Saudi Air Force Sergeant Mazen Alotaibi Charged with Raping Boy in Las Vegas

LAS VEGAS – A sergeant in Saudi Arabia's air force was jailed in Las Vegas on charges that he pulled a young boy into a hotel room and sexually assaulted him the morning of Sin City's big New Year's Eve fireworks extravaganza.

Mazen Alotaibi, 23, faces charges including kidnapping, sexual assault with a minor and felony coercion that could get him decades in state prison, according to police and charging documents obtained Friday.

The boy, who is younger than 14, told police the man forced him into a room at the Circus Circus hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and raped him. Police arrested Alotaibi after being called to the hotel before 9:30 a.m. on Dec. 31.

"There was a kidnapping and sexual assault with force," Las Vegas police Lt. Dan McGrath said. "The victim said he was forced into the room and sexually assaulted. We have a strong case based on the evidence."

The boy, who lives out of state, was staying at the hotel with his family, McGrath said. He was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment and evidence collection and released later to family members. His name was not made public.

McGrath said Alotaibi produced a Saudi Arabian military identification and said he was stationed at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland near San Antonio, Texas. U.S. federal authorities and Saudi military officials were notified, the police lieutenant said.

Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland spokesman Brent Boller told The Associated Press that records showed Alotaibi is currently stationed at Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, Mississippi. Boller said he could not immediately verify if Alotaibi had been at Lackland, but noted that international military students attend a Defense Language Institute English Language Center on the base to improve their English-language skills.

Alotaibi's lawyer, Don Chairez of Newport Beach, California, said Friday he had been in contact with U.S. military authorities at both air force bases and with the Saudi government. He said Alotaibi had come to Las Vegas for the New Year's celebration, and will plead not guilty.

Alotaibi also is charged with burglary, which in Nevada can stem from a person entering a building with intent to commit a felony.

The alleged attack took place on the sixth floor of a 15-story hotel tower. Circus Circus has a total of 3,767 guest rooms in three towers and five three-story motor lodge-style buildings dubbed Circus Circus Manor.

The arrest was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. It cited a police report saying the boy was 13.

Alotaibi was being held without bail at the Clark County jail pending an evidence hearing Jan. 17.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/04/sergeant-in-saudi-arabia-air-force-jailed-in-vegas-on-new-year-eve-child-rape/#ixzz2H8wHsbS5

Man arrested in Mekkah for seeking to marry Jewish woman

Reports had sugegsted that the man was handng out papers to worshipers and asking them for help in finding his Jewish dream wife. (Al Arabiya)

By Al Arabiya

Police at the Grand Mosque in Mekkah arrested on Thursday a man found carrying papers that show he is looking for a Jewish woman to marry, according to a report by the daily al-Hayat newspaper.

Lieutenant Abdulmohsen Maiman, spokesman for the Grand Mosque police, told the paper that the 49-year-old Saudi national could be suffering from “mental disorder.”

He said the man was arrested in possession of “five documents containing contradictory information showing the man's mental state and expressing his desire to marry a Jewish a woman,” al-Hayat reported.

Lieutenant Maiman denied earlier reports that the man was handing out papers to worshipers and asking them for help in finding his Jewish dream wife.

The man according to the police official was referred to investigation and prosecution before he could be transferred to a specialized physician.


(The original report can be found at: http://alhayat.com/Details/469007)

How the boardroom clinched Deepak deal

The most puzzling question in the RM30 million settlement with carpetman Deepak Jaikishan is why didn't Boustead Holdings Bhd buy 100% shares in Astacanggih?
COMMENT

Why can’t the group of army veterans see the documents related to the purchase of Astacanggih Sdn Bhd and land from Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd? After all, the legal requirement is that the documents related to the purchases should be made available for public inspection for three months from the date Boustead Holdings Bhd (BHB) announced the deals.

But that didn’t happen, did it?

Anway, what I found puzzling was this. BHB can buy out Astacanggih (an 80% stake) but cannot do the same with Awan Megah. If it takes over Awan Megah, wouldn’t that lead to taking over the privatisation project (National Defence Education Centre or Puspahanas)?

If that was the case, the company (Awan Megah) should be in distress as it had neither the intention nor capacity to build the RM100 million Puspahanas. It’s embroiled in a lot of problems.

Wouldn’t it be simpler to just buy out the two proxies fronting for Raja Ropiaah Abdullah, the owner of Awan Megah?

Let us do a little bit of detective work concerning BHB asking its son-company (grandson to Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera or LTAT) to buy Astacanggih and buy off Deepak Jaikishan. Some people called it outright bribery which seems to be in line with how Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak manages the country.

Let me suggest to you what may have happened in the “war room” or bunker of the BHB board of directors, many of whom are former generals (who never went to war).

It was an emergency meeting and must have given the retired generals a surreal sense that they were at war – having to make a quick decision.

Luckily they were qualified generals and not dullards.

The BHB directors consented to its son-company, its wholly-owned unit, Bakti Wira Development Sdn Bhd (Company No. 276338-M) to enter into an agreement on Dec 20, 2012, to acquire 16,000,000 ordinary shares of RM1 each in Astacanggih Sdn Bhd (Company No. 767577-W). This represented 80% of the issued and paid-up share capital of Astacanggih.

This was meant to pay back that pesky Hindustan hero (Deepak Jaikishan), author of “The Black Rose”.

So Boustead now has a new adopted son, Astacanggih.

Astacanggih and Bakti Wira then entered into an agreement with Awan Megah (Company No. 184720-W) to acquire a total of 200 acres of freehold land in Klang, Selangor.

They entered into such agreement on Dec 27, 2012. The purchase price of RM30 milion was arrived at on a willing-seller and willing-buyer basis, the managers told the generals.

Astacanggih shares were originally held by Deepak and Prestige Dimension Sdn Bhd and other minority shareholders who were the vendors in the acquisition of shares.

The other original shareholder of Astacanggih is Putra Nazrain Adril Abdul Jalil who holds four million or 20% shares in Astacanggih.

Who is Astacanggih?

Astacanggih is a private limited company incorporated in Malaysia and operating from its address given as 25-5-16 (5.16, 5th Floor), Plaza Prima, 4½ Mile, Jalan Klang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur. It is an investment holding company with an issued and paid-up share capital of RM20 million divided into 20,000,000 ordinary shares of RM1 each.

But the managers have not explained one crucial thing. Why not buy 100% of Astacanggih? More importantly, why buy Astacanggih? Of what relevance is Astancaggih? What is the strategic relevance of Astancanggih?

The generals did not ask and the managers doing the briefing did not tell. Here we had “consenting” adults.

Then, the generals were told of the matter concerning the purchase of 200 acres of land from Awan Megah.

The generals screamed, because they already had 700 acres in Bukit Raja area which was not developed.

The 200 acre land in question were some vacant freehold lots with some abandoned oil palm trees. The land lots were:

an area measuring 96.825 acres within the land held under H.S.(D) 28188 PT 220 Mukim of Kapar, District of Kelang, State of Selangor;

an area measuring 81.085 acres within the land held under H.S.(D) 28187 PT 216 Mukim of Kapar, District of Kelang, State of Selangor; and

an area measuring 22.09 acres within the land held under H.S.(D) 22220 Lot 1158 Mukim of Bukit Raja, District of Petaling, State of Selangor.

The managers said “we are paying a total of RM130 million cash. We assure you generals, the purchase price on the land, like the price on Astacanggih, was arrived at on a willing-seller and willing-buyer basis”.

They added that their lawyers had assured them that the land was acquired free from all charges, liens and encumbrances. But it was subject to whatever restrictions in interest and conditions of title, whether expressed or implied in the separate titles to the lands for the purpose of developing them.

The last portion of the explanation made some generals dizzy and some of them demanded some whisky to be brought in.

Who is Putra Nazrain?

But one sober ex-general asked: Who in the hell is Awan Megah?

And so the point-man explained that Awan Megah is a private limited company incorporated in Malaysia and having its registered address at 25-1, Jalan PJU 1/42A, Block F2, Dataran Prima, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.

The directors of Awan Megah are Putra Nazrain Adril bin Abdul Jalil and Raja Rabiatun Aduah binti Raja Abdullah.

So Putra Nazrain was a shareholder in Astacanggih and Awang Megah.

The purchase of Awan Megah is of some importance to us, the managers said.

Awan Megah has a contract with the Defence Ministry to build the RM100 million Puspahanas and we have asked our lawyers to demand some conditions “precedent” from Awan Megah, they explained to the generals.

What in blue blazes are “conditions precedent”, shouted one of the now intoxicated ex-generals.

Matters that must be sorted out first before we make complete payment, the managers replied.

Well, the real owner behind Awan Megah is a close friend to the prime minister and his missus. Moreover, we are sure that because we have bought the lands, our generals here can prevail upon the Defence Minister to help too.

We have asked Awan Megah to complete the signing of a privatisation agreement between Awan Megah and the government of Malaysia and Syarikat Tanah dan Harta Sdn Bhd. That’s for the construction of the Puspahanas.

Just in case Astancanggih does indeed have a binding agreement with Awan Megah, we have asked Awan Megah to make sure that the approval from the relevant authorities for the transfer of the lands to Astacanggih be obtained.

‘Prostituting’ Awan Megah

What? the alert general asked again. “You don’t know if Astacanggih has a valid legal claim on Awan Megah and that was the only reason you paid RM30 million for that company? Just in case? ”

Incidentally, said the managers, Awan Megah has also entered into an agreement with a company called Guppyunit Sdn Bhd. Therefore we have asked Awan Megah to terminate its agreement with Guppyunit in respect to the lands.

What is this? Is this Awan Megah a prostitute or something? Going around making agreements with anyone?

We are not pleased, intoned the chairman of the board. Please explain how you will pay Awan Megah?

The land purchase price shall be paid by Bakti Wira and Astacanggih in the following manner:

RM13,000,000 shall be paid by Astacanggih to Awan Megah upon execution of the land sale agreement, such payment being the deposit and towards part payment of the land purchase price;

within one month, Astacanggih shall pay a sum of RM9,445,591.69 to Awan Megah’s solicitors and provide land bonds in the total sum of RM87,554,408.31 in favour of the government of Malaysia or as may be directed by the government of Malaysia; and

a sum of RM20,000,000 shall be paid to Awan Megah’s solicitors as stakeholders upon delivery by Awan Megah to Astacanggih of the duly executed memorandum of transfer together with the original titles to the lands.

One alert general asked: “From what I heard, the way the payment is made sounds eerily like the payment made by that Deepak fellow who has been in the news recently.”

But the managers rebutted: “My generals, the acquisitions present an opportunity for the Boustead Group to expand its existing landbank in Bukit Raja, Klang, Selangor, via Astacanggih which together with Bakti Wira will be acquiring from Awan Megah about 200 acres of land pursuant to the acquisition of lands.

“Moreover, the lands are adjacent to 700 acres of development land held under Jendela Hikmat Sdn Bhd, a company in which the Boustead Group and LTAT jointly hold 60% equity interest. The combined landbank of 900 acres will create economies of scale for the development in terms of shared infrastructure and other services.”

They further added that it was necessary to “inform the board that there can be no assurance that the proposed acquisition of land will not be exposed to risks such as the inability to obtain the approvals from the relevant authorities and/or inability to comply with the conditions imposed by the relevant authorities, if any”.

“Nevertheless, BHB will continue to take all reasonable steps to ensure the completion of the proposed acquisition of lands.

“There can be no assurance that the anticipated benefits of the proposed acquisition of lands will be realised or that the group will be able to generate sufficient future revenue to offset the associated acquisition costs of the lands. As such, the group will seek to mitigate such risk by adopting prudent risk management and monitoring of our group’s investment strategy.”

The board, after taking into consideration all aspects of the acquisitions, is of the opinion that the acquisitions are in the best interest of the company.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman but has now joined DAP. He is a FMT columnist.

Tamil schools: Do we care?

Or is it just an issue to keep political careers alive?
COMMENT

By Hanuratha Thamilselvan

The number of students registered for Standard One in Tamil schools has dropped by 23% this year. This is alarming, considering the millions of ringgit the government is spending to upgrade the 523 Tamil schools in the country.

Several questions arise. Why is the Tamil community moving away from vernacular schools? Do parents in the community believe that national schools are better for their children? Is it worth spending those millions on a school system that is seeing a drop in enrolment? Could the money be put to better use to benefit Malaysian Indians? Does the community really care for Tamil schools?

Politicians and academicians may go on arguing and questioning one another’s sincerity in fighting to improve the lot of Tamil schools.

“He is not Tamil educated; so he does not really care about Tamil schools.” “How many of his children are in Tamil schools?” These are typical of the remarks we often here in the rhetoric about Tamil education, especially among politicians.

But nobody seems interested in addressing the core issues that besiege Tamil schools.

I am a Master’s degree holder who went to a small Tamil school in the sleepy town of Batang Berjuntai (now Bestari Jaya), and I am familiar with the real issues surrounding these vernacular schools.

Last year, there were 18,100 students in Tamil schools nationwide. The number has plunged to 13,889 this year. If the enrolment continues to decline, shouldn’t we expect the number of schools to decrease? How would the community, especially politicians, justify keeping the 523 Tamil schools going?

There are various reasons for the decline in enrolment, including the following: a falling birth rate, a mismatch between population concentrations and the location of schools, a changing mindset among parents, and a frozen mindset among teachers and school officials.

Smaller families

Malaysia is home to the largest number of Indians living outside India, but the number is dropping. Ten years ago, when the national population was 20 million, Indians accounted for 8%. Today, they represent 7.1% of the country’s 28 million people.

Families are becoming smaller. Couples prefer to limit themselves to one or two children for economic reasons. Late marriages and a rising divorce rate add to the problem.

Of the 1.8 million Indians in this country, 70% are Tamils, with Malayalees, Telegus and Punjabis making up most of the remainder. The latter three groups prefer to send their children to national schools. They too want their mother tongues preserved, but they do this by speaking those languages at home.

Most of the Tamil schools are located in estates and small townships. Although many Indians are migrating from rural to urban areas in search of employment, there has been no effort to relocate Tamil schools. Because of this, urban parents are forced to send their children to national schools. This partly explains the single-student registration at some Tamil schools this year.

Many parents, especially young professionals, are not keen in sending their children to Tamil schools. Like the Indians of other language groups, they believe that their mother tongue can be learnt at home. They want their children to mix with children of other races, and are encouraged by the emergence of affordable private and international schools. Furthermore, they feel these schools have better facilities.

Those who can’t afford private or international schools make a beeline for Chinese or national schools. They feel their children would be better off competing with children of other races.

It is well known that the majority of Tamil schools are in bad physical condition. But even if they are refurbished and refurnished using government funds, the new facilities are not put to optimal use because the mindset of teachers, headmasters and parent teacher associations has not changed.

I know of a school in an urban location which had its computer labs closed because “it cost too much in electricity” to keep it open.

This mentality must change. Teachers and headmasters must be professional not only in their job functions, but also in appearance and behaviour. This will give parents the confidence that their children are at the right school.

What next?

It is possible to maintain the existence of Tamil schools, although I am sure that only 200 will survive in the next 10 years based on the current trend of decline in enrolment.

All parties must cease politicising the issue. Politicians should find ways to improve Tamil schools instead of running each other down when issuing their statements. And instead of asking the government to improve the condition of Tamil schools, they should find ways to increase student intake.

Bragging about giving each Tamil school a photocopier is a pathetic form of public relations. Modernise Tamil schools by making a quantum leap. Have a model Tamil school with state-of-the-art teaching equipment and then tell the government this is what a Tamil school should be like.

This quantum leap should also apply to the character of teachers and headmasters. They should equip themselves with knowledge. They should improve their people skills. They should not treat parents as illiterates but build rapport with them.

These are just some pointers on ways and means to increase enrolment in Tamil schools. I am sure there are many qualified people out there who have better ideas and understanding of the subject at hand. The time has come for the community to bite the bullet and face reality.

If there is going to be a decrease in Tamil schools, let it be, but ensure that the surviving schools function like Chinese schools, if not better.

The writer is a Master’s degree holder who completed her primary school at the Batang Berjuntai Tamil school and currently works as a public relations manager at a reputable firm in Kuala Lumpur.

All’s quiet at Tamil school with only two pupils

Three’s company: (From left) S. Kishare Kumar teaching his students Sharvin and Shavatha at SJK (T) Sungai Papan in Pengerang.

(The Star) - PENGERANG: The start of a new year is usually the busiest and noisiest for any school but in SJK (T) Ladang Sungai Papan, there is only silence in its hall.

Its Parent-Teacher Association chairman L. Krishnasamy is now pinning his hopes on the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) project to boost the school’s fortune.

The school, located in the middle of an oil palm plantation, currently has only two pupils in Year Six, outnumbered by the school staff comprising a principal, two teachers, two security guards and two gardeners.

Its Parent-Teacher Association chairman L. Krishnasamy, who runs a sundry shop in the estate, said student numbers had been dwindling since the other estate workers started migrating to the bigger towns of Ulu Tiram and Pasir Gudang.

“For the past few years, there has been no new student enrolled for Year One,” he said, adding that the school was equipped with classrooms, an office and even a resource centre.

Fretting about the school’s future by year-end when it would no longer have any pupil, Krishnasamy, who has been the PTA chairman for the past decade, said there used to be over a hundred Indian families living there in the 1960s and 1970s.

“Now, only a dozen people are left and most of the rubber has been replaced with oil palm. Most of the workers here are also Indonesians,” he said, adding that the nearest Tamil school was 45km away in Kota Tinggi.

However, Krishnasamy is upbeat that the opening of the RAPID project here over the next few year will see pupils trickling in.

“There will surely be many people who will move here. We can be an option for those who intend to send their children to Tamil schools,” he said.

As for pupils Sharvin Raj and N. Shavatha, they do not mind being the only ones studying in the school.

“We enjoy each other’s company,” said Sharvin, whose father, R. Ravichandran, is the school principal for the past two years.

Buried Christian Empire Casts New Light on Early Islam

The "crowned man" relief found in Zafar, Yemen is seen as evidence that there was a Christian empire in the region before Islam took hold.

Archeologists are studying the ruins of a buried Christian empire in the highlands of Yemen. The sites have sparked a number of questions about the early history of Islam. Was there once a church in Mecca?

The commandment "Make yourself no graven image" has long been strictly followed in the Arab world. There are very few statues of the caliphs and ancient kings of the region. The pagan gods in the desert were usually worshipped in an "aniconic" way, that is, as beings without form.

Muhammad had a beard, but there are no portraits of him.

But now a narcissistic work of human self-portrayal has turned up in Yemen. It is a figure, chiseled in stone, which apparently stems from the era of the Prophet.

Paul Yule, an archeologist from the southwestern German city of Heidelberg, has studied the relief, which is 1.70 meters (5'7") tall, in Zafar, some 930 kilometers (581 miles) south of Mecca. It depicts a man with chains of jewelry, curls and spherical eyes. Yule dates the image to the time around 530 AD.

The German archeologist excavated sites in the rocky highlands of Yemen, an occupation that turned quite dangerous recently because of political circumstances in the country. On his last mission, Yule lost 8 kilograms (18 lbs.) and his equipment was confiscated.

Nevertheless, he is pleased, because he was able to bring notes, bits of debris and bones back to Heidelberg. Yule has concluded that Zafar was the center of an Arab tribal confederation, a realm that was two million square kilometers (about 772,000 square miles) large and exerted its influence all the way to Mecca.

Even more astonishing is his conclusion that kings who invoked the Bible lived in the highland settlement. The "crowned man" depicted on the relief was also a Christian.

Conquerers from Ancient Ethiopia

Yule has analyzed the mysterious, robed figure in a report for the academic journal Antiquity. He is barefoot, which is typical of Coptic saints. He is holding a bundle of twigs, a symbol of peace, in his left hand. There is a crossbar on his staff, giving it the appearance of a cross. In addition, he is wearing a crown on his head like the ones worn by the Christian rulers of ancient Ethiopia.

All of this suggests that the man with a strange, round face is a descendant of the conquerors from Africa who succeeded in making one of the boldest landing operations in ancient times.

In 525 AD, the Negus, or king, of Aksum dispatched a fleet across the Red Sea. Soldiers and fighting elephants were ferried across the water to the East on un-tarred, raft-like ships to spread the gospel. In the ensuing decades, his army captured large parts of Arabia.

The first spearhead was targeted at the capital Zafar. Like a fortress in the sky, the town was perched on an extinct volcano, at an altitude of 2,800 meters (9,184 feet) above sea level. Its walls, riddled with towers and alarm bells, were four-and-a-half kilometers long. About 25,000 people lived in Zafar.

According to Yule, between the 3^rd and the 5^th century the confederation managed to complete a "meteoric rise" and become a superpower. Its merchants traded in sandalwood from Ceylon and valerian from Persia. The state controlled the port of Aden, where the ships of spice traders from India docked. Frankincense, which was made in Arabia, was also traded. It was a place of luxury. Yule found wine amphorae, the remains of precious fish condiments and palaces decorated with sphinxes and lions.

A Peaceful Multi-Cultural Community

The social structure in Zafar also appeared to be unique. The city had a large Jewish community, as evidenced by a seal with a Torah niche. Hebrew inscriptions were discovered. Zafar's residents also included Christians, who built a church there in 354 AD. Arabs who worshipped old idols lived in the alleys.
But this peaceful, multicultural community soon came to an end, as tensions began to mount in the 5^th century, and Arabia was transformed into a front.

The Byzantine Empire, bristling with weapons, operated in the west, and its vassals kept making inroads toward the desert. They were accompanied by Christian missionaries, who brought the doctrine of the Holy Trinity to the shepherds on the edge of the Rub' al Khali, the sand desert that makes up much of the southern third of the Arabian Peninsula.

These Sacred Heart imperialists confronted the Persian realm of the Sassanids, with its archers and armies of bearded soldiers clad in heavy metal armor. The Jews, who lived by the tens of thousands in the oases, were to some extent aligned with this power.

It was a confrontation between east and west, and everyone was forced to choose a side.
This also applied to Zafar. To stop the advance of Christianity, individual Arab kings initially converted to Judaism. The entire ruling class of the realm eventually followed suit. From then on, people were given names like Yehuda and Yussuf.

Then they took up arms. In approximately 520 AD, they attacked the Christian colony of Najran, where there were churches and monasteries. Countless Christians were slaughtered. The shocking news traveled all the way to Europe.

A 'Puppet King'

Now the spiral of violence began turning more rapidly. The furious Byzantines and their allies from Africa were out for revenge. Kaleb, the Aksumite king of Ethiopia (who wore gold jewelry in his hair and had himself driven around in an elephant carriage) went on the counter-offensive.

If the sources are correct, his first naval maneuver was a miserable failure. In 525 AD, with the help of additional warships provided by the Byzantines, he successfully completed the crossing to the other side of the Red Sea.

The relief of the "crowned man" from Zafar was apparently created during this period of invasion. Yule interprets it as a representation of the Christian "puppet king" of the Ethiopians.

The invaders continued their attacks. Southern Arabia's holy warrior, Abraha, had taken control of large areas before long. He even attempted to free bishops being held prisoner by the Persian enemy in Nisibis (in modern-day Turkey), some 2,500 kilometers away.

The man embarked on a religious crusade at the same time. He rebuilt the churches that had been destroyed in Najran, and he had new ones built in Marib and Aden.

His most beautiful church was in Sanaa. It had gilded doors and a throne made of ebony and ivory. In the morning, the rays of the sun shone through an alabaster panel in the dome. The Byzantines supported the project, sending craftsmen, marble and mosaics.

The result was an architectural miracle, the likes of which all of Arabia had never seen before.

Year of the Elephant

After the triumph of Islam in the 7^th century, the church was torn down and stripped of its treasures, and a mosque was built on the site. As Barbara Finster, an archeologist from the Bavarian city of Bamberg, discovered, some of the columns in the mosque came from the wrecked church, while some of the church's magnificent mosaics were sent to Mecca, essentially as booty.

The enmity between Sanaa and Mecca apparently smoldered from the start. Medieval Koran scholars report that Abraha built his magnificent church to lure the pilgrims away from the Kaaba, Islam's most sacred site.
Another Islamic source describes how the dispute eventually escalated: An angry native of Mecca relieved himself in the Sanaa church, prompting the furious Abraha to dispatch his warriors, mounted on elephants, to destroy the Kaaba. In the interpretation of Sura 105 of the Koran, the only reason he was unsuccessful was that Allah had armed a flock of birds with clay balls that rained down on the Christian army like bullets.

Are these nothing but religious myths? There is historical evidence, in the form of a rock inscription, that Abraha conducted large-scale raids against defiant Arab tribes near Mecca in 552 AD. A few Western historians consider this to be the true year of Muhammad's birth. The scholar Ibn Ishak, who wrote the first biography of the Prophet, states that the proclaimer of the Koran was born "in the year of the elephant."
Oddly enough, the scrawled rock inscription could be interpreted to mean that the tribe of the Kuraish, to which the Prophet belonged, sometimes fought for the Christians. Were they allies? Was Muhammad born in a city that stood under the banner of the cross?

Hard Times

There are indications that this could be true. For instance, a Christian cemetery is mentioned in the oldest history of Mecca, written by the Arab historian Asraki.

What a mess. In ancient Arabia, the three Abrahamic world religions intersected in confusing ways. But the Koran prevailed in the end.

But many things are still unclear. Our perspective is complicated by the fact that the birth of Islam occurred at a time of severe hardship. Climate data obtained from limestone caves in Oman prove that there was a terrible drought in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula in the middle of the 6^th century. There was also a plague epidemic that began in 541 and afflicted the entire Orient. Other, smaller epidemics followed, causing thousands upon thousands of deaths.

It was these horrors that probably triggered the demise of Zafar. Yule suspects that the drought devastated the "fragile ecology of the highlands." Cattle died of thirst and barns remained empty.

Are the archeologist's suspicions correct? Even Muhammad, as a young child, was threatened by disease and hunger. According to Ibn Ishak, his wet nurse was deeply concerned when she was told to bring the little boy back to his native city.
The reason, he writes, was the "plague in Mecca."

Translated from the German by Christopher Sultan

49,000 youngest drop-outs?

If it is indeed true, as recently reported by Malaysiakini that 49,000 ‘stateless children’ are not going to school because they do not have identity cards, then something must be done to immediately address this issue of fundamental human rights. They must be allowed to go to school by any means necessary as the government resolves the issue of their ‘stateless parents’.

This ruling regime will be committing an act of the worst form of mental slavery should these children not be allowed to have the basic education and the right to be intelligent. If, as alleged, this regime can grant identity cards to newly-arrived immigrants in prepration for the coming elections, we must insist it to be able to do this for these children.

You, in the government, will be called a ‘pariah regime’ if this is not done for those children. The implications of not having those children schooled will be devastating; a reaffirmation of the vicious cycle of poverty, alienation, dehumanisation, and the fast-track way to build Malaysia’s prison-industrial complex. These children are already ‘drop-outs’ even before they enter schools!

What is wrong with our education system when we are now seeing a ruder apartheid-isation of schools? We continue to see the growth of a hideous class and caste structure in schools, from smart schools for the children of the rich to ‘pariah schools’ for the children of the abject poor. And now in the case of the ‘children of stateless parents’, we even have no schools for children of the abyss of the underclass, especially Malaysians of Tamil origin.

What a criminal act we have been doing since these years of independence - children of the rich paying tens of thousands of ringgit per semester for the best private schools to get to the best slots in college and best jobs in society through the best connections, yet thousands are not allowed in schools because of some ‘colonial legacy’.

We need to radically restructure the way we look at human beings, design education policies to be just and equitable, and to have a common school system to help children have common dreams... as Malaysians and nothing less.

Amidst the niceties of the rhetoric of educational reform and progress designed merely by a poor understanding of systemic change, we are creating a dystopia - of a future in which the 99 percent of society will one day overthrow the one percent after they learn what hegemony means and know what rights they have to social, educational, and cultural justice.

Lifeboat mentality

We have designed a school system based on the ‘lifeboat mentality’ and ‘gunboat diplomacy’ - a philosophy of “to each his own”. Hence, there are schools well-funded and those not funded at all. Ultimately, we will see more of society with both lifeboat and gunboat mentality wrapped in one.

Each child has the rights to get access to good teachers, technology, techniques, and tender-loving care in schools, regardless of race, religion, national origin, or even if they have no identity cards. Until the age of 18, these rights must be honored in order for the very fundamental goals of education for human freedom, development, and gainable and sustainable employment to be achieved. This must begin with the philosophy of education that we base our practice upon.

Race-based politics in Malaysia has been so pervasive that we have forgotten what education should mean, even though the language of humanism and systemic change in our educational blueprints is laced with niceties of the means and ends of education.

Outside of the rhetoric of a ‘world-classism’, if we deconstruct the meaning of education in a hyper-modern county such as Malaysia, we see the nature of humans being viewed as cogs in the wheels of capital or human machinery in a system of corrupt crypto-crony capitalism that preys on cheap professional and manual labor produced through schooling as means of social reproduction.

This is a continuation of what the British imperialists did in the kangani and kanchu system, facilitated by the Malay monarchy. The history of Malaya is a history of the exploitation of human beings written in a vainglorious way to mask the oppression of those enslaved by the feudal and neo-feudal class.

It is hoped that education, in its progressive evolution in our times, be framed in a newer understanding of what it should take to put the child at the center of learning and for the school to be a place to cultivate and to be a ground for democratic participation.

It should be a place for a child to develop his/her fullest potential and be free from being discriminated for any reason. It should help a child’s growth as a cultural and social being who will use scientific thinking to become good citizens imbued with ethics and critical sensibility.

I hope we look at the plight of the 49,000 children of ‘stateless parents’ with a simple logic: that as long as they are on our soil, they have the right to an education, to be treated with all the rights and privileges as a child ready to learn, and will be given education until they turn 18 while this issue of ‘statelessness’ is resolved.

Failure to do this will mean another level of success in creating a truly world-class Malaysian prison-industrial complex, rivaling the United States of America.

I am sure this is not what we want to see - a continuation of the lifeboat mentality aided by race-based gunboat diplomacy!

---

DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Baru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctorate in International Education Development and Master’s degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans Malaysia and the United States, over a wide range of subjects from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States.

People Should Not Be Fooled By Opposition Lies - Muhyiddin

TANJUNG MALIM, Jan 6 (Bernama) -- Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin reminded the people not to be fooled by opposition lies that the Barisan Nasional (BN) government has failed the people.

He said that the prosperity and peace proved that the BN government is on the right track to continue ruling the country.

"Everything is nice, well planned, the economy is good. There are no quarrels, so why support the opposition?," he asked at 'Perhimpunan Rakyat 1Malaysia' at Padang Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, here Saturday night.

Muhyiddin said that the government had done a lot to help reduce the people's cost of living.

They include giving large amount of subsidies for essential goods, controlled items, cost of living aid and schooling aid.

Muhyiddin said in order to ensure that the people's income would not be affected by price hikes, the government had also given the people the 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M).

"During my visit to Perak last year, many said that BR1M was good and should be continued. Then, the prime minister decided to give the people the second BR1M.

"If BN wins (the general election), there will even be the third, fourth, fifth, sixth BR1M, or even forever. If the BN government manage to retain power and has good income and tax revenue of over RM125 billion in the prime minister's fund, any increase of the aid can be considered," he said.

Muhyiddin said after 55 years of Independence, BN had built a strong and solid foundation for the country and it was important for the people to preserve it.

"What matters most is to decide the country's direction for the next seven years as former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had envisioned Malaysia to become a fully developed nation in its own way by 2020," he added.

Why I chose Hinduism over Christianity – Biola Ige

By FLORENCE AMAGIYA

Biola Ige is an epitome of beauty. She joined the industry about four years ago and already she has become one of the most-sought- after actresses in Nollywood. Recently, she suffered a terrible growth of her thyroid gland that affected her neck, tongue, complexion and ultimately her budding career.

Then, it looked as if, all was over for her. But with divine intervention, she was flown to India where an operation was successfully carried out on her. And today, Biola can live to retell her story. In this interview, she talks about the operation, the rumoured controversy between Tonto Dikeh and her new-found faith- Hinduism. Enjoy!

How did you become an actress?
I have always wanted to be an actress since I was a child. Then, I wanted to star in Hollywood movies because my dad was a movie person. As a child, I had the opportunity to watch all the hit movies produced in Hollywood alongside my elder brother. My dad also supported my dream, but he wanted me to travel to America after my studies.

Unfortunately, when I completed my secondary education, my dad was not as wealthy as he used to be. He couldn’t send me to America again as he promised. As a result, there was nothing I could do. Like I said earlier, I fell in love with acting, but l wanted to act in Hollywood. When it didn’t work out because of lack of finance, l moved to Lagos after my University education. I went for auditions in Lagos and landed my first role in “Blindfold” produced by OJ Productions.

How many movies have you done to date?

Acquiring experience in whatever job you are doing is very vital and my experience has helped me star in more than fifty movies and I am still counting. Yes, I have been in the industry for about four years. I am proud of my achievement. I would have starred in more than fifty movies now, if not because of my sickness that took me to India. I am back in the country though lam not looking the same again. I am grateful to God for giving me my life back.

Which role has been the most challenging in your career?

The most challenging role for me was the one I played in the movie “Blackmail”. In that movie, l played the role of a model who married a rich man. Complications set in when the model’s old flame showed up as an employee in the company owned by her husband. And the situation became more complex when she fell again for the old flame who was already married to another woman. The intiruges at play were very challenging.

Which of your movies has been most financially rewarding and how much did you rake in from it ?

The monetary compensation is good, but it is not the most important thing when it comes to growing in your craft. Yes, l was rewarded for some of my jobs, but l cannot tell how much was given to me. I remember, “Blackmail”, Grand Player”, “Shakira”, “Darkest Link” and “My Fantansy”, were quite rewarding.

Is it true that you went to India to undergo an operation?

Well, I was very sick at some point in my acting career. I ran different tests because l didn’t know what was wrong with me. The test results showed I had thyroid problem. So, I travelled to India for treatment as well as to worship. I am sure people would think I went there for spiritual powers.I am sorry to disappoint you guys because I am not that kind of person.

What do you mean, you had a thyroid problem?

Having a thyroid problem is a grave disorder and illness. It is as a result of the expansion of the neck. It occurs when your thyroid gland over works itself or under works itself because of lack of the nutrient known as iodine.

When you said to worship, what do you mean by that?

It was an avenue for me to worship my God and yes, l worship as an Hindu. I know what you may want to say. I do not see anything wrong with following any religion of your choice. It is a free world. And I choose Hinduism.

What is your view of women who do body-enhancing jobs?

It is all about choice, so if you don’t feel good about your body and you have the money to do body makeover surgery, then do it with joy. As for me, I am good with the body God gave me. If a man doesn’t like me the way l am then he is on his own. But my only advice is that you should love yourself the way you are, there is nothing wrong with the body God gave you.

What would attract you to a man?

The way l carry myself is unique, but you can never tell what these men see in the ladies that attract them! Moreover, we all have something that should attract different men as the case maybe. Most men see things we don’t even know we possess. So, I would leave that to the men to decide what they see in me.

Did you become an Hindu when you travelled to India or while you were in Nigeria?

I was a Hinduist before I travelled to India. I was a Christian before I changed my faith and I must tell you I have found peace in Hinduism. And in India, I felt at home. I didn’t feel like returning to Nigeria again because everyone was so nice to me.

What is the controversy between Tonto Dike and yourself?

When I was sick, there were a lot of stories flying here and there that Tonto Dike was responsible for my sickness. But l didn’t believe it because we were not even friends before I fell sick. And why would Tonto Dike want to harm me when she has made a name for herself?

Are you in a relationship?

I don’t have time for that at the moment. I have just returned from a long break of illness and l need to make up in my career for the time I have lost.

When are we hearing the wedding bells for you?

Marriage comes naturally in the course of living and meeting people. I am not in a hurry to tie the knots. In fact, I am taking another three years to grow myself before thinking about marriage.

Some of your female colleagues are getting married to married men. Would you marry a married man?

When I am in a relationship, it takes my whole being and life. So if I am in love, l fall hopelessly in love, hence l cannot see myself loving another woman’s husband. I cannot share my man at all with any woman as I do not share my love.

Who are those people you admire in the industry?

I admire everyone I have worked with and my colleagues in the industry. I cannot actually mention one person as being more special to me. They are all different and special in their own ways.

Before you take up a role what do you consider first?

I picture the role and character in my mind’s eyes and how it is going to play out. I also consider what people would say when they see the movie and the character I played. If it will boost my image then the role is mine, if it is not good for me then l leave it.

Do you have any regret since choosing acting as a career?

I regretted not having my usual childish yearnings. I hate it when people discuss you, when they don’t even know you to guide their judgment. I hate that l cannot join the regular bus, but l don’t care what people say when l park to buy my regular roasted plantain known as boli. When it comes to that l don’t care what people say again!

Tell us a little about your childhood?

My childhood was awesome! I was a kid who loved to play football when I was growing up with my siblings. We went swimming in the river, climbing mango trees to pluck mangoes and all that. I was a tomboy while growing up, I never did girls stuff at all.

Are you related to the popular late Bola Ige family?

No. It is just a case of name sakes; late Bola Ige was from Oyo state, while l hail from Osun state.

Which part of your body do you consider sexiest?

Most people would say they prefer my boobs, shape and all that, but to me, I prefer my eyes. They are the mirror to my soul.

Nollywood is really evolving, with more sensual scenes. Would you take a role that involves you having sex on set?

I won’t describe it as having sex because it is drama- a make- believe world; hence everything done is not real. I would describe it as pretending to have sex. And yes I have done that in many movies, but they were never real.

How do you describe Nollywood love-making scene?

Nollywood love-making scenes are not like Hollywood where boobs and bums are exposed. In Africa, it is not in our tradition to do stuffs like that; hence the producers, directors and actors themselves are careful how they interpret such roles because of their futures.

Targeting Hindu girls for rape

By Ayesha Asghar

The writer is a student at Trent University and works with EndCSA-Pakistan on child sexual abuse cases in Pakistan

We have heard all about how rape is used as weapon in mass-scale war. Several thousand women were brutally raped in the 1971 war in East Pakistan to silence all the voices that were being raised against the Government of Pakistan. Every year, Pakistanis wail about their prisoners of war and how their army had to surrender but they will never talk about the horrendous acts they committed.

In some democratic societies, rape is used as a weapon against marginalised communities where the rest of society stays quiet because it is not happening in their own backyard. In Pakistan, rapists are never brought to justice and the survivor’s plea for justice turns into another ‘agenda’ of ‘Western agents’ and rival political parties.

When one speaks about the rape of Muslim women, the clergy starts questioning women’s characters and shift blame away from the rapists. When one speaks of the rape of Hindu women, none of the clergy speaks up because their racism is at play here. After all, a Hindu in Pakistan has “freedom to practise their religion” only on the constitutional paper that no one cares for. If one is a Sindhi from rural Sindh, poor and Hindu, then everything gets played against him or her because Pakistan doesn’t care for anything which is not ‘sexy’ enough to be portrayed on television, even if one protests massively.

In Umerkot, there were several protests against rape throughout the month of December but they received little to no coverage. One latest episode of rape was of two girls — aged six and 14 — from Hindu families in rural Sindh who were robbed of their childhood and humanity. The rapes were not the first of their kind and were allegedly done by those in power. Sindhi Hindus have been targeted with sexual violence for quite sometime now — and they have been repeatedly silenced by those in the corridors of power. Yet, those with authority and their rape apologists have the audacity to talk about women’s rights.

If there were officials involved in protecting the rapists because rapists might be political workers, then perhaps it was their feudal and political right to oppress the people of Sindh. The pseudo-liberal won’t say anything because calling out the rapists and demanding justice is defamation of ‘democracy’ and the victims have a political agenda. For democracy, our pseudo-liberals forget that people have a right to hold every leading political party accountable. For some feudals, it is an easy way to exploit women and then justify it by sending pseudo-liberals to be their doormats — obviously they own the lands and everything that comes with it.

In 2010, the Asian Human Rights Commission said that some 20 to 25 Hindu women are forcibly converted and sexually assaulted every month. Though the Sindhi news media is very effective in reporting this, Urdu and English news media is not, perhaps because it considers it more important to talk about rape in Egypt, Syria and India, rather than what is happening to ethnic minorities in Pakistan.

The Umerkot rape victims face terrible difficulties; they have not received proper treatment for their sexual assaults and currently lie in local hospitals. Their families are being denied justice every day. And then our Pakistani pseudo-elites act surprised when there is mass Hindu migration from Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 5th, 2013.

Deepak unveils 'Black Rose' in fairytale-style

The Black Rose, a series of books promised by carpet merchant Deepak Jaikishan, chronicling his feud with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's family, has finally found its way into cyberspace.

Black Rose 1.0, the first of the series, was circulated to the media tonight in the form of a 26-page e-book with its author being listed as 'Spirit of Altantuya'.

The book makes no mention of any specific personalities by name, but its storyline closely resembles that of Deepak's own story.

The book contained a slew of characters whose names appear to have been assigned nicknames or have had their real life names jumbled around.

Among them include Kapeed, Bijan, Black Rose, Popiah, Lala, Jim and several other personalities who he had implicated or referred to during his warpath against Najib's family.

From Deepak's account of his relation with Najib's family to his involvement in reversing private eye P Balasubramaniam's statutory declaration linking the premier to murdered Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu, the book appears to mirror these accounts but was penned in the form of a fairytale.

Failing to deliver the ‘popiah’ promise

The book, which did not contain any new revelations, described a “Raja Popiah” who, unlike normal "popiah sellers" that would not double sell their popiahs, sold her already sold popiah to "guppy the fish". Popiah is a Malaysian spring roll.

The book later referred to the "popiah" as a piece of land which was initially sold to a "true blue Pakistani who travelled by flying carpet".

This Pakistani on the flying carpet, the book said, knew that as long as he spoke the truth, Raja Popiah and her affiliates would have to answer for failing to deliver the promise.

"Thus begins the adventure of Raja Popiah, Black Rose, Bijan, Laba and Kapeed," the book read.

The story goes on for the first 16 pages and the following 10 pages featured documents of diamond jewellery purchases by Deepak's company.

The documents were the same as those earlier released by PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli, who had alleged that they were for Rosmah Mansor.

Deepak had previously denied that the documents belonged to him, but Rafizi had insisted that these documents were obtained by intermediaries who got them from Deepak.

The last page of the book stated that there would be a sequel entitled 'Black Magic Women', which would be authored by one 'Not My Legacy'.

US : Hindu temple inaugurated near Hollywood

Washington (USA) : One of the biggest Hindu temples in the US, built at a whopping cost of $100 million (Rs.543-Cr) near the Hollywood city in Los Angeles has become a major draw for its grandeur and environment-friendly design, since its inauguration.

The 68th Swaminarayan temple of Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) has been built using 35,000 pieces of meticulously hand carved Italian Carrara marble and Indian Pink Sandstone, temple officials said.

BAPS said that it is first earthquake-proof Mandir in the world and is expected to last for 1,000 years.

"The Mandir is a beautiful testament to the hard work of your congregation who has spent several years to build this place of worship," Chino Hill Mayor Peter Rogers said.

"The Mandir and Cultural Center will indeed be a place that Chino Hills can be proud of for so many, many generations," he said, at the temple's inauguration on December 23.

Using cutting edge technology to protect it from earthquakes, the temple encompasses five pinnacles, two large domes, four balconies, 122 pillars and 129 archways.

The 6,600 hand-carved motifs depict a mosaic of tales of inspiration, devotion and dedication, along with historical figures from Hinduism, temple officials said.

"Artisans created the carvings in India with great love, skill and patience before the pieces were shipped to Chino Hills," a BAPS statement said.

The Mandir is situated on a 20-acre site, complete with 91 foot lotus-shaped reflection pond, a Cultural Centre, gymnasium and classrooms.

It is designed to "calm the mind and open it," said Ronak Patel, a volunteer of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

"The upper structure of the complex is protected from earthquake damage by separating it from the base with a series of 40 base-isolator units," it said.

"The Mandir also uses a solar power system to generate electricity and reduce adverse effects on the environment. The Mandir combines the best of traditional stone art and architecture and the best of modern technology," said Divyesh Patel, a member of the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha.

'Najib abused power in defence centre award'

Indian Christian calls on Saudi Arabia to recognise migrants' religious rights

by Nirmala Carvalho

Detained and arrested in 2004 on false proselytising charges, Brian O'Connor appeals for openness. In his view, granting religious rights to non-Muslims would be a "positive change" for the country. A study by the Centre for Development Studies indicates that the children of Indian migrants "grow up confused," which may manifest itself "in rebellion, school absenteeism, drop-outs and substance abuse".

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - "Saudi Arabia should grant Christian migrants religious freedom as well as the right to build churches in the country. The public value of religion must be recognised as every human being's right to self-fulfilment," said Brian O'Connor in an appeal made through AsiaNews.

In 2004, the Christian from India was held in a Saudi jail, in chains, tortured for seven months and seven days for alleged proselytising. Released after an international campaign on his behalf to which AsiaNews participated, he said that "recognising this right would be a positive change for the whole country."

In a country that does not recognise or protect any religion other than Islam, "Indian migrants worship in the privacy of their homes," O'Connor said. "However, they are often victims of raids and arrests by the Muttawa, the religious police. It is urgent and essential that Indian Christians and Hindus, as well as other non-Muslim migrants be granted the right to worship freely without discrimination and persecution."

A new study, Migration Report 2013 - Social Cost of Migration, will be presented next Monday in Kochi (Kerala). Written by Irudayan Nayan, from the Centre for Development Studies, the paper was commissioned by the research unit on international migration of the Ministry of Overseas' Indian Affairs. Its focus is on the Indian Diaspora in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East.

According to its findings, Saudi Arabia continues to be the desired destination among low- and semi-skilled workers from India. However, "In the absence of adequate parental guidance, children grow up confused and this may manifest itself in rebellion, school absenteeism, drop-outs and substance abuse".

The most painful and tangible social cost of migration is in fact the separation of children from parents, the study found, adding that the absence of mothers, in particular, results in the breakdown of traditional care-giving arrangements.

In 2011, at least 289,297 Indians moved to Saudi Arabia seeking employment.

U.K: 'Terror Cleric' complains of 'filthy' taxpayer funded home, racist British

Multi-million Pound Sterling burden...
The man who was designated by the British media as England's own "terror cleric," Abu Qatada is now complaining, via his son, that the £450,000 ($675,000) taxpayer subsidized London home is "small and filthy" as reported by the London Evening Standard on Jan. 2, 2013.
As previously covered by Examiner.com, the British taxpayers are already funding police security for the convicted terrorist initially at the cost of £10,000 ($15,000) per week.
That amount has since been revised to £100,000 ($150,000) per week to ensure proper surveillance of the man who was once described as Usama bin Laden's right hand man in Europe.
As reported earlier this week by England's The Telegraph, the hate preacher's son, Qatada Qatada, complained not only of the cramped and unsanitary digs they aren't paying for, but also of:

"Racist pressure groups in Britain [who] hold demonstrations outside the house"... and would "scream and curse at us and at Islam."

Q² also complained:

"We have asked the British government to allow us to leave the UK for a third country; somewhere other than Jordan or the UK.
However they refused and said they would fight to prevent us from leaving Britain to anywhere except a prison in Jordan.
Let no one be under the impression that we want to stay here after having suffered so much."

The rent-free Qatada home has been picketed by British citizens who question the government's wisdom as to the insistence that taxpayer money is used to house, feed and care for the terrorist and his family.
Concern Over His Human Rights...
A covered by Examiner.com earlier last year, the British government has been attempting to deport Abu Qatada back to his native Jordan since 2001, but has been continually stymied by both British courts and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) located in Strasbourg, France.
Qatada was found guilty in absentia by the Jordanian government on terrorism charges and was subsequently sentenced to life in prison at hard labor.
However, a British Special Immigration Appeals Commission agreed with the earlier ECHR ruling that if sent back to Jordan, Qatada's human rights would be in jeopardy.
As chronicled by The Daily Mail, the following are key events in the years-long saga as the British people have attempted to rid themselves of the Jihadist terrorist.
KEY EVENTS IN ABU QATADA'S BATTLE AGAINST DEPORTATION:
September 16 1993 - The Jordanian father of five claims asylum when he arrives in Britain on a forged passport.
June 1994 - He is allowed to stay in Britain.
March 1995 - Qatada issues a 'fatwa' justifying the killing of converts from Islam, their wives and children in Algeria.
May 1998 - He applies for indefinite leave to remain in Britain.
April 1999 - He is convicted in his absence on terror charges in Jordan and sentenced to life imprisonment.
October 1999 - The radical cleric speaks in London advocating the killing of Jews and praising attacks on Americans.
February 2001 - He is arrested by anti-terror police over involvement in a plot to bomb Strasbourg Christmas market. Officers find him in possession of £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked 'For the mujahedin in Chechnya'.
December 2001 - Qatada becomes one of Britain's most wanted men after going on the run from his home in Acton, West London.
October 2002 - He is arrested by police in a council house in south London and detained in Belmarsh high-security jail.
March 2005 - He is freed on conditional bail and placed on a control order.
August 2005 - The preacher is arrested under immigration rules as the Government seeks to deport him to Jordan.
April 2008 - The Court of Appeal rules that deporting him would breach his human rights because evidence used against him in Jordan may have been obtained through torture.
May 2008 - Qatada is granted bail by the immigration tribunal but told he must stay inside for 22 hours a day.
June 2008 - He is released from Long Lartin jail in Worcestershire and moves in to a four bedroomed £800,000 home in West London.
November 2008 - He is rearrested after the Home Office tells an immigration hearing of fears he plans to abscond.
December 2008 - Qatada's bail is revoked by the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) after hearing secret evidence that the risk of him absconding has increased.
February 18 2009 - In a landmark judgment, five Law Lords unanimously back the Government's policy of removing terror suspects from Britain on the basis of assurances from foreign governments. It is ruled he can be deported to Jordan to face terror charges.
February 19 2009 - Qatada is awarded £2,500 compensation by the European Court of Human Rights after the judges rule that his detention without trial in the UK under anti-terrorism powers breached his human rights.
January 2012 - European judges rule the firebrand cleric can be sent back to Jordan with diplomatic assurances but he cannot be deported while 'there remains a real risk that evidence obtained by torture will be used against him'.
February 6 2012 - SIAC rules he can be released on bail, despite posing a risk to national security.
February 9 2012 - David Cameron and King Abdullah of Jordan agree on the 'importance of finding an effective resolution' to his case, Downing Street says.
February 13 2012 - It emerges Qatada has been released on bail from Long Lartin prison.
April 17 2012 - The cleric is arrested as the Government prepares to deport him to Jordan.
April 18 2012 - Abu Qatada lodges an appeal - potentially delaying his deportation by months.
Since his illegal entry into the United Kingdom in 1993, Abu Qatada has been a multi-million Pound Sterling burden to the British people.
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Activist says lawyer Cecil Abraham can sue to clear name

Haris said suing him was the quickest way for Abraham to absolve himself in the matter. — File pic

By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 4 ― Haris Ibrahim has suggested Tan Sri Cecil Abraham take legal action to clear his name after the political activist named the senior lawyer today as the person who helped prepare private investigator P. Balasubramaniam’s second statutory declaration.

The Bar Council has said it was investigating the lawyers who drafted the second sworn statement and whether any professional misconduct was committed in the process.

“He can consider suing me... that would be one of the expeditious way to clear his name,” Haris told The Malaysian Insider.

In his blog posting today, Haris named Abraham as the lawyer who helped draft Balasubramaniam’s second declaration, dated a day after his first on July 3, 2008, regarding the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu, for which two elite police commandos have been convicted and are facing death sentences.

The controversy surrounding the SDs resurfaced after carpet dealer Deepak Jaikishan recently admitted that he helped to get Balasubramaniam to repudiate his earlier statutory declaration on the matter, including finding two lawyers to draft the new statement.

The identities of the two lawyers were never made known as Deepak said they had cold feet before a press conference to publicise the sworn statement.

Bar Council president Lim Chee Wee announced the investigation today and reiterated that the organisation had always acted without fear or favour, and in accordance with due process, “regardless of the personalities or circumstances in any matter.”

But Haris appeared sceptical when asked to comment on Lim’s statement, saying the Bar Council had merely “rehashed” the announcement it made after the lawyer had lodged a formal complaint on the matter previously.

“Will they investigate? Well I don’t know. They seemed to be making the same statement last month. They could be making the same statement in January. They could be making the same statement February,” he said.

Lawyer Americk Singh Sidhu, who is acting for the former private detective, had also suggested on January 1 the Bar Council “was a little hesitant in investigating this matter”, saying the regulator did not need to wait for more complaints and could of its own volition push for an inquiry panel to be set up.

Americk was also alleged by Haris to have expressed “great reservation” that Abraham could be implicated in the in the drafting of the second SD, and reiterated his suggestion that Abraham sue him to prove his innocence.

“I read Americk’s press release late last month where he expressed great reservations that you could be implicated in getting his client to swear to falsehoods.

“If the BC (Bar Council) is taking too long even for your own liking, I’ll offer you a way out to clear your name. Sue me,” he said.

‘Toothbrush maker financing Puspahanas’

Awan Megah, the company owned by Wanita Umno Selangor chief has not spent a single sen on the 2005 project and instead gained millions, said PKR.
FULL REPORT

KUALA LUMPUR: The multi-million defence project awarded to Awan Megah Sdn Bhd is fully financed by a company specialising in the manufacturing of toothbrushes, said PKR leader Rafizi Ramli today.

He said this meant that Raja Ropiaah, who owns Awan Megah, had not spent a single sen on the National Defence Education Centre (Puspahanas) project, despite having been given RM130 million and 223.33 acres of prime land in return for developing the centre.

Instead, he said, the Selangor Umno Wanita chief received multiple commissions for the project from three different companies – Deepak Jaikishan’s Astacanggih Sdn Bhd, Boustead Holdings Bhd (BHB) and toothbrush manufacturer GuppyUnip Sdn Bhd.

“It is clear that Awan Megah is just an ‘Ali Baba’ company – it has no activities, no capital and just works as a middleman to gain commission, much like the Perimekar company involved in the Scorpene scandal,” Rafizi told reporters at a press conference here.

As proof, the PKR director of strategy provided reporters with the latest summary of Awan Megah’s financial information from the Companies Comission Malaysia (CCM).

The documents revealed that Awan Megah had not conducted any financial activity since 1993, and was considered a dormant company. This was despite the fact that the then defence minister Najib Tun Razak had awarded the Puspahanas project to Raja Ropiaah in 2005.

Instead, copies of a private and confidental letter from the United Overseas Bank (UOB) to GuppyUnip showed it had approved a loan of RM79,250,000 for GuppyUnip in 2010.

The copy, which Rafizi distributed to reporters, said the purpose of the loans was for “issuance of financial guarantee favouring Awan Megah (M) Sdn Bhd”, “to pay Awan Megah Sdn Bhd” as well as to partly finance the “cost of earthwork and infrastructure costs on the subject property”, among others.

“This document proves Awan Megah is not going to spend a single sen on Puspahanas nor the development of 223 acres of land in Shah Alam. Everything would be covered by GuppyUnip,” said Rafizi.

“Worse still, the 223 acres of land is supposed to be for Awan Megah but the letter from UOB shows that GuppyUnip is covering the costs of the premium payment to the Selangor state government,” he added.

He said the bank document also revealed why the Puspahanas project was delayed for so long – it took five years for Awan Megah to find a partner which could provide it with the financial backing it needed.

Meanwhile, even the unfinished Puspahanas’ location remained a mystery to the public and Rafizi said he would attempt to visit the presumed construction site over the weekend.

“I heard that in the past five years, they have not managed to go beyond breaking the ground,” he said.

‘She won’t be able to escape’

Meanwhile, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin questioned what happened to the millions given to Raja Ropiaah for the defence deal.

“Last Wednesday, I made a statement for Raja Ropiaah to come forward. What would be done with the millions, since it won’t be used to fund Puspahanas?

“To enrich her family? To enrich Wanita Umno? The culture of taking the rakyat’s money for their own personal use is prevalent in Wanita Umno,” she said.

Zuraida said that should Raja Ropiaah choose to keep quiet over the missing funds, it would be to the latter’s detriment as PKR Wanita would go all out to expose the scandals she was hiding.

“We expect her to keep quiet, the way [Wanita Umno chief] Shahrizat Abdul Jalil did [over the National Feedlot Scandal]. But she won’t be able to escape,” she stressed.

Rafizi also explained that the reason Awan Megah needed to pull in partners such as carpet dealer Deepak and GuppyUnip to finance the project was because it was a “shell company.”

“Awan Megah is only a shell company, it has no expertise in construction. In fact, it has not run any activity at all, as you can see in the CCM documents.

“That is why when it was awarded Puspahanas, it had to rope in another company as a partner to actually manage the construction. And this is how Deepak came in,” he explained.

Deepak had alleged that he paid a substantial sum of money to the family of Najib so that the then defence minister would allow him to come in as a party in the Puspahanas project.

In return for financing Puspahanas, he was promised the 223 acres of land, which was eventually never given to him. He then sued Raja Ropiaah for breach of agreement but had recently dropped the lawsuit.

Najib must answer

Rafizi said that the prime minister was responsible for the Puspahanas fiasco as it was he who awarded the RM100 million privatisation deal to Raja Ropiaah’s company.

He flayed Najib for apparently awarding the project through direct negotiation to a company that had no experience in construction.

“Direct negotiation is quite common among BN. But at the very least, award the tender to a company with a track record of construction. No open tender is bad enough but at least negotiate with those companies that have experience,” Rafizi pointed out.

“As a defence minister, Najib committed corruption and bribery when awarding a project worth millions to Awan Megah, which is not even a capable construction company.

“He can give any excuse or explanation for this, but that is what you call bribery. It is clear corruption to give the project to a company owned by the Selangor Umno Wanita chief,” he added.

He also said Najib was indirectly responsible for the fact that GuppyUnip – a company that was formed recently in 2009 – was now managing the Puspahanas project.

Rafizi said he would be lodging a report over the matter with the police and MACC on Monday.

The PKR leader also refuted Lembaga Tabung Angkatan Tentera (LTAT) chairman Admiral Mohd Anwar Mohd Nor’s claim that Astacanggih had no bank loan.

LTAT vehicle Boustead Holdings BHD had come under fire for purchasing an 80% stake in Astacanggih for RM30 million, as well as Bukit Raja land worth RM130 million from Awan Megah.

“Mohd Anwar was wrong when he says Astacanggih has no loan. It has a RM90 million loan which the LTAT will have to take over,” Rafizi said when asked to comment on the issue.

“Najib has to be answerable to the armed personnel. These people struggle when they retire as they don’t receive pension; they just get receive a small compensation from LTAT.

“So if their money is not managed properly, then Najib must take responsibility for this.”

MIC upbeat on retaking lost Negeri seats

Two MIC state officials pour scorn on M Muthu Palaniappan, a defector to PKR.
INTERVIEW

SEREMBAN: Negeri Sembilan MIC chief T Rajagopalu and his predecessor VS Mogan deny the existence of factions within the party’s chapter in the state and scoff at the idea that it will be wiped out in the 13th general election, as suggested by defector M Muthu Palaniappan recently in an interview with FMT.

(Mogan is also the state assemblyman for Jeram Padang and MIC’s national information chief.)

FMT: Muthu claims there are factions in Negeri Sembilan MIC. Is that true?

Rajagopalu: No factions. If there were factions, we would not have won in Bagan Pinang at all the Indian-majority polling stations. We just have one leadership and Menteri Besar Mohamad Hasan knows this.

Mogan: There is no such thing. We are united. Rajagopalu and I always work together. We have no problems.

Do you think Muthu’s defection to PKR is a great loss to Negeri Sembilan MIC?

Rajagopalu: This party was created by professionals and it has always had great leaders, except for Muthu. None has left the party out of frustration over not getting party or government posts.

Muthu enjoyed plenty of benefits and perks when he was with MIC. He is an ungrateful person.

Actually, Muthu left after a few veteran leaders advised him against fighting for position, saying time was up for old leaders.

All I can say is that his defection shows that he is greedy for position. He wants the Telok Kemang parliament seat.

For my part, I realise that I’m already 60 and too old to be in a leadership position. I told the party president to field younger candidates in Negeri Sembilan for the coming general election. There are many young prospective leaders in the state. Let’s give them a chance. I prefer to concentrate on improving the party machinery.

But Muthu is already 74 years old and he still wants to contest in the 13th GE. This is a joke. If old timers keep wanting positions, how long must young leaders wait?

Mogan: Actually, he just wants the position. He wants the Telok Kemang parliament seat. Just watch out; if PKR doesn’t give him the chance to contest in Telok Kemang, he will quit PKR.

He has no principles. We won’t bother with him. He doesn’t carry any values for MIC. We don’t lose anything without him.

However, it is interesting that his son Muthu Raman is the current chairman for MIC’s branch in Seremban, the post that Muthu himself once held. The father is in PKR while the son is in MIC. This is interesting, right?

What is your comment on his claim that he had managed to take 2, 000 Indians to PKR and that these are mostly former MIC members.

Mogan: This is a joke. Show us where the 2,000 people are.

If the claim were true, MIC would have closed many MIC branches, but this is not the case. We have not closed any branch in recent years. Instead, we have managed to open many more branches.

Muthu claims that he is a winnable candidate in Telok Kemang. But even in PKR, there are people, including the party’s senior members, already questioning his intentions.

I have a Malay proverb as an advice to him. Ukurlah baju di badan sendiri.

What are Negeri Sembilan MIC’s chances in the coming GE?

Rajagopalu: We will contest again in one parliament and two state seats in Negeri Sembilan. We will win all these seats. With all the work we’ve done in Negeri Sembilan, I’m confident we will even get back the Telok Kemang and Port Dickson seats from PKR. And we will defend the Jeram Padang seat without any problem.

Recently, when PM Najib visited Paroi for the Janji DiTepati programme, thousands of Indians attended the function. This shows how strong the Indian support is, not only for MIC but for BN as well.

We have proven to everybody that we won in all the Indian majority polling stations in the Bagan Pinang by-election in 2009. These were the places where we lost totally during the 2008 election.

Is Muthu aware of all this? These are facts, not rhetoric.

We will prove to everybody that we’ll win all the seats we contest in Negeri Sembilan.

We have weekly courses and meetings with our grassroots leaders and we’re focusing on 13 Indian-majority polling stations all over Negeri Sembilan.

Mogan: Talking about my own constituency of Jeram Padang, two months ago I organised a BN Your Choice programme and the support was overwhelming. More than 3,000 people attended the function.

But there is talk that MIC might hand over Telok Kemang to Umno for fear that the party will lose the seat. The rumour is that MIC will contest in Jempol instead.

Rajagopalu: That is a wild rumour. There is no such thing as we surrendering the Telok Kemang seat.

Actually Telok Kemang is a safe seat in Negeri Sembilan. It doesn’t matter whether it’s MIC or Umno contesting there.

However, if the BN top leadership feels that it’s better that Umno contest in Telok Kemang for strategic reasons, we have no problem on that, especially since we will get a replacement seat, which is probably Jempol.

It’s not true that Negeri Sembilan MIC will end up without any parliament seat, as some rumours have suggested. According to these rumours, Negeri Sembilan MIC will be given another state seat to make it three.

As far as I know, MIC will contest in Telok Kemang, Port Dickson and Jeram Padang.

Sources have said that Mogan will contest in Rantau, which is currently held by Mohamad, the Menteri Besar. It seems Umno and MIC will swap Rantau and Jeram Padang.

Mogan: No. It’s not true. No swapping.

Rajagopalu, would you like to speak about any extraordinary achievement you have made as state MIC chairman?

Rajagopalu: During my first term as state assemblymen and state exco member, on behalf of the state MIC I managed to contribute RM3.5 million for the construction of the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology (AIMST) University in Kedah.

During my second term as state assemblymen and state exco member, in year 2006, I managed to build the state MIC headquarters at a cost of RM2 million.

Muthu was a three-term state assemblyman and exco member, but he failed to get any building for the state MIC. What he built during his term as state assemblyman and state party chairman were his own shop lots.

Disillusioned activist Sindu quits STAR

Exodus from STAR is expected with the exit of long-time Sabah human rights and consumer activist.

PAPAR: A well-known human rights and consumer activist, Patrick Sindu, has dropped a bombshell on surging State Reform Party (STAR). He is resigning from STAR to join another opposition party, PKR.

Sindu, who was STAR chief for Papar, said he had lost confidence in the party led by maverick Sabah opposition leader, Jeffrey Kitingan.

Sindu claimed there will be a mass resignation from STAR following his exit.

In a text message to his friends today, the former long-standing president of the now defunct Consumer Association of Sabah (Cash) said he will be joining PKR tomorrow.

“I am joining PKR at 2pm tomorrow at a PKR function at Kampung Sungkadon, Papar, to be witnessed by PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail,” he said.

When FMT called, Sindu said details of his reasons for leaving STAR would be disclosed in his exit speech at the Papar function.

“Please come tomorrow, you will hear it [the reason] in my speech…” he added.

It is rumoured that Sindu has been unhappy with the way STAR has treated him.

He has been particularly annoyed that Jeffrey had excluded him from the party’s long list of leaders to sign a transparency pledge with Transparency International (TI) in Kota Kinabalu a few months ago. Jeffrey had apparently chosen mostly “green horns”.

Sindu, a one-time United Nations’ human rights rapporteur for the Asia-Pacific region, who had been present at the TI function, was said to have been visibly upset at not being “recognised” as advocate of transparency and good governance.

There have also been talks of covert efforts within STAR to deny Sindu the opportunity to contest in the coming general election, possibly the Papar parliamentary seat, where he had once stood as an independent candidate.

‘Police must be held liable for custodial deaths’

The MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo says laws must be amended to make police officers responsible for deaths in detention.

KUALA LUMPUR: Police officers must be made liable for deaths of detainees in their custody, a DAP MP said today.

Gobind Singh Deo said today the government must consider amending the law to make police officers strictly liable for deaths of detainees in their custody.

The Puchong MP said this in the light of fatal police shootings that have been reported to increase 17-fold since 2001 – many often in dubious situations – but no convictions have been made except for the killing of 15 year-old Aminulrasyid Amzah and of A Kugan, who died under suspicious conditions in police custody.

“This means that the law should presume that the police officer under whom a person is detained for investigation is responsible for whatever happens to the detainee during detention unless the officer can prove otherwise,” Gobind said today in a press statement.

“The law should place the burden on them to then absolve themselves by showing that the injury or death was not due to any neglect or recklessness on their part,” he added.

The Puchong MP said the Barisan Nasional (BN) must “show seriousness” in combating the issue.

“If police officers are made strictly liable, they would take it upon themselves to ensure that detainees are adequately taken care of during the period of detention,” he explained.

He added this would include “taking all steps necessary to ensure that safeguard facilities available such as CCTV recorders are always in working condition”.

“It will also serve to push these officers to go strictly by law when conducting investigations,” he said.

Gobind insisted that unless the government take necessary steps, there will be no “significant change of attitude on part of the police to stop the assaults and deaths in police custody”.

According to police statistics as of August 2012, 147 people have died in police custody between January 2000 and February 2010.

The deaths included 64 Malays while in police custody, with 30 deaths among Chinese detainees, 28 Indians, eight other races, and 14 foreigners.