Sunday, 28 December 2014
ISIS blows up Catholic church in Mosul
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region—Islamic State (ISIS) militants blew up a Catholic church in the al-Arabi district of Mosul on Friday, a Pastor told Rudaw.
“Members of the extremist organization (ISIS) cleared the Church of Virgin Mary of its contents in al-Arabi area, north of Mosul and blew it up after few hours,” said Pastor Behnam Raad.
Local sources said that the militants had sealed off the church and planted the bombs on Thursday.
The majority of Mosul’s Christian population fled the city when ISIS took over in June. The group has since demolished a number of Christian, Shiite and Yezidi shrines in and around Mosul among them the ancient shrine of Jonah (Nabi Yunus).
Chilling tales of brutality unleashed by IS on Yazidi women documented in Amnesty report
The Amnesty USA Report on “Torture and Sexual Slavery in Islamic State captivity in Iraq” makes for difficult and brutal reading. Amnesty spoke to some of the 300 women and girls, from the Yazidi community who had managed to escape the IS, and the accounts of systematic brutality, torture and rape of girls and women are laid out in a matter of fact manner, that makes it even more impactful.
Narrative after narrative focuses on the utter dehumanisation of prisoners and the treatment meted out to them.
A 15 year old girl Arwa, had this account :
“In Rambussi we were held in a house with five other girls. There they did to me what they did to many other girls. I was raped. My cousin was not molested; they wanted to take her to marry her to a man but in the end they left her with us and then we managed to escape. One of the girls said she was not raped but I don’t know if it is true; I hope it is true. Another did not talk about what happened to her. The others were raped. The men were all Iraqis. They said that if we killed ourselves they would kill our relatives.”
A 16 year old, Randa, had this account:
“I was taken to Mosul and kept there all the time. First in a building which they called the maqarr (headquarters). We were about 150 girls and five women. A man called Salwan took me from there to an abandoned house. He also took my cousin, who is 13 years old; we resisted and they beat us. He took me as his wife by force. I told him I did not want to and tried to resist but he beat me. My nose was bleeding, I could not do anything to stop him. I ran away as soon as I could. Luckily they did not do anything to my cousin, did not force her to marry, and she escaped with me. I went to a doctor here, who said that I was not pregnant and didn’t have any disease, but I can’t forget what happened to me.”
Girls were raped, sold into slavery, sold into ‘marriage’ – the report is unclear as to what happened to the men. It is estimated that hundreds of men were killed in the battle, or forced to convert under the threat of death. The 300 women and girls who escaped, are the lucky ones. It is estimated that 1000’s of women and girls are still being held by the Islamic State and most are facing brutality and violence on an ongoing basis. Most of the women were taken captive in August 2014 when the IS invaded the Sinjar regions of North West Iraq. According to Amnesty, most of the families in this region have at least one family member missing.
The IS preferred women and girls who were ‘beautiful’, as they did girls who were virgins. One of the accounts by a girl who escaped : ““They kept bringing prospective buyers for us but luckily none of them took us because we are not beautiful and we were always crying and holding on to each other.”
Another escapee said, “My sister and I told them we were married but they said they would bring a doctor to examine us and those who were virgins and had lied about being married would be punished, so we admitted that we were not married. If we had known that they were going to kill us we would have continued to lie but we were afraid that we would be raped....”
However, being married was no protection from being raped or sold: “I had my little boy with me and my pregnancy was very visible already but one of the guards chose me to be his wife. He said that if I did not consent to marrying him he would sell me on to another man who would take me to Syria. I let him believe that I would marry him and managed to run away before he could carry out his threats ” is the testimony of 19-year-old Abla, who was pregnant when she was taken prisoner. Many of the young women committed suicide rather than face a life of sexual slavery. The accounts of their death are chilling.
“Jilan killed herself in the bathroom. She cut her wrists and hanged herself. She was very beautiful. I think she knew that she was going to be taken away by a man and that is why she killed herself.”
Not all suicide attempts were successful. Wafa, 27, talks about her unsuccessful attempt at suicide: “The man who was holding us said that either we marry him and his brother or he would sell us. At night we tried to strangle ourselves with our scarves. We tied the scarves around our necks and pulled away from each other as hard as we could, until I fainted. Two girls who were held with us woke up and stopped us and then stayed awake to watch over us. When they fell asleep at 5am we tried again, and again they woke up and stopped us. I could not speak for several days after that.”
The women who escaped are so traumatised by their experience that relatives fear that they may never heal, and watch over them in case they commit suicide. The men who ‘purchased’ Yazidi girls and women, were Iraqis and Syrians and from other Arab nations. They were not necessarily fighters. And, the ‘marriages’ were registered at a shariah court. One of the escapees said of her husband’s family “His wife was very nice to us and felt sorry for us. She cried with us and wanted to help but she couldn’t.” This is a tragedy on so many levels that it is going to take generations of sustained work to restore some form of rights to women in the region.
While the world collectively wrings its hands and wonders what can be done, the IS is cutting a swathe through the region with tactics like this, that spread fear. And, if we believe that this is against just the Yazidi , we would be wrong. As the Amnesty report points out, the IS kills everyone who is not like it and doesn’t support the Islamic state – which means pretty much all sane people. IS “ carried out a deliberate policy of ethnic cleansing in northern Iraq. It forced hundreds of thousands of members of ethnic and religious minorities, who had lived in the region for centuries – including Shi’a (who are a minority in northern Iraq),Assyrian Christians, Turkmen Shi’a, Shabak Shi’a, Yazidis, Kakai, and Sabean Mandaeans – to abandon their homes and villages”.
The report makes for hard reading. But, read it, we must, because if nothing else we owe it those who died, who are still in captivity, who are slaves in a modern world. What the IS has committed, is war crimes. But, how do you deal with a force that refuses to recognise the basic rules of the modern world, and is hell bent on burning and destroying everything that is not in the image of its own distorted view of the universe? In a world where most modern Nation States are bound by basic rules, which they may bend but not break, how do you deal with an entity that follows none? The more one reads on this, the great fear is that, the rest of the world has to sink to the same brutal levels to put an end to this
Najib's diplomatic feat turns sour
Najib teeing off with Obama on Christmas eve was meant to show the premier's close relationship with the leader of a superpower, but any sign of admiration quickly drained and was replaced with an outpouring of anger.
Najib managed to show off his diplomatic clout as his golfing session with Obama was splashed in the US media.However, the subsequent angry responses in Malaysia was also quickly picked up the following day.
"A world leader is under fire for playing golf in Hawaii at a time of national crisis. Only this time, it's not President Obama," reported the Washington Post.
The US-based media picked up local reports of angry comments on Najib's Facebook page which urged the premier to return home to deal with the crisis.
The New York Times also picked up an Associated Press report that Najib was "under fire".
"Najib has come under fire for going on holidays in Hawaii, where he was seen golfing with President Barack Obama.
"People have posted messages on his Facebook page, urging him to return home as the flooding worsened," it said.
Managing international coverage
Even the regional US press had highlighted the anger at the prime minister.
"Facebook users told Najib not to be a prime minister in absentia during this time when the country needs him the most as the flood situation worsened in five states," reported Indianapolis Post.
The bad international publicity was made worse by Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (right) who said there was "no need" for the prime minister to return home and that he deserved a break."The PM has worked very hard. Be fair to him. He's a human being too," he said on Thursday.
However, Najib quickly responded to the public outcry, posting a photograph of him on the phone with Muhyiddin on Facebook hours later.
"In the conversation, I asked that he step up the operation to distribute aid to flood victims," he said in the posting.
The posting, which garnered over 10,000 comments, did not help, as netizens mocked the prime minister for his golfing session.
'To be with the people'
A day after that, the Prime Minister's Office in a statement announced that Najib will be returning home to oversee the emergency response of flood-hit states.
“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 in the statement.According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, the prime minister's Airbus A319 aircraft with the call sign 9M-NAA departed Hawaii for Los Angeles, before arriving in Indianapolis at 6.52pm Malaysian time yesterday.
However, the aircraft remains in Indianapolis and it is unclear if Najib is using another aircraft to return to the country or that the signal from the jet has been turned off.
It is understood the premier will be flying directly into Kota Bharu and is expected to have arrived at noon today.
As of this morning, a total of 132,000 people have been displaced by the floods which is now affecting eight states and shows no signs of abating.
Hudud imbroglio – where is Anwar when he is needed now?
Pakatan Rakyat may split three ways if the Kelantan PAS-dominated State Legislative Assembly special sitting tables and passes amendments to the Syariah Criminal Code Enactment (2) 1993 to pave the way for the implementation of hudud in the state.
The proposal to implement hudud was passed by the Kelantan State Legislative Assembly 21 years ago and again through the enactment.
Amendments have to be made and passed to enable the PAS government to table a private bill in Parliament as provided under Article 76A of the Federal Constitution
It appears even the worst floods in decades in the state now cannot wash away the drama and tension surrounding the special assembly sitting scheduled to be held on Dec 29.
One wonders if the rising flood waters will delay the sitting, but that’s only a wish as the 45 elected assemblymen are likely to go ahead with their debate on the amendments.
And outside, it is Pakatan who will be discussing their future.
All of the Kelantan assembly members are Muslims, thereby bonded by the principle that hudud must be upheld.
The enforcement of hudud becomes imminent after a delay of nearly three decades when it was first promised as an electoral incentive by an energetic ulama Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat who was campaigning in the 1980s.
Today, Nik Abdul Aziz is ailing, but his vision or rather the struggle of PAS as an Islamist party can be realised if the assembly passes the proposed amendments to enforce hudud.
Barisan Nasional (BN) though Umno has only 15 state seats so it cannot stop PAS from passing the amendments.
It is after all, God’s law and in principle, no practising Muslim can ignore the adoption and observation of the set of laws aimed at deterring crime and other sinful acts.
Be mindful that religious matters come under the purview of each state where the respective state rulers chair their religious councils. For Penang and Malacca, the King is the head.
There are federal agencies entrusted with the task of overseeing certain management aspects of Islam, but each Malay heartland state holds sway in enacting Syariah laws and enforcing them.
A fine example is Selangor.
Can the secularism-based DAP co-exist with Islam-driven PAS?
As PAS and DAP head into a collision course, it is with great regret to observe that Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is conspicuously missing.
His party, PKR, only managed to delay it by saying they want a draft of the proposal before making a decision on whether to support PAS, side with DAP or abstain.
It is believed that Anwar is the glue in Pakatan.
But of late, there are telling signs that PR is moving apart. Where then is the Permatang Pauh MP when the opposition coalition needs his leadership now?
Anwar has to step up his game, and prevent PAS and DAP from ruining whatever goodwill festive spirit is emanating now. Granted that Anwar has been through a lot, and is heading into the New Year with much uncertainty.
But he is seen as an alternative leader to BN by many Malaysians, so he needs to rise to the occasion.
He should convince PAS and DAP to work together and prevent the six-year-old alliance tearing apart.
Former PAS Supporters Club Congress’ president Hu Phang Chaw claimed that he was informed by Kelantan’s Deputy Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah that hudud was being embraced for political reasons.
If it is political, surely there can be a political solution.
And strong leadership is not just confined to Pakatan, BN should also weigh in on finding a solution.
In other words, this is where our leaders earn their keep, trying to overcome obstacles so the citizenry can continue to live in a progressive, peaceful and most importantly, tolerant nation.
- See more at: http://www.theantdaily.com/Article.aspx?ArticleId=21666#sthash.FRetHwY8.dpuf
RM500 million in aid for flood victims announced
Prime Minister Najib Razak announces that special aid, managed by the National Security Council be distributed to flood victims.
FMT
KOTA BAHARU: Prime Minister Najib Razak today announced a special aid of RM500 million for flood victims in the states affected by the disaster.
He said the fund would be managed fully by the National Security Council (MKN) and it would be disbursed after the conclusion of the floods.
“The aid will be distributed through the MKN based on the criteria to be specified,” he told reporters after making an observation by air in the districts severely affected by the floods such as Tumpat and Tanah Merah.
Najib also announced that the payment of the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), which is scheduled for disbursement at the end of January, will be speeded up to the middle of the month.
In addition, in a move to ease the burden of the people affected, the prime minister also urged financial institutions and agencies managing loan funds to reschedule the repayment period of the borrowers.
Najib today also visited several areas that were severely affected by the floods in the state.
The PM boarded a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) helicopter to observe the affected areas which included Pasir Mas, Tumpat, Rantau Panjang and Tanah Merah.
He also met flood victims at the Temporary Relief Centre (PPS) at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Batang, Tumpat, and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Belimbing PPS in Tanah Merah.
Brushing aside protocol, Najib ate and drank with them lending them an ear as they told of their misery because of the floods.
- BERNAMA
KOTA BAHARU: Prime Minister Najib Razak today announced a special aid of RM500 million for flood victims in the states affected by the disaster.
He said the fund would be managed fully by the National Security Council (MKN) and it would be disbursed after the conclusion of the floods.
“The aid will be distributed through the MKN based on the criteria to be specified,” he told reporters after making an observation by air in the districts severely affected by the floods such as Tumpat and Tanah Merah.
Najib also announced that the payment of the 1Malaysia People’s Aid (BR1M), which is scheduled for disbursement at the end of January, will be speeded up to the middle of the month.
In addition, in a move to ease the burden of the people affected, the prime minister also urged financial institutions and agencies managing loan funds to reschedule the repayment period of the borrowers.
Najib today also visited several areas that were severely affected by the floods in the state.
The PM boarded a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) helicopter to observe the affected areas which included Pasir Mas, Tumpat, Rantau Panjang and Tanah Merah.
He also met flood victims at the Temporary Relief Centre (PPS) at the Sekolah Kebangsaan Kubang Batang, Tumpat, and Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Belimbing PPS in Tanah Merah.
Brushing aside protocol, Najib ate and drank with them lending them an ear as they told of their misery because of the floods.
- BERNAMA
Najib heads straight into disaster briefing
Back from criticised Hawaii trip, but Met warns of more storms ahead
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak headed straight for Kota Baru from his cut-short holiday in Hawaii as more people fled their homes in the worst monsoon floods in decades and weathermen forecast more rain in the week ahead.
Najib arrived at 1.40pm today and went immediately into a briefing by the National Security Council, Bernama reported. More than 132,000 are now in relief centres in eight states of the peninsula, with the East Coast, particularly Kelantan, most affected.
The government has allocated about almost RM50 million to manage relief centres, with Najib’s deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, saying rescuers were facing challenges with power failures and roads being washed away.
Najib has faced flak for being away in Hawaii for a surprise private visit to US President Barack Obama and photographs of him playing golf with the US president drew immediate criticism as heavy rains and higher than usual tides caused widespread inundation.
Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman was another politician who cut short an overseas trip, after also facing opposition criticism. He returned on Friday evening from his ‘umrah’ (minor pilgrimage) trip. He said he had made plans for the trip a long time ago and had also planned to fulfill a vow made over the then political instability in Terengganu and for his ailing (now late) father.
Parts of Kota Baru resembled a vast, muddy lake, with row after row of rooftops peeking out of the murky waters, news wires reported.
Air drops of supplies planned
With major roads cut off, including portions of the East-West Highway, the National Security Council said air drops of food and drinking water might be needed to aid the thousands of stranded flood victims.
The council’s disaster management secretary Mohd Ariff Baharom said the authorities were unable to enter flooded areas by helicopters due to the lack of landing of space, the New Straits Times reported. “Most of the time, rescuers know exactly where the victims are but the place is either inaccessible or unsafe for them to go (by boat) due to the strong currents. So before we are able to reach them and bring them to safe zones, we can at least provide them with food by doing an airdrop,” he was quoted saying.
There have been reports of flood victims looting homes for food and drink.
FMT
KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak headed straight for Kota Baru from his cut-short holiday in Hawaii as more people fled their homes in the worst monsoon floods in decades and weathermen forecast more rain in the week ahead.
Najib arrived at 1.40pm today and went immediately into a briefing by the National Security Council, Bernama reported. More than 132,000 are now in relief centres in eight states of the peninsula, with the East Coast, particularly Kelantan, most affected.
The government has allocated about almost RM50 million to manage relief centres, with Najib’s deputy, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, saying rescuers were facing challenges with power failures and roads being washed away.
Najib has faced flak for being away in Hawaii for a surprise private visit to US President Barack Obama and photographs of him playing golf with the US president drew immediate criticism as heavy rains and higher than usual tides caused widespread inundation.
Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Razif Abdul Rahman was another politician who cut short an overseas trip, after also facing opposition criticism. He returned on Friday evening from his ‘umrah’ (minor pilgrimage) trip. He said he had made plans for the trip a long time ago and had also planned to fulfill a vow made over the then political instability in Terengganu and for his ailing (now late) father.
Parts of Kota Baru resembled a vast, muddy lake, with row after row of rooftops peeking out of the murky waters, news wires reported.
Air drops of supplies planned
With major roads cut off, including portions of the East-West Highway, the National Security Council said air drops of food and drinking water might be needed to aid the thousands of stranded flood victims.
The council’s disaster management secretary Mohd Ariff Baharom said the authorities were unable to enter flooded areas by helicopters due to the lack of landing of space, the New Straits Times reported. “Most of the time, rescuers know exactly where the victims are but the place is either inaccessible or unsafe for them to go (by boat) due to the strong currents. So before we are able to reach them and bring them to safe zones, we can at least provide them with food by doing an airdrop,” he was quoted saying.
There have been reports of flood victims looting homes for food and drink.
Cabinet’s silence on bigotry is endorsement of bigotry – Ravinder Singh
Sorry about it, but the call by the MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai to Malaysians “to heed the advice of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak on the issue of moderation and not be influenced by racial and religious extremist ideology disseminated by irresponsible groups” comes to me as a joke.
Similarly with the Prime Minister’s call on Malaysians “to come together in the spirit of harmony, acceptance and respect in celebrating Christmas”.
Liow is reported to have said that “Malaysia can continue to develop and progressonly when we learn to trust and respect each other and live together in peace and harmony”. This is an insult to Malaysians, for Malaysians had long ago accepted the various cultures and religious beliefs found in this land, and had been living in peace and harmony. It is not as if this is something new that they have to learn.
What is new is the extremist, Talibanist ideology that is being forcefully brought to bear upon people who have been living in peace and harmony for ages, with the objective of destroying the goodwill, peace and harmony between the races and religions in the name of defending Islam. This is totally contrary to what the Prophet had taught, which means the bigots, who claim to be defending Islam, don’t even have respect for the Prophet.
So who has to learn what in 2014 or 2015? Isn’t it a joke and an insult to ask the huge majority of Malaysians of various races, cultures and religions who had been living in peace and harmony with each other all these past decades to “learn to trust and respect each other and live together in peace and harmony”?
The few vociferous racist bigots are like big school bullies. So what do you do – advice the rest of the students to keep away from them, or take the bullies by the horns and throw them to the ground so that bullying stops? When the few school bullies are not reigned in, they create more bullies resulting in even the teachers fearing them. Finally the bullies take control of the schools and teachers dare not take any action for fear of retaliation by the bullies. This has happened in real life, in Malaysia.
This is the scenario that the nation is facing with the bigots given freedom to continue their Talibanist activities in the name of freedom of expression, while the government advises the rest of the people to “learn to trust and respect each otherand live together in peace and harmony”.
Could Liow, Joseph Kurp and Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who have made public statements on this pressing issue, please tell us how many times they have raised this issue in the Cabinet meetings. If they have, what is the Cabinet decision? “Sulit”, is it?
So long as the Cabinet as a whole, through the voice of the Prime Minister, does not condemn the extremist ideology being preached by the few bigots, and order that action be taken to stop the “bullying”, the bullying is going to go on because the bullies interpret that “silence is consent”. So the Cabinet’s silence tantamounts to government’s endorsement of bigotry. For what reason, only the Cabinet wouldknow.
Why is the Cabinet abdicating its duty of ensuring that extremism is not allowed to raise its ugly head to destroy “the peace and harmony that have been achieved since the country’s independence”, in the words of the PM?
The Penal Code very clearly limits freedom of expression. It does not extend to making racist statements and carrying out actions that are “likely to cause disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will” or “likely to prejudice maintenance of harmony or unity”.
No right-thinking person will dispute that this restriction of expression is not an infringement of the democratic right of freedom of expression. Only those with evil intent will claim that these Penal Code provisions infringe their democratic right of expression.
Racist bigotry and extremism are not going to stop until and unless the Cabinet takes a strong stand to put them down. Why is the Cabinet not doing it? – December 26, 2014.
* Ravinder Singh is a reader of The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/cabinets-silence-on-bigotry-is-endorsement-of-bigotry-ravinder-singh#sthash.JteCQPEN.dpuf
Similarly with the Prime Minister’s call on Malaysians “to come together in the spirit of harmony, acceptance and respect in celebrating Christmas”.
Liow is reported to have said that “Malaysia can continue to develop and progressonly when we learn to trust and respect each other and live together in peace and harmony”. This is an insult to Malaysians, for Malaysians had long ago accepted the various cultures and religious beliefs found in this land, and had been living in peace and harmony. It is not as if this is something new that they have to learn.
What is new is the extremist, Talibanist ideology that is being forcefully brought to bear upon people who have been living in peace and harmony for ages, with the objective of destroying the goodwill, peace and harmony between the races and religions in the name of defending Islam. This is totally contrary to what the Prophet had taught, which means the bigots, who claim to be defending Islam, don’t even have respect for the Prophet.
So who has to learn what in 2014 or 2015? Isn’t it a joke and an insult to ask the huge majority of Malaysians of various races, cultures and religions who had been living in peace and harmony with each other all these past decades to “learn to trust and respect each other and live together in peace and harmony”?
The few vociferous racist bigots are like big school bullies. So what do you do – advice the rest of the students to keep away from them, or take the bullies by the horns and throw them to the ground so that bullying stops? When the few school bullies are not reigned in, they create more bullies resulting in even the teachers fearing them. Finally the bullies take control of the schools and teachers dare not take any action for fear of retaliation by the bullies. This has happened in real life, in Malaysia.
This is the scenario that the nation is facing with the bigots given freedom to continue their Talibanist activities in the name of freedom of expression, while the government advises the rest of the people to “learn to trust and respect each otherand live together in peace and harmony”.
Could Liow, Joseph Kurp and Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who have made public statements on this pressing issue, please tell us how many times they have raised this issue in the Cabinet meetings. If they have, what is the Cabinet decision? “Sulit”, is it?
So long as the Cabinet as a whole, through the voice of the Prime Minister, does not condemn the extremist ideology being preached by the few bigots, and order that action be taken to stop the “bullying”, the bullying is going to go on because the bullies interpret that “silence is consent”. So the Cabinet’s silence tantamounts to government’s endorsement of bigotry. For what reason, only the Cabinet wouldknow.
Why is the Cabinet abdicating its duty of ensuring that extremism is not allowed to raise its ugly head to destroy “the peace and harmony that have been achieved since the country’s independence”, in the words of the PM?
The Penal Code very clearly limits freedom of expression. It does not extend to making racist statements and carrying out actions that are “likely to cause disharmony, disunity or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will” or “likely to prejudice maintenance of harmony or unity”.
No right-thinking person will dispute that this restriction of expression is not an infringement of the democratic right of freedom of expression. Only those with evil intent will claim that these Penal Code provisions infringe their democratic right of expression.
Racist bigotry and extremism are not going to stop until and unless the Cabinet takes a strong stand to put them down. Why is the Cabinet not doing it? – December 26, 2014.
* Ravinder Singh is a reader of The Malaysian Insider.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/sideviews/article/cabinets-silence-on-bigotry-is-endorsement-of-bigotry-ravinder-singh#sthash.JteCQPEN.dpuf
Golf Game With Obama For Diplomatic Relations - Najib
KOTA
BAHARU, Dec 27 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak today explained
that his golf game with United States president Barack Obama in Hawaii
recently did not mean that he deliberately ignored the flood faced by
the country as polemicized by certain groups.On the contrary, the prime minister said the game had been planned much earlier on the principle of establishing diplomatic ties with world leaders for Malaysia's benefit.
In addition, he said, the invitation had been extended during Obama's visit to this country in April, and it was difficult to decline the invitation as it had been planned for much earlier in the schedules of both leaders.
Speaking at a media conference here after observing the areas badly affected by the flood in Kelantan, he said: "Actually, during President Obama's visit to Malaysia, he had said that if coincidentally I were in Hawaii together with him (Obama), he would like to play golf with me (Najib).
"And playing golf is not something strange or extraordinary...because during the times of Tun Abdul Razak (Malaysia's second prime minister), Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman (second deputy prime minister), playing golf with world leaders could be described as golf diplomacy," he said.
Najib said although Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin assumed responsibility as the Director of the National Disaster Management Committee, he had decided to shorten his vacation and flew directly to Kota Baharu to look at the latest flood situation personally.
"Every day when I was there, I received the latest report on the flood situation...as it became more serious, I decided to return to the country as soon as possible and went directly to Kota Baharu. I have not even returned home yet.
"And (I) made the immediate visit to demonstrate that the government is very committed to continue to assist the flood victims," he added.
The flood situation in Kelantan is now becoming more serious when tens of thousands of residents had to seek shelter at temporary relief centres.
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