Is Zahid seriously suggesting that it is perfectly lawful and permissible to organise public demonstrations to offer RM1,200 to anyone to slap the PM, DPM or Home Minister?

By Lim Kit Siang,

Overnight, Malaysians are asking whether the law of the jungle have replaced the rule of law in the country on our way to a fully developed nation status in six years’ time in 2020.

This follows the shocking statement by the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who dismissed calls to investigate the organisers of Thursday’s chicken slaughter protest against DAP MP Teresa Kok, and who dismissed the RM1,200 reward offered by the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” who slaps Teresa saying “there is nothing to investigate as it is not a threat”.

He said: “Why do we need to investigate that?

“Slapping is not a threat. If they say murder, then it is a threat.”

Is Zahid seriously suggesting that it is perfectly lawful and permissible to organise public demonstrations to offer RM1,200 to anyone to slap the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister or the Home Minister?

Is the Home Minister advocating the law of the jungle instead of the rule of law? Then we are not heading towards a fully developed nation in 2020 but down the abyss to a failed state by the end of the decade!

Zahid’s dismissal of the country-wide police reports by DAP/PR MPs and State Assembly members against the 30-odd people in the “Council of Islamic NGOs” demonstration committing offences of criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against a woman MP and incitement of another May 13 riots, is the height of irresponsibility for a Home Minister and raises the question whether the Home Minister is committed to upholding the rule of law, peace and harmony in the country.

I want to ask Zahid whether his comments amount to a directive to the police not to investigate the police reports which have been launched countrywide by DAP and Pakatan Rakyat MPs, State Assembly members and leaders against the self-styled “Council of Islamic NGOs” for a battery of criminal offences, including criminal intimidation, sedition, incitement of violence against a woman MP and incitement for another May 13 riots?

Is Zahid also telling the Police that they should not investigate the Council of Islamic NGOs for breaches of the Peaceful Assembly Act in not giving the police 10 days notice for the assembly?

At Thursday’s chicken-slaughtering and blood-curdling demonstration, a spokesman of the Council of Islamic NGOs even raised the spectre of May 13 riots, saying that the blood of the slaughtered chicken was symbolic of the May 13 riots.

He even demanded that the government expel Chinese and Indian citizens who were not fluent in Malay from the country?

There are also Malays who are not fluent in Malay. Are they also to be expelled from the country?

If Zahid thinks that the above extremist and ultra statements and demands are perfectly legitimate and acceptable, then he is not fit to be Home Minister for all Malaysians.

I want to ask the new MCA leadership led by Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong whether they agree with Zahid that there is nothing wrong and therefore nothing to investigate with regard to the shocking and outrageous incidents of the the offer of RM1,200 to slap Teresa and the slaughter of chickens and smearing of the chicken blood on banner featuring DAP and Pakatan Rakyat leaders.

If not, are they prepared to take a principled stand including requisitioning of an emergency meeting of the Barisan Nasional Supreme Council as the very basis of a rule of law and a legitimate democracy have been brought into question by Zahid’s heretical statements, which completely repudiates the rule of law in Malaysia.

Groups laud stay of execution of death row prisoner

The Star

PETALING JAYA: Several groups have lauded the stay on the execution of P. Chandran, but warned that there are many others still in death row who are yet to be executed.

Amnesty International said the Government's move to halt Chandran's execution scheduled for Friday was a positive step forward.

"We are glad that Chandran Paskaran will not be put to death today (Friday), but his life is still at risk – his death sentence must be commuted immediately," said Isabelle Arradon, Amnesty International's Asia Pacific deputy director in a statement.

"It is shocking that it took an outcry from human rights groups for this postponement to happen. What about the other secretive executions Malaysia is planning to carry out that do not get the same attention?," added Arradon.

The execution of death row prisoner P. Chandran was halted after a reprieve from Johor Ruler Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, following pleas from his family.

The Bar Council welcomed the show of compassion and the swift intervention of the Sultan.

"The Malaysian Bar is heartened by, and, which resulted in the stay of execution of the death sentence on Chandran s/o Paskaran," said its chairman Christopher Leong in a statement.

Leong added that the Bar also commended the Prime Minister and the Government for their role in the matter.

"The Bar notes that the Malaysian Government has, since 2010, announced its willingness to re-look at the mandatory death penalty, with a view to its possible abolition or the reintroduction of a discretionary death penalty.

"In light of such review, the authorities and the Government should, in the interests of justice, impose an immediate official moratorium on any and all executions of the death sentence," said Leong.

Chandran, then 29, was sentenced to death in 2008 after a Johor Baru High Court convicted him for the murder of K. Muthuraman Krishnasamy, 36, by slashing him with a parang in front of the victim's house in Taman Puteri Wangsa, Ulu Tiram, at about 8.15pm on July 19, 2003.

The court found that Chandran and 11 others, who were still at large, had attacked the victim following an argument over a CD player.

Post-mortem results revealed that Muthuraman suffered 24 slash wounds all over his body.

Chandran's previous appeals at the Appeals and Federal Courts were dismissed.

Bukit Gasing being raped by MBPJ

BUKIT GASING IN PETALING JAYA IS UP FOR SALE: I don't think any one party can save it as GREEN LUNG anymore. We, human are the dangerous creature in this world. The future generation will loose the beautiful landscape of Malaysia. Who is responsible for all this? Responsible citizen should question their atrocities.

Soon this green lung will vanish, huge bungalows are being built all along the slopes...

This huge bungalow at Bukit Gasing is up for sale...

This tree is ear marked for chopping....

These poor creatures have no where to go....their home is being demolished...

Sivan temple being demolished...sign at the entrance gate to the temple...

This one near the temple : Parcel 25

Going up the hill on the right, left some huge bungalow is being constructed...

This old tree along the roadside is marked for chopping

Parcel 84 is along the snake temple road

Parcel 59 already sold

This is what happens to the nature when parcel of land in Bukit Gasing are sold for greed against nature

This parcel already bought by one Dato K Durai and the sign shows a bungalow will be up soon given approval by MBPJ

MBPJ do not respect Allah and his creation

NGO Melayu lumur darah ayam di poster pemimpin DAP, PKR

Christian girl abducted, converted and forced to marry a Muslim in Lahore

by Jibran Khan
The family of Samariya Nadeem staged a protest this morning in front of the city's press club. For the past three weeks, their 16-year-old daughter has been in the hands of a wealthy landowner. As police and the authorities fail to free her, the Catholic Church calls for justice on the family's behalf. But for Muslim cleric, it is "not illegal to abduct and convert non-Muslims".

Lahore (AsiaNews) - After a Pakistani Christian girl from Lahore (Punjab) was abducted by a Muslim landowner, she was forced to marry him after conversion to Islam. Her family reacted in a public protest, demanding justice from civil authorities.

Police and the courts have failed so far to act and return the girl to her parents. The local Catholic Church has instead backed the family, condemning the "widespread practice" of kidnapping young Christian and Hindu women to marry them forcibly to Muslims and reduce them to a "state of slavery".

The latest episode involves a 16-year-old girl, Samariya Nadeem (Masih), who was abducted and forcibly married to a rich landowner.

The abduction took place 22 days ago in Lahore's 270-TDA Layyah District when the young woman was on her way to school.

The family filed a complaint (First Information Report 14/14, under Section 365 B of the Penal Code) with the police for the abduction reporting that Samariya was taken against her will and forced to marry the man.

So far, police have failed to pursue any legal action against the local wealthy Muslim landowner who abducted the girl because of the influence he wields. Police investigators were also unable to talk to the bruised and terrified victim.

Anonymous police sources confirmed that the girl was "abducted" and forced to marry. However, an Islamic cleric involved in the affair said that it was "not illegal to abduct and convert non-Muslims".

This morning, the family organised a protest rally in front of the Lahore Press Club. Under Pakistani law, no one underage can be married without parental consent.

Civil society groups and human rights activists have appealed to Punjab's chief minister to take action and return Samariya to her parents and bring her abductor to justice.

Kidnapping and forced marriage have become a major issue in Pakistan, especially in southern Punjab and in the interior of Sindh province.

This is "very common in the region," said Fr Haroon James, a priest and activist in Lahore. Young women and girls "are forcefully converted and married to influential landlords who keep them as slaves."

Unfortunately, people seem to be increasingly "hopeless". For this reason, the Church has spoken out in the case, "demanding justice for her and the family." Yet, "Despite the fact that a FIR has been registered, the authorities have failed to act and protect the vulnerable," the priest added.

With a population of more than 180 million people (97 per cent Muslim), Pakistan is the sixth most populous country in the world, the second largest Muslim nation after Indonesia.

About 80 per cent of Muslims are Sunni, whilst Shias are 20 per cent. Hindus are 1.85 per cent, followed by Christians (1.6 per cent) and Sikhs (0.04 per cent).

Violence against ethnic and religious minorities is commonplace across the country, with Shia Muslims and Christians as the main target, with things getting worse.

Dozens incidents of violence have occurred in recent years, against individuals or entire communities, like in Gojra in 2009 or Joseph Colony in Lahore in March 2013, often perpetrated under the pretext of the country's blasphemy laws.

RM5,000 reward for info on Facebook user

MIC Youth slams MCMC for failing to locate Man Namblast, who said Hindus celebrating Thaipusam were demons.

PETALING JAYA: A RM5,000 reward awaits anyone who can help MIC Youth identify and locate a Facebook user who referred to Hindus as “syaitan”, an Arabic-derived Malay word that means “evil spirits” or “demons”.

The Facebook user, calling himself Man Namblast, made the derogatory remark in a comment on the recent Thaipusam festival at Batu Caves.

MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh made the offer today after what he said was a disappointing meeting with officials of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).

He told FMT the commission had failed to track down Man Namblast, who on Jan 17 posted a picture on his Facebook page with a caption that read: “Berpuluh ribu syaitan sedang berarak menaiki tangga Bt Caves,” which translates as “Tens of thousands of demons are marching up the stairs at Batu Caves.”

The Facebook page has been deactivated, but a screen shot of the posting has gone viral across social networks.

Sivarraajh said Man Namblast’s insult was compounded by another Facebook article defending it, posted by a user calling himself Mohd Hidayat.

“I urge the relevant authorities to take immediate action against the Facebook users Man Namblast and Mohd Hidayat,” he said.

“What has been done is a national threat and no apology will be accepted.”

Sivarraajh criticised MCMC for its failure to track down the two Facebook users.

“I was really surprised when MCMC officials told us they could not find out who Man Namblast was because, it seems, he used a fake account,” he said, adding that the officials also admitted to having no clue about Mohd Hidayat’s identity.

“Being a government body, MCMC is in the position to ensure information security and network reliability and integrity. So I am shocked that they cannot track a fake account.

“What will they do if someone threatens national security through a fake account?”

Sivarraajh said MIC Youth had in fact managed to find out Mohd Hidayat’s personal details, including his residential address.

“All the details have been given to MCMC and we want them to investigate immediately,” he said.

Family makes last minute plea to stop hanging

Shocking sex survey in primary school

Students asked to answer a five-page questionaire on their sexual activities and preferences.

SEREMBAN: A survey conducted in a national primary school in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, has shocked parents when the questions posed to the students were about their sexual activities and preferences.

The issue was brought to the press and the Negeri Sembilan Education department this morning by DAP’s Nilai state assemblyman, J Arulkumar, and Senawang state assemblyman, P Gunasekaran.

Arulkumar said he was approached by a parent of one of the students who took part in the survey last week and was told the five-page form contained questions on their sexual habits and orientations.

“The questions on the third page are really shocking. Question 2 asks students if they engaged in masturbation (melancap/masturbasi – merangsang diri sendiri secara seksual).

“Question 4…if they had sexual desires for their own gender (keinginan seks terhadap kaum (jantina) sejenis) and question 5 if they have had sex before?

“If the answers are in the afirmative, Question 6 follows:

“Do they change partners? (bertukar-tukar pasangan); have they had sex with own gender? (melakukan hubungan sejenis); and do they or their partners use condoms during sexual intercourse?”

Investigation underway


Arulkumar said all the questions had a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ option box for the students to tick their answers.

Gunasekaran said one parent was flabbergasted when his 10-year-old child asked for explanations (based on the questionnaires in the survey form), and brought up the matter to him and Arulkumar.

“The parent who brought up this issue to me told me that his child asked him what was sex, masturbation and other related questions on sex, based on the questions in the form.

“Arulkumar and I were unable to meet the state education department director Kalsom Khalid as she was in meeting when we went to lodge a complaint regarding the matter at her office this morning.

“However, Arul and I met the deputy director of communication and registration, Muhamad Rusli Abdullah and submitted the copy of the survey form,” said Gunasekaran.

Gunasekaran and Arulkumar said even though the state education department denied the survey was initiated by them, the department has to take the responsibility for allowing the survey in the school.

Meanwhile, Kalsom later said she was unable to give any comment just yet as she had initiated an immediate investigation into the matter.

Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan, when contacted, said he needs to check with the state education department first before commenting.

Muslim NGO slaughters chickens, offers RM1,200 to anyone who slaps Teresa Kok

(TMI) – Temperatures rose today after a Muslim NGO slaughtered two chickens and offered a RM1,200 reward to anyone who dared to slap Seputeh MP Teresa Kok as a sign of anger towards opposition leaders for allegedly insulting the Malay leadership and Islam.

Members of the Muslim NGO then smeared the blood of the slaughtered chickens on a banner featuring photographs of Kok, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Machang Bubuk PKR assemblyman Lee Khai Loon.

The act was carried out in Kuala Lumpur today as a sign of protest against the opposition leaders who were alleged to have insulted the “Malay leadership, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Islam and Malay dignity”.

The focus of the group, which called itself the Council of Islamic NGOs, was Kok and her Chinese New Year greeting video, entitled “Onederful” Malaysia CNY 2014.

The group had initially offered a reward of RM500 to anyone who dared to slap Kok and provided photographic evidence of their act. That sum was revised after the 50-odd protesters did a collection among themselves and came up with RM1,200.

Group leader Zulkfli Sharif said the reward is open to all Malaysians.

“This offer is open to anyone who can slap Teresa Kok. But they must provide a picture to claim the RM1,200,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

The group then stomped on the “faces” of the opposition leaders. The banner also contained reference to the May 13, 1969 racial riots.

Kok had lodged a police report yesterday over the numerous threats she had been receiving after her controversial Chinese New Year video went viral.

In an immediate response, Kok said she will lodge another police report on Friday.

“What the protesters did is total madness and the police must immediately take action against the person. Lawlessness and such open acts of encouraging violence must not be tolerated.” she said.

Lee Khai Loon irked Umno and some Malay NGOs when he had had organised a "I Love Kangkung" flash mob last month where he had stuffed an effigy of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak with kangkung (water spinach).

Guan Eng had refused to reprimand Lee but had said he will direct Pakatan representatives not to engage in provocative activities.

Kit Siang appeared to have been singled out as he had been critical of the ruling Barisan Nasional on a range of issues and in recent days has been steadfast in defending Kok’s Chinese New Year video satire. – February 6, 2014.

Malaysia’s Anwar Takes a New Dare

Anwar changes horses

Ousting a popular chief minister in his own party risks trouble but repositions him nationally
The surprise decision last month by Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to push aside Khalid Ibrahim, the respected chief minister of Selangor, one of the country’s two biggest states, and try to take the post himself is a complex gamble.
Among other things, it is designed to preserve or enhance Anwar’s standing as a national figure, according to political analysts in Kuala Lumpur, by giving him a state to run. Should he lose the March 23 state by-election that would give him the job – considered unlikely – it would consign him to political oblivion and make his Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) appear riven with factionalism.
Former state Assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh raised the curtain on the drama last month by resigning his seat in a Kuala Lumpur suburban district that would allow Anwar to stand for the state seat. That has upset many within the party who view it as an opportunistic move by Anwar and who have applauded Khalid’s stewardship of the state.
One think tank head joked that watching the opposition crack heads also gives Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak a respite from the barrage of personal attacks he has been under from the ruling Barisan Nasional’s right wing.
Helpful move
Whatever issues Anwar’s decision raises, strategically it settles the problem of a nagging internal party dispute, repositions him politically and resolves the issue of a popular but tight-fisted chief minister who has come under fire for refusing to spend money on infrastructure projects.
“Anwar will tackle national issues using a state platform,” said a longtime United Malays National Organization political operative. “I think he is going to give UMNO real trouble. It is a good move for the opposition, but it has put UMNO on the back foot. I think as Selangor chief minister he will give Najib a tougher fight.”
Although the decision was a surprise, it has been percolating since before last May’s general election, when some elements of the Pakatan Rakyat coalition were already pushing to replace Khalid, who has clashed with PKR party chief, Azman Ali, over a number of issues, including state contracting.
Khalid responded to the brewing challenge by leading the opposition coalition to a smashing victory based on his corruption-free stewardship of the state; the Pakatan Rakyat took 77 percent of the vote while the BN got just 23 percent.
Anwar, despite his leadership of the PR coalition, is said to have been frustrated because he lacks a platform to influence national politics and leading the coalition in parliament was not a sufficiently commanding arena. As chief minister, he would attend the Malaysia Conference of Rulers, where he can interact with the country’s nine sultans, who play a role in amending the constitution.
It would also give him a forum at the National Land Council, Finance Ministry and other key meetings with the federal government chaired by the prime minister. In the past, Anwar has shined in such gatherings, in contrast to Najib’s performance in front of key civil servants and ministers.
How do we spell G-O-D?
In any case, the decision to push Khalid aside was triggered in early January when religious authorities in Selangor seized hundreds of Malay-language bibles using the word “Allah” in reference to the Christian God. The issue has been boiling for months if not years, and appears to have been manufactured entirely by UMNO strategists, since Christians in the east Malaysia states of Sabah and Sarawak have been using the word to denote God for more than a century, as have Christians across the Middle East and Indonesia.
The states of Selangor and Penang in particular have become the focal point for a push by UMNO over the primacy of religious law, according to political observers, who say that despite Khalid’s reputation for running a clean and efficient state government, he didn’t push back sufficiently against the decision to seize the bibles.
“This religious police issue is exactly where Anwar should speak out,” the UMNO source said. A Malay political analyst agreed, saying Khalid has found it difficult to control religious officials who are constantly on the backs of Christians, Hindus and other minorities.
The opposition has grown concerned that it could lose ground in the next general elections in 2018 over the religion issue. Anwar figures he is the best person to resolve this. While that may not be true, he is certainly more decisive than Khalid.
“Make no mistake, the Allah and seizure of bible issues is not end of the story,” wrote Kim Quek, a PR strategist. “It is the beginning of a determined conspiracy built on race and religion to restore the hegemony of UMNO. It will go on and on until UMNO feels that its political supremacy is secured. Selangor government’s impotence to deal with what could have been a minor incident if promptly nipped in bud, has already caused widespread dismay among non-Malays for failing to protect minority rights. Imagine the consequence of similar incidents of greater magnitude and frequency hereafter.”
Wild card scenario
Khalid’s careful stewardship of the state’s contracts apparently also caused friction in the coalition because it meant that companies linked to the opposition Democratic Action Party as well as Anwar’s PKR were frozen out, whether the contracts were above-board or not.
“Khalid is a good administrator but he doesn't believe in spending money,” said another political analyst. “So he has a healthy cash surplus in the state coffers but in the outer areas, there is little infrastructure spending. That has been a source of frustration for the DAP and PKR who want contracts where they can, all UMNO-style, make some money for their politics. The DAP are also frustrated that the Chinese find it difficult to start sin businesses like massage parlors, karaoke and betting joints.”
One senior Malaysian political observer added a wild card, saying the Selangor post could also be linked to a complex game being played out over so-called unity talks that have been going on for several months between the opposition and the government. One of many stumbling blocks to forming a unity government would be the likely demand that Anwar, as leader of the opposition in parliament, be given a senior cabinet post or even some kind of co-prime minister's job by Najib, which is thought to be out of the question from the prime minister’s side.
"If Anwar is in the Selangor post that problem is out of the way," said the observer. "This move seems linked to the unity talks as a way to help the process along." As chief minister he would no longer be in parliament and would not be part of a possible unity government cabinet.
That is a questionable scenario, others say, pointing out that Anwar has pledged to retain his Penang area seat in the national parliament, which presumably would keep him in the leadership there as well.

Mine! Mine! Shafie is now digging a bigger hole for himself!

By Lim Kit Siang

Mine! Mine! Umno Vice President and Minister for Rural and Regional Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal seems to make himself a bigger fool and is now digging a bigger hole for himself.

I feel enormous sadness that we have Cabinet Ministers who cannot be humble and admit that they have made mistakes.

Let me tell the UMNO Ministers that there is nothing wrong with them admitting that they have made mistakes, and that in this case, Apdal had wrongly accused DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Seputeh Teresa Kok’s video “Onderful Malaysia CNY 2014” of lampooning the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu intrusion tragedy.

After all, UMNO Ministers are mere mortals. Even Homer nods!

Apdal’s mistake is all the more understandable and excusable as he did not understand Mandarin or Cantonese, the languages used in the video dialogue, and he could only have heard a garbled, inaccurate, biased and tendentious version of the video from his colleagues in the Barisan Nasional, whether MCA, Gerakan or Liberal Democratic Party, who have political axes to grind.

Apdal’s accusation that the video lampooned security forces and the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy made me, and I am sure very many Malaysians, to visit YouTube and check the video, and I find no reference whatsoever in it which could substantiate Apdal’s allegation of lampooning the Malaysian security forces and the Lahad Datu incident.

This is why I had invited Shafie to a public get-together with Teresa and he could come with his experts and advisers so that his team could publicly point out where the security forces or the Lahad Datu incursion tragedy had been the subject of ridicule by the video satire.

Today, Shafie was very dismissive when he publicly turned down my proposal to host a get-together for Shafie to watch the video clip together with Teresa Kok.

He said: “I have better things to do…I have a country to manage.”

Is Apdal aware that he had made a public confession that he had not even seen the video clip but he had the audacity to pass public judgment on it?

Is this the reason why former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad had said that the present Cabinet is full of “half-past six” Ministers?

There have been allegations that Teresa’s video is anti-Malay and anti-Islam. I invite those who made these allegations to step into the open to show where in the video there are anti-Malay and anti-Islam references.

Actually Teresa must thank Apdal, the Minister for Communications and Multimedia Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, and other misinformed and/or malicious Umno/MCA/Gerakan leaders who have brought the video to the attention of a larger audience than it would otherwise get.

In ten days, Teresa’s video on “YouTube” have exceeded 300,000 hits, with 3,825 likes and 2,159 dislikes – far exceeding the most popular That Effing Show on YouTube, “Let Them Eat Kangkung” which has scored 183,861 hits after three weeks though Teresa’s video still well behind the top “kangkung video”, the kangkung remix video by Yuri Wong which is just short of one million hits at 980,957 hits.

May be those who create videos in future should enlist Umno Ministers to help them publicise their works so as to get more hits on the Internet.

Toll Rates At 14 Expressways To Remain Unchanged

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 6 (Bernama) -- Toll rates at 14 expressways will remain unchanged following the government's announcement that there will no toll increase this year, Works Minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof said.

However, he said as a long-term solution, the ministry would carry out a comprehensive review on the existing toll concessions, as well as toll collection terms and conditions agreeable by the concessionaires.

"The ministry will fine-tune several options, such as restructuring the toll rates by taking into account the costs of operation and maintenance, traffic volumes, company's profit and losses, and facilities provided for the comfort of expressway users," he said in a statement here Thursday.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin Wednesday announced that there would be no toll rate hikes this year and that the government would need to pay RM400 million in compensation to the concessionaires involved.

Fadillah said the ministry would also meet with the concessionaires, as well as other relevant parties, to discuss and find short, medium and long terms solutions to the issue, and to create a win-win package for all quarters involved, namely the government, the people, the concessionaires and the investors.

The following are the 14 expressways where the toll rates would remain unchanged.

1. Ampang-Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (Akleh)

2. Western KL Traffic Dispersal System (Sprint) Expressway

3. New Pantai Expressway (NPE)

4. Stormwater Management and Road Tunnel (Smart)

5. Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway (Silk)

6. Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP)

7. Kajang-Seremban Expressway (Lekas)

8. Senai-Desaru Expressway (SDE)

9. Shah Alam-Kuang (Guthrie Corridor) Expressway

10. South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE)

11. Sungai Besi Expressway (Besraya)

12. Butterworth Outer Ring Road (Borr)

13. Maju Expressway (MEX)

14. Duta-Ulu Kelang Expressway (Duke)

Anwar: Smut and sodomy, what have I not seen?

Suicide bomb tears through Pakistani city of Peshawar just hours after peace talks with Taliban are delayed

• Attack came after authorities failed to turn up for peace talks with Taliban
• Nine people were killed and 30-40 injured, including some young children
• Blast ripped through hotel popular with Shiite Muslims and near a shrine

Nine people were killed today when a suicide bomb ripped through a hotel in Peshawar, hours after the Pakistani government failed to show up for peace talks with the Taliban.

Devastation: Police officials and rescue volunteers inspect the site of a suicide bomb blast at a hotel popular with Shiite Muslims in Peshawar, north-west Pakistan, where nine people were killed and 30-40 injured

The hotel popular with Shiite Muslims in the north-western Pakistani city was left a mangled mess of broken concrete, twisted metal and bloodstained furniture by the night-time blast.

A number of very young children are among the 30-40 people estimated to have been injured in the attack, which happened just yards from a Shiite mosque.

Suspicion is likely to fall on Sunni Islamic militants who view Shiites as heretics, although the Pakistani Taliban denied any involvement the bombing.

It came after authorities fouled up peace talks with the Taliban when their negotiating team failed to show up for a meeting set to take place in the capital, Islamabad.

Maulana Samiul Haq, a Pakistani cleric picked by the Taliban to represent them, claimed that the Pakistani government had bowed to American pressure to avoid the talks.

'We waited for the government team today, but they did not come,' he told reporters.

A child injured in the suicide bombing is treated at a nearby hospital: The attack came after authorities fouled up peace talks with the Taliban when their negotiating team failed to show up at a meeting in Islamabad

The child grimaces as a paramedic applies dressings to her wound: Maulana Samiul Haq, a Taliban negotiator, claimed that the Pakistani government had bowed to American pressure to avoid the talks

Medics hold down a screaming child as they attempt to treat his injuries: A member of the government's team claimed his side were waiting for the Taliban to confirm the identities of their negotiators before the meeting

A member of the government's team claimed his side were waiting for the Taliban to confirm the identities of their negotiating team. Rahimullah Yousufzai said that now confirmation had been sent, they were ready to meet.

'We did not meet with the representatives of the Taliban as we needed some clarity from them,' he said, adding: 'now we have received that clarification and the meeting will take place in the next two days.'

A man stands in the morgue of the Lady Reading hospital by the body of a relative who was killed in the attack

Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been pushing for negotiations over military operations to end militant violence in the country, where over 40,000 people in recent years have been killed in acts of terrorism.

Authorities blame most of the deaths on Pakistani Taliban.

Experts say militants began their campaign of violence in retaliation for the government throwing its weight behind the U.S.-led war in neighboring Afghanistan, as well as trying to meddle in the affairs of tribal areas.

The violence has put pressure on Mr Sharif to use force to put down the insurgency. In an apparent move to avoid any such operation, Pakistani Taliban recently agreed to the peace talks.

Security officials and rescue workers stand at the site of the bomb blast: Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has been pushing for negotiations over military operations to end militant violence in the country

Residents call rescue workers for help: Experts say militants began violence in retaliation for the government supporting the war in neighboring Afghanistan, as well as trying to meddle in the affairs of tribal areas

Over the weekend, the Taliban named a five-member committee, including ex-cricketer Imran Khan, to represent them in talks with the government.

Mr Khan, whose Tehreek-e-Insaf party runs the government in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Taliban's tribal strongholds, says the Taliban should select its own members as representatives.

He is strongly pro-negotiations and has led a campaign against U.S. drone strikes targeting militants in the northwest.

A man injured in the attack stands near the scene: More 40,000 Pakistanis have been killed in acts of terrorism in recent years, with most of the deaths blamed on militants linked to the hard-line Pakistani Taliban

In a statement, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, Shahidullah Shahid, prayed for the success of the talks. 'May God help these people in this noble task,' he said about Mr Haq and other Taliban negotiators.

Critics say several such peace initiatives in the past failed and only strengthened the militants.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2551712/Suicide-bomb-tears-Pakistani-city-Peshawar-just-hours-peace-talks-Taliban-delayed.html#ixzz2sUCdIWQD 

No toll hikes this year, Putrajaya to compensate RM400 million to concessionaires

Putrajaya today climbed down from its earlier plans to raise toll rates after facing growing revolt on the ground against price hikes and subsidy cuts that has made ministers the butt of jokes in Malaysia.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (pic) said the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government decided not to raise toll rates this year as part of its plan to tackle the rising cost of living.

He said the move will cost the government RM400 million which has to be paid as compensation to the various toll concessionaires, which Putrajaya said it could not afford under a plan to cut the federal deficit. Putrajaya had earlier raised electricity rates by 15% and pump prices rose 20 sen per litre, saying it had to cut the energy subsidy bill that costs some RM24 billion a year.

Muhyiddin chaired special cabinet committee to tackle the rising cost of living today where the decision to keep current toll rates was made, The Star Online reported.

Muhyiddin also announced an allocation of RM120 million to Fama, Nekmat and Nafas to ensure sufficient food supply in the market.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar had last year said that it was impossible to stop toll rate hikes this year due to the concession agreement between the government and highway concession companies.

He said Putrajaya had to fork out RM400 million in compensation to toll concessionaires after it froze a revision of the toll rates that were meant to be implemented in 2011 under the concession agreement.

PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said Putrajaya could put off plans to raise toll rates as it owned or held major stakes in toll concessionaires which gave it decision-making powers.

In refuting Putrajaya’s claim that the hike was “unavoidable”, Rafizi said that the move is totally unjustified as toll operators were making an “obscene” amount of profit with minimal cost.

“What has been hidden from the public’s view so far is the fact that most largest toll concessionaires are owned by government-linked companies,” the PKR strategic director told reporters here.

He had described the financial transactions between Putrajaya and the toll concessionaires as “going from the left pocket to the right pocket”.

“The other misleading statement made by government – it is as if the whole highway system is completely privately funded. It is not, because it involved a lot of government guarantees,” he added.

Rafizi noted that the North-South Expressway Project – which handles, among others, the North-South Expressway, the North Klang Valley Expressway and Central Link Expressway – is wholly owned by government funds such as Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees’ Provident Fund (EPF).

The proposed toll hike had prompted a survey by the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) which showed that 15% of respondents estimated a 25-30% increase in transportation cost as a result of the proposed increase in toll rates by concessionaires in the Klang valley.

FMM said the increase would be from hike in transportation charges by logistics service providers, increase in price of raw materials and increase in travelling claims of their marketing staff who use these highways on a daily basis.

“The hike in toll rates would result in an increase in the prices of goods and raw materials, and subsequently increase the operating cost of manufacturers.

“This increase in operating cost would eventually be passed down to consumers,” it said in a statement.

It said, given the recent increase in electricity rates, the proposed toll hikes would put pressure on inflation, dampen domestic consumption and affect export competitiveness. – February 5, 2014.

Ambiga ticks off EC, all by-elections unexpected

 

Since opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim started the ball rolling on the Kajang by-election, there has been an endless stream of allegations about diabolical plots being hatched.

And now, the Election Commission has opened another window for speculation by delaying the polls for the state assembly seat, whose incumbent had quit on Jan 27, until March 23 - a gap of almost two months.

Under the election laws, EC has 60 days to hold the by-election and the polling day announced by the commission today is just a few days shy of the deadline.

After announcing the nomination and polling dates, EC chief Abdul Aziz Yusof took pains to explain the reasons behind the holdup.

But his bizarre reasoning that the by-election was "unexpected" left one of his staunchest critics in stitches.

Struggling to contain her laughter, former Bersih chairperson S Ambiga reminded him that all by-elections are unpredictable unless the commission has a crystal ball which could foretell impending deaths, resignations and disqualifications.

"EC's reasons for the delay in holding the by-election late do not make sense at all. Particularly, the statement that it is unexpected. Of course it is!

"By-elections are always unexpected. No one can anticipate them," she said.

Some claim that the by-election is being dragged because BN is still unable to find a suitable candidate to challenge Anwar and stop him from becoming the next Selangor menteri besar.

There is also the speculation that Umno wants the seat, believing that it stands a better chance with the 48 percent Malay voters as opposed to MCA with the 40 percent Chinese electorate.

But for Liow Tiong Lai (left) to concede the seat to Umno would be interpreted as a sign of weakness and put the newly minted MCA president in the line of fire.

Compounding the problem, Liow's camp had in the past criticised his predecessor for giving MCA seats to Umno in the previous general election.

Need for extensive preparations

Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz also revealed that the holdup was due to the EC needing to carry out extensive preparations.
      
These, he added, include preparing a complete and clean voter roll, identifying suitable voting, nomination and vote-tallying centres, and conducting training to prevent repeat of past errors such as in the filling out of ‘Borang 13' and ‘Borang 14'.

Abdul Aziz also said time was needed to arrange for indelible ink supply and to have it brought back here.

This prompted the question if the EC had been lackadaisical in terms of preparation in previous by-elections that were held soon after the seats fell vacant.

The Kajang seat fell vacant after state assemblyperson from PKR, CC Lee, quit to force a by-election to pave the way for Anwar to become menteri besar.

Eyebrow-raising statement

While PKR defended the move on the ground that Selangor needed strong political leadership to check Umno from stoking racial and religious tension, the opposition party came under fire, even from its supporters, for manipulating the democratic process.

Ambiga's successor Maria Chin Abdullah (right) also found the EC chief's remark to be strange.

"It is another eyebrow-raising statement from the EC chief, one that reveals his political bias.

"This by-election is no more unexpected than past ones, especially those arising from the death of elected reps.

"Why is the EC chief singling this one out as an excuse for holding out on the polls to the maximum timeframe allowed by the law?" she asked.

Maria also reminded the EC that it is their responsibility to ensure elections are conducted free and fair.

"A repeat of how they conducted themselves at the 13th general election will not be acceptable to all Malaysians," she added.

Waytha: Suspend all death sentences

Putrajaya must stop the execution of a man this Friday until it has decided on the recommendations to abolish capital punishment.

PETALING JAYA: Human rights movement Hindraf today called on the government to suspend all death sentences pending Putrajaya’s decision to look into Human Rights Council’s recommendations by March 2014.

Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, who is also a deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, said Putrajaya had agreed during the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) at the Human Rights Council in Geneva in October 2013 to heed the call made by the international community to abolish death sentence.

“The government had committed to respond to the Human Rights Council by March 2014 on the recommendations made,” he said today.

He added that the call for the abolition of the death sentence in Malaysia has been in place since October 2012 when the then da facto law minister Mohamed Nazri Aziz had expressed his intention to move a moratorium bill to abolish death sentence in Malaysia.

Waythamoorthy said that a public survey conducted in July 2013 also found that the public was favourable in abolishing death penalty.

“With this progress taking shape, it is time for the government to suspend all death sentences until it has decided on the death penalty by March as it had promised the Human Rights Council,” he said.

He added that for starters, the Attorney General’s Chambers can take immediately steps in suspending the execution of one P Chandran which is scheduled to take place this Friday (Feb 7) in Kajang prison.

“A death sentence is incompatible with human rights and human dignity as it violates the right of life which is most basic human rights.

“Therefore we also urge the Bar Council, Suhakam and all like-minded civil societies to lend their support in safeguarding and promoting human rights by voicing together in an effort to halt the impending execution of Chandran,” he added.

He also pointed out that neighbouring Singapore too had amended its laws in regards to death sentence in July 2013, and in November 2013 had substituted MalaysianYong Vui Kong’s death sentence with a life imprisonment.

The long wait for Kajang polls

An analyst says people are being given more time to gripe about PKR's choice of Anwar.

PETALING JAYA: The Election Commission’s choice of March 23 for polling in Kajang is uncommon in that the date is just five days short of the legal deadline.

The law requires a by-election within 60 days of a seat being vacated. In Kajang’s case, the seat will be vacant for 55 days.

The practice has been to have by-elections at the earliest date possible. For example, the Kuala Besut by-election was held 28 days after assemblyman Abdul Rahman Mokhtar died and the Sungai Limau polls 39 days after Azizan Abdul Razak died.

Political analyst James Chin of Monash University said the delay would give people more time to voice their dissatisfaction with PKR’s choice of Anwar Ibrahim as its candidate.

“More and more complaints will be made against Anwar,” he told FMT.

Asked to comment on speculation that the delay may have something to do with the Court of Appeal’s proceedings in the sodomy case against Anwar, Chin said BN was doing a “stupid thing” if it had influenced the Election Commission into delaying the polls for this reason.

“It will backfire,” he said.

“If Anwar is found guilty, PKR will put a replacement candidate, and that candidate will win by a landslide as there would be massive sympathy for PKR.”

The government has appealed against last year’s High Court acquittal of Anwar and the Appeal Court is set to hear the case on Feb 12 and 13.

Chin also said the by-election was a “complete waste of time” and BN “should simply give Anwar a walkover.”

But another analyst, Khoo Kay Peng, said BN had the democratic right to choose whether to field a candidate or not.

“However, even if BN does not field a candidate, I am sure other candidates will contest in the by-election,” he said.

He agreed with Chin that there is no significant connection between the sodomy case and the fate of the by-election. If the Appeal Court were to find him guilty, he said, Anwar would have to face the music whenever the by-election would be held.

However, he acknowledged that if PKR were forced to replace Anwar as its candidate, it would be frustrated in its alleged purpose for forcing the by-election—to depend on his political savvy to resolve the dispute between Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

Mat Taib ketepikan kepentingan peribadi sokong Anwar di Kajang

Sebab itu saya pesan kepada BN, jangan cuba jadikan PRK Kajang sebagai tempat menyerang isu peribadi.

PETALING JAYA: Biarpun Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim pernah mengenakan Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib tetapi bekas Menteri Besar Selangor itu tetap menyeru pengundi PRK Kajang menghukum BN pada 23 Mac ini.

Menurut beliau, PRK Kajang adalah peluang kepada rakyat Malaysia untuk menghukum Barisan Nasional (BN) yang gagal menunaikan janji pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-13 (PRU-13) lalu.

Ketika beliau menjadi menteri besar, beliau ditangkap di Australia membawa masuk wang tunai sebanyak RM2.5 juta yang dikatakan dilapor oleh para pegawai Anwar kepada Imigresen Australia.

Muhammad yang merupakan dari pasukan wawasan selain dari Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin yang diketuai Anwar telah menyingkirkan Ghafar Baba dalam pertandingan Umno pada tahun 1993.

Sejak penangkapan beliau, beliau menyalahkan Anwar yang mahu menjatuhkannya dan apabila keluar dari Umno, beliau menyertai PAS dan bukannya PKR milik Anwar Ibrahim.

Memetik laporan Keadilan Daily, bekas Menteri Besar Selangor itu berkata, pengundi Kajang mewakili sentimen seluruh rakyat Malaysia yang berang terhadap kenaikan harga barang dan perkhidmatan ekoran kegagalan pengurusan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“Tapi, Umno-BN jangan fikir bahawa rakyat lupa. Dengan kenaikan harga barangan dan kos sara hidup yang meningkat, sudah tentu BN akan menghadapi ujian besar.

“Dan mereka (BN) jangan cuba mengalihkan pandangan rakyat daripada isu besar,” kata Muhammad.

Beliau berkata, PRK Kajang adalah waktu yang tepat kepada rakyat untuk membuat penilaian antara BN dan Pakatan Rakyat (PR).

Katanya, PRK Kajang juga tidak harus digunakan BN untuk menjatuhkan pihak lawan dengan pelbagai serangan peribadi.

“PRK Kajang bukannya isu peribadi. Sebab itu saya pesan kepada BN, jangan cuba jadikan PRK Kajang sebagai tempat menyerang isu peribadi.

“Isu peribadi sudah tidak laku. Tidak payah bawa isu remeh temeh kerana yang penting adalah masa depan rakyat dan negara.

“Isu hutang negara, isu subsidi yang ditarik balik. Ini yang lebih penting, selain ada isu lebih besar yang perlu disentuh dan dibahaskan,” katanya.

Broadening the mix of political options

Local government elections could be a testing ground for newer and smaller parties to prove themselves

Azmi Sharom, The Star

THIS entire Kajang debacle appears to be about changing the Mentri Besar. According to an interview I read, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is of the opinion that although he is a good manager, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim does not have the political savvy to deal with the type of attacks the Selangor government has been facing.

Issues which inflame heated emotions need an experienced politician (like Anwar) to deal with them, not a chief executive officer (like Khalid). Yeah, well, whatever.

It is very wearisome to me, all this political wrangling.

Frankly, I couldn’t care less about internal party politics.

What I want is a government that in my view is as good as a government can be. I won’t discuss what I mean by that because that would require a separate article by itself.

So, as long as the mentri besar does his job well, he or she can be whoever the winning party believes should lead them.

Aha, but it is not so simple, is it? Because we don’t have a presidential system of government, we don’t actually have a direct say on whom we want to be the mentri besar.

And even if I am rather blasé about the whole thing, it does not mean my fellow Selangor residents feel the same way.

The sounds that I hear are generally those in favour of Khalid staying; those in favour of Anwar taking over; and those who can live with either of them but not Azmin Ali.

I don’t really know what to think because it is not as if Pakatan Rakyat have been very open about the whole thing, have they?

There is such coyness when talking about whether there actually is going to be a change in boss. And the reasoning as to why such a thing should happen has been very vague.

Like I said, I don’t have strong feelings about the issue. But if you do, what can be done about it?

I think the only option is to make your state assemblyman know what your feelings are on this matter.

They have to know what the citizens of Selangor think and hopefully they will make their minds up accordingly; because at the end of the day it is the person who has the confidence of the state legislature who will be the MB and the state legislators are voted in by us.

This raises another point and that is the role of the Sultan of Selangor in this matter.

It is true that the Sultan has the discretion to choose the MB. However, discretion here has a very special meaning. It means that choosing an MB is one of the things that the Sultan can do without advice from the government.

This does not mean that he can pick simply anybody. His discretion is limited because he has to pick someone whom he believes has the confidence of the house.

This of course makes democratic sense because it ultimately respects the choice of the people, albeit in an indirect manner.

The people can’t choose the MB themselves, but by voting in a particular party or coalition, then there is an implied consent that their chosen group should have a say on who becomes the top honcho.

If the Sultan chooses just any person and the house disagrees with the Sultan’s choice, then they may very well hold a vote of no confidence against the MB once the house is in session.

This could lead to a sticky constitutional crisis. But, and this is a big but, all this depends on Anwar Ibrahim actually winning Kajang and Khalid Ibrahim actually resigning from his post as Mentri Besar.

Who knows what will happen.

This brings to mind another democratic question.

I am sorry if I am meandering all over the place. I think I may have overdosed on mandarin oranges.

I was wondering; if we, the people, get fed up with either Barisan or Pakatan, what choice do we have?

Not much really. I know there are many other political parties which are not the current big guns, but Malaysian politics is rather like Spanish football – two big teams and then everyone else (with apologies to Atletico Madrid fans).

What can be done to add to this mix?

I believe it is hard for smaller parties or new parties to make good because we don’t have local elections. Imagine if we had local elections, then a smaller party could prove themselves at that level.

We can see how well or badly they work and there would be recognition which then could be built upon to go to the state and then federal level of politics.

Local politics allows the smaller parties to get a taste of government at relatively low costs as campaigning in a local government area is a lot cheaper than state or federal level.

Also, it gives the people an opportunity to give them a chance and to see what they can do.

At the very least, local government elections would open up the opportunities for those who want to be directly part of the democratic process. Maybe that is what we need right now; a bit more choice.

Azmi Sharom (azmisharom@yahoo.co.uk) is a law teacher.

The Bible is inaccurate and camels prove it, archaeologists claim

Camels came to the south Levant in the 9th century BC
Archaeologists have cast doubt on the accuracy of the Bible after uncovering new evidence about camels.

Carbon dating suggests the animals were not domesticated in Israel until the 9th century BC - hundreds of years after they were depicted in the Old Testament.

Camels feature in biblical stories involving Abraham and Joseph.

The research was carried out by Erez Ben-Yosef and Lidar Sapir-Hen of Israel's Tel-Aviv University.
A statement from the university, reported in the Times of Israel, said the discrepancy “is direct proof that the [Biblical] text was compiled well after the events it describes”.

The archeologists found camel bones in layers that dated from the last third of the 10th century BC or later, long after they feature in the Bible.

Sweden, bebaskan mereka?

Sinar Harian 
by SYAHREDZAN JOHAN

Baru-baru ini, negara dikejutkan dengan berita tentang pasangan warga Malaysia yang ditahan di Sweden. Mereka ditangkap kerana isu pukul anak bagi mendidik anak tersebut untuk bersolat. Anak-anak mereka, empat orang kesemuanya, ditempatkan di sebuah rumah jagaan sementara.

Penulis tidak arif tentang undang-undang Sweden. Apa yang penulis tahu datangnya daripada laporan yang disiarkan dan sedikit kajian melalui internet. Menurut maklumat, Sweden telah lama mengharamkan sebarang jenis hukuman fizikal ke atas kanak-kanak dan pasangan tersebut ditangkap mengikut undang-undang Sweden tentang perkara itu.

Setiap negara berdaulat bebas menggubal undang-undang mereka sendiri. Itulah alasan yang sering kita gunakan untuk menjustifikasikan undang-undang sedia ada. Mana-mana orang luar juga wajar mengikut undang-undang tempatan. Ini juga sering digunakan apabila kita mengambil tindakan terhadap warga asing. Tidak timbul isu bahawa kerana mereka warga Malaysia, undang-undang Sweden tidak boleh diguna pakai.

Juga mengikut laporan, semua tindakan pihak berkuasa Sweden sehingga kini adalah mengikut undang-undang Sweden. Tidak ada dakwaan yang sebaliknya. Jadi, sekiranya semua tindakan pihak berkuasa adalah mengikut undang-undang, atas dasar apa boleh penahanan mereka dicabar? Jika tindakan pihak berkuasa Sweden adalah ‘betul’ di sisi undang-undang, apa lagi tindakan yang boleh diambil?

Di sini hak asasi manusia memainkan peranan.

Pada pendapat penulis, isunya bukan kebebasan beragama. Kebebasan beragama tidak merangkumi kebebasan untuk memukul anak atas sebab ingin mendidik agama. Juga, sukar untuk berhujah bahawa mana-mana ibu bapa mempunyai ‘hak’ untuk menghukum kanak-kanak secara fizikal. Apatah lagi apabila dibandingkan dengan hak kanak-kanak itu sendiri untuk dilindungi daripada tindakan fizikal daripada sesiapa pun.

Tetapi adalah menjadi hak asasi seorang manusia, tidak kira di mana, untuk tidak dikenakan tahanan, tangkapan atau pembuangan secara arbitari atau sewenang-wenangnya. Juga, terdapat hak untuk dianggap tidak bersalah sehingga dibuktikan kesalahannya di dalam perbicaraan yang terbuka dan yang mana dia diberi kesempatan untuk membela diri.

Di Sweden, seseorang yang disyaki melakukan kesalahan boleh ditahan reman. Menurut laporan, mereka telah ditahan sejak bulan lepas. Mereka akan dibawa ke mahkamah untuk dilanjutkan reman setiap 14 hari, dan tarikh penentuan reman seterusnya adalah pada akhir bulan Januari. Berbeza dengan Malaysia, reman ini boleh dilanjutkan seberapa banyak kali tanpa ada tempoh maksimum.

Pada ketika ini, pasangan tersebut tidak dihadapkan ke mahkamah atas apa-apa tuduhan. Oleh itu, sekiranya mereka terus ditahan dan reman mereka dilanjutkan, ia seperti menghukum mereka sebelum mereka didakwa, dibicarakan, diberi peluang membela diri mahupun kesalahan mereka dibuktikan. Bukankah ini bertentangan dengan hak asasi manusia?

Berbeza dengan Malaysia, hak asasi manusia boleh diguna pakai sebagai alasan untuk mencabar sesuatu tindakan secara asasnya mengikut undang-undang. Ini kerana, hak asasi melangkaui undang-undang tempatan dan tidak boleh dinafikan, disekat atau dicabul oleh undang-undang tempatan. Kes-kes dari Sweden juga boleh dibawa ke Mahkamah Hak Asasi Manusia Eropah.

Di samping itu, keinginan anak-anak pasangan tersebut juga wajar diambil kira. Sekiranya mereka tidak mahu dijaga oleh penjaga bukan Islam contohnya, pihak berkuasa Sweden wajar melaksanakan keinginan mereka, melainkan terdapat sebab-sebab yang perlu dan munasabah demi kepentingan mereka untuk tidak berbuat demikian.

Ya, hak asasi manusia, yang begitu dimomokkan oleh sesetengah pihak, yang dikatakan merupakan konsep Barat yang tidak sesuai atau serasi dengan kita di Malaysia, bahkan diperangi habis-habisan, hak asasi inilah yang boleh diguna pakai oleh pasangan tersebut, yang ditahan kerana mendidik anak mereka tentang kepentingan bersolat.

*Penulis seorang peguam muda yang mengamal undang-undang sebagai rakan kongsi di sebuah firma guaman di Kuala Lumpur.

Put Aside Differences For Country's Continued Progress - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak Wednesday night invited Malaysians to make a commitment together to continued development of the country by putting aside differences and looking instead at what they share.

The prime minister urged the people to work together with mutual respect and responsibility, focusing on their common destiny.

"As we look beyond developed-nation status, we must focus our energies on building a sustainable source of talent, those who will carry forward the momentum that began five decades ago in Merdeka Square," he said.

Najib said this in his speech which carried the theme, 'Contribution to the Nation' at the 2013 Merdeka Awards presentation to five recipients, here.

Tan Sri Arsyad Ayub and Raja Tan Sri Muhammad Alias were joint recipients under the Education and Community category, Dr Lim Boo Liat (Environment), Tan Sri Dr Yahya Awang (Science and Technology) and Prof Emeritus Datuk Dr Lam Sai Kit (Outstanding Scholastic Achievement).

Najib presented the awards in the presence of the Regent of Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin shah, who is also the chairman of the Merdeka Award board of trustees.

The prime minister noted that since independence, sustained rapid economic growth had raised Malaysia from an agricultural and commodity-based economy to become one of the world's top trading nations.

"Our sound economic performance has helped improve the quality of life for Malaysians, supporting huge advances in education, healthcare, infrastructure, housing and public amenities," he said.

Najib stressed that the country's hopes and prospects rested on the new generation of young Malaysians who would steer the nation to greater heights.

On the 2013 Merdeka Award recipients, he said they boasted a combined legacy that had benefited generations of Malaysians, past and present.

"Their achievements - in education, rural reform, conservation, healthcare and medical research - have made a significant contribution to the nation's story," Najib said.

Najib pointed out that when his father, the country's second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein wanted to turn Mara College into an institution focusing on developing the talents the country needed, he entrusted Arshad with the task.

"Tan Sri Arshad has shaped Malaysia's education landscape, developing professional education, and pursuing education reforms and innovation that have opened up a world of opportunities to students in Malaysia," he said.

Najib said the country had also relied on experts like Raja Alias who not only helped develop the palm oil commodity but also made a difference to the lives of numerous rural communities.

He paid glowing tributes to the other recipients as well.

"These five gentlemen, and the teams who worked alongside them, have left their mark on Malaysia's history. They have also laid the foundations for future success," he said.

Since its founding in 2007, the Merdeka Award has recognised 22 exceptional individuals and two organisations, each serving as role models and for the post-Merdeka generation to emulate.

Also present were Raja Puan Besar of Perak Tuanku Zara Salim, the prime minister's wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Petronas chairman Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan and Shell Malaysia chairman Iain Lo.

Meanwhile, Raja Nazrin said the Merdeka Award had always been about reaching "the highest of heights".

He said the award drew as inspiration the efforts of the nation's founding fathers, who came together to unite under one flag and set the nation's growth and success as their aim.

"These are the values that anchor the 'Spirit of Merdeka' and which we, at the Merdeka Award, have made the mission to cultivate and nurture among the people of Malaysia," he said in his speech at the event.