Friday, 7 February 2014
Christian girl abducted, converted and forced to marry a Muslim in Lahore
by Jibran Khan
The family of Samariya Nadeem staged a protest this morning in front of the city's press club. For the past three weeks, their 16-year-old daughter has been…
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The family of Samariya Nadeem staged a protest this morning in front of the city's press club. For the past three weeks, their 16-year-old daughter has been…
by Jibran Khan
The family of Samariya Nadeem staged a protest this morning in front of the city's press club. For the past three weeks, their 16-year-old daughter has been in the hands of a wealthy landowner. As police and the authorities fail to free her, the Catholic Church calls for justice on the family's behalf. But for Muslim cleric, it is "not illegal to abduct and convert non-Muslims".
Lahore (AsiaNews) - After a Pakistani Christian girl from Lahore (Punjab) was abducted by a Muslim landowner, she was forced to marry him after conversion to Islam. Her family reacted in a public protest, demanding justice from civil authorities.
Police and the courts have failed so far to act and return the girl to her parents. The local Catholic Church has instead backed the family, condemning the "widespread practice" of kidnapping young Christian and Hindu women to marry them forcibly to Muslims and reduce them to a "state of slavery".
The latest episode involves a 16-year-old girl, Samariya Nadeem (Masih), who was abducted and forcibly married to a rich landowner.
The abduction took place 22 days ago in Lahore's 270-TDA Layyah District when the young woman was on her way to school.
The family filed a complaint (First Information Report 14/14, under Section 365 B of the Penal Code) with the police for the abduction reporting that Samariya was taken against her will and forced to marry the man.
So far, police have failed to pursue any legal action against the local wealthy Muslim landowner who abducted the girl because of the influence he wields. Police investigators were also unable to talk to the bruised and terrified victim.
Anonymous police sources confirmed that the girl was "abducted" and forced to marry. However, an Islamic cleric involved in the affair said that it was "not illegal to abduct and convert non-Muslims".
This morning, the family organised a protest rally in front of the Lahore Press Club. Under Pakistani law, no one underage can be married without parental consent.
Civil society groups and human rights activists have appealed to Punjab's chief minister to take action and return Samariya to her parents and bring her abductor to justice.
Kidnapping and forced marriage have become a major issue in Pakistan, especially in southern Punjab and in the interior of Sindh province.
This is "very common in the region," said Fr Haroon James, a priest and activist in Lahore. Young women and girls "are forcefully converted and married to influential landlords who keep them as slaves."
Unfortunately, people seem to be increasingly "hopeless". For this reason, the Church has spoken out in the case, "demanding justice for her and the family." Yet, "Despite the fact that a FIR has been registered, the authorities have failed to act and protect the vulnerable," the priest added.
With a population of more than 180 million people (97 per cent Muslim), Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, the second largest Muslim nation after Indonesia.
About 80 per cent of Muslims are Sunni, whilst Shias are 20 per cent. Hindus are 1.85 per cent, followed by Christians (1.6 per cent) and Sikhs (0.04 per cent).
Violence against ethnic and religious minorities is commonplace across the country, with Shia Muslims and Christians as the main target, with things getting worse.
Dozens incidents of violence have occurred in recent years, against individuals or entire communities, like in Gojra in 2009 or Joseph Colony in Lahore in March 2013, often perpetrated under the pretext of the country's blasphemy laws.
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The family of Samariya Nadeem staged a protest this morning in front of the city's press club. For the past three weeks, their 16-year-old daughter has been in the hands of a wealthy landowner. As police and the authorities fail to free her, the Catholic Church calls for justice on the family's behalf. But for Muslim cleric, it is "not illegal to abduct and convert non-Muslims".
Lahore (AsiaNews) - After a Pakistani Christian girl from Lahore (Punjab) was abducted by a Muslim landowner, she was forced to marry him after conversion to Islam. Her family reacted in a public protest, demanding justice from civil authorities.
Police and the courts have failed so far to act and return the girl to her parents. The local Catholic Church has instead backed the family, condemning the "widespread practice" of kidnapping young Christian and Hindu women to marry them forcibly to Muslims and reduce them to a "state of slavery".
The latest episode involves a 16-year-old girl, Samariya Nadeem (Masih), who was abducted and forcibly married to a rich landowner.
The abduction took place 22 days ago in Lahore's 270-TDA Layyah District when the young woman was on her way to school.
The family filed a complaint (First Information Report 14/14, under Section 365 B of the Penal Code) with the police for the abduction reporting that Samariya was taken against her will and forced to marry the man.
So far, police have failed to pursue any legal action against the local wealthy Muslim landowner who abducted the girl because of the influence he wields. Police investigators were also unable to talk to the bruised and terrified victim.
Anonymous police sources confirmed that the girl was "abducted" and forced to marry. However, an Islamic cleric involved in the affair said that it was "not illegal to abduct and convert non-Muslims".
This morning, the family organised a protest rally in front of the Lahore Press Club. Under Pakistani law, no one underage can be married without parental consent.
Civil society groups and human rights activists have appealed to Punjab's chief minister to take action and return Samariya to her parents and bring her abductor to justice.
Kidnapping and forced marriage have become a major issue in Pakistan, especially in southern Punjab and in the interior of Sindh province.
This is "very common in the region," said Fr Haroon James, a priest and activist in Lahore. Young women and girls "are forcefully converted and married to influential landlords who keep them as slaves."
Unfortunately, people seem to be increasingly "hopeless". For this reason, the Church has spoken out in the case, "demanding justice for her and the family." Yet, "Despite the fact that a FIR has been registered, the authorities have failed to act and protect the vulnerable," the priest added.
With a population of more than 180 million people (97 per cent Muslim), Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, the second largest Muslim nation after Indonesia.
About 80 per cent of Muslims are Sunni, whilst Shias are 20 per cent. Hindus are 1.85 per cent, followed by Christians (1.6 per cent) and Sikhs (0.04 per cent).
Violence against ethnic and religious minorities is commonplace across the country, with Shia Muslims and Christians as the main target, with things getting worse.
Dozens incidents of violence have occurred in recent years, against individuals or entire communities, like in Gojra in 2009 or Joseph Colony in Lahore in March 2013, often perpetrated under the pretext of the country's blasphemy laws.
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Pakistan
RM5,000 reward for info on Facebook user
MIC Youth slams MCMC for failing to locate Man Namblast, who said Hindus celebrating Thaipusam were demons.
PETALING JAYA: A RM5,000 reward awaits anyone who can help MIC Youth identify…
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PETALING JAYA: A RM5,000 reward awaits anyone who can help MIC Youth identify…
MIC Youth slams MCMC for failing to locate Man Namblast, who said Hindus celebrating Thaipusam were demons.
PETALING JAYA: A RM5,000 reward awaits anyone who can help MIC Youth identify and locate a Facebook user who referred to Hindus as “syaitan”, an Arabic-derived Malay word that means “evil spirits” or “demons”.
The Facebook user, calling himself Man Namblast, made the derogatory remark in a comment on the recent Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves.
MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh made the offer today after what he said was a disappointing meeting with officials of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
He told FMT the commission had failed to track down Man Namblast, who on Jan 17 posted a picture on his Facebook page with a caption that read: “Berpuluh ribu syaitan sedang berarak menaiki tangga Bt Caves,” which translates as “Tens of thousands of demons are marching up the stairs at Batu Caves.”
The Facebook page has been deactivated, but a screen shot of the posting has gone viral across social networks.
Sivarraajh said Man Namblast’s insult was compounded by another Facebook article defending it, posted by a user calling himself Mohd Hidayat.
“I urge the relevant authorities to take immediate action against the Facebook users Man Namblast and Mohd Hidayat,” he said.
“What has been done is a national threat and no apology will be accepted.”
Sivarraajh criticised MCMC for its failure to track down the two Facebook users.
“I was really surprised when MCMC officials told us they could not find out who Man Namblast was because, it seems, he used a fake account,” he said, adding that the officials also admitted to having no clue about Mohd Hidayat’s identity.
“Being a government body, MCMC is in the position to ensure information security and network reliability and integrity. So I am shocked that they cannot track a fake account.
“What will they do if someone threatens national security through a fake account?”
Sivarraajh said MIC Youth had in fact managed to find out Mohd Hidayat’s personal details, including his residential address.
“All the details have been given to MCMC and we want them to investigate immediately,” he said.
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PETALING JAYA: A RM5,000 reward awaits anyone who can help MIC Youth identify and locate a Facebook user who referred to Hindus as “syaitan”, an Arabic-derived Malay word that means “evil spirits” or “demons”.The Facebook user, calling himself Man Namblast, made the derogatory remark in a comment on the recent Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves.
MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh made the offer today after what he said was a disappointing meeting with officials of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
He told FMT the commission had failed to track down Man Namblast, who on Jan 17 posted a picture on his Facebook page with a caption that read: “Berpuluh ribu syaitan sedang berarak menaiki tangga Bt Caves,” which translates as “Tens of thousands of demons are marching up the stairs at Batu Caves.”
The Facebook page has been deactivated, but a screen shot of the posting has gone viral across social networks.
Sivarraajh said Man Namblast’s insult was compounded by another Facebook article defending it, posted by a user calling himself Mohd Hidayat.
“I urge the relevant authorities to take immediate action against the Facebook users Man Namblast and Mohd Hidayat,” he said.
“What has been done is a national threat and no apology will be accepted.”
Sivarraajh criticised MCMC for its failure to track down the two Facebook users.
“I was really surprised when MCMC officials told us they could not find out who Man Namblast was because, it seems, he used a fake account,” he said, adding that the officials also admitted to having no clue about Mohd Hidayat’s identity.
“Being a government body, MCMC is in the position to ensure information security and network reliability and integrity. So I am shocked that they cannot track a fake account.
“What will they do if someone threatens national security through a fake account?”
Sivarraajh said MIC Youth had in fact managed to find out Mohd Hidayat’s personal details, including his residential address.
“All the details have been given to MCMC and we want them to investigate immediately,” he said.
Shocking sex survey in primary school
Students asked to answer a five-page questionaire on their sexual activities and preferences.
SEREMBAN: A survey conducted in a national primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, has shocked parents when…
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SEREMBAN: A survey conducted in a national primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, has shocked parents when…
Students asked to answer a five-page questionaire on their sexual activities and preferences.
SEREMBAN: A survey conducted in a national primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, has shocked parents when the questions posed to the students were about their sexual activities and preferences.
The issue was brought to the press and the Negeri Sembilan Education department this morning by DAP’s Nilai state assemblyman, J Arulkumar, and Senawang state assemblyman, P Gunasekaran.
Arulkumar said he was approached by a parent of one of the students who took part in the survey last week and was told the five-page form contained questions on their sexual habits and orientations.
“The questions on the third page are really shocking. Question 2 asks students if they engaged in masturbation (melancap/masturbasi – merangsang diri sendiri secara seksual).
“Question 4…if they had sexual desires for their own gender (keinginan seks terhadap kaum (jantina) sejenis) and question 5 if they have had sex before?
“If the answers are in the afirmative, Question 6 follows:
“Do they change partners? (bertukar-tukar pasangan); have they had sex with own gender? (melakukan hubungan sejenis); and do they or their partners use condoms during sexual intercourse?”
Investigation underway
Arulkumar said all the questions had a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option box for the students to tick their answers.
Gunasekaran said one parent was flabbergasted when his 10-year-old child asked for explanations (based on the questionnaires in the survey form), and brought up the matter to him and Arulkumar.
“The parent who brought up this issue to me told me that his child asked him what was sex, masturbation and other related questions on sex, based on the questions in the form.
“Arulkumar and I were unable to meet the state education department director Kalsom Khalid as she was in meeting when we went to lodge a complaint regarding the matter at her office this morning.
“However, Arul and I met the deputy director of communication and registration, Muhamad Rusli Abdullah and submitted the copy of the survey form,” said Gunasekaran.
Gunasekaran and Arulkumar said even though the state education department denied the survey was initiated by them, the department has to take the responsibility for allowing the survey in the school.
Meanwhile, Kalsom later said she was unable to give any comment just yet as she had initiated an immediate investigation into the matter.
Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan, when contacted, said he needs to check with the state education department first before commenting.
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SEREMBAN: A survey conducted in a national primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, has shocked parents when the questions posed to the students were about their sexual activities and preferences.The issue was brought to the press and the Negeri Sembilan Education department this morning by DAP’s Nilai state assemblyman, J Arulkumar, and Senawang state assemblyman, P Gunasekaran.
Arulkumar said he was approached by a parent of one of the students who took part in the survey last week and was told the five-page form contained questions on their sexual habits and orientations.
“The questions on the third page are really shocking. Question 2 asks students if they engaged in masturbation (melancap/masturbasi – merangsang diri sendiri secara seksual).
“Question 4…if they had sexual desires for their own gender (keinginan seks terhadap kaum (jantina) sejenis) and question 5 if they have had sex before?
“If the answers are in the afirmative, Question 6 follows:
“Do they change partners? (bertukar-tukar pasangan); have they had sex with own gender? (melakukan hubungan sejenis); and do they or their partners use condoms during sexual intercourse?”
Investigation underway
Arulkumar said all the questions had a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option box for the students to tick their answers.
Gunasekaran said one parent was flabbergasted when his 10-year-old child asked for explanations (based on the questionnaires in the survey form), and brought up the matter to him and Arulkumar.
“The parent who brought up this issue to me told me that his child asked him what was sex, masturbation and other related questions on sex, based on the questions in the form.
“Arulkumar and I were unable to meet the state education department director Kalsom Khalid as she was in meeting when we went to lodge a complaint regarding the matter at her office this morning.
“However, Arul and I met the deputy director of communication and registration, Muhamad Rusli Abdullah and submitted the copy of the survey form,” said Gunasekaran.
Gunasekaran and Arulkumar said even though the state education department denied the survey was initiated by them, the department has to take the responsibility for allowing the survey in the school.
Meanwhile, Kalsom later said she was unable to give any comment just yet as she had initiated an immediate investigation into the matter.
Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan, when contacted, said he needs to check with the state education department first before commenting.
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Education
Muslim NGO slaughters chickens, offers RM1,200 to anyone who slaps Teresa Kok
(TMI) – Temperatures rose today after a Muslim NGO slaughtered two chickens and offered a RM1,200 reward to anyone who dared to slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok as a sign…
(TMI) – Temperatures rose today after a Muslim NGO slaughtered two chickens and offered a RM1,200 reward to anyone who dared to slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok as a sign of anger towards opposition leaders for allegedly insulting the Malay leadership and Islam.
Members of the Muslim NGO then smeared the blood of the slaughtered chickens on a banner featuring photographs of Kok, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Machang Bubuk PKR assemblyman Lee Khai Loon.
The act was carried out in Kuala Lumpur today as a sign of protest against the opposition leaders who were alleged to have insulted the “Malay leadership, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Islam and Malay dignity”.
The focus of the group, which called itself the Council of Islamic NGOs, was Kok and her Chinese New Year greeting video, entitled “Onederful” Malaysia CNY 2014.
The group had initially offered a reward of RM500 to anyone who dared to slap Kok and provided photographic evidence of their act. That sum was revised after the 50-odd protesters did a collection among themselves and came up with RM1,200.
Group leader Zulkfli Sharif said the reward is open to all Malaysians.
“This offer is open to anyone who can slap Teresa Kok. But they must provide a picture to claim the RM1,200,” he told The Malaysian Insider.
The group then stomped on the “faces” of the opposition leaders. The banner also contained reference to the May 13, 1969 racial riots.
Kok had lodged a police report yesterday over the numerous threats she had been receiving after her controversial Chinese New Year video went viral.
In an immediate response, Kok said she will lodge another police report on Friday.
“What the protesters did is total madness and the police must immediately take action against the person. Lawlessness and such open acts of encouraging violence must not be tolerated.” she said.
Lee Khai Loon irked Umno and some Malay NGOs when he had had organised a "I Love Kangkung" flash mob last month where he had stuffed an effigy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with kangkung (water spinach).
Guan Eng had refused to reprimand Lee but had said he will direct Pakatan representatives not to engage in provocative activities.
Kit Siang appeared to have been singled out as he had been critical of the ruling Barisan Nasional on a range of issues and in recent days has been steadfast in defending Kok’s Chinese New Year video satire. – February 6, 2014.
Malaysia’s Anwar Takes a New Dare
The surprise decision last month by Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to…
The surprise decision last month by Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to push aside Khalid Ibrahim, the respected chief minister of Selangor, one of the country’s two biggest states, and try to take the post himself is a complex gamble.
Among other things, it is designed to preserve or enhance Anwar’s standing as a national figure, according to political analysts in Kuala Lumpur, by giving him a state to run. Should he lose the March 23 state by-election that would give him the job – considered unlikely – it would consign him to political oblivion and make his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) appear riven with factionalism.
Former state Assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh raised the curtain on the drama last month by resigning his seat in a Kuala Lumpur suburban district that would allow Anwar to stand for the state seat. That has upset many within the party who view it as an opportunistic move by Anwar and who have applauded Khalid’s stewardship of the state.
One think tank head joked that watching the opposition crack heads also gives Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak a respite from the barrage of personal attacks he has been under from the ruling Barisan Nasional’s right wing.
Helpful move
Whatever issues Anwar’s decision raises, strategically it settles the problem of a nagging internal party dispute, repositions him politically and resolves the issue of a popular but tight-fisted chief minister who has come under fire for refusing to spend money on infrastructure projects.
“Anwar will tackle national issues using a state platform,” said a longtime United Malays National Organization political operative. “I think he is going to give UMNO real trouble. It is a good move for the opposition, but it has put UMNO on the back foot. I think as Selangor chief minister he will give Najib a tougher fight.”
Although the decision was a surprise, it has been percolating since before last May’s general election, when some elements of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition were already pushing to replace Khalid, who has clashed with PKR party chief, Azman Ali, over a number of issues, including state contracting.
Khalid responded to the brewing challenge by leading the opposition coalition to a smashing victory based on his corruption-free stewardship of the state; the Pakatan Rakyat took 77 percent of the vote while the BN got just 23 percent.
Anwar, despite his leadership of the PR coalition, is said to have been frustrated because he lacks a platform to influence national politics and leading the coalition in parliament was not a sufficiently commanding arena. As chief minister, he would attend the Malaysia Conference of Rulers, where he can interact with the country’s nine sultans, who play a role in amending the constitution.
It would also give him a forum at the National Land Council, Finance Ministry and other key meetings with the federal government chaired by the prime minister. In the past, Anwar has shined in such gatherings, in contrast to Najib’s performance in front of key civil servants and ministers.
How do we spell G-O-D?
In any case, the decision to push Khalid aside was triggered in early January when religious authorities in Selangor seized hundreds of Malay-language bibles using the word “Allah” in reference to the Christian God. The issue has been boiling for months if not years, and appears to have been manufactured entirely by UMNO strategists, since Christians in the east Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak have been using the word to denote God for more than a century, as have Christians across the Middle East and Indonesia.
The states of Selangor and Penang in particular have become the focal point for a push by UMNO over the primacy of religious law, according to political observers, who say that despite Khalid’s reputation for running a clean and efficient state government, he didn’t push back sufficiently against the decision to seize the bibles.
“This religious police issue is exactly where Anwar should speak out,” the UMNO source said. A Malay political analyst agreed, saying Khalid has found it difficult to control religious officials who are constantly on the backs of Christians, Hindus and other minorities.
The opposition has grown concerned that it could lose ground in the next general elections in 2018 over the religion issue. Anwar figures he is the best person to resolve this. While that may not be true, he is certainly more decisive than Khalid.
“Make no mistake, the Allah and seizure of bible issues is not end of the story,” wrote Kim Quek, a PR strategist. “It is the beginning of a determined conspiracy built on race and religion to restore the hegemony of UMNO. It will go on and on until UMNO feels that its political supremacy is secured. Selangor government’s impotence to deal with what could have been a minor incident if promptly nipped in bud, has already caused widespread dismay among non-Malays for failing to protect minority rights. Imagine the consequence of similar incidents of greater magnitude and frequency hereafter.”
Wild card scenario
Khalid’s careful stewardship of the state’s contracts apparently also caused friction in the coalition because it meant that companies linked to the opposition Democratic Action Party as well as Anwar’s PKR were frozen out, whether the contracts were above-board or not.
“Khalid is a good administrator but he doesn't believe in spending money,” said another political analyst. “So he has a healthy cash surplus in the state coffers but in the outer areas, there is little infrastructure spending. That has been a source of frustration for the DAP and PKR who want contracts where they can, all UMNO-style, make some money for their politics. The DAP are also frustrated that the Chinese find it difficult to start sin businesses like massage parlors, karaoke and betting joints.”
One senior Malaysian political observer added a wild card, saying the Selangor post could also be linked to a complex game being played out over so-called unity talks that have been going on for several months between the opposition and the government. One of many stumbling blocks to forming a unity government would be the likely demand that Anwar, as leader of the opposition in parliament, be given a senior cabinet post or even some kind of co-prime minister's job by Najib, which is thought to be out of the question from the prime minister’s side.
"If Anwar is in the Selangor post that problem is out of the way," said the observer. "This move seems linked to the unity talks as a way to help the process along." As chief minister he would no longer be in parliament and would not be part of a possible unity government cabinet.
That is a questionable scenario, others say, pointing out that Anwar has pledged to retain his Penang area seat in the national parliament, which presumably would keep him in the leadership there as well.
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Anwar
Mine! Mine! Shafie is now digging a bigger hole for himself!
By Lim Kit Siang
Mine! Mine! Umno Vice President and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal seems to make himself a bigger fool and…
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Mine! Mine! Umno Vice President and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal seems to make himself a bigger fool and…
By Lim Kit Siang
Mine! Mine! Umno Vice President and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal seems to make himself a bigger fool and is now digging a bigger hole for himself.
I feel enormous sadness that we have Cabinet Ministers who cannot be humble and admit that they have made mistakes.
Let me tell the UMNO Ministers that there is nothing wrong with them admitting that they have made mistakes, and that in this case, Apdal had wrongly accused DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s video “Onderful Malaysia CNY 2014” of lampooning the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu intrusion tragedy.
After all, UMNO Ministers are mere mortals. Even Homer nods!
Apdal’s mistake is all the more understandable and excusable as he did not understand Mandarin or Cantonese, the languages used in the video dialogue, and he could only have heard a garbled, inaccurate, biased and tendentious version of the video from his colleagues in the Barisan Nasional, whether MCA, Gerakan or Liberal Democratic Party, who have political axes to grind.
Apdal’s accusation that the video lampooned security forces and the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy made me, and I am sure very many Malaysians, to visit YouTube and check the video, and I find no reference whatsoever in it which could substantiate Apdal’s allegation of lampooning the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu incident.
This is why I had invited Shafie to a public get-together with Teresa and he could come with his experts and advisers so that his team could publicly point out where the security forces or the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy had been the subject of ridicule by the video satire.
Today, Shafie was very dismissive when he publicly turned down my proposal to host a get-together for Shafie to watch the video clip together with Teresa Kok.
He said: “I have better things to do…I have a country to manage.”
Is Apdal aware that he had made a public confession that he had not even seen the video clip but he had the audacity to pass public judgment on it?
Is this the reason why former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had said that the present Cabinet is full of “half-past six” Ministers?
There have been allegations that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam. I invite those who made these allegations to step into the open to show where in the video there are anti-Malay and anti-Islam references.
Actually Teresa must thank Apdal, the Minister for Communications and Multimedia Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, and other misinformed and/or malicious Umno/MCA/Gerakan leaders who have brought the video to the attention of a larger audience than it would otherwise get.
In ten days, Teresa’s video on “YouTube” have exceeded 300,000 hits, with 3,825 likes and 2,159 dislikes – far exceeding the most popular That Effing Show on YouTube, “Let Them Eat Kangkung” which has scored 183,861 hits after three weeks though Teresa’s video still well behind the top “kangkung video”, the kangkung remix video by Yuri Wong which is just short of one million hits at 980,957 hits.
May be those who create videos in future should enlist Umno Ministers to help them publicise their works so as to get more hits on the Internet.
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Mine! Mine! Umno Vice President and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal seems to make himself a bigger fool and is now digging a bigger hole for himself.
I feel enormous sadness that we have Cabinet Ministers who cannot be humble and admit that they have made mistakes.
Let me tell the UMNO Ministers that there is nothing wrong with them admitting that they have made mistakes, and that in this case, Apdal had wrongly accused DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s video “Onderful Malaysia CNY 2014” of lampooning the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu intrusion tragedy.
After all, UMNO Ministers are mere mortals. Even Homer nods!
Apdal’s mistake is all the more understandable and excusable as he did not understand Mandarin or Cantonese, the languages used in the video dialogue, and he could only have heard a garbled, inaccurate, biased and tendentious version of the video from his colleagues in the Barisan Nasional, whether MCA, Gerakan or Liberal Democratic Party, who have political axes to grind.
Apdal’s accusation that the video lampooned security forces and the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy made me, and I am sure very many Malaysians, to visit YouTube and check the video, and I find no reference whatsoever in it which could substantiate Apdal’s allegation of lampooning the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu incident.
This is why I had invited Shafie to a public get-together with Teresa and he could come with his experts and advisers so that his team could publicly point out where the security forces or the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy had been the subject of ridicule by the video satire.
Today, Shafie was very dismissive when he publicly turned down my proposal to host a get-together for Shafie to watch the video clip together with Teresa Kok.
He said: “I have better things to do…I have a country to manage.”
Is Apdal aware that he had made a public confession that he had not even seen the video clip but he had the audacity to pass public judgment on it?
Is this the reason why former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had said that the present Cabinet is full of “half-past six” Ministers?
There have been allegations that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam. I invite those who made these allegations to step into the open to show where in the video there are anti-Malay and anti-Islam references.
Actually Teresa must thank Apdal, the Minister for Communications and Multimedia Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, and other misinformed and/or malicious Umno/MCA/Gerakan leaders who have brought the video to the attention of a larger audience than it would otherwise get.
In ten days, Teresa’s video on “YouTube” have exceeded 300,000 hits, with 3,825 likes and 2,159 dislikes – far exceeding the most popular That Effing Show on YouTube, “Let Them Eat Kangkung” which has scored 183,861 hits after three weeks though Teresa’s video still well behind the top “kangkung video”, the kangkung remix video by Yuri Wong which is just short of one million hits at 980,957 hits.
May be those who create videos in future should enlist Umno Ministers to help them publicise their works so as to get more hits on the Internet.
Toll Rates At 14 Expressways To Remain Unchanged
KUALA
LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Toll rates at 14 expressways will remain
unchanged following the government's announcement that there will no
toll increase this year, Works Minister Datuk Fadillah…KUALA
LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Toll rates at 14 expressways will remain
unchanged following the government's announcement that there will no
toll increase this year, Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said.However, he said as a long-term solution, the ministry would carry out a comprehensive review on the existing toll concessions, as well as toll collection terms and conditions agreeable by the concessionaires.
"The ministry will fine-tune several options, such as restructuring the toll rates by taking into account the costs of operation and maintenance, traffic volumes, company's profit and losses, and facilities provided for the comfort of expressway users," he said in a statement here Thursday.
Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Wednesday announced that there would be no toll rate hikes this year and that the government would need to pay RM400 million in compensation to the concessionaires involved.
Fadillah said the ministry would also meet with the concessionaires, as well as other relevant parties, to discuss and find short, medium and long terms solutions to the issue, and to create a win-win package for all quarters involved, namely the government, the people, the concessionaires and the investors.
The following are the 14 expressways where the toll rates would remain unchanged.
1. Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh)
2. Western KL Traffic Dispersal System (Sprint) Expressway
3. New Pantai Expressway (NPE)
4. Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart)
5. Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (Silk)
6. Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP)
7. Kajang-Seremban Expressway (Lekas)
8. Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)
9. Shah Alam-Kuang (Guthrie Corridor) Expressway
10. South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)
11. Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya)
12. Butterworth Outer Ring Road (Borr)
13. Maju Expressway (MEX)
14. Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (Duke)
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