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Wednesday, 6 February 2013

India can learn respect for women

Editor's note: Suniti Neogy works as a maternal health program coordinator in India for the global poverty-fighting organization CARE.
 
(CNN) -- The December gang-rape and murder of a young woman in New Delhi has stirred consciences in India in a way I have never before experienced: It has forced Indians to confront a terrible truth that for our girls and women, violence and discrimination are facts of daily life, an epidemic that, researchers say, claims nearly 2 million lives in India each year.

But now the real work begins for each of us who took to the streets in protest. How do we channel the energy of those demonstrations into real solutions for our communities?

I got a taste of the challenge earlier this month, when officials from the Barabanki district in Uttar Pradesh, a state adjoining New Delhi, asked if I would lead a workshop promoting teen safety and gender sensitivity for the government schools.

I was disappointed to see they had invited only the heads of girls' schools. And so I accepted under one condition: that the principals of the district's boys' schools attend as well. Because if there's one thing I'm certain of it's that all the candlelight vigils, passion and protests will be in vain if we don't figure out how to make men and boys part of this growing movement to transform gender relations in my country.

For more than a decade I've worked for the poverty-fighting group CARE as a community educator on health and gender issues. I've seen how the deep inequalities between women and men trap millions of Indian families in cycle of poverty. But along the way, I've also met countless men who, given an opportunity, were willing to examine and improve their behavior towards the girls and women in their lives.

The fact is most people want what is best for their loved ones. Aggressive behavior toward women isn't innate. It's learned and can be unlearned. When prompted to reflect on their attitudes towards women's education, sharing domestic tasks, having girl children, and even violence, the boys and men I work with every day can and do change.

Opinion: Misogyny in India: We are all guilty

Often it starts with something simple, like the laundry.

I think of Ram, a man I worked with in the village of Pavaiya Viran. A husband and father with a macho job -- he drills underground pumps -- Ram attended sessions where he was given a chance to analyze gender roles in his life. He understood that men and boys are under pressure to express power and that when they feel weak or frustrated, their gut reaction is often to demonstrate power, even if that means violent or abusive behavior.

Ram eventually adopted a new outlook; that truly strong men don't show power, they show care. "Let the other men laugh at me for cooking and washing clothes," he told me. "Why should my wife alone do all things?"

Now I'm not saying men doing laundry is the solution. But each time he folds the linens, Ram shows his children he respects his wife and treats her as an equal, not someone subservient.

And so I kept thinking of Ram as I gathered with the group of 53 principals from boys and girls schools earlier this month. We addressed the importance of installing security cameras at school gates, assuring a woman driver or conductor is on every school bus, and having clean, working toilets at schools so girls and boys are not forced to go outside to relieve themselves. This was all necessary. But it felt like we were playing defense. Only when the educators were forced to hold a mirror up to their own lives did it feel like we were playing offense, too.

Opinion: End global rape culture

Many acknowledged that it's their duty as parents and community leaders to lead the next generation by example. One principal realized he'd never even considered doing household chores, not as a boy or, now, as a husband and a father. Another vowed to make gender equity a required part of parent-teacher conferences. By the end of the session, every man and woman in the room was thinking about changing not only others but also him or herself.

We have a long way to go, and not just in India. A World Health Organization global survey found that 59% of women in rural Ethiopia report being subjected to sexual violence from their intimate partner, 62% of women in Peru report physical violence at the hands of their partners and 30% of women in rural Bangladesh say their first sexual experience was forced. The problem is not confined to the developing world either. Nearly one in five women in the United States has been raped or has experienced attempted rape.

Even so, I'm confident that the Indian people can demonstrate to the world that we're not powerless in the face of some global epidemic. We can change. That starts by treating this moment not as some global airing of our dirty laundry but rather a national awakening to the reality that all of us -- girls and boys, women and men -- must do our part in cleaning it.

Melayu : Penjaga Anjing


Amusement park planned for Osama bin Laden’s hideout

Abbottabad, the site of bin Laden's slaying, is planning to build a $30 million amusement park

Amusement park planned for Osama bin Laden's hideoutA local residents walks near a house, seen at centre, on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, where al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was caught and killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan on May 2, 2011. (Credit: AP/Aqeel Ahmed)

Global Post This article originally appeared on GlobalPost
 
Pakistan is planning to build an amusement park in the town of Abbottabad, notorious for being the site of Osama bin Laden’s death.

The amusement park and outdoor activity center is planned for the edge of the northwestern town and will begin construction in the next two weeks.

“This project has nothing to do with Osama bin Laden,” said Syed Aqil Shah, the provincial minister for tourism and sports, adding that the 50-acre development would also include restaurants, a heritage center and manmade waterfalls.

“The amusement city will be built on 50 acres in the first phase but later will be extended to 500 acres,” he told Agence France-Presse.

“We are working to promote tourism and amusement facilities in the whole province and this project is one of those facilities.”

“The project will take five years to complete,” Jamaluddin Khan, the deputy provincial minister for tourism, told Reuters, that it would include a zoo, a mini-golf course, rock climbing and paragliding.
Javed Abbasi, a provincial member of parliament who supported the park, said, “It was unfortunate that Osama stayed here but I don’t think it was the fault of the city, where he had no support,” according to the Guardian. “People are not fanatic, they do not support terrorists – you cannot blame a city if someone hides here.”

Bin Laden was killed in his compound by US Navy SEALs in a raid on May 2, 2011. The large white villa has since been demolished, Reuters noted.

BREAKING: ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT, A SHOT AND MISFIRE AT ISLAM CRITIC LARS HEDEGAARD, ARAB PERPETRATOR SUSPECTED……..BREAKING:

siren
UPDATE:  The TT is told by someone close to Lars Hedegaard via email: “He is okay, but we’re all in shock. It’s a miracle he is alive. The attacker looked like an Arab.” 
Henrik R.Clausen informs me that Lars just recently told him that he’ll under no circumstances lessen his criticism of Islam. “What was the truth yesterday remains truth today” – you can quote him for that.
Mark Steyn: Incidentally, the slapdash hack at the Associated Press can’t even get the basic facts right, reporting that Lars was “fined 5,000 kroner ($1,000) in 2011 for making a series of insulting and degrading statements about Muslims,” but apparently unaware that last year the Danish Supreme Court struck down his conviction 7–0.

read more 
http://tundratabloids.com/2013/02/breaking-shots-fired-at-islam-critic-lars-hedegaard-breaking.html

Islamic authority imposing restrictions on non-Muslims in ‘Allah’ row, says interfaith group

 KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 — A non-Muslim interfaith group chided today the Selangor Islamic Council (MAIS) and a former top judge for trying to control the rights of Malaysia’s religious minorities in the tussle over “Allah”, which they said was against the country’s highest law.

The Malaysian Consultative Council Of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) was weighing in on recent statements issued by MAIS and ex-Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheik Abdul Halim, barring non-Muslims from calling their gods “Allah”.

“This is tantamount to imposition of restrictions by an lslamic Council or body against non-Muslims. It could also be seen as an attempt to control the religious practice of a non-Muslim religion by an lslamic body or organisation,” it said in a statement today.

The council warned against the “unhealthy practice” of pushing the idea that non-Muslims were bound by a fatwa or ruling from Islamic bodies like MAIS, saying it could spark religious tension.

“Any attempt to govern non-Muslims or interfere with non-Muslims’ practise of their religion by any Muslim body must be stopped immediately. It would be against the Federal Constitution. This unhealthy practice could also lead to unwanted social repercussions and raising of tensions between communities,” it added.

The statement was signed by Tan Hoe Chieow who is MCCBCHST president and head of Taoism here; deputy president Jagir Singh for the Malaysian Gurdwara Council; and Sing Kan and Prematilaka KD Serisena for Buddhism; and Rev Thomas Philips for Christianity; Datuk RS Mohan Shan for Hinduism.

The non-Muslim interfaith group said there are no laws, whether at federal or state level, to impose rulings or fatwa on non-Muslims.

It stressed that the only law applicable to non-Muslims was laid in Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution, which restricted them from preaching their religious doctrine or belief to Muslims.

MCCBCHST said no non-Muslim was disputing Islam’s position as the religion of the federation.

It urged Muslims who disagreed that non-Muslims had a right to call their gods “Allah” to read the Constitution carefully and holistically, pointing to Articles 3(4) and 11(4).

Referring to Ahmad Fairuz, the group said it failed to understand “how the former Chief Justice could overlook the fact that all the enactments of the 10 states are made under Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution, and that Article 11(4) only provides for the control or propagation of any religious doctrine or belief amongst persons professing the religion of lslam.”

“This article does not forbid other religions from propagating to their adherents.

“In other words, if you do not profess or practise lslam, then no restrictions may be placed on you as to how you practise your religion,” MCCBCHST said, adding every religious group has the right to manage its own religious affairs.

The interfaith group also said the High Court had in 2009 ruled that provisions in state enactments forbidding the use of certain words by non-Muslims is unconstitutional.

It added that it supported the decision of non-Muslims to continue to use “Allah” for their gods as found in the holy books.

The “Allah” row, which first erupted shortly after Election 2008, is again in the spotlight in the run-up to Election 2013 and is threatening to drive a wedge between non-Muslims and the Malay-Muslim community who form 60 per cent of Malaysia’s 28 million population.

Two high profile judges in case-fixing video

'Video MP' releases a two-minute video showing alleged case fixing within the judiciary.
UPDATED

PETALING JAYA: Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo Burne, who became an overnight sensation with the VK Lingam tapes, has released a new video clip which he claimed showed another case fixing within the judiciary.

The two-minute video, recorded by his father Mui Fah, showed an alleged case fixing involving “high-profile” judges a few years ago.

The video clip shows Mui Fah discussing a civil case with an accountant in which both were involved.

In the video clip, Mui Fah was seen discussing about the accountant’s relationship with a certain “W”, purportedly a senior judge, and another named J.

“W you know very well. Your good friend! So you can ask W to help you,” said Mui Fah.

“Yeah … but no need. J [another friend] is there! My good friend. J, my old wheeler dealer broker,” said the professional.

The pseudonyms “W” and “J” could not be heard in the video clip but were provided in the transcripts distributed by Gwo Burne.

“We have provided information and evidence of continuing malpractice and fixing of cases to the highest bidder,” Mui Fah told a press conference here.

“Like it or not, justice in Malaysia can be bought and sold,” he added.

Mui Fah expressed disappointment at the lack of change in judiciary despite the VK Lingam fiasco in 2007 which saw then Chief Justice Ahmad Fairuz’s retirement after his tenure was not renewed due to objection from the Conference of Rulers.

“Despite a lot of reports on changes and transformation, unfortunately behind the scenes, not much has changed,” he said.

‘Something fishy going on’

Despite requests from the press to divulge more details regarding the matter, Mui Fah said he will only release further information once Chief Justice Ariffin Zakaria responds to the issue.

“I am not revealing details at this moment because of legal issues surrounding it, but I have provided enough information to the chief justice and the highest authority in the government to look into the complaint,” he said.

“However, regardless of whether the government responds, in the not too far future we will reveal what is contained in the video,” he added.

Asked who recorded the video, Gwo Burne said: “I helped set it up and left it in place to record the conversation”.

Gwo Burne explained the accountant was a liquidator for a company involved in the civil case.

He hoped Ariffin would respond soon with “something proper”.

“We have given him enough details to show that something fishy is going on,” he said.

“We expect stern action to be taken. If not, we will show more details about the names and cases.”

Gwo Burne, 38, shot to fame in 2007 when a video that he shot led to a Royal Commission of Inquiry into the manipulation of judicial appointments.

The video clip showed senior lawyer Lingam conversing over a phone allegedly with the then-chief justice, Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, to allegedly fix the appointment of “friendly” senior judges.

The video earned Gwo Burne the parliamentary seat when he contested in the 2008 general election, defeating Barisan Nasional candidate Lee Hwa Beng and independent Billi Lim.

‘Vishwaroopam’ to screen with 16 ‘cuts’

Former MIC vice-president S Veerasingam urged Hindus to be calm saying the Indian Muslim community had not demanded a ban of the movie.

KUALA LUMPUR: Controversial Tamil movie “Vishwaroopam”, directed and produced by famous Indian actor Kamal Hassan, is poised for release in Malaysia soon.

The decision to air the movie was made after a meeting between distributors Lotus Five Star Sdn Bhd, represen tatives from a coalition of 60 Indian-Muslim NGOs and MIC officials today.

The meeting agreed to mute 16 scenes in the three-hour movie. Prior to the ban, the movie had nine scenes muted.

The ban came about after some Indian Muslims staged a protest against “Vishwaroopam” for having scenes offensive to Muslims.

Speaking on behalf of Lotus Five Star, former MIC vice-president S Veerasingam said the distributor hoped that the Home Ministry would revoke the ban imposed on the movie.

“Initially Lotus had muted nine scenes. Now it will mute another seven scenes. In total, 16 scenes will be muted. It will be similar to what is shown in Tamil Nadu, India,” Veerasingam told a press conference here.

Also present were MIC strategy director S Vell Paari and the Coalition of Indian-Muslim NGOs leader Mohd bin Kader Ali.

Veerasingam, however, did not specify when the movie would be released.

“The distributor has to send the muted version of the movie to the Censor Board for a second review. Only after we get their go-ahead can we screen the movie. So, it will take some time before the movie hits the screen,” he said.

“Vishwaroopam” was released on Dec 24 and was screened at theatres here. However, the movie was banned by the Home Ministry the very next day after a group of Indian Muslims staged a protest against it.

Veerasingam, meanwhile, also urged Malaysian Hindus not to be too emotional over the banning of the movie as the Muslim NGOs never asked the movie to be banned.

“They never asked the movie to be banned, instead they wanted some scenes cut from it. We as Hindus need to respect their religion,” said Veerasingham.

He also said MIC will arrange a tripartite meeting with Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to revoke the ban on the movie.

Has Najib lost confidence in MIC?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s appearance at numerous 'Indian' events and function shows he has lost his confidence in the MIC, claim two opposition Indian leaders.

KUALA LUMPUR: Over the last month or so, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has been frequenting several events attended by Malaysian Indians and this has started tongues wagging.

Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional chief, is now termed as the de facto president of MIC, which claims to have some 630,000 members, making it the largest Indian-based political party in the country.

Speculation is rife that Najib has taken it upon himself to win the hearts and minds of Indian voters after realising that MIC, which had been tasked to bring back crucial Indian voters to the Barisan Nasional fold, had failed miserably.

Indian voters, who traditionally supported the BN, deserted the ruling coalition at the 2008 general election, which saw the BN lose its long held two-thirds majority in Parliament and also four state governments.

The MIC contested nine parliamentary seats in the polls but only won three parliamentary constituencies. Its president G Palanivel and then party supremo S Samy Vellu both lost their seats in Hulu Selangor and Sungai Siput respectively.

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) secretary-general S Arutchelvan said Najib’s recent initiatives showed that the prime minister was desperate for Indian votes.

“The Malaysian Indian community was politically awakened after the Hindraf rally in November, 2007. Before the Hindraf rally, the Indian community was taking things for granted… whatever happens, BN will be in power. Now people want to see a change by giving an opportunity for the opposition to take over,” he claimed.

Asked if the Indian electorate had forsaken the opposition pact, made up of PAS, PKR and DAP, based on the low Indian turnout at the recent Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat rally at Stadium Merdeka, he said fewer Indians at the rally does not reflect on their support for the opposition.

“Fewer Indians at the rally does not mean Indians have left the opposition pact. What BN should fear is the huge turnout of Malay supporters at the rally. At the Bersih rally late last year, there were a lot of Chinese but few turned up for the Stadium Merdeka rally. This does not mean that the Chinese have started supporting the BN within the last two months.”

Seven promises

“As far as Indians are concerned, those who attended Najib’s function are just going to benefit from the goodies and freebies BN throws. But these same people will vote for the opposition. Najib has spent more on Indians than any other prime minister. This is an indication that he has fear of the opposition coming to power,” claimed Arutchelvan.

He said PSM does not predict Indian votes returning to the BN, but the fact that the BN keeps postponing the general election showed that the ruling coalition doubts winning the next GE.

Opposition MP M Kula Segaran, who is also DAP vice-chairman and Ipoh Barat MP, said MIC has forgotten the seven promises made to the Indian community prior to the last general election.

“MIC promised equitable participation in the share market, increased Indian intake at public universities, better employment opportunities, increase in the number of government scholarships, greater access to entrepreneurship training and micro-credit loans, an effective urban poverty eradication programme, and the establishment of a dedicated mechanism to monitor and evaluate the delivery of public sector services in a just and fair manner.

“My advice to Samy Vellu and Palanivel is to ask Najib what he has done on these seven critical issues instead of attacking Pakatan Rakyat and heaping praises on Najib. Samy Vellu may have short memory but the Indian voters will not forget the seven critical issues which he had mentioned.

“Samy Vellu and Palanivel should tell Najib that the BN’slogan ‘Janji DiTepati’ (Promises Fulfilled) would sound hollow if these seven critical issues are not resolved,” said Kulasegaran.

He said BN should be aware that the community played kingmakers at the last election which caused a political tsunami and resulted in BN’s worst election performance todate.

‘Get out, cops are coming!’

Workers at an illegal gambling outlet are being tipped off by policemen on impending raids, claims a crime fighter.

PETALING JAYA: “Everyone get out, the police will be here in four minutes!”

Knowing that a raid was imminent, workers at the Simpang Pertang illegal gambling centre hastily ushered their customers out and planted damaged computers for the police to seize.

Within minutes, a police patrol car entered the area, made three rounds without stopping or braking, and left empty-handed.

Relating this incident to FMT was MyWatch chief R Sri Sanjeevan, who, disguised as a customer at these outlets, had tipped off Bukit Aman that the outlets were still operating illegally.

But his efforts were foiled as a police officer from the nearby police station allegedly alerted the outlets’ workers of the raid.

“I was undercover at one of the outlets and called Bukit Aman at 10.31pm to tip them off that the outlets were still operating,” said Sanjeevan.

Last Thursday, Negeri Sembilan police announced they had set up a team to investigate Sanjeevan’s claims that an officer had threatened to shoot him for exposing illegal activities in the area.

State CID chief ACP Hamdan Majid had also denied the MyWatch chief’s claim that police were protecting the illegal gambling centres, pointing out that 232 raids were carried out since 2011

Nothing has changed

But according to Sanjeevan, an undercover trip to the outlets the following night revealed that nothing had changed.

Aside from the fact that the workers were warned in advance, he expressed disgust over the apparently half-hearted method in which the police ultimately conducted the raid.

“A police car went one round around the shop lots, then a second round, then a third round – without stopping or even braking. They took a short cruise, then left,” he recalled.

He said that after the “raid”, a uniformed policeman entered the shop and told the workers that they could resume operations.

“It’s very clear to me now that the police are business partners of this illegal syndicates. The whole syndicate is run by ex-policemen,” he added.

Sanjeevan said he immediately informed Hamdan what had transpired and demanded that the ACP take action.

“I told him the culprit is inside the force and asked him why he was still protecting those guilty in the Jelebu police force.

“Hamdan told reporters that they had conducted hundreds of raids on this area since 2011, but why are these outlets still operating?” said Sanjeevan.

He was referring to a Bernama report in which Hamdan refuted the MyWatch chief’s claims that the local police had done nothing to stop the illegal gambling syndicate in Simpang Pertang.

Hamdan had said that 66 raids were carried out in 2011, 154 in 2012 and 12 in January.

But according to Sanjeevan, several police officers from Negeri Sembilan had told him that those who arrested parties involved in the illegal gambling syndicates were transferred within a month.

“It’s an internal transfer. That means the culprit is sitting up in the IPK Negeri Sembilan,” he claimed, referring to the state’s police contingent headquarters.

“So I am urging the Inspector-General of Police and Deputy Inspector-General of Police [DIG] to remove Hamdan if he is not doing his job,” said Sanjeevan.

‘Police trying to nail me’

Sanjeevan also accused the police of harassing him and his companions.

“Before I called up Bukit Aman that night, I first called Hamdan to tell him that the gambling outlets were still operating. But he told me that if the police raided the area and I was inside, they would arrest me,” he said.

“I told him ‘don’t you know how to protect a whistleblower? I’m giving you information that could lead to an arrest, but you want to put me in lock-up!’” he added.

Sanjeevan claimed that Hamdan had also said that the police could not immediately raid the area as they needed time to plan.

“I said to him ‘I give you information, you plan, and by the time you come, the outlets close’. As usual, he protects his people,” he said.

A frustrated Sanjeevan turned to Bukit Aman instead, and the so-called “raid” was carried out an hour later.

“After the raid was over, Hamdan called me up and demanded ‘why did you call Bukit Aman? Don’t you trust me?’”

“I told him ‘yes, I don’t trust you. You told me you were going to arrest me, despite me being a whistleblower. How am I supposed to trust you?’” he said.

According to Sanjeevan, Hamdan had said that if he was sitting in the outlet, police would consider him as a gambler and have no choice but to arrest him.

“If it was one of their cops on stakeout, then they wouldn’t even think of arresting him. So it’s obvious they’re trying to nail me,” he claimed.

He also said that if the Negeri Sembilan police were serious about combating the illegal gambling syndicates there, they would have contacted MyWatch to obtain all the information.

“Give us one or two officers to assist us. I can give information on the area, they can conduct the raids,” he suggested.

“But instead, they look at us as if we are interfering in their work. I even texted DIG Khalid Abu Bakar before going to the area,” Sanjeevan revealed.

Protest for Sugumaran’s 2nd post-mortem

The aggrieved family is seeking a meeting with the Health Minister.

PETALING JAYA: A protest is likely to take place in front of the Health Ministry tomorrow by a group demanding a second post-mortem on C Sugumaran, the victim of an alleged extrajudicial killing.

“We’ve given the government until the end of today to respond to our request,” said PKR vice president N Surendran, whom Sugumaran’s relatives have engaged as their lawyer.

“We want to meet the Health Minister to get his approval for the second post-mortem. They haven’t got back to us.”

Sugumaran, a 40-year-old security guard, was allegedly beaten to death on Jan 21 by policemen and several members of the public.

His body was sent for a post-mortem at Serdang Hospital. Pathologist Mohd Azaini Ibrahim said in his report that he died of a heart attack.

However, Sugumaran’s family disputed the report, saying there were witnesses to the alleged assault and battery.

The police are seeking an inquest against the wishes of Sugumaran’s family.

Yesterday, Surendran told FMT the family would like famous Thai pathologist Pornthip Rojanasunand to conduct the second post-mortem with full access to facilities in a government hospital.

“We urge the prime minister and other relevant authorities to respond immediately to this request as the family is unable to carry out the last rites until the second post-mortem is concluded,” Surendran said.

Dr Pornthip, the director of the Central Institute of Forensic Science at Thailand’s Ministry of Justice, came to the attention of Malaysians when she testified in the 2010 inquest into the death of political aide Teoh Beng Hock.

Surendran said several PKR leaders would take part in tomorrow’s protest.

Hindraf-PM talks: Decision this month

Feelings at the grassroots are ambivalent, say sources.

GEORGE TOWN: Hindraf will decide this month whether to hold talks with Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to find permanent solutions to the socio-economic problems plaguing Malaysian Indians.

The movement’s central executive committee (CEC) met on Sunday to discuss the matter but could not reach a decision after hours of deliberation.

Sources said the CEC members paid particular attention to the ambivalence of grassroots feelings. Apparently, while many grassroots members are in favour of an electoral tie-up with Pakatan Rakyat, they are also dissatisfied with the performance of Pakatan state governments in championing the cause of marginalised working class Indians.

Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy said the 15-member committee would meet again this month to make a decision.

“Personally, I feel there is no harm meeting the prime minister,” he told FMT today.

“But the CEC must collectively sanction any decision in the community’s interest, not personal interests. We will announce our official stand.”

The idea for the talks with Najib emerged after the government lifted its ban on Hindraf last week.

This came months after Hindraf had held talks with PAS and PKR and submitted its “Indian Blueprint” to both parties for their adoption.

The movement has said that it would support any political organisation that would agree in writing to adopt the blueprint, which recommends a five-year programme aimed at the betterment of the Indian community.

Waythamoorthy told FMT he was upset that “certain quarters” had spread “rumours and misinformation” about Hindraf merely because the movement did not respond immediately to the lifting of the government ban.

“These groups are unethical and irresponsible in making various unfair insinuations,” he said. “They want to confuse the Indian public.”

He said Hindraf regarded it as its duty to find permanent solutions to Indian issues and was therefore not impressed by the “mere rhetoric of change”.

The plight of the Indians, he added, could not be addressed by organising “Ponggal fiestas” for them or “throwing crumbs” at them, even if these came at the cost of millions of ringgit.

He said both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan had capitalised on the Indian issue only to further their own political ambitions.

“Hindraf has been working with the poor who have been neglected and whose voice has been silenced,” he said.

“We will not be dictated on what is best for them. We will find the right solutions.”

‘Don’t convert Tamil schools’

The Tamil Foundation argues that the Education Ministry will muscle in on Tamil schools if these schools are turned into fully aided ones.

PETALING JAYA: The Tamil Foundation, a non-governmental organisation aimed at safeguarding the Tamil language in the country, does not want the government to convert partially-aided Tamil schools into fully-supported establishments.

Tamil Foundation committee member K Sivakumaran said the government should instead upgrade all existing fully-aided Tamil schools and put them on par with national schools.

“What is the point of changing the titles when the infrastructure at Tamil schools is deplorable,” he told FMT.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak promised that he would look into converting in stages partially-funded Tamil schools to fully aided schools. He, however, did not specify how many of the 523 Tamil schools in the country would be fully aided.

Najib, who was speaking to tens of thousands of Indians gathered at the Unity Ponggal Festival in Dataran Merdeka, added, however, that the “conversion” would have to be discussed first with his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin who is also Education Minister.

But Sivakumaran argued that the idea was futile because currently fully-aided Tamil schools were also in deplorable condition. As such, there was no difference between these schools and partially-aided ones.

“The infrastructure in both categories of schools is bad. Fully-aided schools receive funds from the Education Ministry for infrastructure, while partially aided schools have to depend on donations from the public to upgrade the school.

“But we find that the condition of these two types of schools are the same. So, it just does not matter if they are fully aided or otherwise.

“Almost all Tamil schools are in shameful conditions,” he added.

Is Najib sincere?

Another concern is that once converted into a fully-aided Tamil school, the school’s Parent-Teacher Association and board of governors are subject to towing the line set out by the Education Ministry.

“If they become fully-aided schools, the Education Ministry can intervene in any decision made by the school board.

“Under the fully-aided scheme, the school’s land belongs to the government. The school administration then is forced to bow to the ministry’s directives,” said Sivakumaran.

There are currently 168 fully-aided Tamil schools in the country.

Sivakumaran further said that the Education Ministry should not meddle in the administration of Tamil schools even if they were fully funded.

“The government should encourage all Tamil schools to form a board of governors. The board should consist of Education Ministry officials, parents, alumni and the public, all under one umbrella,” said Sivakumaran.

He also said the Education Ministry must change its mindset and accord equal treatment to all schools.

“A separate department to improve and upgrade Tamil schools must also be set up. This department must be headed by a Tamil educationist,” he added.

Sivakumaran stressed that if Najib was sincere in his efforts to improve, more non-Malays must be appointed to decision-making positions within the Education Ministry.

Musa’s relative jailed for ‘identity’ issue

There has been no official request from Manila to deport Manuel K Amalilio, suspected of scamming 15,000 Filipinos of RM859 million.

KOTA KINABALU: Mohammad Kamal Said aka Manuel K Amalilio, the fugitive wanted by the Philippine authority was yesterday charged with possessing a Philippine passport and sentenced to two years’ jail by the Magistrate’s Court here.

Magistrate Nuruhuda Mohd Yusof imposed the sentence on Mohammad Kamal Sa’aid, 47, after he pleaded guilty to a charge framed under Section 12 (1) (d) of the Passport Act 1966 which is punishable by a maximum fine of RM10,000 or a jail term of up to two years or both, upon conviction.

The proceedings was held at a medical ward Queen Elizabeth Hospital One here, where the accused was admitted believed to be suffering a liver ailment.

The accused, who was defended by counsel Hairul Vaiyron Othman, was detained at Terminal Two of the Kota Kinabalu International on Jan 25, for committing the offence.

The charge stated that, Mohammad Kamal possessed the Philippine passport under the name of Amilillio Manuel Karingal bearing the numbers XX4025549 which he had obtained fraudulently.

The accused was ordered to serve his jail sentence from the date of his arrest on Jan 25 this year.

Prosecuting officer Inspector Azwal Azman told the court that the accused was arrested by a police team and among items seized were his MyKad as well as his Philippine passport.

He said investigation by the Commercial Crime Investigation Department confirmed that he is a Malaysian in possession of a Philippine passport without legal authority.

Pleading for a light sentence, his counsel submitted that his client had no criminal record.

Hairul also said that Mohammad Kamal had regretted what he had done and requested for an appropriate sentence to be imposed on him.

No official request to deport

In reply, Azwal applied for a deterrent sentence taking into account that this case had involved Malaysia and the Philippine.

The magistrate also ordered the passport to be surrendered to the Immigration Department following an application by the prosecution for further action.

Mohammad Kamal became infamous overnight following his arrest by the police.

He is accused of being the mastermind of an investment scheme and had fled to Sabah from the Philippines after allegedly cheating 15,000 Filipinos of nearly 12 billion pesos (RM895 million) last November.

State Police Commissioner Hamza Taib revealed that the police had detained the accused in Ranau over “identity issues” and not the investment scam in the Philippines.

There had been no official request by Manila police to Bukit Aman to arrest Mohammad Kamal so far, said Hamza.

In November last year, the Philippine police launched a manhunt for the accused, purportedly a Malaysian from Sabah who went by a different name in the Philippines.

The accused, who allegedly told Filipino investors that he was related to several senior Sabah politicians including Chief Minister Musa Aman, was said to have operated a pyramid investment scheme under a company called Aman Future Group Philippines Inc, promising returns of up to 67%.

The victims had used their savings, mortgaged homes and borrowed to invest in the scheme.

Among those who lost money in the scheme are senior Philippines government officers and including President Benigno Aquino’s sister Kris who was said to have invested 50 million pesos in it. A family of 25 members reportedly lost a total of 150 million pesos, while another investor claimed to have lost 31 million pesos.

Musa’s ‘distant relative’

Many affected Filipinos have also been coming to Sabah to look for Mohammad Kamal.

Musa has admitted that Mohammad Kamal is a “distant relative” but denied that he had interfered in the Filipino’s repatriation.

“I have a large family and I have just recently been informed that this individual is a distant relative,” he was reported as saying in a statement on Sunday, adding that he learned about Mohamad Kamal “through the news”.

“Let me make it very clear that the Sabah state government did not and will not intervene in this matter. This is a police and Interpol matter…

“Whether or not Amalilio (Mohamad Kamal) is a relative, the authorities should investigate the matter and take the necessary action. No one is above the law,” he said, while expressing hopes that Malaysian and Filipino authorities would cooperate to resolve the matter quickly.

The Philippines media reported its Interior Secretary Mar Roxas as accusing Musa of blocking the extradition Mohammad Kamal while Philippine Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the accused was whisked away by the Malaysian authorities 10 minutes before he was to board a flight to the Philippines.

Don’t jump to conclusions, says EC chief


(Bernama) - The Election Commission (EC) is requesting all parties not to jump to conclusions to implicate the EC in the on-going Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) investigating the illegal immigrants issue in Sabah.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof (picture) said today as long as the RCI was carrying out its task, no one should comment on matters raised during the proceedings.

“Don’t conclude anything before the proceedings are complete. Don’t simply accuse the EC of anything. The investigation is not complete yet,” he said.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said making a comment now was like making a premature conclusion on the outcome of a movie.

“One quarter into the movie, the hero appears to be shot dead. But don’t jump the gun that he’s dead. Towards the end, it transpires that he was just unconscious,” he said.

Abdul Aziz said the EC had budgeted RM78 million for Sarawak for the 13th general election, with more than half the amount allocated for rental of vehicles for staff.

He said the amount was the highest compared to other states due to Sarawak’s vastness and terrain.

Earlier, he presented appointment letters to eight non-governmental organisations who were made domestic observers for the 13th general election in Sarawak.

Speaking at the ceremony, he said four of the associations — Dayak Bidayuh National Association, Orang Ulu National Association, National Islamic Youth Association Sarawak Branch and Sarawak Malay National Association — would be observing the election process in the Kuching area.

The observers for Sibu would be the Sibu Melanau Association and Sibu Chinese Chamber of Commerce, while the Federation of Orang Ulu Malaysia and Miri Chinese Association would be observing in Miri, he added.

Now, Mani Ratnam’s ‘Kadal’ in trouble


(Agencies) - CHENNAI: After the ‘Vishwaroopam’ row, now Christian groups have filed a complaint against Mani Ratnam’s ‘Kadal’, claiming that it is anti-Christian.

The Indian Christian Democratic Party on Monday filed a complaint with police commissioner S George against the film. They alleged the film had objectionable scenes referring to Christianity and sought their deletion. They warned of intensified protests if police did not initiate action.

Christudas, a representative of the organisation, told reporters that the filmmaker had hurt the sentiments of the people belonging to the Christian community. “We have demanded that the director remove scenes which hurt sentiments of the Christian community. They should take action against the director if the scenes are not immediately removed,” he said.

Such scenes will give wrong ideas about the religion, he added. ‘Kadal’, was released on February 1. Actors Arjun and Aravind Samy are in the lead roles besides Gautham and Thulasi, children of yesteryear stars Karthik and Radha.

Another Christian group lodged a complaint with the chief secretary demanding to ban the movie ‘Adhibhagavan’ as it hurts Hindu sentiments.

Kamal Haasan’s ‘Vishwaroopam’ had faced hurdles after Muslim groups objected to it claiming the film offended their sentiments. The state government had banned it, following which Kamal moved the Madras high court.

Kamal and the Muslim outfits arrived at a compromise at a government-brokered meeting on Saturday. Following this, the actor withdrew his petition on Monday against the ban and announced that the tri-lingual 100-crore movie would be released in Tamil Nadu on February 7.

Present at Sihanouk's Fire


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(Asia Sentinel) A rare chance to witness the late Cambodian monarch's cremation
Sometimes a journalist can get a little too close to the story. As a correspondent who covered Indochina events off and on from the Vietnam War onwards, I sent a letter to King Norodom Sihanouk's widow, Queen Monineath, and delivered it to the palace in early January, three months after the king's passing in Paris at age 89 on Oct 15, 2012.

"I covered and interviewed King Sihanouk in Pyongyang, Peking, Jakarta, Pattaya, Bangkok, the Dangrek Mountains of Cambodia, and Paris in search of peace for Cambodia," I wrote. "I would be most grateful if you would permit me to be present at his cremation."

To my surprise, I got a call from the palace to pick up my royal credentials.

It was just at dusk Monday and I was standing about 35 yards from the atrium where the king had lain for three days in state, since his body had been transferred from the palace next door.

The curtains were open and I saw that King Sihanouk's body appeared to be out of the sarcophagus though I could not see the body itself and in a coffin atop thick carpets with a cover over it. I watched King Norodom Sihamoni and Queen Mother Monineath lifting the cover and presumably arranging the king's vestments. Then they each lit a candle close to the sandalwood oil-soaked coffin.

At first there was a small flicker of flame, and later, after the royal family had moved away, there was a roar of fire inside the atrium, a temporary but beautiful building constructed for the funeral.

I never imagined I was going to see King Sihanouk burning. I had seen him in chortling good humor, and also with his face contorted in furious anger, as his mood changed during interviews. Now it was over, and a heavy smoke arose on top of the flames.

Two hours later, when I returned from visiting the crowd of thousands outside the palace, the flames were still burning fiercely.

On Tuesday morning, I returned to the palace at dawn to watch King Sihanouk's ashes taken away, some to the royal palace, some to a barque where the River Mekong meets the Tonle Sap and what remains of the Bassac rivers, and some conveyed away by different sects of monks.

A Royalist insider showed me some ashes tapped into the figure of Buddha wrapped in a tissue. "This was given to me," he said.

"Look, the ashes are still warm."

He offered me the chance to touch them, but I could not bring myself to touch the late King Sihanouk like that.

There was a ceremonial walk to the river behind a military band. The streets had been emptied of people. We went to a landing stage opposite the royal palace. The ashes and holy objects to be placed at the confluence of the rivers were, surprisingly, just in plastic bags. The ones for the palace had been in golden urns.

The Brahman priests took out their conch shell musical instruments and began blowing them as the vessel pulled away from the pier.

The boat with members of the royal family in it was towed out and the ashes then deposited into the murky waters of these rivers, where they would eventually be washed down to Vietnam and the South China Sea.

The ashes at the palace would be put in a golden urn and placed in a stupa, where they could be worshipped afterwards.

During King Sihanouk's life and reign he won independence from France in 1953, was later held as a prisoner of the Khmer Rouge in his palace, travelled the world and was a prominent member of the non-aligned movement. Now it was well and truly over.

King Norodom Sihamoni, son of Sihanouk and Monineath, and now the monarch, had said in a speech after the cremation: "May his Majesty go to paradise and Nirvana, to be close to our Buddha.

"Please, King Father, take care and protect the Kingdom of Cambodia and Cambodian people forever."

If Leaders Don’t Steal, Don’t Rob, We Can Defend Every Single Malaysian


Psy, the Answer to BN Penang’s Psychosis

By Martin Jalleh

Rogue lawyers boast of connections with retired judges and being able to fix cases

The Star
by SHAILA KOSHY


KUALA LUMPUR: A group of lawyers is bringing disrepute to the Malaysian legal system with claims of being able to “fix” commercial cases.

They are known as the “Dream Team” in the circle of retired gentlemen judges because these lawyers “play ball” with their “coach”, a retired judge, to win big.

Among litigation lawyers, they are referred to as the “syndicate” or “cartel”.

Malaysian Bar president Lim Chee Wee confirmed their existence.

“We are aware of a syndicate of rogue lawyers who boast of mastering the art of influence and inducement outside the courtroom in addition to advocacy in the courtroom,” he said.

“Mercifully, it's a small group.”

He added that the commercial cases they boast of being able to influence include disputes over business contracts and family property and company disputes between shareholders and directors which usually involve millions of ringgit.

Lim, however, stressed: “The vast majority of judges and lawyers are honest, and it is only a few rotten apples who ruin the reputation of the rest.”

He was also doubtful about many of the claims they made, suggesting that “most of their boasts might be mere puffery to trick clients into paying more in legal fees”.

But for some years now, litigation lawyers have been indignant about “the cartel” and the connections they see between some retired judges and lawyers.

They say a retired judge acts as puppet master and a former court officer at times comes in as facilitator.

Litigation lawyers interviewed on the modus operandi of the syndicate gave these scenarios:

> A client contacts a retired judge who then gets in touch with a serving judge.

> While in office, the former court officer would arrange for access to certain judges.

> The former court officer takes advantage of the practice of registrars writing up case notes for appellate judges by suggesting how to skew them.

Asked what action the Bar Council had taken, Lim said it had told Tun Zaki Azmi when he was Chief Justice and his successor Tun Arifin Zakaria of reports that “a few judges received phone calls from retired judge(s) regarding pending cases, allegedly with a view to influencing their decision or grounds, and naturally these right-thinking judges found such approaches to be offensive.”

“The Chief Justices have taken action and I am not aware of any more similar incidents.”

Lim said he had also raised with the Chief Justice and President of the Court of Appeal the Bar's concern over reports that a few rogue lawyers may be influencing registrars who prepare case notes/briefs for appellate judges “with the view of having the contents lean in their favour”.

When contacted, a sitting judge said: “The solution is for all appellate judges to carefully read the written submissions of both counsel and not rely on the case notes.”

Lim said that following media coverage of corruption in the legal system, the council has been receiving information from Bar members and the public.

“We will review the information and if there is prima facie evidence, we will lodge a complaint with MACC (Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission).”

Lim added: “We are also working closely with MACC to investigate corruption among lawyers who bribe officers/employees of clients to obtain legal work. This is perceived as a rampant practice at financial institutions.

“We hope that the Association of Banks Malaysia will consider assisting MACC on this.”

He urged anyone with any information on the who, what, when and where of corruption to write to president@malaysianbar.org.my or contact +603 2050 2013.

BN Has Better Leaders To Administer Penang - Muhyiddin

BUTTERWORTH, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today said, Penang Barisan Nasional chairman (BN) Teng Chang Yeow can be a candidate for the post of Chief Minister if BN recapture Penang.

He said, this was not an announcement, but claimed BN had qualified leaders to run the state better.

"BN has many plans to develop Penang, including building more affordable homes to overcome the problem of housing in the state, and also numerous other development projects.

"Currently, many development projects planned under the federal government's agencies or departments face problems to get approval from the state government, as such, give BN the chance to administer the state again for the security of the people," he said.

He said this in his speech after launching the Blue Wave campaign and 1Malaysia People's Gathering at the Taman Inderawasih Secondary School field in Perai, here, Tuesday night.

Teng, 48, is former state exco, and had been appointed to become state BN chairman last year by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to replace Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon.

Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen and Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam.

About 30,000 people attended the launch.

Muhyiddin stressed that all plans which had been implemented by the federal government under the transformation programme had achieved great success and the benefits were shared with the people.

Meet Abdul Rahman Kasim, the man behind the Muslim-Christian ‘cake diplomacy’

Why should the likes of Ibrahim Ali, Hasan Ali and Harussani Zakaria hog the headlines? If you are tired of reading about their preposterous statements, meet bridge-builder Abdul Rahman Kasim, who has been working hard to improve Muslim-Christian ties in the country.
abdul rahman kasim
Building bridges: Abdul Rahman Kasim
You may have read about Tok Guru Nik Aziz handing over a mouth-watering cake to Bishop Sebastian Francis during their recent Penang meeting, which was held at 6.30pm on Thaipusam Day. Nik Aziz was only told by his aides at 4.00pm that day that the meeting had been confirmed. Now what do you give a bishop as a memento at such short notice to help sweeten ties?

Enter Abdul Rahman Kasim, the Mr Fix-it with a booming voice and an equally hearty laugh, who has been instrumental in setting up appointments for talks and dialogues between Pas and churches in the northern region.

Confident that the meeting would materialise, Rahman had ordered the cake (like he did for a previous meeting between Mujahid Yusof Rawa and the bishop) even before Tok Guru had set foot in Penang. Indeed, it was Rahman who had sent out the initial feelers to set up these meetings.
Tok Guru presents Bishop Sebastian with a mouth-watering cake: Where did the cake come from?
Tok Guru presents Bishop Sebastian with a mouth-watering cake: Where did the cake come from?

Like a man on a mission, the Langkawi-born Rahman, the Tasik Gelugor Pas information chief, has been the point-man in sending out similar feelers to Catholic churches in the northern region. He is a familiar face whenever the Pas head of inter-religious dialogue, Mujahid Yusof Rawa, or Dzulkefly Ahmad speaks at dialogue sessions with parishioners of various churches. In fact, on the same day the Penang meeting took place, Mujahid and Rahman had travelled to the Fatima Church in Kangar for another dialogue session in the morning.

Rahman, 56, worked for a decade at the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Butterworth. During this time, a training exposure stint in Australia helped broaden his horizons. He later turned to business as a chicken seller in a local market – an honest living if there was one – for the past two decades.

These days, he is also trying to sell the idea of Muslims and Christians talking to one another. “I feel compelled to do so, because during my parents’ generation we had much better ties. I experienced that growing up.

“My idea for interfaith and inter-ethnic dialogue stems from the fact that we are drifting apart socially and getting more polarised. Why can’t we behave according to the book and have no ill-feeling towards others?”
Mission accomplished: Abdul Rahman (far left) looking satisfied at the conclusion of the recent Tok Guru-Bishop Sebastian meeting
Why is he focusing on Christianity, though? Rahman is clear about his rationale: “We have so much in common especially a shared Abrahamic tradition; so it is a good place to start.

Providentially, as it turned out, the meeting between Nik Aziz and Sebastian took place on the same day that an unknown group of bigots had scheduled a ‘Bible-burning festival’ in the morning – which thankfully failed to materialise. “It was truly amazing to have seen Tok Guru and the Bishop greeting each other. That was part of my mission accomplished,” said Rahman.

Today, because of Rahman’s persistent efforts to reach out to churches, it is no exaggeration to say he knows more Catholic priests and lay leaders in the northern region – and which parishes they are located in – than the average Catholic!

So the next time someone like Ibrahim Ali or Hasan Ali disturbs your peace of mind or gets under your skin, think of the towering Abdul Rahman Kasim as the perfect antidote: an ordinary person doing extraordinary things to forge greater inter-religious understanding.