Umno can’t use Sedition Act to stay in power, warns Pak Lah

Amid Umno's jubilant greeting over the retention of the Sedition Act 1948, former party president and prime minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi warned that the law should not be abused to help the party stay in power.

Writing in his blog soon after his successor Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced a U-turn on his promise to repeal the act, Abdullah reminded Umno members that the party could only stay in power with the people's support.

"In our enthusiasm to retain the Sedition Act, I remind Umno members that the act is not to be used to keep Umno in power.

"Umno's power and strength comes from the people's support. Remember, if the people no longer support us, there is no law on God's earth that can save Umno from losing power," Abdullah said.

The former prime minister, however, agreed with the decision to retain the colonial-era law.

He also noted the enthusiasm with which Umno delegates had shown when Najib said the act would remain in his policy speech earlier today.

"I support the decision to retain or amend any laws that protect national harmony, that uphold our constitution, that affirm the social contract forged by our forefathers.

"And that ensures that the federation of Malaysia is not destroyed by irresponsible people. All this, I support," he said before stating his caution.

At the Umno general assembly, Najib had said the Sedition Act would not only be retained, but strengthened with amendments to protect the sanctity of Islam, curb insults against other religions and to punish anyone who called for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak from Malaysia.

Najib said he decided this after considering feedback from Umno deputy president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Wanita Umno, Pemuda Umno, Puteri Umno, the grassroots, as well as non-governmental organisations.

"Hence I, as the prime minister, decided that the Sedition Act 1948 will remain," he said, amid roars of approval from the delegates gathered at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

He said this was Umno's wish, adding that he believed their friends in Barisan Nasional (BN) would be with them.

Gerakan president Datuk Mah Siew Keong, however, issued a nuanced protest in a statement this afternoon, noting public dissatisfaction over the abuse of the act against academics and public intellectuals.

"Gerakan's fervent hope is that the Sedition Act will eventually be replaced with a comprehensive National Harmony Act. The new framework must include a set of punitive and positive measures to ensure societal stability but at the same time promotes national unity and harmony," he said.

Noting the "long struggle" of 20 years to repeal the Internal Security Act, Mah said he believed a repeal of the Sedition Act would be done "when all parties are ready and open minded".

"In line with the growing tide of democratisation, I believe this will eventually happen.

"In the meantime, I urge the authorities to act without fear and favour and do not abuse the Sedition Act to silence legitimate political dissent."

Mah noted that the failure to charge Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali over the call to burn the Malay language Bibles had fuelled perceptions that the act has not been used in a fair and just manner. – November 27, 2014.

Umno AGM: Alvin Tan, Hisham Rais “make appearance”

(The Star) – Several controversial activists “made their appearance” on screen at the Umno general assembly as the party tried to highlight certain forces out to destabilise the country.

A video footage showing personalities like social activist Hishammudin Rais (pic) rambling about hasut (incite), sex blogger Alvin Tan and his “bak kut teh” greetings and seditious blog messages were shown on the huge screen just before president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak declared that the Sedition Act 1948 would not be abolished but strengthened.

The footage also showed Bersih 2.0 co-chair Datuk S Ambiga, student activist Adam Adli, scenes of the Bersih 3.0 protests, including people attacking a police car.

The prime minister picked a quote from Irish political philosopher Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph over evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Najib said: “This means, even though we are on the right path but if we do not do anything, the enemies will be king. Moreover, these si kitol-si kitol (trouble markers) will be the king.”

He said Umno should not be apologetic and should continue its struggle in upholding the struggle of the Malays despite accusations that the party was backwards and no longer relevant.

“They shouldn’t feel ashamed about this party. In reality, this is the place where many historic events are taking place.

“This is the place where UiTM is strengthened, this is the place where the future of the civil servants is protected, this is the place where the Royalty is given honour and this is the place where Islam is given priority,” he said.

Netizens have their say on Sedition Act staying

While some say ‘yes’, one has bluntly described the PM as a liar for renegading on his promise to repeal it.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: The Prime Minister’s recent decision to retain and strengthen the Sedition Act 1948 instead of repealing it as he promised two years ago, has drawn mixed reactions from Malaysian netizens of all races with some openly applauding the verdict, and others vehemently disapproving of it.

32-year-old Farhan Paan who said the act should be maintained to enable the authorities to take stern action against those who “hurt the feelings” of others in our multiracial and multi-religious society, added, “Even if the Act were to be amended, the amendments should strengthen the role of the Act in protecting important matters that were enshrined in the Federal Constitution and in preventing seditious actions from becoming rampant.”

Zul Hisyam too accepted the decision stating, “Taking a u-turn for the national security is (a) norm among the world’s renowned leaders. I don’t see anything wrong here. Najib’s decision should be welcomed to avoid any untoward incidents. We hope that the execution of the Sedition Act will be fair to all Malaysians.”

Another in favour of the PM’s decision was Thilagavathy Tanggarajah, 35, who said that as a Malaysian, she was well aware of how the government needed the Act to ensure stability and harmony among the country’s various races. “It should indeed be strengthened!” she added.

Meanwhile, Bank Manager Lawrence Tan, 54, said, “Our Prime Minister is no different than any (other) good politician around the world. To ensure UMNO remains relevant, he must be in a position to unite all Malaysians via the Umno vehicle. He chose the Sedition Act to promote this concept.”

Lawyer Oliver John, 31, however had a different interpretation of Najib’s decision saying, ”He’s playing the crowd. Simple as that really. Much of Najib and his initiatives have been marked by one set of talking points for conservatives versus another set of talking points for progressives or international media. I feel the Sedition laws are by their very nature archaic and ancient. At its core, it criminalises the simple act of voicing out thoughts.”

John also said that when such a huge power was given to an entire government, suppression of freedom of thought, speech and expression was inevitable.

John added, “Modern ‘sedition’ laws are now by and large replaced by defamation laws, which is simply a civil suit undertaken by the aggrieved party against the so-called defamer.”

Justin Chow, 29, meanwhile felt Najib’s retention of the Sedition Act was a reflection on Umno. He said, “People from Umno are losing confidence in him so I guess he needs to do something to regain the party’s confidence. Not only that, by retaining and strengthening (the Act) it shows how desperate Umno has become that they have to resort to using the Act to control the people and instil fear in them.”

Chindy Wong, 42 added, “Our Prime Minister is a liar for saying he will abolish the Act, then later retaining and strengthening it! How are we supposed to trust someone who goes against his word? If the act is retained, it should be reviewed and improvised so that it is not abused by anyone.”

Make Tamil and Chinese compulsory in national schools

If national schools can be strengthened by introducing Tamil and Chinese, vernacular schools can be closed down.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: One Umno delegate thinks that he has found a way to do away with vernacular schools: make Tamil and Chinese compulsory in the Malay-medium national schools.

He did not say whether Malay students in national schools would be required to learn Tamil and Chinese as well.

It was vital for Putrajaya to strengthen national schools, said delegate Mustafa Musa, before it attempted to shut down Tamil and Chinese schools.

“Include the Tamil and Chinese languages in the curriculum of national schools and make it compulsory,” he said in giving his take on the policy speech by party president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak. “We lose nothing in learning more to adapt to change.”

“If national schools are strengthened that way, completely equipped with computers, with Tamil and Chinese subjects, this is an alternative to the beginning of single-stream schools. And there will be no reason for anyone to say national schools are weak.”

So we strengthen our own schools, he stressed, “before we shut down other schools”.

Mustafa did not say in his speech whether it’s ever possible for Putrajaya, given its history of flip flops, to give iron-clad guarantees that the Tamil and Chinese languages in national schools would not be abolished once the vernacular schools are closed down.

He also did not touch on the arguments of Tamil and Chinese educationists that it’s a human and universal right for a child to be educated in his or her own mother-tongue. Having just Tamil and Chinese as subjects in national schools, and later doing away with vernacular schools, compromises this right.

Among the Chinese community in particular, Chinese schools reflect the importance of Chinese students having the Chinese character, the result of 4,000 years of recorded civilization.

Tamils point out that their language is 8,000 years old.

Bung Mokhtar: I’ll sue if gropings continue

Kinabatangan MP is 'sick' of being 'inappropriately manhandled by airport security and urges upgrades to scanners.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Not content with making a spectacle of himself weeks earlier in Parliament when he talked of “sexually stimulating” pat-downs during airport security checks, MP for Kinabatangan, Bung Mokhtar decided to relive his nightmare by bringing up the matter once again albeit in a totally unrelated debate on the Malaysian Airline System Berhad (Administration) Bill 2014.

Jolting everyone with his outburst, Bung remarked, “I don’t like to be touched here and there to have to go through the security.

“It doesn’t happen in other countries, but only in Malaysia. Even Cambodia has scanners, which doesn’t invade someone’s privacy.

Bung also went on to claim that if he was subjected to more gropings, he would not hesitate to sue the security officials.

Obviously feeling an irresistible urge to put Bung in his place, MP for Seputeh, Teresa Kok chastised Bung cautioning him to stick to the debate about the MAS Bill, instead of distracting the Dewan’s attention with his usual antics.

She said, “He went out of topic to touch on body checks, which is under MAHB (Malaysia Airports Holding Berhad).”

Responding later to a joke Bung made, suggesting that he didn’t mind if the MP from Seputeh was being subjected to body checks herself, Kok retorted that his remark was sexist in nature.

She added, “Bung has never changed: Then, now and forever. The Prime Minister should discipline him.

Najib’s about-turn on Sedition Act for his survival

The Umno leader has betrayed the cause of wasatiyyah and his initiative on the Global Movement of Moderates, the subject of his three speeches to the UN General Assembly.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP elder statesman Lim Kit Siang is convinced that Umno President and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak did an about-turn on the Sedition Act to pre-empt moves by extremists and right-wingers in his own party who may be poised to oust him from power on this and other issues.

“It was heart-rending to see Najib succumbing to threats by rightists and extremists in Umno and Umno-sponsored NGOs,” said Lim, also DAP Parliamentary Leader and Gelang Patah MP, in a statement. “He has become hostage to elements which are opposed to the policy of moderation and the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM).”

“He buckled under pressure to renounce the repeal of the Sedition Act which he had promised two years ago in July 2012.”

Najib’s hurried presentation in Parliament of the White Paper on the Islamic threat, alleged Lim, was to camouflage his betrayal of the cause of wasatiyyah and his initiative on the Global Movement of Moderates, the subject of his three speeches to the United Nations General Assembly since Sept 2010.

“The rightists, extremists and the opponents of the campaign of wasatiyyah have cause to celebrate,” said Lim.

“They made it very clear that they will be drawing the line in the sand at the 68th Umno General Assembly i.e. whether to tolerate or topple Najib as Prime Minister and Umno President before his terms were up.”

An ex-Umno Minister did not mince his words when he warned a fortnight ago that Najib’s days were numbered if he continued to disappoint the rightists and extremists, he pointed out, hinting at “another candidate” already waiting on the sidelines and ready to pounce on Najib should the unacceptable happen.

The Umno General Assemblies have confirmed the worst fears, added Lim. “Instead of becoming more inclusive and less exclusive after 57 years of governing Malaysia through six Umno Prime Ministers, Umno leaders and delegates have become more exclusive and less inclusive.”

DAP is becoming a more inclusive and less exclusive party in contrast to Umno and Umno Youth, under Khairy Jamaluddin, undergoing the passage of becoming a more exclusive and less inclusive party.

“It is quite obvious who is being exposed as being truly chauvinist, racialist and being more exclusive and less inclusive in the sixth decade of nation-building,” said Lim.

“Khairy revealed his worries that Umno is fighting a lost cause in the battle for the hearts and minds of the Gen Y when he lamented that Malay youths were joining DAP.”

Khairy said the Malays are under siege and the time for patience is over, noted Lim.

“No doubt MCA Youth Chief would declare that the Chinese are under siege and that the time for patience is over.”

“MIC Youth Chief would also say that the Indians are under siege and that the time for patience is over.”

The screening, during the Umno General Assembly, of slides of the bloody May 13 race riots, he alleged, confirmed Umno’s role and motive in producing the Umno May 13 bogey film Tanda Putera at a cost of RM5 million in public money in the run-up to the 13th General Elections in May last year.

All ‘Sabah, Sarawak Keluar Malaysia’ NGOs banned

The Registrar of Societies (RoS) has gazetted the NGOs concerned as unlawful.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Minister Zahid Hamid declared on Thursday that all Sabah Sarawak movements involved in getting the two Borneo states out of the Federation with the peninsula would be declared unlawful with immediate effect.

Zahid said the declaration follows Umno President and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak saying that the Sedition Act would be retained and strengthened with two key aspects including one on taking action against anyone instigating Sabah and Sarawak to leave the Federation. The other point is on Islam.

The Home Ministry, stressed Zahid, has taken steps against the NGOs concerned.

“The Registrar of Societies (RoS) has gazetted the NGOs concerned as unlawful,” said Zahid on the sidelines of the Umno General Assembly in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday.

If the Sedition Act is strengthened on the two aspects, continued Zahid, the police would take the necessary action against those flouting the law.

Najib, predictably, played to the gallery at the Umno General Assembly when he pledged that the infamous Sedition Act 1948, introduced by the British but abolished in the United Kingdom, will be retained and indeed strengthened.

He had promised, not once but thrice so far, that the Sedition Act will be abolished, the last time being on cable television in London.

In a contradiction in terms, elsewhere, he pledged that all promises made will be kept so that the people will know that the ruling Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) is a party that keeps its promises.

The meet broke twice into visual images of the reformasi movement and the Sabah Sarawak Keluar Malaysia movement. Activist Hishammudin Rais and Doris Jones of Sabah featured prominently.

However, he did put in a caveat: any action taken must be fair.

The Sedition Act, under its second prong, allows for legitimate criticisms of government mistakes.

The general criticism against the Sedition Act is that it circumvents the Federal Constitution and strips the right to free speech. The Act is being challenged in the Federal Court, sitting as the Constitutional Court.

It’s likely that Putrajaya will wait for the outcome in the Constitutional Court before deciding what to do on the Sedition Act.

Najib buckles under pressure to renounce the repeal of Sedition Act and becomes hostage to rightists and extremists who are opposed to policy of moderation and GMM

Blog Lim Kit Siang

Although the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s buckling under pressure to renounce the repeal of the Sedition Act, which he had promised two years ago in July 2012, has not come as a total surprise to Malaysians, it is nonetheless heart-rending to see the sixth Prime Minister succumbing to threats by rightists and extremists in UMNO and UMNO-sponsored NGOs and becoming a hostage to elements which are opposed to the policy of moderation and the Global Movement of Moderates (GMM).

Now I understand why the sudden urgency for the Prime Minister to table a White Paper and move a motion in Parliament to condemn Islamic State yesterday – which was made without any advance notice to MPs as the decision was apparently made only on Monday night: – i.e. to camouflage Najib’s betrayal of the cause of wasatiyyah and his initiative of the Global Movement of Moderates, which had been the subject of his three speeches to the United Nations General Assembly since Sept. 2010, when he delivered his UMNO Presidential Address this morning.

The rightists, extremists and the opponents of the campaign of wasatiyyah have cause to celebrate, for they have made it very clear that they will be drawing the line in the sand at the 68th UMNO General Assembly whether to tolerate or topple Najib as Prime Minister and UMNO President before his terms were up.

An ex-UMNO Minister did not mince his words when he warned a fortnight ago that Najib’s days were numbered if he continued to disappoint the rightists and extremists, hinting at “another candidate” already waiting on the sidelines and ready to pounce on Najib should the unacceptable happen.

Another riddle was also resolved at the opening of the UMNO General Assembly this morning. – the screening of slides of the bloody May 13 race riots, purportedly as a reminder to UMNO of the importance of national unity and the dangers of discord among the Malays, which confirmed UMNO’s role and motive in producing the UMNO May 13 bogey film “Tanda Putera” at the cost of RM5 million public money in the run-up to the 13th General Elections in May last year.

The UMNO General Assemblies have confirmed the worst fears – that instead of becoming more inclusive and less exclusive after 57 years governing Malaysia through six UMNO Prime Ministers, UMNO leaders and delegates have become more exclusive and less exclusive.

Oxford University-educated UMNO Youth leader, Khairy Jamaluddin revealed his worries that UMNO is fighting a lost cause in the battle for the hearts and minds of “Gen Y” when he lamented that Malay youths were joining DAP and tried to hide his fears by dismissing the DAP as a “chauvinist party”, not realising that what he said is in fact a testimony that the DAP is becoming more inclusive and less exclusive party in contrast to UMNO and UMNO Youth undergoing the passage of becoming a more exclusive and less inclusive party.

In fact, when in his closing speech, Khairy said the Malays are under siege and the time for patience is over, would he have also approved the MCA Youth Chief declaring that the Chinese are under siege and that the time for patience is over or the MIC Youth Chief saying that the Indians are under siege and that the time for patience is over?

It is quite obvious who is being exposed as being truly chauvinist, racialist and being more exclusive and less inclusive in the sixth decade of nation-building.

But the dishonour of being the most irresponsible in fostering the politics of intolerance, bigotry and hatred in the UMNO General Assemblies so far must go to the Kedah representative at the Wanita UMNO general assembly and former deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mashitah Ibrahim who succeeded in arousing the UMNO Wanita delegates with her provocative speech alleging that the Chinese (community) in Kedah burned the Quran page by page during a prayer ritual.

The Malaysiakini report by reporter Abdul Rahman Sabri noted:

“Do you feel challenged? Sensitive? Sad? Frustrated?” she asked, prompting delegates to respond in the affirmative.
“If you feel that way, why not voice out? Don’t be quiet. Where is our voice in the media, in cyberspace? Don’t be the silent majority. (Don’t allow) the minority to talk.
“The position of Islam and the rights of Muslims are being challenged. After 57 years of independence, why is this happening?
“Is it to divide (us) or the political gimmick of certain quarters, or the revolution of ICT (information, communication and technology) or is the Islamic agenda envied in Malaysia?” she asked.
Therefore, Mashitah, who was attached with the Prime Minister’s Department, said Wanita Umno delegates and Muslims should not be the “silent majority” when their faith is challenged.

I believe I was not the only non-Malay or non-Muslim who was shocked and outraged that there was such an incident of the Chinese (community) whether in Kedah or elsewhere burning the Quran page by page during a prayer ritual, and I fully agree that such insensitive and sacrilegious incidents deserves not only the fullest public condemnation but the full weight of the law to preserve inter-racial and inter-religious goodwill, tolerance and harmony in plural Malaysia.

But was Mashitah tell the truth, as I have not read or heard of any such outrageous incident.

Of course, there were media reports a few days ago about an incident in Alor Star where the police detained a man after pages of the Quran were found burned in a container at a food court near a market.

Kedah State police chief Zakaria Yusof had told the media that the man would be referred to the hospital for examination and treatment.

He also revealed that traders at the market often saw the man wandering in the area and burning papers near the food court.

But was Mashitah referring to this deplorable action by one man when she had blamed the Chinese community for such insensitive and sacrilegious action against the Quran,”burning page by page in a ritual prayer”.

I have contacted the two DAP Kedah State Assemblymen, Tan Kok Yew (Derga) and Teoh Boon Kok @ Teoh Kai Kok (Kota Darul Aman) and both denied that there had been any incident in Kedah of the Chinese community burning the Quran page by page during a prayer ritual, and that the particular incident of a man detained by the police after pages of the Quran were found burned in an Alor Star market happened last Thursday (20th November) and the man concerned was a Malay and not a Chinese, who had been sent to the mental hospital for examination and treatment.

I also received a copy of the statement by the Kedah Mentri Besar, Dato’ Seri Mukhriz Tun Mahathir on 24th November on the incident, as follows:

“Saya telah menerima laporan lengkap berhubung kejadian cebisan Al-Quran yang didakwa dibakar di sebuah tokong kecil di Pasar Besar Alor Setar/Billion Supermarket, Alor Setar pada minggu lepas.
“Tiga cebisan Al-Quran itu dijumpai oleh seorang lelaki disitu pada pukul 9.20 pagi, 20 November 2014.
“Siasatan polis mendapati cebisan Al-Quran itu tidak dibakar tetapi dikoyak oleh seorang lelaki berbangsa Melayu yang tidak siuman. Lelaki itu kini ditahan di Wad Psikiatrik, Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah, Alor Star.
“Saya kesal dengan tindakan liar tiga individu yang tanpa usul periksa, telah mencederakan seorang lelaki lain, dan kes membakar beberapa buah kedai di medan selera di situ. Ingin saya tegaskan di sini bahawa ianya satu tindakan yang melanggari undang-undang.
“Saya telah mengarahkan Majlis Bandaraya Alor Setar supaya memperbaiki segera gerai-gerai yang rosak akibat perbuatan liar individu-individu berkenaan. Pihak Pejabat Penasihat Undang-Undang Negeri juga telah menyediakan dua kertas siasatan berhubung dengan dakwaan kejadian koyak Al-Quran dan kes memukul orang awam untuk diserahkan kepada Peguam Negara.

Saya berharap orang ramai tidak terpengaruh dengan khabar angin mengenai kejadian tersebut sehingga bertindak di luar batasan undang-undang.”

Is Mashitah referring to this incident by a Malay “yang tidak siuman” and blaming it on the Chinese community, or is she referring to another incident.

Mashitah and the UMNO leadership owe the whole country a proper explanation for a most irresponsible exaggeration of an incident which could provoke the most serious and dangerous consequences inimical to the preservation of inter-racial and inter-religious peace, harmony and goodwill in plural Malaysia.

The ball is in their court.

Humanitarian hypocrisy

The Star
Reflecting On The Law by SHAD SALEEM FARUQI

A deeper understanding of the concept of freedom involves respecting others’ rights as much as knowing our own.

DEC 1O is international human rights day – a day to reaffirm our commitment to the belief that all human beings, irrespective of race, religion, or gender, are entitled to equal worth and dignity. Human rights are not given to us by the charity or generosity of the state. They are inherent in our human condition and are bequeathed to us directly by the hand of God. 

Dec 10 is also a day to remind ourselves that with rights come responsibilities. A deeper understanding of the concept of freedom involves respecting others’ rights as much as knowing our own. The first function of freedom is to free someone else.   

Regrettably, in much of Asia and Africa the international rhetoric of human rights rings hollow and arouses much scepticism and anger. The perception is that the mantra of “democracy” and “human rights” is nothing but a monumental deception to perpetuate the hegemony of the North Atlantic nations over “the lesser people” of Asia and Africa.

There is much evidence to justify this unmistakable perception. 

Fomenting war: Many nations of the West are addicted to war and need to wage continuous battles to keep their military-industrial complex humming. The US, for example, invaded Indo-China in the 60s and killed, maimed and scarred millions of people. It has bombed 30 countries since World War II. Its ongoing illegal drone attacks blow up “enemy combatants” around the world with sickening regularity. 

In the last decade itself, the US and its partners resorted to full scale invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq on trumped up charges plus bombing of Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, Libya and Syria. An American missile downed an Iranian civilian plane over the Atlantic killing all on board. 

The US and its European allies resort to massive bombings, issue nuclear threats, effectuate devastating invasions and regime changes against mostly Asian, African and Latin American nations on the justification that human rights violations have to be stopped through “humanitarian intervention”. 

The book by Adam Jones, Genocide, War Crimes and the West: History and Complicity (2005) rightly points to the Himalayan hypocrisy of western humanitarianism. 

Besides the US, France is notable for its military interventions in its former colonies of Algeria, Mali and Central African Republic. In Yemen, Libya, Syria and Ukraine Western proxies are in the forefront of Western initiated civil wars. The US and the UK are in the forefront of support for Israel’s dehumanisation of the Palestinians.   

Complicity in genocide: Case studies point to Germany’s abuses against the Herero in SW Africa; French atrocities in Algeria; US and European complicity in the 67-year old genocide against the Palestinians; US war crimes in Indo-China, Congo/Zaire, Chile, Bangladesh, Central America, Iraq, Somalia, Liberia and Yugoslavia; the Dutch complicity in the massacres in Srebrenica; and the role of the West and the Western controlled Security Council in the Rwandan holocaust of 1994. 

At the moment of writing the USA, European Union and their Gulf allies are funding terrorists to overthrow the Syrian government. The so-called ‘Islamic State’ (IS) is a Western invention to keep the region in turmoil. The breathtaking hypocrisy of both funding the IS and raining bombs on its strongholds is not a new phenomenon (the US supplied arms to both Iraq and Iran to destroy each other) but must be exposed. 

Propping up dictators: Despite their professed belief in democracy, Washington and the EU have a shameful record of collaborating with right wing military officers to overthrow elected leaders who do not do the West’s economic and political bidding. A partial list would include Mossadegh in Iran (1953), Arbez in Guatemala (1954), Allende in Chile (1973), Aristide in Haiti twice, Chavez in Venezuela (2002), Zelaya in  Honduras (2009), Morsi in Eypt (2013) and Yankovych in Ukraine (2014). 

In Cambodia, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, undemocratic regimes are wholeheartedly supported because they succumb to the Western agenda at the expense of their own people. 

Structural injustices: Add to the above military horrors, the structural violence and oppressive economic systems of the West that keep our economies shackled.  No wonder the panic in the USA and Europe about Chinese efforts to provide alternative credit institutions to the third world.   

Selective sanctions: The US and EU employ trade and aid as levers to force compliance with their oppressive economic policies. They selectively impose sanctions causing death and of suffering to millions. The inhumanity of sanctions against Iran for its international law right to develop nuclear energy is a case in point. 

Along with the USA, the EU punishes a host of coloured states including China, Iran, Syria, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Yemen, Belarus, Cuba, North Korea, Congo, Eritrea, Somalia and Sri Lanka. But it applies a gross double standard to the genocidal, apartheid state of Israel. 

International agencies: Many human rights agencies including the International Criminal Court (ICC), the UN Security Council, the Human Rights Council and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights are selective about their commemorations and condemnations. Mass murderers in the USA, Israel, UK and France appear absolutely immune from international sanctions. For example the ICC has ruled repeatedly that there is “insufficient evidence” for it to investigate Israel for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.  

Bush, Blair, Cheney and Rumsfeld have not been prosecuted for their lies and deceptions that led to the loss of thousands, possibly millions, of lives in the devastation of Iraq. The US and EU are guilty of massive deceptions and crimes of violence in Libya, Syria and Yemen.     

 As long as a culture of impunity surrounds the pernicious crimes of the “liberal democracies” of the West, there will always be skepticism and disbelief about the hoity toity, condescending  charade of human rights that spews forth periodically from the West. Many of us are not convinced when Tyranosaurus Rex preaches to us about the virtues of vegetarianism. 

Nevertheless we Asians should not turn our back to the human rights quest. While exposing the massive hypocrisies of the West, we need to put our own houses in order. The quest for rights and dignity for all is a moral, religious and legal duty. 

Shad Saleem Faruqi is Emeritus Professor of Law at UiTM. The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.

Sedition Act Still Relevant To Maintain Harmony

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27 (Bernama) -- The decision by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak to maintain and improve the Sedition Act 1948 shows that the act is still relevant to strengthen unity and racial harmony in the country, said several Umno leaders.

Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Hasan Malek said the announcement by the prime minister would eliminate the existence of groups who were not satisfied and wanted to see disunity in the country.

"Some of the do not stop inciting that majority of the people in Sabah and Sarawak want the two states to leave Malaysia," he added.

Another Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin said the announcement by Najib to maintain the Sedition Act was a gift for the Malaysian people in conjunction with this year's Umno general assembly.

She said solidarity emphasised by the prime minister in his speech should be absorbed and strengthen in all Umno activities.

Wanita Umno leader Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the decision to maintain the Sedition Act was in line with what the movement had been fighting for. The effort by the movement in collecting a million signatures in a move to get the government to not abolish the act had been successful with the announcement by the prime minister on Thursday, she added.

Meanwhile, Gua Musang Member of Parliament Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the decision to maintain the Sedition Act and to improve the law was proof of Najib's firmness.

"Najib has to be firm in everything that has and being planned to ensure the agenda can be achieved.

"If there is no act, like a yoyo because the irresponsible ones will take advantage to play up various issues," he added.

Former Yang Dipertua Negeri of Sabah, Tun Sakaran Dandai said the additional new provisions to be included in the Sedition Act were necessary to safeguard peace in the country.

"Those who incite have to be punished because we want the people to live in peace and harmony," he added.

Haris Ibrahim challenges KJ to debate 'Malay special rights'

Rakyat Times

Activist and former lawyer Haris Ibrahim has challenged Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin to a debate on the special position of the Malays under the Constitution.

In his blog, The People's Parliament, Haris contended that "the idea of 'ketuanan Melayu' violently conflicts with the final sermon of the Holy Prophet (pbuh) at Arafat".

He added, "There is, in my view, therefore, no room in Islam for any race supremacist notions. Second, that there is nothing in the Federal Constitution that supports this perennial claim by Perkasa, Isma and the likes to there being special rights thereunder for the Malays.

"Special position, under Article 153, yes, but not special rights," he stressed.

Haris also said that he was surprised when he read that the Oxford-trained Youth, Sports and Culture Minister had reportedly said that in the run-up to, and as part of the agreement that led to independence, the Malays had agreed to citizenship being conferred on non-Malays and that in return, the non-Malays "were prepared to accept the special position of the Malays, the Malay language as the national language and the sovereignty of Malay rulers".

Let's debate it

Haris then threw down the gauntlet to Khairy to debate on whether it was the 'special rights or special position' of the Malays that was at the heart of the problem.

"If we both agree that it is only the latter, we all have tea and go home," he said.

 "But if, however, we differ, then we get it on... in the most cordial, friendly and civil fashion.

"KJ, you game? Your choice of moderator, KJ. Even your new found friend, Dr M, if you wish," Haris said.

The Rakyat Times Editorial team hereby offers the potential debaters its humble premises to host the debate.

We will even throw in tea, curry puffs and some kuih for this occasion.

Pertikai nama baru jalan, Khairy arah Pemuda Umno bangkit

Shahrizat: Jangan persoal kerakyatan, hak bukan Melayu

ISIS stones 2 ‘gay men’ to death in Syria: observer

By AFP | Beirut

The Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group stoned two men to death in Syria Tuesday after claiming they were gay, a monitor said, in the militant organization’s first executions for alleged homosexuality.

“The ISIS today stoned to death a man that it said was gay,” the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, adding that the victim was around 20 years old.

He was killed in Mayadeen in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, near the border with Iraq.

The Britain-based Observatory said ISIS claimed it found videos on his mobile phone showing him “practicing indecent acts with males.”

In a separate incident on Tuesday, an 18-year-old was also stoned to death in Deir Ezzor city after the group said he was gay, the Observatory said.

Activists on social media said that the dead men were opponents of ISIS and that the group had used the allegation as a pretext to kill them.

The United Nations said this month the ISIS had carried out several executions by stoning of women in Syria it accused of adultery.

The militants proclaimed a “caliphate” in June after seizing swathes of Iraq and Syria.

Activists say ISIS carries out regular public executions -- often beheadings -- in areas it controls.

Bangladesh 'Hajj critic' AL Siddique is arrested

By BBC

A senior Bangladeshi politician who criticised the annual Hajj pilgrimage made by Muslims to Mecca has been arrested in Dhaka.

Abdul Latif Siddique was denied bail and sent to jail on charges of insulting Islam.

Mr Siddique returned from India on Sunday after a long trip abroad.

Calls for his arrest came after he told a gathering in New York in September that he was "dead against the Hajj". He was subsequently sacked as a minister.

His comments triggered an angry reaction among hard line Islamist parties, who staged protests.

They and other opposition political parties demanded the former telecommunication minister's immediate arrest.
'An apostate'

Television footage from the US showed Mr Siddique telling a Bangladeshi expatriate audience in New York that he opposed the Hajj, and that the Prophet Mohammed had established it partly for commercial reasons.

Read more: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-30195714

EXCLUSIVE - From Naked and Afraid to battling ISIS: Former US Marine who starred in reality show weeks ago has joined foreign legion battling extremists

• Joshua Bell appeared in third season of Naked and Afraid in September
• Ex Marine suffered fever and sickness and left show after just five days
• Now 28-year-old has joined group fighting ISIS in Syrian city of Kobane
• He is among large number of foreigners fighting with The Lions Of Rojava
• Britons Jamie Read and James Hughes are also fighting with pro-Kurds
• Group led by Jordan Matson, who made headlines as one of first Americans to join the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG)

A former U.S. Marine has joined a growing foreign legion of Western fighters battling ISIS on the frontline just weeks after he starred in a survival reality TV show.

Photos have emerged on social media that apparently show Joshua Bell, 28, who appeared in the third season of Naked and Afraid, a reality survival show produced by the Discovery Channel. In 'Nicaragua Nightmare', Bell alongside his fellow contestant, Amanda Leigh, had to survive 21 days in the Central American jungle.

The episode was aired in early September 2014 and saw Bell suffering with fever and sickness while helping a female fellow contestant make a bikini out of small strips of duct-tape. Just two months later, on November 10, Bell arrived on the frontline in the besieged city of Kobane

Bell is among the latest foreign volunteers - many of them ex-US, British and Canadian military - to join a group called The Lions Of Rojava, who have been mounting a brave counter attack against Islamic State terrorists in northern Syria over the past few months.

The Lions Of Rojava act as a foreign legion for the Kurdish People's Protection Unit (YPG) - a group that has been mounting a brave resistance against ISIS in Kobane for more that two months.

Bell was a contestant on Naked and Afraid on September 7. In the show, both contestants are strangers and have to work together to survive unassisted in a hostile environment.

In each episode, contestants have to strip naked and meet each other in a tough environment, normally in the middle of a thick jungle or a remote island. The two survivalists have to find clean water, food and build a weather proof shelter.

Read more:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2849877/EXCLUSIVE-Naked-Afraid-battling-ISIS-Former-Marine-starred-reality-weeks-ago-joined-foreign-legion-battling-extremists.html

White Paper to combat Islamic State threat passed by Parliament

Parliament today approved the White Paper on combating the threat posed by Islamic State, with a promise to enact a new law to help prevent such threats in future, Bernama reported.

Winding up the debate on the motion this evening, Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamid said that the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act would stress on prevention, in addition to eradication of the existing threat.

"I also want to give an assurance that the government will not follow the laws of other nations to create an anti-terrorism act, although in reality six nations have drawn up such an act," he said.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia then approved the motion which was tabled by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, after receiving more ayes than nays.

According to Bernama, six Members of Parliament, three each from the Barisan Nasional (BN) and three from the opposition, debated the motion on the White Paper which explained the danger the Islamic State posed and the level of threat to national security.

The prime minister had informed Parliament that the new law to eradicate the involvement of Malaysians in militancy and terrorism, would be tabled at the next Dewan Rakyat sitting.

In stressing that Malaysia is committed to tackle the threat of terrorism with the international community, Najib said such cooperation will contribute to strenghtening national security.

"The involvement of Malaysians in militant activities in the name of Islam have tarnished the country's image and affected the purity of Islam.

"All citizens, regardless of race, religion and political leanings have to reject extreme ideologies and have confidence that the wasatiyyah or moderation concept is the best way to ensure the nation's peace and harmony," he said.

The motion received the thumbs up from opposition MPs as well, led by opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (PKR-Permatang Pauh).

The defacto PKR chief said the new law must be firm in helping the government to tackle the problems of terrorism, and not be used for political gain.

He also urged the government to explain militant activities more closely, especially on Islamic State.

As of November 13 this year, 39 Malaysians have been identified to be part of Isis in Syria and Iraq while another 40 has been arrested by the police, including those who had just returned from Syria.

Although 19 has been released due to lack of evidence, the government has imposed restrictions on them travelling overseas and they are currently being monitored by the police.

The Malaysians fighting alongside Isis forces in the Middle East were influenced to take up the struggle via social media, intelligence sources had said previously.

Some, like former Kedah PAS Youth information chief Lotfi Ariffin who was killed in Syria, had not only posted about his activities with the militants on Facebook, but had issued call-to-action messages, too.

To date, five Malaysians have been killed in action in the Middle East. – November 26, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/white-paper-to-combat-islamic-state-threat-passed-by-parliament#sthash.vyaWpQL6.dpuf

Banned from Sabah, Ambiga speaks at Negara-Ku forum via Skype

Prominent lawyer Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan addressed about 150 people at the Negara-Ku nationwide roadshow to "reclaim Malaysia" in Kota Kinabalu through Skype last night, despite being banned from entering Sabah.

Event moderator Gerald Joseph said Ambiga, who is also the movement’s patron, spoke to the crowd for about 20 minutes from Kuala Lumpur.

She also took questions from the floor which lasted another 40 minutes.

Gerald said yesterday's event only showed that the prohibition to stop Ambiga from addressing the people's legitimate concerns was not effective.

"You can stop the messenger… but not the message," Gerald told The Malaysian Insider.

He said some among the crowd criticised the Sabah government and immigration authorities for stopping Ambiga from entering state, as she was not a threat to national security and public order.

Tan Sri Simon Sipaun, a former Human Rights Commissioner, said the authorities owed Malaysians an explanation for banning Ambiga from entering the state to participate in a legitimate activity.

"As a Malaysian, her right to freedom of movement and expression has been unreasonably restricted," said Sipaun, who also spoke at the forum.

Other speakers were Star party chief and Bingkor assemblyman Datuk Jeffrey Gapari Kitingan and Negara-Ku chairman Zaid Kamaruddin.

The event in Sabah is part of Negara-Ku's programme to return the nation to rationality, allow for open and civil discussion, moderation and harmony.

The roadshow began two weeks ago in Malacca, and covered six other states: Perak, Johor, Negri Sembilan, Penang, Sabah and Kuala Lumpur.

Endorsed by over 60 civil society groups, the movement's patrons are Ambiga, national laureate Datuk A. Samad Said and Sipaun.

Gerald said the organisers decided to resort to Skype after Ambiga was notified on November 14 that she had been banned from entering the state.

A letter from the Sabah Immigration Department had been sent to Ambiga in response to her inquiry to them on November 11, informing them of her intention to visit Sabah on November 25 for a programme with Negara-Ku.

“I had written to them because I don’t want to fly all the way there just to be told I’m not allowed in. It was just a formality, to confirm there was no restriction.

“But then they wrote back and said they had rejected my application – even though I wasn’t even applying for their permission to enter Sabah,” she said.

The civil lawyer said that under section 67 of the Immigration Act, she was entitled as to enter Sabah as the trip was for engaging in a legitimate, non-partisan community activity.

The Sabah immigration department did not provide any reason for barring Ambiga from the state.

Sarawak immigration authorities had also stopped her from entering the state during the April state election in 2011 but her legal challenge fizzled out as she filed the suit in Kuala Lumpur.

The Federal Court ruled she should have started her case in Kuching as there were two high courts (Malaya and Sabah and Sarawak) of equal jurisdiction.

Ambiga, when contacted today, said she was pleased to be able to speak to the enthusiastic crowd and to interact with those present.

"All such bans are no longer working due to technological advancements," she said, adding that she would be filing for a judicial review in Kuching through a lawyer there.

She has 90 days from November 14 to do so. – November 26, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/banned-from-sabah-ambiga-speaks-at-negara-ku-forum-via-skype#sthash.9bs3HUZE.dpuf

Don’t be too tolerant with non-Muslims, warns Umno Youth delegate

An Umno Youth delegate today called on party members to rise up in response to non-Muslims who were growing bolder in challenging Malay sensitivities, adding that being too tolerant with them would see the end of Islam.

Negri Sembilan Umno Youth information chief Shamsul Amri Mohd Kamal told delegates at the party's assembly that they must not fear defending their religion, and anyone who called them extreme for doing so should face police action.

"Before, they did not dare disturb us, they did not dare criticise us, but now they dare to challenge us with all sorts of issues that shake our patience and tolerance‎," he said when debating the policy speech.

"Rise up, my race, rise up, my friends, realise that our patience and tolerance has its limits. Let us not risk it all, including our beloved Islam, just because we are too diplomatic and tolerant."

As examples of how Islam was being challenged, he brought up the "I want to touch a dog" event, the Court of Appeal decision that favoured Muslim transgenders and the custody tussle between a Muslim convert and his Hindu wife.

Shamsul Amri said such incidents could cause confusion among Muslims ‎and weaken the position of Islam in Malaysia.

"We must be more professional in this issue and we need to defend our religion‎. And whoever tries to condemn us as extreme should face immediate action.

"Why is it that when people insult our religion, we delay (action)? But when we criticise other (religions), they arrest us so quickly, without even waiting 24 hours?"

Shamsul Amri proposed that in their efforts to defend Islam, the Shariah Court's position be strengthened so that any decision it made could not be overruled by the civil court.

He asked why the Shariah Court was of lower standing than the Federal Constitution itself, given that the Quran and Hadith (prophetic traditions) were the "core laws" for Muslims.

He said they should also defend Section 66 of the Negri Sembilan Shariah Criminal Enactment, which makes it an offence for Muslim males to dress and behave as women.

The Court of Appeal had ruled on November 7 that the section violated the constitution, rendering similar laws enacted by the states and the Federal Territory null and void.

"I urge everyone to take this issue seriously, otherwise more transgendered men will emerge. I'm scared tomorrow we will find women among Umno Youths. This will create a dangerous situation." – November 26, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dont-be-too-tolerant-with-non-muslims-warns-umno-youth-delegate#sthash.zoUzXeqN.dpuf

On pendatangs, ‘social contract’ and Goebbels lies

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia is surprised by the polemics of ‘social contract’ often raised by leaders in government to further their political ambitions, especially during the annual Umno general assemblies.

The Chinese Malaysian community has been branded as anti-Malay and ungrateful for not supporting the BN in the last general election. Vernacular schools have been threatened with closure. The non-Malays are often termed ‘pendatang’ and are reminded they have to be grateful for being given an opportunity to live in Malaysia.

I have personally perused thousands of original pre-Merdeka documents and during the negotiations for Merdeka. Tunku Abdul Rahman and Abdul Razak Hussein, who led the Alliance party to make representations before the Reid constitutional commission, never used the words ‘pendatang’ or ‘social contract’. Social contract is a non-existent word and was probably created along the way by conniving politicians to maintain the racial divide in the country.

It must also be remembered that pre-independence vernacular schools included the Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan known as Malay schools. It was only after independence that these ‘Malay schools’ were converted into Sekolah Kebangsaan and the Chinese and Tamil schools were maintained irresponsibly by the government as vernacular schools with limited funds and discriminated a against.

I can vouch that Indians and Chinese were not liabilities to the then-Malaya, but were instead an asset to Malaya as the Malayan economy 10 years before and after independence was dependent on both the Indian and Chinese communities.

The Indians were almost 80 percent of the labour workforce in the plantations industry which contributed almost 70 percent of the export income; whereas the Chinese contributed to a further 29 percent income in the Malayan revenue in the form of tin exports.

The British ruling government, together with the then-Malay rulers and politicians, recognised the contributions of these two communities and understood the need to maintain and settle these communities in Malaya permanently in order that Malaya could sustain itself economically. Had the Indians and Chinese left in 1957, I can personally say Malaya would have been bankrupted instantly. I say these based on the documentary evidence I have seen and possess.

The government leaders and the people at large have to understand that after 57 years of Merdeka and being born in Malaysia as a fourth generation Indian, I am entitled to be treated as an equal citizen.

I and millions of Indians and Chinese have settled in Malaysia for more than 100 years and I wonder how long more would government leaders deceive themselves that we are ‘pendatangs’, conveniently forgetting the large influx of Indonesians into Malaya in the 1920s and the recent migrant Indonesian, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis who are given citizenship and enjoy the status of bumiputra whereas we remain second class citizens. The continuous lies and distortions of historical facts have to end. The people will not fall for the ‘Joseph Goebbels lies theory’.

Declassify documents pertaining to Merdeka

It is time for the government to declassify all documents pertaining to Merdeka and let the entire Malaysian community see for themselves what was originally intended and agreed on by our forefathers and how Tunku Abdul Rahman went against his own promises to work on a multi-racial basis before the Reid constitutional commission, and then months later colluded with the British government to short change the non-Malays by rewriting the constitution to suit his agenda.

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia urges leaders like Khairy Jamaluddin to stop reminding the non-Malays of “our promises” but to look into history and see for themselves  how the constitution had been manipulated and crucial provisions guaranteeing fundamental rights of citizens conveniently ignored and diluted to protect a particular race and religion.

The rhetoric of Malay Supremacy has to end with a modern all-encompassing society where the wealth of this nation should be shared by all citizens.  Only then would Malaysia progress and society live in peace and harmony.

---

P WAYTHAMOORTHY is chairperson, Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia.

Minister: MMC to probe doctors' 'negligence'

 

The Malaysian Medical Council (MMC) will investigate reports concerning professional negligence of doctors, said Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam.

"After investigation, if a definite case of negligence is found by the peers then action can be taken to warn, suspend, or de-register the doctor," he added.

Subramaniam was responding to a query by Malaysiakini if the ministry is probing the case of teenager G Tinasha, whose parents claimed had died due to the negligence by Assunta Hospital's medical staff.

The parents have since filed two police reports against the private hospital located in Petaling Jaya.

They lodged the second report two days ago after failing to obtain their 14-year-old daughter's medical report.

Tinasha's uncle I Ramesh said the hospital told the family that the report is being withheld because of the media blitz.

Assunta Hospital chief executive officer Peter TL Leong later told Malaysiakini that the family must follow proper channels to obtain the report.

However, Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) had dismissed the hospital's explanation, saying the parents were entitled to the report.

Assunta denies allegation

Meanwhile, Subramaniam said the conduct of the hospital fell under the Private Hospitals Act.

"And any omissions or irregularities found will be dealt with by the provisions of the Act," he added.

On the issue of compensation, the minister said such claims will have to go through the judicial process.

Assunta Hospital has denied that its medical staff was negligent in treating Tinasha.

According to Leong, his staff had followed procedure.

He also accused the teenager's parents of refusing to agree to an amicable solution.

'Non-Malays must remember their promise'

 

UMNO AGM Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin has reminded non-Malays to remember their "original promise" which is in the social contract.

In his speech during the wing's general assembly today, he said the Malays had sacrificed in allowing the non-Malays to become citizens when the nation achieved independence.

In return, the non-Malays were prepared to accept the special position of the Malays, the Malay language as the national language and the sovereignty of Malay rulers.

"But why are there are those who still do not respect this agreement.

"If the Malays can accept, and not raise the citizenship (of non-Malays) and acknowledge that we would not shut down vernacular schools, why are there those (non-Malays) who don't hold to that original promise now.

"Why are there calls to abolish the special position of the Malays, the sovereignty of Malay rulers being questioned and there are those who cannot understand the national language," he added.

Khairy said the Malays were not asking the other races to make concessions, but rather to just uphold what was agreed before.

He also highlighted that Umno used to host a number of youths in prominent positions, including Rais Yatim who was the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar at the age of 36, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, who was Petronas chairperson at 35, and Abdul Razak Hussein who was deputy prime minister at the age of 35.

Now, however, Khairy said that he is the only minister below the age of 40, and even that was a recent development.

"I want you and many more of my peers to join me. It is only then that there is transformation.

"It is not that we are greedy in wanting positions or status, but we cannot deny that the generational and demographic shift is happening right in front of our eyes," he said.

Enact anti-discrimination act

On another matter, Khairy also highlighted the socio-economic concerns affecting Malays, such as lower income and drug addiction.

He proposed several measures, which include:

• Ensure that states replace Malay reserve land that have been degazetted and create a Malay Land Trust Council with the involvement of all states to protect and develop it.
• Increase the promotion period for housing reserved for bumiputera buyers by three months from the current six-month period, during which the government can find bumiputera buyers or sell it directly to government-linked companies.
• Enact an Anti-Discrimination Act to stop workplace discrimination, particularly racially biased hiring practices.
• Companies that are only bumiputera-status on paper should be blacklisted. A certification agency should be formed in cooperation with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to ensure this.

Meanwhile, when speaking on household debt and harsh methods that debt collection agencies have resorted to recover it, Khairy also took a swipe at Astro's rising subscription fees.

"I think their bills are excessive. Can we have a spontaneous motion?" he said, to loud cheers from the delegates.

"Never mind if there is competition, but Astro is a monopoly. If we want to watch the best football team in the world, Manchester United, we have to use Astro. If we want to watch the worst team in the world, Chelsea, you have to watch Astro.

"So I propose that we bring forward a motion from the youths - it is bad enough that it is a monopoly, don't burden the people with high fees. Don't raise the fees any more.

"We're finished, Astro Awani is not going to carry news about Umno Youth any more," he said, before continuing to read his prepared speech.

Astro Awani is the a news channel that Astro produces and broadcasts to subscribers of its satellite television service and online.

As a means to reduce debt, Khairy noted that the second largest debt comes from hire purchase, and proposed that the government waive taxes or excise duty on vehicles for eligible youths.

These would allow youths earning less than RM4,000 a month to purchase their first vehicle without paying the taxes or duties, provided that the vehicle is moderately priced and locally assembled.

"Before anyone says they have heard of this idea before, or 'isn't this the opposition's idea?' I would like to clarify that it is unlike the opposition's populist policy, which is tax deductions for all vehicle buyers that will add to the government's debt, increase traffic congestion, pollute the environment and only serve to give a discount to the rich.

"Umno Youth's proposal is based only on the youths, and it doesn't involve all vehicle buyers," he said.

'Unjust if bumiputera need not repay PTPTN loans'

 

MIC Youth has condemned a call that bumiputera students be exempt from repaying National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) loans. The proposal was made by a coalition of Malay NGOs led by Perkasa.

“This is downright unfair, unjust and goes against everything the country stands for. Race should never be a consideration at all,” said its leader, C Sivarraajh.

He added that the NGOs should not look at loan repayments in a racial manner as it is a backwards process that does not contribute to the country’s future.

“We are trying to slowly erase race as a consideration for scholarships and study loans and this proposal by 58 Malay NGOs is simply very regressive.”

Sivarraajh (left) also said the only acceptable criterion for exemption is competency, where students with first class honours are exempted from repayment.

“This will motivate students to score better results. It should be enjoyed by all, regardless of race.

“Does the colour of your skin stop you from getting first class honours?” he questioned in a statement yesterday.

He added that instead of looking at race based issues like this, the focus should be on defaulters.

“A more pressing issue is the high number of students, irrespective of race, who avoid repaying their loans, which can deprive others.”

On Sunday, during the National Unity Convention, a coalition of Malay rights NGOs, led by Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali, urged the government to consider allowing only bumiputera students be exempted from repaying the study loan.

According to news reports, the 58 NGOs agreed on a ‘National Unity Memorandum’ to be sent to the government, the Agong and the Council of Rulers.

KJ shows proof Malay institutions questioned

 

Social media responses to Kuala Lumpur City Hall’s (DBKL) decision to rename major roads after the name of Agongs is proof that Malay institutions are being questioned, said Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

In a fiery speech winding up the Umno Youth general assembly today, he accused online media portals of unfairly portraying his policy speech earlier today as racist.

As a result, he said had been receiving brickbats including claims no one is questioning the position of bumiputeras, the national language, and the monarchy, and Umno is afraid of its own shadow or fear-mongering to win votes.

The youth and sports minister whipped out his phone to read out a post by a Twitter user, which purportedly said, "What is the contribution of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong that they are accorded such an honour?

"At least (the late DAP chairperson) Karpal Singh had contributed to the country."

Khairy continued, "why the commotion? When the road in Penang was renamed after Karpal Singh, no one made a fuss out of it."

In contrast, he said DBKL was only changing "meaningless" road names to those of Agongs, who had been heads of state to all Malaysians, but drew the offending social media responses.

Major roads to be renamed

Effective today, eight major roads around Kuala Lumpur were renamed after past and present Agongs, including Jalan Duta, Lebuhraya Mahameru, and a part of Jalan Ipoh.

On Facebook, a public service announcement by a BN official page was greeted with criticism, cynicism and ridicule by netizens.

Among them, some complained that the name changes would be confusing because road users are already familiar with the existing names.

Others said other problems like traffic jams on the roads, should be resolved first.

As for his statements on the social contract, which he stressed that it also benefits non-Malays, he said he had seen responses that include ‘I didn’t sign any social contract’ and ‘I don’t agree with any social contract’.

On the online media coverage, Khairy said he is angry and disappointed at the reporting.

He said his statement that vernacular schools should be recognised, and that Umno should be a ‘shield’ to other races - who should be accepted as fellow citizens - were all not reported.

“My (policy) speech was portrayed as racist. Before the general assembly has even finished, our assembly is said to be racist.

“In my policy speech, I said that Malays no longer question the right of non-Malays, so we asked and urged for non-Malays to respect Malay rights. That became a headline, and that is supposedly racist.

“The Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, came out with a statement saying KJ (Khairy Jamaluddin) is racist.”

He said all these are part of an agenda by ‘Umno-hating’ media to disparage the party as racist, and urged members to uphold the dignity of their race and religion.

“I have said that if people disparage other races, other religions, we will stand up. Because we are a noble race, if people disparage other religions, we rise, we defend them.

“But when the time comes for us to defend our own race and religion, don’t call us ‘racists’. No way!” he shouted.

Credit in BM proposal

Meanwhile, during debates at the Umno Youth general assembly earlier today, Pahang Umno Youth delegate Mohd Sahar Abdullah proposed that the award of the SPM certificate should need a credit in the Malay language instead of the current requirement of just a pass.

“This is what we call a Malaysian citizen. This is what we call a citizen of the Malay Federated Territories. What is the use of becoming a Malaysian but can’t speak Malay,” he said.

The appeal was also made directly to the party deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister and was in the audience.

“Tan Sri, help me out. I wish to propose that the conditions for passing SPM not only require a pass (in Malay), but needs to be raised to a credit - with the minimum grade of C.”

Earlier today in his policy speech, Khairy had urged vernacular schools to do more to ensure Malay-language proficiency amongst its students.

Respect and engage

Azmi Sharom, The Star

IN Parliament on Monday, Deputy Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wan Junaidi Wan Jaafar had reportedly brushed aside Kuching MP Chong Chien Jien’s queries about secessionist activities in Sabah and Sarawak.

The Minister was supposed to have said that the number of such people consist of frustrated ex-politicians and is small and insignificant.

He backed this up by saying his “intelligence” (meaning sources) told him so.

Ah, the famous; “I know better than you because I have all the information” argument.

It is such an irritating argument because they never actually tell us anything about their “superior” knowledge and intelligence so there is no way of verifying its validity.

Be that as it may let us put aside that galling old tactic so favoured by those in power for a moment.

The Minister also says that there will be efforts made by the Government to try to extradite those calling for secession from overseas.

From his remarks, it appears that the country where these secessionists are operating from is Britain.

I presume that if the Government is successful (which I doubt as Britain generally does not extradite people for political reasons), then they will be punished using one of the myriad laws we have for such purposes.

Let me make myself crystal clear at this point; I do not want to see a break up of Malaysia.

I do not want to see any state going off on their own.

This is not based on any legal obligation, it is purely emotional.

I will be sad to see this odd amalgam of states, each with its own distinct dialect, culture and personality drift apart.

But I also think that being dismissive and high-handed is not the way to keep us together.

Actually it can be totally counterproductive.

The fact of the matter is that there are those calling for the secession of Sabah and Sarawak.

Whether they are small or big, what has to happen is that there must be engagement; not brushing them aside and not punishing them.

Look, Sabahans and Sarawakians have grievances.

On record, there has been much unhappiness regarding issues such as Project IC; the sense that their wealth goes mainly to the peninsula; the fear that the extremism blooming in the West is going to infect their cherished culture of acceptance and openness; and the list goes on.

Groups and individuals who are unhappy with the way things are, who think that the Malaysia Agreement has not been respected, must be engaged.

If they are deemed illegal and driven underground, this makes civil discussions difficult, if not impossible.

Worse, it will convince some that they have a case because why would you try to shut up a group with differing views unless it is because you can’t provide convincing counter arguments?

These grievances must be discussed openly and solutions must be found and if mistakes have been made in the past, then they must be admitted to and apologies tendered coupled with clear efforts at rectifying said mistakes.

This will require honesty and also humility.

Anything less is simply not good enough.

If one goes into this waving one’s big bad law, threatening people who disagree with you and acting in a generally arrogant manner, one will only be making things worse.

Zahid, Bung bail out Najib over IS blunder

Zahid Hamidi and Bung Mokhtar tell off PAS in efforts to neutralise taunts aimed at the PM over his statement on IS in June.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Home Affairs Minister Zahid Hamidi and MP for Kinabatangan Bung Mokhtar both rushed to the defence of Prime Minister Najib Razak to deflect taunts by PAS over the PM’s unfortunate statements regarding Islamic State in June this year.

Things came to a head during the tabling of the white paper on IS when MP for Tumpat Kamaruddin Jaafar starting the ball rolling by reminding the House of Najib’s call to Umno members to emulate the IS spirit.

The PAS MP then rubbed salt into the wound by exclaiming that by contrast, his party’s president Hadi Awang had instead cautioned his members that they were forbidden to support IS in any way.

It was at this point that Bung Mokhtar swooped in, retorting, “The PAS president’s son-in-law Zaharuddin has publicly praised IS on social media – he was happy, excited when IS captured some towns in Iraq. Check on social media if you want.”

He also remarked sarcastically how PAS’ president was saying one thing, and his son in-law, quite another.

This silenced Kamaruddin sufficiently, giving ample time for Zahid to bring the matter up later in defence of his boss.

In his speech at the close of the session on the IS White Paper, Zahid said, “He (Najib) may have made the statement but one has to examine the context it was made in, the full sentence, not just part of it.

“He talked about ‘the spirit’…please understand the real meaning,” Zahid rebutted.

Ibrahim Ali sues Chun Wai on ‘Bible burning’ issue

Ibrahim claims that he only advised the students concerned and/or their parents in January last year to burn copies of the Bible they received.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa President Ibrahim Ali has issued a letter of demand dated Monday to Wong Chun Wai of the Star.

The letter of demand, issued by Messrs. Adnan Sharida & Associates on Ibrahim’s behalf, is on a “mind-boggling spin” published in the Star on November 2.

The letter demands that Wong, within 14 days, undertakes to not publish further articles of the nature complained about; provide a written statement retracting the article and/or statements in the article; and pay damages in the amount of RM 500,000 “for baseless defamatory allegations”.

In the event of failure to comply with the demands within the stipulated time, the letter warns that Ibrahim will initiate proceedings against Wong for injunctive relief and damages without further reference.

Briefly, the letter claims that the “burn Bibles” remarks attributed to Ibrahim was directed at Malay students of SMK Jelutong in Penang who had allegedly received the Bible with the word Allah and Jawi script.

The letter concedes that Ibrahim only advised the students concerned and/or their parents in January last year to burn such copies of the Bible.

The letter also points out that the Attorney General has since cleared Ibrahim of committing any offence related to his remarks on burning Bibles.

Opposition leader queries Wan Azizah’s absence

Kajang Assemblywoman alleged that Opposition Leader skipped Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings.

FMT

SHAH ALAM: Selangor opposition leader, Shamsudin Lias, was wondering what Kajang assemblywoman Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was doing abroad when the State Assembly was in session and her constituency has been hit by flash floods.

“She has missed two days of the Assembly sitting,” said Shamsudin who is Sungai Burong Assemblyman.

Wan Azizah, however, made it to the State Assembly in the evening on Wednesday. She explained that she had informed the House that she would be absent.

“I gave notice of my absence,” she said. “I did not skip the Assembly sessions deliberately.”

The PKR president, in turn, alleged that Shamsudin skipped Public Accounts Committee (PAC) meetings.

Earlier, when debating Selangor’s Budget 2015, Wan Azizah called for the formation of a committee chaired by Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali to tackle the perennial floods in the state.

Mahathir may turn up at Umno General Assembly

It almost became a certainty that Mahathir would turn up after Umno Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin made a very presidential and prime ministerial speech on Tuesday.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The political grapevine has it that former Umno President and Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, may grace the Umno General Assembly on Thursday after all with his presence. It’s not because Umno President Najib Abdul Razak sent emissaries to plead with the “wily old man”. In fact, Mahathir did reportedly tell these emissaries that he doesn’t see any point in attending the meet if his words and advice don’t carry any respect.

The atmosphere is expected to be “electric”, for want of a better term. It’s not known how many more Umno general assemblies that Mahathir, pushing 90, can attend.

Earlier, there had been intense speculation that Mahathir may skip this year’s meet to express his displeasure with Najib over his failure to provide firm leadership and a lack of sense of direction.

“Mahathir has been particularly upset that the country has degenerated into extreme levels of polarisation and Najib, like the Emperor Nero, fiddles while Rome burns,” said an insider who requested anonymity.

The turnaround in Mahathir’s stance on the Umno meet this year was first read when he failed to turn up at the Perkasa convention on Sunday, said other Umno insiders close to the former party leader. He had been expected to deliver the keynote address at the NGO’s meet.

It almost became a certainty that Mahathir would turn up after Umno Deputy President Muhyiddin Yassin stepped up on Tuesday and made a very presidential and prime ministerial speech at the Wanita, Youth and Puteri general assemblies when he took the bull by the horns, according to the insiders.

“Mahathir could not have said it better than what Muhyiddin did,” conceded another insider. “The tipping point came when Muhyiddin said in English, ‘if change doesn’t come, we have to engineer the change’.”

“The battle lines have been drawn. Now, it’s up to Najib. Either he shapes up, or ships out.”

Muhyiddin, he pointed out, struck terror in the hearts of the warlords including in Selangor and gave hope to those left out in the political cloud. “There’s a sense of excitement in the air, as if something is at last happening, that something big will happen soon.”

The bottomline is that the country can no longer afford to be in a sense of draft. Najib’s pre-occupation with the big picture is not bringing the people, especially the young, any closer to the ruling party.