Malaysians, is there life beyond hudud?

Stoning to death. More lashes to the Friday caning. Syaria Law eventually for non-Muslims. Leave Malaysia if you don’t like how things are run. That puzzling and trumpeting Bangsa Johor rhetoric - as if nobody can explain what the concept of ‘nation/natio’ is. Sabah and Sarawak wish to leave the federation.

Criticise the county and you’re not allowed to go for your overseas holidays. Who owns Gold Star and why the deep secret? Syaria-compliant this and that. A possible boxing match with Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in Kuala Kangsar. Humans eating ‘dedak’ or chicken feed. Is Hang Tuah a real person? Is the Taming Sari we have now a fake dagger?

These are some of the topics dominating the discourse of our nation. Can we do better than this? Don’t we care about the intellectual future of our children? Don’t we want them to emulate good ethics from us and the adults they see in power? Don’t we have such moral and critical thinking obligation to them, leaving behind good lessons in their national lives?

That much we owe them, so that they could carry on rejuvenating society without emulating the political and psychological ills of today’s leaders.

I feel that Malaysia’s youth of the next generation is missing out on good and productive discourse plaguing the national debate on things. Malaysians have becoming more global, progressive, intelligent, innovative, and articulate - at least from my analysis of the stories of successes I have been reading.

We might be shamed in the cyberspace and international media with the massive and complex money-laundering scandal implicating our leaders and members of their families, but we are also reading stories of ‘global Malaysians’ - in the arts, business, and sociopreneurship - doing well inside and outside of Malaysia. They are proud calling themselves Malaysians.

But I feel that the discourse dominating the country is one plagued with the filth of retrogressive-ness our youth need not be subjected to.

From the Islamists wishing to push the completeness of the Islamic penal code, the hudud, to the ongoing fights between the members of the opposition and ruling coalitions, to the increasing paranoia over race and religion produced by the political leaders, the daily news of cases of corruption, robbery in broad daylight, the ongoing public arguments between the Johor Royal household with select Umno politicians - showing who can be more arrogant that the other - the malaise in our education system, and a host of other issues plaguing us, I feel that we are not moving in the right direction and taking advantage of the richness and talented-ness of our diverse population.

In other words, we are constantly at war with ourselves and that the goal of each political party is to destroy one another and for each leader to aim for the jugular - to rule the country.

As citizens we are not allowed speak up against evil-doings, such as the massive losses arising from the 1MDB fiasco although it is the right of each citizen to know what can happen to their life savings such as those in the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the Haj Fund, and the fund allocated for the servicemen and women (Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera).

Bipolar a nation we have become

We are asked to shut up or else be locked up if we dare speak of the fate of our hard-earned savings. Bipolar a nation we have become, paranoia our leaders are plagued with.

We are not allowed to do all these although as citizens - besides going out to vote - we are accorded the rights to participate in nation-building through making suggestions on how to maintain check and balances in a society supposedly progressive and democratic.

What a pathological state of democracy we are living in. What a shame for a country supposedly a ‘fully-developed industrialised society’ with first-class infrastructure and rhetoric of hypermodernity.

Today the dominant theme is (again) the hudud; of the Hadi-hudud proposal. I am sure by now Malaysians understand what the demands are and how Umno is helping to fast-track the proposal. Although items concerning the Islamic penal code are minimal, they do point to the inching of our country to the illusionary and ‘non-existent’ concept of an Islamic state.

Although punishments such as stoning to death and amputation are left out, they might be tabled again eventually when the Umno-PAS coalition on the ‘survival of the Malays’ and the ‘defence of Islam against its enemies in Malaysia’ becomes louder battle cries, especially for the Islamists wishing to turn Malaysia into a Taliban nation.

Today, the insistence is that the Syaria Law and hudud is only for Muslims, tomorrow it will be for all Malaysians, as political logic would dictate. Analysts on the scenario and the futurism of the implementation of Syaria law and the hudud have written about the complexity of the issue and how it can never be a suitable law in a country that prides itself in the superiority of man-made law as such as the Malaysian constitution.

The thought of stoning to death and amputation itself makes one wonder of the barbarism to be represented as a punishment supposedly ordained by a merciful, loving, and compassionate god -– God of the Religion of Peace. God who forgives more than one who gets angry all the time. Perhaps not many Islamic scholars in Malaysia have even inquired into the ancient cultural origins of such punishments; for example of the Pagan (Greek) and early Judaic origin of stoning which was then borrowed by Islam.

Today, stoning to death can be considered barbaric and inhumane and opposed to the United Nations convention on torture. Why subject a wrongdoer to a slow death? Would that be a philosophical question of today as the Hadi-hudud PAS-Umno proposal progresses?

These developments in Malaysia that are colouring the discourse on hypermodernity continue to take away our consciousness - especially of the youth - of more exciting things to work on: environmental issues, sustainability, newer technologies of peace, green technologies, newer jobs, newer hopes for world peace, appreciation of the arts, humanities and philosophies in school, good labour practices, respect and understanding one another cross-culturally, virtual reality, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and even new ways of crafting Malaysian politics so that the rich will not get richer and filthier and the poor taken care of well and re-humanised.

But we are not there yet. We seem to love letting the discourse on Medieval and Dark Age practices dominate us. We need to move beyond these. How do we do this?

Let us share as many ways. As a people let us not stone ourselves to death. As smart and peace-loving Malaysians, let us not amputate our intelligence; the gift of the intellect to be used for ethical and social purposes. Is not religion, from the Greek ‘religio’ about making peaceful connections and not about amputations or being spiritually empty after being stoned to death metaphorically?

DR AZLY RAHMAN grew up in Johor Baru, Malaysia and holds a Columbia University (New York City) doctorate in International Education Development and Masters degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He will be pursuing his fifth Masters in Fine Arts, specialising in Fiction and Poetry Writing.

Different views on competition

BY BHAG SINGH

Some manufacturers want to fix prices so that merchants will not overcharge, but the law calls this ‘anti-competition’.

COMPETITION, according to the dictionary, means “a situation in which people or organisations compete with each other for something that not everyone can have”.

Today it is also used in a more specific way to prohibit acts or actions that prevent competition in the market place.

At one time, it was thought that unbridled competition, no doubt with exceptions, was thought to be the ideal state of affairs.

Some still believe that it would result in greater efficiency, lower prices, a diversity of choices and, in the end, better products.

It has been said that through perfect competition, both the customers and producers would be in a position where they would benefit more.

A reader has asked whether an attempt by a group of businesses to agree on prices of all or some of their goods they sell or services that they offer would be permissible.

He sees this as a way where prices are fixed on a uniform basis and the purchaser who sees such goods or services would not need to go round, but would be assured that whatever is paid to one merchant would be the same if secured from another.

He thinks that in this way the group could ensure that no single merchant over-charged or charged an exorbitant amount.

However, this is not the way the law looks at it. This, in law, would be price fixing.

The Competition Act makes such conduct unacceptable.

When the Bill was tabled, the explanatory statement said the Bill “seeks to introduce prohibitions on anti-competitive conduct and practices.

The object of the Act is to promote economic development by protecting the process of competition, and thereby protecting the interest of consumers”.

The explanatory statement also went on to say: “The Act makes provision for the introduction of competition law by introducing two main prohibitions. The first is in respect of agreements or concerted practices between enterprises or association of enterprises (together referred to as ‘agreements’) which have the object or effect of significantly preventing, restricting or distorting competition in Malaysia. The second is the prohibition of the abuse by an enterprise or enterprises of a dominant position in Malaysia.”

The various stakeholders who are involved in and affected by the Act have done much to publicise its effect and implications.

The only local book available is Competition Law in Malaysia written by Nasarudin Abdul Rahman and Hanif Ahamat at the International Islamic University Malaysia.

Price fixing would come within the scope of Section 4(1) of the Act which states that “A horizontal or vertical agreement between enterprises is prohibited in so far as the agreement has the object or effect of significantly preventing, restricting or distorting competition in any market for goods or services.”

It goes on to say that in subsection 4(2) that “Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), a horizontal agreement between enterprises which has the object to a) fix, directly or indirectly, purchase or selling price or any other trading conditions, b) share market or sources of supply, c) limit or control i) production, ii) market outlets or market access, iii) technical or technological development and iv) investment and d) perform an act of bid rigging is deemed to have the object of significantly preventing, restricting, or distorting competition in any market for goods or services.”

Thus the situation disclosed earlier would have the effect of price fixing as mentioned in Section 4(2)(a). Such was the case in connection with a complaint lodged again the Sibu Confectionery and Bakery Association (SCBA).

On Nov 17, 2013, the SCBA held its second Annual General Meeting at the Golden Happiness Restaurant in Sibu, Sarawak.

The Minutes of Meeting confirmed that the members who were “charged” attended the AGM.

The minutes of the AGM, submitted by the Chairman of the SCBA, indicated that the attendees, including those who were charged, had engaged in price fixing by agreeing to increase the prices of confectionery and bakery products by 10% to 15% in Sibu.

Excerpts from the minutes of the AGM (English version) showed the following: “This AGM we have to think and discuss carefully to fix a reasonable and acceptable selling price for our products which will be fair to bakers, consumers and society. We all know that the wages of workers, the prices of ingredients, the transportation and the sales tax, etc will rise up in the coming year. Therefore we have to discuss our selling price and make some decision first.”

They proposed that the new price of all the products would be raised 10-15%, the minutes continued: “Mr Chieng Hock Ming proposed, Mr Ko Ting Ing seconded. All the members present at the meeting put up hands to support.

It was passed and adopted.”

The Competition Commission decided that what transpired amounted to price fixing and there had therefore been a contravention of the Act.

However though all had taken part and supported the decision, only those who implemented the price increase agreed to were held to be in contravention of the Act.

In cases such as this, what is looked at is whether there has been an agreement to fix the prices.

Different consequences follow, depending on whether those who agreed implemented the increase or not.

The other aspect is that such an agreement need not be reached at a meeting.

It could be that the decision is made through an exchange of correspondence or a discussion over the telephone.

Any comments or suggestions for points of discussion can be sent to mavico7@yahoo.com. The views expressed here are entirely the writer’s own.

Dr M ‘worries all the time’ on police questioning him

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: With the police force under him while he was Prime Minister for 22 years, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says he is “always worried” about being questioned by the officers.

"Yes, they (the police) are coming today.

"This is the third time they are questioning me," he said, after officiating the launch of Perdana Global Peace Foundation's War Disaster Fund.

It has been reported that Bukit Aman police would be questioning Dr Mahathir at Yayasan Albukhary at 3pm.

When asked if he was worried about being questioned, he replied: "I'm worried all the time."

Last week, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said police are investigating Dr Mahathir's statement that the Rulers were “placed under house arrest.”

Noor Rashid said that the police would record Dr Mahathir's statement "when the time is right".

It was reported that Dr Mahathir had claimed that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and other rulers had been placed under house arrest to prevent them from receiving the signatures of those who supported the Citizens’ Declaration.

On May 23, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission adviser Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim lodged a report against Dr Mahathir regarding his claims, and said that allegations were “false and mischievous”

How is your Bill Islamic, Dr M asks Hadi

KUALA LUMPUR: PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s Private Member’s Bill on Syariah court amendments is "un-Islamic,” Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (pic) says.

"They are trying to do something that is unjust, cutting off a Muslim's hand when a non-Muslim gets two months jail.

"What they are proposing is un-Islamic," said Dr Mahathir after officiating the launch of Perdana Global Peace Foundation's War Disaster Fund.

Last Thursday, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said tabled a motion to expedite the tabling of the Bill in Parliament to amend the Shariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

However, Hadi asked for the Bill to be debated at the next meeting in October.

If the Bill is passed in Parliament, it will pave the way for PAS-led Kelantan to implement Syariah laws in the state.

Marina Mahathir says will leave Malaysia if hudud arrives

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 ― Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir says she will leave Malaysia if hudud law is implemented in the country.

“I cannot live in a country where people want to cut off hands, I’m sorry, or stone people to death,” Marina told Malay Mail Online in a recent interview here.

“I would never live in Saudi Arabia. I don’t want to live in a country where this is official policy,” the prominent social activist added.

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang has submitted a private member’s bill to Parliament in a bid to remove the legal obstacles that prevent the implementation of the Islamic penal code in Kelantan.

Hadi said Tuesday that the Kelantan state government run by the Islamist opposition party will meet with the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government to discuss plans to implement hudud in the state. BN has yet to state its official stand on hudud.

Critics of hudud have lambasted the strict Islamic criminal law, which punishes theft with amputation of limbs, as well as apostasy and adultery with death by stoning, as unconstitutional in secular Malaysia.

Marina, who is the eldest child of former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, related an incident where she attended the United Nations women’s conference in Beijing in 1995 and Iranian women living in exile in the US had opposed a session about including religion in feminism.

She said the Iranian women, who were middle-class elites living in New York, had sounded bitter and were aggressive about keeping religion out of everything, noting that their counterparts had stayed back in Iran and fought from within, when women’s rights were rolled back after Iran became an Islamic state following the 1979 revolution.

“I look at these women and thought ― I never want to be like that. I never want to be a bitter exile. So I always thought okay lah ― I will stay and fight,” said Marina.

She said, however, that she would emigrate if hudud were to be implemented.

The activist, who speaks out about women’s rights and freedom of speech among other issues, said her strength to continue fighting is instinctive as she was brought up to be honest and considerate of others.

“It's natural to me, if I see something wrong, to say something, or to do something,” said Marina.

“It’s a form of worship. It’s how I act out my life as a Muslim. If you say it’s a way of life, it’s not just about rituals. It’s acted out by trying to do good, to be charitable and to ensure justice,” she added.

‘Joining PAS makes you a better Buddhist, Christian or Hindu’

PAS supporters’ wing representative Balachandran GK wows the crowd at the party’s muktamar with his address, peppered with Islamic terms and even a quote from the Quran.

PENGKALAN CHEPA: PAS is not just for Muslims and can help its Buddhist, Christian and Hindu members to become better adherents of their faith, says PAS Supporters Congress Information Chief Balachandran GK.

In his address at PAS’s 62nd muktamar today, Balachandran explained that the Islamic values inculcated by the PAS leadership enhanced the understanding of one’s own religious values, making non-Muslim members better persons.

Balachandran also hit out at MIC President Dr S Subramaniam over his quit threat in relation to the proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

He said it showed Subramaniam was weak and did not understand the issue.

“If he does not understand the issue, he can call us. We can teach Subramaniam about Islam if he does not understand.”

Following the tabling of the bill last month, Subramaniam, together with MCA President Liow Tiong Lai and Gerakan President Mah Siew Kong, said they will quit their Cabinet posts in the event the bill is passed in Parliament.

Balachandran, who wowed delegates with his speech, peppered with Islamic terms and even a quote from the Quran, said PAS’s strength was not the now defunct Pakatan Rakyat, but Islam, and this was why the party could go it alone.

He also said that race should not be the basis for any political party’s struggle and it was important to understand each other’s religions.

“We are with PAS as it is a party based on Islam,” he said, adding that Islam was fair.

“Hidup Melayu (Long Live Malays) does not guarantee safety, Hidup Islam (Long Live Islam) guarantees safety for all,” he said to cheers from the delegates.

This is why, he said, it was important for the PAS leadership to include the supporters’ wing in its activities so that the non-Muslims could see that PAS was meant for all.

He's a failed student, Mahathir shells Najib with DAP's rocket

Since launching his campaign against Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad has been redrawing the political battlelines, recruiting troops from both sides of the divide.

He has now launched his latest salvo using DAP organ Roketkini.

In an exclusive interview with the online publication, the former premier is asked about his role as a mentor to Najib and whether the latter is employing lessons gleaned from him.

The disappointed master, however, disagreed.

"Many learned from me, not all followed (my teachings). But this one (student) failed. This one (Najib), his intentions are different," he said.

Mahathir also lashed out at Umno and complained about the scourge of corruption plaguing the nation.

The former Umno president, who quit the party in protest against Najib, claimed that division leaders are preventing those with calibre from joining.

"When he (the division leader) dies, who replaces him? Someone dumber than him. Umno (now) has shrunk into a party led by dimwits (orang bodoh) without principles," he said.

On the issue of corruption, Mahathir claimed that government servants are learning from politicians.

"... Because they see leaders taking billions, so how can he (the government servant) just take one or two million," he said.

In the interview, Mahathir also outlined the differences between Najib and him, lamenting how the late author Barry Wain had made him a victim for the sake of sensationalism in order to boost sales in the book 'Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times'.

"Najib has debts. I don't have debts. I did not allocate government funds for myself. When there was an allocation, it was in the hands of the civil servants. I was not involved in changing the money from here to there

"Najib is the principal in 1MDB. His signature is required for everything. He is the CEO in 1MDB despite calling himself the adviser," he said.

On another matter, Mahathir vowed to campaign in the upcoming Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

However, the 91-year-old former Kubang Pasu lawmaker clarified that he has no intention of contesting.

"I don't want to be the candidate. I am too old. Those who support the Citizens’ Declaration must back whoever is opposed to Najib," he said.

The prime minister has denied abusing public funds, blaming such allegations on Mahathir and those conspiring to topple him from power.

People can choose Anwar or DAP if they want to, says Dr M

The Malaysian political landscape has witnessed numerous bizarre twists of late, and the latest being DAP organ Rocketkini featuring an exclusive interview with Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

As expected, the former prime minister rained criticisms on Najib Abdul Razak, reiterated his allegations of corruption against the reigning prime minister, as well as arguments on the need to remove Najib from office.

The article also states that whenever one name was mentioned, Mahathir appeared a little disturbed. He also found it difficult to utter this name.

This was none other than his former heir apparent-turned-nemesis Anwar Ibrahim, who recently penned a scathing letter to PKR leaders on the dangers of working with Mahathir on the Citizens' Declaration.

Mahathir conceded that it was the right of the people to chose whoever they wanted as a leader, including the jailed former opposition leader, but stressed on the importance of ousting the current prime minister first.

"As long as Najib is there (in power), everyone can talk, about Reformasi or anything else. But nothing will happen. Get rid of Najib, return to democracy. The rakyat can make their own choice (after that).

"It doesn't matter if Anwar comes out (from prison). We return to democracy. The rakyat will choose a government they want.

"... If the rakyat wish to vote for Anwar, so pick Anwar. If they choose a government which will free Anwar, that is their right," he said.

In April, Mahathir had once again claimed that Anwar, whom he sacked as deputy prime minister in 1998, lacked the moral fibre to lead the nation.

"The fact is, people complained about his moral behaviour. For me that behaviour is not acceptable as a person who was about to succeed me as a president of the party.

"I had to expel him from the party. The rest is about his immoral behaviour and the people complained against him. The police took action as a result of the complaint and there was a nine-month trial before he was detained during my time," Mahathir told The Australian newspaper.

He also dodged a question on whether he had changed his views on Anwar, saying: "The question of liking or not liking does not arise. We have similar views with regard to Najib."

Anwar, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for a sodomy conviction, has always maintained that the charge, similar to the first during Mahathir's reign, was fabricated by his political rivals.

'The people choose their leaders'

Mahathir also conceded that he would be powerless to prevent the people from choosing DAP, a party he once chastised as chauvinistic.

After removing Najib as prime minister, he said, the country could return to the rule of law, the Federal Constitution as well as freedom of expression and assembly, remarks which the Roketkini article itself expressed shock over, given Mahathir's stand on street protests during his era.

"After that we can have a general election without Najib. Up to the people. If they want to support Reformasi, go ahead.

"The people choose their leaders. We have to accept their choice. If they make the wrong choice, we will face problems and continue to revolve (around the same problems).

"If the people pick DAP, I cannot do anything," Mahathir added.

As for the current administration, the former prime minister alluded that the democratic space has shrunk under Najib’s watch.

"Make a police report, (and you) get arrested. Want to go abroad, they (the authorities) monitor. The mass media, newspapers are controlled," he said.

Ironically, Mahathir's 22-year tenure was also replete with similar accusations, with Mahathir often referred to as a dictator, as opposed to a leader of a democratic nation.

Najib, on the other hand, has accused Mahathir of conspiring to topple him from power and has denied the allegations made against him.

Police to quiz Dr M over 'rulers under house arrest' remark tomorrow

The police are scheduled to record a statement from Dr Mahathir Mohamad tomorrow over his remark that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Malay rulers are under house arrest.

A source told Malaysiakini that officers from the Bukit Aman police headquarters would question the former prime minister at Yayasan Albukhary in Kuala Lumpur at 3pm.

The officers are from a special team that handles high-profile cases.

The case is believed to have been classified as defamation, where Section 500 of the Penal Code states that "whoever defames another shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine or with both".

Last week, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) advisory board chairperson Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim filed a police report against Mahathir.

Among others, Tunku Aziz claimed the remark on the royalty was reckless and against the honour and integrity of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"Mahathir claims the house arrests were done to prevent His Majesty and the rulers from receiving the 1.4 million people's signatures he claims to have collected.

"By effectively accusing the government of placing His Majesty under house arrest, Mahathir has gone too far," Tunku Aziz said in his report.

Mahathir had made the startling claim during a dialogue session in Subang Jaya.

Earlier, the former prime minister revealed that he was unable to secure an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to submit the signatures collected for the Citizens' Declaration.

"But as of now I've not been able to meet the Agong because it's likely that he's under house arrest.

"The rulers may be confined to their palaces," Mahathir had said.

Answering Jeyakumar's questions on hudud

S Thayaparan

“It's a universal law - intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.”

- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

I have been reading the commentari
es and observing the antics of our elected representatives about the latest provocation by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on the manufactured controversy of the tabling of the Hudud Bill.

As expected, the controversy has generated the required outrage among Pakatan partisans and the rhetoric has neatly followed a pre-arranged script that Umno believes would distract from the very real problems that plague this nation.

Hudud, in any form, would just be the cherry on the sundae of the fascist agenda that this regime is executing in terms of its security policies meant to stifle dissent and sustain hegemony.

The fact that the opposition establishment is suffering from self-inflicted political wounds and myopic in its political agenda not only helps the deterioration of this country but also gives the UMNO state breathing room to regroup and advance its agenda.

Therefore, it was a pleasure reading the piece on the hudud controversy by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

As usual, the good doctor clearly articulated his views on the supposed controversy and with a level-headedness unsuited to the cut-throat take-no-prisoners world of politics, and made suggestions on how to deal with the issue. He did the same with the Lynas controversy, a sane voice in the midst of lunacy and political opportunism but as usual, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The honourable member from Sungai Siput did raise some pertinent questions in his piece that I believe deserve answers or, at the very least, a public answer on behalf of Malaysians who may have the same perspective as me on this issue.

Jeyakumar’s analysis of the political motives of Umno and the opposition are spot on and there really is nothing to discuss. However, the MP raises interesting questions that are fodder for a public debate.

Readers should be aware that PAS grassroots members who have worked with Jeyakumar have told me that the good doctor is someone who truly cares about Malaysians without regard for their race or religion. This particular politician is someone who should be emulated and it is to our detriment that few of our elected representatives are cut from the same cloth.

My answers here are not to be construed as an attack on the good doctor’s article but rather as a launching pad for some of my own beliefs.

Jeyakumar (photo) said, “We should not be afraid to discuss religious issues, but should take extra care to be respectful of the beliefs of others. This implies a certain acceptance of diversity.”

The problem with a statement like this is that the only definition of Islam that matters in this country is how Umno defines it and we get an idea of how this Umno regime defines Islam with this quote from Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs:

“It’s time for the allowances of imams, religious teachers and staff throughout Malaysia to be reviewed for an increase (this year alone, the allocation of allowances for imams and religious teachers amounted close to RM500 million), seeing that their responsibility in safeguarding Islam is even more challenging today with plenty of extremist ideologies that are starting to take root, such as IS, the liberalism ideology and pluralism, including the LGBTs who loosen and degrade religion.”

What does this mean? Well, it means firstly, that this regime does not accept diversity as an acceptable form of compromise in a diverse social, political and religious polity, and secondly, that people who do believe in certain fundamental rights, should not accept intolerant religious views as an example of “diversity”.

Do non-Muslims have a right to object to the way in which Muslims choose to practise their religion?

Herein lays the problem. The question sets up an ‘us versus them’ dialectic, of non-Muslims versus Muslims. Nobody has a right to tell anyone how to practise his or her religion including the state whose religious laws (as Jeyakumar acknowledges) has far-reaching consequences for all the country’s citizens.

When we object to certain practices of the state which we deem immoral or corrupt, we do so as citizens of the country. The same principle applies to certain religious practices. We speak for those who cannot, we support those who have been unfairly targeted and who have no choice as to whether they accept or reject religious dogma as defined by the state.

Across the world, in regimes which actively oppose secularism, the agenda is to separate communities either by religion or race and the means by which they do this is through legislation. If communities cannot come together to oppose injustice or prejudice, merely because such are defined as religious imperatives, there can be no hope for change.

Can we tell Muslims how to practise their religion?

Why not? Muslim regimes have no problem defining the Other’s religion. In this country, there are numerous examples of how Muslims dictate how non-Muslims should practise their religion. The problem here is that freedom of expression and speech is selectively practised. As the good doctor illustrated, there are diverse views on Islam in this country.

Islamic perspectives could change and evolve through interaction with other perspectives. Christianity and Judaism are examples of the Abrahamic faiths which have evolved through interactions with other religious and secular points of views. This is the reason why certain Muslim regimes are deathly afraid that their dogma would be rejected if there is a free exchange of ideas.

But the problem here is not non-Muslims telling Muslims how to practise their religion. It is the state telling Muslims how to practise their religion. It is the state rejecting diversity in the Muslim Malaysian experience and non-Muslims are caught in the crossfire.

Do we not believe that each religious community has the right to practise their religion freely?

I, for one, believe that each community has a right to practise their religion freely without interference from the state. I believe that the state should not impose its religious dogma on any of its citizen even indirectly. I believe that a citizen should define his or her religious beliefs for themselves and as long as it does not impinge on the rights of others, should escape sanction from the state. In fact, I believe that the state should have no say in the religious beliefs of its citizens, much less demand billions of tax ringgit to enforce state-sanctioned dogma.

Don’t we recognise that the entire Islamic world is struggling to define what it means to be true to their faith as Muslims in the 21st century? Do we expect Muslim Malaysians to be unaffected by the ongoing debate/battle?

I recognise (as do many other Malaysians, including Muslims) that Islam in this country is affected by the petrodollars of the Saudi regime, as evidenced by the so-called donation to our current prime minister for defending Islam. I recognise that there is a deliberate effort by the House of Saud and its tributaries to silence the diversity in Islam. I recognise that the religious schisms within Islam affect minority Islamic brethren the world over and that, being true to their faiths, they are being hampered by the stratagems from palaces in Saudi Arabia.

I also believe that forming strategic alliances with Islamic parties does no good for the idea of democracy in any country in the long term. I believe that political grandstanding by certain political parties in this country, in lieu of concrete principles, is why Islam has dominated the discourse in an adverse way.

Lastly, I know many people would not agree with me for various political or pragmatic reasons and while I have rambled on, my stand is exactly the position of PSM. Here is its message on religion on its website:

“PSM berpendirian hak kepercayaan beragama atau tidak adalah hak individu dan mesti dihormati. Ia adalah hubungan peribadi antara manusia dan kepercayaan mereka. Ia tidak boleh dipaksakan melalui undang-undang.”

Malaysian behind syndicate that sabotaged immigration system

A Malaysian has been identified as the mastermind of a syndicate that sabotaged the myIMMs immigration system, deputy inspector-general of police Noor Rashid Ibrahim said today.

Noor Rashid said the police had also identified several other people involved in the sabotage and would make arrests soon.

"These people are from a local syndicate that had carried out the sabotage. They managed to lure one or two immigration officers initially and the number eventually grew," he told a press conference after inaugurating the Sime Darby Property auxiliary police service in Petaling Jaya.

Asked about the statement by Immigration Department director-general Sakib Kusmi yesterday that an international syndicate was involved, Noor Rashid (photo) said the international syndicate was believed to have collaborated with the local syndicate in the crime.

Replying to another question, he said the police would focus on eradicating the local syndicate before seeking Interpol aid to go after the international syndicate.

Sakib had also said that 37 immigration officers had been penalised since February over the sabotage, with 15 of them sacked, 14 suspended and eight having their salary raise frozen.

The first series of the Auditor-General's Report of 2015 had stated that the myIMMs developed to support the major operations of the Immigration Department was less satisfactory and did not meet its objective.

Noor Rashid also praised Sime Darby Property for setting up its auxiliary police unit, saying the company's effort was in line with the National Blue Ocean Strategy that placed great emphasis on safety and security of the people.

"At the core of this collaboration is how the Royal Malaysia Police helps business corporations like Sime Darby Property to enhance their capacity and capability to contribute towards communal safety and public security," he said.

Sime Darby Property managing director Jauhari Hamidi said the unit was part of the company's approach to reinforce security at all levels and future Sime Darby Property townships, with the aim of creating a safer environment for the community.

"The first batch, comprising 32 personnel, will be deployed to selected townships and developments for now and we plan to expand the unit with more trained personnel being deployed across all our townships soon," Jauhari said.

- Bernama

Homeless say rounded up by DBKL, left miles outside city

Around midnight, Mala was rudely awakened by a group of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) officers, who then bundled him into a lorry packed with other homeless people.

After a long drive and being clueless as to what was happening, he was dropped off along the Karak highway with several others.

“I walked back to Kuala Lumpur in the dark. By the time I reached, it was morning,” he said.

Malaysiakini had contacted Mala through Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Persekitaran Positif Malaysia (Seed) after being alerted of the incident.

Mala and several homeless people claimed that on May 22, DBKL officers had rounded them up and dropped them at various distant locations.

Relating what happened to him, Eddy said he was also put into a lorry with some 30 others. He and three others were later dropped at Rawang.

"They (DBKL) didn't tell us anything, they just gathered us and put us in the lorry," he said.

Eddy said that he and the others spent close to four hours walking back to Kuala Lumpur.

The incident was first highlighted by (Seed) exco member Lalita Abdullah through her post on Facebook.

"On May 22, after having the opportunity to watch the fundraising concert organised by Seed, some members of our homeless community were picked up in a massive DBKL raid in KL.

"They were herded onto a lorry and driven off out of the city...," she said.

A Seed representative later clarified with Malaysiakini that the raid had nothing to do with the concert, but some of those picked up were clients of Seed.

"It was just a round-up of homeless people in Masjid Jamek and places like that. Picking them up and chucking them outside of the city.

“I think they (DBKL) did not expect them to walk back," he said.

Contacted later, Kuala Lumpur mayor Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz said he was not aware of the incident.

Previously, he had launched a homeless shelter in Medan Tuanku in Kuala Lumpur and urged more NGOs to utilise it.

Is Dr M placing a candidate in Kuala Kangsar?

An Umno Youth member, intending to be an independent, claims Dr Mahathir intends to persuade a former Wanita Umno member to contest in the by-election.

FMT

AMPANG: An Umno Youth member has alleged that former Premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad intends to sponsor a candidate in the Kuala Kangsar by-election.

Taman Chempaka Umno Youth Assistant Secretary Syed Rosli Jamalullail said this was apparently to split the votes for BN.

He said the independent candidate could be a Wanita Umno leader, who was sacked from the party last year.

Syed Rosli is also facing expulsion from the party for his intention to contest as an independent in the by-election as he is unhappy BN has chosen Mastura Yazid, the widow of the former MP Wan Khair-il Anuar Wan Ahmad, as the BN candidate.

PAS Women’s chief Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad is also contesting.

Yesterday, former Umno member Hamidah Osman, who was sacked last year for disciplinary problems, had announced that she was not ruling out the possibility of contesting in the by-election.

Syed Rosli told FMT today at his residence: “I have received information that a woman will be contesting, sponsored by Tun Mahathir, to break the votes and defeat Umno.

“She is insincere and is contesting only out of revenge against her former party. She will bring up the agenda of Tun Mahathir and the Citizens’ Declaration to defeat BN in Kuala Kangsar.”

Syed Rosli said Umno was seen to have failed in upholding the plight of the Malays, which he said had led to rifts in the community, leading to the formation of Malay NGOs.

“Perkasa, for example. The NGO is Malay and I believe that many of them were previously Umno members.

“They joined Perkasa out of disappointment with Umno, which had failed to help the people from an economic and educational standpoint.

“I also believe that Umno has failed to defend Malay and Muslim rights. The Malay royal institutions have also been disrespected.”

Factories suffer worst dip in over three years

KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — Manufacturing output declined in the last quarter at a rate not seen since 2013, raising questions about the sector's ability to keep the economy growing at targeted rates.

According to the latest release of Nikkei Malaysia's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), conditions in the already-struggling sector deteriorated further in the current quarter, with sharp declines in both orders and production.

“Production at Malaysian goods producers contracted for the fourteenth successive month in May. In fact, the rate of decline was the sharpest in over three-and-a-half years,” Nikkei Malaysia said.

“Similarly, new orders decreased for the fifteenth month running, with the latest decline the fastest since December last year.”

The PMI remained stagnant at 47.2 last month, extending the five-year low registered in April. Any number greater than 50 in the index represents an improvement in the sector.

Factories have also scaled back their purchases of raw material for 12 consecutive months, prompted by rising prices as well as declining orders.

Nikkei Malaysia said both the weak ringgit and high sales tax made it more expensive for manufacturers to operate.

“Moreover, the rate of inflation was the sharpest since February. As a result, manufacturers raised their charges to the greatest extent since December last year,” it added.

Despite the decline in output and orders, however, factories increased their hiring in May, although Nikkei Malaysia described the improvement as “slight”.

Malaysia is banking on exports to achieve its targeted gross domestic product growth of between 4 and 4.5 per cent this year, as high household debt and rising inflation weigh on consumer spending.

Household debt here has reached 89.1 per cent as a ratio of GDP or over RM1 trillion.

Slowing global demand also negated the export advantages of the weak ringgit, which is currently trading at 4.14 versus the US dollar.

Malaysia's trade balance fell to RM6.8 billion in the last quarter, down from RM11.4 billion in the final three months of 2015.

GST more well-received now, says Najib

PUTRAJAYA, May 31 — Although it was heavily criticised when it was implemented on April 1 last year, more people have now accepted the Goods and Services Tax (GST) after realising that it saved the national economy, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said the implementation of the GST was seen as an unpopular decision by the government and it was used as a political weapon, but economic experts feel that it was the most appropriate step by the government.

With the global economic uncertainty and without the GST, Malaysia would have faced a very serious economic crisis like Greece, he said.

“Generally, we are not a government that runs away from the responsibility of implementing any decision which is thought to be right for the nation and the people.

“However, our good and noble intentions were misunderstood by certain parties and made into a political issue, whereas rationally-speaking, it was something that could not be avoided. The strong national revenue contributed to a resilient economy which ensured the welfare of the people could be continued to be looked after,” he said. — Bernama

‘You can’t change place of birth’

JOHOR BARU: A Johor leader has warned the people against falling victim to bogus agents who claim that they are able help people become Johoreans by helping them change their MyKad middle digits.

State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said it had come to his attention that these so-called agents asked for fees of between thousands and tens of thousands for such services.

Tee said the agents claimed that they know people who can help to change a person’s MyKad middle digits to 01, which represents those born in Johor.

He said there were some enqui­ries from people outside Johor such as Selangor and Kuala Lumpur asking him whether it was possible for them to change their MyKad number to become a Johorean.

“I urge everyone especially those who are from other states not to believe claims from people who offer this type of services because the middle digits in our MyKad serves to signify our place of birth and there is no way to change it.

“However, it does not stop us from welcoming those who want to settle down or do business in Johor.

“You can just move here without having to make any change to your MyKad, as long as you adhere to the Johor way,” he said yesterday.

Tee added that currently there were many people who were not born in Johor but now call the state home without having to make any change in their identification documents.

He believed the term Bangsa Jo­­hor, used to refer to those born in the state, and the introduction of the Johor Muafakat (Johor United) concept by the state government were what attracted many to become Johoreans.

Furthermore, he said, the state also enjoyed steady development, while people of various races live in harmony and had forged a stable and united relationship with each other.

Rulers will not fail Malaysians, says Dr M

Dr Mahathir Mohamad believes the rulers will intervene to stop the alleged "abuse of power" by Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

He said this is despite no provision in the law allowing such intervention.

"Nevertheless, there are ways and means for the rulers to save the country form the abuses of power by Najib.

"The people look up to the rulers to save Malaysia. I am sure the rulers will not fail them," he added in a blog post today.

The former premier said this is why the Citizens' Declaration, which has reportedly been signed by more than a million Malaysians, would be sent to the rulers.

Mahathir reiterated that sending the declaration to the rulers was the last resort.

The declaration among others called for Najib's resignation amid allegations of corruption.

This includes the 1MDB imbroglio and RM2.6 billion found in the prime minister's account.

Najib has been cleared of wrongdoing by the attorney-general over the RM2.6 billion and RM42 million funnelled into his account from state firm SRC International.

The prime minister has also denied abusing public funds, and blamed such allegations on Mahathir and those conspiring to topple him from power.

International agencies including in Singapore, Switzerland and the United States are investigating the 1MDB trail of funds.One former banker has been charged in Singapore for charges related to the 1MDB probe, while authorities ordered the shutdown of BSI Bank branch in Singapore.

Switzerland has also started criminal proceedings against the 143-year-old Swiss bank that had earlier been under the United States Justice Department radar for assisting in tax evasion by moving funds across borders incognito.

Tell PM to remove Johor from M'sia: crown prince to envious lot

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has never shied from speaking his mind, and in a latest Facebook posting, there is a message from him to those uncomfortable with the state being part of Malaysia.

".... You can all march down to Putrajaya and propose to the prime minister to remove the state of Johor from Malaysia," read the message.

The posting on the Southern Tigers Facebook page also cited a slew of reasons that fuelled disdain amongst some towards the state, including the absence of racism and its abhorrence for corruption.

Each point mentioned began with the words "Don't blame Johor".

"... We weren't built on the foundations of racism. We were built on the foundation that we are united and identified as one race that is Bangsa Johor.

".... Why are we proud of our leaders, because our leaders are always with us in good times and bad, when we're in joy or in pain.

"Why we don't like people who are corrupt? It's because we are brought up never to be as despicable as that."

The posting also pointed out that Johor had existed since 1885, well before 1957, when Malaya achieved its independence.

Apart from this, it also stated that Johoreans should not be blamed for holding their crown prince close to their hearts and outlined the differences between leaders in the state and elsewhere.

"Don't blame Johor and accuse us of being obsessed with the crown prince of Johor because we have witnessed for ourselves how he has always stood firmly by our side..

"Don't blame Johor or be envious of the relationship we have with our leaders because only he has been tirelessly brave enough to fight and guarantee our existence and welfare.

"Don't blame Johor if your leaders are not there with you. The difference between our leaders and yours is that our leaders were born to serve the people.

"Don't blame Johor if your leaders are not there with you when the country is plagued with integrity turmoil. We are proud to have leaders who will always fight for our rights and be transparent with us.

"Don't blame Johor if your leaders are not there in your own state for you to turn to in your time of need."

Answering Jeyakumar's questions on hudud

“It's a universal law - intolerance is the first sign of an inadequate education. An ill-educated person behaves with arrogant impatience, whereas truly profound education breeds humility.”

- Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

I have been reading the commentaries and observing the antics of our elected representatives about the latest provocation by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang on the manufactured controversy of the tabling of the Hudud Bill.

As expected, the controversy has generated the required outrage among Pakatan partisans and the rhetoric has neatly followed a pre-arranged script that Umno believes would distract from the very real problems that plague this nation.

Hudud, in any form, would just be the cherry on the sundae of the fascist agenda that this regime is executing in terms of its security policies meant to stifle dissent and sustain hegemony.

The fact that the opposition establishment is suffering from self-inflicted political wounds and myopic in its political agenda not only helps the deterioration of this country but also gives the Umno state breathing room to regroup and advance its agenda.

Therefore, it was a pleasure reading the piece on the hudud controversy by Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj of Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM).

As usual, the good doctor clearly articulated his views on the supposed controversy and with a level-headedness unsuited to the cut-throat take-no-prisoners world of politics, and made suggestions on how to deal with the issue. He did the same with the Lynas controversy, a sane voice in the midst of lunacy and political opportunism but as usual, his pleas fell on deaf ears.

The honourable member from Sungai Siput did raise some pertinent questions in his piece that I believe deserve answers or, at the very least, a public answer on behalf of Malaysians who may have the same perspective as me on this issue.

Jeyakumar’s analysis of the political motives of Umno and the opposition are spot on and there really is nothing to discuss. However, the MP raises interesting questions that are fodder for a public debate.

Readers should be aware that PAS grassroots members who have worked with Jeyakumar have told me that the good doctor is someone who truly cares about Malaysians without regard for their race or religion. This particular politician is someone who should be emulated and it is to our detriment that few of our elected representatives are cut from the same cloth.

My answers here are not to be construed as an attack on the good doctor’s article but rather as a launching pad for some of my own beliefs.

Jeyakumar (photo) said, “We should not be afraid to discuss religious issues, but should take extra
care to be respectful of the beliefs of others. This implies a certain acceptance of diversity.”

The problem with a statement like this is that the only definition of Islam that matters in this country is how Umno defines it and we get an idea of how this Umno regime defines Islam with this quote from Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, the deputy minister in charge of Islamic affairs:

“It’s time for the allowances of imams, religious teachers and staff throughout Malaysia to be reviewed for an increase (this year alone, the allocation of allowances for imams and religious teachers amounted close to RM500 million), seeing that their responsibility in safeguarding Islam is even more challenging today with plenty of extremist ideologies that are starting to take root, such as IS, the liberalism ideology and pluralism, including the LGBTs who loosen and degrade religion.”

What does this mean? Well, it means firstly, that this regime does not accept diversity as an acceptable form of compromise in a diverse social, political and religious polity, and secondly, that people who do believe in certain fundamental rights, should not accept intolerant religious views as an example of “diversity”.

Do non-Muslims have a right to object to the way in which Muslims choose to practise their religion?

Herein lays the problem. The question sets up an ‘us versus them’ dialectic, of non-Muslims versus Muslims. Nobody has a right to tell anyone how to practise his or her religion including the state whose religious laws (as Jeyakumar acknowledges) has far-reaching consequences for all the country’s citizens.

When we object to certain practices of the state which we deem immoral or corrupt, we do so as citizens of the country. The same principle applies to certain religious practices. We speak for those who cannot, we support those who have been unfairly targeted and who have no choice as to whether they accept or reject religious dogma as defined by the state.

Across the world, in regimes which actively oppose secularism, the agenda is to separate communities either by religion or race and the means by which they do this is through legislation. If communities cannot come together to oppose injustice or prejudice, merely because such are defined as religious imperatives, there can be no hope for change.

Can we tell Muslims how to practise their religion?

Why not? Muslim regimes have no problem defining the Other’s religion. In this country, there are numerous examples of how Muslims dictate how non-Muslims should practise their religion. The problem here is that freedom of expression and speech is selectively practised. As the good doctor illustrated, there are diverse views on Islam in this country.

Islamic perspectives could change and evolve through interaction with other perspectives. Christianity and Judaism are examples of the Abrahamic faiths which have evolved through interactions with other religious and secular points of views. This is the reason why certain Muslim regimes are deathly afraid that their dogma would be rejected if there is a free exchange of ideas.

But the problem here is not non-Muslims telling Muslims how to practise their religion. It is the state telling Muslims how to practise their religion. It is the state rejecting diversity in the Muslim Malaysian experience and non-Muslims are caught in the crossfire.

Do we not believe that each religious community has the right to practise their religion freely?

I, for one, believe that each community has a right to practise their religion freely without interference from the state. I believe that the state should not impose its religious dogma on any of its citizen even indirectly. I believe that a citizen should define his or her religious beliefs for themselves and as long as it does not impinge on the rights of others, should escape sanction from the state. In fact, I believe that the state should have no say in the religious beliefs of its citizens, much less demand billions of tax ringgit to enforce state-sanctioned dogma.

Don’t we recognise that the entire Islamic world is struggling to define what it means to be true to their faith as Muslims in the 21st century? Do we expect Muslim Malaysians to be unaffected by the ongoing debate/battle?

I recognise (as do many other Malaysians, including Muslims) that Islam in this country is affected by the petrodollars of the Saudi regime, as evidenced by the so-called donation to our current prime minister for defending Islam. I recognise that there is a deliberate effort by the House of Saud and its tributaries to silence the diversity in Islam. I recognise that the religious schisms within Islam affect minority Islamic brethren the world over and that, being true to their faiths, they are being hampered by the stratagems from palaces in Saudi Arabia.

I also believe that forming strategic alliances with Islamic parties does no good for the idea of democracy in any country in the long term. I believe that political grandstanding by certain political parties in this country, in lieu of concrete principles, is why Islam has dominated the discourse in an adverse way.

Lastly, I know many people would not agree with me for various political or pragmatic reasons and while I have rambled on, my stand is exactly the position of PSM. Here is its message on religion on its website:

“PSM berpendirian hak kepercayaan beragama atau tidak adalah hak individu dan mesti dihormati. Ia adalah hubungan peribadi antara manusia dan kepercayaan mereka. Ia tidak boleh dipaksakan melalui undang-undang.”

89 2 2 93 Mahathir shares his secret to longevity

Former PM in his element as he slams Western style of doing things and the TPP at international conference.

TOKYO: Former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad told an international conference the secret to longevity, while reiterating that the Trans-Pacific Partnership was not good.

His formula for a long and healthy life is not to overeat and to keep the body and mind busy. Overeating, he said, was the reason for the rise in obesity.

Speaking at the 22nd Future of Asia conference here, he reiterated his stand that the Trans-Pacific partnership was not good for Malaysia and other countries.

He said regional trade agreements were not always beneficial for member nations. This was because nations were obliged to agree to trade rules that could affect their “freedom of action”, something that could be especially problematic for less-developed nations.

The Nikkei Asian Review quoted him as saying: “When economies are at different levels, you cannot apply standard formulas.”

However, Mahathir was supportive of the Asean drive for greater integration, saying the Asean Economic Community did not impose a standard formula on all members.

He said poorer countries should be given time and should not be restricted in the way they managed their economies, so that they could catch up with the rich countries.

This was Mahathir’s 18th appearance at the annual Future of Asia conference organised by Nikkei Inc.

At 90, the report said, Mahathir remained energetic and eloquent.

Asked about his secret to longevity and health, he said: “One is, never overeat. My mother always told me that when the food tastes good, that’s the time you must stop eating.”

“Later as a doctor, I realised why. When the food is good, you tend to overeat; and when you overeat, your stomach increases in size, and in order to stop your hunger, you eat more food. That is the problem the world is facing today with obesity: people are eating too much.”

He also said one should keep on working. “When you keep your mind and body active, I think it will be good for you.”

The Nikkei report said Mahathir’s disapproval of the “Western style” of doing things, whether in trade or politics, was apparent throughout his appearance at the conference, especially when he spoke about democracy in Asean.

Countering Western criticism of democratic shortcomings in Southeast Asia, Mahathir said: “For democracies to work well, it will take time. I would say that you have to tolerate some of the wrong things done by people who are trying to be democratic.

“Among the developed democracies of the West, there seems to be no toleration. If you are not doing what they are doing, if you are not as liberal, then you are not democratic.

“But it is really difficult for a new country (to suddenly become democratic). We need to deal with the multiracial population, we need to have some control over even the media, because we don’t want the people to be agitating all the time to overthrow the government and sabotage the economy. I would say that you need a little time, and you need to be more tolerant.”

‘UnIslamic to sneak Shariah punishments into legal system’

KUALA LUMPUR: Trying to “sneak Shariah punishments” into the legal system without open debate and a comprehensive understanding on the implications is “unIslamic”, says an Islamic scholar.

“You don’t see it, you don’t feel it. Yet one day, you’ll just wake up and find yourself in a much more Islamic state than you ever imagined,” Professor Abdullahi A An-Na’im said at a press interview organised by G25 at a hotel here today.

“If you want to do it, do it openly with a clear understanding where people can debate, accept or reject freely,” he added.

Abdullahi said this in response to PAS’ Private Member’s Bill which seeks to empower the Shariah Court to impose any form of hudud punishment under Islamic law, except the death penalty.

He said this was strange when hudud does indeed prescribe the death penalty and wondered if the exclusion of the death penalty was based on PAS’ definition of hudud.

“So you are redefining hudud from the way it exists for your own political expediency,” the Sudanese-born scholar from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, said.

In some parts of the Middle East which implement hudud laws, the death sentence is handed down to those convicted of adultery and apostasy, among others.

PAS is currently pushing for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan. Its president Abdul Hadi Awang has tabled a bill seeking to amend the powers of the Shariah court which would pave the way for the controversial law to be implemented in the East Coast state.

Returning GST to people

PUTRAJAYA: Both the RM27bil collected from the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2015 as well
as the RM39bil expected this year will be given back to the people in the form of major projects and infrastructure construction, said the Prime Mini­ster.

“With the GST, we can afford to carry out the MRT, the Pan Borneo Highway project in Sabah and Sarawak as well as other development plans which the people will benefit from and enjoy.

“It is from this same revenue that the Government can afford to give the special increment to public officers this year,” said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Assuring the public that the Government was responsible and had the rakyat’s interest at heart, Najib said its good intentions were however being misconstrued and politicised.

“But if you look at things rationally, you know that (GST) is a strong and stable source of revenue and contributes towards economic resilience and the well-being of the people,” he said when presenting excellent service awards to 100 Finance Ministry staff members here yesterday.

Malaysia’s economy, added Najib, managed to register growth despite global uncertainty and weak external factors because the Government had made several right decisions that helped drive it further.

Later, at another function, Najib said the Government would continue to spend and invest more on children.

“We want them to be able to exercise good judgment, to choose well and to use this responsibly while rejecting what is harmful and not worthwhile,” he said when opening the three-day Permata International Conference 2016 themed “Children Beyond Tomorrow”.

Participants and speakers from 29 countries, including Gambia, Swaziland, Nigeria and Ghana, will examine the role of childhood in achieving sustainability in nation-building.

Driver pulled out alive from six-vehicle pileup

GEORGE TOWN: Firemen took nearly an hour to free the driver of a cement mixer truck in an accident that involved five other vehicles.

The six-vehicle pileup in Jalan Tanjung Tokong that included a 20-tonne tanker, a lorry, a van and two Mercedes-Benz, also caused a two-hour bumper-to-bumper traffic jam from Batu Ferringhi heading towards the city.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the cement mixer truck crashed into the van and the van driver in turn crashed into the left side of the 20-tonne tanker that was on the middle lane.

“The cement mixer truck also rear-ended the 20-tonne tanker and another lorry on the right lane.

“The impact pushed the lorry into the two Mercedes-Benz in front of him,” he said.

ACP Mior said only the 59-year-old cement mixer driver suffered a minor injury on his left leg.

“He was treated at Penang Hospital and allowed to go home,” he said.

State Fire and Rescue Department spokesman Mohd Azman Hussin said they received a distress call at 1.11pm yesterday and seven firemen from Bagan Jermal fire station rushed to the scene.

“We had to cut the cabin of the cement mixer and only managed to free the driver at 1.53pm,” he said.

Masrukin Aknam, 45, the 20-tonne tanker driver, said all the vehicles were stopping at the red light in front of Uda Flat in Tanjung Tokong, when the cement mixer truck suddenly lost control.

“It is fortunate that no one was seriously injured.”

Masrukin said he was on his way back to Ipoh after off-loading cement at a quarry in Tanjung Bungah.

MCA: Chinese must reject PAS, Amanah in by-elections

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA has urged the Chinese voters in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar to reject PAS and Parti Amanah Negara in the parliamentary by-elections on June 18.

MCA central committee member Datuk Chew Kok Woh (pix) said PAS should be rejected for obvious reasons.

“The party's very existence is to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state and impose hudud.

“The MCA will remind the Chinese voters there to demand that the DAP explain why it asked the Chinese to support PAS in the 2013 general election," he said.

Chew said the DAP would now tell the Chinese to back Amanah, the breakaway group of former PAS leaders.

He said the DAP would portray Amanah leaders as being moderate but the Chinese should not be duped again.

Chew said Amanah leader, Khalid Samad, was among the first to declare his support for PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang's Private Member’s Bill on Syariah court amendments.

On the other hand, he said, DAP and PKR had refused to commit themselves citing that it was too early to make a stand.

“I don't think the Chinese can afford to believe in these parties."

Chew hoped the Chinese had learnt the lesson of the last elections and reiterated that PAS and Amanah must be rejected as they were of the same mould.

Liquor age limit raised to 21

PUTRAJAYA: The age limit for purchasing alcoholic drinks will be raised from 18 to 21 starting Dec 1, 2017.

Apart from this, all premises offering alcoholic drinks are required to display a notice to warn customers on the adverse effects of consuming liquor.

This ruling will take effect on Dec 1, 2017, said Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr S Subramaniam.

Apart from the notices to be displayed at outlets, alcoholic drink manufacturers must also label such warnings on their products.

Amendments to the Food Regulation 1985 have been gazetted ‎on May 27 for the liquor ruling to be enforced, Dr Subramaniam said.

"The amendment is in line with the global strategy to reduce the harmful use of alcohol signed by all health ministers to reduce the availability of alcoholic beverage in the market," he said Wednesday.

Dr Subramaniam said the move was also aimed at stopping teenagers and students from‎ buying liquor.

Twenty-four Filipinos charged with having fake MyKads

JOHOR BARU: Twenty-four Filipinos pleaded guilty at a Magistrate’s court here for possessing fake MyKad and cards belonging to Malaysians.

They were arrested in raids at residential areas in Masai and Pasir Gudang by the Putrajaya National Registration Department (NRD) enforcement officers from 1.30am on May 19 to 6am on May 20.

The eight women and 16 men are aged between 25 and 60 years.

One of them, Norman Salam, 34, was sentenced to a two-year jail term for possessing three MyKads belonging to Malaysians.

The rest received 10-month jail term each for either having fake MyKad or the cards belonging to locals.

NRD officers Mohd Fazdhly Abd Razak and Mohd Ashgar Mohd Hussain prosecuted the case while the 24 were not represented.

Cops net man for insulting Johor royalty

JOHOR BARU: Police had to go out to the sea to catch a man for posting insulting comments about the Johor royalty.

State police chief Comm Datuk Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said the 46-year old suspect was detained while he was on a fishing boat off Tioman island, about 200km from here, at around 11am on Tuesday.

He said the man was caught after two police reports were made against him on May 28 for uploading insulting remarks about Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, Tunku Mahkota Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and the people of Johor.

Comm Wan Ahmad Najmuddin said the suspect had uploaded the comments in a Facebook page under the account “Minah Pendek”.

“We also seized two mobile phones with the SIM cards from him," he said in a press statement.

The suspect has been remanded to assist in investigations under Section 233 of the Communication and Multimedia Act 1998.

Comm Wan Ahmad Najmuddin advised the public against misusing social media by uploading derogatory remarks or comments about other people.