Unruly mob has its way at police station

Families of detained PSM members go through a harrowing experience as pleas for help to diffuse the situation is ignored by officers.

KEPALA BATAS: A group of unruly youths caused panic among families of detained PSM members at the northern Seberang Perai (SPU) district police headquarters last night.

PSM secretary-general S Arutchelvan led about 40 family members of the 30 detained PSM activists to lodge a second round of police reports at the station at 8.30pm.

As the family members were lodging their reports at a mobile police booth outside the headquarters, a group of unruly youths, started to mushroom at the place.

The boisterous group began to intimidate the family members and walked menacingly towards PSM supporters gathered outside the police station.

Several of youths barged their way through the PSM group and entered the police station. Sensing trouble, Arutchelvan sought police help to provide protection to his people.

However, instead of providing protection, he said a police officer told the PSM members to leave the area first.

“If you all disperse, they will disperse,” the officer allegedly told Arutchelvan and several others.

Fortunately for the PSM members, a small group of Pakatan Rakyat local leaders, led by mainland councillor Johari Kassim from PKR arrived at the scene.

They quickly whisked away the PSM supporters into a tour bus and took them to the PAS local base in Pongsu Seribu.

The group of youths then began dispersing from the area, and the PSM supporters later spent the night at the PAS base.

Families of the PSM members arrested last Saturday evening at the Sungai Dua toll plaza of the North-South Expressway arrived at the district headquarters at 11am.

‘Police conniving with local thugs’

They lodged their police reports after they were not allowed to visit the detainees, among whom were Sungai Siput MP Dr D Micheal Jeyakumar.

Jeyakumar, PSM deputy chief M Saraswathy and a bus driver known only as Selvam are currently warded at the Penang Hospital to seek treatment for health problems.

All the detainees are being investigated for allegedly ‘waging war’ against the King.

Arutchelvan said that PSM members were not involved in any illegal gathering when they arrived here in the morning from Sungai Siput in a tour bus.

“We came here to visit our family members who have been detained. We only started to lodge reports when our requests to see them was turned down,” he said.

Arutchelvan said police officers told him to submit a formal request to Penang police chief Ayub Yaakob to obtain permission to visit the detainees.

Meanwhile, Hindraf Makkal Sakthi advisor N Ganesan, who was at the scene, said it was clear that the police were conniving with local thugs to chase away the PSM members.

“The police made no attempt to disperse the thugs who gathered illegally in the area. The situation was really tense and the thugs looked mean,” he said.

Arutchelvan was among the 28 people arrested in Tangkak, Johor, during the southern leg of the Bersih campaign yesterday. They were all released some hours later.

The PSM leaders and members were on a nationwide roadshow to woo people to join the planned mammoth Bersih rally on July 9 in KL demanding for free and fair elections.

Ibrahim Ali: Bersih rally meant to rescue Anwar

Minimum wages now, not policies

While a significant number of workers suffer due to poor wages, the government continues to be pro-employer in its approach.

COMMENT

By Syed Shahrir Syed Mohamud

It was a sad day for workers and unions in Malaysia when Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak at the Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC) dinner on June 14 made no firm commitment on the promotion and protection of workers’ rights.

As for the minimum wage issue, his response was that this matter is to be referred to the National Wage Consultative Council. There was also no positive response on the issues of retirement age of 60, increasing maternity leave to 90 days for all workers, and the Cost of Living Allowance (COLA).

Workers in Malaysia are still a very low priority of the current Umno-led Barisan Nasional government that has ruled since independence in 1957. Pleas of workers and their families for decent wages continue to be ignored by a government that has been shown to be pro-employer and pro-business, which, by its actions and omissions, seems to be more interested in maintaining the supply of lowly paid, “problem-free” and “easily used and disposable” workers especially for private sector companies.

Workers’ demand and plea for a basic minimum living wage law that will ensure that workers and their families will be able to live decent lives as human beings continue to be ignored by this government, which has at the same time been very fast in increasing the cost of living. This government has allowed increase in the cost of electricity, water, postal services, phone charges, toll charges, petrol and generally the cost of living.

The introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) saw an overall rise of cost of almost all goods and services. Continuous subsidy removals have also resulted in the increase of prices of basic goods and amenities needed by all persons to sustain life. All these measures that resulted in an increase in the cost of living of workers and their families have been done speedily and systematically, but at the same time this government has not ensured increase in wages, and has been systematically removing the right to secure employment until retirement age.

New workers today are being allowed by the government to be employed as short-term contract workers, and sadly even once permanent workers are made to leave through various schemes, like voluntary separation schemes (VSS) and then re-employed as short-term contract workers. Then, the government has expressed the intention of wanting to deny these now contract workers the right to go to court and claim for reinstatement when they are wrongfully dismissed by employers, but the trade unions and civil society opposed this and the government has yet to make this law.

Now, another disturbing trend is that the government is allowing some companies to avoid employment relationships, and their duties and obligations to the workers who work in their factories, plantations and workplaces. It is doing this by a new illegal entity called outsourcing agents, who are actually contractors for labour that supply workers to principals, and this clearly is not allowed in our Employment Act 1955. The law applies to all, including the government, and action is demanded that injustice and violation of law are aggressively ended.

Workers living below poverty line

On minimum wage, Malaysia always had the Wages Councils Act 1947, which gave the government the means and mechanisms to stipulate minimum wages for workers but, alas, it seems that only four categories of workers have been covered by orders made under this Act, that is, in 1967, 1970, 1972 and 1977. They are catering and hotel workers, shop assistants, cinema workers, and Penang stevedores and cargo handlers respectively. For example, the 1970 order on shop assistants provides that the minimum remuneration for a worker ranges from RM170 to RM250, depending on the age of the worker, location and whether full-time or apprentice.

Now, rather than immediately setting and implementing a minimum wage for all workers in Malaysia, or coming out with a minimum wage law, the BN government is telling us that it is tabling a new Bill called the National Wage Consultative Council Act, and the fear is that this will just be as ineffective as the previous law, and all workers will not enjoy basic minimum wages for some time yet, if at all.

The government can immediately set the basic minimum living wages for workers now, subject to later adjustment. A few months ago, the government set the minimum wages for security guards at RM700 per month, which came into effect at the end of January 2011, and as such, the government also can and should immediately set a floor minimum wage for all workers now. It is proposed that this be at least RM900 and it become effective on July 1, 2011. Further adjustments and annual periodic reviews can be done later but at least workers will get sufficient wages now for themselves and their families when cost of living is already so high.

It is sad that the new president of MTUC, Khalid Atan, saw it fit to shower praises on our prime minister, and pledged that MTUC will be working closely with this government that has a history of being anti-worker and pro-employer. MTUC, trade unions and workers’ groups must always place as priority the fight for workers’ rights and welfare, and not try to curry favour with politicians and the government of the day.

It is also distressing that MTUC has allowed the event to become an Umno event, in particular when Umno Youth used it to launch its workers complaints (aduan pekerja) website. It would have been much better if the money was just donated to MTUC to have its own independent website.

Workers and their unions have been calling for minimum wage for a long time, and this demand intensified in the last six years but, alas, the current government’s response has to date been empty promises only save for the 100,000 plus security guards that got something.

Let us not forget that a study on wages initiated by the Human Resources Ministry has revealed that almost 34% of about 1.3 million workers earn less than RM700 a month, below the poverty line of RM720 per month. And in June 2011, our prime minister is not talking about workers getting minimum wages soon but only that “…he hoped a minimum wage policy can be implemented by year-end…”
Workers demand minimum wages today – not just a policy by end of the year.

Syed Sharir Syed Mohamud is the former Malaysian Trade Union Congress president.

Judges who don't know local laws well

The New Straits Times

GEORGE TOWN: Constitutional law expert Shad Saleem Faruqi has expressed shock that a person can be called to the Bar or be appointed as judge without studying local laws.

Shad Saleem said the current practice enabled one to be called or appointed without undergoing a "bridging course" or studying the Malaysian Constitution. 

"Almost 90 per cent of all superior court judges and most of the senior members of the Bar are trained abroad.

"They are not familiar with Malaysian constitutional jurisprudence and often evade constitutional issues," Shad Saleem said yesterday at the International Conference on Decolonising Universities, jointly organised by Universiti Sains Malaysia and Citizens International.

He was speaking on "Western Intellectual Imperialism in Malaysian Legal Education" on the second day of the three-day conference, which began on Monday.

He noted that the country's judges often quoted from the unwritten English constitution and reject the ones from countries like India on constitutional law matters.

On a related matter, he said legal education, apart from being just a study of rules and procedures, must also involve service to the society.

Among the ways he proposed were: redesigning the curriculum to provide for mandatory faculty and student involvement in legal aid and advice clinics; a clinical legal education course involving field work to examine how the law actually works in society; and the formulating and conducting of tailor-made, short-term courses for targeted groups.

Political Scientists And Sociologists Say Street Politics Can Cause Riots

By Mohd Hisham Abdul Rafar and Ahmad Shukran Shaharudin

KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 (Bernama) -- Sociologists and political scientists are worried that the illegal assembly planned for July 9 can set off a chaotic situation especially with the manipulation of third parties.

"The organisers might say the assembly will be peaceful, but one individual is all it takes to cause mob behaviour," said social scientist Prof Dr Ahmad Atory Hussain of Universiti Sains Malaysia.

"If the assembly is to go ahead, there may be disturbances, clashes between communities or among the Malays because of political differences," he said.

If the assembly were to be big, the chance of disturbances would be greater, he added.

Ahmad Atory also did not rule out the possibility of third party manipulation.

A Universiti Teknologi Mara political science lecturer in Dungun, Che Hamdan Mohd Razali, doubted the organiser was motivated by love of democracy.

"I see the assembly is meant to provoke. It is also to build up anti-government sentiment among voters for the coming general election," he said.

He said the assembly could only cause hardship to the people, particularly stall keepers and traders.

A senior lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Abd Ghapa Harun, said the organisers should be held responsible for anything disastrous that happened at the assembly.

Hunt for the 'Burka Bandit': Man armed with knife and umbrella dressed as Muslim woman to rob travel agents

A man who holds up travel agents with a knife while dressed as a woman in a burka has been caught on CCTV.

The man, who travels from shop to shop taking 'substantial' amounts of money, was filmed twice in Dunstable, Bedfordshire.

Dressed head-to-toe in the Muslim women's outfit, he first threatened two women with a knife on a raid at First Choice travel agents.

The man dressed in a burka as a disguise as he stole 'substantial amounts' of money

The thief dubbed the 'Burka Bandit' was caught on this CCTV film in August 2009 as he robbed Thomson Travel in Luton, Bedfordshire 

He was also seen carrying an umbrella but it is unknown if this was another form of disguise or if he used it to threaten his victims.

He forced them into a back room where he demanded cash from the safe.

The first incident happened in July 2009 and the second in May last year but these images were released last week as part of the Crimewatch Roadshow which is currently touring the country.

 

More...

• 'Criminals' aged just 3: Children responsible for hidden crimewave, including rape and vandalism... and there's nothing police can do

The second robbery happened at a branch of Thompsons where he threatened a member of staff and a customer, again with a knife.

As with the first robbery, which took place just around the corner from the second, he took the women into a back office and escaped with cash from a safe.

Detective Sergeant Terry David from Bedfordshire police said: 'Witnesses are sure [it was a man] because of the voice, build and mannerisms.'

He added it was difficult for police because officers can't go around lifting people's burkas.

'It is a very concentious issue,' he said. 'A contentious disguise and we think he is deliberately choosing that disguise because of that.

'He could quite possibly strike again.'

During the second armed robbery there was a customer in the travel agents at the time

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2008641/Hunt-burka-raider-Man-dressed-Muslim-woman-caught-CCTV-robbing-travel-agencies.html#ixzz1QbUtIDi7

Mickey Mouse's Beard, Minnie's Veil Enrage Egypt's Muslims

Islamic hardliners in Egypt are calling for the severed tongue of a Christian telecom mogul who posted a Muslim-ized Mickey Minnie Mouse online.

Nasguib Sawiris, founder of Mobinil and a prominent promoter of a secular Egypt, tweeted an apology for an online cartoon that showed Mickey Mouse with a beard and Minnie Mouse in a face veil.

"I apologize for those who don't take this as a joke; I just thought it was a funny picture; no disrespect meant. I am sorry," he tweeted.

But hardliners started Facebook groups attacking Sawiris, and others have filed lawsuits accusing him of religious contempt, according to The Associated Press.

"If you are really a Muslim, and you love your religion, boycott his projects," said a message from a Facebook group called We are Joking Sawiris. "We have to cut out the tongue of any person who attacks our religion."

Another Facebook group calls itself "We Hate You Mickey Sawiris."

Sawiris launched a political party calling for the separation of mosque and state after the fall of former President Hosni Mubarak in February.

Sectarian violence between the majority Muslims and the minority coptic Christians has plagued the country since the revolution began.

Wayang Kulit” in Grander 1Malaysia style

HRP, Naragan,
 

The following is a summary of a report on a so-called roundtable conference on the future of Tamil Schools from the FMT website on the 27th of June 2011. The report starts with a grand: “In a historic roundtable conference, BN and Pakatan leaders joined hands to chart the future of Tamil schools.” The stated purpose: “discussions were held to set up a steering committee to chart a blueprint for the future of Tamil schools in the country.” 

Present at the conference were SK Devamany, M Saravanan, DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, Kulasegaran, P Ramasamy, M Manoharan , S Manikavasagam, Charles Santiago , R Sivarasah , Dr Xavier Jeyakumar, A Sivaneson, P Guna, Daljit Singh Dalliwal and S Ramakrishnan.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz, 

chaired the conference. It is learnt that the steering committee would be made up of 18, there would be six members from BN, six from Pakatan and the rest from Tamil Foundation and other NGOs.

Now look at the report like this.

This is the making of a “Wayang Kulit” in grander 1Malaysia style. This amounts to the politicans fine tuning their approaches. Before only the MIC used to engage in this sort of deceptive wayang kulit. Now, in the last 3 years the Pakatan Indian reps have begun to play the same game – you see this regularly in mock cheques and computers given away in the Tamil newspapers. Yesterday 

both these groups have taken this wayang kulit thing one stage further – in 1Malaysia style and these two groups are getting together for a joint wayang. This is 1Malaysia after all isn’t it. History suggests that this is what is happening. If I am wrong, then they have to show that I am wrong now. And further as if to legitimize this wayang , they pull in a few Indian NGO reps to give it an appearance of a non-partisan effort.

For 54 years the UMNO regime has been using their accomplice MIC in the grand game of deceit of the Indian people. The Malay elite harbour an implicit desire to kill off the vernacular schools, but are blocked by the provisions in the Federal Constitution. To circumvent this, they adopt – and this is unstated private but explicit policy, an ambivalent attitude in public and a clear non-allocation of resources in private. They have been doing this with full collusion of the MIC accomplices.

.Article 12 reads:

Rights in respect of education

12. (1) Without prejudice to the generality of Article 8, there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth—

(a) in the administration of any educational institution maintained by a public authority, and, in particular, the admission of pupils or students or the payment of fees;

or

(b) in providing out of the funds of a public authority financial aid for the maintenance or education of

pupils or students in any educational institution (whether or not maintained by a public authority and whether within or outside the Federation). This is their way of killing off a part of the education system continued from the colonial times and which was institutionalized in the Federal Constitution.

Here is the reality. 

The amounts spent annually on education is about 20% of a RM210 billion budget – works out to about RM 40 billion. The expenditure for just the MARA education system, not to mention everything else that occurs in the education arena, just this one – 42 MRSMs with a student population of 12,400 , with each such school costing anywhere from RM 50 -120 million to construct, 209 Giat MARA schools with a budgetary allocation of RM550 million in just the 10th Malaysia plan period alone, Institute Kemahiran MARA which has put out over 200,000 Malay students, MARA UiTM University with 4 satellite campuses, 12 branch campuses, 9 city campuses and 19 affiliated colleges with an enrollment of 120,000 students and 15,000 staff, and all the other MARA schemes for the last 54 years. How much do you think the expenditure on all of that may be. No clear stats are available for me to quote accurately. But I think easily that would be 30 to 50% of the RM40 billion annually.

If all of that was for 60 odd percent of the majority community of the country, how much should have been allocated to the Indians who constitute 7.4% of the population this year, given the provision in the Federal Constitution Article 12 – on equal treatment . Of course this statistics again is not available. You and I can venture guesses. My guess is that it is less than 0.1 % of all of this RM40 billion. Even the stated amounts of RM 100 million for each of the last 3 years – statement by Devamoney in this conference (which amount I think is just eyewash anyway – but this is what he stated) works out to a bare 0.25%. Like with all their allocation pronouncements for the Indian community, this is most likely a significant exaggeration.

See how serious the problem really is. A community starved of their rightful allocations for at least two generations. This has gone on unchecked for 54 years, just because of this kind of complicity and deception. It is this problem that these reps must really correct. They must get their fundamentals right first.

In light of this seriousness of the problem it is extremely frivolous on the part of these lawmakers to continue with this wayang nonsense – they want to set up a steering committee now, and for what – to do a blueprint – what nonsense. If they are really working for the good of the Indian community, they should all get together now and go to their tuans and towkays and ask for the rightful allocations, now!

We do not need another generation to lose out on something so fundamental as education. See the deleterious effects of this policy in just one aspect of the result– the increasing number of criminals among Indian youth, one in two youths that are in prison are Indians. These reps need to see what they are really dealing with.

If they do indeed represent the Indian people as they all project themselves to , then they have to start becoming effective in whatever they are doing. Without a doubt in my mind this is what they must all do, they should all get together now and go to their tuans and towkays and ask for the rightful allocations, now!. Otherwise I can only take it that they project themselves as representatives of Indians for no other reason than to make an income out of it for themselves. They are all today powerless because of the choices they all have made.They have chosen to make a personal career and a good income out of the miseries of the Indian poor. 

If these reps are serious they should act where it matters. All the BN run states and the Pakatan run states should immediately and before the next elections alienate 5 acres of land to at least 10% of the schools in the country – about 50 of the schools to establish their bona fide intent. These representatives should show bona fide intention this way first while any blueprint or anything else in the form of a robust plan is drawn up.

If these reps are serious they should start there where they do have some authority, in the States where they are in the Exco lineup of the State. We do not need a blue print to start real activity, if that is the true intention it is only a matter of a will. This is well known, so, what is required now is action. Just allocate the land needed – 5 acres each, instead of doing as P.Ramasamy did a few months ago,when he told the people of Ladang Batu Kawan when they asked him for additional 3 acres of land to make their school a 5 acres school, that they and whoever was speaking up for them – in this case, Hindraf, should come up with the additional RM 3 million for the land for the school, as land was not cheap in Penang. This is exactly the kind of thing Samy Vellu has been saying all these 50 odd years as he played Tango with UMNO.

If your true intention is to undo a terrible injustice, then start where you must and can – do not mislead with wayangs. Enough of all that nonsense – we are all so sick and tired.

Go back to your PKR, DAP and UMNO tuans and towkays and just say it to them. Get the ball rolling. Do not form anymore committees – we need to see some action. Pakatan reps , understand this, you should have started on this at the beginning of your respective tenures in 2008 and not at the end of it in 2011. BN reps you should have started all of this 54 years ago. 

Naragan

Dutch ban religious slaughtering of animals

Muslims slaughter bulls during the Eid-al-Adha festival in Lahore December 9, 2008. The Dutch parliament voted June 28, 2011 to ban ritual slaughter of animals, a move strongly opposed by the country’s Muslim and Jewish minorities. – Reuters pic

AMSTERDAM, June 28 – The Dutch parliament voted today to ban ritual slaughter of animals, a move strongly opposed by the country’s Muslim and Jewish minorities, but left a loophole that could let traditional butchery continue.


The bill by the small Animal Rights Party, the first such group in Europe to win seats in a national parliament, passed the lower house of parliament and must be approved by the upper house before becoming law.

It stipulates that livestock must be stunned before being slaughtered, contrary to the Muslim halal and Jewish kosher laws that require animals to be fully conscious.

“This way of killing causes unnecessary pain to animals. Religious freedom cannot be unlimited,” Marianne Thieme, head of Animal Rights Party, said before the vote.

“For us religious freedom stops where human or animal suffering begins.”

In a rare show of unity, the Netherlands’ Muslim and Jewish communities – about 1 million and 40,000 respectively in a total population of 16 million – have condemned the proposed ban as a violation of their religious freedom.

European Union regulations require animals to be stunned before slaughter but allow exceptions for ritual slaughter.

Sweden, Luxembourg and non-EU members Norway and Switzerland ban ritual slaughter. – Reuters

Groups call for Sexual Harassment Act

KUALA LUMPUR, June 28 — Trade union groups today objected to sexual harassment provisions being included in a section of the Employment Act rather than translating them to a stand-alone legislation.

The groups, which are part of an umbrella body called “Malaysians for Decent Living Wage”, also rejected several other amendments to the Act, tabled in Parliament last week.

Speaking to reporters here, Friends of Women president Irene Xavier said according to the sexual harassment section of the Act, women earning more than RM2,000 were excluded.

Additionally, she said, the act lacks a workable definition of “sexual harassment”.


“There is no comprehensive definition of sexual harassment. This one lacks it so it will be difficult for anyone to lodge a complaint,” she said.

Klang MP Charles Santiago (picture) also complained about the inclusion of the words “for labour” in the definition of “contractors” in Section 2 of the Act, saying that it would only create “job insecurity” for workers.

“This amendment has serious implications on workers... the employment pattern in Malaysia will change and it will create job insecurity because you will see contract jobs becoming more popular than regular jobs.

“When this happens, outsourcing becomes popular, as opposed to regular jobs. When you join a company, you typically stay for a long time but now, you work on contract for one, two or three years and you are entitled to minimal benefits and lower salaries,” he said.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) former president Syed Shahir Mohamad Jalil also pointed to the proposed amendment to Section 19(2) of the Employment Act which he said would allow employers to delay overtime wages by more than a month.

According to the amendment, an employer would have to pay his employees for work done on a rest day, gazetted public holiday and overtime “not later than the last day of the next wage period”.

“So if I work overtime in June, I might have to wait until the end of July to get paid because the employer is granted leeway to do so,” he said.

He pointed out that many low-income workers relied heavily on their overtime wages to support their families.

“But if employers can delay it to the following wage period, it would affect their daily expenses,” he said.

Detained MP rushed to hospital

Reports allege mental torture and other forms of ill-treatment of PSM campaigners arrested last Saturday.

TAIPING: Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar and two others have suffered health problems while in police detention and are warded at the Penang General Hospital.

Meanwhile, five reports have been lodged with the Penang police headquarters alleging that personnel at the headquarters subjected the three and others arrested last Saturday to mental torture and other forms of ill treatment.

The other two in hospital are Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) deputy chief M Sarasvathy and a bus driver known only as Selvam.

They were among 30 people arrested while distributing anti-Barisan Nasional leaflets as part of a three-day information campaign in the northern part of the peninsula. Police accused them of waging war against the King and trying to revive communist ideology.

Apparently Jeyakumar, who has a heart ailment, did not get his medication on time and had suffered chest pains while Sarasvathy was dehydrated for lack of drinking water. Selvam’s condition is not known. No visitors are allowed in their ward.

Of the 30 arrested on Saturday, seven are detained at the Penang police headquarters, 21 in Kepala Batas and two at the Sungai Dua police station in Butterworth.

There is also a report about ill-treatment in the Kepala Batas police lockup.

In one of the reports at the Penang police headquarters, Jeyakumar’s sister D Prema said she gave her brother his medication late yestyerday afternoon, but that police had failed to give him his next dose on time.

Jeyakumar’s wife,  R Mohana Rani, reported that police turned down her request to give him his medication at 9.30 this morning, agreeing to administer it to him themselves only at noon.

Another of the reports alleged mental torture through solitary confinement in an attempt to extract confessions.

In another report, lawyer Rowena Nair said he was denied access to his clients.
The report in Kepala Batas was lodged by PSM central committee member V Panneer Selvam. He alleged that:

• Detainee G Pakiai Letchumy was punched and spat at in the face by police personnel.

• Detainees were told to drink from the toilet bowls to quench their thirst

• A diabetic detainee who asked for mineral water to wash down her medicine was instead given syrup.

• Detainee P Jothi was kicked by police personnel.

• The lockup toilets had no water supply.

• Fourteen detainees were kept in a lockup meant for six.

‘Perkasa stands for peace’

Ibrahim Ali has declared that Perkasa's role on July 9 is to uphold democracy in the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali, today emphasised that Perkasa’s planned ground presence during the Bersih rally on July 9 was a reflection of its stand for peace and democracy in the country.

Two weeks ago, Ibrahim announced the formation of a new umbrella coalition called NGO-NGO Prihatin Keamanan Negara or Gerak Aman to counter the rally which he has accused of being a rescue mission of Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

“Do not blame Perkasa if any chaos erupts on that day,” he warned during a press conference this evening. “I have already said that I would call off our gathering if Bersih calls off the rally. We are a group that is pro-peace. I’m only reacting to Bersih and its political agenda to overthrow the government.”

“So I hope the police on that day can differentiate between Perkasa and Bersih. The difference is our intention to uphold peace in the country. Is that a crime?”

Ibrahim explained that Perkasa and Gerak Aman had been giving speeches in 22 locations so far during which its members were briefed not to tout any weapons or engage in provocative behaviour on July 9.

Asked if he could guarantee that Perkasa members would abide by these directives, he shot back, “Can Bersih give the same guarantee? It is a big crowd and we have done our part in advising our members to behave in a peaceful manner. We are not there to demonstrate. We are there to uphold peace.”

While he declined to reveal the anticipated number of Perkasa members who would show up on that day, he sneered at an online news report that put the number at 500.

“The Malaysian Insider said that there wouldn’t be more than 500 but we shall wait and see,” he said. “Perkasa people are brave people. We are willing to face any consequences. We don’t ‘baling batu, sembunyi tangan’ (throw a stone and hide our hands).”

The last remark was directed at social activist, Hishammudin Rais, whose name appeared today on Utusan’s published list of Bersih working committee members.

“I knew Hishammudin way back then,” Ibrahim said. “After causing chaos during the Baling demonstration in 1974, he fled the country while I was arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA). He smeared the country’s name but he returned home with Anwar’s help and no action has been taken against him since.”
Hishammudin, however, told FMT that he is not part of Bersih’s working committee but a mere organiser at one of the coalition’s events.

‘I’m a journalist too’

The press conference also saw a heated Ibrahim lashing out at the journalists from the alternative media for allegedly manipulating his statements and misrepresenting Perkasa.

“I’m a Mass Communications graduate and I’m a journalist too,” he said. “I was at the School of Freedom in Germany for three months in early 1974 and I was taught how to be a responsible journalist.”

Ibrahim was questioned yesterday by police for allegedly threatening the Chinese to “stock up on food” because “anything can happen during the rally”.

Implying that his words were taken out of context, he insisted that his statement was only advice and not a threat. But the incident has remained a sore point with him.

Ibrahim also said that the news portal had grossly underestimated the size of the crowd when Gerak Aman was launched that day, and had failed to notice the presence of Chinese and Indians there.

“The reporter who said there were only 500 people at the launch must have been blind,” he said sarcastically. “And the Chinese even took pictures with me. This is why I said they should stay home.

Because they are not interested in this sort of issue. The Chinese and Indians are only concerned about business.”

“The only Chinese who will be at the rally will probably be DAP since they are also Bersih anchors. And since a majority of Bersih consists of PAS members, what you will have on that day is PAS Malay meeting Perkasa Malay.”

Ibrahim also warned the online media to ensure that it broadcast the entire footage of the Bersih rally and not an edited version of “people shouting at me”.

When grilled by another online journalist on his earlier statements, the visibly annoyed Ibrahim told her, “If you want to stay in a safe country you better stop talking like this.”

WikiLeaks dedah duta AS ragui penjelasan KL

(Buletin Online) - Duta Amerika Syarikat ke Malaysia memaklumkan kepada pemerintahnya awal tahun lalu bahawa pegawai-pegawai kedutaan meragui penjelasan pentadbiran Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengenai kecurian enjin jet pejuang F-5 milik TUDM pada 2008, demikian menurut maklumat yang didedahkan oleh WikiLeaks.


Dokumen yang ditandatangani oleh Duta James Keith itu berkata kedutaannya berkongsi 'kesangsian' yang diluahkan oleh satu siri komen media dalam talian mengenai pendirian Putrajaya bahawa enjin jet itu dicuri oleh dua individu berpangkat rendah dan pihak di peringkat tinggi tidak terlibat sama sekali.

'Kami berkongsi beberapa kesangsian yang dilahirkan oleh blog-blog mengenai kes kerajaan dan penjelasan siapa di sebalik kecurian enjin,' kata dokumen tersebut.

'Dalam (proses) penyelarasan dengan pihak Washington, Post terus menekankan untuk mendapatkan laporan lengkap bagaimana kecurian itu berlaku dan penempatan muktamad enjin-enjin (jet pejuang), serta untuk mengingatkan GOM (kerajaan Malaysia) tentang keseriusan isu itu dan keperluan mengambil tindakan pembetulan,' kata kabel yang disiarkan oleh laman blog Malaysia Today, semalam, dan ditukil oleh laman berita The Malaysian Insider pada hari yang sama.

Difahamkan, 'Post' merujuk kepada seorang pegawai politik Amerika yang mempunyai pejabat di kedutaan di Kuala Lumpur.

Mahkamah Sesyen sedang mendengar kes Sarjan N. Tharmendran dari Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) dan ahli perniagaan, K. Rajandran Prasad, yang menghadapi pertuduhan bersubahat mencuri dan melupuskan enjin pesawat milik TUDM itu.

Pada 6 Januari tahun lalu, Tharmendran, 42 tahun, tidak mengaku salah terhadap tuduhan bersubahat dengan Laskar Udara Mohamad Shukri Mohamad Yusop, mencuri dua enjin pesawat F5 jenis J85-21 di Bangunan Material Processing Shed Matra 1, Pangkalan Udara TUDM Sungai Besi, di sini, pada 30 April 2008.

Rajandran, 38 tahun, pengarah sebuah syarikat pembekalan, pula tidak mengaku salah terhadap tuduhan dengan sengaja menghapuskan dua enjin TUDM itu di alamat 49 Jalan TS 6/6 Taman Industri Subang pada 30 April 2008.

Kededua enjin itu dibeli pada 1972 dengan harga RM303,570 ($123,644), dan bukannya RM50 juta seperti dilaporkan pada awalnya.

Bersih: Arahan Tertinggi Umno Punca Tindakan Polis

Illegal Assembly: Two Foreigners Detained

PUTRAJAYA, JUNE 28 (Bernama) -- Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein confirmed today that two foreigners have been detained to help police investigate an illegal rally planned for July 9.

He said the two claiming to be members of international non-governmental organisations were suspected of being involved with planners of the assembly and would be deported after their country of origin had been contacted.

Hishammuddin told reporters here that he had the impression that the organisers of the assembly had no idea what they had started except that certain political parties were exploiting the situation.

He warned all involved in defying the law to hold the assembly not to underestimate the ability of the police to investigate whatever was going on that affected security.

In another development, Hishammuddin said that Bangladesh would cooperate with Malaysia to handle human trafficking.

"This has something to do with Bangladeshi workers in this country and efforts to ensure that they are not exploited, especially by international syndicates," he added.

Pas provides shelter for PSM detainees' relatives

A Pas markas in northern Seberang Perai is providing shelter for some 35 family members and friends of the PSM activists detained in Kepala Batas.
 
The relatives and friends had earlier been waiting at a bus stop near the police station. Police ordered them to disperse.

A group of about 100-200 youths, some of them on motor-bikes, soon materialised.

Pas members then took the relatives and friends to their markas to provide a safe place for them to spend the night.

About half a dozen of the detainees are being held on the island, the remainder in Kepala Batas.

Koh unveils statue of MGR

Minister in the PM’s Department takes a break from the Bersih controversy to attend a special ceremony in Taiping.

TAIPING: The event must have been a welcome relief for Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon who together with his other BN colleagues have been preoccupied in recent days with spitting vitriol at the July 9 Bersih rally.

Koh took a break from his criticism of the July 9 rally when he attended a special ceremony to unveil a bronze statute of the late South Indian matinee idol and ex-chief minister of Tamil Nadu MGR in Taiping on Saturday.

Koh, the Unity and Performance Minister in the PM’s Department, recently told organisers of the Bersih rally to resolve election issues through peaceful dialogues and not by taking to the streets.

But that must have been furthest from his mind on Saturday. A big fan of the former Tamil Nadu chief minister, Koh unveiled the 5ft 4 inch tall statue (the height of MGR) weighing about 200 kilos in Ulu Sepatang, about 10km from Taiping.

With the unveiling, Taiping has now the distinction of being the third city in the world to have a bronze statue of the late MGR, after India and Sri Lanka.

The credit for this goes to 60-year-old R Damodaram who achieved a life-long dream of having MGR’s statue at the Ayynar Temple grounds in Ulu Sepatang.

Damodaram, born in Donavar estate near Sungai Siput, was captivated by the image of MGR helping the poor and decided to do something to make his idol a part of his life since the age of 10.

Damodaram, whose father was an estate labourer, had to drop out of school after completing his primary education because his parents could not afford to help further his education.

However, this self-made businessman rose to be the Eagle Hurst MIC branch chief and having tasted poverty decided to help the poor and needy like his mentor-hero MGR.

Ten years ago, he formed the MGR Welfare Organisation to help the poor and needy and talented poor students to complete their education.

In 1992, he visited the widow of MGR, V N Janaki and received her encouragement to carry on with his mission of making MGR a living legend in the minds of Malaysians.

MGR a philanthropist

On Saturday, he fulfilled his childhood dream. Damodaram hosted the MGR statue officiating ceremony cum culture show titled “Manithanum Theivamahalam” (Even man can become God) at the Taiping Town Hall.

Tamil movie actor Sathiaraj who is also a big fan of MGR, yesteryear actor Asokan’s son Vincent Dass and comedian Mailsamy and Ethiyakanni monthly magazine editor S Vijayan were at the function.
According to Damodaram, Koh who is also a big fan of MGR and Vijayan was instrumental in bringing MGR’s personal items like his famous sunglasses for the function.

It took 10 men to carry the MGR statue from the hall to the temple gardens where it will be installed for visitors to see.

MGR (full name Maruthur Gopalan Ramachandran) was born on Jan 17, 1917 in Nawalapitiya in the then British Ceylon.

To overcome poverty, he joined a drama troupe to support his family. Influenced by Gandhian ideals, MGR joined the Indian National Congress and later became member of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK).

In 1972, he left DMK to form his own party Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (ADMK). Five years later, he became the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu making him the first film actor in India to become the chief minister of a state.

He died on Dec 24, 1987 in Chennai and was married thrice – to Thangamani, Sathanandavathi (both died during his time) and VN Janaki (died in 1996).

In Tamil Nadu, he had a reputation as a philanthropist and was idolised by his followers as Puratchi Thalaivar (revolutionary leader). MGR was posthumously honoured with India’s highest civilian award the “Barat Ratna.”

Arrests shows govt won’t listen to other views

Human Rights Watch says the arrest of PSM activists are absurd and calls for their immediate release.

 

KUALA LUMPUR: The arrest of the 30 Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members last Saturday has  drawn international criticism with the Human Rights Watch (HRW) calling for their immediate release.

The group was accused of “waging war against the king” by attempting to resutrect the long vanquished  Communist Party of Malaysia (CPM) and have been remanded for seven days.

“Charging the political opposition with restarting a movement that died with the Cold War 20 years ago is more than a little absurd,” said HRW’s deputy Asia director, Phil Robertson in a statement today.

“These arrests show the government’s fundamental disregard for the democratic process and its willingness to go to great lengths to frighten Malaysians with political bogeymen from the distant past.”
HRW noted that while the general elections are not slated for Malaysia until 2013, the government has tightened repression on all election-related activity. The heaviest clampdown has been on the Bersih rally on July 9 which has seen the arrests of 81 activists since June 22.

“The Malaysian government’s actions to deny the rights to freedom of association, expression, and peaceful assembly run counter to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Robertson stated.
“It also contradicts the government’s commitments to respect international human rights standards as a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council.”

Malaysia was elected to the council last May amid widespread criticism from international human rights bodies that claimed the country fell short of UN standards.

HRW also pressed the government to heed the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam’s) call to allow the Bersih rally and the possible counter-marches planned by Umno Youth and Perkasa to proceed.

“Rather than trying to silence peaceful critics, the Malaysian government should be working to ensure that election processes are fair and that they fully protect the civil and political rights of all Malaysians,” Robertson said.

“Arresting people for wearing t-shirts and distributing leaflets simply shows the depths of the government’s intolerance of opposing viewpoints.”

International Criminal Court issues arrest warrant for Gadhafi

(CNN) -- The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants Monday for Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and two of his relatives.

ICC Judge Sanji Mmasenono Monageng read aloud the decision to issue warrants for Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam Gadhafi, and his brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi.

Saif Al-Islam Gadhafi is a close adviser to his father. His arrest warrant came two days after his 39th birthday. Al-Sanussi serves as Gadhafi's head of intelligence.

The warrants are "for crimes against humanity," including murder and persecution, "allegedly committed across Libya" from February 15 through "at least" February 28, "through the state apparatus and security forces," the court said in a news release.

In Misrata, where fighting has raged, a crowd cheered Monday following the news from the court.
The announcement at The Hague came as fighting inside Libya inched closer to the capital. A rebel fighter, Hassan al-Jiwali, told CNN that rebel forces were 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Tripoli on Monday.

Libya is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the international court's authority, and the court does not have the power to enter Libya and arrest the leaders. Many of those cheering in Misrata saw the news as a sign that the world recognizes the conduct that rebels say Gadhafi's regime has been engaged in.

The three-judge Pre-Trial Chamber I at The Hague found "reasonable grounds to believe that the three suspects committed the alleged crimes and that their arrests appear necessary in order to ensure their appearances before the court," the announcement said. The court also believes the warrants are needed to ensure that the three men "do not continue to obstruct and endanger the court's investigations; and to prevent them from using their powers to continue the commission of crimes within the jurisdiction of the court."

The U.N. Security Council referred the matter to the ICC through a resolution February 26, following widespread complaints about Gadhafi's efforts to crush a rebellion. The resolution said that, while "states not party to the Rome Statute have no obligations under the statute, the Security Council urged all states and concerned regional and other international organisations to cooperate fully with the court and the prosecutor."

Gadhafi's backers rejected the court's authority.

"This court is nothing but a cover to the military operations of NATO," said Libyan Justice Minister Mohammed Al Qamod. "It is merely a political tool for exerting pressure and political blackmail against sovereign countries."

Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Ka'eem offered a similar view: "Both the international criminal court and the chief prosecutor have neither the legal competence nor the moral compass in any way to pass judgment on anyone, let alone the Libyan people," he said.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said the warrant for Gadhafi is another indication that the Libyan leader "has lost his validity."

"it's another step in the process of holding him accountable," Carney told reporters.

The United Nations issued a statement Monday about the arrest warrants, noting that "hundreds of people are confirmed to have been killed since opposition forces rose up against the regime of Mr. Gadhafi in February as part of a wider pro-democracy movement across North Africa and the Middle East."

The European Union said it "fully supports" the court and underscores that the court's Libya investigation "is an independent judicial process which must be fully respected."

Not everyone was cheering the news. Michael Rubin, an analyst with the conservative American Enterprise Institute, said the court's move could damage efforts to get Gadhafi to end his 42-year reign, because he would not seek refuge in a country that is a party or signatory to the Rome Statute.

"The ICC's arrest warrant symbolizes the dirty underside of international law," Rubin said. "While the ICC makes itself feel good and diplomats can chatter about their commitment to international law, the fact of the matter is their action takes off the table any possibility that Gadhafi could flee to a retirement haven outside Libya. In effect, the ICC arrest warrant tells Gadhafi to fight to the death."

Most African countries are parties or signatories to the Rome statute. The ICC website lists a total of 47 non-signatories in the world, 13 of them in Africa and the Middle East.

Ali Ahmida, an analyst at the University of New England who was born in Libya, said the ICC decision "complicates" the matter.

"Since last week, things were heating up toward an exit strategy for Gadhafi and his sons, either inside or outside Libya in another African country," Ahmida said. Some rebel leaders in the Transitional National Council said they would consider allowing Gadhafi to stay inside Libya, and both sides were starting to indicate a compromise was possible, Ahmida said.

But now, the regime "may circle the wagons a little more," and Gadhafi will think, "'I'm a hunted criminal and should pursue civil war to the end,'" Ahmida said.

While the ICC decision is justified, Ahmida said, cynics in the region will ask why Gadhafi was selected and not others. "Why not (former Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak? Why not (former Tunisian President Zine El-Abidine Ben) Ali?" Mubarak and Ali both gave up power following protests in their countries. "The court is selecting some dictators to indict, and being silent about others. That may be the biggest issue for the court," Ahmida said.

When asked about those suggestions, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said the United States "believes that the decision to refer the case to the ICC was the right decision; that the ICC has spoken now about the need for justice and accountability. With regard to whether this hurts or helps, it doesn't change the fact that Gadhafi's got to take the message that it's time to go."

The issue of Libyan casualties led the U.N. Security Council to adopt a resolution in March authorizing force by whatever means necessary, with the exception of a ground invasion, to protect civilians. NATO began bombing military targets a short time later.

The International Criminal Court action comes a day after the African Union announced Gadhafi will not be part of its next attempt to map out a peace deal in Libya.

It was unclear who would represent the Libyan government in negotiations, or when negotiations might occur. Journalists were not allowed to ask questions following Sunday's meeting of the African Union's special committee on Libya in Pretoria, South Africa.

Fair treatment for all religious communities

The government’s stance is to allow religious organisations to function with the barest minimum of restrictions.

COMMENT

Much discussion and debate surfaces from time to time over the issue of freedom of worship in this country, and by allowing people and organisations of differing views to express and share their thoughts and opinions in civil discourses, invariably demonstrates that there is, to an extent, leeway given by the authorities which we should also rightly construe as being a form of freedom of expression.

While civil liberties are not seemingly found to be at the levels of satisfaction to some people in this country, hopefully, by persuasive argument and sound reasoning, more people can convince and enlighten the authorities to implement measures on freedom of worship for the collective good of all Malaysians.

However, it is imperative that how we approach the issue and how we approach the ruling authorities be in an appropriate manner always.

Now that the passionate flames of Christians over a number of their Bibles being withheld and later released by the authorities, and other scenarios emerging out of their beliefs, have started to flicker down, I would like to draw your attention to certain developments that have transpired since the formation of the country, from the time of the departure of the British colonialists.

The achievement of Merdeka meant a new beginning for Malaya as the country was called back then and the Christian community as a whole, be they Catholic, Protestant, fundamentalist or Pentecostal, enjoyed much freedom and liberty, along with the other religious communities, to practise and worship in the spirit of the newly-formulated Federal Constitution by the founding fathers of the nation.

Since then, five Malaysian premiers have passed through office, and all of them have freely allowed Christians and members of all other religious bodies to go about their activities as long as they were conducted in an orderly and organised manner.

While Malaysia today is still officially a secular state, Islam is the official religion as the majority of Malaysians are Muslims.

This does not mean that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, which has been ruling since independence in 1957, has neglected the concerns and cares of the Christian and other religious organisations in this country.

Tolerant BN

On the contrary, in comparison to quite a number of other countries around the world, Malaysian Christians and other religious bodies enjoy sufficient freedom to practise their respective faiths without any unreasonable restrictions.

While cases of religious discrimination do exist, they are few in number, compared to the tolerant nature of the ruling BN that allows religious organisations to function with the barest minimum of restrictions.

It is precisely because of being given a “free hand” that religious organisations across the board go overboard with their demands and begin to take on a threatening stance once prohibitions are put in place.
(A clear example is the Christian group that met at a demonstration several months ago to threaten the government if their Biblical demands are not met.)

It’s a classic case of being spoiled rotten and silly until the government has to bow and pander to the whims and fancies of different religious groups in order to curry favour with them or risk losing voter support.

The religious history of Malaysia until now shows explicitly that not a single group, however irrational the faith or belief it practises, has been hauled up by the authorities, until they begin to undermine national security or take on an aggressive, militant stance.

Firm hand as opposed to free hand

Against this background, where liberty is given to religious organisations, there has emerged a significant number of groups with teachings that are counter-productive to the health and well-being of a secular state like Malaysia.

One has only to go through the list of religious organisations in this country at the Religious Affairs Department to see the number of “independent” churches that exist, each with its own version of Christianity unlike that espoused by mainstream and traditional churches.

In the case of Malaysia, because political mileage is usually gained by political parties playing the religious card, the government, realising the sensitive nature of issues of this kind, tends to compromise and give in for it to be viewed as a “wholly democratic nation”.

While political mileage gained by playing the religious card might be attained in the short term, what usually happens is that in the long term, whatever gains made fizzle out completely. This means that with issues affecting religious communities, the government should really deal with a “firm hand” and not a “free hand”.

Unhealthy and extreme religious groups must be dealt with firmly and the government must exercise its clout to nip the problems in the bud caused by organisations of this nature before they begin to fester and ignite the ever-so-delicate fabric of our multi-religious, multi-racial environment.

In doing so, the government has to been seen not only as acting fairly, and in a secular manner, but in accordance with the provisions of the laws of the land. There has to be a more open and transparent approach by the government to ensure, for the safety and security of the populace, that all religious communities toe the line.

Play by the rules of the game

Unlike a growing number of countries in the world today, Malaysia has, thankfully, been spared the wrath of religious flare-ups.

This augurs well for us. Since we are a fairly young nation, if we appear to be doing well in the practice of our individual beliefs, it is largely because government mechanisms in place to check religious tensions have so far been effective.

In view of the onset of globalisation, and the emergence of migrant workers as another force to be reckoned with in this country, to add to our already existing melting pot, there is a need for the powers that be to keep pace and put in place further mechanisms to ensure the success of achieving religious peace and harmony is maintained.

So far mainstream and traditional Christian groups have really no bone to pick with the government or any other quarter, however critical the criticisms levelled at them. This is a sign of the growing tolerance and accommodative nature of the mainstream and traditional churches.

The exception perhaps is that of the role of fundamental Christian groups with their own commercial kind of branding of Christianity.

What is being propagated by them should come not only under the scrutiny of the government but also by the various Christian denominations as to their validity and relevance in a country such as Malaysia.

If mainstream, traditional and even fundamental Christian churches do not appreciate the liberty under which they are allowed to operate, and take this liberty for granted, they should only have themselves to blame if they face punitive action for going overboard with their cause and demands.

While even members of other religious organisations contend that Christianity is a religion with many merits, Christians should learn to practise their faith by conforming to the law, unless and until these laws are amended.

Since the existing laws with regard to religious freedom have worked well so far, Christians and all other religious bodies should abide and seek changes to these laws, if they feel it is necessary, through the right channels and procedures, for the continued peaceful governance of the country.

If they fail to play by the rules of the game, Christians run the risk of not only being shunned and ostracised, they will also obviously continue to be a disgruntled and dissatisfied lot.

Perhaps what Christians should learn to do right now is to practise what they preach from the Bible and learn from the Master the virtue of showing tolerance and exercising mutual respect.

( File picture from internet )
Christopher Fernandez has been teaching and writing throughout Asia since 1984.

I am a socialist and proud of it

One very senior PAS leader (I will not mention his name) said that he really admires Britain for being a very good example of what a Muslim country should be like. When asked what it is about Britain that he finds very Islamic, he replied the socialist system where the needs of the rakyat are looked after and well taken care of. Yes, according to this senior PAS leader, Britain is a good ‘Muslim’ country. And it is a good Muslim country because of its socialist policies. And in Malaysia we arrest people because they are Socialists. The Prophet must be turning in his grave at this transgression.
NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin
There are four schools of thought or mazhab within the Sunni branch of Islam -- Shafiee, Hanafi, Maliki and Hanbali. Most Malaysian Muslims are Sunnis of the Shafiee school of thought.
The Maliki school of thought is the second largest of the four schools (approximately 25% of all Muslims -- mostly in North Africa, West Africa, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and in some parts of Saudi Arabia).
Malik ibni Anas, the ‘founder’ of the Maliki school of thought, was an extremely outspoken man -- too outspoken for his own good. He issued decrees or fatwas that forbid the pledging of allegiance to the Caliph Al-Mansur. For this very stubborn stance the Caliph had Malik flogged half to death and threw him into prison.
After a serious attack of conscience, Caliph Al-Mansur released Malik from prison and apologised to him. The Caliph also offered Malik compensation in the form of money and residency in Baghdad. Malik, however, declined the Caliph’s offer and remained in Mekah where he continued with what, today, would be considered as his radical and anti-Monarchy teachings.
Some years later, Harun al-Rashid, the new Caliph, summoned Malik to visit him while the former was performing the haj in Mekah (in Malay this is called titah mengadap or summoned for an audience). Malik, however, refused to do so. Instead, he invited the newly installed Caliph to attend his class to listen to his lectures, which the Caliph did.
That is the very short story about one of the four Imams of Sunni Islam.
And why am I telling this story to what can be considered a large non-Muslim readership of Malaysia Today? Simple. Islam is the religion of the Federation, according to the Federal Constitution of Malaysia. So you should know a bit about Islam and Islamic history so that the scumbags and slime-balls in the government will not be able to con you.
Secondly, of course, is because many Malay-Muslims themselves do not know their Islamic history. So they make stupid statements that are so embarrassing it makes me ashamed to admit that I am also Malay-Muslim. So they too need educating to stop them from opening their mouths and putting their feet into it.
Now, relate that to present day Malaysia. If Imam Malik, one of the four Imams of Sunni Islam, was still alive today and was living in Malaysia, would he be arrested by the government and charged with ‘waging war against the king’?
Remember, Imam Malik issued a fatwa forbidding us from pledging allegiance to the Ruler (whether Caliph, Agong, Sultan or whatever). And for that he was jailed and flogged. However, the Caliph realised he had erred and later released Imam Malik, apologised, and offered him compensation.
The famous Harun al-Rashid of ‘The Arabian Nights’ summoned Imam Malik but the latter refused to go meet the former. Instead, the Caliph was told that ‘the mountain should come to Muhammad’, so to speak. And instead of punishing Imam Malik or arresting him for ‘waging war against the king’, the Caliph did as he was told.
As a Muslim, if we do not want to follow the example of the Imams and the Prophet Muhammad, then whose example do we want to follow?
In the olden days in Europe, it was believed that the king was appointed by God and those who oppose the king have therefore sinned against God. You would then be jailed or put to death on charges of treason against the king.
This is what Malaysia is practicing. It is not practising Islam. Malaysia is not following what the Imams of Islam have taught us. Malaysia is practicing the culture and beliefs of olden days Europe where to defy the Ruler means you defy God and therefore should be punished.
It is time that Malaysia honours the concept of Islam as the religion of the Federation. Get rid of all these un-Islamic practices and culture. Let us not be like the jahil (ignorant) Christian kings of Europe. Has not Imam Malik, one of the four Imams of Islam, taught us what is true Islam?
Now, on the second subject -- Communism. Communism, or more accurately Socialism, is an Islamic concept. Yes, I bet that surprised you.
Communism is derived from the word commune or community. And in Islam this is called Ummah (masyarakat in Bahasa Malaysia). Islam stresses the importance of the ummah. Muslims are called Ummah Islam, the Community of Islam.
Islam teaches us that anything done on a community basis earns extra rewards (pahala). If we pray as a community we get extra pahala. If we eat as a community, as opposed to eating alone, we not only get full but we get pahala as well. And so on and so forth. Any grade one Muslim schoolchild can tell you this.
Communism, or people of a commune, is therefore not against Islamic teachings. It is, in fact, very Islamic.
Now, let us not confuse this concept of commune with Communist Terrorism or Communist Terrorists (CTs) -- which is what the Malaysian government has outlawed. For that matter, even Islamic Terrorism is outlawed, not only Communist Terrorism.
You outlaw Islamic Terrorism. Do you outlaw Islam? And in that same spirit, you outlaw Communist Terrorism. But is Communism about terrorism or about the commune (ummah)?
We need to know the difference.
We also should not confuse Socialism with Communism. Socialism is very Islamic. Socialism is about social justice. Islam believes in social justice. Islam is all about social justice.
For example, we have the zakat system in Islam. This is where the rich pay tithes so that the less fortunate, the poor, the old, the sick, the widows, the orphans, etc., can be supported financially. Zakat is mandatory in Islam. And this is socialism.
Islam forbids usury. We all know how destructive western capitalism, in particular the financial-banking system, can be. Countries and billions of people are subjected to economic slavery because of this. Financially strong countries dominate the weaker countries. This is a form of slavery of the worst kind and Islam is opposed to it.
In short, Islam outlaws Capitalism and propagates Socialism. But most Muslims prefer Capitalism rather than Socialism, as most Muslims prefer Autocracy rather than Democracy (aren’t most dictatorships-Monarchies in the Muslim world?).
Socialism is opposed to the concept of the strong dominating the weak, the rich enslaving the poor, the minority oppressing the majority, etc. Islam is also against this and Islam propagates the concept of the ummah (or commune) determining its own destiny.
It is time the Muslims understood this. It is also time the Muslims practice the real concept of Islam. Most Muslims confine themselves to merely the rituals of Islam. And that is where their Islam ends. And they think that just because they have fulfilled their ritualistic obligations they have already been guaranteed a place in heaven.
No, doing what Imam Malik did is not waging war against the king. And upholding Socialism does not make you a traitor to your country. Instead, it makes you a true Muslim.
One very senior PAS leader (I will not mention his name) said that he really admires Britain for being a very good example of what a Muslim country should be like. When asked what it is about Britain that he finds very Islamic, he replied the socialist system where the needs of the rakyat are looked after and well taken care of.
Yes, according to this senior PAS leader, Britain is a good ‘Muslim’ country. And it is a good Muslim country because of its socialist policies. And in Malaysia we arrest people because they are Socialists. The Prophet must be turning in his grave at this transgression.

Suhakam: People have right to assemble

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Commision of Malaysia (Suhakam) says it is the right of the people to assemble and to express their views in a peaceful manner.

Commission chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam said the right to do so was provided for under Article 10(1) (b) of the Federal Constitution as well as Article 20(1) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

“We recall the recommendations we made for the Government to respect the freedom of assembly,” he said adding that the commission had also recommended to the police to use non-violent methods to control or disperse the crowd during an assembly.

The Commission, he said, called on the authorities to allow the peaceful assemblies by Bersih, Umno Youth and Perkasa to allow them to exercise their rights in an orderly and responsible manner.

The Commission, he said, would closely monitor the event.

In a related development, Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk S. Ambiga said the funding for the event came from public donations and member non-governmental organisations.

She refused to divulge more details on the matter, saying that a press conference would be held to explain it further.

The matter became an issue after it was reported that the main funding for the proposed rally came from foreign NGOs with money channelled through local organisations.

Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali who was also called in for questioning by the police claimed the majority of Malaysians were against the rally.

“If Bersih continues with its rally, we will continue with ours. We too want to voice our displeasure about Bersih.

“I urge the police to take whatever action necessary under the law to stop Bersih from organising the rally,” he said.

Ibrahim Ali hauled up for alleged sedition

(Malaysiakini) Police today questioned Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali for allegedly making a seditious statement in connection with the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally on free and fair elections.

Ibrahim is being investigated under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code over his speech in Kampung Baru on June 19, when he warned Chinese Malaysians to "stock up on food" because "anything could happen" during the rally.

On June 22, the PKR Youth wing had lodged a police report at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters over Ibrahim's remarks, which were seen as a threat.

Its deputy information chief Rozan Azen Mat Rasip said Ibrahim had committed sedition with an element of violence against the Chinese Malaysian community in a speech at an event in Kuala Lumpur on June 19.

Ibrahim later said his remarks were merely 'advice', and not a threat.

'Malay vs Malay' clash

Ibrahim, who came out of the Dang Wangi police station about 2pm after being questioned for nearly two hours, remained adamant that he is on the right side in opposing the rally.

He insisted that it is necessary to stop the Bersih 2.0 rally, which he accused of manipulating the Malays to serve the agenda of those supporting it.

He said the rally has managed to build momentum because of the Malay members from PKR and PAS throwing their weight behind Bersih 2.0 chief S Ambiga.

"The Bersih 2.0 rally will be a failure without Malay support. I don't know how many Indians will join, but I believe there won't be many and the Chinese won't bother (joining).

"The support (for Bersih 2.0) comes from the Malays from PKR and PAS... if there are other races, they will make up only a small number.

"This will become a clash of Malay against Malay," he told journalists outside the police station.

Promising to stop the Bersih 2.0 rally, which is to call for electoral reforms, he had earlier warned that chaos would ensue should Bersih 2.0 continue with their march to hand over a petition to Istana Negara.

National laureate probed over 'seditious poem'

Police quiz Ambiga; Nurul Izzah, Sivarasa next

Bersih repudiates foreign Christian funding claim

Ambiga speaks to the press after being questioned at the Dang Wangi police station, June 27, 2011.—Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, June 27 — Bersih 2.0 chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan rubbished today Utusan Malaysia’s claim that the electoral reform group’s July 9 rally was funded by foreign Christian organisations, saying the money was donated by Malaysian citizens at home and abroad.


“The funds for the rally are entirely from public donations and the [sale of] Bersih t-shirts... I have never even heard of those [foreign] groups,” she told The Malaysian Insider over the phone today after being questioned by the police over the controversial July 9 street demonstration that has triggered two other groups, Perkasa and Umno Youth, to call their own counter rallies.

She added that the Selangor state government has also pledged financial support for Bersih’s July 9 rally.
Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia claimed in an editorial today that Bersih is being funded by some 11 foreign Christian organisations that have donated millions of ringgit to underwrite the group’s rally. It named German think-tank Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAF) and the Canadian Allied Foundation as among them.

KAF is associated with Germany’s conservative Christian Democratic Union and  aims to further the “promotion of freedom and liberty, peace, and justice” through “furthering European unification, improving transatlantic relations and deepening development co-operation.”

Little is known about the Canadian Allied Foundation named in the Utusan article.

Demonstrators march during the Bersih rally in Kuala Lumpur, November 10, 2007. — Reuters pic

Ambiga admitted to Bersih receiving some money from two US organisations — the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and Open Society Institute (OSI) — for other projects, which she stressed were unrelated to the July 9 march.


The NDI describes itself as a non-profit, non-partisan organisation “working to support and strengthen democratic institutions worldwide through citizen participation, openness and accountability in government”.

According to corporate information on its website, the OSI was started by financier George Soros in 1984 to help countries make the transition from communism, and has grown to include not just the US but more than 70 countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

Fellow Bersih steering committee member, Maria Chin Abdullah, explained that both NDI’s and OSI’s funding were specifically for to the electoral watchdog’s delineation projects.

“It’s got nothing to do with the rally. The funds [for the rally] are entirely from public donations. A lot of them are from Malaysians overseas. A lot of people donate anonymously into our bank account,” she told The Malaysian Insider when contacted.

Chin Abdullah said Bersih’s rally fund to date amounted “close to RM30,000”, but added the group needed double that figure to pay for its campaigning, which included carrying out nationwide roadshows and the cost of the yellow Bersih t-shirts priced at RM15 each.

She also clarified that the Selangor Pakatan Rakyat government’s pledge was only a “verbal promise” and that Bersih had yet to receive a single sen from them.

PAS has promised to bring in hundreds of thousands of supporters from across the country as Pakatan Rakyat gears up for a second such rally in recent years.

The first Bersih rally in 2007 saw up to 50,000 people take to the streets of Kuala Lumpur before they were dispersed by police armed with tear gas and water cannons.

The demonstration has been partly credited for Pakatan Rakyat’s record gains in Election 2008, where the opposition pact swept to power in five states and won 82 parliamentary seats.