Malaysia condemns rape of Indonesian maid in Seremban

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government has strongly condemned the rape of an Indonesian maid in Seremban, the second case in two weeks following the rape of an Indonesian restaurant worker in Penang last Friday.

Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman, in expressing the condemnation, said the incident was a despicable and inhuman act.

He said in a statement that the ministry would follow up on the case with the police and extend the fullest cooperation to the Indonesian government.

He also said that the employer of the maid was being remanded from Nov 13 to 20. The rape allegedly took place on Sunday.

According to The Jakarta Post, police have arrested the employer of the Acehnese maid, said the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

The embassy said on Thursday that police detained the employer and his wife on Tuesday, one day after the two fled their home in Seramban, Negeri Sembilan.

The employer has been charged with rape, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars if found guilty.

A rapist can also face whipping under sharia. The police will detain the employer until Nov 20 before submitting the case dossier to the court.

The employer's wife has been charged with assault.

The crime was revealed when the employer's wife took the maid to a police station, accusing her of theft.

The rape came to light when the police noticed that the maid was injured and questioned her about it.

Last Friday, a 25-year-old Indonesian restaurant worker lodged a police report in Penang that she was gang-raped by three policemen.

Three policemen were being held under remand for investigation into the gang-rape. - Bernama/ANN

Syura PAS selesai tapis calon

Tension prevails in Hyderabad Old City

  

Vehicles set ablaze in the Old City area of Hyderabad on Friday. Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

Youths clash with police, indulge in violence and arson

Violence erupted in Old City here on Friday as namajis coming out of Mecca masjid after completion of noon prayers clashed with police, burnt vehicles and attacked property in lanes and bylanes.

Mobs torched four cars and four motorcycles even as policemen in riot gear chased them in different directions from Charminar and lobbed teargas shells. A policeman sustained injuries, while some youths were caught hurling stones.

As news about violence spread, tension gripped the entire Old City, which had been witnessing frequent communal incidents beginning with burglary in the Lal Darwaza temple a month ago. Filing out of the mosque, slogan-shouting crowds surged towards the Bhagya Laxmi temple, which abuts Charminar. Alleged expansion plans of the temple had become a bone of contention between two communities.

Huge contingents of policemen, including that of Rapid Action Force, deployed there to meet any eventuality in the backdrop of escalated tension, prevented them a few feet away from the temple. After persuading them in vain to move back, police began caning them.

But agitated youths allegedly pelted stones, prompting the police to use teargas. The retreating mobs continued to hurl stones and went on the rampage, damaging both government and private vehicles on different routes.

Notwithstanding presence of large number of policemen at Gulzar House, they broke open fuel tanks of two cars parked near a shopping complex and burnt them. Meanwhile, thousands of youths gathered outside Mecca Masjid and protested against use of force and teargas shells.

As the situation appeared to be going out of hands, police lobbed teargas shells and made a lathicharge to disperse them. While the situation was brought under control within an hour at Charminar, violence spread to places such as Eithebar Chowk, Moghalpura, Talabkatta, Reinbazar, Yakutpura, Panjeshah and Syed Ali Chabutra where heavy stone pelting was reported. Home Minister P. Sabitha Indra Reddy warned that persons provoking people with statements would be dealt with firmly. She appealed to people to observe restraint and not to believe rumours. Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen party chief and MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who withdrew support to the ruling Congress at the Centre and in the State after a spree of communal tensions, said the MIM would not be cowed down by use of force. 

• • 
    Armed police lob tear gas as crowds returning from Friday prayers at Mecca Masjid indulged in stone throwing and violence in the Old City area of Hyderabad. Photo P.V. Sivakumar
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Miraculous Recovery by Injured Gaza Man?

Pallywood is in high gear as Gazans dupe BBC viewers in time-honored style.

Barely one day into the fighting in Hamas-run Gaza, the locals are hard at work playing the victim for the world’s press.

Footage from the BBC captured by watchdog group Honest Reporting shows a heavy man lying on the ground and being carried away by residents, apparently after being injured by an Israeli attack.

Moments later, that same man again fills the frame, except he is walking about and obviously unhurt.

The widespread staging of such victim situations is a favored tactic of Arabs fighting Israel and has come to be known as “Pallywood.” Because Israel is stronger militarily, the Arabs cling to the underdog image of poor refugees under occupation and siege by evil Israelis, thus eliciting sympathy.

PHOTO: Hamas missile launch pad near mosque, playground

TEL AVIV – A missile launch site in the Gaza Strip was set up by Hamas just half a block from a mosque and children’s playground, according to aerial photographs provided to WND by the Israel Defense Forces today.

Israel yesterday struck the site in question – a Fajr-5 missile launch pad established to fire long-range rockets into the Jewish state.

The photograph shows a children’s playground and a mosque located about a half a block away as well as two civilian factories and a gas station also within a half-a-block radius.

Earlier today, the Iranian-backed Islamic jihad group today claimed responsibility firing Fajr-5 missiles aimed at Tel Aviv.

Also today, one rocket launched from the Gaza Strip landed in Rishon Letzion, some seven miles south of Tel Aviv. About three hours later, another explosion was heard in the Tel Aviv area.

No casualties were reported in either Tel Aviv or Rishon Leztion.

Since yesterday, Israel’s Iron Dome anti-missile defense system has intercepted 105 rockets, while 274 rockets have struck Israel, mostly in cities near the Gaza Strip.

The escalation began last week, when Hamas fired more than 120 rockets and mortars into Israel in a four-day period

Three cops charged with 'gang rape'

(Malaysiakini)The three police officers accused of raping an Indonesian restaurant worker have been jointly charged with having a common intention to commit the offence.

Session Court judge Nabishah Ibrahim read out the charge under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape and Section 377C for forced unnatural sex - which allegedly included oral sex - at a police station in Prai, Penang on Nov 9.

The trio, Nik Sin Mat Lazim, 33, Syahiran Romly, 21, and Remmy Anak Dana, 25, whose seven-day remand ended today, claimed trial.
Nabishah set Dec 12 for statements to be taken from witnesses, while the deputy public prosecutors were Suhaimi Ibrahim and Nurashikin Mokhtar.
Lawyer Rosli Ismail held a watching brief, while lawyer S Anthonysamy represented Remmy and Parmjit Singh represents Nik Sin and Syahiran.
Suhaimi asked that the accused be remanded pending trial as he argued that if they were freed on bail, the trio may tamper with the witnesses as they were known to the trio.
He also applied for the victim’s statement to be taken under Section 396 of the Criminal Procedure Code at a date earlier than the trial so she can return to her country.

If found guilty, the trio face a maximum 20 years’ jail term and whipping.
Bail set at RM25,000
Nabishah later set bail at RM25,000 each, saying that they would not be confined to barracks. However, she warned them not to harass the witnesses.

Since 8am, a large group of reporters had been staking out the court building, awaiting the arrival of the suspects.

They finally came at 2.15pm, escorted by three police officers, with several others on stand-by.

They were in their orange coloured lock-up attire,  heads covered with their own shirts.

Upon seeing the trio, a group of cameramen rushed to the scene.

Penang Indonesian consulate acting consul-general Sofiana Mufidah was present in court.
About 30 “supporters” in police uniform and in plainclothes were also present.
Suspended from duties
The trio, who are of corporal (Nik Sin) and constable (Syahiran and Remmy) rank, have been suspended from duties.
Meanwhile, state CID chief Mazlan Kesah said the trio will not be confined to barracks and gave an assurance that they would not be harassing the witnesses.
When asked what he would do if that happened, he replied, “Then we will investigate and take action.”
Mazlan said the three accused would have to report to the nearest police station on a monthly basis.
The incident allegedly happened at about 7am at a police station in Prai on Nov 9 after the trio apprehended the 25-year-old victim for purportedly not being able to produce her passport.
She is currently seeking sanctuary at the Indonesian Consulate in Penang, awaiting her return home and is said to be in “good health”.
State police chief Abdul Rahim Hanafi has said investigators have recorded statements from 10 witnesses in relation to the alleged offence.
According to AFP, relations between Malaysia and Indonesia have been tense over frequent reports of worker abuse in recent years.
In 2009, Indonesia, the main supplier of foreign workers to Malaysia, stopped sending maids across the border.
Jakarta announced last December it would lift the ban after the two countries agreed to better protect the women, but few maids are reported to have gone to work in Malaysia since then.
Activists have frequently accused the police of abuse, such as the beating of detainees, but it is rare that the culprits appear in court.
The police are also under fire over fears of rising crime as personal tales of abduction, assault and robbery go viral online, triggering scrutiny of official claims that offences have reduced significantly in recent years.

Cops face rape charges amid rising anti-Malaysia sentiment in Indonesia

 KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — Three policemen were charged in a Penang court today with raping an Indonesian restaurant worker in a police station there, in a case that has reignited anti-Malaysia feelings in Indonesia.

Constables Sin Mat Lazim, 33, Syahiran Ramli, 21, and Remy Anak Pana, 21, pleaded not guilty when the charges under Section 376 of the Penal Code were read out to them at the Sessions Court in Butterworth this afternoon.

They were also charged with forcing the 25-year-old Indonesian woman to perform oral sex on them — a crime under Section 377C of the Penal Code — at Room 4 of the Prai police station barracks between 6.40am and 7.30am on November 9.

The trio could be jailed up to 20 years and whipped if convicted.

Last Friday, a 25-year-old Indonesian woman had sought the help of Bukit Mertajam Barisan Nasional coordinator Lau Chiek Tuan to lodge a police report alleging that she was gang-raped by three policemen at the Prai police station.

The restaurant worker claimed that she was taken to the police station after she was stopped by a police patrol car near Megamall Pinang shopping complex at around 6.30am while travelling in a taxi.

She alleged that she was taken to the Prai police station after she showed a photocopy of her passport and the police refused to accept it.

She claimed that she was taken to a room at the police station where she was raped by three policemen.

Malaysia’s Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman has condemned the alleged rapes as despicable and inhuman acts and pledged full government cooperation in a bid to placate rising dissatisfaction from the Southeast Asian giant over ill treatment of its citizens here.

Anti-Malaysian emotions that had been simmering in Indonesia flared up again this week after a second Indonesian, a 15-year-old maid was reported raped by her male employer on Sunday three months after being hired.

A group of Indonesians were reported to have protested outside the Jakarta home of the Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia three days ago to demonstrate their unhappiness with Southeast Asia’s third biggest economy.

The group, said to represent Indonesian nationalist movement, Benteng Demokrasi Rakyat (Bendera), were reported to have carried placards that read, “Evict the Malaysian ambassador, Crush and Fight Malaysia” and burnt the Malaysian flag.

Bendera had threatened to attack and invade Malaysia in 2009, as part of its “Ganyang Malaysia (Crush Malaysia)” agenda, over territorial ownership of culture, oil, islands and treatment of its migrant workers.

The term “Ganyang” was first used in 1963 when then Indonesian President Sukarno opposed the merger of Malaya with Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore, resulting in the undeclared armed conflict known as the Confrontation or “Konfrontasi”.

Police gang-rape: Licence for sex?

The people want policemen, who are accused of criminal behaviour, to be punished, but more often than not, justice is rarely seen.
COMMENT

The alleged gang-rape of an Indonesian woman by three Malaysian policemen in a police station has shocked the nation and many questions remain unanswered: Why did the other policemen on duty not intervene to prevent the act? If the policemen on duty were only made aware of the rape later, why did they not report it? Is rape commonly used as a form of intimidation by the police? How many other rapes which have been committed by policemen go unreported? Are police recruits not aware that the highest standards of behaviour are expected from them, at all times?

The latest incident of rape has received the attention of Foreign Minister Anifah Aman but only because of widespread protests by Indonesians outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta.

There is, however, silence from both Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussien and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister.

These two men should get a firm grip on the situation, justify the salaries they draw and act with the decisiveness that their roles demand of them.

People tend to emulate their leaders and the inaction of ministers over previous crimes, committed by senior politicians, people with the right connections and members of the police, has caused a breakdown in law and order.

It is pointless to call for Hishammuddin or Najib’s resignation because neither has any sense of shame.

Last July, Hishammuddin brushed aside the public’s fear about an increase in crime. He belittled their concerns and claimed that the crime surge was only a “perception”.

Today, his words have returned to haunt him.

Perk of extra-marital sex

Hishammuddin is not the only minister to regret belittling the rakyat; the other person who feels the heat is Najib, the de facto minster for women.

Last October, at an event to celebrate Women’s Day, Najib dismissed the need for women’s rights groups in the country. He proudly proclaimed that Malaysia was “way ahead of developed nations in terms of women’s rights”, but he made no reference to the discrimination against women and the violence they face, on a daily basis.

Lau Chiek Tuan, the Bukit Mertajam Barisan Nasional co-ordinator, whom the 25-year-old migrant worker approached for help, after the alleged rape had taken place, told reporters that the victim was on her way home from work, around 6.30am, when the taxi she was in was trailed by a police car.

The taxi was stopped and the driver asked to show his driver’s licence. The victim was then asked to show her passport but told the policemen that she only carried a photocopy, as the recruitment agency held her original document. The woman was subsequently taken to the Prai police station and arrested.

At the station, she again pleaded to be released but was instead taken into a room with a mattress on the floor, and gang-raped. After they were finished with her, the police dropped her off at her home in Taman Inderawasih and warned not to tell anyone about the rape.

In an interview with another online newspaper, Lau claimed that the victim was aware of similar rapes and her reason for reporting her own experience was to prevent a similar incident from happening to other women.

The wives of all policemen must be wondering if their husbands also enjoy the perk of extra-marital sex while they are on duty.

Malaysians demand a police force with high standards of behaviour. The unacceptable conduct of its policemen should prompt the government to review the selection and training of police recruits.

Rakyat does not trust police

The rakyat also wants policemen, who are accused of criminal behaviour, to be punished; but when it comes to police brutality, justice has rarely been seen by the victims’ families.

The rakyat would also like the government to address other issues, like low morals in the force and see if it needs more funding to make it less corrupt.

Last March, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar said that 99% of his police force were clean. Can he really claim that that is true when the situation on the ground is the reverse? Perhaps, the rakyat is unlucky and have only met the 1% who is corrupt.

The problem of maid agencies and employers hanging on to the passports of the migrant workers is not new. When will the relevant departments resolve this issue?

The acting Indonesian consul-general Sofiana Mufidah has reassured Indonesian workers and told them to remain calm, while the issue of the gang-rape is being resolved.

“We have faith that the Malaysian police will act fairly and without bias throughout the course of their investigations,” she said.

Although the rakyat does not believe that all policemen are bad, they are aware that many policemen who are allegedly guilty of crimes escape punishment.

One way of restoring the rakyat’s confidence in the police is to have an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), which will investigate crimes committed by policemen. The formation of the IPCMC has been blocked by the government, on many occasions.

The Indonesian government may have expressed confidence with our police, but the Malaysian public does not share that confidence.

The rakyat does not trust the police, nor the government’s will or ability to handle any crime perpetrated by the police.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.

M’sian students condemn rape, abuse of Indonesian workers

Malaysian authorities urged to complete their investigations into these 'inhumane' cases.

JAKARTA: Malaysian students in Indonesia have condemned the rape and abuse of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia and expressed the hope that the offenders would be severely punished.

The National Association of Malaysian Students in Indonesia (PKPMI) expressed its regret over the incidents and hoped that Indonesians, especially undergraduates and other young people, would not generalise all Malaysians over the cases.

“Rape and abuse cases are inhumane and should be condemned by all quarters regardless of whether they involve Malaysian citizens or foreign nationals,” PKPMI president Ahmad Nabieh Abqory Rahmat said here today.

He also urged the Malaysian authorities to quickly complete investigations so that justice could be served.

The association was commenting on the reported rape of an Indonesian worker by three policemen in Penang and of a maid by her employer in Negeri Sembilan.

“We are most disappointed by the incident involving policemen because the police are the enforcers of the law and they should be protecting the people,” Ahmad Nabieh said.

He said Malaysian students in Indonesia hoped that the good ties between the two countries would not be tarnished by the actions of a few irresponsible individuals.

“We really hope for stronger ties between Indonesia and Malaysia in the future, especially between youths and university students,” he added.

- Bernama

Indian woman died pleading, Irish abortion laws denied a termination

Savita Halappanavar, 31, who died of septicaemia a week after miscarrying 17 weeks into her pregnancy. Doctors refused to carry out medical termination because the foetus's heartbeat was present.
Ireland's tough abortion laws came under fire on Wednesday following the death of an Indian woman after doctors allegedly refused her a termination because it was against the laws of the Catholic country.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny described the death of Savita Halappanavar, who was admitted to hospital when she was 17 weeks pregnant, as a 'tragedy' and said two investigations were underway into what happened. Abortion is illegal in Roman Catholic-dominated Ireland except when it is necessary to save the life of the mother.

Halappanavar, a 31-year-old dentist, repeatedly asked staff at University Hospital Galway in western Ireland to terminate her pregnancy because she had severe back pain and was miscarrying, her family said.

But they replied she could not have an abortion because Ireland was a Catholic country and the foetus was still alive, her husband Praveen told the Irish Times.

"Savita was really in agony. She was very upset, but she accepted she was losing the baby," the 34-year-old told the newspaper by telephone from the Karnataka region of southern India.

"When the consultant came on the ward rounds on Monday morning Savita asked if they could not save the baby, could they induce to end the pregnancy.


Protestors outside Leinster House in Dublin against the death in October of Savita Halappanavar, pictured, a dentist aged 31, who was 17 weeks pregnant, after suffering a miscarriage and septicaemia. AP Photo

"The consultant said, 'As long as there is a foetal heartbeat we can't do anything.'

"Again on Tuesday morning, the ward rounds and the same discussion. The consultant said it was the law, that this is a Catholic country.

"Savita said: 'I am neither Irish nor Catholic' but they said there was nothing they could do."

Halappanavar died of septicaemia, or blood poisoning, on October 28, a week after she was admitted. The foetus had been removed on October 23 after its heartbeat stopped.

The hospital said it would begin a review of her death as soon as it could consult with her family, who are in India for her funeral.

Halappanavar was a Hindu originally from India. She and her husband lived in Galway, where he worked as an engineer.

"The fact that this young woman lost her life is a personal tragedy and a family tragedy. No words of ours here can deal with that loss," Kenny told parliament on Wednesday. He said the health minister had asked for a report, while investigations had been launched by the hospital and by Ireland's Health Service Executive.

Kenny said he would not pre-judge the inquiries, but stressed: "It is very important and imperative that the standards that apply in our maternity units be kept at the very highest level of professionalism and competence."

Savita's death triggered numerous events around the country on late Wednesday, including a protest outside parliament in Dublin.

One of the people in attendance at Leinster House, Helena Kelly--who is the same age as Savita -- said she was appalled at hearing the news of the death.

"I would like to start my own family in a few years and to think things like this still happen absolutely terrifies me," she told AFP.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people took part in a candlelit vigil in Cork city. People gathered outside the city's Opera House where dozens of candles spelling out Savita's name were laid on the ground.

Abortion law pending
Ireland's abortion laws have been the subject of debate for years. Under a 1992 Supreme Court ruling, women in Ireland are legally entitled to an abortion when it is necessary to save the life of the mother. But legislation has never been passed to reflect this.

Health minister James Reilly has promised to introduce legislation during the term of this government, and is awaiting a report from an expert group.

The opposition Sinn Fein party urged the government to act quickly. "I know there are strongly held views on the issue of medical termination, but the people spoke in referendums and firmly placed the onus on the (parliament) to deal with the issue by means of legislation," leader Gerry Adams said.

A 1982 referendum acknowledged the "right to life of the unborn... with due regard to the life of the mother," while a second in 1992 added an amendment that permitted the right to travel abroad for an abortion.

The European Court of Human Rights condemned Ireland in December 2010 for forcing a pregnant cancer sufferer, who feared that having a baby would worsen her health, to have an abortion abroad.

Irene Fernandez insists constitutional provisions inspire racial discrimination

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 16 — Human rights activist Irene Fernandez has stood by the findings of a report citing the Constitution’s protection of Malay rights for racial discrimination in Malaysia, insisting that certain provisions in the country’s supreme law should be amended or entirely removed.

The outspoken executive director of rights group Tenaganita said that the form of affirmative action in government policies that were inspired by Articles 89 and 153 of the Federal Constitution had only succeeded in benefiting an elite few among the Malay upper class.

“This form of affirmative action, these provisions, they are no longer relevant as they have failed and only benefited the top few.

“And this is clear even among the Malays and the Muslims themselves,” she pointed out when contacted by The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

On that note, Fernandez (picture) insisted that the joint study by Tenaganita and international charity organisation Equal Rights Trust (ERT) had been spot-on in suggesting the total repeal or amendment to certain provisions in the Federal Constitution.

She acknowledged that the study had ruffled the feathers of a few Malay right-wingers, including Malay rights group Perkasa, but said she would stand by the findings.

Perkasa Youth has labelled the veteran activist a “traitor” for the ERT-Tenaganita study titled “Washing the Tigers: Addressing Discrimination and Inequality in Malaysia”, and lodged a police report against her for allegedly questioning the special position of the country’s dominant ethnic group.

But Fernandez pointed out that the study, published on the ERT’s website on Monday, had been thorough in its research, even including case studies and interviews with numerous individuals before drawing up a conclusion and issuing recommendations.

“You can pull the yarn as far as you want,” she said, when pointed out that Perkasa members had even linked apostasy to the study’s recommendation to review constitutional provisions on Malay rights.

“But the issue in front of us is this — we as a nation, do we want to achieve equality and non-discrimination? If we do, we have to be bold enough to ensure that everyone has equal treatment that is guaranteed in the Federal Constitution,” she said.

“Affirmative action, and even so, not in this way, must have a time frame and clear goals. It is not for eternity and it is not for certain people to become elitist and rich and use their power to oppress others,” she added.

The four-part study had said the existence of Articles 89 and 153 in the Federal Constitution were among the strongest causes behind racial discrimination in Malaysia as both had purportedly failed to meet the original intention for positive action.

“The positive action measures under these provisions are not time-limited or function-limited.

“The permanent privilege enjoyed by the Malay and the natives of Sabah and Sarawak therefore appears to maintain unequal and separate standards, on the ground of race, in conflict with the constitutional prohibition of discrimination,” the executive summary said.

Article 89 deals with Malay reserve land while Article 153 grants the Yang di-Pertuan Agong responsibility to safeguard the special position of the “Malays and natives of any of the states of Sabah and Sarawak and the legitimate interests of other communities”.

The latter provision also goes on to specify ways to do this, such as establishing quotas for entry into the civil service, public scholarships and public education.

It is among the most controversial provisions in Malaysian law, with critics often arguing against the necessity of a race-based distinction between Malaysians of different ethnic identities.

While right-wing Malay groups and political hardliners have used the provision to argue the need for the continuation of affirmative-action policies, opposition politicians have accused the ruling government of wielding it as a “weapon of aggression”.

But the ERT report said the provisions were among other legislation in Malaysia that it found to be either directly or indirectly discriminatory in nature, adding that the country has a human rights obligation to respect a individual’s right to be free from discrimination.

“Malaysia is urged to undertake a review of all federal and state legislation and policies in order to (i) assess compatibility with the right to equality; and (ii) amend, and where necessary, abolish existing laws, regulations, and policies that conflict or are incompatible with the right to equality.

“This process should include the repeal of all discriminatory laws, provisions and policies. In particular, the following discriminatory provisions should be repealed or amended to remove discriminatory elements,” the study said, before listing Articles 5(4), 8(2), 9, 10, 11, 12(1), 14, 15, 24, 26, 89, 153 and 161 of the Federal Constitution.

According to the study, the provisions discriminate against individuals on the grounds of residence, political opinion, religion, women, race and ethnicity.

Mubarak gesa anggota Islam PKR keluar parti

Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat Malaysia berkata ahli-ahli PKR beragama Islam harus bertanya mengapakah sampai kini Nurul Izzah belum bertaubat atau menarik balik kenyataannya.

(Bernama) - Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat Malaysia (Mubarak) hari ini menggesa ahli PKR yang beragama Islam mengkaji semula keahlian mereka dalam parti itu berikutan kenyataan kontroversi Naib Presidennya Nurul Izzah Anwar berhubung dengan kebebasan beragama.

Ketua Penerangan Mubarak Abdul Rahmman Sulaiman berkata ahli-ahli PKR beragama Islam harus bertanya mengapakah sampai kini Nurul Izzah belum bertaubat atau menarik balik kenyataannya walaupun dinasihatkan Mufti Negeri Perak Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria supaya berbuat demikian.

“Mengapa Nurul Izzah enggan menarik balik kenyataannya, adakah dia percaya dengan kenyataan yang dibuatnya,” kata beliau.

Mufti berkenaan dilaporkan semalam menasihatkan Nurul Izzah bertaubat serta menarik balik kenyataan berhubung kebebasan beragama pada sebuah forum di Subang Jaya baru-baru ini kerana ia mengelirukan dan membawa implikasi kepada akidah.

Laporan portal berita pro-pembangkang pada 3 Nov lepas memetik Nurul Izzah, yang juga anggota Parlimen Lembah Pantai, sebagai berkata: “Rakyat tidak seharusnya dipaksa menganut agama tertentu dan perkara ini juga patut terpakai kepada orang Melayu.

“Apabila anda bertanya saya, tiada paksaan dalam beragama…bagaimana seseorang itu boleh berkata, maaflah, ini (kebebasan beragama) hanya terpakai kepada orang bukan Melayu, ia sepatutnya diguna pakai secara sama rata,” katanya pada forum bertajuk “Negara Islam: Versi Mana; Tanggungjawab Siapa?”.

Sebelum ini, bekas timbalan presiden PAS Nasharuddin Mat Isa juga menyifatkan kenyataan Nurul Izzah mengelirukan serta beliau meminta anak sulung Penasihat PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim itu supaya bertaubat.

Anwar mendakwa kenyataan anaknya telah diputarbelit oleh media pro kerajaan tetapi seorang peserta forum itu yang merupakan seorang peguam tampil menyatakan bahawa Nurul Izzah memang membuat kenyataan itu yang berbangkit daripada soalan beliau seperti dilaporkan dan dirakam.

Abdul Rahman berkata semua orang Islam harus menjaga kemurnian akidah termasuk ahli-ahli PKR yang beragama Islam.

“Kalau ahli-ahli PKR hendak menjaga akidah, mereka tiada pilihan lain kecuali memikirkan semula kedudukan mereka dalam parti tersebut,” kata beliau.

Did Najib know, or know of Altantuya?

On the night of 22nd August, 2008, in the Masjid Guar Perahu in Bukit Mertajam, just days before the Permatang Pauh by-election that would pave the way for Anwar’s re-entry into Parliament, Najib took oath that he was not involved with nor did he know the murdered Mongolian woman, Altantuya Shaaribuu. Utusan Online has the report HERE.

““Wallahi, Wabillahi, Watallahi. Bahawasanya saya tidak terlibat dan mengenali wanita Mongolia yang dikaitkan dengan diri saya.

‘‘Biarlah Allah menjadi saksi di dalam Masjid Guar Perahu yang mulia ini. Saya tidak mahu kata ini sumpah rasmi atau tidak, tapi ini urusan saya dengan Allah. Apa pun tohmahan, saya percaya saya berdiri di atas prinsip yang benar”, is what Najib is reported to have sworn.
The all-important words are in black.

Two nights ago, at the Siri ke-4 Jelajah Scorpene – Rapat Rakyat ABU ceramah in Melaka, Chegubard disclosed evidence relating to the negotiations for and, ultimately, the purchase of the Scorpene submarines. Those evidence, I am given to understand, are documents obtained through court processes in France when the office of DCN, the suppliers of the submarines, were raided by the French investigators pursuant to search and seizure warrants issued by the French courts.

I have also been informed by Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia that they are in the process of putting together a book on this Scorpene scandal where all the relevant documents relating to the same will be included. You must get your hands on a copy once the same is available.

Now, before I share with you  the  information that was made available, I am going to ask you, in evaluating this information, to try and put yourself in the shoes of Najib.

No, don’t imagine you  were the Defence Minister at the relevant time that this purchase was negotiated, but imagine that your company is negotiating the biggest ever transaction it has ever contemplated.
A RM7.7 billion deal that could either make you or break you forever.

Now the first piece of information that Chegubard shared has already been circulating in news circles, and that is, that Najib had demanded the sum of US$1 billion as a “condition” for Perimekar Sdn Bhd’s “stay in France. Asian Sentinel has the story HERE.

Asian Sentinel, in relation to this part of the report, refers to a document No. D00087. That document, in PDF, is linked below.

98105976-D00087
The relevant part of the document that alludes to this demand is at page 2, at the end of —cote 22, and if you use Google Translate to translate all of —cote 22, this is how it reads.

Approval — 22: a fax written in English and sent by F.DUPONT dated 01/06/2001 for D. ARNAUD copy BAIOCCO and SAUVAGEOT aimed Malaysia / Submarine Project. Mr. SMITH detailed chronology of visits and future acts during travel in Malaysia, which are planned including appointment of negotiation with the Defence Minister and leaders in PERIMEKAR which two contract proposals will be discussed (in the DCNI

PERIMEKAR and between the Malaysian government and PERIMEKAR). Finally, it indicates an appointment with DATO SERI NAJIB in France July 14, 2001. Provided DCNI provides for the stay of PERIMEKAR an amount up to $ 1 billion. ——

To the best of my knowledge, there has been no response by Najib to refute this.
What this suggests to me, if I do not get distracted by considerations of  graft and corruption, is that Najib was taking a direct interest in the progress of this deal.

Hey, who amongst us would not if our company was negotiating a RM7.7 billion deal?
Now, it was the next piece of information released by Chegubard which, for me, was telling.
The audience at Melaka was informed that there was a delegation of 15, from Malaysia, that went to France, in relation to this contract. There is a list of the individuals on that delegation. One name : Altantuya Shaariibuu.

I have not seen the document but have been assured that it exists. Presumably, it will be included in the forthcoming SAMM book.

Now ask yourself.
You are not going to be part of the delegation going to negotiate your company’s RM7.7 billion deal. Would you want to know, and decide yourself, who makes up the delegation?

Pidato Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim Di Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat Kota Bharu

PAS President Makes No Mention Of Hudud In Policy Speech

KOTA BAHARU, Nov 17 (Bernama) -- PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang made no mention of the party's proposal to implement Hudud law in his policy speech at the party's 58th Congress at the Kelantan Islamic Tarbiyah Centre here Friday.

Addressing the 1,116 delegates for about two hours, he focused more on PAS' preparations for the 13th general election and the establishment of a welfare state.

Also present were party spiritual advisor Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, Parti Keadilan Rakyat president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and DAP national deputy chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw.

The silence on Hudud law was seen as inconsistent with a statement by PAS Dewan Ulama chief Datuk Harun Taib last night, that the opposition had consented to allow it for implementation, if it formed the next government.

Meanwhile, DAP chairman Karpal Singh stressed that there would be no compromise on his party's stance on the Hudud issue.

Police urged to set up IPCMC

The Sun 
By Edmund Lee

GEORGE TOWN (Nov 15, 2012): The Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) should be established following the allegation where an Indonesian restaurant worker was forced to have sex with three policemen.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the IPCMC would allow members of the public an avenue to file their complaints on the conduct of the police.

He said the IPCMC not only provides the place for police victim to file a complaint but it can help in preventing such incident from happening.

"Police personnel will not dare to commit such acts if they know there is such a body," he said at a press conference when visiting the woman in the centre of the allegations at the Indonesian Consulate-General where Acting Consul General Sofiana Mufidah was present.

Sofiana also expressed her confidence that police can solve the case soon, adding that she hoped other Indonesian workers in Malaysia will be protected.

Lim also expressed that the state government was willing to assist the victim in any form to ensure the culprit will be punished under the law.

He expressed hope that the police will speed up investigations into the matter as the victim was looking forward to go back home.

"I will contact state police chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Hanafi to request that the case be solved as soon as possible," he said.

The woman, identified as Siti Maemanah Kasman, 25, had claimed that she was raped by the cops at a police station in Prai on Nov 9 in the morning.

Following her report, three policemen have been detained and remanded until Nov 16to assist in the investigations.

The incident is being investigated under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape and those convicted face a maximum of 20-year prison sentence and whipping.

Police gang-rape: Licence for sex?

The people want policemen, who are accused of criminal behaviour, to be punished, but more often than not, justice is rarely seen.
COMMENT

The alleged gang-rape of an Indonesian woman by three Malaysian policemen in a police station has shocked the nation and many questions remain unanswered: Why did the other policemen on duty not intervene to prevent the act? If the policemen on duty were only made aware of the rape later, why did they not report it? Is rape commonly used as a form of intimidation by the police? How many other rapes which have been committed by policemen go unreported? Are police recruits not aware that the highest standards of behaviour are expected from them, at all times?

The latest incident of rape has received the attention of Foreign Minister Anifah Aman but only because of widespread protests by Indonesians outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta.

There is, however, silence from both Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussien and Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, who is also Women, Family and Community Development Minister.

These two men should get a firm grip on the situation, justify the salaries they draw and act with the decisiveness that their roles demand of them.

People tend to emulate their leaders and the inaction of ministers over previous crimes, committed by senior politicians, people with the right connections and members of the police, has caused a breakdown in law and order.

It is pointless to call for Hishammuddin or Najib’s resignation because neither has any sense of shame.

Last July, Hishammuddin brushed aside the public’s fear about an increase in crime. He belittled their concerns and claimed that the crime surge was only a “perception”.

Today, his words have returned to haunt him.

Perk of extra-marital sex

Hishammuddin is not the only minister to regret belittling the rakyat; the other person who feels the heat is Najib, the de facto minster for women.

Last October, at an event to celebrate Women’s Day, Najib dismissed the need for women’s rights groups in the country. He proudly proclaimed that Malaysia was “way ahead of developed nations in terms of women’s rights”, but he made no reference to the discrimination against women and the violence they face, on a daily basis.

Lau Chiek Tuan, the Bukit Mertajam Barisan Nasional co-ordinator, whom the 25-year-old migrant worker approached for help, after the alleged rape had taken place, told reporters that the victim was on her way home from work, around 6.30am, when the taxi she was in was trailed by a police car.

The taxi was stopped and the driver asked to show his driver’s licence. The victim was then asked to show her passport but told the policemen that she only carried a photocopy, as the recruitment agency held her original document. The woman was subsequently taken to the Prai police station and arrested.

At the station, she again pleaded to be released but was instead taken into a room with a mattress on the floor, and gang-raped. After they were finished with her, the police dropped her off at her home in Taman Inderawasih and warned not to tell anyone about the rape.

In an interview with another online newspaper, Lau claimed that the victim was aware of similar rapes and her reason for reporting her own experience was to prevent a similar incident from happening to other women.

The wives of all policemen must be wondering if their husbands also enjoy the perk of extra-marital sex while they are on duty.

Malaysians demand a police force with high standards of behaviour. The unacceptable conduct of its policemen should prompt the government to review the selection and training of police recruits.

Rakyat does not trust police

The rakyat also wants policemen, who are accused of criminal behaviour, to be punished; but when it comes to police brutality, justice has rarely been seen by the victims’ families.

The rakyat would also like the government to address other issues, like low morals in the force and see if it needs more funding to make it less corrupt.

Last March, Inspector-General of Police Ismail Omar said that 99% of his police force were clean. Can he really claim that that is true when the situation on the ground is the reverse? Perhaps, the rakyat is unlucky and have only met the 1% who is corrupt.

The problem of maid agencies and employers hanging on to the passports of the migrant workers is not new. When will the relevant departments resolve this issue?

The acting Indonesian consul-general Sofiana Mufidah has reassured Indonesian workers and told them to remain calm, while the issue of the gang-rape is being resolved.

“We have faith that the Malaysian police will act fairly and without bias throughout the course of their investigations,” she said.

Although the rakyat does not believe that all policemen are bad, they are aware that many policemen who are allegedly guilty of crimes escape punishment.

One way of restoring the rakyat’s confidence in the police is to have an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), which will investigate crimes committed by policemen. The formation of the IPCMC has been blocked by the government, on many occasions.

The Indonesian government may have expressed confidence with our police, but the Malaysian public does not share that confidence.

The rakyat does not trust the police, nor the government’s will or ability to handle any crime perpetrated by the police.

Mariam Mokhtar is a FMT columnist.

Savita’s death triggers Irish backlash against anti-abortion law

AP People assemble outside Leinster House in Dublin on Wednesday in protest against the death of Savita Halappanavar, following denial of abortion. 

 

Deputy Prime Minister admits that there is need for “legal clarity” on abortion

The Irish government was on Thursday at the centre of an angry backlash as protests were held to demand relaxation of the country’s strict anti-abortion law following the death of Savita Halappanavar, a young dentist of Indian origin, after she was refused abortion at a government hospital even though her life was in danger.

An estimated 2,000 people demonstrated outside Parliament in Dublin in what was described as the “largest” protest there in recent memory, while hundreds joined candlelit vigils in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, the city where Savita lived and died.

The Irish embassy in London was picketed amid calls for similar protests outside Irish missions in other European Union countries at the weekend to coincide with a mass rally planned in Dublin for Saturday.

C.V.R. Prasad, an orthopaedic surgeon who visited Savita in the hospital before she died, called for a public inquiry into her death. He criticised the conduct of doctors at University Hospital Galway who refused to perform abortion on grounds that “this is a Catholic country.”

“This should never happen to another woman. Religion and medicine should never mix,” he said.

The hospital has already launched an internal investigation, in addition to a separate inquiry ordered by Ireland’s Health Service, but Dr. Prasad said any probe should be public.

The HSE announced that it was appointing an external investigator to join the inquiry.

There were ill-tempered exchanges in Parliament as the government faced criticism for not legislating on a 1992 court ruling that abortion could be permitted if there was a “real and substantive” risk to the life of the mother. Critics accused successive governments of “political cowardice” in not laying down specific guidelines on abortion.

Deputy Prime Minister Eamon Gilmore admitted that there was need for “legal clarity” on abortion. “We need to ensure that in this country we do not have a doubt which arises in a hospital in a set of circumstances which puts a mother’s life at risk.” Last year, the European Court of Human Rights upheld claims of three women that the ban on abortion breached their human rights.

Savita (31) died from septicaemia a week after she was admitted to the hospital with severe back pain. Her husband Praveen Halappanavar said he was certain that his wife would have been alive had the termination been allowed.

Pemuda PAS mahu Harakah 'distruktur semula'

Two men arrested for setting woman, three daughters on fire

Husband and in-laws used to insult her ‘for not bearing a male child’. PHOTO: FILE 

MULTAN: A man and his brother were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly setting the former’s wife and three daughters on fire.

Chaubara police said the men Nadeem and Aslam, their mother, Shafqat Bibi, and the latter’s wife, Rukhsana Bibi, were nominated in the FIR registered by the victim’s brother, Muhammad Irshad. While two of them had been arrested, police said they were looking for the rest of the two suspects.

Station House Officer Sadiq Rind told The Express Tribune that the post-mortem examination reports revealed that the deceased had been killed.

He said that Tasleem Bibi, 35, had been married to Muhammad Nadeem, a resident of Chak 498, and had three daughters, Farwa, Naureen and Tehreem, from the marriage.

Her family told the police that Nadeem and his parents used to insult her for not bearing a male child.

They also said Tasleem Bibi was frequently beaten up by her husband, his brother and their mother.

On Tuesday, Irshad said, he received a call from his sister asking him to come over to her house. He said she was crying and told him that her husband was beating her and threatening to kill her.

He said when he reached their home, he was told that Tasleem Bibi had set herself and her three daughters on fire and had been taken to district headquarters hospital.

Upon reaching the hospital, he said, he learnt that his sister and nieces had died. Medical Superintendent Dr Sadiq Mehmood told The Express Tribune that the younger girls, aged 3 and 5 years, had already died when they were brought to the hospital. He said the woman and the eldest child, 7, were referred to a hospital in Multan, but they died on the way.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2012.

Mother accused of murdering seven-year-old son for failing to learn the Koran made video confession days after

• Sara Ege allegedly beat her son to death before burning his body
• Punishment was for seven-year-old failing to learn prats of Koran by heart
• Ege denies a single charge of murder

A woman accused of murdering her son for failing to learn parts of the Koran by heart made a harrowing video confession which was shown to a jury today.

Sara Ege, 32, allegedly beat seven-year-old Yaseen to death with a stick and then burned his body in an attempt to destroy the evidence of her brutality.

Ege made an emotional confession to the police within days of Yaseen’s death at their home in Cardiff in July 2010.

Beaten: Yaseen Ali, seven, was allegedly beaten by his mother for failing to learn parts of the Koran by heart

 

 

A jury at Cardiff Crown Court listened in silence today as she described how Yaseen collapsed, still murmuring extracts from the Koran.

Asked why she had set his body on fire within minutes of his death, she said: 'I was too nervous.'

Yaseen had been hit with a stick for failing to memorise extracts from the Koran and was still injured at the time of his death, she said. 'He was swollen from a couple of weeks ago,' Ege said in the interview.

A sobbing Ege was allowed to leave the dock while the harrowing hour-long footage was shown to the jury. In it, she described undressing Yaseen when he collapsed and soiled himself, then dragging him to the kitchen to feed him milk.

The boy was left lying naked on the kitchen floor, still reciting extracts from the Koran, as she poured him the drink. He then took several sips before being dragged and pushed along a corridor to his bedroom and told to get dressed by his mother.

When he proved incapable, she dressed him herself and left him on a rug by his bed, claiming she believed he had fallen asleep. Ten minutes later, she returned to witness Yaseen shaking and shivering on the floor and gulping a final breath before dying.

Funeral: Cardiff Crown Court has heard Ege grew increasingly frustrated with her seven-year-old son

Tragedy: Ege allegedly hit her child with a stick and then burnt his body

'A greenish yellow liquid came from his nose and I saw that he was gone,' she said.

Within moments Ege said she decided to burn his body and ran downstairs to get a lighter and a bottle of barbecue gel. Ege, of Pontcanna, Cardiff, later retracted the confession made to the police over several days in July 2010. She denies a single charge of murder and a charge of perverting the course of justice.

Her husband, Yusef Ali Ege, 38, is on trial with his wife, accused of causing or allowing the death of his son by failing to act. In the recording shown in court, Ege describes trying to pick up Yaseen after he collapsed but ending up 'dragging him along the corridor'.

'When I spoke to him he just recited the Koran and said ‘Yes, Mum, yes, Mum, yes, Mum,” Ege states in the interviews.

When she reached his bedroom she left her naked son on a rug by his bed while she went to get him some clothes.

'He was still reciting what he had been reading and I gave him his clothes and he would not put them on. He was just saying ‘Yes, Mum, yes, Mum’, so I thought I would put them (the clothes) on for him.

'I had to treat him like a baby. Then he slept and I thought ‘OK, I will go now’. He was still murmuring the Koran.

'He was breathing as if he was asleep when I left him. He was still murmuring the same thing over and over again. I thought that he was just tired.'

Scene: Police and firefighters rushed to the family home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, after the blaze broke out in July 2010

Ege said in interview that Yaseen had collapsed in a similar way about six weeks earlier and had been fine after a night’s sleep. Earlier, the jury was told about the work regime the youngster had to follow, which included Koran classes after school and at weekends.

Ege went on to describe finding her son gulping before he died only minutes after she had left him apparently sleeping soundly.

'I went into his room and I went to Yaseen and he was making a funny gulping-like noise and his mouth was going very funny.

'He was lying on his side on the rug facing the bed with a greenish yellow liquid coming from his nose. I saw him twitching.

'It was like he was gone. I tried to wake him up and I tried to lift him up. But his heart was not beating. I thought ‘Yaseen has gone’.”

She added: 'I was there. I was tapping him, I was lifting him up, I was shouting ‘Yaseen’. I was looking at myself in the mirror and pulling my hair.

'I was getting angry with myself and went downstairs because Yaseen was gone.'

Ege returned to the courtroom for the afternoon session when other DVD interviews were shown to the jury.

Unrecorded sections of interviews with Ege were also read out by a police officer and one of the prosecution team’s barristers, David Elias. Ege also confessed that she was out of control and beat her son for almost no reason.

She said she had made vows to herself not to hit him but had repeatedly broken them within days.

A hush fell over the court as Ege described in interview setting the fire in the knowledge that he still had swollen ribs from his beatings.

'At the time I was not thinking of anything, I was just very scared. It is just the same thing over and over again, that I beat Yaseen when I used to take the stick.

'It was not my intention to do anything. I cannot explain, I loved my son so much. He was so good. He never, ever complained about anything.'

She added: 'I just blame my anger. I lost control. I cannot put all this together. There was no intention in me to harm my son.'

During the interviews she said after beating Yaseen on one occasion he had gone to school in such pain he was unable to sit. He was sent home and Ege managed to switch him to another school where staff were told he had a leg injury which prevented him sitting.

Yaseen’s death was originally believed to have been a tragic accident, the court has heard. It was only discovered later that he was already dead before the blaze had been lit.

The trial was adjourned until tomorrow.

The prosecution case is expected to concluded either on Friday or early on Monday next week.

MPS chief's transfer illegal, say councillors

Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) said the Public Services Department (PSD) does not have the powers to transfer out a local council president.

Exco member Eric Tan Pok Shyong claimed that department’s move yesterday to transfer MPS chief Zainal Abidin Aala to the Institut of National Institute of Public Administration (Intan) contravenes the Local Government Act 1976.

“The PSD is not established under any act. It is only an agency that assists the government.

“Therefore what powers do they have?” he said during a press conference at Menara MPS today.

In what some have suspected to be linked to the Batu Caves condominium controversy, Zainal was given a 24-hour notice for the transfer.

Former MPS councillor and present senator A Kohilan Pillay had organised a BN-led protest to allege that the Pakatan Selangor government was responsible for plans to build a 29-storey condominium close to the iconic Batu Caves temple.

However Selangor exco Ronnie Liu subsequently exposed details showing that MPS councillors under the BN-led government, that included Kohilan himself, had approved of the project in 2007.
Yesterday, Liu speculated that Zainal's sudden transfer could be due to his Oct 30 press conference, in which he cleared Pakatan of approving the controversial condominium project.
Selangor MB Abdul Khalid Ibrahim has since ordered the works to be stopped, and not to be left out, Prime Minister Najib Razak ironically has also promised that the project would be scrapped if BN wins back power in the state.
Transfer 'unprofessional'
Tan meanwhile said the matter also went against Article 132(2) of the federal constitution that places the appointment of a state official under the authority of the state government.

“Under the federal constitution, the federal government does not have the right over state officials,” he said.

Another Selayang councillor A Rahim Ahmad Kasdi alleged that the transfer was a form of “punishment” for Zainal to “freeze” his career advancement.

“Intan is known to be a ‘cold storage’, an easy life with little work to do,” he said.

Other councillors voiced concern that the 24-hour transfer was “unprofessional and (the federal government) seen as “always hindering to the administration of the state”.

They called for the federal government to review such procedures.

They added that MPS will hold an emergency meeting to urge the state government to take tough action against the move.

Batu Caves condo opens a Pandora's box of deception

COMMENT The announcement by PM Najib Abdul Razak to scrap the 29-storey condominium has turned the condo issue into an open BN vs Pakatan Rakyat row.

By making the announcement, Najib has flexed his muscles to impress the Indian community into believing that he can better serve them than the Pakatan Selangor government.

But he contradicted himself by the transfer of the president of Selayang Municipal Council (MPS) for disclosing the minutes of 2007 meeting which clearly showed that it was BN councillors who approved the project.

If not for the Pakatan government in Selangor state, the PM would not have bothered to come to Batu Caves and call for the project to be scrapped.

Umno leaders were never bothered about Batu Caves before the 2008 election.

The authority to issue and cancel the development order of the 29 storey condominium, lies with MPS and the state government, not with the prime minister.

Being a premier he must respect the rules and regulations and promote good governance.

Why in the first place did the premier not express his displeasure at those who approved the project and call for action against the guilty parties?

Looks like Najib (left) wants to politicise the condo issue to win Indian votes.

Since MIC has become a liability to BN, Najib has to use his authority win the Indian votes.

This project was approved without the environmental impact assessment and no thorough consultation with all the stakeholders.

It is unfortunate that all these deficiencies in the approval process did not bother the PM.

He was only concerned with scrapping the condo project and applying for Unesco heritage listing.

He should have expressed his concern over the approval and need for good governance.

He failed to use the condo project to highlight the larger issue of corruption and disregard for the sanctity of the temple by the relevant government departments, during the approval process.
Investigation must be initiated
If Najib is really concerned about the temple and Batu Caves issue, he must initiate an investigation into the temple management committee and appoint respectable people to it.

The current committee is self-appointed does not reflect the wishes of the community.

The 1930 court order has to be done away with and let the committee come under a new Hindu endowment board.

Batu Caves is a heritage and environment issue. It is a site and legacy that must protected.

Therefore the temple committee must be headed by a respectable public figure who is more transparent and accountable.

The Selangor menteri besar has appointed N Sadasivam to review the whole condo project approval along with all other projects approved in the vicinity of Batu Caves.

This is a timely and a professional approach to a lasting solution.

Najib should emulate the Selangor government's way of handling the Batu Caves condo controversy created by the BN government.

He should not look at the Indian community from the vote bank perspective but as minorities who have equal rights.

---

S RAMAKRISHNAN is a senator in the Upper House of Parliament.

Rape of Indonesian girl prompts Penang to renew call for IPCMC

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng at the press conference after meeting with the Acting Indonesian Consul General Sofiana Mufidah (behind left). – Photo by K.E. Ooi

GEORGE TOWN, Nov 15 – The Penang state government has called for the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to be set up to prevent cases like the alleged Indonesian rape case involving three cops.

“The IPCMC will not only provide an avenue for Malaysians but also foreigners such as Indonesians working in the country to channel their complaints against the police,” said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

He said the existence of an IPCMC would ensure the reduction of criminal cases involving police personnel.

“It will be a check-and-balance for the country’s police force,” he said.

Lim, who met with the Acting Indonesian Consul General Sofiana Mufidah today, said the state government will stay in close contact with the Indonesian consulate to provide assistance to the victim if needed.

Lim urged the police to speed up the investigations into the case and bring the culprits to book.

“I will speak with the Penang police chief on this case as the victim wants to go back to her country and hoped that the case would be expedited,” he said in a press conference at the consulate.

Lim also said the case is an isolated case but that the state government stands in solidarity with the victim.

“We will offer whatever support or assistance that the victim may need,” he said.

Currently the 25-year-old victim is under the care of the consulate and is now being given counselling.

Bukit Mertajam MP Chong Eng has also promised to bring the matter up in Parliament.

Sofiana said she was confident that the police would act with full professionalism in handling the case.

Last week, the 25-year-old restaurant worker alleged that she was raped by three policemen at the Prai police station.

The suspects were arrested and remanded until tomorrow.

They are expected to either be charged in court tomorrow or have their remand extended.

Church, SDMC still in talks

Still no decision on when to transfer the pane on which a Virgin Mary image has allegedly appeared.

PETALING JAYA: Church officials are still in negotiations with the Sime Darby Medical Centre (SDMC) to decide when to move the glass panel on which an image of the Virgin Mary is believed to have appeared.

They have agreed that the panel be transferred to the Marian Church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Klang, but have yet to decide when to do it, according to a spokesman for SDMC.

The image was spotted several days ago on a window pane on the seventh floor of the hospital.

Church officials will investigate to ascertain whether the image is a true Marian apparition. They will do so in accordance with rules that the Vatican has published.

The Vatican guideline entitled “Norms Regarding the Manner of Proceeding in the Discernment of Presumed Apparitions or Revelations” has been in use since 1978, but the guideline has only recently been translated into English.

The document aims to aid bishops in the tricky task of distinguishing presumed apparitions and revelations of presumed supernatural origins.

The norms mandate that the local bishop must conduct a “serious investigation” to ascertain, with “at least great probability” whether a Marian apparition has effectively taken place.

The rules require an evaluation of the “personal qualities” of the alleged seer, including his or her “psychological equilibrium, rectitude of moral life” and “docility towards ecclesiastical authority”.

The contents of the “revelation” must be “immune” from theological error, and the apparition must bear “abundant … spiritual fruit,” such as conversions.

The authenticity of the vision should be rejected if, among other factors, the alleged seer shows “psychological disorder” or “evidence of a search for profit.”

Time for Indians to seek change

After 55 years of BN rule, do the Indian community want more of the same?
COMMENT

With December still being touted as a possible month for holding the 13th general election, ground reports are filtering in pertaining to voter support.

The Chinese have made up their mind to vote for Pakatan Rakyat while PAS is gaining ground among the Malays. The urban folks in Sabah and Sarawak will support the opposition and now all that is left is the Indian vote.

Some reports have put the Indian vote as 50:50 while other reports have put it as 54% in favour of Barisan Nasional. Whatever it is, it is still not solid.

It seems that the Indians are still in two minds whether or not to give their vote to Pakatan.

“The Indians must realise that MIC is already irrelevant. Otherwise, why is [Prime Minister] Najib [Tun Razak] instructing Nazri to talk to Hindraf in regard to obtaining Indian support? MIC must preserve its dignity by leaving BN,” said M Manogaran, DAP’s Teluk Intan MP.

Manogaran said that it is surely a great blow to MIC when Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Abdul Aziz has been given the task to negotiate with Hindraf instead of MIC leaders.

“BN must be really desperate enough to woo Hindraf now,” added Manogaran.

It must be said, however, that Indians gained more recognition from Pakatan than from BN. Consider this list of DAP’s Indian MPs and state assemblymen:

MPs

1. P Ramasamy (Batu Kawan, Penang)

2. M Kula Segaran (Ipoh Barat, Perak)

3. M Manogaran (Teluk Intan, Perak)

4. Charles Santiago (Klang, Selangor)

5. John Fernandez (Seremban, Negeri Sembilan)

State assemblymen

1. P Ramasamy (Prai, Penang, Deputy Chief Minister II)

2. A Tanasekharan (Bagan Dalam, Penang)

3. RSN Rayer (Sri Delima, Penang)

4. A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong, Perak)

5. V Sivakumar (Tronoh, Perak, former Perak Speaker)

6. A Sivanesan (Sungkai, Perak)

7. M Manoharan (Kota Alam Shah, Selangor)

8. S Veerapan (Rapah, Negeri Sembilan)

9. K Arumugam (Rahang, Negeri Sembilan)

10. P Gunasekaran (Senawang, Negeri Sembilan)

The Teluk Intan MP may also be moved to a Kuala Lumpur seat in light of DAP stalwart Karpal Singh’s “one-man one-seat” proposal.

Time to make a choice

There are also Indian lawmakers from PKR. As for PAS, it has fielded an Indian candidate in Johor in the previous general election but she lost.

It is time that the Indians realised that although MIC had helped them a lot, that was a long time ago. The time has come for the Indians to make a choice for something better and those who are among the hardcore poor should come to the realisation that piecemeal assistance will not lead them out of poverty.

While many Chinese youths who are jobless will resort to going overseas in search of jobs in orchards or supermarkets, we seldom hear of this type of venture among the Indian youths.

The reaction of the Indians is predictable. They will make some noise to air their grouses and when the government says, “We will look into it,” they will quieten down and things will be as before.

Things will never change if it is the same old government with its same old way of administration. The situation can only be improved if there is a change of guard.

Indians must be brave enough to make a choice for change because continuity with the present incumbent government leads nowhere.

As it is, corruption is rife and crime is rampant. Not only the Indians but all Malaysians must be courageous enough to change their mindset. There is no need to fear the unknown.

In fact, Pakatan is not really an alien entity as it is the state government in Kedah, Kelantan, Penang and Selangor and also for about 11 months in Perak.

Still marginalised

Here is a short story this columnist came across some time ago by an anonymous author advising us not to be deceived when making important decisions. Roughly it goes like this:

A man who has died was asked by God if he wanted to go to Heaven or Hell. He said that he was unsure and wanted to take a look at both places first before making a decision. So he was transported to Heaven where he saw an idyllic village life: boys were playing football in the field and people were chatting happily in the al fresco foodstalls by the roadside. Women were drying out their washing and everything was very ordinary.

Next, he was transported to Hell. There was fine dining in an expensive restaurant with lobsters and caviar on the menu while pretty and sexy young ladies with plunging necklines were the waitresses.

Then it was time to make a decision.

“Where do you want to go?” God asked the man.

“Hell,” he replied firmly, thinking that Heaven was too boring a place for him.

“Are you sure?” God asked him.

“Sure, I am absolutely sure,” he answered.

“Really, really sure?” God asked him again.

“Of course, I am 100% sure,” answered the man without any hesitation and a little bit annoyed at being asked the same question again. And so he heard a loud bang and he landed in Hell.

But what he saw was parched, arid land with big cracks and small fires here and there. There was no food or water in sight except some very smelly rubbish. There were also many demons hopping around.

He called the Devil and asked for an explanation, “What is the meaning of this? I was in Hell earlier and there was fine dining and sexy ladies but now it is totally different. Can you explain what is going on?”

The Devil replied, “What you saw earlier was our campaign to you.”

It is time for Indians to see the real facts and figures.

After 55 years, many Indians are still marginalised although there are Indians who have made good in the law and medical professions. Do Indians want to wait another 55 years?

Selena Tay is a FMT columnist.

MCA rejects Hee’s Jelapang talk

The incumbent would most probably lose in the state seat if she decides to contest without the support from the MCA division, says Dr Chua Soi Lek.

KUALA LUMPUR: MCA today said that there has been no agreement made on the status of the Jelapang state seat, derailing any hopes harboured by incumbent state assemblywoman Hee Yit Fong to contest there in the next election.

MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek said that his party had not held any discussion with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak about giving up the Jelapang state seat in Perak.

“The Jelapang MCA division and I had neither deliberated about allowing an outsider to stand in the seat under the MCA ticket,” he said in a statement today.

He was responding to a statement made by Hee yesterday that she would contest to retain the seat for Barisan Nasional.

Hee won the Jepalang seat under the DAP banner in 2008 but in the following year quit the party to become a BN-friendly independent. Her defection, along with three others, caused the collapse of the Pakatan government in Perak.

She told the Chinese media on Tuesday that she would be recontesting in Jelapang under the BN banner, adding that Najib would be making further announcement on it.

Chua however said Hee would not win in Jelapang without the support from the MCA division and especially the grassroots members.

“Winning the general election requires the support from all BN component parties, it is crucial that the candidate receives support not just from the people, but also the component parties.

“I must stress that BN is a collective decision-making coalition, it is never a norm for the coalition to talk about its seat allocation and candidacy openly,” he said.

Perkasa calls Irene Fernandez a traitor after study says Constitution promotes discrimination

Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider

Perkasa Youth today urged prominent activist Irene Fernandez to return her citizenship, claiming that she is a “traitor” to the country, over her involvement in a study on discrimination that questioned constitutional provisions surrounding the position of Malays.

“If she cannot obey (akur) this country’s laws, please return the citizenship voluntarily, she can go any country that she likes, to any countries where she finds the laws suitable, so please return the citizenship, since she’s also not Malay,” Irwan Fahmi Ideris, the Perkasa youth chief, told reporters at the Dang Wangi police station today.

“So here we ask the authorities to investigate and take the necessary action against the traitor,” he said after lodging a police report against Fernandez over the study that was carried in The Malaysian Insider yesterday.

Irwan also said they feared for Fernandez’s safety, saying that such statements would incur the wrath of ignorant villagers and fellow Malaysians.

“We ask that her safety be guaranteed,” he said, saying that he was “sympathetic” to her.

When asked if Perkasa Youth would seek an apology from Fernandez, he said that he thinks this matter “cannot be forgiven”, again insisting that she returns her citizenship.

“This is already overstepping the limits, when our religion, our kings are disputed. But we practise a system that is the same as Britain’s,” he added, pointing out that UK also has a monarch.

Perkasa is a Malay right-wing group that is known to champion Islam, the rights of Malays and the royal institution.

Yesterday, The Malaysian Insider reported that a UK-based study on discrimination and equality in Malaysia showed that the country should repeal or amend two constitutional provisions protecting the special rights and land of the Malays to avoid discrimination on the basis of race or ethnicity.

The study was jointly conducted by international charity organisation Equal Rights Trust (ERT) and Malaysian rights group Tenaganita.

Fernandez is the executive director of Tenaganita.

The four-part study said the existence of Articles 89 and 153 of the Federal Constitution were among the strongest causes behind racial discrimination in Malaysia as both had purportedly failed to meet the original intention for positive action.

Instead, the provisions had “violated international law standards”, it was said in the executive summary of the “Washing the Tigers: Addressing Discrimination and Inequality in Malaysia” study published on the ERT’s website late Monday.

PAS Youth shoots down Bersih 4.0 before GE13

(Malaysiakini) - In a near unanimous decision, delegates at the PAS Youth Muktamar in Kota Bharu today rejected a motion for a Bersih 4.0 protest before the next general election.
Delegates who spoke against the mooted protest when debating the motion, argued that party resources should be channeled towards facing looming polls rather than organising a mega protest.

"Even Umno has started going into the rural villages and handing out goodies... if we go ahead with this, people would say all we are capable of is going to the streets.

"There is not much time (left to prepare for the general election) and we will also be organising our own Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (People's Uprising Rally) in every state... let's us focus on capturing Putrajaya," said Alor Setar PAS Youth chief Mohd Azam Awang.

The rebuttal came after a passionate plea from Pekan PAS Youth Chief Fadhil Mohd Noor for delegates to back the proposed protest.

"Every time we have a rally, it delays the prime minister's decision to hold the general election.

"But it is not our intent to frighten anyone but to continue our struggle for a clean general election," he said.

However, Pengerang PAS representative Sheikh Umar Ali pointed out in the debates that Pakatan Rakyat will be organising a Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 13 next year as a climax, thus the Bersih 4.0 protest would be redundant.

The motion was one of four that was debated at the wing's Muktamar today.

‘MCA has insulted Islam'
The other three were on MCA president Chua Soi Lek continuous attacks on hudud law, Automated Enforcement System (AES) and revamping party organ Harakah's editorial team.

On MCA, the delegates backed the motion which said that MCA's and Chua's attacks had insulted Islam and demanded an apology from him.

PAS Youth secretary Khairul Faizi Ahmad Kamil who tabled the motion said among the statements that had hurt the feeling of Muslims, was MCA Wanita vice-chief Heng Seai Kie's accusation that PAS allowed non-Muslim women who did not cover themselves to be raped.

He also voice dissatisfaction with MCA's assertion that 1.2 million jobs would be lose if hudud law was implemented and that eight of 11 countries that implemented hudud law are corrupt.

In the motion, PAS Youth also challenge Chua to a debate on the matter and hit out at BN for using religion for political benefit.
Pas Youth chief declares assets
In another development, PAS Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan surprised delegates by publicly declaring his asset before them during the closing of the Muktamar.
His income and assets are as follow:
Income: RM2,500 per month allowance from PAS Youth
Rental income: RM300 per month
Housing loan: RM530 per month
Car loan: RM1,400 per month
Spouse's income: RM4,000 per month
Spouse's housing loan: RM1,200 per month
Assets: A house worth RM130,000 (2004); Pajero Sports (2011); and Hyundai Trajet (2007); RM9,000 in savings.
"And those are my assets. I hope the PAS Youth exco can follow suit in declaring their assets," he said.
Nasrudin said all exco members in PAS Youth must fill a form to declare their assets and this would be for party consumption.
However, he added that if any of them were to contest in the next general election, this information would be made public online.