Archbishop lends backing to Sabah bumi Christians - Malaysiakini

Sabah's Catholic Archbishop Rev John Wong today weighs on the fast growing 'mamangkis' revival movement of bumiputera Christians in the state.

Reading from prepared text at the conclusion of the mamangkis gathering in Papar on the west coast south of Kota Kinabalu he said, "We implore upon Putrajaya to do all and everything to return our religious freedom and the peace and harmony."

Wong also asked Putrajaya to honour and respect the Malaysia Agreement and the Federal Constitution.

Only 46 years of age, he is the most senior clergyman in the state to support the native revival movement. Although he is officially the Metropolitan Archbishop of Kota Kinabalu, Wong is effectively the Catholic Archbishop of the whole of Sabah. He is also the youngest Catholic bishop in Malaysia.

His support comes in the wake of other Christian denominations in Sabah backing the mamangkis revival movement helmed solely by native leadership alarmed by the increasingly aggressive Islamisation, erosion of native rights and the massive entry of illegal Muslim emigrants particularly from southern Philippines.

Wong said, "Let us pray for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon this land of ours, especially upon our national leaders in making the right and courageous move of championing the rights of each and every community, irrespective of race, belief or social status. Let us pray that we will once again enjoy the harmony, peace and freedom among the peoples in this land."

In an apparent call to bumiputera Christians to redeem their heritage he said, "May the glory of God in our land to be restored!"

He went on to quote from the Bible, "You shall not remove your neighbour's landmark, which the men of old time have set, in your inheritance which you shall inherit in the land that the Lord your God gives you to possess it."

The eight-month-old mamangkis movement is contextualised from a pagan Kadazandusun war ritual into a clarion call to return to God and for a revival among natives.

The initiative is spearheaded by Perhimpunan Anak Negeri (Pan) Sabah or Native Solidarity of Sabah. The first mamangkis gathering was held in Penampang, the Kadazan heartland and has since moved to several towns.

Judiciary blasted    

Wong also took the judiciary to task over the 'Allah' issue by saying, "It is indeed sad that even the judiciary, to whom all the meek and downtrodden look towards for justice and protection, declined by a majority decision, to do justice."

"On June 23, 2014, the Federal Court rejected the Catholic Church's application for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal judgment which banned the word 'Allah' in the weekly Herald. "

"We are deeply saddened that the Federal Court failed to recognise that there is serious infringement of the Constitution, and more particularly the blatant attack on the lawful entitlement of the citizens to practise their religion without let or hindrance.

“It saddens us to see that our elected national leaders and the judiciary have deliberately failed to uphold the constitution and above all defend it."

Wong did not spare Putrajaya either: "Despite Putrajaya's assurance that the restriction on the non-Muslims to use the word 'Allah' only applies to (Catholic weekly) The Herald, there have been attempts by certain groups to apply a blanket ban.

“The seizing of bibles by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) from the premises of the Bible Society of Malaysia is a typical example. Such action blatantly disregards the Putrajaya's assurance. Till now the seized bibles have yet to be returned."

He said, "The attack now on our rights to practice our faith is a direct attack on the nation's integrity and above all the Constitution."

Wong also said, "Aside from threats to religious freedom, we are aware that many Anak Negeri (native) Christians have Muslim sounding names and some even with "bin" or "binti" in their names.

“Some of these Anak Negeri Christians are wrongly categorised as Muslim in their identity cards. These mistakes may be due to ignorance of the JPN officers but the authorities must address these issues and take every effort to rectify them."

"It is the legitimate right of every citizen and more so the anak negeri of Sabah to have his or her identity card correctly issued by the JPN (registration department). Nobody can take that right away from him or her."

Aggressive Islamisation

On aggressive Islamisation in the state, the archbishop pointed out, "We are also aware that subtle conversions of underage children are taking place in our schools.

“Just over a year ago the Catholic Church in Sabah together with the Sabah Council of Churches had made an official complaint to the Education Ministry of a conversion ploy at Labuan Matriculation College.

"We regret that these young students are constantly subjected to various forms of harassment, ridicule and pressure to change their religion.

“Should incidences like these prevail, we question whether the institutes of higher learning in our country are conducive for studies? We urge that religious freedom as enshrined in the constitution shall be upheld at all cost."

Wong also highlighted security issues. "Threats from external forces invading our borders and threats from the huge presence of illegal immigrants have constantly reminded us of our vulnerability. However, many a time, our fears and cries are not seriously taken heed of by those in authorities."

"Internally, our nation is confronted with unprecedented threat to our Christian faith. Attack on our religious beliefs and practices, even the language we use in our Bible, literatures and worship are under siege."

PKR sacks Khalid over refusal to quit MB's post

 

 The PKR leadership council today sacked Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim from the party for his refusal to step down as the state's chief executive officer.

The move, which is bound to strain relations with coalition ally PAS, came after weeks of teetering as PKR held back from taking decisive action due to reservations expressed by its Islamic partner.

Party's disciplinary board chairperson Tan Kee Kwong (right) announced the decision after almost three hours of deliberation which began at 3pm at the PKR headquarters in Petaling Jaya.

The closed-door meeting was attended by all members of the party’s leadership council with one notable absentee - Khalid.

Tan speaking at a press conference after the meeting said Khalid's refusal to relinquish his MB post along with several performance factors had led to the decision.

"(Khalid) was found to have defied the party's central committee decision after a meeting on July 21 that unanimously agreed to appoint Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the new Selangor menteri besar," said Tan.

He said Khalid proceeded to issue a statement the next day to state his refusal to relinquish the post "and till this very day he continues to refuse to relinquish the said post".

"On that point alone, the disciplinary committee has found cause to expel him," said Tan.

He added further factors regarding Khalid's conduct that the central leadership has considered that support the decision, namely:

• Khalid defied a decisions by the Pakatan presidential council attended by PAS president Hadi Awang, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim to put off the process and discussion of the Langat 2 water treatment plant and put off the controversial increases in allowance for the state’s speaker, menteri besar, exco members, and assemblypersons,


• Failure to comply with the Pakatan presidential council decision that he himself had agreed upon, to involve the Selangor water restructuring committee in the water assets takeover exercise,


• Insistence on proceeding with the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (Kidex) despite the party's directive to review the matter as it goes against the Pakatan manifesto,


• Failure to explain thoroughly to the presidential council his RM70 million loan settlement with Bank Rakyat.

Tan added that Khalid has 14 days to appeal the decision from the time he is officially notified of his sacking, after which the PKR leadership council would decide whether to form a special committee to hear the appeal.

In the meantime, Khalid would remain as menteri besar until he resigns or is otherwise removed from office, such as through a vote of no confidence.

'Decision strictly on membership'

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution told reporters at the same press conference that today’s meeting dealt only with Khalid’s status as a PKR member, and not his position as menteri besar.

He said any moves to remove Khalid from office would be announced later, but said Khalid should respect the fact that he no longer has majority support and vacate his office to make way for a sucessor.

To a question, Saifuddin denied that Khalid’s dismissal was to pressure PAS not to back the Selangor MB.

Meanwhile, in response to another question, PKR central committee member Sivarasa Rasiah told reporters that a letter sent by Khalid’s lawyers today was irrelevant to today’s decision.

“It is not relevant because it does not address the core issue, which is that Khalid has defied clear orders from the party to resign as menteri besar, following the party’s decision to propose PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as menteri besar.

“We have given him the chance the respond and he responded through two letters, which have been taken into consideration.

“As Saifuddin had mentioned, we find the contents (of the letters) showed open defiance. We asked him nicely to step down and he wouldn’t step down, and that is enough (reason),” he said.

Earlier today, The Malay Mail Online reported that Khalid’s lawyers have sent PKR a letter urging the party to explain Khalid’s questions about the allegations against him.

“Our client in fact notes a litany of breaches of natural justice thus far giving rise to perception of conflict of interest and bias against our client,” the letter reportedly said.

Sivarasa added that there is no need to entertain Khalid’s request to postpone the disciplinary hearing because the grounds for his dismissal are already clear, and Khalid’s letters showed that he has no intention to answer the allegations against him.

“For us, due process has been fulfilled, natural justice has been done, he has been given the chance to answer the party’s allegations.

"And not only he did he refuse, he openly defied (the party),” he said in explaining why there is no benefit to postponing the hearing.

Khalid remains defiant

On Tuesday, the PKR disciplinary committee issued Khalid with a show-cause letter ordering him to explain his defiance of the party’s instructions to quit his post as menteri besar.                                    

Khalid was also called to attend a disciplinary committee hearing yesterday to explain several other issues, such as Selangor’s water restructuring exercise and hikes in business licence fees.

In response, Khalid claimed that the show-cause letter was faulty and said the disciplinary board’s demands were both "unreasonable and suspicious".

“As a party fighting for justice for all, I should also be given a real chance, not just a mirage, to answer to the allegations of my wrongdoing.

“Unfortunately, the actions of YB Datuk (Tan) and the disciplinary board up until now are highly suspect,” he said, pointing to the short notice of the hearing and asked for the meeting to be postponed to Aug 15.

The disciplinary board meeting nevertheless went ahead yesterday without Khalid’s presence.

Khalid perlu berundur demi rakyat Selangor

Surat peguam daripada Khalid telah diterima, namun setelah meneliti surat berkenaan didapati tidak relevan.

PETALING JAYA: Ahli Parlimen Subang, R. Sivarasa berkata Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim perlu meletak jawatan sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor kerana tidak lagi mendapat sokongan majoriti daripada adun-adun di Selangor.

Tambah beliau, Khalid tidak lagi memenuhi syarat untuk menjadi MB Selangor dan beliau patut meletak jawatan serta merta.

“Pemecatan Khalid dari parti tidak akan memberi kesan kepada kedudukan EXCO di Selangor.

“Mereka akan menjalankan tugas seperti biasa dan akan menerima arahan yang seterusnya daripada PR,” katanya dalam satu sidang media di Pejabat PKR.

Tambah beliau, surat peguam daripada Khalid telah diterima namun setelah meneliti surat berkenaan didapati tidak relevan kerana tiada tujuan menjawab pertuduhan.

“Khalid telah melanggar arahan daripada parti kerana jawapan yang diberikan menunjukkan Khalid tetap tidak mahu berundur.

“Kita telah beri banyak peluang untuk beliau menjawab tuduhan daripada parti. Kita tidak ada keperluan untuk menagguhkannya lagi,” ujarnya.

Menurut Setiausaha Agung PKR, Saifuddin Nasution, pemecatan Kalid dari keahlian parti juga adalah kerana sifat ingkarnya untuk menerima arahan daripada parti bagi melepaskan jawatan sebagai MB.

Sebelum ini Majlis Pimpinan Pusat PKR telah memutuskan untuk mencalonkan Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail sebagai calon MB Selangor yang baharu.

“Satu usul undi tidak percaya untuk MB Selangor berundur masih belum berlaku.

“Khalid juga telah diberi peluang yang banyak kerana parti telah memaklumkan sejak 6 bulan lalu iaitu pada 15 Januari 2014,” katanya.

PR juga akan menjalankan tugas seperti biasa.

“Khalid juga diberi tempoh 14 hari daripada tarikh pemecatannya untuk membuat sebarang rayuan,” katanya lagi.

Apabila ditanya samaada pemecatan Khalid ini akan memberi kesan kepada Selangor, Saifuddin menegaskan Khalid harus setuju untuk berundur supaya proses penukaran MB berjalan dengan lancar.

“Jika Khalid sayang kepada rakyat Selangor, beliau perlu berundur,” katanya.

Khalid akan mengadap Sultan

Saya menerima keputusan parti untuk membatalkan keahlian saya walaupun keputusan tersebut adalah salah dan cacat dari segi undang-undang.

SHAH ALAM: Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim menjelaskan bahawa beliau akan menghadap Sultan Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah bagi memaklumkan kepada baginda mengenai perkembangan terbaru terhadap dirinya serta mendapatkan nasihat dari baginda.

Menurutnya, hingga isu ini selesai mengikut prosedur yang betul berpandukan peruntukan undang-undang yang termaktub dalam Undang-undang Tubuh Negeri, beliau akan meneruskan memberi khidmat terbaik kepada rakyat sebagai Menteri Besar mengikut kemampuannya.

“Saya menerima keputusan parti untuk membatalkan keahlian saya walaupun keputusan tersebut adalah salah dan cacat dari segi undang-undang,” ujarnya dalam satu kenyataan.

Khalid juga memaklumkan bahawa di dalam surat jawapannya kepada Lembaga Disiplin beliau telah menyatakan bahawa sesungguhnya beliau keliru dengan butir-butir pertuduhan yang mahu dikenakan terhadapnya.

Malah, Pengerusi Lembaga Disiplin gagal menyatakan secara khusus peruntukan mana di dalam Perlembagaan parti yang telah beliau cabuli.

“Saya juga ingin menyatakan walaupun saya telah memohon penangguhan sesi penjelasan kepada Lembaga Disiplin dengan mencadangkan tarikh 15 Ogos 2014 sebagai tarikh yang sesuai tetapi tiada jawapan balas diberikan.

“Sebaliknya, Lembaga Disiplin tetap meneruskan sesi pendengaran tanpa terlebih dahulu mendengar penjelasan dari pihak saya. Saya tidak diberi peluang atau proses yang adil untuk menjawab semua tuduhan terhadap saya mengikut tatacara yang teratur dan betul. Saya percaya ada tindakan sabotaj dari pihak tertinggi parti,” ujarnya.

Frustrated PKR sacks Khalid from party, Selangor crisis deepens

Ida Lim, Malay Mail Online

PKR, so far unable to unseat MB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim from his job as the Mentri Besar of Selangor, has sacked him from the party.

The decision today by PKR’s disciplinary committee to cut Khalid adrift deepens the crisis over who will lead Malaysia’s richest state without bringing resolution any closer, entrenching concerns that the three-party Pakatan Rakyat coalition which governs Selangor will soon fall apart.

A statement from the committee said the sacking takes effect immediately.

The Pakatan Rakyat coalition which governs Selangor has not been able to reach consensus whether Khalid must step down. PKR wants him replaced by Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. DAP agrees but Islamist party PAS continues to back Khalid.

Khalid’s sacking leaves the coalition in a precarious state and will add to worries that snap polls may have to be called to ward off a stalemate.

PKR’s share of the 56 seat Selangor state assembly drops to 13 from 14. Its allies DAP and PAS have 15 seats each while Umno, the opposition in the state, has 12.

It is still not known if Khalid will join any other party or will simply become the lone independent assemblyman.

‘Jilboobs’ Raise Clerical Hackles in Indonesia

Fatwa unlikely to make women throw away their jeans

By Asia Sentinel


Could it be that the “jilboob,” a slangy term used by some to describe Indonesian women who pair their modest Muslim headscarfs with tight jeans and sexy blouses, could be on her way out? If the Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI), has its way, that will be the case.

The jilboob, or sometimes “jilbabe,” gets her name because in Indonesia the full-body burka seen in Afghanistan or the abaya in Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, is rarely adopted. Rather than using a black tent to hide a woman from society’s prying eyes, observant Indonesian Muslims prefer the jilbab – or hijab in Malaysia. The scarf usually covers the hair and neck but leaves the rest of the wearer’s wardrobe up for grabs.

The devout might combine the jilbab with modest long dresses and blouses, but many women use the “jilbab and jeans” look to maintain their sex appeal while giving in to whatever pressure or devotion motivates them to cover their hair – often family insistence or to please husbands who want a religious spouse.

Some websites in Jakarta call the sexy jilbab look, the “jilboob,” because it often consists of make-up, jeans a tight shirt and high heels. There is a Facebook page devoted to discussing the pros and cons of the jilboob look and plenty of web sites and twitter feeds -- #jilbabseksi is one -- that show off selfies of young women in their jilbabs, some of which leave little to the imagination. Many stores and boutiques cater to making the “Muslim look” sexy. Women are even seen wearing the head covering with a miniskirt on occasion.

The clerics, who have little real power despite nominally being Islam’s ruling body in Indonesia, have had enough. MUI issued a fatwa, or religious ruling, on Thursday and said there will be no more jilbabes and jilboobs henceforth. It is unlikely to be taken seriously; the MUI has previous banned all manner of things, from gyrating dangdut dancers to western movies, only to be blithely ignored.

“The MUI already has a fatwa against pornography. But that means that you should not show the shape of the body by wearing a jilbab with tight clothing,” the MUI vice chairman, Ma’ruf Amin told local media. “The MUI strictly forbids it. We respect those who are already wearing the jilbab. But for those already wearing the jilbab, it should not be vulgar.”

It’s hard to say how much effect the fatwa will have on Indonesia’s Muslim women, many of whom simply ignore Islamic dress altogether. Despite the fact, however, Indonesia, as with many places with large Muslim populations, has grown decidedly more outwardly observant in the last decade or so. Jilbabs used to be rare in Jakarta, for existence; they are now commonplace. It is also paradoxically common to see jilbab-wearing women frequenting nightclubs and sometimes drinking alcohol.

Women often say they are cajoled by their mothers and relatives into wearing the jilbab, but find ways to get around it. Some wear the scarf at work or on weekends when visiting mom and discard it other times.

“I do what I want,” said Azizah, who sports a jilbab and jeans at home to please her mother but takes
it off when she goes out clubbing with friends. “It is up to me to look how I want. Does God really care?”

Such attitudes are a welcome reminder that Indonesia is a secular country not an Islamic republic and that panels like the MUI can issue edicts but they have little power to enforce them.

Bar Council says government defrauded Orang Asal

Free Malaysia Today 
by James Sivalingam

Despite a litany of promises made, both the federal and state governments have failed the Penans and Kenyah in a big way in the name of development.

Penan-tribeKUALA LUMPUR: The Bar Council yesterday, through its Orang Asli Rights and Human Rights Committee slammed the Sarawak state government for leaving the Penans and Kenyah high and dry when they were resettled to make way for the building of the Murum Dam.

During the committee’s study trip to the Metalun and Tegulang Resettlement Areas recently, the post relocation conditions of the Penans and Kenyah left much to be desired.

The study group found that the native communities were living in hazardous, treacherous conditions and in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world.

Committee member Andrew Khoo said, “The resettlement project has failed.” He described the relocated communities as being “defrauded,” “cheated” and “short changed” for “which the Sarawak state government has to be held responsible.”

He said this in regards to the numerous promises made to the Penans and Kenyah that were left unfulfilled by the authorities.

Khoo cited the initial food and provision subsidy of RM600 per household per month that has since dwindled to 5kg of chicken wings, flour, and cooking oil only.

Despite being relocated to make way for a dam, Khoo said the irony was that the people of Metalun and Tegulang themselves enjoyed only 6 – 12 hours electricity per day.

Khoo added, “As they were relocated in order to facilitate the construction of the dam, the state government and Sarawak Energy Berhad has the moral and legal obligation to ensure that their welfare is taken care of.”

The observation on the ground was also found to be in stark contrast to the pledges made by the Malaysian government to the United Nations Human Rights Council in October 2013.

The Bar Council’s vice president, Steven Thiru said the state government defaulted in upholding the recommendations of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) that was made during Malaysia’s 2013 Universal Periodic Review.

Thiru also said that indigenous people in Peninsula Malaysia were suffering the same fate as those in Sarawak because the federal government was quick to dismiss litigation of Orang Asli land disputes based on technical and procedural grounds.

“The state and federal governments are not dealing with solving the problem, but merely making the litigation go away for them, and problems remain for the Orang Asli,” Thiru said.

The Bar Council also criticised the lack of effective legislative or executive action to recognise the Orang Asli’s rights to land and resources despite the courts legally recognising it.

Abdul Khalid Sacked From PKR

PETALING JAYA, Aug 9 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat's (PKR) Central Leadership Council (MPP) on Saturday took the decision to sack Selangor Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim from the party with immediate effect.

PKR's disciplinary board chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong said it was a unanimous decision by the MPP based on Abdul Khalid's refusal to make way for PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to be the new menteri besar of the state.

Tan said besides this, Abdul Khalid had also ignored several decisions made by the Pakatan Rakyat Presidential Council.

"As such, it is announced that Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has been sacked from PKR with immediate effect," he told a press conference at PKR's headquarters here.

Commenting further, Tan said Abdul Khalid was found to have ignored a decision made by the MPP on July 21 which had unanimously picked Dr Wan Azizah as the new candidate for the post of the Menteri Besar of Selangor.

"He (Abdul Khalid) had made a media statement on July 22, 2014 that he would not step down (as menteri besar) and till today has refused to so.

"Solely on this ground, the Disciplinary Board was of the opinion that he should be sacked," said Tan.

Tan, who is also Wangsa Maju member of Parliament, said among the decisions of the MPP that were disregarded by Abdul Khalid were postponing discussions on the Langat 2 water treatment project and also postponing an increase in the allowances for the Speaker, Menteri Besar, state executive councillors and assemblymen.

"He also failed to adhere to the decision of the PR (Pakatan Rakyat) Presidential Council as agreed by him on involving the Selangor Water Restructuring Committee in the restructuring of Selangor water assets.

"He also went ahead with the Kidex highway project even though the party had ordered him to review the project as it was against PR's objectives and manifesto presented during the last general election," said Tan.

In Selangor, Pakatan Rakyat which is made up of PKR, DAP and PAS is in power whereas the Barisan Nasional (BN) is in the opposition. The BN is in power at the federal level and in all the states except for Kelantan, Penang and Selangor.

Selangor is led by the PKR, hence the MB coming from the party while Penang and Kelantan are led by the DAP and PAS respectively.

Tan said Abdul Khalid had 14 days from today to file his appeal if he felt the sacking was not reasonable or he was denied justice.

"If Abdul Khalid appeals, the MPP will set up a separate committee to hear the case," he said.

At the same press conference, PKR secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the sacking was based on the conduct of Abdul Khalid, which he described as open defiance.

Nonetheless, Saifuddin said based on the Selangor constitution, Abdul Khalid still remained as the lawful Menteri Besar but was deemed to have lost majority support because the DAP and PKR had decided to no longer support him.

"You must understand, as per the state constitution, it is very clear he no longer commands majority support in the state assembly, why?

"Because he has been sacked from the party, and PKR and DAP have withdrawn their support to him.

Abdul Khalid no longer commands majority support from Selangor assemblyman and because of this, does not fulfill the conditions to continue holding the MB (Menteri Besar) post," Saifuddin explained.

Following this, he said PKR would move a motion of no confidence against Abdul Khalid in the state assembly to remove him from the post in a lawful manner.

Ambiga: PKR has to solve MB crisis, not me

Anwar: Khalid bukan sekadar ahli PKR, MB tetapi juga rakan

‘Enemies’ using internet to attack Islam, warns Jakim

By Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 — Federal Islamic authorities today joined the call for online attacks against Islam to be punished severely, following recent complaints that authorities were not vigorously pursuing non-Muslims for such activities.

Telling Muslims they were duty-bound to defend Islam against threats and insults proliferating on the Internet, the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) said these actions were against religion and the law, and urged for a crackdown against such cyber-attacks.

In its weekly Friday sermon, Jakim alleged of numerous cases where social media and communications technology have been used to demean Islam, belittle Malay sensitivities and insult the Malay Rulers.

“The actions of these groups pushes the limits of Muslims’ patience. With all sorts of insults before this, we no longer want any rude and uncivilised statements or actions by any party to pass without stiff action and maximum punishment under existing laws,” read the sermon, posted on Jakim’s website.

“Stiff and prompt action by the authorities is necessary so that this is not repeated and serves as a lesson to all to not play with fire and go overboard,” it added.

The sermon called on all Muslims to take up the role and responsibility of standing up to the challenge posed by Islam’s cyber-enemies, using “whatever reasonable means” including social media to protect the position of Muslims, especially in Malaysia.

It also urged Muslims not to be taken by the provocation they came across online, stressing the need for each and every Muslim to have a deep understanding of Islam while building their spiritual fortitude, knowledge, intellect, political maturity and unity among the faithful.

Jakim’s message comes amid a backdrop of recent complaints against the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) over perceived inaction against alleged non-Muslim attacks against Islam.

Detractors such as Umno Youth and the Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia daily have accused the agencies of “selective action”, contrasting the prosecution of a Malay road bully and Muslim preacher against the case of a Facebook user who remains at large despite a derogatory remark aimed at Muslims.

All three agencies have denied the allegations of bias towards non-Muslims, explaining that the complexities involved in each investigation precluded the use of one to benchmark the level of action in another.

Iraq’s Yazidis hide on mountain as ISIS advances

BAGHDAD: After fleeing from Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria militants, thousands of ethnic Yazidis stranded on a mountain were hoping that Iraqi government planes would drop food to save them.

The supplies never came. All they could do was pray for help.

Just a week ago, Yazidis living in their ancient homeland of Sinjar in northern Iraq felt protected by Kurdish peshmerga forces. Followers of an ancient religion derived from Zoroastrianism, the Yazidis are themselves Kurds.

The peshmerga – “those who confront death” – had acquired reputations as fierce warriors who once took on Saddam Hussein’s troops. But they gave way before the Sunni militants, who had seized tanks and armored personnel carriers from the Iraqi military when they swept through the north in June.

Iraq’s U.S.-trained and funded army crumbled, leaving the Kurds and Shiite militias to fight back against Sunni militants, who were gaining momentum after launching a weekend offensive. ISIS said it has now captured Iraq’s biggest dam, a military base and 15 towns.

The Yazidis appear to be paying the heaviest humanitarian price for the ambitions of ISIS, which has declared a caliphate in parts of Iraq and Syria and has threatened to march on Baghdad.

“Most of the families were stopped by Islamic State militants while they were leaving and the militants killed men. Some were beheaded,” said Abu Ali, 38, who was hiding with tens of thousands of others on Sinjar Mountain.

“One of the saddest stories was one of our relatives. They beheaded all his 15 family members in front of him and then took him with them.”

Yazidi women were hauled away for forced marriages, or perhaps slavery, as in other towns. “Some were taken to Syria,” Abu Ali said.

Many of Yazidi villages were destroyed years earlier when Saddam Hussein’s troops tried to crush the Kurds. Some were abducted by his security agents. Now they are on the defensive again.

Witnesses reached by telephone said about 100 babies died from thirst in mountains infested by snakes and scorpions. But coming down from the mountains and returning to Sinjar is a risky option.

In other places they have captured, Islamic State militants have imposed their radical view of Islam – women must wear a full-face veil, Shiite mosques must be dynamited, “infidels” eliminated.

Minorities have little chance of surviving unless they conform.

Nareen Shammo, a Yazidi activist, said families who stayed behind in Sinjar were forced to convert to Islam. “Five hundred women were kidnapped. Some of them were sold in an auction at low prices and others were forced to marry militants,” Shammo said.

Amnesty International said panic was gripping northern Iraq.

“Many members of minorities are even fleeing areas where there seems to be no imminent danger of an ISIS attack as they are so traumatized by their recent displacement,” said Donatella Rovera, Amnesty International’s senior crisis response adviser, who is currently in northern Iraq.

Thousands of Iraqis, predominantly Yazidis, have fled to the Turkish border to escape ISIS fighters, local officials said.

Some of the thousands of people trapped by ISIS militants on Sinjar mountain have been rescued in the past 24 hours, a spokesman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Thursday.

“We’re just receiving the information right now. We’ve just heard that people over the last 24 hours have been extracted and the U.N. is mobilizing resources to ensure that these people are assisted on arrival,” David Swanson said by phone from Iraq.

“This is a tragedy of immense proportions, impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”

Another Yazidi, who asked not to be identified, said he and his family spend their time under a tree to escape the punishing sun.

“We heard that there were planes which dropped some help, but we didn’t get anything,” he said.

Unable to return to Sinjar and fearful the rough mountain conditions could soon kill them, Yazidis were clinging to stories of heroics unrelated to realities on the ground.

“We heard that there is a person called Qasin Shasho who was in the mountainous areas, gathered his supporters and started to fight the Islamic State with the coordination of some young men. They forced the Islamic State to return back,” said the Yazidi who asked to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals.


A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on August 08, 2014, on page 8.

Khalid’s claims of injustice absurd, laughable, says PKR vice-president - TMI

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s claims of injustice have been described by a PKR lawmaker as absurd and laughable.

Padang Serai MP N.Surendran (pic) said the charges against Khalid were clearly stated in the show cause letter issued to him.

"Instead of replying to the charges against him, Khalid has decided to write lengthy letters to defy the PKR disciplinary board," Surendran said.

This morning, the embattled Selangor Menteri Bbesar made public a three-page reply in which he claimed that the PKR disciplinary board had rushed through the disciplinary proceedings against him.

"Khalid is claiming the action taken against him has been rushed and he has not been given sufficient time to respond to the charges," Surendran said.

"Yet, Khalid is able to find the time to promptly send long and combative replies to the party's disciplinary board.”

Surendran said the tone and manner of Khalid's replies indicated that the Selangor menteri besar had no intention of submitting to PKR's disciplinary process.

Surendran, who is PKR vice-president, said Khalid's attempts to portray himself as a victim of injustice were ridiculous and laughable.

"It is Khalid's actions which are injuring his own party and contributed to the present turmoil within Pakatan Rakyat," Surendran said.

"Khalid's refusal to accede to the party's wishes and resign from his position is indefensible. He should be subjected to disciplinary action," he added.

But instead of replying to the charges, Khalid chose to write lengthy letters to defy the board and party, questioning the disciplinary board's integrity, Surendran said.

Earlier today, Khalid claimed that state administration issues were beyond the purview of the PKR disciplinary board.

He posted on the Selangorku website a three-page reply addressed to PKR disciplinary board chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong.

Khalid said in the show cause letter he had received from the party, he had been asked to give a detailed explanation on five issues.

The issues are the water restructuring deal in Selangor, the MB's new allowance, tax increase on business licences, the proposed Kidex expressway and the Bank Islam issue.

"The five additional issues which have been raised have been discussed by the state government committee which has the executive power to administer Selangor," Khalid said.

"The PKR disciplinary board only has the authority to decide on any transgressions related to the party and not state administrative issues," he said.

Khalid also said the show cause letter PKR had issued to him was "defective" as it lacked specifics for him to reply.

"When a notice is issued, it is a main consideration for the notice to clearly and specifically state the accusations against me by stating the relevant clauses as prescribed in the party's constitution, as well as clauses of punishments that could be taken against me.

"Such specifics have to be listed down but unfortunately the notice dated August 5 is defective without any relevant evidence for me to reply," he said.

Khalid, who is facing tremendous pressure from PKR to step down, also poured scorn on the engineered Kajang Move which he claimed, was unfair towards him.

Instead, he said the Kajang Move was a "directive" to him without giving him due consideration to his responsibilities as the menteri besar.

"I should be given the opportunity to answer charges which are specific instead of vague as stated in the show cause letter," Khalid said.

"Moreover, I find the actions of the party disciplinary board to be extremely suspicious," he added.

"It is also unreasonable for me to have to explain five additional issues given the short period of time that has been allocated."

Khalid accused the disciplinary board of going against Article 3 of the PKR Constitution which states "Justice for All".

"I am very concerned and worried at the hasty manner in which the disciplinary proceedings have been rushed through."

Khalid compared his situation with the sodomy conviction of PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, which had raised eyebrows.

"The speedy manner in which the Court of Appeal found Anwar guilty of sodomy charges has also caused a lot of concern," he said.

"Therefore, we cannot give the perception that PKR is also acting in the same manner as the appellate court," Khalid said.

Khalid also said he could not attend the party disciplinary hearing today due to his commitments as Selangor menteri besar, and proposed that the hearing be postponed to August 15 at 3pm.

Court: 'Zero tolerance' on custodial deaths - Malaysiakini

The Court of Appeal said today there should be zero tolerance of custodial deaths and is recommending that independent public inquiries be held on all such cases.

The appellate court said this when allowing the reduction in the quantum of damages, including waiving of a false imprisonment claim, in relation to the death of A Kugan in police custody five years ago.

With this, Kugan's family is awarded RM701,700 in exemplary damages including tort of public misfeasance (abuse of power).

The summary judgment of the decision was read out by Court of Appeal judge David Wong Dak Wah.

The other judges who were favourable to maintaining most of the damages were Justice Mohd Arif Mohd Yusof and Justice Mah Weng Kwai.

Justice Mohd Arif led the three-member bench.

Justice Wong, in describing this as a difficult case as the law had yet to be developed especially in cases of public misfeasance, said custodial deaths cannot and should not happen in this country.

“There should be zero tolerance to any custodial death in all remand centres in the country. And should custodial death happen, a public independent inquiry must be initiated commensurate with the right of the family of the deceased to know when there is some doubt as to the cause of death.”

Kugan's mother Indra Nallathamby, 44 (right), named the then Selangor police chief Khalid Abu Bakar (now inspector-general of police), police constable Navindran Vivekanandan, the then Subang Jaya police chief Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar (now deceased), as well as the then inspector-general of police and the government as defendants.

No ombudsman system

Justice Wong noted that since the country does not have an ombudsman system, as recommended by the royal commission of inquiry, the court would have to take up the role.

An ombudsman, as imposed in some parliamentary democracies, is a public advocate with a significant degree of independence, who will be responsible in looking at the interests of the public in investigating mal-administration and violation of rights.

“In Malaysia, we do not have an ombudsman or an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) for police reform.

“In this case, the intention of Kugan’s family is clear and that is to hold the defendants responsible and accountable for their unlawful action as public officers.

“It is not just a case of merely being compensated, it is more and that is to ensure that the public officials who are supposed to be guardians of the constitution are brought to task and that such unlawful actions should not happen again.

“Remand prisoners are innocent until convicted in a court of law and are entitled to their basic human rights,” Justice Wong said in reading out the judgment.

Why false imprisonment claim was not allowed

In ruling out the claim for false imprisonment, Justice Wong said that while the judge at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur ruled that this was the case, the appellate court decided otherwise.

He said the remand of Kugan was the consequence of a judicial act, being an order given by a magistrate on Jan 15, 2009.

“Unless and until this remand is set aside by way of a criminal appeal or revision by the High Court, that remand remains lawful. It is undisputed that no such application to the High Court had been made by the plaintiff (Kugan's mother) to declare the remand order as unlawful.

“We are of the view that a separate suit, by way of criminal revision, should have been commenced and not through this civil suit. It is our respective view the abuses which the deceased endured do not and cannot give rise to a cause of action of false imprisonment.

“Accordingly, we find that the tort of false imprisonment is not available to the plaintiff as there is a valid remand,” the judgment states.

Hence, for this reason, the Court of Appeal did not allow the false imprisonment claim of RM100,000 that the High Court also awarded.

Constable Navindran's liability reduced

The court said there is merits to the appeal by Navindran, the police constable charged with injuring Kugan, as the trial judge also found there were other policemen involved in beating up Kugan.

Wong said despite those findings, the trial judge (Justice VT Singham) did not take this into consideration when determining the liability of Navindran (right).

“This failure warrants us to allow the appeal in part only, in that we also find him responsible partly for the death of the deceased. The degree of responsibility, in our view, should be reduced to 45 percent and our reason is that the defendant is not alone in this tragedy.

“By the defendant's admission, other police officers, by virtue of their involvement, had been assigned to desk duties as a form of punishment,” he said.

In agreeing to give the tort of public misfeasance, the court ruled there were violations to Kugan's right in terms of right to liberty and equality before the law.

The full judgment will be out on Monday.

Indra was represented by R Sivarasa and L Bani Prakash, while senior federal counsel Azizan Md Arshad appeared for the police and government, while Ramesh Sivakumar appeared for Navindran.

Hands off massage parlours, sultan tells Jais - Malaysiakini

Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today told the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) to stop focusing on raiding massage parlours.

In his speech to the Jais staff today, Sultan Sharafuddin said the department should only take action within its job scope and not infringe on the job scope of the local authorities.

"Taking action against massage parlours (rumah-rumah urut) is the responsibility of the local authorites," he said at the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah building today.

He added that this was also important so as to avoid criticism of Jais for focusing on trivial matters.

'Emphasise apostasy instead'

He pointed out that Jais should instead give emphasis on issues of apostasy, deviations from the teachings and political speeches in mosques and suraus that he said can affect the sanctity of Islam.

Stressing further, the sultan said Jais, similarly, should emphasise the understanding of Sunni Islam since it is the "main core of belief of the Muslims in the country".

"The failure of Muslims to understand Sunni Islam will give way to deviant teachings," he said.

The sultan then urged both Majlis Agama Islam Selangor (Mais) and Jais to remain as "neutral institutions".

He had earlier commented on several politicians who had taken advantage in using issues related to Islam, by questioning the actions of Mais and Jais as part of their political agenda.

"I want Mais and Jais to avoid getting involved in any party's political agenda," he stressed.

 

Only three Gaza protesters outside KL McDonald's

 

VIDEO | 2.43 min

Only three activists were seen protesting at two McDonald's outlets in Kuala Lumpur today amidst calls for a national boycott over the Israeli-Gaza conflict.

At the outlet in Bangsar, two activists there claimed "hundreds" of Gaza sympathisers were planning to stage a protest, but did not show up because of police presence.

“At least two hundred protesters did not want to come too near to the restaurant because of the five police who are guarding the scene,” said one of the protesters Amrayy Ahman, who is a member of Jaringan Melayu Malaysia (JMM).

The duo put up five Israeli flags printed with "sila pijak bendera ini" (please step on this flag) and "pijak - [selfie] kaki - share di FB" on the floor as a form of protest. 

Also present was JMM director Faizan Mohd Nor, who claimed to have organised the NGO's first protest in Terengganu before staging this second one.

"We feel very angry, because they (McDonald's) have contributed to Israel, so I urge all the residents in KL not to eat McD food, if possible.

"Many of our brothers in Palestine have been slaughtered, they (the Israelis) are one evil race.  This (boycott) is the start of economic sanctions on them," Faizan said.

Asked if the boycott is going to affect the employees who are mostly Muslim Malaysians, Faizan opined that McDonald's is a giant company and therefore their workers will remain untouched.

Parking problems blamed

Explaining the low turnout of protester, he said it could be due to the traffic and lack of parking spaces around Bangsar's Jalan Telawi.

He also warned that there will be more protests to come in the near future.

In another McDonald's outlet near Masjid Jamek, Malaysiakini spotted a lone activist protesting this afternoon after Friday prayers.

The activist, who only wished to be known as Saiful, said he is not affiliated to any party and has been going around protesting for the past week.

"I have been doing this protest alone for the past week, going to various outlets," he added.

Earlier today, Saiful had stormed into the McDonald's outlet in Masjid Jamek brandishing a Palestinian flag.

He told Malaysiakini that he intends to continue at other outlets like those in Kota Raya and Bukit Bintang.

Meant to 'educate'

Palestine sympathisers angry with recent bombings in Gaza have put the popular burger chain on the grill for allegedly chanelling funds to Israel.

The Israeli attacks that started on July 8 have left 1,886 Palestinians dead and countless others injured in a trail of destruction.

Saiful said he learned about the nationwide boycott online and wanted to enlighten fellow Malaysians on the current situation at Gaza by protesting.

“It is everybody’s right if they want to eat (McDonald's products) or not. But they should be able to reason and decide not to support McDonald's which indirectly supports Israel.”

He also said he had no intention of harassing the outlets' staff or their operations but merely to make a stand and gather more support.

“I am doing this protest to educate Malaysians on the catastrophe at hand, at the same time invite them to join my noble cause,” added Saiful, who wore a bandana to cover his face.

Saiful also went around distributing leaflets to passers by calling to boycott other Israeli products and companies supporting Israel.

Among the brands spotted on the flyer were Coca Cola, IBM, Intel, Motorola and Nestle.

McD's staff the victims

Meanwhile, McDonald’s Malaysia in a statement today reiterated that the funding allegations were untrue and said they were sympathetic to Gaza's plight.

“We wish to state very clearly that McDonald’s Malaysia does not support nor condone the current conflict in the Middle East.

"Like all Malaysians, our utmost sympathies go out to the innocent victims in Gaza.”

The fast food chain also made clear that they were not funding any of the forces in Israel and have fallen prey to misinformation.

“We wish to reiterate our stand that McDonald’s Malaysia does not channel any sales, profits or franchise fees from our restaurants to support any political causes or conflicts in any part of the world.”

“We have been consistent and transparent in communicating our position, but unfortunately the information that we share have been misinterpreted by certain parties.”

The conglomerate also lamented on the mistreatment of their employees and franchisees by fellow Malaysians due to the current conflict.

“Our employees who are practically all Malaysians have had to endure harassment, threats, and verbal abuse.

"Some of our restaurants have also been subjected to acts of vandalism. Our employees and franchisees have done nothing wrong, and it is grossly unfair that they should be targeted in such a way."

Cops tracing several Facebook account holders

Police are after several Facebook account holders who have posted seditious remarks on their pages.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police are tracing Facebook account holders responsible for posting seditious statements on their pages.

Among them are Facebook account holders using the names Vignamona VM, Kelvin Yip, Mohd Adam Asyiq bin Balasubramaniam and Persatuan Kongsi Gelap Melayu (Association of Malay Secret Societies). They are being sought by police to assist in their investigations.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department Director DCP Mohmad Salleh said action would be taken against them following numerous reports for posting seditious remarks, as well as statements containing elements of racism and religious insults.

“These irresponsible actions will affect the good relations among the people of various races in the country, if not curbed immediately,” he told reporters at Bukit Aman here today.

He advised the owners of the Facebook accounts concerned to surrender themselves to police to assist in the investigations.

Stay out of politics, Sultan tells Jais and Mais

The Sultan of Selangor says Jais and Mais should uphold the sanctity of Islam and avoid being made the subject of political agendas.

In a message to staff of the Department of Islamic Affairs (Jais) today, the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah told department officials they should focus their efforts more on cases of “apostasy” rather then carrying out raids on massage parlours.

He said these raids were best left to the relevant authorities instead of Jais, who should instead focus on upholding and protecting the “core beliefs of the Muslims”, such as fostering the better understanding of Sunni Islam.

He cautioned the department that neglecting to do this would result in Muslims succumbing to “deviant teachings”.

He also said Jais should keep a close watch on political speeches in suraus and mosques, many of which affected the sanctity of Islam.

The Sultan said, “Jais should focus on more important cases that involved deviant teachings and apostasy as well as political speeches in mosques and suraus that threatened the sanctity of Islam, eroded the Muslim faith and caused unrest among Muslims.”

He stressed that he did not want to see the actions of the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and Jais exploited by opportunistic politicians, who would not think twice about trivialising the departments’ efforts and turning it into political issues.

Both Jais and Mais should instead strive to be “neutral institutions” so as to avoid being part of any party’s political agenda.

Anwar: Pakatan not bound by PAS ulama decision

He says they may not be fully aware of issues regarding Khalid.

PETALING JAYA: PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim today played down the PAS Religious Council’s decision to back Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, saying Pakatan Rakyat was not bound by it.

“We respect their view, but it will not bind Pakatan Rakyat in its decision,” he said.

He added that there could be issues that members of the Council were not aware that needed to be explained to them.

He also appealed to PKR members to be sensitive to Khalid’s feelings when commenting on the issue.

“I admit that sometimes some PKR members have made sensitive comments,” he said. “But I now ask them to exercise some control and to concentrate on facts alone.”

Gameplan – Get rid of Khalid

A week back, Sivaji ( not his real name ) contacted me.

It had been quite a while since we last spoke, and I knew that he had been quite involved in PKR.

He asked if we could meet.

I told him that I was quite pressed for time given my Negara-Ku and ABU work, and asked if there was anything urgent.

He replied that he was quite exasperated with this whole Khalid fiasco and the goings-on in PKR for some time.

He started to pour out his heart, but I stopped him.

“What do you want me to do with whatever you are going to tell me?”, I asked.

If you believe what I am about to tell you, you can write about it and put it up on your blog.”, he replied.

“I know you well enough to trust you. This is what I will do. You write up whatever you want to tell me in a way that will not require me to do too much editing. After I have read it, if I think people have a right to know what you have written to me, I will publish it on my blog.”, I told Sivaji.

I received Sivaji’s story in the mail today.

It bore the same title as this post, and it appears below, with the minimal of editing.

__________________________________

By Sivaji

Was there a plan to remove Khalid long before the Kajang move?

Going by the revelations going around now it seems so.

But Khalid, it seems, was never in the loop of those plans.

So was he given (rather set up) to get the MBs position knowing he will get the job done and set the stage for the others to take over later?

From what has happened in the PKR elections, it seems that there was a plan to get him.

Sources have indicated that it was the top man in PKR who encouraged Khalid to contest Azmin.

Was this an attempt to show Malaysians that democracy is well and good in PKR?

We will never know.

When it dawned upon the leadership that Khalid was very much popular among the party members, Saifuddin was suddenly pushed into the race.

Most party members know this was an attempt to break Khalid’s votes.

It is very much a well known whisper amongst party members that the top man himself not only got Saifuddin to submit his nomination but phone calls were made to Division Heads to ensure votes were delivered for Saifuddin in the party elections.

Even with that Khalid has put up a good show against Azmin.

Without Saifuddin, Khalid would have won the Deputy President’s post by now.

And the Kajang move would have been buried.

Together with this was the conduct of the PKR election process.

After having much criticized the Election Commission, the PKR election Committee was no better.

There were insufficient election personnel in all the Divisions.

Ballot papers were insufficient in places where voter turnouts were larger than expected.

But more serious was the lack of independent observers, re-lections conducted without any valid reasons, voting locations in re-elections shifted to favour a particular candidate.

In Sungai Siput the incumbent Chairman and Committee were the counting agent. Ballot papers were marked by themselves. I saw this personally, gangsters from a particular camp were downstairs, so I could not do much.

In Pahang, Indian members were not encouraged to take part in the elections.

Why?

Many Indians favour Khalid. Just the funds given to temples and Tamil schools were good enough for the Indians to have Khalid as the party deputy president.

In Sabah, where there was large voter turnout favoring Khalid, the elections were disrupted and called off.

More frightening was what took place in Selangor.

Where Indians won the Ketua Cabang, elections were called off or some reason was given to call for re-election of completed elections.

At one time the results showed that 12 of the 22 Ketua Cabang had been won by Indian members. Where the winning candidate was known to favour Saifuddin or Azmin, there was no re-election.

Kuala Selangor was another issue together. They had to shame Khalid. They did that eventually

In Sepang, the Ketua Cabang was won by an Indian member. Haji Borhan, a close ally of Azmin, lost. Re-elections were called and the voting centre shifted to a place far from the first centre. The Indian candidate lost and Haji Borhan won the re-election.

In Puchong, in the first round, Khalid got the highest votes (861 against 22 for Azmin and 20 for Saifuddin). Re-elections have been called this Sunday.

What will happen?

We will never be able to tell. There will be no voting agents seated in the hall to object, only observors. This is the SOP for re-elections in PKR.

In Kuala Selangor, the elections were held again on June 22nd and the ballot boxes taken to Party headquarters. The counting took place on the 26th at 9pm.

The SOP for counting is either the votes for Ketua Cabang or the Timbalan President would be counted first or second vice versa.

The counting here started for Timbalan President and Khalid got 517 votes as against 440 for Azmin. Trends showed that if you win the Timbalan President votes, the Ketua Cabang aligned to the Timbalan President candidate will also win. Within 5 minutes there was a blackout. Later investigations showed there was a blackout indeed, but I still have my doubts from what I heard from the TNB.

The lights came on. The counting agents were told that the Ketua Cabang votes will be counted later. Protests were made but no effect. The votes for Pusat Wanita were counted. Meanwhile the vote trays for Ketua Cabang was hidden from view. One slight move by persons blocking the view showed a counting clerk holding a pencil. No action taken.

Votes were counted for Ketua Cabang and Khalid lost to Mike. 515 against 701.

There 370 empty ballot papers for Timbalan President post but there was only 120 empty ballot papers for Ketua Cabang. Those who did not know to vote for the Timbalan President suddenly knew how to vote for the Ketua Cabang.

Complaints were submitted but no action taken on this.

The complaints have since gone to the ROS

Is there an attempt to get Khalid out this way?

All this failing, the present move by the PKR leadership is very much questionable as to the real reasons.

Is there an attempt to keep Azmin safe so that when all settles down he would become the MB replacing Wan Azizah?

Azmin is very quiet.

Was this the game plan all along to go for the State coffers eventually?

Why are the Hindus so upset?

Do you really think that propagating your religious or political cause through the message of hate is not going to have any serious repercussions in the end? I will be 64 years old next month and in 1969 I was 19. So I was old enough to know what happened in 1969. And let me assure you of one thing. The hate in Malaysia today is far worse than it was in 1969.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Okay, I know why the Hindus are upset. They are upset because of that Indian-Muslim preacher, Ustaz Shahul Hamid Seeni Mohd, who mocked Hinduism. And it seems a second video has now emerged on Youtube. But my question is: why are the Hindus upset?

The reason I ask this question is because this is the normal modus operandi of those of the Abrahamic faiths. Watch or listen to the talks and sermons of the world-renowned Muslim and Christian preachers and tell me what you see and hear. What you will see and hear would be hate-messages against the other faiths.

I personally know some of the Muslim preachers, have met a few of them, and a couple have even come to my house back when I was in Malaysia. However, I do not want to mention their names but you know who all these people are. Their speeches and sermons are full of hate.

You may think this is confined to just the Muslim preachers but this is not so. Even the more fiery Christian preachers are the same — maybe not in Malaysia, for obvious reasons, but for sure in countries like the United States, especially Middle America where they even whack Catholics and call them non-Christians.

Do you know there are some Americans who do not understand Catholicism and do not regard Catholics as Christians? They belong to individual churches and those not of their church, even if the other churches are non-Catholic Christian churches, are seen as deviant Christians.

They promote their religion, or their branch of their religion, by mocking and condemning those not of their religion or not of their branch or ‘church’, Muslim preachers included, of course. So what Ustaz Shahul did can be considered as normal and no Muslim would feel that this is wrong, just like the Christian audience would not get upset when their preachers do the same.

Unfortunately, the more than 1,000-year rivalry of the three branches of the Abrahamic faiths, plus the various sub-branches and sub-sub branches, has been reduced to condemning and mocking ‘the other side’. It is about you must hate those who are not with us.

You may not have noticed but this is how politics is played as well, not only in Malaysia but also all over the world. Why do you think there is so much killing in so many countries (worse, of course, in Muslim countries but not confined to just Muslim countries)? All the conflicts are about hate.

There does not appear to be any love left in this world. People no longer talk about what they love. They talk about what they hate. Love does not drive you. Hate does. You do things motivated by hate rather than by love.

Why do Malaysians want a change of government? Well, because we hate Barisan Nasional. We hate Umno. We hate the Malay government. We hate the New Economic Policy. We hate what we see as discrimination against the non-Malays. We hate Najib Tun Razak and his wife. And the list goes on and on.

Why does PKR want Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim ousted? Again, because we hate him for not doing things the way we want him to and for not listening to us and for not being a ‘team player’? Is that a crime? Well, it is if I hate it.

Malays are very politicised creatures. Even MCA President Ling Liong Sik personally told me so 30 years ago back in the 1980s. And this, said Ling, is why the Chinese lose out to the Malays when it comes to politics.

But that was 30 years ago. Today, since the last decade or so, the Chinese (and Indians as well) have learned how to also become political creatures and the 2008 general election is proof of that. Today, the Chinese and Indians are as good (or as bad) as the Malays when it comes to politics, a far cry from the pre-2004 era.

The problem is the Chinese and Indians, too, have been contaminated by the Malay political culture. And this political culture is the culture of hate (just like how their religious culture is, culture of hate anything not Islam).

Many do not agree with what I write. And that is quite normal and to be expected. But none of those who do not like what I write rebut what I say or respond to what I write point-by-point. Instead, they post hate comments as their response.

My articles can run into two or three pages or 2,000 words or more. That is a lot of pages and words. Why don’t they reply based on their own research? Why condemn the writer rather than counter what the writer writes with your own analysis or assessment of the situation?

Opinions are just that, opinions. I have my opinion and you have yours. You can disagree with my opinion but then offer us your opinion. To disagree with my opinion by calling me names, like most people do, is not considered debating.

That is what Malaysians have been reduced to. When you disagree you condemn and you mock. And that is how Muslim plus Christian preachers try to convince their audience that they are right and are telling you God’s truth. They condemn and mock the rival belief.

So Hindus should not get upset. This is how Muslim and Christian preachers market their religion. They condemn and mock the other religions. And this, too, is how politics is played in Malaysia. They condemn and mock their political rivals. And in some countries, when the condemning and mocking reaches a certain level, they take up arms and kill each other, most times killing innocent civilians and non-combatants who are not even involved in the war.

The Chinese and Indians are no better than the Malays. Everyone does it. Everyone propagates hate whether it is about religion or politics. And for countries like Malaysia where religion and politics come as a package it really does not matter. Condemning one is seen as condemning the other. And this is why Malaysia is very complicated although Malaysia is not the only country like this.

Sometimes we no longer even know whether all those killings in some countries are about politics or religion. The line between the two is not clear. One thing that is clear though: never mind whether it is about politics or religion, it is certainly about hate.

Do you really think that propagating your religious or political cause through the message of hate is not going to have any serious repercussions in the end? I will be 64 years old next month and in 1969 I was 19. So I was old enough to know what happened in 1969. And let me assure you of one thing. The hate in Malaysia today is far worse than it was in 1969.

What is a leader without his followers or supporters?

How does one become the head of a government? And when one does, does one forget the people who supported you and voted you into public office?

Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (pic), the beleaguered incumbent Selangor Menteri Besar, believes that state government matters are separate from the party and he does not need to explain his actions to the party or rather, he is beyond the party's scrutiny.

So, who is he answerable to? To the state ruler? To the people who elected him directly in Port Klang or to the people who voted for his Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition or to those who had confidence in him as menteri besar?

When he was the prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had always stressed that he was only in that office because he was the Umno president. He owed his position as PM to his his party and that was why he had to take cognisance of the party's views in running the country.

Obviously, Khalid does not think the same way.

In a three-page reply addressed to the PKR disciplinary board chairman Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, which was posted on the Selangorku website, Khalid said the board's show cause letter had asked him to give detailed explanations on five issues.

They include the water restructuring deal in Selangor, MB's new allowance, tax increase on business licenses, the proposed Kidex expressway and the Bank Islam out-of-court settlement issue.

"The five additional issues which have been raised were discussed by the state government committee which has the executive power to administer Selangor.

"The PKR disciplinary board only has the authority to decide on any transgressions related to the party and not state administrative issues," Khalid said in his reply, which his political secretary submitted to the party this morning.

This is where Khalid is wrong.

He is answerable to his party because he is the MB by virtue of the support and confidence of his party. The party leadership now has no confidence in him, hence the crisis enveloping the state government.

As a public official, he is also answerable to the voters and that is why he has to make public the out-of-court settlement with Bank Islam. If he had lost the case, Khalid could be a bankrupt and lose his Port Klang state seat and be out of the Selangor Menteri Besar's job in a flash.

He obviously does not view the situation that way. What would his options be if PKR goes ahead and sacks him? What would his options be if his executive councillors resign?

And, who put him where he is today? At the very least, he should listen to those who put him in public office, supported his job, and end this sorry spectacle of a leader ignoring his own people.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/what-is-a-leader-without-his-followers-or-supporters#sthash.oSrUOOzd.dpuf

Najib must personally speak up and explain why he had reneged on two specific promises of “no toll charges for non-users of EDL” and “No toll for EDL” and whether future Prime Ministerial pledges are any more credible and believable!

By Lim Kit Siang

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar, failed big time in Johor Bahru on Tuesday when he tried to explain the rationale for the astronomical, unconscionable and unjust 480% causeway toll hike at the Johor causeway from August 1.

All he could say was that the decision to increase the Johor causeway toll at the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex at the Sultan Iskandar Building in JB was made after a two-year study following the government’s decision not to impose toll at the Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL).

Wahid said toll collection at the EDL by its concessionaire, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) was supposed to have started in 2012, and the government is paying the concessionaire RM11 million a month in compensation.

After a two-year study, it was decided that there was no requirement for the government to take over the EDL.

Wahid has not given any rationale or reason whatsoever to justify the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak breaking two public and solemn pledges to the people of Johor Bahru in 2012, viz “No toll charges for non-users of EDL” and “No toll for EDL”!

What is the new discovery from the government’s two-year study which Najib and the authorities had not known about when the Prime Minister made the two pledges of “No toll charges for non-users of EDL” and “No toll for EDL” in March and September 2012 respectively as to justify the reneging of these two solemn EDL pledges by Najib?

If there is nothing new in the two-year study which the government had not known or no good reason why it should not have known before the two EDL pledges were made by Najib, what then is the reason for the reneging of these two EDL pledges apart from the factors of sheer bad faith, insincerity, dishonesty and rank irresponsibility?

Will Najib admit that he was guilty of bad faith, insincerity, dishonesty and/or rank irresponsibility when he made the two EDL pledges in 2012 of “no toll charges for non-users of EDL” and “No toll for EDL” – as Najib never meant to honour the two EDL pledges when he made them in 2012?

Wahib also failed abjectly to give any rationale for the astronomic, unconscionable and unjust causeway toll hike of 480%, the indecent haste for the imposition for the toll hikes in less than a week of their announcement and why there was no proper public consultation or feedback before the astronomical and unconscionable toll hike were imposed.

It is clear that only Najib can address these questions about the violation of the two Prime Ministerial pledges on the EDL in 2012, and Najib should not tarry any further but make a special trip to Johor Bahru to personally speak up and explain why he had reneged on his two specific promises of “No toll charges for non-users of EDL” and “No toll for EDL”, and most important of all, whether any of his future Prime Ministerial pledges are credible and believable!

Legal experts have differing views on his status as Selangor MB

PETALING JAYA: Will Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim still be Mentri Besar if he is sacked by PKR?

That’s a question that’s begging to be answered by even legal experts who have differing views.

International Islamic Univer­sity law lecturer Assoc Prof Dr Sham­rahayu A. Aziz believes Khalid’s position will not be affected but two others, Universiti Malaya’s Prof Gurdial Singh Nijar and Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, think Khalid must resign.

Dr Shamrahayu said Khalid would still be Mentri Besar as the sacking from PKR does not directly affect his position as a member of the state assembly.

“In order to become an MB, a person only needs to be a member of the state assembly and must command the assembly’s confidence.

“If PKR sacks Khalid, he will not automatically be disqualified from the MB post as long as he still commands majority support of the assembly,” she said.

She also noted that Khalid had the option to request for a dissolution of the state assembly from the Sultan of Selangor if he is faced with expulsion from the party.

Gurdial and Dr Abdul Aziz think otherwise, stressing that Khalid cannot remain as the Selangor Mentri Besar if he is booted out from PKR.

Gurdial said if that happens, Khalid must resign as the post of mentri besar can only be filled by a person from the party that commands majority support of the state legislative assembly.

“If he no longer has the confidence of the majority, he must resign. He can ask for a dissolution of the state legislative assembly, but according to convention, this is not an option if the coalition in control still has majority and can continue to rule,” he said.

Gurdial said the loss of confidence against the Mentri Besar can either be expressed through a vote of no confidence in the state assembly or by other means including a letter signed by all of the assemblymen, orally or via any other communication.

“The most important thing is that the Sultan must be satisfied that the majority no longer support the incumbent mentri besar,” he said.

Dr Abdul Aziz said that if PKR sacked Khalid, it was a sign that it had withdrawn support for him.

“If PKR decides to disown him, he has no other choice but to resign. That indicates he has lost part of his support from the state assembly,” he said.

On Sunday, Khalid insisted that the majority of the state assembly still had confidence in him so he will not resign.

Later, he received a show-cause letter by the PKR disciplinary committee on Tuesday to explain why he had defied orders from the party leadership to step down.

Najib: Government To Come Up With Restructuring Plan For MAS By end-August

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 8 (Bernama) -- The government and Khazanah Nasional Bhd are in the final stages of completing a holistic restructuring plan for Malaysian Airline System Bhd (MAS) and a detailed plan will be announced by end-August, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The government, through its strategic investment fund, Khazanah Nasional Bhd, today announced a formal process to take full ownership and de-list the airline from Bursa Malaysia.

"This is the first step needed to return our national carrier to profitability. It is a step I wholeheartedly support.

"MAS is part of Malaysia's history. It is a symbol of national pride, of our ambitions and our place in the world. So today we are making changes to ensure it is also part of Malaysia's future story," he said in a statement here Friday, in response to the proposed de-listing of MAS.

He believed that the national carrier must be renewed to create a genuinely strong and sustainable national carrier.

"This process of renewal will involve painful steps and sacrifices from all parties.

"My instruction and my commitment to all concerned is that the process will be carried out professionally, with proper principles of fairness, transparency and compassion," he said.

Najib also touched on the recent losses of MH370 and MH17, saying that seldom before has a company been subjected to two profound and extraordinary tragedies in such a short space of time.

He hoped that these twin tragedies would change the way the aviation industry operates, making global travel safer for all.

Kaji penutupan Facebook

KUALA LUMPUR 8 Ogos - Kerajaan akan mengkaji kewajaran untuk menutup laman sosial Facebook di negara ini sekiranya mendapat sokongan masyarakat.

Menteri Komunikasi dan Multimedia, Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek berkata, kajian tersebut akan dilaksanakan dalam bentuk pungutan suara terhadap pelbagai lapisan peringkat masyarakat di negara ini.

“Saya nak dengar pandangan orang ramai kerana antara aduan paling besar kita terima adalah melalui Facebook. Sekiranya orang ramai berpendapat bahawa laman web itu perlu ditutup, kita bersedia untuk melihatnya.

“Kita melihat ia sebagai satu pendekatan yang radikal tetapi untuk menyekat Facebook itu (ketika ini adalah) tidak mungkin. Kita boleh mengadu kepada Facebook untuk menutup laman tertentu," katanya pada Majlis Penutup Mesyuarat Perwakilan Pergerakan Wanita UMNO Bahagian Cheras di sini hari ini.

Beliau mengulas beberapa kes penghinaan dilakukan penggunaan Facebook terhadap isu-isu sensitif rakyat negara ini termasuk melibatkan kaum dan agama.

Yang turut hadir, Setiausaha Badan Perhubungan UMNO Wilayah Persekutuan, Datuk Seri Syed Ali Al-Habshee.

Seramai 174 perwakilan Wanita UMNO dari bahagian tersebut hadir pada mesyuarat berkenaan.

Mengulas lanjut, Ahmad Shabery berkata, pungutan suara tersebut akan dilaksanakan bagi mengetahui kesan yang bakal diterima pengguna laman sosial berkenaan sekiranya ia ditutup.

“Tetapi apakah ini pilihan yang kita pilih? Perkara ini perlu kita kaji dan perlu mendapat pandangan orang ramai sebab kita mempunyai lebih kurang 15 juta akaun Facebook di negara kita," katanya.

Jelas beliau, Facebook turut menjadi platform bagi rakyat negara ini menjalankan perniagaan mereka di samping merapatkan hubungan silaturahim di dalam institusi kekeluargaan.

Katanya, pandangan orang ramai juga perlu memandangkan hanya 2,000 aduan diterima membabitkan Facebook berbanding jumlah akaun keseluruhannya iaitu kira-kira 15 juta.

“Jadi, apakah kerana 2,000 kita terpaksa menutup kesemuanya? Jadi kena tengok balik dalam soal ini," katanya. - UTUSAN ONLINE

Artikel Penuh: http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Dalam_Negeri/20140809/dn_02/Kaji-penutupan-Facebook#ixzz39pOoDPf8
© Utusan Melayu (M) Bhd

Man who killed maids beheaded in Saudi Arabia

Riyadh, Aug 8 (IANS) A man in Saudi Arabia has been beheaded on the court's orders for sexually assaulting and murdering two Asian housemaids in a sea port, a media report said here Friday.

Awdah Salem, a Yemen national, was also found guilty of pouring acid onto the body of one of the victims and hiding the remains of both women at different locations. He was beheaded Thursday, Arab News reported.

He confessed to having persuaded one of the two maids to run away with him during Ramadan after which he killed her and threw the body into an abandoned well in Yanbu sea port in 2007.

A year later Salem lured another maid to elope with him to a deserted place. After having sex with her, he hit her on the head with a rock and buried the body on a beach in the Yanbu in 2008.

Police managed to track down the killer following months of investigation.

A statement issued by the Saudi interior ministry confirmed Thursday that the general court issued the verdict based on the extensive charges, described as "evil, gruesome, and inhumane".

"The court sentenced him to death as a deterrent for others and higher authorities have endorsed execution of the sentence, while the appeal court and the supreme court had earlier endorsed the punishment."