Hindraf slams ex-CJ

Hindraf wants police to probe Abdul Hamid for sedition.

GEORGE TOWN: Civil rights movement, Hindraf wants the police to investigate former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad for allegedly inciting racial hatred in a seditious speech at a recent Islamic discourse in Kuala Lumpur.

Chiding Hamid as “racist”, Hindraf national chairman P Waythamoorthy called on the police to be impartial and apply the law equally and take action under the Sedition Act 1948.

He said if politicians, elected representatives, reform minded advocates and activists can be charged on flimsy grounds, there should be no reason not to charge Hamid as well.

In his speech, Hamid had alleged that the position of Islam as the official religion was under threat in DAP-led Penang.

He is alleged to have said that non-Muslims also wanted their respective religions to be given the same status.

Waythamoorthy said it was appalling that time and again extreme leaders and irresponsible individuals were inciting racial hatred when Malaysia should have moved on to be a united nation of peace and harmony.

He said Hamid’s utterances were nauseating and degrading to all Malaysians and is intended to instigate ill feelings amongst the Malay community.

“There cannot be a better term to describe the former chief justice other than being ignorant, who had forsaken all that he studied in law school.

“It’s a grave concern to know that a man with such a racist and extreme mindset has led the Apex court in Malaysia and delivered countless judgements,” he said.

The forum here in which Hamid spoke was organised by Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Yadim) and attended by representatives from various Malay non-governmental organisations, including Perkasa and the Muslim Consumers Association.

Waythamoorthy also said Hamid was wrong to say that millions of migrants were bestowed citizenship at the stroke of midnight on August 31, 1957.

He said the ex-chief justice should look at historical documents, which clearly reveal that Malay rulers had encouraged the migration and settlement of Indians and Chinese in Malaya.

He said the rulers had agreed to provide land and places of worship to Indians and Chinese to encourage them to make Malaya their permanent home more than a hundred years ago.

He said Penang and Malacca, which were straits settlement like Singapore and Hong Kong, were given separate consideration during the independence talks as there were neither special privileges nor rulers in these states.

He said freedom of religion in these states was an absolute freedom as was practiced in accordance with international standards.

Hence, he said upon Tunku’s assurances of fundamental rights and equality to all races, Malacca (Melaka) and Penang became part of Malaya.

“It is a sin to deny Chinese and Indians their legitimate rights after contributing to this country for more than 200 years when recent migrants from Indonesia, Bangladesh and Pakistan enjoy the status of special privileges while some have even become Cabinet Ministers,” said the Hindraf chairman.

Polis buru lelaki pukul remaja kerana mencuri

Padah 'naik angin' di tempat awam, lagi kes pukul tersebar di laman sosial.

KUALA LUMPUR: Pihak polis kini sedang memburu seorang lelaki yang telah membelasah seorang remaja yang ditangkap kerana mencuri berdasarkan rakaman video yang tersebar menerusi laman sosial sejak beberapa hari yang lalu.

Menurut Ketua Polis Negara, Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar, insiden yang berlaku pada September 2013 itu adalah sama sekali tidak wajar dan kertas siasatan kini dibuka.

“Tangkapan awam boleh dilakukan di bawah prosedur kanun acara jenayah, namun pesalah tidak boleh diperlakukan sebegitu, kena serah kepada polis,” katanya

Menurutnya, orang ramai yang mempunyai sebarang maklumat mengenai lelaki berkenaan diminta tampil untuk membantu siasatan agar polis dapat menjejakinya.

Rakaman video selama satu minit empat saat itu menunjukkan seorang lelaki bertindak menendang seorang remaja di bahagian muka kerana tidak berpuas hati terhadap remaja berkenaan.

Ini menimbulkan reaksi negatif dari orang ramai apabila video itu tersebar di laman-laman sosial.

Way cleared for Wan Azizah to be MB

Anwar Ibrahim tells reporters that both PAS and DAP have agreed to support the change.

By Puteri Sabariah

PETALING JAYA: PAS and DAP have agreed to a PKR proposal for Dr. Wan Azizah to be appointed the new Menteri Besar of Selangor, PKR defacto leader Anwar Ibrahim told a press conference today.

“PAS and DAP have agreed that the Menteri Besar’s post will be from PKR,” Anwar said adding they respect this informal arrangement between the parties.

PAS rules Kelantan while the DAP has Penang and there is no dispute over PKR’s rule in Selangor even though PKR only has 14 seats compared to 15 each for PAS and DAP .

Anwar left after the brief press conference.

He also said he will step down as Selangor Economic adviser once Dr. Wan Azizah becomes the Menteri Besar.

He also pointed out that he will not be holding any official post if Dr. Wan Azizah is to replace Khalid Ibrahim.

“The coalition parties – PAS and DAP – will bring the Kak Wan proposal to their respective parties,” Anwar said.

Khalid has said he would like to complete his second term as Menteri Besar till 2018 but Anwar wants Dr. Wan Azizah in the post after Hari Raya, which falls on July 28.

When asked about what would happen if Khalid refuses to step down, Anwar said the party’s leadership would discuss the matter with him.

“The process is still on-going now, and please dont be presumptuous.” Anwar said.

Anwar said PKR deputy president Azmin Ali was also one of the candidates to replace Khalid but the party picked Wan Azizah based on “consensus”.

Leaders from DAP and PAS, including PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng were also present when Anwar made the announcement.

Khalid’s tendency to unilaterally make decisions in administering Selangor was what had stirred dissatisfaction among Selangor leaders especially from PKR and DAP.

PKR and DAP Selangor both have been critical of Khalid’s performance as Menteri Besar as well his handling of issues, such as water shortages, the Bible seizure and the Kidex highway.

Can secularism benefit Malay-Muslims? - TMI

Secularism has been seen largely demonised amongst Muslims in Malaysia but widely embraced by Muslims from Indonesia in the east to Tunisia in the west. Does religion explain this stark difference?

While theologians may offer nuanced ideational explanations, allow me to offer a simple analysis from the perspective of group competition and power relations.
Secularism is fundamentally about the impartiality of state in the religious sphere, and by derivation, full religious freedom for all. This could mean at least three things to different people.

First, it is about the relationship between the faithful and the atheists. Second, it is about the relationship between the faithful of different religions. Finally, it is about the faithful of different denominations within the same religions.

Secularism has been a dirty word for Malaysian Muslims largely because of the two legacies: the Kemalist legacy in Turkey and the British legacy in Malaya.

The Kemalist Legacy

Beyond Malaysia, hostility is the natural reaction of many Muslims to the militant secularism espoused by Kemal Atartuk.

In Kemalist Turkey, generations of religious Muslims were suppressed and marginalised because of their faith, until the recent rise of Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s Justice and Development Party (AKP).

The state does not only refuse to be partial to practising Muslims but has become partial against them. Like atheist states, militantly or absolutely secular states see religion as a threat to their own existence. This is completely different from the past Muslim Empires – not unlike most polities with an established faith – which were explicitly partial to Muslims.

Perhaps more upsetting for many Muslims is that, in the making of Turkish nationalists, Kemal denied Muslims both inside and outside of Turkey their political identity as Muslims protected and united by a Caliphate.

On the ruin of Ottoman Empire, the last Caliphate which met its end soon after its humiliating defeat in the First World War, Kemal wanted to radically Westernise Turkey both politically and culturally so that she could cease to be the “Sick man of Europe”.

Not unlike what was advocated by some nationalists in China, then the “Sick man of Asia”, for Kamal, modernisation required a thorough break with one’s own cultural root and imitating the enemies.

This is of course emotionally traumatising and enraging for many Muslim nationalists, for whom Islam is the symbol of resistance and political unity.

Why secularism is seen as synonymous as atheism or anti-Islam by many Muslims is then perfectly comprehensible.

The indirect British Legacy

Interestingly, the negative image of secularism may have its second root in the British colonialisation, despite the British's conscious efforts in grooming the Anglophile, conservative and secular Malay elites. Unintended consequence if you will.

What happened? If secularism essentially means state impartiality towards citizens of different faiths, then in the context of Malaya/Malaysia, it would have to mean impartiality between Muslims and non-Muslims, which is at the heart of the 1946 question.

This becomes clearer if we compare Malaya/Malaysia, with Indonesia.

There, the Dutch colonisation not only did not create a religious majority as the communal core for the future nation. It led to the emergence of Christian communities, not just in remote islands like Ambon and Flores, but also in the main island of Jawa, fragmenting the indigenous communities.

Secularism became the rational choice of Indonesian nationalism both during and after the colonial era. Like multi-religious India, Indonesia may break up if secularism is replaced by the explicit dominance of any faith and religious assimilation creeps into the nation-building agenda.

In Malaya, the British moved beyond the port colonies of Straits Settlements to actively intervene in the inland Malay states only as late as 1874. Taking the lesson from the religiously-triggered Indian mutiny in 1857, the British decided to opt for indirect rule in the Malay states to minimise disturbance.

In doing so, the British not only strengthened the Malay states but, through affirming the Malay rulers’ power in religious affairs and Malay custom, also religion as the ethnic boundary of the Malays. That is the historical basis of why “Malays” are by definition Muslim, as stipulated in the Article 160 of the Federal Constitution.

With the Malays being all Muslims and the non-Malays being largely non-Muslims, secularism in the sense of state impartiality towards citizens of different faiths may basically reduce the differential in citizenship rights between the Malays and non-Malays.

In other words, secularism as religious equality is inherently contradictory to the logic of building a Malay-nation, an agenda crytalised in 1946 and established two years later.

Granted, Umno’s Anglicised, Anglophile, conservative elites led by Tunku, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein and pre-Reformasi Mahathir never wanted an Islamic state.

But they only upheld secularism as intra-Muslim religious freedom – in the sense of minimum penetration of the state by religious authorities, but not interfaith religious equality.

In fact, for Sabah and Sarawak, 51 years of Malaysia has been largely a process of erosion of secularism to serve the agenda of Malay nationalism, where non-Muslim Bumiputeras are to gradually become Muslim Bumiputeras and eventually Malays.

Aggressive conversion of non-Muslims into Islam under Tun Mustapha’s Usno and Harris Salleh’s Berjaya was much despised by Christian Bumiputeras in Sabah.

Years before the word Allah became an issue, non-Muslim Bumiputeras had complained about religion-based discrimination in public sector employment and the enjoyment of Bumiputera privileges.

Many “liberal-lifestyled” Muslims supported Umno in the past because it stood for intra-Muslim religious freedom, as compared to policing of Muslims advocated by hard-line Islamists in PAS.

The question is: if secularism as interfaith equality must be weakened by the day to maintain the regime, how long can intra-Muslim religious freedom remain?

The intra-Christian origin of Secularism

Secularism has no future in Malaysia if it remains a dirty word and not a glorious cause for the Malay-Muslims.

But should Malay-Muslims uphold secularism? Can secularism actually benefit the Malay-Muslims?

The answer is a clear “No” if secularism is still seen in the lens of Kemalist legacy, that it means de-Islamisation for the sake of modernisation.

But why should secularism mean the denial of one’s civilisational root? Where the Arab Spring started, Tunisia under an Islamist government has just adopted a secular constitution and guaranteed religious freedom and equal citizenship.

From an ethno-nationalist perspective, the answer is also a clear “No” if this is all about giving the minorities equality.

But this is where the history of secularism in Christian Europe should be revisited.

Secularism was not born out of the need of Christians to deal with the pagans, Jews or Muslims, or to grant these infidels religious freedom. Religious tolerance was not a virtue of Christians in the medieval Europe. The Jews were treated much better in the Muslim Empires than the Christian States. Neither was secularism established to advance atheism.

Secularism was much driven by faith. Rivalry between the kings and the Catholic Church and the growth of secular thought and capitalism did not turn Christian Europeans into atheists. These forces only divided Christians into Catholics and Protestants, many of whom died to defend and advance their faiths.

Today’s rigid view of secularism as absolute separation of state and religion is too much rooted in post-Revolution France, which influenced Kemalist Turkey.

Some one and a half centuries before that, the order of proto-secularism was actually laid by the 1648 Westphalia Treaty to end religious wars between Catholics and Protestants.

The treaty, on which today’s international system of sovereign nation-states are founded, affirmed the “religious freedom” of both the states and their subjects. The kings and princes were free to decide the official state of their polities, but their subjects were also free to choose their faith and entitled to equal treatment before the law. Religious disputes were resolved through secular procedures that excluded religious reasoning.

Secularism thus freed Christians of different denominations from unnecessarily deaths in the name of faith, and later by extension, provided for religious freedom for non-Christians including Muslims. While Christian Europeans later continued to die over nationalism and ideologies in the centuries to come, the Westphalian secularism removed religion from the list of reasons to kill.

One only needs to look at today’s European Union to see the benefit of secularism. Can the European Union simply be possible if the states need to choose between Catholicism, various denominations of Protestantism and Orthodoxy as her official religion?

Ever wonder what would happen to Palestine if the Arab League can be united like the EU? Ironically, the self-styled Caliphate of the Islamic State (formerly Islamic State of Iraq and Sham) actually hopes to unite the Muslims by slaughtering all who oppose their rule – the antithesis of secularism.

Hundreds more times of Muslims had to die in the wars in Syria and Iraq – hell will break loose if Saudi Arabia and Iran directly enter the battlefields – because these Muslim states were, are and can be partial either to Sunnis or Shias or Alawites. Muslims die and suffer, not so much over the theological differences as for each group's survival.

Coming back to home, can Westphalian secularism benefit the Malay-Muslims?

Yes, if the goal is to have the space to be both more pious and more united, as per the Amman Message, which recognises as valid all the main schools of Islamic thought – Sunni, Shia, Ibadhi, Ashari, Sufi and Salafi?

After all, spirituality is about what we can believe while dominance is about what others cannot believe, lest we get confused.

Uproar after India MP ‘force-feeds’ fasting Muslim worker

(The Rakyat Post) – India’s Parliament erupted in anger on Wednesday after television footage showed a hardline Hindu nationalist lawmaker apparently trying to force-feed a Muslim man during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Opposition Congress MPs launched raucous protests in the Parliament, saying the lawmaker had violated the man’s religious beliefs by aggressively trying to shove a chapati or piece of bread in his mouth.

“It is absolutely reprehensible and should be condemned in the strongest possible manner,” Congress party spokesman Manish Tewari later told reporters.

The lawmaker is from the hardline Hindu nationalist outfit Shiv Sena, a key ally of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party which swept to power at May elections.

The incident is likely to fan concern among Muslims and other religious minorities over Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.

The footage, aired on national television, showed a group of Shiv Sena lawmakers confronting a catering supervisor last Thursday in New Delhi.

The lawmakers were complaining about the quality of food offered at a guest house for officials from the state of Maharashtra, where Shiv Sena is based.

The footage showed lawmaker Rajan Baburao Vichare attempting several times to push the bread into the supervisor’s mouth as a crowd gathered.

Vichare said he was not trying to break the supervisor’s religious fast. Instead he was trying to demonstrate that the chapatis being served were too hard.

“This was only a protest against the quality of food and other arrangements at the Maharashtra Sadan (guest house) where all the important dignitaries come and stay,” Vichare told Headlines Today news channel.

“The canteen management here is in a bad state. The chapatis they made didn’t even break, the quality of vegetables and pulses is bad.”

“Making this a religious issue doesn’t make sense,” he said.

The catering company’s general manager said the supervisor had been “deeply pained and hurt” over the incident as “religious sentiments are attached”.

The manager said the lawmakers had marched into the dining hall last week flanked by television crews and threw kitchen items around.

“They also issued physical threats to the kitchen and service staff while using highly objectionable language,” the manager said in an email to a Maharashtra government official, which was obtained by the Indian Express newspaper.

Shiv Sena, which has a history of intimidation and creating unrest against minorities, won 18 seats at the election and is now the sixth biggest party in Parliament.

Analysts say justice for MH17 victims will be very difficult

Tom Allard

The battle to bring to justice the perpetrators of the apparent missile attack on Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 will be extremely difficult, not least because Russia is in a position to thwart any attempt to bring it or its citizens before any international or domestic court, analysts said.

The hurdles are immense even after Russia this week endorsed a strongly worded United Nations convention pledging its commitment to hold those responsible to account, analysts said on Wednesday

Whoever was behind the downing of MH17 remains uncertain, although US intelligence officials believe the most likely scenario was pro-Russian separatists hit the plane by accident, mistaking it for a Ukrainian military transport plane.
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There also has been speculation that Russia supplied the Buk-M1 surface to air missile system, also known as a SA-11, to the rebels and trained the separatists in how to use it.

Russia and the separatists deny the accusations, blaming Ukraine – which also has the SA-11 – for the downing of MH17. If an investigation finds Russia and the separatists culpable, it will be a massive challenge to bring the matter to a court, let alone get a conviction.

For an incident like the MH17 disaster involving multiple nations, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) typically would be the most appropriate arenas to hear a case. The ICJ adjudicates on disputes between nation states, while the ICC hears matters involving individuals who have committed international crimes such as war crimes.

But, said Alex Oliver, a research fellow at the Lowy Institute, Russia – and Ukraine, for that matter – do not accept the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ and don't have to appear before it.

And Russia or Ukraine are not parties to the Rome Statute that set up the ICC, meaning its citizens are not compelled to appear before this court either.

The UN Security Council can force any matter to be investigated by the ICC regardless of whether a nation state has ratified its statutes or not, enabling it to circumvent jurisdictional issues. But Russia is one of five countries that has veto power in the council. The situation was "very complex", Ms Oliver said.

Individual nations affected by the crash – notably the Netherlands, Australia and Malaysia – could also seek prosecutions in their own courts. But they would face enormous hurdles compelling foreign witnesses to appear.

At a Lowy Institute discussion on Wednesday, University of Tasmania academic Matthew Sussex noted that the Russian constitution forbids it from extraditing its citizens to another country.

It won't be any easier to bring pro-Russian separatists before a court either, as Russia can grant them citizenship.

Australian National University international law expert Don Rothwell noted that the Lockerbie disaster, when Libyan agents organised the bombing of a Pan Am passenger jet in 1988, was heard in a domestic court.

The aircraft – en route from Frankfurt to Detroit – crashed in Scotland and the Libyan agents were tried in a specially convened Scottish court set up in the Netherlands. A Libyan intelligence officer, Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment, although he was released in 2009 on compassionate grounds.

But the Lockerbie trial only came about after a decade of sanctions forced Libya's then leader Muammar Gaddafi to agree to the trial in exchange for them being dropped.

The case highlights that the most effective way to bring perpetrators of international crimes to justice is often through economic sanctions, diplomatic pressure and sustained adverse media coverage.

Diplomatic pressure and widespread global criticism led to Russia endorsing a UN resolution this week for an independent investigation into the MH17 crash which – critically – also demanded "that those responsible for this incident be held to account and that all states cooperate fully with efforts to establish accountability".

Ms Oliver said the resolution was a hugely positive step on the road to justice but noted that Russia "haven't committed to submitting to any jurisdiction".

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/analysts-say-justice-for-mh17-victims-will-be-very-difficult-20140723-zw2zw.html#ixzz38KXq3y3c

Selangor risks snap polls if Khalid ousted, say lawyers - TMI

A snap election is possible in Selangor if Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is defeated in a no-confidence vote in the state legislative assembly for defying his party's move to replace him, say constitutional lawyers.

They said the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, could use his royal prerogative if Khalid made a request to the ruler to dissolve the assembly based on provisions in the state constitution and legal precedence.

Lawyers are mulling the various scenarios following Khalid's defiance of PKR's decision to replace him with party president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Constitutional lawyer Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said assemblymen in Selangor could attest statutory declarations to show that they no longer supported Khalid.

"A representation could be made to the ruler to show the level of confidence if many were not with Khalid," he told The Malaysian Insider.

In such a scenario, Aziz said the ruler could invite another assemblymen recommended by PR to replace Khalid.

In the alternative, the lawyer said a vote of no-confidence has to be taken against Khalid and if defeated, he has to tender his resignation.

"In the light of certain constitutional principle, the ruler has to appoint a new menteri besar once it is determined that Khalid has been defeated decisively.”

Aziz said a vote of no-confidence was taken against Selangor menteri besar Datuk Harun Idris in 1975 and Datuk Muhamed Nasir (the PAS menteri besar of Kelantan) in 1978.

The confidence vote could be a possibility as Khalid said yesterday he stood by the state constitution which has mapped out special conducts and processes to replace a state leader.

"Until all the processes are completed, I will continue to do my job as the menteri besar with responsibility as requested by the Selangor people," he had said.

The PKR supreme council on Monday endorsed Dr Wan Azizah as Selangor menteri besar, completing the "Kajang move" to replace Khalid.

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Dr Wan Azizah's name has been proposed and he believed that she could ensure stability for PKR and Pakatan Rakyat.

Today, the Pakatan Rakyat supreme council will meet to endorse the PKR decision on the new menteri besar.

All PR needs to remove Khalid after the supreme council endorses the decision is a simple majority vote in the state assembly to oust Khalid, if he refuses to resign.

PR – comprising of PKR, PAS and DAP – has 44 seats in the assembly while the opposition Barisan Nasional (BN) has the remaining 12 seats. PAS and DAP each has 15 seats while PKR has 14.

Lawyer Nizam Bashir said under the state constitution, the menteri besar and his executive council have to tender their resignations to the ruler if Khalid loses in the confidence vote.

He said the ruler could appoint another assemblyman, who in his opinion enjoyed the confidence of the majority assemblymen to be the new menteri besar, while Khalid could also request that the ruler dissolve the assembly for the people of Selangor to elect a new
government.

"However, the ruler could turn down the request and use his prerogative to appoint another assemblyman as menteri besar," he told The Malaysian Insider.

Nizam said any decision of the Sultan would reflect the will of the people.

"Ultimately, any decision will be done in the interests of the rakyat," he added.

A senior lawyer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the ruler's decision to dissolve the house could not be challenged in court.

"Once the ruler accepts the advice of Khalid, no one can mount a legal challenge even if there was an agreement for a smooth transition," he said.

Lawyer Syahredzan Johan said there was a danger of a defeated Khalid advising the Selangor ruler to dissolve the assembly and that he still held the trump card in determining whether a snap election should be held.

"An election is very likely to be held if Khalid requests the ruler to dissolve the assembly," he said.

Syahredzan, however, said it would be an uphill task to unseat Khalid as his defeat also meant all his state executive councillors would have to resign.

The lawyer believes Khalid has the numbers to remain in power as the chief executive of the state.

"Is PR confident of replacing a new menteri besar without dissolution of the assembly?"

Khalid has been facing mounting pressure from the Pakatan Rakyat leadership to resign over his handling of Selangor affairs.

This included the state’s management of its water resources, Kidex highway and seizure of Malay and Iban Bibles by the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais).

Government And Opposition MPs Unite On Seeking Justice For MH17 Victims

KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 (Bernama) -- The tragic Malaysian Airlines (MAS) flight MH17 incident has unite the government and opposition Members of Parliament in working closely and supporting the government to seek justice for the crew and passengers.

Communication and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek said their attitude in unanimously giving their full support to the country must be continued so that efforts to bring the irresponsible parties to justice could be done.

"We have gone through a difficult path but the message we convey to the world is clear regardless of whether they are from the big powers like Russia, Ukraine government or rebels.

"Even though we are a small country we have a big heart and we want to do the best we can in getting justice for the victims," he said when met at the Parliament lobby here Wednesday.

Ahmad Shabery also wanted the people to stop all accusations and speculations on the crash, which he described as an insensitive act.

DAP secretary-general and Bagan Member of Parliament, Lim Guan Eng said it was vital for all quarters to unite when the nation was saddened by MH17 crash tragedy in Ukraine last Thursday.

He said the opposition party also wished to show the world that they were together with the government on this matter to strongly condemn the tragedy which had befallen the country's aircraft besides bringing those responsible to justice.

Regional and Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal said the international community needed to give its cooperation and support to help Malaysia sought justice for all the victims.

"We do not want to point fingers at anyone or seek revenge but we need to find justice at the international level because it involves a commercial aircraft," he said.

Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein said the approach taken by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who was not swayed by the geopolitical situation in Ukraine, had managed to persuade the rebels to bring out the crash victims' bodies and obtained the black box for further investigation.

Commenting on the investigation that was conducted by the ministry on the crash, the Sembrong Member of Parliament said :"We have the expertise and consensus from the international organisation that we are going through the process. I believe the most difficult part was to get bodies and the black box out but that has been achieved...we'll move from there","

Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said Malaysia was really facing a big challenge in the MH17 incident so soon after the loss of MH370 four months ago.

She said it was the time for all the people to be united in facing the challenge by giving their full support to the forces and family members of the victims.

"The motion that was tabled today on the MH17 incident is a timely move, which shows our leaders were concerned and wanted to voice the people's views and show solidarity during the emergency sitting," she said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim said the move taken by Najib was a smart one that also received the support of the opposition parties.

"His effort is one of the best ways to solve this issue and had not the bodies and black box not procured, all parties will point fingers at us," he said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Mah Siew Keong expressed pride that MPs from the BN and Pakatan Rakyat gave their full support on the motion.

"Whenever all members, regardless of political background, debated on the incident, I felt touched and proud because everyone showed their sympathy and undivided support in facing this challenge.

"Even though MAS has faced big blows twice within a short period, I will still use its services because as a Malaysian, we need to regain confidence in our own product to continue to be marketed at the international level," he said.

Lembah Pantai MP Nurul Izzah Anwar welcomed the motion that was tabled during the special sitting to discuss on the MH17 tragedy today.

"It is a good start. I'm happy to see some issues from my party are being shared. We want to be included during a briefing", she said.

Nurul Izzah also reiterated the party's stand that the parties responsible for the crash should be brought to face justice and an indepth discussion on crash was ongoing.

Mayat mangsa MH17 dibawa ke Belanda dulu, kata Najib

Envoy: Wrong for MH17 families to blame Putin

ISIS militants ransack Catholic monastery in Iraq

Islamic militants have seized a monastery in northern Iraq, kicking out its Christian monks as well as Christian residents of Mosul.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/ISIS) insurgents stormed the ancient Mar Benham monastery in the Christian town of Qaraqosh Sunday, near the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, which was overrun by ISIS on 10 June.

Mar Benham is a 4th century monastery run by the Syriac Catholic church.

A member of the Syriac clergy said the monks pleaded to be allowed to save some of the monastery’s relics but the ISIS fighters refused and ordered them to leave on foot with only the clothes on their back.

“You have no place here anymore, you have to leave immediately,” one of the militants told the monks, according to the clergyman.

The monks then walked several kilometers along a road and were eventually picked up by Kurdish Peshmerga fighters who drove them to Qaraqosh, AFP reported Monday.

Christian families in the area said that as well as the monks there may have been another nine people living in the monastery.

This is the latest move by ISIS, which is trying to create a caliphate in north eastern Syria and northern Iraq, a Salafist-orientated Islamist state, which follows an extreme anti-western interpretation of Islam, promotes religious violence and regards anyone with a different interpretation of religion as infidels and apostates.

Over the weekend hundreds of families from minority religions fled Mosul, a once multi-cultural, cosmopolitan city, which is the second largest in Iraq.

Leaders of Iraq’s Chaldean church said that Mosul is now virtually emptied of Christians for the first time in almost two millennia.

The ISIS insurgents issued an ultimatum to all Christians that they had until 19 July to either convert to Islam, leave or pay a special tax. If they don’t comply “then there is nothing to give them but the sword,” read the ominous ISIS threat.

Other groups, who have been persecuted in the Mosul area, include Yazidis, Shabak and Shiite Turkmen populations.

Mosul Christians are mostly Assyrians, or Chaldean’s, known as the Church of the East and are an eastern rite of the Catholic Church.

But ISIS’s treatment of Shia Muslims has been much worse than their treatment of Christians. 13 Shia mosques and shrines have been destroyed and there are reports of Shiites being held captive for ransom, repeatedly beaten and in some cases murdered.

ISIS already controls a vast swathe of northern Iraq and eastern Syria, larger than the area of Great Britain, although they aim to control even more territory stretching as far south as the Iraqi capital Baghdad and as far west as the Mediterranean in Syria.

In two separate incidents in ISIS controlled Syria two women were stoned to death for adultery. In one case a woman was allegedly stoned to death because her new husband found out she wasn’t a virgin.

“The Islamic State carried out, for the second time in 24 hours, the punishment of Al Rajem (stoning to death for adultery) against another woman in the city of Al Raqqa in a square near the municipal Stadium,” said an official from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).

The report by SOHR, noted that the first woman to be executed was tried by an Islamic Sharia court, where neither of the witnesses who made the allegation were identified, and the man who was due to marry her was not charged.

The second incident also took place in Raqqa, where a 26-year old widow was stoned to death by ISIS militants in popular market late at night.

Since last year Raqqa has been the de-facto capital of the ISIS caliphate.

ISIS has in recent weeks become known as IS, which literally stand for Islamic State

Islamic bride, 12, duped into sex with husband, 26, was told Islamic law ‘overrides’ civil law

A CHILD bride allegedly married off at 12 was told sharia law “overrides” Australian law, court documents revealed.

In a case that has brought awareness of secret child brides in Australia, the girl’s father and the 26-year-old man she “wed” were charged in February over numerous child sex offences.

Documents that formed part of a successful apprehended violence order application by police at the time against the girl’s “husband” state that the young girl “believed or had been informed that sharia law overrides the Australian law”.

The 26-year-old man accused of marrying a 12-year-old girl. Source: Supplied

“She stated that together with the accused they had been trying to get him registered as her legal guardian with Centrelink in order to obtain any welfare benefits they could,” the court documents state.

The police allege in the AVO document that the 26-year-old man, who was charged with 25 counts of sexual intercourse with a child, admitted to officers on the day he was arrested that he had had sex with the girl daily since the religious ceremony in the living room of the girl’s Hunter Valley home on January 12.

“When questioned on this he showed no remorse and was confident that in doing this he had committed no crime,” the police documents state. His matter is still before the courts and he is being held at Villawood Detention Centre after his student visa was revoked.

The child and the Lebanese university student met at a mosque through the girl’s 62-year-old father who is a Muslim convert, police alleged.

The child bride’s father outside court/ Picture: Ross Schultz

The girl’s father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is charged with procuring a child for sex and accessory before the fact to sexual intercourse with a child.

Dressed in a traditional Islamic tunic, the father-of-seven fronted Burwood Local Court yesterday where he was committed to stand trial in the Sydney District Court.

His lawyer Mario Licha said outside court the father would be defending the charges.

The alleged child bride, who is now 13, and her eight-year-old sister remain in the care of the Department of Community Services. -News.com.au

'No court order for police to get Indira's children'

 

The Syariah High Court did not issue any order to the  police to retrieve the children of K Pathmanathan @ Mohd Ridhuan Abdullah, who is involved in a bitter child custody battle with his former wife M Indira Gandhi, the High Court in Ipoh heard.

This was told to High Court judge Lee Swee Seng yesterday afternoon by Indira’s lawyer M Kulasegaran (left), after senior federal counsel Shamsulbol Hassan applied for a postponement of the hearing of Indira’s application to initiate judicial review to compel Inspector-General of Police Khalid Abu Bakar to act on High Court order issued to him.

Shamsulbol applied for the postponement following the application by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to be intervener in the Indira case and in another Seremban child custody case involving S Deepa and her former husband N Viran @ Izwan Abdullah, which will be jointly heard on Thursday.

"Since the Deepa case is coming-up on Thursday, the AGC applied for a postponement. However, we objected as the circumstances in our matter are different from Deepa's case, and the High Court judge heard our application for leave.

"We told the court that the Ipoh High Court has given two orders, one granting custody of all of Indira's children to the mother and a warrant of arrest against Ridhuan and the other order compelling the police and IGP to find the whereabouts of Prasana Diksa (also known as Ummu Habibah) and return her to the Indira," Kulasegaran said.

He said Indira's case differed from Deepa's (left), in which Izwan obtained a Seremban Syariah High Court order that not only granted him custody of his children, but also compelled the police to help retrieve his children.

After explaining this to court, Kulasegaran said, Shamsulbol understood the difference and would seek further instructions.

Despite this, Kulasegaran, said the High Court in Ipoh may decide on Friday whether to grant leave (permission) to hear the application to compel the IGP and the police to act on the order issued to them.

Application filed last month

Indira, a kindergarten teacher, had applied for a judicial review order on June 30, compelling the IGP to act on the warrant of arrest issued against Ridhuan and the order to retrieve six-year-old Prasana Diksa, whom the father took away.

Ridhuan (left) had failed to comply with the Ipoh High Court order issued on May 30 that he returns Prasana Diksa to Indira.

The couple's two other children, aged 17 and 16, are staying with the mother.

IGP Khalid had said he was taking a middle path in the dispute as there were two conflicting orders, from the Syariah High Court and the civil High Court.

However, as Kulasegaran pointed out yesterday, this was not the case as in Indira's matter.

The Ipoh High Court had also last year declared the unilateral conversion of all three of Indira Gandhi's children to Islam by Pathmanathan @ Ridhuan null and void as it went against international norms.

Attorney-General Abdul Gani Patai in a statement last month said the AGC would intervene in the case on behalf of the IGP because these two cases had become a public interest matter following the conflicting orders issued.

This will be heard on Thursday, by the Court of Appeal. The IGP had obtained a stay of the Seremban Syariah High Court order compelling the police to retrieve Deepa's children and return them to the father.

Ex-CJ: Islam under threat in DAP-ruled Penang

 

Former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad has highlighted the problems faced by Muslims in Penang, which he warned could spread if left unchecked.

Among others, he said a former Penang mufti told him that it was difficult to secure allocations for Islamic activities in the state as various religious groups wanted their fair share.

"If this is not stopped, it will spread to the whole of Malaysia. Maybe Islamic programmes will have to be shared with other religions.

"Government departments and campuses may be required to not only prepare surau but also churches, gurdwara and temples," he added.

Such a scenario, he said, would render the special position of Islam as the religion of the Federation meaningless.

Hamid (right) was speaking at a buka puasa event with several Islamic NGOs in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

A copy of his speech, titled "Protecting the constitution as the basis of the country", was also uploaded on his website.

The former chief justice, who hails from Penang, revealed that the mufti also informed him about an incident during the launching of a building in the state, which was attended by the deputy chief minister.

At this event, he said, prayers were done by a Christian priest, a Hindu priest and the imam of the state mosque.

"I am puzzled why would the imam participate in such a ceremony. Can't he think?" he asked.

"I am saddened to see Malays and Muslims behaving naively where they are made as tools and shout 'Allahu Akbar' while lying on road when it is non-Muslims who benefit," he added.

Hamid was referring to the protest that followed BN retaking Perak in the aftermath of the 2008 general election.

'Hidden agenda'

Commenting on the 'Allah' row, Hamid said he was puzzled that some Islamic scholars did not see the "hidden agenda" of the Roman Catholic Church.

He claimed that the church was disappointed for not being able to turn the Malays into Christians five centuries ago.

Earlier, Abdul Hamid held that Malays had changed drastically, and are seriously split now, following the people becoming affluent.

This had resulted in the majority group becoming a minority, which now uses Malay voters as a tool.

The split in the Malays resulted in the extremist groups to attack the Malays, criticise the royal institutions, insulting the Malay leaders and admonish Islam. 

Abdul Hamid reminded of the social contract that the Malays have with the non-Malays.

He cited Prof Shad Saleem Farouqi's book titled 'Document of Destiny: The Constitution of the Federation of Malaysia' where on page 710 it states that as a result of the 'social contract' between the various races, millions of migrants to British Malaya were bestowed with citizenship.

“It is believed that the number of citizens in Malaya doubled at the stroke of midnight on August 31, 1957 due to the constitutional grant,” Shad Saleem (right) wrote in the book.

Abdul Hamid further said the minority community should not complain about their freedom.

“Show me a country which gives rights to the minority? What happened to the Muslims in Rohingya? In a neighbouring country, the minority are asked to change their names.

“Show me any country which allows the formation of vernacular schools and also finance it. In Malaysia, the government does not prohibit them to practise their religion.

"Have they considered how easy it is to build their places of worship in Malaysia including on government land and even financing is given,” he said.

The former CJ warned the minority wanted to get rid of what the Malays have and they have become more daring as a result of the Malays being split and they have managed to influence certain Malay party leaders to work with them.

Maintain Sedition Act

Abdul Hamid also supported the retention of the Sedition Act 1948, but with some amendments.

“The reason given that the Sedition Act should be repealed and replaced is to achieve national unity is without basis. It is only a reason forwarded. What more the new Bill is being formulated by the Bar Council. We should not be tricked by this, as this is what they want,” he said.

“What is the benefit to the Malays, or those in Sabah and Sarawak, if people are allowed to question the special privileges allocated to the Malays based on Article 153 of the federal constitution. They do not want such a provision as they do not like it,” he said.

Abdul Hamid said without the Sedition Act, the constitutional monarchy, the position of Bahasa Melayu as the national language, and the special position of the Malays and the bumiputeras in Sabah and Sarawak would be challenged.

“That is what we must understand,” he said.

The former CJ was speaking at a function organised by the government-backed Yayasan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia.

MH17 black boxes to be handed over to global probe team, Najib says

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the MH17 black boxes which were retrieved from the crash site will be handed to the international investigation team for further analysis.

He said the boxes appeared to be in good condition.

“They will held securely in Malaysian custody while the international investigation team is being formalised. At that time, we will pass the black boxes to the international investigation team,” he said in a statement today.

Najib expressed his satisfaction at the manner in which the agreement reached with the rebel leader Alexander Borodai, the self-styled Prime Minister of the Donetsk People's Republic, had progressed.

"The agreement with Borodai was to bring an end to the standoff over the crash site of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17," Najib said.

"Our agreement rests on three conditions, namely the return of the victims' remains, the handover of the flight recorder and full access to the crash site so that investigations can begin."

Najib said the first two conditions had been met as the flight recorders of MH17 had been handed over to Malaysian representatives.

"The train carrying the remains of the victims has arrived in Kharkhiv. Arrangements will be made to move the bodies to Amsterdam."

The Sydney Morning Herald today had reported that Najib had used “secret diplomacy” to reach an agreement with the rebels.

It added that while other world leaders blamed the separatists for their alleged hand in Thursday's crash, Najib had "cautiously refused" to join the chorus of blame, the paper reported.

Najib negotiated with rebel leader Alexander Borodai and sealed a deal "that achieved what more powerful nations, including Russia, could not".

Najib said that the discussions with Borodai had been due to extraordinary circumstances which called for extraordinary measures.

"There were risks in pursuing this agreement but we felt an obligation to explore all avenues to break the impasse.

"After meeting the next-of-kin of the victims, I felt we owed it to them to act to secure the remains of the victims and the flight recorders."

Najib said the agreement had been honoured and he hoped that the cooperation would continue.

"I hope that the investigators are granted full access to the crash site as was agreed upon."

He expressed relief that discussions had advanced sufficiently to achieve the breakthrough which has allowed all parties involved to move forward.

“I would like to thank the Malaysian team on the ground, who have worked hard to support this operation.

"Thanks to their efforts, we are closer to finding out what happened to aircraft, and fulfilling our shared responsibility to those who lost their lives.”

Earlier this morning, Russian ambassador to Malaysia Lyudmila G. Vorobyeva maintained her country's stance that it had not been involved in the MH17 disaster.

Vorobyeva said the various allegations which had been made against Russia had been baseless and without a shred of evidence.

She also thanked Putrajaya for its neutral stance in waiting for the results of an international probe instead of pointing fingers and making baseless accusations.

Vorobyeva told a press conference at the Russian embassy in Jalan Ampang today that Russia had been unfairly demonised by Western media.

"Where is the tangible evidence that Russia was involved in the MH17 disaster? All the finger pointing and accusations have been made without any proof.

"When the United States attacked Iraq in 2003, they claimed it was because the Middle Eastern country had weapons of mass destruction."

"However, until today, the world still awaits the evidence of WOMD which was the justification for the assault led by the United States."

She said the rebels in Donetsk did not possess the sophisticated BUK surface-to-air missile system nor had they been trained how to use it.

"The BUK missile system is a very sophisticated piece of equipment and only specially trained personnel can handle it."
- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/mh17-black-boxes-to-be-handed-over-to-global-probe-team-najib-says#sthash.Kvr4tXwl.dpuf

Mangsa penipuan gores menang mengamuk

Ibu tunggal enam anak kerugian RM50,000

SEREMBAN: Hilang sabar kerana tiada tindakan susulan yang tegas daripada pihak berkuasa, lebih 30 mangsa yang mendakwa ditipu oleh syarikat ‘gores dan menang’, mengamuk di hadapan premis syarikat berkenaan petang semalam.

Sejurus selepas bertemu pihak polis dan mengadakan sidang akhbar bersama Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN), Port Dickson, M Ravi (PKR) dan Ahli Parlimen Rasah, Teo Kok Seong (DAP), ke semua mangsa terbabit berpakat untuk menyerbu pejabat syarikat ‘gores dan menang’ itu.

Walaubagaimanapun, pejabat syarikat itu didapati tutup dan berkunci. Beberapa mangsa yang hilang sabar menendang pintu pejabat tersebut.

Salah seorang mangsa, Sharifah Shikhah Said, 64, berkata beliau bersama dengan lain mangsa nekad untuk serbu pejabat syarikat tersebut untuk menuntut kembali wang mereka.

“Kami sudah muak berurusan dengan pihak berkuasa yang tolak menolak antara satu sama lain. Kami diperlakukan seperti bola, ditendang ke sana sini. Sedangkan syarikat tersebut bebas melakukan kegiatan mereka. Sampai sekarang tiada tindakan tegas diambil oleh pihak berkuasa atau kerajaan. Bayangkan, saya sudah membuat aduan kepada pihak berkaitan sejak April,” kata Sharifah Shikhah.

Sharifah Shikhah kerugian sebanyak RM12,300.

Memorandum kepada Menteri Dalam Negeri

Seorang ibu tunggal yang juga suri rumah dan mempunyai enam anak dari Port Dickson yang hanya mahu dikenali sebagai Roslin, 48, berkata beliau telah ditipu sebanyak RM50,000.

“Saya ditunjukkan senarai hadiah yang boleh dimenangi termasuk kereta Toyota Camry, pakej Umrah dan pakej melancong ke luar negara.

“Walaubagaimanapun saya ditawarkan juga skim gandakan wang.”

“Dengan pelaburan sebanyak RM35,000, saya dijanjikan akan mendapat RM50,000. Iaitu keuntungan sebanyak RM15,000.

“Atas sebab untuk menambah pendapatan saya menyerahkan duit RM50,000 secara berperingkat-peringkat.

“Saya percaya pada mereka, kerana ada sekali ketika saya dalam perjalanan ke pejabat mereka untuk membayar duit itu, salah seorang lelaki meminta saya menunaikan solat Zohor terlebih dahulu di sebuah surau sebelum pergi ke pejabat mereka.

“Mereka sentiasa telefon saya. Sebab itu saya percaya sebab tidak ada tanda-tanda mereka mahu tipu atau melarikan diri.

“Walaubagaimanapun selepas tidak mendapat pulangan seperti yang dijanjikan, saya sedar saya telah ditipu,” katanya.

Sementara itu Teo berkata beliau akan mengumpulkan maklumat sekitar 250 mangsa tersebut dan akan menyerahkan memorandum kepada Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahidi Hamidi.

“Saya juga akan bawa isu ini dalam sidang parlimen akan datang,” kata Teo. Ravi pula berjanji akan membawa perkara ini dalam Persidangan Dewan Undangan Negeri dan menyerahkan memorandum kepada Ketua Polis Negeri Sembilan, Datuk Osman Salleh.

Kiki fined, ordered to do social work

The steering lock wielder pays the price for her road rage

KUANTAN: Siti Fairrah Ashykin Kamaruddin, the woman caught on video abusing an elderly man and battering his car with a steering lock, was today fined RM5,000 and ordered to carry out 240 hours of community service.

Bernama reports that the 30-year-old Siti Fairrah, better known by her nickname Kiki, pleaded guilty at the Kuantan Sessions Court this morning to a charge of causing mischief and damage.

In passing the sentence, judge Zainal Abidin Kamarudin said she was lucky that the victim, Sim Siak Hing, had forgiven her and decided not to pursue the matter further.

Sim, 68, had earlier told the media that Kiki and her father apologised to him and that he promised them he would not make a police report or pursue criminal charges. Kiki became the talk of the nation after a video recording of the July 14 incident was uploaded on YouTube.

The clip inspired wisecracks, parodies and statements of reprimand from a broad spectrum of Malaysians.

Two days after the incident, Kiki posted a Facebook article apologising to “all Malaysians” for her behaviour and pleading for the removal of the video clip. In an interview with NTV7, she said: “This is my biggest mistake, and I know it is hard but I hope Malaysians can forgive me. That video has ruined my life.

Khalid tetap jalankan tugas sehingga perlantikan MB baru yang sah

(FMT) – Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim berkata beliau akan terus menjalankan tugas sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor dengan penuh tanggungjawab, tekun dan amanah sehingga proses perlantikan baru yang sah dilakukan. Pernyataan ini ekoran berita Wan Azizah di calonkan sebagai menteri besar yang baru untuk menggantikan beliau.

Menurutnya, beliau berpegang teguh kepada enakmen Undang-Undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri yang menetapkan tatacara yang khusus bagi perlantikan atau penggantian Menteri Besar.

“Saya percaya mereka yang terlibat dalam usaha ini perlu melalui proses-proses tersebut untuk mencapai matlamat yang mereka inginkan.

“Saya juga menghormati keputusan politik Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) yang mencalonkan Presiden PKR, Datin Seri Dr.Wan Azizah Wan Ismail sebagai Menteri Besar yang baharu,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan media.

Tambah Khalid, beliau akan terus menjalankan tugasnya seperti yang telah diamanahkan oleh rakyat Selangor yang telah memilihnya melalui proses pemilihan yang sah.

“Saya berharap rakyat Selangor tidak mudah terpengaruh dengan berita-berita fitnah, bersifat provokasi dan kontroversi kerana negeri Selangor mempunyai tatacara perlantikan Menteri Besar secara tertib dan beradab seperti yang termaktub dalam Undang-undang Tubuh Kerajaan Negeri.

“Saya ingin menegaskan kepada seluruh rakyat Selangor dan para pelabur bahawa isu ini tidak sedikit pun menjejaskan sistem pentadbiran negeri.” ujarnya.

Speaker: Opposition should form shadow Cabinet

(The Rakyat Post) – Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia today suggested that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) create a shadow Cabinet to smoothen the debate session during the parliamentary sittings.

He said this was to make it easier for the Opposition group to choose from among their parliamentarians those who were experts in their respective fields to debate on an issue more effectively.

“In most countries which practise parliamentary democracy, when one side loses in a general election, they will still set up a shadow Cabinet to debate on the issues according to their expertise.

“This way, sound ideas too can come from PR,” he said when met by reporters in his office at Parliament building, here.

Pandikar Amin was earlier asked on the Dewan Rakyat’s move to hold an emergency parliamentary sitting tomorrow to debate on a motion to condemn the shooting down of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) plane, Flight MH17 in Ukraine last Thursday.

He advised the lawmakers involved in tomorrow’s debate to make good use of the time in debating on the issue of the MH17 crash.

“This emergency parliamentary sitting is a government initiative to convey the voice of the people on the MH17 crash incident which has killed almost 300 killed.

“Anyway, the time allocated for the day’s sitting is only from 10am to 5.30pm.”

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had decided on calling for an emergency meeting of Parliament to table the motion condemning the inhumane action against MH17, which is believed to have been shot down by a surface-to air-missile in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine, on Thursday.

The proceedings tomorrow will be carried live on TV1 from 10am.

Many unaware whistleblowers are protected by law

The New Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians are still unaware that they will receive protection under the Whistleblower Protection Act 2010 for disclosing any improper conduct of their companies and agencies.

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy chief commissioner (prevention) Datuk Mustafar Ali said their survey conducted last year involving 10,000 Malaysians revealed that half of them did not realise the existence of the law, which had been enforced since 2010.

“The act was designed to combat corruption and other wrongdoings by encouraging and facilitating disclosures of improper conduct in the public and private sector. It will protect and cover any employee of the public or private sector who disclose wrongdoing.”

Mustafar said the MACC had received 5,000 tip-offs relating to corruption and other wrongdoings annually since the implementation of the act.

“A whistleblower will not be subjected to any civil action or criminal liability and no administrative process can be taken against them.

“However, only 39 people have been protected under this act since 2010,” he said, adding that those protected under the act would not have their identity exposed.

He said the gathering of evidence would be conducted by the commission’s investigation unit to ensure their identity was not compromised.

Mustafar was speaking after officiating the “Whistleblowing – Your Right, Our Commitment” forum at the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy here yesterday. The forum aimed to explore the platforms available to combat corruption.

Among the panellists were MACC deputy public prosecutor, Anthony Kevin Morais, Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) chief executive officer, Wan Saiful Wan Jan, and Malaysian Bar president, Christopher Leong.

Some 150 participants from non-governmental organisations, professionals, lawyers and students, attended the half-day forum.

Coup For Najib Over Deal To Secure Remains, Black Boxes

KUALA LUMPUR, July 22 (Bernama) -- It was a coup for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak when he announced early Tuesday, that Malaysia had secured agreement for the release of the victims' bodies and blackboxes on Malaysia Airlines (MAS) Flight MH17, as well as for international investigators to have access to the crash site in Grabove, eastern Ukraine.

At a time when all seemed lost, his announcement was a welcome turning point in the stand-off between the international rescue teams and people who were in command over large swathes of land near the Russian border where the Boeing 777 aircraft had tragically crashed.

Najib deftly held his emotions in check when he said that in recent days, he had "wanted to give greater voice to the anger and grief the Malaysian people felt about the incident."

"But sometimes, we must work quietly in the service of a better outcome," he said at a nationally-televised press conference.

And a better outcome it was. As aptly put by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Datuk Seri Idris Jala: "People can talk a lot but it is what you talk about that counts."

In a later statement, Najib said: "These were extraordinary circumstances which called for extraordinary measures. There were risks in pursuing this agreement.

"But we felt an obligation to explore all avenues to break the impasse, and secure the return of the remains and the black boxes. After meeting the families (of the crash victims), I felt that we owed it to them to act," he said.

Meanwhile, Malaysia's 'triumph' has certainly evoked envy among some quarters.

Paul Sonne, a Wall Steet Journal correspondent in Moscow, poured cold water on the breakthrough and wondered in his tweet whether the Malaysian negotiators knew what they had signed with Alexander Borodai and his men.

But Sonne should be reminded that the Malaysian team in Ukraine has people who are conversant in both English and Russian.

With the heavy posturing put on by the separatists by brandishing guns and sometimes shooting in the air to scare off outsiders, one would have thought that the former would prolong the impasse to gain the upper hand in the regional conflict.

But in their behind-the-scenes work, the negotiators focused on what was uppermost on their minds -- securing what was most crucial in these moments of great anguish: the release of the victims' bodies, black boxes and access to the crash site in Grabove.

This brings to mind a saying by St Francis of Assisi: "Start by doing what's necessary; then, do what's possible; and suddenly, you are doing the impossible."

So, it was a matter of priority for the negotiators to have the bodies brought back for one last close moment with their loved ones.

Or getting a proper burial or funeral rights for those who had lost a father, mother, sister, brother, child or friend.

Emotions aside, securing the black boxes to find out what really happened in the air before the aircraft came down and having unimpeded passage for the international investigators to the crash site were other significant tasks.

As Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said: "We still need to get to the truth of what had happened."

All in all, Malaysia acted in good faith and got to the heart of the matter. This reminds one of a saying by author Richard Eyre: "The principle of acting in good faith is at the heart of decent work."

Despite the latest breakthrough, Najib did not gloat over it and provided great compassion and solace in his statement when he said: "I understand that for the families, nothing can undo this damage. The lives taken cannot be given back, the dignity lost cannot be regained.

"My heart reaches out to those whose loved ones were lost on MH17. We hope and pray that the agreement reached helps to bring them a clear step towards closure," he said.

Jakarta Globe: Jokowi presiden baru Indonesia

Don't use MH17 crash for 'political ends', says Putin

Hamas TV: Dead Gaza civilians privileged to have died this way

Hamas TV: Dead Gaza civilians privileged to have died this way

"These people [Gaza civilians killed in war]

- their time had come, and they were martyred.

They have gained [Paradise]... 

Don't be disturbed by these images...
He who is Martyred doesn't feel...

His soul has ascended to Allah."

[Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), July 20, 2014]

by Itamar Marcus and Nan Jacques Zilberdik

Hamas is trying to both justify and console Gaza's population over the many civilian deaths it has caused in the Gaza war. While broadcasting gruesome pictures of dead civilians, including children, a TV host explained that since in Islam a person's time of death is predetermined by Allah, the people who have been killed in the recent fighting have actually "gained": They would have died now anyway, but now they will receive the rewards of Martyrdom - Shahada - in Paradise.  

Click to view

Warning: Graphic Images

  

Palestinian Media Watch has documented Hamas' use of civilians as human shields, which has led to a high civilian death toll. Hamas has instructed Gaza civilians to disregard Israel's warnings to evacuate areas before they were bombed, and has decried those who have criticized the high civilian death toll.

The glorification of Martyrdom both justifies the Hamas activities that led to these deaths and also may console the population. In addition, this message may persuade civilians to continue endangering their lives by protecting Hamas terrorists and their terror infrastructure with their bodies.

Recenly, PMW reported on a sermon by the former Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs, Mahmoud Al-Habbash, who likewise glorified Martyrdom death as something to which Palestinians should aspire.

Click to view

The following are the words of the Hamas TV host, referring to the civilians who died in the Gaza war as "having gained," followed by the words of the former Palestinian Authority Minister of Religious Affairs, who explains the ideology of Martyrdom in Islam.    

  

Hamas TV: Dead Gaza civilians gained Paradise: "The enemy has killed us and we are Martyrs"

Hamas TV host: "Every soul has its time. These people - their time had come, and they were Martyred (i.e., Gaza civilians killed in war). They have gained [Paradise]. They have nothing in this world, especially in the Gaza Strip. There's no life in the Gaza Strip. What life can we have in the Gaza Strip? Being with Allah is better. Being with Allah is better. What we see is very hard but we won't surrender, Allah willing. The first to say it are the Martyrs' family. The first to say it are the Martyrs' mothers and fathers... Don't be disturbed by these images. He who was killed this way doesn't feel. By Allah, he does not feel. These are not my words, but the words of our beloved Prophet [Muhammad]: He who is Martyred doesn't feel. Only we suffer by these images. By Allah, [the Martyr] doesn't feel. His soul has ascended to Allah. His soul is with the Lord. His soul is inside a green bird. He is with Allah now. He is in Paradise. Only we suffer by these images... In other cities, in other countries, thousands die in earthquakes, floods, plane crashes, in ferry or shipwrecks, in natural or unnatural disasters. Thousands die. Thousands die but we don't know what their fate is with Allah. But we [in Gaza] are Martyrs. The enemy has killed us and we are Martyrs."

[Al-Aqsa TV (Hamas), July 20, 2014]

PA Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash: 

 "After prophecy and righteousness there is no status Allah has exalted more than Shahada (Martyrdom)... ''And think not of those who have been killed in Allah's way as dead. Nay, they are alive (and) are provided sustenance from their Lord.' 

Allah forbade us to consider them [the Shahids (Martyrs)] as dead or to speak of them as being dead... They went smiling to their deaths... The Shahid has merit with Allah, a merit that no one else has... No one - not even the righteous - yearns to return to this world after death. Only Shahids. Why? Because they see the great honor Allah has prepared for them. One of them aspired to return to this world in order to be killed again, in order to die as a Shahid yet again... Allah spoke with one of them (a Shahid), Jabir ibn Abdullah... After all he saw in Paradise, he wanted to return and be killed [again] in order to taste the pain of death a second time. Abdullah said to Him:

'Lord, then tell those who follow us about what we have found.'

Allah Himself is conveying to us the message from the Shahids. The prophets convey Allah's message and Allah conveys the message of the Shahids. What kindness!

'The Shahid - his sins are forgiven with the first gush of his blood from his wound...

The Shahid advocates on behalf of 70 members of his family, and saves them all from hell. The Shahid lives together with the prophets and the righteous ones.'

When they threatened Yasser Arafat, [he said] 'You threaten me with death?

I yearn to die! I come only to it; I seek only it.'

We will never reach the level of the prophets. We won't. So let us reach the level of the Shahids. I say to you, brothers, as the Prophet [Muhammad] said: 'He who honestly seeks Shahada, Allah will give him the status of the Shahids, even if he dies in his bed.'" 

[Official PA TV, Nov. 8, 2013]  

PA Minister of Religious Affairs Mahmoud Al-Habbash: "We know for certain that as long as we [adhere] to the truth, we will face challenges and be made a target - as individuals and as groups - we know this for certain. Nonetheless, we are also confident in the words of Allah: 'Say, 'Do you await for us except one of the two best things' (Quran, Sura 9:52, translation Sahih International). What do you expect, enemies, cowards (indistinct word), what do they expect will happen to us? 'One of the two best things.' 

Brothers, Allah willing, only one of the two best things will happen to us - victory or Martyrdom (Shahada) - and what a good fate this is, what a good level is this - victory or Martyrdom...

'Say, 'Do you await for us except one of the two best things while we await for you that Allah will afflict you with punishment from Himself or at our hands? So wait; indeed we, along with you, are waiting' (Quran, Sura 9:52, translation Sahih International).

Await, wait a short while, I swear the signs heralding victory are seen on the horizon. I swear in a God, beside whom there is no other God, that the end of the tyranny and the tyrants is near. This occupation and its growths and creations that wish to spread corruption in our land... We tell them all, the occupation and the occupation's instruments and any who serve the occupation: 'Await for us except one of the two best things' - we, Allah willing, [will be] either Martyrs or victors on our land. [...]

Pay attention, it is Allah who says: 'They will not harm you except for [some] annoyance' (Quran, Sura 3:111, translation Sahih International) - it is possible that they will harm you. I say to you, it is possible that they will kill us, it is possible that Allah will sentence us to Martyrdom. It is possible that we will be wounded, it is possible that terrorism will be laid on us - 'They will not harm you except for [some] annoyance' - but in the end, 'and if they fight you, they will show you their backs' and the conclusion - 'then they will not be aided' (Quran, Sura, 3:111, translation, Sahih International). We ask for victory more than we ask for life. We ask for the strengthening of our people in this good and blessed land."

More than 100 rescued from private jail

HAFIZABAD: Law enforcement agencies on Sunday night swooped down a private jail of some influential landlords and freed more than 100 people trapped as bonded labour for many years.

According to officials, a heavy contingent of police raided a brick kiln in the suburban area of Hafizabad on the instruction of the CCPO Gujranwala. The raid was based on the information provided by a 16-year-old boy, Irfan, who had escaped from the private jail four years back.

The police also arrested three persons – Saifullah, Mushtaq Ahmed and Muhammad Asif – who are allegedly responsible for keeping these people in subhuman conditions.

The freed people, including men, women and children, later revealed that they had to work on the kiln and on fields of the accused and they were neither properly paid nor provided sufficient food. They said their captors had killed six people who had attempted to escape from their clutches. They revealed that some of the prisoners were also subjected to brutal torture, which crippled them. They said the blame for this torture was usually put on other prisoners and the culprits managed to escape punishment with the connivance of police.

They alleged that the landlords also raped their women. The boy, Irfan, also corroborated the account and said that his own father and two uncles had been tortured to death by the accused.

Taking notice, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has sought a report on the incident. He has ordered that a case against the persons operating the private jail be registered.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 21st, 2014.