Tuesday, 13 May 2014
'You have no faith in God. I'm going to kill you before the community find out': Muslim father slapped and beat his 14-year-old daughter with a tennis racquet when she started dating white boy
- The 43-year-old was furious about his teenage daughter's relationship
- He was arrested after the worried boyfriend contacted police
- The teenager was concerned the girl, now 16, had not texted him…
- The 43-year-old was furious about his teenage daughter's relationship
- He was arrested after the worried boyfriend contacted police
- The teenager was concerned the girl, now 16, had not texted him
- Father admitted child cruelty and received a 21-week suspended sentence
The 43-year-old flew into a rage after his shocked wife picked up the phone at their home in Blackburn, Lancashire, and overheard their child talking 'in explicit terms' about her relationship with the 15-year-old.
During an angry confrontation, the father told her: 'You have no faith in God. I'm going to kill you before the community find out.'
When she defied their pleas to stop the illicit romance, he 'whacked' her with a tennis racquet he kept in the boot of his car and in another incident, he grabbed her shoulders and started shaking her.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2626182/You-no-faith-God-Im-going-kill-community-Muslim-father-slapped-beat-14-year-old-daughter-tennis-racquet-started-dating-white-boy.html#ixzz31XCzIWHo
Labels:
Islam Discrimination
Panjgur incident: Militant group threatens English-language schools
Masked armed men barged into one language center on Wednesday and threatened the teachers and the young male and female students. “Co-education and learning English language is Haram (forbidden in Islam),” they told the teachers, according to one instructor who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The armed men destroyed the school’s furniture and tore textbooks during the incident.
Panjgur police have lodged an FIR against unidentified persons under the Anti Terrorism Act and security has been increased around the centers. “They also told girls who were on their way home from the English Language Center and threatened them, saying they should not go to the schools again,” SHO Panjgur police station Mohammed Murad told The Express Tribune .
However, the girls say they are not cowed. “I am not scared and will go to school under all circumstances,” said one of the girls, speaking with The Express Tribune over the phone. She said the man who was threatening the girls spoke in Balochi, with a local Panjguri accent.
The men have also distributed threatening letters across Panjgur. An organization calling itself Tanzeem-ul-Islami-ul-Furqan has circulated a list of those in charge of the private schools, accusing them of corrupting the minds of local girls by imparting Western education. Station House Officer (SHO) Panjgur Mohammed Murad said the organization has emerged recently.
“Private schools should stop girls’ education – both co-education and separate education,” warned the letter, adding, “We urge all van and taxi drivers to refrain from taking girls to schools. Otherwise, they will also be targeted.”
“It seems there has been a spill-over of Taliban culture into Panjgur,” remarked one of the heads of the language center, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. “This development comes after the recent operation against Baloch militants. It seems someone is trying to radicalize people in Panjgur,” he felt.
The English Language Learning Centers remained closed for three days after receiving the threats. Hundreds of protestors staged a sit-in in front of the Deputy Commissioner’s Office. District administration and police officials assured the protestors that they will arrange foolproof security for the centers and the schools were reopened on Tuesday. However, attendance at the schools was comparatively low.
The Panjgur and Kech regions are known as centers of learning and the ‘intellectual capital of Balochistan’.
Labels:
Pakistan
'Rulers can be dethroned for breaking Islamic law'
Not only hudud can be implemented on sultans and
Malay rulers, constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari holds they can also
be dethroned, if they do not comply with present Islamic…
Not only hudud can be implemented on sultans and
Malay rulers, constitutional expert Abdul Aziz Bari holds they can also
be dethroned, if they do not comply with present Islamic laws or have
committed major sins.
Aziz
said this is implicit in the Federal Constitution and some of the
details are spelt out in the respective state constitutions.
“The sultan may be dethroned should he commit acts that are considered as uzur sharie, that reveal personal defects, from the Islamic point of view.
“This factor is also crucial to determine whether the heir apparent can succeed in being appointed as a ruler.”
Aziz said the problem today is the council of succession of the respective states have, over the years, overlooked this provision.
This,
he added resulted in the prevalence of rulers whose personalities are
not in full accord with strict Islamic and moral codes.
Aziz (left) concurred with the views aired by Umno Youth exco member Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya, who said yesterday that hudud can be implemented on the sultans and Malay rulers, and that there is nothing in the Federal Constitution that prevents that.
“As heads of Islamic religion, it goes without saying that sultans are the first to be subjected to Islamic law. That means the application of hudud. As such the sultan cannot commit major sins which include adultery, theft and drinking liquor,” Aziz told Malaysiakini.
The constitutional expert pointed out that a 1993 amendment to Article 182 of the constitution, which allows the formation of a special court, has removed the immunity of the rulers and they can be subject to civil laws.
“It
is to be noted that the privilege of being immune or exempted from
legal proceedings is quite alien to the notion of equality in Islam.
From this point of view, the special court is an anomaly as it puts the
nine rulers above civil law, so to speak,” he said.
Yesterday, Fathul Bari (right) told a forum, ‘Hudud in Malaysia: Can we? Should we?’ that hudud should apply to everyone whether from the "upper class, lower class or the raja (Malay rulers)".
Aziz
said this is implicit in the Federal Constitution and some of the
details are spelt out in the respective state constitutions.“The sultan may be dethroned should he commit acts that are considered as uzur sharie, that reveal personal defects, from the Islamic point of view.
“This factor is also crucial to determine whether the heir apparent can succeed in being appointed as a ruler.”
Aziz said the problem today is the council of succession of the respective states have, over the years, overlooked this provision.
This,
he added resulted in the prevalence of rulers whose personalities are
not in full accord with strict Islamic and moral codes.Aziz (left) concurred with the views aired by Umno Youth exco member Fathul Bari Mat Jahaya, who said yesterday that hudud can be implemented on the sultans and Malay rulers, and that there is nothing in the Federal Constitution that prevents that.
“As heads of Islamic religion, it goes without saying that sultans are the first to be subjected to Islamic law. That means the application of hudud. As such the sultan cannot commit major sins which include adultery, theft and drinking liquor,” Aziz told Malaysiakini.
The constitutional expert pointed out that a 1993 amendment to Article 182 of the constitution, which allows the formation of a special court, has removed the immunity of the rulers and they can be subject to civil laws.
“It
is to be noted that the privilege of being immune or exempted from
legal proceedings is quite alien to the notion of equality in Islam.
From this point of view, the special court is an anomaly as it puts the
nine rulers above civil law, so to speak,” he said.Yesterday, Fathul Bari (right) told a forum, ‘Hudud in Malaysia: Can we? Should we?’ that hudud should apply to everyone whether from the "upper class, lower class or the raja (Malay rulers)".
Labels:
Federal Cons,
Hudud
Bukit Gelugor indie candidate Backer in hot soup
A police report calls for his disqualification for allegedly insulting Malaysian Indians.
GEORGE TOWN: Two journalists have called for the disqualification of Abu Backer Sidik Mohamad Zan from the Bukit…
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GEORGE TOWN: Two journalists have called for the disqualification of Abu Backer Sidik Mohamad Zan from the Bukit…
A police report calls for his disqualification for allegedly insulting Malaysian Indians.
GEORGE TOWN: Two journalists have called for the disqualification of Abu Backer Sidik Mohamad Zan from the Bukit Gelugor by-election, accusing him insulting Malaysia’s Indian community with a racist remark.
The two, employed by Tamil dailies Puthiya Paraval and Makkal Osai, lodged a police report this afternoon alleging that Backer displayed his insensitivity to ethnic sentiments by using the word “pariah” during a press conference this morning.
They urged the police to investigate him for sedition and called on the Election Commission to disqualify him as a candidate in the May 25 poll.
Backer is one of two independent candidates fighting against DAP and Parti Cinta Malaysia.
During the press conference, the two reporters protested against his use of “pariah” in a tirade against activist lawyer and former Bersih leader S Ambiga. They told him the expression was taboo to Malaysian Tamils.
Backer retorted that he was referring only to Ambiga and was expressing his displeasure with her for leading street demonstrations.
He alleged that many other people had called Ambiga a “pariah” for staging protests against the Barisan Nasional government.
The reporters were not pacified and demanded that he apologise and retract his statement.
Backer, who is a lawyer, said he had used the word before in Bar Council meetings and saw no reason to apologise.
Some Pakatan Rakyat members joined the shouting match and also demanded an apology, but Backer insisted that he was not a racist and was seeking election in order to fight for the wellbeing of all Malaysians.
“What Abu Backer said was uncalled for and can cause public disorder, disharmony and disunity,” one of the reporters said after lodging the report at the Lebuh Pantai police station here.
“He may have been attacking Ambiga, but he has insulted Indians. He should be disqualified from the by-election and charged under the Sedition Act.”
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GEORGE TOWN: Two journalists have called for the disqualification of Abu Backer Sidik Mohamad Zan from the Bukit Gelugor by-election, accusing him insulting Malaysia’s Indian community with a racist remark.The two, employed by Tamil dailies Puthiya Paraval and Makkal Osai, lodged a police report this afternoon alleging that Backer displayed his insensitivity to ethnic sentiments by using the word “pariah” during a press conference this morning.
They urged the police to investigate him for sedition and called on the Election Commission to disqualify him as a candidate in the May 25 poll.
Backer is one of two independent candidates fighting against DAP and Parti Cinta Malaysia.
During the press conference, the two reporters protested against his use of “pariah” in a tirade against activist lawyer and former Bersih leader S Ambiga. They told him the expression was taboo to Malaysian Tamils.
Backer retorted that he was referring only to Ambiga and was expressing his displeasure with her for leading street demonstrations.
He alleged that many other people had called Ambiga a “pariah” for staging protests against the Barisan Nasional government.
The reporters were not pacified and demanded that he apologise and retract his statement.Backer, who is a lawyer, said he had used the word before in Bar Council meetings and saw no reason to apologise.
Some Pakatan Rakyat members joined the shouting match and also demanded an apology, but Backer insisted that he was not a racist and was seeking election in order to fight for the wellbeing of all Malaysians.
“What Abu Backer said was uncalled for and can cause public disorder, disharmony and disunity,” one of the reporters said after lodging the report at the Lebuh Pantai police station here.
“He may have been attacking Ambiga, but he has insulted Indians. He should be disqualified from the by-election and charged under the Sedition Act.”
Labels:
By Election-14,
Penang
Terengganu menteri besar steps down, Najib names new MB
Ahmad is believed…
Ahmad is believed to have entered into a one-year term agreement with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak after his reappointment as menteri besar last year. The time frame given was allegedly to allow Ahmad a graceful exit.
He handed his resignation letter to the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin earlier today.
Meanwhile, Najib has announced that Seberang Takir assemblyman Datuk Abdul Razif Abdul Rahman will be the new menteri besar, and that his appointment has received the consent of the Sultan, Bernama reported today.
“It is hereby announced that the Sultan of Terengganu, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin, has consented to the resignation of Ahmad Said as the menteri besar of Terengganu effective May 12, 2014.
“His Royal Highness has consented to the appointment of Seberang Takir state assemblyman (Datuk) Ahmad Razif as the new menteri besar effective from the date of his swearing in before His Royal Highness,” he said.
According to The Star Online, Razif will be sworn in as the new Menteri Besar tonight in Kuala Terengganu.
Rumours of Ahmad Said’s resignation began swirling after the state administration did poorly in the May 5 polls, winning just 17 of the total 32 seats in the state. PAS won 14 seats and PKR took one.
Ahmad Said had been named menteri besar in 2008, after the state royal palace refused to endorse Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh as the MB for another term despite the recommendation of Umno.
Amid rumours that he would not continue his tenure after GE13, Ahmad Said was sworn in again last May.
Labels:
Trengganu
Isma: Beware games of ‘bangsa asing’
Isma says accusations of being racist and extremist are psychological attacks so that the bumiputera do not dare to defend their rights.
PETALING JAYA: Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah…
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PETALING JAYA: Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah…
Isma says accusations of being racist and extremist are psychological attacks so that the bumiputera do not dare to defend their rights.
PETALING JAYA: Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman said Muslims should defend their authority in policy-making and rights in determining the country’s future, and not let the ‘bangsa asing’ (foreigners) dictate terms.
In his open letter today, Abdullah said Malays and Muslims should not let the bangsa asing continue forcing their whims on them.
“Accusations of being racist and extremist are psychological attacks so that the bumiputera do not dare to defend their rights,” he said.
Abdullah said the country faced threats from various parties who have acted as proxies for the “Evangelical Zionist Jews, who wanted to bury the country’s Islamic identity”.
“As such, championing our religion’s sovereign rights is a religious duty and natural right which must be acknowledged by all,” he said.
He added that these proxies only wanted the Malays to continue being shackled in their thoughts and needs.
“They want us to be humiliated seeing our religion raped, and our race and country’s dignity trampled with us being unable to do anything.
“If Muslims and Malays are still hesitant, sooner or later we will lose our country.
“Please realise that they are sugarcoating things with spectacular slogans such as freedom, equality and human brotherhood,” said Abdullah.
Capitalist Jews, through their proxies, will be supported by liberal Muslims who have been fooled by the promise of progress, said Abdullah.
“They will also be supported by those who have been hit with psychological attacks, until they are willing to defend the enemy’s agenda, despite the religious sanctity being compromised in the name of tolerance and racial harmony.
“However, without them realising, they will lose everything they have owned. When they finally understand it, the cry of remorse will be useless,” he said.
Abdullah and his movement have been in the news in recent weeks over their right-wing Malay stand.
Earlier this month, Abdullah had labelled the Chinese as “trespassers” brought by the British into Malaya.
He added that the Chinese had come into the country with the British as intruders and were given citizenship and wealth.
Abdullah further had said the ancestors of Chinese Malaysians today were “in cahoots with the British” to oppress and bully the Malays.
His statement drew severe criticism, including from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and MCA. Several police reports were also lodged against him, prompting the police to investigate Abdullah for sedition.
Abdullah however had defended his stand, stating that he was only protecting the Malay race and the Tanah Melayu.
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PETALING JAYA: Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman said Muslims should defend their authority in policy-making and rights in determining the country’s future, and not let the ‘bangsa asing’ (foreigners) dictate terms.
In his open letter today, Abdullah said Malays and Muslims should not let the bangsa asing continue forcing their whims on them.
“Accusations of being racist and extremist are psychological attacks so that the bumiputera do not dare to defend their rights,” he said.
Abdullah said the country faced threats from various parties who have acted as proxies for the “Evangelical Zionist Jews, who wanted to bury the country’s Islamic identity”.
“As such, championing our religion’s sovereign rights is a religious duty and natural right which must be acknowledged by all,” he said.
He added that these proxies only wanted the Malays to continue being shackled in their thoughts and needs.
“They want us to be humiliated seeing our religion raped, and our race and country’s dignity trampled with us being unable to do anything.
“If Muslims and Malays are still hesitant, sooner or later we will lose our country.
“Please realise that they are sugarcoating things with spectacular slogans such as freedom, equality and human brotherhood,” said Abdullah.
Capitalist Jews, through their proxies, will be supported by liberal Muslims who have been fooled by the promise of progress, said Abdullah.
“They will also be supported by those who have been hit with psychological attacks, until they are willing to defend the enemy’s agenda, despite the religious sanctity being compromised in the name of tolerance and racial harmony.
“However, without them realising, they will lose everything they have owned. When they finally understand it, the cry of remorse will be useless,” he said.
Abdullah and his movement have been in the news in recent weeks over their right-wing Malay stand.
Earlier this month, Abdullah had labelled the Chinese as “trespassers” brought by the British into Malaya.
He added that the Chinese had come into the country with the British as intruders and were given citizenship and wealth.
Abdullah further had said the ancestors of Chinese Malaysians today were “in cahoots with the British” to oppress and bully the Malays.
His statement drew severe criticism, including from former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and MCA. Several police reports were also lodged against him, prompting the police to investigate Abdullah for sedition.
Abdullah however had defended his stand, stating that he was only protecting the Malay race and the Tanah Melayu.
Isma chief launches new attack, speaks of ‘Jewish-led’ threat against Malays, Islam
After
attacking the Chinese, Abdullah Zaik is now after the non-Malays and
non-Muslims who are 'led by a Jewish agenda' to destroy the country from
within. - The Malaysian Insider pic, May 12, 2014.Relentless in his attacks against non-Muslims despite a public outcry over controversial remarks made recently, Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) president Abdullah Zaik Abdul Rahman is now calling on Malays to fight for their rights or risk losing their Islamic identity in Malaysia to " proxies of capitalist Jewish groups".
In an open letter to the Malays, Abdullah Zaik said it was their collective responsibility to protect Islam and its supreme position in the country.
"Don't allow foreign races to impose their wants on us.
"Leave fear behind and step forward to state your stand, we are duty bound to protect our rights in determining the way forward in this country," he said in a statement.
He also cautioned against what he termed as "games of the enemy", with allegations of racism and extremism and the like.
"They are playing psychological mind games so that the sons of the soil will not rise up to protect their rights," he said.
Last week, Abdullah Zaik irked Malaysians when he described the Chinese as "trespassers" who came into the country to bully the Malays.
Today, he reminded the Malays that the country was facing non-stop threats from all quarters, including groups who were proxies of Jewish Zionist evangelists who were intent on burying Islam.
"They want the Malay race to be in their control and they want to see us insulted as our religion is raped, the dignity of our race trampled on and our country pawned to the point we cannot do anything.
"If as Malays and Muslims, we are still uncertain of this, sooner or later our beloved country will be lost to us," he said.
Abdullah Zaik also said that these groups were trying to convince Muslims with slogans about freedom, equality, human rights and shared values.
He cautioned, however, that if Muslims took the bait, capitalist Jewish groups will strengthen their hold and have absolute power through their proxies.
Abdullah Zaik added that they will then be fortified by liberal Islamic groups who will be duped with promises of progress to the point of being willing to stand for the agenda of the enemy, even if it means that the sanctity of Islam and Malays are sacrificed, in the name of tolerance and harmony among races.
As such, Abdullah Zaik said that Malays need not wait for armies to invade the country, but warned them against standing by quietly and allowing others to rob them of their supremacy in broad daylight, adding that if this happened, it would be too late to shed tears of regret. – May 12, 2014.
Labels:
ISMA
GeoResonance adamant MH370 is in Bay of Bengal
By Eileen Hee
GeoResonance Pty Lt managing
director Pavel Kursa says the company's claim has unearthed numerous
pseudo scientists in the form of media commentators.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10: Geological…
By Eileen Hee
GeoResonance Pty Lt managing
director Pavel Kursa says the company's claim has unearthed numerous
pseudo scientists in the form of media commentators.
KUALA LUMPUR, May 10: Geological survey firm GeoResonance Pty
Lt, based in Adelaide, said it hadn’t suffered any backlash from issuing
its public claim to have found the wreckage of MH370 in the Bay of
Bengal.
“We cannot judge about awareness that our
business has created. What we know for sure is that our claim has
unearthed numerous pseudo scientists in the form of media commentators,”
said managing director Pavel Kursa.
He said GeoResonance had consulted its
clients before approaching the media with the MH370 wreckage claim and
its clients had encouraged the firm to alert the authorities.
GeoResonance’s clients mainly comprise mining companies searching for minerals, oil and gas hidden deep under ocean floors.
Asked if there had been any new interest in the firm’s services since the claim, Kursa told The Rakyat Post: “We have only received invitations to scientific conferences.”
As to possible questions raised about the
impact of the claim on its business reputation, Kursa said: “We are
busy doing survey projects.”
Touching further on the MH370 wreckage
claim, he said: “There are people who tried to discredit our technology
without having proper knowledge of what the company does.”
Having read that thus far only Bangladesh
navy ships had gone to investigate the GeoResonance claims, he said:
“As far as Bangladeshi Navy checking our findings, we firmly believe
that our findings have not been checked at all.
“The media mentioned ‘three Bangladeshi ships scouring the Bay of Bengal’. However, what does ‘scouring’ mean?
“We reported the precise location. Given
the margin of error, the reported area size was only 500 sq metres! What
was required is to send just one ship to the specified coordinates and
check the location with a sonar.
“GeoResonance remains quietly confident on our reported finding in the Bay of Bengal.
“We are considering verifying the location ourselves. Two words to all the sceptics: ‘Test us!’”
Labels:
MAS
How to ensure poor get their share of scholarships – Koon Yew Yin
Since my retirement, I have been concerned with how we can solve the problem of the poor through educational mobility.
This has involved putting my money where my mouth is…
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This has involved putting my money where my mouth is…
Since my retirement, I have been concerned with how we can solve the problem of the poor through educational mobility.
This has involved putting my money where my mouth is in a programme which helps needy families send their children to university through financing their first year.
Although Forbes, the media organisation has given recognition to me in its annual selection of Asian philanthropic heroes in 2011, I am the first to realise that my efforts at providing scholarships to the needy are modest and a drop in the ocean of need.
After much reflection, I would like to provide a practical and easy solution to the problem of too many deserving poor children having to chase and compete for too few scholarships.
My solution is a two-pronged one.
The first relates to government scholarships. These scholarships are, in fact, provided for by taxpayers so that taxpayers like me and other citizens have the right to ensure that the funds are not abused or misused and are fairly distributed.
My proposal applies not only to federal and state educational scholarships but also to scholarships provided by the government-linked companies, such as Petronas, Tenaga Nasional, Telekom and Bank Negara.
Targeting scholarship awards more equitably
Today, we have an upper class of Malaysians who have benefited from the New Economic Policy during the past half century through access to government scholarships.
These recipients of previous NEP scholarships (Malays and non-Malays) should now be disqualified from having their children apply for government scholarships except for the small proportion of scholarships awarded purely on a merit basis.
Instead, the greater proportion of government scholarships should be made available to the children of those families who have never received such scholarships in the past.
This will ensure that the children of poor and lower middle-class Malays as well as poor non-Malays, who cannot compete with the children of richer families, will compete among themselves for scholarships.
A small quantum of the number of government scholarships though can be based solely on merit and set aside for brilliant and outstanding students for which the disqualifying clause will not be applicable.
The following are some of the positive effects of my proposal:
It will create a more level playing field for all young Malaysians in the area of government and GLC scholarships.
It will make the children of Malays as well as non-Malays who have previously benefitted from the NEP more competitive and self-reliant.
It will also boost racial harmony.
It is an easy affirmative action programme to operate as all that is needed is the identification details of earlier education scholarships holders for vetting purposes as well as a simple question in the application form: has your father of mother been recipient of a government scholarship award previously?
Any affirmative action programme should have a beginning and an end. It must also justify its target beneficiaries and remove them from the queue once they have been provided with the opportunity and benefits.
Others formerly excluded or left out should now be put into the queue if they are in need.
Private sector participation
The other part of my strategy applies to the private sector. One reader in response to an article I wrote on the Chinese poor had provided the following comment:
“The super rich Chinese can do more by funding more educational organisation for the needy ones. As we know non-Bumi have minimum opportunity to study in full government-funded tertiary or vocational education. The capable and well networked Chinese should organise schools like early days when the Chinese merchants self-funded the Chinese schools. But nowadays the super rich Chinese are only interested in creating international school for their own profit. God will help those who help themselves. Let us help ourselves while waiting for the change in government.”
It is clear that the very rich and even rich – of whatever race – can and should do much more in providing educational access to the poor as well as middle class.
These private sector scholarships can have a higher proportion based on merit to balance the pro-poor one awarded by the government.
If this two-pronged strategy is adopted, we will have a greater measure of national unity and harmony, and quicker progress towards a more equitable and fair society. – May 11, 2014.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
▲
This has involved putting my money where my mouth is in a programme which helps needy families send their children to university through financing their first year.
Although Forbes, the media organisation has given recognition to me in its annual selection of Asian philanthropic heroes in 2011, I am the first to realise that my efforts at providing scholarships to the needy are modest and a drop in the ocean of need.
After much reflection, I would like to provide a practical and easy solution to the problem of too many deserving poor children having to chase and compete for too few scholarships.
My solution is a two-pronged one.
The first relates to government scholarships. These scholarships are, in fact, provided for by taxpayers so that taxpayers like me and other citizens have the right to ensure that the funds are not abused or misused and are fairly distributed.
My proposal applies not only to federal and state educational scholarships but also to scholarships provided by the government-linked companies, such as Petronas, Tenaga Nasional, Telekom and Bank Negara.
Targeting scholarship awards more equitably
Today, we have an upper class of Malaysians who have benefited from the New Economic Policy during the past half century through access to government scholarships.
These recipients of previous NEP scholarships (Malays and non-Malays) should now be disqualified from having their children apply for government scholarships except for the small proportion of scholarships awarded purely on a merit basis.
Instead, the greater proportion of government scholarships should be made available to the children of those families who have never received such scholarships in the past.
This will ensure that the children of poor and lower middle-class Malays as well as poor non-Malays, who cannot compete with the children of richer families, will compete among themselves for scholarships.
A small quantum of the number of government scholarships though can be based solely on merit and set aside for brilliant and outstanding students for which the disqualifying clause will not be applicable.
The following are some of the positive effects of my proposal:
It will create a more level playing field for all young Malaysians in the area of government and GLC scholarships.
It will make the children of Malays as well as non-Malays who have previously benefitted from the NEP more competitive and self-reliant.
It will also boost racial harmony.
It is an easy affirmative action programme to operate as all that is needed is the identification details of earlier education scholarships holders for vetting purposes as well as a simple question in the application form: has your father of mother been recipient of a government scholarship award previously?
Any affirmative action programme should have a beginning and an end. It must also justify its target beneficiaries and remove them from the queue once they have been provided with the opportunity and benefits.
Others formerly excluded or left out should now be put into the queue if they are in need.
Private sector participation
The other part of my strategy applies to the private sector. One reader in response to an article I wrote on the Chinese poor had provided the following comment:
“The super rich Chinese can do more by funding more educational organisation for the needy ones. As we know non-Bumi have minimum opportunity to study in full government-funded tertiary or vocational education. The capable and well networked Chinese should organise schools like early days when the Chinese merchants self-funded the Chinese schools. But nowadays the super rich Chinese are only interested in creating international school for their own profit. God will help those who help themselves. Let us help ourselves while waiting for the change in government.”
It is clear that the very rich and even rich – of whatever race – can and should do much more in providing educational access to the poor as well as middle class.
These private sector scholarships can have a higher proportion based on merit to balance the pro-poor one awarded by the government.
If this two-pronged strategy is adopted, we will have a greater measure of national unity and harmony, and quicker progress towards a more equitable and fair society. – May 11, 2014.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
Labels:
scholarship
MH370: Out-of-court settlements highly likely, say experts
The Star
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KUALA
LUMPUR: The lack of any evidence indicating what caused Flight MH370’s
disappearance raises a legal conundrum that is expected to force
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) into out-of-court settlements…
The Star
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KUALA
LUMPUR: The lack of any evidence indicating what caused Flight MH370’s
disappearance raises a legal conundrum that is expected to force
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) into out-of-court settlements with next-of-kin,
aviation law experts said.
Since MH370 disappeared more than two months ago, no wreckage has been found to even confirm a crash, let alone apportion blame.
But
the relatives of the 239 people on board can still go after MAS because
under international aviation law it is an airline’s responsibility to
prove it was not to blame for an accident.
“On the surface, (MAS) is responsible,” Jeremy Joseph, a Malaysian lawyer, said.
The “burden of proof” rests on MAS to clear its name, he added.
AFP
reports that under International Civil Aviation Organisation rules,
next-of-kin are entitled to an automatic minimum of about US$175,000
(RM560,000) per passenger, regardless of fault, payable by an airline’s
insurance company.
The Beijing-bound plane disappeared on March 8 and is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.
No significant legal moves have yet been made as families monitor an immensely difficult search in vast ocean depths.
“When
there is no cause identified, it is hard to see how the airline has or
has not shown the absence of fault,” said Alan Tan, a professor of
aviation law at the National University of Singapore.
The size of any damages would depend on where lawsuits are filed.
Next-of-kin
can file in the country where an airline is based, where tickets were
purchased, where the passengers were headed or where they lived.
Since
most passengers were from China or Malaysia, most cases could be filed
in the two countries, where courts are more conservative in awarding
damages than in countries like the United States.
Damages are typically based on the lost lifetime earnings of a victim.
“In
the US, settlements usually are in the US$1mil (RM3.2mil) to US$3mil
(RM9.6mil) range. For Malaysians or Chinese, salaries are lower, and
hence, recoveries will be lower,” said Paul Stephen Dempsey, director of
the Institute of Air and Space Law at Canada’s McGill University.
But
legal experts said few cases will likely end up in court. They expect
undisclosed out-of-court settlements between families and MAS and its
lead insurer Allianz.
This would allow MAS to lay the matter to rest and focus on rebuilding its image.
In
the case of Air France flight 447, which crashed in the Atlantic with
228 people aboard in 2009, the airline’s insurers made compensation
payments to relatives.
Only
a small number of lawsuits were filed, with a Brazilian court awarding
one family more than US$500,000 (RM1.6mil) before its flight data
recorders were recovered in 2011.
Allianz would bear the brunt of any payouts for MH370.
MAS told AFP its insurance coverage is adequate for all eventualities, declining to give details.
Courts
are unlikely to apportion any blame to Boeing, engine manufacturer
Rolls Royce, or other parties without evidence implicating them.
MAS has begun making some payouts to families under an “advance compensation process” but has declined to reveal details.
Lawsuits must be filed within two years of an accident.
In Nay Pyi Taw, Malaysia’s partners in Asean gave their commitment to help in the search for MH370.
Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said leaders attending the Asean
Summit had expressed their sympathy to Malaysia and the affected
families.
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M'sia On Track To Become High-income Nation Earlier Than Projected, Says Najib
KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says the country is well on its way to becoming a high-income nation by 2020, perhaps may…KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak says the country is well on its way to becoming a high-income nation by 2020, perhaps may even achieve the status earlier than projected.This expectation is possible given that the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), introduced in 2010 has maintained its strong momentum over the last three years, thus helping the economy to achieve the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth of 4.7 per cent in 2013.
In 2013 alone, the ETP contributed RM7.4 billion to the Gross National Income (GNI), creating 29,373 new employment opportunities and driving RM8 billion worth of investments, said Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, in his remarks in the ETP's Annual Report 2013 released by the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) today.
Najib said that this is despite continued uncertainties in the external environment, which had shown a gradual recovery since the global financial crisis of 2008/2009.
Since 2010, 196 projects had been launched under the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs), accounting for RM219.3 billion in total committed projects. These, in turn, are expected to generate RM144 billion in GNI and create 437,816 new jobs.
"These activities have increased our GNI per capita to US$10,060 during the year (2013). The numbers, however, only tell half the story.
"What has heartened me the most about the ETP has been its ability to improve the people's quality of life, whether through projects which are focussed on uplifting local communities or through big ticket initiatives such as the construction of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system in the Greater Kuala Lumpur/Klang Valley NKEA," he said.
He said these projects were selected for their potential to generate higher income for the people, contribute to productivity gains and stimulate spillover effects across the national economy.
To recap, the ETP incorporates two crucial elements: The 12 NKEAs in which growth will be encouraged; and the six Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs), which comprise the policies and procedures that have been implemented to create a vibrant business environment.
Collectively, these components are aimed at raising Malaysia's GNI per capita to US$15,000, creating 3.3 million new employment opportunities and attracting US$444 billion in investments by 2020.
Najib also said the ETP has made great strides in supporting the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which represent the backbone of the country's economy.
He also said Malaysia's transformation into a high-income nation hinges as much on the government's ability to demonstrate fiscal resilience as it does on economic growth and in this respect, the Public Finance Reform SRI has played a key role in helping the government reduce its fiscal deficit.
"This includes managing the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax, which represents the government's shift towards the revenue structure of a developed economy, and will allow for more efficient tax collection from a broader tax base," the prime minister said.
He said the ETP, through the Competition, Standards and Liberalisation SRI, also went a long way in developing the country's global competitiveness and all measures are already proving successful.
For example, in the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Index 2014, Malaysia has been in the top 10 position for both 2013 and 2014 at 8th and 6th, respectively.
Najib also expressed his gratitude to all as well as the private sector, which has been a diligent partner in the country's journey of transformation.
In concluding, he cautioned that despite all the achievements, as 2020 nears, it would be crucial for all to sustain the momentum and ensure the country remained on the right economic track.
"With continued cooperation from all our stakeholders, I believe we will move closer to our ultimate goal under Vision 2020: Developed nation status," he added.
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Najib
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