Umno fears Nurul, not Azmin

Umno knows that Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar Ibrahim and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against.
COMMENT

Nurul Izzah Anwar lives in a man’s world but is still a lady. She does not seek to be the equal of these men. She seeks to do better!

She tells us that she is the proud mother of two cuties and that she is the defection-proof member of parliament for Lembah Pantai.

I like that description of herself on her Facebook “defection-proof MP of Lembah Pantai”. Huh, what pizzazz!

Tell me, Anwar (Ibrahim), how many other defection-proof MPs do you have within PKR? How comforting is it not to have to watch your back constantly? How good does it feel to know that come what may, this Lembah Pantai MP will be on your team unconditionally?

Not for money, not for the menteri besar’s post or any other post anywhere in your party at state or federal level. But on past performances, she certainly is worthy and deserving of consideration for same.

People will ask if her father had prepared her for Lembah Pantai. I know that Anwar prepared her for Lembah Pantai long before she was ready for it. Like Benazir Bhutto and Aung San Suu Kyi, Nurul learnt about politics from an early age simply because it was all around her.

She grew up in politics, lived it, she endured it through the darkest hours of her father’s political persecution and incarceration and more, and when given the opportunity, she triumphed in Lembah Pantai against all odds. We all have great expectations of her future.

But did her father prepare her for what was to come after Lembah Pantai? What is he doing to ensure that she will be able to survive the onslaught Umno now throws her way in its attempts to retake Lembah Pantai at all costs?

In a constituency where all of Umno’s available resources, manpower and considerable financial leverage are now being used to woo the voters?

Can she keep her hold on a constituency that Umno had decreed “they must win” because winning in Lembah Pantai will take away from PKR and Pakatan Rakyat the jewel in their crown – Nurul.

Umno’s main concern

Umno has no real interest in taking down Azmin Ali (PKR deputy president), save for a token slap on his wrist whenever he strays too far.

Umno knows that given enough rope, Azmin will hang himself. Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against.

And how will Umno do battle against Nurul? You cannot fault her work as MP of Lembah Pantai despite having all of Umno’s arsenal arrayed against her to make her work among her constituents almost impossible.

There is not a hint of the scandals and innuendos that plague Barisan Nasional MPs in her. She has no money to speak and lives a life within her means. She is the incumbent MP BN fears most – fearless because she has no blemish on her character, honest, accountable, responsible, open and that most perplexing for Umno to deal with – “defection-proof!”

However, this general election will be more daunting than the last for Nurul.

We have all endured past family “dynasties” that promised much but delivered naught.

Najib Tun Razak started with a bang by becoming the youngest MP at 23, then on to being menteri besar of Pahang riding on the coat-tails of Tun Razak’s legacy. But his ascend to ignominy was swift and expected.

A failed marriage, now a domineering wife, and he allowed politics to serve his personal agenda rather than have himself served politics. Soon he will end his days in politics with a whimper.

Najib, Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaludin are all lessons for other aspiring scions that seek to perpetuate lasting political dynasties for no other reasons than that they think they can – and later, much later, we will have to tell them that they can’t.

Now we have Nurul. If I could fault her, it is because I believe that she loves her father too much to do what she has to do now for herself and for PKR.

Too many times in the past PKR has faltered at a time when it should not. Its near-death experience at the 2010 party elections has not been helped by the aftershocks of Azmin’s inept attempts to consolidate his personal power base within PKR at the expense of Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor Menteri Besar), Nurul and Dr Azizah Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR president) – because only these three people stand in his way to greater personal glory in PKR.

What is good for Azmin does not equate to what is good for PKR or Pakatan. That much the leaders within DAP and PAS have made known to us. But Anwar prefers to maintain an elegant silence that speaks too loudly to us all of a PKR that is in crisis.

If the problems within PKR stay within PKR, good. Unfortunately that problem has begun to affect the battle for Lembah Pantai even as Umno gears up to offer its final solution to the people of Lembah Pantai – vote for RNC – Raja Nong Chik (Zainal Abidin).

The challenge for Nurul

Let me be precise. RNC has done enough to win nomination from BN to challenge Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai. RNC has done enough work among the people in Lembah Pantai to give Nurul Izzah a run for her money.

Yes, he has all the resources he needed from Umno to do this. Yes, he is the minister most able to assist the people in Lembah Pantai and yes, he has done whatever he humanely could do to assist them.

No, he has not been nominated to stand in Lembah Pantai but he will be come nomination day for the 13th general election.

So whither goes Nurul? What help have she had from within PKR for her battle against RNC? Or more to the point, is PKR in any condition to extend any assistance to Nurul given the open sores we see of the continuing attempts by Azmin to tell all and sundry that in a blind PKR, he has one eye.

And the one eye is king in the land of the blind! So he thinks!

Is it not time that Anwar put his house of cards in order? Or does he think there is still time? Time to allow Azmin to organise PKR into what Azmin wants it to be. He has succeeded in having a PKR without Zaid Ibrahim. Now he wants a PKR without Khalid, Azizah and Nurul?

Enough is enough, Anwar. Again I want to tell you of the dangers posed by Azmin. Yes, Azmin sees Nurul as a tigress with the capacity and the will to stand up to him but, at the same time, he sees that this tigress sits and awaits patiently while her father dithers.

Azmin, do not think that the tigress is showing respect to you when she sits patiently while you go about the odious business of consolidating your own political interest within PKR at her expense.

This is not a family dynasty hungry for power and position that Anwar heads within PKR but nevertheless they are a family – a family with enough talents within them to carry PKR and Pakatan through the 13th general election if required. Do not forget that.

I did not hear Nurul urging the people to storm the prison walls when her father was incarcerated. I did not hear Nurul suggesting that anyone is deserving of any post in PKR or Pakatan, what more in the Cabinet if Pakatan takes Putrajaya – not even that her father should be prime minister.

I did not hear Nurul talking of reforms within PKR or refocusing PKR’s political agenda. What I see is that she has become what we want PKR to be – by the things she does as MP and the example she sets in her work for PKR.

Yes, she is a tigress but do not make the mistake to think that she is showing you respect just because she chooses to sit quietly by her father’s side.

CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.

Palani ‘sacks’ aide Dr Vijay

An NGO says the MIC president was reacting to questions about the aide’s right to call himself a political secretary or even a private secretary.

KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel has told Dr Vijendran Shanmugam, who allegedly claimed he was the former’s political secretary, to quit within a week, according to a local NGO.

S Gobi Krishnan, chairman of the People’s Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power), said he received the news by text message from Palanivel himself.

Dr Vijendran, who is often referred to as Dr Vijay, is alleged to have distributed call cards describing himself as political secretary to the MIC president, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.

A Tamil daily recently questioned his appointment to the post, saying he was a bankrupt. According to documents shown to FMT, the Department of Insolvency declared Dr Vijendran a bankrupt last March 1.

Subsequent to the report in the Tamil paper, he clarified that he was a private secretary to Palanivel, not his political secretary. He also denied that he was a bankrupt.

Observers of MIC politics are questioning his right to distribute name cards indicating his position as political secretary when he has not taken the oath of secrecy before the Prime Minister.

Gobi Krishnan said he recently raised this question in a text message to Palanivel and urged him to call for Dr Vijendran’s resignation within 48 hours, threatening to lodge reports with the police and MACC.

It was in reply to the message that the MIC president said he had told Dr Vijendran to resign within a week, Gobi Krishnan added.

He said Power checked Dr Vijendran’s status on Oct 4 and found that he was still a bankrupt.

“It seems like Dr Vijay has given false reports to media,” he added.

“Palanivel is the boss. He should be the one clearing the air. Even if Dr Vijay is the private secretary, it is still not right. A declared bankrupt cannot hold any government position”.

Gobi Krishnan also said that by saying he was only a private secretary, Dr Vijay had dug his own grave.

“There is evidence to show that he is a declared bankrupt. Now Dr Vijay has to dispute that. But it is Palanivel’s duty to clear the air.”

FMT has been unable to obtain a clarification from Dr Vijay.

Sisters in Islam call for Syariah law review

They say the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable and can lead to abuse.

PETALING JAYA: The Seremban High Court judgment on four Muslim transgenders last week has prompted NGO Sisters In Islam (SIS) to call for a comprehensive review on the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment.

SIS manager Suri Kempe said this when commenting on the court’s dismissal of the transgenders’ application to seek for the right to dress in women clothes under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.

Justice Siti Mariah Ahmad, when delivering the judgment, had said that the applicants are Muslims and hence are subjected to Section 66 of Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992, that bars Muslim men from dressing or posing as women.

Suri said the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable as it can be abused.

“Is it the duty of the state, under the name of bringing about a moral society, to turn what it considers ‘sins’ into ‘crimes against the state’?

“Should the state extend the long arm of the law to what should be best left to the religious conscience of the individual?” she asked.

She said the reality is that sexual minorities in Malaysia, especially Muslims, are vulnerable to numerous abuses by the state,

“We urge the government to form a committee which includes representation from women’s groups, human rights groups, progressive Islamic scholars and constitutional experts,” she said.

She said the government needed to adopt a more humane way that embraces the Islamic spirit of justice, equality and compassion.

“We need one that is not punitive in nature, and does not subject Muslims to discrimination and persecution in the name of Islam,” she said.

Lawyers for Liberty adviser Latheefa Koya labelled the verdict as “a dangerous trend” as the Federal Constitution now seemed to be subservient to Syariah law.

“It’s a problem if the court just makes assumption and did not take into account the differences between Syariah law and the Federal Constitution.”

She stressed that the Federal Constitution is supposed to be applied to everyone irrespective of race or religion.

“There is no article that says it is selective except when it comes to the position of religion and Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.

Hindraf to back Pakatan, provided…

A blueprint for the resolution of the Indian dilemma will be tabled at upcoming Anwar-Waytha talks.

BATU KAWAN: Hindraf will support Pakatan Rakyat if the bloc agrees to implement the pressure group’s blueprint for the wellbeing of Indians in the country, which it will present at an upcoming meeting with PKR.

Hindraf deputy chairman W Sambulingam said his organisation was keen to forge an alliance with Pakatan to face the next general election but would not give it or any other political group a free ride.

“We are not going to give anyone a free lunch like in 2008,” Sambulingam told some 500 supporters at a fund-raising dinner here last night.

The blueprint will be tabled during a second round of Hindraf-PKR talks, which could be held at the end of this month or early next month. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy are expected to attend.

The Anwar-Waythamoorthy meet-up was agreed upon last month at a meeting between PKR and Hindraf officials. Neither Anwar nor Waythamoorthy was present at that meeting.

Since his return from exile, Waythamoorthy has had meetings with top PAS leaders, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.

Sambulingam said Hindraf would prepare a “comprehensive and constructive” blueprint containing recommendations and proposals for “permanent, practical, applicable and effective” solutions to resolve problems faced by the Indian community, including those unresolved since colonial days.

Hindraf has written to both BN and Pakatan to propose talks on the blueprint. Unlike PKR and PAS, BN has yet to respond.

Sambulingam said he regarded BN’s silence as a “rejection of Hindraf’s olive branch”.

He said Hindraf would call on Indians to support Pakatan only if the bloc agreed to implement the blueprint.

Issues regarding education, land, and settlement areas for Indians are expected to feature heavily in the blueprint. Sambulingam said these were not commercial issues, but were matters that bore heavily on fundamental principles of human rights.

“The government of the day is duty bound to fulfil these rights for rightful citizens, not to illegal immigrants,” he said at last night’s dinner.

Penan resettlement sites: ‘Why notify only now’?

A 'first' notification on resettlement sites issued by the state government to Penans affected by the Murum dam which is 75% complete has raised more questions.

KUCHING: Save Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers) has ridiculed the first notification of the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) Report for the proposed resettlement sites and service centre for the Penans affected by the Murum dam project.

The notification was released on Oct 11 by the State Planning Unit (SPU) and involved the Metalun and Tegulang Resettlement sites as well as the Murum service centre.

“However, the question on why the SEIA report has only just been released when about 75% of works on the Murum dam have been completed begs to be asked,” said Peter Kallang , chairman of SAVE Rivers.

“We have heard that earthwork for the two proposed resettlement sites has already begun. Therefore, does it make sense to ask for public comments on the SEIA report now?

“This sounds like a last-minute public relations exercise to me, and not a genuine effort to get proper feedback from the public,” he said.

Kallang noted that a statement made in March 2010, by the SPU principal assistant director (environment and natural resources) Andrew Tukau stated that “the state government will conduct social and environmental impact assessment studies on all future hydroelectric dam projects in Sarawak, starting with the Murum Dam”.

“Despite promises made by the SPU about two and half years ago, we are still waiting for the SEIA report for the construction of the Murum dam itself.

“We were told that the Murum dam would be the model to correct mistakes previously made in the Bakun mega dam, and other dams in Sarawak.

“Sadly, it appears that the government is making the same mistakes all over again, and the Penan communities of Murum are now paying the price,” Kallang said.

He wants to know what had happened to the government’s earlier promises.

He said the government had promised that there would be “no involuntary resettlement as was done in previous dam projects” and that the resettlement action plan would have a new monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanism.

The failure of the state government to release the SEIA report earlier and the promises that have not been fulfilled have made the Penans from eight villages angry.

Since Sept 26, the Penans have blocked the roads leading to the dam construction sites resulting in scores of trucks and lorries loaded with building materials abandoned near the sites of the blockades.

Animal lovers slam local councils’ move to enter houses and remove dogs

(The Star) - Animal rights groups here are upset with local councils for engaging private companies that apparently trespass homes to catch pets.

The discussion among representatives from about 15 groups, including PAWS, KL Pooch Rescue and SPCA, became animated when they voiced their displeasure against such actions, usually instigated by complaints from neighbours of dog owners.

“This is a disturbing trend,” said Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) founder Wani Muthiah during a press conference here.

“When you're not at home, the local councils' dog-catchers, as well as those from private companies employed by them, cannot remove your dogs,” she pointed out.

“Now, owners have become paranoid. They have to lock their dogs inside their houses when they go out to work,” she said.

Wani said the authorities should instead take up the complaints with the house owner, and not capture the dogs. “And, certainly not when the owners aren't home.”

Shown at the conference was a YouTube clip that was uploaded on Sept 27, showing several men, believed to be dog-catchers subcontracted by the Ampang City Council (MPAJ), entering a house compound and removing several dogs there.

Wani said she had compiled about 50 police reports made after the video went online since Wednesday. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwqnI88boFs.

However, MPAJ deputy president Abd Hamid Hussain said it was all a misunderstanding.

“In the video, the contractors were actually trying to remove stray dogs which had wandered into the house,” he said.

“We had permission from the owner to remove them.”

Yesterday, G. Darwin, 27, and his wife Cynthia Moey, 26, from Kota Kemuning, related how the local authority had removed their dogs.

“I returned from work at about 8pm, and found my porch in a mess,” said Moey.

“I thought someone had broken into my home. I found my dogs missing,” she said. “My neighbour told me that she had called the council to come and take away my dogs.

“The council had actually trespassed my home using my neighbour's house to jump inside.”

The Death of Cambodia's Nimble Prince

Even princes can only do so much

(Asia Sentinel) In the end, even God-kings die

People mourn, especially the little people in the kleptocracy that Cambodia has become under the clique of mainly former Khmer Rouge apparatchiks who control the state these days, and push the poorer people off their lands to sell 99-year leases to grasping Chinese, Russian and South Korean concerns.

King Norodom Sihanouk, the irrepressible descendant of the god-kings of Angkor, and for decades one of the world's most resilient – and some would say most exasperating - politicians, died Monday, the day of the dead in Cambodia, and just two weeks short of his 90th birthday.

Never again will a correspondent sit, as I did several times, in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, and listen to the former monarch, father of the reigning King Sihamoni, while sipping lukewarm champagne served by granite-faced North Korean bodyguards, as one attempted to avoid the attentions of the king's pet lap-dog, Mickie, who sometimes got irritated at visitors.

Who else in the world could recall such conversations as King Sihanouk did in my last interview with him: "Chairman Mao looked at me and said: 'My dear Prince Sihanouk, please read this Little Red Book of mine.'"

He also told me of the waspish exchanges he had had with Henry Kissinger, the then US Secretary of State. No love was lost between the two men. It was Kissinger and Nixon, after all, who orchestrated the secret bombing of Cambodia, which helped, in my mind, to turn the Khmer Rouge into the murdering automatons that they became.

When I last sat in the palace for such an exclusive interview – it lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes of hilarious mirth, fury, good sense and potted history – he told me about an earlier period of medical treatment in China. "Now I am fine, and if we were in Haiti, we would say it was voodoo."

"Maybe you really are a God-king," I ventured in jest. "No, no," the king insisted. Yet he recalled that Queen Monineath, his elegant consort and fifth wife, had visited a benighted province stricken by drought. "Please ask the king to send us rain," villagers beseeched her.

The king sighed: "I am not a god, I cannot persuade the sky to give us rain. It's not good to be thought a God-king: it's terrible, terrible."

Still, two days later it rained on that village.

One British ambassador told me he felt privileged to attend such sessions of royal wit and wisdom. "I hold the king in high esteem,” he told me. He talks a lot of sense. I get a huge buzz just sitting listening to him. He's living history.

Sihanouk was also always a royal 'press groupie' who enjoyed the company of journalists. The late king had been one of the last survivors among luminaries like Jawaharlal Nehru, Josip Broz Tito, Gamel Abdel Nasser and Sukarno, who co-founded the Non-aligned Movement in the mid-50s at Bandung, Indonesia.

He had known four generations of Chinese leaders and would soon have been getting ready to know a fifth, if mortality had not interceded.

He became king at age 18 because France thought this plump, chortling youth would be easy to manipulate. The French were part of a long line of states and people who under-estimated him. It was the French who had to leave quietly with their tails between their legs in 1953, the year before neighboring Vietnam won independence at the battle of Dien Bien Phu.

Sihanouk had the foresight to leave behind a good king to succeed him. He is King Sihamoni, now 58, the only son Sihanouk and Queen Monineath, who studied ballet dancing in the former Czechoslovakia.

Sihamoni, a former Cambodian ambassador to UNESCO, was reluctant to take the post, enjoying his life and friends in Paris. Sihamoni is unmarried, and Sihanouk once told the Cambodian population that his son, one of 14 offspring, 'regards women as his sisters.'

Sihanouk himself supported same sex marriage. I am not gay, but I respect the rights of gays and lesbians,"he said. It's not their fault if God makes them born that way."

In a later interview with the new King Sihamoni, the monarch told me: "The reality is that I don't feel in the least like a king, far less a god-king."

"I feel just like an ordinary human being, at most a fonctionaire, whose duty is to serve all the people Inside I haven't changed. I am still me."

These days, the hardline prime minister Hun Sen, installed in power by the Vietnamese army, rules the roost, and he has forbidden Sihamoni to give interviews, as he also latterly forbade the late Sihanouk.

Hun Sen belongs to the former 'Soviet-Vietnamese' faction of the Khmer Rouge, while the pro-Chinese faction, headed by former Khmer Rouge leaders Noun Chea and Khieu Samphan' has been under trial at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Phnom Penh.

It remains to be seen how Sihamoni manages, though he has the assistance of his mother, Queen Monineath, Sihanouk's bereaved wife.

Sihanouk has critics who say that he ran an autocratic one-man show in the 1960s, while his backing of the Khmer Rouge from exile in Beijing, after his 1970 overthrow, brought 1.7 million deaths.

But older Cambodians recalled a "golden age" under Sihanouk before American bombing, Khmer Rouge mass murder and Vietnamese invasion devastated Cambodia.

The opposition politician Sam Rainsy says Sihanouk will 'probably be the last of Cambodia's great kings."

In his last interview with me, Sihanouk spoke of his legacy. "I have no remorse. I always did everything in the highest interests of my nation. My conscience is clear."

(James Pringle covered Cambodia and the Vietnam war for Reuters, Newsweek, and the Times of London)

Lagu Anwar Khas Untuk Najib

Malaysia’s elections: Should the international community care?— Ambiga Sreenevasan

OCT 15 — Those in the international community may be forgiven for saying, “Is there a problem with the democratic process in Malaysia?”

In the international arena, our leaders portray Malaysia as a moderate Islamic nation that is built on the democratic principles that are enshrined in our Federal Constitution. The fundamental rights of freedom of expression, freedom of association, freedom of assembly, the right to life and a fair electoral process, are indeed guaranteed under our Federal Constitution.

The reality is, however, far less idyllic. There are serious questions whether these rights are respected and upheld by those in power.

Since before the 1990’s, Malaysians have been pushing for a reform of the system of governance. There has been growing discontent over issues like rampant corruption, abuse of power, deaths in custody and selective prosecution (or persecution), to name but a few of the grouses.

We are increasingly alarmed by the use of race and religion by politicians to divide the people for political gain, with no regard whatsoever for the possible long term consequences of this conduct.

We note with disgust our mainstream media descending to the lowest depths of junk journalism. We are appalled at the growing instances of political violence.

In the clearest example of how low we have sunk, human rights defenders and civil society who are seen as opposing the government are facing ruthless attacks by the government of the day. SUARAM, established in 1989 and who has in the past year been exposing possible corruption by Malaysians in high places in the purchase of Scorpene submarines from France, is suddenly facing investigation by several government agencies.

The mainstream media is once again playing its role in showing no regard whatsoever for presenting the whole truth. In a front page news story, preposterous claims were made that NGOs like SUARAM and BERSIH were funded by organisations like National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) for the purpose of overthrowing the government. Directors of SUARAM have been hauled up by enforcement agencies for their expose on the corruption, yet our anti- corruption agency fails to even begin to investigate the claims of SUARAM that a huge commission of RM500 million had been received by a Malaysian entity in the Scorpene deal.

Civil society is now continuously portrayed in the media as the enemy who is seeking to overthrow the government at the behest of foreign powers. These accusations have also been hurled at BERSIH, more so since July last year when we had a successful rally of more than 50,000 people on the streets of KL, clamouring for clean and fair elections. Another rally was held in April this year when more than 200,000 people were on the streets, again asking for electoral reform.

Malaysians do not easily take to the streets. The numbers must mean that there were good reasons why they did.

I will not go into more details of the attacks that human rights defenders have had to face by those in authority or those who had the tacit approval of the authorities. Suffice it to say they have been sustained and relentless.

When asked, our leaders will say that this government is reforming because of the replacement of many oppressive laws, and the apparent move to greater democracy. They will say that after the BERSIH rally last year, a parliamentary select committee for electoral reform was set up and a report issued.

What they don’t go on to explain is what replaces these oppressive laws and what they are doing to effectively implement the PSC recommendations. In my view, the new legislation just does not go far enough, and the important recommendations of the PSC report are largely ignored or poorly implemented.

BERSIH also continues to receive reports of electoral malpractices and the integrity of the electoral roll leaves much to be desired. Our Election Commission does not enjoy public confidence and is not seen by many as independent. This together with all the other issues that plague our system of governance leads to the inevitable conclusion that the next crucial general elections will be seriously flawed.

All the so-called reforms are like attempting to varnish a table that is ridden with termites. It is difficult to fix a system that is fundamentally flawed by building on the same rotten foundation. That is, even if there is real political will to reform.

The Global Commission on Elections, Democracy and Security which is headed by Mr. Kofi Annan and which has many distinguished members including H.E Dr Ernesto Zedillo former President of Mexico, Dr Madeleine K. Albright and Professor Amartya Sen, issued a ground-breaking report on clean and fair elections dated September 2012.

In his foreword, Kofi Annan states, “The spread of democracy across the world has been one of the most dramatic changes I have witnessed over the course of my career. In country after country, people have risked their lives to call for free elections, democratic accountability, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Elections are the indispensable root of democracy…..”

I make no apologies for quoting from this report at length for I cannot say it better. The report clearly outlines that clean and fair elections are not just about choosing leaders, but are about building a solid framework for a democracy that works for the people. After studies, the following were some of the conclusions arrived at:

1. “Elections with integrity are important to values that we hold dear — human rights and democratic principles. Elections give life to rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including freedom of opinion and expression, freedom of peaceful assembly and association, the right to take part in the government of one’s country through freely elected representatives, the right of equal access to public service in one’s country, and the recognition that the authority of government derives from the will of the people, expressed in “genuine periodic elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret ballot.

2. Elections are fundamental to the ethos and principles of democracy…..

3. Citizens lose confidence in democratic processes when elections are not inclusive, transparent, and accountable. When elections have integrity, they bolster democracy, respect fundamental rights, and produce elected officials who are more likely to represent their citizens’ interests.

4. But in addition to promoting democratic values and human rights, elections with integrity can also yield other tangible benefits for citizens. Evidence from around the world suggests that elections with integrity matter for empowering women, fighting corruption, delivering services to the poor, improving governance, and ending civil wars…….

5. Electoral accountability, in turn, is associated with lessening government corruption…….

6. Electoral accountability, in turn, has direct benefits for improving representation of the poor……..

7. Even in countries emerging from civil wars — the most difficult of contexts for building democracy — research now shows that when the termination of the war is accompanied by elections in which former combatants run for office and campaign for votes, countries are less likely to revert to civil war. At the same time, however, other studies note that fraudulent elections are correlated with societal violence and political instability…….”

In an interview after the presentation of the report, Stephen Stedman, director of the Global Commission and a political scientist from Stanford was asked what the motivation was for the report.

In speaking of the chairman Kofi Annan, he said that Annan was “driven by his experience of having to deal with several elections in Africa that had become violent and had gone off the rails. And there is a frustration he feels about how little attention had been paid to those places before they blew up”. (The emphasis is mine)

Let us be clear. Malaysia is not facing the problems or the hopelessness that gave rise to the Arab Spring. We are blessed with an abundance of resources and talent. But to assume that all is well and that there is no need to scrutinise the democratic processes, would be a mistake.

We want change before things do blow up in our faces. We do not want an Arab Spring. We want to choose our leaders in clean and fair elections. If there is to be change, we want to do it through the ballot box.

If the government is willing to overlook, and in fact tacitly support, corruption and abuse of power, and promote racism and religious bigotry for its own ends, how can we trust that the elections will be clean and fair?

There is even an admission of malpractices in the past. A Royal Commission of Inquiry has been set up by the government in the state of Sabah in respect of a large number of foreigners having been given citizenships in exchange for votes for more than 20 years. BERSIH has received reports that this practice continues and even in West Malaysia.

Why is this happening? It is because the party that has been in power for 55 years is now feeling vulnerable. As Aung Sang Suu Kyi has famously said, “It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”

So why should one country be bothered about electoral processes in another?

We know that if any such suggestion is made, the immediate diplomatic response is that there will be no interference by one country into such domestic matters of another country. Not that this is entirely true in fact.

As observed of the international community in the commission report “While their rhetorical support for elections with integrity may be constant, their record of responding to flawed elections is not. In some cases, their interest lies in bolstering a preferred candidate, not in an election with integrity per se.

Too often, democratic governments have turned a blind eye to electoral malpractice by regimes and incumbents with whom they have friendly relations”.

And the best answer to why everyone should be interested in clean and fair elections everywhere is stated in the report thus:

“We still live in a world in which states act on their strategic interests. The key lies in reminding democratic governments that their strategic interest is best served by supporting elections with integrity. Not only do democratic governments share an interest in the spread of democracy as a bulwark for international peace, but they must also learn that their bilateral relations are strengthened when their partners have democratic legitimacy earned through genuine elections.”

Malaysia is a member of many important regional and international organisations and appears to enjoy the confidence of its neighbours. We can set valuable examples in the region. We have what it takes to be a role model.

But we can only be that if the example we set is one of a truly democratic system of governance borne out of clean and fair elections. And if we are to be valuable contributors to the global community, then it is in everyone’s interests that our elections are clean and fair.

* Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan is co-chair of the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections (BERSIH).

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

'No leniency' Bill planned to disallow light sentences for statutory rape

The Star
by EDMUND NGO

PADANG RENGGAS: A Bill is to be tabled to disallow judges from handing down lenient sentences to statutory rapists even if they are first offenders.

The Bill adds a provision to Section 376 of the Penal Code, which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years and whipping for statutory rape.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said the provision would state that Section 294(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code which gives judges discretionary powers to give a lighter sentence to first-time offenders would not apply to statutory rape cases.

“I have spoken to the Attorney-General on the provision and he has agreed, therefore, it will be tabled in the next session of Parliament,” he said here yesterday.

He had also listened to the views of women's groups and other non-governmental organisations which were upset by what they regarded as very lenient sentences passed on former national youth squad bowler Noor Afizal Azizan and electrician Chuah Guan Jiu for statutory rape.

The two were bound over for RM25,000 for good behaviour for five years and three years respectively after being found guilty of statutory rape in August this year.

They were 19 and 21 respectively when they committed the offences while their victims were 13 and 12.

Nazri said the additional provision was important to protect minors, who could be easily influenced.

Women, Family and Community Development Deputy Minister Datuk Heng Seai Kie, who was present, had also given her input to the memorandum that the NGOs presented to Nazri.

Heng said the move showed that the Government heeded feedback from the rakyat.

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, in a statement on Sept 5, noted that Section 294 of the CPC allowed courts the discretion to bind the offender on a good behaviour bond if he was a first-time offender and had committed the offence under extenuating circumstances.

He said offences involving child victims could not be regarded as having been committed under extenuating circumstances.

Gani added that his chambers had on Aug 29 filed an appeal against the decision made by the Penang Sessions Court in Chuah's case.

As for the Appeal Court's decision on Noor Afizal, he said he might propose the use of the court's inherent power to review its decision.

As of July this year, 859 cases of statutory rape have been reported, 109 of them involving children under 12, and 750 victims aged between 13 and 15.

Attorney-General Gives Green Light To Amend Section 376 Of Penal Code - Nazri

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 (Bernama) -- The government has given the green light to the Attorney General's Chambers to amend Section 376 of the Penal Code to ensure that those convicted of raping underage girls receive the mandatory jail term without liberty to resort to other legal provisions to mitigate the sentence.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said today the amendment was proposed to maintain the mandatory imprisonment under Section 376 and judges could not invoke Section 294 of the Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593) to impose a sentence based on their discretion.

"This includes meting out a good behaviour bond order if the accused is a first offender or if there are extenuating circumstances to show that the law has not been adhered too," he said when winding up debate on the Supply Bill 2013 for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat.

Mohamed Nazri said the decision was made to address the high incidence of rape involving underage girls and to protect them against such vulnerability.

"From 2007 to August 2012, a total of 5,976 rape cases were recorded involving girls aged below 16. In the same period, 5,119 people were charged for the offence," he said.

Ushering in the Nine Emperor Gods Festival

Taoists ushered in the Nine Emperor Gods Festival at the Butterworth seafront last night, kicking off a nine-day celebration marked by a strict vegetarian diet.

Devotees in a trance ushering in the spirit of the nine emperor gods at the Butterworth seafront last night.

All set to usher in the Nine Emperor Gods Festival

A few devotees waded into the sea to welcome what they believe to be the spirit of the nine emperors as hundreds of others, many of them dressed in white to symbolise purity, looked on along the beach.
Jalan Raja Uda in Butterworth will be transformed into a hive of celebration over the coming nine days. Some believe that the area along the road has been prosperous because of its association with the festival.
At the end of the nine days, the spirit will be escorted on a vessel from the sea front and then once it is farther out, the vessel will be set ablaze. Devotees believe the spirit of the nine emperors will then return to the heavens.

Hundreds picket against tycoon's KTMB takeover bid

Person insulting Mohandas Gandhi through Facebook arrested, but no action on Dr. Zakir Naik

Devout Hindus lodging complaints against Dr. Zakir Naik should show this news to the concerned police and force them to take action against Dr. Naik !On one hand, the police take no action against Zakir Naik despite receiving more than 55 complaints for his insulting Shri Ganesh worshipped by all Hindus, through his Facebook account and on the other hand, take immediate action based on one complaint about insult of Mohandas Gandhi  through one Facebook account !

Jaipur (Rajasthan) : Mr. Datar Singh Rathod from Gujarat has been arrested for posting an  insulting statement on his Facebook account about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. (Do Police revere Mohandas Gandhi more than Hindu Deities ? – Editor SP) Under clause 153 –B of Indian Penal Code and Sect. 66-A of the Information and Technology Act, a case has been filed against Rathod and police are further investigating the matter. (A complaint has been lodged for an offence committed by a person in Gujarat  by a person in Rajasthan and the police took action against the accused; but why do police not register complaints against Dr. Zakir Naik lodged by persons from Mumbai, Thane and other districts although he stays in the Capital city of the same State or take no action against the complaints lodged ? When police from all over the country follow the Indian Penal Code for maintaining law and order, how can there be such disparity ? – Editor SP)Mr. Vinayak Sharma from Jaipur has lodged a complaint with Kshipra Peth Police Station wherein he has stated that Mr. Rathod staying at Gandhidham has posted insulting matter about Gandhi.

NHS boss faces death penalty over charges of torture and 18 murders in Bangladesh

• War crimes tribunal set to bring damning indictments against NHS director of spiritual care
• Prosecutors want him extradited to face trial over atrocities committed in Bangladesh in 1971

(Mail Online) One of Britain's most important Muslim leaders – who has a senior role in the NHS – is to be charged with 18 murders by a war crimes tribunal in his native Bangladesh, investigators have told The Mail on Sunday.

Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, who is director of Muslim Spiritual Care Provision in the NHS and is also a chairman of the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy, is accused of abducting, torturing and killing 18 journalists, academics and doctors during the bloody war of independence in Bangladesh in 1971.

Mr Mueen-Uddin, 63, who strongly denies the allegations, is believed to have fled Bangladesh shortly after the war ended, and has been living in London since the early Seventies.

As Deputy Director of the Islamic Foundation Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, pictured left, met Prince Charles in 2003 but now he is accused of murder and faces the death penalty in Bangladesh

Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) – which has been set up to try the country's most notorious war criminals still alive – has announced that it has completed its year-long investigation into Mr Mueen-Uddin. The ICT's prosecution wing will announce formal charges against him in the next few days, said a senior official at the tribunal.

Sanaul Huq, the Inspector-General of Bangladesh's national police force, who is co-ordinating the ICT investigation, said his investigators believe that Mr Mueen-Uddin killed dozens of people during the independence war, but they can link him only to 18 murders with evidence and eyewitness testimonies.

The ICT said Mr Mueen-Uddin and his associates allegedly subjected their victims to horrendous torture before killing them and dumping their bodies in sports grounds which earned the nickname 'killing fields'.

Mr Huq told The Mail on Sunday: 'They abducted an eye doctor, and then gouged his eyes out before killing him and dumping his body.

'They abducted a cardiologist and cut out his heart before killing him and dumping his body.

'They kidnapped a woman journalist, and cut her breasts off before killing her. Her decomposing body was later found with her breasts cut off.

'These victims were chosen because they were leading figures in the independence movement. Mueen-Uddin was a leading figure when it comes to killing activists. This is why we want to try him in court.

'As soon as charges are made – which I can guarantee will happen in days – we will request the British Government to hand him back to Bangladesh, and we will ask Interpol for his arrest. We will use all means, diplomatic and legal, to bring him back. If we fail, we will try him in absentia.'

Investiagors say that during the Bangladesh civil war, Mr Mueen-Uddin was a member of an Islamic terrorist group which abducted and killed leading Pakistani independence figures

 

Mr Mueen-Uddin declined to respond to the allegations, but his lawyer Toby Cadman, a barrister at 9 Bedford Row International, said: 'As no formal allegations have thus far been put to Mr Mueen-Uddin it would be highly inappropriate for any formal response to be issued to the media.

'This is a matter sub judice and therefore any and all media comment on the nature of the allegations, the strength of the evidence and the eventual outcome of the proceedings is to be avoided. It would be inappropriate at this stage to comment on the substance of the allegations. However, any and all allegations that Mr Mueen-Uddin committed or participated in any criminal conduct during the Liberation War of 1971 have been strongly denied in the past and will continue to be strongly denied in their entirety.'

If Mr Mueen-Uddin is found guilty of the charges, he could face the death penalty.

Mr Cadman added: 'The United Kingdom would not extradite a person where they are at risk of the death penalty – clearly a barrier in the present case due to the repeated remarks by the government of Bangladesh that the accused at the Tribunal will face the death penalty.'

After Britain gave India independence in 1947, the region now known as Bangladesh became a province of Pakistan, and was known as East Pakistan. But residents of East Pakistan became increasingly frustrated because they believed they were being treated like colonial subjects by their government based in the west of the country.

As a result, Bangladesh became independent in December 1971 after a nine-month civil war, during which hundreds of thousands were killed by the Pakistan military. At the time, Mr Mueen-Uddin was among those who did not want a secular Bangladesh splitting from the 'Islamic state' of Pakistan, say ICT investigators.

They say that during the civil war, Mr Mueen-Uddin was working as a journalist for a newspaper called the Daily Purbadesh in the capital Dhaka. But he was also said to be a secret member of an Islamic terrorist group called the Al-Badr Brigade, which abducted and killed leading figures of the independence movement for the Pakistani military. Mr Huq says Mr Mueen-Uddin fled Bangladesh shortly after independence, and went to Britain via India, Nepal and then Pakistan, from where he caught a flight to London in the early Seventies.

Over the decades, he became one of Britain's most influential Muslim leaders, was instrumental in setting up the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB), and is now one of the trustees of the UK's leading Islamic charity, Muslim Aid.

Editor of newspaper Purbodesh - Atiqur Rahman - published a front page claiming that Chowdhury Mueen-Uddin, a former reporter, had been a murderer

Mr Mueen-Uddin was one of the chief Islamic leaders who mobilised thousands of British Muslims to protest against the publication of Salman Rushdie's controversial book, The Satanic Verses, in 1989.

He led a group of Muslim leaders who went to Downing Street to hand a petition against publication of the book to Margaret Thatcher, who was Prime Minister at the time.

Mr Mueen-Uddin has also met Prince Charles, including one occasion when the heir to the throne visited the East London Mosque in 2010.

The ICT was set up by the Bangladeshi government two years ago after all major political parties voted unanimously in Parliament for a war crimes tribunal. Human rights groups and activists had been campaigning for the tribunal for decades.

The ICT has so far arrested nine alleged war criminals and is trying them in special courts in front of a panel of three judges. The nine are some of the most prominent Islamist leaders of the country, who are accused of killing thousands of independence activists and leaders during the 1971 war.

Mr Huq said: 'At the ICT we are not going to try the foot-soldiers, but are going after the main leaders. We have a list of 20 notorious alleged war criminals we want to try. Mueen-Uddin is one of them. He was a very big player.'

Investigators say that Mr Mueen-Uddin's official title in Al Badr was 'operation-in-charge', which made him a commander of the group.

He is accused of personally abducting six journalists – including a local BBC reporter – three doctors and nine academics from Dhaka University between December 10 and 15, 1971.

More than 1,000 Bangladeshi intellectuals and prominent supporters of the independence movement were killed in the dying days of the war by the Pakistani military in a calculated effort to deprive the new country of its leaders, says the ICT.

Mr Mueen-Uddin and his associates allegedly abducted their victims from their houses during the night at gunpoint, and took them to a gym called the Mohammedpur Training Centre in Mirpur, an area in north Dhaka. The gym was said to have been converted into a makeshift torture chamber.

Mr Mueen-Uddin led a protest against the publication of Salman Rushdie's book The Satanic Verses, in 1989

After the victims were tortured and killed, their bodies were dumped in nearby grounds. The bodies of some victims were never found.

The ICT has interviewed 45 witnesses. Among them is Asif Munier, who is now 46. He was four when his father, Munier Chowdhury, then 45, was taken away from their house in Dhaka. Mr Chowdhury was a prominent playwright and professor of Bengali literature at Dhaka University. He also wrote many articles in support of the independence movement. Mr Chowdhury's body was never found although the family frantically searched the 'killing fields' to find the corpse.

Mr Munier said: 'My father was no criminal. He was targeted and killed for his views to uphold Bengali language and nationalism, so I feel these people left me and my brothers fatherless, made my mother a widow and took away a gifted teacher and writer from Bangladesh, for no fault except believing in freedom and justice.

'His trial would be a symbolic boost to the morale of Bangladesh. It is also a test for the international legal system and human rights mechanism, since Mueen-Uddin is a prominent UK citizen now. Me and my family will be happy to see Mueen-Uddin face trial.'

Mr Munier gave evidence to the ICT early this year.

Mufazzal Haider Chaudhury, an academic in Bengali literature at Dhaka University, is also said to have been kidnapped by Mr Mueen-Uddin from his home and killed on December 14, 1971. His body was never found.

His widow, Dolly Chaudhury, gave a video witness statement to the ICT before her death this year.

Opponents of the ICT say that the tribunal is being used as a tool for the political witch-hunt of Islamic leaders who are the fiercest opponent of the current government, the Awami League party.

The nine individuals who are on trial at the ICT are all leaders of Bangladesh's most prominent Islamic political party, Jamat-I-islami, which opposes the Awami League and its 'secular' politics, say critics.

However, the ICT has broad support among Bangladeshi citizens, who want alleged war criminals tried, say human rights activists.

Mr Mueen Uddin led a group of Muslim leaders who went to Downing Street to hand a petition against the publication of the Satanic Verses to Margaret Thatcher

Sara Hossain, a British-trained barrister and one of Bangladesh's most prominent human rights lawyers, said: 'The critics often fail to mention the overwhelming demand for its [the ICT's] establishment or the need for a process of accountability for 1971 war crimes and crimes against humanity.'

Any request by the Bangladeshi government to the UK to hand back Mr Mueen-Uddin is likely to be tricky because the two countries have no formal extradition treaty. Also, the UK usually does not send suspects to a country where there is a possibility that they may be sentenced to death. A further difficulty is that it is believed that Mr Mueen-Uddin has been granted British citizenship by the Home Office.

However, Mr Huq said: 'We will try all avenues available to us. Although Bangladesh does practise the death penalty, it could be that Mueen-Uddin may not face it at his trial. That will be for the judges to decide.'

A Department of Health spokesman said: 'Mr Mueen-Uddin is not employed by either the Department of Health or the NHS.

'He was head of Muslim spiritual care in the NHS, and chair of the Multi-Faith Group for Healthcare Chaplaincy, an independent organisation which provides advice to the Department of Health about multi-faith healthcare chaplaincy on behalf of all Faith Groups.

'He has voluntarily stepped down from these roles while he responds to these allegations.'

Poor Saiva families subjected to Islamic proselytism

Administrators of mosques in Ampaa'rai district are engaged in converting members of poor Tamil Saiva families to Islam with financial inducement, civil society sources in Ampaa'rai said. Poor Tamil families from Chiththa'ndi, Mu'rakkottaancheanai, Chanthive'li, Kiraan and Ko'rakkallimadu who go work in rice mills, textile shops and brick making centres owned by Muslim businessmen are being coerced with inducements from the business owners according to sources.

About seventy five Saiva families of Nainaakdu have been converted to Islam.

A mosque has also been constructed at the village for the convertees' use, sources said.

Meanwhile, Tamil girls who are employed in textile shops owned by Muslims along Kalmunai-Akkaraippaththu road are also allegedly being sexually abused and used for prostitution, according to reports.

Police in Akkaraipaththu and Kalmunai have failed to take action against complaints made related to prostitution as the Police officers are also being allegedly bought over by financial inducements from the Muslim organizers of the prostitution rings, local sources said.

Don’t rush new statutory rape bill, Nazri told

DAP’s Teresa Kok urges the AG Chambers to consult relevant groups before tabling a bill in parliament to restrict judges' power on statutory rape sentences.

KUALA LUMPUR: De facto law minister Nazri Aziz was today urged to conduct thorough consultation with relevant groups before a bill is tabled in parliament to amend laws pertaining to statutory rape.

DAP parliamentarian for Seputeh Teresa Kok said Nazri must first setup a committee that included Attorney-General’s Chambers (AG) and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry so that a refined law could be drafted to best resolve the matter.

“The committee should consult women’s groups, deputy public prosecutors, social workers, shelter homes and so on to get their opinion,” she said at a press conference at the Federal Territories DAP annual convention 2012 today.

Kok was commenting on Nazri’s statement yesterday that an amendment would be tabled in parliament soon to disallow judges from exercising their discretionary power, under the Criminal Procedure Code 294 (1), to reduce the sentence given to statutory rapists.

Nazri had reportedly said that the provision would be added to Section 376 of Penal Code, which prescribes mandatory jail sentences for those convicted of statutory rape.

In recent months, the public had raised concerns on judges’ discretionary power after a national bowler and an electrician were allowed to go scot free despite having committed statutory rape against their underaged girlfriends respectively.

Koh said she was against the mandatory five year jail term used to be meted out to the statutory rapist before 2006, but added she was also against no punishment.

“Nowadays many teenagers have consensual sex, and the trend is increasing. If a 18-year-old guy was brought to jail for five years for having sex with his girl friend, his future will be gone,” she said.

“In the United States or United Kingdom, the laws are very detailed in those offences. So I think we should make laws to be more refined as well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the convention attended by 82 participants and 12 observers had passed resolutions to urge the federal government to take stringent measures on the annual budget to prevent leakages; to elevate the status of Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to be answerable to parliament; and to review the Automated Enforcement System, among others.

Can we continue to rely on BN?

Will Najib be as cool if it was Pakatan that had received RM40 million as political contribution?
COMMENT

By Chua Jui Meng

I have known some double tongue people but Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak really takes the cake when it comes to double-speak, that too without the blink of an eyelid.

He not only blatantly double-speaks, he also applies two sets of laws – one for his Barisan Nasional-Umno cronies and another for others – to suit his and BN-Umno’s agenda.

Najib also abuses all government law enforcement agencies to intimidate his political rivals.

I dread to imagine the might of the full force of the BN law enforcement agencies that will be used to clamp down on the Pakatan Rakyat and its “donors” if the RM40 million had been Pakatan’s.

I really wish to see whether Najib will respond the same – by saying that it is unnecessary to reveal the source of RM40 million ‘donation’ for Sabah Umno – when Pakatan receives similar donations.

We are already witnessing how vindictive the BN is towards human rights non-governmental organisation (NGO) Suaram.

After the BN-controlled Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the police refused to probe the alleged corrupt deals in the multi-billion-ringgit purchase of Scorpene submarines from France, Suaram lodged a complaint with the French authorities.

Till today, the MACC still refuses to start a probe into the purchase by the Defence Ministry, then helmed by Najib.

Instead, using the Jewish card, all enforcement agencies are now being used to clamp down on Suaram to intimidate its leaders.

The BN-government-controlled print and electronic media then ran amok, questioning Suaram’s source of foreign funding and donations from, among others, Jewish currency trader George Soros.

Mind you, in Malaysia, Jewish or Yahudi in Bahasa Malaysia is sensitive to the majority Muslim populace.

BN then even tried to tarnish Pakatan de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim’s links with Soros. However, when pictures of former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad with Soros and leaks of Najib’s secret meeting with Soros in the US surfaced in the internet, there were no such amok-like reports in the controlled media.

Najib even had the audacity to ask what was wrong for him to meet Soros! Is he insulting the intelligence of Malaysians?

Najib’s blatant double-speak and arrogance can only be due to Umno’s 55-year rule of Malaysia. And he and Umno-diehard supporters and cronies behave and believe Umno and BN are infallible.

The BN government’s plundering of the country’s wealth is believed to have stacked an RM800 billion federal debt, according to Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Muhkriz Mahathir, thereby likely breaching the legislated debt-ceiling.

This means we are heading towards the way of Greece – bankruptcy.

And, being described by Transparency International as one of the most corrupt countries in the world is cause for concern as it rattles the confidence of both local and foreign investors.

Chua Jui Meng is a PKR vice-president and Johor PKR chairman. He is a former MCA vice-president and an ex-BN cabinet member.

Siapa penyumbang RM40 juta untuk Umno Sabah

(Harakah) - Jika wang RM40 juta yang cuba diseludup ke Malaysia untuk Umno Sabah dibuat dengan cara yang betul, mengapa Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak takut mendedahkan siapa penyumbangnya, kata Naib Presiden PAS, Datuk Mahfuz Omar.

Ketika ditanya dalam sidang media selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi Barisan Nasional (BN) malam tadi, Najib mengelak dari mendedahkan siapa penyumbang wang RM40 juta itu.

Bagi Mahfuz, antara persoalan utama berhubung sumbangan RM40 juta itu bukan sahaja siapa penyumbangnya tetapi mengapa ia disumbangkan.

"Tidak ada siapa percaya si penyumbang memberikan sumbangan kepada parti pemerintah dengan percuma begitu sahaja.

"Kalau penyumbangnya orang berniaga, semua tindakan perniagaan dibuat berdasarkan untung dan rugi sebab ia bukan badan kebajikan," kata Ahli Parlimen Pokok Sena itu sambil mempersoalkan keuntungan apa yang diharapkan oleh si peniaga tersebut dalam memberiikan sumbangan sebesar itu.

Sebab itulah, kata Mahfuz, isu utama berhubung sumbangan RM40 juta itu ialah kedudukan pihak yang menerima sumbangan dan pihak yang memberikan sumbangan.

"Yang menerima sumbangan ialah parti pemerintah dan tidak ada siapa pun yang percaya ia diberikan tanpa sebarang kepentingan," kata beliau.

Apa yang berlaku itu juga membuktikan penguatkuasaaan undang-undang di negara ini dibuat secara double standard dan berpilih-pilih, kata Mahfuz.

"Kalau pihak yang kerajaan Umno BN tidak suka, sudah pasti dibongkar dan diburu habis-habisan seperti yang berlaku kepada Suaram sekarang.

"Umno bukan sahaja terima wang dari luar negara malah RM40 juta itu diseludup, tetapi menteri kata dalam Parlimen kononnya tidak ada unsur rasuah," katanya.

Dalam jawapannya kepada soalan Ahli Parlimen Batu Tian Chua, Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz berkata, "tidak ada unsur rasuah dibuktikan" di dalam kes itu.

Mahfuz juga mengecam Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) yang menimbulkan kecurigaan besar berhubung siasatannya terhadap penyeludupan wang RM40 juta itu.

Ketua Menteri Sabah yang juga Ketua Umno negeri, Datuk Seri Musa Aman sebelum ini menafikan tuduhan yang mengaitkan dirinya dengan hartawan balak, Michael Chia yang pernah ditahan pada 2008 kerana cuba menyeludup wang haram berjumlah RM40 juta.

Bagaimanapun, SPRM membersihkan dakwaan rasuah terhadap Musa dan Chia.

Hasan Ali’s umbrage over PAS-DAP ties — The Malaysian Insider

OCT 14 — There are many out there who fear the Islamist PAS working together with the secular DAP. To the point that PAS is seen as abandoning its Islamist roots while DAP is accused of either being very Christian or trying to help PAS implement an Islamic state.

That didn’t work in 1999 when both parties worked together in the Barisan Alternatif that floundered over the Islamic state concept. In Election 2008, they agreed not to contest against each other and PKR, and their success led to the formation of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Among those in the happy group then was Datuk Dr Hasan Ali. Well, he isn’t there now after being sacked last January by PAS.

This past week, he has criticised Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, the PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Mentri Besar, over the latter’s comments about cooperating with DAP. Others who have supported such cooperation include PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang.

But Hasan’s ire was directed at Nik Aziz and other PAS leaders whom he called “parasites”. Yet, at the heart of his umbrage is an underlying racism and chauvinism. And that Muslims and non-Muslims should not cooperate.

It is incredible that such a notion still exists almost 50 years after Malaysia was formed, and 55 years of Merdeka for Malaya. Wasn’t the country’s independence based on cooperation between all races? Wasn’t PR victory in 2008 due to such cooperation too?

Perhaps, Hasan recognises the value of such cooperation and realises that it can knock out his former nemesis, Barisan Nasional (BN). Perhaps he wants BN to take back Selangor and rub PR noses into the ground for rejecting him and his ideas.

Beyond the politics of it, it is just reprehensible that we have Malaysian politicians who believe that Muslims and non-Muslims should not cooperate with each other. Malaysians must not tolerate such ideas and tell off those who believe that this manner of thinking is correct.

Malaysia is a country for all, a country where all Malaysians cooperate no matter what race or religion. People like Hasan need to know this before mouthing off and criticising those who work together despite having different faiths. That is true unity.

Hasan can joust all he wants with his former party colleagues but he shouldn’t do it at the expense of Malaysia and Malaysians. We have come a long way as a nation and as a people who work together and should not be undermined by those who feel people of different faiths should not cooperate.

If anything, Malaysians should show people like Hasan the door if he decides to stand for elections again.

BN Government Makes Promises It Can Fulfill - Najib

KUDAT, Oct 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak reiterated today that the government led by Barisan Nasional (BN) only promised something to the people which it could fulfill, as to him the inability to fulfill promises would be hypocrisy.

According to Najib, failure to fulfill promises made to the people not only violated religious teaching but was also committing a major sin for lying.

He said those who made empty promises would be punished by the people.

"Never once will we put ourselves as hypocrites. That is why we use the tagline "Fulfilling Promises", as the government only talks about real things and not lies. We live by our word.

"If we put our fate in trust, we cannot betray trust. That is why I guarantee that every sentence, every word which we utter to the people, is based on our capability. If we are not capable, we will not mention as being unable to fulfill promises to us is a big sin.

"God will curse us, the people will punish us, the people will also punish leaders for cheating the people," he said when opening the "Fulfilling Promise" tour programme at the Kudat Sports Centre here.

The programme was attended by Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman and more than 50,000 people from various areas near Kudat such as Pitas, Matunggong, Kota Belud, Tandek and Pulau Banggi.

Najib also said the reception of Sabahans in his series of visits to the state such as Sandakan, Sipitang, Kota Belud, Penampang and Kudat were very encouraging, reflecting the people's confidence with the BN government.

He said the presence of so many people also reflected the confidence of the residents in putting their hopes in the future on BN and not others, and it represented the unity of the people with the current government.

Najib also gave his guarantee that all promises of the BN government would be fulfilled irrespective of when the general election was held.

The Prime Minister also described Sabah as a reflection of the people of 1Malaysia as despite the variety of races and religious beliefs in the state, the people could still live in harmony since Sabah became independent 49 years ago.

On the selection of Kudat as the programme's location, Najib said it was not solely because of nostalgic sentiments of Kudat as the former state capital of Sabah as well as the birth place of its former leader, the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, but it also represented the commitment of the BN government to continue bringing development to the district.

Najib said as a leader, he needed to understand the grouses of the people as well feel their pulse and was prepared to fufill the aspirations and needs of the people.

"As one of the people's aspirations, especially in Kudat, the Promises Fulfilled Tour will mark the start of returning Kudat to its former glory when it was the capital of Sabah, at least we will develop Kudat as desired by the people here," he said.

After the programme launch, Najib made a visit to the residence of the late Tun Datu Mustapha Datu Harun, who was a former Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri and former chief minister.

Earlier, Najib had also met the people in Kampung Air near here upon his arrival from Kundasang.

MIC to focus on delivering Indian votes in Selangor, says Palanivel

SHAH ALAM, Oct 14 — The MIC will intensify efforts to deliver the 235,000 Indian votes in Selangor to  the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 13th general election, said party president Datuk Seri G. Palanivel.

He said the party was confident of delivering the votes judging by the various initiatives taken by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to uplift the well-being of the Indian community.

“With various initiatives taken, we expect that Indian support towards BN will increase by more than 70 per cent in Selangor, especially in rural and suburban areas.

“This is important to wrest back Selangor from the opposition,” he told a press conference after attending the foundation stone laying ceremony at Rimba Jaya Sri Maha Mariamman Temple here today.

Palanivel (picture) said MIC will also increase its Indian vote-bank within the party by increasing it from the current 400,000 to more than 500,000 votes.

Meanwhile, Palanivel, who is also Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had approved a RM1 million allocation for the construction of the temple, which is expected to be completed in a year’s time. — Bernama

Police 'extorted' wife of death-in-custody victim

Hindus Fighting to Save Cows in West Bengal. Mamata Banerjee, TMC and Police Promoting Cow Slaughter.

 
 West Bengal Politics, Administration, Police want to crush Hindu Organisations in West Bengal.

Under political pressure from Ruling Party (TMC), the West Bengal Police is plotting to ensure untroubled Cow Slaughter in maximum places very much illegally.

Hindu Existence (Special Investigating Team) | Kolkata |13-10-2012 :: Through its Valuable Judgements dt 02.11.2011 and 13-10-2011, the Honb’le Calcutta High Court categorically said that “the officials of the State and local bodies have no power to facilitate holding of markets for trading of cattle for sacrifice and also the movement of cattle for the said purpose on the occasion of Id-uz-Zoha”. Earlier, the Supreme Court of India reiterated that “sacrifice of a cow on Bakr id Day is not an obligatory overt act for a Musalman to exhibit his religious belief and ideas”. In many occasions the appex court directed that “such slaughter cannot be a religious purpose because it is not a part of religious requirement for the Musalmans..” In fine Cow slaughter in the name of Medicinal, Research or Religious purposes is strictly prohibited as per the directions given by the Honb’le courts time to time. In West Bengal one can procure beef from the authorised slaughter houses and permitted outlets, obviously not violating the West Bengal Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 in force.

But, unfortunately the Police in West Bengal allowing Animal Cruelty, Ghastly Slaughtering and Perilous Pollution in these days of ensuing Bakar Idd on 27th Oct, 2012, by violating Preventions of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960; Animal Transportation Act; WB Pollution Control Act; WB Animal Slaughter Control Act, 1950 and the relevant judgements of different Hon’ble courts. The political and police nexus in different places in West Bengal is promoting local Cow markets (Garu-hat) and the illegal transportation for Cow Slaughter in ensuing Bakar Idd and taking huge amount of speed money-bribe from the unauthorized cow traders and transporters.

This news coming from every corners of West Bengal and the ruling TMC (All India Trinmool Congress) has framed a policy to allow maximum cow markets-cow slaughter for Bakar idd to satisfy its Muslim Vote Bank. For example, the Usthi PS has arranged an illegal Cow trade point just adjacent to Police Station itself (Northern side of PS, in between PS and Usthi Agricultural Nursery). In Joynagar PS area, big cow markets are presently seen in Mouzpur and Biswanathpur villages. In Sahararhat (Falta PS), the Beef-eaters are canvassing such a illegal Cow market there on mike. Not only that, in some areas Police is trying illegal Cow Slaughter in new places under political pressure.

On 12-10-2012, Sri Sudip Singh (M. +919831115206). Officer-in-Charge, Usthi Police Station invited Sri Pintu Mahish of vill-Pianjganj for a discussion over a General Diary made by him (Pintu Mahish) on 4-10-2012 through registered post (book no. 9508, receipt no. 178). In course of the discussion, Mrs. Papiya Sultana, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Falta Zone, Ph. 2448-0366 , M. +919874690988 , Fax-03174-241100), South 24 Parganas also appeared in that meeting very interestingly. Through out the meeting, the Police authority pressurized Pintu for negotiating a cow slaughter in Pianjganj village. A bold Pintu negated the proposal of Police to allow cow slaughter in that village only to satisfy the Muslim brothers and sisters of the Muslim Police Officer Papiya Sultana. Further he said to the police officials not to favour anybody but to uphold the law of the land and the verdicts of Hon’ble Courts. It is heard that the O/C of Usthi Police Station is hatching a plan to allow the cow slaughter by a crooked means and set a further meeting on 13-10-2012 evening. But, so far it is gathered that the Police has not formally invited the village leaders of Pianjganj in the All Party Meeting on 13-10-2012. But, a resolution may be adopted to permit an OPEN COW SLAUGHTER IN PIANGANJ VILLAGE violating all the rules in broad day light.

It was very much astonishing that an Officer-in-Charge is negotiating for an illegal cow slaughter in a convened meeting and a Deputy Superintendent of Police is trying to convincing their inability to do anything if such a cow slaughter may happen in a cattle house of a personal occupancy. All the proceedings say a police intention to allow an illegal cow slaughter in Pianganj area, where Hindus are united to resist it in both legal and agitational way.

Police and Rapid Action Force (RAF) also entered and enquired into the village of Pianjganj and took some sample of posters of Bangiya Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Posters from the wall where a SAVE COW – SAVE NATION call was envisaged in connection of a Rashtra Raksha Sammelan (Protect the Nation Meet) on 09-10-2012 at Kolkata. The Kolkata Police did not allow that meeting to make a repression upon the Save Cow Activists and maintained the State Policy of Miss Mamata Banerjee (Chief Minister, West Bengal) to curb out all the Hindu Force from West Bengal step by step.

On the other hand, cross border cow transportation and cow-theft in rural areas in North 24 Pgs, South 24 Pgs, Nadia and Murshidabad are getting optimum rates due the inaction of BSF and State Police in West Bengal.

Banner-Posters of banned Rashtra Raksha Sammelan at Kolkata on 09-10-2012.

The Police is now trying to arrest the Save Cow Activists (Go Bhakta) in different place in West Bengal including in the area of Usthi Police Station.

But, the Go Bhaktas in West Bengal in various forums and in Bangiya Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Arya Veer Dal, Rashtriya Go Raksha Mission, Rashtriya Go Sewa Manch, Manishika, Samarpan, Rashtriya Go Raksha Sena, Hindu Existence – Go Raksha Vahini etc. have been united to SAVE COWS IN WEST BENGAL.

In last two days in Kulti area (Burdwan) and Jharkhan Border, 67 Cows in Border areas, 15 Cows in Nirsa and 7 Cows in Kulti have been recovered from the illegal Muslim Cow Traders. 3 cows with valid documents were taken to the custody of Police to return the original owners to retain and not to be slaughtered any way in this critical juncture for avoiding any further tension.

In the last couple of days, the Save Cow Activists had recovered 5 Cows from Salt Lake IT Sector (Techno-polish) and put in the safe custody of Rajasthan G0 Kalyan Trust Goshala near Barasat. These cows were being transported in a very small vehicle (Chotta Hathi) very wretchedly violating various attracted section of law. Now, Firhad Hakim (Bobby), Urban Development Minister of West Bengal is trying hard to take those 5 Cows for (fake) petting. Then why that vehicle on which the cows were being transported was superscribed with “KURBANIR GARU” on its window screen? It is reported that some Muslim fanatics and the group of Bobby Hakim have given a bond of Rs. 70,000/= to take out the Cows from the Goshala.

 

 The position of Cow protection in West Bengal is in a very vulnerable position as the Ruling Party is not maintaining the Verdict of Hon’ble Supreme Court of Indian and Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta. In many places Police and local administration are allowing illegal Cow Markets (Garu-hat) and Cow transportation as narrated above, though totally banned by the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta.
The tensions related to hurting Hindu sentiments by slaughtering cows at various places in the event of Bakar idd may affect the peace and harmony of the State. And it is not desirable anyway.
………………….
Despite all these, some sincere and patriot Police officials are exceptionally endeavouring hard to protect the Cow-Wealth in the light of exactness of the law and the judgements of Hon’ble Courts.
Arya Veer Dal Bangal, Arya Pratinidhi Sabha Bengal, Rashtriya Go Raksha Mission Rashtriya Go Sewa Mission, Hindu Existence – Goraksha Vahini and all other Cow Protection Groups and Forums in West Bengal met recently and vowed to SAVE COWS IN WEST BENGAL at any cost.
SHAME SHAME MAMATA BANERJEE, CHIEF MINISTER OF WEST BENGAL.
See this revealing Video: MAMATA BANERJEE ADVOCATED COW SLAUGHTER IN PARLIAMENT : Late RAJIB DIKSHIT.

Failed Pakistani asylum seeker posed as taxi driver to pick up and rape young clubber on mattress in a corner shop

Jailed: Pakistan-born Atiq Rehman, who was twice refused leave to remain in the UK, was jailed for six years

• Atiq Rehman lured a 22-year-old woman into the back room of a corner shop and attacked her on a mattress laid on the ground
• He led her from outside a nightclub before threatening to tie her up with tape while he carried out the attack
• When he carried out the rape he was free on the condition he reported regularly to authorities
• He was jailed for six years on both counts of rape, to run concurrently, and ordered to be deported on his release from prison

An illegal immigrant who was twice refused asylum in Britain raped a woman before he could be deported, a

court heard yesterday.

Atiq Rehman, 20, spotted his 22-year-old victim leaving a club and tricked her into thinking he was a taxi driver.

He then lured her into the back room of a corner shop and attacked her on a mattress for 45 minutes.

Yesterday the Pakistani national was jailed for six years after he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape.

Sentencing him, Judge Usha Karu said: ‘The fear she must have experienced simply can’t be imagined.’

Rehman had applied for asylum in the UK twice last year.

His initial asylum application and subsequent appeal were rejected by the Home Office.

After his rejection, he dropped under the radar of the authorities and may have used a fake name to avoid detection.

In the hours before the attack, his victim had spent the evening with friends at Infernos nightclub in Clapham, south London.

Within minutes of luring her into the shop, Rehman raped her.

He threatened to tie her up with duct tape if she did not stop crying.

He then raped her again before callously asking her how many children she wanted to have.

After the attack on April 29 he threw her out of the shop. The young woman stumbled to a friend’s house in nearby Balham and called the police.

Describing the attack, prosecutor Jeffrey Israel told Inner London Crown Court the victim met Rehman after becoming separated from her friends outside the club.

‘He approached her and she mistakenly thought he was offering a taxi service,’ Mr Israel said.

‘Mr Rehman had keys to open the metal shutters to the shop, and led her through to the back room.

Attack: Rehman led the woman to Newspoint store in Clapham Common Southside, (pictured) after she became separated from her friends outside the club following a night socialising

There were two mattresses on the floor, and the woman began to cry. She was scared because she didn’t want to be in that room alone with the defendant.’

During the attack the woman was ‘shouting and crying’ and ‘physically trying to push him away from her’, he said.

‘Throughout, she was shouting at him to stop and trying to escape from him,’ Mr Israel said. ‘She told him she didn’t want to do this, and was begging him to stop.

Rather than stopping, he pushed her on to her back and pulled her arms. She was struggling to get away.’

Club: Rehman had led the girl from outside Inferno’s nightclub in Clapham, south London, (inside pictured) with the promise of a taxi ride home before threatening to tie her up with tape while he carried out the attack

The owner of the shop, Bilal Akbar, was initially arrested on suspicion of rape, but told detectives he had lent his keys to Rehman, who had fled to Manchester.

Rehman handed himself in to police on May 26, but initially claimed a friend was responsible and he had been wrongly accused.

Later he changed his story and claimed he had consensual sex with the victim. Eventually he pleaded guilty to two counts of rape. However, even in court yesterday he continued to maintain the sex had been consensual.

Rehman, of Thornton Heath, Surrey, was jailed for six years on both counts of rape, to run concurrently, and he was ordered to be deported on his release from prison

Judge Karu said his crimes had been compounded by an ‘element of abduction’, the length of the ordeal, and the fact he took advantage of a woman who had been drinking.

The judge ordered Rehman, of Thornton Heath, South London, to be deported on his release from prison. Outside court, investigating officer Detective Constable Lisa Greedy, said: ‘This was an horrific attack by a man who had no qualms in exploiting a woman who he believed to be intoxicated.

‘The fact that he then threatened his victim with violence only added to her trauma.

‘I would like to pay tribute to the victim who showed strength and determination throughout the investigation.’