Wage, property inequality in Malaysia on the rise, study shows

Wealth is concentrating in the already affluent as inequality in property and earnings in Malaysia are rising, a joint study by Universiti Malaya (UM) and the Khazanah Research Institute has found.

The study covered the private and public sector, and showed that data from the official Household Income Survey (HIS) yielded opposite findings when compared with data on private sector salaries, public sector employment and the National Property Information Centre (Napic).

UM's Dr Lee Hwok Aun and Khazanah's Dr Muhammed Abdul Khalid found that while the HIS reported a decline in inequality of gross household income, the other data sources showed that inequality in terms of personal earnings and house ownership was increasing.

"We find evidence that inequality is growing in earnings in both the private and public sectors and increasingly concentrated at the topmost strata," Muhammed told a seminar titled "Has inequality in Malaysia really gone down?" in UM today.

"In terms of wealth ownership, there is also rising inequality in property ownership."

According to data from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF), the largest retirement fund in Malaysia, the Gini Coefficient of the savings accounts had risen from 0.643 in 2004 to 0.661 in 2013, the researchers said.

(The Gini Coefficient Index measures the distribution of income in a certain country. According to the HIS, the Gini Coefficient of Malaysia's gross household income in 2012 was 0.43.)

‎"The savings of the bottom half of EPF account holders has fallen from 2004 to 2013, while there is a slight increase in concentration at the top 1%," said Dr Lee, a senior lecturer with UM's Department of Developmental Studies.

The salaries of workers aged 26-35 had also grown at slower rates from 2004 to 2013, and lagged behind the earnings of those above 40 years of age, they said.

Meanwhile, in the public sector,‎ the rank of managers and professionals have expanded disproportionately‎ faster from 1999 to 2012, according to their compilation from the Employment List of Ministries and Departments in the Estimated Federal Budget.

"There is a concentration in the uppermost positions, which is similar to the findings from the EPF. The top management enjoys higher income," said Lee.

In 1999, the top management comprised 0.09‎% of the staff, while the management and professionals made up 14.07% of the staff.

But in 2012, 0.17% of the staff were top management and 29.80% were of the management and professionals.

"The disparity between the top 10% and bottom% may have increased," said Lee.

The researchers said the Gini Coefficient of residential properties sold a year had also increased from 0.51 in 1996 to 0.53 in 2011, according to their calculations based on data from Napic.

"‎The value of property purchased by high-end buyers has grown more rapidly than property purchased by low-end buyers throughout the years," said Muhammed.

The share of total property value by the bottom 20%‎ from 2006 to 2011 has remained stagnant at 5%, while the top 10% have enjoyed a growth from 35% to 40% of total shares during the same period, according to the data.

‎The researchers also said that passenger vehicle sales data show increasing proportions of luxury cars from 2001 to 2011.

"There is a rising share ‎of vehicles sold at the high end and bottom end, and rapid growth in luxury brands and compact cars," said Lee.

‎Data from private unit trust funds such as Amanah Saham Berhad showed that the majority own very little and have seen their shares declining from 2007 to 2012, said Muhammed.

The shares of the bottom 50% of ASB share‎holders has dropped from 3% to 2%, while the 80th to 90th percentile have seen an increase from 76% to 77% share ownership from 2007 to 2012, according to the researchers.

But the researchers noted that according to the HIS‎, household income inequality has been on a downward trend since 2004.

"The HIS states that Malaysia's Gini Coefficient of gross household income shrank 0.84%‎ per year from 2004 to 2012, while in the 2000s, the bottom 40% enjoyed relatively higher income growth," said Lee.

The researchers suggested that the disparity‎ between the HIS and their own study may be due to the fact that the HIS did not take into account the earnings of each individual in a household.

"The HIS reports the aggregate gross household income. There is no distinction between earned income and gross income," said Lee.

"Gross household income inequality may be declining while personal earnings inequality rises due to transfers and multiple income earners in a household." – November 5, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/wage-property-inequality-in-malaysia-on-the-rise-study-shows#sthash.SntVGA2u.dpuf
 

'Religious schools for all, but SJKC dangerous'

 

Whereas religious schools are open to all ethnicities, Chinese national-type schools (SRJKC) are very 'dangerous' if it creates enclaves where people could get by without speaking the national language, said Federal Territories Umno youth chief Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii.

Razlan said this at a press conference today in rebutting a statement by Sibu MP Oscar Ling, who compared religious schools with vernacular schools.

Razlan (left) said religious schools are open to all Muslims regardless of race, and cited a study to back his concerns that vernacular schools could be divisive.

The study supposedly found that 604 out of 14,000 National Service trainees in 2010 could not speak the Malay language, and this was highlighted in an Utusan Malaysia editorial last week.

“The SRJK C issue and the religious school issue are vastly different issues. Islam is a religion that is open to all and we have taken on an approach that is friendly to all races. There is no racial division in Islam.

“SRJK C schools is a very dangerous issue when we see that some 600 students entering the national service programme clearly could not speak Malay at all. Where did they come from? Where did they get their education, if not at the SRJK C?” Razlan told reporters.

He also claimed that there were many Chinese Malaysian businesses that could operate without a single staff able to speak in the national language.

Meanwhile, to a question on why is he not calling for vernacular schools to be scrapped, Razlan said more studies are needed, since 600 trainees are too small a number, and previous agreements still needed to be adhered to.

“We have agreed to let the SRJK C to exist. If we are to withdraw that, we have to first conduct a study and ask why should we withdraw it.

“We will debate this in the coming Umno general assembly. Today, the facts available that 600 (cannot speak Malay) is a small number. We want to know how many Chinese companies can conduct their businesses without using the Malay language.

“We want to know. These studies will be conducted and we will debate every detail of it in the assembly. If there is consensus that SRJK C should not be continued, we will stop them,” he said, while stressing that this is his personal opinion.

Razlan also clarified that by ‘stop’, he meant that no new vernacular school should be built, but existing schools should be allowed to continue operations.

He added that he has no issue with the SRJK C if Chinese associations are willing to take steps to ensure that the position of the Malay language as the national language is secure.

“As Malaysians, we know that we can’t exile the Chinese, the Indians, the Malays, the Kadazans… No. This is our country.

“But why should the Chinese be able to live without the national language? Is it that the national language is no longer their language?” Razlan asked.

Zaid: Political leaders kow-towing to Islamic authorities who’ve usurped God’s power

(Malay Mail Online) – Malaysia’s Islamic authorities have become so bold as to assume God’s power to pass judgment on Muslims that political leaders are ceding even administrative control of the country to these clerics, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim said.

The former de facto law minister was weighing in on a growing trend for federal and state Islamic authorities to label progressive Muslim groups and individuals deemed “liberal” and “pluralistic” as “deviants”; he noted too that while Muslims around the world have no clergy that act as intermediaries with God, it was not so in Malaysia.

“Here, there are religious authorities who have usurped the power of God and pass judgement on Muslims long before they die and long before The Day of Judgement,” Zaid wrote on his blog yesterday in a post titled “The real power in Malaysia”.

“What is abundantly clear to Malaysians who care to see is that Malay political leaders are afraid of the religious authorities. Our leaders are like the Imperial Chinese eunuchs who would always obey the Emperor for the privilege of living in the Palace and having control over state finances.

“In this matter, there is no difference at all whether Umno or the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has political power and occupies Putrajaya — today the real power in our lives emanates from the religious authorities,” the vocal Kelantan-born politician said.

Recently, the Selangor Fatwa Committee issued a religious edict against Sisters in Islam (SIS), declaring the Muslim women’s rights group had deviating from Islam because it was purportedly promoting liberalism and religious pluralism — concepts which the conservative committee has yet to elaborate.

SIS filed last Friday for a judicial review on the fatwa that was gazetted last July in Selangor.

“Instead of calling up the religious authorities to explain to them the dangers of their rulings and how they violate our constitutional freedoms — and how Muslims will be adversely affected by such rulings — our political leaders have done nothing,” Zaid said in his blog post.

He criticised Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for purportedly saying at an international forum touting Muslim democracy that while there was nothing wrong with pluralism and liberalism, he would not change the decision of the Islamic authorities in Selangor, a state controlled by PR.

Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali made a similar remark last Sunday, saying he did not support the fatwa against SIS but was merely asking others to respect it as the decision has already been made.

Zaid said there was nothing sinful about being liberal, pointing out that it only meant that someone is “open-minded” and has “forward-looking and progressive” ideas.

“When the prime minister said that Umno Selangor had to think outside the box and come up with new ideas to retake the state, he was being liberal and progressive. You can also say that, in the context of Umno, Najib, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Khairy Jamaluddin are liberals and progressives while Utusan Malaysia, Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, Datuk Ibrahim Ali and Isma are conservatives,” he said.

Zaid also said religious pluralism means, in the context of Malaysia, that all religions have the right to exist in the country and that it is not a judgment call on which faith is better or truer.

“As Muslims, we believe of course that Islam is better — but no one is preventing us from believing this. Equally, Hindus (for example) are entitled to their own set of religious beliefs in what constitutes the path to salvation,” he said.

“Pluralism means we accept that there are different religious faiths in the country and that our fellow-citizens have the right to practise those faiths freely. It is the idea that we must coexist peacefully. That’s the essence of Article 11 of our

Female snake charmer new ‘aurat’ target

The Kelantan state government says it will stop her show if she does not cover up.

FMT

KOTA BARU: After picking on women traders in the markets for not respecting its “aurat” rule, the Kelantan government is now targeting a snake charmer.

A Bernama report quotes a state executive councillor as saying that authorities would stop a snake charming show at the Kelantan Museum if the woman conducting it does not cover the parts of her body deemed as “aurat” under state law.

In Islamic terminology, the “aurat” constitutes those parts of the body that must be covered when one is in the presence of someone of the opposite sex who is not a close family member. There is some controversy as regards which parts of the body should be included.

In the snake charmer’s case, the offending body part is the hair on her head.

Abdul Fattah Mahmood, who heads the State Committee on Local Government, Housing, Health and the Environment, said any show held in the state had to be in compliance with the rules and regulations set by the state government.

“We will instruct her to stop the show if she cannot follow the rules and regulations,” he said.

“We have received reports that she did not cover her aurat. She has to cover it because the show is held at a public place.”

The Kelantan Musuem is holding a month-long snake exhibition. As part of the show, Rahiza Abdul Rahim, 28, charms snakes inside a glass cubicle. She is also known as Baby Andryanna and she is inside the cubicle with 20 snakes.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT! Another bullying case exposed

Young boy is trashed by a group of seniors in latest bullying episode.



PETALING JAYA: Another video clip of group bullying, in what appears to be a school dormitory, has emerged online following a similar ragging clip that went viral on YouTube recently and that was reported on FMT today.

However, this close to seven minute clip is far more brutal in its nature as the clip showed just one boy being beaten up and kicked around by several older boys, believed to be seniors.

The clip showed the young victim crying and pleading for mercy, only to be beaten harder by the group of older boys.

Halfway through the clip, the bullies even played loud music and danced about while continuing to abuse the boy as if they were at a festival and the victim a human pinata.

The exact location of the brutal bullying has yet to be identified.

Nevertheless the video clearly shows some sort of a boarding school or dormitory setting, while faces of the bullies and victim are clearly captured in the footage.

Two teachers plead not guilty in UPSR scandal

Two teachers in Nilai claim trial to the unauthorised possession of UPSR papers.

FMT

SEREMBAN: Two Tamil School teachers in Nilai claimed trial in the Sessions Court here today to unauthorised possession of copies of this year’s Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) examination papers.

Subbarau@ Kamalanathan, 34, is facing five charges involving Mathematics Papers (I and II), Tamil Language Paper for Comprehension, and Tamil Language Papers, Writing and Science.

He allegedly committed the offences via a Samsung Galaxy Note 2 smartphone between September 9 and September 17.

P. Murugan, 36, is accused of unauthorised possession of Mathematics, Paper I, via a Lenovo smartphone.

If convicted, both accused could be jailed between one and seven years, under Section 8(1)(c)(iii) of the Official Secrets Act 1972 (Act 88).

Judge Jagjit Singh Bant Singh set RM3,000 as bail, with one surety for Subbarau, and RM2,000 with one surety for Murugan.

He also ordered their passports to be temporarily impounded by the court, and set December 15 for mention of both cases.

Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and Muhamad Abu Hassan Ramli appeared for the prosecution.

Counsel Haresh Mahadevan, Ramzaini Idris, A. Patheeban, S. Veerapan, Lee Kai Yet, Lee Kok Wah and AK Dass represented the two accused.

- BERNAMA

The questionable trial of Anwar Ibrahim

Al Jazeera

In just the last two months, nearly two dozen activists have been charged under Malaysia's archaic Sedition Act.

Anwar Ibrahim is in the Malaysian Federal Court this week for what hopefully is the last chapter in a sordid affair that has done nothing but distract him from his reform agenda. We have been critical of Malaysia's judiciary in the past and hope that at this moment in time, the five judges who are tasked with reviewing the appeal of Ibrahim's March conviction on charges of sodomy, will adhere strictly to the rule of law and not be swayed by external political influences.

Malaysia's image as an example or a model of a Muslim majority country that is on a democratic path, economically vibrant, adheres to the rule of law, and a model to the world on how to exist as a pluralistic society is under tremendous strain today. Ibrahim's trial is just one example of how dissident voices calling for reform of institutions in Malaysia are being persecuted. In just the last two months, nearly two dozen activists have been charged under Malaysia's archaic Sedition Act, including Ibrahim.

Ultra right wing groups have targeted minority communities threatening to burn bibles and tell the "immigrant" Chinese and Indian population of Malaysia to go home.

Academic freedom is also under attack. Two highly regarded professors were charged with sedition and Ibrahim's lecture scheduled to take place at the University of Malaya on Monday night was systemically blocked. University staff, dismissed early in the day, and the front gates of the university were put on lockdown. A few thousand brave students defied the ban and were able to hear Ibrahim speak.

At a time when the world is confronting violent and regressive movements in parts of the Muslim world, Malaysia could be a shining example of what is possible when Muslims focus on rebuilding the tradition of scholarship, technology, and pluralism that is present throughout the history of Islamic civilisation. While the prime minister has made positive remarks about the need for a "movement of moderates" in the Muslim world, the actions of his party at home belie his intentions.

The continuing efforts to use the judicial system against opposition political leaders will undermine Malaysia's leadership role in regional and global affairs as well as weaken Malaysia's traditions of political openness and democracy.

Malaysian authorities, as Human Rights Watch Asia director, Phil Robertson, has stated, "risk making a travesty of the country's criminal justice system" unless they withdraw their case against Ibrahim.

Former US Vice President Al Gore framed the issue clearly last March when he said: "It is extremely disturbing that the government of Malaysia - by continuing to press this case beyond the bounds of reason, let alone the bounds of justice - has used the courts to short-circuit the political process."

John L Esposito is University Professor and Professor of Religion and International Affairs, Georgetown University. His recent books are The Future of Islam and (with I Kalin) Islamophobia and the Challenge of Pluralism in the 21st Century.

John O Voll is Professor of Islamic History at the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University.

The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeera's editorial policy.

Najib should also congratulate USM for being ranked No. 87 in the 100 Best Global Universities for Engineering and direct full inquiry why Malaysian universities could only get two out of 2,100 slots for the 21 subject areas for 100 Best Global Universities

Lim Kit Siang Blog

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should also congratulate the University Sains Malaysia (USM) for being ranked No. 87 in the 100 Best Global Universities Ranking 2015 for Engineering, as he seems to have overlooked USM’s listing when congratulating Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) for being placed in the 54th rank for agricultural science.

While congratulations to UPM and USM are in order, for being ranked in the 100 Best Global Universities in the field of agricultural science for UPM and in engineering for USM, the Prime Minister should be very worried and concerned about the overall failure and inability of Malaysian universities to compete with universities not only in Asia but also at the global level.

The Prime Minister cannot make a worse mistake or be more wrongly advised if he regards the Best Global Universities Ranking 2015 released by the US News and World Report on Oct. 27 as a cause for celebration, when it is in fact a terrible indictment of the lowly standards of public university education and excellence in the country.

Firstly, the country’s premier university, the University of Malaya is the only university listed in the 500 Best Global Universities Ranking 2015, and at a very lowly position of No. 423.

Secondly, the Best Global Universities Ranking 2015 also feature the top 100 global universities in 21 subject areas, namely agricultural sciences, biology/biochemistry, chemistry, clinical medicine, computer science, economics/business, engineering, environment/ecology, geosciences, immunology, materials science, mathematics, microbiology, molecular biology/genetics, neurosciences and behavior, pharmacology/toxicology, physics, plant/animal sciences, psychiatry/psychology, social science/public health and space science.

With 100 Top universities ranked for each of the 21 subject areas, this will mean there are 2,100 slots available for the cream of global universities.

It is shocking that University of Malaya, the only Malaysian university listed in the 500 Best Global Universities Ranking 2015 has not been ranked as Top 100 University for anyone of the 21 subject areas. Thanks to UPM and USM, Malaysia won two of the 2,100 slots in the Top 100 Universities for 21 subject areas.

The four top Asian universities in the 500 Best Global University Rankings 2015, namely Universities of Tokyo (No. 24), Peking (No. 39), Hong Kong (42) and Singapore (No.55) are all ranked Top 100 Universities in more than a dozen subject areas.

University of Tokyo is Top 100 Universities for 18 subject areas, such as ranked No.5 in physics, No. 6 in chemistry, No. 7 in Plant and Animal Science, No. 10 in biology/biochemistry, No. 13 in microbiology, No. 17 in geosciences, No. 20 in materials science, No. 34 in engineering, No. 36 in computer science, No. 42 in mathematics, No. 60 in clinical medicine and No. 85 in environment/ecology.

Peking University is Top 100 University for 14 subject areas, Hong Kong University in 13 subject areas and National University of Singapore in 15 subject areas.

It must trouble Malaysians who care about higher education that each of these four universities could be ranked as the Top 100 universities in over a dozen subject areas while Malaysia could only get into two of the 2,100 slots for the 21 subject areas – UPM for agricultural science and USM for engineering; and with the premier university, University of Malaya, unable to get ranked as Top 100 in anyone of the 21 subject areas.

This is not cause for joy and celebration by the Prime Minister but who should direct a full inquiry into the sad state of higher education in Malaysia.

Mud Floods In Camerons: One Killed, Four Injured, Child Missing

KUANTAN, Nov 5 (Bernama) -- A Nepali farm worker was killed while four others were injured and a child is missing in mud floods in Ringlet and Kuala Terla in Cameron Highlands tonight.

Pahang Fire and Rescue Department deputy director Morni Mamat said the disaster in Ringlet also forced the evacuation of 150 residents from 37 families to a multi-purpose hall in the small town, located about 10 kilometres from Tanah Rata, the main town in the highlands .

"A local man and two Indian nationals were almost buried alive at a car workshop in Ringlet but were rescued in time and sent to a nearby hospital for treatment of their injuries which were serious.

"An Indonesian man was also injured in the Ringlet incident while a boy is reported missing in Kuala Terlah near Kampung Raja at the opposite end of the highlands," he said when contacted by Bernama.

Morni said rescuers were frantically searching for the missing boy.

A Fire and Rescue Department spokesman in Cameron Highlands said heavy rain since late this afternoon cause mudslides and the water level in Sungai Bertam in Ringlet to rise fast resulting in a mud flood at around 7pm.

"However, the area where a similar disaster took place last year has not been affected till now," he said.

In Oct 24 last year, a controlled release of water from the Sultan Abu Bakar Dam following continuous heavy rain resulted in a massive mudflow downstream which claimed three lives and left nearly 100 houses destroyed.

Meanwhile, Cameron Higlands police chief DSP Wan Mohd Zahari Wan Busu said the search operation for the boy, aged 13, who is feared to have drowned, had been halted temporarily due to unfavourable weather and would resume tomorrow.

He said the identity of the boy had yet to be ascertained.

He identified the Nepali farm worker as Md Yousus Miya, 66, and the Indonesian as Iswandi Nahrowi, 40.

Wan Mohd Zahari said Md Yousus was buried alive in a mudslide in Jalan Ulu Merah in Ringlet at around 7.30pm.

"His body was recovered at 8.30pm," he said.

He said that water from the dam was released in stages since this afternoon and residents were ordered to move to higher ground for their safety.

Vivekananda Ashram: AMK will work for a holistic solution

Firm to remove Hindu deity bottles off shelves

VIDEO | 4:02 mins

The mineral water bottles promoting the Batu Caves temple will be removed from shelves, bottled water manufacturer Chuan Sin Sdn Bhd says.

Responding to outcry by the Muslim Consumers’ Association Malaysia (PPIM), the firm said the image which shows the large Lord Murugan statue in front of the iconic temple was not meant to offend.

Instead, the image on the labels on the 'Cactus' brand mineral water bottles was to support the Visit Malaysia Year 2014, she said in a statement.

"To reassure our customers that we have no ill intensions in selecting the image and that we take all public feedback seriously, we will remove the bottles with the Batu Caves label from the shelves.

"(We will also) cease production of bottles with this particular label. We are also currently producing a new series of images for the labels," its deputy general manager Chong Mee Yong.

Jakim: Against halal cert regulations

Meanwhile, Islamic Development Department (Jakim) director- said that it is wrong to include an image of a deity from a non-Islamic religion on a product certified as halal.

This contravened with article 6.3 of the packaging and labelling section of the Halal Malaysia certification procedures.

The article states that the halal logo cannot be used on products promoting non-Islamic religions' festivals or symbols.

Non-compliance can see the firm having its halal certification suspended Jakim director-general Othman Mustapha (left) said.

PPIM today lodged a police report against the firm, saying that the printing of the image of a Hindu deity next to the halal logo is "seditious" and "insensitive" to Muslim.

"We have made a police report and want the police to do an investigation and take necessary action under the Sedition Act or other laws," PPIM secretary-general Sheikh Abdul Kareem (above) said.

According to a KiniTV report, the group said placing the Hindu deity beside the halal logo was an insult to Islam, the relgion of the federation, by the manufacturers of the product.

'Respect sensitivities of Islam'

“As a company that operates in Malaysia, it should know better about the sensitivities of Muslims, who form the majority in Malaysia.

“They should understand that Islam is the federal religion and respect the sensitivities of the religion.”

PPIM lodged a police report today, saying that even if the picture of the deity was used for tourism purposes, it is insensitive as there is the halal logo beside the picture.

Checks by Malaysiakini showed that the 'Cactus' brand labels feature different tourist destinations in Malaysia, including Petaling Street and the Batu Caves temple, which has a large statue of Lord Murugan.

The destinations are featured in support of the Visit Malaysia Year 2014 campaign.

Further, the pictures of the tourist spots are placed next to the manufacturer’s contact details and not directly next to the halal logo.

Kecoh selepas mahkamah tangguh, penyokong enggan surai

I'll be acquitted if I retire, jokes Anwar

Deceased Bahai girl denied burial in Tabriz

Mohabatnews

Over a week has passed since twelve-year-old Mahna Samandari died from an illness, on October 21, but her parents have not been allowed to bury her.

Mohabat News _ According to the report of Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), Mahna's parents, who suffer from physical handicaps, are not only grieving the loss of their daughter but are devastated by "regulations" that deny them the right to bury their child in the local cemetery of Tabriz.

After her death in hospital, her parents wanted to take the body home for the ritual washing and Bahai prayers, but when the ambulance driver heard that she was a Bahai, he stopped the vehicle and insisted that she could only be taken to the Wadi Rahmat cemetery in Tabriz.

Eventually he relented and took the body to her parents' home. After the body had been washed and wrapped in a shroud, and the prayer for the dead read, in accordance with Bahai rites, it was taken to Wadi Rahmat cemetery and placed in the mortuary, where it remains.

Before the Islamic revolution the Bahai community in Tabriz acquired a cemetery that was later confiscated by government authorities. The community was able to bury their dead in the cemetery until August 2011, when the authorities announced that they no longer allow Bahai interments. In the past three years at least twenty Bahais have been denied burial in this cemetery. As an alternative, authorities are suggesting a burial ground in Urumia or Miandoab, located more than one hour from Tabriz. Common sense and Bahai religious laws prohibit remote burial grounds, and this is especially impractical for the Samandaris, who are physically disabled.

Mahna suffered from a form of paralysis that impaired the use of her hands. Despite her handicap, she pursued her passion for art and painted with her mouth. A gifted artist with determination, Mahna obtained the first prize in art in a national competition.

Rights group accuses ISIS of torturing captive Kurdish children

BEIRUT – Islamic State militants tortured and abused Kurdish children captured earlier this year near the northern Syrian town of Kobani, beating them with hoses and electric cables, an international rights group said Tuesday.

Human Rights Watch based its conclusions on interviews with several children who were among more than 150 Kurdish boys from Kobani abducted in late May as they were returning home after taking school exams in the city of Aleppo. It said around 50 of the Kurds escaped early in their captivity, while the rest were released in batches — the last coming on Oct. 29.

"Since the beginning of the Syrian uprising, children have suffered the horrors of detention and torture, first by the Assad government and now by ISIS," said Human Rights Watch's Fred Abrahams. "This evidence of torture and abuse of children by ISIS underlines why no one should support their criminal enterprise."

Four of the children who were released told the New York-based rights group that they were held by the extremists in the northern Syrian town of Manbij. They described frequent abuse at the hands of the militants, who used a hose and electric cable to administer beatings.

The boys said that some of the worst abuse was reserved for captives who had family members in the Kurdish militia known as the YPG, which has been locked in heavy fighting with Islamic State militants for control of Kobani since mid-September.

The children said the Islamic State group did not say why they were being released, other than that they had completed their religious training, the Human Rights Watch report said.

Islamic State militants have taken hundreds of Kurds captive over the past year as part of the group's brutal campaign to take over predominantly Kurdish areas of northern and eastern Syria.

On Tuesday, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the extremists had released dozens of Kurds taken captive in February. It was not immediately clear why the Islamic State group would release the captives now, nor whether a deal had been made with the Kurds for a prisoner exchange.

The fight over Kobani, meanwhile, has raged on, with the Islamic State group pressing its assault despite fierce resistance from the town's Kurdish defenders and heavy U.S.-led airstrikes against the extremists. On Tuesday, clashes focused on the eastern and western sides of the town, the Observatory and an Iraqi Kurdish fighter said.

Iraqi Kurdish forces known as peshmerga have deployed to Kobani to help bolster their Syrian brethren defending the town. So far, the peshmerga are only playing a support role, using their heavy weapons and mortars to provide cover to YPG militiamen, said the Iraqi fighter, who only gave his first name, Rebwar, because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media.

While much of the world's attention has focused in on the town along the Syria-Turkey border since the Islamic State offensive there began some six weeks ago, France's foreign minister urged the international coalition against the Islamic State to save the embattled city of Aleppo after attending to Kobani.

Aleppo, once Syria's largest city, has been carved into opposition- and government-held areas since mid-2012. In recent months, the rebel-controlled zone has come under increasing threat as it has been squeezed by President Bashar Assad's forces as well as advancing Islamic State militants.

"Abandoning Aleppo would mean condemning 300,000 men, women and children to a terrible fate: either a murderous siege under the regime's bombs or the terrorist barbarity of Daesh," Laurent Fabius wrote in a column published Tuesday in the Washington Post, France's Le Figaro daily as well as the pan-Arab Al-Hayat newspaper. Daesh is the Arabic name for the Islamic State group.

"That is why — together with our coalition partners — we must focus our efforts on Aleppo, with two clear objectives: strengthening our support for the moderate Syrian opposition, and protecting the civilian population from the twin crimes of the regime and Daesh," Fabius added.

French aircraft are taking part in the U.S.-led aerial campaign against the Islamic State militants in Iraq, but Paris opted out of the coalition mission in Syria.

The Islamic State group overran much of northern and western Iraq in June, adding to the large chunk of northern and eastern Syria it already controlled. It has continued its push to try to consolidate its hold on that territory, including around Iraq's largest oil refinery outside the town of Beiji.

Associated Press footage on Tuesday showed Iraqi special forces attacking some Islamic State group positions near Beiji. The soldiers opened fire on a white building used by militants. Thick black smoke could be seen rising from the building.

Besieged Iraqi troops have managed to maintain control of the refinery outside Beiji, some 155 miles north of Baghdad, despite numerous attempts by the Islamic State group to capture it.

Christian Couple Burned Alive for Blasphemy in Pakistan

By Breitbart

A Christian couple, 35-year-old Shahzad Masih and his 31-year-old wife Shama Bibi, were burned to death Tuesday morning by a Muslim mob in the south of Lahore (Punjab province), accused of committing blasphemy for allegedly burning pages of the Qur'an.

The two, who worked in a clay-baking factory, were kidnapped on November 2 and held hostage for two days inside the factory. On Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. the two were beaten and then pushed into the brick kiln. Shama was pregnant.

According to Sardar Mushtaq Gill, a lawyer and human rights defender who visited the scene of the event, the supposed blasphemy occurred upon the recent death of the Shahzad’s father. Two days ago, Shama was cleaning her father-in-law’s house, and in the process burned some personal items and papers that seemed useless. A Muslim man saw what she was doing and spread the word in the surrounding villages that the papers she burned included pages of the Koran. A mob of over 100 people formed, and took the couple hostage, finally executing them Tuesday.

Emaneul Sarfraz, a relative of the deceased couple, offered a slightly different version of the events. According to Sarfraz, his cousin Shahzad and his wife Shama had been working in the kiln of Muhammad Yousuf Gujjar.

“The couple along with their four children wanted to leave the kiln as Yousuf was not paying their remuneration. He demanded Rs 5,00,000 from them, if they wanted to quit.”

"Two days ago, after an exchange of words Yousuf locked the couple along with their children in a room,” Sarfraz said. After two local mosques announced the alleged blasphemy, “a large number of Muslims led by area clerics reached the kiln and dragged the couple out of the room after breaking into it. They first tortured them and then threw them in the kiln,” he said.

According to another report, as the Christian couple was burning and protesting their innocence, the mob was shouting “Allah hu Akbar,” “death to blasphemers,” and “kill the infidel Christians,” at which Christian residents nearby fled from their homes to safety.

The same report claims that it was the owner of the brick Kiln factory, Yousaf Gujjar, and his manager who instigated Muslims of nearby villages to punish Shahzad and Shama after a Muslim employee complained of them burning of pages of the Qur’an.

The police, alerted by other Christians, came to the scene, substantiated the death and brought in 35 people for questioning.

A local police station official Bin-Yameen confirmed that “a mob attacked a Christian couple after accusing them of desecration of the holy Quran and later burnt their bodies at a brick kiln where they worked.”

Dr. Nazir Bhatti, president of the Pakistan Christian Congress, said in a statement that Pakistani blasphemy laws are a license for Muslims to kill Christians. “Blasphemy laws are only legislated to target religious minorities in Pakistan,” Bhatti said.

Gill called the act “barbaric and inhumane,” calling for the whole world to “strongly condemn this incident, which shows the increased danger for Christians in Pakistan.” A simple accusation “is sufficient to be victims of lynching. We’ll see if anyone is punished for this murder,” he said.
According to AFP, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has established a three-member committee to investigate the killings and has ordered the police to reinforce security in Christian neighborhoods in the province.

DAP urges heritage department to step in after Ashram trustees defend development plan

Following objections by landowners of the historic Vivekananda Ashram in Brickfields to have it declared a heritage site, an opposition MP today turned to the National Heritage Department, urging it to immediately declare it a heritage site.

DAP's Ipoh Barat MP, Kula Segaran raised the issue in Parliamet today, and urged Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to review its approval to the landowner to develop the historic site.

This after Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz revealed in Parliament today that the landowner had rejected his ministry's efforts to gazette the Ashram a national heritage site, and urged trying to prevent the site's redevelopment to carry on with their campaign.

"It is most shocking to learn that the heritage status which was being initiated by the ministry has been objected by the landowner.

"We are killing our own product of interest to the world at large," Kula Segaran said.

The 110-year-old Ashram houses one of the first Tamil schools in the country, and was named after a well known Hindu sage known for spreading tenets of Hinduism in the West.

The piece of land was given to the building of the Ashram over 100 years ago.

Kula Segaran said the site holds a lot of heritage significance for the early Indian migrants who settled in the surrounding area.

"Our country is not very old in heritage value, as a community, we have been around for less than 500 years.

"So a 100-year-old building is very important to connect with the past," he said, adding that the Ashram was regarded as an iconic spiritual and historic landmark.

He said DBKL should call for a fresh hearing to get the public's views on redevelopment plans.

"DBKL must call for fresh hearing to obtain views and opinions of the people who are affected and outraged with its decision to allow redevelopment of one the finest heritages known on our mother land," he said.

The chairman of the Ashram's board of trustees had scoffed at critics of the redevelopment plan, saying they should instead make donations to support its charity works.

Tan Sri Dr K. Ampikaipakan recently told BFM radio that the board of trustees decided to sell and redevelop the 0.4ha plot of land to raise funds for the schools and charities under its care.

It was reported that the plan was to build a 23-storey apartment. The facade of the Ashram, believed to be more than 100 years old, and a bronze statue of Swami Vivekananda, however, would be preserved for heritage purposes. – November 4, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/dap-urges-heritage-department-to-step-in-after-ashram-trustees-defends-deve#sthash.SUw7WmMr.dpuf

Harga rokok naik lagi mulai esok

 

Harga rokok naik sebanyak RM1.50 mulai esok, 5 November 2014. Antara jenama rokok tersebut adalah Dunhill, Kent, Benson & Hedges, Lucky Strikes, Pall Mall, Rothmans dan Peter Stuyvesant, sebagaimana kenyataan yang dikeluarkan hari ini.

Menurut kenyataan yang dikeluarkan oleh Commercial Marketers and Distributors Sdn. Bhd, kenaikan ini adalah susulan kenaikan duti eksais oleh kerajaan pada 1 November 2014.

British American Tobacco Malaysia (BAT) sebelum ini mengumumkan harga rokok keluaran mereka dikekalkan pada harga lama selepas kenaikan sebanyak RM1 pada 8 September 2014.

Langkah itu diambil bagi memastikan syarikat berkenaan mampu bersaing dengan pengeluar lain.

Selain itu, pada 30 September tahun lalu juga menyaksikan kenaikan harga rokok setiap pek adalah sebanyak RM1.50 dan merupakan kenaikan tunggal terbesar dalam sejarah. – 4 November, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/bahasa/article/harga-rokok-naik-lagi-mulai-esok#sthash.6pKtI9hz.dpuf

Zahid declares Penang’s PPS illegal, assets to be seized

Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has declared Penang's Voluntary Patrol Unit (PPS) an illegal organisation, and its assets and properties will be seized, the Home Ministry said today.

Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Khalid Shariff said Zahid made the declaration yesterday, invoking Section 5(1) of the Societies Act 1966, which empowers the minister to declare an organisation illegal.

"The Penang PPS is an organisation that carries out activities that are hazardous to public peace in the country," Khalid said in a statement today quoted by Bernama.

The declaration means the use of the PPS name, symbol and logo is banned, and its accounts, assets, and properties wound up by the Malaysian Insolvency Department, said Bernama.

After announcing earlier that the group was not registered, police on August 31 arrested 156 PPS members as they took part in the state Merdeka Day celebration.

Also picked up were DAP state assemblymen R.S.N. Rayer, PPS chairman Phee Boon Poh and his deputy, Tanjung MP Ng Wei Aik.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had vowed that his state government would defend the PPS members and would not bow to "bullying tactics" by Putrajaya.

Zahid (pic, right) had earlier said the group's formation was not passed in Parliament, unlike the People's Volunteer Corps (Rela) formed under the Volunteers Corps Act 2012, which means it need not be registered under the Registrar of Societies (RoS).

Zahid and the police had also claimed that many PPS members were involved in crime with reports previously lodged against them.

"It also seems like they want to take over the role of the police," the Home Minister told Parliament on October 16. – November 4, 2014.

- See more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/zahid-declares-penangs-pps-illegal-assets-to-be-seized#sthash.N39w0K51.dpuf

MP: Racial conflict poser from ministry textbook

 

The fact that the controversial "racial" SPM model question was the work of a private publisher does not absolve the ministry, DAP's Sibu MP Oscar Ling said.

This is as the question was based on an Education Ministry-approved short story which touches on the May 13, 1969 racial riots.

Speaking to reporters at the Parliament lobby today, he said this raises the question of whether such a short story is "relevant" as a  school text.

Ling (right in photo) also asked what the answers will be if students are asked about May 13 in SPM.

The excerpt referred to in the SPM workbook is from the short story 'Mellisa' by national laureate Abdullah Hussain.

It is of an anthology of short stories called 'Harga Remaja', which is part of a Form Four text for the Bahasa Malaysia literature component.

Abdullah also wrote the novel 'Interlok' which caused controversy when it was selected as a school text, for allegedly perpetuating racial stereotypes.

Yesterday, Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said that the ministry would not be able to take any action on the matter the workbook was published privately.

He also expressed hope that the material did not come from the ministry itself.

In the workbook published by Info Didik this year, students are asked why the "Chinese willing to even kill Malays" and vice-versa, among a host of other racial innuendos.

Titled 'Kertas Model Sebenar SPM Bahasa Malaysia', the book is authored by Khairudiin Ayip and Yusanizan Shafie.

The publisher had apologised for the question and promised to take the books off the shelves.

Ling, however, believes that this is insufficient.

"Even though this book will be retracted, it has been widely distributed and our students are being told that vernacular schools is the cause of bad race relations here."

MIC: There'll be no more churches by 2020

MIC Youth chief C Sivarraajh has poured cold water on the opposition to the construction of churches in Muslim-majority areas, stating that if this was the case, there would be no more non-Muslim places of worship by 2020.

This, Sivarraajh said,was because the Muslim population was rising and is expected to reach 70 percent of the Malaysian population by 2020.

"Does this mean that no temple, no church and no gurduwara can be built?" he asked in a statement today.

Sivarraajh (left) was responding to the protest yesterday by a group of NGOs against the construction of the Praise Emmanuel Assembly Church in Bandar Sunway, Petaling Jaya.

Ishak Maarof, who is from one of the leading NGOs protesting against the church, had argued that the church is located in a Muslim-majority area, and thus the church “would be an insult” to them.

"(When) there is no area in Malaysia that is not Muslim-majority, therefore going by the Muslim NGOs reasoning, no church can ever be constructed," said Sivarraajh.

As such, he said the NGOs' argument "made no sense".

"Being the majority in the country, Muslims must feel confident about their religion. They must understand and realise that other religions also need to be protected and promoted," he said.

The Praise Emmanuel Assembly Church is to be situated along Jalan PJS 8/9 and if approved, will comprise one floor for parking, one floor for prayers, and two mezzanine floors for other needs.

'Hindu deity on bottles may invoke worship'

 

A picture of a Hindu deity next to a halal logo on a mineral water bottle label may contain "elements of worship", said Muslim Consumers Association Malaysia (PPIM).

PPIM chief activist Nadzim Johan said this may point to "malicious intent" on the part of company Chuan Sin Sdn Bhd, for producing such bottles.

As such, he said, PPIM will lodge a police report on the matter tomorrow.

He also urged the Islamic Development Department (Jakim), which issues halal certification, to investigate.

Nadzim (left) said he received a complaint about the matter yesterday stating that the image of Hindu deity Lord Murugan is placed next to the halal logo on the water bottles.

"We were sent pictures of the bottles and when we went to some grocery stores, the Cactus water bottles bear the image (of Lord Murugan).

"It is insensitive since the image is placed next to the halal logo.

"It would be a different thing if there is no halal logo," he said.

However, he said, he has not contacted Chuan Sin Sdn Bhd - which also produces bottles for the brand Spritzer -  to obtain clarification on the matter.

Malaysiakini's checks found that Cactus labels feature different tourist destinations in Malaysia, including Petaling Street and the Batu Caves temple which has a large statue of Lord Murugan.

The campaign is part of Visit Malaysia Year 2014.

The picture of the tourist spot is placed next to the manufacturers content and not directly next to the halal logo.

'13 yr DNA used to convict murderer, why not Anwar'

 

The prosecution in Anwar Ibrahim's appeal submitted that if a 13-year-old DNA sample could be retrieved in a rape and murder case in Australia to convict a person, then why can't the court use the politician's DNA to convict him of sodomy.
                                  
This point was raised by government-appointed prosecutor Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at the Federal Court.

Citing case law, he said Australian police had found a towel belonging to the victim and upon examination, discovered semen stains which were sent for analysis to pinpoint the perpetrator.

"The DNA was found on the towel where semen was found. The reading was considered matching and the accused was convicted for the murder after 13 years," he said, adding that in this sodomy case, the DNA sample was successfully retrieved from Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan 56 hours after the incident.

"In my case, the reading is perfect," he said in comparing the DNA samples retrieved from Saiful's rectum and the samples taken from the mineral water bottle, toothbrush and towel from Anwar's lock-up following his arrest on July 16, 2008.

It was previously reported that Saiful had gone to Hospital Kuala Lumpur two days after the sodomy incident, where the doctors there took 12 samples from the victim.

The samples were then given to the chemist 96 hours after the alleged incident.

The defence had raised the issue that the samples of the person identified as "Male Y" (Anwar) was in pristine condition and hence what was planted was fresh and Shafee had tried to debunk this.

The Umno-linked lawyer, who was appointed by the Attorney-General's Chambers to handle this case since last July, also tried to show other case law examples to prove that DNA could last long.

The prosecutor said while the sperm's tail may dissolve, the head still remained.

He further said there is various literature to prove that sperm and DNA can still be retrieved after 65 hours from a person's private parts.

Adverse inference on Anwar

Shafee, had been replying to the defence's submission since Friday.

He said while Anwar's lawyers had given an alibi notice to call 13 witnesses, including his wife and PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail as well as Hasanuddin Abdul Hamid, the owner of the condominium where the alleged incident took place, none of them were called.

Citing case law, the lead prosecutor said following the defence's failure to call them, despite giving notice, the Federal Court could make an adverse inference to incriminate Anwar.

"The prosecution has proven Anwar's presence in the particular condominium unit with Saiful as there are closed circuit cameras to show this,” he said, showing photographs to the court.

"The failure to call alibi witnesses is considered independent corroborative evidence," he added.

The senior lawyer said it was Anwar's duty to prove otherwise that he was not in the said condominium unit where the sodomy incident happened.

Shafee also said that despite defence expert Dr Brian McDonald's evidence that the sample taken from Saiful was pristine, his (McDonald's) testimony had not been accepted in his own country Australia and Brunei.

The prosecutor also tried to explain the presence of unidentified male DNA on Saiful's peri-anal region suggesting that it could have been that of Dr Mohd Osman Abdul Hamid, the Pusrawi Hospital doctor who was the first to examine Saiful.

"Possibly Dr Osman was not using a glove or was using a proctoscope which was not sterile," he told the court.

Shafee further suggested that the contamination may have come from the examination by three Hospital Kuala Lumpur doctors.

Shafee has concluded his submission and the defence, led by former Federal Court judge Gopal Sri Ram, will reply the points raised on Thursday.

PSM decides not to join Pakatan Rakyat

(The Star) – Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) has decided not to join the Pakatan Rakyat coalition after two years of waiting, said the party’s secretary-general S. Arutchelvan.

“Basically, we are not part of Pakatan, and we decided that we don’t want to be part of them.

“We will still work with them on programs like their campaign opposing the goods and services tax (GST),” said Arutchelvan.

He told The Star Online in a phone conversation on Tuesday that the party arrived at the decision last Sunday at the PSM special session on the General Election, which saw the participation of all of its state committees.

“In the last election, three of the four seats contested by PSM were three-corner fights. In those fights, one of the opponents was a Pakatan Rakyat candidate,” said Arutchelvan.

PSM fielded candidates for three state seats, namely the Kota Damansara and Semenyih in Selangor, Jelapang in Perak as well as the Sungai Siput Parliamentary seat during the General Election last year.

“We in PSM feel that we cannot be in limbo and we are ready to stand on our own during GE14. We don’t mind working with Pakatan to beat Barisan, but not under the condition that we can not contest under the PSM banner, said Arutchelvan, adding that they had already identified seats they could contest for during the next General Election.

Kula: PM is all talk, no action

Najib has failed to walk the talk against extremism and rigid ideologies.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: DAP vice-president M Kulasegaran said the people are tired of Prime Minister Najib Razak’s hollow talk of fighting against extremism when there was no action taken against offenders.

The Ipoh Barat MP said this in response to Najib’s call to the people to reject extremism, fanaticism and rigid ideologies and continue to enhance mutual understanding and respect to maintain unity in the country.

“When Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali threatened to burn the Bibles, no action was taken against him.

“Worse, it was explained by the government that Ibrahim was defending Islam,” he said during a national-level Deepavali Open House in Malacca last weekend.

Kulasegaran said that a classic case of extremism and fanaticism that went unchecked by the PM was when Federal Territory Umno youth chief Mohd Razlan Muhammad Rafii threatened to burn down the DAP headquarters during a protest earlier this year.

“Again, no action has been taken against him.

“When there were calls to abolish vernacular schools, the only response from Najib was his assurance that the status of the schools are protected by the Constitution,” he said.

He added that action ought to have been taken against these extremists, and that mere words or assurances were not enough.

Publisher apologises for racist slant in SPM workbook

Info-Didik issues an apology and makes effort to recall books.

FMT

PETALING JAYA: Avoiding what might have been another potentially disastrous racial conflict between Chinese and Malays, the publisher of a Bahasa Malaysia SPM workbook has come forward to issue a public apology for the racist slant of a passage that appeared in their book.

According to a report that appeared in Sin Chew Daily, the publisher Info-Didik has issued an apology and made efforts to recall all copies of the book.

Yesterday, things looked like it would bubble over when Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin gave an indifferent reply when asked by MP for Sibu, Oscar Ling, if the education ministry would intervene to investigate the matter.

Seeing Muhyiddin’s indifference as “irresponsible”, Ling said it was inconceivable that the ministry of education did not think it important to supervise all reference books pertaining to SPM examinations.

The workbook, “Kertas Model Sebenar SPM Bahasa Malaysia” contained an essay question from a passage entitled “Melissa” by Abdullah Hussain, that required students to discuss the issue of “Chinese killing Malays” and vice-versa.

The topic also touched on how Chinese vernacular schools were the breeding ground of racist-minded students that widened the racial divide in our country.

The book is authored by Khairuddin Ayip and Yusanizan Shafie.

Anwar’s supporters get unruly

Anwar's supporters try to break barrier in front of Palace of Justice.

FMT

PUTRAJAYA: Supporters of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim got a little unruly earlier today as they tried to break past barriers placed in front of the Palace of Justice.

At around 1.35pm, the crowd was seen marching towards the Palace of Justice, chanting slogans in an aggressive manner although the situation later was brought under control by policemen on duty.

Also reported was a commotion that broke out when an elderly man holding a stick began verbally abusing the police, challenging them to remove the barrier and shoot him.

Policemen on the scene however were able to take control of the situation and urged the elderly man to leave.

Meanwhile, a Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) helicopter was seen hovering over the Palace of Justice monitoring the situation on the ground.

A PDRM spokesman told Bernama that only one helicopter was deployed to conduct aerial surveillance for the sake of public safety.

In court, lead prosecutor Muhammad Shafee Abdullah continued his submission to counter arguments of the defence led by Gopal Sri Ram.

Anwar, 67, is appealing against his conviction and five-year jail sentence for sodomising his former personal aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, 27.

- BERNAMA

Greater democratic space and a just and inclusive economy are the two great challenges for democrats, whether socialist, Muslim or any other denomination

By Lim Kit Siang Blog

I would firstly like to thank the organisers for allowing me the opportunity to address this distinguished audience gathered here at the inaugural “World Forum of Muslim Democrats” conference.

The objective of the forum, as stated in its concept paper, is to “moderate and ameliorate the negative voices of intolerance, extremism and exclusivism with the voices of moderation, tolerance, understanding and inclusivism.” Our discussion here is most timely, given the recent rise of religious bigotry and extremism all over the world.

In war-torn Middle East, a militant force that originated as a regional branch of al-Qaeda has forcibly gained control over parts of western Iraq and north-eastern Syria, styling their unrecognised territory as the “Islamic State.”

Whilst claiming religious authority over Muslims the world over as a born-again “caliphate,” the Islamic State has in fact been carrying out a systematic campaign of sectarian brutality particularly against Muslim minorities. Just yesterday, reports have come in about the massacre of 322 members of an Iraqi tribe in the western Anbar province, including some 50 women and children whose bodies were dumped unceremoniously into a well.

Though the Islamic State has committed great crimes through its inhumane “executions” and ruthless massacres, they have committed a greater crime by misusing the name Islam in the propagation of its abhorrent ideology.

The kind of violence and cruelty being practised by the Islamic State is antithetical to the fundamental teachings of Islam, which ultimately prescribes peace, tolerance and equality amongst mankind. If there appears to be a coincidental relationship between Muslim societies and organised violence in current times, we must bear in mind the context of most Muslim countries today, most of which suffer from authoritarian rule by a ruling elite that is largely seen to be self-serving and subservient to Western hegemony. At the end of the day, the themes aggravating post-colonial Muslim societies today are more economic and socio-political in nature, rather than religious or sectarian.

Closer to home, the situation is not nearly as bad, though increasingly tense and acrimonious by Malaysian standards. The situation is made worse by the government’s inability to stem the growing extremism, and at times appearing to be tacitly supportive of them, as evident by the Executive’s stubborn defence of an right-wing extremist’s threat to burn the Malay-language Bible. Not only did the Attorney-General refuse to prosecute for this provocative attempt to incite religious hatred, the government has gone on record to justify its stand by claiming that this extremist had merely defended the sanctity of Islam.

To make matters worse, all this is happening against a backdrop of the unfettered use of colonial-era draconian laws such as the Sedition Act against political opponents and prominent social activists.

All democrats share the same values

This current state of intolerance is unsurprising, given that the regime in power is now embattled after losing the popular vote for the first time in history in last year’s landmark 13th General Election. Consequently, having been rejected by the majority of moderate Malaysians, they are now increasingly beholden to right-wing elements in the misguided belief that extreme ethno-religious sentiments would strengthen their electoral base. In other words, the government’s response to the people’s yearning for greater freedom and democracy is to further divide and oppress the people with a greater dosage of authoritarianism.

It is now more important than ever to fight this bigotry and oppression through championing the values of freedom, equality and solidarity. These are universal human values, not only for social democrats and those who subscribe whether to Immanuel Kant’s ideals of the inherent goodness and dignity of human beings or Confucius and Mencius’ philosophy of man’s innate goodness, that people are by nature good, and that this goodness needs to be cultivated, but also for Muslim democrats, whose ideological foundations are derived from Quranic values.

In fact, optimism in humanity and the ideals I mentioned earlier are also rooted in Islam, as epitomised by the leader of the Tunisian Islamist movement, Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi’s progressive notion of an Islamic state – a civil one based on justice, equality, human rights and democracy, where the state not only protects freedom of belief but also freedom of conscience.

In other words, all democrats share the same values. Therefore, it is based on these similarities that we can hope to produce a common political agenda for the benefit of all mankind. This common political agenda would be rooted in the shared values of our different traditions, whether as social democrats or Muslim democrats, and focused on facing the challenges of modern society – good governance, rule of law, free and fair elections and socio-economic justice.

Lessons from the Middle East

I would like to take this opportunity to reflect upon events in the Middle East, beginning with the rise and fall of the Hizbun Nahdah or the Renaissance Party of Tunisia, which I feel has great relevance and lessons for all of us.

For many Islamists in the world, and certainly for those who have termed themselves as Muslim democrats, en-Nahdah was the classic example of what a moderate Islamic movement should be. Sheikh Rachid Ghannouchi, who had been in exile during the time of deposed dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, had triumphantly returned to lead the party into a general election that saw them winning 40 per cent of the seats in October 2011.

What followed was the promulgation of a civil constitution based on Islamic values, leading Tunisia to become a beacon of democracy in the Muslim world. Last Thursday’s parliamentary elections in Tunisia, however, saw the defeat of en-Nahdah to the secular leftist Nidaa Tounes. So what led to en-Nahdah’s downfall?

To answer this question, perhaps it is worth looking back at the Arab Spring. The genesis for revolution in the Middle East began in Tunisia on 17 December 2010, the day a young would-be petty trader, Mohammad Bouazizi, set himself alight. The weeks that followed would bring a dramatic change to the region and even the Muslim world at large. Following the Tunisian protests that led to regime change, Egyptians got into the action as well in January 2011 with a massive mobilisation at Tahrir Square, eventually resulting in the fall of dictator Hosni Mubarak on 11 February.

Having claimed the scalp of two long-time dictators, Islamists the world over began to rejoice, asserting the success of the concept called “al-Islam huwa al-hal” or “Islam is the solution.” However, as much as Islamism provided a common mobilising ideology and a useful structure for organised protests, we have to recognise that the real underlying factors that sparked both the Tunisian and Egyptian revolutions are both economic deprivation and political repression.

This duality of motivation has been credited by many studies, including a report by the Arab Institute for Human Rights and the Arab NGO Network for Development, which stated that the desire to build a socio-economic system based on “dignity, liberty and equality… was the main demand of the demonstrators in the entire region and what led them to this profound change.”

Hence, it is not entirely accurate to read the Arab Spring as a phenomenon of “Islamic reawakening” or as the manifestation of the desire to be more Islamic. Instead, the uprising against Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak was neither religious nor was it secular. By and large, the call was for an end to corruption, cronyism, and political repression, as well as for an improvement in economic conditions.

As such, when the people placed their hopes in en-Nahdah in Tunisia and the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt during the Arab Spring, they were hoping that these parties would bring a new approach to politics that centred on equitable economic distribution, good governance and social justice.

Returning to our focus on the Tunisian story, en-Nahdah had been given a mandate to rectify the many socio-economic problems beleaguering Tunisian society, such as persistent unemployment. Unfortunately, the general perception of the voters was that the party failed to deliver. Unemployment remains high and crime has grown more precarious amidst regional turmoil. It is in this context of public discontent over their handling of the economy that en-Nahdah’s recent electoral defeat occurred.

As posited by regional expert and Oxford don Michael Willis: “the economy was the main issue. Nidaa Tounes is seen as having the expertise to get the economy back on track.”

It is the same story in Egypt, where a poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) showed that economic grievances rated highest in people’s minds. For example, 63 per cent of the people cited “unemployment” while 30 per cent cited “poverty” as the biggest problem facing Egypt.

A Pew Research Centre study also saw economic aspirations put ahead of democratic demands with more Egyptians – 82 percent – saying that improved economic conditions and a fair judiciary – 79 per cent – are very important.

What can we learn from all this?

I believe that it is realistic to conclude that the main factors underpinning the Arab Spring and the revolutions that occurred in Tunisia and Egypt had less to do with Islamism than they did with more practical realities such as political oppression and the economy.

It’s about the ordinary people

We would do well to learn this lesson here in Malaysia, where there is now an increasing usurpation of personal affairs by the state in the name of religion. This is a dangerous trend, as the more the state attempts to monopolise the “truth” and proclaim themselves enforcers of religion, the more oppression will occur despite any good intentions.

Rather than being obsessed with the issue of amputating limbs, perhaps it is more productive for us to discuss socio-economic policies. This is particularly relevant to us here in Malaysia, where income inequality is the worst in Southeast Asia. The fact that two thirds of our population qualify for welfare assistance in the form of BR1M payments is indicative of a structural defect in the distribution of wealth in our country, especially when the Prime Minister claims that we are only five years away from high-income status based on growth projections.

Hence, in offering an alternative, we in the Democratic Action Party and Pakatan Rakyat as a whole are committed to introducing reforms that would ensure greater democratic space and an economy that is more just and inclusive.

We want to raise the average Malaysian’s standard of living and reduce the widening income gap by addressing systemic irregularities such as corruption and state monopoly capitalism, which not only distorts the market but also concentrates wealth in the hands of the politically connected elite.

In place of the current flawed practices of patronage and opaque public procurement policies, we propose open competitive tenders. We are also against the implementation of the regressive GST at current conditions because we believe the rich should carry a larger tax burden compared to the poor. We also propose to break-up inefficient monopolies in many sectors, especially in the automobile, telecommunications, and public infrastructure sectors.

In terms of democratic reforms, we believe that there are three important aspects to concentrate on. Firstly, there is a need to ensure personal freedoms especially freedom of conscience and freedom of expression, as well as to uphold human rights and the rule of law. Secondly, we need to tackle social justice issues by increasing access to jobs, housing, public transport, medical care and education. And finally, we need to promote political and cultural pluralism, especially in respecting the rights of minorities in this country.

Here in Malaysia, whether we are socialist democrats, Muslim democrats or democrats of any other denomination, our challenge is in addressing the people’s core issues – economic deprivation and political suppression. Hence, instead of focusing on red herrings in the sphere of identity politics, it is critical for us to proffer solutions that would uphold good governance, rule of law, free and fair elections and socio-economic justice.

(Speech at the closing of First International Conference of the World Forum for Muslim Democrats held at One World Hotel, Petaling Jaya on Tuesday, November 4, 2014)

A case of selective non-prosecution

The Star
by BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

The case of Datuk Ibrahim Ali not being charged with sedition over his Bible-burning remarks remains a perplexing one for Malaysians seeking an answer to what they feel is an example of ‘selective non-prosecution’.

THE Attorney-General decided last week not to charge Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali with sedition for uttering words to the effect that Malay Bibles should be burned.

It is the same law under which nearly a dozen activists had been charged.

Although the Federal Constitution gives the A-G sole discretion whether to charge a person or not, that decision not to charge Ibrahim has invited considerable criticisms not only from retired judges and prosecutors but also from former and serving political leaders, priests and laymen.

They felt that the A-G’s decision was faulty, untenable and even smacks of double standards.

The legal arguments notwithstanding, the damage to inter-ethnic relations and to inter-religious harmony is incalculable.

Christians are upset because they felt there is a clear case of sedition but Ibrahim “escaped” being charged because the A-G stated that “he had no intention to create religious disharmony” when he called for the burning of those Bibles.

While judges and lawyers will argue over intention and context, the A-G decided that he would not lay charges because he thinks the “intention” was absent.

The A-G has usurped the powers of the courts.

“It is for the courts to decide “intention”, not him.

His decision means that Ibrahim got away scot-free.

And that is unacceptable to those who feel that Ibrahim has crossed the line and deserves to be punished.

They find it difficult to buy the A-G’s reasoning.

“It smacks of double standards,” said a well-known lawyer who declined to be named. “You can’t fault ordinary Malaysians for thinking otherwise.”

“This decision by the A-G is simply mind-blowing.

“His decision not to charge Ibrahim Ali is not only bad in law but he also walks a political minefield,” he said.

“His job is to lay the charges as he had on a dozen other activists who were charged with sedition.

“Let the court decide whether any of them had any ill-intention,” he said.

“Is Ibrahim Ali so influential that he is untouchable?” he asked.

There has been all sorts of speculation in the aftermath of the A-G’s decision, which was perceived to be bending backwards to accommodate right wing forces.

Another lawyer pointed out former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s support for Ibrahim.

Dr Mahathir made a big mistake by standing by Ibrahim and supporting him with his convoluted thoughts, the lawyer said.

“He should have stood behind moderate Malaysians in the country who are aghast at the way things are becoming,” she said.

Who can blame Malaysians for thinking that the authorities are being selective in deciding who to haul up in court when it comes to laying sedition charges?

Ordinary Malaysians are speaking up in the ways they know, in social media, on Twitter and Facebook.

These critics posted nasty comments on how Ibrahim is walking free and how the A-G, instead of laying charges, is acting like a defence lawyer.

Why is the reaction to “burning Malay Bibles” as uttered by Ibrahim so muted?

Why is it so defensive? Why is Dr Mahathir defending Ibrahim? Why is the A-G giving excuses for Ibrahim?

These are questions which ordinary Malaysians find perplexing.

The A-G should also use wisely the discretions allowed to him.

He should always have an ear on the ground on what the public feels is the right thing to do.

You can’t go wrong because this is a participatory democracy and not a dictatorship of a few over many.

> The views expressed are entirely the writer’s own.

PM: Malaysia Can Become Choice Centre For Arbitration In Asia

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 4 (Bernama) -- Malaysia, through the Kuala Lumpur Regional Centre for Arbitration (KLRCA) is well-positioned to become a premier centre for arbitration in this region.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said arbitration had today emerged as a strong alternative dispute resolution for commercial and corporate entities in South East Asia, and the government, in recognising its growing importance in this region, was willing to invest in its future.

He said the government had also prepared the right environment for arbitration to grow, including amending the Legal Profession Act 1976, a few months ago.

"The amendment will allow foreign arbitrators and lawyers to enter Malaysia to participate in proceedings here, while foreign practitioners are also exempted from applying for work permit to enter Malaysia to conduct arbitration proceedings," he added when launching the new KLRCA's premises at the historic Bangunan Sulaiman here today.

Najib said Malaysia was well-positioned to thrive in this environment, and "our courts support the arbitration process and the finality of arbitration awards, so matters can be settled in months, not decades."

He said this was also in line with the government's commitment to openness and growth for Malaysia's services sector, and "we want more competition and more opportunities to come to Malaysia."

Citing the latest case of the Malaysia-Singapore joint venture firm M+S Pte Ltd involving in paying development charges for several parcels of lands in Singapore which was resolved through arbitration, Najib said the case could be a model for other countries to pursue in resolving their disputes.

"Instead of allowing disputes to fester and tensions to wrap up, countries can use arbitration as a method to solve disputes and we (Malaysia and Singapore) have shown the way," he added.

On KLRCA, Najib said the centre which was formed in 1978 had now become an integral part of the international arbitration scene and it "must make full use of Malaysia's competitive advantages to continue to thrive and succeed in the international arena."

"We are convinced that KLRCA, the first institution of its kind to be established in South East Asia, possessed all the right qualities to become the region's arbitration centre of choice," he added.

Apart from KLRCA, Bangunan Sulaiaman is expected to house an office of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Court of Sport Arbitration, the Chartered Institute of Arbitration Malaysia and the Malaysian Institute of Adjudicators.

It will also host I-Cells, the think-tank and research arm of the Attorney-General's Chambers and the National Legal Aid Foundation.

Meanwhile, KLRCA director Prof Datuk Sundra Rajoo said the centre had last year, handled 253 cases, as compared to only 22 in 2010.

Also present at the launch were Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail, who is also the centre's Advisory Board Chairman, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nancy Shukri and Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz.