The conversation between Sara and the SK Puchong Jaya school Headmaster

‘Only Surendran can join cops in shootout ops’

It is learned that the PKR MP has contacted the Director of Criminal Investigation Department Hadi Ho Abdullah to confirm his participation.

SEPANG: Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said the offer to tag along with the police in their operation against armed criminals is only offered to Padang Serai MP N Surendran and nobody else.

“The offer is only for Surendran and it is not open to the public and other MPs,” he said.

Khalid said Surendran must agree to the indemnity clause if he wanted to follow the police in their shootout operation.

“He should be ready whenever we call him because we don’t know the exact time. It can happen at two or four in the morning,” he said at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport this morning before flying off to Colombia for an Interpol meeting..

Reporters were later informed that Surendran had already contacted the Director of Criminal Investigation Department Hadi Ho Abdullah to confirm his participation.

“I would like to congratulate Surendran for being supportive and contacting the CID director,” said the IGP.

Last Friday, Khalid in a twitter conversation offered Surendran to tag along with the police so that he could get a feel of the situation.

The IGP, who is active on Twitter, has also asked Surendran to get in touch with the federal CID director for body armour measurement and sign the indemnity clause.

Surendran replied Khalid’s tweet by saying that he accepted the offer.

However, several individuals have slammed the IGP for being callous and irresponsible for offering such an invitation to an MP.

Judge: 'Allah' ruling to protect Islam, Malays

The insertion of the words ‘in peace and harmony’ into Article 3(1) of the federal constitution should be interpreted as the need to protect the sanctity of Islam as the main religion of the country and to insulate it against any probable threats, reasoned a senior judge.

Newly-elevated Federal Court judge Justice Mohamed Apandi Ali (left) said the insertion was a by-product of the social contract entered into by the nation’s founding fathers.

“It is my judgment that the most possible and probable threat to Islam, in the context of this country, is the propagation of other religions to the followers of Islam,”  he said in his 43-page judgment in the case involving the Malay edition of Catholic weekly The Herald.

“That is the very reason as to why Article 11(4) of the federal constitution came into place.”

He, along with Justices Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim and Mohd Zawawi Salleh of the Court of Appeal, had unanimously allowed the government’s appeal to overturn a 2009 Kuala Lumpur High Court decision on the use ‘Allah’ by the publication.

Article 3(1), Justice Apandi said, has a chequered history as it was not part of the draft proposed by the Reid Commission, and was only inserted after objections, negotiations, discussions and consensus from all stakeholders.

The article reads: ‘Islam is the religion of the federation but other religions may be practised in peace and harmony in any part of the federation’

Lawyers for the church had argued that the home minister's ban on ‘Allah’ in the Malay edition of The Herald was against the spirit of this article.

Article 11(1) says every person has the right to profess and practise his religion and, subject to Clause (4) - which refers to state law - to propagate it.

In the Federal Territories, federal law may control or restrict the propagation of any religious doctrine or belief among Muslims.

Noting that freedom can never be absolute, Justice Apandi ruled that the alleged infringement by the home minister in not allowing the use of ‘Allah’ can be negated.

“Freedom cannot be unfettered, otherwise like absolute power, it can lead to chaos and anarchy. Freedom of religion, under Article 11(1) ... is subjected to Article 11(4) and is to be read with Article 3(1).”

Justice Apandi also pointed out that the word ‘Allah’ does not appear in the old and new Testaments.

“In the Bible, God has always been known as ‘Yahweh’. That being the historical fact, it can be concluded the word ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith and Christianity practice, in particular that of the Roman Catholic Church,” he said.

“Due recognition must be given to the names given by their respective Gods in their respective holy books such as ‘Yahweh’ in the holy Bible, Allah in the holy Quran and Vishnu the God of the holy Vedas.”

Cabinet decision

Justice Abdul Aziz, concurring with Justice Apandi, said the cabinet had in 1986 outlawed the use of ‘Allah’ and three other terms to religions other than Islam, on the basis of potential harm to public order and safety.

In his 34-page judgment, he said the KL High Court judge who had allowed the Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop's application did not appear to appreciate this concern.

“There were attacks on churches and mosques recorded and this was deposed in the three affidavits filed after the High Court's decision for the purpose of this appeal.

“These affidavits by journalists who covered the events was not objected by the respondents (the Archbishop). Therefore, I am of the view that the government has reasonable basis for exercising the discretionary power to impose the condition.

“I am also of the view that it is not unreasonable for the government to take into consideration the special position of Islam as the religion of the federation.”

In his 25-page judgment, Justice Mohd Zawawi agreed that ‘Allah’ is not essential to or an integral part of Christianity.

“Therefore, the word does not attract a constitutional guarantee of Article 11(1) of the federal constitution. The question of translating God as ‘Allah’ is still being hotly debated among Christians worldwide.

“Allah is a proper name and the only God in Islam,” he said, going on to recite the Al-Ikhlas chapter of the Quran.

He said ‘Allah’ had been used in Malay translations of the Bible in 1912 and 1988 to replace ‘Yahweh’; in the Biatah translation used in Sarawak; and in the Tausug translation in Jolo, Philippines.

“However, the completely revised Malay(-language) Bible of 1996 restored the practice of translating ‘Elohim’ as ‘Allah’,” he said.

“It was said that this was at the advice of Malaysian church leaders who considered the translations of 1912 and 1988 as not being exegetically accurate.”

Surendran: 10 killed after 'shoot first' remark

Ten criminals were shot dead by police within the span of three days, not long after Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s controversial "shoot first" comment, said an opposition MP.

PKR’s Padang Serai parliamentarian N Surendran, describing these shootings as “murder”, linked the incidents to the minister’s comments.

On Oct 9, three people were shot dead in Sentul, while three were killed in Ipoh on Oct 10 and four in Ampang on Oct 11, he said.

"Zahid has officially endorsed murder by the police force; and the inspector-general of police and top brass have been disgracefully defending Zahid's criminal statement," he said in a statement.

"Public safety is in grave danger. We call for an immediate end to the 'shoot-first' policy, and for Zahid and the IGP to be probed for conspiracy and abetment of murder.

"Why is it that not one of the 10 could be arrested alive or by a disabling shot?"

He also compared Malaysia's record to that of the UK, which has twice as many people and where guns are widely available.

According to the UK Independent Police Complaints Commission, there were only two fatal police shootings from 2011-2012, Surendran said, while none have been recorded since last year.

Ahmad Zahid has denied calling for extrajudicial killings, while police chief Khalid Abu Bakar has dismissed the allegation that the police are trigger-happy.

Last Friday, Khalid invited Surendran to join a police operation to experience first-hand a shootout with criminals. Surendran replied he has no qualms about doing so.

'Stop being judges if you can't uphold constitution'

The Court of Appeal has come under flak for its ruling to bar Catholic weekly The Herald from using ‘Allah’ to refer to God in its Malay edition.

Lawyer Syahredzan Johan (left) said judges should stop being judges if they cannot ‘remember their oath to uphold the constitution’.

‘Judges should remember the oath they took to uphold the constitution. If they can't do that, then stop being judges,’ Syahredzan tweeted shortly after the ruling was delivered this morning.

Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim also waded into the discussion with sharp comments.

‘Judges need only to apply the law, but in Malaysia they have other extraneous duties to the people (and) to the politicians,’ he tweeted.

He criticised the court’s finding that the use of ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the Christian faith.

"Now we have Muslim judges who are experts in Christian religion and theology. They must have spent sometime in the Vatican," Zaid (right) tweeted with obvious sarcasm.

Similarly critical were Lawyers for Liberty, who suggested on their Twitter account that the judiciary has failed the people yet again.

"Time and time again we have been let down by the judiciary who only pay(s) lip-service to the constitution," the NGO said.
'Know any Christians in Borneo?'
DAP's Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming (below), reacting to the finding that ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of Christianity, tweeted: ‘Wow, the judges should talk to their Christian friends in East Malaysia.’

Umno vice-president and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein was among the first top party leaders to support the ruling.

‘Alhamdullilah, the truth will always be the truth (benar tetap benar),’ he tweeted.

His reaction drew criticism from the DAP's Beruas MP Ngeh Koo Ham, who tweeted that the comment is ‘shocking’ coming from the son of former premier Hussein Onn, who is a ‘highly respected and moderate PM’.

"Please respect the federal constitution which guarantees freedom for all religion to be practised in peace and harmony," Ngeh replied.
Questions raised
Some netizens questioned if the ruling means that 'Allah' cannot be mentioned by non-Muslims at all.
'History books in school contain 'Allah' too. So now non-Muslims don't need to study history classes too,' Twitter user K Kumar, said.
Jason Lee said 'non-Muslims will now not sing the Selangor state anthem. Don't say we are not patriotic'.
The DAP's Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh (right) asked if Ministers in the Prime Minister's Department Paul Low and Idris Jala will still defend the government.
'Still believe in working with Najib for transformation?' she asked the two ministers.
Veteran activist Hishamuddin Rais also said on Twitter that 'Allah' has now been made 'a member of the Ketuanan Melayu party', in a thinly-veiled reference to Umno.

16-Year-Old Malala Yousafzai Leaves Jon Stewart Speechless With Comment About Pacifism

The Daily Show
Get More: Daily Show Full Episodes,The Daily Show on Facebook

Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani advocate for womens rights and access to education, appeared on the Daily Show last night, ahead of Friday's pending announcement for the 2013 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Her answer to one of Jon Stewart's questions left him speechless.

An outspoken critic of the Taliban's tactics in her native Swat Valley from a young age, Malala was the subject of an attempted assassination at the hands of a Taliban gunman because she was unafraid to speak out.

Then, at just 14 years old, a Talib fighter boarded her bus, pointed a pistol at her head, and pulled the trigger. But she survived, made a full recovery in England, and has become and transformative figure in human rights.

Now, she is poised to become the youngest Nobel Peace laureate ever.

In the key moment of the interview, Stewart asked her how she reacted when she learned that the Taliban wanted her dead. Her answer was absolutely remarkable:

I started thinking about that, and I used to think that the Talib would come, and he would just kill me. But then I said, 'If he comes, what would you do Malala?' then I would reply to myself, 'Malala, just take a shoe and hit him.' But then I said, 'If you hit a Talib with your shoe, then there would be no difference between you and the Talib. You must not treat others with cruelty and that much harshly, you must fight others but through peace and through dialogue and through education.' Then I said I will tell him how important education is and that 'I even want education for your children as well.' And I will tell him, 'That's what I want to tell you, now do what you want.'

Dr M: I want to see more resignations over AG's report

Sanjeevan quizzed over 'police bullet' tweet

Criminal bikie gangs boost numbers with young Muslim and Eastern European recruits

SUBURBAN Sydney has become the breeding ground for a new generation of bikies, as Gold Coast gangs target young Muslim and eastern European men.

Police sources said gangs such as the Bandidos were embracing multiculturalism, signing up Lebanese, Turkish and Balkan members from across Sydney as they seek to beef up their ranks.
Sydney bikies invade Queensland's Gold Coast ahead of a turf war
It mirrors the early stages of the rise of crime gangs in Sydney and Melbourne that recruited from ethnic groups, police sources said.
It comes amid revelations some of Sydney's toughest bikies are spearheading the latest gang turf war terrifying holiday-makers and locals on the Gold Coast.

Bandidos Brisbane Centro president George Bejat. Source: Supplied

Senior police sources said that Bandido enforcers from Sydney were flown in to boost numbers for a brawl with Finks members, as the rival outlaw gangs fight for control of the Gold Coast's multi-million dollar drug trade.
Criminal bikie gangs boost numbers with young Muslims
The police sources confirmed Sydney bikies have muscled in to claim a piece of the action on the Gold Coast - where the lucrative drug trade had spread and also threatens tourists, including the Sydneysiders who flock there in their thousands.
Meanwhile, police have found proof of the growing threat posed by the patch-over of the Finks to US powerhouse the Mongols.
A pair of known Finks members who were stopped over the weekend for routine vehicle checks, but allowed to continue on, were in possession of caps bearing the Mongols MC name and logo.
Another arrest over Gold Coast bikie brawl
"That's the first time I've seen any Mongols gear here,'' Senior Sergeant Arron Ottaway said.
"That is a really important sign that the intel we are receiving in regards to the Mongols is real.''

Police descended on the Gold Coast recently in a show of force after a bikie rampage. Picture: Luke Marsden Source: News Limited

The Daily Telegraph has reported that at least 90 per cent of Finks across Australia were planning to patch across and join the Mongols, making them arguably the most powerful outlaw gang in the country.
It can also be revealed that one young Bandido who is currently facing charges of violence on the Gold Coast is a Muslim convert and a member of Muslim brotherbood Ummah United.
Hell hath no fury like a bikie scorned
Ummah United - whose members wear black hoodies and T-shirts with a crossed dagger logo - describes itself as a community group to help keep Muslim youth on the straight and narrow.
A spokesman has emphatically denied any bikie associations.

Under-fire Ahmad Zahid says tough stand on crime based on “universal humanitarian” grounds

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (pic) defended his tough anti-crime stand which has been strongly criticised by politicians and civil society.

In a live 20-minute interview with news channel Astro Awani today, he said, his tough, no-nonsense stand was based on "universal humanitarian" grounds.

Ahmad Zahid explained that "humanitarian" in his context meant safeguarding the rights of both civilians and policemen, who were victims of violence.

The minister, who is under fire for endorsing a "shoot first" policy, added that the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA), another sore point among politicians and rights groups, were because he is "answerable to Allah".

"Shootings every day, murders almost every week. This needs to be dealt with," he said.

"If I don't do something, not only will the public question my credibility, but on Judgement Day, Allah will question me. My biggest responsibility is to take care of the rakyat."

Ahmad Zahid, however, did not comment on his "shoot first" policy which he had made in a statement at an Umno function in Malacca last week.

He said he respected all opinions but questioned why was the focus only on legal aspects.

"What about humanitarian aspects?" he asked.

"Has any opposition MP or human rights activist visited the family of a police officer who died while on duty recently?"

On the PCA, Zahid said the critics were afraid that it would replace the repealed Internal Security Act, Emergency Ordinance and Restricted Residence Act.

"Those are for criminals, who should be the enemy of all, opposition or not, NGO or not," he said, insisting that the PCA will not be used against political opponents and that there should be "no fear over differing opinions".

Zahid: 'Shoot first' remark refers to Penang shooting

Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed his infamous "shoot first" remark was in reference to the fatal shooting of five suspected mobsters in Penang on August 19 by the police.

"I was referring to what happened in Penang, where five (suspected) criminals were killed by the police, because according to information (obtained from police) intelligence (revealed) that (the suspects) were armed.

"I said that the statement by a deputy minister was that to fire warning shots before the actual ones.

"I think that is not the SOP applied by the police because the (suspected) criminals were armed.

"Is the police only allowed to defend themselves after they are shot? If that is the case, surely a lot of police will die if we do so.

"What I have stated (in Malacca) was the readiness of the police because early information suggests that the criminals must be eradicated.

"To me, 'shoot first, ask questions later' does not arise. This is wild statement made by 'them'," he said.

Following this, the interviewer sought to confirm if the shooting happened after the intelligence gathering was "100 percent" sure that they were armed, to which Zahid replied in the affirmative.

Zahid added that some of the suspected criminals from the group that was shot in Penang had escaped to Perak but an operation against them had to be called off because women and children were present.

"Because we don't want collateral damage to others. We didn't highlight that. If we did, they will spin it into something else," he told Astro Awani in an interview today.

Challenge to Bar Council

Ahmad Zahid said the context of what he said would have been made clear if a certain news portal had published his controversial speech in its entirety.

Zahid was referring to Malaysiakini's report on Monday on his recent speech on Saturday in Malacca, where he ordered journalists not to report his speech, while threatening to close down any newspaper that did not comply.

During his speech, Zahid said Malays were often the victim of crime and that "the best way is not to compromise with them. Don't give them warnings. (Once) we have evidence, we shoot first."

This portion of the speech can be heard here, while the full recording of the speech can be heard here.

Although Zahid never made it explicitly clear at the time that the "shoot first" remark referred to the shooting in Penang, he did immediately segue into criticising deputy minister P Waythamoorthy for claiming that the police should have fired warning shots first.

However, Zahid claimed in his interview with Astro Awani that his criticisms against Waythamoorthy and the "shoot first" remark was intertwined.

During the interview, Zahid also challenged the Bar Council to take action against him under the Sedition Act 1948.

Zahid: I'm doing this for humanity and Allah

Under fire for endorsing a 'shoot first' policy by the police, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi justified his strong anti-crime stance on "universal humanitarian" (kemanusiaan sejagat) grounds.

In a live interview with Astro Awani, today, he added that the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) criticised by rights groups, was done because he is "answerable to Allah".

"Shootings every day, murders almost every week. This needs to be dealt with. If I don't do something, not only will the public question my credibility, but on Judgement Day, Allah will question me," he said.

By "humanitarian", Ahmad Zahid (left) said he is thinking of the rights of victims of crime and police who are victims of criminal violence.

"My biggest responsibility is to care for the majority of the rakyat. I appreciate differing views from the Opposition, bloggers and news portals.

"In this emancipation and transformation process, all opinions are celebrated, but why must we only focus on the legal aspects? What about humanitarian aspects?" he asked.

Chiding disregard for police welfare, he pointed out that not a single human right defender or opposition MP visited the family members of a police officer who died in the line of duty recently.

"They (the critics) feel the PCA is replacing the Internal Security Act, Emergency Ordinance and Restriction Residence Act. This is for criminals, who should be the enemy of all, opposition or not, NGO or not," he said.

He also insisted that the PCA will not be used against political opponents and there should be "no fear over differing opinions".

The 20-minute interview on Analisis Awani, however, did not touch on the minister's endorsement for police to shoot down suspected criminals, even before they are charged in court.

Ahmad Zahid made international news, and has been slammed by rights groups, after a recording of him saying that at a government event, was made available to Malaysiakini.

Extrajudicial killings barbaric, says MIC leader

There is no room for extrajudicial killings in a civilised nation, says MIC treasurer Senator Jaspal Singh.

Even in the Old West, Jaspal saind, wanted posters for outlaws would give their would-be captors the option of bringing them in 'dead or alive'.

"If it is indeed true that the home minister has said that suspected gangsters in Malaysia would be shot without warning, then it is a very disturbing statement indeed," he noted.

Jaspal (left) was responding to the remarks made by Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi during an event in Malacca that suspected criminals should be shot first.

The MIC leader pointed out that the most obvious argument against such a precipitate policy was that the suspected criminal might be innocent, have been set up or framed.

"In such a case, the state would be executing, without trial, an innocent man. If indeed the suspect is guilty, that is still no justification for killing him in cold blood. He can be arrested and charged if there is proof," Jaspal added.

If there was a lack of evidence, he said, the amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act had armed the Home Ministry with the option of detaining suspects without trial for two years.

"What is the point in voting for the PCA amendments if such murderous tactics are going to be employed?" he asked.

Jaspal pointed out that the best possible criminal justice system in the world was the one practised today, where an accused, particularly one facing capital punishment, is given every opportunity to defend himself and to appoint the lawyer of his choice.

"The death sentence can only be pronounced by the court in strict accordance with the law. No other individual may carelessly appropriate for himself so awful a power.

"If such is allowed, we will become and be viewed as a barbaric nation. We may or may not reclaim our streets from the strutting thugs, but we would have lost our soul as a nation.

"The police force is well-trained and equipped to handle all kinds of criminals. A 'surrender first' policy would be the way to go,"
he added.

'Don't give crime a racial twist'

Jaspal was also surprised that the home minister (right) could imply that crime victims were mostly Malays while the "villains" were Indians or Chinese.

"I do not believe there is any truth in this and I am sure there are no statistics to back up such claims. There are only victims and perpetrators and it should not be turned into a racial issue.

"In the case of a large number of Indians involved in gangsterism, the government should look into the root causes. It is a well known trend throughout the world that gangsterism and underground activities prevail among the marginalised communities.

"The Indian community in Malaysia is no different. They have been left out of mainstream development," he added.

While Jaspal said he understood that this was the "silly season of party elections" and outlandish statements from politicians intent on casting themselves as race champions were expected, however, "it was wrong to demonise the Indians in this cynical political game."

“This would strain the fragile fabric of our inter-racial relations, and it is downright irresponsible,” he warned, calling on Zahid to explain himself as the people have been quite alarmed.

Charge Zahid with instigating murder, say lawyers

The home minister's call to the police to gun down suspected criminals has earned the wrath of a group of legal eagles who demanded that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi be arrest and prosecuted for instigating murder.

In a statement today, Lawyers for Liberty said it was both "deeply concerned and disturbed" by the criminal nature of Zahid's "shoot first" remark.

"It is disturbing that our home minister has given his endorsement to all law enforcement officers to mete out death sentences to suspected offenders on the street, without due process.

"It is evident that the home minister is unaware of the basic concepts of the rule of law that underpin our justice system and has chosen to trample on the federal constitution and human rights.

"Fundamental principles of the right to life, liberty, fair trial, due process and innocence until guilt is proven are concepts that appear to be alien to the home minister, which is a cause for alarm for all Malaysians," said the group's legal/campaign coordinator Michelle Yesudas.
Najib must act
Yesudas also noted that Zahid's stand was reflected in his adamant views on welcoming back detention without trial, by taking ownership of the draconian amendments to the Prevention of Crime Act.

By encouraging law enforcers to "shoot first", she said, the home minister was effectively ordering policemen and officers to disregard the criminal justice system, due process and was legitimising the cold-blooded murder of "suspects" without them being brought before a court.

Furthermore, Lawyers for Liberty found it ironic that a minister so bent on curbing gangsterism with preventive detention laws and "shoot to kill" policies did not hesitate to befriend the gangsters of Tiga Line.

"His statement disregards and disrespects the tragic deaths of many innocent Malaysians and their long suffering families, such as Aminulrasyid, the Glenmarie Trio, the Cheras Trio, Dinesh Dharmasena and Pua Bee Chun, to name a few," said Yesudas.

Lawyers for Liberty also called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to take stern action against ministers who display such disregard for human lives and civil liberties.

The organisation was responding to the controversial remarks made by Zahid during an event in Malacca last week.

Dr M wants ministers to quit due to their failures

With the recent revelation of the government’s incompetence and mismanagement in the Auditor-General’s Report 2012, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed wants the respective ministers to resign due to their failures.

Speaking in a press conference after visiting the MRT Cochrane underground station, he said that the government must correct the mistakes highlighted in the report, and should charge the people concerned “or they will lose their jobs, including the ministers”.

“You know in Japan, when a plane crashes at an airfield, the transport minister has to resign.

“(But) in Malaysia, (the minister will say) that’s not my business. I hope to see more resignations,” said Mahathir.

He also jokingly said that he decided to resign as the prime minister because of his failure.

“I resigned because I failed,” he quipped.
Noting that the same mistakes also happened in other countries, Mahathir opined that the Auditor-General’s Department should be strengthened so that it can constantly monitor what is happening regarding the mistakes pointed out in the report.

“We should follow-up and see whether corrections have been made or not, identifying the mistakes and hoping the people will correct their errors,” he added.

Won’t Najib say anything?

What is causing Umno leaders such insecurity that makes them desperate enough to want to spill blood among Malaysians?
COMMENT

The spirit of muhibbah Malaysians so very cherished once upon a time is now a thing of the past. Living in Malaysia in today’s time entails putting up with racist and selfish politicians who have seemingly embarked on a ‘divide and rule’ agenda.

It is not just the present Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who has earned the wrath of the rakyat for his pernicious remarks over ”Indian gangsters hunting down the Malays”.

There is also the deputy prime minister who is also the Education Minister, Muhyiddin Yassin. Like Zahid, the DPM has never shied away from revealing his ultra Malay sentiments, never failing to make the non-Malays uncomfortable with his ‘ganyang’ (crush) the Chinese and Indians remarks.

Then there is Mohd Ali Rustam, the former chief minister of Malacca who serves as the classic example of the ‘sour grapes’ idiom when he blamed the Chinese for his defeat in the May 2013 general election and later accused the Chinese of allegedly being involved in illegal businesses.

Zahid’s predecessor, Hishammuddin Hussein too was all gung-ho about ‘defending’ Malay rights and privileges. He broke all traditions by hinting severe repercussions via the keris should anyone dare touch on the Malay sensitivities.

Just why are these politicians going berserk over their religion and all-things Malay is mind boggling.

What is causing them such insecurity that makes them desperate enough to want to spill blood among Malaysians?

The people have not forgotten Hishammuddin’s rantings and threats to the non-Malays. Neither will the rakyat forgive Muhyiddin for trying to incite the Malays against the Chinese and the Indians.

And now, it is Zahid with his irresponsible act of blaming the Indians for “hunting down” the Malays.

Among others, Zahid in a speech in Malacca last Saturday reportedly stated that it was okay for the police to proceed with a ‘shoot first’ policy against suspected criminals if they had the evidence.

Zahid added that the majority of gangsters were from the Indian community and the victims were Malays and therefore there was nothing wrong in arresting or shooting them.

While the Umno vice-president’s speech is still drawing a slew of reactions with some declaring it as “racist remarks”, the man who claims he has the rakyat’s best interest at heart is silent, a ‘standard operating procedure’ Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak seems to hide into.

‘Lawless’ to Umno politicians

More often than not it is the Umno politicians who continue to act brashly, breaking all rules and cultural sensitivities.

The reason why they thrive on playing bullies is because they believe they enjoy some form of immunity. To blame the minority community of turning murderers against the dominant race is a very dangerous presumption, one which definitely makes the racial harmony agenda a joke in the eyes of the rakyat.

The latest racial tension caused by Zahid has prompted calls for him to be removed as the Home Minister. But will Najib adhere to them? Or for that matter what are the chances that Najib will take any action against Zahid?

DAP MP Teresa Kok has defined Zahid’s remarks as “extremely dangerous views” while others see it as an “abuse of power” and as “insensitive remarks”.

However, in the typical Umno fashion, there is no way Zahid will be shown the door by Najib. And nothing is going to change as far as the Umno politicians are concerned – they are going to continue harassing, threatening and insulting the non-Malays.

What next for the non-Malays?

Former Malaysian Bar head S Ambiga says it is time Umno’s partners under the Barisan Nasional coalition made an exit from the party ‘out of self-respect’.

The question is do Gerakan, MIC and MCA have enough self-worthiness left to dump Umno for greener pastures? Is this latest racial attack by yet another Umno politician not humiliating enough for the trio?

Ambiga who is also electoral watchdog Bersih co-chairperson is puzzled as to why Umno’s allies in BN, the country’s federal ruling political force, rather keep their mouths shut, stay put in the ruling coalition and tolerate such despicable behaviour.

“After hearing the home minister, I really want to know what MCA and MIC are doing in BN. Have some self-respect please and walk out!” she said in a Twitter posting on Tuesday.

Walking out en masse is not a difficult step, not when enough verbal abuse and insults have been endured. But sadly, MIC, Gerakan and MCA have become Umno’s ‘Pavlov’s dogs’, unable to think for themselves.

Until Umno’s allies in BN come clean and accept the fact that they have withstood enough humiliation from Umno, there is no stopping the United Malay National Organisation in damning the ‘lain-lain’ (other) races in the country.

Jeswan Kaur is a freelance writer and a FMT columnist.

Sanjeevan probed by Bukit Aman police

MyWatch chairman is being investigated for a tweet that said the bullet recovered from his body was the type used by the police.

PETALING JAYA: The police are investigating MyWatch chairman R Sri Sanjeevan over a tweet on Sept 30 in which he said that the .38 bullet recovered from his abdomen was similar to that used by the police.

Sanjeevan said he received information from a police source but declined to name the officer for security reasons.

A team of four senior police officers from Bukit Aman and Ampang district police took 45 minutes to recorded the statement from Sanjeevan at the Tropicana police station.

Present at the the interrogation was PKR Legal Bureau head Latheefa Koya.

Police are also investigating the anti-crime activist for extortion after three reports were made against him.

In the first report on Aug 17 in Triang, Pahang, a shopowner said two Indians posing as Special Branch (SB) officers approached him to collect protection money.

Two more similar reports were made in Bahau, one in June by a cake shopowner and the other on Aug 26, by a massage parlour operator.

According to Latheefa, the police interrogators did not show the content and the names of the complainants.

Sanjeevan remained silent throughout the interrogation.

Latheefa said there was no direct link in all the three reports because Sanjeevan’s name was not mentioned by the complainants.

“Police are investigating only on suspicion and why are they doing this after his attempted assassination?,” she asked.

Latheefa said there were no arrest made on Sanjeevan’s hitmen, but the police were quick to investigate him on something baseless.

“Are they trying to frame him because he exposed some corrupted police officers from Malacca and Negeri Sembilan?” she asked.

The interrogators said Sanjeevan would be further questioned by investigating officers from Pahang and Negeri Sembilan as there could be an identification parade to further assist the case.

The MyWatch chairman calls this a further harassment by the police and trying to delay his case.

Sanjeevan said he wanted an answer from the police on his attempted assassination and not to throw baseless allegations on him.

The anti-crime chief’s father, P Ramakrishnan, said he was disappointed with the police for not making any arrest on his son’s attempted murder.

He also said he had not received a copy of the ballistic report on the bullet that was taken to Cheras Forensic Laboratory.

Ramakrishnan showed a SMS received from IGP Khalid Abu Bakar that the Bukit Aman police had taken over the investigation and would do the best to arrest the hitmen.

“But so far no one was arrested,” he said, hoping the police will carry out their duty in a professional manner.

Sanjeevan was shot in the abdomen on July 27 at his hometown, Bahau, Negeri Sembilan by two men on a motorcycle.

Memorandum to IGP to protest NGO leader’s arrest

Kampung Bunga Raya longhouse residents' recent peaceful protest saw the arrest of an NGO leader, leading the residents to hand a memorandum to the IGP today in protest of the arrest.

KUALA LUMPUR: Led by NGO Malaysian Tamilan Today, Kampung Bunga Raya longhouse residents submitted a memorandum to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) at Bukit Aman today in protest of the NGO vice-president’s recent arrest.

Insp Nurleen Hannah Abdullah of the Communications Department of the Police Headquarters, Bukit Aman received the memorandum on behalf of the IGP, from the 20 residents who turned up.

In the memorandum, the group demanded an explanation from the police over the arrest of the NGO vice-president K. Gunasekaran during a peaceful assembly at the settlement on Monday.

The assembly was held to protest their eviction from the longhouse which was supposed to be their temporary shelter after they were uprooted from their homes also in the area for development with the promise that low-cost flats would be built for and sold to them at a discount.

The 118 families had been squatting at the longhouse for 22 years without the promised low-cost flats in sight and moves from the government, political parties and developer to resolve the issue.

A police officer who turned up at the event told the crowd to disperse, which led to a squabble between Gunasekaran and the officer when the former asked for his identification, leading to the former’s arrest.

Following Gunasekaran’s arrest, 23 longhouse dwellers lodged a police report against the police themselves for what they claimed were police intimidation and unlawful arrest.

Following his arrest, Gunasekaran urged he IGP to investigate the matter claiming that the police was abetting the developer in oppressing the longhouse residents.

MIC’s ‘hidden hand’ manipulates div polls

There are claims that ineligible candidates and even bankrupts were allowed to contest and win in division polls with the “hidden hand” of top MIC leaders.

PETALING JAYA: Certain MIC party leaders have manipulated the outcome of the division polls, said a party source.

This was following allegations that the winners are not even eligible to contest in their division elections.

A senior party leader told FMT that the leadership’s decision to uphold the election results for the posts of Kota Raja division chairman and Petaling Jaya Selatan youth chief had created unhappiness among party members.

It is reported that Taman Maznah branch chairman S Sandirashegran, is elected as the new chairman for Kota Raja division after defeating incumbent RS Maniam in a straight fight.

While in Petaling Jaya Selatan, A Premnath, the party youth wing deputy secretary, was elected as division youth leader after his opponent pulled out as a sign of protest.

A veteran leader from Selangor, who wish not to be named, claimed that both Sandirashegran and Premnath are not qualified to contest.

According to him, Sandirashegran is alleged to be a bankrupt since 2010, while Premnath does not meet the criteria set in the party constitution.

The source also forwarded a set of documents to FMT via email to prove his allegations.

The documents, dated Oct 4, 2013, shows Sandirashegran, who is better known as “Taman Maznah” Sandiran, was declared a bankrupt by the Department of Insolvency on Jan 19, 2010.

“Article 93 of the party’s constitution reads that under the Registration of Criminals Act, 1967, a party member who is declared as bankrupt is prohibited from contesting any post in the party elections,” said the source.

“Thus, Sandiran is not eligible to contest. But, a ‘hidden hand’ helped him to contest,” he added.

When contacted, Sandiran claimed that he has settled his debt. However, he said he wondered why the Insolvency Department had not update his status.

“I will pursue this matter legally,” he told FMT.

‘I am qualified’

In Premnath’s case, he was not eligible to contest the division youth chairman post as he did not meet the criteria. The candidate for division youth chief must hold a branch youth leader’s post for at least one full term.

But the documents provided to FMT indicates that Premnath has not held any post since joining MIC, until he transferred his membership from Selayang to the Petaling Jaya Selatan division.

“He joined MIC before 2008, in deputy minister P Kamalanathan’s branch as an ordinary member. However, later he transferred his membership to Petaling Jaya Selatan,” said the insider.

“A check on the list of 2009-2012 for the youth membership also shows that he has not served as branch youth chief for one full term. Hence, he is not qualified to contest in the elections,” added the party insider.

The source also urged party secretary-general A Sakthivel to come out in the open and clarify the allegations.

When contacted, Premnath dismissed claims that he was ineligible to contest for the division youth post, stressing that he was a MIC branch leader in the last term, from 2010 to 2013.

“I was the deputy youth leader for the Petaling Jaya Barat MIC branch in the previous term. Based on party regulations, a deputy youth leader or the youth leader is eligible to contest for division youth leadership,” he said.

He also cited Article 44.1 of the party constitution to support his case.

Article 44.1 reads: “Only members of the division youth council and delegates to the divisional youth delegates’ conference shall be eligible to stand for election for in the mentioned in by-laws 43.2 and 43.3. Provided, however, that candidates desiring to contest for the post of divisional youth leader must have served as branch youth leader or branch deputy youth leader for at least one full term (three years)

Premnath said he had also obtained a letter from MIC youth secretary C Sivaraajh to confirm his eligibility to run for the division youth post.

“And if I was not qualified, my nomination papers would not have been accepted during the polls,” he said.

Now Shahidan defends another Malay gang

After 'Tiga Line' was labelled as benevolent gangsters by the home minister, an Umno supreme council candidate says Gang 30 is a charity organisation.

PETALING JAYA: In the wake of Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi calling ‘Tiga Line’ as benevolent gangsters and his friends, another Umno leader has stepped up to defend Gang 30.

Minister in Prime Minister’s Office Shahidan Kassim claimed that Gang 30, which was declared an illegal outfit, is a charity organisation offering assistance to poor Malays during festivities and burials.

Shahidan, who is also the former Perlis menteri besar, said that Gang 30 were merely practising Malay culture and tradition.

However in August, the Home Ministry, had listed Gang 30 as an illegal secret society. In addition, the ministry also listed the group in the Top 5 of illegal secret societies among 49 secret societies.

Apart from Tiga Line, the other Malay secret societies named by the Home Ministry were Double 7 and Gang 30. Only three Malay gangs were named by the ministry.

Tiga Line and Gang 30 are believed to have links with Malay NGO Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida), which in turn is strongly linked with Umno.

The two groups are alleged to be involved in drug distribution, car-jacking and night-club protection.

At a security briefing with community leaders last weekend, Zahid was reported as saying that the Tiga Line members were not thugs and endorsed their activities.

In a Malaysian Insider report yesterday, Shahidan claimed that he was not aware the existence of Tiga Line and suggested that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi may have been referring to Gang 30 instead.

Critics have slammed Umno leaders such as Zahid for playing up the race card in order to gain support for the Umno polls on Oct 16.

PPR units available, applicants told otherwise

FMT discovered there were 20 vacant units during a visit with an applicant and her family who are staying in her mum's unit at the site, confirming that there are empty lots.

KOTA DAMANSARA: People’s Housing Project (PPR) flats applicants claimed that they have to endure long wait for their units despite lots of available units.

FMT surveyed the site and found that there were about 20 vacant units at PPR Section 8 in Kota Damansara and the applicants told FMT that no reason was given for the delay.

A 24-year-old mother of two, Nitya Chandiran, whose total household income was about RM1,200, said she and her family had been living in her mother’s unit at the PPR Section 8.

“My husband is also living with us and we had applied for a unit in the same place. However, we were told to wait for two years,” Nitya told FMT.

When she approached the local town council Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya’s (MBPJ) office on the matter, she was told that individual PPR management offices are in charge of unit allocation.

And when she checked with the management office, she was told that she had to wait as those who applied for units two years ago were still waiting for their lots.

“The management office staff also told us that many were rundown units. Since we are living in one of those flats, we know that there are some decent vacant units,” Nitya said, adding that she was willing to repair a rundown unit if she was given one.

However, another applicant Malathi Rajoo, 44, said there were many vacant units, and that he believed that one person had taken a number of the available units.

“We have seen Indonesians living here and probably they had been sub-renting it from someone,” she said.

Malathi Rajoo, who took FMT on a tour of the area, also explained that some houses are used to store junks when it could be used as homes.

“PPR flats are for the poor and if the rich are renting it out, then it defeats the purpose of building these flats. Irresponsible parties are commercialising it,” she added.

Another applicant, Parimala Mukeyah, 31, was also in the same boat of being told to endure a long wait for her unit.

“My husband is sick and I am working to support my family. All I need is a flat to bring up my three children and to nurse my husband back to health. We are currently staying with our extended family and urgently need a place of our own,” she said.

Parimala who worked in a school canteen to support her family had applied for a unit three months ago but was told by the management office that there was no available unit.

‘Najib would not boycott CHOGM’

An ex-parliamentarian claims that the PM would not do so because human rights means little to the Putrajaya administration.

GEORGE TOWN: A former parliamentarian claims that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak would not boycott the coming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Sri Lanka because the Tamil sentiments and human rights issues mean little to the Putrajaya administration.

Indeed, former Teluk Intan MP M Manogaran said Malaysia would do all it could to please the Sri Lankan government despite the civil war past between Sinhalese-dominated Sri Lanka government and Tamil minority population living in the northern peninsular of the island republic.

He recalled that Najib had previously remained silent on the strong protest from Malaysian Tamils and other Malaysians in 2012 to object the participation of Sri Lanka president Mahinda Rajapakse in an economic forum in Johor Baru. Eventually Rajapakse himself decided not to attend the forum.

He also noted that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was the first government leader to announce that he would not attend the 23rd CHOGM to be held in Colombo between Nov 15 and 17.

Harper – who was in an official visit to Malaysia just last week – has stated that Rajapakse and his government must first answer for the human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

Manoharan insisted that Rajapakse must answer for the war crimes he was accused of although no formal charges had been brought against him.

“Will the Malaysian Prime Minister follow the Canadian Prime Minister’s footsteps?

“It is highly unlikely because Tamil sentiments and human rights issues are of little importance to Malaysia,” Manogaran said in a statement here today.

He also called on the CHOGM to be either moved to another country or cancelled altogether to avoid the whole Commonwealth from being “tainted with the blood of innocent victims” if the summit went ahead as scheduled in Colombo.

He said the attendance of leaders of Commonwealth countries in the Sri Lanka summit would be a slap in the face of people who loved peace, democracy, good governance and justice.

Until May 2009, Manogaran said over 60,000 Tamil civilians had been killed by the Sri Lanka forces.

Inflicting maximum damage

He claimed that until today, the Sri Lanka government had been carrying both open and covert operations to inflict maximum damage on the Tamil community in northern Sri Lanka.

He cited the UN expert panel’s report, the Channel 4 news on the killing fields of Sri Lanka, UN High Commissioner for Human RightsNavi Pillay’s report as well as the recent documentary “No Fire Zone” as irrefutable testimonies of Rajapakse’s and the Sri Lanka security forces’ atrocities.

“Any leader attending the summit on Sri Lankan soil will be a party to the atrocities of Sri Lanka,” Manogaran said.

He also expressed disappointment that India would not boycott the summit in a bid to stop Sri Lanka from moving closer to China.

But he said India had failed to realise that Colombo was closer to Beijing than New Delhi.

He also claimed that the New Delhi administration had little concern and care for Tamils in Sri Lanka and even those in Tamil Nadu.

He insisted that as South Asia region power, India alone could stop the human rights violations in Sri Lanka.

“But India will fumble again, just as how it deals with Pakistan, Kashmir and China,” Manogaran said

Singapore PM criticizes U.S. `game of chicken'

(CNN) -- Singapore's prime minister openly criticized the United States over the government shutdown and ongoing deadlock over the debt ceiling, calling them "problems you have created for yourself in a game of chicken."

In an interview with CNN's Patricia Wu on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Americans "are unable to get their act together," and that Washington's behavior sends a "negative signal which will last much longer that the shutdown."

The government shutdown led U.S. President Barack Obama to cancel his attendance at the APEC Leaders' summit just days before he was meant to arrive. The summit finishes today in Bali, Indonesia. Aside from Taiwan, Obama is the only leader missing among the 21 economies of the APEC group, which together account for half the world's output, 45% of its trade and 3 billion of its inhabitants.

The U.S. government is also facing an October 17 deadline to raise its debt ceiling or risk a possible default.

Prime Minister Lee said he was more worried about the long-term message the U.S. was sending than the prospect of a direct hit to U.S. growth.

Asked if the U.S. would benefit from a system like Singapore's -- where government ministers are paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in salaries -- Lee said he believes his country runs a clean system in which officials are paid "what their job is worth."

He criticized the conflicts of interest that result from the "revolving door" between the United States government and the private sector. Lee is paid more than $1 million to serve as Singapore's prime minister.

Singapore is heavily dependent on exports and trade, so the fate of the city-state is closely linked with the health of the U.S. economy. Both Singapore's property and stock markets have boomed over the last few years as investors flooded in seeking higher returns thanks to loose liquidity from the U.S. Federal Reserve and China.

The prime minister said he is comfortable with Singapore's footing as the United Stated considers turning off the flow of easy money.

"The emerging economies, many of them are concerned. They didn't want the money to slosh in. They are afraid when the money sloshes out, but the tapering has to take place and we have to be able to manage it," Lee said.

He also expressed concern over the stiffening tone in territorial disputes between Asia's power players, including Japan and China.

"It is very hard for any government to give up what it has claimed, because it will lose face and standing and domestic support, so you can only manage these issues, you cannot solve them," Lee said.

Unethical to report Ahmad Zahid speech as it was for closed-door meet, says Shahidan

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said it was unethical of the media to report on the recent controversial statement by Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, saying it was made in a closed-door event.

"It was very unethical of the media and disrespectful because it was a closed-door event and not for public consumption.

"What right did they have to write a report about a closed-door event?" he told The Malaysian Insider.

The contents of Ahmad Zahid's speech at the event have sparked an outcry from opposition leaders and rights activist, after he allegedly said police would not hesitate to shoot suspects of crime first and ask questions later.

Shahidan (pic), who was present at the function, told The Malaysian Insider that the issues discussed at the event were about national security and not to be revealed to the public.

"It was to discuss ways to curb crime," he said.

Shahidan then chided the media for “twisting the facts”.

"The facts were twisted and the report gave the impression that those who attended the function were not good," he said.

He claimed he was not aware of the existence of the Tiga Line gang that Ahmad Zahid had reportedly mentioned in his speech, while saying that he knew of Gang 30 which he described as a charity organisation involved in attending festivities and burials.

"I don't know about Tiga Line gang, maybe Datuk Zahid was referring to Gang 30. They are not gangsters, they help to organise festivities and burials," he said.

The Tiga Line was among 49 secret societies listed by the Home Ministry last August in the wake of a spike in gun-related crimes involving rival gangs.

Shahidan, in defending Gang 30, said they were merely practising Malay culture and tradition.

Ahmad Zahid, in his speech, a recording of which was uploaded on a news portal, said that 28,000 of the 40,000 gang members were identified to be of Indian ethnicity, and that there was nothing wrong in detaining them.

"What is the situation of robbery victims, murder victims during shootings? Most of them are Malays. Most of them are our race.

"I think the best way is that we no longer compromise with them. There is no need to give them any more warning. If we get the evidence, we shoot first," Ahmad Zahid reportedly said. - October 9, 2013.

Bumiputera perlu berdikari dan tidak meminta-minta, kata tokoh korporat Melayu

Bumiputera perlu berdikari, kata Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hasim ketika berucap di majlis Jaringan Usahawan Nusantara Sedunia. Gambar The Malaysian Insider oleh Afif Abd Halim, 9 Oktober, 2013.
Tokoh korporat Melayu, Tan Sri Muhammad Ali Hashim menggesa supaya Bumiputera berdikari dan tidak bersikap meminta-minta bantuan semata-mata daripada kerajaan sekiranya mahu berjaya dalam bidang perniagaan yang diceburi.

Bekas Presiden dan Ketua Eksekutif Johor Corporation (JCorp) itu berkata, Bumiputera wajar berusaha sendiri dan membuang sikap terlalu bergantung kepada bantuan.

"Orang Melayu dan Bumiputera mesti berdikari dan jangan meminta-minta bantuan daripada kerajaan dan mereka perlu usaha sendiri.

"Tidak boleh bergantung 100% kepada kerajaan, mungkin pada awal memulakan perniagaan boleh dibantu, tetapi selepas itu perlu berdiri sendiri,” katanya ketika berucap pada majlis Jaringan Usahawan Nusantara Sedunia di Hotel De Palma, Ampang pagi ini.

Muhammad Ali secara sinis turut mengkritik Ketua Pengarah Eksekutif (CEO), Datuk Abdul Rahim Hassan yang mengatakan Pinjaman Tabung Ekonomi Kumpulan Usaha Niaga (Tekun) memang ditubuhkan bagi membantu ahli Umno sahaja baru-baru ini.

"Macam pinjaman Tekun, kerajaan beri pinjam tapi ada yang tidak bayar balik," katanya.

Semalam, PKR juga mendakwa ahli Umno yang meminjam daripada Tekun masih gagal menjelaskan hutang sebanyai RM1 bilion.

Muhammad Ali bagaimanapun berkata, beliau tidak menolak kepentingan untuk memajukan ekonomi Bumiputera tetapi ia mesti juga tidak merampas hak orang lain, yang perlu diagihkan secara sama-rata.

"Kita perlu tingkatkan ekonomi Bumiputera tetapi jangan merampas hak orang lain," katanya.

Beliau yang juga Presiden Dewan Perdagangan Islam Malaysia (DPIM), beberapa kali menekankan mengenai jihad ekonomi mengikut lunas agama Islam, dan ia tidak eksklusif kepada suatu kaum sahaja atau bersifat perkauman.

"Jihad ekonomi sebenarnya tidak eksklusif dan bukan perkauman.

"Bukan hanya membela kaum Melayu dan Bumiputera, tetapi terdapat juga kaum Cina dan India miskin, bukan hanya membela kaum-kaum tertentu sahaja," katanya.

Muhammad Ali berkata, kemelut ekonomi dan ketidakseimbangan global yang berlaku di seluruh dunia ketika ini berpunca daripada pengagihan kekayaan yang tidak seimbang dan tidak adil, dengan yang kaya bertambah kaya.

"Sebagai contoh dengan pergolakan ekonomi dunia sekarang yang tidak aman dan stabil, ini semua kerana pengagihan tidak seimbang.

"Pengagihan perlu, tidak boleh yang kaya semakin kaya sehingga wujud jurang luas," katanya merujuk kepada pergolakan ekonomi di Amerika Syarikat dan krisis di negara Arab.

Terdahulu, Muhammad Ali ketika menyampaikan ucapannya berkongsi pengalaman dan cabaran yang dihadapinya semasa berada dalam bidang korporat, dan berkata, setiap usahawan perlu belajar daripada kegagalan dan tidak berputus asa.

Bulan lalu, Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak mengumumkan pemerkasaan ekonomi Bumiputera dengan memperkenalkan lima langkah bagi memperkasa kumpulan tersebut berikutan pegangan ekuiti korporat masih belum mencapai tahap 30% sasaran dan golongan itu kini masih dalam tempoh transformasi sejak empat dekad lalu.

Bagaimanapun, pengkritik melihat pelan baru Najib itu bukan untuk membantu golongan Bumiputera sebaliknya lebih digunakan untuk membantu kroni mereka dalam Umno.

Agenda itu juga dilihat sebagai kesinambungan kegagalan dalam pelaksanaan Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) yang diperkenalkan pada 1971 kerana dikaitkan dengan masalah rasuah yang melebar. - 9 Oktober, 2013.

'What about rights of cops, crime victims?'

Under fire for his "shoot first" policy, Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has questioned why his critics are not defending the rights of those who fall prey to criminals.

"Where is the human rights for police and victims of robbery, shootings and murders. Why are human rights defenders not upholding this? Human rights only applies to criminals?" he asked in a terse tweet.

The tweet does not appear to refer to anything in particular, but comes after a barrage of criticism against him following Malaysiakini's report on a leaked recording of his speech.

Zahid has been silent since the report on Monday, where he was exposed to have condoned the practice of shooting suspected criminals instead of arresting them.

He was also recorded as saying that he would go all out against people who defended criminals.

His critics, including international body Human Rights Watch, has called for his sacking over the remarks which has even made news outside Malaysian borders.

His remarks also prompted the civil society to call for investigations into all extra-judicial killings by the police.

Among those shot dead in recent years were several youths, including 14-year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah. All were all accused of attacking police before being gunned down.

Then Selangor police chief and now Inspector General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar claimed that Aminulrasyid, who died in a hail of bullets, tried to ram into the police and carried a parang in the car he was driving.

MCA boss regrets Zahid's rants

As the clock ticks down for the Umno election, the candidates, as in the case of Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, appear to be playing the race card with increasing frequency.

Expressing regret over this development, MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek (right) reminded Umno leaders that they represent all Malaysians and not just the Malay community.

“Because of the Umno election, a lot of senior Umno leaders, in order to consolidate their support, have resorted to racial profiling... for instance on crime.

“They have not shown themselves to be truly Malaysian leaders. This does not augur well for the nation,” he told Malaysiakini.

However, Chua, when asked about Zahid’s controversial call for the summary execution of suspected criminals, attributed it to overzealousness.

“Perhaps, in his excitement, Zahid was shooting from the hip,” he said.

On the same note, the MCA president stressed that to gun down suspected criminals instead of arresting them was an affront to justice and the rule of law.

“I disagree with this... it will not inspire confidence in the police force,” he added.

Commenting on Zahid’s threat to close down newspapers, Chua also reminded the home minister that this was the 21st century, and there must be space for dissenting views.

Since 2008, MCA had been struggling to remain relevant and one of the reasons why the Chinese electorate had shunned the party was because of its association with Umno.

MCA leaders were seen as being unable to stop their compatriots in Umno from launching racial tirades, thus giving the impression that BN was a coalition of unequals.

Following the disclosure of Zahid’s outburst, Bersih co-chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan (right) was among those who called on MCA and MIC to severe ties with Umno.

Speaking at an event in Malacca last week, the home minister made a series of incendiary remarks, and warned journalists not to report them or he would shut down their publications.

Since then, Zahid has drawn flak from various quarters, with some pointing out that he was encouraging the police to commit murder.

'Zahid safe from law despite implied extra-judicial killing'

Even though Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has been accused of endorsing extra-judicial killings by telling the police to "shoot first" when dealing with suspected criminals, the minister himself is unlikely to face any legal repercussions.

Former de facto law minister Zaid Ibrahim said this is because the home minister was effectively expressing a government policy and is therefore not liable to legal action.

"I do not believe legal action is appropriate or feasible, for he was espousing government policy," he told Malaysiakini when contacted via email yesterday.

Instead, Zaid said, the solution would have to be a political one.

"What the public can do is to reject the government he represents. Only political action is possible, not legal," he said.

However, Zaid noted that in the context of the home minister's right-wing ethnocentric party, his politically incorrect remark is popular.

'Popular for Umno'

"Unfortunately he is well liked by Umno. So (the) more extreme his position, the more popular he becomes," he said.

The Bar Council said yesterday that Zahid's statement could be interpreted as an endorsement of extra-judicial killing and that he may have committed sedition.

In a separate statement, MCA vice-president Gan Ping Sieu described Zahid's statement, which also contained racial references, as "disappointing".

"Zahid had earlier assured members of the public that the police are colour-blind. His latest remark, if not read out of context, is most unbecoming.

"Crime and law enforcement have nothing to do with colour," Gan said.

'Alliance sustained insurgency to keep CPM in jungle'

The Alliance government may have had to pander to British interests during the Baling Talks in 1955, but it had many chances to broker a peace deal with the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM) soon after Independence.

However, PSM’s Sungai Siput MP Dr D Jeyakumar hypothesised, the nation's leader Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj did not do so as the Alliance wanted to keep the CPM in the jungles, and away from electoral politics.

“I’ll make the argument that the Alliance was prepared to accept casualties among Malaysian soldiers, because it knew that the communists could not win, and would only be able to cause some disruption if sidelined (in the jungle).

“But if (the CPM) contests in elections, they could dislodge the Alliance government. This means it was a class decision, and it is a fact Malaysians have got to see,” Jeyakumar said.

As such, he said, those questioning the casualties sustained during the insurgency after 1957 should consider that the Alliance government and the British shared a greater part of the blame.

Jeyakumar (right) told a PSM-organised forum on Chin Peng in Kuala Lumpur last night that this is apparent as the 1989 Hatyai Peace Accord between Malaysia, Thailand and the CPM contained all the demands the CPM made in 1955.

The Alliance, he said, could not have acceded to these demands in 1955 or even 1958, but its successor, the BN government, could have signed it in 1989 as the CPM’s influence had then decreased significantly.

He noted that the Baling Talks materialised when CPM offered negotiations, following the Alliance’s 1955 sweeping polls victory on two promises - Independence by 1957 and the end of the communist insurgency.

But Tunku likely had his “hands tied”, as he had to show to the British he was not pro-communism and that Independence would not mean nationalisation of British assets.

“When (then Utusan Melayu editor-in-chief) Syed Zahari later asked Tunku if he was disappointed that the Baling Talks broke down, he said, ‘No, I’m not as I never wanted it to be a success’,” Jeyakumar said.

British proxy

While Jeyakumar gave the Tunku concessions for the failed Baling Talks, fellow panellist and social activist Lee Ban Chen said Tunku acted as a “British proxy”.
Lee said Tunku did not budge on conditions set prior to the talks - for CPM members to abandon arms, surrender and be investigated - despite CPM’s concessions.

“The CPM were willing to compromise, by laying down arms and abandoning their ideology, which to me is a big compromise... but they were also asked to do something impossible - to surrender.

“This was a big insult to those who had fought against the Japanese and British imperialists,” Lee (right) said.

The Tunku’s uncompromising stance, he said, forced a “civil war” in Malaya and then Malaysia, resulting in casualties among CPM members, and police and army personnel.

“However, I believe the sacrifices of CPM members and their supporters are far greater, in numbers of death and casualties, being exiled, sentenced to death and villagers who were forced into new villages to live like in a concentration camp.

“The sacrifices on the part of the communists are several-fold more than that on the part of the government,” Lee said.

IGP: Police have no executive powers under PCA

The police have no executive powers under the Prevention of Crime Act (PCA) which was approved by Dewan Rakyat recently, said inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar.

He said the PCA was different from the Internal Security Act (ISA) described by some parties as draconian.

“The significant difference is from the aspect of powers... actually the ISA vested absolute power on the executive while in the PCA, the full powers are  with the judiciary and review board.

“From the initial capture, first 24-hour arrest is by police, followed by 21 days remand ordered by a magistrate and the next 38-day remand approved by the president of the Sessions Courts and thereafter the board, and if there are unsatisfactory matters, they can be brought to court,” he said after a cheque presentation by the Kota Baru Residents Association (POKB) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

At the ceremony in Bukit Aman, Khalid received a cheque for RM10,500 from POKB adviser Mohamad Fatmi Che Salleh to be handed over to Atiqah Mohd Rosdi, the widow of Sgt Zal Azri Abd Somad who was killed while on duty in Malacca on Sept 23.

Khalid stressed that the most important thing was that the PCA is targetted at organised crimes.

He said information sessions with the people or with related parties would give a clear picture on both acts.

The Prevention of Crime 2013 Bill which allows detention without trial was passed by the Dewan Rakyat last Thursday.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim in a blog was reported to have lleged that PCA was draconian and went against the constitution.

Asked on the police’s preparations for the Sungai Limau by-election,  halid said an assessment team had been sent to check and evaluate the areas there.

The Sungai Limau seat under the Jerai Parliamentary constituency fell vacant ollowing the death of its incumbent, former menteri besar Azizan Abdul Razak, on Sept 26.

- Bernama

Anwar: Send Zahid to law school

Opposition leader says the home minister is in need of 'basic training in law' following latter's 'shoot-first' policy on suspected criminals

PETALING JAYA: Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi needs to be schooled in basic law, said PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim in response to the former’s “shoot first” policy in dealing with suspected gang members.

“Zahid needs to attend basic training on basic law,” Anwar said, at a press conference held at the party headquarters today.

Over the weekend, Zahid was reported saying that the police need not give warning to criminals before opening fire on them.

“I think the best way is that we no longer compromise with them. There is no need to give them any more warning. If (we) get the evidence, (we) shoot first,” Zahid was reported as saying.

Anwar described Zahid’s blanket statement as “very dangerous” as it gives an impression that the police could act arbitrarily with no regard to the rule of law.

“Of course when you’re talking about police dealing with armed criminals, the authorities have the right to defend themselves.

“But you cannot give a blanket statement to shoot first. It is a very dangerous statement,” said the former deputy prime minister.

Najib’s silence upsetting Malaysians

Asked to comment on the surge of racist and religious slurs being uttered by government leaders, Anwar attributed it to the Umno polls, scheduled for Oct 19.

“Lately, the issue of racism and religious bigotry has escalated. Why blame the Chinese and the opposition for your faults?

“Who squandered the funds of the people? Who are the rich Malays? Who are the one that get the big contracts? They are all Umno cronies,” said Anwar.

He added that there was a need for all races to work together to overcome racial prejudice in the country.

On Umno, Anwar said that the leaders have this impression that “the more Malay they become, the more support they get”.

“And Prime Minister Najib (Tun Razak) has said nothing on the racial slurs, causing anger among young Malaysians.”