‘Tamils without Tamil’ with comments .......

“Why we need 1700 temples for only 3 million Indians in Malaysia? It does not make sense but we still continue to build temples and fight for it. We only have 450 Tamil schools in Malaysia and it is getting lesser,” says a news-group posting from Hindraf, New York. At least the Indian Tamils raise the issue, but the more affluent Jafanese or Ceylonese have forgotten Tamil and Tamil schools with their first generation. Now, even to give ‘tuition’ in Tamil only a few of the old generation remain, commented an Eezham Tamil refugee recently went to Malaysia.

Edited text of the posting from hindraf.newyork:

When will we change?

Here are the facts:

1. Why we need 1700 temples for only 3 million Indians in Malaysia? It does not make sense but we still continue to build temples and fight for it. We only have 450 Tamil schools in Malaysia and it is getting lesser.
   
   
2. Every Friday, temples in the cities earn minimum of $500 ($2000 per month), no electricity bill and no water bill. Tamil schools get $50 per child per year and pays electricity bill, water bill, teacher’s salary and maintenance every month.
   
   
3. Most temples in cities are renovated, air conditioned and owns a beautiful wedding hall. Tamil schools were built in 1970's and still remain the same with broken tables and chairs, spoiled fan and lights, buku pinjaman (book borrowed) torn, bad environment for students and teachers. Have you seen one Tamil school fully air conditioned except the HM room?
   
   
4. $2 million was donated by Indian people for the Statue of Lord Muruga of Batu Caves built by Indians; minimum $10 million spend every year during Thaipusam by devotes. Why blame government for not giving allocation fund for Tamil schools, why can't we just pay $1 for praying and $9 for Tamil School?
   
   
5. Minimum $200 spent by Indian alcoholics on every weekend for clubbing and entertainment. When asked for donation of $5 for Tamil School, we run away or ignore.
   
   
6. In every Indian house there is TV, HI-FI Radio, CD/DVD player and the classic Astro. They have watched all the latest Tamil movies even it's not yet out in theatre. Our children have to get buku pinjaman (book borrowed from the library), no revision book, never been to a bookstore, never encouraged to take up piano class, violin class, swimming or language class other than those offered in school. No computer at home and the reason is ‘can't afford one.’

These are some of the issues that we ignore and still continue doing it. Some of you may consider Tamil Education a waste of time. But the rest of Indians are also going to ignore it or going to make a change?

Please don't forget that in the 80's, Chinese schools and Tamil Schools were at the same level as Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan. There were more students in Tamil Schools and the infrastructure was same for both schools.

But today, look at Chinese Schools and compare it with our Tamil Schools (sigh). Please take note that most of the Chinese Schools are run 100% without government support. For your info, our government is trying their level best to abolish these two schools, their dream is coming true for Tamil Schools but not for Chinese Schools.

If you really care, just spend 2 minutes and take a look at any Chinese Schools nearby your house. You can see the parents waiting in their Mercedes, BMW, Toyota, Honda and even motorbike to pick up their kids from school back home.

We have never seen any Indian parents with their Mercedes, BMW, Honda or Toyota waiting for their kids outside Tamil Schools.
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Anonymous said...

What is there to do. All that we can do is talk at warong kopi only. What are our leaders doing. They are fighting for leadership, money and power. This statement goes for everyone of them. The Malaysian Indians will only be saved with a true leader who doesn't abandon the sinking ship.

Our existing leaders may speak about Mahatma Gandhi and all but when it comes to work it is a different story all together.

My personal experience in getting together some Indian youths in my place ended with some thugs spreading rumours about me. Being a housewife I back out from helping the youths.

What can be said about our society. They prefer to hear what some so called leaders saying rather then investigating it.

AS long as there are people poisoning the minds with some sensational stories , so long they will not be united.

I also not against temples but the main question is which is more important. A place of education seems more in need then unvisited temples.

Think about it. I am all for uplifting of Malaysian Indians. We need more active member of parliment, more outspoken teachers, honest community leader, and most of all alert parent.

Good day

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Anonymous said...

Yes, a step by step execution and mass exercise of the federal govt to abolish the Tamil education, where almost all Indians took shelter from is taking place.But now social class and caste had cast an evil spell in the hearts of so called Indians,dont anyone understand without Tamil education roots or the sylabus in the secondary level, all the so called M'sian Indians will be called,,Dan Lain-lain,,Others,, in 2 years time as commited by the so called democratic govt. of Malaysia. Where is the M'sian Indians courage to defend the rights given by the British during M'sia independance? Just some water sprayed and smoke balls during Hindraf rally had made all Indians scared to question their rights? Are we born to live a coward style of accepting the discriminations till the roots of Tamil, is being eliminated step by step. These education are grassroots of all Indians right at M'sia, if the roots are chopped and the tree falls, M'sian Indians will become similar or lower graded then Indonesian or Bangladeshis by year 2020! Wawasan 2020 to eliminate the roots of Tamils and Chinese in M'sia. The roots of our pride is Tamil education which stands as the M'sian Indians great big tree.

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Anonymous said...

actually ure msg was rite we ran away from donation but from my point of view we ran because we dont know issit the money goin the school or not? so i think better we go straight and donate the school somehow most of chinese is wealth so they can effort to luxurous life, talking about chinese when they first came to malaysia they are nothing just a labour for kuari but now they own the kuari, indians when they came working in estate and labour for builds roads now they still the same why?? sorry if iits hurts and some of indians i mean youth jobless, im working in a hospitality industry for past 6 years now im somebody, when i called the jobless boys to work they inssist they want the standard working inviroment bcz ive been intereviewing so many ppl, this my point of view im sorry again if its hurts thanks cheers anyway im an indian too happy new year

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Anonymous said...

When there is matter of donations we yet to come in terms is it, but when it comes to matter of donations to the temples everyone is obliged and pays a large amount without comments given why? Its the bloody superstitious fenomena that had been cultivated in all Indians mind! If i were a cheat.I would look to getting donations for temples like Thanenthiran, the MMSP-malaysia makkal sakthi party- co-ordinator or traitor truly, but as i am not so will take the right part of producing a transparent record and accounts on the donations for Tamil school!
Lets be frank here b'coz of few indians who refrained from occupying yr co. vacant posts dont embarass the whole Indians by putting in the same shoes. Its like a slap in face with a shoe if you mentioned that Indians are selective, pls dont underestimate the Indians or Tamils as we belong to a disciplined way of life in and out of social interests! Happy new year and lets get the the donations to proof to Chinese that Indians can also establish a education status whether rich or poor!

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Anonymous said...

I agree to the comments above as i belonged in the same group of scared people, but now i feel like i have the balls to defend the position of Tamil schools and also show to Chinese we can remove the class systems between us and also the language borders between us, even though i am a Malayali i had a formal education in Tamil school which made me a highly inteligent and respectable person but those Indians who opposed going to Tamil schools but went to malay schools are living in Slums and acting like Milionares, Slumdog Milionaire part 2 i think, Yah so i would like to know how will the donation take place and the transparency be shown to us? I guess the dog shit eating MIC mandor's are truly traitors and worth no wote from Tamils especialy for their self enrichment during this period when Tamil being removed from National Sylabus, No indians have balls to argue or at least perform rally to show their protest, scared after being sprayed water or smoke?

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Ahmad Sahal

wHAT sAMY VELU DOING FOR PAST DECADE? Is he a malay?
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Mageswary Sivanathan

Truly awakening! Thanks a lot!
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Jaya Thevar

wat u have writen are all correct. its all just one thing "tradition". if our indian put stop for all this nonsen we will be the nom 1 in the world. i support u bro.
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Arul Dass

actually ure msg was rite we ran away from donation but from my point of view we ran because we dont know issit the money goin the school or not? so i think better we go straight and donate the school somehow most of chinese is wealth so they can effort to luxurous life, talking about chinese when they first came to malaysia they are nothing just a labour for kuari but now they own the kuari, indians when they came working in estate and labour for builds roads now they still the same why?? sorry if iits hurts and some of indians i mean youth jobless, im working in a hospitality industry for past 6 years now im somebody, when i called the jobless boys to work they inssist they want the standard working inviroment bcz ive been intereviewing so many ppl, this my point of view im sorry again if its hurts thanks cheers anyway im an indian too happy new year
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Alexson A.Alphonse

i support this statement sir...wish some people can open wide their 2 big eyes and realize that education is also important..

Hunger strike in JB for recognition of Tamil subjects - Malaysiakini

A group of 30 activists championing the Tamil language staged a one-day hunger strike in the middle of the Johor Bahru yesterday to protest what they claim to be the government's blatant sidelining of the Tamil language.

According to PKR Johor vice-chief P Magendran, "The policy of not counting Tamil subjects in SPM credits marginalises the importance of Tamil language and literature in Tamil subjects."

tamil language protest hunger strike johor bahru 2"As they don't count, pupils will not pay attention to them. This will lead to the Tamil language being sidelined.

"But this also has more serious implications, as once the Tamil language becomes sidelined, Tamil schools may close down.

"What is to be come of the Tamil language? What is to become of Tamil teachers?" he asked.

The group further alleged that the government is also not giving enough opportunities for those who want to advance their knowledge in Tamil by not giving JPA scholarships and blocking those seeking to further their studies in Tamil language or Tamil literature studies at public universities.

Tamil knowledge development blocked

Both policies, said Magendran, is another telling evidence of the government ignoring the Tamil language.

The hunger strike was led by the state's PKR special officer K Selvakumar. Also present were other representatives of the PKR and the DAP as well as Tamil NGOs such as the Tamil Neri Association of Malaysia and Johor Manimandram Association.

tamil language protest hunger strike johor bahruIn attendance and closely observing the group were close 20 to 30 police officers who arrived in five police cruiser and a police van.

The hunger strike which began at 9am ended at 9pm.

They gathered right in the middle of the city at Jalan Ungku Puan, near the Raja Mariamman Devasthanam Temple.

This is another in a series of protest and campaigns by Tamil NGO's and Indians in general over the government cap of 10 subjects for SPM examinations, a move which many say sidelined vernacular language subjects.

Recently the government had revised the policy to allow for two additional subjects to be taken by students, especially those from vernacular schools.

However, the government is firm in not giving full recognition for these subjects nor count them in calculating SPM credits.

Hindus have the similar god´s name like Allah

Approximately fourteen miles west of Jagannatha Puri-dhama lies the place known as Brahmagiri or Alarnath (spelled "Alalanath" in most Bengali books). For millions of years it has been a holy place of pilgrimage. The local tradition describes that in Satya-yuga Lord Brahma came and worshipped Lord Narayana here on top of a hill. One day he heard a voice from the sky. Lord Narayana said, "I am very pleased with your worship. Make a four-handed Narayana deity of Me with a shankha, chakra, gada, and padma, a conch shell, disk, club, and lotus. The deity should be ornamented with a kaustubha gem, a golden crown, a blue lotus flower, a gajamani-mala (garland of elephant pearls), a sacred thread, a diamond ring, yellow garments, and ankle bells. The deity should be made from one piece of black stone. Also install a deity of Garuda." Finally the Lord told him, "This place will be known as Brahmagiri (literally Brahma's hill) because you have worshipped Me here."

The Lord of the Alvars

The present temple of Lord Alarnath is said to be two hundred years older than the Jagannatha temple in Puri, which would make it about 1,100 years old. When the temple was constructed, some expert Kamma brahmanas

One of the four natural divisions of society, which refers to the spiritualists. In later times it came to refer to a caste determined by birth.'); return false">brahmanas from the Sri-sampradaya of South India were brought to perform the worship. These brahmanas were in the disciplic line of the great acharyas of the Sri Sampradaya prior to Ramanujacharya known as the alvars, thus this deity of Lord Narayana became known as Alvar-natha, the Lord of the Alvars. The king of Orissa donated sufficient land to maintain all of the brahmana families.

A Boy's Simple Devotion

After some time the families increased in size and the lands that the king had donated were no longer sufficient for the community's food production, so they started taking turns going to beg alms. One day it was the turn of a brahmana named Sri Ketana to go and beg. Sri Ketana was the priest in charge of offering foodstuffs to Lord Alarnath. Before he left he instructed his young son named Madhu to make the bhoga offerings to Lord Alarnath. Madhu told his father that he was only a small boy and did not know the mantras or procedure to offer bhoga to the Lord. Sri Ketana told him that he should just put the offerings before Alarnath Deva and pray that He accept them. Then he left.

Later that day when it came time for the bhoga to be offered, Madhu's mother called and told him that everything was cooked and he should offer it to the Lord. Madhu brought the plate to the altar and placed it before the deity, praying, "Oh my dear Lord, my father has told me to make Your offerings while he is gone for begging. Please accept this offering. I am only a little boy and I do not know how to offer things to You in a proper way." He then went outside to play with his friends. Twenty minutes later he returned and found everything still on the plate. He did not understand that the Lord can eat simply by glancing over the food, and thus He leaves the offering as prasad (mercy). Instead, the boy thought that the Lord was meant to eat everything on the plate and not leave anything behind. Seeing that all the items were just as they were before, he became disturbed that the Lord was not responding to his request due to his inexperience. He prayed to the deity, "Oh my Lord, You have not eaten the food that I have brought for You. My father will be very angry with me, please eat Your meal." Again he went outside and returned after a few minutes. Still finding the offering there as before, Madhu began to cry. "My Lord, I understand that You are not eating because I am not qualified to offer to You. I am only a little boy. I don't know any mantras or procedures for worship. But please accept this offering." Madhu again went outside. When he returned a few minutes later he found that the plate was empty. He thought, "Oh, the Lord has eaten." With tears of happiness in his eyes, he brought the now empty plate back to his mother.

She was surprised, "Where is the prasad?"

"Alarnath ate everything", Madhu replied.

"He ate everything?"

"Yes." And Madhu went out to play with his friends.

There being no prasad, the family had nothing to eat that day. Madhu continued to offer bhoga to Alarnath and every day the Lord ate everything. Thus the family fasted. After three days, Sri Ketana returned and asked his wife for some prasad. She replied, "There isn't anything. For three days we have not eaten. Madhu says that Lord Alarnath is eating everything."

Sri Ketana called his son and in a stern voice asked him, "Where is Alarnath's prasad? What have you done with it?"

"He ate it, father. I just offered it like you told me."

Sri Ketana thought that Madhu was eating the sweet rice himself, or perhaps giving it to a dog. Or out of fear of his mother he was throwing the prasad away. He began chastising the boy. But Madhu said, "No, no, father. Narayana is taking everything. I am not eating it."

The father then became angry, "Narayana is taking everything? Nonsense! He is made out of stone. How can a stone deity eat? You prove it to me. You go again and make another offering. I will hide on the altar and watch."

The simple boy again went before Alarnath and prayed, "My dear Lord, please accept this offering. My father has returned and is very angry with me. He thinks that You are not eating." After the boy left, Lord Alarnath, who is known as bhava-grahi janardana - He who accepts the love of His devotees, reached down and picked up a pot of sweet rice. Suddenly Sri Ketana jumped out from behind a pillar and caught the Lord's arm. The hot sweet rice flew up in the air landing on the Lord's body in several places. Sri Ketana said, "Stop! What are You doing? You are a deity. You cannot eat. Who ever heard of a deity eating? How will there be any prasadam for us? How will we survive?"

Although he was a priest for Lord Alarnath Deva, the brahmana Sri Ketana was actually a materialistic person. He had no faith the Lord was real.

The Lord then told Sri Ketana, "O materialistic person in the guise of a brahmana, for your offense, all of your family and descendants will be destroyed except for your son Madhu. I am pleased with his simplicity and devotion and thus I have eaten his offerings. No matter how opulent, I am never pleased with any offering if it is made with no devotion and no faith in Me."

According to the local history, a few days after this incident a great tidal wave came from the nearby ocean and destroyed all of the brahmanas in Brahmagiri except for Madhu. To this day the priests of Lord Alarnath show several places on the body of the deity where He was burned by the hot sweet rice that fell on His body when the brahmana Sri Ketana grabbed the Lord's arm. Srila Thakura Bhaktivinoda has written:

samudra-tira diya daksina jaite puri haite chaya-krosa dure
'alalanatha' gram. tathay 'alalanatha- caturbhuja- vasudeva- vigraha. vana-madhye ekti ksudra-grame tanhar mandir; tathay ati-utkrsta paramanna-bhoga haya. pandara ekhana-o usna- paramanner daga vigrahe dekhaiya thake.

"Traveling along the coast from Puri about six krosha, fourteen miles, is a village known as Alalanath. There one will find the four-armed deity of Vasudeva known as Alalanath. The Lord's temple is within a forest in this small village. The most excellent sweet rice is offered to the deity. Even nowadays the pujaris show the mark on the deity where He was burnt by hot sweet rice."

Hindraf Chairman Sues Penang Deputy Chief Minister, Nine Others, For RM100 Mil

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 (Bernama) -- Hindraf chairman P. Waytha Moorthy is suing Penang Deputy Chief Minister Prof Dr P.Ramasamy, six local media organisations and three others for RM100 million for defamation.

He filed the suit though his counsel, P.Uthayakumar, at the Civil High Court registry here on Thursday.

He named Dr Ramasamy, Perak assemblyman A.Sivanesan, DAP leader V.Ganabatirau and ASP K.Vasantha Kumar as the first four defendants.

The other defendants are Makkal Osai Sdn Bhd, Tamil Nesan Sdn Bhd, Malaysian Nanban Sdn Bhd, MalaysiaKini.Com Sdn Bhd, The Malaysian Insider Sdn Bhd and Star Publications Berhad .

In his statement of claim, he said that Dr Ramasamy had written and published an anticle with false information defaming him in the Makkal Osai newspaper dated Aug 11, headline "Di mana wang RM700,000 yang telah dikutip, tunjukkan akaunnya, Dr Ramasamy mencabar Waytha Moorthy."

He also claimed that Sivanesan, Ganabatiau and Vasantha Kumar defamed him is several articles published in the Makkal Osai, The Star, Malaysia Nanban, Tamil Nesan and news portals The Malaysian Insider and Malaysiakini in July and August.

The four had used the six media to defame and tarnish his good name as Hindraf chairman, he said, adding that the alleged defamatory words gave the meaning that he was a Hindraf leader without integrity and had cheated the Indian Community of its money for the purpose of filing a civil suit agaisnt the British government in London.

He is seeking RM10 million in damages from each defendant, aggravated and exemplary damages and an injunction to restrain them from continuing to publish similar demafatory articles against him.

He also seeks several other court orders, including an injunction to restrain the four individuals from making any press statement on Hindraf.

British law rules in getting RPK back

(NST) - Efforts to secure the return of fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin from the United Kingdom may not be a straightforward process.

Malaysian police are studying Britain's extradition process and preparing the documents for the return of Raja Petra, also known as RPK.

Malaysia has no formal or special arrangement with Britain to extradite an individual and this is the first time police will be requesting such an extradition

All extradition requests to Britain come under its Operational Policing Extradition procedures, which are outlined in the country's Extradition Act 2003.

Under the act, Raja Petra may have the right to challenge the request in the country's courts and he is entitled to legal representation.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail said he was aware of the police's extradition request and his department had been notified of the matter.

"We will abide by the country's law processes in the formal submission of the extradition request to its authorities," he told the New Straits Times yesterday.

Singapore and Brunei are the only countries with whom Malaysia has a special arrangement for the extradition of known fugitives and criminals to be charged in a court of law.

Gani said that like all other countries, Malaysia's extradition request to Britain will go through the proper channels and processes subject to that country's laws.

He said proper considerations had to be made before submission as they were governed by a different set of laws.

The police will seek the advice of the Attorney-General's Chambers on the legal aspects, direction and relevant procedures before submitting the extradition request.

It is not known when the police will formally approach the British authorities on the matter.

Police force joins Facebook community

(Bernama) - The police will use Facebook to get closer to the public, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan.

“As the social networking website is a popular medium of interaction, the police will capitalise on it from early January to achieve its targets by getting closer to the public,” he told Bernama in an interview.

To be managed by the Bukit Aman Media Centre, he said the Facebook would enable the public to have more access to the police other than through Rakan Cop and the police’s website.

“It will allow the public not only to file complaints on police services but also to relay information on crimes,” he said, adding that the decision to use Facebook emanated from feedbacks received during the Government Transformation Programme Open Day recently.

On challenges confronting the police in 2010, he said the police would continue to pursue its five-year strategic plan launched in 2006.

“The police’s involvement with the public will be stepped up in curbing crimes and maintain security. As the IGP, I want to see in 2010, we go all out to fight crimes, including human and drug trafficking.

“The public have seen that the police are getting more amenable to them, not only among the rank and file policemen but also district police chiefs, through community policing,” he said.

Musa said the measure was seen as a positive step in discarding the “fear of police” stigma and would help create a law-abiding community.

On allegations of police brutality, he said the police adhered to procedures when dealing with crime suspects.

“I know of certain quarters, who like to find faults against us. We do not go beyond our limits. —

“We follow the procedures when we make arrests... if the suspects are armed and dangerous, we have to defend ourselves as they threaten public safety,” he said. Musa said certain quarters like to politicise issues as they want to convince the people to pay attention to their agendas by tarnishing the police’s image.

“There were some people, who claimed that the police are not doing their job, they raised sensitive issues... they have their agendas, interests... they do not want the police to curb crimes effectively.

“The police do not practise favouritism. Whether you are a small fry or a shark, we will nab you,” he added.

Musa said despite the critics, the Royal Malaysian Police had received international accolades for its success in solving crimes, including the ISO 9001-2008 for solving human trafficking cases.

In curtailing cross-border crimes, he said the police would join forces with other agencies like the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, Customs and Immigrations. He called on leaders, including menteri besar and chief ministers, to assist the police in combating crimes

CHINESE MATHEMATICS

1. The Chinese understand numbers. Very early they invented the computer - not the electronic one - but the abacus.

2. The abacus in the hands of experts can outrun the electronic calculator.

3. The ability to calculate fast contributes much to the skills in business. The brain deduces problems much faster.

4. When I was Prime Minister a Chinese expert demonstrated to me how pre-school children could be taught to mentally multiply or divide big figures almost instantaneously. They know how to use the abacus for quick calculations. When asked to add, subtract, multiply or divide, they mentally move the beads of the computer in their minds. That way they were able to almost immediately give the answers.

5. The professor told me that the children were ordinary children, It was his system of mental calculation which enabled them to perform.

6. I asked the Ministry of Education to use Prof Xu Si Zhong's method for our primary schools. I don't really know the results.

7. The Professor came to see me recently to introduce improvements he had made to his method. I must say that his new method is even better.

8. Since I am now no longer in the Government I cannot persuade the Ministry of Education to adopt his system. It strikes me that if someone were to invest a small sum of money to put up a classroom for pre-school children to be taught mathematics using this method, there might be parents interested to send their children for a few hours a week to learn. I think the children will enjoy learning mathematics and the use of the abacus.

9. I will be happy to put interested private kindergartens and primary schools in contact with Prof Xu Si Zhong.

Court rules Herald free to use the word “Allah”

By Lisa Goh

The Star
31.12.09

KUALA LUMPUR: The Catholic weekly Herald is now free to use the word “Allah” in its publication after the High Court quashed the Home Minister’s prohibition against it using the word, declaring the order as “illegal, null and void.”

In her decision, Justice Lau Bee Lan also declared that under Article 3(1) of the Federal Constitution, applicant Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam had the constitutional right to use “Allah” in Herald in the exercise of his right that religions other than Islam might be practised in peace and harmony in the country.

She further ruled that the Constitution, which states Islam as the country’s religion, did not empower the minister to make such a prohibition.

“In pursuant to Article 10, the applicant also has the right to use the word ‘Allah’ in the Herald in the exercise of his right to freedom of speech and expression.” she said in her oral judgment Thursday to a packed courtroom.

Justice Lau ruled as grounds for her judgement that both the respondents – the minister and the Malaysian government – had failed throughout the trial to prove how the use of the word “Allah” could threaten national security.

On Jan 7 last year, the Home Ministry had approved the Herald’s publication permit on condition that the usage of the word “Allah” was prohibited and the word “Limited” (Terhad) be endorsed on its front page to mean that it must be circulated only to Christians.

The minister had prohibited the usage on grounds of national security and to avoid misunderstanding and confusion among Muslims.

The Archbishop, as Herald’s publisher, had filed an application on Feb 16 for a judicial review to seek a declaration that the minister’s decision for the prohibition was illegal and that the word “Allah” was not exclusive to Islam.

Representing the Archbishop were counsel Porres P. Royan and S. Selvarajah while senior federal counsel Datuk Kamaludin Md Said stood for the respondents.

Following the ruling, Kamaludin sought a clarification for the declaration to be only confined for the permit in question, which was for the period from Jan 1 to Dec 31 last year, and not future permits.

“It does not relate to an order or decision relating to future permits,” he said, adding that future permits would require a fresh application.

However, Royan argued that the permit for the period between Jan 1 and Dec 31 this year had already been issued, subjected to the same condition pending the court’s determination on the matter.

“The order speaks for itself. I believe the minister will be bound by the words he has used and that he will respect the court’s decision.

“Of course, they have other remedies. The court has granted declarations to allow the use of the word ‘Allah’ that must bind the parties,” he said.

Kamaludin then said he would seek direction from the minister on whether they would file a stay of execution application or an appeal.

In an immediate reaction, Herald’s editor Father Andrew Lawrence told the press that this was a “long-awaited” decision, hailing it as a “landmark case for our nation”.

2010 New Year Celebrated In Full Colour

KUALA LUMPUR, 31 Dec (Bernama) -- Colourful fireworks, music and dance rocked the city as thousands partied to welcome the arrival of 2010.

Major roads in the federal capital were cordoned off for the revellers to bid farewell to 2009 and countdown to New Year with local and international artistes leading the entertainment.

Shouts of "Happy New Year" and 'Satu Malaysia' filled the air as the clock struck midnight.

At the Dataran Merdeka, Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin joined more than 20,000 people who came to enjoy the concert organised by Kumpulan AmBank, before the countdown to the 2010 New Year at midnight.

Also present at the event was Kuala Lumpur Datuk Bandar Datuk Ahmad Fuad Ismail.

Sensational rock artistes Amy Search and Ella were the main attraction at the concert which also featured popular rock group 'Hujan', Bunkface, Bhangra Gold Kartz, the Singing Shop, and dances by the DBKL (Kuala Lumpur City Hall) dancers.

A foreign tourist, Siddharth Sharma, 27, from New Delhi, India said he had heard that the 2010 New Year celebration in Malaysia, especially in Kuala Lumpur, was the best and he had planned to spend the honeymoon with his wife here.

"We heard Malaysia's New Year celebration is one of the best in the world, that's why we decide to come here for our honeymoon. We just arrived this morning and will be back to India on Jan 7," Sharma told Bernama.

Exactly at midnight, the Dataran Merdeka was rocked by the loud firing of fireworks which lighted the night with a myriad of colours.

At the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), thousands of people including foreign tourists came to join in the celebration to usher in the new year which included a fountain and light show held at the main entrance to the KLCC.

A concert by famous local artistes was also held before the countdown to the new year at midnight.

Some of the people had walked quite a distance after parking their cars at designated carparks after police had issued a warning that cars parked on road shoulders would be towed away.

Many had also come by public transport such as the light rail transit (LRT) which had extended its service to 2am.

At midnight, the crowd were entertained to a fireworks display which lighted the sky around the KLCC. At Jalan Bukit Bintang and the surrounding areas, merrymakers celebrated the New Year eve with the 'Street Party Countdown 2010 Celebration' with local and foreign artistes performing in front of the Sungei Wang Plaza shopping complex.

About 15,000 people including foreign tourists flocked to Jalan Bukit Bintang at the traffic light junction opposite the Yayasan Selangor Building which had been closed to all traffic since early this morning.

Police personnel were also stationed there to control the crowd.

Meanwhile, the Masjid Asyakirin at the KLCC also had its own programme to welcome the new year with a religious 'ceramah'.

Chief imam of the mosque, Mohd Abdul Nasir Abdullah said the mosque organised such a programme every year to welcome the new year.

At the KL Tower, 10 parachutists performed non-stop jumps from 9pm to 1am.

Kenyataan media hukum sebat MB NS

Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia

(S.A.M.M)

31 Disember 2009

Kenyataan Media

HUKUMAN SEBAT OLEH MAHKAMAH RAKYAT DIJATUHKAN KEPADA PENGKHIANAT EKONOMI NEGARA MOHAMAD HASSAN, ROSMAH MANSOR DAN LAIN – LAIN YANG TERLIBAT MENYELUDUP WANG KE LUAR NEGARA.

Pada 26 Okt 2009, Bank Negara Malaysia telah mengumumkan pembatalan sebanyak 20 lesen perniagaan pengurupan wang di bawah Akta Pengurupan Wang 1998. Walaubagaimanapun Bank Negara tidak memberi alasan dan sebab pembatalan lesen-lesen yang dinyatakan.

Antara bukti-bukti diperolehi BNM, didapati maklumat yang menunjukkan Datuk Seri Utama Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Hassan, Menteri Besar Negeri Sembilan telah dikaitan dengan Salamath Ali Money Changer Sdn Bhd (salah satu lesen perniagaan pengurupan wang yang dibatalkan) dalam mengirim sejumlah wang yang bernilai kira - kira RM10 juta ke London pada tahun 2008.

Kegiatan ini telah melanggar Akta Pengurupan Wang 1998 antaranya,

Seksyen 30(1)(b), “… perbuatan yang melibatkan, yang berkaitan dengan, atau sebagai persediaan bagi, pengiriman atau pemindahan dana ke luar Malaysia…” dan;

Seksyen 35(b), “memberikan apa-apa maklumat yang palsu dalam sesuatu butir material bagi mana-mana Akta ini”.

Turut dikaitkan dengan penghantaran wang secara haram ke luar negara ialah Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor terlibat dalam penghantaran haram RM 600,000 (dipercayai sebagai tambahan kepada wang membeli belah yang tak cukup ketika berada di Dubai) Tan Sri Abu Sahid, tokoh korporat Melayu yang diberikan ruang mengetuai Perwaja dan Maju Holding terlibat dalam penghantaran haram RM 22.2juta dan seorang lagi tokoh korporat yang rapat dengan regim pemerintah adik Syed Mokhtar al Bukhari iaitu Syed Mohammad setakat ini dikesan terlibat dalam menghantar wang secara haram sebanyak RM 1.19 juta.

Perkara ini telah dibangkitkan di Dewan Rakyat. Pada 16 Nov. Satu surat (terbuka) rasmi telah dihantar kepada MB Negeri Sembilan memohon jawapan namun sehingga kini bukan sahaja surat tidak dibalas tetapi media dihalang menyiarkan berita mengenainya. Pada 24 Nov. Mohamad juga gagal menjawab soalan berkaitan di dewan. Bank negara tidak menafikan, Mohamad dan pesalah yang lain juga tidak menafikan sehingga kini.

Pada 3 Dis lepas satu laporan rasmi berkaitan perkara ini turut difailkan ke Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman. Namun seperti biasa PDRM semakin dilihat gembira menjadi kuda tungggangan regim maka sehingga kini tiada respon terhadap susulan yang kami lakukan.

SAMM selaku seguah gerakan anak muda yang percaya dengan perubahan dan sayangkan negara ini, dengan ini memandang serius jenayah penyeludupan wang secara haram keluar negara ini. Jenayah ini merupakan sabotaj terhadap ekonomi negara. Mereka inilah sebenar pengkhianat negara yang sebenar.

Maka hari ini 'atas nama Mahkamah Rakyat' maka kesemua penderhaka dan pengkhianat ini dijatuhkan hukuman sebat.

Walaupun ia hanya 'olok-olok' tetapi ia mewakili suara derita rakyat yang bergelumang dengan kepayahan tetapi di atas sana orang kaya di keliling regim pemerintah terlalu mewah dan tidak kisah mengkhianati ekonomi negara. SAMM menyeru rakyat supaya bangkit dengan berani melawan regim yang melindungi kepentingan kapitalis dan terus tanpa sedar dan tidak sedar menindas rakyat.

Amaran kami kepada sistem perundangan negara. Jangan sampai 'olok-olok' ini menjadi benar.

Sekian demi memperkasa ketuanan rakyat.

che'GuBard
Penyelaras
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia
cheGuBard@gmail.com
http://chegubard.blogspot.com

p/s : kenyataan media ini dibaca sebelum upacara hukum sebat Mohamad Hassan

Hindraf's Waytha seeks RM100m for libel

Court declares 'Allah' ban invalid

Hindraf vs Hindraf: One faction sues, the other makes police report - Malaysiakini

The tussle between two Hindraf factions has escalated into a legal battle with the filing of a RM100 million suit by the movement's chairperson-in-exile P Waythamoorthy against four individuals and six news organisations.

In his statement of claim, Waythamoorthy (right) said the six news organisations carried statements of the four individuals who had alleged that he misappropriated public donations for Hindraf.

The four individuals are Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy, Sungkai state assemblyperson A Sivanesan, and two former ISA detainees V Ganabatirau and K Vasanthakumar.

The six news organisations named as defendants are English daily The Star, online news portals Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider, and three Tamil dailies Makkal Osai, Tamil Nesan and Malaysia Nanban.

Since their release from ISA detention earlier this year, Ganabatirau and Vasanthakumar have each headed a splinter group under the same name, while Ramasamy and Sivanesan are prominent DAP leaders who were formerly vocal Hindraf supporters.

Five hours after the law suit was filed, Vasanthakumar lodged a report at Brickfields police station against the 'wild allegations' that he was a police agent.

He said that rumours that he was a police officer were spread via text messages and the Human Rights Party website.

'Duo not Hindraf leaders'

Waythamoorthy is seeking RM10 million from each defendant for the alleged defamatory statements that was published between July and August this year.

The suit was filed at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today by lawyer P Uthayakumar, who is Hindraf's most recognisable leader and also Waythamoorthy's elder brother.

Speaking to reporters later, Uthayakumar said all Hindraf monies will be handled by accountants from Jan 1, 2010 onwards and thus the money can be accounted for.

He said that the subject of Hindraf accounts were brought up by the four individuals in order to divert attention from the Penang government's management of the Kampung Buah Pala issue.

"This (suit) is also a message to the press - just because somebody make a statement, you cannot go around publishing whatever you like," said Uthayakumar (left).

Among others, Waythamoorthy's suit is also seeking an injunction against all 10 defendants to stop them from repeating the allegations against him.

Seeking unusual declarations

Meanwhile, Waythamoorthy is also seeking a declaration that Ganabatirau and Vasanthakumar are not Hindraf leaders and subsequently, for an injunction preventing the duo from referring to themselves as such.

He also seeking an injunction against media organisations from referring to the duo as Hindraf leaders or its associates.

Waythamoorthy's suit seeks several less conventional court declarations, among others, a declaration that Vasanthakumar is a police spy attached to the "Special Branch E3M" with the rank of assistant police superintendent.

He is also seeking a declaration that Ramasamy, Sivanesan and Ganabatirau were "mandores" (Tamil for labourer supervisor) of the DAP, particularly its secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

R.Seetha: HRP’s news maker for 2009

Top ten news makers.

1) R. Seetha’s brother was murdered in cold blood by UMNO’s Malay-sian police along with four other Indian youths including a 17 year old Indian juvenile on 8/11/09 at Klang. Out of these five ruthless police killings done with impunity there were three coffins/dead bodies in one family to grieve. How cruel?

As Seetha could not take the pain of her brother’s said murder and that she was in no position to fight UMNO’s Malay-sian police, she took her own life by drinking paraquat. Her five children who were also given paraquat to drink survived but are likely to suffer from medical complications like kidney failure, cancer etc at a very young age. The last twenty seconds of Seetha’s life was captured by HRP’s video crew. And so was the first two minutes of her death. (see video in video section below). The height of the UMNO Malay-sian police atrocities is when the police tried shifting the blame on Seethe’s husband for her suicide. HRP was disappointed when the family of R. Seetha backed out from protesting by taking her body in a procession to Parliament house which was then in session. We will have another day. We have taken a rain cheque on this. There is no history of a tragedy of this magnitude ever happening in any other part of the world. UMNOs’ Malay-sia made it somehow

2) The pictures of A. Kugan’s brutalized body speaks a thousand words (see photos below). But all the police murderers who murdered Kugan got away scot free. As usual a “mandore” Indian policeman was prosecuted for a token offence of causing injuries while extorting a confession. A. Kugan’s murder at the Taipan police station was the worst case ever recorded on camera of a death in custody. Lawyer N. Surendran and HRP’s S. Jayathas took the lead in standing up for, capturing on camera and publicizing this atrocity.

3) Even in “our” very own Opposition led DAP in Penang, the last Indian traditional village of Kg. Buah Pala was demolished with impunity by Kapitan Lim Guan Eng and ably assisted by thier Indian mandores. These villagers campaigned, carried placards and and even cried openly outside the Kapitan’s official residence but to no avail. Hindraf and HRP went at full steam at the campaigns but DAP, PKR and PAS does not care. The saddest ending was when Murugan (46) who led the unprecedented lobby at Unesco to save Kg. Buah Pala passed away from a heart attack last week when he could no longer bear Kapitan Lim Guan Eng is continued demolishing of his cattle farm the week before after earlier in October 2009 having completely destroyed Kg. Buah Pala.

4) Similarly in PAS led Kedah the last piece of history and the heritage value cemetary of the Indian plantation workers in Ladang Batu Pekaka, Kuala Ketil, Kedah, the Kedah PAS Menteri Besar unilaterally demolished it with impunity. PAS was backed up by the Malay-sian UMNO police force and silently watched over by PKR and DAP. PAS, PKR or UMNO would never dare to it to a Chinese cemetary. Pray tell us of one Muslim, Christian, Buddhist or Chinese cemetery or place of worship being demolished in Malaysia. Why does this happen only to the Indian Hindus in UMNOs’ Malay-sia.

5) 16 Hindraf/HRP anti cow head candle light peaceful assemblers were arrested on 21/09/2009. There video of this HRP/Hindraf cemetery. We wonder why? arrest drew an unprecedented half a million over hits in Malaysiakini.com.

Whereas the malay muslim criminal protesters who stepped and spat on a severed and bloody cow head were given an audience with UMNO Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussien.

6) Release of P. Uthayakumar and M. Manoharan from ISA detention on 5/9/09 after 514 days at Kamuniting prison is the ultimate price paid for fighting for the critical Indian issues having befallen on the Malaysian Indian community .

7) Announcement of the formation of Human Rights Party and book launch “Indian Political Empowerment Strategy The Way Forward” by P. Uthayakumar on 19/6/09.

8) 2^nd Anniversary of 25^th November 2007 100,000 over Hindraf peaceful Rally was held with the hunger strike of 18 Hindraf/HRP supporters and a gathering of 100 over others at KLCC at 11.30 a.m on 25/11/2009. Thereafter at 2.00 p.m a letter from Hindraf Chairman P. Waytha Moorthy’s daughter and a bouquet of flowers was brought to Putrajaya. As none of the Prime Minister’s Secretaries wanted to come out to receive us, the letter and the bouquet of flowers were left at the steps to the Prime Minister’s office after which the hunger strikes broke their fast.

9) Also noted are the plight of the Indian poor handicapped and senior citizens who have been denied Welfare help, Socso payments, live in dilapidated shacks, 70% of Tamil schools in cow shed like conditions, Tamil schools have to buy their own chairs and tables when (the almost all malay muslim) MRSM in Trolak is built on RM 120 Million government funding, Indian mini market owner from Termerloh of 30 years standing was even denied his licence to continue running his business in November 2009.

10) 150,000 Indian children being denied their birth certificates, another 150,000 even third, forth and fifth generation Indians have been denied their Malaysian citizenships, an Indian cannot even become an Assistant district officer in Malaysia when the USA already has it’s first black “muslim” President in the person of Barack Hussien Obama. Malaysian Indian medical students degrees from Russia, Ukraine, Romania, India, Indonesia etc being derecognized at a time when Malaysia is short of doctors by 50%.

Every day some hindu temple, hindu crematorium, tamil school or Indian settlement is demolished given notice to be demolished, relocated or to be relocated.

Welcome to Malay-sia, the World’s most racist and religious extremist country.

S.JAYATHAS

HRP Information Chief

HENTIKAN POLISI : TIADA SIJIL LAHIR TIADA SEKOLAH

HUMAN RIGHTS PARTY MALAYSIA

NO.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Tel: 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245 Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Your Reference :

In Reply : HRP/ DEC/ 09

Date : 29/12/2009

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak

Perdana Menteri Malaysia

Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444

62502 Putrajaya E-Mail : najib@pmo.gov.my.

Y.B Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Menteri Pelajaran,

Pejabat Menteri Pelajaran,

Aras 10, Block E8,

Complex Kerajaan Parcal E, Fax: 03-8889 5846

62604 Putrajaya. E- Mail: khairulam@moe.gov.my

HENTIKAN POLISI : TIADA SIJIL LAHIR TIADA SEKOLAH

YAB/ YB,

Kami rujuk kepada perkara yang tersebut di atas

Menurut akhbar Tamil pada penghujung tahun 2007 satu Surat Pekeliling telah dikeluarkan oleh Kementerian Pelajaran kepada sekolah –sekolah Tamil supaya tidak menerima masuk murid – murid yang telah dinafikan Sijil Kelahiran mereka bermula dari tahun persekolahan Januari 2008. Dan selepas daripada itu kami telah membaca banyak laporan- laporan akhbar yang menyatakan bahawa murid – murid keturunan India yang telah dinafikan Sijil Kelahiran telah tidak dibenarkan diterima terutamanya di sekolah- sekolah Tamil.

YAB/ YB kes kanak- kanak dinafikan sijil kelahiran sebenarnya adalah satu tragedi oleh kerana akan berlaku masalah bersangkut (chain reaction) dan implikasi jauh ke hadapan (far reaching consequences) bermula dari tidak dibenarkan masuk ke Sekolah Rendah, Sekolah Menengah, Kolej- kolej Kemahiran (Skills Training Institutions) Institusi Pengajian Tinggi dan Universiti di dalam dan luar negara, tidak boleh mendapat pinjaman Pendidikan dan Biasiswa. Juga mereka akan dinafikan lesen memandu motorsikal, motorkar van, bas dan lori untuk mendapat pekerjaan dan mencari makan. Mereka tidak dapat membuka akaun bank atau membeli rumah, motorsikal, kereta, lori atau van. Tidak akan dapat lesen berniaga. Tidak dapat buka walaupun sebuah gerai makanan. Tidak akan mendapat pekerjaan walaupun pekerjaan yang tidak memerlukan kemahiran seperti pengawal keselamatan atau pekerja am dikilang ataupun cleaner di pejabat.

Dan akhir sekali, mereka tidak dapat berkahwin. Jikalaupun mereka berkahwin anak- anak generasi mereka yang seterusnya mengalami masalah tiada sijil kelahiran dan masalah ini berlanjutan kesemuanya sekali lagi (all over again) kepada generasi berikutnya. Masalah sosial yang berbangkit adalah remaja India yang terjerumus ke dalam kegiatan kongsi gelap dan jenayah. Kami merasa amat dukacita olehkerana kerajaan terpaksa membelanjakan RM 1 Billion dalam Bajet 2010 kepada Polis Diraja Malaysia untuk menangani keselamatan dan jenayah termasuk membunuh dengan menembak mati antara lain lima orang pemuda India dalam satu hari termasuk seorang remaja berumur cuma 17 tahun dalam satu transaksi di Klang pada 8/11/09.

Anggaran kami adalah 150,000 kanak – kanak India yang hampir kesemuanya lahir di Malaysia malah ada yang dalam generasi ketiga, keempat dan kelima yang sengaja dinafikan sijil kelahiran oleh sebahagian daripada 1,016,799 ‘graduan’ Biro Tata Negara (rujuk UM Buletin 21/6/09 mukasurat 19) yang menolak pengeluaran Sijil Kelahiran atas alasan- alasan teknikal yang paling remeh. Persepsi kami adalah mereka sudahpun membuat keputusan untuk menolak atas dasar perkauman terutamanya apabila pemohon adalah dari golongan kelas pekerja dari masyarakat India.

Oleh yang demikian dalam penyelesaian ikhlas jangka pendek dan jangka panjang kami memohon supaya:-

1) Surat Pekeliling yang telah dikeluarkan pada penghujung tahun 2007 tersebut dibatalkan dan satu surat Pekeliling yang baru dikeluarkan oleh Ketua Setiausaha, Kementerian Pelajaran untuk tahun 2010 dengan arahan kepada terutamanya guru- guru besar dan Ketua- Ketua Jabatan Pelajaran supaya tidak menolak sebarang dan/ atau mana- mana murid keturunan India khususnya daripada dibenarkan masuk ke sekolah- sekolah rendah dan seterusnya.

2) Satu Surat Pekeliling dikeluarkan oleh Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri supaya kesemua kes kanak – kanak dari masyarakat India yang telah dinafikan Sijil Kelahiran dikenalpasti dengan segera dan diberikan Sijil Kelahiran dalam tempoh 60 hari dari tarikh disini.

Tindakan dan jawapan yang awal dari pihak YAB,YB disanjung tinggi.

Sekian,

Terima Kasih.

Yang Benar,

____________________

P.Uthayakumar

Setiausaha Agong (penaja)

Impoverished Indian families in Kampung Manis,Prai

Court says ‘yes’ to Allah for Christians

By Debra Chong - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — It will be a glorious new year for some 850,000 Catholics in Malaysia.

In a landmark ruling today, the High Court here lifted the home minister’s ban against the Catholic church publishing the word “Allah” to refer to the Christian God in its weekly paper, Herald.

Counsel for the Herald, Porres Royan, told reporters outside the crowded court, “The court has granted the declaration that the applicant has the Constitutional right to use the word Allah. I believe the ministry is bound by the court’s decision.”

Senior Federal counsel Datuk Kamaludin Md Said said, “I was made to understand the ministry has already issued the permit for 2010.” The publishing permit for the Herald expires today.

He added that he will consult the ministry for new instruction, when asked about his next course of action.

The government had said that the ban was necessary to avoid confusing the majority Muslims in the country. Islam is the official religion in Malaysia.

But the church claimed the ban violates its constititutional rights to practice its religion freely.

According to Father Lawrence Andrew (picture) who edits Herald, the term “Allah” has been used by Christians in the region to refer to their God since four hundred years ago. He added that it is still actively used today.

Lawrence explained that “Allah” in the Christian context is used to refer to the trinitarian concept of “God the Father” which is different from the Muslim use of the verse to refer to the “one and only God”.

Herald’s editor claims the use of the word has not died out and is still being used in church worship among indigenous East Malaysians, who form a substantial number of the Christian faithful in the country.

The church first took the government to court last year after the home ministry threatened to revoke its annual publishing permit for Herald, Malaysia’s only Catholic paper.

It was forced to refresh its suit again this year after its 2008 permit expired without any decision from the court.

Umno man says ‘Allah’ judgement will stir racial tension

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid - The Malaysian Insider

A jubilant Father Lawrence holds up an Arabic version of the Holy Bible, said to contain the word Allah - Picture by Jack Ooi.

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — One of Umno’s known hawks, Pasir Salak MP Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, lambasted the High Court judgement on the ‘Allah’ case today, saying that it would not solve anything but only ignite racial and religious tension.

The High Court today lifted the home minister’s ban against the Catholic church from publishing the word “Allah” to refer to the Christian God in its weekly paper, Herald.

The landmark decision may be of joy for some 850,000 Catholics in the country but for Tajuddin, the suit itself, filed by Herald’s lawyers, is an act of provocation.

“What is their motive (for the suit) ? Why all of a sudden they want to use the word Allah when all this while they have been using the term God?

“This is definitely provocation, they are just using all this human rights, religious rights as excuses. This is sensitive to the Muslims and this will create racial and religious tension,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

The controversy over the word “Allah” has stirred huge debate among Christians and Muslims alike in Malaysia and attracted international attention as well.

The Home Minister, who controls giving the annual mandatory publishing permits in the country, had banned the church from using the word “Allah” outside the Muslim context.

But some have questioned if there can be a copyright over the word “Allah”, which Muslim representatives here say is a special word reserved to refer to the Muslim God, meaning “the one and only Almighty”.

The act of questioning the exclusivity of the word “Allah” for Muslims said Tajuddin is a clear indicator that “certain quarters” have become “bolder”.

“They have dared to do these things because the Muslims have been soft..but if you put some one in a corner, they will bounce back,” lamented the Pasir Salak MP.

“What the High Court thinks is right, may not necessarily be right outside (the court),” he added.

Meanwhile PAS vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar said Muslims must respect the decision of the High Court and remain calm.

“We must not be hasty and jump to conclusions. We should let the religious authorities to decide on its next course of action,” he said.

Asked if he agreed with the decision, Mahfuz ignored the question and reiterated that the country’s Muslims must respect the High Court decision and allow the religious authority to decide on its next course of action.

Though it is unclear if the Home Minister will seek to reverse the decision through the Appellate Court but he is likely to do so given the sensitivity of the issue.

MACC is the Malaysian of the Year

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — Today marks the first year of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) which started with promise and is now dismissed as another political tool to earn it being named The Malaysian Insider's Malaysian of the Year for 2009.

At a time when politics continue to dominate the national discourse, one institution — the MACC — has stood out as an unfortunate symbol of all that is wrong in the country, unkept promises.

Indeed, the idea for a Malaysian of the Year should inspire a search or a look-back at a personality or institution that we should aspire or look up to.

But there are times in history — such as in 1938 when Time magazine controversially chose Adolf Hitler as its Man of the Year — when negatives, such as tyranny in the case of the German leader or failure in the case of the MACC, merit the award of the accolade.

From the ashes of the impotent Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) which made few headlines during its existence, the MACC was born on Jan 1, 2009.

The cynical among the public expressed little hope that the new institution could achieve much more than its maligned predecessor.

The more optimistic ones among us would give the MACC a chance to prove itself.

After all, it had been invested with more powers by the departing administration of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to deal with the one scourge — corruption — which has grown to a level that it has become part of the country’s fabric.

But few would have anticipated the depths the MACC would sink to.

The MACC will forever be linked to Teoh Beng Hock’s death. His funeral was attended by a big crowd. — File pic

As an independent law enforcement agency, the MACC is supposed to wield its powers without fear or favour.

But the unsavoury means and the fervour it chose to investigate the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government that ultimately led to the mysterious death of Teoh Beng Hock could only be matched by how it appeared to look the other way when it came to some Barisan Nasional (BN) personalities.

This is not to say that the MACC must only probe BN and ignore any corrupt practices by PR government officials.

Nor is it the point that the MACC must arrest and charge members of both political coalitions to show its even-handedness as it did recently when it brought to court a host of minor BN and PR politicians.

In all of these cases and more the MACC has failed to win over the public to believe that the administration is serious about tackling graft.

Soon after Teoh, the DAP aide, was found dead, Tan Sri Yong Poh Kon, a member of the MACC advisory panel was quoted as saying: “We must get the support and confidence of the public to combat corruption. In Hong Kong I believe that 97 per cent of the population has confidence in the IACC. The same cannot be said of the ACA and now the MACC.”

A glaring example of why the MACC has not received the backing of the public is the investigations into the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.

Newspaper reports that something was amiss in the massive government project surfaced as long ago as 2007.

The ACA then conducted an investigation, but nothing happened.

It was only after the exposure caused by the public mudslinging in MCA that the MACC finally decided to spring into action.

Datin O.C. Phang was one of those charged in the PKFZ scandal. — File pic

But so far after more than two years of investigations, a parliamentary probe and task force reports by major auditing firms, the MACC has only managed to charge in court a few little-known individuals while leaving the “big fishes” untouched.

At least that is the public perception of what the MACC has done so far.

A recent poll conducted by the independent Merdeka Center found that 74 per cent of those surveyed were dissatisfied with the government’s handling of corruption and abuse of power issues.

The poll also found that a majority of Malaysians thought the MACC was biased.

Crucially, the MACC has just not risen to the task of tackling corruption, from vote-buying in Umno to graft in public institutions.

A year on, the tougher anti-graft body has been a monumental failure, and that is why The Malaysian Insider is naming it the Malaysian of the Year.

Looking forward, we hope to, however, award this accolade once again a year from today, for the right reasons.

Makeover of the decade: PAS and the non-Muslims

By Joan Lau - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 31 — If somebody had predicted back in 1999 that Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) would one day enjoy the support of non-Muslims in the country, he or she would have been laughed out of the room.

After all, the fear of the green tide (PAS is closely associated with the Islamic colour) was what kept diehard opposition supporters from voting for the DAP in the 1999 general election. That year, DAP had joined forces with PAS, Keadilan and Parti Rakyat Malaysia to challenge Barisan Nasional under the Barisan Alternatif banner.

DAP turned out to be the biggest loser in the election that saw Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh vanquished. PAS was the biggest winner that year as it took Terengganu as well as Kelantan which it first took control of in 1990.

Malaysians then — not just non-Muslims but any Malaysian fearing the curtailing of his/her civil liberties should PAS take over — simply could not accept PAS. And the fact that it now had two states made them even more nervous.

“If PAS is in control, finish-lah for us… no more pork” or “We will become like Iran” were remarks commonly bandied about in those days. Yes, they may sound improbably childish now but the fear of a repressive Islamic regime was very real.

Nizar keeps the PAS flag flying. — File pic

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wrote that “thanks to the skilful demonising over the decades by the Barisan Nasional government and the mainstream media, Chinese and Indians tossed PAS into the same basket as terrorists and communists.” The truth wasn’t very far from that dramatic statement.

Fast forward to 2009 and you will find that while there is still some unease over PAS’s insistence on hudud laws and the banishing of alcohol sales, there is a much wider acceptance of the party. Over the years, it worked on more inclusive policies and presented a less fundamentalist image of itself. Example: at the Bukit Gantang by-election this year, the Chinese-majority consitutency of Kuala Sepetang voted overwhelmingly for PAS candidate Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin.

Over the years, the party had simply shifted closer to the middle. After March 8, 2008 stories emerged of PAS MP Khalid Samad speaking to his constituents in a church. Imagine that. When was the last time an Umno politician did that?

Then there was Tok Guru saying there was nothing wrong with Christians using the word “Allah.” This at a time when the Catholic church was in court fighting for the right to use the word. Coincidentally, the judgment of the Allah case is later this afternoon.

Ironically, it was Umno which was sounding more and more extreme with its insistence on ketuanan Melayu, calling the Chinese and Indians pendatang and branding any form of dissent as being anti-monarchy or a threat to the Malays.

Malaysians, tired of this rhetoric, wanted politicians who stood for honesty and justice. PAS, with its strong religious core, came across as just that. Suddenly it was okay that it was a party with strong Islamist principles. At least it had principles.

Cops zero in on RPK

(NST) - Fugitive blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin’s location has been confirmed by Malaysian police.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan said the Malaysia Today website editor, popularly known as RPK, was currently hiding in London.

“Our intelligence reports have confirmed that RPK is in London, but we have yet to confirm his exact location,” he said in an interview with the New Straits Times.

However, Musa said he could not verify if Raja Petra was staying at the posh Trinity Court apartment in Gloucester, Bayswater, in London, as reported by the media.

He said Malaysian police have sought the help of their British counterparts to bring Raja Petra back.

“The British courts might call for an inquiry and request the relevant documentation to support the extradition process before making a decision,” Musa said, adding that the police were also working with the Attorney-General’s Chambers in preparing the documents.

Musa also advised Raja Petra to return to Malaysia of his own accord.

“If you’re not guilty then come back and defend yourself. Why should you hide in another country?

He is a bankrupt and we believe he must have used a false passport to leave the country,” he said.

On the recent allegation that a person or organisation was sponsoring Raja Petra in London, Musa said police would investigate the claim.

A source familiar with the investigations said there had been no movement of money from Malaysia to Raja Petra’s account.

Raja Petra, 59, disappeared after two arrest warrants were issued against him for failing to attend court in April and May. He had claimed on his website to be in a self-imposed exile.

Since then, rumours in the Malaysian blogosphere have variously pointed at Raja Petra’s location to be in Thailand, Australia and, most recently, the United Kingdom.

Last week, Musa said the government would seek an extradition order for Raja Petra upon confirmation by the British authorities of the wanted blogger’s location in the UK.

In postings in several sociopolitical blogs and media reports over the week, Raja Petra is said to be hiding at the posh Trinity Court apartment in London.

Many blog postings have criticised him for running away from the law and seeking refuge in other countries.

It is learnt that Malaysia does not have an extradition treaty with the UK.

The Malaysian authorities will have to apply for the return of Raja Petra through provisions under the UK law.

Raja Petra, through his Malaysia Today portal, has been attacking Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.

Last year, Raja Petra was detained under the Internal Security Act but he was subsequently freed.