Friday, 20 December 2013
Who will save Bangladesh Hindus? Awami League and BCL are involved in Biswajit killing. Court sentenced 8 to death, 13 for life.
Biswajit Killing, Dhaka Court sentenced 8 to death, 13 for life imprisonment. Awami League and BCL are involved in the brutal killing.
HE Media | New Delhi | Dec 19,…
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Biswajit Killing, Dhaka Court sentenced 8 to death, 13 for life imprisonment. Awami League and BCL are involved in the brutal killing.
HE Media | New Delhi | Dec 19, 2013:: Hindu minorities in Bangladesh are not safe in the ruling Awami League. Now it has been proved that the Awami league is the other side of the same BNP-Jamaat coin. On road murder of Biswajit in the broad daylight in last year was a brutal act of Ruling Party – Awami League’s Student Union – Bangladesh Chatra League members.
On Dec 18, a fast track court in Dhaka being Speedy Trial Tribunal-4, sentenced eight BCL activists to death and thirteen others to life imprisonment for killing tailor Biswajit Das (24 yrs) in Old Dhaka’s Bahadur Shah Park area, a year ago during the opposition’s blockade on December 9, 2012 .
Sentencing the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student union of ruling Awami League, the judge observed that the Biswajit murder case was quite sensitive and different from other lawsuits.
The cold blooded crime against a minority Hindu youth was committed in broad daylight by the ruling side, as an usual attack upon the minority people in Bangladesh, especially upon Hindu minorities by fundamental elements in any political party. It was a heinous and deplorable killing, said the court about the incident that happened during the opposition’s blockade on black day of December 9 last year.
From this verdict of the Court, it is crystal clear that Minority Hindus are not even safe in the Awami Rule in Bangladesh alike the Jamaat-BNP regimen.
Out of the 8 condemned killers for ‘hang to death’, 2 are absconding, while 11 of the 13 convicts, who got life term, are also on the run.
The court observed that footage of the murder that had been broadcast on national and international media shocked all. The brutality of the offence had tarnished the country’s image before the entire world.
Delivering the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom around 12.25 pm, the judge observed that Biswajit’s murder was different from other such cases, given the gruesomeness and brutality of the crime. “Considering the gravity of the offences, the tribunal thinks justice would be served by awarding death penalty to the accused,” the judge said.
Most of those convicted were former students of Jagannath University and obviously involved in Awami League politics.
The judge said it would be unjust for the victim’s family, if the convicts were freed, because of their political affiliations. “If the convicts are released without justice, such kind of gruesome killings will take place across the country from time to time,” he added.
Those (8) awarded the death sentence are Rafiqul Islam Shakil, Mahfuzur Rahman alias Nahid,
Emdadul Haque alias Emdad, GM Rasheduzzaman alias Shaon, Md Shaiful Islam and Kayyum Mia alias Tipu. Rajan Talukdar and Mir Mohammad Noor-e-Alam alias Limon. Of them, Talukdar and Limon are absconding. Those given life sentences were also fined Tk 20,000 each.
Those (13) sentenced to life in prison are Golam Mostafa, AHM Kibria, Yunus Ali, Tarik Bin Johor Tomal, Alauddin, Obaidur Qader Tahsin, Imran Hossain, Azizur Rahman, Al-Amin, Rafiqul Islam, Kamrul Hasan, Monirul Haque Pavel, and Mosharraf Hossain. Execept Mostofa and Kibria, the rest have been absconding since the killing. The 13 have been also proven guilty in another case of illegal assembling and awarded six months in jail and Tk 500 fine for each.
Biswajit was killed within an extreme Islamic exaltation of killing a Kaffir (Hindu). The brutality seen in the video footage amounts all the Islamic brutality so far. But, the media both in Bangladesh and India are silent about the extinction of minority Hindus through killing, raping, looting, terrorizing, evacuating and all other Islamic norms applicable for the kaffirs as per Islamic belief.
The hands of all political parties in Bangladesh are soaked with the blood of Hindu minorities. It is more than true and hard rock Islamic reality that the minority Muslim people are always blood thirsty of minority non-Muslim people.
Talking to media, Biswajit’s elder brother Uttam Kumar Das expressed satisfaction at the judgment in the sensational murder case. “I am satisfied…we got justice. We want immediate execution of the verdict. We urge the government to arrest the remaining convicts, who are on the run”, he added.
During a world-wide condemnation of Biswajit killing, on December 13, 2012, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad made a startling statement, claiming that no BCL or Awami activists were involved in Bishwajit’s murder.
Speaking to reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office, he gave particulars of six alleged murderers, including two ex-members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, a pro-Jamaat-e-Islami student body.
But, the truth has been revealed through the Court verdict for Biswajit murder in daylight that fake assurance of Bangladesh Prime Minister Seikh Hasina of Awami League has no substance for the protection of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh while the Hindus are brutally killed by the same Awami student outfit Bangladesh Chatra League.
Hindu Existence condemned the killing of Biswajit instantly with a global protest and from the beginning Hindu Existence categorically pointed out the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Awami League connection with Biswajit murder.
But, it is now a prime question whether the ruling Awami League will guard their party cadres or to redeem its sin of Biswajit killing. According to Bangladesh law, the High Court must review death penalties even if the convicts do not appeal against the lower court’s verdicts.
▲
HE Media | New Delhi | Dec 19, 2013:: Hindu minorities in Bangladesh are not safe in the ruling Awami League. Now it has been proved that the Awami league is the other side of the same BNP-Jamaat coin. On road murder of Biswajit in the broad daylight in last year was a brutal act of Ruling Party – Awami League’s Student Union – Bangladesh Chatra League members.On Dec 18, a fast track court in Dhaka being Speedy Trial Tribunal-4, sentenced eight BCL activists to death and thirteen others to life imprisonment for killing tailor Biswajit Das (24 yrs) in Old Dhaka’s Bahadur Shah Park area, a year ago during the opposition’s blockade on December 9, 2012 .
Sentencing the activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student union of ruling Awami League, the judge observed that the Biswajit murder case was quite sensitive and different from other lawsuits.
The cold blooded crime against a minority Hindu youth was committed in broad daylight by the ruling side, as an usual attack upon the minority people in Bangladesh, especially upon Hindu minorities by fundamental elements in any political party. It was a heinous and deplorable killing, said the court about the incident that happened during the opposition’s blockade on black day of December 9 last year.
From this verdict of the Court, it is crystal clear that Minority Hindus are not even safe in the Awami Rule in Bangladesh alike the Jamaat-BNP regimen.
Out of the 8 condemned killers for ‘hang to death’, 2 are absconding, while 11 of the 13 convicts, who got life term, are also on the run.
The court observed that footage of the murder that had been broadcast on national and international media shocked all. The brutality of the offence had tarnished the country’s image before the entire world.
Delivering the verdict in a jam-packed courtroom around 12.25 pm, the judge observed that Biswajit’s murder was different from other such cases, given the gruesomeness and brutality of the crime. “Considering the gravity of the offences, the tribunal thinks justice would be served by awarding death penalty to the accused,” the judge said.
Most of those convicted were former students of Jagannath University and obviously involved in Awami League politics.
The judge said it would be unjust for the victim’s family, if the convicts were freed, because of their political affiliations. “If the convicts are released without justice, such kind of gruesome killings will take place across the country from time to time,” he added.
Those (8) awarded the death sentence are Rafiqul Islam Shakil, Mahfuzur Rahman alias Nahid,
Emdadul Haque alias Emdad, GM Rasheduzzaman alias Shaon, Md Shaiful Islam and Kayyum Mia alias Tipu. Rajan Talukdar and Mir Mohammad Noor-e-Alam alias Limon. Of them, Talukdar and Limon are absconding. Those given life sentences were also fined Tk 20,000 each.
Those (13) sentenced to life in prison are Golam Mostafa, AHM Kibria, Yunus Ali, Tarik Bin Johor Tomal, Alauddin, Obaidur Qader Tahsin, Imran Hossain, Azizur Rahman, Al-Amin, Rafiqul Islam, Kamrul Hasan, Monirul Haque Pavel, and Mosharraf Hossain. Execept Mostofa and Kibria, the rest have been absconding since the killing. The 13 have been also proven guilty in another case of illegal assembling and awarded six months in jail and Tk 500 fine for each.
Biswajit was killed within an extreme Islamic exaltation of killing a Kaffir (Hindu). The brutality seen in the video footage amounts all the Islamic brutality so far. But, the media both in Bangladesh and India are silent about the extinction of minority Hindus through killing, raping, looting, terrorizing, evacuating and all other Islamic norms applicable for the kaffirs as per Islamic belief.
The hands of all political parties in Bangladesh are soaked with the blood of Hindu minorities. It is more than true and hard rock Islamic reality that the minority Muslim people are always blood thirsty of minority non-Muslim people.
Talking to media, Biswajit’s elder brother Uttam Kumar Das expressed satisfaction at the judgment in the sensational murder case. “I am satisfied…we got justice. We want immediate execution of the verdict. We urge the government to arrest the remaining convicts, who are on the run”, he added.
During a world-wide condemnation of Biswajit killing, on December 13, 2012, Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad made a startling statement, claiming that no BCL or Awami activists were involved in Bishwajit’s murder.
Speaking to reporters at the Prime Minister’s Office, he gave particulars of six alleged murderers, including two ex-members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, a pro-Jamaat-e-Islami student body.
But, the truth has been revealed through the Court verdict for Biswajit murder in daylight that fake assurance of Bangladesh Prime Minister Seikh Hasina of Awami League has no substance for the protection of Hindu minorities in Bangladesh while the Hindus are brutally killed by the same Awami student outfit Bangladesh Chatra League.
Hindu Existence condemned the killing of Biswajit instantly with a global protest and from the beginning Hindu Existence categorically pointed out the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Awami League connection with Biswajit murder.
But, it is now a prime question whether the ruling Awami League will guard their party cadres or to redeem its sin of Biswajit killing. According to Bangladesh law, the High Court must review death penalties even if the convicts do not appeal against the lower court’s verdicts.
Labels:
Bangladesh,
Hindu
Demolition of temple in Karachi: Hindus protest
Source: Agencies
Karachi, December 17: There seems no impact of the recently globally observed day of “Human Rights” in Pakistan. The suppression of minority Hindus in Pakistan continues as their…
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Source: Agencies
Karachi, December 17: There seems no impact of the recently globally observed day of “Human Rights” in Pakistan. The suppression of minority Hindus in Pakistan continues as their human rights being violated in Pakistan has become an ongoing issue o concern.
After many cases of abduction and forceful Islamic conversion of Hindu girls, now a new trend of demolition Hindu shrines is emerging to disgrace the Hindus in Pakistan.
The upset Pakistani Hindus joined a protest outside the Press Club at Karachi over the demolition of an 80-year-old temple in the city's Soldier Bazar area.
The Krishna or Rama Peer Mandir at Dholi Khata in Soldier Bazar has become a bone of contention between the minority Hindu community and a powerful builder, who bought the land on which the temple was built from the military estate office through a government auction.
Patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar Vankwani says, “Religious articles, including pictures and statuettes of our gods, are still lying in the rubble of the demolished temple and families living in the compound on which the temple was built still remain homeless,” quotes PTI.
Several families displaced by the demolition of the temple participated in the protest. This issue has unearthed and highlighted the growing insecurity of Pakistan's minorities once again. Ironically the issue of severe violation of Human Rights of Pakistan Hindus who are has been ignored by rights activists in Pakistan and India. As per available census of Pakistan (1998) the Hindu population of the Islamic nation is 2.5 million.
Hindu community of Pakistan and Pakistan Hindu Seva (Welfare Trust) condemn the demolition of Shri Mari Mata Mandir in Karachi. President of PHS Sanjesh S Dhanja told NewsBharati
There was much disappointment among Hindus of Pakistan following demolition of Shri Mari Mata Temple for over 100 years. There are more than 200 historical temples still exist in Pakistan and all were before partition. If these temples yearly demolished so where we go for prayers.
He added that it was the 2nd incident in Karachi metropolitan city. Last year in the same area another temple was demolished century old Sri Rama Pir temple in Karachi. People of the Hindu community said that they don’t get any justice from anyone in this country and the result of the Sri Rama Pir Mandir Doli Khata not came and another temple demolished.
Sanjesh Dhanja has requested Pakistan Government and Chief Justice of Pakistan to take note of this case of violation of human rights of Pakiustan Hindus.
"I request to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani chief Justice of Pakistan.believe that government will take strict action against those responsible for the demolition of temple," says Sanjesh.
The ETPB official said the dispute over the shrine in Soldier Bazar began in 2008, when the Military Estates Officer issued eviction notices to the temple and more than a dozen Hindu families living in houses built around it.
Vankwani insisted that maps with the ETPB showed the temple was present on the plot even before Partition. "The Hindu families have been living in the compound since Partition and instead of being thrown out, they should have been offered ownership rights for a price," he said.
Vankwani who is also a member of the Sindh chapter of the PML-N party, said authorities had crushed the sentiments of Hindus across the world by razing the historical temple. "The departments responsible for this gross injustice are the military estate office and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), who auctioned off the land to a powerful builder without caring about our sentiments," he said.
An ETPB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the temple was illegally built on military land that had been auctioned. The temple was legally razed on the orders of a court, he said, claims PTI in a report.
Many Hindu temples in Karachi have in recent years been the subject of disputes involving commercial builders.
One of the residents of Doli Khata told media that the government could have spared the temple but this incident has shown that there is no care for Hindus in Pakistan.
(With input from Agencies)
▲
After many cases of abduction and forceful Islamic conversion of Hindu girls, now a new trend of demolition Hindu shrines is emerging to disgrace the Hindus in Pakistan.
The upset Pakistani Hindus joined a protest outside the Press Club at Karachi over the demolition of an 80-year-old temple in the city's Soldier Bazar area.
The Krishna or Rama Peer Mandir at Dholi Khata in Soldier Bazar has become a bone of contention between the minority Hindu community and a powerful builder, who bought the land on which the temple was built from the military estate office through a government auction.
Patron of the Pakistan Hindu Council Ramesh Kumar Vankwani says, “Religious articles, including pictures and statuettes of our gods, are still lying in the rubble of the demolished temple and families living in the compound on which the temple was built still remain homeless,” quotes PTI.
Several families displaced by the demolition of the temple participated in the protest. This issue has unearthed and highlighted the growing insecurity of Pakistan's minorities once again. Ironically the issue of severe violation of Human Rights of Pakistan Hindus who are has been ignored by rights activists in Pakistan and India. As per available census of Pakistan (1998) the Hindu population of the Islamic nation is 2.5 million.
Hindu community of Pakistan and Pakistan Hindu Seva (Welfare Trust) condemn the demolition of Shri Mari Mata Mandir in Karachi. President of PHS Sanjesh S Dhanja told NewsBharati
There was much disappointment among Hindus of Pakistan following demolition of Shri Mari Mata Temple for over 100 years. There are more than 200 historical temples still exist in Pakistan and all were before partition. If these temples yearly demolished so where we go for prayers.
He added that it was the 2nd incident in Karachi metropolitan city. Last year in the same area another temple was demolished century old Sri Rama Pir temple in Karachi. People of the Hindu community said that they don’t get any justice from anyone in this country and the result of the Sri Rama Pir Mandir Doli Khata not came and another temple demolished.
Sanjesh Dhanja has requested Pakistan Government and Chief Justice of Pakistan to take note of this case of violation of human rights of Pakiustan Hindus."I request to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani chief Justice of Pakistan.believe that government will take strict action against those responsible for the demolition of temple," says Sanjesh.
The ETPB official said the dispute over the shrine in Soldier Bazar began in 2008, when the Military Estates Officer issued eviction notices to the temple and more than a dozen Hindu families living in houses built around it.
Vankwani insisted that maps with the ETPB showed the temple was present on the plot even before Partition. "The Hindu families have been living in the compound since Partition and instead of being thrown out, they should have been offered ownership rights for a price," he said.
Vankwani who is also a member of the Sindh chapter of the PML-N party, said authorities had crushed the sentiments of Hindus across the world by razing the historical temple. "The departments responsible for this gross injustice are the military estate office and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB), who auctioned off the land to a powerful builder without caring about our sentiments," he said.
An ETPB official, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the temple was illegally built on military land that had been auctioned. The temple was legally razed on the orders of a court, he said, claims PTI in a report.
Many Hindu temples in Karachi have in recent years been the subject of disputes involving commercial builders.
One of the residents of Doli Khata told media that the government could have spared the temple but this incident has shown that there is no care for Hindus in Pakistan.
(With input from Agencies)
Two Malaysian Shia Muslims Prepare for Trial
Two Shia Muslims are scheduled to go on trial in a religious court this week over allegations that they possessed books that violate an edict that only the Sunni branch…
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Two Shia Muslims are scheduled to go on trial in a religious court this week over allegations that they possessed books that violate an edict that only the Sunni branch of Islam can be promoted in Malaysia.
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Two Shia Muslims are scheduled to go on trial in a religious court this
week over allegations that they possessed books that violate an edict that only the Sunni branch of Islam can be promoted in Malaysia.
Nur Azah Abdul Halim, 41 years old, and Mohammad Ridzuan Yusof, 31, who were arrested in August, have pleaded not guilty to having books on Shia teachings. Ms. Nur, a homeopathic practitioner, and Mr. Mohammad, a restaurant owner, are from the state of Perak, about three hours' drive north of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
The case highlights a complaint of some Shia followers in Malaysia—that they are not allowed to freely practice their faith.
"We are treated very unfairly," Ms. Nur said. "We are treated like criminals just because we want to follow Shia Islam."
Mr. Mohammad couldn't be reached for comment.
Malaysia has two parallel legal tracks: traditional common law, applying to everyone, and Shariah law, Islamic codes on religious observance and family matters that apply only to Muslims.
Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people are Muslim, according to government statistics, the vast majority of whom are Sunnis. It is unclear how many Shia followers are in Malaysia. Shia leaders don't collect or estimate their numbers, while government officials offer widely differing estimates—from 2,000 to 250,000—with some of the huge discrepancy attributed to foreign tourists and students. All agree, however, that Shia followers are a small number compared with Sunnis.
Malaysia hopes to avoid violence between the two faiths that has sometimes broken out in other parts of the world by promoting only the Sunni faith, said Malaysian Muslim scholar Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin.
Malaysia's inspector general of police, Khalid Abu Bakar, said at a news conference on Friday that if the Shia movement isn't monitored and controlled, it could lead to militant activities. "We do not want what happened in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to happen here, do we?" he said.
The government's home minister has the power to authorize individual state religious authorities to arrest Muslims, conduct raids and ban books when considered a national security threat.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, at a news conference on Dec. 6, acknowledged authorizing actions against Shia followers, including banning their books and not registering their groups because it "will disunite the Muslims."
Shia followers are watching the trial—scheduled for Dec. 17 in Perak state—for signs of whether they will need to go deeper underground in practicing their faith, they said in interviews. More broadly, if the two Shia followers are convicted and sentenced, the case may suggest that Sunni leaders are going to actively enforce edicts to discourage any other followers of Islam from practicing or converting to Shia.
The trial comes amid other high-profile cases about religion in Malaysia. In the secular court, Christians in two cases are asking for the right to use the word "Allah" in their newspapers and religious publications in Bahasa Malaysia. In a religious court, a Muslim woman is being prosecuted over complaints she insulted other Muslims by washing a dog's feet in a video posted on YouTube.
The specific edict—or fatwa—Ms. Nur and Mr. Mohammad are accused of violating was set by Perak's local fatwa council last year. It echoed a decision by the National Fatwa Council in 1996 that said Muslims in Malaysia should only follow Sunni teachings and banned books contrary to Sunni teachings. Eleven of Malaysia's 14 states, including Perak, have adopted the fatwa.
"They had with them books that were banned. So if it is banned, you cannot keep them," Harussani Zakaria, Perak's mufti—or cleric—said of the accused pair.
A Muslim convicted of possessing non-Sunni religious materials faces a punishment of up to two years imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. But prison sentences aren't common because people usually plead guilty and judges take that into consideration.
Since the arrests in August, at least four others in Perak have been charged with possession of Shia publications as well as another person in the state of Pahang. Meanwhile, the minister in charge of Islam in the prime minister's department, Jamil Khir Baharom, told parliament in late September that 16 people had been arrested this year in an unspecified time period for propagating the teachings of the Shia denomination, while 120 anti-Shia raids had been carried out.
Mohd Faizal Musa, a research fellow at the National University of Malaysia who says two of his books were banned that touched on Shia, said Sunni leaders appear concerned that Shia is growing in popularity—Shia is the world's second-largest branch of Islam behind Sunni—as social media empowers its followers.
Mr. Faizal said Shia Islam appeals to some of Malaysia's younger generation as an alternative to Sunni Islam.
"The younger generation of Shia followers are using Facebook, Twitter, blogs to express their identities, thus demanding their rights," Mr. Faizal said.
▲
(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Two Shia Muslims are scheduled to go on trial in a religious court this week over allegations that they possessed books that violate an edict that only the Sunni branch of Islam can be promoted in Malaysia.
Nur Azah Abdul Halim, 41 years old, and Mohammad Ridzuan Yusof, 31, who were arrested in August, have pleaded not guilty to having books on Shia teachings. Ms. Nur, a homeopathic practitioner, and Mr. Mohammad, a restaurant owner, are from the state of Perak, about three hours' drive north of the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.
The case highlights a complaint of some Shia followers in Malaysia—that they are not allowed to freely practice their faith.
"We are treated very unfairly," Ms. Nur said. "We are treated like criminals just because we want to follow Shia Islam."
Mr. Mohammad couldn't be reached for comment.
Malaysia has two parallel legal tracks: traditional common law, applying to everyone, and Shariah law, Islamic codes on religious observance and family matters that apply only to Muslims.
Nearly two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people are Muslim, according to government statistics, the vast majority of whom are Sunnis. It is unclear how many Shia followers are in Malaysia. Shia leaders don't collect or estimate their numbers, while government officials offer widely differing estimates—from 2,000 to 250,000—with some of the huge discrepancy attributed to foreign tourists and students. All agree, however, that Shia followers are a small number compared with Sunnis.
Malaysia hopes to avoid violence between the two faiths that has sometimes broken out in other parts of the world by promoting only the Sunni faith, said Malaysian Muslim scholar Muhammad Asri Zainul Abidin.
Malaysia's inspector general of police, Khalid Abu Bakar, said at a news conference on Friday that if the Shia movement isn't monitored and controlled, it could lead to militant activities. "We do not want what happened in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan to happen here, do we?" he said.
The government's home minister has the power to authorize individual state religious authorities to arrest Muslims, conduct raids and ban books when considered a national security threat.
Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, at a news conference on Dec. 6, acknowledged authorizing actions against Shia followers, including banning their books and not registering their groups because it "will disunite the Muslims."
Shia followers are watching the trial—scheduled for Dec. 17 in Perak state—for signs of whether they will need to go deeper underground in practicing their faith, they said in interviews. More broadly, if the two Shia followers are convicted and sentenced, the case may suggest that Sunni leaders are going to actively enforce edicts to discourage any other followers of Islam from practicing or converting to Shia.
The trial comes amid other high-profile cases about religion in Malaysia. In the secular court, Christians in two cases are asking for the right to use the word "Allah" in their newspapers and religious publications in Bahasa Malaysia. In a religious court, a Muslim woman is being prosecuted over complaints she insulted other Muslims by washing a dog's feet in a video posted on YouTube.
The specific edict—or fatwa—Ms. Nur and Mr. Mohammad are accused of violating was set by Perak's local fatwa council last year. It echoed a decision by the National Fatwa Council in 1996 that said Muslims in Malaysia should only follow Sunni teachings and banned books contrary to Sunni teachings. Eleven of Malaysia's 14 states, including Perak, have adopted the fatwa.
"They had with them books that were banned. So if it is banned, you cannot keep them," Harussani Zakaria, Perak's mufti—or cleric—said of the accused pair.
A Muslim convicted of possessing non-Sunni religious materials faces a punishment of up to two years imprisonment and a $1,000 fine. But prison sentences aren't common because people usually plead guilty and judges take that into consideration.
Since the arrests in August, at least four others in Perak have been charged with possession of Shia publications as well as another person in the state of Pahang. Meanwhile, the minister in charge of Islam in the prime minister's department, Jamil Khir Baharom, told parliament in late September that 16 people had been arrested this year in an unspecified time period for propagating the teachings of the Shia denomination, while 120 anti-Shia raids had been carried out.
Mohd Faizal Musa, a research fellow at the National University of Malaysia who says two of his books were banned that touched on Shia, said Sunni leaders appear concerned that Shia is growing in popularity—Shia is the world's second-largest branch of Islam behind Sunni—as social media empowers its followers.
Mr. Faizal said Shia Islam appeals to some of Malaysia's younger generation as an alternative to Sunni Islam.
"The younger generation of Shia followers are using Facebook, Twitter, blogs to express their identities, thus demanding their rights," Mr. Faizal said.
Labels:
Syiah
Weekly The Heat suspended indefinitely by Home Ministry
The
issue of 'The Heat' news weekly which is believed to have got its
publishers into trouble with the
Home Ministry. – December 19, 2013.
The
issue of 'The Heat' news weekly which is believed to have got its
publishers into trouble with the
Home Ministry. – December 19, 2013.
Senior editor-in-chief at HCK Media Chong Cheng Hai declined to comment when contacted.
However, this evening, The Ant Daily, which is in the HCK Media stable, confirmed the suspension.
A statement on its website said: "The Heat has ceased publication in compliance with a suspension order served by the Home Ministry. The news weekly will not be published on December 21 as scheduled.
"We will keep our readers, subscribers and advertisers updated on further developments through this website, and other channels.
"Subscribers will be compensated accordingly, through an automatic extension of their subscription period."
It is learnt that the weekly's reporters were informed about the suspension during an editorial meeting today.
When asked about the suspension of the weekly, Deputy Home Minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said he was not aware of it.
The weekly, which focuses on politics and socio-economic issues, had been issued a show-cause letter last week. Editor-in-chief David Lee Boon Siew had also been summoned to the Home Ministry in Putrajaya and told to tone down its reports.
The Malaysian Insider understands that although the show-cause letter did not specify the offending article, it was over a report entitled “All eyes on big-spending PM Najib” published in its November 23 to 29 issue.
It is believed that HCK Media, the publisher, had been given 14 days to reply to the show-cause letter.
Rosmah had recently come under fire from opposition lawmakers for using a government jet to attend a women's summit in Qatar last month.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim had said the Cabinet had approved Rosmah's use of the government jet, causing opposition MPs to accuse the Cabinet of acting irresponsibly and in an undignified manner.
Umno’s Pengerang MP Datuk Azalina Othman, who had accompanied Rosmah on the trip, later revealed in Parliament that it was Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who had chaired the Cabinet meeting that approved the use of the government jet for the trip, not Najib.
The issue was also raised at the recently concluded Umno general assembly where Federal Territory delegate Affandi Zahari defended her use of the aircraft.
“Rosmah's safety is paramount and if anything happened to her, it will only upset the prime minister.
"This involves the security of his wife. If anything happened to her, it will affect him emotionally," said Affandi.
In his winding-up speech at the general assembly, Najib sang Rosmah’s praises, highlighting two instances when Rosmah had helped Malaysia.
One was when she contacted the Egyptian president's wife to secure the release of a Malaysian student arrested on suspicion of being a spy.
The second incident was when Malaysian students were stranded in Egypt during the Arab uprising.
Najib said Rosmah had used her good relations with the Saudi Arabian royal family to allow the students to enter the country from Egypt although they did not have visas.
The Sarawak Tribune, an English-language newspaper published in Kuching, Sibu and Bintulu, in Sarawak, was indefinitely suspended in 2006 following controversy pertaining to the Jyllands-Posten Muhammad cartoons controversy.
The newspaper, which was established in 1945, reappeared in 2010 as the New Sarawak Tribune.
The Star newspaper's licence was revoked in October 1987 at the height of the Ops Lalang during the tenure of then prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. The newspaper resumed publication in April 1988. – December 19, 2013.
Labels:
Media
Muhyiddin must not deny education crisis
In actual fact, education standards in Malaysia, whether primary, secondary or university, have seriously deteriorated over the past decade.
What CEO of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (Ideas) Wan Saiful Wan Jan, said yesterday should be serious food for thought for all Malaysians.
Wan Saiful (left)
accused the BN government of taking advantage of the trust given by the
poor by creating an “illusion” that the education system in the country
has been reformed.He said that according to a study conducted by his think tank, the bottom 40 percent of parents of school-going children are generally happy with the quality of schools and teachers in the country when the reality is that their children are struggling by regional and international standards.
Lamenting the wide gap between “perception and reality”, Wan Saiful said these parents seem to have a very positive perception about our schools, whereas when the products of these schools are assessed internationally, the findings are “near disastrous”.
Wan Saiful said that those in power seem to be "very good" at shaping how the poor view the quality of education in the country.
He said: "There are too many ‘illusions of reform’ created by the various announcements by the government. But we must remember that these are only announcements.
“The trust of the poor should not be taken advantage of. They need true school reform to help the next generation break away from the poverty cycle."
Wan Saiful said that if Malaysians want to safeguard the future of their children, they must ensure that perception is about as close to reality.
"And the reality at the moment looks rather grim," he said.
Wan Saiful is being very diplomatic to talk about “illusions” that the Malaysian education is “world class” which make the bottom of 40 percent parents “happy” that their children are getting a quality education.
I would not call this “illusion” but describe it as “delusion”, which Muhyiddin and the BN leaders have concocted by a neo-feudal enslavement and subjugation of the thinking of Malaysians, particularly those in the bottom 40 percent of the population and those in the rural areas.
Disastrous performance in TIMSS
In the 2012 PISA (Programme of International Student Assessment), Indonesia topped the list for being the happiest students at school although Indonesian 15-year-old students scored poorly in PISA tests, ranked at the second bottom for maths, science and reading.
Indonesia is ranked at 64 out of the 65 countries participated in the three-year cycle test. The average scores for Indonesian students are: mathematics 375; science 382 and reading 396. This is just slightly better compared with Peru which is at the bottom of the list. Peru is ranked as the third of the 65 countries whose students are the happiest at school.
It
would appear that Malaysian students and parents are emulating their
Indonesian counterparts - "happy" at their educational levels although
they compare most unfavourably with international standards.In fact, in the PISA ranking of students with the highest percentage of students who are happy at school, Malaysia is ranked No 6 after Indonesia, Albania, Peru, Thailand and Colombia with some 90 percent of the students "happy at school”, although Malaysia is placed at the bottom third, ranked No 52 out of the 65 countries in the 2012 PISA academic tests.
Muhyiddin (below) must bear a great responsibility for this educational "illusion" or more correctly "delusion" of Malaysian parents and students in the bottom 40 percent of the households that they are world-class students with a quality education, for Muhyiddin had conspired to hide the fact from Malaysian parents of the crisis of confidence confronting Malaysia since becoming education minister in 2009.
In
fact, Muhyiddin had continued to hide from Malaysian parents and public
the disastrous performance of Malaysian students in 2011 Trends in
International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), with Malaysia
producing the worst results out of 25 countries that participated in the
1995 or 1999 to 2011 TIMSS, chalking the worst total of decreases of 79
points for maths, when the two next worst countries were Sweden with
decrease of 55 points and Thailand 40 points.In 1999 TIMSS, Malaysia’s scores on both Mathematics and Science (519 and 492 respectively) were above in the international average, with a ranking of 16 among 38 countries in Mathematics and 22 in Science.
By 2011, the Mathematics score had dropped to 440 points (26th position among 42 countries), while the Science score benchmarks fell to 426 points (32nd among 42 countries).
Up to 38 percent of students in Malaysia did not meet the minimum benchmarks in Mathematics and Science in 2011, an approximately twofold increase since 2007, and five times higher than in 1999.
Come clean with the people
Muhyiddin had never confided in Malaysians that the country is facing a grave crisis of confidence about our educational standards, preferring to let Malaysians particularly the bottom 40 percent of the population believe that Malaysia has a world-class education system which could become even better after the 13-year Malaysia Education Plan to catapult it to the top third of the nations of the world.
Up to now, despite the adverse 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA results, Muhyiddin has refused to come clean and admit that the Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 for Malaysia to attain the rank of top third nations in TIMSS and PISA systems are unrealistic, unachievable and utopian.
When will Muhyiddin come clean with the people of Malaysia about the crisis of deteriorating education standards in the past decade as highlighted by the 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA, and stop the concoction of educational "illusions" and "delusions" so that Malaysians can wake up to the reality that the Malaysian education system has a very long way to become world-class regardless of whether Malaysian parents and students in the bottom 40 percent of the population are mistakenly or ill-advisedly "happy" or otherwise?
The time has come for Muhyiddin to go on live telecast to make such a confession of educational ineptitude and irresponsibility.
LIM KIT SIANG is the DAP parliamentary leader and MP for Gelang Patah.
Labels:
Education
Tighten your belt in 2014, say economists
Middle to lower income groups will likely face more financial distress next year in the wake of the simultaneous price hike of electricity tariff, toll, public transportation and fuel.
PETALING…Middle to lower income groups will likely face more financial distress next year in the wake of the simultaneous price hike of electricity tariff, toll, public transportation and fuel.
PETALING JAYA: 2014 will be a bleak financial year for Malaysians as they face an increase in toll prices, electricity tariff rates, public transportation and possibly even further fuel subsidy cuts.This will only mean two things: higher inflation and less money in pockets for consumers to spend, economists confirmed today.
“Consumers will have to brace themselves for rising cost of living as the price hike started with the fuel subsidy cut, followed by the complete abolishment of the sugar subsidy,” Lee Heng Guie, CIMB’s chief economist, told FMT.
“Going into 2014, we have higher electricity tariff, toll rates, and there could be other forms, including rising fuel costs. This will definitely put pressure on inflation and the result is inflation has moved to 2.0 percent in October, to next year where we are looking at 3 percent.”
He said the lower income group – those households earning below RM3,000 – would be hit the hardest, and the BR1M cash vouchers would only provide partial relief to the poor.
“BR1M would not offset the rising prices 100%. To do that would only worsen the budget deficit and incur more expenses for the government,” said Lee.
Dr Yeah Kim Leng, group chief economist of RAM holdings, said the lower and middle income groups would likely face more financial distress and an increase in household debt starting from next year, and this would in turn incur social repercussions as individuals took on extra jobs to manage the higher cost of living.
He also warned Malaysians to expect two or three more subsidy fuel cuts from this year and 2016, and said a rise in water tariff was not off the cards, either.
“Our subsidy cut for fuel is still not finished because there is still a gap between our price and the world price that would be closed. We still expect further subsidy cuts, and is likely to be spaced between now and 2016.
“But once it goes beyond 2017, that would be too close for the general election, and the government would want to be in the good books ofall,” Dr Yeah quipped.
Not all is bad
But not all is doom and gloom: he said that the economic situation was still “manageable” and employers next year would likely be pressured to increase wages in light of the inflation and rise in cost of living.
“The national average income is rising by five to six percent every year. But of course it depends on the profitability of the firm, the different skill categories of the employees, and to what extent the lower income group is receiving higher income.
Dr Yeah added that it was unlikely Malaysia would see an increase in unemployment and poverty levels next year, as the country’s export economy was thriving and expected to improve.
“We haven’t seen any increase in corporate distress that would suggest workers will be retrenched and business will be cut down.
“We don’t see any unanticipated shock (to the economy), unless the world economy experiences another escalation. So I think we should not be unduly alarmed,” he assured.
But both Dr Yeah and Lee said it would have been better for the government to stagger out the price adjustments so as to avoid a price spiral.
Instead, Malaysians have been bombarded the past few weeks with announcements that toll hikes, LRT and monorail price surges were “unavoidable”; while the surge in electricity tariff came hot in the heels of fuel cuts and the abolishment of sugar subsidy.
Lee said the reason the government had chosen to suddenly introduce the price increases in one go was likely because it had been long delayed by the general election.
“So now that the election is over, fiscal reform is back on the table and the government needs to manage the budget deficit. It’s all just unfortunate timing,” said Lee.
But Dr Yeah said that the toll hike could have been placed on the backburner, given the already high price pressure.
“We are against the toll hike, we believe that the concessionaires which are profiting from the tolls should postpone the increase, or forego it altogether.
“Quite a number of concessionaires of reasonable ground to hold back the toll hike, and this could help reduce price pressure,” he said.
But he stressed that as long as people’s income increased the same rate as the inflation, interest rates remained stable and there was full employment, Malaysian households would be able to cope with the financial difficulties that await them in 2014.
Labels:
Economy
Police report against Datuk Seri Guruji’s supporters
Tamil Malar managing director SM Periasamy lodges the report after several men claiming to be followers of the 'guruji' and his RPT meditation group, barged into his office and hurled…
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Tamil Malar managing director SM Periasamy lodges the report after several men claiming to be followers of the 'guruji' and his RPT meditation group, barged into his office and hurled abusive words.
KUALA LUMPUR: Local Tamil daily, Tamil Malar, lodged a police report today against a well-known meditation group after several people, claiming to be its followers, created a ruckus at the newspaper’s office in Jalan Ipoh.
Tamil Malar managing director, SM Periasamy, lodged the report against the Rajayoga Power Transcendental Meditation Center Sdn Bhd, or better known as RPT, at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.
RPT was founded by V Balakrishan, better known as ‘Datuk Seri Guruji’. He is said to be the master who teachers his followers on how to harness spiritual energy (Yoga Shakti) for material and spiritual benefits.
However, Balakrishnan had come under heavy criticism in the social media for charging an exorbitant amount of money for his programmes.
Periasamy said that Tamil Malar carried a news report against Balakrishnan and his group on Tuesday. Following the report, four men barged into the Tamil daily’s office yesterday.
The group, claiming to be Balakrishnan’s followers, called for the Tamil daily to tender an apology for the news report.
“I was shocked when they just barged into my office. They spoke rudely to my staff, hurling derogatory words against us,” Periasamy told FMT.
He added that the men demanded the Tamil daily surrender any evidence that may be detrimental to Balakrishnan or risk having a police report lodged against Tamil Malar.
“But I refused to entertain their request. The men backed out after I threatened to lodge a police report against them,” said Periasamy.
The veteran newsman urged the police to take action against the men, adding that several of his staff have received threatening messages on their phones after the article against Balakrishnan was published.
“Tamil Malar is a neutral Tamil daily which does not take anyone’s side. We are disappointed with these people for creating a ruckus despite us offering and promising them to run their side of the story,” said Periasamy.
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KUALA LUMPUR: Local Tamil daily, Tamil Malar, lodged a police report today against a well-known meditation group after several people, claiming to be its followers, created a ruckus at the newspaper’s office in Jalan Ipoh.Tamil Malar managing director, SM Periasamy, lodged the report against the Rajayoga Power Transcendental Meditation Center Sdn Bhd, or better known as RPT, at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters.
RPT was founded by V Balakrishan, better known as ‘Datuk Seri Guruji’. He is said to be the master who teachers his followers on how to harness spiritual energy (Yoga Shakti) for material and spiritual benefits.
However, Balakrishnan had come under heavy criticism in the social media for charging an exorbitant amount of money for his programmes.
Periasamy said that Tamil Malar carried a news report against Balakrishnan and his group on Tuesday. Following the report, four men barged into the Tamil daily’s office yesterday.
The group, claiming to be Balakrishnan’s followers, called for the Tamil daily to tender an apology for the news report.
“I was shocked when they just barged into my office. They spoke rudely to my staff, hurling derogatory words against us,” Periasamy told FMT.
He added that the men demanded the Tamil daily surrender any evidence that may be detrimental to Balakrishnan or risk having a police report lodged against Tamil Malar.
“But I refused to entertain their request. The men backed out after I threatened to lodge a police report against them,” said Periasamy.The veteran newsman urged the police to take action against the men, adding that several of his staff have received threatening messages on their phones after the article against Balakrishnan was published.
“Tamil Malar is a neutral Tamil daily which does not take anyone’s side. We are disappointed with these people for creating a ruckus despite us offering and promising them to run their side of the story,” said Periasamy.
Labels:
Hindu,
Malaysian Indians
Kg Hakka residents lodge MACC report
The residents decided to bring the matter up to the MACC in view of irregularities in the land ownership transfer
KUALA LUMPUR: Villagers of Kampung Hakka in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan…The residents decided to bring the matter up to the MACC in view of irregularities in the land ownership transfer
KUALA LUMPUR: Villagers of Kampung Hakka in Mantin, Negeri Sembilan today alleged that the state government changed their land ownership to Mega 9 Housing Sdn Bhd without their knowledge.Residents from Kampung Hakka today, together with NGO, Jaringan Rakyat Tertindas (Jerit) and Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) filed a complaint at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) office; urging them to investigate this matter.
Their letter was received by MACC’s investigative officer, Rosmanah Zihun.
Kampung Hakka, a village that had been around for more then 100 years was demolished by the developer on October, though the Appeals Court had approved the appeal made by the villagers for hearing.
A total of 12 house were demolished but it was rebuilt by the villagers later on.
Jerit coordinator R Gandhi claims that the villagers were unaware about the land transfer ownership process.*
“When we asked the state government -they point finger at the previous state government which is Barisan Nasional leadership also.”
He lamented that they have approached many parties including the housing ministry but there is no solution for the matter.
“I strongly believe some hanky-panky things went on in regards to the land ownership transfer.
“We urged MACC to investigate,” he said.*
Meanwhile, Kampung Hakka village head Chong Tze Yaw is disappointed with the government as they treated them like second class citizens.
He labeled the police, government and developer as heartless as they did not consider and save their houses.
“They just came and demolished our houses like an animal.
“We stayed here for 153 years.”
Chong stressed that the villagers were not aware about the land transfer at all.
He questioned how could the government transfer the land without their consent.
Chong told reporters that MACC said they will investigate the issue if it is within their jurisdiction.
“All we asking is a shelter. Is it too much of a demand?,” asked Chong angrily.
In their complain they urge MACC to look into four areas:
investigate the process of the state government selling the land to the developer.
Investigate the developer on how they bought the land and if indeed there was any under table money involved.
Investigate Majlis Perbandaran Nilai if there was any corruption in regards to the transfer
Investigate the Mantin police officers; as they forced them to shift out. Do they have any connection with the developer?
Labels:
Malaysian Chinese
Kesihatan Orang Asal terjejas dengan penerokaan kuari
Penduduk kampung itu juga menghadapi pelbagai masalah kesihatan sejak kerja-kerja tanah telah dimulakan sejak dua bulan lepas.
SEREMBAN : Aktiviti penerokaan kuari berhampiran Kampung Gebok, Mantin mengundang pelbagai masalah kesihatan…
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SEREMBAN : Aktiviti penerokaan kuari berhampiran Kampung Gebok, Mantin mengundang pelbagai masalah kesihatan…
Penduduk kampung itu juga menghadapi pelbagai masalah kesihatan sejak kerja-kerja tanah telah dimulakan sejak dua bulan lepas.
SEREMBAN : Aktiviti penerokaan kuari berhampiran Kampung Gebok, Mantin mengundang pelbagai masalah kesihatan kepada lebih 120 penduduk kampung tersebut yang terdiri daripada Orang Asal.
Semalam FMT mengutarakan permasalahan di Kampung Gebok apabila difahamkan ada sebuah syarikat yang telah memulakan kerja-kerja awal untuk membuka sebuah kuari tidak jauh dari perkampungan Orang Asal tersebut.
Penduduk kampung mengadu bahawa akibat daripada penerokaan tersebut mereka kehilangan punca pendapatan apabila tanaman mereka seperti getah, durian, nangka, petai dan jering musnah.
Tetapi selain daripada itu penduduk kampung itu juga menghadapi pelbagai masalah kesihatan sejak kerja-kerja tanah telah dimulakan sejak dua bulan lepas.
Tok Batin (Ketua Kampung) Kampung Gebok, Razali Onchum, 33, mendakwa sumber air untuk minuman, masak, mandi dan untuk pelbagai kegunaan penduduk kampung adalah dari air bukit.
“Sejak penerokaan ini berlaku di bukit sana, sumber air kami juga terjejas apabila air kadang kala menjadi keruh terutama sekali selepas hujan.
“Pada hari cuaca yang panas dan kering, rumah kami berhabuk,” kata Razali.
Ali Asum, 57, pula mendakwa sejak penerokaan itu bermula, beliau sering menghadapi masalah batuk dan selsema.
“Sejak dua bulan ini saya selalu batuk dan selsema. Walaupun saya telah pergi ke klinik, mendapatkan rawatan dari doktor dan mengambil bekalan ubat, tetapi masalah batuk dan selsema ini tetap berulang.
“Selain itu saya juga sering mengalami masalah cirit-birit, mungkin disebabkan air bukit yang menjadi sumber air kami kini tahap kebersihannya terjejas ekoran daripada penerokaan ini. Mata kanan saya juga kadangkala sakit.
“Saya percaya ini berpunca daripada masalah habuk yang melanda kampung ini selepas tanaman kami di atas bukit itu telah dibersihkan oleh syarikat kuari itu,” ujar Ali.
Seorang surirumah, Lidya Botek, 25, pula mendakwa masalah habuk ini menyebabkan rumah dan pakain penduduk menjadi kotor.
“Baju yang disidai diampaian menjadi kotor. Lantai dan dinding rumah juga berhabuk walaupun saya telah menutup pintu.
“Tingkap rumah juga berhabuk. Katalah saya lap tingkap hari ini, esoknya akan berhabuk semula,” keluh Lidya.
Tanah persendirian
Sementara itu Pegawai Daerah Seremban, Hasnul Mohamed menjelaskan pihaknya hanya bertindak sebagai orang tengah dengan harapan penduduk kampung dan pemaju tanah dapat mencapai persefahaman.
“Kita tidak boleh buat apa-apa kerana tanah terbabit milik persendirian. Awal Disember lalu kita sudah memulakan perbincangan dan sekarang kita sedang mencari tarikh baru untuk mengadakan perbincangan untuk kali kedua agar mencari jalan penyelesaian terbaik untuk kedua-dua pihak,” katanya.
Pengarah Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) Negeri Sembilan, Haslin Abdul Razak berkata pihaknya sama sekali tidak setuju aktiviti kuari dijalankan di situ kerana boleh mengundang pelbagai risiko kepada penduduk kampung.
“Pegawai saya ada menghubungi wakil pemilik kuari terbabit pada November lepas dan mendapat respons positif, di mana syarikat tersebut akur dengan arahan pihak berkuasa tempatan,” ujar beliau.
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SEREMBAN : Aktiviti penerokaan kuari berhampiran Kampung Gebok, Mantin mengundang pelbagai masalah kesihatan kepada lebih 120 penduduk kampung tersebut yang terdiri daripada Orang Asal.Semalam FMT mengutarakan permasalahan di Kampung Gebok apabila difahamkan ada sebuah syarikat yang telah memulakan kerja-kerja awal untuk membuka sebuah kuari tidak jauh dari perkampungan Orang Asal tersebut.
Penduduk kampung mengadu bahawa akibat daripada penerokaan tersebut mereka kehilangan punca pendapatan apabila tanaman mereka seperti getah, durian, nangka, petai dan jering musnah.
Tetapi selain daripada itu penduduk kampung itu juga menghadapi pelbagai masalah kesihatan sejak kerja-kerja tanah telah dimulakan sejak dua bulan lepas.
Tok Batin (Ketua Kampung) Kampung Gebok, Razali Onchum, 33, mendakwa sumber air untuk minuman, masak, mandi dan untuk pelbagai kegunaan penduduk kampung adalah dari air bukit.
“Sejak penerokaan ini berlaku di bukit sana, sumber air kami juga terjejas apabila air kadang kala menjadi keruh terutama sekali selepas hujan.
“Pada hari cuaca yang panas dan kering, rumah kami berhabuk,” kata Razali.
Ali Asum, 57, pula mendakwa sejak penerokaan itu bermula, beliau sering menghadapi masalah batuk dan selsema.
“Sejak dua bulan ini saya selalu batuk dan selsema. Walaupun saya telah pergi ke klinik, mendapatkan rawatan dari doktor dan mengambil bekalan ubat, tetapi masalah batuk dan selsema ini tetap berulang.
“Selain itu saya juga sering mengalami masalah cirit-birit, mungkin disebabkan air bukit yang menjadi sumber air kami kini tahap kebersihannya terjejas ekoran daripada penerokaan ini. Mata kanan saya juga kadangkala sakit.
“Saya percaya ini berpunca daripada masalah habuk yang melanda kampung ini selepas tanaman kami di atas bukit itu telah dibersihkan oleh syarikat kuari itu,” ujar Ali.
Seorang surirumah, Lidya Botek, 25, pula mendakwa masalah habuk ini menyebabkan rumah dan pakain penduduk menjadi kotor.“Baju yang disidai diampaian menjadi kotor. Lantai dan dinding rumah juga berhabuk walaupun saya telah menutup pintu.
“Tingkap rumah juga berhabuk. Katalah saya lap tingkap hari ini, esoknya akan berhabuk semula,” keluh Lidya.
Tanah persendirian
Sementara itu Pegawai Daerah Seremban, Hasnul Mohamed menjelaskan pihaknya hanya bertindak sebagai orang tengah dengan harapan penduduk kampung dan pemaju tanah dapat mencapai persefahaman.
“Kita tidak boleh buat apa-apa kerana tanah terbabit milik persendirian. Awal Disember lalu kita sudah memulakan perbincangan dan sekarang kita sedang mencari tarikh baru untuk mengadakan perbincangan untuk kali kedua agar mencari jalan penyelesaian terbaik untuk kedua-dua pihak,” katanya.
Pengarah Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli (JAKOA) Negeri Sembilan, Haslin Abdul Razak berkata pihaknya sama sekali tidak setuju aktiviti kuari dijalankan di situ kerana boleh mengundang pelbagai risiko kepada penduduk kampung.
“Pegawai saya ada menghubungi wakil pemilik kuari terbabit pada November lepas dan mendapat respons positif, di mana syarikat tersebut akur dengan arahan pihak berkuasa tempatan,” ujar beliau.
Labels:
Native of Malaysia
‘Death in custody’ civil suit dismissed
High Court of Kuala Lumpur dismisses civil suit filed by late Gunasegaran's family and finds the defendants not liable for his death while in police custody.
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KUALA LUMPUR:…High Court of Kuala Lumpur dismisses civil suit filed by late Gunasegaran's family and finds the defendants not liable for his death while in police custody.
VIDEO INSIDE
KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court of Kuala Lumpur today dismissed a civil suit filed by the late R Gunasegaran’s sister, against several police officers and the Malaysian government for his wrongful death on the evening of July 16, 2009 at the Sentul police station.Based on a written judgment by Judge Yeoh Wee Siam, the court found the defendants not liable based on the balance of probabilities in view of the case circumstances, the defendants are also not entitled to any costs.
“Based on the grounds of judgment the court is satisfied, on a balance of probabilities, that the defendants are not liable, therefore the plaintiff is not entitled to the damages claimed,”
“The court does not think that the defendants are entitled to any costs and therefore there is no Order as to costs,” Yeoh said.
Meanwhile the family’s lawyer M Visavanathan told reporters after the verdict that he was disappointed with court’s ruling and might consider to make an appeal against the decision.
“I am disappointed with the decision but I respect it as they have made its finding. We can apply for an appeal but a discussion with the family is needed before I can comment further,” he said.
Visavanathan then questioned the authority on why there has been no action taken against the police officers involved during the alleged incident by adding that death in custody should have not happened in a developed country like Malaysia.
“Until today no action is being taken against the officers (even) when we have witnesses coming forward telling the court that they saw them (the police officers) beating Gunasegaran,”
“How can you call yourself a civilized nation when death in custody is still happening. Death in custody should have not occurred in this country,”
“People should feel safe going to a police station,” he shrugged.
On July 16, 2009, at about 3 pm, a team of police officers from the Sentul district police station carried out an anti drug operation in the Sentul Manis area.
Five persons including the deceased were arrested and brought back to the Sentul police station after being caught for allegedly being involved in dangerous drug activities.
The late Gunasegaran was required to undergo a urine test and documentation process but died while he was in the police station lockup .
According to the first autopsy report conducted by Hospital Kuala Lumpur stated Gunasegaran’s cause of death as a ‘Drug Related Death’.
Dissatisfied with the first post mortem report, a second post mortem was conducted by the University Malaya Medical Centre and their conclusion on the cause of death was documented as ‘Is consistent with the findings of the first post mortem’.
Labels:
killing Indians by police
Suicide bomber hits Shiites as Iraq unrest kills 22
(AFP) - A suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt among Shiite pilgrims in Iraq on Thursday, killing at least 17 people, while militants shot dead a family of five, officials…
(AFP) - A suicide bomber detonated an explosives belt among Shiite pilgrims in Iraq on Thursday, killing at least 17 people, while militants shot dead a family of five, officials said.
The attack on the pilgrims in the Dura area of south Baghdad took place at a tent where they are served food and drinks on their way to the shrine city of Karbala, and also wounded at least 35 people, security and medical officials said.
Hundreds of thousands of people make pilgrimages to Karbala, many of them on foot, during the 40 days after the annual commemoration marking the death of the Prophet Mohammed’s grandson, known to Shiites as Imam Hussein.
The 40th day, known as Arbaeen, falls on December 23 this year.
Sunni militants, including those linked to Al-Qaeda, frequently target members of Iraq’s Shiite majority, whom they consider to be apostates.
The throngs of pilgrims on the roads make for an easy target, and they have been hit by a series of attacks in recent days.
On Wednesday, a suicide bomber targeted Shiite pilgrims in Khales, north of Baghdad, killing five people and wounding 10.
The toll would likely have been higher were it not for the selfless actions of a policeman who embraced the bomber just before the attack, in an effort to shield others from the blast.
On Tuesday, two attacks against pilgrims in and near Baghdad killed at least eight people, and on Monday two car bombs targeting pilgrims south of the capital killed at least 24 people.
Also on Thursday, militants dressed in army uniforms attacked the house of an anti-Al-Qaeda militiaman in the Abu Ghraib area, west of Baghdad, killing him, his wife and their three children.
The Sahwa militia are made up of Sunni Arab tribesmen who joined forces with the United States from late 2006, helping to bring about a significant reduction in violence.
They are frequently targeted by Sunni militants, who consider them traitors.
Violence in Iraq has surged this year to levels not seen since 2008, when the country was just emerging from a brutal sectarian conflict.
More people were killed in the first eight days of this month than in all of December last year.
And more than 6,550 people have been killed since the beginning of 2013, according to AFP figures based on security and medical sources.
Analysts say that widespread discontent among Iraq’s minority Sunni Arab community is a major factor fuelling the surge in unrest.
The civil war in neighbouring Syria, which has bolstered extremist groups, has also played a role.
While the government has made some concessions aimed at placating Sunni Arabs, including freeing prisoners and raising the salaries of Sahwa fighters, underlying issues remain unaddressed.
Labels:
Syiah
Paying toll for highways preferable to jams and longer routes, netizens say
(The Star) - Malaysians would rather dig into their wallets and pay toll on local highways rather than drive longer distances or get stuck in traffic jams.According to the…
(The Star) - Malaysians would rather dig into their wallets and pay toll on local highways rather than drive longer distances or get stuck in traffic jams.According to the results of an online poll set up by The Star Online on Thursday, 63.41%, or 442 of 697 respondents would rather take tolled highways, while 36.59% or 255 respondents would take a longer route to avoid forking out for toll fees.
Readers of The Star Online were asked the question; “would you take a longer route to avoid paying toll”.
The majority of responses, which were collected anonymously, cited petrol costs and traffic congestion as main reasons for paying toll.
“What is the point when you end up paying more for the petrol costs,” said one respondent, while another pointed out that many of the toll-free routes would create massive traffic jams in residential areas as these alternative roads were trunk lanes within housing estates.
Another respondent added; “It will take me at least one hour or more to reach home if I take a longer route to avoid paying toll. This means it will take up more of my time and drive up my petrol costs”.
Other respondents echoed this sentiment, with one saying that taking a longer, toll-free route would be uneconomical and a “silly” thing to do.
“Generally, the alternative roads would take a longer time to reach the destination and at the end of the day, you might be paying more for fuel and at the same time losing your valuable time with your family,” said one respondent.
Other respondents compared their toll-free alternative to their regular commute.
“Seri Muda, Shah Alam Section 9 & Glenmarie roads. Advantage, no toll. Disadvantage, longer distance, higher petrol consumption, heavy traffic jams, (and a) need to wake up early and reaching home late. Not enough time with family on weekdays,” said one respondent.
Another said that while not paying toll rates was an advantage, it would be better to pay the toll rate if it using the road resulted in time and money being saved.
“(Taking the alternative routes) would cost me more, (with more) fuel being consumed by my car and with the maintenance cost increase, avoiding the toll fare would be meaningless,” said another respondent.
Other respondents took the Government to task for failing to provide adequate alternative roads and asked for toll rates to remain the same.
“There are no alternative roads available. Even if there is, it’s badly congested. How many new public roads has the Government built in the last 15 years? Public utilities should be regulated,” said one.
Another respondent questioned why they should take alternative routes, and called on the government to re-examine the contracts it signed with toll concessionaires to eliminate clauses aimed at “ripping off” the Government.
“The concessionaires are already making obscene profits, even without upward revision. It is irrational to revise the rates upward because somebody had signed it (the contract) without realising its longer-term implications on the rakyat. It is the sacred role of the Government to provide decent road system without unduly burdening the rakyat,” added the respondent.
On Tuesday, Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof was reported as saying that toll rates for 15 highways, including the NPE, SPRINT, MEX, and LDP would go up between 50 sen and RM2 on Jan 1.
Labels:
Toll
IGP: Illegal rally will be stopped
KUALA LUMPUR: A proposed gathering
called “Himpunan Guling Kerajaan” (Rally to Topple the Government),
which is scheduled to be held at Dataran Merdeka on New Year’s Eve, has
been deemed…
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KUALA LUMPUR: A proposed gathering
called “Himpunan Guling Kerajaan” (Rally to Topple the Government),
which is scheduled to be held at Dataran Merdeka on New Year’s Eve, has
been deemed a threat to national security, says Inspector-General of
Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.
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He added that police have taken steps to make sure the gathering would be stopped.
“The
announcement for the gathering has been posted on the Internet and
social websites, but we have to see how true it is,” he said in a press
conference at Bukit Aman yesterday.
Khalid urged the public not to attend
the rally, adding that those involved with the gathering would be
investigated under the Penal Code and the Security Offences (Special
Measures) Act 2012 (Sosma).
He
said the police are looking for a man whose face was seen on one of the
gathering’s banners to come forward to help in investigations.
Khalid
was speaking to reporters after receiving a donation of RM30,000 from
the Korean Society in Malaysia for the Royal Malaysian Police’s Families
Scholarship Fund.
On
the protest against property assessment revaluation that was held
outside the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) headquarters, Khalid said the
organisers would be arrested soon.
However, he declined to say when they would be picked up.
The
protest has been deemed illegal by the police as there was no request
for the gathering under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012.
Several Pakatan Rakyat MPs also came and handed over the protest letters by residents to Mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib.
On
another matter, Khalid said a man has been arrested under the Sedition
Act for allegedly organising a gathering in Lunas, Kedah, to celebrate
the birthday of the late leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ellam
(LTTE) V. Prabhakaran.
The gathering has been classified as a threat to national security.
He
said the 22-year-old man, who was the president of an NGO which
organised the gathering on Dec 14, was arrested two days later.
Police are also looking for eight more members of the NGO who were also involved.
Labels:
Demonstrations,
IGP
Najib, Susilo Achieve Progress In Talks On Domestic Maid Issue
By Ahmad Fuad Yahya
JAKARTA, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia Thursday agreed that their respective foreign workers recruitment agencies engage in a formal cooperation in the sending of…
By Ahmad Fuad Yahya
JAKARTA, Dec 19 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia Thursday agreed that their respective foreign workers recruitment agencies engage in a formal cooperation in the sending of Indonesian domestic maids to Malaysia.
The agreement was reached between Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia at their annual consultation in Jakarta after Najib raised the proposal.
Najib said the involvement of the private sector representing Malaysia and Indonesia in a joint understanding in the business was an extension of the MoU on the recruitment and protection of Indonesian maids, as agreed by the two countries in Bali in 2011.
The Bali MoU saw Indonesia agreeing to withdraw its moratorium on the sending of maids to Malaysia.
"The president also agreed that an MoU be signed between the Malaysian Association of Foreign Workers Agencies (Papa) with the Indonesian Manpower Suppliers Association (Apjati)," Najib told a joint news conference at the conclusion of the annual consultation at the Merdeka Palace of the Indonesian president.
"If both sides can sign the MoU, I am confident we can get the number of Indonesian maids that we need," he said.
Although there was much demand from Malaysian employers for Indonesian maids, their despatch by the Indonesian foreign workers agencies through cooperation with the Malaysian foreign workers agencies has not been encouraging.
Among the inhibitive factors is believed to be the recruitment fee of RM4,511 imposed by the Indonesian and Malaysian authorities, which was said to be unprofitable for the agencies.
The question of alleged low wages offered by Malaysian employers compared to places such as Hong Kong and countries of the Middle East is also believed to be a reason why Indonesian maids are not keen to come to Malaysia.
In a statement issued Thursday, Najib said only 513 Indonesian maids were sent through the channel agreed to in the existing MoU.
What is clear from the current development is that the number of Indonesian maids brought into Malaysia by the foreign workers agencies is too low to match the demand from Malaysian employers who need about 30,000 maids annually.
It is understood that about 127,000 Indonesian maids are currently registered in Malaysia.
Malaysian Human Resources Minister Datuk Richard Riot, when met after the talks, said the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Working Group (JWG) on the recruitment and protection of maids agreed in September to set at RM7,800 the new fee for the recruitment of Indonesian domestic maids.
Of the total fee, RM6,000 would be borne by the employer and RM1,800 by the worker. So far, there has been no MoU on the setting of the fee at RM7,800.
Riot said it was better that the recruiting of Indonesian maids be managed by the foreign workers agencies at the business-to-business (B to B) level because there had been little progress at the government-to-government level.
Labels:
Maid
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