Perkasa chief’s Bible-burning call to defend Islam, says minister

The police decided not to take action against Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali over his call last year to burn copies of the Bible containing the word "Allah" because he was merely defending Islam, a minister has told Parliament.

Nancy Shukri, the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of law, said the police concluded that his words were only directed at specific individuals, and not a threat to larger society.

"The statement he made was not intended to cause religious chaos but only to defend the sanctity of Islam," she said in a written parliamentary reply dated yesterday to a question by Bagan MP, Lim Guan Eng, on why Ibrahim had not been charged with sedition.

Lim had asked the prime minister to explain why Ibrahim had not been charged for calling on Muslims to burn Malay-language Bibles containing the word "Allah" and other Arabic words.

Ibrahim's call in January last year prompted outrage from politicians and Christian groups, with critics accusing Putrajaya of double-standards in using the Sedition Act against critics while sparing Ibrahim over his remarks.

Nancy, replying on behalf of the prime minister, said investigations by the police into Ibrahim's statement found that what he had said was aimed at the activities of some individuals who allegedly distributed Christian literature outside a school in Penang.

"The words he uttered were directed at individuals who were distributing Bibles with the word 'Allah' and also Jawi writings to students at Sekolah Menengah Jelutong, Penang, including Malay students," she said, referring to the police's findings.

Lim had also asked why the Sedition Act was still being used despite the government's promise to repeal it in 2012, and wanted to know when it would be repealed, as well as whether it would not be abolished.

In her reply, Nancy referred to a press statement from the Prime Minister's Office on September 12 this year that full consultations would be held before the government decided whether or not to repeal the colonial-era law.

On the number of court cases under the act, she said there had been one each in 2009 and 2011, eight in 2013 and 12 from January to September this year. There were no cases in 2010 and 2012, she added. – October 8, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/perkasa-chiefs-bible-burning-call-to-defend-islam-says-minister#sthash.7aJiEeZZ.dpuf

We spare no one, says top cop Khalid

Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar has denied that police were selective in their investigations and were only focused on the opposition and critics of the government.

The inspector-general of police said they have investigated everyone including ministers and the police.

"When a report is made, police will investigate. We do not have to publicise it to the world,” he said today after visiting the I-City in Shah Alam.

He was asked to comment if police had taken action against Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi following a police report during the Pengkalan Kubor by-election.

DAP's Canning assemblyman, Wong Kah Woh had lodged the report, accusing the Umno vice-president of inciting racial sentiments by claiming at a ceramah that DAP tried to pit the Chinese against the Malays during the 2009 Perak constitutional crisis.

"It does not matter who the subject matter is, we will investigate,” Khalid said. – October 8, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/we-spare-no-one-says-top-cop-khalid#sthash.uNQGEhws.dpuf

Anwar: Berapa cukai 20 orang hartawan M'sia bayar?

The Muslim nation where ISIS is free to recruit

CBSnews

CIANJUR, Indonesia -- A businessman who proclaims himself leader of the Indonesian chapter of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) group says he has personally overseen the departure of scores of fighters from this Southeast Asian nation to Syria and Iraq. Police detained him for a night recently, but were unable to charge him with a crime.

Chep Hernawan reflects both the success ISIS has had in attracting support in the region, and the challenges Indonesia faces in responding.

The government, home to most of the up to 200 Southeast Asians believed to be fighting in Syria and Iraq, has forcefully spoken out against ISIS, as have mainstream Muslim organizations in the country. But translating that into stronger legal tools that could stop suspected militants from traveling abroad, for example, will be a challenge given the fractious nature of the next parliament and other legislative priorities, according to a recent report into the evolution of ISIS by the Institute of Policy Analysis for Conflict.

National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said his force could only monitor ISIS supporters.

"If they have no record of terrorism activities then they can't be charged under our criminal law," he said.

For the first time since the 1990s and the Afghan jihad, Indonesians, Malaysians and other extremists in Southeast Asia are traveling abroad in an organized fashion to join a global militant movement, picking up battlefield skills and militant contacts.

Security officials fear they could take part in terrorism on their return to Southeast Asia, as those trained in Afghanistan did in attacks such as the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people. Radicals at home also could heed ISIS's exhortations to carry out revenge attacks on Western targets.

In response to the threat posed by foreign fighters, the United Nations Security Council last month adopted a resolution demanding member states prevent the recruitment and travel of people to join militant groups like ISIS, which is also known as ISIL, and which calls itself simply the "Islamic State."

Hernawan's brush with the law has not stopped him from campaigning on behalf of the group or defending its actions, including the beheading of journalists and opposition forces.

"I'm convinced that these are religious acts based on Islamic teachings (permitting acts) that strike fear in the hearts of enemies of Islam," he told The Associated Press recently in an interview in his plush home.

Hernawan, 63, a longtime public supporter of radical Islam, said he was appointed the head of ISIS in Indonesia at a meeting of radicals on March 16. While he is a well-known for speaking on ISIS' behalf in the country, two experts on militancy in Indonesia said it was unclear or even unlikely whether he had any structural links to the group's leadership in Syria.

Like some other radicals in Indonesia, he says violent jihad within Indonesia is not justified because the country doesn't meet the conditions required under Islamic law. Not so elsewhere.

"In countries where there are wars such as Iraq, Syria and Palestine, you either kill or get killed," Hernawan said.

Earlier this year he addressed a gathering of ISIS supporters in the heart of the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

On the stage with him was a man called Bahrumsyah, who in July later appeared in an ISIS propaganda video with other Indonesians in Syria.

ISIS has quickly achieved popularity among a section of extremists in Southeast Asia because it has a territory that welcomes those willing to fight, a slick social media campaign and a reputation for battlefield success.

The danger posed to Indonesia from ISIS was brought into focus last month when police arrested four ethnic Uighurs they allege were being taken to meet the country's most wanted militant to discuss recruitment for ISIS. The militant, Abu Wardah Santoso, has taken responsibility for the killings of several Indonesian police officers and has pledged allegiance to ISIS.

In Malaysia, authorities have revoked the passports of 30 suspected militants who had previously been arrested under the country's new defunct national security act, said Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay.

In late September, police detained three suspected jihadists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport as they were about to board a flight to Turkey. Ayob Khan said at least 22 Malaysians were known to have left for the war in Syria.

Sri Yunanto, an expert on militancy at Indonesia's anti-terrorism agency, said many jihadi groups within Indonesia are trying to use the war in Syria to create a pool of combat-trained and indoctrinated recruits.

"Their goal is to send young people to Syria to provide them with expertise and experience," Yunanto said. "When the time comes for terrorism, they will have skilled operatives."

At least four Indonesians are known to have been killed in Syria and Iraq. The first was Wildan Mukhollad, who blew himself up in a restaurant in Baghdad earlier this year. He grew up in the same village as two notorious militants convicted and later executed for their role in the Bali bombings, and attended a school founded by them.

Ali Fauzi, his teacher at Al Islam boarding school, remembers Mukhollad watching the funerals of the two militants in the village.

"He was a good boy, a smart boy," Fauzi said. "I knew that it was his dream, he had reached what he dreamed of as a kid: to be martyred and go to heaven."

© 2014 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Indian jihadist group calls for attacks on non Muslims

By Rupam Jain Nair

(Reuters) - A group of Indian Islamic militants, operating out of Pakistan, has called for attacks on non Muslims in the region in retaliation for U.S.-led air strikes on fighters of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

The head of the little-known Ansar al-Tawhid fi’Bilad al-Hind urged Muslims to kill foreigners and other infidels in mainly Hindu India where Muslims have largely stayed away from global jihad.

"If you are in the fortunate position to kill an American or European, whether French or Australian or Canadian, or other unbelievers who have declared war on the Islamic State, then do so," said Maulana Abdul Rehman al-Nadwi al-Hindi in a 30-minute video posted online last week.

Indian security analysts said that Maulana Abdul Rehman is a pseudonym for fugitive jihadist Sultan Abdul Kadir Armar, a former resident of southern India who attended an Islamist seminary before going to Pakistan.

"Kill the idol worshippers wherever you find them ... shoot them if you can, stab them, throw stones at their heads, poison them, run them over, burn their fields - and if you are unable ... spit in their faces," al-Hindi said, referring to Hindus.

The emergence of a Islamic State-aligned militant group in India comes weeks after al Qaeda announced the formation of an Indian branch, aiming to rouse the world's third largest Muslim population into action.

"There is no doubt that the radicalisation process has begun in different parts of the country. Islamic fundamentalists are seeking to indoctrinate Indian Muslims," said Ajay Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi which monitors militant groups across South Asia.

The rapid rise of the Islamic State has evoked admiration among some groups in India and the flags of the insurgent group have appeared at rallies in Indian Kashmir, the country's only Muslim-majority state and the site of a nearly 25-year armed revolt.

The push for new jihadi recruits comes at a time of increased tension between Muslims and Hindus in India following the election of Narendra Modi as prime minister in May. Some of Modi's Hindu nationalist followers have been stirring up communal differences.

India has long believed that its democracy provided a platform for Muslims and other minority groups to address grievances and that they didn't have to turn to violent jihad to pursue their aims.

Modi said last month that al Qaeda would struggle to recruit members from India's 175-million strong Muslim community and praised Muslims for their commitment to fight for the country.

Two suspected al Qaeda supporters were killed when a bomb they were making exploded in a house in the state of West Bengal on Oct. 2, police told Reuters. Police said they found documents linked to al Qaeda and Chechen rebels.

(Additional reporting by Sujoy Dhar in KOLKATA; Editing by Sanjeev Miglani and Jeremy Laurence)

RM2,500 salary enough for those who manage their finances well – Bernama

A starting salary of RM2,500 for graduates who have just entered the employment world will suffice as long as they manage their finances well and live within their means.

Economist and financial management experts say this average starting salary can be considered reasonable especially when looking at the fact that these greenhorns have no skills or experience and that the employer has to take the risk of employing them.

The head of the education division of the Credit Counseling and Debt Management Agency (AKPK), Mohd Adnan Anan Abdullah says on how much graduates should start off is up to the individual but for the spendthrift even a bit fat pay cheque will not suffice.

"Whether what one earns is enough of otherwise is all dependent on the individual's profile. Say in Kuala Lumpur, if one eats out every day it could cost up RM30 per day, and the spending will be greater if one has habits like smoking".

Apart from that, those who have just started work should not rush into buying luxuries, like a car. They should stabilise their financial position beforehand.

Newcomers are certainly disappointed

"Owning a car at a very young age is definitely 'cool' but one should not forget of the additional ownership costs involved – fuel, toll, parking charges, maintenance and insurance coverage when lumped up could prove to be hefty", he said.

A study on job seekers going through the job portal Jobstreet found degree holders felt that the average RM2,500 being insufficient with 77% of the 2,062 respondents could hardly save after spending on the basic necessities.

About 60% of the respondents expected a starting salary of RM3,500, while 30% of them asked for RM6,500. On the employers side, 66 of them said they were ready to pay between RM2,500 and RM2,800 depending on the qualification.

However, Mohd Adnan refuted claims that a salary of RM2,500 is insufficient to keep aside some amount for savings and saving 10% of one's monthly income is part of good financial management.

"Saving is important, but calls for tough financial discipline and perseverance, and can be done through unit trusts or separate bank accounts. As long as there is balance in the bank account one will be tempted to spend, thus savings must be something that one is forced to do", he says.

Graduates have to see the bigger picture

The Executive Director of the Federation of Malaysian Employers, Shamsuddin Bardan points out the aforementioned starting salary could be considered as reasonable for graduates who have no experience and the fact that employers have to spend to teach them on the trade.

"They have to realise that the employment openings are limited and if they are too demanding on the salary they may end up being unemployed.

"So take a positive view and see your first job as the opportunity to seek knowledge, and after having garnered some experience they could 'test the market' at other places. There is no obligation for one to remain loyal to an employer".

Shamsuddin adds that if they excel, along with additional qualities like good communication skills, don't be surprised the employers themselves give a pay rise within a short time.

Employers are well aware that they could easily lose good employees if they are not rewarded accordingly.

Take it as a practical training

An economic lecturer with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) Professor Dr Shazali Abu Mansor shared similar views with Shamsuddin.

Prof Shazali says graduates should consider themselves as still undergoing practical training while at their first job.

"The key here is patience. If during your practical training you could take a bus, why not do the same now? Don't think that as soon as you start work you could just forget how you lived as a student.

"To help them tide over the tight financial situation, those who have provided them with study loans like the PTPTN should defer the repayment of the loans to two years after starting work as by then salary increments would have taken place," Shazali said.

The committee member for the economic and management cluster of the National Professor Council, Professor Dr Samsinar Md Sidin says the younger employees, especially those who reside in towns, should spend wisely.

"At times it is better to rent a room near the workplace, though it may be expensive it is better than traveling from far away, as this also helps to avoid the waste of time and energy", he says.

The lecturer at the economic and management faculty of Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) added that parents could help them financially at the initial stage.

"Some of those who had just graduated also do part time work, including through online means, however they have to ensure their main occupation is not affected. Don't waste any opportunity", he says. – Bernama, October 7, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/rm2500-salary-enough-for-those-who-manage-their-finances-well-bernama#sthash.m9xsNzLe.dpuf

Isma says Jewish, Christian interests will lead ‘new government’ if Sedition Act goes

Repealing laws like the Sedition Act "in a package" will give rise to liberalism and expose the nation to foreign intervention, allowing Jewish and Christian capitalists to determine and shape the country's policies, said Islamic non-governmental organisation Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma).

Its president Abdullah Zaik Abd Rahman (pic) said the repeal of certain laws could also lead to the downfall of the government and be replaced by a government that supports these capitalists.

He said the Sedition Act was a man-made law, which was not based on Islam, so it could be reviewed from time to time, changed or even abolished.

"For the context of this discussion, is it good to abolish or keep it?" he said in a statement on Isma's website today.

Abdullah Zaik said the repeal would allow certain quarters to debate core issues that cannot be challenged such as the position of Islam, the sovereignty of the Malay rulers, the privileges of the Malays and Bumiputeras, and matters concerning the Malay language.

"Everything will become debatable and abolishable ... it will have huge implications on the social contract and the structure of the nation's future," he said.

Repealing the Sedition Act, he said, has to be seen in the form of a 'package' since it came off the heels of the repeal of the Internal Security Act and Emergency Ordinance, calls to abolish the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, as well as calls for Press freedom.

"If these laws are repealed as a package, we will see a wide limitless liberalisation and a rise in problems like allowing people to question the Federal Constitution, and invite foreign intervention by Jewish and Christian capitalists.

"They will determine and influence our national policies according to what they want, bring down the government and install one that listens to them," Abdullah Zaik said.

He warned that harmony would be threatened without these laws, and expose the country to larger problems.

"What more if we look at the demography, racial polarisation and others that are already so critical in our society now. It will bring more dangerous clashes between parties of interest," he said.

Abdullah Zaik said the real issue here was the misuse of the laws, the abuse of power by parties with political interests or what was often called 'selective prosecution' of late.

He said in the issue of power abuse, enforcement has to be controlled, instead of repealing laws to solve the problem.

"A good law in the hands of a bad person can become something bad. A bad law in the hands of a good person can bring about good.

"The issue whether a law is good or not, depends on whether the person enforcing the law is pious or not," he said.

Abdullah Zaik said Isma agreed with some quarters that suggested the Act be improved with provisions to uphold the sovereignty and position of Islam in the Federal Constitution.

"Any effort to amend the Act should be towards preventing power abuse, selective prosecution, actions that are against Islam and the violation of the law itself.

"That is what we think should be done," he said.

Calls to repeal the Sedition Act has intensified over the last few months after numerous Pakatan Rakyat leaders like Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and DAP vice chairman Teresa Kok, and activists were investigated and charged one by one under the Act.

Abdullah Zaik himself is also facing a sedition charge for allegedly calling the Chinese community "trespassers brought in by the British government" on May 6 this year.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/isma-says-jewish-christian-interests-will-lead-new-government-if-sedition-a#sthash.Rxa5vZdH.dpuf

Armed police patrol at Heathrow Airport as Kurds protest against Isis

Alexandra Rucki

A terminal at Heathrow Airport has been occupied by Kurdish and Turkish anti-Islamic State protesters.

The campaigners have blocked ticket barriers in terminal two of the airport and have been occupying the airport since 12pm today.

A group of about 50 demonstrators are holding banners reading ‘Stop facist attacks in Kurdistan’ and ‘Kobane’, following news the Islamic State flag was seen on the border of Turkey and Syria.

A spokeswoman for Scotland Yard said: "We were called at 11.55am to reports of a demonstration at Heathrow Airport.

"Officers are at the scene and an appropriate policing plan is in place."

A spokeswoman for Heathrow Airport said: “There is currently a peaceful protest taking place in Terminal 2 in the departures area. Heathrow supports the right for peaceful protest. There is no impact on operations and passengers can travel as normal through the airport.”

Passenger Adam Tuckwell said: "The protesters are in good voice but all seems peaceful."

The same group of pro-Kurdish campaigners blockaded Oxford Circus tube station yesterday afternoon.

Transport for London were forced to evacuate the station for an hour as the demonstration blocked passengers passing ticket barriers.

Umno leader: Vernacular schools obstacle to unity

 

Stirring the hornets' nest, Cheras Umno chief Syed Ali Alhabshee urged the government to look into setting up a single-stream school system.

In a blog posting today, Syed Ali said the time has perhaps come to abolish vernacular schools, which are considered a platform to fan racial sentiments.

"Vernacular schools are no longer practical in this country seeing how it had sprung from the British colonial administration, which wanted to divide the races," he added.

However, Syed Ali (right) stressed that the move is not to "kill" mother-tongue languages of other races, which could be taught in the single-stream school.

Being in line with Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s 1Malaysia concept, he called on BN component party leaders to view single stream schools as tools to shape a Malaysian identity, irrespective of race.

He also noted that the suggestion to debate the matter at next month’s Umno general assembly did not mean that the party wanted to be a "hero" but that it prioritised racial unity.

Syed Ali said that since its inception in 1946, the basis of Umno’s struggle is to do whatever is necessary to ensure that all races live in peace.

"Under the stewardship of Umno, no race has been sidelined by BN, which is sensitive to the interests of all races in this country," he added.

Syed Ali also explained that his defence of a single stream school is not to shortchange or oppress the other races.

On the contrary, he said, Umno believes that national unity could only be shaped by the education system.

The Umno leader recalled how the issue was raised by the late educationist Aminuddin Baki half a century ago due to his foresight that racial problems would arise as a result of the different streams.

An environment for interaction

On the same note, Syed Ali did not discount the possibility that a handful of teachers, regardless of races, would fan racial sentiments among the students.

"To stop this from becoming widespread, a single stream school system is the best medium to take steps in inculcating clear and genuine interracial ties

"Such schools will also provide an environment for students of all races to interact and understand the sensitivities of others, apart from ensuring political, economical and social stability," he added.

Syed Ali was also disappointed with certain quarters, including MCA leaders, who were against the single stream system due to concerns that their racial identity and language would erode.

He said MCA leaders could offer their views but should utilise the proper channels in order to avoid their statements being misinterpreted by those with political agendas.

Citing Singapore as an example, Syed Ali said there are no Chinese-medium schools in the republic, whose citizens are predominantly of Chinese origin.

Similarly, he added, Thailand and Indonesia have done the same as well.

Muslim groups want Selangor MB to can Oktoberfest, don claims festival unconstitutional

(Malay Mail Online) – Muslims in Selangor are demanding that Mentri Besar Azmin Ali cancel the Oktoberfest beer festival in the state for being offensive and insulting to the community, local Malay dailies reported today.

Targeting one such event at the One Utama shopping centre in Petaling Jaya, one Muslim group said approval for a billboard publicizing the festival appeared consent to invite Muslims in the area to join the beer festival.

The billboard in question at Jalan Subang in Section U2, which was approved by the Shah Alam Municipal Council (MBSA).

“What is upsetting and can be assumed rude is that the beer festival is being organised in the month of Zulhijah, in which Muslims observe the Hajj and Qurban.

“We do not have a problem with the programme (Oktoberfest) but it should be done by observing the culture and sensitivities of the Muslim-majority,” Kosmo quoted the president of Ikatan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Selangor, Rosdi Long, as saying.

Rosdi was also reported saying that the commitment of the new Selangor administration to defend the sanctity of Islam, is also under test with the organising of Oktoberfest.

The tabloid and Utusan Malaysia also quoted Selangor Umno chief Datuk Seri Noh Omar as urging Azmin to remove the billboard immediately.

“When Barisan Nasional (BN) was in power, the state government never allowed alcohol advertisements to be put up freely.

“Is the Selangor government now doing otherwise by permitting and encouraging such advertisements to be publicised on billboards belonging to local authorities?” Noh was quoted as saying..

Berita Harian quoted Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) law professor Datin Noor Aziah Mohd Awal as saying that the celebration violates the Federal Constitution.

According to Noor Aziah, alcohol festivals cannot be organised in open spaces and such events are only confined to licensed alcohol selling outlets.

“The organiser has to seek for a permit as stipulated under the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, if they want to proceed with the event in an open area.

“However, in this case permits would not be issued at it (Oktoberfest) violates the Federal Constitution,” she was quoted saying by the daily.

Muslim groups including controversial Ikatan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma) have taken aim at Oktoberfest this month, claiming the event will tarnish Malaysia’s image as an “Islamic country” and “bring ruin” to the nation.

Although the event is promoted to non-Muslims, several Muslim groups have urged their supporters to rally against the event and venues that serve alcohol as part of the festival.

Oktoberfest is held annually in Malaysia with the two biggest breweries GAB and Carlsberg holding several drinking parties in major towns nationwide.

Oktoberfest was originally celebrated in Munich, Germany to accompany horse races, but has grown into “the world’s largest funfair”, attracting millions of visitors every year.

Revisiting the Theory of the Lazy Malays!

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan, The Ant Daily

This piece is an offshoot of the old colonial theory of the lazy natives. But this theory was debunked by the late Professor Syed Hussein Al-Attas in his book “The Myth of the Lazy Native”. It took him seven years to produce this very authoritative book after having done a very exhaustive research on the matter.

The colonial writers during the period of the expansion of imperialism had painted a very poor and degrading picture of the natives in the places that the imperial powers had colonised. This was particularly so concerning the Javanese, the Filipinos and the Malays.

One colonial writer from Germany insinuated that the Filipinos chose to construct their rafts from bamboos so that they could lie down and relax. By this, he implied that these natives just wanted to relax and not do any work. What a silly conclusion!

The natives in these countries were already toiling the land to produce food and amenities for their own communities. The sea had also been their source of food and so were the many rivers in their area. They were already independent economic activists. They needed nothing from the colonialists.

It was the colonialists who needed their services to produce the goods that their home countries needed. They wanted tin and other minerals. And they needed a labour force to produce these raw materials.

The indigenous people were simply not interested in helping the colonialists in their ventures. They would not pawn their freedom and they would not compromise their sovereignty in being independent workers in their own right. They were tied to the land as farmers and they were grateful that the seas and rivers provided them with plentiful fish and other products.

Their attitude was simply a setback to the aims and goals of the colonialists. The only way out for the colonialists was to bring in people from their other colonial territories which had an abundance of unemployed labour force.

In the Southeast Asian countries that they had colonised, there was no unemployment and the people were fully engaged in productive activities. There was no starvation that would compel them to leave the land for some other economic activities.

Royal Professor Ungku Aziz had expounded this elaborately in his writings on rural economics. His students were made to understand the economic activities in the rural areas. The work carried out by the rural folks was back breaking and they were subjected to all types of unkind weather situations. No lazy individual could face up to such a situation.

The environment that they were in and faced did not warrant them to venture into other economic spheres. But the end of colonial power had changed the whole economic scenario in these areas.

Suddenly the new governments especially in Malaya wanted to change this situation and had wanted the Malays to advance like all other ethnic communities in the country.

Thus, the lazy Malays theory had taken a twist.

The main cause was the affirmative action agenda. This agenda was the short cut to get Malays to be wealthy.

Thus in the Federation of Malaya, the Umno government wanted to leapfrog the Malays into a modern setting, creating a new class to be involved in business and commerce. Agencies were set up to provide the necessary help towards creating this new economic class. But the effort failed.

A new approach was made by granting some Umno warlords contracts to undertake government projects. Not having the expertise and the relevant attitude to undertake these contracts, they sub-contracted these projects to those non-Malays who had the experience and know-how.

A new Malay business class came into being through procuring commissions on the projects that had been given. That was not the desired goal of the scheme.

Thus the government itself set up enterprises and employed civil service bureaucrats to run and manage these government established business entities. Public money had to be used to establish them.

Not many of these enterprises met with great success. Many lost money. Thus the Malays had two types of bureaucrats, either they belonged to the civil service or were engaged in manning these government linked companies.

Another phenomenon was to award projects to those one or two so-called Malay capitalists so as to ensure that these projects will not fail. Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar represents this kind of strategy.

All in all, it can be said that the modern lazy Malays had been created by Umno and the Umno Baru government.

I am not an apologist but this is to correct the misconception on the matter.

Ahmad Mustapha Hassan is a former press secretary to second Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak Hussein and the writer of the book, “The Unmaking of Malaysia”.

Bung and Lateefah: Cat fight on Twitter

The two take to Twitter to launch attacks against each other.

KUALA LUMPUR: True to form, Kinabatangan MP Bung Moktar Radin caused quite a stir when he picked a fight with Lawyers for Liberty co-founder Latheefa Koya for her blatant remark that he be gotten rid of.

Giving her an ultimatum of either apologising within 24 hours or facing the wrath of the police, Bung tweeted, “You have 24 hours to offer an explanation or apologise. If not, I will lodge a police report.”

The tweet in question from Latifah was, “Rather than get rid of the Sedition Act, it’s better to get rid of the Kinabatangan MP instead.”

Bung defended himself against detractors online, saying that (sic) “If somebody sms u to eliminate ur family… What would you do?”, adding that “I just need explanation from her… Nowadays, everybody is capable to kill anybody.”

Bung, who clearly interpreted the comment as a ‘death threat’, drew return fire from Latheefa, who told the MP that the “PDRM are not your private bodyguards” and warned him “Don’t try to threaten anti-Sedition activists! Rampaging with a draconian act.”

In an apparent tit for tat, Lateefa gave Bung 24 hours to retract his statement that the Sedition Act be used against those calling for its repeal.

Eric Paulsen of Lawyers for Liberty weighed in on the situation, saying, “(Bung) is a symbol of all that is wrong with UMNO’s culture of entitlement – they can say the most offensive things but others can’t.”

Is Najib Razak the Prime Minister of a two-headed government – whose PM wants Malaysia to be the world “best democracy” but whose AG’s sedition spree aims to make Malaysia the world’s “worst democracy”?

Lim Kit Siang Blog

Is Datuk Seri Najib Razak the Prime Minister of a two-headed government – whose Prime Minister wants Malaysia to be the world’s “best democracy” but whose Attorney-General’s recent sedition spree of selective and malicious prosecutions aims to make Malaysia the world’s “worst democracy”.

This question automatically arises from the parliamentary answer today on the recent sedition blitz by the Parliamentary Opposition Leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim who asked the Prime Minister whether the government’s use of the law against Pakatan Rakyat leaders, activists and intellectuals was in line with the prime minister’s commitment to make Malaysia more democratic.

Answering during Parliament’s Question Time, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nancy Shukri defended the spate of sedition prosecutions, claiming that the Malaysian government practises and upholds the doctrine of the separation of powers and as such the government does not interfere in the Attorney-General’s Chambers affairs.

Nancy is very mixed-up as she has made a fatal error about the doctrine of separation of powers, as the Attorney-General is part of the executive and not the judiciary in the doctrine of separation of powers among the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.
The doctrine of separation of powers is totally irrelevant and does not apply in the blitzkrieg of sedition prosecutions – which is an executive action and not an action of the judiciary.

Although Article 145(3) of the Malaysian Constitution vests in the Attorney-General the sole discretionary power “to institute, continue or discontinue any proceedings for any offence”, the AG’s prosecution decisions are actions of the Executive and not of the Judiciary, which means the Prime Minister must assume full responsibilities for the AG’s decision and cannot disclaim responsibility on the ground of the doctrine of separation of powers.

It is completely unthinkable in any parliamentary democracy that the Attorney-General could give the country a bad international reputation by launching a dragnet of selective and malicious prosecutions under a repressive colonial law like the Sedition Act, and the Prime Minister can fold his arms to disclaim responsibility on the ground that he is not responsible for the actions of the AG on the ground that this is a judicial and not an executive exercise of power.

A responsible Prime Minister would have reined in the Attorney-General and end the spate of sedition prosecutions, especially when they are completely at odds with his mandate to make Malaysia the world’s “best democracy” and are selective and malicious as being aimed at opposition leaders, critics and activists, or alternatively, sack the incumbent and appoint a new Attorney-General.

Why is Najib allowing the Attorney-General to make mince-meat of his pledge to make Malaysia the world’s best democracy with his spate of sedition prosecutions – unless the Prime Minister has given secret authorisation to the AG but dare not openly admit responsibility?

In her reply, Nancy also claimed that the government does not practise favouritism in taking action against anyone found guilty of committing sedition.

There is not only a long list of cases to prove Nancy wrong, and substantiate the sad state of affairs where the administration of justice in Malaysia has gone very awry not only with the selective and malicious prosecution under the Sedition Act but also selective and malicious investigation by the Police under the same Act.

The latest instance happened only today.

Last Sunday, the UMNO mouthpiece, Mingguan Malaysia front-paged and headlined the proposal by a junior Umno leader that the UMNO general assembly next month should debate whether the Chinese vernacular schools should be abolished on the baseless and spurious ground that it had been used by the opposition to breed racial and anti-government sentiments.

Junior MCA, Gerakan and SUPP leaders reacted by calling for the junior UMNO leader to be charged for sedition, but the police today said that they will not investigate the junior UMNO leader for sedition over his suggestion that the Chinese vernacular system be abolished.

Although MCA Youth had even lodged a police report, the Malay Mail Online quoted the Sepang police chief Supt Mohd Yusoff Awang as saying that the case has been categorised as a civil matter after police investigations.

Isn’t this the latest example that the police had been guilty of selective and malicious investigation (or lack of investigation) on sedition cases, apart from the selective and malicious prosecution by the Attorney-General’s Chamber?

Dare the MCA, Gerakan and SUPP Ministers protest at such double standards by the police and the Attorney-General’s chambers in their administration of justice in the next Cabinet meeting and to demand for a halt of the sedition dragnet, with the dropping of all sedition charges?

China Reaffirms Good Relationship With Malaysia

PUTRAJAYA, Oct 7 (Bernama) -- Malaysia-China cooperation including in dealing with the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and major joint ventures, were among the subjects discussed by a high-ranking Chinese politician with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, here Tuesday.

The visiting State Councillor Yang Jie Chi called on Najib, who is also the Finance Minister, at the Finance Ministry here.

Also present were the Prime Minister's Special Envoy to China, Tan Sri Ong Ka Ting, China's Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang and Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister, Liu Zhenmin.

Ong said during the 40-minute meeting, Najib and Yang exchanged views on the ongoing major joint-venture projects including the China-Malaysia Qingzhou Industrial Park in Qingzhou, China and its sister park Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park in Gebeng, Pahang and Xiamen University's Malaysia Campus in Sepang.

"The discussions went very well. The Chinese government views seriously on proposals and suggestions by the Malaysian government and all the cooperations both countries are undertaking in terms of economic, trade cooperation, regional cooperation and also education," he told Bernama after the meeting.

Ong said Yang, who is on a two-day visit to Malaysia starting today, also conveyed messages from Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese premier Le Keqiang to Najib to reaffirm the good relationship with Malaysia.

Ong also said that China reaffirmed that Malaysia continued to be a good neighbour, close friends and would do everything possible to deepen the good relationship further.

"They appreciate our prime minister's visionary and the good (bilateral) relationship which was established 40 years ago," he said.

During the meeting, Najib and Yang also discussed the preparation for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Meeting 2014 which will be held in Beijing this November, he said.

On the missing MAS flight MH370, Ong said both Najib and Yang reaffirmed the cooperation and good understanding under the trying times to overcome challenges.

"We will continue to work together and implement everything possible in the search and also in dealing with the unfortunate incident," he said.

The Beijing-bound Boeing 777-200 aircraft, with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, disappeared about an hour after leaving the KL International Airport at 12.41 am on March 8.

The fate of those on board flight MH370 is unknown as the multi-national search for the aircraft whose flight path was believed to have ended in the southern Indian Ocean, has drawn a blank, thus far.

Zaid: Forget IS, look at violence in us

Amid the ongoing sedition dragnet, former minister Zaid Ibrahim continues to push the envelope, claiming that the "Islamic state of Malaysia" may perhaps be more violent than the Islamic state (IS) itself.

He called on Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim to look at the violence being committed in their own backyard.

Zaid was commenting on their condemnation of the violence perpetuated by the Islamic State (IS) movement.

"Cutting someone's head off may be unacceptable but isn't it fair to ask how Malaysia is any different?

"IS leaders say those who don't accept their decisions violate religious tenets and commit the offence of insulting the religion, which means their position is no different from religious leaders in Malaysia," he wrote in his blog today.

Zaid noted that IS could argue that God's laws are perfect and therefore there is no need to incorporate and embrace other world experiences, morality or value systems in determining the application of divine laws.

"They would be as 'correct' in their stance as (Malaysian Islamic bodies) Jakim and Jawi," he added.

In Malaysia, Zaid noted, if an abandoned child is found and remains unclaimed after several weeks, the fatwa is that the baby is deemed to be a Muslim.

"This means the baby is automatically disqualified from being adopted by a non-Muslim family. To make things more difficult, some Muslims are reluctant to adopt babies born out of wedlock.

"So where does this unfortunate newborn go? It looks to me that the Islamic state of Malaysia is just as violent, if not more so than IS if it’s not even willing to defend a child’s integrity and safety," he added.

Looking for plentiful signs of compassion

To distinguish the "Islamic state of Malaysia" from IS, the former minister said, he is desperately looking for signs that compassion and justice, which Islam promotes, are plentiful here.

"But I do not see enough of them," he lamented.

"My remarks will anger some Muslims. They will say that I am a bad Muslim, with the audacity of trying to change God's laws.

"But I am not changing anything. I am merely questioning the understanding of these laws. If we cannot question them, then our clerics are no different from IS clerics, who just need to declare that God’s laws are perfect and kill all their opponents," he added.

So before Najib and Anwar continue condemning IS, Zaid hoped the two would take a good, long and hard look around the country and the misery that Muslims suffer.

"If they truly want to showcase the true and peaceful Islam, they need to engage local Muslims on substantive issues regarding their faith.

"These two leaders must be prepared to talk about things that matter to the country, even if it means losing some votes in the process," he added.

Airstrikes target ISIS near Kobani: 'Finally, they are hitting the right places'

By Holly Yan, Josh Levs, and Mohammed Tawfeeq,

(CNN) -- Airstrikes targeting ISIS struck near the crucial Syrian city of Kobani overnight.

Five airstrikes near that city targeted groups of ISIS fighters, U.S. Central Command said. There were another four strikes elsewhere in Syria and four in Iraq.

"Finally, they are hitting the right places," one local fighter against ISIS said after the airstrikes near Kobani, which is close to the Turkish border and key to ISIS' effort to extend its terrain.

Were Kobani to fall, ISIS would control a complete swath of land between its self-declared capital of Raqqa, Syria, and Turkey -- a stretch of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles).
Iraqi troops fight ISIS outside Baghdad
Photos: Iraq under siege Photos: Iraq under siege
How can U.S. cut off ISIS funding?

Outnumbered and outgunned by ISIS, local fighters trying to defend the Kurdish-dominated city have tried to flee into Turkey.

Airstrikes against the radical Islamist group in Kobani can be challenging because many targets there are too close to the Turkish border or Kurdish forces to strike, a senior U.S. military official said.

Violent protests in Turkey

People upset over what they consider Turkey's failure to respond adequately to the ISIS threat launched protests in Turkey, some of which turned violent.

There were clashes overnight in Istanbul, and a group of about 50 to 60 protesters blocked a road, CNN affiliate CNN Turk reported.

Some demonstrators set fire to a bus and garbage truck and smashed windows and cars.

A 23-year-old man was killed in the midst of a protest, according to Sabite Ekinci, mayor of the town of Varto. The man was shot, Ekinci said.

Two other people were injured, she said.

In Belgium, meanwhile, Kurdish protesters stormed the European Parliament building. CNN affiliate RTL Belgium said about 50 protesters stormed into the building. Police then cordoned it off.

Some European nations have joined the fight against ISIS, but the Kurdish protesters want tougher action.

Belgium participated in overnight airstrikes in Iraq, U.S. Central Command said.

Dutch join in

Dutch forces participated for the first time in airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq as well, dropping three bombs on ISIS vehicles that were shooting at Kurdish Peshmerga forces, the Dutch Defense Ministry said in a statement. The vehicles were destroyed, and ISIS fighters may have been killed, the ministry said.

In Syria, according to U.S. Central Command, the airstrikes against ISIS included:


• 1 south of Kobani destroyed three ISIS armed vehicles and damaged another

• 1 southeast of Kobani destroyed an ISIS armed vehicle carrying anti-aircraft artillery

• 2 southwest of Kobani damaged an ISIS tank

• 1 south of Kobani destroyed an ISIS unit

Elsewhere in Syria, two strikes west of al-Hasakah hit multiple ISIS buildings, one near Deir Ezzor struck an ISIS staging area and IED production facility, and one southwest of Rabiyah struck a small group of ISIS fighters.

The United States, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE all participated in the strikes, Central Command said.

Death toll in fight for Kobani

More than 400 people have been killed in the fight for Kobani since mid-September, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday.

The group said it has documented the deaths of 219 ISIS jihadists, 163 members of the Kurdish militia, and 20 civilians.

A northern Iraqi hospital has received the bodies of at least 29 suspected ISIS militants, the head of the Tal Afar hospital said Tuesday.

Danial Qassim said most were killed in U.S.-led coalition airstrikes overnight.

Tal Afar is about 70 kilometers (43 miles) west of Mosul -- Iraq's second-largest city. Mosul has also been overtaken by ISIS, which calls itself the Islamic State.

U.S. military airstrikes against ISIS in Iraq and Syria have cost more than $62 million so far, according to data provided by the U.S. Defense Department.

The data, apparently sent out inadvertently to the Pentagon's press contacts on Monday, listed the total number of airstrikes by U.S. Central Command in Iraq and Syria. It also detailed locations of targets and specified the costs of munitions used.

Bajet 2015: Semoga 'rakyat didahulukan', kata warga kota

Islamic State Video Calls Western Jihadists to Attack at Home

Algemeiner

A new Islamic State video released titled “Message of the Mujahid” calls on Western jihadists unable to travel to territory controlled by the terrorist group to conduct attacks at home. The message also offers a pointed rebuke of British Prime Minister David Cameron and the U.S.-led bombing campaign.

“A message to all of the brothers who cannot do Hijrah, I advise you to respond to the call of the sheik, the mujahid (Holy Warrior) Mohammed al-Adnani, to cause terror in the hearts of the kuffar (unbelievers),” the unidentified Islamic State spokesman said. “You are living in the West, you can cause terror in the hearts of the kuffar, right in the center of the kuffar in the center of all that shirk (polytheism), you can cause terror right from within.

“So unlike us, you can cause real damage right within the heart of Dar al-Kuffar (Land of Unbelief), so rise up my brothers. Rise up!”

He starts out the video mocking Cameron and the Western leaders for thinking they can defeat the Islamic State with bombs dropped from the air, chiding them that if they were “real men” they would send ground troops to fight them.

“You know that in the hearts of your men, they’re cowards,” the spokesman says. “So America, you think you are a superpower, when in fact if you were a superpower, you wouldn’t need these 40 nations to come and fight us.”

“Know that all power belongs to Allah, and Allah is with [the pious Muslims], so you could send your planes above us, but know that Allah is above your planes,” he continued. “You are fighting people who love death more than you love life.”

The message warns that the West and their Muslim allies can send all of their men, reserves, and backups, and the Islamic State will send them back one-by-one in coffins.

In a special message to British Muslims, he says that the caliphate has been re-established and calls on them to leave the land of the unbelievers and come to the Islamic State.

“If now is not the time to do Hijrah then when is the time,” the spokesman asks. “Why are you still in Dar al-Kuffar? What does Dar al-Kuffar have to offer you? We have the Islamic State here, and we are fighting jihad.”

He tells them that the “despicable” West has nothing to offer them.

This reaffirms the Islamic State’s desperate desire to inspire attacks against Western targets and hopes to turn Muslims against their home countries.

ISIS Lists Out 5 Islamic Reasons to Justify Beheading Alan Henning and other Captives

By Johnlee Varghese

In reply to the outburst over the beheading of British aid worker Alan Henning, the Islamic State has released a five point explanation, especially meant for the Muslims to justify the brutal killing.

The five reasons aim to lay down an explanation based on Islamic principles to "guide the permissibility of killing the Prisoners."

Using views and opinions laid down by Islamic scholars, the ISIS statement tries to clarify to its followers that as per the Islamic dictates it has the right to behead or do what it wants with its prisoners.

The Sunni militant group that has taken control of several parts of Syria and Iraq wants to establish an Islamic State governed purely on principles of Sharia law.

The ISIS guide tells the "faithful" on how to reply to those who say that prisoners in Islam are not killed but rather shown compassion.

The first argument notes that all Mushrik (anyone who worship any other God other than Allah, which includes the Shias, Yazidis, the Kurds) can neither be granted amnesty nor be ransomed off. Quoting a passage from Surah Al-Anfal (The Spoils of War), it says: "Punish them severely in order to disperse those who are behind them, so that they may learn a lesson."

The second argument states the reason that a "kufaar" (including Jews and Christians) has to be killed is that if they are not killed, they will later return and pose a threat to Islam.

The third argument is that until and unless a prisoner says subhaanahu wa ta'ala, he can neither be shown generosity and freed without ransom nor be set free after paying a ransom.

The fourth is that amnesty and ransom are possible only after the killing of a large number. So if a captive was imprisoned after that, the Imam has a choice to kill him or (do) otherwise.

The fifth argument is that the Imam or someone acting on his behalf can choose between killing, amnesty, ransom or enslaving the prisoner.

Sabah MP welcomes disclosure of illegal immigration report in Parliament

After months of waiting, the report by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) into Sabah's illegal immigration problem will finally be made public when it is brought to the next Parliament sitting.

This promise made by Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, who is from Sabah, has been welcomed by Penampang MP Dareel Leiking.

Leiking said this was the first time a minister had stated so clearly that the RCI report would be released to the public.

"Prior to this, despite many calls by the peoples of Sabah for the government to release the report, Putrajaya has kept quiet. The minister’s words, if true, will be an early Christmas gift to the people of Sabah," he said in a letter to The Malaysian Insider today.

Rahman had said the RCI report would be tabled in Parliament, which convenes its next sitting tomorrow.

Rahman said this during a forum "Sabah dalam atau keluar Malaysia" (Sabah in or out of Malaysia), which was organised by Suara Masyarakat Sabah (SMS), a non-governmental organisation based in Kota Kinabalu.

It has been more than a year since the RCI proceedings ended at the Kota Kinabalu High Court, with 211 witnesses giving their testimony, and five months since the RCI report was submitted to the King.

Leiking said Rahman (pic, below) also told the forum during the question and answer session that the Cabinet felt that MPs should get the report before the public.

"I, as the people’s representative for Penampang, cannot wait to read the final RCI report. I can only hope this RCI report will provide the closure that Sabah needs in order to move forward.

"The 2.4 million 'real' Sabahans, cannot wait to read the RCI report. Since the 1970s, the people of Sabah have suffered in every aspect of normal living by the sheer number of illegals moving into Sabah," Leiking said.

The Borneo state's population rose by 390% over 30 years, with the arrival of illegal immigrants who were later allegedly made citizens through Project IC.

"These illegals not only took jobs away from Sabahans but flooded our hospitals and schools and contributed to the lawless reputation of the state.

"No other state in Malaysia, or for that matter no other country, would tolerate this sort of people invasion," Leiking said.

The RCI, chaired by former Borneo chief judge Tan Sri Steve Shim, began on September 21, 2012, and covered eight terms of reference.

These included investigating the number of foreigners issued Malaysian identity cards via Project IC, whether the issuance was in accordance with the law, whether they had been registered in the Sabah electoral roll and the social implications of these foreigners in Sabah.

Amid all the testimonies heard during the year-long proceedings, which concluded in September last year, the names of former deputy home minister Tan Sri Megat Junid Megat Ayub and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad frequently cropped up.

Dr Mahathir, who appeared before the panel last year, denied any knowledge of Project IC.

Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who was Dr Mahathir's deputy until he was sacked in 1998, also testified and said it was impossible for the latter not to know about Project IC as such a large-scale operation could not have been carried out without the approval of the executive, especially since Dr Mahathir was also Home Minister in the late 1980s and throughout most of the 1990s.

Project IC refers to the allegations of systematic granting of citizenship to legal or illegal immigrants by issuing them Malaysian identity cards (IC), which were later renamed "MyKad".

It was reported that by the end of the proceedings, a key point that was clear then was the fact that illegal immigrants in Sabah had been issued Malaysian identity cards indiscriminately.

Witnesses who were asked how the problem could be solved said it would be very difficult as some of the immigrants have lived in Sabah for decades.

After the proceedings, the commissioners worked through the various exhibits and documents tendered during the inquiry, and in May this year the RCI submitted its report on the outcome of the investigations to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. – October 6, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/sabah-mp-pleased-with-ministers-statement-on-disclosure-of-rci-report#sthash.xmv15vQO.dpuf

Bus driver stabbed by commuter on morning rounds, in critical condition

A Rapid Penang bus driver was stabbed while on duty this morning, allegedly by a female passenger.

The 6am incident happened as the victim Aisyamudin Yaacob, 27, was driving along Jalan Paya Terubong towards Balik Pulau, police said.

Northeast district police chief Assistant Commissioner Mior Faridalatrash Wahid said the driver was critically wounded by the suspect.

He was given help by another Rapid Penang bus driver, who passed Aisyamudin's bus that was stopped by the road.

The other driver S. Shanker immediately called for an ambulance, he said.

"We still do not know what sparked the incident," Mior said, adding that the suspect has yet to be found.

"The bus has no closed circuit television that caught the incident on video."

It is uncertain whether there were other passengers onboard.

The victim's supervisor V.K. Siva Kumar, 38, lodged a police report at 6.50am after he was notified by staff at the bus company's Sungai Dua depot.

Mior said Siva Kumar told the police that Aisyamudin had described the woman as in her 40s and appeared mentally unsound when he was helped by Shanker before he passed out.

"Shanker found the man very weak after losing a lot of blood. Aisyamudim told him about the woman and said he was attacked with a sharp object," he said.

The victim is now being treated at the Penang Hospital red zone. His current condition is listed as critical.

Mior said the victim lost a lot of blood in his right thigh, as the weapon hit his central nervous system.

"He is still unconscious," he said, adding that the case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.

Prasarana Malaysia Berhad, which operates Rapid Penang, in a statement said the company will give its full cooperation to the police.

The statement added that the company was also very concerned about the driver, who is still in critical condition.

"The driver is currently undergoing surgery at the Penang General Hospital. In the meantime, we will render every assistance possible to his family.

"We also hope the suspect will be arrested as soon as possible," he added. – October 6, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/bus-driver-stabbed-by-commuter-on-morning-rounds#sthash.Y4lElhMO.dpuf

PAS president digging own grave, says Zam

Former Information Minister Zainuddin Maidin said that PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang’s tahaluf siyasi (political cooperation) with non-Muslim parties and endorsement of Anwar Ibrahim’s supporters, will boot him out of the party.

 

In a scathing attack on Hadi, PAS deputy president Muhammad Sabu, DAP and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, Zam (as Zainuddin is known) wrote that Hadi's willingness to work with non-Muslims will lead to the same fate as his predecessor Asri Muda, who was voted out of PAS for wanting to work with Umno. 

 

In his recent blog posting, Zam said Hadi’s tahaluf siyasi with the non Muslim parties has dug his own grave.

 

He also said that Hadi had allowed Anwar supporters such as Mat Sabu to inflitrate the party.

He is now being “drowned” just as former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamed would have drowned had he not sacked Anwar from Umno in 1998, wrote Zam. 

 

He further added that Hadi’s undoing of himself became clear when he supported Mat Sabu and sidelined (the then deputy president) Nasharuddin Md Isa at the 2011 PAS annual delegate conference Muktamar. 

 

“One day before PAS booted out progressive ulama such as Nasharuddin and Astora Jebat, a great religious writer, I bumped into Husam Musa, Mahfuz Omar and Muhammad Sabu at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur.

"Knowing that Mat Sabu was a challenger to the deputy president’s post, I suspected a confrontation was happening. I believed that it happened with the blessings of Hadi,” said Zam. 

 

The former minister said that Hadi (right in photo) had “replaced an Islamic intellectual” with “a leader whose strength depends on actions and controversies”.

 

He said this was also when Hadi “threw away” the idea of an Islamic state in preference of a  “welfare state”.

 

Zam said that Mat Sabu has been given moral support then by Hadi to challenge Nasharuddin and this annihilated the party’s image as a religious party. 

 

He said that with such support, it was Hadi himself who had went for the cooperation of Muslim and non-Muslim parties to build an utopian country which is clean, just and honest, to replace Umno.

 

 Also while it may appear that tahaluf siyasi may taken PAS away from the hands of the ulama, Zam believes Hadi’s post is not very secure now with the party's rocky relationship with Pakatan Rakyat an indicator.

 

“Therefore the present PAS ulama leadership will not be thrown away or sidelined. Hadi will receive the same fate as the religious nationalist leader Asri,” predicted Zam.

Azmin to meet Selangor Islamic bodies over Bible impasse

Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali is still waiting for the state Islamic authorities to explain the impasse over their seizure of Malay and Iban-language Bibles from the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM).

"I haven't received an explanation from Jais and Mais. This will be the next issue we address as we have been focusing on the water restructuring agreement and other matters last week," Azmin said when met at his Hari Raya Aidiladha open house in Hulu Kelang today.

Meetings with the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and the Selangor Islamic Council (Mais) are in the pipeline, he said, adding that he had to prioritise which of the contentious issues inherited from his predecessor Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim to deal with first.

Azmin said he would send a formal written request to the federal government to release the Selangor water agreement from the Official Secrets Act. To date, his administration still has not seen a copy of the agreement signed by Khalid and Putrajaya, although they have been briefed on the documents by the state's investment arm, Kumpulan Darul Ehsan Bhd (KDEB).

Asked whether the Bibles were still in the custody of the religious authorities, Azmin said he did not have that information.

"I have no information at this moment, I will discuss it with Jais," he said.

He also would not commit to whether the Bibles will be returned until having met Jais.

"It depends on the discussion with Jais, it won't be fair of me to make a decision now without getting the latest information," he said.

More than 300 copies of the Bahasa Malaysia Alkitab and the Bub Kudus in the Iban language were seized from the BSM by Jais enforcement officers on January 2 this year.

The Attorney-General has decided not to press charges but the state Islamic authorities have also refused to return the Bibles, leading to the current impasse.

Lawyers have said that BSM can still file a civil action to force Jais and Mais to return the Bibles and could also ask for damages if the Bibles had been destroyed, although this would be awarded at the court's discretion.

BSM has missed the 90-day window to file a judicial review on Mais's June 13 decision not to return the Bibles despite the A-G not pressing charges. – October 6, 2014

The right to receive education in one’s mother tongue is a basic human right

Press Statement

SJKCs educate children of all races to be patriotic, peace loving and law abiding Malaysian citizens. To claim that Chinese vernacular schools are sowing racist sentiments to our children is simply nonsensical. It is the racist arguments in the tune of Petaling Jaya Utara UMNO deputy chief Mohamad Azli Mohemed Saad that aggravate racial divide and distrust in the country.

In line with UNESCO’s convention against Discrimination in Education 1960 which prohibits discrimination in education ”based on race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, economic condition or birth”, Article 152 of our Federal Constitution provides that the national language shall be the Malay language provided that no person shall be prohibited or prevented from teaching or learning any other language. Such right enshrined in the Constitution must not be disturbed and disputed.

The right to receive education in one’s mother tongue, especially at the early stage in education, is a basic human right recognised world wide.

Diversity in race and culture has always been a unique strength for Malaysia to compete in this highly globalised economy.

With the influence of the British for more than a century, and the fact that our society are formed by the local Malays, indigenous people together with descendants of the migrants from China, India as well as the Malay archipelago, Malaysians have the best of both the East and West. By and large, we are multi-lingual and we understand the different cultures practiced by the world citizens. We should recognise and capitalise our strengths to put Malaysia in the world map instead of entangling ourselves with self-serving and narrow minded view of closing down vernacular schools in Malaysia. To do so is to take a big step backwards!

It is ignorant to say that Malaysia is the only country in the world that practises the dual-stream education system. There is nothing wrong in providing alternatives to enhance competitiveness. In fact, in many federated nations, education comes under state’s jurisdiction, education systems thus vary from state to state.

Chinese vernacular schools are not only for Malaysian Chinese. In almost all SJKCs in the suburban and rural areas in Sabah, more than 50% are bumiputera, some more than 70%. It is also common for SJKCs in the urban areas to have up to 30% bumiputera students. With such student compositions, the schools are actually melting pots that enhance national integration. I wonder how one can claim that these schools breed racism.

Datuk Teo Chee Kang JP
President
Liberal Democratic Party

Kit Siang: Is Pakatan still relevant?

The DAP leader calls for an urgent meeting of the PR Leadership Council to find out whether the coalition is at its end game.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP strongman Lim Kit Siang has called for an “urgent meeting” of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Leadership Council to find out whether the alliance “is still relevant to the hopes and expectations of Malaysians”.

In his latest blog posting, he suggested that the members of the Council take the opportunity to meet during breaks in the Parliament session that begins tomorrow.

He said there was no denying that the Selangor Menteri Besar (MB) controversy had caused the alliance to suffer its worst crisis and most serious loss of public confidence since its formation six years ago.

“The jury is still out whether PR can recover” before the 14th general election, he added.

He said PR was lucky that Selangor Barisan Nasional was too weak to exploit the situation. “But the next time,” he warned, “PR is not going to be so lucky.”

He said DAP, PKR and PAS must address the “critical” question of whether PR “is capable of closing ranks or is at the stage of its end game.”

He said the PR leadership council was “virtually crippled” during the MB crisis by the breakdown of its consensus principle.

He said the proposed meeting should reaffirm the component parties’ “commitment and adherence to the PR’s two founding principles – upholding the PR common policy framework and abiding by the PR operational principle of consensus.”

“A working committee with three or four representatives from each PR component party should be entrusted with the urgent responsibility to formulate recommendations as to how PR could learn from the recent crisis,” he said.

“A repeat of such a crisis would spell the end and demise of the PR coalition.”

Wishes that bring nightmares

Be careful what you wish for, says Zaid Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysians should be careful when they wish for something because getting our heart’s desire could cost us our peace, security and even our lives, says former law minister Zaid Ibrahim in his latest blog posting.

Referring to BR1M as the realisation of a Malaysian dream for “an advanced economy and cash handouts”, he says this comes at the cost of having to pay more for goods and services.

“As we draw closer to the year 2020, when we target to finally wearing our ‘developed nation’ crown, we will continue to have to endure a high cost of living with desperately low wages,” he says. “The people will have to pay more for tolls, for insurance and transport, for medical fees as well as for housing.

“Theoretically, wages should rise in developed economies, but for some reason ours do not.”

Referring to the formation of Malaysia, he says, “Fifty years ago, we had our wish for Sabah and Sarawak to become part of the Malay Empire.

“Now that Sabah is under Umno and has more Muslims than Christians, we have got our wish. But for this, too, we have to pay the price.

“Project IC has seen Filipinos make up 800,000 or 25 per cent of Sabah’s population. Many more millions of Filipinos living in Mindanao harbour hopes of joining them. Their kin and friends are already in Sabah, both legally and illegally.

“Our security is now breached regularly, and the last incident in Kudat and Sampoerna cost us more than RM200 million and many lives. We should be careful what we wish for.’’

He says, “Umno Malays had this wish that they wanted to rule the country without much fuss from the Chinese and Indian parties. Umno became the only party that counted in the Barisan Nasional (BN) structure, and this gave rise to Ketuanan Melayu and Ketuanan Islam.”

He attributes the raft of sedition charges to the consequences of this wish – non-Malays withdrawing their support for BN and having their loyalty questioned.

He says a more recent wish for a “transformational cabinet” has also turned up something undesirable. “None among [the men of integrity and advocates of transparency in the cabinet] dared ask the Prime Minister about the mysterious goings-on at 1Malaysia Development Berhad and the billions of ringgit at stake.”

So Malaysians, says Zaid, be careful what you wish for because “nothing comes free, except wishful thinking.”

Malaysia’s Deplorable Sedition Act

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

The Malaysian government has increasingly employed the Sedition Act, a British colonial era law, to intimidate and silence political opponents. The law criminalizes speech uttered “to excite disaffection” against the government and defines sedition so broadly that it is an invitation to authoritarian abuse.

Prime Minister Najib Razak had promised to repeal the act, but, since the general elections in May last year, his government has made full use of the law to hound his critics. While Mr. Najib’s ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, won 60 percent of the parliamentary seats in the election, for the first time since independence in 1957, the opposition coalition, Pakatan Rakyat, won a 51 percent majority of the popular vote.

The elections seem to have shaken the government enough for it to arrest and prosecute an array of politicians, journalists, academics, students, religious leaders and civil society activists who did not advocate the overthrow of the government. For example, a senior opposition politician was charged with sedition for criticizing a decision by the appeals court in a statement to the news media. A local state assemblyman was charged for allegedly saying “damn, damn” about the government’s United Malays National Organization to several assemblymen. Since 2013, at least 14 people have been charged. Those found guilty can face up to three years in prison.

Mr. Najib’s crackdown is a deplorable attack on free speech and a serious threat to democracy. He appeared to understand this danger when he promised to repeal the Sedition Act. He should do so immediately.

Lawyers to march against Sedition Act on October 16

Malay Mail
by BOO SU-LYN

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 2 — The Malaysian Bar is set to rally against the Sedition Act 1948 on October 16 in the city centre here after passing resolutions at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) demanding a repeal of the law.

The Bar Council’s National Young Lawyers Committee chair Syahredzan Johan said the circular on the protest scheduled at the Padang Merbok car park, called “Walk for Peace and Freedom”, was issued to Malaysian Bar members this afternoon.

“The Bar before this has only walked three times,” Syahredzan told Malay Mail Online today.

“This will be the fourth time. Each time the Bar has walked, it’s a serious issue. This shows how serious the Malaysian Bar sees the Sedition Act and the current abuse of the Act,” the lawyer added.

Syahredzan said the Malaysian Bar previously demonstrated against the Peaceful Assembly Act in 2011, corruption in the judiciary in 2007 and attempted amendments to the Societies Act in the 1980s.

In the circular posted on the Malaysian Bar website, its president Christopher Leong said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had pledged in 2012 to abolish the Sedition Act and that the replacement law would “strengthen national cohesion by protecting national unity and nurturing religious harmony”.

“The Sedition Act 1948 is antithetical and counter-productive to these values, and to our aspirations for a better Malaysia,” said Leong.

“I call on all members and pupils in chambers to please attend the Walk and express your aspirations and support for a better Malaysia premised on peace, harmony, unity, understanding and freedom from fear, intimidation, exploitation, oppression and extremism,” he added.

The Malaysian Bar voted at its September 19 EGM to hold a peaceful protest against the Sedition Act, amid a government crackdown under the colonial-era law against lawyers, opposition lawmakers and academics, among others.

The legal profession body also passed resolutions calling for the abolition of the Sedition Act, the withdrawal of all charges that are pending, a suspension of the use of the law and for the Act not to be recast into a new law.

At least 20 people have been investigated or charged under the Sedition Act in the space of one month recently, sparking criticisms that the government was abusing the law to quell dissent.

With growing pressure from conservatives within his own party, Umno, Najib said recently that the government may not repeal the Sedition Act after all if replacement laws were inferior.

RMN's Missing CB204 Found, Seven Crew Safe - RMN Chief

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN)'s combat boat CB90 which went missing off Pulau Mengalum in Sabah yesterday has been found and all its seven crew members are reported safe, said RMN chief Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Jaafar.

Abdul Aziz, who dislosed the development in his Twitter account, confirmed that the boat commander Lieutenant Azri Bakar had made a call via radio to inform that all the crew members were safe.

"Boat CB204: Lt Azri, boat commander informs KD Ganas via Ch16, boat and all crew members are safe but hungry. Alhamdulillah," he said in his Twitter account at 6.10pm Monday.

In a statement Sunday night, Abdul Aziz said the combat boat had left the navy base in Kota Kinabalu at 5am on Sunday before losing radio communication contact with another vessel at 11.15 am.

The combat boat lost contact with KD Paus while they were heading to RMN's 'Station Lima' at Terumbu Layang-Layang, Sabah.

Meanwhile, in Kota Kinabalu, a spokesman from the RMN base in Sepanggar said the seven on board the vessel - Lt Azri Bakar, BK PAP Charles Cristopher Muni, BM TMK Ince Ewin, BM TMK Steven Hudson Miso, BM JTP Nor Azuan Ariffin, LK KOM Sulhajji Daah and LK I PAP Azhry Maani - are all safe.

The spokesman added that the vessel which encountered mechanical problem (steering) was found about 30 nautical miles off Pulau Layang Layang after establishing contact with its crew at 4.15pm.

"A RMN vessel, KD Ganas is on its way to tow CB90 to the nearest station in Gugusan Semarang, Pulau Layang Layang," he said.

Radical Muslim Caught on Tape Threatening American Citizen… in Atlanta, Georgia

If you don’t think that radical Islam is already here in the US, think again.

A man was quietly filming a pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel protest in Atlanta, Georgia, not bothering anyone, when a Middle-Eastern man with an Arabic accent walked up to him and started directing profanities at him and at Israel.

The pro-Palestinian protester told the man behind the camera to stop filming and leave or “I’ll break your head and your phone.”

The Southern “good ol’ boy” who was filming wasn’t happy. “This is America. Get your finger out of my face, homey.”

The protester told him to “respect yourself” before “you get stepped on,” to which he replied, “I’m respecting you enough not to beat your a**.” If only he had done it.

This is a perfect example of the violent mentality of the anti-Israel movement. An innocent bystander who was bothering no one by merely filming a protest in a public street was threatened by a pro-Palestinian (probably Muslim) radical. What did the protester not want to be captured on camera? Is it the fact that these protesters aren’t often just anti-Israel, but pro-Hamas? Is it the fact that the anti-Israel movement is often inextricably linked to anti-Semitism?

Whatever the reason, seeing radical Islam on display in America, boldly threatening our citizens in the open streets, is horrifying. We’ve been complacent for too long… it’s time to identify this threat and stamp it out, lest scenes like this become even more common on US soil.

http://conservativetribune.com/radical-muslim-threatens-american/