Kelantan hudud tweaks meaningless without Parliament nod, PKR sec-gen says

(Malay Mail Online) – Kelantan’s plan to amend its 1993 hudud enactment will not bring the state any closer to enforcing the Shariah law despite the controversy and vitriol surrounding the move, said PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli.

The PAS led-state government has however postponed the state legislative assembly’s special sitting to table and pass amendments to the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment II on Monday, amid a flood crisis that has left thousands of victims stranded across eight states.

But despite this, Rafizi pointed out that any amendments to the state enactment are inconsequential as the final arbiter on whether the state can implement the Islamic penal law is the Federal Constitution that can only be changed in Parliament.

“Legally, this does not mean anything,” he told Malay Mail Online when contacted, referring to the Kelantan state legislative assembly’s December 30 special sitting on hudud which has now been postponed to a later date yet to be announced.

“Even if the state assembly passes the amendment, it does not change anything as far as the implementation of hudud is concerned… the hudud equilibrium remains status quo, hudud still cannot be introduced,” the Pandan MP explained.

Rafizi pointed out that many PR leaders within PKR, DAP and even PAS were clueless about the proposed amendment plans on hudud, despite having asked for a copy of the document ahead of next week’s assembly sitting.

The secrecy with which PAS is forging ahead is putting its partners PKR and DAP in a quandary, he added. Both parties have been vocal in their criticism of their Islamist partners plan, especially the secular DAP.

“PAS’s refusal to share (the amendments) has complicated the relationship in Pakatan,” Rafizi said.

DAP is increasing the pressure on PAS to abandon its pursuit of hudud, with leaders alternately telling the latter to quit Pakatan Rakyat or for the pact to suspend ties with the Islamists over their insistence on enforcing the Islamic penal code.

PKR and DAP both maintain that hudud is not part of the PR common policy framework and PAS should not pursue its implementation as long as it remains a part of the pact.

Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Ahmad Yakob told Malay Mail Online yesterday that the postponement was because many state assemblymen were currently busy with relief efforts in their respective constituencies.

“It is a difficult time. We have postponed the sitting to a later date which will be announced,” he said when contacted on the phone.

The special assembly was to have allowed PAS to initiate its plan to table in Parliament a private member’s bill to amend the Federal Constitution, which would subsequently allow Kelantan to implement hudud law in the state.

In Islamic jurisprudence, hudud covers crimes such as theft, robbery, adultery, rape and sodomy.

Punishments for the crimes are severe, including amputation, flogging and death by stoning.

Experts say ‘something serious’ happened to AirAsia flight

Theories abound that it may not be simply bad weather that caused flight QZ8501 to go missing.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Various aviation experts and correspondents closely following news of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 have said that something very bad must have occurred to result in it going off the radar.

With so little factual information currently available except for the extreme weather conditions, aviation expert Doug Maclean told Sky News that all the evidence currently suggests that “something very serious” had happened to flight QZ8501.

Another air crash search and rescue expert William Waldock from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University meanwhile zeroed in on the aircraft’s crew requesting for an unusual route, remarking that this was surprising because the weather, although previously described as extreme, “didn’t seem to be anything unusual”.

Meanwhile Singapore’s Sunday Times reported: “No distress signal was sent, said the Indonesian air transport authorities.”

According to an AFP report, Indonesian officials are sticking to the theory that extreme weather conditions were most likely the cause of the aircraft now having gone missing.

An official from Indonesia’s transport ministry said the pilot asked to ascend 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds.

“The plane is in good condition but the weather is not so good,” Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at Jakarta’s airport, addressing reports of severe storms in the area where the jet went missing.

The Indonesian air force has since despatched two of its planes to scour an area of the Java Sea, southwest of Pangkalan Bun in Kalimantan province.

“The weather is cloudy and the area is surrounded by sea. We are still on our way so we won’t make an assumption on what happened to the plane,” said Indonesian air force spokesman Hadi Cahyanto.

‘Possible air crash location in waters near Belitung’

It is believed the plane circled the sea near Belitung to avoid a storm before experiencing severe turbulence and crashed.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: An Indonesian search and rescue team has headed for the waters near Belitung island and a possible crash location of 03.22.46S 108.50.07E where a missing AirAsia aircraft might have gone down.

The Indonesian national search and rescue agency Basarnas was reported by Antara news agency to have sent a team to Belitung. The crash location is believed to be around 80-100 nautical miles from Belitung, said Supriandi, a spokesman for Basarnas in Pangkalpinang.

However the Aviation and Communications Ministry director, Djoko Murjatmodjo, would only say that the team is still looking for signs of wreckage around the area where the plane was last reported to have been seen.

SAR officials had said earlier that they believed the Airbus A320 could have circled over the sea near Belitung to avoid a storm before it experienced severe turbulence and crashed into the ocean. The Air Asia flight QZ8501, is reported to have had 155 passengers on board, of whom 16 were children.

An unconfirmed radar plot leaked to a professional pilots’ online forum purports to show that the aircraft was last tracked on radar climbing at 36,300ft but at only 353 knots.

This was slower than a nearby Emirates aircraft that was tracked at 503kts. A professional airline pilot speculated that the AirAsia aircraft’s slower speed could have been due to the plane’s rapid climb rate possibly coupled with strong headwinds.

The purported radar plot would be consistent with an official account that the pilot of QZ8501 requested clearance to climb to 38,000ft.

The sequence of events on Saturday morning, as reported at an Indonesia National SAR official briefing:

(all times local)

05:36 QZ8501 departed Juanda airport, Surabaya

06:12 Contacts Jakarta centre 125.70 at FL320, requests weather deviation left of M635 airway and climb to FL380
(The aircraft contacted Jakarta air traffic centre while at 32,000ft and requested a deviation leftwards of the M635 airway, and permission to climb to 38,000ft)

06:16 QZ8501 still observed on radar

06:17 Radar contact lost. Radio contact lost. Only ADS-B signal remained.

06:18 All contact lost. Only flight plan view on radar screen.

07:08 ATC declares INCERFA (aircraft position uncertain)

07:28 ATC declares ALERTFA (emergency alert)

07:55 ATC declares DETRESFA (emergency distress)

Did our money go into 1MDB, asks bank union

NUBE calls for full open inquiry into how workers' money has been invested

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: The bank workers’ union has called for a comprehensive and open inquiry into how workers’ savings are being invested or used, in the light of the current controversy over the finances of government-owned investment company 1Malaysia Development Bhd which has accumulated debts of RM49 billion.

Describing the recent reports and controversy about 1MDB as shocking, the general secretary of the National Union of Bank Employees, J Solomon, demanded transparency in how workers’ savings were being invested or used.

He warned that the government was in danger of losing the trust of the labour force and urged the authorities to have a dialogue with the Malaysian Trades Union Congress for an accountable government and for workers’ interests to be protected.

Solomon said the public must be informed if EPF funds, workers’ monies, or public funds had been invested in, or used for, 1MDB, or companies acting against the interests of workers or which are anti-union.

Solomon also called for transparency on how the government was investing workers’ retirement contributions to the EPF, as well as to the labour compensation fund Socso.

“Any decision on investment of EPF funds should be made by EPF contributors themselves,” Solomon said in a statement, pointing to widespread concern surrounding 1MDB, which he said “points towards a lack of governance and proper regulation of public funds”.

He said workers who contribute towards the EPF have no real say on how their funds are being invested and called it “stripping the rights of Malaysian workers” to know how their money is being used.

Solomon accused government authorities of an abuse of trust and pointed to Bank Negara Malaysia’s approval of an extension of non-performing loans as an example of “corporate interests being protected at the expense of the Malaysian public”.

He said large corporations were passing their risks to the public.

“It appears that there is no risk for large corporations to bear,” Solomon said.

Bank Negara, he said, “seems to be working for large corporations and at their mercy”.

Solomon pointed to reports that Malaysia has one of the biggest income inequalities in the region and said this was reflective of the failed policies of authorities entrusted with the well-being of Malaysians.

He also pointed to the low dividends of EPF compared to some other government funds such as Permodalan Nasional Berhad and Amanah Saham Bumiputera, despite EPF funds having larger funds and having been around for many more years.

Plenty of smoking guns on illegal migrants in Sabah

 

COMMENT On page 267 of the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) report, it is stated that “Indeed, as far back as 1999, it was already reported in local newspapers in Sabah that it was a lucrative business being involved in fake ICs or genuine ICs illegally issued. There was much money to be made by syndicates or individuals or corrupt officials because a false IC could fetch between RM400 and RM500, and a Malaysian passport could cost up to RM50,000.”

Some people have claimed that a lot of activities associated with the illegal immigrants in Sabah represent an industry, and present opportunities and temptation for corruption. Corruption is a big problem in this country. It is also very costly.

I also hear of illegal immigrants becoming victims of enforcement personnel. They become part of the problem rather than the solution. Their vulnerability is often taken advantage of. I have heard stories that very often, enforcement personnel, usually towards the end of the month, demand to inspect the purses of illegal immigrants and take away some or all their monies.

Let me briefly make some comments on the RCI and its report. The RCI is the latest attempt by the federal government to show the public that it is doing something to resolve what is perceived to be a government-created problem for Sabah. Perception, being what it is, could be real or imagined.

But in the Sabah case, there are many signs of smoking guns. The problems associated with the illegal immigrants are often described as the mother of all problems.

The unusually large population of foreigners, both legal and illegal, has permanently changed the economic, social, cultural, political and demographic landscape of the state. Many of them were initially illegal but became legal, rightly or wrongly.

By my reckoning, there are in Sabah more foreigners than locals, who feel fearful and threatened. I have some indicators for this but time does not permit me to elaborate. This is not surprising because this issue has been in the making for more than 30 years.

There appears to be lack of political will on the part of the government to resolve the problem once and for all. More and more Sabahans are convinced that this is a deliberate move or agenda for Sabah by the federal government.

Double standard?

During the late 60s and early 70s, plenty of Vietnamese refugees landed in the peninsula. They were confined to Pulau Bidong, off the coast of Terengganu. Within two years, they were all deported to other countries. The government was very pro-active.

At about the same time, illegal immigrants from the southern Philippines and Indonesia also started to come to Sabah. Unlike the Vietnamese, they are still in Sabah today. There appears to be double standard in the treatment between the non-Muslim Vietnamese and the mostly Muslim Filipinos and Indonesians.

Malaysia is neither a state party to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1951, nor the 1967 Protocol. This being the case, all refugees are treated as illegal immigrants.

All the moves, actions and pronouncements by government leaders have so far not produced the desired results. At one time the government declared an amnesty. It was extended several times so much so that the illegal immigrants did not take it seriously. No review was carried out to assess its effectiveness.

From time to time, you hear of some illegals being arrested and placed in the temporary detention centres. They have now become temporary on a permanent basis. Occasionally you hear of raids and deportations but the number of illegal immigrants appears to increase rather than decrease.

There is no basis to blame the illegal immigrants for being in Sabah. As human beings, they are looking for a better life and opportunities. They have human rights, no more and no less than any Malaysian. Their human rights must be respected. Human rights have no borders.

The question many genuine Sabahans ask is - why are or were they allowed to enter the state illegally and move around with impunity? It is believed that hundreds of thousands of them have been granted citizenship as well as the right to vote, in return for their support for the Umno-dominated BN government.

Former chief minister Yong Teck Lee had to vacate his Likas state assembly seat because he won it in 1999 with the help of phantom voters. Justice Muhammad Kamil Awang said that the 1998 electoral roll for the constituency was illegal, and the election held in March 1999 was null and void. The judge, among others, stated that the evidence adduced represented the tip of an iceberg.

The logical and correct move by the government would have been to rectify the tainted electoral roll. Instead, the Election Act was amended whereby once the electoral roll was gazetted, it cannot be challenged in any court of law. This is bad law and inconsistent with democratic principles.

Why should a responsible government be unwilling to clean a tainted electoral roll if it has no sinister motive?

Flawed RCI report

As the 13th general election was approaching, the government finally announced the establishment of the RCI on Feb 8, 2012, but without the terms of reference. I found this rather odd. It was like putting the horse before the cart.

The terms of reference were announced much later. The eight terms of reference were all investigative and not corrective in nature. The RCI was not assigned the task of identifying the real people responsible for the problem and the action to be taken against them.

Initially, the RCI was given six months to come up with the report. It had been the hope of many Sabahans that the report could be known before the general election. In the event, it was extended for another six months.

The general election took place on May 5, 2013.

The report was submitted to the Agong on May 14 this year. It was finally released in Kota Kinabalu on Dec 3 by the chief secretary to the government. As a civil servant, it was surprising for him to conclude that there is no political motive involved, despite all indications to the contrary. Even the RCI was silent on it. The chief secretary did not back his contention with hard evidence. One gets the impression that he was playing politics.

The public expected the report to be tabled and debated in Parliament.

Despite the reservations shown by many towards the RCI, the evidence adduced from the witnesses had endorsed what many Sabahans have suspected all along but denied by government leaders. What was disclosed by witnesses was not surprising. What is surprising is that the government appeared to be uncaring and insensitive to the welfare and interests of Malaysians in Sabah by placing the interests of foreigners over theirs.

In short, the RCI has cleared the real culprits - the government and political parties - of any wrongdoing. Instead, the RCI pointed the finger at civil servants. This is very surprising. The main function and responsibilities of civil servants is to translate government decisions and policies into action. They operate under the principle of ‘I am your obedient servant’.

Even if they are doing wrong, either deliberately or inadvertently, surely they cannot escape from government notice and attention for over 30 years.

Experience and events also indicate that the government was aware of what was happening. For example, the decision to establish the federal task force was made by the PM himself. I was present when the decision was made. I welcomed the move but I was disappointed that it took about one year just to create the post of the head of the task force. Yet the task force was supposed to resolve the issue once and for all.

That is why I am convinced that the federal government is not serious in solving the problem. There is so much disconnect between declared intention and actual action. It has been said ‘a man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds’.

I believe the task force is still in existence but so is the problem, only bigger and more complex.

In so far as the ‘Projek IC’ is concerned, the RCI concluded that it “probably existed” despite the availability of hard evidence to suggest that it definitely existed. The question of probability should not arise. The existence of ‘Projek IC’ is an open secret to the ordinary Sabahans.

Report not signed

Right-minded Sabahans who were looking for relief and justice would be shocked and disgusted with the report. It is a very disappointing report, to say the least.

It looks odd that in the report the term ‘royal commission of inquiry’ appears, yet on the cover it is being referred to as report of  the 'commission of enquiry'. The chairperson and the commissioners also did not sign the report. Other reports which I have seen are much more dignified.

The RCI agreed with the proposal by the National Registration Department (NRD) workshop to establish a permanent secretariat supported by a management committee on foreigners. It is surprisingly a very short recommendation and not even original.

Only time will tell whether or not this is the last of illegal problems in Sabah following the release of the RCI report and the implementation of its recommendations. In government circle, it is not unusual that when no one is brave enough to take tough decision involving strong political will, a committee would be formed.

That committee, in turn, forms sub-committees. Responsibility is diluted. More often than not, it is taken over by the passage of time.

I am reminded of the story of four people: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and Nobody.

There was an important job to be done and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. It ended that Everybody blamed Somebody when actually Nobody asked Anybody.

Finally, you may then ask - what should be done? The illegal immigration issue is a national problem. They should be equally distributed among all the 13 states. It is not fair that Sabah alone shoulder the burden.

Some suggestions

• Illegal entry into Sabah should immediately stop.

• Sabah identification cards should be issued to all genuine Sabahans. Only Sabahans with Sabah ICs should be allowed to vote.

• Names on the electoral rolls without the Sabah ICs should be taken out from the electoral rolls.

Foreigners who obtained ICs illegally should be deported but allowed to return with proper travel documentation if their services are needed.

I realise this will be a massive exercise but it is necessary. A massive problem requires a massive solution. It is the government which made its bed, it must be prepared to lie on it. This is responsibility and accountability.

If the federal government was pro-active right from the beginning by not allowing illegal entry into Sabah, we would not be saddled with this problem today. But it was allowed to happen and continue for more than 30 years. I will not be surprised if many of the illegal immigrants have moved to other parts of the country in search for better opportunities.

Sabah is their entry point into Malaysia and to the rest of the world, courtesy of the federal government.

---

SIMON SIPAUN is former state secretary of Sabah and former Suhakam commissioner. The above speech was given at the Bersih/Pacos forum on the RCI report in Kota Kinabalu on Dec 13.

Vanishing Of QZ8501 "A Massive Shock" - Tony Fernandes

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 28 (Bernama) -- AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the company was still in the dark over what happened to AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 which went missing Sunday morning.

He told a press conference in Surabaya, Indonesia, the point of departure of the Singapore-bound Airbus A320-200, that the plane was in good condition and had undergone scheduled maintenance in November.

"This is a massive shock to us...unbelievable," said a sombre-looking Fernandes at the media conference which was telecast live over Indonesian television monitored here.

To a question, Fernandes said he did not want to speculate on what happened to the missing plane with 162 people aboard, stressing that "we don't know what went wrong".

The Malaysian aviation magnate said he left it to the search and rescue operation teams to locate the six-year old aircraft, which left Surabaya at 5.35 am but lost contact with Indonesian air traffic control at 7.24 am. It was scheduled to reach Singapore at 8.20 am, all local times.

Those on board comprised 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, one Singaporean, one Malaysian, a French national and one Briton.

Fernandes said the priority now was looking after the next-of-kin of QZ8501's passengers and crew.

In a series of tweets earlier, he said:

"I, as your group CEO, will be there through these hard times. We will go through this terrible ordeal together."

Fernandes also said he was touched by the massive show of support, especially from fellow airlines.

"This is my worst nightmare," said the entrepreneur as he was making his way to Surabaya "where most of the passengers were from as with my Indonesian management".

Voxpop: Flooding doesn't justify hudud

ISIS blows up Catholic church in Mosul

By RUDAW

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Islamic State (ISIS) militants blew up a Catholic church in the al-Arabi district of Mosul on Friday, a Pastor told Rudaw.

“Members of the extremist organization (ISIS) cleared the Church of Virgin Mary of its contents in al-Arabi area, north of Mosul and blew it up after few hours,” said Pastor Behnam Raad.

Local sources said that the militants had sealed off the church and planted the bombs on Thursday.

The majority of Mosul’s Christian population fled the city when ISIS took over in June. The group has since demolished a number of Christian, Shiite and Yezidi shrines in and around Mosul among them the ancient shrine of Jonah (Nabi Yunus).

Chilling tales of brutality unleashed by IS on Yazidi women documented in Amnesty report

Harini Calamur

The Amnesty USA Report on “Torture and Sexual Slavery in Islamic State captivity in Iraq” makes for difficult and brutal reading. Amnesty spoke to some of the 300 women and girls, from the Yazidi community who had managed to escape the IS, and the accounts of systematic brutality, torture and rape of girls and women are laid out in a matter of fact manner, that makes it even more impactful.

Narrative after narrative focuses on the utter dehumanisation of prisoners and the treatment meted out to them.

A 15 year old girl Arwa, had this account :
“In Rambussi we were held in a house with five other girls. There they did to me what they did to many other girls. I was raped. My cousin was not molested; they wanted to take her to marry her to a man but in the end they left her with us and then we managed to escape. One of the girls said she was not raped but I don’t know if it is true; I hope it is true. Another did not talk about what happened to her. The others were raped. The men were all Iraqis. They said that if we killed ourselves they would kill our relatives.”

 A 16 year old, Randa, had this account:
“I was taken to Mosul and kept there all the time. First in a building which they called the maqarr (headquarters). We were about 150 girls and five women. A man called Salwan took me from there to an abandoned house. He also took my cousin, who is 13 years old; we resisted and they beat us. He took me as his wife by force. I told him I did not want to and tried to resist but he beat me. My nose was bleeding, I could not do anything to stop him. I ran away as soon as I could. Luckily they did not do anything to my cousin, did not force her to marry, and she escaped with me. I went to a doctor here, who said that I was not pregnant and didn’t have any disease, but I can’t forget what happened to me.”

Girls were raped, sold into slavery, sold into ‘marriage’ – the report is unclear as to what happened to the men. It is estimated that hundreds of men were killed in the battle, or forced to convert under the threat of death. The 300 women and girls who escaped, are the lucky ones. It is estimated that 1000’s of women and girls are still being held by the Islamic State and most are facing brutality and violence on an ongoing basis.  Most of the women were taken captive in August 2014 when the IS invaded the Sinjar regions of North West Iraq. According to Amnesty, most of the families in this region have at least one family member missing.

The IS preferred women and girls who were ‘beautiful’, as they did girls who were virgins. One of the accounts by a girl who escaped : ““They kept bringing prospective buyers for us but luckily none of them took us because we are not beautiful and we were always crying and holding on to each other.”

Another escapee said,  “My sister and I told them we were married but they said they would bring a doctor to examine us and those who were virgins and had lied about being married would be punished, so we admitted that we were not married. If we had known that they were going to kill us we would have continued to lie but we were afraid that we would be raped....”

However, being married was no protection from being raped or sold:    “I had my little boy with me and my pregnancy was very visible already but one of the guards chose me to be his wife. He said that if I did not consent to marrying him he would sell me on to another man who would take me to Syria. I let him believe that I would marry him and managed to run away before he could carry out his threats ” is the testimony of 19-year-old Abla, who was pregnant when she was taken prisoner.   Many of the young women committed suicide rather than face a life of sexual slavery. The accounts of their death are chilling.

“Jilan killed herself in the bathroom. She cut her wrists and hanged herself. She was very beautiful. I think she knew that she was going to be taken away by a man and that is why she killed herself.”
Not all suicide attempts were successful. Wafa, 27, talks about her unsuccessful attempt at suicide: “The man who was holding us said that either we marry him and his brother or he would sell us. At night we tried to strangle ourselves with our scarves. We tied the scarves around our necks and pulled away from each other as hard as we could, until I fainted. Two girls who were held with us woke up and stopped us and then stayed awake to watch over us. When they fell asleep at 5am we tried again, and again they woke up and stopped us. I could not speak for several days after that.”
The women who escaped are so traumatised by their experience that relatives fear that they may never heal, and watch over them in case they commit suicide. The men who ‘purchased’ Yazidi girls and women, were Iraqis and Syrians and from other Arab nations. They were not necessarily fighters. And, the ‘marriages’ were registered at a shariah court.  One of the escapees said of her husband’s family “His wife was very nice to us and felt sorry for us. She cried with us and wanted to help but she couldn’t.” This is a tragedy on so many levels that it is going to take generations of sustained work to restore some form of rights to women in the region.

While the world collectively wrings its hands and wonders what can be done, the IS is cutting a swathe through the region with tactics like this, that spread fear. And, if we believe that this is against just the Yazidi , we would be  wrong. As the Amnesty report points out, the IS  kills everyone who is not like it and doesn’t support the Islamic state – which means pretty much all sane people. IS “ carried out a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing in northern Iraq. It forced hundreds of thousands of members of ethnic and religious minorities, who had lived in the region for centuries – including Shi’a (who are a minority in northern Iraq),Assyrian Christians, Turkmen Shi’a, Shabak Shi’a, Yazidis, Kakai, and Sabean Mandaeans – to abandon their homes and villages”.

The report makes for hard reading. But, read it, we must, because if nothing else we owe it those who died, who are still in captivity, who are slaves in a modern world. What the IS has committed, is war crimes. But, how do you deal with a force that refuses to recognise the basic rules of the modern world, and is hell bent on burning and destroying everything that is  not in the image of its own distorted view of the universe?  In a world where most modern Nation States are bound by basic rules, which they may bend but not break, how do you deal with an entity that follows none? The more one reads on this, the great fear is that, the rest of the world has to sink to the same brutal levels to put an end to this

Najib's diplomatic feat turns sour

 

What could have been a diplomatic coup for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak with a golfing session with US president Barack Obama turned sour after it coincided with Malaysia’s worst floods in decades.

Najib teeing off with Obama on Christmas eve was meant to show the premier's close relationship with the leader of a superpower, but any sign of admiration quickly drained and was replaced with an outpouring of anger.

Najib managed to show off his diplomatic clout as his golfing session with Obama was splashed in the US media.

However, the subsequent angry responses in Malaysia was also quickly picked up the following day.

"A world leader is under fire for playing golf in Hawaii at a time of national crisis. Only this time, it's not President Obama," reported the Washington Post.

The US-based media picked up local reports of angry comments on Najib's Facebook page which urged the premier to return home to deal with the crisis.

The New York Times also picked up an Associated Press report that Najib was "under fire".

"Najib has come under fire for going on holidays in Hawaii, where he was seen golfing with President Barack Obama.

"People have posted messages on his Facebook page, urging him to return home as the flooding worsened," it said.

Managing international coverage

Even the regional US press had highlighted the anger at the prime minister.

"Facebook users told Najib not to be a prime minister in absentia during this time when the country needs him the most as the flood situation worsened in five states," reported Indianapolis Post.

The bad international publicity was made worse by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (right) who said there was "no need" for the prime minister to return home and that he deserved a break.

"The PM has worked very hard. Be fair to him. He's a human being too," he said on Thursday.

However, Najib quickly responded to the public outcry, posting a photograph of him on the phone with Muhyiddin on Facebook hours later.

"In the conversation, I asked that he step up the operation to distribute aid to flood victims," he said in the posting.

The posting, which garnered over 10,000 comments, did not help, as netizens mocked the prime minister for his golfing session.

'To be with the people'

A day after that, the Prime Minister's Office in a statement announced that Najib will be returning home to oversee the emergency response of flood-hit states.

“While I have been away, I have been in constant contact with the National Security Council and the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, who have assured me that they are doing everything they can to help those who have been affected.

"But I want to see the situation for myself and be with the people," said Najib in the statement.

According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the prime minister's Airbus A319 aircraft with the call sign 9M-NAA departed Hawaii for Los Angeles, before arriving in Indianapolis at 6.52pm Malaysian time yesterday.

However, the aircraft remains in Indianapolis and it is unclear if Najib is using another aircraft to return to the country or that the signal from the jet has been turned off.

It is understood the premier will be flying directly into Kota Bharu and is expected to have arrived at noon today.

As of this morning, a total of 132,000 people have been displaced by the floods which is now affecting eight states and shows no signs of abating.

Hudud imbroglio – where is Anwar when he is needed now?

By Ian McIntyre - The Ant Daily

Pakatan Rakyat may split three ways if the Kelantan PAS-dominated State Legislative Assembly special sitting tables and passes amendments to the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (2) 1993 to pave the way for the implementation of hudud in the state.

The proposal to implement hudud was passed by the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly 21 years ago and again through the enactment.

Amendments have to be made and passed to enable the PAS government to table a private bill in Parliament as provided under Article 76A of the Federal Constitution

It appears even the worst floods in decades in the state now cannot wash away the drama and tension surrounding the special assembly sitting scheduled to be held on Dec 29.

One wonders if the rising flood waters will delay the sitting, but that’s only a wish as the 45 elected assemblymen are likely to go ahead with their debate on the amendments.

And outside, it is Pakatan who will be discussing their future.

All of the Kelantan assembly members are Muslims, thereby bonded by the principle that hudud must be upheld.

The enforcement of hudud becomes imminent after a delay of nearly three decades when it was first promised as an electoral incentive by an energetic ulama Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who was campaigning in the 1980s.

Today, Nik Abdul Aziz is ailing, but his vision or rather the struggle of PAS as an Islamist party can be realised if the assembly passes the proposed amendments to enforce hudud.

Barisan Nasional (BN) though Umno has only 15 state seats so it cannot stop PAS from passing the amendments.

It is after all, God’s law and in principle, no practising Muslim can ignore the adoption and observation of the set of laws aimed at deterring crime and other sinful acts.

Be mindful that religious matters come under the purview of each state where the respective state rulers chair their religious councils. For Penang and Malacca, the King is the head.

There are federal agencies entrusted with the task of overseeing certain management aspects of Islam, but each Malay heartland state holds sway in enacting Syariah laws and enforcing them.

A fine example is Selangor.

Can the secularism-based DAP co-exist with Islam-driven PAS?

As PAS and DAP head into a collision course, it is with great regret to observe that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is conspicuously missing.

His party, PKR, only managed to delay it by saying they want a draft of the proposal before making a decision on whether to support PAS, side with DAP or abstain.

It is believed that Anwar is the glue in Pakatan.

But of late, there are telling signs that PR is moving apart. Where then is the Permatang Pauh MP when the opposition coalition needs his leadership now?

Anwar has to step up his game, and prevent PAS and DAP from ruining whatever goodwill festive spirit is emanating now. Granted that Anwar has been through a lot, and is heading into the New Year with much uncertainty.

But he is seen as an alternative leader to BN by many Malaysians, so he needs to rise to the occasion.

He should convince PAS and DAP to work together and prevent the six-year-old alliance tearing apart.

Former PAS Supporters Club Congress’ president Hu Phang Chaw claimed that he was informed by Kelantan’s Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah that hudud was being embraced for political reasons.

If it is political, surely there can be a political solution.

And strong leadership is not just confined to Pakatan, BN should also weigh in on finding a solution.

In other words, this is where our leaders earn their keep, trying to overcome obstacles so the citizenry can continue to live in a progressive, peaceful and most importantly, tolerant nation.
- See more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=21666#sthash.FRetHwY8.dpuf

RM500 million in aid for flood victims announced

Prime Minister Najib Razak announces that special aid, managed by the National Security Council be distributed to flood victims.

FMT

KOTA BAHARU: Prime Minister Najib Razak today announced a special aid of RM500 million for flood victims in the states affected by the disaster.

He said the fund would be managed fully by the National Security Council (MKN) and it would be disbursed after the conclusion of the floods.

“The aid will be distributed through the MKN based on the criteria to be specified,” he told reporters after making an observation by air in the districts severely affected by the floods such as Tumpat and Tanah Merah.

Najib also announced that the payment of the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), which is scheduled for disbursement at the end of January, will be speeded up to the middle of the month.

In addition, in a move to ease the burden of the people affected, the prime minister also urged financial institutions and agencies managing loan funds to reschedule the repayment period of the borrowers.

Najib today also visited several areas that were severely affected by the floods in the state.

The PM boarded a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) helicopter to observe the affected areas which included Pasir Mas, Tumpat, Rantau Panjang and Tanah Merah.

He also met flood victims at the Temporary Relief Centre (PPS) at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Batang, Tumpat, and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Belimbing PPS in Tanah Merah.

Brushing aside protocol, Najib ate and drank with them lending them an ear as they told of their misery because of the floods.

- BERNAMA

Najib heads straight into disaster briefing

Back from criticised Hawaii trip, but Met warns of more storms ahead

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak headed straight for Kota Baru from his cut-short holiday in Hawaii as more people fled their homes in the worst monsoon floods in decades and weathermen forecast more rain in the week ahead.

Najib arrived at 1.40pm today and went immediately into a briefing by the National Security Council, Bernama reported. More than 132,000 are now in relief centres in eight states of the peninsula, with the East Coast, particularly Kelantan, most affected.

The government has allocated about almost RM50 million to manage relief centres, with Najib’s deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, saying rescuers were facing challenges with power failures and roads being washed away.

Najib has faced flak for being away in Hawaii for a surprise private visit to US President Barack Obama and photographs of him playing golf with the US president drew immediate criticism as heavy rains and higher than usual tides caused widespread inundation.

Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman was another politician who cut short an overseas trip, after also facing opposition criticism. He returned on Friday evening from his ‘umrah’ (minor pilgrimage) trip. He said he had made plans for the trip a long time ago and had also planned to fulfill a vow made over the then political instability in Terengganu and for his ailing (now late) father.

Parts of Kota Baru resembled a vast, muddy lake, with row after row of rooftops peeking out of the murky waters, news wires reported.

Air drops of supplies planned

With major roads cut off, including portions of the East-West Highway, the National Security Council said air drops of food and drinking water might be needed to aid the thousands of stranded flood victims.

The council’s disaster management secretary Mohd Ariff Baharom said the authorities were unable to enter flooded areas by helicopters due to the lack of landing of space, the New Straits Times reported. “Most of the time, rescuers know exactly where the victims are but the place is either inaccessible or unsafe for them to go (by boat) due to the strong currents. So before we are able to reach them and bring them to safe zones, we can at least provide them with food by doing an airdrop,” he was quoted saying.

There have been reports of flood victims looting homes for food and drink.

Cabinet’s silence on bigotry is endorsement of bigotry – Ravinder Singh

Sorry about it, but the call by the MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to Malaysians “to heed the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on the issue of moderation and not be influenced by racial and religious extremist ideology disseminated by irresponsible groups” comes to me as a joke.

Similarly with the Prime Minister’s call on Malaysians “to come together in the spirit of harmony, acceptance and respect in celebrating Christmas”.

Liow is reported to have said that “Malaysia can continue to develop and progressonly when we learn to trust and respect each other and live together in peace and harmony”. This is an insult to Malaysians, for Malaysians had long ago accepted the various cultures and religious beliefs found in this land, and had been living in peace and harmony. It is not as if this is something new that they have to learn.

What is new is the extremist, Talibanist ideology that is being forcefully brought to bear upon people who have been living in peace and harmony for ages, with the objective of destroying the goodwill, peace and harmony between the races and religions in the name of defending Islam. This is totally contrary to what the Prophet had taught, which means the bigots, who claim to be defending Islam, don’t even have respect for the Prophet.

So who has to learn what in 2014 or 2015? Isn’t it a joke and an insult to ask the huge majority of Malaysians of various races, cultures and religions who had been living in peace and harmony with each other all these past decades to “learn to trust and respect each other and live together in peace and harmony”?

The few vociferous racist bigots are like big school bullies. So what do you do – advice the rest of the students to keep away from them, or take the bullies by the horns and throw them to the ground so that bullying stops? When the few school bullies are not reigned in, they create more bullies resulting in even the teachers fearing them. Finally the bullies take control of the schools and teachers dare not take any action for fear of retaliation by the bullies. This has happened in real life, in Malaysia.

This is the scenario that the nation is facing with the bigots given freedom to continue their Talibanist activities in the name of freedom of expression, while the government advises the rest of the people to “learn to trust and respect each otherand live together in peace and harmony”.

Could Liow, Joseph Kurp and Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who have made public statements on this pressing issue, please tell us how many times they have raised this issue in the Cabinet meetings. If they have, what is the Cabinet decision? “Sulit”, is it?

So long as the Cabinet as a whole, through the voice of the Prime Minister, does not condemn the extremist ideology being preached by the few bigots, and order that action be taken to stop the “bullying”, the bullying is going to go on because the bullies interpret that “silence is consent”. So the Cabinet’s silence tantamounts to government’s endorsement of bigotry. For what reason, only the Cabinet wouldknow.

Why is the Cabinet abdicating its duty of ensuring that extremism is not allowed to raise its ugly head to destroy “the peace and harmony that have been achieved since the country’s independence”, in the words of the PM?

The Penal Code very clearly limits freedom of expression. It does not extend to making racist statements and carrying out actions that are “likely to cause disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will” or “likely to prejudice maintenance of harmony or unity”.

No right-thinking person will dispute that this restriction of expression is not an infringement of the democratic right of freedom of expression. Only those with evil intent will claim that these Penal Code provisions infringe their democratic right of expression.

Racist bigotry and extremism are not going to stop until and unless the Cabinet takes a strong stand to put them down. Why is the Cabinet not doing it? – December 26, 2014.

* Ravinder Singh is a reader of The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/cabinets-silence-on-bigotry-is-endorsement-of-bigotry-ravinder-singh#sthash.JteCQPEN.dpuf

Golf Game With Obama For Diplomatic Relations - Najib

KOTA BAHARU, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today explained that his golf game with United States president Barack Obama in Hawaii recently did not mean that he deliberately ignored the flood faced by the country as polemicized by certain groups.

On the contrary, the prime minister said the game had been planned much earlier on the principle of establishing diplomatic ties with world leaders for Malaysia's benefit.

In addition, he said, the invitation had been extended during Obama's visit to this country in April, and it was difficult to decline the invitation as it had been planned for much earlier in the schedules of both leaders.

Speaking at a media conference here after observing the areas badly affected by the flood in Kelantan, he said: "Actually, during President Obama's visit to Malaysia, he had said that if coincidentally I were in Hawaii together with him (Obama), he would like to play golf with me (Najib).

"And playing golf is not something strange or extraordinary...because during the times of Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia's second prime minister), Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman (second deputy prime minister), playing golf with world leaders could be described as golf diplomacy," he said.

Najib said although Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin assumed responsibility as the Director of the National Disaster Management Committee, he had decided to shorten his vacation and flew directly to Kota Baharu to look at the latest flood situation personally.

"Every day when I was there, I received the latest report on the flood situation...as it became more serious, I decided to return to the country as soon as possible and went directly to Kota Baharu. I have not even returned home yet.

"And (I) made the immediate visit to demonstrate that the government is very committed to continue to assist the flood victims," he added.

The flood situation in Kelantan is now becoming more serious when tens of thousands of residents had to seek shelter at temporary relief centres.

Major flood because of no hudud?

In cyberspace, I have been reading these kinds of statement these last few days.

Do some science, can we? Didn’t we send a space tourist, with the Russians, to the Space Station a while ago?

Waste not your time linking the flood to the “wrath of God”... primarily it is a Natural disaster coupled with Man’s destruction of the environment as well as the Butterfly Effect of things. Even in lands deemed very Islamic such as Kelantan and Trengganu and Pahang, Man hath shaved the hills bald even deforestating the ‘Serambi Mekah’ and although there is also a ‘Crystal Masjid’ to show piety in another state...

This is a testament, if we follow their religious explanation of events, of a defiance of the law governing the Natural State of the Universe - you shave hills for profit, you profit from logging, you become capitalists and petite bourgeoisie in religious garb, you steal from Nature to turn it into Technology and next, turn it in Capital. You do all these, you have become a religiously unethical person as well.

We saw this in Sarawak and now in Cameron Highlands. Not because there is no hudud in place. You are seeing this even in Mecca itself; with the Saudis who do not care about the environment, let alone history in the major reconstruction projects in the holy city.

There must be a joint interstate fatwa to make shaving hills in Kelantan haram to the max and also to make arguing about hudud at a time like this haram, too, I should say

But spend time not linking religion and science and making strange spurious correlations. We have to spend more time improving our disaster management plans, continuously advancing skills to the highest and more professional level, using the science of Advanced Computer Simulation to predict and control events, and to redesign habitats to ensure we do have extensive casualties and property damage when annual disaster like this strike...

“Pray to God, but tie your camel,” as they say... or rather, “Pray to God and design a 3-D camel that can help you in a major flood like this”... I’d say... "Think of new technologies for crisis management."

My prayers go to those affected by the flood... "I have been in one too many way up in the North back in the day..."

But here is the larger picture.

Are we environmentally doomed? Are we at the eleventh hour of total environmental destruction? How devastating has the impact of carbon dioxide emissions been? How serious is the depletion of the ozone layer? How much of the rainforests of the world have been destroyed? How fast are the polar ice caps melting, speeding up the looming disaster of Armageddon/ Qiamat of humankind? How many more frequent, major flash floods must we endure?

‘Man should not have carved the stone’

The Chinese philosopher and mystic Lao Tzu once said, “Man should not have carved the stone”, meaning man should not have invented things for, “... as Man began carving the stone, the process of destruction begins”.

Light bulbs, automobiles, powerplants, factories, telephone lines, bombs and computers are inventions that have historically transformed nature. Human beings ‘carve the stone’ and build structures of power and wealth which transform or even rape Nature in the process.

Ancient philosophies and the teachings of ‘revealed religion’ (of the Judeo-Christian tradition) warned against the exploitation of the physical environment so that humanity would continue to be close to Nature and closer to the realisation of the Natural Self. Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and probably the most extreme of all Hindu sects, Jainism, teaches human beings to respect living things as part of the great chain of beings.

But Western scientific ideology has taught Man to be free from not only thinking about spirits and spirituality, nature and the natural self, religion and deep reflection, but has also ‘enlightened’ human beings into mastering Nature and using its resources for the ‘progress’ of mankind. Progress, measured linearly and scientifically, is then equated with ‘civilisation’.

I hope in 2015 and beyond do not talk too much about hudud and forbidding Muslims from saying “Merry Christmas” but to focus on realism and constantly finding ways to solve social problems and how to manage natural disasters better. Or at least to start learning what pragmatism and liberalism means and how to apply these concepts to the practice of our national daily lives.

I end this essay with these two quotes:

“We did not ask you white men to come here. The Great Spirit gave us this country as a home. You had yours. We did not interfere with you. The Great Spirit gave us plenty of land to live on, and buffalo, deer, antelope and other game. But you have come here, you are taking my land from me, you are killing off our game, so it is hard for us to live.

“Now, you tell us to work for a living, but the Great Spirit did not make us to work, but to live by hunting. You white men can work if you want to. We do not interfere with you, and again you say why do you not become civilised? We do not want your civilisation! We would live as our fathers did, and their fathers before them.” - Crazy Horse of the Sioux tribe

“I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life there is one that matters most. It is the trail of a true human being.” - Kicking Bird, (quote from the movie 'Dances With Wolves')

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DR AZLY RAHMAN, born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York City) doctorate in International Education Development and Masters degrees in four areas: Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 350 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience in Malaysia and the United States spans over a wide range of subjects, from elementary to graduate education. He has edited and authored six books; Multiethnic Malaysia: Past, Present, Future (2009), Thesis on Cyberjaya: Hegemony and Utopianism in a Southeast Asian State (2012), The Allah Controversy and Other Essays on Malaysian Hypermodernity (2013), a first Malay publication Kalimah Allah Milik Siapa?: Renungan dan Nukilan Tentang Malaysia di Era Pancaroba (2014), and Controlled Chaos: Essays on Mahathirism, Multimedia Super Corridor and Malaysia’s ‘New Politics’ (forthcoming 2014). He currently resides in the United States where he teaches courses in Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Political Science, and American Studies. Twitter, blog.

 

Anti-pig farm protester demands right to give MB chickens

ISIS Threatens Albuquerque Residents: ‘Christmas Will Never Be Merry Any Longer’

The good citizens of Albuquerque were threatened en masse on Wednesday when someone affiliated with ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, hacked the Albuquerque Journal‘s mobile app.

The hijacking of the app expressed support for the extremest Islamist group while warning residents of Albuquerque that their personal secrets were being collected through mobile devices.

The post, which was set with a picture of a masked Muslim man, read as follows.

“You’ll see no mercy infidels. We are already here, we are in your PCs, in each house, in each office. With Allah’s permission we begin with Albuquerque.”

The story, which carried the unmistakable title of Christmas Will Never Be Merry Any Longer and shows the caption “I love ISIS,” acknowledged a relationship between the U.S. led and sanctioned bombings of ISIS-held areas as one motive for the cyberattack.

As reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican, as far back as September, various media outlets reported that ISIS planned to launch what it dubbed a “cyber caliphate” attack targeting technology in the U.S. with hacking using encrypted software that makes identifying the culprit responsible difficult.

As the ominous post continued, “While the us [sic] and its satellites are bombing the Islamic State, we broke into your home networks and personal devices and know everything about you,” leading to some panic among residents of Albuquerque.

On top of that, the post alleged, “We know all personal data of Albuquerque locals: Where you live, what you eat, your diseases and even your health insurance cards.”

KRWG reported that the ISIS posting was removed at about 9 a.m. and replaced with a story with the headline, Bonuses for APD brass draw fire.

The author of the post, whoever he, she, or they may be, ended with the chilling threat to the residents of Albuquerque, “You will look around more often, will call up your children more often, think of your security more often, but that won’t help you.”

Egyptian Coptic teen seized in Libya found dead

Benghazi - An Egyptian Coptic Christian teenager abducted in Libya by armed men who killed her
parents has been found dead, a hospital source said on Friday.

Residents found the body of the daughter of the two slain doctors on Thursday evening, said the source at the Ibn Sina hospital in the city of Sirte, without giving the cause of death.

She said the girl was 13 years old. Initial reports had given her age as 18.

After murdering her parents in their home on Tuesday, the attackers took the girl but left behind two sisters, local council chairperson Yussef Tebeiqa said on the day of the incident.

Tebeiqa said the attack in Sirte, home town of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi, might have been motivated by religion as money and jewellery were not taken.

Sirte, 500km east of Tripoli, is in the hands of Islamist militias including Ansar al-Sharia, which the UN Security Council last month added to its terror list over links to al-Qaeda and for running Islamic State group training camps.

Several Coptic Christian Egyptians have been killed in Libya in recent years. In February, the bodies of seven Egyptian Christians who had been shot were found near the second city of Benghazi.

Thousands of Egyptians work in Libya, mainly in the construction and craft sectors.

AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes sells shares in Tune Insurance

AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes' investment vehicle Tune Group Sdn Bhd has sold a total of 944,800 shares in Tune Insurance Holdings Bhd.

According to a filing with Bursa Malaysia, some 850,000 shares were sold on December 22 and an additional 94,800 shares the day after. All shares were sold at RM1.60 each.

Tune Insurance share price has been on a decline since early August, falling from RM2.50 to a low of RM1.56 two weeks ago. The stock jumped 11 sen, or 6.67%, to RM1.76 today with 1.08 million shares traded.

After the latest share sales, Tune Group still holds 128.37 million shares, or a 17.08% stake, in the insurance group.

Meanwhile, Fernandes, who is the non-independent, non executive director, still holds a 30.73% indirect stake and a 0.01% direct stake in Tune Insurance. – The Edge Markets, December 26, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/airasias-tony-fernandes-sells-shares-in-tune-insurance#sthash.9egF343C.dpuf

On Twitter, Malaysians unite in hope and sympathy as floods worsen

As floods inundate the east coast states, Malaysians have turned to social media to seek aid, swap information and express sympathy for the rising number of people affected.

Grainy photographs of buildings engulfed by the murky brown water, people wading their way through the streets, and animals desperately seek higher ground have flooded Twitter amid pleas for help and prayers using the hashtag #PrayForPantaiTimur or #PrayForKelantan.

A Twitter user from Kelantan, @Anahonni, said that she and the other flood victims were praying for more food donations, adding that they had been starving for over a day.

“It becomes worse and worse starting from last two nights. We can’t go anywhere, no electric," she tweeted, along with a photo of the Universiti Malaya Kelantan campus overwhelmed by the flood.

Some expressed concern they were unable to contact their friends and families affected by the floods.

“My family is one of the victims this time. I cannot contact them bcs of the poor line in the place that they’re hiding now,” tweeted @shimaziz.

Twitter user @fash4_ shared a few pictures she said she had received from her grandfather, showing a house partly submerged, while water lapped against the steps to the entrance.

“Some of these pict (sic) are received from my grandfather. I just hope they are just fine and safe,” she said.

Another user, @hamstertreeAegi shared a photograph of a house that was almost completely submerged in the waters, with only the roof and the top floor visible.

“My best friend house right now L L pray for her n her family to be safe,” wrote @hamstertreeAegi.

Those unaffected by the floods shared words of encouragement and hope for fellow Malaysians.

“The sun will shine. Always pray for it to happen. Be strong to those who are involve in those floods,” tweeted user @Fadshadow.

“I hope those students and their respective families, who are stuck in their hometown due to the flood are safe & well,” said a post from @CofeeElitist.

“The simplest thing that everybody could offer to all the victims is to pray for their safety and good health. Lets! #PrayForPantaiTimur,” wrote @azrindrahim.

User @ezzthedon said: “I love the unity shown by Malaysian during crisis.”

Malaysians have also taken advantage of Twitter to share information on how they can donate items to organisations such as the Red Crescent Society, Al-I’tisam Relief Programme, and IM4U.

As of today, more than 32,000 people have been evacuated in Kelantan since floods struck on December 16. Close to 120,000 people have been evacuated in Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis. – December 26, 2014.

Netizens troll Najib's Facebook post on floods

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Facebook post late last night on the flood situation in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia has been trolled by netizens making sarcastic remarks about his response.

A sampling of over 8,700 comments (posted as of noon today) saw netizens ridiculing his holiday and much publicised golf game with US President Barack Obama.

Najib had managed to sneak some time on the golf course on Christmas eve with the US president in Hawaii, The Washington Post had reported.

Checks on flight tracker website FlightRadar24 showed that the official jet, registration number 9M-NAA, arrived in Honolulu from Kuala Lumpur on Dec 20.



Netizen Khairul Anwar Othman on Najib’s Facebook page, commented, “It seems golf is more important than the people of Malaysia.”

“He’s playing golf, it seems… Pak Jib, wait until the coming next election; it’s the end of you,” wrote Sham Jusuh.

Meanwhile, Syed Mohd Azlede stated succinctly: “The PM needs to come home immediately!!!”

'Take stock, PM'

The photograph of the PM on the phone also raised sarcastic comments.

“Is that all he can do, make phone calls? Looks like he used the wrong photo,” wrote Muhd Sufiz, while netizen Ahmad Jim Sung commented, “He’s just posing. Best take stock of yourself.”

“He can get the ‘best actor’ award,” laughed Mohd Azad Amir.

Without mincing her words, Facebook user Faiera Dila wrote: “Yeah, who asked you to vote for BNeraka again?”

Farhan Ismail Fbi pointed out how International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed, who is also Jeli MP, had cut short his pilgrimage to Mecca.

“If Tok Pa (Mustapa) can cut short his umrah trip, why not you Datuk Seri Najib come back to Malaysia from Hawaii? Or is Obama Freemason more important than your country and your people? Use ur brain!”

Putera Hazwan meanwhile said that the prime minister need not cut short his holiday. What would help, he added, is for Najib to declare a state of emergency.

In a Bernama tweet today, the number of flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Perak, states in Peninsular Malaysia, had risen to 103,413 people, an increase of 9,395 victims from last night.

 

CM's Office bars Ridhuan Tee from entering S'wak

 

 The Office of the Sarawak Chief Minister has issued a directive prohibiting the entry of academician Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah into the state.

Mohd Ridhuan is scheduled to deliver a religious talk at the Lundu District Mosque in the Tanjung Datu state constituency, about a 30-minute drive from Kuching, at 8pm today.

Chief Minister Adenan Satem (right) is the state assemblyperson for Tanjung Datu.

Sarawak Immigration deputy director Hamfatullah Syawal Hamdan, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that the Immigration Department had received instructions from the Office of the Chief Minister to bar Mohd Ridhuan from entering the state.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Sarawak Immigration Department said Mohd Ridhuan did not show up at the Kuching International Airport today.

He said he had waited for Mohd Ridhuan, who was scheduled to arrive this morning, but the academician did not come.

A source contacted by Bernama said: “The chief minister is not in favour of the presence of Mohd Ridhuan in Lundu tonight, and had instructed that the event be cancelled.”

Sarawak had previously prohibited the entry of several opposition political party leaders from entering the state, via Kuching and Sibu.

Adenan had said previously that Sarawak was tightening its immigration rules and stepping up the scrutiny of visitors from the peninsula to keep out “extremists, religious bigots and racists”.

- Bernama

Najib on the way back, jet landed in Indianapolis

 

FLOODS LIVE BLOG Malaysiakini brings the latest updates on the flood situation as they happen.

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10.50pm: According to a Bernama report as at 9pm, the number of flood evacuees around Malaysia has increased to 120,341 people.

The number of evacuees in Kelantan remains the same at 45,467 people, while Terengganu has 34,109, and Johor, 896.

The number of evacuees has reduced in Pahang to 33,324, Perlis 209, and Kedah, one.

8.42pm: A mother waded through floods for 500m carrying her three-month-old baby before being rescued yesterday in Hulu Terengganu, as told to Bernama when met at the SK Pulau Serai flood relief centre.

Nurul Nadia Tarmizi, 31, of Kampung Mak Bah, says when the water level rose to her thigh, she had no choice but to wade through the floods with her baby.

"My husband had gone to the workshop to repair the car and could not come home by 10.30am. Saving household items did not cross my mind. I was focused on saving my baby," she says.

7.52pm: Prime Minister Najib Razak’s private jet, registered as 9M-NAA, lands in Indianapolis, Indiana, from Los Angeles at 6.52pm Malaysian time, according to online flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The plane landed at Los Angeles airport at 1.40pm Malaysian time from Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was on holiday.

The prime minister has cut short his vacation and is expected to arrive in Kelantan tomorrow to oversee rescue operations.

7pm: Penang state government pledges RM1.5 mil to assist flood victims in other states.

State executive councillor for welfare, caring society and the environment Phee Boon Poh says of the amount, RM500,000 has been authorised for immediate use.

"This has been agreed in principle by excos and will be endorsed (formally) at the next exco meeting. All assistance will be transferred in kind, not in cash," Phee tells Malaysiakini.

Those wishing to donate in kind can do so at the Caring Society Complex from 8am to 5pm, daily.

6.01pm: The number of flood evacuees around Malaysia has increased to 119,624 people.

While the number of evacuees at Kelantan remains the same at 45,657 people, the number in Terengganu has increased to 34,884, and Johor, from 214 to 537 people.

However, the number of evacuees has reduced in Pahang (35,736 to 32,380), Perlis (263 to 209), and Kedah (96 to 28), according to a Bernama report as at 5pm.

5.48pm: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) urges private sector employers to consider granting paid leave to workers affected by floods.

"Private sector employers should be lenient enough to grant paid leave for their employees at a time when the floods are ravaging many states,” MTUC deputy secretary-general A Balasubramaniam was reported as saying by Bernama.

5.10pm: Kelantanese Hilmi, 36, who lives in Bachok, tells Malaysiakini flood waters in Kota Baru has risen by 60cm since morning.

Bachok is the only area in Kota Baru which is not flooded, but places such as Pantai Cahaya Bulan, Mulung, Salor, and Pengkalan Chepa are not so fortunate.

“As Bachok is near the shoreline, it is still okay. It has not been raining in Kota Baru, but the waters had risen because most of the areas are near the river,” says Hilmi, who uses his motorcycle to go around Kota Bharu to take pictures of the floods.

5.18pm: Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Kemaman MP as well as communications and multimedia minister, posts on his Facebook that the bodies of two missing victims in Pahang have been found.

4:45pm: DAP slams the archaic methods used by the states to declare state of emergency saying that "other countries do not wait for hundreds of thousands of flood refugees before declaring a state of emergency".

"There is an urgent need for the immediate review of such outmoded, archaic and obsolete rules for the declaration of states of emergency arising from a natural disaster, which is why there should be an emergency meeting of the Cabinet meeting in the next 24 hours," says DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang. 

4.33pm: DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang urges Najib to “rush back to chair a special meeting of cabinet within 24 hours to pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency”.

In a statement, Lim urges the federal government to be more responsible over the situation in Kelantan, instead of leaving it in the hands of Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed.

4.01pm: The flood situation in Johor worsens with 537 people evacuated from their homes, according to a tweet from the Fire Department.

The worst hit areas are Kluang with 432 evacuees, and Batu Pahat with 36 evacuees. The other areas affected include Muar, Segamat and Kulaijaya.

4pm: Following scathing criticism over his holiday in the US while floods engulf east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, PM Najib Razak says he is returning on Saturday to oversee operations.

In a statement from the Prime Minister's Oiffce, Najib, whose plane is currently in Los Angeles at press time, will convene a meeting in Kelantan upon arrival.

3:35pm: After receiving flak from DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang on the government's slow response to the serious flood situation in Kelantan, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has flown to flood-hit Kelantan today.

Bernama reports the DPM describing the floods as worse than anticipated, and admitting to the inadequacy of current air, water and land transportation assets.

Muhyiddin has therefore ordered the deployment of more helicopters, boats and land vehicles to reach and help the victims.

"The National Security Council (NSC) will look into this," he is reported saying.

3.02pm: The flood situation in Johor worsens with 214 people being evacuated out of their homes in the Kluang and Muar districts today.

A Bernama report says that a spokesperson from the National Security Council (NSC) said that that 201 evacuees from Kluang were transported to four relief centers. Thirteen people from Muar were also evacuated.

3pm: 118,896 evacuated so far, says a Bernama report.

The breakdown is as follows: Kelantan: 45,467; Terengganu: 31,001; Pahang: 35,736; Perak: 6,119; Johor: 214; Kedah: 96; and Perlis: 263.

2.15pm: Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) reports that 10 of its stations in the East Coast have been inundated with flood waters.

1.29pm: The proposed special sitting on the hudud bill in Kelantan on Dec 29 is in limbo because the state administrative building has been flooded out.

The state secretariat has been moved to a hall in Telipot Mosque, about three kilometres away from the official building which is under one foot of water.

1.00pm: The number of flood evacuees around the peninsula has increased to a total of 105,568 people, says a Bernama report.

The number of evacuees have increased in Terengganu (30,147 to 31,001), Perak (5,530 to 6,119), and Johor (201 to 214), whereas Kelantan (32,139), Pahang (35,736), and Perlis (263) remains the same.

Kedah is the only state where the evacuees have reduced from 157 to 96 people.

1pm: Perak National Security Council says flood victims in the state has increased to 6,119, compared to 5,530 this morning, according to a Bernama tweet.

12.34pm: Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali and state exco members Amirudin Shari and Daroyah Alwi are in Kelantan to hand over RM1 million to help flood victims.

The Selangor government has also allocated RM100,000 to help other flood-hit states like Terengganu, Pahang and Perak.

12.14pm: Bernama reports that the rest of the states in the west coast of peninsular Malaysia will only be experiencing flash floods due to the current inconsistent rainfall.

National Weather Center meteorology officer Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip says the predictions are based on the movement of the northeast monsoons.

11.55pm: Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, alongside Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim and chief secretary Ali Hamsa, visit flood relief centre at SMK Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.

10am: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Facebook posting late last night about his response to the flood situation has been trolled by netizens making sarcastic remarks about the PM’s response.

A sampling of over 7,700 comments saw Facebook users ridiculing his holiday and much publicised golf game with US President Barack Obama.

Netizen Khairul Anwar Othman commented, “It seems golf is more important than the people of Malaysia.”

“He’s playing golf it seems… Pak Jib, wait until the next election; it’s the end of you,” writes Sham Jusuh.

Meanwhile Syed Mohd Azlede states succinctly: “The PM needs to come home immediately!!!”

The photograph of the PM on the phone also raises sarcastic comments.

“Is that all he can do: make phone calls? Looks like he used the wrong photo,” wrote netizen Muhd Sufiz, while another Ahmad Jim Sung commented, “He’s just posing. Best take stock of yourself.”

“He can get the ‘best actor’ award,” laughs Mohd Azad Amir.

9.35 am: The number of flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak has now risen to 103,413, an increase of 9,395 victims from last night, according to a Bernama tweet.

9.05am: Selangor PAS will conduct special prayers as massive floods ravage the country, especially inundating the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

State PAS commissioner Iskandar Abdul Samad (left) says a convoy of more than 130 personnel departed in four batches for Kelantan and Terengganu.

“There are 27 four-wheeled drive vehicles and nine lorries, with three to 10 tonnes of necessities headed for the flood victims,” says Iskandar.

Those who would like to give donations may do so at PAS Flood Assistance Centre at Dewan Merbau, Jalan Senangin 17/2, Seksyen 17, Shah Alam, or contact Rayme Abd Rahman (018-664 5036).

8.50am: In Kelantan last night, Bernama reported that the Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge (below) connecting Kota Baru town to Pasir Pekan in Tumpat, is now closed to all vehicles after the water in Sungai Kelantan rose above the bridge.

Kota Baru district police chief ACP Rohaimi Md Isa, when contacted, says the bridge was closed to all traffic, as the situation was dangerous to road users.

The Bernama report also states that flood waters from Gua Musang and Kuala Krai are now flowing towards Kota Baru district.

8.40am: International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed has admitted there are weaknesses in managing and rescuing flood victims in Kelantan.

Mustapa, also the MP for Jeli, took 10 hours by boat to travel to Kuala Krai, an area which is deeply affected by the floods.

"In this a serious situation, we need a commander to manage across all the departments," he tells Astro Awani at SK Banggol Guchil this morning.

He describes this year's floods as big compared to past years and said this resulted in the government's weakness in coordinating aid.

8.30am: Yesterday, a doctor at a government clinic in Badang posted his updates on the desperate situation at his clinic, which he claimed has been cut off by the floods and is not getting any supplies.

“Oh, and yes, I would like to wish our prime minister happy holidaying in Hawaii, while our holidays have been frozen and are sacrificing our lives for the sake of our beloved citizens,” he wrote sarcastically in one posting on Christmas day.

8am: Last night Bernama reports Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has suspended the operations of 1,606 sub-stations throughout Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu in view of the severe floods in the state.

Its Kelantan general manager, Md Yuslan Md Yusof, says that up to 6pm yesterday, the operations of 232 sub-stations in Gua Musang, 215 in Kuala Krai, 24 in Tanah Merah, 19 in Jeli, 12 in Machang, five in Tumpat and three in Kota Baru had been suspended.

TNB senior general manager (Corporate and Communications) Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Amin says the move was to avoid short-circuits which can affect 70,284 consumers.

Kelantan has the most number of consumers affected with (42,688) when the operations of 1,150 sub-stations are suspended in Kuala Krai, Gua Musang, Jeli, Machang, Tanah Merah, Kota Baru and Tumpat.

"In Terengganu, the operations of 138 sub-stations were suspended in Kemaman, Bandar Al-Muktafi Billah Shah and Dungun, involving 8,105 consumers while in Pahang, 5,878 consumers will be affected as 18 sub-stations are suspended," he says in a statement, yesterday.

He says TNB would continue to monitor the situation. The floods in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang continued to worsen.

The power shut down could possibly be leading to the communications failures being reported with relatives being unable to call those in the east coast states.