Kelantan To Get RM20 Million As Compassionate Fund In March - Mustapa

KOTA BAHARU, Jan 27 (Bernama) -- The federal government has decided to give Kelantan RM20 million as compassionate fund, due under an oil and gas production arrangement, in March, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said here.

He said the decision was made after discussions with the national oil corporation, Petronas, recently.

"It involves revenue from oil and gas production in the South Earth Platform, Block PM301, close to Kelantan waters. The RM20 million is five per cent of the total revenue from the block since May 2008," he told reporters after opening a forum on the compassionate fund, here Tuesday night. More than 5,000 people attended the forum.

Mustapa, who is also chairman of the Kelantan Umno Liaison Committee, said the Kelantan government's claim for RM11 billion in oil royalty was extreme as the oil production was not that high.

"We wish to clarify that oil production at Block PM302, revenue from which is also being claimed, is jointly shared with Thailand under the Malaysia-Thailand joint development area since 1979.

"The revenue shared is only RM800 million, and it cannot be shared with Kelantan because the oil production is in an overlapping area between the two countries," he said.

He also said that the federal government could not hand over the RM20 million to be administered by the state government for fear the compassionate fund would be misused.

He said the money would be utilised to benefit the people of Kelantan in terms of education, eradication of poverty and other needs deemed necessary by a special committee.

"We are disappointed that (Menteri Besar Datuk) Nik (Abdul) Aziz (Nik Mat) has rejected our invitation for him to join the committee," he said.

Mustapa said Umno had to explain the oil royalty issue so that the people knew that it was raised by the Kelantan government to divert attention away from the Kelantan Menteri Besar Incorporated issue and the Bazaar Tok Guru issue.

"The issue was raised purely for the sake of politics and we know that it will be used as a weapon in the next general election.

Tomorrow, the state government and a non-governmental organisation on the oil royalty claim are scheduled to organise a gathering at the Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium.

It is expected to be attended also by Nik Aziz and former Petronas chairman Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Mustapa challenged Kelantan to bring its oil royalty claim to court if it felt it was in the right, but said the state government was afraid to do so because it knew it was not in the right.

Meanwhile, Pasir Mas Member of Parliament Datuk Ibrahim Ali said he was prepared to bring the matter to court, just to prove that PAS was afraid to do so because the matter was raised purely for the sake of politics.

"I give the PAS-led Kelantan government one month from today to bring the matter to court or I will do it myself," he told reporters after the forum, at which he was a panel member.

Ibrahim, who is president of Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Negara (Perkasa), said PAS was afraid to bring the issue to court because the party would not be able to discuss the oil royalty issue in public once the matter is in the courts due to subjudice contempt.

He said he was disappointed that the oil royalty issue had been used as a subject for Friday sermons in the state, adding that it was being used as political capital by the state government to garner the sympathy of the people.

Reforms to enlarge the electorate

Reflecting On The Law
By Prof Shad Saleem Farudi

More than two-thirds of the population do not take part in the election process. Lowering the voting age will immediately expand the number of voters.

THE Election Commission has reported that 15.47 million of our citizens are above 21 years of age and therefore eligible to vote in federal and state elections. However, only 11.08 million have taken the trouble to register as voters.

This means that 4.39 million eligible electors have opted to forfeit their right to participate in democracy’s showcase event – a general election.

This state of affairs draws our attention to the law relating to the right to vote in our political system. In a functioning democracy the rules must permit as many mature citizens as possible to have the right to participate in the electoral exercise of choosing a new government.

The larger the percentage of the population eligible to vote, the greater the government’s legitimacy. The smaller the electorate, the weaker the government’s moral mandate.

As in all countries, the Malaysian political system imposes a number of pre-requisites to the right to vote. Among these are: age, registration on the electoral roll and residence in the constituency where one wishes to vote.


Voting age: In Malaysia an elector must be 21 years of age on the “qualifying date”. This date is not the date of the election but the date on which he applies for registration as an elector.

In practice this means that if a 21-year-old registers as an elector today he may get to vote for the first time only in 2013 when he is 24. Obviously many young adults become eligible to vote for the first time well past their 21st birthday. It may, therefore, be a good idea to permit advance enrolment between 16 and 18. Australia allows it at 17.

An unreasonably high voting age has the undemocratic effect of shrinking the electorate. In Malaysia, for example, of the population of 26.99 million (in 2008), 42.68% is below 21 and not eligible to register or vote.

A survey of 221 nations or regions where democratic elections take place indicates that in seven nations, including Austria and Brazil, the voting age is 16. In six countries, including Indonesia and Sudan, it is 17. 188 countries have 18 as the age of franchise. In South Korea, it is 19. In four countries, among these Japan, Taiwan and Tunisia, it is 20.

In only 15 countries the right to franchise comes at 21. Malaysia is one such country. One nation, Uzbekistan, beats us all at 25.

In some countries, the voting age depends on marital or employment status. In Bolivia one may vote at 18 if married; at 21 if single. In Indonesia and the Dominican Republic, married people can vote at any age. In Bosnia, Serbia and Montenegro, citizens can vote between 16 and 18 if employed. In many countries there are different voting ages for federal, state and local elections.

The argument in favour of keeping the voting age at 21 or higher is that voters must have the maturity to assess election candidates and the national issues at stake. But these arguments are hardly convincing.

Malaysian data indicates that 69% of our population is urbanised, and 54% uses the Internet. Total adult literacy rate is 92%. A 16-year old can be tried in the courts as an adult. An 18-year-old may get married; may join the army; may start a company, invest in stocks and pay income tax.

Lowering the voting age will immediately expand the number of voters and improve the legitimacy of the government in power.

This will force political parties to look more seriously into issues that affect young people’s lives and to court young citizens for their votes. Of course, our education system will have to be improved to provide better political education.

Registration: It is not enough to be 21. A voter must be registered on the electoral roll as an elector in the constituency in which he resides on the qualifying date.

Only 11.08 million voters constituting 41.05% of the 2008 population of 26.99 million have registered as voters, and 16.26% of the eligible population did not register. It would, therefore, be advisable if registration was automatic.

Residence: A voter must be resident in a constituency on the qualifying date. If not, he must be registered as an absent voter under the Election (Postal Voting) Regulations 2003.

This residence requirement deprives thousands of citizens who are out of town on election day to forfeit their right to vote. The residence requirement appears most anachronistic and must be viewed afresh either by vastly expanding the postal registration eligibility or by permitting early voting (as is being proposed by the Election Commission).

Voting not compulsory: Unlike countries such as Australia and Bolivia, where voting is compulsory, in Malaysia voters face no sanction if they refuse to go to the electoral booths. Nearly 25% of eligible voters do not exercise their right to vote.

The combined effect of all the above factors is that nearly 69% of the total population does not take part in national or state elections! This appears scandalous and has obvious implications for the democratic theory. What is obviously needed is to increase the proportion of the electorate relative to the overall population.

A three-pronged reform is recommended. First, in keeping with the worldwide trend, the voting age must be reduced to 18 to enfranchise a bigger chunk of the population and to decrease the 43% proportion of the population not entitled to vote.

Second, the registration requirement should be abolished altogether. Registration should be automatic on the basis of National Registration Department records at the address mentioned on one’s identification card. If one wishes to change one’s constituency, then and then only must one be required to fill the necessary forms in advance.

Automatic registration would enfranchise the nearly 15% of the population, i.e. 4.39 million voters, who do not register with the Election Commission.

Third, voting is a civic duty and must be made compulsory. This would add 11% more votes on the day of the ballot.

With these reforms the electorate will increase significantly and the dream of making the government truly representative of the people will come closer to realisation.

Datuk Prof Dr Shad Saleem Faruqi is Emeritus Professor at UiTM and Visiting Professor at USM.

Certain quarters trying to stir it up

By Anil Netto,

Certain quarters are trying their best to provoke and incite religious hatred. But Malaysians, please don’t fall into their trap as certain people become more desperate to break our unity.

Pig heads were thrown into the premises of two mosques along Old Klang Road in Petaling Jaya at dawn today, a Selangor state exco member has confirmed, when contacted. Batu MP Tian Chua and Umno youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin both twittered about the incidents, which occured at the Imam At-Tirmizi Mosque in Taman Seri Sentosa and the Jumkuriah Mosque in Taman Dato’ Haron.

Update: Berita Harian reports that four pig heads – two at each mosque were found, along with cash of RM35 and RM40. Malaysiakini reports that the pig heads were wrapped in plastic bags.

We are a lot more mature now as a nation and we can sense the agenda behind many of these recent incidents.

Some people obviously do not want the people to remain united, and they are trying all sorts of despicable stunts to break that unity.

So far, Malaysians have shown exemplary restraint in the face of provocation since 8 January. Let’s hope that restraint continues.

This brings the tally of religious sites affected since 8 January to 18.

1. Metro Tabernacle Church (Assemblies of God) in Desa Melawati – molotov cocktail damages administrative wing (8 Jan)
2. Assumption Church (Catholic) in Jalan Templar – molotov cocktail hurled on pavement in front of church fails to explode (8 Jan)
3. Life Chapel (evangelical Brethren) in Section 17, PJ – molotov cocktail slightly damages porch (8 Jan)
4. Good Shepherd Church (Lutheran) in PJ old town – firebomb misses window, scorches outer wall, minimal damage (8 Jan)
5. Surau in Taman Menara Maju in Jalan Kampung Jawa, Klang – sliding door shattered (police report lodged on 9 January)
6. All Saints’ Church (Anglican) in Taiping – two molotov cocktails scorch stair case leading to main entrance and side porch (9 Jan)
7. Convent school (Catholic) in Taiping – molotov cocktail, probably meant for St Louis’ Church (Catholic) next door, breaks guard-house window (9 Jan)
8. Malacca Baptist Church (Baptist) in Durian Daun – smeared with black paint (9 Jan)
9. Good Shepherd Church (Anglican) in Lutong, Miri – stones shatter window panes (9 Jan)
10. Sidang Injil Borneo Church (Borneo Evangelical Mission) in Seremban – front doors scorched (10 Jan)
11. Gurdwara Sahib (Sikh) in Sentul – stones flung, mirror at entrance cracked and wall chipped (12 Jan)
12. St Elizabeth’s Church (Catholic) in Kota Kecil, Johor – packets of red paint hurled, splattering the main gate, the grounds inside, a wall and a statue (14 Jan)
13. Grace Global Prayer Church in Rasah, Seremban – two window panes found broken (15 Jan)
14. Mosque in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak – broken glass found near outside wall (16 Jan)
15. Sirratulrahim Surau in Kampung Sabak Awor, Muar – fire damages curtain, window shattered (21 Jan)
16. Surau in Parit Beting, Muar – fire damages the women’s prayer section, carpeting and a door (21 Jan)
17. Jumkuriah Mosque in Taman Dato’ Haron, Old Klang Road, Petaling Jaya – two pig heads found inside the main gate along with cash (27 Jan)
18. Imam At-Tirmizi Mosque in Taman Seri Sentosa, Old Klang Road, Petaling Jaya – two pig heads found near parking area along with cash (27 Jan)

Condeming the pig head incident: M’sians will not fall for hate

27th, 2010 by Nathaniel Tan

I condemn in no uncertain terms this ridiculous throwing of pig’s heads into mosques. Good to see YBs Hee and Nurul Izzah quick on the scene.

Whether this is the work of a conspiracy playing both sides (entirely possible) or truly the result of animosity, I hope the perpetrators know this: Malaysians will not fall for it.

Clearly a small group of people are taking advantage of poor leadership by the government to incite serious trouble. But if these fools think that Malaysians will take the bait and follow them down this path of hate, they have another thing coming.

Zul & the WSJ – The Star drips with hypocritical venom

by Nathaniel Tan

Our friends at The Star seem to be having quite a field day with Zul Nordin – yesterday it was “PKR tensions” or something, and today “Defiant Zul.”

Notwithstanding that a gag order has already been imposed on the Kulim MP pending a decision by PKR’s disciplinary board, it seems The Star is flailing desperately at a headline that will avoid the many problems Malaysia is in.

Oh, but did they think we would forget? The Star is owned by a party that… oh, what’s that?… COULDN’T ELECT IT’S OWN DAMN PRESIDENT?!

Having an MCA mouthpiece go on about one fellow in an opposing party, while it itself was plunged in the most mind boggling, ridiculous and downright embarrassing leadership struggle at the highest of levels so recently, is simply too much for this blogger to bear.

Hey, I’m the first to admit, PKR is rife with problems, and yes, I’d be glad to see the back of our Bandar Baru friend. The fact that PKR is far from unique in this regard is worth noting – although that is not an excuse for poor leadership or failing to make every effort to improve.

But this goes too far.

The Zul matter isn’t even the most odious thing in today’s Star. The venom in the article on the WSJ is really out of this world.

There isn’t enough space to counter that here, but stay tuned.

India should be concerned about human rights issues of Pravasi Bharatiyas

The Union Government is very enthusiastic about holding the Pravasi Bharatiya International Conference with great fanfare as it is an occasion to canvass for increased NRI investments and win encomiums from the powerful non-resident Indian community abroad, but unfortunately, it takes little or no interest in addressing the problems of the less privileged Indian community which is looking for support and intervention in the face of near racial annihilation in countries like Malaysia.

For the last many years groups of Indian origin people from Malaysia have been petitioning the Indian government of the serious racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing going on in that country. There are some two million people of Indian origin living there, majority of them are Tamil speaking Hindus. They are a proud, hard working, law abiding and tradition bound community. They look to India for cultural and spiritual inspiration. Now, they are seeking political initiatives also.

A delegation of the oppressed Indian community in Malaysia under the leadership of Mr Waytha Moorthy Ponnusamy, chairman of HINDRAF, Malaysia, who was detained for two years for organising a protest meet of oppressed Indian community in that country in 2007, is in India attending the Pravasi Bharatiya Conference (January 7 to 9), and he submitted a memorandum to the participants narrating the heart-wrenching condition of his people. The inhuman suffering into which the religious persecution and ethnic discrimination have driven the Indian community deserves world wide condemnation and immediate intervention of the Government of India and the United Nations. So far, the US is the only country that has taken note of the situation in Malaysia and made a reference to the violations of Human Rights with that government.

The HINDRAF, according to Ponnusamy, who is a barrister at law from Lincoln’s Inn, has already approached the UN Human Rights citing the grave danger facing this Indian origin minority community in Malaysia.

This journal has on a number of earlier occasions reported about the state sponsored atrocities and discriminations, wanton destruction of thousands of temples, forced occupation of temple property, crematorium and religious intolerance in that country. But if what Ponnusamy has narrated in his 60-page long report is any indication then the eight per cent strong Indian origin community in Malaysia is facing a near annihilation. They face not just religious persecution, but their basic human rights and rights as citizens of the land of their forefathers is being systematically denied under the Wahabi Islamist racist regime. The victims are third, fourth and fifth generation Malaysians of Indian origin. They are descendants of the migrants from India whom the British had taken as labourers for the plantations there over two hundred years ago. The government has robbed these people of their fundamental rights, and denied equal opportunities in every segment of human activity. By explicit state policies the vast majority of Malaysian Indians are excluded from the national mainstream. These people are not given a chance to get better education, health care, drinking water, ration, social congregation, equal opportunity to compete, bank loans, licence to set up even small eateries and grocery shops. They are denied admission to higher education institutions and are condemned to remain daily wage poor unskilled labourers. Majority of them live in huts and temporary shelters as land and housing rights are denied by the state. Even the low income unskilled jobs are taken away on religious grounds. The community is, as part of the pursuit of ethnic cleansing and Islamisation, are not given birth and marriage certificates. Conversion is made mandatory for getting admission to better educational institutions, government jobs, industry licence or bank loan. The Indian origin community is barred, according to this report, from economic and social development programmes, cultural and recreational activities, social functions and festivals. For raising these issues and organising a massive protest a number of Malaysian lawyers including Mr P Udaykumar and Mr M Manoharan were arrested and detained without trial under the draconian Internal Security Act for 514 days. A large number of people were arrested in the midst of police firing and many injured and maimed for life as a result of the police atrocities. These two lawyers who were released recently attended the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and pleaded their case before the large audience from all over the world. These people are appalled by the studied indifference and silence of the Government of India. They also charge the Indian Missions abroad of callous indifference if not hostility to plea for help of the plight of Indian origin peoples abroad.

The Government of India can play a proactive role in redressing the situation. India traditionally has cordial relations with Malaysian Government. India has large areas of mutual cooperation and trade relations with that country. The Indian Government with its record of excessive pandering to Indian minorities can canvass and convince its counterpart in Malaysia to be more humane, at least be mindful of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which in itself will go a long way in helping the Indian community lead a life of dignity. It can also open a special wing in the Ministry of External Affairs to register and follow-up on Human Rights violations and religious freedom of Indian origin overseas communities. This is the least the Government of India can do as it hosts such self-serving jamborees year after year in the name of Pravasi Bharatiyas.

PKR imposes gag order on Zul Noordin

Selangor PKR Mandore visits Nik Aziz

Selangor PKR Indian Mandore’s wayang kulit visit to PASs’ Nik Aziz( ref MN 26/1/10 at page 18) . Why couldn’t this PKR Indian mandores secure Nik Aziz who is the Mursyidul Am PAS (spiritual leader) to issue a fatwa stopping all hindu temples and crematorium demolishments in Malaysia on the occasion of this visit. The least favour this PKR Indian mandore could have done on this visit is to ask Nik Aziz to advise the Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan not to further demolish the 200 year old Ladang Batu Pekaka, Kuala Ketil, Kedah, Hindu cemetery but retain, maintain and preserve this Hindu cemetery within the compound of Kedah’s University Insamiah as has been preserved/done for a Chinese cemetery within the compound of University Pertanian Malaysia and the muslim tomb inside Waterfall Penang Hindu temple compound.

We recollect that immediately after the year 2000 general elections a group of excited PKR Indians led by one Malai Krishnan took a bus load of unassuming Indians to call on Nik Aziz but who has since done zero for the ethnic minority Indian in Malaysia which incidentally a muslim leader is duty bound to protect.

And now history repeats itself with this new PKR Indian Mandore’s blind devotion to PAS’s Nik Aziz vis a vis Anwar Ibrahim who cares a damn about even the critical Indian problems and Lim Guan Eng, the destroyer of Kg. Buah Pala .

Posted by Admin

PKR S’gor mandore “approves” temple land but Gombak D.O rejects it

Who’s the boss and who’s the mandore?

This is the PKR, DAP and PAS style politics in the state governments of Selangor, Penang and Kedah is a mere continuation of the racist, religious extremist and supremacist UMNO regime rule.

How can a mere District Officer overrule an Executive Council Member (Exco) in Selangor? So what! The Exco Member Xavier Jayakumar is a mere Indian Mandore anyway, which is clear for all to see! And he is paid to do the mandore job!

Hero’s burial for Ghazali Shafie

National Hero’s burial for Ghazali Shafie. What about National hero’s burial for the late Tun V.T. Sambanthan, Tan Sri Manicka, V. David, John Thivy, Bhud Singh, Ganaapathy (a labour rights leader who was hanged by the british) etc. Is this the One Malay-sia?

P. Uthayakumar

Desperate for Indian votes, PM to grace Thaipusam

Najib creates history as first Prime Minister to attend the Thaipusam festival (MM 25/1/10 at page 10). Last week Najib was in India desperately calling on Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the Central Indian leaders including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

This is UMNO’s miscalculation! The (95%) tamil minority in Malaysia have not forgotten or forgiven Mr. Manmohan Singh and Mr. Karunanidhi as they both enabled and watched silently the killings and atrocities by the majority Singhalese in just across the straits against the Tamil minority in Sri Lanka.

Even P. Uthayakumar and his delegation and earlier P. Waytha Moorthy refused to meet Mr. Karunanithi for his sole reason.

UMNO and Najib would have done better by visiting the graves of the Kg. Medan ethnic cleansing victims and make amends!

UMNO denied agri land to 7 poor Indian families toiling land for 50 years

SETIAWAN 26 Januari – Tujuh keluarga masyarakat India yang menyara hidup mereka dengan mengusahakan pertanian di atas tanah kerajaan selama 50 tahun terkilan apabila mendapat tahu bahawa tanah tersebut telah dijual kepada seorang individu yang bergelar ‘Datuk’. Sejurus itu mereka telah berjumpa dengan Ahli Parlimen Pangkalan Baru, Dato Haji Hamdi Abu Bakar di pejabatnya. Sejak dahulu lagi, keluarga keturunan India ini bersusah payah membersihkan kawasan hutan dan mengusahakan pertanian untuk menyara kehidupan mereka. Selepas berjumpa dengan seorang pegawai tanah daerah Manjong, beliau berkata bahawa tanah tersebut telah didaftar sebagai ‘tanah simpanan Melayu’. (Tamil Nesan 26/01/10 di muka surat 4).

HRP: Had these seven families been Malay Muslims the UMNO led Malay-sian government would have a long time ago converted this land into Rancangan Kampung Tersusun (RKT) and made these seven poor families land owners with a permanent and lasting solution.

In the alternative these malay muslims would have been given the ten acre land ownership schemes for the poor in Felda, Felcra, Risda, Fama, Agropolitan etc.

This plight of these seven (7) Malaysian Indian minority is just the tip of the iceberg under the racist, religious extremist and supremacist UMNO regime. This wolf in sheeps’ clothes making it out to be one Malay-sia under their UMNO Prime Minister Najib Razak.

PKR: MB Selangor enggan jumpa masyarakat India tiada berumah

SHAH ALAM, 26 Januari - Penduduk Petaling Utama PPR Lembah Subang, telah membuat keputusan untuk berjumpa dan berbincang dengan Menteri Besar Selangor. Berhubung perkara ini mereka telah berhimpun di pejabat Menteri Besar Selangor dan telah menyerahkan surat tentang permintaan mereka kepada ketua setiausaha peribadi Menteri Besar, Norsaton Aini Mohd Kasim. Rancangan pembangunan yang dijalankan di Kampung Muniyandi serta Kampung Kanagampuram yang dahulunya terletak di Petaling Utama telah menyebabkan segelintir daripada penduduk kampung tersebut dipindah ke rumah panjang yang dibina bersebelahan untuk beberapa tahun. Kini kerajaan memerlukan tanah yang didirikan rumah panjang tersebut untuk membina sekolah rendah kebangsaan. Jadi kerajaan membuat keputusan untuk memindahkan penduduk rumah panjang ini ke Blok E yang dibina bersebelahan dengan rumah panjang.

Tetapi pembinaan blok E tergendala dan para penduduk diminta untuk berpindah ke rumah pangsa Lembah Subang PPR yang terletak sejauh 7km dari tempat asal mereka. Mereka tidak bersetuju dengan keputusan ini kerana sebelum ini terdapat banyak keluarga yang dipindah dengan janji sementara ke rumah pangsa tersebut tetapi sudah 11 tahun mereka tinggal di sana tanpa mendapat rumah sendiri. Jadi 29 keluarga yang masih tinggal di rumah panjang ini ingin meyelesaikan masalah perumahan mereka dengan menemui Menteri Besar Selangor tanpa ada pihak tengah dan hanya akan berpindah ke blok F yang dibina untuk mereka sekiranya pihak pemaju dan MPS Petaling Jaya berjanji agar mereka diberi sewa rumah serta wang pampasan ganti rugi. Tiada penyelesaian sehingga kini menyebabkan mereka ingin berjumpa dengan Menteri Besar. (Malaysia Nanban 26/01/10 di muka surat 1).

Tanah Sekolah Tamil dicuri UMNO dan PKR

Tanah Sekolah Tamil dicuri UMNO dan PKR

Dengkil, Januari 24- Tanah seluas 3.25 ekar yang telah diberi kepada Sekolah Tamil Dengkil Taman Permata kini telah bertukar menjadi 2.25 ekar. Isu ini membangkitkan pertanyaan orang ramai tentang bagaimana sebahagian dari tanah seluas 3.25 ekar yang telah diberi khususnya untuk Sekolah Tamil, Dengkil, Taman Permata boleh digunakan untuk pembinaan lebuhraya dan juga kuil hindu berdekatan dengan sekolah tersebut. Sekolah ini telah dibina dengan menyatukan sekolah –sekolah tamil yang telah terlibat dalam Rancangan Pembangunan Putrajaya. Sewaktu membangunkan kawasan ladang, para pekerjanya telah dipindahkan ke kawasan berhampiran bandar Dengkil dan ditempatkan di rumah pangsa yang terletak di sana. Anak- anak mereka sedang belajar di sekolah ini. Sekolah dan kuil tersebut di bina di atas tanah kepunyaan kerajaan dan ia terletak jauh dari tempat tinggal mereka. Padang sekolah yang dahulunya berbentuk segiempat sekarang telah bertukar menjadi segitiga akibat pengambilan tanah untuk pembinaan lebuhraya ke Putrajaya besebelahan dengan lapangan terbang KLIA. Akibat pengambilan semula sebahagian dari tanah, sekolah bakal menghadapi masalah untuk pembinaan bangunan tambahan. Lokasi sekolah serta kuil ini dapat mengundang bahaya kepada pelajar serta pengunjungnya kerana ia didirikan berhampiran dengan saluran gas/ bahan pembakaran. Sekiranya berlaku kemalangan meletup ia boleh membahayakan nyawa pelajar. (Makkal Osai 24/01/10 di muka surat 5)

HRP: Seperti biasa tiada sebarang surat bertulis atau geran diberikan kepada tanah sekolah tamil ini dan beratus- ratus lagi sekolah di mana pihak yang terlibat dan / atau menjadi mangsa ialah orang keturunan India. Jadi ia membolehkan kedua- dua kerajaan UMNO dan juga Kerajaan Negeri PKR, DAP dan PAS mencuri semula tanah sekolah tamil, kuil hindu, kubur hindu dan sebagainya sesuka mereka. Bagaimana saluran gas/ bahan bakar selalunya dibenarkan untuk berfungsi berhampiran dengan hanya sekolah- sekolah tamil sahaja. Kami telah mendapat tahu tentang wap petrol yang menyebabkan pelajar sekolah tamil di Shah Alam dimasukkan dalam wad di hospital. Malah Sekolah Tamil Jalan Sibilin dan juga Sekolah Tamil Saraswathy di Jalan Klang Lama berada dalam kawasan likungan empat stesen petrol yang bersebelahan. Kenapa masyarakat India sahaja yang menjadi mangsa kepada penganiyaan- penganiyaan sedemikian.

Yang Benar,

____________________

P.Uthayakumar

Setiausaha Agong (penaja)

Zul’s fate to be known within a month

By Debra Chong - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, Jan 26 — The fate of Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin (picture) will be decided by the PKR disciplinary board within one month from today said Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

The party advisor has also instructed the board to sit immediately and discuss what to do about Zulkifli’s police report against an ally MP from PAS.

The central leadership council has also placed a media gag order on Zulkifli

Zulkifli had earlier this week lodged a police report against fellow Pakatan Rakyat (PR) MP Khalid Samad for allegedly saying the Selangor state enactment to control religious propagation is outdated and needs a review.

Zulkifli had supposedly asked the police to investigate Khalid for what the former considered an insult to Islam and to the state ruler.

Anwar tried to play down Zulkifli’s outright “disobedience” when asked if he considered the latter a “liability” after this latest breakaway from PKR’s official stand.

“We regret that he feels very strongly to lodge a report against a fellow MP,” Anwar replied.

“Our position on ‘Allah’ is very clear, explicit,” the de facto chief added, repeating the party and alliance’s stand that allowed for Christians to use the Arabic word.

Anwar said they central leadership council was ‘convinced” Zulkifli’s actions were wrong and pointed out that the party allowed for different opinions and had channels for those opinions to be expressed.

He stopped short of saying Zulkifli had outright disobeyed the party and left it up to the discipline board to decide the latter’s future.

“We do not want to pre-empt before the disciplinary board meets,” he said.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, however, did not discount the possibility that Zulkifli may be stripped of his party membership.

No top-level conspiracy to steal jet engines – PAC chief

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today wrapped up its probe into the two missing Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) F-5E jet engines, and concluded that there was no involvement of high-ranking officers in the theft.

“We are aware of the general perception that senior officers were involved, but there is no evidence,” said PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid after meeting with officials from the defence ministry.

Azmi also confirmed that the sacking of a brigadier-general last year had nothing to do with the missing engines.

“The engines did not go missing when it was being delivered as there was no record to say that the engines were taken out,” said Azmi, before adding that the case was purely a carefully planned theft with insider assistance.

The engines, he added, were discovered missing from RMAF’s storage facilities in Sungai Besi.

Among those present today were Defence Ministry Secretary-General Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah and RMAF chief, General Datuk Rodzali Daud.

The PAC met with defence ministry officials over the incident for the first time last week.

Azmi also told reporters that the RMAF had been upgrading and computerising its asset management system.

“From what we were told, they are constantly upgrading their system, and in this case they are taking steps to ensure that it does not recur,” said Azmi.

He also clarified that the engines were purchased for around RM300,000 each and were not worth RM50 million as was reported by the media earlier.

The two F-5E jet engines were stolen in 2007 and discovered missing one year later, before a police report was lodged.

RMAF Sergeant N. Tharmendran and company director Rajandran Prasad were charged early this month in connection with the theft.

Malaysia bought 14 F-5Es in 1974 and decommissioned them in 1999. One crashed in the Malacca Straits near Perak on May 31, 1995.

Only six of the jets remain operational after they came back to service in 2003

Brother-in-law of ex-Home Minister took money, court told

(Bernama) - A witness in the corruption trial of former Immigration director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don today claimed that a brother-in-law of a former home minister received money from him to expedite approval of calling visas for foreign workers. Burugabudeen Mohamed Ismail, 50, said the payments were made in cash and deposited into the account of a man known as Syed Abdullah in 2008.

“I had dealings with him. The payments to Syed Abdullah ranged from RM180 to RM280,” he said during cross-examination by lawyer Datuk V. Sithambaram, who is acting for Wahid.

Sithambaram: Did you mention this in your statement to the Anti-Corruption Agency?

Burugabudeen: Yes, and they verified this to be true.

Sithambaram: Syed Abdullah–where did you meet him?

Burugabudeen: At my office.

Sithambaram: How many workers you could approve with Syed Abdullah?

Burugabudeen: Around 200 because the time we knew each was very short.

On Aug 19 last year, Wahid, 56, was charged in the Sessions Court here with receiving RM60,000 from businessman Datuk Low Chang Hian to speed up the approval of visas for 4,337 Bangladeshi workers.

Earlier, Burugabudeen, a broker, had said the calling visa dealings were done before June 12, 2008, and that the payments ranging from RM180 to RM280 were for Syed Abdullah as service tax.

Asked if Syed Abdullah had told him if the money was for a political fund, Burugabudeen said: “Not directly, but he did say that others would be receiving cuts.”

During the proceedings, Burugabudeen admitted that he had been detained by ACA officers while dealing with Mohamad Hasnan Hassan (the complainant) regarding the same matter (calling visas) but was released after being remanded for five days on suspicion of corruption.

Detained along with him was his friend Abdul Jabbar Abdullah, 49, also a broker, and Abdul Jabbar’s wife, Rusalwati Husin, 31.

He told the court that a charge of RM350 was imposed to process the visas and that he would set aside from this RM50 for a political fund but did not know who was involved.

Burugabudeen also said that while under ACA detention, he was asked about the immigration and home ministry officers he dealt with to process the visas and if there was a third party involved besides officials from the two entities or whether he had hacked into the system used for processing the visas.

He was calm throughout.

He told the court he never had any dealings with Wahid but knew the Immigration director-general then was Wahid.

At the start of today’s proceedings, Judge Rosbiahanin Arifin allowed an application by Sithambaram to not use certain evidence from Burugabudeen on Abdul Jabbar as Abdul Jabbar died in May last year, on the grounds that the evidence would be tantamount to hearsay.

Deputy public prosecutors Nik Azrin Zairin Nik Abdullah and Ahmad Kamal Ariffin Ismail are appearing for the prosecution.

The hearing was adjourned to March 17.

Will Zulkifli Nordin be Punished?

http://khookaypeng.blogspot.com

Anwar Ibrahim said they central leadership council was ‘convinced” Zulkifli’s actions were wrong and pointed out that the party allowed for different opinions and had channels for those opinions to be expressed.

He stopped short of saying Zulkifli Nordin had outright disobeyed the party and left it up to the discipline board to decide the latter’s future.

“We do not want to pre-empt before the disciplinary board meets,” he said.

PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution, however, did not discount the possibility that Zulkifli may be stripped of his party membership.

The central leadership was convinced Zulkifli was wrong but needed 1 month to decide what to do with him.

This is precisely the problem with Anwar, indecisive. We remembered how he wasted so much time touring around the world giving lectures but spent very little time to strengthen and reorganize his party and help forge a new formal coalition between the 3 'accidental' partners.

Now, he needed a month to decide what to do with Zulkifli, a repeat offender. I do not have a problem with an opinionated Zulkifli but not a racist or a religious zealot Zulkifli.

Is Anwar hoping for short-termed memory Malaysians to forget about what Zulkifli had said or done after a month? Is it a cooling off period for an eventual pardoning of Zulkifli until he strikes again with yet another rattling statement or action?

Well, it is the fatwa...is it not?

Then we have a situation where a 16-year old girl is raped. But her rapist is pardoned while she is subjected to 101 lashes. And the father is made to pay a fine. And until the family agrees to the 101 lashes punishment the girl is to be subjected to ‘house arrest’.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Rape victim receives 101 lashes for becoming pregnant

By Dean Nelson, South Asia Editor, The Telegraph UK

A 16-year-old girl who was raped in Bangladesh has been given 101 lashes for conceiving during the assault.

The girl's father was also fined and warned the family would be branded outcasts from their village if he did not pay.

According to human rights activists, the girl, who was quickly married after the attack, was divorced weeks later after medical tests revealed she was pregnant.

The girl was raped by a 20-year-old villager in Brahmanbaria district in April last year.

Bangladesh's Daily Star newspaper reported that she was so ashamed following the attack that she did not lodge a complaint.

Her rape emerged after her pregnancy test and Muslim elders in the village issued a fatwa insisting that the girl be kept in isolation until her family agreed to corporal punishment.

Her rapist was pardoned by the elders. She told the newspaper the rapist had "spoiled" her life.

"I want justice," she said.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/bangladesh/7073191/Rape-victim-receives-101-lashes-for-becoming-pregnant.html

*************************************************

That was what the Telegraph reported today, a news item that was in turn picked up from Bangladesh’s Daily Star.

Now, why do I highlight this news report? The first reaction from Muslims would be to allege that my ‘agenda’ is to embarrass Islam and to focus on the negative aspects of what some Muslims are doing.

Well, if they consider this an embarrassment and negative to Islam, well and good. At least this shows there are some Muslims who have the capacity to think that there may be something wrong here.

But that is not the reason I am raising this issue. The reason I am raising it is to bring your attention to the debate that Khalid Samad, Marina Mahathir and Yusri Mohamad had in Al Jazeera recently (101 East - Malaysia: Whose God?) -- which you can view below in case you have not yet seen it.

Now, note the part in the video where Yusri repeats many times that this is the opinion of the ulamak (religious scholars) and that this is their fatwa (religious decree). Therefore, what Yusri means is, since the ulamak have issued a fatwa, then Muslims should not be allowed to challenge this ‘opinion’. This must be regarded as ‘law’, almost like a ruling from God Himself.

Then we have a situation where a 16-year old girl is raped. But her rapist is pardoned while she is subjected to 101 lashes. And the father is made to pay a fine. And until the family agrees to the 101 lashes punishment the girl is to be subjected to ‘house arrest’.

Never mind what the ulamak say and never mind what fatwa they may have issued and never mind that they may have the ‘authority’ to do this. The question I am raising is: is this situation involving the 16-year old rape victim right?

Muslims always defend their position with the argument that we must listen to the ulamak because they are learned in matters involving Islam -- so they know better than people like you and me who are jahil (ignorant on matters involving Islam). And once a fatwa has been issued then that is final and can no longer be challenged.

A fatwa, Muslims would argue, would be issued depending on what the Quran, Hadith and/or Sunnah say. A fatwa is issued based on ‘the traditions of the Prophet’, we hear often enough.

If these are the standards being applied, then the family has to pay the fine, the 16-year old girl must be punished with 101 lashes, and until the family agrees to this punishment the girl must remain under ‘house arrest’.

Is it not ironical that the Al Jazeera program below is called 101 East? 101 as in 101 lashes for a 16-year old rape victim maybe?

No, this is not an Islam-bashing article although many would be of the opinion it is. This is an article to rebut Yusri’s argument in the Al Jazeera program, 101 East - Malaysia: Whose God?, in that the ulamak have the final say and once a fatwa is issued that becomes almost like a decree from God Himself.

Ulamak, with due respect to their religious knowledge, are man and not God. And the fatwa they issue is merely their opinion, not the word of God. They may be right and then again they may be wrong. And in the case of punishing a 16-year old rape victim with 101 lashes and fining the family, while pardoning the rapist, surely this cannot be right and surely this cannot be what God has commanded.

So where does that place Yusri’s argument about the banning of the Allah word for Christians being the opinion of the ulamak and that they have issued a fatwa on the matter, which can no longer be challenged?

SEE VIDEO ON YOUTUBE HERE

Nizar: PAS has at least 40% Malay support in Perak

(Harakah Daily) - Deposed Pakatan Rakyat Mentri Besar for Perak Nizar Jamaluddin said his PAS party still had minimum 40 percent support from the Malay electorate in the state, dismissing speculation that the coalition might lose in the event of snap elections. “We are very confident of a clear and decisive victory and that’s why we intend to call for snap elections the moment we can do so. Unlike Umno, which is why they dare not call for fresh polls,” Nizar told Harakahdaily.

Latest in-house surveys by PAS showed little change in Malay sentiment towards the party, although polls conducted by the Merdeka Centre and Universiti Malaya suggest it may have lost 7 to 8 percent of the electorate.

“We respect their views but we also have faith in our own research,” said Nizar, the Pasir Panjang assemblyman, who is also MP for Bukit Gantang.

The former tin-mining state has a mixed population of more than 2 million, of which 54 percent or 1.1 million are Malay, 32 percent are Chinese, 12 percent Indian and the rest other races.

If PAS can maintain its support base of 40 percent of the Malay voters, then its chances of re-taking the state government is very bright. Already, pundits expect the Pakatan - which also consists of the multi-racial DAP and PKR - to sweep the mixed constituencies, where non-Malays form a high proportion of the population.

Raising living standards in rural Malay areas

According to him, Pakatan will soon be unveiling plans to lift from poverty the large pockets of rural Malay areas dotting Perak, and also introduce programs to inject modern facilities and infrastructure so that they could catch up with the urban parts of the state.

“Many of these place like Larut and Trong look like they are still in the pre-Independence era. They were completely sidelined and ignored by the Umno-BN in the state’s development plans," the 52-year old leader said.

“We intend to correct this by re-distributing the resources of the state in a more equitable and effective way, firstly by plugging leakage due to corruption.”

In the urban towns, where the population is mostly non-Malay, the Pakatan will announce business-friendly strategies to give all an equal chance to succeed.

"We will implement a new dimension, it will be a paradigm shift. No more stale investment strategies, no more corrupt ways of doing things," Nizar said.

"Those who doubt our ability to bring progress need only to look at the success and ingenuity of our land titles program. We are serious professionals who can get the job done well. If we had been allowed to continue, by now, we would have finished the target of giving out 150,000 titles to the poor and the homeless."

Pakatan will not sit and shake legs

Nizar was the Mentri Besar before a coup d’etat engineered by Prime Minister Najib Razak toppled the Pakatan state government in February 2009.

His lawsuit challenging the legaility of Umno-BN leader Zambry Kadir as his successor will be decided by the Federal Court on February 9.

But even if he is not reinstated by the court, Nizar said the Pakatan would still go full steam with its rural redevelopment plan.

“If I win the court case, I would still call for snap election. If Pakatan loses the election, we would still find ways to co-ordinate with the private sector to fund the programs,” he stressed.

“Right now, we have 28 assemblymen and we are not going to sit and shake legs. Win or lose, we have to work and our work is to service our constituents and look for ideas and ways to bring them the change and development that they wish for.”

Confident provided ...

Currently, Pakatan has the same number of 28 seats as Umno-BN. However, there are also three Independents - whose status is still being challenged in the courts - who have declared allegiance with the BN.

Nizar also expressed optimism about his chances with the Federal Court, despite widespread concern that he may not be able to get a fair verdict given the judiciary's track record of bowing to political pressure from the ruling elite.

“Morally and legally, we are in the right. So I am extremely confident that I can win the court case,” he said.

“The problem is there may be other factors involved. So we have to pray for God’s guidance and that the judges will all be guided by good conscience, good faith and wisdom.”

MP Zul Noordin defies Anwar, will not withdraw police report

(Bernama) - Kulim Bandar-Baharu Member of Parliament (MP) Zulkifli Noordin says he will not withdraw a police report he had lodged against Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad despite being told to do so by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Zulkifli, who is also a member of PKR, said he would do so only if Khalid retracted statements he made that he (Zulkifli) deemed were insulting to Islam.

Zulkifli’s hardline view has irked the leadership of the Pakatan coalition.

He lodged his report against Khalid last Saturday at the Masjid India police station.

Untuk selamatkan Malaysia: Guling kerajaan Umno-BN

Free Malaysia today

Kelangsungan Malaysia dan rakyatnya semakin terancam dan perlu diselamatkan daripada pemerintahan rasuah kerajaan Umno-Barisan Nasional (BN) di bawah pimpinan Najib Razak.

Ketua Pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim (gambar) mengingatkan rakyat bahawa pertikaian mengenai masa depan negara bukan lagi berpaksi kepada perbezaan politik tetapi atas kesedaran Malaysia di ambang kehancuran di segi politik, ekonomi dan sosial.

Dengan pengangguran mencecah ratusan ribu orang, rizab antarabangsa negara makin susut, pengaliran modal asing semakin ketara dan rasuah serta penyelewengan kuasa terus bermaharaja lela, Anwar berkata Malaysia tidak lagi boleh “menanggung” sebuah kerajaan korup seperti Umno-BN.

“Saya perlu tegaskan di sini, Malaysia sekarang perlu diselamatkan, pemimpin Umno-BN sekarang korup,” kata Ketua Pembangkang itu, dipetik dari keluaran terbaru bilangan 217, Suara Keadilan.

Beliau kesal semua masalah tenat negara ditutup media arus perdana yang sebaliknya menggambarkan Malaysia dalam kesejahteraan.

Beliau berkata, ekonomi Malaysia jauh merosot berbanding negara jiran seperti Indonesia dan Thailand manakala rizab negara terus merudum.

Malaysia di segi ekonomi sudah kalah dengan Indonesia, Thailand,Brunei. Dengan Singapura dan Taiwan sudah lama ketinggalan. Sebab apa? Pemimpin rasuah,” katanya.

Anwar berkata, demokrasi Malaysia sudah rosak berikutan institusi kehakiman dan kepolisan tunduk kepada telunjuk badan eksekutif. “Keselamatan, pendidikan negara juga dalam bahaya. Enjin pesawat hilang, kualiti universiti makin menurun,” kata Anwar.

Hakikatnya ialah, Malaysia sarat dengan masalah yang berpunca daripada amalan rasuah pemimpin Umno-BN yang membolot kekayaan negara dan meminggirkan rakyat.

Anwar berkata rakyat harus menyedari keperluan mendesak untuk menyelamatkan Malaysia daripada pemerintahan Umno-BN.

Ekonomi negara yang begitu rapuh semakin tertekan dengan penyelewengan seperti skandal PKFZ membabitkan RM12 bilion manakala rakyat terus ditanam dengan sentimen perkauman sehingga membawa kepada serangan terhadap gereja dan surau baru-baru ini.

Cubaan pemerintah menutup isu-isu seperti kecurian dua enjin pesawat pejuang ketika Najib menjadi Menteri Pertahanan kini mengundang kemungkinan Malaysia dikenakan sekatan tertentu oleh Amerika Syarikat.

Pada masa sama, sumber kewangan Petronas diperah untuk membiayai pelbagai projek Umno-BN atas nama 1Malaysia walaupun keuntungan syarikat minyak itu merosot.

Ahli Parlimen Indera Mahkota, Azan Ismail berkata, masalah yang dihadapi negara bukan lagi berkaitan soal politik semata-mata tetapi menyentuh segenap aspek kehidupan harian rakyat.

Beliau berkata, Malaysia berdepan masalah fizikal dan elemen tidak nyata yang mencengkam negara ini sekian lama tanpa penyelesaian konkrit.

“Kisah enjin pesawat hilang, stadium runtuh boleh dianggap masalah fizikal tapi yang lebih berat ialah masalah yang cuba ditutup kerajaan Umno-BN.

“Ia termasuk masalah pelaburan asing yang merudum, rizab negara merosot, keamanan dan keselamatan, ketidakpercayaan masyarakat dunia terhadap Malaysia. Ini lebih memberi kesan.

“Contohnya, Laporan UBS Investment Research menyaksikan Malaysia sebagai negara yang mengalami penurunan rizab antarabangsa paling teruk dalam masa 12 bulan lalu di rantau Asia,” katanya.

Dulu, beliau berkata, pembangkang tiada bukti kukuh mengenai kelemahan urus tadbir BN tapi kini segalanya terbentang walaupun cuba dinafikan pemerintah.

Dalam aspek pelaburan langsung asing (FDI), katanya, pelabur memiliki persepsi negatif terhadap Malaysia berikutan rating antarabangsa buruk.

Azan berkata, situasi yang dialami Malaysia hampir sama dengan senario ketika pemerintahan Suharto di Indonesia apabila semua masalah negara tidak sampai ke pengetahuan rakyat.

“Hal ini perlu dijelaskan kepada rakyat. Kalau keadaan ini berterusan, kita juga akan jadi Indonesia. Pendek kata, kita bukan melangkah ke depan tapi ke belakang,” katanya.

Ahli Parlimen Kuala Selangor, Dr Dzulkefli Ahmad (gambar) berkata, Pakatan Rakyat tidak pernah berasa seronok atas kegagalan BN mengurus tadbir negara lantaran menyedari kesan itu memberi kesan langsung kepada rakyat.

Katanya, kegagalan ini hanya akan menjadikan Malaysia umpama Zimbabwe dan Uganda walaupun Malaysia secara relatif adalah sebuah negara kaya berasaskan sumber.

Beliau menganggap Najib gagal memberi sebarang isyarat positif dalam memajukan pembangunan negara manakala tahap daya saing, pertumbuhan ekonomi dan pendapatan per kapita Malaysia masih di paras rendah.

“Najib gagal sama sekali. Indeks jenayah meningkat, rasuah berleluasa, kualiti pendidikan merosot dan institusi demorasi terus tercemar.

“Jadi, kita harus menyelamatkan Malaysia dari kepimpinan yang hilang daya juang, hilang arah dalam mempertahan maruah negara,” katanya.

Ketua Pemuda Dapsy, Liew Chin Tong (gambar) berkata, hanya rakyat dapat menentukan masa depan negara, sama ada Malaysia terus membangun, statik atau kembali mundur.

Beliau berkata, walaupun pemimpin BN jelas tidak menunjukkan kesanggupan politik untuk memperbetulkan pelbagai permasalahan negara kerana didorong oleh pertimbangan yang sempit.

“Tiada ada kesungguhan politik (political will) dalam menyelamatkan negara. Ini yang kita kesal. Sebab itu, pembaharuan tidak tulen dan tidak menyeluruh.

“Semua masalah, baik bersangkut paut soal ekonomi, pendidikan, pertahanan, institusi kehakiman dan hak asasi, berpunca dari rasuah dan salah guna kuasa.

“Mereka sudah terbiasa dengan amalan itu dan tiada upaya meninggalkan tabiat yang akhirnya merugikan rakyat seluruhnya,” kata beliau.

Ahli Parlimen Bukit Bendera itu berkata, Pakatan Rakyat sebaliknya bersedia melakukan reformasi menyeluruh kerana yakin Malaysia mampu diselamatkan, dengan syarat rakyat menamatkan era pemerintahan korup Umno-BN.

Wan Azizah dipanggil polis untuk beri keterangan

(Harakah Daily) - Presiden PKR, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail dipanggil polis ke balai polis Tropicana untuk diambil keterangan sebagai saksi perbicaraan ke atas suaminya, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Beliau yang ditemani peguamnya, Sivarasa Rasiah keluar dari ibu pejabat PKR jam 2.30 petang untuk ke balai itu.

Wan Azizah keluar meninggalkan bilik mesyuarat pejabat PKR yang sedang bersidang ekoran kes laporan polis anggota Parlimen, Zulkifli Nordin terhadap anggota Parlimen PAS, Khalid Samad.

Beliau dipercayai dipanggil untuk memberikan keterangan sebagai saksi ekoran tindakan mendakwa Anwar atas tuduhan melakukan seks luar tabii. Namun tindakan polis memanggilnya untuk memberikan keterangan selepas dua tahun berlalu menimbulkan pelbagai tanda tanya.

Ketika ditemui wartawan, Wan Azizah melahirkan rasa hairan dengan tindakan polis ini

"Kalau sudah cukup bukti dan dah dakwa Datuk Seri Anwar, buat apa panggil dan siasat saya lagi sebagai saksi," soal Wan Azizah.

Mohd Saiful Bukhari bin Azlan menurut laporan polisnya menyatakan dia telah beberapa kali diliwat oleh Anwar secara paksa.

Menurut Saiful kejadian terakhir telah berlaku pada 26 Jun 2008 di Unit 1151, Kondominium Desa Damansara, Jalan Setia Kasih, Kuala Lumpur.

Susulan daripada laporan polis tersebut Anwar Ibrahim telah membuat kenyataan media menafikan dakwaan Saiful Bukhari itu.

Beliau turut menyatakan bahawa tindakan ini juga ada kaitan dengan bukti yang beliau perolehi mengaitkan Ketua Polis Negara Musa Hasan dan Peguam Negara Gani Patail dengan perbuatan salah laku, termasuk usaha pemalsuan bukti-bukti kes yang melibatkan beliau pada tahun 1998-99.

Anwar kemudiannya didakwa atas tuduhan ini dan akan mula dibicarakan 2 Februari nanti.

Perbicaraan kes iru ditangguhkan sehingga 2 Februari ini bagi membolehkan Mahkamah Persekutuan memutuskan dahulu rayuannya untuk mendapatkan semua dokumen penting pendakwaan bagi menyediakan pembelaan.

Perbicaraan tersebut yang sepatutnya didengar di Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur Isnin lepas sehingga 25 Februari ditangguhkan bagi memberi laluan mahkamah tertinggi itu menentukan rayuan Anwar pada 29 Januari ini.

Zul no fear little pharaohs. Zul have Big Chief Sitting Bull by the …

By Haris Ibrahim,

Lil’ Hummingbird caught up with me for drinks last night.

“Zul got a battering from most of those at the PKR politburo meeting earlier. Most made it clear that this fool had become a liability to the party and would no longer be tolerated.”, he volunteered, as he beckoned the waitress to attend to his near-empty glass.

“Guess who came to his aid, though, and saved his sorry ass, for now at least?”, he asked, practically emptying the glass that had just been filled.

“Who?”, I asked, just as I caught the attention of the waitress and signalled her to get him another pint.

“Big Chief Sitting Bull and his two sidekicks,”, he volunteered.

“Who the hell is that?”, I asked.

“Damn it, can’t you even figure that one out?”, he threw back at me.

“Who?”, I repeated, my impatience showing.

“Anwar, as lead counsel, Azmin and Jui Meng playing second fiddle.”, he rattled.

“Aw, come on. Even Malaysiakini reported yesterday that Anwar had said that this time the idiot had gone too far, and had demanded an explanation from Zul. Having taken such a position publicly, why the about-turn now?”, I asked, unable to hold back my dsibelief at what I had just been told.

“Aiyoh, you are so @#$%^&* naive. Bloody politician, isn’t he? When do they ever say anything and really mean it? They just tell us what they’re sure we want to hear. Bloody sandiwara, that’s what it was. A lot of ‘cakap tak bikin’.”

“You know why? Anwar’s afraid of how Malay voters will react if Zul is sacked or suspended for what some may perceive as he having acted in defence of Islam. So what does he do? Orders Zul to shut the @#$% up and send this matter to the Disciplinary Committee of the party. That way, if the DC takes any decisive action, at least no one can point a finger at Anwar. Better still, may be between now and when the DC is supposed to hear this matter, something else will come up to draw attention away from this idiot’s latest antics,”, he went on.

“People, even within the party, are beginning to talk, though.”, he offered, and, deliberately, I think, left it at that.

I took the bait.

“Ok, what’s the talk?”, I asked.

He looked impishly at his empty glass.

“Miss, one more for my friend, please”.

“Zul has Big Chief by his you-know-what. Nobody knows quite what it is, though. At least, no one is saying anything. Just yet.”, he blurted, as he gulped down the newly arrived pint.

He got up to go, but paused long enough to promise to go dig for details if he thought I’d be a little bit more generous next time round.

9/11 AND REACTIONS

1. I am surprised when there are people who consider that I was not sensitive when I questioned the truth about Sept 11, 2001. That incident had nothing to do with the present debate on the use of the word Allah. As to not being sensitive to the feelings of those who lost their loved ones on Sept 11, I believe they should know the truth as to the culprit and not go on hating the Muslims for something they may not be responsible for.

2. This is not a case of Muslims making wild accusations against the Government of the United States of America. This accusation is being made by Americans, white Americans against their own Government. And they have reasons for making this accusation. So many fellow Americans died a horrible death when fire broke out in the upper floors of the two towers. They died in the fire or when they flung themselves down from the towers to escape a fiery death.

3. These Americans who investigated thoroughly the collapsing towers because they were suspicious of their Government's action were not deliberately or politically trying to blacken the US Administration. They were concerned and horrified at the enormity of the act i.e. killing fellow Americans in order to justify their subsequent War on Terror.

4. We may think this is absurd. How can responsible leaders destroy such iconic buildings and kill 3,000 of their own people simply to justify a war. But then we must remember that the accusations of Saddam's possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction capable of being launched against Britain in 45-minutes is also a fabrication. In fact we have now learnt that the intelligence services of America and Britain did not make such reports. Bush and Blair lied. They lied in order to attack Iraq, in order to kill Iraqis and 6,000 American and British soldiers died unnecessarily. The blood of these people are on their hands.

5. When it was proven that they lied, they now claim that they wanted to remove Saddam Hussein because he was a dictator. That is frivolous. Must 300,000 Iraqis be killed because you don't like Saddam's Government?

6. Going to war is a serious thing. You are really deciding to sacrifice the lives of your own people, not just the enemy. The killing of enemy personnel may be acceptable to your people. But killing your own people so as to have an excuse to go to war cannot be acceptable to the people. That is why the group of concerned Americans made their investigation so thoroughly. But then their Government, with the collusion of their media have ensured that they would not be able to tell of their findings to the American people.

7. But there is no reason why the Malaysian public should not know about the findings of these concerned American citizens.

8. I believe many people in Malaysia have seen this report but none have given it the publicity it deserves. Not reporting this means covering up what can be a heinous crime. When you do that you would be encouraging leaders to commit similar crimes again and again.

9. That is why I took the initiative to publicise the report of the American citizens.

10. The Government of the United States should institute a proper open enquiry.

PDRM Terperangkap Dalam Percaturan Politik Pemerintah

Dari TV Selangor

Polis terperangkap dalam percaturan Umno-BN dan terpaksa menggunakan pelbagai alasan untuk menghalalkan tindakan mereka menghentikan ceramah Ketua Umum Parti Keadilan Rakyat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim di Kerinci, baru-baru ini.

Dikecam dari pelbagai sudut, polis bertungkus-lumus menepis kritikan dengan alasan mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu telah ‘lari tajuk’ dalam ucapannya kepada lebih 2,000 penduduk Kerinci malam itu.

Rakyat bagaimanapun merasakan campurtangan pemerintah dalam rapat umum Pakatan Rakyat ini adalah hipokrasi kerana polis dilihat tidak bermaya menangani tunjuk perasaan ‘pijak kepala lembu’ dan ‘kalimah Allah’.

Ahli Parlimen Batu, Tian Chua berkata alasan’lari tajuk’itu mengundang pelbagai persoalan mengenai peranan dann tanggungjawab polis.

“Itu bukan kerja polis. Samaada kita lari tajuk atau tidak, itu bukan kerja mereka. Apa maksudnya kita lari tajuk ? Apa yang kita boleh cakap atau kita tidak boleh cakap ?,” katanya.

Rapat umum Anwar Ibrahim di Lembah Pantai Ahad lalu berakhir dalam kekecohan apabila pihak berkuasa diketuai OCPD Brickfields ACP Wan Abdul Bari Wan Abdul Talib naik ke pentas dan menghalang acara itu dari berlangsung.

Anwar akur dengan permintaan polis, seraya membacakan doa untuk mengakhiri acara malam itu. Polis bagaimanapun enggan berganjak, menghalang bacaan doa dan merampas mikrofon itu.

Perbuatan ini mendorong pengiring keselamatan mengerumuni mantan Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu melindunginya dari kekasaran polis.

Terkejut dengan keangkuhan itu, 2,000 rakyat yang berhimpun bertakbir dan melaungkan reformasi mendesak pihak berkuasa untuk berundur dan mengecam campurtangan pemerintah.

“Bila polis mencelah menyatakan ceramah itu diluar tajuk. Tajuk apa ? Tujuan bertemu rakyat adalah bermesra dengan rakyat. Berkasih sayang dengan rakyat. Dari segi tugas. dari segi masalah penyelewengan. kalau tidak apa yang mahu kita ceritakan ?,” kata Ahli Parlimen Kota Damansara, Nasir Hasyim.

“Yang penting adalah suasana terkawal. Tidak ganggu ketenteraman awam. Tidak jejaskan keselamatan awam. Prinsip saya yang harus ditegaskan. Saudara Anwar hanya pertahankan diri dia,” kata Naib Presiden PAS, Sallehuddin Ayub.

Allah row easy to solve if we follow His bidding, not Umno’s

By Wong Choon Mei, Harakah

The ongoing row over whether non-Muslims can use the word Allah to describe God has flushed out many systemic weaknesses, and also highlighted how unprincipled some of our political and religious leaders have become.

Just to stay on the winning side, many seem to think nothing of abandoning basic truth and simple facts. So much so, it is no longer religious principle but vested interest that is now the core tussle behind the row, and that whoever speaks the loudest – regardless of whether the verbiage is backed by the Quran or not – will emerge victorious.

Against such moral deterioration, what are the chances of an inter-faith dialogue finding a way forward that is satisfactory to all quarters? Against such deliberate cultivation of prejudice, can the voices of every participating faith be heard equally, or will they be drowned out selectively?

The answer depends on whose bidding Malaysians – be they Muslims or non-Muslims – follow.

Deliberate lies

Take the much-hyped Muzakarah Pakar or Experts Forum organized by the government-controlled Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia or Ikim, which was attended by some of the nation’s top religious leaders a few days ago.

When the marathon eight-hour forum ended, former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi, the Ikim president, was not above bending the ‘findings’ of a seven-member expert panel that included luminaries such as PAS president Hadi Awang, PKR religious head Dr Mohd Nor Manuty and former Perlis Mufti Dr Asri Zainal Abidin.

According to Umno-controlled media, Abdullah said participants had unanimously ‘surmised that the translation of Allah as God was factually wrong because it contradicted the concept of God as espoused by Islam in Malaysia’. Broken down, the doublespeak means it is wrong for non-Muslims to use the word Allah.

But in an immediate response, Hadi denied that the panel ever reached such a common stand and that the news report was wrong.

The PAS leader stressed that there were no such conclusions taken nor resolutions adopted at the discussion entitled ‘Translation of God as Allah: Identifying the Root of the Problem and Its Solution’. He was backed by Dr Manuty and Dr Asri, who also issued statements to clarify what had actually transpired.

They said, on the contrary, there was general agreement by the forum panelists that non-Muslims could use Allah provided that guidelines were issued to prevent its misuse. All three men also reiterated that the Quran allowed it, and that guidelines were the way out in preserving dignity and preventing sensitivities from being rubbed in our multiracial society.

In particular, Asri blasted Abdullah’s comments that the forum focused on whether Allah was an accurate translation for God. This was again untrue, the ex-Perlis mufti said. In fact, what dominated discussion was whether non-Muslims could use the word Allah and not whether the translation of God as Allah was accurate, he added.

Why? To further Umno’s cause?

Why then did Abdullah misinform the public?

To say he was being ‘sleepy as usual’ would be too facile and disrespectful of his decades as a top public servant. To say he did it deliberately to further the cause of his Umno party – which has been accused of instigating and prolonging the row to rally Malay support – would also be unfair to his record of having been the most democratic of Malaysia’s six prime ministers so far.

Those close to him say he was misquoted, which is not impossible. They say he is unhappy about the incident. But if so, why not issue a clarification. Otherwise, the perception will stick that Abdullah had manipulated information in order to give a false impression of unanimous agreement by experts that it is wrong for non-Muslims to use Allah.

And whether the ex-PM did this on his own volition for the sake of Umno, or was asked to do so by the party’s top leaders would certainly be the next ‘hot’ questions to follow.

The other four panelists who attended the Ikim forum were religious adviser to the Prime Minister Dr Abdullah Md Zain, associate professor at International Islamic University Dr Kamar Oniah Kamaruzzaman, Ikim director of economic and social studies Dr Mohd Sani Badron and Ikim fellow for Syariah Law and Politics Md Asham Ahmad.

Whose bidding should we follow?

Despite organizing and participating in the dialogue, Ikim’s own stand is still ambiguous. It believes that non-Muslims are misusing the word Allah. But it has not clarified whether the word can be used by non-Muslims. These are two different arguments – each loaded and packing a huge wallop of its own. Still, by keeping silent, the implication that follows is it does not believe that non-Muslims can.

Which is fine and fair enough as we cannot all be expected to have the same viewpoints. Malaysians – whether Muslims or not – should be matured enough to accept and understand divergent stands, but we cannot and must not tolerate dishonesty, which is what deliberate misinformation boils down to.

Especially in a matter where the greatest sincerity and the highest nobility of spirit should be our spontaneous and ultimate guiding factors. After all, God – by whichever name – is watching us all. And we should all be doing His bidding and not that of His adversaries – whether perceived or real.

If we all followed His teachings, then the Allah row would not be difficult to resolve, contrary to what Umno and its media would have us – Muslims and non-Muslims alike – believe.

The grace of God is mightier than all of us, and only the unbelievers and the irredeemably corrupt would dare to challenge Him.

(Wong Choon Mei is a Consultant Editor for Harakah)

Housing rights activist James Aru passes away - Anil Netto

The Sentul-based activist James Arunasalam passed away on 22 January.

He championed the cause of the poor – Photo by Tian Chua

James, a member of Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor and Wilayah Persekutuan (Permas), was instrumental in defending pioneers and settlers in the area who were being threatened with eviction.

The PRM/PKR veteran inspired a new generation of activists with his determined struggle.

India apologizes for ad gaffe

New Delhi, India (CNN) -- India apologized to its citizens for a government advertisement, aimed at promoting female children, that showed a former Pakistani air force chief.

The office of the Indian prime minister, Manmohan Singh, ordered a probe into what it called a lapse, but television statements branded a faux pas.

"While an internal inquiry has been instituted, the PMO (prime minister's office) apologizes to the public for this lapse," an official statement read.

The full-page newspaper advertisement in the Sunday Times of India was put out by India's woman and child development ministry to mark National Girl-Child Day. The day is aimed at promoting and protecting female children and raising awareness of female feticide -- sex-selective abortions blamed for a skewed ratio of males to females in India.

The ad showed several well-known Indian citizens -- cricketer Virender Sehwag, former cricket captain Kapil Dev and musician Amjad Ali Khan with his two sons playing the sarod, a stringed instrument -- along with the former air force chief, identified by the Times of India as Tanvir Mahmood Ahmed.

"Where would you be if your mother was not allowed to be born?" the ad says.

Relations between India and Pakistan have been tense for decades, and the two nations have fought three wars.

"While an internal inquiry has been instituted, the PMO (prime minister's office) apologizes to the public for this lapse"
--Office of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

Krishna Tirath, minister for women and child development, told the Times of India that the "message is more important than the image. The photograph is only symbolic. The message for the girl child is more important. She should be protected."

In a quick statement after the media outcry, the Indian government said it regretted that the ad showed a "foreign national."

The same paper also had another government advertisement featuring NASA astronaut Sunita Williams. Although born and raised in the United States, Williams was welcomed to India as a symbol of national pride when she visited the home of her father's side of the family in 2007.

India froze a fragile peace dialogue with Pakistan after the 2008 terror attacks on its financial capital of Mumbai. Indian authorities blamed Pakistan-based militants for the assault.

In their latest row, the two South Asian archrivals exchanged diplomatic barbs after club owners of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament shunned all Pakistani players in a multi-million dollar auction in Mumbai on Tuesday.

30/1/2010: HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI THAIPUSAM CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL

HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI THAIPUSAM CANDLE LIGHT VIGIL

IN IPOH, PERAK

HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi will be organizing “A Special Candle Light Vigil Procession ” accompanied with 18 pots of milk offerings (PAAL KUDAM) to Lord Muruga in conjunction with the auspicious Thaipusam Festival together with the fulfillment of the HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi 18 points demands and for the save return of HINDRAF- Makkal Sakthi’s Chairman,

Mr.P. Waythamoorthy to Malaysia .

Starting Venue : Sri Maha Mariamman Devasthaanam Buntong, Ipoh

Ending Venue : Kallumalai Sri Subramaniar Devasthaanam, Ipoh.

Date : 30th January 2010

Time : 6.00 pm

In accordance to this special festival, we invite all devotees to join us hand in hand . We encourage devotees to wear dhoti (vesthi) with safron/orange colour shirt (Kaavi colour).

Lets all pray together “ VALGA HINDRAF MAKKAL SAKTHI”

For more details, please s contact:

P.Ramesh : 019-5235528

N.Subra : 012-4826957

S.Siva : 016-5347834

P.Bala : 016-2109545

D.Nagen : 012-2065424

Mr Mohan : 016-5548426

“RIGHTS NOT PRIVILEGES - THE NEO DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTION BEGINS”

Please forward to all.

This will be the 3^rd consecutive year HINDRAF – MAKKAL SAKTHI is having such a candle light vigil in Ipoh

We need volunteers or individuals who are keen to do their part for our community. We can team up and make a big change for the sake of our community. We should not neglect our own community. Our community

is our responsibility.

Please come forward to make the changes. The famous quote,

“When you want to see changes you must be part of that changes”

~ Mahatma Ghandi.

Thank you,

P.RAMESH

HINDRAF Makkal Sakthi

Perak Chief