Satanic Verses’ for SPM English, can ah?

If Abdullah Hussain is Malaysia’s Sasterawan Negara, Sir Salman Rushdie is a Sasterawan Negara-Negara, a literary giant of global repute who has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth for his contributions to the field of writing.

Rushdie has also received from France the Commandeur de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and from Harvard University, an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement in Cultural Humanism award. His efforts have won the prestigious Whitbread (twice), Bookers, and literary prizes from the European Union, Germany, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and India among others.

One of his best books Midnight’s Children was voted the Booker of Bookers.

Ah, but Abdullah has got an award under his belt that eluded Rushdie – the Anugerah Wira Perkasa.

Some of Abdullah’s staunch defenders claim that Interlok is only fiction, so why the big fuss over a mere story that teaches us historical lessons?

Well, Salman Rushdie’s Satanic Verses is also just a work of fiction. As a multiple international award winner, it has got the one up on Abdullah’s consolation prize winner.

Interlok is a Komsas (Komponen Sastera) for SPM Bahasa Melayu.

But let’s just engage in a hypothetical exercise here and put the shoe on the other foot. Now imagine if Satanic Verses were to be made a literature component in our SPM English language paper. Rather than reinventing the wheel, we’ll just recycle the arguments of those supporting Interlok’s inclusion in BM.

Why take issue, Satanic Verses is only a historical novel, what. We will amend one or two words, take out the offensive paragraph, publish a glossary and append a teacher’s guide.


An article titled ‘Justice for Interlok’ by ‘Sen Tyng Chai’ defending the contentious novel copies the Ridhuan template to a ‘tee’. By the way, Mr Chai appears to be following the Western convention of putting surname at the back.

If we may borrow the following phrases from Chai (he talks about Interlok but we’ll apply them toSatanic Verses) going by the axiom of what’s sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander:
“Imagine the surprise when the controversy dragged on, with threats of book burning, demonstrations and protests,” wrote Chai in his defence of Interlok, but which one can write aboutSatanic Verses too.

“we have buried the novel with our wilful ignorance, prejudice and fear”

“why the wild allegations and derision?”
“disinformation and distortions”
“also defamed his work and reputation as writer”

In the case of Rushdie, the demos in Malaysia have defamed his work and reputation as an internationally acclaimed writer.

Mr Chai, the valiant defender Abdullah Hussain asked: “It is the ones who make the louder noise that get heard?” and heckles the “bias of these self-appointed guardians of public interest”. May we say, ditto Salman Rushdie?

Why take the “the path of least resistance” and not meeting the challenge of understanding its content by banning Satanic Verses entirely? In fact, several other titles by Rushdie are banned in Malaysia too.

Comparatively, all that the hundreds of protesting NGOs are asking is for the withdrawal of Interlok from the school syllabus; anyone interested can still buy it from the bookshops anytime.

Or do you agree to Satanic Verses being made a literature component for Malaysian students taking the SPM English language paper? No, no, no we’re definitely NOT proposing such a thing. Just hoping to make people think.

French forces take over Abidjan airport

French forces have taken over the airport in Abidjan as forces loyal to Cote d'Ivoire's presidential rivals continue to battle for control of the West African country's main city.

Reporting the French intervention, state television urged the city's residents to mobilise and protect Laurent Gbagbo, the incumbent president. The channel also accused Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, of wanting to engage in genocide in the West African country.

Paris called for French citizens in Abidjan to assemble together without delay, Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, said on Sunday.

France is mulling a possible evacuation of its 12,000 citizens who live in the country because of the fighting.

"[Sarkozy] has decided that all French citizens in Abidjan should be grouped together without delay to ensure their protection," the French president's office said.

Gerard Longuet, the French defence minister said on Sunday evening that the question of evacuation would be settled within hours.

"We will not expose French people to being hostages or indirect victims of confrontation between these two forces," Longuet said in an interview on French television LCI.

"Alert, alert... The French army is occupying since last night the airport of Felix Houphouet Boigny," the caption read over images of Gbagbo that were aired late on Saturday.

"Seven cargo planes, transporting 100 tanks and more than 2,000 soldiers; elements of the airport squadron have been taken prisoner. Sarkozy's men are preparing a Rwandan genocide in Cote d'Ivoire. Ivorians, let us go out en masse and occupy the streets. Let us stay standing," it continued.

The latest developments come as a fierce standoff between fighters loyal to Gbagbo and his rival for power Alassane Ouattara, the country's internationally recognised leader, intensify.

Gbagbo's force retook the bridge leading to his presidential palace on Saturday after the opposition had appeared poised to topple him.

Pro-Ouattara forces had marched easily into the country's largest city, where they encircled the presidential palace and Gbagbo's home on Thursday and Friday.

France said its forces took over Abidjan airport on Saturday to facilitate the evacuation of foreigners and sent an additional 300 troops to the country, bringing its total deployment to 1,500.

Massacre

The latest fighting follows an alleged massacre of hundreds of people in the small town of Duekoue in the west.

The United Nations mission in Ivory Coast [ONUCI] said on Saturday that traditional hunters known as Dozos had joined Ouattara's forces in killing 330 people in Duekoue.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said he was "concerned and alarmed" about reports that pro-Ouattara forces may have killed civilians in a conversation late on Saturday with Ouattara, who told him his forces were not involved in the Duekoue killings.

Ouattara's government said in a statement that Dozos were not part of its forces and invited international human rights organisations to investigate the killings and rights violations.

"The government (Ouattara's) notes with regret that the allegations of the deputy chief of ONUCI human rights division are not supported by any evidence after its preliminary investigation," the statement read.

A Catholic charity, Caritas, said up to 1,000 people had been killed by unknown attackers wielding machetes and guns. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) earlier estimated the death toll at around 800 people.

It is not clear whether the 330 counted by ONUCI is included in the figures.

Alistair Dutton, the humanitarian director of Caritas, told Al Jazeera on Sunday that members of his organisation were on an investigating team, including UN officials and representatives of other NGOs, which travelled to Duekoue on Wednesday.

"There they found the aftermath of a mass slaughter of somewhere between eight hundred and a thousand people who had been killed," he said.

The team found bodies lying in the streets and the bushes, he said.

The victims appeared to have been civilians, Dutton said, who had been "caught up somehow between [the two] warring factions".

According to Caritas, the killings occurred from Sunday 27 to Tuesday 29 March in the 'Carrefour' neighbourhood controlled by fighters loyal to Ouattara. It was not clear who the perpetrators were.

The UN says it is investigating the alleged mass killings. Hundreds of UN peacekeepers are based in the town.

Fleeing fighting

Tens of thousands of Ivorian refugees have fled into neighbouring Liberia since the fighting began. Many others remain trapped inside Cote d'Ivoire.

Particularly in Abidjan, many civilians are too scared to leave their homes.

With foreigners targeted in the fighting in Abidjan, many are seeking refuge.

French troops have escorted about 1,400 foreigners, a third of them French, to a French military camp in Port Bouet, near Abidjan.

There were no immediate plans for the French army to evacuate the other foreigners, officials said.

The UN mission in the Cote d’Ivoire began evacuating some 200 members of its staff after its headquarters were repeatedly attacked, Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker reported.

Non-essential staff were evacuated several months ago. The UN's military personnel will remain.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

Hardcore Indian poor forced to eat plain rice and porridge with salt as side dish. UMNO Welfare Department rejects aid. UMNO social engineering.

Saraswathy (25) and her husband of Ayer Molek say they have it hard all their lives and yet are unable to come out of their cycle of poverty. And made worse by her paralysed daughter Meena (7) who was hospitalized and Saraswathy was forced to stop work. Her husband only earns a mere RM 400 per month out of which RM 200 alone goes to their rentals, which will not be the case for almost all Malay, Orang asli, kadazan, Iban, who all have their village safety net. Like 99% of the Indian poor Saraswathy has no traditional village to fall back on as her social safety net.

Saraswathy and 99% of the Indian poor are denied the Felda like 10 acre land ownership schemes granted to over half a million Malay muslims.

Saraswathy and 90% of the Indian poor are denied the UMNO Welfare help despite having a disabled daughter. And 100% of the Indian poor will be denied the RM 500 granted by Baitumal charity which is granted only to the Malay muslims. And the hundreds of ringgit from the scores of other Lembaga Urus Zakat, Yayasan etc but exclusively for Malay muslims. This is only the tip of the iceberg.

UMNO not racist and religious supremacist?

UMNO not the world’s most racist and religious supremacist country?

(see BH 29/3/2011 at page 9)

Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice

www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Consult us on bibles, BSM tells Putrajaya

PETALING JAYA, April 3 — In a conciliatory gesture, the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) welcomed today the federal government’s 10-point initiative to close the widening religious polarity in multicultural Malaysia over the Alkitab debacle.

The BSM also said it was glad that religious differences could still be resolved peacefully here, unlike elsewhere in the world where extremists have taken control of ending disputes through a show of violence.

The organisation said it was willing to work with the federal government to prevent another outbreak of aggression between followers of different creeds.

BSM was referring to the latest spate of violent demonstration in Islamic Afghanistan that killed some 20 people and saw more injured following an extremist Christian preacher’s burning of the Quran in the US last month.

“BSM deeply appreciates the government’s 10-point solution which is not only an affirmation of the 2005 agreement but also includes additional safeguards to ensure that incidents that have recently been the bone of contention should not happen again,” its president, Lee Min Choon, said in a media statement today.

He said that BSM is also deeply touched by the government’s humility showed in admitting to shortcomings over the poor handling of the Alkitab issue and the request for forgiveness.

“BSM, without hesitation, forgives.

“BSM also releases the government of any obligation, legal or moral, to compensate BSM for the 5,000 copies of the Alkitab that cannot be sold and leaves this matter to the goodwill and judgment of the government,” Lee added, saying it looked forward to working with government officials to resolve long-standing interfaith disputes.

The lawyer, however, urged Putrajaya to consult the BSM first in future before making any decision that involved the Christian holy book.

The BSM is the main producer and importer of bibles in Malay and in other indigenous languages.

“This will be especially significant as BSM seeks the government’s cooperation in our forthcoming task to replenish supplies of the Alkitab to Bahasa Malaysia-speaking Christians who have been without these scriptures for the past few years,” he said.

“BSM as a Malaysian Christian institution pray and look forward to a day to come soon when there will be no more polarities in our midst,” Lee added.

Be courageous and dump BN, DAP tells voters

BN is also trying to be attractive by fielding 20 new faces and dropping Larry Sng, the party-less Pelagus assemblyman.

KUCHING: DAP is banking on young and courageous candidates in the hope of changing the fate of Sarawak for the better.

The party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in naming the party’s candidates for the state election, called upon the people of Sarawak to fight with them in making the change.

‘In a sense we are asking the people of Sarawak to have the courage to stand up. Do you have the courage to stand up?

“If Sarawak dares to stand up, Malaysia will dare to step forward for a new era of democracy and justice, freedom and prosperity,” he said.

“This election is so important that it can be likened to the ‘battle of the century’ for Sarawak,” he added.

He asked the people of Sarawak whether they still want the Barisan Nasional to continue to have the totalitarian greed of the affairs of Sarawak until the people are unable to live not only freely but the prosperity that they rightly deserve.

He said this after unveiling Sarawak DAP’s five candidates for the southern region.

The candidates are: Leon Jimat Donald for N27 Simanggang; Christina Chew (N13 Batu Kawah); Chong Chieng Jen (N12 Kota Sentosa); Violet Yong (N10 Pending) and Wong King Wei (N 9 Padungan).

The youngest of the five is Chew, who is only 26-years-old and the holder of a master’s degree in biochemistry; three of them – Wong, 31, Yong, 32, and Chong, 39 – are lawyers, while Leon, 33, is a diploma holder from United Kingdom.

Ten other candidates for the northern region were announced in Sibu.

“Our candidates are not only young, but also have the courage to fight for democracy, justice and the rights of the people,” he said.

He also told the Sarawak voters not to trust Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud’s retirement plan – due to kick off in the mid term after this election.

“Can you trust Taib? Do you trust him? I still remember SUPP chairman George Chan announcing that he wanted to retire in the last election. Did he retire?”

“No, he continued again. So if the BN wins again, they will use this as an excuse to go on and on,” he said.

He said that the only way to get rid of the BN leaders was by making sure they don’t win in the April 16 state polls.

Seven new faces in Sibu

Meanwhile in Sibu, state DAP chairman Wong Ho Leng announced 10 candidates for the northern region.

Apart from the three incumbents – Ting Tze Fui (Meradong), Chew Chin Sing (Kidurong) and Wong Ho Leng (Bukit Assek) – DAP has picked seven new faces.

They are Alice Lau Kiong Yieng, who is to face Wong Soon Koh in Bawang Assan, Yap Hoi Liong (Dudong), Leong Kwong Yaw (Bukit Kota), Ling Sie Kiong who is chosen to fight SUPP president George Chan in Piasau, Wong Hua She (Repok), David Wong Kee Woan (Pelawan) and Fong Pau Teck (Pujut).

In presenting the candidates to the press, Wong believed that the party’s line-up of candidates for the coming state election was the best so far.

“We are targeting to win all the seats that we are contesting,” he said.

Stand off with the police

Last night, Lim’s ceramah in Kuching – where he had named the five candides – was marred by the police who insisted that the meeting was illegal.

About 200 DAP supporters at the ceramah became angry when district police chief Mun Kok Kiong led a team to the stage to seize a microphone from state leader Chong Chieng Jen who was addressing the crowd.

Also present at the ceramah was DAP national advisor Lim Kit Siang.

Mun’s decision to snatch the microphone caused several DAP supporters to rush to the stage to face-off with the police, causing a moment of tension between the two parties.

Chong told Mun that the event was held at the party’s premises and was only the launching of the party’s mobilization programme and announcement of candidates. The officer however insisted that they must stop and the crowd must disperse.

Later talking to the media, Chong said that the police force appeared to be a part and parcel of Barisan Nasional.

“It looks like that the force is the 15th member of Barisan Nasional,” he added.

The Barisan Nasional announced its list of candidates today – fielding 20 new faces in the 71 seats, including four women. It also dropped Larry Sng, the party-less Pelagus assemblyman.

Heavy police presence mars anti-nuke demo

The police pressure forced the demonstrators to move away from the jetty point to the Klang Municipal Stadium where they held a brief gathering before dispersing.

KLANG: A heavy police presence today disrupted a peaceful demonstration against the possible construction of nuclear power plant at Pulau Ketam in Selangor.

Led by DAP’s Klang MP Charles Santiago, about 200 people started gathering at the Pulau Ketam jetty this morning. They were from numerous NGOs, such as the Klang Consumer Association, and several Pakatan Rakyat local councillors. Many had brought their children.

“However there were about 500 policemen to stop us in the jetty area,” said Santiago.

He added that the heavy police presence caused panic among the people who had only come to stage their objections peacefully against any plans by the government to place its nuclear plant in Selangor.

“The police were totally blatant, unprofessional and displayed thuggish behaviour,” he said.

The police had also erected roadblocks on the routes to the jetty.

Santiago said that the police pressure on them caused them to move away from the jetty point to the Klang Municipal Stadium where they held a brief gathering to outline their objections before dispersing.

No one was arrested during the gathering either at the jetty point or at the stadium.

The Klang police, when contacted, said they were there to stop an illegal assembly. Santiago said he had not applied for a police permit as “it is our right to gather peacefully”.

Five demands

Santiago said that the protesters had five demands to make to the government, the main one calling for the federal government to cancel any kind of plans to build nuclear power plants in the country.

The anti-nuclear plant group also stressed that they were not buying the government’s propaganda that nuclear energy was safe.

“We want the government to concentrate on renewable energy,” said Santiago of their third demand.

Fourthly, they emphasized on the dangers of having nuclear power plants and finally they urged the Pakatan-controlled Selangor to disallow the construction of any nuclear power plants in the state.

Also present at the demonstration were Selangor state exco Dr Xavier Jayakumar, Klang DAP parliamentary liaison committee chief Ivan Ho and local PAS leader Mohd Hanif Prasad Abdullah.

While the government has said that it was proceeding with its plans to build nuclear plants, it has nevertheless not publicly identified the sites for these plants.

The protest organisers believed that the nuclear plants will be build next to water source, and that Pulau Ketam was an ideal location.

Santiago cited Fukushima island in Japan as an example.

“It is away from the people on the mainland,” he said, adding that any radiation leak, when it happens, would still be dangerous to the people as was being seen in Japan now.

RPK on the ISA

Raja Petra Kamarudin talks about the history of the Internal Security Act

HEAR THE RECORDING HERE

(CLICK THE PLAY BUTTON ON THE PLAYER ICON. DO NOT CLICK THE 'DOWNLOAD FILE' BUTTON)
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin

Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK) in conversation with Nicholas Farrelly, March 2011

A Blog Activist's Tale with Raja Petra Kamarudin (RPK)

Raja Petra Kamarudin - Interview with Australia Network's Newsline

RPK DINNER IN SYDNEY Q&A

Q1: Is MCLM a third force, spoilsport or....?

Q2: Why PKR instead of being an opposition, why not portray as a viable alternative govt?
Q3: MCLM prenuptial agreement?
Q4: Where is Malaysia heading?
Q5: How do we create an awareness? How do we create a common dialog?

Q6: What can MCLM do for me? (asks a "future leader")
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST VERSION HERE: http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/__data/assets/mp3_file/0014/5081/Raja_Petra_Kamarudin_RPK_in_conversation_with_Nicholas_Farrelly.mp3

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST VERSION HERE: http://ia600405.us.archive.org/24/items/FMSAPubliclecture/RPKlectureSydneyUni.mp3

Catatan Sepanjang Di Sarawak

Kini sudah hari ke lima saya di Sarawak. Tiba pada petang hari Selasa, 29hb Mac yang lalu, acara diatur khusus bagi menyuntik semangat kepada para pendokong dan pastinya demi meyakinkan rakyat Sarawak untuk berani melakukan perubahan.

Tiga hari ini, saya mula menjelajah termasuk ke kawasan pedalaman yang merangkumi penduduk Iban, Bidayuh dan juga Melayu. Sambutan penduduk antaranya di Riit Mawang, Tabuan Melayu dan Kampung Tarat Rayang ternyata hangat dan mengalakkan. Saya tegaskan kepada mereka, manakala mereka hidup kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang, elit pemerintah terus memunggah kekayaan negeri dengan merampas tanah adat, mengagihkan khazanah balak, dan membahagikan kontrak di kalangan mereka.

Rakyat Sarawak kini dapat menghidu betapa Barisan Nasional mula terdesak. Pemrintah terpaksa menggunakan pihak berkuasa menghalang saya dan pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat lainnya dari terus berceremah menyampaikan maklumat yang tepat. Misalnya di bilik gerakan Kampung Sinjan, DUN Semariang dan Kampung Petingan, DUN Satok, pihak polis mengganggu saya dari terus berceramah. Alhamdulilah ianya tidak menghalang rakyat Sarawak untuk terus mendengar agenda Perubahan yang ingin kami sampaikan.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

EC:No plan for automatic registration of voters

The Malaysian Insider 

April 02, 2011PUTRAJAYA, April 2 — The Election Commission (EC) has no plan to automatically register those who have reached the voting age of 21 as voters.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof said people must apply to become voters in line with Article 119 of the Federal Constitution.

He said it was also difficult to have automatic registration of voters as many people were not staying at the addresses stated in their MyKad.

Automatic registration would inconvenience those who might prefer to vote in their current places of residence and not in the address stated in their MyKad.

Abdul Aziz also said about 3.9 million eligible Malaysians have yet to register as voters. 

Cops block anti-nuke energy protest

About 500 police personnel in many trucks and cars were deployed to block a peaceful anti-nuclear energy gathering in Port Klang this morning.

The police stopped the opposition’s anti-nuclear protest at the Pulau Ketam jetty in Port Klang before it could begin at 10.00am. Klang MP Charles Santiago spoke of intimidation and said that police were on the verge of making arrests.

Some 200 protesters managed to slip through but hundreds of others were turned away at a couple of major road blocks while at the venue, organisers negotiated in vain with police officers.  

Time to abolish death sentence

A total of 441 persons had been sentenced to death since 1960 while another 696 are waiting for execution of their death sentences in Malaysian prisons.

GEORGE TOWN: A DAP parliamentarian today called on the government to give a serious re-thinking to abolish the death sentence and substitute it with a more ‘humanely’ life imprisonment

Describing it as ‘a cruel sentence against human rights’, Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong said the death penalty had proven not to be an effective tool to deter crime.

“Convicts can be prevented from reoffending via life sentence, without the necessity to take their lives,” he argued.

He pointed out that given to the imperfect nature of the justice system, it was impossible to eliminate human error.

However, he said, this flawed system was still being continued to enforce an irreversible and cruel capital punishment that could not deter criminals and prevent crime.

He said a justice system that had not been infallible shall never pass an irreversible and cruel sentence in the name of justice.

“The government should initiate a comprehensive bipartisan discussion on the death penalty.

“It is time for serious rethinking on the death penalty,” said Liew in a statement.

He said in a civilised nation that respected humankind dignity, regard should be had for the legal maxim “better 10 guilty men go free than an innocent man die”.

He cited many nations of seriously rethinking capital punishment as “a barbaric and abhorrent punishment” fundamentally opposed to the nature of human rights.

According to Amnesty International, 30 countries have stopped the use of capital punishment in the last decade.

Liew said in the larger scheme of national safety and crime deterrence, it was crucial for the justice system to ensure that criminals were brought to justice through strong police investigative work with integrity.

“The country’s judicial system shall be just and seen to be just.

“Taking away lives in form of capital punishment has proven could not help to eliminate crime,” he said.

696 awaiting execution

He suggested that for a start, the government should amend the Dangerous Drugs Act to return the discretion of sentencing to the judge.

Currently, the hands of the judges are tied upon conviction as the death penalty was mandatory under Section 39B of the Act.

According to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein’s reply to Liew’s question last Thursday in Parliament, 441 persons had been sentenced to death since 1960.

As of on Feb 22 this year, another 696 are waiting for execution of their death sentences in Malaysian prisons.

Of the 441 persons hanged, 228 were involved in drug trafficking and 78 were convicted for murder.

Another 130 were for illegal processions of arms, while four more were convicted for waging war against the King. The remaining one was involved in kidnapping.

Among those awaiting the gallows, 479 convicts were involved in drug trafficking, 204 in murders and 13 in illegal processions of arms.

Some of them are in the process of appealing to overturn their convictions and sentences, while several others are seeking pardons from the Pardon Board of respective states.

Among them, 676 are males while 20 are females, while some 90 percent are between 21 and 50 years old.

Interlok protest: DAP MP, PKR man arrested

They were part of a small group of people who had turned up at the Batu Caves temple this morning to protest against the controversial novel.

KUALA LUMPUR: The police today arrested Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran and PKR division leader MS Arjunan for protesting against the controversial Interlok novel at the Batu Caves Hindu temple.

They were taken to the Gombak police district headquarters for questioning and are expected to be released after their statements had been recorded.

Manogaran, a DAP first-time parliamentarian, and Arjunan, who is also the president of the Malaysian Tamil Students Progressive Associations (MATSAP), arrived at the Batu Caves temple this morning with a small group of supporters to demonstrate against the novel.

They were protesting against the government’s decision to retain Interlok as compulsory reading for Form Five students taking Malay literature.

The anger over the novel has been simmering for months now after it was discovered that the school edition novel contained words which disparaged the Indian community.

A special panel formed by the government last week announced that while certain offensive words would be removed, the novel nevertheless would be retained, much to the disappointment of many Indian groups and politicians who had wanted the novel removed totally for the school syllabus.

Flyer and effigy

Confirming the arrest, Gombak police chief Abdul Rahim Abdullah told FMT that Manogaran and Arjunan have been taken to the police station for investigation.

“There was no demonstration, only a gathering of a small group of people who were expressing their protest against the novel,” he said.

“They had flyers with images of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Razak. They also had an effigy. They refused to answer my questions on who was the organiser. They refused to disperse and were trying to divert my questions to them,” he said.

“I had to disperse this group before a bigger crowd gathered,” he added.

He also said that there were no banners or copies of Interlok with the protesting crowd. He said their banners stated ‘Kami tolak novel Interlok’.

He added that the situation at the temple returned to normal following the arrest at about noon.

Anwar taken to task

In a related development, veteran MIC grassroots leader KP Samy questioned why only the Indian leaders of Pakatan Rakyat were making a strong stand on Interlok.

He said that it was unfortunate that senior Pakatan leaders such as PKR’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS president Hadi Awang had not openly called for the novel to be banned in schools.

In fact, Samy added, he remembered Anwar stating that he (Anwar) had no issues with the book which was written by National Laureate, Abdullah Hussain.

“There is no official Pakatan stand on this matter. The ones who make the noise are the Indian leaders in Pakatan and some small level leaders in PAS.

“There have been no opposition as well from leaders such as PKR deputy president Azmin Ali, DAP chairman Karpal Singh or even Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak of PAS,” he added.

“Would Anwar change his stand now?” asked Samy, a former MIC CWC member.

Samy said that the PKR supremo was answerable to the Indian community on the issue as the community played a key role in helming Pakatan into power in four states during the 2008 general election.

He also said that MIC took a lead in lodging the community’s anger over the matter with the government and managed to remove parts of the offending terms in the novel.

Teluk Intan MP, activist arrested at protest

(Malaysiakini) Teluk Intan Member of Parliament M Manogaran was arrested along with MS Arjunan from the Malaysian Tamil Students Progressive Associations (MATSAP) while demonstrating against the Interlok novel.

Manogaran (second from right), who is from the DAP, and Arjunan (far right) had arrived with a small crowd of activists earlier this morning at the Batu Caves temple complex in Gombak. Kuala Lumpur.

They were demonstrating against the Education Ministry's decision to make Interlok a compulsory reading material for form five students taking the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams, this year onwards.

Police moved in and arrested Manogaran and Arjunan around noon, when the former addressed those gathered and urged the Indian community to unite against the introduction of the literature component in the Bahasa Malaysia subject.

Both Manogaran and Arjunan were taken to the Gombak district police headquarters.

They were released at about 2.40pm after their statements were taken.

Earlier in his speech, Arjunan called for the complete scrapping of the textbook as required reading as opposed to mixing parts of it.

“We don't want our government or the education ministry to merely modify a book that is a major problem to the Indian community. The book contains many problems and raises moral issues,” said Arjunan, reading from a statement.

“The Indian community wants Interlok done away with, but why is the government headstrong in this matter? It's our belief that the government wants to portray the community in an ill-manner,” he said.

Arjunan vowed to continue holding strikes until the novel was withdrawn from secondary school syllabus.

Civil society groups representing the Chinese and Indian communities had launched a firestorm of protests against the government for endorsing the novel, which they said disparaged the minority communities and urged for it to be withdrawn.

Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, however, insisted that the novel will be retained pending amendments to its contents.

Attempt to plug radioactive water leak fails, TEPCO says

Tokyo (CNN) -- A first attempt to plug a cracked concrete shaft that is leaking highly radioactive water into the ocean off Japan failed Saturday, so officials are now exploring alternatives, spokesmen for Tokyo Electric Co. said.

Power plant workers had been trying to fill the shaft with fresh concrete, but that did not change the amount of water coming out of the crack, the spokesmen said at a news conference that ran late into the night Saturday.

Their "plan B" is to use polymers to stop the leak, the spokesmen said. A Tokyo Electric expert will visit the site Sunday morning and decide what polymer to use before the work begins.

Workers will then break the shaft's ceiling and insert the polymer in a different spot from where they tried to place the concrete, they said.

Water from the 2-meter-deep, concrete-lined basin has been seen escaping into the ocean through a roughly 20-centimeter (8-inch) crack, the company said earlier Saturday. The shaft lies behind the turbine plant of the No. 2 reactor at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, which was heavily damaged in the earthquake and resulting tsunami last month.

Radiation levels in the shaft have been measured at more than 1,000 millisieverts per hour, which is more than 330 times the dose an average resident of an industrialized country naturally receives in a year. Radioactivity above the shaft was measured at 250 millisieverts per hour, said Tokyo Electric, the plant's owner.

Tokyo Electric said it is discussing other methods to use should the polymer fail, but it hasn't identified what those other methods may be.

The discovery of the leak comes after a feverish effort in recent days to explain a sharp spike in contamination in seawater measured just off the plant. Tokyo Electric said the shaft lies next to the water intake for the plant's steam condenser, at the end of a long channel that has been filling with radioactive water for several days.

Officials announced Thursday, based on samples taken the previous afternoon 330 meters (361 yards) off the plant, that seawater showed levels of iodine-131 measuring 4,385 times above the standard and cesium-137 at 527 times beyond normal. Experts say the latter radioactive isotope may be a greater concern because it persists longer, since it takes 30 years to lose half its radiation -- compared to an eight-day half-life for the iodine-131 isotope.

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency ordered the utility to start testing water further offshore and to the south, agency official Hidehiko Nishiyama said. Tokyo Electric has now established monitoring posts 15 kilometers (9.5 miles) off the coast, in a line directly offshore, 10 kilometers south, and 16 kilometers south.

Highly radioactive water has also been detected in several reactors' turbine buildings, nearby tunnels and groundwater in the immediate vicinity. But the area around the No. 2 reactor has been of particular concern, because water in an exposed maintenance tunnel leading from its turbine building showed radiation levels more than 100,000 times above typical levels for nuclear coolants.

A two-day project began Saturday to install a camera in that trench to help pinpoint potential leaks, a Tokyo Electric official said.

Spraying was also set to continue this weekend of an experimental new material to lock in radioactive material in and around the nuclear complex so that it doesn't seep further into the air, water or ground.

Crews have dispersed about 2,000 liters (more than 500 gallons) of synthetic resin in a 500-square-meter locale, according to Tokyo Electric. The aim is to hold the released radioactivity on the ground, so it can't interfere with the restoration of the cooling systems aimed at preventing the overheating of nuclear fuel rods in reactors and spent fuel pools at the plant.

"You spray it to hold down the loose contamination, and it acts like a super glue," said Nolan Hertel, a radiation engineering expert at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. "You don't want radiaoactive materials that are loose to get away."

Meanwhile, Nishiyama said there is a plan to inject nonflammable nitrogen into reactors 1, 2 and 3 to prevent the risk of another hydrogen explosion like the ones that extensively damaged the unit 1 and 3 housings in the days following the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. A buildup of hydrogen is an early sign of damage to a reactor's superheated core, but Nishiyama said no alarms had been sounded about rising pressure and that adding nitrogen would not force engineers to release hydrogen from the reactor vessel.

"It is only to prevent the accumulation of hydrogen as part of the restoration effort," Nishiyama said.

The continued injection of tons of water into the reactor cores and spent nuclear fuel pools shows that the race to prevent further explosions or widespread releases of radiation into the atmosphere remains far from over.

Jeff Immelt, the chief executive of General Electric Co., was heading to Japan to meet with Tokyo Electric about stabilizing the damaged reactors, which were designed by GE, company spokeswoman Deidre Latour said Saturday.

All these efforts come just more than three weeks after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck northeast Japan, effectively wiping out some communities and leading to the deaths of nearly 12,000 people and leaving more than 15,400 missing, according to Japan's National Police Agency.

The Fukushima Daiichi plant was hit hard in the disaster, especially after its primary and back-up systems to cool nuclear fuel in its six reactors and their respective spent nuclear fuel pools failed. Since then, there has been a multifaceted and at times problematic race to prevent explosions (three took place in the days immediately after March 11), the overheating of nuclear fuel and the resulting release of radioactive material into the air, soil and water.

By Saturday, concerns seem to have abated somewhat about the airborne radiation that led to the ordered evacuation of 78,000 people, with another 62,000 living within 20 to 30 kilometers being told to stay indoors. An official with Tokyo Electric said early Saturday that data from eight new monitoring posts around the plant showed airborne radiation levels had stabilized, at between .390 and .0019 millisieverts per hour.

Saturday -- after a stop in Rikuzentakata, in Iwate prefecture -- Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan went to Hironocho, a village in Fukushima prefecture that has served as the operations center for the nuclear crisis effort. The trip, described by the prime minister's office as aimed at boosting morale among utility company workers and soldiers involved in the effort, put Kan on the edge of the 20-kilometer evacuation zone.

"I appreciate your significant contributions in fighting the invisible enemies in this battle, which will determine the fate of Japan," Kan said at J-Village, a soccer complex that has become a staging area for the Fukushima Daiichi operation.

Living under the headscarf

By Elizabeth M. Nunez, CNN

Few items of clothing inspire as much controversy as the hijab, or headscarf. To some it represents oppression or radical Islam.

But to American-born Muslim sisters Dima and Lema Sbenaty, the hijab is a source of pride.

“Before I thought it would bother me to wear a scarf in public. I was surprised to feel that I was proud of my religion and all of my friends," says Dima Sbenaty, 20.

"We all go out together and they’re all wearing headscarves as well. It’s nothing that I’m ashamed of, and that’s part of my strength with my religion.”

The sisters have lived most of their lives in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Now they are students at Middle Tennessee State University. Lema, a chemistry major, wants to become a pediatrician and dreams of tending to children in Ethiopia. Dima, a biology and chemistry double major, is working toward becoming a dentist. Neither has decided if she will permanently wear a hijab, but both cover during daily prayer.

In Arabic, hijab roughly translates as “barrier” or partition. In Islam, it refers to the principle of modesty in behavior and dress, as described in the Quran: "Say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments.”

Women raised in the faith like the Sbenaty sisters say the moment to start wearing a hijab is theirs to choose.

For others who convert to Islam, like Ivy Balloul, a blue-eyed American raised as a Methodist, the hijab comes with her adopted faith. “This was part of me converting to Islam," she said. "You can’t divide it up into little pieces and pick and choose what you want. It’s a whole package.”

Ivy, married to the imam of the Murfreesboro mosque, has received negative comments for wearing a hijab. “One man said to me in the post office that I can take off my scarf, that I’m free here. Another woman felt like I was a traitor. A man called to me one day from his car telling me that, uh, I should go back home.”

But these experiences do not discourage her from covering her head.

“I feel like I have more respect. Before, I could be pumping gas in my car and some guy would whistle or make some type of catcall. It was an uncomfortable situation," she said.

"When you put on a scarf ... [you] know that people can’t look at you as a sexual object. The first time I put it on I felt more comfortable in my own skin.”

Phang: You’re arrogant, Nazri!

The former MACC official calls the government arrogant for defending election handouts and telling Transparency International to mind its own business.

PETALING JAYA: The government’s defence of election handouts is a sign of its disregard for the man on the street, said former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) official Robert Phang.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz had earlier attacked Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) for condemning election handouts as corruption.

Phang said that Nazri’s actions showed how arrogant the government was, especially with the Sarawak elections just around the corner.

“Such arrogance against an NGO should not happen as the Barisan Nasional approaches the Sarawak state elections. It only shows the disregard that BN politicians have for the rakyat’s views,” he said in a press statement.

Phang said that the minister should have been more careful with his words, as Malaysians would vote based on what they hear.

“He should be reminded that it is the men and women on the streets who will determine his and his political party’s fate at the ballot box,” he added.

Nazri had previously remarked that election handouts were not a form of corruption.

However, this statement was rubbished by TI-M president Paul Low, who argued that election sweeteners doled out during political campaigns were acts of bribery.

Responding to the accusations, the minister told TI-M to “shut up” and “mind its own business.”

Claiming to have a personal relationship with Nazri, the former TI-M member said: “I can appreciate his urge to be a ‘jantan’ but there is a place and time for that. Be a ‘jantan’ in championing the people’s cause.”

He warned the minister that such statements could confuse the public and would be a “great disservice” to MACC.

“I urge Nazri not to undermine the efforts of MACC Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim. BN politicians will be scorned by the rakyat if they have blinkered views on issues of public importance,” he said.

Gutter politics

In an unrelated matter, Phang said that Malaysian politics had reached a new low through the recent public screening of the alleged Anwar Ibrahim sex tape.

Describing it as a smear campaign against the opposition leader, Phang warned: “This reignites the disgrace we already suffered from being the brunt of scornful jokes in this region.”

The former MACC official also said that Malaysia was in danger of being internationally-known as a “Muslim country obsessed with smut”.

He also blamed the police for doing nothing to prevent such a screening from taking place.

“This public screening at Carcosa Seri Negara would have drawn the attention of the Special Branch and the highest echelons of the police, all the way to the top ministry and political leadership,” Phang said.

He then ridiculed the police, especially the Inspector-General Ismail Omar for not having a clue over the offence committed.

Phang then dragged in Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patail, saying that the latter was guilty of practicing selective prosecution in not guiding the police regarding the case.

Gov't lifts ban on printing of Malay Bibles

(Malaysiakini) Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala has today revealed a 10-point solution to the Bible controversy.

Christians groups are allowed to import the Bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia without restriction.

“These Bibles can also be printed locally in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak,” he said.

While there is no requirement for the Bibles in Sabah and Sarawak for any stamp or serial number, those in Peninsula Malaysia must have the words “Christian Publication” and the cross sign printed on the front covers.

“I hope this 10-point solution will be received positively by the Christian groups as being fair and reasonable. We have to look for a solution that deals with the Bible issues and also put a way forward to handle other issues raised by the Christian groups,” said Idris.

He conceded that the government and the civil servants are not perfect “as indeed all human beings are 'beautifully imperfect' in the eyes of God”.

"And for all our shortcomings in handling the Bible issue, I hope the Christians would find it in their hearts to forgive us.”

Below is the full statement by Idris:

The government confirmed that it has been in dialogue with the Christian groups to look into their specific requests on the Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia Bible and also other religious issues. Taking into account the polarity of views of the different religious groups, including the Muslims, the government decided on a 10-point solution.

1. Bibles in all languages can be imported into the country, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia.

2. These Bibles can also be printed locally in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak. This is a new development which should be welcomed by the Christian groups.

3. Bibles in indigenous languages of Sabah and Sarawak such as Iban, Kadazan-Dusun and Lun Bawang can also be printed locally and imported.

4. For Sabah and Sarawak, in recognition of the large Christian community in these states, there are no conditions attached to the importation and local printing of the Bibles in all languages, including Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia and indigenous languages. There is no requirement for any stamp or serial number.

5. Taking into account the interest of the larger Muslim community for Peninsula Malaysia, Bibles in Bahasa Malaysia/Indonesia, imported or printed, must have the words “Christian Publication” and the cross sign printed on the front covers.

6. In the spirit of 1Malaysia and recognising that many people travel between Sabah and Sarawak and Peninsula Malaysia, there should be no prohibitions and restrictions for people who bring along their Bibles and Christian materials on such travel.

7. A directive on the Bible has been issued by the ketua setiausaha (KSU) of the Home Ministry to ensure proper implementation of this cabinet decision. Failure to comply will subject the officers to disciplinary action under the General Orders. A comprehensive briefing by top officials, including the attorney-general (AG), will be given to all relevant civil servants to ensure good understanding and proper implementation of the directive.

8. For the impounded Bibles in Kuching, Gideon, the importer can collect all the 30,000 Bibles free of charge. We undertake to ensure the parties involved are reimbursed. The same offer remains available for the importer of the 5,100 Bibles in Port Klang, which have already been collected by the Bible Society Malaysia (BSM) last week.

9. Beyond the Bible issue, the government wishes to reiterate its commitment to work with the Christian groups and all the different religious groups in order to address inter religious issues and work towards the fulfilment of all religious aspirations in accordance with the constitution, taking into account the other relevant laws of the country. In order to bring urgency to this work, the prime minister will meet the representatives of the Christian Federation of Malaysia (CFM) soon to discuss the way forward.

10. The Christian ministers in the cabinet will meet on a regular basis with representatives of the various Christian groups in order to discuss their issues and work with the relevant ministries and PM in order to resolve them.

Why no in-depth study of Sword of Parameswara?

By Donplaypuks

I recently stumbled upon the fact that there is in the possession of the Sultan of Perak and the Perak Royal Family some astounding relics of antiquity that in all probability have an extremely significant bearing on the question of Malaysian identity and history.

One such astonishing artifact is the sword Cura Si Manja Kini or Chora Samanda Kian mentioned in John Leyden's 1810 'Malay Annals' or 'Sejarah Melayu' (published in 1821 by Sir Stamford Raffles).

The same sword is said to have been used during the installation of Parameswara as ruler of Malacca in 1400. But in fact, its origins go further back, possibly 200-400 years earlier than 1400.

The sword was part of the regalia of a Indian/Hindu prince linked to the Chola Kings (Raja Cholan) from South India, i.e. Nila Utthaman/Sri Tri Buana/Sang Nila Utama (founder of Singapore) narrated in the 'Sejarah' as having landed on Mt Segantang Maha Meru in Palembang, Sumatra together with two other princes, Vichitram and Karna Pandita, and a probable Brahmin priest, Bat'h, exact date unknown!

Now, Bat'h is a pretty unusual name for an Indian and perhaps it's a truncated form of Vadhyar (Tamil for priest), Vadh, which became Bat'h, in the same way Vichitram is spelt in the 'Sejarah' as Bichitram.

This is consistent with the fact that the Malay language generally does not have old words that commence with the letter 'V' and 'B' was substituted.

The 'Sejarah' relates that it is this self-same sword that was used by the borrower (from Nila Utthaman/Sri Tri Buana/Sang Nila Utama) and champion warrior Peramas Cumambang to slay the serpent monster Saktimuna (Sakatimuna/Ichktimani) into three parts in Minangkabau, Sumatra. In the process the sword became etched with 190 notches which is a strange "clue" of Dan Brown and 'da Vinci Code' proportions, that no Indonesia or Malaysian historian or anyone else has ever deciphered!

The relics listed at http://sultan.perak.gov.my/english/pedang.htm include, besides Cura Si Manja Kini, other precious items such as:

1. Royal Collar (15th century) said to have been presented by the Emperor of China
2. Dokong or Kerongsang Besar (Neck Pendant)
3. Cap Lalulintar (Royal Silver Seal) of Sultan Muhammad Shah (Malacca) and Kayu Gampit mentioned in Sejarah Melayu. (The Royal Lance, Limbuar appears to be missing)
4. Betel Boxes
5. Mestika Embun (Bezoar of Dew)
6. Kancing Halkah (Royal Collar Ornament)
7. Kris Taming Sari (originally said to belong to Hang Tuah).

So, how did all these relics from Palembang and Malacca end up in the custody of the Perak Royalty?

After the fall of Malacca on 24th April 1511 to Portugal led by Alphonso de Alburquerque, Malacca's last ruler, Sultan Mahmud Shah eventually made his way to Kampar in Sumatra where he died in 1528.

One of the sultan's two sons, Muzzafar Shah journeyed to Perak where he was installed the first Sultan in 1528. It was Sultan Muzzafar Shah who brought with him the artifacts which had been handed down to his father, Sultan Mahmud.

The inscriptions on Cura Sa Manjani Kini in Sanskrit are said to come from the the words 'Churiga Si Mandakini' which means "the blade from Lake Mandakini of the Ganges (River) in India!!

Refer to Sembangkuala's blog at for more details.

And what is the link between the Chiri of Perak, nobat players and Bat'h the Brahmin priest cum charitra or cheritra teller in the 'Sejarah' (pg. c4/23 - 25 John Leyden's 'Sejarah Melayu')

Documents extracted from the 'Sejarah' and a 'A History of Perak' by R.O.Winstedt and R.J.Wilkinson published by The Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society reveal that Bat'h had recited the lineage of the three Indian/Hindu princes who landed in the mountains of Palembang to Demang Lebar Daun, the aboriginal chief and his people in Sanskrit !! Astonishing, is it not?

The 'Sejarah' also clearly states Parameswara was buried in Tanjung Tuan (Cape Rachado) near Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan (in Malaysia).

It is Demang Lebar Daun and Nila Utthaman/Sri Tri Buana/Sang Nila Utama who are reputed to have actually been buried in Fort Canning, Singapore!!

There is therefore some serious error with the claim that Parameswara was buried in Fort Canning (Bukit Larangan) in Singapore. Check out for Keramat Iskandar, Singapore.

It absolutely makes no sense that Parameswara would be buried in Singapore when he originally fled from there in fear of his life, before founding Malacca!!).

The time has come for the Singapore government to initiate investigations to identify through modern scientific procedures such as carbon dating, DNA testing etc., exactly who is buried in Keramat Iskandar and Fort Canning.

Some of these artifacts and regalia must be at least a thousand years old and there is not a shadow of a doubt about their links to Parameswara and the Malacca Sultanate of the 15th and early 16th century, Indonesia and INDIA!

So, why haven't our government and Department of Antiquities engaged an archaeologist and expert in Sanskrit and Indian languages/dialects and South East Asian history (and there must literally be hundred of them in India) as well as China counterparts to piece together what must surely be THE story of the century?

In particular, the Sanskrit inscriptions on Parameswara's sword need to be investigated in depth!

So, why the leaden footedness? Too busy 'interloked' in controversies?

Disabled man detained under ISA

The former PKR Youth member was detained for alleged subversive activities, says lawyer N Surendran.

KUALA LUMPUR: A 42-year-old disabled restaurant owner has been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for subversive activities, said lawyer N Surendran.

According to him, Kadir Hashim, who only has one arm, was detained by the police at his residence in Kampung Kerinchi here yesterday evening.

“He has been detained for subversive activities,” the lawyer told FMT. “Lawyers for Liberty would be taking up this case,” he added.

He also told FMT that he had no further information regarding Kadir. Nevertheless, a press conference would be held on Monday.

Kadir, 42, is believed to be a PKR Youth member, said Anti-ISA Movement (GMI) coordinator, E Nalini.

However, Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar, when contacted, said that Kadir was a former member.