Hindraf lawyer: No dignity even in death

British lawyer Suresh Grover's fact-finding mission takes him to various places around the country, including visiting poorly maintained Hindu cemeteries.

BATU KAWAN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti lawyer Suresh Grover is appalled by the poor living conditions of many Indian families in this country.

“There is no dignity even in death for Tamils. It’s happening here today… it’s shocking,” the visiting British lawyer who is on a fact-finding mission to Malaysia told some 100 residents here last night.

Suresh described several Hindu cemeteries that he visited as swamp-like graveyards lying on water-logged landscape without proper drainage and engulfed by overgrown vegetation.

Although he acknowledged that a segment of ethnic Indians were living in the comfort zone, he said the bulk of the community was still impoverished.

He blamed the sub-standard quality of life of these working class Indians on state-sponsored marginalisation policies.

Since arriving here, Suresh said he saw ethnic Indians besieged with problems such as stateless status, lack of basic education and housing, and religious conversion.

“I am not saying that Malaysians are racists. But definitely there are elements to prove institutionalised racism,” said the prominent human rights lawyer.

Besides his fact-finding mission, Suresh is here to meet potential co-claimants for the US$4 trillion suit to be re-filed by Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy against the British government.

Suresh arrived in Malaysia on Friday afternoon with another British human rights lawyer Imran Khan, who was refused entry.

Originally, Waythamoorthy filed the suit against the British government in London on Aug 31, 2007, seeking compensation for Indian Malaysians whose ancestors were brought into Malaya as indentured labourers.

However, it was stalled following the Malaysian government’s clampdown on Hindraf and the arrest of several lawyers under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

The suit laid claim that after granting independence to Malaya, the British had left the Indians without representation and at the mercy of the Umno government.

‘Hindraf is not racist’

In Kulim, Suresh met three teenage girls, aged 16 to 18, who never went to school because they did not have birth certificates or identity cards.

During a visit to Nibong Tebal later, he met an aging widow with 14 children living in a room. Her monthly income was the mere RM300 pension received for her years of service in a nearby plantation.

He also met an elderly couple. The Muslim man and his Hindu wife got married in 1966 and have 10 children and 45 grandchildren.
“But until today, the government has not recognised their marriage,” he said.

He said the couple’s children were forced to be registered as Muslims merely to obtain relevant identity certificates, although all of them were practicing Hindus.

In Kampung Medan, Petaling Jaya, Suresh met an Indian man, who was seriously injured during the racial attacks that happened there over a decade ago.

Suresh was dismayed that until today, the authorities had not compensated or, arrested and prosecuted anyone even though four people were murdered and 13 others severely wounded .

“There must be social justice, equality, freedom and civil liberty if a country wants to grow as a peaceful developed nation and democracy,” he stressed.

He rubbished claims by detractors that Hindraf was a racist organisation and its British suit was politically motivated.

“I know Waythamoorthy for years, he has never been racist. Hindraf struggle is not racist… it’s against racism. Imran and I would never have taken up the case if Hindraf was racist,” he pointed out.

He equated Hindraf struggle with that of the American black civil rights movement led by Martin Luther King and Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa.

He said the suit was purely legal and not about political vengeance against the British or other quarters.
However, he acknowledged that a case of such magnitude would surely have political, socio-economic and cultural impacts.

“It’s unprecedented as never before a former colonial subject has filed a class action against the British government. We need thousands of documents to prove our case … it’s challenging,” he said.

Overwhelming number of clients

Meanwhile in Kuala Lumpur this morning, Suresh told reporters that he was restrained by the lawyer-client confidentiality from revealing the number of clients for the suit against the UK government.

However he added that the number was overwhelming
“There is no shortage of claimants despite the situation that they (the Indian minority) are in,” he said, adding that Wathamoorthy was the first claimant.

He also said that Hindraf’s lead counsel Imran would visit Malaysia again despite being deported last week
“Imran cannot be stopped unless he obstructs the police in a criminal case,” he said, urging lawyers in Malaysia to raise the issue on the basis that the claimants need to see their legal counsel. -- FMT

How Zul Noordin distorts the truth

In the year 638, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Umar, the third Caliph, led an army to conquer Jerusalem. The Christian leaders of Jerusalem invited Umar into the Church of Holy Sepulcher so that he could fulfil his prayers. Umar, however, refused to do so out of respect for the Christians. Instead, he chose to pray outside the church.

No Holds Barred
Raja Petra Kamarudin 


First, see the video below from minute 6:23.
At minute 6:23 in that video, the Member of Parliament for Kulim Bandar Baru, Zulkifli Noordin, said that the Caliph Umar refused to enter a church when invited to do so. This is proof, he said, that Muslims should not enter a church. 

He does not care about the law, argued Zul. Malaysian law may not have made it illegal or haram for Muslims to enter a church. But he is not concerned with that. He is guided by the example (sunah) of the Prophet’s Comrades (Sahabat Nabi) and Caliph Umar, one of the Prophet’s Comrades, refused to enter a church. This is all that matters.

Zul did not offer any details on this incident he quoted. He did not clarify when and where this incident was supposed to have happened. Either he is not clear about the incident or he is intentionally trying to mislead his audience.

Well, in that case, since Zul is either not too clear about the incident or refuses to clarify his statement with intent to mislead his audience, let me help with the clarification.

In the year 638, after the death of the Prophet Muhammad, Umar, the third Caliph, led an army to conquer Jerusalem. The Christian leaders of Jerusalem invited Umar into the Church of Holy Sepulcher so that he could fulfil his prayers. Umar, however, refused to do so out of respect for the Christians. Instead, he chose to pray outside the church.

Umar’s main concern was that, if he entered the church to pray, future generations of Muslims might misinterpret his action as he had ‘acquired’ or ‘captured’ the church and had turned it into a mosque. That was why he chose to pray outside the church rather than in the church. This was to safeguard the church and not trigger a precedence where churches are taken by force and turned into mosques.

That was the real reason why Umar refused to enter the Church of Holy Sepulcher to pray. He intentionally prayed outside the church to avoid any misunderstanding and conflict. He wanted to demonstrate that even though the Muslims had conquered Jerusalem, they did not disturb any churches or took these churches by force. Churches would remain churches and Muslims would have to build their own mosques if they wanted to pray.

I don’t wear a songkok or white skullcap like Zul. But I know my history. And that was the history of what happened when Umar conquered Jerusalem. And that was the real reason why Umar declined the invitation to enter the church to pray. It was to avoid any misunderstanding and conflict, and not as Zul is tying to mislead us.

Malaysia Looks West for Investments

LONDON — With Europe’s economy mired in a debt crisis, governments in the region have been looking east for a helping hand, tapping the likes of China and Japan to buy their bonds and step up investments.

 

Queen Elizabeth met with Najib Razak, Malaysia's prime minister, and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, at Buckingham Palace. 

But at least one Asian country — Malaysia — still sees value in turning the opposite way, to enhance opportunities for its more assertive multinationals as well as bolstering investments from the West.

The Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, led a large official delegation last month to Britain via Turkmenistan, to capitalize on his country’s strong economy and investment inflows and assuage concerns about political agitation in the multicultural Southeast Asian country.

In past years, “it was just ‘please come to Malaysia,’ ” the trade minister, Mustapa Mohamed, said during an interview on the trip. “Now we are going to foreign countries to help provide access to Malaysian companies.”

Part of the sales pitch is selling the economic recovery story. The economy grew by 7.2 percent last year after shrinking 1.7 percent in 2009, and the government anticipates expansion of about 5 percent this year and next. The Malaysian inflation rate has been creeping up, though it remains moderate by global standards, at an annual rate of 3.5 percent in June.

But officials were also eager to ease potential concerns about the Malaysian political challenges.
“I think many investors have been to Malaysia, they understand the complications in Malaysia — multiracial, multireligious,” Mr. Mohamed said. “We need to have laws in place to ensure that things don’t get out of hand.”

The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections, or Bersih, an amalgam of nongovernmental and activist groups, has pushed for changes in electoral law from the coalition government led by the United Malays National Organization, which has dominated politics since independence from Britain in 1957.

Bersih was declared illegal July 1, after which hundreds of activists were rounded up. Most of them were quickly released, but some were held longer. On July 9, thousands of protesters defied a government ban and held a large street protest, during which the police fired tear gas and water cannons and arrested about 1,700.

“We have to engage,” Mr. Mohamed said, “we have to continue changing, reform.”

Underneath the political tension is an economy that has proved increasingly attractive to overseas capital.
Nonequity foreign direct investment inflows in 2010 were $9.1 billion, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, up from $1.4 billion a year earlier. The government is confident that it can retain that momentum.

“It’s not having an impact on investor confidence,” Mr. Mohamed said of the recent disturbances.
Ian Bryson, an analyst in Singapore at Control Risks, a consulting firm, said that there was less political risk in Malaysia than most of its regional peers and that the country benefited from relatively low corruption and a fairly dependable judiciary.

“I don’t think the current political agitation is pivotal or that the country is at a tipping point,” he said. “Malaysians are not interested in a full-scale upheaval.”

“The opposition is factious but vociferous,” he said, adding that splinter, conservative groups from the United Malays group still had the potential to destabilize the governing coalition in the next election, which is expected to be called in 2013.

On the economic front, Mr. Bryson cited concerns about limits on equity ownership in certain sectors — favoring ethnic Malays known as Bumiputera — and the employment of foreigners. He also noted broader skills shortages and restrictive local hiring and firing rules. “It’s generally very open to business, but with some cultural and sociopolitical limitations,” he said.

A report from the World Bank’s private sector arm, the International Finance Corporation, ranked Malaysia 21st out of 183 economies globally for the ease of doing business. The country scored lower for starting businesses and enforcing contracts.

Government Will Do Its Best To Improve Electoral System, Says PM

PORT KLANG, Aug 17 (Bernama) -- The government will do its best to improve the electoral system in the country, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said towards this end, the government had agreed to set up a parliamentary select committee and that this showed its sincerity in wanting elections that were clean and fair.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) government was unafraid of changes to the electoral system as it wanted to ensure that the government of the day was returned by the people's mandate, he told a people's gathering for the breaking of the Ramadan fast at the Sri Perantau apartments here today which was attended by some 10,000 people.

Najib said that if the elections in the country were crooked, obviously the BN would not have surrendered Selangor to the opposition after the last general election.

The prime minister also reminded the people not to take for granted the peace and harmony they were enjoying or look down on the achievements that have been attained.

Instead, Malaysians should continue to preserve and value the peace and harmony they were enjoying, he said.

Najib said he could empathise with Britain's Prime Minister David Cameron who had to face riots in his country recently.

Cameron had said Britain, a country that practised parliamentary democracy, had lost the moral high ground because of a 'sick" segment of society which resorted to wanton rioting and looting in the aftermath of the killing of a youth by a policeman.

On Umno, Najib, who is also Umno president and Selangor Umno chief, said the government was willing to consider requests from the people of Selangor as voiced out by Kapar Umno for the 1Malaysia retail outlets and 1Malaysia clinics to be opened in the state.

He also extended his gratitude for the large turnout despite poison pen letters going around that he would not be turning up for the function.

Also present was Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar, who is also Selangor Umno deputy chief.

Close fight likely for Kapar in next polls

There is no assurance that PKR will be able to retain its Kapar seat in the 13th general election.

KAPAR: The intervention of the Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement (MCLM) in Kapar will turn the fight for the Kapar parliamentary seat into a close call.

The seat is held by PKR’s S Manikavasagam. He wrested it from MIC’s Komala Devi by a 12,297- vote majority in the 2008 general election.

Last month, MCLM introduced Dr Nedunchelian Vengu as the Barisan Rakyat independent candidate (BRIC) for Kapar, taking the battle for the seat to a new level.

The local-born dentist, who chose to run in Kapar, has a thriving dental practice in the constituency and has been actively involved in social work for 20 years.

Kapar is the largest constituency in the country with 125,000 voters.

Despite PKR having won the seat with a comfortable majority, there is no guarantee that the party will retain the seat in the 13th general election.

A local Umno leader, who declined to be named, told FMT that PKR would be facing a tough fight in Kapar.

“Internal problems in the division and the clash between Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim and Manikavasagam are a few things that might drown the PKR ‘ship’ in Kapar in the upcoming election,” he said.

MIC could still win

He said that Nedunchelian, who is better known as Dr Nedu, is a prominent figure in Kapar, especially among the Indian community.

“We should understand that in 2008, PKR won the seat because of a major swing of the Indian community to Pakatan Rakyat after the rise of the Hindraf movement.

“This time we cannot expect the same scenario,” he said.

He also said that Nedu will definitely play a major role among Indian voters.

“Although Manikavasagam had done some good stuff to the Kapar people, it is still not enough,” he said, adding that the current political climate favoured parties and not candidates..

When asked about MIC’s contribution in the constituency, he said that the Barisan Nasional ally was a “forgotten history”.

“MIC has already lost ground in Kapar. The party is now riding on Umno shoulder,” said.

He, however, believes that Kapar could return to MIC if the Malay votes swing back to BN.

He said in the 2008 general election, PKR won with a 14% vote majority, which was considered small in a constituency like Kapar.

“I believe MIC will regain the seat if 5% of the Malay votes go back to Umno and 15% of the Indian votes are clinched by MIC,” he said.

No room for independents

Meanwhile, a PKR leader has denied a rumour that Manikavasagam will be replaced with a new candidate.
“He is doing a lot of good things in the constituency. So, why should the people vote against him?” asked the leader who declined to be named.

According to him, Malay voters will play a major role. Fifty percent of Kapar’s constituents are Malays, followed by 36% Chinese and 14% Indian voters.

“We (PKR) are very sure that 80% of the Chinese will support Pakatan Rakyat while the Malay votes will be split into 50-50″.

However, he admitted that the Indian votes were still an unpredictable lot.

“The Indian community is not happy with the state government. It’s difficult to tell. Based on this simple calculation, there is no doubt that PKR will retain this seat,” he said.

When asking about Nedu, the PKR leader said peninsular Malaysians had no faith in independent candidates.

“It is too early to be talking about a third force. The people are not yet prepared to accept a third force,” he added.

Kiss booted from Jackson tribute show

Members of Kiss perform during the Hellfest music Festival in Clisson, June 20, 2010. — Reuters pic

LOS ANGELES, Aug 17 — The rock band Kiss was removed from the line-up for a Michael Jackson tribute concert in Britain, after it was revealed frontman Gene Simmons has called Jackson a child molester, organisers said yesterday.


The decision to scratch Kiss from the line-up came after Jackson’s fans this week expressed anger at Simmons’ comments.

“We have listened to Michael’s fans and are grateful to have been alerted to these unfortunate statements by Gene Simmons,” Chris Hunt, the chief executive of organizer Global Live Events, said in a statement.

“Under the circumstances, we fully agree that even though Kiss is a band Michael admired, we have no choice but to rescind our invitation to them to appear in our tribute concert,” Hunt said.

Kiss, a rock band famous for such songs as “Rock and Roll All Nite” and “Detroit Rock City,” was a recent addition to the line-up for the tribute concert.

The “Michael Forever” show is planned for October 8 in Cardiff, Wales, and so far the scheduled performers include Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green and Smokey Robinson, organizers said.

The concert has the backing of Jackson’s mother, Katherine, and his siblings LaToya, Tito, Jackie and Marlon.

The 61 year-old Simmons, who is known for being outspoken, had in the past criticised Jackson over old accusations that the singer abused children. Jackson was acquitted at a trial in 2005 of charges that he molested a boy at his Neverland Ranch.

“The only sexual references ever made about Michael Jackson that were made by anyone, anywhere around the world, have always been made by kids, and specifically males usually 10 to 14 years of age; never females that age or older, and never grown men,” Simmons told Classic Rock magazine in 2010.

Howard Weitzman, an attorney for the executors of Jackson’s estate lawyer John Branca and music executive John McClain, said on Monday in a letter to the tribute concert organisers they were “disappointed” at the decision to include Kiss.

The letter from Weitzman also raised questions about the October 8 show, including whether all the artists booked to appear will indeed perform that day.

And Weitzman noted that Michael Jackson’s brothers, Jermaine and Randy, have publicly said they cannot offer their support for the show.

Jermaine and Randy have said the show is ill-timed because the upcoming involuntary manslaughter trial of Dr Conrad Murray, who was Jackson’s personal physician when the singer died in 2009, is expected to be ongoing when the show is held.

“In light of the questions raised...and the confusion surrounding this ‘event,’ we are extremely concerned about Michael’s legacy, his fans and the public-at-large,” Weitzman wrote in the letter.

A spokeswoman for the concert organizers declined to comment on the letter. — Reuters

Odds against ‘betting for education’ fund winning Chinese votes

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 — A Putrajaya-backed plan to pump up to RM20 million in gambling profits annually into Chinese and Indian vernacular education is unlikely to sway the Chinese vote back to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN), pundits say.

The RM2.1 billion takeover of billionaire Ananda Krishnan’s Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd by a consortium of Chinese tycoons led by Tan Sri Lim Kok Tay of gambling giant Genting last week, will also lead to profits channelled to “Jana Pendidikan” — a trust fund for vernacular schools.

But politicians and analysts told The Malaysian Insider that the purchase will not be seen as a government effort, or worse, a case of the Najib administration abdicating its responsibility to the education needs of minorities.

“I don’t think this will translate into votes for Barisan Nasional at all. I fail to see any fundamental change in government policy toward mother tongue education,” said Chinese educationist Kua Kia Soong (picture).

DAP publicity chief Tony Pua also agreed, pointing out that “all this time, Chinese businessmen have donated to Chinese schools, so what is the difference now that its profits from a company run by Chinese?”

The Singapore Straits Times had recently cited financial executives involved in the deal as saying that it could improve Barisan Nasional’s (BN) standing among Chinese and Indians who swung away from the ruling coalition in the landmark 2008 election.

Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is expected to call an election within the year, has been tasked with reversing losses that denied BN its customary two-thirds majority of Parliament and five state governments.

The take-over of the gambling company came just before Najib announced a parliamentary select panel to review the electoral system and an end to crude media censorship this week, in a concession to the middle class and urban vote after being criticised for the security crackdown on the July 9 Bersih rally.

Education has also long been a source of dissatisfaction from the Chinese and Indian community.
While Malays enjoy extensive state support for education including financial grants, scholarships and enrolment quotas in public universities, Chinese and Indian schools struggle each year for funding.

Kua said the government’s cap on the number of state-funded vernacular schools has seen the number of Chinese and Tamil schools drop from 1,350 and 880 respectively in peninsular Malaysia at independence in 1957, to just 1,280 and 550 today despite their combined population doubling.

MCA leaders, including Deputy Education Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong, told The Malaysian Insider that no concrete plans have been made as to how or whether these funds will be channelled to state-funded vernacular schools.

“But we are always open to ideas on how the government and private sector can complement each other,” said the MCA Youth chief, who has been the administration’s pointman for Chinese education.

Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that BN was missing the point of Chinese concern over vernacular education.

“It is about recognition that it is an integral part of the community. It’s not about funds or MCA just speaking up but being treated equally, not bucking it to the private sector,” he said.

Deported Imran seeks compensation

The Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s lawyer wants to donate the money to a charity of his choice.

EXCLUSIVE - FMT

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s lawyer Imran Khan has demanded compensation from the Malaysian government for refusing him entry into the country last Friday.

And he wants to donate the compensation to a charity.
In a strongly-worded letter yesterday to the Malaysian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, the British solicitor also demanded a written apology from the government for his enforced departure.

He has demanded a written explanation on why he was deported when he arrived at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang at 1.50pm last Friday.

He also demanded in writing that the government rescind its decision to refuse him entry and allow him to enter Malaysia in future.

Imran, who has never visited Malaysia before, described his experience at KLIA as “humiliating” because he was treated as if he had done something wrong.

“I am demanding compensation for the inconvenience caused to me.

“I want the compensation to be donated to a charity of my choice,” Imran said in the letter, which he described as “an official complaint of my treatment in the strongest terms”.

‘Deplorable decision’

Imran, who was never refused entry into any country before, however, did not specify the quantum of the compensation.

He described his deportation as a “deplorable decision” which interfered with the basic right of every individual to seek legal redress.

He said that the deportation would affect his travels to other countries and interfere with his legal practice.

Imran, an internationally-renowned British human rights lawyer, left KLIA for London on an Emirates Airline flight at 2am last Saturday – 12 hours after Malaysian immigration authorities refused him entry.

London-based Hindraf supremo P Waythamoorthy claimed that the authorities had deemed Imran as “a threat to Malaysia’s security”.

Throughout his ordeal, Imran, who was originally scheduled to leave Malaysia on Aug 18, was kept at the immigration checkpoint.

Imran’s colleague, Suresh Grover, who was allowed entry, has confirmed that legal action will be pursued.

Imran and Suresh were scheduled to be here for a week to meet potential clients among the local Indian community to be considered as co-claimants in a US$4 trillion civil class suit against the former British colonial master.

They have also planned to collect more historical evidence in Malaysia to strengthen the Hindraf’s suit.

‘Prohibited immigrant’

With Imran’s enforced departure, Suresh addressed a Hindraf forum pertaining to the suit in Klang last Sunday.

Some 1,500 people attended the event, which could well see the return of the human rights movement as the ultimate socio-political force among ethnic Indians.

Waythamoorthy originally filed the class action suit on Aug 31, 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence, against the United Kingdom at the London courts.

However, it was stalled following the Malaysian government’s clampdown on Hindraf and the arrest of its lawyers under the draconian Internal Security Act (ISA).

The suit was to demand compensation for Indian Malaysians whose ancestors were brought in by the colonial government as indentured labour.

The suit claimed that, after granting independence to Malaya, the British had left the Indians without representation and at the mercy of Malay extremism practised by the Umno government.

In his letter, which was both posted and faxed to the Malaysian High Commission office at Belgrave Square in London, Imran said he came to understand from press reports in Malaysia that the Malaysian government decided to refuse him entry, claiming that he was a prohibited immigrant.

Doing a ‘Bourdon’

He said he only knew about his “prohibited immigrant” status upon his arrival at Dubai Airport in his transit return flight to London.

He added that he was never given any reasons by the immigration authorities at KLIA for the deportation.
He claimed that even the British High Commission in Kuala Lumpur was never told the reasons when it enquired from Malaysian immigration authorities about their action.

“I have done nothing before that could warrant my being considered a prohibited immigrant,” said Imran.
Imran’s ordeal confirmed Hindraf’s fear that the government would do a “Bourdon” on Imran and Suresh.
French human rights lawyer William Bourdon was deported by the government when he was here to give a speech pertaining to the billion-dollar Scorpene submarine scandal last month.

Waythamoorthy said the ban on Imran showed Umno government’s fear that its oppression, suppression, discrimination and marginalisation of ethnic Indians would be exposed in the international forum.

“It’s a shame that the government had embarrassed a prominent human rights lawyer without valid reasons,” he told FMT.

Fight or flee: decision time for Gaddafi

The battle to control Libya has entered a decisive phase for the Libyan strongman.

ANALYSIS - FMT

By Christian Lowe
ALGIERS: The battle to control Libya has entered its final phase when Muammar Gaddafi must make a choice: to seek a negotiated exit or to defend his capital to the last bullet.

Rebels with support from Nato warplanes have, over the past 48 hours, taken key towns around Gaddafi’s stronghold in Tripoli in a dramatic series of advances which cut the city off from supplies of fuel and food.

Rebel offensives have, in the past, turned into headlong retreats. But if they hold their ground, the end of Gaddafi’s 41-year rule will be closer than at any time since the conflict began six months ago.

A US official said that for the first time in the conflict, government forces on Sunday fired a Scud missile – an act that was pointless from a military point of view but signalled the desperation of pro-Gaddafi forces.

“The Libyan regime may or may not collapse forthwith but it now looks like it will happen sooner or later,” said Daniel Korski, a fellow at the European Council for Foreign Relations.

He added: “The manner of its collapse, however, and the method of the rebel takeover will be just as important as the conduct of the war.”

Flushed by their success in getting so close to Tripoli, some rank-and-file rebels on Monday spoke of attacking the capital next. But analysts said that will not be the favoured option for rebel commanders.

Unwanted battle

Gaddafi will throw all the men and weapons he has left into a defence of the capital, civilian casualties in urban fighting will be high, and sections of the population in Tripoli are likely to oppose the rebels.

Even if Gaddafi’s opponents were able to win that fight, the bloodshed would create grievances and vendettas which could make the capital – and maybe even the country – ungovernable.

“Any fight for Tripoli can be expected to be extremely bloody,” said David Hartwell, North Africa and Middle East analyst at IHS Jane’s, a defence and security consultancy. “My guess is the strategy is to isolate the capital and start applying pressure… They (the rebels) seem to be trying to cut the links to the capital, one assumes with the aim of not having to assault the capital.”

But will that approach work? Encircling Tripoli and cutting off supplies could produce any one of three outcomes, or a combination of the three.

Starved of fuel and unable to bring in more weapons and reinforcements, elements of Gaddafi’s security forces in Tripoli may decide the best way to save themselves is to lay down their arms or cross over and join the rebels.

Fractures in Gaddafi’s security apparatus could be the signal for the second outcome: Gaddafi’s underground opponents launch an uprising from within the city.

Representatives of the clandestine opposition have told Reuters they are waiting for the right moment to begin a revolt. Some of them have weapons.

It will take time though before Tripoli is ripe for an uprising, said Shashank Joshi, an analyst with the Royal United Services Institute in London.

“It is not on the edge of a cusp of falling and it’s entirely possible that many people in Tripoli are not really aware of what has happened at Zawiyah. So it may not yet bring us to the tipping point.”

Gaddafi’s choice

The third possibility is that Gaddafi will decide to negotiate an exit deal. That would possibly involve him and his family going into exile in a state which will not hand him over for prosecution to the International Criminal Court.

People who know him say Gaddafi – beneath his eccentric image – is a pragmatist who will cut a deal if that is what it takes to save the lives of his family.

But they also say this will not happen until he is convinced he can no longer win. His spokesman on Sunday denied there were any negotiations on Gaddafi’s departure.

“If he is going to try to strike a deal he will leave it until the last minute,” said Hartwell of IHS Janes. “He still thinks he has something to fight for.”

The worst-case scenario for the rebels and their Western backers is that the strategy of strangling Gaddafi’s capital will not dislodge him. In this event, there will be a battle for Tripoli and the only thing certain then is that there will be huge loss of life.

“It would not be surprising if Gaddafi were to go out with all guns blazing so long as no deal is on the table and he does not have an exit strategy,” said Anthony Skinner, an analyst with risk advisory firm Maplecroft.

“The colonel may booby trap Tripoli and loyalists may also put up a fight to the death.”

- Reuters

‘Suhakam suggestions good enough ‘

The Sun by PAULINE WONG

> No need to wait for outcome of panel, says Bar Council

PETALING JAYA: Though welcoming the setting up of a bipartisan parliamentary select committee to look into electoral reforms, the Bar Council said the government need not wait for its outcome to make positive changes.

Its president, Lim Chee Wee, said the Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) had published various recommendations on electoral reforms in 2007.

“Suhakam’s report should have been debated in parliament in 2008 and if this had been done and the government was genuine about electoral reforms, the nation would not have seen such a display of discontentment. 

“Suhakam’s recommendations are commendable and no right thinking Malaysian would argue against any of their recommendations,” he said. 

Lim was commenting on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak’s announcement on Monday night on the setting up of the committee, comprising representatives from the government and opposition parties, to discuss all electoral reform issues well before the next general election to eliminate any suspicion of manipulation.

Cautioning Najib against making unfulfilled promises, Lee said the announcement must be followed by “real action with real changes”.

“The people have grown weary of unfulfilled promises, which is reflected in the July 9 Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) 2.0 rally, and through strong and vocal criticisms in online and social media.

“The PM’s announcement (on this committee) is a recognition of this discontent.” 

Meanwhile, Election Commission deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the committee augurs well for the future of electoral democracy in Malaysia.

He sees the committee as a “bridge” between the issues raised strongly by Bersih and reforms in policy.

“It is a good move, a good platform for all sides of the political divide to sit down and discuss the issues of elections for the benefit of the people,” he said, adding this is the “next step” to address the demands raised by Bersih. 

Bersih’s eight demands include the use of indelible ink, strict action to end vote buying and corruption, and free access to all media. 

Transparency International Malaysia (TIM) president Datuk Paul Low also commended the premier’s move, and said the select committee should be given the mandate and power to recommend all necessary action to ensure elections in Malaysia will be conducted 

in a free, fair and transparent manner.

“TI-M believes that it is critical that the select committee restores public confidence in the electoral process, said Low. 

He also hailed it as a move that will defuse the politicisation of electoral reforms and ensure in-depth and open discussions and resolution of major complaints received on the management of elections in Malaysia.

Suhakam begins interviews over July 9 rally allegations

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Suhakam has begun interviewing witnesses for its public inquiry into allegations of human rights violations and excessive use of force by the authorities during the illegal Bersih rally on July 9.

In an update to the public, its chair Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said as at Aug 15, the national human rights institution had completed perusal of the public submissions it had received in the form of documents, statements and video recordings as of the Aug 5 deadline.

“We have identified the witnesses to be interviewed and commenced the interview process,” he said.

“We have written to the police requesting the cooperation of police personnel on duty on July 9 to be interviewed.”

He said the panel inquiry would be chaired by Suhakam vice-chair Prof Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee and assisted by fellow commissioners Prof Datuk Dr Mahmood Zuhdi Abdul Majid and Detta Samen.

Hasmy said the number of witnesses for the inquiry would be determined once the interviews were completed.

Where required, he added, Suhakam would issue subpoenas to relevant witnesses, including members of the public, the media and the police.

Hasmy also said the commissioner would be inviting observers to the hearings.

Jihadi Cub Scouts: Pakistani Islamists Release Video Showing Children Training In Terror Camp, “Cubs Of Waziristan”…

(LWJ) — Jihadists released video of children training with firearms at a camp in the Taliban-controlled Waziristan region in Pakistan’s tribal areas.
The seven-minute-long video, which is titled ‘Cubs of Waziristan,’ was distributed by the Al Ansar Mailing List and recently released on jihadist websites. An edited version of the video and a translation are provided by the SITE Intelligence Group. The location of the camp and the date the video was taken were not disclosed.
At the beginning of the video, a group of 16 jihadists, including what appears to be six trainers armed with assault rifles and 10 young recruits, is seen standing in a semicircle. An older fighter, who seems to be the leader, cites a verse from the Koran that says Muslims must prepare for war against “the enemy of Allah and your enemy.”
“In obedience of this divine command, we are doing this and preparing militarily and Shariah- and faith-wise,” the fighter says. “In this way, we are erasing ages of humiliation that we tasted and in which we grew up. At times we were scared of match sticks, and now, thanks to Allah, here are the children of the Muslims getting trained in weapons that special forces are trained in using. This is an embodiment of the extirpation of the defeatist moral that was planted in the Islamic Ummah [community].”

Teenager Beaten Up For Failing To Comply with Ramadan Fasting

Due mainly to its North African connections, France has Islamised rapidly in recent years

Beating up the kids is all in the family this Ramadan in Culturally Enriched™ France, it seems:

Rescuers found the teenager with the wrists and ankles shackled. His body showed signs of beatings.

A young man of 17 years was found tied up in an apartment in Miramas, Bouches-du-Rhone. He was reportedly assaulted by a family member for failing to comply with the fast of Ramadan.
The young man of 17 was found tied up in an apartment in Miramas (Bouches-du-Rhône), Sunday evening about 22 hours. Rescue, police and firefighters responded after being alerted by neighbours, who were concerned about groans emanating from the house. A water leak was also observed from the apartment below.
Rescuers found the teenager with the wrists and ankles shackled. His body showed signs of beatings.
The victim then told investigators she was struck by a family member for failing to comply with the fast of Ramadan, which began on Monday 1st August. RMC said that the assailant at the root of violence is the brother of that young person. The victim’s family also accused the young man of regular misconduct, such as consumption of cannabis resin. The family, of Algerian origin, were be seen as “very strict” in the neighborhood [surely you mean 'pious'? - Ed].
The victim herself was born in Algiers and is of French nationality. The violent treatment she suffered justified the prescription of 15 days of temporary total incapacity (ITT) by the doctor on duty who had tested the adolescent.
Although it will inevitably be argued by the usual chorus of apologists that this was an ‘isolated incident™’, there is only one religion that incites and offers myriad excuses for Muslim families to turn on themselves.
[Source France Soir, with additional translation by ourselves. Via Islam in Europe.]

Please consider supporting Un:dhimmi by making a small donation to the site, in order to show your support and help us with our work.
Get Your Copy of The Documentary the Iranian Régime Doesn’t Want You to See

Bersih says ‘immediate’ polls reform possible by March next year

Maria (centre) speaking at the Bersih press conference today in Kuala Lumpur Aug 16 2011.

PETALING JAYA, Aug 16 — Bersih 2.0 disputes a deputy Speaker’s prediction that electoral reforms will take at least a year, instead it issued a list of “immediate” reforms possible by March 2012.


Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said earlier today that it would take a year before the parliamentary committee concluded its discussions, and told The Malaysian Insider that “it is a matter of great importance to public interest” and that it involved all stakeholders including Bersih, NGOs and the Bar Council.

In response, Bersih suggested today that the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) present two reports- the first one on immediate reforms (to be released by March next year) and a second report on long-term reforms (to be released within a year after the PSC’s formation).

“You don’t need a year to conclude discussions. We suggest that two reports be prepared — the first report is immediate, as there are immediate reforms you can recommend by March next year,” Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah told reporters here.

Recommendations in the first report, according to Maria, should include reforms like automatic voter registration via synchronisation of the Election Commission (EC) and the National Registration Department (NRD) to ensure 3.7 million unregistered voters are “enfranchised” before the next general elections.

She stated that the first round of reform recommendations by the PSC should also include reduction of voting eligibility age from 21 to 18, reform of postal/absentee voting, implementation of indelible ink and clear guidelines/minimum of campaigning period of 21 days.

“The proposal for the first report must be completed and implemented before any elections can take place,” she said.

With speculation that Datuk Seri Najib Razak will call snap elections soon, there are concerns that  the parliamentary panel would only present its findings after the next national polls.

The Umno president has also delayed party polls that was due in April this year but the party’s constitution requires that it can only be delayed by 18 months, which is in October next year — exactly when Wan Junaidi believes the PSC will begin wrapping up.

“The prime minister has to make sure that polls are not held until this (reforms) are done. Clear it up before elections are held.

“It would be pointless for a select committee if elections are held before the committee can conclude its discussions or present its reports,” said another committee member Dr Wong Chin Huat.

Race relations: ‘It’s rotting’

Sidelined LDP is concerned that the government is not doing enough to improve ethnic relations in the country.

KOTA KINABALU: The deteriorating ethnic relations in the country is worrying Sabah-based Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Responding to Merdeka Centre’s latest survey on “sincerity and friendliness” among ethnic groups, LDP noted that Malaysians were less confident about race relations in the country.

According to the survey, there was a significant drop from 54% in 2006 to 35% this year showing that fewer Malaysians experienced genuine friendship.

The survey also found that the number of Malaysians who felt that ethnic relations in the country was “good” had declined by 12%, from 78% in February 2006 to 66% in May 2011.

LDP secretary general Teo Chee Kang said it was imperative that the government took an urgent view of the situation.

“The government must look at the situation seriously. It must act now to quickly stamp any further damage to the nation’s ethnic ties, ” he said.

Blaming politics for the racial disharmony now prevalent in the country, Teo said it was important that the government stopped irresponsible reporting that would harm ethnic relations.

He blamed Utusan Malaysia’s baseless reportings for causing the religious and racial discomfort in the country.

No respect in Sabah

Meanwhile, speaking at a LDP Api-Api-Luyang joint divisional conference here yesterday, Teo said the power-sharing and mutual respect policy advocated by the Barisan Nasional was non-existent in Sabah.

LDP has been openly urging the state government to correct its weaknesses and as a result, has been accused of being anti-BN.

Denying the allegations, Teo said the party’s stand was simply based on the reality of the new political landscape.

“The situation in the country has changed following the political tsunami in 2008 and again in the recent Sarawak election.

“The urban voter sentiment could be clearly seen. The educated voters in the urban areas have higher political awareness, so they are not worried about water supply, electricity supply, road and basic infrastructure.

“They are more concerned over whether social problems have been resolved, and whether social justice is being upheld,” he said.

Teo added that it was imperative that BN show greater sincerity and determination in tackling issues close to the people’s hearts.

“It’s the only way we can win back urban voters,” he said.

LDP’s less than diplomatic stand has resulted in the party being sidelined by Chief Minister Musa Aman. In the last Cabinet reshuffle, LDP was dropped from the line-up.

LDP, which is the state BN’s oldest ally, is now being forced to play second fiddle to Gerakan and MCA.

Malaysia's Najib Calls for Electoral Reform

Najib will clean up the electoral process

Or is it a ploy to buy time?
Apparently bending to widespread criticism of a government crackdown of a July 9 march demanding electoral reform, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said Tuesday that a parliamentary select committee is to be formed as soon as possible to seek to reform the current system.

The announcement appears to answer a central demand of the reform group Bersih, a coalition of good-government organizations backed by opposition parties to clean up the electoral process.

The big question, however, is how soon the select committee will meet, and whether the reform provisions it comes up with – if any – could be put in place before national elections expected to be called late this year or early next. In that, the announcement of the committee carries certain dangers. If the committee is still meeting when the election comes and goes, the decision to create it is likely to be regarded as a public relations gesture.

Wong Chin Huat, one of the leaders of Bersih, told Asia Sentinel that Najib must hold up the polls until the reforms can be implemented.

Bersih itself, in a prepared statement, said it welcomed Najib’s announcement of a bipartisan committee, asking that immediate reforms be carried out before the next state and general elections and that other reforms be put in place within two years after the formation of the committee.

The process is bound to be complicated and subject to possible delay. The Malaysian constitution must be amended after the legislative, policy drafting and enforcement mechanisms are finished, then laws must be put in place by the executive branch to carry out the mandate.

That will require an automated voter registration system. The government has already said it is creating a so-called biometric registration system which would use fingerprints or other biometric data for voter identification. Bersih, however, charges that the system is open to abuse and wants a system in which voters will be marked with indelible ink once they have voted.

The government took a severe beating in the international press after police cracked down on the so-called Bersih 2.0 rally, blocking entrances to Kuala Lumpur, dousing the marchers who got through with water cannons and firing tear gas at them despite the fact that most were determined not to fight back. Nonetheless, anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 marchers got through depending on who was doing the counting. Some 1,700 people were arrested, many for merely appearing in yellow tee-shirts, the Bersih color.

Najib’s international image took a further beating when it was discovered that in an effort to turn around its negative image the government had paid RM86 million in two contracts to a British public relations company to plant favorable interviews and news stories with the international media. The contract was withdrawn abruptly when its existence was exposed by a Sarawak NGO, the Sarawak Report.

Just days ago, Najib was likening the Bersih marchers to the hooded rioters that torched buildings and caused violence in London and other cities. The abrupt about turn is being regarded in Kuala Lumpur as an indication that the government crackdown and attempt to demonize the marchers has backfired badly and hurt Najib’s standing.

The prime minister reportedly is already under fire from members of his own party, particularly those who advocate so-called Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay rights to take precedence over those of the country’s other races. Although some reports had him returning early from an Italian vacation to put down a party rebellion, those reports have been denied. But he clearly has been weakened from the affair.

“The prime minister must have realized that middle Malaysia will not tolerate a government that fanatically makes ‘clean’(Bersih, in Malay language) a dirty word, and losing the middle ground will erode his edge as a moderate leader in the increasingly rough intra-UMNO rivalry,” said Wong Chin Huat.

It is the mechanics of the process that are important. Although the prime minister said the committee would include lawmakers from both the Barisan Nasional, the ruling national coalition, to “discuss all the questions and issued raised about electoral reform so that a mutual agreement could be reached,” Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, a member of the United Malays National Organization, told local media that it would take at least year before the committee could finish its work and the reforms, if any, could be implemented.

Najib has passed the word to UMNO stalwarts and his Barisan coalition partners that an election is probable in the late part of this year or early next. He has been doing tours to individual states to concentrate his forces and prepare the groundwork for the election. Few parliamentary committees have ever completed their work in the space of three or four months, especially if there are members there with instructions to slow things down.

Bersih leaders immediately said the necessary reforms could be put in place well before any projected election. They say as many as 3.5 million voters have been disenfranchised by the current electoral process, that voter rolls must be cleaned to eliminate ghost voters and that the electoral period must be lengthened. Currently, they complain, the Barisan Nasional has the ability to put its campaign machinery in place, then call a snap election before the opposition has the opposition the opportunity to mount its campaign.

They are also asking that coverage by the media be made more fair, a tall order since the major newspapers and television stations are all owned by the component parties of the Barisan. The Kuala Lumpur-based Center for Independent Journalism has called for the government to relinquish control of state-funded media -- Bernama and RTM radio and TV – “and make these publicly-funded media accountable to the public and serve public interest, rather than serve the government in power.”

Wong Chin Huat preferred to put an optimistic face on the announcement, saying that “It would be good for Malaysia, we will have a more logical electoral process. The next government will have greater degrees of legitimacy. If he is thinking of this as a method to delay reform until after the next election, the public will be more disappointed.

Lim Kit Siang, the leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party, also questioned Najib’s action, pointing out that a parliamentary select committee has to be formed by the parliament, or Dewan Rakyat, which is not in session and which won’t convene before Oct.2 at the start of the 2012 budget negotiations. Lim asked whether Najib would convene an emergency meeting of the Parliament to approve the establishment of the committee.

The Malaysian Elections Commission has said it is already cleaning the electoral rolls to get rid of phantom voters.

Agenda merakyatkan Perlembagaan

Sinar Harian
oleh SYAHREDZAN JOHAN

Tanggal 13 November 2009, bermulalah satu kempen yang tidak pernah dianjurkan sebelum ini. Kempen untuk memartabatkan Perlembagaan Persekutuan, undang-undang tertinggi negara Malaysia. Pada hari itu, di auditorium Majlis Peguam, kempen Perlembagaanku yang dianjurkan Majlis Peguam melalui Jawatankuasa Undang-undang Perlembagaan, atau lebih dikenali sebagai ‘MyConstitution’ telah dilancarkan.

Perlembagaan Persekutuan adalah ‘buku panduan’ negara ini. Ia mengekalkan tiang-tiang pentadbiran demokratik. Ia mewujudkan sistem demokrasi kita, mengehadkan kuasa kerajaan dan menjamin hak-hak kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia. Teramatlah penting untuk memastikan rakyat Malaysia mengenali Perlembagaan, supaya kita arif tentang ‘buku panduan’ negara ini dan sedar akan kuasa serta hak kerajaan dan badan-badan Perlembagaan. Supaya kita tahu akan hak-hak kita yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan.

Namun, dokumen tersebut bukanlah mudah untuk difahami. Berlainan negara-negara lain, rakyat Malaysia tidak diberikan pendidikan komprehensif tentang Perlembagaan. Melalui Ruku negara, kita berikrar untuk ‘meluhurkan Perlembagaan’, tetapi berapa ramai yang benar-benar mengenali Perlembagaan?

Maka, sejak tahun 2009 kempen ini telah menjelajah seluruh negara. Dari Alor Setar ke Johor Bahru, dari Kuala Lumpur ke Kota Kinabalu kami membawa mesej kempen ini. Ia diterima dengan baik oleh seluruh pelosok masyarakat, yang rata-rata dahagakan ilmu tentang Perlembagaan. Pelbagai aktiviti dijalankan, antara lain forum; bengkel dan pembentangan. Kami juga mendapat sokongan daripada Kerajaan Persekutuan, beberapa kerajaan negeri, parti politik, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan, organisasi swasta dan orang ramai.

Malangnya, dalam begitu banyak respons positif diterima, ada juga suara-suara mempersoalkan kempen ini. Ada tohmahan dan dakwaan dilemparkan kepada kami, kononnya kempen ini ingin meminda Perlembagaan, yang hanya boleh dipinda oleh Parlimen dan sudah pun dipinda berkali-kali. Kononnya, kempen ini mempunyai agenda tersembunyi. Di sini saya ingin nyatakan dengan muktamad, supaya tiada lagi ragu-ragu. Ya, memang kami mempunyai agenda. Setiap satu daripada lebih daripada 200 ahli kami mempunyai agenda yang sama. Agenda kami adalah satu; untuk ‘merakyatkan Perlembagaan’. Kami ingin rakyat negara ini memahami Perlembagaan. Kami ingin Perlembagaan dimartabatkan, selaras dengan kedudukannya sebagai undang-undang terpenting dan tertinggi negara. Kami ingin meningkatkan tahap kesedaran rakyat tentang Perlembagaan dan mendidik serta menjana kuasa rakyat tentang dokumen terpenting ini. Itu matlamat kami. Tidak lebih dari itu, tiada objektif tersembunyi.

Saya tidak nampak bagaimana sesiapa boleh mempunyai bantahan terhadap agenda kami ini. Melainkan sekiranya anda tidak ingin rakyat Malaysia celik Perlembagaan. Mungkin kerana mereka yang melemparkan tohmahan ini tidak dapat memahami bagaimana sekumpulan sukarelawan boleh melaburkan usaha, tenaga, masa dan kadangkala wang demi memperjuangkan sesuatu tanpa mengharapkan apa-apa balasan. Bukan demi kuasa, pangkat atau harta, tetapi demi melihat rakyat Malaysia mengenali Perlembagaan dan mencintai Perlembagaan. Walaupun sebuah jawatankuasa di bawah Majlis Peguam, ahli kempen ini bukan sahaja terdiri daripada peguam sahaja. Malah boleh dikatakan, penggerak utama kempen ini ialah ahli-ahli yang bukan peguam.

Sekiranya masih mengesyaki kami, marilah berbincang. Maklumkan pada kami apa bantahan anda. Tunjukkan bukti kononnya kami mempunyai agenda negatif, lebih baik lagi, mari sertai kami dalam usaha murni ini pintu sentiasa terbuka.

Jika tidak, hentikanlah dakwaan-dakwaan kosong dan tidak berasas di kedai kopi, di laman sesawang internet mahupun ruang bicara BBM. Biarlah kami terus merakyatkan Perlembagaan.

* Penulis ialah peguam dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Undang-undang Perlembagaan Majlis Peguam untuk penggal ini.

Select committee a ploy 'to deflect heat from EC'

(Malaysiakini) Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has accused Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of deflecting the heat from the Election Commission (EC) by announcing the formation of a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms last night.

Anwar said Pakatan Rakyat agrees in principle with the formation of the committee, but claimed that the government has more insidious reasons for the move.

“What is important is that we want action now. Why is the EC given a reprieve? Why is fraud being condoned?” he said in a scathing attack on Najib.

Last night, Najib announced the government's plan to form the committee to discuss all electoral reforms needed to find a “bipartisan agreement without any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government”.

Anwar stressed that the announcement amounts to an admission that Pakatan and Bersih 2.0 were right on the money in claiming there are serious flaws in the electoral system.

“... (Najib) has admitted (Bersih 2.0 was right), and the people have paid a price for that, getting beaten up and all that,” he said when contacted.

He said the issue now is for the government to work on making the EC truly independent so that the commission can start to fulfil its responsibilities.

“Notwithstanding the fact that even our parliamentary system also needs reform, the government must show good faith by getting the EC to act now.

“What is stopping the EC from cleaning up the rolls or reforming postal votes, registering overseas Malaysians as voters, and stopping (the registration of) foreigners as voters? Nobody in this country would feel that the EC is independent of Umno.”

Najib will 'drag' out issue

Anwar posited that the proposed select committee itself will pose a problem in implementation, as the government is not known for taking the role of Parliament seriously.

He stressed that Najib had not indicated the government's plans to hold an emergency sitting - which is necessary to form the special committee - and raised questions as to how far the premier and his administration are committed towards electoral reform.

“Look at Parliament in England - when the riots broke out they called an emergency sitting, when the News of the World exposé made the news they called an emergency sitting... in our case, Parliament is completely relegated to being a rubber stamp of the government.

“There was nothing in Najib's statement (last night) to suggest that action will be taken by the EC now. He will delay the matter in the committee.”

BN’s Perak assembly sitting just a rubber stamp

Former Perak Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin claims the assembly had no agenda, with most questions unanswered, and claims it was a total mockery of democracy.

PETALING JAYA: All 27 Perak Pakatan Rakyat state representatives staged a walkout at the one day assembly sitting yesterday as the assembly has become a mere ‘rubber stamp’.

Former Perak Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said Speaker R Ganesan had also “disallowed debates and questions”.

“The sitting was called just to fulfill the requirement that it needs to be held every six months under the Perak constitution.

“There was no agenda of what was going to be discussed and most of our questions went unanswered. It was a total mockery of democracy; a contempt, and a shame to the house,” Nizar told FMT.

Nizar said he believed the mere three-hour sitting yesterday was the first of its kind and never occurred when Pakatan Rakyat ruled the state.

“During our time we had four days at least, I managed to convene sessions lasting five days with ample time for all parties to ask questions. Today (Monday), nothing of consequence was done, no bills were discussed.”

“What’s the point of having a meeting just for the sake of it? This was just rubber stamping… we couldn’t even ask questions, our microphones were turned off.

“We had to shout and yell. We couldn’t do anything,” complained the PAS Pasir Panjang assemblyman and Bukit Gantang MP.

MB not answering questions

Nizar said the “illegal” Speaker Ganesan had also brushed aside pertinent matters related to the welfare of the people.

“Certainly August is the time for a midterm review, but they had nothing. How could you run a state like this?”

“The Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir also couldn’t answer my question of his expenditures of overseas trips. Even (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) revealed in parliament that he spent RM17 million overseas trips with his wife, “ he said.

(Zambry had later maintained that he did not waste any government money for any holidays as all were important official trips.)

Nizar also said the current Perak state assembly disallowed online news portals to cover its sittings and only welcomed mainstream media such as Utusan Malaysia and Bernama. In addition, Nizar also questioned the constant presence of policemen.

DAP’s Sungkai assemblyman A Sivanesan also asked why his question on Ramadan bazaars was rejected yesterday. “I was merely asking if the waiver they are giving to stall owners now would be extended during Deepavali and Chinese New Year,” he said.

Speaker: No urgent matters

Meanwhile, the Perak Speaker lashed out at the opposition for consistently “finding reasons for walking out of the house every single time”.

Ganesan explained that the original two-day session was finished in one day as there were no urgent matters or bills to be debated and passed, adding that there was nothing wrong in that.

“We have to fulfil the requirement under the Perak constitution. How could they complain about this as it was also the practiced in the Kedah state legislative assembly,” he said.

Ganesan also defended himself over allegedly being biased, saying: “I was giving them equal opportunities. Two extra question was also given to the Pakatan side. What they are claiming is all bullshit.

“People who are inside the dewan know exactly what happens… toward the end of the day the opposition always finds some excuse to walk out so they can blame Barisan Nasional. They are always misleading the Press and the public with their theatrics,” he said.

This was not the first time the BN-led Perak state assembly has been criticised for being a “rubberstamp house”.

Pakatan Rakyat has always complained that ever since BN wrested the Pakatan-led state government in 2009 following the defection of three Pakatan elected representatives, they have been “bullied”.

Muslim Supermodel Kenza Fourati Lashes Out At Critics! (PHOTOS)

Our interview with supermodel Kenza Fourati received such an overwhelming response, we thought we'd follow up with another story on the African beauty, who is also the first Arab muslim to pose for Sports Illustrated.

PHOTOS: Supermodel Kenza Fourati: "Women Are Very Powerful"

Kenza, a Sorbonne-educated politically conscious North African from Tunisia, is breaking barriers, encouraging discourse and exercising her right to do so.

Her actions, judging by the reactions from our interview, is not sitting well with conservatives here and in her native Tunisia.

These feelings about what a Muslim is or what a Muslim should do, although important to the conversation about Islam and the West, are not new.

However, what Kenza is doing is drawing attention to the diversity of Islamic thought and practice across multiple nations, as well as championing artistic expression in her country, which was the first Muslim nation to drive the present revolution.

As Kenza said during our interview, being Muslim and being a swimsuit model should not be mutually exclusive.

"We are at a point now in Tunisia where we are free," Kenza explained in our offices last week. "We should be able to portray art like this if we want to, as the extremists are allowed to express themselves, too. That is a debate that we want to create, but it must be a peaceful one."

We support her and couldn't agree more!

Photos

Kenza Fourati Is Muslim And A Sports Illustrated Model (PHOTOS)

Felda loses RM200m suit against former deputy minister

Ex-Gerakan man Dr Tan joined PKR after the 2008 general election. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, August 16 — Felda has lost its RM200 million defamation suit against former Land and Co-operative Development Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, according to a court judgment today.


The federal land development agency and its investment arm Felda Global Ventures Holding Sdn Bhd lost their defamation case and were ordered to pay costs to the former Gerakan leader who joined PKR after the 2008 general election.

Felda had claimed in its filing on January 25 that Dr Tan implied it was corrupt and committed legal offences in an issue of Suara Keadilan published on June 22 last year.

But High Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof ruled today that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that the PKR disciplinary chief had said any defamatory words.

She ordered Felda to pay RM70,000 in costs to Dr Tan who in turn has to cough up RM30,000 for a preliminary point he raised earlier in the suit.

In his statement of defence, Dr Tan admitted to giving an interview to Suara Keadilan reporter Faizal Zakaria but insisted he did not defame the two plaintiffs.

He claimed that what he said was true and was published based on qualified privilege, which permitted him as a former deputy minister in charge of the federal authority to relay such information to his party organ.

Felda had brought the suit over Suara Keadilan’s cover story in Malay titled “Kontroversi,” which continued on page three with the heading “RM662 construction only involved three individuals.”

The plaintiffs had alleged that the article defamed them as it implied the repossession and construction of Menara Felda on prime land in the capital’s “Golden Triangle” would benefit cronies.

Dr Tan had responded that it was fair comment on the plaintiffs’ financial standing, expenditure, management and activities made in the public interest and did not defame the plaintiffs.

Soi Lek shoots ‘loose cannon’ Nazri, silent on Chinese support

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek blasted Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz last night for criticising the MCA but sidestepped questions on his party’s eroding support from the Chinese community it is supposed to represent.

The MCA president dared the de facto law minister to start legal action against Sin Chew Jit Poh for falsely reporting the latter’s offer to the DAP to join the ruling federal coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) two days ago.

“If Nazri thinks Sin Chew had printed what he had not said, he should sue Sin Chew,” Dr Chua (picture) said.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department was reported by the Chinese daily to have made the offer on Sunday, which led Dr Chua to chide the Umno leader for saying that his MCA had lost Chinese support.

“Nazri is a loose cannon,” the former health minister dubbed his ex-Cabinet colleague when asked to elaborate over the Padang Rengas MP’s remarks that the MCA had lost its Chinese support.

Dr Chua refused to reply to questions on Nazri’s allegation, insisting that was not the main issue.
Nazri denied yesterday he had invited the DAP to join BN to shore up Chinese support for the ruling coalition.

But Nazri told The Malaysian Insider that he had merely responded to a question about falling Chinese support for the ruling coalition.

“No, it is not true. I did not invite DAP,” he said, adding that “MCA must work harder” when asked how BN will reclaim Chinese support.

According to Sin Chew, Nazri had said that based on the precedent of Gerakan joining BN after the opposition party had won Penang in the 1969 general election, “we cannot deny the possibility of DAP joining BN. What happens in the future, we cannot predict.”

The Padang Rengas MP had said there are no permanent enemies or allies in politics.

“Since independence, Umno is a party that has represented the Malays. During the last elections, Umno still won more than 80 seats in Parliament. PAS only managed 22. PKR’s Malay candidates only got nine seats. These two combined only have 31 seats. As such Umno remains the representative of the Malays.

“MCA in the last elections only won 15 seats in Parliament. Gerakan only won two seats and they were in Malay-majority areas. But the DAP’s Chinese candidates won more than 20 federal seats. MCA and Gerakan combined are less than DAP. As such, DAP is the most suitable party to represent the interests of the Chinese.

“We also want to understand what has happened. Umno has all this while represented the Malays. This is not the fault of Umno, it is their (MCA and Gerakan) problem,” he was quoted by Sin Chew as saying.

Nonetheless, Nazri also said in Sin Chew that no party could depend on just one race to win an election and Umno was no exception.

Gerakan was among a host of parties that joined the three original Alliance members — Umno, the MCA and MIC — to form the BN in 1973.

Nazri also said today that Umno had even opened its doors to PAS in 1971, indicating that the original Alliance parties should not be threatened by more parties joining the coalition.

But the DAP has swiftly shot down the idea of joining BN, telling Nazri to “dream on” as joining the BN would force it into a racial mould which went against its multiethnic beliefs.

The MCA had suffered huge losses in Election 2008, leaving it with only 15 seats out of a total 222 in the Dewan Rakyat and 32 state seats, less than half its tally in the previous polls.

Factionalism then reared its ugly head in the party’s October 2008 election, leading to two leadership changes in the last three years.

The MCA’s popularity with ethnic Chinese voters has nosedived as the party continues to be wracked with factionalism and scandals including the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone saga, leading many to question its relevance in the next general election.

When towns simply fade away…

A young working population seeking greener pastures in cities signals the death knell for economically-starved small towns.

PETALING JAYA: In the lifespan of many towns, it is a tale of two fates. Successful towns, backed by well-travelled roads and economic opportunities, will over time evolve into vibrant cities.

But some other towns, placed far away from highways or neglected by private investors or governments, tend to fade away.

Monash University associate professor Phua Kai Lit said that Malaysia’s growing urbanisation often meant that other parts of the country, especially its rural areas, were left out.

“You have a lopsided and uneven development (taking place in the cities), so you may have depopulation in other parts of the country, especially in the rural areas,” he said.

Cities, he added, also acted as powerful socio-economic magnets, which ended up pulling youths and young adults from across the country there.

According to the recently released Population and Census Report 2010, 71% of Malaysians lived in cities, compared with 62% in 2000.

This translated to a 20.1 million urban population, compared with a much smaller 8.2 million rural headcount.

FMT previously reported that at least 40% of the Klang Valley’s current population were domestic migrants from other states in Malaysia.

While this trend led to rapid urban growth, smaller towns across Malaysia were left without a sizeable young working population.

“You may see young people leaving, and the population there (smaller towns) gets older and older. The old people are left behind,” said Phua.

With the towns’ senior citizen population slowly passing away, this led to some villages and towns disappearing off the face of the economic map.

“You’ll see depopulation in certain parts of Malaysia, such as places like Kelantan, Perlis and Pahang,” Phua added.

‘El Dorado of the East’

A sociologist by trade, Phua highlighted Sungai Lembing, a tin-mining town in Pahang, more than 40km northwest of Kuantan.

Once regarded as the “El Dorado of the East” , Sungai Lembing was in the past a vibrant tin-mining town.
However, the mine’s closure in the late 20th century led to the town’s gradual depopulation.

“You can see obvious signs of depopulation in Sungai Lembing. It used to have two streets of shops, but if you go there now, only a handful of shops will be open.”

“The population there is either the very young or the very elderly. The economic base is no longer there, so I think over time, the town will die,” he said.

Phua added that the town may only see its original inhabitants return there for good when they retired.
A Kuantan man himself, he, however, appeared reticent about such an idea.

“I’m from Kuantan, it’s a nice town, so when I retire I’ll move back there… but only if the Lynas project is stopped in its tracks,” he said, referring to the controversial rare earth plant due to be opened in September.

“But if you ask me to go back to Sungai Lembing, I’ll say forget it. It’s just two streets of wooden shops,” he said frankly.

“The worst scenario is that it’ll become a ghost town. Nobody is there, but you’ll be having all these buildings deteriorating.”

Nevertheless, Phua did not consider dying towns, or ghost towns, as a problem, calling it a natural matter.

Umno perlu kuasai media baru

"Kalau kita tidak menguasainya kita akan tertinggal orang muda akan membaca apa yang ditulis," kata Ahmad Maslan.

(Bernama) - Anggota Umno perlu menguasai kemahiran dalam dunia siber terutama berkaitan media baru bagi menangkis secara efektif segala tohmahan dan fitnah pihak tertentu terhadap parti itu dan kerajaan, kata Ketua Penerangan Umno Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Beliau berkata kemahiran seperti itu amat penting bagi mengubah sebarang persepsi negatif masyarakat terhadap Umno dan kerajaan yang cuba dibawa pihak tertentu menerusi media baru.

“Kalau kita tidak menguasainya kita akan tertinggal kerana orang muda akan membaca apa yang ditulis,” katanya selepas menghadiri wacana politik bertajuk “Pembentukan Persepsi Politik” anjuran Jabatan Penerangan Umno di sini hari ini.

Ahmad, yang juga Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, berkata kerajaan memandang serius terhadap persepsi negatif masyarakat terhadap setiap tindakan kerajaan dan sentiasa mengambil tindakan untuk memperbetulkan.

Mengenai wacana politik itu, beliau berkata ia merupakan satu pembaharuan yang dibawa oleh Umno bagi meningkatkan pengetahuan anggotanya dalam pelbagai bidang politik menerusi pembentangan idea oleh pakar-pakar.

You are no better than a thug — Azrul Mohd Khalib

AUG 16 — I read with much disappointment and irritation at Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor’s behaviour as reported in “Ezam threatens ‘jihad’ against those proselytising Muslims” (August 12). Malaysians should reject the politics of intimidation, scare mongering and violence which appears to be espoused by Ezam.

He has also misrepresented the Jais raid situation as one where Islam is under attack. Let us be clear: Islam in Malaysia is not and has not been under attack. Both Hasan Ali and Ezam know it.

It is not necessary to play the martyr (Hasan Ali) or the defender of the faith (Ezam). The latter’s threats to wage war and to burn the offices of both Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider are criminal in nature and I call upon the necessary authorities to address them appropriately.

It is not necessary to resort to such bullying tactics and to bring down the level of engagement to that of thugs, samsengs and Ah Longs in a back alley. Such a person is surely morally bankrupt.

If presenting the truth or an alternative perspective of how Malaysians view current events is considered by the senator to be attributes of being agents against Islam, then I shudder at how far we have gone to blindfold or gag ourselves in denial of the diverse realities which exist in this country.

I am also alarmed at the extent to which certain factions are willing to go to ensure that their views are the only ones which matter. Their determination to accuse non-Muslims of being disrespectful to Islam has become irrational.

“Jais woes” are of its own making. Jais or any religious department for that matter does not merit unthinking obedience by all and they must learn to be accountable for their actions. If Jais’ actions are valid and proven justified with the necessary evidence, then the law provides guidance as to what needs to be done.

If this is another knee-jerk reaction to an unsubstantiated accusation of proselytisation and conversion of Muslims and Jais acted wrongly, then the least it could do is to apologise. As Malaysians, we are a very forgiving society and understand that mistakes happen. However, what we must not and cannot tolerate are making threats to harm and inflict violence onto others, and placing arrogance, ego, pride before the peace of the country and her people.

The threats of Ezam are an embarrassment and disgrace to right-thinking Muslims in Malaysia and should be treated with the appropriate contempt.

Senator Ezam. As a member of our Parliament, you owe all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, an apology for your threats to inflict violence unto others.

* Azrul Mohd Khalib reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.