Rafizi persoal integriti Zaid

Marina Mahathir sues Muslim NGO over Comango allegations – Bernama

Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir (pic) is suing the president and 15 committee members of Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) over its allegations linking her to the activities of the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs in the UPR (Universal Periodic Review) Process (Comango).

Marina, who sits on the Sisters in Islam (SiS) board of directors, named Isma's president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, deputy president Aminuddin Yahaya, vice-president Abdul Rahman Mat Dali and 13 other committee members as the defendants.

Marina was represented by counsel Muhammad Faizal Faiz Mohd Hasani, of Messrs Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill, who filed the defamation suit at the High Court Registrar's office on January 16.

The media was provided a copy of the statement of claims today when the case was mentioned in chambers before Judicial Commissioner Rosilah Yop.

The defendants' counsel Azad Bashir told reporters that Rosilah had scheduled March 10 for the filing of their defence statements.

In her statement of claims, Marina claimed that Isma had distributed 70,000 pamphlets titled "Among the 54 NGOs in Comango" at mosques in the Klang Valley, Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, Putrajaya, Seremban, Kota Samarahan (Sarawak), Melaka, Kuantan and Kuala Terengganu on November 8 2013.

The former chairman of the Malaysian AIDS Foundation claimed that Isma also posted an article titled "Isma distributes 70,000 pamphlets exposing Comango" on its website http://www.ismaweb.net the same day.

She stated that the pamphlets and article implied that she was involved in Comango's activities, personally involved in its report on human rights, was the mastermind behind the non-governmental organisation and did not respect the Federal Constitution.

Marina claimed that on November 11 2013 she had issued a press statement refuting the allegations, denied she was involved in said report and gave the defendants a chance to retract their accusations.

She claimed that on the same day Isma had however made a press statement through Aminuddin repeating its accusations, to which she responded two days later through the press as well.

She further claimed that all the defendants had failed to retract the alleged defamatory statements despite three letters of demand dated November 19 and 27 and December 12.

Marina said the statements had tarnished her reputation and sought general, exemplary and aggravated damages, an injunction to prevent the defendants from publishing said statements again and an apology from them. – Bernama,February 26, 2014.

Pelajar dakwa guru pukul dengan kasut

Tidak memberi tumpuan ketika pendidikan jasmani.

PETALING JAYA: Seorang pelajar tingkatan dua mendakwa seorang guru sekolah menengah di Pulau Carey memukulnya menggunakan kasut kerana didakwa tidak memberi tumpuan ketika pendidikan jasmani.

Sebuah NGO iaitu Pertubuhan Progresif Tamilar Malaysia memberitahu perkara ini dalam satu kenyataan hari ini.

Presiden NGO itu, M.A. Kalaimugilan berkata, beliau bertindak pantas setelah mendapat tahu perkara itu.

“Phak kami bersetuju dengan tanggungjawab seorang guru untuk menghukum seorang pelajar , tetapi ini bukan caranya.

“Penghinaan seperti ini sudah pun telah menjadi trend bagi masa sekarang kerana masalah seperti ini sering berlaku di banyak sekolah,” kata Kalaimugilan kepada FMT.

Tambahan pula, pihak pengurusan sekolah juga mengaku bahawa tidak ada tindakan tatatertib kerana guru berkenaan telah memohon maaf kepada pelajar, kata kalaimugilan yang mereka melawat pengurusan sekolah untuk penjelasan semalam.

Bagaimanapun, katanya beliau tidak mahu `mohon maaf’, tetapi tindakan berat perlu diambil ke atas guru berkenaan.

“Bukan sekadar penukaran sekolah guru, atau mohon maaf, supaya masalah ini akan menjadi satu pengajaran bagi semua guru guru sekolah,” katanya lagi.

Kalaimugilan juga menambah, penghinaan seperti ini, mungkin akan menjejaskan pelajar dan keluarga pelajar dari segi mental .

Pengurusan sekolah juga berjanji supaya akan membawa pergi isu ini kepada perhatian pejabat pendidikan daerah (PPD).

School student (1)“YB P Kamalanathan (Menteri Pelajaran) mungkin ada ciri-ciri untuk memaafkan sesiapa, tetapi kami sebagai NGO tidak boleh lagi memaafkan mana-mana pihak yang bersalah.

“Kami juga menuntut Kamalanathan sebagai menteri pelajaran bertanggungjawab untuk mengambil tindakan ke atas guru berkenaan kata Kalaimugilan.

Beliau juga telah menghantar memo kepada PPD, Kementerian Pelajaran melalui email dan jika pihak berkuasa gagal untuk menyelesaikan masalah, mungkin rakyat sendiri akan turun untuk bertindak.

Kata Kalaimugilan. tujuan penglibatan NGO adalah untuk menjaga kebajikan, hak pelajar-pelajar.

Beliau menambah, NGO itu mempunyai rakaman video mangsa pelajar, dan rakaman video perbincangan dengan pihak sekolah.

Waytha wants ‘slave MIC’ to leave BN

Waythamoorthy says that the Umno "tuans' have used Indian issues for their own political ends.

PETALING JAYA: Former deputy minister P Waythamoorthy wants MIC to leave Barisan Nasional (BN) for acting as a propaganda mouthpiece for the government and sidelining issues affecting the Indian community.
Waythamoorthy in a press statement said that MIC was founded to protect the rights of the Malaysian Indians who were then mostly plantation workers but failed to do so.

“All we hear from MIC is that government is doing this and that in the Tamil media.

“But beyond that nothing concrete is done to find permanent and comprehensive solutions to the long standing problems faced by the Indian community.

“Since my resignation, BN has falsely propagated than a sum of RM 500 million has been dispersed to the Indians over the last 5 years.

“On the other hand even if it is true, the RM 500 million never reached the community,” said Waythamoorthy.

He also challenged the government to prove how the RM 500 million allocation was spent.

Government Ministries have failed

On the other hand Waythamoorthy claims that the Education Ministry had failed to disburse scholarships and places in local universities on a fair basis and thousands of deserving Indian students were denied their educational rights.

He adds that even the Agriculture, Housing as well as Human Resources Ministry have failed to provide alternative agriculture ventures, job training opportunities, alternative land and houses nor adequate compensation for the 800,000 displaced plantation workers since 1970’s.

With all these government failures, Waythamoorthy says it has caused the new urban underclass and rise in crime among Indians.

After resigning from his post last week, Waythamoorthy called Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak to step down for failing the Indian community and breaching the MoU signed between Barisan Nasional and Hindraf prior to GE 13.

Tamil Muslims and nation-building

Jihad for Justice chairman, Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim, highlights his community's contribution to Malaya and the importance of the Tamil language

PETALING JAYA: Indian Muslims, particularly the Tamil Muslims, are not aware of the extent of their contribution towards nation-building, said Jihad for Justice chairman Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim.

Speaking from his office located in Petaling Jaya, Thasleem, 64, said that Tamil Muslims not only came to then Malaya to do business but they also contributed immensely to society.

“How many of us know that a number of Tamil dailies in the past were set up by Tamil Muslims? We had the Vidya Vicharini set up in 1883 by Ghulam Kadir Navalar, a famous poet in Penang.

“CK Malchdoom Sahib founded Singai Varthamani in Singapore in 1875. SPSK Kader Sahib, another Tamil Muslim, started Vijaya Kedanan in 1887 in the British crown colony,” said Thasleem.

Thasleem added that Kadir Sahib also started one of the earliest Malay newspapers in 1894, known as Tanjong Pengerusi.

Thasleem also touched on Munshi Abdullah, known as the father of Malay literature in the 1800s, saying that Munshi was from a Tamil-Yemeni ancestry, and was a scholar fluent in multiple languages.

“Munshi was fluent in Arabic, Tamil, English and Malay. Nevertheless, he was very proud of his Tamil ancestry,” said Thasleem.

“And how many of us know that Munshi was one of the earliest persons in the region to translate the Bible into the Malay language,” asked Thasleem.

He also said that the word Melayu comes from the Tamil word Malai Ur- which means land of the mountains. The British imperialists corrupted the word and changed it to Malaya,” he said.

Maintaining that he is not against the Malays or anyone else, Thasleem said that it was time for Tamil Muslims to start learning about their history and cherish their cultural heritage.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m always a Malaysian first. At the same time, I would like to also preserve my ethnic identity as it defines my origins.

“My ancestors came from Alagankulam, an ancient maritime port located in Tamil Nadu, India. I’m a Tamil Muslim and proud of my heritage.” he said.

‘We must cherish our heritage’

Thasleem added that Malaysian Indians, in general, are fortunate in a way because they are still able to trace their ancestral genealogy, unlike those living in other nations.

“Indians in Mauritius, the US, South America and Fiji are only Indians by blood as they do not speak their mother tongue. It is only in recent years that they are trying to trace their roots,” he said.

Thasleem urged Tamil Muslims in the country to do some soul-searching and trace their rich history.

One way, he said, was to encourage more Tamil Muslim children to attend Tamil schools in order to at least preserve the use of the classical language.

Currently, Thasleem said the enrollment of Tamil Muslim children in vernacular schools was low.

“There are about 500,000 Indian Muslims in the country, with Tamils making roughly 90% of the number.

“But out of the about 100,000 students studying in Tamil schools, only 375 of them are from the Tamil Muslim community,” said Thasleem.

He added that in the past the Tamil Muslim community had contributed immensely to the development of Tamil schools, by offering land and funds.

However, Thasleem urged Tamil Muslims not to turn fanatical in protecting their roots, saying that it goes against Islamic teachings.

“We don’t have to be a fanatic to be proud of our heritage. Prophet Muhammad says that no race is superior to another. Don’t adopt a racial background we don’t belong to.

“The Tamil language defines our heritage and it is wrong to say that only Hindus speak Tamil. If you can’t study in a Tamil school, at least speak the language at home,” he said.

End ‘Allah’ dispute by settling court case, pastors tell Putrajaya

(MM) - Putrajaya should end its five-year-old legal tussle with the Catholic Church by coming to a mutual agreement on the latter’s use of the word “Allah”, a Sabah-based group of pastors said today ahead of next week’s appeal on the matter at the Federal Court.

Unhappy that the Court of Appeal had last October upheld a ban on “Allah” in Catholic weekly Herald, the group of clergymen also insisted that the appellate court has “no rights to interfere in religion”.

Claiming that the Court of Appeal had exceeded its constitutional jurisdiction by ruling that use of the word “Allah” was not integral to the Christian faith, it said federal government still had a chance to set things right at the country’s highest court.

“We now call on Putrajaya to rectify the mistake by entering into a consent judgment before the Federal Court based on the 20 points assurance given to Sabah and Sarawak in the formation of Malaysia in 1963,” the Kota Kinabalu Chinese Pastors’ Fellowship (Chinese PFKK) said in a statement tonight.

A consent judgment takes place when all parties involved in a court matter agree to a set of terms to resolve the dispute.

In the 20-point agreement inked before the formation of Malaysia in 1963, it was stipulated among others that the people of Sabah are free to practice their own religion, and there should be no state religion in North Borneo.

The Sabah Constitution was, however, amended in 1973 by the state government to make Islam the religion of the state of Sabah.

Besides the Catholic Church’s challenge of the Home Ministry’s banning of “Allah” in its weekly paper Herald, two other cases involving Christian materials with the Arabic word for God will be up for case management here next week.

The Malay Mail Online understands that the Sabah SIB Church’s case over materials previously seized by the Home Ministry will be heard in chambers next Tuesday, while Sarawakian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill’s case is scheduled to appear in court next Thursday.

In reference to these three cases, the Sabah group said : “This is a call to prayer for all parties as well as the judges to act with justice and righteousness.

“More importantly, they must act with conscience based on the Malaysia Agreement,” it added, referring to the 1963 agreement which incorporated the guarantee of complete religious freedom to Sabah and Sarawak.

Noting that one-third of the Cabinet ministers were from Sabah and Sarawak ― whose Christian natives had long used “Allah” in their indigenous languages, the group urged them to speak up for religious freedom regardless of their religious beliefs.

“The crisis facing us is one of freedom of religion enshrined in the Federal Constitution. They are duty bound to uphold the supremacy of the Constitution,” it said.

In a show of solidarity with the the state’s grassroots movement of Christian natives ― Perpaduan Anak Negeri (PAN) Sabah, the PFKK said it was “equally affected and offended” when their rights were “crippled” by government restrictions on the use of the Malay language bible Alkitab and the banning of the use of “Allah”.

Despite acknowledging Putrajaya’s 10-point solution in 2011 which allows Christians to use, print and distribute bibles with the word “Allah” with certain requirements for Peninsular Malaysia, the group called it “the latest deception” and “a 1Malaysia but 2-Alkitab policy”.

“We reject this one-country-two-system policy,” it said.

On October 14 last year, Justice Datuk Seri Mohamed Apandi Ali, in reading a summary of the Court of Appeal judgement by a three-man panel, said the home minister had acted well within his powers to disallow the Herald from using the word “Allah” in its Bahasa Malaysia section.

The Catholic Church’s bid to appeal the appellate court’s October ruling is opposed by nine respondents, namely the Home Ministry, the government, the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association and the Islamic councils of six states.

According to a 2010 census, Muslims are Malaysia’s largest religious group, followed by Buddhists. Christians are the third largest at 2.6 million, which comes up to about 10 per cent of the entire Malaysian population.

Bumiputera Christians, who form about 64 per cent or close to two-thirds of the Christian community in Malaysia, have used the word “Allah” when praying and speaking in the national language and their native tongues for centuries.

Malaysia’s Allah Issue Seen from Afar

A former US ambassador to Malaysia sounds the alarm

Like other friends of Malaysia overseas, I have followed the controversy over the use of the word "Allah" with interest, but also with great concern. For I believe that this issue, if left unchecked, has the potential to tear Malaysia and the dream of "Bangsa Malaysia" apart.

While there are racial and religious issues in every society, what makes the situation in Malaysia different is that it is the government that has condoned and even provoked these tensions for its own political purposes.

For years, UMNO justified its existence by saying that the Malays are under threat, and that only UMNO could defend “the Malay race”.

After the 13th general election, in which UMNO candidates received only 30 percent of the national vote – and in which BN as a whole got only 47 percent – it had two choices. It could broaden its appeal or it could narrow it by trying to appeal to the PAS voter base, for whom religion rather than race is a more important concern.

Unfortunately, UMNO chose the latter course and started to play the "Muslim" card. Now, according to the government and UMNO, it is not just Malays, it is also Islam that is under threat. As for the "Malay" card, UMNO increasingly has gone to the extreme, pandering to extreme racist elements, starting with PERKASA.

The irony of the “Malays/Islam under threat” claim, of course, is that in Malaysia, both Malays and Muslims are the majority. And UMNO controls the government. So how can the Malay race and the Muslim religion in Malaysia be under threat?

To UMNO’s leadership, it doesn’t matter. There is no need to explain. They just speak and offer no evidence, and use their propaganda instruments - Bernama, RTM, Utusan Malaysia, the New Straits Times, etc – to spread the word.

From an international perspective, they also make assertions that are totally out of line with Islamic thinking and practice in the rest of the world.

Think about it – Malaysia is the only country in the world that ignores history and linguistics and dares to ban non-Muslims from uttering the word "Allah." Like Humpty Dumpty, the Malaysian government stands alone – and claims for itself the right to decide what words mean and what words people may read, write, think, and speak.

How can Prime Minister Najib Razak, his government, and its supporters justify their actions, when no one else in the Islamic world agrees with them? When Islamic scholars like Reza Aslan say, “We are laughing at you,” how do they respond?

They don’t. Because they don’t know what to say. They seem to be living on their own planet.

Actions, not just words

But it is not just what Najib and his government say, it also is what they have done.

It is the government that seized more than 20,000 Bibles in 2009.

It is the government that banned the use of the word "Allah" in the Catholic weekly The Herald.

It is the government’s Police Force that joined the recent raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia, confiscating over 300 bibles without a search warrant.

It is the government’s religious affairs department, JAKIM, that directed mosques throughout Malaysia to say, without citing any evidence, that Islam is “under threat,” that Christians and Jews are “enemies of Islam,” and that Christians are responsible for turning Muslims against each other and tricking them into losing their rights.

It is Najib’s cabinet that stood silently by and decided not to enforce its 10-point plan to restore religious peace and harmony in the nation.

It is the government that refused to take any action after the leader of PERKASA called for the burning bibles.

There is no greater example of uniformed assertions than former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent claim that Christians have “no right” to use the word "Allah." Because he is Mahathir, he just says it, and he expects everyone to agree.

As the saying goes, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. In this case, history and the facts are not on Mahathir’s side. Mahathir is totally, 100 percent, wrong.

The word "Allah" was used by Arabic-speaking Christians for centuries before the birth of the Prophet and the rise of Islam. Indeed, archaeologists have found an Arabic-language Christian Bible (the Mt Sinai Arabic Codex 151), that is nearly 1,300 years old, in which God is called "Allah."

Indeed, someone might ask what right Muslims have to say the word "Allah," when it was used first by Christians? Who is violating whose rights?

The answer is simple – even though Jews and Christians used it first, they would never deny Muslims the right to say the word "Allah." Because while over the years, men and women have practiced and interpreted our religions in different ways, in the end we all worship the same God – the God of Abraham, the Creator of the Universe.

So here is the question. In the entire Islamic world, why is it only in Malaysia that people claim that uttering or writing the word "Allah" is the exclusive right of Muslims? Why is it only in Malaysia, and nowhere else in the world, that some Muslims say they will be “confused” if other people – Christians – use the word "Allah" when they worship inside their own churches, or when they read the Bible in the privacy of their own homes?

What makes Muslim Malaysians different from the other 1.5 billion Muslims in the rest of the world? I would like Malaysian advocates of the "Allah" ban to explain this, not to me (a Christian), but to explain it to the rest of the Islamic world.

Dangers of ‘quick research’

The senior judge in the Allah appeal, Mohamed Apandi Ali, wrote in his opinion that through his “quick research” on the history of the language of the Bible, “it is clear that the word ‘Allah’ does not appear even once as the name of God or even of a man in the Hebrew scriptures. The name ‘Allah’ does not appear even once in either the Old or New Testament.

“There is no such word at all in the Greek New Testament. In the Bible world, God has always been known as ‘Yahweh’, or by the contraction ‘Yah.’ That being the historical fact, it can be concluded that the word or name ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity.”

Justice Apandi’s judgment clearly shows the dangers of “quick research.” He should have spent a little more time on the web. But because he refers to how the word "God" is expressed in Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic, he has raised the important issue of language and the words that we use in different languages to refer to God.

How many languages are there in the world? The Christian Bible has been translated in whole or part into an astonishing 2,817 languages, according to the Wycliffe Bible Translator, a UK organization. The complete Bible is available in 513 languages, including Arabic and Malay.

Both the Arabic and Malay Bibles use the word "Allah" to refer to God. In the case of Arabic, it has been so for at least 1,300 years, and in the case of Malay, which “borrowed” the word "Allah" from Arabic, for at least 300.

Even so, Justice Apandi ignored both history and language when he claimed that the Arabic and Malay language word for God – Allah – belongs exclusively to Muslims. That is because Jews and Christians used the word "Allah" before the Prophet was even born.

Judge Apandi also was wrong when he said that the Jews have always referred to God as "Yahweh." My own “quick research” on Wikipedia, which must have lasted 15 seconds longer than the learned judge’s, shows that the Hebrew Bible uses many names for God.

While Yahweh is indeed the most common expression, two others are "Elah" and "Eloah." They both sound very similar to "Allah" and there is a reason for that. Just as Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in the God of Abraham, the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arab languages are all related to each other.

Most scholars say that Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew. And when Jesus spoke of God, he said, “Ellah.” That sounds remarkably very similar to the Arabic "Allah." And it should, because Aramaic and Arab are what linguists call “cognates.”

As word of Judaism and Christianity spread into the Arabian Peninsula, "Allah" became the Arabic language name for the God of Abraham. The word "Allah" was used first by Arab Christians and Mizrahi Jews, and only later by the Prophet and Muslims.

Sorry, Justice Apandi. Sorry, Mahathir. Sorry, Najib and UMNO.

If anyone owns the “trademark” on the word "Allah," it is the Christians, who first spread the word of the God of Abraham into the Arabian peninsula, and who first used the word "Allah." But here is the point – no Christian Malaysian insists and no Arabic-speaking Christian insists that the word "Allah" belongs exclusively to them.

So the burden of proof therefore is on any Malaysian who ignores history, language, and the facts – and who ignores what the rest of the Islamic world is doing – and simply asserts that only Muslim Malaysians may use the word "Allah."

John R. Malott served as US Ambassador to Malaysia from 1995 to 1998. He contributed this to the Malaysian website Malaysiakini.

Saifuddin jawab Daim: Ya, Anwar ‘lemah’

Malaysiakini
Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail secara sinis hari ini bersetuju dengan bekas menteri kewangan, Tun Daim Zainuddin yang menyifatkan ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai pemimpin yang “lemah”.

“Dalam konteks yang disebut itu, saya setuju Anwar lemah kerana Anwar tak dapat angkat anak dia jadi sepuluh (orang) yang terkaya di Malaysia.

“Beliau juga lemah kerana gagal mengumpul kekayaan seperti Daim.
“Ia amat sukar bagi saya untuk memaafkan Anwar di atas kelemahannya ini,” kata Saifuddin pada sidang media pagi ini.

Tambahnya lagi, Anwar juga “lemah” kerana melunaskan hutang-hutang negara lebih awal daripada yang sepatutnya dan tidak mengumpul hutang untuk negara.

“Anwar juga lemah kerana semasa jadi menteri kewangan dia bayar hutang negara lebih awal daripada jadual.

“Menteri kewangan yang baik harus menimbun hutang.

“Dalam konteks itu saya setuju sepenuhnya dengan kenyataan Tun Daim,” katanya lagi.
Dalam wawancara yang disiarkan KiniBiz semalam, Daim yang juga merupakan tokoh korporat berjaya menyifatkan Anwar sebagai “lemah” kerana tidak mempunyai sebarang pencapaian sewaktu berada di dalam kerajaan.

Beliau juga berkata, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak gagal menunjukkan kepimpinan di peringkat nasional.

Najib’s plan may turn out to be ‘Never Really Plan’ – Kennee Wong

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak penned an article about the government’s new initiative for a more cohesive and united Malaysia.

Called the National Reconciliation Plan (NRP), it will be unveiled and implemented in the next few months and he has shared a bit of what is to come.

I cannot help but to wonder if the NRP will be another irresolute proposal that will have little consequence towards the improvement of our nation’s race and interfaith relations.

I commend him for the courage to voice his aspiration for a better Malaysia.

It takes a bold resolve on any authority figure to approach such a delicate situation head-on.

Enthusiastic terminologies aside, I find he has shared nothing more than wishful thinking that all peace-loving public has long thought of.

I had been pining for a more decisive and authoritative conduct from my prime minister, and not simply lament over the current state of affairs we are finding ourselves in.

At this deteriorating juncture, we can ill afford another stop-gap measure.

Back in 2011, we had a glimmer of hope when the 10-point solution was drawn up.

It is now, however, a subject of scorn and ridicule as the government seemed to have backtracked on the agreement.

The seizure of Alkitab in Selangor in January 2014 was a good example.

It was a convenient revelation that state religious laws will override the 10-point solution even when there was a comprehensive mention of country and the peninsula in the first and second points.

What use is a promise when it is ineffectual when it comes to resolving matters of interfaith discords at the executive level?

I have never felt so belittled for exercising my democratic right to vote in the last general election.

It was barely hours after the results when the prime minister proclaimed that a “Chinese tsunami” was the reason for Barisan Nasional’s declined support.

Surely, a more thorough post-mortem ought to have been conducted before issuing such a premature and pandering assumption.

The excuse was later debunked, but never to be acknowledged formally by BN.

As much as I would like to see less racial hatred in our multicultural society, I do not think highlighting the nuances of a Malay policeman helping an old Chinese woman crossing the street will be a good example.

It would only serve to reinforce the racial differentiation in an otherwise colour-blind society that we should be striving for.

Alternatively, I would prefer to see politicians put an end to making irresponsible statements with regard to race relations and interfaith matters and reprimand their colleagues when they misbehave.

Instead of sweeping news coverage of extremists under the carpet, the right approach has to be at the root of the vexation itself.

While it is decorous not to provide a pedestal for the extremists to be lionised, they cannot be dispensed from justice as a deterrence for other heinous stunts.

Cowardly acts of subversion may be ignored by the rakyat, but action from the authority has to be unwavering and they cannot be seen dragging their feet when it comes to procedural investigation.

It has often fascinated me how much we have progressed since Malaysia’s independence, owing to the profusion of technological advancements.

The immediacy of information and news should match our growth as a nation.

In spite of that, it is also the abuse by reckless parties for political expedience that we are regressing at a worrying rate.

The prime minister’s call for reconciliation will need a more methodical approach instead of mere rhetoric if he wants to see a positive outcome, otherwise his NRP would be fast known as No Real Purpose or Never Really Plan. – February 26, 2014.

* The writer blogs sporadically at kennee.com.

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

PM: Just ignore the extremists

The Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians should not give extremists and instigators the publicity they crave, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said all Malaysians should discourage the spreading of reports on action taken by such groups that tend to destroy the trust between races and incite fear and hatred.

“You know what these extremist groups are saying on social media sites are wrong, so should we share such views online?” he wrote in his latest blog post at www.1malaysia.com.my.

“If you want to preserve the harmony of this country, don’t let these instigators overpower us!”

Najib pointed out that if no one responded to these groups, they would not be able to get the recognition they wanted and would fail as they would be unable to recruit more people to their cause.

Instead, he urged the public as well as mainstream and online media to share stories on acts of kindness between races, which reminded Malaysians that they were all part of one family.

“Do not give these extremists the publicity they crave. We don’t have to condemn them, just ignore them. Don’t give them the airtime or publici­ty,” he said.

Najib said the Government’s National Reconciliation Plan (NRP) was a concept that belonged to all Malaysians, adding that everyone should play a role if they wanted peace and harmony.

He said if the people wanted a better nation and their faith restored in one another, then they would need to take the steps to do it.

“Once you do this, it will not matter who says what or which group makes silly demands, because you will know how you, your neighbours and, by extension, how most Malay­sians feel.

“If we feel united as a people, these extremists, regardless of who they are and what they do, will get no traction.

“Destroy them by having faith in yourself and your fellow Malaysians,” he said.

Najib, who thanked the Opposition and various groups for their input on the NRP and said it would be consi­dered, added that the plan would be unveiled and implemented over the next few months.

He said it would encourage an environment that was conducive and promoted national reconciliation through unity and consensus, adding that it was based on the principles of respect, working and playing together and the spirit of give and take.

“What we want to do is help inspire the rakyat to respect and reconnect with one another so as to make Malaysia a better home for all of us,” he said, adding that he was touched by the rakyat’s strong support and encouragement for a cohesive and united nation.

Federal, Selangor Governments Sign MoU On State' Water Restructuring

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The federal and Selangor governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the restructuring of the state's water supply industry which has dragged on for five years.

The federal government was represented by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili while the state government by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim at the signing ceremony held at the Perdana Putra Complex here Wednesday.

The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

Under the MoU, the state government will issue a development order for the construction of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (Langat 2) and its distribution system (LRAL2) (Package 2A) effective today and ensure that all approvals and authorisations relating to the LRAL2 project approved within 30 days.

In addition, the federal government is ready to inject additional funds to enable the state government to take over water concession companies and manage water supply in the state through a state-owned company.

The restructuring exercise is essential in ensuring sustainable and efficient water supply services in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The MoU also allows the state government to bid on the state's water concession companies, namely Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash), and Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd (ABBAS).

It also spells out that the federal government becomes a facilitator for the state government in implementing the restructuring exercise through the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (WSIA) and other applicable laws.

Speaking at a news conference later, Ongkili said the federal government agreed to set up a committee made up state government representatives for the implementation of the LRAL2 project.

"The federal and Selangor governments hope water concessionaires in the state will give full cooperation to ensure the success of the restructuring of the water supply services industry for the well-being of the people of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya," he said.

Ongkili said the MoU was not prompted by current water crisis in Selangor but rather in the interest of the people.

"Even though Selangor is not under Barisan Nasional, the people's interest comes first... we have worked hard for more than seven months to reach a consensus," he said.

Describing the signing of the MoU as timely, Khalid said: "We have agreed to implement the restructuring of the water industry which we considered timely in light of the current situation to ensure that water consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya enjoy the best service," he said.

Negotiations on the restructuring exercise started in 2008 with no end in sight to the detriment of the state's water supply services industry and new development projects due to worries over water shortage.

The quagmire has stalled the LRAL2 project, an important component in resolving impending water woes in Selangor, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.