Monday, 29 September 2014
ISIS's 'emir of suicide bombers' raised $2million for 'military operations' from mystery Qatari donor, say US officials
- Tariq bin al-Tahar al-Harzi, 32, is 'one of ISIS's most senior commanders'
- He raised $2million from mystery Qatari donor, according to U.S. Treasury
- Unnamed donor told him cash must be…
- Tariq bin al-Tahar al-Harzi, 32, is 'one of ISIS's most senior commanders'
- He raised $2million from mystery Qatari donor, according to U.S. Treasury
- Unnamed donor told him cash must be used for 'military operations' only
- Revelations have sparked calls for the Gulf to prevent its citizens from aiding the flow of funds to Syria-based terror groups, such as the Islamic State
- Despite criticism, Qatar 'working together' with America against militants
- Al-Harzi among number of jihadis named as 'global terrorists' by Treasury
Tunisian-born Tariq bin al-Tahar al-Harzi, 32, one of the terror group's most senior commanders, allegedly arranged to receive the funds from a Gulf-based 'financial facilitator'.
The unnamed donor told him the cash must be used for 'military operations' and also enlisted the terrorist's help with 'fundraising efforts in Qatar', according to the U.S. Treasury.
The revelations have sparked calls for the Gulf state, the richest per capita in the world, to prevent its citizens from aiding the flow of funds to Syria-based terror groups, such as ISIS.
But despite increasing criticism, Qatar, which has an extensive London property portfolio including luxury department store Harrods, is now 'working together' with the U.S. against ISIS.
The Gulf has contributed two Mirage jet fighters to President Barack Obama's air campaign against militants, which are being controlled from a headquarters outside Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Al-Harzi, who is believed to be one of ISIS's first ever terrorists, is among a number of jihadists to be recently added to the Treasury's list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
Other named jihadists include a middleman between al-Qaeda’s leadership in Pakistan and Gulf financiers and another ISIS senior commander who is believed to oversee a prison where foreign hostages are held.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2771571/ISIS-s-emir-suicide-bombers-raised-2million-military-operations-mystery-Qatari-donor-say-US-officials.html
Labels:
ISIS
OK Beheader’s Imam Defended Muslim Terrorism, Called for Jailing Pamela Geller
by Daniel GreenfieldDaniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. He is completing a book on the international…
by Daniel GreenfieldDaniel Greenfield, a Shillman Journalism Fellow at the Freedom Center, is a New York writer focusing on radical Islam. He is completing a book on the international challenges America faces in the 21st century.
Imam Imad Enchassi, a Lebanese immigrant who claims to be a Palestinian Arab, was the Imam of the Oklahoma beheader’s mosque. While he is running the usual routine about peace and love, a story relayed to Robert Spencer by a former congregant shows a different side of him.
The Imam was Imad Enchassi the last I heard. He was a friend of mine. He is a Lebanese-born Sunni who hates Israel. He once gave a sermon that the Israelis were trying to collapse al-Aqsa mosque by digging tunnels underneath it. They have no issue with Palestinian suicide bombings because, as it was explained to me, that is the only weapon the Palestinians have.
That’s not a surprise, as Imam Imad Enchassi denounced Israel on social media and claimed to have family in Gaza who were killed during conflicts with Israel. Considering that Israel targets Hamas terrorists, that certainly raises some questions.
He also appears to be an officer in the state chapter of CAIR, a front group for the Muslim Brotherhood, and has numerous photos showcasing his involvement with Islamic Relief, an organization whose international chapters have had alleged ties to Hamas.
When terrorist supporter George Galloway was beaten up, Imam Imad Enchassi urged “prayers” for him. And he’s not too fond of critics of Islam in the US.
In response to a story on Pamela Geller’s ad campaign critical of Islamic terrorism, he posted that, “Hate speech and ads that crosses freedom of speech and encouraged violence ought to be illegal.”
Labels:
Islam Discrimination
Walk the talk, social media users tell Najib over his UN speech
Barely hours after Datuk Seri Najib Razak condemned the Islamic State militants (Isis) and religious extremism at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, social media users were quick…Barely hours after Datuk Seri Najib Razak condemned the Islamic State militants (Isis) and religious extremism at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, social media users were quick to remind the prime minister to practise what he preached at home.Twitter user Nash, using the handle @nash_71, did not mince his words when he posted: "@NajibRazak such a pity your words and deeds dont (sic) match where it matters most... at HOME... Malaysia... cld hv (could have) been known a great statesman."
Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen also hit out at the PM's remarks at the UN assembly, by tweeting: "@NajibRazak says the right thing at UN but fails miserably back in Msia – Umno, Isma, Perkasa, Utusan, Jakim, Jais extremism for all to see."
He further posted: "At UN @NajibRazak calls for peace & moderation but no such consideration in Msia – everything is dealt with by the Sedition Act."
This prompted a response from a follower, Peoples Power, using the handle @peoplespowerr, who posted: "He is jaguh dunia BUT not jaguh kampung."
Another Twitter user, Hafiz Noor Shams, using the handle @__earth, appeared to issue a reminder to the PM's earlier presumed admiration for the terror group: "Najib at the UN: WE'RE ANTI ISIS. Najib in an UMNO pow-wow: We should emulate ISIS's courage."
Najib had in June at a dinner to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Cheras Umno branch, called on party members to emulate the exploits of the group, which was then known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (Isil), as its members were able to defeat an Iraqi force despite being outnumbered.
Many criticised him and questioned him for voicing his support for a militant group.
However, the prime minister's office later claimed that his words had been taken out of context and, instead, said that the militants' actions ran counter to the Islamic faith and culture and humanity.
Human rights lawyer Latheefa Koya also took to Twitter today to say: "Najib urges global community to defeat violent extremism & religious intolerance – hello? ada kenal Isma & perkasa? (heard of Isma and Perkasa?)", in reference to the two Muslim and Malay rights groups in Malaysia.
Former BN de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim also tweeted using the handle @zaidibrahim: "PM snazzy dresser; spoke well about dangerous ideas permeating Islamic world in New York. When back home will he repeat them in Pekan?"
Najib had earlier told the UN General Assembly that Isis militants had destroyed lives and communities and destabilised fragile nations and threatened regional security.
“We reject this so-called Islamic State. We reject this state defined by extremism. And we condemn the violence being committed in the name of Islam.
“We know that the threat to world peace and security is not Islam, but extremism: intolerant, violent and militant extremism. The actions of these militants are beyond conscience and belief. They violate the teachings of Islam, the example set by the Prophet Muhammad, and the principles of Islamic law.”
Najib also said in his speech that there were key things that the world must do to defeat violent extremism and religious intolerance in Iraq and Syria.
“First, security and statehood must be returned to the people of Syria and Iraq.
“Secondly, we must pursue a different kind of politics... We must break the cycle where one group gains power only to wield it against the other... So we should commit to more inclusive politics."
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/practise-what-you-preached-at-un-on-religious-extremism-netizens-tell-najib#sthash.q4rt5DHF.dpuf
Malaysians flay sex blogger Alvin Tan for fleeing to US
Sex blogger Alvin Tan’s decision to seek asylum in the United States has drawn flak from Malaysian social media users, many of whom believe he should face up to his…Sex blogger Alvin Tan’s decision to seek asylum in the United States has drawn flak from Malaysian social media users, many of whom believe he should face up to his actions rather than flee the country.Tan and his former partner, Vivian Lee, had been charged under the Sedition Act for uploading a bak kut teh posting during Ramadan last year, but he violated his bail conditions while on a supposed working trip to Singapore.
Tan, 26, had insisted in a recent interview with The Malaysian Insider that leaving Malaysia was “the only rational action” as he was powerless to fight “tyranny and ignorance”.
However, most Facebook users felt otherwise, noting that Tan should have been brave enough to face the consequences of the law after knowingly breaking it.
“The reason he 'tak suka Malaysia' is because he’s being prosecuted for a crime under Malaysian law. In my opinion, he deserves to be punished for his puerile acts in the past,” wrote Facebook user Josh Wu.
“He openly admitted to deceiving the courts by fleeing to the United States after Malaysian courts were kind enough to allow him to go to Singapore for some film-shooting.
“The law shouldn’t protect those who misuse the law. He who seeks equity must do equity.”
Another Facebook user, Eugene Leong, said Tan had started the entire episode with his Ramadan wishes, which he said were uncalled for.
“That was indeed a silly and stupid thing to do. Yes, he was punished by the courts. Yes, he fled Malaysia via some excuses.
“But, what I would really like to know is how he feels now, knowing that he got his mum to lose the bond money of 20k when he ran away, instead of defending himself in court!” wrote Leong.
In his interview with The Malaysian Insider, Tan had defended the post, which carried a photo of a pork dish, as political satire.
He said it had highlighted the danger of using Islam “as a basis to govern other people’s life” by legislating personal morals, without making a distinction between what is immoral and what is illegal.
Tan added that he did not believe he was a coward by seeking refuge in the US, but that he was “smart, pragmatic, calculative and mercenary”.
“When the government and its institutions decide to ruin your life and jail you for years just because you hurt their feelings, you do not sit back and try to fight the overwhelming wave of emotional, irrational force coming down on you,” he had said.
But most Facebook users dismissed this, saying his actions were cowardly and idiotic.
“I think he is humiliating himself becoz of his ego! Nothing so smart, also more like childish!” wrote Vivian V. Kulasingham.
“It’s either he is a coward or he is an idiot!!!” wrote Augustin Anthony.
They also warned Tan that he would be extradited back to Malaysia and still have to face the courts.
“Don’t be confident. Soon he will realise that he will be extradited back to Malaysia. But I really pity the girl because he left her,” wrote Mohd Shafian Noordin, referring to Lee.
Anastasia Pertiwi said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was well known for “covert negotiations” and a single phone call to US President Barack Obama would have Tan on the first flight back to Malaysia.
“How long can he stay there? Unless he possess the green card, else it will be deported back. Know yourself first before the enemy,” wrote Chai KL.
However, a handful of Facebook users defended Tan, with one even hailing him a “hero”.
“He is battling the political system not race and religion. Don’t be confused,” wrote Brian Low.
Clement Leong Ern said that while he did not condone Tan’s past actions, the sex blogger was “speaking sense” now.
“Bravo Alvin Tan!” wrote Rosa Rosa.
Tan and Lee are facing criminal charges under Malaysia's Sedition Act as well as the Film Censorship Act for their controversial online uploads, including a photo deemed insulting to Islam on Facebook.
They were both allowed a total bail of RM30,000 each, with two sureties, by the High Court in Kuala Lumpur in July last year. – September 28, 2014.
Avoid no-confidence vote for Azmin, says Dr M
Speaking to reporters briefly after unveiling a new Proton car, the Iriz Active at the Proton's Centre of Excellence in Shah Alam today, Mahathir said that a vote of no-confidence should be avoided.
"I hope when the state assembly sits, the majority will support Azmin (right)."If they don't, there will be a vote of no-confidence and then Selangor will have to find a new MB," he said.
There had been murmurs that Azmin, despite being appointed by Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah although not initially nominated by his party PKR, could face a no-confidence vote when the state assembly convenes in November.
Meanwhile, Mahathir also refused to read too much into Azmin's decision to reduce PAS' exco allocation from four exco posts to three.
"That is the MB's right, whether he want to increase or decrease. He can do what he feels is appropriate. It is not necessary for him to keep four excos just because the previous administration did so," he said.
On a separate note, Mahathir said that he had not read Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's speech at the United Nations general assembly recently, but did agree with the premier that the Islamic State (IS) militants must be rejected.
"About IS, I agree. There is no doubt we are against IS. We have to get rid of them, they are un-Islamic," he said.
Labels:
Selangor,
Tun.Mahathir
Selangor PAS duo gets heroes' welcome by DAP
The duo, who were seated beside DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang, received a standing ovation from the largely Chinese audience as several DAP leaders described them as "saviours of Pakatan Rakyat".
"Thank you Saari and Hasnul (far right and left respectively in photo),
that we still have a Pakatan government. You are not traitors, you are
the rakyat's heroes," declared former Selangor exco Ronnie Liu at the
70-table dinner in Petaling Jaya last night.Meanwhile, Bukit Gasing state assemblyperson R Rajiv said the duo's move to sign statutory declarations with other PKR and DAP representatives in backing PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as the menteri besar "shattered" any hopes of a PAS-Umno unity government.
"If not for the two of them, we would have seen a unity government between PAS and Umno. But because of their willingness to sacrifice, we have preserved Pakatan in Selangor under our new menteri besar Azmi Ali," he said.
Damansara Utama state assemblyperson Yeo Bee Yin too praised them for their courage, relating what Saari's wife had told her as Saari prepared to declare that he would stand with Pakatan.
"She told me the pressure was like when Saari was about to be detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA), but the pressure did not stop them from making this decision," she said.
Lim, who later took the stage likewise heaped praise on the duo before inviting them onto the stage to address the excited audience while he continued to stand beside them as they spoke.
A smiling Saari began his speech by asking, "DAP okay? PKR okay?"
To which he received a loud "okay" from the crowd before asking in a hushed voice, "PAS okay?" to which he also received an equally loud, "Okay".
Saari then related how he had struggled with fellow DAP leaders since the reformasi era, praising their consistency in fighting for democracy.
However, he lamented that the struggle for democracy sometimes faltered among his own party comrades.
'Shed tears over bid with Umno'
"This was proven in 2008 in Selangor when DAP won 13 seats, PKR won 15 seats, PAS won 8 seats and BN won 20 seats.
"DAP and PKR were already holding meetings to plan (the new government), but I lost my own (then colleague) PAS commissioner Hasan Ali.
"We
kept trying to find him but we could not. It turned out he was
negotiating with Umno (to form the government)," he said as the crowd
broke into laughter.Saari said he was deeply disappointed at that time and had "shed tears" that his leaders thought that he, who had struggled since the reformasi era and detained under the ISA twice, would be willing to ally with arch-enemy Umno.
He added had PAS allied with Umno then, he would have quit the party to become an Independent, to which some in the crowd shouted, "Join DAP." But Saari merely smiled.
Likewise, Saari said in the latest saga he and colleague Hasnul had stood with Pakatan without hesitation.
"Our decision was simple and straightforward, the muktamar had decided that we should stand with Pakatan. But unfortunately 13 of our other colleagues were not prepared to do so.
"Outsiders call us saviours, that it our contribution to save Pakatan in Selangor. But in our own party we are labelled as traitors.
"Are we traitors?" he said as the audience shouted back, "No, heroes!"
As a result of his decision, Saari said he received the highest 'honour' from his party that he described as Double B and Double D - Broker, Barua (lackey), Dicuri (stolen), Dibeli (bought over) - in reference to what PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang labelled the duo during the muktamar.
Saari however stressed he has received no reward for standing with Pakatan and had asked the new menteri besar not to include his name in the shortlist for any exco positions when the government was being formed.
'Like child breaking law'
Meanwhile, Hasnul admitted that he was under tremendous pressure when he decided to side with Pakatan during the MB saga.
"My
colleague (Damansara Utama state assemblyperson) Yeo Bee Yin said I
looked scared when I entered the room (to declare support for Pakatan),
like I had done something wrong to break the law, like how a child
breaks the law."That was how scared (I felt), but I felt it was a sacrifice I had to do," he said, adding that he hopes the Pakatan coalition will persevere.
Hasnul admitted that his actions means that he is unlikely to be allowed by PAS to contest in the next general election, but joked he could still contest under DAP.
"It's dangerous for me to say like this," he said laughingly. "No, what I meant is I do not care about my position."
"But many of my friends in PAS thought if they did the same (to support Wan Azizah), they would not be nominated to contest in the next election," he said.
Both PAS state assemblypersons when approached by journalists later stressed they will not quit PAS, and will leave their fate up to the party's disciplinary committee.
Saari and Hasnul during the Selangor crisis acted as tie breakers after the duo joined 28 PKR and DAP state assemblypersons to back Wan Azizah.
PAS, which refused to make a decision at the time to back Wan Azizah as MB, had caused a stalemate as the 28 PKR and DAP representatives only made exactly half of the 56-member state assembly.
The crisis was triggered when Selangor menteri besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim refused to step down from his position, after the party decided to replace him over increasing difficulty in working with him.
Anwar pertahan tindakan DAP pecat Bendahari PAS dari MPPP
Iszuree yang juga ketua lajnah tanah PAS negeri bagaimanapun dikekalkan sebagai ahli majlis tetapi peruntukkan beliau dibekukan.
Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata Iszuree sepatutnya menggunakan saluran yang betul untuk meluahkan ketidakpuasan hatinya kerana beliau sebahagian Pakatan Rakyat.
“Kamu boleh kritik dari fakta yang kamu dapati, bukan dari apa yang didapati dari Umno.
“Jika kamu nak guna peruntukan negeri tetapi terus kritik – kamu tidak dapat memberi perkhidmatan dengan baik,” kata beliau ketika ditanya wartawan selepas ceramah anti akta hasutan di Seberang Jaya semalam.
Ketika ditanya adakah tindakan negeri terlalu keras dan seoalah-olah tidak dapat menerimanya sebagai kritikan, Anwar menjawab:
“Sudah tentulah boleh kritik. Tetapi keadaan di sini mungkin berbeza,” tambah beliau.
Go ahead, investigate me
Khalid says he welcomes any party including the MACC to review and investigate all contracts he signed while MB of Selangor.
PETALING JAYA: Khalid Ibrahim said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission…
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Khalid says he welcomes any party including the MACC to review and investigate all contracts he signed while MB of Selangor.
PETALING JAYA: Khalid Ibrahim said the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was more than welcome to investigate any agreement he signed during his tenure as Selangor Menteri Besar.
Among those he said MACC could have a go at, were the Selangor water restructuring deal and the Canal City development agreement.
“I welcome all parties, including the MACC to review and investigate all the agreements signed when I was Menteri Besar of Selangor.
“My lawyer will prepare a full statement on this matter,“ Khalid posted on his Facebook page.
This retort from Khalid came in the heels of a new directive from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who has instructed Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to expose every company and individual who benefitted from the water deal signed by Khalid while he was Menteri Besar.
Anwar said, “I do not care if people are profiting from it. I do care that it is the people of Selangor who are having to pay for it.”
He added that someone had to answer to the people for having to bear the burden of others earning billions from dubious deals that could very likely raise water tariffs.
Anwar also accused Khalid of not following procedure as the contracts did not go through a proper tender exercise. He lamented over the lack of transparency and expressed his unhappiness that many of these contracts were signed in a hurry by Khalid just before leaving office.
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Among those he said MACC could have a go at, were the Selangor water restructuring deal and the Canal City development agreement.
“I welcome all parties, including the MACC to review and investigate all the agreements signed when I was Menteri Besar of Selangor.
“My lawyer will prepare a full statement on this matter,“ Khalid posted on his Facebook page.
This retort from Khalid came in the heels of a new directive from PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim who has instructed Menteri Besar Azmin Ali to expose every company and individual who benefitted from the water deal signed by Khalid while he was Menteri Besar.
Anwar said, “I do not care if people are profiting from it. I do care that it is the people of Selangor who are having to pay for it.”
He added that someone had to answer to the people for having to bear the burden of others earning billions from dubious deals that could very likely raise water tariffs.
Anwar also accused Khalid of not following procedure as the contracts did not go through a proper tender exercise. He lamented over the lack of transparency and expressed his unhappiness that many of these contracts were signed in a hurry by Khalid just before leaving office.
Labels:
Selangor
Hindus upset at Barbie depicted as goddess Kali
Rajan Zed says faith is something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt devotees.
Hindus are upset with an upcoming art show opening in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on October 11…
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Hindus are upset with an upcoming art show opening in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on October 11…
Rajan Zed says faith is something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt devotees.
Hindus are upset with an upcoming art show opening in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on October 11 depicting the iconic Barbie doll as their goddess Kali, calling it highly inappropriate.
Titled “Barbie, The Plastic Religion”, this exhibition plans to include 33 dolls of various religious figures produced by two Argentinian artists Marianela Perelli and Pool Paolini.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged the artists to not include Barbie-ised Goddess Kali in the exhibition and remove it from their online postings and printed material as it trivialised the highly revered deity of Hinduism.
Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that reimagining Hindu scriptures and deities for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Goddess Kali and other Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not meant to be reduced to a Barbie character.
Zed pointed out that Hindus were for free speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Artists should be more sensitive while handling faith related subjects, Zed added.
Zed further said that Hindus welcomed art world to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and respectfully and not for refashioning Hinduism concepts and symbols for personal agendas. Barbie-fication of Kali was simply improper, wrong and out of place.
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. No faith, larger or smaller, should be plundered, Zed noted.
Goddess Kali, who personifies Shakti or divine energy and considered the goddess of time and change, is widely worshipped in Hinduism. Moksh (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.
Besides goddess Kali, this art show also reportedly includes figures from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Argentinian folk religion. Barbie as goddess Kali on Facebook page shows it in a box with the symbol of Om and “Jai Kali Ma” in Hindi printed on it.
This article appeared on Eurasia Review and was sent to FMT by Rajan Zed.
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Hindus are upset with an upcoming art show opening in Buenos Aires (Argentina) on October 11 depicting the iconic Barbie doll as their goddess Kali, calling it highly inappropriate.
Titled “Barbie, The Plastic Religion”, this exhibition plans to include 33 dolls of various religious figures produced by two Argentinian artists Marianela Perelli and Pool Paolini.
Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged the artists to not include Barbie-ised Goddess Kali in the exhibition and remove it from their online postings and printed material as it trivialised the highly revered deity of Hinduism.
Zed, who is President of the Universal Society of Hinduism, stressed that reimagining Hindu scriptures and deities for commercial or other agenda was not okay as it hurt the devotees. Goddess Kali and other Hindu deities were meant to be worshipped in temples and home shrines and not meant to be reduced to a Barbie character.
Zed pointed out that Hindus were for free speech as much as anybody else if not more. But faith was something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Artists should be more sensitive while handling faith related subjects, Zed added.
Zed further said that Hindus welcomed art world to immerse in Hinduism but taking it seriously and respectfully and not for refashioning Hinduism concepts and symbols for personal agendas. Barbie-fication of Kali was simply improper, wrong and out of place.
Hinduism was the oldest and third largest religion of the world with about one billion adherents and a rich philosophical thought and it should not be taken lightly. No faith, larger or smaller, should be plundered, Zed noted.
Goddess Kali, who personifies Shakti or divine energy and considered the goddess of time and change, is widely worshipped in Hinduism. Moksh (liberation) is the ultimate goal of Hinduism.
Besides goddess Kali, this art show also reportedly includes figures from Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and Argentinian folk religion. Barbie as goddess Kali on Facebook page shows it in a box with the symbol of Om and “Jai Kali Ma” in Hindi printed on it.
This article appeared on Eurasia Review and was sent to FMT by Rajan Zed.
Labels:
Hindu
Malaysia To Host Economic Roundtable In Vienna
Datuk Selwyn DasFrom Caroline Jackson
VIENNA, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will host an economic roundtable here on October 9 to promote the country's investment and trade opportunities, says…
Datuk Selwyn DasFrom Caroline Jackson
VIENNA, Sept 28 (Bernama) -- Malaysia will host an economic roundtable here on October 9 to promote the country's investment and trade opportunities, says Malaysian Ambassador to Austria Datuk Selwyn Das.
Selwyn, who is also the Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN) in Vienna, said Malaysia and Austria not only enjoyed excellent diplomatic ties but the country was also considered a good investment destination.
He said the event would be jointly organised by the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation office in Frankfurt and the Malaysian embassy here.
"Since our embassy was established in 1962, we have enjoyed very good relations with Austria and this was evident by Austrian President Heinz Fischer's visit to Malaysia in 2010.
"When I presented my credentials to him last October, he still remembered Malaysia very fondly," he told Bernama.
Given that Vienna was one of the UN's four headquarters cities, including the base for international organisations such as the UN Office on Drugs and Crime and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), he said both countries have collaborated on many international issues.
"We follow and monitor issues closely and protect our national interests, for example the resolutions passed at the just-concluded IAEA scientific forum here that can benefit us," he said, adding that the country's focus at present was on trade, tourism and education.
In terms of bilateral trade, Selwyn said last year Malaysia recorded a 4.6 per cent increase in trade with Austria valued at RM1,553.3 million.
Malaysian exports to Austria comprised electric and electronic products, optical and scientific equipment, machinery, metal products, appliances and parts, chemical and chemical products.
Austria imported electrical and electronic products, machinery, appliance and parts, chemical and chemical products, paper and pulp products and scientific equipment from Malaysia, he said.
He said there were many Austrian companies operating in Malaysia such as Vamed, which built the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur and other private hospitals, and they were also active in the high-technology and construction industries.
The Malaysian embassy here is also promoting linkages with Austrian and Malaysian universities besides looking at the possibility of collaboration in healthcare and exchange of expertise to improve health care services in Malaysia, he said.
"As for tourism, more Austrians are interested in Asian culture and we received good response from them during our National Day celebration on Sept 9.
"We served Malaysian cuisine like "rendang" and "satay," he said, adding that about 13,000 Austrians visited Malaysia annually.
At present, about 300 Malaysians are residing in Austria, including 100 who are working mostly with international corporations.
Selwyn said Austria had also expressed its support for Malaysia, which was in a good position to secure a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the 2015-2016 term.
Labels:
Economy
A lot of strange things have been going on, must be a sign of the end of an era
THERE is a belief among some people that one of the signs of the end of times is when really strange things start to happen. I was never one of…THERE is a belief among some people that one of the signs of the end of times is when really strange things start to happen. I was never one of those because often “strange” can be quite subjective. There are some who think women taking leadership positions is one of those strange events.But of late I have had to revise my view of this, although it may not coincide with the same theories that those people have. It is true, however, that a lot of strange things have been going on that, to me, must surely be a sign of the end of something. Maybe it’s not quite the end of the world, but certainly the end of an era, at least for some people.
For instance, we are now seeing this bizarre phenomenon of the nation’s top cop deciding that if anyone has the temerity to be “biadap” (rude) about his law enforcement agency or even himself, then he’ll use the Sedition Act against us.
Now, I don’t recall that the Act actually says we can’t pass a snide remark or two about the agency. After all we are all familiar with that remark “itu biasa lah” whenever we’ve had the misfortune to have to report a bag-snatching or a petty theft.
Would saying that such a remark is not becoming of law enforcement officers be considered “biadap”? Would saying that our top cop’s performance in front of the world media during the MH370 press conferences was far short of impressive make us liable to be arrested? If yes, then there are lots of people who would be in handcuffs by now.
Today you can get done in for giving an expert opinion that some governance processes were not legally kosher, or for saying that elections are the time for us to change governments if we wanted. Isn’t that what elections are for?
Undoubtedly some people have been foolish enough to let loose on social media things they would only say privately to friends. But that’s a very Gen Y thing to do, say everything you feel and put it up for all to see. It doesn’t necessarily mean you mean it, nor that you even had much reason to say it. But those get hauled up, too. Will this actually stop more ill-considered opinions being aired? I doubt it.
Yet these are the sorts of strange things that one can get charged for these days. Even stranger is the penchant for the same said officer to refuse to obey the laws under which he should operate. In all our 57 years of nationhood, there has never been confusion among our law enforcement officers as to what laws they are supposed to obey.
Suddenly, these days they are easily confused. And when compelled by the courts to do their job, they find the country’s top legal man, whose job is to protect the Federal Constitution, to become their lawyer.
That’s a lot of firepower to fight one poor beleaguered mother who just wants to have her children with her. They must think she’s darn powerful to warrant this type of abuse of the courts.
I even think that the UPSR leaks, as well as the response to it, are also a sign of the end. For one thing, why so much panic over an exam that 12-year-olds sit for? And secondly, although the leakers should be punished, why bother making all 473,175 pupils re-sit it?
Leak or not, the smart ones are still going to get good results. So we might as well wait for the results of the entire exam and see if there are any real anomalies such as those who normally don’t do well suddenly getting all As. Frankly, I doubt it.
So these strange events, as well as some others, are a sign that an era is coming to an end. Perhaps it is the end of doing things the same old way when things are changing rapidly every day. It is the end of a time when people all think and see things the same way. Nor is it any longer a time when people will not voice what they don’t like.
Einstein said that the surest sign of insanity is doing the same things repeatedly while expecting a different result. In our case, we are seeing the same things done more incompetently while expecting love and respect in return.
I’m not sure what to call that.
By Marina Mahathir – The Star
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Marina Mahathir
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