Anwar: Islamic teachings suggest mum's consent needed to convert child

MIC: Bawah 18 tahun sepatutnya tidak boleh tukar agama

Protest in Tamil Nadu and Kerala against murder of Hindu Munnani leader.

Sri S. Vellaiyappan

Protest against Tamil Nadu Hindu Munnani leader’s gruesome murder in Vellore.

Vellore | Hindu Existence News Bureau | 2 July 2013:: Hindu organizations in Kerala and Tamil Nadu observed Tuesday as ‘protest day’, following the brutal murder of S Vellaiyappan (45), state secretary of Tamil Nadu Hindu Munnani. Hindu Aikya Vedi also staged a demonstration in the evening protesting against the gruesome murder in various places in Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Sri S. Vellaiyappan, a prominent Hindutva activist and the Tamil Nadu State Secretary of the Hindu Munnani, was murdered near the Muthu Mandapam on the banks of the Palar River behind the New Bus Stand here on Monday evening in full public view. The assailants guarded their faces with scarfs as reported.

Police said the assailants, who were also on motorbikes, hit Vellaippan from behind and attacked him when he fell down on the road and fled the scene. Eyewitnesses said Vellaiappan sustained more than 15 injuries all over his body.

He was proceeding in his two-wheeler to the Ramakrishna Mutt when some unidentified persons attacked him on his head from behind. Sri Vellaiyappan abandoned the vehicle and ran towards the dry Palar River. The attackers chased him, hacked in his neck and beat him on his head repeatedly till he fell dead. They immediately escaped. On hearing of the incident, Hindu Munnani volunteers rushed to the spot and blocked the New Katpadi Bridge demanding action against the assailants.

When the body of Sri Vellaiyappan was being taken in an ambulance to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital for post-mortem, the agitators blocked the ambulance and pelted it with stones. They also hurled stones at several buses on the service lane of the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway (NH – 4). A strong posse of policemen has been posted at the spot. After the body was taken to the hospital, the volunteers withdrew their agitation.

Vellaiyappan, a native of Thenkasi has been associated with the Hindu Munnani for over 20 years. An active pracharak, hailed from RSS, Vellaiyappan was always seen in the fore front in exposing and dealing with the social menace of love jihad and Govt’s conspiracy of encroachment of various Hindu Temples/Mutts/Trusts etc. Vellaiyappan was undaunted, even though he continually faced death threats while spearheading campaigns against love jihad.

Forty-five-year-old Sri Vellaiyappan, a bachelor, was the organiser of Hindu Munnani activities in Vellore district for the last 20 years. Only on Wednesday, he participated in an agitation by the Munnani at the entrance to the Fort in Vellore against the takeover of Jalakanteswarar Temple by the Hindu Religious & Charitable Endowments Department. Vijay Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Vellore district, said several teams had been formed to nab the culprits. “The motive for the murder is not yet known and we are engaged in gathering the clues and evidence”, he told The Hindu Existence Reporter.

Condemning the murder, Hindu Munnani founder and state organiser Rama Gopalan said there were

Police pickets deployed on the service lane of the Chennai-Bangalore NH – 4  near the new bus stand in Vellore following an agitation sparked by the murder of Hindu leader.  Photo: C. Venkatachalapathy, The Hindu.

earlier instances of functionaries of the BJP and Hindu Munani being murdered in the region. In October 2012, V Aravindh Reddy, BJP’s state medical wing secretary, was murdered. Rama Gopalan said police should take stern action against the culprits. They should be arrested immediately, he said.

As news of Vellaiappan’s murder spread, angry Hindu Munnani activists damaged two TNSTC buses which came out of the Vellore bus terminus. No one was injured in the incident. Traffic was held up for about an hour.

The place witnessed tense scenes following Vellaiyappan’s murder. Police personnel have been deployed in the area to prevent any further outbreak of violence. With police yet to make a breakthrough in the case, police teams have fanned out to track the accused.

North zone inspector general of police S Kannappan said, “We don’t know the motive for the murder yet. We got some CCTV footage from nearby shops and from traffic signals, which will help us identify the accused.”

RSS Condemns

RSS State President R V Marimuthu has strongly condemned the brutal murder of the Hindu activist and pointed out that earlier BJP worker Arvind Reddy, Pugazendhi, Kaalaiyar Koil Padai ventraan Ambalam were also murdered in the same way. Hindu Munnani activist Anand of Mettupalayam, M R Gandhi (BJP) of Nagercoil, and Hari of Koonoor and many others had been attacked and injured seriously. The law and order in the State of Tamilnadu is questionable. He appeals to the Chief Minister of Tamilnadu to strongly take action against the murderers and render justice to the Hindus.

Hindu Existence Forum vehemently condemns the heinous murder of Sri S. Vellaiyappan by anti Hindu perpetrators.

Courtesy: The Hindu | Agencies.

KRudd’s Chosen Parliamentary Secretary Ed Husic Swears Loyalty to the Koran

‘Shame, shame, shame’: Australia’s first Muslim frontbencher abused for taking oath on Koran

The Prime Minister’s new parliamentary secretary, Ed Husic, has been subjected to a torrent of abuse online for being sworn in to his position with a Koran.
Mr Husic became Australia’s first Muslim frontbencher on Monday when he was appointed to Kevin Rudd’s new-look ministry as parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister and parliamentary secretary for broadband.
“This is a wonderful day for multiculturalism, and everything it stands for in our country,” Governor-General Quentin Bryce told Mr Husic during the swearing-in ceremony in Canberra on Monday.
Governor-General Quentin Bryce is a rather dodgy kumbaya tart.

Ed Husic, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband, during the swearing-in ceremony at Government House with Governor-General Quentin Bryce. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

.
However, after receiving dozens of messages of congratulations on his Facebook page, the comments quickly turned to disgust and outrage that he had chosen to be sworn in on the Muslim holy book.
Some called it un-Australian and unconstitutional.  (It is.)
“Our allegiance should have been to Queen and Country first Ed. That means saying the oath on the holy bible not the Koran…. Shame, Shame, Shame,” posted one user, Ross Peace. “I am so disappointed in this government that they don’t have the spine to stand up for the Australian way of life.”

 

Ed Husic, with the copy of the Koran with which he was sworn in as a parliamentary secretary. Photo: Alex Ellinghausen

.

Another user, Therese Pearce, said she was “disgusted and embarrassed” for the Australian people.
So am I.
“Hell i might just have to use snow white and the 7 dwarfs next time i take the oath for australia,” she posted.
One user, Anna Dean, claimed his decision to be sworn in on the Koran undermined “our culture and country and constitution in this way”.
It does.
Another user, Carrie Forrest, accused him of disregarding Australia’s constitution and pushing for sharia.
Getting close.
Mr Husic has previously said that he is a moderate Muslim who does not involve himself heavily with most of the religious customs and behaviours of the faith.
If that was the case he wouldn’t swear on the Koran.
Asked about his religion in 2010, he told the ABC: “If someone asks me, ‘Are you Muslim?’ I say yes. And then if someone says, ‘Well do you pray and go to a mosque and do all the other things that are associated with the faith?’ I say no.
Taqiyya. Religiously mandated lying.
“I often get told that I describe myself as non-practising when in actual fact I don’t go round saying that. Like I just say ‘I’m Muslim.’ ”
That means he is a  Muslim. A”real one”.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said people should respect Mr Husic’s choice. ‘‘I respect his choice,’’ he told reporters in Melbourne. ‘‘I think the Australian people should as well.’’
Delusional. Creepy. Stupid beyond belief. 
President of the Anti-Discrimination Board and chairman of the NSW Community Relations Commission Stepan Kerkyasharian said it was “a sad day for any society” when someone is abused because of their religion.
Stepan Kerkyasharian? Sounds like an Armenian. 1.5 million murdered Armenians send their regards.
He said Mr Husic could act as a valuable bridge between the Muslim community and would put Australia at an advantage in the international community.
BS. He will  be on the side of the ummah against Australia.
“It should be an interesting and positive milestone that someone of migrant heritage has come to Australia and has now, through our democratic process, reached a position of leadership,” he said.
I’m not interested in stupidity and interfaith kumbaya.
Mr Husic, 43, the son of Bosnian Muslim migrants, became the first Muslim to be elected to Parliament when he won his western Sydney seat of Chifley in the 2010 election with 51.58 per cent of votes, almost double that of his next competitor.
If demographics are the deciding factor we are toast.
In 2010, he was sworn into Federal Parliament alongside members from several religions. Kooyong member Josh Frydenberg and Melbourne Ports member Michael Danby were sworn in on the Jewish bible.
The AGE had to mention that. The Jewish bible is something we can all relate to. Few Australians know what the Koran teaches.
Frydenberg is another fake conservative who supports this:

Lawyer and community rights advocate Mariam Veiszadeh said there was too often an assumption that being a good Australian citizen and a good Muslim were “mutually exclusive concepts”.
It is.
“You can be a devout Jew and a good Australian parliamentarian who serves your country just as equally as you can be a practising Muslim and a good Australian citizen and politician,” she said.
You can’t.
“It is ignorant for people to conflate irrelevant issues and it stems from the Muslim bashing that has been going on in this country for a decade.”
“Muslim bashing?”  (You can’t make it up.)
Mr Husic played down the abuse on Tuesday afternoon by saying that people were entitled in a democracy to question his choice to be sworn in using a Koran and the public should not necessarily jump ‘‘because of harsh words out of dark corners’’.
‘‘[People] may have questions and they may have concerns and people are right to raise that,’’ he said. ‘‘But I also think you’ll have, from time to time, people of the extremes. There are people that are definitely extreme … and they will always try to seek ways in which to divide people. The important thing is [that] mainstream Australia wants everyone to work together.’’
He said he had been ‘‘heartened’’ by the huge number of congratulatory messages.
 I spit on these fools. So should you.
The establishment pollies support this:
MPs defend Husic, slam ‘appalling behaviour’
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/shame-shame-shame-australias-first-muslim-frontbencher-abused-for-taking-oath-on-koran-20130702-2p8l2.html#ixzz2XrVqq2Xx

Dutch Family Terrorised and Driven Out of Amsterdam by Moroccans

After years of constant harassment by boys from the neighborhood, the family of Rene Smit, from New West has had enough of it. They want to leave Amsterdam behind, and start looking for a house in Badhoevedorp .

Rene Smit explains why. "I’m doing it mostly for my children, they can’t walk safely in the streets. It started with an aggravated assault on my 14 year old daughter. Then my oldest daughter was robbed of her bicycle with a gun to her head. Sometime later one of my daughters gave a party at home. A couple of those guys insisted, uninvited, on entering the house. They demolished everything and stole a laptop and a mobile phone."

Last year Smit filed a complaint at the police station of New West district. The police, according to him, had still done nothing at all to change the matter since then. Last month, his 14-year-old daughter was robbed of 70 euros and then threatened by the same boy.

"It does not stop. We are already sending our daughter of 4 to school in Badhoevedorp and are trying hard to find a home. With pain in our hearts we have to leave Amsterdam," said Smit. “I'm the last one to judge the entire Moroccan community lumped all together. But these bad apples need to be addressed too.”

AT5 reported last week about a group of 10 young people who were arrested on the Osdorper Ban. The ten were systematically terrorizing the neighborhood. The mayor of Amsterdam district West, Achmed Baâdoud, said he was “busy with a plan to change the situation.”

Kamalanathan under fire over matriculation list

Why is the deputy education minister so afraid to reveal the list of names through media if he is being transparent about the matriculation figures? asks an NGO.

PETALING JAYA: Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan is involved in some sort of a ‘cover up’ by refusing to reveal the full list of non-Malay students awarded matriculation seats for 2013, charged an Indian-based NGO.

A Thiruvengadam, president of Malaysian Indian Education Awareness and Welfare Foundation (PKP-KIM) said the deputy minister’s statement by itself shows the ministry’s “opaque” stand on matriculation seats for Indian students.

Kamalanathan said that he will only reveal the list of names to individuals who approached him instead of disclosing the list to the media as requested by Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran.

The Hulu Selangor MP has adamantly refused reveal the names, claiming it was not the practice of his ministry to release the names through the media.

“Why is the deputy minister so afraid to reveal the name list through media if he is being transparent about the seat allocations?” asked Thiruvengadam.

He added that revealing the list to media was not an offence under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) hence, it is clear that the MIC Putra coordinator is defending Umno’s racist education policies.

Who’s telling the truth?

Thiruvengadam slammed both the BN government and the MIC for giving contradictory statements on the matter.

“The public is confused. While MIC says the number of seats given to Indian students was 1,850 seats, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin put the figure at 1,800.

Hindraf’s blueprint signed by BN government, on the other hand shows that the total number of seats meant for Indian students is 2,100. “Who is is telling truth and giving the right figures?” asked Thiruvengadam.

To complicate matters, it is learnt that on Friday during the cabinet meeting, Muhyiddin agreed to fulfill the 1,500 seats initially promised by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak.

“From all these numbers we can assume that no one has any idea on the exact number of seats allocated to Indian students in 2013,” said Thiruvengadam.

Meanwhile, a group of angry parents is planning to proceed with a rally called “Duduk dan Bantah” in front of Education Ministry on July 4, at 12pm to urge the government to fulfill the matriculation places for Indian students.

“It will be a unique gathering where all the protesters will sit on mats and holding umbrellas as a sign of the protest,” said one of the organisers.

He said that several Pakatan MPs will also participate in the protest to show their support for Indian students denied their right to a decent education.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/02/kamalanathan-under-fire-over-matriculation-list/#sthash.Ggd2DP4z.dpuf

Syariah lawyers: Change to Section 107 not major

There is no major change to Section 107 of the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 2013 as proposed in the bill before Parliament, says the Malaysian Syarie Lawyers Association (PGSM).
Therefore, said PGSM president Musa Awang, there is a need to explain the bill further to non-Muslims as such a provision was already in place, in Section 95 of the same Act, and has been in force since 1993.

"PGSM thinks the parties disputing Section 107 do not understand and this needs further explanation and clarification. If the amendment to Section 107 is withdrawn, Section 95 of the Act still stands," Musa (left) said in a statement today.

Such an amendment, he said, has adopted in other states, in Pahang in 2001 ; Malacca (2002); Selangor (2003); Johor (2003); Penang (2004); Kedah (2008); Terengganu (2008); Negri Sembilan (2009) and Perak and in fact the Federal Territory had been left behind.

There has been much debate on the amendment proposed to Section 107 of the Act, with Bar Council chairperson Christopher Leong calling it unconstitutional, since the meaning of the word `parent' in the bill should be in line with the federal constitution - to mean both parents, if they are still alive.
"We reiterate that the unilateral conversion of minor children to any religion by a parent, without the consent of the non-converting parent, is contrary to our constitutional scheme," Leong said.

MIC and MCA, along with Gerakan and the Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism, have also expressed concern over the matter.

Despite this, Musa argued that Section 95 of the Act, which pertains to the capacity of a person to embrace Islam, had been in place since 1993.

Section 95 states that a person who is not a Muslim may convert into Islam if he/she is of sound mind and

(a) Has attained the age of 18 years; or

(b) If he/she has not attained the age of 18 years, his parent or guardian consents to his/her conversion.

PGSM prefers the court decides on conversion

Musa said PGSM sees the proposed amendment to Section 107 to be in line with the Federal Court decision in the case of Susie Teoh and other cases that state an underaged child can embrace Islam with the permission of of the mother, or father or guardian.

Hence, he said, there was no issue of the Islamic Council trying to seize the rights of non-Muslims under the federal constitution.

"If there are any parties not satisfied with Section 107, it means that there should be an amendment to the constitution," Musa said.

PGSM, he said, was agreeable that the conversion of young children be decided by the courts, based on the individual facts.

However, Musa added, the crucial matter was how a father who embraces Islam with his children needs to maintain his relationship with his wife, who may not have embraced Islam, so that the rights of the mother over the children are not denied.
There have been many child conversion cases in the past that also involved child custody cases like the R. Subashini, S Shamala, and recently the S Deepa case in Negri Sembilan.

The non-resolution of these cases coupled with the 2009 cabinet directive where the government barred the secret conversion of children had resulted in such concerns, especially to the non-Muslims.

'Mum's consent a must for child to be converted'

The Islamic position on child conversion is that a child can only be converted with the consent of the mother, Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim said today.

Speaking to reporters in the lobby of Parliament House, Anwar said the Pakatan Rakyat parties would continue to discuss the move to amend the Islamic law on the conversion of minors with one another, before taking an official stand.

He was referring to the tabling of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 in Parliament last week, which will allow only one parent's consent, or that of the guardian, to convert a minor to Islam.

"There's a specific case where the Prophet Muhammad sent a child back to the mother because the mother did not convert to Islam and only the father did so," Anwar said.

"We are looking at it (the bill) thoroughly. I have had discussions with (PAS president) Hadi Awang and (DAP secretary-general) Lim Guan Eng," he said.

He said Pakatan was also meeting with NGOs to determine the situation, including Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan.

However, Anwar stressed, the conversion bill should not create a "divide" between Muslims and non-Muslims.

"We will sit with all the relevant parties," he added.

Subra blames translation error for conversion bill tiff

MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam has blamed a translation error for the controversy surrounding the recently tabled conversion bill.

Speaking to the press this morning, he said the Malay version of the bill was not in line with the English version.

According to Subramaniam, the English version of the proposed amendment to Section 107(b) of the Administration of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 says the conversion of minors requires the consent of a 'parent or guardian'.

However, he said the Bahasa version translates the word 'parent' to 'ibu atau bapa' (mother or father).
“We are stuck with the Federal Court decision and the interpretation of Article 12(4) (of the federal constitution) that pertains to this,” he said.

The article, read with Article 160 and the Eleventh Schedule of the federal constitution, expressly provides that all words appearing in the federal constitution which are stated in one gender also include the other gender, and all words in the singular also include the plural.

“The bill is totally new. I think this part was not seen by them (BN component parties). When they tabled it and we saw that particularly Bahasa Malaysia translation was not in line with our current thinking.

“We voiced our views in the cabinet and at the moment we are seeing how we can resolve the issue,” he said.

Asked whether the MIC would vote against the bill in parliament, he said: “I don’t think it will reach that stage.”
When further pressed whether this means the bill would be retracted, he skirted the question by saying “there are many options for us” and one of the them is to amend the controversial part of the bill.

‘Lack of communication’

He also added that “most” members of the cabinet agreed there had to be a consensus on the issue.

“There needs to be protection to prevent the conversion of minors just because one parent decides to convert themselves and uses that as a tool to convert minors.”

He said the BN government had discussed about the issue in 2009 and had decided to amend the law, but since then faced some issues tabling the bill in parliament.

Asked why the latest bill contradicts the cabinet ruling in 2009, he said: “Maybe there was a lack of communication.”

Yesterday, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that the government would look into finding “a fair solution to the matter”, but also reiterated that the current amendment properly reflects the current situation.

There has been widespread criticism of the amendments within the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Bill from BN component parties MIC and MCA, with MCA urging its members to vote against the bill.

Last week the Malaysian Bar Council said that the use of the word ‘parent’ should mean plural as is in line with the constitution and that the current proposed amendment would be ‘unconstitutional’.

MIC prefers no conversion for children below 18

Joining critics of the recently tabled amendment to the Islamic law on conversion of minors, the MIC has asked for the Bill to be adjusted to ban the conversion of children under the age of 18.

MIC president G Palanivel said he had raised issues surrounding the proposed amendment to Section 107(b) of the Administration of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 at last week's cabinet meeting.

"(If) any child (is) below 18 years, a single parent cannot convert him or her. It will become a problem," he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur this morning.

He said this when asked about MIC's position on the Bill, which gives the right to a parent who has converted to Islam to convert his or her underaged children.

"We will suggest that we need a slight amendment, that there should be no conversion for those under 18 years. No problem for those above 18 years."

According to him, Minister in Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom (left), who is in charge of Islamic affairs, has stated his willingness to study the issue.

"He also wants this to be discussed," claimed Palanivel.

The controversial bill was tabled last week, during the sitting of the new Parliament.

Jamil Khir said all MPs would be briefed before the bill moves into its second reading.

The controversial amendment to the Federal Territories Islamic law, which seeks to give just one parent the right to convert a minor to Islam, has been criticised widely, even by Umno's partners in the ruling coalition.

Earlier, the Malaysian Bar also pointed out that the amendment bill was unconstitutional, as the federal constitution has provisions for words such as ‘parent' required to convert a child to mean both parents, not one.

Other parties such as interfaith body Malaysian Consultative Council on Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST), the Malaysian Gurdwara Council and Catholic Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing, have also all blasted the bill on various grounds.

Despite the chorus of indignation, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin insisted that the proposed law to allow one parent to convert a minor was consistent with the federal constitution, and said Jamil Khir has been tasked to follow it up.

BN MPs told to vote with conscience on conversion bill

A Penang Gerakan leader has urged MPs from the BN to search their hearts and vote with their conscience on the bill to amend the Federal Territories law relating to the conversion of minors to Islam, which he described as morally wrong.

The party's state legal and human rights bureau chief Baljit Singh (left) expressed deep disappointment over the matter, saying the bill was proposed without prior consultation with BN component parties, including Gerakan.

"This confirms the impression that only one party rules in the BN," Baljit told Malaysiakini, referring to Umno, whose members are Malay Muslims, as the prime mover of the amendment.

"You cannot put the cart before the horse. Consultation with various sectors must be done before proposing the bill to amend the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Enactment in Parliament," he stressed.

Baljit was responding to the tabling of the controversial bill, which appears set to proceed in Parliament.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom said all MPs would be briefed before the second reading of the bill.

Legal action mulled

The controversial amendment to the Federal Territories Islamic law, which seeks to give just one parent the right to convert a minor to Islam, has been criticised widely, even by Umno partners within the ruling coalition.

Baljit said such a law, if allowed to proceed, could be abused as it was not fair to allow one parent to decide the faith of a child when both parents are responsible for the child's welfare.

"Why not let the child decide when she or he comes of age?" he asked.

Baljit backed his colleague, Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang (right), who threatened to file legal action against the government if Parliament passes the amendment.

The amendment will made to Section 107(b) of the Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act to allow one parent to convert an underaged child to Islam.

Tan, in his declaration yesterday, said Article 12 (2) of the federal constitution should be defended at all times, especially since the proposed amendment "goes against the spirit of the federal constitution".

Kg Retnam Pillai to go down

Muslim Driver raped little girl in a correctional mode not allowing any infidel attitude.

Muhammad~Ayesha. Majid~Khairunneccha.

7 years girl gagged, raped by a Muslim driver in his home by luring with Chocolate, TV and Islamic lesson.

Barely three weeks after the brutal rape and murder of a 20-year-old Hindu girl in Barasat’s Kamduni, a 7-year-old girl in the same North 24-Parganas town is now battling for her recovery in Barasat Sub Divisional Hospital hospital after being allegedly raped by a 52-year-old man on Thursday evening. In Kamduni one Sipra Ghosh, a girl student (a student of BA 2nd year of Baguiati Derozio College) was brutally gang-raped and murdered subsequently by a group of Muslim rapists under a leadership of local TMC operators named Ansar and Saiful Ali with other Islamic flag bearers viz Emanul, Rafiq, Nure Ali and Aman Ali (all devout Muslims) on 7th June 2013. Lately some suspicious names like Gopal, Bhutto, Bhola were named in the rape case to secularize the matter.

In the present case one Khairunneccha Khatun (7 years), daughter of one Hafizul (father- a daily labour) and Marufa ( Mother- a maid servant) was raped by one Majid Ali Middya who is in his age 0f 52. Several stitches were administered to her private parts. The accused and her neighbour, Majid Ali Middya, has been arrested. Khairunneccha (name changed), a little girl of 7 years frequently called by Majid to teach the girl some Islamic customs and rhymes who was not getting sufficient Islamic teachings from a local Ramakrishna Free Primary School, in which Khairunneccha is a student of class one (standard – I in Indian system). Khairunneccha sometimes recited some un-Islamic rhymes or ‘Jana Gana Mana’ – national anthem of Bharat (India) in her free mind, which were considered un-Islamic and Majid took a vow to correct the faults of the innocent Khairunneccha, who finally fallen victimized by a person should be considered as her grand papa. Khairunneccha had another unbearable infidel habit for Majid as the little girl used to collect the pictures of many things like birds, Hindu deities etc. Majid could not allow such type of un-Islamic and infidel habits by little Kahirunneccha. Demanding Majid’s death sentence, more than one hundred people launched an agitation in front of the Barasat police station on Friday.

The incident comes barely three weeks after the Barasat’s Kamduni case in which a 20-year-old college girl was brutally gang raped and murdered by at least eight persons. While the Kamduni incident stirred across the state and even hit the all-India news headlines, but the court trial has not started yet as the CID already missing the chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s 15 days deadline. Anyway, the charge-sheet has been given after 21 days on 29 June 2013 in connection with Kamdumi gang rape by rape Jihadists. It is alleged that the TMC is trying to rescue the main culprits by giving a loose charge sheet against them.

In this present case of girl child rape case, on Thursday at around 7.30pm, when the girl, named Khairunneccha, a Class-I student of a local primary school, Ramkrishna F. P. School, was standing alone in front of her house at Ramakrishnapur near Barasat’s Kajipara, Majid – a truck driver – lured her with chocolate and took her to his home for some Islamic lessons. The girl, daughter of a daily wage earner, agreed to go to Majid’s house as she also wanted to watch TV,but not for any academic session.

“After reaching home, Majid sent her daughter-in-law to shop to buy something and closed the windows and doors. Getting the girl alone to his home, Majid, the monster started torturing the little girl brutally even after gagged her with a piece of cloths. He continued the torture her sexually till she somehow managed to remove the cloth from her mouth and screamed in heavy pain. On hearing her screams a woman, a next door neighbour rushed to the Majid’s residence to find him torturing the little girl sexually,” a local said. Then the little girls was profusely bleeding after the attack of the Muslim monster – Majid, who is also a member of CITU run truck driver association, as a report appeared in a Bengali daily Protidin.

Muhammad the Pedophile raped Ayesha at her 9 years. Majid only followed him.

Majid then threatened the protesting woman with dire consequences if she did not leave the place
immediately. But the woman started to scream drawing the attention of others in the area, who later roughed up Majid before handing him over to police. The girl was taken rushed to the Barasat district hospital. According to a hospital sources, the girl was still in critical. “While she was taken to the hospital on Thursday evening she was still bleeding profusely. The doctors had to administer at least five stitches to her private parts. She was recovering slowly,” a nurse of the hospital said who was on duty in emergency ward on Friday evening. On Friday morning the locals gathered in front of the Barasat police station and demanded the accused to be hanged. “Those criminals like Majid deserve only death soon after committing the brutal rape on a little girl. But we have no faith on the police as they hardy take proper action against those culprits even after arresting them and the trial is delayed like recent Kamduni case,” said Jharna Bibi, who rescued the girl from the Majid’s custody.

The father of the girl said that he was not at his home while Majid lured her daughter to his house. “I was at outside for my job. But I got the news from a local with whom I met there. I rushed to my house while my daughter was already taken to the hospital. Majid, was my neighbour and he lives just after two houses from my residence. He used to come to my house and my daughter called him Majid Dadu. I want him only to be hanged,” the father said. The girl’s kin have lodged a complaint of rape with Barasat police on Thursday night.

Police, however, registered the case under section PCSO (protection of child from sexual offence), 2012, IPC 4.

“We have arrested Majid on Thursday and produced him in the Barasat court. The case has been registered for sexual assault on a child according to PCSO (protection of child from sexual offence), 2012 Act,” said Bhaskar Mukherjee, additional SP, North 24 Parganas. Majid was remanded in judicial custody for 14 days.

On Saturday the little victimized was taken to the Barasat Court so that Magistrate in this case can record the statement of the rape victim. The health of the victim is recovering slowly as such reports procured for the sources at Barasat Sub divisional Court.

In Bengal, both the Muslim and Hindu girl children are being victims of rape by their known persons, under the series of Rape Jihad. This trend is dangerous enough.  And the Ayesha syndrome (including Mufa’ Khathat) among the Muslims is simple a curse to the Muslim girls and women.

Courtesy: TOI | Ali Sina | Black Hawk S | S Arya | Agencies.

Feminism Saudi-style: Hundreds turn out do discuss women in society... but not a single member of the audience is female

• Conference on 'women in society' held at Saudi Arabian university
• Judging from picture of the audience - not a single woman attended
• Image shows a sea of men in traditional Arab dress but no females

This image show attendees at a conference in Saudi Arabia on the topic ‘women in society’ – and not a single one is female.

The conference, reportedly held at the University of Qassim last year, was attended by representatives from 15 nations, apparently all men.

The seats in the hall are filled with men in traditional Arab dress apart from one wearing a blue chequered shirt.

No girls allowed: A 'Women in Society' conference in Saudi Arabia which judging by this picture had an all-male attendance

The photograph was published in a Saudi newspaper last year, and has since been making the rounds on social networks.

Twitter users have branded the image ‘absurd’, ‘the height of misogyny’ and ‘astonishing’ as the internet responded to what is only the latest proof of the gender gap in the Middle-Eastern nation.

Segregation between men and women in the oil rich country is widespread due to the ultra-conservative Wahhabi sharia law.

Restrictions mean they are not allowed to drive, they must use separate entrances at banks and offices, and a plan to build a city for female workers only has been announced.

Restricted: Although they are now allowed to ride bikes and motorcycles, women in Saudi Arabia are still very much controlled by their fathers, brothers and husbands

They also need permission from a male relative or their husband to work, travel, study or marry and a woman's testimony counts for less than that of a man in a court of law.

Small steps towards gender equality has been made in the past year.

Earlier this year, King Abdullah appointed women to 20 per cent of the 150-member Shura Council, an unelected body which advises the Government.

In April, Saudi Arabia lifted the ban preventing women from riding motorbikes and bicycles, but only if they are accompanied by a male relative and dressed in full veil.

No raising Kugan case, deputy speaker orders MPs

PARLIAMENT Dewan Rakyat deputy speaker Ismail Mohamed Said has barred members of parliament from raising the issue of death-in-custody victim A Kugan in the House.

Ismail said this would be tantamount to interfering in judicial proceedings, even though the High Court had delivered judgment on June 26.

"Even though the decision has been made, the government still has 30 days to appeal," Ismail noted.

Earlier, N Surendran (PKR-Padang Serai, right) had raised issues surrounding Kugan's death in his debate on the motion of thanks on the royal address, arguing there has been lack of action on deaths in custody.

Ismail said he was using his discretion to decide if this could interfere in legal proceedings or affect any party in an ongoing civil case.

Tian Chua (PKR-Batu, left) disagreed with the decision, stressing that the deputy speaker could not anticipate that the government will lodge an appeal regarding the case.

On June 26, Justice VT Singham had ruled in favour of Kugan’s family in their civil suit against the police and the government. He awarded the family RM801,700 in damages.

Home Minister Zahid Hamidi yesterday signalled the government's intention to appeal the court's decision.

Kugan died on Jan 20, 2009 in the police lock-up in Taipan USJ, Selangor, after being detained for questioning.

‘Conversion Bill based on existing guidelines’

The Cabinet will heed the criticism leveled at amendments of the Bill, which allows for unilateral child conversions to Islam.

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today acknowledged there were “issues” in the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 tabled in Parliament last Wednesday.

But he defended the move by stressing that the Cabinet had used “several guidelines” in assessing and ultimately approving the Bill, which allows unilateral conversion of minors to Islam, to be tabled in Parliament.

“The cabinet has discussed this in detail and we understand there must be a fairer decision but we also understand that in the current situation, there have been several guidelines that we used,” said Muhyiddin in a press conference today.

“One of them is the court’s decision on a previous case and the second is the Malaysian constitution. So that is the jurisdiction of power we have today.”

The Bill has drawn flak from multiple corners, including Barisan Nasional component parties MIC and MCA, as the word “parent” instead of “parents” in the amendment makes it legal for a sole guardian to convert children below the age of 18 to Islam.

MCA vice president Gan Ping Siew had slammed the “stealthy” tabling of the amendment in the Federal Territories Islamic law, according to news portal Borneo Insider.

“I am shocked to learn that the government is tabling the Bill as it contains controversial provisions that affect the constitutional and religious rights of the non Muslim,” he was quoted as saying.

“This will seriously and irredeemably affect the religious harmony and national unity of our country.”

Muhyiddin said today: “We take heed of the criticism, we understand that there are a few matters that have become the focus of the public’s attention

“We will take into consideration the views of certain quarters, including BN component parties MCA, MIC and others who have voiced out the same issue. We will act based on the policies made.

But when a reporter pointed out that the amendments to the Bill contradicted a 2009 Cabinet decision to ban unilateral conversions of minors to Islam, Muhiddin said: “yes, but this is the latest [developments].

“We will examine this carefully and [Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of Islamic Affairs] Jamil Khir Baharom will make an announcement when the time comes,” he said.

Engage the stakeholders

In another development, deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department and Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy said parts of the new Bill could act as a tool of manipulation with regards to maintenance, custody of children as well as unilateral declaration on the religious status of disputed deceased partners in controversial conversions cases.

“In reality in passing this bill, the Syariah court will abrogate the jurisdiction of the civil court in regards to ancillary reliefs for the non-Muslims,” he said in a statement today.

He also pointed out that the Bill appeared to be in direct confrontation with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Convention on Elimination of All Form of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

Both these conventions had been ratified by the Malaysian government.

He urged the AG Chambers to engage with other stakeholders such the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, religious leaders, Bar Council and the Syariah legal fraternity before tabling the bill.

Calling the tabling of the Bill as provocative, Waythamoorthy said “any government Bills tabled should not antagonize the government’s transformation plans”.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/01/conversion-bill-based-on-existing-guidelines/#sthash.Kj92FD1u.dpuf

Hindraf aims at 100% Indian survival of SPM

Advisor Ganesan says his movement will seek NGO help in its attitude-changing programme.

PETALING JAYA: Hindraf will be engaging with civil society in implementing its education blueprint for the Indian community.

“Hindraf’s effort is to enable every Indian child in Malaysia to unleash its potential through training and a proper transformation process,” N Ganesan, the movement’s advisor, told FMT today.

According to him, 30% of Indian students who enter the education system would drop out before they even reach the SPM level and another 30% would fail SPM. Every year, only 3, 000 would enroll for tertiary education.

Ganesan said Hindraf was targeting 100% survival up to SPM level so that no Indian child entering the the education system would drop out before completing secondary education.

“Our objective is to have these students go through an attitude transformation and not get involved in any form of gangsterism or anything else that may jeopardise their education.”

He said Hindraf was willing to work with any civic group that had good programmes for attitude transformation.

“We intend to guide Indian students all the way from pre-school right up to their higher education,” he said.

“Our goal is to establish a situation where every student who enters the education system completes SPM.

“We are here to bring light into the lives of people and not to win in politics.”

As a start, Hindraf held a meeting with several Indian-based NGOs last Saturday at Putrajaya to discuss education issues affecting the Indian community. The meeting was chaired by Hindraf chairman and deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, P Waythamoorthy.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/07/01/hindraf-aims-at-100-indian-survival-of-spm/#sthash.CxgIRzD8.dpuf

Betrayal of non-Muslim Cabinet members

From Ravinder Singh, via e-mail

In April 2009 the Cabinet had decided that the children of an estranged couple should remain in the “common religion of the parents at the time of their marriage”. This was after the public outcry about the conversion of three children of an Indian couple by the father who had converted to Islam. The children were aged one, 11 and 12.

The recent and out of the blues tabling in Parliament of the Administration of the Religion of Islam (Federal Territories) Bill 2013 with the provision on the conversion of non-Muslim children with the consent of either mother or father proves that the Cabinet decision of April 2009 is not worth the paper it is written on.

A Cabinet decision is an unwritten law, or common law. It can only be revised by the Cabinet. Civil servants have to give due respect to Cabinet decisions and implement them.

In Malaysia, it is the convention that proposed legislation must first get Cabinet approval before it goes to Parliament for the formalities of a debate and vote on it. Rarely has any legislation tabled in Parliament not been passed lock, stock and barrel by the august house.

Objections or no objections, practically all legislation or amendments are given the rubber stamp by Parliament as the majority-side Parliamentarians have no choice but to support the Prime Minister. The ruling party’s whip will ensure this.

Therefore, tabling this Bill without the knowledge of the non-Muslim members of the Cabinet is an act of betrayal. They were a party to the decision of April 2009. It is akin to back-stabbing them.

This is a very serious matter as its implications run deep. On the one hand the government talks of fostering closer inter-racial ties, on the other it shows scant respect for their rights. Even the rights of the non-Muslim Cabinet members who were a party to the decision of April 2009 have been trampled on as they were left in the dark over the proposed amendment.

Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution says “the religion of a person under the age of 18 years shall be decided by his parent or guardian”.

The words “parent or guardian” in this context cannot mean “either mother or father” for the simple reason that it takes a man and a woman, a mother and a father, to produce a child. The child is therefore the common property of both the mother and the father until the age of maturity from whence the child is on its own. So how can the law allow one of them to grab the child from the other by abusing religion?

I’m sure there are some Muslims out there who do not support the forced conversion of minors who are born non-Muslims. If God wanted everyone to be a Muslim, he would simply not have created people of different creeds, cultures, religions. When a non-Muslim converts to Islam and then converts his under-aged children, he or she is doing it out of vengeance on the other partner.

For whatever reasons, he is taking revenge on the other partner. Not only Islam, but no other religion should abet this vengeful action of the one parent on the other. No religion should tolerate this, let alone welcome it. Religions are for preaching peace and not for provoking enmity between peoples all of whom are children of the one and only God although He is called by different names in different languages.

The surreptitious tabling of the Bill has become a test for all the non-Muslim members of Parliament. Will those who are in arms with Umno support it as required by the Parliamentary whip, or are they ready to stand up and put their foot down and not allow the religious rights of the non-Muslims to be steam-rolled over by parties with a holier-than-thou attitude?

In a worst case scenario are they prepared to break ranks and oppose it (not abstain from voting by not attending the session), but by actually being present when a vote is taken and opposing it?

This Bill drives wedges between the Muslims and the non-Muslims. Is this what 1Malaysia is all about? Is this creation of animosity between the Muslims and the non-Muslims in full accord with the teachings of Islam?

So the Cabinet decision in April 2009 was just to fool the people for a while? Where is the honour of the Cabinet? The proposed law should have codified that decision of the Cabinet instead of throwing it into the drain and coming up with something that is a full about turn.

Was Najib pushed by some more powerful hand than his own to table this Bill with the controversial provision that goes against the letter and spirit of the Cabinet’s decision of April 2009? Please stop driving wedges between the people who have lived as brothers and sisters for so long.

Custodial deaths - a tale of indecision and indifference

Malaysiakini 
by Andrew Khoo

As published in Malaysiakini on 29 June 2013.

I take as my starting point May 2005, and the release of the Report of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysian Police (Report). 

This Report noted that between January 2000 and December 2004 there had been 80 deaths in custody. Inquests were held into only six of these deaths. The most recent statistic, as disclosed to Parliament on June 26, 2013, is that from 2000 to mid-2013 there had been 231 cases of deaths in custody.

The Report contained a recommendation to establish an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC). A complete draft bill was included as an appendix to the Report. All that the government needed to do was to table this in Parliament. It did not.

Instead, the government disagreed with the proposal. It was debated and discussed, and the government dithered for some two-and-a-half years. 

According to the non-governmental organisation Suara Rakyat Malaysia or Suaram, 28 people died in police custody between May 2005 and December 2007. 

Eventually, in December 2007, the government introduced legislation in the Dewan Rakyat to establish a Special Complaints Commission in place of the IPCMC - on which there was an uproar of sorts. 

Complaints were levied that the proposed legislation was being rushed through without proper or sufficient consultation. The government relented and agreed to defer the matter to the next sitting of Parliament, in March 2008.

Of course Parliament did not sit in March 2008, given the 12th general election, with the Barisan Nasional government losing heavily. 

The then-prime minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi made it known on March 27, 2008, that an IPCMC Bill had been ready to be presented to the cabinet before being tabled in Parliament, but this was deferred because of GE12. But Abdullah was on his way out, and thus a lame-duck prime minister. 

So, matters had to await a change in the leadership of the government, which occurred on April 3, 2009. 

The government under new Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak finally introduced legislation in the form of the Enforcement Agencies Integrity Commission (EAIC) Bill, which was passed by the Dewan Rakyat on July 1, 2009, and by the Dewan Negara on July 30, 2009.

The EAIC Act 2009 received Royal Assent on Aug 19, 2009, and was gazetted on Sept 3, 2009.

According to Suaram, in the almost two years between December 2007 and September 2009, eight people died in police custody.

Notwithstanding its gazetting on Sept3, 2009, it would be some time before the EAIC took effect. Time was needed to set up the EAIC, to find staff, appoint commissioners. This took 19 months and the EAIC finally commenced operations on April 1, 2011.

According to Suaram, in the 19 months from September 2009 to March 2011, eight people died in police custody.

Again according to Suaram, a further 19 people died in police custody between April 1, 2011 and May 20, 2013.

Some of the major EAIC shortcomings

I chose May 20, 2013, because the EAIC Convention 2013 was held on that day. During the convention, the former chief justice of the Federal Court of Malaysia, Abdul Hamid Mohamad, delivered a detailed critique of the shortcomings of the EAIC. 

In particular, Abdul Hamid highlighted the following:

Between April 2011 and the end of 2012, the EAIC received 347 complaints;

110 (31.7 percent) were rejected;

Nine (2.5 percent) were referred to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission ("MACC");

15 (4.3 percent) were referred to the various appropriate disciplinary authorities;

Four (1.1 percent) were referred to the appropriate disciplinary authority and the MACC;

60 (17.2 percent) were directed for full investigation; and

149 (42.9 percent) required further preliminary investigation.

Under Section 17 of the EAIC Act, full investigations are to be conducted by a Task Force. Abdul Hamid disclosed that no such Task Force had been formed. 

Instead, investigations were conducted by EAIC investigators. Only three out of those 60 cases had been fully investigated, resulting in one case being referred to the disciplinary authority of the Royal Malaysian Police and the other two closed because the disciplinary authorities in both those cases had already meted out punishments.

Abdul Hamid questioned how long it would take the EAIC to complete the 57 cases that were directed for full investigation and the 149 that were referred for further preliminary investigations. 

He also questioned the speed with which the various disciplinary authorities completed their own investigations into complaints referred to them by the EAIC and compliance with the time-frame to communicate their findings back to the EAIC. 

In none of the cases of referred complaints did any of the disciplinary authorities communicate back to the EAIC within the prescribed two-month period: the norm was six months. 

On June 5, 2013, EAIC chief executive officer Nor Afizah Hanum Mokhtar (left) provided updated statistics that appear not to show any improvement. Nor Afizah said between April 1, 2011 and May 31, 2013, the EAIC had received 469 complaints. Of these, 353 (75.27 percent) were against the police. 

Investigations were opened into 124 out of these 469 complaints, but only one resulted in a recommendation of disciplinary action against a member of the police force. This would appear to be that same one case cited by Abdul Hamid. 

In other words, none of the new cases of complaints against the police, from January to May 2013, has resulted in any recommendation of disciplinary action against a member of the police force. 

Yet, according to Suaram, eight people died in police custody from January to May 2013, six if we exclude N Dhamendran and Jamesh Ramesh, for which a decision to create a Task Force to investigate was announced in May 2013. 

Nor Afizah Hanum was quoted by The Malaysian Insider as saying, "We are looking at how we can investigate deaths in police custody... even though nobody has filed complaints." She went on to say, "We want to investigate cases of public interest, even when we do not receive complaints."

Section 28 of the EAIC Act 2009 states:

"Without prejudice to Section 27, the Commission may commence an investigation in respect of a misconduct it becomes aware of on its own initiative, only if the Commission is satisfied that the matter is of significant interest to the public or that it is in the public interest to do so."

This is not a new provision of the EAIC Act 2009. It has been there right from the very beginning. Given this power to commence an investigation even in the absence of any complaint, it begs the question, why only in June 2013 was she saying this? 

Was it only because of the publicity that arose from the three deaths in custody that occurred between May 21, 2013 and June 5, 2013? What about the 20 deaths in custody from April 1, 2011 to May 20, 2013? Were none of these deaths of significant interest to the public? 

So, how many more have to die in custody?

One of these cases was that of C Sugumaran, the circumstances of whose death on Jan 23, 2013 widely reported in the local media. Did the EAIC not feel that this was a suitable case to exercise its powers under Section 28 of the EAIC Act 2009, or that it was in the public interest to do so? 

How many people have to die in police custody before the EAIC becomes satisfied that the matter of deaths in custody is of significant interest to the public? How many people have to die in police custody before the EAIC thinks it is in the public interest to do so? 

We enter the realm of speculation, but how many lives might possibly have been saved had the EAIC got its act together much earlier, and launched an investigation into this matter much earlier? One can only guess.

The establishment of a task force to investigate two of the latest deaths in custody comes as too little, and certainly too late, for those who have died. Because of the dithering, indecision and indifference of the government and, to a certain extent, the EAIC commissioners, people die. 

In the 27 months that the EAIC has been in operation, from April 2011 to June 2013, 23 people have died in police custody. All the EAIC commissioners must bear the moral responsibility for not having stepped in much earlier to address this issue. 

Death in custody is not a recent phenomenon. Remember what the Report had already noted more than eight years ago, when it was 80 deaths in custody. Now it is 231 custodial deaths. When will this stop?

A new test has now arisen for the EAIC: what to do with the new inspector-general of police (IGP), Khalid Abu Bakar? High Court judge VT Singham (left) in his judgment delivered on June 26, 2013 in respect of the civil suit brought by the family of the late A. Kugan, who died in police custody on Jan 16, 2009, concluded that the police had attempted to cover up the real reason for Kugan's death. 

Justice Singham dismissed claims by Khalid, who was then chief police officer of Selangor, that there was no cover-up. He raised doubts about the veracity of statements made at that time by on the cause of Kugan's death, and questioned why Khalid had not initiated a detailed investigation into the matter. 

The learned judge found Khalid liable for misfeasance of public office.

Indeed, this practice of announcing a misleading cause of death is not limited to the IGP. In the case of the death in custody of N Dhamendran recently, Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigations Department head SAC Ku Chin Wah gave a press conference declaring that Dhamendran had complained of chest pains and had died of breathing difficulties. 

This was in spite of clear evidence that Dhamendran had been brutally killed. Even his ears had been stapled, and there were puncture wounds on his ankles.

Will the EAIC now launch another task force to look into the possible misconduct of Khalid? Or the patently erroneous reason given by Ku? Or are these matters not of significant interest to the public? 

Is launching an investigation into the conduct of the IGP not in the public interest to do? The words of the judgment of Justice Singham, said in respect of the Royal Malaysian Police Force, apply in equal measure to the EAIC:

"As soon as the crime is reported or comes to the public knowledge, the highest authority of police must act promptly and must ensure investigation is conducted with promptitude by an independent investigation agency or at least an inquest is held or recommended."

If the government is adamant that the EAIC is a good or better alternative than the IPCMC, then the time really has come for all the EAIC commissioners to show that they have the independence and integrity to investigate the IGP. 

If they do not do so, then all that the government has said in defence of the EAIC will count for naught, all the EAIC commissioners should resign, and the IPCMC should be immediately established. 

The ball is now squarely in the court of the EAIC to act decisively. The inescapable conclusion must be that it is of significant interest to the public that the EAIC does so.

---

ANDREW KHOO is co-chairperson of the Human Rights Committee of the Bar Council Malaysia. He writes here in his personal capacity.

Good Ties With Others Generating Great Opportunities For Malaysia - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said Malaysia's good relations with other countries generated ample opportunities to the country.

The prime minister noted that an increasing number of countries were opening their doors to Malaysian investment.

"More and more countries are opening their doors to Malaysia to invest in. Our good relations are breeding great opportunities," he tweeted Monday.

Najib is currently on a four-day working visit to the United Kingdom, aimed at strengthening the good relations between the two countries.

Prior to that, the prime minister led the Malaysian delegation at the Global Smart Partnership Dialogue themed, 'Leveraging Technology For Africa's Socio-Economic Transformation', in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. Najib also tweeted that Tanzania's Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) blueprint was ready.

Noting that the document had adapted the best practice gleaned from Malaysia's own ETP to suit Tanzania's needs, he hoped it would be implemented successfully.

Najib also said he had a good discussion with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni which touched on their shared interests.

Meanwhile, the prime minister further tweeted that 40,000 Malaysian housewives would be trained under the 1Malaysia Support for Housewives programme.

"It will be a good opportunity for them to increase household income," he said.
-BERNAMA

'They did what they wanted with me - no matter how disgusting': Victim of Oxford sex gang talks of her three-year nightmare

• Katie was academically gifted and dreamed of becoming a forensic scientist
• At the age of 12 two Pakistani brothers befriended her
• She was completely unaware she was being groomed for sexual exploitation
• For almost three years she was violently and sexually abused by a gang
• She was also sold for sex on hundreds of occasions to child abusers

During her primary school years, Katie was considered academically gifted and dreamed of

Girls were sold for £600 a time. This picture is posed by a model

Suffering: becoming a forensic scientist.

At home, her loving parents read her bedtime stories and would at times remind her to feed her giant African land snail.

But when she turned 12 her life changed forever. Sitting on some steps with a friend in Oxford, Katie was approached by two Pakistani brothers who befriended her with alcohol and cigarettes.

She was flattered by the attention they paid her, completely unaware she was being groomed for sexual exploitation until it was too late.

For almost three years she was violently and sexually abused by a gang and then sold for sex on hundreds of different occasions to a network of child abusers across Britain.

Shockingly, during her ordeal she told police and social services she was being abused, but nothing was done to help her.

As some of her abusers started long jail sentences yesterday, Katie spoke for the first time about her three-year nightmare.

She told the Daily Mail: ‘By all accounts I was a bit of a geek at school,’ she said.

‘Then six months later I become somebody who went missing all the time, coming back days later, filthy and dirty.

'The sudden change is scary to think about, even now.’

Abuse was carried out at the Nanford Guest House in Oxford. Pictured is a room at the guest house

Katie still struggles to comprehend how a girl with upstanding parents – her father is a civil engineer – could fall prey to such abuse.

‘By this point I thought my teenage friends wouldn’t like me any more. They would say if you go back to school no one is going to like you because you’re a slag.’

After several months, the Pakistani men began to ask her for sex, pretending to want a loving relationship with her.

But soon they were threatening violence if Katie refused to do what she was told.

Brothers Akhtar Dogar (left) and Anjum Dogar (right) were each given a life sentence with a minimum of 17 years at the Old Bailey  

Mohammed Karrar (left), 38, was given life with a minimum of 20 years for the 'dreadful offences' he committed against the girls. His brother Bassam Karrar (right), 34, was also handed a life sentence with a minimum of 15 years

‘It’s something I felt I had to do,’ she said. ‘Although I knew what sex was, there’s a difference between having sex as an adult and as a child. This was people taking advantage of a child.’

As her ordeal intensified, Katie was taken to rooms in guest houses and flats in the backstreets of east Oxford. ‘I was taken to parties,’ she recalled.

‘By party I mean everybody coming and having sex with me. If I said I didn’t want it, it would just happen anyway.’

Kamar Jamil (left), 27, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 12 years while Assad Hussain (right) , 32, was sentenced to seven years in prison

On some occasions there were up to ten men were in the room, waiting to have sex with her.

Zeeshan Ahmed, 28, was jailed for seven years

 

Katie said: ‘They just thought they could do what they wanted with me, no matter how disgusting. It got to the point where I just went along with things.

'Mentally I shut down and just did it.’

Aged 14, and by now in a care home, she alerted her carer to the abuse but was ignored.

A month after her 15th birthday, she told police that one of her abusers, Akhtar Dogar, was forcing her to have sex with him and other men.

But instead of following up these allegations, she said officers threatened to arrest her for wasting police time.

‘My behaviour and appearance should have been sending alarm bells,’ she said.

Although Katie is now in a long-term relationship, memories of her past still haunt her.

She was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress two counts of sexual activity with a childdisorder at the age of 15 and suffers from severe bouts of depression and OCD.

• Katie’s name has been changed to protect her anonymity.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2350299/Oxford-sex-gang-victim-talks-year-nightmare.html#ixzz2XXHyihK4
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook

High Court judge retires after Kugan judgment

Issue gag order on party polls, MIC president told

A MIC leader wants the party president to order party members to stop speaking to the media regarding the party elections

PETALING JAYA: A MIC leader has requested the party’s top leadership to issue a gag order to members regarding the party elections in September.

Taman Mujur MIC branch chairman VT Rajen said party president G Palanivel must direct all members to stop speaking to the media regarding the party elections.

Rajen said he was concerned over several divisions and branches openly showing their support for certain leaders and this had tarnished the image of others.

“Any announcement on the party elections should be from the party president and his deputy Dr S Subramaniam and secretary-general A Sakthivel,” he told FMT today.

He added that the young Turks in the party must understand the party’s long struggle and sacrifices.

“We are in a critical situation now because of the lack of support from the Indians. Let us unite to get back our community support and strengthen the party before going to the party elections.

Rajen said issues concerning the party elections should be resolved internally.

Recently, the MIC’s Central Working Committee (CWC) decided that branch elections would be held between July 12 and Aug 4, divisional elections in September and October and the presidential election on Sept 22.

Elections for the other top national posts, including that of deputy president, will be held in November.

MIC held its last elections in 2009, when S Samy Vellu won the presidency uncontested. He relinquished the post in 2010.

Palanivel, then his deputy, became acting president. Fresh elections were due in 2012, but was postponed to prepare for the 13th general election.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/28/issue-gag-order-on-party-polls-mic-president-told/#sthash.QkE5ynyH.dpuf

Member of royalty jailed for assaulting national boxer

A member of a royal family was sentenced to four years' jail by a sessions court in Johor Baru today, along with two others, for seriously injuring national boxer Muhamad Farkhan Mohd Haron.

Judge Zamri Bakar sentenced Tunku Nick Tazuddin Izwan Syah Tunku Qadir, 28, Alex Foo Hee Wee, 42, and Mohamad Arif Husin, 36, after finding them guilty of voluntarily causing hurt to Farkhan.

Tunku Nick, Foo and Mohamad Arif were found guilty of committing the offence under Section 325 of the Penal Code at No 44, Jalan Molek 3/2, Taman Molek, between 4.30am and 7am on May 6, 2012.

A person convicted of an offence under Section 325 can be jailed for a maximum of seven years.

Tunku Nick resides at Istana Bukit Kesenangan in Johor Bahru.

The judge also rejected their application for a stay of execution of the sentence pending appeal, resulting in Tunku Nick, Foo and Mohamad Arif to spend time in the lock-up.

DPP Dzul Iswari Mohd Jaafar prosecuted in the case, while the three were represented by Zamri Idrus, Norman Fernandez and Masri Mohammad.

Lawyer Gobind Singh Deo held a watching brief for the national boxer, who was also a SEA Games gold medallist.

Missed the London Olympics

On June 15 last year, Gobind gave given the Attorney-General's Chambers an ultimatum, demanding to know whether it would take action on the assault against Farkhan. 

Farkhan, the 2009, Laos Sea Games gold medallist, is said to have been assaulted with wood, iron rods and a samurai sword by a member of the royal family and his friends on May 6, 2012, after which he lodged a police report.

The assault caused Farkhan to suffer a broken jaw and miss last year's London Olympics.

To make matters worse, Farkhan's father, Mohd Haron Ismail, who was disturbed by the attack, died of a heart attack several weeks after the incident.

After this, the prosecution charged Tunku Nick, Foo and Mohamad Arif for the attack.

VT Singham retires after illustrious judicial career

Kuala Lumpur High Court judge VT Singham, who delivered the A Kugan judgment two days ago, is retiring after serving 13 years on the bench.

Justice Singham retires today at the age of 65. Officials from the judiciary’s corporate communications and international relations department indicated that was his chosen age of retirement.

Normally, judges, including those in the Federal Court, can serve on the bench until they are 66, which is the compulsory retiring age.

Singham was appointed a High Court judicial officer in 2000 after being in private practice, and was confirmed a full High Court judge in 2002.
He is the most senior High Court judge and until his retirement today, he had served in Temerloh, Taiping, Ipoh, Kuantan and in Kuala Lumpu.
It is also learned that Singham was a part-time news reporter in the early days of his life.

Known for his witty comments and spontaneous rulings, Singham, a bachelor, is known as a hard, fair and judicious judge willing to go the extra mile in hearing cases and giving advice to lawyers.

Among the civil cases he has presided over, besides Kugan’s, are Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s suit against Utusan Malaysia’s group editor Abdul Aziz Ishak and the suit by Shazryl Eskay Abdullah of the 'Datuk T trio' fame on the crooked bridge project.

Several blogs and Malay rights group Perkasa have also attacked Justice Singham’s fairness in favouring Anwar in the suit, by questioning his sexual orientation.

However, that matter is subject to an on-going contempt proceeding involving Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali and the blogger.