Reforms In Umno Must Begin With The Members Themselves To Strengthen Party - PM

JOHOR BAHARU, Nov 14 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak reminded Umno members today to begin the process of reforming the party with self-reformation as the first step to strengthen the party.

Najib, who is also Umno president, said the process of reforming the party did not rest with the top Umno leadership only but must also encompass everyone including members at the grassroots.

"Reformation means that we have motivation to struggle for the good of the party. If the people are happy with and have confidence in the Umno members, it represents the first process in building trustworthiness in Umno," he said before opening the Johor Umno convention at the Berjaya Waterfront Hotel, here Friday.

The Prime Minister also criticised the attitude of some Umno members who placed more importance on self-interest and lacked the feeling of love for the party.

"Like in the past, when Tunku Abdul Rahman did not have enough money to go to London (to negotiate for the country's independence), there were members who offered assistance but now, when we ask them to do work, some would ask what they would get in return," said Najib cynically, which drew applause from the more than 800 Johor Umno delegates present at the two-day convention.

"Don't be rich materially but lack the fighting spirit and feeling of love for the party. If we love the party, we will make extraordinary efforts for the party," said the Prime Minister.

He said that reformation must also begin with a reality check by carrying out soul-searching and subsequently implementing reforms.

"We must realise that in practicing open democracy, eventually it's a game of numbers. We must increase support for the party and subsequently interpret it in the growing number of seats to ensure that we are stronger," he said.

"If the party is strong, if the party is still in power, the struggles can be continued," said Najib.

At the same time, the Prime Minister said Umno members must be open-minded in order for the party to attract more young members so that it would remain relevant.

"If we have to make way, then give a chance to the others (young people for example). Only then the party will be perceived as a dynamic party, a fresh party that has integrity," said the Prime Minister.

Referring to an excerpt from the speech of Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin who touched on modern and progressive reformation, inclusiveness, the Malays and Islam without ignoring the other ethnic groups, he said that these were among the ingredients and work scope needed for the survival of the party in the years to come.

"It is not wrong for me to say that it is most proper for the resurgence of Umno to begin here (in Johor). It is here that the resurgence of Johor Umno and Barisan Nasional as the pillar of our strength began. I am fully aware that the survival must begin in the Umno fortress," he said.

The convention that began today was also attended by Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein and party secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

凯里相信宗伟非蓄意服药 听证结果决定奥运资格

Menteri ingatkan PAS, didik rakyat jangan nakal di Golok

Arab Students Hurl Rocks at Schoolgirls on Field Trip

In unprovoked attack, Arab schoolboys threw rocks at group of Jewish schoolgirls in national park; student, teacher hurt.

By Yishai Karov

Arab students from the Galilee on a field trip hurled stones at a girls' school on a hike in the Arbel National Park (West of Tiberias - ed.) Wednesday, outraged parents told Arutz Sheva.

The group, from Kibbutz Sde Eliyahu in Beit She'an, was hit with a "heavy barrage" once they attempted to enter a cave, a father of one of the victims said.

"The girls were hit with rocks when the teacher called for the group to enter a nearby cave," he recounted. "[My daughter] was hit by a number of rocks, injuring her."

Several students and at least one teacher were injured in the attack.

"Once the Arabs identified them as Jewish students, they began to throw the rocks," he added.

Security forces arrived at the scene and administered medical treatment to the wounded teacher and children. They were later transported to hospital nearby and treated in the emergency room.

The Arab group's guide later apologized to the school after the incident.

Police Investigate Bridenapping After Woman Jumps From Balcony

The Moscow Times

Police in Stavropol are investigating the circumstances behind the suspected bridenapping of a 19-year-old woman who leaped from a fourth-floor balcony in an alleged effort to escape her "groom."

"A young man committed the abduction of a girl with the aim of marriage, in accordance with his ethnic traditions," police claimed in a statement issued by the regional branch of the Interior Ministry on Wednesday.

On Oct. 23, a 29-year-old native of Dagestan allegedly forced the victim into his vehicle and then took her to an apartment in the southern city of Budyonnovsk, the statement said.

The victim was held in the apartment until Oct. 31, when she jumped from a fourth-floor balcony in an apparent bid to escape her captor, according to the statement.

A neighbor who happened to be standing on his third-floor balcony at the time of the incident saved the kidnapped bride, catching her by her clothing as she fell and then letting her into his own apartment before calling police.

An investigation is still under way into the incident. If the suspect is tried and convicted of the crime of abduction, he could face up to 10 years in prison.

It was unclear whether the victim was also a native of Dagestan, and if not, whether she was familiar with the phenomenon of bridenapping, where men abduct their intended brides and force them into marriage.

In many countries, marriage by abduction is considered a sex crime, but it is still practiced in certain parts of Central Asia, the Caucasus and in some African countries.

Shariah court that has same powers as civil Federal Court unconstitutional, says expert

Putrajaya's plan to set up a Shariah court that would have the same powers as the civil Federal Court is unconstitutional as religious courts were established out of state law, said law expert Professor Gurdial Singh Nijar.

He said that religious matters come under the state as accorded under the 9th Schedule of the Federal Constitution, which contains the lists of legislature under state and federal powers.

"The constitution is the supreme law of the land. So this means that when it comes to Islamic laws, Islamic matters, these are governed by the state," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Shariah courts in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Labuan and Putrajaya are governed by a law passed by Parliament while religious courts in other states are governed by state enactments.

Gurdial was commenting on a statement by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom that Putrajaya was looking at setting up two more Shariah courts to enable them to have the same powers as the civil Federal Court, which is the highest court in the country.

Jamil, who is in charge of Islamic affairs, was reported saying in Malay daily Berita Harian that discussions on the matter with state religious councils have been ongoing for two years and they were looking at Shariah courts that would have equal powers with that of the Federal Court.

Gurdial admitted, however, that this could be done and said the government could set up any number of Shariah courts, but the fact remained that its powers would only be limited to Islamic matters as provided in the constitution.

"They can get the same status but the subject matter will be limited to Shariah matters only," he said.

"This means that it will have control only over persons professing the religion of Islam, Islamic family laws and such."

Bar Council's National Young Lawyers Committee president Syahredzan Johan (pic, right) offered a similar view, saying that Islamic laws are under the jurisdiction of the respective states and not the federal government.

"By setting up a Federal Shariah Court, this will encroach upon what should rightly be within the jurisdiction of the states," he said.

" And this Federal Shariah Court cannot have the same powers as the Federal Court because of Article 121(1A) (which provides for the dual justice system)."

Like Gurdial, the lawyer also pointed out that Shariah courts would only have jurisdiction in Islamic laws and only on Muslims.

"And most importantly, only the civil courts have jurisdiction to decide on constitutional issues," he added.

The current Shariah Courts comprise the Shariah Subordinate Court, Shariah High Court and Shariah Appeals Court.

Former Federal Court judge Datuk Seri Gopal Sri Ram had previously said that in the Malaysian legal system, the constitution was the supreme law and laws passed by Parliament and state assemblies were subordinate to it.

"Shariah courts cannot be ranked the same as the civil court as the religious courts are established by state laws," he had said.

Sri Ram said Parliament and state assemblies had no power to make laws which were in conflict with the constitution. – November 13, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/shariah-court-that-has-same-powers-as-civil-federal-court-unconstitutional#sthash.xI0f4YR2.dpuf

MAS confirms it sacked employee for alleged sexual assault

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) today confirmed that it terminated the services of a flight attendant who had been held in a Paris detention centre since August for alleged sexual assault on a passenger.

But, in a statement to The Malaysian Insider, the national carrier said it was not at liberty to discuss the matter further as the case was under the judicial purview of the Industrial Relations Department (IRD).

”Malaysia Airlines is not at liberty to comment on the matter as it is currently under the judicial purview of the authorities and we confirm that the person is no longer an employee of the company," the statement read.

Earlier today, The Malaysian Insider reported that the employee, who had served MAS for 32 years, was notified of his termination in a letter that was sent to his home in the Klang Valley two weeks after the alleged incident.

National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) president Ismail Nasaruddin said the letter was sent while he was still languishing in an overseas detention centre.

Ismail said that MAS gave the attendant 60 days to appeal against the termination on grounds of "misconduct", but added that he could not appeal as he had no idea he had been sacked.

The union had since referred the matter to the IRD to reinstate the 57-year-old employee.

The attendant was detained on August 7 after an Australian passenger Laura Bushney, 26, said he had sexually assaulted her twice during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Paris.

Bushney said the first incident occurred on the flight before it took off.

The second incident took place three-and-a-half hours later while the plane flew over the Bay of Bengal, India, in international airspace.

The passenger apparently expressed her nervousness about flying over the Indian Ocean following the disappearance of flight MH370 and the downing of flight MH17.

The passenger, it was reported, lodged a police report upon reaching the Charles de Gaulle airport on August 5.

Ismail said MAS had not provided any assistance to the family of the attendant, adding that the Malaysian embassy in Paris was the one helping him and the family cope.

He said that MAS wanted to wash its hands of the incident as it was struggling from the negative publicity generated following the MH370 and MH17 incidents.

On March 8, Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, went off the radar over the South China Sea, an hour after takeoff from the KL International Airport at 12.41am. The aircraft was bound for Beijing, China.

Efforts to locate the aircraft are still ongoing in the southern Indian Ocean but there has been no trace of the jet yet.

Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down by a ground-to-air missile. – November 13, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mas-confirms-it-sacked-employee-for-alleged-sexual-assault#sthash.U5va8kK9.dpuf

Mind your own business, Isma tells Nurul Izzah

 

Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has taken a swipe at PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar for questioning if the movement is funded by the government.

In a statement, Isma vice-president Abdul Rahman Mat Dali (right) told the Lembah Pantai MP "not to be nosy".

Instead, he said Nurul should concentrate on solving the issues plaguing PKR.

Abdul Rahman said ISMA members’ attitude and motivation are totally different from members of PKR.

"Isma members, consisting of various backgrounds including professionals and businessmen, are highly committed, sincere and ready to sacrifice for the sake of our race, religion and country.

"We are not like PKR, who have confusing and contradicting agendas.

"Therefore, instead of being nosy and questioning about Isma, why don't you focus on solving problems in PKR first," he added.

Abdul Rahman also called on Nurul to reveal PKR’s funding first before questioning others.

"I am confident that the people of Malaysia are all enquiring where PKR gets their money from.

"Since you are questioning Isma's funds, are you brave enough to allow Isma to question PKR’s funding on behalf of the nation?" he said.

Nurul (left), in Parliament, had questioned if the government was funding Isma and Perkasa through the Finance Ministry’s RM30 million allocation for NGOs in Budget 2015.

"The chairperson of Isma is currently being investigated under the Sedition Act.

"If the government decides to fund the organisation, including its forum that is also being attended by (former premier) Dr Mahathir Mohamad, it indicates that the government supports someone who is seditious about racial relations," she had said.

'Create constitutional court above civil, syariah'

 

Law expert Abdul Aziz Bari has proposed the formation of a constitutional court that will be above the civil and syariah courts to resolve any lingering disputes.

The Universiti Selangor (Unisel) academician suggested this in response to a call by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom for the formation of a Syariah Federal Court.

Aziz, a former law professor at the Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA), said Jamil (right) may not be aware of the repercussions of his suggestion in asserting that both the civil federal and syariah federal courts will have equal powers.

The minister’s statement, he said, would have far-reaching implications not only on the courts but also on the country's constitutional system.

Aziz said the minister's proposal for both courts having equal powers had to be taken as a proposal from Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"Najib may now affirm or deny it. Curiously, the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) has declined to comment over the matter," he said.

Later, the Malay Mail Online reported that Jakim director-general Othman Mustafa confirmed that the proposal for a five-tiered syariah court system has been on the table since 2011.

In that proposal, the highest religious court would be the Syariah Appeal Council or the Syariah Federal Court.

Needing a constitutional amendment

Aziz said the Federal Court is now effectively the constitutional court, as it rules on issues pertaining to the constitution.

He said a new constitutional court would be above all other courts, whether civil or syariah.

"The new constitutional court could be based on the German model that has been followed in some Asean countries, including Indonesia, Thailand and several Indo-China states.

"The move towards forming a constitutional court will not be easy, as it requires amendments to the federal constitution and Umno-BN simply don't have the majority," he said.

Any amendment to the federal constitution requires a two-third vote from Parliament. BN lost the majority in 2008 and again in last year's general election.

Berita Harian today reported Jamil as saying he was waiting on the decision by the various state Islamic councils for a five-tiered court system, like the civil courts, to strengthen the syariah judiciary.

At present, there are the Lower Syariah Court, Syariah High Court and the Syariah Court of Appeal in the various states.

Jamil said the two additional courts proposed are the Middle Syariah Court and the Syariah Appeal Council or the Syariah Federal Court, which would have similar powers with the Civil Federal Court.

The minister said the proposal was still under discussion and approval by the Rulers Council, which is getting an explanation over this proposal from the respective state Islamic councils.

Tourism players see red over non-halal food ban

The Tourism and Culture Ministry’s move to bar the serving of non-halal food at the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia (FF1M) 2014 has raised the ire of tourism players.

With this move, they suggested, the ministry should change the event name from 'Fabulous Food 1Malaysia' to 'Halal Food Festival' to portray the 'halal only' limitation.

Some also disagreed with the ministry's way in handling the controversy, suggesting that two separate venues can be used to serve the halal and non-halal food.

"Malaysia Truly Asia is no more. Now it is Malaysia Truly Halal," Malaysia Inbound Tourism Association (Mita) secretary-general Leong Hooi Min told Malaysiakini when contacted today.

Surprised by the decision, Leong criticised the ministry for backsliding, day by day, in promoting Malaysia to the world due to growing conservatism.

"Tourism should be an 'open-minded' industry. It should not be related to any worship or religious element.

"If you intentionally sell non-halal food outside the mosque, then it should definitely be banned. But if it is just a food festival, than it shouldn’t be so sensitive," she said.

Yesterday, the ministry said that it will no longer serve non-halal food, following a reprimand in the latest Auditor-General’s Report.

The auditor-general had ticked off the ministry for serving the pork dish bak kut teh at the Fabulous Food 1Malaysia (FF1M) at Jalan Alor in Kuala Lumpur and in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor, last year.

The auditor-general also reprimanded the ministry for serving international cuisine such as the Japanese sushi and Korean kim chi at the festival.

Ministry secretary-general Ong Hong Peng said the ministry will continue to promote cuisines from difference communities, but all the dishes must be halal.

Gov't contradicting itself

However, Leong said the ministry’s decision contradicted with its own objective of attracting more tourists to Malaysia in the wake of the MH17 and MH370 tragedies.

"Malaysians faced two serious air disasters this year alone and the number of tourist visits had decreased obviously, especially visits from China.

"Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had strongly urged the government to propose and plan more strategies to attract tourists, but now, with what has happened, it all seems contradictory," she said.

Leong said although Malaysia is a Muslim majority country, its brand is its multiculturalism.

Thus, promoting the food of all races should not pose any problems.

She added that food festivals have always been successful programmes in tourism as these always attracts many tourists.

Therefore, the 'halal only' restriction will hurt the tourism business and limit promotion avenues for the industry.

"I can understand if it is other ministries, but why would you want restrict a Ministry of Tourism programme? It is unacceptable.

"We will continue to promote non-halal food to tourists despite the ministry's decision,” Leong said.

Under pressure

Meanwhile, Malaysian Chinese Tourism Association (MCTA) president Paul Paw said the ministry’s reaction showed it was clearly buckling under pressure.

Paw said that to avoid confusion, the term '1Malaysia' should be removed from the festival's name as it is clearly not reflective of all of Malaysia.

Instead, '1Malaysia' should be replaced with 'halal', he said.

"I urge them to change the name from 'Fabulous Food 1Malaysia' to 'Halal Food Festival' to avoid any confusion among tourists.

"We understand the Ministry of Tourism is under a lot of pressure, but we hope the title can be put clearly," Paw added.

SUARAM wants persecution of Zunar to cease

Police action against political cartoonist Zunar goes against the recent stand taken by the Court of Appeal on his work.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), an NGO, has called on the Home Ministry and the police to cease all harassment and investigation of political cartoonist Zunar, or Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, and his staff.

The NGO also wants the authorities to stop intimidating printers, publishers, vendors and bookstore owners partnering with the political cartoonist.

The NGO further called on the Home Ministry and police to return all books confiscated from Zunar and lift the ban on his works.

SUARAM pointed out that the police action against Zunar goes against the recent stand taken by the Court of Appeal on his work.

“The Court of Appeal took an unanimous stand and lifted a ban imposed by the Home Minister on two of Zunar’s cartoon books, Perak Darul Kartun and 1 Funny Malaysia, on grounds that they were not a threat to national security or prejudicial to public order,” said SUARAM Executive Director Yap Swee Seng in a statement.

Justice Mohamad Ariff, in his judgment, stated that the law should not be abused by the executive and that public odium cannot be so conveniently equated with public order, added Yap.

In 2011, Zunar was conferred, Courage in Editorial Cartooning Award, by Cartoonist Rights Network International, a cartoonists’ rights NGO based in Washington, USA.

In Oct 2014, one of Zunar’s books, Pirate of the Carry-BN, was accepted by the Library of Congress in Washington, USA.

Ex-CJ slammed for being ‘alarmist’

Zaid Ibrahim says judges should be level-headed even in retirement.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Political commentator Zaid Ibrahim today criticised former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad for “outright alarmism” in his reaction to the recent Court of Appeal decision on the rights of transgendered people.

“Judges ought to remain level-headed even in retirement and should not be influenced by extraneous factors, prejudices or their own wild imaginations,” the former law minister said in his latest blog entry.

A Bernama report yesterday quoted Abdul Hamid as saying he feared that the Appeal Court decision would result in the eventual invalidation of Islamic laws, including those that permit Muslim polygamy and outlaw adultery and sodomy.

Zaid accused Abdul Hamid of “dramatising” the possible effects of the decision.

“We would hasten to assure him that none of the civil court judges will approve same-sex marriage applications because it simply isn’t permitted under federal law. Likewise, sodomy is an offence and adultery is an offence for Muslims,” he said.

“In the case of Muslim offences generally, I am sure that civil court judges will not disturb shariah verdicts if there are sufficient witnesses to prove the offence in accordance with Islamic law.”

He said Abdul Hamid, as a former chief justice sworn to uphold the Federal Constitution, should have congratuled the Court of Appeal judges for interpreting the law according to the constitution.

“As a lawyer, Abdul Hamid surely knows that all state laws must conform to the Federal Constitution,” he said. “The areas of the law on which the state can legislate are described in the Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.”

When dinosaurs roamed in Malaysia

The remains of the first herbivorous dinosaur in the form of a tooth fossil is found in the rural interiors of Pahang.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Some 100 million years ago dinosaurs roamed in Malaysia. This was confirmed with the discovery of the remains of the first herbivorous dinosaur in Malaysia, in the form of a tooth fossil found in the rural interiors of Pahang.

The tooth, from the Herbivorous Ornithischian Dinosaur that lived during the early Jurassic and Cretacious periods, is named Sampel UM10580 and measures just 13mm long and 10.5mm wide. It is believed to be between 100 million and 110 million years old.

The University Malaya paleontology research team stumbled on the tooth recently, making it the second discovery of fossil remains of a dinosaur in Malaysia. In February this year, the fossils of fish-eating dinosaurs were discovered.

The latest dinosaur remains were identified by the paleontology research team led by Associate Professor Dr Masatoshi Sone from the UM Geology Department, in collaboration with reptile paleontology specialist Professor Ren Hirayama from Tokyo’s Waseda University and Associate Professor Toshifumi Komatsu from Kumamoto University.

Dr Sone said that with the discovery of the fosslised tooth, the team had successfully confirmed the presence of dinosaur remains in Pahang.

“The discovery of raw samples pertaining to the tooth was made in December last year, following field expeditions and searches for dinosaur deposits in Malaysia since September 2012,” he told a press briefing at the UM today.

“They walked on two legs or four legs, and did not possess body armour…it spent half its life in the river or lake and the other half on land,” Dr Sone said.

He added that the sample was too small to provide other details, including the sex of the prehistoric creature, although they were generally believed to be territorial animals.

We talked, he proposed, I said no

Penang CM Lim Guan Eng is stupefied by Home Minister Zahid Hamidi’s claims he agrees to PPS becoming a community policing unit.

FMT

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has expressed shock that Home Minister Zahid Hamidi had told the press he had consented to the Penang Voluntary Patrol Unit being revamped into a certified community policing unit.

While acknowledging that the two did meet to talk things over, Lim maintained that all he agreed to was for a working paper by the home ministry to be submitted to the state government so the matter could be discussed further.

”I did not say I agreed to the proposal. I only said to give us the working paper on it for the exco to consider,” Lim told reporters.

Zahid on the other hand was rather confident when he told reporters a somewhat different version of what transpired between the two.

According to Zahid, Lim had agreed to revamp the illegal PPS into a community policing unit, fully endorsed by the police.

He told reporters, “PPS will be replaced with a community policing (unit) similar to those in other states.”

He also stated his happiness at Lim’s willingness to find an amicable solution to the controversial PPS issue, adding, “I hope it can be implemented as soon as possible.”

Another issue of contention between Lim and Zahid involved the legal status of the PPS.

Saying the state government was adamant about challenging the home ministry’s decision to outlaw the PPS, Lim added, “The state’s stand on PPS has not changed.”

“He (Zahid) said the banning of PPS was initiated by the Attorney-General and I reiterated that we will challenge that in court to defend the 158 PPS members who were arrested.

Zahid’s ministry meanwhile is sticking to their guns in declaring the PPS an illegal organisation for not being registered with the Registrar of Societies as well as the issue that many of its members were involved in crime.

Talking to reporters outside Bukit Aman, Zahid said police have screened 9,000 PPS members and will announce soon enough the actual number of those involved in crime.

Negara-Ku starts roadshow to reclaim Malaysia from extremism

New people's movement Negara-Ku is set to carry out its "reclaim Malaysia" agenda nationwide with a roadshow beginning in Malacca tonight to return rationality, open and civil discussion, moderation and harmony to Malaysia.

"Kembalikan Negaraku" or "Return My Country" aims to take back Malaysia from racism and extremism, and provide a platform for safe debates, even on controversial issues such as the court's recent decision on Negri Sembilan's Islamic enactments on transgenders.

More than just focusing on issues themselves, the movement's founder and chairperson Zaid Kamaruddin said they wanted to promote a climate where Malaysians could discuss matters without getting emotional.

Their aim was to also put forward the fact that all differences could be discussed with the Federal Constitution as a reference.

Zaid also said the roadshow was not just about promoting the movement but to draw all other civil society groups that wanted to promote healthy relationships among communities. Years before Negara-Ku, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak launched his 1Malaysia concept when he took office in 2009 but the slogan has since petered out.

"We support all other efforts that promote the coming together of Malaysians, to be able to express what they want," he added.

Zaid said this was "absolutely necessary" because of continued extremist rhetoric over race, religion and social issues, which Negara-Ku felt it had to counter by advocating moderation, peace and harmony.

Using the recent court decision on the Negri Sembilan transgender case as an example, Zaid said that there was concern over the way people perceived the decision.

"When discussing an issue like this, we should look at what the constitution says and be able to take the differences in opinion in a civilised manner without getting overly emotional," he added.

The Court of Appeal had on November 7 declared unconstitutional a provision in the Negri Sembilan Islamic religious enactment which made it an offence for Muslim males to dress and behave as women.

The three appellants in the case are transgender women who have experience humiliating treatment and arrest several times for violating Section 66 of the state's Shariah Criminal Enactment.

Reactions to the court case have bordered on instigation to violence, the group Lawyers for Liberty had warned in a statement yesterday.

Some of these reactions included calling transgenders "a cancer" to society, as persons who had "challenged God's law", as well as calling for "jihad" to be waged against them. Some of those who made such statements included prominent and influential religious figures, groups and the Ulama Council of political party, PAS.

Negara-Ku's roadshow will cover seven states, and will kick off in Malacca tonight at the Heng Ann Association.

Speakers include PAS politician Datuk Dr Mujahid Yusuf Rawa, who is also the chair of Gerakan Anti-Perkauman; Al-Mustaqeem M. Radui, coordinator of Lingkaran Islam Tradisional; and also Zaid.

Mujahid has been a prominent figure in interfaith dialogues, participating in forums with speakers representing other religions, visiting churches and speaking up for other faiths.

After Malacca, the roadshow will make stops in Perak, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.

Zaid also said that the roadshow was aimed at bringing back the essence of Malaysia as a country formed on equality, secularism, guaranteed fundamental rights and a prosperous state where everyone feels at home.

These attributes appear to be under threat these days, he said, adding that if nothing is done, Malaysians may no longer be able to recognise their country in time to come.

"If we keep idle while insensitive quarters continue propagating racism and intolerance amongst us, it is an indication that hate speech and extremism are acceptable.

"It is certainly not and that message must be clearly sent," Zaid said.

Next year, there are plans for the roadshow to head for east coast states.

Negara-Ku was launched four months ago, with the aim of bringing Malaysians from all backgrounds together to counter negative developments threatening the social fabric of the country.

Negara-Ku aims to bring Malaysians back to the country's basics in the Federal Constitution, Malaysia Agreement and the Rukunegara.

Endorsed by over 60 civil society groups, the movement's patrons are former Bersih co-chair and prominent lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, national laureate Datuk A.Samad Said and former vice-chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Tan Sri Simon Sipaun.

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

She had also previously said the movement sought to provide information and education for people to face challenges in Malaysian society.

This would be done through videos, social media and forums and talks “to get people to listen, to question and to think," she had said. – November 12, 2014.

Negri to appoint lawyers for appeal

The New Straits Times 

SEREMBAN: The Negri Sembilan government has decided to appoint its lawyers to appeal the Court of Appeals’ decision that a state syariah law forbidding Muslim men from wearing women’s clothes in public as unconstitutional.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan said his counterparts in other Barisan Nasional-controlled states had agreed to assist.

He said the appointment of the lawyers was agreed during the state executive council meeting yesterday.

Mohamad said he had contacted leaders of other BN state governments to discuss the matter.

He said the state government would ask for a stay of execution on the Court of Appeals’ ruling once the appeal was filed in the Federal Court, to return power to the Negri Sembilan Islamic Religious Affairs Department to reinforce the law against cross-dressing in public by men.

“It is also important for us to file this appeal. Otherwise, this ruling will stay and it will lead to bigger problems.”

Last week, the Court of Appeals struck down the state syariah law in a unanimous decision delivered by a three-man bench chaired by Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Yunus.

975 prisoners on death row awaiting appeals

The New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 975 prisoners sentenced to death for various offences are awaiting appeals at the Court of Appeal, Federal Court and the respective state Pardons Board.

In a reply to Liew Chin Tong (DAP-Kluang), Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Dewan Rakyat that only two Malaysians and a foreigner have been sentenced to death in 2012 and 2013.

“In 2013, a total of 8,481 prisoners have been sentenced to caning, involving 2,483 Malaysians and 5,998 foreigners.

“It should be mentioned that caning has helped in reducing the number of repeat offenders, especially with drug offences. We also need to continue caning for foreigners due to their influx into Malaysia, as it is more effective than imposing fines on them,” Zahid said.

Zahid added that the Prisons Department was looking to upgrade its facilities, especially for the condemned prisoners.

On another question by Bung Mokhtar Radin (BN-Kinabatangan) about the waiting period for prisoners on death row, Zahid said: “The appeal cases of the 975 prisoners depend on the courts, where their cases are being heard.

“Based on state Pardons Boards reviewing such cases, we have seen that some cases have had their death sentences changed to life imprisonment or 20-year sentences. But this depends on the appeal made by the prisoner, prisoner’s rehabilitation report or the Attorney-General’s report.

“So, our legal system is good in that it ensures such factors can be used to review such cases. At the end of the day, the prison system is not merely to punish but to rehabilitate the convicts.”

Zahid said the rate of recidivism has declined from 32 per cent to 7.6 per cent.

Everyone In Malaysia Should Support Government In Role As Asean Chairman - Najib

From Minggu Simon Lhasa

NAY PYI TAW, Nov 13 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak hopes that when Malaysia takes over the task as Asean chairman next year, it will be supported by and receive the cooperation of the Malaysian people.

"Otherwise, it will be very difficult for us to achieve whatever we want to do when Malaysia becomes the chairman," he told Malaysian journalists after the conclusion of the 25th Asean Summit, here Thursday.

The support of everyone, namely the government, private sector and corporate bodies, the media and individuals must be focused towards this which was considered as a national pride and mission, he said.

Malaysia received the honour to become the Asean chairman in the historic year, that is, when Asean would be declared as an economic community, he added.

"This is the responsibility for all of us as Malaysians, to achieve everything that we should do as Asean chairman," Najib said.

If the people in Asean were to appreciate the slogan 'People-Centred Asean', it must begin with the people of Malaysia themselves, he said.

In order to achieve the objective, there must be an effective communication plan and various programmes involving not only the Asean leaders but also certain groups such as the young entrepreneurs, parliamentarians and women.

He said the 25th Asean Summit went smoothly and was successful as a whole.

Hisham: Umno 'tested' by power hungry Malays

NGO claims Malaysian bank promoting LGBT rights

ISIL displays scenes of executions across Mosul: council

Al Shofa

The "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL) has installed large screens across Mosul which display videos of executions and tortures, the Ninawa tribal council said Friday (November 7th).

"ISIL has installed five screens in al-Majmoua, al-Sarjkhanah, al-Zuhour, al-Mithaq and al-Maydan neighbourhoods in Mosul and began screening videos of various executions, floggings and torture of civilian victims," council deputy head Ibrahim al-Hassan told Al-Shorfa.

ISIL also is broadcasting extremist sermons calling for attacks and urging Iraqis to join the group, he added.

These steps are an attempt by ISIL to intimidate the people of Mosul after rejection against it grew, al-Hassan said.

Saudi teenager calls police after father arranges marriage with handsome young man... but swaps him for a friend in his NINETIES at the wedding

• Girl, 17, had agreed to marry man in his 20s after meeting him at her home
• Later discovered husband on wedding contract was nearly 100 years old
• She has won court case to have her marriage declared 'null and void'

A Saudi girl was forced to call the police on her father after he duped her into marrying a man who was nearly 100 years old.

The 17-year-old had initially accepted her father's wish for her to marry a handsome man in his 20s after meeting the groom-to-be at her house.

But when the wedding contract was drawn up, she was horrified to discover that the paperwork showed her new husband was a different man in his 90s who lived in another city.

Refusing to accept the arrangement, the teenager fled home and called police to prevent her being sent to her new groom in Medina.

The case eventually went to a court which ruled that her marriage should be declared 'null and void', it was reported by local news site Sabq, according to Gulfnews.com.

After the case made national headlines, the father, who lives in the southern area of Jazan, was accused by social media users of 'selling his daughter to the old man'.

While praising the girl for her courage, they say legal action should be taken against him for abusing his daughter's trust.

The case follows that of a 15-year-old child bride from Jazan who locked herself in her bedroom on her wedding night after being forced to marry a 90-year-old Saudi man.

It was reported in January last year that the teenager locked the door from the inside so that her new husband could not enter on their first night as a married couple.

Two days later, she fled back to her parents' home.

The 15-year-old’s arranged marriage sparked outrage and widespread condemnation in Saudi Arabia where activists took to Twitter calling it child trafficking and prostitution.

Her elderly husband said he paid the parents £10,767 for the teenager so they could wed.

But he later claimed he suspected his bride and her parents had set out to swindle him of the dowry.

‘Tis the season of forgetfulness over financial scandals

So much has happened over the years that one is forgiven for forgetfulness about what went wrong or right in Malaysia.

Malaysians have seen a series of financial scandals, each that seem bigger than the previous one.

Right now, the focus is on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB). Everyone is concerned about its debts and the government's liability if it fails. That includes Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tun Daim Zainuddin, and rightly so, as the two men navigated Malaysia through tough economic times in the past.

But what about the huge gaping hole called Perwaja, not to mention Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and PKFZ during Dr Mahathir's long 22 years in power. Or Maminco or Bank Negara's forex scandal if that ever strikes one's minds.

Weren't they scandals that hogged the headlines in the past, only to be quickly dismissed by the government of the day and either government guarantees or public funds poured in to bail them out?

And then Daim talks about widening income gap, blah blah blah... that is blighting the nation. Didn't that also happen in the past few decades and not just a recent phenomenon?

The thing is, the Malaysian economy did not become dysfunctional overnight. The excesses, subsidy mentality were also features in both of Daim's terms in office during the Mahathir years.

Malaysia went through several cycles of economic slowdowns where there was much pump-priming. That playbook has hardly changed in recent years although prime ministers have changed.

See, the only saving grace for all the missteps and mismanagement and gross incompetency or corruption over the decades is that Malaysians are a forgiving lot.

We have not pushed anyone out office for losing billions of ringgit over the years. Financial scandals have not lost anyone public office in Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir and Daim have a right to be concerned as much as other Malaysians about the country's economy and the rising public debt but they have to remind themselves the same happened during their time in office.

There is little difference between them and the current government in thinking that they know best for the country's economy – no matter the criticisms and concern of the ordinary people who have to tighten their belts because the government is not doing exactly that.

They can forget the past financial scandals but Malaysians should not, and not let them get away without accounting for their deeds in public office. – November 12, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/tis-the-season-of-forgetfulness-over-financial-scandals#sthash.SSAy0Ywu.dpuf

Home Ministry to develop RM30 million ‘Traffic Cops’ system – Bernama

The Home Ministry will allocate RM30 million for its enforcement agency to develop an online payment system known as Traffic Cops.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Khalid Shariff said Traffic Cops was among the methods to be implemented by the ministry to solve the problem on unpaid summonses among foreign traffic offenders.

He said under the provision, the enforcement agency involved would also be equipped with plate number scanners or automated number plate recognition (ANPR) at all entry points to Malaysia.

"Through this system, we hope we can solve the issue of outstanding summonses involving foreign nationals, specifically Singaporeans, because at every entry point to Malaysia, foreign vehicles would be scanned by ANPR to know their traffic offences.

"This means, they must settle their summonses before leaving the country," he said during a Session with the Media: Series 3 of the Auditor-General's Report 2013 in Kuala Lumpur today.

Asked if there were cases of foreign nationals changing their car registration number before leaving Malaysia, Mohamad Khalid said such a scenario was beyond the ministry's ambit.

"The data on vehicle number ownership is under the relevant enforcement agency of the country from where the motorists originate.

"We cannot obtain the data arbitrarily, as such it is difficult to ascertain if the foreign nationals have changed their vehicle number," he said.

The Auditor-General's Report 2013, Series 3, which was released on Monday, states that 16.3 million summonses were issued by traffic police in 2011-2013 and of the total, 121,664 were issued to non-citizens.

The report said of the 121,664 summonses, only 12,713 were settled with RM7.63 million in fines collected. – Bernama

MAS sacks steward held for alleged sexual crime, union, lawyers cry foul

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) has fired a flight steward languishing in a Paris detention centre since August, even before he is charged and tried for an alleged sexual assault, says the national flight attendants union.

The union, which is crying foul over the sacking, said the action by the loss-making flag carrier was unlawful and against the rules of natural justice.

National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia (Nufam) president Ismail Nasaruddin told The Malaysian Insider that the employee who had served the national carrier for 32 years was notified of his termination in a letter that was sent to his home in the Klang Valley two weeks after the alleged incident.

"This is unprecedented as the letter was sent when he is still languishing in an overseas detention centre," said Ismail.

Ismail said MAS had given the steward 60 days to appeal against the termination on grounds of "misconduct".

"How is he going to appeal when he didn’t know that he was sacked from his employment?" Ismail asked.

The union has referred the matter to the Industrial Relations Department to reinstate the 57-year-old employee.

Ismail alleged that MAS had divorced itself from the case, and had not provided any assistance to the family of the steward.

"It is the Malaysian Embassy in Paris that has been helping our member and his family to cope during this difficult time," said Ismail, who expressed frustration and unhappiness over the way MAS had handled the case.

Ismail also said that MAS wanted to wash its hands off the incident as it was struggling from the negative publicity generated following the missing MH370 flight and downed MH17 flight.

On March 8, Flight MH370, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew members, went off the radar over the South China Sea, an hour after takeoff from the KL International Airport at 12.41am. The aircraft was bound for Beijing, China.

Efforts to locate the aircraft are still ongoing in the southen Indian Ocean but there has been no trace of the jet yet.

Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew members on board. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down by a ground-to-air missile.

Lawyer Ragunath Kesavan said that MAS, as the employer, should have made an effort to secure the release of the steward from the detention centre.

"The employee is deemed innocent until proven guilty by a court and MAS should have gone all the way to secure his freedom from the detention centre," he said.

He said the alleged sexual misdemeanour also took place when the steward was on duty.

Describing the sacking as extremely harsh, Ragunath said that MAS could have suspended him and paid 50% of his wages.

"The sacking is very harsh and the right of the employee's livelihood and his dependants have been affected," added Ragunath, who also handles employment and industrial dispute cases.

He said a domestic inquiry should have been held so that the union or the family members could have appeared before the committee to explain what had transpired.

"MAS could redeem itself by restoring the employment of the cabin crew when the matter comes for conciliation before the (Industrial Relations) department," he added.

Ragunath said a gross injustice had been done to the steward who was still being investigated for the crime in France.

"Why is it taking such a long time? In Malaysia one is detained for only 14 days and thereafter must be charged or freed," he said.

Lawyer Shailender Bhar, who has been engaged by the steward's family, said French police had no jurisdiction to investigate the sexual assault on a passenger as the incident did not take place in that country or its air space.

The lawyer said that under the Tokyo Convention, the steward, who has been held by French police for investigation for sexual assault since August 5, should be sent home for investigation.

The Malaysian Insider understands that under the French criminal procedure code, a suspect could be held until the magistrate supervising the investigation gave the nod to frame charges or free the suspect.

There have been cases of suspects who remained in detention for up to four years although the law allows a maximum of 10 years.

Shailender said that from information gathered so far, the complainant, Australian Laura Bushney, 26, claimed that the first incident had occurred on the Paris-bound MAS Flight MH20 at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport before the flight took off.

The second incident took place three-and-a-half hours later while the plane flew over the Bay of Bengal, India, in international air space.

French news portal FranceTVInfo first reported that the steward had been detained for sexually assaulting a passenger during the flight.

The passenger had apparently expressed her nervousness about flying over the Indian Ocean following the disappearance of Flight MH370 and the downing of Flight MH17.

The passenger, it was reported, lodged a police report upon reaching the Charles de Gaulle airport on August 5.

The steward was then questioned and, two days later, taken into custody.

Doubts have been cast on Bushney’s allegations, however, after she appeared on an Australian television station to speak about the incident.

She had also recorded part of the alleged assault on her camera phone instead of trying to stop it, which viewers found illogical.

Social media users criticised Bushney after watching the 30-minute interview, calling her story far-fetched and accusing her of “doing it for money”.

Some questioned how she had managed to record the incident if she was indeed as scared as she had claimed.

Others also took issue with “compromising” photos of her on her Instagram account, but those posts have since been deleted. Some, though, said that as the victim, she should not be blamed.

Bushney had said in the programme that the steward had "begged me not to report the incident, while we were still in the air, as he had a wife and a child".

She said the steward took advantage of her fears about flying on MAS following the MH370 and MH17 incidents by sitting next to her and then eventually touching her on her legs and private parts. – November 13, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mas-sacks-steward-held-for-alleged-sexual-crime-union-lawyers-cry-foul#sthash.YPOfuO3K.dpuf

Ex-CJ: Ruling could lead to same-sex marriage

 

Former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad has said the recent Court of Appeal ruling recognising the rights of transgender persons could open the floodgates that lead to same-sex marriage.

He said based on the same grounds of judgment, religious laws enacted by states are also in jeopardy of being declared unconstitutional, even though the constitution supposedly empowers the states to enact such laws.

"The grounds given by the court has wide implications.

"When Islamic laws can be declared unconstitutional based on liberal interpretations from the courts of secular countries (India and USA); when Islamic laws are measured against liberal Western-style values; when Islamic laws can be challenged on grounds that it is 'unreasonable' to a judge, including those who are not Muslim, then Islamic laws will be constantly exposed to the possibility of being declared invalid," he said in his blog.

Among the religious laws that are threatened, he said, include laws that allow Muslims to marry more than one wife, and make it illegal for Muslims not to pay zakat (tithes), to consume liquor and to have extra-marital sex and sodomy.

"Moreover, this judgment will pave the way to same-sex marriage. It seems that what I had feared has started," he said.

Our values

He said it is inappropriate to cite Indian and American precedents as “they do not share our values".

"The Court of Appeal judges are clearly very influenced by the Western interpretation of human rights," he said.

He added the judges had erred in ruling based on "unreasonableness" of the law, as their ambit is only to judge if it is "unconstitutional", not if it is reasonable or not.

On Nov 7, the Court of Appeal ruled that Section 66 of the Negri Sembilan Syariah Enactment which bans cross-dressing is unconstitutional.

It ruled that the evidence show the appellate, three Muslim transgender individuals, suffer from Gender Identity Disorder which has no therapy or cure.

Therefore, the Section 66, which opens them to arrests, condemns them to a life of “indignity” and “uncertainty”, the judgment grounds reads.

The Negri Sembilan government said it will appeal the decision at the Federal Court.

WAO to Police: Work with us, not against us

If a shelter allows police to visit with an abusive husband, it cannot provide the victim-survivor with a safe, supportive environment.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO) Advocacy Officer Kristine Yap said that although they valued the role police played in protecting victims of domestic violence, the two parties needed to work together instead of against each other for the sake of the women involved.

Referring to last month’s incident which saw three police officers bringing an abusive husband to the shelter, Yap related in a statement that WAO’s experience with the police had not been “short of challenges”.

According to Yap, the police demanded to search the place for the abusive husband’s wife as one of their children had taken ill after the husband chased his wife out of the house.

She said that the role of WAO was a safe house and shelter that provided a safe and supportive environment where women could rebuild and regain control of their lives.

“More pertinently, the function of a shelter and safe house is to provide physical and psychological safety to a person or family experiencing domestic violence,” said Yap who added that the police should not reveal the classified address of the shelter to anyone, least of all the perpetrator.

“Bringing the abusive husband to the shelter compromises the safety and confidentiality of WAO’s shelter, potentially risking the lives of women and children who seek refuge here.

“On top of that, the police should not turn up at the shelter with the perpetrator, aggressively demanding the staff and residents to let them in,” said Yap.

She said that in such situations, the police should first check whether the wife had made a report against her husband.

Following this, they should confirm the missing person’s whereabouts and safety before meeting the abused woman’s social worker instead of “turning up at the shelter unannounced, causing distress”.

Yap also hoped that the police would assist in taking action if the perpetrator and, or his family members were to create a scene at the shelter gate, hurling insults at the shelter staff and residents.

She said that WAO was always quick to notify the police of any incidents and had cooperated with the police with face-to-face meetings at the Bukit Aman police headquarters in order to ensure a good relationship.

Yap acknowledged the police’s help in intervening at the shelter gates and providing immediate assistance when called upon and hoped that in future, they could continue to improve and strengthen their partnership in their continued efforts to eliminate domestic violence.

No chicks, only empty coops

Participants in the 1Azam poverty eradication programme sold the chickens and did not buy new chicks to continue the cycle.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: “When the auditor came, no chickens were found. All that was left were the chicken coops.”

That was the response of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry (MOA) Ministry secretary-general Mohd Arif Ab Rahman to the Auditor-General’s Report 2013 which revealed that the 1Azam poverty eradication programme was unable to increase the participants’ household income.

He said this when asked about the matter during the Auditor-General’s Report 2013 Series 3 media session at the Perdana Auditorium, Angkasapuri here today.

Mohd Arif said the ministry involved in 1Azam provided various forms of aid to programme participants to increase their monthly income, including the supply of chicks.

However, he said it was just sad that some participants failed to make optimal use of the aid.

“We gave them chicks and told them that once the chickens were sold, they should buy new chicks. Yes, they sold the chickens and received the money, but they spent it elsewhere. Now all that’s left are the chicken coops,” he said.

Mohd Arif said with this attitude, the participants would never get out of poverty.

“If they don’t want to try to increase their own income, no aid will ever work,” he said.

Meanwhile, Women, Family and Community Development Ministry secretary-general Sabariah Hassan said 1Azam participants were low-income earners and the poor.

“Through the training and tools provided under the programme, we hoped that the participants’ income would increase up to RM300 a month, but no amount of aid and assistance will help achieve the objective if the participants did not even try to make it work,” she said.

The report, tabled at the Dewan Rakyat last Monday, revealed that participants of the 1Azam programme failed to make optimal use of the aid provided to them to increase their income due to several reasons, including tough competition and capital shortage.

The participants also claimed that most of them were old and not so keen on venturing into business activities.

– BERNAMA

Invoke order to save Ashram, minister urged

Hindraf urges Minister of Tourism and Culture to invoke his powers to save Vivekananda Ashram from being commercially developed.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Non-governmental organisation Hindraf has urged Minister of Tourism and Culture Nazri Abdul Aziz to invoke his powers as minister in charge of heritage under Section 67 of the National Heritage Act 2005, to permanently protect and preserve the Vivekananda Ashram and its surrounding land as a national heritage.

P Waytha Moorthy, as chair of Hindraf, made this request in an open letter to the minister, a copy of which was forwarded to Prime Minister Najib Razak.

In the letter, Waytha reminded Nazri of Malaysia’s position in the World Heritage Committee saying, “It would not auger well for the nation when such a building such as the Swami Vivekananda site is neglected with clear impunity by the trustees as well as the local authorities.”

He said this in relation to the two previous objections from the management of the board of trustees when the Commissioner of Heritage attempted to gazette the Vivekananda Ashram as a heritage site.

Saying the public was “not aware of what transpired beyond these objections”, Waytha said the perception was that the “government did not do anything beyond this to protect the site”.

Lamenting that the government’s “inaction” had led the board of trustees to convert the land status, Waytha said, “We are in the dark whether there was indeed a hearing conducted by the Heritage Commissioner and if so what the outcome of the hearing was.”

He added, “Based on the media reports, it appears that the Heritage Commissioner did not act beyond giving the two notices in 2008 and 2009.”

In the past few weeks, there has been major public uproar over plans by the board of trustees of the Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields to develop the site as a 23-storey residential building with a six-storey car park while the Ashram itself is to be preserved in its original form.

Just a few out of 1.5 million is not bad

Chief Secretary to the government says not every one in the civil service is corrupt.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The number of civil servants involved in misconduct as raised in the Auditor-General’s Report is small, Chief Secretary to the Government Dr Ali Hamsa said today.

Dr Ali Hamsa, nonetheless, said the government viewed seriously the cases of misconduct and that efforts would be taken to overcome them.

“We have 1.52 million civil employees. The impression given (by the report) was that everybody is doing it. No, I can’t even say that it is the tip of the iceberg. It’s less than that.

“Those involved in wrongdoings are a small group but we would like to address them, he said during the Session With Media: The Auditor-General’s Report 2013 Series 3, at Angkasapuri here today.

He said disciplinary action taken included surcharge, witholding salary and promotions, and termination.

Debt-ridden Gov’t Fund Gives Critics Ammo to go After Malaysia’s Najib

Former premier Mahathir leads the charge

By Asia Sentinel

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who has been under fire since the May 2013 general election in which the opposition Pakatan Rakyat received more votes than the ruling National Coalition, has come under renewed pressure in recent weeks, political sources in Kuala Lumpur say.

The campaign, led from behind by 89-year-old former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, is “gaining traction,” one analyst said, primarily over the controversial 1Malaysia Development Bhd sovereign fund, which from its inception has been dogged by questions of mismanagement and other problems and from all accounts represents a witch’s brew of bungling, if not outright corruption.

Najib, according to an UMNO source close to the Mahathir wing of the party, isn’t likely to be dumped at the United Malays National Organization annual general meeting to be held Nov. 24-29 in Kuala Lumpur, although his foes are expected use tactics to try to embarrass him obliquely and to go after his close allies including Khairy Jamaluddin, the Sports Minister, Justice Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein using strategies that the sources didn’t explain

Among other things, the rank and file are expected to push through measures that will be regarded as an affront to the premier, including a motion against his stated aim to abolish the country’s colonial-era sedition law. The use of the sedition law against opposition figures in recent months has become an international issue, with critics charging that the law is so vague that it can be used against almost anybody.

While it is regarded as extremely unlikely that that Najib will be sacked as party president at the AGM, the sources said, clearly his days are numbered as both party boss and head of government.

As a harbinger of what may be in the offing, Deputy Prime Minister and party Vice President Muhyiddin Yassin, who at age 67 has repeatedly said he is too old and tired to take over the top job, returned from the Haj to Mecca saying he felt rejuvenated.

Najib has been in trouble with Mahathir for a year and a half, even before the May 5 electoral debacle, in which the Barisan Nasional was able to hold onto the Dewan Rakyat, or Parliament, because of the country’s first-past-the-post voting system and substantial gerrymandering. As it is, the opposition holds Selangor and Penang, two of the country’s most prosperous states. Najib has also drawn considerable fire for the flamboyant behavior of his wife, Rosmah Mansor, who favors enormously expensive jewelry, watches and bags and has made the pages of New York newspapers cavorting in discotheques.

In August, after months of behind-the-scenes criticism, Mahathir announced on his blog, Che Det, that he was withdrawing his support for the prime minister. And, while he has not specifically demanded Najib’s ouster, a legion of allied bloggers including former New Straits Times editor A. Kadir Jasin and Syed Akbar Ali, have been highly critical of him.

Mahathir has also accused Najib of using government funds to buy voters’ support during elections, of favoring imported goods and neglecting local industry, of increasing the minimum wage regardless of cost-of-living increases, of damaging race relations and causing economic and financial damage to the country.

It is the 1MDB fund, however, that has served as a focal point for Mahathir’s criticism. The former premier has been supported in his attacks by former Finance Minister Daim Zainuddin, who has even questioned why the fund should exist.

The sovereign fund was born under unusual circumstances, first as an investment fund run on royalties from Terengganu state oil revenues. Najib in effect nationalized it with the involvement of a flamboyant Penang-born businessman named Jho Taek Low, a friend of Najib’s wife, taking it under the wing of the Finance Ministry and giving it the backing of the Malaysian government. Some RM18.1 billion is parked in overseas institutions, including an unexplained RM7.88 billion in the Cayman Islands, according to exhaustive reporting by The Edge, a Kuala Lumpur-based publication.

The fund has RM48.96 billion (US$14.68 billion) in liabilities against RM51.41 billion in assets, according The Edge. Opposition MP Tony Pua reported earlier this week on the floor of Parliament that 1MDB has missed three deadlines to repay RM317.3 million for land acquired domestically and risks forfeiting millions in deposits. There are fears the Malaysian taxpayer could be on the hook for the debt.

While last week Deputy Finance Minister Ahmad Maslan said on the floor of parliament, the government had only guaranteed RM5.8 billion of 1MDB’s debt, subsequent statements by others have raised suspicions that a great deal more has been guaranteed. Ahmad Maslan conceded in a message to The Edge that the federal government may be forced to step in to meet US$3 billion in obligations under a letter of support the finance ministry had produced, although he said he was optimistic that the fund’s debts could be restructured to meet its obligations.

There are many other problems afflicting not only the national coalition but the economy. GDP growth surprised economists pleasantly at 6.4 percent in the second quarter but, slumped to a still healthy 5 percent in the third, as external demand has fallen with the slowing global economy, not only in the US and Eurozone but China as well.. The precipitous fall in oil prices, from US$125 per barrel to about US$82, has hit exports hard.

Private consumption growth is moderating and inflation is rising at 3.3 percent annually. Household debt, at 86.8 percent, is one of the highest for developing countries. Private investment is decelerating at a still healthy 16.6%, supported mostly by capital outlays in manufacturing and services.

In addition, an explosive auditor general’s report was leaked this week detailing fraud and falsified documents on the part of civil servants including the loss of nearly RM 1 million by a low-level public official who has never been charged despite two police reports. Medical supplies worth RM1.5 million went missing, along with RM7.95 million in medical-related assets without anyone being prosecuted.

Who can count more than two Ministers in the Najib Cabinet who are committed moderates in the great battle between moderation and extremism – the raison d’etre for the foundation of Najib’s Global Movement of Moderates?

By Lim Kit Siang Blog,

I said yesterday that the “ruckus” in Parliament on Monday created by the Selangor UMNO/Barisan Nasional chief, Datuk Noh Omar, the UMNO/BN MP for Tanjung Karang had thrown up a teaser – whether the majority of UMNO Ministers, MPs and leaders are like Noh Omar, who are not prepared publicly to endorse Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Global Movement of Moderates (GMM) initiative and yet deny being an extremist.

Actually, the “ruckus” had done more, as it also raised the fundamental question how Najib’s GMM initiative could have any chance of success when it is impossible to identify more than a handful of committed moderates in Cabinet and UMNO/BN leadership!

For instance, how many Ministers and UMNO/BN leaders are fully committed moderates dedicated to the moderate agenda of the GMM campaign, as repeatedly spelt out by Najib in various international forums in the past four years, as follows:

“The fight against extremism is not about Christians versus Muslims, or Muslims versus Jews, but moderates versus extremists of all religions. We therefore need to rally a coalition of moderates; those willing to reclaim their religion, and pursue the path to peace.”

I cannot count more than two fully committed moderates in the Cabinet who are willing to take up the cudgel of moderation against extremism and rally behind a coalition of moderates to reclaim their religion and pursue the path to peace.

Are there more than two Ministers in the Najib Cabinet who are prepared to publicly declare themselves as “moderates” in the great battle between moderation and extremism which was the raison d’etre for the existence of the GMM!

Will Cabinet Ministers who regard themselves as committed moderates in the great battle between moderation and extremism please stand up and identify themselves?

This goes for the UMNO/BN political leaders as well!

Apart from the two “moderate” Ministers in the Cabinet, the rest seems to be either extremists or “nominal moderates” – or Malaysia would not have been plunged into the worst racial and religious polarisation in more than four decades of nation-building, with hate speech and incitement of racial and religious tensions and conflict without having the face the wrath and sanctions of the law becoming quite commonplace.

The MCA, Gerakan, MIC, Sarawak and Sabah Ministers may claim to be moderates, but they are at most “nominal’ or token moderates, who dare not take a stand against the extremists who preach intolerance and hatred against other faiths – demanding for instance that the Perkasa President, Ibrahim Ali should be prosecuted for his threat to burn the Bible as well as demanding that there should be zero tolerance for any threat to burn any holy books of any religion in multi-religious Malaysia.

The first three Prime Ministers of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein, would be most dismayed if they are alive today to see the sad state of racial and religious relations in the country where, instead of celebrating the country’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity, reckless individuals and groups are seeking with immunity and impunity to denigrate and diminish this diversity.

Will this height of denigration and demonization of the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity reach a new climax at Umno General Assemblies at the end of the month?

Islamic law is subject to the Federal Constitution, Court of Appeal says in transgender case

Malay Mail 

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 ― State Islamic laws cannot violate Malaysians’ fundamental freedoms that are protected in the Federal Constitution as legislations contradicting the constitution are deemed void, the Court of Appeal said in its written judgment on a landmark transgender case.

A three-judge panel of Malaysia’s second highest court ruled that Section 66 of the Negri Sembilan Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992, which prohibits Muslim men from cross-dressing, was unconstitutional and void as the state law contravened a slew of fundamental liberties, which are personal liberty, equality, freedom of movement and freedom of expression.

“Reading Art. 74(3) and Art. 4(1) together, it is clear (and this legal position is not disputed) that all State laws, including Islamic laws passed by State 11 legislatures, must be consistent with Part II of the Federal Constitution (which guarantees the fundamental liberties of all Malaysians),” the Court of Appeal wrote in its brief judgment.

Article 74(3) of the Federal Constitution states that the power to make laws is subject to conditions or restrictions imposed by the constitution.

Article 4(1) of the Federal Constitution says the constitution is the supreme law of the federation and that laws inconsistent with it shall be void.

The appellate court ruled last Friday in favour of three Muslim transgender men ― Muhamad Juzaili Mohd Khamis, Shukur Jani and Wan Fairol Wan Ismail ― who were convicted of cross-dressing under the Negri Sembilan shariah law that punishes Muslim men who wear women’s attire with a fine not exceeding RM1,000, or jail of not more than six months, or both.

The court panel ― comprising Justices Datuk Mohd Hishamudin Yunus, Datuk Aziah Ali and Datuk Lim Yee Lan ― had said the law was discriminatory as it failed to recognise men diagnosed with gender identity disorder (GID).

In its written judgment, the Court of Appeal noted that the evidence by two psychiatrists and one clinical psychologist on the three transgender men who suffer from GID, or who identify themselves as women, was not rebutted.

According to psychiatrist Dr Ang Jin Kiat, cross-dressing is intrinsic to the nature of the three men suffering from GID and their condition is incurable.

The court also cited evidence from consultant psychiatrist Dr Deva Dass, who said a man suffering from GID feels he should have been the other gender, a “female spirit trapped in a male body”.

The appellate court pointed out that Section 66 of the Negri Sembilan Shariah Criminal Enactment did not provide an exception for those who suffer from GID.

“As a consequence, section 66 places the GID sufferers in an untenable and horrible situation,” said the court.

“They could not dress in public in the way that is natural to them. They will commit the crime of offending section 66 the very moment they leave their homes to attend to the basic needs of life, to earn a living, or to socialise; and be liable to arrest, detention and prosecution. This is degrading, oppressive and inhuman,” the court added.

The Court of Appeal further noted that the Negri Sembilan Mufti’s opinion that a Muslim man dressing as a woman violated Islamic precepts failed to address GID sufferers.

“What is the position in Islam as to the appropriate dress code for male Muslims who are sufferers of GID, like the appellants?” the court questioned.

Asean Community Has No Place For Narrow Nationalistic Sentiments - Najib

From Minggu Simon Lhasa

NAY PYI TAW, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said narrow nationalistic feelings must be avoided because it will contradict the spirit of Asean to become a community at the end of next year.

He said extremist ideologies among Asean countries also should not arise in order to maintain peace and security in Asean region.

Najib told this to Malaysian journalists after attending the plenary session ahead of the 25th Asean Summit here Wednesday night .

He said Asean countries including Malaysia had made a commitment to achieve their vision for the grouping to be an economic community by 2015.

Najib said at the plenary session, the Asean countries also discussed the need for a post-2015 vision for Asean and that Malaysia suggested that Asean view 10 years ahead and hold a mid-term review as the world can change rapidly.

"So, any plans we make will have to be modified according to the prevailing situation," he said.

Najib said the theme 'People-Centred Asean' suggested by Malaysia when it chairs Asean next year was welcomed by the members.

"Fundamental to this is acceptance by the people, so the people must understand what actually Asean is and what Asean is doing," he said.

At the plenary session, Najib said he also raised the issue of non-tariff barriers among Asean countries which resulted in trade between member states to be restricted.

"Especially in terms of delay in Customs processes, labelling and other conditions imposed," he said.

Other matters discussed, he said, were on free trade negotiations between Asean and six other countries, namely India, China, South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand.