Mother of murdered political aide seeks justice

Syria Militants Behead Two Christians

Two Christians, one of them a priest, have been beheaded by militants because they were suspected of cooperating with the Syrian military, according to an Al-Alam report.

A video uploaded to the internet yesterday shows two men with their hands bound, surrounded by dozens of people, many of them armed and cheering in celebration.

Note: Video Below Article

The two are brutally executed – beheaded with a small combat knife. Echoing previous beheading recorded by insurgents, the head is held up to the cheers of onlookers and then placed on the body.
This month has seen an escalation in sectarian atrocities committed by insurgents, who have been publicly armed and supported by America, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Turkey and other actors. Indeed, the atrocities are coinciding with further arms transfers – with new advanced weaponry witnessed in the hands of militants in the past number of weeks.

The most recent beheading recorded on video and uploaded to the internet, reportedly took place in Idlib countryside.

Recently, a Catholic priest was executed by foreign militants. The monastery in which he resided was burnt and looted, echoing the events of a massacre in Homs last month which resulted in the entire population of a Christian village being wiped out and their houses and possessions burnt. Two Christian bishops who were kidnapped by Chechen gunmen in Aleppo earlier this year, are still missing.

As well as Christians, Shia villages are receiving the brunt of a boldly-confident insurgency. This newly-found confidence has resulted in having just recently received confirmation of America’s intent to supply them with more weapons. Last week, militants massacred dozens of villagers in the province’s town of Hatla. Since then, summary executions and sectarian house-to-house raids have taken place.

The following video is extremely graphic and viewer discretion is advised. Many thanks to Arabi Souri, a Syrian activist for the translated version of the video.

Under ‘vani’: Minor girl married off to 50-year-old

The local panchayat ordered the nuptials to ‘avenge’ the girl’s father’s second marriage. PHOTO: APP/ FILE

 

LAHORE: A 10-year-old girl was forcibly married off to a 50-year-old man Malahanwala, Hafizabad under the ‘vani’ custom to compensate for her father’s second marriage in district.

Muhammad Akram, the girl’s father, had abducted a woman named Munawaran Bibi, whom he later married out of love, reported the police. Muawaran was Akram’s second wife.
Following this, the village ‘panchayat’ (court) decided to give Akram’s daughter’s hand in marriage to Munawaran’s middle-aged brother Falak Sher.

The FIR filed by the girl’s uncle reveals that Falak Sher had barged into Akram’s house along with seven other men, including a prayer-leader from a local mosque, and performed a forced nuptial ritual in the presence of Akram’s first wife.

Mukhtar Hussain, an Investigation Officer in the case informed that the young girl had escaped from Falak Sher’s custody and returned to her parents’ home. The process of raids continues to ensure the immediate arrest of the all the accused nominated in the FIR.


The FIR, registered with Police Station Jalalpur Bhattiaan on Saturday, nominates nine persons including Falak Sher, the prayer leader and seven members of the ‘panchayat.’
The area’s people said that the local administration and police had remained tight lipped and reluctant to take any action against the accused. However, police officials claimed that they had registered a case against the accused without any delay when approached by complainants.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 16^th, 2013.

Suaram cites court decision on Kugan for IGP to quit

The myth that the police force can act with impunity must be broken, says a coalition of non-governmental organisations, Stop State Violence Movement (SSVM).

Lauding the High Court ruling in the A Kugan death-in-custody case, SSVM pointed to the continuous calls for independent investigative bodies, such as the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC), an independent judiciary and an effective coroner's court, to be set up.

E Nalini (right), the executive director of Suaram, which is one of the NGOs under SSVM, said in a statement today Kuala Lumpur High Court judge VT Singham's judgment showed that police were liable for the death of Kugan, including then Selangor police chief and present Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar.

"Hence, we call upon the IGP to resign from his position and take full responsibility for Kugan's death when he was Selangor police chief," Nalini said.

She noted that many other cases of custodial death were still undergoing inquests, while some remained unresolved.

Nalini said many police officers and men involved in causing deaths in custody were still walking free.
Ratify UN convention on torture now
"They have to be brought to justice and they have to be held accountable for their actions. We must end any form torture or custodial death."

She said the Malaysian government still refused to ratify the UN Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and its Optional Protocol.

"Torture cannot be justified as a form of punishment. A detainee is innocent until proven guilty, through the court process.

"We strongly urge the Malaysian government to immediately ratify the UN convention. The government must move forward now, with a positive attitude to build a society that shows respect for the rights and dignity of persons at all times and is also free from violence," Nalini said.

Suaram's coordinator R Thevarajan (right) said he agreed with Justice Singham's call for the setting up of the IPCMC.

"Suaram has noted 209 deaths in custody from 2000 till September 2012. In 2013 alone there were five deaths in police custody, namely Chang Chin Tee, C Sugumar, Muhammad Kusyairi, N Dhamendran and P Karuna Nithi," Thevarajan said.

"We reject the statement of the home minister earlier that there were only two deaths this year.

"Suaram would like to remind Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi not to give false information on victims of custodial deaths," Thevarajan said.

Suaram also wants Zahid to provide a clear breakdown of the names and cases he referred to in Parliament.

"Suaram is ready to engage with the authorities in order to compile the facts on the ground of deaths in custody in Malaysia.

"We reiterate again: In order to stop this culture of impunity, an oversight mechanism to monitor the police force, such as the IPCMC, is crucial in this country. Set up the IPCMC now," Thevarajan added.

Murdered political aide's mum seeks Parliament probe

The mother of K Murugan, a PKR’s parliamentary candidate's security aide who was found brutally murdered just before election day, is appealing to Parliament to set up a committee to investigate the murder.

P Rajjamah made the plea in a meeting with Batu Gajah MP V Sivakumar at the entrance to Parliament this afternoon.
Overcome by tears, the 62-year-old handed over a memorandum to Sivakumar.

“A parliamentary select committee must be formed to investigate the murder, to determine if it is politically-motivated, because it involves a VVIP,” the memorandum reads.

Murugan (right) was aide to PKR Tapah candidate K Vasantha Kumar, who accompanied Rajjamah during the memorandum handing over.
Vasantha Kumar explained that they decided to submit the memorandum to Parliament after the receiving no reply to the four they had sent to Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, seeking a just investigation.

He said police never called in a single person from the BN for questioning, while to-date, up to 19 PKR members have been called in.

“Till today, we have sent four memoranda to the IGP but the IGP has kept his mouth shut,” Vasantha Kujmar added.

Murugan was found dead three days after being reported missing on May 1. His body was discovered floating in a pond near Batu Gajah in Perak.

His face was reportedly brutally smashed, his body slashed and tied with barbed wire and said to have been thrown into the pond together with 52kg of scrap metal.

Reprieve for temple

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak's curiosity over a suit against the government has momentarily 'saved' a 110-year-old temple in Jalan P Ramlee from demolition.
UPDATED

KUALA LUMPUR: A planned demolition of a temple by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) was halted after it was discovered that a developer company was suing the federal government for the same land.

The Muneswarar Kaliamman temple in Jalan Tengah off Jalan P Ramlee received a reprieve due to an intervention by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

PPP information chief A Chandrakumanan told reporters that Najib wanted to know why the developer was suing the government for the land on which the 110 year old temple sits.

Chandrakumanan said that he had briefed Tengku Adnan and Najib on the issue yesterday and they had expressed curiosity at the situation.

“The prime minister wants to know why the land developer Hap Seng filed a suit against the government in its bid to obtain the temple land.

“Until and unless they explain the purpose of the suit they cannot demolish the land,” said Chandrakumanan who had a letter signed by Tengku Adnan forbidding DBKL from demolishing the temple.

Earlier, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, P Waythamoorthy, questioned the legality of demolition notice issued by Land and Mining Department.

“The notice has no signature and it is not generated by a computer. It states action is to be taken under state law but this land is a federal government land.

“The notice also does not state under what provision of the law can this temple be demolished,” said Waythamoorthy at a press conference.

The temple currently sits on a DBKL reserve land. In July last year, Hap Seng whose company office is located next to the temple filed a suit against DBKL in a bid to obtain the land for a development project.

PKR’s Kapar MP G Manivannan, meanwhile, criticised Waythamoorthy’s inability to resolve the issue at hand.

“As a deputy minister in charge of Indian affairs, he should be able to issue a letter to stop the demolition and yet he comes here, empty handed to show support for the temple,” said Manivannan.

Also present today was PKR’s human rights and legal bureau deputy chief S Jayathas. He was among the first who raised the alarm over the plight of the temple when he was Hindraf Makkal Sakthi’s information chief two years ago.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/27/reprieve-for-temple/#sthash.KcTLTBwR.dpuf

‘Meet us or we march’

The Block E residents action committee of PJS1 is threatening to march to the Selangor state secretariat on July 3 if the MB does not meet them soon.

PETALING JAYA: The Block E residents action committee today threatened to march to the Selangor menteri besar’s office on July 3 if the latter fails to meet them over their house demands.

The action committee chairman M Sugumaran said that the state government had stalled in building their low cost homes despite promises made since 2010.

“I congratulate Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (Selangor menteri besar) for retaining the state. Since you won with a bigger majority, I’m sure you can solve our problems once and for all,” he said.

Sugumaran said that he had already submitted a letter to the menteri besar’s office on Monday to request for a meeting, or risk having nearly 100 house buyers marching to the state secretariat office.

In 2003, developer Peter Brickworks Sdn Bhd promised to about 200 residents at the squatter area at Petaling Jaya Selatan 1 (PJS1) to build low cost homes for them.

Although the developer built four storeys of the low cost homes, it reneged on its promise to build the fifth block, known as Block E, leaving the residents in a lurch.

Three years ago, the Selangor state government announced that it will build the houses for them but to date nothing has come forth.

Upset with the delays, Sugumaran criticised the Petaling Jaya City Hall (MBPJ) and accused them of being responsible over the delays.

He said that despite sending several memorandum to the state government and the MBPJ, both bodies could not reach consensus on how to resolve the housebuyers’ problems.

“Whenever Khalid promises us something, the MBPJ tells us something else. This flip flop between the state government and the local council had left us in this predicament.

“Since both the governments cannot agree on a solution, we have no choice but take this drastic measure,” said Sugumaran.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/27/meet-us-or-we-march/#sthash.acw78Azp.dpuf

MP Puchong gesa PM bertindak terhadap KPN

Persoalan yang timbul adakah Khalid sekarang layak untuk terus memegang jawatannya, kata Gobind Singh.

PETALING JAYA: Ahli Parlimen Puchong Gobind Singh Deo mempertikai kedudukan Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar selaku Ketua Polis Negara (KPN) setelah Mahkamah Tinggi Kuala Lumpur semalam memutuskan bahawa beliau bertanggungjawab terhadap kematian A Kugan dalam tahanan polis.

Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak atau jemaah menteri digesa mengambil tindakan terhadap Khalid, kata beliau dalam notisperaturan mesyuarat 18 Parlimen yang dihantar kepada FMT hari ini.

“Memandangkan pencarian-pencarian ini yang luas dilaporkan dalam media, persoalan yang timbul adakah Khalid sekarang layak untuk terus memegang jawatannya atau seharusnya dipecat dan/atau digugurkan dengan serta-merta daripada jawatan itu,” katanya.

Melalui notis tersebut, Gobind mendapat keizinan Dewan Rakyat untuk menangguhkan Dewan mengikut Peraturan Mesyuarat 18(1) untuk merundingkan perkara tertentu berkenaan kepentingan orang ramai yang dikehendaki disegerakan.

Gobind berkata, dalam keputusannya, Hakim V T Singham juga membuat pencarian bahawa terdapat elemen-elemen penggelapan (cover-up) oleh Khalid semasa siasatan kes Kugan.

“Umpamanya kegagalan beliau untuk mengklasifikasikan siasatan sebagai kes bunuh dan juga kegagalan beliau mengarahkan siasatan dalaman berkenaan kematian Kugan khususnya melihat kepada jenis kecederaannya.

“Hakim tersebut juga menyatakan kenyataan beliau berhubung sebab kematian Kugan juga tidak konsisten dan tidak dijelaskan oleh beliau yang menjadi Ketua Polis Selangor pada masa tersebut,” terang Gobind.

Kugan ditangkap di Puchong pada 14 Januari 2009 dan diahan di Balai Polis Puchong Jaya semalaman lalu di hantar ke Balai PolisTaipan, Subang Jaya untuk siasatan. Beliau ditemui mati dalam lokap di situ pada 20 Januari 2009.

Dalam kes yang pertama seumpamanya, mahkamah tersebut juga telah mengarahkan kerajaan membayar ganti rugi sebanyak RM801,700 kepada keluarga Kugan.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/27/mp-puchong-gesa-pm-bertindak-terhadap-kpn/#sthash.r4OuMihV.dpuf

Stop blaming students, Kamalanathan

Deputy Minister of Education taken to task claiming that Indian students are "wasting" matriculation places allocated for them

PETALING JAYA: P Kamalanathan, the deputy education minister, should stop blaming Indian students over the poor response to the matriculation programme.

A Thiruvegadam, president of Malaysian Indian Education Awareness and Welfare Foundation (PKP-KIM) said Kamalanathan is attempting to cover up for the education ministry’s racist police.

“I had a meeting with him recently and he kept on blaming Indian students for the matriculation fiasco. Do not blame the students for your (MIC’s) mistakes,” said Thiruvengadam.

On Monday, Kamalanathan, the Hulu Selangor MP, claimed that he was saddened that certain Indian students had refused to take up the matriculation seats despite an allocation being made for them.

The MIC Putra coordinator said that the Matriculation Department had awarded 1,850 seats for Indian students for 2013.

According to Kamalanathan who is also MIC Education bureau chief, the matriculation department had initially awarded 1,500 seats.

However, only 892 students had registered themselves in the first two intakes and to encourage more participation, Kamalanathan said the department allocated an additional 350 seats for Indians.

Reveal the full list

However, Thiruvengadam shot down the deputy minister’s argument, claiming that the latter was attempting to divert the real issue by blaming the students.

“First of all, Kamalanathan does not have the list of Indian students. How could he claim that 1,850 Indian students received matriculation places?” asked Thiruvengadam.

He added that Kamalanthan was just an “office boy” who’s defending his ministry without checking the true facts.

Thiruvengadam insisted that the total number seats given to Indians was around 700-800 only.

He challenged Kamalanthan to reveal the full list of Indian students who received matriculation seats.

Meanwhile, Thiruvengadam also slammed MIC for delaying the processing of 333 qualified students who were rejected and who appealed to the MIC.

On Sunday, Thiruvengadam submitted a list of 333 rejected students to MIC for further action.

“It is already three days and we’ve still not received a fruitful answer from MIC.

“It is strange that the MIC’s willing to boycott the Perak administration for a single speaker post but kept mum on the matriculation seats meant for Indian community,” he added.

He also said that the parents are planning a massive gathering in front of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s office on Wednesday next week at 1pm.
- See more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2013/06/27/stop-blaming-students-kamalanathan/#sthash.gjXvw8pn.dpuf

US anti-Islam activists banned from entering UK

(NST) - LONDON: Two American anti-Islam activists were banned Wednesday from entering Britain following reports they were planning to speak at a far-right rally this weekend.

Robert Spencer and Pamela Geller, who founded the organization Stop the Islamization of America, had been planning to attend an English Defense League march in London.

The Home Office said in a statement that Speller and Geller were “subject to an exclusion decision” and would not be allowed to enter the U.K.

“The Home Secretary will seek to exclude an individual if she considers that his or her presence in the U.K. is not conducive to the public good,” it said.

According to the letter sent to Geller, the Home Secretary’s exclusion decisions are reviewed every three to five years.

Spencer and Geller were due to attend an EDL march Saturday to mark Armed Forces Day.

The march was set to finish in the London neighborhood where soldier Lee Rigby was killed last month by alleged Islamic extremists.

Spencer said in an email that the Home Office’s decision amounts to “craven capitulation.”

Matthew Collins, a spokesman from anti-racism campaigners Hope Not Hate, who had opposed Spencer and Geller entering the Britain, said his group was “absolutely delighted” by the Home Office’s decision.

“Free speech doesn’t give you a right to incite hatred against people,” Collins said.

EDL leader Tommy Robinson tweeted his disappointment: “I am embarrassed of our country banning Geller and Spencer for daring to speak against Islam.”

Spencer and Geller are best known in the U.S. for their opposition to the construction of a mosque near the ground zero site in New York.