Al-Aqsa Mosque Address: May the Muslims Wage War on America

Speaking at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, Palestinian Arab researcher calls on Muslims to pray that Allah will enable them to wage war on America.

In a recent address at the Al-Aqsa Mosque, a Palestinian Arab political researcher launched a verbal tirade against the United States.

The researcher, Ahmad Al-Khatwani, also known as "Abu Hamza", declared that Muslims should pray that Allah will enable them to wage war on America and vanquish it.

Abu Hamza also expressed his desire that the Muslims "raid America on its own land." The address was given on February 18, 2015, and was translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI).

“What is the way to confront this American war on Islam? It is by treating Islam in a political manner, on the basis of the Islamic creed in its political sense. If the Muslims accept Islam as a political and ideological foundation and guide, they will be able to confront America and its war on the Muslims, and they will be able to vanquish it with ease,” Al-Khatwani said.

“We pray that Allah will enable the Muslims to wage war on America and against its true terrorism. May He grant victory to the Muslims, and may they raid America on its own land and the land of heresy everywhere,” he added.

Radical Muslims often use addresses and sermons at the Al-Aqsa Mosque for purposes of incitement.

Examples include a rally last year in which members of radical Islamic organization Hizb ut-Tahrir called upon the army of Pakistan and the Islamic nation to liberate Jerusalem from “Jewish filth”.

In another incident, a preacher at the mosque engaged in blatant incitement against Jews and Israel and declared, “I say to the Jews: the time for your slaughter has come.”

Survey reveals Aussie Muslims who think ISIS has legitimate grievances

A DISTURBING number of Australian Muslims say terror groups such as ISIS have legitimate grievances, despite condemning terrorism.

And the findings of a study to be released this week reveal the terrorists’ relentless propaganda war is tapping into Islamic community angst over Australia’s counter-terrorism crackdown.

“One of the key messages of terrorist groups ... is that Muslims are a victimised and suppressed minority,” University of Queensland researcher Dr Adrian Cherney said.

He said the survey of 800 Muslims showed political leaders’ attacks on Muslims “can push them to actually say: ‘Well hang on a second, the terrorists are right. Some of their grievances are true’.

“I think that’s what it is tapping into,” Dr Cherney said. “But that doesn’t mean they (Australian Muslims) are going to go out and start attacking people.”

More than one in five participants agreed terrorists had legitimate grievances.

But Brisbane Muslim leader Ali Kadri stressed the findings should not be interpreted as supporting terror groups.

“(Most) Muslims do not condone the killing and persecution of innocent people ,” Mr Kadri said. Citing atrocities committed by the Assad regime in Syria, he said: “Protecting civilians from these atrocities is a legitimate grievance, however using terror and persecution ... is not legitimate or productive.”

Up to Attorney-General to act on ‘racist’ remarks by Umno ministers, says Home Ministry

Police have completed investigations on incendiary statements by Umno leaders Datuk Dr Mashitah Ibrahim and Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and are waiting for further instructions from the public prosecutor, the Home Ministry said today.

A total of 32 police reports were lodged against Ismail, the agriculture-and agro-based industries minister, over his call for Malays to boycott Chinese businesses as a way to force down the prices of goods.

Ten police reports were lodged against Mashitah, who had said that Chinese people had burned the Quran in a religious rite in Kuala Kedah, despite facts to the contrary.

A written parliamentary reply by the Home Ministry to DAP's Kulai MP Teo Nie Ching today said that police had completed investigations into both cases, and had handed the investigation papers to the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action.

Teo had asked the home minister to state the number of police reports lodged against both Umno leaders and for an update on the status of investigations.

The Home Ministry said that in Mashitah's case, investigations were made under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code, which covers statements "conducing to public mischief".

Mashitah, the Baling Umno Wanita chief, at the Umno general assembly in November last year riled up party delegates with her speech in, which she accused Chinese of burning the Quran.

However, Kedah police and state Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir had already by then clarified that the culprit was a mentally unsound man who was later warded in hospital.

Ismail, meanwhile, created an uproar after singling out the Chinese, and also the DAP, for the high price of goods. He called for a boycott of Chinese traders on his Facebook page but subsequently deleted the post.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak later cleared Ismail of any ill-intent, saying that his remark was aimed at profiteering traders instead, but it did not stop Chinese-based parties in the ruling Barisan Nasional from demanding a public apology, while many others called for Ismail to resign. – March 10, 2015.
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It wasn't me, Palanivel says of 'doctored' video

MIC president G Palanivel said he would never make the colourful statements made in a video purported of him circulated online.

Blaming the video on the MIC re-elections, he said he will lodge a police report on the “doctored” video clip and urge action on those responsible.

 “I categorically state that the contents of the video clip have been doctored and are completely untrue. I have never made and will never make such untrue statements or remarks…

“I am appalled that people can stoop to such a low level to doctor untrue video clips for reasons best known to them,” he said.

“I can only see this being the result of the fresh elections for MIC that I have called and the solid show of support by the branch chairmen of MIC to my leadership.”

In the 3 minute 16 second video clip uploaded online, a man who looks and sounds like Palanivel he has close ties with PKR and blames Indian voters for BN’s smaller majority in Cameron Highlands in the 13^th general election.

"I won every Malay vote box you see, (the other candidates) will get 70 votes, I will get 400 votes. I only lost the bloody Indian vote box."

In the last general election, Palanivel defeated four other candidates with a slim 462 vote majority.

He received 10,506 votes with DAP's M Manogaran trailing behind him with 10,044 votes.

In the video, the person interviewed also disclosed how  PKR "commanders" brought the crowd to his recent birthday bash.

"I call all the PKR commanders to my house, I can show you photographs, I am close to PKR you see.

"They are the ones who brought the crowd (to my birthday party), not my own kind, our MIC fellas cannot do that," he said

Pro-Anwar White House petition back online

 

The White House petition urging the United States to make the release of jailed Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim a top foreign policy priority is back online.

It reemerges on the White House website about 2,000 signatures shy of reaching its goal of 100,000 signatures by the Mar 12 deadline.

However a counter-petition urging the Obama administration to not interfere in the Malaysian judiciary is missing from the White House website.

The pro-Anwar petition initiated by former United States ambassador to Malaysia John Malott was yanked from the White House website yesterday for “violation of their terms of participants”.

A petition requires 100,000 signatures to warrant a response from the US president.

 

As at 11.50pm Tuesday, the petition garnered 97,793 signatures.

More than 30,000 people signed the petition since yesterday, likely due to heavy campaiging by PKR and DAP.

The petition was launched on Feb 10 - the day Anwar was sentence to five years in jail for sodomy.

“The future of democracy in Malaysia is at stake. Securing Anwar's release from prison must be a top priority in US policy towards Malaysia, to be advanced in every way possible,” says the petition.

 

The second online petition countering Malott's (above) and urging against US inteference stood at about 70,000 signatures on Tuesday morning.

 

It was neck and neck with Malott's a day ago, even overtaking it by a few thousand signatures when the pro-Anwar petition stagnated at 61,000.

Rafizi arrested for Kita Lawan, Nik Nazmi freed

Rafizi Ramli is the fourth PKR leader to be arrested for the pro-Anwar Ibrahim Kita Lawan rally.

Laywer Melissa Sasidaran said he is held at the Dang Wangi district police headquarters where he had gone to lodge a police report against 1Malaysia Development Bhd.

The PKR vice president was detained at about 7pm under Section 143 of the Penal Code and Section 9(5) of the Peaceful Assembly Act.

However, Sasidaran told Malaysiakini that Rafizi was released at 9.10pm on police bail after his statement was taken. He was questioned for about 45 minutes.

"They were questioning about his involvement, his speech, and were also trying to find out who is the organiser of the rally," she said.

Police have arrested PKR Youth leader Saifullah Zulkifl, PKR Youth chief Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and PKR supreme council member Fariz Musa over the rally.

Nik Nazmi was released on police bail at 8.20pm, Sasidaran said.

The Seri Setia assemblyperson was arrested on Sunday afternoon and slapped with a three-day remand.

"He is okay but he is a bit tired from the lack of sleep in the lockup," she said when asked of his condition.

Some 10,000 protestors thronged downtown Kuala Lumpur for the Kita Lawan rally on Mar 7, in solidarity with Anwar who is serving a five year jail sentence for sodomy.

The rally was also to call for Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's resignation.

IGP: Decision-makers will be focus of 1MDB probe

 

Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar said if an investigation is initiated on 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), the focus would be on the ailing firm's decision makers.

However, he told Malaysiakini the decision to launch a probe would depend on the audit findings.

Khalid said since Auditor-General Ambrin Buang disclosed this morning that an audit has been initiated, the police would wait for the outcome.

He also clarified media reports which quoted him as stating that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, who also oversees the finance portfolio, would be questioned.

"What I meant was that the police would speak to all those whom it believes can shed light on the case. But the focus would be on the decision makers of the company.

"And let me reiterate, this is only if the auditor’s report discovers discrepancies and indications of wrongdoing. Otherwise, there is nothing to investigate," he added.

At the same time, Khalid cautioned all parties against lodging reports without any basis, saying the police would take action against those who deliberately waste its time and resources.

There have been several police reports on the issue, including one by Umno man Khairuddin Abu Hassan.

Khairuddin, who was recently sacked from his Batu Kawan Umno vice-chief post for being a bankrupt, had raised eyebrows with his report, leading to speculation that former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad was behind him.

Elaborating on the task force, which is headed by the Attorney-General’s Chambers, Khalid said it was formed in order to ensure that an investigation, if conducted, would be streamlined and effective.

"It is far more effective for all relevant agencies involved to pool their resources together to investigate the matter, as opposed to carrying out separate investigations," he stated.

In addition to the police's commercial crimes division and the AG Chambers, the task force also incorporates the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
  
Yesterday, Khalid announced the formation of the task force.

Last week, Najib ordered the auditor-general to dive into the debt-laden 1MDB's accounts.

During a meeting with Umno division chiefs over the weekend, the prime minister also pledged that there would be no cover up.

The pressure on Najib regarding 1MDB went up several notches after the recent damning revelations of documents and email communications.

Malays hugging dogs, wearing crosses! What next?

All this shows, stressed Jahara, that they no longer subscribe to Islamic beliefs. “They are more taken up by liberalism.”

FMT

GEORGETOWN: Penang Opposition Leader Jahara Hamid isn’t surprised if the picture of a young Muslim girl in tudung, and carrying a dog, turns out to be authentic. The picture has since gone viral in social media.

“This is nothing new, in fact it’s getting worse” said Jahara who is also Teluk Air Tawar assemblywoman. “The young Muslims think that this is a fashion, a trend. There are others sporting the cross around their necks.”

All this shows, she stressed, that they no longer subscribe to Islamic beliefs. “They are more taken up by liberalism.”

She urged the Majlis Agama Islam Negeri Pulau Pinang (MAINPP) to get out from their slumber and take appropriate action against those openly indicating that there’s nothing wrong with liberalism. “This involves issues of faith,” said Jahara.

The picture of the young Muslim girl carrying a small dog at a function, “Out to Adopt” sponsored by a private college at a shopping complex, was reportedly taken by a male individual using a mobile phone, and appears in the Facebook pages of Penang Kini and Penang Times Square.

Mohamed Hafiz Mohamed Nordin, who heads the Badan Bertindak Jaringan Muslimin Pulau Pinang (JMPP), urged the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Pulau Pinang (JAIPP) to take appropriate action against the young girl seen in the picture.

“Out to Adopt”, a four-day programme which ended yesterday, organised by diploma level students of the college concerned, was reportedly designed to expose the general community to the idea of taking in strays as pets.

Palanivel says ’bloody Indians’ prefer voting for PKR

MIC president is caught on video condemning Indians, and revealing his close ties with PKR leaders.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: A damaging video that shows MIC President G Palanivel condemning Indians, including those in his party, has been uploaded onto the Facebook page of KitchenUP TV.

Lasting some three plus minutes, with a follow-up video to come, Palanivel is seen and heard condemning Indians for preferring to vote the opposition instead of Barisan Nasional, although he said they would do this on the quiet.

In response to a question on how BN would fare should a Permatang Pauh by-election be called, Palanivel said, “Do you think the MIC vote is going to give to another Indian guy? They won’t give. They will all go to PKR … very quietly they’ll go and put for PKR … and Barisan will lose.”

He also blamed the Indians in Cameron Highlands for his poor performance in the last general election and explained: “I won every “peti undi Melayu, you see. Ah, that fella will get 70, I’ll get 400 votes.

“I only lost the bloody Indian vote box … I got 52 per cent Indian votes, I should get 70 per cent”.

In the video, Palanivel also explained the chaos that was bound to erupt in MIC if he was not made a candidate in the coming GE, after the Sultan of Pahang alluded to it last year in the wake of the tragic landslides there.

“(If) they don’t give me the candidature, … there will be an uproar, MIC will have disorder, you know. They won’t come and campaign and all.

“It’s a serious crisis, they cannot play the fool on this kind of thing la.”

Surprisingly enough, Palanivel also talked about his close ties with opposition party PKR, saying he had entertained many of the party’s top bosses at his recent birthday bash and that they were responsible for bringing in a huge crowd for the event.

He however did not have kind words for his own MIC members when he said, “They (PKR) are the ones who brought the crowd yesterday. Not my own kind. My own MIC fellas cannot do that.”

The Facebook page operator, when contacted by The Malaysian Insider, said he uploaded the video so that people would know “what type of leaders we have now.”

Giving his name only as Jason, he said he had more videos that he planned to release in stages.

MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh meanwhile expressed his dismay over the president’s demeaning way of referring to Indians and said, ““As a president he should not say blood Indian. In whatever scenario, he should not say that. He must clarify whether he is the man in the video.”

Police deny rumors of bomb in KLIA

Police deny having found any bombs in the KLIA vicinity.

FMT

SEPANG: Police have dismissed rumours that a bomb was found nearby the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) here yesterday.

The rumours which spread quickly on social media caused panic among the public.

Sepang police chief ASP Mohd Iqbal Ibrahim confirmed to reporters here today that police did not receive any such report.

“No bomb was found near KLIA yesterday. This is not true,” he said, adding that he was aware of the claim that was spread on social media.

According to the message that was spread on the Whatsapp application since yesterday, a bomb had been placed within a 30-kilomtre radius of KLIA.

However, a picture uploaded with a message showed the employment pass of a male MASKargo employee named ‘Bom’.

- BERNAMA

Aminulrasyid’s friend did not expect police to fire 15 shots

Defendants lawyer claims Amirulraysid should have stopped the car upon hearing the sirens of the police car.

FMT

SHAH ALAM: A private college student told the High Court here today that he suggested to Aminulrasyid Amzah that he stop his car when they were being chased by a police patrol unit.

Muhamad Azamuddin Omar, 20, testifying in the civil suit filed by Aminulrasyid’s family against Corporal Jenain Subi and four others, said instead his friend continued to drive the car.

When questioned by lawyer Zulkifly Omar who represented Jenain, Muhamad Azamuddin, who at the time of the incident was 15 years old, said: “I suggested that he (Aminulrasyid) stop to discuss (with the police) but he kept quiet and continued to drive the car.”

“If you were the one driving the car and it was being chased (by the police) at that time, would you have stopped?” asked Zulkifly, to which Muhamad Azamuddin answered “probably”.

Muhamad Azamuddin, however, agreed with the suggestion by Senior Federal Counsel Normastura Ayub, who represented the other four defendants, that Aminulrasyid should have stopped the car when he was told to do so, furthermore the police patrol car which chased them had also switched on the police siren.

The witness also agreed with a suggestion by Normastura that the shooting incident happened because of Aminulrasyid’s failure to stop the car.

Aminulrasyid’s mother, Norsiah Mohammad, 66, and his elder sister Nor Azura, 45, as plaintiffs, named Jenain, former Selangor Police Chief Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar (now Inspector-General of Police), Shah Alam District Police Chief, the Inspector-General of Police and the Government of Malaysia as defendants.

The plaintiff’s are seeking compensation of almost RM50 million on the grounds that Aminulrasyid’s death was due to gunshot wounds in the head caused by Jenain’s carelessness.

In November 2013, the Appeals Court upheld the High Court’s decision to acquit Jenain from a charge of causing Aminulrasyid’s death while chasing him in Jalan Tarian 11/2, Section 11, here between 1.10 am to 2 am on April 26, 2010.

When acquitting Jenain in 2012, the High Court decided that Jenain had no intentions of causing Aminulrasyid’s death, but shot the car that the 15-year-old was driving, with the intention of stopping it.

Replying to a question from lawyer N.Surendran, who represented Aminulrasyid’s family, Muhamad Azamuddin said he did not expect the police to fire the shots just because his good friend was driving it fast.

He also did not expect the police to fire 15 gunshots towards the Iswara Aeroback car he and Aminulrasyid were in during the incident in the early hours of April 26, 2010.

Muhamad Azamuddin also did not expect the car his friend was driving would be shot at by the police when Aminulrasyid was trying his best to return to his home in Section 11 here.

“Aminulrasyid was driving fast because he was afraid and felt guilty as he had made a big mistake by driving the car without his mother’s permission,” he said.

The hearing before Judge Datuk Ahmad Zaidi Ibrahim continues on May 5 and 15.

-BERNAMA

Malaysian PM Najib Takes on his Critics

Cadres, cabinet, rounded up to issue confidence statement over 1MDB

By Asia Sentinel

Under severe fire from factions within his United Malays National Organization and from outside by the opposition Pakatan Rakyat, Malaysian Prime Minister has gone on the offensive to seek to keep his job, marshaling his forces within UMNO to stand off his critics.

Over the weekend, the prime minister called together 160 of the 191 UMNO division chiefs to a party powwow in Kuala Lumpur that resulted in a unanimous confidence vote from those who showed up to listen to an explanation of his handling of the controversial 1Malaysia Development Fund. Unfunded liabilities and opaque reporting of the fund’s finances have earned blistering criticism from former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The former premier has declared that “something is rotten in Malaysia,” and called for Najib’s ouster as UMNO President and prime minister.

Opposition politicians, mostly led by MP Tony Pua of the Democratic Action Party and Rafizi Ramli, the secretary general of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, have been at the forefront of the rtitics.

In the face of unprecedented pressure from his critics, last week Najib wrung a similar vote of confidence from the 37-member Cabinet – with one conspicuous exception, that of Muhyiddin Yassin, the deputy prime minister and deputy party leader, who was absent, spurring speculation that Muhyiddin intends to take on Najib for his job. His absence was minimized by party wheelhorses, saying the absence meant nothing and that Muhyiddin had prior commitments. However, behind the scenes, sources say Muhyiddin is increasingly on the hunt for Najib’s head. As early as last autumn, prior to the UMNO general assembly, the deputy prime minister, 67, was complaining publicly that the party could lose the next election, due in 2018, without serious change.

Last week, Muhyiddin came out with his own statement on the deeply indebted 1MDB, saying the government would not be allowed to bail out the fund, which has liabilities of more than RM40 billion, and demanding an immediate forensic audit to explain the fund’s tangled business dealings. However, according to people in UMNO, Muhyiddin is hardly a reformer and is likely to emphasize Malay nationalism. His own financial dealings are also tangled, with widespread rumors that he has used his public position as a path to personal wealth.

The fund’s activities have been the subject of sensational investigative reporting by The Sarawak Report, a blog edited by Clare Rewcastle Brown, who uncovered hundreds of company emails indicating that Taek Jho Low, a Penang-born financier, had virtually run the operations and that company officials themselves had little idea of hundreds of millions of dollars of investments he was making. Last week, for instance, Brown reported that Jho Low, as he is universally known, had used Najib’s name to circumvent Bank Negara approval needed on a US$1 billion loan (RM3.69 billion) provided to 1MDB.

It is unclear, however, whether either the cabinet or the party division chiefs examined any of the information published either by the Sarawak Report or The Edge, a Kuala Lumpur-based newspaper that has reported aggressively on the fund’s scandals as well, or a massive New York Times article published on Feb. 6 detailing tens of millions of dollars in property purchases by Jho Low that were actually made for members of Najib’s family. News reports indicated that the cadres mainly listened to Najib’s explanation as well as that of Deloitte, the fund’s auditors.

“With his explanation, we are confident of explaining the 1MDB issue to the public and the grassroots,” Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the agriculture minister, told a press conference. As to the reports of the family’s extraordinary wealth, another party figure, Bung Mokhtar Radin, told reporters there was no issue, that Najib’s siblings are all in business and are wealthy, an explanation that has been met with sarcasm. Najib’s brothers have issued indirect criticisms of the prime minister for statements that his wealth was part of a family legacy, a statement he later retracted.

Monday, the Inspector-General of Police, Khalid Abu Bakar, announced that Najib himself would be a target of a three-agency task force that included members of the police, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Attorney General’s chambers to look into the fund’s dealings. That has been laughed off by cynics, who point out that all three agencies have been deeply politicized and have covered up more offenses than they have investigated. The intent behind the announcement of the probe, they say, is to provide the prime minister a clean bill of health. Najib has also ordered the country’s auditor-general to vet 1MDB’s accounts.

The critics, however, have called for the cabinet to disqualify themselves from any role in probing the fund since a statement by Najib that everything is fine is hardly a serious attempt to clear up any questions. In addition to setting up the fund in the first place, Najib also functions as the chairman of the 1MDB advisory committee.

Auditor-General’s assurance of professional audit of 1MDB most welcome although public confidence have not been helped by contradictory or uncharacteristic statements by MACC and Police

By Lim Kit Siang Blog

I welcome the promise by the Auditor-General Tan Sri Ambrin Buang that his department will call up any individual necessary even Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in completing an independent audit on strategic fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB).

The Auditor-General’s assurance of professional audit of 1MDB and not to be swayed by extraneous considerations is most welcome, although public confidence that the various authorities would adopt a professional, accountable and responsible approach in the handling of the 1MDB scandal had not been helped by contradictory or uncharacteristic statements by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) and the Police.

Suddenly, there seems to be a competition among the various departments to show courage and eagerness to investigate the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak himself – as not only Ambrin does not rule out such possibility, even the Inspector-General of Police, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar pointedly said that Najib would be one of the targets of investigation by a three-agency task force to probe the 1MDB scandal.

In fact, the IGP’s announcement has detracted the credibility of the Auditor-General’s statement that his department’s audit would not exclude an investigation into the Prime Minister, for who would believe the IGP’s claim when he had been guilty of kid-glove treatment to BN Ministers and leaders, letting off the Minister of Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Datuk Ismail Sabri for the most racist and seditious incitement in calling on Malay consumers to boycott Chinese businessmen and allowing the former Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Mashitah Ibrahim to enjoy impunity and immunity for spouting heinous lies to incite religious hatred, conflict and tension in plural Malaysia.

In contrast, the IGP had shown neither mercy nor respect for Pakatan Rakyat leaders, and the treatment meted out to Selangor State Exco Member, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad as if he is a common criminal is the most telling indictment of the IGP’s partisan bias and double-standards.

But there is another contradiction, as just a few hours before Khalid announced yesterday a three-agency task force comprising members of the police force, MACC and the Attorney-General’s Chambers to probe 1MDB, the MACC Chief Commissioner Abu Kassim Mohamad had declared that the MACC would wait for the Auditor-General’s report on 1MDB before starting its own probe.

One issue which deserves the Auditor-General’s immediate attention is the conflict-of-interest situation, not over the Auditor-General submitting its report to PAC, but from the Prime Minister also being the Chairperson of the 1MDB advisory board and Finance Minister.

As Auditor-General, Ambrin should focus and advise on whether the Prime Minister continues to be caught in a conflict-of-interest situation in doubling up as Chairman of the 1MDB advisory board and Finance Minister.

Singapore axes eight UK law varsities

The Star
by SHAILA KOSHY

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians planning to study law in Britain and later practise in Singapore should choose their law schools carefully as eight of the 19 previously recognised in the island republic have been axed.

“If Singapore is the preferred eventual work destination, then it would be unwise to go to any one of them,” said Malaysian Bar vice president Steven Thiru in an interview.

“This is irrespective of whether they do the English Bar course.”

On Feb 24, Singapore’s Law Ministry announced that only 11 institutions remained in the list of Overseas Scheduled Universities, whose degrees are recognised from 2016 to practise at the Singapore Bar.

Citing quality control, the Singapore Institute of Legal Education recommended that the Government cut the law schools of these universities’ based on their ranking in Britain – Exeter, Leeds, Leicester, Liverpool, School of Oriental and African Studies at University of London (UOL), Manchester, Sheffield and Southampton.

Asked whether the Bar and Legal Profession Qualifying Board (QB) here was concerned about the law schools omitted following a review because some 48% of the Bar are graduates of Britain or UOL’s external law programmes, Steven said a periodic review of recognised universities under the Legal Profession Act 1976 should be considered.

“It will ensure that law schools maintain their standards (content and delivery) and keep abreast with new developments in training lawyers.

“It will also provide an opportunity for the QB to identify areas of weaknesses in graduates from particular law schools with the view of getting these concerns addressed.”

Saying that recognition should only be withdrawn if there was a serious drop in the standards and quality of training, Steven added that such a university should first be given the opportunity to respond to the criticisms.

Asked whether the local Bar accepted ‘lower’ standards seeing as Singapore had reiterated its 1990s stance not to recognise external law degrees for qualification to its Bar, Steven replied: “Certainly not!”

“We also do not accept that graduates of the external UOL degree are of a lower standard. We have many good lawyers in the Malaysian Bar with this degree, many of whom lacked the financial means to pursue their law studies in Britain, Australia or New Zealand.

“They overcame this hurdle and are, in many cases, leading members of the Bar.”

He said all law degrees must provide graduates with the basic legal knowledge in a number of specified areas, adding that the focus should then shift to practical training.

Asked for updates on the Bar and QB’s efforts to check the disparity in quality of law graduates, he said they were working to replace the Certificate of Legal Practice with the Common Bar Course (CBC).

“The CBC will be a post-graduate vocational training course that encompasses pupillage and it will be a uniform single entry point into the profession, irrespective of the law qualification of the new entrant.

“Our desire is to train the future generation of lawyers in a manner that will equip them to compete domestically and internationally.”

On why it was taking so long, Steven said the CBC was benchmarked against international standards that were continuously being revised, adding that there had been consultations with all key stakeholders.

“We have also been working on the course materials and looking at preparing dedicated training manuals. The proposed implementation date is by the end of 2016.”

Water Restructuring Stalled Due To Selangor's Refusal To Resolve Conditions In Agreement

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- The water industry restructuring in Selangor is stalled due to the state government's refusal to resolve three of the eight conditions in the master agreement with the federal government, thus prolonging the water supply crisis in the state.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister, Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili said the conditions included that for Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor) to finalise its list of assets to the enable the individual facility licence to be issued to Air Selangor under Act 655.

He said Air Selangor had also not resolved the transfer of assets ownership to Pengurusan Aset Air Berhad (PAAB) to enable PAAB provide an allocation of RM1.68 billion to assist Air Selangor to bear the cost of taking over the water concessionaires' liabilities amounting to RM7.65 billion.

Ongkili was replying to a question from Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak) in the Dewan Rakyat, Tuesday on the federal government's commitment to implementing the Selangor Water Restructuring Master Agreement, which has been stalled.

The minister said although the master agreement had been signed, it had not taken effect as there were conditions precedent (CPs) that had not been met.

"Therefore, the statement by the Honourable Member from Gombak (Azmin), claiming that the federal government has reneged on the agreement was wrong and could confuse the public," he said.

Ongkili said the federal government had asked to extend the grace period of meeting the CPS three times, with the third extension expiring Monday, and it wanted further extension.

However, he said, the federal government regretted when Azmin as Selangor Menteri Besar, issued a media statement that the state government did not intend to extend the master agreement anymore.

On the implementation of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant project and its distribution system (LRAL2), Ongkili said that up to Feb 25, it was at 1.18 per cent compared to the schedule set at 3.43 per cent.

"I have been informed that the delay is due to the Selangor government instructing the agency and local authority involved to defer approval and issuing of permits to build the plant until the state's water supply restructuring is finalised," he said.

He stressed that the federal government was committed to the Selangor water supply services restructuring as this would have an impact on the people and the state's economic development.

During the question-and-answer session, the atmosphere in the House got heated up when Azmin stood up and questioned the federal government's claim for transfer of ownership of land to make way for the water pipes.

He said the state government was prepared to honour the master agreement signed but found the action for the transfer of land ownership to be against the principles and spirit of the agreement.

"Is the federal government trying to take away the state's sovereignty by taking over the land? This land is for placing the water pipes, so why the need for transfer of land ownership," he said, followed by a lengthy heated argument between the two sides.

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia then advised Ongkili and Azmin to discuss the matter at a another place that was more conducive to resolve any misunderstanding, due to the limited time to do so in the House.

In a statement issued today, Azmin claimed the federal government's refusal to honour the principles and spirit of the master agreement had resulted in the Selangor water industry restructuring not being implemented and the agreement to lapse.

He said the issues involved recognition of the state's water assets amounting to RM14.9 billion to be injected into Air Selangor, and acceptance of the transfer of RM2 billion from Air Selangor's water assets for the purpose of financing the taking over of all the water concessionaires in Selangor.

Another issue is the issuing of facility licence to Air Selangor as recognition of ownership of the balance of water supply owned by the entity.

Azmin claimed the federal government also did not honour the leasing and facility licence approval agreement reached between PAAB and Air Selangor for the lease of water assets which were to be transferred to PAAB.

He said if the federal government did not make claims that were in conflict with the spirit of the master agreement, the state government was prepared to discuss and reach a consensus in the interest of all water consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur Putrajaya.

Delayed implementation of the master agreement could adversely affect the building of Langat 2, the first phase of which is expected to be ready by 2017, to provide clean water supply to consumers.