Wednesday, 25 December 2013
Islam in Denmark: Muslima's secret wife discovers her husband has also married his cousin from the U.S., burns her alive
Thirty-year-old Faruk Rooma, a Pakistani national, was sentenced to life imprisonment and deportation for life, while her two accomplices, her 19-year-old nephew, Aafaq Alam Khan and his friend, 17-year-old Noureddine El Yousfi, were sentenced to ten and seven years in prison.Nicolai Sennels is a psychologist and editor of 10news.dk.
All three appealed on the spot.
Because of the now-violent family of the now-convicted persons, the public hearings were held under heavy police protection....
On Friday, September 14 in the early afternoon, a woman and two young men broke into the apartment where the murder victim was home alone. While the two men held on to the terrified woman, the Pakistani woman doused her with gasoline and set a match to her.
During the explosive fire that occurred, the now two convicted young men succeeded in getting out of the apartment, while the Pakistani woman had to jump out of a window with her dress in flames. She was in an unconscious state and was admitted to a hospital with severe injuries and burns on her arms.
During the hearings, the now lifetime convict and deportee Faruk Rooma stated that since May 2001, she had been secretly married to the murdered woman's husband.
The marriage had taken place in a parking lot in Ringsted, where an imam married them. The man's family was not allowed to know anything about marriage, and she was furious and had a shock when on June 22, following his family's orders, he suddenly married his cousin from the U.S.
Majority of Malays think ‘Allah’ exclusive to Muslims, says survey
The term “Allah” should not be used by non-Muslims, say 77% of Malays polled by Universiti Malaya’s Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMCEDEL).
"The issue of Allah is still sensitive in the peninsula. Regardless of their political beliefs, it is obvious that Malays still think that the term 'Allah' is exclusive to Muslims," said UMCEDEL director Prof Datuk Dr Redzuan Othman.
The poll also showed that the same number of Malay respondents disagreed that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak could use the term.
The survey, conducted from December 6 to 8, covering only the peninsula also showed that a mere 11% of the Malays polled agreed to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. On October 14, 2013, a three-man panel of judges in the Court of Appeal overturned a 2009 landmark High Court judgment allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly Herald.
According to the leading judge’s grounds of judgment, the use of the word “Allah” was exclusive to Muslims and not integral to Christian worship, contrary to the church’s arguments that the word was irreplaceable and vital to their religious doctrine.
Two-thirds of Christians in Malaysia are Bumiputera, who are largely based in Sabah and Sarawak and number some 1.6 million.
The Catholic church has applied for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling.
The Federal Court has fixed the leave application for hearing on February 24.
The church had filed its leave application on November 12 by submitting questions on the Federal Constitution, administrative law, as well as the power of the court to allow the minister to ban the use of a theological word.
The constitutional questions framed by the church lawyers were to debate on Islam as the religion of the federation, freedom of speech and religion, and the right to religious education.
The questions on administrative law centred on the home minister and his powers.
They also said that the home minister's decision to ban the Herald from using the word “Allah” was illegal and irrational. – The Malaysian Insider
"The issue of Allah is still sensitive in the peninsula. Regardless of their political beliefs, it is obvious that Malays still think that the term 'Allah' is exclusive to Muslims," said UMCEDEL director Prof Datuk Dr Redzuan Othman.
The poll also showed that the same number of Malay respondents disagreed that Christians in Sabah and Sarawak could use the term.
The survey, conducted from December 6 to 8, covering only the peninsula also showed that a mere 11% of the Malays polled agreed to the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims. On October 14, 2013, a three-man panel of judges in the Court of Appeal overturned a 2009 landmark High Court judgment allowing the Catholic Church to use the word “Allah” in the Bahasa Malaysia section of its weekly Herald.
According to the leading judge’s grounds of judgment, the use of the word “Allah” was exclusive to Muslims and not integral to Christian worship, contrary to the church’s arguments that the word was irreplaceable and vital to their religious doctrine.
Two-thirds of Christians in Malaysia are Bumiputera, who are largely based in Sabah and Sarawak and number some 1.6 million.
The Catholic church has applied for leave to appeal against the Court of Appeal ruling.
The Federal Court has fixed the leave application for hearing on February 24.
The church had filed its leave application on November 12 by submitting questions on the Federal Constitution, administrative law, as well as the power of the court to allow the minister to ban the use of a theological word.
The constitutional questions framed by the church lawyers were to debate on Islam as the religion of the federation, freedom of speech and religion, and the right to religious education.
The questions on administrative law centred on the home minister and his powers.
They also said that the home minister's decision to ban the Herald from using the word “Allah” was illegal and irrational. – The Malaysian Insider
From new economic model back to old
Najib’s experiments with moderate politics ended when he declared: “Therefore, the Malays and bumiputeras, as the core of the national agenda, cannot be denied by anybody. Indeed, any matter which is national in nature, which does not take into account or neglects the agenda of the Malays and bumiputeras is not fair and just.
“…[for]
the support given by Malays and bumiputeras at the 13th general
election recently, today the government decides to make a big shift to
implement concrete and total strategies and approaches.“... All these we undertake to look after the lot of the Malay and bumiputera communities, since the past, present and forever.”
David A Lake and Donald Rothchild said ethnic conflict is most often caused by collective “fears of the future, lived through the past”. They suggest it is important to reassure the different groups of both their physical and cultural security by demonstrations of respect and confidence building measures.
In Malaysia, there is no chance of this happening because we are not dealing with just individual racism but also institutional racism.
Administrative officers often are at the very least sympathetic to the Umno cause. The close relationship between the bureaucracy and the party dates back to Umno’s founding. In the 1955 elections, 80 percent of the Umno candidates were former civil service officers. Of the seven Malays in Tunku Abdul Rahman’s cabinet, six were former civil servants.
Based on complaints received, the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) civics course trains graduates to implement racist and religious-discriminating policies. In the Mid-Term Review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, it is reported that 1,016,749 participants benefited from the BTN programmes.
Too fearful to speak out for their rights
Those who viewed the ‘Listen, Listen, Listen’ video will note that the majority of the students applauded Suara Wanita 1Malaysia president Sharifah Zohra Jabeen Syed Shah Miskin’s castigation of K Bawani, the lone objector to Sharifah’s arguments.
The others, Bawani said, were too fearful to stand up and speak out for their rights.To counter ethnic politics, right thinking Malaysians must break the chains of fear and ignorance holding back the 47 percent. Malaysians have to undergo a personal internal reformation.
Pakatan Rakyat holding more public rallies and giving speeches will come to naught if Malaysians are unable to make this internal reform. This is the key factor. We have to make this change in order to touch the hearts of those that Umno is holding in its grasp.
Lip-service and fine cosmetic words cannot do it. We must remember that “out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks”. Meaning that not only our words, but our attitudes toward one another must come from our genuine heart-felt feelings.
All the talk of wanting our country to change will not happen if our emotions and feelings toward another of a different race are not changed. The most effective and lasting change in racial politics can only take place when we reform in our hearts.
It’s our heart that needs to change
It is not our mind that so much needs to change as our heart, to excise the prejudgment, preconceived notions and predisposition we have of another race. There must be a paradigm shift in us. This type of change emerges from an understanding and practice of genuine justice.
Genuine justice is based on fairness. John Rawls in his book, ‘A Theory of Justice’, advocated distributive justice to compensate for social and economic inequalities. Thus genuine justice is based on need.
Racism, on the other hand, is nothing but the systemic indifference justified by biological or cultural differences. Since people’s needs differ due to differing socio-historical circumstances, true justice springs from what they need.
Oliver Wendell Homes said: “There is no greater equality than the equal treatment of unequals.”
At the heart of justice is affirmative action based on need. It is based on the principle of redress that undeserved inequalities call for rectification. Since inequalities of birth are undeserved, these inequalities must be compensated for.
Therefore, in order to treat all persons equally and provide genuine equality of opportunity, society must give more attention to those born into or placed in less favourable social-economic positions. It cannot be based on discredited and debunked notions of racial supremacy or inferiority. It is only when Malaysians can get to this point will Malaysia be able to change.
To get to this point requires compassion. Compassion is the counter to racism. At the heart of compassion lies ‘respect”, the process whereby the other person is treated with deference, courtesy and compassion in an endeavour to safeguard the integrity, dignity, value and social worth of the individual. It means treating people they way they want to be treated.
To counter Umno’s racial politics, Malaysians have to find the compassion to reach out to the less fortunate Malays and bBumiputeras, especially those in the rural areas and in the interior of Sabah and Sarawak.
The best way to unmask the racial lies and clean up bigotry is to show Malaysia is a caring society assisting all irrespective of race or religion.
I commend the Rotary Club of Petaling Jaya in organising a health clinic in Batu Arang village, where all residents in need, irrespective of race, were given free health, dental and eyesight tests.
If more people follow this example, the long walk to freedom for all Malaysians will be one more step closer to its destination.
WILLIAM LEONG JEE KEEN is the Member of Parliament for Selayang.
'Education blueprint nudging towards monolingualism' - Malaysiakini
Chinese education group Dong Zong yesterday said that the national
education blueprint was a way to implement the "ultimate objective" of
the 1956 Razak Report, which is to push the country in the direction of
"monolingual education".They made the claim in a statement in response to Deputy Education Minister Mary Yap's recent allegation that Dong Zong members "do not understand" the education blueprint.
Mary had claimed that Dong Zong's fear of mother tongue schools being pushed away through the blueprint holds no water, because there is a specific chapter in the blueprint on mother tongue schools.
However Dong Zong begs to differ, and maintains that they have not misunderstood the blueprint.
"When announcing the formulation and implementation of the education development blueprint, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has on successive occasions expressed that he would pay close attention to whether the policies and objectives of the Razak Report 1956 could be fully implemented," the group said.
Dong Zong said that despite a specific mention in the blueprint, there is an increase in "unfavourable policies" that "marginalise" Chinese and Tamil primary schools.
"They have, in greater space and length, emphasised the role of the national language and national schools as a tool for national unity, and the national language as the main medium of instruction for all educational institutions," it said.
It pointed out, among others, that the increased teaching hours of Bahasa Malaysia even in vernacular schools was being done with the purpose of establishing a "mono-racial country".
MIC asks Umno to make stand on Perkasa clear
MIC leader urges the Umno leaders to make their stand clear on "extremist" Perkasa.
PETALING JAYA: S Murugesan today urged Umno to clarify their stand on Malay rights group Perkasa, which he described as having “extremist” views.
The MIC central working committee member was responding to Umno leader Isa Samad’s confession that Umno “protects” and provides “benefits” to Perkasa.
“Perkasa has been taking very extremist stands on certain issues and that has not gone down well with multi-racial Malaysia, especially the non-Malays,” he told FMT.
“With this revelation, it is now time for Umno to make their stand very clear and state categorically whether they are supporting or behind Perkasa,” he added.
Murugesan said that there was no “direct link” between Perkasa and BN, and said the revelation would not effect other BN component parties “per se”.
“However, it is not good for BN because some of their views expressed are very extremist,” he lamented.
“Even MIC have criticised some of their stands and distanced ourselves from them. That is why it is important for Umno to make their stand clear,” he reiterated.
MCA vice-president Chua Tee Yong, however, dismissed the revelation and said that Putrajaya had more pressing matters to focus on.
“I think what is more pressing now is how the government will implement the measures to cushion those that need assistance in view of the restructering of subsidies,” he said.
He pointed out that Isa was no longer in the Umno Supreme Council or mainstream leadership line-up.
Yesterday, PKR vice-president N Surendran demanded Umno leaders explain what “benefits” it had provided to Perkasa, and whether it involved using government authority.
Surendran told FMT that there was no doubt at all that when Umno talked about protecting Perkasa, it was admitting to abusing its government authority so that the vocal group escaped prosecution.
In a press conference on Monday, former Umno vice president Isa Samad told reporters that Perkasa could not replace Umno in looking after the Malays because Perkasa itself relied on Umno.
PETALING JAYA: S Murugesan today urged Umno to clarify their stand on Malay rights group Perkasa, which he described as having “extremist” views.The MIC central working committee member was responding to Umno leader Isa Samad’s confession that Umno “protects” and provides “benefits” to Perkasa.
“Perkasa has been taking very extremist stands on certain issues and that has not gone down well with multi-racial Malaysia, especially the non-Malays,” he told FMT.
“With this revelation, it is now time for Umno to make their stand very clear and state categorically whether they are supporting or behind Perkasa,” he added.
Murugesan said that there was no “direct link” between Perkasa and BN, and said the revelation would not effect other BN component parties “per se”.
“However, it is not good for BN because some of their views expressed are very extremist,” he lamented.
“Even MIC have criticised some of their stands and distanced ourselves from them. That is why it is important for Umno to make their stand clear,” he reiterated.
MCA vice-president Chua Tee Yong, however, dismissed the revelation and said that Putrajaya had more pressing matters to focus on.
“I think what is more pressing now is how the government will implement the measures to cushion those that need assistance in view of the restructering of subsidies,” he said.
He pointed out that Isa was no longer in the Umno Supreme Council or mainstream leadership line-up.
Yesterday, PKR vice-president N Surendran demanded Umno leaders explain what “benefits” it had provided to Perkasa, and whether it involved using government authority.
Surendran told FMT that there was no doubt at all that when Umno talked about protecting Perkasa, it was admitting to abusing its government authority so that the vocal group escaped prosecution.
In a press conference on Monday, former Umno vice president Isa Samad told reporters that Perkasa could not replace Umno in looking after the Malays because Perkasa itself relied on Umno.
Nepalis denounce visa fee hike
Representatives of employment agencies stage a sit-in outside Malaysian embassy.
PETALING JAYA: Nepali employment agents yesterday staged a demonstration outside the Malaysian embassy in Pulchowk to protest against a visa fee hike for Malaysia-bound workers.
According to Nepal-based English daily The Himalayan Times, the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) had a sit-in over the embassy’s decision to outsource visa processing, which is expected to raise the fee by more than RM100.
Representatives from over 80 agencies took part in the protest, displaying banners and placards denouncing the Malaysian government’s decision.
“We had to resort to this as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned deaf ears towards our request of mediating talks with the Malaysian government,” said NAFEA president Bal Bahadur Tamang.
Tamang added that the matter would be taken to the International Labour Organisation if it was not addressed soon by the Nepali and Malaysian governments.
The Malaysian embassy had indicated it would soon outsource visa processing to a company called FOSA, and the fee is expected to go up by at least RM106. This came after a hike from RM23 to RM130 on Nov 1, after the work had been outsourced to a company called Malaysia VLN Nepal.
“If the visa processing work is outsourced to FOSA, Nepali workers seeking jobs in Malaysia will end up paying RM236 for visa fee,” Tamang said.
The protestors were also unhappy that the Malaysian embassy had made it mandatory for all medical centres conducting health checks on Malaysia-bound workers to install a software developed by Malaysian IT firm Bestinet.
Once medical centres start using the software, the medical check-up cost for each worker will go up by RM50 to RM140.
With all these hikes, a Nepali seeking work in Malaysia will soon end up
PETALING JAYA: Nepali employment agents yesterday staged a demonstration outside the Malaysian embassy in Pulchowk to protest against a visa fee hike for Malaysia-bound workers.According to Nepal-based English daily The Himalayan Times, the Nepal Association of Foreign Employment Agencies (NAFEA) had a sit-in over the embassy’s decision to outsource visa processing, which is expected to raise the fee by more than RM100.
Representatives from over 80 agencies took part in the protest, displaying banners and placards denouncing the Malaysian government’s decision.
“We had to resort to this as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs turned deaf ears towards our request of mediating talks with the Malaysian government,” said NAFEA president Bal Bahadur Tamang.
Tamang added that the matter would be taken to the International Labour Organisation if it was not addressed soon by the Nepali and Malaysian governments.
The Malaysian embassy had indicated it would soon outsource visa processing to a company called FOSA, and the fee is expected to go up by at least RM106. This came after a hike from RM23 to RM130 on Nov 1, after the work had been outsourced to a company called Malaysia VLN Nepal.
“If the visa processing work is outsourced to FOSA, Nepali workers seeking jobs in Malaysia will end up paying RM236 for visa fee,” Tamang said.
The protestors were also unhappy that the Malaysian embassy had made it mandatory for all medical centres conducting health checks on Malaysia-bound workers to install a software developed by Malaysian IT firm Bestinet.
Once medical centres start using the software, the medical check-up cost for each worker will go up by RM50 to RM140.
With all these hikes, a Nepali seeking work in Malaysia will soon end up
Beri lesen judi kepada Bumiputera Bukan Islam
Sudah tentu ramai Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak yang berkemampuan untuk mengendalikan kelab-kelab judi yang begitu banyak di Sabah.
COMMENT
Saya begitu tertarik dengan cadangan seorang bekas menteri kabinet supaya kerajaan yang amalkan konsep “economic liberalisation” memberi peluang kepada peniaga Melayu dalam perniagaan judi dan perniagaan hiburan.
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim berkata dengan menghadkan perniagaan orang kepada perniagaan halal sahaja menyebabkan orang Melayu terlepas peluang mendapatkan peluang keuntungan yang lebih besar hasil daripada pemberian lesen judi dan hiburan.
“Keuntungan yang besar itu digunakan membeli hartanah, hotel, resorts di Kuala Lumpur dan Singapura. Manakala orang Melayu begitu sukar untuk membeli tanah dan rumah dalam bandar.” katanya lagi.
Cadangan Zaid itu bagaimanapun mendapat kecaman hebat daripada pemimpin-pemimpin Umno. Mereka dengan tegas berkata pemberian lesen judi dan lesen hiburan tidak boleh diberikan kepada orang Melayu kerana bertentangan dengan hukum Islam.
Saya setuju dengan Zaid, dan saya selalu berhujah bahawa peluang perniagaan judi dan hiburan adalah peniagaan yang begitu menguntungkan dan tidak seharusnya diberikan kepada peniaga-peniaga kaum Tionghua sahaja. Dari segi pemilikan kekayaan, kaum itu semakin jauh meninggalkan kaum Bumiputera.
Bukan itu sahaja, keuntungan berlipat ganda daripada perniagaan judi adalah sumber dana untuk membina sekolah-sekolah swasta, sekolah-sekolah tuisyen, tadika milik masyarakat Tionghua. Secara langsung dalam bidang pelajaran, mereka juga semakin jauh dihadapan kaum Bumiputera.
Jika perniagaan judi bertentangan dengan Islam, kenapa lesen judi tidak diberikan kepada peniaga Bumiputera bukan Islam dari Sabah dan Sarawak?
Sudah tentu ramai Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak yang berkemampuan untuk mengendalikan kelab-kelab judi yang begitu banyak di Sabah. Malang sekali lesen-lesen judi jackpot yang berlesen di Sabah dan Sarawak hanya diberikan kepada peniaga Cina.
COMMENT
Saya begitu tertarik dengan cadangan seorang bekas menteri kabinet supaya kerajaan yang amalkan konsep “economic liberalisation” memberi peluang kepada peniaga Melayu dalam perniagaan judi dan perniagaan hiburan.Datuk Zaid Ibrahim berkata dengan menghadkan perniagaan orang kepada perniagaan halal sahaja menyebabkan orang Melayu terlepas peluang mendapatkan peluang keuntungan yang lebih besar hasil daripada pemberian lesen judi dan hiburan.
“Keuntungan yang besar itu digunakan membeli hartanah, hotel, resorts di Kuala Lumpur dan Singapura. Manakala orang Melayu begitu sukar untuk membeli tanah dan rumah dalam bandar.” katanya lagi.
Cadangan Zaid itu bagaimanapun mendapat kecaman hebat daripada pemimpin-pemimpin Umno. Mereka dengan tegas berkata pemberian lesen judi dan lesen hiburan tidak boleh diberikan kepada orang Melayu kerana bertentangan dengan hukum Islam.
Saya setuju dengan Zaid, dan saya selalu berhujah bahawa peluang perniagaan judi dan hiburan adalah peniagaan yang begitu menguntungkan dan tidak seharusnya diberikan kepada peniaga-peniaga kaum Tionghua sahaja. Dari segi pemilikan kekayaan, kaum itu semakin jauh meninggalkan kaum Bumiputera.
Bukan itu sahaja, keuntungan berlipat ganda daripada perniagaan judi adalah sumber dana untuk membina sekolah-sekolah swasta, sekolah-sekolah tuisyen, tadika milik masyarakat Tionghua. Secara langsung dalam bidang pelajaran, mereka juga semakin jauh dihadapan kaum Bumiputera.
Jika perniagaan judi bertentangan dengan Islam, kenapa lesen judi tidak diberikan kepada peniaga Bumiputera bukan Islam dari Sabah dan Sarawak?
Sudah tentu ramai Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak yang berkemampuan untuk mengendalikan kelab-kelab judi yang begitu banyak di Sabah. Malang sekali lesen-lesen judi jackpot yang berlesen di Sabah dan Sarawak hanya diberikan kepada peniaga Cina.
‘Selangor can’t stop toll hikes’
Experts say the decision lies with all shareholders in the highway companies.
PETALING JAYA: Experts have poured cold water on the Selangor government’s plans to reject the impending toll hike, pointing out that the final decision would lie with all shareholders in the highway companies.
“As minority shareholders, the Selangor government can object to the toll hike, but ultimately the decision would be put to a vote, and it may even be rejected,” Yeah Kim Leng, group chief economist of RAM Holdings, told FMT.
“So they actually have no ultimate power. They can only exercise their rights as a shareholder, and will have to go through due process by tabling their objection at the shareholder’s meeting.”
Subramaniam Pillay, an economist and associate professor at Taylor’s university, concurred with this, saying that “normally, the majority shareholder makes the final decision.”
But he added that the concession agreements might have allowed for an exception to allow minority stakeholders to make decisions.
Last week, Selangor economic advisor Anwar Ibrahim announced that the state government, through the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and Kumpulan Perangsang, would oppose the toll hike. PKNS owns 30% of the Kesas highway and Kumpulan Perangsang owns 20% in Sprint and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP)
Anwar said the state would use its stake in the highway companies to protect the people’s interest and rejected statements by Barisan Nasional leaders that the hike could not be avoided as it was provided for in the concession agreements.
“I understand that the issue will be brought to the state exco meeting today and orders will be given out to government representatives in the highway consortium involved to reject the toll hike,” Anwar told a press conference on Dec 18.
“They have a right to object as minority shareholders.”
Yeah said that while Selangor’s planned action would not necessarily result in Kesas, Sprint and LDP maintaining current toll rates, Anwar was right in saying that the government could avoid implementing the toll hikes.
He said the government, even if it could not order the toll concessionaires to delay or cancel the hikes, could exert influence on government-linked companies that had shares in the firms.
PKR’s Rafizi Ramli disclosed last week that the North-South Expressway Project is wholly-owned by government funds such as Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).
The second largest operator, Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), is wholly owned by Putrajaya’s fund manager Permodalan Nasional Bhd. Prolintas operates the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway and Guthrie Corridor Expressway.
Gamuda Bhd, which operates the Damansara-Puchong Expresswayand the Sprint Highway, is the only privately-owned highway firm, but 22.59% of its shares are held by EPF, Tabung Haji and other government funds.
“The government can influence the GLCs which own shares in highway companies to vote for a delay in the toll hike,” Yeah said. “It can even persuade the GLCs to not demand compensation for the delay.”
He added the delay should be applied to highway tolls that were already congested and generating profit.
“If the toll revenue is not sufficient to cover costs, then the toll concessionaires may have a case and the burden should be shared with the road users.
“But the government can practice its discretion and influence when it comes to those highways that are already generating profit.”
But Yeah said the toll hike should not reach 100% as such a move would be hard to justify given that inflation is currently around 2%.
PETALING JAYA: Experts have poured cold water on the Selangor government’s plans to reject the impending toll hike, pointing out that the final decision would lie with all shareholders in the highway companies.“As minority shareholders, the Selangor government can object to the toll hike, but ultimately the decision would be put to a vote, and it may even be rejected,” Yeah Kim Leng, group chief economist of RAM Holdings, told FMT.
“So they actually have no ultimate power. They can only exercise their rights as a shareholder, and will have to go through due process by tabling their objection at the shareholder’s meeting.”
Subramaniam Pillay, an economist and associate professor at Taylor’s university, concurred with this, saying that “normally, the majority shareholder makes the final decision.”
But he added that the concession agreements might have allowed for an exception to allow minority stakeholders to make decisions.
Last week, Selangor economic advisor Anwar Ibrahim announced that the state government, through the Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS) and Kumpulan Perangsang, would oppose the toll hike. PKNS owns 30% of the Kesas highway and Kumpulan Perangsang owns 20% in Sprint and Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP)
Anwar said the state would use its stake in the highway companies to protect the people’s interest and rejected statements by Barisan Nasional leaders that the hike could not be avoided as it was provided for in the concession agreements.
“I understand that the issue will be brought to the state exco meeting today and orders will be given out to government representatives in the highway consortium involved to reject the toll hike,” Anwar told a press conference on Dec 18.
“They have a right to object as minority shareholders.”
Yeah said that while Selangor’s planned action would not necessarily result in Kesas, Sprint and LDP maintaining current toll rates, Anwar was right in saying that the government could avoid implementing the toll hikes.
He said the government, even if it could not order the toll concessionaires to delay or cancel the hikes, could exert influence on government-linked companies that had shares in the firms.
PKR’s Rafizi Ramli disclosed last week that the North-South Expressway Project is wholly-owned by government funds such as Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).
The second largest operator, Projek Lintasan Kota Holdings Sdn Bhd (Prolintas), is wholly owned by Putrajaya’s fund manager Permodalan Nasional Bhd. Prolintas operates the Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway and Guthrie Corridor Expressway.
Gamuda Bhd, which operates the Damansara-Puchong Expresswayand the Sprint Highway, is the only privately-owned highway firm, but 22.59% of its shares are held by EPF, Tabung Haji and other government funds.
“The government can influence the GLCs which own shares in highway companies to vote for a delay in the toll hike,” Yeah said. “It can even persuade the GLCs to not demand compensation for the delay.”
He added the delay should be applied to highway tolls that were already congested and generating profit.
“If the toll revenue is not sufficient to cover costs, then the toll concessionaires may have a case and the burden should be shared with the road users.
“But the government can practice its discretion and influence when it comes to those highways that are already generating profit.”
But Yeah said the toll hike should not reach 100% as such a move would be hard to justify given that inflation is currently around 2%.
India and the Khobragade Saga
Devyani Khobragade, the Indian consular official arrested two weeks ago by American officials on charges of visa fraud and labor law violations relating to her employment of a nanny/housekeeper, has stirred an international affair with Indian outrage drawing demonstrations against the US government and the New York officials who arrested her.
The attractive 39-year-old Khobragade, rather than being a member of the elite foreign service, according to the narrative, is a dalit, a member of India’s lowest caste, once called “untouchables,” who apparently managed to pull herself up by her own bootstraps to become a member of an exclusive foreign service brigade. She is married to a New York-born American Indian who is described as an oenophile – a wine connoisseur.
But amid the swirl of charges of mistreatment of a diplomat, of high-handedness of US officials against a lesser country are the charges laid against Khobragade by Sangeeta Richard, the housemaid she employed.
Media in Mumbai say that Richard’s husband, Philip, in a petition to the New Delhi High Court in July, listed these charges against Khobragade, describing her as keeping his wife in “slavery-like conditions or keeping a person in bondage.”
Other charges include these:
- ”Even though the contract stipulated that Sunday would be an off-day she worked from 6 am to 11 pm, minus 2 hours for church even on Sunday. She worked from 6 am to 11 pm on Saturday as well.”
- “Uttam Khobragade called Sangeeta’s family several times and threatened them that they would have to face dire consequences if she complains and that he would ruin their future, get them abducted and frame false charges of drugs against them.”
- ”At the immigration office, Devyani falsely accused Sangeeta of theft, in front of the US Immigration Officer. Sangeeta asked what it was she had stolen. Devyani could not say and threatened her saying that she will come to know when she returns home.”
- ”My mother used to sound unhappy whenever she talked to us on phone. She asked Devyani to send her back to India but Devyani refused her request.”
- “Uttam Khobragade forced police to come to our house at night around 11 pm. There were 5 policemen. From that day onwards police has started calling my father, my brother and me as well... He said to my father that he would destroy our future and not let my father continue with his job anymore.”
- ”We no more feel safe in our own house because of the phone calls we are getting and the words that Uttam Khobragade has said to my father. We really need your help to get out of all this trouble. It is like a mental torture on my family. PLEASE HELP US.”
The diplomat’s father, Uttam Khobragade, reportedly denied the charges, saying Sangeeta was being paid $8.75, of which Rs30,000 was being sent to her husband every month. The family accused the housekeeper of “extortion,” alleging that she had asked for $10,000, a regular passport instead of the restrictive one issued to consular officials’ servants, and immigration assistance.
At a press conference in Mumbai, Deviant’s father reiterated “We paid her according to the minimum wage. Sangeeta seems to have used Devyani to go to the US,” he said.
Nonetheless, more details come to light – including revelations of US actions to “evacuate” the nanny’s family from India – it’s clear that what at first appeared to be a relatively straightforward matter is anything but.
Whatever the case, the US appears to have stumbled badly, whoever is telling the truth. No one in the US State Department appears to have anticipated the outrage in India and its consequences for a relationship that senior department officials have worked hard in cultivating for more than a decade. US Secretary of State John Kerry was forced to deliver a personal apology by telephone to Indian officials.
But in any case, it isn’t the first time Indian diplomats in New York have been found in violation of US labor laws. In 2011, the Indian consul general at the time was sued by a former domestic servant for mistreatment. The case was eventually settled out of court. Last year, the consulate’s press and culture counselor was hit with a $1.5 million civil judgment she was found guilty of what was described as slave-like treatment of a former maid. The counselor left the United States and refuses to pay the award.
But the US officials could have quietly told their counterparts in Delhi that her presence in the United States was no longer welcome and making clear that this sort of misconduct by other diplomats would not be tolerated, which would have sent the message without generating what has become an unnecessary squabble between the two countries.
And as David J. Karl, David J. Karl is president of the Asia Strategy Initiative, an analysis and advisory firm, and a senior director with Geoskope, a cross-market intelligence company, pointed out to Asia Sentinel, “the US argument that Ms. Khobragade’s consular position does not afford her full diplomatic immunity is at odds with Washington’s stance in the Raymond Davis affair three years ago. A CIA contractor operating out of the US consulate in Lahore, Davis was arrested by Pakistani police after he fatally shot two men in circumstances that remain under dispute.
Washington didn’t contest the double-murder charges, Karl says, but asserted that Davis was protected under the principle of diplomatic immunity. President Obama even weighed in, stating that "There's a broader principle at stake that I think we have to uphold."
Beyond anger over Ms. Khobragade’s treatment by US authorities, Karl continues, New Delhi officials are also incensed by the other extraordinary actions Washington took, including designating the nanny as a victim of human trafficking and granting her a special visa to stay in the United States even though her official passport had been revoked by New Delhi and she is subject to an arrest warrant in India; rejecting the validity of the legal proceedings Khobragade initiated against the nanny in India over the labor dispute; and then spiriting the nanny’s family out of India on the grounds that it was being harassed by government authorities.
Support for Barisan will drop further if it ignores rising cost, says varsity survey
Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman says many Malaysians are feeling the
impact of the rise in electricity tariffs and petrol prices. – The Malaysian Insider
pic by Afif Abd Halim, December 23, 2013.
Support for the Barisan Nasional administration will drop further if it fails to deal with the rising cost of living experienced by Malaysians, another study has found today.
At the same time, the study by the Universiti Malaya's Centre for Democracy and Elections (UMCEDEL) showed that 61% of respondents disagreed with the Government's plan to introduce a goods and services tax in 2015.
The study showed that only 20% of those polled agreed with the initiative.
UMCEDEL director Prof Datuk Dr Mohammad Redzuan Othman said that the rise in electricty and petrol prices had a severe impact on those polled and that 52% of them felt that the Government's BR1M (1Malaysia People's Aid) handouts were inadequate to deal with rising prices.
Of the 1,676 respondents in the peninsula, about 42% were concerned with the rise in petrol prices, while 34% said they felt the effect of the rise in the price of goods and 24% felt the the hike in electricity tariffs would impact on them.
The survey was conducted between December 6 and 8.
Last week, a Merdeka Center survey found that concerns over the economy, particularly rising costs and inflation, rose to its highest ever level, up to 67% of all respondents.
The survey found that 55% of voters in the peninsula said that they also did not understand the impact of the GST on their lives.
Additionally, 54% of respondents reported that they did not believe in statements by government leaders about the country’s economic situation.
The people had also lost faith in schemes, such as BR1M, to mitigate the higher cost of living and its role in increasing support for BN, the survey showed.
It added that 47% of rural dwellers said that BR1M had no bearing on their support for BN while 46% of respondents admitted that the handouts did not change their party support.
Redzuan said: "After BR1M's first handout, BN support was at 49%. But by the time the fourth BR1M handout came along, BN support went down to 42%.
"The wow factor is gone by the time the subsequent handouts were given to the people."
The introduction of the GST was also unpopular among a large segment of the public. The Government was faulted for its poor handling of GST information, said political analyst Shaharuddin Badaruddin from UiTM, who was also present at UMCEDEL today.
"The opposition's message on the GST has been more successful than the Government's own message. Even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak's explanation failed to shift people's perception.
"The Government has failed to explain that the GST would not alter the price of goods and services. It now has to prove that prices would, in fact, be lower after GST to convince the public of its adoption.” – The Malaysian Insider
Najib's Recognition Spurs Malaysian Professionals In Makkah
From Noor Hammad Wariman
MAKKAH, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's visit to Saudi Arabia has not only boosted the Kuala Lumpur-Riyadh ties but also catalysed Malaysian professionals to seek bigger opportunities.
The government's aspiration in turning Malaysia into a thriving, modern and progressive Islamic country, but firmly rooted in Islam proved successful and helped galvanise Malaysians' confidence in facing the world.
"They are driven to look for opportunities in the international arena, and have not felt awkward or pressured to compete with others," the prime minister told Malaysian journalists at the end of his visit about Malaysian diasporas.
Najib's visit further strengthened the ties which were evident from the recognition of Malaysian expertise in the construction of gigantic projects in Makkah and Madinah.
In a meeting with Malaysians at D'Saji Restaurant in Makkah on Monday, he expressed his appreciation to Malaysian professionals for their participation in mammoth projects such as the Grand Mosque (Masjidil Haram) expansion and Royal Hotel Clock Tower or Abraj Al-Bait Towers - a testimony of Malaysian expertise.
"Hence, if we continue to remain together, cooperate and unite as Muslims, definitely we will scale greater heights," he said.
It is his fervent hope that Malaysians coming to Saudi Arabia whether to conduct business or perform the haj pilgrimage or umrah would protect the good name and image of the country so that they are welcome with open arms.
Likewise, Malaysians should also be behave themselves in other countries, he added.
In his four-day working visit since Saturday, Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, performed the umrah and surveyed the Royal Hotel Clock Tower from where he viewed the Makkah panorama.
Meanwhile, Mohd Rus Abbas, a cost consultant for the Grand Mosque expansion project, said as a small ambassador of Malaysia, he was proud of the prime minister's appreciation of their contribution and described it as a great honour even though it was encapsulated in one speech.
"We are overwhelmed and thank the prime minister for his willingness to see us even though for just an hour or two. But it was enough for us," he said, adding that 30 Malaysian professionals were involved in construction, consulting, hospitality and telecommunication projects in Saudi Arabia.
Even though small in number, Malaysians are a close-knit community here, he added.
Mohd Rus said he was involved in the Grand Mosque expansion project since two years ago and currently was working on Mataf (area around the kaabah) expansion, which was divided into three phases, to accommodate worshippers up to 120,000 from 45,000 by 2015.
When the project is completed in 2020, Muslims can pray under the shade of 500 giant umbrellas outside the mosque like the Nabawi Mosque in Madinah where 250 collapsible umbrellas were installed.
Zulkifli Sulaiman, a senior supervisor for the Royal Hotel Clock Tower project, said 16 Malaysians were involved in the project which was 98 per cent completed.
At a height of 602 meters, it is the highest and largest clock tower in the world, surpassing other renowned clock towers such as the Palace of Culture and Science (Warsaw, Poland), Big Ben (London), and Ann-Bradley Clock Tower (Milwaukee, the United States).
Among its outstanding features are the Royal Clock is visible from 17km away at night and 12km during the day, and two mil-lion LED lights illuminate when the call of the muezzin for daily prayers resonates.
Beaming with pride over Malaysians involvement in building Makkah's landmarks and history, Zulkifli said he and his colleagues were involved in installing solid but light metal structure of the clock.
"It was a daunting task as we have to endure unpredictable weather and strong wind," he added.
MAKKAH, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak's visit to Saudi Arabia has not only boosted the Kuala Lumpur-Riyadh ties but also catalysed Malaysian professionals to seek bigger opportunities.
The government's aspiration in turning Malaysia into a thriving, modern and progressive Islamic country, but firmly rooted in Islam proved successful and helped galvanise Malaysians' confidence in facing the world.
"They are driven to look for opportunities in the international arena, and have not felt awkward or pressured to compete with others," the prime minister told Malaysian journalists at the end of his visit about Malaysian diasporas.
Najib's visit further strengthened the ties which were evident from the recognition of Malaysian expertise in the construction of gigantic projects in Makkah and Madinah.
In a meeting with Malaysians at D'Saji Restaurant in Makkah on Monday, he expressed his appreciation to Malaysian professionals for their participation in mammoth projects such as the Grand Mosque (Masjidil Haram) expansion and Royal Hotel Clock Tower or Abraj Al-Bait Towers - a testimony of Malaysian expertise.
"Hence, if we continue to remain together, cooperate and unite as Muslims, definitely we will scale greater heights," he said.
It is his fervent hope that Malaysians coming to Saudi Arabia whether to conduct business or perform the haj pilgrimage or umrah would protect the good name and image of the country so that they are welcome with open arms.
Likewise, Malaysians should also be behave themselves in other countries, he added.
In his four-day working visit since Saturday, Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, performed the umrah and surveyed the Royal Hotel Clock Tower from where he viewed the Makkah panorama.
Meanwhile, Mohd Rus Abbas, a cost consultant for the Grand Mosque expansion project, said as a small ambassador of Malaysia, he was proud of the prime minister's appreciation of their contribution and described it as a great honour even though it was encapsulated in one speech.
"We are overwhelmed and thank the prime minister for his willingness to see us even though for just an hour or two. But it was enough for us," he said, adding that 30 Malaysian professionals were involved in construction, consulting, hospitality and telecommunication projects in Saudi Arabia.
Even though small in number, Malaysians are a close-knit community here, he added.
Mohd Rus said he was involved in the Grand Mosque expansion project since two years ago and currently was working on Mataf (area around the kaabah) expansion, which was divided into three phases, to accommodate worshippers up to 120,000 from 45,000 by 2015.
When the project is completed in 2020, Muslims can pray under the shade of 500 giant umbrellas outside the mosque like the Nabawi Mosque in Madinah where 250 collapsible umbrellas were installed.
Zulkifli Sulaiman, a senior supervisor for the Royal Hotel Clock Tower project, said 16 Malaysians were involved in the project which was 98 per cent completed.
At a height of 602 meters, it is the highest and largest clock tower in the world, surpassing other renowned clock towers such as the Palace of Culture and Science (Warsaw, Poland), Big Ben (London), and Ann-Bradley Clock Tower (Milwaukee, the United States).
Among its outstanding features are the Royal Clock is visible from 17km away at night and 12km during the day, and two mil-lion LED lights illuminate when the call of the muezzin for daily prayers resonates.
Beaming with pride over Malaysians involvement in building Makkah's landmarks and history, Zulkifli said he and his colleagues were involved in installing solid but light metal structure of the clock.
"It was a daunting task as we have to endure unpredictable weather and strong wind," he added.
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