Saturday, 8 March 2014
Father allegedly kills daughter, attacks pastor, others for converting to Christianity
The Oyo State Police command has arrested a suspect in connection with the killing of his daughter, Miss Kausara Isiaka for allegedly converting to Christianity.
The suspect was alleged by Reverend Daniel Oladimeji, one of the four persons he attacked with machete that he suspected him to be the brain behind the attack.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Olabisi Ilobanafor, one Mary Oladimeji, of Calvary Church, Ayekale, Ibadan reported the incident at the station at about 02:00 hours of February 26th 2014.
Though, the police are yet to determine his culpability or otherwise, the suspect allegedly sneaked into the church premises and inflicted machete cuts on the four persons.
The victims’ names, according to the police, are Mary, Kausara Isiaka, Aanu and the pastor of the church.
It was further gathered that the father of the deceased who is a Muslim, allegedly pleaded severally with his daughter and threatened her to review her decision.
The police stated that the girl had to take refuge in the church.
But, on that fateful day, a yet-to-be identified attacker broke in and inflicted machete injuries on the victims while they were sleeping.
Out of the four victims, the police confirmed that her injuries were more severe than others.
Mary, the daughter of the suspect and other victims were rushed to Mobolaji Hospital, Oremeji, Ibadan where she later died.
“DSP Ilobanafor said the police visited the scene, took photographs and moved the remains of the deceased to Adeoyo State Hospital mortuary for autopsy. One suspect was arrested and case transferred to the Assistant Commissioner of Police, State Criminal Investigation Department”.
In similar development, a three-man robbery gang who specialize in stealing Nissan vehicle products have been arrested.
Seven vehicles were said to have been recovered from the suspects whose names were given as Saheed Oloruntoyin (27), Ibrahim Tijani (30) and Lukmon Oladimeji.
They were arrested in Oyo in February 16 while allegedly sharing their loots.
Number plates of the recovered vehicles are Abuja CB 769 RBC , Abuja YF 154 YAB, Abuja GWA 435 AS, Niger BE 218 MNA, EPE 506 AJ (Lagos), BDJ 319 FQ (Oyo) and YYY 579 AAA (Oyo).
The suspects were said to have confessed to be a three-man gang who specialized in snatching cars from Oyo State and Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.
According to her, any vehicle snatched at Abuja was brought to Oyo and sold.
Anwar jailed 5 years, stay granted
In mitigation, Karpal wanted time to submit Anwar's medical report while Shafee said the PKR leader's sexual act was irresponsible and reckless.
FULL REPORT
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today sentenced Anwar Ibrahim, 67, to five years jail after overturning a High Court decision to free him of a sodomy charge in 2012.
The three-man Court of Appeal panel chaired by Justice Balia Yusof Wahi with Justices Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh had earlier today ruled unanimously that Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah had erred in his decision to free Anwar.
The sentencing was passed after hearing mitigation from both defence and the prosecution.
The appellate court also allowed stay of sentencing pending Anwar’s appeal to the Federal Court, and set the bail at RM10,000.
Earlier Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh pleaded to the court to postpone the mitigation to allow the defence team to present Anwar’s medical report.
“He is suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease, spinal [problems]. For that we need a medical report.
“The medical status of the accused person is of utmost importance in mitigation. We need time,” said Karpal
However, this led to an argument between him and justice Balia, who interpreted this as Karpal not putting up any mitigation today.
“You have nothing to mitigate today?” the judge said.
“You completely misunderstand me. We are unable to mitigate without the medical report,” responded Karpal.
“This court is being unreasonable.”
But the judge insisted: “the absence of the medical report does not prevent you from bringing up your mitigation.”
He said the medical report was not necessary.
“We are here to discuss the sentence,” stressed Judge Balia.
National security issue
In presenting his mitigation, Shafee told the judge that Anwar’s actions had risked national security.
“Now that he’s found guilty of this act, and considering his position of power, such acts of indiscretion opens himself up to blackmail and extortion is a source of national security. The country opens up to national security issue,” said Shafee.
He said Anwar had also failed to show any remorse and had taken an aggressive stance by “attacking anyone such as the court, judge, prosecutor, the court of appeal, public prosecutor, the prime minister.”
“He showed unnecessary aggression instead of remorse.”
He said Anwar’s sexual act was irresponsible and reckless as he did not take into account the issue of disease, and that no condom was used: “that’s an irresponsible and reckless act.”
Shafee also argued that Anwar’s actions were tantamount to sexual harassment on his employee.
Shafee’s arguments were punctuated by protests and cries from Anwar’s supporters, who said his statements were unnecessary.
This prompted the judge to address the public: “If I hear any more noise like this, police will be ready to escort you out. This is the court of law.”
The Court of Appeal also allowed for the bail to be posted on Monday, this due to the fact that the Registrar’s office was closed for business today.
The court finally adjourned at 7pm, and Anwar’s family rushed to his side in tears. Anwar was later seen speaking to his lawyers.
The courtroom was packed with reporters, supporters and Pakatan Rakyat leaders waiting for Anwar to address them.
Anwar’s supporters protested that this was an attempt to disqualify him from the Kajang by-election, due to be held on March 23.
Sodomy is an offence punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years of jail and whipping, although Anwar’s age discounts him from being whipped.
Anwar was acquitted by the High Court judge Mohd Zabidin on Jan 9, 2012 of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008 at the Desa Damansara condominium.
This is the second time Anwar has been found guilty of sodomy. He was first charged in 1998 and was jailed for nine years in prison in 2000. In September 2004 the Federal Court overturned his sodomy conviction. He was also sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in April 1999.
Case between two individuals
Meanwhile, a Malaysian government spokesperson said Malaysia has an independent judiciary and the judges had reached their verdict only after considering all the evidence in a balanced and objective manner.
“Anwar Ibrahim and his legal team have the right to appeal today’s decision to the Federal Court.
“This is a case between two individuals and is a matter for the courts, not the government.
“Therefore, to respect the legal process and the rights of those involved, it would be inappropriate for the government to comment further,” said the spokesperson in a statement.
FULL REPORT
PUTRAJAYA: The Court of Appeal today sentenced Anwar Ibrahim, 67, to five years jail after overturning a High Court decision to free him of a sodomy charge in 2012.The three-man Court of Appeal panel chaired by Justice Balia Yusof Wahi with Justices Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh had earlier today ruled unanimously that Kuala Lumpur High Court Judge Mohd Zabidin Mohd Diah had erred in his decision to free Anwar.
The sentencing was passed after hearing mitigation from both defence and the prosecution.
The appellate court also allowed stay of sentencing pending Anwar’s appeal to the Federal Court, and set the bail at RM10,000.
Earlier Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh pleaded to the court to postpone the mitigation to allow the defence team to present Anwar’s medical report.
“He is suffering from high blood pressure, heart disease, spinal [problems]. For that we need a medical report.
“The medical status of the accused person is of utmost importance in mitigation. We need time,” said Karpal
However, this led to an argument between him and justice Balia, who interpreted this as Karpal not putting up any mitigation today.
“You have nothing to mitigate today?” the judge said.
“You completely misunderstand me. We are unable to mitigate without the medical report,” responded Karpal.
“This court is being unreasonable.”
But the judge insisted: “the absence of the medical report does not prevent you from bringing up your mitigation.”
He said the medical report was not necessary.
“We are here to discuss the sentence,” stressed Judge Balia.
National security issue
In presenting his mitigation, Shafee told the judge that Anwar’s actions had risked national security.
“Now that he’s found guilty of this act, and considering his position of power, such acts of indiscretion opens himself up to blackmail and extortion is a source of national security. The country opens up to national security issue,” said Shafee.
He said Anwar had also failed to show any remorse and had taken an aggressive stance by “attacking anyone such as the court, judge, prosecutor, the court of appeal, public prosecutor, the prime minister.”
“He showed unnecessary aggression instead of remorse.”
He said Anwar’s sexual act was irresponsible and reckless as he did not take into account the issue of disease, and that no condom was used: “that’s an irresponsible and reckless act.”
Shafee also argued that Anwar’s actions were tantamount to sexual harassment on his employee.
Shafee’s arguments were punctuated by protests and cries from Anwar’s supporters, who said his statements were unnecessary.
This prompted the judge to address the public: “If I hear any more noise like this, police will be ready to escort you out. This is the court of law.”
The Court of Appeal also allowed for the bail to be posted on Monday, this due to the fact that the Registrar’s office was closed for business today.
The court finally adjourned at 7pm, and Anwar’s family rushed to his side in tears. Anwar was later seen speaking to his lawyers.
The courtroom was packed with reporters, supporters and Pakatan Rakyat leaders waiting for Anwar to address them.
Anwar’s supporters protested that this was an attempt to disqualify him from the Kajang by-election, due to be held on March 23.
Sodomy is an offence punishable by a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years of jail and whipping, although Anwar’s age discounts him from being whipped.
Anwar was acquitted by the High Court judge Mohd Zabidin on Jan 9, 2012 of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008 at the Desa Damansara condominium.
This is the second time Anwar has been found guilty of sodomy. He was first charged in 1998 and was jailed for nine years in prison in 2000. In September 2004 the Federal Court overturned his sodomy conviction. He was also sentenced to six years in prison for corruption in April 1999.
Case between two individuals
Meanwhile, a Malaysian government spokesperson said Malaysia has an independent judiciary and the judges had reached their verdict only after considering all the evidence in a balanced and objective manner.
“Anwar Ibrahim and his legal team have the right to appeal today’s decision to the Federal Court.
“This is a case between two individuals and is a matter for the courts, not the government.
“Therefore, to respect the legal process and the rights of those involved, it would be inappropriate for the government to comment further,” said the spokesperson in a statement.
Show-cause letter for Vell Paari
Former MIC strategic director S Vell Paari will be issued a show-cause letter for issuing statements against the party president.
UPDATED
PETALING JAYA: The MIC disciplinary committee will issue a show-cause letter to former party strategic director S Vell Paari for issuing statements against party president G Palanivel in the media.
The committee will also issue a similar show-cause letter to Shah Alam MIC branch chairman S Vaithialingam.
Disciplinary committee head K S Nijhar said the duo would be given 14 days to reply to the show-cause letters.
“We will proceed with further action only after receiving their replies to the show-cause letters,” he said.
He said this after a 90-minute disciplinary committee meeting at the party headquarters here this morning.
Other committee members who attended the meeting were Randhir Singh, A Ganeson, A Prakash Rao and Selva Mookiah.
FMT learnt that a few other leaders are also being monitored by the committee for making statements against Palanivel in the media.
Two days ago, Vell Paari issued a press statement against Palanivel, who is also the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, for failing to alert and update the public on the haze and the prolonged drought.
Vell Paari, who is also Kepong division chief, urged the minister to take into view the plight of Malaysians in facing the haze problem.
Vell Paari is the son of former party president S Samy Vellu.
Allegations against Vaithialingam is still unclear.
This would be the first time the committee had taken action against a party “big-wig” since Palanivel became the MIC president in 2010.
The committee’s action comes after Palanivel faced a barrage of attacks from several quarters not only for his role as party chief but also as Natural Resources and Environment Minister.
The move is set put Palanivel under tremendous pressure as the president had previously said he was ready to face criticisms from party members.
Palanivel, after taking the helm of the party from Samy Vellu in 2010, had also vowed to put an end to issuance of show-cause letters and sacking of members.
In an immediate reaction, Vell Paari told FMT that he was not at all surprised with the issuance of the show cause letter by the party disciplinary committee.
“It is a bit premature to comment on it as I have yet to receive the letter. I need to know the charge against me before replying the letter,” he told.
Vell Paari said he would be going to the MIC headquarters himself to receive the letter.
“Once I have read it’s content, I will take the necessary steps to defend myself,” he added.
UPDATED
PETALING JAYA: The MIC disciplinary committee will issue a show-cause letter to former party strategic director S Vell Paari for issuing statements against party president G Palanivel in the media.The committee will also issue a similar show-cause letter to Shah Alam MIC branch chairman S Vaithialingam.
Disciplinary committee head K S Nijhar said the duo would be given 14 days to reply to the show-cause letters.
“We will proceed with further action only after receiving their replies to the show-cause letters,” he said.
He said this after a 90-minute disciplinary committee meeting at the party headquarters here this morning.
Other committee members who attended the meeting were Randhir Singh, A Ganeson, A Prakash Rao and Selva Mookiah.
FMT learnt that a few other leaders are also being monitored by the committee for making statements against Palanivel in the media.
Two days ago, Vell Paari issued a press statement against Palanivel, who is also the Natural Resources and Environment Minister, for failing to alert and update the public on the haze and the prolonged drought.
Vell Paari, who is also Kepong division chief, urged the minister to take into view the plight of Malaysians in facing the haze problem.
Vell Paari is the son of former party president S Samy Vellu.
Allegations against Vaithialingam is still unclear.
This would be the first time the committee had taken action against a party “big-wig” since Palanivel became the MIC president in 2010.
The committee’s action comes after Palanivel faced a barrage of attacks from several quarters not only for his role as party chief but also as Natural Resources and Environment Minister.
The move is set put Palanivel under tremendous pressure as the president had previously said he was ready to face criticisms from party members.
Palanivel, after taking the helm of the party from Samy Vellu in 2010, had also vowed to put an end to issuance of show-cause letters and sacking of members.
In an immediate reaction, Vell Paari told FMT that he was not at all surprised with the issuance of the show cause letter by the party disciplinary committee.
“It is a bit premature to comment on it as I have yet to receive the letter. I need to know the charge against me before replying the letter,” he told.
Vell Paari said he would be going to the MIC headquarters himself to receive the letter.
“Once I have read it’s content, I will take the necessary steps to defend myself,” he added.
Kajang by-election: Election Commission will study Anwar’s eligibility to contest
(The Star) - The Election Commission will study in detail the provisions of the Federal Constitution and the Selangor Constitution on Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s eligibility to contest the Kajang state by-election.This followed the verdict of the Court of Appeal, which found him guilty of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, five years ago and sentenced to five years’ jail on Friday.
EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusof said that in view of this being the first case of its kind, a detailed study had to be done to ensure that due process was followed.
“Under the law, by right, if a person is jailed more than a year or is fined more than RM2,000, he or she, automatically loses the right to contest in the elections,” he said.
“Nevertheless, we will have to study if Anwar appeals to the Federal Court, because of it (appeal), whether he can still contest,” he said, adding that the EC would be consulting its legal advisers on the matter.
Justice Datuk Balia Yusof Wahi, who led a three-man panel in hearing the prosecution’s appeal in the case, however, granted Anwar’s application for a stay of execution of the sentence pending appeal with bail of RM10,000.
In overturning the High Court’s decision in acquitting Anwar, Justice Balia said the panel unanimously held that the trial judge had erred in his findings that the integrity of DNA samples used in the case had been compromised.
Anwar was allegedly charged with sodomising Mohd Saiful at a Desa Damansara condominium unit in Bukit Damansara between 3.10pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
Anwar’s counsel Karpal Singh had told reporters that with this ruling, Anwar could not file his nomination papers for the Kajang state seat by-election this Tuesday. Polling is scheduled for March 23.
Malaysia Sodomy Case Flawed from Day One
pressed ahead anyway
Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II trial, which ran almost two years before ending in 2012, was built on flawed evidence, procedural mistakes, tainted witnesses and reports of political collusion with the current prime minister, and was condemned internationally by legal scholars and human rights activists.
He was eventually acquitted for lack of evidence only to have an appeals court reverse that decision, ruling in favor of a government appeal on Friday. He was sentenced to five years in prison but is free on bail pending appeal. Homosexuality is illegal in Malaysia.
The sudden reversal on Friday shocked political observers and the general public.
Sordid and Unbelievable
The story began on June 28, 2008 when a then-24-year-old aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhairy Azlan, made the sodomy accusation against Anwar, who had led the three-party Pakatan Rakyat coalition to a historic sweep of five Malaysian states, winning 82 parliamentary seats in general elections and breaking the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition's two-thirds majority hold on parliament.
Despite an offer to appear voluntarily at the police station to deal with the charges, the opposition leader was arrested at his home on July 16 of that year by a contingent of 10 carloads of police commandos and was locked up overnight in a Kuala Lumpur jail.
The trial, which began in February 2010, was marred by the introduction of a mountain of questionable evidence, egregious prosecutorial errors and a long series of prejudicial rulings by High Court Judge Mohamad Zabidin Mohamad Diah.
From the very beginning, doubts began to surface. To start with, Saiful belatedly sought to get doctors to certify that he had been sodomized 48 hours after the alleged encounter. Records showed he first went to a private hospital where a doctor found no evidence of penetration and told him to go to a government hospital. At the first government hospital, doctors also told him they had found no evidence of tearing or scarring that would have indicated his anus had been penetrated. He was forced to go to a third government hospital where he finally found a physician willing to say the act had taken place.
Political connections
Saiful acknowledged in court that he had met with then-Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, on June 24, 2008, two days before the alleged sodomy took place and on other occasions with Rosmah's close confidant, the former track star Mumtaz Jaafar. Neither the prime minister nor his wife nor Mumtaz was called to the stand to explain why they met with Saiful.
There were many questions about the DNA, which was allegedly taken from Saiful’s rectum 90 hours after the reported act took place. He claimed not to have eaten, drunk nor gone to the bathroom for that entire period.
The evidence was not refrigerated and was stored in an unguarded police office. Government laboratory technicians testified that as many as 11 different DNA traces had been found in Saiful’s rectum. At one point Zabidin ruled that the DNA was too doubtful to be admitted, only to have the prosecution appeal, at which point the judge reversed himself, leading to charges he had been coerced.
There were even questions whether Saiful had actually met with Anwar on the date he allegedly was sodomized. Although cameras showed him in the lift of the building where the offence allegedly took place, Anwar said he was meeting with a group of economists in the condo at the time and that Saiful had not appeared in the room.
Saiful also acknowledged meeting secretly twice with Rodwan Mohd Yusof, a senior assistant police commissioner, before the alleged offense took place. Rodwan became famous, or infamous, in Anwar's 1998 Sodomy I trial when he was found to have illegally removed Anwar's DNA samples from forensic custody and planted them on a mattress allegedly used by Anwar for a homosexual dalliance. To protect the integrity of the prosecution's case, the presiding judge, Augustine Paul, expunged the entire DNA evidence at the time.
Saiful testified that on the day he allegedly met with Anwar, he had taken lubricant with him to Anwar’s condominium – hardly the act of an innocent aide who had no idea that the then 63-year-old Anwar was about to jump him for unnatural sex.
It also became known during that Saiful was having a sexual liaison with Farah Azlina Latif, a female member of the prosecution team, which might have further disqualified him as a complaining witness.
The family apologizes
Saiful’s father, Azlan Mohd Lazim in March 2013, apologized to Anwar at a press conference and said the plot to have Anwar arrested was cooked up in Najib’s office. He said his son had been used by "irresponsible quarters" and that statements that both he and his son gave to the press during and after the trial were written by his lawyer and a special officer in Najib's office.
"Anwar is innocent and a victim of this slander... as such I apologize to Anwar and his family," Azlan said in a printed statement." He and his family have suffered a lot as a result of this slander. I deeply regret all the slander hurled against Anwar, which involved my son Saiful Bukhairi."
The case "was planned in great detail by a special officer in the PM's Department," Azlan said. "Even the script I read during the press conference after Anwar's sodomy acquittal last year was prepared by this officer."
His son, he said, "has never explained the sodomy incident and the accusation to me. I was never called as a witness in the case. I was never called by any party to offer my statement as the father from the start to the end of the trial."
Although he was always seen accompanying his son during the trial, Azlan explained that he did so simply as a father who was giving moral support. Azlan said he decided to make his statement after collecting information obtained during the trial, as well as that sent to him by the public.
"As a Malay and a Muslim, I started to realize the evil of this plan. I don't want to continue to conspire with this malicious slander. I want the people who love this country to know their malicious intention," he said. "If this malicious intention continues, not only the Malays and Muslims would be destroyed, but the nation would be destroyed as well. I do not want to see this happen."
National Harmony Bill may be renamed
Law minister Nancy Shukri says that the National Harmony Bill is still being drafted by the government and may be renamed.
UPDATED
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Harmony Bill will not be tabled at the Parliament seating next week, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri today.
Speaking after attending a function at the MIC headquarters, the law minister said that the bill is still in the process of being drafted and may be renamed.
“To be honest it is a lengthy process. Even today I met the Bar Council to discuss the bill. We want their views to be taken into account before tabling the bill.
“It is a very important bill. So it is better to take time to draft a bill with more positive elements and not look draconian, ” she said.
Her statement however contradicted an earlier statement made on October 23, where Nancy was reported to have said that the National Harmony Bill was sent to the Attorney General’s Chambers for scrutiny.
In July 2010, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that the government would repeal the Sedition Act 1948 and replace it with the National Harmony Act, under the Government’s Transformation Plan.
He said the new Act will safeguard the right to freedom of speech while protecting national unity by preventing incitement of religious or ethnic hatred.
Nancy also said the government would not tabling the amendment to the Bankruptcy Act 1967 in the next parliamentary session.
The amendment will provide several alternative provisions so that creditors can get back their money based on the insolvency legal framework such as “individual voluntary arrangement” and “debt repayment scheme.”
On proposed legislations that would be tabled next week, Nancy said her ministry would be tabling an amendment to the Judges’ Remuneration (Amendment) Bill 2013, which would allow a slight increment of pension for judges.
“There are also some other bills we will table during the parliament session but I can’t say anything further, ” she said.
UPDATED
KUALA LUMPUR: The National Harmony Bill will not be tabled at the Parliament seating next week, said Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri today.Speaking after attending a function at the MIC headquarters, the law minister said that the bill is still in the process of being drafted and may be renamed.
“To be honest it is a lengthy process. Even today I met the Bar Council to discuss the bill. We want their views to be taken into account before tabling the bill.
“It is a very important bill. So it is better to take time to draft a bill with more positive elements and not look draconian, ” she said.
Her statement however contradicted an earlier statement made on October 23, where Nancy was reported to have said that the National Harmony Bill was sent to the Attorney General’s Chambers for scrutiny.
In July 2010, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that the government would repeal the Sedition Act 1948 and replace it with the National Harmony Act, under the Government’s Transformation Plan.
He said the new Act will safeguard the right to freedom of speech while protecting national unity by preventing incitement of religious or ethnic hatred.
Nancy also said the government would not tabling the amendment to the Bankruptcy Act 1967 in the next parliamentary session.
The amendment will provide several alternative provisions so that creditors can get back their money based on the insolvency legal framework such as “individual voluntary arrangement” and “debt repayment scheme.”
On proposed legislations that would be tabled next week, Nancy said her ministry would be tabling an amendment to the Judges’ Remuneration (Amendment) Bill 2013, which would allow a slight increment of pension for judges.
“There are also some other bills we will table during the parliament session but I can’t say anything further, ” she said.
Friday, 7 March 2014
Jihadists loaded bomb devices into ambulance carrying pregnant woman from Syria into Turkey
While Israel is constantly excoriated for supposedly targeting civilians, we see Islamic jihadists in Gaza and now in Syria deliberately staging jihad operations in areas where civilians will almost certainly get hurt by retaliatory action. Loading bomb devices for jihad attacks in Turkey onto an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman shows yet again the egregious jihadist disregard for human life and cynical willingness to use civilians for cover.“Bomb devices found in ambulance that carried pregnant woman from Syria,” from the Hürriyet Daily News, March 4 (thanks to Kenneth):
Heavy weapons and five bomb devices were found in an ambulance that carried a pregnant woman from Syria to the southeastern province of Kilis three weeks ago, a few days before an attack on the Öncüpınar crossing border that left 26 dead.
Authorities believe based on intelligence reports that the devices were likely loaded in the ambulance by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), as the jihadist group was suspected of attempting to carry out a bomb attack on the crossing border, daily Milliyet reported March 4.
The ambulance charged with the weapons crossed the Turkish border on Feb. 17, the report said, only three days before the deadly blast in Öncüpınar.
The weapons were accidentally discovered after the ambulance’s tires blew out as it passed over a trap, while delivering the patient to Turkish officials in the buffer zone on the Öncüpınar border. The Syrian driver jumped out and ran away, leaving the ambulance unattended. A later inspection of the ambulance by security forces revealed that it contained five bomb devices, long-barreled shotguns and a rocket projector, the report said….
Ultraman book banned for 'undermining public order' - Malaysiakini
According to Bernama, the Home Ministry today gazetted a ban against the book ‘Ultraman The Ultra Power’, purportedly because it contained “elements which undermine public order”.
The book, seemingly about the Japanese hit show adored by children for generations, was banned under Section 7(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The book, which is in Bahasa Malaysia, is published by Resign Publications and printed by Network Printers.
“It is an offence under Subsection 2 Section 8 of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 for anyone to print, import, produce, reproduce, publish, sell, distribute, offer to sell or distribute or own any banned publications,” the home minister is reported to have said in a statement.
Running foul of this law could land one in jail for no more than three years or fined no more than RM20,000 or both.
Ultraman is not the first popular Japanese cartoon character to get slapped with a ban.
In 2005, an edition of the comics featuring the loveable rotund robot cat Doraemon was deemed haram (forbidden) by the Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
‘Majalah Tora Aman Doraemon - Kisah Penciptaan Dunia’ was one of nine titles considered haram by the 69th meeting of the Censorship Council on Publications With Islamic Elements led by Perak mufti Harussani Zakaria.
“These books have been agreed as haram and the list will be presented to the Home Ministry to be gazetted as banned (for Muslims),” Jakim then said.
Hindraf queries move to revive Indian affairs panel
Ramesh said such a move was doomed to fail, because other committees targeted at the Indian Malaysian community had failed, and people have already lost faith in the government.
“If the PM is trying to appease the Indian community that he is keeping to his promises by reviving the dead cabinet committee, he is unmistakably wrong on his assessment of the psyche of the Indian community.
“The Indian community has had enough of the BN’s broken promises and their wayang kulit (shadow play) along with their Indian political allies. They have totally lost hope in the MIC,” Ramesh said in a statement today.
According to the online news portal Free Malaysia Today, Najib yesterday chaired the dormant committee’s first meeting since 2010.
'PHM blueprint the only option'
Quoting unnamed sources in the Prime Minister’s Office, it says those who attended included MIC president and Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel, Health Minister and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam, MIC vice-president and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan, and MIC central working committee member and Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan.
Meanwhile, Ramesh also took the opportunity to reiterate that PHM’s blueprint of socio-economic reforms is Najib’s ‘only option’ for a comprehensive solution to the Indian community’s problems, saying that piecemeal solutions won’t work.
“There is no point flogging a dead horse. Just get cracking and implement the promises made in the general election wholeheartedly, with the help of sincere people out there who are really committed to helping the community.
“Hindraf urges the BN component parties to review their decision not to honour their election promises,” he said.
The
blueprint is central to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed
between the association and BN prior to the 13th general election, which
dealt mostly with establishing a committee to oversee the blueprint’s
implementation.It was under the terms of the same MOU that PHM chief P Waythamoorthy was appointed as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
He resigned from the post last month, after holding it for just eight months, claiming that the government has not honoured the terms of the MOU.
Show concern for public health, Palanivel told
Vell Paari has urged the Natural Resources and Environment Minister to be more proactive on the haze situation and be open to criticism.
PETALING JAYA: Former MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari has urged Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel to show some concern for public health and their well-being during the current haze problem.
He recalled an incident when the MIC president rushed off to visit his sick grandchild in Australia just after the party annual general assembly in December.
“When you can do that for your grandchild, why can’t you have the same concern for the people who put you where you are now?” asked Vell Paari.
On Tuesday, Vell Paari criticised Palanivel for keeping mum over the worsening haze situation in the Klang Valley.
“Palanivel does not have even the courtesy to call for a press conference to calm ruffled feathers of the rakyat. He should be the one explaining to the people about the haze.
“As the minister responsible for the environment, Palanivel has a duty to care for the citizens and explain the real situation. But I think he is not even bothered,” he was reported saying.
MIC information chief L Siva Subramaniam said the party could take disciplinary action against Vell Paari for criticising Palanivel.
“Do not underestimate Palanivel just because he is a patient man,” said Siva Subramaniam.
Vell Paari, who is the son of former MIC president S Samy Vellu, said it was obvious that the haze problem could not be solved anytime soon unless the Indonesian government was proactive on tackling the open burning problem.
Therefore, he said, it was important for the minister in charge of environment to be proactive and alert the public, especially those with respiratory problems, on the health hazards caused by the haze.
“At the very least, instruct your ministry to give out face masks to schoolchildren and ensure there is adequate water supply in schools,” he added.
On Siva Subramaniam’s threats that the party could take action against him, Vell Paari said that he was merely exercising his democratic right to give constructive criticism.
“There are people who even criticise the prime minister and his deputy on several issues. Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin also criticised a minister in the past.
“Besides, I am only critisising Palanivel in his capacity as a minister, not as the MIC president.
“If you cannot accept criticism, then don’t be in a position that will attract criticism,” he said, adding that even MIC treasurer S Murugesan had criticised the Health Ministry for the recent spike in healthcare costs.
Vell Paari said that it was the party president who had voiced support for freedom of expression in his speech at the party AGM in December.
“I know how to defend myself if the party takes action against me,” said Vell Paari.
PETALING JAYA: Former MIC central working committee member S Vell Paari has urged Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel to show some concern for public health and their well-being during the current haze problem.
He recalled an incident when the MIC president rushed off to visit his sick grandchild in Australia just after the party annual general assembly in December.
“When you can do that for your grandchild, why can’t you have the same concern for the people who put you where you are now?” asked Vell Paari.
On Tuesday, Vell Paari criticised Palanivel for keeping mum over the worsening haze situation in the Klang Valley.
“Palanivel does not have even the courtesy to call for a press conference to calm ruffled feathers of the rakyat. He should be the one explaining to the people about the haze.
“As the minister responsible for the environment, Palanivel has a duty to care for the citizens and explain the real situation. But I think he is not even bothered,” he was reported saying.
MIC information chief L Siva Subramaniam said the party could take disciplinary action against Vell Paari for criticising Palanivel.
“Do not underestimate Palanivel just because he is a patient man,” said Siva Subramaniam.
Vell Paari, who is the son of former MIC president S Samy Vellu, said it was obvious that the haze problem could not be solved anytime soon unless the Indonesian government was proactive on tackling the open burning problem.
Therefore, he said, it was important for the minister in charge of environment to be proactive and alert the public, especially those with respiratory problems, on the health hazards caused by the haze.
“At the very least, instruct your ministry to give out face masks to schoolchildren and ensure there is adequate water supply in schools,” he added.
On Siva Subramaniam’s threats that the party could take action against him, Vell Paari said that he was merely exercising his democratic right to give constructive criticism.
“There are people who even criticise the prime minister and his deputy on several issues. Kinabatangan MP Bung Mokhtar Radin also criticised a minister in the past.
“Besides, I am only critisising Palanivel in his capacity as a minister, not as the MIC president.
“If you cannot accept criticism, then don’t be in a position that will attract criticism,” he said, adding that even MIC treasurer S Murugesan had criticised the Health Ministry for the recent spike in healthcare costs.
Vell Paari said that it was the party president who had voiced support for freedom of expression in his speech at the party AGM in December.
“I know how to defend myself if the party takes action against me,” said Vell Paari.
Polis ‘diam’ kes serangan warga asing terhadap orang asal
Seorang pegawai polis didakwa orang asal telah dihantar oleh majikan warga asing tersebut untuk menawarkan duit bagi menutup kes.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sekumpulan orang asal dari Lojing, Kelantan, hari ini membuat aduan ke Biro Tatatertib Polis Bukit Aman susulan kegagalan pihak polis untuk mengambil tindakan ke atas serangan warga Myanmar ke atas orang asal bulan lalu.
Salah seorang mangsa, Itam Anjang, 49, yang menetap di Kampung Kuala Tahu Lojing berkata dia bersama empat lagi rakannya dalam perjalanan ke kampung bersebelahan untuk ke rumah abangnya bagi menghadiri satu mesyuarat komuniti orang asal sebelum diserang oleh sekumpulan warga Myanmar yang bekerja di kebun sayuran pada 25 Feb lalu.
“Masa itu lebih kurang jam 11 pagi dalam perjalanan tersebut ada sekumpulan warga Myanmar sudah menanti di kebun. Mereka menaiki sebuah traktor dan Hilux (kereta pacuan empat roda).
“Masa itu kami tak tahu niat mereka sebelum tiba-tiba kami diserang sehingga hancur sebiji motorsikal. Jadi kami terus melarikan diri namun saya dipukul di bahagian kepala sehingga pengsan,” katanya kepada wartawan di hadapan Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman hari ini.
Menurut Itam, kumpulan warga Myanmar berjumlah 200 orang itu turut bersenjatakan parang panjang dan tali.
“Saya sempat beritahu mereka yang hari ini saya matilah dipukul tanpa sebarang dosa,” katanya.
Menurut Itam lagi, mereka terperanjat apabila laporan polis mereka seperti tidak diendahkan oleh pegawai yang bertugas.orang asl1
“Kita buat laporan polis (keesokan harinya) dan mereka kata ini kes ‘sikit hal’.
“Kemudiannya, polis memberitahu saya yang warga Myanmar itu mendakwa saya lari sendiri dan jatuh ke batu, rakan saya pula mabuk dan jatuh manakala motor yang ditunggang abang saya kemalangan sendiri,” katanya lagi yang menerima tujuh jahitan di kepala.
Itam turut mendakwa seorang pegawai polis berpangkat sarjan mendekatinya selepas itu untuk cuba menutup kes.
“Dia datang dan beritahu saya majikan warga Myanmar tersebut menawarkan RM500 untuk menutup kes.
“Saya cakap kalau bagi saya RM100, 000 pun saya tak nak ambil. Saya warga Malaysia…pendatang asing datang sini cari makan tapi pukul kita,” katanya lagi.
Seorang lagi mangsa, Rahman Uda, 39, yang menerima 15 jahitan kerana kecederaan di bahagian kepala akibat dipukul dengan kayu berkata mereka tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka
“Masa tu saya tidak pandang ke belakang dan terus berlari. Mula-mulanya saya dibaling dengan batu di bahagian belakang badan sebelum saya dipukul dengan kayu di kepala,” kata Rahman yang sering pening dikepala akibat kejadian tersebut.
Rahman, yang terpaksa bermalam di hospital selama dua hari tu menambah sehingga hari ini dia masih tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka diserang.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut mengesyaki kejadian itu didalangi oleh sebuah syarikat pertanian di sana yang mengupah warga Myanmar, yang diketuai oleh seorang lelaki bernama Ali untuk memukul masyarakat orang asal.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut ditemani oleh wakil dari Majlis Peguam yang turut kesal orang asal ini cuba disogok dengan wang ringgit untuk menutup kes.
“Kami memberitahu mereka jika mereka tidak berpuas hati dengan polis di Kelantan mereka boleh membuat aduan di Bukit Aman.
“Kami berharap polis Bukit Aman dapat menyelesaikan perkara ini supaya keadilan untuk orang asal dapat ditegakkan,” kata wakilnya Siti Kassim.
Jelas Siti, ini bukan pertama kalinya perkara ini berlaku dan perkara ini sudahpun diajukan kepada kerajaan negeri Kelantan, namun tiada sebarang tindakan yang diambil.
Tambah Siti lagi, pihaknya tidak menolak kemungkinan kejadian ini berbabit dengan pengambilan tanah orang asal untuk diusahakan tanpa mendapat persetujuan orang asal.
KUALA LUMPUR: Sekumpulan orang asal dari Lojing, Kelantan, hari ini membuat aduan ke Biro Tatatertib Polis Bukit Aman susulan kegagalan pihak polis untuk mengambil tindakan ke atas serangan warga Myanmar ke atas orang asal bulan lalu.
Salah seorang mangsa, Itam Anjang, 49, yang menetap di Kampung Kuala Tahu Lojing berkata dia bersama empat lagi rakannya dalam perjalanan ke kampung bersebelahan untuk ke rumah abangnya bagi menghadiri satu mesyuarat komuniti orang asal sebelum diserang oleh sekumpulan warga Myanmar yang bekerja di kebun sayuran pada 25 Feb lalu.
“Masa itu lebih kurang jam 11 pagi dalam perjalanan tersebut ada sekumpulan warga Myanmar sudah menanti di kebun. Mereka menaiki sebuah traktor dan Hilux (kereta pacuan empat roda).
“Masa itu kami tak tahu niat mereka sebelum tiba-tiba kami diserang sehingga hancur sebiji motorsikal. Jadi kami terus melarikan diri namun saya dipukul di bahagian kepala sehingga pengsan,” katanya kepada wartawan di hadapan Ibu Pejabat Polis Bukit Aman hari ini.
Menurut Itam, kumpulan warga Myanmar berjumlah 200 orang itu turut bersenjatakan parang panjang dan tali.
“Saya sempat beritahu mereka yang hari ini saya matilah dipukul tanpa sebarang dosa,” katanya.
Menurut Itam lagi, mereka terperanjat apabila laporan polis mereka seperti tidak diendahkan oleh pegawai yang bertugas.orang asl1
“Kita buat laporan polis (keesokan harinya) dan mereka kata ini kes ‘sikit hal’.
“Kemudiannya, polis memberitahu saya yang warga Myanmar itu mendakwa saya lari sendiri dan jatuh ke batu, rakan saya pula mabuk dan jatuh manakala motor yang ditunggang abang saya kemalangan sendiri,” katanya lagi yang menerima tujuh jahitan di kepala.
Itam turut mendakwa seorang pegawai polis berpangkat sarjan mendekatinya selepas itu untuk cuba menutup kes. “Dia datang dan beritahu saya majikan warga Myanmar tersebut menawarkan RM500 untuk menutup kes.
“Saya cakap kalau bagi saya RM100, 000 pun saya tak nak ambil. Saya warga Malaysia…pendatang asing datang sini cari makan tapi pukul kita,” katanya lagi.
Seorang lagi mangsa, Rahman Uda, 39, yang menerima 15 jahitan kerana kecederaan di bahagian kepala akibat dipukul dengan kayu berkata mereka tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka
“Masa tu saya tidak pandang ke belakang dan terus berlari. Mula-mulanya saya dibaling dengan batu di bahagian belakang badan sebelum saya dipukul dengan kayu di kepala,” kata Rahman yang sering pening dikepala akibat kejadian tersebut.
Rahman, yang terpaksa bermalam di hospital selama dua hari tu menambah sehingga hari ini dia masih tidak mengetahui mengapa mereka diserang.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut mengesyaki kejadian itu didalangi oleh sebuah syarikat pertanian di sana yang mengupah warga Myanmar, yang diketuai oleh seorang lelaki bernama Ali untuk memukul masyarakat orang asal.
Kumpulan orang asal ini turut ditemani oleh wakil dari Majlis Peguam yang turut kesal orang asal ini cuba disogok dengan wang ringgit untuk menutup kes.
“Kami memberitahu mereka jika mereka tidak berpuas hati dengan polis di Kelantan mereka boleh membuat aduan di Bukit Aman.
“Kami berharap polis Bukit Aman dapat menyelesaikan perkara ini supaya keadilan untuk orang asal dapat ditegakkan,” kata wakilnya Siti Kassim.
Jelas Siti, ini bukan pertama kalinya perkara ini berlaku dan perkara ini sudahpun diajukan kepada kerajaan negeri Kelantan, namun tiada sebarang tindakan yang diambil.
Tambah Siti lagi, pihaknya tidak menolak kemungkinan kejadian ini berbabit dengan pengambilan tanah orang asal untuk diusahakan tanpa mendapat persetujuan orang asal.
‘Semen samples could have been switched’
Karpal Singh told the Court of Appeal that he took strong objections to Shafee's remarks on Anwar.
UPDATED
Anwar Karpal SinghKUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh, who leads Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team, took the Umno-linked prosecution lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to task for maligning Anwar this morning in the Sodomy 2 appeal.
Shafee had earlier today criticised Anwar in court for making his statement from the dock rather than the witness stand during the trial.
The Court of Appeal earlier today heard the prosecution team’s appeal on PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal from the High court last year on the charge of sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Presiding the case are Justices Balia Yusof Haji Wahi, Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh. Lawyer Karpal Singh is leading Anwar’s defence team. Anwar failed three times in his bid to disqualify Umno linked lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from leading the prosecution team.
On Jan 9, 2012, Anwar, now 66, was acquitted by the High Court of a charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium unit in Bukit Damansara in 2008.
Karpal told the court that : “An accused person… may remain silent. These are his subjective rights. Anwar chose what is his right to make a statement from the dock. The prosecution shouldn’t be allowed to make any remarks to posion the courts’ mind.
“Shafee owes more than an apology to Anwar for maligning him just now.”
Karpal also contended that the DNA sample was compromised because investigating officer Jude Pereira had failed to place the evidence in the freezer as ordered by chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong.
He said that Pereira had acknowledged during the Sodomy 2 trial that the samples may degrade because it had not been placed in the freezer.
“[Pereira's] answer certainly reflects that he knew the samples had to be preserved,” added Karpal.
Karpal stressed that on that ground alone, the appeal should be dismissed.
“The learned trial judge adequately dealt with the basic structure of case against Anwar Ibrahim.”
Karpal also cast doubts on the testimony of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, whom he described as “the star witness”.
He noted that while Saiful was “no country bumpkin”, having studied in college and later offered a degree in electrical engineering, yet the latter delayed lodging a police report against Anwar for two days.
Karpal pointed out that Saiful also first told Dr Mohamad Osman Abdul Hamid when seeking treatment at the Pusrawi Hospital that he had been assaulted and plastic object had been inserted into his anus.
But Saiful changed the account of the events when he lodged the police report, Karpal reminded the appellate court.
The third man
Meanwhile, Anwar’s counsel Ram Karpal submitted that the DNA samples the chemists had examined were either contaminated or illegally obtained.
“All parties agreed there was contamination of B5 (the swab of Saiful’s perianal), even PW5 (Prosecution Witness Dr Seah Lay Hong, chemist) agreed to this,” Karpal told the appellate court.
“There was another male contributor (found on the swab). So one of the samples at least was contaminated by a third person,” he said.
“This is not in dispute.”
Evidence B9 (the swab of Saiful’s lower rectum), meanwhile, was also found to have a third, male contributor.
“Meaning perhaps the complainant was penetrated by a third party. That (possibility) has not been excluded,” said Ram.
“From the evidence, it’s certainly contaminated.”
He further added that one of the chemists’ duty was to identify “Male 1″ based on a toothbrush and face towel seized from Anwar’s lockup.
“If the court views that the items obtained during lockup were illegaly obtained, then there would be no identification of Male 1. If that’s the case, the entire identification by the prosecution is flawed,” said Ram.
Ram also raised the possibility that the semen samples taken from Saiful’s rectum were not the same samples presented to the chemists for examination.
He said that the semen samples were only obtained from Saiful’s anus 36 hours after the alleged incident, and it spent another one day and a half in a cabinet before the chemist examined it.
He pointed out that even though Pereira had subjected the samples to possible degradation due to his failure to store it in a freezer, the chemist later said the samples were in pristine condition when they examined it.
“There is a possibility that this is not the same samples retrieved from PW1 (Saiful). You would expect degradation, but it was not present,” said Ram.
Hearing continues tomorrow
UPDATED
Anwar Karpal SinghKUALA LUMPUR: Karpal Singh, who leads Anwar Ibrahim’s defence team, took the Umno-linked prosecution lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to task for maligning Anwar this morning in the Sodomy 2 appeal.Shafee had earlier today criticised Anwar in court for making his statement from the dock rather than the witness stand during the trial.
The Court of Appeal earlier today heard the prosecution team’s appeal on PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim’s acquittal from the High court last year on the charge of sodomising his former aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Presiding the case are Justices Balia Yusof Haji Wahi, Aziah Ali and Mohd Zawawi Salleh. Lawyer Karpal Singh is leading Anwar’s defence team. Anwar failed three times in his bid to disqualify Umno linked lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from leading the prosecution team.
On Jan 9, 2012, Anwar, now 66, was acquitted by the High Court of a charge of sodomising his former aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan at a condominium unit in Bukit Damansara in 2008.
Karpal told the court that : “An accused person… may remain silent. These are his subjective rights. Anwar chose what is his right to make a statement from the dock. The prosecution shouldn’t be allowed to make any remarks to posion the courts’ mind.
“Shafee owes more than an apology to Anwar for maligning him just now.”
Karpal also contended that the DNA sample was compromised because investigating officer Jude Pereira had failed to place the evidence in the freezer as ordered by chemist Dr Seah Lay Hong.
He said that Pereira had acknowledged during the Sodomy 2 trial that the samples may degrade because it had not been placed in the freezer.
“[Pereira's] answer certainly reflects that he knew the samples had to be preserved,” added Karpal.
Karpal stressed that on that ground alone, the appeal should be dismissed.
“The learned trial judge adequately dealt with the basic structure of case against Anwar Ibrahim.”
Karpal also cast doubts on the testimony of Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, whom he described as “the star witness”.
He noted that while Saiful was “no country bumpkin”, having studied in college and later offered a degree in electrical engineering, yet the latter delayed lodging a police report against Anwar for two days.
Karpal pointed out that Saiful also first told Dr Mohamad Osman Abdul Hamid when seeking treatment at the Pusrawi Hospital that he had been assaulted and plastic object had been inserted into his anus.
But Saiful changed the account of the events when he lodged the police report, Karpal reminded the appellate court.
The third man
Meanwhile, Anwar’s counsel Ram Karpal submitted that the DNA samples the chemists had examined were either contaminated or illegally obtained.
“All parties agreed there was contamination of B5 (the swab of Saiful’s perianal), even PW5 (Prosecution Witness Dr Seah Lay Hong, chemist) agreed to this,” Karpal told the appellate court.
“There was another male contributor (found on the swab). So one of the samples at least was contaminated by a third person,” he said.
“This is not in dispute.”
Evidence B9 (the swab of Saiful’s lower rectum), meanwhile, was also found to have a third, male contributor.
“Meaning perhaps the complainant was penetrated by a third party. That (possibility) has not been excluded,” said Ram.
“From the evidence, it’s certainly contaminated.”
He further added that one of the chemists’ duty was to identify “Male 1″ based on a toothbrush and face towel seized from Anwar’s lockup.
“If the court views that the items obtained during lockup were illegaly obtained, then there would be no identification of Male 1. If that’s the case, the entire identification by the prosecution is flawed,” said Ram.
Ram also raised the possibility that the semen samples taken from Saiful’s rectum were not the same samples presented to the chemists for examination.
He said that the semen samples were only obtained from Saiful’s anus 36 hours after the alleged incident, and it spent another one day and a half in a cabinet before the chemist examined it.
He pointed out that even though Pereira had subjected the samples to possible degradation due to his failure to store it in a freezer, the chemist later said the samples were in pristine condition when they examined it.
“There is a possibility that this is not the same samples retrieved from PW1 (Saiful). You would expect degradation, but it was not present,” said Ram.
Hearing continues tomorrow
Will Pakatan save Barisan for the next 10 years?
If historical pattern of Umno’s revivals after 1990 and 1999 can be of any guide for the future, Umno is now deprived of its first favourable condition: policy or leadership change.Wong Chin Huat, Fz.com
MANY people will celebrate this coming Saturday as the 6th anniversary of the 2008 Political Celebration.
For Malaysians who want regime change, March 8 is the most commemorative date on the calendar because it gives them hope, or in the words of writer Kee Thuan Chye, it was “the day Malaysia woke up.”
March 8 six years ago was the day the Opposition parties, for the first time after 1969, denied the ruling coalition its customary two-thirds, and first time ever, rule a host of five states. It was the day many Malaysians discovered that their votes actually could make a difference.
But the very reason why March 8 is so widely commemorated by Pakatan Rakyat and Civil Society is also really because they cannot celebrate May 5, the day that is supposed to end Umno’s 59/51 years rule of Malaya/Malaysia.
In other words, every celebration of the greatness of March 8 is an unspoken mourning over the failure of May 5.
So, how many more years will the Malaysia democrats celebrate most grandly the March 8 near-miss because they cannot celebrate regime change?
How did Umno/BN rebound from near-misses?
The answer may lie with Pakatan Rakyat: PKR, PAS and DAP.
Lest we forget, 2008 was not the first time Umno and BN escaped their defeat. In fact, it was the third, after the 1990 and 1999 abortive attempts. Each time, Umno and BN bounced back stronger than before.
In both the 1990 and 1999 episodes, three things happened: change – of policy or leadership – in BN; break-up of the opposition coalition; and, seat increase and constituency redelineation.
1. Change in BN Policy/Leadership
Conventionally, the First-Past-The-Post electoral system forces political parties to win the middle ground voters. Hence, electoral set-backs will often lead to change of policy or leadership to restore a party’s popularity or voters’ confidence on it.
BN followed this rule in 1990 when the opposition won 47% of votes, and some 70% support amongst Chinese voters. But it managed to secure majority of Malay voters west of Banjaran Titiwangsa because Tengku Razaleigh wore a Kadazan traditional headgear with a crucifix-like pattern. That became the evidence he sold out the Malay-Muslims to Kadazan-Catholics.
To win back the Chinese voters, within four months from election, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad dished out Vision 2020 and introduced cultural and educational liberalisation, which paved way for significant increase in Chinese support of BN for the next three elections.
In 1999, BN secured the support of the Chinese who were largely afraid of another 1969-style post-election riot as well as an Islamic State should PAS come to power. But the Malays were polarised by Mahathir, whose sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was seen by many Malays as tyrannical and un-Malay.
To save Umno, Dr Mahathir retired on November 2003. In March 2004, his successor Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi called a fresh poll and won a 91% parliamentary majority.
2. Break-up of Opposition Coalition
Umno/BN’s revival requires the Opposition coalitions to break-up so that middle-ground voters can be convinced that Umno/BN is the only electable party to run the country.
Some misunderstood that the opposition parties were more disunited than the BN parties. The actual fact is that coalitions are much built by the benefits and prospects of staying in power.
That’s why Umno schisms in both episodes would lead to formation of opposition coalitions which were respectively led by Razaleigh’s S46 and Anwar’s Keadilan.
When the opposition coalitions lost the elections without even denying BN’s two-third majority, the incentives to hold the opposition parties together disappeared.
After 1990, PAS pushed Hudud Law in Kelantan, S46 became more Malay nationalistic, and DAP soon quitted the opposition pact. And PAS and S46 too fought in Kelantan before Razaleigh’s troop rejoined Umno.
After 1999, PAS pushed Hudud Law in Terengganu, while PKR with Anwar in jail couldn’t do much, not long after the 911 Incident, DAP again called it quit.
And of course, disarrayed oppositions made BN naturally appealing, especially after policy and leadership changes respectively.
3. Seat Increase and Constituency Redelineation
While the above two factors are well-known, few realise the BN’s rebound was amplified by seat increase and constituency redelineation in the Peninsula that happened before the next election.
The 1994 redelineation was packaged with an increase of 12 seats in Peninsula, leading to a net of six more seats allocated for Umno to contest.
While Mahathir’s BN was no doubt way more popular in 1995 than in 1990, DAP and PAS were shortchanged in the Peninsula by constituency redelineation.
In 1990, DAP won 20 seats (then 15.15% of the Peninsula’s total) with 18.04% of votes, yielding a vote value of 84%. To get the concept of vote value, think of vote analogously as a bank note, DAP could only get RM 0.84 worth of goods with a RM1 note.
By 1995, its vote share dropped by about one third to 12.13%, but its seat dropped sharply to only 8 (now 5.56%), yielding a vote value of 46%. In other words, the value of a DAP vote was almost halved.
Similarly, despite a slight increase of vote share from 7.79% to 8.45%, PAS found itself still winning only seven seats in a larger pool. The value of a vote for PAS dropped from 68% to 58%.
Abdullah’s 91% parliamentary landslide in 2004 was BN’s largest since Independence but his vote share, 63.85%, was only the second highest. Mahathir bagged the highest vote share of 65.16% in 1995 but only 84.38% of seats.
How did Abdullah do better than his predecessor? Again, his magic is in seat increase and constituency redelineation.
The Election Commission under Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman helped him with an increase of 26 seats in the Peninsula and Sabah (including Labuan) in 2003.
In 1995, Mahathir’s BN won 65.27% of votes in these two regions, which was translated into 82.42% of their total seats, yielding a vote value of 126%. By 2004, Abdullah’s BN won 90.05% of seats with 63.72% of votes, yielding a vote value of 1.41.
READ MORE HERE
Kajang by-election: Unholy haste to fix Anwar Ibrahim
The dates insisted upon by the Court of Appeal are on the eve of nomination day for the Kajang by-election.
P Ramakrishnan, Aliran executive committee member
It is conceded that Anwar Ibrahim will definitely win the Kajang by-election with a runaway majority.
Nothing can stop or impede that inevitability. That win will be a mortal blow to the Barisan Nasional whose fortunes will crumble thereafter.
Politically the BN can do nothing to arrest this trend. And it is desperate to stop Anwar from contesting the Kajang by-election.
Will the outcome of his court case stop Anwar from his foregone victory in Kajang? Thinking Malaysians seem to think that would be the case!
YB N Surendran’s press statement disclosing some disturbing details is rather ominous. We have to fear for Anwar.
It is said, “Justice is that virtue that assigns to every man his due.” Is Anwar being given his due? That is the crucial question.
According to Surendran, “The appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 February 2014. Anwar’s lawyers then received a call from the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal asking for free dates between 7 March and 10 March 2014. It should be noted that the dates insisted upon by the Court of Appeal are on the eve of the nomination day for the Kajang by-election. (If Anwar is convicted, he would be disqualified from contesting the by election.)”
It is very strange that the appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 Feburary and six days later the government’s appeal against Anwar’s acquittal was scheduled to proceed on 6 March 2014.
It is inexplicable that the court should insist on fixing 6-7 March as appeal dates despite Anwar’s lawyers stating that those were not free on those dates. Shouldn’t this fact be taken into account when fixing the dates? After all, shouldn’t Anwar’s lawyers be free to do justice to Anwar’s defence? Why should the court fix the dates that are not free and convenient to Anwar’s lawyers?
Why should the court be so insistent? According to Potter Stewart, “Swift justice demands more than just swiftness.”
If the business of the court is to deliver justice, shouldn’t the court be guided by mercy and compassion as well?
Anwar was acquitted on 9 January 2012, more than two years ago – almost two years after the trial started. If it had taken more than two years to come to this stage, would a delay of a few weeks or months have interfered with justice?
What were the compelling reasons for wanting the appeal to proceed specifically on 6-7 March? What was the rational for dismissing the fact that Anwar’s lawyers are not free on those dates fixed by the court?
“Justice and judgment lie often a world apart,” said Emmeline Pankhurst, British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. In Anwar’s case this seems to be so true.
It is this development that has disturbing implication. It has led many to wonder why the judiciary is so rigid in Anwar’s case. There is this public perception that the judiciary may be used by the BN to stop Anwar in his tracks.
Our courts should not be seen to be used for political vendetta; it must not even be perceived to be so.
If Anwar is disqualified from contesting the Kajang by-election on 11 March, then this perception will, unfortunately, become a fact. That would be a tragedy not only for all of us but also for the nation.
Let’s remember and be reminded by what was said by William Ewart Gladstone: “National injustice is the surest road to national downfall.”
P Ramakrishnan, Aliran executive committee member
Nothing can stop or impede that inevitability. That win will be a mortal blow to the Barisan Nasional whose fortunes will crumble thereafter.
Politically the BN can do nothing to arrest this trend. And it is desperate to stop Anwar from contesting the Kajang by-election.
Will the outcome of his court case stop Anwar from his foregone victory in Kajang? Thinking Malaysians seem to think that would be the case!
YB N Surendran’s press statement disclosing some disturbing details is rather ominous. We have to fear for Anwar.
It is said, “Justice is that virtue that assigns to every man his due.” Is Anwar being given his due? That is the crucial question.
According to Surendran, “The appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 February 2014. Anwar’s lawyers then received a call from the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal asking for free dates between 7 March and 10 March 2014. It should be noted that the dates insisted upon by the Court of Appeal are on the eve of the nomination day for the Kajang by-election. (If Anwar is convicted, he would be disqualified from contesting the by election.)”
It is very strange that the appeal had been fixed for case management on 28 Feburary and six days later the government’s appeal against Anwar’s acquittal was scheduled to proceed on 6 March 2014.
It is inexplicable that the court should insist on fixing 6-7 March as appeal dates despite Anwar’s lawyers stating that those were not free on those dates. Shouldn’t this fact be taken into account when fixing the dates? After all, shouldn’t Anwar’s lawyers be free to do justice to Anwar’s defence? Why should the court fix the dates that are not free and convenient to Anwar’s lawyers?
Why should the court be so insistent? According to Potter Stewart, “Swift justice demands more than just swiftness.”
If the business of the court is to deliver justice, shouldn’t the court be guided by mercy and compassion as well?
Anwar was acquitted on 9 January 2012, more than two years ago – almost two years after the trial started. If it had taken more than two years to come to this stage, would a delay of a few weeks or months have interfered with justice?
What were the compelling reasons for wanting the appeal to proceed specifically on 6-7 March? What was the rational for dismissing the fact that Anwar’s lawyers are not free on those dates fixed by the court?
“Justice and judgment lie often a world apart,” said Emmeline Pankhurst, British political activist and leader of the British suffragette movement who helped women win the right to vote. In Anwar’s case this seems to be so true.
It is this development that has disturbing implication. It has led many to wonder why the judiciary is so rigid in Anwar’s case. There is this public perception that the judiciary may be used by the BN to stop Anwar in his tracks.
Our courts should not be seen to be used for political vendetta; it must not even be perceived to be so.
If Anwar is disqualified from contesting the Kajang by-election on 11 March, then this perception will, unfortunately, become a fact. That would be a tragedy not only for all of us but also for the nation.
Let’s remember and be reminded by what was said by William Ewart Gladstone: “National injustice is the surest road to national downfall.”
Applauding Khairy’s suggestion to revise BTN
The Malay Mail Online
March 6, 2014
MARCH 6 ― In The Malay Mail dated 5 March, Umno minister Khairy Jamaluddin has suggested a revision of the country’s National Civics Bureau (BTN) training courses, saying undergraduates should be treated like adults and not taught to be blind supporters of the government.
I, myself have never been to any of BTN courses. However, a few years back, a friend of mine who was working for a government agency and was dating a lovely Chinese lady received a directive from his superior to attend a BTN course.
Upon returning from the course held somewhere in the state of Pahang, we went for our weekly coffee session and he shared with me his experience about the course he attended. He mentioned,
“The course made me racist. I feel that the other races are not thankful enough for being in Malaysia. We should show them that we are the boss and they better respect it.”
I was shocked.
This came from a person who I knew since I was ten, had zero racist streak in him and I must highlight that he professed his love to his (then) Chinese girlfriend every day (and night, almost).
My other friend who was with us was not surprised because he heard the same thing from his other friends who attended one or more of those courses. Apparently, BTN is known for brainwashing the participants by masquerading as an agency tasked to instil patriotism and train Malaysia future leaders.
The closest one I had to BTN was when I was in secondary school, a substitute teacher for Sejarah put the map of Malaysia on my classroom’s whiteboard, and told the whole class that the Malays sacrificed Tanah Melayu for Malaysia. He said that our nation was supposed to be land of the Malays, but we tolerated and accepted ‘them’ and changed the name of our beloved land from Tanah Melayu to Malaya and later, Malaysia.
(Yes, this was years before ISMA came out with a ‘scientific study’ claiming the existence of Malay genetic could be traced back to 30,000-40,00 years earlier compared to the Chinese and the Indians.)
Honestly, at that time, I bought it. There was a sense of pride came rushing over me and for a good week or two, I looked at my non-Malay friends differently, in a not so good way. Thinking that I was above them. Fortunately, I got over it when I had to go to them for help with my Mathematics exercise (or was it to chat about the latest high school drama that was happening that week?)
Back to BTN. Are these allegations true? If they were, the time, energy, funds (paid by the taxpayers) and efforts that are being used to inflict hate and further causing racial and religion polarisation should be properly channelled to encourage patriotism, inspire unity, and promote toleration and togetherness among Malaysians.
The suggestion by our Youth and Sports Minister to revise BTN training courses and encourage critical thinking skills should be welcomed. I too agree with the Rembau MP when he said that youths should not blindly support the government but should be able to decide for themselves if the government deserves such backing.
I was also under the impression that KJ admitted BTN has a must-have-syllabus on giving thanks and being grateful to the government.
BTN should be a delightful course to educate the participants about our beloved country, to remind them of our colourful history, to make patriotism cool and to show how proud we are to be Malaysians.
Instead of shoving one-sided information to our students, similar revision or reform should be applied to our current education system as well, say by removing the political element in our already too far politicised education system? Well, that is another story.
* Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is a political secretary to MP of Gelang Patah, YB Lim Kit Siang.
March 6, 2014
MARCH 6 ― In The Malay Mail dated 5 March, Umno minister Khairy Jamaluddin has suggested a revision of the country’s National Civics Bureau (BTN) training courses, saying undergraduates should be treated like adults and not taught to be blind supporters of the government.
I, myself have never been to any of BTN courses. However, a few years back, a friend of mine who was working for a government agency and was dating a lovely Chinese lady received a directive from his superior to attend a BTN course.
Upon returning from the course held somewhere in the state of Pahang, we went for our weekly coffee session and he shared with me his experience about the course he attended. He mentioned,
“The course made me racist. I feel that the other races are not thankful enough for being in Malaysia. We should show them that we are the boss and they better respect it.”
I was shocked.
This came from a person who I knew since I was ten, had zero racist streak in him and I must highlight that he professed his love to his (then) Chinese girlfriend every day (and night, almost).
My other friend who was with us was not surprised because he heard the same thing from his other friends who attended one or more of those courses. Apparently, BTN is known for brainwashing the participants by masquerading as an agency tasked to instil patriotism and train Malaysia future leaders.
The closest one I had to BTN was when I was in secondary school, a substitute teacher for Sejarah put the map of Malaysia on my classroom’s whiteboard, and told the whole class that the Malays sacrificed Tanah Melayu for Malaysia. He said that our nation was supposed to be land of the Malays, but we tolerated and accepted ‘them’ and changed the name of our beloved land from Tanah Melayu to Malaya and later, Malaysia.
(Yes, this was years before ISMA came out with a ‘scientific study’ claiming the existence of Malay genetic could be traced back to 30,000-40,00 years earlier compared to the Chinese and the Indians.)
Honestly, at that time, I bought it. There was a sense of pride came rushing over me and for a good week or two, I looked at my non-Malay friends differently, in a not so good way. Thinking that I was above them. Fortunately, I got over it when I had to go to them for help with my Mathematics exercise (or was it to chat about the latest high school drama that was happening that week?)
Back to BTN. Are these allegations true? If they were, the time, energy, funds (paid by the taxpayers) and efforts that are being used to inflict hate and further causing racial and religion polarisation should be properly channelled to encourage patriotism, inspire unity, and promote toleration and togetherness among Malaysians.
The suggestion by our Youth and Sports Minister to revise BTN training courses and encourage critical thinking skills should be welcomed. I too agree with the Rembau MP when he said that youths should not blindly support the government but should be able to decide for themselves if the government deserves such backing.
I was also under the impression that KJ admitted BTN has a must-have-syllabus on giving thanks and being grateful to the government.
BTN should be a delightful course to educate the participants about our beloved country, to remind them of our colourful history, to make patriotism cool and to show how proud we are to be Malaysians.
Instead of shoving one-sided information to our students, similar revision or reform should be applied to our current education system as well, say by removing the political element in our already too far politicised education system? Well, that is another story.
* Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud is a political secretary to MP of Gelang Patah, YB Lim Kit Siang.
Najib Hopes Malaysia Can Develop Stronger Link With British Industries
KUALA
LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
Thursday night expressed the hope that Malaysia could develop a stronger
link with British industries, especially in Islamic Finance, and open
up wider opportunities for shariah-compliant investments."Last year, together, we successfully brought the World Islamic Economic Forum to London; and in the spirit of friendly competition and shared prosperity, we were pleased to see the United Kingdom making a play for the Islamic finance market," he said when speaking at the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce's 50th Anniversary Gala dinner, in Kuala Lumpur.
Najib said the visit by British Prime Minister David Cameron two years ago signalled the beginning of a stronger economic relationship, one founded on closer political cooperation.
"To sustain this momentum, Prime Minister Cameron and I pledged to increase investments and double the value of bilateral trade to 8 billion pound sterlings or about RM26 billion by 2016.
"This commitment was needed because our long history of engagement is not reflected in our bilateral trade figures," said Najib, who is also Finance Minister.
Besides Islamic Finance, the tourism sector also continued to feature high on engagement with the United Kingdom, the prime minister said.
"Last year's Malaysia Night saw Trafalgar Square bursting with Malaysian colour. More than 35,000 visitors attended the event and, knowing British tastes, I suspect a similar number of roti canai were sold," he said.
As Visit Malaysia Year 2014 gets underway, Najib is confident that the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce will continue to play their part in encouraging Britons to come to Malaysia, whether for business or pleasure.
"And in the end, it is good people-to-people contact that defines and enrich our economic relationship," he said.
At the event, Najib also signed a Bilateral Trade Support Initiative between Malaysia and the United Kingdom with the objective to encourage more British small and medium entrepreneurs to export to Malaysia.
The key focus area under the initiative is the Overseas Business Network Initiative, which has been designed to provide assistance and support services to British SMEs looking to expand overseas.
Najib said: "I am pleased to note that the chamber is playing an important role in helping to deliver that commitment, becoming the local partner for the Overseas Business Network Initiative.
"We have come a long way and the British-Malaysian Chamber of Commerce has been an invaluable travelling companion, bringing our nations closer together by finding common opportunities," he added.
Thursday, 6 March 2014
Jealous husband 'killed Westernised Muslim wife after her birthday sex with another man'
Court is told Jahangir Nazar was a possessive, controlling and violent partner who stabbed his wife to death in a "ferocious attack"
By News agencies
A jealous husband killed his "promiscuous" wife after she returned from having "birthday sex" with another man, a court has heard.
Farkhanda Younis, 30, known to friends as 'Jabeen' was stabbed 19 times in the neck in a "ferocious" attack at her home in Oldham, in the early hours of April 19, 2013.
Her body was found after her young son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, rang 999 because he could not rouse her and her bedroom door was locked.
Jahangir Nazar, 35, who married Ms Younis in an Islamic ceremony in 2012, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder in a Manchester Crown Court trial, claiming his responsibility was diminished by mental illness.
The prosecution say the takeaway delivery driver's behaviour after the killing, when he allegedly withdrew money, disposed of blood-soaked clothing and filled up his car, shows a "mental agility" inconsistent with his account.
John Jones QC, opening the case for the prosecution, described Nazar as a possessive, controlling and violent partner who set up a mobile phone as a 'listening device' to check up on Ms Younis when he was out.
He was also said to have been facing deportation and to have believed that marrying Ms Younis in a civil ceremony would secure his stay in Britain.
The court heard that hours before her death, she met up with another man, who was also married, for sex to '"celebrate his birthday". In that time, Nazar tried to call her 25 times, but none of the calls were answered.
It is alleged that when she returned home Nazar was "lying in wait for her".
Mr Jones said: "It's clear that Jabeen and the defendant had entirely different attitudes to life - it's clear from others who witnessed the couple that the defendant was very possessive and very controlling of Jabeen.
"She was far more Westernised, outgoing and one has to say, promiscuous in the conduct of her life, if what other witnesses say about her is correct.
"That is not said in a critical way, Jabeen was entitled to behave in a way she chose, this is not a court of morals or a judgement on her lifestyle.
"But, the fact remains that Jabeen lived in every sense an entirely Westernised lifestyle. She went to nightclubs, she had many boyfriends, she drank alcohol and she wore Westernised designer clothing. It's clear she was a very attractive and flirtatious woman.
"Nazar resented it and sought to control it, and on the night in question, it led to uncontrollable rage.
"The end result was a significant attack by a man fearful of deportation, jealous of other men, and resentful of the promiscuity of his girlfriend."
Farkhanda Younis was stabbed 19 times in the neck in a "ferocious" attack at her home in Oldham
A jealous husband killed his "promiscuous" wife after she returned from having "birthday sex" with another man, a court has heard.
Farkhanda Younis, 30, known to friends as 'Jabeen' was stabbed 19 times in the neck in a "ferocious" attack at her home in Oldham, in the early hours of April 19, 2013.
Her body was found after her young son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, rang 999 because he could not rouse her and her bedroom door was locked.
Jahangir Nazar, 35, who married Ms Younis in an Islamic ceremony in 2012, has admitted manslaughter but denies murder in a Manchester Crown Court trial, claiming his responsibility was diminished by mental illness.
The prosecution say the takeaway delivery driver's behaviour after the killing, when he allegedly withdrew money, disposed of blood-soaked clothing and filled up his car, shows a "mental agility" inconsistent with his account.
John Jones QC, opening the case for the prosecution, described Nazar as a possessive, controlling and violent partner who set up a mobile phone as a 'listening device' to check up on Ms Younis when he was out.
He was also said to have been facing deportation and to have believed that marrying Ms Younis in a civil ceremony would secure his stay in Britain.
The court heard that hours before her death, she met up with another man, who was also married, for sex to '"celebrate his birthday". In that time, Nazar tried to call her 25 times, but none of the calls were answered.
It is alleged that when she returned home Nazar was "lying in wait for her".
Mr Jones said: "It's clear that Jabeen and the defendant had entirely different attitudes to life - it's clear from others who witnessed the couple that the defendant was very possessive and very controlling of Jabeen.
"She was far more Westernised, outgoing and one has to say, promiscuous in the conduct of her life, if what other witnesses say about her is correct.
"That is not said in a critical way, Jabeen was entitled to behave in a way she chose, this is not a court of morals or a judgement on her lifestyle.
"But, the fact remains that Jabeen lived in every sense an entirely Westernised lifestyle. She went to nightclubs, she had many boyfriends, she drank alcohol and she wore Westernised designer clothing. It's clear she was a very attractive and flirtatious woman.
"Nazar resented it and sought to control it, and on the night in question, it led to uncontrollable rage.
"The end result was a significant attack by a man fearful of deportation, jealous of other men, and resentful of the promiscuity of his girlfriend."
Najib revives Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs
After a three year hiatus, the Prime Minister will chair the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs today.
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has revived the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs and the committee made up of MIC top guns will meet at the Prime Minister’s office today for its first meeting in three years.
The meeting will be attended by MIC president and Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel, Health Minister and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam, Youth and Sports deputy minister M Saravanan, who is also MIC vice-president and P Kamalanathan, the deputy Education minister and MIC central working committee member.
The chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa will also be in attendance.
The cabinet committee on Indian Affairs became dormant after Palanivel took over the MIC presidency from former president S Samy Vellu in 2010.
Questions are now being asked why the Prime Minister revived this committee at this time? Is Najib unhappy with the way the MIC president has been running things in the party in serving the community? Or is it due to the resignation of P Waythamoorthy as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Sources say the answer to both the questions was a resounding ‘yes’.
“It is a bit of both. Palanivel has forgotten what he needs to do to win back the community. Nothing is moving in the MIC. The party has come to a stand still in addressing problems of the Indian community,” said a source in the Prime Minister’s office.
Hindraf’s Waythamoorthy was made deputy minister after he signed a memorandum of understanding with the government before the last general election
He was entrusted to look into Indian affairs but resigned abruptly last month saying that Najib did not have the will to walk the talk as far as Indians are concerned.
“The revival of the committee also shows that the Prime Minister intends to deal with Indian issues on his own. He is not letting MIC tackle these issues on their own because the party is not doing anything. Nothing has happened after the general election. This meeting would kickstart programmes for the community,” he said.
Among issues to be discussed at the meeting today would be the plight of Tamil schools, seats available for Indian students in public and private higher learning institutions, issuance of MyKad and birth certificates for Malaysian Indians and creation of more job opportunities for Indian in the government.
The cabinet committee will also deliberate on skills training and economic empowerment of Indian youth, construction and refurbishing of temples and community halls.
The government had in 2010 awarded RM100 million to upgrade Tamil schools in the country. The announcement was made in the 2011 Budget tabling by Najib in Parliament.
“This proposal was put up by Samy Vellu and SK Devamany (former deputy minister and ex-MIC vice-president). Najib decided to approve this and made the announcement. But since then MIC has been dragging it feet and this is alarming the Prime Minister.
“This is why he has taken it upon himself to look into this matter. He wants aid and assistance to reach the community fast. He is speeding things up but can the party keep up with this speed is another matter,” said the source.
PETALING JAYA: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has revived the Cabinet Committee on Indian Affairs and the committee made up of MIC top guns will meet at the Prime Minister’s office today for its first meeting in three years.The meeting will be attended by MIC president and Natural Resources and Environment Minister G Palanivel, Health Minister and MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam, Youth and Sports deputy minister M Saravanan, who is also MIC vice-president and P Kamalanathan, the deputy Education minister and MIC central working committee member.
The chief secretary to the government Ali Hamsa will also be in attendance.
The cabinet committee on Indian Affairs became dormant after Palanivel took over the MIC presidency from former president S Samy Vellu in 2010.
Questions are now being asked why the Prime Minister revived this committee at this time? Is Najib unhappy with the way the MIC president has been running things in the party in serving the community? Or is it due to the resignation of P Waythamoorthy as deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
Sources say the answer to both the questions was a resounding ‘yes’.
“It is a bit of both. Palanivel has forgotten what he needs to do to win back the community. Nothing is moving in the MIC. The party has come to a stand still in addressing problems of the Indian community,” said a source in the Prime Minister’s office.
Hindraf’s Waythamoorthy was made deputy minister after he signed a memorandum of understanding with the government before the last general election
He was entrusted to look into Indian affairs but resigned abruptly last month saying that Najib did not have the will to walk the talk as far as Indians are concerned.
“The revival of the committee also shows that the Prime Minister intends to deal with Indian issues on his own. He is not letting MIC tackle these issues on their own because the party is not doing anything. Nothing has happened after the general election. This meeting would kickstart programmes for the community,” he said.
Among issues to be discussed at the meeting today would be the plight of Tamil schools, seats available for Indian students in public and private higher learning institutions, issuance of MyKad and birth certificates for Malaysian Indians and creation of more job opportunities for Indian in the government.
The cabinet committee will also deliberate on skills training and economic empowerment of Indian youth, construction and refurbishing of temples and community halls.
The government had in 2010 awarded RM100 million to upgrade Tamil schools in the country. The announcement was made in the 2011 Budget tabling by Najib in Parliament.
“This proposal was put up by Samy Vellu and SK Devamany (former deputy minister and ex-MIC vice-president). Najib decided to approve this and made the announcement. But since then MIC has been dragging it feet and this is alarming the Prime Minister.
“This is why he has taken it upon himself to look into this matter. He wants aid and assistance to reach the community fast. He is speeding things up but can the party keep up with this speed is another matter,” said the source.
201 kelahiran bayi direkod di Sekolah Harapan
Sehingga kini seramai 216 remaja hamil dari seluruh negara ditempatkan di sekolah berkenaan.
MELAKA: Pusat perlindungan remaja hamil, Sekolah Harapan di Jasin mencatatkan sebanyak 201 kelahiran bayi sejak penubuhannya pada September 2010.
Exco Wanita, Pembangunan Keluarga dan Hal Ehwal Kebajikan Melaka Datuk Latipah Omar berkata sehingga kini seramai 216 remaja hamil dari seluruh negara ditempatkan di sekolah berkenaan dengan mencatatkan 14 penghuni pada 2010; 2011 (84); 2012 (51); 2013 (61) dan enam penghuni bagi dua bulan pertama tahun ini.
“Perbelanjaan keseluruhan sekolah adalah ditanggung oleh Majlis Agama Islam Melaka dengan pengisian keagamaan dijalankan pada sesi pagi manakala sesi petang diisi dengan pelajaran akademik,” katanya ketika menjawab soalan Md Rawi Mahmud (BN-Tanjung Bidara) mengenai perkembangan pusat perlindungan itu pada persidangan pertama penggal kedua Dewan Undangan Negeri Melaka ke-13 di sini, ini.
Katanya dalam tempoh itu juga sebanyak 28 penghuni mengambil peperiksaan awam dengan 21 orang menjalani peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan Penilaian Menengah Rendah (7).
Dalam sidang akhbar selepas itu, Latipah berkata bayi berkenaan kebanyakannya dijaga oleh ibu kandung mereka selain ada yang diserah kepada keluarga angkat.
Katanya pihak Sekolah Harapan turut melakukan pemantauan berkala terhadap remaja terbabit yang kembali kepada keluarga masing-masing setelah habis tempoh berpantang.
“Sehingga kini, kita tidak menerima sebarang aduan mengenai kes pengabaian bayi dan juga tiada laporan mengenai berulangnya kes hamil di luar nikah,” katanya.
Bernama
MELAKA: Pusat perlindungan remaja hamil, Sekolah Harapan di Jasin mencatatkan sebanyak 201 kelahiran bayi sejak penubuhannya pada September 2010.Exco Wanita, Pembangunan Keluarga dan Hal Ehwal Kebajikan Melaka Datuk Latipah Omar berkata sehingga kini seramai 216 remaja hamil dari seluruh negara ditempatkan di sekolah berkenaan dengan mencatatkan 14 penghuni pada 2010; 2011 (84); 2012 (51); 2013 (61) dan enam penghuni bagi dua bulan pertama tahun ini.
“Perbelanjaan keseluruhan sekolah adalah ditanggung oleh Majlis Agama Islam Melaka dengan pengisian keagamaan dijalankan pada sesi pagi manakala sesi petang diisi dengan pelajaran akademik,” katanya ketika menjawab soalan Md Rawi Mahmud (BN-Tanjung Bidara) mengenai perkembangan pusat perlindungan itu pada persidangan pertama penggal kedua Dewan Undangan Negeri Melaka ke-13 di sini, ini.
Katanya dalam tempoh itu juga sebanyak 28 penghuni mengambil peperiksaan awam dengan 21 orang menjalani peperiksaan Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) dan Penilaian Menengah Rendah (7).
Dalam sidang akhbar selepas itu, Latipah berkata bayi berkenaan kebanyakannya dijaga oleh ibu kandung mereka selain ada yang diserah kepada keluarga angkat.
Katanya pihak Sekolah Harapan turut melakukan pemantauan berkala terhadap remaja terbabit yang kembali kepada keluarga masing-masing setelah habis tempoh berpantang.
“Sehingga kini, kita tidak menerima sebarang aduan mengenai kes pengabaian bayi dan juga tiada laporan mengenai berulangnya kes hamil di luar nikah,” katanya.
Bernama
Federal Court reserves decision on ‘Allah’
The Federal Court has reserved its decision, whether to grant leave to the Catholic weekly publication, the Herald, to use the word 'Allah' to refer to God.
UPDATED
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court today reserved its decision to a date to be fixed later on whether or not to grant leave to the Catholic Church to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision which prohibited its weekly publication, the Herald from using the word Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia version.
The Federal Court made the ruling after seven senior judges heard arguments for and against the Court of Appeal judgment which had barred the Catholic weekly publication from using the term ‘Allah’ to refer to God.
The panel judges were lead by Chief Justice Ariffin Zakaria.
The other six judges were Court of Appeal president Raus Sharif, Chief Judge of Malaya Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Suriyadi Halim Omar, Zainun Ali and Jeffrey Tan.
The panel had earlier heard submissions from lawyers representing the church, six state Islamic religious councils and the Malaysian Chinese Muslims Association (Macma) as well as submissions from a senior federal counsel representing the Home Ministry.
The six states are Terengganu, Kedah, Johor, Malacca, the Federal Territories, and Selangor.
Earlier a group of supporters from different agencies and non-government organisations (NGOs) who are Muslims performed solat hajat in front of the Palace of Justice square.
The members, clad in red or black, arrived by the bus loads earlier this morning to protest against the Church’s bid to overturn the Appellate Court’s decision.
They began shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is great) while waiting for the verdict and ran in droves towards the building’s exit, where they were blocked by the police, who formed a human barricade.
“Let us show them that we Malays are not weak! We have been patient and tolerant for far too long,” the protesters shouted.
They tried to negotiate with the policemen on duty to allow them into the court room which turned out to be fruitless. They eventually gave in and dispersed.
A few of these protesters however said the scene would have turned ugly if the policemen were not Malays.protest fed court1
Others vented their frustration by hurling items at the Federal Court building, although they were stoped by fellow protesters who reminded them not to harm government property.
Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali who was with the protesters said if the Federal Court verdict was not in favour of the Muslims, then it would jeopardise the nation as Malays were the majority.
“Even minus the non-Muslim Bumiputeras, Malays are still the majority. We inherited this land when it was still called ‘Tanah Melayu’ (Malaya)… All the rulers, the royals are Malay Muslims,” Ibrahim told reporters.
“We respect any decision made by the court, but still I am worried what could happen to the country,” he said.
Ibrahim added that should the Federal Court allow the appeal to proceed, the Malay NGOs would come here each day to support the “Malay cause.”
In October last year, the Court of Appeal banned the Herald from using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly newspaper.
A three-man bench chaired by Mohamed Apandi Ali delivered the decision then, ruling that the government’s appeal was allowed.
The church filed an appeal against this ruling and the Federal Court heard arguments on the leave application today.
On Dec 31, 2009, the High Court allowed the church’s judicial review application and lifted the Home Minister’s ban on the use of the word in the Herald.
Judge Lau Bee Lan had said then that the church had a constitutional right to use the word Allah in its newspaper on the grounds that religions other than Islam can be practiced in peace and harmony.
UPDATED
PUTRAJAYA: The Federal Court today reserved its decision to a date to be fixed later on whether or not to grant leave to the Catholic Church to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision which prohibited its weekly publication, the Herald from using the word Allah in its Bahasa Malaysia version.The Federal Court made the ruling after seven senior judges heard arguments for and against the Court of Appeal judgment which had barred the Catholic weekly publication from using the term ‘Allah’ to refer to God.
The panel judges were lead by Chief Justice Ariffin Zakaria.
The other six judges were Court of Appeal president Raus Sharif, Chief Judge of Malaya Zulkefli Ahmad Makinudin, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Suriyadi Halim Omar, Zainun Ali and Jeffrey Tan.
The panel had earlier heard submissions from lawyers representing the church, six state Islamic religious councils and the Malaysian Chinese Muslims Association (Macma) as well as submissions from a senior federal counsel representing the Home Ministry.
The six states are Terengganu, Kedah, Johor, Malacca, the Federal Territories, and Selangor.
Earlier a group of supporters from different agencies and non-government organisations (NGOs) who are Muslims performed solat hajat in front of the Palace of Justice square.
The members, clad in red or black, arrived by the bus loads earlier this morning to protest against the Church’s bid to overturn the Appellate Court’s decision.
They began shouting “Allahu akbar” (God is great) while waiting for the verdict and ran in droves towards the building’s exit, where they were blocked by the police, who formed a human barricade.
“Let us show them that we Malays are not weak! We have been patient and tolerant for far too long,” the protesters shouted.
They tried to negotiate with the policemen on duty to allow them into the court room which turned out to be fruitless. They eventually gave in and dispersed.
A few of these protesters however said the scene would have turned ugly if the policemen were not Malays.protest fed court1
Others vented their frustration by hurling items at the Federal Court building, although they were stoped by fellow protesters who reminded them not to harm government property.
Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali who was with the protesters said if the Federal Court verdict was not in favour of the Muslims, then it would jeopardise the nation as Malays were the majority.
“Even minus the non-Muslim Bumiputeras, Malays are still the majority. We inherited this land when it was still called ‘Tanah Melayu’ (Malaya)… All the rulers, the royals are Malay Muslims,” Ibrahim told reporters.
“We respect any decision made by the court, but still I am worried what could happen to the country,” he said.
Ibrahim added that should the Federal Court allow the appeal to proceed, the Malay NGOs would come here each day to support the “Malay cause.”
In October last year, the Court of Appeal banned the Herald from using the word ‘Allah’ to refer to God in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly newspaper.
A three-man bench chaired by Mohamed Apandi Ali delivered the decision then, ruling that the government’s appeal was allowed.
The church filed an appeal against this ruling and the Federal Court heard arguments on the leave application today.
On Dec 31, 2009, the High Court allowed the church’s judicial review application and lifted the Home Minister’s ban on the use of the word in the Herald.
Judge Lau Bee Lan had said then that the church had a constitutional right to use the word Allah in its newspaper on the grounds that religions other than Islam can be practiced in peace and harmony.
Subra: Medical fee cap to protect public
Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam says competition among private healthcare providers will reduce costs.
UPDATED
PUTRAJAYA: The fee hike for private healthcare costs is done in order to protect public interest, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam said today.
He said the fee amendments under the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Privates Hospitals and Other Private Health Facilities) Regulations 2006 would make private healthcare providers compete among themselves to provide better services.
“Under the revised fee, action can be taken against doctors who charge more than what is proposed in the schedule,” he said, adding the ministry was instructed to review the prices in 2010.
Subramaniam added that the 14% rate hike for private medical and dental practitioners was done after studying the consumer price index (CPI) for healthcare between 2002 and 2010.
“In my experience, the public will avoid any clinics which charge high fees. Thus, I believe the private hospital would not impose the maximum charges,” he said.
The revision included a spike in consultation charges from between RM10 and RM35 to RM30 and RM125 for general practitioners, and from between RM30 and RM125 to RM80 and RM235 for specialist doctors.
Fees for medical procedures have soared between 14% and 18%.
Dr Subramaniam said the Health Ministry reviewed the 13th schedule on Sept 22, 2010.
Fees for consultation and medical procedures have not been revised since 2002 and is considered low compared to other nations.
“Consultations and meetings were held. We established two committees and a working group. We then forwarded the proposal to the cabinet which approved the amendment to the 13th schedule on Oct 12, 2012,” he added.
The amended schedule fee structure, was presented to the Attorney-General’s chambers on April 29, 2013 and gazetted on Dec 16 after the cabinet’s approval.
The minister also assured Malaysians that the fee structure would not be amended again, at least for another three to four years.
“It was just gazetted last year. The people need not to worry about the increase of the fees after this,” he added.
UPDATED
PUTRAJAYA: The fee hike for private healthcare costs is done in order to protect public interest, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam said today.He said the fee amendments under the 13th Schedule of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services (Privates Hospitals and Other Private Health Facilities) Regulations 2006 would make private healthcare providers compete among themselves to provide better services.
“Under the revised fee, action can be taken against doctors who charge more than what is proposed in the schedule,” he said, adding the ministry was instructed to review the prices in 2010.
Subramaniam added that the 14% rate hike for private medical and dental practitioners was done after studying the consumer price index (CPI) for healthcare between 2002 and 2010.
“In my experience, the public will avoid any clinics which charge high fees. Thus, I believe the private hospital would not impose the maximum charges,” he said.
The revision included a spike in consultation charges from between RM10 and RM35 to RM30 and RM125 for general practitioners, and from between RM30 and RM125 to RM80 and RM235 for specialist doctors.
Fees for medical procedures have soared between 14% and 18%.
Dr Subramaniam said the Health Ministry reviewed the 13th schedule on Sept 22, 2010.
Fees for consultation and medical procedures have not been revised since 2002 and is considered low compared to other nations.
“Consultations and meetings were held. We established two committees and a working group. We then forwarded the proposal to the cabinet which approved the amendment to the 13th schedule on Oct 12, 2012,” he added.
The amended schedule fee structure, was presented to the Attorney-General’s chambers on April 29, 2013 and gazetted on Dec 16 after the cabinet’s approval.
The minister also assured Malaysians that the fee structure would not be amended again, at least for another three to four years.
“It was just gazetted last year. The people need not to worry about the increase of the fees after this,” he added.
Hot air balloons by both RPK and Dr Lim on the MoU between HINDRAF and BN
Hot air balloons by both RPK and Dr Lim on the MoU between HINDRAF and BN.Before even divulging into to the contents of the MoU between BN and HINDRAF, one needs to look into the intention or what was intended.
To understand the intention, one needs to look why and how the intention came about.
Why and how the intention is purely based on the 4 issues stipulated in the MOU which is:
1. Uplifting displaced Estate Workers;
2. Addressing Statelessness among the Indian Poor;
3. Increasing educational opportunism from Pre-school to University for the poor Indians;
4. Increasing Employment and Business Opportunities for the poor Indians.
What is an MoU and how effective of the MOU actually becomes obsolete when the intention is not met. Whether it is workable or not is not the issue but was there an intention.
The intention is entered in good faith on a gentleman agreement based on the spirit and morality of it, not one to figure out what is the time line, what it could have been and what should have been for a community that is long neglected but rather a genuine intention to hold to one’s end of the bargain to bring them in par with the rest of them.
Both these laureates meaning RPK and Dr Lim Teck Ghee don’t delve on the issues but rather indulge with their swing song on why, how and what is should have been rather than having the courage to address the issue as listed above.
Really!!! Are these the soothsaying martyrs for the community?
Does it really matter whether there is an MoU or not between BN and HINDRAF if there is no real intention by the governance of the day.
Does it really matter whether HINDRAF can take BN to court over the breach of intention of the government of the day?
Does it really matter what anyone can say about it without actually being in a position to do anything to resolve the impending issue for the poor Indians.
Does it really matter, if we individually in our heart are still driven for who is going to be in power and who is not in anticipation within our own cocoon without actually understanding the predicament of the Indian poor and their ability to sustain their pride and dignity to live a normal life in Malaysia without fear and favor?
Does the intention meet’s the objective for the poor Indians or another political drive as and when it fits us?
Intention does not need a legal standing or an abridged method but works on a pure sense of morality and principle on the issues that seems to keep haunting us when we fail our social responsibilities in our self- indulged manner.
Social human responsibilities to our own mankind are not derived on who says or what fits an agenda but rather whether you have the courage on a subjective basis to address it when the truth faces you like the state of the poor Malaysian Indians.
So in essence it really does not matter who says what, but rather what is the role, what and how an intention plays a part in any individual who seek to ensure that the plight of the wilfully neglected Indian poor in Malaysia can continue to have a voice in a non-partisan manner.
Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith. The faith can only be sustained when the role we play collectively has the liberty not to fool ourselves subjectively in the truth that affects our fellow poor Malaysian Indians in an unjust manner.
Thank you.
R.Shan
(Human Being)
‘Let voters decide on Kajang move’
(The Sun Daily) - Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan (pix), still unhappy over how the Kajang by election was “forced’ upon constituents, wants voters to decide whether the reasons for the “Kajang move” are valid.The former Bersih 2.0 chairman said she had made her position on the matter very clear from the start.
“I’m not so naïve to see that these things do not ever happen. What I said was they must give a good reason (on why the by-election is necessary) and I think they’ve given some reasons,’ she told theSun.
Ambiga said she knows all too well why the Kajang by-election is being held but added that voters should accept the reality of the situation.
“I urge the Kajang voters to use the by-election as an opportunity to voice their grievances by casting their ballots on polling day set for March 23,” the former Bar Council chairman told theSun.
The by-election follows the sudden resignation of former assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh on Jan 27.
It is expected to be a six-cornered fight with four independents and MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun going up against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto PKR leader.
Ambiga, who is now the legal adviser for the Centre to Combat Corruption and Cronyism (C4), also called on the government to be more serious in combating corruption and for perpetrators to “face the full force of the law”.
“They should make it clear that there is zero tolerance for corruption, which means if anyone is caught, they would be charged and face the full force of the law.
“But, above and beyond that, leaders must show leadership. They need to show that they won’t indulge in any of these practices and abuses of power that we’ve been complaining about in the past. Therefore, strong leadership is important,” she said.
She added that educating the public and conducting anti-corruption programmes at the state or national level would benefit the nation.
Court of Appeal Registrar Must Reveal Reasons for Unusual Haste in Fixing Fitnah II Appeal dates
Subject: Press Statement: Court of Appeal Registrar Must Reveal Reasons for Unusual Haste in Fixing Fitnah II Appeal date
I refer to the appeal of the Fitnah II case by the BN government against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on 6 &7 March 2014.
We are disturbed by the unusual haste in which the March 6 &7 dates have been fixed.
The appeal had been fixed for case management on 28.2.2014. Anwar’s lawyers then received a call from the deputy registrar of the Court of Appeal (CoA) asking for free dates between March 7 and March 10, 2014. It should be noted that the dates insisted upon by the CoA are on the eve of the nomination day for the Kajang by-election. ( If Anwar is convicted, he would be disqualified from contesting the by election.)
On 28 February 2014, the court insisted on fixing March 6 &7 as the appeal dates. The dates were fixed despite Anwar’s lawyers stating that those are not their free dates. Why was the CoA in such a hurry to fix these dates?
More surprisingly, the CoA had on 12 Feb had allowed a stay of the Fitnah II appeal pending disposal of Anwar’s appeal to Federal Court on the application for Judy Pereira to be recalled.
Having granted the stay, why did the CoA rush to fix the appeal dates even before the Judy Pereira appeal was heard?
In fact, Anwar had up to 6 March to file his petition of appeal for the Judy Pereira appeal to the Federal Court. However in a highly unusual move, Shafee Abdullah filed an application to strike out the Judy Pereira appeal. More surprisingly the Federal Court allowed on 4th March the striking out of the Judy Pereira appeal, which decision was clearly wrong in law and in fact.
It should be remembered that the Fitnah II appeal is a matter of great public interest. The court must be candid and transparent in managing the Fitnah II appeal.
The Malaysian public has a right to fullest disclosure pertaining to this appeal.
We hereby call upon the Chief Registrar of the CoA to disclose the reasons for the hurried fixing of the Fitnah II appeal dates.
Issued by
N Surendran
Vice President Keadilan
&
Member of Parliament, Padang Serai
IGP Khalid and AG Gani must explain why they have abdicated from their responsibility to uphold the rule of law and preserve the peace in Malaysia in allowing Perkasa to break laws and commit breaches of peace outside Federal Court
By Lim Kit Siang,
It has been reported that the 500-odd people mobilised by Perkasa outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya this morning hearing the appeal on the use of the term ‘Allah’ turned unruly and threw objects at the front-door of the Palace of Justice, with many trying to breach the police barrier and enter the court building.
This is the report from The Malaysian Insider by Jennifer Gomez entitled “Perkasa supporters upset by church lawyers, try to get into courthouse”:
Ahmad Fadli KC of Malaysiakini filed the following report “Angry crowd tries to barge into court”:
Would there be police arrests of the Catholic organisers and supporters of the gathering, including being charged for offences under the Penal Code for offences against the public tranquillity such as Section 141 for trying to “overawe by criminal force or show of criminal force” the judiciary from the lawful exercise of its public duties?
Or what would have happened if there had been two groups, one mobilised by Perkasa and the other mobilised by some Catholic organisers, outside the Federal Court, and both had turned ugly and unruly this morning?
The police and Attorney-General’s Chambers should explain why the double-standards in not upholding the law to prosecute Perkasa leaders and supporters for offences against public tranquility in seeking to overawe the judiciary outside the Federal Court this morning?
Very irresponsible and even reckless statements were made at the Perkasa gathering outside the Federal Court this morning, which continued the pattern of incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred in recent months in utter disregard of the law and the national objective to promote inter-racial and inter-religious peace, harmony and goodwill in Malaysia.
Are the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers going to continue their stance of the traditional three monkeys, of having eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not?
At a time when the country is facing the unprecedented threat to inter-racial and inter-religious peace and harmony caused by incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred calculated to cause racial chaos and religious conflagration, the government agencies and institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law and keeping the peace and harmony in the country cannot continue to abdicate from their responsibilities.
Malaysians have a right to expect the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to speak up and explain they have continued to be remiss in their oaths of office to uphold the rule of law and to preserve the peace and harmony of the diverse races and religions in the country.
It has been reported that the 500-odd people mobilised by Perkasa outside the Federal Court in Putrajaya this morning hearing the appeal on the use of the term ‘Allah’ turned unruly and threw objects at the front-door of the Palace of Justice, with many trying to breach the police barrier and enter the court building.
This is the report from The Malaysian Insider by Jennifer Gomez entitled “Perkasa supporters upset by church lawyers, try to get into courthouse”:
“The crowd outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya turned unruly just before the Federal Court stood down with many trying to breach the police barrier and enter the court building.
“Shouting and screaming, some members in the crowd threw a microphone and water bottle at the glass door entrance to the building.
“The crowd was 4m from the main door as police stood guard.
“Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali said that the crowd advanced towards the main glass door of the Palace of Justice as they had got word that Catholic Church lawyers questioned why the use of the word ‘Allah’ by Christians was being made an issue now when it had been in use in the weekly Herald for 14 years prior to 2009.
“’The supporters heard that this was the submission made by the Catholic Church lawyer, so they got upset.’ He added that no one had instructed them to advance.”
Ahmad Fadli KC of Malaysiakini filed the following report “Angry crowd tries to barge into court”:
“A fracas erupted outside the Palace of Justice in Putrajaya today, where members from various Malay rights NGOs had gathered for the appeal hearing on the use of the term ‘Allah’.Imagine what would have happened if it was not Perkasa, but some Catholic organisation which had mobilised the 500-odd supporters outside the Federal Court this morning which had “turned unruly”, “shouting and screaming, some members in the crowd threw a microphone and water bottle at the glass door entrance to the building”; “tried to push through policemen guarding the entrance to enter the court lobby” allegedly in protest for being offended by submissions made by the Muslim lawyers demanding that ‘Allah’ be the exclusive term only to Muslims in Malaysia?
“About 11:15am, members of the crowd, who demanded that ‘Allah’ be exclusive only to Muslims in Malaysia, tried to push through policemen guarding the entrance to enter the court lobby.
“The crowd chanted ‘La ila ha Illalah (There is no God except Allah)’ and marched in solidarity to pressure the policemen.”
Would there be police arrests of the Catholic organisers and supporters of the gathering, including being charged for offences under the Penal Code for offences against the public tranquillity such as Section 141 for trying to “overawe by criminal force or show of criminal force” the judiciary from the lawful exercise of its public duties?
Or what would have happened if there had been two groups, one mobilised by Perkasa and the other mobilised by some Catholic organisers, outside the Federal Court, and both had turned ugly and unruly this morning?
The police and Attorney-General’s Chambers should explain why the double-standards in not upholding the law to prosecute Perkasa leaders and supporters for offences against public tranquility in seeking to overawe the judiciary outside the Federal Court this morning?
Very irresponsible and even reckless statements were made at the Perkasa gathering outside the Federal Court this morning, which continued the pattern of incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred in recent months in utter disregard of the law and the national objective to promote inter-racial and inter-religious peace, harmony and goodwill in Malaysia.
Are the police and the Attorney-General’s Chambers going to continue their stance of the traditional three monkeys, of having eyes that see not, ears that hear not and mouths that speak not?
At a time when the country is facing the unprecedented threat to inter-racial and inter-religious peace and harmony caused by incessant incitement of racial and religious animosities and hatred calculated to cause racial chaos and religious conflagration, the government agencies and institutions responsible for upholding the rule of law and keeping the peace and harmony in the country cannot continue to abdicate from their responsibilities.
Malaysians have a right to expect the Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar and the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to speak up and explain they have continued to be remiss in their oaths of office to uphold the rule of law and to preserve the peace and harmony of the diverse races and religions in the country.
Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah Bridge Will Help Spur Economic Growth - Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, March 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Wednesday he believed that the launching of the Second Penang Bridge - named Jambatan Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah - will act as a catalyst for more economic activities not only in Penang, but also in the northern region.
The Prime Minister said the launch of Second Penang Bridge was another testament of the Federal government's unwavering will to deliver on its promises.
"Above all else, we are committed to improving the livelihood of the people. It is my sincerest hope that people in the northern region will capitalise on the development opportunities generated by the Second Penang Bridge project.
"The bridge was built with you in mind. The bridge is there to serve you; make the most out of it," Najib said in his latest posting in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my.
He said apart from its most obvious role of providing connectivity and accessibility to the Penang International Airport, he foresaw that the bridge would eventually become a national icon much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Najib said facilitating the movement of goods and people galvanised a nation's commerce and that was why he held dearly to the idea that an efficient transportation system was one of the most important components of economic growth.
"The government has set continuous plans to improve public transportation and infrastructures - LRT, MRT, improvements in railway connectivity, highways around Peninsular and East Malaysia, etc, to ensure social mobility for all Malaysians," he said.
Built at a cost of RM4.5 billion, Northerners could now look forward to shifting their economic focus from agriculture to industry, said Najib.
"I have been made to understand - and fully expect - that 65,000 job opportunities will be created by the development projects surrounding the Second Bridge.
"The government's central thrust has always been to deliver on our promise: that all Malaysians shall stand to benefit from any federal development project," he said.
"In many ways the Second Bridge is an important milestone for Malaysia. The idea was first mooted in 1995 by (Malaysia's fourth prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"This was followed through by (Malaysia's fifth prime Minister) Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who decided that it should be located in the southern part of the island so as to stimulate economic growth in the northern states well as in the Northern Economic Corridor," he added.
He said the Second Bridge - connecting Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland - will serve as the alternate crossing to Penang.
"It is estimated that number of vehicles using the first Penang Bridge (built in 1985) will increase by 68% (i.e. 67,000 vehicles) by 2020.
"Thus, the second crossing will greatly ease congestion of incoming and outgoing traffic to the island. I am convinced that this will, in turn, tremendously boost the income potential and quality of life of the people in the surrounding areas," Najib said.
The Second Bridge, he said, was in itself a modern day engineering marvel.
He said it was the also the longest bridge in the world that incorporated the High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB) as its seismic isolation system with the ability to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.5, besides being the longest bridge in South East Asia, spanning 24 kilometres (16.9 kilometres over water).
"Another innovative feature is the emphasis on environmental friendliness in the design and construction of the toll plaza serving the bridge.
"It carries a Gold rating of 80% on the Green Building Index (GBI). This measure is aimed at promoting energy efficiency, internal environmental quality and sustainability in operating the Toll Plaza," he added.
The Prime Minister said the launch of Second Penang Bridge was another testament of the Federal government's unwavering will to deliver on its promises.
"Above all else, we are committed to improving the livelihood of the people. It is my sincerest hope that people in the northern region will capitalise on the development opportunities generated by the Second Penang Bridge project.
"The bridge was built with you in mind. The bridge is there to serve you; make the most out of it," Najib said in his latest posting in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my.
He said apart from its most obvious role of providing connectivity and accessibility to the Penang International Airport, he foresaw that the bridge would eventually become a national icon much like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.
Najib said facilitating the movement of goods and people galvanised a nation's commerce and that was why he held dearly to the idea that an efficient transportation system was one of the most important components of economic growth.
"The government has set continuous plans to improve public transportation and infrastructures - LRT, MRT, improvements in railway connectivity, highways around Peninsular and East Malaysia, etc, to ensure social mobility for all Malaysians," he said.
Built at a cost of RM4.5 billion, Northerners could now look forward to shifting their economic focus from agriculture to industry, said Najib.
"I have been made to understand - and fully expect - that 65,000 job opportunities will be created by the development projects surrounding the Second Bridge.
"The government's central thrust has always been to deliver on our promise: that all Malaysians shall stand to benefit from any federal development project," he said.
"In many ways the Second Bridge is an important milestone for Malaysia. The idea was first mooted in 1995 by (Malaysia's fourth prime minister) Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
"This was followed through by (Malaysia's fifth prime Minister) Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who decided that it should be located in the southern part of the island so as to stimulate economic growth in the northern states well as in the Northern Economic Corridor," he added.
He said the Second Bridge - connecting Batu Maung on the island and Batu Kawan on the mainland - will serve as the alternate crossing to Penang.
"It is estimated that number of vehicles using the first Penang Bridge (built in 1985) will increase by 68% (i.e. 67,000 vehicles) by 2020.
"Thus, the second crossing will greatly ease congestion of incoming and outgoing traffic to the island. I am convinced that this will, in turn, tremendously boost the income potential and quality of life of the people in the surrounding areas," Najib said.
The Second Bridge, he said, was in itself a modern day engineering marvel.
He said it was the also the longest bridge in the world that incorporated the High Damping Rubber Bearing (HDRB) as its seismic isolation system with the ability to withstand earthquakes of up to magnitude 7.5, besides being the longest bridge in South East Asia, spanning 24 kilometres (16.9 kilometres over water).
"Another innovative feature is the emphasis on environmental friendliness in the design and construction of the toll plaza serving the bridge.
"It carries a Gold rating of 80% on the Green Building Index (GBI). This measure is aimed at promoting energy efficiency, internal environmental quality and sustainability in operating the Toll Plaza," he added.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)