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Ohio Man Arrested for Alleged ISIS-Inspired Plot on US Capitol, FBI Says

By PIERRE THOMAS, JACK DATE, MIKE LEVINE and JACK CLOHERTY

he FBI today arrested an Ohio man for allegedly plotting an ISIS-inspired attack on the U.S. Capitol, where he hoped to set off a series of bombs aimed at lawmakers, whom he allegedly considered enemies.

Christopher Lee Cornell, 20, of Green Township, was arrested on charges of attempting to kill a U.S. government official, authorities said.

According to government documents, he allegedly planned to detonate pipe bombs at the national landmark and open fire on any employees and officials fleeing after the explosions.

The FBI first noticed Cornell several months ago after an informant notified the agency that Cornell was allegedly voicing support for violent “jihad” on Twitter accounts under the alias “Raheel Mahrus Ubaydah,” according to charging documents. In addition, Cornell allegedly posted statements, videos and other content expressing support for ISIS -- the brutal terrorist group also known as ISIL -- that is wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria.

"I believe that we should just wage jihad under our own orders and plan attacks and everything,” Cornell allegedly wrote in an online message to the informant in August, according to the FBI. “I believe we should meet up and make our own group in alliance with the Islamic State here and plan operations ourselves."

In the message, Cornell said that such attacks “already got a thumbs up” from radical cleric Anwar Awlaki “before his martyrdom.”

Awlaki was killed in a U.S. drone strike in 2011, but his online messages calling for attacks on the West live on.

U.S. officials considered Awlaki an operational leader within al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based terror group tied to the deadly assault on a satirical magazine in Paris last week.

Cornell and the informant met in Cincinnati over two days in October, and then another two days in November. During the last meeting, Cornell told an FBI informant that members of Congress were enemies and that he wanted to launch an attack on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., according to charging documents.

Cornell then allegedly saved money to finance the attack and researched how to build bombs, the FBI said.

Earlier today, while also taking “final steps” to travel to Washington for the attack, Cornell allegedly bought two semi-automatic rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition from a store in Ohio, authorities said.

Within hours of Cornell’s arrest, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin to law enforcement agencies across the country notifying them of the case.

"The alleged activities of Cornell highlight the continued interest of US-based violent extremists to support designated foreign terrorist organizations overseas, such as ISIL, by committing terrorist acts in the United States,” the bulletin read. “Terrorist group members and supporters will almost certainly continue to use social media platforms to disseminate English language violent extremist messages."

Al Nusra kills woman accused of adultery

Before she was killed she begged to see her children but her killer refused

Reuters

Beirut: Al Qaida’s Syria wing, Nusra Front, shot dead a woman in the northwest of the country after accusing her of adultery, a monitoring group said on Wednesday, saying it showed such execution-style killings were not confined to the militant Daesh. Daesh, which split from Al Qaida and has seized land in Iraq and Syria, has beheaded and stoned to death Syrian and foreign civilians and combatants for crimes it sees as violating its strict interpretation of Islamic law.

But Nusra Front, which sometimes fights alongside Western-backed insurgents in Syria as well as against them, has also carried out such killings or physical punishments after accusing people of violations such as insulting God or thievery.

Both groups have been targeted by US-led strikes which started last year.

Rami Abdul Rahman, director of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said he received a video showing the woman being shot in the head outside Idlib city after being charged with adultery. Before she was killed, she begged to see her children but her killer refused, he added.

Photos posted on Twitter said to be of the woman showed her dressed in a black robe, headscarf and a red jacket and crouching on a pavement next to a group of standing men who appeared to be from Nusra Front. One man clothed in black wore a balaclava and held an assault rifle.

Other photos showed her falling to the ground beside a wall sprayed with Nusra Front’s name and then her body on the ground.

Nusra Front controls between 70-80 percent of Idlib, Abdul Rahman said. Hardline groups such as Daesh and Nusra Front have become the most powerful insurgent forces in Syria’s nearly four-year conflict, undermining rebel fighters the United States and its allies say they want to train and equip.

Razak’s NEP both a success and a failure, says ex-aide Abdullah Ahmad

A close confidante of Malaysia's second prime minister, Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, has rated the country's controversial affirmative action-based economic policy created by his boss as both a "great success and great failure", 45 years after it was first implemented.

Tan Sri Abdullah Ahmad, who was Razak's political secretary, said the New Economic Policy (NEP) had done well to lift the Malays out of poverty and increase the number of Malay professionals in all sectors.

But it has failed in its other objective of eradicating poverty regardless of race, Abdullah, better known as Dollah Kok Lanas, told The Malaysian Insider in an interview as part of a series to commemorate the 39th death anniversary of Razak who died on January 14, 1976.

Abdullah also noted what economists have been telling Putrajaya in recent times, that wealth inequality is no longer between races, but within each race, and in the case of the Malays, concentrated within an elite class.

"Some might argue that the enlarged national economy is indeed being shared across the three main races of the Malaysian society, but (this is) among the 1% or less. I have sympathy with this view.

"Economic policies must be implemented fairly for all, regardless of race or political affiliation, he said.

Abdullah, now 78, was a journalist when Razak took note of him and at age 26, he was appointed Razak's political secretary. It was the first time such a position had been created in Malaysia.

Abdullah later became the Member of Parliament for Kok Lanas, a seat in Kelantan, and deputy minister. Seen as powerful and ambitious, he was said to be the envy of many for having Razak's ear. After Razak died, Abdullah was detained under the Internal Security Act for allegedly being a communist.

In this interview, Abdullah shares his memories of working with his late boss, and puts Razak's pro-Bumiputera economic policies in perspective amid today's challenges.

TMI: What kind of person was Tun Razak to you as a leader, a friend and a colleague?

Abdullah: I worked for Razak for 14 consecutive years, uninterrupted from 1962 to 1976.

My designation changed once, from political secretary to deputy minister.

The job description remained the same, the addition being my ministerial duties.

My main role was to be Razak's eyes and ears, and to say the things he could not; to shield him from foes and to ensure his policies and political directives were carried out.

My opponents loved to say I was his enthusiastic enforcer and the executioner of his words.

I worked with him and not so much for him. I was a colleague; maybe a junior colleague, but I was also a politician and perceived as one. Razak told me to always remember that I was an important member of his administration, but that I was not a member of the civil service.

Razak was a good leader and excellent administrator. He was not a talker but a doer. In modern parlance, he walked the talk. He shared and delegated power.

Results were important to him. The speedier, the better; persuasion, not coercion.

As a colleague, he was dependable, loyal and generous, though rewards came slowly for his close advisers and aide. We would be the last to be thanked and shake his hand.

TMI: Please share some of the memorable things he said, or personal experiences you had with him.

Abdullah: We were once in a helicopter on the way to inspect some rural projects in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, in the '60s when we encountered some difficulties during the flight and almost crashed.

However, the Malaysian pilots, the first batch that had taken over from the foreign ones, skillfully brought the helicopter under control to land us safely.

Razak (then deputy prime minister) remained unperturbed throughout, in the tradition of the stiff upper lip, and calmly congratulated the pilots on a job well done.

There was another close shave in Bentong, Pahang, also in the '60s, when a timber lorry missed our car by inches.

We were not being escorted by a procession of outriders which, even for the deputy prime minister, was unheard of in those days.

Razak's response to the incident was again typical – he merely asked me to trace the timber company concerned and to enquire with them how such a near-miss could have happened.

TMI: What can you recall of him from the time he replaced Tunku Abdul Rahman as prime minister following the May 13, 1969 riots? Did you agree with the pressure against Tunku?

Abdullah: The Tunku was openly told by some young Umno turks, the likes of Dr Mahathir (Mohamad), Musa Hitam and some others that he should leave office and give the job to Razak.

Senior leaders were more circumspect about saying this, so what happened was no surprise to insiders.

The Tunku and his supporters had fought back but gave up when they realised he would lose out in an open fight with the emerging younger group. I was not opposed to what you call "the pressure" because I was part of the group.

TMI: Razak set up the Barisan Nasional to replace the Alliance. Do you think this formula of one-race parties sharing power in an alliance is still relevant today, or should Malaysia move towards more inclusive, multiracial political parties?

Abdullah: Yes, it is still relevant though I wish it wasn't because there is still no genuine multiracial party in Malaysia. The DAP is largely still Chinese-based and led; PKR is mainly Malay-based and led, and PAS says it is based on Islam.

It will be a long time before a genuinely multiracial party exists. On the contrary, the demographic trend is moving in the opposite (direction) to a multiracial society. Race-based parties will become stronger.

TMI: How do you evaluate Razak's economic and social integration policies, particularly through the National Economic Policy (1970-1990), in the light of the last few decades – has the policy succeeded? What went wrong? What needs to change?

Abdullah: The NEP was a great success and great failure. It succeeded in enlarging the Malay middle class and the number of professional and incipient professionals in its ranks.

However, many of the NEP's objectives remain unattained, especially the eradication of poverty regardless of race.

Its great failure is that it was not scrupulously implemented. Occupation is still identified with race in Malaysia – the Malays with the government service, including a burgeoning religious bureaucracy, and the non-Malays with the private sector.

Some might argue that the enlarged national economy is indeed being shared across the three main races of the Malaysian society, but (this is) among the 1% or less. I have sympathy with this view.

Economic policies must be implemented fairly for all, regardless of race or political affiliation.

TMI: What is Razak's legacy to Malaysia today?

Abdullah: Razak restored stability and then harmony to the country after 1969. He then reinstated parliamentary democracy when he could have ruled by fiat as head of the National Operations Council.

This is in contrast to the trend of concentration of power by those who now hold office in order to make themselves less, not more accountable to the people. Or the current trend to make populist decisions for short-term personal gain rather than correct, objective ones in the long-term public interest.

Razak was much maligned but he was a public-spirited and strategic leader.

He also initiated Malaysia's diplomatic relationship with China, the first Asean nation to do so in 1974. – January 15, 2015.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/razaks-nep-both-a-success-and-a-failure-says-ex-aide-abdullah-ahmad#sthash.4WAsmwXX.dpuf

Cabinet accepts Zahid's kingpin letter explanation

 

 VIDEO 0.46 MINS

The cabinet has heard Home Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's explanation on his confidential letter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to clear the name of Paul Phua, Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said today.

Anifah said Zahid explained the matter at a recent cabinet meeting.

"We listened to the explanation put forward by him. We agreed to accept his explanation," Anifah told a press conference.

("Kita telah pun mendengar penjelasan diutarakan oleh beliau dan kita telah pun setuju menerima penjelasan-penjelasan yang telah pun diberikan.")

An aide of Anifah later clarified that cabinet had listened to Zahid's explanation instead of "accepting" the explanation as reported.

Asked at the press conference what Zahid had explained, Anifah told reporters to direct the question at the home minister.

Anifah was responding to the question if the action taken by Zahid had exceeded his jurisdiction given that this was normally done by the Foreign Ministry.

However, Anifah did not elaborate further.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (left) had recently said that the cabinet was kept in the dark regarding Zahid's letter.

Paul, along with his son Darren, are currently facing charges for involvement in illegal gambling in Nevada, US.

The prosecutor, during the trial, had submitted a report prepared by the FBI where it stated that Paul was a member of the 14K triad, based on information given by the Malaysian police.

However, Paul’s lawyer had submitted a letter written by Zahid to the FBI, that clarified Paul was not a member of the triad and had involved himself in several national security projects, and asked the authorities to release him.

However the letter was retracted the same day following strong objections by the prosecutor as the deadline to submit evidence had lapsed.

Veteran lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had explained on Zahid’s behalf that the letter was to correct the mistake by the police, adding that 14K triad had never existed in Malaysia.

While the police were not aware of the letter, IGP Khalid Abu Bakar had said that there were overseas Malaysians known to be members of the triad.

Zahid has yet make a public statement on this letter.

Ruckus after 'support Palanivel' do disrupted

There were raised voices and shoving at a press meet called by state MIC Youth leaders in Kuala Lumpur today to show support to party president G Palanivel, when party rivals challenged their position.

The press conference by Selangor MIC Youth chief V Mugilan and four other state chiefs almost turned into a fist fight when MIC Youth secretary Arvind Krishnan was told to sit down.

"Are you trying to stop the press conference here? If you are not, please sit at the back and let me answer the questions from the press here," Malacca Youth chief K Sashi Kumar asked Arvind in a video circulating of the incident at Grand Pacific Hotel this afternoon.

"If you are, I together with the other youth leaders will get out and leave. If you are not, please go to the back and sit down!" he said, raising his voice.

This prompted those who accompanied Arvind to cry out in protest and move in on those giving the press conference, but they were quickly subdued by other colleagues.

The commotion lasted for less than five minutes and ended when Arvind told those holding the press conference that he and his supporters will leave.

There were no gangsters

Contacted later, Arvind told Malaysiakini that he did not “bring gangsters to create a ruckus” as alleged by some quarters.

Instead, he was there to set the record straight in front of the media so there will be no need to issue rebuttal after rebuttal through press statements.

“We don’t have to bring in grandmother and grandfather stories for years,” he said.

He added all those who came with him are MIC Youth office bearers.

“There were no gangsters, no gangsters at all.”

He said those calling the press conferences claim MIC Youth leadership council did not entertain complaints about anonymous social media accounts attacking the president.

This is untrue, he said, because MIC Youth had lodged complaints to the Malaysian Communication and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

He added that those who called for the press conference also could not answer his question on why they are supporting Palanivel and had called the press conference without consulting their division leaders.

"My question is fundamental. Why support the president when he has not done anything?

"MIC Youth has written to the president, sent him sms’s to meet, but he doesn’t reply and he takes everything for granted. He has not met us,” he said.

"Our primary focus is to save the party (from deregistration). If we can’t even see the president, we have no other channel but the press. This is rubbish. Don’t drive us up the wall."

The ROS has threatened the party with de-registration if it does not hold re-elections for several divisions following findings of irregularities.

Palanivel revolution

In a statement distributed at the press conference, the Perak, Selangor Johor, Kedah, and Malacca state chiefs condemned the open attacks on Palanivel.

"We strongly condemn the actions of certain youths that made press statements against the president and his prerogative powers and giving false pretense as if they are voice speaking on behalf of the youth wing as a whole…

"Our insistence to support the party president’s leadership is not against the norm.

"It should be respected and taken into account by the national youth leadership when making statements against the party leadership and allowing the youth office for such purposes which goes against the core of our party – the support towards the president," they said.

They said MIC through Palanivel is "making some revolutionary process" and is "making waves" for the betterment of the party and Indian community.

The who, why and what in Altantuya's case

 

The murder case of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariiibuu has drawn to an end with former police officers Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar being convicted and sent to the gallows.

The trial saw 75 prosecution witnesses whereas the defence had only called in Azilah and Sirul.

There are several questions which still bog the mind, such as:

• Why was there a change of judge and prosecutors?

At the Shah Alam High Court, the case was initially slated to be heard before Justice KN Segara, who is known to be a no-nonsense judge.

Segara had heard the plea of the three accused (including political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda) when they were first brought to the High Court. However, the case was then transferred to Justice Mohd Zaki Yasin. Segara was then elevated to the Court of Appeal where he eventually retired.

There was also a change in prosecutors as well with former Selangor prosecution chief Sallehuddin Saidin being replaced in the eleventh hour with deputy public prosecutor (DPP) Tun Abdul Majid Tun Hamzah, who is known to be close to attorney-general Abdul Gani Patail, while Sallehuddin is aligned to former solicitor-general II Mohd Yusof Zainal Abiden.

Sallehuddin eventually left the Attorney-General’s Chambers and formed his own private practice. Tun Abdul Majid also led the prosecution team in former transport minister Dr Ling Liong Sik's cheating case involving the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal.      

Also raising eyebrows is the fact that lawyer Wong Kian Kheong, said to be close to the attorney-general, had represented both Abdul Razak and Ling.

Wong was initially with the AG’s Chambers but he later joined the private practice in Lee Hishammuddin, a legal firm founded by Najib's cousin, Hishammuddin Hussein, who was then the home minister.

Wong has since been appointed judicial commissioner.

• Why and who did Azilah call?

Azilah had called an unidentified individual twice from Puncak Alam (scene of the crime) after 11pm on Oct 19, 2006 prior to the murder taking place, based on his mobile phone records. Why and who did he call?                                                                

• Why was the motive not established?

Justice Mohd Zaki did not allude to the motive behind the killing of Altantuya, and ruled that it was not essential to the murder case.

• Why didn’t the prosecution appeal the acquittal of Abdul Razak, who was accused of abetting the murder?

This follows what they claimed to be a finding of fact in the political analyst’s affidavit with regard to his bail application. The affidavit was not made available in entirety to the media.

This affidavit was filed by Wong the moment Sirul and Azilah were arrested, pointing the fingers at them. That was their death warrant.

• Why did Sirul claim that he was being made a “scapegoat” in order to protect “their plans” and who were he referring to?
   
• Did the two police officers act on their own?
   
• Was Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's former aide de camp DSP Musa Safri's role merely limited to sending Azilah to Abdul Razak’s house in Damansara Heights and office in Jalan Ampang to resolve a problem?
   
• What was the role played by Altantuya in the Defence Ministry’s deal in the purchase of the multi-billion ringgit Scorpene submarines from France? Did she know something more?

(The government had awarded Perimekar Sdn Bhd, a company owned by Abdul Razak, who admitted to having an affair with Altantuya, to purchase and maintain the submarines during Najib’s tenure as defence minister.)

• Did Najib know Altantuya as claimed in the late P Balasubramaniam's first statutory declaration (SD), which he said was based on what Abdul Razak told him?

Balasubramaniam was allegedly forced to retract his explosive 16-page SD and signed a second SD. He was allegedly helped by senior lawyer Cecil Abraham, who is now under probe by the Advocates and Solicitors Disciplinary Board.

Subsequently, Balasubramaniam and his family left for India after allegedly being asked to lay low for five years before returning in 2013. The private investigator died of an heart ailment soon after.

Najib sworn in a mosque in 2008 that he had never met Altantuya.

Balasubramaniam's family had filed a RM1.9 million suit against Najib, his wife Rosmah Mansor and Cecil, along with six others, but the suit was struck out last month.

French comedian’s arrest for attacks comment sparks free speech debate

(AFP) – Notorious French comedian Dieudonne was arrested today for condoning terrorism over a comment suggesting he sympathised with one of the Paris attacks gunmen, in a move that sparked a debate about free speech.

Prosecutors had opened the case against the comedian on Monday after he posted on his Facebook page “Tonight, as far as I’m concerned, I feel like Charlie Coulibaly” — mixing the popular slogan “Je suis Charlie” used in homage to the slain Charlie Hebdo magazine journalists with a reference to Islamist gunman Amedy Coulibaly.

Coulibaly killed four Jews at a supermarket on Friday and a policewoman the day before.

Dieudonne’s arrest is one of 54 cases that have been opened in France for “condoning terrorism” or “making threats to carry out terrorist acts” since last week’s Islamist shootings that left 17 people dead.

His lawyer David de Stefano said his arrest was “shocking.”

“We are in the land of freedom of expression? This morning, the government provided the demonstration of that,” he said sarcastically.

Dieudonne is a controversial figure who has made headlines in the past, most notably with his trademark “quenelle” hand gesture that looks like an inverted Nazi salute, but that he insists is merely anti-establishment.

Last year, French footballer Nicolas Anelka was banned for five matches by English football authorities for using the hand gesture during a match.

Branded a “pedlar of hate” by the government, Dieudonne has also attracted controversy over sketches widely viewed as anti-Semitic that have occasionally prompted local authorities to ban his shows.

Nevertheless, the polemicist’s arrest over his Facebook post has sparked huge debate over where freedom of expression starts and ends, particularly after France has for days vaunted the importance of free speech following killings that took aim at journalists among others.

The arrest has sparked all the more debate in light of the controversial nature of Charlie Hebdo itself, which has in the past provoked significant outrage.

One of the magazine’s front covers that is circulating on social networks, for instance, dates from October 2012 and was titled “Mohamed Merah, come back! They’ve gone mad.”

Merah is the Al-Qaeda militant who went on a killing spree in southwestern France in March 2012, murdering seven people including Jewish children and soldiers, and the magazine said it had purely wanted to mock the proliferation of ultra-radical Islamist networks.

“Freedom of expression and condoning terrorism, I’ll let you be the judge,” one Twitter user said, above a picture of the 2012 front cover.

Dieudonne made his Facebook post after attending Sunday’s unity march against extremism that brought more than 1.5 million people onto the streets of Paris in the wake of the attacks.

He dismissed the march — considered the biggest rally in modern French history — as “a magical moment comparable to the big-bang”.

Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve described the Charlie Hebdo remark as “contemptible” as he visited the heart of Paris’ Jewish community on Monday, and Dieudonne has since removed it from his Facebook page.

But he has left his response to the interior minister’s comment, accusing the government of trying to “ruin my life” when “I am only trying to make people laugh”.

Since late last year, when a law aimed at fighting the threat of jihadism was adopted, condoning or inciting terrorism is subject to much harsher sanctions than it once was.

‘Red Notice’ to Interpol to locate Sirul

Police to liaise with Australia first but if he has left for other destinations Interpol will be asked to join the search.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Police will issue a “Red Notice” to Interpol to help detect corporal Sirul Azhar, who has been sentenced to death for the murder of Mongolian model Altantuya Shaariibuu and an application for extradition will be made with the country concerned.

Sirul Azhar left for Australia in October last year and this has been confirmed by Kuala Lumpur CID chief Mohmad Salleh after checking the Malaysian Immigration Department records.

“To date, the Malaysian Immigration Department has confirmed that he went abroad to Australia. He went there in October last year.

“We will liaise with the Australian Federal Police if he is there, but if he has left for other destinations, we will liaise with Interpol to arrest him.

“We will definitely seek the cooperation of the international police,” he said when contacted by Bernama here today.

It is understood that the police would issue a ‘Red Notice’ to Interpol to help detect Sirul Azhar, and an application for the extradition will be made with the country concerned.

According to the portal of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Malaysia has concluded treaties on extradition with six countries, including Australia.

Sirul Azhar, who is the second accused in the murder of the Mongolian woman, did not attend the Federal Court for sentencing yesterday, as he is abroad. The court issued a warrant of arrest against him.

Yesterday, the court sentenced Sirul Azhar and first accused chief inspector Azilah Hadri to death after finding them guilty of murdering Altantuya, nine years ago.

The Federal Court also unanimously set aside the decision of the Court of Appeal on August 23, 2013, which freed the duo.

The Federal Court found the Court of Appeal had made a mistake in its decision.

The High Court, prior to this, imposed the death sentence on Sirul Azhar and Azilah after they were found guilty of killing Altantuya.

– BERNAMA

Paulsen freed on police bail

Lawyers for Liberty will issue a statement after Paulsen has had discussions with colleagues on his arrest and remand for two days.

FMT

KUALA LUMPUR: Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen was freed on police bail on Wednesday at 4.30 pm after being held under remand for two days. He had no complaints against the police on the manner in which he was treated by them while in custody.

“I cannot say anything more since the case is under police investigation. I don’t want to be seen as hampering their probe,” said Paulsen who appeared before the waiting media in a white shirt and blue jeans. He was accompanied by his lawyers Michelle Yesudas and Radzlan Jalaluddin.

“However, I will be issuing a statement after discussions with my colleagues.”

If there’s anything good that has come out from this experience, he added that it was the realization that he had to choose his words better the next time when commenting in the social media. “All citizens have the right to express their opinions in line with the Federal Constitution.”

Paulsen said his computer and mobile phone were seized by the police and are still with them.

About 20 police detained Paulsen at about 9 pm on January 12 in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur, apparently in connection with his tweet that Jakim was preaching extremism through its Friday sermons distributed to mosques.

The long road to Wasatiyyah

For misfits in the modern world, bullets and bombs are more empowering than ballots.

FMT

Exactly on cue, the Paris incident has opened the door to all kinds of questions about what has gone wrong with society. We hear the condemnations and justifications. We hear of new fears and the predictable reprisals. We hear arrogant threats. But we have not heard the solutions. Are we addressing the real root of the problem? The answer surely cannot be more force or fire.

We are in total agreement with the Defence Minister that such acts of terrorism could happen on our own soil. We must be vigilant not only of the sleeper cells and their support network, but also of the less tangible internal forces that are radicalising the impressionable minds of our people.

It is not enough to say that our security concerns are well taken care of. There must be sterner conviction to divert these wayward minds from this seductive movement of hatred and violence. Taking care of security concerns would be just the symptomatic treatment of a disease without eradicating the organism that causes it.

The tweet by Eric Paulsen that earned him the ire of the religious authorities and the political right-wing may just have a grain of truth to it if taken with a pinch of salt. In his tongue in cheek manner, he was urging the authorities to re-look at the way messages are conveyed to the flock.

One supposes that Paulsen could have worded the tweet to be more pleasing to sensitive eyes and ears. But the message is clear. Just as Paulsen must take responsibility for his own words and actions, the authorities too should seek to balance any brimstone and fire from the pulpit with temperate words of inclusiveness, tolerance, harmony, cooperation, love and respect for thy neighbour.

Is this not after all the long road to Wasatiyyah, the middle path?

By their own admission, the stewards of the official religion say that sermons are inspirational and motivational, all positive stuff. Encouragement to strive and struggle in the way of the religion in loose terminology is to “berjihad”.

Against the backdrop of the ever present polemic by neo-fascistical groups – that the official religion is under attack by infidel values, other religions and ethnic outsiders – we should be mindful that the conveyed messages may be subverted by irresponsible parties to stoke militancy. It does not take much goading to see disgruntled individuals transformed into a destructive vigilante force by fiery instigators, as is usually the case. What harm is there to take caution in such a matter?

A remark by a high official that the sermons “also conveys the national policies” is baffling, to say the least. As spiritual shepherds of the masses who are supposed to help individuals enhance their connection to the Creator, why are they disseminating government policies? The government of Malaysia is not a theocracy.

The global radical movement has charted its course close to the mighty river of a compassionate religion. And the raised voices of its intolerance, bigotry and hatred will taint the water for all that would drink from the Creator’s pure bounty.

Its quest for power and dominion over territory has seen this aberration of the true faith fuse politics with religion to appeal to a global congregation. They know full well that faith has surer traction than politics among believers. So for those who feel like misfits, victimised or disenfranchised in the modern world, bullets and bombs are more empowering than ballots.

To the poor and downtrodden, God speaks louder than politics.

Malaysians should remember the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku, Razak and Hussein as under them, there was no question whatsoever that Malaysia is a liberal, democratic, multi-racial, secular state with Islam as the religion of Federation

Lim Kit Siang Blog

Banker Datuk Seri Nazir Razak, the youngest son of our second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, has said that his father would be shocked 39 years after his death – 57 years after Merdeka and 51 years after Malaysia – that race and religion divide Malaysians even more today than during his time.

It is against this sombre backdrop of nation-building after five decades that we are gathered here to remember Tun Razak and his legacy to the country.

Last year, Malaysia was bedevilled by a host of disasters and misfortunes like

(1) the two air crashes of MH370 on March 8 and MH 17 of July 17 with a total toll of 537 crew members and passengers of different nationalities, together with a third air disaster in a year Air Asia QZ8501 which crashed into Java Sea with 162 victims on Dec. 28;

(2) the year-end worst floods catastrophe in living memory;

(3) the burgeoning multi-billion ringgit 1MDB scandal threatening to become the “mother of all financial scandals” in Malaysia;

(4) the disastrous Report of Royal Commission of Inquiry into the “mother of all problems in Sabah”, the 40-year-old nightmare of illegal immigrants in Sabah, but which turned out to be the latest of the four-decade-old merry-go-round leading to nowhere;

(5) the bleak and gloomy economic picture with the plunge in crude oil prices hitting a six-year low with Brent crude falling as low as US$45.19 and US crude as low as US$44.20 and the plunge in price of other commodities like palm oil and rubber;

(6) the unprecedented rise of bigotry and extremism putting to the ultimate test the Merdeka and Malaysia national compacts of 1957 and 1963 to be a model to the world of successful multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural harmony, tolerance and co-existence.

Nobody would have thought that the problems of race and religion would have reached such serious a pass in the midst of the myriad of disasters and misfortunes but undoubtedly one of the most significant events of the past year and one of the brightest spots last year was the Open Letter to the Prime Minister by 25 Eminent Malays and the snowballing of support by ordinary moderate Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, politics or region, to save Malaysia from bigot and extremists.

Never before has an Open Letter by the citizenry struck such a resounding chord in our multiracial, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation, as evidenced by the enthusiastic support from all groups of Malaysian society, not confined to Malays and Muslims, like ‘I am #26’ online petition; “KamiJuga25″ (We, too, are 25), both signed by thousands of supporters; 95 NGOs in Malaysia, 22 Muslim activists and a multitude of support demonstrated by diverse groups and strata of Malaysian society in the past month.

One thought struck me and it is pertinent to raise it as this forum, Would Tun Razak have kept the Eminent 25, who were former top civil servants whether from the educational, medical, judicial or diplomatic services, cooling their heels for over a month, waiting for an appointment to hear out their pleas that the Prime Minister exercise leadership to get moderate Malaysians to stand up to the extremists who are destroying the multi-ethnic and multi-religious fabric of the country?

I do not think so.

A Young Turk of Razak’s era, Tun Musa Hitam, said Razak’s legacy, together with the founding fathers of the nation like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Ismail, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Sambanthan – and Tan Sri Wong Pow Nee and I was present at the launching of his biography “Unsung Patriot” in Penang last week – as well as the founding fathers from Sabah and Sarawak, was for our country to be multi-racial and multi-religious one and the well-being of all Malaysians.

During the debate on the Second Malaysia Plan in Parliament on in July 1971, I declared that DAP support the overriding objective of the New Economic Policy (NEP) to achieve national unity and its two prongs to eradicate poverty and restructure society to eliminate the identification of race with economic function.

But as DAP and many others had warned, the NEP became a major source of national division because it was abused for the enrichment of Umno-putras in the name of the upliftment of bumiputras, with a 20-year policy extended into a 45-year policy.
Only last week, prominent local economist Tan Sri Kamal Salih advocated that the time has come to shelve the bumiputera agenda and focus the national effort on a national policy to uplift all Malaysians regardless of race.

Kamal Salih said Putrajaya must go for the national agenda and create a national policy that is more inclusive. And if it does that properly, and avoid the pitfalls of the past, it can achieve its economic goals without having this red flag of being a ‘Bumiputera agenda’.

As Kamal rightly pointed out, If you are trying to reduce inequality and reduce the gap between the rich and the poor, the beneficiaries will be largely Bumiputeras anyway.

As Kamal rightly pointed out, inequality was more prominent within ethnic groups, rather than between them, and poverty could no longer be defined along racial lines.

Ethnicity is no longer the basis for inequality. It has now become define) by income and the disparity between the rich and the poor, the gap between the CEO and the ordinary worker.

Musa Hitam said in The Malaysian Insider today that Razak was fully committed to the cause of multiracialism although within UMNO there was still a very strong lack of political willingness to accept a multiracial Malaysia.

As a result, “Pluralism” and “liberalism”, which actually translate into multiracialism, have become “dirty words” currently and under intense attack by some Umno personalities as well as related groups.

This is why the Open Letter by the Eminent 25 with the floodtide of support by different sectors of the Malaysian population, regardless of race, religion or region, is very important and significant, for it is nothing less than a reclamation of the politics of multiracialism, moderation and inclusion which now faces the greatest threat and challenge from the politics of racism, intolerance, extremism and exclusion.

Under the first three Prime Ministers, from Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein, in fact for 47 years from 1957 until 2001,Malaysia’s foundation as a liberal, democratic, l multi-racial and secular nation with Islam as the religion of the Federation was never seriously questioned or challenged. This was also the basis for Sabah and Sarawak’s Agreement, embedded in the 20 Points and 18 Points respectively for Sabah and Sarawak in the the formation of Malaysia in 1963.

For this reason, it would be a good idea if Malaysians remember the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku, Razak and Hussein as under them, there was no question whatsoever that Malaysia is a liberal, democratic, multi-racial, secular state with Islam as the religion of Federation.

In fact, the Rukunegara, which was drafted by the National Consultative Council (NCC) under the chairmanship of Razak after the May 13 riots, referred in its preamble to a just, democratic, liberal and progressive society.

This is why I believe that Tun Razak would have given the Eminent 25 more than a sympathetic hearing with regard to their Open Letter, instead of letting them cool their heels for more than a month.

I believe Tun Razak would have fully endorsed the Najib’s initiative in launching the iniative of the Global Movement of Moderates to rally moderates of the world to marginalise the extremist everywhere, but he would be dismayed and exasperated by Najib’s total inertia to check the rise of extremists and bigots whose rhetoric and politics of hate and intolerance have plunged the country to the worst racial and religious polarisation in the nation’s history.

Nazir has offered the view that if alive today, Razak would say that it is time to set up another national consultative council, like he did in 1970, to discuss critical issues around preserving harmony and fostering unity amongst Malaysians.
This is the challenge of the times.

In my 2015 New Year Message, I had called for an emergency meeting of Parliament to, among other things (i) present a new budget 2015 and an National Economic Salvation Plan in the wake of fast-changing economic world; and (ii) a National Reconciliation Plan to save Malaysia and the world from bigots and extremists.

I think Tun Razak would have received these proposals more positively.

(Speech at the Roketkini forum “Remembering Tun Razak” at Mandarin Court Hotel, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday, 14th January 2014 at 8.30 pm)

IGP: Paulsen’s arrest to safeguard harmony

The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The arrest of Lawyers for Liberty executive director Eric Paulsen was made to safeguard the nation’s well-being and harmony enjoyed by people of diverse races and religions, said Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

“It has to be done to defend and preserve the freedom of the rakyat to live peacefully without being influenced by any party with a hidden agenda,” said the Inspector-General of Police in a press statement yesterday.

Khalid also warned certain parties not to politicise or manipulate Paulsen’s arrest as it could impact the country’s security.

The Kuala Lumpur magistrate’s court had earlier granted a two-day remand order for Paulsen following his arrest on Monday night.

It is learnt that Paulsen was represented by seven lawyers, including Latheefa Koya and N. Surendran.

Via his twitter handle @KBAB51 recently, Khalid tweeted that Paulsen was arrogant and thought that he would be able to influence Malaysians to forsake the spirit of 1Malaysia.

Paulsen was arrested over his tweet which allegedly accused the Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim) of promoting extremism.

He was detained in Brickfields by the police at about 9.40pm on Monday, according to a tweet by the IGP shortly after the arrest.

Paulsen had earlier lodged a report at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters, saying that he received death threats via Twitter and WhatsApp over the weekend.

In Ipoh, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Islamic affairs) Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom said texts for the Friday sermons were prepared by Jakim and religious departments of the respective states.

He said the sermons were also uploaded on Jakim’s portal.

“The sermons and Friday prayers are a must. This is part of Islam. So the person accusing Jakim of promoting extremism must come up with proof and facts first.

“We will leave it to the police to carry out their investigations, since the arrest has been made,” he said.

Utilise The "1TeachersCard" Facility - Muhyiddin

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 14 (Bernama) -- Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin advised holders of the '1TeachersCard' credit card comprising teachers and staff of the Education Ministry to utilise in the best manner the privileges and facilities provided instead of using it to the extent of creating problems to the holders.

The Deputy Prime Minister, who is also the Education Minister, said the main privilege for the card holders was the interest rate which was the lowest in the market, which was 8.88 per cent annually and various other priveleges.

"The credit card must be utilised wisely and with caution. As long as it is properly used, it will certainly be benificial to us," he said when speaking at the prize presentation ceremony for the 1TeachersCard 'Kerana Anda Begitu Istimewa' (Because You Are Very Special) organised by the Yayasan Guru Malaysia Bhd (YBGM) in collaboration with Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) here, Wednesday.


He said a portion of the proceeds from the transactions or use of the credit card would be channeled to the YBGM welfare fund which would be contributed back to the teachers through various activities and welfare programmes.

"This is in line with the YBGM slogan 'Daripada Guru Untuk Guru' (From The Teachers To The Teachers) and as such, I hope more teachers will utilise the credit card because indirectly the consumers will also contribute for the benefit of teachers," he said.

Muhyiddin said more than 50,000 teachers had become users of '1TeachersCard' since the credit card was launched in 2013 and the number was expected to rise further as the condition of the card ownership had now been extended to the staff of institutions of higher learning throughout the country.

He said the introduction of the credit card was an element of creativity and innovation and it was most significant with the aspiration of the ministry in Malaysia's National Education Blueprint 2013-2025 to transform the national education system.

"In the efforts to transform the national education system, the cooperation and roles of the non-governmental organisations and the private sector are most welcome and appreciated including in the context of the teachers' welfare," he said.

In this regard, Muhyiddin suggested that more parties would emulate the initiatives of the YGMB and BSN to come forward with various methods and approaches which were more innovative for the benefits of teachers.

At the event, a teacher from SMK Seri Jengka, Maran, Pahang, Muhamad Nor Hidayat was named as the main winner of the campaign 'Kerana Anda Begitu Istimewa' and walked away with a BSN Premium Savings Certificate (SSP) worth RM100,000.

Five other winners walked away with the BSN SSP worth RM10,000, while 20 others won consolation prizes in the form of a smart phone.