AirAsia named world’s best low-cost carrier for 6th year in a row

AirAsia has been named the "World's Best Low-Cost Airline" and "Asia's Best Low-Cost Airline" for the sixth consecutive year by the Skytrax World Airlines Award.

The airline received the awards at the Farnborough International Airshow in Farnborough, London, today.

AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said it was a great honour to be acknowledged as the world's best low-cost airline for the sixth consecutive year.

"It all started with a dream 12 years ago. From two aging aircraft and six routes back in 2002, we have grown to operate a proud fleet of over 160 aircraft, flying to 95 destinations and having carried over 250 million guests," he said in a press release.

Fernandes said AirAsia was proud to announce a comeback in the low-cost carrier market in Japan this year with new partners and investors.

"We shall re-emerge with a greater strategy and business plan in our quest to revolutionise Japan's low-cost carrier segment," he added.

He said the airline was also ecstatic with the grand launch of AirAsia India, the latest affiliate committed to innovatively tap into India's under-served aviation market and becoming the obvious choice for low-cost travel in the country via the lowest fares and unparalleled service and product options.

The Skytrax World Airline Awards is the global benchmark of airline excellence and one of the most prestigious accolade for the airline industry.

The annual global survey is conducted over a 10-month period covering over 245 airlines from the largest international airlines to smaller domestic carriers.

A total of 18.9 million customers participated in a survey measuring standards across 41 key performance indicators of an airline's front line product and services. – Bernama

Hafarizam: It's not about Wan Azizah or menses

 

Umno legal advisor Mohd Hafarizam Harun explained that his comments published in New Straits Times earlier today did not refer specifically to PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail nor to menses.

He said that he was speaking about women in general, and the term ‘uzur syarie’ he used, can mean other women-related issues as well, such as confinement after birth.

“My main statement in NST is that although there is no express provision deterring a woman to be menteri besar in Selangor, conventionally, a woman has never been a menteri besar in history of Malaysia.

“Possibly this is because of religious reasons apart from whether Selangor is ready to have a woman menteri besar. One hadith (narration of Prophet Mohammad) has said that a country would not prosper if led by women.

"I never said it’s because Wan Azizah has menses!” he told Malaysiakini in a text message.

Earlier today, NST had quoted Hafarizam (right) saying that while there are is no law barring women from the top post, there would be many ‘obstacles’ for her because uzur syarie would prevent her from accompanying the sultan at religious functions.

“Hence, the article under the Selangor constitution for example may not hinder a woman from becoming a menteri besar, but by convention, there could be problems due to the said circumstances,” Hafarizam was quoted as saying as a constitutional expert.

The report also quoted Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) law lecturer Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz agreeing with Hafarizam that a female menteri besar will have difficulty at times escorting the sultan on formal occasions.

Their comments have led to angry reactions on social media as well as from leaders from both sides of the political divide.

“It wouldn’t say NST misquoted me because if you read the (quotation), I said it is not a deterrent, but by convention there has never been a woman menteri besar,” Hafarizam said when asked.

Umno youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar however, said women can hold any government position except for Wan Azizah.

Perkasa: Kalau tidak boleh tembak lebih baik bawa kayu

Logik akal, sekiranya bawa senjata tetapi tidak boleh digunakan bila berjumpa musuh maka ia adalah sia-sia

PETALING JAYA: Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) menyokong seratus peratus hasrat Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia (TLDM) untuk memohon kebenaran pasukan keselamatan melepaskan tembakan terhadap individu atau kumpulan yang menceroboh masuk kawasan perairan Sabah.

Menurut Presiden Perkasa, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, hal ini patut dilakukan bagi menjamin keselamatan negara, rakyat dan anggota keselamatan.

“Logik akal, kalau pihak keselamatan bawa senjata, tetapi tidak boleh digunakan bila berjumpa musuh, kita sudah kalah.

“Maka lebih baik bawa ‘kayu’ saja. Tidak perlu habis duit rakyat beli senjata kalau tidak boleh digunakan,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan.

Jelasnya lagi, tindakan itu seolah-olah membiarkan pasukan keselamatan dibunuh dahulu oleh penceroboh.

Bahkan, Ibrahim turut menyatakan apa-apa jua peraturan, apatah lagi bagi menjaga kedaulatan negara haruslah mementingkan dahulu keselamatan ‘pasukan keselamatan’.

“Atas prinsip maruah, keselamatan dan kedaulatan negara, Perkasa menggesa pihak kerajaan dan Perdana Menteri membenarkan hasrat TLDM untuk menembak penceroboh yang datang menceroboh ke negara kita,” ujarnya.

Sebelum ini, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak menjelaskan bahawa pihak keselamatan perlu mengemukakan prosedur operasi standard (SOP) “shoot on sight” atau ‘tembak apabila nampak’ yang lebih jelas terhadap kumpulan bersenjata yang menceroboh perairan negara untuk mendapat kelulusan kerajaan sebelum melaksanakannya.

“SOP perlu jelas supaya tidak berlaku perkara yang tidak diingini,” katanya.

Manakala, Menteri Dalam Negeri Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi dilaporkan berkata, pasukan keselamatan harus diberi kuasa untuk menembak mana-mana pihak yang didapati menceroboh perairan negara.

‘Set up Police Complaints Commission now’

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said the commission was vital to address the ever rising cases of death in police custody.

GEORGE TOWN: A DAP parliamentarian today called on the Putrajaya administration to stop giving excuses and set up immediately the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) as recommended by the Royal Commission of Inquiry headed by Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah.

Ipoh Barat MP M. Kulasegaran said the commission was vital to address the ever rising cases of death in police custody.

He said Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s federal government’s lack of seriousness and commitment to address custodial deaths had been disappointing and irresponsible.

“How many more custodial deaths must occur before the federal government sets up the IPCMC?” asked Kulasegaran, the DAP national vice-chairman, in a press statement here today.

He welcomed the Penang state government’s move to set up a three-man committee to monitor and address custodial deaths.

He noted that the Pakatan Rakyat government set up the committee after it received no response to its letters enquiring about custodial deaths that were sent a month ago to the Attorney-General, the police and Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam.

Kulasegaran said Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had said in Parliament last July that the proposed IPCMC was rejected because it went against the Federal Constitution, while denying natural justice.

However, Kulasegaran said Dzaiddin had countered that the proposed IPCMC was consistent with the Federal Constitution.

Dzaiddin pointed out that Article 140 thereof provides that Parliament may by law provide for the exercise of the Police Force Commission’s disciplinary control over members of the police force in such manner and such authority as may be provided in that law.

“Therefore, there can be no doubt about its consistency with the Federal Constitution,” Dzaiddin said in response to Zahid’s statement.

Last year, Kulasegaran recalled that then High Court judge VT Singham had in the Kugan verdict said the IPCMC should be set up soon because the public and family members of custodial death victims had little confidence in police investigations.

The DAP leader also questioned if the minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of integrity and corruption Paul Low, had forgotten his promise last June to do something to stop the incidents.

He said Paul Low had said then that the government, being concerned with the alarming statistics of custodial deaths, was determined to stop all future tragedies behind bars.

“Do not think they are blind to what is out there. It is just that the process of government needs to find a solution to stop this,” Paul Low had said then.

Kulasegaran is now curious what happened to Paul Low’s promise, in the wake of increasing custodial deaths, including six in six months in Penang.

“Can Paul Low explain why the government is so afraid and reluctant to support the IPCMC when other countries like UK and Australia have similar external oversight bodies?” asked Kulasegaran, a lawyer by profession.

Where are the real Muslim heroes?

By Zaid Ibrahim,

The Economist posted a leader article recently entitled “The Tragedy of the Arabs” in the midst of the latest round of intense Israeli bombings and the killing and maiming of hundreds of Palestinian women and children. The blame for the tragedy was, as always, placed on the Arabs, particularly extremists and militant Muslims. Given that, they had the gall to suggest that it’s the Arabs themselves who are responsible for finding the solution to this violence. Israel’s criminal actions and America’s complicity were not mentioned, and neither were the brutality and mistakes of Western powers in the Middle East in the last 100 years.

Meanwhile, Malaysia and the rest of the world are watching in silence, making only the most facile condemnations just as they have done in the past. The UN Security Council took a week just to come out with the usual line that “Israel has a right to defend itself”, as if the Palestinians were not human. The rest of us can only watch in horror as mothers lose their children, as communities disappear, as homes and hospitals are destroyed; as entire families are killed by Israeli bombs. Our leaders have obviously not seen the disturbing pictures being broadcast on Al Jazeera, perhaps because they’ve been too distracted by the World Cup. They’ve been busy gathering at Dataran Merdeka for the football party and celebrating whose predictions turned out to be correct.

I find the conduct of our leaders (both political and religious) to be farcical, cowardly and pathetic. Muslims are being slaughtered in broad daylight and America isn’t even bothering to stop the lunatic Netanyahu from bombing Gaza to bits, and still they say and do nothing. What happened to all their concern about protecting Muslims from the evils of the world?

Maybe in a few days they will get their youth leaders to assemble after Friday prayers and then march to the American Embassy to show their disapproval by shouting “Death to the Jews” like they always do. In the speeches that will follow their leaders will call on Muslims to unite. But after that everything will be forgotten and they will be back in the office, waiting for another invite to Washington DC or London.

They are not defenders of Islam or heroes of the ummah. It looks to me like their attempts to be heroes are limited to doing the umrah (with TV coverage of course) as many times as possible, threatening Christians against using the word “Allah” and calling the scholar Kassim Ahmad a deviant and an apostate. Their whole idea of being an Islamic warrior is based on playing God over the lives of others. They don’t dare talk about how America has destroyed Muslim lands and Muslim dignity.

You may wonder what we, as a small country, can do in this situation. Yes we are small, and certainly our resources are limited, but we must not sacrifice our independence and our dignity as a nation. Even a small country must defend justice and not be cowardly in the face US hypocrisy on Palestine. Even a small country must speak out against the injustices perpetrated by a so-called superpower. We just need to be courageous.

There are several ways to do this. First we must be prepared to condemn the US for its callous disregard for the lives of Muslims and Arabs. We must be unequivocal about the fact that friendship has its limits and that we Malaysians are not the puppets of America. If we have to scrap the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement or TPPA to make our point, then we must do so. If we have to summon the American Ambassador or ask him to go home, then we must do so. If we have to suffer economically for a while for our recalcitrance, then we must do so. If we have to lobby Indonesia and other Third World countries for their support, then we must do so.

What we must not be is a helpless coward and allow others to trample on our heads. The Muslim world is looking for leadership, but many Muslim leaders are afraid to offend Washington and to find answers to the tragedy articulated by the Economist.

There are risks of course when you assert your independence and reclaim your dignity. Salvador Allende gave his life to give democracy to Chile, as have many others who have dared to take on America. I am not suggesting that our Prime Minister be another Allende or Hugo Chavez: just be firm and unafraid to communicate with Obama and Cameron. Call them daily if necessary. Ask Rosmah to call the Arab sheikhs who are friendly with her so they can help the Palestinians.

Help Iran if necessary so Iran can do more for the Palestinians and Hamas. Help the refugees with government allocations and don’t depend just on Mercy Malaysia. If we as a nation can show courage, then perhaps we can attract the attention of other moderate countries like Indonesia. By our outspokenness and our commitment to creating a safer world order, Washington might do more to stop its brother Israel from committing mass murder. We must help save the Palestinians from extinction. It’s not enough to be the jaguh kampung like ISMA, but to be real Muslim heroes.

UMNO has failed to promote women in politics — Dyana Sofya

July 15 — Apparently, some people feel that Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail may not be a suitable candidate for the Selangor menteri besar post because she suffers from “uzur syarie” (menses).

This statement from UMNO legal adviser Dato’ Hafarizam is another testament to show how UMNO has failed to promote women in politics. This is unsurprising when even the UMNO Wanita Chief belittled my candidacy during the Teluk Intan By-election.

It is precisely this sort of negative attitude by those in power that has constantly robbed women of opportunities to lead in this nation. Only a person with a caveman mentality can deny women the opportunity and right to hold a leadership position in government simply because she may not be able to perform certain ceremonial acts during “that time of the month,” even though she is perfectly capable of performing her governing and administrative obligations.

Obviously Dato’ Hafarizam has never heard of three-term Chancellor of Germany, Angela Merkel, who is one of the most powerful leaders in Europe. Perhaps if he had watched the World Cup Final yesterday, he may have noticed Merkel in the audience, sitting next to the President of Argentina, Christina Fernandez de Kirshner. In case it is not obvious enough for Dato’ Hafarizam, they are both successful women leaders.

In the Muslim world, we had Benazir Bhutto who was the first Muslim woman to head a democratic government as Prime Minister of Pakistan in 1988. Her achievement was followed by Begum Khaleda Zia, Prime Minister of Bangladesh from 1991-1996 and again from 2001-2006.

If the people of Pakistan and Bangladesh had leaders with the same mental capacity of Dato’ Hafarizam, these remarkable women would never have been allowed to rise to their eminent positions.

Sadly in Malaysia, and in the year 2014, we still have leaders who think having menses is a handicap that disqualifies women from being a head of government.

The reality is that the state constitution of Selangor simply specifies that the Menteri Besar must be a Malay Muslim. Nothing is mentioned about the gender of the said Menteri Besar. As a lawyer, Dato’ Hafarizam should respect the letter of the law and not try to blame societal sensitivities and taboos.

I wish to ask whether Dato’ Hafarizam whether it is truly sensitive or taboo to have a woman as leader of a society, or is this simply the case in UMNO?

All over the world, females are given more and more leadership opportunities, and it is our job to educate our own people and prove that we too have remarkable women in our country. Hence, those in power should maximise the potential of women in this country and not belittle others and revealing their shallow sexism in the process.

Power to my sisters.

* Dyana Sofya is political secretary to YB Lim Kit Siang, DAP Parliamentary Leader.

In Malaysia, Islam’s legal advance divides families and nation

Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, July 13 ― Deepa Subramaniam would not let go of her son, clinging to five―year―old Mithran’s leg even as the car into which he had been bundled began to accelerate.

The 30―year―old, a Hindu in Muslim―majority Malaysia, says she was dragged along the stone―strewn road outside her house until she dropped to the ground, scratched and sobbing, as her ex―husband drove off.

The alleged abduction on April 9, detailed by Subramaniam in a police report and witnessed by a neighbour, was a painful loss for the mother―of―two, who has not seen Mithran since and fears her ex―spouse’s conversion to Islam will win him custody.

The case has become a focal point of tensions over the widening role of Islam, which critics say is threatening Malaysia’s secular core and exacerbating fraught relations between ethnic Malays, who are Muslims, and minority Chinese and Indians.

Subramaniam’s estranged spouse converted from Hinduism to Islam in 2012, after their nine―year marriage broke down, taking the name Izwan Abdullah.

He then converted Mithran and their now eight―year―old daughter to Islam, giving him a strong case under Islamic law, or Shariah, to take over their custody ― which a Shariah court granted him five months later.

“In five minutes, the children read some verses and were converted,” said Subramaniam. “In 10 years, he never gave us money, he enjoyed his life and abandoned me countless times. Under what characteristic are they giving my children to him?”

Subramaniam fought back, last year obtaining a court protection order based on her accounts of domestic violence and in April winning a high court ruling that dissolved their marriage and gave her custody of the children.

Two days later Izwan took Mithran from outside her home in the town of Seremban, 60 km (37 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur.

Reuters attempted to contact Izwan through his lawyers but did not receive a response. In April, he told The Star newspaper that he had taken the boy because he feared his ex―wife would turn the children away from Islam.

Secular or Islamic?

In Subramaniam’s custody battle, and another similar case, Malaysia’s national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, has declined to act on judges’ orders for children to be returned to their mothers, citing competing orders from the civil courts and state Shariah courts. His stance has been backed by the home minister.

Legal experts say that is an unprecedented challenge to the secular courts’ authority.

Politicians and activists pushing for Islam to play a bigger role in society have been on the advance since a May 2013 election that further polarised the nation and left the government more reliant on Malay and Islamic conservatives.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who casts himself globally as a leader of Islamic moderation, is accused by critics of failing to take a stand against emboldened Islamic officials and courts as he seeks to shore up his party’s core Malay vote.

“After the elections last year, somebody seems to have stepped on the gas pedal and we are moving much more headlong to a situation where Islam is enforced through all these institutions of state,” said Andrew Khoo, a prominent lawyer.

Shariah courts operate at the state level and have been limited to Muslim family matters. Law experts say they had been recognised as subordinate to civil courts, but the legal lines have become blurred as Shariah courts have expanded their powers in recent years to areas such as homosexuality and gambling.

“The civil courts have totally abdicated whenever there is a whiff of an Islamic issue,” said Shad Faruqi, a law professor at Malaysian university UiTM. “We are witnessing a situation where a silent re―writing of the constitution is taking place.”

Police chief Khalid and the attorney―general, the country’s chief public prosecutor, have applied to the Court of Appeal to intervene to determine the jurisdiction of the courts.

Khalid and the attorney general’s office did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Peace and harmony

Islam’s special role in the former British colony is enshrined in the constitution, which defines it as the religion of the federation. But the same article goes on to say that other religions may be practised in “peace and harmony”, a provision that has been challenged by recent events.

In January, state Islamic authorities raided the office of a Christian group and seized more then 300 copies of Malay language Bibles because they contain the word “Allah”, which Christians here say they have used for centuries.

The use of the word has become a touchstone issue for conservative Muslim groups, who declared victory in a protracted legal battle last month when the nation’s top court ruled that a Catholic newspaper cannot use the word to refer to God. The Islamic body has not returned the Bibles and has said it will seize other publications, defying the attorney general’s position that they are not illegal.

“Najib is a moderate but I think he is under tremendous pressure from certain quarters in the party,” said Saifuddin Abdullah, a former member of the Supreme Council of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) who now heads the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation set up by Najib.

“We are not the only ones who counsel him.”

The minister for Islamic Affairs, Jamil Khir Baharom, said in June that Malaysia was not a secular state and that the government was working to expand Shariah.

Conversions, custody battles

Najib’s cabinet said in 2009 that conversions by one parent should be halted, but the decision was never passed into law. Rights advocates say it is mostly husbands who convert to Islam seeking an upper hand in custody disputes. Non―Muslims are not allowed to appear in Shariah courts.

“It becomes a weapon to wield power over a wife ― ‘not only can I wield power over you, but so can the whole state apparatus’,” said Ivy Josiah, executive―director of the Women’s Aid Organisation.

In one case, Hindu school teacher Indira Gandhi has been waiting four years for police to act on a high court ruling that her convert husband should hand back her daughter, now six. In May, a high court cited the ex―husband for contempt.

Subramaniam has filed more than 20 police reports against Izwan since their marriage began to disintegrate and said he had shown no interest in the Islamic faith before they separated. Police chief Khalid was reported in April as saying that Izwan was being investigated over four of those reports.

She says she receives regular calls from government officials urging her to convert to Islam as an “easy” way to get Mithran back.

“I was given custody but he has my child; there’s no justice in Malaysia,” said Subramaniam. “No religion tells us to separate a mother from her children.” ― Reuters

Nur Misuari Involved, Says Zahid

KUCHING, July 15 (Bernama) -- Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari is using his own men and other groups to carry out intrusion and kidnapping activities in Sabah, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

He said they were carried out to raise funds to revive the front's military wing, besides trying to re-exert its influence in the southern Philippines.

It was common knowledge, he said, that Nur Misuari was not getting support, and was not involved in the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) peace deal signed by the the Government of the Phlippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to resolve the Mindanao conflict in March.

"We do not have any direct relationship with Nur Misuari, but we believe he has a bigger agenda, is conspiring with individuals who are said to be part of the Sulu Sultanate, which aims to take over Sabah," he told a press conference after attending a breaking-of-the fast function with police personnel at the Al Mujahiddin Mosque, Tabuan Jaya Police Housing Complex here today.

He was referring to the incident on Saturday where an ambush by foreign gunmen at a resort on Pulau Mabul, Sabah resulted in the death of marine police corporal Ab Rajah Jamuan, 32, and the abduction of his colleague Constable Zakia Aleip.

Yesterday, a local daily had reported former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor as saying it was likely Nur Misuari was behind the incident in trying to exact revenge for being excluded in the CAB.

Abdul Rahim was quoted as saying MNLF was angry with the Malaysian government for throwing its support behind MILF.

Meantime, Zahid said Nur Misuari appeared to be confident that Sabah could be taken over by the individuals claiming to be from the Sulu Sultanate and also wanted to get involved in the matter.

"I wish to stress that Sabah is part of Malaysia, we will not allow even an inch of the territory to be intruded upon by outsiders," he said.

He said the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom), which from today comes under the police, will ensure that any action taken against intruders will follow set standard operating procedures.

Zahid said he hoped the locals (in Sabah) will give their full support to ESSCcom to ensure the area is safe, and gave a stern warning that anyone caught collaborating with the enemy would have to bear the consequences.

He said he was aware that there were some people, who could be permanent residents, temporary residents or illegal immigrants, who were in cahoots with the enemy, and that it was only a matter of time before they were brought to book.

Zahid also said Malaysia and the Philippines were working closely in facing threats from militants from the southern Philippines, not only between the police forces of the two countries but various other security agencies as well.

"We are cooperating very well, in terms of their navy and coast guard, they are giving us their fullest cooperation," he said.

Iraq gunmen target prostitutes in shocking slaughter of 33 people including 29 women

A police officer described ­gruesome scenes in Zayouna, eastern Baghdad after a raid by men wearing plain clothes and camouflage

 

Gunmen appeared to be ­targeting prostitutes in Iraq last night after 33 people, 29 of them women, were slaughtered in two apartment buildings.

A police officer described ­gruesome scenes in Zayouna, eastern Baghdad after a raid by men wearing plain clothes and camouflage.

He said: “We saw women’s bodies and blood streaming down the stairs.

“We entered a flat and found bodies everywhere, some lying on the sofa, some on the ground.

“One woman who had tried to hide in a cupboard in the kitchen was shot to death there.”

An ­inscription left on the door of one of the attacked buildings in a housing complex read: “This is the fate of any prostitution.”

At least 18 people were ­wounded during the massacre.

Shia militias have been accused by locals of carrying out killings of women branded as prostitutes in that district of the capital.

Last night it was not possible to ­confirm who was responsible for the latest in a series of ­atrocities committed by rival Sunni and Shia fighters in Iraq.

Sunni group Isis is fighting to control land in Iraq and Syria

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/iraq-gunmen-target-prostitutes-shocking-3849421#ixzz37ORIphXh
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Bolton aid worker who delivered Syrian supplies arrested over alleged sexual assault and indecent images

A Bolton aid worker, who has led several life-saving missions to Syria, has been arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a teenager and possession of child porn.

Kasim Jameel, 33, of Farnworth, was arrested yesterday on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman and possessing an indecent image of a child.

He is now being questioned in police custody.

A police spokesman said: “A man has been arrested as part of an ongoing investigation.

"The 33-year-old man was arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman and possessing an indecent image of a child.

“He remains in police custody for questioning and enquiries are continuing.”

Mr Jameel has made the 3,000-mile journey to war-torn Syria 11 times over the last 18 months to provide vital aid for its people in the form of food and critical medical equipment.

However, in a recent BBC documentary he criticised border control officials claiming he and others are treated like potential terrorists.

He and his team of nine were held up at the UK border for hours while police searched their food-packed ambulances.

They also quizzed the group about their views on Isis, the Jihad and the murder of Fusilier Drummer Lee Rigby.

“They put us down as being guilty for something – they see us as potential terrorists,” Mr Jameel told MM.

The UK authorities argue that Brits, including charity workers, could be radicalised by what they see and become involved in terrorism if they go to Syria, which Kasim dismisses.

“I can’t imagine anyone getting radicalised by going to a refugee camp,” he said.

Image courtesy of BBC, via Youtube, with thanks

World Cup final: Germany defeats Argentina in extra time

CNN) -- Never bet against Germany.

In a world where so much can change so quickly, perhaps it is reassuring that there is one constant which remains.

The nation which had ripped Brazil's dreams to shreds in the semifinals, won its fourth World Cup after a tense 1-0 victory over Argentina Sunday.

Mario Gotze's strike, seven minutes from the end of extra time, ensured Germany ended its 24-year wait for glory at Rio de Janeiro's Maracana Stadium.

For all the doubters who said that no European side would or could ever win the World Cup on South American soil, there was one team which refused to listen.

Lazy stereotypes often abound when describing German football.

The words 'organized', 'ruthless' or 'machine' are bandied about along with that other cliché, 'efficient.'

To use those words to describe this German side would not only do it a disservice -- it would ignore the wonderful talent which passes through the veins of each and every player.

Germany has long threatened to rule the world.



In 2006, it came close, bowing out at the semifinal stage after a painful defeat by Italy in a tournament held in its own country.

Two years later, it was beaten in the final of the European Championships by Spain before the same opposition ended its World Cup dream in South Africa.

At Euro 2012, Italy once again was its nemesis as Germany fell at the semifinal stage of Euro 2012.

Nobody doubted Germany's talent -- but critics said it did not have the ability to get over the winning line.

The sight of Bastian Schweinsteiger, bloodied and bruised, provided all the insight you needed into the psyche of this German team.

It can do ugly -- but it can do beautiful too.

That beauty was there for all to see when Gotze took Andre Schurrle's cross on his chest and volleyed the ball past the Sergio Romero's despairing dive.

But in Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, it has steel, in Schweinsteiger it has a warrior and in Thomas Muller it has a man who can do everything.

Few could begrudge Germany this success -- it has been the team of the 2014 World Cup.

Germany has thrilled in this tournament. Its 4-0 victory over Portugal was sublime; its 7-1 thrashing of Brazil was mesmerizing.

But this win, secured through guts, fight and a moment of magic from one of its bright new stars showed that Germany overcame the most difficult hurdle of all.

With the game deadlocked at 0-0 after 90 minutes, substitute Gotze provided the game's defining moment with a touch of magic.

The Bayern Munich star took Schurrle's pass on his chest before displaying exquisite technique to volley the ball past Sergio Romero.

Argentina, which was beaten by West Germany 1-0 at the 1990 World Cup, rallied briefly but failed to find an equalizer.

Even with the mercurial Lionel Messi in attack, Argentina were unable to take the game to penalties -- not that it deserved to.

For all the talk of Messi, it was left to another wonderful talent and his left foot to steal the headlines with the decisive goal.

At least Brazil could smile once again -- there is not enough beer in the entire country to distract from the prospect of an Argentine party on the Copacabana.

Argentina failed to muster a single shot on target during the contest -- and yet it will walk away ruing three wonderful chances to have won the tie.

With 20 minutes played, Toni Kroos, so impressive throughout the tournament, inexplicably headed the ball over his own defense for Gonzalo Higuain to run through on goal.

The Napoli striker did everything right. He took a touch, allowed the ball to move slightly in front of him and with just Manuel Neuer to beat, then somehow shanked his effort horribly wide.

As Higuain stood still in disbelief and his teammates held their heads in their hands, Germany breathed again.

For a side so assured in its 7-1 victory over Brazil, Germany were rattled by a couple of team changes -- just before the final and soon after the game had started.

Deprived of Sami Khedira through injury after the midfielder suffered an injury just before kickoff, Germany's shape was disrupted further when replacement Christoph Kramer was forced off following a heavy clash with Ezequiel Garay.

As Germany regrouped the South American side constantly looked to use the flanks to exploit a lack of pace in their opponents' defense.

It was from the right flank which Argentina created the move it thought had provided the crucial breakthrough.

Ezequiel Lavezzi found space on the right before delivering the perfect cross for Higuain to fire home from close range.

As Higuain wheeled away to celebrate and those draped in blue and white danced with joy, the flag of the assistant referee was held aloft after the forward was correctly adjudged to be offside.

Germany, having scored seven in its previous game against Brazil, began to wake from its slumber and only a fine save from Romero prevented Kroos' fierce drive from nestling in the corner.

But with just a minute of the first half remaining, Romero was forced to thank the woodwork as Argentina got out of jail in dramatic circumstances.

Kroos' corner dissected the Argentine defense and Benedikt Howedes flew through the air before sending a thunderous header against the post.

Forced to play 120 minutes during its semifinal against the Netherlands, Argentina showed little signs of tiredness and made a rapid start to the second half.

Once again it was Messi causing problems, this time latching onto Lucas Biglia's through ball before running clear of the German defense.

This was it. This was his moment. The boy from Rosario, the boy who left home at 13 and moved halfway across the world to Barcelona to become the world's greatest. Destiny beckoned.

He'd been here so many times before. The ball was in his stride, the goalkeeper was advancing, the net was supposed to bulge.

But it didn't. Messi dragged his shot wide. Argentine hearts sank, Germans stood relieved, almost open mouthed. Messi looked bewildered. Proof that the world's best player is human after all.

Having seen Argentina contrive to miss two wonderful opportunities, perhaps those in German shirts believed this would be their night.

It certainly had chances to win the contest before the end of 90 minutes with Kroos firing wide from 20-yards, while Schurrle failed to control the ball after moving in on goal.

With an extra day's rest following its semifnal victory over Brazil, Schurrle brought out a sharp save from Romero as Germany picked up the tempo.

But Argentina remained a threat on the counter attack and substitute Rodrigo Palacio should have done better than hook his effort high and wide after being played through on goal.

With tired limbs and minds beginning to show, the pace of the contest slowed with both sets of players struggling to create any kind of chance.

Challenges began to fly in with Javier Mascherano fortunate to escape a second yellow card, while Schweinsteiger was left with a blood pouring from his face after a clash with Sergio Aguero.

Penalties seemed inevitable. And then it happened.

Schurrle, found space down the left and his cross picked out Gotze, who took the ball on his chest before volleying the ball past Romero and into the far corner.

It was a goal worthy of winning any World Cup -- a wonderful strike which came with just seven minutes of the contest remaining.

Argentina tried to respond but while minds were willing, bodies were not. Messi was anonymous, his final effort from a free kick sailing high into the stand.

Those in white turned towards the center circle, the sight of gleaming gold trophy was there for all to see.

A campaign which began with the thrashing with Portugal ended with victory over the team which so many had tipped for victory.

Perhaps Argentina should have known. Never bet against Germany.

Fatal shootout in Pulau Mabul as Najib visits Sabah

 

A fatal gunfire exchange was reported in Semporna last night, just as Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak was in Kota Kinabalu last night drumming up his coalition's morale.

According to a source in Sabah this morning, a marine police Corporal Rajah Jamuan was reported killed, while his colleague Constable Zakia Aleip is believed to be have been abducted.

Eight gunmen in military uniform, suspected to be Filipinos, were reported landing on Mabul Island off Semporna at 11.10pm.

According to the source, the police were tipped off by locals who heard gunfire at the eatery and office of a resort on the island.

It is also understood that a semi-automatic M16 rifle was missing following the attack.

This incident follows a string of kidnappings since the major Sulu incursion last year, with the last three taking place on a monthly basis discounting a failed attempt on July 7.

It also comes in the face of Najib's revamp of the Sabah Eastern Security Command (Esscom) after severe criticism over the government's failure to stem kidnappings despite setting up the security zone and spending millions.

According to Bernama, Najib was in the state capital on the other side of the state speaking to Sabah BN leaders to shore up the coalition's "fixed deposit", promising goodies from Petronas.

The PM has since left Sabah for his itinerary in Pahang today, and later in the afternoon tweeted, "My condolences to the family of Corporal Rajah Jamuan who fell in Mabul.

"We will do all we can to find and rescue Constable Zakia Aleip."

'Security forces being targetted'

Meanwhile according to Bernama, newly-appointed Esscom operations director Abdul Rashid Harun told the national news agency today the insurgents used heavy arms in the ambush when the marine policemen were at the Mabul Water Bungalow Resort, Pulau Mabul.    

Speaking to reporters in Semporna, Abd Rashid said in the attack, the suspects were attired in jungle fatigue pants, black coloured clothes and their face covered.    

According to Abdul Rashid, after the attack, the group fled to the waters of a neighbouring country.      -

"The group had wanted to kidnap someone at the resort but attacked the two policemen instead.

"This is the first fatality involving a security force personnel in preventing a kidnap here," he said

He did not rule out the possibility of the criminals targeting Malaysian security members following measures, including strict enforcement, by the Malaysian authorities in the country's territorial waters.   

"I want to remind members from all security agencies in the Esscom area to be more careful and always to be prepared for any eventualities," he added.

Local representatives have been slamming the government for not taking the Sabah east coast security situation seriously.

Both State Reform Party (Star Sabah) chairperson Jeffrey Kitingan and Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS) chief and Tamparuli assemblyperson Wilfred Bumburing have warned that foreigners with Malaysian ICs found in the security forces pose a great danger.

Bumburing in April also lamented the government had ignored numerous calls for reinforcements while intruders into Sabah's maritime border carried out kidnapping after kidnapping.

Security boost hoorah shortlived

Ironically Sabah Chief Minister Musa Aman at an event with Najib last night hailed the Esscom restructuring exercise saying it brings hope the east coast would be "safeguarded effectively". 

The latest incursion also comes no sooner when Najib at the same event announced reinforcements to secure the troubled maritime border.

Bernama reported Najib saying the Bunga Mas 5 naval vessel owned by Malaysia International Shipping Corporation Berhad, will be stationed in Sabah's east coast off waters bordering the Philippines, to boost ESSCom's strength.   

He said the vessel which would function as the 'mother ship' would be manned by a security force team and equipped with speed boats to curb cross border crime.   

"But the cooperation of the people is also important. If we leak information to the enemy, then they might be able to elude the defence system in the state.

"I hope this can be avoided. Otherwise, any system however modern can be infiltrated if someone is there to give them the information," he cautioned.   

He said this at a gathering and breaking of fast with state and federal leaders here tonight.   

Najib who is also finance minister said two radar-equipped Petronas oil rigs would also be stationed off Semporna and Lahad Datu waters as the hindmost defence line.     -

He said the whole set up would be implemented within six months in line with its recent restructuring.   

Najib said as national security director, he would be returning to Sabah again soon for a working visit and to reveal other initiatives on the development and security of the state.

Additional reporting by Gary Louis Supi  

Yes, Negara-Ku has an agenda, Ambiga tells Utusan

Newly formed Negara-Ku’s agenda is to promote unity, peace and harmony, and those who criticise it are trying to deflect Malaysians from issues of racism and extremism, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan said today.

“Of course, Negara-Ku has an agenda. It is an agenda for unity, peace and harmony,” Ambiga told The Malaysian Insider in a text message.

“Everyone who loves this country should support this agenda. Those who criticise it are merely trying to deflect from the pressing issues of racism and extremism that threaten the fabric of our nation. What is their agenda, I wonder?”

The former Bersih co-chairperson was responding to Awang Selamat’s column in Utusan Malaysia today slamming the newly formed non-governmental organisation (NGO) as a smokescreen to further Ambiga’s political ambition.

Awang, a pseudonym for Utusan’s collective editors, had demanded that the Registrar of Societies (RoS) reject any formal application from Negara-Ku unless its name was changed to “AgendaKu”.

"Let it remain an illegal body, unless the name is changed to AgendaKu. That is more befitting Ambiga's record and reputation," said Awang today in Mingguan Malaysia, the Sunday edition of Utusan Malaysia.

Ambiga said she and national laureate Datuk A Samad Said were only patrons of the movement, and that she had never claimed it was her own personal initiative.

“It is a movement of the people set up by concerned citizens and NGOs and chaired by the respected Zaid Kamaruddin.

“We accepted the honour of being patrons because the cause is timely and most worthy.”

The former Bar Council president said any action taken by RoS must be within the boundaries of the law.

She said checks by Negara-Ku’s members found there was nothing unlawful in adopting such a name.

“We have examined it ourselves and can see no legal impediment to our use of the name Negara-Ku (not Negaraku).

“Nevertheless, we continue to be inspired by our beautiful national anthem that unites all Malaysians.”

She said Negara-Ku was an initiative by concerned citizens unable to remain on the sidelines while leaders did nothing to stop certain quarters from destroying the nation’s harmony.

The new movement was launched on Thursday to heal Malaysia and restore hope, given the recent challenges that continue to threaten the peace and harmony of its multi-ethnic and multi-faith society.

Touted as the "people's movement to reclaim our nation", it is chaired by Zaid, the secretary-general of Ikram, and its patrons are Ambiga and Samad.

Some 68 civil society groups and NGOs have endorsed Negara-Ku, which is aimed at mobilising and empowering people to return to the basics of the Federal Constitution, Malaysia Agreement and Rukunegara.

Ambiga had previously said the movement sought to provide the correct information to meet the challenges facing Malaysian society.

This would be done through videos, social media and forums and talks “to get people to listen, to question and to think," she said recently.

Awang Selamat today said Negara-Ku was a desperate platform to restore the image of the opposition pact, namely PKR and DAP.

It said that after failing many times to garner the support of the rakyat, including through the Bersih rallies, Ambiga was now hiding behind the name Negara-Ku, which was similar to the national anthem.

"The excuse that this NGO supposedly wants to encourage harmony, tackle extremism and racism is just a smokescreen. It is disgusting.

"In Malaysia, anybody can form an NGO but do not use the name Negaraku, especially for political purposes. Do not think you are so honourable, for I worry that this will attract extremism.

"Many know who Ambiga is. The anger of Malaysians, particularly Muslims, over numerous issues has yet to die down," he said in the column titled "Agenda Ambiga?"

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/yes-negara-ku-has-an-agenda-ambiga-tells-utusan#sthash.0Uq8w4Nh.dpuf

Utusan tells ROS to reject Negara-ku

The Umno backed paper dismisses the group as an opposition lackey.

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno backed daily Utusan Malaysia has urged the Registrar of Societies (ROS) to reject Negara-ku, an NGO launched last Thursday with the declared aim of fostering unity among Malaysians.

The paper, in its weekly editorial column Bisik-bisik Awang Selamat, questioned the motive behind the formation of the group, suggesting that it was to serve the parliamentary opposition’s agenda.

It also questioned its decision to take as its name the title of the national anthem.

It dismissed Negara-ku’s stated objective—“to foster racial harmony and fight racism”—as mere theatrics, saying the group was formed in a desperate attempt to restore the opposition’s image.

Negara-ku is a coalition of 68 civic organisations. It is led by former Bersih chief S Ambiga, national laureate A Samad Said and former Suhakam chairman Simon Sipaun.

Ambiga said on Thursday that it had no political intentions and did not serve any political party.

She said its purpose was to reaffirm Malaysians’ commitment to the Federal Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement and Rukun Negara in the light of recent signs that racial and religious extremism were on the rise.

In Malaysia, Islam’s legal advance divides families and nation

Reuters

Deepa Subramaniam would not let go of her son, clinging to five―year―old Mithran’s leg even as the car into which he had been bundled began to accelerate.

The 30―year―old, a Hindu in Muslim―majority Malaysia, says she was dragged along the stone―strewn road outside her house until she dropped to the ground, scratched and sobbing, as her ex―husband drove off.

The alleged abduction on April 9, detailed by Subramaniam in a police report and witnessed by a neighbour, was a painful loss for the mother―of―two, who has not seen Mithran since and fears her ex―spouse’s conversion to Islam will win him custody.

The case has become a focal point of tensions over the widening role of Islam, which critics say is threatening Malaysia’s secular core and exacerbating fraught relations between ethnic Malays, who are Muslims, and minority Chinese and Indians.

Subramaniam’s estranged spouse converted from Hinduism to Islam in 2012, after their nine―year marriage broke down, taking the name Izwan Abdullah.

He then converted Mithran and their now eight―year―old daughter to Islam, giving him a strong case under Islamic law, or Shariah, to take over their custody ― which a Shariah court granted him five months later.

“In five minutes, the children read some verses and were converted,” said Subramaniam. “In 10 years, he never gave us money, he enjoyed his life and abandoned me countless times. Under what characteristic are they giving my children to him?”

Subramaniam fought back, last year obtaining a court protection order based on her accounts of domestic violence and in April winning a high court ruling that dissolved their marriage and gave her custody of the children.

Two days later Izwan took Mithran from outside her home in the town of Seremban, 60 km (37 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur.

Reuters attempted to contact Izwan through his lawyers but did not receive a response. In April, he told The Star newspaper that he had taken the boy because he feared his ex―wife would turn the children away from Islam.

Secular or Islamic?

In Subramaniam’s custody battle, and another similar case, Malaysia’s national police chief, Khalid Abu Bakar, has declined to act on judges’ orders for children to be returned to their mothers, citing competing orders from the civil courts and state Shariah courts. His stance has been backed by the home minister.

Legal experts say that is an unprecedented challenge to the secular courts’ authority.

Politicians and activists pushing for Islam to play a bigger role in society have been on the advance since a May 2013 election that further polarised the nation and left the government more reliant on Malay and Islamic conservatives.

Prime Minister Najib Razak, who casts himself globally as a leader of Islamic moderation, is accused by critics of failing to take a stand against emboldened Islamic officials and courts as he seeks to shore up his party’s core Malay vote.

“After the elections last year, somebody seems to have stepped on the gas pedal and we are moving much more headlong to a situation where Islam is enforced through all these institutions of state,” said Andrew Khoo, a prominent lawyer.

Shariah courts operate at the state level and have been limited to Muslim family matters. Law experts say they had been recognised as subordinate to civil courts, but the legal lines have become blurred as Shariah courts have expanded their powers in recent years to areas such as homosexuality and gambling.

“The civil courts have totally abdicated whenever there is a whiff of an Islamic issue,” said Shad Faruqi, a law professor at Malaysian university UiTM. “We are witnessing a situation where a silent re―writing of the constitution is taking place.”

Police chief Khalid and the attorney―general, the country’s chief public prosecutor, have applied to the Court of Appeal to intervene to determine the jurisdiction of the courts.

Khalid and the attorney general’s office did not respond to Reuters’ requests for comment.

Peace and harmony

Islam’s special role in the former British colony is enshrined in the constitution, which defines it as the religion of the federation. But the same article goes on to say that other religions may be practised in “peace and harmony”, a provision that has been challenged by recent events.

In January, state Islamic authorities raided the office of a Christian group and seized more then 300 copies of Malay language Bibles because they contain the word “Allah”, which Christians here say they have used for centuries.

The use of the word has become a touchstone issue for conservative Muslim groups, who declared victory in a protracted legal battle last month when the nation’s top court ruled that a Catholic newspaper cannot use the word to refer to God. The Islamic body has not returned the Bibles and has said it will seize other publications, defying the attorney general’s position that they are not illegal.

“Najib is a moderate but I think he is under tremendous pressure from certain quarters in the party,” said Saifuddin Abdullah, a former member of the Supreme Council of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) who now heads the Global Movement of Moderates Foundation set up by Najib.

“We are not the only ones who counsel him.”

The minister for Islamic Affairs, Jamil Khir Baharom, said in June that Malaysia was not a secular state and that the government was working to expand Shariah.

Conversions, custody battles

Najib’s cabinet said in 2009 that conversions by one parent should be halted, but the decision was never passed into law. Rights advocates say it is mostly husbands who convert to Islam seeking an upper hand in custody disputes. Non―Muslims are not allowed to appear in Shariah courts.

“It becomes a weapon to wield power over a wife ― ‘not only can I wield power over you, but so can the whole state apparatus’,” said Ivy Josiah, executive―director of the Women’s Aid Organisation.

In one case, Hindu school teacher Indira Gandhi has been waiting four years for police to act on a high court ruling that her convert husband should hand back her daughter, now six. In May, a high court cited the ex―husband for contempt.

Subramaniam has filed more than 20 police reports against Izwan since their marriage began to disintegrate and said he had shown no interest in the Islamic faith before they separated. Police chief Khalid was reported in April as saying that Izwan was being investigated over four of those reports.

She says she receives regular calls from government officials urging her to convert to Islam as an “easy” way to get Mithran back.

“I was given custody but he has my child; there’s no justice in Malaysia,” said Subramaniam. “No religion tells us to separate a mother from her children.”

Muhyiddin should present to October Parliament a Higher Education Masterplan to produce at least two world-class universities by 2020 instead of allowing Malaysian universities to become recruiting grounds for terrorists for Islamic State (IS) war in Syria and Iraq

By Lim Kit Siang,

The admission by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi that local tertiary institutions have become recruiting grounds for militants and that Dr. Mahmud Ahmad, senior lecturer with University of Malaya (UM)’s Department of Akidah and Islamic Thought, the Academy of Islamic Studies, was among five individuals wanted by the police for militant activities have catapulted Malaysian universities to unwanted national and international attention and publicity.

Instead of producing world-class universities in keeping with the Vision 2020 objective to achieve developed nation status, Malaysian universities have for the past decade been a national embarrassment, annually confirming the absence of world-class universities in Malaysia.

Malaysia was completely absent from the Times Higher Education World Rankings 2013-2014 for the world’s top 400 University.

For the second year running, Malaysia failed to get on the list of the 2014 Times Higher Education (THE) Top 100 Universities under 50 years old – although four Asian universities are ranked among the top 10 of the world’s young universities, two from South Korea, one from Hong Kong and one from Singapore. In Malaysia, all the public universities except for University of Malaya, are under 50 years old.

Malaysia was also excluded from the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings 2014 for the Top 100 Universities, although 14 universities from Asia were included – five from Japan, two from Singapore, three from South Korea, one from China, two from Hong Kong and one from Taiwan.

Last month, in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2014, Malaysia was again conspicuously omitted among the top 100 Asian universities.

Five countries were represented in the top 10 of the Asian university rankings – Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and China.
University Of Tokyo emerged top among Asian universities followed by the National University of Singapore.

University of Hong Kong, Seoul National University and China’s Peking University clinched the third, fourth and fifth spots respectively.

Singapore has two highly placed universities in the ranking, NUS at second spot and Nanyang Technological University at 11th position.

Hong Kong was named the star performer by THE, given its size, and the fact that it had six universities the top 50 of the ranking.

Even India made outstanding progress with 10 institutions in the top 100, compared with only three last year.

Thailand was in the top 100 list with two universities, King Mongkut’s University of Technology, Thonburi, which rose five places to joint 50th and Mahidol University (No.82).

The Middle East was also well represented, with universities from Iran, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey making the list.

But there was not a single university from Malaysia in the Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings 2014, which is most shameful and mortifying for Malaysians as in the fifties and sixties, University of Malaya was one of the world-class universities comparable in academic excellence with universities like Universities of Hong Kong, Melbourne and Sydney.

Now, after 57 years of Merdeka and 51 years of Malaysia, University of Malaya has not only been left behind by its previous peers, including Universities of Singapore, Hong Kong, Melbourne, Sydney, all our universities are regarded as far inferior to foreign tertiary institutions which had not been highly regarded by Malaysians in the past.

Instead of producing world-class universities, Malaysian universities are hitting the international headline for the wrong reasons such as becoming recruiting grounds of terrorists for IS (Islamic State) in their current “war” in Syria and Iraq.

Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, whose Education Ministry has swallowed up the separate Higher Education Ministry after the general election last year, should present a Higher Education Masterplan for October Parliament to produce at least two world-class Malaysians universities by 2020 instead of allowing Malaysian universities to become recruiting ground for terrorists for Islamic State (IS) war in Syria and Iraq.

If Najib and Muhyiddin are serious in wanting to achieve the objective of Malaysia becoming a developed nation by 2020, then it is all the more urgent and imperative that they ensure that Malaysia can produce two world-class universities by 2020, for there is no country in the world that has achieved developed status without first producing world-class universities.

Path to leave Islam simple, but far from easy

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 — An Indian woman whose Hindu wedding was recently disrupted by Selangor Islamic officials insisting she is Muslim despite her efforts to leave Islam has again put the spotlight on the difficulties in exiting the religion.

Like many Malaysians who dispute their official identities as Muslims, she was told to go to the Shariah courts in order to remove the status from her official documents.

Despite being the standard response in such instances, little is known of the procedure and potential dangers — detention, fines, jail, whipping and even a theoretical death sentence — that one might face in such applications.

In a recent interview with The Malay Mail Online, the Department of Syariah Judiciary Malaysia (JKSM) said that the Islamic courts are the only place according to current laws for Malaysians seeking to be no longer known as a Muslim.

Non-Muslim or apostate?

Explaining the process for a switch in religious status, JKSM identified two types of applications at the Shariah courts, namely to renounce Islam or for a declaration that one is no longer Muslim.

The first involves practising Muslims regardless of ethnicity who want to renounce Islam and convert to other faiths; the JKSM said it could not find any such application in its official records, however.

For the second type of application, JKSM further carves up

applicants into three categories. The first subgroup are those mistakenly listed as Muslims because of naming conventions, typically involving residents of Sabah and Sarawak.

Another group covers those who embraced Islam but now wish to revert to being non-Muslims, which includes applicants who had converted when marrying a Muslim but want out of the religion after the marriage fails.

The last includes non-practising Muslims who want to be recognised as non-Muslims, with this third group cutting across ethnicity; this includes those who were born as Muslims and “by virtue of the documents are Muslims, but never practise the religion of Islam”, it said.

Children from an initial non-Muslim marriage who were unilaterally converted by one of the parents who had converted to Islam also fall within this third group. They may apply personally to be recognised as non-Muslims once they are 18 years old.

According to Muslim non-governmental organisation Sisters in Islam, Islamic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir had in 2011 said that the Shariah Courts had only approved a total of 135 out of 686 applications by Muslims seeking to change their religious status for the 2000-2010 period.

Two classes of applications but one route for both

According to JKSM, the procedure for anyone who wishes to renounce Islam or declare a change in religious status is the same, regardless of which category they fall under.

In a typical application by way of summons, the state religious council and department — who are interested parties as keepers of the record of conversions — will have to answer the case in the Shariah court as defendants.

Usually, the defendants will file a response stating the reasons why they object to the application, and apply to the Shariah Court to send the applicant for counselling sessions that typically last in most states for a maximum of six months.

“The plaintiff will be sent to a committee to reconcile, to persuade him or her to remain in the religion,” JKSM said, noting that Negri Sembilan is the only state with laws on the procedure to renounce Islam.

The Administration of the Religion of Islam (Negri Sembilan) Enactment 2003 states that counselling sessions should not exceed 90 days, but also allows the Shariah court to order a further counselling session not exceeding a year if it believed “there is still hope that the person may repent”.

The reconciliation committee will submit a report to the Shariah court, with a repentant applicant then resulting in the case being either struck out by the courts or being withdrawn on the request of the state religious council or the applicant himself, JKSM said.

But if counselling is unsuccessful, the court will hear evidence from both sides before deciding whether to allow or dismiss the application.

There is “no penalty” and no mandatory counselling session if the Shariah court rejects the application, while applicants also have the right to appeal, JKSM said.

Attempted apostasy: A Catch-22 scenario?

Successful applicants may find their victory in the courts bittersweet.

According to JKSM, five states in Malaysia have laws that prohibit apostasy or attempted apostasy.

For Sabah and Kelantan, those found guilty of attempted apostasy will be detained in Islamic Rehabilitation Centres until they repent or for up to 36 months, while those in Malacca would face up to six months of detention in such centres.

Those convicted of apostasy in Perak may be fined up to RM3,000, jailed for as long as two years or both; in Pahang, this is RM5,000 or three years along with as many as six lashes of the cane or a combination of any of these three penalties.

According to SIS, Kelantan technically has a death penalty for apostasy, but this falls under the 1993 hudud penal code that it cannot yet enforce due to conflicts with federal law.

Under Terengganu’s 2002 Islamic criminal laws which it also cannot enforce now, any Muslim who fails to repent within three days upon conviction of apostasy will also be sentenced to death, SIS said.

JKSM said the Syarie chief prosecutor has the “absolute right according to the law” to initiate criminal proceedings for apostasy or attempted apostasy against those who seek the Shariah court’s declaration of change of religious status.

But it also said it had no records of the states’ Syarie chief prosecutor doing so.

“Of course it is quite an anomaly if you give an opportunity for a person to file an application which is tantamount to ‘percubaan murtad’ (attempted apostasy), and at the same time you make it as an offence. That is the reason, because of that contradiction, so far we have not come across,” JKSM said.

Why no Malay Muslims applicants?

Having laid out the steps to leave Islam, however, the JKSM said that its records showed that no Malay Muslims have ever applied to change their religious status, acknowledging that this may be due to the constitutional definition of a Malay as Muslim, among other things.

“It could be one of the reasons. The landmark case of Lina Joy — in that case the Federal Court has confirmed the interpretation, the stand taken by Datuk Faiza Thamby Chik who was the presiding High Court judge where he interpreted Islam or Malay and the religion of Islam as two integral parts, that means if you were to be known as a Malay, you have to be a Muslim at the same time,” JKSM said.

Born Azlina Jailani, the Malay Muslim who converted to Christianity and later sought official recognition as Lina Joy would have been the first of her kind to apply at the Shariah courts for a declaration of her religious status.

But after failing to get her religious status in her identity card changed, she did not file an application at the Shariah courts and is believed to have fled the country.

Proses pendakwaan lebih ketat dalam RUU Kebencian Kaum & Agama

Tukar agama: Kepimpinan Pakatan tak tegas, kata Ambiga

Wei Feng: BAM politicking ruins players' spirit

Canada: Muslim found guilty of terror charges, eyed Canadian targets

“Crown lawyers said during the trial that Ahmed was a ‘committed jihadist’ with an eye on potential Canadian targets, pointing to a bag in his basement they alleged held bomb-making materials.” Where did Misbahuddin Ahmed learn this outrageous misunderstanding of the religion of peace? Why do so many Muslims misunderstand it in the same way? Why do no government officials in Canada or the U.S. show any curiosity about such questions?

“Misbahuddin Ahmed found guilty of 2 terrorism charges,” CBC News, July 11, 2014:

Former Ottawa hospital technician Misbahuddin Ahmed has been found guilty of two terrorism-related charges by a jury.

Ahmed, 30, had pleaded not guilty to conspiring to knowingly facilitate a terrorist activity, participation in the activities of a terrorist group, and possession of explosives with intent to do harm.

His eight-week trial began in mid-May and went to a jury on Tuesday. On Friday, the jury found him guilty of the first two charges but not guilty to the possession of explosives charge.

Ahmed will be sentenced on Sept. 15.

Crown lawyers said during the trial that Ahmed was a “committed jihadist” with an eye on potential Canadian targets, pointing to a bag in his basement they alleged held bomb-making materials.

Ahmed and his defence said during the trial that he was trying to stop a planned attack and was planning to destroy the contents of the bag.

Guru hari ini lebih tertekan

Suatu waktu dahulu kes guru mencederakan pelajar adalah sesuatu yang asing dan jarang di dengar namun kini ia sering belaku dan perkara ini tidak lagi boleh dipandang ringan.

CHERAS: Naib Presiden Gerakan, Dato Kohilan Pilay berkata tindakan tegas perlu diambil ke atas seorang guru di sebuah sekolah di Port Dickson yang didapati telah membelasah anak muridnya sehingga menyebabkan kecederaan di kepala.

“Tindakan tegas harus diambil agar kes-kes sebegini tidak akan berulang kembali. Pada zaman saya dahulu, tidak pernah belaku kes sebegini yang melibatkan guru memukul anak murid hingga berdarah-darah, stapler telinga, memukul dengan kasut dan tendang pelajar.

“Pada pendapat saya, semua ini berlaku kerana guru hari ini begitu tertekan dengan keadaan sekeliling juga dengan kos hidup yang tinggi pada zaman sekarang.

“Kaunseling perlu diberikan bukan hanya untuk murid malah kepada para guru supaya mereka bebas dari tekanan emosi.

“Diharapkan agar selepas ini tiada lagi kedengaran kes-kes penderaan fizikal terhadap pelajar,” katanya.

Beliau yang juga bekas Timbalan Menteri Perusahaan, Perladangan dan Komoditi berharap agar orang ramai tidak mengaitkan kes sebegini dengan politik. Ini adalah masalah antara guru dan pelajar.

Why investigate me, asks anti-crime watchdog chief after exposing senior cop in sex scandal

Anti-crime watchdog, MyWatch, chairman S. Sri Sanjeevan today questioned why he was being investigated by the police for lifting the lid on a sex scandal involving a senior police officer.

Sanjeevan told The Malaysian Insider that he had received a letter from the Inspector-General of Police's Secretariat (Disciplinary) dated July 8 that he was being investigated under Section 509 of the Penal Code, which is used to probe a word or gesture intended to insult the modesty of a person.

"My expose of this incident through MyWatch is considered to have been intended at insulting the modesty of a person," Sanjeevan said, referring to the letter.

Sanjeevan said his statement had been recorded by the police last week, and he had been asked to surrender all documents and evidence related to the case.

However, Sanjeevan has refused to cooperate as he believed police were more intent on covering up the case and protecting the senior police officer.

"Furthermore, I believe police are attempting to discover who is the whistleblower who exposed the incident to me and MyWatch."

Sanjeevan claimed if he were to hand over all the relevant evidence and documents to the police, it would be destroyed and the case would be classified as no further action (NFA).

"This sex scandal will just go the same way as all the other high-profile cases," he said.

"I want to know why the police officer who is involved not being investigated but instead, I am the one under the microscope?"

Sanjeevan said he had made it clear that he wanted to talk to either Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi or Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

"I have been informed through a third party that Khalid does not want to meet me," Sanjeevan said.

"If the authorities are sincere about cleaning up the police force, they would meet me," he added.

The letter to Sanjeevan also stated that he is being investigated under Section 233 of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998.

Police claimed that Sanjeevan was in possession of evidence which could be circulated through WhatsApp, or images or videos which were related to the sex scandal.

Sanjeevan is alleged to have made information about the sex scandal public in June and July via the MyWatch website.

In his earlier statement last week, Sanjeevan claimed to have received a set of documents and images of a senior police officer who was allegedly involved in a sex scandal.

Sanjeevan refused to name the senior police officer who was involved, but claimed that MyWatch was prepared to make everything public.

However, he also demanded assurances from Putrajaya, namely the prime minister and home minister, that action would not be taken against him.

In his statement, Sanjeevan claimed previous explosive revelations had been swept under the carpet by the powers-that-be instead of a full investigation being conducted.

"This is another opportunity for Putrajaya to show that they will not compromise if civil servants, especially the police, have been involved in abuse of power."

Ibrahim Ali wants to ‘date’ Ambiga for the sake of national unity

Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali took a dig today at the newly formed Negara-Ku movement set up to fight racism and extremism, saying he wanted to "date" the group’s co-chair Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan to exchange views in the interest of national integration.

"Where is the democracy and basic human rights that Ambiga champions? I hope one day, I am able to date Ambiga," said Ibrahim in a statement today.

He added he was willing to change his name to "Samyhim", if that was what it took to allow his right-wing Malay group to become a part of the Negara-Ku movement.

In turn, he suggested Ambiga change her name to "Aminah" to begin the process of national integration.

"I agree to change my name to Samyhim to fulfil the conditions needed for Perkasa to be accepted into Negara-Ku, led by Ambiga. Perkasa has a right to be heard because Perkasa is a legitimate body.

"My name is Samyhim and I give Ambiga the name Aminah. It is part of the national integration process. It is also to protect Ambiga's credibility so she is not seen as favouring anyone when dealing with Perkasa," he added.

A new movement called "Negara-Ku" was launched Thursday to heal Malaysia and restore hope, given recent challenges that continue to threaten the peace and harmony of its multi-ethnic and multi-faith society.

Touted as the "people's movement to reclaim our nation", its patrons are Ambiga and national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said.

Some 68 civil society groups and NGOs have endorsed Negara-Ku, which is aimed at mobilising and empowering people to return to the basics of the Federal Constitution, the Malaysia Agreement, and the Rukunegara.

Ambiga said the movement seeks to give people the correct information to meet the challenges facing Malaysian society.

This will be done though the use of videos, social media and forums and talks “to get people to listen, to question and to think”, she added.

Ibrahim today said he also wanted his name changed to Ah Him, to avoid criticism from the DAP and the Bar Council.

"To the DAP and the president of the Bar Council, please do not condemn me anymore because I have long changed my name from Ibrahim Ali to 'Ah Him'.

"I did this as a sacrifice to fulfil their desires," said Ibrahim sarcastically.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim also urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak to reshuffle the National Consultative Council (NUCC) members, as it had alleged ill intentions.

"The prime minister should reshuffle the members in NUCC. The reprimand must be followed by action.

"This is what is called providing leadership direction and being firm," said Ibrahim.

He also claimed that the Malay members of the NUCC were blind to the fact that they being used.

He suggested that PAS central committee member Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusof Rawa should also change his name to "Muntahik" for wanting Perkasa and Isma to be outlawed.

Surat terbuka untuk Najib Razak

Kehadapan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak,

Saya, Muhammad Nomy Nozwir, hari ini menulis surat ini berdasarkan kenyataan anda berkenaan tentang kekalahan teruk Brazil kerana ketiadaan kepimpinan yang berkesan dalam pasukan bolasepak Samba itu.

Apabila anda bercakap begitu, mungkin anda sedang bermuhasabah diri.

Dalam masa saya tidak yakin dengan Pakatan Rakyat (PR) memerintah kerana terlalu banyak pergolakan konflik dalaman parti serta isu pemilihan dalam parti komponen PR yang tak selesai-selesai, saya juga tidak yakin dengan kepimpinan anda yang membawa negara ini ke arah terumbang-ambing.

Sejak 2009 apabila anda menerajui pentadbiran, terlalu banyak isu yang berlaku yang saya rasa anda tidak menanganinya dengan baik.

Ya, mungkin akan ada yang kata, “kalau kau pandai kau jadi la perdana menteri”, saya akui saya tidaklah berapa pandai dan cerdik dan berkelayakan menjadi perdana menteri.

Tetapi, saya tidak berminat menjadi Perdana Menteri. Tetapi, tugas perdana menteri ini sangat berkait rapat dengan rakyat marhaen seperti saya ini.

Dari isu api perkauman yang semakin marak, isu rasuah yang masih macam-macam hal, isu pembangunan yang asyik retak runtuh tenggelam pecah dan sebagainya, saya rasa anda di luar kawalan dan tidak mampu untuk mengawal keadaan di negara ini.

Setiap kali anda selaku perdana menteri dan menteri kewangan membentangkan bajet, ramai menteri, ahli akademik, penganalisis ekonomi berkata bajet yang anda bentangkan sebagai yang terbaik yang pernah dibentangkan.

Tetapi jika ia terbaik, kenapa negara ini dalam keadaan berantakan sebegini?

Saya rasa tak perlulah nak tulis angka-angka yang menunjukkan kegagalan anda dalam mengurus tadbir negara ini kerana saya rasa kalau saya tulis pun bukan mengubah keadaan pun. Cuma, keadaan boleh dirasa di mana-mana, yang rakyat tidak yakin dengan kamu.

Hatta di kalangan orang Barisan Nasional (BN) sekali, tidak yakin dengan kamu.

Saya tidak bermaksud mahu memperkecilkan mandat yang diterima BN melalui pilihan raya yang lalu, memandangkan sistem pilihan raya negara ini sudah dibentuk untuk memastikan BN akan sentiasa memerintah, maka bagi saya, carilah orang BN yang lebih berkelayakan.

Anda mempunyai menteri yang bertugas di Jabatan Perdana Menteri seperti sebuah kumpulan bolasepak, ditambah pula anda mempunyai sebuah agensi untuk menasihatkan kamu yang dinamakan Pemandu.

Jika anda mempunyai skuad yang sebegini punya ramai dan bajet sebegini punya mahal, kenapa masih banyak kerosakan berlaku dalam negara ini?

Ini macam satu bentuk pembaziran macam Manchester United beli Maruanne Fellaini.

Terus terang saya katakan, lebih ramai orang seperti saya, rakyat biasa yang tiap-tiap bulan runsing nak bayar sewa rumah, bil air dan letrik serta kos hidup yang semakin meningkat ini tidak yakin dengan kamu.

Menteri-menteri yang kamu lantik pun semuanya tidak berkaliber dan cakap merapu menyebabkan rakyat tidak lagi percaya dengan seluruh kabinet XXL kamu.

Menteri-menteri kamu ini hanyalah seperti “patung-patung tanah liat maharaja” Qin Shi Shuang, maharaja China yang mahu dikebumikan bersama seluruh bala tentera dan penasihatnya apabila dia mati.

Najib, saya tahu bahawa anda adalah penyokong Manchester United dan musim lepas apabila kelab kesayangan anda itu melantik David Moyes menjadi pengurus pasukan, kelab kesayangan anda itu terus jatuh dari menjadi juara liga, kepada pasukan yang tak layak main mana-mana kejohanan Eropah pun.

Apa Manchester United buat, mereka pecat Moyes kerana prestasi yang hambar.

Apabila anda bercakap soal ketiadaan kepimpinan yang berkesan dalam pasukan Brazil, adakah anda rasa kepimpinan anda seperti pasukan Jerman?

Adakah anda rasa kepimpinan kamu seperti Sir Alex Ferguson, pengurus pasukan kelab kesayangan kamu yang membawa Manchester United ke arah kegemilangan sejak 1990an?

Apa perasaan kamu apabila Moyes menjadikan Manchester United ini menjadi pasukan bolasepak yang hambar?

Macam tu jugalah perasaan saya dan kebanyakan rakyat Malaysia terhadap kamu.

Sekian, selamat berpuasa. – 12 Julai, 2014.

* Ini adalah pendapat peribadi penulis dan tidak semestinya mewakili pandangan The Malaysian Insider.

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