Child abuse: Sessions judge asked for report on 4-year-old’s rape

The girl’s seminary teacher, accused of the crime, was arrested. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE:  Taking notice of the news report of a four-year-old sexually assaulted allegedly by her seminary teacher in Mailsi, the Lahore High Court complaint cell on Saturday directed the Vehari district and sessions judge to submit his comments and order the police to submit a follow-up report on the progress in the case.

The case had been registered on the complaint of the child’s father, a resident of Nawan Shehr, who said that he had dropped his daughter at the Shaheedanwala seminary in the neighborhood. He said over 70 children from five nearby villages were enrolled at the seminary.

He said it was the girl’s first day at the seminary. The principal had asked him to leave the girl at his office so that “he could introduce her to the rest of the children”. He said when he returned to pick her up, he discovered that that the girl was inside the principal’s office that was locked. The principal was missing.

He said when he broke into the room, he found her lying unconscious on the floor. She was taken to the district headquarters hospital, where doctors treating her said that her condition was critical and that she need to undergo a surgery.

Dr Tahira Parveen at the hospital had later shared the girl’s medico-legal examination report with the press and confirmed sexual assault.

The child’s relatives and neighbours had staged a protest demonstration and announced boycott of all seminaries in the village.

On the orders of the district police officer, Sadiq Ali Dogar, the suspect was arrested from another seminary, where he had been hiding since the girl was found at his office. Two clerics from the same seminary had gone missing after the suspect was arrested.

Several other parents had voiced up in the following protests saying that their children, too, had been subjected to sexual assault. They said they had withdrawn their children from the seminaries and remained silent for “honour”.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 22^nd, 2013.

Despite Kugan ruling, justice still found wanting

Despite the landmark ruling where the High Court had found the police liable for death in custody victim A Kugan’s case, justice is still found wanting in succeeding cases, said Suaram.

In a statement yesterday, the human rights group highlighted a High Court decision to dismiss a civil suit against the government and police by Ganga Gouri (right) over the death of her brother, R Gunasegaran.

Suaram coordinator R Thevarajan said even though the court agreed that Gunasegaran’s arresting officers had abused their powers, the case was dismissed on a technicality.

He said the Dec 19 decision ruled that Ganga could not file the action as she was neither the victim’s wife or children and had not been appointed as a legal representative of the deceased.

“The judiciary seems to be a stumbling block for many in search of justice. Ganga Gouri was saying that people hope that the judiciary will provide justice, but when the judiciary fails where else can the people go?” he said.

He urged the setting-up of an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC).

Be 'the next Mandela', delegate urges Najib

An MCA delegate has urged Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak to be “the next Mandela” by putting an end to race-based policies.

Kedah delegate Lee Yean Wang said affirmative action under New Economic Policy (NEP) could be justified when it was introduced in the 1970 because the poverty rate amongst the bumiputra exceeded 60 percent at the time, but this is no longer the case today.

He said this in his debate speech at the MCA annual general meeting (AGM) today, which he began by inviting the delegates to stand up and observe a moment of silence for the late anti-Apartheid leader Nelson Mandela (right).

“Today the poverty rate amongst the bumiputra is under five percent. Do we need to defend the other 95 percent with these unfair policies because of the five percent, I think not.

“Just now we observed a moment of silence for the great Mandela. I feel that the fight against racial discrimination should not stop with his passing, so I urge our leaders to convey this to our prime minister.

“I hope one day, Najib would put an end to race-based policies and become the next Mandela,” he said, while urging for needs-based policies in its place.

Abolition of ‘racially biased’ policies is among the 13 resolutions debated and passed at the AGM today. Another resolution urges ‘stern action’ against those inciting or propagating racial hatred.

Another delegate, Foo Mun Hoong from Pahang, concurred and urged Umno leaders to put an end to the polices stop making ‘racially discriminatory’ statements like those made at the Umno general assembly earlier this month.

He added that MCA’s grassroots had in fact worked hard to serve the people and win support, but it’s efforts were reversed whenever Umno leaders make racist statements.

“Yesterday at the opening ceremony, the prime minister prescribed MCA four suggestions for improvement, and I agree.

“But besides MCA itself, I think Umno must severely punish leaders who make racist statements to show that BN opposes racism,” he said.

Meanwhile, Selangor delegate Wong Kai Shyuan said racist statements from Umno leaders are increasingly severe and this has hurt the feelings of the Chinese Malaysians.

‘Like a misaligned wheel’

He also slammed Umno Youth Chief Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar’s speech at the Umno Youth General Assembly on Dec 4, saying that his claim that the private sector discriminates against bumiputra employees is “twisted logic”.

“I think in the globalising world, Khairy’s thinking is like a misaligned wheel and is veering off-course. Let’s tell him that his thinking needs some adjustment,” he said.

He added that the practice in private companies is to hire the best person for the job and has no room for affirmative action, unless the employer is keen on wasting money on inexperienced or under-qualified employees.

However, the party’s Youth Chief Chong Sin Woon warned that MCA itself is veering towards racial extremism and urged delegates to keep on the path of moderation.

He said MCA used to be a moderate party that fights for all races and was criticised by DAP as a ‘Chinese sell-out’, but now with newfound power in some state governments, DAP is finding that moderation is a necessity.

“I feel that we have lost our direction (after the 2008 and 2013 electoral defeats. To win Chinese support, we had championed Chinese rights more and this caused Malays to feel that MCA is extremist.

“In contrast, DAP is making inroads with the Malays, with the bumiputras of Sabah and Sarawak, and into a bigger political arena altogether,” he said.

He urged the party to return to the party’s roots of fighting for a just society.

“What the Chinese community demands is not much, and they are not seeking special treatment from the government. What we want is just this: A just society.

“This is MCA’s earliest political goal, and the one it needs most at this time,” he said.

Perkasa ready to take over Umno’s role, says Ibrahim Ali

 
Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali giving his speech at the fourth Perkasa general assembly 
in Kuala Lumpur today. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, December 22, 2013.

Perkasa today warned Umno that the Malay rights group will replace the dominant political party in the ruling Barisan Nasional if it fails to uphold the Bumiputera agenda.

Its president, Datuk Ibrahim Ali, said Umno was now showing signs of weaknesses and becoming “toothless” in its struggle to protect Malay interests.

“If Umno appears exhausted, tired and toothless, come on then, Perkasa can take your place,” Ibrahim said at its fourth annual general assembly in Kuala Lumpur.

Ibrahim, a former Umno member and Pasir Mas MP, said Perkasa was prepared to adopt an adversarial role in the 14th general election should the Malay lynchpin of BN fail to deliver on the Bumiputera Economic Empowerment Agenda.

Without Perkasa's help and support, Barisan Nasional would also not have emerged victorious in the 13th general election, Ibrahim added.

"This is the truth, accept the facts. If not for Perkasa, Barisan Nasional would not have succeeded in regaining Perak."

Ibrahim said if Umno was weak and dispirited and could not continue fighting for Bumiputeras, it would be a ready replacement.

"Perkasa can take over the struggle. We can continue the fight for the rights of the Malays and Bumiputera," he said to cheers from the 1,000-strong audience.

"Perkasa boasts of more than 500,000 members nationwide, we have state and district divisions. Which other non-governmental organisation can boast such support?"

Ibrahim said Perkasa supported Umno in the 13th general election because the opposition was an unacceptable alternative.

"We do not completely trust Pakatan Rakyat. Barisan Nasional, on the other hand, can give us guarantees about power sharing," Ibrahim said.

"There are no other NGOs who will travel to the rural areas to give talks and speeches, like Perkasa."

Ibrahim said he stood as an independent in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, in the 13th general election because no party was willing to sponsor him.

"Umno was afraid that voters would be turned off by Perkasa, hence they refused to support me in Pasir Mas.

"Despite sacrificing me, Barisan Nasional failed to win Pasir Mas," he added.

He told the delegates that this time, Perkasa would introduce a key performance indicator for the prime minister, his deputy and Cabinet members.

"Putrajaya has KPI targets for all ministries and government departments to achieve, but we are introducing KPIs for the top leadership.

"There are so many issues worrying the people now with the price of fuel, sugar, electricity and toll rates going up.

"Therefore, one of the KPIs for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak will be the cost of living."

Ibrahim said Perkasa was determined to ensure that Bumiputera equity in Malaysia reached 30% by the time Malaysia achieved developed nation status in 2020.

He also ticked off several online news portals for portraying a negative image of Perkasa, saying his statements had been taken out of context.

"We have not done anything wrong. We do not take to the streets like Bersih. We hold roundtable dialogues, conventions and congresses," he said.

"There are other non-governmental organisations which issue far more inflammatory comments compared with Perkasa, but nobody tells them off."

Instead, he said, Perkasa has become a punching bag.

He also defended Perkasa's members, saying it was normal for them to react when provoked.

"If Perkasa's actions are detrimental to national security, show me the proof. I say one thing, the online news portals say another thing."

Shrugging it off, Ibrahim said his popularity increased every time such reports were published. – December 22, 2013.

Ask yourselves why you’ve been left behind in wealth race, Ku Li tells Malays

  
Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah advised Perkasa to take a good look at itself and ask why 
it is mocked. – The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, December 22, 2013.

Instead of wailing, lamenting and demanding more Bumiputera participation in the economy, Malays should take a good look at themselves and ask why they have been left behind, said veteran politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.

Tengku Razaleigh, or known as Ku Li, noted that the number of Malays holding key positions in the corporate sector had decreased compared with previous years.

While Felda Global Ventures (FGV) has spread its wings to other countries and boosted trade, it did not involve many Malays.

"The halal product industry is sadly controlled and dominated by non-Malays. The most disappointing thing is that several Malays, who founded local businesses, are no longer the owners but workers of the companies," Ku Li said when opening the 4th Perkasa general assembly in Kuala Lumpur today.

"Let me make it clear, these developments are not related to racial issues or the special rights of Malays being ignored.

“The core of the issue is that Malays have lost their edge in an increasingly competitive business arena."

Malays can no longer blame others for monopolising economic wealth in Malaysia because they have been given numerous opportunities and aid.

It is time for them to equip themselves with the necessary knowledge to succeed in the business arena.

Ku Li said the Malays should be taught skills and knowledge so that they would learn how to be independent instead of constantly relying on the Government.

He said if Malays continued to be dependent on Putrajaya, they would be swallowed by globalisation.

Ku Li also said Perkasa should take a good look at itself and ask why it has been mocked and ignored by the Malay community whose rights the party professes to struggle for.

He said Perkasa was perceived by many as the cause of splits between the various ethnic communities in Malaysia.

He said this was a damaging view of the party as national unity was prized in Malaysia.

"Hopefully, this is not a common perception and only the view of a few extremists," he said.

He said when reports emerged that he would be officiating the Perkasa general assembly, many questions were raised.

He said he has typically been viewed as a veteran politician who was contemporary, liberal and open-minded, which was the opposite of Perkasa.

"The way in which we think is not a vital factor. What is more important is that every Perkasa member understands the rationale and reason for the formation of this Malay rights group and what it stands for.

"We must not act rashly based on our emotions, more so when we are angry. Our actions should be based on logic and common sense rather than irrational behaviour," Ku Li said.

He added that everything should be balanced and taken into consideration before acting. – December 22, 2013.

Perkasa vs Umno, taring siapa lebih tajam

Adakah Najib Tun Razak akan tunduk kepada tunduk kepada Ibrahim Ali.
ANALYSIS

PETALING JAYA: Perkasa bakal mengaum lebih kuat bagi memberitahu Umno bahawa taringnya boleh mencederakan parti yang sedang berkuasa itu.

Datuk Ibrahim Ali secara terang -terang memberi amaran bahawa Perkasa boleh menggantikan Umno untuk membela orang Melayu dan agama Islam.

Tokoh veteran itu meminta Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak memberhentikan retorik yang sedang didendangkan.

Ibrahim nampak berani kerana beliau mendakwa Najib dan Umno menang kerana Perkasa.

Sama ada ia satu gertakan atau tidak, hubungan Perkasa dan Umno adalah seperti orang bercinta.

Benci tapi rindu.

Umno memerlukan Perkasa untuk mendapatkan pengundi Melayu yang kini terbelah tiga.

Umno terpaksa bersaing dengan PAS dan PKR untuk meneruskan survival parti.

Umno jika sendirian sangat untuk mendapatkan undi Melayu terutama pada pilihan raya umum lima tahun lagi.

Meski menang 89 kerusi parlimen, ia bukan jaminan kerusi itu kekal milik Umno dalam pilihan raya umum 14.

Pengundi muda tidak sepenuhya memilih Umno seperti dibuktikan dalam pilihan raya kecil Sungai Limau baru-baru ini.

Pengundi Melayu elit juga begitu. Di sinilah Umno memerlukan Perkasa.

Perkasa memang menyokong Najib dan Umno seperti yang telah dilakukan dalam pilihan raya 5 Mei lalu.

Malangnya Umno tidak mahu memandang malah melemparkan pelbagai tuduhan terhadap Perkasa.

Umno rela membantu NGO yang jauh kecil dari Perkasa yang sesetengahnya hidup pada nama sahaja.

Namun adakah ugutan Perkasa itu menggerunkan Umno atau tidak lebih seperti anjing menyalak bukit.

Ku Li minta subsidi dihapus berperingkat

Katanya monopoli syarikat mesti dihalang supaya harga barangan tidak dikawal oleh syarikat berkenaan.

PETALING JAYA: Bekas Menteri Kewangan, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah berkata, subsidi kepada rakyat perlu dihapuskan secara berperingkat.

Untuk itu, katanya monopoli syarikat mesti dihalang supaya harga barangan tidak dikawal oleh syarikat berkenaan.

“Tetapi kerajaan mesti memastikan barangan cukup dan sampai kepada pengguna,” katanya.

Sementara itu, beliau bimbang mengenai penglibatan orang Melayu dalam ekonomi.

Katanya, bilangan penjawat penting dalam sektor korporat menurun dengan sangat signifikan.

Beliau menambah, orang Melayu belum dapat menerajui Felda.

Menurutnya, industri produk halal yang besar juga difahamkan dikawal oleh bukan Melayu.

“Sangat mendukacitakan apabila pemilik asal beberapa syarikat orang Melayu yang sudah berjaya akhirnya menjadi pekerja kepada syarikat baru,” katanya ketika merasmikan persidangan tahunan Perkasa hari ini.

Menurut Tengku Razaleigh ia tiada kaitan dengan isu perkauman atau hak Melayu dinafikan tetapi merupakan tidak mampu bertahan dalam perniagaan.

`Tidak boleh salahkan orang lain’

“Orang Melayu tidak boleh menyalahkan orang lain kalau mereka masih tidak berjaya,“katanya.

Beliau juga berkata, untuk masa akan datang kesamarataan dalam penguasaan ekonomi merupakan kunci perpaduan kaum.

Katanya, hak dan keistimewaan orang Melayu harus difahami dan dipertahankan.

“Ianya tidak boleh diganggu gugat,” tambah beliau lagi.

Sementara itu, Tengku Razaleigh meminta ahli Perkasa menjaga disiplin.

Katanya, mereka mesti melihat isu dengan lebih mendalam berdasarkan hak dan bukan emosi.

Who are “the poor” in Malaysia?

We live in an age which excels in broadcasting slogans and catchy phrases. Often we, the hearers, unconsciously ‘choose’ the meaning. A good example is “People first.” What does it mean? Who are “the people”?

We most easily think of “the people” as ourselves, our “class” of people. We forget that “the people” includes politicians, civil servants, police, soldiers, bankers, businessmen, garbage collectors, drivers, investors, farmers, etc., all with their dreams and goals.

Who’s poor?
All of us fear being poor. That’s why we worry about increases in the price of electricity, fuel, assessments and hikes in tolls. We recognize there will always be rich and poor. We hope the poor won’t suffer too much. We hope they will grasp opportunities and lift themselves up. We “do charity” now and then, and shed tears of joy whenever we hear of someone doing good for the poor.

Yet, the question “who are the poor?” is not easy to answer. One economist famously said “Poverty, like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder.”

When, in our conversations, we try to define poverty, the first thought that arises is lack of income or resources.
Eventually we end up with a list of poverty indicators which are not much different from what we find in academic discussions of poverty: “vulnerability to risks, powerlessness, lack of personal freedom, social exclusion, etc.”

Such conversations often end with someone asking whether there is an official definition of poverty. And, as soon as we hear it, we critique it.
Yet those who work for government, e.g. in the Social Welfare Department, in the Housing Department and in the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), have to work with definitions.
They need clear definitions in order to make decisions.

The statistically poor.
So, according to officialdom, who are the poor?
I’ll start with official data from the statistics department, published by the EPU.

Poverty Line Income (PLI).
Malaysia began measuring the incidence of poverty in 1970. In 1977, we introduced the PLI approach: any household which earns equal to or less than the PLI – and the PLI varies according to where the household is located – is classified as poor.

Household.
The PLI is based on "household” income.
In 2005, when the current definition was finalized, the “reference household” was made up of 1 male and 1 female aged 18-29, 2 boys aged 3 and 9 and a girl aged 5.

For the reference household, statisticians and dieticians estimated the expenditure for a healthy and balanced diet. This is called “Food PLI.”

To this was added “Non-food PLI,” comprised of the expenditure for clothing, housing, durables, transport and ‘others.’ The Non-food PLI is based upon many inputs, including Household Expenditure Surveys, mathematical models, tests, checks and reviews.

This is a summary of the PLI’s for 2005 (source, Table 2.8 on page 47):

PLI	Urban (2005), RM			PLI	Rural (2005), RM
	Food	Non-Food	Total		Food	Non-Food	Total
Maximum (WP Kuala Lumpur)	404	476	880	Maximum  (Sabah)	420	382	802
Minimum  (Kelantan)	373	245	618	Minimum  (Kelantan)	352	220	572

The PLI is adjusted annually for changes in the Cost of Living Index. The latest year for which I was able to locate figures is 2010, only with this level of granularity (source):

	Peninsula	Sabah & Labuan	Sarawak	Malaysia
Incidence of poverty	2.0 %	19.2 %	5.3 %	3.8 %
No. of poor households	102,200	99,100	27,100	228,400
Mean PLI	RM 763	RM 1,048	RM 912	RM 800
Mean Per Capita PLI	RM 194	RM 225	RM 208	RM 198

According to officialdom in Malaysia, the incidence of poverty in 2012 is 1.7 %, an improvement on the 3.8 % reported for 2010 (the figure reported for 1970 was 49.3 %).

Although Household PLI is the “official” way of reporting poverty, it does not appear to be used by civil servants to make decisions.

Welfare department.
I’ve not been able to determine what welfare payments are “for the poor,” and how “the poor” are defined and assessed. I’ve been told Welfare departments around the country do not use the PLI.

Low-cost housing.
According to some REHDA materials on an EPU website, those who earn less than RM 1,500 per month ("low income households") qualify for low cost housing.

BR1M.
A ceiling of RM 3,000 per month is used for deciding which households qualify for BR1M cash hand-outs “to alleviate the burden of low income earners.”

In his 2014 Budget speech, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced another round of BR1M hand-outs.
According to a report in the Star Newspaper, people can now register online to receive the hand-outs, which are expected to flow to “5.9 million households” and “2 million unmarried individuals” in the country.

The hand-outs are for 3 groups of people:

First, households with a total monthly income of RM 3,000 and less. It's claimed that 5.9 million households are eligible. The head of each household will receive RM 600 (up from RM 500 previously).

Second, unmarried individuals. It's claimed that 2 million persons are eligible. Each will receive RM 300 (up from RM 250 previously).

Third, people living alone who are aged 60 years and above. Each will receive RM 600 (up from RM 500 previously).

Leaving aside the question of sensibility of hand-outs as a means to alleviate hardships caused by increases in the cost of electricity, tolls, fuel, etc., I wonder how the figures 5.9 million, 2 million, etc. were computed.

Although a Barisan Nasional website says “80 % of the (sic) total Malaysian households” will benefit, 38.8 % seems a better estimate, since according to the EPU, that’s the percentage of households which earn RM 2,999 or less per month.

So, how do we recognize “the poor”? What’s the PLI? What do you think it should be? How many people are poor? Where are they? How do civil servants decide who’s poor for purposes of welfare, housing and BR1M? What does “People first” really mean?

+ - + - + - + - + -

Note: Yesterday I attended "Workshop on Urban Poverty, Public Policy & Community Based Development" organised by COMMACT Malaysia, Economics Faculty and the Institute for Ethnic Studies, UKM.

Amongst other things, the workshop caused me to think about the statistical and administrative side of poverty.

Corruption, not liberalism, is Malays’ real enemy – Hafiz Ahmad

The Malays are in a state of delusion. They cannot differentiate between their real problems and the delusional ones. I could not understand why they are paranoid with liberalism, pluralism, Shiism and Christianity, as these have no effect in their daily lives.

Some Malays don’t even understand what liberalism really means. If anyone can explain what is the real threat of liberalism in our lives, I will be very grateful. Please enlighten me, I’m so confused.

While people are struggling to put food in their mouths, there are those busy pointing their fingers at the 9% Christian population, claim that Christians are trying to establish a Christian state in Malaysia.

With the exception of Vatican, there is no Christian state in this world. Even Italy with a strong Catholic population does not claim to be Christian country.

Are Malays out of their mind? Muslims comprise 61.3% of the country’s population and Christians only 9.2 %. Where is the threat? It is worse when some religious bigots called Pembina fire up this delusional issue by organizing forums to make Muslims believe there is a threat from Christians.

I don’t understand how such hatred can considered a religion event. I am a Muslim, probably not a pious one, but my religion never taught me to throw baseless accusations filled with hatred and prejudice at people of other faiths.

Some Malays are just sucking up all this nonsense by these bigots. They should take a minute to use their brains given by Allah Almighty to think the logic of this allegation. These issues have corrupted Malays minds and robbed their common sense and ability to think.

The latest 2012 monthly household income data from the Department of Statistics shows that the Bumiputera are the poorest in this country, with average monthly income of RM4,457, followed by Indians RM5,233 and Chinese RM6,366.

This is the real problem of the Malays. The current trend of price hikes will further hurt the Malays, not to mention the Goods & Services Tax (GST) soon to be implemented. The purchasing power of Malays will reduce drastically.

Ironically, the ruling party which claims to be champion of the Malays implements economic policies that hurt Malays the most. Again, this is the real problem of the Malays, not liberalism or pluralism.

Malays should realise that rampant corruption in our country is the real threat to them.

Corruption will threaten genuine and honest Malay entrepreneurs, not pluralism. Rising cost of living will threaten their stomachs, not liberalism.

Malays must also realise that all delusional problems 'threatening' them are deliberately staged to cover up corruption, leakages and mismanagement bleeding our country. Malays must wake up from this delusion and face the reality. - December 22, 2013.

* Hafiz Ahmad is a final year student of Economics at University of Malaya.

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

No Malaysians Injured In Bomb Explosions In Southern Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 23 (Bernama) -- Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin Sunday night clarified that no Malaysians were injured in a series of five bomb explosions in three districts in southern Thailand Sunday.

The bomb explosions occurred in front of the police station in Padang Besar on the Thai side, in front of Sadao police station, in front and back of Hotel Oliver in Danok, in front of Bangkok Disco in Danok and in front of Tesco Lotus in Sadao.

"I confirm that no Malaysians were injured in the bomb explosions," said Hamzah when contacted by Bernama.

It was earlier reported that two Malaysians were among more than 20 people who were injured in the bomb explosions in areas near the Thailand-Malaysia border.

According to a statement from Wisma Putra issued later Sunday night, 27 civilians were injured in the bomb explosions with no Malaysians reported among them.