Unilateral conversion: Federal law prevails, says Azalina

Perlis’ amendments to state law will become inapplicable upon the passing of amendments to Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976, says the de facto law minister.

Where there is inconsistency between a federal law and a state law, the former shall prevail, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Azalina Othman Said.

Hence, once the federal government succeeds in amending the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Act 1976 (LRA), Perlis’ recent amendments allowing for a child to be converted to Islam with the consent of only one parent will be inapplicable.

According to Azalina, it is the Perlis state assembly’s prerogative to amend the Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006.

“At the same time, the Bill tabled by the government to amend the LRA is timely and must be seen as a positive step.

“Once this amendment is passed, it becomes a federal law.

“It should be noted that Article 75 of the Federal Constitution provides that when any state law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law will prevail,” she said in a statement today.

The proposed amendments to the LRA, seeking to make it compulsory for both parents to consent before a child can be converted to Islam, will be debated in the Dewan Rakyat sometime next year.
At the moment, three states — Selangor, Penang, and Terengganu — have enacted this rule.

“The government is committed to solving this matter holistically and the input of all parties will be taken into account,” said Azalina.

“I hope all parties will look objectively at the proposed amendments and avoid politicising it for any reason or make any premature statements.”

The Perlis assembly passed the amendment to the Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006 yesterday, but Perlis Menteri Besar Azlan Man told the New Straits Time Online today that this had been taken out of context.

Azlan said the amendment had only replaced the phrase “ibu dan bapa” (father and mother) with “ibu atau bapa (father or mother), in line with the words used in English.

He claimed the amendment had no legal effect and was only about standardising the language.

Malaysia not ready for hudud/Act 355

I wonder if faith and God are meant to be monopolies. Only those who can claim to impose Islam on well-meaning, hard-working people get a pass to Heaven? The hudud debacle in Malaysia has consumed our national unity.

And I wonder, what gives a group of Muslims bent on applying hudud the right to supersede the preference of a democratic majority? The emphasis on imposition of hudud on Muslims and often at real cost to non-Muslims is symptomatic of our misplaced priorities.

Hudud is a contentious topic in Islamic circles. Opinions range from categorical imposition on all people in all countries to declaring hudud as irrelevant. The problem of extremism therefore arises. However, once you look at opinions from scholars across the world about implementing hudud, they agree on two things - firstly, it is only a fraction of Islamic Shariah; secondly, It is impossible to implement in the absence of certain conditions.

There are four obvious reasons hudud and contemporary Malaysia is not a marriage to be had. Firstly, hudud is only a part of a wider state mechanism that upholds principles of Islam. Hudud is only one manifestation of our love for Allah (SWT) and one that happens in a truly Islamic society.

Shariah encompasses a wide range of prescriptions. They nudge us towards a world where leaders don’t pilfer public funds, leaders like that do not get elected to begin with. One where our youth need not be caned to the masjid but where youth congregate in prayer halls because the beauty of Islam becomes patently obvious to anyone with eyes open.

Secondly, the discussion of hudud is a discussion of a new covenant. Even before we get to the hows, there needs to be a consensus on doing it in principle. Malaysia does not belong to Malays or the Indians or the Chinese or the other ethnicities. Malaysia belongs to Malaysians and the Malaysian identity must not be confined to certain ethnicities. More importantly, the constitution was a covenant that promised participation from all races and all citizens.

The idea of a hudud state in the backdrop of widespread discontent is a violation of that covenant. Thirdly, hudud proponents have clearly failed to fulfill it's very aim. When well-meaning citizens of a country are repelled by imposition of rules they do not believe in or understand, they haven’t done anything to fulfill the rakyat’s fundamental priorities.

You can choose to go out and have a conversation with the average Malaysian. The average Malaysian feels exhaustion, robbed of opportunities. They despair the impunity with which our leaders exploit public wealth, they despise the growing disparity. In a Malaysia so rife with pain, I cannot fathom an Islamic case for hudud. I see a case for hate-mongering and division at best.

Finally, in a 21st century community, revival of hudud must accompany an inclusive discussion of the hows. The provisions of Act 355 as they stand are far from ideal. It has the ability to prescribe punishments such as RM100,000 fine, 100 canings and 30 years of imprisonment. All this while committing invasion of private spaces, public shaming.

From a fiqh perspective the practices are often horrifying. In response to concerns raised about the absolute lack of preconditions that must be fulfilled in terms of maqasid shariah preservation, environment for learning shariah, acceptance of shariah precepts, presence of just leaders; polemical assaults against conscientious objectors is how the hudud lobby has dealt with efforts at conversation.

How, is a question far from settled. But the road so far is definitely not how we implement hudud in a country that promised safety and agency to all of its citizens.

Intention and circumstances matter most

In Islam, intention and circumstances matter most. And when we try our best, Allah (SWT) joins forces and victory becomes just a by-product of that process. Take the case of the Temiar people in Kelantan. The Temiar are one of the Orang Asli communities in Malaysia who have consistently chosen a life rooted in meaningful traditions and practices. When their homes were taken away, they fought back and then every ruling class only sought to amplify oppression.

Malaysian democracy promised them a shot at restitution. But we have continued to desecrate their homes and out of desperation, they set up blockades in Kelantan. This is not even the first time this happened. The political machine has responded with threats. While mercy for the creation of Allah (SWT) is a principle the Temiar people live every day by protecting the forests.

Shariah is a wide set of prescriptions and most of it is about public welfare, bringing people together, removing corruption, being sympathetic and creating an environment where Islamic virtues truly manifest. The goals of Shariah and prescriptions are about tackling these grievances foremost. A shariah state is not one where we force these problems out of public consciousness or intimidate them into silence.

Our questionable priorities have paved a toxic road to hatred and animosity which is far from ideal.

Islam is at a crossroads in Malaysia. Muslims and often non-Muslims are left to interpret Islam as the force consuming our national unity but in a constellation of understanding and return to goals of shariah, it will become the force that redeems. The choice is entirely ours.

The political goals of Islam must accommodate the recognition that too often, we have been less than kind to many communities. People who remind me of a Boris Cyrulnik quote I read, “Resilience is more than resistance, it is also learning to live”. We have built a resilient nation. The tough part is learning how to live.

SYED SADDIQ SYED ABDUL RAHMAN is a part-time lecturer at Universiti Islam Antarabangsa (UIA) Malaysia and is Asia’s best debater, winning the United Asia Debate Championship in May 2015.

Perlis mufti to seek clarification on 'conversion' issue

Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said today he will seek clarification from the state government on amendments passed to the state’s Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006.

Responding to parties who contacted him on the issue, Asri said in a Facebook posing that he was currently overseas and as such, did not have details of the amendments.

“Later maybe I will refer to the state government to get the information.

“However, if you are asking about the official fatwa from the Perlis Mufti Department that was approved by the Perlis State Islamic Council on the issue of child custody, then that matter had been announced a long time ago,” said Asri, who also shared a copy of the landmark fatwa issued in July last year.

Among others, the Perlis Fatwa Committee decided that custody rights of children of non-Muslim parents shall not be evaluated based on religion when one of them converted to Islam.

Instead, custody should be awarded to the parent who was able to ensure the child's moral and emotional development, while the Muslim parent was responsible for introducing Islam to the children.

The fatwa also stated that a child who was still being breastfed should not be separated from the mother.

Amendments passed to Section 117(b) in the Malay language version of the Perlis enactment replaced the term “father and mother” with “father or mother” - allowing for the unilateral conversion of a child below the age of 18.

Perlis menteri besar Azlan Man had reportedly said the amendments were passed to standardise it with the English version which used the term “parent” in the singular form.

Perlis MB claims child conversion law spun out of context

Perlis Menteri Besar Azlan Man claimed the amendment to the state’s Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006 has been spun out of context.

"They are spinning things out of context," Azlan is quoted as saying by New Straits Times.

He was responding to the outcry against the Perlis state assembly’s approval yesterday of an amendment to Section 117(b) of the Malay language version of the 2006 enactment.

The section previously stated that a child who had not attained the age of 18 may only convert to Islam with the consent of both "father and mother" or the guardian.

"Father and mother" was replaced with "father or mother" in the amendment.

Azlan claimed the amendment had no legal effect as it was only a case of standardising the languages.

He pointed out that the English language of the law had used the word "parent" in the singular.

As such, Azlan said, the amendment to the Malay language version was to make it consistent with the English language version.

MIC and MCA have today expressed their dismay with the amendment.

The issue of unilateral conversion has given rise to lengthy custody battles and setting the civil and syariah courts on collision course.

The federal government had, in the last Parliament sitting, sought to address the issue by tabling the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

Under the proposed federal law amendment, if one parent converts to Islam, the child must remain in the original religion prior to the parent's conversion.

The child may only be converted to Islam if both parents consent to the child's conversion.

This amendment bill is expected to be debated and voted on in the next Parliament sitting in March.

MCA chief accuses Perlis of sabotaging Putrajaya

MCA president Liow Tiong Lai has accused the Perlis government of sabotaging efforts by Putrajaya to end unilateral conversion of a child to another religion.

Liow said this in reference to the Perlis state assembly passing an amendment to the Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006, allowing a minor to convert to Islam with the consent of one parent instead of both father and mother.

"Surely the Perlis government is aware that the federal government had only just recently tabled the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Amendment Bill 2016, which is to safeguard the unilateral conversion of minors.

"This amendment is unacceptable. It is not only a step backwards, but a direct challenge to what the federal government is trying to do at cabinet level.

"What is the Perlis menteri besar trying to prove?" Liow said in a statement published on Facebook.

He described the amendment by the Perlis state assembly, just two weeks after the tabling of the federal bill in Parliament, as "underhanded".

Liow stressed that the issue of unilateral child conversion was not a political or religious issue but that it is about justice.

"This is a matter that requires compassion and fair play.

"The conversion of a child by a parent, regardless of religion, in order to win custody after a failed marriage is without a doubt a gross miscarriage of justice.”

Lengthy custody battles

The issue of unilateral conversion has given rise to lengthy custody battles and has set the civil and syariah courts on collision course.

The federal government had, in the last Parliament sitting, sought to address the issue by tabling the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

Under the proposed federal law amendment, if one parent converts to Islam, the child must remain in the original religion prior to the parent's conversion.

The child may only be converted to Islam if both parents consent to the child's conversion.

Perlis Menteri Besar Azlan Man defended the amendment of the state enactment, claiming that it was "spun out of context".

Azlan claimed the amendment had no legal effect as it was only a case of standardising the languages.

He pointed out that the English language of the law had used the word "parent" in the singular.

As such, Azlan said, the amendment to the Malay language version was to make it consistent with the English language version.

Tamil school PTA wants action taken against HM

THE Parent Teacher Association of a Tamil school in Batu Kawan, Penang, has demanded that action be taken against the headmistress who is said to have lodged three police reports over trivial matters, Malaysia Nanban reported.

The PTA chairman P. Gnana­sun­thal said the headmistress refused to work with the PTA to resolve concerns raised by them regarding the school’s performance.

She was also against accepting funds provided by the state government, which meant the students did not receive all the resources they need, he claimed.

Any plans and proposals from the PTA would also get shot down without consideration, leaving parents dissatisfied, he said.

Instead of discussing the diffe­rences, the headmistress would lodge police reports over trivial matters, bringing the school into disrepute.

The PTA has asked the state education authorities to intervene.

Ex-Queen wants publisher made bankrupt

KUALA LUMPUR: A former Raja Permaisuri Agong has initiated legal action against a publisher in a High Court to declare him as a bankrupt.

She is attempting to recover over RM2mil in damages and interests which she won against the publisher and his son in another civil case in Temerloh.

Permaisuri Siti Aishah Abdul Rahman, 45, has filed a creditor’s petition for the purpose.

In the petition, the former queen named publisher Syed Hussien Al­­wee, 75, as the sole judgment debtor.

Syed Hussien, popularly known as Pak Habib Syed Hussien Al-Attas, has written many political books.

In her court papers, the former queen said the judgment of the Temerloh court had not been stayed and she did not hold any security over his assets for the payment of the award.

The court has set Dec 20 for the hearing of the petition.

Police question Ambiga for one hour over links to Soros-funded organisation

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has been questioned by police for about one hour here Thursday over links to the Open Society Institute (OSI), which is part of the Open Society Foundations (OSF) founded by hedge fund billionaire George Soros.

"I only know that I was called in as the former Bersih chairman for matters relating to funding and OSI," she said.

Ambiga, who was Bersih 2.0 chairman from 2010 until 2013, said she was being investigated under section 124C of the Penal Code for activities detrimental to Parliamentary democracy.

"They keep alleging that we want to topple the Government. Just to be clear, our main demand is fair and free elections. We would be mad to do something like that," she said when met outside the Bukit Aman police headquarters.

She said the funding for Bersih 2.0 was the focus of the investigation and the issue was not new and had been raised before in 2012.

She said they had taken an English-language newspaper to court over the allegations then, and the publication had apologised for it.

She added that Bersih had always been transparent about its funding.

"We have always made it clear that Bersih 2.0 received US$25,000 (RM110,675) in funds from OSI in 2011 and US$9,690 (RM42,897) from the National Democracy Institute (NDI).

"Both sums were used in election-related projects and neither OSI nor NDI are banned by the Government," she said.

Wee: MCA disappointed, dismayed with passing of Perlis Enactment

PETALING JAYA: MCA is disappointed and dismayed that the Perlis state legislative assembly had passed the Administration of Islam Enactment 2006, said MCA deputy president Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong.

Wee said in a statement on Thursday that state legislation should be consistent with Federal Bills, and added that the amended enactment contravenes the aims and the spirit of the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) Bill 2016 "which is intended to secure the Constitutional rights of non-Muslims".

He said that Section 88A of the Federal Bill specifically states that "conversion to Islam can only be done with the approval of both parents".

Wee added that MCA would never compromise on its stand that the religion of a minor is to be determined by the consent of both parents as enshrined in the Federal Constitution as of 1970.

“While Article 12 (4) of the Federal Constitution reads that the religion of a minor religion shall be determined by a "parent", Article 160 clearly spells out that words in the singular includes the plural and vice versa,” he said.

He said that since the Law Reform Bill had gone through its first reading on April 21, Perlis lawmakers should have “followed” the Federal Bill instead of trying to “subjugate” it.

Wee added that any state or federal legislation, government policy or guideline that does not abide by the Constitution must be rendered null and void, and said that MCA is determined to see the proposed changes and new insertions in Law Reform Bill passed at the next session of the Dewan Rakyat.

He also said that MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai has summoned Titi Tinggi assemblyman Khaw Hock Kong to provide an explanation for his walkout to the MCA Central Committee.

Khaw had staged a walkout on Thursday in protest against the passing of the amended Enactment, which was passed by the Perlis state legislative assembly on the same day.

“Our party leadership is of the view Khaw should have expressed our party's firm position of the consent of both parents during the debate inside the Perlis state legislative assembly,” said Wee.

4 get prestigious 2016 Merdeka award

They include pioneer filmmaker L Krishnan.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pioneer filmmaker Lakshmanan Krishnan was among the four outstanding individuals who received the prestigious 2016 Merdeka Award tonight.

He was selected in the education and community category for his outstanding contribution to laying the foundation for the modern film industry in the country.

It was also for his instrumental role in developing early acting talents, including Malaysian film icon P Ramlee, and laying the foundation for the modern film industry in Malaysia.

Three other recipients were pro-chancellor of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Dr Salleh Mohd Nor for the environment category and distinguished Prof Dr Looi Lai Meng for the health, science and technology category.

Meanwhile, professor in the Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), Prof Dr Wan Ramli Wan Daud was selected for the outstanding scholastic achievement category.

The Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, who is the Merdeka Award Trust royal patron, presented each recipient a Merdeka Award trophy, a Merdeka artwork by local artist Latiff Mohidin and RM500,000 at the ceremony held at the Malaysian Philharmonic Hall here.

Present were the Raja Permaisuri of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, Petronas chairman Sidek Hassan, as well as president and group chief executive officer Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin.

More than 700 guests attended the presentation ceremony.

The nomination and selection that begins in January every year, focuses on achievements.

This year’s ceremony marks the completion of the rigorous annual Merdeka Award nomination and selection process, both in Malaysia as well as internationally, to identify outstanding Malaysians and non-Malaysians, who have contributed to the nation.

The Merdeka Award was established on Aug 27, 2007 to recognise and reward excellent individuals and organisations whose works and achievements have not only contributed to the nation’s growth but have also inspired greatness in the people of Malaysia.

It is a prestigious award that honours their outstanding efforts and role in living the “Merdeka” spirit.

Perlis amends law to allow unilateral child conversion

The Perlis state assembly today passed an amendment to the Administration of the Religion of Islam Enactment 2006, allowing one parent to convert a child to Islam.

The amendment was to the Malay language version of the enactment, which previously stated that a child who had not reached the age of 18, may convert to Islam with the consent of both "father and mother" or the guardian.

"Father and mother" was replaced with "father or mother" in the amendment to Section 117(b) of the enactment, according to a report by Sin Chew Daily.

The report said MCA's sole representative, Titi Tinggi state assemblyperson Khaw Hock Kong, did not vote while PKR's Indera Kayangan state assemblyperson Chan Ming Khai voted against the amendment.

All other state assemblypersons, 12 from Umno and one from PAS, voted in favour.

Perlis Menteri Besar Azlan Man said the amendment to the Malay language version of the enactment was to harmonise it with the English language version.

Speaking outside the state assembly hall, Azlan was quoted as saying that the English version of the enactment referred to "parent" in the singular.

However, Chan warned the amendment would raise serious conversion issues.

"The state government cannot simply use the excuse of standardisation while ignoring the problems that the amendment will create," he was quoted as saying.

Azlan cited the case of R Subashini versus T Saravanan in 2007 where the Federal Court ruled that Article 12(4) of the Federal Constitution allows a child to be converted with consent from one parent.

The amendment appears to run contrary to efforts by the federal government to end unilateral child conversion to Islam.

Putrajaya had in the last Parliament sitting introduced the Law Reform (Marriage and Divorce) (Amendment) Bill 2016.

Under the amendment, if one parent converted to Islam, the child must remain in the original religion prior to the parent's conversion.

The child may only be converted to Islam if both parents consent to the child's conversion.

The Bill is expected to be debated and voted on in the next Parliament sitting in March.

Dr M's lawyer: I'll sue Rosmah's aide when 'boss' sues WSJ

Responding to Rizal Mansor's challenge to sue him for defamation, Dr Mahathir Mohamad's lawyer said he will do so exactly a week after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak hauls the Wall Street Journal to court.

Mohd Hanif Khathri Abdullah also told the aide to the prime minister's wife Rosmah Mansor that there is a struggle which is far greater than him.

“This is to defeat Najib, Rizal's 'boss'. Rizal is not a relevant factor in the mission to save Malaysia.

“However, to satiate Rizal's excitement over his desire to be sued, I can assure him that I have the mandate to sue Rizal on the Tuesday, following the Tuesday when it is confirmed that Najib has filed a defamation suit against the WSJ,” he said.

The lawyer then referred to a report in The Star's Malay online portal Mstar dated July 5 last year, which quoted a “source close to the prime minister” claiming that Najib would file a suit against WSJ the following Tuesday via his lawyer in Kuala Lumpur.

Verbal tussle

This is over the WSJ's report on the RM2.6 billion in the prime minister's personal bank accounts, which was later described as a donation from a member of the Saudi royal household.

Mahathir has repeatedly accused Najib of siphoning funds from 1MDB, which the prime minister has denied and described as an attempt to topple him from power.

Najib has also accused certain foreign media organisations such as WSJ and Sarawak Report of being part of this campaign.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali has cleared the prime minister of any wrongdoing in the matter.

Haniff and Rizal became embroiled in a verbal tussle when the latter accused Mahathir of belittling Prophet Muhammad during the DAP national convention over the weekend.

He had claimed that the former premier did this in an attempt to outshine DAP.

However, Haniff denied this, and accused Rizal of slander, prompting Rosmah's aide to challenge the lawyer to sue him for defamation.

Dr M reacts to royal snub

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has responded to the cancellation of his invitation to the installation of the new Yang di-Pertuan Agong at Istana Negara on Dec 13.

In a blog post, the former premier said he received an invitation last month, and accepted it because he believed it was a national event which is apolitical.

"It turns out that a national event is part of a political party (event),” he added.

Without mincing words, Mahathir also suggested that the cancellation could be related to Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

"I apologise for making the wrong assumption (that the palace is above politics). I will note now that Istana Negara belongs to Najib and BN," he said.

Yesterday, an aide to the former premier confirmed that a letter was hand-delivered to the Perdana Foundation office in Putrajaya informing Mahathir of the cancellation.

The letter, dated Dec 5, mentioned that no seat would be provided at the event for Mahathir and that the former premier was being informed of this beforehand to spare him any embarrassment if he attended.

The letter bore the signature of the keeper of the ruler's seal Syed Danial Syed Ahmad.

Kelantan's Sultan Muhammad V will succeed Kedah's Sultan Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah effective Dec 13 and be installed as the 15th Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Perak's Sultan Nazrin Muizzudin Shah was appointed the Deputy Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Bersih to sue TV3 on 'RM3.2b from Soros' claim

Bersih has decided to sue TV3 for alleged defamation on the TV channel's claim that the electoral reform movement received RM3.2 billion from American financier George Soros.

"We have handed TV3 a letter of demand to ask it to retract and apologise, but it said it will not to do that, so we are proceeding with legal action," Bersih chief Maria Chin Abdullah told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

She said about a week prior to the Bersih 5 rally on Nov 19, TV3 broadcasted a news segment where it claimed the movement received RM3.2 billion from Soros, without attributing any source to the claim.

She said TV3 also did not seek Bersih's comment on the issue.

"We were not given the right of reply," she said.

Bersih sent its letter of demand to TV3 a few days before Maria was arrested under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma), on the eve of the Nov 19 Bersih 5 rally.

"They (the lawyers) had to wait till I came out (of detention) for further instructions, so I told them to proceed, since TV3 does not want to retract," Maria said.

Bersih filed the suit against TV3 at the beginning of this week, she said, and it is now waiting for a date to be fixed.

Interrogated on the donation

When she was detained under Sosma, Maria said, she was interrogated on whether Bersih's donation sum of RM2.6 million was part of the purported funding from Soros.

"No. All these are actually from the RM100 or RM1,000 that people give us… which we have announced and discussed in a press conference," she said.

Separately, in Suaram's 2016 human rights report, the civil society said that this was a relatively good year for freedom of assembly in Malaysia.

"There was a growing acceptance by government agencies that the public have a right to peaceful assembly.

"Rather than the usual hostile crackdown involving arrests and detention of activists and participants of an assembly, 2016 has been marked by reduced hostility between police on duty and participants of an assembly," the report states.

However, though there were no crackdowns on participants, Suaram noted that organisers were called in for questioning after peaceful rallies.

It also said that it was unfortunate the police and the Attorney-General's Chambers seemed to be relatively tolerant of the red-shirts, despite their clear intent to instigate violence throughout the Bersih 5 convoy drives.

The seven-week convoy was aimed at raising awareness on the Bersih 5 rally.

Malaysian armed forces chief in Myanmar to repair relations

Gen Zulkifeli has met Myanmar president and its commander-in-chief to smoothen strained relations between the two countries, says report.

YANGON: Malaysian armed forces chief Gen Zulkifeli Mohd Zin met Myanmar’s president U Htin Kyaw and commander-in-chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing here yesterday.

According to the Myanmar Times, the meeting was to smoothen Myanmar-Malaysia ties following the harsh criticism of the Myanmar government by Prime Minister Najib Razak at a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

A statement released by the Myanmar commander-in-chief’s office said Aung Hlaing told Zulkifeli that no human rights violations had taken place against Muslim Rohingya.

The statement also read that Myanmar authorities could not lie about this given the local and international media focus on the state, according to the report.

A statement from the president’s office said Htin Kyaw too held discusions with Zulkifeli.

It said the president’s office blamed the diplomatic tensions on “false news” and that the Myanmar government was working to resolve the issues in Rakhine state in accordance with existing laws and human rights standards.

At a rally attended by about 10,000 people at Titi­wang­sa Stadium on Sunday, Najib lambasted the Myanmar government for its alleged mistreatment of Rohingya Muslims. It was the first time in recent years that an Asean leader had criticised another Asean nation over internal matters.

Meanwhile, the Myanmar Times report also quoted analysts on Najib’s actions and the consequences on relations between the two nations.

Bangkok-based expert on Asean affairs Kavi Chongkittavorn said Najib’s action was an attempt to gain votes from the Malaysian Muslim community. He said Najib could have made known his concern more effectively through discreet diplomacy.

Adviser to former Myanmar president U Thein Sein, U Ko Ko Hlaing, was quoted as saying Najib’s action was aimed at diverting public attention away from corruption allegations levelled against him.
He said such “inteference” was not good for Asean unity.

The Myanmar Times reported that a group of Muslim organisations in Myanmar had released an open letter to the Malaysian government expressing disapproval of Putrajaya’s response.

In the letter, which was delivered to the Malaysian embassy yesterday, they said Najib’s remarks and actions would do more harm than good for the Muslims in Myanmar.

Why RM2.6b not probed under Section 124C, asks Ambiga

With the spotlight now on foreign funding, former Bar Council president Ambiga Sreenevasan has demanded Deputy Home Minister Nur Jazlan Mohamed to provide an explanation on
the RM2.6 billion donation issue.

Speaking to Malaysiakini, Ambiga said it was outrageous that NGOs are being hounded over their funding when there is an admission that the RM2.6 billion in Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s accounts was used for the last general election.

"If anything, this is the direct interference in our parliamentary democracy, not the work of NGOs fighting for our democratic institutions.

"The deputy minister owes the public an explanation as to why this RM2.6 billion is not being investigated as an activity detrimental to parliamentary democracy under Section 124C of the Penal Code since, there is a spotlight on foreign funding," Ambiga added.

Electoral reform group Bersih, the Bar Council and Malaysiakini are being investigated under Section 124C over reports of funding from Open Society Foundations, which is linked to American billionaire George Soros.

On Nov 18, Bersih chairperson Maria Chin Abdullah was detained for 10 days under the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012.

Ambiga also criticised Nur Jazlan for his comments on United Nations representative Maina Kiai (photo), whom the deputy minister accused of interfering in Malaysian affairs.

"This guy, who is not Malaysian and works for a foreign organisation, comes here and tells the people to demonstrate and criticise the government. He is interfering in Malaysia.

"His action gives reason for the police to investigate groups or NGOs that receive foreign funding to check whether there is foreign interference," Nur Jazlan told Malaysiakini.

However, Ambiga described Nur Jazlan’s remarks as "ill advised, if not rude".

"This ‘guy’ he refers to is a respected UN rapporteur on freedom of assembly and given that Malaysia is a member, the comment does not speak well of Malaysia.

"The deputy minister would do well to remember that we were twice members of the human rights council and we are on the UN Security Council now.

"He should also read Malaysia's Aide Memoire seeking membership of the human rights council that reflects Malaysia's commitment to the Federal Constitution and fundamental liberties. This comment is an embarrassment to Malaysia,” Ambiga said.

During a lecture in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, Kiai called for a common standard in dealing with foreign funding, questioning among others, the dangers of receiving funds from Saudi princes and whether these donors were influencing the recipients.

The RM2.6 billion in Najib’s accounts was described as a donation from a Saudi royalty to the prime minister with no strings attached, though his critics like Dr Mahathir Mohamad insist that the sum originated from 1MDB.

Najib has denied abusing public funds for personal gain and blamed such allegations on Mahathir and those conspiring to topple him from power.

Attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali also cleared the prime minister, and revealed that of the US$681 million received, US$620 was "returned" to the donor.

In its suit on the alleged abuse of 1MDB funds, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) claimed US$731 million flowed into the accounts of an individual it named as "Malaysian Official 1" or MO1.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan confirmed that MO1 is Najib, but claimed that since the documents did not name the prime minister, he was not part of the investigation.

The DOJ in its lawsuit named four individuals, including Najib’s stepson Riza Aziz and Malaysian-born businessman Jho Low, who is said to be a close to the prime minister’s family.

What if Iskandar region seeks independence, asks Dr M

News reports suggesting that new homes for millions of people currently being build in Iskandar Malaysia region has former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad wondering who would eventually stay in them.

In his latest blog post, Mahathir pointed out that a Bloomberg report had claimed that there were 60 projects in the region involving the construction of up to half million homes.

Conservatively, Mahathir estimated that this amount of homes would house 1.5 million people.

“Who will be staying in these sky scrappers? Does it make sense for the 1.5 million Johoreans – Malay, Chinese and Indians – move into these luxury dwellings? It does not.

“But having 1.5 million foreigners stay near Johor Bahru does make sense. Apparently, they are supposed to stay for three months during the winter. But was there an agreement on this?

“Can you imagine 700,000 people flying into Johor for three months and the same 700,000 leave after that, leaving the Iskandar region empty for nine months.

“Now imagine 1.5 million people emptying the city, apartments, shops and factories for nine months. Johor Bahru will be quiet. Does that make sense?” wrote Mahathir.

MB rubbishes Dr M's claims

Recently, Mahathir had told a ceramah in Krubung, Malacca that 700,000 people from China will be given Malaysia identity cards that would allow them to vote in the next general election.

He alleged that this was part of the deal sought by Putrajaya during the highly publicised state visit to China. Mahathir claimed that these 700,000 people would be housed in Forest City, which is part of the Iskandar Malaysia region.

According to the same Bloomberg report, the developers of Forest City are actively wooing Chinese investors. The report also claimed that AirAsia added a Johor Bahru-Guangzhou route in April to accommodate visiting Chinese investors.

Following this, Johor Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin rubbished Mahathir's allegations on grounds that the Forest City project would be rolled out in 30 years.

While he agreed that there might be 700,000 foreigners residing in Johor 30 years later, it was impossible for all of them to be from China.

Khaled claimed that Forest City was being marketed the world over, including Australia and the Middle East, and not just China alone.

'Merdeka for Iskandar'

Meanwhile, continuing with his hypothetical scenario for Johor, Mahathir asked if these newcomers had decided to stay long term, would the Johor menteri besar be able to make them leave?

“If you can't chase them out, what is their status? What happens if they want to be permanent residents? What if they want to be citizens? What if they are quietly being given Malaysian identity cards before the next election?

“To Khaled, I say congratulations. You will have 1.5 million foreigners surrounding you. Apparently they won't be made citizens, but they will be your neighbours,” said Mahathir.

However, having that many new neighbours may come with certain dangers, he warned.

“With 1.5 million foreigners in Johor, you will have a problem. See what happened to Singapore. Just because the composition of its population was different from Malaysia, we have to remove Singapore from Malaysia.

“When Johor Bahru is surrounded by 1.5 million foreigners, what if we (have to) merdekakan (grant independence) to the Iskandar region? God forbid,” wrote Mahathir.

Clare to Zahid: Why probe me? Why not probe FBI

Instead of setting up a task force to investigate Sarawak Report, the whistleblower website's editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown has challenged Deputy Prime Minister Zahid Hamidi to probe the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) instead.

This was because the FBI was investigating the very same thing she had been reporting on.

"I find it very strange that the deputy prime minister and the Umno party wished to somehow vilify and attack me... for revealing something that has now been corroborated by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies the world over.

"So why doesn't Mr (Zahid) Hamidi decide to have a special task force to take on the FBI, why doesn't he criticise the banks who have admitted that there are malfeasance that took place with respect to 1MDB money?

"Why not just take on the force of law and order in other countries, who have identified the crime known as 1MDB," asked Rewcastle-Brown.

She also challenged Zahid to interview her.

"Please do come and interview me. I would be very happy to give you my full mindful about why I am doing what I am doing," she said.

Invited as speaker at anti-graft conference

Rewcastle-Brown said this in a video recording made at the sidelines of the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) which is taking place in Panama City.

She was among three speakers at the IACC session titled "Investigations on Money Laundering" last Friday, where she spoke on 1MDB.

On Saturday, Zahid told the Umno general assembly that a special task force had been set up to probe local organisations, including the Malaysia-focused but London-based whistleblower website.

Zahid claimed that the organisations have allegedly received foreign funding and is under the sway of foreign powers who want to see the present BN-led Malaysian government fall through non-democratic means.

Overseas, 1MDB-linked banks and officials are being investigated by several foreign jurisdictions over alleged complicity in money laundering and embezzlement involving the state fund, which Sarawak Report frequently reported on.

Though Malaysian authorities have dismissed problems with 1MDB as being only consigned to management weaknesses and denied reports of monies being laundered out of the company, accusing the website of trying to destabilise Malaysia and its economy with such news.

Rewcastle-Brown have denied being complicit in any conspiracy to fabricate news to attack the Malaysian government.

Now, Mahathir accuses Putrajaya of its own 'Project IC'

Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who during his tenure as prime minister was accused of engineering 'Project IC', has now accused the current government of implementing a citizenship-for-votes scheme.

He made the allegation when commenting on how democratic elections can be abused to install dictators or kleptocrats.

"Foreigners can be used to vote for the party in power. For example, if there are many foreigners in the country, for whatever reason, they can be given citizenship and registered as voters.

"Foreigners with passports of other countries have been found possessing Malaysian identification cards," Mahathir said in a blog posting today.

During Mahathir's tenure, he was accused of arbitrarily granting citizenship to Muslim foreigners in Sabah, in exchange for their votes, thereby altering the demography of the state in the process.

This was referred to as ''Project IC' and prompted a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) in 2012, after decades of demands by local Sabahans.

The inquiry concluded that 'Project IC' "probably" existed, but blamed it on rogue elements and criminal syndicates.

During the RCI hearing, several of those implicated were officials with the National Security Council (NSC), including two National Registration Department heads who were seconded from the council, which was chaired by the prime minister.

The presence of foreigners in the electoral roll had even prompted the Kota Kinabalu High Court to declare the election results in Likas as null and void in the 1999 state election.

Following the decision, Mahathir's administration amended the federal constitution to disallow the courts from reviewing the electoral roll.

Vegetarian and vegan diets good for kids and adults, nutritionists say

FoxNews

Plant-based diets are tied to a lower risk of health problems like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and certain cancers - and pretty much anyone can eat this way, according to a leading group of nutritionists.

Vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for all stages of life, including during infancy, pregnancy, childhood, adolescence and old age, the authors write in a position statement from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

That's because people who adopt a plant-based diet tend to consume more fruits and vegetables, fewer sweets and salty snacks, and smaller amounts of total and saturated fats, the statement, published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, asserts.

The trick is to make sure these diets are well planned out and well balanced, said Vandana Sheth, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

"Any diet that is not well planned and balanced can have negative side effects," Sheth said by email.

"Just because foods are plant based doesn't automatically make them healthy," Sheth added. "For instance, pastries, cookies, fried and salty foods may be vegan but don't really provide much in terms of nutritional value."

For younger vegetarians and vegans in particular, it's important to plan meals that include enough iron, zinc, vitamin B-12, and for some, calcium and vitamin D, Sheth said.

"Well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets containing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds can be nutritionally adequate and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of some chronic diseases," Sheth noted.

Approximately 3.3 percent of American adults are vegetarian or vegan, meaning they never eat meat, poultry or fish, according to the guidelines. This way of eating is much more common among younger adults than elderly people.

Among the health benefits noted in the guidelines, people who eat a plant-based diet are less likely to be overweight or obese than adults who consume meat.

Vegan diets in particular, which exclude meats as well as animal products like milk, eggs and honey, are associated with a lower risk of heart disease than other ways of eating, the statement also points out.

According to the authors, people who adopt a vegan diet reduce the risk of diabetes by 62 percent, the risk of prostate cancer by 35 percent, the chance of being hospitalized for a heart attack by 33 percent, the risk of heart disease by 29 percent and the risk of all forms of cancer by 18 percent.

"People who adopt vegetarian diets have a lower body mass index, better control of blood pressure and blood glucose, less inflammation and lower cholesterol levels compared with non-vegetarians," Sheth said.

Just because a diet is vegetarian or vegan, however, doesn't necessarily mean it's healthy, cautioned Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, dean of the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Boston.

"For instance, fries and a coke are vegan," Mozaffarian, who wasn't involved in the position statement, said by email.

"Indeed, much of the harmful stuff in the food supply is vegetarian or vegan: refined grains, starches, added sugars, sweets, trans fats, salt, etc," Mozaffarian added. "People can have a vegetarian or vegan diet that is healthy or terrible; and a non-vegetarian or non-vegan diet that is healthy or terrible."

A healthy diet is rich in minimally processed foods, especially from plants, but also from animals, Mozaffarian said.

"I recommend a high-fat Mediterranean-style diet, rich in fruits, non-starchy veggies, nuts, beans, fish, whole grains, and vegetable oils; and including yogurt, cheese, poultry, and occasional half serving a week of fresh, unprocessed red meat," Mozaffarian said.

Is the Indian Blueprint another promise?

The Indian Development Blueprint is in the making now.

I was one of the invitees in the panel discussion for this agenda.

A blueprint is a plan. In this context, it is a plan/target/guideline for the development of Indian Malaysian. YBhg Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim questioned the panel members on the whereabouts of his and the late K Pathmanaban’s blueprints. I wonder the same. What happened to them? Have we achieved our target? I have never seen one, have we been propelling without a direction all this while, if not, where is it?

MIC could have launched a site for all Indians to contribute their ideas and suggestions just like what was done by Najib Abdul Razak before presenting Budget 2017. It would have given every Indian Malaysian a fair chance of voicing out their opinion , even those Indian Malaysians who are residing overseas at the moment. It wasn’t implemented and the invitation to the panel discussion was only sent to about 100 plus people from various NGOs and agencies.

We have so many productive young bloods who are eager to tell you how things can be sorted for betterment and yet, there is no platform for them.

The panellists did not discuss any specific topic or debate on suggestions that came in from participants; they only presented on their achievements. No presentation on their vision planning for National Transformation 50 (TN50) or at least another 10 years in line. They also did not discuss the setbacks that they have faced and how they are planning to prevent it in future. Isn’t that a crucial component to analyse before renewing a blueprint?

Upon arriving, we were told that the framework has been done and they are looking for additional inputs - I lost my enthusiasm. If it has been drafted, why wasn’t it shared via email to all the invitees, we could have had a very productive discussion that afternoon. We would be aware of your plans and areas that needs improvisation. Wouldn’t that also promote transparency? I felt wasted.

We have written many articles on areas to look into for Tamil schools and Indian development;

Tamil school development

Bahasa Malaysia; Changing threat into treat for SJKT
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/bahasa-malaysia-changing-threat-into-treat-for-sjkt/
Better choices after SPM
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/better-choices-after-spm/
Students safety is no joke
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/students-safety-is-no-joke/
Hindu NGO proposes “MRSM like” Tamil schools
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/hindu-ngo-propose-mrsm-like-tamil-schools/#.V8VGnBf3a6w.facebook
Tamil schools; your contribution counts
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/tamil-schools-your-contribution-counts/#.V8QNVjf5AU8.facebook
Where are we heading with Tamil schools?
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/342959

Indian development
Need for an Indian agenda
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/need-for-an-indian-agenda/
Budget 2017; Checklist for MIC
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/budget-2017-checklist-for-mic/#.V7bg5jdabP8.facebook
Indians in your manifesto for GE14
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/indians-in-your-manifesto-for-ge14/#.V4w_-Qqclu8.facebook
Indians in your manifesto for GE14
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/indians-need-new-economic-policy-to-be-independent/#.VwipZwyD4NI.facebook
Indians need new economic policy to be independent
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/indians-need-new-economic-policy-to-be-independent/#.VwipZwyD4NI.facebook
Wake up call for Indians in the government sector
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/wake-up-call-for-indians-in-the-govt-sector/#.VvSm-XsGG9A.facebook
Additional TV channel in RTM solely for Malaysian Indians
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/additional-tv-channel-in-rtm-solely-for-indian-community/#.V3m7v7CmP-w.facebook
SEED; No push back
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/seed-no-push-back/
PM, push MIC for overhaul
http://www.malaysiakini.com/letters/359450#.WAXDVXEHGfU.facebook
MIC in real action
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/mic-in-real-action/
4 mil Malaysian Indians by 2025
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/4-million-malaysian-indians-by-2025/
Enact or lose confidence
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/enact-or-lose-confidence/
Power to make changes in the wrong hands
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/power-to-make-changes-is-in-the-wrong-hands/
MIC can do better
http://www.themalaysiantimes.com.my/mic-can-do-better/

These are articles that we have written in 2016 alone and we have addressed countless issues in our articles. There are suggestions in each article although the title might not sound relevant to the blueprint. We have written many more, but those are directed to PM himself in improving on his administration, thus are not included here.

Read and grab my points, its impossible to let you know all these within an hour of open discussion slot at your blueprint meeting. That is why a ‘suggestion site’ is important.

Among all the articles that we wrote, I would like to specially highlight on the first article ‘Need for an Indian agenda’ - this is a compulsory component if you are serious about increasing the Indian equity by 2020 - or even 2025 now.

The establishment of a Malaysian Indian Investment Holdings ( MIIH ). We submitted the proposal to the then-minister in the PM’s Department during one of our events in the Royal Selangor Club and there has been no feedback till now. It has to co-exist together with SEED and SEDIC to ensure a balanced growth.

We don’t wish to claim ownership, we want this to be executed and serve the poor and needy. Grab the framework and work on it. The only thing that we demand is transparency, whatever you do, publish and keep us in the loop.

The PM in his speech at MIC’s recent AGM mentioned that there is “pushback” from the Indian community in almost any plans that he tries to carry out for us. Isn’t surprising? When we have so many people voicing out their dissatisfaction over insufficient aid and attention from government, how can there be a “pushback” from the community towards government initiatives? Something is wrong in between.

YB Dr S Subramaniam, you must take full responsibility and step down from your health minister position temporarily for at least six months to sort things out in MIC; completion and approval of blueprint from PM and fixing the pushback. How long are we going to just talk and fight for Tamil schools, temples, and now, crematorium sites in AGM, blueprint discussion, etc?

Fifty-nine years is not sufficient to sort out basic matters yet? MIC must create a platform to engage our people with top leaders in the government like Ali Hamsa and Irwan Serigar Abdullah. 1MINE held an event with Irwan last year pertaining the future of the ringgit in this country and participants were pleased with his very friendly gesture and willingness to help Indian Malaysians in business.

YB Subra, prove your commitment to our community and take the effort to keep MIC relevant. We are tired of just talk of blueprint but not being able to witness anything related to it; launch the site and let us know what is being planned and can be expected from your end.

We are tired of repeated empty promises.
_____________________________________________________________________
S GOPINATH is president of the Malaysian Indian Network of Entrepreneurs Association (1MINE).
indianmalaysians

Former top cop files police report against AG

A former high-ranking police officer has filed a report accusing attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali of abuse of power in connection with the investigations into 1MDB.

This comes after the Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered that “no further action” (NFA) be taken on the former CID chief's police report on 1MDB lodged on Oct 24.

In his latest report - filed on Nov 21 - Mat Zain Ibrahim, who once headed the Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department (CID), states that the order not to act on his earlier report came from Apandi.

Malaysiakini has sighted a copy of a Nov 7 letter signed by current Kuala Lumpur CID chief Rusdi Mat Isa informing Mat Zain that the AG’s Chambers had classified his Oct 24 report as NFA required, effective Nov 1, about a week after the report was lodged.

The Oct 24 report, citing the US Department of Justice (DOJ) civil suit to retrieve US$1 billion of “stolen money” from Malaysia’s troubled sovereign wealth fund 1MDB, suggested there is “strong evidence” to investigate Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and his younger brother, CIMB chairperson Nazir Razak.

In his Oct 24 police report, Mat Zain also implicated Nazir in a possible offence under Section 411 or Section 414 of the Penal Code, for allegedly “receiving or disposing of stolen properties”.

This follows Nazir’s admission to The Wall Street Journal that he received US$7 million from Najib and that he distributed it to ruling party politicians prior to the 13th general election.

Nazir had posted in Instagram then that he wished he had not helped his brother. "I understand the furore, and with hindsight, I wish I didn't (do it)," Nazir had written.

Also in his report, Mat Zain noted the DOJ claim that the US$681 million found in the account of ‘Malaysian Official 1' (MO1) originated from Tanore Finance, which is beneficially owned by Tan Kim Loong, an associate of businessman Jho Low.

The DOJ suit also named Jho Low, who is said to be close to Najib’s family, and the prime minister’s stepson Riza Aziz.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Abdul Rahman Dahlan confirmed that MO1 was Najib, but claimed that since the prime minister was not named, it indicated that he was not being investigated.

The prime minister has denied abusing public funds for personal gain while Nazir has also clarified his role, and he was subsequently cleared by an internal probe carried out by the bank.

The government has also denied any cover-up in the matter.

However, Mat Zain argued that if Apandi was certain that the US$681 million was a Saudi donation, he should have immediately filed an objection and demanded the DOJ to retract its claim, or that the Malaysian government should have filed a counter suit.

Besides this, he said, Apandi could also lodge a complaint with the US court against Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) special agent Robert B Heuchling, who affirmed the DOJ suit, for perjury.

“Since none of the above were done, we can only assume that whatever the DOJ has filed is true and unrebutted,” Mat Zain told Malaysiakini.

Malaysiakini has texted Apandi on this latest allegation for his comments and is yet to receive his response.

Malaysia peninsular belongs to either China or India from B.C., 1st~15th century.

Malays are Muslims descendants of Chinese, Indians. If buddhist then Siam,  Religion and geopolitical divides them.

The Influence of India on Malay Culture

By Sabrizain

Hindu influence in the Malay Peninsula was initially limited more or less rigidly to the upper class of old Malay society - the royalty. Malay royalty was essentially Hindu royalty descended, according to the Malay Annals, "Sejarah Melayu", from a legendary half-Indian and half-Greek monarch, Raja Suran, whose sons all bearing Indian proper names, Sang Nila Utama, Krishna Pandita, Nila Pahlawan, then descended on Bukit Siguntang in Sumatra from whence Malay royalty spread. The spread of Hinduism was not the result of any organised missionary movement. Indian merchants by virtue merely of their feconomic standing, drew converts from the ruling and trading classes of the races with which they traded. If Hinduism was accepted, it was because of a desire for a better standard of living rather than because of an understanding and appreciation of a superior religious system.

Hinduism spread also through marriage. The small princes of the Malaysian coastal trading centres were glad to marry off their sons and daughters to the prosperous Indian merchants or their children. For those who lived on the outskirts of the trading centre, the Hindu influence was to come much later and in gradual stages. While the common people often followed the religious faith of their rulers, there was always an undercurrent of fear of evoking the wrath of their earlier animistic deities. Hinduism was assimilated only with a lot of local theological "spice" retained.

Early Malay literature is almost completely derived from Hindu epics, from the Ramayana and the Mahabaratha. Even today, a major portion of Malay vocabulary is made up of Sanskrit words. Today, when a Malay speaks a sentence of ten words, probably five of them will be Sanskrit words, three Arabic and the remaining either of English, Chinese, Persian or of some other origin. One expert even made the sweeping claim that there are only four words in the Malay vocabulary which are genuinely Malay - "api" or fire, "besi" or iron. "padi" or rice, and "nasi" or cooked rice.

Words such as putera, son; puteri, daughter; asmara, love; samudra, ocean; belantra, jungle; kenchana, gold; sukma, soul; and literally thousands of other words are all Sanscrit words, either in original or in modified form.

What of the influence of India on the religious developments of the
Malaysian peoples? Malay folk-lore and Malay literature show that during the period before the coming of Islam, about the 14th century A.D., the greater gods of the Malay pantheon were really borrowed Hindu divinities. They were, in some respect, modified by Malay ideas, but only the lesser gods and spirits were actually native to the Malay religious system. It is true these native gods and spirits can be identified with the great powers of nature, such as the spirit of the Wind (Mambang Angin), the spirit of the Waters (Hantu Ayer) and the spirit of the Sun (Mambang Kuning). But none of them appears to have the status of the chief gods of the Hindu system. Both by land and water, the terrible Shiva and Batara Guru or Kala, are supreme.

In Malay folk-lore we find Vishnu, the preserver, Brahma the creator, Batara Guru (Kala) and S'ri all invoked by Malays, especially by Malay magicians. Of all the greater deities of the Hindu system, Batara Guru is unquestionably the greatest. In Hikayat Sang Sembah , the tales of Sang Sembah, Batara Guru appears as a supreme god with Brahma and Vishnu and some subordinate deities. It is Batara Guru who alone has the "water of life", the elixir of life, which can restore life to dead humans and animals. To the Malays of old, then, and to the Malay bomohs even of the present day in whom are preserved these notions, "tok Batara Guru" or any one of the corruptions which his name now bears, was the all-powerful god who held the place of Allah before the advent of Islam, and was a spirit so powerful that he could restore the dead to life. All prayers were addressed to him.

Of the lesser deities of Hinduism, the most notable who have remained in Malay superstition and folklore are the "gergasi", half-human forest spirits of Hindu mythology represented in Malay folk-lore as tusked orgres that feed on human flesh. Then there is the raksaksa, a race of cannibal giants ruled, according to the Indian Puranas, by Ravana. A tribe of raksaksa is mentioned in the Kedah annals, Hikayat Marong Mahawangsa, which tell of a giant king, Maroung Maha Wangsa, who led a tribe of giants and founded the present state of Kedah which they called Langkasuka.

All in all, that a form of Hinduism was the accepted religion of the Malays prior to the advent of Islam is certain, and it is a fact amply proved by Malay folk-lore and superstition, Malay literature, Malay customs and various archaeological inscriptions.

Muslim religious teachers in Malaysia today still preach the Islamic concept of heaven in a terminology which is neither Malay nor Arabic, but Hindu. The sanskrit word "shurga" is always used in connection with the Islamic concept of paradise. The proper Arabic word for this is actually "al-jannah". In the same way, the Hindu religious term "neraka" or hell is used by Muslim Malays to explain the Islamic concept of hell. The Arabic word for hell is "al-nar: or the place of fire. Then the Muslim fast, the annual religious abstention from food and drink, is known by the Sanskrit term "puasa". A Muslim religious teacher is often called "guru, another Hindu religious term , in fact the name of a Hindu deity, Batara Guru. The Muslim prayer is among the Malays, called "sembahyang". "Sembah" in Sanskrit means to pray, and "yang" is a Sanskrit term meaning divinity or conjuring respect, as in Sang Yang Tunggal", the most divine one, and "Yang Dipertuan ".

There are many other Hindu religious terms that have lost their original meaning and are being freely and unconsciously used by Muslim Malays in connection with the religion of Islam. This shows that Hinduism exerted a profound influence on Malay culture before the coming of Islam to Malaysia. And this influence has survived, despite the strict monotheistic restrictions of the Islamic faith, to the present day. So, in religion as well as in other aspects of Malaysian culture, we cannot treat the influence of India as something belonging to the past. The political influence of old India which was climaxed by the great Empires of "Sri Vijaya" and "Majapahit" is today at an end, but the cultural influence of India which began at the beginning of the Christian era is still very much alive, and it will be alive for many, many centuries to come because it has become part of the life of the Malaysian peoples.

Putrajaya will take over Hadi's bill, PM says

UMNO AGM Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said the government will "take over" PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang's bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965.

"I urge all not to politicise the matter. It is a Private Member's Bill, which will be taken over by the federal government," Najib, who is also Umno president, said in his policy speech at the Umno general assembly today.

He did not elaborate how it will be "taken over" by the government.

Najib said that Nov 24, the day Hadi tabled his motion seeking leave to table his bill, was a "historic" day.

Despite the two parties traditionally being rivals, PAS has, in recent years, been accused of colluding with Umno, particularly on matters concerning Islamic law.

Meanwhile, minister in charge of Parliament affairs Azalina Said Othman confirmed that the government will be "taking over" the bill during the second reading.

"Marang (Hadi) has to first finish the motion and it would be debated and voted and that means the first reading is completed and the government will pick up.

"There will be a statement and the government will pick it up as a second bill and (minister in charge of Islamic affairs) Jamil Khir (Baharom) will read it as a government bill," she told reporters at the sidelines of the Umno annual general assembly today.

The process will take place in March, she said.

Won't affect non-Muslims

Hadi's bill seeks to raise the sentencing limit of the syariah court from a maximum RM3,000 fine, six strokes of the whip and five year jail limit to maximum 30 years' jail, RM100,000 fine and 100 strokes of the whip.

On Nov 22, Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi briefed Muslim MPs on Hadi's bill.

During the meeting, it was decided that a proposal would be submitted to Najib to urge him to form a parliamentary select committee, consisting of Muslim and non-Muslim MPs, to review the bill after it is tabled in Parliament.

BN component parties MCA, MIC and Gerakan said they would oppose the bill in its current form, arguing that it is unconstitutional.

Gerakan said the bill would create a parallel system alongside civil law, but Najib said this would not happen.

"To the non-Muslims, don't worry because you will not be subject to it and the government is reviewing if there will be dualism in penalties," Najib said.

While Hadi's motion to seek leave to table the bill was read on Nov 24, the Marang MP will only elaborate on his motion to the Dewan Rakyat during its next sitting in March next year.

Ancient maps of Tamil Kingdom before Malay in South East Asia

Please study these ancient maps. It shows that Malaysia peninsular belongs to Chola, Hindoostan, Moghul empire in 8~14 century. Before Malay Sultan and Melacca exist

And from 1~8 century it was part of China.
Chinese and Indians come to peninsular since 500 thousands years ago. Malay and South East Asians are the descendants of cross marriage. The phrase tanah Melayu was invented by Umno in 1950's.

Manigramam (Malacca) -Renamed

Literal meaning of Manigramam in Tamil is “gem like town”. Ruler Parameswara renamed it to melaka.This is to be identified in the Malay peninsula as a trading center of the Tamils from the Coromandel Coast. Manigramam occurs in Tamil inscriptions of the Malabar coast.

Tondi (Malayan Port) -Renamed

There are two places in the Tamil country with the same name Tondi – one in the Chera Empire and the other one in the Pandyan Empire. However, there seems to have been a third Tondi in the Malay Peninsula.

Takkolam (Takuapa Today Part of Thailand) -Renamed

Takuapa of the northern part of the Malay Peninsula is otherwise known as Takkolam. Takkolam is the Tamil word for “piper cuveba’ and “calyptranthes jambalana. There is also a place in the Tamil country which up to now carries the same name Takkolam. The North Malaysia Takuapa could have been either abounded by the spices “calyptranthese jambalana” and “piper cubeba” or it could have been occupied by settlers from the Takkolam of the Tamil country, or both.

Langkasuka (Pattani Today Part of Thailand) -Non Renamed

The name 'PATTANI' is derived from the Tamil word 'PATTANAM'. Until the late 19th century, it was called Pattanam by theTamils. Reference - TAMIL LEXICON. One must differentiate between PATHTHANS of Tamilnadu who are called 'PATTAANI'. The Pathans migrated to Tamilnadu when they came with the Turks andMughals. Patani probably rivals Kedah as among the oldest Malay states on the Peninsula. The lost Second Century kingdom of Langkasuka may have spanned the peninsula from Patani on the east coast, to northern Kedah on the west. Wu-pei-chih, certainly firmly places a Lang-hsi-chia to the south of Songkla (Singora), up to the Patani River and the fabled spirit land of Lakawn Suka still features in the mythology of Patani Malays. Patani was probably one of the Sri Vijayan empire's conquests and ' Ilangasoka, undaunted in fierce battles' was certainly recorded as one of Rajendra Cola's conquests in his raids into Southeast Asia into the empire in 1025.In the northern part of Malaysia there is a place called Pattani. before seem to be Langkasuka during Liang dynasty Hindu chinese ruler. “Pattani” in Tamil means a pea (pisum sativum), however, the upper most class among the Tamil Muslims call themselves Pattanis. Since Malaya had been subject to the settlement of Tamil Muslims (who intermarried with the local women) as early as the 10th century A.D.

Kadaram (Kedah) -Renamed

Kedah, the west coast of Malaya, is known as Kadaram in Tamil. Kadaram-kandan, “conqueror of Kadaram” was one of the attributes given to Rajendra Cholan I of the Tamil Chola empire of the early 11th century AD. There is also a place in the Madurai District in Tamil Nadu, of the Pandyan Empire, with the name Kadaram.A large and round fruit, which is a species of orange, with sour and bitter taste (not grapefruit) is called by the Tamils as kadarangkay, kadaram-pulp. This variety of orange was brought by the Tamil traders from Malaysia to Tamil Nadu, or the place abounded by this pulp could have been named after it by the Tamil settlers in Malaya.Kedah in the Malay language means 'open wide'which is apt as Kedah is primarily made of padi fields which as flatlands. So Negeri Kedah would be 'Wide Open State'. Place names in Malaysia tend to be Malay words that describe the nature of the place or the plants or animals that are abundant there.

Mayirudinggam, Mappappalam, Mewilimbanggam, and Madamalingam (Perlis,Kedah,Penang and Perak) -Renamed

Mayirudinggam, Mappappalam, Mewilimbanggam, and Madamalingam are to be identified in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula. Not sure Mappappalam was kedah or thailand part state,These are among the several states that were part of the Sri Vijaya empire but were overwhelmed by Rajendra Chola I in 1025 AD. A Tanjore Inscription which commemorates this victory mentions the place names.

Cheras (suburb of Kuala Lumpur) -Non Renamed

Cheras in Malaysia is a suburb located in both Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. Originally, Cheras is the name of a kingdom in ancient Tamilakkam. Another Name for Chera Clan of south india.Outside of Malaysia on the central part of the island of Sumatra are a group of people called the Karo Bataks carrying Dravidian clan names such as Chera, Chola, Pandya, and Pallava. Today cheras still alive as a part name of malaysia place.

Cholanur (Selangor) -Renamed

Mudirajindia stated, Selangor was called as Selangore. That means, few hundred years before, Raja Raja or ( Rajendra ? ) Cholan discovered Malaiyur (Malaya and then Malaysia) and named one of the state as Solan/Cholan Oor and thus the state later came to be called Selangor also known by its Arabic honorific, Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity"Ooru => Oor = Village / TownCholan Ooru => Solan Oor => Solanor => Selangor = Selangore.The origin of the name Selangor is lost in history, although some sources claim the name to have come from the Malay word selangau, 'a large fly', most probably due to the abundance of flies in the marshes along the Selangor River in the state's northwest.claims the state's name is derived from the term Selang Ur meaning "land of the straits" (according to this theory, selang means "straits"[citation needed] in the Malay language and ur means "town" in Tamil.) Aur (which sounds similar to ur) also means river in Malay. Hence, Selangor may mean 'river straits'. A major problem with this hypothesis is that the word "selang" does not in fact mean "strait" in Malay, not even in obsolete usage according to the Kamus Dewan; the proper word for "strait" is selat." Until now, there is a street called Jalan Raja Chulan in Kuala Lumpur. Most of all Tamil History distinguished by now-a-days Malay Rulers in Malaysia. There is no much evidence to prove this and malaysia lost the History book that ever read approximately aged 30 to 40 years back".It is recorded in history that Rajendra Chola conquered a few fareast countries and controlled their administation from India. Chola's Rule in Malaysia Selangor is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. Malaysian Indians are a group of Malaysians largely descended from those who migrated from southern India during the British colonization of Malaya. Prior to British colonization, Tamils had been conspicuous in the archipelago much earlier, especially since the period of the powerful South India kingdom of the Cholas in the 11th century. By that time, Tamils were among the most important trading peoples of maritime Asia. Across Malaysia today there is a rolling back of the 2,000-year-old culture of the Malays, brought with the Chola and Srivijaya kings from India.

Source: Sangam Literature Silappatikaram (The Tale of an Anklet)
History Search: thai, burma, indonesia, south india and ganga negara.

By JOHAMI ABDULLAH

Early Indian works speak of a fantastically wealthy place called Savarnadvipa, which meant “land of gold.” This mystical place was said to lie far away, and legend holds that this was probably the most valid reason why the first Indians ventured across the Bay of Bengal and arrived in Kedah around 100 B.C.

Apart from trade, the early Indians brought a pervasive culture, with Hinduism and Buddhism sweeping through the Indo-Chinese and Malay archipelago lands bringing temples and Indian cultural traditions. The local chiefs began to refer to themselves as “rajahs” and also integrated what they considered the best of Indian governmental traditions with the existing structure.

I learnt Malayan history in the 1950s and taught it in the 1960s and 1970s in secondary schools. All the history textbooks at the time had the early Indian connection specifically mentioned in them. Teachers of that period taught about the early Indianised kingdoms of Langkasuka, Sri Vijaya and Majapahit that existed from as early as 100 C.E.

Anyone can see that Parameswara, the founder of Malacca, has a clearly give-away name that points to the Indian/Hindu influence. No one can deny this, and all our children need to know about this. They have the fundamental right to learn about this aspect of our history too.

Why don’t our children learn about these early Indian connections today? It needs mention here that this early Indian connection has nothing to do with the much later cheap Indian “coolie” labour influx that the British brought over to man the railways and plantations of Malaya from the late 19th century onwards.

The Malay language as we know it today is already fully impregnated and enriched with many foreign words. This is good. Malay, therefore, has been a bahasa rojak from early times itself.

Rojak itself (and also cendul) is a Malaysian food developed by an Indian Malayalee Muslim community known as the Malabaris who hailed from Kerala. They were also referred to as kakas. We now wrongly credit the Penang mamaks for this great food.

The only other bahasa rojak that can beat the Malay language in the matter of foreign word assimilation is the English language because it has “polluted” itself with words from just about every civilisation that exists or existed in this world.

The very word “Melayu” itself is most probably of Indian origin from the words “Malai Ur,” which means land of mountains in Tamil. Singapur, Nagapur and Indrapur are very common Indian names that have similar backgrounds.

The early Indians were probably inspired by the main mountain range that looks like a backbone for the Malay peninsula and thus named it Malaiur. The word “malai” is undoubtedly Indian in origin as is the case with the word Himalayas and we all know where it is situated.

The English word “Malaya” is a further corruption of the word by the British who themselves are very good at corrupting the pronunciation and spelling of and changing the names of indigenous places worldwide to suit their tongue’s capability. The Malay word “Melayu” with the missing “r “ is closer to the original name “Malaiur”.

To my knowledge, the hundreds of Malay words of Indian origin have not been catalogued by anyone except perhaps the noted Malay scholar Zaaba. Even if such an effort has been made, it is definitely not widely known or ever published.

Many Malay words, from describing Malay royalty (Raja, Putera, Puteri, Maha, Mulia, Seri, etc) and common everyday terms (bakti, suami, cuma, dunia, bumi, jendela, serpu, kerana), all have Indian connections. The undeniable Indian connection in the word “Indonesia” is also reflected in the name itself.

The Indian factor that influences even the prevailing Malay culture in terms of music, food, dress and certain other everyday practices like betel chewing and bersanding is another thing over which a loud hush prevails. Why?

Such knowledge of the roots of this great country, be they Indian, Chinese, Arab or whatever, can indeed very strongly facilitate the ongoing efforts of the Government to make our children think of themselves as Bangsa Malaysia more easily and more readily.