Dr M: They'll revoke my passport if I criticise Najib abroad

SG BESAR POLLS Dr Mahathir Mohamad today claimed he has been warned by the immigration that his passport will be revoked if he criticises Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak abroad.

"I was warned that if I say something not in support of Najib, when I come back from overseas my passport will be revoked for three years," the former premier said in his speech in Sungai Besar today.

Mahathir also disputed that the Immigration Department has a right to take back his travel document.

"I didn't read this in the federal constitution, where this right came from I don't know."

Previously Immigration chief Sakib Kusmi had said the law empowered him to have discretion to bar those who insult the government from leaving the country.



Read more: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/345648#ixzz4BoEeTXbG

Not one more Indian vote to Barisan Nasional

Once bitten twice shy is an old and wise saying.

Bitten by BN is a mild way of saying it but what the BN coalition and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has done to the Indian community of Malaysia is far worse. They are now committing a severe breach of contract on promises they made and signed into a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) - on April 18, 2013 with Hindraf acting as the representative organisation for the Indian community of Malaysia.

Here are some excerpts from that historic document - as samples of what were agreed upon. You can see the scale and scope of what was promised. There is much more elsewhere in that MOU contract document.

The MOU required the BN government to come up with programmes to double the mean monthly family income by 2018 from 2013 levels for all families earning less than RM3,000 per month. That is at least about 40 percent of the Indian families in the country. Absolutely nothing has happened on this. There has been no socio-economic development programmes targeting this group or even ng them access to some other general socio-economic development programmes.

It is now well three years into the MOU contract of five years. The BN coalition and Najib are clearly indicating that terms like this were meant to be nothing more than embellishments to buy the Indian vote when they needed their votes most desperately in the 13th general election. If in three years nothing has happened we can only conclude that nothing will happen at all on this count. Breach, deception, political trickery - call it what you want.

There is not any sign of a housing programme to provide decent and affordable housing to the displaced estate worker community - let alone a hundred thousand houses. Yes that is what was promised. Does anyone see anything remotely like that happening? It is actually quite saddening to see the scale of the deception.

Very little to nothing has been done to alleviate the problem of former estate temples being on private land and being continuous targets of demolition and eviction. This problem remains till today at the same level it has been in recent years. What hopes there were when the agreement was signed that there would be a robust solution to a nagging problem of a section of Malaysian society? All such hopes have been lost .

This was more icing that Najib gave on the cake of the big lie to the Indian community.

The contract requires the BN government to establish clear policies and programmes to eliminate the problem of statelessness experienced by a large number of Indian Malaysians. Every day new cases keep coming up on top of the what already exists. The problem does not look like it is going to go away any time soon.

There is completely a lack of willingness on the part of the BN government to address the root causes of the problem. They set up something called the Special Implementation Task Force (SITF) whose job it is to work on eliminating the problem. But all they are able to do is give out forms (borangs) to the illiterate and semi-literate people and who are required to produce voluminous information.

When are very falteringly able to do that, it takes months and years if at all before they will get something positive. When they fail to produce the information they are blamed for the persistence of the problem. The positive approach envisaged in the MOU has been completely obliterated. Does this government deserve any love from the Indian community?

No accounting yet from the Najib gov’t

This is a sample of the type of sharing that was envisaged in the education field. But considering the breadth of the requirements covered and that were recorded in the MOU agreement , what is happening today is little more than eyewash. With recent cutbacks in the budget, the allocations have been further slashed. Statistics are hidden behind the Official Secrets Act (OSA), there is no accounting yet from the Najib government on this matter.

To save his grace, Najib has thrown bits and pieces here and there and his cronies turn that into a “Najib is the PM who has done the most for the Indian community” label. Political trickery all the way.

Najib sets up a ghostly organisation called the Socio-Economic Development for the Indian Community (Sedic) and gives it some piddly funds, and Sedic for its part makes a big deal about giving that money out to the people through NGOs and engages in an illusion that they are contributing to permanent and comprehensive solutions.

They do nothing to the core problems of the Indian community at all they are just buying is the Indian vote. In the process they legitimise the deception of BN and Najib.

So, if you put all of that together what you get is a picture of outright deception of a politically vulnerable community. The Indian community believed some good will come out by supporting the BN in those last elections. They have been proved utterly wrong. Najib has shown all this is chicken feed for him.

When one considers the scale and scope of what was agreed between BN and Hindraf in the agreement - comprehensive and permanent solutions for the many socio-economic ailments of the Indian community was the core concept. But what has happened is peanut programmes with nothing more than further attempts to buy the Indian vote as the primary objective.

The Indian voters must become savvy to this point and understand that they will make their bitter point about the betrayal only by absolutely rejecting BN, Not one vote of the Indian community must go to the BN. BN has to be taught a lesson , so they will not attempt such deception on unsuspecting and vulnerable poor people. Betrayers must be dealt with no mercy.

Therefore the Hindraf People’s Movement calls out to all Indian voters in Sungei Besar and Kuala Kangsar to deny even one vote to BN. BN must be taught a lesson. To do otherwise will mean we lose out on even the little leverage the community possesses as an economic and numerical minority in the country.

RAMESH PERIASAMY is a member of the senate, Hindraf People’s Movement.

Three-year-old girl's hand caught in escalator

MALACCA: A three-year-old girl's left hand got stuck in an escalator during a shopping trip with her family at a hypermarket in Ayer Keroh here on Wednesday.

Fire and Rescue Department personnel took some five minutes to remove her hand that was caught at one end of the escalator in the 10pm incident.

The girl was rushed to a nearby private hospital with minor injuries.

Man’s skeletal remains found in plantation

POLICE in Malacca suspect that the skeletal remains found on a plantation in Jus Selandar, Jasin, may belong to a man abducted nearly a month ago, reported Makkal Osai.

The remains were found in a bush by a passer-by who went to the area to trap birds.

He contacted the police who recovered the body, which was left at about 100m from the road, and sent it for an autopsy.

The body was found with a tattered blue shirt which the family of the kidnap victim have confirmed were the clothes he was wearing on the last day they saw him alive.

Police believe the remains could be that of the man who had been kidnapped by a group of men 26 days ago.

Police shoot dead robber in Johor Bahru

Police believe he was part of a gang that committed 17 robberies in Johor this year resulting in RM600,000 losses.

JOHOR BAHRU: Police shot dead a male foreign national robber while his two accomplices escaped in an incident at the Jalan Ulu Choh-Pontian junction here this evening.

Johor Police Chief Wan Ahmad Najmuddin Mohd said the incident took place when a police patrol chanced upon three men in a car acting in a suspicious manner at 1.45pm.

“They ignored the police order to stop and tried to run down the patrol.

“The police shot at the car and hit the suspect who was driving the car. The car careened into the road divider,” he said in a statement here today.

“His accomplices managed to escape into the nearby jungle. An inspection of the car found the dead man, estimated to be aged 27, did not have any identification,” he said.

Wan Ahmad Najmuddin said two parangs and an imitation pistol were found in the car.

Several cellphones and RM1,400 in cash were also found on the dead suspect.

Police believed the group had committed 17 robberies in Johor this year resulting in RM600,000 losses, he added.
– BERNAMA

You can be the start of the change this nation needs, Ambiga tells UTM VC

Former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan today shared her thoughts on the erroneous information contained in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s teaching modules regarding Hindus and Sikhism.

In an open letter to UTM vice-chancellor Wahid Omar, she outlined the root causes of such incidents, and suggested solutions.

Below is her letter in full:

Open Letter to the Vice-Chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Prof Ir Dr Wahid Omar

Dear Vice-Chancellor,

Your apology and expression of remorse together with your commitment to investigate the Titas slides is most welcome.

Let me, however, offer you a perspective which I hope you will consider.

What happened at your institution is, in my view, merely a symptom of a much larger problem that the country is facing. Years of brainwashing, racist supremacist statements by our leaders, and a system that condones and encourages racial polarisation have brought us today, to those infamous slides. As an educator, I am sure you are equally alarmed at where we are, given that this is the 21st century we are talking about and we are no longer a young nation.

The systematic creation of a narrow and bigoted thought process may help in a political agenda, but does nothing for the recipients of such tutelage. We can only rewrite history and social science so much. I hope that you share my view that those who have manipulated our young minds into becoming so closed have done the community a great disservice. They have also done a great disservice to those who are made to feel they are lesser mortals. Indeed, what they have done is to stunt the potential of our youth, both in heart and mind, making it difficult for them to compete in the global village.

Thus I see your latest problem as an inevitable result of a system that has been in place for years and which is sanctioned by those in power. You know the system I am talking about. You said this is an isolated incident. I don’t believe it will be the last of such incidents to surface in our education system. The only reason we know about the slides is because they went viral. But how many other such incidents are undetected? It may even be happening discreetly and may manifest in so many different ways.

Do you not think it is time to change, sir?

As an educator you must know that this brainwashing and feeding of young minds with false information must stop. Not all fall prey to this abuse, mind you. Many students, due to their parents’ and other teachers’ positive influences, do not succumb. I also know there are many good and dedicated teachers and these teachers are not the ones I am speaking of.

Having somewhat identified the source of the problem, I think I should be constructive. But before that, I believe you should ignore those who have suggested that you should not offer an apology. They are the ones who would encourage the system of “them and us”. They do not want Malaysians to live in harmony. They love the polarisation. They do not believe that human beings are all equal. They certainly do not believe in our diversity, as you do. They fail to understand that your tendering an apology is a sign of strength and courage, not weakness and that it is an acknowledgement that human beings are not infallible but that we can become better.

Now the solutions. You have stated that you are conducting investigations and that due action will be taken as necessary. I have some other suggestions.

May I suggest that you take your inquiry much further than just this incident. I suggest that you delve deeper and identify the root causes of the thought process of the educators who were responsible for the slides. It appears that they too are a product of the system I spoke of. I suggest you also engage all your lecturers of all races and ask them what they truly feel about each community in the country. Do they feel superior, or do they feel like second-class citizens? Investigate where your educators are from. Their schools, their influences and the reasons for their mindsets.

Engage your students in the same way. Ask if they stick to groups of one race or do they engage harmoniously with one another. I believe the polarisation is stark in most institutions and this has been the case for many years.

After all that, tabulate the findings and then move on to your second phase. The difficult one. Changing the mindsets of both the lecturers and students.

Teach them to value each others’ cultures. Show them how rich each culture is. Let them learn how much a diverse Malaysia can teach them. That we are all humans with the same aspirations. That they must open up their minds and embrace all the knowledge that they can acquire and can share. And most importantly that they must have an inquiring mind, free of prejudices and bigotry. In fact, why not have them all learn about the different religions? Did you know that when I want to give speeches, I can go to any religious text and I will have no problems finding beautiful passages on peace, justice, compassion and integrity.

What do you think, sir? Are you willing to carry out this experiment for the sake of the nation? There are many people who will gladly help you. Take it not only as a challenge but as a necessary step to reverse our intellectual decline.

Were you aware, sir, that there is a wonderful article in the latest The Economist about how to make a good teacher? It is worth a read. And it is worth asking your teachers to read it too. It is clearly time to invest in our teachers.

It is also time we aimed for a system of education with integrity and intellectual excellence. We need to encourage true scholarship. I am not an education professional but I believe we have to keep politicians out of deciding education policy and leave it to educators instead. In other words, let’s take the politics out of education.

You can be the start of the change that this nation needs. I hope that as an educator you will set an example and consider what I have said with an open mind. It is time. Our children deserve much better.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,
Ambiga Sreenevasan

Who am I to intervene, asks prince amid appeals to pardon critic

Johor crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has indicated he will not help his critics, who are facing criminal punishment or have landed in prison for insulting him.

Civil rights group had asked the Johor palace to pardon Muhammad Amirul Azwan Mohd Shakri, 19, after he was sentenced to a year in prison for insulting Tunku Ismail on matters related to football.

"The same people are asking me to release these individuals but you have made it clear that no one is above the law.

“Who am I to interfere with the police or the law?" said the prince in a Facebook statement.

Tunku Ismail pointed out that actions against his critics were not initiated by him but those who still "love the royal institution".

"There are people also saying that I have ordered their arrest but in reality, the police reports are made by the people of Johor who still love the royal institution.

"My question to them is - if they make the report, what does it have to do with me?" he asked.

Tunku Ismail also noted there were those trying to downplay the actions of the individuals who had insulted him.

"A few individuals have been arrested for insulting my good name. I have never bothered them.

"There are also certain quarters who are trying to twist facts by saying that these individuals are simply criticising and not insulting," he said.

However, Tunku Ismail said he did not care about this.

"Even though I am criticised or insulted, I could not care less and these people can continue with their wishes as I am grateful with the life Allah has given to me and the good will always prevail.

"To those who say that I cannot be criticised, I have been criticised since 2013 when I first took over the helm of Johor FA," he added.

Previously, the prince had asked the police not to arrest those who criticised him, saying that he would prefer if a face-to-face meeting could be arranged with his critics.

On June 7, Amirul pleaded guilty to 14 charges under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

He was given the maximum sentence of one year in prison by the Johor Baru Sessions Court.

Mahathir: Rulers a problem then, PM a problem now

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has defended his move to amend the Federal Constitution in 1983 to take away the rulers' power to block legislation passed by Parliament.

The former premier said the government then had perceived the rulers to be problematic, but now it appears the present government is the one which is problematic.

"At that time we thought the rulers would be a problem since the government is the government of the people," Mahathir told a press conference held at Kampung Baru Jerlun, Kuala Kangsar today.

He also criticised his successor for imitating the leadership style of Uganda's third president Idi Amin.

Mahathir was asked if he should be partly blamed for the National Security Council (NSC) Act since it was gazetted without the Yang di- Pertuan Agong's assent, thanks to the amendment to the constitution.

"We thought the sultan will be a problem but in fact the sultan is not a problem, it is the prime minister who has gone out of hand, and he is trying to rule the country...," he said.

Mahathir was at the campaign trail for Parti Amanah Negara's candidate Ahmad Termizi Ramli.

He was warmly greeted by some 500 people at a Chinese new village.

Meanwhile, Mahathir dismissed the criticism which linked the NSC Act to Internal Security Act (ISA), which was abolished in 2011.

"There is no similarity between ISA and NSC. ISA was allowed as the Agong can declare emergency.

"But this (NSC) was rejected by Agong but he (Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak) still continued with it," he said.

"Under ISA, those (who felt they) were wrongly detained can take the case to court, while this is not permitted under NSC.

"This is the law used by Najib (photo) to take away Agong's right while ISA did not take away Agong's right," he stressed.

On another matter, Mahathir said 1MDB and Najib, who is also the advisory board chairperson of the state-owned fund, took the fund which was supposed to be channelled to Aabar Investments PJS (Aabar).

"It is ridiculous to suggest they gave billions of dollars to a company, that they could not check first if this was the real company or some company created elsewhere.

"But I suspect this company to whom they paid the money was created by them, and they purposely paid to this false company so they can make use of the money," he said.

International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and its subsidiary Aabar have submitted a Request for Arbitration to the London Court of International Arbitration over its US$6.5 billion claim against 1MDB and the Ministry of Finance Incorporated.

Ex-PKR MP freed, denies involvement in corruption

PKR's former Kapar MP S Manikavasagam has denied involvement in corruption. According to Bernama, he said this after being released from custody at 3pm today.

Manikavasagam was yesterday arrested by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).
He was arrested with RM30,000 which he allegedly received from a contractor as inducement to secure a public amenities tender.

The arrest was confirmed by MACC director of investigations Azam Baki.

Manikavasam (top photo, right) is also Kuala Selangor PKR chief and PKR complaints bureau director.
PKR vice-president Tian Chua had said the party would be seeking a meeting with Manikavasagam to clarify what had happened.

Ridhuan Tee is amazing, says MIC man

A MIC leader is amazed at how controversial academic Ridhuan Tee Abdullah is able to sink to a level which, he claimed, would be an impossible feat for others.

“Whenever I think he cannot go any lower than he already has, he surprises me with his unenviable skill of lowering the bar several more inches,” S Vell Paari told Malaysiakini.

The MIC central working committee member was responding to Ridhuan’s comments on the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) modules, which contained erroneous information on Hindus and Sikhism.

Asking critics not to be emotional, the academic had suggested that the slides be sent to an expert to determine if the contents could be accepted as a form of knowledge.

He also wanted the person responsible for the slides to be given a chance to defend his or her work.

However, Vell Paari said if Ridhuan needed an expert to determine if Hindus learned cleanliness from Muslims, as mentioned in the slides, then the latter too should be sent for expert evaluation.

“We need an expert to evaluate how this person is capable of making such moronic statements and be regarded as an academic at the same time.

“I am not sure what he teaches, but I am certain he would make an excellent geologist lecturer since his comments indicate he often has his head buried in the sand," he added.

Meanwhile, Vell Paari also questioned if the person responsible for the slides was attempting subtle preaching by casting other faiths in a negative light and placing Islam on a pedestal.

Although the MIC leader welcomed UTM’s move to initiate an internal investigation, he reiterated that nothing short of a dismissal would suffice.

“This person resorted to using false claims or outright lies in a module for educational purposes. As I said before, it can only come from a bigoted mind,” he added.

Vell Paari also suggested that a separate committee be formed comprising representatives from the Malaysian Hindu Sangam, Sikh religious bodies, MIC and Indian educationists to sit together with UTM to get to the bottom of the matter as well as to vet modules to ensure there were no erroneous claims.

“This is not an issue which can be forgotten with a mere apology.

“As it concerns the younger generation of Malaysians and those entrusted with disseminating knowledge to them, the future well-being of the nation is at stake.

“So a strong and clear message must be sent to deter such episodes from recurring,” he stressed.

‘Please stop the rumours’

ACTOR and comedian Acappan (pic) is asking the public to stop spreading rumours that he has converted to Islam, reported Kosmo!.

The rumours started when a photo of Acappan attending a buka puasa event at a mosque in Sepang circulated on social media.

In one of the photos, Acappan was seen with four other men, including former dangdut singer Iwan and actor Isma Aliff.

He was also rumoured to have traded in his birth name, Samynathan Rethinan, for a Muslim name, Shahrin Abdullah.

“I only took the photos as a keepsake,” said the 58-year-old actor.

Acappan, who acted in many Malay dramas in the 1990s, said the fake stories shocked his family before they discovered the truth.

“Please stop spreading these rumours because it involves my family’s dignity as well as mine,” said Acappan, who is a Hindu.

Rosmah’s aide stopped from meeting Rafizi

KUALA KANGSAR: A brief commotion occurred outside the Amanah operations centre here on Wednesday when an aide to Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor showed up for the press conference by PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.

Rafizi had been scheduled to reveal further allegations regarding the use of a private jet by Rosmah, wife of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Reporters were aware last night that Rosmah’s aide, Datuk Rizal Mansor, planned to turn up at the press conference to rebut the allegations by Rafizi in person.

Rizal arrived around noon together with several other unidentified men and was seen shaking hands with Amanah candidate Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli.

However, when they asked to enter the building, Amanah staff stopped them from doing so.

A verbal confrontation ensued between the two parties as Rafizi arrived and proceeded upstairs for the press conference.

Rizal and his companions later left the premises after being repeatedly told that they could not enter on grounds that only media personnel were invited.

Members of the media waiting in the room upstairs were subsequently asked by an Amanah representative to produce their media tags to verify their identities.

“We just want to make sure that there aren't those who wish to cause disturbance," Rafizi said before the start of the press conference.

Higher Education Ministry to work with UTM to resolve slides issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry is to work with Universiti Teknologi Malaysia to resolve the issue over lecture material which is said to be derogatory to the Hindu and Sikh communities.

Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh (pic) said UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Wahid Omar would take all the required steps and action as necessary.

“The UTM vice-chancellor has gotten in touch with me and is looking into the issue. He has given his assurance to get to the bottom of it and take all required corrective steps,” he told Bernama when contacted on Wednesday.

UTM’s Tamadun Islam dan Tamadun Asia (Titas) subject slides caused an uproar among the Hindu and Sikh communities after they went viral on social media recently.

The slides claimed that Islam had introduced civility to the lives of Hindus and that they considered the dirt on the body as part of their religious practice to attain nirvana.

The Titas module was made mandatory for all tertiary students regardless of religion in 2013.

On Tuesday, Dr Wahid issued an apology over the slide material and said the slides were not approved by the ministry.

He gave the assurance that UTM would only use Titas slides endorsed by the Higher Education Ministry and experts on Asian Civilisation would be engaged to provide input when needed to prevent a recurrence of the incident.

Several Indian leaders, among them MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam and Deputy Education Minister Datuk P. Kamalanathan, as well as NGOs also reacted to the matter. – Bernama

Rafizi: Why lease private jet when gov’t has three aircraft?

PKR secretary-general Rafizi Ramli has questioned the need for the government to charter another private jet when it already has three existing aircraft.

His question comes after his exposé made last week that prime minister’s wife Rosmah Mansor had used an Airbus (ACJ 319 A6-CJE) - a private jet owned by Emirates Airline - for a trip to Istanbul.

Based on his estimation, Rafizi said RM86.4 million was spent to charter the jet for two months.

Therefore, the Pandan lawmaker said the government’s existing jets should have been used instead for the trip.

The government currently has the ACJ319 9M-NAA which was bought a few years ago, and ACJ320 9M-NAB which was bought last year and is currently under maintenance.

In his press conference today, Rafizi reminded how the government had explained that ACJ320 9M-NAB was bought to replace BBJ737-700 M53-01.

But citing BBJ 737-700’s recent flight records, Rafizi said the jet was still actively used by the government.

The jet, however, was not in use between May 17 and 30. Jet ACJ319 9M-NAA, on the other hand, was used from May 24 to 29 for domestic flights.

Rafizi argued that BBJ 737-700 should have therefore been used instead.

“This would enable jet ACJ319 9M-NAA, which is newer and is usually used for international flights for the prime minister, be used during Rosmah's trip from May 25 to 27.

“If this was done, millions of the rakyat’s money would not have been wasted to lease a luxurious jet like the ACJ319 A6-CJE,” he said.

Meanwhile, Rafizi also questioned the reasons why BBJ 737-700 is still used by the government.
Since an advertisement in August 2015 that it was up for bidding, there has been no confirmation whether the jet had indeed been sold or otherwise, said Rafizi.
“Therefore, I urge Najib, as minister responsible in managing all of the government’s jets, to explain why BBJ737-700 has yet to be sold and why it is still being used, as this involves the rakyat’s money,” he said.

Rafizi last week revealed that Rosmah had used a private jet for a trip to Istanbul, Turkey, and that based on estimations, the jet - which was chartered for two months - had cost RM86.4 million.

Apart from the press conferences held last week and today, a special ceramah session is set to be held tonight. Rafizi said more details will be revealed in relation to the issue.

Zaid: Najib, Jho Low should explain 1MDB, not ‘wage earner’ Arul

Former minister Zaid Ibrahim has criticised 1MDB president and executive director Arul Kanda’s presence at an event in Sungai Besar to explain issues concerning the fund.

He said it should be Penang-born billionaire Jho Low, whose name has been repeatedly raised in the global investigations on 1MDB, doing the explaining to voters.

Apart from this, he added that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak should also be invited to clear the air.

"1MDB needs to call (Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak and Jho Low to Sungai Besar.

"What’s the point of (having) Arul Kanda? Budak makan gaji (wage earner)," stated Zaid in a Twitter posting.

This morning, Arul spoke at an event organised by the Prime Minister's Department for civil servants in Sungai Besar, where a by-election would be held on June 18.

BN's candidate for Sungai Besar Budiman Mohd Zohdi was also present.

Taking the stage, Arul Kanda had stressed that the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST) was not meant to cover 1MDB's debts.

He also emphasised that the multi-billion deposits which entered Najib's personal bank accounts had nothing to do with 1MDB.

Jho Low has been a central figure after he was named as the alleged beneficiary of Good Star Limited, which received US$1.03 billion of 1MDB's funds.

This was disclosed in an alleged confidential letter by Bank Negara leaked to The Wall Street Journal.

Jho Low and his associates have also been named in several other 1MDB transactions where its funds cannot be accounted for.

Jho Low had denied any wrongdoings or links to 1MDB.

Free time

Meanwhile, DAP's Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua criticised Arul Kanda for being able to take time off to help BN on its campaign but yet refused to debate with him on 1MDB.

"He had previously gave the excuse that he needed to focus on assisting the investigation by Malaysian authorities and to resolve the complicated problem between 1MDB and the International Petroleum Investment Corporation (IPIC).

"Arul cannot possibly have so much free time on his hand to leave his more important duties, especially after being sued for US$6.5 billion on top of being involved in investigations at home and abroad," he said in a press statement.

Yesterday, IPIC announced that it was taking 1MDB and Malaysia's Finance Ministry to international attribution to recover funds owed by 1MDB to it as well as other compensations totalling US$6.5 billion.

Pua said if Arul Kanda did indeed have free time to make the trip to Sungai Besar, he would like to invite him to Pakatan Harapan's ceramah tomorrow to explain the issue.

"I believe the public is disappointed and angry at Najib's government and will welcome Arul's explanation about the gigantic scandal," he added.

The organiser of the event had denied the event was related to the by-election.

Artist-turned-militant jailed 12 years for supporting terror activities

KUALA LUMPUR: An artist-turned-militant was sentenced to 12 years jail by a High Court here for giving support to terror activities.

High Court Judicial Commissioner Nordin Hassan meted out the sentence after Fauzee Ahmad (pic), 48, pleaded guilty Tuesday.

"I don't want the youth in Malaysia to be influenced by your actions and leave their families and responsibilities here to fight a religious war," JC Nordin told Fauzee.

"So the court has a duty not just to hand down a sentence but also to send a message to individuals to make sure they do not commit the same crime."

He added that militants had become a global issue and will destroy the stability and peace of our country and create chaos.

"We don't want to see terrorist stepping into our country."

JC Nordin ordered the sentence to run from the day of Fauzee's arrest on Oct 27, 2014.

Fauzee was calm when the sentence was handed out to him for taking part in terrorist activities involving firearms and explosives in Syria between June 29 and Sept 18, 2014.

His actions were seen to be advancing a religious struggle that endangered the lives of Syrian citizens.

He was charged under Section 130J(1)(b) of the Penal Code for knowingly entering Syria and giving support to a terrorist cause.

Fauzee's lawyer Eric Paulsen in pleading for leniency asked for a sentence between five to nine years in prison.

He said that Fauzee had a wife and six children, three of whom are still in school.

Paulsen added that his client went to Syria as an artist with the intention to paint the chaos and cruelty caused by the regime there over the Syrian people and was misguided into taking part in the fight there.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Mustaffa P. Kunyalam sought a prison sentence that is proportionate to the facts of the case and asked for not less than 10 years jail time.

Mustaffa added that the court must take judicial notice that there has been an increase in terrorist related cases with the expansion of Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist groups.

He added that public interest, which was more important than the interest of the accused, must be taken into account in the case.

Subramaniam: Trend of distorting facts in text books on the rise

PETALING JAYA: There has recently been an increasing trend of people distorting facts to fit into the disordered and disturbed perception of individuals, says MIC president Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam (pic).

In a statement on Tuesday, Dr Subramaniam said such individuals have led to the release of educational contents where facts have been dangerously mutilated by their disordered perception.

"Distorted historical facts are in school text books, in examination questions and now in university slides," he said.

He was speaking about a teaching module belonging to Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) which was derogatory to the Hindu and Sikh communities in Malaysia.

The matter recently became viral on Facebook and deputy education minister Datuk P.Kamalanathan had met the vice-chancellor of the university on the matter on Monday.

The vice-chancellor had apparently claimed the module to be a 'mistake' and agreed to have it taken down.

Speaking on this matter, Dr Subramaniam said the “so-called mistakes" in the lecture slides of UTM have triggered a serious concern on the level of knowledge and depth of understanding of the various cultures and religions in Malaysia.

"This current case reflects that this desire to be ignorant had permeated to the dons of the ivory tower and the supposed pedestal of knowledge has become a pool of ignorance.

"We have seen this in schools before and now we realize it is also evident in universities," he said.

He then questioned the lack of intellectual honesty and added that there has to be a sincere desire by those in the educational system to be historically and factually true.

"Attempts to compare cultures and religions are always dangerous. It is dangerous even in the most liberated intellectual environment, what more in a multicultural and multi religious Malaysia?.

"Any attempt to do so has to be treated with careful steps," he said.

On Monday, Kamalanathan had posted a screen grab of the teaching module which had made claims that Hindus preferred to be 'dirty' and that Islam had taught Hindu followers "manners in life".

It stated that "some Hindu followers believed that dirt on the body is a form of ritual which could lead to attainment of Nirvana"

Another slide claimed that Sikhism is a combination of Hindu and Islam, but the founder of the religion had a shallow understanding of Islam.

Take stern action over offensive teaching module, Kamalanathan urges UTM

PETALING JAYA: Datuk P. Kamalanathan (pic) has called on the authorities of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to investigate and take stern action against individuals responsible for the teaching module which was derogatory to the Hindu and Sikh communities.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the Deputy Education Minister wrote that he was really disappointed by the incident.

"Not as a politician or a deputy minister but as a Malaysian I was really disappointed about the UTM Islamic and Asian Civilisation Studies (Titas) misrepresentation of certain religions.

"I can't help but feel only someone who willfully and purposefully filled with ill intent would produce such a document," he wrote.

The Hulu Selangor MP also called for the Higher Education ministry to ensure that the Titas syllabus of all public universities be first verified by experts in the religion before being included in the syllabus.

"This will ensure such painful experiences are not repeated," he said.

Kamalanathan however added that the incident did not represent the views of the ministry or the leadership of the university.

"Being a former deputy minister in the Higher Education Ministry I am aware this incident is not at all representative of the values imbibed and demonstrated by the Ministry nor the Universities topmost leadership," he said.

On Monday, Kamalanthan had posted a screen grab of the teaching module which had made claims that Hindus preferred to be 'dirty' and that Islam had taught Hindu followers "manners in life".

It stated that "some Hindu followers believed that dirt on the body is a form of ritual which could lead to attainment of Nirvana".

Another slide claimed that Sikhism is a combination of Hindu and Islam, but the founder of the religion had a shallow understanding of Islam.

Kamalanathan said that he had spoken of the matter to the vice-chancellor of the university who acknowledged the mistake.

Hold inquiry on UTM slides insulting Hindus, Sikhs

Hindraf Chair P Waythamoorthy says the skewed teaching at a government university was deliberately meant to denigrate the beliefs of Hindu and Sikh students.

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf Makkal Sakthi wants the Education Minister to hold an inquiry on a slide presentation at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) which deliberately insulted Hindus and Sikhs.

The Education Minister should immediately suspend the relevant lecturers involved in creating “disharmony” among the student population in UTM, demanded Hindraf Chair P Waythamoorthy in a statement. “Such irresponsible and unconscionable behaviour should not be allowed.”

“Any inaction would go to show the government’s tacit support to promote hate and bigotry in educational institutions.”

The offending slides, said the Hindraf chief, claimed that Islam was introduced courtesy to Hindus in India, and taught them the importance of personal hygiene and a healthy lifestyle. The slides alleged,
he added, that personal hygiene was against the beliefs of Hindus.

“The slides preached that assuming and maintaining dirt and an unhygienic lifestyle was part of slaving oneself to achieve nirvana (state of eternal bliss).”

Having insulted and misled the students, fumed Waytha, UTM does not have the decency and courtesy to apologise to Hindus and Sikhs. Instead, he lamented, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan has been trotting out lame excuses on the university’s behalf.

The Hindraf statement stressed that the human rights movement was furious with the UTM module for humiliating members of the Hindu and Sikh faiths.

The skewed teaching at a government university, driven by an inferiority complex, was deliberately meant to denigrate the beliefs of Hindu and Sikh students,” charged Waytha. “This is typical of lecturers, in public universities, who have been trained under the racist and religious supremacist Biro Tata Negara (BTN), a body fully funded by the government.”

The mini Napoleons within the bureaucracy are disintegrating the community through the BTN content which reeks of racism and bigotry, continued the Hindraf Chief who was briefly in the Federal Cabinet and the Senate after the 2013 General Election.

The Ministry of Higher Education introduced Tamadun Islam dan Tamadun Asia (TITAS) – Islamic and Asian Civilization – in 1999 in government-run universities.

Apparently, the objective of the syllabus was to inculcate an appreciation of philosophy, values and history, and broaden knowledge, according to the Malaysian way, to create national harmony, unity and integration within the context of a multicultural nation.

There’s a basic module, published by Universiti Malaya in 1999 under the direction of the Ministry of Higher Education, to be used as the reference book with additional supporting materials.

Unfortunate some Muslims are 'loose cannons', MCA raps UTM modules

The controversial Tamadun Islam and Tamadun Asia (Titas) modules which contained erroneous claims about Hindus and Sikhs have incurred the wrath of an MCA leader.

Ti Lian Ker said such episodes are not only demeaning to other faiths, but also cast Muslims in a negative light.

“It is rather unfortunate that Muslims, on the one hand, demand high reverence for their religion but at the same time some are loose cannons when it comes to understanding and respecting the religious practices of others,” he added in a media statement.

The MCA central committee leader was commenting on the slides used by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) for the subject.

The vice-chancellor had agreed to fix the errors expeditiously, but this did not silence demands for action to be taken against those responsible.

Ti, who heads the MCA religious harmony bureau, pointed out that Islam taught its followers to respect, honour and never insult another religion.

“But the said lecturer or head of department had failed to be a better Muslim... It is a weakness of the human ego to belittle the practice of other religions.

“It is even worse if there is a direct reference of one's own religion as superior or above another's,” he said.

Therefore, Ti wanted the authorities to take immediate action on this issue to serve as an example and reminder to others on the need to be more sensitive in future.

“The recent trend of one-upmanship of one religion over another is a sign of inadequacy or immaturity of such individuals.

“What they are doing is in fact giving their religion a bad name and ought to be reprimanded,” he said.

The UTM modules stated that Islam taught Hindus manners and cleanliness, as some of them believed dirt on the body is part of a ritual to attain nirvana.

Another Titas slide circulated online said the founder of Sikhism borrowed elements from Islam, but had poor understanding of the religion.

Sikhs want author of erroneous UTM module sacked

The Malaysian National Sikhs Movement (Geraksikh) today urged Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) to sack the person responsible for the "erroneous" slides used to teach students about Sikhism and Hinduism.

Urging for a public apology, Geraksikh also lodged a police report at the Ipoh police headquarters over "factual errors" on Sikhism, published in UTM's module.

A slide bearing UTM's logo circulating online showed that students were taught that Sikhism's founder had borrowed elements from Islam, but he had a shallow understanding of the religion.

"The Malaysian Sikhs are upset with the move by UTM seen trying to change the history or dilute the facts on the foundation of Sikhism, especially to students in this country.

"This is utterly wrong," Geraksikh secretary-general Amarjit Singh Gill said in a statement.

He said any future modules on religion should be vetted by historical experts, including those who practise the religion in question, he said.

UTM yesterday promised Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan it would rectify the slides.

The slides were for the Tamadun Islam and Tamadun Asia (Titas) subject, compulsory for all undergraduates in public universities.

Earlier, Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram also lodged a report against UTM over its teaching module.

UTM conducting probe on erroneous slides on Hinduism, Sikhism

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) is currently conducting an investigation into the matter of erroneous claims on Hinduism and Sikhism being taught to their students, said the university's vice-chancellor.

"We are currently conducting a thorough investigation on this incident, and due action will be taken... We are truly sorry for what has happened," UTM vice-chancellor Wahid Omar said in a posting on the university's Facebook account.

UTM yesterday said it would fix its Tamadun Islam and Tamadun Asia (Titas) modules which state that Islam taught Hindus manners and cleanliness, as some of them believed dirt on the body is part of a ritual to attain nirvana.

Another UTM Titas slide circulated online also said the founder of Sikhism borrowed elements from Islam, but had poor understanding of the religion.

Wahid said that the language used in the slides did not reflect the true content of the subject matter in question and that the slides were not the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) slides endorsed by the Higher Education Ministry for the Titas subject.

"What was written on the slides does not reflect the true content and has been presented out of the full context," he said.

As a "direct result" of this incident and to prevent such recurrence, he said that UTM would ensure that their lecturers only use slides for Titas which have been endorsed by the Higher Education Ministry, as well as engage experts on Asian civilisation to provide input when needed.

"At the same time, we will continuously remind our academics to be more vigilant in future and be more aware of the language and presentation of content on their teaching slides and modules so as not to touch on sensitivities of others," he said.

He added that this was an isolated incident and did not reflect the true values of UTM.

Wahid said the university promoted understanding in celebrating diversity and it has testimony of the vibrant and dynamic activities on its campus.

UTM has its code of ethics as a guide to all academic staff, which stresses on the need to uphold true values and nobility of character in order to instil the right mindset and principles among staff and students.

The code also encourages respect for one another and inculcate understanding among diverse cultures, creeds and religions, he said.

"The university subscribes to these important values and every member of the university community should adhere to and strive to achieve this," he said.

UTM has been receiving brickbats from the Hindu and Sikh community since the slides bearing UTM's logo went viral on social media.

Several police reports have also been lodged on this matter, with MIC treasurer-general S Vell Paari calling for this matter to be investigated under the Sedition Act.

Penang’s heritage site under threat due to inflated prices

GEORGE TOWN: Price manipulations, market monopoly and evictions of generations-old tenants are threatening the city’s world heritage site, claimed NGOs here.

Heritage properties estimated at RM400,000 to RM600,000 had suddenly changed hands for up to RM1.2mil, and these inflated prices have stirred foreigners, especially Singaporeans, into a buying frenzy of George Town’s pre-war shophouses.

The NGOs feel the soaring prices are eroding liveability, and are urging the public to alert Unesco and put George Town in the World Heritage in Danger list.

Penang Heritage Trust adviser Khoo Salma suspected that property speculators could have caused the prices to overheat through public auctions.

“We noticed pre-war houses being auctioned off at RM1.2mil when we thought it would go under the hammer for less than half that price.

“My friends made bids for such properties and were surprised when other parties made seven-figure offers that they couldn’t match.

“Before we knew what was happening, the prices of pre-war houses even outside the heritage zone had shot up,” she said in an interview yesterday.

Meanwhile, the heir of 12 pre-war shophouses in the heritage buffer zone told The Star that he had unsuccessfully tried selling them to the generations-old tenants for RM300,000 each before it went to the Malaysian subsidiary of a public-listed Singapore company for a total of RM11mil.

“I inherited the old shophouses from my ancestors and asked the tenants who have rented them for decades to buy them in 2010.”

When the tenants did not take up the offer, he said someone took them off his hands for RM400,000 each and this new owner later sold it to Singaporeans for about RM910,000 each.

“It’s amazing that Singaporeans are willing to pay that price.

“I had offered the previous tenants only RM300,000 because if they took bank loans, their instalments would be about the same as the RM1,300 rent they were paying.

“Now the 12 shophouses are refurbished and being rented for about RM7,000 each,” he said.

The saddest end of the tale seems to come from the old tenants.

Penang Gerakan’s Padang Kota coordinator H’ng Khoon Leng said he discovered a number of homeless people in the old city who were evicted tenants.

“They lived here all their lives.

“When evicted at their old age, they take to living in the streets of their childhood homes,” he said.

When H’ng tried to help them find new homes, he found resistance because these old people prefer to remain in the old city.

Rayani hopes to fly again

KUALA LUMPUR: Rayani Air will appeal to Malaysia’s airline authorities for a “second chance” after their Air Service Licence (ASL) and Air Operator’s Certificate were revoked.

Its owner Ravi Alagendrran said they were in talks with a new investor to revive the airline.

Ravi’s plea comes after the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) and Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) revoked the airline’s licence and certificate, effective yesterday.

Mavcom said it found Rayani Air had breached the conditions of its licence and that it also lacked the financial and managerial capacity to continue operating as an airline.

“The revocations came at the peak of our negotiations with investors for the acquisition of equity in Rayani Air, after realising that the present owners and their management are no longer fit to revive the airline,” Ravi said in a state­­­ment yesterday.

He said the “qualified and strong management team” of its new investors would revive and manage the airline “much better than us”.

Mavcom said the airline lost its licence after it breached its conditions.

“As a consequence, Rayani Air can no longer operate as a commercial airline with effect from today,” it said.

On May 25, Mavcom issued a show-cause letter to Rayani Air that submitted its representation in writing on the last day of the stipulated time.

“After reviewing Rayani Air’s written representation, Mavcom decided to revoke its ASL, as Rayani Air did not provide a satisfactory response to the show cause letter dated May 25, 2016,” it said.

The commission also said Rayani Air was still responsible for refunding its customers.

“Customers who have purchased tickets with Rayani Air but were not able go on their journey may lodge a complaint with the company and seek a refund.

“In the event consumers are not able to obtain their refunds, consumers can file a civil suit for those refunds,” it said.

The Star reported that Rayani Air’s air operator’s certificate (AOC) was suspended for three months on April 11 after the airline temporarily halted operations following a strike by its pilots.

It was reported that Rayani Air’s operations were suspended for allegedly breaching the Civil Aviation Regulations 1966.

Man held for allegedly abusing son

GEORGE TOWN: A man was arrested for allegedly abusing his five-year-old son with a cane and clothes hanger at their house in Relau here.

The 39-year-old suspect was picked up yesterday after his 33-year­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­-old wife lodged a police report.

George Town OCPD Asst Comm Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said the victim was admitted to the Penang General Hospital’s paediatric ward on Saturday with multiple bruises on his back and legs.

“The doctor found traces of abuse and advised the mother to lodge a police report. The boy was caned on Friday for being naughty,” ACP Mior Faridalathrash said, adding that a cane and a broken hanger were seized by the police.

He said the suspect was remanded for three days pending investigations and the case has been classified as intentionally causing hurt under Section 324 of the Penal Code.

Foundation donates RM30,000 to school

The Penang Nattukottai Chettiar Foundation donated RM30,000 to the Ramakrishna Tamil school to upgrade its 21st Century Classroom, Makkal Osai reported.

SJK (T) Ramakrishna, which operates on the grounds of the Ramakrishna Ashram in Penang, recently made the country proud with several victories in international science tournaments.

In order to ensure the school continues to excel in such competitions, the foundation has decided to upgrade the school’s 21st Century Classroom to help students explore their interest in science and robotics.

Headmistress K. Puvaneswari said the foundation’s help was timely as ensuring the classrooms were up to date would incur a cost.

Last year, three students from the school beat 300 others from around the world in a youth science creation competition in Beijing, China.

Karpal’s driver freed of reckless endangerment charges

KAMPAR: C. Selvam, the late Karpal Singh’s driver, has been acquitted and discharged by a magistrate’s court here of reckless endangerment resulting in the death of the former DAP chairman two years ago.

In finding Selvam not guilty, magistrate Mohamad Ibrahim Mohamad Ghulam said the prosecution had failed to prove a prima facie case against the Indian national.

A total of 21 prosecution witnesses had testified during the course of the trial.

On July 9, 2014, Selvam claimed trial to a charge of reckless endangerment resulting in the death of Karpal and his aide – Indian national Michael Cornelius – when their vehicle collided with a lorry.

Selvam was said to have committed the offence while driving a vehicle with the registration number KS9898 at KM306.1 of the northbound lane of the North-South Expressway at about 12.40am on April 17 that year.

The offence under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act carries a maximum two-year jail and up to RM20,000 fine upon conviction.

When met outside the courtroom, 20-year-old Selvam told reporters he was extremely relieved that his problems were now over.

“I feel good. I’m very happy to be going home to see my family,” he said, breaking down in tears.

“I want to go home as soon as I can,” he added, before thanking his lawyer Baljit Singh, who had taken up the case pro bono, and Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan who had posted his bail and sheltered him over the past two years.

Selvam, however, kept mum when asked if he had any words for Karpal’s family.

Police report lodged against UTM on 'dirty Hindu' module

Malaysia Hindu Dharma Mamandram has lodged a police report against Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) over its teaching module, which included erroneous claims about Hinduism and Sikhism.

The report was made by the chairperson of the association's Sungai Petani branch, according to Malaysian Indian Progressive Association (Mipas) secretary-general S Barathidasan.

Barathidasan said more police reports would be lodged against the university soon over the "demeaning" modules, which allegedly labelled Hindus as a “dirty” community that regards physical uncleanliness as part of their religious practice.

“Since when did UTM authorities become experts in Hinduism?” he asked.

“UTM should conduct a more thorough research (on Hinduism), and collaborate with Hindu religious organisations, NGOs and expert academicians who specialise in the Hinduism field.

“UTM should make sure its facts are correct and accurate by checking with them (Hindu organisations and academicians) before releasing any university learning modules,” he added.

He said the university should immediately remove the learning modules and issue an apology to all Hindu Malaysians.
Yesterday, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said UTM's vice-chancellor had admitted there were mistakes and the module would be "corrected expeditiously".

MIC: Probe UTM under sedition law for erroneous 'dirty' Hindus claims

MIC treasurer-general S Vell Paari has called for the police to investigate the matter of the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) teaching module under the Sedition Act.

"Inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar has often warned that those who trample upon the religious and racial sensitivities would not be tolerated.

"This is a blatant example of how the sensitivities of Hindus and Sikhs have been trampled upon.

"What makes it worse is that the perpetrators are those responsible for shaping the future generations of Malaysians," he said in a statement today.

Vell Paari said that the vice-chancellor of UTM should not describe their module as having "mistakes" as they were utterly disrespectful, arrogant and bigoted.

He also questioned whether the module was vetted by the academic staff of the university before being used for teaching or was that another oversight.

It is disheartening, he said, that non-Muslims are often at the receiving end of such ugly episodes, and saddening that their children are shown such disrespect in an education institution.

"When there are perceived insults to Islam, there is an uproar and police investigations, even threats of racial violence.

"But when it involves the non-Muslims, it is simply dismissed as mistakes or oversights," Vell Paari (photo) lamented.

Issue an apology and explain

UTM landed in hot water after screenshots of module slides bearing UTM's logo went viral on social media.

The slides showed that UTM students were taught that Hindus preferred to be "dirty", and that the presence of Islam taught former Hindu followers "manners in life".

It stated that "some Hindu followers believe dirt on the body is a form of ritual which could lead to the attainment of nirvana".

Another slide claimed that Sikhism is a combination of Hindu and Islam, but its founder had a shallow understanding of Islam.

The vice-chancellor had later admitted there were mistakes and the module would be "corrected expeditiously".

Vell Paari said he would also be urging MIC president S Subramaniam to raise this UTM issue during the next cabinet meeting, as well as with Higher Education Minister Idris Jusoh.

However, he still wants the vice-chancellor to issue an apology and explain how the module received the green light in the first place.

Those responsible for the module should be sacked, he added.

"I find this disgusting, and if the issue is swept under the carpet, with a mere 'admission' and promise to 'rectify the mistakes', then the future of our nation appears bleak," he said.

UTM to fix erroneous claims on 'dirty' Hindus

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia will amend a teaching module which includes erroneous claims about Hinduism and Sikhism, said Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanthan.

He said the vice-chancellor admitted there were mistakes and the module would be "corrected expeditiously".

"I also asked him to please ensure that such errors are not repeated as they can cause confusion and hurt in some segments of students besides not being factual.

"He has totally agreed to my suggestion," Kamalanthan said in a statement on his Facebook page.

This comes after screenshots of the module slides bearing UTM's logo went viral on social media.

The slides showed that UTM students were taught that Hindus preferred to be "dirty", and that the presence of Islam taught former Hindu followers "manners in life".

It stated that "some Hindu followers believe dirt on the body is a form of ritual which could lead to the attainment of nirvana".

Another slide claimed that Sikhism is a combination of Hindu and Islam, but its founder had a shallow understanding of Islam.

While it is not stated on the slide, it is believed that this is part of the Tamadun Islam and Tamadun Asia (Islamic and Asian Civilisation) module compulsory for all undergraduates at public universities.

If Najib can deliver, why need MIC?

Why is the MIC still on the political scene? It has miserably failed Indians in the decades following independence and there is no guarantee that the party is in position to deliver goods for the Indian community.

By P Ramasamy

Najib Tun Razak, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, has learnt one thing while in office; that he cannot trust or depend on the MIC to deliver goods to the Malaysian Indians.

He might have been besieged by the controversy surrounding the 1MDB issue and the “unaccountable” money that went into his private accounts, but still he knows who can be trusted in the Barisan Nasional.

The MIC might be around for a long time, but the leadership of the party is in a complete disarray. It has lost its direction and the purpose of its existence.

The recent actions of Najib convey the idea that he does not trust the MIC leaders. This is the reason why, under him, funds meant for the Indian community are not given directly to the MIC or its leaders. Rather in the last few years or so, funds are allocated directly to the Indian NGOs through the Prime Minister’s department.

He knows very well that the MIC, given the intense infighting within, is unable to deliver goods to the Indian community. Whatever funds allocated to the Indian community via the MIC have not reached the target group – the poor and neglected Indians.

Yesterday, Najib, in his campaign speech in Kuala Kangsar, announced special allocations for the Indian community there.

He allocated: RM100,000 for the upgrading the upgrading of the wall of the SJKT Ghandi Memorial; granted 0.6 hectares of land for a playing field; RM750,000 to the local Indian Association for a new building; RM115,000 to repair the fences and pave the road to a crematorium; and urged the Perak state government to resolve the housing problem of 20 Indian families in Bukit Merchu.

Following this, he asked the Indian community to support the BN candidate for Kuala Kangsar in the coming by-elections.

If this is the attitude of senior Umno leaders towards the MIC, then what is the purpose of the MIC? The party has miserably failed Malaysian Indians in the decades following independence and there is no guarantee that the party is in a position to deliver goods for the Indian community.

Shouldn’t the MIC quit the political scene?

P Ramasamy is Deputy Chief Minister II of Penang.

Mahathir pleads for an Amanah victory

Ex-premier woos Kuala Kangsar voters with another public appeal to kick out Najib.

KUALA KANGSAR: After spending the whole day campaigning in Sungai Besar, Selangor yesterday, the 90-year-old former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad hit the roads of Kuala Kangsar today, appealing again for a victory for the Amanah candidate.

At a forum on 1MDB and Najib Razak’s Donation, organised by the opposition Pakatan Harapan alliance, Dr Mahathir urged voters to back Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli of Amanah.

“I appeal to all of you to support Termizi. He comes from a prominent family, and is a wise man. He is a matured and capable leader. (Though) he has a bit of white hair, but not as young as me,” he said, drawing laughter from about 300 people present.

He reiterated his campaign purpose of driving Najib Razak out of office as Umno president and prime minister.

“Give (Termizi) the victory, so that we can prove that Najib is not needed by the people,” he added.

Termizi, 61, is a nuclear physics professor and a sixth generation descendant of Perak’s Maharaja Lela who launched a rebellion against the British Resident JWW Birch in the 19th century.

Dr Mahathir also spoke to reporters about his meeting with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang,

Mahathir said he had met Hadi to explain about Najib’s weaknesses which, he claimed, Hadi had also acknowledged.

“I explained to him about Najib’s doings in detail, about Najib and foreign powers, 1MDB and the money. All this is a waste of public funds. He said there is truth in it,” Dr Mahathir said.

However, now that PAS was on its own, after the breakup of Pakatan Rakyat, the previous opposition alliance, Hadi had come to favour Najib and the PAS’ struggle had become one to defend Najib, Dr Mahathir said.

He had earlier said that it would be impossible for PAS to defeat BN on its own, and the party’s latest strategy was to befriend Najib.

Dr Mahathir’s decision to openly campaign against Barisan Nasional in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar was criticised by Umno vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein yesterday. Hishammuddin said he did not understand why the former premier could make such a decision as he had been among the most respected leaders in BN.

Dr Mahathir was prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and headed Umno and the Barisan Nasional during that time.

Ministry awaits police report in Syed Alman probe

KUALA LUMPUR: The Health Ministry has concluded its investigations into the death of Syed Alman Zain Syed Alwi, son-in-law of deputy prime minister.

Health minister Dr S. Subramaniam said today the ministry was awaiting an investigation report from the police which is expected to be completed by next week.

Syed Alman, 44, died after undergoing treatment at a dental clinic in Bangsar on June 1.

Subramanian said that after the respective reports were completed, the ministry would decide on the next course of action under the Health Ministry’s jurisdiction while the police will decide on any action based on the criminal procedure code, Bernama reported.

Syed Alman was the husband of Nurulhidayah Ahmad Zahid, 37, eldest daughter of the deputy prime minister. He was reported to have fallen unconscious after the treatment and was taken to the University of Malaya Medical Centre where he was pronounced dead.

Mahathir: Dump Najib and I may return to Umno

Return the original Umno and I'll consider it, he says after Ahmad Zahid's offer.

KUALA KANGSAR: Dr. Mahathir Mohamad will consider rejoining Umno – if Najib Razak is no longer head of the dominant political party.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir gave reporters his response when asked about an offer by Umno vice-president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday.

“Tell him to get rid of Najib first, then I’ll think about it. Return the original Umno and I’ll consider it,” he said.

Earlier this year, Dr Mahathir formally left Umno, for the second time under one of his successors, after heading the party and being prime minister for 22 years from 1981-2003.

He left Umno in 2008 in protest against the policies of his immediate successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, although he did not resign, but formally resigned on Feb 29 after a campaign to oust Najib Razak, who had taken over in 2008.

It was the third time in his life that he had left Umno. In 1969, he was expelled after circulating a poison-pen letter against first prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.

Yesterday, Dr Mahathir openly campaigned for the opposition Pakatan Harapan and Amanah party candidate in the Sungai Besar parliamentary by-election, and did so again here for the Amanah candidate in Kuala Kangsar.

Ahmad Zahid had expressed regret at Dr Mahathir’s appearance at an opposition campaign event and said Umno would be willing to accept him back “if he does not stab us in the back”. However, Zahid said he believes Mahathir will not ask to return to Umno for the time being.

Today, Dr Mahathir attended a Citizen’s Declaration forum organized by NGO Selamatkan Malaysia at Taman Chandan Puteri, together with Amanah candidate Ahmad Termizi Ramli and former Wanita Umno information head Hamdiah Osman.

Cover up during Ramadan, Kelantan mufti tells non-Muslims

The Malay Mail

KUALA LUMPUR, June 11 — The Kelantan Mufti today urged non-Muslims to dress conservatively throughout the fasting month of Ramadan as provocative attire could be haram for surrounding Muslims.

Datuk Mohamad Shukri Mohamad explained that while non-Muslims have the freedom to dress however they liked, they should be “considerate” and dress appropriately to prevent Muslims from forfeiting their fast.

“They (non-Muslims) should respect Muslims and dress appropriately.

“It is not wrong for them to dress how they like but they must be considerate because when Muslims, particularly men, bump into them at public places, it is considered haram,” he was quoted as saying to local daily New Straits Times.

He also urged non-Muslims to refrain from “eating or drinking in front of Muslims during the fasting month.”

Additionally, he said Muslim women specifically should also “dress appropriately” as well as to watch their behaviour and language.

“This is part of religious teachings. Islam also teaches Muslims not to waste their money when shopping at Ramadan bazaars. A simple meal is sufficient for the breaking of fast,” he said.

Separately, local daily The Star quoted Kelantan Islamic Affairs Department’s enforcement chief Mohd Fadzuli Mohd Zain as saying that 31 Muslim women were detained for either not donning a headscarf or wearing tight outfits since the start of Ramadan on Monday.

According to mainstream Islamic teachings, a woman’s “aurat” is defined as the whole body, except for the face and palms, while for men, it is the part between the navel and knees.

During the fasting month of Ramadan, Muslims would eat before dawn and fast throughout the day, breaking their fast only after sunset.