Muslim groups want Selangor MB to can Oktoberfest, don claims festival unconstitutional

(Malay Mail Online) – Muslims in Selangor are demanding that Mentri Besar Azmin Ali cancel the Oktoberfest beer festival in the state for being offensive and insulting to the community, local Malay dailies reported today.

Targeting one such event at the One Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya, one Muslim group said approval for a billboard publicizing the festival appeared consent to invite Muslims in the area to join the beer festival.

The billboard in question at Jalan Subang in Section U2, which was approved by the Shah Alam Municipal Council (MBSA).

“What is upsetting and can be assumed rude is that the beer festival is being organised in the month of Zulhijah, in which Muslims observe the Hajj and Qurban.

“We do not have a problem with the programme (Oktoberfest) but it should be done by observing the culture and sensitivities of the Muslim-majority,” Kosmo quoted the president of Ikatan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Selangor, Rosdi Long, as saying.

Rosdi was also reported saying that the commitment of the new Selangor administration to defend the sanctity of Islam, is also under test with the organising of Oktoberfest.

The tabloid and Utusan Malaysia also quoted Selangor Umno chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar as urging Azmin to remove the billboard immediately.

“When Barisan Nasional (BN) was in power, the state government never allowed alcohol advertisements to be put up freely.

“Is the Selangor government now doing otherwise by permitting and encouraging such advertisements to be publicised on billboards belonging to local authorities?” Noh was quoted as saying..

Berita Harian quoted Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) law professor Datin Noor Aziah Mohd Awal as saying that the celebration violates the Federal Constitution.

According to Noor Aziah, alcohol festivals cannot be organised in open spaces and such events are only confined to licensed alcohol selling outlets.

“The organiser has to seek for a permit as stipulated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, if they want to proceed with the event in an open area.

“However, in this case permits would not be issued at it (Oktoberfest) violates the Federal Constitution,” she was quoted saying by the daily.

Muslim groups including controversial Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) have taken aim at Oktoberfest this month, claiming the event will tarnish Malaysia’s image as an “Islamic country” and “bring ruin” to the nation.

Although the event is promoted to non-Muslims, several Muslim groups have urged their supporters to rally against the event and venues that serve alcohol as part of the festival.

Oktoberfest is held annually in Malaysia with the two biggest breweries GAB and Carlsberg holding several drinking parties in major towns nationwide.

Oktoberfest was originally celebrated in Munich, Germany to accompany horse races, but has grown into “the world’s largest funfair”, attracting millions of visitors every year.

Revisiting the Theory of the Lazy Malays!

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan, The Ant Daily

This piece is an offshoot of the old colonial theory of the lazy natives. But this theory was debunked by the late Professor Syed Hussein Al-Attas in his book “The Myth of the Lazy Native”. It took him seven years to produce this very authoritative book after having done a very exhaustive research on the matter.

The colonial writers during the period of the expansion of imperialism had painted a very poor and degrading picture of the natives in the places that the imperial powers had colonised. This was particularly so concerning the Javanese, the Filipinos and the Malays.

One colonial writer from Germany insinuated that the Filipinos chose to construct their rafts from bamboos so that they could lie down and relax. By this, he implied that these natives just wanted to relax and not do any work. What a silly conclusion!

The natives in these countries were already toiling the land to produce food and amenities for their own communities. The sea had also been their source of food and so were the many rivers in their area. They were already independent economic activists. They needed nothing from the colonialists.

It was the colonialists who needed their services to produce the goods that their home countries needed. They wanted tin and other minerals. And they needed a labour force to produce these raw materials.

The indigenous people were simply not interested in helping the colonialists in their ventures. They would not pawn their freedom and they would not compromise their sovereignty in being independent workers in their own right. They were tied to the land as farmers and they were grateful that the seas and rivers provided them with plentiful fish and other products.

Their attitude was simply a setback to the aims and goals of the colonialists. The only way out for the colonialists was to bring in people from their other colonial territories which had an abundance of unemployed labour force.

In the Southeast Asian countries that they had colonised, there was no unemployment and the people were fully engaged in productive activities. There was no starvation that would compel them to leave the land for some other economic activities.

Royal Professor Ungku Aziz had expounded this elaborately in his writings on rural economics. His students were made to understand the economic activities in the rural areas. The work carried out by the rural folks was back breaking and they were subjected to all types of unkind weather situations. No lazy individual could face up to such a situation.

The environment that they were in and faced did not warrant them to venture into other economic spheres. But the end of colonial power had changed the whole economic scenario in these areas.

Suddenly the new governments especially in Malaya wanted to change this situation and had wanted the Malays to advance like all other ethnic communities in the country.

Thus, the lazy Malays theory had taken a twist.

The main cause was the affirmative action agenda. This agenda was the short cut to get Malays to be wealthy.

Thus in the Federation of Malaya, the Umno government wanted to leapfrog the Malays into a modern setting, creating a new class to be involved in business and commerce. Agencies were set up to provide the necessary help towards creating this new economic class. But the effort failed.

A new approach was made by granting some Umno warlords contracts to undertake government projects. Not having the expertise and the relevant attitude to undertake these contracts, they sub-contracted these projects to those non-Malays who had the experience and know-how.

A new Malay business class came into being through procuring commissions on the projects that had been given. That was not the desired goal of the scheme.

Thus the government itself set up enterprises and employed civil service bureaucrats to run and manage these government established business entities. Public money had to be used to establish them.

Not many of these enterprises met with great success. Many lost money. Thus the Malays had two types of bureaucrats, either they belonged to the civil service or were engaged in manning these government linked companies.

Another phenomenon was to award projects to those one or two so-called Malay capitalists so as to ensure that these projects will not fail. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar represents this kind of strategy.

All in all, it can be said that the modern lazy Malays had been created by Umno and the Umno Baru government.

I am not an apologist but this is to correct the misconception on the matter.

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan is a former press secretary to second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and the writer of the book, “The Unmaking of Malaysia”.

Bung and Lateefah: Cat fight on Twitter

The two take to Twitter to launch attacks against each other.

KUALA LUMPUR: True to form, Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin caused quite a stir when he picked a fight with Lawyers for Liberty co-founder Latheefa Koya for her blatant remark that he be gotten rid of.

Giving her an ultimatum of either apologising within 24 hours or facing the wrath of the police, Bung tweeted, “You have 24 hours to offer an explanation or apologise. If not, I will lodge a police report.”

The tweet in question from Latifah was, “Rather than get rid of the Sedition Act, it’s better to get rid of the Kinabatangan MP instead.”

Bung defended himself against detractors online, saying that (sic) “If somebody sms u to eliminate ur family… What would you do?”, adding that “I just need explanation from her… Nowadays, everybody is capable to kill anybody.”

Bung, who clearly interpreted the comment as a ‘death threat’, drew return fire from Latheefa, who told the MP that the “PDRM are not your private bodyguards” and warned him “Don’t try to threaten anti-Sedition activists! Rampaging with a draconian act.”

In an apparent tit for tat, Lateefa gave Bung 24 hours to retract his statement that the Sedition Act be used against those calling for its repeal.

Eric Paulsen of Lawyers for Liberty weighed in on the situation, saying, “(Bung) is a symbol of all that is wrong with UMNO’s culture of entitlement – they can say the most offensive things but others can’t.”

Is Najib Razak the Prime Minister of a two-headed government – whose PM wants Malaysia to be the world “best democracy” but whose AG’s sedition spree aims to make Malaysia the world’s “worst democracy”?

Lim Kit Siang Blog

Is Datuk Seri Najib Razak the Prime Minister of a two-headed government – whose Prime Minister wants Malaysia to be the world’s “best democracy” but whose Attorney-General’s recent sedition spree of selective and malicious prosecutions aims to make Malaysia the world’s “worst democracy”.

This question automatically arises from the parliamentary answer today on the recent sedition blitz by the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who asked the Prime Minister whether the government’s use of the law against Pakatan Rakyat leaders, activists and intellectuals was in line with the prime minister’s commitment to make Malaysia more democratic.

Answering during Parliament’s Question Time, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri defended the spate of sedition prosecutions, claiming that the Malaysian government practises and upholds the doctrine of the separation of powers and as such the government does not interfere in the Attorney-General’s Chambers affairs.

Nancy is very mixed-up as she has made a fatal error about the doctrine of separation of powers, as the Attorney-General is part of the executive and not the judiciary in the doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.
The doctrine of separation of powers is totally irrelevant and does not apply in the blitzkrieg of sedition prosecutions – which is an executive action and not an action of the judiciary.

Although Article 145(3) of the Malaysian Constitution vests in the Attorney-General the sole discretionary power “to institute, continue or discontinue any proceedings for any offence”, the AG’s prosecution decisions are actions of the Executive and not of the Judiciary, which means the Prime Minister must assume full responsibilities for the AG’s decision and cannot disclaim responsibility on the ground of the doctrine of separation of powers.

It is completely unthinkable in any parliamentary democracy that the Attorney-General could give the country a bad international reputation by launching a dragnet of selective and malicious prosecutions under a repressive colonial law like the Sedition Act, and the Prime Minister can fold his arms to disclaim responsibility on the ground that he is not responsible for the actions of the AG on the ground that this is a judicial and not an executive exercise of power.

A responsible Prime Minister would have reined in the Attorney-General and end the spate of sedition prosecutions, especially when they are completely at odds with his mandate to make Malaysia the world’s “best democracy” and are selective and malicious as being aimed at opposition leaders, critics and activists, or alternatively, sack the incumbent and appoint a new Attorney-General.

Why is Najib allowing the Attorney-General to make mince-meat of his pledge to make Malaysia the world’s best democracy with his spate of sedition prosecutions – unless the Prime Minister has given secret authorisation to the AG but dare not openly admit responsibility?

In her reply, Nancy also claimed that the government does not practise favouritism in taking action against anyone found guilty of committing sedition.

There is not only a long list of cases to prove Nancy wrong, and substantiate the sad state of affairs where the administration of justice in Malaysia has gone very awry not only with the selective and malicious prosecution under the Sedition Act but also selective and malicious investigation by the Police under the same Act.

The latest instance happened only today.

Last Sunday, the UMNO mouthpiece, Mingguan Malaysia front-paged and headlined the proposal by a junior Umno leader that the UMNO general assembly next month should debate whether the Chinese vernacular schools should be abolished on the baseless and spurious ground that it had been used by the opposition to breed racial and anti-government sentiments.

Junior MCA, Gerakan and SUPP leaders reacted by calling for the junior UMNO leader to be charged for sedition, but the police today said that they will not investigate the junior UMNO leader for sedition over his suggestion that the Chinese vernacular system be abolished.

Although MCA Youth had even lodged a police report, the Malay Mail Online quoted the Sepang police chief Supt Mohd Yusoff Awang as saying that the case has been categorised as a civil matter after police investigations.

Isn’t this the latest example that the police had been guilty of selective and malicious investigation (or lack of investigation) on sedition cases, apart from the selective and malicious prosecution by the Attorney-General’s Chamber?

Dare the MCA, Gerakan and SUPP Ministers protest at such double standards by the police and the Attorney-General’s chambers in their administration of justice in the next Cabinet meeting and to demand for a halt of the sedition dragnet, with the dropping of all sedition charges?

China Reaffirms Good Relationship With Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia-China cooperation including in dealing with the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and major joint ventures, were among the subjects discussed by a high-ranking Chinese politician with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, here Tuesday.

The visiting State Councillor Yang Jie Chi called on Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, at the Finance Ministry here.

Also present were the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, China's Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Liu Zhenmin.

Ong said during the 40-minute meeting, Najib and Yang exchanged views on the ongoing major joint-venture projects including the China-Malaysia Qingzhou Industrial Park in Qingzhou, China and its sister park Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park in Gebeng, Pahang and Xiamen University's Malaysia Campus in Sepang.

"The discussions went very well. The Chinese government views seriously on proposals and suggestions by the Malaysian government and all the cooperations both countries are undertaking in terms of economic, trade cooperation, regional cooperation and also education," he told Bernama after the meeting.

Ong said Yang, who is on a two-day visit to Malaysia starting today, also conveyed messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese premier Le Keqiang to Najib to reaffirm the good relationship with Malaysia.

Ong also said that China reaffirmed that Malaysia continued to be a good neighbour, close friends and would do everything possible to deepen the good relationship further.

"They appreciate our prime minister's visionary and the good (bilateral) relationship which was established 40 years ago," he said.

During the meeting, Najib and Yang also discussed the preparation for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting 2014 which will be held in Beijing this November, he said.

On the missing MAS flight MH370, Ong said both Najib and Yang reaffirmed the cooperation and good understanding under the trying times to overcome challenges.

"We will continue to work together and implement everything possible in the search and also in dealing with the unfortunate incident," he said.

The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 aircraft, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, disappeared about an hour after leaving the KL International Airport at 12.41 am on March 8.

The fate of those on board flight MH370 is unknown as the multi-national search for the aircraft whose flight path was believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean, has drawn a blank, thus far.

Zaid: Forget IS, look at violence in us

Amid the ongoing sedition dragnet, former minister Zaid Ibrahim continues to push the envelope, claiming that the "Islamic state of Malaysia" may perhaps be more violent than the Islamic state (IS) itself.

He called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to look at the violence being committed in their own backyard.

Zaid was commenting on their condemnation of the violence perpetuated by the Islamic State (IS) movement.

"Cutting someone's head off may be unacceptable but isn't it fair to ask how Malaysia is any different?

"IS leaders say those who don't accept their decisions violate religious tenets and commit the offence of insulting the religion, which means their position is no different from religious leaders in Malaysia," he wrote in his blog today.

Zaid noted that IS could argue that God's laws are perfect and therefore there is no need to incorporate and embrace other world experiences, morality or value systems in determining the application of divine laws.

"They would be as 'correct' in their stance as (Malaysian Islamic bodies) Jakim and Jawi," he added.

In Malaysia, Zaid noted, if an abandoned child is found and remains unclaimed after several weeks, the fatwa is that the baby is deemed to be a Muslim.

"This means the baby is automatically disqualified from being adopted by a non-Muslim family. To make things more difficult, some Muslims are reluctant to adopt babies born out of wedlock.

"So where does this unfortunate newborn go? It looks to me that the Islamic state of Malaysia is just as violent, if not more so than IS if it’s not even willing to defend a child’s integrity and safety," he added.

Looking for plentiful signs of compassion

To distinguish the "Islamic state of Malaysia" from IS, the former minister said, he is desperately looking for signs that compassion and justice, which Islam promotes, are plentiful here.

"But I do not see enough of them," he lamented.

"My remarks will anger some Muslims. They will say that I am a bad Muslim, with the audacity of trying to change God's laws.

"But I am not changing anything. I am merely questioning the understanding of these laws. If we cannot question them, then our clerics are no different from IS clerics, who just need to declare that God’s laws are perfect and kill all their opponents," he added.

So before Najib and Anwar continue condemning IS, Zaid hoped the two would take a good, long and hard look around the country and the misery that Muslims suffer.

"If they truly want to showcase the true and peaceful Islam, they need to engage local Muslims on substantive issues regarding their faith.

"These two leaders must be prepared to talk about things that matter to the country, even if it means losing some votes in the process," he added.

Airstrikes target ISIS near Kobani: 'Finally, they are hitting the right places'

By Holly Yan, Josh Levs, and Mohammed Tawfeeq,

(CNN) -- Airstrikes targeting ISIS struck near the crucial Syrian city of Kobani overnight.

Five airstrikes near that city targeted groups of ISIS fighters, U.S. Central Command said. There were another four strikes elsewhere in Syria and four in Iraq.

"Finally, they are hitting the right places," one local fighter against ISIS said after the airstrikes near Kobani, which is close to the Turkish border and key to ISIS' effort to extend its terrain.

Were Kobani to fall, ISIS would control a complete swath of land between its self-declared capital of Raqqa, Syria, and Turkey -- a stretch of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles).
Iraqi troops fight ISIS outside Baghdad
Photos: Iraq under siege Photos: Iraq under siege
How can U.S. cut off ISIS funding?

Outnumbered and outgunned by ISIS, local fighters trying to defend the Kurdish-dominated city have tried to flee into Turkey.

Airstrikes against the radical Islamist group in Kobani can be challenging because many targets there are too close to the Turkish border or Kurdish forces to strike, a senior U.S. military official said.

Violent protests in Turkey

People upset over what they consider Turkey's failure to respond adequately to the ISIS threat launched protests in Turkey, some of which turned violent.

There were clashes overnight in Istanbul, and a group of about 50 to 60 protesters blocked a road, CNN affiliate CNN Turk reported.

Some demonstrators set fire to a bus and garbage truck and smashed windows and cars.

A 23-year-old man was killed in the midst of a protest, according to Sabite Ekinci, mayor of the town of Varto. The man was shot, Ekinci said.

Two other people were injured, she said.

In Belgium, meanwhile, Kurdish protesters stormed the European Parliament building. CNN affiliate RTL Belgium said about 50 protesters stormed into the building. Police then cordoned it off.

Some European nations have joined the fight against ISIS, but the Kurdish protesters want tougher action.

Belgium participated in overnight airstrikes in Iraq, U.S. Central Command said.

Dutch join in

Dutch forces participated for the first time in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq as well, dropping three bombs on ISIS vehicles that were shooting at Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement. The vehicles were destroyed, and ISIS fighters may have been killed, the ministry said.

In Syria, according to U.S. Central Command, the airstrikes against ISIS included:


• 1 south of Kobani destroyed three ISIS armed vehicles and damaged another

• 1 southeast of Kobani destroyed an ISIS armed vehicle carrying anti-aircraft artillery

• 2 southwest of Kobani damaged an ISIS tank

• 1 south of Kobani destroyed an ISIS unit

Elsewhere in Syria, two strikes west of al-Hasakah hit multiple ISIS buildings, one near Deir Ezzor struck an ISIS staging area and IED production facility, and one southwest of Rabiyah struck a small group of ISIS fighters.

The United States, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all participated in the strikes, Central Command said.

Death toll in fight for Kobani

More than 400 people have been killed in the fight for Kobani since mid-September, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.

The group said it has documented the deaths of 219 ISIS jihadists, 163 members of the Kurdish militia, and 20 civilians.

A northern Iraqi hospital has received the bodies of at least 29 suspected ISIS militants, the head of the Tal Afar hospital said Tuesday.

Danial Qassim said most were killed in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes overnight.

Tal Afar is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Mosul -- Iraq's second-largest city. Mosul has also been overtaken by ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

U.S. military airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria have cost more than $62 million so far, according to data provided by the U.S. Defense Department.

The data, apparently sent out inadvertently to the Pentagon's press contacts on Monday, listed the total number of airstrikes by U.S. Central Command in Iraq and Syria. It also detailed locations of targets and specified the costs of munitions used.

Bajet 2015: Semoga 'rakyat didahulukan', kata warga kota

Islamic State Video Calls Western Jihadists to Attack at Home

Algemeiner

A new Islamic State video released titled “Message of the Mujahid” calls on Western jihadists unable to travel to territory controlled by the terrorist group to conduct attacks at home. The message also offers a pointed rebuke of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the U.S.-led bombing campaign.

“A message to all of the brothers who cannot do Hijrah, I advise you to respond to the call of the sheik, the mujahid (Holy Warrior) Mohammed al-Adnani, to cause terror in the hearts of the kuffar (unbelievers),” the unidentified Islamic State spokesman said. “You are living in the West, you can cause terror in the hearts of the kuffar, right in the center of the kuffar in the center of all that shirk (polytheism), you can cause terror right from within.

“So unlike us, you can cause real damage right within the heart of Dar al-Kuffar (Land of Unbelief), so rise up my brothers. Rise up!”

He starts out the video mocking Cameron and the Western leaders for thinking they can defeat the Islamic State with bombs dropped from the air, chiding them that if they were “real men” they would send ground troops to fight them.

“You know that in the hearts of your men, they’re cowards,” the spokesman says. “So America, you think you are a superpower, when in fact if you were a superpower, you wouldn’t need these 40 nations to come and fight us.”

“Know that all power belongs to Allah, and Allah is with [the pious Muslims], so you could send your planes above us, but know that Allah is above your planes,” he continued. “You are fighting people who love death more than you love life.”

The message warns that the West and their Muslim allies can send all of their men, reserves, and backups, and the Islamic State will send them back one-by-one in coffins.

In a special message to British Muslims, he says that the caliphate has been re-established and calls on them to leave the land of the unbelievers and come to the Islamic State.

“If now is not the time to do Hijrah then when is the time,” the spokesman asks. “Why are you still in Dar al-Kuffar? What does Dar al-Kuffar have to offer you? We have the Islamic State here, and we are fighting jihad.”

He tells them that the “despicable” West has nothing to offer them.

This reaffirms the Islamic State’s desperate desire to inspire attacks against Western targets and hopes to turn Muslims against their home countries.

ISIS Lists Out 5 Islamic Reasons to Justify Beheading Alan Henning and other Captives

By Johnlee Varghese

In reply to the outburst over the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning, the Islamic State has released a five point explanation, especially meant for the Muslims to justify the brutal killing.

The five reasons aim to lay down an explanation based on Islamic principles to "guide the permissibility of killing the Prisoners."

Using views and opinions laid down by Islamic scholars, the ISIS statement tries to clarify to its followers that as per the Islamic dictates it has the right to behead or do what it wants with its prisoners.

The Sunni militant group that has taken control of several parts of Syria and Iraq wants to establish an Islamic State governed purely on principles of Sharia law.

The ISIS guide tells the "faithful" on how to reply to those who say that prisoners in Islam are not killed but rather shown compassion.

The first argument notes that all Mushrik (anyone who worship any other God other than Allah, which includes the Shias, Yazidis, the Kurds) can neither be granted amnesty nor be ransomed off. Quoting a passage from Surah Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War), it says: "Punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson."

The second argument states the reason that a "kufaar" (including Jews and Christians) has to be killed is that if they are not killed, they will later return and pose a threat to Islam.

The third argument is that until and unless a prisoner says subhaanahu wa ta'ala, he can neither be shown generosity and freed without ransom nor be set free after paying a ransom.

The fourth is that amnesty and ransom are possible only after the killing of a large number. So if a captive was imprisoned after that, the Imam has a choice to kill him or (do) otherwise.

The fifth argument is that the Imam or someone acting on his behalf can choose between killing, amnesty, ransom or enslaving the prisoner.

Sabah MP welcomes disclosure of illegal immigration report in Parliament

After months of waiting, the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Sabah's illegal immigration problem will finally be made public when it is brought to the next Parliament sitting.

This promise made by Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who is from Sabah, has been welcomed by Penampang MP Dareel Leiking.

Leiking said this was the first time a minister had stated so clearly that the RCI report would be released to the public.

"Prior to this, despite many calls by the peoples of Sabah for the government to release the report, Putrajaya has kept quiet. The minister’s words, if true, will be an early Christmas gift to the people of Sabah," he said in a letter to The Malaysian Insider today.

Rahman had said the RCI report would be tabled in Parliament, which convenes its next sitting tomorrow.

Rahman said this during a forum "Sabah dalam atau keluar Malaysia" (Sabah in or out of Malaysia), which was organised by Suara Masyarakat Sabah (SMS), a non-governmental organisation based in Kota Kinabalu.

It has been more than a year since the RCI proceedings ended at the Kota Kinabalu High Court, with 211 witnesses giving their testimony, and five months since the RCI report was submitted to the King.

Leiking said Rahman (pic, below) also told the forum during the question and answer session that the Cabinet felt that MPs should get the report before the public.

"I, as the people’s representative for Penampang, cannot wait to read the final RCI report. I can only hope this RCI report will provide the closure that Sabah needs in order to move forward.

"The 2.4 million 'real' Sabahans, cannot wait to read the RCI report. Since the 1970s, the people of Sabah have suffered in every aspect of normal living by the sheer number of illegals moving into Sabah," Leiking said.

The Borneo state's population rose by 390% over 30 years, with the arrival of illegal immigrants who were later allegedly made citizens through Project IC.

"These illegals not only took jobs away from Sabahans but flooded our hospitals and schools and contributed to the lawless reputation of the state.

"No other state in Malaysia, or for that matter no other country, would tolerate this sort of people invasion," Leiking said.

The RCI, chaired by former Borneo chief judge Tan Sri Steve Shim, began on September 21, 2012, and covered eight terms of reference.

These included investigating the number of foreigners issued Malaysian identity cards via Project IC, whether the issuance was in accordance with the law, whether they had been registered in the Sabah electoral roll and the social implications of these foreigners in Sabah.

Amid all the testimonies heard during the year-long proceedings, which concluded in September last year, the names of former deputy home minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad frequently cropped up.

Dr Mahathir, who appeared before the panel last year, denied any knowledge of Project IC.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was Dr Mahathir's deputy until he was sacked in 1998, also testified and said it was impossible for the latter not to know about Project IC as such a large-scale operation could not have been carried out without the approval of the executive, especially since Dr Mahathir was also Home Minister in the late 1980s and throughout most of the 1990s.

Project IC refers to the allegations of systematic granting of citizenship to legal or illegal immigrants by issuing them Malaysian identity cards (IC), which were later renamed "MyKad".

It was reported that by the end of the proceedings, a key point that was clear then was the fact that illegal immigrants in Sabah had been issued Malaysian identity cards indiscriminately.

Witnesses who were asked how the problem could be solved said it would be very difficult as some of the immigrants have lived in Sabah for decades.

After the proceedings, the commissioners worked through the various exhibits and documents tendered during the inquiry, and in May this year the RCI submitted its report on the outcome of the investigations to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. – October 6, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sabah-mp-pleased-with-ministers-statement-on-disclosure-of-rci-report#sthash.xmv15vQO.dpuf

Bus driver stabbed by commuter on morning rounds, in critical condition

A Rapid Penang bus driver was stabbed while on duty this morning, allegedly by a female passenger.

The 6am incident happened as the victim Aisyamudin Yaacob, 27, was driving along Jalan Paya Terubong towards Balik Pulau, police said.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said the driver was critically wounded by the suspect.

He was given help by another Rapid Penang bus driver, who passed Aisyamudin's bus that was stopped by the road.

The other driver S. Shanker immediately called for an ambulance, he said.

"We still do not know what sparked the incident," Mior said, adding that the suspect has yet to be found.

"The bus has no closed circuit television that caught the incident on video."

It is uncertain whether there were other passengers onboard.

The victim's supervisor V.K. Siva Kumar, 38, lodged a police report at 6.50am after he was notified by staff at the bus company's Sungai Dua depot.

Mior said Siva Kumar told the police that Aisyamudin had described the woman as in her 40s and appeared mentally unsound when he was helped by Shanker before he passed out.

"Shanker found the man very weak after losing a lot of blood. Aisyamudim told him about the woman and said he was attacked with a sharp object," he said.

The victim is now being treated at the Penang Hospital red zone. His current condition is listed as critical.

Mior said the victim lost a lot of blood in his right thigh, as the weapon hit his central nervous system.

"He is still unconscious," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.

Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, which operates Rapid Penang, in a statement said the company will give its full cooperation to the police.

The statement added that the company was also very concerned about the driver, who is still in critical condition.

"The driver is currently undergoing surgery at the Penang General Hospital. In the meantime, we will render every assistance possible to his family.

"We also hope the suspect will be arrested as soon as possible," he added. – October 6, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bus-driver-stabbed-by-commuter-on-morning-rounds#sthash.Y4lElhMO.dpuf

PAS president digging own grave, says Zam

Former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) with non-Muslim parties and endorsement of Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters, will boot him out of the party.

 

In a scathing attack on Hadi, PAS deputy president Muhammad Sabu, DAP and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, Zam (as Zainuddin is known) wrote that Hadi's willingness to work with non-Muslims will lead to the same fate as his predecessor Asri Muda, who was voted out of PAS for wanting to work with Umno. 

 

In his recent blog posting, Zam said Hadi’s tahaluf siyasi with the non Muslim parties has dug his own grave.

 

He also said that Hadi had allowed Anwar supporters such as Mat Sabu to inflitrate the party.

He is now being “drowned” just as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed would have drowned had he not sacked Anwar from Umno in 1998, wrote Zam. 

 

He further added that Hadi’s undoing of himself became clear when he supported Mat Sabu and sidelined (the then deputy president) Nasharuddin Md Isa at the 2011 PAS annual delegate conference Muktamar. 

 

“One day before PAS booted out progressive ulama such as Nasharuddin and Astora Jebat, a great religious writer, I bumped into Husam Musa, Mahfuz Omar and Muhammad Sabu at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

"Knowing that Mat Sabu was a challenger to the deputy president’s post, I suspected a confrontation was happening. I believed that it happened with the blessings of Hadi,” said Zam. 

 

The former minister said that Hadi (right in photo) had “replaced an Islamic intellectual” with “a leader whose strength depends on actions and controversies”.

 

He said this was also when Hadi “threw away” the idea of an Islamic state in preference of a  “welfare state”.

 

Zam said that Mat Sabu has been given moral support then by Hadi to challenge Nasharuddin and this annihilated the party’s image as a religious party. 

 

He said that with such support, it was Hadi himself who had went for the cooperation of Muslim and non-Muslim parties to build an utopian country which is clean, just and honest, to replace Umno.

 

 Also while it may appear that tahaluf siyasi may taken PAS away from the hands of the ulama, Zam believes Hadi’s post is not very secure now with the party's rocky relationship with Pakatan Rakyat an indicator.

 

“Therefore the present PAS ulama leadership will not be thrown away or sidelined. Hadi will receive the same fate as the religious nationalist leader Asri,” predicted Zam.

Azmin to meet Selangor Islamic bodies over Bible impasse

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali is still waiting for the state Islamic authorities to explain the impasse over their seizure of Malay and Iban-language Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).

"I haven't received an explanation from Jais and Mais. This will be the next issue we address as we have been focusing on the water restructuring agreement and other matters last week," Azmin said when met at his Hari Raya Aidiladha open house in Hulu Kelang today.

Meetings with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais) are in the pipeline, he said, adding that he had to prioritise which of the contentious issues inherited from his predecessor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to deal with first.

Azmin said he would send a formal written request to the federal government to release the Selangor water agreement from the Official Secrets Act. To date, his administration still has not seen a copy of the agreement signed by Khalid and Putrajaya, although they have been briefed on the documents by the state's investment arm, Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB).

Asked whether the Bibles were still in the custody of the religious authorities, Azmin said he did not have that information.

"I have no information at this moment, I will discuss it with Jais," he said.

He also would not commit to whether the Bibles will be returned until having met Jais.

"It depends on the discussion with Jais, it won't be fair of me to make a decision now without getting the latest information," he said.

More than 300 copies of the Bahasa Malaysia Alkitab and the Bub Kudus in the Iban language were seized from the BSM by Jais enforcement officers on January 2 this year.

The Attorney-General has decided not to press charges but the state Islamic authorities have also refused to return the Bibles, leading to the current impasse.

Lawyers have said that BSM can still file a civil action to force Jais and Mais to return the Bibles and could also ask for damages if the Bibles had been destroyed, although this would be awarded at the court's discretion.

BSM has missed the 90-day window to file a judicial review on Mais's June 13 decision not to return the Bibles despite the A-G not pressing charges. – October 6, 2014

The right to receive education in one’s mother tongue is a basic human right

Press Statement

SJKCs educate children of all races to be patriotic, peace loving and law abiding Malaysian citizens. To claim that Chinese vernacular schools are sowing racist sentiments to our children is simply nonsensical. It is the racist arguments in the tune of Petaling Jaya Utara UMNO deputy chief Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad that aggravate racial divide and distrust in the country.

In line with UNESCO’s convention against Discrimination in Education 1960 which prohibits discrimination in education ”based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic condition or birth”, Article 152 of our Federal Constitution provides that the national language shall be the Malay language provided that no person shall be prohibited or prevented from teaching or learning any other language. Such right enshrined in the Constitution must not be disturbed and disputed.

The right to receive education in one’s mother tongue, especially at the early stage in education, is a basic human right recognised world wide.

Diversity in race and culture has always been a unique strength for Malaysia to compete in this highly globalised economy.

With the influence of the British for more than a century, and the fact that our society are formed by the local Malays, indigenous people together with descendants of the migrants from China, India as well as the Malay archipelago, Malaysians have the best of both the East and West. By and large, we are multi-lingual and we understand the different cultures practiced by the world citizens. We should recognise and capitalise our strengths to put Malaysia in the world map instead of entangling ourselves with self-serving and narrow minded view of closing down vernacular schools in Malaysia. To do so is to take a big step backwards!

It is ignorant to say that Malaysia is the only country in the world that practises the dual-stream education system. There is nothing wrong in providing alternatives to enhance competitiveness. In fact, in many federated nations, education comes under state’s jurisdiction, education systems thus vary from state to state.

Chinese vernacular schools are not only for Malaysian Chinese. In almost all SJKCs in the suburban and rural areas in Sabah, more than 50% are bumiputera, some more than 70%. It is also common for SJKCs in the urban areas to have up to 30% bumiputera students. With such student compositions, the schools are actually melting pots that enhance national integration. I wonder how one can claim that these schools breed racism.

Datuk Teo Chee Kang JP
President
Liberal Democratic Party

Kit Siang: Is Pakatan still relevant?

The DAP leader calls for an urgent meeting of the PR Leadership Council to find out whether the coalition is at its end game.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang has called for an “urgent meeting” of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Leadership Council to find out whether the alliance “is still relevant to the hopes and expectations of Malaysians”.

In his latest blog posting, he suggested that the members of the Council take the opportunity to meet during breaks in the Parliament session that begins tomorrow.

He said there was no denying that the Selangor Menteri Besar (MB) controversy had caused the alliance to suffer its worst crisis and most serious loss of public confidence since its formation six years ago.

“The jury is still out whether PR can recover” before the 14th general election, he added.

He said PR was lucky that Selangor Barisan Nasional was too weak to exploit the situation. “But the next time,” he warned, “PR is not going to be so lucky.”

He said DAP, PKR and PAS must address the “critical” question of whether PR “is capable of closing ranks or is at the stage of its end game.”

He said the PR leadership council was “virtually crippled” during the MB crisis by the breakdown of its consensus principle.

He said the proposed meeting should reaffirm the component parties’ “commitment and adherence to the PR’s two founding principles – upholding the PR common policy framework and abiding by the PR operational principle of consensus.”

“A working committee with three or four representatives from each PR component party should be entrusted with the urgent responsibility to formulate recommendations as to how PR could learn from the recent crisis,” he said.

“A repeat of such a crisis would spell the end and demise of the PR coalition.”

Wishes that bring nightmares

Be careful what you wish for, says Zaid Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should be careful when they wish for something because getting our heart’s desire could cost us our peace, security and even our lives, says former law minister Zaid Ibrahim in his latest blog posting.

Referring to BR1M as the realisation of a Malaysian dream for “an advanced economy and cash handouts”, he says this comes at the cost of having to pay more for goods and services.

“As we draw closer to the year 2020, when we target to finally wearing our ‘developed nation’ crown, we will continue to have to endure a high cost of living with desperately low wages,” he says. “The people will have to pay more for tolls, for insurance and transport, for medical fees as well as for housing.

“Theoretically, wages should rise in developed economies, but for some reason ours do not.”

Referring to the formation of Malaysia, he says, “Fifty years ago, we had our wish for Sabah and Sarawak to become part of the Malay Empire.

“Now that Sabah is under Umno and has more Muslims than Christians, we have got our wish. But for this, too, we have to pay the price.

“Project IC has seen Filipinos make up 800,000 or 25 per cent of Sabah’s population. Many more millions of Filipinos living in Mindanao harbour hopes of joining them. Their kin and friends are already in Sabah, both legally and illegally.

“Our security is now breached regularly, and the last incident in Kudat and Sampoerna cost us more than RM200 million and many lives. We should be careful what we wish for.’’

He says, “Umno Malays had this wish that they wanted to rule the country without much fuss from the Chinese and Indian parties. Umno became the only party that counted in the Barisan Nasional (BN) structure, and this gave rise to Ketuanan Melayu and Ketuanan Islam.”

He attributes the raft of sedition charges to the consequences of this wish – non-Malays withdrawing their support for BN and having their loyalty questioned.

He says a more recent wish for a “transformational cabinet” has also turned up something undesirable. “None among [the men of integrity and advocates of transparency in the cabinet] dared ask the Prime Minister about the mysterious goings-on at 1Malaysia Development Berhad and the billions of ringgit at stake.”

So Malaysians, says Zaid, be careful what you wish for because “nothing comes free, except wishful thinking.”

Malaysia’s Deplorable Sedition Act

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The Malaysian government has increasingly employed the Sedition Act, a British colonial era law, to intimidate and silence political opponents. The law criminalizes speech uttered “to excite disaffection” against the government and defines sedition so broadly that it is an invitation to authoritarian abuse.

Prime Minister Najib Razak had promised to repeal the act, but, since the general elections in May last year, his government has made full use of the law to hound his critics. While Mr. Najib’s ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, won 60 percent of the parliamentary seats in the election, for the first time since independence in 1957, the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, won a 51 percent majority of the popular vote.

The elections seem to have shaken the government enough for it to arrest and prosecute an array of politicians, journalists, academics, students, religious leaders and civil society activists who did not advocate the overthrow of the government. For example, a senior opposition politician was charged with sedition for criticizing a decision by the appeals court in a statement to the news media. A local state assemblyman was charged for allegedly saying “damn, damn” about the government’s United Malays National Organization to several assemblymen. Since 2013, at least 14 people have been charged. Those found guilty can face up to three years in prison.

Mr. Najib’s crackdown is a deplorable attack on free speech and a serious threat to democracy. He appeared to understand this danger when he promised to repeal the Sedition Act. He should do so immediately.

Lawyers to march against Sedition Act on October 16

Malay Mail
by BOO SU-LYN

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — The Malaysian Bar is set to rally against the Sedition Act 1948 on October 16 in the city centre here after passing resolutions at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) demanding a repeal of the law.

The Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee chair Syahredzan Johan said the circular on the protest scheduled at the Padang Merbok car park, called “Walk for Peace and Freedom”, was issued to Malaysian Bar members this afternoon.

“The Bar before this has only walked three times,” Syahredzan told Malay Mail Online today.

“This will be the fourth time. Each time the Bar has walked, it’s a serious issue. This shows how serious the Malaysian Bar sees the Sedition Act and the current abuse of the Act,” the lawyer added.

Syahredzan said the Malaysian Bar previously demonstrated against the Peaceful Assembly Act in 2011, corruption in the judiciary in 2007 and attempted amendments to the Societies Act in the 1980s.

In the circular posted on the Malaysian Bar website, its president Christopher Leong said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had pledged in 2012 to abolish the Sedition Act and that the replacement law would “strengthen national cohesion by protecting national unity and nurturing religious harmony”.

“The Sedition Act 1948 is antithetical and counter-productive to these values, and to our aspirations for a better Malaysia,” said Leong.

“I call on all members and pupils in chambers to please attend the Walk and express your aspirations and support for a better Malaysia premised on peace, harmony, unity, understanding and freedom from fear, intimidation, exploitation, oppression and extremism,” he added.

The Malaysian Bar voted at its September 19 EGM to hold a peaceful protest against the Sedition Act, amid a government crackdown under the colonial-era law against lawyers, opposition lawmakers and academics, among others.

The legal profession body also passed resolutions calling for the abolition of the Sedition Act, the withdrawal of all charges that are pending, a suspension of the use of the law and for the Act not to be recast into a new law.

At least 20 people have been investigated or charged under the Sedition Act in the space of one month recently, sparking criticisms that the government was abusing the law to quell dissent.

With growing pressure from conservatives within his own party, Umno, Najib said recently that the government may not repeal the Sedition Act after all if replacement laws were inferior.

RMN's Missing CB204 Found, Seven Crew Safe - RMN Chief

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)'s combat boat CB90 which went missing off Pulau Mengalum in Sabah yesterday has been found and all its seven crew members are reported safe, said RMN chief Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

Abdul Aziz, who dislosed the development in his Twitter account, confirmed that the boat commander Lieutenant Azri Bakar had made a call via radio to inform that all the crew members were safe.

"Boat CB204: Lt Azri, boat commander informs KD Ganas via Ch16, boat and all crew members are safe but hungry. Alhamdulillah," he said in his Twitter account at 6.10pm Monday.

In a statement Sunday night, Abdul Aziz said the combat boat had left the navy base in Kota Kinabalu at 5am on Sunday before losing radio communication contact with another vessel at 11.15 am.

The combat boat lost contact with KD Paus while they were heading to RMN's 'Station Lima' at Terumbu Layang-Layang, Sabah.

Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, a spokesman from the RMN base in Sepanggar said the seven on board the vessel - Lt Azri Bakar, BK PAP Charles Cristopher Muni, BM TMK Ince Ewin, BM TMK Steven Hudson Miso, BM JTP Nor Azuan Ariffin, LK KOM Sulhajji Daah and LK I PAP Azhry Maani - are all safe.

The spokesman added that the vessel which encountered mechanical problem (steering) was found about 30 nautical miles off Pulau Layang Layang after establishing contact with its crew at 4.15pm.

"A RMN vessel, KD Ganas is on its way to tow CB90 to the nearest station in Gugusan Semarang, Pulau Layang Layang," he said.

Radical Muslim Caught on Tape Threatening American Citizen… in Atlanta, Georgia

If you don’t think that radical Islam is already here in the US, think again.

A man was quietly filming a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest in Atlanta, Georgia, not bothering anyone, when a Middle-Eastern man with an Arabic accent walked up to him and started directing profanities at him and at Israel.

The pro-Palestinian protester told the man behind the camera to stop filming and leave or “I’ll break your head and your phone.”

The Southern “good ol’ boy” who was filming wasn’t happy. “This is America. Get your finger out of my face, homey.”

The protester told him to “respect yourself” before “you get stepped on,” to which he replied, “I’m respecting you enough not to beat your a**.” If only he had done it.

This is a perfect example of the violent mentality of the anti-Israel movement. An innocent bystander who was bothering no one by merely filming a protest in a public street was threatened by a pro-Palestinian (probably Muslim) radical. What did the protester not want to be captured on camera? Is it the fact that these protesters aren’t often just anti-Israel, but pro-Hamas? Is it the fact that the anti-Israel movement is often inextricably linked to anti-Semitism?

Whatever the reason, seeing radical Islam on display in America, boldly threatening our citizens in the open streets, is horrifying. We’ve been complacent for too long… it’s time to identify this threat and stamp it out, lest scenes like this become even more common on US soil.

http://conservativetribune.com/radical-muslim-threatens-american/

Be fair, sincere when using Sedition Act, says Pak Lah

There must be sincerity in enforcing laws such as the Sedition Act, otherwise, there is no point in creating better laws if there was no fair implementation, former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.

Believed to be alluding to the recent sedition blitz by Putrajaya, Abdullah wrote on his blog www.paklah.net that even if man-made laws were not perfect, sincerity will ensure that these laws were used effectively.

He said laws were created by man and no matter how good they were touted to be, they could never be perfect.

"If we are sincere, even imperfect laws can be used to bring good.

"If we are not sincere, even good laws can be harmful," he wrote in his posting.

Abdullah also said that of late, many individuals were criticising and pointing fingers at others over their mistakes, despite the fact that they were equally guilty of doing the same in the past.

He added that although these criticisms could be deemed reasonable, the general public could not accept them and instead viewed them cynically.

"I am not saying that someone who had made mistakes in the past has no right to criticise others.

"But if we want to criticise, at least first admit your own mistakes," he wrote, adding that he himself had made many mistakes in the past.

He said another unacceptable practice was to criticise outsiders, but allow one's own "followers" to carry on with their bad attitude without any reprimand.

This, he said, was also an act of insincerity.

As such, he said that the reality was that although the criticism levelled was reasonable, it would nonetheless attract cynicism and would not be accepted by the public, if it is not seen as being sincere.

"Let sincerity lead us in everything we do and say, so that it can bring good," he wrote.

Abdullah also said that no alliance could stand the test of time if there was no sincere agreement.

"No point being together if they are not on the same path because sooner or later, people will know whether it was truly in the name of nation-building or merely to garner support.

Putrajaya's ongoing sedition dragnet has hauled up a string of opposition politicians, social activists, academicians, news portal Malaysiakini and one of its journalists, as well as Muslim preachers, all of whom have either been charged with sedition, facing trial or are under investigation. – October 5, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/be-fair-sincere-when-using-sedition-act-says-pak-lah#sthash.nyLNtsDj.dpuf

Al-Qaeda rebels dangled victims' heads to goad UN

Official report reveals the full horror of atrocities in Golan Heights, where Irish soldiers were stationed

By Jim Cusack

Islamist rebels decapitated prisoners around the United Nations bases near where Irish troops were serving in Syria, a UN report seen by the Sunday Independent reveals.

The brutal beheadings in the Golan Heights, which have not been reported on, are described as "horrific atrocities" in the report by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The full horror of events that took place around the Irish and other UN troops in the area have so far been kept a closely-guarded secret by the Defence Forces and Government.

Last week, the Irish soldiers' representative association (PDFORRA) called for psychological support services for soldiers returning from Golan, who might be suffering from post-traumatic stress.

However, there was no mention by senior military, Government or the representative association about the horrors the soldiers witnessed during their six-month tour inside Syria at PDFORRA's annual conference in Sligo.

The UN report reveals the jihadists overthrew a Syrian Army position close to UN posts in late April.

UN troops had to stand by powerless as they then apparently murdered and beheaded prisoners.It states: "In the afternoon of April 24, two members of the armed opposition [the UN term for al-Nusra, which is affiliated to al-Qaeda] displayed the severed head of a presumed Syrian armed forces officer as they passed UN position 80."

Position 80 was the headquarters of the Filipino UN contingent that was later rescued with the help of Irish and other UN troops, supported by the Israeli Army, after they came under attack by the jihadis in August.

Aside from the main Irish contingent, which was based several miles way at the UNDOF (UN Disengagement Observer Force) headquarters at Faouar, there were nine other Irish military observers serving in posts around the area. It is not clear if any of them witnessed the decapitation of al-Nusra's prisoners.

Irish troops, armed only with rifles and 12 machin guns mounted on their armoured personnel carriers (APCs), were surrounded by the jihadi army with captured Syrian Army tanks, artillery and multiple rocket launchers. They also planted roadside mines throughout the area and one Irish APC was damaged in a bomb explosion, injuring one soldier.

The Irish contingent is due back in Dublin over the coming days, but details of their homecoming are vague as the Government appears to continue to downplay the dangers into which the soldiers were sent in June last year.

In contrast, the 84 Filipino troops who escaped being captured by al-Nusra returned home last Thursday to a heroes' welcome and a celebration march through the capital, Manila. The Philippines government has said its troops will definitely not be returning to serve with the UN mission, which is now effectively defunct.

The Irish Government made the decision to send the 137-strong, lightly-armed contingent in June last year despite the fact that Austria, Croatia and Japan had withdrawn their troops, totalling over 500 personnel, the previous month in face of the jihadi advance and after the abduction of several UN troops.

One of the lowest points in the UN mission this year concerned the major conflict in which the al-Nusra front overran the remaining Syrian Army positions close to the border with Israel in April. According to Mr Ban's four-monthy report up to June this year, the UN troops witnessed the jihadis using captured tanks to blast the remaining Syrian Army positions.

They then observed the jihadis' black flags flying from these positions. Hundreds of local people, mainly from the minority Druze sect, who have previously been massacred by the jihadis, were seen fleeing the area. The beheadings occurred in the immediate aftermath of this battle, after which the UN observed the jihadis' display of the Syrian officer's severed head.

Commenting on the jihadis' actions, Mr Ban said: "I also once again condemn the horrific atrocities committed by some armed members of the opposition and call upon all parties in the ongoing conflict to respect international humanitarian law.

"I remain deeply concerned by numerous incidents involving UN personnel. I am also gravely concerned about UN positions caught in crossfire."

Defence Minister Simon Coveney has insisted the Irish troops were well equipped for their job as the security element of the otherwise very lightly-armed UNDOF mission.

Mr Coveney said: "In accordance with standard practice in considering any mission, a full in-theatre reconnaissance and threat assessment was completed by the Defence Forces. The then Chief of Staff, having considered the threat assessment, advised the then minister that the proposed Defence Forces contingent had the capacity to discharge their mandate as the Force Mobile Reserve to UNDOF.

"This was factored into the Government's consideration and decision to deploy the contingent. All theatres of operations have an element of risk attached and situations on the ground can change. That is why UN missions are deployed in these areas.

"The role of the mission was to observe and monitor the peace agreement between Israel and Syria. The UNDOF mission was therefore primarily equipped for self-defence purposes and it had no role or mandate in relation to the conflict in Syria.

"The proposed force protection, weaponry etc was the subject of discussions between Ireland and the United Nations and was in accordance with the Statement of Unit Requirements agreed with the United Nations prior to deployment.

"Following the full in-theatre reconnaissance and threat assessment completed by the Defence Forces prior to deployment of the troops, the level of force protection and weaponry proposed was considered adequate for the mission mandate."

The Minister said there was "no decision to withhold information in relation to the ongoing conflict and its impact on UNDOF", adding: "as a matter of practice, we do not generally comment on ongoing Defence Forces operations. The nature and extent of the ongoing conflict in Syria was well known and a matter of public record and media reporting."

The UN Secretary-General's June report shows that from the outset of its six-month tour of duty in March, the second Irish contingent was caught up in the middle of an all-out war. The report says that on March 19, the Israelis carried out air strikes on four locations inside the UN area of operations.

"United Nations personnel at Camp Faouar [where the Irish were based] heard aircraft flying from the west to the east, firing missiles, and then heard four heavy explosions approximately 3km from the camp. United Nations personnel in Camp Faouar went into shelter," the report says.

Strikes from both the Israeli and Syrian air forces and heavy artillery and mortar firing continued unabated over late spring and early summer, with UN posts being struck repeatedly, the report reveals.

"The presence and use of heavy weapons and equipment by the Syrian armed forces continued while armed members of the opposition [al-Nusra] were observed to have additional heavy weapons and military equipment in their possession following the capture of the Syrian armed forces positions," the report adds.

Sunday Independent

Report: ISIS Members Rape 170 Women And Young Girls In Anbar

By Dominic Kelly,

Shocking new reports say that members of the Islamic State have viciously raped more than 170 virgin girls in the Anbar province of Iraq in the course of two months.

“More than 170 rapes were committed by the members of the ISIL Takfiri group against young girls in Anbar province over the past two months,” said Sheikh Abdul Rahman Nimrawi, head of Fallujah Council, according to Iraqi News.

In a similar situation, reports also say that around 50 girls from the Yazidi sect were brutally raped by ISIS militants.

“The elements ISIS put the raped girls in Al Salam Hospital in Mosul for the purpose of treating and returning them to their families,” said Sadeq al-Shammari, media relations director for the National Alliance of Ninevah, adding, “the leaders of ISIS threatened the doctors at the hospital not to leak such information to the media.”

Meanwhile, airstrikes continue as a means of trying to stop the terrorist organization from terrorizing the region any more than they already have.

Isis: Dasar anti-Syiah Putrajaya yang mengorbankan rakyat Malaysia

Menjelang sambutan Hari Raya Aidiladha malam tadi ketika umat Islam di seluruh negara bersama keluarga untuk membuat persiapan terakhir, Bernama melaporkan lagi penglibatan rakyat Malaysia dalam kumpulan militan Negara Islam Iraq dan Syria (Isis).

Polis mengesahkan seorang doktor wanita berusia 26 tahun antara 22 rakyat Malaysia yang kini berada di Syria menyertai Isis untuk berperang tentera Presiden Bashar Al Assad.

Ketua Penolong Pengarah Bahagian Counter Terrorism Cawangan Khas Bukit Aman, Datuk Ayub Khan Mydin Pitchay berkata wanita itu berkahwin dengan ahli kumpulan militan Isis.

Polis juga mengatakan doktor wanita itu melalui Facebook ‘Diary of a Muhajirah’ cuba mempengaruhi wanita tempatan untuk menyertai militan Isis.

"Memang ada daya tarikan kuat sebab mereka boleh menggunakan Facebook untuk menarik wanita, khususnya gadis tempatan, dengan begitu mudah. Mereka boleh berkongsi gambar kononnya penginapan serta makanan disediakan dan pergi ke sana hanya untuk berjihad bersama mujahidin.

"Dengan berkahwin dengan ahli Isis, mereka dianggap turut mendapat pahala berjihad dan dapat menambahkan zuriat mujahidin,” katanya seperti dilaporkan agensi berita nasional itu.

Apabila berbicara tentang penglibatan rakyat Malaysia bersama kumpulan militan Isis, kita jangan lupa bagaimana dasar anti mazhab Syiah yang dimulakan Putrajaya satu ketika dahulu.

Rakyat Malaysia yang menyertai Isis dan berperang dengan tentera Al-Assad percaya darah golongan Syiah halal bagi mereka dan berperang melawan penganut mazhab itu jika terbunuh akan dianggap sebagai mati syahid.

Dalam ucapan penggulungan semasa Perhimpunan Umno 2013, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi memulakan kempen anti Syiah yang ditujukan kepada Timbalan Presiden PAS Mohamad Sabu yang dituduh menganut mazhab itu.

Naib presiden Umno itu turut memberikan kuasa Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (Jakim) untuk menahan Mohamad kerana dikatakan mengamalkan mazhab Syiah.

Media arus perdana melalui televisyen dan akhbar juga pada ketika itu menyerang mazhab Syiah habis-habisan sehingga mengatakan penganut mazhab itu kafir.

Tidak kurang daripada itu masjid-masjid juga mengadakan kuliah anti-Syiah sehingga khutbah Jumaat turut menyelitkan propaganda anti mazhab itu.

Selain itu, ustaz-ustaz “separuh masak” ini juga dalam kuliah dan ceramah mereka menggambarkan Al Assad sebagai seorang yang begitu kejam dan perlu diperangi walaupun mereka sendiri tidak faham dengan politik di Syria dan latarbelakangnya.

Hari ini, jika terdapat rakyat Malaysia yang menyertai Isis dan mati di Syria kerana berperang dengan pemerintah negara itu, Putrajaya harus disalahkan terlebih dahulu.

Imbas kembali apa yang dikatakan menteri dan tokoh agama sebelum ini yang menyebabkan rakyat Malaysia terpengaruh.

Jangan kita tangisi golongan profesional seperti doktor wanita tersebut yang menyertai Isis, kerana inilah hasil propaganda anti-Syiah dan Al Assad yang dibiarkan berlaku oleh kerajaan.

Jangan bersedih jika kita kehilangan anak-anak muda yang menyertai perang saudara di Syria walaupun ia tidak mempunyai kaitan dengan Malaysia.

Imej Malaysia sebagai sebuah negara yang bertoleransi dan terbuka musnah akibat tindakan politik sesetengah menteri yang hanya mahu menjadi popular di kalangan partinya.

Sempena sambutan Aidiladha hari ini, diharap umat Islam di Malaysia kembali bermuhasabah diri dan tidak terlalu fanatik sehingga sanggup membunuh orang lain hanya kerana kepercayaan berbeza.

Agama tidak mengajar kita untuk berbunuh antara satu sama lain.

Agama mengajar kita untuk mencintai antara satu sama lain.

Yang paling penting, jangan memaksa kepercayaan kita kepada orang lain. – 5 Oktober, 2014.

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

20 sen fuel hike - what it means to different people

 

To the rich, it means fuel in Malaysia is still cheaper than in other countries in the region. The increase means nothing to them. They can happily pay for it.

To the lower income group and the poor, it means a further tightening of the belt to make ends meet on devalued money as a ringgit will get less than before, but they don’t earn more ringgit to offset the decreased value of the ringgit.

To the business people it means an opportunity to increase profits as prices would be increased in round figures that are higher than the actual percentage increase in the costs of transportation and production of goods. They are not going to do charity and absorb the price increases though the government will be saying that there won’t be unfair price increases or that businesses would absorb some of the increases if not all. This is the tune consumers have heard over and over but which has never been true. 

To Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism Minister Hasan Malek the 20 sen increase is a commendable move and the people should congregate to congratulate the government as the increase is to ensure the nation's coffers are not depleted.

Dear minister, please tell us honestly how the coffers are not depleted when RM100 wall clocks are purchased for RM3,000 and RM3,000 laptops are purchased for over RM40,000 by “stupid” government servants as recorded in the Auditor-General’s reports?

Who is responsible for depleting government coffers through irresponsible handling and spending of public money?  It is a case of easy come (through taxes, etc) and easy go (all kinds of leakages which are left to go on and on).

Just make a cabinet decision and hey presto, money will flow in to fill the coffers. It’s as easy as that for the government, but not for those who have to sweat and toil, some at two jobs, to make ends meet.

So, to take the minister’s advice, we must go back to feudal times where leaders should not be questioned. But religions teach that people not only have a right to question decisions of the leaders but must do so if the decisions are seen to be unjust. So whom do we listen to, our prophets or our leaders?

The fuel price increase is very just and commendable in the eyes of the government and considered very fair by the rich, but to the lower income and poorer people in society, who form a majority of the population, it is unjust.

If a low income person needs to drive a small car 50km a day to and from work, it means about 70 sen more a day in Ron 95. That’s about RM20.00 a month. But it doesn’t stop there as fuel prices affect everything that needs to be transported from one place to another, and that includes daily necessities such as rice, sugar, fish, vegetables, etc. 

A lot of people are forced to own their own vehicles because of very poor public transport. This in turn is due to the policy of allowing certain parties to make money from the manufacture and sale of private vehicles. The private vehicle ownership policy is a big money churner for vested interests. So it must not be killed by having an efficient public transport system.

How will the lower income people be affected? If vegetables from Cameron Highlands cost 2 sen more per kg to transport, the end consumer will have to pay a rounded up figure of at least 5 sen, and more likely 10 to 20 sen, per kg. Add all other cost increases and a low-income person may have to fork out RM50 to RM80 per month. If he has school going children, he has to pay more for the school bus. Thus he could be hit to a tune of RM100 per month or more due to a 20 sen per litre increase in petrol and diesel price.

The fuel price increase therefore hits the lower income and poor people. They have to pay more for their daily needs. The rich do not suffer the same, or any consequences.

Our treasury should be in the black at all times as this is a country with plenty of natural resources. It is the mismanagement, corruption and leakages that are the cause of “depleted coffers”.

Would any minister (if he were a low-income individual) spend his hard earned money the way he spends or approves for spending public money as a minister?

Stop talking and act on wasatiyyah, PM told

Kit Siang says Najib must actively promote moderation inside and outside the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP has challenged Prime Minister Najib Razak to rescue his wasatiyyah (moderation) campaign from failure by actively promoting moderation and marginalising extemism in both the national and international arenas.

In a media statement responding to Najib’s Aidiladha message today, DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang questioned the credibility of the PM’s assertion that he would keep faith with the pledge of moderation that he made last month at the United Nations.

“What is the use of Najib talking about the three main ingredients of wasatiyyah – justice, balance and excellence – when every day there are ample examples in Malaysia of the contemptuous disregard or violation of these values?” he asked.

For the international arena, he said, Najib should empower his Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) to mobilise world opinion against Islamic State (IS), the militant organisation that is currently engaged in a violent campaign aimed at re-establishing the Islamic Caliphate, initially covering the Middle East.

Lim suggested that GMM start by organising an international conference. “GMM can co-operate with the International Institute of Advanced Islamic Studies to organise an international conference for moderates to mobilise opinion against IS,” he said.

He expressed a belief that most Malaysians would like to see GMM succeed in its objective of promoting moderation.

“I am confident and convinced that the overwhelming majority of Malaysians are moderates and not extremists who want to see inter-racial and inter-religious harmony, understanding and goodwill being constantly strengthened instead of being weakened and undermined,” he said.

“If there are any reservations about the GMM, it is whether Najib is prepared to allow GMM full rein to promote moderation and marginalise extremism, whether nationally or internationally.”

Lim alleged that GMM was at present operating like an underground organisation, saying this was evident when it had to tell the media not to report the proceedings of a recent forum that it organised.

The reason for the media blackout, he claimed, was that GMM could not guarantee the participants’ safety from the sedition dragnet.

Malaysian Navy Combat Vessel Missing In Sabah Waters

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- A combat vessel of the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN) with a crew of seven lost contact with an escort vessel as it headed to an RMN station on Layang-Layang atoll off Sabah, according to the RMN.

The CB90 type of combat vessel, assigned to operate from RMN Station Five on the atoll, lost communication with the escort vessel KD Paus during the voyage, said Chief of Navy Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

He said in a statement that the vessel, CB204, accompanied by KD Paus, left the RMN base in Kota Kinabalu at 5 am on Sunday and lost radio communication with the escort vessel at 11.15 am.

"The incident occurred during bad weather around Pulau Mengalum," he said.

Abdul Aziz said a search operation had been mounted by RMN assets, the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA).

The crew of seven personnel on board the missing vessel was headed by Lt Azri Bakar, he said.

Umno division wants assembly to consider abolishing Chinese schools, reports Utusan

An Umno division wants the party's general assembly next month to debate whether Chinese vernacular schools should be abolished, Umno mouthpiece Mingguan Malaysia reported today.

Umno Petaling Jaya Utara division deputy head Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad, who made the suggestion, said this was because Chinese schools were being used by the opposition to breed racial and anti-government sentiments.

He was also quoted as saying that the upcoming November assembly was the best platform to discuss the issue.

"This is very important because nowhere else in the world is there a dual-stream education system.

"The primary and secondary systems must be under one umbrella," he said, according to the Malay-language weekender.

The report said this was not the first time the suggestion was made, adding that various parties had made the call in the name of unity of the nation.

It added that in August, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Razali Ibrahim had also called for the government to stop building Chinese vernacular schools as it was not contributing to national harmony.

Azli was also quoted as saying that the Petaling Jaya Utara branch also wanted all SJKC schools to be placed under the full control of the Education Ministry.

"We want to be rid of racism that is often being politicised by those who have a very shallow understanding of politics," he said, according to the report.

The Umno general assembly will be held from November 25 to 29. – October 5, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/umno-division-wants-assembly-to-consider-abolishing-chinese-schools-reports#sthash.WG9n5ELP.dpuf

Politicians playing to the gallery with call to abolish Chinese schools, says education group

A good number of pupils enrolled in Chinese schools are non-Chinese, a vernacular education group said today in response to calls ahead of the Umno general assembly next month that Chinese schools should be abolished because they breed racism.

United Chinese School Committees Association (Dong Zong) deputy president Chow Siew Hon said that politicians, who brought up the issue of abolishing Chinese schools, were only playing to the gallery and were in fact aware that these schools were here to stay.

Chinese schools have been in existence for more than 100 years before Merdeka and currently, 14%, or some 80,000 of the 600,000 pupils enrolled in these schools were non-Chinese, he said.

"This dispels any notion that Chinese schools do not contribute to national harmony and unity.

"Anyone, Chinese or not, is free to enrol in our schools as long as they want to study in Mandarin, so there is really no issue here," he told The Malaysian Insider.

It was reported today that an Umno division wants the party's general assembly next month to debate whether Chinese vernacular schools should be abolished.

Umno Petaling Jaya Utara division deputy head Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad, who made this call, said this was because Chinese schools were being used by the opposition to breed racial and anti-government sentiments.

Such remarks are a norm in the run up to Umno's yearly assembly and also turn up in debates by delegates.

The largest Malay party and lynchpin of the Barisan Nasional coalition will hold its general assembly this year from November 25 to 29.

Weary of entering a debate with Umno conservatives, Chow said such "issues" were only created by some politicians who wanted to be seen as fighting for a "cause" for their personal benefit.

"They know that Chinese schools are here to stay, but they choose to play this tune for personal benefit, and fail to think about the good of the nation when they speak like this.

"We will not be perturbed by their calls and will continue to ensure the progress of Chinese schools and pupils," he said.

Article 152 of the Federal Constitution protects vernacular schools and education in the mother tongue, where it is stated that the national language shall be the Malay language, and that no one shall be prohibited or prevented from using, teaching or learning any other language.

MCA Religious Harmony Bureau Chairman Datuk Ti Lian Ker said that Azli should be investigated for sedition over his call to abolish Chinese schools.

In a statement uploaded on the party's website, Ti said that Azli's call contravened the Federal Constitution and Barisan Nasional’s spirit of inclusiveness.

"Not only has Azli challenged the rights of all Malaysians to study their mother-tongue language, but he has also questioned the legitimate rights of the Chinese community to education, and his careless call is liable to create racial tension.

"As such, I urge the police to investigate Azli for sedition, "he said.

Ti also reminded the Umno division deputy head that in October 1978, a Sabah Umno MP, Mark Koding, was charged with sedition for advocating the call to abolish Chinese and Tamil schools.

Ti said it was the policy of Barisan Nasional to defend the rights of all Malaysians to learn their mother tongue, adding that the policy had been in place ever since independence.

"Even in the previous general election, the BN government had pledged to continue funding for the construction of national-type schools, and if Azil disagrees with this, he is very welcome to leave BN," Ti said. – October 5, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/politicians-playing-to-gallery-with-call-to-abolish-chinese-schools-says-ed#sthash.eoKScb5r.dpuf

Brit Alan Henning beheaded by IS