Infiltration Jihad from Bangladesh targeted Eastern Region & NE of Hindusthan for Total Islamization.

Bangladeshi Infiltrators, DGFI and Jihad Groups in BD are most dangerous for Indian Security. West Bengal and Assam is in most vulnerable situation.


A Documentary Film on Infiltration and Jihad conspiracy into India by the Bangladeshis to Break India.

by Good Health TV || Producer: Mayank Jain.

The Bangla Crescent Part-1

What does GOI want to make Eastern Region/North Eastern Region of India?
Mughlistan, Graeter Bangladesh, New India or Muslim Bangabhumi??
Bengali Hindus perhaps want to be refugee again and they do not capable to retaliate against this conspiracy of earlier Left Regime or the Present TMC-Congress Ruling in West Bengal and the Congress Ruling in Assam, all dedicated to Islamization of West Bengal and Assam.
Bangladeshi Jihad Group Hizb-ut-Tharir calls to capture India again under Islamic rule.


Provocation of BD Fundamental Islamic party ~ Hizb-ut-Tharir:


Oh Muslims!


You have been victimized throughout the ages by Indian Aggression. This enemy Nation have killed your Army Top Brasses, constructed the Farrakka Dam, deprived you from the proper water share and mercilessly killed your brothers & sisters in the border. But, your present rulers are proved totally failure to check this aggression of India. To check this enemy, there is only one option to establish the Khilafat State here. Hence, in this democratic system, you must not spoil your time and toil, aspiring a solution from Awami League, BNP or any agents of any Political parties.


Oh Muslims!


You have to do one and only one job ~ you have to appeal all the persons with power as they remove Hasina Govt. and transfer the power to Hizb-ut-Tharir, because this is the only political party who are leading you the in the dream of being a Nation for world leadership and your area to control. We will build a Khilafat State and implement Quran and Shunnah….. We will make strong and modern military power. And must take all practical steps to regain India as a Muslim land……..”

Recent Poster of Hizb-ut-Tharir of Bangladesh to Capture Indian again under Islamic rule.(English rendering is made by the blogger)

India’s ‘Mexican’ Problem (Read Islamic Problem): Illegal Immigration from Bangladesh.
“Assam is facing external aggression and internal disturbance on account of large-scale illegal migration of Bangladeshi nationals and it becomes the duty of the Union of India to take all measures for protection of the State of Assam because it poses a threat to the integrity and security of the North-Eastern region,..”
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
“[Indian] Bengali farmers have woken up in the morning to find Bangladeshis squatting on their land; shops and small businesses have changed hands through distress sale engineered by the party faithful; homesteads left vacant for a day have been grabbed.”…… Kanchan Gupta ~ Veteran Journalist in Daily Pioneer. Read here the original in International Business Times. 

Deaf girl, 10, 'trafficked to UK and kept as sex slave in cellar by elderly couple for almost 10 YEARS'

A deaf 10-year-old girl was trafficked into the UK, repeatedly raped, kept in a cellar and treated as a virtual slave for almost a decade, a court heard today.

The orphaned youngster from Pakistan, who is profoundly deaf and has no speech, was locked in a cellar each night where she would sleep on a concrete floor and by day was forced to work for no money and was sexually assaulted, Minshull Street Crown Court in Manchester was told.

Her alleged abusers were Ilyas Ashar, 83, and his wife, Tallat Ashar, 66, who deny charges of false imprisonment, human trafficking, sexual offences, violence and benefit fraud.

Ilyas (left) and Tallat (right) Ahsar deny charges of false imprisonment, human trafficking, sexual offences, violence and benefit fraud

If their alleged victim displeased them she would be forced into their cellar where the girl would 'sit there for hours crying and locked in', the court heard.

They kept the girl, now aged between 19 and 21, at their home in Cromwell Road, Eccles in Salford, Greater Manchester, after bringing her into Britain from Pakistan in June 2000, Peter Cadwallader, prosecuting, told the jury.

It is alleged that the 10-year-old girl was kept in a cellar at the family's home (pictured)

The victim’s true age is not known but it is thought she was aged between 10 and 12 when she came to the UK, allowed in by immigration on the basis she was to work as a domestic servant.

But it was a 'mystery and matter of concern' how a child that age could get through immigration and there may be 'significant and proper' criticism of the Border Agency, whose role had a 'good deal to answer for', the prosecutor said.

Although supposed to be employed as a domestic help, she was never paid and just given food and lodging, Mr Cadwallader told the jury.

Instead the girl was made to cook, clean, do the washing and ironing for the Ashars and clean the houses and cars of their family and friends, the court heard.

She was also kept in the cellar to work for hours packing football shirts and clothes and mobile phone covers, the jury was told.

'They would be upstairs while she was doing the work,' Mr Cadwallader added.

'She was the subject of forced labour in that she was made to work for Ilyas and Tallat Ashar as a domestic servant and do other work for them and members of their family.

'In essence it is the prosecution case that she lived in a state of servitude when she entered the Ashar home in Pakistan, then later when she was brought to this country in June 2000.

'The Crown say she was the ideal target for this exploitation as she is and was extremely vulnerable. The

The alleged offences took place in Cromwell Road in Eccles, Greater Manchester

Crown’s case is she was physically abused. She was sexually abused, which included being raped by Ilyas Ashar.

'She was exploited economically, in that benefits, state benefits in this country, were obtained in her name, the money being kept by the Ashars. At night the door at the top of the stairs down to the cellar was locked and bolted so she could not get out during the night.

'There were no washing or toilet facilities in the cellar so that if she needed to use the bathroom during the night she had to bang on the cellar door in the hope that she was heard and the door opened.

'On other occasions, during the day, presumably when she displeased Tallat Ashar, she was pushed into the cellar, pushed down the stairs and the door locked.

'She would sit there for hours crying and locked in,' Mr Cadwallader told the jury.

The alleged victim had no family or friends in the UK and had never been to school in Pakistan or Britain.

She cannot read or write and the only people she knew in Britain were the Ashars, who told her both her parents were dead. She was however taught to write her signature - so her name could be used to claim benefits, it is alleged.

Despite her disabilities the victim has an average, or higher, intelligence level, the jury was told.

Mr Cadwallader added: 'We believe you will find her to be a remarkably resilient young woman who tells things as they are.'

Ilyas and Tallat Ashar both deny two counts of human trafficking into the UK for exploitation and a single count of false imprisonment.

Ilyas also denies 12 counts of rape, Tallat denies one count of sexual assault and unlawful wounding and the pair along with their daughter Faaiza, 24, deny charges of benefit fraud.

The case continues.

Lankan fishemen rescued by Indian trawler, return home safe

Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka welcomes returning rescued Sri Lankan fisher-folk on 09 February at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

Four Sri Lankan fishermen who were recently rescued by an South Indian fishing community returned safely to Sri Lanka on 09 February. “Thanks to the valuable support of Indian authorities, the fisher community in South Indian Kanyakumari area, the Sri Lankan High Commission in Chennai and our Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne, they have returned safely with no incidents” announced a relieved and a happy Rishad Bathiudeen, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Sri Lanka. Minister Bathiudeen was at the BIA to receive the returning fisher-folk who arrived by flight UL 122 landing on mid-day of 09 February. Minister Bathiudeen has been in constant touch with the Sri Lankan High Commission of Chennai since the four Muslim fishermen from Kalmunai went missing on January 9 off Valaichchenai high seas.
The fishermen were stranded for 15 days at the Indian Ocean and floated close to Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), the southernmost tip of Indian Peninsula, when an Indian fisheries trawler spotted the marooned party and promptly rescued them, thereafter handing them over to the Kanyakumari coast guard. The four feeble and exhausted Muslim men were then taken over by the Tamil Nadu Police but were not remanded. The feeble Muslim fishermen were thereafter taken over for urgent survival care by Rev. Father J. Churchill upon the request of TN Police. Rev. Fr Churchill, with the assistance of his neighbouring Kanyakumari fisher community, nourished them back to life within the next four days. “The Fishermen were not arrested nor remanded by the Indian Coastguard since we have in advance informed them through our High Commission in Chennai of the possibility of four Muslim Sri Lankan fishermen drifting towards Kanyakumari or Southern Indian shores. As a result, the Indian authorities did not attempt to arrest them but instead promptly transferred them for proper care under Rev. Father J. Churchill who treated them for the next four or five days” revealed Minister Bathiudeen.
The four fishermen are Abdul Raheem, Ismail Isma Lebbe, M. Pithchai Naeez, and M. Hasan Basher from Kalmunai.
Speaking of his rescue, Mohammed Hasan Basher (40), one of the stranded fisher-folk said: “We are relieved and happy to return home alive. We thank the Indian and Sri Lankan officials and Minister Bathiudeen for their efforts to save us.”
Hasan Basher added: “We were treated well warmly hosted by the caring fisher community of Kanyakumari and they attended to every urgent need of us with no second thoughts. But they also complained to us that when they arrive in Sri Lanka by accident or in a similar way that we did, they are always promptly arrested, harassed and treated in the shabbiest way about which they expressed their displeasure."
- Asian Tribune -

Khazanah, PNB to hand over businesses to boost Bumi equity

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 9 — Khazanah Nasional Bhd and Permodalan Nasional Bhd will be asked to transfer a total of 10 non-core businesses to worthy Bumiputera-owned companies as part of Putrajaya’s efforts to grow the community’s equity.

Bumiputera equity stood at 22 per cent in February last year, short of the 30 per cent target set by the government.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the divested entities will be awarded to Bumiputera companies that have good potential to grow.

“Bumiputera companies will be invited to take part via an open evaluation process... and (divested) companies will be transferred to the best, most secure and capable (Bumiputera) companies,” he told reporters here after attending a Bumiputera Agenda Action Council meeting here.

State investment arm Khazanah will be asked to divest five companies while PNB will let go of another five, he added.

The Najib administration’s Bumiputera economic agenda, led by Teraju, intends to create a visible pool of Bumiputera companies that can take on projects worth RM1.4 trillion and divestment of government assets under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).

The ETP, which aims to double per capita annual income by 2020, will see government and government-linked companies divest “non-core” assets.

Last year, Khazanah made a total of eight divestments which brought in proceeds of RM7.7 billion and helped to push the company’s profit before tax for the full year to RM5.3 billion from RM3 billion in 2010.

Key divestments included the sale of its 32 per cent stake in Pos Malaysia to DRB-Hicom Bhd for RM622.8 million and the complete privatisation of PLUS Bhd through a joint acquisition by UEM Group Bhd and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).

Last month, Khazanah also announced the sale of its 42.7 per cent stake in national carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd to DRB-Hicom for RM1.3 billion.

Govt sued over status of Tamil schools

A Hindraf leader and a DAP assemblyman have filed a RM55 billion civil suit against the government to turn all Tamil schools into fully aided schools.

PETALING JAYA: Two Indian leaders today filed a RM55 billion civil suit against the Malaysian government to turn all Tamil schools in the country into fully-aided schools.

The leaders, Hindraf Makkal Sakthi leader P Uthayakumar and DAP’s Kota Alam Shah assemblyman M Manoharan, filed the suit this morning at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.

The duo filed the suit in their individual capacities.

Also named in the suit as defendants were Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and his deputy cum Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.

When contacted, Manoharan said the suit was filed as the government was in breach of Article 12 of the Federal Constitution which, among others, guarantees rights to education to all Malaysian.

“So when all national schools receive full aid from the government, why should Tamil schools receive only partial aid?” asked Manoharan.

He also said that out of 523 Tamil schools nationwide, only about thirty percent of it were fully aided while the rest only receive partial aid in terms of teachers’ salary.

The DAP assemblyman added that in Selangor alone, which houses 97 Tamil schools, only 37 of it were fully aided.

“And many partially aided Tamil schools nationwide have to fork out their own money to pay for utility bills, maintenance and to get other facilities for the students,” he said.

Hearing date for the case has yet to be fixed.

FMT Chat; with Haris Ibrahim

Malaysia's Anti-Opposition Bloggers

Ahiruddin says I did it with my little hatchet

Does Kuala Lumpur have a home-grown version of China’s ’50-centers?’
Is Malaysia getting its own version of China’s so-called 50-centers, the legions of Chinese bloggers who monitor websites and reply to criticism of the government for money?

Ahiruddin Attan, the Kuala Lumpur-based pro-government blogger who writes under the name “Rocky’s Bru” says last September he pulled together friends to set up what he calls a small news portal called The Mole with the idea “to give certain balance to the reports of Malaysiakini, Malaysian Insider, Malaysia Today.”

In Ahiruddin’s view, “there are too many anti-establishment, anti-government sites in Malaysia.”

The Malaysian Insider reported last year that the government had provided US$10 million for the project. Other reports circulating in Malaysian political circles say the bloggers have been provided with US$10 million by the United Malaysia National Organization, the country’s biggest political party, and another US$10 million from the Malaysian billionaire Syed Mokhtar al Bukhary to follow the proliferating anti-establishment news organizations that are thronging Malaysia and state the government’s viewpoint.

But, Ahiruddin said in a telephone interview: “That US$10 million is totally crap. There is no truth at all in it. We are really small.” A former editor of a variety of UMNO publications including the Business Times, The Malay Mail and The Sunday Mail, he says he derives his current income from his continuing directorship at the Mail, a Kuala Lumpur-based daily tabloid. To reports that he had bought a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with his new-found wealth, he snorted. The Harley, he said, is 12 years old.

Despite Ahiruddin’s denials, other sources insist that at least 10 to 15 people are involved in the effort, with government support.

Because all of Malaysia’s mainstream media, including newspapers and television, are owned by its ruling political parties the country has generated perhaps the most vociferous opposition Internet news portals in the region, with some, including Malaysiakini and the Malaysian Insider, providing professional coverage of the government.

Although government officials grit their teeth over what the news portals publish, they have adhered to a pledge made by former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to leave the Internet censorship-free. Mahathir made the pledge in 1995 to promote the international development of his multi-media Super Corridor, which was designed to attract high-tech industry across the globe. In 1998, the government allowed Malaysiakini to begin operations.

The result, along with the proliferation of news sites, most of them anti-government, has been an explosion of readers who gather their news from the Internet. According to Freedom House, a whopping 55 percent of Malaysians had access to the Internet in 2011. And, the NGO said: “In the watershed elections of March 2008, the ruling National Front coalition lost its two-thirds majority for the first time since 1969. In addition, opposition parties won control of five of the country’s 13 states, including those with relatively high Internet penetration rates…Together with the growing popularity of independent online news outlets, the use of the Internet for political mobilization was widely perceived as contributing to the opposition’s electoral gains.”

“Any blog that is registered, we will pick up their story automatically, we only pick up some stories to follow up, to do follow-through,” Ahiruddin said. “Talk about a blog war room is totally crap.”

The so-called “50-cent party” arose in China in 2005 when Nanjing University officials hired students to search bulletin boards for undesirable information and counter it with comments friendly to the Communist Party. The price for each entry was said to be half a yuan (0.8 US cents) although varying prices have been paid by different Chinese organizations.

The result has been a deluge of comments, not only on Chinese bulletin boards but almost any Internet publication across the globe that contains stories about China. Any even-mildly negative story about China on the pages of Asia Sentinel is certain to generate swift and angry replies charging a pro-US bias, calling attention to the once-dominant history of western colonizers in China and decrying US interference in international affairs.

LAPOK

1. Anwar telah menyatakan kepada BBC, iaitu kepada bangsa Barat, bahawa undang-undang Malaysia lapok, ketinggalan zaman.

2. Tentulah Anwar tahu bahawa lapok dan ketinggalan zaman, bagi orang Barat bermakna tidak seperti apa yang terdapat di Barat sekarang. Sejak revolusi Perancis, slogan Liberte`, Egalite`, Fraternite`, iaitu Kebebasan, Persamaan dan Persaudaraan menghantui fikiran Barat sehingga apa sahaja yang tidak menepati slogan ini mesti ditukar atau dihapus.

3. Oleh kerana BBC bertanya berkenaan kes liwat Anwar, maka undang-undang yang didakwa jumud oleh Anwar tentulah berkenaan larangan terhadap hubungan seks di luar nikah.

4. Apakah undang-undang yang tidak lapok berkenaan seks yang terdapat sekarang di Barat? Bermula dengan keagongan konsep “freedom” atau bebas dan persamaan, mereka menjunjung tinggi hak yang sama antara lelaki dengan perempuan. Yang mula dituntut oleh kaum perempuan ialah hak mengundi dalam pilihanraya. Dan hak ini telah diberi kepada mereka seperti yang diberi kepada lelaki.

5. Kemudian ia melarat kepada hak yang sama dalam pakaian. Ini dituruti dengan kebebasan seks. Jika lelaki sebelum atau selepas kahwin boleh adakan seks dengan mana-mana perempuan kenapa perempuan tidak boleh dengan mana-mana lelaki. Atas nama kebebasan dan persamaan maka masyarakat pun memberi hak ini kepada mereka. Maka siapa sahaja, lelaki atau perempuan boleh tidur dengan siapa sahaja bila-bila sahaja. Dengan ini institusi perkahwinan antara lelaki dengan perempuan dianggap tidak penting lagi.

6. Sebaliknya institusi perkahwinan dan kekeluargaan di beri makna yang baru. Bersekedudukan di takrif sebagai berkeluarga. Bila bosan dengan pasangan, tukar sahaja. Penceraian tidak diperlukan lagi. Siapa yang menjadi bapa kepada anak tidak penting.

7. Dimasa yang sama, sekatan terhadap apa jenis seks yang boleh memuaskan nafsu dihapuskan juga atas nama kebebasan. Dengan itu lelaki boleh meliwat lelaki dan perempuan mengadakan hubungan seks dengan perempuan.

8. Kenapa harus hubungan seks dilakukan antara dua orang sahaja? Kenapa tidak beramai-ramai. Dan seks beramai-ramai pun diadakan.

9. Kemudian diadakan pula perkahwinan antara lelaki dengan lelaki atau perempuan dengan perempuan. Pendek kata apa sahaja yang dilarang oleh agama, adat atau undang-undang yang menyekat nafsu, hendaklah dihapuskan. Segala yang menghalang dianggap lapok dan tidak sesuai dengan kebebasan dan persamaan. Dengan bangganya orang Barat mempamirkan pengamalan seks mereka sebagai hak asasi manusia.

10. Seperti biasa apa yang dicipta oleh Barat dianggap oleh mereka sebagai baik bagi semua manusia. Dengan itu mereka melancarkan usaha untuk mengembangkan konsep kebebasan dan persamaan mereka berkenaan seks.

11. Tentangan yang terkuat terhadap seksualiti merdeka ini datang dari orang Islam. Untuk mengatasi tentangan ini mereka mengenalpasti orang Islam yang boleh menjayakan perjuangan mereka. Bermula dengan tuntutan kebebasan yang mudah diterima, umpamanya hak asasi manusia, hak memilih Kerajaan (demokrasi), hak bersuara, kebebasan media, kempen Barat sudah sampai kepada serangan terhadap nilai-nilai moral orang Islam, pegangan mereka kepada agama, adat dan undang-undang yang menghalang kebebasan hubungan seks.

12. Undang-undang biasa dan undang-undang Islam digambarkan sebagai jumud dan perlu diganti dengan undang-undang Barat. Berzina dan meliwat disaran supaya menjadi sebahagian daripada hak asasi manusia termasuk hak asasi orang Islam.

13. Kita dapati Barat dengan kerjasama orang Islam tertentu sudah berjaya kerana di Malaysia sudah ada orang Islam yang anggap segala sekatan terhadap aneka jenis seks sebagai menidakkan kebebasan semulajadi manusia, sebagai zalim, terutama kepada pembesar politik. Dan ramai sudah orang Islam di Malaysia yang percaya ahli politik seperti inilah yang patut dipilih untuk memerintah negara Malaysia. Dengan kuasa yang diberi kepada mereka ini maka segala yang lapok di negara ini akan diganti dengan pendapat semasa termasuk merdeka seks.

14. Walaupun Barat menerima zina dan liwat sebagai perkara biasa, tetapi mereka tidak dapat terima paksaan keatas mangsa zina atau liwat. Sebab itu apabila seorang wanita melaporkan yang pengarah IMF Strauss Kahn telah merogolnya pihak berkuasa terus tangkap Strauss Kahn dan jawatannya dilucutkan.

15. Di Malaysia juga apabila lapuran diterima dari mangsa yang dianya telah di liwat, tentulah wajar tertuduh dikenakan tindakan undang-undang. Ini sudah tentu tidak lapok kerana Barat juga mengamalkannya.

16. Disini ingin saya jelas bahawa “teknikal” bukan bermakna tidak. Jenayah berlaku, bukan tidak berlaku. Hanya hakim tidak dapat hilangkan keraguannya terhadap bukti yang tertuduh melakukannya. Mungkin orang lain!! Kenapa mangsa tidak menuduh orang lain, wallahuwalaam.


P.S.

a. Newsweek melaporkan berkenaan tuduhan merogol yang dibuat oleh Diallo, perempuan kulit hitam yang bekerja sebagai pencuci bilik hotel terhadap Dominique Strauss-Kahn, pengarah IMF, seorang orang besar berkulit putih.

b. Walaupun Strauss-Kahn ditangkap kerana merogol dan ada bukti yang mangsa telah dirogol, tetapi pendakwaraya tidak membawa kes ini untuk dibicara dalam mahkamah.

c. Kononnya Diallo suka membohong. Apakah pembohongan yang dibuat? Kononnya dia membohong tentang apa yang dilakukan olehnya selepas dirogol, bilik mana yang dia pergi dan berapa lama.

d. Kononnya dia (biasa) membohong berkenaan duit yang diberi kepadanya dan lain-lain pembohongan lagi. Akhbar melapor oleh kerana dia biasa membohong, panel hakim tidak akan percaya yang dianya telah dirogol. Sebab itu Strauss-Kahn tidak dihadapkan ke mahkamah.

e. Tanya penulis rencana dalam Newsweek, “apakah panel hakim tidak tahu yang perempuan yang membohong juga boleh jadi mangsa rogol?”

f. Di Malaysia soalannya ialah apakah orang yang melafazkan sumpah dengan menjunjung Quran dalam masjid juga tidak boleh dipercayai? Sebaliknya orang yang tidak berani bersumpah boleh dipercayai.

Let MPs have a free vote when Parliament reconvenes on 12th March on whether Shahrizat should resign as Minister over the RM330 million NFC “cattle condo” scandal

Now, even Gerakan, the political party whose President had to get into Cabinet by the backdoor of Parliament, has joined the pack of wolves in Barisan Nasional demanding for the resignation of Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil as Minister for Women, Family and Community Development.

Although couched in the sweetest of words, calling on Shahrizat to “sacrifice” for Barisan Nasional and expressing “much sympathy” for her, the Gerakan Deputy President Datuk Chang Ko Youn hoped that the Wanita UMNO chief will have the “magnanimity to vacate her position as a minister in the cabinet and focus her energy on combating this…assault on her family”.

It will not be long before Gerakan leaders themselves will be asked by their Umno counterparts to make “sacrifices” for the larger interests of UMNO and Barisan Nasional.

Be that as it may, it is clear that the Gerakan Deputy President has either not heard or believed Shahrizat protesting in the loudest of voices that she is married to the chairperson of National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) which has nothing to do with her official duties as Minister of the Cabinet.

The question is how many Ministers, Members of Parliament and Barisan Nasional leaders at all levels are of the same mind – not heard or believed Shahrizat’s protestations.

MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek had publicly blamed Shahrizat for “poor handling” of the “cattle condo” scandal causing the public to perceive the NFC project as “real rotten”.

UMNO internal protests against Shahrizat has become like a suppressed volcano in UMNO – despite calls by the former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir, former Wanita UMNO chief, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and the current Wanita UMNO deputy chief Datuk Kamila Ibrahim that Shahrizat should resign as Cabinet Minister.

Would Shahrizat survive a secret ballot in the Cabinet if there is a vote whether she should just pack up her bags and resign as Minister for Women, Family and Community Development?

May be, all Members of Parliament should have a free vote when Parliament reconvenes on 12th March on whether Shahrizat should resign as Minister for Women, Family and Community Development over the RM330 million NFC “cattle condo” scandal.

Would Shahrizat agree to such a free vote as the first item of Parliamentary business next month?

Would the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin have any objections to let MPs decide Shahrizat’s Cabinet future?

Freedom of speech not absolute, Court of Appeal rules

The Star

PUTRAJAYA: Although Karpal Singh as a Member of Parliament and prominent lawyer has the right to make political comments and express his views on the Constitution and laws, the rights and freedom of speech enshrined in the Federal Constitution are not absolute, the Appeals Court has ruled.

Justice Datuk Ahmad Ma'arop, in his 105-page judgment, said the freedom of speech as guaranteed in the constitution meant a person had the right to speak, write or publish anything he or she liked as long as they did not break the laws.

As such, he said, what was uttered by Karpal Singh at a press conference in 2009 regarding Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak over the political crisis in the state then, had exceeded the boundaries permitted by laws and amounted to sedition.

Ahmad further said the prosecution only needed to prove that the words uttered by Karpal Singh had the tendency to be seditious.

He said the prosecution need not prove that the words uttered had caused actual violence to take place or adverse reactions. He added that whether the words uttered by Karpal Singh were true or otherwise, were immaterial.

"In considering whether the words uttered by the respondent (Karpal Singh) were seditious or not, the views of the witnesses who heard them are not the determining factor and in actual fact, are not relevant.

"It is the court that will decide whether the words of the respondent were seditious or not," he said.

On Jan 20, Justice Ahmad, who presided over a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal, had ordered Karpal Singh to enter defence on a charge of uttering seditious words against Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak during a press conference in 2009.

The panel, which also comprised justices Datuk Clement Allan Skinner and Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali, had set aside the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision on June 11 2010 to acquit and discharge Karpal Singh from a sedition charge over the matter without calling for his defence.

Karpal Singh was charged with uttering seditious words against the Sultan of Perak at his legal firm in Jalan Pudu Lama in Kuala Lumpur between noon and 12.30pm on Feb 6 2009.

He was alleged to have said that the removal of Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as mentri besar of Perak by the sultan could be questioned in a court of law.

The charge under section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act carries a maximum RM5,000 fine or three years' jail, or both if convicted.

The Appeals Court, on Jan 20, had also fixed Thursday for mention of Karpal Singh's case at the High Court.

In his judgment, Justice Ahmad said the panel did not accept Karpal Singh's submission that Section 3(1)(f) of the Sedition Act 1948, which makes questioning the rights and privileges of rulers an offence, was against the Federal Constitution.

Justice Ahmad further held there there was no doubt in the panel's mind that the press conference was called with the minimum motive of hoping that what was said at it would be published.

He said Karpal Singh at the press conference had repeatedly uttered words that clearly meant that the Sultan of Perak had broken the law, did not follow the law and did not respect the law.

Soi Lek, Guan Eng To Debate On Chinese Political Future

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- Come Feb 18, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who is also Penang chief minister, will lock horns in a debate on issues relating to the Chinese political future.

Dr Chua said he had accepted the invitation for the debate which was organised by the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) and MCA think-tank, Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap), during one of the sessions at the one-day forum on Malaysian Chinese political future at a hotel here.

"I will be having a debate with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng during the Feb 18 Chinese political conference.

"I thank him for accepting the organiser's invitation for the debate," he told reporters after chairing the MCA Central Committee meeting at the party headquarters here Thursday.

The forum titled, 'Malaysian Chinese at the Political Crossroads', is expected to be officiated by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

All Chinese-based political parties, both in Barisan Nasional and the opposition, have been invited to present their achievements at the forum.

Apart from leaders of political parties, other speakers would include representatives of non-governmental organisations.

As order breaks down in Syria, its Christians suffer the consequences

Left Foot Forward’s Ed Jacobs is a member of the Christian Socialist Movement and City Evangelical Church in Leeds and writes in a personal capacity.
As Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov today meets with President Bashar al-Assad in Damascas, the estimated 2.5 million Christians in Syria live in fear, stuck between a rock and a hard place.
As the news of Syrians being slaughtered continues at a relentless pace, it is thought that over one hundred Christians have now been targeted, either killed or kidnapped in brutal ways. Reporting last month, the organisation Barnabas Fund which campaigns on behalf of persecuted Christians has explained:

The Christian community in Syria has been hit by a series of kidnappings and brutal murders; one hundred Christians have now been killed since the anti-government unrest began.
A reliable source in the country, who cannot be identified for their own safety, told Barnabas Fund that children were being especially targeted by the kidnappers, who, if they do not receive the ransom demanded, kill the victim.
And the source provided detailed information – some of which cannot be made public for security reasons – about incidents that have taken place since Christmas.
Two Christian men, one aged 28, the other a 37-year-old father with a pregnant wife, were kidnapped by the rebels in separate incidents and later found dead; the first was found hanged with numerous injuries, the second was cut into pieces and thrown in a river. Four more have been abducted, and their captors are threatening to kill them too.
On 15 January two Christians were killed as they waited for bread at a bakery. Another Christian, aged 40 with two young children, was shot dead by three armed attackers while he was driving a vehicle.”

Perhaps because of such brutality, however clear things might seem, Christians in Syria remain wary of what “change” might mean for their country, looking to Iraq where their brothers and sisters in Christ are now making a mass exodus as a result of the attacks they have faced and Egypt where the prospect of an Islamist government has been matched by on-going attacks on Christians in a way not previously seen under President Hosni Mubarak.
Aware of this, President Assad is now using a policy of fear to court favour among Syria’s Christian communities. In an article published recently in “The Australian”, Richard Beeston explained:

When Father Basilious Nasser got an urgent call to say that one of his parishioners had been shot and needed help, the priest went immediately. As he tried to rescue the man on a street in the city of Hama, the cleric was shot twice by a sniper and died.
It is still unclear whether he was killed by government forces or the opposition, but his death nine days ago has shocked the Christian community.
For centuries, the ancient eastern churches have thrived on their ability to avoid becoming embroiled in the region’s volatile politics. But increasingly, the 2.5 million Christians in Syria fear being dragged into the violence.
There is no end in sight to the bloodshed, and hopes for a foreign-mediated solution dimmed yesterday as UN Security Council members failed to reach agreement yet again on a resolution to end the violence.
The fateful moment for Syria’s Christians can be traced back 10 months ago, when President Bashar al-Assad summoned leaders of the community to his palace and gave them an ultimatum: support me, or your people will suffer.
Perhaps mindful of the plight of the Christians in Iraq and Egypt, who have come under attack since the removal of secular dictatorships over the past decade, the leaders agreed.

As the West continues to look in anticipation at the opportunities that the Arab Spring could present, in Egypt and Iraq to name just two countries, the long lost promise of democratic futures, based on freedoms allowing Christians to pursue their faith free from intimidation, has so far failed to materialise.
Having actively called for President Mubarak to go in Egypt, intervened in Libya and spent years in Iraq we have a responsibility now to use all the muscle and leverage we have secure such freedoms. It is only then that Christians in Syria will truly have the confidence to escape the grip of fear with which President Assad now holds them.
And that goes for our “friends,” for want of a better word, too.
When Saudi Arabia for example finds itself third on the list of countries that persecute Christians, with reports before Christmas of 42 Christians in the country being arrested and tortured, why then did David Cameron’s recent visit to Saudi include a delegation of arms deals?
How perverse that we sell arms to a government that then subsequently used them to persecute Christians among others. Likewise, whilst Afghanistan, a country we supposedly “liberated” from the Taliban is second on the watch list of countries persecuting Christians, coming behind only North Korea, what message does it send when we sign a long-term partnership agreement with them?
In an e-petition I’ve recently established I call for the government to take action on three fronts:

1. To hold a full debate on the floor of the House of Commons on the issue of the persecution of Christians worldwide, mirroring similar debates in the Lords to enable our elected representatives to express their views.
2. That the government should be prepared to use sanctions, such as those related to trade where supposedly “friendly” countries fail to protect Christians from persecution or worse still, perpetrate such acts themselves.
3. To establish a new, annual report on the state of religious freedoms worldwide to highlight and expose those countries that fail to uphold the basic right to allow freedom of religion, free from intimidation.

In his speech marking the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, David Cameron spoke of the UK as a “Christian country” before declaring that should “actively stand up and defend” the values and morals from it that have shaped the UK. It’s time to stand up and stand up clearly for those very same values and moral worldwide as well.
As we look at the hideous position Syria’s Christians now find themselves in, let us remember the words of Martin Luther King:

“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends.”

EU: 'Being too Western' reason for 71% of 'honour' killings

Via the Irish Independent:

Yes, it's a cultural rather than a religious thing, stemming from some nasty tribal customs of South Asia and the Middle East, but though Hindus, Sikhs and the odd Christian might be perpetrators, the blunt truth is that honour killings are mainly Muslim-on-Muslim (91 per cent worldwide, 84 per cent North America, 96 per cent Europe).

Worldwide, two-thirds of victims (93 per cent women) were killed by their families of origin: 49 per cent in North America, 66 per cent in Europe and 72 per cent in Muslim countries. More than half the victims died in agony, having been either gang-raped or burned or stoned or beheaded or stabbed many times.

Being 'too Western' did for 58 per cent: this includes being insufficiently subservient, rejecting Islamic dress, wanting a career, having non-Muslim friends or boyfriends, rejecting an arranged marriage or leaving an abusive husband. This criterion covers 91 per cent of North American murders, 71 per cent of European and 43 per cent in the Muslim world. Offences against sexual propriety (eg being raped or accused of adultery) were the justification for the other murders.

Court of Appeal: Freedom of speech not absolute

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 8 — The rights and freedom of speech enshrined in the Federal Constitution are not absolute, the Court of Appeal ruled today.

As a result, statements made by Karpal Singh at a press conference in 2009 about Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak in relation to the political crisis in the state at the time, exceeded the boundaries permitted by the law and amounted to sedition.

This is despite the fact that Karpal (picture) in his capacity as a Member of Parliament and lawyer has the right to make political comments and express his views on the Constitution and the law, a 105-page judgment by Justice Datuk Ahmad Ma’arop added.

The Star Online reported Justice Ahmad as ruling the freedom of speech as enshrined in the Constitution meant a person had the right to speak, write or publish anything he liked so long as he does not break the law.

He also said the prosecution only needed to prove that the words uttered by Karpal could be deemed seditious — and not that they had led to an actual act of violence or an adverse reaction.

The news portal also quoted Justice Ahmad as saying it is immaterial as to whether Karpal’s statements were grounded in fact or not.

On January 20, Justice Ahmad, who presided over a three-man bench of the Court of Appeal, ordered Karpal to enter his defence on a charge of uttering seditious words against Sultan Azlan Shah of Perak during a press conference in 2009.

The panel, which also comprised justices Datuk Clement Allan Skinner and Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali set aside the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on June 11, 2010 to acquit and discharge Karpal from the sedition charge without calling for his defence.

Karpal was charged with uttering the seditious words at his legal firm in Jalan Pudu Lama in Kuala Lumpur between 12pm and 12.30pm on February 6, 2009.

He is alleged to have said that the removal of Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as mentri besar of Perak by the sultan could be questioned in a court of law.

The charge under section 4(1)(b) of the Sedition Act carries a maximum RM5,000 fine or three years’ jail, or both if convicted.

The Appeals Court, on January 20, also fixed tomorrow for mention of the case at the High Court.

In his judgment, Justice Ahmad said the panel did not accept Karpal’s submission that Section 3(1)(f) of the Sedition Act 1948, which makes questioning the rights and privileges of rulers an offence, was against the Federal Constitution.

Justice Ahmad further held the panel were in no doubt that the press conference was called with the hope that the proceedings would be reported.

He said Karpal at the press conference had repeatedly uttered words that clearly inferred the Sultan of Perak had broken the law, did not follow the law and did not respect the law.

Slim win seen for BN in Selangor

The Barisan Nasional is optimistic of wresting control of the state but with a three-seat majority.

By Rashid Ahmad

KUALA LUMPUR: Barisan Nasional (BN) is confident of capturing Selangor but with a slim majority of 31 state seats out of 56 in the coming general election.

This assessment is based on the current sentiments of the Malay voters who are said to be fed up with the many unfulfilled promises of the Pakatan Rakyat-led state government, the fading credibility of PKR de facto chief Anwar Ibrahim and the inability of PAS to control its partners – DAP and PKR – concerning Islamic issues.

BN currently holds 21 state seats in Selangor comprising 18 (Umno), one (MCA), and one from a PKR defector.

For the coming general election, Umno will field candidates in 35 seats, MIC six, while the remaining seats go to MCA and Gerakan.

BN does not pin much hope on MCA and Gerakan to win the hearts and minds of the Chinese voters.

Sources said that of the 41 seats that Umno and MIC would be contesting, 31 were considered “winnable” while the rest are even. Thus, its majority will be only three seats.

“BN is confident of taking back Selangor with a slim majority, despite the problems that the Pakatan-led state government is facing such as unfulfilled promises and internal strife.

“The ruling coalition is expected to scrap through despite the personal efforts of BN chairman and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak in trying hard to woo the voters.

“This thin margin of victory is primarily due to factionalism and infighting in Umno, MCA and Gerakan.

“Besides, the three parties are unable to regain the confidence of the Chinese and Indian voters.

“If Umno is truly united and MIC can be sure of obtaining more than 70 percent of the Indian voters, BN can get a higher majority,” the source said.

Sleepless nights

Another source said Umno and MIC would be fielding 60 percent new faces in the 41 seats they would be contesting (35 Umno and six MIC).

He added that such a drastic move would create “sleepless nights” for the incumbents who feel that they are still “relevant” or “winnable” if chosen again. But that decision – selection of candidates –will have to come from Umno president and Selangor chief Najib Tun Razak.

“You can expect a lots of fireworks in the BN camp when the names of the new candidates are released (by Najib) come nomination day. The incumbents will definitely not want to give up their seats without valid reasons.

“They have their own reasons for wanting to stay on. Moreover, faction heads who are working from behind the scene will want to make sure that their people are fielded again, given that party elections will have to be held just after the general election.

“Umno, in whatever new form it assumes, will still be the same as the internal power play is a far more serious matter than the general election,” the source said.

Three BN camps

Several sources said the Selangor Umno leadership would field new faces with “clean record”.

“When this happens, the incumbents will be upset. They will ask the leadership, ‘Am I corrupted?’

“They will claim that after serving the people in a clean manner, why should they be replaced by unknowns?” a source said.

To complicate matters, the three Umno factions in Selangor are working hard to ensure their men –the incumbents – are picked again to defend their seats.

The heads of these three camps are said to be Sri Serdang assemblyman Satim Diman, Sungai Panjang assemblyman Dr Mohd Khir Toyo and Selangor BN liaison deputy chief Noh Omar.

“These three factions want their incumbents retained so that they can become delegates to the party elections. They hope the delegates will vote for them (the faction heads) for a post in the Umno’s supreme council,” the source said.

The source added that BN can only win more more seats in Selangor if the internal discord in PKR and PAS continues unabated.

Ku Li talks about the mysterious plane crash in Sabah

Berikan kepercayaan kepada rakyat, bukan sebaliknya! — Sakmongkol AK47

8 FEB — Nampak nya, bila PM Najib menyeru kaum India mempercayai nya, dia sudah lupa kepada slogan dia sendiri. Suatu ketika dahulu, semasa berkobar kobar semangat liberalism dan terlalu taksub untuk meyakinkan dunia barat, PM Najib telah berkata bahawa zaman dimana pemerintah lebih tahu segala nya sudah berakhir. The age of government knows best is over. Translated, it also means, the age of big brotherism is over.

Tapi kita tahu, PM Najib kadang-kadang tidak tahu apa yang sudah diucapkan. Maklum sahajalah, sebahagian besar ucapan mengenai dasar-dasar negara, di sediakan oleh con-sultans. Slogan itu sedap di dengar, tapi perlaksanaan nya tidak ada.

Dan baru-baru ini, kita dengar PM Najib berkata perbelanjaan keatas kebajikan rakyat akan memufliskan negara. Adakah bantuan kepada rakyat yang susah, bayaran melalui jabatan kebajikan masyarakat misalnya, akan memiskinkan negara? Kenyataan ini amat sukar di terima memandangkan dalam masa 10 tahun (2000-2009) sebanyak satu trillion atau 1,000 billion telah hilang dari negara akibat pemindahan wang ke luar negara secara haram! Bayangkan jika jumlah tersebut di aplikasikan kepada kebajikan masyarakat! Maka yang sebetulnya membengkrapkan negara ini ialah rasuah dan pemindahan wang secara haram.

Pemindahan wang secara haram ini seperti nama nya, ialah pemindahan wang yang di perolehi secara rasuah atau haram kedalam akaun pemilik nya di luar negara. Tentu ada cara nya, kerajaan yang jujur mahu mendapatkan wang ini.

Slogan zaman kerajaan tahu segala nya sudah berakhir ketika di ucapkan menimbulkan perasaan gembira di kalangan rakyat. Apakah ertinya slogan itu bila di terjemah dengan jujur? Apabila di terjemah, slogan itu bermaksud, segala inisiatif bermula dari rakyat bukan dari pemimpin. Ertinya, PM Najib mahu memindahkan kuasa kepada rakyat. Tetapi itu semua untuk menyedapkan telinga.

Dari dulu, sekarang dan selama nya, Umno tidak akan memindahkan kuasa kepada rakyat. Kepada Umno, rakyat bukan nya tahu apa mereka mahu. Kerajaan lah yang super tahu. Sebab itu PM Najib kata percaya sama saya. Lu tolong gua, gua tolong lu. Beri saya nambikei, tembikai atau apa pun- maksud sebenar yang mahu Najib katakan ialah, kerajaan tahu segala nya. Itu sebab, caya sama gua.

Tapi, bila PM Najib berkata percaya pada saya, he has got it in reverse. Yang patut di sampaikan kepada PM Najib ialah, percayalah kepada rakyat, bukan sebaliknya. Jadi kita ulang — PM Najib, percayalah kepada rakyat. Kita tahu apa yang mesti di lakukan.

Tidak pula kita dengar PM Najib kata percaya kepada Umno. Dia hanya sebut percaya pada saya. Mungkinkah Presiden Umno pun tidak percaya kepada parti nya sendiri. Malang nya, inilah yang terjadi kepada Umno. Ia sebuah parti yang tidak di percayai dan tidak boleh di percayai.

Bagaimana rakyat mahu percaya kepada Umno jika Umno sendiri tidak yakin kepada rakyat? Bagaimana orang Melayu mahu yakin kepada Umno jika Umno tidak mempercayai orang Melayu? Cuba kita tanya — kepada siapakah Umno mempertaruhkan masa depan nya? Kepada orang Melayu atau kepada ahli parti yang seramai tiga juta itu?

Umno sebetulnya tidak mewakili orang Melayu. Yang di wakili oleh Umno ialah orang Melayu terpilih dan Melayu yang berkepentingan. Malahan, orang Melayu yang berada di luar Umno tidak di anggap Melayu oleh Umno. Siapakah Umno yang merasakan diri nya, berhak mendefinisikan siapa Melayu dan tidak Melayu? Bahkan, jika mahu di kira, ramai orang Melayu yang menyifatkan Najib Razak dan Hishamudin Hussein Onn tidak cukup Melayu. Mereka Melayu, tapi quotient Melayu mereka kurang.

Jangan lah kita percaya sangat apabila PM Najib berkata dia insaf dan merasakan apa yang RAKYAT rasakan. Najib mula jadi Melayu bila dia menggantikan Tun Razak sebagai ahli parlimen Pekan dalam tahun 1976.

Lihatlah kepada Umno wahai bangsa Melayu. Umno adalah parti yang mempertaruhkan masa depan nya kepada majority ahli nya yang berjumlah tiga juta itu. itu pun kesetiaan tiga juta ahli nya di perolehi melalui ugutan dan rasuah dan bentuk-bentuk pujukan yang lain. Umno di dominasi oleh golongan tender-preneur bukan oleh penyokong yang meyakini perjuangan Umno.

Parti yang menaruhkan masa depan nya diatas sogokan dan ugutan dan bukan diatas perjuangan untuk satu SERUAN, tidak akan bertahan lama. Umno ada jasad tetapi tidak ada roh. Ini ancaman terbesar kepada Umno.

Orang Melayu tidak ada masa depan dengan parti politik macam Umno hari ini. — sakmongkol.blogspot.com

* Sakmongkol AK47 is the nom de plume of Datuk Mohd Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz. He was Pulau Manis assemblyman (2004-2008).

Malaysia Awaiting Arrival Of Indonesian Maids From March

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 9 (Bernama) -- The government is optimistic of receiving the first batch of Indonesian maids in early March after a two-year freeze, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.

He said Malaysia had done all things agreed upon by both countries and was awaiting the arrival of the first batch of Indonesian maids.

He said the efforts included a meeting between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to iron out the problem amicably at the end of last year.

However, the actual number of the first group of Indonesian maids will depend on the number of applications made through employment agencies in the country, he said at a news conference here Wednesday.

Indonesia officially withdrew the moratorium on the sending of maids to Malaysia starting Dec 1 last year but would only send them from March.

A total of 121 Malaysian employment agencies are getting ready to collaborate with their Indonesian counterparts in the placement of maids from the republic to Malaysia starting early next month.

Meanwhile, Subramaniam urged Indian youths to capitalise on the "My Career Fair 2012' specifically organised for them where over 2,500 job opportunities in government agencies, and government-linked and private companies would be up for grab.

Organised by the Cabinet Committee for the Indian Community under the Prime Minister's Department, it will be held at the Dewan Tunku Canselor, Universiti Malaya on Saturday, the Skudai Multipurpose Hall, Johor Baharu (Feb 19), the University Putra Malaysia's Grand Hall (Feb 25) and the Tamil Methodist Hall, Ipoh (March 4).

Under the Democracy Tree: Remembering Perak power grab

Perak Pakatan reps gathered under the Democracy Tree in Ipoh on 6 February to recall the third anniversary of the power grab in the state.

Photograph: Kinta Kid

Remember how Speaker Sivakumar was literally dragged out of his chair?
Kinta Kid has the full story with pictures here.

Racist Militia Slaughter 12 "Black" Libyans

The death toll from yesterday’s attack by the Misrata brigade on a refugee camp in Tripoli has reached 12.

Doctors and locals report that two of the dead were women and one elderly man. The exact number of injured is unknown although many videos have emerged online and in mainstream western and GCC media of wounded victims.

Inhabitants in the camp in the Janzour area are from the town of Tawergha, whose entire and predominantly Black Libyan population of about 35,000 were forced to flee from relentless attack by NATO and the Misrata rebels.

The attack began when a heavily armed rebel militia from Misrata entered the squalid camp situated in a naval base firing anti-aircraft guns mounted on pick up trucks in the air to scare the inhabitants. This was followed by some of the rebels opening fire  on the inhabitants.

Following the attack, Tawerghans took to the streets in protest. This could be seen on an Al Jazeera English video (which is now notated as "private.") However, the AJE report omits any mention of the inherent racism of the rebels that has been exposed by their systematic persecution of Black Libyans and migrants from other countries on the continent since the beginning of the crisis in Libya. It also omits that the channel has been at the forefront of aggravating racist attacks as a result of its relentless an unsubstantiated claims of a systematic policy by the Jamahiriyah government of hiring “African mercenaries” - racist terminology in itself which implies a separation between Libyans from Africa despite that the nation is African.

Reuters  reported that Abdelhafid Suleiman, head of the military council of Janzour, claimed that the inhabitants were armed with “sticks and knives”. But locals and doctors have insisted the inhabitants were unarmed and critics have stressed that this accusation contains racist language in line with the well documented racism of the Misrata rebels.

Elsewhere, reports have cited a statement released by locals in Janzour the Wershafana people of Libya pledging to arm the people of Tawergha so that they could defend themselves.

"Speaking Truth To Empower."

Father held for killing infant

BEHRAMPORE: A man allegedly hurled his one-and-half- month-old daughter at Mangaljone Mathpara in Raghunathgunj on Sunday night. Manoyara Khatun's forehead was badly injured and she died of heavy bleeding. As the news spread, the villagers informed the police.

Majibar Rahman was had been upset with his wife for having giving birth to a girl. Kohinoor Bibi, the baby's grandmother said, "When he came yesterday with some medicines and baby food, we forgave him. How could we suspect that he would kill his own child? Such cruelty is unacceptable to us and even to Allah! Allah would surely punish him."

Abusing his wife for having given birth to a daughter, on Sunday,he snatched Manoyara and hurled her to the ground. He had allegedly also killed his first child.

"As I gave birth to a daughter, my husband was annoyed with me. We are poor and thus he wanted a son. He accused me regularly and did not even come to my father's house to see the baby. But I could not imagine that he could kill his own daughter. I demand exemplary punishment," said the baby's mother.

Annappa E, additional SP of Murshidabad, said, "Police have started inquiry. Majibar was absconding at first but we finally arrested him from Raghunathgunj."

In another incident, police found the body of a newborn at Ghatbandar on the banks of Bhagirathi in Behrampore on Monday noon. "The parents probably had brought the baby in a bag and left it there. The baby's head was smeared with blood," said police.

Batu Caves: Temple of Garbage

Tuesday, February 07, 2012 -- Once again Batu Caves has turned into a sea of garbage on Thaipusam where dustbins were hard to locate like kids lost in the crowd and if you are lucky enough to find one,  you will be greatly disappointed as these bins will be extremely overflowing. The corrupted temple management is unable to solve this problem year after year.

Many assigned to serve drinks but none assigned to remove the trash

Festive air fills Batu Caves

KUALA LUMPUR -- An air of festivity filled Batu Caves as thousands of Hindus, tourists and traders thronged the famed Thaipusam spot today ahead of the festival tomorrow. Devotees flooded the Sri Subramaniyar Swami Temple as early as 8am, heads shaven before climbing up 272 steps to the temple, carrying the pal kudam, or milk pots, to fulfill their vows. A businessman from Ipoh, Dhilip Kumar, 23, said he was stunned by the beauty of Batu Caves and the festivity at the location. "This is my first time to Batu Caves, I did not expect that many Hindus to come each year. There were thousands today and perhaps by tomorrow the number will exceed a million," he told Bernama. Traffic in the area was under control by police and the Federal Reserve Unit. At mid-day, the route to Batu Caves was slow-moving, especially along the Middle Ring Road II (MRR2), to allow devotees cross the road to the temple. Karmalanita, 29, a lawyer from Melaka, said she brought a milk pot to be presented to Lord Murugan as she prayed for the peaceful departure of her husband, who passed away in an accident in November. A trader, P Gunaseelan, 59, from Gombak, came with his wife to make a vow for his child's successful heart bypass operation on Feb 23. Also known as Thaipooyam, or Thaippooyam in Malayalam, the festival observes the birthday of Lord Murugan, as well as commemorating his destruction of an evil power named Soorapadman. As in previous years, the festival in Batu Caves attracted thousands of tourists. Martin Nick, 59, an engineer from Denmark said, "This is my first time here, I'm surprised to see the big statue of Lord Murugan here, the biggest I have ever seen." Edvard Lambert, 38, a photographer from Scotland had his head shaved along with other Hindu devotees in Batu Caves to fulfill his vow to have a daughter after eight years. The festival was also an opportunity for traders at the Batu Caves, offering various items from food to clothes. -- Bernama

2 brothers died near Batu Caves NST, 07/02.12 OMBAK: A trash truck with faulty brakes rammed into a motorcycle, killing two brothers, here near the Batu Caves roundabout. Pix by Fahirul N. Ramli 1 / 1 Farouk Nor Shaharuddin, 18, and Norshahrizal Shaharuddin, 22,  were on their way to Ulu Yam recreational park with five other friends when they met with the accident. In the 1.25pm incident opposite the Batu Caves temple, the truck which was on MRR2 heading north, also hit a lorry, car and a bus before it halted. Police who were on standby for Ops Palu at the temple came immediately and sent the victims to Selayang Hospital. At 2pm, a firetruck came to clean the blood off the road.

Why yet to question Shahrizat, Kit Siang asks MACC

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang is demanding answers as to why Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has not been interrogated over the National Feedlot Centre (NFC) scandal when she is due to resume ministerial duties tomorrow.

The DAP advisor pointed out that the purpose of Shahrizat’s three-week leave was to allow investigators to determine the extent of her alleged involvement in the NFC and in order to do so, her statement would be central to the case.

Lim said the first thing Shahrizat should have done when commencing her leave was to give a full

The DAP advisor, in a statement today, said Shahrizat appears more “combative and truculent” since returning from her three-week leave. — file pic

statement to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to enable them to clear her name.

“And if Shahrizat did not volunteer to give a statement to MACC, why didn’t MACC call her up so that it could clear Shahrizat of any corrupt wrongdoing in the NFC scandal?”

“It would appear that Shahrizat’s three-week leave is nothing but a charade,” the Ipoh Timor MP said in a statement here.

Lim, who yesterday urged the federal government to extend Shahrizat’s leave pending completion of investigations, also expressed disgust at the minister for purportedly returning from her leave more triumphant than chastened.

He said from Shahrizat’s more “combative and truculent” behaviour, it appeared as if the latter was indirectly challenging both the Opposition and her detractors within Umno to a “battle royale” to force her into resignation.

Lim drew links between Shahrizat’s confidence and a recent statement she made when commenting on the scandal — “which Umno leader does not have a problem”.

Describing Shahrizat’s words as “defiant but eloquent”, Lim said the minister was likely feeling triumphant as she felt she was in safe company and would enjoy immunity and impunity for her role in the NFC.

“Can every Cabinet minister publicly declare that he or she does not have similar problems as Shahrizat and does not have any next-of-kin, whether husband, wife, son or daughter, who has taken massive government loans for whatever projects which were misused for purposes completely unrelated to the loan disbursement,” he asked.

Lim said tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting would be crucial to Shahrizat’s fate as ministers should decide whether to extend her leave as well as how to explain the NFC scandal.

He asked: “Is there any Cabinet minister tomorrow who dares to ask Shahrizat to fully clear herself of any wrongdoing, whether abuse of power or conflict of interest, in the NFC scandal before she resumes her duty as Minister for Women, Family and Community Development?”

Behave or face the music, Palani told

Branch leader threatens MIC chief with a Gerakan-Anti Palanivel if he continues to abuse his position for political mileage.

KLANG: MIC president G Palanivel has been warned against usurping incumbents from their current constituencies. If he insists on pursuing this path, then an anti-Palani campaign will be mooted, said a branch chairman.

VT Rajen, the Taman Mujur branch chairman, said that he would launch a Gerakan-Anti Palanivel (GAP) if the party chieftain continues to abuse his position for political mileage.

Rajen said that Palani had betrayed party members by holding a secret meeting with the Cameron Highlands Umno division chief, allegedly to topple incumbent SK Devamany.

“In the history of the party, no MIC chief has ever tried to surreptitiously do a number on his own men,” Rajen told FMT.

Devamany, who is also a MIC vice-president, is a Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department’s Economic Planning Unit.

Palanivel was taken to task by Rajen for keeping mum when Cameron Highlands Umno leaders were criticising Devamany in the media the past week.

Cameron Highlands Umno Youth and its Puteri wing urged Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to drop Devamany from the resort district and to replace him with Palanivel.

“Irrespective of the prime minister’s decision, Palanivel must stand solidly behind Devamany and defend his man instead of letting others destroy him and tarnish MIC’s reputation.

“As party president, he should not allow outsiders to offer advice or dictate terms on the internal affairs of the MIC,” said Rajen.

‘Contest in Sungai Siput, Palani’

Rajen insisted that MIC must retain its incumbent MPs in their respective constituencies as it was the desire of members to see those who succeeded in the last election retained.

Besides Devamany, MIC holds three parliamentary seats, with party deputy president Dr S Subramaniam in Segamat, M Saravanan in Tapah and P Kamalanathan in Hulu Selangor.

Rajen also suggested that Palanivel contest in Sungai Siput if the latter really wants to prove his mettle in the next general election.

“Sungai Siput has always been a bastion of past MIC presidents like Tun Sambanthan and S Samy Vellu and Palanivel should maintain the tradition.”

Rumours have been rife since last year that Palanivel was keen on contesting in 13th general election despite speculation that Najib wanted the MIC president to stay out of the race.

Apart from Cameron Highlands, it is learnt that Palanivel is also eyeing the Padang Serai and Kuala Selangor Parliamentary seats.

Welfare Department blasted for Thaipusam gaffe

A message on the department's Facebook page extends Thaipusam greetings to Buddhists instead of Hindus.

PETALING JAYA: It is now the Social Welfare Department’s (JKMM) turn to become the object of ridicule among Malaysians following a cultural gaffe on its Facebook page.

The department’s Facebook status message yesterday read “Selamat Menyambut Thaipusam kpd mereka beragama Buddha” (HappyThaipusam to those who are Buddhists).

Thaipusam is celebrated by Hindus while Buddhists celebrate Wesak. The JKMM’s Facebook administrator realised the mistake and updated the status message to “Selamat Menyambut Thaipusam” (Happy Thaipusam) fifteen minutes later.

However the previous message was not removed leading to a flurry of indignant and incredulous comments from the public.

The department was slammed as “stupid”, “ignorant”, “an embarrassment” and “insensitive” with a number of commenters calling for an apology and a removal of the offending message.

“More than 50 years of independence and this is the sort of rubbish we get from a totally wasted and incompetent government,” wrote Krish Kumar.

“Perhaps (JKMM) needs to go back to school and learn which religious celebrations belong to which religion…this is seriously a disgusting display of ignorance,” said Suzanne Lazaroo.

“Ni bukan kata bodoh tapi jahil…JKM patut membuat permohonan maaf secara terbuka akibat kesilapan ni (This isn’t stupidity but ignorance…JKM should issue an open apology for this mistake),” stated Azhar Aris.

A few commenters also predicted that JKMM would follow in the footsteps of the Defence Ministry in blaming the mistake on “bad translation”.

The Defence Minstry recently found itself the laughing stock of Malaysians for blunders on its English site and pointed its finger at Google Translate.

JKMM’s faux pas comes just days after Putrajaya member of parliament, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, apologised for the Tamil translation and spelling errors on Thaipusam banners placed around the constituency.

The banners were taken down a day later.

Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

Malaysians in general, Malaysia Today readers included, do not appear to understand the meaning of democracy, equality, freedom, and the rights of man and of the citizens. That is why most look at rights from only one side of the coin. Before you scream about rights and respect of these rights, maybe you can read what was passed in France on 26 August 1789. Then start debating, or else you will appear very shallow and narrow-minded in your views.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Approved by the National Assembly of France, August 26, 1789

The representatives of the French people, organized as a National Assembly, believing that the ignorance, neglect, or contempt of the rights of man are the sole cause of public calamities and of the corruption of governments, have determined to set forth in a solemn declaration the natural, unalienable, and sacred rights of man, in order that this declaration, being constantly before all the members of the Social body, shall remind them continually of their rights and duties; in order that the acts of the legislative power, as well as those of the executive power, may be compared at any moment with the objects and purposes of all political institutions and may thus be more respected, and, lastly, in order that the grievances of the citizens, based hereafter upon simple and incontestable principles, shall tend to the maintenance of the constitution and redound to the happiness of all.

Therefore the National Assembly recognizes and proclaims, in the presence and under the auspices of the Supreme Being, the following rights of man and of the citizen:

Articles:

1. Men are born and remain free and equal in rights. Social distinctions may be founded only upon the general good.
2. The aim of all political association is the preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man. These rights are liberty, property, security, and resistance to oppression.
3. The principle of all sovereignty resides essentially in the nation. No body nor individual may exercise any authority which does not proceed directly from the nation.
4. Liberty consists in the freedom to do everything which injures no one else; hence the exercise of the natural rights of each man has no limits except those which assure to the other members of the society the enjoyment of the same rights. These limits can only be determined by law.
5. Law can only prohibit such actions as are hurtful to society. Nothing may be prevented which is not forbidden by law, and no one may be forced to do anything not provided for by law.
6. Law is the expression of the general will. Every citizen has a right to participate personally, or through his representative, in its foundation. It must be the same for all, whether it protects or punishes. All citizens, being equal in the eyes of the law, are equally eligible to all dignities and to all public positions and occupations, according to their abilities, and without distinction except that of their virtues and talents.
7. No person shall be accused, arrested, or imprisoned except in the cases and according to the forms prescribed by law. Any one soliciting, transmitting, executing, or causing to be executed, any arbitrary order, shall be punished. But any citizen summoned or arrested in virtue of the law shall submit without delay, as resistance constitutes an offense.
8. The law shall provide for such punishments only as are strictly and obviously necessary, and no one shall suffer punishment except it be legally inflicted in virtue of a law passed and promulgated before the commission of the offense.
9. As all persons are held innocent until they shall have been declared guilty, if arrest shall be deemed indispensable, all harshness not essential to the securing of the prisoner's person shall be severely repressed by law.
10. No one shall be disquieted on account of his opinions, including his religious views, provided their manifestation does not disturb the public order established by law.
11. The free communication of ideas and opinions is one of the most precious of the rights of man. Every citizen may, accordingly, speak, write, and print with freedom, but shall be responsible for such abuses of this freedom as shall be defined by law.
12. The security of the rights of man and of the citizen requires public military forces. These forces are, therefore, established for the good of all and not for the personal advantage of those to whom they shall be intrusted.
13. A common contribution is essential for the maintenance of the public forces and for the cost of administration. This should be equitably distributed among all the citizens in proportion to their means.
14. All the citizens have a right to decide, either personally or by their representatives, as to the necessity of the public contribution; to grant this freely; to know to what uses it is put; and to fix the proportion, the mode of assessment and of collection and the duration of the taxes.
15. Society has the right to require of every public agent an account of his administration.
16. A society in which the observance of the law is not assured, nor the separation of powers defined, has no constitution at all.
17. Since property is an inviolable and sacred right, no one shall be deprived thereof except where public necessity, legally determined, shall clearly demand it, and then only on condition that the owner shall have been previously and equitably indemnified.

This document was written by The Marquis de Lafayette, with help from his friend and neighbor, American envoy to France, Thomas Jefferson.
Lifted from: http://www.marxists.org/history/france/revolution/rights-man.htm

India's Politicians Keep it in the Family

We hardly know each other

Dynastic politics rule the day – across South Asia as well
Mayawati, the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state with 200 million people, has often ridiculed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, calling him yuvaraj, Hindi for `prince’. The waspish reference is to the 41-year-old’s bloodline -- the Nehru-Gandhi lineage that has dominated the Indian political matrix for over five generations.

That is despite the fact that the 56-year-old Mayawati, who publicly professes anathema for dynastic politics, has herself fielded more kin and friends of her party -- the Bahujan Samaj Party or BSP -- than Congress itself. Many of her favored ministers’ relatives occupy high positions within the state

As the electoral battle in Uttar Pradesh, which goes to the polls in a series of staggered elections starting tomorrow -- gets increasingly clamorous, Rahul, son of the ruling UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and the Congress party’s future prime ministerial candidate, will be facing more such barbs spotlighting the politics of inheritance in the world’s largest democracy.

But the lottery of birth has become a serious determinant of political fortunes in India to the point where the country is often referred to as "a democracy of dynasties, for dynasties and by dynasties". The Gandhi family should know. It is probably the world's oldest democratic dynasty, producing a team of grandfather-daughter-grandson prime ministers that has ruled India for 37 of its 65 years as an independent state.

However, to be fair to the Gandhis and Mayawati, nepotism is well entrenched in the other Indian political parties as well, both at the state and national level. This fact has become more evident as five Indian states – UP, Goa, Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur – head for assembly polls this month.

The culture of dynastic politics permeates other political parties as well. Ramji Suman, Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary for instance, has procured a ticket for his son Ranjeet Singh from Jalesar in Etah while jailed former minister Amarmani Tripathi’s son Amanmani is the SP candidate from Nautanwa in Maharajganj district.

The culture of nepotism is prevalent within the country’s largest opposition party, the Hindu fundamentalist Bhartiya Janata Party, as well. Here, Lalji Tandon, party MP from Lucknow, one of the most significant political constituencies in the country, has secured a party ticket for his son Ashutosh Tandon from Lucknow North. Raj Kishore Verma, son- in- law of BJP spokesperson Ramnath Kovid, is a party candidate from Balamau in Hardoi. BJP MP Ramakant Yadav’s wife Ranjana Yadav is contesting from Nizamabad and his son Arun Yadav from Jalalpur

In India’s richest state of Punjab, dominated by the feudal Jat culture, politics has been a family affair since independence in 1947. Here, six powerful clans have presided over the state’s political fortunes. These include wealthy, landed Jat families like the Patiala Royals, Badals of Muktsar, Majithias of Amritsar, Kairons of Tarn Taran, Brars of Sarai Naga and Manns of Sangrur.

“Elections are merely a process of temporarily shifting the balance of power from one clan to the other. Inter-clan marriages have spawned political havens that ensure that no family is ever completely out of power,” wrote Asit Jolly in India Today magazine.

Analysts say fielding the kin of party veterans gained momentum during 2009 Lok Sabha (lower house) elections when relatives of several leaders from across the political spectrum jumped into the fray.

“The dynastic equation serves everybody well,” said sociologist Dr. Ashit Basu of Kolkata University. “The political party can cash in on a brand name while capitalizing on the political capital invested by the family in the state’s administrative/PR machinery. The electorate also seems to be more at ease with a candidate whose ancestors have been familiar faces in the political arena.”

It should be pointed out tht India is far from alone. American scholar Stephen Hess, who wrote America's Political Dynasties, talked of American political dynasties coming "in all sizes and flavors." Access to the political system in most countries is costly in terms of money and only those who can afford the time, money, resources and have the requisite connections find an entry into what is often “an exclusive, if not closed club”. “Political lineage buttressed by money helps facilitate that entry,” Hess wrote.

Democratic purists would do well to remember that such blatant partisanship exists all over the world. South Asia has been perhaps the most famous for such dynasties. Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal all have well-entrenched traditions. In Nepal, after the massacre of the entire royal family at the turn of the century, the king's brother took over. Prime Minister G.P. Koirala's two other brothers were prime ministers as well — the only instance of three brothers serving in such high elective office.

In Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Solomon Bandranaike's widow, Sirimavo Bandranaike, became prime minister followed by her daughter, Chandrika Kumaratunga as president. Bangladesh too, has seen two redoubtable women rule -- Sheikh Hasina, daughter of erstwhile President Mujibur Rahman, and Khaleda Zia, widow of President Ziaur Rahman.

In Pakistan, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was prime minister during 1971- 1977 while his daughter Benazir was elected for two stints during the 1990s, the first woman from a Muslim state to head a government. In the Philippines, families have dominated politics for decades. Aung San Suu Kyi in Burma, Megawati Sukarnoputri in Indonesia, Peron of Argentina, Hafez al Assad in Syria, Kim Il-Sung are some other examples from this near-monarchical tradition.

The election of George W. Bush as president eight years after his father left the White House, and Makiko Tanaka's induction as Japan's foreign minister some 25 years after her father was premier, prove that the First World isn’t immune. Although the Kennedys were the most famous Western political dynasty, the Bush election was the second instance in American history of a father-son presidency.

In fact dynastic participation in the world’s oldest democracy is quite common in American state and local politics. Former U.S. vice president Al Gore’s father was a senator while Chicago Mayor Richard Daley's son was a Cabinet official under Clinton and campaign manager for Gore.

As far as India is concerned, experts are hopeful that as Indians get increasingly enlightened about their democratic rights, they will hold their government accountable over corruption, economic performance, social benefits etc. “In such a scenario, bloodlines will matter less and will eventually pave way for something more openly contested and democratic,” predicts Basu.

Till then, however, Indian political candidates will continue to flex their dynastic muscle.

(Neeta Lal is a New Delhi-based senior journalist; neetalal@hotmail.com.)

PROTON CARS

1. I stopped using Proton cars after I stepped down. I wanted to enjoy the superior quality of the high-end European and Japanese cars.

2. Proton was known for its cheap cars. The assumption is that it can never produce cars of quality as represented by European, Japanese and even Korean cars.

3. The people at Proton are unhappy over this reputation. They feel it is wrong to think that they cannot produce high end cars. It is just that the company policy was to produce run-of-the-mill cars. The Malaysian public expect Malaysian cars to be cheap. Cheap cars just cannot have the quality and the features of the more costly imports.

4. Proton people want to show that given the support they can produce quality cars.

5. The other day I test drove their latest model on the test track at Shah Alam. I can verify and assure Proton customers and Malaysians generally that this new model can match any of the Japanese or European quality cars. It was such a pleasure to drive. A foreign friend who knows cars, tested the car and says it is up to the standard of the up-market cars from Europe.

6. This car uses hot press steel body which is stronger than cold press. It has a 1.6 liter turbocharged engine equal to a 2.0 liter engine power. The engine complies with Euro-five standards.

7. A whole list of feature has been incorporated. This includes Vehicle Seek Lamp, Wiper Auto Speed, Auto side door folding mirror, Push Button Start / Stop, Sensors for Automatic Wiper and Headlamp and GPS Antenna for Navigation System.

8. Additionally it has Impact Sensing Door Lock, Continuous Variable Transmission, Security Alarm System, Immobiliser and Central Locking.

9. The automatic version has Shift Lever with Tiptronic Mode and Paddle Shifter on Steering Wheel for seven gear changes. ABS to prevent skidding and BA (Brake Assist) to increase brake pedal force.

10. There are many others features which enhances the performance of the engine and driveability of the car.

11. There will be several models with less features than I describe. But they are all superior to the other Proton cars.

12. Naturally the price would be higher though probable cheaper than imports with similar features and quality.

13. I believe this is a great car and Proton can be proud of it. Malaysians can be proud of it too. The extra Ringgit you have to spend will be worth it.

14. The car will be available in three months time.