Govt orders Mara to lift religious ban

Shafie Apdal: It's not right, no government policy to restrict religion in Mara colleges.

FMT

KUCHING: Mara will be ordered to lift a religious ban at its colleges and university campus in Sabah and Sarawak, the federal minister in charge, Shafie Apdal, announced today after protests by native non-Muslim parents whose children are enrolled in Mara institutions.

There is no federal government policy to restrict religious practices among Mara students, Shafie Apdal said at a hastily-convened press conference this morning, the Malaysian Insider reported.

He said if there were any such restrictions, “they were not right”. He added: “If there is a rule, we will withdraw it.”

Shafie, as minister for regional and rural development, has oversight over Mara, set up as a bumiputera trust agency, which also runs residential science junior colleges and the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM).

The press conference was called after Sarawak chief minister Adenan Satem met Shafie last night, over concerns of Dayak parents that their children were not being allowed to practice their faiths while enrolled at Mara colleges.

Adenan is reported to have told Shafie that such rules went against the Sarawak government’s policy on the freedom of religion, according to Malaysian Insider.

Baru Bian of Parti Keadilan Rakyat had said earlier today that he would consider legal action against Mara as the ban on non-Islamic activities was unconstitutional and against the constitutional guarantee to practice religious faiths.

Three Mara colleges are reported to have banned all non-Islamic religious activities within the campus; forbidden the use of non-Islamic religious symbols; and students forbidden from non-Islamic religious activities outside campus on weekends except with college permission.

Dayak parents have also said their children were forbidden to bring their Bibles or home-cooked food, and banned from using college transport to attend church services.

Shafie said a “misinterpretation” of the rules might have cropped up because the rules were first drawn up in 1972 when Mara colleges were first established in the peninsula, where all bumiputera students were Malays and Muslims.

Parents have said the restrictions amounted to religious discrimination and would breed intolerance and lack of respect. One parent refused to send his daughter to college and posted online a copy of additional rules for non-Muslim students.

Shafie denied there had been any discrimination. “There has been no prohibition on non-Muslim students to practise their faith. On weekends, we provide transport for Christians to attend church very much like we do for Muslims students to attend Friday prayers.

“They can take their Bible to campus and if there is anyone who tries to stop them, report them to us and we’ll act,” Shafie said.

Sarawak second minister of resource planning and environment Awang Tengah Ali Hassan said the rules for all Mara colleges in Sarawak should be rewritten.

State land development minister James Masing has said the restrictions were constitutionally and morally wrong. State DAP chairman Chong Chieng Jen had appealed to the Sarawak government to reject the rules.

Disabled community accuses airline of discrimination

The Sun
by Elly Fazaniza and Trinity Chua

PETALING JAYA (Dec 25, 2012): An audio recording between a ticketing officer from budget airline Firefly Sdn Bhd and an individual posing as a wheelchair-bound passenger that went viral has resulted in an outcry from the disabled community over the airline's neglect of their needs.

Malaysian Association for the Blind committee member Mohd Faisal Che Yusoff said the recording is just the tip of the iceberg.

"The bigger picture is that all public transportation and services are inadequately equipped to accommodate persons with disabilities," he told theSun when contacted yesterday.

The six-minute phone conversation between activist Aruna Sena and the Firefly staff was first posted on a blog on Dec 17 and went viral on Facebook and other social networking sites.

When Aruna informed the airline staff he was wheelchair-bound, he was told assistance would be provided to him to reaching the aircraft but he would have to embark and leave the aircraft on his own.

Aruna said he recorded the conversation to raise the issue of lack of compliance of public transportation with legal requirements such as the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2006.

Firefly Sdn Bhd corporate communications spokesman D. Kalpana, when contacted, said although the airline does accommodate wheelchair-bound passengers, they must inform the airline 48 hours before departure for arrangements to be made.

Kalpana said the airline has policies to assist passengers "right up to/from their aircraft seat".

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee said Section 27 of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2008 provides that such persons shall have the right to access to, and use of, public transport, and should apply to air transportation as well.

Hiring Discrimination in Peninsular Malaysia Study: A Half Finished Product

By Koon Yew Yin

Last week I received a copy of an email invitation to a joint seminar by two academics, one from University of Malaya and the other from Unversiti Kebangsaan Malaysia. The title of their talk was “Does race matter in getting an interview? A field experiment of hiring discrimination in Peninsular Malaysia.”.

As I have been an employer with over 40 years experience, the seminar topic intrigued me. Unfortunately I was not able to attend. Subsequently, I have been following the internet discussion generated by the seminar. This includes the recent letter from the two researchers requesting an apology from an online news site which reported on the seminar findings.

Is Racial Bigotry an Issue in Hiring?

According to the letter, the online website had through its headline “Malaysian employers practise racial bigotry, study shows” grossly misrepresented the study. Although the two academics conceded that the article “fairly accurately conveys our main findings and conclusions”, they were upset by the politically incorrect term “racial bigotry” used in the headline.

In my view, the two academics, Lee Hwok Aun and Muhammed Abdul Khalid, would serve the policy public better if they put their energies into answering the question that they posed in their work – does race matter in getting an interview? If it does matter, then they need to explain why instead of making a mountain of a mole-hill over the use of the term “racial bigotry”.

According to their abstract the researchers conducted a field experiment by sending fictitious résumés of Malay and Chinese fresh graduates to real job advertisements. They then analyzed differentials in callback for interview attributable to racial identity. According to them there were statistically significant differences in callback rates, “indicating racial discrimination” since “Chinese are substantially more likely than Malays to be called for interview, and the difference is more acute in engineering jobs compared to accounting/finance.”

The Bigger Question: Why Are Malays Less Likely to be Interviewed?

It is not rocket science to know that private sector employers – not only in Malaysia but all over the world – are not totally racially blind in whom they chose to interview or hire. Although their findings confirm this, they also found that “in engineering jobs, estimated discrimination against Malay applicants is highest among foreign-controlled companies, followed by Malay-controlled companies, then Chinese-controlled companies”.

Why are Malays less likely to be called for interviews despite apparently similar credentials? That is the important question to ask and answer. To this question all we have is the suggestion that employers are less disposed toward Malays due to “compatibility factors and unobservable qualities”.

In less academic jargon or plain terms, what the two academics are saying is that they do not know why Malays are less likely to be interviewed although but they see this as indicating racial discrimination. What the two researchers have done is to allege the factor of racial discrimination without even interviewing the employers in their sample and examining deeper the reasons! Now what kind of research is this?

Of course race is a consideration in the employment market place and economy. Whether one is selling products or hiring staff, this factor is part of the calculus of business. In some cases it emerges as a major factor, in others less so, and in some cases not at all.
What are the reasons to explain this partiality or bias in interviewing for hiring? Is it because of ignorance? Is this reflective of attitudes and beliefs amounting to racial stereotyping? Is this a result of past experiences with incompetent staff from a particular race which have resulted in these so-called racially discriminatory practices? Does language competency play a role in this?

What explains the finding that foreign controlled firms are the most prejudiced when in fact it is often assumed that they are the most race blind or least discriminatory. And why do Malay controlled companies discriminate against applicants from their own race even more than Chinese firms?

All of these questions as well as other larger factors are completely ignored by the research. In my experience as an employer I have found that the Barisan Nasional’s pro-Malay bias in education and employment has resulted in sharply lowered standards. This has brought about a glut of Malay graduates, many of who are virtually unemployable as they lack English and Chinese language and social marketing skills.

Suggestions for Follow Up Work

The two academics claim that they have conducted the research to bring about a more informed and level-headed understanding of a contentious and difficult subject. To arrive at their objectives, I suggest that they take into account the feedback provided by members of the public to their work as well as conduct detailed fieldwork with the sampled employers.

Also, for their study to have policy significance, they should place their findings in the larger national context. This will require the employee breakdown of private (and public) sector employers in the country according to racial grouping as well as the racial composition of their employees.

This national picture will provide a better picture of who are being employed in the country and by whom, and will help to minimize any ugly finger pointing arising from the work.

Finally, I propose that they complement this study with one examining hiring and employment patterns in the Government, Petronas and GLCs where tax payers’ money is being used to hire staff and where racial discriminatory practices should be much less tolerated.

Husband beats, suffocates pregnant wife

CTV footages of a man beating a woman have been uploaded onto YouTube and Facebook, incurring the wrath of thousands of netizens
VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: In a desperate bid to stand up for herself, a bruised and battered 19-year-old has turned to Facebook to share CCTV footages of herself being beaten relentlessly by her husband at a boutique in Ipoh.

“I am Amanda Fong Kim Yen, I’m 19 years old & I’m two months+ pregnant with Calvin Chik Foo Keong’s baby & I’m standing up for myself now,” the young woman wrote on her Facebook profile page at http://www.facebook.com/foxyfong.

“I would like to share my experience with all of you out there how abusive my husband is by beating me up terribly & he had been torturing me.”

The first video Fong uploaded on Aug 30 is almost 12 minutes long and depicts a man hitting, wrestling and throwing a girl around a shop for nearly the whole duration of the clip.

The silent footage, which an unknown user had also uploaded yesterday on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYTOYPJ17Yk , shows the petite, slender girl struggling and attempting to fight back.

But she is easily overpowered by the man, who is a head taller than her.

At one point, he can be seen stripping off his shirt, before proceeding to shove her onto a recliner and apparently smothering her with the shirt for several seconds.

“As you can see in this video he wouldn’t let me out from the shop even I went to press the door access,” Fong wrote in her post.

“He has put me under tremendous pressure, hurt, pain and & suffering. I cannot endure it anymore longer. I’m very tired of living this miserable life.

“I have been accused, suffered from humiliation, physically & mentally anguished.”

Relentless beating


According to the time stamp on the video, the scene took place on Aug 23 at 5.08pm. The boutique is owned by the couple.

The next day, Fong uploaded a second video which revealed a scene that took place an hour after the first ended.

Also over 11 minutes long, the clip, which is available on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYTOYPJ17Yk depicts the same man working alone behind the counter for a minute.

However, once the girl comes into the room, the couple quarrel and the relentless beating continues, only far more brutal.

“This is the second session after I came out from the toilet after vomiting,” Fong explained on her page.

“As you can see in this video again, he wouldn’t allow me to exit my shop & he snatched my phone to prevent me calling my mother and even beat me with the phone.”

But towards the end of the video, a woman Fong identified as her mother is seen entering the shop. The two hug and the older woman whisks the younger away, while the man stands by and watches.

“My mom had really saved my life, if it wasn’t for her…. I wouldn’t be here anymore,” wrote Fong.

‘You are so heartless’

In her most recent post, written at around 4pm today, Fong announced that she is slowly recovering from the wounds and injuries her husband caused.

“But whenever you see me, there will be scars all over my arms. I just hope things are coming into the right place,” she wrote in a post that received 191 likes so far and a slew of supportive comments.

Fong had previously uploaded 24 photos of the bruises and scars on her arms, shoulders, legs and around her collar bone. The photo album “Is this even called love when you are even becoming a dad” has over 2,000 shares.

But despite the fact that Fong appears to be safe now, the drama online has not abated.

Her husband Calvin Chik Foo Keong also has a Facebook profile
(http://www.facebook.com/calvenchik) which is flooded with comments by
furious users calling for his arrest and throwing around labels such as “stupid abuser” and “mad monster”.

“I could not even bear to watch without breaking into tears! How could you do such a thing!??? All I can say is. Heartless, you are so HEARTLESS,” wrote Facebook user Junyen Chong.

“I dunno you too, but watching the video makes me hardly describe how angry I am to a monster like you,” wrote another user by the name Mic Chew.

Despite the onslaught of furious comments, Chik has not defended himself nor denied his actions on his Facebook profile, preferring instead to accuse Fong’s mother of abusing Fong since she was 15.

Meanwhile, commenters on the Facebook page of the couple’s boutique (http://www.facebook.com/AmandaChikCouture) are expressing disgust at both Fong and Chik.

“Amanda… you real sohai disgrace us woman, next time use your eyes to pick a good lou kung instead of sacrifice your [expletive] for a rich [expletive] who beats woman,” Coco Ping wrote.

“Overall I agree with most people you chimpanzees along those social retards are a disgrace to the world,” wrote Timothy Wong.

M’sia must ratify UN convention on discrimination

Malaysia is only one of 16 countries not to have ratified the UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.
COMMENT

By Denison Jayasooria

On March 21, the global community celebrates the International Day for the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination set apart by the United Nations.

On that day in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid “pass laws”.

The General Assembly which proclaimed the Day in 1966, called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination. It is also important to note that the UN has built an international framework namely the UN Convention on the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.

175 countries of the world are parties to this convention. There are only 16 countries which have not signed or ratified the convention. Malaysia is one alongside Angola, North Korea, Myanmar & Singapore.

Why has Malaysia not ratified the convention? Why is Malaysia not among the major Asean or Asian countries or not among the OIC countries or Muslim majority countries?

All the major OIC countries are party to this convention. For example Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, Kuwait & United Arab Emirates.

Therefore this convention being inconsistent with Islam cannot really hold water as these leading Islamic countries are already party to this convention

In the case of Asean countries – Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, even Cambodia and Laos are parties to it.

At the Asian level, India and China are parties to this convention. Many countries which have ratified have specific reservations and the UN system allows for this provision too.

Special measures

Could the issue of affirmative action policies of Malaysia of article 153 of the federal constitution be a hurdle for Malaysia? This however is a missunderstanding as the UN Convention makes specific provision in article 4 for ‘special measures’.

The UN went further to issue a General Recommendation No 32 (August 2009) to explain “the meaning and scope of special measures”.

India which is a party to the convention has constitutional provisions of affirmative action to schedule caste and tribal groups. In a similar way the United States have special affirmative action policies for the blacks.

Therefore there is no logical reason why Malaysia has not ratified the convention. Malaysia has now reached a status in the global community as member of the Human Rights Council and therefore we must be a shining example by not only ratifying the convention but role modelling as a progressive moderate nation.

Being a party to the UN Convention is a clear indication of our seriousness of the 1Malaysia slogan.

Failure to do so or any further delay indicates our non-committal approach for structural transformation is fostering a truly Malaysian nation

By way of a concrete action on March 21, please email the PM a short message urging him to ratify the UN Convention for the elimination of all forms of Racial discrimination on March 21- email: press@1malaysia.com.my and admin@1malaysia.com.my

Dr Denison Jayasooria is a Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of Ethnic Studies, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia and Exco member of Proham, a human rights advocacy group established by former Suhakam members.

Malaysia Calls For Citizens Held At Guantanamo To Be Brought Before Tribunal Soon

KLUANG, Jan 30 (Bernama) -- Malaysia called for its two citizens held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre since 2006 to be brought before a military tribunal as soon as possible.

Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the detention of the duo without trial shows that the Western country does not practise what it preaches in the matter of human rights.

"We hope that they (the Malaysians) will be brought before a military tribunal as soon as possible. We are often accused of not being independent, our judicial system is said to be not independent. But, I wish to state that we have two citizens being held (at Guantanamo) without trial for several years," he said.

He spoke to reporters after the handing over of affordable houses built by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) to 56 flood victims in Kampung Gajah, here Monday.

Hishammuddin said what the Western country did in the case of the detention of the two Malaysians without trial was inconsistent with what it preached on the issue of human rights.

"We are often accused of being unjust," he said.

A newspaper reported recently that the two Malaysians -- Mohd Farik Amin and Mohd Nazir Lep -- held at the Guantanamo Bay detention centre were expected to be brought before a military tribunal in the United States soon.

Karzai orders probe in torture of 15-year-old Afghan girl

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai called for an investigation into the torture of a 15-year-old girl, who police say they rescued after she was locked in the basement of her in-laws' house, starved and her nails pulled out.

Karzai ordered the Interior Ministry on Sunday to look into the case of Sahar Gul, saying the issue "must be seriously investigated," his office said in a statement. He also ordered the deputy minister of the interior to arrest those behind the torture of the girl.

Last month, authorities in the northern Baghlan province said they rescued the girl after hearing reports that she was tortured after she refused to be forced into prostitution. But, they said, they were waiting for her to fully recover to talk to her and learn more.

Sahar was married off to a 30-year-old man about seven months ago. After her parents reported not seeing her for months, police launched their investigation, Baghlan police official Jawid Basharat said at the time.

"After police rescued her from a dark room of her in-laws' house, we saw her nails had been pulled out by her husband. And she said with broken voice that her husband used to cut her flesh using pliers," he said.

The girl was also denied food, he said.

Rahima Zarifi, director of the Women's Affairs Department in Baghlan, said Sahar was immediately hospitalized.

Police have arrested her in-laws, but her husband fled.

The case, Zarifi has said, highlights how women continue to suffer in parts of Afghanistan despite overall progress since the fall of the Taliban.

In the second quarter of this year, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) registered 1,026 cases of violence against women. Last year, 2,700 cases were recorded.

In December, gunmen attacked and sprayed an Afghan family with acid in their home after the father rejected a man's bid to marry his teenage daughter.

In another case, a 21-year-old, identified only as Gulnaz for her own protection, was sentenced to 12 years in prison after she reported that her cousin's husband had raped her.

Her plight attracted international attention when it came out that she had agreed to marry her attacker to gain her freedom and legitimize a daughter conceived in the attack.

She was eventually freed, following the president's intervention.

‘Minister’s aide punched me’

A NGO leader claims that the human resources minister's aide assaulted him in the presence of MIC Youth chief T Mohan.

KUALA LUMPUR: A NGO leader has alleged that an aide to the human resources minister assaulted him last night.

S Gobi Krishnan, president of little known People’s Rights and Welfare Coalition (Power), said the private secretary to Dr S Subramaniam and MIC Youth exco, who is also named S Subramaniam, punched him repeatedly in the face.

“At about 11.50 while I was having drinks with MIC Youth chief T Mohan, his wife and others at a coffee house in Seri Pacific hotel… he punched me in the face and head four times and I suffered injuries on my cheek till I bled, my lips were bruised,” stated Gobi in his police report lodged today.

Gobi said his spectacles broke, his shirt button came off and his watch was also damaged as a result of the attack.

The NGO leader said he believed the attack stemmed from his previous claim that the same Subramaniam holds a fake degree as the Kensington University was de-registered in 2003 by the Hawaiian authorities.

Gobi’s claim was published in FMT in July and the minister had promised to probe the matter.

He alleged that the appointment of Subramaniam as private secretary was recommended by Mohan and endorsed by Dr Subramaniam.

Recounting his ordeal at a press conference, Gobi said:”While I was chatting with Mohan, he had asked me why I always criticised him in public and I answered that was what a ‘pro-rakyat’ NGO should do.”

He claimed that while he was talking to Mohan, Subramaniam suddenly rushed to him and started attacking him. He added that others at the scene quickly pulled Subramaniam away.

Gobi said he wanted MIC president G Palanivel and the party’s disciplinary body to take stern action against those involved.

‘I just slapped him’

Contacted later, Subramaniam said: “I didn’t punch him, I just slapped him, that’s all. And no, not four times, two times only.”

Asked why he did so, the minister’s aide said it was because Gobi provoked him and that was what caused the clash.

“At first I wanted to shake hands with him. He started mocking me saying ‘there, MIC goons are coming’. This is one problematic man, he causes problems wherever he goes,” he said.

On his alleged fake degree, Subramaniam said that was no longer an issue.

Kecewa PM tak sudi jumpa blogger Umno ugut potong kaki Nawemee

Gambar diatas ialah gambar rakaman screen sebuah blogger tegar Umno, Blog RBF atau lebih dikenali sebagai Ruang Bicara Faisal ialah antara blogger tegar Umno yang telah menyuarakan kekecewaan terhadap Perdana Menteri kerana tidak dapat bertemu dengan PM walaupun mempunyai idea dan aspirasi, sedangkan Nawemee yang dikatakan telah menghina negara, bangsa dan agama diberikan peluang untuk bertemu dengan Perdana Menteri.

Dengan tajuk "Parang Panjang Untuk Potong Kaki Namewee Sudah Tersedia", sebuah blog penyokong kerajaan telah bertindak liar di atas ketidak-puas-hatian kepada Perdana Menteri, iaitu orang yang selama ini dipertahankan habis-habisan.

dalam blog tersebut jelas menyatakan;

Kawan-kawan sekalian, sepertimana yang anda tahu bagaimana saya serta kawan-kawan saya, siang malam, pagi petang kami berusaha mempertahankan kerajaan serta PM. Bukan setakat mempertahankan PM, malah terpaksa mempertahankan juga isteri PM daripada fitnah-fitnah yang dilemparkan termasuklah isu cincin 24 juta , tapi kami tidak pernah pun dijemput seperti namewee untuk berjumpa PM.

Tapi si bangsat tersebut sudah melakukan bermacam-macam dajal dan sial serta menghina kaum serta agama , tiba-tiba mendapat layanan istimewa untuk berjumpa PM. Mana pergi namewee ketika Rosmah difitnah beli cincin 24 juta. Kenapa dia tak buat lagu yang mengatakan tuduhan itu fitnah ?

Kawan-kawan semua, saya dah lama menyimpan impian untuk berjumpa PM bagi memberitahu beberapa perkara termasuk idea-idea, tapi tak kesampaian. Saya terfikir , siapalah saya ini untuk berjumpa pemimpin tertinggi negara. Kalau ada pertemuan dengan PM pun di majlis-majlis besar yang melibatkan ramai orang. Maka sudah tentulah sukar untuk kita bercakap di majlis-majlis seperti itu.

Tapi anak haram itu senang-senang sahaja dapat jumpa PM. Siapa yang tak berasap beb ?

Kekecewaan RBF dilihat tidak dapat lagi disorok apabila secara terbuka menempelak pimpinan sendiri beserta dengan satu ancaman bunuh terhadap Nawemee yang akan berjumpa dengan PM. Ia seolah-olah mencabar kewibawaan PM sekiranya mengambil tindakkan kepada RBF akan dilihat sebagai tidak prihatin ke atas bangsa sendiri tetapi membela Nawemee.

Mari kita lihat sejauh mana pihak berwajib berani mengambil tindakan dalam ugutan yang memang terang dan jelas ini.

Namun kemarahan blogger ini ada asasnya. Masih ingat kita bagaimana Nawemee yang dikenali sejak video klipnya mengolah semula lagu negaraku menjadi "Negarakuku" disiarkan di youtube. Beliau bukan saja berdepan dengan tindakan undang - undang tetapi media mengolah kebencian yang melampau dengan mengaitkan Nawemee dengan Pakatan Rakyat dan kebencian melampau diwujudkan dengan api perkauman sebagai asas bahan bakar.

Maka Najib (baca: pimpinan UBN) meraih sepenuhnya keuntungan dengan menunggang sentimen yang dibakar blogger dan 'ngo-ngo' ciptaan mereka tampil ke depan menyemarak kemarahan. Ingat lagi bagaimana Arman ketika itu dia ketua pemuda PERKASA mengamuk dan membakar barang di depan pagar dewan himpunan china dimana Nawemee berada didalam dewan untuk satu program.

Akhirnya setelah melihat semuanya gagal meraih sentimen majoriti rakyat malah di kelas pertengahan imej UBN menjadi lebih negatif kerana tindakan tersebut maka Najib telah tukar strategi. Nawemee diberi ruang membuat filem pula dan semalam bertemu secara peribadi dengan Najib sendiri.

Jika difikirkan kesian dengan kawan - kawan 'bawah' yang begitu emosi pada satu ketika dahulu dalam isu Nawemee ini dan akhirnya dia sendiri mendapat ruang istimewa.

Walaupun memahami kekecewaan kawan-kawan ini tetapi che'GuBard nasihat janganlah sampai ugut-ugut bunuh...itu kurang tamadunnya. Jadikan ini sebagai pengajaran berpada dalam tindakan.

Itu belum lagi mereka respon dalam isu 'agihan tak sama rata'. klik sini untuk baca lanjut.

Immigration forced S'pore duo to do 'nude squats'

 (Malaysiakini) Two Singaporean women were reportedly forced to do squats in the nude by Immigration Department personnel following their arrest for “illegal entry” into Malaysia.

Such a practice was declared as “inhumane and undignified” and be immediately discontinued by the Royal Commission to Inquire into the Standard Operating Procedure, Rules and Regulations in Relation to the Conduct of Body Search in Respect of an Arrest and Detention report in 2006.

According to Singapore's Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao, the incident happened during the wee hours of June 9 when the two women drove across the Causeway from the island republic.

The duo were headed to Johor Bahru for supper, but they were apparently negligent and walked passed the immigration counter without having their passports stamped.

For this, they were reportedly detained on the charge of being illegal immigrants and held at a lock-up facility in Pontian, Johor.

Under the pseudonym of Lin Li Li, the woman told the newspaper that she and her friend Zhan Ting Ting, another psuedonym, were ordered to take off their clothes and do 10 squats.

They were reportedly only given clothes meant for detainees after performing the act. They also complained about being handcuffed and that the lock-up conditions were atrocious.

"The clothes were dirty and smelly. The cell was only as big as two third of a basketball court, but there are 50 people inside. There were also a lot of mosquitos and cockroaches.

"We were handcuffed, we were treated as detainee even though we were proved not guilty. This is an insult,” Lin was reported as saying.

Home Ministry yet to receive report

After the 24-hour detention, they were released with a warning letter from the immigration officer.

Upset with their treatment, the duo said they will never enter Malaysia again even if they were invited to do so.

According to a Sin Chew Daily website, Home Ministry secretary-general Mahmud Adam has declined to comment on the matter because he had yet to receive any report on the matter.

This is the second major allegation of abuse of power by the Malaysian authorities since November 2005, when a video of a woman forced to perform nude squats by the police began circulating on the Internet.

According to the police, the nude squats was meant to look for illicit drugs.

The incident led to the formation of an independent commission led by former chief justice Mohamed Dzaiddin Abdullah, which recommended that the practice be discontinued.

Denied entry, Bersih chief sues Sarawak government

Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan was stopped at the Kuching International Airport on April 15. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, June 14 — Election watchdog chief Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan has filed a suit against the Sarawak government for barring her entry into the East Malaysian state two months ago, saying the move is against the Federal Constitution.


“Yes filed and leave application will be heard 13 July,” the Coalition for Fair and Free Elections (Bersih 2.0) chairman told The Malaysian Insider via a text message.

Sarawak and Sabah are allowed to deny entry even to Malaysians under the agreement to form Malaysia in 1963 with Malaya and Singapore, but must give a reason in doing so.

Ambiga was stopped at the Kuching International Airport on April 15; but no reasons were given as to why she was barred from entering the hornbill state where she was to monitor the polling process the next day.
The former Malaysian Bar president was travelling with two other Bersih 2.0 committee members — Subramaniam Pillay, a member of Aliran and Arul Prakash, a programme officer of Komas — and Ivy Josiah, executive director of Women’s Aid Organisation.

The trio were allowed in.

Ambiga joined a list of activists including Steven Ng, Cynthia Gabriel, Wong Chin Huat, Johan Tan and Subang PKR MP Sivarasa Rasiah, who were denied entry to the state in the days leading up to the state election in Sarawak, which ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) easily retained.

Bersih 2.0 has demanded that the Malaysian Human Rights Commission (Suhakam) investigate the “abuse and arbitrary use of powers” by the Immigration Department and the Sarawak state authorities.

Long-serving Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has not responded to criticisms about denying entry to Malaysian activists while Putrajaya has also remained silent over a citizen’s right to free movement within the federation since the hornbill state formed Malaysia with Malaya, Sabah and Singapore in 1963.

However, pro-government newspapers in West Malaysia have been playing up reports of a graft probe against Taib, who has rebuffed Putrajaya’s efforts to get him to end his 30-year rule, marked by reports of land grabs from the natives.

Malaysia has been found to trail the rest of the world in protecting freedom of religion, expression and other basic rights, managing only to place 59th out of 66 countries surveyed by the World Justice Project (WJP) for its Rule of Law Index 2011.

Low scores for freedom of religion, expression, assembly and privacy also meant that Malaysia placed second to last in its income group, which includes other upper-middle-income countries like Russia, Brazil, Mexico and Iran.

This is the first time Malaysia has been included in the survey.

BAN LIVE EXPORT of Australian cattle

Ustaz video clip attacks Chinese, Indians

A religious teacher urges Muslims not to give in to the Chinese and Indians.

VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: Even before the dust has settled over the controversial “Christian plot”, a new video clip has surfaced attacking the Chinese and Indians for “questioning Malay rights”.

The video clip features a religious teacher urging Muslims not to betray their own religion by giving in to the Chinese and Indians, who he claimed are beginning to question Islamic and Malay rights.
The clip was uploaded to video-sharing site YouTube on Saturday.

It comes at a time when the country is still seething over the controversial Utusan Malaysia’s report of a “Christian plot” to overthrow Islam as the official religion.

“Today, their races (Chinese and Indians) are questioning ketuanan Melayu (Malay supremacy)… that’s rubbish… we are the ones who have given them the space to speak. The Malays have been very generous with them. We share the country with them. Give them land. Give them positions. They are not satisfied still?” said Ustaz Mohammad Kazim Elias Al Hafiz in the video titled “Ustaz Kazim Elias kutuk Cina India? (Ustaz Kazim Elias criticises Chinese and Indians?)

“Why is it like this? The answer is simple. Because there are Malays who support them. If they ruled us, they wouldn’t get what we’re giving them now,” said Mohammad Kazim, who is the president of Pusat Pendidiakan Al Barakah, a private learning centre based in Perak.

He urged his audience, believed to be in a mosque, to “return to Islam”, saying that “if we become the minority religion, they won’t build mosques for us”.

‘Temples everywhere’

He said that in foreign countries, religions other than the country’s official religion do not enjoy as much freedom as in Malaysia.

“Look at the temples: the Chinese here are so few but temples everywhere. The Hindu temples are all over the roads. Even then they are not thankful, still need to dispute over it,” he said.

“Look at the Hindus in Malaysia, which Hindus have been stopped from building a temple? Everywhere they build their temples. We have tolerated… them. Don’t let it reach a point where we fight. Don’t reach a point where they step on our heads,” he said.


Mohammad Kazim said that non-Malays were questioning Malay supremacy because they have not tasted how it felt to be slaves.

“You look at the Chinese people: what do they do at night? They loiter around the shops, ignorantly drink alcohol and ignorantly go to the discos,” he said.

On the other hand, he cited the conditions of the navy men who lived in deplorable conditions in warships, saying “all of them are Malays and (followers of) Islam”.
“There are also Malay soldiers who sleep in the forest and guard the seas. Now who actually is the master and who the slave?” he said.

Mohammad Kazim also questioned whether the non-Malays were willing to be soldiers and police.
“Look at the police: how many percentage of them are Chinese? Those who patrol at night, take the risk of being shot, killed, not sleeping at night. Who are they? Are they not Malays? What do the taukeh (bosses), the Chinese, do? Who are the people in the fire department, the people who wash the toilets and takes the trash?”

Video link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=to5w7r_WxTk

Boy assaulted, no action from school

The school claims that it can't act because a police report has been lodged, says the mother.

PETALING JAYA: A mother is in a state of shock. Not because her son was assaulted but because the school authorities are reluctant to act against a group of Form Four boys who beat him up.

Kia Ooi Meng, the mother of the Form three student, Hui Yew Yik, has lodged a police report against the eight Form Four Shah Alam students.

“I was shocked to hear the headmaster telling me that they cannot do anything simply because a police report has been lodged. How can that be? My son was beaten within the school compound and not outside.”

She told FMT that she would raise the issue with the Selangor Education Department if the police did not take any action.

“In the incident that took place last Wednesday, Hui went to another classroom to get a chair. It was then that a group of eight Form Four students who were occupying the class approached Hui and assaulted him,” Kia said.

She added that Hui was assaulted with a chair. He was also punched and kicked and he had bruises on the back,head and arm.

“My son endured injuries on his head, arms and has bruises all over his body,” she said in her police report.

A police source who wished to remain anonymous said that the incident took place because of a misunderstanding.

Tackling issue of abandoned babies collectively

The Star 
by HARIATI AZIZAN

The best interest of the child must come first in custody cases.

AFTER a long battle with cancer, 18-year-old Sharon Yap or Shiro as she liked to be known, passed away in 2008.

It's a sad story not because she had a promising future or that she had such a beautiful soul, relates Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) commissioner James Nayagam, but because until the end, her divorced parents were still fighting over her.

He recalls how he first met Shiro when she was still a young child during her bitter custody case.

Her father finally won and was given custody of her and her younger brother.

Her mother was awarded unlimited access by the court.

But after all the squabble between them, Shiro's father did not allow her mother to visit them.

“This went on even until Shiro was diagnosed with cancer. Her mother had to go to court to ask for access to see her dying daughter,” Nayagam relates.

It was only when Shiro passed away that her mother got the chance to see her.

“Her mother went to the mortuary to prepare her daughter's body for the burial and still the father created a scene there,” he says.

This may be an extreme case, but Nayagam has chosen it to emphasise the need for parents to put their emotions aside and consider what is best for their children when their marriage breaks up.

As he points out, studies by child psychiatrists show that even in an amicable divorce, children will go through emotional issues.

So, it would be even more difficult for children in divorces that are fraught with bitterness.

In Shiro's case, he says, she was allowed to speak but she was not heard, especially by her parents.

In her journals (which will be published soon), Shiro confided many times about her torn loyalty and her fear of showing her real feelings to either parent lest she would upset them or make them angry, Nayagam reveals.

“In the end, she held back what she really felt, and lied.”

Most importantly, says Nayagam, regardless of the dispute, it is a child's right to have access to both parents and to be able to have contact and get care from them.

“Ultimately, the child's welfare is the most important and that is why in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), the main word that runs through it is ensure'.”

According to Article 3 of the CRC, which Malaysia ratified in 1995, the interests of children must be the primary concern in making decisions that affect them.

This applies especially in custody cases at the family court, he says.

“Parents may argue in court about what is the best interest OF the child but ultimately, the court needs to make its decision based on what is the best interest FOR the child.”

And to help them reach the best decision for the child, the court needs to hear what the child has to say, he stresses.

This is provided under Articles 12(1) and (2) of the CRC, which state that children should be involved in decision-making about their welfare and that those who are capable of expressing their views should be given an opportunity to be heard in legal proceedings.

“The child should be able to express his or her views and the court needs to take it into account when they make their decision, depending on the child's age and level of maturity.

“The court should especially pay attention to a child who is above six years old (under the CRC, a child is defined as below 18 years old), and maybe less to those below six.

“But, crucially, all children need to be allowed to express their views,” he notes.

Although this is taken into consideration in Malaysia's family court, the practice is erratic at best, Nayagam says.

This is why Suhakam, who is holding a watching brief in the heated custody battle of 12-year-old Low Bi-Anne, made a submission to the Court of Appeal to allow her to speak.

As Suhakam's representative in court, human rights lawyer Andrew Khoo explains: “The voice of the child is often overlooked in a custody battle as judges tend to see it as a battle between two parties, leaving the children caught in the middle.

“I'm reminded of this pepatah Melayu (Malay proverb) Gajah bergaduh, pelanduk mati di tengah-tengah' (While the elephants fight, the mousedeer in the middle dies).”

He believes that it is natural for the court to see things in terms of the rights of one party as opposed to the other, in this case the rights of one parent as opposed to the other, especially in a case of custody proceedings.

But they need to ensure that sufficient account has been taken of the rights of the child, not just the needs of the child.

The Bar Council's Family Law Committee chair Lalitha Menon concurs, and has raised the concern that when the child's voice is not allowed to be heard, you hear only from the parents.

“Even in cases where the child is allowed to say what he or she wants, at the end of the day it is the parents' wishes that are given more weight and concentration. In this case, you can say that the child's rights are violated.”

Menon also warns that determining the child's wishes remains a problem unless the family court system in Malaysia is reviewed.

“It is always a problem because she may be influenced or pressured by the parent that she is living with to say certain things or to what the parent wants.”

Bi-Anne's case received a lot of attention after she publicly and repeatedly declared that she wanted to live with her father, real estate agent Low Swee Siong, 40, even though the court awarded custody to her mother, restaurant manager Tan Siew Siew, 37, who is based in London.

Despite her tearful pleadings in open court, her opinions have not been taken into account.

The custody battle between Bi-Anne's parents started after the couple divorced in 2006.

The father was granted custody at first.

Two years later, Tan applied for and won custody while Low was given reasonable access.

However, Bi-Anne refused to go with her mother to England and insisted that she wanted to live with her father.

Suhakam commissioner Detta Samen hopes that the court will accept their submission and allow Bi-Anne to speak in court when they reconvene.

“She has a right to be heard, especially when the decision will affect her life.

“For instance, her citizenship rights also have to be taken into consideration,” he says.

Under the Federal Constitution, every person born outside Malaysia on or after Merdeka Day whose father is a citizen at the time of his birth and was born in Malaysia, is a citizen of Malaysia.

Student caned for having non-halal food

By Joseph Tawie - Free Malaysia Today

KUCHING: A 10-year-old schoolboy here received 10 “whacks on his palm” for bringing fried rice with pork sausages to eat in school during recess.

A senior teacher at the St Thomas Primary School here caned Basil anak Baginda 10 times on his palm for bringing non-halal food to school.

His mother, Angela Jabing (photo:left), disclosed this incident at a press conference yesterday much to the shock of several PKR women leaders who were present.

"My son Basil anak Baginda, aged 10, has been with St Thomas’ Primary School, Kuching, since his kindergarten years.

“On Oct 15, I prepared fried rice with pork sausages for my son to bring to school for his recess. However, I was shocked to learn that he was punished and caned 10 times on the palm by the senior assistant for bringing non-halal food to school," she said.

"I have never received any written circular from the school that children cannot bring non-halal food to the school," added the distraught mother.

Unsatisfactory explanation

Jabing said on Oct 19, she went to the school to seek a clarification of the incident.

"I met the principal who was at the time sitting with the senior assistant in the senior assistant’s room.
"Instead of clarifying the reason for my son’s punishment, the senior assistant said that he could not remember the incident,” Jabing said.

According to her, the senior assistant had summoned her son to his office to explain himself and had later told her not to blow up the incident as it was a sensitive matter.

Jabing said that the headmaster had also told her that in February this year, the senior assistant had announced during the school assembly that the studentswere prohibited from bringing any non-halal foodstuff to school, even for their own consumption as an act of respect for the Muslim students.

“I was not satisfied with the explanation, so I wrote in asking for a written explanation within three working days.

"On the third day, I received a call from the principal who requested to meet me on Oct 28. I still insisted on a written reply on the matter and was told by him to collect the letter the following day.

“The letter did not properly answer my question on why my son was caned 10 times for eating fried rice with non-halal sausages. Is this a justified action taken by the school on schoolchildren?” she asked.

Ministry must investigate

Jabing also wanted to know whether the school was trying to implement this “non-halal” food rules on children’s food brought from home.

She also wanted to know if the instruction came from the Education Ministry.

Meanwhile, PKR women leaders present at the press conference have demanded that the ministry investigate the incident.

They said if left alone, the issue could turn “very ugly” especially in a mission school.

Report: Iranian authorities give go-ahead to execute woman

Authorities in Iran have given the go-ahead to execute 

Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani says a human rights activist.

CNN) -- Authorities in Tehran, Iran, have given the go-ahead to execute a woman who initially was sentenced to death by stoning, according to an activist working on her behalf.

However, what method will be used to execute Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani is unclear, said Mina Ahadi, spokeswoman for the International Committee Against Stoning. The execution could happen as soon as Wednesday, she said, citing information received from a source in Tabriz, Iran, who is close to Ashtiani's family.

Ashtiani initially was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery. The Iranian government later said she was also convicted of murdering her husband, but her lawyer and family dispute that.

A letter from Tehran was delivered to the prison in Tabriz where Ashtiani is being held three days ago, Ahadi said, giving the go-ahead for Ashtiani's execution.

Ashtiani, 43 and a mother of two, drew international attention when she was sentenced to death by stoning. She concedes that she was convicted of adultery, as initially reported, but says she was acquitted of murder. "The man who actually killed my husband was identified and imprisoned, but he is not sentenced to death," she said in August.

The Iranian government's claims that she was convicted of murder are a lie, she told the Guardian newspaper through an intermediary. "They are embarrassed by the international attention on my case, and they are desperately trying to distract attention and confuse the media so that they can kill me in secret."

Ashtiani's son and her attorney are still in jail after being arrested last month, Ahadi said. Also still detained are two German journalists.

"The International Committees against Stoning and Execution call on international bodies and the people of the world to come out in full force against the state-sponsored murder of Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani," as well as the release of the others, Ahadi said in a statement.

Before his arrest, Ashtiani's son, Sajjad Ghaderzadeh, said court officials stole documents and files pertaining to the murder of his father in order to "promote his mother as a murderer." And Ahadi's committee said the murder charges are "fabricated" by the Iranian regime.

In August, Ashtiani appeared on state TV confessing that she knew about a plot to kill her husband but felt she had been misled. Amnesty International condemned the interview.

Ghaderzadeh and attorney Hootan Kian will not be issued an attorney, because the government claims they do not need one, according to Ahadi.

Ashtiani's other former lawyer, Mohammad Mostafaei, is being protected by European diplomats after he fled to Turkey from Iran.

Mostafaei claims that Iranian authorities tried to arrest him without cause.

Human rights groups: Video shows torture in Indonesia

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- A thin man with graying hair lies on his back, completely naked on a dusty road. His legs and arms are bound and his body suddenly contorts in pain. A man stands above him and pushes a smoldering piece of wood against his genitals.

He cries out in pain, but it doesn't stop his tormentors.

"Where did you put the weapons? Show us where the weapons are!" demand the men, one of whom is wearing military fatigues.

A few feet away, a younger man is lying in a similar position but clothed. The same group of interrogators move over to him, hold a knife under his nose and then repeatedly slap his face. They also ask him questions about weapons and the whereabouts of rebels.

The scenes were recorded on a cell phone in Indonesia, fueling shock and condemnation from human rights groups around the world who believe the video is possible evidence of Indonesian armed forces torturing those seeking independence from Indonesia.

The video is "the latest reminder that torture and other ill-treatment in Indonesia often go unchecked and unpunished," said Donna Guest, the Asia-Pacific deputy director for Amnesty International.

CNN obtained a copy of the video from an international nongovernmental organization, but the network has not verified its authenticity.

Indonesian military spokesman Aslizar Tanjung told CNN that there is an "intensive investigation" being launched regarding the video.

"We need to verify the authenticity of the time, place and activity of what is shown in the video," he said. "The soldiers are trained and educated according to the standards of procedures. They should be aware of their duties, responsibility, [and] provided with knowledge of human rights, of what they can and cannot do in the field.

"Hopefully, the investigation won't take too much time so we can soon clarify to the people what really happened. So far this is only an allegation that there is a certain group who did the torture. We need to legally prove it."

The video is believed to be from the Indonesian province of Papua, nearly 3,500 kilometers [2,175 miles] east of the capital, Jakarta. Papua has long had a low-level insurgency that demands independence from Indonesia, saying the government is trying to take its land to steal resources.

Papua is home to the largest gold mine in the world, operated by the U.S.-based Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, but members of the freedom movement say locals have not received fair economic benefits from any of the mining operations on their homeland.

The indigenous Free Papua Movement was established in 1965 to push for secession. The group disputed the terms under which Papua became a part of Indonesia that year.

Human rights groups say that while they haven't determined the authenticity of the video, they have clues that the tormentors are members of the Indonesian armed forces.

For example, the weapon being used in the video appears to be a standard military issue and the questions posed by the interrogators are consistent with those of Indonesian security forces, said Phil Robertson, deputy director of Human Rights Watch's Asia division.

"There is a lot of circumstantial evidence that would lead us to believe that this may be the security forces but we can't authenticate that," Robertson told CNN, adding that that's one of the many reasons a complete investigation is needed.

However, the group is concerned that the government will let the case linger without a resolution.

"The major concern is that this is going to be another whitewash, that this is going to be an internal military investigation similar to many others that we have seen," Robertson said.

Another video surfaced this year showing another gruesome scene that is also believed to have taken place in Papua. It shows a disemboweled man, who has been identified as Papuan political activist Yawan Wayeni, in the jungle.

Men in police uniforms are seen sitting and standing near Wayeni as he suffers. The uniformed men taunt him, saying, "You are never going to get freedom as long as the soldiers are here."

Wayeni is barely audible, but says "freedom." He eventually dies from his wounds.

Police denied allegations that they disemboweled him, saying he was injured in a firefight. No officer was disciplined in that incident.

Indian vegetable stalls in Cameron Highlands demolished, issued summons., licences rejected, freehold land titles denied. But licences for illegal Bangladeshis, Malays & Chinese. End UMNO racist policies.

No.6, Jalan Abdullah, Off Jalan Bangsar, 59000 Kuala Lumpur. Tel : 03-2282 5241

Fax : 03-2282 5241 Fax: 03-2282 5245

Website: www.humanrightspartymalaysia.com E-mail: info@humanrightspartymalaysia.com

Your Reference :

In Reply :

Date : 14th October 2010

YAB. Dato Seri Najib Razak

Prime Minister of Malaysia,

Blok Utama Bangunan Perdana Putra,

Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan, Fax: 03-88883444 62502 Putrajaya E-Mail: najib@pmo.gov.my



YAB Dato’ Sri Haji Adnan Bin Haji Yaakob Menteri Besar Pahang
Pejabat Menteri Besar Pahang,
Wisma Sri Pahang, Fax: 09-5157766
25502 Kuantan, Pahang. E-mail: adunpelangai@pahang.gov.my

YH. Dato’ Haji Mohamad Noor Abdul Rani YDP Majlis Daerah& Pegawai Daerah Cameron Highlands,

Majlis Daerah Cameron Highlands Faks : 05-4911728/05-4901707
Peti Surat 66, 39007 Tanah Rata E-mail: pdtch@pahang.gov.my



Re: Indian vegetable stalls in Cameron Highlands demolished, issued summons., licences rejected, freehold land titles denied. But licences for illegal Bangladeshis, Malays & Chinese. End UMNO racist policies.

We refer to the above matter wherein this morning we had received a telephone call from a vegetable farmer from Cameron Highlands.

On 11/10/10 an Indian local vegetable farmer cum seller one Ramu a/l Appalasamy’s vegetable stall by the roadside selling vegetables in the popular tourists Cameron Highlands was issued a Summons.

But hundreds of Indian farmers application for licenses has repeatedly been rejected. Why this level of UMNO racism?

To stop the Indians from sharing the country’s wealth by tapping on the lucrative tourists purchasing power coming to Cameron Highlands?

Some six years ago this farmer’s vegetable stall was demolished and he went out of business.

In the recent past alone some 13 Indian stalls were demolished for “not having a license” when in fact their license applications were rejected (list enclosed herewith). This has also happened to hundreds of Indians in Cameron Highlands over the years who have been denied their rights to engage in business and to earn a decent living. (MO 13/10/2010 at page 8).

Why is the Cameron Highlands Municipal and District Council throwing sand into the rice bowls of these Indian vegetable farmers vis a vis denying them upward mobility opportunities and excluding and segregating them from the national mainstream development of Malaysia.

To the contrary vegetable stall licenses have been liberally granted to hundreds of Malay muslim and Chinese vegetable farmers. We are told that even some 30 vegetable stall licenses have been granted to foreign Bangladeshi workers. In Kuala Terla alone six shops that are illegally run by illegal foreign Bangladeshi workers.

Kindly investigate and prosecute if there are elements of corruption on the part of the relevant Cameron Highlands Municipal and District Council and District officers and whether these Indian stalls are demolished and summons issued because they are the politically and economically powerless. They refuse to give the bribes to the Cameron Highlands District Council.

Kindly forthwith grant 100 vegetable stall licenses to the deserving Indian farmers in Cameron Highlands.

Kindly also grant the estimated 4,000 Indian farmers freehold titles to the land they have been working on at least over the last 53 years.

Kindly also similarly grant the estimated 500 Indian plantation workers a ten acre freehold land each as granted to 442,000 Malay muslim farmers in Felda, Felcra and Risda (BH 25/2/2010) to undo near slavery like living conditions they are living in coupled with a mere RM13.00 per day a tea plantation workers wages are earning. Thousands of Indians in the Blue Valley tea plantations in Cameron Highlands are paid a salary mere RM13.00 (USD 3.50) per day. They do not get annual leave, bonus and when they fall sick they cannot even afford to go to the Ipoh General Hospital for treatment (Tamil Nesan 11th Oct 2008 page 4) (Malaysian Indian Minority & Human Rights Violations Annual Report 2008). The irony is one cup of tea at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur in itself is RM13.00.

Kindly also stop taking in and deport all the Bangladeshi and all other foreign workers from Cameron Highlands and Malaysia as they depress the earning capacity of the Indians to the poverty stricken Bangladeshi standards up to as low as RM13.00 per day and taking away business and upward mobility opportunities from even the sixth generation Malaysian born Indians.

Because of these racist UMNO policies, thousands of Indians have been forced to leave their Cameron Highlands farms and only to take up unskilled general workers, cleaners, security guards, road sweepers, drivers and office boys jobs elsewhere. Why the Malay-sian “ethnic cleansing” of these peaceful Cameron Highlands ethnic Indian farmers and plantation workers.

Kindly revert to us accordingly.

Thank You.

Yours Faithfully,

_______________

P.Uthayakumar

cc :

Dato’ Sri Haji Abu Kassim bin Mohamed

Ketua Pesuruhjaya SPRM Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia
Blok D6, Kompleks D
Pusat Pentadbiran Kerajaan Persekutuan Faks:03-88889562 62007 Putrajaya, Malaysia E-mail: info@sprm.gov.my

Dato’ Abdul Rahman Bin Othman
Ketua Pengarah Imigresen
Pejabat Ketua Pengarah
Ibu Pejabat Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia
Tingkat 7 (Podium)
No 15, Persiaran Perdana, Presint 2 Faks : 03-88801201

62550 Putrajaya E-mail: kpi@imi.gov.my

UMNO College CQ-TEC denies Indian students right to wear saree for convocation

 

HRP received a complaint from a parent that the management of CQ-Tec College is going overboard by denying the rights of its student from wearing the traditional Indian saree to the Convocation which is scheduled to be held on 17th October 2010.

The College circular to the student dated 14th Ogos 2010, see below No.1.7 – “That all graduates and family are allowed to wear formal and traditional dress except Saree”. Why such discrimination against the minority Indians by denying their rights of wearing their traditional dress?

Article 8 of the Federal Constitution provides that all persons are equal before the law and entitled to its equal protection and there shall be no discrimination against citizens on the ground only of religion, race, descent, gender or place of birth. And Article 12 In respect of education, Article 12 provides that there shall be no discrimination against any citizen on the grounds only of religion, race, descent or place of birth (i) in the administration of any educational institution.

Is this the concept of Najib Razak’s One Malay-sia? Only kebaya and baju melayu allowed for the Convocation? Is this the racist UMNO regime’s to “ethnically cleanse” the Indian culture and tradition from the face of Malaysia.

Irrespectively we have advised the students and the parents to go to the convocation attired in saree.

HRP contemplates sueing the college for racial discrimination for being in breach of the Article 8 of the Federal Constitution.

“Rights Not Mercy”

S.JAYATHAS

Information Chief