will be flown back on a Malaysian Airlines cargo flight (MH095) that will depart Mumbai at 11.30pm (Indian time).

Hema who lived in Bangsar and worked for a Kuala Lumpur-based company, was staying at the hotel while on a business visit to India' commercial capital.

The landmark hotel came under siege by terrorists on Wednesday, a day after the unfortunate lady arrived in Mumbai.

She was scheduled to return to Malaysia on Dec 5.

Her charred remains were found by a medical team in her room on the sixth of the hotel and she is believed to have died of smoke inhalation.

-- BERNAMA
********

MIC Says Hema's Death Tragic

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 30 (Bernama) -- MIC today condemned the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which killed nearly 200 people including a Malaysian woman, Hema Kassipillay.

Its president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu, who expressed shock and disbelief over Hema's death, extended his condolences to Hema's husband K. Sivakumaran and expressed the hope that the Malaysian government could assist Sivakumaran to bring her remains back to Malaysia.

"We feel sad and enraged over the death of Hema and almost 200 other people in this barbaric and unthinkable act of terror," he told Bernama here, Sunday.

Samy Vellu said the Malaysian High Commission in India should immediately seek the release of her body since it was reported that a post-mortem had already been conducted.

Hema, 51, who was reported missing since the terror attacks in Mumbai, the financial city of India last Wednesday, was found dead yesterday in her room at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel where she stayed.

Hema, from Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur, was believed to have died of smoke inhalation.

A post mortem conducted at the Sir Jamshedji Jeejibhai Hospital found no gunshot injuries on the body.

Samy Vellu said he was confident that the Indian government would bring the perpetrators to justice.

Meanwhile MIC secretary-general Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam, who is Human Resources Minister, said, "Our prayers are with Hema and the others who died in the tragedy."

-- BERNAMA
*******

MCA slams Mukhriz's suggestion to abolish vernacular schools

Tee Keat slams Mukhriz for suggesting that vernacular schools should go

By Shannon Teoh

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 - MCA president Datuk Ong Tee Keat has wasted no time in condemning Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir's suggestion to abolish vernacular schools.

"Mukhriz is just one of the many who are now repeating the same polemics that are a few decades old, simply because of the advent of their party's poll," the Transport Minister said.

"It is saddening because politicians cannot think out of the box," he wrote in a blog posting.

In a press conference in Parliament today, the candidate for Umno Youth chief in the March party elections said that all schools should teach subjects in Bahasa Malaysia except for language subjects.

He said the proposal to have one unified school system could help address the problem of non-Malays misunderstanding the concept of "Ketuanan Melayu," or Malay Supremacy, which has become a source of tension between Malays and non-Malays.

Mukhriz argued that such misunderstandings were a result of a lack of national unity, which he blamed on the existence of vernacular shools.

Also in Parliament, MCA vice president Datuk Liow Tiong Lai said there was no reason to change the education system as the current one was accepted by all.

"The present system is still the best to ensure unity and harmony in our multiracial country," the Health Minister said.

He added that it was an old fallacy that vernacular primary schools caused unity problems.

He reasoned that at secondary level, the students were still able to integrate.

"He might not understand that teaching in your mother tongue is more effective at the primary level," Liow added.

KAYVEAS GIVES BARISAN NASIONAL ULTIMATUM - AMEND ISA OR PPP WILL QUIT

People's Progressive Party (PPP) President Datuk M. Kayveas today issued an ultimatum that if the Barisan Nasional leadership fails to amend the Internal Security Act (ISA), his party, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) which is considered a mosquito party within BN, will quit the BN coalition.

Datuk Kayveas claimed that his youth and ladies wings have expressed that the main failure of the BN at the 8 March general election defeat was the abuse of use of ISA on innocent Malaysians, while it should only be used for terrorist purposes.

Will the BN leadership consider this ultimatum from Datuk Kayveas?

Looking at the factors, Datuk Kayveas who has been shadowed after his known disastrous defeat at Taiping by the press and since a majority of PPP members seem to be unhappy with his leadership, may just ignore his plea and may be please with the departure of PPP since they are unable to contribute effective to the BN coalition.

Najib says no return to Mahathirism

Najib says no return to Mahathirism

By Leslie Lau
Consultant Editor

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 – Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said tonight there would be no return to Mahathirism under his administration when he takes the reins of power next March.

Speaking to Riz Khan on the Al Jazeera satellite news channel, Najib said he realised that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had little choice but to respond to a new Malaysia which had emerged after the last general elections.

“I realise there is a new Malaysia which has changed and evolved. Malaysian society is now more mature and demands more openness,” he said.

Najib's remarks appeared to be an attempt to distance himself from the policies of former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, even as Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders accuse him of being an acolyte of Malaysia's former leader.

The DPM's critics have in recent weeks labelled his impending administration as one which would bring back Mahathirism, and result in a more oppressive environment with tighter controls and more corruption.

However, Najib said tonight that he was committed to the reform agenda of the current prime minister, especially in the judiciary and to fight graft.

“Of course I am committed to reforms. The prime minister wants to strengthen the judiciary and fight corruption. That will send a clear message to the elctorate that we are listening,” he said.

Najib said the BN government had to draw lessons from the last general elections, pointing out that the ruling coalition would have to reform “or the public will change us.”

The DPM was also asked to address a number of questions via telephone and email during the live 20 minute interview where he was asked about issues such as the ongoing debate over Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay Supremacy.

He said that Umno would have to cater to the needs of its base Malay support. However, he said BN and Umno must also address the needs and grievances of the non-Malay communities.

“I believe in the concept of multi-racial government and if there are genuine grievances we must cater to them,” he said.

Najib repeated his commitment towards the gradual liberalisation of the affirmative action programmes under the New Economic Policy (NEP), pointing out that it could only be done once the Bumiputera community was more confident and secure.

Addressing the issue of the Internal Security Act (ISA), he said the only reason there has been no serious act of terrorism in Malaysia was because of the existence of the law which provides for detention without trial.

He said the government realised recent concerns about how the ISA had been applied, and acknowledged the growing calls for its repeal or amendment.

Asked what he thought of the threat by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's intention to topple the BN government, he said the ruling coalition took seriously the last general election results.

“If we do not change or reform then it is quite possible the electorate will decide to end BN rule,” he said.