Bersih says ‘immediate’ polls reform possible by March next year

Maria (centre) speaking at the Bersih press conference today in Kuala Lumpur Aug 16 2011.

PETALING JAYA, Aug 16 — Bersih 2.0 disputes a deputy Speaker’s prediction that electoral reforms will take at least a year, instead it issued a list of “immediate” reforms possible by March 2012.


Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said earlier today that it would take a year before the parliamentary committee concluded its discussions, and told The Malaysian Insider that “it is a matter of great importance to public interest” and that it involved all stakeholders including Bersih, NGOs and the Bar Council.

In response, Bersih suggested today that the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) present two reports- the first one on immediate reforms (to be released by March next year) and a second report on long-term reforms (to be released within a year after the PSC’s formation).

“You don’t need a year to conclude discussions. We suggest that two reports be prepared — the first report is immediate, as there are immediate reforms you can recommend by March next year,” Bersih steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah told reporters here.

Recommendations in the first report, according to Maria, should include reforms like automatic voter registration via synchronisation of the Election Commission (EC) and the National Registration Department (NRD) to ensure 3.7 million unregistered voters are “enfranchised” before the next general elections.

She stated that the first round of reform recommendations by the PSC should also include reduction of voting eligibility age from 21 to 18, reform of postal/absentee voting, implementation of indelible ink and clear guidelines/minimum of campaigning period of 21 days.

“The proposal for the first report must be completed and implemented before any elections can take place,” she said.

With speculation that Datuk Seri Najib Razak will call snap elections soon, there are concerns that  the parliamentary panel would only present its findings after the next national polls.

The Umno president has also delayed party polls that was due in April this year but the party’s constitution requires that it can only be delayed by 18 months, which is in October next year — exactly when Wan Junaidi believes the PSC will begin wrapping up.

“The prime minister has to make sure that polls are not held until this (reforms) are done. Clear it up before elections are held.

“It would be pointless for a select committee if elections are held before the committee can conclude its discussions or present its reports,” said another committee member Dr Wong Chin Huat.

Race relations: ‘It’s rotting’

Sidelined LDP is concerned that the government is not doing enough to improve ethnic relations in the country.

KOTA KINABALU: The deteriorating ethnic relations in the country is worrying Sabah-based Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Responding to Merdeka Centre’s latest survey on “sincerity and friendliness” among ethnic groups, LDP noted that Malaysians were less confident about race relations in the country.

According to the survey, there was a significant drop from 54% in 2006 to 35% this year showing that fewer Malaysians experienced genuine friendship.

The survey also found that the number of Malaysians who felt that ethnic relations in the country was “good” had declined by 12%, from 78% in February 2006 to 66% in May 2011.

LDP secretary general Teo Chee Kang said it was imperative that the government took an urgent view of the situation.

“The government must look at the situation seriously. It must act now to quickly stamp any further damage to the nation’s ethnic ties, ” he said.

Blaming politics for the racial disharmony now prevalent in the country, Teo said it was important that the government stopped irresponsible reporting that would harm ethnic relations.

He blamed Utusan Malaysia’s baseless reportings for causing the religious and racial discomfort in the country.

No respect in Sabah

Meanwhile, speaking at a LDP Api-Api-Luyang joint divisional conference here yesterday, Teo said the power-sharing and mutual respect policy advocated by the Barisan Nasional was non-existent in Sabah.

LDP has been openly urging the state government to correct its weaknesses and as a result, has been accused of being anti-BN.

Denying the allegations, Teo said the party’s stand was simply based on the reality of the new political landscape.

“The situation in the country has changed following the political tsunami in 2008 and again in the recent Sarawak election.

“The urban voter sentiment could be clearly seen. The educated voters in the urban areas have higher political awareness, so they are not worried about water supply, electricity supply, road and basic infrastructure.

“They are more concerned over whether social problems have been resolved, and whether social justice is being upheld,” he said.

Teo added that it was imperative that BN show greater sincerity and determination in tackling issues close to the people’s hearts.

“It’s the only way we can win back urban voters,” he said.

LDP’s less than diplomatic stand has resulted in the party being sidelined by Chief Minister Musa Aman. In the last Cabinet reshuffle, LDP was dropped from the line-up.

LDP, which is the state BN’s oldest ally, is now being forced to play second fiddle to Gerakan and MCA.

Malaysia's Najib Calls for Electoral Reform

Najib will clean up the electoral process

Or is it a ploy to buy time?
Apparently bending to widespread criticism of a government crackdown of a July 9 march demanding electoral reform, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said Tuesday that a parliamentary select committee is to be formed as soon as possible to seek to reform the current system.

The announcement appears to answer a central demand of the reform group Bersih, a coalition of good-government organizations backed by opposition parties to clean up the electoral process.

The big question, however, is how soon the select committee will meet, and whether the reform provisions it comes up with – if any – could be put in place before national elections expected to be called late this year or early next. In that, the announcement of the committee carries certain dangers. If the committee is still meeting when the election comes and goes, the decision to create it is likely to be regarded as a public relations gesture.

Wong Chin Huat, one of the leaders of Bersih, told Asia Sentinel that Najib must hold up the polls until the reforms can be implemented.

Bersih itself, in a prepared statement, said it welcomed Najib’s announcement of a bipartisan committee, asking that immediate reforms be carried out before the next state and general elections and that other reforms be put in place within two years after the formation of the committee.

The process is bound to be complicated and subject to possible delay. The Malaysian constitution must be amended after the legislative, policy drafting and enforcement mechanisms are finished, then laws must be put in place by the executive branch to carry out the mandate.

That will require an automated voter registration system. The government has already said it is creating a so-called biometric registration system which would use fingerprints or other biometric data for voter identification. Bersih, however, charges that the system is open to abuse and wants a system in which voters will be marked with indelible ink once they have voted.

The government took a severe beating in the international press after police cracked down on the so-called Bersih 2.0 rally, blocking entrances to Kuala Lumpur, dousing the marchers who got through with water cannons and firing tear gas at them despite the fact that most were determined not to fight back. Nonetheless, anywhere between 10,000 and 30,000 marchers got through depending on who was doing the counting. Some 1,700 people were arrested, many for merely appearing in yellow tee-shirts, the Bersih color.

Najib’s international image took a further beating when it was discovered that in an effort to turn around its negative image the government had paid RM86 million in two contracts to a British public relations company to plant favorable interviews and news stories with the international media. The contract was withdrawn abruptly when its existence was exposed by a Sarawak NGO, the Sarawak Report.

Just days ago, Najib was likening the Bersih marchers to the hooded rioters that torched buildings and caused violence in London and other cities. The abrupt about turn is being regarded in Kuala Lumpur as an indication that the government crackdown and attempt to demonize the marchers has backfired badly and hurt Najib’s standing.

The prime minister reportedly is already under fire from members of his own party, particularly those who advocate so-called Ketuanan Melayu, or Malay rights to take precedence over those of the country’s other races. Although some reports had him returning early from an Italian vacation to put down a party rebellion, those reports have been denied. But he clearly has been weakened from the affair.

“The prime minister must have realized that middle Malaysia will not tolerate a government that fanatically makes ‘clean’(Bersih, in Malay language) a dirty word, and losing the middle ground will erode his edge as a moderate leader in the increasingly rough intra-UMNO rivalry,” said Wong Chin Huat.

It is the mechanics of the process that are important. Although the prime minister said the committee would include lawmakers from both the Barisan Nasional, the ruling national coalition, to “discuss all the questions and issued raised about electoral reform so that a mutual agreement could be reached,” Deputy Speaker Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, a member of the United Malays National Organization, told local media that it would take at least year before the committee could finish its work and the reforms, if any, could be implemented.

Najib has passed the word to UMNO stalwarts and his Barisan coalition partners that an election is probable in the late part of this year or early next. He has been doing tours to individual states to concentrate his forces and prepare the groundwork for the election. Few parliamentary committees have ever completed their work in the space of three or four months, especially if there are members there with instructions to slow things down.

Bersih leaders immediately said the necessary reforms could be put in place well before any projected election. They say as many as 3.5 million voters have been disenfranchised by the current electoral process, that voter rolls must be cleaned to eliminate ghost voters and that the electoral period must be lengthened. Currently, they complain, the Barisan Nasional has the ability to put its campaign machinery in place, then call a snap election before the opposition has the opposition the opportunity to mount its campaign.

They are also asking that coverage by the media be made more fair, a tall order since the major newspapers and television stations are all owned by the component parties of the Barisan. The Kuala Lumpur-based Center for Independent Journalism has called for the government to relinquish control of state-funded media -- Bernama and RTM radio and TV – “and make these publicly-funded media accountable to the public and serve public interest, rather than serve the government in power.”

Wong Chin Huat preferred to put an optimistic face on the announcement, saying that “It would be good for Malaysia, we will have a more logical electoral process. The next government will have greater degrees of legitimacy. If he is thinking of this as a method to delay reform until after the next election, the public will be more disappointed.

Lim Kit Siang, the leader of the opposition Democratic Action Party, also questioned Najib’s action, pointing out that a parliamentary select committee has to be formed by the parliament, or Dewan Rakyat, which is not in session and which won’t convene before Oct.2 at the start of the 2012 budget negotiations. Lim asked whether Najib would convene an emergency meeting of the Parliament to approve the establishment of the committee.

The Malaysian Elections Commission has said it is already cleaning the electoral rolls to get rid of phantom voters.

Agenda merakyatkan Perlembagaan

Sinar Harian
oleh SYAHREDZAN JOHAN

Tanggal 13 November 2009, bermulalah satu kempen yang tidak pernah dianjurkan sebelum ini. Kempen untuk memartabatkan Perlembagaan Persekutuan, undang-undang tertinggi negara Malaysia. Pada hari itu, di auditorium Majlis Peguam, kempen Perlembagaanku yang dianjurkan Majlis Peguam melalui Jawatankuasa Undang-undang Perlembagaan, atau lebih dikenali sebagai ‘MyConstitution’ telah dilancarkan.

Perlembagaan Persekutuan adalah ‘buku panduan’ negara ini. Ia mengekalkan tiang-tiang pentadbiran demokratik. Ia mewujudkan sistem demokrasi kita, mengehadkan kuasa kerajaan dan menjamin hak-hak kita sebagai rakyat Malaysia. Teramatlah penting untuk memastikan rakyat Malaysia mengenali Perlembagaan, supaya kita arif tentang ‘buku panduan’ negara ini dan sedar akan kuasa serta hak kerajaan dan badan-badan Perlembagaan. Supaya kita tahu akan hak-hak kita yang termaktub di dalam Perlembagaan.

Namun, dokumen tersebut bukanlah mudah untuk difahami. Berlainan negara-negara lain, rakyat Malaysia tidak diberikan pendidikan komprehensif tentang Perlembagaan. Melalui Ruku negara, kita berikrar untuk ‘meluhurkan Perlembagaan’, tetapi berapa ramai yang benar-benar mengenali Perlembagaan?

Maka, sejak tahun 2009 kempen ini telah menjelajah seluruh negara. Dari Alor Setar ke Johor Bahru, dari Kuala Lumpur ke Kota Kinabalu kami membawa mesej kempen ini. Ia diterima dengan baik oleh seluruh pelosok masyarakat, yang rata-rata dahagakan ilmu tentang Perlembagaan. Pelbagai aktiviti dijalankan, antara lain forum; bengkel dan pembentangan. Kami juga mendapat sokongan daripada Kerajaan Persekutuan, beberapa kerajaan negeri, parti politik, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan, organisasi swasta dan orang ramai.

Malangnya, dalam begitu banyak respons positif diterima, ada juga suara-suara mempersoalkan kempen ini. Ada tohmahan dan dakwaan dilemparkan kepada kami, kononnya kempen ini ingin meminda Perlembagaan, yang hanya boleh dipinda oleh Parlimen dan sudah pun dipinda berkali-kali. Kononnya, kempen ini mempunyai agenda tersembunyi. Di sini saya ingin nyatakan dengan muktamad, supaya tiada lagi ragu-ragu. Ya, memang kami mempunyai agenda. Setiap satu daripada lebih daripada 200 ahli kami mempunyai agenda yang sama. Agenda kami adalah satu; untuk ‘merakyatkan Perlembagaan’. Kami ingin rakyat negara ini memahami Perlembagaan. Kami ingin Perlembagaan dimartabatkan, selaras dengan kedudukannya sebagai undang-undang terpenting dan tertinggi negara. Kami ingin meningkatkan tahap kesedaran rakyat tentang Perlembagaan dan mendidik serta menjana kuasa rakyat tentang dokumen terpenting ini. Itu matlamat kami. Tidak lebih dari itu, tiada objektif tersembunyi.

Saya tidak nampak bagaimana sesiapa boleh mempunyai bantahan terhadap agenda kami ini. Melainkan sekiranya anda tidak ingin rakyat Malaysia celik Perlembagaan. Mungkin kerana mereka yang melemparkan tohmahan ini tidak dapat memahami bagaimana sekumpulan sukarelawan boleh melaburkan usaha, tenaga, masa dan kadangkala wang demi memperjuangkan sesuatu tanpa mengharapkan apa-apa balasan. Bukan demi kuasa, pangkat atau harta, tetapi demi melihat rakyat Malaysia mengenali Perlembagaan dan mencintai Perlembagaan. Walaupun sebuah jawatankuasa di bawah Majlis Peguam, ahli kempen ini bukan sahaja terdiri daripada peguam sahaja. Malah boleh dikatakan, penggerak utama kempen ini ialah ahli-ahli yang bukan peguam.

Sekiranya masih mengesyaki kami, marilah berbincang. Maklumkan pada kami apa bantahan anda. Tunjukkan bukti kononnya kami mempunyai agenda negatif, lebih baik lagi, mari sertai kami dalam usaha murni ini pintu sentiasa terbuka.

Jika tidak, hentikanlah dakwaan-dakwaan kosong dan tidak berasas di kedai kopi, di laman sesawang internet mahupun ruang bicara BBM. Biarlah kami terus merakyatkan Perlembagaan.

* Penulis ialah peguam dan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Undang-undang Perlembagaan Majlis Peguam untuk penggal ini.

Select committee a ploy 'to deflect heat from EC'

(Malaysiakini) Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has accused Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak of deflecting the heat from the Election Commission (EC) by announcing the formation of a parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms last night.

Anwar said Pakatan Rakyat agrees in principle with the formation of the committee, but claimed that the government has more insidious reasons for the move.

“What is important is that we want action now. Why is the EC given a reprieve? Why is fraud being condoned?” he said in a scathing attack on Najib.

Last night, Najib announced the government's plan to form the committee to discuss all electoral reforms needed to find a “bipartisan agreement without any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government”.

Anwar stressed that the announcement amounts to an admission that Pakatan and Bersih 2.0 were right on the money in claiming there are serious flaws in the electoral system.

“... (Najib) has admitted (Bersih 2.0 was right), and the people have paid a price for that, getting beaten up and all that,” he said when contacted.

He said the issue now is for the government to work on making the EC truly independent so that the commission can start to fulfil its responsibilities.

“Notwithstanding the fact that even our parliamentary system also needs reform, the government must show good faith by getting the EC to act now.

“What is stopping the EC from cleaning up the rolls or reforming postal votes, registering overseas Malaysians as voters, and stopping (the registration of) foreigners as voters? Nobody in this country would feel that the EC is independent of Umno.”

Najib will 'drag' out issue

Anwar posited that the proposed select committee itself will pose a problem in implementation, as the government is not known for taking the role of Parliament seriously.

He stressed that Najib had not indicated the government's plans to hold an emergency sitting - which is necessary to form the special committee - and raised questions as to how far the premier and his administration are committed towards electoral reform.

“Look at Parliament in England - when the riots broke out they called an emergency sitting, when the News of the World exposé made the news they called an emergency sitting... in our case, Parliament is completely relegated to being a rubber stamp of the government.

“There was nothing in Najib's statement (last night) to suggest that action will be taken by the EC now. He will delay the matter in the committee.”

BN’s Perak assembly sitting just a rubber stamp

Former Perak Mentri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin claims the assembly had no agenda, with most questions unanswered, and claims it was a total mockery of democracy.

PETALING JAYA: All 27 Perak Pakatan Rakyat state representatives staged a walkout at the one day assembly sitting yesterday as the assembly has become a mere ‘rubber stamp’.

Former Perak Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin said Speaker R Ganesan had also “disallowed debates and questions”.

“The sitting was called just to fulfill the requirement that it needs to be held every six months under the Perak constitution.

“There was no agenda of what was going to be discussed and most of our questions went unanswered. It was a total mockery of democracy; a contempt, and a shame to the house,” Nizar told FMT.

Nizar said he believed the mere three-hour sitting yesterday was the first of its kind and never occurred when Pakatan Rakyat ruled the state.

“During our time we had four days at least, I managed to convene sessions lasting five days with ample time for all parties to ask questions. Today (Monday), nothing of consequence was done, no bills were discussed.”

“What’s the point of having a meeting just for the sake of it? This was just rubber stamping… we couldn’t even ask questions, our microphones were turned off.

“We had to shout and yell. We couldn’t do anything,” complained the PAS Pasir Panjang assemblyman and Bukit Gantang MP.

MB not answering questions

Nizar said the “illegal” Speaker Ganesan had also brushed aside pertinent matters related to the welfare of the people.

“Certainly August is the time for a midterm review, but they had nothing. How could you run a state like this?”

“The Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir also couldn’t answer my question of his expenditures of overseas trips. Even (Prime Minister) Najib (Tun Razak) revealed in parliament that he spent RM17 million overseas trips with his wife, “ he said.

(Zambry had later maintained that he did not waste any government money for any holidays as all were important official trips.)

Nizar also said the current Perak state assembly disallowed online news portals to cover its sittings and only welcomed mainstream media such as Utusan Malaysia and Bernama. In addition, Nizar also questioned the constant presence of policemen.

DAP’s Sungkai assemblyman A Sivanesan also asked why his question on Ramadan bazaars was rejected yesterday. “I was merely asking if the waiver they are giving to stall owners now would be extended during Deepavali and Chinese New Year,” he said.

Speaker: No urgent matters

Meanwhile, the Perak Speaker lashed out at the opposition for consistently “finding reasons for walking out of the house every single time”.

Ganesan explained that the original two-day session was finished in one day as there were no urgent matters or bills to be debated and passed, adding that there was nothing wrong in that.

“We have to fulfil the requirement under the Perak constitution. How could they complain about this as it was also the practiced in the Kedah state legislative assembly,” he said.

Ganesan also defended himself over allegedly being biased, saying: “I was giving them equal opportunities. Two extra question was also given to the Pakatan side. What they are claiming is all bullshit.

“People who are inside the dewan know exactly what happens… toward the end of the day the opposition always finds some excuse to walk out so they can blame Barisan Nasional. They are always misleading the Press and the public with their theatrics,” he said.

This was not the first time the BN-led Perak state assembly has been criticised for being a “rubberstamp house”.

Pakatan Rakyat has always complained that ever since BN wrested the Pakatan-led state government in 2009 following the defection of three Pakatan elected representatives, they have been “bullied”.

Muslim Supermodel Kenza Fourati Lashes Out At Critics! (PHOTOS)

Our interview with supermodel Kenza Fourati received such an overwhelming response, we thought we'd follow up with another story on the African beauty, who is also the first Arab muslim to pose for Sports Illustrated.

PHOTOS: Supermodel Kenza Fourati: "Women Are Very Powerful"

Kenza, a Sorbonne-educated politically conscious North African from Tunisia, is breaking barriers, encouraging discourse and exercising her right to do so.

Her actions, judging by the reactions from our interview, is not sitting well with conservatives here and in her native Tunisia.

These feelings about what a Muslim is or what a Muslim should do, although important to the conversation about Islam and the West, are not new.

However, what Kenza is doing is drawing attention to the diversity of Islamic thought and practice across multiple nations, as well as championing artistic expression in her country, which was the first Muslim nation to drive the present revolution.

As Kenza said during our interview, being Muslim and being a swimsuit model should not be mutually exclusive.

"We are at a point now in Tunisia where we are free," Kenza explained in our offices last week. "We should be able to portray art like this if we want to, as the extremists are allowed to express themselves, too. That is a debate that we want to create, but it must be a peaceful one."

We support her and couldn't agree more!

Photos

Kenza Fourati Is Muslim And A Sports Illustrated Model (PHOTOS)

Felda loses RM200m suit against former deputy minister

Ex-Gerakan man Dr Tan joined PKR after the 2008 general election. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, August 16 — Felda has lost its RM200 million defamation suit against former Land and Co-operative Development Deputy Minister Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong, according to a court judgment today.


The federal land development agency and its investment arm Felda Global Ventures Holding Sdn Bhd lost their defamation case and were ordered to pay costs to the former Gerakan leader who joined PKR after the 2008 general election.

Felda had claimed in its filing on January 25 that Dr Tan implied it was corrupt and committed legal offences in an issue of Suara Keadilan published on June 22 last year.

But High Court judge Zabariah Mohd Yusof ruled today that the plaintiffs had failed to prove that the PKR disciplinary chief had said any defamatory words.

She ordered Felda to pay RM70,000 in costs to Dr Tan who in turn has to cough up RM30,000 for a preliminary point he raised earlier in the suit.

In his statement of defence, Dr Tan admitted to giving an interview to Suara Keadilan reporter Faizal Zakaria but insisted he did not defame the two plaintiffs.

He claimed that what he said was true and was published based on qualified privilege, which permitted him as a former deputy minister in charge of the federal authority to relay such information to his party organ.

Felda had brought the suit over Suara Keadilan’s cover story in Malay titled “Kontroversi,” which continued on page three with the heading “RM662 construction only involved three individuals.”

The plaintiffs had alleged that the article defamed them as it implied the repossession and construction of Menara Felda on prime land in the capital’s “Golden Triangle” would benefit cronies.

Dr Tan had responded that it was fair comment on the plaintiffs’ financial standing, expenditure, management and activities made in the public interest and did not defame the plaintiffs.

Soi Lek shoots ‘loose cannon’ Nazri, silent on Chinese support

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek blasted Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz last night for criticising the MCA but sidestepped questions on his party’s eroding support from the Chinese community it is supposed to represent.

The MCA president dared the de facto law minister to start legal action against Sin Chew Jit Poh for falsely reporting the latter’s offer to the DAP to join the ruling federal coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) two days ago.

“If Nazri thinks Sin Chew had printed what he had not said, he should sue Sin Chew,” Dr Chua (picture) said.

The minister in the Prime Minister’s Department was reported by the Chinese daily to have made the offer on Sunday, which led Dr Chua to chide the Umno leader for saying that his MCA had lost Chinese support.

“Nazri is a loose cannon,” the former health minister dubbed his ex-Cabinet colleague when asked to elaborate over the Padang Rengas MP’s remarks that the MCA had lost its Chinese support.

Dr Chua refused to reply to questions on Nazri’s allegation, insisting that was not the main issue.
Nazri denied yesterday he had invited the DAP to join BN to shore up Chinese support for the ruling coalition.

But Nazri told The Malaysian Insider that he had merely responded to a question about falling Chinese support for the ruling coalition.

“No, it is not true. I did not invite DAP,” he said, adding that “MCA must work harder” when asked how BN will reclaim Chinese support.

According to Sin Chew, Nazri had said that based on the precedent of Gerakan joining BN after the opposition party had won Penang in the 1969 general election, “we cannot deny the possibility of DAP joining BN. What happens in the future, we cannot predict.”

The Padang Rengas MP had said there are no permanent enemies or allies in politics.

“Since independence, Umno is a party that has represented the Malays. During the last elections, Umno still won more than 80 seats in Parliament. PAS only managed 22. PKR’s Malay candidates only got nine seats. These two combined only have 31 seats. As such Umno remains the representative of the Malays.

“MCA in the last elections only won 15 seats in Parliament. Gerakan only won two seats and they were in Malay-majority areas. But the DAP’s Chinese candidates won more than 20 federal seats. MCA and Gerakan combined are less than DAP. As such, DAP is the most suitable party to represent the interests of the Chinese.

“We also want to understand what has happened. Umno has all this while represented the Malays. This is not the fault of Umno, it is their (MCA and Gerakan) problem,” he was quoted by Sin Chew as saying.

Nonetheless, Nazri also said in Sin Chew that no party could depend on just one race to win an election and Umno was no exception.

Gerakan was among a host of parties that joined the three original Alliance members — Umno, the MCA and MIC — to form the BN in 1973.

Nazri also said today that Umno had even opened its doors to PAS in 1971, indicating that the original Alliance parties should not be threatened by more parties joining the coalition.

But the DAP has swiftly shot down the idea of joining BN, telling Nazri to “dream on” as joining the BN would force it into a racial mould which went against its multiethnic beliefs.

The MCA had suffered huge losses in Election 2008, leaving it with only 15 seats out of a total 222 in the Dewan Rakyat and 32 state seats, less than half its tally in the previous polls.

Factionalism then reared its ugly head in the party’s October 2008 election, leading to two leadership changes in the last three years.

The MCA’s popularity with ethnic Chinese voters has nosedived as the party continues to be wracked with factionalism and scandals including the RM12.5 billion Port Klang Free Zone saga, leading many to question its relevance in the next general election.

When towns simply fade away…

A young working population seeking greener pastures in cities signals the death knell for economically-starved small towns.

PETALING JAYA: In the lifespan of many towns, it is a tale of two fates. Successful towns, backed by well-travelled roads and economic opportunities, will over time evolve into vibrant cities.

But some other towns, placed far away from highways or neglected by private investors or governments, tend to fade away.

Monash University associate professor Phua Kai Lit said that Malaysia’s growing urbanisation often meant that other parts of the country, especially its rural areas, were left out.

“You have a lopsided and uneven development (taking place in the cities), so you may have depopulation in other parts of the country, especially in the rural areas,” he said.

Cities, he added, also acted as powerful socio-economic magnets, which ended up pulling youths and young adults from across the country there.

According to the recently released Population and Census Report 2010, 71% of Malaysians lived in cities, compared with 62% in 2000.

This translated to a 20.1 million urban population, compared with a much smaller 8.2 million rural headcount.

FMT previously reported that at least 40% of the Klang Valley’s current population were domestic migrants from other states in Malaysia.

While this trend led to rapid urban growth, smaller towns across Malaysia were left without a sizeable young working population.

“You may see young people leaving, and the population there (smaller towns) gets older and older. The old people are left behind,” said Phua.

With the towns’ senior citizen population slowly passing away, this led to some villages and towns disappearing off the face of the economic map.

“You’ll see depopulation in certain parts of Malaysia, such as places like Kelantan, Perlis and Pahang,” Phua added.

‘El Dorado of the East’

A sociologist by trade, Phua highlighted Sungai Lembing, a tin-mining town in Pahang, more than 40km northwest of Kuantan.

Once regarded as the “El Dorado of the East” , Sungai Lembing was in the past a vibrant tin-mining town.
However, the mine’s closure in the late 20th century led to the town’s gradual depopulation.

“You can see obvious signs of depopulation in Sungai Lembing. It used to have two streets of shops, but if you go there now, only a handful of shops will be open.”

“The population there is either the very young or the very elderly. The economic base is no longer there, so I think over time, the town will die,” he said.

Phua added that the town may only see its original inhabitants return there for good when they retired.
A Kuantan man himself, he, however, appeared reticent about such an idea.

“I’m from Kuantan, it’s a nice town, so when I retire I’ll move back there… but only if the Lynas project is stopped in its tracks,” he said, referring to the controversial rare earth plant due to be opened in September.

“But if you ask me to go back to Sungai Lembing, I’ll say forget it. It’s just two streets of wooden shops,” he said frankly.

“The worst scenario is that it’ll become a ghost town. Nobody is there, but you’ll be having all these buildings deteriorating.”

Nevertheless, Phua did not consider dying towns, or ghost towns, as a problem, calling it a natural matter.

Umno perlu kuasai media baru

"Kalau kita tidak menguasainya kita akan tertinggal orang muda akan membaca apa yang ditulis," kata Ahmad Maslan.

(Bernama) - Anggota Umno perlu menguasai kemahiran dalam dunia siber terutama berkaitan media baru bagi menangkis secara efektif segala tohmahan dan fitnah pihak tertentu terhadap parti itu dan kerajaan, kata Ketua Penerangan Umno Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Beliau berkata kemahiran seperti itu amat penting bagi mengubah sebarang persepsi negatif masyarakat terhadap Umno dan kerajaan yang cuba dibawa pihak tertentu menerusi media baru.

“Kalau kita tidak menguasainya kita akan tertinggal kerana orang muda akan membaca apa yang ditulis,” katanya selepas menghadiri wacana politik bertajuk “Pembentukan Persepsi Politik” anjuran Jabatan Penerangan Umno di sini hari ini.

Ahmad, yang juga Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, berkata kerajaan memandang serius terhadap persepsi negatif masyarakat terhadap setiap tindakan kerajaan dan sentiasa mengambil tindakan untuk memperbetulkan.

Mengenai wacana politik itu, beliau berkata ia merupakan satu pembaharuan yang dibawa oleh Umno bagi meningkatkan pengetahuan anggotanya dalam pelbagai bidang politik menerusi pembentangan idea oleh pakar-pakar.

You are no better than a thug — Azrul Mohd Khalib

AUG 16 — I read with much disappointment and irritation at Senator Mohd Ezam Mohd Nor’s behaviour as reported in “Ezam threatens ‘jihad’ against those proselytising Muslims” (August 12). Malaysians should reject the politics of intimidation, scare mongering and violence which appears to be espoused by Ezam.

He has also misrepresented the Jais raid situation as one where Islam is under attack. Let us be clear: Islam in Malaysia is not and has not been under attack. Both Hasan Ali and Ezam know it.

It is not necessary to play the martyr (Hasan Ali) or the defender of the faith (Ezam). The latter’s threats to wage war and to burn the offices of both Malaysiakini and The Malaysian Insider are criminal in nature and I call upon the necessary authorities to address them appropriately.

It is not necessary to resort to such bullying tactics and to bring down the level of engagement to that of thugs, samsengs and Ah Longs in a back alley. Such a person is surely morally bankrupt.

If presenting the truth or an alternative perspective of how Malaysians view current events is considered by the senator to be attributes of being agents against Islam, then I shudder at how far we have gone to blindfold or gag ourselves in denial of the diverse realities which exist in this country.

I am also alarmed at the extent to which certain factions are willing to go to ensure that their views are the only ones which matter. Their determination to accuse non-Muslims of being disrespectful to Islam has become irrational.

“Jais woes” are of its own making. Jais or any religious department for that matter does not merit unthinking obedience by all and they must learn to be accountable for their actions. If Jais’ actions are valid and proven justified with the necessary evidence, then the law provides guidance as to what needs to be done.

If this is another knee-jerk reaction to an unsubstantiated accusation of proselytisation and conversion of Muslims and Jais acted wrongly, then the least it could do is to apologise. As Malaysians, we are a very forgiving society and understand that mistakes happen. However, what we must not and cannot tolerate are making threats to harm and inflict violence onto others, and placing arrogance, ego, pride before the peace of the country and her people.

The threats of Ezam are an embarrassment and disgrace to right-thinking Muslims in Malaysia and should be treated with the appropriate contempt.

Senator Ezam. As a member of our Parliament, you owe all of us, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, an apology for your threats to inflict violence unto others.

* Azrul Mohd Khalib reads The Malaysian Insider.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication. The Malaysian Insider does not endorse the view unless specified.

Free legal aid for the low-income group

The Sun
by Azril Annuar

PUTRAJAYA (Aug 15, 2011): Malaysians who get hauled in court over criminal cases will be provided free legal aid if they have an income of less than RM25,000 per annum under the National Legal Aid Foundation (YBGK).

However, those earning between RM25,000 and RM36,000 will need to make a token payment of RM300 for the same benefit.

YBGK alternate director and former Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan who represented Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail told a press conference today that this legal aid will commence operation nationwide in October.

“Every Malaysian arrested and remanded will be given immediate legal representation. Currently we have around 1,000 YBGK lawyers and we are targeting some 3,000 lawyers to be YBGK members from our own pool of volunteers in the Bar Council, as well as from the government.

“YBGK is also targeting for around 500 lawyers to assist in Syariah criminal cases. Currently, 80% of Malaysians go unrepresented when they are arrested.

“This is also a good exposure for our young lawyers because they can earn up to RM250 a day handling remand cases and in a month earn around RM2,000 to RM3,000,” said Ragunath, adding that previously lawyers would handle the case on a pro-bono basis, making it difficult because resources are limited.

According to Ragunath, the lawyers attending to the remand cases will be paid by YBGK and it has already received a RM5 million launch grant by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.

Training will also be provided for YBGK lawyers as the Attorney-General wants quality legal aid for Malaysians.

However, he admitted, that he expects “hiccups and shortcomings” at the start of the operations.

“There will be short comings in between but when launch we want to make sure it will be a seamless nationwide service. In between, we will have issues to iron out and we accept whatever short comings and find ways to improve.

“But for it to become successful we’re going to need the support of everyone and it is better that we have this instead of nothing at all,” he said adding that he encourage local universities to set up legal aid centres.

“We are starting this from university level, there’s a pool of legal qualified people who are lawyers in universities as lecturers so we see them as a waste of talent and resource. Now we are looking at how to handle this and take them as either a lawyer or adviser.

“We are encouraging universities to set up legal aid centres backed by Bar Council and Attorney-General Chambers. This is the first time we’re bringing in Academia into the legal services, it is an important step as well,” he said.

In arrest and remand cases, police officers or those arrested can contact YBGK at their toll free hotline of 1-800-88-92-45 or fax at 1-300-88-92-45 to receive legal assistance from the list of duty solicitors. The Foundation’s website is at www.ybgk.org.my.

Najib: Censorship no longer ‘effective’, needs review

Amnesty International volunteers tie cloth gags across their mouths during a protest against censorship, in central Sydney July 30, 2008. — Reuters pic

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 15 — Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today the government would review its current media censorship laws, stressing that it was no longer an “effective” method in the current era.


“Censorship in this new era, it has to be asked. Is it effective, meaningful, relevant, or will it cause more damage,” the prime minister said today.

“I’ve decided the old ways of censorship needs to be studied. Censorship is no longer effective and should be reviewed.”

Najib cited the example of an article by British weekly The Economist on the July 9 Bersih rally, which was censored by his administration but readily available online, and admitted that the act of censorship brought about negative publicity.

“The very act of censoring (The Economist) made more news than the actual story,” added the PM.
Najib said that there were other methods to deal with “untruthful” or defamatory news, saying the government can resort to “legal means.”

“If the international media wants to criticise us, let them be. If it’s defamatory, we can resort to legal means,” said Najib.

Electoral reforms group Bersih marched the streets on July 9 to demand for fair and free elections, defying warnings of police action, which finally resulted in nearly 1,700 arrests, scores injured and one ex-soldier dead.

Malaysia’s print press is subject to the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 (PPPA), which requires all newspapers and magazines to obtain an annually-renewed permit from the Home Ministry before they are allowed to publish print content.

Reporting in the print media can be punished under the “national security” clause in the PPPA.
Also, under the PPPA, inaccurate news is termed “false news” and is punishable with a one-year imprisonment.

Critics of the Act have described it as a sword hanging over the heads of publishers and editors, and exploited by the government to control dissent.

Najib Announces Parliamentary Select Committee On Electoral Reform

KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced Monday the setting up of a parliamentary select committee on electoral reform to put to rest any suspicion that there is manipulation by the government in the country's electoral process.

The prime minister said the committee, comprising government and opposition members, would have its first meeting on Wednesday and would discuss "everything that needs to be done" and reach a consensus on the matter.

"This is so that we can reach a consensus in facing the next election without any suspicion about any manipulation by the government.

"That is why when the issue of free and fair elections was raised recently, the government's response was for us to tackle the issue which has spawned numerous views, and to a certain extent, disputes," he said in his speech at the breaking-of-the-fast with the media hosted by Bernama at Wisma Bernama, here.

He said the move was to dispel any misconception that the government was against a clean electoral process.

Najib said the government was committed to continuing the parliamentary democracy tradition that was started by the nation's forefathers.

"I have said it before and I say it again, that the cabinet members and I do not want to become ministers and prime minister without the support of the people. We will only form the government if it is proven that the people truly choose the Barisan Nasional as their government.

"Let no one misconstrue and say that we do not want a clean process to elect the government," he said.

Such commitment, he said, was not new but a tradition to be proud of and one that the present generation of leaders should strive to uphold.

Najib said that although democracy had its weaknesses, it was important to put in place an administration system which benefited the people because it gave them a choice.

He said the government will let the people decide whether it is for the good or bad.

"The most important is that our conscience is clear," he said, adding that the government was committed to serving the people, and that placing them first was what it always aspired for.

Frog and snake now political pawns

First, the MIC brought a frog to its annual meeting saying it represents the Perkasa leader. In retaliation, Perkesa burned rubber snakes, saying they represent the Indian community.

PETALING JAYA: The slanging match between Malays rights group Perkesa and other political parties is putting the frog and the snake in a bad light.

The apolitical frog and snake have now being held up as a symbols of hatred by both Perkasa and the MIC.

Bukit Bintang MIC division chief S Ananthan brought a frog to the MIC annual general meeting last month, claiming that it represents Perkasa chief, Ibrahim Ali.

Yesterday, Perkasa members torched several copies of The Star for offending Muslims by including non-halal delicacies in its “Ramadan Delights” column.

And for good measure, they also burned rubber snakes in retaliation against Ananthan’s frog stunt.
“He brought a frog, so we brought snakes to represent the community,” Perkasa Youth chief Irwan Fahmi Ideris said in an online news portal.

But today Ananthan thanked Irwan for relating the snake with the community.

“The Chinese and Indians believe snakes are divine creatures. So thank you, Irwan, for calling us divine,” he said.


Blatantly racist

Ananthan is angry because no action has been taken against Ibrahim for being so blatantly racist and inciting racial tension.

He told FMT that since the authorities are keeping silent, the movement obviously enjoyed immunity from criminal charges.

“With many reports lodged against it, the police are reluctant to clamp down on Perkasa. This shows Umno is behind the movement,” said Ananthan.

He warned the Umno leadership that its indifference towards Perkasa’s tirades would only alienate the Chinese and Indians further from the ruling coalition.

“The Malay votes are already split among Umno, PAS and PKR. You need the Chinese and Indians,” said Ananthan.
DAP Selangor legal bureau chief V Ganabatirao echoed Ananthan’s sentiments, saying that BN would pay a high price in the polls for its tacit support of Perkasa.

‘Uncivilised behaviour’

“While the six PSM members were detained for no reason, the home ministry and the police seem to be powerless against a small group like Perkasa,” said Ganabatirao.

On June 26, the police arrested six Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) members, including Sungai Siput MP Dr Michael D Jeyakumar, under the Emergency Ordinance (EO) for allegedly trying to wage war against the King.

The arrest triggered a massive uproar against the government which subsequently released the detainees on July 29.

On yesterday’s incident, Ganabatirao condemned Perkasa members for behaving in an uncivilised manner.
“I urge the police to use the Sedition Act against them. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s so-called 1Malaysia concept has become a joke due to Perkasa’s charade,” he said.

Meanwhile, PKR vice-president N Surendran said Perkasa’s rubber snake stunt was nothing more that a reflection of the right-wing members’ mentality.

“It doesn’t even merit a response. It’s better to ignore this extremist group,” said Surendran. - FMT

Jakim: Golden Churn Butter is non-halal

The product is declared non-halal after it was found to contain pig DNA.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Islamic Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) today confirmed that the ‘Pure Creamery Butter-Golden Churn’ sold in Malaysia is non-halal.

Its director-general, Othman Mustapha, said the decision was made after finding that the product came from the same factory as that distributed in Sarawak, although there were brought into the country by different importers.

“This was confirmed by the agent of Ballantyne Food, from New Zealand, which manufactures the product.

“Therefore, Muslims should not use the product,” he said in a statement here today.

Last July 19, the Sarawak Islamic Religious Department had declared the product non-halal after it was found to contain pig DNA.

Othman said the company had been informed of the matter and it had agreed to withdraw the product from the shelves.

He said the decision was made after discussing the matter with the Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry, the Chemistry Department, the Health Ministry’s Food Safety and Quality Division, the Sarawak Islamic Religious Department and the Johor Islamic Religious Department on Aug 8.

With the product being confirmed non-halal, he advised holders and new applicants of the halal certificate who use the product to change it with other type of butter which is certified halal and to keep the purchase receipt of the new product as proof.

They are also required to carry out a ritual cleansing process by using clay soil and water, known as ‘samak’, and it has to be witnessed by the Islamic Religious Department in the respective states, he added.
 ****************************************************************************

‘We won’t be stopped,’ says Hindraf’s UK lawyer

Deportation of lawyer Imran Khan irrational and an attempt by Malaysian authorities to scupper suit against the British.

KLANG: UK lawyer Suresh Grover who’s is in Malaysia to gather evidence for Hindraf’s US$4 trillion civil suit against the British government, condemned the deporation of his fellow colleague Imran Khan last Saturday.

Khan, the legal advisor to Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy, was stopped at the KLIA when he arrived at 1.50pm on Friday and put on plane back to the UK early Saturday morning. Grover who was also on the same flight with Khan, was however, allowed entry.

Khan was deemed a security threat by the Malaysian authorities.

“It is irrational for him to be excluded. The real reason is they (Malaysian government) want the suit to fail. It will not stop us from going about our work and we will challenge his deportation.

“It does not make sense to exclude Khan when I’m here to do the same thing – gather evidence for the suit. They are afraid of you and your tenacity,” Grover told about 1,500 Hindraf supporters and Indians at a gathering in Klang.

Grover said the civil suit was filed against the British government because it failed to guarantee minority rights as recommended by the Reid Commission before independence in 1957.

He also elaborated on the evidence that he was seeking from Malaysia’s Indians.

“We want to speak those denied citizenship, to individuals and groups not allowed their religious freedom, people who are forced to convert (to another faith), businessmen not allowed to be part of the national economy,” said Grover.

“I’m willing to meet the people here if they want to be claimants in the suit,” said Grover who was a victim of racism in UK in the 1960s.

Grover told the eager crowd that Waythamoorthy had already collected thousands of documented evidence from the Public Records Office in London.

On the filing of the suit, he said that it was filed on Aug 30, 2007 and it will have to be heard before Aug 30, 2013.

The suit which named the British Crown and government as defendants, is seeking redress for the victimisation of Indians, whose ancestors were brought to Malaya as indentured labourers.

Possibility of intimidation

During a moderated Q&A session, Grover said that it was impossible to charge the Malaysian government for crimes against humanity.

“It depends on the response from the British government,” said Grover “as it only possible if the Malaysian government is named as the second defendent by the UK.

Grover was also asked about the possibility of intimidation by the Malaysian government if people become claimants.

“There is no compulsion to give names and addresses to court. You can remain anonymous, only giving details to me.”

Hindu Rights Party’s (HRP) pro-tem chairman, N Ganesan, who chaired the session said the exposure on rights violations against Indians would be bring about changes.

“The apartheid system exposed in South Africa led it to be made an outcast nation. If we can do this, we will bring about changes,” said Ganesan.

Waythamoorthy originally filed the class action suit on Aug 31, 2007, the 50th anniversary of Malaysia’s independence, in London.

However, the suit was stalled following the Malaysian government’s clampdown on Hindraf and arrest of its lawyers under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Wanted: A CJ who can act without fear or favour

Zaid Ibrahim, a former law minister, says over the last two decades the Chief Justices were found to be wanting and acted as a judicial spokesperson for the government.

PETALING JAYA: The nation needs a Chief Justice who can act without fear or favour and is not a judicial spokesman for the ruling government.

That is the opinion of People’s Welfare Party (Kita) president Zaid Ibrahim, who was also a former law minister. It is time for a good lawyer to be appointed as the nation’s Chief Justice (CJ), Zaid said in his blog.

In the past two decades, Zaid said, there were many instances where those who held the esteemed position acted merely as administrators and judicial spokesmen for the ruling government.

“And it was difficult to understand many case decisions written by judges, who never understood law in the first place. These people brought shame to our judiciary and our nation,” said Zaid.

The current CJ, Zaki Azmi, will retire come Sept 12. It is said that the incumbent Chief Judge of Malaya, Ariffin Zakaria would succeed Zaki as the Court of Appeal President Alauddin Mohd Sheriff retired on Aug 5.

Zaid said a CJ should be someone true to his consience and believe in the rule of law.

“He should also understand the law and is not ashamed to ask questions when in doubt. A CJ should not be afraid to decide on cases in accordance with law, regardless of the consequences to himself,” said Zaid, once the owner of the largest legal firm in the country.

Praising Ariffin, Zaid said he was a good lawyer and is known to be humble enough to understand the importance of dispensing justice.

“I hope Ariffin will bring integrity, decency and independence to the bench once again. High positions can change many of us, but I hope Ariffin will not succumb to it,” he said.

On the retiring CJ, Zaid said Zaki was more suited to work as an Umno lawyer or an executive to a conglomerate linked to the ruling party.

Wasted opportunity

He cited an example involving the husband of S Shamala who arbitrarily decided to covert their children to Islam, leaving Shamala with no choice but to seek legal redress on the matter.

“When the Court of Appeal referred several important constitutional points of law for determination, Zaki denied them the answers. Instead, he told the lawyer that the questions posed to the court were political,” said Zaid.

He added that the Court of Appeal had sought some answers pertaining to the position of several Syariah Court Enactments, whether was it constitutional for Shamala’s husband to convert a minor.

“And the questions are clearly legal in nature which are also of great importance. The ramifications may be political, but it is not the CJ’s job to manage political fallout,” said Zaid.

Shamala and her husband, Dr M Jeyaganesh had been in legal battle since 2002 when Jeyaganesh arbitrarily converted their two children to Islam.

While Shamala had won the custody of her children in 2004, the High Court then had warned her not to feed her children pork and they were considered as Muslims.

In November last year, a five-men bench at the Federal Court, led by Zaki allowed a preliminary objection raised by Jeyaganesh, saying Shamala had fled to Australia after being granted custody of her children.

Zaki’s decision was condemned by many quarters saying the apex court had thrown out a rare opportunity to answer the long-standing issue of unilateral conversion of children by a parent.

Nik Aziz sokong larangan bacaan al-Quran guna pembesar suara

 

KOTA BARU, 14 Ogos — Menteri Besar Kelantan Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat tidak bersetuju amalan bacaan al-Quran dibuat menggunakan pembesar suara sehingga mengganggu mesyarakat sekitarnya.

Mursyidul Am PAS (gambar) itu berkata perbuatan itu tidak mengambil kira sensitiviti masyarakat setempat sehingga boleh menyusahkan mereka dan seseorang Islam harus menghormati masyarakat sekeliling dengan tidak membuat bising, walaupun dengan membaca al-Quran menggunakan pembesar suara.

Sehubungan itu, dipetik Bernama Online, beliau menyokong tindakan Jawatankuasa Fatwa Negeri Pulau Pinang yang melarang bacaan al-Quran menggunakan pembesar suara pada waktu subuh.

“Kita (umat Islam) hanya dibenarkan melaungkan suara ketika azan untuk mengerjakan solat.

“Oleh itu, saya tidak bersetuju jika masjid menggunakan pembesar suara sehingga menjejaskan orang lain yang sedang tidur atau sakit,” katanyaselepas melancarkan Koperasi Rakyat Kelantan Berhad (KRKB) di sini, hari ini.

Beliau ditanya mengenai tindakan Kerajaan Pulau Pinang melarang penggunaan pembesar suara semasa mengaji al-Quran pada waktu subuh di masjid dan surau di negeri itu.

Terdahulu dalam ucapannya, Nik Abdul Aziz menggesa wanita negeri ini yang suka membeli atau menyimpan barang kemas supaya menjualnya untuk dilaburkan dalam KRKB yang baru dilancarkan itu.

Ini kerana, katanya, ia akan memberi pulangan yang menguntungkan kesan kenaikan harga emas dunia yang menjadi bahan pelaburan urusniaga koperasi menerusi Permodalan Kelantan Berhad (PKB).

Semasa ditanya sama ada kebimbangan sesetengah rakyat Kelantan yang ingin melabur dalam koperasi itu kesan kegagalan Koperasi Kohilal yang kebanyakannya dianggotai PAS, Nik Abdul Aziz berkata kegagalan koperasi itu ekoran kejatuhan saham dan keadaan ekonomi merudum pada 1998.

Can MBPJ shut down DUMC?

Ampersand by KW Mak


THERE’s a rumour making the rounds that the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) will close down the Damansara Utama Methodist Church (DUMC) in Petaling Jaya (PJ) because the premise was not approved for a church.
For certain, the land that DUMC is located on is not designated for a “religious institution” that would permit the land to be used as a place of worship. However, before the ones who created the rumour rejoice and insist that the city council close down DUMC, let’s review some of the development rules I have previously raised that would be relevant to this case.
Land use
All land titles have what you call “express conditions” which state what the land can be used for. The term is described in detail under Sections 103 to 108 of the National Land Code.
The National Land Code further prescribes that the land cannot be used for anything other than what the express condition permits. Since the land that DUMC is sitting on is designated for industrial use only, it should technically be used as a factory and nothing else.
That said, if the council were to enforce the land code strictly, then the houses in SS2 in PJ that have been converted to bridal shops should also be shut down. The properties there are strictly for “residential use” only.
The same action would also apply to quite a number of commercial buildings that have sprung up in Section 13 in PJ. The colleges that currently occupy these former factory lots – like Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman – would also have to ship out.
If the authorities want to impose the land code effectively, they must do it fairly across the board. But in doing so, they might just facilitate a small-scale economic collapse within PJ.
Development rules
Still, what is the point of having laws and rules if they are not enforced? Now, this is where we have to hold accountable the politicians of yesteryear for not adhering to development rules and regulations when they should have.
I have previously highlighted that the development rules stipulate that 10% of land that has been approved for development must be turned into open space. On top of that, there are also rules that prescribe the need to surrender up to 30% of the development area for public use. That would include land for religious institutions, cemeteries and schools.
Of course, no one bothers with these rules because they argue that the rules are just guidelines and need not be followed to the letter. Everyone can instead maximise profit and not bother with requirements such as surrendering 30% of the total land for public use.
Are we surprised, then, that communities have to resort to using houses, factories and commercial buildings as places of worship or institutions of higher learning?
Correcting the problem
In order to correct this problem, development rules need to be reinstated and applied strictly for new developments. At the same time, the state government must look at legal remedies for existing problems. The only problem is there would be zero development in PJ if these rules were applied, and property developers would certainly object.
Since money speaks louder than a councillor’s advice, one would be right in assuming that the status quo will be in place for a long time yet.

Perkasa beri kata dua kepada Jabatan Peguam Negara

Utusan Malaysia

KUALA LUMPUR 14 Ogos - Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) hari ini memberi kata dua kepada Jabatan Peguam Negara supaya mendakwa segera Pengerusi Gabungan Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Bersih), Datuk S. Ambiga, atau bakal berdepan dengan tindakan luar jangkaan daripada pertubuhan itu.

Pada masa sama, presidennya, Datuk Ibrahim Ali juga menuntut Peguam Negara, Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail supaya mengambil tindakan undang-undang ke atas pelaku video seks yang 99.9 peratus menyerupai Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim serta mendakwa pihak yang mahu menjadikan Kristian sebagai agama rasmi.

Katanya, cubaan kumpulan paderi Kristian dengan pemimpin DAP di Pulau Pinang untuk menjadikan Kristian sebagai agama rasmi baru-baru ini, jelas bertentangan dengan Perlembagaan Persekutuan tetapi beliau pelik, kerana sehingga sekarang tiada seorang pun daripada kumpulan tersebut yang dihadap ke mahkamah.

"Kerajaan jangan cuba hendak bermain politik dalam isu ini. Jangan sampai kami hilang keyakinan terhadap kerajaan kerana lambat bertindak bagi menguatkuasakan undang-undang. Di mana terhalangnya tindakan ke atas ketiga-tiga pihak ini? Siasatan polis yang lambat atau peguam negara sengaja melengah-lengahkannya?

"Kes Ambiga sahaja terdapat 4,000 laporan polis daripada rakyat Malaysia. Apakah Ambiga ini lebih istimewa daripada rakyat Malaysia yang lain? Trio Datuk T juga sudah dihadapkan ke mahkamah dan menerima hukuman tetapi bagaimana dengan pelaku yang disahkan pakar 99.9 peratus ialah Anwar? Kenapa sampai sekarang tiada tindakan?

"Perkasa bagi tempoh kepada kerajaan, kalau tiada juga sebarang tindakan kami akan mengambil satu tindakan yang di luar jangkaan. Sehingga hari ini kami hormati dan patuh kepada undang-undang negara tetapi jangan salahkan kami selepas ini kalau Perkasa bertindak," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.

Dalam perkembangan berasingan, Perkasa bertindak membakar The Star sebagai bantahan terhadap kebiadapan akhbar berbahasa Inggeris itu menyiarkan iklan sajian 'babi panggang' untuk menu Ramadan baru-baru ini.

Menurut Ibrahim, tindakan itu diambil selepas pihaknya tidak berpuas hati dengan permohonan maaf akhbar tersebut yang disifatkan seperti 'melepas batuk di tangga' selain tidak sensitif dengan kemuliaan Ramadan.

"The Star tidak perlu memperbodohkan kami. Saya percaya iklan itu sengaja disiar bagi menguji perasaan umat Islam di negara ini dan sebagai Presiden Perkasa, saya merestui tindakan membakar akhbar ini sebagai pengajaran terhadap kebiadapan mereka," katanya.

Muslim writer: zakat (Islamic almsgiving) may not be given to non-Muslims or to build hospitals or orphanages, but can go for jihad warfare

Ever wondered why so many Islamic "charities" have turned out to be jihad-financing factories? Here are some telling sections from "21 Common Misconceptions about Zakaah," by Asma bint Shameem, an article that came to me in my morning mailing from the "Islam_1_God_1_Religion_1_Truth" Yahoo Group. Someone made me a member of that in hopes, I guess, of converting me to Islam. Every mailing contains the tagline, "Only Authentic Information about Islam is passed backed by Quran or Hadith's [sic]." In them, Asma bint Shameem explains that zakat, the obligatory alms that Muslims must pay, may not be given to non-Muslims, and may not be used to build hospitals, orphanages, or even to print Qur'ans or build mosques, but may be used to finance jihadists.
Will Honest Ibe Hooper or Boy Reza Aslan or some other giant of Moderate Islam denounce Asma bint Shameem as a Misunderstander of Islam or even as a Greasy Islamophobe? Or is she right on these points?
One thing is certain: even though she is accurately stating the position of Islamic regarding zakat, it is I who will be denounced as an "Islamophobe" for passing this on, not she who will be denounced for these positions promoting hatred and warfare.

Misconception # 18: Zakaah can be given to Non-Muslims if they are poor It is not permissible to give Zakaah to any kaafir except the one who is inclined towards Islam, in the hope that he will become Muslim if you give him zakaah (al-Tawbah:60).

Al-Tawbah:60 is Qur'an 9:60: "Alms are for the poor and the needy, and those employed to administer the (funds); for those whose hearts have been (recently) reconciled (to Truth); for those in bondage and in debt; in the cause of Allah; and for the wayfarer: (thus is it) ordained by Allah, and Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom."

Misconception # 19: I will use Zakaah to build hospitals, masjid and orphanages That is not permissible, because this is not included in the eight categories on which zakaah may be spent.

Allaah tells us that Zakaah may be spent on the following:
“As-Sadaqaat (Zakaah) are only
for the Fuqaraa (poor),
and Al-Masaakeen (the poor)
and those employed to collect (the funds);
and to attract the hearts of those who have been inclined (towards Islam);
and to free the captives;
and for those in debt;
and for Allaah’s Cause (Mujaahidoon — those fighting in a holy battle),
and for the wayfarer (a traveler who is cut off from everything)” [al-Tawbah:60]

But if the intention in giving the money to an orphanage is so that this money will be spent on the poor orphans, then this is permissible, if the orphans are poor.
Similarly, Zakaah cannot be used to print Quraans and other Dawah material.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/2011/08/muslim-writer-zakat-islamic-almsgiving-may-not-be-given-to-non-muslims-or-to-build-hospitals-or-orph.html

Hindraf collecting evidence against British gov't

(Malaysiakini) Suresh Grover, the attorney acting on behalf of outlawed Hindu rights group Hindraf, is making the rounds of Indian communities in Malaysia, 'to collect evidence' for its civil suit against the British government.

The suit, initiated and filed by Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy (right) in 2007, prior to the group being outlawed and its leaders picked up under the Internal Security Act or forced to flee the country, has been in limbo since then.

"Because of the time limitation, we must go to trial before 30 August 2013," said Grover, explaining why his evidence gathering visit is of the utmost urgency.

He was speaking today to over 1,500 supporters of Hindraf and members of the Indian community at the Hokkien Assembly Hall, Klang.

Grover is scheduled to visit more locations around Malaysia to meet with more citizens of Indian descent to explain about the legal challenge, gather evidence and add more names to the list of claimants.

The civil suit which named the British Crown and government as the defendants, is to seek recompense for the alleged victimisation of Indians, whose forced relocation to then Malaya by the Empire, Hindraf claimed, had led to them a life of abject poverty.

Grover said that it is essential that he meet with as many Malaysians of Indian descent as soon as possible to include them in the list of claimants to the civil claim and to use evidence of their current life as a basis for their abject poverty argument.

However he assured those who may want to come forward that as provided under British law, their identity will be kept confidential in case of intimidation or possible reprisal by the Malaysian government.

'It will not stop here'

Grover also condemned the deportation of his fellow London based legal colleague Imran Khan.

"It does not make sense to exclude Mr Khan, when I am also going to do the same thing.

"They (the government) don't want the suit to succeed. They are afraid of you and your tenacity," claimed the London-based legal professional.

Khan (left) who is legal advisor to Waythamoorthy, was supposed to accompany Grover but was deported by Malaysian authorities yesterday for being a "prohibited immigrant.

Grover said that they will not stop there but will continue their fight for the case, including to challenge Khan's deportatation.

"Mr Khan will travel here again," said the lawyer.

The lawyer arrived at the packed hall to the cries of "Hindraf Vaalzhal!" by youths waving the orange flag of the outlawed organisation.

There was no obvious police presence throughout the event although there were individuals who could have been plainsclothes officers.

Prior to his arrival the sizeable crowd gave their rapt attention to videos and slideshow of photos featuring Waythamoorthy and other Hindraf leaders in heroic moments to the rousing 60s era Tamil songs.

Perkasa: We will take over PAS' role as "defender of Islam"

Perkasa bakar akhbar Star

Akhbar itu menyiarkan iklan juadah Ramadan mengandungi daging babi.

KUALA LUMPUR: Perkasa membakar akhbar The Star sebagai memprotes akhbar itu menyiarkan iklan hidangan Ramadan baru-baru ini.

Akhbar itu menyiarkan iklan juadah Ramadan mengandungi daging babi.

Pembakaran itu diketuai oleh Ketua Wira Perkasa Irwan Fahmi Idris.

Dalam ucapannya, Irwan berkata. Penyiaran iklan oleh akhbar The Star itu menghina orang Islam.

“Perkasa meminta akhbar The Star meminta maaf secara terbuka kepada orang Islam,” katanya.

Dalam ucapannyqa, Irwan juga menyelar MCA dan MIC yang dianggapnya suka menjaga hal ehwal orang Melayu.

“Kamu kerjalah untuk kaum kamu sendiri kerana dalam pilihan raya tidak mendapat sokongan.
“Tolong hormati kaum majoriti,” katanya.

THE NEP

1. Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam is vehement that the New Economic Policy is the cause of poor inflow of Foreign Direct Investments here.

2. One can fault the NEP for a lot of things but to blame it for the current slowdown in Foreign Direct Investments is not quite correct.

3. There are of course some investors who were and are put off by the NEP and the abuses involving it. But FDI actually contributed much to Malaysia’s industrialisation. And this happened when the NEP was in full swing, in fact picked up during the time when the NEP was being implemented.

4. Between 1986 to 1997, Malaysia attained the highest growth rates with FDI contributing much towards this achievement.

 

5. The FDI began to slow down only when China and Vietnam opened themselves to foreign investments. As the cost of labour in Malaysia rose, the countries with much lower cost of labour such as Indonesia and Thailand begun to attract more foreign investment. All these affected the flow of foreign investments into Malaysia.

6. Today foreign investments have decreased because of the financial problems faced by the developed countries.

7. Blaming the NEP is political. That is all there is to it.

8. That “the majority would argue that the (NEP) policy is the source of all problems facing the nation” as quoted by Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid here, does not mean that he agrees with the said majority.

9. Therefore he was correct in saying that Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam was “factually incorrect”.

10. Let us resurrect at the figures of FDI before NEP, and during the years the NEP was being implemented and compare them with those of neighbouring countries. We should also look at the economic growth figures of Malaysia since the NEP was implemented and compare with the period before NEP.

11. These figures would validate or disprove the claims of Tan Sri Ramon Navaratnam and the majority that the NEP was at the root of all the problems in Malaysia.

12. Finally Malaysia was able to tackle the depression caused by the devaluation of its currency by currency traders without the social problems as witnessed in other countries affected by the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-98 and thereafter. Indeed it was the partial success of the NEP in correcting the disparities between the races in Malaysia that the racial problems seen in neighbouring countries did not plague the nation.

JAIS serah laporan awal kepada MB

Utusan Malaysia

SHAH ALAM 13 Ogos - Jabatan Agama Islam Selangor (JAIS) telah menyerahkan laporan awal berhubung pemeriksaan yang dilakukan agensi penguat kuasa itu di Gereja Methodist, Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya baru-baru ini kepada Menteri Besar, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

Menurut sumber, laporan yang mengandungi maklumat mengenai bagaimana pemeriksaan dilakukan JAIS terhadap gereja itu dan mereka yang berada di dalamnya diserahkan kepada Abdul Khalid minggu lalu.

Kata sumber itu, JAIS kini sedang melengkapkan siasatannya berdasarkan pemeriksaan yang dilakukan.

"Laporan yang dihantar ke Menteri Besar hanya laporan awal dan laporan lengkap sedang disiapkan. Selepas siap kita akan hantar laporan itu kepada pihak yang berkenaan," katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Pada 3 Ogos lalu, pasukan penguat kuasa JAIS menjalankan pemeriksaan di Dream Centre milik Gereja Methodist Damansara Utama dekat Petaling Jaya.

Bagaimanapun, pemeriksaan gereja tersebut menjadi isu hangat apabila Abdul Khalid memberikan kenyataan yang bercanggah dengan Pengerusi Jawatankuasa Tetap Hal Ehwal Islam, Adat Istiadat Melayu dan Kemudahan Awam negeri, Datuk Dr. Hasan Mohd. Ali.

Abdul Khalid menyatakan kekesalan dengan insiden itu dan mahu laporan penuh diberikan kepada beliau sementara Hasan pula menyokong tindakan JAIS yang membuat pemeriksaan selepas mendapat bukti berlaku penyebaran agama bukan Islam ke atas penganut Islam.

Keadaan bertambah panas apabila Abdul Khalid dikatakan meminta semua Exconya tutup mulut mengenai pemeriksaan tersebut sementara Hasan pula sanggup dipecat kerana melanggar arahan itu apabila mengeluarkan kenyataan menyokong JAIS.

Ekoran kontroversi yang berlaku, banyak pihak yang tampil menyokong JAIS dan Hasan serta mempertikaikan kredibiliti Abdul Khalid sebagai pemimpin beragama Islam.