French lawmakers consider fining prostitutes' clients

 

People demonstrate on November 29, 2013 in Paris to protest against a bill that would punish those who use prostitutes

(CNN) -- French lawmakers are scheduled to vote Wednesday on a law to ban paying for sex -- a potential move to clamp down on prostitution, which is currently legal in France.

France's lower house, the National Assembly, is expected to approve the bill Wednesday and send it to the upper house, the Senate, French media report.

The Senate would then need to OK the bill before it would become law -- a process that could take months.

The measure would impose fines of at least 1,500 euros against people caught paying for sex.

For Gregory III, Syria's Greek-Catholic Church has three "true martyrs"

by Fady Noun

The patriarch spoke to the pope about the tragic events in Maaloula, the Syrian Christian village where people still speak Aramaic. In a climate of terror, three men were told to repudiate their faith, and when they refused, they were publicly executed.

Beirut (AsiaNews) - The Syrian Greek-Catholic Church has three "true martyrs". They are the "three men from Maaloula who refused to repudiate their faith," and were killed for this reason, said Patriarch Gregory III Laham during his meeting with Pope Francis on Sunday, this according to a press release issued by the Catholic Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East, of Alexandria and Jerusalem of the Melkites.

The events that led to the three men's death occurred during fighting on 3 -7 September in the town of Maaloula.

According to eyewitness accounts, men from the Syrian Free Army and the Jabhat al-Nusra Islamic Front carried out a coordinated attack in order to take control of Maaloula.

When the town fell, a climate of fear was imposed, witnesses said. When three men refused to repudiate their religion, they were summarily executed in public, and six more were taken hostage. This was followed by a failed attempt by Syrian government forces to retake the town (pictured).

"You," Gregorios III told the pope, "spoke to us, asking us not to let the flame of hope die in our hearts . . . . We want to be martyrs on this earth, martyrs in blood, as was the case for some of our faithful, including the three men from Maaloula: Michel Thalab, Mtanios Thalab and Sarkis Zachem."

"Holy Father, they are true martyrs. Ordered to give up their faith, they proudly refused. Three others however gave in and were forced to declare themselves Muslim, but later returned to the faith of their ancestors."

According to what the families who fled from Maaloula had to say, some of their Muslim neighbours took part in the attack that devastated this historic village where people still speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus. Muslims are approximately one third of the population of the village, which is about 50 kilometres from Damascus.

"Our Church, which you love, today is a church in distress," the Patriarch said. "For this church, which is facing an unprecedented situation in its history, you are Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross."

"Like the Blessed Pope John Paul II who, through his prayers and brave actions brought down the Berlin Wall, you, Holy Father, have performed a miracle, calling on Christians and the whole world to fast and pray. You brought about a turning point in the Syrian crisis and in the vision of global politics. The world, after 7 September 2013, has changed."

It’s Kedah government’s fault, says deputy minister over failure to gazette Lembah Bujang

The National Heritage Department had tried to gazette the historic temple site of Lembah Bujang in 2006 as a heritage site but it was stymied by the Barisan Nasional-led Kedah state government.

In making this revelation, Deputy Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri James Dawos Mamit said the department had applied to the state government to gazette the area under the National Heritage Act 2005.

"Until today, there is no response from the state government," he said when winding up points raised by MPs on the Fees (Department of Museums Malaysia) (Validation) Bill 2013.

Dawos Mamit had answered on behalf of the Tourism Ministry as both its minister and deputy were at the Umno general assembly.

He said the department is still in contact with the state government for the area to be gazetted.

Saying that he supported the move to gazette Lembah Bujang, Dawos Mamit said once gazetted, an application can be made to Unesco under the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage for it to be listed as ancient artefacts.

The state government has received a lot of flak for allowing a housing developer to proceed with demolition works of one of the country's oldest archaeological sites, the Candi number 11.

Officials had claimed ignorance by stating that the land is a private land and it was not gazetted as a historic site.

Meanwhile, the developer, Bandar Saujana Sdn Bhd, insisted that official documents did not show that an archaeological site was sitting on the land.

Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir had revealed that approval to develop the land in Sungai Batu, where Candi 11 was located, was granted 20 years ago but the developer only started clearing the land last August.

In the face of a barrage of criticism over the demolition of the centuries-old temple ruins, Mukhriz took to his Twitter account that Candi 11 that was destroyed was not the original one built in the 8th century.

He said it was the rebuilt version done in 1974 of the base. He said there were still 17 candi remaining, and that number 11 was just one of it.

"The whole Lembah Bujang was not destroyed," he had tweeted.

The Bujang Valley is an archeological site and excavation had revealed jetty remains, iron-smelting areas and a clay-brick monument dating back to 110AD, making it the oldest man-made structure to be recorded in South-east Asia.

The site was the foundation of a flourishing Hindu-Buddhist civilisation and a centre of international trade and commerce. - December 4, 2013.

Muslim MPs urged to back anti-Shiite amendment

Muslim parliamentarians from both sides of the political divide have been urged to back an amendment to the federal constitution so that only Sunni followers are recognised as Muslims.

Umno Youth Terengganu delegate Azizul Jasmi Mohamad said this is because the amendment will safeguard Islam from the "dangerous" influence of Shiites.

"If this motion is accepted today, I hope all PAS parliamentarians who are Muslim and all Muslim parliamentarians from PKR will support the constitutional change when it is tabled (in the Dewan Rakyat)," he said.

Debating the Youth chief's address, he also urged the government to take stern action against those who insult Islam and Prophet Muhammad.

"Umno Youth will support the government in defending against these enemies of Islam," he said at the wing's general assembly at the Putra World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.

A change to the federal constitution requires support from two-third of the House - or 148 of the 222 MPs.

Azizul was backing Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin’s (right) proposal for the constitutional amendment.

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairul Azwan Harun also endorsed the call.
In his speech this morning, he urged the government to act against "deviant lifestyles”.

"Umno Youth urges the government to be strict in dealing with threats to the Islamic faith through deviant cultures which go against religious and values," Khairul Azwan said.

He listed these threats as religious pluralism, liberalism, extremism, deviant teachings and "certain groups" who threaten national stability.

Kedahans slam culprits for destroying heritage

Locals and tourists have been flocking to the Bujang Valley this past week, thinking that the entire site of a former Sri Vijaya Kingdom, which spans 4,844 sq ft and goes back some 2,000 years, has disappeared overnight.

Several people met at the Lembah Bujang Archeological Museum in Bukit Batu Pahat yesterday, expressed relief that they could still see some structures and artefacts that have been carefully preserved by the museum management.

However, a local teacher, Abdul Rahman Noordin (left) expressed disappointment with the way the country's historical sites have been managed by other relevant authorities.

"They do not promote our history well enough. Lembah Bujang is not even specifically mentioned in our school history books. More should be done to promote and preserve places such as this one" Rahman, 49, told Malaysiakini.

"I heard about the demolition of Candi 11. It should not have happened. As a local, I feel hurt because this is part of our state and national treasure," said the father of three.

The demolition of Candi 11, an 8th century temple with Hindu Buddhist elements, has sparked public outrage.
Some have blamed the federal government for "cultural barbarism", while others have accused Kedah Menteri Besar Mukhriz Mahathir's administration of encouraging "Talibanism".

People have come to the site in Sungai Batu from as far as Johor, after reading about the demolition in media reports.
On Monday, Mukhriz had issued a stop work order to the developer.

Other than Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy and Makkal Sakthi members, former PKR Batu Uban assemblyperson S Raveentharan dropped in at the museum with his aunt yesterday.

"The MB's stop work order is tantamount to closing the stable doors after the horses have bolted. BN will lose the support of all Indians and also all the other international historical groups and bodies," Raveentharan said.

"Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his executives cannot bury the truth in a pre-dominantly Islamic state. Islam came to Malaysia through Gujerat in India, so please do not, in the name of 'Ketuanan Melayu', erase history and create one that does not exist."

Also at the museum was former journalist Ng Boon Hooi, who said that the culprits who destroyed the candi must be punished harshly and Malaysia should do more to protect its heritage.

"They (the developers) have taken away our shared memory and history. Our heritage plays an important role for our progress as a nation," said Ng, a mother of two young children who lives in Malacca.

"But more than mere punishment, the younger generation must be made aware of how important our shared heritage is so that incidents like this are not repeated."

Engineer R Indran, 48, who lives near Sungai Petani, rushed to the museum after reading news reports. He said he could not understand how such a historical site was destroyed with impunity.

Indran is also baffled that Saw Guan Keat, the spokesperson for developer Bandar Saujana Sdn Bhd, had claimed the company was not aware of the historical value of the candi.

"It is common sense that such a site should be preserved. The developer could just build a fence around the temple ruins. It would enhance the value of the housing project. Now it is all gone. Very sad," said the father of three.
Department failed to act

Malaysiakini has learnt that the Kedah office of the Department of National Heritage had been aware of the demolition when the work began in September.

While the department did inform the museum of this, it did not stop the clearing of the site.

It is learnt that the museum was unable to prevent the demolition as the site has not been under its jurisdiction since 2006.

It is also learnt that Bandar Saujana had obtained the right to develop the land in 1993, while the state was under BN rule.
The area was not gazetted as a heritage site, like the entire Lembah Bujang, which is yet to apply to Unesco to be recognised as a world heritage site.

"It is impossible for the developer not to be aware of the historical significance of the temple. Every developer knows what it is getting into when land is purchased, for we have laws," said a museum officer who did not wished to be named.

The staff member also questioned why the Indian Malaysian community living within the range of the site did not alert the authorities earlier, while NGOs highlighted the matter only after the site had been flattened.

Malaysiakini visited the site yesterday and despite the heavy rain, teenager Dinesh Kumar (right, in red T-shirt) was eager to take visitors to the spot where the candi once stood.

Against the backdrop of the mystic Gunung Jerai, the site - now just raw earth - has been cordoned off by the police. Development work has come to a standstill.

Dinesh said the local residents were not aware of the demolition exercise as the site had been surrounded by an oil palm estate.

"Only when the estate was cleared and "big people" (authorities) started visiting, did we realise that the candi had been torn down," said Dinesh, 16.
The incident has disheartened local residents. They live in low-cost houses built close to the tiny, run-down Immaculate Conception chapel.
"Of course we are very angry, as the temple has been (part of our) area ... How are we supposed to rebuild it? It will never be the same," said Dinesh who lives with his grandmother.

Reconstructed from an original site in 1974, Mukhriz said the destroyed Candi 11 can be rebuilt at the original plot if the company agrees, or it may be placed near the Universiti Sains Malaysia excavation site within the area.

However, after the harrowing experience of losing such a landmark, the locals are doubtful that Candi 11 can ever be replaced.

Bujang Valley fiasco draws international flak

The Universal Society of Hinduism has expressed unhappiness over the destruction of an ancient temple in Bujang Valley, Kedah.

In a statement, the US-based society’s president Rajan Zed said it was shocking and saddening to learn about the damage.

“These Hindu temple ruins, besides being dear to Hindus, were a highly important heritage for Malaysians and the world,” he added.

Rajan (left) urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to launch a thorough investigation into this damage and allocate additional funding to conserve the area.

He also asked the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) to declare Lembah Bujang a World Heritage Site and help fund its preservation efforts.

“It needs to be urgently protected and some serious efforts and strong political will be needed in this direction by the Malaysian government,” he added.

Rajan said efforts must be made to reconstruct the damaged structure and the developer responsible should provide most of the funding.

He argued that such callous treatment to ancient monuments should not be acceptable in Malaysia and the world.

“This should serve as a wake-up call for Malaysia and the world to take care of heritage sites and Malaysia should declare all Lembah Bujang archaeological sites as national heritage sites,” he said.

Rajan also wondered why it took so long for this damage to come to light.

“Chalking out some proactive policies for preservation of these valuable monuments might help in the future.

“According to reports, there were many temple ruins in the Bujang Valley which were still undocumented and damage caused to some during the recent development might have thus gone unnoticed,” he said.

 “Malaysians should be proud of their legacy in the Bujang Valley and should preserve for future generations what their ancestors left for them,” he added.

Rajan stressed that any further irresponsible and needless damage to the sites must be prevented with swift action.

Surendran: Umno's split personality set to stay

PKR vice-president N Surendran said the split personality that had characterised the Umno leadership was set to continue even after six months of a victory in the general election and a more recent re-endorsement of incumbents at internal party polls.

Surendran (left) said if it was felt that successive electoral victories in the national and internal party arenas would infuse the leadership with the confidence to chart new trails, the hope of that was extinguished by the opening overtures of the Umno general assembly.

“If you are expecting change, you’ll have to perish the thought after looking at the speech of Umno’s deputy president at the opening of the youth and women’s wings of the party,” offered the MP for Padang Serai.

“A day earlier, the Umno president was on record holding forth on what has come to be seen as a familiar stance of his when not under pressure - the enunciation of an inclusive vision based on moderation, with a hint that the party under his steering was going to move with the times,” said Surendran, as he warmed to his theme.

“Barely had the public the chance to assess the prime minister’s drift, then his deputy warns the party faithful of threats from western liberalism and deviationist religious teachings,” elaborated Surendran.

The human rights lawyer said if one juxtaposes the separate pronouncements, the feature of the first term of the Najib Abdul Razak administration reasserts itself, with the No 1 scanning the horizon and the No 2 intent on navel-gazing.

“In other words, the split personality of the Najib reign is set to continue, with the PM affecting an inclusiveness and liberalism that will not pan out and the deputy PM focusing on bogus threats to Malay rights and other features of our polity that if at all are under threat, the perils are more from within than without,” mused Surendran.

He observed that this schizophrenia, which he said was a stark feature of Najib’s first years as PM, was set to continue into the second term because the “government was more infatuated with its rhetoric than with the reality of the challenges it faces and of how to proceed.”

“With Umno-BN’s ownership of mainstream media and their manipulation of state-owned channels of information, their media will supinely relay their message and those without access to alternative media are without the means to sieve fact from fiction,” said the human rights advocate.

Thus, Surendran said, the united nation that the PM rhetorically quests after is as delusive as a dream.

‘Re-examine students on leaked SPM papers’

Leaked SPM question papers warrants a re-examination to restore public trust, demands parliamentarian

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP’s Sandakan MP Stephen Wong calls for a re-examination on the alleged leaked SPM subjects to restore public trust on the prestigious high-school certificate.

He said this in response to allegations that question papers of up to six SPM subjects, namely mathematics, history, additional mathematics, chemistry, biology and science were leaked beforehand last month.

A private tutor in Kuala Lumpur and another in Sabah have been accused of leaking the questions, which prompted the Education Ministry to setup a task force for investigations.

Wong said a re-examination would not cause any prejudice to the students because those who are really competent in the subjects would still achieve good results.

“For those who are lazy, we give them another chance to study hard,” he said.

Kampar MP G Manivannan claimed that the KL tutor is a repeat offender on the matter but has been let off the hook.

He claimed that the tutor is from Setiawangsa and has used mosques as venue to leak out the question papers.

UK hears of God, Allah, sermons and firearms

A British MP has described the recent Allah issue in Malaysia and calls for Islamic Affairs officers to be armed as a 'dangerous' path

KUALA LUMPUR: Just weeks before Christmas, the alleged persecution of Christians in Malaysia, was again raised in the UK parliament as part of a debate on Christians around the world, with an MP urging its government to look at the right to practice ones’ religion as a human rights issue.

Rutherglen and Hamilton West MP, Tom Greatrex, noted recent worrying signs of such persecution especially in view of Malaysia being “an important” and “strategic” Commonwealth partner for the UK.

“It has had a significant trading and strategic relationship with this country over many years,” he told the House of Commons.

“Because of that background, it is right to be concerned about recent worrying signs in Malaysia, and to draw them to the attention of the Government through this debate,” said Greatrex.

He said the Malaysian Court of Appeals ruling banning the use of the term ‘Allah” a Bahasa Malaysia term refering to God “effectively” meant that the Bible was “outlawed” is some parts of Malaysia.

“Some Christian communities in Malaysia are now very much in fear of not being able to practise their faith without interference, or with limits on their ability to observe their faith in peace.

“They have been banned from using the word “Allah”, which has been used as terminology for God in Malay for centuries. That effectively meant that in some parts of Malaysia the Bible has been outlawed.

“When a concern was raised, or an attempt was made to raise it, in the state legislative assembly in Sarawak, it was ruled out of order and subjudice.

“So the legitimate concerns of Sarawak Christians about the Malaysia agreement that governs the relationship stretching back 50 years between the peninsula and other parts of Malaysia, have effectively been censured,” said Greatrex.

Sermons and firearms

Greatex also pointed out his concern over Sarawak Minister for Islamic Affairs Daud Abdul Rahman’s call for its religious department to be upgraded to a syariah prosecution department and its officers to be equiped with firearms.

He noted that last month the Malaysian Government’s religious affairs department, which is part of the Prime Minister’s office, had reportedly issued a sermon to be read in every mosque in Malaysia, “condemning supposedly liberal forces undermining Islam”.

“The implication taken by many people in Malaysia was that it was aimed at those who practise the Christian faith.

“There is real concern that such behaviour has relatively little to do with religion or the tolerance and understanding that religion can often promote, but that it is about seeking to create supporters who identify with one political party as pro-Islam, and brand their political opponents as anti-Islam.

“That is a dangerous road to take, because it unleashes mindless aggression, prejudice and fear,” he said, adding that the current policies in Malaysia were “effectively” making it “impossible” for people of other religions to practice their faith.

Urging his government and colleagues to act, Greatrex said: “I implore the Minister and his colleagues, when they represent the Government abroad – taking into account the important, specific and specialist relationship between the UK and other countries around the world, such as Malaysia – to use that opportunity to highlight the fact that human rights are also about the right to practise religion without fear of prosecution.

“Although freedom of religion is supposedly guaranteed by Article 11 of the Malaysian constitution, the reality for many is quite different,” he said insinuating that the stunningly successful ‘Malaysia Truly Asia’ tourism campaign was a farce.

NGOs call for probe into thugs who disrupted forum

Hindraf activist assaulted by one of the uninvited goons during a meeting on Hindu cemeteries over the weekend

GEORGE TOWN: A group of Indian NGOs has urged the police to investigate the disruption of a forum on Hindu cemeteries held at the Caring Society Complex last weekend.

The group’s spokesperson, N Ganesan, said that at least four local thugs attended the forum uninvited, caused a ruckus and assaulted one man, forcing the organisers to call off the forum.

Ganesan identified one of the thugs as S Ragendran, commonly known as Weld Quay Tambi and another as Segaran.

Ragendran and his cohorts had disrupted the forum by constantly raising their voices, interrupting speaker Ganesan’s speech and talked on irrelevant matters.

Eye witnesses said Ragendran had at least thrice punched a Hindraf activist, Selvam on his face causing his mouth to bleed.

“The forum was attended by people on invitation. These thugs attended the forum uninvited. They also refused to leave the forum when told to do so.

Stop the bullying

Ganesan alleged that some powerful people were behind the disruption.

“We learnt that similar disruptions have marred other forums in the past. But we can’t speak on behalf of others,” Ganesan told press conference here today.

He lodged a police report in Jalan Patani police station yesterday on the incident that took place last Saturday Nov 30.

“We want the police to investigate thoroughly and take necessary steps to stop this bullying,” urged Ganesan.

The forum was organised by an ad-hoc coalition of NGOs and Concerned Citizens Penang to deliberate issues of burial grounds and crematoriums for the Indian community in Penang.

The forum was also to focus on current cessation of incinerator crematorium services at the Batu Lanchang Hindu Cemetery.

The meeting was to conclude with preparing a petition to be submitted to the Chief Minister, demanding him to address the pressing issues.

The ad-hoc coalition will re-organise the forum again this Saturday, this time probably with police protection, and finalise the petition to the Chief Minister. The venue has not been decided yet.

Among NGOs were Hindraf, Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram, Malaysia Hindu Sangam, Bayan Lepas Tamil School Old Boys Association, Penang Hindu Association, temple and community leaders.

GLC digesa bantu Bumiputera

Penubuhan GLC adalah bertujuan untuk membantu memperkasakan golongan Bumiputera, bukan sekadar untuk mengaut keuntungan

SHAH ALAM: Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif (CEO) syarikat-syarikat milik kerajaan (GLC) digesa untuk membantu memperkasakan golongan Bumiputera.

Ketua Pemuda Umno Bahagian Batu Gulam Muszahar Gulam Mustakim berkata detika ketika membahaskan ucapan dasar Ketua Pemuda Umno dalam perhimpunan Umno hari ini.

Jelasnya, penubuhan GLC adalah bertujuan untuk membantu memperkasakan golongan Bumiputera, bukan sekadar untuk mengaut keuntungan.

Beliau turut mendakwa mempunyai bukti bahawa Petronas menggunakan syarikat milik warga asing sebagai pembekal makanan tempatan di kedai runcit stesyen-stesyen minyaknya.

“Saya ada bukti surat dari Persatuan Pengusaha Stesen Minyak Melayu bahawa Petronas bawa syarikat tempatan milik warga asing sebagai rakan niaga oleh Petronas Dagangan Bhd,” katanya.

Gulam Muszahar menyifatkan perkara itu sebagai ‘rompakan’ keatas hasil pendapatan pengusaha makanan Industri Kecil dan Sederhana (IKS) dan akan membunuh IKS.

“Ini dasar kapitalis, hanya untuk mengaut keuntungan,” jelasnya lagi sambil menambah syariakt-syarikat milik warga asing ini tidak mempunyai kredibiliti untuk menyediakan sajian makanan tempatan.

Disamping itu, Gulam Muszahar turut menyarankan jabatan-jabatan khas diwujudkan di GLC-GLC bagi membantu kelangsungan perniagaan Bumiputera.

Soi Lek quits politics

Anisah Shukry, FMT

MCA President Dr Chua Soi Lek announced today he would not defend his position in the party polls this Dec 21, saying it was time for him to retire from politics.

He said many supporters had urged him to go back on his May 6 pledge that he would not contest, telling him a four-corner fight would give him an advantage.

“But I don’t want to go down in the history of MCA as a leader with no integrity; when I say I am not defending my position, I mean it,” the veteran politician said at a press conference at the party headquarters here.

He said if he were to stand and win it would be an “empty victory” because he would have backtracked on a promise after his chances had increased.

The MCA leaders gunning for the top position are deputy president Liow Tiong Lai, former president Ong Tee Keat and vice president Gan Ping Sieu.

Chua had vowed to not defend his presidency immediately after last May’s general election, which saw MCA suffer the worst defeat in its history, winning only seven federal and 11 state seats.

But speculation was rife that Chua would renege on his pledge. It was fueled further when he censured his deputy at an annual general meeting in October and gave elusive answers to questions from the media.

But Chua clarified today that the “hard work” he had done in the party since the general election was meant to convince his comrades there was still hope in MCA, not for his own political gain.

He urged his supporters not to “grudge” him his retirement, saying he believed he had earned it.

“Of course, there are people who think that I will not give up easily; hence I will seek re-election. Once again I would like to emphasise that I am not giving up, but giving way to new blood.

“After my retirement, I will continue to play whatever role I can to contribute to the transformation of MCA and to strengthen the Barisan Nasional.”


Money politics

He said that the MCA leadership needed to give room for the younger generation, but he did not endorse any candidate in the party election.

Chua also urged party veterans to not use the polls as a means to settle old scores and warned businessmen to stay away from the proceedings.

“Every time businessmen come in, money is involved,” he said. “MCA must stand firm and reject money politics in party elections. If we are involved in money, it will only serve to devalue the position of the MCA party president and other posts.”

He urged party members, including the leaders, to practise the “politics of transforming MCA” and to close ranks once the polls were over.

Chua was optimistic that the tide of voter sentiment would turn towards MCA in the next general election.

Candi destruction shocks former Kedah MB

(The Star) - It started as a dream to create a tourist attraction with an ancient candi of Bujang Valley as its centrepiece. Two decades on, it’s now an archaeological nightmare.

Former Kedah Mentri Besar Tan Sri Osman Aroff said he had made preservation of all the candi a “strict condition” when approving the Kedah International Resort City project in Bujang Valley in 1993.

The project never saw the light of the day. However, things have spiralled out of control.

“I am devastated to learn that a candi in Sungai Batu was destroyed by a private developer recently.

“This begs the question of how the state land ended up in private hands,” said Osman.

That is the burning question, because his successors as Mentris Besar have also denied selling the land to any developer.

Bandar Saujana Sdn Bhd project manager Saw Guan Keat had said that the company bought eight lots of land in Sungai Batu from another developer earlier this year.

The new developer destroyed the candi while clearing the land for a housing project.

Osman said the Kedah Inter-national Resort City project was a joint venture between a Qatar-based company and Mentri Besar Inc. The state had a 40% stake while the company held the remaining shares.

“The state also acquired the surrounding piece of land for the project covering about 400ha,” he added.

Osman said he was surprised to learn that a private developer now owned part of the land.

“The project was supposed to comprise an agriculture park and a hotel amid the preserved ruins of an ancient civilisation,” said Osman who was Mentri Besar from 1985 to 1996.

Another former Mentri Besar, Tan Sri Sanusi Junid (1996-1999), said he had rejected the request of a foreign company to be recognised as a local one. Sanusi told the company to abide by the country’s rules and regulations.

“But after one meeting with me, they never came back,” he said.

Former executive councillor Datuk Amiruddin Hamzah of the Pakatan Rakyat state government (2008-2013) said the company had threatened to sue the state for rejecting its proposal to build houses in the area.

Amiruddin said the late Kedah Mentri Besar Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak rejected the company’s proposal because it involved building thousands of housing units in the area.

“We do not need a foreign company to build houses here.”

Archaeology expert: Still hope for razed Lembah Bujang temple

(MM) - Armed with blueprints from historical texts and research papers, an archaeological expert believes it possible to rebuild the millennia-old temple in Lembah Bujang, Kedah that was torn down by a housing developer.

According to director of the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Centre for Global Archaeological Research (CGAR) Professor Dr Mokhtar Saidin, who leads a team that has excavated 46 sites in the area, there exists sufficient information to allow the prehistoric structure to be reconstructed, hopefully, where it once stood.

“We can reconstruct it again because I saw some of the publication before and there is a plan, so we can reconstruct again, the best is to construct on the original site,” Mokhtar said, referring to plans of the ancient temple contained in published works.

The candi in question had been restored once in 1974. The archaeology expert said the restoration commissioned by the then-Museum Department had been minor as the candi was only “naturally disturbed”, but it would require a complete reconstruction this time around.

“The developer should help because it’s just a small area and I think Jabatan Warisan should too and if they want USM to help, no problem,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.

Yesterday, Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhiz Mahathir also spoke of the possibility to rebuilding the demolished candi number 11.

“The ruins can be reconstructed on its original site with the agreement of the company or near the Universiti Sains Malaysia excavation site at Sungai Batu,” he was quoted as saying by national news agency Bernama last night.

The recent discovery of the demolition of the 1,200-year-old candi number 11 at Sungai Batu triggered national outrage over the callous treatment of the country’s historical monuments.

A candi, short for candigarh, has been described as a place of worship with elements of either Hinduism or Buddhism; about 50 are peppered across the Kedah valley and believed to date back to between the 8th and 13th centuries.

Lembah Bujang is also thought to be the foundation for the rise of the Malay kingdom in Southeast Asia, and the region’s foremost entrepot and trading centre in ancient times.

Earlier yesterday, Mukhriz said the state government has appealed to the Tourism and Culture Ministry to gazette over 100 archaeological sites as national heritage sites.

“The state places the utmost importance in preserving all heritage sites in Kedah so we are saddened over the recent destruction of candi number 11,” he said.

However, Mokhtar said even if the historical sites are not gazetted as such, future development plans in the Merbok area should be referred to the local authorities and the National Heritage Department to prevent the destruction of other historical locations.

Recounting a previous visit in 2007 to what was then an oil palm estate, the professor said the candi had still been intact. He added that had the land status not been changed from agricultural to residential, the tragedy might not have taken place.

“Before this, as far as I know, all candis are in private land, usually in plantation area, the owners know the sites shouldn’t be disturbed, but for site 11, they want to develop housing, so they bulldoze all the trees and everything there.

“It is very sad; it serves as a lesson for us ― for all of us ― to be responsible [and] to take care of such historical sites.”

According to Mukhriz, the developer had obtained planning permission to develop the land back in 1993 but only started clearing works this August.

On Monday, the Lembah Bujang Archaeological Museum — the candi’s former caretakers — said it informed National Heritage Department of the destruction in September.

It is unclear if the department did anything to stop the developer, as its director-general, Datin Paduka Prof Siti Zuraina Abdul Majid could not be reached as she is currently abroad for the month.

Lembah Bujang is the richest archaeological site in Malaysia and the home of the oldest man-made structure recorded in Southeast Asia — a clay brick monument nearly 1,900 years old.

Excavations on the site have also uncovered jetty remains, iron smelting sites and relics with Hindu and Buddhist influences that point towards a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom there as early as 110 CE.

The “non-fulfillment” of the Malaysian agreement: Who is to blame? - Arnold Puyok

In 1963, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaya formed what is now called Malaysia. But the forming of Malaysia was not without challenges. In terms of population demography, Sabah and Sarawak were more culturally heterogeneous than Peninsular Malaya.

Sabah and Sarawak were also economically under-developed. Due to Sabah and Sarawak’s distinctive characters, they were allowed to make specific demands as part of a deal before their incorporation into Malaysia.

These demands were known as the 20-point memorandum for Sabah and 18-point memorandum for Sarawak. Both memorandums were later used as a guide by the Cobbold Commission to ascertain the views of Sabahans and Sarawakians about Malaysia.

The demands were later discussed in the Inter-Governmental Committee before their incorporation into the Federal Constitution. At the London talks in July 1963, Great Britain, Northern Ireland, the Federation of Malaya, North Borneo (Sabah), Sarawak and Singapore agreed to sign the Malaysia Agreement.

The signing of the agreement was significant because it paved the way for the enactment of the Malaysia Act (Act No. 26 of 1963) which sealed the formation of Malaysia. With the enactment of the Malaysia Act, the Federal Constitution took over from the Malayan Constitution as a new “document of destiny” for Malaysia. The rights and privileges for Sabah and Sarawak are clearly stated in the Federal Constitution (Articles 161, 161A, 161B, 161E).

Apart from becoming a supreme document in the land, the Federal Constitution also reflects the new political reality in Malaysia. It should be stated that Malaysia was formed through the merging of three separately independent entities – Peninsular Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak.

However, some people argue that the federal government does not honour the 20/18-point memorandum. The issue becomes complicated when the legality of the 20/18-point is questioned. For some, raising the 20/18-point is akin to flogging a dead horse because it is already incorporated into the Federal Constitution. For others, the 20/18-point is a legal document and it is the federal government’s duty to fulfill the demands of Sabah and Sarawak before their incorporation into Malaysia. But ironically, the non-fulfillment of the 20-point demands were a work of Sabah own leaders.

In 1973, Sabah Chief Minister Mustapha Harun of Usno (United Sabah National Organisation) amended the State Constitution to make Islam the official religion of Sabah. In the 20-point memorandum, Sabah leaders requested for Islam not to be made official religion because the majority of the population was non-Muslims and many were not inclined towards Islam.

Mustapha continued to amend the State Constitution to make Bahasa Melayu the official language in replace of English. The 20-point stated that English should be the “official language of [Sabah] for all purposes, [s]tate or [f]ederal without limitation of time”. Mustapha’s actions were driven by his beliefs that Sabah could only be developed under one religion (Islam), one language (Bahasa Melayu), and one culture (Malay).

In 1976, the 20-point and Sabah’s autonomy were further eroded by Mustapha’s successor Harris Salleh of Berjaya who surrendered the state’s control over natural resources to the federal government. In 1984, Harris continued with his massive federalisation policies by surrendering Labuan. In 1991, the federal influence in Sabah came to its high point with the establishment of Umno and other Peninsular-based parties in the state. Most of the Usno members left the party and joined Umno.

The rotation system of the chief minister’s post introduced by then Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad to ensure equal representation of the main ethnic groups in Sabah was just a temporary measure to consolidate Umno’s powers in Sabah. Just before the system completed its full cycle, it was abolished by Umno to seal its dominance in Sabah.

Changes in Sabah’s political landscape also affected the relations between one ethnic group with the other. Sabah has never experienced any serious ethnic tension since the formation of Malaysia. But when the Sabah Mufti called for the “Malay-isation” of the Muslim indigenous people, it caused a lot of anxiety – and potentially explosive ethnic fissures – in Sabah. The mufti’s refusal to apologise did not go well with many who continued to force the state Islamic leader to appear before the Native Court.

The mufti’s suggestion came amid the growing number of Malay/Muslim population in Sabah since the era of Mustapha. The non-Muslim people were aware of the fact that Sabah’s population demography had been altered to increase the Malay/Muslim population for political expediency. This is among the factors making the ruling party BN unpopular in the non-Muslim constituencies.

Sabahans have every reason to voice out their unhappiness about the attempt to alter Sabah’s plural identity and autonomy. But they must look introspectively and stop blaming the federal government and “semenanjung” people. The problems that happen in Sabah are mainly caused by Sabah leaders and Sabahans themselves.

Of course, one can say that the federal government has the innumerable powers to exert its influence in Sabah. But it is the duty of Sabah leaders to defend the Federal Constitution which grants Sabah certain rights and autonomy. Sabahans must also be aware that many Sabah leaders are using the 20/18-point issue and the Malaysia Agreement to revive their fading political support. Others use it as a “bargaining chip” to pursue their political ambition.

So, Sabahans should not trust these opportunist politicians too much. They must seek the truth themselves and use their democratic rights to elect leaders who are sincere in fighting for their rights.

The Federal Constitution protects the special privileges for Sabah and Sarawak. Malaysians of all walks of life have the duty to defend the sanctity and sovereignty of the Federal Constitution. Any attempt to erode the constitutional safeguards of Sabah and Sarawak must be stopped.

The formation of Malaysia happened by the sweat and toil of our founding fathers who envisioned a new country that belongs to all Malaysians irrespective of their ethnic identity and religion. Let us all defend what Malaysia was meant to be. – December 4, 2013.

*Arnold Puyok is a political analyst, and reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

Groups: Get Malaysia in line with its human rights obligations

The Star
by SHAILA KOSHY

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should seriously consider the recommendations the United Nations members states gave during its Universal Periodic Review (UPR) on reviewing the mandatory death penalty here.

Sedar Institute executive director Ivanpal S. Grewal said this would ensure Malaysia functioned in line with its human rights obligations.

At Malaysia’s UPR in Geneva on Oct 24, the second highest cluster of recommendations involved the death penalty.

“I am taken in by one point made by the review that we do not have the luxury of bringing a person back from the dead if he is executed and found later to have been innocent,” said Ivanpal in an interview.

He was commenting on the recent articles in The Star on the UPR recommendations and results of the Death Penalty Project (DPP) Survey which show that the public is more comfortable with a discretionary death penalty.

Oxford University Emeritus Prof Roger Hood, who was commissioned by DPP to design and analyse the large-scale public opinion survey, said the findings suggested “public opinion ought not to be regarded as a definite barrier to the abolition of the death penalty for murder”.

Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong and Suhakam chairman Tan Sri Hasmy Agam have also called on the Government to abolish the mandatory death penalty or give the discretion to judges.

Ivanpal said Malaysia must institutionalise respect for human rights and dignity and the surest way forward is for Malaysians to reject the death penalty.

“Sedar Institute believes that the death penalty is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment and it’s contrary to basic human rights.

“The state should not justify the death penalty as a form of deterrence because crime has not decreased despite having the death penalty.”

“We should look towards rehabilitation and there is always imprisonment for life for the worst of the worst of offenders,” he said, stressing Sedar Institute’s belief in the wisdom of Gandhi who had said that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind.

Najib Chairs Special MT Meeting In Conjunction With 2013 Umno General Assembly

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also Umno President, tonight chaired a special Umno Supreme Council (MT) meeting in conjunction with the 2013 Umno General Assembly.

The assembly is the first after the 13th general election last May and the party election last October.

The special meeting, held at the Umno headquarters at Menara Dato' Onn here, was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Umno Deputy President.

Others present included Vice-President Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, secretary-general Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin, party treasurer Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah and Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Among the new MT-appointed members present were Youth vice-chief Khairul Azwan Harun, Puteri vice-chief Zahida Zarik Khan, Titiwangsa Member of Parliament Datuk Johari Abdul Ghani, former Universiti Teknologi Mara Vice-Chancellor Prof Tan Sri Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah, Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah president Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki and Kuala Selangor Member of Parliament Datuk Irmohanizam Ibrahim.

All the MT members present took their oath of office before Najib and Muhyiddin prior to the meeting which started at 9pm.

Najib will open the Umno General Assembly 2013 at Dewan Merdeka, Putra World Trade Centre tomorrow, as well as deliver the presidential address before the 2,759 delegates attending the assembly.

Tunku Aziz: 'Don't politicize Bujang Valley demolition'

Nepal towards a Hindu Rashtra (Nation-State) again.

Restore Hindu Nation with constitutional Monarchy in Nepal!

By Dirgha Raj Prasai.

In the annals of world civilization, Hindu philosophy is considered liberal, simple and tolerant. Nepal as a Hindu state did not just signify her Hindu religious leanings. It was also a source of Nepali nationalism and an inescapable fact of Nepal. Hence, declaration of Nepal as a secular state has ignored the ground realities.

Among all religions, Hindu religion is considered the most liberal. According to renowned philosopher Voltaire, Hinduism is the best gift of the East to the West. Similarly, George Bernard Shaw, Irish littérateur, said, “Hindu religion is the most important and the most liberal religion in the world”. According to the Encyclopedia of Religions and Ethics, signs of Hindu religion are found in Islamic countries like Iran. A stone scripture dating back to 486 BC in Iran contains the words Hindu and Hindus. Even an ancient Parsi scripture, Shatir, repeats the famous Ved Vyas saying “I am a true Hindu born, in a Hindu country”. Another Hindu philosopher Manu considers the area between Bindhya in south India and the Himalayas in the north as Aryabrata, the land of Aryans.

Even outside travelers to the region like Megasthaniz and Fai Han have written in their memoirs that Hindus are tall, healthy, simple, intelligent and truthful. That Hindus do not need to bring witnesses to financial deals and they do not lock their houses as incidents of theft are simply not heard of. The rise of Buddhism does not make much of a difference because Buddhism and Hinduism are complementary to each other and Kiratis also worship the same gods, such as Shiva and Bhagawati, as do the Hindus.

Instead of declaring Nepal a completely secular state, it would have made more sense, in keeping with the ground realities, if it had been declared as the soil of Hindu rooted faiths and the basic lands of Hindu and Buddhist people. There are over 800 million Hindus in India and Indian Hindus respect Nepal as a Hindu country. This should be taken as a matter of pride. For security reasons too, Nepal, a small country with open border to the south, has a big advantage as a Hindu country. It also needs to be borne in mind that no one has the right to trample on the conviction of more than two-thirds of the people.

The declaration of Nepal as a Hindu Kingdom does not signify just its religion rather it is taken as the source of Nepalese nationalism and an inseparable part of Nepal. If Nepal is republican and secular country, China comes with communism in Nepal for its security reasons and then gradually spreading Maoist and Communist terrorism in different parts of that country making Chinese centers in Nepal. If monarchy is restored in Nepal, all the Communist activities can be controlled. So, the parliamentary party leaders will make a grave mistake this time after the present election in Nepal in 2013, if not declaring Nepal as a Hindu State instead of fake secular state as structured by the Ultra Communists some years back .

Even if one talks about secularism, the census 2001 AD can be taken as referendum. That time those who call them intellectuals, leaders of ethnic communities and communists and those who call themselves Christians had made campaign not to write anything in the column for religion or not to write Hindu as their religion. But the Hindus never confronted them or made it an issue. Despite the campaign against Hinduism, the number of Hindus in Nepal was found to be 82 per cent. If one keeps the Buddhists out the number of Hindus before the 2001 census was 83 per cent. Half of the diminished numbers were increased in Buddhism and Kiratis and there was half percentage point increment in Christians. The rise in Buddhism and Kiratis do not make much of a difference because Buddhism and Hinduism are complementary to each other and Kiratis also worship the same gods such as Shiva and Bhagawati like the Hindus.

Therefore, the holy land of Nepal can be declared as the lands of Hindu Rooted religions.  But it is a matter of serious concern for whose interest Nepal was declared a secular state. No one has right to trample believe and conviction of more than two-thirds majority of the people. Even if there is a referendum, more than 85 percent Nepalese will vote for a Hindu country. More than that Hindus have the freedom to pursue their own way of observing the religion. Therefore, if Nepal is to be declared a secular country, all countries, which call themselves as Christian or Muslim countries should also be declared secular countries. If they want Nepal to become a secular country, they should also be willing to shun their ‘Cross’ of the Christians, ‘sign of David’ of the Jews and ‘Kawa’ of Muslims. Actually, Kaaba (Kawa) shrine is a pre-Islamic Shiva temple where the Hindu practice of perambulation is still meticulously observed and strictly followed. New research tells that Jesus came to India to learn Yoga.  However, these need to be pondered that even if Nepal is to be  a Hindu Kingdom again, its nature will  remain far better than  any secular country as Hindus have never done anything that would harass or trouble other religions.

Nepal is a small country and on the south there is a big country with open border. There are about 800 million Hindus and Indian Hindus respect Nepal as a Hindu kingdom. This should be taken as a matter of pride for us. For security reasons also, Nepal has a big advantage by being a Hindu country. If the Maoists are for Nepal’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, all Nepalese request them to change their idea about secularism. Even if one is a Christian or a Muslim, they should support to keep Nepal a Hindu country. But the seven political parties have made a great mistake by announcing Nepal as a secular state.

It is shameful to write that in Nepal there are some existing international organization (INGO) who are talking to develop Nepal but they were and has been involving in spreading the Christian religion with money and giving the fallacious assurance. The Nepalese religious people always regard the other religions. Nepal and the monarch never show the religious intolerance. From the very beginning, there are two Mosques in front of the Royal palace, near Clock Tower, have never faced intolerance. But, the so-called big party leaders and some civil society’ and INGO conveners who are the puppets Christian Mission are active to destroy the indigenous culture and identities. We should remember the quotation of Voltaire: “Christianity is the most ridiculous, the most absurd and bloody religion that has ever infected the world.”  

Despite knowing this fact it is intriguing on whose interest the so-called big parties including Maoist declared Nepal a secular state by the hints of RAW. They had directly hurt the feeling of the majority of the Hindus in the country and more than 1 billion Hindus all over the world. Political leaders must rethink its decision. What they should have done is to remove the anomalies such as untouchables and other caste-based and social discrimination. This would have been the real tribute and service to the country and to the religion. Apart from some social anomalies there is nothing in Hindu religion that should be opposed. By declaring republic and Nepal a secular country; they are only serving the interest of some narrow groups who possess antagonistic approach against the majority Nepali people. Otherwise, if one thinks of the liberalism and tolerance, Hinduism comes first and foremost of all other religions in Nepal. So, Nepal must be restored with a Hindu Rashtra (Nation-State)  again.

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Survey on Islam in Austria: 18% of Muslims support death sentence for apostasy, 21.9% oppose democracy

The Threat of Islam in Austria

from Gates of Vienna
I previously reported on a survey of Flemish voters that showed how many people in Flanders consider Islam a threat, despite all the decades of multicultural indoctrination.
Now comes a mirror-image survey from Austria, showing the intolerant and non-integrative attitudes of Austria’s Muslims. And remember: teachers were the ones being surveyed. These weren’t ignorant denizens of the “Muslim street”; they were the people officially charged by the Austrian state with Islamic education.
Our Austrian correspondent ESW has compiled a report based on German-language sources. First, her prefatory note:

Muslims in Austria, especially those of official Islam, are highly nervous about the study that was made public two days ago.

Mouhanad Khorchide is a fairly well-known scientist, often invited to discussions. He was also on the panel at the recent discussion at the political academy of the ÖVP, where he filled in for Tariq Ramadan. He can certainly be considered a liberal Muslim, but a Muslim nonetheless.

I am wary of him, but he is helpful, because Muslims cannot complain about the study having been written by infidels; it was written by one of their own. This is the main reason for their nervousness. Even the political left is nervous about the results of the study. Some even consider revoking Islam’s status as a religious group if changes are not made.

However, I am looking forward to watching these changes unfold. How can the Quran and its contents be changed? People need to realize that it is not the teachers who are the problem, but rather Islam.

Will there be a special Quran for Austria? An Austrian Islam? What will Saudi Arabia say?

Interesting times. The truth will prevail. The lie of Islam will hopefully be exposed. Thank you, Mr. Khorchide. You have helped the Counterjihad more than you will ever know!

Here is the translation of an article from Wednesday’s Die Presse:

Islamic Teachers A Problem

One in five teachers of Islam (21.9%) has a problem with democracy. And he or she even says so openly. This is the result of a written survey meticulously conducted by the sociologist and scientist Mouhanad Khorchide. Apart from the above assertion, there is additional explosive data: 14.7% distance themselves from the Austrian constitution, 13.9% are of the opinion that elections are not compatible with Islam, and 28.4% believe that it is not possible to be a European and Muslim at the same time.

Even more, there are those among the polled Islamic teachers (18.2%) who advocate the death penalty in case of apostasy. And 8.5% sympathize with those using violence to spread Islam.

- – - - – - – - -

Anas Shakfeh, the head of the Islamic Faith Community in Austria, also concludes that beliefs and attitudes such as the above are highly problematic. However, direct consequences cannot be drawn from this study because the questionnaires were made anonymous. “I cannot react to a private opinion,” Shakfeh says. If a teacher does make these statements, there would be consequences.

But the hiring of Islamic teachers is the responsibility of Islamic Faith Community, not that of the state. This resulted in the hiring of teachers who were inadequately trained or not trained at all. 37% of those teaching right now have no theological training, 41% are not trained as teachers — all this can also be found in the study.

The Faith Community blames these numbers on “relics”: when Islamic religious teaching was first introduced in 1982, there were no qualified teachers in Austria, which meant they had to be “imported” from Turkey. Only in 1998 was the Islamic Religious Academy (IRPA) founded in Vienna [as part of the University of Vienna].

Things have since changed somewhat, says Khorchide. “Second-generation religious teachers identify more strongly with Austria. They do not have deficits [such as those found in the study].” On the other hand, these younger teachers do not emphasize critical reflection, but rather convey rituals and laws. There remains much to do.

The title of the study was: Mouhanad Khorchide, “Islamic Religious Education between Integration and Parallel Societies: Attitudes and Beliefs of Islamic Religious Teachers in Public Schools”
The survey questions were:

1.		“I oppose democracy because it cannot be reconciled with the teachings of Islam.”
2.		“I believe it is not possible to be a European and a Muslim.”
3.		“Islam forbids taking part in elections (i.e. voting).”
4.		“I oppose the Austrian constitution because it is in contradiction with Islam.”
5.		“Islam dies not allow participation in Austrian cultural activities (theater, art, etc.).”
6.		“I oppose the Human Rights Convention because it is not compatible with Islamic teachings.”

Who is Mouhanad Khorchide?

The 37-year old Lebanese native considers himself a liberal Muslim who does not read the Quran as the literal word of God, and who applies scientific methods when he trains religious teachers and works as an imam.

What makes his Ph.D. thesis so exceptional is its exclusive approach in matters of Islam, school and integration. The higher echelons in the Faith Community saw potential in Khorchide and in 2007 gave him permission to hand out his questionnaires at a conference for religious teachers. 210 teachers (out of 330) teachers returned the questionnaires. Experts say that results are particularly representative for Vienna and Lower Austria [two states in the eastern part of Austria]. The best and most highly trained teachers can be found in these two states.

The study finds a quarter of teachers who answer questions regarding democracy, rule of law, and integration precisely the way right-wing populists allege and liberals fear. The older the teacher, the greater the rejection of the rule of law and democratic principles. What is especially disconcerting is that 44% of the teachers believe that students primarily need to learn about feelings of superiority.

One in three teachers does not hold Austrian citizenship. Teachers hail from Turkey, Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, first-generation immigrants who were not exposed to democratic values and freedom in their home countries. How can they now convey these values to their students?

The Faith Community is represented by Anas Shakfeh. He has been president for ten years and worked as a teacher. Official Austria holds him in high regard on integration matters. He was even given a prestigious award for his efforts. Shakfeh is the head of the Islamic education authority and taught without formal training for 20 years. He also works for the Saudi Arabian embassy in Vienna. Is one who works for an inhuman theocracy and who knows little about education science and teaching skills the right man to establish an open and modern Islamic religious education?

A couple of weeks ago he subtly denied Israel’s right to exist. As a result, our interview starts with a discussion about the war in Gaza. Khorchide’s study? He has read parts of it. “They’re not catastrophic, but also not OK”, Shakfeh says. “Since Khorchide also teaches at university, it is also up to him to make improvements.”

Here are some of the first political reactions, as summarized by ESW from ORF:

Both the minister of education and the mayor of Vienna are publicly demanding consequences. Interestingly enough, both the minister and the mayor are members of the socialist parties.

Says mayor Michael Häupl: “The fact that a fifth of the Islamic religious teachers oppose democracy causes me sleepless nights. If I had a study like this about indigenous teachers, I would faint.” He warns that any changes in the way teachers are trained would also mean consequences for Catholic teachers, because according to the law on religious education of 1949, it is the religious groups who are in charge of religious education; the state only acts as a supervisor.

Minister Claudia Schmied said in an interview with Austrian television that this survey calls for consequences and that she will seek a meeting with Anas Shakfeh.

All other Austrian political parties have already reacted to the controversial survey well before the socialists did: Sirvan Ekici (ÖVP, conservative party), in charge of integration matters, wants the Faith Community to make sure its teachers conform to Austrian laws and values.

Socialists demand a “comprehensive explanation from the Faith Community. It is necessary to make sure that nothing that goes against democratic values is taught. There is no room for fundamentalist tendencies.”

The Freedom Party (FPÖ) and Jörg Haider’s spin-off, BZÖ, are in agreement that mosques and schools need to be monitored closely. This should be done by the Federal Agency for State Protection and Counterterrorism, since the Faith Community is unwilling or unable to take care of this.

Even the Green Party finds the results of the study troubling: “Whoever opposes human rights or demands the death penalty for apostasy is not fit to teach in Austrian schools,” says Harald Walser, who also warns of the existence of parallel societies.

Some more background from ORF:

Islamic religious teaching has been taking place at Austrian public schools for 27 years. There are 350 teachers for 32,000 students. Khorchide adds that there has never been a scientific evaluation of Islamic religious classes. Until 1998, when the university institute IRPA was founded, teachers were recruited among the Arab population in Austria. Some of those have radical tendencies and continue teaching to this day.

See ESW’s Counterji

Bahasa Candi 11 di Sungai Batu yang dimusnahkan boleh dibina semula, kata Mukhriz

Candi 11 di Sungai Batu dalam Lembah Bujang, Merbok yang dimusnahkan adalah struktur batu yang dibina semula pada 1974 di atas tapak asal candi yang dibina antara kurun ke-8 hingga 11 Masehi.

Menteri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Tun Dr Mahathir berkata kerajaan negeri kesal dengan pemusnahan itu kerana ia dianggap tapak warisan negara yang patut dipelihara.

"Tapak-tapak candi di Lembah Bujang adalah tapak warisan yang tidak digunakan sebagai tempat penyembahan sejak berkurun-kurun lamanya," katanya dalam kenyataan yang dikeluarkan di sini hari ini bagi mengulas protes banyak pihak terhadap pemusnahan candi 11 oleh sebuah syarikat pemaju.

Dalam kenyataannya Mukhriz memperjelaskan syarikat terbabit adalah pemilik tanah berkenaan dan mendapat kelulusan memajukannya pada 1993 tetapi pembersihan hanya dilaksana pada Ogos tahun ini apabila ia memusnahkan candi tersebut.

Katanya kerajaan negeri dan Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan telah mengarahkan syarikat berkenaan menghentikan segera pembersihan di tapak candi 11.

"Candi yang sama boleh dibina semula atas tapak asal dengan persetujuan syarikat atau di tapak lain yang berhampiran dengan tapak ekskavasi Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) di Sungai Batu. Pelan candi 11 akan dirujuk bagi memastikan reka bentuk dan bahan digunakan sama seperti di tapak asal.

"Kerajaan menitikberatkan usaha memelihara semua jenis warisan turun-temurun di negeri ini. Bagi memastikan tapak-tapak warisan di lebih 100 lokasi di Lembah Bujang tidak musnah dimamah zaman akibat pembangunan, Kementerian Pelancongan dan Kebudayaan bersetuju menimbang permohonan kerajaan negeri agar tapak-tapak warisan yang dikenal pasti mempunyai nilai warisan diwartakan," kata Mukhriz.

Beliau berkata kerja-kerja ekskavasi yang dilaksanakan oleh pakar-pakar arkeologi USM akan diteruskan sehingga kawasan Lembah Bujang boleh dibangunkan sebagai tarikan pelancongan bertaraf antarabangsa.

Kajian arkeologi di kawasan Sungai Batu mendedahkan tapak tersebut digunakan sejak kurun ke-5 Masehi hingga kurun 17 Masehi. Tamadun Sungai Batu juga adalah yang tertua berasaskan industri peleburan besi. - Bernama, 3 Disember, 2013.

Lembah Bujang fiasco: ‘Sack the Heritage Commissioner

The Heritage Commissioner must be sacked and the developer charged for destroying birthplace of Malay civilisation, says Waythamoorthy.

BUJANG VALLEY: Hindraf wants Heritage Commissioner Zuraina Abdul Majid to be sacked for failing to gazette, protect, preserve and conserve an ancient Hindu temple tomb (candi) structure in the historical Bujang Valley site, demolished by a developer a month ago.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator P Waythamoorthy slammed Zuraina’s failure as “absolute negligence and collapse of statutory duties”, deserving immediate expulsion.

The Hindraf national chairman also called for developer, Saujana Sdn Bhd, to be charged for destroying a public heritage property and national treasure.

Waytharmoorthy pointed out that the demolished temple site was among some 90 temple tombs unearthed at ancient civilisation sites by archaeological research works started way back in 1930s.

He pointed out that a proposal had been submitted in 1987 under a working paper entitled: Bujang Valley and Kuala Kedah Fort – Proposals for a Master Plan, by John Sanday for Unesco’s World Heritage Listing.

The working paper was initiated under the government’s operational action for the safeguarding of immovable cultural heritage and its reintegration into modern life.

Since a proposal had been submitted to Unesco, Waythamoorthy said the Commissioner of Heritage should have exercised his or her vested power under the National Heritage Act (NHA) 2005 to inspect, survey, investigate and carry out necessary work to determine the designation of the site as a heritage site.

Submitted for heritage status 26 years ago

Waythamoorthy said the Commissioner should have made an Interim Protection Order under Section 33 of NHA 2005 to preserve and conserve the whole site.

Under Section 33, any person who contravenes an Interim Protection Order commits an offence.

Section 33 states: Upon a notice being served on the owner of a site, the Commissioner may, with the concurrence of the State Authority, make an Interim Protection Order in relation to a site if in the opinion of the Commissioner it is necessary to do so for the purpose of conservation and preservation of the site.

“The Commissioner should have designated the site which had natural heritage or cultural heritage significance to be a heritage site.

“But the Commissioner had failed to do so even though the proposal was submitted for world’s heritage listing 26 years ago.

“It is absolute negligence.

“The Commissioner’s services must be terminated.

“We cannot compromise on this,” Waythamoorthy told FMT after visiting the demolished ancient temple site in Sungai Batu Estate area here yesterday evening.

Also present were non-governmental organisation Bujang Valley Study Circle chairman V Nadarajan, Hindraf activists and local residents.

Housing developer, Saujana Sdn Bhd has reportedly demolished the historical artifacts of a 1,200-year-old Hindu temple tomb to pave the way for a new township project to be developed on the heritage site.

The developer claims they were unaware of the historical value of the demolished ancient structure that archaeologists and historians say dates back to the 8th Century.

Kedah Barisan Nasional government have issued an immediate stop-work order pending investigations into the controversial demolition which has caused an uproar among Malaysians.

Site still not gazetted

Minister of Tourism and Culture, Nazri Abdul Aziz has called on the Heritage Commissioner to gazette and protect the ancient temple tombs.

Waythamoorthy insists that the Commissioner has a public statutory duty to gazette all ancient temple tombs unearthed in the ancient civilisation site under NHA a long time ago.

“The tombs should have been gazetted by now. The Commissioner should have preserved and conserved all the tombs.

“It puzzles Malaysians on why the Commissioner failed to do so.

“Obviously the Commissioner was sleeping on her job,” rebuked Waythamoorthy.

He also called for the developer to be charged under the same law for the destruction.

Under Section 113 of the NHA, any person who destroys, damages, disfigures, disposes or alters a tangible cultural heritage, without a permit issued by the Commissioner commits an offence and shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years or a fine not exceeding RM50,000 or to both.

Offences committed by corporate bodies comes under Section 117 which states that, where a person charged with an offence under this Act or any regulations made thereunder is a corporate body , every person who, at the time of the commission of such offence, as a managing director, manager or other similar officer of such corporate body, may be charged jointly in the same proceedings with the corporate body, and where the corporate body is convicted of the offence charged, every such managing director, manager or officer shall also be deemed to have committed the offence and shall be liable to the same penalty as the corporate body, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge, consent or connivance or that he took reasonable precautions to prevent its commission.

“We cannot let the developer off the hook. He destroyed a national historical and heritage structure. The developer must be made accountable and pay for negligence and ignorance.

“The government shall not compromise,” said Waythamoorthy.

Historians like Nadarajan believes that Bujang Valley formed part of an ancient Malay-Hindu kingdom civilisation called Kadaaram covering approximately 1,000 square miles stretching from Kota Sarang Semut and Jeniang in Kedah to Bukit Mertajam in mainland Penang.

Located near Merbok, Kedah, Bujang Valley covers an area of approximately 224 square kms between Gunung Jerai in the North and Muda River in the South.

Nadarajan said the Malay–Hindu kingdom, which began in the 1st Century AD, was the oldest Malay civilisation in Southeast Asia, pre-dating Malacca.

He said the civilisation was a Malay–Hindu kingdom until the 12th Century when its Hindu king converted to Islam and started a Sultanate.

“This is the birthplace of Malay civilisation in the country.

“The civilisation proves that the Kedah Sultanate is the eldest and oldest royal lineage in the country,” insisted Nadarajan.

Rare illness compounds woman’s misery

A Komala suffers not only a rare condition but is also poverty stricken.

KUALA LUMPUR: The proverb ‘health is wealth’ is meaningless to 54-year-old A Komala.

The mother of three who is living in squalor in a longhouse settlement in Jinjang with her husband has been hit by a rare disease – she looses iron from her bones, causing them to be fragile.

She had been suffering from this ailment for the past five years but it has become worse now.

Her grown up children – aged between 23 and 35, with two of them married and living away– are of no help to her. Her youngest son only returns home to sleep.

“The doctor told me it is a rare medical condition where something like a bacteria eats into my bones causing my body to be painful. All the doctors could do is to replace the iron lost from my bones to ensure they don’t break,” Komala told FMT when met recently.

She explained that her whole body aches especially at night and on rainy days. Lately she is finding it hard to walk due to her fragile knees.

“Rotten fruit is what people describe if they were to touch any part of my body, and my bones are equivalent to those who are aged 90 and above,” she said.

Komala added that she is losing iron from her bones for some unknown reasons and currently she takes whole lots of medicines for her condition.

“I have to watch my steps especially during rainy days as I would be paralyzed if I fall anywhere,” she said while pointing at the slippery floor of her house which was wet due to leaks in the roof.

Speaking further on her medical condition, she said that fluids were removed from her knees often and she visits the Kuala Lumpur Hospital up to five times per month. Almost on all visits she is admitted.

“I spend more time in the hospital than my home,” she laughed while relating her ordeal.

She first visited the government hospital near her house but has since been referred to the KLH.

Komala gets little support from her children and her husband underwent a major cardiac bypass few months ago, thus is unable to care for her.

Often their meals are provided by the neighbours. Due to her illness and medicines, she gets weak easily, far more when proper meals are hard to come.

“Forget about medical procedures, I would be rather happy if I have proper meals everyday,” she said in tears.

Though medicines are free, she still needs to fork out RM25 as cab fare for each visit to the hospital. Taking the bus is difficult due to her fragile condition.

No action against Loga, says Speaker

Dewan Rakyat Speaker says the Deputy FT Minister did not intend to mislead the House so he will not be referred to the RPC.

KUALA LUMPUR: Deputy Federal Territories Minister J Loga Bala Mohan will not be referred to the Rights and Privileges Committee for misleading the Dewan Rakyat because there is no element of malice, said Speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia.

Pandikar Amin said he could not see that there was intention from Loga to confuse or mislead the Dewan.

“I could not find any element of malice. It was just that his delivery on the issue was different and was misinterpreted,” he said in Parliament today.

Pandikar was referring to Segambut MP Lim Lip Eng’s concern over Loga’s promise that the proposed assessment rates would be deferred to March pending consultation with stakeholders.

However, Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Mansor had insisted that the new assessment rates would take effect on Jan 1, despite objection by many quarters.

Lim had quoted Section 36(12) of the Standing Order which provides for any member who imputes statements that mislead the House is deemed to be in contempt of the House and the member may be referred to the Committee of Privileges for the offence.

Pandikar, however, said although assessment rates would be increased, the quantum had not been determined.

“The final rate will only be determined at the end of March, 2014. Ratepayers can thus pay according to the current rate,” he said.

Pandikar said DBKL would not penalise those who did not settle the tax before its implementation.

He urged both sides of the divide not to politicise the issue.

Anwar's defamation suit against blogger on Jan 27-28

(NST) - The hearing of opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's defamation suit against blogger

"Papa Gomo" over alleged defamatory postings implying he was engaged in indecent acts with a man will begin on January 27.

High Court judicial commissioner Rosilah Yop fixed the hearing date after meeting the lawyers from both parties while in chambers today.

When met outside the court, Anwar's counsel Muhammad Afiq Mohd Noor clarified that the trial is scheduled from January 27 till 28.

"The court has also fixed January 20 for case management," he said.

Counsel S. Parvinder Kaur acted for the blogger whose real name is Wan Muhammad Azri Wan Deris, 30.

In his suit filed at the High Court registry on March 21, Anwar, 66, claimed that the defendant had posted defamatory statements and uploaded certain images on his website at www.papagomo.com.

He claimed the website could be accessed by anyone surfing the Internet in Malaysia and the world.

He alleged the statements meant that he was a person without morals and was not fit to hold public office.

He further stated that the defamatory words implied that he was not fit to be the prime minister and that he was irresponsible and could not be trusted.

Anwar alleged that since Malaysia was a country with a Muslim majority, the defamatory words and images impacted him negatively.

He is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages and for an injunction to stop the defamatory postings from being repeated or reproduced.

India refuses to learn lessons from Mumbai attacks

26/11: Could it happen again?

Is India any safer than what it was in 2008?
The fifth anniversary of the deadly Nov. 26, 2008 terrorist attacks that shook India’s commercial capital of Mumbai has once again spotlighted glaring shortfalls in the country’s security apparatus that remain unaddressed.
On that fateful day, at around 9.30 pm, Mumbai came under siege by 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba gunmen who launched simultaneous attacks on six key locations across the city. The 60 hours of terror spread over four days, resulting in a loss of roughly US $1billion to Mumbai, industry body Assocham estimated.
The coordinated attacks killed 166 people, including policemen, National Security Guard commandos and some foreigners. Nine terrorists were killed by the security forces in the operation against them. The lone surviving Pakistani terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab, who was nabbed after the carnage, was hanged on Nov. 21 last year in India.
However, the tragic episode refuses to get any closure as the question that continues to preoccupy the country is – Is India any safer than what it was in 2008?
Unfortunately, India's response to security threats – security experts say – continues to be ad hoc and uncoordinated. The challenges Mumbai faces in preventing militant attacks are echoed in other cities of India, often crippled by ill-equipped police forces and bureaucracies unable to respond quickly to threats.
State police forces, the security analysts say, continue to suffer from a glaring deficit of arms and equipment as well as poor infrastructural support. Worse, the intelligence agencies, both the Intelligence Bureau and the Research and Analysis Wing, the nerve centers of the security apparatus, are reeling under a severe staff crunch.
“Even though Pakistani terrorists gained access to the country through the coast, even now India’s coastline continues to be vulnerable,” said Rajeev Bhaskar, a Mumbai-based security analyst. “The fact that terrorist organizations still prefer the sea route, as evidenced by the blasts that rocked Hyderabad this February that killed 17 people and injured 119, shows that India has still not been able to build up foolproof deterrent capabilities.”
India has been targeted at least 11 times by terrorists since the 2008 attack, according to government figures. One major attack on Mumbai killed at least 21 people on July 14, 2011, with three bomb blasts also injuring 141 people.
Worse, Bhaskar points out that India’s plans to establish a comprehensive coastal security mechanism in several phases since 2005 have not progressed satisfactorily. The country was to set up coastal police stations, provide boats, streamline responsibilities between the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard and ensure better intelligence coordination, adds the expert. “Unfortunately, none of that is in evidence today. Lack of political will and upcoming general elections have only made matters worse,” he added.
India was also to implement 46 static coastal radars, but today only 34 are up. Similarly, fishermen were promised biometric identity cards by the home ministry, registration for their vessels and communication equipment on their boats.
“But there’s scant progress on this initiative either,” said Bhaskar, who was formerly with the state-run Research and Analysis Wing.
A national committee on strengthening maritime security for quick and effective implementation was also set up with much fanfare. But over time the body has stopped meeting. Defense officers point out that often there’s also overlap of responsibility between the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard, while the use of special forces like the Navy’s Marine Commando Force also remains unsatisfactory.
The political failure to set up the much-vaunted National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) also poses a grave risk to national security. The NCTC mandate included streamlining intelligence collection and collation by bypassing the labyrinth of competing bureaucracies that undermine counter-terror operations. While the Center had initially announced the NCTC unilaterally, political opposition from the states and the opposition have hamstrung the plan.
A recent analysis of the status of three anti-terror initiatives of the UPA government, the National Intelligence Grid (Natgrid), National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) and the Crime and Criminal Tracking Network & Systems. Natgrid, a pet project of then home minister P. Chidambaram when he was home minister, lost momentum when he was shifted to the Finance Ministry. The system was meant to set up a sophisticated network to pull out data about any terrorist suspect within a matter of seconds,
Coastal security and disaster management is beset by poor cooperation. According to a former director general of police, recommendations, particularly on manpower deployment, weapons and coordination, have not been implemented and police personnel do not have adequate ammunition for training and practice.
The government has also failed to deliver on the critical issue of coastal security, as evidenced by a failed mock security drill in southern Hyderabad that exposed the chinks in armor of the Indian coastal security apparatus. Fake "terrorists" managed to breach coastal security in three places to enter the city. The policemen who posed as terrorists managed to reach the nerve center of the city without being intercepted even once.
“Partisan politics and a singular lack of vision have ensured that India doesn’t move forward from 26/11,” said a senior home ministry official on the condition of anonymity.
“India needs to take a leaf out of America’s book,” said Ram Naik of Madan Mohan Malviya Research Foundation, a New Delhi-based think tank. “Post the 9/11 attacks by Al-Qaeda, the United States created a department for homeland security which was tasked with creating a meticulous plan for securing its coasts. This has apparently worked very well as since then Washington hasn’t been plagued with such attacks.”
Indian businesses, which bore the brunt of the 26/11 attack, are still reserved about the country’s security set-up and top CEOs concede that while technological upgrades have taken place post-26/11, progress on many fronts is still tardy.
“It has been 13 years since 9/ 11. Since then, no major incident has occurred in the US. But terrorist attacks have happened here,” Ajay Piramal, Chairman of the US$ 700 million Piramal Group, said in a recent media interview. “I’m not confident that it won't take place again." Added Industrial Rahul Bajaj, Chairman of the 6-billion Bajaj Group, “I can only hope that my government has taken steps….that such an event will not happen again on Indian soil."
Video surveillance, analysts say, can be crucial in controlling crime. But just to give an example of one Indian city, while a record 6,000 CCTV cameras exist on paper in the government ministries in Mumbai, a laughable 100 cameras are installed across the city which hosts a whopping 26 million people.
26/11 was a reminder to everyone that India was on the radar of terrorists who were waiting to exploit the gaps in its security armor. Lives could have been saved had intelligence, reaction and preparedness worked in synchronicity. But unfortunately, even now India refuses to learn a lesson from that tragedy.