Tuesday, 5 August 2014
Man held for torching wife over ‘not having son’
The suspect, however, denies the allegation and alleges the woman attempted self-immolation following a domestic row.
A case has been lodged against the suspect under sections 324, 147 and 149 of the Pakistan Penal Code on the report of Muhammad Sarwar, the victim’s brother. The police have arrested the suspect.
According to the FIR, the suspect, Jameel, who had two daughters -- one some three years old and the other one-year old — would often quarrel with his wife Asma Bibi over not bearing a baby boy. Following such a quarrel on Sunday he poured kerosene on her and set her on fire.
The injured woman was immediately shifted to the Combined Military Hospital (CMH), Kharian, from where she was referred to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore, in critical condition.
According to police, the suspect refuted the allegation of burning his wife, claiming she attempted self-immolation following a domestic quarrel.
Police were yet to record the victim’s statement and were waiting for her to be stable.
Published in Dawn, Aug 4th, 2014
http://www.dawn.com/news/1123165/man-held-for-torching-wife-over-not-having-son
Meerut on boil over alleged gang-rape, forced conversion
By Ajith Vijay Kumar
Meerut: Even before communal embers get extinguished in Saharanpur, tension gripped neighbouring Meerut after a young madrasa teacher alleged gang-rape and forced conversion into a community.
The 20-year-old, who was a regular teacher of Hindi and English in the Sarawa village madrasa in Kharkhauda, alleged that she was abducted on July 23 and taken to a madrasa in Hapur and later shifted to another one in Muzaffarnagar. She claimed that she was gang-raped and later forced to adopt the religion of a particular community and her named changed.
The woman managed to escape from captivity on August 2 and contacted her family who rescued her and later filed a complaint with the police.
Of the four persons named in the FIR, village chief of Sarawa and a madrasa official have been arrested and a hunt is on for the other two. The SHO of Kharkhauda has also been removed from his post.
The victim later claimed that she had seen 40 more girls in the Muzaffarnagar madrasa. She said they have been kept in captivity in a secret underground room.
With tensions rising and BJP leaders demanding complete probe, the UP Police searched the said madrasa only to find – reportedly – around 15 girls who had been registered there as having come there on a vacation. The police also failed to find any trace of a secret cellar.
The girl was taken for medical examination yesterday. She has claimed that her stomach was sliced, fuelling fears that the whole issue may be linked to a organ transplant racket.
The district administration is maintaining a strict vigil in the area.
Police and Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) personnel were deployed in the area after members of a particular communities attacked and pelted stone at the houses of members of another community last night in Kharkhauda and Atrada areas.
According to Superintendent of Police (rural) Captain MS Begh, the 20-year-old woman's father had lodged a complaint last night in Kharkhauda police station against Village Pradhan Nawab Khan, cleric Sallaullah, his wife and daughter Nishant for abduction and rape, as per PTI.
Begh said, the woman managed to escape and returned to her house on July 30 and narrated her ordeal to her parents.
He said the woman's medical examination has confirmed rape and cuts were found on her abdomen. He rejected media reports that the girl's kidney had been removed.
Meerut District magistrate Pankaj Yadav today said that Sallaullah, his wife and daughter have been arrested. Since the incident occurred in Hapud, he said the final decision post magisterial inquiry into the matter will be taken by Hapud district magistrate.
A magisterial inquiry into the incident will be conducted by Deputy District Collector SP Singh, who will submit a report within a week, District Magistrate (Hapud) Rajesh Kumar Singh said.
With PTI inputs
Students speak about extremism, racism and role in national unity
It was lively discussion, where the youth, encouraged by the informal setting and Saifuddin’s willingness to respond to their questions, spoke on issues that mattered to them, including national unity, and listened attentively as he addressed their concerns.
As Saifuddin said later: "Their questions are a reflection of what young people are thinking about today.”
A student from a private university asked Saifuddin what youth could do to push for national unity in Malaysia.
Saifuddin suggested that they could join non-governmental organisations such as Friendship Group for Inter Religious Service (FGIS) which fostered unity through understanding each other’s religion.
"This is one good group to join. The message is to do things together. Discussing issues is also important but doing something together is more important," he said at the roundtable yesterday held at Sunway University.
The roundtable on national unity was organised by Selangor MUN, the first independent Model United Nations (MUN) programme in Malaysia and GMMF.
The roundtable was part of its third annual conference for more than 200 youths from Malaysia, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
At MUN conferences, students role-play world leaders to simulate proceedings at the various UN affiliated organisations.
Another student asked if identifying themselves by race could be synonymous with national unity while several wanted to know why non-Muslims had to convert to Islam when marrying a Muslim, to which Saifuddin said that it was a law of Islam.
Many of the youth pointed out how race-based policies were seeping into education, with scholarships and places in public universities being prioritised for certain races first and asked what the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) was doing about this.
Saifuddin, who is also the NUCC's law and policy committee member, said that it had decided not to include education as one of its areas to work on because at that time, the National Education Blueprint had just been introduced.
"We wanted to give it time to take into effect. So we decided not to include it," he said.
Addressing concerns over introducing one stream for all schools, the former deputy higher education minister admitted that although that was the ideal to foster unity, in practicality, "choice was better".
"So, we need to balance between the national curriculum and the choice we allow parents to make on whether or not to send their children to national schools or vernacular schools," he said.
"My take is, unity is not about uniformity. If we have to live with two systems in Malaysia, so be it. It doesn't mean we cannot achieve unity if we also have vernacular schools.”
A student, a basketball player, said how sports played a big part in bringing Malaysians together.
"There is that unity when people get together to support Malaysian teams competing in international games," he said.
Saifuddin agreed, adding that sports were the best area to foster national unity.
"When we go to a stadium to support Harimau Malaya (Malaysia's football team), we wear the team's colours and we are united in cheering them on," he added.
Several students also told Saifuddin that they were disturbed by the voices of extremists, such as Perkasa and Isma, which were getting louder than those of the moderates, with some saying that such issues have been sensationalised by the media.
"I only wish there is some platform where all religious authorities can sit down and address these issues," Saifuddin said.
He later said the issues highlighted by the student leaders had been raised in dialogues organised by the NUCC.
"They were quite candid in their observations. One or two issues that might normally be considered sensitive were raised but in a civil manner.”
Sacking of Khalid discussed at PKR meeting - Malaysiakini
Abdul Khalid Ibrahim may be sacked as a PKR member if he continues to cling on to his Selangor menteri besar post, a party insider said today.
The possible sacking of Khalid from the party was discussed at the PKR political bureau meeting at its headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya, last night, the source said.
"Although we see this as one of the ways to make Khalid vacate the post, it will look bad on the party," the source told Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity.
However when asked about this today, party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told Malaysiakini there was no mention of the word "sacking" in the meeting.
Khalid's defiance to the request by PKR to vacate the post of menteri besar has irked PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (above), who appears to be in a quandary now.
This is especially so with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and the Islamic party's spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat expressing their support for Khalid to stay in his post.
The position taken by the PAS leadership has also opened the possibility of a split in Pakatan, although Anwar has dismissed this, saying there was no indication of this and that all the member parties were committed to the coalition’s spirit of cooperation.
Just before the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebration, Anwar announced that his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (right) will be new Selangor menteri besar, but this was not taken well by some factions within the party, even though no one defended Khalid to stay on.
The July 19 announcement came after an intense and heated meeting of the PKR leadership, including MPs and state assemblypersons from all over the country.
The source said last night’s meeting, which ended at midnight, also discussed putting up an alternative name for Khalid's replacement.
Azmin's name too comes in
The party, he said, would, besides Wan Azizah, propose another name as well for the post to the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council.
Gombak parliamentarian Azmin Ali, who is leading the race for the post of PKR deputy president, would be the other person the party would propose to its allies - DAP and PAS - so that the two parties can come to a decision on the matter in their respective central committee meetings on Aug 10.
The source said PAS would most likely accept Azmin, as the party has shown resistance toward putting up Wan Azizah as the head of the Selangor government.
He said DAP leaders had no problem with either Wan Azizah or Azmin, as long as Khalid was replaced.
The source said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's latest statement that all parties must first decide if they can accept a woman to be menteri besar, showed the party was open to another candidate.
"The decision to name Azmin as an alternative is based on the fact that his name was proposed by seven people at the last special meeting PKR held at its headquarters before Hari Raya," the source said.
"One of the leaders who proposed Azmin's name is Penang PKR chief Mansor Othman, who is closest to Anwar in the northern region," the source added.
He said the party may not have a choice but to propose two names, in order to appease the various factions in DAP, PKR and PAS that supports Azmin (above).
He added that these factions feel Azmin would be best to replace Khalid due to his loyalty to the party since 1998 - during the reformasi days - and due to his support from PKR grassroots especially in Selangor, considering his performance at the party's internal polls.
Azmin has remained in the lead for the deputy president post against Khalid and Saifuddin (right).
This group feels that Selangor needs an MB who can come out strongly against arch rival Umno, and that Azmin is the best person to do so as he has led Pakatan Rakyat to victory in the 2008 and 2013 general polls.
Speaking in his capacity as secretary-general, Saifuddin today dispelled talk of alternative candidates, insisting that Wan Azizah is the sole candidate and Azmin has endorsed this.
Azmin himself has been very quiet about the whole Selangor MB fiasco and has declined requests for interviews with the press.
However, it is learnt that Azmin, since he returned from a 10-day pilgrimage to Mecca, has held serious and private discussions with Anwar, DAP and PAS leaders to find a solution to the Selangor problem.
- See more at: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/270519#sthash.D3gKTlJQ.dpuf
The possible sacking of Khalid from the party was discussed at the PKR political bureau meeting at its headquarters in Tropicana, Petaling Jaya, last night, the source said.
"Although we see this as one of the ways to make Khalid vacate the post, it will look bad on the party," the source told Malaysiakini on condition of anonymity.However when asked about this today, party secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told Malaysiakini there was no mention of the word "sacking" in the meeting.
Khalid's defiance to the request by PKR to vacate the post of menteri besar has irked PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (above), who appears to be in a quandary now.
This is especially so with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang and the Islamic party's spiritual adviser Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat expressing their support for Khalid to stay in his post.
The position taken by the PAS leadership has also opened the possibility of a split in Pakatan, although Anwar has dismissed this, saying there was no indication of this and that all the member parties were committed to the coalition’s spirit of cooperation.
Just before the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri celebration, Anwar announced that his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (right) will be new Selangor menteri besar, but this was not taken well by some factions within the party, even though no one defended Khalid to stay on.The July 19 announcement came after an intense and heated meeting of the PKR leadership, including MPs and state assemblypersons from all over the country.
The source said last night’s meeting, which ended at midnight, also discussed putting up an alternative name for Khalid's replacement.
Azmin's name too comes in
The party, he said, would, besides Wan Azizah, propose another name as well for the post to the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council.
Gombak parliamentarian Azmin Ali, who is leading the race for the post of PKR deputy president, would be the other person the party would propose to its allies - DAP and PAS - so that the two parties can come to a decision on the matter in their respective central committee meetings on Aug 10.
The source said PAS would most likely accept Azmin, as the party has shown resistance toward putting up Wan Azizah as the head of the Selangor government.
He said DAP leaders had no problem with either Wan Azizah or Azmin, as long as Khalid was replaced.
The source said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng's latest statement that all parties must first decide if they can accept a woman to be menteri besar, showed the party was open to another candidate.
"The decision to name Azmin as an alternative is based on the fact that his name was proposed by seven people at the last special meeting PKR held at its headquarters before Hari Raya," the source said."One of the leaders who proposed Azmin's name is Penang PKR chief Mansor Othman, who is closest to Anwar in the northern region," the source added.
He said the party may not have a choice but to propose two names, in order to appease the various factions in DAP, PKR and PAS that supports Azmin (above).
He added that these factions feel Azmin would be best to replace Khalid due to his loyalty to the party since 1998 - during the reformasi days - and due to his support from PKR grassroots especially in Selangor, considering his performance at the party's internal polls.
Azmin has remained in the lead for the deputy president post against Khalid and Saifuddin (right).This group feels that Selangor needs an MB who can come out strongly against arch rival Umno, and that Azmin is the best person to do so as he has led Pakatan Rakyat to victory in the 2008 and 2013 general polls.
Speaking in his capacity as secretary-general, Saifuddin today dispelled talk of alternative candidates, insisting that Wan Azizah is the sole candidate and Azmin has endorsed this.
Azmin himself has been very quiet about the whole Selangor MB fiasco and has declined requests for interviews with the press.
However, it is learnt that Azmin, since he returned from a 10-day pilgrimage to Mecca, has held serious and private discussions with Anwar, DAP and PAS leaders to find a solution to the Selangor problem.
Anwar: Bad move to gag bank notes bribery case
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has slammed Australia for making a bad move in its bid to hide the names of high-ranking Asian government officials in a bribery case before courts in that country.
The PKR leader said such a ruling by the Australian court against the reporting of this case was bad governance, akin to hiding the truth and raised suspicion if it was aimed at protecting the interests of a powerful few.
No less than three generations of Malaysian prime ministers were named in the case, which alleges that several Securency and Note Printing Australia (NPA) agents had given millions of dollars in inducements to secure contracts to supply polymer banknotes to Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries.
'It will serve to protect vested interests'
The Supreme Court of Victoria's “unprecedented” suppression order, dated June 19, was leaked on the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks’ website on July 29. However, the order can only apply to Australia.
“We fail to see how such a prohibition would advance the cause of good governance, aside from serving to protect certain vested interests.
“In this regard, the continued pursuance by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the gag order must be seen as condoning corruption in high places,” Anwar said in a press statement.
Apart from violating a fundamental principle of press freedom, the suppression order also runs counter to the practice of good governance, Anwar said.
This, he added, would involve transparency in dealings among public officials and accountability for their actions.
Both Australians and Malaysians have a legitimate right to all relevant facts and details on this case, Anwar said.
Malaysiakini has published the full list of 14 top Asian government and banking officials mentioned in the case in this article.
- See more at: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/270569#sthash.zZ3ltIWy.dpuf
The PKR leader said such a ruling by the Australian court against the reporting of this case was bad governance, akin to hiding the truth and raised suspicion if it was aimed at protecting the interests of a powerful few.No less than three generations of Malaysian prime ministers were named in the case, which alleges that several Securency and Note Printing Australia (NPA) agents had given millions of dollars in inducements to secure contracts to supply polymer banknotes to Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and other countries.
'It will serve to protect vested interests'
The Supreme Court of Victoria's “unprecedented” suppression order, dated June 19, was leaked on the anti-secrecy group Wikileaks’ website on July 29. However, the order can only apply to Australia.
“We fail to see how such a prohibition would advance the cause of good governance, aside from serving to protect certain vested interests.
“In this regard, the continued pursuance by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the gag order must be seen as condoning corruption in high places,” Anwar said in a press statement.
Apart from violating a fundamental principle of press freedom, the suppression order also runs counter to the practice of good governance, Anwar said.
This, he added, would involve transparency in dealings among public officials and accountability for their actions.
Both Australians and Malaysians have a legitimate right to all relevant facts and details on this case, Anwar said.
Malaysiakini has published the full list of 14 top Asian government and banking officials mentioned in the case in this article.
ISMA desak SPRM siasat AG dan IGP
Mereka seolah-olah mengamalkan pendakwaan terpilih apabila melibatkan kes penghinaan yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam.
PETALING JAYA: Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) di minta untuk menyiasat Peguam Negara,Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail dan Ketua Polis Negara,Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar berikutan kegagalan mereka untuk mengambil tindakan terhadap kes menghina agama atau kaum di negara ini seperti yang didedahkan media tempatan.
Menurut Presiden Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA), Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, mereka seolah-olah mengamalkan pendakwaan terpilih apabila melibatkan kes penghinaan yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam.
“Berapa banyak kes sehingga hari ini yang tidak di ambil sebarang tindakan jika ianya melibatkan orang bukan Islam. Sebaliknya jika orang Islam dan Melayu yang melakukan perkara itu, dengan pantas dan segera diadakan siasatan.
“Jadi apakah sebenarnya yang menghalang Ketua Polis Negara dan Peguam Negara daripada tanggungjawab ini sehingga menyebabkan mereka yang bersalah dilindungi?” soalnya.
Abdullah turut menjelaskan beberapa pendedahan yang dilakukan oleh akhbar tempatan dan portal media mengenai kes penghinaan terhadap agama yang masih belum diambil tindakan.
“Contohnya seperti pemilik akaun ‘Facebook’ Smallfield Benjamin, Alvin Tan Jye Yee dan Vivian Lee yang kesnya sehingga kini masih tergantung, begitu juga kes penyanyi rap Namewee yang sudah lebih tujuh tahun masih tiada tindakan di ambil ke atasnya,” ujarnya.
Selain itu Abdullah turut menerangkan bahawa, Pengerusi Pertubuhan Seni dan Budaya dan pemilik akaun ‘Facebook’ David Orok, pemilik akaun Facebook Kwang Yung, dan yang terkini Kelvin Yap serta ramai lagi yang terlibat masih bebas tanpa di ambil sebarang tindakan.
Dalam pada itu, status 30 laporan polis yang dibuat ISMA ke atas parti chauvinis DAP dan pemimpinnya Lim Kit Siang juga sehingga kini masih tiada maklumbalas mahupun tindakan di ambil oleh pihak yang berkenaan.
“Ini berikutan Lim Kit Siang telah memfitnah ISMA semasa himpunan di Dataran Merdeka sempena ulang tahun pertama PRU13 pada 4 Mei lalu dan ucapan tersebut telah disiarkan di Youtube pada 7 Mei 2014,” katanya.
Menurut Presiden Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (ISMA), Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman, mereka seolah-olah mengamalkan pendakwaan terpilih apabila melibatkan kes penghinaan yang dilakukan oleh orang bukan Islam.
“Berapa banyak kes sehingga hari ini yang tidak di ambil sebarang tindakan jika ianya melibatkan orang bukan Islam. Sebaliknya jika orang Islam dan Melayu yang melakukan perkara itu, dengan pantas dan segera diadakan siasatan.
“Jadi apakah sebenarnya yang menghalang Ketua Polis Negara dan Peguam Negara daripada tanggungjawab ini sehingga menyebabkan mereka yang bersalah dilindungi?” soalnya.
Abdullah turut menjelaskan beberapa pendedahan yang dilakukan oleh akhbar tempatan dan portal media mengenai kes penghinaan terhadap agama yang masih belum diambil tindakan.
“Contohnya seperti pemilik akaun ‘Facebook’ Smallfield Benjamin, Alvin Tan Jye Yee dan Vivian Lee yang kesnya sehingga kini masih tergantung, begitu juga kes penyanyi rap Namewee yang sudah lebih tujuh tahun masih tiada tindakan di ambil ke atasnya,” ujarnya.
Selain itu Abdullah turut menerangkan bahawa, Pengerusi Pertubuhan Seni dan Budaya dan pemilik akaun ‘Facebook’ David Orok, pemilik akaun Facebook Kwang Yung, dan yang terkini Kelvin Yap serta ramai lagi yang terlibat masih bebas tanpa di ambil sebarang tindakan.
Dalam pada itu, status 30 laporan polis yang dibuat ISMA ke atas parti chauvinis DAP dan pemimpinnya Lim Kit Siang juga sehingga kini masih tiada maklumbalas mahupun tindakan di ambil oleh pihak yang berkenaan.
“Ini berikutan Lim Kit Siang telah memfitnah ISMA semasa himpunan di Dataran Merdeka sempena ulang tahun pertama PRU13 pada 4 Mei lalu dan ucapan tersebut telah disiarkan di Youtube pada 7 Mei 2014,” katanya.
Pakatan sending wrong signals to public
The spat among parties in Pakatan Rakyat is creating doubt among the people over whether they really pose a serious challenge to the ruling government.
KUALA LUMPUR: The bickering in Pakatan Rakyat (Pakatan) over the Menteri Besar issue has made them look vulnerable in the eyes of the public while showing up their lack of credibility as an alternative to the ruling government, Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy said today.
Waythamoorthy also said a united opposition was essential to maintain a proper check and balance on the current administration.
“The recent spat between the parties is seeding a lack of confidence among the public,” he said in a press statement today.
He added that the in-fighting seemed more a clash of differing personalities and personal agendas rather than Pakatan’s collective aspirations for the public.
Waythamoorthy said a public pressure organisation like Hindraf was there to ensure that political parties from either side of the equation maintained their drive based on the will of the people as opposed to individual interests.
He said a loose alliance like Pakatan was built on the consensus of a civil society that had been evolving and accepted by the current generation.
He added that although the parties within Pakatan had different political ideologies, they must arrive at a consensus for the common good of the public.
“This current episode seems to be a constructive political attempt to remove the current Selangor Menteri Besar, which not only robs the community of a viable opposition but creates doubt on the ability of Pakatan if they are to come into power,” said Waythamoorthy.
He said Pakatan parties should get their act together and continue to participate in the political front as a credible and viable opposition.
Waythamoorthy also said a united opposition was essential to maintain a proper check and balance on the current administration.
“The recent spat between the parties is seeding a lack of confidence among the public,” he said in a press statement today.
He added that the in-fighting seemed more a clash of differing personalities and personal agendas rather than Pakatan’s collective aspirations for the public.
Waythamoorthy said a public pressure organisation like Hindraf was there to ensure that political parties from either side of the equation maintained their drive based on the will of the people as opposed to individual interests.
He said a loose alliance like Pakatan was built on the consensus of a civil society that had been evolving and accepted by the current generation.
He added that although the parties within Pakatan had different political ideologies, they must arrive at a consensus for the common good of the public.
“This current episode seems to be a constructive political attempt to remove the current Selangor Menteri Besar, which not only robs the community of a viable opposition but creates doubt on the ability of Pakatan if they are to come into power,” said Waythamoorthy.
He said Pakatan parties should get their act together and continue to participate in the political front as a credible and viable opposition.
Loss of direction
By TAY TIAN YAN
ONE MORE WEEK to go before August 10. On that day, not only will the fate of Selangor's MB be ascertained, the destiny of Pakatan Rakyat will also be hooked on it.
So far we have still yet to see any side trying to back down/ Although the three parties making up the opposition pact has issued a joint statement refuting their discord, the war smoke is still detectable behind that statement.
PKR has wanted its grassroots to declare their stands, and branch leaders have applied pressure on Khalid Ibrahim to step down from office.
At the same time, DAP suddenly voiced its support for a female MB while also asking other Pakatan component parties to explicitly state their positions, in an obvious move to pave way for Wan Azizah to helm the state administration.
Meanwhile, PAS has issued a gag order for party leaders to voice dissident ideas, but that does not stop the party leaders from uncompromisingly supporting the decision of the party's central leadership.
All relevant quarters remain insistent as they fight to achieve their own goals. Personal and party agendas have overridden the Pakatan Rakyat agenda, and many people begin to doubt whether the Pakatan agenda is still relevant, if there is any.
Pakatan Rakyat supporters as well as die-hard defenders of two-party system are completely dejected. They have no clue which way will the three-party pact be headed to in the future. Will the country's two-party system suffer a fatal blow because of the current impasse?
For the sake of securing state and even federal administrations during the past elections, these three parties came together as they targeted specifically their common foes. However, now that the elections are over, the begin to move on their own ways.
IT'S NOT A BAD thing discovering the problem of three-horse chariot early.
I am not trying to say anything negative about Pakatan Rakyat. As a matter of fact, I absolutely approve the development of democratic politics. We must have different parties that can be pitched against others, and I insist that there must be different political roadmaps that the electorate can assess and compare.
The emergence of Pakatan Rakyat marked a big step forward in the country's political development. But this journey should be one that is constantly steered forward, never going back to the old way.
The problem is, having come this far, Pakatan is now losing its sense of direction, and momentum as well. As it couldn't even be certain which way it is headed to, how do we expect it to lead the country towards the future?
The chaotic situation within the opposition pact should rightly sound an alarm bell. Pakatan will need to learn how to grow itself and how to tackle the many trials and setbacks. The current gridlock should serve as a unique opportunity for the three parties to reflect on themselves and identify the root of their problem. They must rectify their own fallacies and deficiencies before they can move on from here.
PAKATAN'S EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS came as an unexpected surprise and without much effort from 2008 through last year's GE13.
To be honest, the support rate gained by the pact had not been a consequence of the great initiatives of the three parties to a very large extent, but one that was handed out generously by the masses.
Many people were sick of the decades-old political model and were yearning for change so that their voices could find an effective outlet and their own rights be respected and defended.
Calls for greater democracy as a result of globalization made Malaysians feel that they too could make it to the forefront of real political progress.
Right then the three parties came together and formed a political alliance offering Malaysians a new option.
UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN AS the voters cast their votes in favor of Pakatan Rakyat candidates and pinned their hopes on them in 2008 and 2013, they appeared to have failed to reciprocate the people's mandate.
What followed were a string of ill-intentioned designs to advance the personal political agendas of individual leaders, and never-ending populist tricks as well as accentuated ideological wars.
The success of Pakatan Rakyat has not been built upon the promotion of democratic politics, economic development and social harmony. Instead, it is engrossed with the hudud law, tackling the mass media, and playing tricks that are geared towards public favor.
People are beginning to get sick of all these, and the Teluk Intan by-election should serve as a good indicator.
Before Pakatan ruins its own future, perhaps it should take a retrospective look at the attributes that put the parties together back then, i.e. democracy, clean governance and reform, and resolutely make over.
ONE MORE WEEK to go before August 10. On that day, not only will the fate of Selangor's MB be ascertained, the destiny of Pakatan Rakyat will also be hooked on it.
So far we have still yet to see any side trying to back down/ Although the three parties making up the opposition pact has issued a joint statement refuting their discord, the war smoke is still detectable behind that statement.
PKR has wanted its grassroots to declare their stands, and branch leaders have applied pressure on Khalid Ibrahim to step down from office.
At the same time, DAP suddenly voiced its support for a female MB while also asking other Pakatan component parties to explicitly state their positions, in an obvious move to pave way for Wan Azizah to helm the state administration.
Meanwhile, PAS has issued a gag order for party leaders to voice dissident ideas, but that does not stop the party leaders from uncompromisingly supporting the decision of the party's central leadership.
All relevant quarters remain insistent as they fight to achieve their own goals. Personal and party agendas have overridden the Pakatan Rakyat agenda, and many people begin to doubt whether the Pakatan agenda is still relevant, if there is any.
Pakatan Rakyat supporters as well as die-hard defenders of two-party system are completely dejected. They have no clue which way will the three-party pact be headed to in the future. Will the country's two-party system suffer a fatal blow because of the current impasse?
For the sake of securing state and even federal administrations during the past elections, these three parties came together as they targeted specifically their common foes. However, now that the elections are over, the begin to move on their own ways.
IT'S NOT A BAD thing discovering the problem of three-horse chariot early.
I am not trying to say anything negative about Pakatan Rakyat. As a matter of fact, I absolutely approve the development of democratic politics. We must have different parties that can be pitched against others, and I insist that there must be different political roadmaps that the electorate can assess and compare.
The emergence of Pakatan Rakyat marked a big step forward in the country's political development. But this journey should be one that is constantly steered forward, never going back to the old way.
The problem is, having come this far, Pakatan is now losing its sense of direction, and momentum as well. As it couldn't even be certain which way it is headed to, how do we expect it to lead the country towards the future?
The chaotic situation within the opposition pact should rightly sound an alarm bell. Pakatan will need to learn how to grow itself and how to tackle the many trials and setbacks. The current gridlock should serve as a unique opportunity for the three parties to reflect on themselves and identify the root of their problem. They must rectify their own fallacies and deficiencies before they can move on from here.
PAKATAN'S EXCEPTIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS came as an unexpected surprise and without much effort from 2008 through last year's GE13.
To be honest, the support rate gained by the pact had not been a consequence of the great initiatives of the three parties to a very large extent, but one that was handed out generously by the masses.
Many people were sick of the decades-old political model and were yearning for change so that their voices could find an effective outlet and their own rights be respected and defended.
Calls for greater democracy as a result of globalization made Malaysians feel that they too could make it to the forefront of real political progress.
Right then the three parties came together and formed a political alliance offering Malaysians a new option.
UNFORTUNATELY, EVEN AS the voters cast their votes in favor of Pakatan Rakyat candidates and pinned their hopes on them in 2008 and 2013, they appeared to have failed to reciprocate the people's mandate.
What followed were a string of ill-intentioned designs to advance the personal political agendas of individual leaders, and never-ending populist tricks as well as accentuated ideological wars.
The success of Pakatan Rakyat has not been built upon the promotion of democratic politics, economic development and social harmony. Instead, it is engrossed with the hudud law, tackling the mass media, and playing tricks that are geared towards public favor.
People are beginning to get sick of all these, and the Teluk Intan by-election should serve as a good indicator.
Before Pakatan ruins its own future, perhaps it should take a retrospective look at the attributes that put the parties together back then, i.e. democracy, clean governance and reform, and resolutely make over.
Do Umno Baru men fear women?
The WikiLeaks ‘RM5 banknote gagging order’ has revealed that we cannot look to the West (read Australia) for an example of a nation which upholds democratic values, rule of law and a free press. Similarly, Malaysians cannot look to some men, principally Malay men in Umno Baru, as role models for equality, fairness and justice.
Last month, an Umno Baru constitutional law ‘expert’ said that PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail could not become menteri besar because her menstruation was an “obstacle which would prevent her from accompanying the sultan, at functions”.
A few decades ago, when working in the petroleum industry, some men tried to discourage women with comments such as, “How can you go offshore, or climb ladders? Your clothing is an ‘obstacle’.”
These men had not heard of overalls. In their opinion, high-flying women were either stenographers or shop assistants. Things have not progressed much, in Malaysia.
Perhaps, Umno Baru men are trapped in a time warp, in which women are subservient and docile. Do they hanker for the good old days when a woman was a maid at home, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom? We are not living in an Islamic caliphate nor are we living in the dark ages.
Umno Baru lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun (left), Umno Baru Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) lecturer Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz forget how they arrived in this world. For nine months, women carry a foetus, suffer weeks of morning sickness, have eating and sleeping problems, to climax in the pain of delivery.
Even if miracles could be performed, these men would not be willing to sacrifice nine months of their lives, nor endure the pain of childbirth.
In many families, the son receives preferential treatment. He gets the choice cuts of meat, the more expensive present and he need not do the chores. He gets to go out and party. Girls learn the meaning of tolerance and the importance of sharing. They experience the effects of discrimination from an early age.
Women know how to make others feel good, and bring out the best in people. See how girlfriends mollycoddle their boyfriends. Observe how mothers whip up the best meals for the son-in-law, when he visits.
As girls help their mothers to cook and keep the house clean, they learn about deadlines, such as preparing meals on time. They keep to a budget, when buying groceries. They observe healthy eating habits and realise the importance of cleanliness. One needs to look into one’s teenage son’s room, to realise that males have a different concept of tidiness.
Good at multi-tasking
What happens at home is translated to the workplace. Perhaps, that explains why government departments, which invite potential bidders for a tender, usually lay on a good spread before the meeting. Women would get straight to the point and hold the meeting, to thrash out the job requirements. Women celebrate after a job has been done well, not before.
Girls learn to feed their younger siblings whilst loading the washing-machine, the curry is simmering and the rice is cooking. They may be busy, but all the while, their minds are on the complex algebra which teacher has set them for homework. Women are good at multi-tasking.
The boy who parties late, is not up on time for school. He bullies or bribes his sister to finish his homework. Girls love mental challenges. This may explain why girls perform better at school and college. At university, more women take up professional courses like engineering, science and medicine. Malay men prefer religious studies courses.
After years of helping in a busy kitchen and answering to a mother who demands excellence, girls handle stress better than their brothers. Dealing with a demanding mother also equips women with good survival instincts.
With better communication skills, women make better listeners than men and tend to speak their minds. To get the job done, they may have to scream and shout, a lot. Men mistake this for nagging. Women call it constructive criticism.
Women are not afraid of tackling difficult situations. The housewife who wants a particular do-it-yourself (DIY) job done, or wants to know how her husband got a lipstick stain on his collar, knows that men can be very evasive.
Women have very good memories. Just ask any man who has just been nagged by his wife. She will remind him that he made the same mistake 20 years previously, or that he forgot her birthday 32 years ago.
Women pay regular visits to their doctors, because they know that if they fall ill, the whole household suffers. Men are reluctant to address their health issues. Men don’t just have a common cold, they have ‘man-flu’ and are at death’s door.
Older women have learnt to manage their time. Many are childminders for their grandchildren, they control the family finances and retirement fund, besides organising the annual holidays. They dread the day when their husbands retire, because after a lifetime of being told what to do at work, newly retired men act like lost puppies. They follow the wife around and are a nuisance, questioning her every move.
The woman who is unlucky to be someone’s first wife, can expect the arrival of her husband, when he has been chucked out of the youngest wife’s house. The arm-candy wife may be good to look at, but she cannot cope with her husband’s dementia, his double incontinence nor his demand for ‘soft-foods’.
On top of this, the menopausal woman who cannot sleep, can cram additional items into her schedule and get more work done.
Despite all this, Umno Baru men have the cheek to say that a woman is incapable of becoming a menteri besar. Why don’t they simply change the constitution and bar women from holding the highest office in the state, and the nation? Do Umno Baru men fear women, or just Pakatan women?
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).
- See more at: http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/270501#sthash.i6JdAFAK.dpuf
Last month, an Umno Baru constitutional law ‘expert’ said that PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail could not become menteri besar because her menstruation was an “obstacle which would prevent her from accompanying the sultan, at functions”.
A few decades ago, when working in the petroleum industry, some men tried to discourage women with comments such as, “How can you go offshore, or climb ladders? Your clothing is an ‘obstacle’.”
These men had not heard of overalls. In their opinion, high-flying women were either stenographers or shop assistants. Things have not progressed much, in Malaysia.
Perhaps, Umno Baru men are trapped in a time warp, in which women are subservient and docile. Do they hanker for the good old days when a woman was a maid at home, a cook in the kitchen and a whore in the bedroom? We are not living in an Islamic caliphate nor are we living in the dark ages.
Umno Baru lawyer Mohd Hafarizam Harun (left), Umno Baru Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) lecturer Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz forget how they arrived in this world. For nine months, women carry a foetus, suffer weeks of morning sickness, have eating and sleeping problems, to climax in the pain of delivery.Even if miracles could be performed, these men would not be willing to sacrifice nine months of their lives, nor endure the pain of childbirth.
In many families, the son receives preferential treatment. He gets the choice cuts of meat, the more expensive present and he need not do the chores. He gets to go out and party. Girls learn the meaning of tolerance and the importance of sharing. They experience the effects of discrimination from an early age.
Women know how to make others feel good, and bring out the best in people. See how girlfriends mollycoddle their boyfriends. Observe how mothers whip up the best meals for the son-in-law, when he visits.
As girls help their mothers to cook and keep the house clean, they learn about deadlines, such as preparing meals on time. They keep to a budget, when buying groceries. They observe healthy eating habits and realise the importance of cleanliness. One needs to look into one’s teenage son’s room, to realise that males have a different concept of tidiness.
Good at multi-tasking
What happens at home is translated to the workplace. Perhaps, that explains why government departments, which invite potential bidders for a tender, usually lay on a good spread before the meeting. Women would get straight to the point and hold the meeting, to thrash out the job requirements. Women celebrate after a job has been done well, not before.
Girls learn to feed their younger siblings whilst loading the washing-machine, the curry is simmering and the rice is cooking. They may be busy, but all the while, their minds are on the complex algebra which teacher has set them for homework. Women are good at multi-tasking.
The boy who parties late, is not up on time for school. He bullies or bribes his sister to finish his homework. Girls love mental challenges. This may explain why girls perform better at school and college. At university, more women take up professional courses like engineering, science and medicine. Malay men prefer religious studies courses.
After years of helping in a busy kitchen and answering to a mother who demands excellence, girls handle stress better than their brothers. Dealing with a demanding mother also equips women with good survival instincts.
With better communication skills, women make better listeners than men and tend to speak their minds. To get the job done, they may have to scream and shout, a lot. Men mistake this for nagging. Women call it constructive criticism.
Women are not afraid of tackling difficult situations. The housewife who wants a particular do-it-yourself (DIY) job done, or wants to know how her husband got a lipstick stain on his collar, knows that men can be very evasive.
Women have very good memories. Just ask any man who has just been nagged by his wife. She will remind him that he made the same mistake 20 years previously, or that he forgot her birthday 32 years ago.
Women pay regular visits to their doctors, because they know that if they fall ill, the whole household suffers. Men are reluctant to address their health issues. Men don’t just have a common cold, they have ‘man-flu’ and are at death’s door.
Older women have learnt to manage their time. Many are childminders for their grandchildren, they control the family finances and retirement fund, besides organising the annual holidays. They dread the day when their husbands retire, because after a lifetime of being told what to do at work, newly retired men act like lost puppies. They follow the wife around and are a nuisance, questioning her every move.
The woman who is unlucky to be someone’s first wife, can expect the arrival of her husband, when he has been chucked out of the youngest wife’s house. The arm-candy wife may be good to look at, but she cannot cope with her husband’s dementia, his double incontinence nor his demand for ‘soft-foods’.
On top of this, the menopausal woman who cannot sleep, can cram additional items into her schedule and get more work done.
Despite all this, Umno Baru men have the cheek to say that a woman is incapable of becoming a menteri besar. Why don’t they simply change the constitution and bar women from holding the highest office in the state, and the nation? Do Umno Baru men fear women, or just Pakatan women?
MARIAM MOKHTAR is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).
Constitution literacy programme to educate the public
The Star
by LOSHANA K. SHAGAR
by LOSHANA K. SHAGAR
PETALING
JAYA: A Constitution literacy programme in schools, tertiary
institutions and the public sector is one of the proposals to be put
forward to the Prime Minister by the National Unity Consultative Council
(NUCC) in its first national unity report.
NUCC’s
Law and Policy committee member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah said the
programme was needed to provide Malaysians with the appropriate
interpretation of the Federal Constitution.
“This
is because we have even come across people who are part of the
decision-making process who do not understand the Constitution.
“We
do not want people to interpret the Constitution wrongly,” he said
after attending a roundtable discussion on national unity by the
Selangor Model United Nations (Selangor MUN) last week.
Saifuddin
stressed that the programme need not be a formal subject in schools and
that it would help people understand that there may be laws and
enactments contradicting the Constitution.
“They
will then also understand the need to reconcile by amending these Acts
or state enactments that contradict the Federal Constitution.
“The
last objective of the proposed literacy programme is to ensure there
will be no rewriting or amending the Constitution through other
channels,” he added.
As
there were already groups promoting Constitution literacy, the NUCC is
proposing to work with these groups to further spread awareness on the
subject.
An
example Saifuddin referred to was the MyConstitution (MyConsti)
campaign by the Bar Council, which has been running in Malaysia since
2009.
The
group run by Malaysian lawyers was developed from the initial idea of a
two-year campaign to educate the public about constitutional awareness,
their rights as citizens of Malaysia as well as the way the country is
run.
On
another issue, Saifuddin said his committee was also compiling feedback
on the proposed harmony bills, which the NUCC had been mandated by
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to prepare.
Consisting
of the National Harmony and Reconciliation Bill, the National Harmony
and Reconciliation Commission Bill, and the Racial and Religious Hate
Crimes Bill, the bills are part of a blueprint to strengthen national
unity and integration.
Najib Congratulates Commonwealth Games Athletes
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 4 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak
congratulated all the Malaysian athletes who competed in the 20th
Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, particularly those who had won
medals.
The Prime Minister said in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my today that the Malaysian contingent had shown strong commitment and spirit in the games that began on July 23 and ended yesterday.
"The strong fighting spirit of our athletes had succeeded in grabbing six gold medals through weightlifter Mohd Hafifi Mansor, world squash champion Datuk Nicol David, local talents in the mixed squad, the national badminton men's and women's doubles pairs, as well as rising diving star Ooi Tze Liang," he said.
Malaysia ended in 12th spot with six gold, seven silver and six bronze medals at the second biggest sports meet in the world.
Najib said Malaysia must also undertake proactive measures to improve and enhance performance in sports, and continue to live based on the culture of excellence.
"I believe that we should aim to focus on achieving stellar results in future tournaments.
"As such, I call upon all Malaysians of different backgrounds, to continue standing behind our athletes.
"Together we can hold our heads high and strive for better in the future," he said.
The Prime Minister said the Malaysian contingent managed to win six of the seven gold medals targeted by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
"We set our goals more realistically because some of the games in which we won gold in the previous Commonwealth Games in New Delhi were not contested in Glasgow, as well as the fact that our athletes are not competing in some of the games and events this time," he said.
Najib said it was, however, uplifting to see Malaysians from all walks of life coming together in solidarity with the MH17 victims.
"...Nowhere is this unity better on display than at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
"We had a sombre start to the Games, where our Jalur Gemilang was flown at half-mast. Commonwealth nations also stood in solidarity with Malaysia, observing a minute's silence during the opening ceremony," he said.
Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down over the troubled country.
The Prime Minister said in his blog www.1malaysia.com.my today that the Malaysian contingent had shown strong commitment and spirit in the games that began on July 23 and ended yesterday.
"The strong fighting spirit of our athletes had succeeded in grabbing six gold medals through weightlifter Mohd Hafifi Mansor, world squash champion Datuk Nicol David, local talents in the mixed squad, the national badminton men's and women's doubles pairs, as well as rising diving star Ooi Tze Liang," he said.
Malaysia ended in 12th spot with six gold, seven silver and six bronze medals at the second biggest sports meet in the world.
Najib said Malaysia must also undertake proactive measures to improve and enhance performance in sports, and continue to live based on the culture of excellence.
"I believe that we should aim to focus on achieving stellar results in future tournaments.
"As such, I call upon all Malaysians of different backgrounds, to continue standing behind our athletes.
"Together we can hold our heads high and strive for better in the future," he said.
The Prime Minister said the Malaysian contingent managed to win six of the seven gold medals targeted by the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM).
"We set our goals more realistically because some of the games in which we won gold in the previous Commonwealth Games in New Delhi were not contested in Glasgow, as well as the fact that our athletes are not competing in some of the games and events this time," he said.
Najib said it was, however, uplifting to see Malaysians from all walks of life coming together in solidarity with the MH17 victims.
"...Nowhere is this unity better on display than at the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
"We had a sombre start to the Games, where our Jalur Gemilang was flown at half-mast. Commonwealth nations also stood in solidarity with Malaysia, observing a minute's silence during the opening ceremony," he said.
Flight MH17 crashed in eastern Ukraine on July 17 as it was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 283 passengers and 15 crew on board. The Boeing 777-200 aircraft is believed to have been shot down over the troubled country.
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