Police arrest 37 year-old man in connection with pregnant 11 year-old

Police have confirmed that a 37 year-old male is being held in custody in connection to an investigation into the case of an 11 year-old girl who gave birth to a premature baby on Thursday, November 1.

The confirmation was made as high-profile politicians, public figures and NGOs have launched a wider debate on child abuse and responsibility towards the welfare of young people in the Maldives.

Both government-aligned and opposition figures have called for authorities to properly investigate the pregnancy and alleged abuse of the girl, a stance backed by the Maldives’ Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which has labelled the matter a “very serious” and “dirty crime”.

The 11 year-old girl, who cannot be identified due to her age, gave birth to her child two months prematurely on Thursday.

Her child later died early morning on Friday (November 2), after being taken to Feydhoo regional hospital in Seenu Atoll for further treatment, with medical officials telling local media at the time that the girl had said she had been the victim of multiple cases of child abuse.

Police Spokesperson Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News today that a 37-year old male was presently being held in custody in relation to the case, but could not confirm if the 11-year old girl herself was presently under observation by authorities or was back with her family.

Islamic Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Minivan News he was aware of the ongoing investigations into the matter, which he labelled “a very big crime,” adding that the young girl should not herself take any blame or punishment.

“Personally I can’t say any word to punish a small girl in grade six. This may be a rape or sexual abuse case,” he said.

“We must find the man who did this dirty crime and he must be punished. I believe this to be a very serious case and have this morning talked with the Human Right’s Minster and Attorney General regarding the [issue].”

The Minister for Gender, Family, and Human Rights is presently is mandated to deal with the matter.

Gender Minister Dhiyana Saeed referred Minivan News to Dr Aishath Rameela, State Minister for Gender, Family, and Human Rights.

Dr Rameela was not responding to calls at time of press.

Twitter debate

Debate over the case has raged on social media over the last few days. Political figures including MP Rozaina Adam of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) stressed via Twitter that investigations conducted by both the police and the Maldives Gender Ministry of were proceeding at “top speed”.

Rozaina, who labelled the case as both “unacceptable” and “shocking”, demanded on social media that police make the case a high priority and find the person responsible for fathering the child.

“An 11 year-old doesn’t get pregnant by herself! This is child abuse we are talking about here n authorities need to find out who is responsible,” she wrote on the social media service.

Rozaina was not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press.

Meanwhile, Ali Rameez, a famous singer who gave up music and now heads the Islamic NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf, tweeted on Friday: “All you people who claim to be Muslims! In Allah’s Shariah [law], a child grows up when he or she reaches puberty. Not when they turn 16, 18, 25.”

Rameez, who also hosts a religious program on private radio station SunFM, tweeted earlier that he was “not aware that children could get pregnant.”

The comments were criticised by some social media users including former Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam, who tweeted: “Where are the children’s right groups… Where is HRCM.. Horrified with the preaching of people like Ali Rameez.”

Outside of the political sphere, local NGO, Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) yesterday issued a statement calling on the government, civil society organisations and the general public to step up efforts to combat child abuse in society.

“ARC strongly condemns the recent case of child abuse resulting in the pregnancy of an 11 year-old child. ARC calls upon the authorities to utilise all necessary resources to ensure the safety and protection of the child,” the statement read It is an obligation for us as responsible citizens to protect our children, and it is the Maldivian government’s obligation as a signatory to the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) that all international commitments to protect the rights of all children are adhered to fully.”

ARC also highlighted the importance of respecting the child’s privacy, while urging parliament, the government and the nation’s judiciary to take “action urgently” over the case.

“We also call on the relevant state institutions, civil society and other international entities in the country to take all precautionary measures to prevent violations of children’s rights, protect their safety and well-being, and to maximize their efforts to address comprehensively the issue of the violations of children’s rights in the Maldives,” the statement added.

Well-known Pakistani journalist Marvi Sirmed shot at

Islamabad: Unidentified gunmen today attacked prominent rights activist Marvi Sirmed in the Pakistani capital. She escaped unharmed.

The gunmen, who were in a black car, fired at Sirmed's vehicle at Murree Road near Bani Gala on the outskirts of Islamabad while she was returning home from work. Sirmed has received threats from extremist groups several times in the past.

"They tried to target us twice and fired several shots at my car which they missed. Luckily, my driver sped away and we escaped," Sirmed told PTI.

Sirmed is an outspoken defender of democracy and human rights, especially the rights of minority communities like Hindus, Christians and Shias. She has received threats from rightwing and extremist groups several times in the past, forcing her to change her residence frequently.

Often seen wearing a sari and a bindi, Sirmed has also faced accusations of being "pro-Indian" from extremists.

However, threats have never deterred her from taking steps to protect the rights of minorities and she was recently at the forefront of a campaign to prevent the abduction and forcible conversion of Hindu girls.

Sirmed, who works as the manager of a UN project to strengthen Pakistan's democracy and parliament, also played a key role in the recent campaign to free Rimsha Masih, a Christian girl who was wrongly accused of blasphemy after a Muslim cleric planted evidence against her.

Friends who had visited Sirmed at work two days ago said they had spotted a suspicious looking car parked outside her office late at night.

Police officials said they had launched an investigation into today's shooting.

No group claimed responsibility for the incident.

In a message posted on Twitter, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said Sirmed had been provided security at her residence.

Malik said he had asked authorities to submit a report on the attack on Sirmed's car.

Trigger-happy robbers hit RHB branch for RM200,000

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 5 — Three robbers wearing baseball caps and armed with pistols held a bank client and security guard as hostage before robbing a bank of RM200,000 in a five-minute heist.

Petaling Jaya Police Chief ACP Arjunaidi Mohamed said during the 2.40pm robbery, the suspects who were armed with pistols rushed into the Sri Damansara RHB Bank branch and held a bank client and security guard who was stationed at the entrance as hostage.

Another armed robber attacked a security guard who was behind the counter and seized his pump gun, he told reporters at the scene here today.

The robbers forced the injured security guard to hand over two bags of cash that was placed in a room behind the counter, before fleeing the scene with the two hostages.

Arjunaidi said during the five-minute heist, the robbers fired three shots at random — one in front of the counter and two at a room behind the counter — in the presence of 15 bank staff, including the two security guards, and 10 clients.

The robbers fled with the two hostages in a white BMW car which had two more accomplices inside.

Meanwhile, one of the hostage, Abdul Aziz Abdul Jalil, 36, a lecturer in a private college, who was later released by the robbers, remained in trauma.

“I was waiting for my turn when suddenly I felt someone choke me. At the same time I saw two more suspects grabbing a security guard. They probably held me because I was wearing a jacket and they must have thought I was a security guard too,” he said.

He added that when he heard shots fired and screams from women, he was confined to the fact that he was going to die.

“It all happened so fast but glad that I was not harmed,” he said.

Ibrahim Ali: Nurul Izzah ‘budak mentah’

Beliau sepatutnya memahami Islam secara mendalam sebelum membuat sebarang kenyataan kerana bimbang boleh menggugat akidah, kata Ibrahim Ali.

KUALA LUMPUR: Naib Presiden PKR Nurul Izzah Anwar didakwa gagal memahami undang-undang syariah Islam apabila menyentuh isu hak kebebasan memilih agama.

Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas Datuk Ibrahim Ali berkata, Nurul Izzah sepatutnya memahami Islam secara mendalam sebelum membuat sebarang kenyataan kerana bimbang boleh menggugat akidah.

“Saya anggap Izzah budak mentah. Mungkin dia terpengaruh dengan ajaran bapa (Anwar Ibrahim) yang mendukung amalan pluralisme. Saya minta PAS tarbiyahkan budak ini,” katanya kepada pemberita di lobi Parlimen hari ini.

Beliau berkata, kenyataan tersebut cenderung untuk meraih keuntungan politik dan menggesa Majlis Fatwa mengambil tindakan tegas terhadap isu ini.

Nurul Izzah dalam forum “Islamic State: Which version? Whose responsibility?” Sabtu lalu dilapor berkata tiada seorang pun boleh dipaksa untuk menerima ajaran agama tertentu dan perkara itu juga terpakai untuk orang Melayu.

Kenyataannya diputarbelitkan

Namun pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat mempertahankannya dan menganggap kenyataan Nurul Izzah itu telah diputarbelitkan.

Ahli Parlimen PAS-Shah Alam Khalid Samad berkata apa yang cuba disampaikan Izzah adalah kebebasan memeluk Islam atas pilihan sendiri.

“Mesej Izzah adalah jangan anggap kita Islam kerana kita (baka) Melayu. Islam adalah pilihan bukan kerana keturunan,” tegasnya.

Timbalan Presiden PKR Azmin Ali pula berkata masyarakat beragama Islam di negara ini masih lagi terikat dengan undang-undang syariah dan itu tidak boleh dipertikaikan.

“Nurul Izzah tak nyatakan sedemikan. Dia dah buat penjelasan…itu bagi bukan Islam kerana kita tak boleh paksa orang bukan Islam masuk Islam,” katanya.

Ahli Parlimen Lembah Pantai itu pagi tadi mengeluarkan kenyataan menafikan gambaran beliau cuba menggalakkan murtad.

“Saya sama sekali tidak menggalakkan atau menerima murtad. Saya berpegang pada pendirian umum sedia ada iaitu setelah memeluk Islam seorang Muslim tertakluk dengan syariat Islam; sebagaimana seorang warganegara tertakluk dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

“Saya kesal kerana ada usaha kalangan yang cuba memutarbelitkan kenyataan saya, seolah-olah saya meremehkan soal aqidah atau mudah menerima orang Islam yang memilih untuk murtad,” katanya.

Mengapa soal saya mengenai Suaram?

Pengarah Eksekutif Empower, Maria Chin Abdullah percaya ia merupakan satu pola gangguan baru oleh pihak berkuasa.

PETALING JAYA: Pengarah Eksekutif Empower, Maria Chin Abdullah hairan dengan tindakan polis yang mahu menyoal beliau berikutan satu laporan terhadap NGO hak asasi manusia, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (Suaram).

“Saya tidak faham…..apa kaitan saya dengan Suaram kerana saya bukan ahli mahupun pengasas Suaram. Ia sangat mengelirukan,” kata beliau yang juga merupakan ahli jawatankuasa eksekutif Bersih 2.0.

Maria berkata demikian sebagai reaksi kepada surat yang diterima beliau hari ini yang ditandatangani oleh Ketua Penolong Pengarah (Pematuhan) Jabatan Pendaftar Pertubuhan Malaysia (ROS), ASP Arsad Kamaruddin.

Surat itu meminta Maria hadir untuk disoal siasat oleh pihak polis di bawah sekyen 111 dan 112 Kanun Prosedur Jenayah berikutan laporan dibuat terhadap dirinya di Muar.

Beliau perlu hadir pada hari Rabu ini jam 10 pagi di Bahagian Pematuhan, ROS, Putrajaya untuk disoal siasat tetapi beliau hanya akan hadir pada hari Jumaat.

Maria turut menyoal kenapa hanya dirinya sahaja yang dipanggil untuk disoal siasat.

“Sebagai NGO, Empower memberikan sokongan solidariti terhadap usaha mengenai hak asasi manusia yang dijalankan oleh Suaram.

“Saya percaya bahawa mereka menggunakan jaringan yang lebih luas untuk mengganggu NGO,” kata Maria, sambil merujuk kepada gangguan yang dihadapi ahli jawatan kuasa Bersih 2.0 yang lain ketika hendak pergi ke luar negara.

Sementara itu, Pengarah Eksekutif Suaram, E Nalini mengecam tindakan ROS itu.

“Tindakan mereka berniat jahat kerana Suaram didaftarkan di bawah Suruhanjaya Syarikat Malaysia, bukan ROS. Mereka menyalah guna kuasa,” kata Nalini.

CCTV exposes 6P agents abusing foreign workers

Two videos allegedly showed Bangladeshi workers being slapped and attacked by the government-appointed 6P agents.
FULL REPORT

PETALING JAYA: Several foreign workers were allegedly beaten up by government-appointed agents under the 6P amnesty programme – and the incidents were caught in CCTV footages.

According to the Selangor Anti-Human Trafficking Council (Mapmas), representatives of a 6P company were seen slapping and attacking Bangladeshi men applying for work permits in two CCTV footages.

(Under the 6P programme, illegal foreign workers will either be legalised or deported without punishment. The six Ps represent the Malay words for registration, legalisation, amnesty, monitoring, enforcement and deportation. Some 330 companies have been appointed to assist in the registration process.)

The victims in the videos are part of a group of 100 who were cheated by the same company, claimed Mapmas task force member and activist Abdul Aziz Ismail, who spoke to FMT, today.

In one of the videos dated Sept 15, a minute-and-a-half long, a man is seen sitting in the office while another stood before him, slapping his face repeatedly.

The other video, dated May 18, showed a man purportedly in the same office hitting a group of “workers” with a stick and also kicking them in a scuffle.

One of the victims has lodged a police report, naming the company involved as SNT (Universal) Corporation Sdn Bhd, located in Taman Maluri, Cheras.

The company’s CEO was named as Shahidul Islam@Babul, who was supposedly also a Bangladeshi man.

“Babul had taken our passports and our money totalling RM2,835 to RM3,335 to apply for permits under the 6P programme,” wrote Bangladeshi national Abdul Kader Jilani, who apparently represented 154 others in the report.

Human trafficking

However, whenever the immigrants asked the company the status of their application they would be threatened and assaulted, the report added.

The report said that a welfare officer of the Bangladesh High Commission, who has been informed of their plight, told them that they were victims of human trafficking.

Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz said the victims had alerted him of the assaults early this year.

“We managed to obtain the two CCTV footages from one of the Bangladeshis working in the company. The worker was badly beaten up when he refused to give out forged documents to some of his countrymen,” alleged Abdul Aziz.

Abdul Aziz claimed that the 100 over victims were brought into Malaysia by bogus employers.

Upon arrival, he said, their passports were confiscated and they were abandoned by their bogus employers. They managed to escape arrest so far.

“When the 6P programme was implemented, they were given the opportunity to be legalised. However, they had to pay ridiculous amounts… some were even charged up to RM5,000,” he claimed.

Abdul Aziz said the 6P company did not provide proper services, and resorted to violence when the Bangladeshi workers queried about their status.

“They were cheated, robbed and exploited but were afraid to report to the authorities because these ‘agents’ would threaten them.

“Even when they lodged reports, the police and immigration refused to act because they are foreigners,” said Abdul Aziz.

Attempts by FMT to call SNT Universal Corporation, and the CEO of the company, were unsuccessful.

Police to investigate

Meanwhile, Cheras police chief ACP Mohan Singh confirmed that a report was lodged on the matter. He said the matter will be investigated under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2010.

“The report was made by only one person, but the complainant said in the report that a few of them were cheated, though there was no specific mention of an assault in the report, only that they were frightened when they asked for their permit.”

However, Mohan said that police would further investigate claims of abuse, given that CCTV videos have been exposed.

Asked about accusations that police were reluctant to investigate, Mohan replied:”How can you ask me this kind of question? If there is anything, or any issues, the victims can feel free to see me, personally,” he said.

Tamil School boards should be empowered to play a lead role in their school development.

Senator S.Ramakrishnan,

The name list of schools which were allocated funds under the 100 million from budget 2012 was released around second week of October 2012. Ministry of Education manages the funds to award jobs to its own contractors and Suria Cooperative nominated contractors to built, renovate and repair work in Tamil schools. Funds to Tamil school are not easily available. But when it finally arrives does it serve the purpose? This is the question Tamil school headmasters and newly formed school boards of governors are asking. Many of these contractors subcontract their work to other contractors. Ministry may award the contract for a certain amount but the actual work done will be very much less than contract value.

Ministry of Education allocated Rm50000 for repair work in one Tamil school located in Sepang. A contract for RM40000 was awarded to one nominated contractor. This contactor sub- contracted the repair work for RM20000 to another contractor. This sub-contractor will take his own profit and delivery the job may be worth RM15000. For a job estimated RM50000 was finally completed for RM15000. What kind of work would be done for RM15000? Does this solve the school problem? But the MIC/BN ministers will go around town hoodwinking everybody that they have given RM50000 for a Tamil which in actual fact only received work for RM15000. This is not a one off but common story in government contracts.

Let’s take another school as an example of the dilemma faced by Tamil Schools. The SJK (T) Ladang Semenyih, wants to built a 3 storey building with 12 classrooms, 1 resource classroom, 1 multimedia classroom, 1 meeting and operation room, 1 living skills classroom, 1 art classroom, 1 counseling room, 1 prefect room, 1 cooperative classroom, 1 treatment room, 1 recovery room, 6 male and 6 female toilets, 1 gents and 1 ladies toilet. Private contractors are willing to build for RM1.7 milliom.

But the ministry of Education is sending a contractor to this school to build 2 storey building with 6 classrooms for RM1.5 million. This clearly shows that what the school needs and what the ministry of education provides are not the same. Once they have built the 2 storey building with 6 classrooms, the particular Tamil school has to manage their own problem. After spending RM1.5 the school is nowhere near solving their problem. Government contractors charging much higher price for work compared to private contractors. Why not Ministry of Education provide RM1.7 million to this school board to build instead of sending contractors?

It is common knowledge that there is no department for Tamil schools in ministry of education to plan and implement. As far as Tamil and Chinese schools are concerned the ministry of Education deals with MIC and MCA. Ministry of Education is only for national schools. After March 2008 the ministry of Education has roped in NGOs to liaise and plan for vernacular schools. All the talk of championing and protecting Tamil and Chinese schools by BN are big bluff.

With the support of Selangor state government many Tamil schools have formed board of governors. MIC copied this initiative and are now implementing in schools outside Selangor. Boards of governors are educated and well informed people who want to contribute in the development of Tamil schools. Board comprises of 3 old boys, 3 members of the PIBG, 3 donors and 3 trustees. They are in a better position to contribute to develop and maintain the school infrastructure and facilities compared to Tamil school PIBG. Chinese schools had their boards since 1960s. Ministry of Education should empower, delicate work and liaise with school board of governors. MIC is incapable of doing this small feat. Therefore the community must voice loud and clear to send this message.

Gold investment probe: Many paid but did not get their gold

(The Star) - Seized records have revealed that many investors who had paid had yet to receive any delivery of gold, prior to the joint raids by Bank Negara, the police, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism and the Companies Commission of Malaysia on four companies suspected of conducting illegal investment schemes using gold.

In a joint statement giving an update on their ongoing probe, they said that, in some cases, the investors had been waiting for more than five months after making payment.

“The total amount of gold seized during the raids from all the companies is approximately 142.7 kilogram, and monies in bank accounts and cash amounts to RM101.92mil,” the statement said.

Investigations also revealed that these companies kept poor records with some of them maintaining different versions of financial records for different purposes.

“These companies have also failed to submit audited accounts with the Companies Commission of Malaysia for the last few years, as required by law.

“For businesses, especially those that involve large numbers of clients and monies, it is imperative to maintain accurate records of all business transactions to avoid financial mismanagement or misrepresentation of the true financial situation of the company,” the statement said.

“The enforcement agencies are aware of the plight facing affected investors and every effort is being made to determine the whereabouts of any monies and assets of the companies.

“A dedicated team has been established to track the movement of monies and other assets. International accounting firms have also been appointed on a full time basis to assist in the investigations.

“The scope of the investigation is international.

“In this connection, the enforcement agencies are actively collaborating with their foreign counterparts to obtain evidence in several other jurisdictions to assist in the investigations,” the statement said.

On Oct 5, gold trading firms Pageantry Gold Bhd, Caesar Gold Sdn Bhd and Worldwide Far East Bhd were jointly raided for suspected offences that include illegal deposit-taking, money-laundering, tax evasion and avoidance and false description.

Three days earlier, Genneva Malaysia Sdn Bhd had been raided.

Seeking Authorities' Help - a Win-win Situation

 

Mothers (from left) Che Surin. Lim and Shanthi had relied on their Genneva Malaysia income as gold traders to feed their families. — Picture by Choo Choy May

Whatever the reason the company was raided, over 300,000 livelihoods are in the hands of the Central Bank. We seek the Central Bank's help to strive their utmost best to mediate this critical situation peacefully with empathy and compassion.

Shereen Lim

My heart goes out to many families who are now in fear, worry and grief. Their dreams have turned into nightmares.

Whatever the reason the company was raided, over 300,000 livelihoods are in the hands of the Central Bank. We seek the Central Bank's help to strive their utmost best to mediate this critical situation peacefully with empathy and compassion.

It is very noble for the Central Bank to protect the public, in this context with their sincerity and conviction, and we wish to appeal to the Central Bank to resolve this situation with a WIN-WIN settlement.

It is crucial that the Central Bank give priority by speeding up Genneva Malaysia's issue as over 300,000 of us are now suffering financially & emotionally.

Evidently Genneva Malaysia has always meet their obligations and commitments with all their consultants and customers. We were a OneGenneva Happy family before the raid.

OBJECTIVES
A) To seek the Central Bank's help by permitting Genneva Malaysia to operate while the Central Bank:
- Continues to have dialogue with Genneva Malaysia which was already on-going for the last 8 months,
- to advise and guide them as well as to educate them for a WIN-WIN situation.
B) As for money laundering, this issue originally meant for terrorists. Question: Should it be exercised towards trading houses? If so:
- We would like to seek the Central Bank to address this grey area immediately; be it gold, wine, properties etc.
- To seek the Central Bank to formulate a clear rule so no party is victimized otherwise all trading houses are powerless
- As this is a vast undertaking by the Central Bank which can be considered a very subjective rule, we seek justice that the Central Bank may help us address this issue so that we can put the “trauma” behind us.

RAPAT RAKYAT ABU: JELAJAH BONGKAR SKANDAL SCORPENE

Whilst 80% of the nation increasingly find it difficult, if not near impossible, to make ends meet, Najib and his merry men and women in UMNO / BN, and their privileged cronies live obscenely opulent lives, showing no shame as scandal upon scandal is exposed.

Scorpene.


PKFZ.
Cows in condos.
The list goes on and on.
Now, they will risk Malaysian lives and health for Lynas Aussie dollars!
And the mainstream media continues to cover all of this up.
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) and Asalkan Bukan UMNO ( ABU ) will not be silenced.
We will bring the truth to you.
See you all in Melaka on 13th November, 2012

[Kenyataan Media Terkini] Isu Islam dan Masyarakat Melayu

Saya ucapkan terima kasih di atas pertanyaan lanjutan yang diterima setelah saya menghadiri satu forum bertajuk “Islamic State: Which version? Whose responsibility?” sebagai seorang panelis.

Sewaktu sesi soal jawab, salah satu soalan ditanya kepada saya berkait isu paksaan dalam agama melibatkan masyarakat Melayu. Jawapan saya menegaskan ungkapan – “Tidak ada paksaan dalam agama (Islam)….” – daripada ayat suci Al Quran, Surah Al-Baqarah, ayat 256. Ungkapan ini merangkumi seluruh umat manusia.

Namun ditambah, saya berpegang pada pendirian umum sedia ada, iaitu setelah memeluk Islam, seorang Muslim tertakluk dengan Syariat Islam; sebagaimana seorang warganegara tertakluk dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Saya kesal kerana ada usaha kalangan yang cuba memutarbelitkan kenyataan saya seolah-olah saya meremehkan soal aqidah atau mudah menerima orang Islam yang memilih untuk murtad.

Saya cenderung mendukung program pendididkan dan daawah utk memperkukuh aqidah dan meningkat kefahaman terhadap Islam.

Saya berdoa agar Allah SWT memberi petunjuk dan hidayah kepada semua, demi kesejahteraan bersama.

Nurul Izzah Anwar

MyKad ‘Islamisation’

by Martin Jalleh

Should the King invoke Article 13

The Sun Daily
by Hemananthani Sivanandam

PETALING JAYA (Nov 5, 2012): The contentious debate about whether Malaysia is a secular or Islamic state has been raging on both sides of the political divide.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh recently proposed urging the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to invoke his powers under Article 130 of the Federal Constitution, to refer to the full bench of the Federal Court for an opinion as to whether Malaysia is a secular state or an Islamic state.

He argued that in the 1988 case of Che Omar Che Soh vs Public Prosecutor, the Supreme Court headed by then lord president Tun Salleh Abbas had clearly stated that the law in the country was secular.

However, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said in Parliament last month that Malaysia had never been endorsed or declared as a secular country.

He said according to the nation's history, Malaysia was formed based on the Islamic government of the Malay Sultanate and the Malay rulers are the heads of religion in their respective states.

While some believe it is best to put an end to the issue, others feel it is best to just move on and leave the sensitive subject unexplored. Views put forward include:

Nazri Aziz

Tun Salleh's (pronouncement) was obiter dicta (Latin for "something mentioned in passing) and it was not an issue put before the court to decide if the country is secular or Islamic.

He mentioned only in passing that Malaysia has secular laws. It is up to the King now.

Also, we don't have to be one or the other. We are unique and we have gone this far without any problem.

Why do we have to follow one or the other? If we are not secular, must we be Islamic? No!

Monash University political science lecturer Prof Dr James Chin

Asking for a legal opinion by the King is frought with danger because the issue at stake is really not a constitutional issue, but a political question.

The best place to settle the debate is on the floor of the Parliament which can amend the constitution to say either way.

Karpal Singh

If the government feels that it is obiter dicta, and not the rationale for the decision, then it should get the King to refer the issue to the Federal Court for its opinion.

I don't think it was obiter dicta, because the court in deciding whether Islamic or secular laws applied in the country, declared it was secular laws … which means we are not an Islamic state.

Even democracy is not mentioned in the constitution, but we should go on the overall manner in which it was drafted. Let the issue be decided once and for all by a full bench of the Federal Court.

Political analyst Khoo Kay Peng

Karpal's suggestion is apt as this issue has been politicised and has tremendous effect on the judiciary, administration and public policy.

In the interest of the nation, I think the King should invoke his powers to settle the matter, as he is above politics. His role is also providing positive moderation of the country.

Let the court decide and put an end to this instead of letting the politicians go around confusing the people.

DPM Asks People Not To Gamble Away Nation's Future By Supporting Opposition

PAGOH, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today urged the people not to gamble away the country's future by supporting the opposition, but to stick with Barisan Nasional (BN) instead to ensure a good future.

Muhyiddin, who is also BN deputy chairman, said the BN government already had much experience in many areas of administering the country compared to the opposition pact's administration which was seen as increasingly erratic and haphazard.

"Some people buy (four-digit) numbers; sometimes the punters are lucky but some are not at all even if they have bought a hundred numbers. You can gamble on numbers but definitely not on your country's future," he said at a special gathering of the Pagoh BN election machinery, here, Sunday.

Muhyiddin said at a time now where some quarters were spewing slander round the clock, the people must not tempt fate by supporting the opposition pact, thinking their life would be better (under Pakatan rule).

He said this was because it had been clearly proven that all efforts carried out and the development effected by BN since 55 years ago, were the best thing to happen compared to the opposition's propensity to make empty promises and to twist facts to hoodwink the people.

"They (opposition) make all sorts of promises. They say they can do better than us but they can't. They have no consensus, so how can they set up a government?

"Everyday, there's (negative) news about Selangor. It's not that BN is lying but when they (opposition) are asked, they cannot answer. With regard to the water issue in Selangor, I want to see how the Selangor government can resolve it," he said.

On the Pagoh BN election machinery, Muhyiddin advised the machinery in the district's 46 polling centres to work hard to gain victory in the upcoming general election.

He said getting a bigger majority could be achieved if all members of the Pagoh BN election machinery meet the key performance indicators (KPI) set.

Need For Asia, Europe To Accelerate Trade - Najib

From Jamaluddin Muhammad

VIENTIANE, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- Asia hopes to increase its trade with Europe once the latter overcomes its financial crisis, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Monday.

He said trade between them could be further accelerated through the removal of trade barriers and protectionism.

"Asia sees Europe as an important region in getting investment through foreign direct investment and new technology, especially green technology," he told reporters after attending the first day's session of the two-day Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) at the National Convention Centre, here.

Najib said he also hoped that the free trade agreements between Malaysia and Europe and between Asean and Europe could materialise soon.

Europe, on the other hand, he said, viewed Asia as an important global engine of growth as this year Asia enjoyed economic growth of between five and seven per cent while Europe, one per cent.

In facilitating trade between the two regions, Najib said, some of the proposals made during the Doha Round were doable, including rejecting protectionism and promoting trade liberation.

Najib said countries with some fiscal space should further strengthen their economy so that they could contribute to enhancing trade between the two regions.

"Malaysia, which falls in this category, has increased its economic growth to five per cent this year," he said.

Najib also held three separate bilateral meetings, with French President Francois Hollande, Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg and Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, at the convention centre on the sidelines of the summit.

"Hollande requested to meet me to state that Malaysia is an important country and the need to enhance bilateral trade," Najib said.

Hollande had expressed his country's readiness to offer military and civilian products to Malaysia, including fighter jets, helicopters and defence systems, said Najib.

The Malaysian prime minister said he was also glad to note that Air France would launch its direct flight between France and Malaysia in April next year.

During the discussions with the Norwegian leader, Najib said, Norway expressed willingness to share with Malaysia its latest technology in oil and gas.

"Their technology could double oil extraction, and the robotic technology could carry out oil exploration in sea depths of more than 1,000 metres," said Najib.

Norway, he said, was also interested in offering Malaysia its ship-to-ship missiles as Malaysia was enhancing its military modernisation programme.

Najib said his Pakistani counterpart, among others, had invited him to attend the forthcoming D-8 meeting of developing countries in Pakistan this month.

‘Tens of thousands’ brave rain as Negri Sembilan awakens

Thousands braved the rain today in Seremban Jaya in a show of support for political change in the country.







Eyewitnesses estimated the crowd at “tens of thousands” for the event dubbed ‘Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat’ (People’s Awakening Gathering) at the venue, 3.5km from Seremban. Azmin Ali tweeted the turnout at more than 30000 while a municipal councillor from Selangor at the scene said 25000 had turned up.

Umbrellas popped open as the rain pelted down. But then the sky cleared.

Nurul denies supporting 'murtad'

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar has denied that her statement made last Saturday morning during a public forum encourages Muslims to renounce Islam.

“I do not accept nor encourage apostasy at all,” the Lembah Pantai MP said in a statement released last night.

“I stand by the general stance that after embracing Islam, a Muslim is subjected to syariah, just as a citizen is subjected to the federal constitution.

“I regret there are people trying to twist my statement as if I disparage the issue of faith or accept Muslims who choose to apostate,” she stressed.

Nurul was referring to her statement during a public forum on “Islamic State: Which version; Whose responsibility?” in Subang Jaya on Saturday morning.

She reportedly said that no one should be compelled to adopt a particular religion and that this applies to Malays as well.

Today, Malay daily Utusan Malaysia frontpaged Malaysiakini's report on Nurul's statement under the headline “Melayu bebas pilih agama? (Are Malays free to choose religion?)”.
Nurul Izzah said when she was answering a question during the forum, she made her response based on verse 256  Surah Al-Baqarah of the Quran, which states, “There is no compulsion in religion (Islam)”.

“This phrase covers all humankind,” she said.

“I pray that Allah will give insight and guidance to all, for the sake of peace and prosperity.”

'Nurul ignorant about Islam'

In a related development, Umno Young Ulama (Ilmu) working committee secretariat chairperson Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya also blasted Nurul Izzah, saying she was ignorant about Islam, Malay daily Berita Harian reported today.

“I believe she is ignorant to have made such a statement. Her statement clearly deviates from the maqasid syari’yyah (objectives of syariah) and can be considered as violating Islamic principles,”  Fathul Bari  said.

“I feel that she was speaking without enough religious knowledge. It will be more noble if she retracts her statement without distortion, for Allah is forgiving.”

He also said that her statement could give implications to Muslims in future not to uphold Islam and instead focus on ideological pluralism.

“Nurul should refer to PAS' ulama. In fact the opposition leader (Anwar Ibrahim) himself has constantly stressed on maqasid syari'yyah.”

Puteri Umno chief Rosnah Rashid Shirlin (above) shared Fathul’s view and said Nurul’s statement would cause unrest among the Muslims.

“Although there is firmness in place, there are Muslims who commit apostasy. The situation will be much worse if Malays are given absolute freedom in religion,” Rosnah said.

By Stephen Ng,
It appears to me that someone is indeed lying, and MIC should now go back to ask why former councillor, A Kohilan Pillay, had failed to block the construction project in 2007, despite his and P Kamalanathan's absence from the full board meeting.

Now that the project is going ahead, both former councillors should be held accountable for their failure to protect the interest of the Indians.

Firstly, why were they absent for something as important as the full board meeting, especially when it involved an important issue like protecting the Batu Caves, if this was ever at the heart of MIC in the first place?

Secondly, despite their absence, why did the duo not raise this issue up again after the approval was given by the full board?

Did they even write in officially to object against the project? I am sure within the MIC, there is still room to raise up the subject all the way to the president himself.

Now for former MIC president Samy Vellu to suddenly wake up and be involved in a public demonstration, and for the duo to claim that it was only a planning approval that was made by the full MPS board, and not making noise over it, is like telling the whole world that the Earth is square.

Thirdly, why did the full board approve the project despite it having social, religious and environmental implications?

In the first place, the Department of Environment had already stated its objections against the project.

The full board was then made of representatives from BN-linked political parties.

Did they not have any consideration towards the sensitivities of the Hindu community and did they think they were too powerful that no one could stand in their way to stop the project?

What irks me is to see the former MIC president himself leading the demonstration!

And the lack of sincerity in this entire issue when MIC is supposed to protect the interests of the Hindu community, in much the same way MCA is supposed to protect the interest of the Chinese.

But what history tells us is that both parties are too engrossed with power struggles so much so they has failed utterly in their role as race-based parties.

As a Malaysian citizen, I totally reject race-based political parties. It is time for us as a country to look at ourselves objectively, putting aside the emotional side of things. We are lagging behind countries like Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.

If I were a foreign investor, where would I put my money?

We should be grateful that the old investors are still having confidence in our economy, but the newer ones see us as a small economy, with too many political and policy controls over the business sector.

If we try, for the sake of winning Selangor, to apply pressure on the Selangor state government now to withdraw the project, and pay millions of ringgits to compensate the developer, Selangor taxpayers are not going to take it easy on the MIC.

In particular, on these two former MPS councillors and the entire BN which made up the full board, for their failure to stop the project right from the beginning.

We are not going to pay for their failure without lashing back at them.

In Hyderabad, Hindus are denied to make festival shed at Bhagyalakshmi temple in front of Charminar..

In Muslim areas like Hyderabad in India, Hindus are not allowed to make even temporary sheds for the use of festivals.
Temporary Shed for festival removed from Bhagyalaxmi Temple in front of Charminar at Hyderabad.
‘Expansion’ row adds to tension in Old City of Hyderabad.

Express News Service – Hyderabad | 02nd November 2012 :: Tension continued in the Old City of Hyderabad on Thursday after the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) objected to the management of Bhagyalakshmi temple at the Charminar setting up a small shed in front of its premises late Wednesday night.

Police took as many as 20 persons into preventive custody after a mild clash took place between the two groups.

“At around 10 am on Thursday, devotees and Bajrang Dal activists reached the temple and staged a dharna alleging that a section of people deliberately opposed decoration works at the place of worship. Police rushed to the spot and took 20 persons into preventive custody,” deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Akun Sabharwal said, adding that the arrested persons were shifted to Kanchanbagh and Bahadurapura police stations.

According to police, the management was trying to build a temporary shed in front of the temple for the festival, when some MIM party activists, led by Charminar MLA Syed Ahmed Pasha Qadri, rushed to the spot and objected to the construction, alleging that the space near the Charminar was being encroached upon.

Heated argument ensued between the two groups after which police rushed to the spot and dispersed the mob.

Heavy security was deployed in and around the Charminar to prevent untoward incidents as communal clashes have been taking place in the Old City for a few days. Section 144 is still clamped in the Old City

Bajrang Dal Alleges Political Hand

Bajrang Dal city convener Bharath Vamsi alleged that the police deliberately arrested their activists and devotees under the influence of some political parties in the Old city. “Devotees celebrate Bhagyalaxmi festival every year.

As the festival is round the corner, the temple committee started decorating and constructing a small shed temporarily in front of its premises. What’s the wrong in it?” Vamsi questioned. He demanded that the police release the arrested devotees and Bajrang Dal activists. [Courtesy: New Indian Express]

“ONE VENTILATOR OF CHARMINAR HAS BEEN DAMAGED INADVERTENTLY BY ONE OF THE WORKER OF MAKE SHIFT (ABSOLUTELY TEMPORARY) SHEDS AT BHAGYALAKSHMI TEMPLE. THEN WHAT ABOUT THOUSAND TEMPLE DESTRUCTED BY MUSLIM RULERS ALL OVER BHARAT. OH HINDUS! DON’T ALLOW ANY MOSQUE IN ANY HINDU AREA OR NEAR VICINITY. IT WILL SNATCH YOUR RELIGIOUS RIGHTS OF TEMPLE AT LAST” - Upananda Brahmachari.

Hindu Existence Updates :: 1st Nov, 2012*******Raja Bhai Arrested******* Yesterday midnight around 2-3 o’clock MIM MLAs with their 1000 of their supporters gathered at Charminar Bhagyalakshmi Mata Temple and did a dharna (sitting demonstration demanding removal of shed…They shouted slogan “Bharat Mata Hai Hai”, and pelted stones. We ask what was police doing then when so many Muslims gathered within 144 declared areas violating peace and orders?

Raja Bhai Singh Thakur ( A councillor of TDP and a Hindu leader) was detained by police when he tried to go the Charminar Bhagyalaxmi Mata temple including the priest of the temple and several other BJP leaders… Is Bharat going to be a Muslim State?

2nd Nov, 2012 :: Today some miscreants tried to create trouble after Friday prayers at Charminar. Some miscreants went ahead and set ablaze ACP’s vehicle on fire (even police is not safe from their terror). But thanks to CRPF and RAF, a heavy damage was avoided by the security contingent. As everyone expected of Islamic nuisance after Friday prayers, they withstood the expectations. It is a request to all Hindus to be safe and don’t spread rumours unless confirmed. Be safe and be ready.

Responding this sms: “ Nov 02, 2012 Charminar, Bhagyalaxmi Mata Mandir me theek 12 baje ki Maha aarthi me sabi hindu kaisa be attend kare. Jai Bhagyalaxmi Mata Mandir. Jai Sree Ram, Jai Gou Mata.’- by Sri Ram Yuba Sena of Thakur Raja Singh, thousands of devotees gathered to perform Maha Arti at Bagyalaksmi Temple amidst heavy rainfall at Hyderabad.

3rd Nov, 2012 :: “JAI SHRIRAM” Today On Day Of Saturday 03-11-2012, City Police Commissioner Called V.H.P BAJRANGDAL Delegation Team For ”CHALO BHAGYALAKSHMI MANDIR” Program fixed on 4th Nov, 2012. After The Two Hours Serious Meeting With Commissioner, And Promised that he will stand at the spot to finish the pending work of the shed. He also informed that a permanent solution will be tried. So, Vishwa Hindu Parishad State President Sri M.Rama Raju Ji, Sri T.Yaman Singh, State Joint Secretary and State Bajrangdal State Incharge decided to postpone the program of 4th Nov and time has been given to police to restore the situation. [updates from the Sri Ram Channel's Face Book Page].

British tourists targeted in 'massacre plot' at Egypt beach resort - but police swoop on al-Qaeda terror suspects just in time

Five terrorists have been caught apparently plotting an attack on British tourists in an Egyptian resort in the lead-up to Christmas.
The suspected jihadists were arrested by Egyptian counter terror police as they collected rocket-propelled grenades, rifles and pistols in an attempt believed to be similar to the Mumbai attacks in India which killed 166 people in November 2008.#
Authorities claimed that the gang planned to attack the ‘softer target of British tourists’ holidaying at the idyllic beachside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh on the Red Sea.

Terrorist target: Beachside resort Sharm el-Sheikh (pictured) is thought to have been the target of five Muslim terrorists who were arrested by Egyptian counter terror police

The arrests come after al-Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri called for a new wave of violence, appealing to jihadists around the world to attack and kidnap westerners.
The Daily Mirror quoted a security source saying: ‘There are increasing fears that Zawahiri is demanding more attacks on civilian areas with a focus on Americans and Brits.
‘British security is pretty good these days so al-Qaeda is turning its attention to the softer target of British tourists who are holidaying abroad.’

The suspects were held near the border with Gaza as the weapons were taken to a safe house in Egypt.
In a separate incident, security forces arrested two men allegedly linked to 83 bombs found by security forces in a car on a highway outside Cairo, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

Appeal for violence: al-Qaeda leader Ayman Zawahiri has appealed to jihadists around the world to attack and kidnap westerners

Police also raided an apartment in Cairo and seized 1.1lbs of ball bearings, which are often used in bombs to cause greater damage and injury, and a bomb-making manual.
Two other men were detained by police recently with electrical circuit boards that could have been used in bomb-making.
The attack in Mumbai in 2008 occurred at 10 sites across the city with most of the 166 victims killed at the Indian city’s main train station.
Attacks in Egypt have been on the rise since Salafi Islam fundamentalist groups linked to al-Qaeda have grown in Egypt’s Sinai region.
Attacks have been made on UN peacekeepers, Egyptian forces, Israel and a gas pipe to Israel and Jordan.

Mumbai-style: The foiled terror plot was thought to be similar to the Mumbai attacks which killed 166 people including people at the Taj Mahal hotel (pictured) in 2008

Most victims: A gunman walks through Mumbai's main train station where most of the victims were killed during the 2008 attack

Tourists have been targeted before by extremists in Egypt during a wave of violence in the 1990s.
Some 62 tourists were massacred by six men disguised as security force staff with knives and automatic guns at an archaeological site across the Nile from Luxor in 1997.
At the time, Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak blamed the British government partly for the attack after the Egyptian terror chiefs responsible were given asylum in the UK.
The Sharm el-Sheikh resort has been targeted before in 2005 when two car bombs went off at the centre of the resort and another in the city’s Old Market while restaurants, cafes and bars were packed, killing 88 people and wounded 150.
Just last year an estimated 30,000 Britons were trapped in Egypt, the Middle East’s most populous country, split between Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Sharm el-Sheikh as violence broke out around the country while Egyptians protested.

Caves temple committee actions unbecoming

By S.Param
I refer to the recent protest by the Batu Caves Sri Subramaniar temple committee members with regard to the 29-storey condominium building project close to its premises.
Like many others I am equally puzzled as to how on earth the temple committee had kept quiet all these years, and suddenly are now beating their chests in protest over the planned condo project.

I had an opportunity to speak to several Hindu devotees recently about the matter and practically all of them could not stomach what the temple president has been claiming - that he is not aware of the planned condo.

Those who hold key positions in temple committees should avoid being seen to confuse and create unnecessary tension among the public especially among the devotees with their  actions. The temple committee should have ideally approached the state authorities and worked out an amicable solution to the matter instead of creating a drama.

It is unbecoming to stage a loud protest on the temple grounds as it is supposed to be a place of worship. Protest involving hundreds of people are events that arouse negative vibes in the temple grounds and this is definitely not in line with the Vedic teachings.

The sanctity of the temple grounds should be respected at all times and circumstances. It is sad to note that the temple committee in its overzealousness in highlighting the condo project has breached the sacred code of conduct.

The Thaipusam festival is around the corner and I hope the temple committee does not aggravate the situation further to the point of creating unnecessary anxiety and stress among the public especially the Hindu devotees.

Since the state government has already formed a special committee to look into the condo project issue, let’s hope and pray everything turns out well. It is unwise for anyone to politicise this issue further.

The Batu Caves Sri Subramaniar temple is renowned the world over for the hundreds of colourful kavadi bearers during Thaipusam. Please don’t turn it into a ground for protesters and placard holders.

PI Bala threatens to bare all if MACC keeps mum

(Malaysiakini) Private investigator P Balasubramaniam has threatened to expose more details of attempts to bribe him in relation to his 2008 statutory declaration (SD) linking Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu.

In a letter to the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC) that Malaysiakini has sighted, Balasubramaniam who is in hiding in India said the information he possesses is already in the hands of foreign journalists and would be released if the commission continues to do nothing.

"My lawyer is holding everything for me. Also foreign journalists have everything. (They are) just waiting for my instructions and then (they) will release everything.

"By then (it would be) too late. As I said, please inform me or my lawyer within seven days, otherwise I am not responsible for what happens," he wrote.

In the letter dated Nov 2, Balasubramaniam expressed frustration at MACC's inaction.

"Why is the MACC not doing anything about my case since 2008? Is it because it involves the prime minister?

"My case is very clear, you don't have to investigate much. I have already given you all the evidence you need," he wrote.

He noted that the MACC had initially asked for an interview with him in London, but had not turned up at the last minute.

Subsequently, Balasubramaniam said he had answered all of MACC's questions which were couriered to him.

"You will recall that I assisted you by answering all your questions and had my affidavit affirmed and sworn before a notary in London as you requested.

"My lawyers then personally delivered this affidavit to your office in Putrajaya in August 2010," wrote the PI.

‘Bribed to implicate PKR’

Balasubramaniam claims that some people had bribed him to get him to implicate PKR leaders, including party de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, of paying him to commit perjury in his 2008 SD linking Najib with the murdered translator.

He said he was approached by the same people - businessman Deepak Jaikishan and a police officer by the name of Suresh - who had threatened and subsequently paid him a substantial amount, to sign a second SD to say that his first sworn statement was made “under duress’.

A key figure in the Altantuya murder controversy, Balasubramaniam fled to India with his family after signing the second SD.

Balasubramaniam later said that since then, Deepak and Suresh again approached him in April last year to bribe him to implicate PKR leaders.

In his letter to MACC, he complained, "I have given you enough time (to act), so far nothing has happened, zero.

"I am sitting here in Indian and cannot come back to Malaysia as I am afraid for my safety. I have got no job. How long do you think I can survive?" he wrote.

Youth arrested over Facebook posts on Johor Sultan

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 3 — A 27-year-old quantity surveyor was arrested here last night and hauled to face the Johor police for allegedly writing seditious remarks against the Johor royal house.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Ahmad Abd Jalil was picked up by a group of plainclothes policemen at his office in Cheras at around 8pm yesterday before he was taken, along with his hard drive and office computer, to the Wangsa Maju police station for questioning.

According to Ahmad’s lawyer Mohd Zakwan Adenan, the youth was at first not informed of his offence, except that he was allegedly being investigated under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948.

“He was questioned there until around 11.30pm before the police brought him to his house.

“They said they wanted to charge him under the Sedition Act for remarks he made on Facebook but when we asked the police which statement they were referring to, they could not answer.

“The police only said they’d received a number of reports on the issue from the Johor Baru district police... and that is why the cops from Johor had come along,” he said.

Section 4(1) stipulates that any person who utters, prints or publishes any seditious words, on conviction, would be liable for a first offence to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years or to both.

At the house of Ahmad’s parents in Damansara Damai, the police conducted a thorough search and checked all computers and laptops before taking the youth with them to Johor.

Ahmad’s brother, Abas, told The Malaysian Insider that there were at least 10 plainclothes policemen who arrived in four unmarked cars at the house for the raid.

He said not a single officer offered to show their identification cards or produced an arrest or search warrant.

“We couldn’t even be sure if they were palace bodyguards or policemen. Later, they took my brother with them to Johor and told us we did not need to follow them as we should let them do their jobs,” Abas said when contacted.

At 3pm today, Ahmad was taken before a Johor magistrate by police to obtain a three-day remand order.

According to Abas, the youth is currently held at the Johor Baru district police headquarters but is prohibited from seeing his family members.

“My parents and Ahmad’s wife are there now. But they’ve not been allowed in,” he said.

Abas expressed fear for his brother’s safety in the hands of the Johor police, whom he described as “very obedient to the palace”.

He admitted that his brother has always been known to be vocal and critical of both local and global politics, but said the matter should be handled fairly and delicately.

“He is well-versed with politics, that is true. And from what I know, he made a few comments on his Facebook that could have courted trouble. But I do not know what it is... I cannot access it.

“But what we fear is this. By law, the accused cannot be extracted from the police and sent to the palace but because the cops are so obedient to the palace, this rule could be broken.

“At the palace, our hands are tied and nobody would be in control of what happens to my brother,” Abas said.

In July this year, supernatural researcher Syed Abdullah Hussein Al-Attas or “Uncleseekers” was also picked up by the Johor police over remarks against the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, which were alleged to be defamatory.

The Najib government has announced plans to repeal the controversial preventive law but despite this, the authorities have continued to invoke the law numerous times to clamp down on anti-government proponents.

Light at the end of the tunnel for Kpg Railway?

Despite being evicted from the land they had occupied for decades, residents of Kampung Railway in Sentul may still get their medium cost houses at the price of a low cost house.

PETALING JAYA: Early this week, the Kuala Lumpur High Court declared property developer Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the YTL group, as the lawful owner of Kampung Railway, a residential area in Sentul.

The decision dismayed current residents of the area and their lawyers vowed to appeal against the decision soon.

“The developer is the owner of the land, and by that virtue, they emerge the absolute owners irrespective of how and why they came to be the owners,” Justice Zabariah Yusof said in her verdict, paving way for the developer to start construction in the area.

Sentul Raya, a subsidiary of YTL Corporation, initiated the case last year seeking a court order to evict Kampung Railway’s 153 residents, claiming they were trespassers.

The residents however countered saying that they have the right to remain there by virtue of their being descendants of former Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) employees who began settling there in 1885.

They had also called on the government to turn the land into an Indian heritage site.

The Kampung Railway saga is not something new. It has been on-going for decades. The government in its privatisation drive in the 1990s sold off the land to the private developer, thinking that development would spur economic activities.

Although Sentul Raya did not start developing the area immediately, the company had plans to turn Sentul into a modern-living township. In its endevour the firm had to cross swords with the residents of Kampung Railway.

Sentul Raya had originally planned a low and medium cost housing project for the people of Kampung Railway. In August last year the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) approved the development plan of the housing project.

The plan was for the construction of 150 units of low-cost houses for Kampung Railway squatters, 576 units for KTMB lower-income staff and 200 units of medium-cost houses.

Ministry’s letter ready but…

The Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Ministry was ready to issue a letter of guarantee for the construction of houses for pioneer residents of Kampung Railway and KTMB staff.

The letter of guarantee was supposed to put to rest Kampung Railway residents’ worries that the low-cost housing scheme for them would not materialise.

In fact, the residents were offered a RM200,000 medium cost house each at the price of a low-cost unit, which is RM45,000.

Then came the problem.

The authorities and Sentul Raya needed the exact number of residents living in Kampung Railway. Sentul Raya’s survey showed that the area had only 26 families while the DBKL survey showed 53 families.

The City Hall had also put another 57 houses under “investigation” as they were either vacant or had foreign workers renting them.

Another joint survey conducted by Sentul Raya, DBKL and Federal Territories and Urban well-being deputy minister M Saravanan showed 64 families.

While there was a contradiction in the numbers, several residents formed a group earlier this year and demanded that the whole Kampung Railway area be gazetted as a Indian heritage site.

This was however, difficult as the government had already sold the land to a private entity and would have to fork out hundreds of millions of ringgit to buy back the land and turn it into a Indian Heritage site.

But with the High Court decision this week, what is in store for the legitimate owners of houses in Kampung Railway?

‘Stop politicians from exploiting issue’

Legal eagles tell FMT that Sentul Raya now holds the trump card.

“For one, the developer can clear the land without any hassle. Secondly they can revive the low-cost, medium cost housing project and sell the units to the residents of Kampung Railway at the actual cost.

“This will mean the residents lose the subsidy. They would have to pay a full RM200,000 for a house compared to RM45,000 price offered to them earlier. Thirdly, the developer can choose to sell the houses in the open market,” said a lawyer familiar with the case.

He said while the residents can appeal against the High Court’s ruling, it is very unlikely to change anything.

The residents are now at the mercy of the developer.

However, all is not lost. Saravanan when contacted by FMT, confirmed that Sentul Raya had issued the letter of offer to some residents of Kampung Railway, who had accepted the earlier offer to purchase a medium cost unit for RM45,000.

“But they must come clean on the numbers. How many are actually staying there? How many really need these houses? Some of the residents desperate to save their houses launched this Indian heritage site campaign.

“After so long, they make this new proposal. I can only say that the future for them looks bleak after the court ruling. But we can still negotiate with the developer. I really want them to get at least a medium cost house at RM45,000.

“But until we come up with the actual number of houses needed this issue cannot be resolved. They have to stop politicians from exploiting the issue. Politicians will be here today and gone tomorrow.

“The residents are the ones who would suffer in the future. Be careful in making decisions. If they come clean, I believe we can still negotiate with Sentul Raya and reach an amicable solution to the issue,” said Saravanan, who is also MIC vice-president.

While the court had announced its decision, it is hoped all parties concerned would take into account the plight of the people in finding a solution to the problem.

Manikavasagam to be dropped?

Grapevine in the party claims that the Kapar MP would be offered a state seat instead.

PETALING JAYA: Kapar MP, S Manikavasagam may be dropped as the opposition candidate of the country’s largest parliamentary constituency and instead offered a state seat by PKR for the upcoming general election, party sources revealed.

Sources said the first term Kapar MP has been offered a choice of two state seats – Sri Andalas and Bukit Melawati – in exchange for the Kapar parliamentary constituency.

In 2008, Manikavasagam beat S Komala Devi, the MIC Wanita chief, with a thumping 12,297 vote majority. As off March, 2008, the seat had 112,224 voters out of which 51% were Malays, 35% Chinese and 13 % Indians.

The Kapar parliamentary seat has four state seats – Meru, Sementa, Sungai Pinang and Selat Klang.

Sources close to Manikavasagam claim that the first term parliamentarian was keen to contest in Sri Andalas or Batu Caves and not Bukit Melawati.

Incumbent Sri Andalas state assemblyman is Xavier Jayakumar, who is also a Selangor exco member. Amiruddin Shari and MP Muthiah are Batu Caves and Bukit Melawati state reps respectively.

Party sources say Manikavasagam, fondly known as Mike in party circles, and Jayakumar could be involved in a seat swap.

“Xavier (Jayakumar) would go to Kapar parliamentary seat while Mike would take over at Sri Andalas. Mike will strenghen the state Pakatan while Xavier (Jayakumar) would move up to national politics,” a party source claimed.

Jayakumar, however, is not the sole option for the party in Kapar. There are talks that PKR may field “an outsider” in Kapar.

Lawyer and social activist K Saraswathy, who is yet to join any of the three main opposition parties, is another possible opposition candidate for Kapar.

The Barisan Nasional also appears to have two candidates for Kapar. The seat is allocated to the MIC under BN’s seat sharing system.

The largest Indian based political party in the country wants to field its Puchong division chief, A Sakthivel, a chemical engineer-turned-businessman. Sakthivel is also the party’s central working committee member.

But the local Umno division, it is learnt, is not in favour of Sakthivel and want an outsider as Kapar parliamentary candidate.

A local leader pointed out that D Ravindran, a director in the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) in charge of anti-corruption, would make a better BN candidate.

Both Sakthivel and Ravindran have been frequent visitors to the constituency since 2008.

All the four candidates from both side of the divide are actively engaging with the voters in Kapar and only time will tell who the next Kapar MP would be.

‘Cop’ handcuffs and sexually assaults boy

A 14-year-old boy was allegedly forced to receive oral sex from the man in batik shirt who claimed to be a police officer.

PETALING JAYA: A 14 year-old boy was allegedly handcuffed and forced to receive oral sex from a man claiming to a police officer on Wednesday.

The boy was said to be playing with a friend near a low cost apartment in Cheras when the suspect, who was described as dark-skinned and wearing a Batik shirt, walked up to the two.

“According to the victim, the man identified himself as a policeman and told the boys that he was a narcotics investigator,” said a police source familiar with the investigations.

The man had then asked the boys to show him where the drug hot spots were in their area, to which the unsuspecting boys volunteered to help and complied.

“The man had then molested both the boys before telling one of them to go home. He then too the victim on a motorcycle to another secluded corner,” said the source.

Away from any witnesses, the man suddenly handcuffed the boy and grabbed the latter’s private part. The suspect then forcefully performed oral sex on the boy.

“After the act took place, the man took off the handcuff and sent the victim to a nearby taman, told him to run and don’t look back,” said the source.

Following the incident, the boy went home and informed his family. A report was then lodged at the Pudu Ulu police station.

FMT understands that investigators are looking the case under Section 377B of the Penal Code for “carnal intercourse against the order of nature”.

“We haven’t got much leads yet. We’re trying to identify the suspect and find out if he is really a police officer,” said another source who admitted that the police have never encountered such a case as this before.

A photofit of the suspect is in the process of being drawn up.

Facebook rumours

Meanwhile, various sources confirmed that a Facebook status by one “Alicia Ling Horsley” which has been circulating on the issue to be inaccurate.

“My cousin saw and (bravely) interrupted a man sporting police trousers, shoes and badge receiving a BJ from 9 year old child (handcuffed and crying). A police report has been made but they are advising him to stay quiet. As a mother, I am incensed,” wrote the Facebook user.

However, when FMT contacted the “cousin”, he said that he merely heard the story from a friend, who was related to the victim, when he himself was lodging a police report.

Asked to respond to the Facebook message, a senior police officer denied that the police have told the victims to hush up about the incident.

“Stop spreading stories because it’s not helping at all. We’re not denying that there is such a case and we do not condone such acts, whether it is from a policeman or anyone at all. We’re doing the best we can and I give you my word that we will nail him.”

‘Police hid son’s arrest from me’

Testifying in her RM100 million suit against the government, Indra says she only learnt of Kugan's arrest after he had died in police custody.

KUALA LUMPUR: The police did not inform A Kugan’s mother that he was arrested despite her repeated queries on his whereabouts, the Kuala Lumpur High Court was told today.

Testifying in her RM100 million suit against the deputy IGP and four others, N Indra said she only learnt of her son’s arrest when he died in police custody, six days later.

“My family and I searched for him at several police stations, including the Puchong police station,” she told the court during cross examination.

“When I contacted the police, they lied to me and said that he had not been arrested,” said Indra.

In her written statement, she also said that a day after her son’s arrest, two police officers had turned up at her brother’s house to question them about Kugan.

“But they did not inform us that Kugan had been arrested. I only knew my son was arrested on Jan 20, 2009 after the police informed the news of my son’s death to my brother and sister-in-law, Renuga,” she said.

Indra said the last time she had seen her son was on the Jan 13, 2009, a day before he was arrested. The next time she saw him, he was dead and lying in the Serdang Hospital mortuary, his body riddled with serious injuries and wounds.

Even then, she said, she was not immediately allowed to view her son’s body and was forced to wait outside the mortuary for about three hours.

“I believe the police ordered [the hospital] to stop us from seeing my son’s body,” she said in her written statement.

“Only after waiting several hours and after my lawyer N Surendran as well as several other opposition politicians made many requests, was my family and I allowed to see Kugan at around 1am on Jan 21, 2009.”

Shocked by police’s statement

Indra said that the condition of her son’s body, which had “signs of beating and serious injuries” shocked her and her family.

“The whole family cried loudly because we could not hold back our sadness. Kugan was my eldest son,” she added.

Indra said due to the extent of Kugan’s injuries, she did not suspect the police would eventually deny having beaten her son to death.

But she said she learnt that the first defendant, the then Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar, had ruled out foul play while she was on her way to Kugan’s burial.

“At that time, while we were at the funeral, we learned that the first defendant had said on the radio that Kugan had died due to water in his lungs.

“We were shocked that the police would not confess that they had beaten Kugan to death,” said Indra.

The court was also told that Khalid had made the statement prior to the release of the first autopsy report by Dr Abdul Karim Tajuddin.

This spurred Indra and her family to postpone the burial to request for a second autopsy, which later revealed that Kugan had suffered terrible beatings leading to his cells breaking down and damaging his kidneys.

Attempt to cover-up cause of death

Indra was testifying in her suit against the deputy IGP Khalid Abu Bakar, police officer V Navindran, former Subang Jaya police chief Zainal Rashid, the then IGP as well as the government for negligence and breach of statutory duty.

The plaintiff’s lawyers are A Sivarasa, RL Bani Prakash and Latheefa Koya.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the defendants are Tuan Haji Arshad Md Arshad, Nur Aqilah Ishak, and R Ramesh Sivakumar.

Presiding over the case is Justice VT Singham.

In the statement of claim, Indra said Kugan was arrested by the police on Jan 14, 2009. On Jan 20, at about 9pm, a police officer informed her that her son had died while in police custody.

Indra claimed that on Jan 21, Khalid had issued a false explanation to the media on the cause of death, alleging that Kugan had asked for a glass of water and then collapsed and died.

She also claimed that the defendants made attempts to cover-up the real cause of death and issued statements calculated to exonerate the police from blame or liability.

In a separate trial in June this year, Navindran was found guilty on two counts of causing hurt to Kugan. Shah Alam Sessions Court judge Aslam Zainuddin sentenced him to three years’ jail on each count, to be served concurrently.

Hindraf-PKR entente: A stitch in time - Malaysiakini

COMMENT At last the twain has met. Hindraf and PKR have gotten together, almost.
Realism has seemingly won out over quasi-separatism, the spirit of collaboration based on common objectives over a self-defeating go-it-alone attitude driven by quixotic impulses.

The news that Hindraf's P Wathyamoorthy did meet up with PKR adviser Anwar Ibrahim earlier this week and had a "fruitful" discussion, ought to come as a relief to those who from day one were anxious that the quasi-separatism of aspects of the Hindraf agenda would see them marooned on the banks of the river of national political reform rather than swimming in its currents.

The push for reform, galvanised by the reformasi movement of 14 years ago which sprung from the travails of Anwar, was accelerated by the impressive Hindraf demonstration of Nov 25, 2007 in the streets of Kuala Lumpur.

Anwar shrewdly harnessed the energy generated by that signal event to propel the opposition coalition he led to a historic denial of a two-thirds majority to the ruling BN and the stripping of its aura of invincibility at the 12th general election.

However, since that political landscape changing achievement of March 2008 and following the release from ISA custody of five of the movement's more famous activists, discordant aims and dissonant pathways prevented Hindraf from making common cause with PKR, the party that is the logical vehicle for the attainment of Indian Malaysian aspirations.

The biggest obstacle to Hindraf's making common cause with PKR was the quasi-separatism of aspects of the former's socio-economic agenda.

This quasi-separatism stemmed from Hindraf's claim that the plight of Indian Malaysians required a race-specific programme of upliftment.

PKR disagreed. They argued that the Malaysian nation has to get away from race-specific and move to need-based programmes of poverty eradication.

Indian poverty - like Malay, Chinese, Dayak and Kadazandusun penury - would be better alleviated, contended PKR, by need-based programmes of upliftment rather than race-specific ones.

Thus the nub of the socioeconomic agenda propounded by PKR militated against the approach espoused by Hindraf.

Acrimonious exchanges

In the past four years, this has been the focal point of the gulf between Hindraf and PKR, exacerbated, on occasion, by the acerbity of the verbal exchanges between the Hindu rights movement's principal interlocutor, P Uthayakumar, and assorted exponents of the cause of poor Indians - in PKR, DAP and, even, in Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

At times, these exchanges were so acrimonious, the hope that common cause could be made between Hindraf and the rest of the Malaysian opposition appeared reedy and forlorn.

Things got worse when Uthayakumar began espousing the need for Indians to move their voter registrations to constituencies where their numbers would then be significant enough to influence victory.

He deduced that with this migration, something like 17 parliamentary and 35 state seats, enabled by Indian bloc votes, would produce results that would garner for the race electoral power.

This was a harebrained scheme but it enjoyed what the German historian of ideas GF Hegel called "negative activity" - a fanaticism of the abstract that assaults the actual without having in mind any practical plans for improving the actual.

In politics, Hegel argued, such "negative activity", whatever its motivation, always ends up serving a practical political purpose.

It's hard to see where the practical political purpose in Uthayakumar's plan for Indian electoral empowerment lay, but when Ambiga Sreneevasan emerged, in the past two years, as a principal leader of Bersih, the electoral reform advocacy group that's been pushing in the last five years for a clean-up of the electoral rolls, the psychological dynamics of Indian electoral empowerment changed.

Ambiga came out of left field and surged, in a non-politically partisan way, to top the ratings in public advocacy of a just cause through reasoned argument and dignified deportment.

This was a tour de force that subtly cut the ground from under Hindraf's feet in way that must have been perplexing to them but was not to ‘middle' Indian Malaysians.

They want to be part of the national mainstream, not quasi-separate from it, as envisaged by the thrust of the Hindraf agenda.

The carriage and content of Ambiga's career is the prototype that Indians want for their children to emulate which was why, after her emergence, Hindraf and their agenda of quasi-separatism rapidly waned.

Their energetic information chief S Jayathas was the quickest to recognise this and enlisted with PKR last month.

With his joining PKR, the avoidable estrangement of the last four years between Hindraf and PKR will rapidly thaw and now with the more tractable Waythamoorthy meeting up with Anwar, a collaboration between natural allies can re-begin.

This is an entente that will be salvific for Indians and save them from futile digression.

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TERENCE NETTO has been a journalist for close on four decades. He likes the occupation because it puts him in contact with the eminent without being under the necessity to admire them. It is the ideal occupation for a temperament that finds power fascinating and its exercise abhorrent.

Nurul: There should be no compulsion in choosing faith

(Malaysiakini) People should not be compelled to adopt a particular religion and this should also apply to Malays, says Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar.

"When you ask me, there is no compulsion in religion... how can anyone say sorry, this (religious freedom) only applies to non-Malays, it has to apply equally." she said.

She was speaking at a forum on "Islamic State: Which version; Who's responsibility?" in Subang Jaya this morning.

The Lembah Pantai MP was responding to a question from the floor on whether Malays should have religious freedom like non-Malays.

"Malay" is defined under Section 160(2) of the federal constitution as a person who professes Islam, habitually speaks the Malay language and conforms to Malay customs.

Ultimately, she said, what should be sought is "quality" where Muslims' faith is strong.

"Even me, being schooled in Assunta (secondary school) with a huge cross in the hall and an active singing Catholic society did not influence me," she said.

However, Nurul Izzah stopped short of saying that Malays should be legally granted religious freedom, saying: "I am, of course, tied to the prevailing views."
To a question on the rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual (LGBT) community, Nurul Izzah conceded that as Muslims and even for Catholics, there were limitations.
However, she stressed that the principle for Pakatan Rakyat was that the community should not be victimised.

'Muslims' freedom ignored'

Human rights lawyer, Malik Imtiaz, on his part, noted that there had been a "back door attempt" to revise the country into an Islamic state with a single interpretation with Muslims being the biggest victims from this insidious move.

"We talk about how non-Muslims are affected by the so-called dominance but tend to forget that the biggest victims of this discussion are the Muslims because everyone recognises the freedom of non-Muslims but people don't seem to talk about the freedom of Muslims.

"The point is diversity is as important for Muslims as it is for everyone else.
"No one stops (a Catholic) from going to a Catholic or Protestant church but for the state, there is only one version of Islam... if you don't believe this kind of Islam, you are a deviationist," he said.

As such, Malik said what had been creating was a monolithic Islam that was being manipulated for political purpose and turned into tool to either woo or intimidate voters.