Hindraf reminds PM of allocation promise

 

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia has reminded Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to include the agreed allocation for the implementation of the organisation's memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the BN, in the National Budget 2014.

Its Penang chairperson Kalay Selvam Kalay (right) said nothing has been done by the BN government since the MOU was signed in April except allowing the setting up of a unit in the Prime Minister’s Department, which is yet to be named.

"As the national budget 2014 planning cycle has begun, we remind the BN government, especially Najib to include the agreed allocation for the implementation of the Hindraf-BN MOU in this next year's budget," he said.

He said in a statement that the group’s proposal for an organisational structure to carry out the implementation of the MOU has been rejected because it is too elaborate.

"The establishment of the expert steering committee (ESC), proposed by Hindraf, has also been delayed. In total, 31 of the 32 areas of the MOU remain untouched," he told Malaysiakini.

"The questions raised about the delays in implementing the MOU has only been met with silence by the prime minister," he added.

Kalay said that the PM’s Department must at once approve the organisational structure and allow the establishment of the ESC as proposed by Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia to enable the MOU to start running.

"Unless the ESC gets to work very soon, it is likely that the budget input for the implementation plan may be in jeopardy," Kalay said.

Cannot swing back Indian votes

Kalay urged Najib, who initiated the signing of the MOU two weeks before the May 5 general elections, to look back at his promises laid down in the MOU.

"It is crucial for BN to allocate the agreed budget for the Hindraf-BN MOU in the 2014 national budget as failure to do so would indicate that BN has broken its promises," he said.

"Once that happens, neither Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia nor (Deputy) Minister in the Prime Minister Department P Waythamoorthy (left) can ever swing back the Indian votes en bloc to BN in the next general election.

In the May elections, the association had agreed to support the BN to help the coalition win back a two-thirds majority in order to get its MOU implemented to uplift the status of the Indian community in the country.

In return, Waythamoorthy was appointed a deputy minister by Najib after the polls to look into the plight of the Indian community.

"BN may have failed the Indians once, but it can’t afford another similar shortcoming in today’s crucial changing political landscape," he said.

Kenyan intelligence warned of Al-Shabaab threat before mall attack

Nairobi, Kenya (CNN) -- A number of Kenya's Cabinet members and defense officials were warned about the possibility that the terror group Al-Shabaab was planning to carry out a Westgate-style attack a year before gunman stormed the Nairobi mall, according to several police and intelligence sources.

The warnings were made by the country's National Intelligence Service as part of regular situational reports given to cabinet members, the inspector general of police, members of the National Security Advisory Council and military intelligence.

CNN has seen an electronic version of those reports, which contain an extensive list of terror threats from several regions across Kenya over an extended period, but they also specify Al-Shabaab posed a threat to several targets, including Westgate Shopping Mall.

The news about the intelligence warnings come amid revelations that the mall favored by Westerners and tourists was long-considered a possible terror target.

CNN has also learned that the Westgate mall attackers tortured some of the hostages.

Military doctors said militants severed hands, cut off noses and, in some cases, hanged hostages. CNN has seen photographic evidence of one dead victim with a hand amputated.

Inquiry begins

Members of Parliament are expected Monday to begin grilling intelligence bosses, including the head of the National Intelligence Service, over the apparent intelligence failures.

The news of the intelligence warnings follow the September 21 terror attack at Westgate that resulted in a four-day standoff that left at least 67 people dead and parts of the shopping center destroyed. Dozens are still unaccounted for, possibly buried beneath the rubble.

The attackers claimed to be members of the Somali-based Al-Shabaab.

Al-Shabaab itself made statements claiming responsibility, including saying on Twitter that it sent the gunmen in retaliation for Kenya's involvement in an African Union military effort against the group, which is al Qaeda's proxy in Somalia.

Kenyan forces killed five terrorists, and 11 others are in custody over possible links to the attacks, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said.

Immense work remains

But an immense amount of work remains to learn how Al-Shabaab, a terror group thought to be badly bruised by recent losses in its Somalian homeland, was able to pull off such a well-coordinated and brazen attack.

Last year, the Kenyan military was part of a peacekeeping force that defeated Al-Shabaab forces to liberate the key Somali port of Kismayo.

Since Kenya launched attacks against Al-Shabaab in Somalia in 2011, the group has hurled grenades at Kenyan churches, bus stops and other public places.

It was the deadliest terror attack in Kenya since al Qaeda blew up the U.S. Embassy there in 1998, killing 213 people.

Terrorism experts say the attack bears eerie similarities to the 2008 siege of a hotel in Mumbai, India -- another upscale target with Western appeal. Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani terrorist group that attacked the hotel for more than three days, killing 166 people.

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Nigeria College Attacked: At Least 40 Killed

Suspected Islamist militants reportedly fire on students in Nigeria as they storm a dormitory and set classrooms ablaze.

Members of Boko Haram pictured in February

At least 40 people have been killed after suspected Islamist gunmen fired on students as they slept at a college in northeast Nigeria.

The attackers reportedly stormed a dormitory and set fire to classrooms in the assault which happened about 1am local time on Sunday in the town of Gujba in Yobe state.

Nigeria's military is blaming militants from the Boko Haram insurgent group for the atrocity at the College of Agriculture.

A source told the AFP news agency that 40 bodies had been brought to hospital.

College provost Molima Idi Mato said security forces were still recovering bodies so he could not give an exact number of dead but said up to 50 had been killed.

He also said about 1,000 students had fled the scene.

The college is about 25 miles from the scene of similar school attacks around Damaturu town.

There were no security forces stationed at the college despite government assurances, said Mr Mato.

Two weeks ago, state commission for education Mohammmed Lamin urged all schools to reopen and promising protection by soldiers and police.

Most schools in the area closed after militants killed 29 pupils and a teacher, burning some alive in their hostels at Mamudo outside Damaturu on July 6.

Northeast Nigeria is in a military state of emergency following an Islamic uprising by Boko Haram militants who have killed more than 1,700 people since 2010 in their quest for an Islamic state.

Yobe has seen a series of brutal attacks targeting students in recent months, all blamed on the group.

The name Boko Haram means "Western education is forbidden" and the group has repeatedly attacked schools, universities and colleges during its four-year insurgency.

The military has described the spate of recent attacks as a sign of desperation by the Islamists, claiming they only have the capacity to hit soft targets.

An offensive launched against Boko Haram in mid-May has decimated the group and scattered their fighters across remote parts of the northeast, the defence ministry has said.

Boko Haram has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria's mainly Muslim north, but the group is believed to be made up of different factions with varying aims.

This case is a typical child abuse and teacher's misbehavior.

From Facebook,

 

Kajang (Thursday 26th September 2013), An Indian student was asked for his note book by a Malay Muslim teacher But then the kid forgot to bring his note book. The teacher got mad at the boy and hit the boy with her shoe. The 11 years old boy got hurt feel ashamed. The parents of the boy made a police report against the teacher.

On Friday the school headmaster instructed the parents to retract the report. The Head master also threaten them by saying the school will file a suit against the parents. The same day Police officers called the boy for an interrogation. The mother who followed the son was told to stay outside of room and the police interrogate the 11 years old kid like a criminal. The police threatened the boy by saying that they will put him in the lock up. This is typical child abuse. How can a police officer act in such a manner with a victim? Is it what they call as 1Malaysia?

As normal a MIC leader went in the mater and had a dialogue with the teacher and Headmaster, finally the case was almost close. Till now the parents were not informed about their discussion. This country is practicing a naked racism. We been reading Malay teachers abusing and bullying Indian students. In all cases the teachers will ask for forgiveness and the case will be closed.

UMNO led government treating Indians like a piece of shit in this country. Indians please forward this message to your friends and make it viral. Let us teach the school authority, PDRM and UMNO led government a lesson.

Activist Haris Ibrahim to apply again for Australian visa after being rejected due to sedition case

Lawyer and activist Haris Ibrahim (pic), who was barred from entering Australia last week due to his
impending sedition trial here, will soon submit a new application for a visa.

“I met the authorities from the high commission on Friday afternoon and I will be making a fresh application for a visa soon,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

Haris, who had returned from overseas last week, said he did not want to go into details of why his visa application had been rejected, except that the reason was stated in a notice along with the rejected application.

Last week, Haris said in a blog posting that he had sent an email to the high commission requesting a meeting to lay to rest any concerns the Australian government might have about his visit to the country.

Australia refused to issue an entry visa to Haris last week, scuttling his plans to tour the country and meet academics and supporters.

It is believed the Australia officials considered him a "high risk" because the country does not have an extradition treaty with Malaysia, according to a Global Bersih source in Melbourne.

The Sydney Morning Herald had reported that Murray Hunter, an academic at the University of Malaysia Perlis, had said the decision to ban Haris showed that the Australian government did not want to rock the boat with Kuala Lumpur.

Haris, PKR vice-president Tian Chua, former Umno member Tamrin Ghafar and activist Safwan Anag were charged with sedition for allegedly uttering words that have the tendency to call on Malaysians to change the government by unlawful means during a May 13 forum at the Kuala Lumpur and Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall.

All four pleaded not guilty. Haris’s trial is scheduled to take place early next year. – September 29, 2013.

Najib on Islam’s greatest threat

The PM tells the United Nations General Assembly says Muslims must concentrate on building a common agenda for peace and prosperity.

UNITED NATIONS: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak pleaded Saturday for Muslims to unite against extremism, warning that sectarian violence risked tearing the Islamic world apart.

“I believe the greatest threat to Muslims today comes not from the outside world, but from within,” he told the UN General Assembly.

Najib voiced outrage at violence between the Sunni and Shiite sects in Syria, Iraq and Pakistan, noting that nearly 5,000 Muslims died in conflict in the three countries in the holy month of Ramadan.

“It is time to end the killing and concentrate instead on building a common agenda for peace and prosperity,” he said.

“I believe that peace-loving Muslims — the overwhelming majority of Muslims — should unite against the extremists who use our religion as an excuse to commit violence.”

“Our task is to reclaim our faith by articulating clearly the true nature of Islam — the religion of peace, of moderation, of tolerance,” he added.

He commented that that a “battle [is] being waged for the future of Islam.”

“By reaffirming our commitment to moderation – and solving the political problems that drive instability – we can seize back the centre ground. We can marginalise the extremists. And we can advance an agenda for peace, harmony and justice”.

The prime minister went on to say:

“It should come as no surprise that there is no scriptural basis for the atrocities being committed in the name of Islam.

“Our task is to reclaim our faith, by articulating clearly the true nature of Islam: the religion of peace, of moderation, of tolerance. We should speak this message clearly, so that all may hear it; and stand firm against the minority who use Islam to further violent and unjust ends.

“We can reclaim our religion, choosing harmony and acceptance over division and conflict. And we can broadcast a vision of Islam as it is understood by Muslims around the world: as a religion of peace, tolerance, and moderation.”

Najib said he was committed to “mutual respect and inclusivity” in Malaysia, which is more than 60 percent Muslim ethnic Malay with sizable Chinese and Indian minorities.

Malaysia is generally known for its moderate form of Islam, although conservatives have occasionally banned concerts by Western artists and tensions have risen over custody of children whose religion is disputed.

Najib’s choice of subject at the world body marks a shift in tone from former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who was known for his strident denunciations of the West during his 1981-2003 tenure.

US President Barack Obama, who has been seeking greater ties with Southeast Asia, will travel to Malaysia next month on the first visit by a US leader to the country since 1966.

Deliver your pledges to Indians, Najib told

BN may have failed the Indians once, but it can’t afford another failure in today’s rapidly changing political landscape.

GEORGE TOWN: Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak must deliver on his pledges to the long suffering ethnic Indian community, vis-à-vis the Hindraf’s Indian Blueprint, in the forthcoming national Budget 2014, said Hindraf’s Penang chairman K Kalayselvam.

He urged Najib to stop his prolonged delay to deliver on promises made by Barisan Nasional in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed with Hindraf just before the last May general election.

He said the MoU was signed to implement a five-year Indian Blueprint for a comprehensive development of the marginalised Indian community in the country.

He called on Najib to deliver his promises to Indians as how he had announced to deliver a new RM31 billion bumiputera economic empowerment agenda on Sept 14.

“The Prime Minister shall include the agreed allocation in the budget to implement the Indian Blueprint,” Kalayselvam said in a press statement here today.

He reminded Najib that implementation of Indian Blueprint had already been delayed by 163 days since the signing of the MoU on April 18 and 145 days since May 5 general election.

Except for allowing the setting up of a unit in the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD), which is yet to be named anyway, he said 31 of the 32 areas outlined in blueprint remained untouched.

He said Hindraf’s proposal for an organisational structure to implement the blueprint had been rejected as “too elaborate”, while efforts to set up an expert steering committee (ESC) had been delayed.

Worse still, Najib response to questions on the prolonged delays has been a “defeaning silence.”

He called on PMD, among others, to approve immediately the promised organisational structure to establish an expert steering committee (ESC) to kick-start the Indian Blueprint.

He cautioned that any delay in getting the ESC running would jeopardise the budget input for
blueprint implementation and would add another 365 days lost.

“Adding to the already lost 163 days since signing of the MoU, it would be a total 528 days lost,” noted Kalayselvam.

Walk your talk

He recalled that Najib keynote address during the “historical” MoU signing stressed that BN under his leadership would walk its talk on deliverance of all promises to all Malaysians.

In his own words, Najib has then said, “The very fact that Hindraf has made this historic and strategic decision to become a new partner of Barisan Nasional speaks volumes of the kind of change and transformation that Barisan Nasional under my leadership is able to deliver for all Malaysians… I apologise for the shortcomings of the Barisan Nasional government….including… as Mr Waytha Moorthy said, lapses in our delivery for the Indian community.”

Kalayselvam said that Hindraf appreciated Najib’s boldness to admit BN federal government failure to uplift the living standard of Indian poor in the country.

During the general election campaign, he recalled that critics had argued that BN would not honour the MoU and deliver the Indian Blueprint after the general election.

Thus, he warned that Najib had to deliver the Indian Blueprint, failing which lay ethnic Indians trust on BN would be lost forever.

If that happened, he said even Hindraf can never ever win back Indian support en bloc to BN in the next general election.

“BN may have failed the Indians once, but it can’t afford another failure in today’s rapidly changing political landscape.

“Thus, Hindraf now hopes that regardless of the delays, the BN government will deliver the Indian Blueprint hereafter,” said Kalayselvam.

Dr M: Use Quran to mould students

We have to go back to the teachings of the Quran to educate the young generation to be successful, says Mahathir.

KUALA LUMPUR: Islamic-based schools in the country also play an important role in moulding a student’s personality, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

He said to realise this, teachers at the school should make the Quran as their main reference in disseminating knowledge to their students since the early stage.

“We have to go back to the teachings of the Quran to educate the young generation to be successful.

“If we ignore the Quran and do not understand its content, it can cause us to deviate from the true teachings,” he said in his speech at a dinner yesterday in conjunction with the 15th anniversary of the Malaysian International Islamic School here.

Also present were International Islamic University Malaysia (UIAM) Rais Yatim and its rector, Zaleha Kamaruddin.

Bernama