Malaysia’s Allah Issue Seen from Afar

A former US ambassador to Malaysia sounds the alarm

Like other friends of Malaysia overseas, I have followed the controversy over the use of the word "Allah" with interest, but also with great concern. For I believe that this issue, if left unchecked, has the potential to tear Malaysia and the dream of "Bangsa Malaysia" apart.

While there are racial and religious issues in every society, what makes the situation in Malaysia different is that it is the government that has condoned and even provoked these tensions for its own political purposes.

For years, UMNO justified its existence by saying that the Malays are under threat, and that only UMNO could defend “the Malay race”.

After the 13th general election, in which UMNO candidates received only 30 percent of the national vote – and in which BN as a whole got only 47 percent – it had two choices. It could broaden its appeal or it could narrow it by trying to appeal to the PAS voter base, for whom religion rather than race is a more important concern.

Unfortunately, UMNO chose the latter course and started to play the "Muslim" card. Now, according to the government and UMNO, it is not just Malays, it is also Islam that is under threat. As for the "Malay" card, UMNO increasingly has gone to the extreme, pandering to extreme racist elements, starting with PERKASA.

The irony of the “Malays/Islam under threat” claim, of course, is that in Malaysia, both Malays and Muslims are the majority. And UMNO controls the government. So how can the Malay race and the Muslim religion in Malaysia be under threat?

To UMNO’s leadership, it doesn’t matter. There is no need to explain. They just speak and offer no evidence, and use their propaganda instruments - Bernama, RTM, Utusan Malaysia, the New Straits Times, etc – to spread the word.

From an international perspective, they also make assertions that are totally out of line with Islamic thinking and practice in the rest of the world.

Think about it – Malaysia is the only country in the world that ignores history and linguistics and dares to ban non-Muslims from uttering the word "Allah." Like Humpty Dumpty, the Malaysian government stands alone – and claims for itself the right to decide what words mean and what words people may read, write, think, and speak.

How can Prime Minister Najib Razak, his government, and its supporters justify their actions, when no one else in the Islamic world agrees with them? When Islamic scholars like Reza Aslan say, “We are laughing at you,” how do they respond?

They don’t. Because they don’t know what to say. They seem to be living on their own planet.

Actions, not just words

But it is not just what Najib and his government say, it also is what they have done.

It is the government that seized more than 20,000 Bibles in 2009.

It is the government that banned the use of the word "Allah" in the Catholic weekly The Herald.

It is the government’s Police Force that joined the recent raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia, confiscating over 300 bibles without a search warrant.

It is the government’s religious affairs department, JAKIM, that directed mosques throughout Malaysia to say, without citing any evidence, that Islam is “under threat,” that Christians and Jews are “enemies of Islam,” and that Christians are responsible for turning Muslims against each other and tricking them into losing their rights.

It is Najib’s cabinet that stood silently by and decided not to enforce its 10-point plan to restore religious peace and harmony in the nation.

It is the government that refused to take any action after the leader of PERKASA called for the burning bibles.

There is no greater example of uniformed assertions than former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s recent claim that Christians have “no right” to use the word "Allah." Because he is Mahathir, he just says it, and he expects everyone to agree.

As the saying goes, everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but not to their own facts. In this case, history and the facts are not on Mahathir’s side. Mahathir is totally, 100 percent, wrong.

The word "Allah" was used by Arabic-speaking Christians for centuries before the birth of the Prophet and the rise of Islam. Indeed, archaeologists have found an Arabic-language Christian Bible (the Mt Sinai Arabic Codex 151), that is nearly 1,300 years old, in which God is called "Allah."

Indeed, someone might ask what right Muslims have to say the word "Allah," when it was used first by Christians? Who is violating whose rights?

The answer is simple – even though Jews and Christians used it first, they would never deny Muslims the right to say the word "Allah." Because while over the years, men and women have practiced and interpreted our religions in different ways, in the end we all worship the same God – the God of Abraham, the Creator of the Universe.

So here is the question. In the entire Islamic world, why is it only in Malaysia that people claim that uttering or writing the word "Allah" is the exclusive right of Muslims? Why is it only in Malaysia, and nowhere else in the world, that some Muslims say they will be “confused” if other people – Christians – use the word "Allah" when they worship inside their own churches, or when they read the Bible in the privacy of their own homes?

What makes Muslim Malaysians different from the other 1.5 billion Muslims in the rest of the world? I would like Malaysian advocates of the "Allah" ban to explain this, not to me (a Christian), but to explain it to the rest of the Islamic world.

Dangers of ‘quick research’

The senior judge in the Allah appeal, Mohamed Apandi Ali, wrote in his opinion that through his “quick research” on the history of the language of the Bible, “it is clear that the word ‘Allah’ does not appear even once as the name of God or even of a man in the Hebrew scriptures. The name ‘Allah’ does not appear even once in either the Old or New Testament.

“There is no such word at all in the Greek New Testament. In the Bible world, God has always been known as ‘Yahweh’, or by the contraction ‘Yah.’ That being the historical fact, it can be concluded that the word or name ‘Allah’ is not an integral part of the faith and practice of Christianity.”

Justice Apandi’s judgment clearly shows the dangers of “quick research.” He should have spent a little more time on the web. But because he refers to how the word "God" is expressed in Hebrew, Greek, and Arabic, he has raised the important issue of language and the words that we use in different languages to refer to God.

How many languages are there in the world? The Christian Bible has been translated in whole or part into an astonishing 2,817 languages, according to the Wycliffe Bible Translator, a UK organization. The complete Bible is available in 513 languages, including Arabic and Malay.

Both the Arabic and Malay Bibles use the word "Allah" to refer to God. In the case of Arabic, it has been so for at least 1,300 years, and in the case of Malay, which “borrowed” the word "Allah" from Arabic, for at least 300.

Even so, Justice Apandi ignored both history and language when he claimed that the Arabic and Malay language word for God – Allah – belongs exclusively to Muslims. That is because Jews and Christians used the word "Allah" before the Prophet was even born.

Judge Apandi also was wrong when he said that the Jews have always referred to God as "Yahweh." My own “quick research” on Wikipedia, which must have lasted 15 seconds longer than the learned judge’s, shows that the Hebrew Bible uses many names for God.

While Yahweh is indeed the most common expression, two others are "Elah" and "Eloah." They both sound very similar to "Allah" and there is a reason for that. Just as Jews, Christians, and Muslims all believe in the God of Abraham, the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arab languages are all related to each other.

Most scholars say that Jesus spoke Aramaic, not Hebrew. And when Jesus spoke of God, he said, “Ellah.” That sounds remarkably very similar to the Arabic "Allah." And it should, because Aramaic and Arab are what linguists call “cognates.”

As word of Judaism and Christianity spread into the Arabian Peninsula, "Allah" became the Arabic language name for the God of Abraham. The word "Allah" was used first by Arab Christians and Mizrahi Jews, and only later by the Prophet and Muslims.

Sorry, Justice Apandi. Sorry, Mahathir. Sorry, Najib and UMNO.

If anyone owns the “trademark” on the word "Allah," it is the Christians, who first spread the word of the God of Abraham into the Arabian peninsula, and who first used the word "Allah." But here is the point – no Christian Malaysian insists and no Arabic-speaking Christian insists that the word "Allah" belongs exclusively to them.

So the burden of proof therefore is on any Malaysian who ignores history, language, and the facts – and who ignores what the rest of the Islamic world is doing – and simply asserts that only Muslim Malaysians may use the word "Allah."

John R. Malott served as US Ambassador to Malaysia from 1995 to 1998. He contributed this to the Malaysian website Malaysiakini.

Saifuddin jawab Daim: Ya, Anwar ‘lemah’

Malaysiakini
Setiausaha Agung PKR, Datuk Saifuddin Nasution Ismail secara sinis hari ini bersetuju dengan bekas menteri kewangan, Tun Daim Zainuddin yang menyifatkan ketua pembangkang, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim sebagai pemimpin yang “lemah”.

“Dalam konteks yang disebut itu, saya setuju Anwar lemah kerana Anwar tak dapat angkat anak dia jadi sepuluh (orang) yang terkaya di Malaysia.

“Beliau juga lemah kerana gagal mengumpul kekayaan seperti Daim.
“Ia amat sukar bagi saya untuk memaafkan Anwar di atas kelemahannya ini,” kata Saifuddin pada sidang media pagi ini.

Tambahnya lagi, Anwar juga “lemah” kerana melunaskan hutang-hutang negara lebih awal daripada yang sepatutnya dan tidak mengumpul hutang untuk negara.

“Anwar juga lemah kerana semasa jadi menteri kewangan dia bayar hutang negara lebih awal daripada jadual.

“Menteri kewangan yang baik harus menimbun hutang.

“Dalam konteks itu saya setuju sepenuhnya dengan kenyataan Tun Daim,” katanya lagi.
Dalam wawancara yang disiarkan KiniBiz semalam, Daim yang juga merupakan tokoh korporat berjaya menyifatkan Anwar sebagai “lemah” kerana tidak mempunyai sebarang pencapaian sewaktu berada di dalam kerajaan.

Beliau juga berkata, Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak gagal menunjukkan kepimpinan di peringkat nasional.

Najib’s plan may turn out to be ‘Never Really Plan’ – Kennee Wong

Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak penned an article about the government’s new initiative for a more cohesive and united Malaysia.

Called the National Reconciliation Plan (NRP), it will be unveiled and implemented in the next few months and he has shared a bit of what is to come.

I cannot help but to wonder if the NRP will be another irresolute proposal that will have little consequence towards the improvement of our nation’s race and interfaith relations.

I commend him for the courage to voice his aspiration for a better Malaysia.

It takes a bold resolve on any authority figure to approach such a delicate situation head-on.

Enthusiastic terminologies aside, I find he has shared nothing more than wishful thinking that all peace-loving public has long thought of.

I had been pining for a more decisive and authoritative conduct from my prime minister, and not simply lament over the current state of affairs we are finding ourselves in.

At this deteriorating juncture, we can ill afford another stop-gap measure.

Back in 2011, we had a glimmer of hope when the 10-point solution was drawn up.

It is now, however, a subject of scorn and ridicule as the government seemed to have backtracked on the agreement.

The seizure of Alkitab in Selangor in January 2014 was a good example.

It was a convenient revelation that state religious laws will override the 10-point solution even when there was a comprehensive mention of country and the peninsula in the first and second points.

What use is a promise when it is ineffectual when it comes to resolving matters of interfaith discords at the executive level?

I have never felt so belittled for exercising my democratic right to vote in the last general election.

It was barely hours after the results when the prime minister proclaimed that a “Chinese tsunami” was the reason for Barisan Nasional’s declined support.

Surely, a more thorough post-mortem ought to have been conducted before issuing such a premature and pandering assumption.

The excuse was later debunked, but never to be acknowledged formally by BN.

As much as I would like to see less racial hatred in our multicultural society, I do not think highlighting the nuances of a Malay policeman helping an old Chinese woman crossing the street will be a good example.

It would only serve to reinforce the racial differentiation in an otherwise colour-blind society that we should be striving for.

Alternatively, I would prefer to see politicians put an end to making irresponsible statements with regard to race relations and interfaith matters and reprimand their colleagues when they misbehave.

Instead of sweeping news coverage of extremists under the carpet, the right approach has to be at the root of the vexation itself.

While it is decorous not to provide a pedestal for the extremists to be lionised, they cannot be dispensed from justice as a deterrence for other heinous stunts.

Cowardly acts of subversion may be ignored by the rakyat, but action from the authority has to be unwavering and they cannot be seen dragging their feet when it comes to procedural investigation.

It has often fascinated me how much we have progressed since Malaysia’s independence, owing to the profusion of technological advancements.

The immediacy of information and news should match our growth as a nation.

In spite of that, it is also the abuse by reckless parties for political expedience that we are regressing at a worrying rate.

The prime minister’s call for reconciliation will need a more methodical approach instead of mere rhetoric if he wants to see a positive outcome, otherwise his NRP would be fast known as No Real Purpose or Never Really Plan. – February 26, 2014.

* The writer blogs sporadically at kennee.com.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

PM: Just ignore the extremists

The Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysians should not give extremists and instigators the publicity they crave, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

He said all Malaysians should discourage the spreading of reports on action taken by such groups that tend to destroy the trust between races and incite fear and hatred.

“You know what these extremist groups are saying on social media sites are wrong, so should we share such views online?” he wrote in his latest blog post at www.1malaysia.com.my.

“If you want to preserve the harmony of this country, don’t let these instigators overpower us!”

Najib pointed out that if no one responded to these groups, they would not be able to get the recognition they wanted and would fail as they would be unable to recruit more people to their cause.

Instead, he urged the public as well as mainstream and online media to share stories on acts of kindness between races, which reminded Malaysians that they were all part of one family.

“Do not give these extremists the publicity they crave. We don’t have to condemn them, just ignore them. Don’t give them the airtime or publici­ty,” he said.

Najib said the Government’s National Reconciliation Plan (NRP) was a concept that belonged to all Malaysians, adding that everyone should play a role if they wanted peace and harmony.

He said if the people wanted a better nation and their faith restored in one another, then they would need to take the steps to do it.

“Once you do this, it will not matter who says what or which group makes silly demands, because you will know how you, your neighbours and, by extension, how most Malay­sians feel.

“If we feel united as a people, these extremists, regardless of who they are and what they do, will get no traction.

“Destroy them by having faith in yourself and your fellow Malaysians,” he said.

Najib, who thanked the Opposition and various groups for their input on the NRP and said it would be consi­dered, added that the plan would be unveiled and implemented over the next few months.

He said it would encourage an environment that was conducive and promoted national reconciliation through unity and consensus, adding that it was based on the principles of respect, working and playing together and the spirit of give and take.

“What we want to do is help inspire the rakyat to respect and reconnect with one another so as to make Malaysia a better home for all of us,” he said, adding that he was touched by the rakyat’s strong support and encouragement for a cohesive and united nation.

Federal, Selangor Governments Sign MoU On State' Water Restructuring

PUTRAJAYA, Feb 26 (Bernama) -- The federal and Selangor governments have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the restructuring of the state's water supply industry which has dragged on for five years.

The federal government was represented by Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Dr Maximus Ongkili while the state government by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim at the signing ceremony held at the Perdana Putra Complex here Wednesday.

The ceremony was witnessed by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Dr Ali Hamsa.

Under the MoU, the state government will issue a development order for the construction of the Langat 2 Water Treatment Plant (Langat 2) and its distribution system (LRAL2) (Package 2A) effective today and ensure that all approvals and authorisations relating to the LRAL2 project approved within 30 days.

In addition, the federal government is ready to inject additional funds to enable the state government to take over water concession companies and manage water supply in the state through a state-owned company.

The restructuring exercise is essential in ensuring sustainable and efficient water supply services in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

The MoU also allows the state government to bid on the state's water concession companies, namely Puncak Niaga Sdn Bhd (PNSB), Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Syabas), Syarikat Pengeluar Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Splash), and Konsortium ABASS Sdn Bhd (ABBAS).

It also spells out that the federal government becomes a facilitator for the state government in implementing the restructuring exercise through the Water Services Industry Act 2006 (WSIA) and other applicable laws.

Speaking at a news conference later, Ongkili said the federal government agreed to set up a committee made up state government representatives for the implementation of the LRAL2 project.

"The federal and Selangor governments hope water concessionaires in the state will give full cooperation to ensure the success of the restructuring of the water supply services industry for the well-being of the people of Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya," he said.

Ongkili said the MoU was not prompted by current water crisis in Selangor but rather in the interest of the people.

"Even though Selangor is not under Barisan Nasional, the people's interest comes first... we have worked hard for more than seven months to reach a consensus," he said.

Describing the signing of the MoU as timely, Khalid said: "We have agreed to implement the restructuring of the water industry which we considered timely in light of the current situation to ensure that water consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya enjoy the best service," he said.

Negotiations on the restructuring exercise started in 2008 with no end in sight to the detriment of the state's water supply services industry and new development projects due to worries over water shortage.

The quagmire has stalled the LRAL2 project, an important component in resolving impending water woes in Selangor, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.

Indian women's lonely battle against illegal sand mining

Simbah cat: Polis bawa balik itik untuk siasatan

Bekasi Islamic Teacher Arrested on Student Rape Charges

Bekasi. An Islamic studies teacher accused of raping a 17-year-old during a ritual to counteract the effects of “black magic,” was arrested by police on Monday in this West Java city.

Bekasi Police detained 44-year-old Islamic studies teacher Mulyadi on Monday after the teenage girl reported the incident to police. According to investigators, the teenaged girl, a student of Mulyadi, approached her teacher for help on Sunday morning. The student believed she was suffering the ill-effects of black magic and sought treatment from Mulyadi, who also professed to be a traditional healer with magical abilities.

The two had known each other for some two years, police said.

“The victim claimed that she was suffering from black magic,” Bekasi Police spokesman Adj. Comr. Siswo said. “Then [Mulyadi], who is also her Islamic studies teacher, asked her to come for treatment.”

He invited the girl to his house, which doubled as the Yayasan Anwarul Istiqomah Islamic School, at 11 a.m. on Sunday. When she arrived, Mulyadi allegedly sexually assaulted her in his living room, raping the girl while his wife and three children were out of the house.

“[He assaulted] the victim by covering her mouth with his hand and [forced her] to have an intimate relationship,” Siswo said.

He then sent the girl home. She immediately reported the incident to local police, prompting an investigation.

Mulyadi was charged under the 2002 Law on Child Protection and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in jail if convicted.

Nigerian Islamists kill 59 pupils in boarding school attack

(Reuters) - Gunmen from Islamist group Boko Haram shot or burned to death 59 pupils in a boarding school in northeast Nigeria overnight, a hospital official and security forces said on Tuesday.

"Some of the students' bodies were burned to ashes," Police Commissioner Sanusi Rufai said of the attack on the Federal Government college of Buni Yadi, a secondary school in Yobe state, near the state's capital city of Damaturu.

Bala Ajiya, an official at the Specialist Hospital Damaturu, told Reuters by phone the death toll had risen to 59.

"Fresh bodies have been brought in. More bodies were discovered in the bush after the students who had escaped with bullet wounds died from their injuries," he said.

Rafai, who had given an earlier estimate of 29 killed, said all those killed were boys. He said the school's 24 buildings, including staff quarters, were completely burned to the ground.

President Goodluck Jonathan called the attack "callous and senseless murder ... by deranged terrorists and fanatics who have clearly lost all human morality and descended to bestiality".

The Islamists, whose struggle for an Islamic state in northern Nigeria has killed thousands and made them the biggest threat to security in Africa's top oil producer, are increasingly preying on the civilian population.

Militants from Boko Haram, whose name means "Western education is sinful" in the northern Hausa language, have frequently attacked schools in the past. A similar attack in June in the nearby village of Mamudo left 22 students dead.

They have killed more than 300 people this month, mostly civilians, including in two attacks last week that killed around 100 each, one in which militants razed a whole village and shot panicked residents as they tried to flee.

That attack prompted U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry to condemn Boko Haram for "unspeakable ... acts of terror".

The failure of the military to protect civilians is fuelling anger in the northeast, the region worst affected by the four-and-a-half-year insurgency. An offensive ordered by Jonathan in May has not succeeded in crushing the rebels and has triggered reprisals against civilians.

A military spokesman for Yobe state, Captain Lazarus Eli, said "our men are down there in pursuit of the killers", but gave no further details.

Addressing a news conference on Monday, Jonathan defended the military's record, saying it had had some successes against Boko Haram. He said Nigeria was working with the Cameroon authorities to try to prevent militants from mounting attacks in Nigeria and then fleeing over the border.

The military shut the northern part of the border with Cameroon on the weekend.

The insurgents mostly occupy the remote, hilly Gwoza area bordering Cameroon, from where they attack civilians they accuse of being pro-government. They have started abducting girls, a new tactic reminiscent of Uganda's cult-like Lord's Resistance Army in decades past.

(Additional reporting by Ibrahim Mshelizza in Maiduguri; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Andrew Roche and Alison Williams)

Time for Waytha to accept political realities - Malaysiakini

Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia leader P Wathymoorthy, who took everyone by surprise with his sudden resignation announcement from all government positions, is indeed a disappointment. Those who had high hopes of Waytha are now wondering whether they should ever trust him again.

Within a short stint in the PM’s Department Waytha expected the government to fulfil the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the association. Waytha has indeed betrayed the Indian Malaysian community with his abrupt resignation from the deputy minister and senator posts.

It is obvious Waytha seems to be lacking the patience and the stamina to work with the PM and his officers to make the association’s blueprint a reality for the benefit of the marginalised Indian Malaysian community.

There is a saying that says when the going gets tough, the tough get going. In the case of Waytha, when the going gets tough he decides to quit with a hundred and one reasons. Can the Indian Malaysian community depend on such “softies” to represent and champion their cause?

At the height of the Hindraf demonstration in 2008 he bolted to Britain, leaving his comrades to face the full weight of the law for the illegal gathering. Later he sneaks into the country, striking a deal with the authorities, and takes the community for a ride.

I knew from day one that Waytha will not last long when he arrogantly brushed off the noble invitation by MIC deputy president Dr S Subramaniam to Waytha to cooperate and to work as a team for a common good - in uplifting the Indian Malaysian community. The snobbish and egoist stance of Waytha did not go down well with the community then.

Waytha should realise that MIC has been representing the Indian community in the BN coalition government for more than 55 years and despite their shortcomings, the MIC with their many years of experience in politics has delivered whatever it could under the difficult political circumstances of the Indian Malaysian community.

Trying to downplay the MIC will not get Waytha anywhere. It is time Waytha accepts that his short stint in the BN government was a failure and come to terms with the political realities, rather going around the country “crying out loud ” for sympathy.

In the meanwhile, the jostling has started for the vacated position of deputy minister and senator in the PM’s Department which was once held by Waytha. According to local Tamil newspaper reports, several Indian Malaysian-based political party leaders are said to be busy issuing statements trying to capture the attention of the PM for the vacant post .

If the PM is prepared to fill up Waytha’s vacant position with another Indian rep, perhaps the PM should consider giving the opportunity to the Indian Progressive Front (IPF) which has been an ardent supporter of the BN government for the last 25 years. Kimma, the Indian Muslim political party, too, deserves due consideration.

MP: Stop defending Najib over Hindraf MOU - Malaysiakini

DAP’s Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming today urged cabinet ministers Khairy Jamaluddin and Abdul Rahman Dahlan to stop defending Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak over the alleged non-implementation of the BN-Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year before the general election.

Ong pointed out in a statement today that a separate budget allocation, which Khairy and Abdul Rahman said was being demanded by former deputy minister and the association’s chair P Waythamoorthy, was exactly what Najib had promised if the duo had read the MOU.

“Both ministers are disingenuous in their defence of the prime minister in that they make no mention of the contents of the Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia MOU and to what extent the prime minister has failed or succeeded in implementing the promises outlined in this MOU,” Ong said.

After referring to the demands made in the association’s blueprint, Ong said that Najib had already signalled his intention not to honour the agreement when he appointed Waythamoorthy as a deputy minister and not a minister taking charge of his own ministry.

“Without a Minority Affairs Ministry and without a Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia minister, needless to say, the promise of a dedicated budget also failed to materialise,” Ong said.

Ong said it is wrong for Khairy, who is the Youth and Sports Minister, to criticise Waythamoorthy over the latter wanting to control his own budget, as that was “explicitly spelt out” in the MOU.

“If Khairy, having been in cabinet for less than a year, can say that ‘this is not how the government operates’, then Prime Minister Najib, having been in cabinet for much longer, should never have signed the MOU with Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia if he had no intention of giving the association’s appointed leader any budgetary control,” Ong said.

BN will lose GE14, says Waythamoorthy

'The coalition's betrayal will not go down well even with the Malays.'

PRAI: Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy is certain that Barisan Nasional (BN) will lose the 14th general election.

He said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s failure to honour his agreement with the Hindu-based movement would cause BN to lose votes not only among Indians, but other Malaysian communities as well, including the Malays.

“BN has deceived the Indians,” he said in an interview with FMT. “The coalition has failed to fulfil a promise made publicly. It’s a serious human rights violation. Everyone sees that.”

In the run-up to last May’s general election, BN and Hindraf signed a memorandum of understanding based on the civil rights movement demand for policies to benefit Malaysian Indians.

The contents of the memorandum will always be available in the Hindraf website and other social media networks.

After the May election, Waythamoorthy was appointed a senator and given a deputy minister’s post in the Prime Minister’s Department. He recently quit the position, citing a lack of political will on Najib’s part to honour the agreement.

Waythamoorthy told FMT that BN’s failure to implement the blueprint meant that the coalition had lost its Indian vote bank for good.

“BN has already lost the Chinese votes; now it will lose Indian votes,” he said.

“The natives of the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak will not trust BN any more.

“BN’s betrayal and violation of human rights will not go down well even with the Malay community.

“Being a Kelantanese, I know the Malays are a community who keep their word. I lived among Malays in my home state. For them, fulfilling a promise is more precious than their life.”

He praised former Kelantan Mentri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat as a model Malay leader. “He always keeps his promises to the people, especially to the poor.”

He said Hindraf made sure that the agreement with BN was signed in full public view last April because it wanted to avoid the fate suffered by Suqiu, a Chinese lobby group set up in the late 1990s to advocate broad institutional and policy reforms.

Suqiu officials have said the group’s proposals were accepted and endorsed in principle by Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s cabinet in a closed door session prior to the 1999 general election only to be rejected after the polls.

Waythamoorthy said BN had yet again proved that it never wanted to implement permanent solutions to problems faced by poor Indians in the country.

“By not honouring its promise made publicly before millions to implement the Indian blueprint, BN has showed it is a maestro in breaking promises,” he said.

“With that, BN has lost the Indian votes forever.”

What is the Hindraf problem? - Malaysiakini

Did the prime minister fully understand what he was dealing with, when he invited P Waythamoorthy, the leader of Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia, to join the cabinet?

Or, was it simply a ploy, to co-opt the movement’s leader for the thirteenth general election and then to ignore the man and his issues and concerns, when it was not convenient any more?

Regardless of the PM’s pure intentions, it is now obvious that he could not keep some kind of promise, whereas it is claimed that Waythamoorthy (left) had tried his best. That was obviously why he resigned in protest, after having given the PM a few months to respond to the issues and concerns raised.

Therefore, I do not understand why the cousin or other barking dogs choose to speak for the PM who is quite capable of speaking up for himself? I have now also noticed that the PM often does not speak up whenever he is caught between a rock and a hard place.

That may be wise too; except it also makes one look like a lame-duck PM. It also smacks of lack of moral maturity and integrity.

I do not know if either Umno, or Umno-linked think tanks like Isis or Mier or any of the ones in public universities, have ever tried to study and understand the real Hindraf problems and issues.

I once first asked a notable Tan Sri who heads a think tank if my NGO think tank could collaborate with it to study the Hindraf problem. It seemed like my question motivated an angry and emotive response which sounded like: ‘Why do we need to study an artificially created problem?’

So what is the Hindraf problem and the related issues?My limited and not comprehensive study of has informed me as follows:

1. The Hindraf issues and concerns are largely related to migration of indentured labour for rubber plantations in Malaya from two South Indian communities, namely the Tamils and Telugus.

2. These migrant labourers and their families came to Malaya more than 100 years ago and were hosted in British-owned rubber plantations within clusters which included a temple, a toddy shop and Tamil school organised around some barrack-type housing lines.

3. They were recruited from the public square or marketplace in India and verbally promised not just jobs but also accommodation and a lifestyle. Most were single and only travelled back to get married and start a family once settled in the job.

4. Throughout Malaya, there were many small settlements of ‘Indian colonies’ which were almost identical in structure and form. They were visible to anyone with eyes to see.

5. The real problems began when the rubber plantations were fragmented because of sale of the principal ownership, either by self-selection or by forced sale as in the now famous ‘London Raid’.

6. With fragmentation, smaller lots were taken up by housing developers, whether called PKNS or Sime Darby or Guthrie. While these ‘developers’ made plans to comprehensively develop their acquisitions, they did not take care to understand the residual problem of the ‘squatters’ they inherited.

7. The resultant issues and problems became known as Hindraf issues or concerns. What are these?

- Many of these ‘squatter residents’ did not have proper documents to establish their citizenship, even if they were third- and fourth-generation Malaysians. Even the birth certificate, the defining document of one’s identity, was not available to them. Moreover, as the Tamil school was privately run by the estate owner, the requirements in registering pupils may not have included a birth certificate.

- Most of these schools remained primary schools with a focus on language and culture; there was less emphasis on the teaching of Malay or English, math and science.

- The toddy shop and the culture of drinking became part and parcel of life on the rubber estates. Movies shown were also part of the system of ‘forgetting one’s predicaments in life’.

- The temple priests (all brought in from India) and their rituals became the defining hierarchy of culture and life, with the rise of absentee fathers another common feature.

- Then, one day, the residents of the ‘rubber plantation village’ were told they were squatters because some developer had gained the right to develop the land into a new township and they had to leave because they were ‘squatters’.

8. At the height of the Hindraf crisis, it was estimated that there were about 50,000 Malaysian third- and fourth-generation Tamils and Telugus whose grandparents had migrated to British Malaya rubber plantations. They did not have birth certificates. Whose problem was this? Who created this problem?

9. At the height of this crisis in Selangor, the debate centred upon the state authorities seeking to demolish a 100-year-old temple which was declared to be “situated in the wrong place”.

How could this be? The Federation of Malaya and Malaysia is less than 100 years old! So, what was the real problem?

Seeking solutions

We, the Merdeka generation of Malayans, are part of the Hindraf problem. We never took time to understand and appreciate the real issues and concerns of these rubber plantation workers, especially those who only studied in Tamil with little or no Malay and English.

Of course, as a young man, I had assumed that the so-called Indian Party would address the problem. Obviously, it did not!

My father is a founder member of the Kedah portion of that party and therefore I too have to assume some blame for its failure. I have never been and never will be a member of the party but that is not the point here. The point is our negligence of the issue.

The Merdeka Malayans must now ask the Hindraf-type victims of colonisation a la the British divide-and-rule system that we be forgiven for our neglect of the issues and concerns of these groups of Tamils and Telugus. Is that too difficult to do? Why so?

And is this problem too difficult to quantify and resolve, Mr Prime Minister?

May God bless Malaysia!

_______________________________________________________
KJ JOHN was in public service for 29 years. The views expressed here are his personal views and not those of any institution he is involved with. Write to him at kjjohn@ohmsi.net with any feedback or views.

Waytha’s forecast way off, say Indian parties

They are confident that Indians will support BN in GE14

PETALING JAYA: MIC and two other Indian-based parties have rejected a Hindraf prediction that Barisan Nasional’s alleged marginalisation of Indians will result in its losing the 14th general election.

Reacting to a statement by Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy, representatives of the three parties told FMT they believed the Indian community would continue to support BN.

MIC treasurer-general S Murugesan said Waythamoorthy was speaking as a man who had become bitter because the Indians had lost faith in him and deepened their trust in BN. “He’s eaten sour grapes,” he said.

He recalled that the Hindraf chief, in a statement issued prior to last May’s general election, had told the community their best chances were with BN.

He said Waythamoorthy should stop issuing press statements and concentrate his energies on finding ways to be of better service to the community.

S Nallakaruppan, who leads the BN-friendly Malaysian Indian United Party, said he was confident that BN would increase its majority in the next general election.

He said the Indians would increase their support for BN because they were aware that it had been addressing most of their problems.

In an interview with FMT yesterday, Waythamoorthy said Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak’s failure to honour his agreement with Hindraf would cause BN to lose votes not only among Indians, but other Malaysian communities as well, including the Malays.

Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party, another BN-friendly organisation, said Waythamoorthy was being presumptuous. “He is not the kingmaker to decide on Indian vote distribution,” said the party’s president, RS Thanenthiran.

He said Indians could no longer be deceived by “old Hindraf tricks”.

He also said Najib had done more for Indians than Waythamoorthy had.

MIC risking de-registration?

The party is risking de-registration for not acting against allegations of election misappropriation

PETAING JAYA: While constant internal bickering is common in all political parties, the problems in MIC, touted to be the largest Indian based political party in the country, is not only tearing the party apart but also bringing it to the brink of de-registration

FMT learnt that the party is being investigated by the Registrar of Societies (ROS) after a spate of reports by disgruntled leaders to the authority on the running of the party’s internal polls, including divisional elections, late last year

A source revealed that over 50 reports had been lodged against the party election to the ROS and “in the last three weeks ROS had investigated more than 20 party leaders and members”

“Taking the ongoing investigations into account, we cannot discount de-registration of the MIC. The ROS is expected to direct the party to hold re-election and if the current leadership is adamant not wanting a re-election, then we are looking at de-registration of the MIC,” said the source close to the party leadership

The MIC national election, held in Malacca on Nov 30, witnessed various election offences. While protests mounted on the running of the polls, the MIC central working committee earlier this month endorsed results of the polls.

The party disciplinary committee meanwhile is looking to punish disgruntled leaders who aired their dissatisfaction in the media soon after the polls.

Now, these leaders are saying that they are being victimised for asking a free and fair elections. They also want a re-election to set things right.

The November polls saw the election of three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee members.

MIC violated its constitution

The source said MIC chief G Palanivel cannot dispute that fact that the MIC election committee had run foul of the MIC constitution in conducting the polls.

“Firstly, not allowing the Putera and Puteri wings to vote in the election is a violation of the constitution. Secondly, the total number of voters exceed the number of ballots cast. Thirdly, more than 1,500 delegates voted and this is against the constitution which only allows 1,500 delegates to cast their ballots.

“The fourth point is that a non-delegate was able to cast his ballot with the consent of the president. Then you have some people who were not even authorised by the election committee counting and overseeing the tabling of votes.

“All these must be addressed by the party. Saying that the election went without a glitch and was fair is ridiculous. All the leaders, winners or losers, saw what transpired. They all know who is in the wrong,” said the source.

He further said Articles 74.1 and 74.2 of the MIC constitution states that the total number of delegates entitled to attend the General Assembly shall not exceed 1,500 at any one time.

“But, it was proven that the total delegates during the election was 1,523, which is more than that allowed under the party’s constitution.

“Article 70.3, on the other hand, clearly mentions that both Putera and Puteri wings must be given the right to attend and vote at annual general assemblies. But this was not the case last year. These two wings were barred from voting,” he added.

The case of a non-delegate voting he said, MIC’s central working committee member V Subramaniam has admitted that the person did indeed vote after a special request by deputy president Dr S Subramaniam, which Palanivel approved.

“Basically, it is ‘catch 22′ for Palanivel. Being a party president it is the time for him to decide whether to hold a re-election or allow the party to be de-registered,” said the MIC insider.

Don’t just label me, come debate with me, Kassim Ahmad tells Muslim critics

 

Kassim says he is ready for a debate with his critics. – 

The Malaysian Insider pic by Hasnoor Hussain, February 25, 2014.

“They disregard the views and opinions of others. That is how they have come to this conclusion. In other words, they are not honest. God is all-knowing. I do not fear them. They (Jakim) are small fries.”

Looi Sue-Chern, The Malaysian Insider

Dr Kassim Ahmad is no stranger to controversy, and only recently he has been accused of another wrongdoing, encouraging apostasy.

The only prominent person who has openly defended him so far is former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, his junior during their years at University of Malaya in Singapore.

Kassim, who once headed Parti Sosialis Rakyat Malaysia (PSRM), was repeatedly slammed for his views on the hadith, or the sayings of Prophet Muhammad, at a seminar in Putrajaya last weekend.

But Dr Mahathir said Kassim was labeled “anti-hadith” because detractors failed to debate with him on religious issues.

“Tun (Dr Mahathir) is a thinker,” Kassim said. “He gives his views on what is happening and many people respect him for it,” Kassim told The Malaysian Insider at his home in Kulim, Kedah, recently.

Kassim, who joined Umno in 1986, praised Dr Mahathir, saying he “has great drive to correct what he deems as mistakes”.

He recalled telling Dr Mahathir upon the latter’s retirement that they both belong to the old generation, lamenting they could not do anything if the younger generation did not want to listen to them.

He said Dr Mahathir had then answered that he would continue to give his views.

He and Dr Mahathir go a long way back. Kassim’s childhood home was in Bukit Pinang, Jitra, some four miles from Titi Gajah, where Dr Mahathir used to live.

“After he was expelled from Umno in September 1969, I called on him at his house there. When he saw me at his doorstep, he told me that I did not look like a communist,” said Kassim, who said they used to write to each other on contemporary Malaysian problems.

“I was heading PSRM at the time,” he said, adding that it was Dr Mahathir who had him released from Internal Security Act detention in 1981 shortly after becoming the prime minister.

Kassim was PSRM president from 1968 to 1984, and was detained for almost five years for his views. Now 80, he is again in the spotlight for his non-mainstream views about Islam, namely the hadith.

He is being investigated by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) over some controversial statements he made at “The Thoughts of Kassim Ahmad: A Review”, a seminar organised by the Perdana Leadership Foundation, of which Dr Mahathir is the patron.

Among others, Kassim had accused some ulama (religious scholars) in Malaysia of imitating the “priesthood caste” system.

He riled up Muslims on both sides of the divide when he questioned the use of hadith to interpret the Quran, and described the Prophet as “just a messenger of Allah”.

In his lecture titled “The Nation’s Direction in the Next Thirty Years”, Kassim also questioned the hijab (Islamic headscarf) worn by Muslim women, saying that “the hair is not part of the aurat” (parts of the body which need to be covered according to Islamic teachings).

Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) director-general Datuk Othman Mustapha said they would question Kassim on his controversial views.

In its latest Friday sermon text, Jakim reminded Muslims of the obligation to believe, accept and obey the hadith, saying the words of the Prophet’ were divinely inspired and the source of the Islamic law.

Kassim, who said he had anticipated such a reaction from Jakim, challenged it to prove the accusation that he insulted the Prophet.

“They disregard the views and opinions of others. That is how they have come to this conclusion. In other words, they are not honest. God is all-knowing. I do not fear them. They (Jakim) are small fries,” said Kassim.

Kassim said the reactions to his lecture were mixed, with some challenging him to debate and while there were others who congratulated him.

He said his views on the hadith were not new, recalling that his work “Hadis: Satu Penilaian Semula” (Hadith: A Re-evaluation), which was banned in 1986. He urged the Home Ministry to lift the ban, but the matter was referred to Jakim, which meant he was back in square one.

On his view on the ulama “caste”, Kassim said he used the term “priesthood” because the ulama have become “dictators” of the Muslim’s understanding of his Islam.

“This class of priests control the interpretation of religion to the masses. They are dictators. There is no freedom,” he said.

ABU hanya jerat untuk rakyat

Empire Strikes Back

Asalkan Bukan Umno, gerakan rakyat untuk membebaskan Malaysia daripada cengkaman Umno. Bunyinya seperti satu perjuangan yang sangat murni, tetapi persoalannya, adakah matlamat yang cuba dicapai oleh ABU menghalalkan caranya?

Ini bermakna mereka sanggup bekerjasama dan bersekongkol bersama musuh Umno, Pakatan Rakyat demi menjatuhkan apa yang menurut mereka adalah rejim yang telah banyak merompak kekayaan negara.

Persoalannya, mengapa hanya Umno atau BN yang dilabel sebagai penyebab dan penyumbang kepada korupsi, penyalahgunaan kuasa serta masalah perkauman di negara ini? Dalam Pakatan Rakyat sendiri ada mengamalkan korupsi – walau dalam skala kecil, korupsi tetap korupsi. Lihat sahaja di Pulau Pinang dan Selangor. Pemberian tender yang tidak telus, kronisme yang berleluasa, penyelewengan dana, semuanya cukup. Jika bercakap mengenai sikap perkauman, lihat saja bagaimana DAP dengan lantangnya memperjuangkan ketuanan Cina.

Sedar atau tidak, budaya Umno, ya, budaya Umno yang sering dikritik dan dijadikan bahan berpolitik Pakatan Rakyat, hidup segar dalam pakatan pembangkang terutama sekali PKR. Rata-rata ahli PKR adalah serpihan dari Umno dan budaya ini kekal dalam jiwa mereka. Contoh paling nyata adalah cara kerja Anwar dan konco-konconya di Selangor. Bukankah apa yang berlaku di dalam PKNS mempunyai modus operandi yang sama? Sebab yang sama? Merompak kekayaan negeri Selangor!

Adakah Haris Ibrahim dan ABU memilih untuk membutakan mata dan memekakkan telinga bila masalah yang datang adalah dari pihak pembangkang? Menggambarkan Umno umpama kanser yang harus dibuang, adakah ABU sedar virus yang kian menular dan menebal di dalam Pakatan Rakyat?

Sampai bila ABU mahu terus menjerit meyakinkan umum bahawa ianya betul untuk berdiri menyokong ‘perompak’, ‘penyamun’, peliwat, penipu, pembohong, individu lalang, talam dua muka dan sebagainya, dan seterusnya, asal saja mereka ini bukan dari Umno?

Adakah ABU juga cuba menyampaikan mesej bahawa sekiranya seseorang itu melakukan sebarang kesalahan seperti korupsi dan menyeleweng duit rakyat seperti Muhammad Muhammad Taib ketika bersama Umno satu ketika dulu, kesilapan mereka telah tertebus dan layak berdiri sebagai hero bagi ‘menyelamatkan’ rakyat asalkan mereka meninggalkan Umno dan bekerja bersama pembangkang.

Jika yang demikian perjuangan ABU, maka akhirnya hanya akan wujud ‘Umno Baru’ (yang lebih) Baru. Penjenamaan semula dengan isi kandungan yang lebih menjijikkan dari yang asal.

Mengapa ABU membiarkan rakyat terus ditipu dan dipersendakan oleh pembangkang yang sudah terang tidak serius memperjuangkan nasib rakyat malah sibuk menaikkan diri, harta dan kekuasaan mereka? Adakah ABU hanya mahu mendorong rakyat melepaskan diri mereka dari mulut harimau dan masuk ke mulut buaya?

Adakah wajar menggantikan syaitan besar dengan syaitan yang lebih kecil? Apa akan jadi bila mana syaitan kecil itu membesar? Adakah Haris Ibrahim dan ABU akan berani memikul tanggungjawab sepenuhnya atas apa yang mereka perjuangkan?

Waytha betrayed Indians, says Makkal Sakti - FMT

'He didn't understand his job and refused to work with the system.'

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) has accused Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy of betraying Malaysian Indians by refusing to work within the Barisan Nasional system to improve the socio-economic status of the community.

Speaking at a press conference at PWTC today, MMSP president RS Thanenthiran said the former deputy minister had wasted a “golden opportunity” given by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for him to pursue the Hindraf cause.

He said Waythamoorthy’s short stint in the Prime Minister’s Department was marked by his failure to understand his responsibilities and his adamant refusal to work with the system.

“He failed to understand his portfolio capacity and should have found ways to use the existing internal mechanism within the government system to solve Indian issues,” Thanenthiran said.

“His adamant character not to work along with the system has resulted in his exit.”
He said Waythamoorthy was not proactive in pursuing the interests of Indians. “He never once called other Indian political parties for discussion.”

He also questioned the rationale behind the Hindraf leader’s request for a budget of RM750 million for his department.

Thanethiran ticked off Waythamoorthy for asking Najib to resign, saying the statement was uncalled for.

He heaped praise on Najib, calling him a saviour of the Indian community. “There’s no better prime minister than him,” he said.

“Najib appointing Waythamoorthy into his administration was not a popular choice and he received much criticism for for doing so.

“This shows that Najib was caring for the Indians and had faith in him, but Waythamoorthy has failed.”

MMSP was formed in May 2009. According to Thanenthiran, it has nearly 100,000 members.

Najib’s NRP is a recipe to abdicate his responsibility as Prime Minister in a plural society but still clinging to the perks of office

By Lim Kit Siang,

I was excited when I learned that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has today a blog post entitled “A national reconciliation update”, as I thought it would signal an end to the nine-month hiatus of government after the 13th general elections, with a Prime Minister who seems to be rudderless, leadershipless and directionless especially on the important agenda of nation-building and national unity.

I could not believe my eyes when I read Najib’s blog-post, because it does not inspire hope that there is going to be a new purposeful leadership to end the government drift in the past nine months with an inclusive vision of nation-building, but a recipe for Najib to abdicate his responsibility as Prime Minsiter in a plural society but still clinging to the perks of office!

What was Najib’s answer to the worst racial and religious polarisation in post-13GE compared to any other time in the nation’s 56-year history and which led the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) to warn only last week that the Najib administration’s failure to act swiftly when dealing with racial and religiously sensitive incidents could lead to “serious consequences”?

The NUCC said in a statement that Putrajaya must move quickly as rising religious tensions could eventually hamper efforts to promote national unity.

It urged the Najib government “to uphold the rule of law and to actively promote national unity by taking prompt action against incendiary statements and actions which are provocative and can lead to conflict and tension with serious consequences affecting peace, harmony and national unity”.

What is Najib’s response to the NUCC call and the general expectation of the Malaysian citizenry that the government would be pro-active and even pre-emptive in taking measures to slap down and halt the increasing incidents of the incitement of racial and religious hatred and tensions through the spread of lies and falsehoods, to pit race against race and religion and religion, even if it would set the multi-racial, multi-lingual, multi-religious and multi-cultural nation in flames?

Instead of the promise of pro-active and pre-emptive action to save the country by giving no room or space for the evil and nefarious designs of the merchants and vendors of hate and violence, all that Najib is suggesting is that Malaysians should just ignore the demands of the instigators and extremists, i.e. “Don’t give them the air time or the publicity”.

I could not think of a more inane, useless or irresponsible plan to save the country from the sinister and nefarious forces out to pit race against race and religion against religion and to create racial chaos and religious conflagration, especially when it is the UMNO and BN-controlled printed, electronic and social media which gave precious oxygen to such instigators by sensationalising their extremist demands– in particular Utusan Malaysia and the UMNO/BN controlled electronic media of radio and television.

Will Najib immediately issue a directive to Utusan Malaysia and all Umno/BN-controlled printed, electronic and social media to stop giving oxygen to these instigators and extremists by denying them the “publicity they crave”?

If Najib is not prepared to issue such a directive, is he not condoning the instigators and extremists in their dastardly act of trying to pit race against race and religion against religion through the incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred and tensions with lies and falsehoods?

The least I had expected is an announcement by the Prime Minister serving a final warning to all and sundry that the government and all the forces at its command, including the police and the Attorney-General’s chambers, would be deployed to ensure that peace, harmony, progress and prosperity of all Malaysians would not be jeopardised or destroyed by the evil designs of a treacherous few who want to create racial chaos and religious conflagration through incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred and tensions with lies and falsehoods.

But Najib lacks such political will, commitment, leadership and vision to save Malaysia from the instigators and extremists set on creating racial chaos and religious conflagration through the ceaseless incitement of racial and religious hatred and tensions with lies and falsehoods.

All he is asking Malaysians is to “destroy” the instigators and extremists “by having faith in yourself and your fellow Malaysians”.

No talk that the full weight of the law would be brought to bear on anyone who preaches hate seeking to pit race against race and religion against religion to cause racial chaos and religious conflagration!

If this is all Najib could prescribe to ensure peace, harmony, progress and prosperity for all Malaysians, then he should not be Prime Minister as his proper vocation would be a Good Samaritan preaching from street to street and village to village to all mankind to do good and avoid harm to others!

Why the sudden compassion by Najib for the instigators and extremists who are out to set the plural Malaysian nation aflame?

And what is the use of the police, the Attorney-General’s Chambers and other national institutions if these instigators and extremists are suddenly to be given the powers of “immunity and impunity” to break the laws of the country and tear the country asunder?

Najib also blogs about the mysterious National Reconciliation Plan (NRP), which apparently, had been conceived in the greatest secrecy “after months of quiet work…now almost ready to implement our plan of action”.

Najib said: “The NRP will aim to encourage an environment that is conducive and promotes national reconciliation through unity and consensus across the country. What we want to do is to help inspire the rakyat to respect and reconnect with one another so as to make Malaysia a better home for all of us.”

It is certainly presumptuous on the part of a government elected on a minority vote of 47% of the electorate to work quietly and in secrecy to conceive a National Reconciliation Plan without consultation and input from the Pakatan Rakyat, which has secured a majority of 51% of the national vote.

Up to now, Pakatan Rakyat had never been consulted on the NRP and our olive branch of a Barisan Nasional-Pakatan Rakyat Leadership Summit on National Reconciliation and National Unity still await an official response from the Prime Minister and the BN leadership.

Furthermore, is this NRP which seems to be in the advanced stage of completion if not already completed, a totally different animal from the National Unity Blueprint (NUB) which is being prepared by the National Unity Consultative Council (NUCC) which has given itself a two-year deadline!

If the NRP is a different creature from the NUB, it raises questions firstly, what is the purpose of NUCC preparing a NUB when the government has almost a NRP in place; and secondly, whether it would cost taxpayers RM10 million or RM20 million like the Malaysian National Education Blueprint which the government paid RM20 million to foreign consultants to draft.

It is sad and shocking that after five years as Prime Minister, Najib does not seem the know that the deadly challenge posed by those who want to destroy the very fabric of Malaysian society through incessant incitement of racial and religious hatred and tensions is not “Don’t give extremists publicity”, but “Don’t give extremists any quarter” so as to stamp out all those who ceaselessly incite racial and religious hatred with lies and falsehoods to create racial chaos and religious conflagration.

When will Najib perform his duty and responsibility to the Malaysian nation and people as the sixth Prime Minister of the country?

(Media Statement in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, 25th February 2014)

Dutch space firm responds to fatwa against living on Mars

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had issued an fatwa (Islamic ruling) prohibiting Muslims from volunteering to live the rest of their lives on Mars.

World Bulletin / News Desk

Mars One, a Dutch company that is planning to create a permanent human settlement on the planet Mars in 2023, has responded to criticisms in a religious ruling offered by Muslim scholars forbidding Muslims from participating in the project.

The General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had issued an fatwa (Islamic ruling) prohibiting Muslims from volunteering to live the rest of their lives on Mars.

“Such a one-way journey poses a real risk to life, and that can never be justified in Islam,” the committee said, adding “There is a possibility that an individual who travels to planet Mars may not be able to remain alive there, and is more vulnerable to death.”

However, Mars One replied to this quoting a verse from the Qur'an in a statement to the Telegraph: “The verse from the Quran ['and among His Signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and your colors: verily in that are Signs for those who know (Quran 30: 22)'] encourages Muslims to go out and see the signs of God’s creation in the 'heavens and the earth'.”

Saying that the Muslim world has a rich tradition of exploration, Mars One gave the example of the Moroccan Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta “who from 1325 to 1355 travelled 73,000 miles, visiting the equivalent of 44 modern countries.”

“Space exploration, just like Earth exploration, will come with risks and rewards. It may seem extremely dangerous to send humans to Mars today, but the humans will be preceded by at least eight cargo missions,” the organization said.

“Robotic unmanned vehicles will prepare the habitable settlement. Water and a breathable atmosphere will be produced inside the habitat and the settlement will be operational for two years, even before the first crew leaves Earth.

“If we may be so bold: the General Authority of Islamic Affairs and Endowment (GAIAE) should not analyze the risk as they perceive it today. The GAIAE should assess the potential risk for humans as if an unmanned habitable outpost is ready and waiting on Mars. Any progress requires taking risks, but in this case the reward is "the next giant leap for mankind". That reward is certainly worth the risks involved in this mission.”

It added: “Mars One respectfully requests GAIAE to cancel the Fatwa and make the greatest Rihla, or journey, of all times open for Muslims, too.

“They can be the first Muslims to witness the signs of God’s creation in heaven, drawing upon the rich culture of travel and exploration of early Islam.

Many Muslims including some 500 Saudi Arabians and other Arabs are reported to be among the thousands of volunteer applicants worldwide to participate in the Dutch-sponsored one-way trip to the Red Planet, according to UAE's Khaleej Times, after the $6 billion project was announced in April 2013.

19 Islamic words banned for non-Muslims in Brunei

newsdesk@thesundaily.com

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Feb 23, 2014): The Brunei government will ban the use of 19 Islamic words, including "Allah" and "masjid", by non-Muslims, according to the Brunei Times today.

The ban will take effect from April, the paper said.

Under the Syariah Penal Code Order, these words cannot be used with respect to other religions.

They are azan; baitullah; Al Quran; Allah; fatwa; Firman Allah; hadith; haji; hukum syara'; ilahi; Ka'bah; kalimah al syahadah; kiblat; masjid; imam; mufti; mu'min; solat; and wali.

The Brunei Times quoted Hardifadhillah Mohd Salleh, a senior syariah legal officer of the Islamic Legal Unit as telling staff of the Industry and Primary Resources Ministry on key parts of the order during a briefing.

He also said certain provisions of the order also apply to non-Muslims, such as zina (adultery) with a Muslim partner, drinking alcohol in a public place, and khalwat (close proximity) with a Muslim partner.

If convicted, the penalty is a fine of up to B$4,000 and/or one year in prison.

For adultery between a married Muslim and a married non-Muslim, both parties can be punished by stoning to death if the offence is proven by confession, or the testimony of four eye-witnesses.

The paper quoted Hardifadhillah as saying that any person who instigates any Muslim man or woman to divorce, or neglect their duties towards their partner can be fined up to B$4,000 and/or jailed for a year.

"Additionally, any Muslim parent who surrenders his child into the care of a non-Muslim can be fined up to B$20,000 and/or jailed for up to five years," he was quoted as saying.

Brunei will enforce the Syariah Penal Code Order in three phases.

Muslim group questions motive of Christian missionaries in giving out Bahasa leaflets in Subang Jaya

 

A copy of the Bahasa Malaysia Bible. It was reported that a parent-teacher association head in Penang had caught three men handing out Bibles titled 'Kenalilah al-Kitab' at a school. – The Malaysian Insider pic, February 24, 2014.

 

Muslim group Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) has claimed that Christian missionaries are going around Subang Jaya and spreading their faith using leaflets written in Bahasa Malaysia.

The leaflets, titled "Semua penderitaan akan berakhir tidak lama lagi" (All sufferings will end soon), talked about how the people's lives are similar to what has been predicted in the Bible.

"Besides that, the leaflets also questioned who deserved to rule and whose leadership is the best. There were also questions on whether human beings could live more happily if God does not rule over them and why God didn't destroy Adam and Eve and create another pair of humans," Isma said in a statement today.

According to Isma, based on the information in a blog (akarimomar.wordpress.com), volunteers monitoring the USJ Subang Jaya, area had detained a foreign couple, believed to be from the United States, and a Chinese man.

"According to the volunteers, the Christian group was seen giving out the leaflets but had deceived them by saying it was only given to Chinese and Indians.

"However, when questioned about their intentions in handing out the Bahasa Malaysia leaflets to Chinese and Indians, and also if they could speak Bahasa Malaysia, the missionaries couldn't answer," Isma said.

Similar allegations were also highlighted in Penang after Bahasa Malaysia daily Sinar Harian reported that Sekolah Menengah Haji Zainal Abidin parent-teacher association (PTA) chairman Nor Amin Ahmad's had claimed that he had caught three men handing out Bibles at another school in the area.

Nor Amin was quoted to have said that the Bibles were titled “Kenalilah al-Kitab (Know the Bible)” and contained the words “Sebuah panorama Firman Allah dalam 366 bacaan dan renungan harian” (The Word of God in 366 daily readings and reflections), adding that there have been acts of proselytisation among the students themselves.

State religious exco Datuk Abdul Malik Kassim, however, revealed that the allegations were found to be false after the department conducted its investigations.

He said the allegations were brought on by "extremists" who wanted to create tension among the various races in the country.

"Extremists, including racial and religious extremists have no place in any society. It has to be curbed before the seed grows and affects the whole nation," he had said.

MP to table Bill to bar abuse of affirmative action

PSM's Sungai Siput MP Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj will table a Private Member's Bill on social inclusion in the next Dewan Rakyat sitting to prevent affirmative action abuse, including through political ties.

Termed the 'Social Inclusion Bill 2014', the Bill has been submitted to the parliament secretariat this morning for tabling in the sitting which commences March 10.

The Bill is supported by DAP's Serdang MP Ong Kian Ming (left). However, he stressed that this is in his capacity as a MP, and that he is not representing DAP's stand on the matter.

Addressing media on the matter today, he said that this is needed to create “checks and balance” and ensure that marginalised groups are receiving the benefits of affirmative action.

“In Malaysia, there is a tendency for institutionalised racism (where) certain groups are not recognised by the system.

“There is also a tendency for people who are not poor to benefit from affirmative action...based on political affiliations.

“The new Act will help provide a check-and-balance to ensure this aid goes to the group that deserves it,” he told reporters in a livestream of the press conference provided by Rakyat Times.

The preamble of the Bill states that its aim is to develop a “socially inclusive” society and to break inter-generational poverty cycles and yawning disparities.

“A socially inclusive society is one where the basic needs of all members of that society are met, so as to enable them to live in dignity,” it reads.

'Social Inclusion Commission'

Central to the Bill - which began its drafting and public consultation process in August 2012 by NGOs Saya Anak Bangsa Malaysia and National Human Rights Society (Hakam) - is the formation of a Social Inclusion Commission.

The commission will develop social inclusion policies, identify marginalised individuals and their needs, as well as develop action plans to address the following:

• Reduce real poverty;
• Reduce income inequality;
• Eradicate institutionalised discrimination; and
• Built the capacity of marginalised communities.

The commission will also be tasked to prescribe “models of intervention” and monitor the implementation of social inclusion plans.

The Bill proposes that the commission have powers to conduct inquiries and surveys, along with being able to intervene in government agencies to ensure each plans are implemented in each parliamentary constitutency.

It will also have access to a special fund set up for the such purposes.

The Bill proposes that the commission is fully answerable to Parliament, with members appointed by the Agong among those recommended by a bipartisan parliamentary select committee headed by Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Meanwhile, Ong said he is backing the Bill due to the “transparent” process it proposes and the commission's powers, accontability to Parliament, and its bipartisan nature.

“Other commissions like the Human Rights Commission are doing a good job to the best of their abilities, but their powers are limited.

“A minister has a lot of discretion of whether to reject or implement (a policy recommendation),” he told reporters.

He said the Bill is consistent with Pakatan Rakyat's 2013 general election manifesto for needs-based affirmative action.

However, DAP, PAS, and PKR have not explicitly expressed support for the Bill. The Bill was included in the PSM and Parti Rakyat Malaysia election manifesto.

Waytha: I have hit the wall

Though Hindraf has been failed by BN, Waythamoorthy says he will persist its agenda and move forward.

PETALING JAYA: Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy will continue to engage other strategies and alternatives to ensure the success of the Hindraf blueprint.

In an interview with FMT, Waythamoorthy said the blueprint is not dead but rather not honoured, and calls the document as a great significance to give permanent solution to the poor and underclass Indians.

Last April, the five year blue print in a form of an MOU was signed between Hindraf and Barisan Nasional(BN) to move the poor and displaced Indians in Malaysia into the mainstream of national development.

The Hindraf blueprint covers proposals for intervention in four major areas, namely uplifting displaced estate workers, addressing statelessness among the Malaysian Indian poor, increasing educational opportunities from pre-school to university, increasing employment and business opportunities.

It also outlines a dedicated new unit in the Prime Minister’s Department to be established to carry out the programmes for the four major areas.

Upon resigning from all government positions due to his frustration with Najib Tun Razak’s lack of political will to honour the MOU, Waythamoorthy says he will now go back to his grassroots supporters to meet and explain to them his predicament.

He will be holding a series of meetings in various states with Hindraf members around the nation starting with Selangor and Johor. Other states will follow suit in due time.

“I will explain to the people what actually transpired and it’s our priority at the moment.

“The people also know what we are doing and they ought to understand what transpired during my days in the prime Minister’s office,” said Waythamoorthy.

On another note, Waythamoorthy agrees that MIC has failed the Indians in the country but he still puts the blame entirely on the BN government as a whole.

“Although they have failed the Indian community, I will not place the entire blame on MIC as they have a major role to play, every other Indian knows this.

“How much they have failed us, I don’t have to exert, and beyond that I think the government of the day is responsible towards its citizens.

“In this case the Prime Minister is for all, the Home Minister and Education minister is for all. It is the duty of all these ministers to take care of the citizens, but together they failed the Indian community,” added Waythamoorthy.

Warga asing kena bayar kos sebenar perubatan, kata Subramaniam

Dengan pelaksanaan langkah tersebut, kerajaan mampu menjimatkan sehingga RM100 juta setahun

PUTRAJAYA: Warga asing bakal dikenakan bayaran kos perubatan sebenar di klinik dan hospital kerajaan tidak lama lagi, kata Menteri Kesihatan Datuk Seri Dr S.Subramaniam.

Beliau berkata pada masa ini warga asing termasuk pekerja dan pelajar yang mendapatkan rawatan di klinik dan hospital kerajaan menikmati subsidi perubatan antara 30 hingga 40 peratus.

“Dengan pelaksanaan langkah tersebut, kerajaan mampu menjimatkan sehingga RM100 juta setahun yang wang itu boleh digunakan untuk meningkatkan lagi mutu perkhidmatan kesihatan dan perubatan di negara ini,” katanya pada sidang media selepas menghadiri perhimpuan bulanan kementerian itu di sini hari ini.

Beliau berkata kementerian sedang memuktamadkan kos tersebut sebelum dikuatkuasakan.

Beliau turut melancarkan logo rasmi kementerian dengan moto ‘Kami Sedia Membantu’ yang akan diguna pakai bagi jabatan, institusi, unit dan agensi kesihatan selain urusan surat menyurat dan portal kementerian.

Dr Subramaniam berkata di beberapa negara Eropah seperti United Kingdom, warga asing perlu memiliki polisi perubatan sendiri yang jika tidak mereka terpaksa menanggung segala kos perubatannya.

Beliau berkata oleh itu rakyat perlu menghargai perkhidmatan kesihatan kerajaan yang memberikan subsidi kepada mereka sehingga 98 peratus.

Sementara itu beliau berkata kerajaan memperuntukkan RM1.9 bilion tahun ini bagi pembangunan hospital dan klinik di seluruh negara merangkumi kos pembinaan blok tambahan baharu dan kerja-kerja menaik taraf.

“Kita cuba menyelesaikan seberapa banyak masalah yang dihadapi oleh hospital. Kita menerima hakikat bahawa kebanyakan hospital perlu di naik taraf dan ia tidak boleh dilakukan sekali gus tetapi secara berperingkat,” katanya.

- Bernama

PAS perlu tangani isu Melayu dan Felda jika mahu ke Putrajaya

Antara dakyah untuk menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu ialah, jika Pakatan Rakyat membentuk kerajaan, hak orang Melayu akan terhakis.

KUALA PILAH :PAS perlu menangani isu-isu yang melibatkan orang Islam, Melayu dan masyarakat Felda jika PAS mahu ke Putrajaya pada Pilihan Raya Umum ke-14 nanti.

Bercakap dalam Konvensyen PAS Negeri Sembilan di Hotel Melang Inn, Kuala Pilah kelmarin, Pesuruhjaya PAS Negeri Sembilan Mohd Taufek Abdul Ghani berkata isu-isu yang membelenggu orang Melayu dan masyarakat Felda perlu ditangani dan diurus secara professional dengan memperkasakan Lajnah Penerangan, Jabatan Penyelidikan dan Strategik PAS Negeri Sembilan supaya rakyat khususnya orang Melayu dapat difahamkan dan akhirnya mengundi PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat.

“Walau macam mana sekali pun, PAS harus menembusi kubu kuat Umno di kawasan majoriti Melayu khususnya Felda, kampung tradisi dan kawasan luar bandar jika berhasrat membentuk Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat Negeri Sembilan dan seterusnya menuju ke Putrajaya (Kerajaan Pusat).

“Antara dakyah yang paling popular dimainkan oleh Umno untuk menakut-nakutkan orang Melayu ialah, jika Pakatan Rakyat membentuk kerajaan, maka orang Cina akan menjadi Perdana Menteri, seterusnya hak orang Melayu akan terhakis.

“Walaubagaimanapun sokongan rakyat bukan Islam khususnya pengundi Cina juga perlu dikekalkan bahkan harus ditingkatkan melalui penubuhan Dewan Himpunan Penyokong PAS (DHPP) di peringkat kawasan dan menerusi kerjasama Pakatan Rakyat iaitu DAP dan PKR dalam program-program yang dianjurkan.

“Berhubung dengan sokongan pengundi India, satu kajian dan tindakan oleh DHPP, Lajnah Perpaduan Nasional, Lajnah Penerangan dan Jabatan Pilihanraya akan kita segera laksanakan,” kata Mohd Taufek.

Sementara itu dalam sessi perbahasan, perwakilan PAS Jelebu, Khairul Azidi meminta PAS Negeri Sembilan melipatgandakan usaha di kawasan Felda kerana sokongan kepada Umno di kawasan Felda sangat kuat.

“Kita buat program penerangan ‘Jelajah Oren’ dan kita mengetengahkan isu-isu peneroka Felda seperti hutang tanam semula peneroka yang sangat tinggi dan beberapa lagi isu membabitkan peneroka termasuk isu saham Koperasi Permodalan Felda.

“Tetapi kita dihalang daripada masuk ke kawasan Felda sehingga ada ahli kita dicederakan dan cermin kenderaan pacuan empat roda kita dipecahkan.

“Oleh itu sesuatu harus dilakukan untuk menarik sokongan peneroka Felda dan Generasi kedua serta ketiga untuk menyokong kita,” katanya.

‘Anwar a brother to church, not politician’

Malaysiakini

Deflecting claims that it carried out a “political activity,” the Holy Family Church (HFC) in Kajang said today that it invited by-election candidate Anwar Ibrahim to its church last Sunday for the sake of inter-faith harmony and not to win him more voters.

HFC’s parish priest George Harrison said the unusual initiative originated from a church member and he allowed it only because it was consistent with the church’s mission to boost  ties between Christians and Muslims in the country.

“I have been talking to people about building bridges with our Muslim brothers and sisters and so the event was allowed because a parishioner proposed it,” he told Malaysiakini.

“It was not meant to back any political party,” he added.

Harrison said the event, attended by some 1,200 people was organised by a church member from the Centre for Reform, Democracy and Social Initiatives, who rented a multi-purpose hall.

He added that although it took place after the Sunday church service, it was not in the main church building and the event was open to all.

During the event, Anwar spoke at length about the needed brotherhood among multiple races and religions, quoting from both the Quran and the Bible.

Harrison said he too dropped by for the talk on Sunday but not to cheer the PKR leader on.
“I have told my people – that we must listen well to all and then make your own discernment and decision (on the by-election) – even BN’s view and all.

“This is my message all along – I have said nothing to side anybody and to Anwar, I have only said : ‘This is my brother, welcome,’ ” he added.

The 40-year old priest asserted that as a citizen, he too had a right to host a famous personality, and noted that it was the first time he and Anwar had met.

Asked to answer to Perkasa vice-president Zulkifli Noordin’s suggestion that the church also allow Umno or NGOs like  Perkasa or Isma to hold talks at the church after Sunday prayers, Harrison hesitated.

“If this happens now, it will be very political. Remember, I am not the one organising it,” he said, adding that the church facilities were usually reserved only for its members to use for wedding and community events.

Muhyiddin – stop bellyache, just issue a directive cancelling all punitive actions against Nor Izzat and all other teachers for criticising SBA

By Lim Kit Siang,

I advise the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to stop belly-ache and just to issue a directive to revoke all punitive actions against Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM) chief Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari and all other teachers for criticising the student-based assessment (SBA) system.

What is Muhyiddin hoping to achieve by denying that he was involved in transferring Nor Izzat who had spearheaded a protest against the SBA system within 24 hours from Jerantut to a rural school in Pahang last week?

Let me tell Muhyiddin that Malaysians are not interested whether the transfer order came from the district education office or otherwise, but that as Education Minister he must take full and personal responsibility for punitive actions taken against Nor Izzat and all teachers who had criticised the SBA – and that his first duty now is to countermand all the punitive actions which had been issued not only against Nor Izzat but all other teachers who had been penalised for the courage of their convictions in speaking out against the disastrous implementation of SBA.

Will Muhyiddin next say that the suspension of the SBA did not come him and he should not be queried on the subject?
Actually, Muhyiddin should hold himself responsible for the SBA mess and give a full accounting why he had allowed the educational system to deteriorate to such a dismal state.

Teachers and school administrators who found it hard to cope with the SBA to track students’ performances, had fallen back on examinations.

This has led to a situation where many schools have two systems. On the surface is the SBA, which is done to please officials in Putrajaya, but beneath there is the old annual examination system.

The examination system is being implemented by individual schools without the knowledge of Putrajaya but the schools are using it to track students’ performances.

The use of the two system was causing a lot of strain on teachers and school officials – which is indeed an extraordinary “transformation” of the education system, from bad to worse and not from better to best!
Why did Muhyiddin take so long to wake up to the SBM disaster, resulting in the “shame-faced” back-door suspension of the SBA yesterday?

Developed, Developing World Must Join Hands For Successful Coalitions - Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 24 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the most effective coalitions in the future will be those which involve both the developed and developing world.

In this regard, he said, Malaysia must be deft and nimble in building and participating in coalitions, seeking out those which shared its concerns.

He said there was also a need at the same time to exercise leadership within the shared platforms which were needed to tackle multilateral problems.

"A stronger foreign policy establishment here in Malaysia, which brings together think-tanks, academic chairs and foundations will strengthen our hand when it comes to building coalitions for change," Najib said in his keynote address when opening the 8th Heads of Mission Conference, here today.

Najib noted that Malaysia must react to the transformations around it with a transformation of its own, including having a foreign policy that would see the country through to 2020 when this country achieved a developed nation status, and beyond.

To this end, Najib said Malaysia must embrace its position as one of the region's Middle Powers, which he described as states which rarely acted alone, but had a significant, systematic impact in a small group or through international institutions.

"Come 2020, Malaysia will be a developed country with far-flung and expanding interests. The international community, as well as our own public, will expect that we assume our share of the burden of responsibility and leadership.

"As a Middle Power, that means playing a greater part in Asia, and helping Asia play a greater part in the world," he said at the event which was attended by, among others, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman and his deputy, Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin.

Najib said this meant Malaysia was continuing its commitment to Asean which groups 10 Southeast Asian countries.

"We swim or sink with our region. If we don't have an influential voice here, we won't have an influential voice anywhere," he stressed.

Najib said Malaysia must, therefore, devote adequate resources to strengthening its bilateral relations with neighbours and continue to value Asean as the fulcrum of peace, prosperity and stability in the region.

"Even as we undertake to do more, we must concentrate resources on initiatives that will generate the best returns, leading in areas that concern us the most, not aiming to be everything to everyone," the prime minister said.

He said Kuala Lumpur must sharpen the way it conceived and executed the cooperation and assistance programmes it provided at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels.

"And we must assess the impact of such programmes more systematically to ensure they are effective and efficient," he said.

In the speech, Najib noted that the factors which shaped Malaysia's diplomacy -- its dependence on trade, strategic location and demographic change -- were in turn shaped by external trends.

"And here the grounds beneath our feet are shifting as old assumptions are being overturned and new ones emerging.

"These global and regional trends ask that we adapt our diplomacy to fit the pressures and opportunities of a new century," he added.

RM35mil for Indians 'news to me' says Waytha - Malaysiakini

 

 Former deputy minister P Waythamoorthy said the RM35 million allocated to resolve the Taman Permata flats issue in Dengkil is “news” to him, as this was never cropped up in his discussions with the prime minister on the matter.

While welcoming the allocation he, however, stressed that this is only one of many issues that his NGO, Persatuan Hindraf Malaysia, sought to resolve.

“Dengkil is not the only thing. There is also the Bukit Jalil estate and so many estates left in the country, where people need to be resettled properly and houses built for them properly.

“Settling one problem alone will not settle the entire Indian community’s problems. We have a very long list, because we have been overlooked for over 50 years,” he told a press conference today.

He was asked to comment on Housing and Local Government Minister Abdul Rahman Dahlan’s statement yesterday, defending Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.

Abdul Rahman (left) said that Najib gave his ministry RM35 million to resolve the issue after Waythamoorthy had urged the prime minister to take action, so it is not true that Najib had not been paying  heed to Indian issues.

The Taman Permata flat residents were originally estate workers, but temporarily resettled there to make way for the construction of Putrajaya, pending new low-cost terrace houses for them.

Tents as homes for months

The houses never materialised andwhen cracks appeared in the flats, they were forced treat tents as homes  for months.

The residents said in a Facebook post last month that they had received word from the Ministry of Housing and Local Government that the federal government will build new houses for them.

PHM believes that there are some 800,000 displaced estate workers nationwide without proper access to jobs and infrastructure, when the estates they had worked in - sometimes for generations - vanished to make way for development.

Among others, Waythamoorthy had said a week after being sworn in as senator last year, that he had asked Najib to allocate  him a budget for the remainder of the year and the following year, to set up a new unit under Prime Minister’s Department to implement Hindraf’s plans, and an expert steering committee to conduct studies.

This was tabled as part of his proposals of his first 100 days in office.

However, he said he only managed to receive verbal commitments from Najib meeting, after meeting, and little else.

He also gave the prime minister a list of 19 issues that needed to be urgently addressed namely a number of Tamil schools, Indian temples and settlements, deaths in custody, unrecognised doctors, forced conversions, and religious disputes.

Between him and his two secretaries, he was only able to resolve a small number of the 709 complaints made to him, he said.

“By the end of October, I realised nothing was moving. I did not see  political will on the part of the prime minister. I could only hear  his commitments, but beyond that I could not see anything moving.

“Not with him, not with the other ministers, not with other ministries and government agencies,” he said.

He then wrote a letter to the prime minister, giving him a month to come up with a plan to fulfil his promises failing which he would resign. He then went on unpaid leave from November onwards.

On the 3rd week of November, he was called to a meeting with Najib.

Since there was no allocation for Waythamoorthy’s unit under the Prime Minister’s Department under the 2014 Budget, he said, Najib promised to set aside RM750 million  from his own budget and money from unused allocations in other ministries.

Again there was no further progress.

“As I have said earlier, the civil servants were not cooperative and I had no choice. I had to report to the PHM Central Executive Committee (CEC) and I told them I do not have any more confidence that will be able to perform as a deputy minister with the purpose of delivering on  the promises made to the Indian community,” he said.

Yes boss culture made vivid

After this, he said, the CEC arrived at the unanimous decision that PHM should leave the government.

When asked to comment on criticisms from his former colleagues that he was not a ‘team player’, Waythamoorthy said he did not join the cabinet to be part of a team, but to implement Hindraf’s blueprint.

“I don’t understand what they mean by ‘team player’. I think that they are so used to being in power, so used to seeing Indian ministers who claim to represent the community in the cabinet for a very long period of time.

“So they are used to, ‘Ya, tuan. Boleh, tuan. Jangan takut, tuan. Orang India semua sokong, tuan. (Yes sir. Can, sir. Don’t worry, sir. The Indians are all supportive, sir.)’

“They are so used to that kind of language, but they are not used to our language. Our language is different, our language is ‘human rights’, ‘dignity’, and ‘fulfilling promises’,” he added.