Police continue lockdown amid outrage over gang rape

New Delhi (CNN) -- Police continued to block off a key government district in India Tuesday in an effort to stop protesters angered about the gang rape of a woman.

Furious weekend demonstrations rocked the Raisina Hills section of New Delhi as public outrage surged. The protests started after a 23-year-old woman was sexually assaulted and beaten to near death on a bus on December 16 by a group of six suspects, now under arrest, police say.

The security barriers throughout the Raisina Hills area, home to the presidential mansion, the parliament building and federal ministerial blocks, did not stop protests in other areas Monday.

Scores of young students held demonstrations at the Jantar Mantar observatory, a regular protest site, some distance from the restricted area in New Delhi.

Many demanded immediate convening of a special session of parliament to amend laws to make rape a crime punishable with death.

"We are not satisfied with the prime minister's statement. Our protests will continue until parliament sits immediately to pass stringent laws on sexual assaults," said Om Prasad, a protester.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh again expressed solidarity with the rape victim in a televised address on Monday. He also reiterated an earlier appeal for calm and a pledge of safety for women and children.

On Sunday, incensed protesters defied a police ban on demonstrations, clashing repeatedly with police.

As officers sprayed water cannons, some dispersed, while others huddled tightly in a circle to brave high-pressure streams in the cold December weather.

A police officer, who suffered injuries during the protests died in a hospital Tuesday, said police spokesman Rajan Bhagat. Also the 23-year-old rape victim remained in a critical condition at another hospital in the city.

Doctors treating her said Monday her condition had worsened. She has been treated for internal bleeding and is receiving "high doses of antibiotics" for an infection.

Reported rape cases have increased more than tenfold over the past 40 years -- from 2,487 in 1971 to 24,206 in 2011, according to official figures. New Delhi alone reported 572 rapes last year and more than 600 in 2012.

Authorities haven't released the name of the rape victim, but protesters are calling her "Damini," which means "lightning" in Hindi.

PKR tampil pertikai air mineral BN Selangor

Moscow’s only ISKCON Temple facing threat to demolish under the sanction of Orthodox Christian Church.

Conspiracy to abolish Hindu-Buddhist influence from Russia.

Russia’s only Hindu temple faces threat of demolition.

TNN | Dec 24, 2012 | New Delhi :: The Indian ambassador to Russia has asked the Moscow authorities to give an extension to a temporary temple which is set to expire on December 31, 2012, until they complete the construction of a Vedic cultural centre.
NEW DELHI: A year after Russia sought to ban the Bhagavad Gita, the Iskcon Krishna temple in Moscow is facing closure by the Russian government. By January 15, 2013, Iskcon monks said their Moscow temple, the only Hindu temple in Russia, would be demolished by the city authorities.

As Russian President Vladimir Putin arrives on Monday for a day of talks with the Indian government, the temple issue is likely to figure in the discussions, not least because the issue has been pursued by the foreign ministry.

Indian ambassador to Russia Ajai Malhotra has asked the Moscow authorities to give an extension to a temporary temple which is set to expire on December 31, 2012, until they complete the construction of a Vedic cultural centre. Asked about the proposed demolition, Russian ambassador to India Alexander Kadakin dismissed fears of demolition.

However, Iskcon monk Madanmohan Das said the demolition order has not been revoked, so the temple is due to come down in January, because the authorities said it “violates the urban building code” and has no legal grounds for existence.

In a statement, the temple officials said they feared that even the permanent temple would face the axe. “A source in the Moscow mayor’s office said on condition of anonymity that Mayor Sergey Sobyanin also ordered to axe the permanent temple project, which Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and previous Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov had included in a joint declaration in 2006 as a symbol of cultural cooperation between the cities. Following the declaration, Indian ambassador Ajai Malhotra laid the cornerstone for the new project earlier this year,” the statement said.

This year, Russia plans to push for land from the Indian government for a Russian orthodox church in Delhi. In 2004, Moscow’s Iskcon temple was demolished and the Iskcon group was offered another plot to build a temple. Reports said the offer was withdrawn after Russian orthodox church members protested against the temple building plans.

Last year’s Bhagavad Gita trial had brought Lok Sabha to its feet and in a rare move, Parliament had collectively asked Russia to prevent the ban. The latest issue of demolition promises to put another wrinkle in the bilateral relations. [Courtesy: TOI]

Hindu Existence – Post Script: This Orthodox Church of Russia is not going to demolish religious places of other faiths except the Hindus and obviously ISKCON’s. As this Hindu group is working hard to fulfill the spiritual vacuum among the materialistic Russian people so disgusted by the meaningless services of Orthodox Church. After attacking the Srimadvagabad Gita’s ISKCON version (‘Gita as it is’ by Prabhupada), the Orthodox Christians are directly hitting ISKCON from their sheltering place. And we foolish Hindus are celebrating various Christian celebration in our own way. What a suicidal measure we are taking all around. Stop buying cakes for a persecutors’ (Christian0 celebration. Donate for a Hindu Cause to Ramakrishna Mission, ISKCON, Bharat Sevashram Sangha… where ever you get a scope to strengthen your Hindu society.

We don’t know the real Hindu-Buddhist history of Russia. ISKCON has many branches in Russia having Shri Krishna-Gour Netai Temples in Russia. Ramakrisna Mission has its branch in Moscow. Regular Hindu pujas are conducted there in Ramkrishna Temple.

Azerbaijan’s Baku still carries the reminiscence of Hindu Agni Puja in Jwalaji Temple (Hindu Temple ). Russian Mongolia has still Buddhist (TantraYana) majority and Hindu-Buddhist amity. Buryatia still maintains its Indian roots in religious practices. But, the Christian conspirators are planning to end the Indian influences in Russian religious practices.

SAVE HARE KRISHNA HINDU TEMPLE IN MOSCOW OR REMOVE CHURCHES FROM INDIA.

 

Rotten Egg Attack Mars Indonesia Christmas Celebration

Happy Holidays from The Religion of Peace!

More than 200 Indonesian Muslims threw rotten eggs at Christians wanting to hold a Christmas mass near land outside Jakarta where they plan to build a church, police and a witness said.

Some 100 Christian worshippers intended to hold a mass near empty land where they hope to build a church, about 30-kilometers east of the capital, in a project barred by district government and community members in 2009.

Since then, worshippers from the Filadelfia Batak Christian Protestant have held Sunday services under scorching sun outside the property.

On Tuesday, however, local community members blocked the road near the land, Andri Ananta, a local police chief on Jakarta's outskirts, told AFP.

An AFP photographer witnessed furious locals — men and women wearing Muslim headscarf, with small children in tow — physically blocking the road and throwing rotten eggs at the gathering worshippers.

Ananta said police managed to convince the Christians to drop their plan and return home.

"We tried our best to avoid any clash and the Christians agreed to leave," he said, adding 380 police and military personnel including an anti-riot squad were deployed to the area.

Church leader Reverend Palti Panjaitan said the incident came after a Christmas Eve attack on Monday evening when "intolerant people" threw not only rotten eggs but plastic bags filled with urine and cow dung at them.

"Everything had happened while police were there. They were just watching without doing anything to stop them from harming us," he told AFP.

The country's high court last year overruled the district government's 2009 decision, but constant intimidation from Muslims in the area has delayed the church's construction, church officials said.

Indonesia's constitution guarantees freedom of religion but rights groups say violence against minorities including Christians and the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect has escalated since 2008.

Ninety percent of Indonesia's population of 240 million identify themselves as Muslim but the vast majority practice a moderate form of Islam.

Agence France-Presse

Gunmen kill six at Nigerian Christmas service

Gunmen attacked a church in northern Nigeria during a midnight mass on Christmas Eve, killing six people including the pastor, before setting the building ablaze, residents and police said Tuesday.

By FRANCE 24

© AFP file photo from Christmas 2011

Gunmen killed six people attending midnight mass at a church in northern Nigeria on Christmas Eve, police and residents confirmed on Tuesday.

“A group of gunmen came into the village at midnight and went straight to the church... they opened fire on them, killing the pastor and five worshippers. They then set fire to the church," said Usman Mansir, resident of Peri village, near Potiskum, the economic capital of Yobe state.

Mansir specified that a branch of the Evangelical Church of West Africa (ECWA) was the congregation that was targeted.

A senior police official in Yobe confirmed the details to AFP, but declined to be named.

Boko Haram Islamists have carried out several attacks in Yobe, which borders the state of Maiduguri, where the insurgent group is based.

The Islamists are blamed for killing hundreds of people in northern Nigeria since 2009. It was not clear who was behind the latest violence.

While Yobe's population is overwhelmingly Muslim, the commercial hub of Potiskum has a significant Christian minority. Peri is just two kilometres outside the city.

I am PM for all, Najib tells Christians

The PM addresses attendees of a Christmas High Tea celebration at the Luther Centre in Petaling Jaya December 25, 2012. — Picture by Saw Siow Feng

PETALING JAYA, Dec 25 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak today reassured the Christian community in Malaysia that his government has not forgotten them despite growing feelings that they are being sidelined.

The prime minister appeared to placate the community by praising the contributions of Christians in Malaysia, especially the role played by mission schools in raising the bar in education.

“I do not want to be a prime minister for only a particular section of the community. I’m a prime minister for all Malaysians, and I’ve said that repeatedly,” Najib reminded a Christian crowd at a Christmas party here.

Najib cited the recent lift of a ban for Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem as proof that the government recognises Christians as essential to the nation.

“I believe that a God-fearing Christian, with strong values, would be good for Malaysia,” he added.

Najib also called for Christian leaders to continue engaging in dialogue and to engage the government constructively.

“I am pleased to note that we have, for the past three years, a permanent dialogue mechanism,” he urged, referring to the government interfaith committee headed by Datuk Azman Amin Hassan.

Najib told the crowd that he was inspired by Christian leaders who are active participants in the committee and had encouraged the government to improve interreligious relations.

Besides praising mission schools, the PM also paid tribute to the many charitable initiatives run by churches such as welfare homes, legal aid clinics, and outreach programmes.

The Lutheran Church of Malaysia’s Bishop Philip Kok had earlier in his opening speech thanked the PM for lifting the ban.

“Indeed, this is a wonderful Christmas gift for many of our members,” Kok said.

Around 1,000 Christians gathered in the Luther Centre here for a Christmas High Tea celebration organised by umbrella body Christian Federation of Malaysia.

Lawmakers across the political divide were spotted at the event, including the Minister of Information, Communications and Culture Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, Gerakan President Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng.

Also present were MCA secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha and vice-president Datuk Donald Lim, DAP’s Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and PKR’s vice-president Tian Chua.

Earlier this month, Putrajaya had rescinded its quotas, age floor and other travel limits imposed last year on Christian Malaysians wishing to make their pilgrimage to Jerusalem.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) government’s move, ahead of Christmas and national polls, was seen as a bid to win back dwindling support from the minority community that barely makes up 10 per cent of the country’s 28 million-strong population but is regarded as a swing vote group in urban areas and crucial to the battle to reclaim the middle ground.

Christian Malaysians had voiced their unhappiness with Putrajaya after churches were allowed to send only up to 20 pilgrims to Jerusalem a year besides limiting their stay there to a week, among several constraints, acts they saw as further erosion of their religious freedom guaranteed by the Federal Constitution.

In recent years, the Christian and Muslim religious communities have been engaged in a tug-of-war over the word “Allah”, with the latter group arguing that its use should be exclusive to them on the grounds that Islam is monotheistic and the word “Allah” denotes the Muslim god.

MIC is finished, says ex-leader

Muthu Palaniappan predicts a worse outing than in 2008 and says the party will drag down BN with it.
INTERVIEW

SEREMBAN: MIC will do worse in the coming election than it did in 2008, according to a former leader of the party.

M Muthu Palaniappan, a defector to PKR who claims to be familiar with grassroots feelings, made this prediction in an interview with FMT.

He said a majority of Indian voters had grown tired of MIC’s “empty promises” and would make their feelings known at the ballot box.

Muthu’s main power base is Negeri Sembilan, but he was one of the few state MIC leaders who rose to national prominence in the 80s and 90s. He was MIC Youth chief from 1979 to 1984 and vice president of the party from 1997 to 2000.

He holds the record as the longest serving Negeri Sembilan state assemblyman from MIC, having won the Si Rusa (now Port Dickson) seat in 1982 and the Rantau seat in 1986 and 1990. He was a member of the state exco for 13 years until 1995.

He was the Negeri Sembilan MIC chief from 1979 to 1995.

He was often in the news in the late 80s and early 90s for his bold criticism of party president S Samy Vellu.

Muthu studied law at Lincoln’s Inn and was once the chairman of the London Union of Malaysian and Singapore Students.

FMT: Why did you leave MIC after being with the party for 40 years?

MIC is not on the right track. Gone are the days of MIC leaders working for the people. Nowadays they work only to enrich themselves. They are not bothered about the Indian community.

Just look at the civil service and how the Indians are left out. The state of Indians in the public sector is very sad. What has MIC has done? Nothing. MIC leaders at the national level have not kept their promises. That’s why I left and joined PKR.

How do you think MIC will fare in the 13th general election?

It will lose badly, worse than in 2008. The people—Malays, Chinese and Indians—have already made up their mind to vote for changes.

The expectations of the Indians are high. They want government jobs, but the intake of Indians into government service leaves much to be desired. And even among those lucky enough to have jobs in the civil service, they have low expectations of being promoted.

The situation is similar with intake into public universities. Not enough places are offered to Indian students although many of them are deserving.

MIC does nothing about all this. The only thing MIC does is make empty promises, millions of empty promises.

Let’s talk about Negeri Sembilan. Indians make up quite a sizeable number of voters in the state. Surely some will vote for MIC.

MIC will lose everything in Negeri Sembilan. The remaining MIC seat in Negeri Sembilan is the Jeram Padang state seat. This seat will go to Pakatan Rakyat.

MIC has been talking about winning back the Port Dickson state seat and the Teluk Kemang parliament seat. It must be joking.

Negeri Sembilan MIC is very ineffective. It has done nothing for the Indians in the past 10 years.

Other Barisan Nasional component parties also will face the same fate as MIC because the Indians are the balancing power in Negeri Sembilan. This fact is known to Umno as well. No point giving hampers at the last minute. There is awakening among the Indians in the state.

Negeri Sembilan MIC is divided into factions, but they pretend to be united. There are many MIC branch leaders pretending to be loyal to the party. But they are only eyeing the material benefits that will come during the election campaign period.

Politically, they have felt cheated for a long time. They are disappointed. Just watch out; these leaders will throw their support behind Pakatan during the general election.

What are your feelings about MIC chief G Palanivel?

He is the weakest president in MIC’s history. He can’t gather any support. He has no grassroots support.


Palanivel has a strange political style. He has chosen a few people to be with him in a small circle. He doesn’t know that these people are actually there only for material benefits, not out of loyalty to MIC and BN.

What do you think of the idea of bringing back Samy Vellu to help MIC retake Sungai Siput?

BN will lose at least an extra 10% of votes not only in Sungai Siput, but also throughout the country.

Samy’s presence will tremendously help Pakatan. It will send a signal to the voters that Palanivel is a weak president.

There is some talk about friction between you and Teluk Kemang PKR chief M Ravi. Would you care to comment on this?

Actually, it was Ravi who invited me to join PKR last year. He said I would be an asset because of my experience and contacts in government.

He promised he would take me to meet Anwar Ibrahim, but he has yet to do so. But that is last year’s story.

I have always been a strong supporter of Anwar. I supported him even after he was expelled from Umno.

We were the respective national youth leaders of Umno and MIC in the late 70s and early 80s, and we had long discussions with regard to the poverty and suffering of Malays and Indians. Anwar is really a genuine leader who is interested in improving the lot of poor people, whether Malays or Indians.

Anwar and PKR headquarters know that I have recruited more than 2,000 members from MIC and the Indian community throughout the country. The PKR state and national leaders know my political worth throughout the country.

I’m not power crazy. I genuinely and sincerely want to work towards uplifting the socio-economic condition of the people—Malays, Chinese and Indians. I want justice for everyone.

Are you eyeing the Teluk Kemang parliament seat?

Yes. I have been working in Teluk Kemang constituency for the past six months and I have visited every household in Teluk Kemang at least thrice so far. The people are very happy to see me.

I think Ravi fears my standing in the eyes of the public, especially in Teluk Kemang. But I’m prepared to work with everybody, including Ravi. I can work with him in the interest of the Teluk Kemang people.

What makes you think PKR needs you to get Indian support?

I delivered the goods during my time as Negeri Sembilan state exco member. The Negeri Sembilan Indians have a high regard for me for my contributions to them.

I have also done a lot of social work and I continue to do so, not only in Negeri Sembilan, but also in Johor and Perak.

The 2,000 new Indians members that I brought in into PKR were not only from Negeri Sembilan. Actually, the larger portion came from Johor and Perak. I have been building my support base in all three states since my time in MIC.

Indian contractors not paid for work done

A MIC branch chairman says Indian contractors are not paid for the work done in Tamil schools and blames the party for it.

PETALING JAYA: A MIC branch leader, who seems to be on a crusade to oust MIC president G Palanivel, today alleged that Indian contractors, entrusted to remedy and repair Tamil schools nationwide, have not been paid for the job done.

S Padnmanagan, the Petaling Jaya SS2 MIC branch chairman, said he had received several complaints from the Indian Builders Association of Malaysia (IBAM) that some of its contractors were not paid for the work in Tamil schools.

Padnmanagan said MIC was entrusted by the government to pick the right contractors and identify the Tamil schools that needed repair works, and to pay for the work done.

When contacted, IBAM president P Rajoo confirmed that several of its contractors were yet to receive payments ranging from RM19,000 and RM20,000 for the job done.

“There is a delay, we were promised 14 days for payment once the job is complete. It has been three weeks now and still no news”, said Rajoo.

“Many contractors were given jobs in other states and they often bear heavy costs for logistics and accommodation for workers. They can’t afford to keep returning to the job sites again and again when people from the Prime Minister’s Department make site visits,” he added.

Padnmanagan said since MIC was entrusted with the funds to repair Tamil schools, the party seems to be aloof when it came to payments.

“Why is this so? The money is given by the government. There is no short fall in funds. So, why is MIC president (G Palanivel) not releasing the funds? Are the funds with the MIC or has gone elsewhere?” he told FMT when contacted.

President a loner


Launching an attack on Palanivel, he said the president of the largest Indian-based political party in the country does not hear views of grassroots leaders but works alone.

“Palanivel always works alone and does not listen to issues raised by the grassroots members. No attention has been given to help resolve issues from the ground level,” said Padnmanagan.

He also accused Palanivel, who is in charge of the Public Complaints Bureau, of not handling the bureau in an effective manner.

“The Public Complains Bureau (PCB) has been idle and inactive ever since he took over. How else do we raise issues? If he (Palanivel) doesn’t know how to run the PCB, we shall ask Murugiah to teach him how to administrate it,” he added.

T Murugiah was a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of the PCB before Palanivel took over.

“There is no proper leadership, he does not want to get involved with NGO’s, let alone his own delegations. People say he has only been a leader for two years, but he has been an MP for 20 years now. Does he still not know how to serve the people and his community?” asked Padnmanagan.

Pekida akan terus pertahankan kedaulatan bangsa Melayu dan agama Islam

(Bernama) - Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) akan terus mempertahankan kedaulatan bangsa Melayu, agama Islam dan tanah air daripada dirosakkan oleh mana-mana pihak, kata Presidennya Jamaludin Yusof.

Beliau berkata sebagai sebuah pertubuhan yang diwujudkan atas dasar Melayu dan Islam, sudah pasti kedua-dua dasar berkenaan menjadi pegangan utama dan akan diperjuangkan sampai bila-bila.

“Pekida mempunyai misi dan visi tersendiri iaitu menegakkan Islam dan memastikan bangsa Melayu terus menjadi tunjang negara. Kita akan terus mempertahankan agama, bangsa dan negara walaupun terpaksa berjuang hingga ke titisan terakhir.

“Justeru kita sebagai anggota (Pekida), kita mempunyai tugas yang berat untuk pastikan kestabilan politik negara dikekalkan supaya negara akan terus aman dan damai,” katanya semasa berucap pada Mesyuarat Agung Pekida Malaysia ke-18 yang dirasmikan Ketua Menteri Melaka Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, di sini hari ini.

Jamaludin berkata sehingga kini keanggotaan Pekida sudah menjangkau kira-kira 300,000 orang dan jumlah itu sangat penting dalam menguatkan pertubuhan itu dalam memperjuangkan matlamat penubuhannya.

“Pekida mempunyai anggota yang ramai dan kita sedang mencari formula bagaimana untuk menyatukan kesemua anggota supaya perjuangan kita mencapai matlamatnya.

“Kita tidak mahu satu hari nanti kita terpaksa menangis di belakang pintu disebabkan oleh kegagalan kita untuk mempertahankan bangsa, agama dan negara kita sendiri,” katanya.

Jamaludin turut menyeru semua anggota pertubuhan itu agar terus menyokong kerajaan sedia ada yang sudah terbukti banyak membantu membangunkan syiar Islam selain mempertahankan keistimewaan orang Melayu sejak negara merdeka hingga kini.

“Hanya kerajaan yang ada sekarang ini akan terus memberikan kemakmuran, kesejahteraan dan kebajikan kepada rakyat. Jadi, saya minta semua anggota Pekida agar terus menyokong kerajaan pimpinan Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sekarang ini agar semua yang diperoleh sekarang ini berterusan untuk anak cucu kita,” katanya.

Nasihat Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim Kepada Pimpinan UMNO

Who needs Santa when we have Najib?

Mariam Mokhtar

Who needs Father Christmas when we have Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak?

The world has Father Christmas. In western folklore, he is the legendary figure who brings presents to the homes of good children on the night of Christmas eve. He is usually portrayed as a chubby, joyful, white-bearded man who wears black boots and a red suit trimmed with white fur. Santa lives in the North Pole with Mama Claus, and is assisted by his magical elves and flying reindeer.

In Malaysia, Najib has assumed the role of Santa, with his various handouts. Najib does not have Santa’s long white beard nor rosy cheeks, but many women claim to be envious of his luscious red lips.

Both the Malaysian Santa and his Mama Claus live in a sprawling mansion called Seri Perdana, with an air-conditioning system which would make Santa jealous. To put things into perspective, the official residence of the British PM, No 10 Downing Street, is a garden shed in comparison.

Seri Perdana has deep pile carpets, kitsch Louis Farouk gilded antique reproduction furniture and the walls are adorned with several life-size portraits of both Santa Najib and the Malaysian Mama Claus. A psychiatrist would find these portraits interesting material for a thesis on narcissism.

Santa Najib has his own elves; they are small in stature and small-minded, so that many people have dubbed them, ‘Little Napoleons’.

Instead of eight flying reindeer, Santa Najib flits around the world in government jets and high powered cars. When on Malaysian soil, other motorists are forced off the roads by outriders.

Britain’s monarch travels around in an English car, with one outrider. Sometimes, her consort, Prince Philip drives around in his own black London cab. One would have thought that Santa Najib would be proud to be driven in a Proton, the national car of Malaysia. Why does he use an imported car?

Santa delivers toys and sweets to the well-behaved children of the world, whilst naughty ones receive coal. English children leave mince pies for Santa. In Malaysia, things are different; whole families have to leave their souls for Santa Najib. He also delivers money and contracts to his cronies.

Instead of distributing presents from a big bag on Santa Najib’s sleigh, Mama Claus buys bags and rings.

As it is an election year, Santa Najib cannot be too picky. He cannot pretend to help only the Muslims. He must pretend to help everyone. Santa Najib cries “Ho, Ho, Ho... You help me, I help you.” 

In days of old, the people who gave Malaysian leaders the most headaches would simply disappear and be swallowed up by the Internal Security Act (ISA); but in these days of activism and political awareness, Santa Najib has to be careful. His major headache is the Malays. They must be persuaded to vote Umno, to maintain his party’s strangle-hold on power.

Have the ultra-conservatives been gagged?

Surprisingly, in the run-up to Christmas this year, we have not heard of complaints about carols being banned from shopping malls, carolling being forbidden outside homes or of crucifixes being torn off walls in preparation for a visit by a senior Umno politician. Have the ultra-conservative Muslims and Malays been gagged?

The run-up to most festivals is stressful. Housewives suffer from the normal stresses of buying food and worry if there will be sufficient stocks. They are aware that some unscrupulous retailers will hoard food items to cause panic buying, so they can sell at a premium.

Fortunately, none of the usual Christmas foods have been banned. Do bans affect only Muslim festivals? You may remember that the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) took Golden Churn butter off the shelves because they were deemed haram. There were allegations of pig DNA being found in the popular brand of butter, used by many Malays and cakeshops to make kek lapis for Hari Raya.

Most people said that they had never heard of pigs being milked for butter.  The cynics said that the herds of genetically modified dairy pigs must be top secret; no films of these herds have ever been released.

The most important celebration in the Christian calendar is Easter. If GE13 is held before Easter and Santa Najib wins, he will probably ban hot cross buns, to appease the ultra-conservative Muslims.

Last week, Santa Najib played to the Indian community by saying that Indian teachers would be allowed into Malaysia to teach English. Few have fallen for this election gimmick.

Surely, the most cynical ploy by Santa Najib is the lifting of travel restrictions on travel to Israel for Christians.

The oft-asked question is why now? Why do it with GE13 approaching?

Jerusalem is a holy city for Christians, Jews and Muslims. Are Malaysian Muslims still banned from travel to Israel?

If Santa Najib was sincere, he could lift the ban on the use of the word Allah by Malaysian Christians. He could also lift the ban on Malay Bibles. What about censuring extremist Muslim and Malay groups and individuals, for their fiery propaganda against Christians?

Many people, including Muslims, go abroad to admire the fine architecture of churches and abbeys, or wonder at the simplicity of old chapels. Why do modern Malaysian churches have to look like a shoplot or a factory unit?  How about lifting the restrictions on the building of churches in Malaysia?

The only good thing about Santa Najib’s Christmas cheer is that the Malaysians who make their way to Jerusalem would at least feel at home with the ‘1Israel’ slogan.

‘1Israel’ is so similar to Santa Najib’s ‘1Malaysia’, you’d think the Israelis and Najib were in league.
Happy Christmas to Everyone!

---

MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In ‘real-speak', this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist.

Need For Continuous Dialogue To Improve Inter-religious Relations - Najib

PETALING JAYA, Dec 25 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak called on Christian leaders to continue engaging in constructive dialogue to improve inter-religious relations in Malaysia.

He said that no one should fear constructive dialogue because "we can only respect and appreciate one another more, if we know one another better".

"While I accept the nurturing and building relationships are time-intensive, however, we must continue to do so in the best interest of Malaysia which must always be the overriding objective of all communities of Malaysia," he said.

He said this at the Christmas high tea hosted by the Lutheran Church at the Luther Centre here Tuesday.

Najib noted that Christian leaders had been active participants for the past three years in a dialogue mechanism known as the Committee to Promote Harmony and Understanding Among Religious Adherents, headed by Datuk Azman Amin Hassan who is the National Unity and Integration Department director-general.

Najib said that to succeed in this endeavour, the government needed copious amounts of goodwill and understanding.

"We can only realise this aspiration by fostering and nurturing mutual understanding and respect. In view of this, we encourage dialogue and discourse, but we have been cautious to do so in the context of our diversity and the challenges it poses," he said.

Najib said that Malaysia, with its close and historical links with Islamic countries, China and India, coupled with its multi-ethnic population must harness the strategic advantage of constructive dialogue as the nation addressed challenges of globalisation and economic changes.

Furthermore, he said the government had formulated policies to reflect this advantage and would continue to do so in the spirit of 'Malaysia Truly Asia'.

He pointed out that his administration had devised the '1Malaysia - People First, Performance Now' concept, anchored in the country's Constitution, Rukun Negara and a vision to see Malaysia emerge as a developed nation by 2020.

Najib continued that Malaysia was fortunate enough to enjoy steady economic growth that had lifted millions out of the clutches of poverty, stressing that the opportunity to succeed remained within the reach of every Malaysian who was ready to work for it.

He also spoke on the need to continuously assist the less fortunate, saying one of the key thrusts of the 1Malaysia concept was social justice which he described as a key component in ensuring that everyone was given the opportunity and the tools to succeed.

In this connection, Najib urged Malaysia's Christian community to join in the journey of change and renewal for a better Malaysia.

The prime minister said he understood the community might have felt the government had not done enough to engage them.

"But I must, in good conscience, state that we have in fact achieved quite a lot through subtle engagement away from the glare of publicity," he said, adding that the latest decision to lift restrictions on Christians to carry out pilgrimage in Jerusalem was one of the results.

"This is the inclusivity that I'm seeking because I believe there is a place for all of us under the Malaysian sun.

"I'm also here today to once again offer the hand of friendship of the government, to embrace the Christian community and share your goodwill. I don't want to be a prime minister for only a section of the community, but for all Malaysians," he said to the applause of the audience.

Reaffirming his commitment to the Christian community, Najib said they should not feel that they had been forgotten.

"The countless personal interactions I've had with church leaders show that I've not forgotten the Christian community as some had alleged. In fact, every community, be it ethnic or religious, is important to me and my government because we can't exclude anybody," he said.

Among those present were Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Information Communication and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim and his wife Datin Seri Maznah Rais, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Transport Minister Datuk Seri Kong Chor Ha.

Others included Christian Federation of Malaysia chairman Bishop Datuk Ng Moon Hing, Bishop of the Lutheran Church Malaysia Philip Lok and Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Archbishop Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam who represented the Catholic bishops.

BN feels heat as opposition campaigners make forays into Felda schemes

BN supporters have apparently blocked and attacked an opposition convoy trying to enter a Felda scheme in Negri Sembilan, a state that will be much watched in the coming general election.

The road block was set up on the morning of 23 December along the road that connects the Jelai Felda scheme and Gemencheh, where the Bukit Rokan Utara Felda scheme lies.

The orange-shirted opposition campaigners were forced to abandon their plan to prevent the situation from escalating. One of their four-wheel drives also came under attack, injuring a couple of the campaigners. The campaigners from the Persatuan Anak Peneroka Felda Kebangsaan (Anak) apparently were also blocked from entering the Bukit Rokan Barat Felda scheme.

The incident raises the question whether BN supporters have the right to block opposition politicians from moving along any roads.

From unverified video footage, it appears that police were present. What action did they take against the perpetrators of the violence?

In March this year, Free Malaysia Today reported about the Bukit Rokan Utara Felda settlers’ unhappiness over the performance of Felda contractors engaged to maintain their smallholdings.

The Bukit Rokan Utara Felda scheme lies within the Gemencheh state seat in Negeri Sembilan. Gemencheh in turn lies within the Tampin parliamentary constituency.

Although Gemencheh and Tampin are both BN strongholds, the BN’s winning majority over Pas in the Tampin parliamentary seat has been whittled down from 18084 in the 2004 general election to 13079 in 2008.

In the 2008 general election, the BN received a fright in Negri Sembilan, winning only 21 state seats in Negri Sembilan against the Pakatan’s 15 (DAP – 10; PKR – 4, Pas – 1). The BN managed to win just five of the eight parliamentary seats up for grabs in the state as the opposition achieved a 14 per cent swing in support in its favour. Recently a large turnout at a Pakatan ceramah in Seremban Jaya raised opposition hopes of an even better showing in the coming general election.

Over in Pahang, the Anak campaigners were similarly blocked from entering the Jengka 23 Felda scheme a day earlier. Again, police appeared to be present.

The Jengka 23 Felda scheme lies within the Kerdau state seat and the Kuala Krau parliamentary seat in Pahang. Although the BN won the Kerdau by-election in 2011 with a slightly bigger majority, its winning majority in Kuala Krau was slashed from 7351 votes in the 2004 general election to 5265 in the last general election.

Later the campaigners were blocked from entering the Jengka 21 Felda scheme for prayers at the mosque:

Jengka 21 lies within the Jengka state seat (within the Kuala Krau parliamentary seat), where the BN’s winning majority over Pas was cut from 1714 in 2004 to 596 in 2008.

Meanwhile, the lacklustre performance of the Felda Global Ventures shares is not helping the BN cause. The current price of R4.61 is barely higher than the IPO price of RM4.55. That’s a far cry from the closing price of RM5.30 on the day it was first traded in June. 

Felda Global Ventures share price – Graph: Bloomberg

And look at the plunge in crude palm oil prices over the last two years:


No wonder the BN folks are feeling jittery.