Rights of non-converted spouse must be upheld

Many objected strongly when the government tabled the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 late last month.

The Bill allowed for the unilateral conversion to Islam of a child by one parent, presumably after that parent converts himself or herself to Islam.

We are glad that these strong objections have caused the Bill to be withdrawn, for now. Many have emphasised too that withdrawing the bill does not address the problem as existing state religious laws and the Bahasa Malaysia version of the federal constitution must be amended to ensure that the consent of both parents is necessary for a child’s conversion.

But unilateral conversion of the child is not the only issue to worry about when one spouse converts to Islam. 

In Women's Aid Organisation's (AO) direct experience with women whose husbands convert opportunistically, other rights of the non-converted women have been eroded.

Right to inherit from a family member who converts to Islam

If one spouse converts to Islam, the non-converted spouse and other non-Muslim next-of-kin are not entitled to inherit from the converted spouse.

The Distribution Act 1958 does not apply to the estate of any person professing Islam, and non-Muslims are generally not allowed to inherit under faraid principles of asset distribution.

Non-Muslim family members can only receive at most one-third of the converted person’s estate, if the converted person chooses to bequeath anything at all.

The Distribution Act 1958 should be amended to safeguard the right of the deceased’s non-Muslim next-of-kin to inherit.

Right to have all issues relating to a civil law marriage settled according to civil laws and adjudicated only in civil courts

Shamala Sathiyaseelan is a Hindu mother whose husband converted to Islam and converted their two infant children without her knowledge or consent.

She went to the High Court to seek redress, but the Court ruled that since the children were now Muslims, the Syariah Court was the only qualified forum to determine their religious status.

As Shamala was not Muslim, she could not appear in the Syariah Court either, and she was left with no avenue to seek justice.

The Law Reform (Marriage And Divorce) Act 1976 should be amended to ensure that all issues relating to a civil law marriage are settled according to civil laws and adjudicated only in civil courts.

A marriage contract between two non-Muslims is made under civil law. It is therefore unjust for a non-Muslim spouse to unexpectedly find herself or himself subject to laws other than those she or he had agreed to at the time of marriage.

Right to be informed of a spouse’s conversion to Islam

Everyone has a right to embrace a religion of their choice, but there is no legal requirement for a spouse who converts to Islam to inform his or her family members of the conversion.

This is key as the conversion has legal consequences on the marriage and the rights of the non-converted family members.

Before registering a conversion, religious authorities should ensure that the spouse and other family members have been notified through a written acknowledgment.

Irresponsible spouses have been allowed to misuse religion to shirk their moral and legal obligations.

As a community of shared values we must not allow the unconverted spouse and other family members to face the injustices caused by this misuse.

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WOMEN’S AID ORGANISATION’s (WAO) mission is to promote and create respect, protection and fulfilment of equal rights for women. Arguments in the letter were adopted from the memorandum 'Safeguard Rights of Wives and Children upon Conversion of Husbands to Islam,' published by the Joint Action Group For Gender Equality (JAG) on Feb 5, 2007.

MIC: Indian matriculation seats not met for two years

The allocation of 1,500 matriculation seats for Indian students for 2012 and 2013 that the government had promised was never met, said MIC treasurer-general Jaspal Singh.

Jaspal said that only 1,142 places were given to Indian students in 2013 for matriculation, still falling way below the 1,500 mark promised by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak last March year.

"The 1,500 number was not met last year. We were given the excuse that it was the first year of the programme. This year, this number was again not met!" said Jaspal in a statement today.

"The devil is in the details and the Education Ministry would fall down on what seemed to be the most simplest of implementations," he added.

Jaspal proposed that the quota system be reintroduced for intake in public universities, saying that the current system was not transparent.

"This is because the current ill-named system of meritocracy is un-transparent. It is broke. No one understands how places are allocated under it," he added.

He said that only 442 of the 51,673 students who sat for the STPM examinations obtained a 4.0 CGPA and that special effort must be put in to retain these students in Malaysia, rather than to waste money luring them back later.

"What then is the use of Talent Corp spending RM65 million to bring back talented Malaysians? We must resolve this issue," he said.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the Education Minister, earlier claimed in Parliament that the government never cheated the people and that the 1,500 matriculation seats for Indian students were fulfilled last year and this year.

He said this in a parliamentary reply to a question posted by DAP's Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran on June 27.

Hindraf to protest if Uthaya is not taken to hospital

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has threatened to hold a protest in front of the Kajang prison if its leader P Uthayakumar, who has been imprisoned, is not taken for his medical appointment on Aug 1.

More than 500 people, led by Uthayakumar's wife S Indra Devi, may camp in front of the prison if the prison authorities do not comply, Hindraf secretary-general S Thiagarajan (seated, centre) told a press conference today.

The incarcerated leader has appointment with a neurosurgeon at Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) on that date for his prolapsed disc.

Uthayakumar has already missed a July 18 appointment at the same hospital as a result of his imprisonment last month.

He was on June 5 jailed for two-and-a-half years after being found guilty of making seditious statements in 2007.

Indra, who was also present, could not say how far she would go with her protests, but stressed that she would not give up until Uthayakumar is taken to the hospital for his treatment.

Threat of being put in 'a dark room'

"I'm not asking them to release him. I'm just asking them to give him the medical attention due to him," Indra said, breaking out in tears.

She said she dreaded the possibility of Uthayakumar being put in a "dark room" and or that his right to make weekly telephone calls be taken away.
"I get to see him once a month and I get to speak to him once a week. I hope they don't take those privileges away," Indra (left) added.

Uthayakumar has allegedly been threatened by prison authorities that he will be put in a dark room if he continues spilling the beans on the kind of treatment he has been getting in prison.

The Hindraf leader has reportedly has been complaining about back pains as a result a prolapsed disc and is also suffering a swollen leg. He is seeking proper treatment, but the prison doctor had told Uthayakumar that he has "no power" to refer him to a hospital.

Indra said the prison authorities were still giving him painkillers for his back pain, but she had asked him to stop taking the medication as it could aggravate his diabetes.

"I don't want my husband to have to go through dialysis while in prison," she said.

She also complained that Uthayakumar was still being made to use a dipper for both toiletry and food purposes.

She said that the dipper, which in the prison cell, is used for his toiletry purposes but is also used to serve him with porridge three times a week.

"Diabetes patients are very prone to getting infection. This is not hygienic," she said.

Indra also said that though she was allowed to speak to Uthayakumar 15 minutes every Wednesday morning, the time was reduced to 10 minutes the last time he called.

MIC mulls exposing those harassing whistleblower mum

MIC strategy director S Vell Paari is planning to reveal the phone numbers of those who have threatened the ‘shower room canteen' whistleblower.

He said he was thinking of publishing the numbers in his daily Tamil Nesan "so that the individuals responsible for this cowardly act will get a taste of their own medicine".

According to Vell Paari, he had spoken to the whistleblower, Guneswari Kelly - the mother of a pupil at SK Seri Pristana primary school in Sungai Buloh.

"I have told her to forward me the numbers of those who threatened her and I will deal with them.

"Furthermore, I also told her that if her daughter continues to be harassed by the teachers, then I will go to the school and speak to the teachers myself, " he added.

Photos posted on FB

Vell Paari expressed regret that such incidents of perceived discrimination were taking place in the school.

"It is sad... teachers are supposed to look after the pupils. The Education Ministry and the police must look into Guneswari's complaints," he said.

Guneswari, who uploaded photographs of  non-Muslim pupils of SK Seri Pristana having their recess meals in the shower room, yesterday complained of receiving threatening phone calls.

The photographs posted on her Facebook - which have since been deactivated - ignited a firestorm of protests.

The Education Ministry and school authorities have denied that the issue was related to race or religion.

It was reported that the headmaster - who has since been ordered to go on leave - suggested the use of the shower room since the canteen was under renovation.

Students ‘forced’ to eat meals in toilet area

A primary school in Sungai Buloh cordons off its canteen area with red plastic tape, forcing its non Muslim students to have their meals in the school's shower room

PETALING JAYA: The Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh has come under fire from netizens after a parent posted photos on Facebook of non-Muslim students having their meals in the school’s shower area, next door to the toilets.

It shows students eating food on makeshift tables and benches placed in the shower area, ostensibly a decision made by school because of the fasting month of Ramadan.

Angry netizens poured scorn on the school management for their decision to discriminate against the non-Muslim children by forcing them to have their meals in the shower area during recess.

One Facebook user, Harris Nasril, said that it was ridiculous for the school management to make non-Muslim children to eat in a shower room space next to the toilets as if there were no other rooms available.

“This school is nonsense. As a Muslim, I’m sorry to hear this. Islam never teaches this kind of thing. The headmaster can use any other room, even the library, This is totally unacceptable,” he said.

Another Facebook user, Emy Deen also commented saying that other races do not have to be treated this way just so that the Muslims can fast for Ramadan.

“I’m a Malay and a Muslim. Certainly I don’t agree with this kind of treatment of another race, this is not the teaching of Islam.

“I hope those who are involved in this will be punished accordingly,” she said.

MIC president G Palanivel, via his Facebook posting, meanwhile urged the authorities to take action against those responsible for the matter.

“It is totally unacceptable where a primary school has asked it’s non-Muslim students to have their meals in the toilet. Drastic action has to be taken against those responsible for the inhumane act,” said Natural Resources and Environment minister.

Police report lodged


Chairman of the National Indian-Rights Action Team (NIAT) Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim told FMT that he will be writing a letter to the school immediately to demand an explanation.

“This is really shocking. We tried to call the school but their phone line is engaged. I will be writing to them officially and will also visit the school tomorrow.

“If this is true, the school will have to apologise to the affected students and their parents. This is really absurd,” he added.

A police report has also been lodged in Perak by an angry netizen against the school management and its principal.

Former MIC secretary general S Murugesan also expressed disgust on the school’s action.

“How can they treat our children this way? Are there no other places to give them so they could have a decent meal at school?” he asked.

“Teachers are people who we entrust our children with. The Education Ministry should take stern action on both the school management and principal,” he added.

‘Take severe action’

MIC’s strategic director S Vell Paari also expressed disgust with the way the school was treating its non-Muslim students.

“This is ridiculous! Is this what the children of non-Muslims have been reduced to? Having to hide in washrooms to eat!” he said in a statement.

Lambasting the school authorities for the idiotic behaviour, Vell Paari also expressed disappointment that tax money was being used to pay the salaries of these civil servants.

“Our tax money is used to pay the salaries of the civil service, and if this is the kind of people we get, then we might as well stop paying

“If the ministry fails to take stern action, then I suggest that non-Muslims stop paying taxes,” he added.

“The action taken should not simply be a slap on the wrist, such as transferring the teacher or teachers responsible,” he said.

Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan, meanwhile, said that his ministry will not stay mum on this issue and will take immediate action.

In a Twitter message, Kamalanathan said the school has been instructed to change the location of the eating room. He added that the school’s canteen was under renovation.

Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin meanwhile has been reported as saying that the matter would be investigated.

Pageant organisers meet Jawi, feeling optimistic

Miss Malaysia World 2013 organisers today met religious authorities and believe that Muslim women might be allowed to participate in the pageant after all.

Anna Lim, the pageant's licensee and organiser, said Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) officials have heard her arguments and will decide on the matter by Monday or Tuesday.

"They said that even if they make an announcement on Tuesday, it still wouldn't be too late. Sounds promising isn't it?" Lim told Malaysiakini when contacted.

The meeting, initiated by Lim, took place today at the Jawi headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. Jawi was represented, among others, by its director Che Mat Che Ali.

Lim described Che Mat as a "very nice man" who was open to discussions.

During the meeting, Lim said she had brought to the attention of Jawi representatives that the pageant format was tweaked to suit Malaysia.

"Although we have a swimwear session, Muslim women have the option to wear sports attire," she said.

Invite extended to Jawi

She also explained to them that the Miss World 2013 will be held in Indonesia - the world's most populous Muslim nation - and will not feature a bikini competition.

"They will be wearing either a sarong or a pareo as a mark of respect local culture," she said.

The programme details of both Miss Malaysia World and Miss World were also submitted to Jawi.

"I told them that they can attend tha pageant to see for themselves and that we are not going to go against them," she added.

Four Muslim women had made the top 20 finalist of Miss Malaysia World 2013 but were later dropped by organisers upon request from religious authorities.

Jawi has initiated a probe against the four for allegedly insulting Islam.

Court overturns conversion of minors to Islam

In a landmark decision today, the High Court sitting in Ipoh overturned the conversion of three minors, the children of M Indira Gandhi, whose father converted them to Islam without her knowledge.

The decision comes after the predicament of Indira Gandhi entered into the fourth year since the conversion of her children, after another bench of the High Court in Ipoh ruled that her matter cannot be heard until several similar cases of conversion of minors, such as the S Shamala case, are disposed of by the Federal Court.

Shamala's Federal Court case did not come to a conculsion as she left the country with her two converted children before the matter came up.

In today's decision, Justice Lee Swee Seng ruled that Indira's children had not been converted as the 'dua kalimah syahadah' (pronouncement to embrace Islam) was not performed on them and therefore, such an act was unconstitutional.

“It is against the right of natural justice because the conversion was made without hearing from the mother or the children,” Justice Lee said.
"Under the Perak Islamic Administration Enactment, the three children must have the intention to embrace Islam without force.

"In this case, the three children cannot be proved to have recited the syahadah (affirmation of faith) and they, as well as their mother, were not present at the Islamic Religious Office for the conversion purposes," he said.
'Conversion goes against UN convention'

The judge also ruled that the alleged conversion attempt went against the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women.

"This decision is no victory for anyone, but we have to learn to live in harmony," Justice Lee said in reading his one-hour-40-minute judgment.

There were no orders made on costs. This decision of the civil court means that the three will remain as Hindus.

According to tweets from PusatRakyatLB, who was present when the judgment was read out, Justice Lee said the interpretation of the Federal Constitution says parents have equal rights as this is consistent with the international norm.

There have been a lot of arguments on this issue alone, following several laws being introduced in several states allowing unilateral conversion to Islam by one converting parent.

The Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act Amendment Bill 2013, which was tabled in Parliament for its first reading, was withdrawn following an uproar against it from various groups.

Children were reportedly converted in 2009
Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran, who represented Indira and her children, took to Twitter to express his delight with the decision. The other lawyer representing them was K Shanmuga.

When contacted Kulasegaran (right) and Shanmuga confirmed the landmark decision made by Justice Lee.

Kulasegaran, had tweeted his concern that there could be an appeal over this matter following the landmark decision.

Malaysia has a dual court system, civil and syariah courts, which govern matters pertaining to Islam.

Indira's three children were converted in April 2009 by her estranged husband, Mohd Riduan Abdullah, without her knowledge.

She filed the civil case against the state registrar of conversions, the Perak Religious Department director, the state and federal governments, the Education Ministry and her husband K Patmanathan (now known as Riduan).

She has two daughters, now aged 16 and five years, and a 15-year-old son.

Patmanathan @ Mohd Riduan, who is said to be in Kelantan, has the five-year-old daughter with him, despite a court order instructing him to return the child to the mother.

Shanmuga said today's decision covers the religious status of all three children, including the one held by the father.

In Negri Sembilan last month, the state's Islamic Affairs Department ruled that consent of only one parent who has embraced Islam is needed to have their children converted to the faith.

The department took this position after a mother from Jelubu, aged 29, complained that her estranged husband had secretly converted their two children, aged five and eight, to Islam in April this year.

Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department director Johani Hassan said the woman's only remedy was to appeal to the syariah court, but this may pose a problem as she is not a Muslim and is therefore not subject to syariah jurisdiction.

I was ordered to go on leave, says HM

The SK Seri Pristana headmaster claims he was ordered to go on leave before the Education Ministry decided on actions to be taken.

PETALING JAYA: The SK Seri Pristana headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor had not gone into hiding after all when he surfaced today claiming that he was forced to go on leave while the issue over the school canteen was sorted out.

SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh came under the spot light when photos of students having their meals on makeshift tables in the shower room went viral on the internet.

The issue which sparked anger among netizens and concerned citizens caught the attention of the Education Ministry almost immediately.

According to Utusan Malaysia today, Mohd Nasir said he was ordered to go on leave for a week before the ministry could decide on taking necessary actions.

Mohd Nasir said this when he went to the Saujana Utama police station this morning to lodge a report claiming he had been slandered.

“I lodged a police report because I was disappointed with the behaviour of some parents and other individuals when they slandered me by saying I had behaved like an uncivilised man.

“I even received threatening phone calls, some of them would call just to curse at me,” he said.

Mohd Nasir said the only reason he had ordered the use of the shower room was because there was lack of space in the canteen to accommodate all the students.

“The sun would shine directly into the canteen in the mornings and students often sit by the drains around the canteen as it is much cooler there.

“I felt sorry as it was unhygienic to eat by the drains, So, I decided to put in makeshift tables and benches in the shower room which was not fully utilised,” he added.

“I also put up a notice to ban students from using the shower room to relieve themselves and locked the water pipes too.

“Moreover, the shower room had been cleaned and has sinks for students to wash their hands before and after meal,” he said.

Following the uproar, the Education Ministry has ordered for the school canteen to be renovated so that it could accommodate all the students.

The school had previously stated that the canteen was closed since March as it was undergoing a minor renovation work.

The school and the ministry had also apologised over the use of the shower room as a makeshift canteen. The school canteen was opened for the students’ use today,

Hindu mother wins legal fight to also decide children’s faith after husband converts them to Islam

In a landmark decision, the Ipoh High court today quashed a man’s move to convert his three children to Islam, the latest episode in a combustible issue in Malaysia.

Judicial commissioner Lee Swee Seng said that while K. Patmanathan could convert, he did not have the right to deprive the children and their mothers of the freedom of religion.

He quashed the three certificates in converting the three minors, which were made without their mother M. Indira Gandhi’s knowledge.

Lee made this decision in allowing Patmanathan’s estranged wife, Indira’s judicial review application to quash the certificate issued by the Perak Religious Department.

The state registrar of conversions, the Perak Religious Department director, the state and federal governments, the education ministry and Patmanathan were named as respondents

Lee allowed the application with no order as to cost.

Indira, 38, a kindergarten teacher, filed a judicial review application in 2009.

Patmanathan, 44, had himself converted to Islam on March 2009 and is now known as Muhammad Ridzuan Abdullah.

He then converted his three children on April 2 the same year.

That same month, the Syariah Court granted him custody of his three children, an order which Indira had challenged in the civil courts.

The High Court subsequently granted Indira an interim order for the custody of their children.

She had claimed that Patmanathan had stormed into her house, had used force against her and their children, Tevi Darsiny, Karan Dinish and Prasana Diksa, who were then aged 12, 11 and one, respectively, before leaving with their birth certificates.

Patmanathan then took away their youngest daughter and until now, the police have failed to locate their whereabouts.

In the decision yesterday, Lee said the certificates were null and void as it was unconstitutional because it was given without hearing the mother or children.

“This was unconstitutional because Articles 3, 5 and 11 of the Federal Constitution state that a mother has an equal right to raise her children to follow her own religion,” he said.

“This decision is no victory for anyone, but we have to learn to live in harmony," said the judicial commissioner.

He also said the conversion was unlawful as the Perak Syariah law states that children must be present to utter the affirmation of faith.

Lee also ruled that the conversion attempt was against the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

Indira married Patmanathan in 1993 according to Hindu rites. They have been embroiled in a legal tussle over custody of the children for the past four years.

Today's decision comes after Putrajaya bowed to public pressure and was forced to withdraw the Administration of the religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013, at the last Parliament meeting to legalise conversion of minors to Islam unilaterally. – July 25, 2013.

Polis akan siasat kes sebar gambar murid makan

Pemangku Ketua Polis Selangor Datuk A Thaiveegan memberi amaran untuk mengenakan tindakan mengikut Akta Hasutan ke atas individu yang menyebar gambar menunjukkan murid bukan Islam makan di bilik persalinan SK Seri Pristana.

Thaiveegan dalam satu laporan Utusan Online berkata, penyebaran gambar berkenaan “boleh menimbulkan isu provokatif dan perbalahan kaum”.

"Polis tidak akan teragak-agak mengenakan tindakan kepada pihak yang menyebarkan maklumat berbaur hasutan di laman sosial berkenaan isu yang membabitkan sekolah berkenaan," katanya seperti dipetik laman tersebut.

Gambar yang berlegar di Facebook itu dilaporkan mencetus kontroversi di kalangan pengguna Internet

Beberapa keping gambar di Facebook yang didakwa memaparkan murid bukan Muslim makan di kawasan bilik air di sebuah sekolah sewaktu bulan puasa mencetuskan kontroversi di kalangan pengguna Internet pada hari Selasa lalu.

Gambar itu dikesan dimuatkan oleh ibu bapa kepada pelajar sekolah terbabit, yang terletak berhampiran Sungai Buloh.

Ia menunjukkan pelajar duduk di meja makan yang terletak dalam kawasan bilik persalinan sekolah tersebut.

Timbalan menteri pendidikan II P Kamalanathan yang meninjau kawasan tersebut keesokan harinya bagaimanapun berkata, tindakan berkenaan tidak melibatkan soal agama atau kaum.

Kamalanathan yang berkata, ia hanya melibatkan lokasi kantin sementara tersebut, yang digunakan sejak Mac tahun ini.

Laporan awal mendakwa hanya pelajar bukan Islam dipaksa makan di kantin sementara tersebut pada bulan Ramadan.

Katanya, ia berlaku memandangkan kerja-kerja menaiktaraf kantin tersebut bermula antara seminggu hingga dua minggu lalu.

Kamalanathan juga berkata Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru sekolah tersebut juga maklum mengenai kantin sementara tersebut sejak Mac kerana ia dibincangkan dalam satu mesyuarat sebelum ia dilaksanakan.

Fourth suspect in custodial death claims innocence

EXCLUSIVE Inspector S Hare Krishnan, the fourth suspect in N Dhamendran’s custodial death, says he is innocent and claims he was dragged into the case to “protect certain parties”.

This was revealed in a police report Hare Krishnan made on June 1, nine days after Dhamendran’s death on May 21, and two weeks before the inspector went into hiding.

A copy of the report obtained by Malaysiakini states that Hare Krishnan was not even in the Dang Wangi police station lock-up on the day Dhamendran died after horrific torture.

Dhamendran (right), 31, was found dead in a cell at the station 10 days after he was arrested over an alleged gunfight. The police initially claimed that he had died from breathing difficulties, but a post-mortem showed he had suffered 52 injuries, including staples in his earlobes.

In his police report, Hare Krishnan says he was on May 21 instructed by a superior officer to “release and re-arrest” Dhamendran while he was having lunch at a restaurant in Cheras.

The inspector said he subsequently ordered his subordinates to do so, but later discovered that Dhamendran’s re-arrest was done using his (Hare Krishnan’s) identification, without his consent.

“The officers made the arrest report using my PRS ID without my approval,” Hare Krishnan says in the report, which also states that he had gone back home right after lunch as he had a night raid to conduct that day.

He was notified of Dhamendran’s death at 4.30pm that day.

Hare Krishnan claims that there was an instruction to include his name in the lock-up diary, something which was also done without his knowledge and permission.

“All the entries of me in the lock-up diary are untrue and were done to implicate me and protect certain parties,” he says in his police report.

Police confirm report

According to Hare Krishnan, he did not “touch or beat” Dhamendran that day, and claims to know who “beat him, who was there and who knew about it”.

“I only got to know about the interrogation orders (on Dhamendran) when I reached the office later in the day, at 5.45pm,” the report says.

Hare Krishnan’s report was lodged at the Brickfields police station at 7pm on June 1.

Although the report is filed under the Dang Wangi police station, it is being investigated by the Tun HS Lee police station in Kuala Lumpur.

When contacted by KiniTV, police confirmed Hare Krishnan’s report.

However, KiniTV was told that the officer assigned to investigate the report is working for the D9 Unit, coincidentally the same unit that Hare Krishnan was working for.

Hare Krishnan is currently on the run, and the police released his photograph last Tuesday, in an effort to seek public help to track him down.

The police have claimed that he has gone missing from duty since June 15.
Three other suspects - police officers Jaffri Jaafar, 44, Mohd Nahar Abd Rahman, 45, and Mohd Haswadi Zamri Shaari, 32 - were on June 5 charged with the murder of Dhamendran.

Prison threatens to put Uthaya in 'dark room'

Prison authorities have granted imprisoned Hindraf leader P Uthayakumar needed items to alleviate his severe back pain but have threatened to put him in a “dark room” if he complains further, says his wife S Indra Devi.

“He was given a pillow last Thursday and a chair on Monday.

“But they said if he makes any more complaints they will put him in a dark room and take away his phone rights,” she told Malaysiakini when contacted.

Indra is allowed to speak to her husband, who is in Kajang Prison, for 15 minutes every Wednesday.

Despite the items given to Uthayakumar, Indra says her husband’s prolapsed disc, a degenerative disc disease of the spinal lumbar area, has yet to be properly addressed.

“He was taken to the prison clinic but the doctor said he has no power to refer Uthayakumar to a hospital.

“Uthayakumar is getting sicker and he told me his legs are swollen now. I just want him to be taken to Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia for his prolapsed disc appointment on Aug 1,” she said.

Last Sunday, Indra had expressed concern that Uthayakumar may be struck by paralysis if his prolapsed disc is not properly treated by his doctors.

Indra also complained that Uthayakumar’s notes to his lawyer for the submission of his sedition case had been confiscated.

“Those notes are very important as he needs to prepared for his sedition case,” she said.

Uthayakumar was on June 5 jailed for two years and six months for sedition over remarks on discrimination against the Indian community and sent to Kajang Prison.

Prior to this, he was also detained for one-and-a-half years under the Internal Security Act for similar reasons.

Utahayakumar’s lawyer, M Manoharan, had said that he plans to appeal the sentence.

Parents insist shower room only used during fast, contradicting Deputy Minister

‘Jihad to convert Hindu girls is continued unabated’ by Muslim Fanatics in Pakistan – AHRC Report.

PAKISTAN: Jihad to convert Hindu girls to Islam rages on.

AHRC (Asian Human Rights Commission) | Karachi | 19 July 2013:: The Jihad to convert Hindu girls is continued unabated under the indifferent attitude of Pakistani authorities. In recent months, seven Hindu girls have been targeted in the conversion to Islam campaign. Of the seven, five have been abducted and converted by Muslim goons. One Hindu girl was abducted and forced to convert to Islam, but she has been subsequently recovered by the police. In one case, the attempted abduction was foiled by the passer-byes.

The Muslim abductors have also begun using new modus operandi. In one case, a Muslim man first became the ‘brother’ of a Hindu girl, and also observed the Rakhi Bandhan, a custom cementing the bond between brothers and sisters. Later, the same ‘brother’ abducted his ‘sister’. After the abduction, he married her. Perhaps, as the prevailing understanding goes, he will be extra pleased with the idea that he will be rewarded after death for converting one Hindu girl to Islam.

Incidents of abduction of teenage Hindu girls are of no concern to the Sindh provincial government. And, such abductions are music to the ears of Muslim fundamentalists and powerful local elements that operate freely within and around the local administration.

According to advocate Veerji Kolhi, President of Progressive Hindu Alliance and Council for the Defense of Bonded Laborers, two Hindu sisters belonging to a low Hindu caste were abducted on 7 July 2013 by armed men from their village Kohli Vairi, located in Nangar Parka Taluka, Tharparkar District, Sindh. The girls, Ms. Tarki aged 16 years and Ms. Beena aged 14, daughters of Vanoon Kohli, were abducted by Hanif Nohri, Inayat Nohri, Majnoon Nohri , Jamal Nohri and Ismail Khoso, residents of Bado and Jud’dan villages located in the same taluka and district. They forcibly entered the house of the Kohli family in the night at 8 p.m. Mrs. Savarian Kohli, mother to the girls, was taking dinner with her children when the armed men entered her house. The abductors are alleged to be henchmen of the former chief minister of Sindh who has now joined the ruling party, the PML-N.

Watch some revealing videos: Najam sethi on forced conversion of Hindu girls in Pakistan…



Tragedy of Hindus in Pakistan Part 1 - 4






Mrs. Kohli fears that her daughters will be moved to another location, converted to Islam forcibly, and be killed by her abductors, as they are powerful and have great influence in the area. Demonstrators also appealed to the authorities to search the madressas for the recovery of the girls.

The Daily Awami Aawaz has recently reported that the case of Hindu Girl from Tendo Jam village who was kidnapped on the pretext of a ‘love marriage’ has been solved. Police have arrested a man, Mr. Mohammad Ali Machi, along with a woman, said to be his sister. There was an emotional scene in the police station as the girl, upon seeing her father Lilaram and mother Laxmibai, embraced her mother and started crying. In her statement the girl said that she came to Korti with her maternal uncle. She visited a dargah to seek blessings, after which she proceed to the Md. Ali Machi residence where she was forcibly taken to Kinri, converted to Islam, and married to Md. Ali Machi. She pleaded to be handed over to her parents. After recording the statement of the girl, the police arrested Md. Ali Machi, along with his sister Zarina. A case of kidnapping has been registered against them Read the rest of this entry »

Child sees parents slain in Narathiwat

• Online news: Security

A four-year-old boy was left crying beside his parents' bodies on a road after they were murdered by a motorcycle gunman in Tak Bai district of Narathiwat on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

They slain couple were identified as Chuay Dermmuak, 52, and his wife, Prapa Sanguanphan, 43, residents of Narathiwat’s Sungai Kolok district. Both were Buddhists.

Pol Col Prayong Khotesakha, chief of Tak Bai police station, said the shooting occurred on the Tak Bai-Sungai Kolok road at Ban Khok Buema in tambon Kosit.

According to witnesses, Chuay, his wife and  their four-year-old son were travelling along the road on a motorcycle when two men on another motorcycle called on them to pull over, pretending to ask for directions to some place.

The man riding pillion then produced a pistol and fired four shots at them at close range.

The couple died on the spot .The gunman got of the bike, collected the spent cartridges and fled on the victims’ motorcycle,  leaving the young boy sitting, crying near his parents' bodies.
Police blamed separatist militants.

Pakistan takes 'immoral' condom ad off air

Pakistan's media regulator pulled the plug on a condom commercial starring one of the country's biggest female stars on Tuesday, calling it "immoral", after public complaints.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) wrote to broadcasters ordering them to take the advert for Josh condoms off air immediately.

The 50-second advertisement stars Pakistani model and actress Mathira, one of the country's most popular stars, as a newlywed bride who makes a neighbouring couple jealous by pampering her husband.

Finally the neighbour asks the rather nerdy-looking husband how he keeps his glamorous wife so sweet and he replies: "Bring Josh into your life."

Pemra spokesman Fakhar-ud-Din Mughal said the watchdog's letter pointed out that the advertisement was generally being seen as "indecent, immoral and in sheer disregard to our socio-cultural and religious values."

"Airing of such immoral advertisement on Pakistani channels and that too in the holy month of Ramadan warrants serious action," he said.

Discussing contraception in public is taboo in Pakistan's deeply conservative Muslim society, though some experts warn the population is growing too fast for the country's natural resources to support.

According to the United Nations a third of Pakistanis have no access to birth control and its 180 million population is growing by more than two per cent a year.

Around a third of Pakistanis who want birth control have no access to it, according to UN and government statistics.

Josh condoms are marketed in Pakistan by DKT International, a US-based non-profit organisation that works to promote family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention in the developing world.

We will abide by fatwa, say Miss Malaysia aspirants

Two of the four Miss Malaysia 2013 contestants who were dropped from the contest have denied that they attempted to challenge a fatwa banning them from entering such competitions.

According to Berita Harian, Sara Amelia Muhammad Bernard said her earlier outburst was merely her way of expressing her opinion and should not be regarded as an attempt to challenge the fatwa.

“I do not have an intention to degrade or insult Islam as I am merely giving my personal opinion. If what I say is seen as a challenge, I would like to apologise,” Sara told the daily.

She said she did not know about the edict barring Muslims from taking part in beauty contests and that the organisers had only stated that those professing Islam are not required to wear swimsuits.

Wafa Johanna De Korte, who had also publicly protested her disqualification, said she would abide by the organiser's decision despite being very disappointed that she could not fulfil her ambition.
“I hold the view that Malays can participate , but since there is a fatwa that bars Muslims from participating in it, I have to abide by it,” she said.

Authorities launch probe

The 1996 fatwa states that any form of participation in a beauty pageant is “haram” and “sinful for Muslims”.

The latest report by Berita Harian comes a day after the same daily reported that the four women still insisted on competing in the Miss Malaysia contest.

The article titled Peserta Islam nekad tanding ratu cantik (Muslim participants insist on participating in pageant) did not quote the four explicitly stating their decision.

However, the article prompted the Federal Territories Islamic Department (Jawi) to launch a probe against the four for insulting Islam.

If found guilty by the syariah court, they face a maximum fine of RM3,000, up to two years in jail or both.

This is not about race or religion, says deputy minister

Using the shower room as a makeshift canteen is not an issue related to race or religion, Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan said today.

Speaking to reporters at the SK Seri Pristana canteen, Kamalanathan said the issue pertains to the location of the makeshift canteen, as it has been used since March this year.

"Let me make this clear. This is not about religion or race," he said, after initial reports suggested that only non-Muslim students were told to eat in the makeshift canteen during the Ramadan month.

"It happened to be that the canteen renovation started one to two weeks ago," he added.

Kamalanathan also said the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has been aware of the makeshift canteen since March as the matter was discussed in a meeting prior to its implementation.
"Yes, the renovation only involves a glass door at the teacher's canteen, but then these are small children. So the school was concerned that the children might be hurt when they run around," he said.
'Makeshift canteen done with good intention'

The school headmaster, he said, with "good intention" made the decision to have a makeshift canteen.

"The intention was good, but the location is wrong," he said.

The ministry would be supplying aid to the school so that the canteen could be expanded to accomodate more pupils.

Kamalanathan said the canteen was built to hold 500 to 600 pupils at any given time, and that there were 1,300 in the school in the morning and afternoon sessions.

Out of this, the school has 28 non-Muslim students spread across both sessions, with 23 of them being Indians and five Chinese students.

"For any inconvenience caused in this whole episode, I would also like to say sorry," he said.

Confronted by annoyed parents in the school compound later, Kamalanathan listened to their complaints and demands for action to be taken against the school headmaster, but did not give a conclusive answer.

"I'm here to solve the problem, and we have solved the problem. I will take care of this. This problem would not be repeated," he said.

Kamalanathan would only respond that the ministry would "investigate" the matter when parents claimed that the makeshift canteen had only been in place from the start of the fasting month

Let Tee Lin Say teaches you how to crush a girl

Let Tee Lin Say teaches you how to crush a girl

I’m writing this piece in response to the article published on The Star entitled “No benefit in being fat” by Tee Lin Say. You can read it here.

Courtesy of Dalila Ali of The Face Project

I went through shit for being obese. I was recently hospitalised due to stress and my “unhealthy” lifestyle. My clothes are size 18. I can’t even fit most XL outfits (especially those produced with the Asian market in mind) and always have to settle with double or sometime the triple-X labels.
I admit, at times, being fat and obese don’t do me good. I sweat like a pig within the first 10 minutes of a dance class (and it was in an air conditioned studio). I get easily tired after 15 minutes of jogging or whatever sports that be. To the society, I am unattractive. I don’t make head turns. Quoting writer Tee Lin Say, when men look at me, their first thought was to run. Who wants to deal with a 600 pound baby elephant, eh?
If I was never hospitalised or if I had read this article prior to being warded, I would have published something equally nasty in return. Perhaps I’ll find a way to bump into you and spit on your face without hesitation. Hateful words of a stranger don’t affect me.
But I was surprised to see how crushed I was reading this. I, Nazirah Ashari, perhaps one of the most confident fat girls in the city of Kuala Lumpur – felt completely devastated by your monstrous and distasteful words. Your offensive writing resound in my head and for the first time in my life, I was broken by a stranger’s depiction of fatness.
Ms Tee, you know what you reminded me of?
You are one of those bullies who thinks they are too good and too superior by “society’s standard” that they deserve every right to talk to people the way you do in that disgusting article. You are the reason fat people like me gets hurt for things they shouldn’t be hurt for. Your hateful words made me rethink society’s perception of my fat self and I’m being honest when I say, for a few seconds, I am disgusted by my fatty nature. You are a reminder of a society so sick that they’re lost in the world of unreal designed-perfection and ignorance. To sum it all up, you are a bully. A monstrous one at that too.
I am a plus size by choice. Ah, the term plus size is too sympathetic. So let me rephrase that:
I am a fat girl by choice. For as long as I have lived, I have always been big in size. Always the biggest and one of the tallest in class and as I get older, my body doesn’t seem to shrink. I am not even embarrassed of that fact nor that I find myself incompetent, stupid, undisciplined or quoting you in this disturbing The Star article, “… have a lower social standing.” Ms Tee, please be known that I don’t give a damn about where I stand in the social scale.
I once was quite a healthy fat girl – size 16, active, was able to juggle a hectic part-time 8-10 hours barista job while studying. I maintained good grades and graduated with a first class degree. I was once a rather healthy size 18 lass who went on TV to talk about fat girls empowerment. I received messages and tweets from fellow young fat girls who was inspired by me. I made an impact. And I hope and believe I still am.
But what do you do? You are in a greater position to leave an impact and to inspire yet you did none. You disgraced the already-shattered name of journalism. You give bad name to nice slender individuals out there. You broke hearts. You crushed people.
You said, men, or people would wanna run away from baby elephants aka fat people like me. But do you know who never run away and continue dealing with people like me and my nonsense? My family and my friends – the people I love. Who needs shallow minded men or strangers when you have friends and family who cares and love you for who you are. Friends and family who are there by your side when you’re at your best and your worse. Friends and family whose take on the idea of being fat solely as being unhealthy, and every nag or advice comes from a good place called love. Friends and family who will never crush me. Never.
You know what, I’m still gonna let the old me use the magic words. Tee Lin Say, be very embarrassed of yourself, you’re such a disgraced and… fuck you very much.

Poor Deserving Indian student denied university

SEED promises to deliver the goods

The agency blames Indian taxi drivers for submitting incomplete applications for the delay in getting Tekun loans.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Special Secretariat for Empowerment of Indian Entrepreneurs (SEED) today urged various parties not to politicise the special allocations meant for Indian taxi drivers made by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“We are transparent and we will keep any promise made by the government,” said SEED director Dr AT Kumararajah at a press conference here.

Kumararajah also clarified that the government never promised RM50 million to Indian taxi drivers as claimed by some.

he government promised was that Indian cabbies will get access to the RM50 million from Tekun which was announced in the 2013 budget,” he said.

According to him, there was a pilot project launched in February 2013 and so far SEED has received about 960 applications from Indian taxi drivers.

Out of these, 570 applications have been approved and funds totaling RM4.8 million have been disbursed.

“About 390 applications are still in process,” he added.

On Monday, a group of vexed taxi drivers gathered in front of MIC headquarters claiming that the promised loans had been long time in coming.

During the gathering, Kuala Lumpur Makkal Communication Taxi Drivers Association president K Muthu claimed that the government and SEED have failed to fulfill their promise made on April 18, during an event in front of some 7,000 cabbies at the Batu Caves temple grounds.

He also said that Tekun CEO Abdul Rahim Hassan has “cheated” the taxi drivers by failing to deliver the loan within a week from April 18.

However, Kumararajah clarified that Abdul Rahim only promised to process applications that were “complete” within a week.

“There is no such thing that all the applicants will get their money in one week since most of them do not have proper documents” he added.

Kumararajah also denied SEED’s involvement in any money collection from taxi drivers in order to process their loan applications.

“Yes, we heard that a private taxi association collected money from the cabbies. But, we have not authorised anyone to collect money,” he said.

Headmaster ducks meeting parents

An attempt by parents and citizens to confront the principal of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh seeking an explanation for forcing their children to take meals in shower room proves futile.

PETALING JAYA : The headmaster of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh today ducked meeting a group of 20 people who wanted to know why he lied to the press about renovation works in the school.

The group engaged in a verbal tirade with the police and security personnel manning the main gate when they were not allowed to see the headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor.

Photos of non-Muslim children eating on makeshift tables set up in the school’s shower room, next to the toilets, went viral on the net when a parent published photos of it, generating a storm of protests.

Mohd Nasir told the media that the school’s canteen was undergoing renovation works and thus had little choice but to provide the shower room area for them to take their meals.

One of the uploaded photos showed the canteen cordoned off with red plastic tape but when FMT visited the school this morning, the red tape had been removed and there was no renovation going on.

Mohd Nasir also told the media the shower room has been used as a make shift canteen since March this year due to space constraints in the canteen proper.

The parents, however, claimed this was untrue as none of their children had complained about being made to take their meals in the shower room next to the toilets.

J Puspalatha, 30, whose daughter is enrolled in the school, alleged that several students were questioned by a teacher the day after photos of them eating in a shower room went viral on the internet.

“The teacher asked the students if their parents had taken the photos. Is that necessary?” she asked. “They are only children, they don’t know what’s going on. Why question them?”

The parent of a standard two child, known only as Nitha, denied allegations that the canteen was closed because of renovation work.

“They were only changing the wooden doors of the teachers’ canteen to glass doors, which is adjacent to the students canteen. Why the need to cordon off the students canteen?” asked Nitha.

“The doors were only changed yesterday which probably took several hours, so they were lying when they said renovation works started in March,” she added.

“My child goes to that school and I’ve not heard her complain about being made to take meals until July 12,” she said. “The school is just trying to cover up for their mistake now.”

Kamalanathan: ‘Issue resolved’

The group was finally allowed into the school when Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan arrived at the school at 1.30pm, made a lighting tour and quickly declared the matter solved.

“Nasir has apologised and we have accepted it, but the ministry will have to decide on what action to take against him, rest assured, we will do what is necessary,” he said.

“I hope people will not turn this into a racial issue, it has been resolved and I promise something like this will not happen again,” he added.

He also donated RM10,000 to the school to extend its canteen and promised that the ministry will work towards providing more funds for upgrading purposes.

“I will suggest to the ministry to provide more funds for SK Seri Pristana for upgrading purposes. I will start the ball rolling by giving them a donation of RM10,000,” he said.

Meanwhile, MIC Youth Chief T Mohan said that the headmaster and the school management’s action was unforgivable, and providing students the shower next the toilet should not have been an option in the first place.

“This is an outrage. They shouldn’t have put the students there in the first place, there is no excuse for such actions. We urge the Ministry of Education to take stern action on those responsible,” he said.

“MIC will definitely pursue the matter, we will lodge a police report against the school’s headmaster and the school management. Disciplinary action must be meted out,” he added.

SK Seri Pristana has an enrollment of over 1,300 students of which 28 are non-Muslims (23 Indians and five Chinese).

36 murid sekolah Tamil alami keracunan makanan

Perkara itu telah dimaklumkan kepada Jabatan Kesihatan negeri dan kantin tersebut disita untuk siasatan lanjut

IPOH: Seramai 36 murid Sekolah Kebangsaan Guru Kalgidhar, Buntong di sini mengalami keracunan makanan dipercayai berpunca daripada makanan yang dijual di kantin sekolah itu hari ini.

Mereka yang makan semasa waktu rehat pada pukul 10 pagi mengadu sakit kepala, sakit perut, muntah dan cirit-birit dikejarkan ke Klinik Kesihatan Buntong.

Pengawai Pelajaran Daerah Kinta Utara Marazlen Amran berkata semua pelajar kini berada dalam keadaan stabil selepas menerima rawatan pesakit luar.

“Semua murid dihantar ke klinik sekitar pukul 10 pagi hingga 12 tengah hari. Hanya lima daripada mereka memerlukan rawatan lanjut,” katanya ketika dihubungi Bernama hari ini.

Beliau berkata perkara itu telah dimaklumkan kepada Jabatan Kesihatan negeri dan kantin tersebut disita untuk siasatan lanjut.

Katanya kantin itu beroperasi sejak 30 tahun lepas dan pihaknya akan mengadakan perbincangan dengan pemilik tapak sekolah itu yang juga dipercayai pengusaha kantin.

Beliau berkata Pegawai Khas Menteri Besar Perak C Sivaraj akan mengagihkan makanan percuma kepada murid sekolah itu esok.

Timbalan Pengarah Jabatan Pelajaran Negeri Perak Idris Ramli berkata jabatan itu menunggu laporan lengkap daripada pihak sekolah sebelum menjalankan siasatan bagi mengenal pasti punca kejadian sebelum mengambil tindakan selanjutnya.

Sekolah bantuan penuh kerajaan itu mempunyai 96 pelajar tahun satu hingga enam.

Sementara itu, Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Kesihatan, Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan Nolee Ashilin Radzi berkata kejadian itu berlaku dipercayai daripada sejenis makanan India iaitu idli yang diperbuat daripada tepung beras yang dikukus.

“Makanan itu adalah dari kantin sekolah dan bakteria yang disyaki adalah bacillus cereus,” katanya.

- BERNAMA

Video mocking canteen issue slammed

Netizens slam distasteful parody video mocking non-Muslim students having meals in school's shower room.
VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: Internet users have slammed a parody video mocking non-Muslim students having their meals in their school’s shower area, next door to the toilets.

The parody video uploaded on YouTube yesterday was in response to a primary school in Sungai Buloh, which cordoned off its canteen area with red plastic tape, forcing its non-Muslim students to have theirmeals in the school’s shower room.

Instead of drawing laughter, the video by DanKhooProductions has incurred the wrath of YouTubers, who have slammed the directors for their distasteful take on the issue.

The video titled “Makan Dalam Tandas (Eating in Toilet)” depicts two youths taking turns to eat in the toilet while the other urinates or defecates. Another scene depicts one of them about to eat in the kitchen, but was told to eat in the toilet instead.

“Maybe some people view this video as a parody on the latest issue where the students had to eat in the shower room. But the problems faced by the parents and students have been taken advantage of by certain parties to make parody videos. To those involved, I don’t think this video should have been made,” user Ecwo Grace commented today.

“Stupid video made by stupid people. Only stupid people would find this entertaining. Very insensitive to the problems of others,” another user commented.

A barrage of criticisms then ensued, with many telling the directors to “get your facts right before making a video”, “be more sensitive” and “just stop making any more videos”.

As of 12.34pm today, the offensive video has been made private due to mounting criticisms against the duo.

Yesterday, Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh came under fire from netizens after a parent posted photos on Facebook of non-Muslim students having their meals in the school’s shower area.

It shows students eating food on makeshift tables and benches placed in the shower area, ostensibly a decision made by school because of the fasting month of Ramadan.

However, it was reported that the school canteen was facing a problem in accommodating 350 students who go for recess at same time.

The headmaster then decided to use one of the changing rooms as a makeshift canteen and equipped it with chairs and tables. This makeshift canteen had been operating since March 2013.

First day at home for royal baby -- but wait for name goes on

 

London (CNN) -- Prince William, his wife Catherine and the royal baby start their first full day at home together Wednesday, after giving the world its first glimpse of the future king as they left the hospital.

The family's emergence Tuesday evening from the Lindo Wing of St. Mary's Hospital marked the end of a long wait for the throngs of journalists camped outside.

There's just one detail left to wait for now -- the little prince's name.

He and his wife are "still working on a name," William said on the hospital steps, "so we'll have that as soon as we can -- it's the first time we've seen him really, so we're having a proper chance to catch up."

He said the baby has a "good pair of lungs," and added, "He's got her looks, thankfully."

Catherine and William took turns holding the child, wrapped in a cream-colored blanket, as they waved to well-wishers. The prince has already changed his first diaper, the couple told reporters.

"It's very emotional. It's such a special time," Catherine said.

The 8-pound, 6-ounce boy was born Monday afternoon. He's third in line, behind Charles and William, for the British throne now held by his great-grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

On their way out, they walked out down the same hospital steps where Diana, Princess of Wales, and Prince Charles gave the world its first look at Prince William 31 years ago.

William installed the new royal heir in a car seat in the back of a black SUV, then got behind the wheel for the trip to their residence at Kensington Palace, in London.

It's not clear how long the new family will spend at Kensington Palace, which was William's boyhood home.

They may decide to relocate after a few days to the home of Catherine's parents in the village of Bucklebury, in Berkshire.

The grand apartment they will eventually move into within the palace, Apartment 1A, is still being refurbished, so William and Catherine have been living in a small cottage in the grounds.

The late Diana, Princess of Wales, moved into Kensington Palace on her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981 and brought up William and his brother Harry there. When she died in 1997, streams of mourners laid flowers and tributes outside its gates.

'Absolutely beautiful'

Tuesday, London echoed with the sound of cannon fire and peals of bells to mark the birth.

Many bets are being placed as the wait continues for the baby's name to be announced. British bookmakers Ladbrokes have George and James as favorites Wednesday, followed by Alexander, Arthur, Louis and Henry.

William's name was announced a few days after birth; his brother Harry's on leaving the hospital.

Shortly before the new baby's departure from St. Mary's, Prince Charles stopped by for a brief visit with his first grandchild, accompanied by his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall. He told reporters it was "marvelous."

And Catherine's parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, visited earlier, with Carole Middleton telling reporters the royal baby is "absolutely beautiful."

She said both mother and baby are doing "really well" and that she and her husband were "so thrilled" at being grandparents.

"It was so exciting. It was fantastic," said Eliza Wells, one of the well-wishers gathered outside the hospital. "The crowd erupted, because everyone's been waiting so long for it."

William and Catherine "both seemed very relaxed, even with the press there and the crowd," Wells said. "They just seemed like a normal couple."

A normal life?

Royal commentators say the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will try to give their son as regular an upbringing as possible.

But the intense media interest in the birth of the new prince highlights the challenge his parents face in trying to protect his privacy and maintain a degree of normalcy.

"This baby has two things stopping it from being normal," historian Kate Williams said. "Number one, it lives in a life of incredible wealth and privilege ... number two, it is an incredible celebrity, and we've seen this with the coverage."

Opinion: Why I wouldn't want to be royal baby

But Prince William loved that his mother tried to give him as normal a childhood as possible, including trips to the cinema and an amusement park, and sending him to a local private school as a boy -- "and that's what he wants for little baby Cambridge."

Although the excitement over his birth is not universal, there's no doubting the level of global interest in the prince.

On Monday, there were more than 19 million Facebook interactions related to the royal baby, Facebook said. His birth also took Twitter by storm.

As well as ruling the United Kingdom, the boy could one day be king of 15 other Commonwealth countries which have the British monarch as head of state, if none changes their constitution in the meantime.

They include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Belize and Jamaica.

Miba: Najib's 'nambikei' not reflected in student intake

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's pledge to the Indian community is not reflected in the student intake for public universities, said the Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba).

In view of this, Miba president P Sivakumar (left) urged MIC and Hindraf to make a stand on the matter.

He said both had promised the Indians, especially the poor, that their future would be bright if they voted for BN and that Najib was sincere with regard to his "nambikei" (trust) pledge.

Sivakumar pointed out that Hindraf also claimed that Najib had endorsed education upliftment for the Indians with additional places for students.

"But what transpired under Najib's 'nambikei'? Last year, the Indian intake was 2.5 percent or so and this time it is 4 percent.

"In the 1970s, Indians got 10 percent despite the existence of only three universities but now with 27 universities, we only get 4 percent," he said.

'Reinstate quota system'
The Miba president urged the government to reinstate the quota system according to race and the Indians should be allocated 8 percent.

"A quota system is the only choice left to seek fair play in the allocation of places in public universities," he added.

Sivakumar said pertinent issues that need to be addressed were being swept under the carpet while frivolous issues were given prominence.

"Securing public holidays for Thaipusam and entertainment handouts are seen as major achievements by these so-called leaders who represent the community.

"Whereas issues concerning education, government jobs, business opportunities, permits and others are seen as secondary and receive lukewarm response from these leaders," he added.

Recently, MCA Youth chief Wee Ka Siong also complained about the poor intake of Chinese students in public universities.

He had said that although the federal government had replaced the ethnic quota system with the merit system for university intake in 2002, the poor intake of Chinese students showed that it was actually "more quota than quota".

According to Wee, the intake of Chinese students for eight major courses in public universities had been declining in recent years.

"From 26.2 percent in 2011, it dropped to 25.3 percent in 2012 and 20.7 percent this year," he added.

Cabinet withdraws controversial conversion bill

The cabinet at its meeting today agreed to withdraw the controversial Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Amendment Bill 2013, which has been tabled for its first reading in Parliament.

The bill stirred a hornet’s nest for providing that the permission of one parent alone is sufficient to convert a minor.

In making the announcement, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the status of a child after the father or mother embraces Islam was discussed in depth by the cabinet.

"There are various views that have been taken into consideration by the BN component parties.

"Based on this, the cabinet today decided to withdraw the bill. This is to ensure the determination of the religion of the child can be justly resolved," Muhyiddin said in a statement.

With the withdrawal, Muhyiddin said, it would give the government and all parties the chance to scrutinise the law holistically. The government would then table a fresh bill, after it is in agreement among all parties concerned.

The amendment bill was tabled in the Dewan Rakyat on June 26.

Muhyiddin also said that Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution states that the religion of a child under the age of 18 has to be decided by the parent or guardian.

Amendment bill based on Subashini case

He said that based on the Federal Court decision in the R Subashini vs T Saravanan case, as cited in the Malaysian Law Journal, the word 'parent' was interpreted in the singular.

The amendment to Section 107 (b) in the Administration of Islamic Law (FT) Bill 2013, Muhyiddin said, was based on the provision in the federal constitution and the Subashini case.

Following today's cabinet decision, he said, any consequential amendments to the bill are also withdrawn.

“The government believes Islam is a just religion for all humans and the issue of the status of the religion of the children should be resolved in a just manner, based on the justice principles of Islam,” he added.

Despite what Muhyiddin cited on the Subashini case, veteran lawyer and lawmaker Karpal Singh said yesterday that the 2007 Federal Court ruling on the matter was grammatically wrong. 

Bar Council president Christopher Leong had earlier pointed to the move to amend Section 107 (b) as unconstitutional.

MCA, MIC and Gerakan also oppose the controversial bill and have asked for it to be withdrawn and reviewed

Conversion Bill: DAP offers help to BN

DAP chairman Karpal Singh says DAP is willing to provide BN with the two thirds majority needed to end the row over unilateral conversion of minors.

KUALA LUMPUR: In a rare moment of unity, DAP chairman Karpal Singh today offered Barisan Nasional each DAP MP’s support to amend Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution which relates to the religious conversion of minors.

Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution states: “…the religion of a person under the age of eighteen years shall be decided by his parent or guardian”.

The Bukit Gelugor MP suggested today that an amendment could be made whereby the word “parent” was followed with “deemed to be both parents if both parents are alive”.

The amendment, he argued, would bring an end to the row over the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 which, if passed, could allow a sole parent to convert children below 18 to Islam.

“The DAP will, in the public interest, provide the necessary support. It has 38 members of Parliament, nearly thrice the number the BN needs to secure a two-thirds majority,” Karpal said at a press conference in the Parliament lobby today.

“In the interests of humanity, such an amendment should secure the support of all members of Parliament on either side of the divide.”

The veteran politician said that if the Constitution remained unchanged, it was unlikely that Parliament would be able to stop the Bill from being bulldozed through.

He noted a court ruling in 2004 and 2007 which stated that use of the singular word “parent” in the constitution referred to the consent of a single parent, and was enough to validate the conversion of a minor to Islam.

“The decision of the Federal Court, the highest court in the land, would appear to tie the hands of Parliament,” Karpal said.

“Such an amendment would remove, once and for all, any doubt as to the intention of the framers of the Constitution who must have had such an objective in mind in the inclusion of Article 12(4) in that sacred document,” he said.

The controversial Bill has received flak from the public, Cabinet members and BN and Pakatan leaders alike for being “unfair” and “detrimental” to non-Muslims.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has acknowledged there were “issues” with the Bill, but defended it as a reflection of the current situation.

He said last Monday the government would take into consideration the public’s views and examine the Bill carefully before an announcement is made by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic Affairs Jamil Khir Baharom.
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Karpal: Federal Court ruling grammatically wrong

A 2007 Federal Court ruling allowing for unilateral conversion of a child to Islam was “grammatically wrong”, DAP national chairperson Karpal Singh said today.

Karpal, who is also a lawyer, said that the court’s ruling was a wrong interpretation of the word 'parent' under Article 12 (4) of the federal constitution.

He urged the Parliament to “depart” from the Federal Court decision and not be tied down by the ruling because the judiciary “is but an arm of the government”.

The Federal Court decision on Dec 27 2007 ruled that a single parent was enough to convert a child to Islam based on the word 'parent' that appeared in the federal constitution.

The court ruled in favour of a Hindu father who had converted his underage child to Islam, holding in essence that the constitution rendered the consent of a single parent enough to validate the conversion of a minor to Islam.

However, Karpal said that the word 'parent', in its essence, should refer to both the mother and father and should not refer to one parent alone.

"Parent should mean both the mother and father," he said during a press conference at Parliament lobby today.

He stressed that there was no need to add a 's' at the back of the word 'parent' in order to make it plural, that the current provision of the the word 'parent' was written with the intention of referring to both parents.

"There is no need. The current provision is right. The interpretation by the Federal Court is wrong," he said.

He said that grammatically, the word parent should mean both parents "if they are alive".

"Any other interpretation would lead to a manifestation of injustice," he said.

"Islam should be not allowed to be used in the perpetration of injustice," he added.

NGOs condemn disruption of movie screening

They claim violation of rights by KDN and police who tried to stop the showing of a documentary on the Sri Lanka civil war.
VIDEO INSIDE

KUALA LUMPUR: Several human rights groups have condemned the Home Ministry (KDN) and the police for disrupting a private screening of a documentary film at the Chinese Assembly Hall last night and harassing the organisers and audience.

Representatives of the KL & Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall Civil Right Committee (KLSCH CRC), Komas and Suaram told a press conference today that KDN officials and police barged into the screening room about 30 minutes after the start of the documentary, a British production about the Sri Lanka civil war entitled “No Fire Zone”.

“They came in and told us to stop the screening,” said Komas director Arul Prakash. “We didn’t stop. However, after the show, they insisted on checking the identity cards of all the participants. Why was there a need to ask the audience to produce ICs? It was ridiculous and an intimidation.”

The organisers said the enforcement team, numbering about 30, ordered them to go the Dang Wangi police station and they obeyed, thinking they merely had to get their statements recorded. However, to their surprise, they were informed that they were under arrest, they added.

“We asked the officers if we were being arrested, but at first they said ‘No,’” Prakash said. “We were informed we were under arrest only midway through the interrogation.

KLSCH Civil Committee chairman Liau Kok Fah said his organisation had earlier received a letter from the Sri Lankan embassy asking it not to screen the documentary.

“We received a fax from the embassy and we were accused of supporting terrorism,” Liau said. “They wanted us to stop the show, but why are they interfering in Malaysian NGO matters?

“We invited them to attend the show so we could get their side of story. But they never came.”

Prakash said Komas had told the Sri Lankan government through its embassy to hold a dialogue with the Malaysian public instead of hiding behind the government in Putrajaya in trying to repress free speech.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/04/ngos-condemn-disruption-of-movie-screening/#sthash.6HOlF1F8.dpuf

MIC leader says sorry to two DAP men

Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer and his personal aide, S Sivalingam, have withdrawn their libel suit after Penang MIC youth chief J Dhinagaran apologised in court.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang MIC youth chief J Dhinagaran has apologised in court for making graft allegations against DAP’s Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer and his personal aide, S Sivalingam.

Dhinagaran, who had accused Rayer and his aide of alleged abuse of power and corrupt practice in March, retracted his accusations before Judicial Commissioner Nurmala Salim at the High Court here today.

The MIC leader, who is represented by his counsel M Rueben, also promised not to repeat the allegations.

In his written apology, Dhinagaran said he realised that the allegations had no truth after going through all the relevant documents again.

JC Nurmala ordered both parties to bear their own costs.

On March 20, Rayer and Sivalingam filed libel suits against Dhinagaran for making the allegations that were reported by the Kuala Lumpur Post on March 8 and FMT on March 11.

The duo had sought an apology and special damages from Dhinagaran.

With Dhinagaran’s apology, Rayer and Sivalingam withdrew their suits.

‘Conversion bill signals Umno’s demise’

DAP's Ramakrishnan says it's part of an agenda to punish non-Malay voters.

GEORGE TOWN: A former senator today linked the tabling of the controversial religious conversion Bill to an alleged Umno agenda to punish non-Malays for rejecting Barisan Nasional in the 13th general election.

S Ramakrishnan, an official of Selangor DAP, said in a press statement that Umno was becoming increasingly insensitive to the feelings of non-Malays, especially since the May 5 election.

However, he added, the party’s attempt to whip up chauvinistic sentiments was bound to backfire and would hasten its downfall. The results of the recent election, according to him, could be taken as a sign that Umno’s end was near, for it showed that young and urban Malays were turning their backs on the party.

Ramakrishnan also said the bill to amend the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act, if passed, would scuttle Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s programme to shape the character of Malaysia’s plural society into one that would be deserving of the “Truly Asia” label.

“The Malaysia-is-Truly-Asia image that the country is trying hard to push is the diametric opposite of the increased radicalisation of Umno,” he said. “This is truly worrying.”

The bill, which was tabled last week, includes a clause that allows the mother or father or guardian of a minor to convert him or her to Islam without the consent of the other parent.

Many BN leaders outside Umno have expressed strong objections to the clause, arguing that it was fundamentally unjust as it denied the right of one parent over his or her children.

Ramakrishnan noted that the Federal Cabinet in 2009 had decided that the consent of both parents would be required in the conversion of minors. He asked why the government had now decided to go against that decision.

He also asked the promoters of the Bill to explain why they were going against the opinion of respected Islamic scholars on the question of religious conversion.

He quoted the following statement by Egyptian Grand Mufti Ali Gomaa:

“The essential question before us is: Can a person who is Muslim choose a religion other than Islam? The answer is: ‘Yes, they can’ because the Qur’an says, ‘Unto you your religion, and unto me my religion,’ [Qur'an, 109:6] and ‘Whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve,’ [Qur'an, 18:29], and, ‘There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is distinct from error’ [Qur'an, 2:256].”
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/04/conversion-bill-signals-umnos-demise/#sthash.8tBgEWNI.dpuf