Wednesday, 17 October 2012
Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor now married !
Mumbai : Bollywood star couple Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor today tied the knot here in a quiet affair after a five-year courtship.Saif, 42, son of late Nawab of Pataudi and former Indian cricket captain Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and actress Sharmila Tagore, sealed his relationship with Kareena, 32, at his residence in suburban Bandra through a registered marriage.
"It was a registered marriage with three witnesses – Kareena's father Randhir Kapoor, her mother Babita and Saif's mother Sharmila," marriage Registrar Surekha Ramesh said.
The couple who started dating in 2007, married in the presence of close friends and family this afternoon.
The couple had officially declared their intention to tie the knot in the beginning of 2012 after the release of their film 'Agent Vinod' in March.
Randhir and his elder daughter Karisma later waved to the waiting fans and media from the balcony of the house.
Kareena wore a green salwar-kurta with a heavy embellished red dupatta wrapped around her. She teamed it up with minimal jewelry, red bangles and left her hair open.
Saif, simply dressed in a grey kurta and white pajamas, came out with his new wife to greet fans from his balcony.
There is a buzz that a reception will be held tomorrow at a city hotel. This will be followed by another reception in Delhi on October 18 and a ceremony at Saif's ancestral Pataudi Palace in Haryana.
Although Saif and Kareena had maintained silence on their much awaited wedding, it was Saif's mother Sharmila who came out with the October wedding date.
Saif has two children - son Ibrahim and daughter Sara - from his previous marriage to actress Amrita Singh. Kareena was in a relationship with Shahid Kapoor earlier.
Saif and Kareena featured together for the first time in the 2008 movie 'Tashan', followed by 'Kurbaan'. They were last seen in Khan's home production 'Agent Vinod' in March this year.
The actor duo, popularly called 'Saifeena', have appeared in several advertisements also.
Sharmila had converted to Islam after her marriage to Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi. Earlier during an event, when asked if she would convert to Islam, Kareena had said, "It is a very personal question and I cannot answer it."
After the death of his father, Saif was anointed the new Nawab of Pataudi.
Malala Yousafzai: Pakistan girl 'strong' - doctors
Dr David Rosser said she was making good progress, but has a long way to go and is not out of the woods yet.
The 14 year-old schoolgirl was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for her campaign for girls' education.
Pakistan's president described it as an attack on "civilised people".
Speaking in Azerbaijan on Tuesday, President Asif Ali Zardari said: "The Taliban attack on the 14-year-old girl, who from the age of 11 was involved in the struggle for education for girls, is an attack on all girls in Pakistan, an attack on education, and on all civilised people."
'Right direction'
Malala was flown to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham on Monday night for treatment.
Security is tight at the hospital, with a police presence in place to deal with any unauthorised visitors.
On Monday night a number of well-wishers turned up hoping to see her but were turned away by West Midlands police.
Malala is being treated in the UK after being shot in a Taliban assassination attempt
Dr Rosser described the incident as "irritating", but said the hospital and its partners are "comfortable with security arrangements".
The Taliban have threatened to target Malala again and she was given tight security for her journey to the UK.
Dr Rosser said the team of specialists working with her have been pleased with the teenager's progress.
"There's a long way to go and she is not out of the woods yet... but at this stage we're optimistic that things are going in the right direction," he added.
Once Malala recovers sufficiently, it is thought she will need neurological help as well as treatment to repair or replace damaged bones in her skull.
She was flown to the UK from Pakistan by air ambulance on Monday, almost a week after she and two other schoolgirls were attacked as they returned home from school in Mingora in the Swat Valley.
The gunman who boarded the van in which she was travelling asked for her by name before firing three shots at her.
Malala became widely known as a campaigner for girls' education in Pakistan as a result of a diary she wrote for BBC Urdu about life under the Taliban, when they banned all girls from attending school.
Christian Missionary run Nirmala School in Kerala rejects admission to Muslim students
By TCN News,
Aluva (Kerala): Nirmala School of Aluva, which came under scanner for prohibiting head scarf to Muslim students despite an order from the district ADM, has been found rejecting applications from Muslim students for enrolment to the next academic year.
The school started admissions to the next academic year, a month back and the interviews are underway.
However, many parents from the Muslim community have alleged that even studious and meritorious candidates fulfilling all criteria have been denied admissions.
A parent, who tried to contact school administration to know the reason for the rejection of his ward candidature, was told bluntly: You people can enrol your kids in your own schools.”
Civil rights groups and Muslim organisations in the state are already protesting against the prohibition of wearing head scarves to Muslim female students despite an order from the district administration.
School’s decision to keep away Muslim students from the next academic year onwards has further sullied the institution name in controversies.
When TCN tried to contact the school administration, Principal was out of bound and other were unwilling to talk.
Meanwhile, many parents are planning to take legal actions against the school.
Aluva (Kerala): Nirmala School of Aluva, which came under scanner for prohibiting head scarf to Muslim students despite an order from the district ADM, has been found rejecting applications from Muslim students for enrolment to the next academic year.
The school started admissions to the next academic year, a month back and the interviews are underway.
However, many parents from the Muslim community have alleged that even studious and meritorious candidates fulfilling all criteria have been denied admissions.
A parent, who tried to contact school administration to know the reason for the rejection of his ward candidature, was told bluntly: You people can enrol your kids in your own schools.”
Civil rights groups and Muslim organisations in the state are already protesting against the prohibition of wearing head scarves to Muslim female students despite an order from the district administration.
School’s decision to keep away Muslim students from the next academic year onwards has further sullied the institution name in controversies.
When TCN tried to contact the school administration, Principal was out of bound and other were unwilling to talk.
Meanwhile, many parents are planning to take legal actions against the school.
Pembela wants ‘Christian conspiracy’ claims probed
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — Muslim pressure group Pembela today urged the authorities to probe the validity of renewed claims of a conspiracy between DAP leaders and clergymen here to turn Malaysia into a Christian state.
In a statement here, the conservative group pointed out that since the allegations first hit media headlines last year, a police report has been lodged and several lawmakers have also come forward claiming to have knowledge of the matter.
“To determine the validity of the accusation, which was preceded by a police report last May 13, Pembela urges the authorities, particularly the police and the state religious councils, to conduct thorough probes.
“Action should be taken to ensure this matter is handled appropriately within the scope of the law and the Federal Constitution,” Pembela chairman Aminuddin Yahaya said.
He also urged for appropriate action from the National Unity and Integration Department in the Prime Minister’s Department, saying it was necessary to ensure that all religious leaders in the country receive “intensive explanation” on the “implications of the privileges of Islam in the Federal Constitution as well as the position of other religions”.
“Pembela [also] urges all Islamic NGOs and Muslims not to act outside the confines of the law when faced with matters like these, and should instead stand united to solve it,” he said.
PAS MP Nasharuddin Mat Isa recently revived the “Christian conspiracy” allegations against the DAP, an issue that has been used repeatedly by Malay right wing groups and hardliners in Umno purportedly to warn away the Malays from supporting Pakatan Rakyat (PR).
In a speech at Putra World Trade Centre, the former PAS deputy president was reported to have alleged that DAP leaders had led prayers seeking to turn Malaysia into a Christian state during a thanksgiving dinner held after the Sarawak state election in April last year.
Last week in Parliament, a former PR lawmaker appeared to back Nasharuddin’s allegations when he revealed in the House what he claimed was photographic evidence of an alleged plot by party leaders and foreign clergymen to turn the country into a Christian state.
Kulim Bandar Baharu MP Zulkifli Noordin, a former PKR lawmaker, said he was in possession of photographic proof of a thanksgiving held in Penang last year on May 5, shortly after the Sarawak state election on April 16, where DAP leaders and a group of local and foreign clergymen had prayed to install a Christian Prime Minister and turn the country into a Christian state.
Listing those in attendance, which he said included priests and pastors from United Kingdom and South Africa, Zulkifli said it was also admitted during the dinner that foreign churches were willing to channel funds to help the opposition’s political struggle here.
“The priest from South Africa said he was invited to observe the Sarawak polls, and that he was disappointed in how the Christians have been sidelined in Malaysia, especially on the AlKitab Malay language bibles issue.
“He requested that something is done to help spread Christianity here and said that money is not a problem and that the churches in Africa are ready to help.”
Zulkifli’s revelation was first exposed in May last year in a front-page article on Umno-owned daily Utusan Malaysia headlined “Malaysia negara Kristian? (Malaysia a Christian country?)”.
The Malay daily reported that “Malam ini pula akan diadakan satu majlis di Pusat Kristian (Katolik) Pulau Pinang di sini dan satu ceramah perdana pula dianjurkan esok. Pertemuan itu dikatakan dianjurkan setiap tahun”.
[In English: “Tonight there will be a function at the Penang Christian Centre (Catholic) here and the public lecture will take place tomorrow. The convention is organised every year.”]
Witch-hunt exposes BN’s phony reforms
Twenty three years ago, as a result of the vindictive and repressive 'Operation Lalang', several human rights activists including myself formed Suaram, says Kua Kia Soong.
COMMENT
By Kua Kia Soong
When this political farce started over the government’s attempt to demonise Suaram as a “foreign agent”, it happened to coincide with our planned annual holiday. I am always reminded of these words by my old friend, the late K Das in his foreword to my 1989 book on Operation Lalang, “…but we must not spend our days and nights living in silent fear of the thieves who stole Kua’s freedom.” Whether beholding the stars above the Scottish highlands with my loved ones or the stars above Kamunting detention camp, the oppressors can imprison our bodies but our spirit will always roam free…
So what the six government agencies uncovered?
When I told my friends in the UK that the government had commanded no less than six government agencies to investigate Suaram to try all means to pin a charge on us, they were incredulous and asked if Malaysia was still a banana republic where the civil service can be ordered by the regime to act against legitimate organisations. “Haven’t they got more important things to do?” they asked.
As Malaysian citizens we ought to know exactly how much of our taxpayers’ money is being wasted on such extraneous side activities of our police, special branch and other government agencies in the name of “national security”.
A month has now elapsed since the start of the rigorous CCM investigations that included many days of 1-1 questioning with at least 20 people and which have revealed nothing questionable within their remit.
Indeed, I was reassured when we went to the CCM interrogation and one of their staff came over to congratulate me on the good work Suaram was doing. Now the buck seems to have been passed on to the AG’s Chambers. We were also summoned to the Perkeso offices to explain Socso payments to our staff dating back 10 years or more. When we got there, the officer in charge didn’t seem to know what we were there for. Obviously, these summonses have all been ordered by people above them.
As for the Registrar of Societies coming in on the act, they were made a laughing stock when their Wikipaedia source of information meant that even the recently departed Fan Yew Teng was also summoned to their office to make a 112 statement. How Fan must be laughing at the fools from up there. Various people associated with Suaram from years back have also been called to the ROS for questioning all because some far-right crackpot individual and insignificant Ah Pek made a police report against Suaram.
Meanwhile, no government agency appears to be investigating all the reports about Perimekar and Terasasi and the suspected selling of national defence secrets and commissions paid in the Scorpene deal uncovered in two years of investigations by the French.
And has Bank Negara uncovered any whiff of money laundering by Suaram all these years? I am sure all the Harvard trained economists in Bank Negara must be laughing at the preposterous presumption in government circles that there could be such a possibility. Nevertheless, the well-oiled propagandists in the mainstream press seem to be spinning merrily for the same idiotic thinking in government.
Ah, and as soon as they mentioned money laundering, some money launderers were actually caught in the act with RM40 million in Hong Kong soon after. There was no need for a six-agency posse – it was uncovered by the Hong Kong police. The government explained it away as funds for Sabah Umno but we’ll wait for the MACC and Bank Negara and the AG’s Chambers to do the needful.
The government’s “foreign plot” ploy has blown up in their faces. The subsequent exposes of Dr Mahathir and Najib’s recent close encounters with George Soros have certainly embarrassed the spin doctors. Furthermore, by allowing nuclear-armed US warships to visit Port Klang a few days ago, the government has exposed their duplicitous (not non-aligned) foreign policy and raised the question of who are the US foreign agents in Malaysia.
The latest attempt to implicate Suaram in “destabilising Indonesia” is perhaps the most comical. Organising the second Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor (APCET II) with other Malaysian NGOs on Nov 9, 1996 was one of Suaram’s proudest moments. It was the last important international effort at achieving independence and peace for East Timor. As a token of the appreciation by the East Timorese for our efforts, Suaram was invited to the Independence celebrations in East Timor soon after.
In contrast, the BN government put the country to shame by orchestrating a mob from BN Youth organisations to violently tear down the partition of the hotel where the conference was being held and holding the organisers and foreign guests to ransom. This made international headlines and made us a laughing stock in the world. And instead of apprehending these fascist thugs, the police proceeded to arrest and detain some 59 participants, some (like me) for six nights and seven days. We subsequently sued the government and the police for wrongful detention and we won our case after nearly 15 years.
The APCET debacle should therefore be seen as a case of the BN government’s complicity with the Indonesian government in the repression of the East Timorese. Who were the agents of a foreign government then, and who stood by the East Timorese in their hour of need? Once again, it was another feather in Suaram’s cap of steadfastly defending human rights, justice and democracy. Hasn’t Malaysia recognised East Timor’s independence now?
The Scorpene scandal – fact and fiction
Another story being spun to try to discredit Suaram is the statement by French prosecutor Yves Charpenel that there is no on-going trial in France over allegations of corruption in the Scorpene submarine. When has Suaram ever said that there is an on-going trial in Paris? This is what I wrote on May 30, 2011, “Suaram starts legal fund to probe submarine commissions in French courts.”
“Unlike the British (and Malaysian) system, the French inquisitorial system has an examining or investigating judge. The examining judge can conduct investigations into serious crimes or complex enquiries. As members of the judiciary, they are independent of the executive branch. The judge questions witnesses, interrogates suspects, and orders searches or other investigations. The examining judge’s goal is to gather facts, and as such their duty is to look for all the evidence. Both the prosecution and the defence may request the judge to act and may appeal the judge’s decisions before an appellate court.
“Suaram’s latest application, once approved by the court, would allow it to become party to the enquiry and have official access to every element of the enquiry, including access to the evidence which allegedly links DCNS to the issuing of commissions to government officials. The case is still at the enquiry phase and the new application is to upgrade it to the ‘instruction phase’ where an investigative judge would be appointed.”
More recently, after I had been interviewed by the investigating judge in the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance, I wrote ‘The Paris papers on the Scorpene scandal – The Malaysian government must tell us about the role of Terasasi’ (May 5, 2012).
“Since Suaram lodged its complaint with the French courts for a judicial review of the Scorpene contract in November 2009, the French judiciary has certainly been busy with their investigations. They have interviewed officials in the French state company, DCN and related companies such as Thales as well as officials in the French ministry of defence. They have looked into bank vaults and scrutinised contracts, memoranda of understanding, memoranda of intent, invoices, bank accounts of various people including Abdul Razak Baginda. There are also some rather telling internal confidential reports of DCN and the French ministry of defence…”
At no point in my articles did I say that we had reached the trial stage when criminal charges can be pressed against any officials. This will be the prerogative of the investigating judges, Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire. The spin doctors in the BN-controlled mainstream press should take note.
Born out of BN’s vindictiveness, repression
We seem to have come full circle. Twenty three years ago, as a result of the vindictive and repressive “Operation Lalang”, several human rights activists including myself formed Suaram. There was a dire need for such a human rights organisation that would not only defend human rights in Malaysia but also coordinate other organisations in civil society to fight corruption, injustice and repression.
Twenty three years later, our achievements are evident. We have among others:
Established a human rights centre for victims of human rights abuse and their families;
Established an instant international ‘Urgent Appeal’ hotline in the event of any human rights violation;
Published a Human Rights Annual Report of Malaysia every year since 1998;
Nurtured young human rights activists;
Provided human rights education and training;
Kua Kia Soong is Suaram adviser.
COMMENT
By Kua Kia SoongWhen this political farce started over the government’s attempt to demonise Suaram as a “foreign agent”, it happened to coincide with our planned annual holiday. I am always reminded of these words by my old friend, the late K Das in his foreword to my 1989 book on Operation Lalang, “…but we must not spend our days and nights living in silent fear of the thieves who stole Kua’s freedom.” Whether beholding the stars above the Scottish highlands with my loved ones or the stars above Kamunting detention camp, the oppressors can imprison our bodies but our spirit will always roam free…
So what the six government agencies uncovered?
When I told my friends in the UK that the government had commanded no less than six government agencies to investigate Suaram to try all means to pin a charge on us, they were incredulous and asked if Malaysia was still a banana republic where the civil service can be ordered by the regime to act against legitimate organisations. “Haven’t they got more important things to do?” they asked.
As Malaysian citizens we ought to know exactly how much of our taxpayers’ money is being wasted on such extraneous side activities of our police, special branch and other government agencies in the name of “national security”.
A month has now elapsed since the start of the rigorous CCM investigations that included many days of 1-1 questioning with at least 20 people and which have revealed nothing questionable within their remit.
Indeed, I was reassured when we went to the CCM interrogation and one of their staff came over to congratulate me on the good work Suaram was doing. Now the buck seems to have been passed on to the AG’s Chambers. We were also summoned to the Perkeso offices to explain Socso payments to our staff dating back 10 years or more. When we got there, the officer in charge didn’t seem to know what we were there for. Obviously, these summonses have all been ordered by people above them.
As for the Registrar of Societies coming in on the act, they were made a laughing stock when their Wikipaedia source of information meant that even the recently departed Fan Yew Teng was also summoned to their office to make a 112 statement. How Fan must be laughing at the fools from up there. Various people associated with Suaram from years back have also been called to the ROS for questioning all because some far-right crackpot individual and insignificant Ah Pek made a police report against Suaram.
Meanwhile, no government agency appears to be investigating all the reports about Perimekar and Terasasi and the suspected selling of national defence secrets and commissions paid in the Scorpene deal uncovered in two years of investigations by the French.
And has Bank Negara uncovered any whiff of money laundering by Suaram all these years? I am sure all the Harvard trained economists in Bank Negara must be laughing at the preposterous presumption in government circles that there could be such a possibility. Nevertheless, the well-oiled propagandists in the mainstream press seem to be spinning merrily for the same idiotic thinking in government.
Ah, and as soon as they mentioned money laundering, some money launderers were actually caught in the act with RM40 million in Hong Kong soon after. There was no need for a six-agency posse – it was uncovered by the Hong Kong police. The government explained it away as funds for Sabah Umno but we’ll wait for the MACC and Bank Negara and the AG’s Chambers to do the needful.
The government’s “foreign plot” ploy has blown up in their faces. The subsequent exposes of Dr Mahathir and Najib’s recent close encounters with George Soros have certainly embarrassed the spin doctors. Furthermore, by allowing nuclear-armed US warships to visit Port Klang a few days ago, the government has exposed their duplicitous (not non-aligned) foreign policy and raised the question of who are the US foreign agents in Malaysia.
The latest attempt to implicate Suaram in “destabilising Indonesia” is perhaps the most comical. Organising the second Asia-Pacific Conference on East Timor (APCET II) with other Malaysian NGOs on Nov 9, 1996 was one of Suaram’s proudest moments. It was the last important international effort at achieving independence and peace for East Timor. As a token of the appreciation by the East Timorese for our efforts, Suaram was invited to the Independence celebrations in East Timor soon after.
In contrast, the BN government put the country to shame by orchestrating a mob from BN Youth organisations to violently tear down the partition of the hotel where the conference was being held and holding the organisers and foreign guests to ransom. This made international headlines and made us a laughing stock in the world. And instead of apprehending these fascist thugs, the police proceeded to arrest and detain some 59 participants, some (like me) for six nights and seven days. We subsequently sued the government and the police for wrongful detention and we won our case after nearly 15 years.
The APCET debacle should therefore be seen as a case of the BN government’s complicity with the Indonesian government in the repression of the East Timorese. Who were the agents of a foreign government then, and who stood by the East Timorese in their hour of need? Once again, it was another feather in Suaram’s cap of steadfastly defending human rights, justice and democracy. Hasn’t Malaysia recognised East Timor’s independence now?
The Scorpene scandal – fact and fiction
Another story being spun to try to discredit Suaram is the statement by French prosecutor Yves Charpenel that there is no on-going trial in France over allegations of corruption in the Scorpene submarine. When has Suaram ever said that there is an on-going trial in Paris? This is what I wrote on May 30, 2011, “Suaram starts legal fund to probe submarine commissions in French courts.”
“Unlike the British (and Malaysian) system, the French inquisitorial system has an examining or investigating judge. The examining judge can conduct investigations into serious crimes or complex enquiries. As members of the judiciary, they are independent of the executive branch. The judge questions witnesses, interrogates suspects, and orders searches or other investigations. The examining judge’s goal is to gather facts, and as such their duty is to look for all the evidence. Both the prosecution and the defence may request the judge to act and may appeal the judge’s decisions before an appellate court.
“Suaram’s latest application, once approved by the court, would allow it to become party to the enquiry and have official access to every element of the enquiry, including access to the evidence which allegedly links DCNS to the issuing of commissions to government officials. The case is still at the enquiry phase and the new application is to upgrade it to the ‘instruction phase’ where an investigative judge would be appointed.”
More recently, after I had been interviewed by the investigating judge in the Paris Tribunal de Grande Instance, I wrote ‘The Paris papers on the Scorpene scandal – The Malaysian government must tell us about the role of Terasasi’ (May 5, 2012).
“Since Suaram lodged its complaint with the French courts for a judicial review of the Scorpene contract in November 2009, the French judiciary has certainly been busy with their investigations. They have interviewed officials in the French state company, DCN and related companies such as Thales as well as officials in the French ministry of defence. They have looked into bank vaults and scrutinised contracts, memoranda of understanding, memoranda of intent, invoices, bank accounts of various people including Abdul Razak Baginda. There are also some rather telling internal confidential reports of DCN and the French ministry of defence…”
At no point in my articles did I say that we had reached the trial stage when criminal charges can be pressed against any officials. This will be the prerogative of the investigating judges, Roger Le Loire and Serge Tournaire. The spin doctors in the BN-controlled mainstream press should take note.
Born out of BN’s vindictiveness, repression
We seem to have come full circle. Twenty three years ago, as a result of the vindictive and repressive “Operation Lalang”, several human rights activists including myself formed Suaram. There was a dire need for such a human rights organisation that would not only defend human rights in Malaysia but also coordinate other organisations in civil society to fight corruption, injustice and repression.
Twenty three years later, our achievements are evident. We have among others:
Established a human rights centre for victims of human rights abuse and their families;
Established an instant international ‘Urgent Appeal’ hotline in the event of any human rights violation;
Published a Human Rights Annual Report of Malaysia every year since 1998;
Nurtured young human rights activists;
Provided human rights education and training;
Kua Kia Soong is Suaram adviser.
Kadar inflasi di Sabah lebih rendah
Faktor penyumbang kepada kenaikan kadar inflasi telah dikenalpasti dan langkah bersesuaian telah diambil.
Sekitar Dewan Rakyat
KUALA LUMPUR: Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk S K Devamany menafikan bahawa kadar inflasi di Sabah lebih tinggi berbanding dengan kadar inflasi nasional.
“Dalam tahun 2011, kadar inflasi nasional ialah 3.2%, bukan 2.2% seperti yang dikatakan. Di Sabah kadar inflasi ialah 2.9%.
“Walau bagaimanapun kami mengakui inflasi di Sabah tinggi sedikit bagi tempoh Januari hingga Ogos 2011 di tahap 2% berbanding kadar inflasi nasional di tahap 1.8%,” kata Devamany ketika menjawab soalan Ahli Parlimen Tawau Datuk Chua Soon Bui dari SAPP.
Chua menyoal faktor-faktor yang menyumbang kepada kenaikan inflasi di Sabah dan langkah-langkah pihak berkuasa untuk mengatasi masalah inflasi.
Menurut Devamany, kos pengangkutan yang tinggi, keluasan kawasan, peratusan keuntungan tinggi dan sistem pengagihan barangan yang rumit menyumbang kepada kadar inflasi di Sabah, Sarawak dan Labuan.
Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, Devamany berkata pihak kerajaan mengekalkan harga petrol RON95, harga dipantau oleh pihak penguatkuasa, subsidi pengangkutan disediakan dan sebanyak 57 Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia akan diwujudkan di Sabah.
Beliau menjelaskan bahawa KR1M akan ditubuhkan mengikut keperluan dan bukannya mengikut kawasan parlimen.
Chua turut membangkitkan samada sistem dasar kabotaj diambilkira dalam usaha mengatasi kadar inflasi kerana ia mengakibatkan peningkatan kos sebanyak 20 hingga 40 peratus.
Ketika ditemui selepas sesi Dewan Rakyat, Devamany memberitahu FMT bahawa RM386 juta diperuntukkan di dalam belanjawan untuk mengatasi kos kabotaj.
Sekitar Dewan RakyatKUALA LUMPUR: Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk S K Devamany menafikan bahawa kadar inflasi di Sabah lebih tinggi berbanding dengan kadar inflasi nasional.
“Dalam tahun 2011, kadar inflasi nasional ialah 3.2%, bukan 2.2% seperti yang dikatakan. Di Sabah kadar inflasi ialah 2.9%.
“Walau bagaimanapun kami mengakui inflasi di Sabah tinggi sedikit bagi tempoh Januari hingga Ogos 2011 di tahap 2% berbanding kadar inflasi nasional di tahap 1.8%,” kata Devamany ketika menjawab soalan Ahli Parlimen Tawau Datuk Chua Soon Bui dari SAPP.
Chua menyoal faktor-faktor yang menyumbang kepada kenaikan inflasi di Sabah dan langkah-langkah pihak berkuasa untuk mengatasi masalah inflasi.
Menurut Devamany, kos pengangkutan yang tinggi, keluasan kawasan, peratusan keuntungan tinggi dan sistem pengagihan barangan yang rumit menyumbang kepada kadar inflasi di Sabah, Sarawak dan Labuan.
Untuk mengatasi masalah ini, Devamany berkata pihak kerajaan mengekalkan harga petrol RON95, harga dipantau oleh pihak penguatkuasa, subsidi pengangkutan disediakan dan sebanyak 57 Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia akan diwujudkan di Sabah.
Beliau menjelaskan bahawa KR1M akan ditubuhkan mengikut keperluan dan bukannya mengikut kawasan parlimen.
Chua turut membangkitkan samada sistem dasar kabotaj diambilkira dalam usaha mengatasi kadar inflasi kerana ia mengakibatkan peningkatan kos sebanyak 20 hingga 40 peratus.
Ketika ditemui selepas sesi Dewan Rakyat, Devamany memberitahu FMT bahawa RM386 juta diperuntukkan di dalam belanjawan untuk mengatasi kos kabotaj.
Speaker backs down from MP’s challenge
BN MP dares Ronald Kiandee to punish him for an insulting remark.
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee today backed down from a BN MPs’ challenge to take action against him for insulting one of his colleagues in the opposition.
Kiandee instead defended the offending MP, Pasir Salak’s Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, against protests from the opposition bench.
Tajuddin’s insult came in the midst of an uproar over Deputy Women Minister Heng Seai Kie’s refusal to reply to questions.
Heng even defied Kiandee’s order to respond to the queries.
As Pakatan MPs continued with their protests, Tajuddin stood up to say that The Star had described a “woman MP” as someone who “walks and talks like a man”, referring to Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin (PKR).
The remark provoked more protests, with Subang MP R Sivarasa (PKR) citing a standing order and demanding that Kiandee rebuke Tajuddin.
Tajuddin responded: “Why should I apologise? I won’t apologise. Ask The Star to apologise. You can take any action against me. You are dealing with the wrong man.”
Kiandee then said Tajuddin meant no harm in his statement, but Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan (DAP) protested, saying: “He meant what he said. That’s why he said it in Parliament.”
Sivarasa insisted that the statement was insulting to women, but Kiandee refused to instruct the Pasir Salak MP to retract his statement.
“That’s enough, Yang Berhormat,” he said. “Let’s move on.”
At this point, Zuraida stood up and told Tajuddin: “At least I don’t rob the country like you.”
KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Speaker Ronald Kiandee today backed down from a BN MPs’ challenge to take action against him for insulting one of his colleagues in the opposition.Kiandee instead defended the offending MP, Pasir Salak’s Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, against protests from the opposition bench.
Tajuddin’s insult came in the midst of an uproar over Deputy Women Minister Heng Seai Kie’s refusal to reply to questions.
Heng even defied Kiandee’s order to respond to the queries.
As Pakatan MPs continued with their protests, Tajuddin stood up to say that The Star had described a “woman MP” as someone who “walks and talks like a man”, referring to Ampang MP Zuraida Kamaruddin (PKR).
The remark provoked more protests, with Subang MP R Sivarasa (PKR) citing a standing order and demanding that Kiandee rebuke Tajuddin.
Tajuddin responded: “Why should I apologise? I won’t apologise. Ask The Star to apologise. You can take any action against me. You are dealing with the wrong man.”
Kiandee then said Tajuddin meant no harm in his statement, but Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan (DAP) protested, saying: “He meant what he said. That’s why he said it in Parliament.”
Sivarasa insisted that the statement was insulting to women, but Kiandee refused to instruct the Pasir Salak MP to retract his statement.
“That’s enough, Yang Berhormat,” he said. “Let’s move on.”
At this point, Zuraida stood up and told Tajuddin: “At least I don’t rob the country like you.”
Pakatan not totally against Rapid
Contary to what its Johor chief Chua Jui Meng says, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim paints a different picture.
FULL REPORT
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat clarified that it is not rejecting outright the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor, but rather its implementation, which is said to affect the livelihood of residents there.
“We have had some confusion over this matter, and our combined decision policy-wise is that we do not reject any development, but the implementation of Rapid has gone against our principles,” Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after chairing the weekly Pakatan leadership council meeting.
Anwar explained that Pakatan simply wanted a stop work order on the Rapid project, pending the settlement of several issues.
“We need a re-settlement plan that is fair, you don’t demolish existing villages and graveyards. We also have to ensure safety and environment. The Detailed Environment Impact Assessment was not fully observed…,” he said.
Anwar’s clarification comes after PKR Johor chief Chua Jui Meng vowed during a protest in Pengerang that Pakatan would abolish the RM60 billion project should it come into power after the next general election, a stance apparently not shared by all of his Pakatan allies.
“There is an alternative site available, why are you going ahead with it now? They are still destroying exiting villages. We are not confident with the health studies. This project must be postponed,” Anwar said.
Chua, while addressing some 3,000-strong crowd during the Himpunan Hijau Lestari in Pengerang on Sept 30, had said a Pakatan federal government would not allow the petro-chemical project to continue.
“Anwar (Ibrahim) has asked me to convey this message to everyone here today, that we will reject the project and rebuild the livelihood of the locals ,” he told the cheering protesters.
Chua also had said the decision was made in PKR’s political bureau meeting chaired by Anwar.
While PKR had made the strong stand against the project previously, PAS in the meantime had said that it was not against the project as long as it did not affect the local villagers.
Pakatan’s latest stand on the project is not expected to sit well with the local residents who want the petro-chemical project to be stopped.
Review AES
Meanwhile, Anwar said that Pakatan was also proposing that the Automated Enforcement System (AES) go through a review.
“For the AES, we don’t want something that burdens the rakyat and benefits cronies,” he said.
His views were echoed by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and PAS Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar.
“There are many areas where I have observed that these cameras are not placed at accident hotspots but more like traps purposely to make money. We want the government to review the agreement with these contractors,” said Mahfuz.
FULL REPORT
KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Rakyat clarified that it is not rejecting outright the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) in Pengerang, Johor, but rather its implementation, which is said to affect the livelihood of residents there.“We have had some confusion over this matter, and our combined decision policy-wise is that we do not reject any development, but the implementation of Rapid has gone against our principles,” Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after chairing the weekly Pakatan leadership council meeting.
Anwar explained that Pakatan simply wanted a stop work order on the Rapid project, pending the settlement of several issues.
“We need a re-settlement plan that is fair, you don’t demolish existing villages and graveyards. We also have to ensure safety and environment. The Detailed Environment Impact Assessment was not fully observed…,” he said.
Anwar’s clarification comes after PKR Johor chief Chua Jui Meng vowed during a protest in Pengerang that Pakatan would abolish the RM60 billion project should it come into power after the next general election, a stance apparently not shared by all of his Pakatan allies.
“There is an alternative site available, why are you going ahead with it now? They are still destroying exiting villages. We are not confident with the health studies. This project must be postponed,” Anwar said.
Chua, while addressing some 3,000-strong crowd during the Himpunan Hijau Lestari in Pengerang on Sept 30, had said a Pakatan federal government would not allow the petro-chemical project to continue.
“Anwar (Ibrahim) has asked me to convey this message to everyone here today, that we will reject the project and rebuild the livelihood of the locals ,” he told the cheering protesters.
Chua also had said the decision was made in PKR’s political bureau meeting chaired by Anwar.
While PKR had made the strong stand against the project previously, PAS in the meantime had said that it was not against the project as long as it did not affect the local villagers.
Pakatan’s latest stand on the project is not expected to sit well with the local residents who want the petro-chemical project to be stopped.
Review AES
Meanwhile, Anwar said that Pakatan was also proposing that the Automated Enforcement System (AES) go through a review.
“For the AES, we don’t want something that burdens the rakyat and benefits cronies,” he said.
His views were echoed by Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and PAS Pokok Sena MP Mahfuz Omar.
“There are many areas where I have observed that these cameras are not placed at accident hotspots but more like traps purposely to make money. We want the government to review the agreement with these contractors,” said Mahfuz.
In latest tirade, MCA warns against principles of 'Koran' in national culture
"...They
will use the principles of the Koran [sic], and Islamic ethics and
values into the nation’s economic, social, and political culture," he
wrote, using the archaic English spelling for the Muslim holy book.(Harakah) - Chinese-only party MCA has launched a scathing attack on any attempt at inculcating Islamic values in governance, and warned non-Muslims that Quranic principles and Islamic ethics would form national culture if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power.
The warning was made by deputy chairman of the party's publicity bureau, Loh Seng Kok, in a statement condemning an advisory by the Alor Setar Municipal Council that models on billboard should not appear scantily dressed.
Claiming that such a ruling was "detrimental to both the nation’s economic policies and competitiveness", Loh went on to suggest that it also trampled on non-Muslim rights.
"It is preposterous for the Pakatan state government to come up with such guidelines, ignoring the rights of the Chinese community and other non-Muslims," he said, adding that the instruction from Alor Setar mayor Mat Noh Ahmad was made "even without any amendments to the Constitution", in an apparent reference to the argument that the Federal Constitution must be amended if Islamic criminal laws were to be introduced.
"This is against the interest of the non-Muslims, and will even affect the state’s economic development," he added.
But the focus of the party's latest attack appears to be Islamic values, and Loh did not mince his words voicing displeasure over a statement by PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Abdul Awang encouraging the incorporation of Islamic values in governance.
"...They will use the principles of the Koran [sic], and Islamic ethics and values into the nation’s economic, social, and political culture," he wrote, using the archaic English spelling for the Muslim holy book.
"Thus I urge the Chinese community to not be fooled by PAS, and to not think that DAP representatives can prevent PAS from achieving their goal of hudud law if Pakatan takes over Putrajaya," the statement added.
TV3 akan menghadapi nasib yang sama seperti Utusan? — Aspan Alias
16 OKT — TV3 sedang merudum “rating”nya. TV3 yang termasyhur sebagai lidah Umno dan BN kini sudah mula tidak mendapat sambutan ramai. Sebelum 2010, TV3 telah mendapat “rating” yang tertinggi sehingga mendapat 3.5 juta penonton sehari dan kini jumlah tontonan dari rakyat telah jatuh sehingga 1.2 juta sehari. Kejatuhan bilangan penonton lebih dari 60 peratus ini tentu bersebab dan sebabnya boleh diagak oleh kita semua. Kejatuhan ini akan akhirnya membawa padah kepada pendapatan syarikat dan menjejaskan prestasi kewangan syarikat televisyen itu.
Selalunya kejatuhan penonton sesebuah syarikat penyiaran seperti TV3 itu adalah kerana kejatuhan keyakinan penonton terhadap kredibiliti saluran itu. Dalam sejarah banyak syarikat penyiaran dan saluran TVnya telah jatuh kerana tidak mendapat sokongan ramai. Keadaan ini tidak mengecualikan TV3 yang kini sudah menampakkan keadaan seperti itu akan berlaku ke atas syarikat televisyen itu.
Kejatuhan penonton yang dialaminya sekarang sudah mula menampakkan apa yang dialami oleh banyak syarikat TV yang terpaksa ditutup di negara-negara yang lain itu akan berlaku ke atas TV3 jika saluran televisyen itu tidak menjaga kredibilitinya di mata penonton yang sedia ada sekarang.
Ramai di antara pengiklan-pengiklan barangan dan perkhidmatan telah mula memikirkan untuk mengiklankan barangan dan perkhidmatan mereka di saluran-saluran yang lain kerana TV3 tidak menjadi saluran sukaramai rakyat lagi. Kejatuhan jumlah penonton untuk saluran ini masih menurun dan dijangkakan yang ia akan melewati bawah dari 1 juta penonton setiap hari.
Keadaan ini berlaku bukan kerana apa….tetapi kerana TV3 sudah menjadi alat pembohongan BN dan Umno dan rakyat yang berfikiran “professional” tidak menganggap saluran TV3 ini sebagai saluran untuk rakyat. Sikap “tidak professional” TV3 ini menjadi persoalan ramai kerana orang ramai tidak gemar dengan sikap condong yang keterlaluan terhadap sesuatu pihak dalam politik ini adalah tindakan yang dianggap tidak jujur.
TV3 tidak yakin terhadap professionisma kewartawanan dan berita. Ia sudah menjadi seperti pentarama jabatan penerangan dan propaganda kerajaan di zaman peperangan melawan komunis dahulu. Rakyat sudah jemu dengan tingkah laku TV3 ini kerana menjadi penghasut bagi membenci setengah pihak dalam masyarakat secara keterlaluan dan ia amat menjijikkan ramai rakyat yang mahukan berita-berita yang seimbang dan professional dalam penyebaran maklumat kepada rakyat.
Saya sudah tidak membuka saluran ini sejak tujuh atau lapan tahun dahulu. Saya sendiri sudah tidak melanggan dan membaca Utusan Malaysia sejak sepuluh tahun dahulu kerana sebab yang sama. Hanya beberapa orang yang rapat dengan saya memberikan apa-apa keratan tulisan Utusan itu jika ia bersangkut dengan isu-isu panas yang dicetak oleh akhbar lidah rasmi Umno itu.
Sebenarnya rakyat memahami yang mana-mana saluran TV dan akhbar itu mempunyai “inclination” masing-masing terhadap sesuatu pihak. Tetapi apa yang dilakukan oleh TV3 dan Utusan itu adalah keterlaluan sehinggakan membelakangkan professionalisma kewartawanan. Tidak bergunalah belajar bidang kewartawanan sehingga ke peringkat yang tinggi tetapi mentaliti dan sikap tidak professional itu ditunjukkan dengan terlalu jelas kepada rakyat yang sudah pandai berfikir ini.
Kerana tindakan TV3 ini maka mereka yang tidak menyebelahi mana-mana pihak terpanggil untuk memberikan sokongan kepada pihak yang dianiayai oleh saluran TV itu. Sesungguhnya apa yang disiarkan oleh TV3 ini merupakan satu yang “counter productive” terhadap kerajaan itu sendiri dan pemantau-pemantau berkaitan dengan berita dari JPM itu tidak dapat merasakan rasa menyampah dan bosan penonton yang ramai-ramai balik ke rumah untuk bersantai dengan keluarga dipaparkan berita-berita yang berbentuk hasutan oleh media massa seperti saluran TV ini.
Bagi pembangkang yang menjadi korban fitnah ini, mereka sepatutnya berterima kasih kepada TV3 dan Utusan kerana kedua-dua saluran berita ini memberikan impak buruk terhadap BN dan tentulah PR yang mendapat keuntungan daripada tindakan mereka itu. Sebahagian besar daripada tanggungjawab pihak pembangkang untuk berkempen itu sudah pun disempurnakan oleh Utusan dan TV3 ini. Seorang yang benci kepada saluran ini menambah seorang yang menyokong kepada pihak pembangkang. Matematiknya senang.
Sikap memecah-belahkan rakyat oleh TV3 ini bertanggungjawab terhadap pembinaan kebencian rakyat kepada pihak yang berkuasa dan tidak adil jika dipersalahkan rakyat memberikan sokongan kepada pihak pembangkang kerana rakyat sentiasa berharap untuk hidup tenang di rumah setelah seharian bekerja kuat untuk keluarga masing-masing.
Apabila sampai di rumah rakyat mahu relaks dengan isteri dan anak-anak dan mereka tidak mahu berhadapan dengan hasutan pihak saluran TV3 sentiasa memaparkan keburukan pihak lain. Rakyat sudah merasakan yang “intensity” pembohongan dan fitnah yang dilakukan oleh TV3 ini membuatkan ramai yang secara automatik membenci saluran itu dan seterusnya kepada pihak yang disokong oleh saluran itu.
Saya telah berjumpa dan bercakap dengan beberapa ketua syarikat yang saya kenali dan mereka memberitahu saya yang mereka sedang menimbang untuk memberhentikan pengiklanan barangan mereka melalui saluran ini jika saluran penyiaran ini meneruskan sikap buruk mereka itu. Jika hilang sokongan dari pihak industri ini TV3 akan hilang pendapatan syarikat yang berkurangan dan segala “glamour” yang dialami oleh saluran TV3 yang terkenal itu.
Jika itu berlaku ia merupakan pengalaman yang sedang dialami oleh Utusan Malaysia yang tidak lagi mendapat sokongan dari pengiklanan yang besar-besar dan itu pun sebabnya Kumpulan Utusan Melayu itu telah kerugian sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu. Jangan terkejut jika TV3 akan menghadapi tindakan rakyat untuk memboikot saluran ini secara menyeluruh. Di zaman dunia tidak bersempadan ini rakyat boleh memilih saluran TV lain yang tidak membina kebencian di antara rakyat di negara ini.
Kita cuba untuk tidak menonton TV3 buat dua tiga hari ini... Saya yakin anda akan biasa dengan pemboikotan itu dan jiwa akan lebih tenteram dan aman tanpanya. Menjaga ketenteraman hati dan jiwa kita itu adalah satu ibadah kerana kita wajib menjauhi musuh-musuh secara baik, tanpa melakukan perkara-perkara yang ganas yang juga ditegah oleh agama dan juga adat kita. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Selalunya kejatuhan penonton sesebuah syarikat penyiaran seperti TV3 itu adalah kerana kejatuhan keyakinan penonton terhadap kredibiliti saluran itu. Dalam sejarah banyak syarikat penyiaran dan saluran TVnya telah jatuh kerana tidak mendapat sokongan ramai. Keadaan ini tidak mengecualikan TV3 yang kini sudah menampakkan keadaan seperti itu akan berlaku ke atas syarikat televisyen itu.
Kejatuhan penonton yang dialaminya sekarang sudah mula menampakkan apa yang dialami oleh banyak syarikat TV yang terpaksa ditutup di negara-negara yang lain itu akan berlaku ke atas TV3 jika saluran televisyen itu tidak menjaga kredibilitinya di mata penonton yang sedia ada sekarang.
Ramai di antara pengiklan-pengiklan barangan dan perkhidmatan telah mula memikirkan untuk mengiklankan barangan dan perkhidmatan mereka di saluran-saluran yang lain kerana TV3 tidak menjadi saluran sukaramai rakyat lagi. Kejatuhan jumlah penonton untuk saluran ini masih menurun dan dijangkakan yang ia akan melewati bawah dari 1 juta penonton setiap hari.
Keadaan ini berlaku bukan kerana apa….tetapi kerana TV3 sudah menjadi alat pembohongan BN dan Umno dan rakyat yang berfikiran “professional” tidak menganggap saluran TV3 ini sebagai saluran untuk rakyat. Sikap “tidak professional” TV3 ini menjadi persoalan ramai kerana orang ramai tidak gemar dengan sikap condong yang keterlaluan terhadap sesuatu pihak dalam politik ini adalah tindakan yang dianggap tidak jujur.
TV3 tidak yakin terhadap professionisma kewartawanan dan berita. Ia sudah menjadi seperti pentarama jabatan penerangan dan propaganda kerajaan di zaman peperangan melawan komunis dahulu. Rakyat sudah jemu dengan tingkah laku TV3 ini kerana menjadi penghasut bagi membenci setengah pihak dalam masyarakat secara keterlaluan dan ia amat menjijikkan ramai rakyat yang mahukan berita-berita yang seimbang dan professional dalam penyebaran maklumat kepada rakyat.
Saya sudah tidak membuka saluran ini sejak tujuh atau lapan tahun dahulu. Saya sendiri sudah tidak melanggan dan membaca Utusan Malaysia sejak sepuluh tahun dahulu kerana sebab yang sama. Hanya beberapa orang yang rapat dengan saya memberikan apa-apa keratan tulisan Utusan itu jika ia bersangkut dengan isu-isu panas yang dicetak oleh akhbar lidah rasmi Umno itu.
Sebenarnya rakyat memahami yang mana-mana saluran TV dan akhbar itu mempunyai “inclination” masing-masing terhadap sesuatu pihak. Tetapi apa yang dilakukan oleh TV3 dan Utusan itu adalah keterlaluan sehinggakan membelakangkan professionalisma kewartawanan. Tidak bergunalah belajar bidang kewartawanan sehingga ke peringkat yang tinggi tetapi mentaliti dan sikap tidak professional itu ditunjukkan dengan terlalu jelas kepada rakyat yang sudah pandai berfikir ini.
Kerana tindakan TV3 ini maka mereka yang tidak menyebelahi mana-mana pihak terpanggil untuk memberikan sokongan kepada pihak yang dianiayai oleh saluran TV itu. Sesungguhnya apa yang disiarkan oleh TV3 ini merupakan satu yang “counter productive” terhadap kerajaan itu sendiri dan pemantau-pemantau berkaitan dengan berita dari JPM itu tidak dapat merasakan rasa menyampah dan bosan penonton yang ramai-ramai balik ke rumah untuk bersantai dengan keluarga dipaparkan berita-berita yang berbentuk hasutan oleh media massa seperti saluran TV ini.
Bagi pembangkang yang menjadi korban fitnah ini, mereka sepatutnya berterima kasih kepada TV3 dan Utusan kerana kedua-dua saluran berita ini memberikan impak buruk terhadap BN dan tentulah PR yang mendapat keuntungan daripada tindakan mereka itu. Sebahagian besar daripada tanggungjawab pihak pembangkang untuk berkempen itu sudah pun disempurnakan oleh Utusan dan TV3 ini. Seorang yang benci kepada saluran ini menambah seorang yang menyokong kepada pihak pembangkang. Matematiknya senang.
Sikap memecah-belahkan rakyat oleh TV3 ini bertanggungjawab terhadap pembinaan kebencian rakyat kepada pihak yang berkuasa dan tidak adil jika dipersalahkan rakyat memberikan sokongan kepada pihak pembangkang kerana rakyat sentiasa berharap untuk hidup tenang di rumah setelah seharian bekerja kuat untuk keluarga masing-masing.
Apabila sampai di rumah rakyat mahu relaks dengan isteri dan anak-anak dan mereka tidak mahu berhadapan dengan hasutan pihak saluran TV3 sentiasa memaparkan keburukan pihak lain. Rakyat sudah merasakan yang “intensity” pembohongan dan fitnah yang dilakukan oleh TV3 ini membuatkan ramai yang secara automatik membenci saluran itu dan seterusnya kepada pihak yang disokong oleh saluran itu.
Saya telah berjumpa dan bercakap dengan beberapa ketua syarikat yang saya kenali dan mereka memberitahu saya yang mereka sedang menimbang untuk memberhentikan pengiklanan barangan mereka melalui saluran ini jika saluran penyiaran ini meneruskan sikap buruk mereka itu. Jika hilang sokongan dari pihak industri ini TV3 akan hilang pendapatan syarikat yang berkurangan dan segala “glamour” yang dialami oleh saluran TV3 yang terkenal itu.
Jika itu berlaku ia merupakan pengalaman yang sedang dialami oleh Utusan Malaysia yang tidak lagi mendapat sokongan dari pengiklanan yang besar-besar dan itu pun sebabnya Kumpulan Utusan Melayu itu telah kerugian sejak beberapa tahun yang lalu. Jangan terkejut jika TV3 akan menghadapi tindakan rakyat untuk memboikot saluran ini secara menyeluruh. Di zaman dunia tidak bersempadan ini rakyat boleh memilih saluran TV lain yang tidak membina kebencian di antara rakyat di negara ini.
Kita cuba untuk tidak menonton TV3 buat dua tiga hari ini... Saya yakin anda akan biasa dengan pemboikotan itu dan jiwa akan lebih tenteram dan aman tanpanya. Menjaga ketenteraman hati dan jiwa kita itu adalah satu ibadah kerana kita wajib menjauhi musuh-musuh secara baik, tanpa melakukan perkara-perkara yang ganas yang juga ditegah oleh agama dan juga adat kita. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Free legal aid only for criminal cases
Malay Mail
by Andrew Sagayam
by Andrew Sagayam
THE free legal aid will focus on representing Malaysians in criminal cases and not other areas of the legal matters.
Malaysian
Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said for the time being, providing
free legal aid for cases such as divorce, property purchase or
employment, were not part of their plans because they wanted to
concentrate on criminal cases.
"This has always been our target even before the National Legal Aid Foundation (NLAF) was established.
"We
might consider handling other types of cases later on but not any time
soon." he said, commenting on whether the NLAF would extend its free
services to other areas following the RM20 million allocated for the
foundation under the 2013 Budget.
Lim
said the Legal Aid Department, under the Prime Minister's Department,
is currently providing free legal aid for personal cases.
"Because
the department is already providing free legal aid for such cases, NLAF
will only concentrate on criminal cases." he said.
When
asked if there were enough lawyers to handle criminal cases nationwide,
Lim said it was sufficient and he expect the number of those who signed
up for the pro bono work could and should increase over time.
"The
three Bars of the Peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak now have a trained pool
of 777 lawyers volunteering in the scheme, and to date, 8,500 Malaysians
received legal representation.
"Between April and July this year, NLAF lawyers assisted 13,046 persons in remand hearings and 254 criminal files were opened."
Lim said NLAF scheme nationwide had extended to 68 out of 163 police district headquarters and 70 out of 99 remand courts.
"However,
one incentive will be to increase the present nominal sum they are
paid, to at least match that of an equivalent jurisdiction, such as
Taiwan.
"It
is notable the fees paid to lawyers in the United Kingdom and Australia
under their legal aid schemes are many times higher than those paid
here."
He
said the Bar looked forward to the government's continuing support to
ensure the success and sustainability of the programme for those
ensnared in the criminal justice system.
He
said those who are hauled to court for criminal cases would be given
free legal aid if they earn an income of less than RM25,000 per annum
while those earning between RM25,000 and RM36,000 a year will need to
pay a token RM300 for the service.
Lawyers under NLAF, he said, can earn up to RM250 a day handling remand cases and probably make RM2,000 to RM3,000 a month.
The
NLAF, which was launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on
Feb 25 last year, suffered a setback when the Attorney-General’s
Chambers and the legal profession were locked in a disagreement over the
number of volunteer lawyers needed for it to be successful.
Attorney-General
Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had lamented that the scheme into which the
government had allocated RM5 million initially had only 300 lawyers when
it needed at least 1,000 to 1,500 lawyers.
To
this, NLAF alternate director Ragunath Kesavan and Lim claimed 500
lawyers were trained and the number was enough to get the service going.
Legal observers questioned why it was difficult to get lawyers into the service when there were 15,400 lawyers in the country.
The NLAF finally commenced operations on April 2.
PAS Gains From Partnership With DAP - Hadi Awang
KUALA TERENGGANU, Oct 13 (Bernama) -- PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul
Hadi Awang today reiterated that the party had gained a lot through its
partnership with the DAP.
He said the cooperation with DAP had helped PAS gain support from non-Malays which resulted in the party getting to administer two states in the federation.
"Through our close cooperation with the DAP, we also got to administer Perak (before the Opposition pact lost the state to the Barisan Nasional (BN)). In fact, we also had gained when we were cooperating with the BN before we pulled out of the ruling coalition (at the Federal level) in 1978," he told reporters after delivering a talk at Maahad Tahfiz Tok Jiring in Kampung Tok Jiring here.
Yesterday, PAS' spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had said PAS needed the DAP to secure support among non-Malays in the upcoming 13th general election.
Meanwhile, asked to comment on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's statement yesterday that the opposition's shadow cabinet was just a ploy to confuse the people for political gain, Abdul Hadi said PAS did not need this (shadow cabinet) to increase its political strength.
He said the cooperation with DAP had helped PAS gain support from non-Malays which resulted in the party getting to administer two states in the federation.
"Through our close cooperation with the DAP, we also got to administer Perak (before the Opposition pact lost the state to the Barisan Nasional (BN)). In fact, we also had gained when we were cooperating with the BN before we pulled out of the ruling coalition (at the Federal level) in 1978," he told reporters after delivering a talk at Maahad Tahfiz Tok Jiring in Kampung Tok Jiring here.
Yesterday, PAS' spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat had said PAS needed the DAP to secure support among non-Malays in the upcoming 13th general election.
Meanwhile, asked to comment on Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's statement yesterday that the opposition's shadow cabinet was just a ploy to confuse the people for political gain, Abdul Hadi said PAS did not need this (shadow cabinet) to increase its political strength.
Ex-IGP Musa withdraws suit against Anwar
(Malaysiakini) Former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan has today withdrawn his
defamation suit against Anwar Ibrahim over the opposition leader's
police report on fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I trial.
The
withdrawal of the former police chief's suit was recorded before Kuala
Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Asmabi Mohamad.
Musa's (right) lawyers Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hasnal Rezua Merican informed Asmabi of the withdrawal before a packed court room filled with Anwar's supporters.
Anwar’s lawyer N Surendran said as a result of the withdrawal, they are not seeking costs.
“The court then struck out the suit following this application,” he said.
Musa filed the suit following Anwar’s police report against him, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim and Hospital Kuala Lumpur pathologist Dr Abdul Rahman Mohd Yusof in 2008 alleging fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I trial.
Anwar (left),
who was arrested on Sept 20, 1998 on allegations of abuse of power and
sodomy, was assaulted by former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor while being
detained at the lock-up.
The police report led to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating Musa and Abdul Gani - the investigating officer on the two cases against Anwar and chief prosecutor respectively - on allegations of possible abuse of power, where a three-member panel led by former Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman was called in to conduct a probe.
However, the panel in a majority ruling ruled that Musa and Abdul Gani were not guilty of abuse of power. Abdul Kadir was the only one dissenting in the panel.
Despite the panel’s clearance of Abdul Gani and Musa which was announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz in Parliament, the allegations on the duo persist.
This follows revelations by Mat Zain, the investigating officer in the black eye incident, over the duo’s role in allegedly fabricating evidence in various open letters which he had posted to the media, with copies sent to the IGP and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Surendran told Malaysiakini that Mat Zain, along with former Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Ramli Yusuff, are among the slated witnesses to testify in the defence. Ramli was in the cell with former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor.
Initially, the court had set a three-day hearing for Musa’s defamation suit, with the former IGP taking the witness stand today.
Conflicting versions
Outside court, both Musa and Anwar gave a different take on the withdrawal.
Musa (left in photo),
in commenting on his decision to withdraw the lawsuit, said there was a
“misunderstanding” on his role in the black-eye incident.
“We have discussed and revisited the point of contention in this civil suit. I am made to understand there is a misunderstanding brought by certain people, resulting in this case related to the black-eye incident being brought to court today.”
“Hence, I accept the settlement outside court as proposed by them (the defendants).”
Musa said the discussion on the withdrawal had been made since yesterday.
Kamarul Hisham, commenting on what took place, said the party has spoken there has been a misunderstanding on Musa’s role and that this has been cleared up and the parties are prepared to put the matter behind them.
“The air has been cleared so we are withdrawing the suit from the court,” he said.
Musa denied that he is withdrawing it for fear of being grilled in court by Anwar’s lawyers.
Kamarul Hisham said it works both ways as Anwar would also be grilled if put on the stand.
Anwar wants tribunal against AG
Anwar, who was present in court, noted that Musa has admitted the misunderstanding over the matter and he forgave Musa for what he did.
“I am pleased Musa has withdrawn his suit, my allegation remains unrebutted especially on the (present) attorney-general’s (Abdul Gani Patail) role and I believe a tribunal must be set-up to establish our case that there was conspiracy on the fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I and the black-eye case,” he said.
“I have lodged a police report, he (Musa) contended on that particular aspect. Musa and I respect that he shows an understanding to withdraw and we will move on and now we will focus on the AG,” he said.
The Permatang Pauh MP said his police report still stands and it was Abdul Gani who had led (to the fabrication) and we must concentrate on those responsible.
When
asked whether he may consider filing a legal action against Abdul Gani,
Anwar said that we have done everything possible against Abdul Gani,
including lodging a police report.
“The system is very biased and oppressive. I do not think Prime Minister Najib (Abdul Razak) wants to establish the truth. At this stage we recommended for a tribunal as this is a long-drawn-out case with the allegations against him. If you look at my report, he (Abdul Gani) is the main player in the report,” he said.
Quizzed whether he will move a motion in parliament for a tribunal against Abdul Gani, he said it would not be up to him, but the opposition will consider this.
“I have taken this in good spirit that Musa has chosen to withdraw,” he said.
When it was pointed out that Musa had admitted he took Anwar’s blood sample, Anwar said there are a lot of things which Musa had admitted and now it was important to put the episode behind them and focus on Abdul Gani.
“Its not easy for me, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the family and lawyers. It has been a painful experience that we have gone through, but I think we have to move on and I believe we have to move on. We have an agenda to reform and a country to govern,” he said.
Musa had, in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, admitted that he took Anwar’s sample meant for HIV tests during the black-eye case and had used it to conduct a DNA test.
The
withdrawal of the former police chief's suit was recorded before Kuala
Lumpur High Court judicial commissioner Asmabi Mohamad.Musa's (right) lawyers Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin and Hasnal Rezua Merican informed Asmabi of the withdrawal before a packed court room filled with Anwar's supporters.
Anwar’s lawyer N Surendran said as a result of the withdrawal, they are not seeking costs.
“The court then struck out the suit following this application,” he said.
Musa filed the suit following Anwar’s police report against him, attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, former Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mat Zain Ibrahim and Hospital Kuala Lumpur pathologist Dr Abdul Rahman Mohd Yusof in 2008 alleging fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I trial.
Anwar (left),
who was arrested on Sept 20, 1998 on allegations of abuse of power and
sodomy, was assaulted by former IGP Abdul Rahim Noor while being
detained at the lock-up.The police report led to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating Musa and Abdul Gani - the investigating officer on the two cases against Anwar and chief prosecutor respectively - on allegations of possible abuse of power, where a three-member panel led by former Federal Court judge Abdul Kadir Sulaiman was called in to conduct a probe.
However, the panel in a majority ruling ruled that Musa and Abdul Gani were not guilty of abuse of power. Abdul Kadir was the only one dissenting in the panel.
Despite the panel’s clearance of Abdul Gani and Musa which was announced by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz in Parliament, the allegations on the duo persist.
This follows revelations by Mat Zain, the investigating officer in the black eye incident, over the duo’s role in allegedly fabricating evidence in various open letters which he had posted to the media, with copies sent to the IGP and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
Surendran told Malaysiakini that Mat Zain, along with former Commercial Crime Investigation Department director Ramli Yusuff, are among the slated witnesses to testify in the defence. Ramli was in the cell with former inspector-general of police Abdul Rahim Noor.
Initially, the court had set a three-day hearing for Musa’s defamation suit, with the former IGP taking the witness stand today.
Conflicting versions
Outside court, both Musa and Anwar gave a different take on the withdrawal.
Musa (left in photo),
in commenting on his decision to withdraw the lawsuit, said there was a
“misunderstanding” on his role in the black-eye incident.“We have discussed and revisited the point of contention in this civil suit. I am made to understand there is a misunderstanding brought by certain people, resulting in this case related to the black-eye incident being brought to court today.”
“Hence, I accept the settlement outside court as proposed by them (the defendants).”
Musa said the discussion on the withdrawal had been made since yesterday.
Kamarul Hisham, commenting on what took place, said the party has spoken there has been a misunderstanding on Musa’s role and that this has been cleared up and the parties are prepared to put the matter behind them.
“The air has been cleared so we are withdrawing the suit from the court,” he said.
Musa denied that he is withdrawing it for fear of being grilled in court by Anwar’s lawyers.
Kamarul Hisham said it works both ways as Anwar would also be grilled if put on the stand.
Anwar wants tribunal against AG
Anwar, who was present in court, noted that Musa has admitted the misunderstanding over the matter and he forgave Musa for what he did.
“I am pleased Musa has withdrawn his suit, my allegation remains unrebutted especially on the (present) attorney-general’s (Abdul Gani Patail) role and I believe a tribunal must be set-up to establish our case that there was conspiracy on the fabrication of evidence in the Sodomy I and the black-eye case,” he said.
“I have lodged a police report, he (Musa) contended on that particular aspect. Musa and I respect that he shows an understanding to withdraw and we will move on and now we will focus on the AG,” he said.
The Permatang Pauh MP said his police report still stands and it was Abdul Gani who had led (to the fabrication) and we must concentrate on those responsible.
When
asked whether he may consider filing a legal action against Abdul Gani,
Anwar said that we have done everything possible against Abdul Gani,
including lodging a police report.“The system is very biased and oppressive. I do not think Prime Minister Najib (Abdul Razak) wants to establish the truth. At this stage we recommended for a tribunal as this is a long-drawn-out case with the allegations against him. If you look at my report, he (Abdul Gani) is the main player in the report,” he said.
Quizzed whether he will move a motion in parliament for a tribunal against Abdul Gani, he said it would not be up to him, but the opposition will consider this.
“I have taken this in good spirit that Musa has chosen to withdraw,” he said.
When it was pointed out that Musa had admitted he took Anwar’s blood sample, Anwar said there are a lot of things which Musa had admitted and now it was important to put the episode behind them and focus on Abdul Gani.
“Its not easy for me, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the family and lawyers. It has been a painful experience that we have gone through, but I think we have to move on and I believe we have to move on. We have an agenda to reform and a country to govern,” he said.
Musa had, in an exclusive interview with Malaysiakini, admitted that he took Anwar’s sample meant for HIV tests during the black-eye case and had used it to conduct a DNA test.
Tuesday, 16 October 2012
Discard all Muslim Reservations in Bharat. Hindusthan for Hindus, not for the propagators of Shariat or for the perpetrators of another Pakistan.
No Reservation for Pro-separatist Muslims in India.
~ Upananda Brahmachari.
Under this heading: “More Muslim representation in police force, army and IB: AIMMM“, Sri Ashish Tripathi, of TNN has contributed an exploring news in Times of India (14-10-2012) about the conspiracy of Islamists in India for capturing India through administration, police, army and intelligence bureau etc. step by step. Though the report has been generated out of a Islamist-Akhilesh chemistry in the back-drop of Uttar Pradesh Islamization, but the report has been established its importance in the length and breadth of this country, whether it is in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam or Jammu and Kashmir. Religious Reservation in a shape of clear Muslim Reservation in India is being nurtured another threat to divide India again on the basis of old ”Two Nation” theory.
In this chilling report, Ashsis told, “Expressing concern over spurt in communal violence in various parts of the country, the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM), the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations in the country, has demanded increase in Muslim representation in the police force and Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The Central Working Committee of the AIMMM, in a recent meeting, passed a resolution stating that it is alarmed at the spurt in communal riots in various parts of the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh after Samajwadi Party government came to power in the state. ‘It has been noted that the police force either remains passive during these instances of engineered murder, loot and arson or becomes an active participant opening fire at will at Muslims with the intent to kill as happened at Masuri town near Delhi.
We caution the state and central governments to be more careful in tackling acts of violence, pay adequate compensation to the victims of police fire and take quick legal action against the killers,’ the resolution stated. It also appealed to the Muslim masses to show no unnecessary and hasty violent reaction to inflammatory situations created on purpose by communal forces whose eyes are fixed on the general elections in 2014 for which communal polarization is required so that their political party may benefit.”
The report goes further: “The AIMMM, in another resolution, welcomed the effort of the central government to raise Muslim representation in the police force which has gone down to as low as 2% in some states. ‘Muslim representation should also be raised in the Army, IB and other security agencies to regain the lost confidence of the Muslim masses,’ it stated.”
Not only that, after demanding such communal propositions, the Islamic body in question out-rightly condemned the role of present police and intelligence services and reacted that: “IB and police officers responsible for fabricating cases and implicating innocents should be punished and compensation to the victims should be deducted from the salaries and pensions of such officers.”. According to this Islamic body demanding Islamization of Police, Intelligence and Army categorically said that,”Police chiefs were recently told during their annual conference that the biggest threat faced by the country comes from the so-called “Indian Mujahidin” which many in the Muslim community think is a fictitious organization propped up by the IB to harass Muslims. Eighteen youths have been arrested recently in Bangalore and other places in a totally false and fabricated case which is clear from the changing stories dished out by Bangalore police about these youths.” [One can read the original report of TOI here].
In West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal declared 10% separate Muslim OBC reservation within the stipulated OBC quota in her state. Declared sanction for 10000 Madrasas, Rs. 2500 to Imams and Rs. 1000 to Muazins respectively, bi-cycles for Muslim Girl students of Madrasa and many other facilities to her Muslim brothers and sisters ignoring the plight of Hindu poor people.
In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and some other states Muslims are enjoying reservation facilities upon religious grounds, which are simply violating the attracted articles of Indian Constitution. In various overt and covert processes the Shariat loving people are trying hard to divide the Indian Constitution upon Muslim and Non-Muslim basis under the proclamation of Reservation and Social Justice for Muslims in India with more than equal rights. Salman Khurshid, the secular face of Pro Islamist in the Central Cabinet Ministry of India is also trying a 5% general reservation in all the central offices, schemes and provisions. In other words, Muslims of India are now demanding more than equal rights over the majority Hindus by an distinctive instigation of Muslim sentiments to get rid off the Hindu supremacy or influence in India. The days of partition is coming back with its prominent preface as history repeats itself.
One can judge the developments of Muslim demands in India since the establishment of Muslim League in 1906 (30th Dec, 1906) and down to the partition of India in 1947 through a bloody Direct Action against Hindus initiated by the same Muslim League in 16th August, 1946. The descendants of the same Muslim League are moving freely in India with full political and financial support to fulfil their unfinished programme of a Greater Pakistan in Indian Sub-continent. The India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), All India Democratic United Front (AIDUF), Popular Front of India (PFI), People’s Democratic Conference of India (PDCI), Peace Party, Qumi Ekta, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Welfare Party of India (WPI) or such other political party or political alliance of Muslim fundamental political groups, all are the new incarnations of that Communal Muslim League who demanded and divided India upon Two Nation theory. Now, the new Muslim Leaguers in different names are heading towards another partition of India in a prolific anti-constitutional stance. On the basis of communal strength the Indian Muslims are planning to change in basic principal of Indian Constitutions first and finally to adopt Shariat upon the Indian Constitution as a law of Allah. One should not forget the Shah Bano case and the humiliation thereafter.
But the primary question is that on what authority Muslims can justify their illegal demands of reservation in India or any Muslim Leaguers or the like minded people can be permitted to stay in India. We have to discuss over this matter before entering into the next to nullify Muslim Reservation in India. [To be concluded].
Under this heading: “More Muslim representation in police force, army and IB: AIMMM“, Sri Ashish Tripathi, of TNN has contributed an exploring news in Times of India (14-10-2012) about the conspiracy of Islamists in India for capturing India through administration, police, army and intelligence bureau etc. step by step. Though the report has been generated out of a Islamist-Akhilesh chemistry in the back-drop of Uttar Pradesh Islamization, but the report has been established its importance in the length and breadth of this country, whether it is in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Assam or Jammu and Kashmir. Religious Reservation in a shape of clear Muslim Reservation in India is being nurtured another threat to divide India again on the basis of old ”Two Nation” theory.
In this chilling report, Ashsis told, “Expressing concern over spurt in communal violence in various parts of the country, the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM), the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations in the country, has demanded increase in Muslim representation in the police force and Intelligence Bureau (IB).
The Central Working Committee of the AIMMM, in a recent meeting, passed a resolution stating that it is alarmed at the spurt in communal riots in various parts of the country, especially in Uttar Pradesh after Samajwadi Party government came to power in the state. ‘It has been noted that the police force either remains passive during these instances of engineered murder, loot and arson or becomes an active participant opening fire at will at Muslims with the intent to kill as happened at Masuri town near Delhi.
We caution the state and central governments to be more careful in tackling acts of violence, pay adequate compensation to the victims of police fire and take quick legal action against the killers,’ the resolution stated. It also appealed to the Muslim masses to show no unnecessary and hasty violent reaction to inflammatory situations created on purpose by communal forces whose eyes are fixed on the general elections in 2014 for which communal polarization is required so that their political party may benefit.”
The report goes further: “The AIMMM, in another resolution, welcomed the effort of the central government to raise Muslim representation in the police force which has gone down to as low as 2% in some states. ‘Muslim representation should also be raised in the Army, IB and other security agencies to regain the lost confidence of the Muslim masses,’ it stated.”
Not only that, after demanding such communal propositions, the Islamic body in question out-rightly condemned the role of present police and intelligence services and reacted that: “IB and police officers responsible for fabricating cases and implicating innocents should be punished and compensation to the victims should be deducted from the salaries and pensions of such officers.”. According to this Islamic body demanding Islamization of Police, Intelligence and Army categorically said that,”Police chiefs were recently told during their annual conference that the biggest threat faced by the country comes from the so-called “Indian Mujahidin” which many in the Muslim community think is a fictitious organization propped up by the IB to harass Muslims. Eighteen youths have been arrested recently in Bangalore and other places in a totally false and fabricated case which is clear from the changing stories dished out by Bangalore police about these youths.” [One can read the original report of TOI here].
In West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal declared 10% separate Muslim OBC reservation within the stipulated OBC quota in her state. Declared sanction for 10000 Madrasas, Rs. 2500 to Imams and Rs. 1000 to Muazins respectively, bi-cycles for Muslim Girl students of Madrasa and many other facilities to her Muslim brothers and sisters ignoring the plight of Hindu poor people.
In Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and some other states Muslims are enjoying reservation facilities upon religious grounds, which are simply violating the attracted articles of Indian Constitution. In various overt and covert processes the Shariat loving people are trying hard to divide the Indian Constitution upon Muslim and Non-Muslim basis under the proclamation of Reservation and Social Justice for Muslims in India with more than equal rights. Salman Khurshid, the secular face of Pro Islamist in the Central Cabinet Ministry of India is also trying a 5% general reservation in all the central offices, schemes and provisions. In other words, Muslims of India are now demanding more than equal rights over the majority Hindus by an distinctive instigation of Muslim sentiments to get rid off the Hindu supremacy or influence in India. The days of partition is coming back with its prominent preface as history repeats itself.
One can judge the developments of Muslim demands in India since the establishment of Muslim League in 1906 (30th Dec, 1906) and down to the partition of India in 1947 through a bloody Direct Action against Hindus initiated by the same Muslim League in 16th August, 1946. The descendants of the same Muslim League are moving freely in India with full political and financial support to fulfil their unfinished programme of a Greater Pakistan in Indian Sub-continent. The India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat (AIMMM), Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), All India Democratic United Front (AIDUF), Popular Front of India (PFI), People’s Democratic Conference of India (PDCI), Peace Party, Qumi Ekta, Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Welfare Party of India (WPI) or such other political party or political alliance of Muslim fundamental political groups, all are the new incarnations of that Communal Muslim League who demanded and divided India upon Two Nation theory. Now, the new Muslim Leaguers in different names are heading towards another partition of India in a prolific anti-constitutional stance. On the basis of communal strength the Indian Muslims are planning to change in basic principal of Indian Constitutions first and finally to adopt Shariat upon the Indian Constitution as a law of Allah. One should not forget the Shah Bano case and the humiliation thereafter.
But the primary question is that on what authority Muslims can justify their illegal demands of reservation in India or any Muslim Leaguers or the like minded people can be permitted to stay in India. We have to discuss over this matter before entering into the next to nullify Muslim Reservation in India. [To be concluded].
Muslims Complain About Cross Symbol in Swiss Airline Adverts
I posted last year about how some Swiss companies were removing the Swiss flag from their logos in order to appease Muslims. Some Islamic apologists claimed the companies were reacting to a problem that was entirely imaginary and, in reality, Muslims were not so primitive that they would be offended by the mere display of another religion's symbols. Now we see that, in fact, they are.
The last advertising campaign of the Swiss transporter has not gone unnoticed. On large-format advertising hoards in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, the Swiss flag appears accompanied by the slogan "Kreuz ist Trumpf". This means literally "The cross is an advantage", or "clubs are trumps" for aficionados of jass, the traditional card game. A double meaning that not everyone has been able to grasp.
The Muslims of Switzerland have reacted sharply to this image. On some forums, the internet users are indignant about the fact that Swiss is thus making reference to the "cross" and not the "Swiss cross", reports "Der Sonntag". The vehemence of the internet users is not a surprise to the Turkish journalist Cemil Baysal. Not long after the emotion caused in the Muslim world by the film "Innocence of Muslims", "many Muslims feel this slogan is a provocation and an attack against Islam".
Swiss, for its part, has given an assurance that its campaign contains no religious or political message.
Terrorists planned to target Buddhist site, Hindu festivals
An inexperienced new group of IM extremists was plotting a series of brazen attacks when they were arrested in Delhi, police say.
By Udayan Namboodiri for Khabar South Asia in New Delhi
![The ineptness of three arrested terror suspects saved Pune from serious casualties during an attack in August, but officials warn that new recruits are being trained and continue to pose a threat. [Punit Paranjpe/Reuters]](http://khabarsouthasia.com/shared/images/2012/10/13/121016_UDAYAN_IN_IM-310_207.jpg)
Potentially lethal attacks by the Indian Mujahideen (IM) terrorist network have been thwarted with the arrests Thursday (October 12th) of three suspected operatives. The bust, carried out by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, is the second of its kind in as many months.
Asad Khan, Imran Khan and Syed Feroz, all hailing from Maharashtra state, were allegedly involved in bomb blasts targeting Pune last August, and were plotting a series of brazen attacks in the future – including one against a Buddhist place of pilgrimage.
"These three were IM operatives, all members of a new module. There are four others of this module who are still at large," Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told reporters at a news conference. "They have dangerous plans of carrying out more blasts in Delhi, Mumbai and Bodh Gaya."
Bodh Gaya, believed to be the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, is one of four major destinations for Buddhist pilgrims, attracting thousands of visitors each year. A terror attack there would have come at a time of heightened religious tensions sparked by the Rohingya crisis in Burma as well as mob attacks against Buddhists in southern Bangladesh.
The Hindu festival month, which begins in the second half of October, had also been singled out for attacks by the group, Kumar indicated. The men were arrested in Delhi, where they had apparently gathered to finalise their plot.
According to police, intelligence provided by an alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba "handler" was crucial to busting the cell.
"We were helped in the cracking of this module by Abu Jundal [also known as Abu Hamza], the conspirator of the November 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai who is now in Delhi Police's custody after his extradition by Saudi Arabia," Kumar said. "It was [Jundal] who indoctrinated the members of this module," Kumar said.
According to Home Secretary R.K. Singh, the potential danger has not been extinguished and there is no room for complacency.
"The threat to the public during the festive season has not passed. What the Delhi Police have revealed (Thursday) is only the tip of the iceberg. This is a bigger conspiracy than we had imagined," Singh told Khabar South Asia, praising the police for their efforts.
The backgrounds of the three suspects appear to confirm that IM is now recruiting middle class professionals, in contrast to the disgruntled and poorly educated young males who were drawn to the group in the past. Khan is a computer professional, Feroz is a prosperous shop owner and Imran Khan is a school graduate.
In the last week of August, Bangalore Police stumbled upon a big module that included journalists, IT professionals and scientists. To date, 18 men have been arrested from Bangalore, Hubli and Hyderabad. "This Pune module is threatening to be bigger," Kumar said.
Amateurs with big plans
The blasts linked to the trio show them to be a newly emerging organisation that has not yet become adept at carrying out attacks, police said.
Four bombs went off within a couple of minutes on a busy road during the evening rush hour. But unlike the 2010 German Bakery bombing in Pune, which killed nine people, the August 1st attack caused only minor injuries to one person.
"It was obvious that the people who executed it were not well-experienced. Two of their bombs did not go off. They did not take the muggy monsoon weather into consideration. But we were forewarned that they will return with better training because their determination was very evident in the planning and execution," Singh said.
IM is widely believed to have assisted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in carrying out the 2010 attack, and it may be returning the favour by helping to build and train the new cell. According to Kumar, evidence has surfaced of a "definite IM- LeT linkage" through the Pune module.
"The name of Fayyaz Kagzi, a Pakistani LeT operative has come up during the investigation into this case," Kumar told reporters. "Abu Salem has confirmed that he had a role in the development of this module. Now we are certain that LeT has penetrated IM."
By Udayan Namboodiri for Khabar South Asia in New Delhi
Asad Khan, Imran Khan and Syed Feroz, all hailing from Maharashtra state, were allegedly involved in bomb blasts targeting Pune last August, and were plotting a series of brazen attacks in the future – including one against a Buddhist place of pilgrimage.
"These three were IM operatives, all members of a new module. There are four others of this module who are still at large," Delhi Police Commissioner Neeraj Kumar told reporters at a news conference. "They have dangerous plans of carrying out more blasts in Delhi, Mumbai and Bodh Gaya."
Bodh Gaya, believed to be the site where Siddhartha Gautama attained enlightenment, is one of four major destinations for Buddhist pilgrims, attracting thousands of visitors each year. A terror attack there would have come at a time of heightened religious tensions sparked by the Rohingya crisis in Burma as well as mob attacks against Buddhists in southern Bangladesh.
The Hindu festival month, which begins in the second half of October, had also been singled out for attacks by the group, Kumar indicated. The men were arrested in Delhi, where they had apparently gathered to finalise their plot.
According to police, intelligence provided by an alleged Lashkar-e-Taiba "handler" was crucial to busting the cell.
"We were helped in the cracking of this module by Abu Jundal [also known as Abu Hamza], the conspirator of the November 2008 terrorist attack on Mumbai who is now in Delhi Police's custody after his extradition by Saudi Arabia," Kumar said. "It was [Jundal] who indoctrinated the members of this module," Kumar said.
According to Home Secretary R.K. Singh, the potential danger has not been extinguished and there is no room for complacency.
"The threat to the public during the festive season has not passed. What the Delhi Police have revealed (Thursday) is only the tip of the iceberg. This is a bigger conspiracy than we had imagined," Singh told Khabar South Asia, praising the police for their efforts.
The backgrounds of the three suspects appear to confirm that IM is now recruiting middle class professionals, in contrast to the disgruntled and poorly educated young males who were drawn to the group in the past. Khan is a computer professional, Feroz is a prosperous shop owner and Imran Khan is a school graduate.
In the last week of August, Bangalore Police stumbled upon a big module that included journalists, IT professionals and scientists. To date, 18 men have been arrested from Bangalore, Hubli and Hyderabad. "This Pune module is threatening to be bigger," Kumar said.
Amateurs with big plans
The blasts linked to the trio show them to be a newly emerging organisation that has not yet become adept at carrying out attacks, police said.
Four bombs went off within a couple of minutes on a busy road during the evening rush hour. But unlike the 2010 German Bakery bombing in Pune, which killed nine people, the August 1st attack caused only minor injuries to one person.
"It was obvious that the people who executed it were not well-experienced. Two of their bombs did not go off. They did not take the muggy monsoon weather into consideration. But we were forewarned that they will return with better training because their determination was very evident in the planning and execution," Singh said.
IM is widely believed to have assisted Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in carrying out the 2010 attack, and it may be returning the favour by helping to build and train the new cell. According to Kumar, evidence has surfaced of a "definite IM- LeT linkage" through the Pune module.
"The name of Fayyaz Kagzi, a Pakistani LeT operative has come up during the investigation into this case," Kumar told reporters. "Abu Salem has confirmed that he had a role in the development of this module. Now we are certain that LeT has penetrated IM."
Costs for faulty military quarters soared to RM3.2b, audit shows
An image in the Auditor-General’s Report depicts raw sewage flowing from leaking pipes at a military housing unit.
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 15 ― Military family quarters built by the Defence Ministry saw costs nearly double to RM3.2 billion amid a litany of defects including collapsed ceilings and leaking sewer pipes, according to revelations in the Auditor-General’s Report 2011.
Among others, the report found that the majority of the military quarters projects audited were awarded by direct negotiation and that the government waived penalties worth RM87.12 million for failure to meet contractual obligations.
“The waiver that was approved by the Ministry of Finance to the respective contractors caused losses and compromised the interests of the government,” said the report.
The audit team said that the financial performance of the military quarters projects was “unsatisfactory” as costs has shot up 84.1 per cent from the original allocation of RM1.74 billion.
Quarters examined by the audit showed that costs per unit ranged from RM260,000 at TUDM Subang and RM287,000 at Kinabatangan camp, to RM391,000 at Kementah camp and as much as RM1 million at TUDM Butterworth.
Explicit photos provided in the report showed sewage flowing on the floor due to leaky pipes at the Kementah camp quarters, a collapsed ceiling at the Subang TUDM quarters, and cupboard doors that cannot fully open due to a faulty design at Kementah camp.
One photo also showed quarters in the Kinabatangan camp in Sandakan being used by foreign workers and their families.
The report also said that stricter monitoring was required and contractors that failed to deliver should be blacklisted.
“In the audit’s opinion, the Defence Ministry should not accept family quarters that have defects and damaged construction that is so high that it causes members of the armed forces to live in premises that are not of quality,” said the report.
The audit also found that contractors failed to meet construction deadlines and were given extensions ranging from 94-1240 days.
According to the report, family quarters that were completed also had high levels of defects and contractors failed to rectify the defects within the warranty period.
Umno fears Nurul, not Azmin
Umno knows that Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar Ibrahim and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against.
COMMENT
Nurul Izzah Anwar lives in a man’s world but is still a lady. She does not seek to be the equal of these men. She seeks to do better!
She tells us that she is the proud mother of two cuties and that she is the defection-proof member of parliament for Lembah Pantai.
I like that description of herself on her Facebook “defection-proof MP of Lembah Pantai”. Huh, what pizzazz!
Tell me, Anwar (Ibrahim), how many other defection-proof MPs do you have within PKR? How comforting is it not to have to watch your back constantly? How good does it feel to know that come what may, this Lembah Pantai MP will be on your team unconditionally?
Not for money, not for the menteri besar’s post or any other post anywhere in your party at state or federal level. But on past performances, she certainly is worthy and deserving of consideration for same.
People will ask if her father had prepared her for Lembah Pantai. I know that Anwar prepared her for Lembah Pantai long before she was ready for it. Like Benazir Bhutto and Aung San Suu Kyi, Nurul learnt about politics from an early age simply because it was all around her.
She grew up in politics, lived it, she endured it through the darkest hours of her father’s political persecution and incarceration and more, and when given the opportunity, she triumphed in Lembah Pantai against all odds. We all have great expectations of her future.
But did her father prepare her for what was to come after Lembah Pantai? What is he doing to ensure that she will be able to survive the onslaught Umno now throws her way in its attempts to retake Lembah Pantai at all costs?
In a constituency where all of Umno’s available resources, manpower and considerable financial leverage are now being used to woo the voters?
Can she keep her hold on a constituency that Umno had decreed “they must win” because winning in Lembah Pantai will take away from PKR and Pakatan Rakyat the jewel in their crown – Nurul.
Umno’s main concern
Umno has no real interest in taking down Azmin Ali (PKR deputy president), save for a token slap on his wrist whenever he strays too far.
Umno knows that given enough rope, Azmin will hang himself. Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against.
And how will Umno do battle against Nurul? You cannot fault her work as MP of Lembah Pantai despite having all of Umno’s arsenal arrayed against her to make her work among her constituents almost impossible.
There is not a hint of the scandals and innuendos that plague Barisan Nasional MPs in her. She has no money to speak and lives a life within her means. She is the incumbent MP BN fears most – fearless because she has no blemish on her character, honest, accountable, responsible, open and that most perplexing for Umno to deal with – “defection-proof!”
However, this general election will be more daunting than the last for Nurul.
We have all endured past family “dynasties” that promised much but delivered naught.
Najib Tun Razak started with a bang by becoming the youngest MP at 23, then on to being menteri besar of Pahang riding on the coat-tails of Tun Razak’s legacy. But his ascend to ignominy was swift and expected.
A failed marriage, now a domineering wife, and he allowed politics to serve his personal agenda rather than have himself served politics. Soon he will end his days in politics with a whimper.
Najib, Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaludin are all lessons for other aspiring scions that seek to perpetuate lasting political dynasties for no other reasons than that they think they can – and later, much later, we will have to tell them that they can’t.
Now we have Nurul. If I could fault her, it is because I believe that she loves her father too much to do what she has to do now for herself and for PKR.
Too many times in the past PKR has faltered at a time when it should not. Its near-death experience at the 2010 party elections has not been helped by the aftershocks of Azmin’s inept attempts to consolidate his personal power base within PKR at the expense of Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor Menteri Besar), Nurul and Dr Azizah Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR president) – because only these three people stand in his way to greater personal glory in PKR.
What is good for Azmin does not equate to what is good for PKR or Pakatan. That much the leaders within DAP and PAS have made known to us. But Anwar prefers to maintain an elegant silence that speaks too loudly to us all of a PKR that is in crisis.
If the problems within PKR stay within PKR, good. Unfortunately that problem has begun to affect the battle for Lembah Pantai even as Umno gears up to offer its final solution to the people of Lembah Pantai – vote for RNC – Raja Nong Chik (Zainal Abidin).
The challenge for Nurul
Let me be precise. RNC has done enough to win nomination from BN to challenge Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai. RNC has done enough work among the people in Lembah Pantai to give Nurul Izzah a run for her money.
Yes, he has all the resources he needed from Umno to do this. Yes, he is the minister most able to assist the people in Lembah Pantai and yes, he has done whatever he humanely could do to assist them.
No, he has not been nominated to stand in Lembah Pantai but he will be come nomination day for the 13th general election.
So whither goes Nurul? What help have she had from within PKR for her battle against RNC? Or more to the point, is PKR in any condition to extend any assistance to Nurul given the open sores we see of the continuing attempts by Azmin to tell all and sundry that in a blind PKR, he has one eye.
And the one eye is king in the land of the blind! So he thinks!
Is it not time that Anwar put his house of cards in order? Or does he think there is still time? Time to allow Azmin to organise PKR into what Azmin wants it to be. He has succeeded in having a PKR without Zaid Ibrahim. Now he wants a PKR without Khalid, Azizah and Nurul?
Enough is enough, Anwar. Again I want to tell you of the dangers posed by Azmin. Yes, Azmin sees Nurul as a tigress with the capacity and the will to stand up to him but, at the same time, he sees that this tigress sits and awaits patiently while her father dithers.
Azmin, do not think that the tigress is showing respect to you when she sits patiently while you go about the odious business of consolidating your own political interest within PKR at her expense.
This is not a family dynasty hungry for power and position that Anwar heads within PKR but nevertheless they are a family – a family with enough talents within them to carry PKR and Pakatan through the 13th general election if required. Do not forget that.
I did not hear Nurul urging the people to storm the prison walls when her father was incarcerated. I did not hear Nurul suggesting that anyone is deserving of any post in PKR or Pakatan, what more in the Cabinet if Pakatan takes Putrajaya – not even that her father should be prime minister.
I did not hear Nurul talking of reforms within PKR or refocusing PKR’s political agenda. What I see is that she has become what we want PKR to be – by the things she does as MP and the example she sets in her work for PKR.
Yes, she is a tigress but do not make the mistake to think that she is showing you respect just because she chooses to sit quietly by her father’s side.
CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.
COMMENT
Nurul Izzah Anwar lives in a man’s world but is still a lady. She does not seek to be the equal of these men. She seeks to do better!She tells us that she is the proud mother of two cuties and that she is the defection-proof member of parliament for Lembah Pantai.
I like that description of herself on her Facebook “defection-proof MP of Lembah Pantai”. Huh, what pizzazz!
Tell me, Anwar (Ibrahim), how many other defection-proof MPs do you have within PKR? How comforting is it not to have to watch your back constantly? How good does it feel to know that come what may, this Lembah Pantai MP will be on your team unconditionally?
Not for money, not for the menteri besar’s post or any other post anywhere in your party at state or federal level. But on past performances, she certainly is worthy and deserving of consideration for same.
People will ask if her father had prepared her for Lembah Pantai. I know that Anwar prepared her for Lembah Pantai long before she was ready for it. Like Benazir Bhutto and Aung San Suu Kyi, Nurul learnt about politics from an early age simply because it was all around her.
She grew up in politics, lived it, she endured it through the darkest hours of her father’s political persecution and incarceration and more, and when given the opportunity, she triumphed in Lembah Pantai against all odds. We all have great expectations of her future.
But did her father prepare her for what was to come after Lembah Pantai? What is he doing to ensure that she will be able to survive the onslaught Umno now throws her way in its attempts to retake Lembah Pantai at all costs?
In a constituency where all of Umno’s available resources, manpower and considerable financial leverage are now being used to woo the voters?
Can she keep her hold on a constituency that Umno had decreed “they must win” because winning in Lembah Pantai will take away from PKR and Pakatan Rakyat the jewel in their crown – Nurul.
Umno’s main concern
Umno has no real interest in taking down Azmin Ali (PKR deputy president), save for a token slap on his wrist whenever he strays too far.
Umno knows that given enough rope, Azmin will hang himself. Azmin will self-destruct and take Anwar and PKR down with him. It is Nurul that Umno is now battling against.
And how will Umno do battle against Nurul? You cannot fault her work as MP of Lembah Pantai despite having all of Umno’s arsenal arrayed against her to make her work among her constituents almost impossible.
There is not a hint of the scandals and innuendos that plague Barisan Nasional MPs in her. She has no money to speak and lives a life within her means. She is the incumbent MP BN fears most – fearless because she has no blemish on her character, honest, accountable, responsible, open and that most perplexing for Umno to deal with – “defection-proof!”
However, this general election will be more daunting than the last for Nurul.
We have all endured past family “dynasties” that promised much but delivered naught.
Najib Tun Razak started with a bang by becoming the youngest MP at 23, then on to being menteri besar of Pahang riding on the coat-tails of Tun Razak’s legacy. But his ascend to ignominy was swift and expected.
A failed marriage, now a domineering wife, and he allowed politics to serve his personal agenda rather than have himself served politics. Soon he will end his days in politics with a whimper.
Najib, Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaludin are all lessons for other aspiring scions that seek to perpetuate lasting political dynasties for no other reasons than that they think they can – and later, much later, we will have to tell them that they can’t.
Now we have Nurul. If I could fault her, it is because I believe that she loves her father too much to do what she has to do now for herself and for PKR.
Too many times in the past PKR has faltered at a time when it should not. Its near-death experience at the 2010 party elections has not been helped by the aftershocks of Azmin’s inept attempts to consolidate his personal power base within PKR at the expense of Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor Menteri Besar), Nurul and Dr Azizah Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR president) – because only these three people stand in his way to greater personal glory in PKR.
What is good for Azmin does not equate to what is good for PKR or Pakatan. That much the leaders within DAP and PAS have made known to us. But Anwar prefers to maintain an elegant silence that speaks too loudly to us all of a PKR that is in crisis.
If the problems within PKR stay within PKR, good. Unfortunately that problem has begun to affect the battle for Lembah Pantai even as Umno gears up to offer its final solution to the people of Lembah Pantai – vote for RNC – Raja Nong Chik (Zainal Abidin).
The challenge for Nurul
Let me be precise. RNC has done enough to win nomination from BN to challenge Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai. RNC has done enough work among the people in Lembah Pantai to give Nurul Izzah a run for her money.
Yes, he has all the resources he needed from Umno to do this. Yes, he is the minister most able to assist the people in Lembah Pantai and yes, he has done whatever he humanely could do to assist them.
No, he has not been nominated to stand in Lembah Pantai but he will be come nomination day for the 13th general election.
So whither goes Nurul? What help have she had from within PKR for her battle against RNC? Or more to the point, is PKR in any condition to extend any assistance to Nurul given the open sores we see of the continuing attempts by Azmin to tell all and sundry that in a blind PKR, he has one eye.
And the one eye is king in the land of the blind! So he thinks!
Is it not time that Anwar put his house of cards in order? Or does he think there is still time? Time to allow Azmin to organise PKR into what Azmin wants it to be. He has succeeded in having a PKR without Zaid Ibrahim. Now he wants a PKR without Khalid, Azizah and Nurul?
Enough is enough, Anwar. Again I want to tell you of the dangers posed by Azmin. Yes, Azmin sees Nurul as a tigress with the capacity and the will to stand up to him but, at the same time, he sees that this tigress sits and awaits patiently while her father dithers.
Azmin, do not think that the tigress is showing respect to you when she sits patiently while you go about the odious business of consolidating your own political interest within PKR at her expense.
This is not a family dynasty hungry for power and position that Anwar heads within PKR but nevertheless they are a family – a family with enough talents within them to carry PKR and Pakatan through the 13th general election if required. Do not forget that.
I did not hear Nurul urging the people to storm the prison walls when her father was incarcerated. I did not hear Nurul suggesting that anyone is deserving of any post in PKR or Pakatan, what more in the Cabinet if Pakatan takes Putrajaya – not even that her father should be prime minister.
I did not hear Nurul talking of reforms within PKR or refocusing PKR’s political agenda. What I see is that she has become what we want PKR to be – by the things she does as MP and the example she sets in her work for PKR.
Yes, she is a tigress but do not make the mistake to think that she is showing you respect just because she chooses to sit quietly by her father’s side.
CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist.
Palani ‘sacks’ aide Dr Vijay
An NGO says the MIC president was reacting to questions about the aide’s right to call himself a political secretary or even a private secretary.
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel has told Dr Vijendran Shanmugam, who allegedly claimed he was the former’s political secretary, to quit within a week, according to a local NGO.
S Gobi Krishnan, chairman of the People’s Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power), said he received the news by text message from Palanivel himself.
Dr Vijendran, who is often referred to as Dr Vijay, is alleged to have distributed call cards describing himself as political secretary to the MIC president, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
A Tamil daily recently questioned his appointment to the post, saying he was a bankrupt. According to documents shown to FMT, the Department of Insolvency declared Dr Vijendran a bankrupt last March 1.
Subsequent to the report in the Tamil paper, he clarified that he was a private secretary to Palanivel, not his political secretary. He also denied that he was a bankrupt.
Observers of MIC politics are questioning his right to distribute name cards indicating his position as political secretary when he has not taken the oath of secrecy before the Prime Minister.
Gobi Krishnan said he recently raised this question in a text message to Palanivel and urged him to call for Dr Vijendran’s resignation within 48 hours, threatening to lodge reports with the police and MACC.
It was in reply to the message that the MIC president said he had told Dr Vijendran to resign within a week, Gobi Krishnan added.
He said Power checked Dr Vijendran’s status on Oct 4 and found that he was still a bankrupt.
“It seems like Dr Vijay has given false reports to media,” he added.
“Palanivel is the boss. He should be the one clearing the air. Even if Dr Vijay is the private secretary, it is still not right. A declared bankrupt cannot hold any government position”.
Gobi Krishnan also said that by saying he was only a private secretary, Dr Vijay had dug his own grave.
“There is evidence to show that he is a declared bankrupt. Now Dr Vijay has to dispute that. But it is Palanivel’s duty to clear the air.”
FMT has been unable to obtain a clarification from Dr Vijay.
KUALA LUMPUR: MIC president G Palanivel has told Dr Vijendran Shanmugam, who allegedly claimed he was the former’s political secretary, to quit within a week, according to a local NGO.S Gobi Krishnan, chairman of the People’s Welfare and Rights Organisation (Power), said he received the news by text message from Palanivel himself.
Dr Vijendran, who is often referred to as Dr Vijay, is alleged to have distributed call cards describing himself as political secretary to the MIC president, who is also a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department.
A Tamil daily recently questioned his appointment to the post, saying he was a bankrupt. According to documents shown to FMT, the Department of Insolvency declared Dr Vijendran a bankrupt last March 1.
Subsequent to the report in the Tamil paper, he clarified that he was a private secretary to Palanivel, not his political secretary. He also denied that he was a bankrupt.
Observers of MIC politics are questioning his right to distribute name cards indicating his position as political secretary when he has not taken the oath of secrecy before the Prime Minister.
Gobi Krishnan said he recently raised this question in a text message to Palanivel and urged him to call for Dr Vijendran’s resignation within 48 hours, threatening to lodge reports with the police and MACC.
It was in reply to the message that the MIC president said he had told Dr Vijendran to resign within a week, Gobi Krishnan added.
He said Power checked Dr Vijendran’s status on Oct 4 and found that he was still a bankrupt.
“It seems like Dr Vijay has given false reports to media,” he added.
“Palanivel is the boss. He should be the one clearing the air. Even if Dr Vijay is the private secretary, it is still not right. A declared bankrupt cannot hold any government position”.
Gobi Krishnan also said that by saying he was only a private secretary, Dr Vijay had dug his own grave.
“There is evidence to show that he is a declared bankrupt. Now Dr Vijay has to dispute that. But it is Palanivel’s duty to clear the air.”
FMT has been unable to obtain a clarification from Dr Vijay.
Sisters in Islam call for Syariah law review
They say the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable and can lead to abuse.
PETALING JAYA: The Seremban High Court judgment on four Muslim transgenders last week has prompted NGO Sisters In Islam (SIS) to call for a comprehensive review on the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment.
SIS manager Suri Kempe said this when commenting on the court’s dismissal of the transgenders’ application to seek for the right to dress in women clothes under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.
Justice Siti Mariah Ahmad, when delivering the judgment, had said that the applicants are Muslims and hence are subjected to Section 66 of Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992, that bars Muslim men from dressing or posing as women.
Suri said the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable as it can be abused.
“Is it the duty of the state, under the name of bringing about a moral society, to turn what it considers ‘sins’ into ‘crimes against the state’?
“Should the state extend the long arm of the law to what should be best left to the religious conscience of the individual?” she asked.
She said the reality is that sexual minorities in Malaysia, especially Muslims, are vulnerable to numerous abuses by the state,
“We urge the government to form a committee which includes representation from women’s groups, human rights groups, progressive Islamic scholars and constitutional experts,” she said.
She said the government needed to adopt a more humane way that embraces the Islamic spirit of justice,
equality and compassion.
“We need one that is not punitive in nature, and does not subject Muslims to discrimination and persecution in the name of Islam,” she said.
Lawyers for Liberty adviser Latheefa Koya labelled the verdict as “a dangerous trend” as the Federal Constitution now seemed to be subservient to Syariah law.
“It’s a problem if the court just makes assumption and did not take into account the differences between Syariah law and the Federal Constitution.”
She stressed that the Federal Constitution is supposed to be applied to everyone irrespective of race or religion.
“There is no article that says it is selective except when it comes to the position of religion and Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.
PETALING JAYA: The Seremban High Court judgment on four Muslim transgenders last week has prompted NGO Sisters In Islam (SIS) to call for a comprehensive review on the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment.SIS manager Suri Kempe said this when commenting on the court’s dismissal of the transgenders’ application to seek for the right to dress in women clothes under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.
Justice Siti Mariah Ahmad, when delivering the judgment, had said that the applicants are Muslims and hence are subjected to Section 66 of Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992, that bars Muslim men from dressing or posing as women.
Suri said the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable as it can be abused.
“Is it the duty of the state, under the name of bringing about a moral society, to turn what it considers ‘sins’ into ‘crimes against the state’?
“Should the state extend the long arm of the law to what should be best left to the religious conscience of the individual?” she asked.
She said the reality is that sexual minorities in Malaysia, especially Muslims, are vulnerable to numerous abuses by the state,
“We urge the government to form a committee which includes representation from women’s groups, human rights groups, progressive Islamic scholars and constitutional experts,” she said.
She said the government needed to adopt a more humane way that embraces the Islamic spirit of justice,
equality and compassion.“We need one that is not punitive in nature, and does not subject Muslims to discrimination and persecution in the name of Islam,” she said.
Lawyers for Liberty adviser Latheefa Koya labelled the verdict as “a dangerous trend” as the Federal Constitution now seemed to be subservient to Syariah law.
“It’s a problem if the court just makes assumption and did not take into account the differences between Syariah law and the Federal Constitution.”
She stressed that the Federal Constitution is supposed to be applied to everyone irrespective of race or religion.
“There is no article that says it is selective except when it comes to the position of religion and Bahasa Malaysia,” she said.
Hindraf to back Pakatan, provided…
A blueprint for the resolution of the Indian dilemma will be tabled at upcoming Anwar-Waytha talks.
BATU KAWAN: Hindraf will support Pakatan Rakyat if the bloc agrees to implement the pressure group’s blueprint for the wellbeing of Indians in the country, which it will present at an upcoming meeting with PKR.
Hindraf deputy chairman W Sambulingam said his organisation was keen to forge an alliance with Pakatan to face the next general election but would not give it or any other political group a free ride.
“We are not going to give anyone a free lunch like in 2008,” Sambulingam told some 500 supporters at a fund-raising dinner here last night.
The blueprint will be tabled during a second round of Hindraf-PKR talks, which could be held at the end of this month or early next month. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy are expected to attend.
The Anwar-Waythamoorthy meet-up was agreed upon last month at a meeting between PKR and Hindraf officials. Neither Anwar nor Waythamoorthy was present at that meeting.
Since his return from exile, Waythamoorthy has had meetings with top PAS leaders, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Sambulingam said Hindraf would prepare a “comprehensive and constructive” blueprint containing recommendations and proposals for “permanent, practical, applicable and effective” solutions to resolve problems faced by the Indian community, including those unresolved since colonial days.
Hindraf has written to both BN and Pakatan to propose talks on the blueprint. Unlike PKR and PAS, BN has yet to respond.
Sambulingam said he regarded BN’s silence as a “rejection of Hindraf’s olive branch”.
He said Hindraf would call on Indians to support Pakatan only if the bloc agreed to implement the blueprint.
Issues regarding education, land, and settlement areas for Indians are expected to feature heavily in the blueprint. Sambulingam said these were not commercial issues, but were matters that bore heavily on fundamental principles of human rights.
“The government of the day is duty bound to fulfil these rights for rightful citizens, not to illegal immigrants,” he said at last night’s dinner.
BATU KAWAN: Hindraf will support Pakatan Rakyat if the bloc agrees to implement the pressure group’s blueprint for the wellbeing of Indians in the country, which it will present at an upcoming meeting with PKR.Hindraf deputy chairman W Sambulingam said his organisation was keen to forge an alliance with Pakatan to face the next general election but would not give it or any other political group a free ride.
“We are not going to give anyone a free lunch like in 2008,” Sambulingam told some 500 supporters at a fund-raising dinner here last night.
The blueprint will be tabled during a second round of Hindraf-PKR talks, which could be held at the end of this month or early next month. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy are expected to attend.
The Anwar-Waythamoorthy meet-up was agreed upon last month at a meeting between PKR and Hindraf officials. Neither Anwar nor Waythamoorthy was present at that meeting.
Since his return from exile, Waythamoorthy has had meetings with top PAS leaders, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat.
Sambulingam said Hindraf would prepare a “comprehensive and constructive” blueprint containing recommendations and proposals for “permanent, practical, applicable and effective” solutions to resolve problems faced by the Indian community, including those unresolved since colonial days.
Hindraf has written to both BN and Pakatan to propose talks on the blueprint. Unlike PKR and PAS, BN has yet to respond.
Sambulingam said he regarded BN’s silence as a “rejection of Hindraf’s olive branch”.
He said Hindraf would call on Indians to support Pakatan only if the bloc agreed to implement the blueprint.
Issues regarding education, land, and settlement areas for Indians are expected to feature heavily in the blueprint. Sambulingam said these were not commercial issues, but were matters that bore heavily on fundamental principles of human rights.
“The government of the day is duty bound to fulfil these rights for rightful citizens, not to illegal immigrants,” he said at last night’s dinner.
Penan resettlement sites: ‘Why notify only now’?
A 'first' notification on resettlement sites issued by the state government to Penans affected by the Murum dam which is 75% complete has raised more questions.
KUCHING: Save Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers) has ridiculed the first notification of the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) Report for the proposed resettlement sites and service centre for the Penans affected by the Murum dam project.
The notification was released on Oct 11 by the State Planning Unit (SPU) and involved the Metalun and Tegulang Resettlement sites as well as the Murum service centre.
“However, the question on why the SEIA report has only just been released when about 75% of works on the Murum dam have been completed begs to be asked,” said Peter Kallang , chairman of SAVE Rivers.
“We have heard that earthwork for the two proposed resettlement sites has already begun. Therefore, does it make sense to ask for public comments on the SEIA report now?
“This sounds like a last-minute public relations exercise to me, and not a genuine effort to get proper feedback from the public,” he said.
Kallang noted that a statement made in March 2010, by the SPU principal assistant director (environment and natural resources) Andrew Tukau stated that “the state government will conduct social and environmental impact assessment studies on all future hydroelectric dam projects in Sarawak, starting with the Murum Dam”.
“Despite promises made by the SPU about two and half years ago, we are still waiting for the SEIA report for the construction of the Murum dam itself.
“We were told that the Murum dam would be the model to correct mistakes previously made in the Bakun mega dam, and other dams in Sarawak.
“Sadly, it appears that the government is making the same mistakes all over again, and the Penan communities of Murum are now paying the price,” Kallang said.
He wants to know what had happened to the government’s earlier promises.
He said the government had promised that there would be “no involuntary resettlement as was done in previous dam projects” and that the resettlement action plan would have a new monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanism.
The failure of the state government to release the SEIA report earlier and the promises that have not been fulfilled have made the Penans from eight villages angry.
Since Sept 26, the Penans have blocked the roads leading to the dam construction sites resulting in scores of trucks and lorries loaded with building materials abandoned near the sites of the blockades.
KUCHING: Save Rivers Network (SAVE Rivers) has ridiculed the first notification of the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) Report for the proposed resettlement sites and service centre for the Penans affected by the Murum dam project.The notification was released on Oct 11 by the State Planning Unit (SPU) and involved the Metalun and Tegulang Resettlement sites as well as the Murum service centre.
“However, the question on why the SEIA report has only just been released when about 75% of works on the Murum dam have been completed begs to be asked,” said Peter Kallang , chairman of SAVE Rivers.
“We have heard that earthwork for the two proposed resettlement sites has already begun. Therefore, does it make sense to ask for public comments on the SEIA report now?
“This sounds like a last-minute public relations exercise to me, and not a genuine effort to get proper feedback from the public,” he said.
Kallang noted that a statement made in March 2010, by the SPU principal assistant director (environment and natural resources) Andrew Tukau stated that “the state government will conduct social and environmental impact assessment studies on all future hydroelectric dam projects in Sarawak, starting with the Murum Dam”.
“Despite promises made by the SPU about two and half years ago, we are still waiting for the SEIA report for the construction of the Murum dam itself.
“We were told that the Murum dam would be the model to correct mistakes previously made in the Bakun mega dam, and other dams in Sarawak.
“Sadly, it appears that the government is making the same mistakes all over again, and the Penan communities of Murum are now paying the price,” Kallang said.
He wants to know what had happened to the government’s earlier promises.
He said the government had promised that there would be “no involuntary resettlement as was done in previous dam projects” and that the resettlement action plan would have a new monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanism.
The failure of the state government to release the SEIA report earlier and the promises that have not been fulfilled have made the Penans from eight villages angry.
Since Sept 26, the Penans have blocked the roads leading to the dam construction sites resulting in scores of trucks and lorries loaded with building materials abandoned near the sites of the blockades.
Animal lovers slam local councils’ move to enter houses and remove dogs
(The Star) - Animal rights groups here are upset with local councils for engaging private companies that apparently trespass homes to catch pets.The discussion among representatives from about 15 groups, including PAWS, KL Pooch Rescue and SPCA, became animated when they voiced their displeasure against such actions, usually instigated by complaints from neighbours of dog owners.
“This is a disturbing trend,” said Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) founder Wani Muthiah during a press conference here.
“When you're not at home, the local councils' dog-catchers, as well as those from private companies employed by them, cannot remove your dogs,” she pointed out.
“Now, owners have become paranoid. They have to lock their dogs inside their houses when they go out to work,” she said.
Wani said the authorities should instead take up the complaints with the house owner, and not capture the dogs. “And, certainly not when the owners aren't home.”
Shown at the conference was a YouTube clip that was uploaded on Sept 27, showing several men, believed to be dog-catchers subcontracted by the Ampang City Council (MPAJ), entering a house compound and removing several dogs there.
Wani said she had compiled about 50 police reports made after the video went online since Wednesday. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwqnI88boFs.
However, MPAJ deputy president Abd Hamid Hussain said it was all a misunderstanding.
“In the video, the contractors were actually trying to remove stray dogs which had wandered into the house,” he said.
“We had permission from the owner to remove them.”
Yesterday, G. Darwin, 27, and his wife Cynthia Moey, 26, from Kota Kemuning, related how the local authority had removed their dogs.
“I returned from work at about 8pm, and found my porch in a mess,” said Moey.
“I thought someone had broken into my home. I found my dogs missing,” she said. “My neighbour told me that she had called the council to come and take away my dogs.
“The council had actually trespassed my home using my neighbour's house to jump inside.”
The Death of Cambodia's Nimble Prince
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| Even princes can only do so much |
People mourn, especially the little people in the kleptocracy that Cambodia has become under the clique of mainly former Khmer Rouge apparatchiks who control the state these days, and push the poorer people off their lands to sell 99-year leases to grasping Chinese, Russian and South Korean concerns.
King Norodom Sihanouk, the irrepressible descendant of the god-kings of Angkor, and for decades one of the world's most resilient – and some would say most exasperating - politicians, died Monday, the day of the dead in Cambodia, and just two weeks short of his 90th birthday.
Never again will a correspondent sit, as I did several times, in the Royal Palace in Phnom Penh, and listen to the former monarch, father of the reigning King Sihamoni, while sipping lukewarm champagne served by granite-faced North Korean bodyguards, as one attempted to avoid the attentions of the king's pet lap-dog, Mickie, who sometimes got irritated at visitors.
Who else in the world could recall such conversations as King Sihanouk did in my last interview with him: "Chairman Mao looked at me and said: 'My dear Prince Sihanouk, please read this Little Red Book of mine.'"
He also told me of the waspish exchanges he had had with Henry Kissinger, the then US Secretary of State. No love was lost between the two men. It was Kissinger and Nixon, after all, who orchestrated the secret bombing of Cambodia, which helped, in my mind, to turn the Khmer Rouge into the murdering automatons that they became.
When I last sat in the palace for such an exclusive interview – it lasted 2 hours and 20 minutes of hilarious mirth, fury, good sense and potted history – he told me about an earlier period of medical treatment in China. "Now I am fine, and if we were in Haiti, we would say it was voodoo."
"Maybe you really are a God-king," I ventured in jest. "No, no," the king insisted. Yet he recalled that Queen Monineath, his elegant consort and fifth wife, had visited a benighted province stricken by drought. "Please ask the king to send us rain," villagers beseeched her.
The king sighed: "I am not a god, I cannot persuade the sky to give us rain. It's not good to be thought a God-king: it's terrible, terrible."
Still, two days later it rained on that village.
One British ambassador told me he felt privileged to attend such sessions of royal wit and wisdom. "I hold the king in high esteem,” he told me. He talks a lot of sense. I get a huge buzz just sitting listening to him. He's living history.
Sihanouk was also always a royal 'press groupie' who enjoyed the company of journalists. The late king had been one of the last survivors among luminaries like Jawaharlal Nehru, Josip Broz Tito, Gamel Abdel Nasser and Sukarno, who co-founded the Non-aligned Movement in the mid-50s at Bandung, Indonesia.
He had known four generations of Chinese leaders and would soon have been getting ready to know a fifth, if mortality had not interceded.
He became king at age 18 because France thought this plump, chortling youth would be easy to manipulate. The French were part of a long line of states and people who under-estimated him. It was the French who had to leave quietly with their tails between their legs in 1953, the year before neighboring Vietnam won independence at the battle of Dien Bien Phu.
Sihanouk had the foresight to leave behind a good king to succeed him. He is King Sihamoni, now 58, the only son Sihanouk and Queen Monineath, who studied ballet dancing in the former Czechoslovakia.
Sihamoni, a former Cambodian ambassador to UNESCO, was reluctant to take the post, enjoying his life and friends in Paris. Sihamoni is unmarried, and Sihanouk once told the Cambodian population that his son, one of 14 offspring, 'regards women as his sisters.'
Sihanouk himself supported same sex marriage. I am not gay, but I respect the rights of gays and lesbians,"he said. It's not their fault if God makes them born that way."
In a later interview with the new King Sihamoni, the monarch told me: "The reality is that I don't feel in the least like a king, far less a god-king."
"I feel just like an ordinary human being, at most a fonctionaire, whose duty is to serve all the people Inside I haven't changed. I am still me."
These days, the hardline prime minister Hun Sen, installed in power by the Vietnamese army, rules the roost, and he has forbidden Sihamoni to give interviews, as he also latterly forbade the late Sihanouk.
Hun Sen belongs to the former 'Soviet-Vietnamese' faction of the Khmer Rouge, while the pro-Chinese faction, headed by former Khmer Rouge leaders Noun Chea and Khieu Samphan' has been under trial at the Khmer Rouge tribunal in Phnom Penh.
It remains to be seen how Sihamoni manages, though he has the assistance of his mother, Queen Monineath, Sihanouk's bereaved wife.
Sihanouk has critics who say that he ran an autocratic one-man show in the 1960s, while his backing of the Khmer Rouge from exile in Beijing, after his 1970 overthrow, brought 1.7 million deaths.
But older Cambodians recalled a "golden age" under Sihanouk before American bombing, Khmer Rouge mass murder and Vietnamese invasion devastated Cambodia.
The opposition politician Sam Rainsy says Sihanouk will 'probably be the last of Cambodia's great kings."
In his last interview with me, Sihanouk spoke of his legacy. "I have no remorse. I always did everything in the highest interests of my nation. My conscience is clear."
(James Pringle covered Cambodia and the Vietnam war for Reuters, Newsweek, and the Times of London)
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