Bersih 2.0 gets leave to challenge unlawful order

High Court fixed Nov 22 to hear the merit of the judicial review.

KUALA LUMPUR: The steering committee of Bersih 2.0 today obtained leave from the High Court to challenge the order declaring it an unlawful society.

Judge Rohana Yusuf, who made the decision in chambers, allowed the leave application of the committee for a judicial review to quash the decision.

The court set Nov 22 to hear the merit of the judicial review.

On July 8, 14 members of the committee, including S Ambiga, filed the leave application naming the Home Minister, Inspector-General of Police and the government as respondents.

They are seeking an order of certiorari to remove the order dated July 1 by the Home Minister declaring Bersih 2.0 an unlawful society and an order to quash it forthwith.

They also want a declaration that the order is null and void and of no effect.

Ambiga, who is chairman of the committee, told reporters that the judge had granted them leave to seek to quash the decision and have the order declared null and void.

However, Ambiga said, the judge denied the leave application for an order prohibiting the respondents from entering and searching their premises as well as an order to compel the respondents to release the T-shirts, placards, newspapers, books, banners and any other documents or objects belonging to them which were seized by the police.

Ambiga said that she was happy with the ruling as it related to an executive order.

Senior Federal Counsel Kamaluddin Md Said, representing the respondents, said that he will get instructions from his superiors on whether to appeal against the ruling.

In the application, the committee claimed that the order decreed that the Bersih movement was declared an unlawful society because it was allegedly “being used for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the security of Malaysia and public order”.

Bersih 2.0, the committee contended, was substantively different from the movement known simply as Bersih which was launched in 2007 and comprised political parties and civil society organisations.

Bersih 2.0, it said, consisted solely of civil society organisations and was launched in November last year.

The applicants claimed that the order was illegal because Bersih 2.0 was substantively different from Bersih, and that Bersih, as it originally stood, no longer existed.

- Bernama

Indians ‘kingmakers’ in 130 state seats

A PKR survey revealed that urban and semi-urban Indians are still partial to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition

PETALING JAYA: A PKR leader is of the opinion that the Indian community is still very much aligned to Pakatan Rakyat and will be the kingmakers in 130 state assembly seats.

Malacca vice-president G Rajendran said that a recent survey by an independent team indicated that 60 percent of Malaysian Indians, who were mostly from the urban and semi-urban areas, were fed up with the Barisan Nasional (BN) administration.

He claimed that the team, which included him, had visited 62 parliamentary constituencies where the respective Indian communities had played a major role in deciding the winning candidates in the historic 2008 general election.

“We’ve been doing the survey for the last six months. The feedback is favouring Pakatan,” he told FMT.

According to him, Indians will play a pivotal role in the coming general election.

“The survey revealed that the outcome of 130 state assembly seats in Kedah, Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Johor, will be determined by Indian votes,” he said. (A parliamentary constituency has three to four state assembly seats.)

Rajendran said currently the BN leaders are playing a “psychological war” with the Indian community.

They are pitting the Indian community against Pakatan leaders by saying the community is unlikely support the opposition party.

“These are utter lies… the Indian voters still have faith in Pakatan.

“Pakatan has excellent state governments in Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Selangor respectively,” he added.

Fewer people in estates

Rajendran pointed out that only 15% of the Indians are now living in estates and rural areas, based on the survey.

“This is the group that MIC is focusing on. They (MIC) are hoping that by sorting out this group’s simple needs it is enough to win at the ballot box,” he said, adding that this group was still true loyalist to BN.

Rajendran, however, believes that despite MIC’s forays, the rural Indians are unlikely to turn against Pakatan in the 13th general election, even though the community is facing numerous problems to vote.

“Many of the voters have no transport to go to the voting centres.

“Some do not have identity cards and others are too complacent or are not interested to vote,” he said.

He added that that there should not be a comparison between a by-election and a general election, where in the former, the BN can give its full attention to the rural areas where Indian reside.

He also said the BN would also have trouble convincing the 20% Indians who lived in urban areas to vote for the ruling regime.

“BN cannot ‘touch’ them (urban Indian) at any cost.

“Thus, the remaining 65% of the Indians who live in the semi-urban are now seen as the real threat to both sides,” he said.

‘MIC doomed’

Rajendran is confident that 55% of the semi-urban Indians will support Pakatan in the upcoming election.

He said MIC was doomed and was unlikely to offer BN many voters.

He added that accusations hurled at PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and the government’s refusal to ban the “Interlok” novel, along with the discrimination in social and education developments, are several factors that would work against the MIC.

He described Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s recent announcement to help needy Indians as mere “instant noodles”, adding that BN can no longer fool the community.

On Monday, Najib launched an education charity fund called “Community Chest” and pledged to channel a minimum of RM100 million annually from next year to help needy Chinese and Tamil mission schools.

Rajendran said that “Najib only officiated at the programme and he cannot claim credit for it. The charity is a brainchild of Malaysian business tycoons.

“The BN has hijacked the charity from those tycoons to gain votes from non-Muslim,” he added.

Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim “Demi Rakyat” Alor Gajah 22/09/2011

Middle Malaysia

The Malaysian Insider

SEPT 28 — Middle Malaysia is elusive but it is clear that whichever coalition that is able to win across the traditional fault lines of race, religion and regions takes Federal power.

Barisan Nasional is now the world’s oldest elected government still in office. Its predecessor, the Alliance party, first won the Federal election for self-government in 1955.

BN’s longevity in government can be attributed to successful manipulation of the carrot and stick. Carrots range from contracts for big tycoons to rural patronage for the Umno base while the sticks are really big – dissenters can be put behind bars without trial for years while the mass media are muzzled.

But there is something deeper: there is no alternative.

Or more precisely, the ultimate use of the carrot and stick is to ensure that no BN-clone is allowed to exist.

Instead of fighting a single opposition, BN perpetuated a structure which has two flanks — PAS for the Muslims and DAP for the non-Malays — and styled itself as the indispensable pseudo “centrist” coalition that caters for the interests across racial, religious and regional boundaries.

Without a clean and fair electoral system and an unbiased mass media, the moment a moderate centrist coalition emerges it is destroyed without mercy.

Elections in 1964, 1974, 1982, 1995, and 2004 saw a general swing of all ethnic groups in favour of Barisan Nasional for various reasons. Elections in 1978 and 1986 witnessed Barisan Nasional winning across the races but losing heavily among ethnic Chinese voters.

A general anti-establishment swing across races in various degrees towards the Opposition occurred in elections in 1959, 1969, 1990, 2008 while the 1999 election was an oddity with Malays swinging massively towards the Opposition while more than 50 per cent of the supposedly more anti-establishment voted for the ruling coalition out of fear of the Islamic state claim and copycat violence a la Indonesia’s anti-Suharto days.

The de facto centre plus two flanks structure was almost broken in the 1990 general election until the final days of campaign when BN depicted Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah as a traitor to the Malays for wearing a Kadazan headgear with a symbol that looks like a cross. At the time, the majority of the ethnic Chinese and nearly half of the Malays were psychologically ready for a change of government.

Since the 2008 general election, BN’s formula to win the next election is not to recognise the two-party reality that it received only 51 per cent of popular votes. In fact, only 49 per cent in peninsular Malaysia voted for BN.

Instead, apart from starving the Opposition of material resources and fair mass media coverage, the strategy is three-pronged – to destroy Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s credibility as the alternative prime minister at all costs, to lure PAS’ leaders into the Malay/Muslim exclusivist discourse and to paint DAP as an extremist villain.

It is no small feat that for the last three-and-a-half years since the formation of Pakatan Rakyat as a consequence of the March 2008 election, it has so far been able to hold Middle Malaysia.

The alternative media channels are more mature compared to two decades ago while 70 per cent of Malaysians are now living in the urban areas which allow greater exposure and access to alternative views. In 1980, only 35 per cent of the population live in urban areas.

Umno has also effectively ceded Middle Malaysia to the Opposition since the waving of the keris by Hishammuddin Hussein in July 2005. Its right wing is now dictating policies.

And, to the credit of Pakatan Rakyat, it has stayed in Middle Malaysia all this while.

Putrajaya to set timetable for law reforms tomorrow, says Najib

The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 27 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today reaffirmed his government’s commitment to increase civil liberties in the country, saying Putrajaya will decide tomorrow on a timetable to carry out his promised reforms to security and press laws.

Without divulging details, the prime minister said the first round of reforms would be delivered during the coming Parliament sitting next month and promised more would follow suit over the next few months.

“At this stage, we want people to have the idea that we are serious about it, we are committed towards it and this coming Parliament, you will see a slew of new legislation, or rather actions on our part to repeal certain Acts and public will be informed in due course,” he told participants at the close of the Khazanah Megatrends Forum 2011 this evening.

The prime minister responding to a question by a participant on when his administration planned to implement the security and press law changes he had promised in his recent Malaysia Day address.

Among others, Najib had announced the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA), amendments to the Printing Presses and Publications Act (PPPA), the lifting of three Emergency Declarations and the repeal and amendments to other security laws.

“We are in process now of looking at some of the best practices, some of the norms that are in place, not only within the region but internationally, and we will be tackling them one by one. We will decide tomorrow on the timetable.

“The objective of the new policy would be to ensure greater civil liberties in Malaysia; we want to emerge as a modern functioning democracy,” Najib told the forum, earning applause.

He said his Malaysia Day message merely touched on some “basic principles”, adding that once his administration irons out the details of the reforms, subsequent announcements would be made.

Najib earned praise across the political divide for his law reform pledges but many civil society groups and opposition lawmakers also expressed doubt that the prime minister would follow through with his promises.

They pointed out that Najib had also announced the enactment of two new security laws in place of the ISA, asking if this meant the government was merely rebranding the contentious Act.

Political hardliners are also pressuring the prime minister to preserve the spirit of the ISA in the two new laws, claiming Malaysia was still in need of such preventive legislation.

Najib came to power in April 2009 with the promise of reviewing the ISA but has now done away with the security law completely in what appears to be a drastic move to win back middle Malaysia.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said this week Najib should push back the election timetable and the influential former prime minister’s views has found support among Cabinet and senior government leaders who want the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to regain greater support.

The latest survey from local pollster Merdeka Center showed that Najib’s popularity slid to 59 per cent this August from the highest of 79 per cent in May 2010, fuelled by rising concerns over the surge in living costs and his government’s handling of the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally.

The Bersih 2.0 rally and spike in living costs this year are similar to events in 2007 that eventually led to BN’s loss of its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority and four states in Election 2008 to three opposition parties that later organised themselves into a pact called Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

That led to Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi losing his job in 2009 in favour of Najib who became the country’s sixth prime minister after more than 30 years in government. Najib’s father, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, was the country’s second prime minister.

Dead prisoner's family gets RM590,900 damages

The New Straits Times

KUANTAN: The High Court yesterday ordered the government and Penor Prison director to pay RM590,900 in damages to the family of an 18-year-old youth who died at the prison six years ago.

Judge Datuk Mariana Yahya made the decision in chambers yesterday after reviewing submissions by lawyer G. Visvanathan Nair, who represented the victim's parents, Mohamed Yusof Mat Diah, 64, and his wife, Rohani Mohamed, 53.

Visvanathan told reporters that in her judgment, Mariana had described the assault by 10 prison employees as brutal and in-humane, and this had led to the death of Mohd Shukri Mohamed Yusof.

She said the prison employees had violated Shukri's human rights and such behaviour was unfair and could never be compromised.

Mariana awarded the amount for aggravated damages, loss of support and other expenses. 

Besides Visvanathan, the plaintiffs were also represented by G. Subramanian Nair and Ebrina Zubir.

The defendants were Azhar Che Wil, Teyun Thian Em, Suhaimi Nordin, Mohamad Hamdan Mohd Yaakob, Ahmad Rizal Ab Halim, Ismail @ Mat Daud Ideris (represented by Amanah Raya Bhd, which is managing his properties after he died), Hamdan Mohamad, Mohd Rozi Abdul Hamid, Baharin Ab Ghani and Zamarul Hafiz Shahbudin.

The Penor Prison director and the government were the 11th and 12th defendants.

Counsel R.S. Pani represented Hamdan, Rozi, Baharin and Zamarul Hafiz, while senior federal counsel Kamal Azira Hassan represented Teyun, Suhaimi, Hamdan, Ahmad Rizal, Ismail, the prison director and the government.

Nine of the warders -- Teyun, Suhaimi, Hamdan, Ahmad Rizal, Ismail@Mat Daud, Hamdan, Rozi, Baharin and Zamarul -- were acquitted in 2005 without their defence being called, while Azhar was sentenced to death.

The Federal Court upheld the conviction and death sentence against Azhar last year.

In the 4.10pm incident on March 1, 2004, Shukri, who was a remand prisoner, had attempted to escape but was caught 30 minutes later and assaulted by the prison employees before he passed out at the prison safety unit room.

Shukri, who was remanded for drug offences, was taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital here before he died at 7.44am on March 10. 

A medical report revealed that he suffered several injuries, including a fractured skull and bleeding in his brain.

Rohani, when met outside the court, said she was grateful that the case was over.

"I am not after the money, as my son is no longer alive, but what is important is that justice has been served.

"I hope this will serve as a reminder to the prison employees that they should never take the law into their hands as it can result in the death of people."

The housewife said her family had accepted Shukri's death, but added that it could have been avoided if the prison employees had been more responsible in carrying out their duties. 

She said her family would hold a tahlil (special prayers for the dead) for Shukri soon.

‘Human safari’ tourism destroys UN drive to link cultures

‘Human safari’ tourism destroys UN drive to link cultures

Tourists arriving on the Andaman Islands are being given leaflets about the 'human safari park' boycott. © Search/Survival

Travel and tourism have the power to link cultures and provide a ‘stepping stone towards peace’, according to the UN. But as the world marks its 31st World Tourism Day, Survival International has learned of an alleged sexual assault on a tribal woman in India’s Andaman Islands.

Exotic beaches make the archipelago a top holiday destination, but tourism is also leaving tribes increasingly vulnerable, as sightseeing tours turn into ‘human safaris’.

This trend means recently contacted tribes are now in immediate danger from outside influences. The alleged victim of this latest assault was from the Andamans’ Jarawa tribe. Police have arrested two non-Jarawa men.

The Jarawa resisted contact with outsiders until 1998, despite a road being built through the centre of their ancestral lands. Survival International has called on the Indian government to close the illegal road.

Two Jarawa relax by the coast of the Andaman Islands © Salomé/Survival

Some tour operators treat the Jarawa like animals, encouraging tourists to ‘spot’ them and throw biscuits and sweets as they drive along the Andaman Trunk Road.

Survival’s Director Stephen Corry says, ‘the UN describes World Tourism Day as a chance to advance understanding and tolerance between peoples and cultures. Using the Andaman Trunk road destroys this message by threatening the health and well being of a whole tribe. An alternative route must be provided.’

A local Andaman organization called Search is working with Survival to put pressure on the Indian government to develop a new route, which will not disturb the Jarawa.

Leaflets appealing for a tourism boycott of the road have been distributed at the islands' airport, to coincide with this year’s World Tourism week. Four out of five of the Andamans’ main tour operators have already come out in support of the boycott.

The ensuing Durga Puja in Bangladesh may grossly be violated by the Islamists.

Protesting Puja Committee members in front of the wrecked image of Goddess Durga under construction. in Dinajpur. BD NF Photo.

The members of the Hindu community in Bandarban town form a human chain on Monday protesting against the misdeed of some miscreants who damaged the clay image of goddess Durga in the district recently. BD Sun Photo

BD minority Hindus are denied Religious Rights in their largest festival.

The damages of deities are gross in nature. Islamists in Bangladesh are die hard to protest the rituals of infidels.

HE Desk from Dhaka :  Within some moments the final call for the greatest  event in Bengali Social Religious life is to rent the air through “Mahalaya”. But in various places in Bangladesh minority Hindus are anxious about their fate to observe the Durga Puja in peace or not.

Reports came in our desk about putting the strong hurdles to organize Durga Puja by not providing facilities to the puja committees along with state sponsored (?) hooliganism in a Islamic state by destroying Durga Images under construction/installation in the puja pandals in many parts of Bangladesh even under a so called ‘minority friend’ Awami League Govt. in Bangladesh at present.

When thousands of atrocities on Bengali Hindu population in Bangladesh have already been reported and harrowing experiences prove that these barbarities reach new heights during the days of Durga Puja, every year and there is no exception this year too. According to fresh reports, at least six deities, meant for the upcoming Durga Puja, have been desecrated and destroyed by Islamic fundamentalists in Banuria of Kaliganj in Jenaidaha, Alikadam, Bandarban, Birol, Birampur etc. in Bangladesh and the office bearers of the Puja Committee are also fatally injured in some places. Only two Muslim miscreants, in connection with these cases, have been arrested so far.

The clippings of the reports run below as heart rendering :

One Image of Durga, other deities damaged

Jhenaidh| 25th  Sept. 2011: A group of unidentified miscreants damaged some images of deities at a puja mandap in Banuria village under Kaliganj upazila of Jhenidah district in the early hours of Friday.

Parimal Kumar, a member of the Puja Udjapan Committee and inhabitant of the village, said they had gone home after holding a meeting here Thursday midnight.
They found some damaged images of deities, including Ganesh and Laxmi.
Besides, one hand of the tiger’s image was also found detached from its body.
He also added that the heinous incident had taken place just nine days ahead of the Durga Puja, the greatest religious festival of the Hindus.
If they failed to manage any artisan to repair the damaged images in time, they would not be able to celebrate the puja this year.
Vijan Kumar Das, president of the Puja Udjapan Committee, told daily sun that he had heard of the incident.
But, he could not yet visit the spot as he was staying outside.
Anjumanara Begum, UNO of Kaliganj upazila, said on information she had visited the spot.
Two Durga idols wrecked in Dinajpur

Dinajpur || 23rd Sept. 2011 || Unidentified miscreants wrecked two idols of Durga in two upazilas of Dinajpur district on Thursday night, a few days ahead of the biggest festival of the Hindu community.

The four-day Durga puja starts on October 2.

The incidents took place at Paikpara village under Birol upazila and Deior Salghoria village under Birampur upzila.

Dinajpur police super Moinul Islam confirmed the sacrilege and said the police had started investigations into the incidents.

He said the police already arrested a man in Birol on suspicion of his involvement in the crime.

Parimal Chakrabarty, a leader of the Dinajpur district Puja Udjapon Parishad, expressed his concern at the incidents and called on the district administration to step up security at the Hindu temples.

Three Images of Durga broken in Bandarban

Bandarban | 20th Sept. 2011: Some miscreants broke three images of goddess Durga at a temple at Vorir Muk under Alikadam upazila of Bandarban district Sunday night.

The images were built in preparation for celebrating the upcoming Durga Puja, the largest religious festival of the Hindus.
The temple authority said a gang of miscreants numbering 8-10 had come to the temple and suddenly attacked them with sticks and sharp weapons while they had been in a meeting on the temple premises and stabbed three people. They had also broken the three images.
One of the critically injured, Monomohan Karmokar, president of the temple authority, was admitted to Alikadam Upazila Health Complex.
Md Iqbal, officer-in-charge of Alikadam police station, said on information they had rushed to the spot and nabbed one Abul Kalam in this connection at night.
Deputy Commissioner Mizanur Rahman, Police Super Kamrul Hasan and Bandarban Puja Udjapan Parishad leaders visited the spot Monday morning.
A case was filed in this connection.
Two other incidents of  breaking the Durga Idol by Muslims fundamentalists  just came into this end : ~~

1. Place : village – Simulia, Sadar Upazila – Jhalkathi.  Dist. Adminstrator Mr. Ashok Biswas confirmed the attack. Police Super Mohammad Mozid Ali inspected the place of occurance.

2. Place : Rajsahi, Tanore Municipality. In the area of Samaspur, Durga Image was desecrated  in the Hari Temple puja site. The 4 images (clay idols) of  Goddess Lakshi (2),  Goddess Saraswati (1), and Lord Kartick (1) were destroyed in the night time. The main culprit and the perpetrator is one Iskamil Mridha as revealed. Intensive police posting is ordered by the authority to maintain the peace. The Secretary of the Hari Mandir Durgotsav Committee has filed a case against 15 Muslim miscreants so far.

Despite of these menace tantamount to the minority Hindus in Bangladesh, the Home Minister in Bangladesh Sahara Khatun briefed the press that this year has the landmark to conduct 28000 pujas against the 27000 pujas held last year. Even she gave a statistics to increase of three puja mandops (pandals) this year in the capital of Dhaka touching the figure of 196 against last year’s 193 so far. The Minister reiterated the ‘peaceful’ and ‘no problem’ observance of Durga pujas under the instructed and designated Puja Samanoy Samity (Puja Coordination Committee) headed by District Magistrate in every districts to look after his jurisdiction.

But these pro Islamists never raise that glorious days of Bangladesh Hindus, when once only Dhaka was overwhelmed with more than 300 Durga pujas on her own with a celebration of 50000 Durga pujas with the periphery of today’s bangladesh some 60 years back. But it is encouraging that the various Hindu minority forums are struggling hard to protect their religious rights and continue the Hindu rituals and celebrations through many hardships in an Islamic State of Bangladesh.

Zaid: Hudud cannot exclude

Dissidents are not founding members

JHEAINS to take body snatch incident to court

The Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Deparment (JHEAINS) will take legal action against those who prevented the department from obtaining the body of Lawrence Sevananthan for “contempt of court”.

Its director, Johani Hassan, said when contacted today that the department was studying legal action for being prevented from burying Lawrence’s body according to Islamic rites.

“We had a court order for them to hand over the body (to JHEAINS), but they refused. So we are studying action for contempt of court,” he said, but declined to disclose further details.

Johani maintained that Lawrence, 33, whose body was involved in a tussle between his family and JHEAINS, was a Muslim before he died and that there was evidence to prove that he converted to Islam on Sept 19.

“We have the certificate that shows he converted to Islam and a video recording to prove it,” he said.

The religious status of Lawrence, who died last week, became the centre of controversy after JHEAINS officers went to the family home on Sept 22 to claim the body on grounds that he had converted to Islam three days earlier.

The situation sparked an tense stand-off between family members and at least 30 police and JHEAINS officers.

JHEAINS later backed down, but Lawrence’s friends took matters into their own hands by whisking the body away as it was being taken to a church in Seremban.

They cremated the body and buried the ashes in Segamat.

Lawrence was found unconscious in his lorry by family members on the night of Sept 21 and was declared dead on arrival at the Seremban Hospital.

Bishop wants ‘iron-clad’ guarantee on hudud

Commenting on the row over hudud, Bishop Paul Tan says 'let the Kelantanese have it'. But he wants a guarantee that non-Muslims will not be affected.

PETALING JAYA: The opposition bloc of diameterically opposed ideologies is grappling with the controversy surrounding the proposal to implement hudud in Kelantan – an issue, which political observers warned, could sever Pakatan Rakyat’s support, especially among non-Muslims.

Admist the raging debate, a Catholic leader argued that it would be hypocritical to oppose the Islamic-based PAS on this issue but demanded an iron-cast assurance from Pakatan supremo Anwar Ibrahim.

Should hudud be implemented in the PAS-governed state, Bishop Paul Tan said the opposition leader must obtain a guarantee that non-Muslims residing in Kelantan would not be subjected to it.

The 72-year-old head of the Malacca and Johor diocese would also prefer if the other parties in Pakatan, namely DAP, work towards securing a similar guarantee as well.

The secularist DAP, which relies on the support of the Chinese electorate, had always been opposed to PAS’ vision of turning Malaysia into an Islamic state.

Tan said while his core stance would be to dissuade the Kelantan state government from implementing hudud, this however was not a realistic position, given that Muslims were obliged to support syariah law which encompassed hudud.

“I stand by my Catholic teaching that every individual must be free to choose his/her religious beliefs. Since we, Catholics, demand this right for ourselves, it would be hypocritical not to give the same human rights to others, here specifically to Muslims,” the bishop told FMT.

“Once you come to terms with the unrealism of the rejectionist stance, you switch to its opposite, which is to give support to the view that Kelantanese Muslims ought to be allowed to see for themselves what living under syariah would be like.

“The rest of Malaysia can stand by and observe. So long as we don’t cede our right to vote, we can use the ballot box, whenever general elections are held, to render our verdict as the evidence unfolds on the success or otherwise of this experience. PAS abides by democratic rules. It would have to submit to the ultimate verdict of the people,” he added.

‘A Kelantanese thing’

Tan pointed out that the issue was a “Kelantanese thing” since the menteri besar of Selangor, another Pakatan-controlled state, clarified that Islamic law would not be implemented there.

He said it was not for nothing that the Kelantanese considered their state – with a predominantly Muslim population – of being “Serambi Mekah” (Corridor to Mecca).

“Since they so dearly want syariah, I say let them have it. The rest of Malaysia can watch and see and decide which systems they prefer as and when elections come around.

“I think the unrealistic position is to tell a fervent Muslim that he cannot acquit himself of his obligation to support syariah,” he added.

Asked if as a Christian leader he considered PAS’ theocratic goals as a threat, Tan responded by citing the situation in other countries.

“Do you see Christians in Pakistan happy with the state of things there since the time General Zia Ul-Haq introduced syariah law in Pakistan in the 1980s?

“Did you see Christians in south Sudan (now independent) happy with the state of things from the time Hassan Turabi convinced Jaafar al-Numieri to introduce Islamic law in the country?

“Do you see Indonesian Christians happy with the state of things since the time militant Muslims, although a minority in that country, began to thrust themselves onto the national stage from the later part of Suharto’s tenure till now?” he asked.

Tan said that he could go on citing examples, but noted that it would not be helpful in the Malaysian context.

“Here, on the one hand, you have imposters using religion to garner support and, on the other, you have earnest Muslims in Kelantan thinking that they can replicate the ‘best of all communities designed for man’, which is what the Quranic scriptures say about the communities in Mecca and Medina during the time when Islam’s Prophet ruled,” he added.

‘Not interested in Umno”

Referring to PAS spritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Tan also asked if he was expected to say “No” (oppose the implementation of hudud) to a menteri besar who next month finished 21 years at the helm “with not a speck of corruption hanging to his name”.

“I say it’s better for us to say ‘Go ahead, just give us cast-iron guarantees that it won’t be imposed on non-Muslims’. And then, we sit back and see what happens,” he said.

On whether Umno might be tempted to follow suit in an attempt to win over the support of Malay-Muslim voters, the bishop did not mince his words.

“Actually, I have ceased to care what Umno is up to,” he said.

“They are the ones that are chiefly responsible for this huge deficit in Malaysian – particularly Kelantanese – Muslim belief that good secular governance can be obtained in this country.

“I am more concerned to see what their opponents are up to and determined to keep those opponents true to their professions,” he added.

Perkasa mob’s attack ‘premeditated’

If their intention was to hand over a memorandum as claimed, why fling bottles and stones at crowd, asks Seremban PAS chief

SEREMBAN: The Perkasa mob which disrupted a PAS dinner-cum-ceramah last Saturday had carried out a “well-planned and premeditated” attack, said Seremban PAS chief MK Ibrahim.

“The excuse that they were there just to hand over a memorandum is unacceptable. If they really wanted to do that, why throw stones and bottles at the crowd?

“This was a Hari Raya dinner as well. There were women, children and senior citizens among the crowd. They could have been badly hurt,” said Ibrahim.

“They did not come with the intention of handing over a memorandum but to deliberately disrupt the event to get cheap publicity,” he added.

About 100 Perkasa members created a ruckus when they tried to storm the ceramah attended by PAS deputy president Mat Sabu.

They came with banners that read: “Mat Sabu Pembohong (Liar)”, “Mat Sabu Perosak Bangsa (Corrupter of the race)” and “Mat Sabu Hina Pejuang (Insults freedom fighters)”.

In the ensuing fracas, a PAS supporter was hit in the head with a stone and another, suffered a broken nose while several others were injured.

Negri Sembilan PAS commissioner Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani said the party is considering seeking compensation from the those whose actions resulted in injuries to its supporters.

“But it will depend on the outcome of the police investigation,” he said.

“We are ready to assist the police,” Taufek added.

He said that the uncivilised behaviour of the Perkasa members showed that the NGO had little respect for the constitution and the laws of the land.

The Hudud issue: FOR and AGAINST

Basically, you have a democratic right to dream about Hudud and to support it. And you also have a democratic right to have nightmares about Hudud and to oppose it. The problem is, both sides do not understand democracy and do not respect the democratic right of someone to support or oppose what they feel they want to support or oppose.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Let us first argue FOR.

We are always shouting and screaming that Barisan Nasional does not respect the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. We accuse Barisan Nasional of violating the Constitution. But is it only Barisan Nasional that is guilty of this or are we also guilty of the same?

What does the Constitution say? It says that religion (meaning Islam) is a state matter and comes under the Ruler of that state. In states that do not have Rulers, then religion comes under the Agong.

That means the states have power over matters involving Islam.

Now, this is what the Constitution stipulates. And if we don’t like that or do not agree with that, tough! Then we shall have to amend the Constitution so that matters concerning religion can be brought under the control of the federal government.

However, to do that, we shall first have to control a majority in Parliament. And that means we will have to ensure that we vote in a new government that is prepared to make these amendments to the Constitution.

And if we can’t find any government that is prepared to make these amendments then we are stuck. That means that particular Article in the Constitution will stay and cannot be amended.

Okay, since religion is a state matter, this means each state decides on all matters concerning the Shariah. For example, one state might ban Muslims from drinking and punish offenders with a fine. Another state might punish offenders with a jail sentence while, yet another, may impose whipping as the punishment. Then we might see a situation where a state does not punish offenders at all and just turns a blind eye to Muslims who drink.

Ultimately, it is entirely up to that state what it wants to do with regards to the Shariah, whether it involves liquor, illicit sex, or whatever. But in situations like prostitution, rape, robbery, murder, etc., where we already have federal laws concerning such crimes, then federal laws and not state Shariah laws would apply. Federal laws override state laws even in matters concerning Islam. Only when the federal laws are ‘silent’ would the state laws apply.

The bottom line is, the state decides what it wants to do in all matters concerning Islam unless there are already federal laws to address certain issues, mostly related to crimes.

So, 20 years ago, Kelantan passed a bill in the State Assembly to enact the Shariah law of Hudud and, ten years ago, Terengganu did the same. So what is wrong with that? Isn’t that the powers of the states? Since it is legal then why are we making an issue out of it?

However, if it involves liquor, illicit sex and whatnot, the state can impose whatever punishment it wants. Only when it involves crimes already covered by federal laws will Parliament have to approve those new state laws first before they can be implemented.

And Parliament did not approve them. Parliament blocked the move by Kelantan and Terengganu and until today the Shariah law of Hudud can’t be implemented in those two states. That is also correct. That is within the powers of Parliament. And, until the majority in Parliament votes otherwise, this state of affairs will continue.

Now, assuming they do a referendum and more than half the citizens of Kelantan and Terengganu (two states where 97% of the population are Muslims) vote in favour of Hudud and, say, Parliament decides (by majority vote) to approve these laws since a referendum has been taken and more than half the citizens of those states voted in favour of these laws, is this not democracy at work?

We say we want democracy. Well, that is democracy. Why then are we still shouting and screaming?
So you see, democracy works both ways. And democracy may not necessarily always be good when we are in the minority. However, whether you like it or not, majority rules. And this is the reality we have to accept. Tough!

Now let us argue AGAINST.

The theists (in this case the Muslims) argue that the Shariah law of Hudud is God’s law. And because of that they want the Hudud laws to be implemented in Malaysia.

That is well and fine if Malaysia were a theological state. But Malaysia is not a theological state. Malaysia is a parliamentary democracy modelled after Britain’s Westminster system of government. In short, Malaysia is a Secular State with partial implementation of the Shariah -- but only in certain matters and certainly not in matters involving crime.

So, again, we have to go through the same process as what we argued above for the FOR. That means you need to get Parliament to approve these new state laws. And, to do that, you will need to control a majority in Parliament. And if that can’t be done, tough! Then nothing is going to happen.

Chances are we shall continue to see different governments at state and federal levels for a long time to come. And that would mean the federal government would continue to move in the opposite direction to the state governments. And that means the Shariah law of Hudud will continue to remain mere talk and an aspiration of certain people who are never going to see it happen.

Yes, Malaysia is a democracy. So you are free to continue talking about it and aspire to see it happen. That is your democratic right. But whether you are ever going to see it happen is another thing altogether. And it is not right for those people who grudge you talking about it and stop you from aspiring to see it happen. You have every democratic right to wish for the Shariah law of Hudud and no one should tell you to shut up.

In this situation both sides are wrong. Those who do not allow those who support Hudud to talk about it are wrong. And those who want to force Hudud down the throats of Malaysians using the argument that this is God’s law are also wrong.

Basically, you have a democratic right to dream about Hudud and to support it. And you also have a democratic right to have nightmares about Hudud and to oppose it. The problem is, both sides do not understand democracy and do not respect the democratic right of someone to support or oppose what they feel they want to support or oppose.

This is the crux to the whole matter and this is why we are seeing so much conflict amongst Malaysians with regards to this very touchy matter called Hudud.

Whilst the nation inches towards financial ruin…

I have to confess that most times that Arthur engages me on the global capital markets, much of what he says is Greek to me.
Still very much a kampung boy, I guess.
Not so kampung boy, though, that I cannot make out from this report in the Malaysianinsider that the attention of the whole world is turned to how Europe and the US deal with their debt crisis that is threatening to wreak havoc in national economies worldwide.
Well, the whole world except, it would seem, in Kelantan.
Maybe even the whole country.
Certainly, though, Kelantan seems oblivious to the impending financial crisis.
Nik Aziz seems determined to see hudud made the paramount law of all Kelantanese who profess Islam as their religion.
And the law applicable to any Muslim passing through the state.
Prof Aziz Bari, as reported in Malaysiakini, seems dead certain that the majority of Kelantanese are all for hudud law being implemented in the state.
Why, he says, the government is even prepared to take a referendum to the people on this issue.
What’s not clear from the report is, firstly, whether by ‘majority of Kelantanese’, Aziz also meant the non-Muslim community, and, secondly, whether the Kelantanese non-Muslim community would also partake in any state-wide referendum on the issue?
What good, though, would such a referendum serve unless those who think it unwise to de-secularise Kelantan are given the widest possible berth to share those concerns with all the Kelantanese?
Will PAS allow for this?
Aziz is quoted as saying that he had the opportunity to listen to the sentiments of the grassroots and thereby discerned their inclination towards the implementation of hudud in the state.
It would have been good if, even as he sought their views on the hudud, Aziz had also elicited from that same grassroot their thoughts and concerns about the economic development or, more accurately, the near absence thereof, in the state.
Kelantan is, after all, ranked 5th amongst all the states in terms of the incidence of poverty.
As PAS pushes to implement hudud, do they also have a plan to uplift the economic lot of the impoverished Kelantanese?
That you do not need hudud law to rejuvenate the economy is exemplified by what the Pakatan state government has achieved in Penang these last 3 years.
Aziz postulates that there is no restriction in the constitution for the introduction and implementation of Islamic law, including the hudud.
His reasoning then, seems to be that as there is no such restriction and as the majority favour it, the will of the majority be done.
Aziz must concede that there is also no prohibition in the constitution for the introduction into law of any Christian precepts.
According to Wikipedia, Sarawak has the largest population of Christians, over 43% of the population being of this faith.
26% are Muslim.
If the Christians in Sarawak could get another 10 % of the population to support them in a referendum, would Aziz go along with the state then justifiably legislating to, say, as an example, make it incumbent upon every Christian in the state to ‘take the Gospel to all, baptising them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’?
What’s good for Kelantan must surely be just as good for Sarawak, no?
Respectfully, I think Aziz Bari’s reasoning why hudud could, without any difficulty, be implemented in Kelantan is seriously flawed and, if time permits, I would try to address these various flaws in another posting.
The principal plank in Aziz’s flawed argument, in my view, is his outright dismissal to claims that we were, at the very inception of Malaya and, continuing through to the forming of the nation we now are, intended to be secular.
In taking this position, Aziz disregards the pronouncement by a 5-man bench of the Supreme Court in the case of Che Omar Che Soh that “…it can be seen that during the British colonial period, through their system of indirect rule and establishment of secular institutions, Islamic law was rendered isolated in a narrow confinement of the law of marriage, divorce and inheritance only. In our view, it is in this sense that the framers of the Constitution understood the meaning of the word ‘Islam’ in the context of Article 3. If it had been otherwise, there would have been another provision in the Constitution which would have the effect that any law contrary to the injunction of Islam will be void. Far from making such provision, Article 162, on the other hand, purposely preserves the continuity of secular law prior to the Constitution, unless such law is contrary to the latter…we have to set aside our personal feelings because the law in this country is still what it is today, secular law, where morality not accepted by the law is not enjoying the status of law. Perhaps that argument should be addressed at other forums or at seminars and, perhaps, to politicians and Parliament. Until the law and the system is changed, we have no choice but to proceed as we are doing today.”
Aziz knows well that to this day, Che Omar has never been overruled.
Ignored, perhaps, as Aziz now does, but never overruled.
Perhaps the leadership in Kelantan, and their advisors, would do well to take heed of the words of Salleh Abas, put aside their personal feelings, and look into the more pressing economic needs of the poor in Kelantan.

Beware of false prophets — Jacob Sinnathamby

SEPT 27 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak certainly talks a good game. It is election season and he needs to win big so everything goes.

Today he talks about how Bumiputera quotas need to go, eventually. No one knows when this eventually will be because as we all know the Umno-hijacked New Economic Policy was extended under pressure from the Umno beneficiaries.

Najib is not the first Umno president to talk about removing quotas or taking away the crutches from Bumiputeras.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Abdullah Badawi both mentioned this when they wanted to show Malaysians that they were enlightened leaders and when they were fishing for support from non-Malays before elections.

Needless to say all their “good intentions” never materialised. Once they got the votes, they promptly forgot about taking away the quotas and instead fortified the distortions in the system.

Abdullah talked about open tenders but openly allowed Umno men and cronies to carry on negotiating inflated contracts. It is the same with Najib.

There is no such thing as open tenders today. In fact, it business as usual for well-connected businessmen and Umno warlords.

Anyone who reads news portals will know that the beneficiaries of many of the contracts are well-connected to Umno ministers or other leaders.

Heck, wasn’t it only weeks ago that Najib succumbed to Perkasa and gave a chunk of MRT contracts to Malay businessmen.

The problem in our country is that we have too many false prophets. They always come bearing gifts during the election season.

And you know what they say about false prophets and gifts.

* Jacob Sinnathamby reads The Malaysian Insider.

Najib On Bumiputera Quotas

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak said that there was a need to "run away" from quotas for Bumiputeras but they must continue to be supported to grow.

"You must run, go away from quotas. But you must support them (Bumiputeras) in a way that will allow them to grow from small and medium enterprises to get bigger and to become even regional champions," he said at a question and answer session at the Khazanah Megatrends Forum 2011 here Tuesday.

The Prime Minister said that quotas could hamper capable Bumiputera entrepreneurs from developing their abilities.

He feared that "if you give them quotas, they will rest on their laurels and eventually will not gain the expertise to manage businesses."

Najib said that one past criticism he had of the quota system was that the right kind of people was not being promoted. The affirmative action must now be based more on meritocracy.

"So, you must promote the right Bumiputeras. If you promote the right Bumiputeras, not only will they succeed, but the non-Bumiputeras will not begrudge them," he said.

Najib alluded to the Bumiputera Agenda Coordinating Unit in the Prime Minister's Department which had identified more than 1,000 companies that would be assisted to grow.

The Prime Minister also said the cabinet will decide tomorrow on the timeline for the proposed amendments to security and press laws to enhance civil liberties in the country and make Malaysia a more modern and vibrant democracy.

In his Malaysia Day message on Sept 15, Najib said the government would repeal the Internal Security Act 1960 and the Banishment Act 1959 and review other laws, including the Printing Presses and Publications Act.

Stressing that the government was serious about carrying out reforms, he said: "This coming Parliament session, you will see a slew of new legislation or actions."

Moluccas, explosive devices found in a church

by Mathias Hariyadi - www.asianews.it

Ambon police also discover bomb in the local bus station. Hand of Islamic extremists from other parts of the country suspected. The discovery comes after clashes between Christians and Muslims last September 11. Fear of renewed interfaith conflict.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Tensions remain high in Ambon (Maluku) scene of fighting between Christians and Muslims last September 11. Yesterday, police discovered three pipe bombs inside the Maranatha Protestant church and near the local bus station. According to authorities the current tensions are the work of Islamic groups from outside the region.

The strategy of placing bombs in crowded places like markets, religious buildings, bus and train stations is typical of Islamic extremist groups active in the area of Poso (Central Sulawesi). From 1999 to 2001, Poso and Central Sulawesi province were the scene of bloody clashes between Christians and Muslims that claimed more than 2 000 victims.

Yesterday, several Muslim and Christian groups and organizations have asked the authorities to stop all those who come to Ambon without a specific reason. In a statement the youth of Mujammadiyah, a moderate Islamic group, said: "We strongly reject the arrival of people from outside because it could increase tension in the region." Young Muslims appeal to all the people of Ambon, Christians and Muslims, to find a solution to the fighting through local values and traditions.

Meanwhile, after the suicide attack last Sept. 25 against Bethel Christian Church in Kepunton Indonesia (Solo, Central Java), the police have deployed thousands of agents across the country and increased controls to protect churches from further attacks. Moderate Muslim groups like Nahdlatul Ulama have offered their help to protect Christians.

AI: Hudud not ideal in Malaysia

PAS must explain how justice will be dispensed and how it will legally enforce hudud laws.

GEORGE TOWN: Forget about implementing hudud laws. Apply instead laws based on international human rights standards instead, insisted an international human rights watchdog, Amnesty International yesterday.

AI executive director Nora Murat noted that hudud laws were not ideal, inapplicable and irrelevant in today’s rapidly globalising liberal world.

The Malaysian human rights proponent has no doubt that the implementation of hudud law would be a step backward, not forward, for the Malaysian civil society.

She suggested that it was indeed time to reinvent and reform the country laws into international class uniformed legislations accepted by all.

She insisted that one should drop the idea of hudud and focus on implementing laws based on universal concept of human rights values.

She called on Malaysians to move on with the times and to keep abreast with the fast developing globalisation concept emphasising on a more liberal, equal, fair and just civil society.

“The punishment like chopping off legs and hands are degrading and inhumane.

“We surely can’t practice that now,” Nora told FMT.

She was commenting on Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s statement last week that his government intended to implement hudud laws in the east-coast state.

Rhetorics slammed

Anwar, the de facto leader of PKR, which forms the backbone of Pakatan, said he believed in the principle that Islamic laws could be implemented in Kelantan.

“Looking at specific areas, there is clear guarantee of an administration of justice and it does not in any way infringe on the rights of non-Muslims,” said the opposition leader.

Anwar then added that it was his personal opinion.

Anwar and PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz came under fire from Pakatan Rakyat ally, DAP and many non-Muslims, especially in the cyber space, for their political stand.

Nora chided political parties which capitalised on religious rhetoric to gain political mileage.

“Religion shall never be politicised.

“It shall never be used as tool to fish votes,” cautioned Nora, a lawyer by profession.

Nora noted that hudud laws have failed to create a ‘just and fair society and system of justice’ in several countries including places such as Nigeria.

Due to the hudud fiasco, she said the Nigerian government was now facing a strong people’s movement determined to free the country from Islamic laws.

PAS must be transparent

However, she welcomed Nik Aziz and Anwar for openly supporting hudud laws now than later, after the general election.

“At least they are open and frank about their intentions.

“They did not hide their agenda to implement it after the election,” she said

She pointed out that PAS should have been more transparent on its Islamic agenda by disclosing publicly the whole system of hudud laws that it planned to implement.

She noted that implementation of hudud laws and its justice system differed among and within Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran.

As such, she said PAS should explain and reveal its plans for the legal enforcement of such laws.

It should also explain what the court structure would be and how the administration of justice would be like under the hudud laws.

“PAS should disclose on whether it would allow democratic space to question hudud laws and verdicts perceived unfair and unjust, like in civil laws,” Nora insisted.

‘We did not conspire against Anwar’

In his affidavit, the prime minister admits meeting Saiful two days before the alleged sodomy incident for which Anwar Ibrahim is in trial.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak admitted meeting Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan two days prior to the latter being allegedly sodomised by Anwar Ibrahim.

However, Najib said he had no knowledge of the June 26, 2008 (alleged sodomy) incident and therefore could not provide any information or relevant evidence on issues raised by the defence in the ongoing Sodomy II trial.

This was stated by Najib in his affidavit to support his application to set aside the subpeona compelling him to testify in the trial. His application would be heard on Thursday.

He also stated that prior to or after June 24, 2008, he never met the complainant, instructed anyone or conspirated with any individual to incriminate Anwar.

“I categorically deny any notion that my wife and I conspired in “mereka-rekakan ataupun mengada-adakan” anything which were very detrimental to the respondent (Anwar),” he said.

The affidavit, affirmed on Sept 23, also stated that Saiful only informed Najib of alleged sodomy incidents which took place prior to the June 26 incident. The prime miniser said he had advised Saiful to let the police investigate the matter.

Najib urged the court to set aside the subpeona on the ground that he strongly believes that the intention (to get him to testify) of the respondent (Anwar) was not in good faith.

According to the premier, it was just an attempt to abuse the process of the court.

Rosmah: I’m not a relevant witness

Meaawhile, Rosmah in her affidavit stated that she had never met or spoke with the complainant, and like her husband, denied involvement in any conspiracy against Anwar.

“I’m not a relevent witness in this trial, therefore the subpeona against me should be set aside,” read the affidavit.

On Sept 21, Najib and Rosmah filed the application to set aside the subpoenas. The couple is represented by four senior counsels Salehuddin Saidin, Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, M Athimulan and Ghazi Ishak.

On Aug 8, trial judge Mohamad Zabidin granted Anwar’s application to interview witnesses offered by the prosecution, including Najib and Rosmah.

During Anwar’s first sodomy trial in 1998, then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad was also subpoenaed and he succeded in setting it aside.

Mohamad Zabidin ordered Anwar to enter his defence on May 16 after ruling that Saiful was a truthful and credible witness.

Anwar, 65, claimed trial on Aug 7, 2008 to committing carnal intercourse against the order of nature at the Desa Damansara Condominium in Bukit Damansara between 3.10 pm and 4.30 pm on June 26, 2008.

The sodomy trial is set to continue on Oct 3.

Israeli Doctors Save Gaza Girl’s Life, Raise Funds for Further Treatment

'Apes and Pigs'? Abir Abu Nakira, a 17-year-old Palestinian girl from Rafah with the israeli medical team who have saved her life - and raising fund for further treatment for her 

We’re sure that sometimes, ordinary Arabs must wish the whole of the Middle East was run by the Jews:
The life of a 17-year-old Palestinian girl from Rafah in Gaza was saved by Kaplan Medical Centre doctors after she fell from a malfunctioning ferris wheel near her home and was critically injured.
Three months after the accident, she is out of danger, but her doctors are trying to collect funds to enable her to undergo abroad a small-intestine transplant, which is unavailable here.
“I wish for peace between us and Israel,” Abir Abu-Nakira said. “Kaplan physicians saved me.”
Dr. Yoram Klein, director of the trauma and urgent surgery department in the Rehovot hospital, said Abir was brought to Kaplan after being held for four hours in a Palestinian Authority hospital, but the staff couldn’t save her. She was unconscious with severe abdominal injuries, requiring surgeons to perform several lifesaving operations.
In recent days, her condition stabilised, but she still requires a long period of hospitalisation. Her small intestine was severely damaged from the fall and is fed by a special tube attached to a vein in a technique unavailable in Palestinian Authority hospitals. A TV set was brought to her bedside to keep her occupied.
Klein said the hospital found an Arabic-speaking teacher who will work with her, and soon, teachers from Ramle will come to Kaplan to help Abir progress in her studies. Family members received permits to enter Israel from Gaza, with help from the hospital.

“Dr. Klein is my angel. He is much more than a doctor; he supports and strengthens me Abir Abu-Nakira

This is not a one-off, either. Thousands of ‘Palestinians’ are treated in Israel, usually without cost or fanfare. Their families are regularly allowed into Israel to accompany or visit them.
As Abu Mazen and the PA tries to shoplift statehood from the gullible UN, without the hard work of actually negotiating for peace – and while they the thugs of Hamas squander the billions they get in aid from the impressonable dhimmis that ‘lead’ the West on terrorism and hate propaganda aimed at the Jewish ‘apes and pigs’, Israel is quietly showing ordinary Gazans and those from Judea and Samaria the humanity, hard work, education and accomplishment required to do in order to actually become a real state – not a failed Islamic terrorist kleptocracy.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian Mafia comprised of the PA and Hamas use Western money (your money) to pay monthly salaries to those that kill and maim Israelis – and fete these criminals and terrorists as heroes on children’s TV shows.
They call for nothing less than the annihilation of the Jewish State in their constitutions.
Against daily this background of indoctrination, racist hatred and incitement – we feel sure that ordinary people in Gaza such as Abir Abu-Nakira and her grateful family surely cannot help but compare and contrast.
Full story at the Jerusalem Post

Palsu bukti:Gani dicabar saman pihak kaitkan beliau

Lawyer for Sarbaini's kin: Decision hard to believe

Najib: ‘Sin’ money for schools

Some RM100 million from gambling profit will go into the coffers of vernacular and mission schools.

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced today that some RM100 million of gambling profit will be channelled to vernacular and mission schools.

Amid speculation that national polls would be held in the next six months, the announcement is likely to be interpreted as Najib’s effort to regain non-Malay support.

Vernacular schools often complained about lack of funding and support from Putrajaya. The Najib administration knows that education funding is one of the major issues that could draw support particularly from the Chinese electorate.

Najib said the funds would be distributed in close consultation with the government and Barisan Nasional component parties to ensure fair distribution.

The announcement was made at the launching of the “Community Chest” fund run by a consortium of tycoons that paid over RM2 billion for billionaire T Ananda Krishnan’s Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd (PMP) in July. It would be spearheaded by Lim Kok Tay of gambling giant Genting Bhd.

Others on the board of trustees are Genting deputy chairman Hanif Omar, Quek Leng Chan of the Hong Leong group, Lion Group boss William Cheng and Westport’s G Gnanalingam.

As much as RM26 million have been pumped into 61 vernacular schools as of today while Najib said a minimum of RM100 million would be channelled annually beginning next year.

The fund was modelled after Hong Kong’s Community Chest, a non-profit organisation that bankrolled community projects.

The initiative came amid the Chinese’s continuous snub of national schools in favour of Chinese-language primary schools. They believe the schools provide better quality education despite the lack of support from the government.

The Singapore Straits Times reported last month that financial executives involved in the deal believe it could improve BN’s standing among the Chinese and Indian electorate.

Flagging non-Malay support contributed to the ruling coalition’s dismal performance in the landmark 2008 general election where BN lost its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament and five states.

Meanhwile, Najib said Putrajaya would work on creating a “creative solution” to complement the government’s efforts to ensure access to quality education for all.

“We cannot meet all the needs of the community but it is important that new models are initiated to achieve government targets,” he said at the Confucian Chinese School here.

Nik Aziz: DAP ibarat budak-budak kecil takutkan hantu

Hudud untuk orang Islam dan apa hubungan dia (DAP) dengan orang Islam, kata Menteri Besar Kelantan.

KOTA BARU: Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat berkata hukum hudud yang mahu dilaksanakan kerajaan Kelantan sama sekali tidak kena mengena dengan masyarakat bukan Islam terutama DAP yang juga tiada sebab membantah undang-undang Islam itu dilaksanakan.

Beliau menyifatkan DAP seperti “budak-budak kecil takutkan hantu”, sedangkan hukum hudud sebenarnya lebih adil dan tidak membabitkan golongan bukan Islam.

“DAP nak keluar (gabungan pembangkang) pasal apa? Hudud untuk orang Islam dan apa hubungan dia (DAP) dengan orang Islam,” katanya kepada pemberita di kediaman Menteri Besar di sini, hari ini.

Semalam, Nik Aziz berkata hukum hudud itu akan dilaksanakan di Mahkamah Syariah di Kelantan walaupun mendapat tentangan daripada DAP.

Baru-baru ini, pemimpin-pemimpin kanan DAP dilaporkan akan meletakkan jawatan beramai-ramai sekiranya terdapat usaha meletakkan matlamat menjadikan negara Islam atau melaksanakan hukum hudud di negara ini.

Kenyataan Mursyidul Am PAS itu bertentangan dengan saranan Setiausaha Agung PAS Datuk Mustafa Ali yang meminta semua pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat tidak membuat sebarang kenyataan mengenai hukum hudud sehingga mesyuarat bulanan mereka, Rabu ini.

Ia adalah persetujuan yang dicapai antara beliau dengan setiausaha agung PKR, Saifudin Nasution Ismail, dan Ketua Pemuda DAP, Anthony Loke, kata Mustafa  kepada pemberita di ibupejabat PAS di Kuala Lumpur.

Mustafa berkata, mesyuarat pada hari tersebut yang sepatutnya membincangkan mengenai Bajet 2012 tetapi akan meletakkan isu sensitif hukum hudud sebagai keutamaan dan satu pendirian bersama akan dibuat.

- Bernama

MIC: DAP threat a ‘sandiwara’

MIC secretary-general S Murugesan urges DAP to resolve the issue once and for all or do the honourable thing.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP leaders’ threat to resign en masse pertaining to the hudud row is nothing more than a charade, according to MIC secretary-general S Murugesan.

“It’s just a ‘sandiwara’, they will not do it,” he said in a statement today.

Going by the modus operandi of Pakatan Rakyat, Murugesan said, the component parties would offer a joint statement claiming that the matter had been resolved without going into the details.

“Both PAS and DAP are playing to their support bases by chest-beating and trying to shore-up their diminishing support,” he added.

Murugesan was responding to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who said that the party’s top leader would resign from the Pakatan council if hudud law or the formation of an Islamic state were included in the Pakatan Rakyat’s Buku Jingga common policy framework.

“If there is any mention that we want to implement hudud law in our common policy framework and the Buku Jingga, the party’s entire central committee will resign,” Lim had said.

DAP had always been a strong opponent of the Islamic state agenda, arguing that the Federal Constitution specified Malaysia as a secular state whereas PAS leaders pointed out that the establishment of an Islamic state was the core of the party’s struggle.

Meanwhile, Murugesan challenged the Chinese-dominated DAP to put an end to this issue or quit the opposition coalition.

“DAP must resolve this once and for all. Failing which they must do the honourable thing and leave Pakatan,” he added.

Murugesan said that DAP and PAS’ stand on this issue were at complete odds and go the root of their respective causes.

“If they can’t resolve this, then it is pointless for them to discuss anything else,” he added.

Bila rogol dikatakan halal

“SEKUMPULAN WANITA BERSKIRT MINI BERHIMPUN DI JAKARTA”,
“PAKAI SKIRT BANTAH GABENOR”

Bila baca tajuk berita sedemikian, imej apa yang terus terbayang di fikiran pembaca? Mungkinkah: “Whoo, perempuan seksi!” Atau: “Teruk betul wanita yang berdemo itu kerana pakai mini skirt.” Mungkin: “Inilah bila wanita kebaratan sangat…!”
Tetapi, berapa ramai agaknya yang merasa mahu tahu isu apakah yang membuatkan wanita-wanita itu berdemonstrasi?
Berita mengenai wanita berdemonstrasi di Jakarta baru-baru ini tersiar di akhbar-akhbar perdana di Malaysia. Mereka memprotes kenyataan gabenor Jakarta yang menyalahkan cara perempuan berpakaian sebagai punca mereka dirogol.
Mangsa yang diperkosa adalah seorang mahasiswi yang masih berpakaian seragam dalam perjalanan pulang dari kampus. Gabenor terus menuduh punca wanita diperkosa di dalam bas pengangkutan awam adalah kerana wanita memakai skirt pendek. Apakah kenyataan itu benar dan patut?
Justeru, para wanita berdemo dengan memakai pelbagai jenis pakaian untuk menunjukkan bahawa pakaian bukanlah menjadi penyebab wanita diperkosa.

Demonstrasi di Jakarta (photo courtesy of Kiki Febriyanti)

Masyarakat memangsakan mangsa
Antara faktor pemerkosaan adalah kerana penjenayah merasa mempunyai kuasa untuk melakukan kekerasan ke atas orang yang lebih lemah dari dirinya.
Hakikatnya, bayi, kanak-kanak kecil, nenek-nenek dan wanita yang bertudung labuh pun ada yang dirogol.
Malaysia masih ingat kes Nurul Huda Abd Ghani, murid Tahun 4 yang dirogol oleh tiga lelaki di pondok pengawal TNB di Johor Bharu. Juga kes Noor Suzaily Mokhtar, jurutera komputer yang dirogol dan dibunuh dengan kejam oleh pemandu bas.  Noor Suzaily tidak memakai skirt pendek semasa beliau menaiki bas tersebut.  Beliau bertudung kepala.
Apa yang sering berlaku, reaksi spontan ramai orang adalah untuk terus menyalahkan si mangsa. “Mesti kerana dia berpakaian yang menjolok mata”, atau “Gaya dia membuatkan lelaki tergoda”.
Jangan terperanjat jika reaksi sebegini turut datang dari orang-orang yang berpendidikan tinggi, termasuk yang dikatakan tinggi ilmu agamanya.
Bila rogol dianggap halal dalam Islam
Seorang pemimpin parti politik bergelar ulama berkata wanita yang tidak menutup aurat memang layak dirogol. Ceramah beliau tersiar di YouTube, ditonton lebih dari satu juta kali.
Baru-baru ini juga seorang pemimpin tertinggi di Acheh Barat juga mengeluarkan kenyataan yang serupa, iaitu wanita yang tidak berpakaian menurut Shariah layak diperkosa.

Fauzi Bowo Canisius, gabenor Jakarta (Wiki commons)

Mesej apakah yang diberi oleh tokoh-tokoh Islam ini? Ajaran Islam apakah yang disampaikan? Apakah pelaksanaan negara Islam mereka lebih kepada untuk menghukum? Adakah menurut kefahaman mereka, merogol wanita yang tidak menutup aurat itu hukumnya halal?
Dalil apa yang mereka pakai? Apakah ada ayat al-Qur’an yang mengatakan hukum perempuan tidak berpakaian sopan adalah dirogol? Apakah Rasulullah pernah mengeluarkan hadith yang sekejam itu?
Bercakap atas nama agama
Ini yang menjadi ironisnya.  Orang Islam marah benar bila orang Barat atau bukan Islam menuduh agama Islam sebagai mengamalkan diskriminasi, keras dan tidak berperikemanusiaan.  Akan tetapi, orang Islam seperti mereka jugalah yang mengatakan perempuan memang layak diperkosa jika pakaiannya tidak sopan.
Mereka bercakap atas nama agama.  Walaupun mereka mempunyai ilmu tentang Islam, namun mereka tetap merupakan manusia yang pemahamannya tentang agama dan kemanusiaan masih terbatas mengikut kadar pemahaman, tafsiran dan pengalaman mereka sendiri. Lantas, ternodalah nama Islam akibat pemikiran sempit dan sikap sadis mereka.
Teramat jarang sekali saya dengar tokoh agama di Malaysia yang kritikal tentang punca masalah keganasan seksual dan menawarkan pemikiran yang membina dalam usaha membanteras jenayah rogol. Usaha penyelesaian memerlukan pemikiran yang berupaya mengharmonikan objektif Shariah dengan konteks masyarakat moden.
Di Indonesia, saya berkesempatan bertemu beberapa tokoh Islam yang menawarkan cara pandang baru untuk masyarakat Islam di Malaysia.
Konsep dan objektif mahram
Ibu Nyai Masriyah Amva adalah seorang ulama wanita yang memimpin sebuah madrasah di Cirebon, Indonesia. Di dalam sebuah buku karangannya, beliau menceritakan pengalaman semasa di tanah suci Mekah dan Madinah.
Bagi wanita yang berasal dari negara yang secara amnya menyediakan ruang kebebasan untuk wanita bergerak ke mana saja, beliau hairan bagaimana wanita seperti beliau yang berada di kota-kota suci Islam malah lebih terdedah pada gangguan lelaki. Betapa kota yang menempatkan rumah Allah sangat tidak ramah pada perempuan.

Ibu Nyai Masriyah Amva (Sumber: kebonjambu.org)

Beliau justeru sedar bahawa perempuan adalah korban dari budaya dan undang-undang yang membunuh kekuatan-kekuatan wanita, yang membuatkan wanita terpaksa bergantung pada lelaki untuk jaminan keselamatan dirinya. Beliau lalu menyeru kerajaan Arab Saudi untuk menyediakan suasana yang aman dan kondusif agar wanita dapat bergerak bebas dan beribadah pada Tuhannya tanpa perlu bimbang dari gangguan lelaki.
Kiyai Husein Muhamad, seorang ulama tradisional di Indonesia yang berkelulusan dari universiti Al-Azhar, Mesir, memahami keadaan sukar yang dialami para wanita termasuk Ibu Nyai Masriyah.
Beliau lalu menjelaskan bahawa pada zaman Nabi yang masyarakatnya mengamalkan hidup nomad serta keadaan tanah Arab yang berpadang pasir, dengan kedudukan bandarnya yang berpuluh-puluh atau beratus-ratus batu jauhnya, memang boleh difahami mengapa wanita perlu ditemani mahram, yang biasanya adalah orang lelaki. Tujuannya agar keselamatan wanita terjaga dari anasir buruk seperti dirompak, diculik, diperkosa atau dibunuh.
Akan tetapi, di dalam sistem negara moden seperti Malaysia dan Indonesia, beliau berpendapat bahawa negaralah yang seharusnya berperanan sebagai mahram dalam memastikan keselamatan semua rakyatnya terjamin.
Ia boleh dilaksanakan dengan menyediakan sistem yang baik dan efisien. Ini termasuklah menyediakan lampu-lampu bagi memastikan jalan terang, sistem pengangkutan yang cekap yang mana kesemua kakitangan dan pemandu bas hendaklah berdaftar dan tiada rekod jenayah.
Negara yang berperanan sebagai mahram juga termasuk pasukan polis yang cekap dan mesra rakyat, dan sistem perundangan yang cekap dan tegas dalam menghukum pelaku jenayah. Penting juga dari segi pendidikan ialah memberi ilmu mempertahankan diri, menerapkan dalam sistem pendidikan agar manusia saling menghormati antara satu sama lain walaupun mereka berbeza dari pelbagai segi, termasuklah  agar lelaki menghormati orang perempuan, dan sebagainya.
Menggunakan akal dalam agama
Ramai ulama mendakwa dalam Islam tidak boleh menggunakan akal fikiran, harus berdasarkan keimanan.  Pada saya, kenyataan sedemikian bertentangan dengan wahyu Allah yang pertama, iaitu “Bacalah”. Tentu saja membaca memerlukan akal fikiran yang tajam bagi memproses informasi yang dibaca dengan menghubungkannya dengan alam dan hidup kita.
Dalam hal ini misalnya, apakah beriman atau meyakini itu adalah dengan meyakini apa yang dikatakan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin Islam yang mengatakan perempuan boleh dirogol? Bukankah pandangan mereka juga hasil dari menggunakan akal fikiran mereka?
Jika kita benar-benar meyakini Islam adalah agama yang baik, adil, penyayang dan mencintai keamanan, maka umat Islam harus mengelak dari mengambil sikap menyalahkan, tetapi menggunakan akal fikiran dalam mencari jalan penyelesaian terbaik terhadap masalah yang dihadapi oleh masyarakat kita di zaman ini.

Mat Zain: Charge Gani Patail, not change A-G’s powers

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 26 — Taking away the Attorney-General's power to prosecute will not stop abuses of power, a former senior police officer said today.

Former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Datuk Mat Zain Ibrahim said that there was nothing wrong with the functions of the A-G as defined by the Federal Constitution, and charged that it was Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail (picture) who had abused his powers as the current A-G “several times over.”

“We should not blame the Constitution. It’s the honesty of the person holding the post that matters.

“Even if we were to separate the functions of the A-G and the PP, there are no guarantees that either one or both of them will not abuse their powers,” Mat Zain wrote in an open letter to The Malaysian Insider. 

Mat Zain was referring to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz’s recent remarks supporting calls to separate the functions of the A-G.

In Malaysia, the A-G is the principal legal adviser to the government and also serves as the country’s highest-ranking public prosecutor.

The former policeman continued his attacks against Abdul Gani, accusing him of fabricating evidence in an investigation back in 1998.

It is believed he was referring to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s controversial “black eye” incident.

The deputy prime minister-turned-opposition leader is back in the dock on a similar charge of sodomising a former male aide.

Mat Zain reiterated that the criminal allegations against Abdul Gani were made publicly in two previous parliamentary sessions — the first in March 2009 and the other just last December.

Mat Zain said that an independent three-man panel had also investigated the allegations against the A-G and that one of the panellists had concluded the A-G was involved in evidence tampering, which was stated in the form of three expert reports.

“The Cabinet has to explain to the public how they could clear Gani Patail from any wrongdoing when the evidence presented to them is crystal clear. The A-G must be made to account for the three expert reports in question.

“If it is the A-G himself who has committed a crime, so be it. He has to face the music like everybody else,” the former top cop added.

Sarbani inquest rules its “misadventure”

The inquest into senior Customs officer Sarbani’s death at the MACC office has ruled that it was a case of misadventure.
Ho-hum. Right. Sure.
Did you expect anything else after the Beng Hock findings?
We still don’t know how the cctv recordings were deleted.