Major flood because of no hudud?

In cyberspace, I have been reading these kinds of statement these last few days.

Do some science, can we? Didn’t we send a space tourist, with the Russians, to the Space Station a while ago?

Waste not your time linking the flood to the “wrath of God”... primarily it is a Natural disaster coupled with Man’s destruction of the environment as well as the Butterfly Effect of things. Even in lands deemed very Islamic such as Kelantan and Trengganu and Pahang, Man hath shaved the hills bald even deforestating the ‘Serambi Mekah’ and although there is also a ‘Crystal Masjid’ to show piety in another state...

This is a testament, if we follow their religious explanation of events, of a defiance of the law governing the Natural State of the Universe - you shave hills for profit, you profit from logging, you become capitalists and petite bourgeoisie in religious garb, you steal from Nature to turn it into Technology and next, turn it in Capital. You do all these, you have become a religiously unethical person as well.

We saw this in Sarawak and now in Cameron Highlands. Not because there is no hudud in place. You are seeing this even in Mecca itself; with the Saudis who do not care about the environment, let alone history in the major reconstruction projects in the holy city.

There must be a joint interstate fatwa to make shaving hills in Kelantan haram to the max and also to make arguing about hudud at a time like this haram, too, I should say

But spend time not linking religion and science and making strange spurious correlations. We have to spend more time improving our disaster management plans, continuously advancing skills to the highest and more professional level, using the science of Advanced Computer Simulation to predict and control events, and to redesign habitats to ensure we do have extensive casualties and property damage when annual disaster like this strike...

“Pray to God, but tie your camel,” as they say... or rather, “Pray to God and design a 3-D camel that can help you in a major flood like this”... I’d say... "Think of new technologies for crisis management."

My prayers go to those affected by the flood... "I have been in one too many way up in the North back in the day..."

But here is the larger picture.

Are we environmentally doomed? Are we at the eleventh hour of total environmental destruction? How devastating has the impact of carbon dioxide emissions been? How serious is the depletion of the ozone layer? How much of the rainforests of the world have been destroyed? How fast are the polar ice caps melting, speeding up the looming disaster of Armageddon/ Qiamat of humankind? How many more frequent, major flash floods must we endure?

‘Man should not have carved the stone’

The Chinese philosopher and mystic Lao Tzu once said, “Man should not have carved the stone”, meaning man should not have invented things for, “... as Man began carving the stone, the process of destruction begins”.

Light bulbs, automobiles, powerplants, factories, telephone lines, bombs and computers are inventions that have historically transformed nature. Human beings ‘carve the stone’ and build structures of power and wealth which transform or even rape Nature in the process.

Ancient philosophies and the teachings of ‘revealed religion’ (of the Judeo-Christian tradition) warned against the exploitation of the physical environment so that humanity would continue to be close to Nature and closer to the realisation of the Natural Self. Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, and probably the most extreme of all Hindu sects, Jainism, teaches human beings to respect living things as part of the great chain of beings.

But Western scientific ideology has taught Man to be free from not only thinking about spirits and spirituality, nature and the natural self, religion and deep reflection, but has also ‘enlightened’ human beings into mastering Nature and using its resources for the ‘progress’ of mankind. Progress, measured linearly and scientifically, is then equated with ‘civilisation’.

I hope in 2015 and beyond do not talk too much about hudud and forbidding Muslims from saying “Merry Christmas” but to focus on realism and constantly finding ways to solve social problems and how to manage natural disasters better. Or at least to start learning what pragmatism and liberalism means and how to apply these concepts to the practice of our national daily lives.

I end this essay with these two quotes:

“We did not ask you white men to come here. The Great Spirit gave us this country as a home. You had yours. We did not interfere with you. The Great Spirit gave us plenty of land to live on, and buffalo, deer, antelope and other game. But you have come here, you are taking my land from me, you are killing off our game, so it is hard for us to live.

“Now, you tell us to work for a living, but the Great Spirit did not make us to work, but to live by hunting. You white men can work if you want to. We do not interfere with you, and again you say why do you not become civilised? We do not want your civilisation! We would live as our fathers did, and their fathers before them.” - Crazy Horse of the Sioux tribe

“I was just thinking that of all the trails in this life there is one that matters most. It is the trail of a true human being.” - Kicking Bird, (quote from the movie 'Dances With Wolves')

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DR AZLY RAHMAN, born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York City) doctorate in International Education Development and Masters degrees in four areas: Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 350 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience in Malaysia and the United States spans over a wide range of subjects, from elementary to graduate education. He has edited and authored six books; Multiethnic Malaysia: Past, Present, Future (2009), Thesis on Cyberjaya: Hegemony and Utopianism in a Southeast Asian State (2012), The Allah Controversy and Other Essays on Malaysian Hypermodernity (2013), a first Malay publication Kalimah Allah Milik Siapa?: Renungan dan Nukilan Tentang Malaysia di Era Pancaroba (2014), and Controlled Chaos: Essays on Mahathirism, Multimedia Super Corridor and Malaysia’s ‘New Politics’ (forthcoming 2014). He currently resides in the United States where he teaches courses in Philosophy, Cultural Studies, Political Science, and American Studies. Twitter, blog.

 

Anti-pig farm protester demands right to give MB chickens

ISIS Threatens Albuquerque Residents: ‘Christmas Will Never Be Merry Any Longer’

The good citizens of Albuquerque were threatened en masse on Wednesday when someone affiliated with ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, hacked the Albuquerque Journal‘s mobile app.

The hijacking of the app expressed support for the extremest Islamist group while warning residents of Albuquerque that their personal secrets were being collected through mobile devices.

The post, which was set with a picture of a masked Muslim man, read as follows.

“You’ll see no mercy infidels. We are already here, we are in your PCs, in each house, in each office. With Allah’s permission we begin with Albuquerque.”

The story, which carried the unmistakable title of Christmas Will Never Be Merry Any Longer and shows the caption “I love ISIS,” acknowledged a relationship between the U.S. led and sanctioned bombings of ISIS-held areas as one motive for the cyberattack.

As reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican, as far back as September, various media outlets reported that ISIS planned to launch what it dubbed a “cyber caliphate” attack targeting technology in the U.S. with hacking using encrypted software that makes identifying the culprit responsible difficult.

As the ominous post continued, “While the us [sic] and its satellites are bombing the Islamic State, we broke into your home networks and personal devices and know everything about you,” leading to some panic among residents of Albuquerque.

On top of that, the post alleged, “We know all personal data of Albuquerque locals: Where you live, what you eat, your diseases and even your health insurance cards.”

KRWG reported that the ISIS posting was removed at about 9 a.m. and replaced with a story with the headline, Bonuses for APD brass draw fire.

The author of the post, whoever he, she, or they may be, ended with the chilling threat to the residents of Albuquerque, “You will look around more often, will call up your children more often, think of your security more often, but that won’t help you.”

Egyptian Coptic teen seized in Libya found dead

Benghazi - An Egyptian Coptic Christian teenager abducted in Libya by armed men who killed her
parents has been found dead, a hospital source said on Friday.

Residents found the body of the daughter of the two slain doctors on Thursday evening, said the source at the Ibn Sina hospital in the city of Sirte, without giving the cause of death.

She said the girl was 13 years old. Initial reports had given her age as 18.

After murdering her parents in their home on Tuesday, the attackers took the girl but left behind two sisters, local council chairperson Yussef Tebeiqa said on the day of the incident.

Tebeiqa said the attack in Sirte, home town of slain dictator Muammar Gaddafi, might have been motivated by religion as money and jewellery were not taken.

Sirte, 500km east of Tripoli, is in the hands of Islamist militias including Ansar al-Sharia, which the UN Security Council last month added to its terror list over links to al-Qaeda and for running Islamic State group training camps.

Several Coptic Christian Egyptians have been killed in Libya in recent years. In February, the bodies of seven Egyptian Christians who had been shot were found near the second city of Benghazi.

Thousands of Egyptians work in Libya, mainly in the construction and craft sectors.

AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes sells shares in Tune Insurance

AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes' investment vehicle Tune Group Sdn Bhd has sold a total of 944,800 shares in Tune Insurance Holdings Bhd.

According to a filing with Bursa Malaysia, some 850,000 shares were sold on December 22 and an additional 94,800 shares the day after. All shares were sold at RM1.60 each.

Tune Insurance share price has been on a decline since early August, falling from RM2.50 to a low of RM1.56 two weeks ago. The stock jumped 11 sen, or 6.67%, to RM1.76 today with 1.08 million shares traded.

After the latest share sales, Tune Group still holds 128.37 million shares, or a 17.08% stake, in the insurance group.

Meanwhile, Fernandes, who is the non-independent, non executive director, still holds a 30.73% indirect stake and a 0.01% direct stake in Tune Insurance. – The Edge Markets, December 26, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/airasias-tony-fernandes-sells-shares-in-tune-insurance#sthash.9egF343C.dpuf

On Twitter, Malaysians unite in hope and sympathy as floods worsen

As floods inundate the east coast states, Malaysians have turned to social media to seek aid, swap information and express sympathy for the rising number of people affected.

Grainy photographs of buildings engulfed by the murky brown water, people wading their way through the streets, and animals desperately seek higher ground have flooded Twitter amid pleas for help and prayers using the hashtag #PrayForPantaiTimur or #PrayForKelantan.

A Twitter user from Kelantan, @Anahonni, said that she and the other flood victims were praying for more food donations, adding that they had been starving for over a day.

“It becomes worse and worse starting from last two nights. We can’t go anywhere, no electric," she tweeted, along with a photo of the Universiti Malaya Kelantan campus overwhelmed by the flood.

Some expressed concern they were unable to contact their friends and families affected by the floods.

“My family is one of the victims this time. I cannot contact them bcs of the poor line in the place that they’re hiding now,” tweeted @shimaziz.

Twitter user @fash4_ shared a few pictures she said she had received from her grandfather, showing a house partly submerged, while water lapped against the steps to the entrance.

“Some of these pict (sic) are received from my grandfather. I just hope they are just fine and safe,” she said.

Another user, @hamstertreeAegi shared a photograph of a house that was almost completely submerged in the waters, with only the roof and the top floor visible.

“My best friend house right now L L pray for her n her family to be safe,” wrote @hamstertreeAegi.

Those unaffected by the floods shared words of encouragement and hope for fellow Malaysians.

“The sun will shine. Always pray for it to happen. Be strong to those who are involve in those floods,” tweeted user @Fadshadow.

“I hope those students and their respective families, who are stuck in their hometown due to the flood are safe & well,” said a post from @CofeeElitist.

“The simplest thing that everybody could offer to all the victims is to pray for their safety and good health. Lets! #PrayForPantaiTimur,” wrote @azrindrahim.

User @ezzthedon said: “I love the unity shown by Malaysian during crisis.”

Malaysians have also taken advantage of Twitter to share information on how they can donate items to organisations such as the Red Crescent Society, Al-I’tisam Relief Programme, and IM4U.

As of today, more than 32,000 people have been evacuated in Kelantan since floods struck on December 16. Close to 120,000 people have been evacuated in Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis. – December 26, 2014.

Netizens troll Najib's Facebook post on floods

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Facebook post late last night on the flood situation in the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia has been trolled by netizens making sarcastic remarks about his response.

A sampling of over 8,700 comments (posted as of noon today) saw netizens ridiculing his holiday and much publicised golf game with US President Barack Obama.

Najib had managed to sneak some time on the golf course on Christmas eve with the US president in Hawaii, The Washington Post had reported.

Checks on flight tracker website FlightRadar24 showed that the official jet, registration number 9M-NAA, arrived in Honolulu from Kuala Lumpur on Dec 20.



Netizen Khairul Anwar Othman on Najib’s Facebook page, commented, “It seems golf is more important than the people of Malaysia.”

“He’s playing golf, it seems… Pak Jib, wait until the coming next election; it’s the end of you,” wrote Sham Jusuh.

Meanwhile, Syed Mohd Azlede stated succinctly: “The PM needs to come home immediately!!!”

'Take stock, PM'

The photograph of the PM on the phone also raised sarcastic comments.

“Is that all he can do, make phone calls? Looks like he used the wrong photo,” wrote Muhd Sufiz, while netizen Ahmad Jim Sung commented, “He’s just posing. Best take stock of yourself.”

“He can get the ‘best actor’ award,” laughed Mohd Azad Amir.

Without mincing her words, Facebook user Faiera Dila wrote: “Yeah, who asked you to vote for BNeraka again?”

Farhan Ismail Fbi pointed out how International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed, who is also Jeli MP, had cut short his pilgrimage to Mecca.

“If Tok Pa (Mustapa) can cut short his umrah trip, why not you Datuk Seri Najib come back to Malaysia from Hawaii? Or is Obama Freemason more important than your country and your people? Use ur brain!”

Putera Hazwan meanwhile said that the prime minister need not cut short his holiday. What would help, he added, is for Najib to declare a state of emergency.

In a Bernama tweet today, the number of flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, and Perak, states in Peninsular Malaysia, had risen to 103,413 people, an increase of 9,395 victims from last night.

 

CM's Office bars Ridhuan Tee from entering S'wak

 

 The Office of the Sarawak Chief Minister has issued a directive prohibiting the entry of academician Dr Mohd Ridhuan Tee Abdullah into the state.

Mohd Ridhuan is scheduled to deliver a religious talk at the Lundu District Mosque in the Tanjung Datu state constituency, about a 30-minute drive from Kuching, at 8pm today.

Chief Minister Adenan Satem (right) is the state assemblyperson for Tanjung Datu.

Sarawak Immigration deputy director Hamfatullah Syawal Hamdan, when contacted by Bernama, confirmed that the Immigration Department had received instructions from the Office of the Chief Minister to bar Mohd Ridhuan from entering the state.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Sarawak Immigration Department said Mohd Ridhuan did not show up at the Kuching International Airport today.

He said he had waited for Mohd Ridhuan, who was scheduled to arrive this morning, but the academician did not come.

A source contacted by Bernama said: “The chief minister is not in favour of the presence of Mohd Ridhuan in Lundu tonight, and had instructed that the event be cancelled.”

Sarawak had previously prohibited the entry of several opposition political party leaders from entering the state, via Kuching and Sibu.

Adenan had said previously that Sarawak was tightening its immigration rules and stepping up the scrutiny of visitors from the peninsula to keep out “extremists, religious bigots and racists”.

- Bernama

Najib on the way back, jet landed in Indianapolis

 

FLOODS LIVE BLOG Malaysiakini brings the latest updates on the flood situation as they happen.

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10.50pm: According to a Bernama report as at 9pm, the number of flood evacuees around Malaysia has increased to 120,341 people.

The number of evacuees in Kelantan remains the same at 45,467 people, while Terengganu has 34,109, and Johor, 896.

The number of evacuees has reduced in Pahang to 33,324, Perlis 209, and Kedah, one.

8.42pm: A mother waded through floods for 500m carrying her three-month-old baby before being rescued yesterday in Hulu Terengganu, as told to Bernama when met at the SK Pulau Serai flood relief centre.

Nurul Nadia Tarmizi, 31, of Kampung Mak Bah, says when the water level rose to her thigh, she had no choice but to wade through the floods with her baby.

"My husband had gone to the workshop to repair the car and could not come home by 10.30am. Saving household items did not cross my mind. I was focused on saving my baby," she says.

7.52pm: Prime Minister Najib Razak’s private jet, registered as 9M-NAA, lands in Indianapolis, Indiana, from Los Angeles at 6.52pm Malaysian time, according to online flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The plane landed at Los Angeles airport at 1.40pm Malaysian time from Honolulu, Hawaii, where he was on holiday.

The prime minister has cut short his vacation and is expected to arrive in Kelantan tomorrow to oversee rescue operations.

7pm: Penang state government pledges RM1.5 mil to assist flood victims in other states.

State executive councillor for welfare, caring society and the environment Phee Boon Poh says of the amount, RM500,000 has been authorised for immediate use.

"This has been agreed in principle by excos and will be endorsed (formally) at the next exco meeting. All assistance will be transferred in kind, not in cash," Phee tells Malaysiakini.

Those wishing to donate in kind can do so at the Caring Society Complex from 8am to 5pm, daily.

6.01pm: The number of flood evacuees around Malaysia has increased to 119,624 people.

While the number of evacuees at Kelantan remains the same at 45,657 people, the number in Terengganu has increased to 34,884, and Johor, from 214 to 537 people.

However, the number of evacuees has reduced in Pahang (35,736 to 32,380), Perlis (263 to 209), and Kedah (96 to 28), according to a Bernama report as at 5pm.

5.48pm: The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) urges private sector employers to consider granting paid leave to workers affected by floods.

"Private sector employers should be lenient enough to grant paid leave for their employees at a time when the floods are ravaging many states,” MTUC deputy secretary-general A Balasubramaniam was reported as saying by Bernama.

5.10pm: Kelantanese Hilmi, 36, who lives in Bachok, tells Malaysiakini flood waters in Kota Baru has risen by 60cm since morning.

Bachok is the only area in Kota Baru which is not flooded, but places such as Pantai Cahaya Bulan, Mulung, Salor, and Pengkalan Chepa are not so fortunate.

“As Bachok is near the shoreline, it is still okay. It has not been raining in Kota Baru, but the waters had risen because most of the areas are near the river,” says Hilmi, who uses his motorcycle to go around Kota Bharu to take pictures of the floods.

5.18pm: Ahmad Shabery Cheek, Kemaman MP as well as communications and multimedia minister, posts on his Facebook that the bodies of two missing victims in Pahang have been found.

4:45pm: DAP slams the archaic methods used by the states to declare state of emergency saying that "other countries do not wait for hundreds of thousands of flood refugees before declaring a state of emergency".

"There is an urgent need for the immediate review of such outmoded, archaic and obsolete rules for the declaration of states of emergency arising from a natural disaster, which is why there should be an emergency meeting of the Cabinet meeting in the next 24 hours," says DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang. 

4.33pm: DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang urges Najib to “rush back to chair a special meeting of cabinet within 24 hours to pave the way for the declaration of a state of emergency”.

In a statement, Lim urges the federal government to be more responsible over the situation in Kelantan, instead of leaving it in the hands of Jeli MP Mustapa Mohamed.

4.01pm: The flood situation in Johor worsens with 537 people evacuated from their homes, according to a tweet from the Fire Department.

The worst hit areas are Kluang with 432 evacuees, and Batu Pahat with 36 evacuees. The other areas affected include Muar, Segamat and Kulaijaya.

4pm: Following scathing criticism over his holiday in the US while floods engulf east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, PM Najib Razak says he is returning on Saturday to oversee operations.

In a statement from the Prime Minister's Oiffce, Najib, whose plane is currently in Los Angeles at press time, will convene a meeting in Kelantan upon arrival.

3:35pm: After receiving flak from DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang on the government's slow response to the serious flood situation in Kelantan, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin has flown to flood-hit Kelantan today.

Bernama reports the DPM describing the floods as worse than anticipated, and admitting to the inadequacy of current air, water and land transportation assets.

Muhyiddin has therefore ordered the deployment of more helicopters, boats and land vehicles to reach and help the victims.

"The National Security Council (NSC) will look into this," he is reported saying.

3.02pm: The flood situation in Johor worsens with 214 people being evacuated out of their homes in the Kluang and Muar districts today.

A Bernama report says that a spokesperson from the National Security Council (NSC) said that that 201 evacuees from Kluang were transported to four relief centers. Thirteen people from Muar were also evacuated.

3pm: 118,896 evacuated so far, says a Bernama report.

The breakdown is as follows: Kelantan: 45,467; Terengganu: 31,001; Pahang: 35,736; Perak: 6,119; Johor: 214; Kedah: 96; and Perlis: 263.

2.15pm: Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) reports that 10 of its stations in the East Coast have been inundated with flood waters.

1.29pm: The proposed special sitting on the hudud bill in Kelantan on Dec 29 is in limbo because the state administrative building has been flooded out.

The state secretariat has been moved to a hall in Telipot Mosque, about three kilometres away from the official building which is under one foot of water.

1.00pm: The number of flood evacuees around the peninsula has increased to a total of 105,568 people, says a Bernama report.

The number of evacuees have increased in Terengganu (30,147 to 31,001), Perak (5,530 to 6,119), and Johor (201 to 214), whereas Kelantan (32,139), Pahang (35,736), and Perlis (263) remains the same.

Kedah is the only state where the evacuees have reduced from 157 to 96 people.

1pm: Perak National Security Council says flood victims in the state has increased to 6,119, compared to 5,530 this morning, according to a Bernama tweet.

12.34pm: Selangor Menteri Besar Azmin Ali and state exco members Amirudin Shari and Daroyah Alwi are in Kelantan to hand over RM1 million to help flood victims.

The Selangor government has also allocated RM100,000 to help other flood-hit states like Terengganu, Pahang and Perak.

12.14pm: Bernama reports that the rest of the states in the west coast of peninsular Malaysia will only be experiencing flash floods due to the current inconsistent rainfall.

National Weather Center meteorology officer Mohd Hisham Mohd Anip says the predictions are based on the movement of the northeast monsoons.

11.55pm: Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, alongside Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Shahidan Kassim and chief secretary Ali Hamsa, visit flood relief centre at SMK Pengkalan Chepa, Kelantan.

10am: Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's Facebook posting late last night about his response to the flood situation has been trolled by netizens making sarcastic remarks about the PM’s response.

A sampling of over 7,700 comments saw Facebook users ridiculing his holiday and much publicised golf game with US President Barack Obama.

Netizen Khairul Anwar Othman commented, “It seems golf is more important than the people of Malaysia.”

“He’s playing golf it seems… Pak Jib, wait until the next election; it’s the end of you,” writes Sham Jusuh.

Meanwhile Syed Mohd Azlede states succinctly: “The PM needs to come home immediately!!!”

The photograph of the PM on the phone also raises sarcastic comments.

“Is that all he can do: make phone calls? Looks like he used the wrong photo,” wrote netizen Muhd Sufiz, while another Ahmad Jim Sung commented, “He’s just posing. Best take stock of yourself.”

“He can get the ‘best actor’ award,” laughs Mohd Azad Amir.

9.35 am: The number of flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang and Perak has now risen to 103,413, an increase of 9,395 victims from last night, according to a Bernama tweet.

9.05am: Selangor PAS will conduct special prayers as massive floods ravage the country, especially inundating the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

State PAS commissioner Iskandar Abdul Samad (left) says a convoy of more than 130 personnel departed in four batches for Kelantan and Terengganu.

“There are 27 four-wheeled drive vehicles and nine lorries, with three to 10 tonnes of necessities headed for the flood victims,” says Iskandar.

Those who would like to give donations may do so at PAS Flood Assistance Centre at Dewan Merbau, Jalan Senangin 17/2, Seksyen 17, Shah Alam, or contact Rayme Abd Rahman (018-664 5036).

8.50am: In Kelantan last night, Bernama reported that the Sultan Yahya Petra Bridge (below) connecting Kota Baru town to Pasir Pekan in Tumpat, is now closed to all vehicles after the water in Sungai Kelantan rose above the bridge.

Kota Baru district police chief ACP Rohaimi Md Isa, when contacted, says the bridge was closed to all traffic, as the situation was dangerous to road users.

The Bernama report also states that flood waters from Gua Musang and Kuala Krai are now flowing towards Kota Baru district.

8.40am: International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed has admitted there are weaknesses in managing and rescuing flood victims in Kelantan.

Mustapa, also the MP for Jeli, took 10 hours by boat to travel to Kuala Krai, an area which is deeply affected by the floods.

"In this a serious situation, we need a commander to manage across all the departments," he tells Astro Awani at SK Banggol Guchil this morning.

He describes this year's floods as big compared to past years and said this resulted in the government's weakness in coordinating aid.

8.30am: Yesterday, a doctor at a government clinic in Badang posted his updates on the desperate situation at his clinic, which he claimed has been cut off by the floods and is not getting any supplies.

“Oh, and yes, I would like to wish our prime minister happy holidaying in Hawaii, while our holidays have been frozen and are sacrificing our lives for the sake of our beloved citizens,” he wrote sarcastically in one posting on Christmas day.

8am: Last night Bernama reports Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) has suspended the operations of 1,606 sub-stations throughout Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu in view of the severe floods in the state.

Its Kelantan general manager, Md Yuslan Md Yusof, says that up to 6pm yesterday, the operations of 232 sub-stations in Gua Musang, 215 in Kuala Krai, 24 in Tanah Merah, 19 in Jeli, 12 in Machang, five in Tumpat and three in Kota Baru had been suspended.

TNB senior general manager (Corporate and Communications) Mohd Aminuddin Mohd Amin says the move was to avoid short-circuits which can affect 70,284 consumers.

Kelantan has the most number of consumers affected with (42,688) when the operations of 1,150 sub-stations are suspended in Kuala Krai, Gua Musang, Jeli, Machang, Tanah Merah, Kota Baru and Tumpat.

"In Terengganu, the operations of 138 sub-stations were suspended in Kemaman, Bandar Al-Muktafi Billah Shah and Dungun, involving 8,105 consumers while in Pahang, 5,878 consumers will be affected as 18 sub-stations are suspended," he says in a statement, yesterday.

He says TNB would continue to monitor the situation. The floods in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang continued to worsen.

The power shut down could possibly be leading to the communications failures being reported with relatives being unable to call those in the east coast states.

Still no decision on Altantuya murder

 

 It is exactly six months yesterday since the prosecution's appeal against the acquittal of two police Special Action unit officers, chief inspector Azilah Hadri and corporal Sirul Azhar Umar, was heard at the Federal Court in the case involving the death of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

However, no decision by the five-member bench led by Chief Justice Arifin Zakaria in the country’s highest court is forthcoming.

This was confirmed by Deputy Solicitor General I Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, and lawyers Hazman Ahmad and J Kuldeep Kumar for Azilah and Hasnal Rezua Merican for Sirul.

"As of now, there is no date set," Tun Majid told Malaysiakini. The other lawyers also spoke to Malaysiakini on separate occasions this week.

Generally, judges are given up to three months to write their judgments.

However, Justice Arifin when commenting on the Anwar Ibrahim’s Sodomy II case said earlier this month that judges should be allowed a reasonable time frame to complete a judgment as each case is different.

The top judge said the standard practice for the Court of Appeal and Federal Court is to complete the judgment within three months after the case was heard.

"But in some cases, the courts (the Court of Appeal and Federal Court) would take a longer time, may be until six months to complete the judgment. It depends on the complexity of the case," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.

Besides Justice Arifin, the other judges who sat in the five-member Federal Court panel in the Altantuya case were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Justice Richard Malanjum and Federal Court judges Abdull Hamid Embong, Ahmad Maarop and Suriyadi Halim Omar.

The prosecution's appeal was heard over three days in June.

Unsafe to convict Azilah and Sirul

The two Special Actions Unit officers were accused of murdering Mongolian national Altantuya who was harassing former lover and political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, a close associate of then Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

She was allegedly murdered between 10pm on Oct 19, 2006 and 1am Oct 20, 2006 at a jungle clearing at Puncak Alam, Selangor.

Abdul Razak was acquitted by the Shah Alam High Court without his defence being called and his acquittal was not appealed by the prosecution.

While the Shah Alam High Court convicted Azilah and Sirul of the heinous murder which captured the world's attention, the three-member Court of Appeal panel ruled otherwise on Aug 13 last year, resulting in the prosecution's appeal.

Justice Tengku Maimun who wrote the unanimous Court of Appeal judgment ruled there were several misdirections by the trial judge, including Najib Abdul Razak's aide de camp DSP Musa Safri not called to testify.

She also ruled the inconsistency in the testimonies of several police officers in the trial, including those who accompanied Azilah to the scene of the crime, and also the officers who led to the recovery of Altantuya's belonging in Sirul's house.

The Court of Appeal judgment also questioned the authenticity of the phone records of Azilah and Sirul provided by the telephone companies which shows calls made between Azilah and Abdul Razak, while the two were on the way to the scene of the crime.

'Rare to take so long'

It is rare for the final appellate court to take so long to decide on a case such as this.

Besides this criminal case, Altantuya's father, Shaariibuu Setev, had filed a suit against the government, and that is pending on the outcome of the two police officers’ case.

When contacted, Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo, whose late father Karpal Singh represented Shaariibuu Setev, said the apex court may take some time to write judgments.

“In fact this is quite common. There have been cases which have taken longer.

“It would depend on the complexity of the issues involved in the appeal. The judges may need time to write their grounds as well. So there may be a combination of reasons,” he told Malaysiakini when contacted about the late delivery of the verdict.

Screams of desperation as two drown in flood waters

The tragedy occurred in broad daylight and was captured on video. Watch only if you have the stomach for it.



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KOTA BHARU: In a real-life drama that will probably leave one in tears, screams of desperation are heard piercing the air, as two young men, unable to fight against the strong undercurrent of wild river waters, succumb in exhaustion as they go under.

The heartbreaking scene was captured on video.

The two were apparently bathing in the river when strong undercurrents yanked one of them deeper into the water.

In the video, people along the banks are heard screaming out to him, trying to help him to safety but the gushing waters are seen clearly overwhelming him despite his struggles to stay afloat.

In a desperate attempt to help him, the other man tries to get closer, before he too is pulled under and the two drown amid gut-wrenching cries of utter disbelief from onlookers at the tragedy unfolding before their eyes.

Perkasa declares war on pig farm

Perkasa rallied 100 Malays (and two chickens) to hand a memorandum to the Selangor MB, protesting a pig farm in Muslim-majority Kuala Langat.

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PETALING JAYA: Representatives from non-governmental organisation Perkasa and 100 Malay villagers handed a memorandum of protest to the Selangor menteri besar, voicing their disapproval over the building of a high-tech pig farm in Kampung Sepat in Kuala Langat.

The memorandum, accepted by Azmin Ali’s press secretary Radzi Razak at the Selangor State Secretariat building, was also accompanied by two live Mutiara chickens, brought in cages, which one villager was adamant be delivered to the MB, saying it was a sign of “love”.

According to Malaysiakini, Selangor Perkasa chief Abu Bakar Yahya, when speaking on behalf of the villagers, suggested the pig farm be built in an area where there was a high number of consumers of pork and not in a Malay village.

Reiterating the people’s right to oppose what they felt was wrong, Abu Bakar said, “Why is the government so adamant on approving the building of a pig farm in that village? Are there that many pork consumers in Selangor that the government needs to build such a massive farm?

He also said Azmin should speak up in defence of the Malays and added that building a pig farm in Kampung Sepat village was akin to insulting the Malays, who everybody knew was sensitive to the issue of pigs since its consumption was forbidden in Islam.

He asked, “What, you think Malay people are without honour? You give all the dirty places to us. Where is the dignity for the Malays?”

Meanwhile village chief of Ladang Tumbok, Mohamad Tarmudi Dushiran explained that while the group was not opposed to others consuming pork, there were already far too many pig farms in their largely Muslim-majority area.

“There used to be around two or three farms before, but now there are more than 62 pig farms in the village area,” he explained.

He said the villagers also had to put up with the stench emanating from the pig farms including the discarding of pig waste. “They even throw away piglets near the drains. It’s disgusting,” he said.

He added the villagers also worried about the outbreak of diseases such as the Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Nipah viruses that had occurred years ago.

The proposal for the farm, which was tabled on December 16 has not been approved by the Selangor state government yet.

As the floods, expected to the worst in nation’s history since 1971, are already “worse than expected” according to Muhyiddin, Najib must rush back to chair an special meeting of Cabinet within 24 hours to pave the way for declaration of a state of emergency

By Blog Lim Kit Siang

I commend the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for finally starting to visit the flood-hit states starting with Kelantan this morning to oversee the Federal Government’s flood-relief operations in what could be the worst floods in recent history.

I also fully support his call for deployment of more air, sea and land assets and the stockpiling of one-week food supply instead of only for four days in every evacuation centre.

The authorities had warned those on the east coast to brace themselves for the worst floods in recent history as a result of a powerful combination of king tides and strong winds, and the communities in the coastal areas and along river mouths had even been warned to ready themselves for immediate grab-and-go evacuations.

But it is clear that the ravages caused by the floods, with the total number of flood victims in six states exceeding 100,000 had been even worse than what the National Security Council (NSC) had envisaged.

This is the only interpretation of Muhyiddin’s statement at the flood relief centre in Pengkalan Chepa, Kota Bahru, this morning when he said that the floods was worse than anticipated – as if seeking excuses for the many weaknesses in the flood-relief operations so far.

This could only mean that although the Federal Government had expected the floods this year to be worst in recent history, it had not anticipated that the floods could be so bad – which is as good as admitting that the NSC was caught with its pants down.

With such a background, with the worsening flood situation with flood victims exceeding 100,000 in six states, and worse to come, the Cabinet should hold a special meeting within the next 24 hours to declare a state of emergency to concentrate all federal and state resources to handle the latest natural disaster in the country.

Muhyiddin had said that there is no need to declare a state of emergency over the nation’s worst floods as a state of emergency could only be declared if a critical situation occurred, such as when the electricity and water supply were completely cut off or when the number of flood victims reached hundreds of thousands of people.

The majority of Malaysians find these conditions for the declaration of a state of emergency over a natural disaster unacceptable and even obtuse.

Surely Muhyiddin, the Cabinet and the NSC are not expecting for fatalities to pile up to tens or hundreds accompanying the number of flood victims reaching the scale of hundreds of thousands before a state of emergency as a result of a flood disaster is declared!

A quick search on the Internet will show that other countries do not wait for hundreds of thousands of flood refugees before declaring a state of emergency.

1. Aljazeera reported that on 28 November last month, the United Nations declared a state of emergency in the Gaza Strip after two days of heavy rains and flooding in the war-battered enclave, as “hundreds of residents in the flooded areas around Sheikh Radwan storm water lagoon have evacuated their homes”.

2. On Christmas Eve, Jakarta Post reported that Bandung regency declared a state of emergency after hundreds of thousands of hectares of paddy fields were flooded in Central Java, West Java and Aceh. “The state of emergency effective as of Tuesday will last seven days or until Dec. 29, and could be extended depending on the situation.” At least 17,000 houses in Dayeuhkolot and Baleendah in Bandung Regency had been flooded and more than 6,000 people vacated their homes as a result of the flooding caused by the overflowing Citarum River. Hundreds of homes and thousands of hectares of farmland in Central Java have also been affected although no one has vacated their home yet.

3. On Dec. 9, CBS News reported that the east coast of Vancouver Island, the City of Courtenay, declared a state of emergency because of flooding caused by a powerful subtropical storm – walloped with 200 mm of rain in a 36-hour period.

4. On December 16, the Bay Area in San Francisco in Northern California declared a state of emergency because of massive flooding caused by heavy storms.

I don’t think all these four cases of serious flooding in Gaza, Indonesia, Vancouver and San Francisco would have declared states of emergency to centralise flood-relief operations if they have rules requiring hundreds of thousands of flood victims before an emergency could be declared.
There is an urgent need for the immediate review of such outmoded, archaic and obsolete rules for the declaration of states of emergency arising from a natural disaster, which is why there should be an emergency meeting of the Cabinet meeting in the next 24 hours.

Another reason for the special Cabinet meeting is the announcement by Minister for International Trade and Industry and UMNO Kelantan Chairman, Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed that a report on the worsening flood conditions in Kelantan will be submitted to the Cabinet.

It will be ridiculous for the Cabinet to wait until next Wednesday on Dec. 31 to deliberate on the report, when the nation’s worst flood in recent history needs urgent measures to be taken on a 24/7 basis, and not on a leisurely week-by-week basis.

Furthermore, it is not just the flood situation in Kelantan, but also in all the other states badly ravaged by floods, like Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Perlis and states like Kedah and Johor which are expecting to be hit badly in the next few days, where contingency measures should also be taken.

At the special Cabinet meeting within 24 hours, UMNO Ministers should be assigned to visit and take charge of the flood-relief operations in the flood-hit states to show the commitment and concern of the Federal Government in tackling the natural disaster, which is quite absent today.
Leaving Kelantan for instance in the sole charge of Datuk Mustapha Mohamad, who is a Kelantan MP, will only reinforce an image of Federal Government indifference and even neglect.

I would urge the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak to rush back from his vacation in Hawaii to chair the special Cabinet meeting within 24 hours, as he could still come back in time as taxpayers have provided him with an executive jet, and the flying time from Hawaii to Malaysia is 14 hours.

As the floods, expected to be the worst in recent history since 1971, have already proved to be “even worse than anticipated”, according to Muhyiddin, there is no reason for Najib to tarry any further in Hawaii but to rush back to take personal charge of the flood-relief operations.

Floods worsen, displacing 90,000 in five states

KUALA LUMPUR: The floods ravaging five states in the peninsula showed no signs of letting up, displacing 90,250 people as of this morning in what is seen as the biggest number of flood evacuees in the nation's
history.

Kelantan had the highest number of evacuees at 32,343, followed by Terengganu (28,991), Pahang (24,316), Perak (4,335) and Perlis (265).

In KELANTAN, 5,190 people were moved out of their homes overnight to add to the 27,153 already evacuated as of last night, according to the state government flood portal.

The latest evacuees were from the Tanah Merah and Kota Baharu districts. The state capital Kota Baharu was paralysed by the floods after Sungai Kelantan burst its banks there yesterday.

Seven of the eight other districts in the state are also affected by the floods, they being Gua Musang, Jeli, Kuala Krai, Machang, Pasir Mas, Pasir Puteh and Tumpat.

Fifteen more stretches of road in Kelantan had been closed as of this morning, raising to 37 the roads impassable to traffic due to the floods.

[PHOTO GALLERY]: FLOODS HIT THE EAST COAST

In TERENGGANU, the 28,991 evacuees from 6,975 families are being housed at 124 relief centres.

Kemaman is the worst affected of the districts, with 19,405 evacuees from 4,607 families.

A total of 5,022 people in the Dungun district have been moved to 33 relief centres. Kuala Terengganu district saw 3,203 people moved to 14 centres; Hulu Terengganu, 640 to 11 centres; Besut, 562 to eight centres; Marang, 115 to two centres and Setiu, 44 to three centres.

In PAHANG, the number of evacuees in eight districts rose by 8,372 to 24,316 this morning, up from 15,944 last night.

A spokesman of the Pahang Police flood operations room said Kuantan district had the highest number of evacuees at 14,350 from 4,119 families, now housed at 44 relief centres.

The Maran district has 2,744 evacuees accommodated at 17 relief centres, Jerantut, 2,478 (34 centres), Lipis, 2,319 (26 centres), Pekan, 1,402 (18 centres), Temerloh, 649 (15 centres), Rompin, 265 (four centres) and Bera, 109 (four centres).

In PERAK, the people moved out of their homes in the three districts of Kuala Kangsar, Hulu Perak and Perak Tengah has risen to 4,335 from 1,079 families.

A spokesman of the Perak National Security Council (NSC) said Perak Tengah was the latest area to experience floods, beginning yesterday afternoon. He said six more relief centres were opened today, in Bota and Kampung Gajah.

The Kuala Kangsar district, which also encompasses Sungai Siput town, had the highest number of evacuees as of this morning, at 2,767 from 659 families.

Twenty-three relief centres have been set up in the district.

Hulu Perak, which covers Lenggong, registered 615 evacuees while Perak Tengah had 953 as of this morning.

In PERLIS, the floodwaters in the northern part of the state remained stagnant but the number of evacuees had risen overnight.

The Perlis Social Welfare Department disaster operations room reported that 265 people from 81 families had been evacuated as of 9 am, up from the 253 from 71 families last night.

They are being housed at five relief centres, namely the Beseri Mara Junior Science College, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Abi, the Malau hall, Beseri Dalam hall and Seri Pilihan hall.

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Najib To Oversee Flood Situation In Kelantan Tomorrow

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 26 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak will visit Kelantan tomorrow to oversee the flood situation in the state as well as oversee the response to the floods in four other states.

Upon his arrival, Najib would chair a meeting and receive briefings from the National Security Council, the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, the state government and local emergency responders.

Najib said he was deeply concerned by the floods, and felt for the people who had lost their homes, and the families who had lost loved ones.

"While I have been away, I have been in constant contact with the National Security Council and the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee, who have assured me that they are doing everything they can to help those who have been affected.

"But I want to see the situation for myself and be with the people," said Najib, according to the statement from the Prime Minister's Office today.

Meanwhile, the statement also quoted a government spokesperson as saying that the prime minister had decided to return from the United States to oversee the emergency response to the floods, and would land in Kelantan on Saturday.

The spokesperson said that during his time abroad, the prime minister received daily updates on the flood situation in Malaysia.

Najib had also spoke to Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to instruct the National Disaster Management and Relief Committee to step up efforts to assist those affected by the floods, said the spokesperson, according to the statement.

"Following recent reports that the situation had continued to worsen, the Prime Minister felt it was necessary to return to personally oversee the response," the spokesperson said.

During his visit to Kelantan tomorrow, the prime minister would also meet the people affected by the floods and discuss new measures to support those who had been displaced, said the statement.