Optimum persecution on Pakistani Hindus. 160 years old Gorakhnath Temple vandalized, Shivling desecreted. 70 Bheel Hindus forcefully converted into Islam.

Guru Gorakhnath temple at Gorgathri, Peshawar.

Religious intolerance in Pakistan : Hindu temple vandalized in Peshawar : 70 Bheel Hindus forcefully converted into Islam in Sindh.

Peshawar | May 21, 2012 :: Unidentified men stormed a at least 160 years Hindu temple of Guru Gorakhnath and Lord Shiva in Peshawar on Sunday evening, police said.

This Gorakhnath temple was just reopened in 2011 after a long legal fight or 60 years as the temple was forcefully closed by the Evacuee Property Trust Board and the Provincial Archaeology Department. As one Phool Wati and her son Kaka Ram own the sacred battle the opening rituals were performed with a great grandeur in last Diwali.

But, the old temple of Nath Tradition has been vandalized with all Islamic impetus and and desecrated by Muslim menace. The Idols of Shiva and Nath Gurus were destroyed, holy books are set on fire, human excreta were thrown and so on. All in the name of Mohammad, Islam and Allah as these vicious entities are always to instill terror into the mind of idol worshiper and to destroy all existence of non Muslims.

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Pakistani Muslims Rape Girl, Beat Relatives for Prosecuting

Aunt of 13-year-old victim loses twins to miscarriage after beating.

LAHORE, Pakistan, May 21 (CDN) — A band of Muslims this month severely beat a pregnant Christian woman in Punjab’s Narowal district – causing her to lose female twins to miscarriage – in an effort pressure her family into dropping charges of raping her 13-year-old niece, the woman’s husband said.

Asher Masih of Dhamala village told Compass by phone that the men attacked his home on May 8.

“All three male members of our family, including my father, brother and myself, were out for work when Irfan Safdar and his accomplices trespassed into our house and started beating up my mother, sister-in-law and my wife, who was in her fifth month of pregnancy, mercilessly,” he said.

Masih’s elderly mother said she pleaded for the attackers to spare his wife, but they did not listen.

“They murdered our children, they raped our daughter,” she said. “We have nothing left with us.”

In a country where Muslim criminals believe police and courts will give little credence to the complaints of Christians, the family accuses three Muslims of gang-raping the girl at an outhouse on March 29.

“She had gone to a nearby field to use the toilet when she was forcibly taken away by three men later identified as Irfan Safdar and Shahid. Their third accomplice remains unidentified as yet,” Masih said. “At first we thought that she might have stopped at some neighbor’s house, but when she did not return after a long time, we set out to look for her.”

He said a villager informed the family that he had seen Safdar and two others taking the girl to an outhouse. The family rushed to the site, but Safdar and his accomplices fled, Masih said.

“We found [name withheld] inside the outhouse, raped and badly injured,” he said.

Masih said the family tried to register a First Information Report (FIR) with local police, but officers turned a deaf ear, as Safdar is the son of former police inspector Safdar Bajwa.

“They also refused to register [the victim’s] statement under Section 164, which is mandatory in such cases,” he said.

Police refused to file their complaint for more than a week, during which time the suspects repeatedly threatened the family, he said.

“They told us we were poor and weak and could not face them no matter how much we tried,” Masih said. “There are about four or five Christian families in the overwhelmingly Muslim village, but almost everyone is fed up with the Bajwa family because of their criminal activities.”

Safdar Bajwa first denied that his son was involved in the case, but when several Muslim villagers started visiting the police station with the victim’s family, the accused surrendered a servant identified as Shahid to police, saying he had raped the girl, Masih said.

“The police tried to give a clean sheet to Irfan in the initial investigation, because of his father’s influence, but then registered FIR No. 145/12 under Section 376 against three men, including Irfan, when the villagers insisted,” he said, adding that police still did not arrest Safdar. “In April, Irfan and his accomplices illegally grabbed a piece of land owned by us. They did this to pressure us into giving up the case, but we stood our ground. We are poor, but we chose not to compromise on our honor.”

Masih said the Muslim family used various tactics to compel the victim’s family to drop the charges, and when all efforts failed, they attacked their house.

After neighbors informed the men at work of the attack, they took the injured women to a hospital.

“The doctors tried to save the babies, but Nosheen had a miscarriage because of the severe injuries inflicted by the attackers,” he said, adding that his wife was still in a state of shock and grief.

Masih said that the family has registered case No. 184/12 against Irfan Safdar and nine others, but the suspects managed to get pre-arrest bails with the help of police.

“Their interim bails end on May 22, and we know they will be able to influence their way out of this case as well,” he said. ‘There is no justice for the poor and helpless in Pakistan, especially if you belong to a minority community.”

Thus far, he added, they have received no assistance from any government or Christian organization.

“We cannot leave the village, because we don’t have any other place or means to go,” he said. “The villagers are giving moral support to us, but we need help in facing this situation. In villages, it is the police that matter, and in this case, the entire police machinery is working against us.”


Saddar Station House Officer Sohail Tariq was unavailable for comment.

City Hall rejects permits but traders to go ahead

Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has denied permits to 60 petty traders to set up stalls on the road in front of the house of Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (Bersih) co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan on Thursday and Friday.

However, Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council chairperson Jamal Md Yunus (centre in photo) will go ahead with the protest.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor Ahmad Fuad Ismail has urged the traders to use the "appropriate channel" to make their claims.

"If this goes on, we will never hear the end of it. To gather in a peaceful assembly in front of her (Ambiga's) house, it's all right...," he said today after meeting Jamal, who was seeking DBKL's approval.

"But to erect stalls, DBKL will not allow it in accordance with the Streets, Drainage and Buildings Act 1974.

"This is because Ambiga's house is not the only house there. So my advice is that if they want to continue, (they) should look for a more suitable spot, one that is approved."
Ahmad Fuad said the protest would reflect badly on the country internationally and set a precedents for the future generation.

He advised the traders to opt for legal recourse to make up for their losses and not to let the matter drag on.

The trading zones that were painted in yellow would be covered using black paint by City Hall workers.

“Painting the lots is not allowed. Since they have done it we will re-paint it in black. And if they continue to do business (on Thursday and Friday), we will send enforcement there. The law must be respected. We will also ask for police cooperation,” Ahmad Fuad said.

However, Jamal insisted that the petty traders would trade there because they are performing their duties to earn a living.

“We respect DBKL’s decision. We will do our work and DBKL will do theirs,” he said.

“We will go on (with the market) until someone takes on the responsibility for our losses,” said Jamal.

Prime lot bid went for RM5,000
Jamal also said the prime trading zones opposite Ambiga’s house went to highest bidder Ahmad Diah Ali, who bought it for RM5,000 for both the days.

The lot was put up for bidding by the council in front of the City Hall building today, after a meeting with the mayor.

Ahmad, who plans to sell drinks and food at the stall, said he does not mind paying RM5,000 for the lot because he is very unhappy with Ambiga.

“I'm willing to pay RM5,000 because I’m not satisfied with (what) Ambiga (has done). Because of her, the business of traders has been disrupted,” he told reporters.

“I want to express my dissatisfaction by trading right opposite Ambiga’s house,” said Ahmad, 51, who had paid in cash for the lot. The other lots were sold at RM100 each.

Jamal said the petty traders were expecting at least 10,000 people to visit the 60 stalls to stay open from 3.30pm to 8pm, even though they have been denied trading permits by City Hall.

Who is overseeing electoral reforms?

A think tank suggests that the PSC be turned into a permanent institution.

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission (EC) has said it is ready to face the 13th general election, but one of the questions observers are asking is: What about the 32 recommendations of the parliamentary select committee (PSC) on electoral reform?

“What are the updates on the PSC suggestions? Exactly who is monitoring the implementation of these reforms?” asked K Shan, acting chairman of the National Institute for Democracy and Electoral Integrity (NIEI).

Last February, the government gazetted the use of indelible ink to ensure that no one votes more than once. In late April, the EC announced that it had managed to reduce the number of dubious voters on its roll to 40,803 from the January figure of 42,000.

However, there are many other issues to address before anyone can say that the electoral system has undergone meaningful reform.

Even the clean-up of the electoral has not gone far enough to satisfy critics. There are, for instance, still many cases of multiple voters registered under a single address. The PSC has suggested that Mimos Berhad, a government agency, be assigned to monitor the problem and continue with the clean-up. However, there has been no significant update on this.

PSC, in the report it released in early April, suggested that the EC display the names of dubious voters within 45 days for a quick clean-up of the roll. It has now been seven weeks since that report and the deadline is drawing close. We have yet to hear anything from the EC with regard to this suggestion.

Shan suggested that the PSC be re-appointed to oversee the progress of reforms. While acknowledging that the PSC was not the final voice of authority on electoral matters, he said its familiarity with the issues involved should not be wasted.

He even suggested that the PSC be turned into a permanent body.

“Of course, we are concerned over the short-term reforms, but we are suggesting that the PSC be made permanent to look into long-term reforms as well,” he said.

“Since the nine members of the panel are familiar with the issue, why don’t they just continue to oversee the implementation of the reforms? At least that will be better than the EC itself overseeing the reforms.”

Lack of political will



PSC member Anthony Loke said this was in fact one of the suggestions made in the April report. However, he added, the government lacked the political will to act on the recommendations.

“We suggested for a permanent committee to be established,” he said, “but there is a lack of political will to implement these suggestions. There is no mechanism to push for these reforms and there is no pressure whatsoever for the EC to act.”

Indeed, now that the PSC’s term of service has ended, Parliament is deprived of a means to request progress reports from the EC.

PSC chairman Maximus Ongkili said it was entirely up to the government to take up or reject any of the suggestions in the report.

“The committee that was suggested was to monitor the implementation of PSC’s 32 recommendations, to provide checks and balances,” he said.

Wong Chin Huat of the Bersih 2.0 Steering Committee, however, does not agree with the idea of a permanent PSC.

“Technically, the PSC falls under Parliament,” he said. “So if Parliament is dissolved, the committee also dissolves.

“We have enough institutions at the moment. What we need now is not more institutions but independent parties inside the existing institutions. The people who make up these institutions must have independent powers.”

The way Wong sees it, it is the general public that has the biggest role to play.

The public must demand reforms, he said. “They have to exert pressure on the EC to be more accountable.”

He disclosed that Bersih had embarked on a programme to encourage people to send faxes to express their discontent with the EC and to demand the resignation of its bosses.

“If only 500 people are doing it, that would not be enough,” he said. “If 500,000 people inundate the EC with such faxes, then of course the EC will feel pressured.

“Therefore, the public has to consistently exert such pressure, and not just rely on an institution.”

Bersih 3.0: Anwar, Azmin, Chegubard charged

Packed courtroom was earlier filled with excited murmurs when it was confirmed that former solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden has joined the defence team.
VIDEO INSIDE

KUALA LUMPUR: Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and two other PKR leaders were today charged over their involvement in the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28.

Anwar, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and Rembau PKR division chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin, or better known as Chegubard, were charged with breaching the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012 and taking part in a “street protest”.

They also face a second charge for going against an order by a public servant. All thtree claimed trial to the charges.

The first charge, which was framed for each person individually, said that the three had gone against a court order issued by the magistrate’s court under Section 98 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

This offence was allegedly committed between 2.30pm and 3pm along Jalan Tun Perak on April 28, 2012.

The court order, issued on April 27 by magistrate Zaki Asyraf Zubir, prohibited any gathering at Dataran Merdeka – including the land bordered by Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, Jalan Raja, and Jalan Kelab any time between April 28 and May 1.

The charge falls under Section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, which prohibits organising or taking part in street protests. Anyone convicted under this section could be fined up to RM10,000.

The second charge, which was jointly read out to the three, stated that Anwar, Azmin and Badrul Hisham, together with five other individuals still at large, had abetted with R Tangam, G Rajesh Kumar, Farhan Ibrahim @ Alias to breach the court order and going against an order by a public servant, and had instigated and possibily caused riots and fights in the area.

The second charge falls under Section 188 of the Penal Code, for “disabodience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant” and is read together with Section 109 and Section 34 of the Penal Code for abetting a crime.

Conviction on this charge can land the PKR leaders six months in prison or fined RM2,000 or both.

‘A political charge’

While pleading not guilty to the charges, Anwar said: “A political charge, I seek trial, just a waste of court’s time”, while Chegubard said: “Not guilty, but if we want to go to trial, we can.”

Judge Mahmud Abdullah allowed each of them a RM500 bail with one surety on the first charge. On the second charge, Mahmud freed them after allowing them a personal bond. The case has been fixed for mention on July 2 for all cases.

Anwar’s team consisted of Karpal Singh, his son Ram Karpal, former solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden and Sankara Nair. Azmin was represented by R Sivarasa and Gurcharan Singh (appearing for CV Prabhakaran) and Chegubard was represented by Latheefa Koya, N Surendran, and Muhammad Afiq Mohamad Noor.

The prosecution was led by deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Abdul Wahab Mohamed, DPP Mohd Ishak Yusoff, DPP Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria, DPP Mohd Farizul Hassan and DPP Norhafiza Kamardin.

Later Anwar told reporters that the latest charges were politically motivated.

“Clearly political, no doubt about it. Elections are around the corner. But I will continue my political campaigns and I’m committed to run for elections,” he said.

“Clearly Najib must be very disappointed with the acquittal in the past (of the sodomy case), so he wants to use every avenue to tie me down to the court process. How many more charges do you want to prefer against me?

“Najib should have the courage to engage me in a debate. He would use every avenue, the media, the courts, to stifle, and intimidate or harrass politically,” said Anwar.

Azmin said: “Umno is so desperate… this is a politically motivated act. I’m determined to fight the cause for free and fair elections. I’ve been in court for the past 14 years and I have 15 or 16 charges against me, among them 12 for illegal assembly. People are just sick of tired of this current system. I have nothing to fear because my conscience is clear.”

A new face to the defence team

The packed courtroom was earlier filled with excited murmurs when it was confirmed that former solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof has joined the defence team.

Commenting on the former lead prosecutor of his Sodomy II trial assisting him, Anwar said: “Why are you surprised that Yusof joined my team? Perhaps very soon the AG will join me too. What’s the issue? He understands the law…
 

“I thank Yusof for his readiness to be part of the defence team. I contacted him after receiving information that he was “ready” to join us. This is a great development and means a lot.

“It shows that those within the government know about the dirtiness that happens and are not prepared to defend all of it. If he really thinks I’m guilty, he would not be with us. He was the second in command in the AG’s chambers, some say he should be the AG, now he chooses to be with us.

Anwar stressed that Yusof was not here just to make up numbers and had “came to make sure I get the justice I deserve”.

Karpal said that Yusof’s switch was “certainly a blow to the government, it is clearly a sign, it has never happened before. I came to know last night and I was quite surprised”.

Yusof, when approached by reporters later, said he was contacted by Anwar and he “had no problems taking the case” as he was “willing” and “able”.

“He (Anwar) called me last night and I had no hesitation. I’m just a counsel, everyone is entitled to one. I have no political affiliations. I’m a working professional… a free agent.”

Asked if he was doing this to go against the Attorney-General, Yusof said he had nothing personal against the latter. “No comments” was his parting shot.

Don’t mess with me, Mike warns BN

The Kapar MP threatens to reveal details, including names, of monetary offers he has allegedly received from BN.

PETALING JAYA: Kapar MP S Manikavasagam today threatened to reveal names and other details of all the monetary offers he has received from Barisan Nasional leaders over the last four years.

Manikavasagam, popularly known as Mike, said he was warning all Barisan Nasional leaders not to force his hand, not to “challenge” him.

He said he was considering suing former Selangor Menteri Besar Dr Khir Toyo over allegations that he had sought RM10 million from the latter as inducement to leave PKR.

He also said that he would file a police report tomorrow against blogger M Zakrul Adam for posting a “false article” on the allegation on the blog www.sel13.com last Wednesday.

In the article, entitled “MP Kapar minta RM10 juta dari Dr Khir Toyo untuk keluar PKR” (Kapar MP asks for RM10 million from Dr Khir Toyo to leave PKR), Zakrul claimed that Manikavasagam had made this demand of Khir during a meeting in the Grand Blue Wave hotel in Shah Alam.

Manikavasagam issued a denial soon after the article was posted. He said it was Khir who had “jokingly” made the offer. Khir responded by warning Manikavasagam not to “twist the facts”, saying it was the PKR man who made the approach.

At a press conference this morning, Manikavasagam acknowledged that the meeting did take place, but he said it was a chance meeting and not an arranged one as Khir had claimed.

“I had sent my client to the Umno building next to the hotel and had gone to the hotel’s coffee house to wait when Khir walked in,” he explained.

“He came to my table and joked that there was RM5 to 10 million waiting for me if I left PKR for BN. The conversation lasted less than five minutes.”

Manikavasagam said he did not take Khir’s remarks seriously, having been inundated with similar offers before. He said the offers had continued coming, even as late as 24 hours ago.

According to him, the offers came from BN’s top leadership, who sent their “runners and brokers” to wait outside his private residence and office for hours. He also claimed that there was a failed kidnap attempt on his family in a move to force him to leave PKR.

“Even Malaysia’s number one men have tried but failed,” he said. “I have evidence of this, which I will reveal in time if anyone of them challenges me further. But I won’t mention any names for now.

“I am very clear that I am with Pakatan. So don’t waste your time trying to buy me. The people have voted for me and I will not betray them.”

The real version

Manikavasagam questioned why Khir had waited four years to bring up this issue when he could have done so earlier, even a day after the meeting at the hotel.

He ventured that it must be because Khir “couldn’t handle” the “real version” of the story. Manickavasagam has been giving his version at PKR ceramahs.

Manikavasagam also provided an answer to Khir’s sarcastic query as to what the former’s “speciality” was that he would offer him RM10 million.

“It is to get back the Indian votes for BN,” he said. “The top BN men have said they don’t want (former MIC president) Samy Vellu but me in order to save the Indians.”

Manikavasagam’s version of the hotel meeting with Khir was backed by his PKR colleague and Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo-Burne, who said that they had had a “good laugh” over Khir’s offer.

“Manikavasagam told me about it right after the meeting took place and we thought it was funny,” Loh said. “He tells it at all his ceramahs; so it isn’t even a secret.”

Loh added that he, as well as many other Pakatan Rakyat MPs, were used to being approached by their BN and independent counterparts encouraging them to jump ship.

Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad, who was at today’s press conference, urged Khir to lodge a police report against Manikavasagam instead of going to the media if he had proof that the Kapar MP offered to switch sides for money.

“Umno and BN’s money politics is common knowledge,” he said. “You never have to ask them for money. They will offer it to you on their own.”

MIC leader: Leave race out of Bersih fight

Party secretary-general S Murugesan says there is no need to drag S Ambiga's race and religion into the dispute.

PETALING JAYA: There is no need to drag race or religion into the debate over the Bersih 3.0 rally, said MIC secretary-general S Murugesan.

Expressing his personal view on the matter, he criticised those who resorted to such demeaning actions against Bersih co-chairperson S Ambiga to put their points across.

“We don’t have to agree with Ambiga or her method of doing things. However, there is no need to drag her race or religion into the disagreement.

“There is also no need for name calling or to resort to methods that encroach into her personal space,” he told FMT.

Murugesan said it also did not make sense to hold a demonstration to condemn demonstrations as two wrongs do not make a right.

“As Malaysians, we should must aspire for the nobler aspects of politics,” he added.

On the same note, Murugesan said he understood the feelings of the aggrieved stall owners who suffered losses as a result of the April 28 rally.

“But there are better ways of doing things,” he added.

Furthermore, the MIC leader said their actions were being attributed to Barisan Nasional, therefore tainting the image of the ruling coalition.

“This is clearly not the case and is doing more harm to BN then good,” he added.

A group of traders have planned to set up a night market outside S Ambiga’s house in Bukit Damansara on Thursday and Friday to protest the losses incurred during the rally.

Previously, vexed traders staged a burger protest while a group of ex-servicemen held a vulgar aerobic exercise outside her residence, which drew much flak from various quarters.

However, when an Indian-based NGO proposed to set up a thosai stall outside Deputy Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar’s house, Ambiga had asked them to reconsider, saying that private spaces must be respected.

The NGO agreed and called off its plan.

All eyes on the mayor

Meanwhile, Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar said all eyes were now on Kuala Lumpur Mayor Ahmad Fuad Ismail.

He said Ambiga’s right to a peaceful living and her constitutional right to equal protection under the law were at threat.

Sivakumar said if the night market took place, then another group might set up a similar thing outside Fuad’s residence.

“I am sure the mayor will not like it,” he told FMT.

Sivakumar also could not understand why the issue had taken a racial twist, just because a civic- minded individual with legal background aspired to do something good for the nation.

He warned BN that such actions would lead to an electoral backlash.

“Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been trying to reach out to Indian voters, but this type of attacks and intimidation against Ambiga will cost the coalition,” he added.

Sivakumar also said Miba failed to understand how these traders could claim to have lost millions due to the rally, especially on a Saturday.

“These are only petty traders. So this lent credence to the suspicion that there is more to this than meets the eye,” he said.

Human Rights Watch: Drop Bersih charges

HRW says the government should also drop charges against opposition leaders who were involved in the mammoth rally on April 28.

PETALING JAYA: Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the Malaysian government to drop the charges against Bersih 3.0 protesters, including Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and PKR deputy president and supreme council member, Azmin Ali and Badrul Hisham Shaharin.

In a statement today, HWR Asia’s deputy director Phil Robertson said Anwar merely gave a speech during the rally and was not even an organiser for Bersih 3.0.

“The Malaysian authorities appear to be using what happened at the Bersih demonstration as a pretext to prosecute political opposition leaders.

“These charges and actions by police during the rally doesn’t inspire confidence that the Malaysian government is committed to protecting freedom of expression,” he claimed.

Earlier today, Anwar, Azmin and Badrul were charged in Sessions Court under Section 4(2) (c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, for participating in the Bersih 3.0 rally and violating magistrate Zaki Asyraf Zubir’s court order dated April 26.

The court order prohibited the gathering at Dataran Merdeka and the area bordering Jalan Sultan Hishammuddin, Jalan Raja and Jalan Kelab.

If convicted, the trio could face a fine up to RM10,000. Elected representatives would automatically lose their posts if fined more than RM2,000 and jailed for more than a year.

Police used excessive force

Robertson said although the police obtained a court order to stop the rally, Bersih only proceeded with a demonstration in the areas surrounding areas of Dataran Merdeka.

“The rally occurred mostly without any incident but the police used excessive force by tear gas and water cannons, while assaulting scores of protesters,” he said.

Robertson also called upon the government to repeal the Peaceful Assembly Act and come up with a new legislation that would conform with international human rights standard.

“The Act bans street protests and contains an overly broad list of areas in which all assemblies are banned. The law makes it virtually impossible for protesters to hold demonstrations in urban areas,” he said.

MIC and PPP leaders and branches have lost all moral rights to represent Indians

Senator S. Ramakrishnan, 22/5/2012

Merlimau MIC and PPP branches have made police report asking government to withdraw citizenship and the datukship of Ambiga Sreevasan on 18th May 2012. They have said that they oppose the visit of Datuk Ambiga sreenivasan to Merlimau on 20th may 2012. They have further claimed that under BN government the country is peaceful and that Indians are well taken care off.

The gathering on 20th May 2012 supposed host Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan in Merlimau, Malacca was cancelled in view of the violence from Perkasa and UMNO youth. Fortunately, Datuk Ambiga did not turn up for the gathering as probably advised not to attend in view of the evil UMNO plans. Stones and eggs were thrown at those who attended by UMNO youth and Perkasa gangsters. They want to turn Bersih rallies into a racial issue because UMNO cannot accept the fact that an Indian lady has led the largest gathering in the history of Malaysia. UMNO national leaders tacitly support the harassment and hackling of Datuk Ambiga attending any gathering.


Datuk Ambiga led a group of NGOs asking for fair and free national election. At least 250000 people from all walks of life gathered in kuala Lumpur and many more gathered in 80 other cities throughout the world in support of Bersih 3.0. She is one of the greatest citizens of Malaysia. Datuk Ambiga is an inspiration and role model to women. Yet these Merlimau MIC and PPP branches to please UMNO and Perkasa went ahead and made police report to withdraw her citizenship and Datukship.


MIC and PPP leaders are ignorant and subservient to the racist UMNO. These MIC and PPP idiots and country brutes claim that BN government has taken good care of Indians. MIC and PPP leaders act as runners and dispatch boys of UMNO. With MIC and PPP around Indians don’t need any enemies. MIC and PPP national leaders must openly declare whether they support Datuk Ambiga? Why is it that MIC and PPP national leaders are quite on the reckless and stupid acts of Perkasa and UMNO? Does it mean that MIC and PPP leaders support the bugger stalls and butt exercise in front of Datuk Ambiga’s house?


Can the Indians ever depend on MIC and PPP to ensure their rights and welfare will be safeguarded from the encroachment of UMNO? Will MIC and PPP uplift Indians and make us equal citizens of this country? MIC and PPP leaders and branches have lost all moral rights to represent Indians. In the coming national election the concerned citizens of this country must ensure that PPP and MIC are got rid with and buried for good. They are stumbling blocks and a hindrance to Indians progress. They are only useful to UMNO and a nuisance to Indians.

Sodomy II prosecutor now in Anwar’s legal team for illegal assembly charge

Anwar arriving at the courthouse in Kuala Lumpur on May 22, 2012 where he was charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act with taking part in the April 28 Bersih 3.0 rally. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 — Former Solicitor-General II Datuk Yusof Zainal Abiden has joined Datuk Anwar Ibrahim’s legal team as the opposition leader is charged with taking part in an illegal street demonstration today.

It was a startling turn of events as Yusof had led the Sodomy II prosecution against Anwar, which saw the latter being acquitted earlier this year.

He has since retired from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“Anwar called me last night and I had no hesitation,” Yusof told reporters when approached in court today.
“He has the right to a counsel of his choice,” he said.

Yusof stressed that he had no political affiliation and was a “working professional” who was “willing and able” to help Anwar when asked to “come on board”.

“I am a free agent,” he said.

He also said he would “not say anything against the government” and there was no conflict of interest involved.

Yusof was the Solicitor-General II in the Attorney-General’s Chambers.

“I am not joining a political party. I am just a counsel,” he said.

The Malaysian Insider understands that Yusof’s ties with Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Patail have been cool for some time and he had disagreed with the way some high-profile cases had been handled.

Asked about his ties with Abdul Ghani now, Yusof merely said “no comment”.
He was earlier spotted mingling with Anwar’s other defence lawyers.

PKR leader and lawyer Sivarasa Rasiah confirmed with The Malaysian Insider in a text message when asked if the former government lawyer was on the PKR de facto head’s legal team.

Sivarasa said Yusof was assisting Anwar’s lead counsel Karpal Singh. The other lawyers on Team Anwar are Karpal’s son Ram Karpal Singh Deo and Sankara Nair.

Anwar, PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and Rembau PKR chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin were today charged with taking part in the April 28 Bersih 3.0 under section 4(2)(c) of the Peaceful Assembly Act, less than a month after the new law aimed at allowing public gatherings “in accordance with international norms” was enforced.

The offence under the Peaceful Assembly Act carries a maximum fine of RM10,000.
All three claimed trial.

Sessions Court judge Mahmud Abdullah set July 2 as the next mention date for the trial.

Sri Lanka's Missing Thousands

A son is disappeared

(Asia Sentinel) Three years after a debilitating civil war, people continue to disappear

Three years after the government of Sri Lanka declared an end to decades of civil conflict with separatist rebels, thousands of people are still missing, according to the United Nations and Sri Lankan activists, and more continue to disappear.

The Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances of the UN Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights has recorded 5,671 reported cases of wartime-related disappearance in Sri Lanka, not counting people who went missing in the final stages of fighting from 2008 to 2009.

Hostilities between government forces and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam rebels, who had been fighting for an independent Tamil state for nearly 30 years, ended on 18 May 2009.

“It’s been almost three years. My son went missing on 14 May [2009] and I have not heard from him ever since. He was not a member of the LTTE or [any] other group. He was just a normal Tamil civilian,” said Aarati*, 56, a mother of three in the northern town of Kilinochchi, in the former war zone. Another son has been missing since 1993.

Ganeshan Thambiah from the town of Jaffna, also in the north, told IRIN he has lost hope. “My son has gone missing for three years. It hurts me a lot but he is probably dead.”

Disappearances occurred on a “massive scale,” especially between 2006 and 2009 during the last phase of the war, said Ruki Fernando from the Christian Alliance for Social Action, a local NGO. “At the end of the war, many who surrendered to the army disappeared, including a Catholic priest and several high-profile LTTE leaders.”

Fernando includes journalists, human rights defenders and humanitarian workers among the missing, but says the real “tragedy” has been the reluctance of law enforcement authorities and state institutions to confront “this horrible crime, even when some leads are available”.

In one alleged disappearance, Fernando said, law enforcement personnel and the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka have been unable to get a statement from a government advisor six months after he indicated he had information about a missing journalist.

Successive governments resorted to abductions to deal with political dissenters, militants, and now criminals. “This indicates a reluctance to use the criminal justice system and [a] total breakdown of rule of law,” he commented.

However, a high-ranking military officer who requested anonymity maintains that the state has not been involved in any alleged abductions, and that most of these allegations have been politically motivated. “There is a law in the country and we respect it. The army and government [are] clearly not behind any abductions, as claimed by various groups,” he told IRIN.

But, three years on, the numbers of disappeared do not add up, said Jehan Perera, executive director of the National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. He points to the discrepancy between the number of people who once lived in five districts in the north - collectively known as the Vanni, and most heavily affected by fighting - and the number there today.

“There needs to be a credible investigation into [these disappearances] to lay all doubts to rest. There needs to be involvement of independent groups in ascertaining the facts, or else the doubts will continue as to the fate of the missing persons,” he said.

The government has faced mounting pressure to act on the recommendations of a commission appointed by the president in December 2011, one of which is the criminalization of enforced or voluntary disappearances.

Acknowledgement of the disappearances and legal remedies are “prerequisites for any successful, durable and all-inclusive reconciliation process,” noted the Commission of Inquiry on Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation.

Yet local activists say the disappearances have not stopped. “They still occur with sufficient regularity to make people feel that there is no clear break with the past, so there is still a dark cloud of fear in the country,” said Perera.

“Many dissenting voices faced ‘white van’ abductions more recently, and the list is not short by any means,” said Jayasuriya Chrishantha Weliamuna, a senior human rights lawyer in Colombo, the capital. He reported that two activists working against abductions, while organizing Human Rights Day events in Jaffna on 9 December 2011, had also been abducted.

Twenty-one disappearances have been reported to the government-appointed Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka from the beginning of the year to 18 April.

Perera said that with the state’s “massive security network “and “top class intelligence system” there should be “no justification for even a single disappearance today”.

*not her real name

(IRIN delivers humanitarian news and analysis as a service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations.)

Malaysia's Anwar Is Charged Over Protest Fracas

By JAMES HOOKWAY

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and his party deputy were charged in court Tuesday in connection with a street protest last month in Kuala Lumpur that led to riot police turning tear gas and water cannons on demonstrators, in some of the most chaotic scenes Malaysia's capital has seen in years.

If convicted, Mr. Anwar could lose his seat in Malaysia's Parliament, adding to a long list of legal problems the opposition leader has faced in his political career, including two sodomy charges. He was eventually cleared of the charges in both those cases, which he said were politically motivated.

The deputy leader of Mr. Anwar's People's Justice Party, Azmin Ali, was charged in Kuala Lumpur's Sessions Court along with Mr. Anwar for allegedly urging demonstrators to surge into an area cordoned off by police. A party member, Badrul Hisham Shaharin, was also charged. All three said they were innocent.

By charging Mr. Anwar, 64 years old, state prosecutors risk heightening political divides in a polarized nation, with elections expected to be called in the next few months. The protest at the center of the cases involving Messrs. Anwar and Azmin was one of the biggest in Kuala Lumpur in more than a decade.

"It is clearly a politically-motivated charge. Elections are around the corner," Mr. Anwar told reporters, the Associated Press reported.

On April 28, more than 50,000 people protested in a mostly peaceful show of support for electoral reforms, as Prime Minister Najib Razak and his ruling National Front coalition prepare for national elections that must be called by spring 2013, and which could come sooner.

The protests, dubbed Bersih, the Malay word for "clean," came after a run of political changes that the prime minister introduced in response to calls for reforms to strengthen Malaysia's democracy, and to boost the electoral appeal of the National Front, which has governed Malaysia for decades.

While moves such as ending arrests without warrants and allowing more political dissent have helped improve Mr. Najib's opinion poll ratings, some Malaysians want to see faster and wider changes aimed at helping this resource-rich but authoritarian-minded nation emerge as a full democracy.

The credibility of the Peaceful Assembly Act—a centerpiece of Mr. Najib's changes, enacted after a 2011 prodemocracy protest—could be affected by Mr. Anwar's latest case. The government says the legislation was designed to create more leeway for political protests in the country, but critics and opposition political say it criminalizes protesters who step beyond the bounds of the law.

In a statement, a Malaysian government spokesperson said state prosecutors will pursue charges against anyone involved in inciting or committing acts of violence during the recent Bersih protest.

"To date, charges have been brought against various individuals, including two policemen, for events that took place during the protest," the spokesperson said. "Charges are decided on by the public prosecutor following receipt of police investigation papers."

Political analysts said Mr. Anwar's prosecution reflects a pattern of government officials using legal cases to question the credibility of opposition figures, especially Mr. Anwar.

"There is a fine line between these tactics succeeding, or galvanizing support for the opposition," said Bridget Welsh, a professor at Singapore Management University and a long-time observer of Malaysian politics.

In 1998, government leaders attempted to portray Mr. Anwar as a dangerous radical when he led mass protests after being sacked as deputy prime minister. He was charged with sodomy--a crime in this conservative majority-Muslim nation—later that year. Mr. Anwar denied the charge and was later cleared of it in 2004 after spending six years in jail.

In 2008, Mr. Anwar was charged with sodomizing a young male aid. Mr. Anwar again said he was innocent and called the charges trumped up to destroy his political career. He was acquitted in January, although state prosecutors have appealed that decision.

Mr. Najib has denied orchestrating a conspiracy against Mr. Anwar.

New York-based Human Rights Watch, meanwhile, urged Malaysian authorities not to use aftermath of the latest Bersih demonstrations to sideline opposition leaders.

"The Malaysian authorities appear to be using what happened at the Bersih demonstrations as a pretext to prosecute political opposition leaders," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "These charges, and the actions by police at the Bersih rally, don't inspire confidence that the Malaysian government is committed to protecting basic free expression rights."
—Celine Fernandez in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this article.

Najib will be biggest loser in prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul, first case to be charged under Peaceful Assembly Act, as it will totally discredit his various transformation programmes

(Lim Kit Siang speech at the opening of the new Triang DAP branch building in Triang, Pahang on Tuesday, 22nd May 2012 at 3 pm)

I was in the Kuala Lumpur court complex this morning where the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and PKR leaders Azmin Ali and Badrul Hisham were charged in connection with the Bersih 3.0 rally on April 28 which could result in their five-year disqualification from elective office and disenfranchisement in losing the civic right to stand for elective office whether as MP or State Assembly member if fined over RM2,000.

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be the biggest loser in the prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul, the first case to be charged under the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA), as it will totally discredit his various transformation programmes, in particular his Political Transformation Programme.

Pakatan Rakyat MPs have warned in Parliament that Najib’s promises to amend or repeal undemocratic and draconian laws and provisions contain the seeds of greater repression as the new laws and replacements provide for even more repressive measures – as in the case of the prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul under the PAA.

The prosecution also sends out a very clear message to Malaysians, and in particular to the hundreds of thousands of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, class, gender or age who had gathered peacefully in Kuala Lumpur on April 28, armed at most with salt and water bottles to protect themselves from indiscriminate police shooting of tear gas and chemically-laced water cannon, with the unmistakable message to the Najib administration that they want clean elections for a clean Malaysia.

Najib’s message to them is one of utter contempt for their message to want to have clean elections and a clean Malaysia!

Najib should realise that he will have to pay a very heavy political price in the forthcoming general elections with such arrogance of power and contempt for the legitimate and ordinary aspirations of Malaysians transcending race, religion, region, class, gender or age.

Najib should take note that the former Solicitor-General II who headed the prosecution team against Anwar in the Sodomy II trial, Datuk Mohd Yusuf Zainal Abiden, has joined Anwar’s defence team headed by Karpal Singh.

If the Prime Minister cannot read and understand the implications of Yusuf’s joining the Anwar defence team, then he is not as politically astute as he should be.

The prosecution of Anwar, Azmin and Badrul is in fact the latest in the BN demonisation campaign against Bersih 3.0, polarising the ground instead of starting a process of national healing. I would reiterate my call to Najib to end the demonisation campaign of Bersih 3.0 to reagain public confidence and credibility or be prepared to pay a heavy political price in the forthcoming general elections.

Najib Says BN Government Determined To Help The People

KUALA LUMPUR, May 22 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says the government has a moral responsibility to help Malaysians who have fallen upon hard times or who just need a bit of a helping hand.

The prime minister said meeting that responsibility was the mark of a civilised society.

He illustrated this point by highlighting his encounter with jobless Teoh Yong King whose house was razed to the ground in a fire, during his visit to Nibong Tebal, Penang, last month.

Najib noted that Teoh had been forced to stay at a temple for the past three months with her family, and that being jobless, she could not afford a new place for the family to stay, and sought help.

"Although she received none in the beginning, she did not lose hope, and continued with her efforts to make her plight known," he said in his latest entry on his blogsite, www.1Malaysia.com.

Najib said her plight was brought to the attention of his local political colleagues who went on to build a new house in place of the old one and help replace household items lost in the fire.

Najib, who described Teoh as a remarkable lady who had stood against all difficulties and hardship to help her family survive, said he was touched by her story.

"All of this would not have come about without her unwavering determination," he said.

Najib said this episode was just one local example of the Barisan Nasional government's determination to help those in need.

On a national level, Najib said, the Barisan Nasional government had already put in place several programmes to help low-income families like Teoh's.

Addressing the rising cost of living has been made one of the seven NKRAs (National Key Result Areas) in line with the Government Transformation Programme (GTP).

"Financial aid packages for low-income households, book vouchers and aid for students are provided to the public. 1Malaysia clinics, convenience stores and restaurants are also available as a cheaper alternative without compromising on quality," he said.

He said the implementation of a minimum wage in the near future will also increase the income of over 400,000 employees.

Religious intolerance: Hindu temple vandalised in Peshawar

" The Hindu community will remain calm and record its protest peacefully," 

Representative of the Hindu community Haroon Sarblal.

PESHAWAR: In a brazen act of vandalism, unidentified men sneaked into a Hindu temple in the capital city of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on Sunday, smashed a holy figurine and burnt down scriptures and images of deities.

“We opened the temple around 6pm and found all holy scriptures and images burnt down. A statuette of Lord Shiva was also smashed to pieces,” Ramesh Lal, a priest at Guru Gorakhnath temple, told The Express Tribune.

The temple is situated in the Gorgathri neighbourhood inside the walled city.

Peshawar, which is believed to be one of the oldest living cities of South Asia, houses dozens of monuments and structures from the Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh and British eras.

The priest said that the community had reported the incident to the local police who gave them the customary cold-shoulder.

“Vandals smashed a statuette of Lord Shiva to pieces and burnt down the holy Gita as well as several images of our deities,” Lal said. The temple, according to him, did not have armed guards because the government pays scant attention to the security needs of a Hindu place of worship.

According to Lal, the 160-year-old temple was named after a Hindu pontiff Guru Goraknath. The local Hindu community had abandoned the temple following the 1947 partition of the subcontinent. For decades no ritual was undertaken within the temple ground until the Peshawar High Court handed over its custody to the Hindu community a few months ago.

“This desecration and vandalism has hurt the religious sentiments of our community. Lack of cooperation from police and administration has added insult to the injury,” Lal said and added that the police were reluctant to concede that the temple had holy images and figurines.

“When the temple was reopened [after the PHC verdict] after almost six decades, we imported a figurine from India which cost us hundreds of thousands of rupees,” Lal claimed.

Haroon Sarblal, a representative of the Hindu community, condemned the incident as ‘unacceptable’. He called upon the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to arrest the vandals and provide security guards for the temple.

“If the government wants the Hindu community to remain calm, it should arrest the vandals and punish them accordingly,” Sarblal told The Express Tribune.

These acts of vandalism and desecration are a deliberate attempt to create communal tension in the city, he said. However, he vowed that the Hindu community would remain calm and record its protest peacefully.

No group has claimed responsibility for the vandalism – but past attacks on the shrines of Muslim Sufi saints and spiritual figures have been blamed on Taliban insurgents.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 21st, 2012.

Kuwaiti pleads innocent in Twitter trial

(Reuters) - A 26-year-old Kuwaiti pleaded not guilty on Monday to charges he insulted the Prophet Mohammad and the Sunni Muslim rulers of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on social media, the first day of a high-profile and divisive court case in the Gulf state.

Charges were brought by a civil plaintiff, who called for Shi'ite Muslim Hamad al-Naqi to be put to death, saying he must be made an example of to others. The case has stoked tensions between Kuwait's Sunnis and minority Shi'ites.

Naqi's lawyer asked for his client, who has been in prison since his arrest in March, to be released on bail. The judge declined the request and adjourned the trial until next week.

Sitting in a wooden and metal cage guarded by armed guards in black balaclavas at the start of the trial, a bearded, tired-looking Naqi sat quietly clasping his hands, occasionally rubbing the back of his shaved head and looking at the floor.

Wearing a blue prison uniform and glasses, Naqi was escorted from the cage to face the judge, confirmed his personal details and entered his innocent plea.

The case has caused uproar in Kuwait, where dozens of Sunni Muslim activists and lawmakers have protested against Naqi some calling for the death penalty and accusing him of links to Shi'ite regional power Iran, something he has denied.

Shi'ites make up about one third of Kuwait's 1.1 million nationals and vocal members can be found in senior positions in parliament, media and business.

Although Kuwait has largely avoided the sectarian violence and pro-democracy uprisings seen elsewhere in the region, it is concerned its sizeable Shi'ite minority may turn restive.

Kuwaiti authorities have been closely watching Shi'ite-led protests in Bahrain and unrest in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, home to more than two million minority Shi'ites.

Kuwait's parliament, where opposition Islamists have grown in influence, endorsed a legal amendment this month that would make insulting God and the Prophet Mohammad by Muslims punishable by death instead of a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.

Naqi's lawyer and Amnesty International say the death penalty cannot be applied in the Naqi case because the alleged crime took place before the change in legislation.

But civil plaintiff Dowaem al-Mowazry, who is arguing the case against Naqi, said this was a special case.

"We will ask for the implementation of the death penalty for Naqi because he insulted Allah, the Prophet Mohammad and his companions," he told Reuters after the opening of the trial.

"He will be an example for anyone who thinks he can do such a thing."

Naqi has told police that he did not write the comments and that his Twitter account was hacked. His lawyer Khaled al-Shatti argued that Naqi should be granted bail because Kuwaitis charged with similar crimes had been granted it in the past.

"He denied the charges. But even if we were to imagine hypothetically that he did say something, this would be an "opinion crime", not a crime threatening state security," he told Reuters.

(Additional reporting by Ahmed Hagagy; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Suhakam to probe Bersih 3.0 for police violence

A Bersih demonstrator is surrounded by police officers near Dataran Merdeka, in Kuala Lumpur April 28, 2012. — Picture by Jack Ooi

KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — The Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) has agreed to conduct a public inquiry into the Bersih 3.0 rally, saying today it could “no longer wait” for Putrajaya’s independent panel to release its terms of reference.

The commission, in a brief statement here, added that its decision to conduct the inquiry was made “upon serious consideration”, following its receipt of numerous accusations that excessive police force had been used against civilians during the April 28 event.

“The commission had wanted to, but can no longer wait [for] the release of the terms of reference of the independent panel established by the government as they have yet to be finalised.

“Notwithstanding the investigations to be carried out by the said panel, the commission is obliged to carry out its own public inquiry,” it said.

The commission added that it holds the jurisdiction to conduct such an inquiry under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999.

Suhakam pointed out that its own monitors had observed the electoral reform movement’s third rally for free and fair elections in the streets of the capital. Following the event, it received numerous complaints, reports and memoranda from the public, human rights and professional groups.

Each complaint, it added, came with a call for an independent inquiry into the event.

Apart from opposition party members and Bersih 2.0, the Bar Council had also urged Suhakam to probe the incidence of violence during the rally, insisting that the panel formed by Putrajaya would return biased results.

Their contention is that Putrajaya’s panel is headed by former Inspector-General of Police Tun Hanif Omar, who had, in the days following the rally, called its participants communist sympathisers and alleged that the event was meant to overthrow the government instead of push for free and fair elections.

Suhakam had conducted an inquiry into Bersih 2.0’s July 9 rally last year and found that the police had used excessive force on protesters.

This year’s probe, it said in today’s statement, would be chaired by the commission’s vice-chairman, Datuk Dr Khaw Lake Tee, and assisted by Commissioners Professor Datuk Dr Mahmood Zuhdi Abdul Majid and Detta Samen.

Its terms of reference include determining if there were violations of human rights during and after the April 28 event, and if such violations had occurred, to determine how they transpired, what directives or procedures had contributed to them and which agencies were responsible.

The commission will also recommend measures to be taken to ensure such violations, if any, do not recur.

Suhakam is also calling for public submission of evidence and information regarding claims of excessive use of force during the assembly.

“Members of the public and the media who had witnessed any acts or incidents relating to the allegations of human rights violations, or who believe that they may be able to give relevant information and/or documents and other evidence including video/photo recordings pertaining to these or other such allegations are invited to contact the commission as soon as possible,” it said.

The deadline for public submissions is by 12pm on Monday, June 4.

The commission can also be contacted by telephone (03-26125600), facsimile (06-26125694/5620), email (complaints@suhakam.org.my/humanrights@suhakam.org.my) or in person at its premises on the 11th floor of Menara TH Perdana, on Jalan Sultan Ismail here.

The April 28 rally, which saw tens of thousands gather at six different locations before heading to Dataran Merdeka, was peaceful until about 2.30pm when Bersih chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan asked the crown to disperse.

But the former Bar Council president’s call was not heard by most of the crowd who persisted around the historic square which the court had already barred to the public over the weekend.

Just before 3pm, some protestors breached the barricade surrounding the landmark, leading police to disperse the crowd with tear gas and water cannons.

Police then continued to pursue the rally-goers down several streets amid chaotic scenes which saw violence from both sides over the next four hours.

Several dozen demonstrators have claimed that they were assaulted by groups of over 10 policemen at a time and visual evidence appears to back their claim, but police also point to violence from rally-goers who also attacked a police car.

The police car then crashed into a building before some protestors flipped it on its side.

Was the 2007 Hindraf rally wrong?

Going by points raised by two Hindu NGOs in condemning Bersih 3.0, the Hindraf rally is wrong. Or did the NGOs get it wrong?
COMMENT

In 2007, over 50,0000 Malaysian Indians took to the streets due to the marginalisation of the Indian poor. The demonstration was a success under the flagship of what was then known as the Hindraf 5.

The Indians who rallied were emotionally charged and angered by the demolition of Hindu temples and body-snatching cases.

Were their actions of organising rallies also against Hinduism?

This is the question that came to my mind after two Hindu NGOs came out to condemn the Bersih 3.0 rally that took place on April 28 in Kuala Lumpur.

The Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram (MHDM) and Malaysia Hindu Sangam (MHS) claimed that Hinduism strictly prohibits its followers from participating in rallies which can spark violence and cause damage to public property, reported Bernama.

The report states that such awareness was a factor that contributed to fewer Indian participation.

MHDM president Professor NS Rajendran said: “Such rallies are not encouraged by any religion, including Hinduism. Any demand should be channelled through peaceful means for amicable discussion.”

MHS president RS Mohan Shan, meanwhile, said: “Hinduism prohibits followers from acting on emotion and damaging public property and burdening others.”

Weak arguments

Going by the arguments presented by Rajendran and Mohan Shan, why did they not come forward to

criticise the Hindraf rally participants in 2007?

The two NGOs also were not at the forefront in raising issues concerning the Hindu community when there were disputes over the faith of the deceased.

My next counter-argument is their claim that Hinduism prohibited its followers from joining rallies that can spark violence.

Two epics central to the Hindus seem to say otherwise.

In the “Ramayana”, Lord Rama kills King Valee while the latter is battling Sugreeva (Valee’s brother) over their kingdom.

Rama does so by hiding up a tree. This action is justified by the dharma of the just against injustice.

In the “Bhagavad Gita”, Lord Krishna advises Prince Arjuna to battle against his cousins and relatives to uphold truth and justice.

The advice forms an essential part of the Mahabharata.

So pray, tell, how does a rally for free and fair elections go against Hinduism?

Both Rajendran and Mohan Shan also touched on the number of Indians who were present on April 28.

Having been in the thick of action on April 28, I would rather say that the number of Indians were small as it reflected the population of the Indian community in Malaysia, not because of their so- called “awarenesss”.

Oddly enough, both Rajendran and Mohan Shan appear to be in the dark about Bersih steering committee’s various negotiations with the Election Commission to raise and resolve various electoral issues before deciding on the two Bersih rallies.

The negotiations are peaceful means that failed to arrest the issues such as dirty electoral roll but the rally raised awareness among the people.

‘Uthayakumar could be doing BN a favour’

His intention to contest in Sri Andalas state seat and Kota Raja parliamentary seat is likely to split the Indian votes in favour of BN.

PETALING JAYA: Human Rights Party’s pro-tem secretary general P Uthayakumar had always professed that his heart was with Pakatan Rakyat. But now he could play the spoiler’s role in the Sri Andalas state seat and Kota Raja parliamentary seat .

His entry is likely to split the Indian votes in favour of Barisan Nasional.

Uthayakumar will be contesting as an independent as the Human Rights Party is not registered as a political party.

The Hindraf de facto leader announced yesterday that he would contest both seats in the coming general election and for the Sri Andalas seat, his entry is expected to make the fight five-cornered.

Sri Andalas state representative Dr Xavier Jayakumar, from PKR, said that he was expecting at least a five way contest.

“There are rumours that a Malay candidate would be fielded as an independent.

“Kita is also eyeing this seat,” said Jayakumar when asked to comment on Uthayakumar decision.

Jayakumar however is confident of retaining his seat. In 2008 he defeated MIC’s A Kamalam with a majority of 10,203 votes.

“I have served my constituency well. My record speaks for itself. The people are matured and will make wise decisions,” said Jayakumar who is also Selangor exco for health, plantation workers, poverty and caring government.

PAS’ Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud feels that Uthayakumar’s plan to contest in Kota Raja would only split the votes in favour of BN.

In the last election she defeated SA Vigneswaran (MIC) by a majority of 20,751 votes.

“Uthayakumar and Hindraf would only get votes from the Indians. He would split the votes in favour of BN,” said Siti Mariah.

She added that it would be impossible for Uthayakumar to win the seat even if the entire Indian community in Kota Raja voted for him.

Indians make up 28% of voters in Kota Raja. Prior to 2008, both the seats were held by MIC.

Former Kota Raja MP and BN’s Sri Andalas constituency coordinator Vigneswaran meanwhile dismissed Uthayakumar’s foray in the election.

“The battle will be BN against Pakatan,” he said.

Vigneswaran also added that Uthayakumar had contradicted himself

“He allowed Pakatan to take advantage of the Indians and now claims that Pakatan is not performing,” said Vigneswaran who is a former MIC Youth leader.

DBKL: No burger stall when we visited

While an array of photos and videos show some traders operating a burger stall in front of Ambiga's house two weeks ago, DBKL says the stall did not exist when its officers came calling...three days later.

PETALING JAYA: The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) has done it again.

Despite news of a burger protest in front of S Ambiga’s house on May 10 splashed across news pages and websites, the City Hall has denied that there was ever a burger stall set up in front of her residence.

Responding to an e-mail query by FMT on action to be taken against the stall operator, DBKL enforcement division spokesperson Abdul Syatar Abdul Halim said :”Based on a complaint received on May 14, this department conducted an investigation at the location in Bukit Damansara only to find no burger hawkers operating in front of Ambiga’s house.

“According to Ambiga’s personal body guard, the hawkers left on May 10,” said Syatar.

On May 10, by a group of burger stall operators from an NGO called Malaysia Small and Medium Entrepreneurs Alliance (Ikhlas) set up their stalls in front of Ambiga’s home and distributed free burgers.

They resorted to this action because they claimed that the Bersih rally for free and fair elections in the federal capital on April 28 had disrupted their livelihood.

The police, on their part, had said that they were powerless to act against the burger protesters as these hawkers did not break any laws that was criminal in nature.

The attention then turned towards DBKL, which enacts and enforces local council by-laws in Kuala Lumpur.

On Wednesday, lawyer K Shanmuga pointed out that the protesters flouted by-laws 11(1) and 22(2) of the Licensing of Hawkers and Stalls (Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur) 1989 which was enacted under the Local Government Act.

With the DBKL’s reply today, it is very unlikely that the burger protesters in front of Ambiga’s house would face the law.

‘Why the haste in wanting to investigate me?’

Tenaganita chief Irene Fernandez lambasts police for wasting taxpayers money investigating her for comments in the Jakarta Post.

PETALING JAYA: Tenaganita chief Irene Fernandez today lambasted the police for wanting to investigate her over comments she made in the Jakarta Post on migrant workers in Malaysia.

The speed in which the police responded to reports lodged against her by several groups on Thursday has Fernandez perplexed. The police said she may probed for sedition on Friday.

Fernandez said it seemed that the police are deflecting attention from the real issue of abuse of migrant workers rights by going for her.

“We have made 15 police reports thus far this year. An additional 10 reports were made by the migrants themselves but the police are slow to act on these reports.

“Why are they wasting their time investigating me when they should be out there investigating these cases. This is a waste of taxpayer’s money,” said Fernandez.

She said that in the past five months, the reports made involved employers or agents holding back migrant’s passports and reports of abuse and violence.

“Thirty-five percent of 43 cases registered with us revealed that the maids were denied proper food and 36% of the same number of cases showed alleged sexual assaults.

“These are serious cases which needed to be investigated in order for justice to be served,” she said, adding that there were more reports of abuse not recorded by Tenaganita.

The Sedition Act, she said, was an archaic law which has been used in the past to intimidate people. “Why is the government targeting whistleblowers?” asked the veteran activist.

Investigating officers unknown

Abdul Aziz Ismail of the Anti Human Trafficking Council Selangor, said that he was puzzled as to why Fernandez was targeted by the authorities.

“We have lodged 30 police reports on matters relating to human trafficking but no action has been taken.

“When I approached Bukit Aman to get an update, the Investigating Officers (IO) in some of these cases were not known,” he said.

He added that he had approached the MACC on alleged corruption involving officials from government departments pertaining to human trafficking, but these reports were ignored.

The MACC is also investigating Fernandez over the interview in the Indonesian daily.

It is investigating her for saying that several Malaysia employers have resorted to “paying the police” or “buying court verdicts” to ensure no action is taken against them.

Fernandez, however, clarified that she was misquoted and that the Jakarta Post has agreed to publish corrections.

She said that it was shameful for Malaysia to sit on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) without a proper framework to deal with discrimination faced by migrant workers.

“You have a seat in UNHRC and you silence human rights defenders. That is what is contradictory with the government of the day,” she said.

To Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s reported comment that she was immoral in criticising government policies, Fernandez said that the government should learn to value constructive criticisms.

‘Racist’ teacher transferred

The teacher in the alleged racist row is likely to be transferred to her hometown in Kuala Terengannu.

GEORGE TOWN: The secondary school teacher embroiled in an alleged racial row with Form five students of the George Town school is all set for a transfer to another school.

This morning the teacher, Sabariah Ramli, 29, packed her belongings in SMK George Town and drove out of the school at 11am.

Last week the state education department said that Sabariah has agreed to a transfer to another school probably in her hometown Kuala Terengganu.

Previously the department claimed Sabariah requested for a transfer because she could not face the same students, who accused her of uttering the words “Hindu Pariah” at them.

Sabariah apparently uttered the term, considered offensive and sensitive by the Indian community, against Form Five “Tabah” students after an examination on May 9.

But the department claimed Sabariah had only uttered the word “India” and had duly apologised for it.

Meanwhile, this morning, school principal Farah Syikh Abd Rahman refused to accept a five-point memorandum from a group of former George Town school students.

An ex-student R Revinthiran said that Farah told them to handover the memorandum to the education department instead.

“She was more interested to know who incited them to submit a memorandum.She was not interested to look into out grouses,” Revinthiran told FMT.

In the memorandum, the ex-students have criticised Farah’s “mishandling” of the whole affair and demanded for Sabariah to be suspended immediately.

They ticked off the school’s senior assistant in charge of students’ affairs, Lau Siew Ho for not investigating students’ complaints against Sabariah.

The memorandum called on the state education department to probe the students complaints .

Bukit Gelugor MP Karpal Singh, Seri Delima assemblyman RSN Rayer, Hindraf Makkal Sakti’s P Waythamoorthy and several Indian NGOs all have criticised Sabariah for the alleged racist remarks.

Although they demanded for Sabariah to be suspended pending an investigation, the department did not take any disciplinary action against her.

Karpal and Waythamoorthy have also called on the police and Attorney General to charge the teacher for sedition.

Gerakan objects to stalls outside Ambiga's house

Gerakan has urged petty traders to shelve their plan to set up stalls in front of Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan's house on Thursday and Friday to protest alleged loss of trade during the Bersih 3.0 rally in Kuala Lumpur on April 28.

Raising concern in a statement today, vice-president Mah Siew Keong (left) said holding demonstrations in front of private residences "should be stopped as it is not part of Malaysian culture".

“I am happy to note that the ‘thosai protest’ outside the house of the deputy inspector-general of police (has been cancelled). If such practices continue, then we  may have protests throughout the country in front of somebody’s house every week,” Mah said.

All similar protests, including the 'butt exercises' in front of Ambiga's house and mock funeral in front of Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's house,"should be condemned", he said.
Kuala Lumpur Petty Traders Action Council chairperson Jamal Md Yunus said yesterday they were calling the protest 'Bersih 4.0 - mencucikan Bersih 1,2,3' (Bersih 4.0 - cleaning up Bersih 1,2,3).

The action council will be visiting the site opposite Ambiga’s house in Damansara today to mark out the trading zones.

It also expected to seek a trading permit from Kuala Lumpur City Hall tomorrow and Jamal said the traders would carry out their planned protest even if the permit is denied.

According to Jamal, the traders would be operating stalls selling household goods, food and drinks from 3.30pm to 8pm on both days.

However, Mah urged the police and local authorities to ensure tight security to avoid any “untoward” incidents.

There were “other more constructive and positive ways” to display their dissatisfaction, he added.

United by hate for Barisan Nasional

As I said, this is not about personalities. It is about the cause. Today, by chance, we have Anwar as the Opposition Leader. And that happened only because Dr Mahathir’s speech in the 2nd September 1998 Umno Supreme Council meeting was more convincing than Anwar’s. The majority of the Supreme Council members, although on Anwar’s side, accepted Dr Mahathir’s version of the story more than Anwar’s.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWERRaja Petra Kamarudin

Anwar: PR parties share common goal

(Borneo Post) - BINTULU: Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said all coalition partners of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) may have different ideologies, but they are united because of policy.

“We have different backgrounds and races, but we fight for mutual objectives. We want to change our current system,” he said at a PKR Bintulu pre-Gawai dinner here on Saturday.

The de facto leader of PKR said PR was confident of altering the political landscape of Malaysia in the coming 13th general election because BN had gone too arrogant.

“First major fundamental difference between PR and BN is there is time for Malaysia to accept that we are a great Malaysian family of all races, religion and culture.”

“The sooner Umno understands this the better it is for Malaysia.”

“Currently Umno is not able to understand this, and BN component parties are also weak to say anything. It’s time we defeat BN in the next general election.”

Also present at the function were Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong, state PKR chief Baru Bian, PKR Bintulu chief Paul Raja, Kapar MP S Manikavasagam, Krian assemblyman Ali Biju, and Kemena PKR chief Ribi Rayang.

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Before I talk about the news item above, I would like to first close the debate on Tunku Abdul Aziz Tunku Ibrahim. I think we have argued about this man long enough -- a man who did not and will not cause too much impact on DAP either way.

For all intents and purposes, the whole matter has been overrated. When Tunku Aziz joined DAP back in 2008, I did not sing his praises or hail him as the Malay version of Gandhi, like many of you did. Hence, when he decided to leave, I took it as cool as when he joined more than three years ago. I did not get my panties all twisted into knots, like many of you did.

Anyway, I enjoyed tickling all of you over the last few weeks and see you foam at the mouth. Most of you who were suffering from diarrhoea of the mouth when Tunku left, and then he endorsed Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, were the same people who suffered from diarrhoea of the mouth when Tunku joined. If you had been cool when Tunku joined then you could probably remain cool now that he has left.

I suppose this is your guilt working on you. You went overboard when Tunku joined. So now you go overboard when he leaves.

Two Umno Bloggers have resigned from Umno to join DAP. Then, a couple of retired senior police officers are joining PAS. One retired Special Branch officer has joined the opposition in Sarawak. And, again, you are all excited about it, as excited as when Zaid Ibrahim first joined PKR and Tunku Aziz joined DAP.

Cool lah brader and sista! Don’t get too excited. It is good, no doubt, that the opposition is attracting ex-Umno people or retired police and army officers. That is a good endorsement of what the opposition stands for. But if you start getting too excited about it then, if anything happens, you will, again, start foaming at the mouth and start cursing them, the Malays, Islam, Raja Petra and Malaysia Today all in the same breath.

People come, people go. People even die. But life goes on. It is what lies ahead of us and whether we are able to face these challenges that matter. You talk about focus. You keep telling me to focus. But are you yourself focused? Do you understand what our perjuangan is all about? Is it about personalities or is it about the cause? And what is that cause?

Okay, I admit that I have been very naughty. But I did say some time ago that my ‘job’ is to throw the cat amongst the pigeons and watch the feathers fly. And, boy, have the feathers been flying over the last couple of weeks!

Hell, it is so easy to manipulate you people. All I need to do is to throw cats all over the place and you pigeons will fly in all directions. I suppose pigeon brains will always act like pigeons. Now you know why Barisan Nasional is able to play you for suckers. It is because many of you are suckers.

Okay, enough of my gloating for one day -- although it is nice to be able to gloat. Let’s get to the business of the day, which is the news report above and what Anwar Ibrahim said: all coalition partners of Pakatan Rakyat may have different ideologies, but they are united because of policy.

Now, what does this mean? For those of you who have a poor command of English, look at the definition of those various words below.

PKR, DAP and PAS have different ideologies, like what Anwar said. Nevertheless, they are united because of their common policy.

I want you all to note this point and remember it well. This is so that we can avoid further arguments, which are mainly the result of not being able to understand this point and not sharing the same view on what these various words mean.

Allow me to illustrate this point by referring to the Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST). No, this is not a discussion on religion but just an example I have plucked from the top of my head.

The MCCBCHST members have different ideologies. I mean: the Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs and Taoists do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God or accept the doctrine of the Trinity. Nevertheless, the members of the MCCBCHST are united because of a common policy. And that was why the MCCBCHST was formed, because they share the same policy although they differ on ideology.

Is this not the same argument that Anwar raised: all coalition partners of Pakatan Rakyat may have different ideologies, but they are united because of policy?

If we can understand this then we can avoid unnecessary quarrels that are mainly the result of not understanding the concept of how we unite and how to disagree even though we may be united.

PKR, DAP and PAS are united by common purpose. And this unity is based on wanting to kick out Barisan Nasional and take over the federal government. But just because they are united by purpose it does not mean they are also united by ideology. And this we must accept. If we can’t then we will end up quarrelling, as we always do.

Notwithstanding that, although PKR, DAP and PAS are united by purpose, meaning that they all want to kick out Barisan Nasional and take over the federal government, it does not mean that they are also united in the reason for wanting this.

For example, the reason why PAS wants a change of federal government is to be able to see the adeen of Islam implemented, which Umno is resisting. If Umno no longer resists the adeen of Islam but instead embraces it, is there any longer any reason for PAS to oppose Umno? I really don’t know but maybe the top PAS leadership can answer this question. However, if Malaysia implements the adeen of Islam, then I suppose there is no longer any reason for PAS to oppose Umno.

Now, what is the reason why DAP wants a change of federal government? I suppose it would be to see an end to racism, discrimination, corruption, etc. But the adeen of Islam is not on the list of DAP’s wants. That does mean, however, that DAP cannot unite with PKR and PAS under the umbrella of Pakatan Rakyat.

PKR, on the other hand, wants to see Anwar as the new Prime Minister. DAP and PAS have no objections to that although they treat it more as a bonus than the main perjuangan like PKR does.

The bottom line is: we can still be friends and unite under a common cause. But note that we may not share the same ideology, only the same purpose. And if I express an ideology that differs from yours, this does not mean we are enemies.

The US is opposed to Communism. Russia, during WWII, was Communist. The US and Russia were, in fact, enemies who never trusted each other. But they shared a common purpose, and that was to defeat Nazi Germany. So they worked together to defeat Nazi Germany although they opposed each other’s ideology. Of course, once Germany lost the war, the US and Russia reverted to becoming enemies and took the world to the brink of a nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This is the concept of an enemy of my enemy is my friend. Hence we need Barisan Nasional to be in power for Pakatan Rakyat to exist. If Barisan Nasional did not exist would Pakatan Rakyat exist? I am not gungho about Pakatan Rakyat. I just want Barisan Nasional ousted. Hence Pakatan Rakyat presents itself as the platform in achieving this. That is all.

In fact, PKR exists only because Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad defeated Anwar in the 2nd September 1998 Umno Supreme Council meeting. Say, the opposite happened. Say, Anwar defeated Dr Mahathir instead and Anwar had taken over as the new Umno President on that historic day of 2nd September 1998.

Then Anwar would also have taken over as the new Prime Minister of Malaysia. Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would have never become the Prime Minister with Najib as his Deputy Prime Minister. And, today, Anwar would be the Fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia, and 14 years in office this September.

And what would you and I be doing today? Today, you will all be cursing Anwar and I will be writing articles whacking the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim. There would be no Altantuya, Rosmah, Khairy, submarine, NFC, etc., issues. Instead, there would be other issues we will be talking about involving the Umno and Barisan Nasional administration of Anwar Ibrahim.

I would probably still have been detained many times because I would still be vocal like I used to be when Anwar was the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. Only that, this time, it would be Anwar’s government that detained me.

So, can you see what has happened here? One meeting, the Umno Supreme Council meeting of 2nd September 1998, changed all that.

2nd September 1998 was the day the Umno Supreme Council met to sack Anwar Ibrahim from Umno, a day after being removed as the Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister of Malaysia. Before the meeting started, the majority of the Supreme Council members were on Anwar’s side -- except for just five members, Ibrahim Ali included. However, when Dr Mahathir delivered his “friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears…yada, yada, yada…it is not that I love Anwar less, but I love Umno more” speech, the tables turned. Dr Mahathir brilliantly went into the meeting as the hunted and emerged the hunter -- and Anwar’s fate was sealed.

Now, if all that had not happened, today, you and I would all be talking about different things and will be aiming our bullets at different people. Even Karpal Singh, who initially was supposed to represent ‘the other side’ in the Sodomy 1 case, ended up representing Anwar instead, against ‘the other side’. Hence, even Karpal ‘changed sides’ after 2nd September 1998, so to speak. Even Mat Sabu, who used to go round the country to whack Anwar and call him a sodomist, ‘changed sides’ and defended Anwar after 2nd September 1998.

As I said, this is not about personalities. It is about the cause. Today, by chance, we have Anwar as the Opposition Leader. And that happened only because Dr Mahathir’s speech in the 2nd September 1998 Umno Supreme Council meeting was more convincing than Anwar’s. The majority of the Supreme Council members, although on Anwar’s side, accepted Dr Mahathir’s version of the story more than Anwar’s.

In short, we are saying what we are all saying today mainly because both Dr Mahathir and Anwar played ‘last man standing’ and Dr Mahathir won. If not, we will all be saying about Anwar exactly what we are saying today about Najib. Hence, do we want to get emotional about personalities who are what they are mainly because of an accident of history?

I, too, would not be doing what I am doing if not because of an accident of history that fateful day, 2nd September 1998. Because of 2nd September 1998, my whole life changed as well. And, because of 2nd September 1998, I now live in exile in Manchester and have lost everything that I own, my home included, which the government ‘seized’.

Yes, I bet you did not know that, those of you who say I have sold out while the government takes away the only home I own in Malaysia.

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Policy: rules, procedure, guidelines, guiding principle, course of action, plan, strategy.

Aspiration: ambition, goal, objective, aim, target, hope, desire, want, wish.

Ideology: philosophy, dogma, doctrine, beliefs, principles, thought, ideas, creed.

Objective: purpose, aim, point, intention, reason.