France hunts for wreckage of Algeria airliner

French foreign minister says Air Algerie plane carrying 116 people had "probably crashed" after disappearing over Mali.

France has said it will do all it can to find the wreckage of a passenger jet carrying 116 people which is believed to have crashed in Mali after disappearing from radar.

The plane, designated AH5017, disappeared from radar on Thursday over northern Mali while on a flight from Burkina Faso to Algeria. It was carrying mainly French and Burkina Faso citizens.

The French foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, said the plane had "probably crashed", while the French president, Francois Hollande, said his government would use "all military means" in Mali to help in the search for the plane.

Two French fighter jets are among aircraft scouring the north of Mali for the wreckage, and France has hundred of troops stationed in Mali after defeating an al-Qaeda-linked rebellion last year.

The flight, scheduled by Air Algerie and operated by the Spanish private company Swiftair, was flying in heavy rain, according to reports.

The head of the emergency investigation into the flight said a witness saw a plane "falling" in the region of Goss in the northern part of Mali.

"A witness informed us they had seen the plane falling at 1.50am [GMT]," said Gilbert Diendiere, a general in charged of a crisis unit in Ouagadougou trying and find the jet.

Plane passed inspection

Meanwhile, a French aviation watchdog said the plane was checked "two or three days ago" and was "in good condition".

Patrick Gandil, the head of the French civil aviation authority, said the plane passed through Marseille days ago.

"We examined it and we found almost nothing, it was really in good condition," he said.

The flight path of the plane from Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso to Algiers was not immediately clear. Ougadougou is in a nearly straight line south of Algiers, passing over Mali where unrest continues in the north.

Northern Mali fell under control of ethnic Tuareg separatists and then al-Qaeda-linked fighters following a military coup in 2012.

The French-led intervention in 2012-13 scattered the al-Qaeda groups, but the Tuaregs have pushed back against the authority of the Bamako-based government.

A senior French official said it seems unlikely that fighters in Mali had the kind of weaponry that could shoot down a plane.

Source: Agencies

S'gor Perkasa sets up legal fund to back Kiki

Christian sentenced by Iranian judge to have his lips burnt with a cigarette for eating during Ramadan

• Christian ate during the day within the Muslim holy month of Ramadan
• Five other men, who were Muslims, were flogged for not fasting
• Christians have been persecuted under the country's Sharia law

By Dailymail
An Iranian judge sentenced a Christian man to have his lips burnt with a cigarette for eating during the day in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The barbaric punishment was carried out in public in a square in the city of Kermanshah.

Five other Muslim men were also flogged in public with 70 lashes for not fasting during Ramadan, the city's deputy governor Ali Ashraf Karami said.

A spokesperson from The National Council of Resistance of Iran, a political coalition which opposes the government, denounced the treatment as 'savage' and called on western countries to take action.

They said: 'The silence of the world community, especially of western countries, vis-à-vis these medieval punishments under the excuse of having nuclear talks with Iran has intensified the brutal and systematic violation of human rights in Iran.

'This will ultimately embolden the Iranian regime to continue its nuclear projects more than before.'

But earlier this year the UN blasted Iran for the persecution of Christians in a damning report laid bare to the world in March.

The detailed report found that Iran has continued to imprison Christians for their faith and designated house churches and evangelical Christians as 'threats to national security.'

At least 49 Christians were among 307 religious minorities being held in Iranian jails as of January 2014, noted the UN, which also criticised the regime for its hostility to Jews, Baha’is, Zoroastrians and Dervish Muslims.

In its annual report on people imprisoned for their faith around the world, the Brussels-based organization Human Rights Without Frontiers (HRWF) named Iran as one of five countries with the largest number of 'freedom of religion or belief prisoners.'

There are an estimated 250,000 Christians in Iran's 76 million strong population.

They all face torture, imprisonment or the death sentence under Sharia law for not observing Islamic religious festivals and dress codes.

Thousands of persecuted Christians have fled the country, which saw Hossein Soodmand hanged in 2008 for following the faith.

Iraq: ISIL orders female genital mutilation in Mosul

The “fatwa” issued by the Sunni Muslim fighters would potentially affect 4 million women and girls, U.N. resident and humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Jacqueline Badcock told reporters in Geneva by videolink from Arbil. “This is something very new for Iraq, particularly in this area, and is of grave concern and does need to be addressed,” she said. “This is not the will of Iraqi people, or the women of Iraq in these vulnerable areas covered by the terrorists,” she added. No one was immediately available for comment from Islamic State which has led an offensive through northern and western Iraq.

MH17 victim’s credit cards used after crash, says report

The wife of a Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 victim was stunned when she saw that her husband's credit cards were being used after the plane crashed in Ukraine last week, the Daily Mail reported.

Cameron Dalziel's wife Reine has since cancelled her husband's credit cards upon noticing activity in his account, her brother told CNN.

Cameron was a South African travelling on a British passport, who had moved with his wife and two children to Malaysia recently.

The report said that the "heartless" rebels, who allegedly shot the plane down, had been using victims' credit cards, answering their phones and looting their belongings, including jewellery, from the crash site.

Reine's brother, Shane Hattingh, told CNN that, "People are abusing it in the Ukraine. They have no respect for each other, look what they're doing. It's no surprise that they were treating the remains of people like that. It made me angry beyond words".

This only added weight to reports that the pro-Russian rebels have looted the MH17 crash site to sabotage the investigation into the disaster and to cash in on it, the Daily Mail reported.

It was previously reported that relatives of victims of the crash had called their mobile phones only to have them picked up by people with "eastern European-sounding voices".

They then proceeded to instruct the mobile phone companies to shut down the accounts.

The report said that a picture of a rebel taking a ring from a body at the disaster site has also surfaced.

"After terrorists looters stole all the cash, jewellery, mobile phones and credit cards of passengers of ill-fated Boeing – they took up their favourite deal – gathering of scrap metal. Aluminium from which the plane is made is expensive," Ukrainian government adviser Anton Gerashchenko was quoted as saying.

Ukraine's National Security and Defence Council spokesman Andrei Lysenko, was also reported as saying previously that there were no limits to the "cynicism of these gangsters".

"According to our information, apart from picking up valuable personal belongings of the passengers, terrorists are using credit cards of the victims," he said.

UK intelligence officials claim there was new evidence which showed that the separatists had planned to sabotage the probe into the crash by contaminating the area with parts from other planes, the report said.

The rebels, they were reported as saying by Sky News, had discussed removing bodies from the crash site and sending the black box data recorders to Moscow.

The Daily Mail also reported that rebel commander Igor Strelkov had issued a decree, ordering the jewellery, watches and other valuables taken from the victims of the crash to be handed in to fund their insurgency.

However, the decree could not be verified, it was reported. But the order said that the loot must be brought in to the headquarters of the Donetsk People's Republic army for its "Defence Fund" by 8pm yesterday.

The Boeing 777 was en route to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam when it was shot down in eastern Ukraine last Thursday, killing all 298 people on board.

Those responsible for downing the aircraft have yet to be identified, with Russian and Ukrainian authorities blaming each other and pro-Russian separatists for the disaster.

The MH17 crash comes just four months after MH370, along with its 239 passengers and crew, disappeared on March 8. Its whereabouts remain unknown.

The tragedies have led to the loss of 537 lives, the highest death toll suffered by any airline over such a short time span.

Judges in custody case pull out of AG's intervene bid

The hearing of the attorney-general's  application to be an intervener in the child custody cases of S Deepa and M Indira Gandhi's was deferred by the Court of Appeal today after two judges recused themselves.

This follows K Shanmuga, representing both Deepa and Indira Gandhi, had inquired whether Justice Mohd Zawawi Mohd Salleh was comfortable in hearing the matter as he once headed the Syariah Advisory Division in the AG's Chambers which discussed the amendment of several existing laws pertaining inter-faith custody cases like the R Subashini matter, before becoming a judge.

Justice Umi Kalthum then asked if her presence on the bench would objected to as well, since she was the head of the civil division of the AG Chambers at that time.

To this, Shanmuga left it to Justice Umi Kalthum to decide, bearing in mind the post she was holding then.

"I apologise for raising the matter now, as I only discovered this (the composition of the bench) today," the lawyer said.

However, senior federal counsel Suzana Atan, for the AG's Chambers, objected, arguing that the matter was just an application to intervene and not a proper appeal hearing.

After confiding with both Justice Zawawi and Justice Umi Kalthum, Justice Linton Albert, who is heading the bench, said the two decided to recuse themselves in the interest of justice.

"Are you comfortable with me on the bench?" asked Linton, to which Shanmuga replied in the affirmative.

The Court of Appeal then fixed Sept 10 to hear the AG's application to be intervener in both the cases.

Also present was Ipoh Barat MP M Kulasegaran who also appeared for Indira Gandhi, along with lawyers Joanne Leong for Deepa and Aston Paiva (who is representing both with Shanmuga).

Lawyer Faiz Fadhil appeared for N Viran @ Izwan Abdullah, S Deepa's former husband.

Amendments to existing legislation

Outside court, Shanmuga told reporters that between 2007 and 2009, several senior officers in the AGC were involved in the amendments of existing legislation regarding unilateral conversion following the Subashini case which involved similar circumstances.

“A draft of the amendments was presented to the Council of Rulers in 2009, but we have not heard of it since,” he said.

Among the laws which were proposed to be amended included the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, Administration of Islamic Law (Federal Territories) Act 1993 and Islamic Family Law (Federal Territories) Act 1984.

Kulasegaran (left) said it was indeed tabled (to the rulers) and he had raised the matter up in Parliament in 2009 to know of its development but to no avail.

The Cabinet, he said had since come-up with a stand against unilateral conversions in 2009 but the laws have not been amended after that to reflect this.

This was also reiterated by Tourism Minister Nazri Abdul Aziz, once the de-facto law minister, last year.

“Now we have the joint committee on this co-chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Jamil Khir Baharom, which has said otherwise (that unilateral conversion is allowed).

This, he said, resulted in inter-faith dispute cases to continue since then.

However, Kulasegaran said tomorrow the Ipoh High Court will deliver its decision whether to grant permission for judicial review against the Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar, to compel the police to retrieve Indira Gandhi's youngest child Prasana Diksa.

The AG is applying to intervene in both cases following conflicting orders by the Syariah High Court and the civil High Court wanting the police to enforce the recovery of children in inter-faith disputes.

WAO will engage with AGC

Women Aid Organisation (WAO) executive director, Ivy Josiah said although there is no development in the amendment of the laws, it will still engage with the Attorney General Chambers to find a resolution to this dispute.

The WAO is one of the women’s groups holding a watching brief in this case

“This will not stop us as an interested party. We will continue to hold dialogues to resolve this matter which affects all women.

“We have seen Deepa and Indira going up and down the courts seeking resolution, following the unilateral conversions of their children by the converting husband. They are doing this for the love of their children and wanting to be with them," said Josiah (right).

Sisters in Islam executive director, Ratna Osman, another women's group holding a watching brief, said Islam does not allow such injustice.

“The husband should discuss with spouse on the question of conversion and not take the children like that,” she added

UN report: Inequality high in Malaysia

Hard times have befallen the bottom 40 percent of Malaysian society, with inequality in the country “high or rising”, a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report says.

According to the Human Development Report 2014 released in Tokyo today, Malaysia is on the high end of the inequality spectrum.

This is despite the country ranking 62 out of the 168 countries studied, making Malaysia a country with “high human development”.

According to the report, growth in consumption for the poorest 40 percent in Malaysia is much slower compared with the general population.

The bottom 40 percent’s consumption grew by about eight percent between 2005 and 2010, while the population’s consumption grew by about 14 percent in the same period.

This is worse than China and Uganda, which the report said also have high and rising inequality.

For example, consumption growth in China for the poorest 40 percent is about eight percent, compared to the population’s consumption growth of eight percent for the same period.

Inequality, the report says, can lead to conflict and violence, especially if prosperity is only reported in certain sections of community.

However, it said Malaysia has in place policies that have helped to address inequality, such as the redistribution of government-owned land, restriction of land ownership and public sector employment quota.

Side-effects of pro-bumi policies

However, such policies, have “unintended consequences”, the report says, including the exodus of a million highly-skilled Malaysians, mostly due to pro-bumiputera policies.

Most of the emigrants, the report said, are ethnic Chinese and highly-educated.

It said that 60 percent of skilled Malaysian emigrants “cited social injustice as an important reason for leaving”.

“The positive discrimination policies favouring the ethnic Malays, or bumiputera, in Malaysia over the dominant Chinese and minority Indian populations have improved their access to education and jobs and helped them more fully realise their economic potential.

“Yet Malaysia’s Chinese and Indian minority citizens chafe at 70  percent quotas in university admissions, flocking instead to private and foreign schools and often staying away from the country.”

Perkasa Selangor lancar tabung bantuan Kiki

Kami membantu Kiki kerana dia berani mengaku kesalahannya dan dengan rela hati memohon maaf secara terbuka tanpa paksaan.

PETALING JAYA: Yang Dipertua Perkasa Selangor, Abu Bakar Yahya berkata tabung bantuan Siti Fairrah Ashyikin dilancarkan bagi membantu wanita ini kerana beliau seorang yang unik.

Melihat kepada kes Ashyikin atau dikenali dengan panggilan Kiki, membuat Perkasa Selangor terpanggil untuk membantunya.

“Kami membantu Kiki kerana dia berani mengaku kesalahannya dan dengan rela hati memohon maaf secara terbuka tanpa paksaan.

“Kiki juga dilihat sebagai bijak kerana menerima hukuman daripada pihak polis dan memberi kerjasama yang baik sepanjang kes tersebut,” katanya ketika dihubungi FMT.

Tambahnya lagi, beliau tidak mahu mempertikaikan keputusan Mahkamah Sesyen yang mengenakan denda RM5,000 dan hukuman melakukan khidmat sosial selama 240 jam dalam tempoh tiga bulan kerana mengetuk sebuah kereta yang menggesel dengan keretanya menggunakan pengunci stereng.

“Pendapat saya, Kiki mempunyai sebab tersendiri kerana tidak akan ada orang yang marah tanpa sebab dan tidak mustahil terdapat provokasi sebelum Kiki bertindak sebengis itu.

“Jika kita lihat video itu juga, ia tidak menunjukkan rakaman penuh kejadian kerana tidak dirakam dari awal,” jelasnya.

Katanya lagi, Kiki juga menunjukkan sikap yang terpuji kerana memberi kerjasama yang baik dengan pihak polis dan dapat mengelakkan dari berlakunya perselisihan kaum.

Beliau juga menegaskan Perkasa Selangor akan membantu pihak lain sekirannya terdapat kes yang unik seperti kes Kiki ini.

“Kita membantu selaras dengan prinsip Perkasa untuk membela bangsa Melayu berdasarkan perlembagaan undang-undang negara,” ujarnya.

Apabila diminta untuk mengulas berkenaan kenyataan Bekas Menteri Penerangan, Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin yang mempersoalkan Kiki dimarahi atas sebab perkauman, beliau menjawab itu hak masing-masing.

“Setiap orang ada pandangan tersendiri dan dia mempunyai hak untuk menyuarakannya.

“Saya merasakan, Zainuddin mungkin tidak dapat mengawal perasaan marahnya apabila melihat kes Kiki itu dan beliau harus berani bertanggungjawab ke atas kenyataan yang ditulis di blognya.”

Sementara itu orang ramai yang berhasrat ingin membantu boleh menghubungi terus Setiausaha Kehormat Perkasa Selangor, Tuan Mohd Idrus Ali Ahmad di talian 01128153249,” ujarnya.

Open letter to IGP

I have attached the picture of your investigation officer who insulted the Hindus and Hindu temples in his facebook posting.

Saravanan
____________________________________________________________________________________
Inspector General of Police
Ibu Pejabat Polis Diraja Malaysia,
50560 Bukit Aman, Kuala Lumpur.

Dear IGP,
Ref: Racist remarks by your investigation officer and others
The racist remarks which were uttered by your investigation officer Ahmad Tarmizi Yaakob and several other Malay NGOs are jeopardizing unity between our multi racial society. A worse scenario is you and your department keeping quiet of those remarks against Non-Malays or Non-Muslims.
In some scenarios you yourself have acted against the high court orders which is unfair to Non-Muslims in this country. We Malaysians would like to see equal treatment. We are hoping for a better Malaysia; not a racist Malaysia which will interrupt the social harmony of the country.
A school teacher who had beaten an 8 year old girl wasn’t arrested by the police force even after the father lodged a police report. It is a child abuse case and considered as criminal. The child got injured. The best thing the education department did was transfer him to another school. We have seen the same scenarios in many cases. If this happened in the west, the teacher would be fired immediately and be arrested by the police. It is very unfortunately to see the Malaysian police force let hatred take place in Malaysian society.
I have attached the picture of your investigation officer who insulted the Hindus and Hindu temples in his facebook posting. We cannot tolerate racism. I urge the PM of Malaysia and the IGP to take stern action against all those who make racial remarks. I hope the IGP will do his job without fear and favor for any party.
Thank you
Kind regards,
Saravanan

Hindu Human Rights Organization (Hindhor)
Belgium

Stop accusing police of being racist, says IGP

(The Malay Mail Online) – Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar is frustrated over racist comments online, and allegations of police inefficiency and unfairness over the Kuantan road rage case.

He said the punishment meted out on Siti Fairrah Asyikin Kamaruddin, better known as Kiki, had nothing to do with her race.

“There have been remarks thrown at the police force that we are supporting a certain race and being biased in our investigation. There is no truth to this at all,” he said in a statement.

Just two hours after Khalid issued the statement to the media, he tweeted that a senior police officer who posted a racist remark had been immediately transferred.

The senior officer, with the rank of ASP, who is with the Criminal Investigation Department of the Kulim police headquarters, had been transferred to general police duties at Bukit Aman after a direct order from Khalid.

Khalid said the public had been commenting on social media that police action in the Kuantan case was unfair.

“There are claims we supported the person at fault just because of her race,” he said.

He said police investigated each case fairly and there were various technical aspects in conducting an investigation.

“In Siti Fairrah’s case, the investigation was completed quickly because she cooperated with police, even surrendering and admitting her wrongdoing,” he said.

Khalid gave another example of the case of sex bloggers Alvin Tan and Vivian Lee, in which police were also accused of being racist.

“We carried out an investigation fairly and the case is now in court,” he said.

“In both these cases police were not selective or biased towards any party.”

Khalid said all cases were carried out based on procedures and existing laws.

“People should avoid making racist allegations in social media because they cause unrest among the public and could lead to bigger racial problems,” he said.

He said those sharing false information online can be investigated for improper use of network facilities or network service, or defamation.

Chinese would claim racism if punished road bully were one of their own, says former minister

(The Malay Mail Online) – The Chinese would have labelled the punishment of road bully Siti Fairrah Ashykin Kamaruddin as “racist” were she of their ethnicity, claimed Tan Sri Zainuddin Maidin.

In a blog post yesterday, the former information minister noted there were no complaints of racism in the Kuantan incident that involved a Malay woman and an elderly Chinese man.

Instead, he said all had expressed their sympathy towards the elderly victim, Sim Siak Heong, and derided his attacker better known as Kiki.

“I wonder, how would the Chinese press, Chinese social media, Chinese parties and Chinese NGOs have reacted if the punished were a Chinese,” wrote Zainuddin.

“Wouldn’t they have considered the punishment to be racist, since it was just a petty case?”

The former group chief editor for Malay daily Utusan Malaysia was referring to Internet video of the woman recorded hammering away at the elderly vehicle with a steering lock and abusing him racially.

Siti Fairrah was fined RM5,000 and ordered to perform 240 hours of community services in lieu of jail time, after pleading guilty to causing mischief and damaging Sim’s car.

To bolster his insinuation, Zainuddin highlighted the case of Teoh Beng Hock’s death in custody, which he said was dubbed a murder by DAP MP Lim Kit Siang.

“If the police had acted quickly against such a small case like Kiki’s, then how many more years must it take for a major case such as probing Lim Kit Siang under the Sedition Act?” Zainuddin asked.

Lim is currently under investigation for sedition over a written tribute to Teoh published on the fifth anniversary of his death earlier this month.

He also accused the the Inspector-General of Police of delaying the investigation into a long-drawn political issue.

This, he claimed, had caused the Attorney-General to be seen as afraid of taking action or delaying it.

A social media storm erupted this week after the video documenting the woman verbally abusing an elderly Chinese man and hitting his car with a steering lock was uploaded on video-sharing site YouTube.

The police previously confirmed that the 67-year-old Sim was fined for failing to yield when exiting a junction and causing the accident.

Malay rights group Perkasa in Selangor had then launched the fund “out of sympathy for her” earlier today, which it hoped will “help lighten the financial burden” of the RM5,000 fine.

Zam, are you “Malaysian first, Malay second” or “Malay first, Malaysian second”?

By Lim Kit Siang,

Former information minister Datuk Zainuddin Maidin wondered in his blog what if the roles were reversed in the case of a Malay woman threatening an elderly Chinese man with a steering wheel lock following an accident, how would the “Chinese press, Chinese social media, Chinese parties and Chinese NGOs reacted if the person punished was a Chinese”.

He asked: “Wouldn’t they have considered the punishment to be racist since it was a small case?” he asked in his blog posting.

Zainuddin was commenting on the Kuantan Magistrate’s Court decision to fine Siti Fairah Asyikin Kamaruddin, also known as Kiki, RM5,000 and ordering her to engage in 240 hours of community service.

Kiki landed in trouble after a video of her threatening the senior citizen Sim Siak Heong went viral online.

It is shocking and the height of irresponsibility for a former Cabinet Minister to frame an issue on law-breaking through such racial and even racist lens.

Even more reprehensible and deplorable is his dismissal of “Chinese press, Chinese social media, Chinese parties and Chinese NGOs” as communal organisations utterly bereft of Malaysian nationalism or patriotism.

Zainuddin should first answer whether he is “Malaysian first, Malay second” or “Malay first, Malaysian second”, for it is only when he regards himself as in the former category that it is worthwhile, useful and productive to engage in any discussion with him pertaining to any subject whether concerning nation-building or fostering harmonious and congenial inter-racial and inter-religious relations in our plural nation.

From the standpoint of being Malaysian first, and race, religion or region second, the answer to the question “What if Kiki was Chinese” is a simple and straightforward one, as the question of race is utterly irrelevant as Article 8(1) of the Federal Constitution confers the constitutional guarantee of equality before the law to all Malaysians, providing that “All persons are equal before the law and entitled to equal protection of the law”.

Whether “Kiki” is Malay, Chinese, Indian, Kadazan or Iban, she must face the consequences of the law for any infringement, as she found out after her inexcusable “road rage” causing damage to the car belonging to Sim Siak Hong, 61, in front of the Urban Transformation Centre in Kuantan on July 14, striking the bonnet roof and windows of Sim’s car with a steering lock, causing him to suffer a loss of RM500.

Zainuddin commended the authorities for bringing the matter to court and also agreed with the sentence meted out.

As a Malaysian first, Chinese second, this is where I disagree with Zainuddin. Yes, the authorities are to be commended for bringing the matter to court, but No, I do not agree with the sentence which I feel is on the heavy side.

She was charged under Section 427 of the Penal Code for committing mischief, which carries a maximum jail term of two years, a fine, or both, upon conviction. She was fined RM5,000 and ordered to perform 240 hours of community service.

I feel Kiki had been punished enough. She had expressed regret and remorse for what she had done. Sim had forgiven him. She was the subject of universal scorn and condemnation in the social media – a punishment never envisaged when the Penal Code was drafted in the last century, which was pre-Internet era and before the advent of the social media. She underwent the “trial of the social media” which should have been taken into account, which is why I think the RM5,000 fine is on the high side.

DAP is prepared to provide free legal service to Kiki if she wants to appeal against the RM5,000 fine and the DAP MP for Puchong, Gobind Singh Deo has confirmed that the DAP Legal Bureau headed by him is prepared to render such a service.

As a former Cabinet Minister, Zainuddin should have set a better example to unite instead of dividing Malaysians.

I had lamented that Malaysians are only united in grief and sorrow when there are disasters or catastrophes like the two recent air disasters in five months – the MH370 and MH 17 disasters which claimed 537 lives – but not during ordinary times and I had urged Malaysians to speak the language of unity, moderation, tolerance and justice and not the language of division, extremism, hatred and injustice.

Can Zainuddin change his mindset to set an example to speak the language of unity, moderation, tolerance and justice instead of harping on the rhetorics of division, extremism, hatred and injustice?

Zainuddin wants “lightning-quick action” from the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar against me under the Sedition Act for my statement that Teoh Beng Hock (TBH) had been murdered and that the killers are still at large.

Zainuddin has no views or position about the infamous double standards and notorious selectivity of the police with regard to the crescendo of seditious utterances and threats by extremist individuals and NGOs inciting racial and religious hatred, tension and conflict in the past 14 months.

If I had attacked individual Barisan Nasional leaders and accused them of causing the May 13 riots in 1969, I would have immediately, and rightly, been arrested and charged in court on a variety of offences for such an irresponsible conduct. But Zainuddin is quite happy and comfortable with the police double standards with false accusations against me that I was the cause of the May 13 riots in Kuala Lumpur when I was not even in Kuala Lumpur during the May 13 riots in 1969 – with no action taken by the authorities against such malice and hatred!

Again, if any DAP leader had threatened May 13 riots in the country, he or she would have to face the full weight of the law – and rightly so, because all Malaysians cherish peace, harmony and unity in our multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation. But Zainuddin is quite happy that no action is being taken by the police or authorities although May 13 threats had been openly made at least three times this year by racial and religious extremists and chauvinists.

I invite Zainuddin to join me to foreswear the language of division, extremism, hatred and injustice and to embrace the language of unity, moderation, tolerance and justice to build a united, democratic, just and prosperous Malaysia for all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region.

AG looking into possible legal action over MH17 downing, PM says

Malay Mail
by Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 — The Attorney-General has been instructed to look into possible action against parties responsible for the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 in eastern Ukraine, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak told Parliament today.

The Malaysian Parliament convenes today to debate a motion to condemn the downing of the jetliner believed to have been shot down by a surface-to-air missile, an incident Najib stressed violated international laws.

“The AG has been told to study this matter thoroughly and in details, to ensure any legal action to be taken by Malaysia in the future will based on international laws,” he said while reading out the motion.

Malaysia lost 43 people out of the 298 on board in the July 17 downing.

This is the first time Najib has indicated Malaysia’s plan for legal action against parties responsible for the missile attack on the plane following growing domestic calls for Putrajaya to take stern measures to bring the perpetrators to justice.

Legal experts believe Malaysia has a strong case but stressed it is vital to obtain evidence as to the type of missile that took down the Malaysia Airlines plane, as well as for other facts to be uncovered first.

 

The prime minister has been very careful in his dealings over the issue, and only recently revealed details of the behind-the-scenes negotiations with the self-proclaimed leader of the Donetsk-based pro-Russia rebels, Alexander Borodai, in order to secure the plane’s black boxes and the remains of the victims.

But Najib again showed firmness in his demand for justice for the victims today and reiterated his call for all parties to allow international experts to conduct a transparent and objective investigation of the incident.

“Malaysia welcomes the calls for an independent probe by international bodies and urge all parties to co-operate to ensure investigations can be completed.

“We demand and support an international investigation that is completely independent.

“The perpetrators must be brought to justice,” he said.

Yesterday Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said the international investigation team led by the Netherlands has decided to pass the black boxes to the United Kingdom Air Accidents Investigation Branch for forensic analysis.

The US, Australia and Ukraine are convinced rebels backed by Moscow took down the Boeing plane.

But Najib said again today that Malaysia would not point fingers until an independent investigation is complete.

Remains Of MH17 Victims Unlikely To Be Flown Home Before Aidilfitri - Najib

Datuk Seri Najib Tun RazakKUALA LUMPUR, July 24 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today said remains of victims from the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17 plane crash are unlikely to be brought back before the Aidilfitri celebration.

The prime minister said this was due to technicalities involved in the DNA verification process.

"I regret that I have to inform the families concerned (about this development)," he told reporters after signing the condolence book in memory of the 298 people who perished in the plane crash in eastern Ukraine on July 17, at the residence of the Dutch envoy to Malaysia, Harry Molenaar, here.

Najib said the identification process had to be done according to strict procedures, bearing in mind the need for evidence for possible prosecution.

"We can't avoid this painstaking process. This is both to meet the technical and legal requirements," he said adding that the whole process was expected "to take weeks or even months".

Forty-three Malaysians were among 298 passengers and crew aboard MH17 en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was believed to have been shot down in the region of Donetsk.

Najib also regretted that international investigators were still unable to have full access of the crash site.

"I'm angry because we want full access (but this is not the case).

Unfortunately it's a war zone, and you know in war zones there are many constraints which the parties involved must respect," he said.

Asked whether he would discuss the matter with Alexander Borodai, the commander of the pro-Russian separatists in the area where the jetliner went down, Najib said: "Not at the moment".

"But I'll be talking probably with Ukraine President Petro Poroshenko and reach out to Borodai," Najib said, noting that he was mindful of the sensitivities involved.

Meanwhile, in the condolence book, Najib penned a few lines expressing condolences on behalf of the government and the people of Malaysia to all the families in the Netherlands who had lost their loved ones in the MH17 tragedy.

"We feel for the families and our hearts go out to them," he said.