Thursday, 5 February 2015
Slaughtered for their entertainment: Crowds gather to watch the barbaric murder of Jordanian pilot on specially erected giant screens on the streets of Raqqa... and CHEER when the airman goes up in flames
- Shocking video shows ISIS supporters gathering to watch murder footage
- Big screens have been erected in terror group's de facto capital Raqqa
- Film of Moaz al-Kasasbeh being burnt alive appears to be playing on loop
- Crowd cheer and shout religious slogans as pilot is engulfed by flames
- Film then shows locals - including children - talking about the atrocity
- Chilling new release is titled 'Muslims' Joy at Burning of Jordanian Pilot'
By John Hall for MailOnlineA sickening video showing cheering crowds of ISIS supporters watching the barbaric murder of a Jordanian pilot on specially erected giant screens also features a smiling child telling an interviewer: 'I would've burnt him [Moaz al-Kasasbeh] with my own hands.'
Filmed in the terror group's de facto capital Raqqa, the four minute clip is titled 'Muslims' Joy at Burning of Jordanian Pilot' and was released this afternoon.
The crowd can be heard cheering and shouting religious slogans as the airman goes up in flames, before an interviewer asks for their views on the atrocity, which has been widely condemned as one of the most sickening acts ever committed to film.
Among those questioned is a child who appears no more than eight-years-old. He is seen smiling and talking vividly about the murder, while eulogising about ISIS and their barbaric acts.
Jordan's King Abdullah II today returned home after cutting short a visit to the US where he was when news broke that the pilot had been savagely murdered.
'We are waging this war to protect our faith, our values and human principles and our war for their sake will be relentless and will hit them in their own ground', he said.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2939529/Slaughtered-entertainment-Crowds-gather-watch-barbaric-murder-Jordanian-pilot-specially-erected-giant-screens-streets-Raqqa-CHEER-airman-goes-flames.html
My boycott call will benefit all races, says Ismail Sabri
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob urged those angry with his call for a boycott of Chinese businesses to look at it positively, saying that a boycott leading to lower prices of goods would benefit all races.Speaking during a live interview programme tonight, Ismail said if Malaysians were to use their collective power as consumers to boycott “stubborn” businesses, the prices of goods would drop.
“The effect is that everyone will benefit, whether they are Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans,” he said on TV1's "Dialog" programme.
Ismail also did not apologise for his Facebook post which has ignited a storm of protest.
Instead, the agriculture and agro-based industries minister said people should look at the "bigger picture", beyond the mention of race in his post.
“I hope that people do not just focus on one aspect... as if I was criticising one community. Look at the bigger picture,” he said.
He added that that if consumers could put a boycott against profiteers into effect, the price of goods would come down.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Department earlier this evening defended Ismail, saying the minister had not targeted any specific race with his social media post.
Instead, it was "meant to rebuke traders who refuse to lower the price of goods" despite the drop in fuel prices," the statement had said.
The Bera MP courted controversy after he wrote in a Facebook post that Malay consumers had a role in helping Putrajaya fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the price of goods.
"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he wrote on his Facebook page.
He also singled out the OldTown White Coffee chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying DAP MP Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham owned shares in the company.
"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," said Ismail.
His comments drew flak from DAP, MCA and Gerakan leaders, who took the minister to task for singling out the Chinese as profiteers.
Ismail was questioned by the police today to aid in their investigation over his Facebook post.
Ninety-two Umno division chiefs had also gathered in Putrajaya today to show support for him, calling his boycott statement "noble".
In the television interview tonight, Ismail explained that although prices of goods were normally under the purview of the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry, he took a special interest in the issue.
This was because he once held the portfolio before his transfer to the agriculture ministry last year.
He said he was also concerned with how the opposition used inflation and price hikes to tarnish Barisan Nasional's image.
“When the prices of goods go up because of the price of oil, they call BN 'barang naik' (prices up). But then when oil prices go down, the price of goods do not follow.
“So I began to suspect, do these traders have an agenda? This is a tactic used by the opposition to tarnish us, so we have to tackle it.”
Ismail explained that his mention of restaurant chain OldTown White Coffee in his Facebook post was meant as an example of consumers not using their buying power, even though they were aware that some businesses had questionable practices.
“I just brought up the issue to explain that in their case (the restaurant) they’ve had problems with their halal certificates.
“When it comes to halal certificates, everyone makes noise. But people are still going to the restaurant. So it’s a case of people being aware but not following up that awareness with action,” he said.
OldTown Bhd chairman Datuk Dr Ahmed Tasir, however, had denied Ismail's claim that the food served in their chain of restaurants was not halal.
The hour-long interview devoted almost half of the time to Ismail’s policy of going after “irresponsible” middle-men in the agriculture supply chain.
He claimed that some wholesellers and transport companies were squeezing farmers, fishermen and consumers by buying low from producers and selling high to consumers.
Ismail said this year, he would ramp up efforts to sideline middle men in the supply chain by taking over most of their functions, such as in transporting goods and processing fresh produce. – February 4, 2015.
Lawyers: Bark at AG, not IGP, on murder motive
Bar Council’s criminal law committee member Baljit Singh Sidhu said the inspector-general of police (IGP) should not be dragged into this matter.
“It is attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail who should be explaining as he has custody, control and direction on where the prosecution is heading with the court case.
“This is because all the police investigation papers on the case are with the chambers.
“As far as I am concerned, the people are barking up the wrong tree. They should be asking the AG and not Khalid,” he told Malaysiakini.
Baljit added that while motive may not be a main ingredient in a murder case, it is nevertheless a “background factor” to be considered when the court makes a decision.
The
senior lawyer was asked to comment on whether the IGP should reveal the
motive behind the murder which saw two former police commandos, Azilah
Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, sentenced to death.Asked if Abdul Gani (right) should disclose the motive now that the case has ended, Baljit said that he should since he is the “bastion of public liberty”.
Unfortunately, he added, there is no legal obligation for him to do so.
“However, given his position in public office, Abdul Gani could explore coming out (on the motive) ... as there is a moral obligation to do so,” he said.
‘Motive important if murder premeditated’
Meanwhile, another senior lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, pointed out that it is important to establish motive if the murder is premeditated.
The lawyer said that the question in everyone’s lips is why would the two men from the police Special Action Unit abduct Altantuya, kill her and remove all traces of her.
“It is more like an assassination than a murder. Is the (police) special force in the business of killing people? What is their criteria in eliminating people? Is it national security or to hide a crime?
“These are valid questions which the police must investigate rather than say the court findings are final,” he said.
He
further argued that if the defence for Azilah and Sirul was that they
were following orders for national security, then it could be possibly
wrong for them to be charged with murder.“So the question is, why did they do it? That's where motive comes into the picture. Were the rogue cops making money from killing targets? If they did, who hired them?” he asked.
If the two were on an “assignment”, the senior lawyer said their “master” must also be charged.
“A soldier who shoots on the order of a superior will not be guilty of murder but the superior who gave the order would be,” he emphasised.
The senior lawyer further posed that if the IGP said the police had established a motive in the grisly murder, then would the AG deliberately concealed it.
Earlier today, former IGP Musa Hassan today fueled further speculation over the controversial case when he told Malaysiakini that the “main suspect would know best what had happened” in reference to political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda.
The latter had been charged with abetting the murder, but was later acquitted without his defence being called. The prosecution later decided not to appeal the acquittal.
PMO claims Ismail did not target Chinese traders
In a statement issued after the cabinet meeting today, the PMO said the agriculture and agro-based industry minister’s reprimand was aimed at all traders.
In his Facebook post on Monday, Ismail Sabri had specifically urged the Malays to boycott Chinese traders who were not reducing the prices of goods.
After making the incendiary statement on Monday, he later clarified that he only meant “stubborn” Chinese traders.
Meanwhile, the PMO reiterated Ismail Sabri’s (right) clarification.“We were informed that his statement was aimed to reprimand traders who refuse to reduce the price of goods even when the price of fuel has reduced.
“The reprimand was aimed at all traders and not at traders of any particular race. He also suggested that consumers use their buying power to force traders to reduce the price of goods,” read the statement.
The PMO added that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had stressed that the BN government will “continue to defend and safeguard the interests of all races”.
“Therefore, any disputes which could lead to racial polarisation should not be prolonged as it will bring adverse effects to everyone.
“The cabinet wants all traders to be responsible and considerate in determining the prices of goods in line with the reduction of oil prices so that consumers will experience the effects of such reduction.
“Consumers must be smart by using their buying power to encourage traders to set affordable price of goods.”
Ismail Sabri had garnered the support of various Umno leaders and he had even received a hero’s welcome by his supporters at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.
The minister had since said that he will not retract, neither will he apologise over his statement.
Ex-IGP: Main suspect in Altantuya case knows best
Since the Federal Court imposed the death sentence on two former police
commandos with regard to the murder of Altantuya Shaariibuu, there has
been much debate over their motive or rather the prosecution and the
courts failing to establish one.
Quizzed
on this, former inspector-general of police Musa Hassan appeared to
suggest that there is no motive as far as Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar
Umar are concerned.
Referring to political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, he said: "When the
'main suspect' has been acquitted, what motive is there to establish?"
"The main suspect is the one who knows best what happened,” he told Malaysiakini.
Burning questions
Musa appeared to indicate that both Azilah and Sirul were acting under instructions but declined to comment on this.
He also confirmed that police investigations had established a motive
for the murder, which took place in 2006 when Musa the national police
chief.
"But what motive is there to establish for Azilah and Sirul (to kill her), when the main suspect had been cleared?" he asked.
Quizzed what was the motive established by the police in its
investigations, Musa declined to divulge this on the grounds that the
case had already been decided by the highest court.
Razak Baginda, a close associate of Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak,
was initially charged with abetting the murder but was later acquitted
without his defence being called.
In a recent interview, he had blamed the murder on "rogue policemen", and cited cases of custodial deaths where detainees were killed without a motive.
Opening a can of worms
Opening a can of worms
Musa's successor, Khalid Abu Bakar, also commented that police investigations concerning murder cases do cover the motive angle.
He had said that the police cannot be held accountable when the
prosecution or courts decided against establishing a motive and
convicted the two based on the evidence available.
Khalid also pointed out that the police are not empowered to reveal the motive post-conviction and sentencing.
The murder of the Mongolian national had opened a can of worms
in relation to conspiracy theories, which even prompted Najib to swear
in the name of god that he had no connections with the case.
The police also cleared him of any wrongdoing.
These theories gained traction when Sirul himself declared during the
trial that he was being made into a "scapegoat" to "protect their
plans".
Sirul is currently in Australia, where he is being detained by the country’s Immigration and Border Protection Department.
The former police corporal had also been absent during the Federal Court verdict last month.
Paulsen to be charged with sedition over tweet
This follows his previous statements - posted on Twitter and which have since been deleted - against the Islamic Development Department (Jakim) last month, where he accused the department of "promoting extremism" in the Friday sermons drafted by them.
Paulsen's possible charge was confirmed by another lawyer, Latheefa Koya (left).He was arrested and remanded by the police on Jan 12 after allegations that his tweet had been insulting Islam.
Inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar had also commented that the public should not politicise Paulsen's arrest.
Following the arrest and detention, Communications and Multimedia Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek proposed for a debate between Paulsen and Jakim over the matter, although this was declined by the latter.
Local NGO Gerakan Hapuskan Akta Hasutan (GHAH) and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had condemned the high-handed action, saying that such actions showed the government was paranoid.
Zaid Ibrahim hopes for Anwar’s freedom
'How can we condone a guilty verdict and at the same time feel no revulsion over the way Altantuya was murdered?'
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia would be ripe for another political tsunami if Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty of sodomy this February 10, says Zaid Ibrahim in his latest blog posting.
“For the first time since independence,” he writes, “we would be sending someone to prison for five years for what is a moral offence, at best.”
He says the February 10 decision “will tell the world a few things about Malaysia”.
“If the case is acquitted (as I hope it will be), then it means the justice system upholds the basic tenet of giving the benefit of reasonable doubt to the accused. Much has been made about why Anwar’s alibis did not materialise or why he elected to give his statement from the dock and not under oath. But those are his choices and he has a right to make them. We may draw any inference from them that we want but they do not amount to evidence against him.
“The primary evidence, on the other hand, is all in tatters. The DNA samples were tampered with, although some will point out that what was tampered with or torn was just the plastic bag the samples were kept in and not the samples themselves. Well it’s clear that the person who was responsible for this tampering was a policeman investigating the case, and not a chemist or someone not involved with the prosecution.
“I hope the judges will view the investigating officer’s conduct with suspicion and draw an adverse inference on this point and release Anwar Ibrahim. A good criminal lawyer can give other valid reasons why he should be acquitted.”
He says it would be wrong to condone a guilty verdict on Anwar and at the same time not be revolted by the way Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered.
“How can we feel no necessity to explore the motives behind the heinous killing?”
Zaid supports a public inquiry into the murder. “It can reveal to us how the system of government operates, as well as how the police and our justice system will manage such cases— where there is some connection to top leaders—in future.
“Understanding what happened to Altantuya holds the key to understanding many things that are wrong with our country.”
He suggests an inquiry panel made up of retired judges to carry out a detailed examination of the case.
“It’s unlikely that any key witnesses will come forward with any new information, and this panel will not have the powers to compel attendance,” he says. “Still, such an inquiry can help lift, even if only slightly, the cloak of secrecy that engulfs our government.
“Critics will say that this inquiry will only be able to unearth hearsay and double-hearsay. They will label it all rubbish speculation to a straightforward murder. It’s true that such an inquiry may not reveal the whole truth or bring us any closer to know the motives or circumstances of Altantuya’s murder. But the inquiry is not aimed solely at discovering what happened to Altantuya; more importantly, it’s to show that the secrecy by which this government operates will not be tolerated by the people of this country.
“It’s an opportunity to show that there are enough Malaysians who are willing to stand up to accomplish this. If the people of this country have the conviction to want a democracy, transparency and accountability, and feel enough revulsion for the current secret style of governing, then Altantuya would have contributed immensely to the cause.
“Let’s not let her death be in vain. Let’s have a public inquiry funded by the public for the benefit of the public, so that one day we will have a government that is willing to explain anything strange that may happen. At the moment they do not have to, because we the people tolerate secret operations and a secret system of government.”
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia would be ripe for another political tsunami if Anwar Ibrahim is found guilty of sodomy this February 10, says Zaid Ibrahim in his latest blog posting.
“For the first time since independence,” he writes, “we would be sending someone to prison for five years for what is a moral offence, at best.”
He says the February 10 decision “will tell the world a few things about Malaysia”.
“If the case is acquitted (as I hope it will be), then it means the justice system upholds the basic tenet of giving the benefit of reasonable doubt to the accused. Much has been made about why Anwar’s alibis did not materialise or why he elected to give his statement from the dock and not under oath. But those are his choices and he has a right to make them. We may draw any inference from them that we want but they do not amount to evidence against him.
“The primary evidence, on the other hand, is all in tatters. The DNA samples were tampered with, although some will point out that what was tampered with or torn was just the plastic bag the samples were kept in and not the samples themselves. Well it’s clear that the person who was responsible for this tampering was a policeman investigating the case, and not a chemist or someone not involved with the prosecution.
“I hope the judges will view the investigating officer’s conduct with suspicion and draw an adverse inference on this point and release Anwar Ibrahim. A good criminal lawyer can give other valid reasons why he should be acquitted.”
He says it would be wrong to condone a guilty verdict on Anwar and at the same time not be revolted by the way Altantuya Shaariibuu was murdered.
“How can we feel no necessity to explore the motives behind the heinous killing?”
Zaid supports a public inquiry into the murder. “It can reveal to us how the system of government operates, as well as how the police and our justice system will manage such cases— where there is some connection to top leaders—in future.
“Understanding what happened to Altantuya holds the key to understanding many things that are wrong with our country.”
He suggests an inquiry panel made up of retired judges to carry out a detailed examination of the case.
“It’s unlikely that any key witnesses will come forward with any new information, and this panel will not have the powers to compel attendance,” he says. “Still, such an inquiry can help lift, even if only slightly, the cloak of secrecy that engulfs our government.
“Critics will say that this inquiry will only be able to unearth hearsay and double-hearsay. They will label it all rubbish speculation to a straightforward murder. It’s true that such an inquiry may not reveal the whole truth or bring us any closer to know the motives or circumstances of Altantuya’s murder. But the inquiry is not aimed solely at discovering what happened to Altantuya; more importantly, it’s to show that the secrecy by which this government operates will not be tolerated by the people of this country.
“It’s an opportunity to show that there are enough Malaysians who are willing to stand up to accomplish this. If the people of this country have the conviction to want a democracy, transparency and accountability, and feel enough revulsion for the current secret style of governing, then Altantuya would have contributed immensely to the cause.
“Let’s not let her death be in vain. Let’s have a public inquiry funded by the public for the benefit of the public, so that one day we will have a government that is willing to explain anything strange that may happen. At the moment they do not have to, because we the people tolerate secret operations and a secret system of government.”
Sirul to fight extradition to Malaysia
Convicted killer has engaged Australian lawyers to stop extradition to Malaysia to face the death sentence for Altantuya’s murder.
FMT
QUEENSLAND: Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar who is wanted back in Malaysia to face the death sentence for the murder of Altantatuya Shaariibuu, has engaged Australian lawyers to fight any attempts at his extradition.
Confirming this to the Malaysian Insider, Sirul’s lawyer, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin also said, “There will be some interesting developments but I can’t reveal yet until we get things sorted out.”
He also revealed that contrary to popular belief, Sirul was not being detained for violating Australian immigration laws but only detained because Interpol had issued a red alert out on him earlier.
He said his client would continue to be detained pending the Malaysian authorities next course of action.
“However, Sirul cannot be held indefinitely,” Kamarul said, adding that Sirul had a valid visa when he was arrested at his family home but that it would most likely have expired by now.
“He has to apply for a protective visa to remain in Australia and fight any court battle there,” Sirul’s lawyer explained.
Sirul who fled the country before his conviction in the murder of the Mongolian in 2006, was a former police commando. His colleague Azilah Hadri was present during sentencing but Sirul, having already left the country for Australia, was not in court.
Last week, another one of his lawyers, Hasnal Rezua Merican, told a Malay daily that Malaysia was unlikely to be successful if it applied for Sirul’s extradition because Australia has abolished the death penalty and would not send a criminal back to his country if the death penalty was carried out there.
FMT
QUEENSLAND: Corporal Sirul Azhar Umar who is wanted back in Malaysia to face the death sentence for the murder of Altantatuya Shaariibuu, has engaged Australian lawyers to fight any attempts at his extradition.
Confirming this to the Malaysian Insider, Sirul’s lawyer, Kamarul Hisham Kamaruddin also said, “There will be some interesting developments but I can’t reveal yet until we get things sorted out.”
He also revealed that contrary to popular belief, Sirul was not being detained for violating Australian immigration laws but only detained because Interpol had issued a red alert out on him earlier.
He said his client would continue to be detained pending the Malaysian authorities next course of action.
“However, Sirul cannot be held indefinitely,” Kamarul said, adding that Sirul had a valid visa when he was arrested at his family home but that it would most likely have expired by now.
“He has to apply for a protective visa to remain in Australia and fight any court battle there,” Sirul’s lawyer explained.
Sirul who fled the country before his conviction in the murder of the Mongolian in 2006, was a former police commando. His colleague Azilah Hadri was present during sentencing but Sirul, having already left the country for Australia, was not in court.
Last week, another one of his lawyers, Hasnal Rezua Merican, told a Malay daily that Malaysia was unlikely to be successful if it applied for Sirul’s extradition because Australia has abolished the death penalty and would not send a criminal back to his country if the death penalty was carried out there.
Dr M clarifies Ismail’s slip of tongue
Mahathir Mohamad says minister’s racially-laced boycott was off the cuff and if Ismail had thought about it, he wouldn’t have said it.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Swooping down to rescue Ismail Sabri Yaakob from a racially-laced message of boycott that is snowballing into a national catastrophe, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said the Agriculture and Agro Based Industry Minister had probably not thought it through carefully before putting his thoughts into words and posting it on Facebook.
The message in question is Ismail’s call to all Malays to boycott Chinese traders who have refused to lower their prices despite the price of crude oil nosediving in the global market.
“He probably did not think out what he said and may not have made the statement if he had considered what he was going to say,” Mahathir reasoned.
He said this to reporters from various media after installing the national heritage plaque at the Forest Research Institute today.
Mahathir also said that race was not in the equation of the high price of goods in the market and explained, “The issue is not whether it involves the Chinese, Indian, Malay or other races, it is about why the prices of goods are not decreasing despite the fall of crude oil prices,” the Malay Mail Online reported.
Mahathir is fond of coming to the rescue of individuals whose remarks have caused outrage among non-Malays and non-Muslims.
Last year, he reasoned that Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali’s threat of burning the holy books of Christians was only because he was showing respect for the books, the way Muslims burn old and tattered copies of the Quran.
KUALA LUMPUR: Swooping down to rescue Ismail Sabri Yaakob from a racially-laced message of boycott that is snowballing into a national catastrophe, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said the Agriculture and Agro Based Industry Minister had probably not thought it through carefully before putting his thoughts into words and posting it on Facebook.
The message in question is Ismail’s call to all Malays to boycott Chinese traders who have refused to lower their prices despite the price of crude oil nosediving in the global market.
“He probably did not think out what he said and may not have made the statement if he had considered what he was going to say,” Mahathir reasoned.
He said this to reporters from various media after installing the national heritage plaque at the Forest Research Institute today.
Mahathir also said that race was not in the equation of the high price of goods in the market and explained, “The issue is not whether it involves the Chinese, Indian, Malay or other races, it is about why the prices of goods are not decreasing despite the fall of crude oil prices,” the Malay Mail Online reported.
Mahathir is fond of coming to the rescue of individuals whose remarks have caused outrage among non-Malays and non-Muslims.
Last year, he reasoned that Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali’s threat of burning the holy books of Christians was only because he was showing respect for the books, the way Muslims burn old and tattered copies of the Quran.
Police call up Ismail Sabri over his Facebook post
The minister will have his statement recorded this evening
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, will have his statement recorded at the nearest police station this evening over his controversial Facebook posting, The Star Online reported.
Ismail had earlier urged Malay consumers via Facebook to use their collective purchasing power to boycott Chinese businesses which refused to drop prices following the decrease in fuel prices.
Following criticism from the public, opposition politicians, as well as his colleagues in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, he justified his actions saying that his statement was a personal opinion, that was not directed at all Chinese, only traders who were profiteering.
Later, Ismail had said he was ready to be questioned by the police and was waiting for them to set the date to record his statement.
“We have summoned him and he has agreed to give his full cooperation,” informed Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, at the launch of the police college’s smart library.
He added that the meeting is scheduled to take place this evening, following the cabinet meeting.
Khalid revealed that parties from MCA, Gerakan and DAP who had lodged reports against Ismail would also be called in to help settle the matter.
“We will try to resolve the issue among them. I urge all parties not to prolong the matter, he said.
FMTPETALING JAYA: Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, will have his statement recorded at the nearest police station this evening over his controversial Facebook posting, The Star Online reported.
Ismail had earlier urged Malay consumers via Facebook to use their collective purchasing power to boycott Chinese businesses which refused to drop prices following the decrease in fuel prices.
Following criticism from the public, opposition politicians, as well as his colleagues in the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, he justified his actions saying that his statement was a personal opinion, that was not directed at all Chinese, only traders who were profiteering.
Later, Ismail had said he was ready to be questioned by the police and was waiting for them to set the date to record his statement.
“We have summoned him and he has agreed to give his full cooperation,” informed Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, at the launch of the police college’s smart library.
He added that the meeting is scheduled to take place this evening, following the cabinet meeting.
Khalid revealed that parties from MCA, Gerakan and DAP who had lodged reports against Ismail would also be called in to help settle the matter.
“We will try to resolve the issue among them. I urge all parties not to prolong the matter, he said.
Ten stories, ten couples, one bedroom
A local producer and playwright brings “Tales From The Bedroom 2”, a humorous look at the wackier side of relationships.
FMT
PETALING JAYA: Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and while most people are fretting over gifts and dinner reservations, Big Nose Productions is offering something unique in the way of a play called “Tales from the Bedroom 2”(TFTB2).
TFTB is the brainchild of producer/playwright Fa Abdul, who worked alongside resident director Matthew Koh, an international school teacher, whose quick wit and hilarious brand of comedy, adds a dash of spice to every play Fa has written.
Speaking to FMT, Fa said, “‘Tales From The Bedroom 2’ is a collection of short plays about the wackier side of relationships. Think of it as a once-a-year romantic comedy extravaganza you would not want to miss.”
TFTB 1 which was staged during Valentine’s Day last year was sold out its entire run.
Speaking about last year’s successful debut, Fa said, “It couldn’t have done so well without the support of an amazing cast, crew and of course, an appreciative audience.”
With subject matter that the audience could relate to, TFTB 1 became an interestingly themed Malaysian production and succeeded in entertaining its audience en masse.
This year, Tales from the Bedroom 2 is coming back, bigger and better than ever with a comedic theme, sure to keep the audience in stitches.
“With a no holds barred approach to romantic comedy, this year’s depict stories from ancient Chinese dynasties to the modern virtual dating world.
“We’ve got a little bit of everything. Unrequited love. Insatiable love. Even obnoxious love.
“If you’re into bedroom humour, even if it’s about farting during sex, then you should come see this play,” Fa said, giving a sneak preview about what audiences are in for in TFTB 2.
The show will open next week in conjunction with Valentine’s Day weekend and will be staged at Indicine, KLPac, Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan, Kuala Lumpur, from February 12-14 at 8.30pm, with matinees on February 14 and 15 at 3pm.
Tickets are priced at RM35 so call 03 4047 9000 or book at www.ticketpro.com.my.
Due to the mature subject matter of the stories, the show is only open to those above 18 years old and viewer discretion is advised.
Big Nose Productions’ other plays include “In A Nutty Shell”, “Dim Sum Masala”, “Tales From The Bedroom 1”, “Entropy” and “Nasi Kandaq Gulai Tempoyak”.
Besides Fa and Matthew, others in the production company are Hazril Harith, Andrew Loh, Nik Waheeda, Mia Sabrina and Sudhan Nair.
PETALING JAYA: Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and while most people are fretting over gifts and dinner reservations, Big Nose Productions is offering something unique in the way of a play called “Tales from the Bedroom 2”(TFTB2).
TFTB is the brainchild of producer/playwright Fa Abdul, who worked alongside resident director Matthew Koh, an international school teacher, whose quick wit and hilarious brand of comedy, adds a dash of spice to every play Fa has written.
Speaking to FMT, Fa said, “‘Tales From The Bedroom 2’ is a collection of short plays about the wackier side of relationships. Think of it as a once-a-year romantic comedy extravaganza you would not want to miss.”
TFTB 1 which was staged during Valentine’s Day last year was sold out its entire run.
Speaking about last year’s successful debut, Fa said, “It couldn’t have done so well without the support of an amazing cast, crew and of course, an appreciative audience.”
With subject matter that the audience could relate to, TFTB 1 became an interestingly themed Malaysian production and succeeded in entertaining its audience en masse.
This year, Tales from the Bedroom 2 is coming back, bigger and better than ever with a comedic theme, sure to keep the audience in stitches.
“With a no holds barred approach to romantic comedy, this year’s depict stories from ancient Chinese dynasties to the modern virtual dating world.
“We’ve got a little bit of everything. Unrequited love. Insatiable love. Even obnoxious love.
“If you’re into bedroom humour, even if it’s about farting during sex, then you should come see this play,” Fa said, giving a sneak preview about what audiences are in for in TFTB 2.
The show will open next week in conjunction with Valentine’s Day weekend and will be staged at Indicine, KLPac, Sentul Park, Jalan Strachan, Kuala Lumpur, from February 12-14 at 8.30pm, with matinees on February 14 and 15 at 3pm.
Tickets are priced at RM35 so call 03 4047 9000 or book at www.ticketpro.com.my.
Due to the mature subject matter of the stories, the show is only open to those above 18 years old and viewer discretion is advised.
Big Nose Productions’ other plays include “In A Nutty Shell”, “Dim Sum Masala”, “Tales From The Bedroom 1”, “Entropy” and “Nasi Kandaq Gulai Tempoyak”.
Besides Fa and Matthew, others in the production company are Hazril Harith, Andrew Loh, Nik Waheeda, Mia Sabrina and Sudhan Nair.
My lawyers instructed to institute criminal and civil proceedings against an UMNO blogger Syed Akhbar Ali for his defamatory tweet insinuating that I am a communist and racialist who is anti-Malay who caused the May 13 race riots
I have instructed my lawyers to institute criminal and civil proceedings against an UMNO blogger Syed Akhbar Ali for a defamatory tweet late last night insinuating that I am a communist and a racialist who is anti-Malay who caused the May 13 race riots.
Syed Akhbar’s tweet carried a graphic of me in the garb of Mao Tse Tung, alleging that I am “Bapa 13 Mei”, and accusing me of having caused the May 13 race riots in 1969 because of my anti-Malay statements and slogans, with a caption “’MELAYU KELUAR! APA LAGI DUDUK SINI, KITA HENTAM LU, SEKARANG KITA SUDAH ADA KUASA” LIM KIT SIANG (BAPA 13 MEI).
The graphic in Syed Akbar’s tweet alleged that I had made the following statements in the following places and dates:
1. Menggunakan slogan “Malai-Si” bermaksud “Mati Melayu”.
2. “Apa polis boleh buat, kita Raja. Buang sama polis Melayu.”
– (11 Mei 69, Bukit Bintang)
3. “Mati Melayu, sakai pergi masuk hutan”.
– (11 Mei 69, Jalan Bukit Bintang).
4. “KL sekarang cina punya”.
– (11 Mei 69, Jalan Changkat Dollah)
5. “Melayu balik kampung, melayu sekarang tiada kuasa. Sekarang kita Cina sudah control.”
– (12 Mei 69, Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman)
6. “Melayu keluar…! Apa lagi duduk sini, kita hentam lu, sekarang kita sudah ada kuasa…”
– (12 Mei 69, Jalan Khir Kampung Baru)
7. “…semua Melayu kasi habis, kasi halau semua polis.”
– (12 Mei 69, depan Balai Polis, Jalan Pudu)
8. “Apa ini Melayu, kita sudah perintah dia negeri, ini negeri bukan melayu punya, mata-mata lancau…!” – (12 Mei 1969)
9. “Butuh Melayu, Malai si, pergi mati Melayu…”
– (12 Mi 69, Jalan Canvel).
10. “Ini negeri bukan Melayu punya, kita mahu kasi halau semua Melayu”
– (12 Mei 69, Jalan Bukit Bintang).
These are dastardly lies. Not only I have never said them (in fact, there are words and terms in this category which I had never used in my life), I was never in Kuala Lumpur from May 11 – 13, 1969 during the May 13 riots which the police Special Branch can vouch from their records.
There has recently been an escalation in the language and rhetoric of hate, intolerance, bigotry and extremism based on lies and falsehood.
Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region, age or gender must unite and declare that they will not allow these extremists and merchants of hate, intolerance and bigotry to destroy the peace, unity, harmony and the future of multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural Malaysia by their language, rhetoric and politics of hate and deceit.
I call on moderate and patriotic Malaysians to unite to say No To Extremism and to have Zero Tolerance for the politics of lies and hate.
Let my decision to institute criminal and civil proceedings against Syed Akbar Ali be the first blow of decent, moderate and patriotic Malaysians to save Malaysia from extremism and to declare “Zero Tolerance for the Politics of Extremism, Hate and Lies in Malaysia”.
Putrajaya loses bid to claim damages from Bersih over 2012 rally
Malay Mail
by PATHMA SUBRAMANIAM
by PATHMA SUBRAMANIAM
KUALA
LUMPUR, Jan 30 — The Malaysian government today lost in its civil suit
against electoral reform group Bersih 2.0, as the High Court ruled that
the latter was not liable for property damage during the group’s sit-in
protest on April 28, 2012.
High
Court judge Datuk John Louis O’ Hara, in his decision today, said that
although the Peaceful Assembly Act is constitutional the Bersih 2.0
steering committee, is not responsible for the damages caused.
Justice
O’Hara also dismissed the government’s claim for RM110,543.27 in
property damages as the “acts and omissions of the cops invariably
contributed and resulted in the damage.”
“I
find the plaintiff’s (the government) claim not to be proved on the
evidence and I dismiss the plaintiff’s claim for a declaration, special
damages and interest.
“It’s
clear to this court that the damages that occurred only happened after
the first defendant had called off the rally,” said O’Hara, referring to
Bersih 2.0’s former chairman Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan.
“Moreover,
it was not shown to the satisfaction of the court that the damages that
occurred were actually caused by the legitimate participants of the
rally or by an independent agent,” he added.
Justice
O’Hara noted that the government should use Section 7(a)(v) of the Act —
which states a participant shall refrain from causing damage to
property — against the “actual perpetrators of the damage”.
“Vicarious liability does not affect the organiser based upon the facts and evidence in this case,” he added.
But
the judge rejected Ambiga’s counter claim that Section 6(2)(g) was
unconstitutional, saying that the former Bar Council president, who
challenged the constitutionality of the section did not manage to show
how their rights were affected.
Section
6(2)(g) states that organisers are responsible to ensure that “the
assembly will not endanger health or cause damage to property or the
environment”.
O’Hara
denied the defendants claims for cost except the group’s former
steering committee member, Dr Wong Chin Huat, who was awarded RM21,000
in damages — partly for unlawful arrest, detention and assault during
the April 2012 rally.
The judge also awarded Wong another RM30,000 in costs.
On
May 23, 2012, the government sued Bersih 2.0 under Section 6 (2)(g) of
the Peaceful Assembly Act (PAA) 2012, claiming compensation for alleged
damages to property — including 15 police vehicles — during the rally.
The
government had sought for special damages of RM110,543.27 from the then
Bersih 2.0’s co-chairs Ambiga and A. Samad Said and 13 other committee
members.
A total of 52 witnesses were called for this case, with 33 testifying for the government and 19 testifying for Bersih 2.0.
To Boycott Greedy Traders Not An Instruction But An Intelligent Move By Consumers - Ismail Sabri
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 4 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said his statement to boycott greedy traders which had gone viral on social networking site since Monday, was not an instruction, but a wise move which should be taken by consumers.
The Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry said every consumer must think and act smart as purchasing power was completely theirs and they are the voice of the majority in the course of trade between buyers and dealers.
"I have explained to my friends on Facebook that the responsibility lies in their hands because they are the majority while traders are a minority. How can the minority manipulate the majority? Of course it is not possible," he said in Dialogue aired on RTM live on TV1, Wednesday night.
The programme themed 'Jihad Against The Middleman' was hosted by Sayed Munawar Sayed Mustar.
Ismail Sabri said every agency under the ministry and together with the association of fishermen and farmers should also play their respective roles and cooperate in the fight against middlemen who had suppressed fishermen and farmers and reaped huge profits.
-- BERNAMA
The Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry said every consumer must think and act smart as purchasing power was completely theirs and they are the voice of the majority in the course of trade between buyers and dealers.
"I have explained to my friends on Facebook that the responsibility lies in their hands because they are the majority while traders are a minority. How can the minority manipulate the majority? Of course it is not possible," he said in Dialogue aired on RTM live on TV1, Wednesday night.
The programme themed 'Jihad Against The Middleman' was hosted by Sayed Munawar Sayed Mustar.
Ismail Sabri said every agency under the ministry and together with the association of fishermen and farmers should also play their respective roles and cooperate in the fight against middlemen who had suppressed fishermen and farmers and reaped huge profits.
-- BERNAMA
Wednesday, 4 February 2015
Forced into a burqa, separated from kids: Mumbai Urdu editor pays for Charlie Hebdo cartoons
Even as debate continues over the Charlie Hebdo cartoons, a former female editor of a Urdu daily Avadhnama, finds herself in the middle of legal trouble and facing threats to her life after she made a decision to publish some of them in the wake of the attack on the Paris newspaper.According to an IANS report, Shirin Dalvi, the editor of Avadhnama, was arrested by Mumbra Police on Wednesday and produced before a magistrate who granted her bail. "She was arrested on charges pertaining to hurting religious sentiments and related issues by reprinting a controversial cartoon of Prophet Mohammed," an police official said.
In its 17 January issue, the Mumbai edition of the Avadhnama had published the same cartoon which had resulted in the attack on the offices of 'Charlie Hebdo'. A local citizen, identified as Nusrat Ali complained to the Mumbra Police against the Urdu tabloid, contending that it hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslim community and could create hatred among communities.
Soon after the complaint in Thane and similar complaints in Mumbai by various individuals, the Mumbra police investigated the matter and arrested Dalvi. According to an Indian Express report, she now has six FIRs against her and lives in so much terror that she has been forced to wear a burqa at all times. She never wore the veil before this.
Dalai told the paper, "Facing the community again has become a great concern for me as there is still a lot of unrest. I have avoided showing my face in Muslim-populated pockets. I have not gone back to my house (in Mumbra) since the protest started." She also says that she has been unable to meet her children, since the controversy broke out. Her kids are now staying with relatives.
Dalvi has also received threats on her mobile. “My children have my old phone and they told me that someone has been sending messages through WhatsApp, saying “Maafi nahin milegi (You won’t get forgiveness),” she said.
Avadhnama is published from Lucknow, Faizabad, Aligarh, Azamgarh and Saharanpur, and the Mumbai edition was launched around a year ago. Now the owners have issued a statement saying the parent organisation has nothing to do with the Mumbai edition.
According to the IE report, in a statement on behalf of Taqdees Fatima, owner of the Avadhnama title, Waqar Rizvi said Fatima had no links with the Mumbai edition which was run by a separate entity. Interestingly a day after the Mumbai edition published the photos, all its staff including Dalvi were sacked.
Following the outrage, Dalvi admitted to the "mistake" and tendered an unconditional apology through the columns of her newspaper, but it was not accepted by the community at large.
Dalvi however says she's being singled out because she's a woman editor. She told Indian Express, “When organisations such as Raza Academy and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind were satisfied with my apology, I do not understand why these letterhead organisations are hounding me. Their only agenda is to harass a woman editor.”
She also pointed out that hers was not the only organisation in India to publish the pictures but they were the only ones targeted with FIRs. While some of her colleagues told IE that Dalvi published the photos to get "publicity," she has denied the charge.
The Charlie Hebdo cartoons, which mocked Muhammed have generated controversy ever since the attack on the magazine office that left most of the staff dead. While most in the Muslim world see the cartoons are offensive (given that it is forbidden to represent Muhammad and the Charlie Hebdo relied on crude depictions of the Prophet), others say that the right to free speech includes the right to offend as well.
In India, however as we've seen even with the recent FIR against AIB, the right to feel offended takes precedence over freedom of speech. However in Dalvi's case, she is right to point out that she is being singled out given that hers was not the only publication in India that printed the cartoons.
With inputs from IANS
Ismail Sabri falling for Umno’s own lies, says DAP lawmaker
Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob's "racist rant" on Facebook reveals that Barisan Nasional (BN) has spread so much untruth that they are falling for their own lies, says a DAP lawmaker.Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua today said the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Minister's postings – that Chinese businesses were hiking up prices and that restaurant chain OldTown White Coffee was owned by Perak DAP adviser Ngeh Koo Ham – were spread by Umno media and supporters.
He added that they were not new and had been circulating for a year or two.
Pua, who is also DAP national secretary, said the "lies and untruth" had been repeatedly refuted, with Ngeh issuing statements to deny the allegation.
"It is not difficult to verify for example, who are the real owners of OldTown especially since the café chain is now a publicly listed company.
"Empirical evidence will also testify that price hikes occur across the board whenever the cost of production or delivery increases, be they in the grocery shops, pasar tani, coffee shops or mamak outlets. Such increases are natural economic phenomena which cut across all races.
"Measures to tackle price hikes are to be implemented across the board and not by recklessly inciting hatred between races," he said in a statement.
He said Ismail Sabri was suffering from the "big lie" syndrome, referring to a Nazi propaganda coined by Adolf Hitler and later modified by his associate Joseph Goebbels, where one repeats a lie often enough to believe it.
He said this was not the first time such a syndrome had struck an Umno minister. Pua cited his own experience where Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told a press conference that he had been charged in court for a criminal offence in Singapore.
He added that Zahid said to have evidence that he had released himself from the charges by striking a deal with the Singapore government, which included returning to Malaysia to do their bidding.
"Such incredible tall tales came direct from the minister’s mouth after such allegations started surfacing on the World Wide Web.
“I had sued the Minister (and Utusan Malaysia) for defamation and Zahid had to embarrassingly retract his allegations as having utterly no basis in open court and pay costs for the suit in a settlement last August,” said Pua.
In his Facebook post, Ismail said Malay consumers had a role in helping Putrajaya fight profiteers by using their collective power to lower the price of goods.
"The majority of consumers are Malay, Chinese are a minority, if the Malays boycott their businesses, they will surely have no choice but to reduce their prices," he wrote on his Facebook page.
He also singled out the OldTown White Coffee chain owned by OldTown Bhd, saying Ngeh owned shares in the company.
"As long as the Malays don't change, the Chinese will take the opportunity to oppress the Malays," said Ismail.
Ismail later confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that he posted the statements on his Facebook account. – February 4, 2015.
EXPOSED! Pro-Jho Low blogger behind attacks on Dr M, Nazir and Edge owner Tong
The anonymous blogger of malaysianexpose.wordpress.com behind the baseless attacks on Tong Kooi Ong and The Edge Media Group is also behind similar vicious onslaughts on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, while running other blogs which published complimentary articles on businessman Jho Low, investigations showed.
One common thread behind the attacks appears to be the fact that The Edge has been publishing exposes about state investment vehicle 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), while former prime minister Dr Mahathir has been openly critical of it, even saying it was unnecessary and should be shut.
Nazir, who is chairman of CIMB Group, has in private conversations expressed concerns that the massive RM48 billion debts of 1MDB is posing a big risk to the economy and banking system should it fail. In an interview with The Star in December, 2013, Nazir also said he was worried about how 1MDB will be able to develop the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) given the glut in office space.
The blogger did not just attack Dr Mahathir, but also his sons – businessmen Tan Sri Mokhzani and Datuk Mirzan, and Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz. The blogger also attacked former finance minister Tun Daim Zainuddin, who voiced reservations about 1MDB.
In the case of Nazir, his wife and children were also the subject of slander.
On the other hand, the Penang born 30-something Low Taek Jho, also known as Jho Low, was involved in the setting up of the Terengganu Investment Authority (the precursor to 1MDB).He is said to still wield considerable influence at 1MDB because of his close relationship with the Abu Dhabi parties which have multi-billion ringgit dealings with the controversial debt-laden company owned by the Ministry of Finance.
Low, often seen at big spending parties with Hollywood celebrities like Paris Hilton and Leonardo Di Caprio, has business dealings with 1MDB, including a failed £1 billion (RM5.6 billion) bid for the UK hotel group Coroin Ltd in 2011. 1MDB had provided a letter of support for Low’s Wynton Group to buy Coroin, which owns several hotels including Claridge's.
Low made the bid together with his friend Sheikh Mansour Zayed of Abu Dhabi, who is also the owner of English Premier League club Manchester City. But they failed as some of Coroin’s shareholders did not think their proposed high debt leverage deal (which is also typical of 1MDB deals) could work.
But Low and Sheikh Mansour, who bought small stakes in Coroin before attempting to buy
everything, are believed to have walked away with a tidy profit after they sold their stakes to the eventual buyer.1MDB has never explained why it provided the letter of support, which surfaced during a court case in London involving squabbling Coroin shareholders, to help Low.
The Edge Media Group in the past year published several exposes about the affairs of 1MDB, including 1MDB’s support for Low to buy Coroin and a RM1.38 billion land purchase in Penang, a week before the 2013 general election, from businessmen close to Low and his father Tan Sri Larry Low Hock Peng.
The Edge reported that 1MDB had overpaid for the parcels of land which have a number of encumbrances and that it will lose a lot of money to build 9,999 affordable homes, because of the high land cost and cost to evict a few thousand homes that have been there since the 1950s.
The anonymous blogger used the public display and user name "ahrily90" and he wrote at the following blogs since mid-2014:
kronismemahathir.wordpress.com
politikukus.wordpress.com
These two blogs have attacked Mahathir since July last year.
"ahrily90" also wrote on two blogs which targeted Nazir:
kamibukanbodohtau.wordpress.com
corruptednazirrazak.wordpress.com
The same blogger also wrote on three blogs which praised 1MDB and Jho Low:
bisnes2malaysia.wordpress.com
todayinbusiness.wordpress.com
worldofcorporate.wordpress.com
Various articles were written which described him as global investor and philanthropist through his Hong Kong firm Jynwel Capital Limited. His philanthropic efforts were said to include US$20 million to save wild cats and US$50 million to a university cancer research centre.
Several articles touched on his many successful deals, including helping Kuwait Finance House to buy the Oval luxury apartment in Kuala Lumpur, which it then sold for a US$20 million profit. He was also reported to have bought the L'Ermitage Beverly Hills hotel and last year made a bid to buy sports brand Reebok for US$2.2 billion.
One article was headlined "Jynwel Capital: Rooted in the Past, Invested in the Future" while another read "Entrepreneur and Philanthropist's Generosity Inspires at Children's Ball".
todayinbusiness.wordpress.com and worldofcorporate.wordpress.com were taken down last week but what "ahrily90" wrote can be seen in the Google cache of these blogs.
"ahrily90" has changed his WordPress public display name and user names for the various blogs last week to "julijulipeh", "Pen Jingga", "saberarturia18", and "rahmanirwan74".
"ahrily90" has also contributed articles at lowtaekjho.wordpress.com. This blog too has been deleted by its authors.
The person behind all these blogs has realised he has been discovered and is now trying to cover his tracks by repeatedly changing his public display and user names.He is also trying to decouple the various blogs.
But anyone who searches for "ahrily90" on Google will be able to find evidence that links them all together and points to him as the person behind the attacks on Dr Mahathir and Nazir since mid-2014, and most recently Tong and The Edge Media Group and The Malaysian Insider.
And it all has to do with criticism of 1MDB.
So who is paying him to do it? – February 3, 2015.
Islamic State shows burning of hostage, Jordan vows 'earth-shaking' response
By Suleiman Al-Khalidi - Reuters
(Reuters) - Islamic State militants released a video on Tuesday appearing to show a captured Jordanian pilot being burnt alive in a cage, a killing that shocked the world and prompted Jordan to promise an "earth-shaking" response.
A Jordanian official said the authorities would swiftly execute several militants in retaliation, including an Iraqi woman whom Amman had sought to swap for the pilot taken captive after his plane crashed in Syria in December.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the content of the video, which showed a man resembling airman Mouath al-Kasaesbeh standing in a small black cage before being set ablaze.
The furious reaction of the Jordanian authorities made clear they treated it as genuine.
Jordan, which has been mounting air raids in Syria as part of the U.S.-led alliance against Islamic State insurgents, would deliver a "strong, earth-shaking and decisive" response, a government spokesman said.
"The revenge will be as big as the calamity that has hit Jordan," army spokesman Colonel Mamdouh al Ameri said in a televised statement confirming the death of the pilot, who was seized by Islamic State in December.
The fate of Kasaesbeh, a member of a large tribe that forms the backbone of support for the country's Hashemite monarchy, has gripped Jordan for weeks and some Jordanians have criticised King Abdullah for embroiling them in the U.S.-led war that they say will provoke a backlash by militants.
The king cut short a visit to the United States to return home following word of Kasaesbeh's death. In a televised statement, he said the pilot's killing was an act of "cowardly terror" by a deviant group that had no relation to Islam.
Jordan had sought to swap the pilot for Sajida al-Rishawi, the Iraqi woman militant who was sentenced to death for her role in a 2005 suicide bombing in Amman that killed 60 people.
Islamic State had demanded her release in exchange for the life of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto. However, Goto, a veteran war reporter, was later beheaded by the group, with images of his death released in a video on Saturday.
The Jordanian security source said Rishawi would be executed "within hours".
The Jordanian military might also escalate attacks on Islamic State, said retired air force General Mamoun Abu Nowar. "We might even see in a couple of days the rate of sorties increased dramatically. We might have some special operations against their leadership too," he said.
In the Islamic State video, Kasaesbeh is interviewed, describing the mission he was due to carry out before his jet crashed. The video also showed footage of the aftermath of air strikes, with people trying to remove civilians from debris.
A man resembling Kasaesbeh is shown inside the cage with his clothes dampened, apparently with flammable liquid, and one of the masked fighters holds a torch, setting alight a line of fuel which leads into the cage.
The man is set ablaze and kneels to the ground.
Fighters then pour debris, including broken masonry, over the cage which a bulldozer subsequently flattens, with the body still inside. The video shows a desert setting similar to previous videos of killings.
DEMAND FOR REVENGE
In the pilot's hometown of Karak in southern Jordan, people demanded revenge.
"I want to see Sajida's body burnt and all the other terrorists in Jordanian prisons ... Only then will my thirst for revenge be satisfied," said Abdullah al-Majali, a government employee among dozens of demonstrators in the centre of Karak.
Relatives of the pilot also gathered in Karak and urged calm after anti-government protests broke out in the town. They said it was up to the government to take revenge for them.
Jordanian state television said on Tuesday that Kasaesbeh had been killed a month ago, on Jan. 3, and a source close to the Jordanian government said Amman had been picking up intelligence for weeks that the pilot was killed some time ago.
Given that Jordan’s own intelligence indicated the pilot was dead, the government decided it could not possibly release the woman absent convincing proof the pilot was still alive, the source said, and such proof never arrived.
The White House said the intelligence community was studying when the video was recorded and that U.S. President Barack Obama had ordered his team to devote all resources to locate other hostages held by Islamic State.
Obama rearranged his schedule on Tuesday to make sure he saw King Abdullah before the Jordanian leader flew back to Amman, a source familiar with the situation said.
A staunch U.S. ally, Jordan is part of the alliance against the Islamic State group that has seized large areas of Syria and Iraq. King Abdullah has defended the campaign against domestic criticism, saying that moderate Muslims need to combat a group whose ideology and brutality have insulted Islam.
The United States announced on Tuesday that it will increase annual aid to Jordan to $1 billion from $660 million to help it pay for the cost of housing refugees from Iraq and Syria and to fight Islamic State.
Obama praised Kasaesbeh for his bravery and said he was "in the vanguard of the effort to degrade and defeat the threat" posed by militants from Islamic State, also known as ISIL.
"Today, the coalition fights for everyone who has suffered from ISIL's inhumanity," Obama said in a statement, adding that the group's "hateful ideology" would be banished to "the recesses of history."
Leaders around the world voiced outrage at the brutal killing. "It is incomprehensible how human beings are capable of such a cruel act," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In the video, the burned man wore orange clothes similar to those worn by other foreign Islamic State captives who have been killed since the U.S.-led coalition started bombing the militants in July.
Islamic State has previously released videos showing the beheadings of five U.S. and British hostages and said that it killed two Japanese captives in the same way. It has meted out the same treatment to many more Arab prisoners, including Syrian government soldiers.
The militants have stepped up the gruesome killings while coming under increased military pressure from the air strikes and a ground campaign by Kurdish and Iraqi troops to reverse their territorial gains in Iraq and Syria.
Islamic State emerged out of al Qaeda in Iraq. It expanded into Syria as the country was plunged into a civil war estimated to have killed 200,000 people since 2011.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Tuesday that 51 civilians, including children, had been killed by Syrian air force strikes inside the country within the past day.
The U.S.-led coalition says it does not coordinate with the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, described by Washington as part of the problem. It does work with the Iraqi government, which is also fighting Islamic State.
(Reuters) - Islamic State militants released a video on Tuesday appearing to show a captured Jordanian pilot being burnt alive in a cage, a killing that shocked the world and prompted Jordan to promise an "earth-shaking" response.
A Jordanian official said the authorities would swiftly execute several militants in retaliation, including an Iraqi woman whom Amman had sought to swap for the pilot taken captive after his plane crashed in Syria in December.
Reuters could not immediately confirm the content of the video, which showed a man resembling airman Mouath al-Kasaesbeh standing in a small black cage before being set ablaze.
The furious reaction of the Jordanian authorities made clear they treated it as genuine.
Jordan, which has been mounting air raids in Syria as part of the U.S.-led alliance against Islamic State insurgents, would deliver a "strong, earth-shaking and decisive" response, a government spokesman said.
"The revenge will be as big as the calamity that has hit Jordan," army spokesman Colonel Mamdouh al Ameri said in a televised statement confirming the death of the pilot, who was seized by Islamic State in December.
The fate of Kasaesbeh, a member of a large tribe that forms the backbone of support for the country's Hashemite monarchy, has gripped Jordan for weeks and some Jordanians have criticised King Abdullah for embroiling them in the U.S.-led war that they say will provoke a backlash by militants.
The king cut short a visit to the United States to return home following word of Kasaesbeh's death. In a televised statement, he said the pilot's killing was an act of "cowardly terror" by a deviant group that had no relation to Islam.
Jordan had sought to swap the pilot for Sajida al-Rishawi, the Iraqi woman militant who was sentenced to death for her role in a 2005 suicide bombing in Amman that killed 60 people.
Islamic State had demanded her release in exchange for the life of Japanese hostage Kenji Goto. However, Goto, a veteran war reporter, was later beheaded by the group, with images of his death released in a video on Saturday.
The Jordanian security source said Rishawi would be executed "within hours".
The Jordanian military might also escalate attacks on Islamic State, said retired air force General Mamoun Abu Nowar. "We might even see in a couple of days the rate of sorties increased dramatically. We might have some special operations against their leadership too," he said.
In the Islamic State video, Kasaesbeh is interviewed, describing the mission he was due to carry out before his jet crashed. The video also showed footage of the aftermath of air strikes, with people trying to remove civilians from debris.
A man resembling Kasaesbeh is shown inside the cage with his clothes dampened, apparently with flammable liquid, and one of the masked fighters holds a torch, setting alight a line of fuel which leads into the cage.
The man is set ablaze and kneels to the ground.
Fighters then pour debris, including broken masonry, over the cage which a bulldozer subsequently flattens, with the body still inside. The video shows a desert setting similar to previous videos of killings.
DEMAND FOR REVENGE
In the pilot's hometown of Karak in southern Jordan, people demanded revenge.
"I want to see Sajida's body burnt and all the other terrorists in Jordanian prisons ... Only then will my thirst for revenge be satisfied," said Abdullah al-Majali, a government employee among dozens of demonstrators in the centre of Karak.
Relatives of the pilot also gathered in Karak and urged calm after anti-government protests broke out in the town. They said it was up to the government to take revenge for them.
Jordanian state television said on Tuesday that Kasaesbeh had been killed a month ago, on Jan. 3, and a source close to the Jordanian government said Amman had been picking up intelligence for weeks that the pilot was killed some time ago.
Given that Jordan’s own intelligence indicated the pilot was dead, the government decided it could not possibly release the woman absent convincing proof the pilot was still alive, the source said, and such proof never arrived.
The White House said the intelligence community was studying when the video was recorded and that U.S. President Barack Obama had ordered his team to devote all resources to locate other hostages held by Islamic State.
Obama rearranged his schedule on Tuesday to make sure he saw King Abdullah before the Jordanian leader flew back to Amman, a source familiar with the situation said.
A staunch U.S. ally, Jordan is part of the alliance against the Islamic State group that has seized large areas of Syria and Iraq. King Abdullah has defended the campaign against domestic criticism, saying that moderate Muslims need to combat a group whose ideology and brutality have insulted Islam.
The United States announced on Tuesday that it will increase annual aid to Jordan to $1 billion from $660 million to help it pay for the cost of housing refugees from Iraq and Syria and to fight Islamic State.
Obama praised Kasaesbeh for his bravery and said he was "in the vanguard of the effort to degrade and defeat the threat" posed by militants from Islamic State, also known as ISIL.
"Today, the coalition fights for everyone who has suffered from ISIL's inhumanity," Obama said in a statement, adding that the group's "hateful ideology" would be banished to "the recesses of history."
Leaders around the world voiced outrage at the brutal killing. "It is incomprehensible how human beings are capable of such a cruel act," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
In the video, the burned man wore orange clothes similar to those worn by other foreign Islamic State captives who have been killed since the U.S.-led coalition started bombing the militants in July.
Islamic State has previously released videos showing the beheadings of five U.S. and British hostages and said that it killed two Japanese captives in the same way. It has meted out the same treatment to many more Arab prisoners, including Syrian government soldiers.
The militants have stepped up the gruesome killings while coming under increased military pressure from the air strikes and a ground campaign by Kurdish and Iraqi troops to reverse their territorial gains in Iraq and Syria.
Islamic State emerged out of al Qaeda in Iraq. It expanded into Syria as the country was plunged into a civil war estimated to have killed 200,000 people since 2011.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Tuesday that 51 civilians, including children, had been killed by Syrian air force strikes inside the country within the past day.
The U.S.-led coalition says it does not coordinate with the Syrian government of President Bashar al-Assad, described by Washington as part of the problem. It does work with the Iraqi government, which is also fighting Islamic State.
'IGP can’t stop queries, he must give answers'
Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo said IGP Khalid Abu
Bakar has no business warning or threatening with contempt those wanting
answers on the motive for Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder.
“Many have questioned. The public have questioned. Journalists have questioned. Lawyers have questioned. (DAP parliamentary leader) Lim Kit Siang has questioned. And I have questioned. Is he warning all of us?” he asked.
“For if he is, let me tell him, don't play the fool with me. Don't warn or threaten us. This is to my mind, a matter of public interest. People have a right to question. Khalid must learn to respect that,” Gobind asserted.
“Khalid can rest assured, I will continue to question. And he as IGP, must answer,” emphasised Gobind (right). He added that as a federal lawmaker, this is his duty.
Yesterday, it was reported that the IGP warned the public from continuing to raise the issue of motive over Altantuya's murder as they could be held in contempt of court.
Khalid's comments follows political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda giving an interview to The Malaysian Insider last week where he said this was just an ordinary murder case involving rogue cops and that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had nothing to do with it.
This led Khalid to respond on the “rogue cops” remark and this in turn led to several politicians including Lim, to question the motive once again.
Gobind today further challenged Khalid to repeat whether police did probe for the motive into the killing of the Mongolian.
“If not, why not? If yes, do the police know who directed her killing and why?” he asked.
“If the IGP cannot take the pressure of questions any longer, and if he thinks he can get me for asking, for carrying out my duties as MP, l dare him to come. I will take him on,” the Puchong MP challenged further.
“Many have questioned. The public have questioned. Journalists have questioned. Lawyers have questioned. (DAP parliamentary leader) Lim Kit Siang has questioned. And I have questioned. Is he warning all of us?” he asked.
“For if he is, let me tell him, don't play the fool with me. Don't warn or threaten us. This is to my mind, a matter of public interest. People have a right to question. Khalid must learn to respect that,” Gobind asserted.
“Khalid can rest assured, I will continue to question. And he as IGP, must answer,” emphasised Gobind (right). He added that as a federal lawmaker, this is his duty.Yesterday, it was reported that the IGP warned the public from continuing to raise the issue of motive over Altantuya's murder as they could be held in contempt of court.
Khalid's comments follows political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda giving an interview to The Malaysian Insider last week where he said this was just an ordinary murder case involving rogue cops and that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had nothing to do with it.
This led Khalid to respond on the “rogue cops” remark and this in turn led to several politicians including Lim, to question the motive once again.
Gobind today further challenged Khalid to repeat whether police did probe for the motive into the killing of the Mongolian.
“If not, why not? If yes, do the police know who directed her killing and why?” he asked.
“If the IGP cannot take the pressure of questions any longer, and if he thinks he can get me for asking, for carrying out my duties as MP, l dare him to come. I will take him on,” the Puchong MP challenged further.
Who ordered the ‘hit’ on Altantuya?
"The truth to this murder is simply extremely too boring," Razak said. "It was a straightforward murder, but there are still people convinced that (the) police cannot do this without instructions. How many people die in (police) remand?"
Many people in Malaysia are asking what motive Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar had for murdering Altantuya. Why would two elite policemen, personal bodyguards to then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak, leave their official duty stations and go off to kill a woman that they had never met, using police-issued weapons that could be traced back to them?
According
to Razak, no one ordered them. They just did it. Razak compared it to
death in remand, even though Altantuya was not under police arrest.Are we supposed to believe that members of the Royal Malaysian Police, and especially members of the elite unit that protects the prime minister and other high-ranking officials, are cut-throat murderers, out-of-control cops who take it upon themselves to kill people?
Why would they kill an allegedly pregnant woman who was not robbing a bank, who was not a terrorist, and who was posing no danger to them? Are harassment and blackmail of the DPM's friends punishable by summary execution?
What Sirul said
Let's look at what Sirul had to say over eight years ago. When he confessed to the murder on Nov 19, 2006, he said that Azilah told him there would be a reward of between RM50,000 and RM100,000 "if the case was settled."
Settling the case, according to Azilah's instructions, meant to "shoot to kill" Altantuya and her two companions in the Malaya Hotel.
Sirul did not say where the reward money was coming from. But if money is involved, it seems clear that this heinous crime is not about rogue cops.
In his court testimony, Sirul said Azilah told him that "there was work to be done." He testified that Musa Safri, Najib's chief of staff, had told Azilah about "a friend who had women problems."In short, Sirul's account of the events goes like this. Musa told Azilah that "a friend" had a problem. Azilah then told Sirul that "there was work to be done," and that the "work" was to "shoot to kill" Altantuya and her two companions. When the "case was settled," there would be a reward of between RM50,000 and 100,000.
After he was found guilty in 2009, Sirul asked the court not to sentence him to death. In tears, he said that he was being sacrificed to protect unnamed people who were never brought to court or even faced questioning.
"I appeal to the court … not to sentence me (to death) so as to fulfill others' plans for me."
What did Azilah think?
Azilah's lawyer at the time, Zulkifli Noordin, said that Azilah "felt that he had been betrayed," and that as a member of the elite UTK security unit, "Azilah would not issue an order to his subordinate if he didn't receive orders from the higher-ups."
Zulkifli, who was then in the opposition, abruptly quit
as defence attorney because he said there were attempts to interfere
with the defence he had proposed. The reason for the interference and
pressure, he said, was "to protect a third party."Zulkifli also was quoted in a Wall Street Journal article. "My client is a senior-ranking officer in the special unit of the police, and he has always acted on instructions - including in this case."
Razak's ‘selective memory’
Razak himself gave ammunition to what he calls the conspiracy theorists with his own statement to the police in 2006. He said that after he explained his predicament to Musa in October 2006, Musa then sent Azilah to see him, two days later.
In his affidavit, Razak said that Azilah said that he had "personally killed between six and 10 people," and that he could easily "finish off the girl."
(I always found it curious that the police never investigated and asked Azilah who the other six to 10 people were that he killed.)
Razak said that he was "shocked"
at Azilah's statements about murdering other people and his readiness
to "finish off" Altantuya. He says he replied that he merely needed
police protection.Yet notwithstanding Razak's admonition, Azilah and Sirul killed Altantuya the next day. Azilah then called Razak and said, "Tonight, sir, you can sleep well."
It is hard to believe that a woman lost her life simply because she was harassing a man, a private citizen, and that members of an elite police unit would take it upon themselves to kill her for that - on their own volition.
If all that Razak wanted was police protection, then why didn't Musa send an ordinary policeman, instead of taking two bodyguards away from the DPM's personal protective detail?
Or - why didn't he send an immigration officer to arrest and deport Altantuya?
And if Razak had expressed concern about killing Altantuya and said that all he wanted was police protection, why did Azilah ignore Razak's concerns and return the next day with Sirul, spirit Altantuya away, and then kill her and destroy her body?
Did she know too much?
But Altantuya was no ordinary woman, and her lover was no ordinary man. He was the agent for the purchase of the Scorpene submarines, a deal that is still under investigation by the French government for illegal payments. And she was with him throughout that time.
Part
of the Scorpene money, €36 million (RM148 million) went to a phantom
shell company in Hong Kong controlled by Razak. Altantuya traveled with
her lover Razak to Paris as the negotiations were conducted. Razak's
friend was the defence minister then, and he was responsible for the
purchase - and the purchase price - of the subs. The murderers were the
defence minister's personal bodyguards.So, I'm sorry, Razak. This whole situation is neither boring nor straightforward. We would like to ask you:
-
How much did Altantuya know?
-
What did she learn about the Scorpene deal from her times together with you?
-
You said in your Malaysian Insider interview that your
problem with Altantuya was purely a very private matter between the two
of you and had nothing to do with the Scorpenes. But as the saying goes,
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned."
Knowing Altantuya's state of mind, do you think she was prepared to tell what she knew about the Scorpene deal if she didn't get what she wanted from you? After all, she was blackmailing you.
Najib's aide Musa was never called to testify, but there are a number of questions that we would like to ask him, too:
-
Razak told you about his problems with Altantuya on Oct 16, but it was two days later before you sent Azilah to see him. Did you talk to anyone about Razak's problem during those two days? Who? What did you discuss?
-
Was anyone concerned that Altantuya, who seemed to be desperate, in a
rage, and out of control at that time, might reveal what she knew about
the Scorpene deal?
-
Why did you pick Azilah, who boasted of killing 6 to 10 people, to
handle the problem? Why didn't you send an ordinary street police man,
if all Razak wanted was police protection? Or why didn't you send an
immigration officer to pick her up and deport her back to Mongolia?
-
Why do you think that "killing the woman" was the solution that Azilah immediately proposed to Razak?
-
Precisely what instructions did you give to Azilah?
- Why do you believe that Azilah and Sirul, two people under your direct command, committed this murder?
Given all this background, is it surprising that people still believe that the whole truth has yet to be revealed? The murderers have been convicted. But this case is not yet over. People want to know, who ordered the "hit" on Altantuya.
It is time for the police to visit Musa, and see what he has to say. But perhaps they already did, eight years ago, during their investigation of the murder.
In his remarks to Malaysiakini on Sunday, inspector-general of police (IGP) Khalid Abu Bakar added to the intrigue. He said that it is standard procedure in murder investigations to cover all angles, including establishing the reasons behind the action and securing the necessary evidence for a prosecution.
Khalid said that information is "recorded in the Investigation Papers which are submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action." He stressed that it was not the police's role to question the prosecutor or courts for not delving into the motive during the hearing process.
The question therefore is whether the police interrogated Musa and others in the DPM's office eight years ago, and if they did, what information they passed on to the AG's Chambers. After all, Khalid said that it is standard procedure in murder investigations to "cover all angles."
The prosecution, as we know, never called Musa as a witness, claiming that his testimony was not necessary. Yet the Court of Appeal unanimously concluded that Musa's testimony indeed was essential to the narrative upon which the prosecution's case was based.
The court ruled that "the failure of the prosecution to call or offer Musa for cross-examination... would have triggered adverse inference... against the prosecution."
In this case, adverse inference means that a reasonable person could infer that the prosecution would have produced Musa if his testimony would have been supportive of their position that these two acted alone. But because they did not call him, it could mean that his testimony would not have supported their case.
The prosecution, it could be inferred, did not want Musa to be subject to cross-examination by Azilah's and Sirul's attorneys because his testimony might have undercut and been adverse to the prosecution's case.
No matter what Razak says, this is not an open-and-shut case. There are too many unanswered questions.
JOHN R MALOTT is former US ambassador to Malaysia. The research for this article owes a debt to the detailed and extensive reporting on the Altantuya and Scorpene cases for over nine years by Asia Sentinel.
Zunar gets UN boost as Putrajaya bids to hush him
While Putrajaya has repeatedly tried to silence
Zulkiflee Anwar Ulhaque - better known as Zunar - the United Nation (UN)
is giving the cartoonist a platform to speak to the world.
Zunar, who has faced multiple raids and had his cartoon books confiscated, said he has been invited to speak as a panelist at a UN forum in Geneva on Friday.
"In my speech, I will reaffirm my stand that the freedom of expression for artists - including cartoonists - is paramount and cannot be compromised.
"I will also touch on the lack of commitment from the UN to protect artists - hence giving more power to corrupt regimes and extremist bigots to be more repressive towards artists," he said in a Facebook posting.
The forum is titled, ‘Defending Artistic Expression: Time for the UN to Act’ and is part of the UN Human Rights Council Session and jointly organised by Article 19, a London-based human rights group.
Zunar's
office was last Wednesday raided by the police and three titles
totalling 155 books confiscated as part of a sedition probe.
The probe was initiated after authorities arrested Zunar's staff for selling his books titled, ‘Konspirasi Memenjarakan Anwar’ (Conspiracy to Jail Anwar) and ‘Pirates of the Carry-BN’ during Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's (right) Sodomy II appeal.
Meanwhile, New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Putrajaya to "halt the legal harassment" of Zunar.
"Instead of threatening critics with an outdated sedition law, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should be working to scrap the legislation, as he once vowed to do," said the CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative.
Zunar, who has faced multiple raids and had his cartoon books confiscated, said he has been invited to speak as a panelist at a UN forum in Geneva on Friday.
"In my speech, I will reaffirm my stand that the freedom of expression for artists - including cartoonists - is paramount and cannot be compromised.
"I will also touch on the lack of commitment from the UN to protect artists - hence giving more power to corrupt regimes and extremist bigots to be more repressive towards artists," he said in a Facebook posting.
The forum is titled, ‘Defending Artistic Expression: Time for the UN to Act’ and is part of the UN Human Rights Council Session and jointly organised by Article 19, a London-based human rights group.
Zunar's
office was last Wednesday raided by the police and three titles
totalling 155 books confiscated as part of a sedition probe.The probe was initiated after authorities arrested Zunar's staff for selling his books titled, ‘Konspirasi Memenjarakan Anwar’ (Conspiracy to Jail Anwar) and ‘Pirates of the Carry-BN’ during Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's (right) Sodomy II appeal.
Meanwhile, New-York based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged Putrajaya to "halt the legal harassment" of Zunar.
"Instead of threatening critics with an outdated sedition law, Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should be working to scrap the legislation, as he once vowed to do," said the CPJ senior Southeast Asia representative.
10 reasons why ‘puak Cina’ succeed in M’sia
At the outset, I got help for this article from one originally written by Dr Chan Lui Lee of Melbourne so 90 percent of the wisdom is his but 100 percent of the sarcasm is mine.
This is also meant to be a wake-up call for those who threaten everyone else (by using state machinery) and think that the country owes them a living and everyone else is a threat.
Just to get the readers into the mood, here's a famous song as a teaser.
Twenty years of crawling were bottled up inside him.
He wasn't holding nothing back - he let 'em have it all.
When Tommy left the bar room, not a Gatlin boy was standing.
He said, "This one's for Becky, as he watched the last one fall.
(And I heard him say,)
I promised you, Dad, not to do the things you've done
I walk away from trouble when I can
Now please don't think I'm weak, I didn't turn the other cheek,
And papa, I should hope you understand
Sometimes you gotta fight when you're a man.
- Kenny Rogers
Chinese
people don't go about bombing, terrorising others and creating
religious hatred. They don't enter into a country on the pretext of
humanitarian reasons and then, try to take over the country by applying
warped ideologies.They don't impose "no go zones" for their hosts and don't demand separate laws for themselves. They don't hatch plots to kill non-believers nor do they harbour or finance such attempts.
They live peacefully with everyone on Earth and if you sent them to Mars, they will make it very liveable too. Take along the Indians too, then it would be a thriving technology-spurred economy.
Why do Chinese succeed in life?
Here is why the Chinese are welcomed almost anywhere:
1. There are over 1.4 billion Chinese on this earth. They are like (after all, all look the same) carbon copies of each other. You get rid of one, five magically appears (like ballot boxes in some countries).
They acknowledge that they are replaceable, they are not particularly 'special'. If you think they are smart, there are a few thousand more people smarter than them. If you think they are strong, there are a few thousand people stronger than them.
2. They have been crawling all over this earth for far more centuries that most (except for the other hardy people, the Indians) civilisations. Their DNA is designed for survival. They are like cockroaches. Put them anywhere on earth and they will make a colony and thrive.
They survive on anything around and make the best of it. In Klang, they threw pig parts into a broth to feed their coolie lot a 100 years ago and today it's a delicacy. Some keep migrating but others will stay and multiply.
3. Nobody cares if they succeed as individuals or not. But their families take pride in knowing they have succeeded. Yes, some will fail. They take nothing for granted. They don't expect privileges to fall on their laps. No one owes them anything.
4. They know they have nothing to lose if they try to succeed. They have no fear in trying. That is why Chinese are attracted to gambling. They thrive on taking risks. Winner takes all.
5. From young they are taught to count every cent. What they take for granted like money management, is not something other cultures practice at home with their children. (It didn't surprise me as I was like them too - some say I'm more Chinese than most Chinese).
But the truth is not all societies or cultures teach their young this set of survival skills because it is considered rude.
Yes,
most of them can count wonderfully because they are forced to and the
logic of money is pounded into them from the beginning of time (when
mama tells them how much she has spent on milk and diapers). Nobody
lowers the benchmark to allow them to "pass" Mathematics.6. They acknowledge life cycles. They accept that wealth in a family stays for three generations. That, every fourth generation will have to work from scratch. That is, the first generation earns the money from scratch, second generation spends the money on education, third generation gets spoiled and wastes all the inheritance. Then they are back to square one.
Some families hang on to their wealth a little longer than most. I'm not sure where Yap Ah Loy's wealth is now but I sure hope his descendants are benefitting from it.
7. It is their culture to pressure the next generation to do better than the last. Be smarter. Be stronger. Be faster. Be more righteous. Be more pious. Be more innovative. Be more creative. Be richer. Be everything that you can be in this lifetime. And if you have some money, take it to the next life when you go.
8. Their society judges them by their achievements... and they have no choice but to do something worthwhile because Chinese New Year comes around every year and Chinese relatives have no qualms about asking them straight in their face - how much are you making? When was your last promotion? How big is your office? What car do you drive? Where do you stay?
You have boyfriend? You have girlfriend? When are you getting married? When are you having children? When is the next child? When you getting a boy? Got maid yet? Does your company send you overseas?
It never ends... so, they can't stop chasing the illusive train - they are damned to a materialistic society. If you are not Chinese, consider yourself unlucky.
9. They have been taught from young that if you have two hands, two feet, two eyes, and a mouth, what are you really doing with them? "People with no hands can do better than you!"
Chinese people never beg, they earn their living. They don't expect government contracts, they get it... well, with their hard-earned money. They sometimes buy it but that's economics.
10. Ironically, the Chinese also believe in giving back to save their rather materialistic souls. Balance is needed. The more their children succeed in life, the more their parents will give back to society as gratitude for the good fortune bestowed on their children.
Yes, that is true. See the Vincent Tans in Malaysia. And that is why Chinese society progresses in all environments.
Nobody pities them and they accept that. No one owes them anything and they know that. There are too many of them for charity to reach all of them and they acknowledge that. But that does not stop them from making a better life. Opportunity is as we make of it.
So, pardon them if they feel obliged to make a better place for themselves in this country we call home. They are not ‘puak pendatang’ and it is the same home as you and me. It is in their DNA to seek a more comfortable life. In whichever country they reside in.
But
if history were to be our teacher, look around this globe. Almost every
country has a Chinatown but how many government/countries are 'taken'
over by the Chinese people.Don't be afraid of them overwhelming your majority, they are not looking to conquer. China is probably the only major power (besides India) that didn't go on a crusade to further its boundaries and religion.
I think their real religion is money and there's no harm in that. The more money they make, the more to go around. Win-win for all.
If they have moved away from China and Chinese-governed countries, they are not looking for another country to administer. They are more interested in making money than to run a country, seriously.
Their representatives are only there to look after their collective welfare. I don't think a Chinese wants to be prime minister in Malaysia. He'll be better off being a business tycoon for sure.
They prefer to blend in and enjoy the fruits of their labour. They enjoy the company of like-minded people of all races. After all, just like you and me, they are only passing through a small period in the history of time... so, use their skills and we can all progress forward together.
Calling for a boycott of Chinese-owned business is not only foolish but in the end, self-destructive.
RAMESH RAJARATNAM is more offended than the Chinese by a recent racist rant by a minister and hopes to educate the masses for a win-win situation.
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